The doorbell rang and Gabby slugged towards the front door, still on her pajamas. Her hair was in a messy bun and she was yet alive since she had not had her dose of morning coffee.

“Who the heck comes so early in the morning?” she grumbled, opening the door. 

“Good morning!!” Luhan greeted.

It took a couple of confused blinks and more than a few seconds for Gabby to put two and two together as to why Luhan was already at too-early AM and waving at her cheerfully.

“I know I told you your punishment starts today but aren’t you a little eager? Usually people don’t wake up until one in the afternoon during weekends.” she drawled, stifling a yawn as she let Luhan in. “And you’re way too cheerful at that too.”

“If people sleep in during weekends, why are you awake?”

“I’m not most people.”

“Well, in a way, I am not either.” Luhan grinned. Seeing that Gabby was still half asleep on her feet, he directed her towards the kitchen table by the shoulders and made her sit. “Someone needs some caffeine.”

“Yeah...” Gabby all but face planted on the table. “How about Anya and and the kids? Will she be alright alone?”

“Anya’s used to it. She takes care of them more than I do. Sometimes I think I’m just some decoration in the house when it comes to the kids.” Luhan answered as he started making some coffee as if it was his own kitchen. “Besides, it’s the weekend. Sehun, if Jongin does not rope him into another practice, will be coming over to baby sit.”

“Sehun?”

“Yeah. He seemed to like Anya that much. And the kids get along with him well, so it’s a win-win situation.”

“He used to hate being around people. What happened?” she was definitely awake now. “How did it happen?”

Luhan chuckled at the bewilderment in Gabby’s voice. “They first met on a cafe. Anya was running late on picking up the kids from practice and it was raining hard. Sehun gave her an umbrella. The rest is cheesy, if not crazy, history.”

“That doesn’t seem to be him. He wouldn’t lend me anything back then.” she frowned.

“Jongin said maybe the change happened because he nearly died once.” Luhan said as he placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of Gabby along with the sugar and cream. “I don’t if this suites you but you can pick your own poison if you don’t.”

“What?”

“You’re still asleep? I said add sugar or cream. I don’t know if you’ll like what I made.” Luhan chuckled and flicked Gabby on the forehead lightly.

“No! It’s not that. I meant what you mean with Sehun almost dying.”

“You didn’t know?”

“I... No. I didn’t know.” she would have if she had not cut them off back then. “I think it happened when I was not around...”

Luhan had this understanding look on his face and it only made Gabby hate herself for not being around even more.

“Jongin was almost hit by a car and Sehun saved him. He was in a coma for more than 3 months and the doctors saw no chance of him waking up that they were of pulling the life support off him. But by some miracle, he woke up. A year later, he met Anya. And they met again and again by chance. They’ve been good friends since then and since the kids got along well with him, Anya didn’t see anything bad with him coming over the weekends to play.”

Gabby looked at the steam from the cup in front of him. “So many things happened since then... I can’t believe how selfish I was, cutting them off when they needed me too.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.”

“Because I deliberately shut the world out.”

“You can’t expect something that broke to fix another broken.”

“But it would have been easier to heal if we were together.”

“It’s so early and you’re all gloomy.” a rumbling voice said.

Gabby ly to see Jongin sauntering towards the fridge while Sehun who was with him went straight to sit beside her.

“I want pancakes.” Sehun said.

“Do it on your own, you brat.” Luhan replied.

“I don’t know how.”

“Well, too bad then. You’re just going to have to starve.”

“You don’t have chicken?” Jongin asked, rummaging the cabinets.

Gabby frowned, already picturing how messy her day would be with the three around. Sehun would be at the neighbor’s house and Jongin will surely be over too.

“Kim Jongin, how may times will I tell you that this is not your house? Go sit down!” she groaned.

Jongin ignored her and went to Luhan to demand for some pancakes as well. She didn’t bother anymore, she was sure he won’t be listening as well. 

