“Go.” 

“Excuse me?”  Sehun asked, looking at his coworker who was pointing her finger right at the object of Sehun’s distraction.

“You’ve been staring at him for like an hour, it’s creepy.  Take your break and go talk to him.”

                Sehun didn’t need to be told twice, he ducked under the counter and ran to the chair that Luhan was sitting in.

“Hey.”  He said, sitting down in the chair across from Luhan.  “What’re you reading?”  Luhan didn’t reply, he simply lifted the book so Sehun could read the title.

“History of Criminal Law in South Korea.”  Sehun read.  “That’s an interesting choice.  Do you want to be a lawyer or something?”

“Ha!  Please.”  Luhan began to laugh a little too loud and Sehun felt like there was some kind of joke he was being left out of.  Eventually Luhan closed the book and directed his attention to the very confused man watching him.  “So why’d you wander over here?  I’m assuming it wasn’t just to ask me about my reading choices.”

“Um, no.  I actually have something else to ask you.”  Sehun said, feeling suddenly nervous.

“Go on.”

“Well, I’m going over to my best friend’s place later, just to hang out and I was wondering if you wanted to come.”

“Why?”  Luhan asked, giving Sehun the suspicious look he was getting used to receiving.

“He wants to meet you, and though this is none of my business, I feel like you don’t have very many friends.”  Sehun felt bad saying that, but it was true.

“You’re not wrong.”  Luhan replied, setting his book down.  “But haven’t you ever wondered why I don’t have friends?  Like maybe there’s a reason?”

“I don’t wonder about much, that’s not how I am.  And there’s never a reason for a person to not have friends.  No one should be alone.”  Sehun said, feeling a bit sorry for the man he was starting to care for.  “So, you’ll come?”

“Fine.”  Luhan sighed.  “I don’t see why not.”

“Great!”  Sehun grinned.  “I know I see you around here, but it’s been like weeks since we hung out so I’m kind of excited!”

“That’s nice.”  Luhan grabbed his book and opened it to his marked page.  “You don’t need to say everything that you’re feeling, Sehun.”

“Ha ha…”  Sehun laughed awkwardly.  “I guess I tend to do that.”

“Go away now.”  Luhan said, flipping a page.  “Text me an address and time, goodbye.”

                Sehun ran back to the front desk with an incredibly self-satisfied smirk.  He was almost positive Luhan was going to say no, it looks like Sehun might be wearing him down just a little.

“Stop smiling like an idiot and get back to work.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ugh, ugh, ugh.”  Luhan stood in his apartment slamming his head on the wall.  “Why did I say yes?” 

                He had no idea what was wrong with him.  He was supposed to be avoiding the act of meeting new people, yet there was Sehun asking him to do that very thing and Luhan just couldn’t say no.  It was too late now, he had to go.  Oh well.  It couldn’t be that bad, if he was meeting Sehun’s best friend. 

However, Luhan couldn’t shake the suspicion that this was a bad idea.  He knew he was just being paranoid, but he grew up being paranoid so it’s not like he can just turn it off.  When it was time to leave he simply comforted himself with the knowledge that he had definitely been in worse situations and if he could handle those, he can handle this. 

The sun was beginning to set and he made sure to wave to his landlady through the window on his way out.  Sehun’s friend lived a bit further in the city than Luhan was used to, but it was still easy to find his way.  Luhan had always had a talent for maneuvering city streets.  The apartment complex wasn’t that nice, but it was definitely a step up from Luhan’s one room. 

He made his way up the steps and stopped in front of the door that Sehun had instructed to him.  He was suddenly overcome with a strange sensation.  What was it?  It couldn’t be nerves, that’s ridiculous.  Luhan doesn’t get nervous.  How could meeting a person be more nerve-wracking than killing a person?  He shook off the feeling and knocked. 

“Hello!”  The door was opened by a man with a large dimpled smile.  He looked kind and Luhan was immediately uncomfortable.  “You must be Luhan!  Come in.  I’m Zhang Yixing, but you can call me Lay.” 

                Luhan just gave him a small bow and a smile he knew didn’t look as fake as it was.  He followed Lay into a small living room where Sehun was sitting on the ground leaning on a coffee table. 

“Luhan!”  He perked up a bit when he caught sight of Luhan.  “Did you find your way okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Feel free to sit down, we have soju, beer, and snacks.”  Lay said, motioning to the spot next to Sehun.

“Um.”  Luhan sat down, giving the drinks on the table a wistful look.  He could really use a drink.  “I don’t drink.” 

“Not at all?”  Sehun gave him a surprised look. 

“Well, I can’t handle alcohol.  I get drunk fast and I drove here, so…”

“Totally understandable!  I’ll get you a soda.”  Lay grinned then ran off.  Seriously why was this guy so nice?

                Luhan was lying a bit about the alcohol, the part about getting drunk fast was true.  But his drunkenness never affected his perception or control.  He was incapable of ever losing that.  What it did do to him was worse.  It made him talk, openly talk.  About everything.  That’s why the only person he would ever drink with was Kai, the person who knew all the bad stuff already.  So, as much as Luhan wanted to drink he knew that getting drunk and giving Sehun and his angel friend a detailed narration of his past wouldn’t go over so well.

