Sehun ∞ Luhan

 

A complete inessential waste of resources.

Sehun stood in front of the house awestruck and disgusted at the size of it all. The house itself was already huge, the pathway to the house was unnecessarily long and to top all the vastness Sehun was facing on one of the worst days he’s ever had the pleasure of going through, the doors separating him and his next unknown swirl of a future were intimidatingly wide and welcoming and by welcoming, Sehun meant like the jaws of a shark.

Yes, incredibly inviting.

Sehun closed his eyes for what felt like an eternity to the eighteen-year old, but it was merely a few seconds, before he opened them again and let out an agitated breath into the brisk, cold air of the autumn morning.

He adjusted the straps of the grey backpack he was carrying, then bent down with an extended arm to grab the large brown suitcase his parents placed on the pebbled pathway before driving away and leaving him to… whatever this was.

With a heavy heart and even heavier steps, he made his way up the steps to the front doors of ‘Fate’s House’.

Fate’s House. What a joke.

Sehun knocked on the bluish-grey doors, noticing the little indentations of what looked like vines caved onto the wood. Whoever picked this door definitely had an inclination towards ‘grand entrances’. As if the door wasn’t fancy enough, it had to be surrounded by marble pillars and a balcony up above it. Sehun shook his head at his observation.

This must’ve been his parents’ idea of a joke. Without so much as an explanation, they woke him up even when the sun wasn’t even up and shoved him so hard into the car, barely managing to get his phone and bag, he was surprised his body didn’t break from the contact it made with the car’s interior.

Now here he was in front of a haunted mansion, his patience wearing thin and his mind racing with only one conclusion.

The Providence condition.

His parents had told him the stories of his ancestors being disloyal to the thing that was Fate and were punished for it like criminals. The only problem Sehun had a hard time getting was the reason why he had to have such a condition.

He was only thirteen when he found out.

One of his distant cousins came to visit and their four-year-old daughter mentioned the red ring. The damn red ring around Sehun’s neck.

“Oh! You must be Sehun, right?” a man said after he opened the too fancy front door. “I’m Suho. Your parents already told me everything.”

Sehun let out an annoyed sigh. “I’m sure they did.”

Suho gave Sehun a knowing smile before letting him inside.

If the outside was fancy, the inside was insane. Sehun frowned at the large entryway with its marble floors and paneled walls. It was just way too much.

“Suho hyung! Where’s my— Oh.”

Sehun stopped mentally criticizing everything when he saw a guy on his right, standing in what Sehun assumed was the living room, with light brown hair and two phones in his hands.

“Lay, this is Oh Sehun,” Suho said, giving alternate glances between Lay and Sehun.

“Ah, a ProCon,” Lay simply said as he made his way in front of Sehun, stuffing the phones in his pockets, eyeing him. “Nice red.”

Sehun raised his brows slightly to Lay. “You… you can see it?” Sehun raised his hand to the hollow of his throat. Sehun knew only the children born from someone who managed to get rid of Fate’s little disease were given special abilities. He guessed Lay’s father or mother must’ve been in his shoes once.

“Yeah. I can see the red,” Lay said proudly, crossing his arms.

Suho cleared his throat. “Let’s go to the office.”

 

 

Compared to the entryway and the living room, the office was a lot more modest and understandably cluttered with phones, stacks of paper and wires slithering all over the floor.

Sehun was sitting in a chair that was right opposite Suho and Lay with a large wooden table in between them. Suho and Lay were staring at a laptop screen and bickering about something Sehun had no interest in finding out about.

“You’ll have a meeting with eight people tomorrow. Hopefully, you get Fate’s direction with one of them,” Suho said, flashing that million dollar smile in Sehun’s way.

Sehun scoffed. “Fate’s direction? What is that supposed to mean? I don’t get why my parents just dumped me here so could either of you enlighten me? Please?”

Sehun knew he sounded like a whiny brat but he could’ve been still in bed instead of sitting pretty in an oversized house with two strangers.

Suho got up from his chair and gave Sehun a stern look. “I know you’re confused and frustrated. The possibility of not being able to pass the age of twenty must be a hard fact to face but me and Lay will try to the best of our abilities to help you get rid of ProCon.”

“ProCon?” Sehun repeated.

“Providence condition. Pro from Providence. Con from condition. ProCon,” Lay said, sitting lazily in his chair. “I made it.”

Sehun rolled his eyes and looked at Suho who continued to talk while walking around the room. “Fate has a hand in one aspect of your life and that’s in regards to your other half. The love of your life per se.” Suho paused as he adjusted some papers on Lay’s table. “When you meet that person, Fate will give you an indication that he or she is who you’re destined to be with and—”

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Sehun, waving his hands in the air. “So, I’m basically here for you two to set me up with someone?”

“Not just anyone,” Lay spoke up, his eyes not looking at Sehun but closed like he’s had this conversation a million times before. “The one Fate decided for you. If we force you with just anyone, you’d die once you turn twenty and we’d be out of business from bad reviews.”

Suho clicked his tongue at Lay. “What Lay means is that we can’t force you to be with someone if Fate didn’t tie you two together in the first place.”

Sehun pinched the space between his eyes. “I’m leaving.” Sehun quickly got up and grabbed his backpack off the floor. “This is stupid.”

Before Sehun could reach the door, Lay blocked his path. “Move, Lay hyung.”

“Boy has manners, at least,” Lay said looking at Suho before facing Sehun again. “You can’t leave. Your parents hired us and they’re the ones who can fire us. Until we finish our job, we have free reign on what we can do to you to make you stay. Your parents signed a contract stating so.”

Sehun was heaving in anger by now. How could his parents leave him with a bunch of Fate worshipping maniacs? He shifted his gaze to Suho and was only met with an apologetic smile on that kind face of his.

Sehun’s backpack slid off his shoulder, defeated.

He sighed and with his body feeling like it was made of lead, he made his way back to the seat he sat in before, much to the delight of Suho.

