Quick A/N: In this chapter, Sehun’s Skype messages are in Italic, while Luhan’s are typed normally.

                Luhan is delirious during that night. Every single noise he hears is amplified a hundred times, and he moans and cries incoherent words, rolling in his bed and feeling much too hot a minute, much too cold the next one; his hair is wet with sweat and everything is blurred. Once or twice, he thinks he hears someone talk to him, but he’s only hallucinating. He has fever.

                After too many hours of endless confusion, he manages to fall asleep, only to have nightmares. He doesn’t even get up to fetch medications and he doesn’t drink, even if his throat is horribly dry. He waits for the night to pass. And it does; he opens his eyes slowly in the morning. Quickly, he notices that his head hurts less than before. His body is aching all over, but it’s bearable. Though he doesn’t get up immediately. He thinks. For a few seconds. About Sehun, mainly. But then he grows lazy and just stares at the ceiling, his mind completely blank.

                About one hour later, he manages to crawl out of bed and heads to the bathroom. Then he turns on his computer after fetching a glass of water in the kitchen. (Actually, he’d been craving for orange juice, strangely, but then he remembered he only got back home the day before. So there’s nothing in the fridge yet.) He sees a few messages from Sehun.

                Luhan, I didn’t tell you yesterday because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings

                But you really looked horrible

                I hope you’re feeling better now

                You were so tired

                Please tell me you’re alright <3

                Luhan smiles and answers quietly.

                I’m alright, I just had a horrible night

                Fever, you know.

                But it’s fine now, thanks <3

                Ah, I’m glad! I luv you~

                Love you too!

~

                Several days go by at a regular pace, not too fast nor too slow. Luhan is starting to think about things. He’s never felt that close to anybody ever before. Sehun understands him. Sehun knows him better than himself. They know each other better than themselves. He imagines scenarios. But no matter how hard he tries, he never succeeds in finding a reason why they might have a fight. They agree on everything. And Sehun has no flaws. Luhan has many, but Sehun forgives him everything.

                They’re never going to fight. That’s what makes Luhan the happiest. They can chat for hours and still have thousands of things left to say, just like they never can get enough of each other. They’re never going to stop talking together. They love each other, above all. Luhan clings to the treasure that their love is, and smiles as he knows it will last forever.

~

                Luhan’s life takes a new turn in the middle of January, when his parents visit him. But the main reason why they’re here is because a friend of theirs mentioned that he might want to hire Luhan in his company. He’s working in the Chinese branch of Samsung. Apparently, Luhan’s parents told him that their son could manage with a computer.

                Luhan has to write a résumé. He doesn’t really know whether he wants to do it, but he remembers he’s turning twenty-two in a few months, and that thought decides him to apply for the job. He goes to the interview, convinced he won’t be hired. But the man in front of him seems delighted when Luhan says he speaks fluent Korean. “We’ll surely call you in the next days,” the man says. Luhan thinks he won’t receive any call.

                But he does, three days later. He’s hired. It’s a part-time job, so he’ll be working only on Mondays, Tuesday mornings, Thursdays and Friday mornings, but it’s already amazing. He says thank you a thousand times. And right away, he calls Sehun. “Guess what?”

                “What?” Sehun smiles.

                “I got a job!” Luhan exclaims, bursting out in joy. Sehun looks so proud of him. Beaming, Luhan allows himself to actually be glad of what he’s done. “In Samsung. That’s not something big – part-time, you know – but it’s still better than before! So, what do you think?” he asks.

                Sehun seems really amazed. “Samsung? But that’s Korean.”

                “They hired me because I can speak Korean, I think… I didn’t have many other qualifications,” Luhan laughs embarrassedly.

                “Maybe you’ll come to Korea for work,” the younger boy replies hopefully.

                “Em, yeah,” Luhan says, smiling a little, because he knows that he isn’t really likely to go to Korea with the tiny job he’s got. But Sehun looks like he seriously believes so, and that’s why he says nothing more.

~

                His job isn’t – shouldn’t be tiring at all, but when Luhan gets home at one p.m. on Friday afternoon, at the end of the first week, he thinks for a minute that he’s going to die of exhaustion.

                I’m so tired, he says to Sehun in a short message.

