☩

Sehun ties the knot together, making sure it’s tight around the torso which in turn has Luhan let out a slight hiss.

“This is a haphazard job,” he tells the older man. “The bleeding has stopped but I’d need some kind of ointment to disinfect it. I have it at home, let me go and get it―”

Luhan grabs onto his wrist when he makes to stand up. “Sehun.”

He sits back down onto the dirty table. They’re in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, some distances away from his apartment. “Yeah?”

“How have you been?” Sehun blinks when Luhan gently brush a stray strand of hair covering his eye to the side. “You’re looking much better than the last time I saw you.”

“Well, considering the last time we saw each other was when I got beaten black and blue by Kim Minseok,” he snorts.

“Yeah,” Luhan gives a smile.

“Were you just in hiding all these months?” Sehun asks, peering at him curiously.

“Mnn… I was in China. I didn’t want to get involved in the mess, you know? I knew you were okay, and that was all that matters to me.”

“Oh…” Sehun shifts awkwardly. “So, umn…”

“I’m so glad you seem to be doing well,” Luhan continues, voice soft and eyes glazed when he stares at Sehun. “I had wanted to come to you sooner, but I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. I really missed you, you know…”

“Luhan…” Sehun barely has time to mumble when the other leans forward, pressing his lips onto Sehun’s in a kiss. The younger stills for a moment before turning his head away. “Luhan, you know I don’t like you like that…”

The older man doesn’t seem to be surprised by his reaction, and only murmurs, “Because you still love him?”

Sehun only keeps quiet.

A sigh. “It’s not like I’m forcing you to love me,” he confesses, “but I just want you safe and happy, Sehun.”

“I am. Safe and happy.”

Luhan flashes him a look, eyes somber. “Who do you think did this to me?”

Sehun lowers his gaze to the various wounds in the other’s stomach, freshly bandaged by him. “I don’t know, Luhan. You were―are?―an assassin. I’m sure you have a lot of enemies.”

“Who do you think I am?” the other retorts, making a noise of disbelief. “I am Luhan, one of the best of the best killers in the underworld. I don’t leave a job unfinished, Sehun. If I take out someone, I make sure to take out everyone relating to that person so there won’t be a chance of his family or friends coming for me to avenge him. I am good at what I do. I leave no bodies unaccounted for and seeds unplanted.”

Sehun cringes as he hears the older speaks. He already knows that this is just the way the mafia world works, and Luhan has always been an immoral person all along, but… It’s hard to put the two sides together when the other man has always been nice―if a bit creepy―towards him.

“Everyone that I’ve angered enough to want to hurt me, I've already killed,” he continues. “Except one. Do you know who that is, Sehun?”

Sehun jerks his head up at him. “No…”

Luhan gives him a pointed look. “Who do you think hates me enough to want to kill me and has enough power to do so?”

“Luhan―”

“Dammit, Sehun. Who do you think would possibly want me dead aside from Kai?”

Sehun flattens his lips. “You’re saying Kai did this to you? He’s under house arrest.”

“No, I’m saying Kai ordered his ing henchman to do this for him!”

“Well, he could’ve ordered them way back before, but they couldn’t track you down until now because you were in China!”

“No, I am saying Kai is a goddamn snake and he still has you fooled!”

“Fooled? Fooled for what?”

Luhan raises an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

Sehun flinches away. “No… How do you explain everything that’s happened, then? We both saw him fall off the ten story building. And that was because Minseok pushed him! How would he plan all that? You were the one who had conspired with Minseok―”

At this, Luhan huffs. “I haven’t figured out the exact logistics yet,” he admits. “But I’m telling you, Kai isn’t all that he seems! He’s trying to act all nice to you now but it’s all an act!”

“Kai being nice to me is never an act…” he mumbles shakily. “He has always treated me specially, because he loves me…”

“Sehun!” Luhan shouts, shaking him angrily. “Look at you! It’s like you’ve been hypnotized and deluded by him! How do you not see this?”

Sehun does. He sees. He knows he’s been so ruined by Kai that his mind is probably all sorts of ed up, too, but―

Just because he knows this, doesn’t mean he knows how to get himself out of it―

“I understand that you have… feelings for me, Luhan,” Sehun starts, trying to control his breathing. “And that you hate Kai because I love him, but… You shouldn’t defame him thinking I’ll hate him if so.”