Heaven Help A Fool Who Falls In Love

21.

Sorry for the late update but it's long enough so read away.

It is the longest night she can remember.

Sana must have met a hundred people like Sehun. The men stare at her like they want to eat her, offering sleazy invitations when Sehun isn't looking, "accidentally" brushing up against her intimately. The older men talk about money and business while a calculated look shines in their eyes as they gauge just how important Sana is to Sehun.

She loses count of the number of people who say "Armani? Exquisite," never meaning a word they say. Sana wonders if Hell is in truth one big soiree with rich people.

And Sehun. From the moment they walk inside, he keeps Sana close to him, not touching but close enough for the others not to mistake just who is with who. When Sehun looks at Sana it is with a dark gaze that borders on obsession, as if Sana is something necessary to him, desperately necessary.

Sehun catches her off guard because when he looks at Sana that way, Sana senses a vulnerability in him that Sana did not see before. Sehun's gaze would intensify and he would look down at Sana as if he thought Sana might not be there.

It made the night tense and difficult for Sana. She supposes she should be grateful that the long night was cut short by the "accident."

There was a harp solo. Sana had twitched once when Sehun handed her the programme. She could almost predict what was going to happen. And true enough, as Sana sat in Sehun's private box, her forehead resting on one hand...one by one...every harp string broke. A series of plink! Clink! Plink! Sana buried her head in her hands in embarrassment. There are some things that are the same whether she is in Heaven or Earth. Either that or God has a strange sense of humor.

Now, over an hour later, she stands once again in the *gold* suite, dressed in Sehun's silk shirt...the one she loves to sleep in. She looks out the window at a world she doesn't understand. In a moment of unexplained whimsy, she reaches out and draws a heart in the frosted glass. The moment she finishes, she senses that she is no longer alone.Sana turns.

Sehun stands in the room, half-turned away as he locks the door behind him. He turns back and leans on the doorjamb, crossing his arms. He studies Sana and in his gaze, Sana feels like he isn't going to stop looking for a long time. Sehun is still in his dress shirt and black pants but his tail coat and white tie are gone, two buttons near his collar undone, exposing his collarbone.

As casual as Sehun appears standing there, Sana knows that some part of Sehun wants to intimidate. Sana is slowly learning how to read Sehun. She feels like Sehun's constant need to dominate is protection. It's how Sehun hides his vulnerable side...the side that tries to hold onto Sana because Sehun is afraid that Sana might leave him. It makes Sana wonder who else has left a younger, more vulnerable Sehun.

Sana sees the rigidness in Sehun's jaw, the tension in his shoulders, the pulse beating fast on his neck, the raw, there was no other way to describe it...raw need in Sehun's shadowed eyes. Sana moves to the bed and sits in the center not knowing exactly why Sehun is there.

She cocks her head to look into Sehun's face, velvet brown eyes looking for answers before she asks the question.

Sehun shoves off from the wall and moves towards her purposefully, graceful like a sleek hunting cat.

"Why do you always look at me that way?"

That stops Sehun just at the foot of the bed where he looks down at her from his intimidating height, a challenge in his eyes. "What way is that exactly?"

"As if you're hungry."

That startles Sehun and he gives a quiet, sardonic laugh that says the joke is on him. "It's that obvious? I must be losing my poker face."