SPILLING SECRETS: First meetings - Suho POV

“Hey man, are you feeling alright?” Lucas asked, stopping a few steps above to observe how his new friend struggled to climb the fourth flight of stairs.

“Yeah, yeah… Ugh. You go on ahead, I'll catch up.”

“Okay. If you don't get upstairs in two minutes, I'll send a rescue team. Hang in there!”

With an amused chuckle, Lucas disappeared from sight, leaving Suho one floor behind. Now that he was alone there was no need to put up a front, so he took the chance to rest against the wall for a few seconds and catch his breath, starting to get a bit worried about his physical condition. What's wrong with me today?

Perhaps his lack of energy was the result of not having eaten properly for the past few days. The fact he hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours for two nights straight to finish some comissions was weighting down on him, too. And to top it all, he had to listen to all those things his mother said on the phonecall th— No, stop the depressing thoughts. You came here today to have fun and make some friends.

“Uh–oh… Don’t tell me you are already regretting agreeing to help us out.”

Startled by the unexpected female voice, Suho stopped counting the floor tiles and looked up. A girl around his age with a pretty smile was walking down the steps, and came to a stop right in front of him. Her expression was kind, and the color of her eyes contrasted with the shade of her shirt. A perfect combination that, if he were to try and replicate on canvas, would look tot— Stop staring at her like an idiot and say something.

“I was making some calculations, actually. How many seconds would it take me to go back to the first floor and disappear? Just to know my chances of success” he joked, moving away from the wall and straightening his posture in order to stop looking like an old man with a heart disease who had just run away from a starving crocodile.

“Too late. There’s no escape now! You’ve been intercepted by the enemy" she said, playing along with a laugh that made the corner of his own lips rise. Without even realizing it, Suho's shoulders finally relaxed, letting himself be carried away by her calm demeanor.

“Well, if the enemy is you, sticking around for the night might not be so bad” he blurted out without thinking. It was when her eyes widened slightly in surprise that he realized how awkward that sounded, rushing to explain himself. “What I was trying to say is that you seem to be a kind and fun person, not that… I wasn't implying… You know what I mean.”

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything. Feeling uncomfortable, Suho bit his lip. But right when he was about to start babbling again, the girl chuckled. Oh… That’s new. Did she really find that amusing? A weight lifted from his stomach, relieved that he hadn't ruined such a good opportunity to get to know new people.

“Sorry… That just reminded me of the chat we had the other day through the app” she explained, a trace of a smile on her lips. Suho's eyebrows rose. So you’re… her? But his thoughts were interrupted by her next words. “You're just as cute in person.”

"Cute"? He didn't quite know how to feel about that adjective. It was good, wasn't it? Still, there was something about that word that bothered him. He had experience in being the "cute" guy, and each and every time, that term had been used to refer to the funny guy who, no matter how good he was, always ended up… alone. Not everyone is the same. Don't overthink it. Forcing himself, he managed to smile back.

“Thanks for the compliment! Well, I got what I came for. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to b—” he said, shaking the imaginary dust off his hands and pretending to turn around to go back the way he had come.

“Hey! Where do you think you're going?!” Laughing again, she rushed to grab his arm and drag him up the stairs. “We need those strong arms to carry some boxes. Let's hurry, I've left the others upstairs without adult supervision and they’ve probably made a mess by now.”

He knew she was just joking around, but the words "strong arms" gave him a funny feeling in his stomach. Huh? Why do I have this strange need of hearing more things like that from her? Now he felt... confused. And his ears too, because they were getting hotter than usual.

Luckily, his blush went unnoticed as introductions began. That group of people was… weird. But weird in a good and totally extravagant way. Maybe, this time, he would be able to create real connections, and feel like he belonged. Maybe he would find his place, after searching for it for so many years.

“Earth to Suho” Lucas asked after taking a sip from his water bottle, standing right next to him. His voice got Suho’s attention, who was finally able to take his eyes off the kitchen door, where she had just disappeared through a few moments ago. “What are you staring at so hard? Has going up and down the stairs five hundred times affected your brain?”

“Nothing” he lied, avoiding the question and trying to get back to work.

Ignoring his answer, Lucas put his face close to his, following the direction of his gaze. And of course, she had to come back from the kitchen right then, bringing a few more bottles of water in her hands and narrowly avoiding bumping into Emma, who was chasing Samuel with a feather duster. Just my luck.

“Sorry, my friend, but…” Lucas said, putting his hand on his shoulder as if he was about to give him his condolences. Then, he whispered the rest in his ear. “She has a boyfriend.”

Ugh. Of course she had a boyfriend. How could she not? In an attempt to hide his disappointment, he bent down to pick up one of the boxes, although he wasn't sure which room he should take it to.

“Are you gonna help me carry all this stuff or not?” he asked, walking towards the hallway with fake confidence. Lucas rushed to grab another box, trying to hold back his laughter, with no success.

_______________

[The next day...]

Lying in bed, Suho raised his arms in the air, staring at the phone screen for the umpteenth time that night. But once again, he didn't dare start a new conversation with her. Arg. Why does it feel so awkward? Feeling like a coward, he threw the phone against the mattress and abruptly left the bed, ready to return to his desk. Maybe focusing on one of his comissions would help him get her out of his head.