(( Hello all! Happy friday ^^ I have a small thing to bring up :3 Seeing how both of our beta-readers are hella busy right now, and probably will be through the end of the fic, I was wondering if there was anyone who was interested in being a beta for the last several chapters? You don't have to do much; no editing required, I just like having someone to talk to about the fic who isn't Angel since we both know everything, as it makes it a little easier for me to stay motivated, especially during times where there are few comments. If anyone's interested, feel free to leave a comment or send me a pm! ))

 

“Morning you two,” Minseok greeted, raising the hand that wasn’t attached to one of ZiTao’s to offer a small wave, stopping in front of Sehun and LuHan.

“It’s the middle of the afternoon,” LuHan pointed out with a laugh, Minseok’s smile faltering in the slightest.

“It is?”

“You don’t look all that awake yet, Minseok-Hyung,” Sehun pointed out, the copper haired male shaking his head before running a hand through his hair, ZiTao’s head coming down to hook his chin over the older’s shoulder.

“I haven’t had enough coffee for it to already be the afternoon,” he stated, ZiTao tilting his head to look at the other.

“Half a pot of coffee isn’t enough?” The blond asked, voice laced with amusement, Minseok turning his attention to him.

“Not with how late you wanted me to stay up,” he replied, though the trace of a smile on his lips betrayed any distaste his tone tried to mimic, a pout playing across the younger’s lips in response, and they parted just before LuHan cut in, draping his arm around Minseok’s neck.

“You two are shameless to bring up something like that out in public,” he teased, causing ZiTao’s cheeks to tint a little darker than Minseok’s. “Why don’t the two of you get something to drink while Minseok-Hyung and I get coffee?” he suggested, the two blonds exchanging a glance.

“Bubble tea?” Sehun asked, ZiTao’s smile returning to his lips.

“Sounds good to me,” he replied, kissing Minseok’s cheek before allowing LuHan to drag him away. 
 

“You made it seem like you were trying to get me alone,” Minseok pointed out once they were out of sight from the younger two.

“I just wanted to check in and see how things were going. Last time we got the chance to sit down and talk you mentioned being a little worried about asking ZiTao to move in with you. I mean, it did seem pretty impulsive for you, suddenly asking him to live with you after finding out his roommate was allergic to dogs,” LuHan reasoned, holding the door to the coffee shop open for the other.

“I had that completely planned!” Minseok argued, LuHan cocking an eyebrow.

“Sure you did. It was just a clever way for you to ask ZiTao to move in with you,” he replied sarcastically, earning an elbow into his side, rubbing at the sore spot before he ordered his drink. They made their way out of the coffee shop before LuHan’s lips quirked up in a slight teasing smirk when Minseok brought up ZiTao’s new job was working with children.

“Looks like you’ll have to find creative places to hide your hickies now so he doesn’t get in trouble at work,” he cooed, Minseok looking over at him from the corner of his eye. The older’s hand raised to LuHan’s neck, poking his finger into the dark mark on the pink haired male’s neck, causing the other to let out a small squeak as he jerked away.

“Unlike the two of you, who shamelessly leave them anywhere,” he replied, LuHan’s cheeks tinting as his hand came up to cover the mark. “I’m glad, though,” Minseok added, confusion filtering into LuHan’s eyes. “Back when we were together, you were always so stiff when we were out in public, you wouldn’t even hold my hand unless it was hidden under a table cloth. Seeing you be touchy with Sehun, even when walking down a public street… It makes me really happy knowing you’re with someone that you’re so comfortable around.” The confusion on the younger’s face faded, a smile taking place across his lips.

“How can you stand living with just LuHan-Ge? Isn’t it boring?” ZiTao asked, offering his card to the cashier, and earning a curious look from the younger.

“Why would it be boring?”

“Well, living with Minseok-Hyung is boring a lot of the time. Not long after I first moved in he would go a week where he’s rarely home and then he’s got a day off and then a couple of shorter days before he’s non-existent for another week. There’s only so much I can do to entertain myself, and Candi is still small so she can’t go on walks for long without getting really tired. Most of the time I end up carrying her home because of how far I go to just get out of the apartment since it’s no fun being there alone. I know in the last week Minseok-Hyung’s been spending more time at the apartment-”

“Because you probably complained to his boss, as if it’s his boss’ fault that you’re dating a workaholic,” Sehun cut in, the other huffing.

“Well, duh. I started seeing him less after moving in than I did when I lived with Victoria-Jie!” He exclaimed, following Sehun out of the bubble tea shop. “Anyway, now he’s home a lot more, but he’s not really there since he’s got his nose in those case files of his all the time. Half the time I can’t even distract him with ,” he added, more so mumbled, around his straw. “I swear I cuddle more with Candi than my own boyfriend most nights.”

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re exaggerating just because you don’t get to ‘cuddle’ with him as much as you want,” Sehun teased, the older pouting at him. “You could always try to pick up a hobby.”

“I found an entry level teaching assistant position at one of the martial arts school for children,” ZiTao stated, Sehun humming to show he heard the other though he seemed a little more focused on his bubble tea than ZiTao’s self-proclaimed crisis. Though when ZiTao inspected his face a little closer his curiosity was perked about something else tugging at the younger’s mind. “What is it?” he asked, Sehun looking up at him for a long moment before his eyebrows scrunched up a little.

“What is what?” the blond asked in turn, watching ZiTao shake his head.