                Sehun, however, had no qualms about getting drunk.  Two beers in and he had color in his cheeks and was laughing at everything that was spoken, none of it was funny.  He was also leaning precariously close to Luhan, making it very hard for Luhan to focus on Lay who was basically interviewing him.  There’s only so many questions you can avoid before it gets overwhelming.  Luhan decided to try to distract him by turning the tables.

“So, your name is Yixing, you’re Chinese?”  Luhan asked, watching as Lay’s face lit up after finally getting Luhan to engage. 

“Yes!  I’m a proud Chinese!”  He practically yelled, Sehun burst into a fit of laughter, falling on the floor in the process. 

“I’m from China too.” Luhan said, ignoring Sehun. 

“I know, Sehun told me.  I was really happy about it, I’ve been trying to get him to learn the language for years but he’s just so lazy.”  Lay suddenly leaned closer.  “But if he likes you enough, I think he’ll do it.”  Luhan felt another presence to his right and turned to see Sehun’s face right next to his.  Sehun smiled and murmured some Chinese words that roughly translated to thank you and goodbye.  Luhan sighed, and pushed him away. 

“We’ll see.” 

“When was the last time you went to China?”  Lay asked, leaning his head on his hands and looking at Luhan sweetly. 

“It hasn’t been that long, but long enough to start to miss it.”  Luhan answered honestly.  He really did miss China. 

“I know what you need!”  Lay shouted, standing excitedly. 

“What?”

“Tea!”  Lay grinned like a madman.  “My cousin Kris gave me some really expensive Chinese tea, I can make you some.”  Lay started to move toward the kitchen but stopped when he saw the look on Luhan’s face.  “Luhan, are you okay?”

                Kris?  It can’t possibly be that Kris.  It just can’t.  Luhan was completely distraught, he had believed he would never encounter anything that had to do with his old life.  Kris was a huge part of that, since he was the son of the man that made Luhan the monster he was.  He never wanted to hear the name again, but here he was hearing it. 

“Luhan?”  Sehun reached over and shook him, somehow noticing Luhan’s strange behavior through his drunken haze. 

“I’m fine.”  Luhan said, trying to regain his normalness. 

“Hm.”  Lay sat down slowly and stared at him.  “You seemed to freeze up when I said Kris.  Do you know him?”  Well, we’ve got a perceptive one here.  Luhan grimaced. 

“I know a Kris, but I doubt it’s the same one.”  Luhan laughed awkwardly.  “China is big, there’s probably a lot of Kris’s.” 

“I don’t know about that.”  Lay said, watching Luhan intently as if he was studying him.  “His last name is Wu.”  .  “He’s tall, and kind of intense looking.”  Double .

“Well, maybe it might be him.”  Luhan muttered.  “Look, it’s late.  I really need to go.”  He jumped up and made a beeline right for the door.  “It was nice meeting you and-”

“Wait!”  Lay called.  “Take Sehun with you, he’s wasted.”

“Fine.”  Luhan grabbed the drunk man and wrapped an arm around his waist, too busy wanting to leave to care. 

                He helped Sehun out to his car and set him in the passenger seat, although it took a bit of work with Sehun dangling on him and not letting go. 

“Luhan.”  Lay’s voice sounded from behind him right when he was about to get in the car. 

“Yes?”  Luhan asked, facing Lay who looked kind of distraught. 

“Look, I don’t want to make you mad or anything, but it kind of worried me when you said you knew my cousin.”  Lay clearly looked troubled.  “I don’t know much about what he and my uncle did for their business, but I know it was not anything good.  I was hoping you might know him from somewhere else.  So, how do you know him?” 

                Luhan watched Lay’s face as he spoke, he kept glancing at Sehun, his best friend.  His best friend who was currently in the car of a person he was suspicious of.  It hurt Luhan to watch that, he didn’t want to be someone like that.  But he was.  And despite the hope in Lay’s voice as he asked that last question.  Luhan couldn’t lie to someone so sincere, not anymore.

“I’m afraid you won’t like the answer to that.”

“I understand.”  Lay sighed and his expression turned a bit pained, but he nodded.  “I’ll pretend this conversation never happened.  But, Luhan, whatever it was that you were doing, it’s over right?”

“It’s been finished for quite a while.” 

“That’s good to hear.”  Lay smiled.  “I really do like you, Luhan.  You’re a nice person, take care of him, okay!”  Lay waved and ran back into his building, while Luhan stood frozen in place.

                A nice person.  Luhan?  Those words were…touching. 

                Luhan had never thought a day would come where someone he just met thought of him like that.  Of course, Lay doesn’t know all about him, but he knows more than Sehun.  So his compliment was something different.  Maybe there is hope for him in this world. 

