Sehun stood still, making no effort to pull his pants up to cover that hideous bran on his hip nor to push Yixing away. He realized it was time to tell the truth, there was no hiding anymore. Although that didn't mean he wasn't scared less about what this would do to Yixing. He never meant to hurt his brother and poor Jongin didn't need to be dragged into this. They just got together and Sehun wanted this to be more than just a fling.

"Alright, sit down. I'll explain everything. Jongin, you too. You're involved in this as well and you deserve to know. I will understand if you want to leave me after knowing everything." Sehun finally snapped out of his stupor and said. 

Yixing let go of hid pants waistband, causing it to snap back into place and took his seat on the couch next to Jongin. Sehun pulled a chair from the kitchen table and hauled it outside to face Yixing and Jongin. 

"Yixing, I just need you to listen. Please hear me out fully before you get angry." Sehun pleaded. "I promise," Yixing said. "I never meant to hurt you. But you have to know I did this to protect you. After mom and dad died, there was a light in you that went out. You dropped out of the academy, something that had been your lifelong dream because you couldn't stand it anymore and because I know you wanted to get out while you could still protect me. I knew that if you knew the truth about what happened, you wouldn't have left." Sehun took a deep breath before continuing.

"At that time, it was too dangerous for you to pursue them. You were young and angry, and so, so reckless. You were never after revenge because you knew it would put us both in danger. But if you had known I was already in danger, you would have gone after them to keep me protected. Yixing you would have died, I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let them take you from me as well. It was all too much." He then let out a few sobs. Yixing and Jongin waited patiently, worry evident on their faces for Sehun to calm down enough to talk.

"I-I never meant to keep it a secret. I wanted to tell you but I could not have done it so soon. After a year, I meant to tell you then but you were finally healing. I couldn't take all that away from you again, it would have completely destroyed you. Years passed and it became too late, it would have just been burdensome for you." Sehun stopped again, looking at Yixing to guage his reaction. Yixing just looked sad and confused. 

"Mother wasn't the only one they took." He paused at this, letting Yixing take it all in. "They came to my school, stalked me on my way back home and grabbed me. You were at school still, working on a project that day. When dad came in, they made him choose. They said 'a life for a life.' He had to give up his life, but still it was only worth saving one of us. Mother was crying so much, begging him to let me live, to choose her to die alongside him. I didn't know what to do, I told mom that you needed her, not me. It didn't make a difference, dad said I was too young, he chose for me to be the one to live." Sehun breathed in deeply and exhaled. He had a dead look in his eyes, it was extremely alarming. 

"It was too easy, they couldn't just let me go like that. They had men hold our parents down. Those s pulled their pants down and made me their dirty in front of our father. That wasn't all. God, there was so much groping, I had just turned 15, 'a ripe age' as they called it. Dad broke out of a hold of five men and mauled those s, the only way they could stop him was by putting a bullet through his skull, so they did. One of them untied me and let me go, saying 'a deal was a deal.' That was when he stamped the brand into my hip with an iron, it was to mark their property. I was about to turn back, to find mom but all I heard was screaming, a gunshot, and then silence. I think the worst sound in the world is silence. So I left, I needed to survive, to make the most of my life, for them, and I kept it from you." Sehun just gazed aimlessly after that.

No one spoke for a while and Jongin could see that the ironically prolonged silence, which Sehun hated, was needed in that moment. "Jongin," Sehun called. "Yes," Jongin answered. "When I met you, you were so brazen. I thoroughly enjoyed how nervous and quirky you were. I also noticed your uniform, and yes, I know that even after I found about the Macha case, I could have been in immense danger. But, you see, I was already a marked target from the start, that's why Yixing, I didn't care. And Jongin. Just know that you're different from the rest, I was scared to open up to anyone else, but I feel comforted with you. I think it might be because you knew my father, who knows?" At that Sehun let out a small smile. 

