Something was wrong with Sehun. Something was terribly wrong and Luhan was more than a little worried.

It was all too evident in the way Sehun’s gaze averted, and how he gave Luhan weak grins that never really looked authentic, and how they’d laid in bed the night before and Sehun’s long fingers had splayed out across Luhan’s stomach in a decidedly desperate way.

He could still remember the feeling of Sehun’s fingers exerting pressure on his skin. He could feel the way Sehun had pressed down just slightly whenever the baby moved, and how he’d cupped the swell like he thought it might up and disappear on him.

Luhan had wanted to ask what was wrong. He’d wanted to know why Sehun was shutting him out, and not talking about whatever was weighing heavily on his mind.

But Sehun wasn’t one to be pushed, especially when it came to his feelings. Luhan had learned long ago that Sehun went at his own pace, and it was usually an unsteady one at that. Sehun talked when he was ready, if he was, and certainly not before.

Luhan had said the previous night, when movement rippled through him, “He’s really active tonight. I think he’s getting it in now, before he’s too big to move around too much.”

Sehun had only hummed in a melancholy kind of way, breathing in steadily, but maybe a little too deeply.

The following morning Sehun had been up and moving long before Luhan had managed to drag himself from bed. In fact Luhan was just getting Youri up and moving, their daughter having taken after Luhan in her lack of willingness to wake up early in the morning, when Sehun was flying out the door with a cup of coffee in his hand.

“Wait,” Luhan had called after him, trying not to feel too hurt that Sehun had been willing to just leave without saying anything. “Sehun!”

“I’ve got to get to the office,” Sehun said, shoulders bunched in tightly. “Big project, remember?”

Luhan nodded slowly and agreed, “I remember.”

“Don’t wait up for me tonight,” Sehun called over his shoulder.

The door was swinging shut behind him as Luhan frowned.

That wasn’t like Sehun at all. Once in a while he’d get up extra early and have to leave before the rest of the family was even ready to get out of bed. And even more rarely Sehun would have a breakfast meeting to attend, or something that took him out of the house before he and Luhan could even share a morning kiss.

But this felt different.

And Luhan didn’t like the unease it put in him.

This felt like more than Sehun just being stressed out over work and having to put in longer than average hours. This felt like more than just Sehun having to prioritize his job for the sake of their family’s future.

This felt much, much worse.

And now, more than eight hours later, Luhan was still feeling uneasy about the whole situation.

And his nausea wasn’t helping things.

As he closed his eyes, fighting past the overwhelming urge to bring up bland meal he’d managed for lunch, and the room spun around him, he could hear Youri chatting happily to Ahra as they conducted their weekly tea party. As expected, and in a very typical way, Youri was dominating the conversation with her voracious verbal skills, but Ahra wasn’t exactly one to let herself be pushed into a subservient role. Youri was the clear leader in their partnership, but Ahra was a willing participant.

A gentle touch came to his shoulder and Luhan blinked his eyes open, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. If he’d had just a few more seconds, he might have fallen asleep. But instead he did his best to perk up and offer Taeyeon a kind smile.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

“Don’t be sorry,” she replied immediately. She had a steaming mug of something that smelled wonderful in her hands, and she held it out to him. “Here.”

Luhan accepted gratefully and took a long sniff of the drink. It was most certainly tea, and the tea was soothing to smell. Anything that didn’t make his stomach roll over was fantastic. “What is it?”

Taeyeon swung her purse up over her shoulder and started to edge towards the door. “It’s ginger tea,” she said to him, stopping to slip her feet into her heels. “It was all I could drink when I was pregnant with Ahra. Baekhyun said your morning sickness has been pretty unmanageable.”

Luhan blushed at the reminder, but did admit, “Youri’s pregnancy was nothing like this. Sehun and I have been trying to keep it under wraps, we don’t want to worry anyone, but yes, this time around, I almost always feel nauseous.”

Taeyeon barely bothered to hide a laugh as she said, “Well, you are Baekhyun’s favorite thing to worry over now.”

Luhan remarked, “Wonders never cease, right?”