“Okay, as I was saying, tomorrow you’ll have a meeting with eight people in one room. If the person is there, you’ll know,” Suho said, leaning against the table looking down at Sehun.

“How?” Sehun asked. If you can’t beat them, humor them.

“Like I said before,” said Suho, patting away some invisible dust on his dark jeans, “Fate will tell you.”

 

∞

 

With a plop on the large double bed in the room he’s been assigned to stay in for however long fate decides for him, Sehun gritted his teeth together, giving the stink eye to the innocent wardrobe nearby.

Fate will tell you?

Sehun rolled his eyes at Suho’s words. How could someone put such blind faith in something they couldn’t see? It was idiotic. Plus, it didn’t help Sehun feel welcomed when Suho and Lay deleted all the games and apps he had in his phone.

You can text and call your parents but there’s no internet in this house except in our office and games are too distracting, so there’s no need for that.

Sehun groaned as he let his back hit the soft surface of the bed. It wasn’t like he had friends to text nor was he a huge game junkie but this was just too much. Weren’t they supposed to save him from dying? Shouldn’t that include saving him from dying of boredom?

Sehun stared at the painfully elaborate ceiling of his room as the whole situation sunk into his mind. Would he really be able to find the person Fate decided for him? He was only 18. Most 18 year olds don’t have to find the love of their life before they turn twenty.

Sure, he wasn’t keen on the fact that he only had two years of life to live but he had already accepted it a long time ago. So, why couldn’t his parents?

It wasn’t like he liked living anyway. Death would just be part of this slow flow of days that would end everything. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

∞

 

“You’re meeting the first person in the main living room. Tell us if something happens,” Lay said as he, Suho and Sehun walked from the dining room, across another living room, across the entranceway then finally arriving at the main living room.

How many living rooms does this house need? Sehun thought in disbelief. Sure enough, someone was on one of the large couches.

She was a pretty girl with a long red hair and pale skin with her eyes downcast staring at her fingers.

Other than thinking that she was quite pretty, Sehun didn’t feel anything else.

“What exactly am I supposed to feel?” Sehun asked, perplexed over whether this girl was what Fate chose for him.

“Well… that’s a hard question for me to answer,” said Suho, his hand scratching the back of his neck nervously. “There’s never been one definite sign if a person has found their other half.”

“What?” Sehun asked, his voice barely coming out from the sudden revelation.

“Some people say their hearts feel like exploding, some people say their hearts stop beating for a whole minute, some people say they felt like they died and went to heaven, some say it feels as if spears were being stabbed into them over and over but anyway…” Suho spilled, “what I’m trying to say is, it’s different for everyone but… what I’ve concluded from all the people we’ve helped so far is that they always know for themselves that the other person was Fate’s choice for them.”

Sehun stared hard at the red-haired girl on the couch, waiting for any feelings Suho mentioned to erupt inside of him but… nothing did, and Sehun didn’t know why he was slightly disappointed because it wasn’t like he had ever felt anything for anyone before, why would he start now?

“She’s not it,” Sehun said simply, turning away and walking back in the direction he came from.

“Wait! You have seven other people to see!” Lay yelled out. “Don’t walk away from me, you brat!”

 

∞

 

Three months.

Three long, exasperating months.

Sehun was exhausted, tired, worn out. Every single adjective that meant pooped described the current condition Sehun was feeling as he walked out of Fate’s House in an angry state.

He had been through dozens and dozens of meetings with random people, boys and girls alike to find his “other half” and no one was it. Sehun was tired of it all. He needed a break from all these stupid meets.

He quickened his pace when he heard Lay yelling at the front door for him to come back to the house and meet with more people.

No thank you.

Sehun walked along the driveway’s path, kicking some pebbles and feeling lifeless from three months of doing nothing productive, until he reached the gates of the estate.

The day was cold and Sehun let out some warm air from his lips onto his palms to warm up his frozen skin. He didn’t know why his hopes automatically went up every time he went to a meeting. Was he actually hoping to find someone? He already accepted his death sentence, so why was his head not compromising with him? The meetings were making Sehun uneasy and disappointed all the time. Every time he went and didn’t meet that person, his hopes shattered into even tinier and sharper pieces than the previous time. It was tiring and Sehun simply wanted to run away and just go home, go home and then disappear.

I could just run away now, Sehun thought. Sehun took a glance behind him at the large mansion he’d grown accustomed to and took a deep breath before turning around.

He was ready. Sehun was ready to run away and never come back. He was cursed to die in two years and that was okay. He’ll be fine. The world will still spin without him. Nothing will…

Creak.

Sehun couldn’t believe it. It happened. It ing happened.

 

 

“Lay hyung! Suho hyung! Where are you!” Sehun yelled out as he ran back and forth between the entranceway and main living room, breathing heavily. “I felt it! I found him!”

Sehun heard impatient footsteps go down the staircase of Fate’s house and found Lay’s face attached to the loud feet.

“Don’t joke around, kid. How? Who? Where? When?” Lay said quickly.

“The mailman,” Sehun said, gaining a frown from Lay.

“Did you say the mailman?” Suho said, making his way from the kitchen at the back of the house.

Suho and Lay exchanged a look. “Blonde-haired, pale skin, large brown eyes, small mouth, average height mailman?” Lay asked.

Sehun nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, him! I felt it when I saw him putting some letters in the mailbox.”

Suho tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms, plopping himself down on an armchair in the room. Suho looked deep in thought for a few minutes, completely ignoring the concerned stares of Lay and Sehun, when he finally spoke up. “How did you feel when you saw him?”

Sehun blinked at the ground for a few seconds. “It… It felt like my blood was throbbing in my veins. Like my whole body could feel every pulsing sensation my heart was making. My heart was… it was just beating really fast. Like it was beating so hard and reaching out of my ribcage to get to him. The mailman, I mean.”

Sehun felt really embarrassed for describing it so… weird but it did feel like that and there was no other way he could say it. He wanted to know if what he felt really was something to do with his ProCon. He needed the confirmation from Lay and Suho, even though deep down, he knew that mailman was the one.

