“Thanks a lot.”
 

“It’s nothing, hyung,” Sehun said with a bright smile. It reminded Luhan of Sehun’s smile from a week ago. The only difference being that last time, it was a fake one.

A fake smile that resulted from Luhan’s rejection.

Luhan smiled back. He was glad that his friend was slowly but surely getting over it. He felt extremely bad rejecting him after Sehun had struggled to let out a little 'I like you' but Luhan couldn’t lie about his feelings.

“Thanks for the meal. See you hyung.”

Luhan waved and watched as Sehun descended the stairs before closing the door. He returned to his bedroom and looked at the computer Sehun had set up. Luhan had no idea how to operate it, he had bought it because he really needed one after his best friend had accidentally – nobody knew how - broke the last one. It was by chance that he had bumped into Sehun earlier and the younger could help him.

To show Sehun his gratitude, he had asked the younger to stay for dinner and Sehun had accepted the invitation happily. Sehun insisted on helping and that’s when he found out Sehun knew how to make pastry and it turned out pretty decent. The cookies were a bit hard but the chocolate within melts right in one’s mouth, exactly how Luhan likes them. He had ate them with milk in front of a film that was long forgotten after they started talking.

Luhan had learned that Sehun was part of a dance crew and was a bit taken aback as to not knowing this piece of information seeing that they’ve known each other for a month now. In contrary, he was impressed that Sehun knew so much about him; that he was a literature major, captain of the soccer team and even that he hated their history teacher. Luhan was sure he never told anyone about that. Or maybe he did; Luhan was the kind to talk without stopping while Sehun was the one humming in acknowledgement every now and then.

Luhan remarked that Sehun laughed like a child; mouth wide open and hands clapping madly. He had never seen Sehun this relaxed before.

Even after silence engulfed them, Luhan stared at the younger as if the different expressions passing through the younger’s face whilst watching a comic show were more interesting than the show itself.

Luhan had to admit they were.

But only because the show was really boring.












“So what you’re telling me is that you’ve grown to like the boy you rejected, oh God,” Baekhyun said in between laugh, not paying attention to Luhan’s frown and not hearing Luhan’s prayers of him choking on his food.

Luhan huffed at his best friend. “I just said it was cute that he came to my soccer practice.” He wasn’t expecting Sehun to be there, what more congratulating him for his ‘great playing’ and surprising him with a basket full of cookies.

Sehun had said that he always went to his practices and Luhan had pursed his lips for not noticing him until now. Sehun had laughed at that and said that it was surely because it was always crowded.

“Yes, cute.”

Luhan frowned and wanted nothing more than slap that knowing smile off of Baekhyun's face. “Yes, cute. That’s all. Don’t imagine things, he’s too young for me anyway.”

“He’s only two years younger.”

“Two years too young.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. He was too nice, he decided, that he didn't get up already and take his tray to leave the still frowning boy in front of him for another table.












Luhan didn't see Sehun much the next few days. Luhan supposed he was busy with school. Too busy to even come to Luhan’s practices.

Not that it bothered the older or anything. He wasn’t distracted by it. He didn’t miss Sehun, no. Luhan wasn’t in front of the boy’s door because of that. He just needed some help concerning his computer.

Before he could knock, the door opened, letting Luhan have sight of two persons; Sehun with another boy, both laughing, both not noticing Luhan’s curious gaze transforming into a glare.

The other boy was the first to notice him but he seemed hurried as he gave Luhan a bow and what seemed like a half-wave to Sehun before skipping down the hallway. Luhan watched him with narrowed eyes and looked back ahead at the person he came to see only to hear a surprised,

“Hyung?” Sehun asked while drying his hair with a towel. “What are you doing here?”

Luhan’s gaze drifted downwards and, since when was Sehun so built? Since when did he have such defined abs?

“Hyung?”

Luhan blinked up and coughed awkwardly. “Ehrm. My computer’s screen isn’t working and I thought that maybe you could help me?”

“Oh. Uh, yes...?” Sehun said with a confused expression as if he couldn’t understand why Luhan made a displacement to ask him such a question when they were in the 21st century and he could have used an amazing invention called a cellphone.

Well, it was true, but the sun was bright and Luhan wanted to walk.

Sehun opened the door fully, letting Luhan in. “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be back”, he said after leading Luhan to the lounge then disappearing behind a door.

Luhan sat down on the couch and looked around. Sehun’s apartment was pretty simple with just the necessary furniture. The colors were pale – boring if you asked him – but it felt cozy for some reason.