“Your car is so nice.”  Sehun giggled when Luhan got in to the driver seat.  He started running his fingers along the leather seat and flopped forward, only stopped from falling on his face by the seatbelt.  “You must be rich!”

“Sure.”  Luhan sighed, trying to ignore the fact that a drunk Sehun was oddly enjoyable.  All he had to do was get him home that was his job.  But where was home?  “Sehun, where do you live?” 

“Hm…”  Sehun hummed, shoving his hands under the seat.  “I don’t think I remember.”  He laughed like that was the funniest thing he’d ever said.  “Oh!  What’s this?” 

                Luhan ignored him and started to drive toward Sehun’s studio, if the drunk guy was going to be difficult Luhan was just going to take the easy route and bring him somewhere he already knew. 

“Hyung, you must really like knives.” 

                Luhan’s eyes widened and he quickly turned to see Sehun holding a knife that he had obviously found under the seat.  Just one of many.  Luhan had forgotten just how many he had stashed around here. 

“You were playing with one when I first met you.  I was super scared, but now when I think back it seems pretty cute.”  Sehun gave him a crooked smile and swung the knife through the air. 

Luhan frowned.  “There’s nothing cute about knives, Sehun.”  He looked back toward the road but managed to grab the knife and throw it into the backseat. 

“Maybe not.”  Sehun leaned his head against the window and yawned.  “But there is something cute about you.” 

                Well, that statement managed to render Luhan speechless.  Him cute?  He supposed it wasn’t a completely ridiculous notion.  He was pretty cute, even if his life circumstances weren’t.  But to hear Sehun say it arose a feeling in him that he had never experienced before.  As he glanced toward the now sleeping guy next to him the word that sprung to mind was fondness.  He quickly shoved the thought away just as fast as it had surfaced. 

                The rest of the ride was silent until finally Luhan pulled up to the buildings their rooftop rooms were located on.  Sehun seemed fast asleep and for some reason the idea of waking him up made Luhan frown, so he opted to instead just carry him.  Now, Sehun was a lot taller than Luhan, but he was thin and Luhan was naturally stronger than a normal man.  If anyone was out on the streets he would worry about looking strange, but it was late and quiet so he carried Sehun all the way up to his room and set him down carefully.  He was about to pick the lock when Sehun groaned. 

“Luhan?”  He mumbled, reaching out blindly with one hand while the other rubbed his eyes. 

“Yeah.”  Luhan said, watching the sight of Sehun wake up in a strange stupor. 

“Where are we?”  He slowly rose to his feet and stumbled a bit, grabbing onto Luhan to steady himself.  He didn’t let go. 

“You’re place.” 

                Sehun looked confused for a second until he took in their surroundings and then instead looked surprised. 

“How did you know this was my place?”  Sehun asked, the sudden clarity in his eyes startling Luhan.  He froze, unable to answer the question.  He couldn’t believe he had slipped up this bad.  Fortunately, Sehun started to laugh and gripped Luhan’s shoulders tighter.  He leaned forward until their faces were only an inch away.  Luhan’s stomach did a strange flip.  Sehun was practically shouting and slurring a bit, but his next words struck Luhan’s heart like a fist.  “You have a lot of secrets, and I have a lot of questions…but I promise I’ll never expect any answers.” 

“But, why?”  Luhan asked quietly.  He really couldn’t understand Sehun.  He had never met a person like him.  People were full of curiosity, dying to know everything about everyone, it was natural.  Yet, here was Sehun, so full of love and brightness for the world.  So open and trusting.  It was going to drive Luhan crazy. 

“It’s just the way I am.”  Sehun whispered, moving his unsteady gaze down from Luhan’s eyes to his lips.  “Especially with people I like.” 

                Luhan has no excuse for what happened next.  No matter how fast Sehun did it, Luhan could’ve moved, he could’ve stopped it, and he knew what was going to happen.  No excuse.  He let Sehun close the gap between them, he let Sehun kiss him. 

It only lasted 3.8 seconds, Luhan counted, yet it was the longest 3.8 seconds of his life.  He stood still with no thoughts as Sehun pulled away.  He laughed and poked Luhan on the lips before disappearing into his apartment.  Luhan walked away like a zombie.  Down the stairs, a few feet to the right, up the stairs, into his room, onto his bed.

                He honestly didn’t know what to think or feel.  Why had he let that happen?  Was it just to see how it would feel?  No, that didn’t seem right.  Did he subconsciously want it to happen?  Maybe.  In all aspects he and Sehun would make a perfect couple.  Opposites in all the right ways.  Yet, Luhan still had some reservations holding him back from accepting any feelings he might have had.  He reached under his mattress and pulled out the long knife that was stashed there.  He ran his fingers across the cool blade and for the first time he could remember he let himself drift off into a deep sleep.  

a/n: Hello!  So, are you ready for my new excuse for the late update: I got a new job, it's super exhausting and stressful so please forgive me I'm trying hard to be a stupid adult and I hate it:(  On another note, a lot of crap happened in this chapter, Luhan felt a lot of new things and little drunk Sehun made a move!^.^