Secrets Worth Keeping [5/15]
secrets worth keeping [5/15]
Pairings: Kris/Lay, Xiumin/Luhan, one sided!Taoris, Kris/Chanyeol
Genre: High School!AU
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 2,770
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
Wu Fan watches him closely, elbow propped against the desk and chin resting in the palm of his hand, fingers curled around his cheek. There is something about the breath ghosting across Yixing’s cheek and the barely-there touch of their arms on the table that makes it difficult for Yixing to concentrate on writing his sentences out. Without looking up, he exhales loudly.
“Wu Fan, you’re crowding my personal space.”
Wu Fan laughs softly and Yixing can feel it; a puff of warmth against the side of his face.
“I’m sorry,” he says, but makes no effort to move. Instead, his lips twitch against a smile as he deliberately stretches a leg out under the desk so that his foot presses down on Yixing’s. Yixing glares at him sideways, sighing.
“For a tutor, you’re being more of an annoyance than a help,” Yixing says, writing the next few words down on his page. Wu Fan doesn’t say anything but Yixing can see a smile finally break across his lips from out of the corner of his eye. Wu Fan leans a little closer, his hand darting out to point at one of the words Yixing has written.
“Re-do this one. You’ve spelt it wrong.”
Yixing pushes Wu Fan’s hand away and scribbles lines through the incorrect spelling, writing it again just above.
“You know before I knew you, I never imagined you would be this annoying,” Yixing mutters, but his words are devoid of anger and an affectionate smile tugs at his lips, his gaze trained on the paper before him.
“Really? How did you imagine me then,” Wu Fan says, and Yixing finally looks at him. There’s a playful spark to his eyes which Yixing hasn’t really seen before, a twinkle of fun and a dash of mischief. It’s evident in his smile too, how his lips pull wide to display his perfect teeth, clearly eager to hear Yixing’s response. It verges on an almost childish look, but Yixing finds it endearing.
Yixing frowns as though deep in thought, eyebrows crossed and chin resting in his hands. He drums his other fingers across the top of the desk.
“Well, I thought you were mean and annoying, and pretty much the most arrogant person in our year.” He says it in one breath and then grins as Wu Fan’s face turns from pleasantly intrigued to downright horrified. Wu Fan sits up straighter, eyes widening.
“You did?” Yixing sees a flash of real hurt in his eyes and suddenly feels a stab of guilt. He reaches over and places a hand on his shoulder, fingers gently squeezing the soft skin around the bone.
“Yeah but it doesn’t matter because now I know that you’re not like that at all.”
Wu Fan still doesn’t smile but the hurt in his expression begins to fade away.
“So, what do you think now?”
“Well, I think you’re pretty nice,” Yixing begins, and laughs inwardly when Wu Fan’s face visibly brightens. “And although I still think you’re annoying,” (he earns a punch with that,) “at least now I really like you.”
Wu Fan raises an eyebrow.
“You like me?”
Yixing shrugs. “Of course I do.”
Wu Fan doesn’t respond but the smile on his face is so wide that Yixing forgets to breathe for a moment.
*“Basketball game day!” Zitao sings as they make their way to the gymnasium. Jongdae promptly shoves him into the wall.
“I am not sitting next to him,” Jongdae says with a grimace and Yixing laughs, looping an arm around his shoulders. There is a yelp as Zitao pokes Jongdae from behind and pulls him back, wrapping long arms around his middle with a dark glare.
“If you don’t let me go,” Jongdae says, “I’ll make an enormous poster for the next basketball game that declares your love for Wu Fan.”
Zitao scoffs. “Fine, go ahead.”
Lu Han links his arm through Minseok’s and pinches his cheek. “You have to sit next to me,” he says as Minseok struggles to get away from him.
“Oh I have to do I?”
Lu Han nods. “Yup, I need you for the food.”
Minseok sends him a hurt look but Lu Han just grins.
“It’s the only reason I’m friends with you I hope you know,” he says as he wriggles closer.
