Ex With Benefits

E P I L O G U E

Faint, jazzy music hummed softly within the establishment that hugely contradicted the blond's sombre mood. He sat at one of the high bar stools as he hung his head low. A short, clear glass filled was halfway with amber liquid. Sehun stared at the liquor in front of him, gripped tightly within his bony fingers. The young man then brought the rim of the glass closely to his lips and elevated it a bit, taking a sip of the intoxicating beverage. It burnt his throat and he could feel the fire inside his stomach as the drink went down. He couldn't decide whether he liked it or despised it. Maybe he was far too drunk or far too numbed by a greater pain inside his chest.

Six months had passed since his last meeting with Baekhyun yet, the exact same words of parting still rang inside his head. The way the orange beams of the sun had illuminated his former lover's soft features—eyes melancholic and never meeting his, the way he toyed with the teaspoon in his cup—Sehun remembers it all. Even in his most painful memories, Baekhyun still looked as divine as the man he fell in love with.

The man he still deeply loves.

Wiping harshly the bitter tears off his pale cheeks, Sehun choked a sob as he once again gulped on the bitter drink. It was coarse and burning, but he was just very desperate to maybe at least drown all the thoughts and emotions Baekhyun always manages to bring up.

Why can't it be him?

Every day, he would greet Chanyeol the same way as he did before. He flashed his friend smiles which felt distant. Sehun hated it because not only he was lying to Chanyeol, but he was lying to himself as well. They would talk about lots of things and whenever Chanyeol accidentally mentions Baekhyun in front of him, he would just smile and shake it off to ease the guilt-stricken giant in front of him. A part of him says that Chanyeol should, however, the mature side of him says that it wasn't Chanyeol's fault. It wasn't Baekhyun's fault, either. Say, who is to there to blame if fate brought two people together to fall in love?

"You know, I should stop you before you pass out but judging the way you drown on that poison, I think you need it more than ever right now, don't you?"

Sehun was too drunk to form words so he opted for a grunt. However, he was still sober enough to see the face at the other side of the counter. Dark hair framed his sharp features, eyes heavy with bags beneath. His smile was more of a devious smirk and the white dress shirt he wore hugged his slim features perfectly. The bartender stopped wiping the glass as he gently placed it down along with the rag. Sehun watched him briefly wipe his hands on his apron and extend it in front of him. "Hello, I'm Tao and that one right there-" Tao the bartender nodded to his side and Sehun looked to see a blond nest slumbering beside him, "-is Luhan, a regular here". Sehun smiled and took Tao's hand. "Hi Tao, I'm Sehun"

Maybe Sehun could stop picturing how happy Baekhyun will be when he sees the modest diamond ring Chanyeol had purchased today, after all.