“Why are you here so early anyways?” she asked.

“We went jogging. The apartment complex we live in is nearby so we figured we’d go take Choco for walk too.” Jongin replied. “Come on, hyung. Make some pancakes.”

Gabby shuddered at the thought of the neighbor’s big dog. Even if she had seen the white canine around, she was still not at ease, especially when she remembered the first day of their meeting.

“I don’t hold any grudge on you. Never did.” Sehun said, voice soft yet filled with meaning.

If Luhan and Jongin heard, they didn’t show it.

Gabby stared at her coffee cup. “I’m sorry. I could have been there for you.”

“You needed your time. I don’t think it would have done you good if you were there to see me during...”

“Still. You needed me too. I was selfish. I only thought of myself.”

“Like I said, you needed time. If you were broken more than you were, I don’t know if anyone could be able to put you back up together.”

“It’s good that you’re both talking about things, but honestly, it is way too early to be gloomy. What happened, happened. There’s nothing we can do about it now, is there?” Jongin said.

Gabby looked at Jongin and realized that Luhan was not in the kitchen anymore. She thanked the guy silently. She knew Luhan understood that the three of them needed to talk about things and she was thankful he was thoughtful enough to give them their space.

Looking at the way Jongin was slumped on the counter, staring mindlessly at the floor, she realized who was really the one to suffer the most. It was Jongin. He was acting all cool about it but she realized that the most broken person at that time would have been Jongin.

Her heart ached for him. He was so young then, still young as of now, to experience such things. She had her heart broken when Zelo died so she shut the world out, even her closest friends and family.

Jongin had suffered more. His hyung, an older brother though not related by blood but so close to him that it didn’t matter if they were born from different families, died. Then Gabby, an older sister to him as well, shut him out, severing all communication and most probably making him worry his brain out. And then his best friend got into an accident, and into a comatose state, because of saving him. All of these things, he suffered through them alone.

Gabby stood from her seat and walked over to Jongin. He gave her a puzzled look. Tears pricked her eyes at the innocence that had seen too much of the world’s cruelness.

“Why are you crying?” Jongin asked.

She smiled apologetically, tears cascading down her cheeks. She stood up on the tip of her toes, winding her arms around his shoulders so she was cradling him like how she did back then when he still was not a giant, she pulled him into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry, Jonginnie. I’ve been selfish. I should have realized that I wasn’t the only one who had lost him. I should have been here when you needed someone to lean on. You must have beaten yourself up for what happened to Sehun. I should have been there for you... But I wasn’t. I was so angry at the world to realize how you both needed me to be there for you as well. I’m so sorry.”

There was a soft sniffling and she held Jongin tighter. Then there was a warm hand ruffling her hair lightly. Sehun slumped on the counter next to Jongin, his hand that was previously on Gabby’s hair sliding down to pat Jongin on the back comfortingly. He smiled at Gabby, a curious twinkle on the corner of his eyes. Gabby knew that he was near tears as well but he hold his emotions better than others. She put her hand on top of his and squeezed, actions replacing all the words that needed to be said.

They stayed connected like that. For the first time in three years Gabby felt that everything was finally going back into place. It could never be perfect like before, but maybe that was what moving on meant. It was finding a way to pick up the pieces and making a possibly better picture than the one that was broken. It’s not forgetting, for the pieces were the same, but rather making a way to hold them back up stronger than before.


***


“Go left! Go left!” Bakhyun jumped up and down, yelling. “Chanyeol, you babo! Come on! Run faster!”

“Just who’s side are you on, gege?!” Tao whined as he ran up to catch up with Chanyeol who had the ball.

“I’m on the winning side!” Baekhyun yelled back.

Gabby shook her head. She couldn’t remember what had convinced her to say yes, maybe it was the three kids’ expectant looks or maybe Jongin and Sehun’s, but there she was, out on an open field of the nearest park, watching a crazy soccer match between Luhan’s team and some guy named Zhang Yixing’s.