The gym is fairly full when they arrive but they are able to find a row of seats not too far from the ground level, which Zitao states is ‘prime viewing’ (and is then kicked in the shin by Jongdae.) They settle in to their spots, with Lu Han and Minseok fighting over who gets to hold the chips until Jongdae decides to steal them all.
Both teams on the court are practicing and Yixing lets his attention wander over them. Wu Fan has his hair tied back in a small ponytail - as he always does when
playing basketball, with his eyes focused and forehead creased in concentration. Wearing only the thin red and white basketball jersey of their team, Wu Fan seems even taller and ganglier than Yixing is used to. Their team spends a few minutes passing and catching the ball before they assemble into their proper positions as the referee walks on to the court. And with a screech of her whistle, the game begins.
It’s an easy defeat this week, with the other team only scoring two goals in the first half and one in the second. As they go to file out from their seats, Yixing filters off from the rest of his friends and walks over to where Wu Fan is standing with the rest of his team who are exchanging their favourite moments of the match with each other.
“Hey, congratulations!” he says as he walks over. Wu Fan takes a long drink from his water bottle and grins, all flyaway hair and adrenalin filled eyes. And yet, Yixing thinks distantly, he almost looks even more perfect like this.
“Thanks.”
“Is it semi-finals now?”
Wu Fan shakes his head, hands on his hips and chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath.
“Not quite. Semis are in a few weeks.”
Yixing smiles and is about to say something more when a girl walks over, draping herself across Wu Fan with a bright eyed pout and asking something about seeing a movie later that night.
“I’d better go then,” Yixing says, feeling a stab of annoyance at having their conversation interrupted like that.
Wu Fan offers him an apologetic smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
*
Yixing gets to the classroom earlier than usual this afternoon, making himself comfortable in their normal spot beside the window, and starts to look over his English homework. He is completely absorbed in his task when he hears a thud and turns to the door to see Wu Fan. The greeting he is about to give dies in his throat when he sees that the other is not alone.
Of course, he thinks with his lips pressed into a thin line, of course he is with Chanyeol.
Wu Fan smiles as Chanyeol presses a kiss against his neck, his back against the open door.
“How long are you going to be?” Chanyeol whines, mouth moving over the curve of his jaw before finding Wu Fan’s lips, kissing him insistently, a hand curling in his hair.
“Not too long,” he replies, slightly out of breath, “but you have to go because Yixing will be here soon and-”
There is a deafening pause because at that moment, Wu Fan’s eyes open and flicker onto Yixing, flying wide in horror before he pushes Chanyeol away harshly.
“Yixing I-I didn't see you there.” The embarrassed flush that creeps over his face stains his skin a dark red. Chanyeol turns around with a surprised laugh.
“Oh hello, you must be Yixing then,” he says with a small smile.
Yixing nods. “I've met you before,” he replies, a sharp prickle of irritation spiking inside his chest.
Instead of becoming embarrassed, Chanyeol’s grin just widens.
“Of course, I remember. You must have a talent for finding us.”
Wu Fan, who has spent the last few moments just watching Yixing as though he is about to explode, finally clears his throat.
He looks at Chanyeol, "You should go. I'll see you later though." Chanyeol smiles and leans down to kiss him, lingering a little before he pulls away, hands resting against his hips.
“Don’t keep him too long,” Chanyeol says to Yixing before sending him a wink. With his hands in his pockets, he turns to walk away, whistling a song which sounds at least three tones too flat.
Wu Fan moves closer, still looking a little apprehensive with his eyes flitting up to Yixing and then falling away.
“I really am sorry about that,” he says, pulling up a chair beside him.
“That’s fine,” Yixing replies, “You know, i'm the only person you can do that in front of any way.”
There’s a short laugh from beside him and Wu Fan finally quirks a smile.
“I guess you’re right.”
They fall into silence, with Wu Fan checking over Yixing’s homework and making the occasional soft sound in his throat. Yixing watches him, the way his gaze trips over the words on the page, eyelashes brushing against his cheek, and how his lips move silently as he reads.
“You look so happy with him.”
Yixing’s voice startles Wu Fan who jerks up, eyes wide.
“I am.”
