a/n: ayo wassup >,<

,,well, how have all been keeping up with this story??

,this one's a bit angstsy... prepare tissues... (just kidding!)

enjoy the mayo!

“Uh, why are you the one doing this messenger thing instead of your Mama?” Luhan whispered into Chanyeol’s ear.

Sehun pretends that he doesn’t hear them and kept reading one of the thick books with Tao’s help, the kid turning the pages for him now and again.

It had been a couple of days since his fight with Anya. The kids were oblivious to the tense atmosphere between him and their mother, but he can easily see that Luhan suspects that something happened. If the guy could only see Sehun, he’s pretty sure Luhan would be putting him on a hot seat.

“I don’t know, uncle. Sehun-hyung didn’t say anything. He just told me to tell you what he wants.” Chanyeol answered in the same manner as his uncle. “Why are we whispering?” he added in a hushed tone.

“I don’t know either.” Luhan replied.

Sehun rolled his eyes at the two’s antics, telling Tao to turn the page again.

“Did you fight with Mama, gege?” Tao asked out of the blue.

“Fight?” Luhan’s head perked up, not really knowing where to look.

Sehun sighed at Tao’s perceptivity. “Uh… I just realized that your mom can’t really help me as your uncle can, so… I decided to let her be.”

Tao gave Sehun a ’really’ look that the older only expected to see on Baekhyun’s face. “Liar’s go to hell, gege. You might end up there when you cross over.”

“Yah, I’m not dead!” Sehun pouted.

Tao grinned. Sehun sighed and realized that everyone in the room has their attention to him, even Luhan who doesn’t really see him.

“It’s nothing, you guys. Besides, she’s busy with her boyfriend. I just want to get back to my body fast and since she can’t spare time, I decided to make you all help Deer Eyes.”

Chanyeol told Luhan what Sehun had said in a whisper. Luhan nodded his head in understanding as Chanyeol continued whispering.

“Do you really have to whisper, Chanyeol?” Sehun sighed exasperatedly.

Chanyeol gave Sehun a cheeky grin, his eyes making that now-familiar twitch that never fails to amuse Sehun.

“Are you jealous of Kris-gege?” Tao suddenly asked.

“W-what? Why would you think that? Of course not!” Sehun sputtered.

“Gege, you’re blushing.” Tao giggled.

“You like Mama?” Chanyeol’s eyes went so wide that Sehun has half the thought that they’d fall out if he smack the kid on the back of his head.

“You like Anya?” Luhan shrieked.

Sehun glared at Luhan, practically questioning if his hypothesis that Luhan is indeed a woman trapped in a man’s body has some basis. “I do not!”

Baekhyun peered through the door, giving them dirty looks. “Keep it down! The whole street can practically hear you.” he said cheekily as he entered the room, closing the door firmly. Facing Sehun and putting his hands on his hips, he cocked his head to the side, “You like Mama?”

“For heaven’s sake, I do not!” Sehun growled exasperatedly.

“So you hate her?” Tao pouted, giving Sehun a kicked puppy look.

“No!!” Sehun hurriedly answered.

“So you like her.” Chanyeol asserted.

Sehun sighed, wishing right now that the kids can’t see him. “I don’t hate her but I don’t like ‘like’ her either, okay.” he explained, mostly to Tao. “Why are you even asking these questions? You’re kids! You don’t even understand these things!”

“That’s what you think.” Baekhyun scoffed. Sehun hissed at the kid but was promptly ignored. “Just so you know, Mama likes Kris very much. I don’t think she’d change her mind for you anytime soon.”

Chanyeol and Tao nodded their head in agreement, even Luhan. Sehun briefly wonders if the three kids has Luhan wrapped around their little fingers.

“But I like you, gege. If Mama doesn’t have Kris-gege, I would definitely vote for you!” Tao said with honest eyes.

“I don’t know Tao. He’s a bit of a troublemaker…” Luhan said.

Sehun went over to Luhan and repeatedly poked the others face and arms.

Tao and Chanyeol laughed at Luhan’s squirming and Baekhyun just scoffed.

“It doesn’t matter because Mama has Kris.” Baekhyun said as he plopped down on the floor next to the same book he had been reading for days.

Sehun growled. “It doesn’t matter because I don’t like her that way.” he went to leave the room, needing something else to do because he’d been cooped up for hours on end trying to find anything that can help him get back to his body. “Besides, she’s being an idiot over that guy who’s cheating on her behind her back. Who would like an idiot like that?” he muttered as he went through the wall and ended up outside the house.

He didn’t realize that Baekhyun had heard him.

Sehun decided to stroll around the city in lack of better things to do. It suddenly dawned on him that it had been far too long since he strolled aimlessly and just bask in the sun like nothing in the world matters. But nothing in the world matters to him anyways. He only wish that he could feel the sun on his skin. Among the things he wished he never took for granted back when he was still ‘alive’, it’s the simple things like feeling the warmth of the sun and the wind caressing him.