Chanyeol and Jongin were on Luhan’s team while Tao and Sehun were on Yixing’s. And though it had only been 15 minutes, the six of them were drenched in sweat for running around and kicking the ball. Baekhyun and Anya were keeping score while Gabby brought a camera to capture the outing.

Zhang Yixing, Gabby had been told, was the one to attend to Anya when she got shot a couple of years ago. He was a doctor, and Luhan’s best friend. He was having a day off at the hospital, a rare one that was, and called Luhan out to spend time. Luhan, being the soccer fanatic he was, decided to take the kids out as well for a game, dragging the whole gang along in the process. And it meant Gabby as well since Jongin and Sehun were going and they wouldn’t leave her alone unless she came with.

Just then, Tao managed to steal the ball from Chanyeol and ran with it towards the goal which Jongin was guarding. Doing some of the wushu stuff and kicking the ball agilely, the kid managed to make it pass through Jongin’s defense, or more likely the older had let it pass through.

“Yey! Way to go, Tao!!” Baekhyun cheered, laughing.

“Yah, hyung. I thought you were on our side.” Chanyeol whined, wiping the sweat off his brow. “Good job, Tao.” he grinned at the youngest.

“I told you I’m on the winning side.” Baekhyun huffed and went over to celebrate with Tao and Chanyeol, the three of them not caring who’s side was who.

Gabby aimed the camera at the three kids and then at Jongin who was lying on the grass, grinning. “What a loser. You’re no match for a seven year old.”

“Yeah, I’m beat.” Jongin agreed and then laid there arms spreadeagled.

“Go stay somewhere shady, Kkamjong. You don’t need to get darker than you are now.” Sehun teased, kicking the other on the shin, not hard enough to be painful.

“I’m not dark, Sehun. You’re just too girly to have color on your skin.” Jongin sneered.

“I’ll show you who’s girly!” Sehun pounced on Jongin, the two of them wrestling on the grass like kids.

Gabby aimed the camera at them and cheered. “I’ll treat the winner to some meat!”

At the mention of meat, the two struggled to gain the upper hand, laughing all the while as bony elbows dug into skinny body parts. The three kids, seeing the scuffle, came over to cheer them on.

“Sehun-hyung, hit him on the face!” Baekhyun yelled.

Gabby was shocked but saw that Baekhyun was grinning and took it as a joke. The two went at it for a few more minutes until Jongin came out victorious, sitting on top of half-laughing half-groaning Sehun.

“Victory is mine!” Jongin roared triumphantly and slumped on top of Sehun.

“Get off me! You’re sweaty! So gross!!” Sehun growled, trying his best to throw his friend off of him.

“You two are hopeless.” Gabby sighed.

Just then the three kids came charging and landed on a heap on top of Jongin, effectively pinning Sehun below them.

“Oh my -- I can’t feel my legs.” Sehun whined from underneath. “Can somebody please save me!!”

Gabby laughed at the sight, something about how Sehun was making sounds like a dying whale was just so fun. She had not seen him that happy, or funny, before.

“I haven’t seen you this happy.”

Gabby ly to see Luhan smiling softly at her. She gave his words a thought and after a while, she smiled back. “I’ve... I’ve never felt this way for a long time.”

They both looked back towards the human pile, just in time to see Sehun finally managed to throw Jongin off him, the three kids fortunately off of the both of them by then, then Sehun started chasing the kids around, tickling them senseless when he managed to catch them.

“I’m glad...”

“Huh?” Gabby frowned a little.

“I’m glad that even if it wasn’t how I pictured the whole making you happy again like this, you still ended up having that smile.”

“What smile? I don’t smile like anything.” she retorted, focusing the camera on Sehun who now had his hands on Tao.

“Wrong. Every smile has it’s meaning. And you can tell how someone is feeling through them.”

“Really now?”