“Go on,” Lay said, his eyes filled with interest.

Sehun cleared his throat. “Uh… well… I don’t really know what else to say. It just felt like my whole soul was just suddenly separated from me, like it was ripped out and taken when I saw him and then it just came rushing back. I guess, what I’m trying to say is… it just felt like I was alive for the first time.”

Lay burst out into fits of laughter, earning him a smack on the head from Suho. “That was priceless. I’ve never heard anyone describe a Fate encounter like that! You really should be a poet, Sehun.”

Sehun furrowed his eyebrows in anger. He couldn’t believe that this person was three years older than him but then his expression softened. “Fate encounter? So, it really is him? I… I found him?”

Suho took a break from glaring at his younger brother long enough to give a soft smile to Sehun. “I think you did. Did he see you?”

Sehun shook his head. “He was wearing headphones. I don’t think he heard me walking towards the gate.”

Suho nodded as he stared at the ground before turning to Lay. “I’m researching him.”

Without any warning, Suho ran towards the office. Like, ran ran. Before Sehun could even blink, Suho had disappeared.  

“Suho hyung… is really fast,” Sehun said dumbly.

Lay nodded lazily. “Research has always been his calling. We’ll get back to you tomorrow with a plan. Don’t worry. Suho’s really good at plans,” Lay said with a slight smile before his expression dropped. “I’ve got to cancel all your meetings now. Lucky me.”

Sehun heard Lay let out a sigh, shuffling his hair in frustration before walking off into the office.

 

∞

 

True to Lay’s words, Lay and Suho had compiled nearly every single thing about Luhan, although they sifted some information away from Sehun, not wanting to take the fun out of getting to know someone for the young boy.

“His name’s Xi Luhan. He’s 22 and of Chinese descent. He’s been a mailman for about six months now, before this he worked for a distribution company. His shift is between six and nine in the morning,” Suho said to his audience of two, with Sehun waiting for more.

“That’s it?” Sehun asked after a minute of silence, slightly forming a crease between his brows.

“I only had twelve hours to find this information, okay? Besides, it’s enough to formulate a plan,” Suho said positively, swallowing down the smirk that was tugging on his lips, as he placed the file in his hands on his office table. “Meet him tomorrow morning at the mailbox and… talk.”

Sehun blinked, waiting for the rest of the plan but it seemed like the plan was simply that. “Talk? Just… start a conversation with him?”

Suho nodded. Sehun could also see Lay nodding from his sidelong glance.

“No one just randomly starts a conversation with the mailman! I mean, wouldn’t he find me weird? He’ll think I’m hitting on him or something!” Sehun exclaimed.

“But you are hitting on him,” Suho and Lay said bluntly.

“He doesn’t need to know that!” Sehun yelled out. God, these two are in charge of getting people together?

Suho let out a soft chuckle. “We’re kidding. Tell him you’re personally taking the mail since you’re waiting for an important letter or something and just… take it from there. Our house is his last stop so he’ll probably be here between eight and nine. Good luck!”

 

 

This is the dumbest plan ever.  

Sehun tapped his foot nervously on the pebbled driveway near the gates of Fate’s House where he could see the mailbox clearly, waiting for the mailman to arrive. Sehun’s face felt tight and constricted from waiting for nearly half an hour in the freezing cold air of the winter morning. The mailman would surely find him strange, wouldn’t he? An eighteen year old boy just waiting for an ‘important letter’ that’s never going to come. The mailman would run away before he even had a chance to ask for his name! Not that he needed to ask to know since Suho already told him his name.

Luhan.

Xi Luhan.

Sehun smiled to himself as the name rung in his ears. He was excited and nervous at the same time. He’d never felt so much in the space of two days and it was something he had been missing out on.

Is this how it’s like to be excited for something? It’s kind of nice.

As Sehun was absorbed in his own thoughts, he heard some footsteps coming up from the sidewalk near the estate and sure enough it was him.

Blonde hair tucked underneath an incredibly unflattering dark blue hat and a cute face that would easily be mistaken for as pretty if he wasn’t a man.

Sehun let out a smoky breath into the air, taking a chance with what Fate had in store for him.

 

Luhan had his eyes scanning between the letters in his hands, trying to see if his last house of the day had any letters when a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

He looked up at the figure and noticed a straight-faced boy looking at him, well, the letters but he didn’t fail to notice the sudden rise in temperature his body was feeling when brushing his eyes over the guy’s body.

Warm chestnut hair with pale skin and tall built. He was… cute, albeit a little broody.  

“Is there anything for me?” the boy asked and Luhan looked down to the letters in his hands.

“Depends. What’s your name?” Luhan asked, not surprised that someone came to take their mail personally.

“Sehun. Oh Sehun.”

The sound of the boy’s name gave a shot of warmth at the side of Luhan’s neck but he pushed it out of his mind. “Oh Sehun… Oh Sehun... Sorry, nothing today.”

Oh Sehun nodded, his face still void of any expression. “I’m waiting for a letter. I’ll… I’ll be coming out to see you til I get it.”

Luhan’s eyebrows shot up a little. Straightforward kid. 

“I-I mean… yeah. Just wanna get my letter. I don’t really want to see you.”

Luhan frowned. Very straightforward.

Sehun’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean… I didn’t mean anything bad! I just—”

“You just want to get your letter,” Luhan said, a smile fighting it’s way to his face. Cute kid.

Sehun nodded sadly. The first emotion Luhan had managed to see on his face.

“Sorry,” Sehun said quietly, but loud enough for Luhan to hear.

Luhan let out a small laugh. “It’s fine. A letter is important to you. Hopefully you get it soon. Here.” Luhan passed some letters addressed to ‘Fate’s House’ to Sehun, who took it carefully, shattering the image of the cool, broody boy Luhan thought he was a few seconds ago. “See you tomorrow then.”

Luhan could see a flash of excitement in Sehun’s eyes. “Right!” Sehun said a little enthusiastically, confusing Luhan.