“I’m ready.” Luhan heard from afar. He looked aside to see Sehun walking to him, his upper body now covered with a hoodie. He was passing a hand through his wet hair when he announced with a smile, “We can go.”

Luhan get up and wordlessly followed him out.

The way to Luhan’s apartment building was a ten minutes’ walk. During that time, Sehun told him about his family and his love for dance, slipping some jokes in between and Luhan laughed not because it was funny, but because Sehun always cracked up before finishing them.

It was nice to learn more about him. It was new for Luhan to listen more rather than be the one talking, but it felt nice. Sehun’s voice was soothing and it was funny how his eyes would transform into crescents whenever he smiled. He liked that opened-up and joyful Sehun, a great contrast with the shy and stuttering boy he had known for a month.

Once in Luhan’s apartment, Sehun the computer and indeed, the screen was black. A minute later, Sehun found that the problem was coming from a poorly connected wire and Luhan blushed, embarrassed that the problem was so simple. Sehun must have sensed it because he waved Luhan’s discomfort away by smiling brightly.

Still, Luhan felt like a failure and wanted to pay back so he offered him to stay for dinner once again.

Luhan was glad that Sehun was comfortable with him. Comfortable enough to stay one more hour compared to last time. When before, Luhan could call their conversations a dialogue, that night, it wasn’t the case. Sehun wasn't one to speak a lot, but his silences were pleasant.

During those times the taller was quiet, Luhan observed him. Sehun's eyes were dark and contrasted with his fair skin and rosy lips. Talking about his lips, they looked smooth and seemed to always glisten because Sehun them every once in a while. Like now. Sehun was concentrated on a war film or something like that, Luhan wasn’t paying attention. He was too preoccupied imagining what else Sehun’s tongue could or how it would feel on his mouth or if his long fingers could reach his –

“Hyung?” Sehun asked, eyeing the older’s pale face carefully. “Are you okay?”

Luhan blinked. He gulped the lump in his throat before assuring with a smile,

“Yes, I’m fine.”











Luhan was not fine.

“So what you’re telling me is that you’ve grown to like the boy you rejected, oh God.”

Déjà vu, Luhan thought with a groan. The only difference being that this time, Baekhyun may be unfortunately right.

Who could be stupid enough to fall for a person who asked him out two weeks prior?

Luhan was.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Baekhyun said after he was done laughing. He reached to pat the back of his defeated friend. “Just tell him the truth,” he added while chewing.

Luhan lifted his head up to glare at Baekhyun. “The truth? You want me to tell Sehun; hey, I rejected you before, sorry it was a mistake, but does your offer still stand?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun deadpanned. As his reply earned another groan and several bump of Luhan’s forehead against the table, he sighed. “Sehun likes you. His feelings won’t change in a few days.”

“They did.” Luhan sniffed. “Sehun doesn’t care anymore. He’s acting like he was never blushing or stammering whenever I was around. Everyone noticed his crush on me. Even the freaking janitor. Now he’s all comfortable and smiling and laughing and handsome and hot as ...” Luhan lamented as he knocked his head against the wooden table again. “Why is this happening to me?”

Baekhyun shook his head. Luhan looked so jaded and pathetic.. “Well, if you’re sure about that, why don’t you make him fall for you again?”

Luhan blinked up tiredly. “How?”

One side of Baekhyun’s lips slowly tugged upward.










“Byun Baekhyun, I swear to God you are so dead,” Luhan muttered under his breath. He still couldn’t understand why he followed his friend’s request. Was he that desperate? This week had been nothing but a nightmare for the twenty-four years old.

It started on Monday by going to Sehun’s dance practice. Luhan thought it was a good idea until he saw a sleeveless and sweating Sehun moving to an up-beat song. It was too overwhelming so he got out an hour after with a poor excuse.

Tuesday, Luhan found out that inviting Sehun home was not an option anymore now since he felt hot and bothered by the younger’s close proximity in a confined space. The fact that they were alone turned Luhan into a hyperventilating mess.

While Luhan was suffering, Sehun was just getting more comfortable with him. Comfortable enough to call him Wednesday night, which was a problem because Sehun’s voice was husky and at night, Luhan was on his bed and on his bed, he wanted to do not so appropriate things that involved something at his lower half.

Comfortable enough to knock at his door on Thursday and spend some time with him. Which was, once again a problem because Sehun was way too at ease now and Luhan’s couch was way too small.