“Of course. Take Jongin for example.” Luhan said, glancing at Jongin who was slumped on the ground, laughing at Sehun who was being ganged up on by the three kids. “That smile; contentment.”

Gabby looked at Jongin’s sweaty face, his mouth stretch into that smile she had been very familiar with, the one that was always on his face when he was dancing. Contentment. Happiness. His smile says it all.

“Take a look at Anya. She’s a mother, a sister, an orphan who’s loving orphans like her and making a happy family out of it. That’s the smile of a mother who unconditionally loves her children.” Luhan continued. “Sehun.”

Gabby’s eyes followed Sehun once again as he went on his tickle fest on Baekhyun.

“Sehun is thankful. He has found a place where he can be himself and be accepted and loved for and despite of it. A place where he’s not afraid of being insignificant and alone. And you.”

Gabby turned to Luhan who was looking at her, a small smile on his lips. She couldn’t help but to appreciate the gentleness of Luhan’s eyes as he looked at her, it was as if she’s seeing someone else, someone familiar. Someone who was long gone but never forgotten.

“What about me?” she asked softly.

Luhan’s smile widened. “It’s the smile of a person who is finally moving on.”   

Oh.

***

“Okay, we have a couple of months before school starts again and I’ve got it all planned out.” Luhan nodded determinedly.

Yixing laughed and patted Luhan on the head as if he was some child. “I’d love to, but doctors don’t get to have a break. At least not a long one.” he retrieved his wallet and put some bills on the table. They were at Mr. Goodies, having patbingsu, Daehyun style, after sweating at the park earlier. “And speaking of, I’m on and early shift tomorrow so I need to go. I still have some grocery shopping to do before I forget it again and have to rely on take-outs for who knows how long. Hospital food is so unappealing, even from the cafeterias.”

“What?! But you called me out to spend time with!” Luhan whined.

“And we did. And I’m really thankful.” Yixing smiled. He looked at Anya and the rest of them. “Thanks for coming out today. I didn’t expect for Luhan to drag you all with him but I hope you enjoyed as much as I did. But unfortunately I have to go.”

Anya smiled brightly up at the doctor. “You should come over next weekend for dinner. Or anytime you’re free. Just call me.”

“I’ll hold you on that, Anya.” Yixing said, saying his goodbyes again before leaving.

“But I really have everything planned out.” Luhan pouted, “I even considered Yixing’s schedule too. I was pretty sure he could take a couple of days off duty.”

“Whatever it is, hyung, I’m in.” Jongin replied, standing from his chair. 

“Where are you going then?” Luhan asked.

“Bathroom.”

Sehun scoffed as Jongin left. “Bathroom my . I’m pretty sure he’d call that girl and ask if she’d be free to go to whatever you planned, Deer Eyes.”

“Girl?”

“He’s got his eyes on one of the new dancers he met at the dance studio.” Sehun nodded.

“Anyways, the more, the merrier!” Luhan grinned, turning to Gabby. “So...”

“I don’t go to school. Don’t have breaks either. Whatever it is, count me out.” Gabby drawled.

“Don’t be such a killjoy. And stop checking your mails! It’s the weekend! Relax!” Luhan scoffed.

“Last time I checked, you were the slave for a week and I’m the master. Why are you giving me orders?” Gabby rebutted, without looking up from her phone.

Luhan stuck his tongue at her across the table where they were all sat.

“I saw that.” she scoffed.

“Mama, I want another patbingsu.” Baekhyun implored.

“You’re going to ruin your appetite with too much sweet, Baek.” Anya replied, picking up a napkin and wiping Tao’s lips. “Maybe next time.”

“Mama, please. Just a bit. I’m going to share it with Yeol and Tao so I wouldn’t have to eat all of it. Please?” Baekhyun pouted.

“Baekhyun, no. If you eat too much now, you’re not going to eat properly later.”

“I promise I’ll eat my vegies!”

“No.”

