~CHAPTER THREE~

Sehun came to a conclusion that he did right when accepting Jongin’s offer. There wasn’t any other option anyway. He got no place to stay and no money to rent one. He just needed to stay until his Lord allowed him to come back. Also Jongin was the only human Sehun didn’t find suspicious and if you didn’t count his embarrassing side, he was nice. Oh and stupid.

„What is that?“

Sehun was leaning on the doorframe, his index finger pointing at two plastic cups in Jongin’s hands. They were sealed on top and the liquid inside was bleary. It was his first time seeing something like that and Sehun thought it looked weird. Jongin handed him one cup and Sehun made a face but took it anyway. He then observed Jongin who took a thick sharp straw and pierced the transparent plastic cover.

„Hey, why aren’t you grateful?“ Jongin pouted. „You should smile!“Sehun’s face got even harder and Jongin wasn’t sure if what he saw was real or it was a figment of his own paranoid mind.

„Says a doctor,“ he murmured and stared at the cup in his hand for a while. He couldn’t unsee the satisfied look on Jongin’s face. Sehun was still hesitating, but did the same as Jongin anyway, and sipped a little. To his surprise, it wasn’t that bad. Pretty good actually. He drank more and a delighted feeling spread inside his being. Corners of Sehun’s mouth turned slightly upwards.

„Tastes good, huh?“ Jongin wiggled his eyebrows, but Sehun wasn’t impressed.

„No.“ He retorted and gave Jongin a casual glance. Sehun then continued on sipping his Bubble Tea again. He made sure to look neutral, but Jongin knew.

The clocks just announced midnight.  A tiny wooden bird flung out of it and the whole room was now swallowed in a loud merciless cuckoo. It made Jongin rub his temples. He dropped the pen and arranged his worksheets into a neat pile. Enough work for today, he thought as he stretched his neck, back and arms. Jongin’s muscles were tensed from all those long hours spent sitting in a chair without any rest.
 Jongin dragged his limp body out of the workroom. His eyes spotted Sehun in the kitchen behind the dining table with an opened book lying on its surface. Sehun liked reading.  The doctor walked in lazily and occupied a spot across the latter. Sehun didn’t mind.

„What are you reading?“

The blonde finally moved his gaze from the yellowish pages and targeted Jongin’s. „A book.“ Sehun’s typical answer. He stared intensively at Jongin for a while and this time, his tongue worked faster than his brain. „Are you alright?“

„Hm?“ Jongin reacted almost immediately. Sehun was worried and Jongin knew. He chuckled and Sehun gave him a look, which could be easily mistaken for a deadly glare. „I’m fine.“

By fine Jongin meant terrible headache, sore eyes framed by huge dark black circles and exhausted brain. He had endless hours of work past him. Jongin spent half of the day in hospital and when he finally came home, a stack of paperwork was waiting for him. Today was a grueling day for the doctor, but Sehun didn’t seem to pity Jongin enough to spare him a comment.

„You look horrible. Just saying.“

„Thank you very much.“ Jongin glared Sehun but it had no effect on the pale boy. Also he knew the latter wouldn’t ask further and Jongin was glad. „I just need to relax.“

Sehun hummed in response, paying attention the book again. Only one part of him was focused though. „How do you relax?“

Jongin thought the question was strange, but then again Sehun had asked even stranger questions in the past. He learned within the first few days that Sehun was…well, special. And in a way, Jongin liked it. This was his chance to make Sehun’s stone mask melt, maybe. „I like talking.“

Sehun hummed again and turned to another page. His eyes were still wandering in the words, black on white. „Talk then.“

„I meant a dialog. You know, two and more people. Talking by myself makes me feel like a crazy person rather than relaxed.“ Jongin peeked at Sehun’s reaction. He closed his book.

And they talked. At first, Sehun didn’t say much, he was more of a listener than speaker. In fact he was not shy, just reserved and Jongin knew. He tried to ask about many things, but Sehun either didn’t know or wasn’t willing to give the answer, which Jongin was aware of. Eventually he abandoned this attempt and brought up a random topic.
Initially Jongin annoyed the latter for a while, until Sehun finally joined the talk actively. They talked about the smallest things and Jongin learned that Sehun’s favorite color was green and his nightmare was brainless people. On the other hand, Sehun realized Jongin was not that stupid. In fact, he decided to reassess his opinion to silly.

