Dance, Dance!; Kai/Luhan (1/2)
Title: Dance, Dance!
Pairings: Kai/Luhan, minor!Suho/Chen, ninja!Kris/Lay, mentions of!Sehun/Tao
Summary: Luhan has a problem and his name is Kim Jongin. (In which Jongin is the most beautiful being in the world and Luhan tries not to fling himself into the sun.)
Luhan thinks of himself as an easygoing, agreeable person. Usually. He’s down with meeting new people, can speak in front of a crowd with ease, and is typically the first person to try that one new thing that terrifies everyone else (unless it involves heights- then Luhan is typically the first person to run the fuck away).
So he is generally okay with a lot of things.
But this- this he is not okay with. “Why am I here again?” Luhan complains the moment he walks through the door, with “here” being a very loose term for “a room with a shit ton of other people that Luhan doesn’t really care for and going to do something he doesn’t particularly adore”- on a Saturday. When Luhan doesn’t need to be up for another couple hours- but is up anyway.
“Because you love me and Yifan wouldn’t go with me.” Zhang Yixing quips, cheerfully holding onto to Luhan so that he has no means of escape. He drags Luhan further into the room, making it as hard as possible for his best friend to leave.
“I don’t think this is for me, Yixing.” Luhan says this with a frown as he surveys his surroundings. Dance club was one thing- Yixing had dragged him into it, and Luhan sometimes enjoyed it. Sitting around, watching dance videos, and discussing who moved better- that was fine. Doable, even. But an actual dance class? Granted, it was free and provided by the aforementioned dance club (in the name of improvement and love of dance), but still- he needed to draw the line. He didn’t have enough adoration (or coordination) for this. “I’m going to go now.”
Luhan is ready to leave. Really, he is. But Yixing has tightened his hold on Luhan’s bicep, which means Luhan still has no means of escape. “Come on, Lu. Just try it, it can’t be that bad.”
Except it can be that bad because this thing is supposed to last for two hours and Luhan is a grumpy pants because Yixing has interrupted his precious sleep.
Luhan vaguely entertains the thought of pushing Yixing and making a run for it- Yixing would forgive him eventually, right?
The door opens, and a new, fresh face enters. With a pleasant chirp and wave, the stranger announces, “Hey guys, I’ll be heading dance practice today,”
Luhan stares blankly for an entirety of five seconds before something clicks in his mind and he deadpans, “That’s Taemin, isn’t it?”
Yixing looks at him with a gaze that Luhan can only interpret as, ‘duh, you fucking twit’.
Luhan scrunches his nose at the look on Yixing’s face and immediately complains. He still wants out of here. “You want me to sit and take lessons from Taemin for two hours?” Don’t get Luhan wrong, he rather liked Taemin. But he didn’t like him enough to be taking dance lessons when he could be sleeping in his nice, comfy bed.
“It will be fun, Lu. I promise!” Yixing sounds earnest and looks rather like an adorable puppy (especially since Yixing is smiling slightly and his dimple is showing)- which makes Luhan feel just a tad guilty about thinking of somewhat drastic means of escape (all of which somehow involve Yixing being harmed).
“You know what’s fun, Xing?” Luhan doesn’t wait for an answer. “Sleeping. It’s fucking fantastic, on top of being fun.”
Yixing pouts a little, sliding his arms down and around Luhan’s waist. “There’s no escape, Lu.” (It’s not like Yixing is deathly afraid of being in a dance class by himself- no, of course not. He’s Zhang Yixing and he owns the damn dance floor. But he sincerely wants Luhan to attend the class with him. He even used Yifan as a cover- that's how sincere he is! Because regardless of what Luhan says, he has genuine talent in the dancing department. And as a fellow dancer, he can’t let that talent get away. And thus- there will be no escape for Luhan.)
“To hell with there being no escape,” retorts Luhan, already trying to peel Yixing’s arms off.
Taemin, who had been watching the little squabble with interest (as was almost everyone else in the room), has his attention brought back to the door because of a subtle knock. Another new, fresh face enters and steps over to Taemin.
With a wide grin and an arm over the newcomer’s shoulder, Taemin clears his throat and announces, “And here’s my buddy Kai, who will be helping us out from now on.”
Luhan is just about ready to tackle Yixing and then skedaddle along back to his room (where he was peacefully sleeping, before Yixing decided to rudely interrupt his nap time) when he instinctively turns back to the person talking.
And somehow he wishes he didn’t because his eyes immediately stray to the person standing next to Taemin and he audibly gapes.
Luhan zeros in on sun-kissed skin, full, pouty, kissable lips, a strong, tall, lithe body, and- “Hi, I’m Kai,” damn it all, even his voice is worth dying for. He stills immediately, not even bothering to pretend like he’s not staring at the most good looking man he has ever seen in his life.