“Come on, Anya. Let him have some.” Sehun said.

“No.” Anya replied firmly, looking at Sehun pointedly and then at Baekhyun who was pouting.

“It’s summer break, let them have a bit of fun.” Sehun said, voice cajoling Anya into giving in but to no avail.

“I’m letting them have fun. You’re spoiling them.” Anya disapproved.

“They need a little spoiling, I think.” Sehun insisted, turning to Daehyun at the counter which was not really far from their spot, ‘yelling distance’ as Jongin had put it when he chose their table. “Hey, Dae, give us one of these please.” he gestured at the medium sized bowl of patbingsu in front of him.

Anya gave Sehun a disbelieving look, he just grinned at her, eyes crinkling into little half-moons. The kids, especially Baekhyun, were beaming at Sehun as if he was some of an angel and hero combined.

Luhan kept on bugging Gabby until they all went home still convincing the latter to have a break fro work so she could join the vacation escapade he had planned.

“How can you not take a break? You’re the boss!” Luhan whined as they neared their houses.

“Stop being whiny kid, Lu.” Gabby rolled her eyes in annoyance. Her attention was partly on Luhan though because ever since they left Mr. Goodies, there was this tension between Sehun and Anya that she couldn’t put her fingers on.

Sehun was not acting any different, as far as Gabby could see. He was just as his usual self around the kids, playing with them and spoiling them like the younger brothers he never had. Anya though, she was very silent and it seemed like there were lots of things on her mind.

“Is something bothering Anya? She seemed a little off since earlier after the game.” Gabby asked Luhan.

Luhan stopped pouting like a kid and looked at where Gabby was looking. Sehun was still playing around with the three kids, the lot of them laughing while Anya was watching, but instead of a small smile playing on her lips as per usual, there was apprehension in her eyes, her lips pursed slightly.

“I don’t know. I didn’t notice.” Luhan muttered, looking more closely even from the distance.

 “Did the two of them fight or something?”

“Sehun and Anya? I don’t think so. I mean, Sehun is a brat but he’d never hurt Anya. They argue about the pettiest of things but they never really fight.”

As if on cue with Luhan’s words, Anya beckoned the three kids inside, Sehun frowning in bewilderment. Gabby and Luhan could not hear what they were talking about but if the frown in Sehun’s face and and the stoic, almost icy, look in Anya’s eyes were to be taken as indication, the talk was not good.

The two’s voices got a little louder now that Gabby and Luhan were paying attention. Gabby could only scrunch up her nose at the words she was hearing.

“What’s happening with you? Why are you suddenly acting like this?” Sehun asked.

“I am not acting like anything. I just...”

“You just want me to stay away.” Sehun deadpanned. “Why?”

“It’s not that, okay.” Anya retorted firmly. “I just want you spoiling them too much.”

“Why? I want to spoil them a little, so what? I just want to help you a bit. Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

Anya didn’t answer but she kept the defiance in her eyes.

“Anya, they’re kids. They have to be spoiled sometimes. With all that they’ve been through, don’t you think they need a little spoiling? They deserve it. So why don’t you want me to give it to them?” Sehun asked in a soft voice.

“Because they’ve been through enough and I don’t want them to get hurt again. People come and go, Sehun. Too many people have left them behind and that’s enough.” 

Sehun went silent after that. It seemed as if they were standing there for hours, silence surrounding them, drowning them. And then Sehun let out a scoff, a hollow chuckle, his eyes hard and accusing, but most of all, hurt.

“Why are you so scared? Do you think I’ll leave you just like that?” he said, pain evident in his voice. “I know how it is to be left behind. I know how it is to be neglected. I know how it feels to be taken for granted and thrown away.”

Anya kept her lips mum but there were tears b here eyes.

“All this time, I didn’t think you’d see me as someone who would just leave.” Sehun exhaled loudly as of exhausted and defeated. “I didn’t think you’d actually trust me so little that you’d never think I’d stay.”