There’s a slight pang in his chest, a misplaced tremor of jealousy. It’s followed by a burst of confusion until Yixing realises that he’s slightly jealous of the fact that someone else apart from himself can make Wu Fan that happy. He busies himself by twirling his pen between his fingers for a few seconds, following the smooth movement with his eyes before the pen slips from his hand and rolls to a stop on the table. Yixing swallows and looks up.
“Do you love him?”
Wu Fan doesn't say anything, but Yixing can see a dozen thoughts fly across his irises. Finally, he averts his gaze, head falling a little.
“I don’t know.” His hands drop into his lap, fingers twisting and turning over each other. “Sometimes, I think that the only reason we work is because we both just need someone else,” he says softly, a little tentative. The way he slouches against the chair, shoulders curved forward and eyes cast down conveys such a fragile image; as though he will shatter at any moment. It might not seem like much, but the admission causes Yixing to realise something - Wu Fan trusts him now. He sits there for a moment, counting the seconds in his head as he contemplates how he should react. Yixing decides to reach across, pulling him into a one-sided hug - offering the small bit of comfort that he can. The body beside him relaxes into his embrace and he can feel the way Wu Fan’s chest expands with each inhale, chin presses uncomfortably into his shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Yixing says quietly, Wu Fan’s hair tickling against his cheek. “You’ll work it out.”
Wu Fan hums before he pulls himself away, his lips finally edging into a soft smile.
“I know he doesn’t love me though,” he says, and Yixing would have expected to hear some sort of bitterness edging his words but instead they are empty, laced with only resignation.
“How do you know?”
“He has a guy back in Korea who he talks about all of the time. Chanyeol never says it outright, but it’s obvious how much he loves him.”
Yixing frowns, head tilting a little because he doesn’t quite understand.
“But you still want to be with him?”
Wu Fan’s smile turns wry, twisting his lips in a less than happy way.
“It’s easy to be with Chanyeol because he has no reason to tell anyone else about us. It's safe. And we both said it would only be short-term from the beginning."
There’s a pause, and Yixing feels his heart constrict painfully.
“That’s not a great reason to be with someone,” Yixing says, all too aware that he is pushing his boundaries. “You deserve better than that.” Wu Fan nods slowly, making a low sound of agreement in his throat. He looks at Yixing, and his smile becomes a little more genuine.
“Well if you can find someone better, be sure to let me know.”
Yixing flashes him a thumbs up. “Will do.”
They return to silence and Yixing is just about to turn back to his half-completed homework when Wu Fan speaks up again, his voice slightly softer.
“Thanks Yixing for you know, listening and everything. You’re a great friend.”
Yixing grins.
“Oh so we’re friends now are we?”
Wu Fan rolls his eyes.
“Don’t ruin it,” he says, but the smile doesn’t fade.
*
They all sit over at Minseok’s house, the flicker of the television the only source of light in the room. His house is always nominated for movie nights - he has the biggest television after all. Lu Han sits down beside Yixing, draping an arm around his friend’s shoulders and pressing himself as close as possible. As the lights flicker off and the movie begins, Lu Han leans over, whisper brushing against Yixing’s ear.
“So, have you almost finished your tutoring sessions with Eyebrows?"
Yixing’s lips pull down at the corners, and he shifts uncomfortably, trying to create more distance between himself and Lu Han and failing miserably.
“Can you not call him that anymore.”
"Why not? You’re only hanging around him until you don’t need to anymore. It’s not like you’re friends.”
It sends a spark of anger through Yixing to realise that Lu Han sees their relationship the same way Wu Fan originally had - one solely based on give and take. He elbows Lu Han in the ribs which finally allows a sliver of space between them.
“That’s not true,” he says and Lu Han visibly tenses in shock.
“What?”
Zitao shushes them and Lu Han pokes his tongue out, throwing a piece of popcorn at him and sniggering when it gets caught in the mess of black curls. He turns back to Yixing and leans closer again.
“What do you mean?” he repeats, softer, his frown evident even in the dim light.
“We are friends.”
