The mirrors were endless, covering wall after wall, ceilings and floors. Sehun was in a maze of silver, seeing only himself and the gleaming lights reflected in the ceiling mirrors. Where he ran, he didn't know. He collided with his reflection on more than one occasion, whether or not he made any progress or just ran in circles... that he didn't know either.

He fell to the floor and leant against the mirrored wall. This was pointless. A journey with no aim, no idea where he was heading, going or where he came from. He sat still, wondering what he should do. Something moved to his right.

Moved? I didn't move. That was something else. He bolted up and stared intently at where he caught the flash.

There it was again! It was an elbow, one that was not his own. He followed the other figure, this time the reflection lead him rather than deceived him. He didn't bump into anything, yet his heart raced as if he did. Who is it?

The maze went on and on, but he was desperate not to lose the only other person he had seen in here.

"Wait!", he called out.

He had forgotten that this maze was soundless. Calling out did nothing.

All he could do was run, faster and faster.

The reflection of the man stopped, and Sehun was sure his heart did too. Just a little further. What he saw when he caught up with the man shocked him. He was seeing something that wasn't a reflection. It was real. On impulse, he reached out his hand to touch the figure. The man saw Sehun in the mirror and turned around. He looked just as surprised as Sehun did, wide doe eyes and an awestruck expression. "Are you real?", he mouthed.

Sehun nodded slowly, still stunned. After seeing his own reflection for... however long it'd been, seeing a fresh face was an indescribable feeling. He wanted to run his hands over the other man's face, feeling his features and making sure that he wasn't hallucinating.

His hand was still outstretched, and the other man looked down at it, his eyes still wide. Slowly, he moved his hands to touch Sehun's. The shock had them both flinch and pull their arms back. Despite the shock, they reached out to put their hands together once more. This time, while they flinched, they kept their hands together.

They marvelled at the feel of another person, their fingers interlocking and tracing lines over the other's skin. Sehun couldn't help but smile in amazement. Is this real? Is he real?

Something even more surprising happened, the other man nodded. 'I'm real'.

Both of them froze, I heard your voice.

'I heard yours'.

Sehun laughed silently in disbelief.

I've never met anyone else in this place.

'I haven't either. You're the first'.

Sehun's heart sped up. What was he to do in this situation? He was so excited, he wasn't sure how to act.

I'm Sehun.

'I'm Luhan'

Luhan. It was different. It was nice.

Luhan smiled at him.

Each different expression that Luhan pulled, each and every movement, Sehun savoured them. Everything this man did was new to him.

He felt the overwhelming urge to cry, and he did.

For once in his life, he wasn't annoyed when the person opposite him started crying too.

 

~

 

Both of them stood there, wiping tears from their eyes and smiling. 'I thought I was all alone in this place, I'm so relieved that you're here'.

Me too, I can't believe that you're here, that you're real.

'I'm real', Sehun's heart caught in his throat at Luhan's smile.

Uh...

Sehun rubbed his hand through his hair and looked away. When he did, he caught sight of his reflection looking back to him. This was what gave him courage. He couldn't stand seeing only himself from all angles any more.

Lu... han? Uh, can we stick together?

The angelic man smiled again, 'I wasn't planning on leaving your side'.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Sehun's heart skipped a beat. If it kept up at this rate, his heart wouldn't beat at all.

Neither knew what to say to each other, but they both knew how the other felt. So, they simply stood opposite from one another and drunk in the other's appearance. Sehun noticed Luhan's eyes had reached his lips, so he smiled. Luhan couldn't help but smile back in response, especially when he noticed Sehun's eyes forming arches when he smiled. It seemed as though they were smiling too.

 

~

 

Time passed in a blur, yet Sehun couldn't help but feel that each blink was a waste of time. Each blink added up, and in that time he spent with Luhan, he didn't see him at all, only the insides of his eyelids. He'd seen enough of himself for a lifetime.

He noticed Luhan's curious eyes were dropping shut, and he found he was slipping out of consciousness too.

No, I don't want to sleep! What... what if you're not here when I wake up?

Luhan looked at him and held out his hand for Sehun to take, 'I told you, I'm not leaving you. Don't leave me'.

Sehun took Luhan's warm hand in his own and clasped it securely. I wont.

 

~

 

When Sehun woke up, his hand was empty and his heart hurt.

Luhan. Luhan! Where are you? Luhan!

