The two of them built up a routine, each day passing much like the last. Each day, Sehun would wake up first and get ready for work, leaving just as the sun was rising. But before he left each day, he would look up to his bedroom window, smiling wide when he would spot a tiny Luhan waving at him from behind the curtains, waving back with a grin. For the rest of the day, Luhan would keep himself busy by exploring the estate, helping out the other servants when he had the time as he waited for his master to return. And when he did, Luhan would follow Sehun around, keeping him company as he did whatever he was doing. Sometimes, it meant going up to Sehun’s study and watching the other finish off a mountain of paperwork (although Luhan would often fall asleep by Sehun’s feet). Other times, it was something as relaxing as reading a book amongst the flowers, lying on their backs with the clear skies above them. And every night, Luhan would go to his room to prepare for the night, but he had never slept in his own bed since the first day. For the first week, he had shyly gone up to the small door, and contemplated for a few moments before deciding to knock and entering the room after Sehun gave him permission. But little did he know, Sehun was always waiting on the other side, already prepared to open the door, his hand on the knob… However, after the awkwardness of the first week, he had basically moved into Sehun’s bedroom, no longer feeling the need to knock before entering the other’s room. The distance between them had gradually dissipated, Luhan often ending up cuddled into Sehun’s warm embrace as they slept side by side.

Of course, Luhan still behaved shyly around his master, maintaining a slight professionalism, for want of a better word, between master and hybrid. The many attempts by Sehun to get them on a first name basis on both sides fell through, Luhan always stuttering until his face blushed crimson. At that point, Sehun would always take back his request, slightly guilty for making his cat so embarrassed. On one particular day, Luhan was still absorbed in his thoughts of the matter, bored out of his mind as he was waiting for Sehun to return from work.

“I feel bad that I can’t give him what he wants… but I’m so thankful that he doesn’t push me,” he thinks, aimlessly wandering through the strangely quiet hallways. It was early noon, barely twelve, so the other servants must be out buying groceries or something. With nothing to do, Luhan decided to make his way to his favourite place on the whole estate.

Ever since Sehun introduced him to his ‘secret garden’ on the first day, Luhan had fallen in love with the rows of flowers, the whole spectrum of the rainbow for his eyes to feast on. Red mallows, orange chrysanthemums, yellow daffodils, green asters, blue forget-me-nots, indigo heliotropes and violet gillyflowers. Not only that, the sweet scent of nature always lifted his mood, the clean air filling his lungs with vitality. Luhan would spend hours taking a walk around the plethora of flowers, brushing his fingers against the delicate petals and leaves, mumbling to himself the meanings of each flower. Yes, his interest in flowers had extended when he was shown the library, full of books with information on them, and he had read them all, absorbing the information like a sponge. In this secret garden, the flowers mostly represented something to do with love and it made him blush when he thought of ever receiving one from Sehun. Not that he was expecting it any time soon…

Shaking his head, he came out of his thoughts, gasping in delight when he chanced upon a place that he had never seen before. There was a small pond, the clear water sparkling under the afternoon sun. But that wasn’t what caught his attention the most. The cluster of water lilies floating on the pond, meandering across the pond drew him in close until he was sat by the edge of the pond, gently pushing the water in different directions as he watched the sudden current carry along the flowers.

“Lilies, I haven’t seen them in so long,” he thought with a smile, giggling quietly to himself as he continued to play by himself, taking a seat on the soft carpet of grass. The soft burbles of the pond, the sweet singing of little birds hiding amongst the flowers, the gentle breeze tugging on his pink locks, it made Luhan feel so at peace. So much so that he feel asleep, letting his eyelids droop as dreams full of colours take over his mind.

-

“Luhan?” called Sehun, surprised to open the door but not see Luhan excitedly swishing his tail. Sehun made his way upstairs to drop his things at his bedroom, still calling for the other to no avail. Some days, especially on those where he came home late like today, he had found Luhan napping on their bed, but today was not one of those days. “Luhan, where are you?” Sehun called out, hearing nothing but his own echo as he opened each and every door in the house. He even asked all of the other servants, “Have you seen Luhan?” but all of their replies were the same.

“Sorry, Master Sehun. We were out doing groceries today.”

The skies outside were losing their colour, the orange hues melting into darkness. Seeing the transition only worried Sehun more, the panic creeping into his beating heart.

“Damn it!” grumbled Sehun, the frustration bubbling over. He had gone outside in the hopes that he would find Luhan amongst the flowers – where the cat always seemed to be the most happy – but he still couldn’t see him. Plus, it was getting harder to see, the night stealing his vision away, and his calls for Luhan only became more desperate. A trail of destruction followed him as flowers crumpled beneath his trembling hands, but he paid no heed. All that was on his mind was Luhan. Luhan.

What if he was kidnapped? Just earlier today, his lawyers had called Sehun up with the good news that the repulsive creature that had dared to attempt to defile Luhan was being charged. But like any judgement passed, there was bound to be qualms, especially by the person who is being punished. Even if the idea was unlikely considering their seclusion in the countryside, Sehun couldn’t help the dark thoughts cloud his mind, his worry for Luhan immeasurable.