“Bye…?” Luhan said, making it sound more like a question than a proper greeting but it was enough to evoke a smile on Sehun’s face. “Bye… uh…”

“Luhan. Xi Luhan.”

∞

 

“, it’s cold,” Luhan cursed. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Sehun’s ears perked up at the word ‘surprise.’

It had been nearly four weeks since they first met each other, at this mailbox just outside of the estate. The mailbox that Sehun now saw as a barrier between him and Luhan.

The past four weeks had been everything Sehun had wanted to feel out of life. His short meetings with Luhan every morning made him feel more alive than any other moment he’d been in. Slowly, he had gotten to know Luhan little by little and somehow the twenty-two year old Chinese male had been lingering around longer than previous times, even though his shift was over.

Five minutes became ten, then fifteen and somehow, he and Luhan had just develop this ritual of talking to each other about nothing yet everything for much longer than the previous day. Which was all well and good, but somehow they were confined to this little space near the mailbox and Sehun was getting impatient and crabby from the cold.

He had learned that Luhan became a mailman so that his days would be free and he would be able to do anything he wanted without work or anything else stopping him. He learned that Luhan had a wide range of interests and was keen to absorb everything the world had in store. Luhan was also loud and bubbly and everything Sehun wasn’t, but it somehow made him more appealing.

“Your letter came,” Luhan said happily, waving a letter in front of Sehun’s face.

Sehun’s expression dropped as he took the letter. “Oh.”

Luhan pouted. “Oh? Just oh? You’ve been waiting for this for weeks. Aren’t you happy, Sehun?”

Sehun’s heart skipped a little listening to the older male say his name. Would this be the last time he’d hear it? Now that the letter Lay had sent to Sehun to avoid anything unpleasant with Luhan had arrived, would their meetings be over? Would his story with Luhan, with Fate, with life just be over this way?

“Uh, I guess I have to go now. I hope your letter has everything you’ve been waiting for,” said Luhan, lacing his fingers uncomfortably. “So… see you, Se—”

“Come have breakfast with me.”

Luhan blinked back as if it was a valid response.

“I mean… your shift is over and… and it’s cold. Plus, I’m sure you haven’t eaten anything yet and uh… you can meet Suho hyung and Lay hyung and… I…” Sehun stammered.

“Okay,” said Luhan softly, his eyes looking down at the pebbled pathway in front of him.

Sehun had to bite his tongue not to yell out in victory. “Okay.”

 

Sehun had to wonder what Luhan was thinking when he asked him along to a pottery class. He didn’t have a problem with the class, it was actually quite fun but from the way Luhan was creasing his eyebrows and huffing and gruffing angrily at the “vase” he was making, Luhan was the one who was having a problem.

“Are you okay, hyung?” Sehun asked carefully, not wanting to get on Luhan’s bad side.

Luhan stopped shaping his block of wet clay and slumped as he faced Sehun. “I at this and I’m all dirty.”

Sehun couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s clay, hyung. You’re meant to get dirty.”

Luhan pouted sadly. “I hate being dirty.”

Sehun shook his head in amusement, paying attention to the cup he was shaping. “Then you shouldn’t have taken the class, hyung.”

Luhan glared at Sehun playfully without Sehun’s notice. Luhan sighed and gave up on his vase before scooting close to Sehun.

“What are you making?” Luhan asked, studying the lump of clay between Sehun’s hands.

“A cup, I think,” Sehun said, all his focus on the clay cup. He could feel Luhan’s gaze on him but he ignored it, happy for the attention his new friend was giving him and happy for the buzz he was feeling all over his skin.

“Sehun…” he heard Luhan say. “Thank you.”

Sehun looked up from his cup and saw Luhan looking at him with his head slightly tilted. “For what, hyung?”

“For… coming to this class with me,” said Luhan, quickly turning back to his melting vase. Sehun sensed that that wasn’t what Luhan wanted to say but didn’t want to push the matter.

“No problem, Luhan hyung.”

Good thing I invited him to breakfast that day.

 

 

“Why did I want to do this? This is the worst. I can’t even get my money back,” Luhan cursed as he and Sehun stood in front of a large rock-climbing wall.

Sehun tried his best to suppress his smile but failed. “Are you afraid, hyung?”

This kid is getting cocky, Luhan thought as he glared at Sehun. “No, of course not.”

Sehun smirked. “Don’t lie, hyung. Look,” Sehun held onto Luhan’s hand, “You’re shaking.”

The simple touch was enough to send a hot line of fire up Luhan’s arm that landed on his cheeks and singed it. He discreetly pulled his hand away. “L-let’s get this over with.”

Luhan knew this was bad. For the past two months, he’d been having breakfast with Sehun and his friends and every other day he’d have some class or event to go to and somehow he just couldn’t help but invite Sehun to come with him. They’d only known each other a little over three months but he’d never felt so close with anyone before, not even Minseok.

I can’t see Sehun this way. He’s just a kid and I told myself I don’t want to date anyone for a while, Luhan thought, feeling angry with himself. He forced himself to take a glimpse of Sehun who was adjusting some rope with the help of the rock-climbing instructor.

Sehun was quiet most times but he seemed to always be keen in doing whatever Luhan had in store. Sehun was the complete opposite of his ex-boyfriend, Minseok. Minseok was loud and always wore a smile on his face, but he wasn’t as kind and welcoming as Sehun, despite what others believed.

Sehun wouldn’t stare at him like he had grown a second head every time he’d mention doing something out of the ordinary.

Sehun wouldn’t scold him every time he said something embarrassing or crude.

Sehun didn’t make him feel ashamed for being himself.

“Hyung! Let’s go!” Sehun yelled out excitedly as he made his way next to Luhan, pointing to the wall.

Reality came crashing back to Luhan in one go, forgetting his thoughts of his ex-boyfriend, replaced by his acrophobia. “.”

Sehun simply laughed and both of them made their way to the wall. Luhan looked up and the wall became even higher and bigger than it was a second ago.