It wasn’t just Youri and Ahra’s voice Luhan could hear from the bedroom down the hall, either. Baekhyun was in there with them, and the last time Luhan had looked in, Baekhyun had allowed the girls to put a big, pink boa around his neck, and they were chastising him that he needed to sip his tea with his pinky up.

Baekhyun was a terribly good father. To Luhan, there was no substitute to Sehun, but bringing up the rear in a close second was Baekhyun.

For all of Baekhyun’s fears that he’d end up being like his own father, Baekhyun had shown none of those tendencies. He was exceedingly loving with Ahra, and patient with her. He spent time with her, and did all the things that he probably didn’t want to. The evidence right now was the tea party currently happening. Youri and Ahra had a tea party nearly every week, complete with juice in small tea cups that they used as props. And Baekhyun was in there now with them, drinking apple juice, hunched over a tiny chair, talking to stuffed animals.

“Oh, stop it,” Taeyeon said, a smile on her face. “You and Baekhyun are great friends now, no matter how few people saw it coming. Baekhyun’s pretty much the definition of an egg. He’s all shell on the outside, but liquid gooeyness on the inside. And when his friends aren’t feeling well, like you aren’t right now, he’s got a great capacity for the ability to empathize.”

“I’m not saying he’s not a great friend,” Luhan said with his own grin. He wrapped his fingers around the cup and soaked in the warmth. It was by no means cold in the house, but Luhan could never seem to get warm anymore, and so that was another reason to be grateful for the tea.

“Drink it,” Taeyeon ordered, seeing his focus on the tea. “I’m not advocating it’s a miracle in a cup, but that tea right there helped me get down two full meals a day with Ahra, and I think it’ll help you, too.”

Once more, Luhan repeated his appreciation, and took a drink to prove his point. There was a touch of lemon with the ginger taste, and it was wonderful.

“I’ve got to run down to work,” Taeyeon said, keys in hand. “But if you need anything, Baekhyun is just down the hall.”

“Sorry about just commandeering your sofa like this,” Luhan said, taking another drink of the tea. He’d meant to just drop Youri off for her playdate with Ahra, but then his feet had felt like they were encased in cement, and once he’d sat down, he’d found it hard to get back up.

Baekhyun had been happy enough to distract the girls from noticing, but Luhan thought it was all a little ridiculous. He was at the end of his second trimester. He was supposed to be getting a burst of energy—a second wind. Instead he was taking more naps in a day than Youri.

“Our sofa is your sofa,” Taeyeon said without preamble. “And if you’re still not feeling well in a couple of hours, we’ll get Baekhyun to drive you and Youri home. Sehun can bring him back later.”

Luhan laughed, “I’m sure Baekhyun will love you volunteering him for that.”

Taeyeon pulled the front door open and said gently, “Sometimes I think you underestimate how important your friendship is to Baekhyun.”

That gave Luhan pause.

And he was quiet long enough that Taeyon added in just as soft a voice, probably so they wouldn’t be overheard, “Baekhyun long ago stopped looking at you and Sehun and thinking of Jaehyuk. Now he just sees one of his best friends, who’s there for him no matter what, who is steady and dependable, and who makes him feel like a better person. I hope you understand that.”

With one appreciative nod, Luhan focused back on his tea and Taeyeon left.

Luhan hoped that Baekhyun knew how much Luhan depended on him, too. They weren’t just convenient friends because of Sehun, or Youri and Ahra. If he didn’t, Luhan was resolved to make sure he did.

The tea, like Taeyeon said, certainly wasn’t working any miracles, but it did settle his stomach in a wonderful way. He was able to finish his cup within a couple of minutes, and then he was being lulled towards sleep far, far too easily.

“What a slacker.”

Luhan certainly wasn’t a deep sleeper. He had been at one point in his life, but having a baby had really stolen that ability from him, and his pregnancy made him constantly uncomfortable, so he rarely hit a state of deep sleep.

He certainly was napping lightly enough to hear Baekhyun’s words.