Sehun turned his back on Anya and started walking away with a defeated slump on his shoulders. “I intended to stay for a long, long time, you know, Anya. But you’re pushing me away. And there’s just so much I can do.”

Gabby watched, feeling her heart being twisted painfully at the lone tear on Sehun’s face. She wanted to reach out to him, pull him into a hug and tell him that everything’s okay, that Anya didn’t mean to hurt him.

Sehun passed by Luhan and Gabby without a word, it as if he couldn’t even see them.

“Sehun...” Gabby called out but Sehun just continued walking away, his long legs taking him far in just a few moments until he turned a corner and went out of sight.

“You go talk to him. I’ll talk to Anya.” Luhan said.

Gabby nodded distractedly, still looking at the corner where Sehun disappeared.

“Hey.” Luhan held Gabby’s wrist, seeing the panic in her eyes. “Relax. Breathe out. You’re freaking out.” 

“I’m not!” Gabby denied vehemently, but she could feel her heartbeat racing at the thought of Sehun being alone and hurt, her breathing shallow and fast because oxygen seems to suddenly be not enough for her lungs. “It’s just Sehun...”

Suddenly, Luhan enveloped her in a hug. Gabby slowly felt herself relaxing, she didn’t even realize that she was tugging at Luhan’s shirt a little forcefully. She let go, mind clear enough from worrying about Sehun to realize that Luhan and her were a little too close.

Luhan freed her from the hug but kept reassuring hands on her shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll find a way to get them back together, okay?” he smiled.

“Are they even together?” Gabby asked, smiling a little as her mind cleared. “I mean, sure, they act like they’re married sometimes but most of the time they are like teenager walking shyly on eggshells around each other.”

Luhan chuckled. “Well, we just have to find a way to get them together for real then. Trust me on this thing. I’m practically a matchmaker!”

“Well, didn’t my last date went a little awry, Mr. Matchmaker?” Gabby asked, subtly taking a step back. She held her breath when Luhan dropped his hands fro her shoulders but it seemed like Luhan didn’t think anything of it.

“Well, I’m still sorry for that, the reason why I am your slave for a week, right?” 

“If you help me patch Sehun and Anya up, even not to the extent of getting them together, you’ll be forgiven.” she made a deal with him. “I can’t bear to see Sehun that hurt.”

“Me too. I promise I’ll do everything I can.”

“Thank you.” she smiled. “I better go and talk to Sehun.”

“I’ll go inside and ask Anya what’s happening. I’ll call you later.”

Luhan watched As Anya went to catch up with Sehun. When Anya disappeared around the corner, he looked at the floating transparent figure a few feet away from him.

“If you’re so concerned, why don’t you go and follow them?” Luhan asked.

Zelo smiled a little. “Even if I do, that’s not going to change a thing. I can’t help him or her.”

Luhan returned the smile, understanding what the ghost meant. “The brat and Anya, even if we’re not friends for that long, they are important to me. I don’t want to replace you, I can’t replace you, but I promise I’ll do what I can to make them happy. They are my friends now too.”

“I know.” Zelo replied. “And as much as I wish I could still be around them like you, I am thankful that you can give them what I couldn’t. And that is more than enough.”

Luhan smiled a little brighter.

He wondered if it was a good thing or not to tell Zelo that he was a little more translucent than usual. Zelo is fading away. It’s not long before he moves on. It’s not long before he let go.

When that time comes, what will happen to Gabby?

a/n:  rumors and news about Tao's alleged departure from the group is circling the media.. and with Lay and Xiumin deleting their Instagram accounts, things are getting a little bit crazy .. but people, whether Tao end up leaving or not, I hope you will still support all of them,  I know I will, just like how I still love Yi Fan and Lu Han even with all the lawsuit thingy.. the boys need all of EXO-L to be ONE! so no matter what, i hope all of us will be  FOREVER WE ARE ONE!!!