Floating around without certain direction and taking in the sights that he normally ignores back then, Sehun found himself on one of the bigger parks of the city. The weather was good and since it’s weekend, people were milling around, mostly families and couples.

He never expected to see a couple that makes him shiver in antipathy though. Kris and Anya. The two were sitting on one of the benches lining the small pond in the park, talking and laughing as if there was nothing else in the world but the two of them.

Sehun is never the jealous type, or someone who actually give a damn about anything or anyone. Its just that Kris is acting all lovey-dovey with Anya when he had just been smothering another girl a couple of nights before.

When Kris landed a kiss on Anya’s cheek, Sehun felt his skin crawl. He contemplates on barging into the couple and telling Anya that his freaking boyfriend is cheating on her. When Kris gave Anya a lingering touch as he fixed a strand of the girl’s hair behind her ear, Sehun almost went and burst Anya’s bubble, already seeing how Anya’s warm smile would turn cold the moment he tells her that her perfect boyfriend is a two-timing bastard.

Almost.

Sehun remembered how Anya furiously defended Kris. How she practically tell him in his face that he had no right in intruding into her life. And didn’t he promised himself that he wouldn’t care whatever happens to Anya?

Halting, Sehun gave the couple a dirty look, for different reasons though, before he went off to somewhere else. He can practically hear Suho’s voice inside his head saying, ‘Are you really going to let her be cheated on like this?’. But no matter how Sehun wanted to tell Anya about Kris, like a slap on the face, his pride kept him from doing so.

He can’t wait to say ‘I told you so!’ when Anya finally realized that he’s right.

***

“Bye, honey! Dream of me.” Kris kissed Anya’s cheek before leaving.

Sehun made a gagging gesture that Tao and Chanyeol giggled to and Baekhyun only rolled his eyes to.

Anya shoot a suspicious look at the three kids but ignored Sehun altogether. Shooing the kids up the stairs since it’s already past their bedtime, Anya went to change into more comfortable clothes before retiring for the night.

“Hey, Anya. Can you stay up for a few hours and help me?” Luhan called out.

Anya stopped in the middle of the staircase. “With what, Luhan?”

“With this spell. I think it might work with Sehun, but I need your opinion on it. It’s one from your parents’ books. I thought you might be more familiar with it.”

Anya gave Sehun a furtive look that Sehun promptly took no notice of. It had been the setup with them for the past few days. They don’t talk, not even acknowledge the other.

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m kind of tired, Lu.” Anya replied but not moving from her spot on the stairs.

“You’re awfully busy all the time, Anya. I don’t really know when to get hold of you again.” Luhan said.

Sehun could hear an accuse on Luhan’s tone but he couldn’t really put a finger on what might have spurred it. In his observation, Luhan’s not the kind to be mad at anyone even the slightest. Even if it’s an annoying spirit like Sehun.

“I’m sorry, I am not around as much to help you. But there’s nothing I can do to help, really. You know I don’t know much of these spells, Luhan. Unlike you.” Anya explained.

“So is that why you’ve chosen to hang out with Kris lately instead? Do I need to remind you that you were the one who agreed to help Sehun? But you’re spending too much time with your boyfriend lately that it seems to me that you forgot about Sehun altogether.” Luhan seems calm but there’s an edge to his voice.

“I didn’t, okay?” Anya frowned, not understanding why Luhan was suddenly acting weird. “I just wanted to spend more time with Kris since we just got back again together.”

“That’s the problem, Anya. You seemed to forgot that you caught the guy snogging another girl less than a month ago.”

Anya’s brows furrowed. “Why does this conversation sound familiar? Have you been talking to Sehun? Don’t tell me that you’re letting the brat influence you, too!?” she shoots Sehun a glare.

“Yah! He can’t even see me!” Sehun defended hotly.

“Don’t involve him in this. You know me well enough to know that I don’t easily follow other’s words.” Luhan snapped.

“And I know you well enough to know that you didn’t have a problem with Kris either. He did something that upset me but he asked for forgiveness, didn’t he? So what is this?” Anya’s voice is getting edgier too.

“The thing is you let him off the hook so easily, Anya! You didn’t even bother confirming things before getting back together with him again!” Luhan out rightly accused.

“Why do you sound just like that brat, Luhan? Did he tell you to talk to me about this too?” Anya asked angrily. She turned to Sehun, “I told you to stay out of my life, you prick! You want to get back to you body fast, I get it! You didn’t have to turn my own best friend on me!”

“I told you I didn’t do anything!” Sehun shot back, feeling the anger and frustration that he had been keeping for days rise.

“I don’t even see him, Anya! I’m telling you this on my own!” Luhan interrupted. “I’m telling you all of this because I’m worried about you! I don’t want you to get hurt again, alright?”