Blinking sluggishly at Baekhyun, Luhan asked, “Did you have fun playing pretty princess?” Luhan gestured to Baekhyun’s bangs. “You’ve got a little glitter there. About a pound.”

Baekhyun snorted and threw himself down on the sofa next to Luhan. “Unlike some other slackers I know, I’m trying to properly engage with my daughter and her best friend. If you weren’t a said slacker, you’d know that.”

“Guilty as charged,” Luhan said pleasantly, and with a shrug.

Baekhyun gave him a long look. “Did you have a good nap?” There was a touch of concern hidden in his words, and as Luhan spoke Baekhyun fluently, he knew that meant Baekhyun was practically clawing at him to know.

“Taeyeon gave me tea and it worked wonders,” Luhan said, and he was shocked when he spotted the time across the living room. “I didn’t realize it was so late. Where’s Youri?” They’d come over to Baekhyun’s when Youri’s lessons were over for the day, but it was practically time to go home and start dinner.

Baekhyun nodded down the hallway. “Youri led a riot at some point during the tea party, or maybe it was a rebellion against the teddy bears, but the two of them pretty much tore her room apart. They’re cleaning it now.”

“A riot?”

“There was spilled juice.”

Luhan regretted missing that. “I hope you’re making Youri scrub it out of the carpet.”

Baekhyon insisted, “I’m all about that free child labor.”

This, this was what Luhan liked best about is relationship with Baekhyun now. Their banter came so easily, and so naturally, and felt so good.

“Youri is a pro,” Luhan assured “She dropped a cupcake on the carpet in Sehun’s study about six weeks ago, and we managed to get it out before his blood pressure hit critical levels.”

“Admirable.”

It didn’t take long for Luhan’s mind to wander right back to Sehun. He had no plans to be home for dinner that evening, and when Luhan checked his phone, he saw that there were no missed calls from him, or text messages, or emails. It was as if Sehun had effectively cut him out completely, and that scared Luhan.

Sehun was too good at doing things like that. And though it hadn’t happened in a long time, Luhan didn’t think he could weather that storm at the minute. There was too much going on in their lives currently. He needed Sehun with him, whole, and okay.

“You look upset.”

At Baekhyun’s words, Luhan confessed, “I think there’s something going on with Sehun, I just don’t know what it is.”

Baekhyun seemed to focus immediately. “What kind of things? I though you guys were good. You always seem good.”

“We’re good at seeming like we’re good,” Luhan amended. “We have just as many problems as you and Taeyeon, and everyone else in this world.”

Ignoring that, Baekhyun prompted, “What kinds of things?”

It felt in a way like an intrusion to spread their business to Baekhyun. Even if Baekhyun was a longtime friend of Sehun’s, and invauble of one to Luhan, it still felt wrong. But Luhan was also desperate, and he knew what it was like to go down a road where Sehun stopped communicating.

“It’s his work triggering all this,” Luhan finally confessed. If he listened hard enough he could hear Youri and Ahra talking to each other as they cleaned. Luhan was thankful, because the last thing he wanted was for either of them to overhear.

“His work?”

Luhan nodded. It took some time to explain it all, to lay out how long Sehun had been under severe pressure at work, and how long he’d been pulling twelve hours shifts, and sacrificing his days off.

Luhan guiltily said, “His relationships are suffering. He has to make time to give Youri a bath, or to spend the evening with me. And when he does, half the time I can see it on his face that all he’s thinking about is work.”

“Sehun has always been focused,” Baekyhun said. It certainly didn’t sound like he was defending Sehun, but merely offering an opinion. “Maybe even scarily so? Sehun is the kind of guy who thinks he proves his worth by the position he has at work, and the salary he brings in. For him, the definition of being a man is providing for his family.”

Luhan grossed, “I’m not trying to take away from that in the slightest. I’m proud of him in every way. But our family isn’t going to fall to destitute if he doesn’t get his next big promotion. And this case he’s working on right now …it’s his soul out, Baekhyun. He’s more than just stressed.”

“And I bet,” Baekhyun said confidently, “he’s chosen to keep as much of this from you as possible.”

