Sehun stares at his toaster, waiting patiently for his breakfast. His eyelids feel heavier than usual.

The night did not bring him much sleep after the incident in the hall with Luhan and Jongin a few hours prior. The scene kept replying behind his closed eyelids through the night and when he couldn't take it anymore, when he finally decided to call Luhan and apologize, it was already way passed midnight.

Sehun takes a sip fro his tea. It's already starting to get cold but he doesn't have it in him to heat it up again. Sehun looks at the time and contemplates calling Luhan again.

It's a Tuesday. Luhan always works on Tuesdays.

He sighs and pick up his two almost burnt pieces of toast. Because of a sudden outbreak of flu among the teachers he has no classes that day. He makes his way to the living room to enjoy his burnt bread and his favorite drama show, but suddenly stops cold before he is even out of the kitchen.

It's a Tuesday. It's been two months.

It's been two months, exactly eight weeks, since he first set foot in the coffee shop and saw Luhan for the first time. Eight weeks since he ordered that first latte and sat down in the chair that is now practically his. Eight weeks since the cute, blond barista had tried to read the title of his book. Eight weeks since he had smiled at Sehun for the first time.

Sehun smiles at the memories, but it's not a pleased smile, it's a pained smile.

A sharp knock at the door pulls Sehun from his thoughts. He sighs, putting down his toast, and with the teacup still in hand heads toward the door with heavy steps.

It is too early in the morning to assume who might be knocking at his door, but when he opens it and sees a familiar face it is the one he was least expecting.

"Jongin?" he blurts out, still not trusting his heavy head to make the right connections between faces and names.

What was the Luhan stealing, little rascal doing at Sehun's door?

The brunet looks up. "Hey." There is no emotion in neither his voice nor his eyes.

Sehun looks him up and down.

The guy is about Sehun's height from what he can tell, leaning against the door for support. Jongin is wearing dark, fitted jeans and a simple white t-shirt. Sehun notices the strap of a sports bag over one of his shoulders.

Sehun straightens and clears his throat. "Can I help you?" he asks, hoping he doesn't sound too friendly.

Jongin looks down the empty hallway. "I'm having a party tonight," he states dryly. "It might get noisy, just thought I should let you know."

Sehun stares at the other. One half of him expects Jongin to politely invite him to the party in a very strained and forced way, the other half expects him to walk down the hall without another word, but Jongin does neither. He just stands there in Sehun's door way, not even looking his way.

Sehun swallows. "Okay," he mumbles. He wishes he could stand up to Jongin. Scream in his face.

No! You will not make a single noise at you stupid party and you will stay away from Luhan, got it?!

Sehun takes another sip of his by now very cold tea, hoping the tension between them will disappear along with the liquid down his throat.

"Luhan's coming," Jongin suddenly says, clear as day. He turns and looks Sehun straight in the eyes. They stay like that for what seems to Sehun like forever, staring each other down. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to lure him away this time."

The statement comes like a blow to Sehun in the stomach. Suddenly he is ready to fight. "Why not?" he asks with an eyebrow raised.

Jongin narrows his eyes. "Didn't you get proof enough last time. He's staying at my party."

"I think that's still for Luhan to decide ," Sehun says and turns away, closing the door in Jongin's face. The gesture is immature, Sehun knows that, but then again slamming the door in someone's face has never been as satisfying as now.

When the party starts, with the heavy baseline of the first song, Sehun sits curled up on in his kitchen chair. He sulks and stares out the window blankly. Every voice streaming in from the hall sounds like Luhan. Even the female voices bare the familiar, cheerful tone. Any set of footsteps passing his door could be Luhan.

Sehun sighs heavily and realizes just how pathetic he is. He can't blame Luhan for going to the party. In all honesty Sehun hasn't done anything to show his discomfort at Luhan spending time with Jongin, other than ignore him and give him the cold shoulder.

He presses his forehead against the kitchen table and groans in frustration. Why did he have to be so unsocial. This was how we was going to loose the one person he really liked.

