friendship [lay/lu han]
lay/lu han; pg; ~2000 words; i own nothing herein but the plot
lu han is popular chinese idol zhang yixing's number one fanboy.
a/n: originally posted here at seoulfulness.
"oh my god, you don't understand. i NEED to get closer to the stage," lu han practically screeches over the phone.
the salesperson grunts noncommittally. "sorry sir, these are the only tickets left. take it or leave it."
lu han clutches the phone to his ear and gnaws on the knuckles of his free hand anxiously. he only has $50 to blow on tickets to zhang yixing's 3rd anniversary concert and maybe this is his last chance. after a moment of contemplation, lu han rattles off his address to the salesperson and confirms the transaction.
he can't sleep. the concert is tomorrow and lu han can't sleep. he lies awake staring at the 4 feet tall poster of yixing's perfect face tacked on his bedside wall. his eyes flick over to the life-size cut out of yixing standing next to bed. it is with this repetitive motion, eyes wandering lazily back and forth between images of perfection, that lu han finally lulls himself to sleep.
his friends all think he's crazy. he used to love SNSD and S.H.E. as much as the lot of his classmates at his all-boys school, but when yixing made his debut three years ago, lu han found himself unable to think of anything but the new idol.
what first caught his attention was yixing's single dimple. then, lu han watched yixing's first few interviews with sina and tudou and yin yue tai and he knew. yixing, this far away idol who he's never met and knows nothing of his existence, fills a part of him that he never even knew was empty.
he doesn't know how to put it to words, but yixing is like the best friend he's always wished for. when he's feeling down, yixing's self-composed songs and mainstream pop mixes pull him out of his puddle of self-pity. yixing's weibo updates, filled to the brim with asian emoticons and "jia you"s, give lu han the encouragement he needs on days when being at a boarding school hundreds of miles away from home gets to be too much. yixing's lame jokes and easy humor during interviews and game shows leave lu han muffling laughter at 2am, desperately trying not to wake his roommates.
perhaps lu han just likes the idea of yixing. a laid-back friend who understands him and, even during moments when he doesn't understand, will nod in assurance. lu han doesn't need much. he just wants comfortable company. someone unlike his rowdy friends at school. someone quiet and contemplative, but equally balanced with quick wit and soft smiles, dreamy eyes, warm arms.
all throughout the concert, lu han holds his breath. he is surrounded by screaming girls and a few boys like himself, but he stays quiet, muted. he stares at the stage, far away, but illuminated with a blue light that washes the figure on stage in an ethereal haze. lu han isn't as excited as he thought he would be, to be this close to yixing. rather, he's happy. a happiness that feels strangely permanent, here to stay even when excitement fades.
oh, the effect that yixing has on him.
when yixing exits the stage hours later amidst thunderous cheers, lu han waves his limited-edition lightstick in the air with every ounce of enthusiasm he has left.
lu han's too elated to go back to his dorms just yet. he tells the taxi driver to pull over to his favorite cafe a few blocks away from the concert hall, tipping the kindly ahjussi generously because it's just such a great night.
his happiness is infectious.
he settles into a booth and orders his usual: taro bubble tea and raspberry cheesecake. he makes sure to send a quick prayer of thanks to his higher ups for giving him the gift of insane pre-teen metabolism. lu han borrows a poetry collection from the small bookshelf in the corner of the cafe and settles in, sipping his bubble tea and skimming lazily over excerpts of pretty poetry.
even though the cafe is pretty empty, customers often stop in for late-night snacks so when the entrance bells tinkle a half hour later, lu han doesn't even glance up from his book. he's so engrossed that he even fails to register the sneaker-clad feet that stop right next to his booth.
"hey."
lu han jumps in his seat, startled. he swivels toward the voice, finding a man about his own size and stature standing next to him. the stranger has multiple scarves wrapped around his neck and a cap pulled low over his brows. his face is cast in shadows.
lu han scoots further into his booth. the man looks glaringly suspicious in the quaint cafe and lu han has had his fair share of creepy men trying to come unto him.<
"uh, hello."
the man smiles, head still dipped to conceal his face. he reaches forward to tap lu han's book lightly. "ooh, poetry. hemingway? he's my favorite western writer. do you like him too?"
lu han crinkles his nose. something about the stanger seems familiar. he decides that the man seems nice, probably only seeking him out for company. and besides, he can never resist talking about beautiful writing. "yeah, he's also my favorite!" lu han bites on his lip in an attempt to stifle the english nerd in him. "his writing is so simple but so...so powerful. i've read all of his most popular works and i'm planning on finishing up his poetry and i want to-"
he pauses mid-sentence when the stranger lets out an amused chuckle. lu han stiffens on impulse. he's always felt a little insecure in school because some of the other boys like to mock his tendency to prefer books over sports games and the like.