His inner thoughts proceed to go something along the lines of: Oh my dear lord, have I just been graced with the presence of the most gorgeous human to ever walk the earth? Is he real? Have I been whisked off to another dimension? He can’t be real, no one looks this good in real life. Is this divine (oh so divine) and holy punishment for mentally injuring a sweetheart like Yixing a dozen times over? Because whoever that is standing next to Taemin sure as hell looks like the greatest temptation in this whole damned galaxy and-
A quick pinch to Luhan’s side (courtesy of the great Zhang Yixing) has Luhan finally blinking away from the tall, dark, and handsome stranger- only so that he can swat at Yixing. “What was that for?”
“You spaced out and looked like you were ready to pass on to the next life, so I had to make sure you were still with us,” is the nonchalant reason Yixing gives.
Belatedly, Luhan realizes that Yixing’s arms are no longer around him. “Hey, when did you let go? And why?” With a bright grin, Luhan asks, “Is it because you know you can’t keep me here against my will?”
Yixing looks offended. “I can keep you against your will, what are you talking about.”
The statement (because yes, it is a statement, not a question) has Kai chuckling a little bit, which makes both Luhan and Yixing realize- oh, hey, we have an audience.
Luhan squeaks a little- which immediately makes him mortified and elated at the same time. (Not because everyone had been watching him for the past five minutes. Please, he couldn’t care less about that. But that chuckle he just heard- oh, he could care a lot about that though.) Both Yixing and Luhan stare at Kai blankly.
“Oh, sorry,” this Kai person says, shyly smiling. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” That is the most beautiful sentence Luhan has heard all month. With an awkward shuffle, Kai tugs on Taemin’s arm and they waddle over to another part of the room. Luhan is still staring at Kai.
Yixing is as well, but for an entirely different reason. “What, aren’t you supposed to be running out the door right now?” he teases.
Yixing has a happy little grin on now that he knows that Luhan will no longer run out of the room. And he loves that he knows Luhan won’t run. He won’t because Yixing knows- Luhan didn’t simply space out. Oh, no. He knows. Luhan had it written all over his face, with his glossed over eyes and mouth open so wide Yixing could probably fit a small rock into it. Yixing cackles- no, chuckles, because Zhang Yixing does not cackle- internally.
Luhan gives him a scathing look before turning back to look at Kai and Taemin (who have both moved on to picking out CDs and deciding which choreographies to go over). He makes a simpering little huff before declaring, “On second thought, I might stay after all.” He is pointedly not looking at Yixing. He’s still too busy looking at Kai instead.
“Are you sure, Lu?” Yixing teases, smiling slightly and poking at his best friend.
From near the front of the room, Luhan watches as Taemin cracks a joke and Kai laughs, eyes turning into moon crescents and lips curling upwards to show beautiful pearly whites. He forgets to breathe for a moment.
Yixing barely has time to roll his eyes before Luhan nods decisively. “Yeah, I can totally do this whole dance class thing.”
“Luhan-” If Yixing had known that seeing Kai was all it would take to make Luhan go with him, then he would have introduced him a lot earlier.
“Shh.” Luhan cannot be bothered with Yixing speaking right now.
“You know-” I’m kind of friends with Kai, so I can introduce you to him after class if you want- is what Yixing would have said if Luhan had not cut him off again.
“Can you go away and play with Yifan or something?” Luhan makes a little shooing motion and Yixing would be offended if he wasn’t Luhan’s best friend.
“I can’t play with Yifan, he wouldn’t come with me," Yixing deadpans."That's why you’re here." Points to Yixing for sticking with his lie. (In reality, Yifan is probably peacefully sitting in his room, doing boring things. Like sleeping.)
Taemin calls everyone to attention, apparently done with both music and choreography decisions.
Luhan, unsurprisingly, scrambles to the front of the room so that he’s standing almost five feet away from Kai.
Yixing, to his credit, only rolls his eyes once before he walks up next to Luhan. “You would choose the best place to openly gawk,” he says this in quick, muttered mandarin, to which Luhan replies with the same courtesy.
“Shut it, Xing.” He doesn't say it as softly, but uses the same language- which confuses everyone in hearing range. Which means Kai. Confused is a cute look on Kai. Luhan may or may not have a problem.
“So we’ll be doing some jazz and ballet today, if that’s alright with you guys,” Taemin says, smiling brightly. “It’s kind of Kai’s forte, and we should let him show off his skills while he’s here, right?”
Luhan wholeheartedly agrees.
Someone groans next to Luhan (who is obviously not Yixing) and complains, “I don’t want to do ballet.”
That makes Taemin and Kai frown and they look at each other, already going into an impromptu dance class teacher meeting.
Kai looks a little disappointed; Luhan decides that he doesn't like that look. Nope. Not at all.
Within seconds of seeing that disappointed face, Luhan turns to his side and hisses, “Kim Jongdae, you will learn ballet.” He says this as threateningly as he can and even raises a little fist to back up his point.