'Sehun!'

Luhan!

'Sehun, where are you?'

I haven't moved, I'm where we were. Where are you?'

'I haven't moved either, why can't I see you?'

I don't know! Come back.

Luhan choked back a sob, where was Sehun?

'How? I don't know where you are'.

How did we separate?

Luhan didn't know the answer to that. He missed Sehun, he just wanted to be with Sehun again.

They both stood up simultaneously, looking around wildly for the other.

Luhan, I'm going to come find you, wait for me.

 

~

 

Hours, days, weeks passed. They had no concept of time, there were no indicators other than the times they felt tired. Not once had they run into each other again. Their only communication was through thoughts. After a while, Sehun doubted that Luhan was even real in the first place. A hallucination his brain had created to deal with this eternal loneliness.

Sehun wasn't the only one experiencing hallucinations. Luhan frequently saw Sehun in the mirrors, yet he was never there, not really.

The thought of giving up looking for one another hadn't occurred to them yet, they had one goal, one thought in this maze... to find each other.

 

~

 

Another week had passed, or so they guessed. The moments when one fell asleep before the other was one of the scariest things they had experienced. The absence of the other's mind. Sehun had taken to staying awake until Luhan had fallen asleep, so that he wouldn't have to be alone in the moments before he closed his eyes.

 

~

 

When Luhan saw Sehun, he thought he was hallucinating again. It wasn't until Sehun ran to him that he realised, this was real.

Luhan!

'... Sehun? Is that really you?'

Luhan ran the final few steps to Sehun and wrapped his arms around him.

Sehun followed suit and engulfed the other man in his arms.

I'm never letting go. Even if this isn't real, even if you aren't real... I'm never letting go.

They stood there in silence, hugging each other with desperation.

In the two times they had been together, their minds seemed to be filled with silence while the times apart were the opposite.

'Don't let me fall asleep this time, Sehun', Luhan looked up at Sehun and silently pleaded him agree.

Sehun nodded.

Hours of walking together later, Sehun realised that their plan of never sleeping wouldn't work. Luhan was near to sleep-walking but he had woken him multiple times already.

It wasn't long before Luhan collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, at least, he would have if Sehun hadn't been on close watch and caught him before he hit the floor. Sehun looked down at Luhan and studied his sleeping face for the first time. It was peaceful, even more so than his expression when he was awake.

If I stop walking, I'll fall asleep too.

Sehun readjusted Luhan's position in his arms and carried him carefully.

Slowly. Don't drop him. Don't fall asleep.

Don't drop him. Don't fall asleep.

Don't fall asleep.

Don't-

 

Sehun walked straight into a mirror and whacked his head on the glass. Ouch.

Well, at least I'm awake now.

He looked down at the man in his arms and winced, he'd walked Luhan into a mirror. It's probably a good idea not to mention this.

Walking, walking. Don't stop walking, he told himself.

Sehun ran on adrenalin and motivation. If a situation had occurred where he'd need to carry something for hours without stopping before he met Luhan, he would have failed.

Although asleep, Luhan helped him walk on. His arms were being strained, his muscles were crying out in pain. His eyelids felt as though they had something weighing them down, but he pressed on. For Luhan, for himself.

Eventually, it was too much for him to take. He put Luhan down on the floor as gently as he could and fell to the floor beside him.

Luhan.

Sehun shook the sleeping man he envied.

Luhan, wake up.

It was no use, when he was asleep, there was no way to contact him.

Sehun's shakes became harder.

Please, wake up. Please Luhan. Wake up.

 

Those eyes that managed to stop Sehun's heart every time he looked into them, opened. He looked confused and dazed. If he wasn't so tired, Sehun would have smiled.

'Sehun?'

You fell asleep.

He sat up straighter and looked at Sehun in shock. 'I did? For how long?'

Sehun waved a hand dismissively, not long, he lied.

I'm falling asleep, I can't stay awake any more... do you... can you stay with me so I can sleep for a few hours? If you feel tired, wake me up. Don't fall asleep.

Luhan stared at Sehun.

'Sure'.

Sehun's eyes closed and he fell asleep instantly.

Luhan's head tilted to the side in thought, he didn't feel tired any more. Had he slept for longer than Sehun implied? He stared at the man in front of him, he looked exhausted.

'I'll watch over you'.

 

~

 

Sehun bolted upright the moment he woke up, searching wildly around for Luhan.

