10. They're the first serious one to meet the parents.

The moment the words slips past his lips, Luhan regrets them. "Meet my--," long pause, "friend."

Sehun's face falls because he doesn't understand, and there's nothing Luhan wants more in the world than to comfort his boyfriend of more than six months. But Luhan's mom is right there and Luhan's uncomfortable with the amount of groveling plus skinship he'll have to do to get Sehun smiling again. Well, uncomfortable's not the right word, exactly, but he's certainly not about to do all that with his mom watching.

Even if Sehun's standing and staring at him like Luhan's just bulldozed through a field of daffodils while simultaneously being the one to shoot Bambi's mom and eat venison for dinner. (Which is sort of ridiculous considering how much everyone tells Luhan he looks like a deer.)

And even if his own mother is standing there with a grin on her face because she knows.

"I'm sorry," Luhan apologizes to the air, really, since even he's not sure if it's for his mother or his boyfriend. Or both. "I just--"

His mom cuts him off. "I'll give you two a minute," she tells them, not even trying to be subtle about it. Luhan would roll his eyes at her but it's really not the time and he really can't risk making Sehun even more upset than he already is. She walks through the double doors into the cute cafe Luhan had selected for his and Sehun's first round of "Meet the Parents" and Luhan repeats his apology immediately.

"Sehun," he says, "I'm so, so sorry, babe."

Sehun is angry and it shows in the way he presses his already thin lips together until they're nearly disappeared. "You told me you were out to your mom, Luhan." His voice is accusing and Luhan's wince is involuntary.

"I am," he tries to assure his boyfriend, but Sehun's not finished.

"We've been together for six months, Luhan. Six freaking months. And not once did it occur to you to maybe tell your mom about me? Or that you had a boyfriend in general?"

Luhan hates how, even through his anger, Sehun just sounds disappointed more than anything else.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Sehun-ah," Luhan explains gently. "This is the first time my mom is going to meet anyone I'm even remotely interested in being with long-term, as an actual adult, and I--" he pauses, running a hand through his hair in sudden exhaustion. "I was really trying not to mess this up and the nerves got the better of me. It's got nothing to do with you, or the fact that I'm gay, okay? I'm just kind of a coward with a mom who's always been way too invested in my dating life and I panicked."

Sehun's gaze softens; he's beginning to understand and he's not entirely callous to the weight bearing down heavily on his boyfriend's slight shoulders. "You should have told me, Lu," he admonishes quietly. He steps forward to grab onto Luhan's hanging hands and pulls the smaller boy close to his chest. Sehun opens his mouth to say something--a comfort maybe--and inhales to breathe out the words against Luhan's hair when Luhan's mom reappears.

She sticks her head out of the door and calls "Okay, boys. I'm assuming you've made up if your position," she waggles her eyebrows suggestively and Luhan groans, hiding his face against Sehun in embarrassment, "is anything to go by. Anyway," she smiles at her son and her son'sboyfriend in turn and says, "our table's ready. You're not going to deny me the chance to get to know your boyfriend, are you, Hannie?"

Luhan hates the nickname, he always has, but Sehun thinks it's cute and makes sure to refer to his boyfriend with it for the rest of the afternoon. Mrs. Lu coos appreciatively every time he does it and Luhan's face might as well be sunburnt for all the time he spends blushing.