“But ballet is so-”
“Do not make me call Joonmyun.” Luhan’s flat out threatening him. He couldn’t care less- Luhan does what he has to.
Now, Luhan looks as threatening as a (vicious) kitten. And his ‘threat’ sounds nothing close to threatening. Because Joonmyun is an angel living on earth and he’s the least threatening being in existence, with his easy smiles and gentle nature.
But Jongdae flinches away just a little because- oh hey, Kim Joonmyun and Luhan are totally tight with each other and Jongdae rather likes Joonmyun so-
“On second thought, ballet sounds cool,” Jongdae says, grumpy frown in place.
Taemin brightens and Kai lets out a little sigh of relief. (He really wanted to teach jazz and ballet today.) Taemin heads over to the stereo and presses play. He signals to Kai and says, “Whenever you want to start.”
Kai gives a grateful little smile and sweeps the room with his gaze once. Coincidentally, his gaze stops on Luhan. (Or maybe not so coincidentally, because Luhan made sure to stand right in his line of vision.) “Ready?” he asks the class. It sounds like he’s asking Luhan. That’s all that matters.
“When you are,” Luhan says, grinning prettily in the way that he knows everyone falls in love with the first time they see it. (Yixing tries hard really, really hard not to clap his hands and laugh and ruin that whole moment.)
Kai gives a shy smile in response and Luhan is pretty much done with the world.
-
Kai doesn’t know it yet, but that smile is all he is going to be seeing and thinking about for a long time.
-
Luhan skips back to his dorm, in a daze and blissfully content.
There are two occupants in his room. One is even on his bed. Normally, Luhan would be pissed beyond belief at this terrible, blasphemous act- but right now, he can’t find it in himself to care.
Joonmyun smiles his greeting while Yifan frowns. Yifan takes one look at overly excited Luhan and turns to Yixing. “Should I ask?” Yixing shrugs while Luhan runs over to Yifan.
“Ask me how dance class went,” Luhan demands.
Yifan looks visibly distraught as he says, “I don’t think I want to-”
“Ask me,” Luhan demands once more.
Obligingly, Joonmyun asks from his spot a couple feet away from Yifan. “How was dance class?” Luhan whirls around in a full circle before zoning in on Joonmyun; he proceeds to run up to Joonmyun with the biggest grin ever.
“It was the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Luhan is so close to gushing and spewing flowery language that it almost gives Yifan a headache.
-
For the next forty-three minutes, Yixing, Joonmyun, and Yifan are subject to Luhan’s whole spiel about the new and ever so handsome Kai.
“Seriously, I didn’t think people could be that attractive in real life!” He flops onto his bed and effectively squishes Joonmyun. “Really, he is so beautiful and who the fuck gives a fuck about ballet, really? Except when he does it, ballet looks like the best artistic dance form in the whole wide world.”
Luhan’s whole monologue about the beauty of Kim Jongin and his newfound appreciation for dance sounds like spastic flowery words and romanticized notions at its finest.
Yifan gets a headache.
-
Luhan wakes Yixing up one Saturday.
Which is shocking in itself (because Luhan almost never wakes up before Yixing). Yixing spares a glance- it reads ten o’clock.
Which is more shocking than Luhan waking up before Yixing.
“Let’s go,” Luhan grabs at Yixing’s blanket and tugs. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” But Luhan speaks his words quickly and with a whine so it just sounds like letsgoletsgoletsgoaygdshgleah to the newly awoken Yixing.
Yixing groans and tries to cover his face with his blanket. “Go where?”
“Dance practice, stupid,” Luhan snorts.
That is the most shocking of all.
-
“Dance is a work of art.” Taemin states this cheerfully. Luhan is actually paying attention.
Although that might be because Kai has come to help Taemin again. Luhan has a new appreciation for Taemin. And his friend. Yes. Definitely his friend.
“He’s a work of art,” Luhan mumbles.
“You’re shameless,” Yixing pouts. Yixing looks a little disheveled from quickly having to get ready and being dragged to the dance hall. Luhan had literally dragged Yixing off his bed, shoved him into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and then walked over to pick Yixing’s clothes (to save on time).
Luhan just beams at him- which really is shameless.
-
Yixing knows Kai, but only on a very basic level. From one dancer to another, they have acknowledged each other’s talent more than once. That was it.
But now that Luhan has developed a rather intense attraction to him, Yixing had decided that getting some information was in order. And information Yixing does get (even if it is from their decidedly small and already established circle of friends). “You know he’s just a second year, right?”
Luhan merely blinks, processing the new information quickly. “...how do you know that?” is his first question.
“Yifan told me,” Yixing supplies.
Luhan frowns at the answer- Yifan knows Kai? He needs to talk to that man later. “And how does Yifan know?”
“He heard from Zitao- who heard from Sehun- who is supposedly Kai’s best friend.” Yixing pats himself on the back for getting this type of information for Luhan.
