secrets worth keeping [2/15]
Pairings: Kris/Lay, Xiumin/Luhan, one sided!Taoris, Kris/Chanyeol
Genre: High School!AU
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 2,370
Summary: Wu Fan is the star player of the school’s basketball team and a known ladies man. But Yixing discovers that it’s not all quite what it seems.
prologue |
one | two |
three |
four |
five |
six |
seven |
{xiuhan side story} |
eight |
nine |
ten |
eleven |
twelve |
{taochen side story} |
thirteen |
fourteen |
fifteen Yixing spends the next morning doing his best not to look at Wu Fan and failing every few seconds. More often than not, he catches Wu Fan looking back at him as well. It’s strange he thinks, how something like that can change your view on a person even though they haven’t changed at all. In a way, it almost makes Yixing like him a little more because finally he can see something beyond that shallow, cold exterior - something inextricably human. A vulnerability only he knows.
It’s music class, and the teacher promptly declares that today’s lesson will be a group task. Lu Han immediately gravitates over to Yixing, draping an arm across his shoulders as he sends a confused look over to where Wu Fan is sitting with his friends.
“What’s up with Eyebrows this morning? He’s jumping at everything?”
Jongdae flops onto the carpet nearby, crossing his legs.
“Really? I haven’t noticed.”
Yixing shrugs and fakes nonchalance.
“Yeah he’s just being his typical strange self.”
Lu Han gurgles in dissatisfaction but lets it slide, propping himself up on a desk and narrowly missing kicking Minseok in the head, as the latter goes to sit on the floor beside Jongdae. Minseok glares at him and begins to make himself busy by untying Lu Han’s shoelaces and then re-tying them so that his shoes are knotted together. Lu Han notices and jerks away.
“Get us some paper!” he says and Minseok grumbles, pulling out his book and passing it to Lu Han.
Zitao stretches out across the floor and moves his arms up and down on the carpet as though he is making a snow angel. He grins and pokes Jongdae with a finger, giving him a weak jolt of static electricity. Jongdae kicks him and frowns.
“Are we not going to do any work again? Because I don’t really want to have to improvise like last time.”
Lu Han snorts. “But Jongdae, your lyrics were amazing!”
Jongdae throws a pen at him.
“Well, at least it wasn’t as bad as Yixing’s attempt to rap,” he says, with a smirk on his lips.
Yixing rolls his eyes. “I’m sorry but there’s not too much that rhymes with duck.”
“Why you were even rapping about ducks in the first place is the real question,” says Zitao, raising an eyebrow.
“Okay how about we do a love song or something?” Yixing says, ignoring Zitao completely.
There are a series of eye rolls and Lu Han sends him a look of disbelief.
“So we go from fluffy yellow birds to love songs?”
Yixing shrugs. “Well, it’s pretty much what every song is about these days so…”
“Yixing, we’re seventeen, we haven’t even been in love yet,” Jongdae says, arms folded across his knees.
There’s a pause that is almost uncomfortable, before Zitao speaks up.
“I have,” he says.
“Me too,” says Lu Han.
“I might be,” Minseok says softly.
Jongdae exchanges a bemused glance with Yixing before he turns to frown at the other three.
‘Wow okay. Clearly I was wrong.”
Yixing shuffles closer to Lu Han on the desk and pokes him on the shoulder with an amused laugh.
“Who were you in love with and why did you never tell me?”
He blushes and Yixing can’t help but be surprised at the sudden change of emotion.
“No one,” he says and looks away, crossing his arms across his chest.
“You have five minutes left to finish off your song before you present,” the teacher says suddenly.
“Shit,” Jongdae groans, burying his head in his hands, “Looks like we’re going to have to improvise again.”
*
The bell goes signalling music is finished, and as the class goes to leave, Wu Fan walks over, his eyes hard as he looks at Yixing.
“Can I talk to you?” He poses it as a question but it doesn’t leave much to be refused. Lu Han looks at Yixing questioningly.
“It’s fine,” Yixing says, a sigh escaping him because he knew it was inevitable. Lu Han shrugs and leaves him alone with Wu Fan. Yixing watches as he says something to Minseok, both of them looking back for a moment before they leave.
Wu Fan doesn’t say anything until the classroom is empty and even then, it takes him a few moments to speak.
“It’s not what you think,” he says, voice guarded.
Yixing looks at him, “And what do I think?”