He suddenly sat up, determined. No. He would not loose Luhan. He would call him the next day and he would start making an effort.

But what if Luhan didn't want him to make an effort? What if Luhan only wanted a flirt?

Sehun straightened and shook his head. If it came to that it would be Luhan's choice. Sehun would call tomorrow, it was the only thing he could do.

For now, he just has to withstand the deafening music from the apparent a few doors down and try not to think of the people inside and what they were doing.

Two hours later Sehun is startled by the sudden sound of glass breaking and voices being raised over the pounding, electronic beat.

Sehun, lying sprawled out on the sofa, buries his face in the cushion. He reaches for the remote control for his TV and turns off the reality show he hasn't been paying attention to without looking up.

The sound of more glass breaking and havoc being wrecked come from the apartment a few doors down the hall. The music becomes louder and screaming voices fill the corridor outside. Some of the voices sound angry, some sound more joyful and marry than Christmas it self.

Sehun closes his eyes and tries to picture the scenes out in the hallway.

The sound of shattering glass comes from just outside his door. Someone dropped their drink. There's a sudden, hard thump against the outside wall and two loud, male voices yelling. Correction, someone dropped someone else's drink.

The beat of the music picks up and people start cheering, except for the two having a heated argument on the other side of Sehun's wall.

Sehun turns and stares up into the ceiling. His thoughts return to Luhan being somewhere in Jongin's apartment. He pictures the blond jumping up and down on the dance floor, drink in hand, but something about the picture doesn't seem right. Luhan just doesn't seem the type.

Then again, how would Sehun know?

A terrifying thought suddenly strikes him. What if Luhan wasn't on the dance floor. What if he lay passed out in a corner, forgotten and ignored. What if he, in some drunken state, got into a nasty fight. From what Sehun had heard over the course of the evening Jongin's friends were not always reasonable.

He sits up. What if Luhan was the one being pressed up against the outside wall, receiving verbal abuse for knocking out someone's drink.

There is another thump against the wall, louder and harder this time. The abuse isn't just verbal anymore. Muffled voices of encouragement start to fill the hallway.

Sehun flies up and scrambles for his phone on the coffee table. He has Luhan's number on the screen in no time but before he could press dial there is a knock on his door. It was distinct and forceful, but at the same time hurried and frantic.

With the phone still in hand he walks over to the door cautiously. His door has no security hatch. If Jongin's friends want to make Sehun's apartment into an extra party space there was not much stopping them if Sehun where to open the door.

He hesitates at the handle, just about to unlock it, when his phone starts to vibrate in his hand, almost giving him a heart attack. He looks down. His heart skips a beat before starting to pound in triple speed.

Incoming call

     Luhan

"Luhan!" he shouts as he brings the phone to his ear, sounding a mixture of worried or relieved. Many voices come through from the other end and Sehun isn't sure if Luhan is one of them.

"I'm outside. Could you open the door?" he finally makes out Luhan's faint but distressed voice.

Sehun quickly undoes the lock and flings the door open.

A number of unusual scenes are playing out in the hall outside Sehun's door. People are sprawled out on the floor and against the walls, passed out from drinking too much. A couple are making out by the stairwell, or they could just be two strangers. A guy is holding another guy in a head lock and a crowd is starting to form around them.

Sehun isn't paying attention to any of it, because in front of him stands a familiar figure with blond, wavy hair and wide eyes.

Sehun isn't sure if he pulls Luhan inside or if Luhan pushes passed him, or a combination of the two, but the next thing he knows he has his back against the door having just slammed it shut on the chaos in the hall.

Sehun's apartment is almost pitch black save the ceiling lamp illuminating the small hall, and Luhan is standing right beneath it. "I'm sorry-" he starts, rubbing his forehead. "Things were getting out of hand and Jongin wouldn't let me leave. I-" Luhan removes his hand from his head and gapes at it. There's a red liquid on his fingertips.

Sehun notices and his breath hitches. "You're hurt…" he manages, still staring at Luhan's hand.He doesn't know who he's angrier with, Jongin or himself, for letting this happen.

