Chapter 30

Xiumin shifted. Something had caught his attention but he was still only half asleep. He heard a noise in the next room and came fully awake.

“!”  He pushed Luhan, startling him awake. “Someone’s here,” he hissed. “Get dressed.”

Luhan’s eyes went impossibly wide and he blinked rapidly. It took a second for the message to reach his brain and by that time Xiumin already had his pants on.

“ing hurry,” he ordered, throwing Luhan’s pants at him. Startled, Luhan dragged them on and hurried to pull his shirt over his head. He wasn’t even sure if it was the right way around. Xiumin was straightening the bed in a panic.

“We’ll say we wanted a quiet place to study if they catch us, alright?”

Luhan nodded dumbly.

“Xiumin…”

“Shh!” Xiumin had silently hurried over to the door and had his ear pressed up against it. Luhan tugged at the hem of his shirt nervously while he waited. After a few moments Xiumin turned back to him and whispered, “I think it’s safe. I’ll go first, ok?”

Luhan nodded, not daring to say anything. When Xiumin left he left the door ajar so Luhan crept over and peered out. He couldn’t see anyone but it sounded like someone was in the kitchen. He watched as Xiumin edged forward and his heart almost stopped when he heard Baekhyun’s voice.

“Oh, , Xiumin!  You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“So-sorry.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I have a key, remember? I just wanted a quiet place to study.” His eyes darted back to Luhan.

“Away from all the Kai/Kyungsoo , right?” Baekhyun sounded tired. “How’s Kai doing, anyway?”

Xiumin stepped into the kitchen, catching Luhan’s eye before he disappeared from sight and motioning for him to sneak past. Heart in his throat, Luhan crept towards the kitchen. He had to pass it to get to the front door. He waited just out of sight, peeking in to see Xiumin’s back to him.

“He’s not talking about it much,” said Kai. “He feels terrible about it.”

A frantic gesture behind his boyfriend’s back let Chen know it was safe to make a break for it and he hurried past the door as quietly as possible while Baekhyun’s attention was elsewhere.

“He should feel terrible. He was the one who cheated.”

Luhan picked up his shoes and eased open the front door as quietly as possible. He held his breath until the gap was big enough to slip through. Once he was safely in the corridor he heaved a deep sigh of relief and leant back against the wall. After waiting a few minutes his brain started working fast enough for him to remember to put his shoes on before he tried to walk home.

He rummaged in his pockets for his phone and then remembered that it was in his jacket pocket. The jacket that he had left in Chen’s room. He cursed himself silently. He couldn’t leave it in there. Chen would find it and what excuse would he have?

Taking a deep breath and hoping Xiumin wouldn’t be mad at him for screwing up, he turned the door handle and eased it open just a little. It sounded like they were still speaking in the kitchen.

“It was just a kiss though,” said Xiumin. “You can’t kick him out for a kiss.”

“He broke the rules,” Baekhyun replied heatedly. “And we don’t know if it was just a kiss.”

“B-but he can’t help having feelings for Taemin. He was in love with him.”

“So it’s ok for him to cheat on Kyungsoo now?”

“I didn’t say that,” Xiumin snapped.

Luhan paused, not daring to be caught now.

“I just meant that cheating on Kyungsoo and breaking Suho’s rules are two different things and you have no proof he slept with Taemin anyway.”

“Like he could help himself. He’s been back for day, you know?”

“Baekhyun, he’s still your pack mate.”

“He isn’t acting like it.”

Xiumin growled and it was the first time Luhan could remember hearing him that way. He shrank back a little, uncertain what to do next. Maybe Chen wouldn’t notice his jacket in his room. No, someone would call him at some point and his damn phone wasn’t on silent. Nervously, he edged forward.

“I just think he’s being punished enough without losing his pack over a stupid rule.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Suho’s rules. Your pack should satisfy you.”

“Easy for you to say, you have Chanyeol. Maybe other people want something different now and then. It’s just .”

Luhan frowned. It’s just ? What was Xiumin talking about?

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” he continued making Luhan feel worse with every word. “I don’t see why we can’t sleep around if we want to.”

Baekhyun was quiet for a few moments and when he replied some of the anger had gone from his voice. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m just saying this rule is making things difficult. Sleeping with someone else for fun doesn’t mean you love your pack any less. They’re always the most important.”

“Are you… do you want someone else?” asked Baekhyun.

“What!? No, of course not.”

Luhan’s eyes were beginning to sting but he couldn’t make himself move away. His legs didn’t seem to be working anymore.

“Is it Luhan?”

He looked up hopefully, trying to imagine the look on Xiumin’s face, but his hopes were dashed almost in a second.

“Of course not.”

“You spend a lot of time with him, that’s all.”

Luhan stumbled away like he had been caught, only just managing to avoid tripping over the shoes by the door.

“We’re just friends,” said Xiumin tensely. “I don’t want to have with everyone with a cute face, you know?”

“Just saying…”

“Well don’t,” he snapped. “And even if I did it wouldn’t mean anything. We would just be screwing around, not betraying our packs.”

“Ok, jeez, calm down.”

Luhan fumbled for the door handle, barely seeing it for his blurry vision. He couldn’t believe he had done this again, made the same mistake twice. It was just like the last time he had trusted the wrong person. Hadn’t Xiumin said he loved him? Or was that only when his pack wasn’t around?

“I need to get back,” said Xiumin. “Just don’t be too harsh on Kai, ok?”

“Ok fine,” said Baekhyun, “but he still needs to make it up to Kyungsoo.”

Luhan pulled open the door and swiped at his tears.

“Lu?” A soft, surprised voice sounded behind him. He turned for a second to see Xiumin staring at him, wide-eyed and worried. He saw realisation dawn on his lover’s face but he didn’t wait for him to speak again. He just ran.

Chen arrived at Kris’s dorm late. Luckily no one seemed to be around. He knew Kris had been heading out for emergency supplies that Tao had forgotten while doing the shopping but the others didn’t seem to be there either.

The bathroom door opened to reveal a red-eyed Luhan. He stopped, startled, when he saw his jacket hanging from Chen’s hand. Panic was written all over his face.

“Luhan?” Chen asked uncertainly. He held up the phone that had been buzzing non-stop since he firt found it in the jacket pocket. “Why is Xiumin calling you baby?”

Luhan suddenly sobbed, fresh tears falling down his cheeks. Chen hurried forward, wrapping his arms around him. He could smell Xiumin’s scent everywhere on his skin, leaving him in no doubt what they had done.

“Is this about Xiumin?” he asked.

Luhan sobbed and wrapped his arms around Chen’s wiast. He buried his face against his shoulder and sobbed, “I’ve been so stupid.”

omg, Xiumin you ! But now Chen knows and Baekhyun totally suspects!

I need to do some TaeKaiSoo next, right?