Luhan gave him a knowing look. “Sehun …”

“Exactly,” Baekhyun said.

Luhan palmed his hands on his knees and took as deep of a breath as the baby would allow—it was practically sitting on his diaphragm now. “This morning it was worse. It was worse than it’s ever been.”

Baekhyun asked seriously, “What happened this morning?”

Luhan felt helpless as he shrugged. “That’s the thing, I don’t know. Sehun is barely talking to me. Whatever he’s keeping cooped up inside, it’s eating away at him. He charged out of the house so suddenly this morning I think he meant to leave before I even got up. He didn’t say it, but that’s the impression I got. He didn’t want to see me this morning, and I don’t know why.”

“Luhan,” Baekhyun tried.

“I don’t know what’s happening.”

And suddenly, without warning and certainly in an unwanted way, Luhan felt the first sign of teas. There was burning in his eyes, and he was already hormonal enough as it was that it came all too easily.

Unable to help himself, Luhan said, “Sehun just doesn’t talk to me anymore, not like we used to, not since he took that promotion at work and started working longer hours. He leaves early in the morning, he comes back late at night, and he doesn’t have time for anything. He hasn’t even called me today. Not once. And most of the time when I call him, his secretary fields the call and sends me straight to his voice mail. He doesn’t answer his personal phone when he’s at work.”

A horrified look crossed Baekhun’s face. “You don’t think … Luhan, he loves you …”

It was almost hilariously funny when Luhan realized what Baekhyun was alluding to, and it felt good to laugh. It felt great.

“This is not funny,” Baekhyun said, arms crossed over his chest.

“Do I think Sehun is cheating on me?” Luhan asked, all giggled.

No. Of course not. That wasn’t a thought that had crossed Luhan’s mind even once. He was confused as to what was going on, but he was certain that Sehun wasn’t being unfaithful. Sehun certainly wasn’t that kind of man, and no matter how distant Sehun was at the moment, Luhan could feel how much he was loved when Sehun touched him.

Love was most certainly not the problem.

Not to mention Luhan would have bet his life on Sehun never committing that kind of betrayal. Sehun had nearly lost it all. He’d practically lost everything, at one point in his life. And there was nothing, absolutely nothing, more important to Sehun than the family he had. So at least in that department, Luhan felt like he had nothing to worry about.

So he told Baekhyun, “I know this isn’t Sehun cheating. Maybe someone else has to worry about that with their husband or wife, but not me.”

“Then?”

From down the hall, Youri shrieked with laughter.

“Luhan?”

Luhan asked Baekhyun, “Is this what success is? Is this the definition of success? A man who has to work from sun up to sun down, in order to have that corner office?”

Baekhyun shook his head a little numbly.

“I hate this,” Luhan declared. “I hate that I see Sehun so little, and that Youri barely asks anymore when he’s coming home, or when he’ll be there to tuck her in. I think she’s tired of being disappointed, and so am I.”

Curiously, Baekhyun wondered, “Have you talked to Chanyeol about this? I mean, I know you’re Sehun’s husband and all, but Chanyeol probably spends just as much time with him in a week now as you do. Maybe Chanyeol can give you some kind of insight.”

Luhan felt pensive. “I didn’t think of Chanyeol.” He shrugged a little. “I don’t really see Chanyeol as often as you do.”

Eyes narrowing, Baekhyun asked, “Is this your way of asking me to do your dirty work?”

With some effort, Luhan heaved himself up and off the sofa. He made at least something of an effort to hide the roll of his eyes when Baekhyun sprung up with him, seemingly ready to catch him if he took a nosedive. He wondered lowly, “How does Taeyeon even put up with you?”

If Baekhyun heard him clearly enough to respond, he was obviously choosing not to. And instead, Baekhyun volunteered, “But I could, you know. I could take Chanyeol out to a late lunch or early dinner tomorrow and ask him about Sehun. I could try and fish something out of him, if you want.”

Now it was Luhan’s turn to mock glare, and he wondered, “I feel like you’re negotiating for something in return. You’re hardly ever this nice and considerate, even to people you like.”

