this is in luhan's pov.

this is also just a short drabble in the future of what happened afterwards.

Luhan had liked Minseok well enough. Minseok was funny, kind and talented - the coffees made by his hand were magical. They made you feel as though you were at home with a lover, cuddled up on a couch next to a warm, burning fire, and Luhan loved the way Minseok laughed, with his cheeks rounded and his eyes squeezed tightly into small crescents.

Of course, Luhan had liked Jongdae well enough too. Jongdae was quiet, brooding and so, so in love with Minseok. Jongdae was also kind, caring, and forgiving. Jongdae had been the sunshine in the cafe, the stars in the sky, and the soft winds serenading people out in the streets at night. Luhan liked Jongdae well enough to cry with Minseok after learning about the boy's passing.

What Luhan doesn't like is how fate was so cruel - so very cold-hearted as to dangle Minseok in front of Jongdae, like a carrot to a rabbit in a cage. No matter how much the rabbit pawed at the carrot, it would never be able to eat the carrot. Much alike to that, Jongdae was never able to spend enough time with Minseok. Not with Luhan around.

Luhan likes to think that it's not his fault for falling in love with Minseok. Minseok was a natural-born charmer, with his toothy smiles, breathless laughs and all-around cuteness. Luhan didn't want to blame himself for taking Minseok away from Jongdae too. If Luhan was selfish enough, he would've put all the blame on Jongdae for not fighting for Minseok in the first place.

But Luhan isn't that selfish. He knows that Jongdae wouldn't even have tried to do anything even if he was given a chance. Jongdae was too kind for that, and even if Jongdae had harnessed such thoughts in his mind, he would never have acted on them.

Luhan doesn't like to feel guilty every time he stares at the angel on the headstone, the one with the engraved words that marked the end of Jongdae's life.

If anything, Luhan feels that he should be the one being consoled. After learning of Jongdae's passing, Minseok fell into a pit of depression so deep, nothing could get through to the cherubic male any longer. Any words related to Jongdae were crossed off his list to say to Minseok, and Luhan never drank coffee again.

They quit their jobs at the cafe. Kris had been understanding as their boss, and told them to come back whenever. Luhan lived with Minseok for a year like this, routinely going out to work at the nearby supermarket, and earning just enough to scrape by with a few groceries.

Luhan didn't like seeing how Minseok avoided his meals. The boy never ate much after Jongdae, and he would always leave a big portion on his plate, claiming to be too full to eat another bite. He'd never had enough food to walk around the house anymore, and Luhan felt his heart being burdened by the guilt and pity he felt for Minseok.

Junmyeon would drop by to visit them with Kris sometimes, and they'd bring food - sugary foods, some savory foods, some light foods - just for Minseok to nibble on. The look in Junmyeon's eyes are enough to tell Luhan that the male knew what he was going through. After all, he'd been the one there for Jongdae through his last days.

"Is he getting any better?" Junmyeon whispered when Minseok was tucked back into bed - not a very difficult feat considering the once cherubic male was now a bag of bones. 

"No, he isn't." Luhan shook his head, and that would be the end of their conversation, both of them sharing equal looks of despair and helplessness.

Sometimes Luhan can't help but lament the cruelty of fate every alternate night. Even his new boyfriend, a college student by the name of Sehun, had grown accustomed to the older male's grieving. He'd tried to console the male, but it was all in vain. The boy could never understand why his boyfriend would feel so much for people that had gone away. Perhaps he would never know.

Luhan finds fate a funny thing. He curses it when he watches Minseok's body get carried away. With his head buried in Sehun's skinny shoulder, he peers at the bloodied mess that is his best friend, and ex-lover, and he laments the fact that Minseok was gone.

They bury him next to Jongdae, with a headstone that had a similar angel sitting on top. She had her eyes closed, and was strumming a harp. It was the best they could do for the two lovers who had never met. 

Every time Luhan comes to the hill, fresh tears spill over. It happens every time, and Sehun would quietly pull out a tissue for him to blow his nose, and another to wipe his eyes.

"It's so sad," Luhan whispers into the wind caressing his cheeks, and Sehun quietly agrees. 

Junmyeon approaches them with his tiny black umbrella, and they huddle together under it as the rain fell down to the earth.

Sometimes Luhan wonders if Minseok had found Jongdae in wherever they were now. Sometimes he wonders if they're happy together, and if they finally fell in love with each other like they were supposed to, like they were meant to be.

He stares at the gravestones with Sehun, enjoying his boyfriend's warmth as tears start to gather at his lashes again, clumping them together.

"I'm sure they found each other and are happy now," Sehun says at last. "Do you know why?"

Luhan just looks up at his boyfriend through his tears.

"You see those two stars up there? The two that are really close together? Call me crazy, but I think that's them. They found each other, and they're happy together now." 

Luhan just smiles and believes him.

end.