"I hope you stick around with me to find out if we have a future but I would completely understand if you didn't want anything to do with a dirty like me." Sehun said firmly. At this, Jongin shot up to his feet. "What! No!" He shrieked in a high pitched tone. "I'm not a quitter, I stay with relationships for as long as feelings stay, I plan on doing the same with you. Besides, you are not dirty, those nasty men were dirty. Sehun know this and believe it, you are pure and beautiful and I suggest seeing a therapist. You and Yixing, you guys are functioning but there's just so much that's happened in your life and a lack of trust for other people." 

Yixing, who had stayed silent all this while, processing everything that was just said finally spoke up, "I'll make an appointment. I agree with Jongin, we're just too scared of relationships and moving on. We need to have psychiatric help to allow us to cope with the past. And Hunnie, I don't blame you for keeping it from me. I just feel sad that you were burdened by this alone all this while. I'll call and book us an appointment tomorrow." Yixing said. He then got up and headed to his bedroom. 

Jongin got up then and bid Sehun goodnight, wishing him a good night's rest. Sehun went to bed and as he lay down, he heard his door creaking open. He looked up to see Lay holding a pillow and blanket. "Sleepover?" Lay asked sheepishly. Sehun smiled and moved over, making room for Yixing to sleep. He fell asleep feeling protected and comforted. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sehun woke up to giggling. "I really hope nothing uous is happening here. If it is though, would it really be if you're just putting half your effort, you know, since you're only half-brothers. You could be allowing the other, non-related halves of you to be rendezvousing. Sorry to interrupt though."

At that Jongin got smacked in the face with a pillow, courtesy of Yixing. "Shut up, it's too early for you to be a ."

"I know it's early, talking to Sehun by the way, you can continue sleeping hyung, pretend I don't exist. So, Hunnie, I went home last night and decided we needed bonding time. We don't really know each other all that well. I get that we work well together and that we're able to so easily call each other babe, I just found it fun to actually call someone that because I never got to. I'd definitely come up with something cuter than babe. Although, you are a total babe and I am definitely digging you. But, you also need some major cheering up, so I planned a way to do both. You and I have some date plans for today that's made for bonding and cheering of the up. I don't even know what that means, but we'll find out. So get up and get ready because we have an exciting day ahead of us."

Sehun sleepily sat up. He had cute and messy bed hair, not so cute drool tracks and puffy eyes, but Jongin found it nice, reassuring. He wasn't the only ugly one in the morning and Sehun was in his league, looking like this at least.

"If you keep insisting on waking me up so damn early in the morning, I might just consider murder." Sehun said grumpily. Yixing rolled over and pushed Sehun out of bed. "By the way, how the hell did you even get in here, I locked the door." Yixing said. 

"Come on now, you underestimate me so. I'm a cop, I just lifted your key out of your pants pocket last night when this genius idea struck me." Jongin said smugly. "More like a genie-. Wake me up." Sehun grumbled on his way to the bathroom. 

"By the way Yixing, I sent Junmyeon an SOS text since I figured you might be lonely. And by SOS, I mean Sincerely offer , you seem like you need it." And there went Sehun's pillow, effectively hitting Jongin and falling onto the floor. 

"I like him, but Jongin we barely just met. I don't want him around me like this, I'm not ready and I also don't want to scare him off." Yixing groaned. Jongin smiled, "Don't worry. Junmyeon may be a schoolteacher but before he went to teacher's college, he majored in psychology. He might be the best person to have around you now. A stranger is not what you need, you need a personal confrontation to help you and he's your best bet. Besides, you're exactly the perfect epitome of his type. I don't think there's anything you can do in this world that will scare him off." 

Just then Sehun stepped out of the bathroom, looking freshfaced and currently finding a change of clothes. He stepped back into the bathroom and took about two minutes to change. "What are you standing around for, let's go. Also, give back the house key, you creep." Sehun said, but there was a joking edge to his words. "Hey! I may be a creep, but at least I'm a creep capable of putting a smile on your face. Now, let's go, we're taking the bike."

"BIKE! WHAT BIKE?!" Yixing screamed, now fully awake as the front door shut and two giggling adults made their way to the elevator, holding hands, fingers interlocked.