Prompt: “They Meet at a Wedding”

Pairing: Sehun/Luhan

Words: ~1600

Sehun throws an angry glare at the tables and chairs, as he drapes curtains of white fabric across the walls and windows in an attempt to cover up all of the large crack that runs down from the ceiling (caused when Tao ran headfirst into the wall after coming home pretty wasted one night). Sehun wondered why Tao wanted to get married here, of all places, but when he asked his close friend Tao had rambled on about a ‘homey atmosphere’ or something like that and his brain had quickly switched itself off.

Instead of the job at hand, Sehun focuses on the many magnificent and almost luminous green leaves that glimmer up at him from his garden.

“!”

Sehun jumps a little as a balloon tied to the back of a plastic chair pops loudly and rolls his eyes, tossing a furtive glance to the door in the hopes that nobody’s noticed. He sighs, steps away from his handiwork, and curls his fingers in the fabric, shutting his eyes and inhaling dramatically.

It wasn’t that it was a nuisance to him or anything. Sehun was very happy that Tao had finally found someone that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and Yifan was pretty nice he supposed. The fact that Sehun’s run-down home had become the venue wasn’t too much of a surprise considering it was pretty much Tao’s home away from home whenever he came to Korea, and Sehun wasn’t at all shocked when Tao had asked if he could use it for a small (in his words) gathering of his closest friends before they’d leave for the actual event. He had easily agreed with a smile and a nod, and Tao had given him a tight hug before he looped his arm through Yifan’s.

No.

The truth was he wasn’t entirely comfortable when he said it was okay for strange people from foreign countrysides in far-off places speaking languages he couldn’t understand filing into his doorway. He knew he was only half telling the truth when he said he was just as ecstatic as Tao was for the wedding when he’d been given the position of best man for the service. He had bought the suit and tie, the expensive shoes, and had played his part well; a smile plastered to his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He just wishes that none of Tao’s party guests trample on his beloved specimens or even enter his outdoor sanctuary.

A nagging, tearing feeling ripped through his heart as he finally took his seat at the head table beside his friend, his ears red at the attention of all eyes in the room staring at the ‘token Korean friend’ that Tao had somehow managed to acquire in his years of university abroad. He was bitter. Somewhere deep down Sehun knew the truth – that he was overwhelming, undeniably, inconceivably jealous of that panda-eyed jerk and his thickly eye-browed brooding boyfriend. Sehun didn't have anyone like that for him.

And he felt like for it.

“Sehun?”

Sehun’s eyes snap up, and he runs a sheepish hand behind his back and over his shoulder blades, knowing he’s completely ignored the conversation at the table (if it was even in Korean anyways) and asks whoever to repeat what they said again. A small chuckle comes from his left and Sehun turns to scowl, but his breath catches in his throat as a tuft of brown hair and wide eyes lifts from the tablecloth to meet his. Sehun flushes and drops his gaze, lips turning into a frown.

Who the was this adorable guy and why had Tao not warned him?

“I was just introducing you to Luhan, he’s my best man,” Yifan says, chuckle in his voice. A look passes between Tao and Yifan and a mischievous grin makes its way across their faces, and Sehun knows immediately that he’s been completely found out.

“Hi,” Sehun breathes, grimacing as he thinks of something else intelligible or interesting to say but draws a blank.

“Hello,” Luhan responds, and Sehun thinks his voice is as nice as his face. It’s soft, smooth, with just that hit of gentleness that has his mind reeling. Their eyes meet a second time, and Sehun blushes deeply.

“You live here?” Luhan asks.

The question is phrased simply, and Sehun nods, not sure of what to say. Luhan smiles warmly at him, pointing to the window. Sehun notices a short flash of green against the glass pane. Sehun’s always liked nature, and he can see a glimmer in Luhan’s eye. Luhan stands up and gestures for him to follow. Yifan throws Tao a knowing glance and Sehun narrows his eyes as the pair appear to have a private conversation. Luhan leans against his fly screen door to push it open, and Sehun finds himself being taken on a tour of his own garden, footsteps pattering gently on brick pavement between flowerbeds.

“This is Castanopsis cuspidata,” Luhan says, pointing up. Sehun nods, eyes widening as Luhan rattles off a couple of other plant names as he points amongst the flowerbeds in his thick (but nevertheless cute) accent.