Lu Han looks at him, eyes narrowed and searching. As his frown finally fades away, he is left just blinking up at Yixing. With a sigh, his lips pull into a reserved smile.
“Well maybe you should introduce us to him then,” he says.
“Maybe I should.”
*
The movie finishes but nobody seems eager to move, preferring to remain on the warmth of the couch. It takes a few moments before Zitao gets up, followed by Jongdae who slides off the lounge after him. They both mutter tired goodbyes, blinking through half-lidded eyes as they stumble out of the door. Yixing gets to his feet with a yawn, unable to stop his eyes from watering at the sudden influx of light.
Minseok shifts uncomfortably on the couch, Lu Han’s arms tight around his waist and his chin buried into Minseok’s shoulder. Yixing smiles, feeling the haze of tiredness lift from his head the longer he remains standing.
“Lu Han,” Minseok whispers, “Lu Han wake up.” Lu Han groans in his sleep, his nose wrinkling a little, and his fingers twisting in Minseok’s shirt. Minseok sighs and his lips twitch into a gentle smile, arms tightening protectively around the boy curled against his side. There is something so evidently affectionate about the way Minseok looks at Lu Han - as though for that single moment, he is the only thing that exists in the world.
“I was going to take him home, but is it okay if he stays with you?” Yixing says softly so as not to wake Lu Han.
Minseok nods, his eyes remaining trained on Lu Han and the slow rise and fall of his chest. Yixing feels something warm settle near his heart and as he looks at the two of them, he realises that this is what love is.
“You should tell him,” Yixing says quietly. He doesn’t need to explain any further as they both look at Lu Han and the way his lips pull into a contented smile in his sleep - they both know what he is referring to.
“I will,” Minseok says, bringing up a hand to brush a stray hair away from Lu Han’s eyes, “I will one day.”
*
AN: I would apologise for the krisyeol, but hey, it is in the pairings list after all. although after this chapter, the focus is pretty much solely on krislay if that makes people any happier lmao. alsoooo xiuhan bbs I just want to snuggle them both okay. my cute little idiots in love~ (lets see how many mistakes my beta-commenters can pick up today huh? ;) ♥ )
Pairings: Kris/Lay, Xiumin/Luhan, one sided!Taoris, Kris/Chanyeol
Genre: High School!AU
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 2,770
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
Wu Fan watches him closely, elbow propped against the desk and chin resting in the palm of his hand, fingers curled around his cheek. There is something about the breath ghosting across Yixing’s cheek and the barely-there touch of their arms on the table that makes it difficult for Yixing to concentrate on writing his sentences out. Without looking up, he exhales loudly.
“Wu Fan, you’re crowding my personal space.”
Wu Fan laughs softly and Yixing can feel it; a puff of warmth against the side of his face.
“I’m sorry,” he says, but makes no effort to move. Instead, his lips twitch against a smile as he deliberately stretches a leg out under the desk so that his foot presses down on Yixing’s. Yixing glares at him sideways, sighing.
“For a tutor, you’re being more of an annoyance than a help,” Yixing says, writing the next few words down on his page. Wu Fan doesn’t say anything but Yixing can see a smile finally break across his lips from out of the corner of his eye. Wu Fan leans a little closer, his hand darting out to point at one of the words Yixing has written.
“Re-do this one. You’ve spelt it wrong.”
Yixing pushes Wu Fan’s hand away and scribbles lines through the incorrect spelling, writing it again just above.
“You know before I knew you, I never imagined you would be this annoying,” Yixing mutters, but his words are devoid of anger and an affectionate smile tugs at his lips, his gaze trained on the paper before him.
“Really? How did you imagine me then,” Wu Fan says, and Yixing finally looks at him. There’s a playful spark to his eyes which Yixing hasn’t really seen before, a twinkle of fun and a dash of mischief. It’s evident in his smile too, how his lips pull wide to display his perfect teeth, clearly eager to hear Yixing’s response. It verges on an almost childish look, but Yixing finds it endearing.
Yixing frowns as though deep in thought, eyebrows crossed and chin resting in his hands. He drums his other fingers across the top of the desk.