Wu Fan’s eyes snap up to his face and Yixing almost has to look away because of the barely controlled anger he can see in the other boy’s expression.
“It doesn’t matter,” he says and then breathes in deeply, cooling his emotion. “I know I haven’t given you any reason to like me but please, just…don’t say anything.”
Yixing actually feels his heart twinge in sympathy for a second before he remembers, and almost has to remind himself, that this is Wu Fan he is talking to - King of Arrogant Pricks etcetera. But however much he dislikes the other boy; he isn’t one to tell secrets, particularly if they aren’t his to tell.
“It’s okay, I won’t.”
Wu Fan looks at him, eyes narrowed as though assessing his truthfulness.
“Why?” he says suddenly, clearly suspicious.
Yixing raises an eyebrow.
“Because I’m not a shit human.”
The corner of Wu Fan’s lips twitch - fighting a smile. He goes to leave but before he does, he looks at Yixing, eyes quickly flickering up and down his body. Yixing can’t help but shy away from the gaze a little because it is so piercing - as though he is seeing Yixing properly for the first time.
“Thank you,” Wu Fan says, and then he does smile, a small smile that tugs at his lips and Yixing silently thinks that it’s a much better look on him.
*
“What did he want?” Lu Han asks, when Yixing finds them again.
“”He just wanted to ask something about the homework.”
The others nod and accept his excuse but Lu Han leans beside his ear.
“You suck at lying, you’d better tell me properly later,” he whispers, giving Yixing a hard look.
Yixing shoves him away. “Are you guys coming to the basketball match this afternoon?”
Jongdae grins and nods fiercely. “Of course! If they give us a choice between cheering on the school team or going to English class, it’s pretty obvious what I’ll choose.”
“I don’t think anyone is going to choose English,” Zitao says, scuffing his shoes along the ground as they walk. “Although you should,” he says with a pointed look at Yixing. Yixing ignores him.
*
Zitao was right, Yixing probably really should have gone to his English class but regardless, when the time comes around, he finds himself squashed between Minseok and Zitao in the gymnasium, surrounded by at least a hundred screaming school kids.
He wrinkles his nose and takes a handful of chips from the packet that Minseok passes to him. The school was always united for the basketball matches - it was one of those things that just seemed to inspire school spirit in everyone. It also helped that they had one of the best teams in the area.
As their team walks onto the pitch, a dull roar rises from the crowd, he can hear Lu Han squealing excitedly two seats down and he smiles, feeling a sense of rising adrenalin despite himself. Wu Fan waves to the crowd and Yixing can see Zitao smile stupidly out of the corner of his eye and so he elbows him sharply.
“Stop being so infatuated,” Yixing says playfully and Zitao pokes his tongue out.
“Let me have the basketball matches at least okay,” he says, with a toothy grin.
Yixing rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to the match. He can see a puff of curly hair a few rows in front of him and realises that it’s Chanyeol. His eyes flicker between Chanyeol and Wu Fan, curiosity spiking, and he sees Wu Fan send him a small smile before starting to practice shooting goals.
Although he isn’t happy to admit it, Wu Fan is by far the best on the team and as he does a few tricks with the basketball before looping it into the basket from almost halfway down the court, it’s obvious that Wu Fan knows that too.
The whistle blows and the match begins and Yixing keeps his eyes on Wu Fan as he dribbles the ball, weaving in and out of the other team before being pulled up for a foul when he elbows an opponent in the ribs. He scowls but begrudgingly hands the ball over to the boy who he fouled.
Minseok snorts. “Wow, he fouled in less than a minute, it’s a record!”
Yixing laughs and steals a chip from the packet now resting between him and Minseok.
Wu Fan seems to hang back a little after that, taking the ball only to shoot or pass. The time barely touches five minutes when Wu Fan scores the first goal in a lay-up, to the screams of the crowd. Yixing smiles and claps along.
It’s not too interesting after that, seeming to follow the pattern that whichever team has a hold of the ball first will score. When the timer beeps and the players trudge off to get their drinks, all hot sweaty, the score reads eight all.
Yixing sighs and stretches his arms out, knocking his elbows against Zitao’s head who shoves him back.
“I kind of feel sorry for the other team,” Lu Han says and Yixing raises an eyebrow.
“Why?”
Lu Han looks at him. “Because you just know that they don’t stand a chance in the second half.”
