“Hey loser, “ Sehun greets, knowing full well it’s Kai calling. He grins when he hears the scoff. 

“Wooow, well If you don’t want me to call…”

“I don’t know- I have a lot of people trying to reach me twenty-four seven. A lot of hookups and flings.”

“But I’m your hottest one, right?”

Sehun rolls his eyes as he sits on his bed. “So, what’s up?”

“Stakeout, baby.”

“Oh, right,” He purses his lips and glances outside. He smiles when he sees Kai’s car already here.

“Wear something black and tight.”

“Stakeout or party?”

Kai laughs. “Come on down, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, Be down in a second,” The boy huffs and hangs up. He bites his lip as he holds his phone for a moment. He rubs his cheek and stands up, grabbing a black hoodie; he figured it doesn't really matter in the dark. “I’m going out, mom,” Sehun calls out.

“O-oh, you’re going out?” His mother steps out of the kitchen. “But dinner is on the table.”

“Uh…” He glances at Luhan before smiling tightly at his mom. “Sorry, mom. I already made plans with Kai.”

“Well, that’s okay, honey. Stay warm, okay?”

His smile fades when he turns away and leaves the house. He shakes his head as he makes his way to the car and slides in. “Hey cutie, why the long face? Someone has pretty as you have no reason to frown.”

“They do if they have my step-brother,” He sighs. “But Luhan doesn’t sneak out for another two hours- what’s with the early pick-up?” 

“I wanna take you out, that’s why.” Sehun smiles when Kai kisses his cheek. “Look in the pack seat.

“Why? Did you kidnap someone?” Sehun scoffs but when he looks back, he can’t help and stare. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. On the backseat are a bouquet of red gardenias. “Gardenias...They’re my favorite-”

“Flower,” Kai finishes. “I know, I asked Baek and Chanyeol. They said you’re not really a flower guy but-”

“I love them,” Sehun interrupts. 

Kai smiles. “Gardenias...they represent uh...damn it,” He grumbles and it makes the boy laugh. 

“Well,” Sehun bites his lip as he sets them on his lap. “I don’t know a lot about flowers, but red gardenias symbolize…” he trails off and looks at Kai. “Love.” He swallows hard when Kai gently pushes the bangs from his eyes.

“They also mean admiration, respect...passion,” He shrugs. “But,” He moves his hand to rest on Sehun’s cheek. “Mostly that other thing.”

Sehun laughs nervously. “J-Jongin…”

Kai gives him a wink and now starts the car. “Come on, that fried chicken place is only open for another two hours.”

“Oh my god,” The boy snorts and shakes his head at the enthusiastic look in his eyes. But he thinks it’s the cutest thing ever regardless.

“I can’t believe after eating that whole bucket, you want to take another to GO,” Sehun says as he holds it in his arms. He looks down at the fried food and wrinkles his nose. “How can you eat so much of this?”

“I work it off!” Kai says confidently. “How can you NOT eat two buckets of fried chicken?!”

“Because I’m not gross,” Sehun laughs, pushing Kai playfully before they get back into his car. “I’m a normal male student who loves chocolate.”

“You like an unhealthy amount of Chocolate, OH Sehun.”

“Whatever you say, chicken boy.”

Kai grins. “You ready for a good ol’ fashioned stakeout?” When he motions to the glovebox, Sehun reaches in and pulls out a camera. 

“Sure but why not just use our phones?”

“Because it’s not fun that way,” He says, shrugging as he grabs it. Sehun gives him a scowls when it's aimed at him and his photo is taken. “Oohh! Cute even in the light of a camera's flash!”

Sehun rolls his eyes and leans back. “You're full of .” His heart flutters when Kai’s laughter fills the car. He smiles and looks out the window as they drive. He feels better after the jock told him it was okay that they didn’t have a label for what they have. He really likes him but he’s still scared. He closes his eyes when Kai reaches over and takes his hand, his other still on the wheel. He doesn’t feel pressured and he appreciates it. “Jongin, what...what if we do catch them? Do you know what it'll do to Kris?”