Suddenly, he thought of the one place that he hadn’t yet checked.

“But how would Luhan get there? I purposely didn’t show it to him…” thought Sehun, forcing his weary legs to carry him to his ‘secret’ within the secret garden. By now, the sun had completely set, leaving Sehun to look for the place solely by memory – although the number of times he visited that special place with his special people were many and so it was not that difficult. That is to say that it wasn’t difficult to find, but painful to his barely healed heart that didn’t really want to open up wounds. Nevertheless, his thoughts of Luhan spurred him on, a soft snoring making its way to his ears. Sehun sighed in relief when he spotted the cat snoozing away just beside the lily pond, his fingertips grazing the water. Saving the reprimanding for later, the master decided to let his companion sleep, the night well into its course. Scooping the smaller in his arms, Sehun made his way back to the mansion, informing the other servants of Luhan’s whereabouts. When all of the small talk was done and over with, Sehun continued to carry the small sleeping bundle up to their room, tucking in the cat before placing a soft kiss on the other’s forehead.

“I want to know what you were doing there, but I guess I can save the questions for tomorrow…” Sehun quickly changed and got in beside Luhan, turning off the lights with a small sigh.

Luhan woke up to the sound of curtains delicately billowing, the faint whispers of the early morning. Yawning and stretching, he turned to see Sehun staring passively out of the window, propping his elbow against the windowsill.

“Morning,” he greeted, smiling when Sehun turned to face him.

“Morning,” replied Sehun, getting up to join the other once more on the bed. “Did you sleep well?” Luhan scrunched up his eyebrows at the question. He did have a wonderful and restful sleep… but he doesn’t remember getting into the bed.

“Uhm… yes? But I don’t remember how I got here,” he said sheepishly, looking around the room to try and find any clue whatsoever. Sehun chuckled at Luhan’s adorable pout, his confusion clear.

“I found you by the lily pond, and you were asleep so I carried you back,” he explained, choosing to leave out how worried he had actually been. Luhan didn’t need to know.

“Oh, I’m sorry for troubling you,” frowned Luhan, shaking his head as he berated himself.

“It’s alright,” reassured Sehun. “Why don’t you just tell me how you got there? And why you ended up falling asleep on the grass…” he added with a light laugh. It was enough to mask the pain whenever he thought of that little ‘secret’ within the secret garden, Luhan not noticing how Sehun’s smile was a little forced.

“Well, you see, I’ve always had this fascination with lilies,” began Luhan, his voice dreamy, his gaze straying to where the pond lay outside. “Water Lilies especially. Floating on water, no roots to keep them chained to the ground. Free to go wherever the current takes them. They were the embodiment of what I wanted for myself, not to be dictated by society. Miss Luna used to be the closest thing, but now that I’m here, with the lilies, I think you’re even nicer…” towards the end, he trailed off, his pinks dusted with a light pink, like the lilies, thinks Sehun, as the shy Luhan resurfaces.

“I’m glad that the pond is a happy place for you,” whispered Sehun, his eyes tracing the photographs on his bedside table. Luhan follows his gaze, seeing a young boy smiling wide in the arms of his father and mother.

“It must be Sehun with his parents… but where are they now?” wondered Luhan.

“They passed away a few months before you came,” explained Sehun, seeing the look on Luhan’s face. “It was part of the reason that Luna told me to meet you…” He took a breath, recollecting everything that happened during the last year. “They suddenly passed away when a car hit them as they were walking down the street… I was so shocked, the feeling on loneliness so heavy on my shoulders,” his posture sagged with his words, “and Luna, as my cousin, knew how much I was suffering.” Luna’s words finally made sense to Luhan. Seeing the broken man in front of him, he really was needed by Sehun more than Luna would have ever needed him. “You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this now, but they were the ones who showed me that beautiful pond, the ‘secret’ of the secret garden,” he said with a wry smile. “I used to be like you, entranced by the magic of that place… but after they died- it just felt so lonely. I hated going there… it was like a slap in the face, reminding me that they were gone. So I stopped going…”

Throughout Sehun’s monologue, Luhan remained silent. But now that the taller had finished, Luhan threw aside his shyness, pulling him in for a tight embrace.

“I’m so sorry,” he mumbled, sincerity evident in his voice. “I am so sorry… But I don’t think your parents would have wanted you to hate the place that was a magical haven for you all…” Sehun looked at the cat with a frown, clearly confused.

“Wh-”

“I’m sure that they wanted that place to be your retreat, somewhere you could go when you missed them, to remember them, to cherish the memories. Somewhere to show your future special someone, to pass on the happiness.” As his words registered in Sehun’s mind, they began to make sense, clicking in place. The hollowness in his heart was filled, memories that he locked away flashing through his mind.

“Thank you…” Luhan merely nodded, brushing away the tears that Sehun didn’t even notice falling from his eyes. “I- I want to go there again, will you come with me next time?” asked Sehun, quieting down his sniffles.

“Of course,” breathed Luhan, the twinkle in his eyes returning as he smiled innocently. “I’d love to go again with you, Master.”