“Well, I thought you were mean and annoying, and pretty much the most arrogant person in our year.” He says it in one breath and then grins as Wu Fan’s face turns from pleasantly intrigued to downright horrified. Wu Fan sits up straighter, eyes widening.
“You did?” Yixing sees a flash of real hurt in his eyes and suddenly feels a stab of guilt. He reaches over and places a hand on his shoulder, fingers gently squeezing the soft skin around the bone.
“Yeah but it doesn’t matter because now I know that you’re not like that at all.”
Wu Fan still doesn’t smile but the hurt in his expression begins to fade away.
“So, what do you think now?”
“Well, I think you’re pretty nice,” Yixing begins, and laughs inwardly when Wu Fan’s face visibly brightens. “And although I still think you’re annoying,” (he earns a punch with that,) “at least now I really like you.”
Wu Fan raises an eyebrow.
“You like me?”
Yixing shrugs. “Of course I do.”
Wu Fan doesn’t respond but the smile on his face is so wide that Yixing forgets to breathe for a moment.
*“Basketball game day!” Zitao sings as they make their way to the gymnasium. Jongdae promptly shoves him into the wall.
“I am not sitting next to him,” Jongdae says with a grimace and Yixing laughs, looping an arm around his shoulders. There is a yelp as Zitao pokes Jongdae from behind and pulls him back, wrapping long arms around his middle with a dark glare.
“If you don’t let me go,” Jongdae says, “I’ll make an enormous poster for the next basketball game that declares your love for Wu Fan.”
Zitao scoffs. “Fine, go ahead.”
Lu Han links his arm through Minseok’s and pinches his cheek. “You have to sit next to me,” he says as Minseok struggles to get away from him.
“Oh I have to do I?”
Lu Han nods. “Yup, I need you for the food.”
Minseok sends him a hurt look but Lu Han just grins.
“It’s the only reason I’m friends with you I hope you know,” he says as he wriggles closer.
The gym is fairly full when they arrive but they are able to find a row of seats not too far from the ground level, which Zitao states is ‘prime viewing’ (and is then kicked in the shin by Jongdae.) They settle in to their spots, with Lu Han and Minseok fighting over who gets to hold the chips until Jongdae decides to steal them all.
Both teams on the court are practicing and Yixing lets his attention wander over them. Wu Fan has his hair tied back in a small ponytail - as he always does when
playing basketball, with his eyes focused and forehead creased in concentration. Wearing only the thin red and white basketball jersey of their team, Wu Fan seems even taller and ganglier than Yixing is used to. Their team spends a few minutes passing and catching the ball before they assemble into their proper positions as the referee walks on to the court. And with a screech of her whistle, the game begins.
It’s an easy defeat this week, with the other team only scoring two goals in the first half and one in the second. As they go to file out from their seats, Yixing filters off from the rest of his friends and walks over to where Wu Fan is standing with the rest of his team who are exchanging their favourite moments of the match with each other.
“Hey, congratulations!” he says as he walks over. Wu Fan takes a long drink from his water bottle and grins, all flyaway hair and adrenalin filled eyes. And yet, Yixing thinks distantly, he almost looks even more perfect like this.
“Thanks.”
“Is it semi-finals now?”
Wu Fan shakes his head, hands on his hips and chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath.
“Not quite. Semis are in a few weeks.”
Yixing smiles and is about to say something more when a girl walks over, draping herself across Wu Fan with a bright eyed pout and asking something about seeing a movie later that night.
“I’d better go then,” Yixing says, feeling a stab of annoyance at having their conversation interrupted like that.
Wu Fan offers him an apologetic smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
*
Yixing gets to the classroom earlier than usual this afternoon, making himself comfortable in their normal spot beside the window, and starts to look over his English homework. He is completely absorbed in his task when he hears a thud and turns to the door to see Wu Fan. The greeting he is about to give dies in his throat when he sees that the other is not alone.
Of course, he thinks with his lips pressed into a thin line, of course he is with Chanyeol.
Wu Fan smiles as Chanyeol presses a kiss against his neck, his back against the open door.