Luhan was scared. Heights weren’t his thing but he wasn’t going to admit that to Sehun.

Sehun chalked his hands before giving a small smile and a thumbs up Luhan’s way. He began climbing and Luhan had to hand it to him. He was looking incredibly cool. He looked like he’d been doing this his whole life and by the time he reached about a quarter of the wall’s height, he looked down to Luhan and waved him to come up.

Luhan was so not ready but he chalked his hands and climbed the wall, one hand at a time. By the time he had almost reached where Sehun was, his insides were jumbled and his head was throbbing from fear.

“Hyung! Come up! You’re almost there!” Sehun said as he clung to the wall and looked down at Luhan.

“S-Sehun, I’m scared,” Luhan admitted. He had never been so embarrassed in his life. How could a twenty-two year old act like such a baby in front of a younger guy? Sehun would definitely make fun of him and laugh in his face. He’d call him a total loser and—

“It’s okay, hyung,” Sehun said. Luhan moved his face away from its hiding position in the rock-climbing wall and braved himself to see Sehun.

He was smiling.

Smiling.

It wasn’t condescending or mocking, it was just a blinding kind smile that reached Luhan in his heart and burned all his fears away.

“Just look at me. I’ll climb a little higher each time and you can just aim to reach to me and if you’re scared, you can stop,” said Sehun, and climb Luhan did, even managing to reach the top.

 

 

Sehun felt as though his life had suddenly been thwarted into a whirlpool of activities and worldly treasures and it was all thanks to Luhan. Amazing, funny, kind and wonderful Luhan.

He didn’t know how it started but every passing day, his life had become more meaningful, more vibrant than the last and he didn’t want it to stop. So far, he’s known how it’s like to have wet clay in his hands, how much focus is required in rock-climbing, how satisfying rowing a boat is, how much patience is needed in fishing and a variety of other things he never thought he’d ever do.

He also noticed how much of a contradiction his Chinese friend was. Although Luhan was the one who suggested the activities, he would end up hating something about it.

“I hate all these people staring at us,” Luhan said, as he focused on his feet.

Sehun smiled. “You know, I just noticed how much of a contradiction you are.”

Luhan hummed, his gaze meeting Sehun’s. “What do you mean?”

Sehun sent his gaze to the floor to his feet, trying to match the rhythm of the music. “You wanted to do pottery, but you hate getting dirty. You wanted to rock-climb, but you’re afraid of heights. You wanted to try fishing, but you hate the slimy feel of fish. You—”

“Okay, I get it,” Luhan said, annoyed at Sehun’s picky observations. “Your point is?”

“No point. I’m just saying. Even now, you wanted to try ballroom dancing, but you hate attention. It’s… interesting,” said Sehun, unsure of what point he was trying to point out. The ballroom dancing teacher told them that they had to pair up since there were more guys than girls, which Sehun didn’t mind in the slightest. Everyone was moving awkwardly with each other trying to match the music echoing in the room, Sehun and Luhan included, considering that this was the beginner’s class.

“You’re very observant,” Luhan laughed lightly before bringing his gaze back to his feet. “I just like trying new things. The only thing I regret in life is not doing the things I wanted to do when I was younger, so I’m making up for lost time.”

Sehun nodded slowly. “You talk as if you’re an old man.” A light chuckle passed Sehun’s lips. “What stopped you from doing things like this anyway?”

Luhan went silent for a while, his dance steps noticeably a little slower than before. Sehun was about to nudge him to talk when he finally spoke. “I was dating someone.”

Sehun stopped dancing. “Oh.”

Of course Luhan would have someone. He was attractive and fun to be around, it was only natural but it didn’t stop Sehun from feeling a painful pang in his chest at the thought of Luhan being with anyone else besides him.

Sehun shook off the feeling, thinking that it wasn’t like he was in love with Luhan that way even though Fate had decided it so. Sure, Sehun was a little thankful to Fate for letting him meet Luhan but love was something Fate shouldn’t have control over.

“’Was’ being the key word,” Luhan emphasized, calming Sehun’s rattled heart a little. “He made me feel embarrassed to do the things I wanted. Every time I suggested we do something, he’d get all defensive and say that it was stupid.” Luhan gave a shrug as if to say it didn’t matter anymore, but Sehun could see a cloud of sadness wash over his face for a second before it reverted back to an emotionless state.

Before Sehun knew what he was doing, he lifted Luhan’s chin to bring his gaze up to meet his. “I’m sorry… and thank you.”

Luhan slightly smiled. “For what?”

“Sorry your ex didn’t do these things with you and… thank you for letting me do these things with you, instead,” Sehun simply said, putting a little distance between them as the teacher instructed.

Sehun could feel Luhan looking at him as he was pretending to be engrossed in his dance steps when he heard the faint hum of Luhan’s voice in the air that acknowledged his words. 

"I'm glad."

 

∞

 

It was a little after one o’ clock when Sehun finally broke.

“I’m so bored,” Sehun said for the millionth time that morning, much to the agitation of Suho and Lay, who were enjoying the slight sunshine spring had to offer in the backyard.

Luhan had a family emergency, which forced him to fly back to Beijing, leaving Sehun lonely and bored for the past two days.

“He’s only going to be gone for five days, Sehun. Geez,” Lay said, flipping back to the page of his manga that he was reading.

Sehun groaned as he got out of the garden chair he was on.

“You’re completely in love with him,” Suho said without so much as a peek at Sehun, totally entertained with a video he was watching on his phone.

“I am not!” Sehun retaliated. “I’m just not used to not seeing him. That’s all.”

“Totally in love with him,” Lay echoed. Sehun glowered at Lay, walking away from the gargantuan area that these people called a backyard towards the kitchen, where the house chef was drying a bunch of plates.

“Hey Sehun,” Kai said.

“Hey…” Sehun said lazily as he got on a barstool under an island.

“That doesn’t sound like a happy ‘hey’,” Kai said, his back facing Sehun.

“You heard correctly, then,” Sehun said, tracing circles on the granite island countertop with the side of his cheek cupped in his other hand, an elbow supporting the heavy weight of his distraught head.