                Like, they made me sort files and solve basic problems on a computer, you know

                It’s pretty complicated at work, I’m not going to bother you with that

                No, tell me ^^, Sehun replies.

                You wouldn’t understand xD, Luhan cannot help but type. A nasty, insidious feeling of pride is seizing him. He’s got a job. Sehun is impressed. He starts to exaggerate things a little.

                Really, it’s too complex

                Oh. Okay.

                Suddenly, Luhan realizes what he’s saying and his heart skips a beat. He stops himself just in time.

                I don’t even understand myself! x), he adds clumsily.

                Sehun seems a litte less hurt.

                Ah, okay :)

~

                Luhan soon discovers that even if he only works two days and two mornings per week, it’s really time-consuming and tiring. He cannot spend as much time on his computer as before. But there’s something that’s completely different, even more that how he’s organized. And that thing is money. He no longer lives off his parents but off his own salary now. It’s his money. And he can do whatever he wants with it.

                Barely two days after he receives his first pay slip, he orders two albums of his favourite band on the Internet. The Band, the ultimate one, the band whose shirt Sehun and him bought in Korea together. Endo. Happier than ever, Luhan tells that to him. Sehun looks glad too, but his smile is like a pretty façade on a damaged house. Luhan doesn’t see it, too blinded by his own joy.

                “You’re lucky, I can’t buy anything, Mum stopped giving me pocket money,” Sehun says quietly with a broken chuckle.

                “Oh…that’s sad,” Luhan sympathizes. But a second later, he is beaming again. “I can’t wait to receive them! I hope I’ll get J.’s or C.’s photocard! I’ll tell you as soon as I get them, sure,” he says. Sehun nods silently. And Luhan starts laughing again.

                He’s so glad that both of them are happy, so glad that both of them cannot wait until the albums are delivered to him. So glad that Sehun smiles.

~

                Even if there’s nothing painful about it (actually, he loves it), Luhan complains about his job all the time. He likes to see that concerned light in Sehun’s eyes, to hear his words of comfort. This, and the albums too (that he received a week ago) are about the only things he talks about.

                I have like a ton of homework this week…, Sehun types.

                Oh yeah? Good luck! Work was horrible today

                (Work. Luhan is so proud.)

                My boss is such a pain, you can’t even imagine

                An English essay, a maths test and a book to finish reading, plus a thousand Biology and chemistry exercises

                He’s always drinking tea, and he can’t even use his computer normally

                Like, he always forget to turn the volume on when he listens to audio messages

                I had an A+ in literature the other day

                And that girl, Sooyeon, she’s so silly!

                Always wearing a ton of makeup

                And she broke the drinks machine yesterday

                Oh, I didn’t tell you there was a vending machine just outside the cubicle I work in

                Oh, no you didn’t

                Yeah, well

                Are you okay, Sehun? You’re mad at me?

                No, no, that’s nothing x)

                I’m just a little tired

                Ah…are you ill?

                No, just tired

                Really

                Maybe you should sleep…

                Yeah

                Goodnight, Sehun-ah ^^ <3

                Goodnight :)

                I love you :D, Luhan types, just when Sehun goes offline. He smiles and spends a while on the Internet then he goes to bed.

~

                You know what? Endo won a tenth time! Can you believe that? Ten wins! I knew their new song was awesome. Isn’t it amazing?, Luhan asks.

                Yeah, that’s great

                What about Delta though?

                Their new album was perfect

                It’s unfair, they only won twice

                Yeah…I agree, they’re a little neglected

                Not a little, a lot

                It’s always Endo these days

                They’re making so much money, it’s disgusting

                But Endo are an amazing group, aren’t they?

                Yeah, but they’re annoying

                The fans are annoying

                I’m annoying

                No!

                It’s unfair that Delta didn’t win as many times as Endo when they released a full-length album and Endo just a single – it wasn’t a real comeback

                That’s all

                But they deserved to win…

                You don’t understand how it works

                Explain it to me, then

                No, you wouldn’t understand

                It’s too complex

                Oh. Okay. I’m going to have dinner now

                Bye

                Bye bye…

~

                When Luhan returns to his computer, he sees several new messages from Sehun.

