The next day, we packed up our stuff and went home after having a company dinner.  Earlier that day, I told Honey that he should go home after we do so Yixing doesn’t think anything is up.  On the train, Yixing and I didn’t say much to each other.  I think he felt awkward because of last night.  Even after assuring him that Minki was fine, he was still upset.  I mean, I felt awkward around him too but not for the same reason.  It was a good thing the train was packed today because otherwise it would’ve been worse.

                “Are you really sure you want to pick up Honey with me?”  I bit my lip, really hoping he would say no.

                “Yeah, I’m sorry I haven’t been talking.  It’s just… I still feel bad about last night.  Minki must be so scarred by us. “ 

                “Oh stop worrying, I’m sure he’s seen a lot of people before.”  I realized how weird my last statement must’ve sounded to him but I hoped he wouldn’t probe further.

                “Yeah, he is nineteen, right?  He’s not a kid.  I don’t know why I’m so hung up on this.”  Yixing laughed and I just faked a chuckle.

                “It was just me anyway, so I don’t know why you care so much.” 

                He just shrugged and we got off at the next stop.  The walk to Minseok’s house wasn’t very far so we didn’t need to take the bus.  I really hoped the new, new Honey was friendly because if my own dog attacked me… that would definitely be bad. 

                I rang the doorbell and crossed my fingers for luck.  When Minseok answered the door, new Honey in hand, I was so happy.  He looked so happy, his tail wagging.  I thanked Minseok multiple times before leaving. 

                “Hey, Luhan, why didn’t I see him at the house when I came over that first time?”  He suddenly asked when we were walking back to the train station.

                “He was sleeping in my room.” 

                “I guess he’s just a calm dog, right?”

                “Yeah, totally.”  I smiled down at Honey the third.

                “Okay, well I need to go to the bus station now.”  I waved to him as he disappeared through the train station’s front entrance.

                I went straight back to Minseok’s house and gave his Honey back.  The dog’s actual name was Jongmin because it’s their names mushed together.  I thought it was corny but whatever floats their boat. 

                When I got there, Sehun was there waiting for me.

                “Lu, what took you so long?”  He frowned and I ran my fingers through his hair.

                “I had to return your imposter to Minseok and Jongdae.” 

                “Okay, so what do you want to do today?  I have practice a little later, though.”

                “Why don’t we go-”

                I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I saw that it from my aunt back in China.  I was a little confused but answered it anyway. 

                “Hello?” 

                “Luhan, I have… bad news.”  I heard her voice falter a little and I all of the sudden felt uneasiness build up in my stomach.

                “What, is it?” 

                “Your parents…” 

                I didn’t even need to hear the last part, my whole body just went numb.  I couldn’t form coherent thoughts.

                “They died in an accidental fire, Luhan.  I heard it was because your father forgot to put out a cigarette and the curtains caught on the fire and…  You need to come back to China now.  I’ll pick you up at the airport when you come, okay?  Good bye.” 

                I was shocked.  No, I was in denial.  I didn’t know what to feel.  I wanted to throw up, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream but I couldn’t.  I got up and Honey followed, obviously worried.

                “Luhan, who was that?  Luhan?  Luhan!  Why aren’t you-”

                “My parents are dead.”  I locked eyes with him and the words just rolled off my tongue.

                “Wha- Huh?  What!?  Luhan… I…”  He looked more upset than I was.  “You mean… now I can never meet them?  I wanted to thank them one day, though.  For giving birth to an angel like you.”  He looked down shyly. 

                “Come with me, then.”  I suggested with a blank face.

                “To China?  I can’t, I don’t even have a passport.” 

                “Then I’ll buy you a ing passport, okay?!”  I felt bad for yelling but I just couldn’t control the waves of different emotions racking my brain.

                “Lulu…”  He tried to hug me but I pushed him away.

                “Just leave me alone for a while.  I’m sorry.”  I curled up into a ball on my bed, trying to let everything sink in.