Luhan, generally, would have given a reaction along the lines of “what the fuck,” and not have trusted such information- but he figures he can make an exception in this case. “That’s okay, I don’t mind if he’s a little young.” He shrugs a little and is done with the conversation.
Yixing is not. “Luhan, you have four years on the guy.”
Luhan retorts, “Love knows no age!” with an easy smile and it amuses Yixing greatly. But as his best friend, he feels the need to burst his bubble.
“You don’t even know him.” Yixing thoughtfully points out.
“Or boundaries!” Luhan cheerfully adds.
Yixing gives up. Luhan is Luhan and if Luhan is really attracted to Kai, then he will continue to be really attracted to Kai.
Four year age gap be damned.
-
And so, Luhan’s crush on Kai continues.
It’s actually mildly concerning- how attracted Luhan is to Kai, that is.
-
The first time Luhan sees Kai outside of dance practice, Luhan gapes. Kai looks fresh out of class, eyes droopy with sleep and textbooks on hand. Luhan doesn’t know why he’s so shocked to see him- they attend the same college, after all. Luhan blames it on visual shock.
Kai is wearing a backpack and his clothes are casual (jeans with a black tank top). Casual looks good. Or Kai makes casual look good. Same thing.
Luhan had been walking to his own class when he had spotted him; Kai looks as casual as can be, and yet he still makes blood rush to Luhan’s face (because dear lord, he’s blushing).
And as if that wasn’t enough- oh hell, he’s walking Luhan’s way.
Luhan feels the instinct to run away and hide- except that would be silly. Pfft. Luhan hides from no one. (But Kai makes him want to- slightly.) That “fight or flight” reaction is still very much happening (and his body is telling him to fly the fuck away) and Luhan fidgets as he stands. Kai is just walking along, yawning like he was put on this Earth to tell everyone how attractive yawning could be- he’s doing nothing that would make Luhan want to run. (Except, you know, doing strange things to his heart.)
What is wrong with him right now? He doesn’t run. So he takes a deep breath and puts a smile on his face before calling out to the person who has indirectly given all his best friend’s a headache. “Kai!”
Kai stops mid-yawn (aw man, is that even supposed to look as cute as it did?) and looks around for the person who had called out to him. Luhan gives a little wave and Kai walks over, confused but friendly.
“Hi,” he says, giving a confused smile. “You look familiar, but I’m sorry- I don’t think I caught your name.” Kai looks genuinely confused and sorry and that does weird things to Luhan’s heart.
“It’s Luhan,” he blurts because- right, he never introduced himself to Kai. Whoops. “I’ve attended your dance class a couple times,” Luhan explains. He made sure to attend. “I mean, I don’t dance that often, but I’ve gone before.” Luhan doesn’t know why he’s elaborating. He really doesn’t. There is no word filter to be found right now.
“Oh,” Kai nods, now being able to remember where he’s seen Luhan. “Dance practice. Right. It’s always nice to meet a fellow dancer.” Kai gives another smile. “Well, I need to go to my next class now, but it was nice talking to you. Luhan returns the smile effortlessly- but the thing Kai says next has him smiling even wider. “I’ll see you at next practice, okay? We’ll talk more then.”
“Yes,” Luhan manages to breathe out. “I’ll see you then.” Luhan is beaming, even as Kai waves his goodbye and leaves.
Luhan is left watching Kai’s retreating back with a wide smile and a very tingly feeling in his heart.
(He’s still blushing.)
-
Luhan calls Yixing immediately to tell him about the encounter.
Yifan makes Yixing hang up.
“Rude,” he mumbles to his phone, mentally smacking Yifan on the forehead.
Oh well. He got to talk to Kai.
That’s the important thing here.
Luhan walks back to his room, happy.
-
Luhan is casually lounging in his room, content with doing absolutely nothing productive for the time being. His closest friends have decided to join him on the current task of unproductivity.
Yixing and Yifan are sitting together on Yixing’s bed while Joonmyun is occupying the desk chair closest to Luhan.
He decides to make casual conversation. “You know it’s really easy to threaten Kim Jongdae?” It’s actually not as casual as Luhan would have liked, but that was the first thing he thought of after taking a look at Joonmyun’s face. “It’s been about a year and he’s still the same,” Luhan announces. Because it’s been a year and his feelings for Joonmyun are most definitely still the same. (How Luhan ever found out about Jongdae’s feelings is another story for another day.)
“You really should stop doing that,” Joonmyun frowns at him. “He’s such a nice kid.”
Luhan winces in Jongdae’s place at the word ‘kid’ but holds his tongue because he really doesn’t think Jongdae would appreciate him saying, “Jongdae really likes you, you know. That’s why I can threaten him so easily.” Luhan figures he needs to stop looking at Joonmyun immediately, lest he out Jongdae, so he turns to Yifan and Yixing.
