Like two superstars, they lowered the roof of the car the moment they got out of Seoul, driving around with sunglasses, enjoying the warm wind that was playing with their hair. They were listening to the radio but then Ko Ko Bop came on. They both looked at each other, their laughing eyes meeting, and as a joke Sehun turned it up and they started singing along at the top of their lungs, doing the hand movements as well, although Suho adamantly kept one hand on the wheel at all times. Safety first. Sehun singing Kyungsoo's part in his raspy voice was priceless. Absolutely priceless. Suho regretted not having recorded it, telling his brain to store the memory extra carefully, somewhere safe. This day was fast becoming one of his favorite days ever. It wasn't often that they got to hang out just the two of them, let alone outside with no managers, no bodyguards. They were free. It was kind of scary, but in a good way, with his heart fluttering excitedly around his chest. One day. He was giving himself one day to let loose and throw caution to the wind. A one day vacation from himself.

Sehun was like a puppy off his leash for the first time ever, finding everything exciting and amazing, making them stop at every rest stop, where he ran around, checking every stall and every shop, buying nothing of substance, just a truckload of candy. Suho got a mini-heart attack every time, since the only thing protecting them from the crazed masses were a pair of sunglasses, a thin mask and a baseball cap. Suho had asked Sehun to wear something super mundane so he would blend in, but the problem was that no matter how raggedy the clothes were that he put on, they all turned into stylish masterpieces once he wore them. The clothes were beside the point. It was not the clothes that made the man, but the man that made the clothes. And this man was simply magnificent. His broad shoulders and sleek, elegant physique turned rags into riches. Suho never stopped being amazed by this superpower of his, but of course he didn't tell Sehun that. He had enough people telling him he was gorgeous. What he needed from him was discipline and stability, and he tried his best to give him that. Being the leader wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It was really hard, especially with a rowdy bunch like Exo.

Sehun was charming some little old adjumma off her feet. She kept giving Sehun more and more free snacks, pinching his cheek, saying a handsome young strapping boy like him needed to put on some weight. Then Suho realized, cheek! Sehun wasn't wearing his mask! His heart going from slow to hyper speed in under a second, he tried to swallow a lump of panic that was stuck in his throat and checked their surroundings. Oh no! A young girl was covering in shock, fervently nudging her friend who hadn't caught on yet, pointing at Sehun who just stood there, clueless. They didn't have much time. Once a couple of people noticed, it was like an out of control snowball. One tweet and they were done for.

Suho ran as fast as he could over to Sehun and without any explanation he grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, making him spill a bag of goldfish bread. Sehun complained, but Suho didn't care. This was not the time to worry about cheap snacks, their safety was in question. He took that very seriously, after all, he was responsible. There was no one who was going to hold Sehun responsible if something happened to him, but if something happened to Sehun, it was all on him. He was not going to let that happen.

Even after they entered the freeway and Suho had made sure they weren't being followed, his heart beat relentlessly. That had been too close for comfort. It had made him realize how utterly irresponsible he had been, agreeing to go on this trip. Sehun was a bad influence on him, his irresistible, silly cuteness made him careless. He was the leader of one of the most popular bands in Korea, he couldn't let his guard down, not even for one day. He suddenly noticed how white his knuckles were, he was still gripping the steering wheel with all his might. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. They had gotten away unscathed. It was okay. They were safe.

“So who's your favorite maknae?” Sehun poked his arm teasingly, probably trying to lighten the mood.

“I only have one maknae.” Suho said a bit dryly.

“Okay, who's your favorite dongsaeng?” Sehun pinched his side, causing him to wince. He could feel all his anxiety fading away, allowing him to breathe easier.

“Kai.” he joked, swallowing a snicker. He could see Sehun's shock and outrage out of the edge of his eye. In a huff, Sehun crossed his arms and watched the cars pass them by out the side window, pouting heavily. Suho had to do everything to keep himself from giggling. What was he going to do with that big, silly manchild.

He reached out and Sehun's forearm softly. “I was just joking. Of course it's you, you know it's you. You are my favorite dongsaeng, and I am your favorite hyung.” he told him in a sweet, comforting voice.

“Hmmprff... I have many amazing hyungs.” Sehun pouted, but he could see he was holding back a smile.

“...but you're okay I guess...” he added, snickering like a bratty five year old. He sure could dish it out, but he couldn't take it. Suho sighed with a smile on his face, he couldn't help but be fond of that idiot.

An hour later they arrived at the beach house. It was small, but very nice. It was probably new, with all the modern amenities and direct access to the beach. No too shabby. Maybe this hadn't been such a bad idea after all, Suho thought, feeling more relaxed already.

Throwing his shoes off in a hurry, Sehun jumped into the hallway, only to halt abruptly and turn around.

“From this moment on and until we leave, I'm not Sehun, I'm your pet dog.” Sehun announced, before he barked happily and ran into the house.

“Huh?” Suho just stood there, wondering what on Earth had just happened. Had Sehun gone mad?