Baekhyun scoffed. “That is a dirty, dirty thing to say, Luhan.”

Before the conversation could progress any further, both Youri and Ahra came tearing into the room.

“Baba!” Youri flung herself at Luhan’s legs, squeezing her arms around them, looking up at him with a grin full of babyteeth.

“Did you have a good time playing?” Luhan asked, kissing the top of her head.

Youri bounced on her feet as she nodded vigorously. “Can I come back tomorrow? Baba, can I play more tomorrow?”

“God help us all,” Baekhyun said, scooping Ahra up in his arms, “when she’s old enough to drive and she can just go wherever she wants. I’ll set a permenant spot for her at the dinner table when that happens.”

“Drive,” Luhan balked. “I’m scared for when she’s old enough to cross the street by herself.”

Short tempered when it came to not being paid attention to, Youri tapped Luhan’s stomach and stated, “Baba, the baby and I want to go. We need to go now.”

Luhan gave her a sharp look. “Are you hungry, is that why you want to go?”

Again, Youri smiled wide.

“I thought so,” Luhan chuckled. “Don’t worry, Youri, oppa said he’ll set you a place at his dinner table from now on.”

Youri’s head snapped back to Baekhyun like she didn’t quiet believe the words, and Baekhyun looked anything but pleased.

“Okay, okay,” Luhan said, giving her a reprieve. “You’re right to be hungry, it’s almost dinner time. Let’s go pester your Uncle Wei to make us something good to eat.”

“Yay!” Youri cheered, letting go of Luhan and dancing around a bit.

“Luhan,” Baekhyun said, catching him before he could get out the front door. “I’m serious.”

Luhan pointed out, “You almost always are.”

Luhan did up the buttons on his jacket, despite the seasonably warm weather outside, and Youri was loudly proclaiming all the things she wanted for dinner.

“I’m serious,” Baekhyun said again, leaning a little on the door. “I’ll talk to Chanyeol tomorrow, and see if I can get some kind of insight here for you.”

There was a gentler tone now to his words, and Luhan appreciated it. Baekhyun was always just a little too sharp, even when he didn’t want to be. So anything less than that was something significant.

“I appreciate it,” Luhan told him. “This can’t go on. And if Sehun won’t talk to me about this, I’ll go around him.”

Youri went still at that, and Luhan was suddenly reminded that his daughter’s ears were keen and always listening. She asked, “Daddy?”

“You’ll see him tonight,” Luhan said, but of that, he wasn’t sure. Sehun hadn’t said anything about being home in time for Youri’s bedtime.

“I’ll get it out of Chanyeol,” Baekhyun promised confidently. “Just give me a day. I’ve got this.”

Despite the way that Youri was now pushing impatiently at his legs, Luhan reached out to tug Baekhyun into a sharp hug.

“Luhan,” Baekhyun grunted out, but he didn’t push him away, and there was even the barest hint that Baekhyun was hugging back. “Seriously. Stop.”

“Come on,” Luhan teased. “Fess up. You secretly like it when I hug you.”

Youri declared loudly, “I like hugs!”

“Go home,” Baekhyun ordered, “before I shut the door in your face.”

Luhan took Youri’s hand in his own and gave a final chuckle before heading off to the car parked on the street.

He was halfway home, fondly listening to Youri sing along to the song on the radio, when anger welled up in Luhan. Sehun had always hard headed. He’d always been stubborn to a fault, too. If he had a biggest character flaw, it was his inability to realize when he needed help, and get it all on his own. And that was fine for Luhan. That was something Luhan could deal with all on his own. He’d been doing it for years.

But not Youri.

None of this was fair to Youri or the new baby.

Luhan could handle eating dinner by himself at night, and sneaking in kisses and words of affection between long work shifts and the chaotic speed of life. But children were less capable of understanding such things.

For now, Youri took Sehun’s absence in stride. For now, she forgave easily, and forgot even faster.

But what about in a year?

What about when she had her first day of real school?

What about the first time Sehun missed a school function, or a dance recital, or a family vacation?

There were a lot of things Luhan could stand for, and many he could weather.

