No Love Allowed

Twelve

Sehun drove until the sun turned the sky orange and pink, unwilling to face the emptiness of home while still fuming. His frustration finally brought him to the massive man-made lake found at the center of Seoul. Summer homes surrounds the surrounding area. He parked his car near the shore and just sat there, staring at the calm water.

He blamed himself for the tears he had seen Suzy dauntlessly keep unshed. All day he had been amazed at her beauty and the grace with which she mingled with his people, but nothing compared to the fire in her eyes as she slammed out of his car. He deserved her anger.

He had been too happy with her performance, and then he'd had to go and mess it all up. At least she hadn't thrown the phone at him.

He leaned forward until his forehead banged against the steering wheel. If she refused to accompany him to the next event, he couldn't blame her. His insides twisted at the thought of the consequences of going without a date, but what could he do?

Then the passenger-side door opened, and the car dipped as someone got in. He turned his head and lifted his fists, ready to defend himself. A blink later he recognized Baekhyun, dressed in nothing but running shorts and running shoes.

"Aish, Baek," he said, lowering one fist while running his hands through his hair. "You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?"

"On a run," Baekhyun deadpanned. "What are you doing here?"

Closing his eyes, Sehun sighed, "I screwed up."

A silence followed.

Then, just when the silence between them grew thick, Baekhyun said, "You'll have to specify what you mean."

Laughter blossomed in Sehun's throat, begging to be released. Just barely, he managed to keep the humor in, out of respect for the seriousness of his friend's statement.

Without hesitation he described everything that had happened with Suzy after he brought her home. He winced at the memory of the box throwing.

"That explains you moping in your car," Baekhyun said.

Others would have taken his words as an attempt at making light of the situation. Sehun knew better. "So, like I said, I screwed up. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't want to see me again."

"And you still have several more events to attend for the firm."

"Don't remind me," he groaned.

Another long silence. He let it play out. Baekhyun was thinking, he could feel it from across the front seat. He was at loss for what to do next. Asking for forgiveness wasn't his strong suit.

"Do you know what she likes?"

The sudden question took him aback. "What?"

"Her likes," Baekhyun said. "You must know one thing she's interested in."

The answer popped into his head immediately. "Painting."

"I suggest you drive to the nearest art supply store and fill an entire basket with whatever you think she'd need."

Sehun huffed. "I don't think she'll accept anything from me right now. Might even pissed her off even more."

"Who says you need to be the one to give it to her?"

Sehun smiled, catching on to Baekhyun's idea, and started his car. A solid friend was hard to find. "You want to come with me?"

The guy shook his head, and just as fast as he had come, he stepped out of the car. Without breaking his stride, he resumed his run. Sehun watched his friend's back disappear around a bend, then he put his car in reverse and mentally cataloged all the supplies he had in mind to buy.