“How long are you going to be?” Chanyeol whines, mouth moving over the curve of his jaw before finding Wu Fan’s lips, kissing him insistently, a hand curling in his hair.
“Not too long,” he replies, slightly out of breath, “but you have to go because Yixing will be here soon and-”
There is a deafening pause because at that moment, Wu Fan’s eyes open and flicker onto Yixing, flying wide in horror before he pushes Chanyeol away harshly.
“Yixing I-I didn't see you there.” The embarrassed flush that creeps over his face stains his skin a dark red. Chanyeol turns around with a surprised laugh.
“Oh hello, you must be Yixing then,” he says with a small smile.
Yixing nods. “I've met you before,” he replies, a sharp prickle of irritation spiking inside his chest.
Instead of becoming embarrassed, Chanyeol’s grin just widens.
“Of course, I remember. You must have a talent for finding us.”
Wu Fan, who has spent the last few moments just watching Yixing as though he is about to explode, finally clears his throat.
He looks at Chanyeol, "You should go. I'll see you later though." Chanyeol smiles and leans down to kiss him, lingering a little before he pulls away, hands resting against his hips.
“Don’t keep him too long,” Chanyeol says to Yixing before sending him a wink. With his hands in his pockets, he turns to walk away, whistling a song which sounds at least three tones too flat.
Wu Fan moves closer, still looking a little apprehensive with his eyes flitting up to Yixing and then falling away.
“I really am sorry about that,” he says, pulling up a chair beside him.
“That’s fine,” Yixing replies, “You know, i'm the only person you can do that in front of any way.”
There’s a short laugh from beside him and Wu Fan finally quirks a smile.
“I guess you’re right.”
They fall into silence, with Wu Fan checking over Yixing’s homework and making the occasional soft sound in his throat. Yixing watches him, the way his gaze trips over the words on the page, eyelashes brushing against his cheek, and how his lips move silently as he reads.
“You look so happy with him.”
Yixing’s voice startles Wu Fan who jerks up, eyes wide.
“I am.”
There’s a slight pang in his chest, a misplaced tremor of jealousy. It’s followed by a burst of confusion until Yixing realises that he’s slightly jealous of the fact that someone else apart from himself can make Wu Fan that happy. He busies himself by twirling his pen between his fingers for a few seconds, following the smooth movement with his eyes before the pen slips from his hand and rolls to a stop on the table. Yixing swallows and looks up.
“Do you love him?”
Wu Fan doesn't say anything, but Yixing can see a dozen thoughts fly across his irises. Finally, he averts his gaze, head falling a little.
“I don’t know.” His hands drop into his lap, fingers twisting and turning over each other. “Sometimes, I think that the only reason we work is because we both just need someone else,” he says softly, a little tentative. The way he slouches against the chair, shoulders curved forward and eyes cast down conveys such a fragile image; as though he will shatter at any moment. It might not seem like much, but the admission causes Yixing to realise something - Wu Fan trusts him now. He sits there for a moment, counting the seconds in his head as he contemplates how he should react. Yixing decides to reach across, pulling him into a one-sided hug - offering the small bit of comfort that he can. The body beside him relaxes into his embrace and he can feel the way Wu Fan’s chest expands with each inhale, chin presses uncomfortably into his shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Yixing says quietly, Wu Fan’s hair tickling against his cheek. “You’ll work it out.”
Wu Fan hums before he pulls himself away, his lips finally edging into a soft smile.
“I know he doesn’t love me though,” he says, and Yixing would have expected to hear some sort of bitterness edging his words but instead they are empty, laced with only resignation.
“How do you know?”
“He has a guy back in Korea who he talks about all of the time. Chanyeol never says it outright, but it’s obvious how much he loves him.”
Yixing frowns, head tilting a little because he doesn’t quite understand.
“But you still want to be with him?”
Wu Fan’s smile turns wry, twisting his lips in a less than happy way.
“It’s easy to be with Chanyeol because he has no reason to tell anyone else about us. It's safe. And we both said it would only be short-term from the beginning."
There’s a pause, and Yixing feels his heart constrict painfully.