He focuses on Yifan’s calm face and then something sparks in Luhan’s memory, because he is sure that he had to ask Yifan something and- “Kai,” Luhan suddenly says. Ah, yes. Luhan remembers now. “You know Kai?”
“Yeah, so?” Yifan merely stares at him, confused as to why Luhan looks so betrayed. “Yixing knows him too.” Yifan promptly throws Yixing under the figurative bus because that last statement has Luhan gasping.
“You know him?” If Luhan looked betrayed before, it has nothing against what he looks like now.
“I was going to tell you that we knew each other because of dance,” Yixing pouts innocently. “But then you went and told me to go away and play with Yifan.”
That sounds like something Luhan would say- he even vaguely remembers it. So he turns his attention to Yifan instead.
“How do you know Kai then?” Luhan demands. Yifan doesn’t dance- at least, Luhan doesn’t think he does. “And do you dance?” Luhan must know.
“No, I do not dance.” Luhan knew it. “And because he’s Sehun’s best friend?” Yifan supplies. Luhan stares blankly. “You don’t remember Sehun, do you?”
Luhan beams because Yifan is completely right. Yixing laughs lightly and offers a, “Sehun is Zitao’s boyfriend,” and- oh, now Luhan remembers.
“I accept your reasoning,” Luhan sniffs. He doesn’t have to ask about Zitao because Luhan knows Zitao as the cute little boy that looks up to Yifan.
Yixing suddenly looks like he’s contemplating something really complex. “You know, I’ve never called him anything but Kai- do you think Kai is his real name?”
“Probably not,” is Joonmyun’s thoughtful answer. Yifan and Yixing are from then on ignored as Luhan focuses on Joonmyun instead.
“What makes you say that?” Luhan immediately counters.
“What do you want from me?” Joonmyun asks, painfully confused.
Yixing sits where he is, content with watching.
Yifan remains blissfully disconnected from the conversation.
-
“His real name can’t be Kai,” Luhan figures this out after a particularly one-sided argument with Joonmyun.
Joonmyun pouts a little and reminds Luhan, “That’s what I said in the beginning.”
Luhan doesn’t like the answer- or the pout- so he immediately moves to get up and squish Joonmyun into the chair he’s sitting in.
And then Yifan suddenly cares about the situation because Joonmyun is being squished and is in a headlock and- when did that happen?
“What’s going on?”
“You were sitting right there and you don’t know what’s going on? Really, Yifan? Really?” Luhan gives him a judging stare while Yixing smiles.
“His talent to space out at any given situation adds to his character,” Yixing quips.
“Thanks, Xing,” Yifan replies, tone sullen.
“Any time, Yifan.”
Joonmyun gets the back to the situation at hand whilst trying to shove Luhan off. “Luhan is mad that neither of us know Kai’s real name- how would I know anyway, I’m not the one with the painful attraction to him.” Or at least, he tries to get the situation back at hand.
But Luhan is squishing him so Yifan and Yixing can’t really hear anything because everything sounds muffled- the only thing they really hear is, “Kai’s real name”.
"Kai's real name?” Yixing echoes.
“Why didn’t you just ask me then?” These are Yifan’s words.
“You know it?” Luhan sits up, now just sitting in Joonmyun’s lap.
“His name is Jongin,” Yifan deadpans. The perks of knowing Zitao’s boyfriend- also known as Kai’s best friend.
Luhan leaps up from Joonmyun and tackles Yifan off Yixing’s bed and to the ground, shrieking “Jongin,” for the duration of the fall to the impact.
Yixing looks mildly concerned.
Yifan groans in pain while Joonmyun is just barely recovering from the earlier squish.
(But Joonmyun manages to give Yifan a tired thumbs up as he gets used to not having to breathe in Luhan.)
-
Luhan keeps his self-promise of attending the next dance practice. He even attends alone (because Yixing had chosen not to go in favor of watching a movie with Yifan. Pfft.)
But oh well- Luhan could handle flying solo today. He enters the dance room with pep in his step and immediately zeroes in on Kai’s figure. He greets Taemin (who Luhan has grown to deeply appreciate) and moves to greet Kai as well, having gotten more confidence after his first real conversation with him. “Jongin,” Luhan cheerfully calls to him.
Jongin, who had been deeply immersed in teaching Jongdae one of the more complex parts to a certain choreography, whips his head around so fast and searches with startled eyes as to who called him.
“Jongin?” Luhan repeats, softer and a little confused. This is not the reaction he had been expecting- maybe he didn’t think this through. (Okay, so maybe he didn’t think this through at all.)
(And now Luhan belatedly realizes that he could come off as creepy. Oops.)
Jongin stalks over to Luhan and stops just a foot away. (And wow, Luhan thinks Jongin looks really good up close.)
"How did you find out my name?" He sounds a little panicked but really cute, so Luhan is conflicted on how to feel.
"You don't like the name?" Okay, so maybe shouting out his name across the room was a bad idea.