Kai sighs and nods. “Yeah, I know. I...I really don’t know, Sehun.”

“It could wreck him…”

“...I know.” His hand tightens around Sehun’s. 

Sehun looks at him, his heart hurting at his sad expression. “Hey, come on. I bet we're wrong and this is just a huge misunderstanding,” He says.

“Yeah?”

“Totally,” he replies. “What if they have an anniversary coming up and Luhan just wants some second opinions? Or um...Maybe his dad really IS strict as all hell and this is the only way he knows how to get some fun.”

“Yeah,” Kai sighs as they wait. “Except Luhan’s dad is barely even home. He’s always at work or away on a business trip.”

Sehun leans his head back, watching as Luhan once again leaves with Minseok. Kai waits a moment before following them. “Right...damn it.” He frowns when they once again stop at some shops. “What the hell are they doing?”

“They just go to the same place, over and over." They watch Luhan and Xiumin stop, the lavender-haired boy suddenly looking extremely emotional. Sehun frowns when the boy begins to cry, putting his hands over his face; his shoulders shaking as Xiumin hugs him. “Oh,” Kai sighs. “What’s with the tears?”

“Min, I don’t know what to do!” Luhan suddenly shouts. Sehun blinks rapidly at the sudden outburst. “Minseok, what do I do?!”

Xiumin seems to say something quietly, rubbing his friend’s back. “That’s a weird outburst...he didn’t do that before.”

“No...maybe something pushed him today,” Kai offers.

Sehun swallows hard. “I did,” He sighs. “I pushed him.”

“Sehun, you don’t know that-”

“Yes, I do. I confronted him about it in the bathroom, I was so ing mean,” He rubs his face.

Kai shifts around so that he’s mostly facing Sehun. “Tell me what you said.”

“Word for word?” He sighs and shrugs. “I asked him why he sneaks out with Xiumin every night. And then I-I called him a prince and asked him who he was...screwing behind Kris’ back.”

“Ouch.”

“I know...and um...then he slapped me, told me I was hanging onto you so no one would think I’m a loser, which he said I am, and then stormed out.”

“Wait, Luhan thinks you’re hanging around me so you can get popular?” When Sehun nods, Kai scoffs. “What the is that kid’s problem?!”

“I don’t know.”

“You know what?” The jock sighs. “I’m having a talk with him after we figure out what the hell he’s doing.”

“Well, unless you want to take photos of a weeping spoiled brat, I don’t think we’re going to get anything here.”

“Let’s search his room.”

Sehun widens his eyes and looks at him. “Excuse me?!”

“Come on! He’s going to be out for another two hours- let’s look around his room for anything; maybe a diary.”

“Oh god,” He groans. In all honesty, some part of him is really curious. He sighs and nods. “Why am I agreeing to this so easily?”

“Because deep inside of you, baby, you have a wild side.”

Sehun smiles at him and scoffs. “Just drive, chicken-boy.’

Luhan’s room is pretty much how Sehun would expect it to be. Pretty, white bed frame; a nice, light wooden nightstand. The general atmosphere of the room screams spoiled boy. Kai groans as he enters the room as well. “OH god, it’s way too light in here. What’s with that...lace.”

“You mean on his blanket?” Sehun shakes his head. “Yoy know, there’s no way he’s has on this bed.”

“How do you figure?”

Sehun sighs as he looks through the boy’s desk, making sure to put everything back in place. “In front of our parents, he’s a shining example of purity. He likes to maintain an image, you know?” He explains. “And yet, at school, I’ve seen him have full-blown make-out sessions with Kris on top of the dude’s car hood. They were practicing ing. Luhan doesn’t even wear makeup at home, much less bring his boyfriend around. I really doubt he’d have here.”

Kai hums in agreement, keeping an eye out the window. “Sounds like you had a lot of time to watch him.”

“I don’t know, I guess I just notice things. He’s the perfect son in front of mom and daddy dearest.”

“But you don’t hide yourself.”