Kai stopped drying and leaned against the kitchen counters with his arms crossed. “Want to talk about it?”

Sehun looked at Kai’s concerned face and let out a sigh. “Have you been in love?”

Kai unraveled his arms. “I don’t think so.”

“How do you imagine love is like?” Sehun asked out of mere curiosity.

Kai thought for a while for an answer. “I think it’s when that person occupies your thoughts more times in a day without you even noticing.”

That doesn’t happen to me. I’m not in love with Luhan.

“I think it’s when every little thing reminds you of that person.”

Nothing reminds me of Luhan. I’m not in love with him.

“When they’re gone, you wish they were around and when they’re around, you don’t want to stop being around them.”

That… is a little true but I’m not in love with Luhan.

“Your heart is supposed to beat faster when you see them or something. I don’t know. I haven’t been in love. I guess it just depends on the person.”

Kai gave a shrug to Sehun, who he noticed became paler and paler with every word he said. “Hey… are you okay?”

“Oh god. Oh god,” Sehun said, abruptly getting off the barstool and walking back to the backyard, leaving Kai confused for a second before his mind wandered back to the boy he saw in the market earlier that morning.

 

 

“I’m in love with Luhan,” Sehun declared to Suho and Lay who didn’t even move at his declaration.

“Good for you,” Lay said, uninterested.

Suho looked up from his phone. “I told you.”

Sehun scrambled over to Suho’s side and kneeled down. “No, hyung. This isn’t good. Am I really in love with him? Or is this what Fate is making me feel? What if I’m not really in love with him and this is just some ProCon thing?”

Sehun could see the surprise in Suho’s face, but it quickly softened. “Fate can’t force feelings on you. Fate decides your other half. Whether they become your lover or simply a best friend is up to you. Although majority of the times, people tend to fall in love, but anyway… be honest with yourself. You are in love with Luhan. I can see it, Lay can see it, and I’m pretty sure, you know it too.”

Sehun listened to Suho’s calm voice with his calm words and he felt at ease. “Won’t I die if Luhan doesn’t feel the same way?”

Suho smiled sadly, placing a hand on Sehun’s shoulder. “That’s true… but haven’t you been happy lately?”

Sehun nodded.

“I think you understand what I’m trying to say.”

 

∞

 

April had finally come around and Luhan had the perfect gift to present to Sehun for his birthday. His eighteen-year-old friend would be eighteen years old no longer and Luhan thought of commemorating another year of Sehun’s life with a little trinket.

Unbeknownst to Sehun, Luhan had continued taking the pottery classes and finally managed to make a vase that didn’t look like it was battered and beaten up. Luhan smiled at the effort he made, mentally patting himself on the back before knocking on the door of Suho and Lay’s house.

“Hey! Come on in. Everyone is at the back,” Lay said, letting Luhan pass through. They made their way to the back of the house at what Luhan assumed was the backyard, although it looked more like a football field. He had always wondered why Sehun was staying here, but Sehun simply said that his parents were on a long holiday and left him in the care of Suho and Lay and Luhan never bothered to question much about it.

“Luhan!” yelled out a fancily dressed Suho, holding out a glass of wine for him to take. “Sehun went to the bathroom. He’ll be back soon. How was China? You stayed longer than you said.”

Luhan nodded sadly. “Yeah, my grandmother wasn’t doing so well for a while. She’s alright now, though.”

Suho gave Luhan a kind smile. “Sehun missed you.”

Luhan felt a warm tingle spread across the back of his neck outwards onto his shoulders. “I… I missed him too.”

Luhan felt shy for saying that, knowing that what he felt for Sehun was more than friendship but less than lovers. It was strange. All his past relationships were so clear-cut and easy to initiate but with Sehun, he couldn’t bring himself to go that far.

Sehun was a precious friend to him and nothing could screw that up.

“Hyung!” Luhan heard a voice yell out. A voice he’d missed hearing for the past two weeks.

Luhan turned away from Suho and looked back to the house where an impeccably dressed Sehun was running down the stairs leading to the backyard to get to him. Sehun’s hair was styled and his suit fit him to a T and Luhan couldn’t help but say ‘wow’ at how Sehun looked.

Sehun rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Lay hyung and Suho hyung made me wear it. I look weird, right?”

Luhan shook his head quickly. “You look really good.”

Sehun smiled. “I’ve missed you.”

Luhan’s insides felt airy and light and everything he didn’t want to feel, but despite all that, he still said, “Me too.”

 

 

“What did the buffalo say to his son?” Lay asked in a slurred tone. “Bison!” He started laughing his head off, much to the chagrin of everyone else, which included Suho, Sehun, Luhan and a newcomer to Fate’s House, Chanyeol.

“I think Lay’s had way too much to drink. Chanyeol, can you help me get him inside?” Suho asked as he set his wine glass on the table sprawled outside that had some wine glasses, a half eaten cake and remnants of confetti paper.

“Sure. Happy Birthday, Sehun,” Chanyeol said, helping Suho drag an incredibly smashed Lay back into the house.

Sehun and Luhan were left alone under the spring night with the stars twinkling and a backyard the size of a football field to walk around in.

“How was your trip?” Sehun asked as he walked side by side with Luhan.

“It was good. I told my grandma about you. She said you sound like a nice person,” Luhan said, smiling at his feet.

“I’m glad she’s alright,” Sehun said, his mind wandering around. He had decided that he would tell Luhan his feelings, regardless of whether he accepted it or not. He didn’t care about his ProCon. If he died, at least he’ll die knowing that Luhan knew his feelings regardless of how he felt about Sehun.

“Hey, hyung. I—”

“Wah! A shooting star!” Luhan yelled out. “Make a wish, birthday boy.”

Sehun sighed and stopped walking, going in front of Luhan. “Hyung.” He said sternly making Luhan quiet. “I… I have to tell you something.”

Luhan nodded, looking like a cat caught in headlights. “Okay.”