the man quickly backtracks, resting his hand for a second on lu han's in reassurance, "i'm sorry, i didn't mean to laugh. i just find you really amusing and interesting. it's been a while since i've come across a guy my age who actually reads hemingway for fun."
the smile in the stranger's voice is obvious. lu han finds himself relaxing back into his seat again. he returns the smile and warmly welcomes the man to sit down at his booth. for the time being, lu han lowers his head and returns to his reading. when he looks back up a few moments later, reading to share a few beautiful lines with his companion, he nearly chokes on his own breath.
the man's cap lies on the table and his scarves are loosened, revealing styled brown hair, misty eyes and a faint smile.
"wh- what," lu han stumbles out dumbly.
it's zhang fucking yixing. zhang yixing is in the same booth as him. looking at him. smiling at him. dimples and all.
"ah, you know who i am?" yixing laughs, eyes crinkling.
lu han stays frozen. this can't be happening. he must have done something very, very right in his past life or-
"don't tell me you're my anti?" yixing asks good-naturedly after seconds of lu han's stunned silence. lu han jumps up almost comically and shakes his head vehemently. he gapes for a moment more, drawing more chuckles from yixing.
"no, oh my god, no no, i'm your biggest fan. i swear to god. i was at your concert today and i have all of your limited edition merch," lu han draws in a breath, head still spinning, "and i have all of your albums. even your mini-albums and your gold-edition first album. and- and i have a cardboard cutout of you. oh my god, no, that's creepy, i'm so sorr-"
lu han quickly cuts himself off before he can further embarrass himself in front of the idol he's practically devoted his past three years of pathetic teenage existence too. he glares at the poetry swimming across the pages before him and blushes heavily.
he's mortified.
then, he feels warmth surrounding his trembling hands. he risks a peek up and is met with yixing's small smile once again. he quickly averts his eyes, only to see YIXING'S PERFECT HANDS HOLDING HIS.
"you're so adorable," yixing chirps.
lu han gapes at him.
what.
"what's your name?"
asdlfkjsdlfksdjf?!??? lu han doesn't think his ears are working right. did zhang yixing, pop singer extraordinaire, idol of millions of chinese teenagers, just ask him for his name?
"lu-lu han," he manages to stammer.
"lu han, it's nice to meet you," yixing gets up to give a small bow, "i'm zhang yixing and it's nice to meet you."
lu han reciprocates the greeting and flashes a smile that leaves yixing cooing dramatically over how cute he is again.
when the initial formalities make way for more comfortable conversation, lu han gradually settles into the slow, dreamy lull that is yixing's world. they talk english and fibonacci's sequence and favorite historical chinese generals as the night wears on. when the manager finally begins to close up shop, yixing accompanies lu han as far as his car.
"so," lu han ventures to ask, "what are you doing here? shouldn't you be, uh, doing idol stuff right now?"
yixing laughs again, shaking his head. "i need a break sometimes. after concerts, my manager lets me have some time to myself so i usually don a few scarves and caps, and wander around until i have to turn in for the night," he squeezes lu han's arm affectionately and levels him with a warm gaze, "tonight was fun."
lu han nods dumbly. he had fun too, more than he's remember ever having, but the night is coming to a close and yixing will have to go in a few minutes. he'll probably never see yixing ever again.
"i thought so too," lu han mumbles quietly. "uh, good luck with your singing. and..." he trails off, unsure of what to say. is there even a right way for him to say bye to his idol under such circumstances?
yixing's dimple returns. he whips out his phone and draws up his contacts; he hands the phone over to lu han expectantly. lu han, struck dumb for the nth time that night, stares blankly at the iphone in his hands. it's only after yixing rolls his eyes good-naturedly and whispers, your number, does lu han gain back enough sense to input his cellphone.
"good," yixing takes back his phone and shoots out a quick text, "i just texted you so you'll have my number. let's stay in contact, okay? and hang out whenever we're both free!"
lu han feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. he looks at yixing curiously. is his idol actually mental? "but...why?"
yixing regards him as if he's the mental one, reaching forward to lightly tap lu han's head. his gesture is one of equal parts mocking and affection; it's the kind of gesture friends exchange.
"well," yixing smiles at lu han, "we're friends now, aren't we?"
