The Me In Your Canvas [SeKai]

Fourteen

"Mom! The mail's here!" Sehun called out as he was about to step out the door, briefly looking through the envelopes. One of them caught his eye- it was from the electricity company. He opened it to take a look and was surprised to see a warning letter and a hefty amount pending on their bill. Right then, his mother stepped out into the hallway and he frowned at her.

"Why didn't you tell me we haven't been paying the electricity for four months?"

She frowned at him for a moment. "Oh... I must have forgotten. Every time I tell myself I'll pay it I end up forgetting," she let out a weak chuckle, but Sehun knew it was just for show. That there was something off about her. He noticed then just how exhausted she looked and the creases around her eyes.

"Mom..."

She sighed, "I was going to do it soon, it's just... There's budgets cuts in the company and we've all been getting a down-payment. It's just been so difficult to manage lately."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to bother you with my problems. Besides I knew you'd just go and pay it yourself and-"

"Well, of course I would!"

"See? This is exactly what I didn't want! You worked so hard for that money, Sehun. I'll handle the bills but don't waste your tuition savings on this."

Sehun bit his lip, suddenly feeling guilty for having gone on that shopping trip, getting a haircut and splurging on himself, unaware of what his mother was going through all by herself. All because she didn't want to trouble him.

As much as Sehun hated to admit it, he did want to wear nice clothes. Sometimes, just sometimes, He wanted to look and feel attractive, to grab people's attention. He was only human after all. But ever since he was young and he saw that nice T-shirt, or a nice pair of jeans, he would bite his tongue because he knew their financial situation wasn't the best. He knew that there more important things they had to spend money on. Even before he got his own job, he saw how his mother was always struggling with money and tried to refrain from asking her for things as much as possible. Even when she offered, he would politely decline, or settle for something cheaper because "he liked it better".

But ever since Kai walked into his life he felt the need to do better, to look better. And just for a second, he forgot about all of that, and bought all those pointless things for himself. He didn't know how guilty and selfish he would feel about it later.

"Sehun?"

"I-I've got to go. Kai's waiting for me." He said simply and turned on his heel, unable to bear the look on his mother's face. "I'll see you tonight."

"Take care of yourself."

He bit his lip as he stepped into the elevator, the stuffy feeling inside his chest taking over him. But he must have hid it well because Kai didn't notice anything was off when he saw him, greeting him with a sunny smile that seemed to warm the cold weather. Once Sehun was close enough, he smiled shyly before pulling him into a short, chaste kiss that seemed to ease Sehun's heart, even if just a little.

"I've missed you."

"We just met like yesterday," Sehun rolled his eyes.

"Yeah but I want to be with you all the time," he pouted cutely, softly caressing Sehun's cheek that was slightly flushed from the cold, "This winter break's been such a drag."

"You could come over sometime you know," Sehun muttered under his breath, avoiding the other's gaze.

"Is that an invitation?" Kai grinned. The younger shrugged, making Kai chuckle softly.