“I… I’ve really missed you,” Sehun began, hushing Luhan when he was about to respond. “During the time you were away, I’ve realized that I’m completely in love with you.”

Sehun felt like a whole weight had been lifted from him the second the words left his mouth, but the relief lasted for a second. That weight came crashing back down with a force as he saw Luhan’s face. He didn’t look happy.

“You… You’re my friend,” Luhan said, looking confused. “Why…”

Before Sehun could hear the words of rejection from Luhan, he pulled him into his arms and stopped him. He thought he would be fine having Luhan reject him, but it wasn’t fine. He wasn’t fine.

“Thank you for making me feel alive again, hyung. I didn’t realize how much of my life was slipping away until I met you. I know what you’re going to say. You’re not in love with me, but I’m telling you that I am. I’m glad I’ve met you and I hope one day, I’ll see you again and you can love me just as I love you now.”

Sehun reluctantly pulled away and forced a smile on his face. Luhan looked upset and his eyes seemed glossy but not teary-eyed.

Definitely pretty, if you weren’t a guy.

With a swift move, Sehun stole a kiss off Luhan’s lips and placed another kiss on his forehead.

“Bye, hyung.”

 

 

A L M O S T  1  Y E A R  L A T E R

 

It had been nearly a year since Luhan had seen Sehun but that kiss had lingered on his lips up to this point in his life. He should’ve chased after Sehun when his back was all he saw as Sehun made his way back into the house but his legs moved in the other direction, leaving Fate’s House and finding out that Sehun had gone back home a week later after gathering the courage to go talk to him.

Luhan was devastated to say the least. He didn’t know anything about Sehun except for his name, age and personality. His last connection with Sehun was Fate’s House and here he was, knocking on the door of the overly large mansion hoping Sehun would be the one to open the door, but of course, it would be Suho.

“Luhan, he isn’t coming back here. You should stop doing this,” Suho said with a grumpy look on his face.

“I know. I just…” Luhan could feel his throat clogging up.

Suho noticed and his features visibly softened. “I understand, but if you don’t love him, stop looking for him here.”

“Yeah, Luhan hyung. You won’t ever see him again. Not now…” Lay said, causing a bitter feeling to settle at the pit of Luhan’s stomach but that bitterness quickly turned into alarm when he heard what Lay said next. “...or ever again after tomorrow.”

Despite the loud smacks Lay was receiving from Suho on his back, all Luhan could hear was the numb silence resting in his ears.

“What is Lay talking about?” Luhan demanded, looking back and forth between Suho and Lay.

Suho sighed before giving a glare at Lay. “Tomorrow is Sehun’s twentieth birthday.”

Luhan nodded. He knew Sehun’s birthday. It was carved into his memory.

“After tomorrow, he won’t exist anymore.”

Luhan’s chest tightened. “I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“Sehun has a condition. It sounds crazy if you aren’t—”

“Tell me!” Luhan yelled out, the thought of Sehun dying replaying in his mind, sending a frozen chill up to his head.

“It’s called Providence Condition,” Suho said quickly, explaining the history of Fate and humankind, explaining how descendants had ProCon, explaining how Sehun had ProCon and how he managed to get Fate’s direction when he saw Luhan.

Luhan slumped to the expensive marble floor of the entranceway. It all made sense and it all didn't make sense at the same time. The strange plaque with all the mumbo jumbo about Fate, Sehun’s stay with a bunch of strangers, the day he met Sehun at the mailbox. It was because he was what Fate decided for Sehun. Oh god, oh god, no, no. Sehun.

He hugged his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth as his mind calculated the amount of time Sehun had before everything disappeared. Before all their time together, all the things they did together, that one kiss they shared just disappeared as if none of it ever existed.

Suho kneeled down, giving Luhan an apologetic stare.

“Where is he?” Luhan asked, fighting the urge to let his tears fall onto the cold floor.

Luhan could see Suho sharing a look with Lay, who sighed and went into the living room and disappearing before appearing again with a small piece of paper.

“He won’t be happy to see you, you know,” Lay said bitterly, handing over the slip of paper to Luhan. Luhan looked at it and felt a small twinge of hope rise.

It was an address.

“Is this…”

“Sehun’s address,” Lay said quickly. “If you’re going there just to break his heart again, I—”

“Thank you,” Luhan said, feeling optimistic despite Lay’s harsh words. “I’m going.”

 

∞

 

“Sehun! Hurry up! You have piano lessons soon!” Sehun heard his mother yell from downstairs.

“I’m coming!” Sehun yelled back. It had been nearly a year since his ProCon disappeared. He didn’t know why it suddenly disappeared. He didn’t manage to get Luhan, they weren’t together but somehow Fate had removed his curse and he found himself able to leave Fate’s House.

He thought of staying, but with no condition to cure and no Luhan in sight, he didn’t see the point in staying in a house that reminded him of the blonde Chinese male.

Sehun stuffed his music sheets and a bottle of water into his backpack before zipping it up and throwing it over his shoulder. He made his way downstairs and was about to leave the house when he found Luhan standing at his driveway, talking with his mother.

“Luhan hyung?” Sehun said as he took slow steps to where Luhan and his mother were standing, afraid Luhan would disappear if he came rushing forward.

Although he walked slowly, Luhan ran forwards to Sehun and painfully gave Sehun a tight hug. Sehun looked up to his mother who was simply smiling at him before speaking up.

“I’ll cancel your lessons today. You two…” his mother looked at Luhan, then back to Sehun, “…have a lot to talk about.”

With that, his mother had gotten into the car and driven off. Sehun could hear Luhan sniffling into his shirt and mumbling something that Sehun couldn’t understand. He pushed Luhan away gently.

“What’s wrong, hyung? Why are you crying?” Sehun asked, genuinely concerned.

“You… gone… Fate…” Luhan said between sobs.

Sehun tried to shake Luhan out of it gently. “Calm down, hyung.”

Luhan finally managed to compose himself.

“Let’s go inside, hyung,” Sehun said, wrapping an arm around Luhan’s shoulders, leading him inside the house.