***
(couldn't resist writing fanboy!lu han.)
lu han is popular chinese idol zhang yixing's number one fanboy.
a/n: originally posted here at seoulfulness.
"oh my god, you don't understand. i NEED to get closer to the stage," lu han practically screeches over the phone.
the salesperson grunts noncommittally. "sorry sir, these are the only tickets left. take it or leave it."
lu han clutches the phone to his ear and gnaws on the knuckles of his free hand anxiously. he only has $50 to blow on tickets to zhang yixing's 3rd anniversary concert and maybe this is his last chance. after a moment of contemplation, lu han rattles off his address to the salesperson and confirms the transaction.
he can't sleep. the concert is tomorrow and lu han can't sleep. he lies awake staring at the 4 feet tall poster of yixing's perfect face tacked on his bedside wall. his eyes flick over to the life-size cut out of yixing standing next to bed. it is with this repetitive motion, eyes wandering lazily back and forth between images of perfection, that lu han finally lulls himself to sleep.
his friends all think he's crazy. he used to love SNSD and S.H.E. as much as the lot of his classmates at his all-boys school, but when yixing made his debut three years ago, lu han found himself unable to think of anything but the new idol.
what first caught his attention was yixing's single dimple. then, lu han watched yixing's first few interviews with sina and tudou and yin yue tai and he knew. yixing, this far away idol who he's never met and knows nothing of his existence, fills a part of him that he never even knew was empty.
he doesn't know how to put it to words, but yixing is like the best friend he's always wished for. when he's feeling down, yixing's self-composed songs and mainstream pop mixes pull him out of his puddle of self-pity. yixing's weibo updates, filled to the brim with asian emoticons and "jia you"s, give lu han the encouragement he needs on days when being at a boarding school hundreds of miles away from home gets to be too much. yixing's lame jokes and easy humor during interviews and game shows leave lu han muffling laughter at 2am, desperately trying not to wake his roommates.
perhaps lu han just likes the idea of yixing. a laid-back friend who understands him and, even during moments when he doesn't understand, will nod in assurance. lu han doesn't need much. he just wants comfortable company. someone unlike his rowdy friends at school. someone quiet and contemplative, but equally balanced with quick wit and soft smiles, dreamy eyes, warm arms.
all throughout the concert, lu han holds his breath. he is surrounded by screaming girls and a few boys like himself, but he stays quiet, muted. he stares at the stage, far away, but illuminated with a blue light that washes the figure on stage in an ethereal haze. lu han isn't as excited as he thought he would be, to be this close to yixing. rather, he's happy. a happiness that feels strangely permanent, here to stay even when excitement fades.
oh, the effect that yixing has on him.
when yixing exits the stage hours later amidst thunderous cheers, lu han waves his limited-edition lightstick in the air with every ounce of enthusiasm he has left.
lu han's too elated to go back to his dorms just yet. he tells the taxi driver to pull over to his favorite cafe a few blocks away from the concert hall, tipping the kindly ahjussi generously because it's just such a great night.
his happiness is infectious.
he settles into a booth and orders his usual: taro bubble tea and raspberry cheesecake. he makes sure to send a quick prayer of thanks to his higher ups for giving him the gift of insane pre-teen metabolism. lu han borrows a poetry collection from the small bookshelf in the corner of the cafe and settles in, sipping his bubble tea and skimming lazily over excerpts of pretty poetry.
even though the cafe is pretty empty, customers often stop in for late-night snacks so when the entrance bells tinkle a half hour later, lu han doesn't even glance up from his book. he's so engrossed that he even fails to register the sneaker-clad feet that stop right next to his booth.
"hey."
lu han jumps in his seat, startled. he swivels toward the voice, finding a man about his own size and stature standing next to him. the stranger has multiple scarves wrapped around his neck and a cap pulled low over his brows. his face is cast in shadows.
lu han scoots further into his booth. the man looks glaringly suspicious in the quaint cafe and lu han has had his fair share of creepy men trying to come unto him.<
"uh, hello."
the man smiles, head still dipped to conceal his face. he reaches forward to tap lu han's book lightly. "ooh, poetry. hemingway? he's my favorite western writer. do you like him too?"
lu han crinkles his nose. something about the stanger seems familiar. he decides that the man seems nice, probably only seeking him out for company. and besides, he can never resist talking about beautiful writing. "yeah, he's also my favorite!" lu han bites on his lip in an attempt to stifle the english nerd in him. "his writing is so simple but so...so powerful. i've read all of his most popular works and i'm planning on finishing up his poetry and i want to-"
he pauses mid-sentence when the stranger lets out an amused chuckle. lu han stiffens on impulse. he's always felt a little insecure in school because some of the other boys like to mock his tendency to prefer books over sports games and the like.