And for the first time, for both, it felt completely natural.

…

„When I was a kid, an accident happened… I don’t know why, it just came to my mind…“

Jongin’s voice trailed off and Sehun sharpened. He didn’t know how did a conversation about fast food ended up with Jongin sharing his childhood memoir. But he listened nonetheless.

„It’s fine.“

When Sehun’s eyes met the latter’s, he smiled slightly. Jongin thought it was soft and somehow soothing. He carried on narrating.

„When I was seven my mom wanted me to learn ice-skating on a nearby pond... The ice broke under my weight. It was too thin. The water engulfed my vision, numerous layers of winter clothes and skates I wore dragged me down to the bottom. Darkness swallowed me, I was shocked and disoriented… I couldn‘t even feel the freezing water. And then…“  Jongin stopped, obviously hesitating. Sehun scowled slightly.

„And then what?“

„I saw a dazzling light…And I remember I wasn’t afraid of it. It led me to the safety.“ Jongin spotted the blonde’s expression colored in surprise and cut it off. „I-I know it sounds insane and all but it was really there and-“ He didn’t complete the sentence and turned his sight away as if expecting Sehun to laugh right into his face. However Sehun did not laugh.

„No, I believe you.“

There was silence for a couple of seconds and during those, Jongin wondered if he isn’t being delusional. Sehun didn’t laugh and  even believed him. He didn’t know the latter’s thoughts, but he was sincerely grateful.
Sehun would be lying if he said he wasn’t amused while watching the doctor’s reaction. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was the first one, who didn’t end up calling a psychiatrist to get Jongin into sanatorium. If there was anyone else before him, that was the question. When Jongin finally gathered himself, the Angel smirked. Sehun wasn’t joking, and now, Jongin knew.

„You know, I’m a doctor, a scientist, and science doesn’t believe in supernatural things. If it wasn’t me under the ice, I’d suppose the light was just a hallucination caused by lack of oxygen in the brain area. But if it was real, what could it be...“

„Maybe it was an Angel.“

Last syllables of Sehun’s words were still fading away in the room, and Jongin couldn’t help but to stare at him. Sehun’s face was as serious as his words had sounded, his pale face illumintated by the silver moonlight seemed even paler now. His pupils shrunken into two tiny dots of infinite darkness. Jongin thought there was something winsome. Magical, literally.

„An- An Angel?“

Sehun was once again entertained. So Jongin really didn’t believe into supernatural, he thought. It offended him a little, because if an Angel wasn’t one of the supernatural stuff, what was? Besides, Angels did have a luminary form afterall. It was highly possible that what Jongin saw was indeed an Angel. In the end Sehun laughed it off, his eyes shaping into two curvy moons. It was fake, but Jongin still though it was breath-taking.

„You know, the mystical figures dressed in white with huge wings and a shining halo above their pretty heads.“

Jongin let out a small ‚oh‘. For a second, the doctor thought Sehun wasn’t joking.

„Anyway, I’ll be going first. Tired.“ Sehun used the back of his hands to rub his eyelids and closed the book afterwards. „Night.“ He did not wait for any response and before stepping out of the room, he shot the latter a cryptic grin. Jongin was left perplexed.

„I swear, Jongin, you’re dead meat if you set this place on fire.“

Sehun was glaring the latter, his arms crossed on the chest. Jongin came home early today from the hospital, which wouldn’t be a problem itself, if he didn’t clutch two full bags with, quoting Jongin, stuff so we can bake an awesome delicious cake. Sehun suggested many other things, including an amusement park full of spoiled brats (Sehun wouldn’t admit but he acted like one, too) and a local park full of hyperactive pets, which both Sehun frankly hated. There was no use either way.

„Firstly, it’s my place.“ The brunet retorted, followed by Sehun’s snort. „Secondly, come on Sehun, when was the last time you baked? And I can’t just throw the ingredients away, can I? It was expensive and I don’t spend half of my life in a hospital just to throw money away like- “

 „Fine, fine! We can bake but first; stop spitting nonsense, will you.“ Sehun rolled his eyes. His head hurt when listening to Jongin’s babbling, it was so annoying and he would do almost anything to make him shut up. Unfortunately for Sehun, Jongin knew. He grinned in victory.