                I’m so sorry, I was really mean…

                It’s just that I’m mad about Endo and Delta but I never shouldn’t have said that to you…

                It’s okay, don’t worry ^^

                :’) <3

~

                “You can actually tell and feel when you’re starting to fade away from someone. The conversations get shorter, they get less meaningful, less exciting. You can feel the wall that’s coming up between you two. And in the end, you’re back to being strangers.”

                When Luhan sees that quote on the Internet, his heart races into his chest. Immediately, he sends a message to Sehun, as well as a link to the website. Sehun video-calls him, and Luhan answers immediately.

                “What is it?” Sehun says with a slight frown, half-puzzled, half-concerned.

                “I – I found this on tumblr and… Please, tell me this will never happen to us,” he pleads.

                Sehun’s features soften and he smiles tenderly. “Of course it won’t,” he replies.

                “Thank you, Sehun-ah.”

~

                Oh my God look at what these people said about Endo, I can’t believe it

                www.kpopworld.com/article/2012/new-kpop-group#ab3jkwze87

                AHAHAHAHA

                What is it

                Things people said before they debuted

                They assumed stupid things

                Ah okay

                Look, this one says C. is the leader!!

                LOL

                Okayyyy

                Hey you know Delta is shooting a CF for an awesome brand

                Oh really? Endo shot for Armani last week ^^

                Aish, I’m working tomorrow morning

                Gotta go to bed, sorry…

                okay goodnight

                Oh, wow, thanks…what’s the matter now?

                What do you want me to say?

                “:D”

                :D!

                Thank you :D <3

                :D!!!!!!

                I love this smiley because it hides the fact you’re having a fit

                Goodnight~

                Sorry, you’re pissing me off

                So a “fit”, lol I don’t think I’m the one to blame

                I’m going to sleep so well now ._.

                Listen, I’m sorry if I’m annoying you and I talk about things you don’t care about, but work was horrible and I need to relax! Thank you!

                Goodnight, I love you! <3

                Luhan turns his computer off abruptly, not even wanting to see Sehun’s reply. He lies down on his bed and cries himself to sleep even if he understands nothing to what just happened.

                It’s the first time he closes his eyes without Sehun’s ‘goodnight’.

~

                He has a horrible night, full of nightmares. When he wakes up, he is literally suffocating in his bed, hot, breathless, sweaty. Luhan throws the bed sheets away and gets up. He walks straight to his desk to turn his computer on. He expects a sorry message from Sehun, since when they have a little fight, they always apologize and say I love you to each other. But what he finds is completely different. The messages date from the previous night, just one minute after Luhan said goodnight.

                What the !!!!!!!!

                Sehun never swears.

                What are you saying!!!

                 “I need to relax”?!

                Sorry, did I tell you anything hurtful before?!

                While you do things that hurt me all the time and I don’t get all worked up about it!!!

                Just now you hurt me and then you clearly tell me to shut the up?!!?!

                Thank you!!!!

                Goodnight!!!!!!!

                Luhan’s heart drops in his chest, so low it surely crashes through the floor all the way to hell. For a while, he stares at his screen sadly. This is it. It wasn’t working anymore, anyway. But their fight is like the full stop that brings their relationship to an end, Luhan is certain of that. Slowly, he writes a long message to Sehun.

                I think it’s miserable of me to send you this to you like that in a Skype message instead of a letter, but it would have taken ages for you to receive it.

So, sorry, I’m apologizing about yesterday night, because I acted horrible and I was really rude. I talked about things you don’t like and when you tried to talk about other things I didn’t answer.

That’s not nice and I was spamming you with stupid articles that I don’t even know why I read, because it was only rubbish and false information.

I had a really bad night – I’m not telling you this because I want to be pitied – since I had trouble falling asleep when I couldn’t stop thinking about our fight. When I woke up my head hurt like hell and my nose was blocked. I really don’t know who paid me to make me get up.

What I meant by “I need to relax” is that laughing at what people said about Endo made me feel better. I didn’t want you to shut the up, it was rather the contrary. I was tired and I would’ve liked you to talk to me calmly.

You said “while you do things that hurt me all the time and I don’t get all worked up about it”. Please, please, tell me what I did… I want to apologize…

“Just now you hurt me and then you clearly tell me to shut the up?!!?!” Please, tell me the reason why I hurt you, I really want you to forgive me, but I don’t know why I hurt you so much…

I suppose that the fact you put so many exclamation marks wasn’t a good thing.