                I honestly couldn’t believe it.  My dad started smoking again.  Then, he must've forgot to ing stomp out the cigarette before falling asleep.  It all makes sense now. 

                Why is this happening?

                My stomach hurt, my head hurt, my heart hurt and I haven’t felt this awful since before Honey came into my life.  I rolled onto my back and looked up at the ceiling and I suddenly got flooded with memories of my parents.  When we first went to the beach and my mom lost the top of her swimsuit.  Or that time when my dad first tried to give me the talk.  All of these mortifying memories all of a sudden became so much more meaningful to me.  I felt a wave

                “Mommy… daddy…”  I whimpered as I started to cry.

                At first it was a couple of tears straying but then it turned into waterfalls flowing down my face.  I grabbed my heart, hating the feeling that I was experiencing.  I wanted Honey, I wanted him to comfort me and make me feel loved.

                “Honey!”  I wailed and a couple seconds later he was there, next to me.

                He didn’t say anything.  He just slid under the covers with me, spooning me from behind and my hair.  As I gripped the pillow, sobbing into it, he snatched it and threw it on the ground.  Then, he gripped my shoulders and spun me so that I was facing him.  He took one glance at my puffy, red eyes and I saw his eyes water up.

                “W-why are you crying?”  I slurred, unable to speak correctly since I was hyperventilating.

                “You’re in so much pain, Master and I can’t do anything about it.”  He sniffled and hugged me to his chest, burying his face in my hair. 

                 Honey’s probably the only person who’s ever seen me cry besides my parents.  Not even Yixing has witnessed it, not even when I broke my arm when I was in fourth grade while we were climbing trees. 

                My head began to feel dizzy and I felt drunk from the lack of oxygen reaching my brain.  I pulled away a bit and eyed the tear that was rolling down Sehun’s face.  At that time, I didn’t think of him as a dog, he was a human and he was actually capable of crying.  He suddenly brushed his lips against mine and for the first time, I didn’t mind.  He realized what he was doing and stopped.  I was desperate at that moment, though.  I was needy for anyone to take away the pain.  Even if it was my pet.  Even if I did already have a boyfriend.  Even if it was wrong, I couldn’t hold myself back, I kissed him back and almost immediately he turned his face away, rejecting it.

                “No, we can’t.  Not when you’re like this, I’m sorry.”

                “L-like what, Sehun-ah?  I need you.”  I shakily exhaled, forgetting that I wasn’t supposed to be using his real name.

                “You have a boyfriend and you’re not in the right mind right now.  I can’t take advantage of you like this.  Plus, I’m just your dog, remember?”  He sat up, leaning his head against the headboard.

                I just gave up and laid my head in his lap, falling asleep to his soothing humming.  The same way my mom used to hum when I was sad.  I couldn’t have been more thankful for the boy at the moment.  I wondered what would’ve happened if he didn’t stop me.  I scared even myself so I couldn’t even fathom how he must’ve felt.  It was then that I realized that I was so attached to Honey that it wasn’t healthy.  If he weren’t there, comforting me, I would’ve probably done something drastic.  I wasn’t exactly the happiest person in the first place.

                Thank you.

----

Author’s Note:

Well, that was a hard chapter to type.  Luhan is a really sensitive person, poor thing.  I feel bad for killing his parents but it had to be done to make Luhan realize... things.  Sehun is so sweet… I just can’t.  I want one of him.  He even cried with Luhan.  Ugh, there’s so much crying and fighting in this story.  For the next chapters, though, there will be more crying because both of them will be attending the funeral.  Not as intense, though.  Then Luhan will have to make up a lie for why Sehun is there.  Ugh, so much going on, I swear.  So yeah, I’ll update either later today or early morning (12-1:00am EST).  Look forward to it, okay?  I also hoped you really understood the bond that these two have, even though it’s not entirely romantic yet.  I think it’s much deeper than that.  Well, see you later guys, I love you!