…

„Sehun-ah, can you hand me the blender? It’s on the counter.“

Sehun had an urge to throw at Jongin a big fat ‚no’, but he knew better than that and did what he was asked for. It’s been ‚Sehun bring me this‘ or ‚Sehun bring me that‘ for the past thirty minutes. Jongin didn’t dare to let Sehun do anything besides assisting him, after telling Sehun to chop the fruit and getting back a fruit porridge. He knew why to buy more than necessary, Jongin thought.

„Oh and more flour, please. It’s too watery.“

Sehun rolled his eyes again, not knowing how many times he did it anymore. He lost the number when ten fingers weren’t enough to count on. Sehun didn’t respond as always and just went for the pack of flour. „I know you enjoy bossing me around,“ he said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

Sehun walked towards the dining table where Jongin sat, struggling with the dough. Jongin laughed heartily at the reaction and Sehun did not expect that. His knees got weak and gave a way, which lead into his both legs entagling. He tripped.
Sehun reflexively held onto the edge of the wooden table, which saved him from the painful fall. Jongin, on the other hand, was not that lucky.

The pack of flour landed on the floor but before actually hitting it, a good amount of the white powder ended up in Jongin’s hair and clothes. It contrasted well, as if Jongin didn’t match the right shade of his make-up powder, Sehun thought as he waited for a reaction from the latter’s side.
No deadly glares (which Sehun thought were more funny than intimidating), no whining, no shouting.  Instead, a dense sticky substance hit his left cheeck. Sehun expected anything but this.

„Are you crazy?“ Sehun’s voice has raised by few octaves and Jongin bursted into laughter. The blonde couldn’t believe Jongin did what he just did. Jongin was indeed laughing like crazy, almost falling onto the floor. Sehun who stood there, wordless and bewildered, heard Jongin drivelling some incoherent sentences. He only understood ‚Sehun‘ and ‚hilarious‘.

„Stop laughing, Kim Jongin! Stop!“ He said as sternly as he could, but Jongin continued being noisy as if he didn’t hear. In a matter of seconds, another shot striked his face. This time, Jongin targeted the latter’s forehead. Sehun’s patience was gone.

Any other thought than murdering Kim Jongin disappeared from Sehun’s mind. He was so blinded by his own rage that grabbing a fistful amount of the cake dough and squishing it into Jongin’s hair seemed absolutely right, at the moment. Jongin did not waste a second and struck back.

Soon, the dough was spread everywhere, both Sehun and Jongin covered by thick layers. Jongin always, no matter what, struck back and Sehun’s pride wouldn’t let the doctor have the last shot. They were all sticky and dirty and they only stopped messing around when they ran out of the substance. Jongin was still laughing and to his surprise, Sehun did too.
Jongin’s eyes now saw only Sehun, who laughed the way Jongin had never seen. It was so genuine and sincere. His breath hitched.

Sehun noticed and glanced at the latter, his laughter fading away slowly. And then, he realized one thing. Jongin was still silly, but he got addicted to the zest and liberty he felt when Jongin was around. It was nothing like in Heaven.

„You’re so stupid.“ Sehun said, a huge grin spread across his face.

„Actually, I’m very intelligent. Not everyone can have a doctorate degree from medicine.“ Jongin wiggled his brows and Sehun made a face. If Jongin was intelligent compared to others and Sehun still thought he was dumb, he guessed he did not want to know real idiotic humans. Sehun peeked at Jongin, who was now trying to the sweet dough off his nose, without success. No, he definitely didn’t want to know.

„Wait here for a bit,“ The brunet said as he hastily left the room. Sehun didn’t know what was going on, but waited anyway. At least he had some time to think about why did he fall. Well, almost. Jongin’s laugh must’ve startled him. Yeah, that must be it, he concluded, not allowing his mind to think of any other reason. Jongin came back few seconds later, a polaroid in his hands. „Let’s take a photo!“

Jongin then raised the polaroid in the air, doing the infamous V-pose with his other free hand. Sehun stared at the objective as he mumbled silent ‚you’re crazy‘.

„Sehun, smile!“

He did.