                Ah, and I was thinking…

Actually, you never annoy me. Of course, sometimes I’m more enthusiastic than others, but I think I’ve never been mad at you…

So I think I’m the problem here. And maybe I should stop talking to you.

                He waits for Sehun’s answer. Once or twice, he regrets his last sentence. Sehun, Sehun, Sehun. When nothing comes, he logs into his tumblr account to kill time. And on his dashboard, he only sees a hundred of posts from Sehun or reblogged by Sehun. And on all of these posts, there are only pictures of Delta. Luhan swallows. The posts are extremely recent. He refreshes the page. Two new pictures appear.

                Luhan sighs shakily, rubbing his forehead with his palm. Sehun is on his computer. And the message is sent, so he has to have received it. The only thing is that he doesn’t want to answer. It hits Luhan that now he’s the one being ignored. And it hurts. Sehun, Sehun, Sehun. Luhan calls him. I’m so sorry… No answer. Sehun is completely silent. But strangely, he seems to have fun reblogging pictures of Delta and DARKNEss, his two favourite bands, endlessly, to spam Luhan.

                The blonde boy closes the tumblr tab, biting his lower lip. He doesn’t want to annoy Sehun more than he already has, so he stops sending messages to him. Another week starts, and work only depresses him more and more. The only thing he’d like to do is quit, but he can’t. Not now that he’s maybe going to be promoted. Not now that he knows what spending his own money feels like. Not now that his parents are proud of him. Not now.

                He waits until the weekend to send a message to Sehun. Strangely, the boy answers barely five seconds later.

                Sehun? Are you online?

                You don’t want to answer…

                Yes, I am online

                But you told me we should stop talking to each other so no, I didn’t want to answer

                Look, can I call you?

                A few minutes go by. Then Sehun’s answer comes. Short, clear.

                Yes.

                Luhan feels his heart jump in his chest, and he nervously clicks the little ‘video call’ button. Sehun doesn’t answer immediately, but when he does, Luhan almost dies. Sehun has been crying. Even if he obviously tries to hide it, his eyes are red and puffy and his cheeks lacerated by tear strains. The blonde-haired boy swallows. They both look down for a while, silently, and only glance at each other for split seconds.

                “I’m sorry. Really,” Luhan whispers. He’s just waiting for Sehun to forgive him, and then they’ll be back to normal. But it won’t be so easy.

                “Oh, yeah, and how am I supposed to know that if I say it’s okay, you won’t do it again?” Sehun asks gloomily, in a broken tone.

                “But do what?” Luhan begs for an answer to that question, on the verge of tears.

                “But do what?! Are you serious, Luhan? You don’t know!?” Sehun says so violently it scares Luhan. Then he has a bitter laugh. Luhan looks away. “You’re egocentric, proud, selfish, and you never listen to me. Here. That’s what you are.”

                Sehun’s words pierce through Luhan’s heart like daggers. Egocentric. Proud. Selfish. You never listen to me. Blaming himself for being so childish, Luhan starts crying quietly. What makes him really, really sad isn’t that Sehun is saying such things to him. It’s more the fact that all of these things are true.

                “Crying isn’t going to help,” Sehun says curtly.

                “I said I was sorry!” Luhan screams. His voice sounds like bubbles bursting in warm water. Sehun looks away, clenching his jaw.

                “And I said you hurt me,” Sehun replies.

                “I’m so sorry…” Luhan sobs pathetically.

                “You’re so sorry. So sorry,” is the only reply he gets from Sehun. Emotionless. “Look, I don’t want to lose you…” the boy says after a few minutes, more softly this time. Luhan stammers a trembling ‘I don’t want to lose you either’ and he waits for him to say something else. They look at each other. “I’d like to be mad at you forever…” Sehun says. “But I love you too much for that…” Luhan looks up, only hoping. “Promise me we’ll never fight ever again. That we’ll have no reasons to fight. Promise me.”

                “I promise…” Luhan says, keeping his head down.

                “You can smile now,” Sehun says gently. Luhan laughs with a mixture of nervousness, relief and embarrassment. “Did I show you the video with these American guys speaking Korean? It’s hilarious,” the younger boy says casually. Luhan shakes his head, the corners of his lips tucking up a little. “I’m sending you the link, then. Come on, we’ve got a week to catch up on!”

