Sehun would never think in a million years, that Luhan would be comforting him.
They had tried to do the shopping as quickly as they could, or Sehun did anyway.
He ignored how drained he felt and insisted on carrying the bags, and as soon as he handed them over to Suho and Lay at the dorm, had their wristbands removed and receipt and change handed in, Sehun dropped himself onto his bed.
He pushed himself back so he was leaning against the wall, and he patted the empty space next to him with a desperate look in his eyes.
Luhan didn't hesitate.
He sat himself down next to Sehun, and the latter didn't mind the gap he left between them.
Luhan was with him and that was all that mattered.

"I... I was twelve when my parents decided to go on with their lives without me. They didn't kick me out or move, no, but they might as well have. I can count the number of times I saw them in a year on one hand. They're never home when I am, and the only time I ever see them is when the principal wanted to have a parents-child meeting with us because, well, I kept handing in blank homework and exam papers. I'm too much of a chicken to actually do anything else to cause trouble or rebel against them." Sehun chuckled wryly and played with his fingers a little.
He knew Luhan was looking at him, probably quite intently, but he didn't have the courage to meet his gaze.

"I felt like everyone in the world was so fake. So, so fake. My teachers didn't really care about anything other than boosting my grades to perfection so they can use that in their advertising. My friends leeched off my intelligence and popularity and as soon as I lost my scholarship they all went away. My parents didn't even want me anymore, and they pretend to the outside world that our family's perfect. You know when you're so ing fed up with everything that you just stop caring? That's what I did. The other kids in school called me a zombie. I stopped caring, and I stopped feeling. " Sehun exhaled deeply, and finally mustered enough courage to look at Luhan.

"Then I was thrown in here with the eleven of you. Eleven most genuine, carefree and kind people. Eleven people who... who don't deserve to be here, who haven't done anything wrong..." Sehun's tears fell without warning and he raised his hand and covered the lower half of his face.
Luhan immediately reached out and pulled the younger closer to him, and Sehun fell against Luhan's bony shoulder.
His choked cries echoed in the room, and he fisted Luhan's jumper tightly.

"That cell... Tao all alone in there with no one... Baekhyun hyung sleeping on the cold hard floor... Chanyeol hyung crying for Baekhyun hyung until he loses his voice... I can't stop thinking about them and it makes me feel so sick. They knew they didn't do it, they ing knew! They- They..." Sehun weeped against Luhan's shoulder he had to clench his teeth so he could breathe.
His whole body started shivering and he only cried harder when he realized he couldn't stop.

"Sehun."
Sehun felt Luhan's cold hand slip into his, the icy and bony fingers threading into and squeezing his own.
He hitched his breath and his shuddering subsided.

"Sehun." Luhan called again.
He's calling my name.
Sehun registered what was happening and he snapped out of his distressed state.

"You've acted like a grown-up for too long. It's okay to be a child again. It's okay to feel again. It's okay to cry."
It's okay to cry.
The words echoed in Sehun's ears, and he felt his chest tighten.
Luhan is right.
Sehun had been forcing himself to act like he didn't care.
His feelings had been pushed away and locked up for too long, and now they're all flooding back and bringing him to tears.

"Remember what happens in The Little Prince. When you're a grown up you stop caring about the essential matters." Luhan gave Sehun's hand a tight squeeze.
Sehun nodded weakly and buried his face into the crook of Luhan's neck.
Luhan smelt vaguely of roses, and the fragrant smell was comforting to Sehun.
It must have been from the field behind us when we were at the track.
Sehun thought to himself as he took in the sweet scent deeply, feeling composed again.

"'You smell of the wild, untainted white roses that grow in the field behind the bench where we sat and watched the sun set together.' A grown-up would never say that." Sehun lifted his head from Luhan's shoulder and showed a small smile, reassuring him that he was okay.
Luhan paused and gazed at Sehun without a word.
Then Sehun saw what he thought was the most beautiful and innocent sight that's humanly possible.
Luhan was smiling at him.

