Final
Strangers
November 29.
The weather is brutal on the day he loses his job. Sehun trudges through muddy land as the rain pours, umbrella tilted precariously at an almost impossible angle. He curses under his breath when the water seeps through his clothes; Kyungsoo won’t be pleased about washing his laundry for the second time this week.
His shoe slams straight into a puddle and splashes a tide of water over him, leaving him drenched and seething with anger. Suddenly a door swings open - when did he reach a house? - and Sehun locks eyes with a pale, stunning, golden-haired boy.
The world halts to a stop.
-
“Thanks,” he mutters when handed a cup of hot tea, trying unsuccessfully to dry off with a towel. Sehun can’t help but notice the wheelchair the boy is sitting in and it hits him almost immediately: he’s disabled.
The atmosphere becomes awkward, though he’s not sure if the innocent-looking lad notices.
Small talk is made. “What are you doing out in such a storm?”
He shifts uncomfortably. As much as Sehun’s grateful for a stranger’s help - there’s only so far gratitude can go, and this will exceed those boundaries. Besides, what does the boy know about losing a job? From his pale complexion and skinny frame, it’s obvious that he’s more of an indoors person. In fact, Sehun wonders if he even knows how the outside world looks like.
“I met some difficulties,” is the only thing he’ll let slip. Immediately after he regrets it; did it sound offensive? But the boy just nods, realising his reluctance to elaborate. The wheelchair turns swiftly and he leaves the table, returning a few minutes later to refill his guest’s empty cup. Sehun sips it and blows every so often on the steaming surface.
“Call me Luhan.” He - Luhan - offers, still eyeing him like he would an acquaintance; on talking terms but nevertheless a stranger.
Luhan. The name strikes a chord somewhere but Sehun can’t seem to place a finger on it. Was this Luhan one of his old childhood friends? A previous neighbour, even? He doesn’t know and decides not to ask.
They share an unsure smile and say together, “Sehun.”
It happens so fast, time seems to glaze over. Luhan’s staring at him so intently with those beautiful eyes that it’s almost impossible to wrench away. With all his willpower, Sehun breaks the eye contact and starts the cup with clumsy hands.
His voice shakes. “Who are you?”
Silence. Luhan simply shakes his head and replies with a secretive curl of his lips, “A friend.” But Sehun swears during that split second, something flickers through the other boy’s black orbs.
Disappointment.
-
Kyungsoo’s annoyed “Where have you been?” is his sole greeting when he reaches home and places the pair of soggy shoes outside. His housemate has a scowl on, hands planted firmly on his hips.
Sehun sighs, “Caught in a storm.” Conveniently - intentionally - he leaves out the part about meeting Luhan; did Kyungsoo necessarily have to know?
“Explains this.” The shorter boy pokes at his wet clothes, furrowing a brow in frustration. “Do I have to do your laundry again?”
“I’ll do it myself.” Mumbling so softly - almost inaudibly, Sehun pushes past him into his room and shuts the door. He hears the latter yelling outside about dinner and his stomach’s rumbling, but it doesn’t matter.
Luhan.
It’s hard to think right.
-
December 16.
Their next meeting is when Sehun returns from tutoring his classmate and secret crush, Jongin. He’s carrying a stack of books - they never were put to use anyway - and just so happens to bump into Luhan.
“Sehun?” Luhan blinks and pushes his spectacles up, as if shocked. He starts stuttering incessantly. “N-Nice to see you here...”
Those spectacles look unusually charming on Luhan’s cute face, Sehun thinks. The thought is gone almost as quickly as he’d thought it and he rebukes himself inwardly. How inappropriate!
“You too,” he replies with a polite smile. “What are you doing here?”
To his surprise (and slight disappointment), the boy gives a small squeak and shakes his head, “Not much. I have to go, see you around!”
Then he’s gone. Sehun watches his disappearing back as the wheelchair rolls away, controlled by Luhan’s agile hands. It’s only until the latter’s gone that something finally dawns on him.
In his 18 years of living here, when has he ever “seen Luhan around”?
-
December 31.
“I still don’t understand,” Jongin growls in frustration. Disappointment’s clear in his eyes as he glances up at Sehun. “I’m never going to get it, am I?”
“Don’t be silly,” is the younger’s half-hearted reply before he picks up a pen and starts re-writing the solutions. True; Jongin isn’t the brightest bulb in the sack and if he hadn’t been crushing on him so hopelessly, Sehun would have given up by now. “Let’s try again.”
As if on cue something snaps inside Jongin. He stands up sharply, the chair clattering to the ground. Sehun stares at him as his perfect face twists into an expression that fluctuates from annoyance to just plain miserable, “It’s not going to work! Don’t you understand? I’ve liked you ever since we started this tutoring crap and you’ve never cared!”
It’s hard to breathe.
It takes everything on Sehun’s part to get things up and moving - to meet Jongin’s painful gaze, even though he isn’t sure what sparked this sudden confession. All these weeks he’s never given any hints and suddenly a bomb’s been dropped?
“Jongin, you never said anything to me. I never knew, and it takes a while to register,” he says; swallowing when he catches a glimpse of the older’s dejected expression, but finally allowing his feelings to take over, “but I like you too.”
Then it all happens in a flash - just like a dream. Suddenly two strong arms are wrapped tightly around his waist as Jongin pulls him closer; far closer than Sehun ever imagined. He doesn’t protest. When Jongin pushes him against the wall and kisses him roughly, he lets the pen fall to the floor with a loud ‘clank’.
Familiar black eyes seem to have found their way back into his vision.
-
January 22.
Sehun doesn’t know when he’s begun counting, but it’s been exactly 38 days since he last met Luhan. More than once, his feet have traced the path to the bambi-eyed boy’s doorstep; ready to knock before catching himself and turning to leave.
A recurring thought in the back of his mind nags at him, that perhaps he does have a past with Luhan after all... and that he just might feel something for him.
But what? Not love, that's for sure. Sehun loves Jongin. Kim Jongin, the one he’s secretly admired all these years and shrieked over when he found out the dark-skinned boy had invited him over for tutoring. What does Luhan have to do with any of this, really? For all he knows, said guy probably thinks he’s crazy.
Yet, despite repeated self-reminders to leave Luhan alone, he finds himself at the older’s doorstep once again. This time Sehun presses the doorbell firmly and doesn’t let go until the door opens to reveal a familiar golden-haired boy. His heart leaps unconsciously in joy. “Hyung.”
He looks even more sickly than before; something the younger didn’t know was possible. He feels a sour twinge all of a sudden. Luhan just stretches out a shaky, white hand and touches his cheek with a soft smile, whispering, “You came.”
Unlike what Sehun’s envisioned his hand to feel like - cold and stony - his hand is actually quite warm. Heat seeps through the former’s cheek as he smiles, not at all affected by the skinship even though he should be.
For it doesn’t seem like two strangers. It feels... right.
thanks for reading.
i know it might be really confusing for some otl
currently thinking of making a prequel (so the background story is clearer, why luhan is wheelchair-bound and why sehun gets these random feelings)
if anyone wants a prequel, comment below! i live and breathe comments c':
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