Sehun destroying their family from the inside out, for whatever reason, and harming their children, was no one of them.

“Baba?” Youri asked, feet kicking out from her booster seat as she stared at him in confusion. “Are you mad, baba?”

“No, Youri.” Of course he was. He was positively fuming.

“You look mad, baba,” she said perceptively.

Luhan breathed out deeply. “I’m not mad, Youri.”

More than not allowing Sehun to implode their family, Luhan also wouldn’t let Youri know just yet that her parents could fight like the best of them. There would come a day, of course, where Youri would hear them fighting for the first time, or hear one of them say something awful about the other. But Youri was three, and that day wasn’t today.

She accepted his words easily enough, and then she was back to singing in a second.

Luhan gripped the steering wheel tightly. A fight was definitely coming, Luhan just wasn’t sure what kind.

Surprisingly, the lights were on in the house when Luhan and Youri made their way in. Wei had gone out early that morning, like he said he would be for the coming weeks, and Luhan hadn’t expected him back until a bit later. Wei had made mention of being home for dinner, but there was still time before the meal.

However, the lights on the first level were on, and that was all Youri needed to go tearing through the house, shouting for Wei and what she wanted for dinner. Luhan followed at a much slower pace, setting his keys in the bowl next to the front door, his feet and ankles already aching.

“Luhan?”

An unexpected voice called his name, and as Luhan trekked into the living room, his eyebrows going high on his forehead as he spotted Xiumin stretched out on the sofa, placed conspicuously close to Wei who was sitting ramrod straight.

It almost looked like … it almost looked like Luhan and Youri had interrupted something.

“Xiumin,” Luhan said.

“Oppa!”

Youri launched herself up on Xiumin, hugging him tightly, chattering as she always did, about how he was her favorite, and when she could go over and play with his dog.

“See,” Luhan told Xiumin, feeling a burst of energy. “It’s the dog. It’s always the dog.”

Xiumin hugged Youri back in a possessive way and said, “That is not the only reason I’m her favorite uncle. You’d better watch yourself with that, Luhan.” A moment later and Xiumin was laughing, stating, “I’m just getting her warmed up for when you and Sehun finally let her get a puppy. You’ll thank me for this later.”

At Sehun’s mention, Luhan’s spirits fell again. And Luhan had known Xiumin far long enough to know that his best friend had caught a flicker of something on his face.

And when Xiumin saw something, he rarely let it go.

Luhan was bracing for that when Wei cut in, “You’ll never believe how we ran into each other today. It’s crazy.”

Luhan took the chance to ease himself down on the sofa next to Wei and ask, “So you two ran into each other?”

Xiumin let Youri settle onto his lap and said, “We did, actually. I was taking my lunch break today, and I needed to run to the grocery store. That’s where Wei was, helping this little old lady out to her car, carrying about six of her bags all at once. It was honestly pretty impressive.”

“I work out,” Wei said to Xiumin, certainly in a teasing way. “I try to let it show, every once in a while.”

Yes, that definitely was a red tint to Xiumin’s face.

In a lot of ways, Luhan felt flabbergasted at what he’d experienced twice before now. He was most certainly seeing his oldest friend flirt with his best friend. And there was something weird about it, if only because of how out of place it seemed at first, but the more Luhan did see, the more he liked.

Wei liked to shut himself up in his work and his home, and for as much as he moved around, he wasn’t a risk taker. In comparison, Xiumin was just too afraid to give himself another shot at being happy. He’d put his heart out there once, and the damage had been profound.

The two of them flirting with each other, spending time together, and possible enjoying each other’s company in a less than platonic was, was a refreshing idea.

The way Xiumin blushed around Wei was all kinds of adorable. And Wei grinned at Xiumin like Luhan hadn’t seen him do in a long, long time. Like there was something worth sticking around for. Something worth investing in.

“But wait,” Luhan said, suddenly interrupted from his train of thought. “Xiumin, Wei, why would you both be shopping at the same grocery store? Xiumin, you don’t live or work anywhere near the closest grocery store to this house.”