~

                For about a month, Luhan is so anxious they might argue again that he avoids sensitive topics like the plague. He acts very considerate and concerned, taking care of their feelings like a newly-fixed crystal sculpture that could fall at any second and shatter again. As Sehun is doing about the same thing, their conversations become really silly and excessively sweet, but both of them are so glad to have reunited that it suits them perfectly.

                When Luhan is certain the crystal is solid again, April begins. As promised the year before, he sends a long letter to Sehun for his birthday. He takes his time, to draw little balloons, stars, and for once, he writes neatly, with a pen that doesn't leak. His heart beating fast as he imagines Sehun’s happy smile, he slips into the blue envelope photocards of Sehun’s favourite group (Sehun seldom buys the actual albums and rather chooses to download them on iTunes, so he doesn’t get the photocards), and he even lets his crazy romanticism go further by adding a few touches of perfume to the letter.

                He proudly writes ‘do not open before April the 12^th’, and gleefully, he sends it to Sehun, hoping he will receive it on his birthday. He waits. On the said date, he asks Sehun whether he received the letter. “No, sorry…” Sehun says sadly.

                “It’s okay, it wasn’t much,” Luhan replies with concealed bitterness, hiding his disappointment. “You’ll receive it tomorrow. Maybe.”

                “Yeah…listen, we’re having lunch, I’ll be right back, okay?” Sehun apologises. Luhan nods. He eats a little too, a while later, half-heartedly. When Sehun comes back in the middle of the afternoon, he’s beaming brightly. And holding a blue envelope. “We received it two days ago but Mum had hidden it and only gave it to me today!” he exclaims.

                Luhan feels joy seize him. “Really? That’s so sweet… Thank her for me,” he says with an incredulous smile. Suddenly, he feels a rush of affection towards Sehun’s mother. Sehun looks at the envelope then at Luhan again.

                “Should I open it?” he asks very low.

                “No, eat it,” Luhan replies. Sehun chuckles and opens the envelope delicately.

                “Oh my Gosh… This is so pretty,” he whispers when he sees the letter. He reads it silently, smiling from time to time. Luhan is extremely nervous. Then Sehun takes the photocards in his hand. His mouth opens in a silent ‘oh’ and he stares at them for several minutes. Luhan nibbles at his lower lip. “Aaah…” Sehun sighs with a slightly sad smile. “I love you so much…”

                Luhan smiles back clumsily. “I love you too…” he says.

                “I don’t even know how to thank you, you’re so sweet and adorable…”

                “Let me remind you I’m twenty-one years old,” Luhan smirks, amused.

                “Almost twenty-two,” Sehun corrects him.

                “Yeah.”

~

                Luhan receives Sehun’s letter three days before his birthday, but he doesn’t open it of course, and even pretends to have received nothing until the 20^th of April. He opens it while his webcam is on. Sehun sent him a drawing this year too, and Luhan doesn’t know which one is the most beautiful. Light, delicate, this one represents both of them together is Namsan Park. Luhan wishes he could jump through his screen and travel in the air like a little sparkle all the way to Sehun’s bedroom to hug him. But he only smiles with teary eyes and thanks him happily.

~

                Summer comes quickly that year. Luhan manages to take a holiday during the second half of July and the whole month of August. “Hey, could we see each other during the holidays?” he asks Sehun.

                “Sure,” the younger boy replies. “It’s just that Mum and Sehyun each are going to spend time at a different place. Normally, I’m going with Mum, but… That would mean you couldn’t come because we’d be staying at a friend’s, in fact.”

                “Oh…” Luhan sighs.

                “But,” Sehun adds mischievously. “I’m of age. I can go to China by myself,” he says.

                Luhan opens his eyes wide. “Really? Your mother would allow you to?” he exclaims. Sehun nods. “I want you to be here the whole time. You have to.”

A/N: When I remember this was meant to be a oneshot, I want to laugh at myself x)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter... I'm not used to writing drama like that! Hope I didn't fail T_T

Thank you for reading. I was really happy to see that this story got 74 subscribers... Yes, really, thank you ♥

Please comment and tell me whether you liked it :)

P.S: In case you were wondering, I made up the link, don't try to click it!