“And you think Kris would hurt me again? Have you even seen the way he’d been acting around me since we got back together, Luhan? Weren’t you the one to always say that people change? Kris had made a mistake once but it doesn’t mean that he can’t change, right?” Anya insisted.

Luhan closed his eyes, frustration clear on his face. He looked like he was contemplating about a big decision and when he looked at Anya again, there was pity and remorse in his eyes.

“He’s cheating on you, Anya.” Luhan sighed, bowing his head in frustration. “I’ve followed him and I-”

“No!” Anya cut in, shaking her head. “NO! You’re lying!”

Sehun felt his chest tighten as Anya desperately shook her head in denial. Tears were forming in her eyes and Sehun wished he could wipe them away.

“I thought it was just a one time thing. Maybe he was just too drunk that he let this random girl press herself into him as if she’s some kind of a slug. But when I followed him a second time and the same thing happened…” Luhan sighed. He went to Anya who was clutching the banister so tight as tears run down her eyes. “Seeing you so happy when he’s around… I didn’t have the heart to ruin your happiness, Anya. But I know that you would eventually know what that bastard is doing and I decided that before you lose yourself again, I needed to save you. I’m really sorry…”

Sehun watched as Anya collapsed into a sobbing mess on Luhan’s shoulder.

“Am I really not enough, Luhan?” Anya cried. “Why does he keep on doing this to me? I love him so much. Is it not enough?”

Sehun wants to look for Kris and punch the living daylights out of him. To be honest, he actually doesn’t care if it’s the last thing he’ll ever do. He just want to hurt Kris that bad.

A part of him want to slap Anya for being so forgiving and soft-hearted. But a bigger part of him want to comfort her the way Luhan was doing.

Someone sniffing behind him made Sehun turn from the scene. It was Baekhyun.

He is kind of surprised how haughty diva, Baekhyun, was shedding tears and sniffing like a toddler. Well, Baekhyun isn’t exactly an adult, but he’s so mature that Sehun still finds it hard to believe that the kid would just be turning 7 in a few month’s time.

“Hey, are you okay?” Sehun squatted a bit so he was in Baekhyun’s eye level.

“I was the one who told uncle.” Baekhyun said between sniffs.

“What? What do you mean, Baek?”

More tears flowed down Baekhyun’s eyes as he tried to stifle his own sobs. Anya was too lost in her own heartbreak that she didn’t even notice that Baekhyun was also crying in a corner where he wasn’t easily seen.

“I… I heard you… the other day.” Baekhyun sniffed harshly. “I told uncle what you said and… and he said he’ll take care of it. And now… and now Mama’s hurt again.” Baekhyun let out a loud sob which was drowned by Anya’s own crying. “And it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t told uncle then maybe…”

Sehun watched as the kid fell to the floor and sat with his head between his knees. He practically feels like he can shred Kris in two with his bare hands by now.

“No. It’s not your fault, Baekhyun.” he reassured the boy. “You were only thinking about your mom because you love her so much that you can’t bear to know that someone was playing with her heart. It’s not your fault. And that was very brave of you. I’m so proud.” Sehun tried to smile for the boy’s sake.

After a few minutes, Baekhyun calmed down a bit.

“Hyung…can I ask you something?” Baekhyun gave Sehun an imploring look.

Sehun could never say no to those watery eyes that look at him with such fervent hope. If Baekhyun asked him to go kill somebody now, he’s pretty sure he’d do it with little hesitance.

“What? Do you want me to get back at Kris for you? Because I’d more than gladly do it, you know.” Sehun replied.

Baekhyun shook his head a bit, wiping the last of his ears. “No. I don’t care about him. I only care about Mama.”

“Okay. Then what is it?”

“Can you… can you take care of Mama? Just until I’m old enough to protect her.” Baekhyun asked in a determined face. “Can you take care of Mama’s heart for me?”

Sehun was kind of taken aback by the request. He looked at Anya who was still crying silently as Luhan whispered reassuring words to her, holding her close.

Can he take care of her?  They’re not even in good terms as it is. But…

He can’t even imagine how broken her heart could be. He’s never felt a broken heart before. But he can’t bear to crash the hope in Baekhyun’s eyes. The kid is too young but he already understands what heartache means and how it could break a person’s spirit. Sehun even thinks that he can’t possibly know half of what Baekhyun and his brothers know about love and life.

So he put up a brave front and said the words he hopes he can live up to.

“Yeah. I’ll take care of her as long as I’m here.”

The smile on Baekhyun’s lips was worth the insistent tugging of uncertainty in Sehun’s chest.

a/n: shortish update... how was it???

happy birthday BAP's BANG!!! (why am i greeting him on an EXO fic? hahaha)

i still can't beleive that BANG and I share this special day... and it's Easter Sunday! talk about coincidence! <3

belated happy birthday to B2ST's Gikwang! wah... my idols' birthdays are near mine!! loving it!