He sighed with relief and fell back down to the floor, you're still here.

'I am. You're still here too'.

Sehun looked at Luhan and smiled, I am.

Luhan watched as Sehun rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched.

Are you tired?

Luhan shook his head, 'I'm okay. Should we go now?'

Go? Where are we heading?

Luhan shrugged, 'I don't know... but there's more of a chance we'll find something walking around than we will sitting here'.

Sehun stood up and held out a hand to pull Luhan up. He hid his wince as he did so; his muscles still ached from earlier.

They began walking in the direction of the path Sehun had been following, keeping close together from fear that the other would fade away and disappear.

After a minute of walking, Luhan rubbed a hand over his head,  'My head hurts'

Sehun's eyes flashed to him for a second before looking away, it's probably the mirrors, it's no surprise if they're damaging to our eyes.

'Ah, that's probably why'.

Yeah.

Sehun tried avoiding looking at Luhan. Eventually the temptation was too strong and he allowed himself glances at the man frequently.

Should I tell him? Sehun wondered.

Luhan had guessed the reason behind his headache, he asked purely to see how Sehun would react. His guilty expression gave it away.

Luhan started laughing at his companion. Sehun was startled at his sudden expression change, but found himself joining in with the soundless laughter.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.

'It's okay, it'll pass', Luhan grinned.

 

~

 

They'd spoken of their memories, or lack thereof, during their search for one another. Now, they had only the new memories to talk about, or to experience. When walking along, Sehun would nudge Luhan with his side, knocking him off course then laughing as he stumbled. Of course, Luhan would retaliate and surprise Sehun with his strength. They laughed and joked with each other often. They didn't have any friendships to compare theirs to, but they enjoyed every minute of it.

When one felt tired, often Luhan first, Sehun would watch over him and then wake him when he couldn't stay awake any longer. Luhan would then watch over Sehun until he woke up. There was never a moment when they were both asleep, not after the first night.

The distance they covered and the time they spent walking is unknown.

 

~

 

Sehun and Luhan stopped in their tracks to stare at the wall in front of them. They had walked for weeks (they assumed) along this path, with no alternate paths to follow.

A dead-end?

'It... We've walked for ages'

This is the first dead-end I've seen.

'I don't remember seeing a dead-end in this maze before'

Sehun threw his hands up in the air in frustration, is there no way out of here?

Luhan looked at the mirrored floor and stared back into his own eyes, 'If there is, who knows how long it'll take for us to find it'.

Sehun walked up to the wall and slammed his palm against the glass. Again, and again and again.

"Let us out!", he mouthed.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. 'Sehun, stop'.

He turned around to look at Luhan.

I don't know if I can do this much longer.

Luhan froze, 'What do you mean?'.

This, walking around the maze. I already feel crazy in here. I just want to get OUT.

He slammed his fist on the mirror one last time to emphasise his last word.

C R A C K.

Both of them looked at the mirror in shock.

Did you hear that?

'It just cracked?!'

Sehun laughed in disbelief, I've tried smashing the mirrors before, they're reinforced.

'Maybe this one's not? Try hitting it again'.

Sehun complied, slamming his fist with more vigour into the mirror.

C  R  A  C  K.

The small crack in the glass expanded and branched out like a cobweb.

Luhan gasped, Sehun stared.

Luhan, help me smash this mirror.

Luhan took a step forward, then another, until he was in line with Sehun.

He looked up at him and smiled, his heart racing faster than it ever had before. Were they about to escape?

'On three, ready?'

Sehun nodded and couldn't help but smile at Luhan. They were both excited at the idea of getting out, and this just added to the fuel behind their fists.

'One'

Two.

'Three'

Their hands moved simultaneously, hitting the mirror with a force hard enough to smash through it completely. Glass fell around their fists and left multiple scratches on both of their hands. The pieces of glass above the gap began to fall at an alarming rate, quickly, Sehun grabbed Luhan and pulled them both backwards and out of danger. From a safe distance, they observed from afar as the mirror fell to reveal a world outside what they knew.

When the last piece fell, the air rushed in as though inviting them.

Their bloody hands interlocked. 

"Ready?", Sehun asked Luhan. His voice was raspy after such a long period of not speaking. Was this what his voice sounded like?

Luhan's eyes were wide in awe, shocked, he could only nod.

Together, they stepped out into the world.