“I was doing research,” Wei said. “For my editorial. I ended up pretty far out.”

“You were doing research at a grocery store?”

Wei said flippantly, “In between carrying groceries for the elderly.”

Luhan was going to get it out of Wei sooner, rather than later, he decided. He wanted to know what Wei’s big editorial piece as, and why he was being so closed off about it. Wei was always pretty hush-hush when he was working on something, but he was being downright secretive now.

“Anyway,” Xiumin picked up the story, “I saw him there, and we just got to talking—mostly about food. I guess Wei likes to cook and is good at it. I burn ramen.”

“I can attest to that,” Luhan agreed humorously.

Xiumin gave Youri a bounce on his knee, and just for one, incredibly brief second, Luhan saw a good father in him. He saw that Xiumin could have been a good father to Youri. If things had never worked out with Sehun, if Luhan had been able to give Xiumin the kind of love in return that he desired, Youri could have been Xiumin’s little girl. And he would have been fantastic at taking care of her, because he was already a great uncle.

But that scenario existed in an alternate universe, one that had never come to fruition.

Still, Luhan could see it.

“One thing led to another,” Wei told Luhan, “and I offered Xiumin to come eat dinner with us. I said he should come and help me cook, and pick up a couple of tips, and maybe even participate, if he’s feeling bold enough.” Wei risked an almost bashful look to Luhan. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” Luhan told him right away. “Xiumin’s always welcome here, no questions asked.”

“We’ve just been talking since then,” Xiumin finished, but they had a couple bottles of beers on the table that were more than empty, and there was a sense of comfortableness between them that wasn’t manufactured. They’d probably been sitting together, drinking and talking, for some time, and with whatever was happening between them, that wasn’t a bad thing.

“I’ll start dinner soon,” Wei said, groaning as he got up to his feet. He gave a long stretch, one that Xiumin was most certainly watching, and then held a hand out to Youri and asked, “Would my favorite princess like to come help me start prepping for dinner?”

Xiumin was abandoned quickly enough at the offer, and Wei lifted her up onto his shoulders with a show of strength. Youri squealed in joy.

Luhan felt a stab of fear and called after them, “Watch her head, Wei. The low ceiling!”

The baby gave a thunderous kick, like he too was concerned. But then Wei and Youri made it safely into the kitchen, and the danger seemed to have passed. Mmultiple times Luhan had seen Wei tossing Youri up in the air to an excessive height. Luhan was thinking about banning Wei from touching Youri completely.

Quietly, Xiumin remarked, “He’s so good with her.”

Luhan himself even had to nod. “He’s pretty natural with kids, which is kind of a shocker, I know, because he’s spent very little time around them. But to some people, it comes natural.”

Xiumin made a sound of agreement.

Luhan’s gaze slid from the kitchen to Xiumin, and remarked in a coquettish way, “He’s also devilishly good looking, isn’t he? And charming. Intelligent. Funny.”

In a distracted way, Xiumin hummed again.

“You’re so cute it’s practically ridiculous,” Luhan said.

“Wait, what?” Xiumin jerked back towards Luhan. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Luhan shook his head slowly. “Nothing.”

For a second, Luhan thought he was in the clear. For one, brief second, he thought that Xiumin had forgotten whatever he might have seen.

Then Xiumin gave him a long look and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Wrong?”

Firmly, Xiumin observed, “You look sad. And no, don’t bother telling me that there’s nothing wrong, or that you’re perfectly fine. How long have we known each other? I know when something’s wrong. I can see it on your face a mile away. So this is me, telling you I know something is wrong, and I bet it involves that husband of yours.”

“You,” Luhan said with a sigh, “have always been too pereptive.”

Xiumin wasted no time asking, “What’s he gone and done now?”

“Don’t,” Luhan warned.

For the most part, Xiumin and Sehun had a great relationship. They had a great friendship. Though it had certainly started out rocky, and still had points of contention, they were in a far better place than Luhan had ever thought they could be. Time had dulled the friction between them, and the two men had seemingly bonded over their love for Youri. They were even known to do things together, without Luhan present. They both enjoyed baseball games, and went frequently.