“That’s not a great reason to be with someone,” Yixing says, all too aware that he is pushing his boundaries. “You deserve better than that.” Wu Fan nods slowly, making a low sound of agreement in his throat. He looks at Yixing, and his smile becomes a little more genuine.
“Well if you can find someone better, be sure to let me know.”
Yixing flashes him a thumbs up. “Will do.”
They return to silence and Yixing is just about to turn back to his half-completed homework when Wu Fan speaks up again, his voice slightly softer.
“Thanks Yixing for you know, listening and everything. You’re a great friend.”
Yixing grins.
“Oh so we’re friends now are we?”
Wu Fan rolls his eyes.
“Don’t ruin it,” he says, but the smile doesn’t fade.
*
They all sit over at Minseok’s house, the flicker of the television the only source of light in the room. His house is always nominated for movie nights - he has the biggest television after all. Lu Han sits down beside Yixing, draping an arm around his friend’s shoulders and pressing himself as close as possible. As the lights flicker off and the movie begins, Lu Han leans over, whisper brushing against Yixing’s ear.
“So, have you almost finished your tutoring sessions with Eyebrows?"
Yixing’s lips pull down at the corners, and he shifts uncomfortably, trying to create more distance between himself and Lu Han and failing miserably.
“Can you not call him that anymore.”
"Why not? You’re only hanging around him until you don’t need to anymore. It’s not like you’re friends.”
It sends a spark of anger through Yixing to realise that Lu Han sees their relationship the same way Wu Fan originally had - one solely based on give and take. He elbows Lu Han in the ribs which finally allows a sliver of space between them.
“That’s not true,” he says and Lu Han visibly tenses in shock.
“What?”
Zitao shushes them and Lu Han pokes his tongue out, throwing a piece of popcorn at him and sniggering when it gets caught in the mess of black curls. He turns back to Yixing and leans closer again.
“What do you mean?” he repeats, softer, his frown evident even in the dim light.
“We are friends.”
Lu Han looks at him, eyes narrowed and searching. As his frown finally fades away, he is left just blinking up at Yixing. With a sigh, his lips pull into a reserved smile.
“Well maybe you should introduce us to him then,” he says.
“Maybe I should.”
*
The movie finishes but nobody seems eager to move, preferring to remain on the warmth of the couch. It takes a few moments before Zitao gets up, followed by Jongdae who slides off the lounge after him. They both mutter tired goodbyes, blinking through half-lidded eyes as they stumble out of the door. Yixing gets to his feet with a yawn, unable to stop his eyes from watering at the sudden influx of light.
Minseok shifts uncomfortably on the couch, Lu Han’s arms tight around his waist and his chin buried into Minseok’s shoulder. Yixing smiles, feeling the haze of tiredness lift from his head the longer he remains standing.
“Lu Han,” Minseok whispers, “Lu Han wake up.” Lu Han groans in his sleep, his nose wrinkling a little, and his fingers twisting in Minseok’s shirt. Minseok sighs and his lips twitch into a gentle smile, arms tightening protectively around the boy curled against his side. There is something so evidently affectionate about the way Minseok looks at Lu Han - as though for that single moment, he is the only thing that exists in the world.
“I was going to take him home, but is it okay if he stays with you?” Yixing says softly so as not to wake Lu Han.
Minseok nods, his eyes remaining trained on Lu Han and the slow rise and fall of his chest. Yixing feels something warm settle near his heart and as he looks at the two of them, he realises that this is what love is.
“You should tell him,” Yixing says quietly. He doesn’t need to explain any further as they both look at Lu Han and the way his lips pull into a contented smile in his sleep - they both know what he is referring to.
“I will,” Minseok says, bringing up a hand to brush a stray hair away from Lu Han’s eyes, “I will one day.”
*
AN: I would apologise for the krisyeol, but hey, it is in the pairings list after all. although after this chapter, the focus is pretty much solely on krislay if that makes people any happier lmao. alsoooo xiuhan bbs I just want to snuggle them both okay. my cute little idiots in love~ (lets see how many mistakes my beta-commenters can pick up today huh? ;) ♥ )