Comfortable enough to make Luhan miss the ball and thus, goals at his soccer match on Friday because he knew that two deep chocolate colored eyes were watching his every move. This one wasn’t Sehun’s fault – neither were the ones before – but if he hadn't stayed until the end to felicitate Luhan for his ‘great play’ which was an absolute lie; but said with a smile and a basket of cookies to make the captain of the losing team feel better – and fall for him more – Luhan would have been really, really grateful.

After whining to his best friend about his problems and weak heart, Baekhyun had consoled him. Luhan was thankful for that – this will maybe make his death less painful – but, what Luhan didn’t expect was what Baekhyun proposed to him just after. Blame Luhan’s emotional state or his stupidity for accepting his help, it won’t change the fact that Baekhyun was sitting on his couch, and in between him and Sehun.

Luhan did everything; glaring, cursing or threatening, Baekhyun didn’t stop embarrassing him.

“He was so scared that day on the ferris wheel, he pissed on himself.” Baekhyun laughed out loud and Sehun followed soon after.

Luhan face palmed and grumbled under his breath as more laughter filled his ears.

“Ha… And now,” Baekhyun pat Luhan’s head, “The little boy grew up and became my best friend.” Before Luhan could give him a piece of his mind, Baekhyun was talking again, “Oh, by the way, Sehun, you heard about the party tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll go…”

“Ohh come on, it’ll be fun. Luhan can go with you,” Baekhyun said, earning an elbow jab from Luhan which he paid no attention to. “Luhan’s graduating this year, you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to have fun with him, would you?”

Sehun bit his lower lip and pondered over the question. It didn’t last long before he was agreeing with Baekhyun. “…I think you’re right… Is it okay with you, hyung?” he asked, gazing straight at the blond boy now madly elbowing his best friend.

“Huh?” Luhan stopped his failed attempts at shutting up Baekhyun to take on Sehun’s nervously wavering eyes, and the way his tongue poked out to his lips. His pretty, pretty lips.


Damn, why are you so attractive?


Why didn’t you notice that before, ?


“Uhm…” Luhan coughed awkwardly into his fist after noticing Baekhyun’s glare, silently telling him that he was taking too much time to reply. “Well, yes? Why no–”

“Okay! It’s settled then!” Baekhyun clapped his hands.









The second Luhan stepped in the hall the party was held at, he found another reason to kill his best friend.

Smells of liquor and sweat assaulted his nostrils. Darkness invaded his vision, but Luhan could still vaguely make out bodies dancing terribly close to each other and, when his eyes landed on some persons in the corner doing things their parents would certainly not be proud of, Luhan started feeling out of place. The only reason that stopped him from turning around was that text he received an hour ago from Sehun saying that he was already here, waiting for him.

Squinting his eyes, Luhan walked further inside the place while dismissing with a shake of his head the students asking him for a dance and diverting his gaze from those who not only wanted to dance if one takes into account their lustful eyes.

Luhan took a deep breath. He seriously wanted to return to the confines of his apartment. Maybe Sehun wouldn’t mind leaving with him and ending the night watching TV with a cup of hot drink, alcohol-free. But then again, maybe Luhan needs a bit of alcohol in his system to not feel anything at the sight in front of him; he finally found the person he was searching for, dancing so gracefully in the middle of the crowd. A mesmerizing sight if you asked those girls giggling on the side while staring at Sehun’s skinny jeans embracing so sinfully well around his thighs. But Luhan didn’t mind them, actually, what had his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance was the boy holding Sehun in his arms so tightly, it looked like they were grinding against each other. And maybe they were because, Luhan was a bit too far to tell but, were they kissing?

Luhan’s annoyance disappeared behind a black veil of anger as he stomped towards them. He didn’t know why or how, but the next second, his fingers were tightly wrapped around Sehun’s wrist and in one swift movement, he was forcefully breaking them apart. Luhan glared at the person who didn’t know what personal space was. He recalled that face – minus the shocked expression – smiling while getting out of Sehun’s house the day Luhan went there to seek help for his computer’s screen. Luhan suddenly had the urge to teach him with his fists.

“Hyung? What are you doing?”

Luhan faintly heard Sehun over the blasting music but it didn’t matter because he wasn’t planning on replying him as his eyes were glowering up at the taller boy.

“Hyung!” Sehun yelled louder, turning Luhan around with the hand that the latter wasn’t holding. Sehun’s face was what brought back a bit of rationality into Luhan’s brain; it was a mixture of anger and disappointment, and Luhan had never seen the younger’s features contorting into this kind of expression.