“Abies koreana, Quercus stenophylla…”

“You like plants?” Sehun asks as Luhan pauses, his eyebrow rising into an arch. Luhan nods, and Sehun genuinely smiles for the first time that day.

“I study plants,” he says. Luhan’s eyes widen and Sehun grins, puffing out his chest proudly. “I’m actually head botanist at Seoul National University. Tao thinks it’s incredibly boring, he doesn’t like the outdoors you see,” he continues, as Luhan gasps.

“I study nature too. Plants are so beautiful,” Luhan says, words chosen carefully from his limited Korean vocabulary. Sehun flushes, before abruptly slapping a hand to his forehead. He tilts his head so Luhan can’t see his face, stuttering as he utters his next question.

“D-do you… I mean… Do you want to see s-something… special?” Sehun asks Luhan carefully. The Chinese boy nods, and Sehun can’t help but blush furiously as he takes Luhan’s hand and drags him down to the lone greenhouse Sehun keeps at the bottom of his yard.

Sehun flinches as the rusty door screeches slightly as he pushes it aside, leading Luhan into the room that is his sanctuary. A rounded wooden table sits in the middle of the greenhouse in between two wooden stumps and Sehun gestures for Luhan to sit down. As Luhan takes a seat, Sehun reaches around his neatly plotted ferns and poinsettias and picks up as small but well cared for potted plant. When Sehun returns, plant in hand, Luhan is staring up at the hanging plants that seem to leap out of their baskets with eyes wide in awe.

Sehun holds up his pride and joy, a tiny specimen that he received only a few weeks before to look after during the semester break. He places the pot gently on the wooden table and takes a seat beside Luhan.

“The Ariocarpus fissuratus,” Sehun begins, “is a type of cacti from northern Mexico that grows upwards instead of outwards on top of mountain passes and is usually only found because of the beautiful pink flowers.” Sehun prattles on and on, but a glance across at his listener indicates that Sehun still has his rapt attention.

“It takes some of them almost 50 years to hit about a 4 inch diameter, which is seriously crazy if you ask me. Besides the fact that they’re also pretty weak plants, they produce psychoactive substances to prevent native fauna from touching or eating them. Interesting, right?”

Luhan nods, almost reverently. Sehun gently nudges Luhan and points above him, below him, in almost every direction that his eyes stray erratically, listing the names of the species, their habitat, favourite climate, how long he’d had the plants. Luhan jumps up and runs his fingers down bromeliad leaves, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“… I always tell Tao that our plants and trees are so important, because there are certain species that will be extinct very soon if we’re not careful. How are we going to share such wonderful things with the future generations if we just let them die out from pollution or just simply dumping garbage in their habitats?” He pauses, trying to catch his breath.

“Though… I’m pretty sure the only plants Tao’s ever come into contact with are printed onto those awful hipster t-shirts he wears,” he adds as an afterthought.

“Touché,” Tao calls out, feet hammering down the pavement. Sehun scowls as Yifan follows him down the pathway, wincing, as the taller’s long arms knock against fanned leaves.

“Get that buffoon out of my garden!” Sehun grumbles, and Tao laughs loudly.

“We just came to retrieve Luhan,” he says with a smirk. “Didn’t think he’d want to listen to the entirety of one of your famously boring plant rants.”

Sehun grumbles audibly to himself, shooing Tao and Yifan back up the steps. Luhan follows silently, eyes on Sehun’s back as his shoulders slump and a stream of cusswords leave his lips as Yifan almost trips into his flowerbed. Luhan taps Sehun on the shoulder and the younger spins around questioningly.

“I… well, I love your garden.” Luhan stammers, trying to find the right words. “Don’t listen to Tao, I am not bored at all! You’re so knowledgeable and I think I can learn much from you. Some of these plants… I’ve never seen in life before. They are better than the textbooks.”

With that, Luhan shoots him a small, embarrassed smile and steps past him and into the house. As his figure leaves his view, Sehun grins, leaning down to gently pick a Hibiscus syriacus, the flower emblem of his country and his favourite flower. When he gets inside, he carefully tucks it behind Luhan’s ear and presses a shy kiss to his cheek.