Luhan dabs at his forehead, trying to find the wound. "It's not serious, I'll be fine-"

Sehun is having none of it. He grabs Luhan by the wrists and stalks into the living room, dragging Luhan behind him.

"Sit," he orders and points at the couch, and the other complies. Sehun takes a moment to look at him. Luhan is sitting neatly on the very edge of the couch; large, confused eyes staring up at him, a small streak of red from under his bangs at his left eyebrow. "I'll be right back," he tries a bit more tenderly and turns toward the bathroom.

Only a minute later he returns with a first aid kit and a damp cloth.

He hands the cloth to Luhan. "Hold his against the cut."

Luhan nods once and takes the cloth from Sehun's hand. He looks down at his shoes as Sehun seats himself down on the couch next to him and stats going through the first aid kit.

There is a still silence between them, but Luhan doesn't find it uncomfortable in the least. In contrast to the hasty, uncontrolled movements of the dance floor at Jongin's party, Sehun's calm, cautious movements bring him a comforting calm that he can only succumb to.   

"This might sting a little," Sehun's voice comes low and steady from his side. He moves his hand up to Luhan's forehead and takes Luhan's wrist, removing it with the damp cloth away from the cut. In his other hand Sehun holds a piece of cotton, damp with disinfectant, and he brings it up to Luhan's wound, slowly.

Luhan cringes slightly as he feels the stinging against his forehead, but it only means it is working.

"What happaned?" Sehun asks very concentrated with the job at hand. His voice is so grave Luhan looks up at him in surprise.  Their faces are only inches apart. Sehun is looming over him, softly pressing the cotton against his forehead, and Luhan stares straight into his eyes. The stinging sensation is long forgotten.

Luhan clears his throat. "I- I don't really know…" he tries but it comes out barely louder than a whisper. "Some kid next to me smashed a bottle against the wall and there was glass everywhere."

Sehun only nods and turns back to the first aid kit. He lets a feeling of slight relief come over him as he hears the other hadn't been hurt deliberately.

The wound is only superficial and the bleeding has stopped. Sehun judges that a large, thick plaster and time will be enough to heal the wound nicely.

He picks up the last large plaster he has and turns back to his patient, but something is different. Luhan is looking straight at him with an unreadable expression.

"Why are you doing this?" the older asks. A humorless smile crosses his lips. "You have no reason to care about me like this after I've spent so much time with Jongin."

Sehun breaths slowly. So Luhan had noticed their relationship slipping away too. Sehun wasn't sure if the notion left him relieved or heartbroken.

"But I do care about you," he says, softly moving a lock of blond hair from Luhan's forehead and fitting the plaster over the red cut. The touch makes Luhan's heart skip a beat, or maybe it is the words.

Luhan suddenly remembers that snowy afternoon when they first met. He remembers the new costumer coming in, seating himself in the corner and reading for hours. He remembers that sweet smile he had received as he wished the stranger a good night, and ever since his heart hasn't been able to slow down when he thinks of Sehun.

Sehun's hands are still on his forehead and in his hair. Luhan realizes that in between first meetings and dates and cute text messages neither of them have really expressed what they feel about the other.

Except now Sehun has. By taking Luhan into his apartment after having been blown off the day before, Sehun has shown exactly what he feels about him. Luhan even has the plaster on his forehead to prove it.

In a swift movement he leans forward and grabs the hem of Sehun's shirt. He pulls himself closer and places his lips against the others for the first time. He wants Sehun to know what he feels. He wants Sehun to know there is only him.

It doesn't take long for Sehun to respond, softly running his fingers through Luhan's hair. He smiles as they brake away shortly, only to renew the kiss with more passion.

There is nothing that can come between them now. No time consuming mid-terms, no blurring baseline of party music, and definitely no new coffee shop employees. It is just the two of them, in the darkness on Sehun's couch, just like it was always supposed to be.