“It’s not that I don’t like it but- I don’t know, I always thought the name sounded kind of- lame?” There is a sheepish smile on his face as he awkwardly rubs the back of his neck with his right hand and Luhan’s word filter stops working completely.
“Jongin is a pretty name.” Luhan says what he thinks is the complete truth.
That statement has Kai- no, Jongin- blushing to the tips of his ears and all Luhan wants to do is smother him in a hug because it should not be possible to look that adorable.
Jongin smiles a little at him and feels the need to reciprocate the compliment- not just because it is something to say, but also because it is something that he sees as a truth. “Luhan is a pretty name too,” he says- and Luhan almost drops to the floor. He resists the urge to stop, drop, and roll because he’s sure he’s not actually on fire. Even if it feels like he is.
And then Jongdae goes “aww,” and ruins the moment in the worst way possible because he starts slow clapping it out; Luhan hates Jongdae.
“Joonmyun thinks Jongin is a pretty name too,” Luhan immediately retaliates. Petty, but effective.
Jongdae stops clapping.
-
Jongdae takes to also calling Kai by his real name- probably as a way backhanded way to spite Luhan.
So whenever Jongin hides his face in his hands or looks mildly embarrassed when Jongdae screeches out a loud "Jongin!"- Luhan wants to fling himself into the sun or something.
If Jongin hates him for this, he will cry.
-
Luhan waits until dance practice is over to sheepishly walk over to Jongin. “Sorry about earlier.” Luhan is sincerely sorry. “I didn’t know you didn’t like the name.” But to be realistic- why else would he go by a nickname? Luhan feels like slapping himself in the face.
“It’s okay,” Jongin smiles, waving a dismissive hand. “Can I call you Luhan?” It is a subtle question in regards to honorifics, and Luhan finds that he doesn’t care in the slightest.
“Yes,” he confirms this with a quick nod. “Feel free to call me just Luhan.” Or anything, really. Luhan would be okay with anything.
“Well, Luhan,” Jongin drawls. “Thank you for saying my name is pretty,” the statement is said with a mild blush and utmost sincerity.
Luhan now believes that Jongin is the prettiest name in the world. No one can convince him otherwise.
“And because you think it’s pretty,” Jongin fidgets and looks a little shy and is pretty much the cutest thing Luhan has ever seen. “Feel free to call me Jongin.”
Luhan blinks in rapid confusion because did Jongin just- did he just-?
Jongin is smiling at him and Luhan finds himself smiling back just because he can’t really help it. Jongin does strange things to him. And his heart. Definitely to his heart.
He can call him Jongin? Luhan tries hard not to let out the overjoyed laugh in his chest. This is progress, Luhan thinks. Progress that he definitely wants with Jongin.
“I’ll keep you to that,” Luhan retorts, playful smile on his lips. He’s much calmer on the outside than he is on the inside. He’s actually screaming on the inside.
“I’ll be much obliged if you do,” Jongin retorts with his own sassy comeback.
And Luhan just feels a tiny bit more attracted to him because he’s always liked that type of sass and-
Jongin is still smiling.
Huh.
Jongin has a really beautiful smile.
It is a smile that makes Luhan feel like he has his own little bit of personal sunshine- which is worrying in itself.
"Well," Luhan thinks, "this obviously isn’t good." For the first time throughout the entire duration of Luhan’s attraction to Jongin, he’s finally worried.
And he still can't stop smiling at Jongin.
-
Luhan eventually starts having regular conversations with Jongin.
At first, it just begins with quick hello’s and fleeting goodbyes.
And then it goes onto becoming sweet how are you doing’s and cute complaining about life and school and everything in-between.
Jongin is all shy smiles and soft chuckles and Luhan really doesn’t know what to do.
What has started as a random little flash of attraction is slowly turning into something much deeper than that, and Luhan knows he is in trouble.
He continues going to dance practice if that means he gets to see Jongin- but that means that he’s willingly waking up early for the sake of seeing him. Luhan practices diligently, blushes when around Jongin, and still feels that weird tingly feeling every single time he so much as just looks at Jongin.
(But that feeling gets worse when Jongin looks back- which the younger boy has been doing much more often as of late.)
If trouble were a pit he could fall into, Luhan would already be there.
Seeing Jongin during dance practice and getting those random conversations with him are slowly becoming the highlights of Luhan’s week.
And that is dangerous.
Because that just means one thing, really.
Luhan has a problem.
-
Luhan finds out a lot of things about Jongin throughout the course of his building friendship with him.
Jongin, on top of being shy and adorable and sassy, is incredibly easy-going. And on top of that, he is undeniably beautiful- in all sorts of ways. Besides the obvious physical factor, his heart is proving to be just as beautiful as his face is. He is legitimately earnest in everything he does and has a love for dance that is evident in every move he makes. He’s diligent, as well as passionate and hardworking. He’s perpetually sleepy but always manages to smile and play around. He can be a complete brat (Luhan found this out the hard way) but at the same time is so childishly innocent that all Luhan wants to do is huggle him forever.