“No,” Sehun confirms firmly. “My mother knows I’m gay and so does my step-father; he just decides to ignore it.” Sehun suddenly stops when he notices a diary. “Oh, jackpot.”

“What, you find something?”

“Yeah, his diary,” He says before quickly opening it up. He goes to the most recent pages. “That’s...weird,” He mumbles. “There’s no entries for months.” Sehun finds the last page Luhan had written and furrows his brows. “Eight fifty, pm. I should have a long talk with Sehun after I talk to Kris.”

“He wants to talk to you?”

“I guess,” Sehun says. Finding nothing, he sets it back where it was before. “Come on, let’s go. I don’t see anything that’ll help.”

“Good call,” Kai squints. “This room is giving me the creeps.” They both stop when they hear Xiumin drive up out front. They look at each other for a moment before quickly putting everything back where it was. The front door opens and Luhan tiredly greets.

“Luhan, it’s two in the morning! Are you alright?” Sehun’s mother asks. “Do you want something to eat, dear?”

“Um, no,” Luhan sighs. “I just want to sleep.”

Sehun curses as he pushes Kai out and quietly shuts the door. “So, dinner? At my place?” Kai suddenly says just as the lavender-hair boy steps upstairs. 

“...Your place?” Sehun raises his brows. 

“Yeah, meet my parents and you wanted to see my bedroom, right? I’ve seen yours. Oh, hey Luhan.”

Sehun stares at Kai for a moment before turning to his step-brother. “Um…” He tries to come up with something but he’s a bit surprised by the jock still. “You’re, I...uh.”

“Uh what?” Luhan scoffs as he walks past him and to his room. 

“We should talk,” Kai speaks up, stopping him as he opens his bedroom door. He looks back and frowns.

“Why?”

“About Sehun.”

“About...Sehun.”

“That’s right,” Kai nods and steps over to stand beside Sehun. “I want to know what your problem is. Why you have such a damn problem with us dating.”

Luhan glances at Sehun briefly. “You two are dating?”

“Unofficially,” Sehun mutters.

“I wanna know why you’re so damn sure me liking him is just some huge joke.”

Luhan sighs and rubs his face. “Look, I don’t...I’m tired, okay? I don’t give a if you’re dating. Just leave me alone.”

Sehun stares at him oddly as he slams the door behind him and locks it. He looks at Kai before grabbing his hand and pulling him inside his own room. “What’s wrong with him?”

“No idea,” Kai shrugs and sits on the bed. “I guess we’ll find out when he talks to you. So, seriously. You uh, you should come over.”

“You…” Sehun slowly sits beside him. “You want me to meet your parents?”

“I know they’d like you.”

Sehun smiles and nods. “Do they...do they know about…”

“Us? Yeah, they do,” He shrugs. “I talk about you.”

“So they’re okay with it?”

“Sure, they don’t care; as long as I’m happy, you know?”

The boy slowly grabs Kai’s hand and holds it tightly. “And...you’re happy?”

Kai gives him a small grin and nods. “Yeah,” He whispers. “I am. Are you?”

“C-come on,” He blushes. “I sometimes skip soccer practice for you, jerk; n-now go away before my mom catches you up here.”

The jock laughs as he heads for Sehun’s window and opens it. Sehun crosses his arms, walking up to him with a pointed look; but his fake mean expression falters by more kisses to his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow,  Sehun. Don’t worry too much about Luhan and look forward to going to the beach during winter break.”

Sehun looks at him with surprise. “What? Why are we going to a BEACH during the winter?”

“Because it’s fun, we can bundle up, start a fire, cuddle,” Kai shrugs. “Don't worry, babe, I already invited Baekyeol.” He shakes his head at the name for his two friends, but he can’t help and be excited. “Okay?”

The boy gently and playfully slaps Kai’s arm. “Fine.” Kai gives him a wink before he begins his descent down a tree. He lands easily in the grass before running to his car, waving to Sehun wildly. He rolls his eyes but the whole thing makes him laugh and shut his curtains. “What an idiot…”

-------------------------

Kai, why are you makin' plans for people? Huh, chicken boy?