“I may not be as observant as Jongin, but I can tell something’s up with you. You and LuHan-Ge aren’t fighting, are you?” He pressed, Sehun’s eyes widening for a moment before he laughed a couple of times and shook his head.

“No, trust me it’s nothing like that,” Sehun said, looking at the older who was staring at him with an expectant look. “Well, you see the thing is Jongin-Hyung went ring shopping for Kyungsoo-Hyung… And wanted me to go alone, and while he was talking to one of the workers I found a ring that… really suited LuHan-Hyung… So I set up a payment plan for the half that I wasn’t able to pay for right away…” When ZiTao didn’t respond for a long moment, Sehun looked up to find the older’s eyes wide.

“You two are getting married already?!” ZiTao exclaimed, and Sehun felt his cheeks start to burn before he pushed at the other’s shoulder.

“Would you keep it down?” he countered. “Why are you freaking out about Hyung and I getting married, and not the fact that Jongin-Hyung’s going to propose to Kyungsoo-Hyung soon?”

“Haven’t they been together for like, ever?” ZiTao asked, Sehun rolling his eyes and settling on one of the benches outside of the bubble tea shop while they waited for the other two to join them, keeping most of his attention on the corner they would be coming back around. “I’ve known you longer than you and LuHan-Ge have been together, so it seems… rushed?”

“They’ve only been together a couple of months less than Baekhyun-Hyung and Chanyeol-Hyung, from what Jongin-Hyung was telling me. If you ignore the break that they had, that is,” Sehun added, feeling a slight tug at his heart as the memories; Jongin had been so worried about the older after everything that happened, clinging to Chanyeol’s side so much that Sehun was sure that the other wouldn’t have let him and Baekhyun make up. The first time a few of them had gotten together after Baekhyun and Chanyeol had made up, Sehun had to hold onto Jongin any time that Baekhyun would start to get an attitude; but when he saw the way that Chanyeol smiled at Baekhyun when the brunet wasn’t looking Jongin finally backed off.

“I always thought that they had been childhood friends that fell in love along the way with how close they are,” ZiTao replied, pulling Sehun back from his thoughts to shake his head.

“Anyway, it’s not like Hyung and I are going to get engaged anytime soon, we’re not ready for that… We’ve been living together for less than a year, I just… want to have it for when I think we’re ready and I figure out how I want to propose,” Sehun continued.

“I think that’s what I want to do…” He heard ZiTao murmur softly, looking over at him with the intention of asking what he meant when the older jumped up and pranced over to the pair, ending the conversation and Sehun took his place beside his pink haired boyfriend.

“Where to?” Minseok asked as ZiTao looped an arm around one of his, the pair following Sehun and LuHan’s lead.

“There’s an arcade that opened a couple of months ago that Sehun said he wanted to check out, does that sound good?” LuHan asked, earning a nod from ZiTao and then a slightly hesitant one from Sehun before the four of them made their way downtown.
 

Minseok didn’t take to many of the games and soon opted to just observing, though LuHan noticed the look in his eyes as he watched ZiTao, the way the corner of his lips would quirk up when the blond would get excited about winning, even felt a faint tenderness in his own heart. He couldn’t express how grateful he was that the pair had managed to make up, continuing mostly like nothing had happened. He didn’t know what he would do if he had to be separated from Sehun; not that the younger was the type to do anything that would warrant it, the worst that they had fought over was something that wasn't even their own battle. LuHan’s attention shifted to Sehun, who was trying to convince ZiTao to pay for the next round, which earned him a pout. Sehun nudged the other in the side, which ended up being enough for the older blond to give in, and the pair set off on another round of one of the many variations of a fighter game.

Fighting… come to think of it, have we ever had an actual fight? LuHan wondered, his arms crossing loosely over his chest, running through the several scenarios that he could remember where things had gotten tense between them. Nothing more than a slight rise in their tone, and nothing that lasted long. Everything was quick to get sorted out, and they were quick to return to their playful nature. His smile drooped into a small frown, a faint cold feeling starting in the back of his throat and he noticed that Sehun had stopped moving just before ZiTao looked over at him.

“Sehun?” ZiTao called, LuHan darting to his side, his heart jumping at the paleness to the youngest’s face, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Sehun, are you alright?” he asked, giving the other’s should a small shake before he seemed to come to, looking to LuHan before his knees gave out, LuHan catching him a moment too late, and they both ended up on the floor. Sehun seemed to take a moment to process what had happened, a dizzy like bob of his head before he shook it and looked down, eyebrows coming close together. “Sehun, what happened?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Maybe he got motion sick?” Minseok suggested, ZiTao kneeling beside the two on the ground to help LuHan get Sehun back on his feet.

“That’s never happened before. Sehun, you’re not getting sick are you?” ZiTao asked, Sehun shaking his head again.

“No, something… something’s wrong.” The other three exchanged a look before turning their attention back to Sehun.

“We should get him home,” Minseok said, LuHan nodding and looping one of Sehun’s arms around his neck, wrapping his arm around the blond’s waist, guiding him out of the arcade. They were almost back to LuHan and Sehun’s apartment when Sehun flinched as his mobile started to ring, and if possible Sehun grew even paler. LuHan stopped, allowing the other to fish his mobile out of his pocket, the screen showing an unsaved number, and he felt the tightness in the other’s chest as he answered it and held it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello, I’m calling for Oh Sehun.” The blond swallowed hard.

“This is him.”

“Mr. Oh, you’re listed as the emergency contact for a Mr. Kim Jongin. I’m sorry to inform you, but there’s been an accident.”