Jongdae nods in agreement. “Yeah, the second half is always better for us.”
Lu Han reaches over to take the last of Minseok’s chips but fails, instead, ending up with his head in Minseok’s lap and his fingers wriggling as though willing the chips closer. Minseok sighs and pushes him away gently.
“You could always just ask,” he says, handing the packet over to Lu Han who hums happily.
The two teams run back on to the court as the timer starts to tick again. Jongdae’s predictions were right as the second half soon becomes a humiliating defeat for the other school as score after score keeps adding up for their own team. When the timer buzzes again the other team are playing half heartedly and they gladly move off the court as the gymnasium erupts with cheers, the entire audience (considering it’s only their school) getting to their feet.
As they all pile out of the gymnasium, Yixing catches Wu Fan’s eye and he wonders what the other is thinking.
*
Lu Han and Yixing have been best friends ever since a five-year old Lu Han found Yixing playing in the sandpit in the small park down the end of their shared street. Yixing had been building small sandcastles when Lu Han kneeled down beside him, eyes wide with curiosity.
“What are you doing?”
Yixing looks up, brushing his hair away from his face, grains of sand sticking to his cheek as he does so.
“I’m playing with her,” he says, pointing to the unicorn toy he has half buried in the sand. Lu Han smiles really wide and settles himself properly into a seated position, legs throws out away from his body.
“I love unicorns!” he says, pulling the toy out by its tail and gently brushing off the sand. He begins to make it gallop in the air, clicking his tongue to make the right sounds. Yixing laughs and reaches over to stop him, short fingers curling around his wrist.
“She has to go into her castle now.”
Lu Han nods and passes the toy over, shifting closer.
“It’s a very pretty castle,” he says, poking one of the small stones embedded into the side. Yixing feels his sense of pride swell and grins, placing the unicorn beside the mound of sand.
“Don’t worry, you can come live with us,” he tells Lu Han generously, who bounces in his spot and lets out a happy squeal.
And just like that, they had clicked.
Lu Han’s parents aren’t home very much; they’re adventurous sorts who spend most of their time travelling, living out of suitcases and in dodgy hotel rooms. His Aunt is nearby so his parents have no qualms about leaving Lu Han with a sum of money and telling him to stay out of trouble before setting off to some new country in the middle of the pacific. So Lu Han spends most of his time at Yixing’s house. Yixing’s mother adores Lu Han - he’s practically become her second son - and they’ve developed a routine now, where Lu Han spends most of the night at Yixing’s, only going home for dinner.
“Okay,” says Lu Han, settling himself on Yixing’s lounge, legs propped up on one of the cushions. “Are you going to tell me what Wu Fan really wanted today?”
Yixing sighs and stretches himself out, feeling a wave of exhaustion. His mother is making dinner in the kitchen and the smell is making his stomach grumble eagerly.
“I can’t - I can’t tell you.”
Lu Han kicks him and Yixing sends him a glare.
“What can’t you tell your best friend?”
“This.”
Lu Han groans and flails around on the lounge for a moment, one leg ending up in Yixing’s lap and another by his shoulder.
“You’re hopeless Yixing.”
Yixing smiles.
“I’m sorry, I promised him I wouldn’t say anything.”
Lu Han sits up straighter, eyes sparking.
“Oh, so you know a secret of his then?”
“Something like that,” Yixing offers vaguely.
Lu Han whines something about shitty best friends and curls up close to Yixing, turning his attention to the television. Yixing wraps an arm around him and feels a stab of affection somewhere near his heart, muffling his smile against Lu Han’s hair. He wonders if Wu Fan and Chanyeol are ever like this; comfortable and affectionate with each other - but after a few minutes attempting to visualise the image, he shrugs off the thought of Wu Fan being affectionate as an impossibility.
*
Notes;
- I should have mentioned this before actually. This is set in China but is probably more based of an American High School. But, considering i've only ever been through the Australian High School system, you might find elements of that in there as well. So, it's a bit of a hybrid High School really.
- I played for my school's basketball team but my real knowledge of basketball is pretty limited. Especially college/school basketball because we don't really have much of a competition here. So my knowledge comes from google/wikipedia -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball#Rules_and_regulations (alert me to any innacuracies!)
- Also, all of exo-m are the same age/in the same year for this
- and thank you guys so much the comments on the first chapter! they make me eager to write more ♥