***

Sehun breaths in heavily through his nostrils. A bright light shines directly on his closed eyelids and he wakes to see the morning light stream through his living room window. The morning brings a clearness to his mind, but his neck and back feel stiff and crooked.

He stares up at the ceiling, adjusting his position on the living room couch to a more comfortable one. In the near distance he hears the water from his shower gushing down over the linoleum floor.

Sehun smiles and sits up to stretch out his back, but suddenly hears the growling of his stomach. He can't remember if he ate dinner last night. He wraps his blanket around his shoulders and walks into his bedroom. His bed is neatly made with no trace of the guest it had held the night before, except for the absence of a towel Sehun had laid out for Luhan before retrieving to sleep on the couch.

Sehun had judged it too late for Luhan to go home to his own place. Luhan lived outside of town and going home meant waiting for the buss alone in the middle of the night. Luhan was wounded and a person who has just received a blow to the head, no matter how superficial the wound,  should not be wandering the streets alone at night.

Leaving Sehun's apartment also meant stepping out in the chaotic, party-infested hallway, which in turn might mean bumping into Jongin, and the likelihood of Luhan not making it home at all that night rising.

Sehun makes his way toward his wardrobe. He pulls out a pair of jeans and a back t-shirt and throws them on the bed. He listens for a moment for the steady flow of water gushing from the showerhead and judges it safe to change without risking unpleasantly surprising Luhan.

He smiles as he remembers their scene on the couch the previous night. Even though they both seemed wiling, to put it lightly, Sehun had pulled away.

Luhan had looked up questioningly at him as Sehun moved a strand of hair away from Luhan's patched-up wound. He had smiled lovingly at the blond who he couldn't believe was sitting in front of him in the darkness of his apartment. Luhan had understood his intentions and kissed him softly one last time that night.

Changed but still hungry Sehun makes his way to the kitchen. In the living room he sees Luhan standing in front of the couch with his back to him.

Sehun comes up behind him. "Hey," he purrs as he wraps his arms around Luhan's waist. Luhan looks back at him, wet-haired and worried-looking. "Is there something wrong?" Sehun asks.

"The plasters came off in the shower," Luhan says and looks down at the white towel. There is a tiny red spot in one corner. "I got blood on your towel," he stuttered. "I'll repay you! I'll get you a new one, I promise!" he ads quickly and looks up at Sehun with wide eyes.

Sehun laughs. "That's okay. You don't need to do that."

Luhan bites his bottom lip, silently pondering something. "Let me buy you dinner then," he says as he beams up.

Sehun nods and lets go of the other. "Deal, but first we need breakfast."

Feeling his stomach might fold in on itself any second, Sehun goes into the kitchen without waiting for Luhan's reply. He notices Luhan nodding eagerly and following him close behind.

Sehun opens his fridge and lets out a nervous laugh. "Being a broke college student I can offer you eggs, bread and milk."

"Sounds delicious," Luhan smiles and jumps up to sit on the kitchen counter. He almost knocks over a small object as he gets up and reaches out to catch it just in time. He looks down and immediately recognizes the object.

"You bought it!" he exclaims and smiles widely at Sehun, holding up the light brown, scented candle they saw in the shop a few days earlier.

"I did," Sehun laughs. He walks over to the other and positions himself between Luhan's legs.

Luhan breathes in a long breath, smelling the air, as he hooks his free hand behind Sehun's neck. "Did you figure out what the smell is?"

Sehun places his forehead against Luhan's. "The shopkeeper called it Coffee Shop," he smiles.

Luhan laughs but is silenced by a soft, tender kiss. As they break apart he can't contain his smile. "I told you it was familiar," their lips meet again and Luhan whispers between their lips, still smiling, "And perfect."

A/N: Sorry this is a bit later than expected.. it's not the best but here it is anyway ^^ And I'm sorry for making Jongin such a bad-guy! Please don't hate me! XD So this was all I had planned for this fic but since I've gotten so many nice comments encouraging me to continue I might think of something :P First I have a baekyeol to write ;) please comment! I love would love to hear what you think! And thank you so much for reading! <3