When they reached the hallway of the bottom floor of Sehun’s house, Luhan had enveloped him in another hug. “Don’t go.”

Sehun was incredibly and utterly confused. “I’m… right here, hyung.”

“Don’t go. I… I love you,” Luhan said, his face looking directly at Sehun’s.

Sehun could feel that same feeling he had when he first saw Luhan by the mailbox. It was as if his heart was reaching out of his ribcage to get to him.

So, it wasn’t Fate. It’s just me.

Sehun smiled at Luhan. “I love you too, hyung.”

Without any warning, Luhan started crying some more, which made Sehun even more frazzled. “Did I say something wrong?”

Luhan shook his head. “You’re going to be gone tomorrow. What do I do now?”

“Gone? What are you on about?” Sehun asked, his brows forming a deep crease.

“I know about it. Your ProCon. You’ll be gone tomorrow. Lay and Suho hyung told me,” Luhan said, resting his forehead on Sehun’s shoulder.

Sehun sighed in understanding. Another one of Lay hyung’s plans, I see.

“Luhan hyung,” Sehun said as comfortingly as he could muster, “my ProCon disappeared last year already. During my birthday. I won’t die.”

 

 

As Sehun made his way back inside the house with the small hope that Luhan would chase after him flickering away with every step, he noticed Suho and Lay’s office light still on.

He went inside the office and was surprised to see Lay, awake and sober, typing on his laptop.

“Oh! Sehun! Did anything good happen with Luhan?” Suho asked eagerly.

Sehun forced a smile and shook his head. “I told him I love him but…”

Before Sehun could finish, he felt Suho hugging him. “These things happen.”

Sehun clenched his jaw, barely containing the sadness that he was feeling everywhere.

“Your red…” he heard Lay said. Sehun pulled away from Suho and looked at Lay who had an authentic look of surprise on his face. He subconsciously put his hand over his neck where a red ring could be seen by descendants of ProCon survivors.

“What about it?” Sehun asked agitatedly.

“It’s… It’s gone,” Lay said, frowning.

“Are you still drunk, hyung?” Sehun joked, surprised he could muster a small joke even though he felt like crap.

Lay shook his head and glared at Sehun. “I wasn’t really drunk. Just pretending.”

Lay made his way to Sehun and stared at his neck for a good five minutes, much to Sehun’s discomfort. “It’s really gone. The red isn’t there anymore. Not even a faint shade or leftover or anything. It’s just… gone.”

It was Sehun’s turn to stare at Lay. “Does it mean…”

“You’re cured. Your ProCon is gone,” Lay said, amazement apparent on his face.

“But how? I didn’t get Luhan. I—”

“Fate works in mysterious ways,” Suho said, shrugging and offering a smile to Sehun.

 

 

Complete humiliation.

As Luhan closed his eyes to escape this scene of his life, ignoring Sehun’s voice urging him to not be so embarrassed and to open his eyes, he felt something warm press against his forehead causing him to open his eyes quickly.

“Hyung. You’re really cute when you’re embarrassed,” Sehun said with a smirk, obviously satisfied with himself after pecking Luhan on the forehead.

“Shut up,” Luhan said as he walked over to a window in the living room, hoping to have a little distance between him and Sehun but Sehun was like a dog following its master and didn’t understand how warm Luhan was feeling right now.

“What? Now that I’m not dying, you aren’t in love with me anymore? Ah hyung, how could you be so mean to me? Did you just want to make me happy before I die? If that’s the case, then maybe I should go and kill myself, then,” Sehun said in a whiny voice Luhan had never heard him use, which would’ve made him laugh if he wasn’t so morbidly wrapped in humiliation.

Luhan knew Sehun was joking. He wasn’t actually going to kill himself. That was stupid. He just got rid of his ProCon so how could he—

Slam.

Luhan’s head turned away from the window he was looking out of to where Sehun was standing but Sehun wasn’t there. He could feel his heart pounding in panic.

No, he wouldn’t…

Luhan quickly ran to the front door where Sehun was smirking at him.

“That’s not funny, Sehun!” Luhan yelled, needing to hold the rail of the staircase to allow him to stand properly wit his jelly legs.

Sehun’s smirk faltered and he looked down guiltily. “Sorry, hyung.”

His legs had finally managed to gain some strength and Luhan made his way in front of Sehun with a frown plastered on his face. “Don’t do that.”

Sehun finally looked up from the ground and smiled at Luhan. “I won’t. Promise.”

Sehun brushed some hair that was slightly below Luhan’s eyebrows and softly rubbed Luhan’s cheek with his thumb. “I love you, Luhan.”

Luhan hadn’t heard Sehun say his name on its own before and it nearly gave him a heart attack. A good heart attack, but a heart attack nonetheless. He simply hummed in agreement, much to Sehun’s dissatisfaction.

“Hyung,” Sehun said firmly.

Luhan let out a shaky breath before he looked up to Sehun. Kind, tall and very much alive Sehun. “I love you too.”

 

∞

 

As Lay stretched his body and rolled his head to sort out his sore neck, he was finally able to close Oh Sehun’s case with a light heart.

It had been a few days since Luhan went over to Sehun’s house and sorted their relationship out. Sehun had sent him a picture of him and Luhan eating some ice cream together on what Lay assumed was their first date.

He was glad Sehun had found someone that made him less of a brat and he was also glad that Luhan had found someone who he could be himself with.

The point was, Lay was glad this case was finally over.

“New case,” Suho said as he smacked a file down onto Lay’s desk.

“Already?” Lay asked, scrunching his face.

Suho winced at his brother’s lazy attitude but knew once he got into a case, he put his all into it, and it replaced the wince he had with a smile. “Huang Zitao. Get on it.” 

 

 

Thanks to those of you who subscribed even before there was a chapter! <3 

I'm not so sure about this chapter, but I'm never sure. Oh well *wipes hands*

Leave a comment on what you think! Continue with Taoris or scrap it? 

Thanks for reading! :)