Not only that, but he has the sweetest little smile and -
Luhan may have a legitimate crush on Jongin.
This is a problem.
-
Luhan opens the door to his room with a bang. “Okay, so I have a problem,” is his opening statement.
Surprisingly, Yixing is the only other occupant. Yixing blinks at him slowly, practicing his confused look. “Don’t you always?” He tops it off with a teasing grin, making his dimple appear.
Luhan ignores the playful jibe in favor of babbling. “On top of me thinking Jongin is the most attractive person on the face of the planet, I kind of, maybe, like his personality too.” It’s not so much a maybe and more so the actual truth, but Luhan’s not ready to say that out loud yet.
Yixing only hums in response. “This is turning into more than I anticipated.”
“And what did you anticipate?” Luhan is honestly curious.
“For you to think he’s attractive for a while and then get bored after finding someone more good looking.” Yixing speaks with the utmost honesty because it would not have been the first time Luhan has done so. He says the truth like a seasoned best friend would- but Yixing admits that he has been proven wrong.
“Thanks,” Luhan deadpans. “But no one is more good looking than Jongin,” he huffs. The words leave his mouth before he really thinks about it and- oh, he has such a problem.
Yixing and Luhan share a glance and Luhan ends up flinging himself towards his bed.
“I’m doomed,” is all Luhan can say.
“Jongin will be the end of you,” Yixing solemnly adds.
-
Luhan has an obvious habit around Jongin. And it’s that he can’t stop smiling. Jongin calls him out on it one day, but in the most butterfly inducing way possible.
“You smile a lot, huh?”
No, actually he doesn’t. It’s just around Jongin. “Do I?” Luhan asks, chucking awkwardly.
“Yeah, you’re always smiling when I see you.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” Luhan thinks. He has an awkward reply ready and waiting, but Jongin doesn’t let him have the ability to stay coherent.
“You have a pretty smile,” Jongin says this as a passing comment, like he is making an observation.
“You think I have a pretty smile?” Luhan’s pretty sure he’s gaping.
Jongin blinks, slow and deliberate. Luhan has a smile that he likes seeing, that he would actually like seeing more of. From the first day he saw it, he thought it was pretty. (Of course, Luhan had been smiling with every intention for Jongin to think he was pretty- but details.) So his answer is obvious. “Yup.”
Luhan’s sure of it- Jongin really will be the end of him.
-
Luhan has figured out that this attraction to Jongin has somehow morphed into an actual, genuine liking of him-
And he can’t help it if he wants to have an actual, genuine relationship with him.
Because while Luhan is still very much attracted, he now likes much more than just Jongin’s face. He likes the way Jongin shyly chuckles, the playfulness that comes out at the most random of times, how he manages to always be sleepy but snaps to attention the moment dancing is involved, how awkward he can be during conversation, how he smiles with a type of brightness that can light up Luhan’s world, how he’s- how he’s just Jongin, because Luhan finds that he likes everything about Jongin.
So he needs Jongin to like him back.
Right now.
-
part two.
Pairings: Kai/Luhan, minor!Suho/Chen, ninja!Kris/Lay, mentions of!Sehun/Tao
Summary: Luhan has a problem and his name is Kim Jongin. (In which Jongin is the most beautiful being in the world and Luhan tries not to fling himself into the sun.)
Luhan thinks of himself as an easygoing, agreeable person. Usually. He’s down with meeting new people, can speak in front of a crowd with ease, and is typically the first person to try that one new thing that terrifies everyone else (unless it involves heights- then Luhan is typically the first person to run the fuck away).
So he is generally okay with a lot of things.
But this- this he is not okay with. “Why am I here again?” Luhan complains the moment he walks through the door, with “here” being a very loose term for “a room with a shit ton of other people that Luhan doesn’t really care for and going to do something he doesn’t particularly adore”- on a Saturday. When Luhan doesn’t need to be up for another couple hours- but is up anyway.
“Because you love me and Yifan wouldn’t go with me.” Zhang Yixing quips, cheerfully holding onto to Luhan so that he has no means of escape. He drags Luhan further into the room, making it as hard as possible for his best friend to leave.
“I don’t think this is for me, Yixing.” Luhan says this with a frown as he surveys his surroundings. Dance club was one thing- Yixing had dragged him into it, and Luhan sometimes enjoyed it. Sitting around, watching dance videos, and discussing who moved better- that was fine. Doable, even. But an actual dance class? Granted, it was free and provided by the aforementioned dance club (in the name of improvement and love of dance), but still- he needed to draw the line. He didn’t have enough adoration (or coordination) for this. “I’m going to go now.”
Luhan is ready to leave. Really, he is. But Yixing has tightened his hold on Luhan’s bicep, which means Luhan still has no means of escape. “Come on, Lu. Just try it, it can’t be that bad.”
