Sehun opened his eyes and was immediately assaulted by bright, sharply painful daylight. His bed was soft and warm, blankets pulled up to his chin, and the air against his face seemed unduly cold. Sehun let out a long, pained whine.

I am so hungover... His brain droned slowly, dragging out the thought like it was too heavy to move. He kinda wanted to stay in bed all day, but it was their first day off in so long; did he really want to waste it in bed? He strained up into a sitting position and winced at the pain in his head. Now upright, Sehun scrunched his forehead in confusion. He felt like something important happened last night, but what was it? He concentrated, trying to squeeze some information out of his brain.

We got to the bar, and were playing drinking games. I kept losing...Everyone started doing karaoke, and I stared at Luhan too much...Luhan sat next to me and...

The memories were less clear after that.

He was trying to convince me to ask someone out....Hwa Young? Yeah, her. And he got all pissy when I said no, so I got mad. Then he left to go somewhere...The bathroom? And I followed him...And he told me that the reason he wanted me to go out with Hwa Young was...

No.

No way.

Sehun’s eyes widened as the memories came flooding back, jaw dropping open, hands clutching at his sheets, he gasped.

Luhan-hyung said he likes me. Holy , Luhan likes me!

His memory finished filling in gaps when he realized that Luhan had then passed out and he had carried him out to the vans to go home. Sehun was so happy that he giggled. His face dropped at the girlish sound and he coughed, looking around to see if anyone caught him being embarrassing. Suho was still in bed and still apparently asleep. Sehun let out a small sigh of relief and allowed his grin to bubble back to the surface. He was so happy he could scream. The kiss had meant something! He wasn’t just another friend!

I should go talk to Luhan. He decided firmly. I wonder if it’s too soon for me to ask him to be my boyfriend...don’t you have to date a while first before you decide to be exclusive? But it’s not like there’s anyone else I’m seeing, and I don’t think he has a lot of dates lined up...Maybe it’s okay to ask, then? Like a ‘special circumstances’ deal? That’s not too desperate, right?

He still couldn’t stop smiling, even though he thought he was going to hurl when he finally got to his feet. He was torn between giddiness and nausea as he slid his way out of his room and into the hallway.

Sehun stumbled slowly through the living room, and past the front door. Some people were already up and moving, some of them looking fresh as daisies and others looking like they were just hit by a bus. Chen and Kai were having fun messing with their hungover friends, cooking strong-smelling food for breakfast and talking just a little too loudly. Yixing looked on with amusement while making tea.  

I should probably at least fix my hair before I go respond to his confession. Especially if I look as bad as Baekhyun...

He snuck down the other hall, darting quickly into the bathroom, trying not to wake anyone else up. He really didn’t want to be the victim of a hangover-murder before he even got to see Luhan’s face when he said he liked him back.

Luhan had been bent over the toilet for half an hour, vomiting intermittently and contemplating the best way to kill himself.

He must really hate me. Or at least, I know we can never be the same again. Can’t just relax and mess around...

It was a dull sort of pain that Luhan was feeling in his chest. He didn’t really feel like crying, but he felt very, very far from being okay. It was like his heart was trying so hard to pretend that it wasn’t all over yet, that nothing had really happened that night, that he couldn’t just get all of his emotions out and start to heal. He was just praying for it to hit sooner rather than later. Rather than in front of Sehun.

Why did I have to be given such good drunk-memory? Luhan thought, wishing he was one of those people who simply didn’t remember the embarrassing things they did when they were hammered.

He heard the bathroom door open and cringed at the sound. Someone was about to find him lying on the floor with his head on the toilet-stall wall. Great. He heaved a sigh, fully aware that he looked like complete . At least he could blame it on the alcohol instead of revealing his mangled emotions. Footsteps approached his cubicle.

“Luhan? Is that you?” A voice asked him. Luhan felt a hand of ice slowly constrict around his lungs. It was Sehun’s voice.

Oh no. No, no, no. I really can’t do this right now.

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked, moving to take Luhan’s elbow in his hand and helped him to his feet. Luhan was gasping for air, trying not to cry. Trying not to just run. If he did either of those things, it would only make everything worse.

“Fine. Hungover. I should go.” He yanked his arm out of Sehun’s warm grip, eyes still fixed on the floor. He tried to make his escape, but Sehun stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait, Luhan. I wanted to talk to you about...what you said yesterday.” Luhan turned to face him, trying not to notice the blush in Sehun’s cheeks.

God, he’s too embarrassed to even talk about it. He must be so freaked out.

Why am I suddenly so embarrassed? Pull yourself together, Sehun. You are not a thirteen year old girl, act like a grown up.

“It’s just that--” Sehun started, shuffling his feet, but Luhan cut him off.