Feeling mad that Sehun wasn’t apologizing or explaining what he was doing while waiting for him, Luhan let go of his wrist and walked away, but he started running when Sehun called after him. Luhan ran as fast as he could until Sehun’s cries were a low murmur, until the only sounds around him were his ragged breathing and loud heartbeat.

He leaned against a bricked wall and took in his surroundings. He realized with disappointment that he was still inside the university, in the yard to be exact. He lifted a hand up to his face and sighed as realization hit him. Everything was so clear since the beginning. Sehun had been so obvious by how quickly he recovered from his rejection. It was obvious by how friendly he was acting. Luhan had been wondering how Sehun could get over him so fast when he had been crushing on him for a month. The answer was simple; the reason behind his sudden happiness was that Sehun had found someone else. Someone who could return his feelings. Someone better than Luhan. Clues had been displayed in front of him but Luhan didn’t get anything. It was so difficult to see them now that he didn’t want to accept them that, somehow, it felt like a rejection on its own.

When something softly brushed Luhan’s shoulder, he opened his eyes only to look up into Sehun’s worried ones. Luhan broke the stare immediately by squeezing his eyes shut. He was internally struggling between crying profanities at the situation and crying hot tears about his discovery.

Neither of those happened as silence engulfed them. Luhan wanted to think the strong wind was whispering to him to not break down, and the night hiding how it was a matter of second before he did.

“Sorry. I’ll go apologize to your friend.”

Unfortunately, nothing could stop his voice from breaking.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?”

Luhan didn’t like how worried Sehun’s tone was. He didn’t like how Sehun cared for him because it made everything so much more difficult. Luhan dared a glance at the taller and bit his lower lip when he saw how Sehun’s expression matched the sound of his voice. Luhan could see that Sehun wanted him to say something, anything, and Luhan wanted to be honest. So, the next words that left his mouth in a calm yet, wavering whisper were,

“What’s wrong is that I like you but I understand that it’s too late. I know you like someone else now and it’s okay, but I have this need to tell you even though it doesn’t matter anymore. Even if what I feel doesn’t matter anymo–” Luhan blinked in surprise as he was cut off mid-sentence by a gentle press on his lips. The touch was feather-like but it filled Luhan’s inside with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Sehun pulled away and Luhan watched in a mesmerizing state the way the corners of those lips that were on his a second ago, slowly tugged upwards to form a bashful smile.

"I don’t like anyone else other than you, hyung."

Luhan stared at him dazedly. Maybe the smell of liquor is enough to be drunk. It would explain why Luhan’s brain was a mess and why he was struggling to find words and form them into a sentence that would make sense. “B-but you and your, your.. You were kissing him.”

For a split second, Sehun’s eyes widened in surprise and then it was Luhan’s own that doubled in size when he got a glimpse of pink dusting Sehun’s cheeks just before he looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. “Jongin is my best friend. He wasn’t kissing me but giving me advices.” Sehun gazed up a second to catch Luhan’s confused face before letting his eyes fall on his shoes again. “He was giving me advices to confess to you… without being rejected this time.. But I think I don’t need them anymore.” This time, Sehun locked eyes with Luhan. He stared at him with such a bright smile, Luhan wanted to feel it and remove that hope in his eyes to only see the love inside of those chocolate orbs.

So he did.

With his heart beating loudly, Luhan leaned in and found that Sehun’s smile wasn’t just contagious, it also tasted wonderful.










(A few meters away, Baekhyun was squealing behind a tree.

“They’re so cute! Making Luhan jealous was a better idea than intoxicating him. Thank you, Jongin!”

“That’s it? That was your idea?” Jongin asked with disbelief at the brown-haired boy who was too buzy fanning himself to listen to him. He sighed as he looked back at the two love-birds lost in their embrace. “I didn’t do it on purpose, but you’re welcome. I guess?”

After saying that, Jongin watched as Luhan’s hands seemed to search ways to get rid of Sehun’s clothes, while Sehun didn’t appear to mind that as his own hands were firmly on Luhan’s hips, bringing him closer to his chest.

Showing their affection was fine, but Jongin thought that the way they were doing it was far beyond what was considered appropriate in public.

In other words, they needed a bedroom.

Baekhyun was suddenly silent, Jongin thought he left already when in fact he was, with a serious face, filming the intimate moment with his phone.

With a sigh, Jongin realized that he didn’t have enough to drink that night.



Or way too much.)