That night, Luhan didn't cry in his sleep.

"You look happy." Tao smirked knowingly as Sehun dropped his backpack next to his desk the next day.
Sehun hummed in response and avoided Tao's curious gaze, laying his notebook and pens down.

"Well? What happened?" Tao shuffled closer to Sehun, ignoring the fact that he was sitting in the middle of the aisle.

"Uh... It's kinda to do with Luhan-"

"No sherlock! Of course I know it's Luhan, but what did he do? Or what did you do to him?" Tao wriggled his eyebrow at the younger.
Sehun felt the heat and color slowly creeping up onto his cheeks at Tao's suggestions, and he hurriedly threw a few punches at Tao's arm to disguise his bashfulness.

"Oh come on, I know a lover boy when I see one. Especially when it's eye candy like Luhan."

"Hey! Don't you try anything funny on him, I'll gouge your eyes out and-"

"Chill the out Hun, I know he's yours okay?" Tao shoved Sehun off him and rolled his eyes, making the latter huff disapprovingly.

"Look, we're just friends... kinda. I don't know, we're still not that close." Sehun's eyes unconsciously swerved over to Luhan, who was reading through his notebook with full focus despite all the ruckus going on around him.

"Yeah, I know that. But you, you like him huh?" Tao leaned in closer and joined Sehun in watching Luhan.
Sehun gulped and lowered his gaze immediately, deciding that his shoes looked more interesting.

"No, no. It's not like that. It's more like..."
Love at first sight.
Before Sehun could finish his sentence, their math teacher barged in apologizing frantically about how the central heating went out in the teacher's dormitory, he couldn't have a shower and so he was late.
The class giggled and Tao let out a high pitched laugh.
Sehun joined in, and he was glad to be free of Tao's interrogating, for now at least.

That son of a .
Sehun thought grimly and bit his lip.
He had one of Suho's arms slung across his shoulders, and he was trying very hard not to topple over.
Chanyeol was in front of him, holding an injured Baekhyun bridal style in his arms, the latter's swollen ankles dangling from them.

"I'm pretty sure Mr. Yoon was trying to kill us all back there. Running laps with 2kg weights strapped to our ankles? Does he think we're superhuman?" Chen yelled and helped a weak Tao with trembling knees into the dorm.

"Or maybe he's just ing stupid." Kris cussed and hobbled in, supported by Lay and Xiumin who leaned against the giant.

"I swear if he does it again, my fist will be the last thing he sees before his short sad life ends." Kai gritted his teeth and sat D.O down at the sofa, then plopped himself down next to him.
Sehun was about to take a seat himself when he noticed Luhan peeking at them behind the wall.
Luhan was watching them with big wide eyes, and Sehun saw fear in them.
Suddenly Luhan took off and ran away, leaving Sehun gasping, calling and limping after him.

"Luhan!" Sehun's mind filled with questions and worries, and he helplessly made his way to their room.
He almost fell into the room from the force he exerted on the door.
His eyes searched anxiously for Luhan, and he found him curled up into a ball in his bed.

"Lu?" Sehun called softly and hobbled over to Luhan's bed, laying a hand on the frightened boy's shoulder.
Luhan didn't respond or turn around, and Sehun was worried out of his mind, but he decided not to push the obviously distressed boy even more by demanding answers.
He silently sat down on the edge of the bed and started patting Luhan's arm gently.

"Does it hurt really badly?" After what seemed like an eternity, Luhan spoke and Sehun asked himself if he was hearing things.

"Everyone else too. Were they really badly hurt?" Luhan asked quietly again, still refusing to turn around to face Sehun.
Sehun didn't mind though.
He knew Luhan cared about him, and the other boys.
Warmth spread through his chest and the corners of his lips lifted.

"No. We're just exhausted."

"Good. I hate people getting hurt."