“No. Don’t say anything. I know you must hate me, and I just want to tell you that I’m really, really sorry that I’ve ruined everything. I’m sorry I fell in love with you. I tried so hard to stop, to not want to hold you and kiss you and keep you forever, and I really was content to just be your friend. I would give up everything else just to stay as close to you as I am now. And that’s why I never tried anything with you. I thought I could get over it on my own and you would never have to know.” Luhan felt tears start to slide down his cheeks. “But I couldn’t. I really needed you to prove to me that there wasn’t a chance for us, and that’s why I was being pushy about Hwa Young. I needed to have my heart broken before I could heal. I never wanted to put this on you, never wanted to make you uncomfortable like this. I’m just so, so, sorry Sehun.” He heaved a shuddering sob, the first gap in his speech. Horrified, he covered his eyes with one hand and quivered where he stood. Sehun was silent. Warm fingers were suddenly in his hair and on his wrist, pulling his hand away from his eyes. Sehun appeared before him, a pretty shade of pink, with tears forming in his own eyes. Luhan tried to pull away, but Sehun stood firm, gently lowering his face closer to the older boy’s.

Why can’t he just let me go? Why can’t he see that I want to be alone right now? Luhan choked to himself, screwing his eyes tightly closed.

Suddenly, something wet and warm touched his left cheek, and then his right. He opened his eyes in time to see Sehun’s tongue disappearing back into his mouth. When they made eye-contact, Sehun turned a brighter red.

Did I seriously just his face? What the HELL is wrong with me? There he was pouring out all of his pain to me and I HIS FACE. I am so awkward. Kill me now. Sehun felt the heat of humiliation rush up from his chest to his ears.

“Why did you just...” Luhan stammered, dazed. A pretty hand reaching up to touch his own cheek.

“Because I like you back. I’ve liked you ever since we were trainees. I’ve liked you since before you knew enough Korean to have a decent conversation with me. I just came in here to tell you that I like you.” Sehun dropped his head and smiled a little, looking up at Luhan through his eyelashes and wiping the sympathetic tears from his own eyes.

“But I thought you liked...girls?” Luhan breathed, absolutely amazed. Was this really happening? He couldn’t possibly be dreaming, right?

“So did I. I think you’re just special, Luhan.” Sehun was trying really hard not to giggle with joy. “When you had a fever, you told me I was pretty and kissed me and I ended up crying for an hour in the shower because I thought you were just delirious and didn’t have any feelings for me. So, I guess we were in the same boat...” He gave Luhan a little half-smile and took both of the older boy’s hands in his own. Luhan couldn’t help it. All of this was just too much of an emotional roller-coaster. His lip trembled again and he let out a subdued wail, letting loose another flood of tears.

“And now I’ve...cried in front...of you...like an absolute idiot...” He hiccupped. “This . You . I hate you.” He seemed to decide. “I’ve never acted like more of an idiot than I have since developing a crush on you. This is your fault.” A peal of laughter escaped Sehun’s lips and he pulled Luhan into a hug.

That was how Lay found them a few minutes later. Luhan still hiccupping into Sehun’s chest, Sehun giggling into Luhan’s hair.

“Well, well, well.” Lay smiled, leaning against the door frame. “What do we have here?”

“Uh...” Sehun stared between him and Luhan, trying to get a read on the situation. Was Luhan okay with everyone knowing? Sehun was totally fine with it, but would Luhan be cool with coming out? Luhan had frozen in his arms, looking like a deer in headlights.

“Close your mouth, Sehun. You look like a fish.” Lay laughed kindly. “I see you two finally figured everything out? I was waiting to see if you needed help or if you could manage on your own.”

Luhan wrenched himself out of Sehun’s arms and spun around.

“B-but...How?” He asked, eyes as wide as they would go.

“I overheard the whole shower-incident. That was kind of the last piece of the puzzle. I had noticed the way you two would sometimes look at each other. I’ve always been pretty good at reading people.” Lay paused. “Maybe I’m psychic? That would be cool.” And with a far-away look on his face, and without another word, Lay walked out of the bathroom.

Luhan turned back around and just stared at Sehun. The younger boy was the first to speak.

“D’you think he’ll tell anyone? I’d rather tell everyone myself.”

“No. Lay wouldn’t do that. If he was going to, he would have already.” Luhan reasoned. There was a pause and Luhan looked up at Sehun with a sly grin. “Hey, Sehunnie? Guess what?” He asked him cheekily.

“What?”

Luhan slid one hand up Sehun’s chest to the back of his neck before yanking his head down. He kissed the taller boy on the lips, nipping quickly at his bottom lip. He pulled away again and laughed at the blissfully dazed look in Sehun’s eyes.

“Now you’re mine.”