the man quickly backtracks, resting his hand for a second on lu han's in reassurance, "i'm sorry, i didn't mean to laugh. i just find you really amusing and interesting. it's been a while since i've come across a guy my age who actually reads hemingway for fun."
the smile in the stranger's voice is obvious. lu han finds himself relaxing back into his seat again. he returns the smile and warmly welcomes the man to sit down at his booth. for the time being, lu han lowers his head and returns to his reading. when he looks back up a few moments later, reading to share a few beautiful lines with his companion, he nearly chokes on his own breath.
the man's cap lies on the table and his scarves are loosened, revealing styled brown hair, misty eyes and a faint smile.
"wh- what," lu han stumbles out dumbly.
it's zhang fucking yixing. zhang yixing is in the same booth as him. looking at him. smiling at him. dimples and all.
"ah, you know who i am?" yixing laughs, eyes crinkling.
lu han stays frozen. this can't be happening. he must have done something very, very right in his past life or-
"don't tell me you're my anti?" yixing asks good-naturedly after seconds of lu han's stunned silence. lu han jumps up almost comically and shakes his head vehemently. he gapes for a moment more, drawing more chuckles from yixing.
"no, oh my god, no no, i'm your biggest fan. i swear to god. i was at your concert today and i have all of your limited edition merch," lu han draws in a breath, head still spinning, "and i have all of your albums. even your mini-albums and your gold-edition first album. and- and i have a cardboard cutout of you. oh my god, no, that's creepy, i'm so sorr-"
lu han quickly cuts himself off before he can further embarrass himself in front of the idol he's practically devoted his past three years of pathetic teenage existence too. he glares at the poetry swimming across the pages before him and blushes heavily.
he's mortified.
then, he feels warmth surrounding his trembling hands. he risks a peek up and is met with yixing's small smile once again. he quickly averts his eyes, only to see YIXING'S PERFECT HANDS HOLDING HIS.
"you're so adorable," yixing chirps.
lu han gapes at him.
what.
"what's your name?"
asdlfkjsdlfksdjf?!??? lu han doesn't think his ears are working right. did zhang yixing, pop singer extraordinaire, idol of millions of chinese teenagers, just ask him for his name?
"lu-lu han," he manages to stammer.
"lu han, it's nice to meet you," yixing gets up to give a small bow, "i'm zhang yixing and it's nice to meet you."
lu han reciprocates the greeting and flashes a smile that leaves yixing cooing dramatically over how cute he is again.
when the initial formalities make way for more comfortable conversation, lu han gradually settles into the slow, dreamy lull that is yixing's world. they talk english and fibonacci's sequence and favorite historical chinese generals as the night wears on. when the manager finally begins to close up shop, yixing accompanies lu han as far as his car.
"so," lu han ventures to ask, "what are you doing here? shouldn't you be, uh, doing idol stuff right now?"
yixing laughs again, shaking his head. "i need a break sometimes. after concerts, my manager lets me have some time to myself so i usually don a few scarves and caps, and wander around until i have to turn in for the night," he squeezes lu han's arm affectionately and levels him with a warm gaze, "tonight was fun."
lu han nods dumbly. he had fun too, more than he's remember ever having, but the night is coming to a close and yixing will have to go in a few minutes. he'll probably never see yixing ever again.
"i thought so too," lu han mumbles quietly. "uh, good luck with your singing. and..." he trails off, unsure of what to say. is there even a right way for him to say bye to his idol under such circumstances?
yixing's dimple returns. he whips out his phone and draws up his contacts; he hands the phone over to lu han expectantly. lu han, struck dumb for the nth time that night, stares blankly at the iphone in his hands. it's only after yixing rolls his eyes good-naturedly and whispers, your number, does lu han gain back enough sense to input his cellphone.
"good," yixing takes back his phone and shoots out a quick text, "i just texted you so you'll have my number. let's stay in contact, okay? and hang out whenever we're both free!"
lu han feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. he looks at yixing curiously. is his idol actually mental? "but...why?"
yixing regards him as if he's the mental one, reaching forward to lightly tap lu han's head. his gesture is one of equal parts mocking and affection; it's the kind of gesture friends exchange.
"well," yixing smiles at lu han, "we're friends now, aren't we?"
***
(couldn't resist writing fanboy!lu han.)