But no matter what, Luhan knew he had Xiumin’s loyalty, and the past was never fully forgotten. Xiumin could get defensive in a moment’s notice, and it was all too clear how willing he was to turn on Sehun if it came down to a choice between the two of them.

“He did something, obviously,” Xiumin said tiredly. “You wouldn’t have that look on you face if he hadn’t.”

“He didn’t do anything,” Luhan denied in a vehement way. “We just …”

Xiumin waited patiently.

Luhan settled on saying, “Something is wrong. I know Sehun. I know what he’s like when he’s overworked, and this is something more than that. Something is wrong and that’s the only way I know how to say it. He just shut down, especially today. He’s not communicating with me, he’s holding something big back, and I’m …”

He was tired. And frustrated. And angry. Still angry.

“So,” Xiumin drawled out, “something is bothering Sehun, he’s slipping back into his old habits of not talking when he needs to, and I’ll just take a stab in the dark and say that because he’s not home now with his family, he’s probably hiding out in his office.”

Luhan didn’t have a reply for him, mostly because he suspected the same, too.

Xiumin sighed out, “What a .”

“Please don’t,” Luhan tried again.

Xiumin ran his fingers through his hair and was seemingly collecting his thoughts. Luhan hoped he was choosing the least critical and colorful language he had in him.

“Sehun is being Sehun,” Xiumin said, pursing his lips. “That’s not entirely unexpected and you know it. I guess what matters next is if you’re going to be you.”

Luhan gave him a confused look.

“You’re you,” Xiumin clarified. “You’re a good person, better than most, and you do good things. You care about people, you take care of them, and when there’s a problem, you fix it. You don’t sit back, you don’t hope things work out, you take charge, and that’s what I'm wondering right now. Are you going to go in that kitchen and eat dinner with everyone but your husband, or are you going to get in your car, drive down to your husband’s office, and make him talk to you?”

Luhan stared at him.

“Well?”

Luhan said, without a shadow of a doubt, “This is why you’re my best friend.”

Xiumin pointed at the front door. “Go. Wei and I will make dinner for Youri. You go get that stubborn, stupid husband of yours back on a leash.”

Xiumin was most certainly his best friend for a reason. Because Xiumin had said so much, and spoken so much truth, by saying so little.

No good was going to come from Luhan stewing on his feelings, waiting for Sehun to come to him, and that wasn’t like Luhan to begin with. He needed to take control of the situation, he needed to get it resolved quickly, and he was done letting Sehun slink away and avoid him.

“Will you tell Youri—”

“Yes, yes.” Xiumin waved a hand at him. “Go. Youri will be fine. You go worry about Sehun.”

Luhan gave him a thankful grin. “I’ll be back later.”

When he got back in the car this time, he felt lighter than before.

Whatever was happening with Sehun, it wasn’t anything they couldn’t get past. Sehun was terribly stubborn in his sensibilities, but he wasn’t impossible to get through to. And underneath it all, Luhan held to the faith that there was nothing more important to Sehun that his family.

Sehun’s first instinct was always to run, but Luhan was always going to chase after him. Luhan loved him too much, and loved their family too much, to do any less.

“You can do this,” he breathed out to himself when he pulled to a stop at the last light before the block Sehun’s office was located at. The red of the light gleamed down on his car as the sun faded away on the horizon. From Luhan’s position, he could see the lights of Sehun’s building, and it was certainly more imposing looking than it had ever been before. Ever.

“No, really,” he promised himself. “You can do this. Just go in there. Just walk in there like you own the place, go find your husband, and make him talk to you. Easy. Totally easy.”

The light switched to green and he eased off the brake.

It was a great irony. It was perhaps the greatest irony ever, but in that moment, in a split second, the light was blinding. The sun wasn’t fully down, and it was glaringly angry in its wane. Luhan brought his hand up to shield his gaze, and in his blindness, he never saw the car that cut into the intersection from the opposite direction.

There was only the smash of glass, the hard—too hard impact of one car against another, and then nothing more. Only blackness.