Except it can be that bad because this thing is supposed to last for two hours and Luhan is a grumpy pants because Yixing has interrupted his precious sleep.
Luhan vaguely entertains the thought of pushing Yixing and making a run for it- Yixing would forgive him eventually, right?
The door opens, and a new, fresh face enters. With a pleasant chirp and wave, the stranger announces, “Hey guys, I’ll be heading dance practice today,”
Luhan stares blankly for an entirety of five seconds before something clicks in his mind and he deadpans, “That’s Taemin, isn’t it?”
Yixing looks at him with a gaze that Luhan can only interpret as, ‘duh, you fucking twit’.
Luhan scrunches his nose at the look on Yixing’s face and immediately complains. He still wants out of here. “You want me to sit and take lessons from Taemin for two hours?” Don’t get Luhan wrong, he rather liked Taemin. But he didn’t like him enough to be taking dance lessons when he could be sleeping in his nice, comfy bed.
“It will be fun, Lu. I promise!” Yixing sounds earnest and looks rather like an adorable puppy (especially since Yixing is smiling slightly and his dimple is showing)- which makes Luhan feel just a tad guilty about thinking of somewhat drastic means of escape (all of which somehow involve Yixing being harmed).
“You know what’s fun, Xing?” Luhan doesn’t wait for an answer. “Sleeping. It’s fucking fantastic, on top of being fun.”
Yixing pouts a little, sliding his arms down and around Luhan’s waist. “There’s no escape, Lu.” (It’s not like Yixing is deathly afraid of being in a dance class by himself- no, of course not. He’s Zhang Yixing and he owns the damn dance floor. But he sincerely wants Luhan to attend the class with him. He even used Yifan as a cover- that's how sincere he is! Because regardless of what Luhan says, he has genuine talent in the dancing department. And as a fellow dancer, he can’t let that talent get away. And thus- there will be no escape for Luhan.)
“To hell with there being no escape,” retorts Luhan, already trying to peel Yixing’s arms off.
Taemin, who had been watching the little squabble with interest (as was almost everyone else in the room), has his attention brought back to the door because of a subtle knock. Another new, fresh face enters and steps over to Taemin.
With a wide grin and an arm over the newcomer’s shoulder, Taemin clears his throat and announces, “And here’s my buddy Kai, who will be helping us out from now on.”
Luhan is just about ready to tackle Yixing and then skedaddle along back to his room (where he was peacefully sleeping, before Yixing decided to rudely interrupt his nap time) when he instinctively turns back to the person talking.
And somehow he wishes he didn’t because his eyes immediately stray to the person standing next to Taemin and he audibly gapes.
Luhan zeros in on sun-kissed skin, full, pouty, kissable lips, a strong, tall, lithe body, and- “Hi, I’m Kai,” damn it all, even his voice is worth dying for. He stills immediately, not even bothering to pretend like he’s not staring at the most good looking man he has ever seen in his life.
His inner thoughts proceed to go something along the lines of: Oh my dear lord, have I just been graced with the presence of the most gorgeous human to ever walk the earth? Is he real? Have I been whisked off to another dimension? He can’t be real, no one looks this good in real life. Is this divine (oh so divine) and holy punishment for mentally injuring a sweetheart like Yixing a dozen times over? Because whoever that is standing next to Taemin sure as hell looks like the greatest temptation in this whole damned galaxy and-
A quick pinch to Luhan’s side (courtesy of the great Zhang Yixing) has Luhan finally blinking away from the tall, dark, and handsome stranger- only so that he can swat at Yixing. “What was that for?”
“You spaced out and looked like you were ready to pass on to the next life, so I had to make sure you were still with us,” is the nonchalant reason Yixing gives.
Belatedly, Luhan realizes that Yixing’s arms are no longer around him. “Hey, when did you let go? And why?” With a bright grin, Luhan asks, “Is it because you know you can’t keep me here against my will?”
Yixing looks offended. “I can keep you against your will, what are you talking about.”
The statement (because yes, it is a statement, not a question) has Kai chuckling a little bit, which makes both Luhan and Yixing realize- oh, hey, we have an audience.
Luhan squeaks a little- which immediately makes him mortified and elated at the same time. (Not because everyone had been watching him for the past five minutes. Please, he couldn’t care less about that. But that chuckle he just heard- oh, he could care a lot about that though.) Both Yixing and Luhan stare at Kai blankly.
“Oh, sorry,” this Kai person says, shyly smiling. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” That is the most beautiful sentence Luhan has heard all month. With an awkward shuffle, Kai tugs on Taemin’s arm and they waddle over to another part of the room. Luhan is still staring at Kai.
Yixing is as well, but for an entirely different reason. “What, aren’t you supposed to be running out the door right now?” he teases.
Yixing has a happy little grin on now that he knows that Luhan will no longer run out of the room. And he loves that he knows Luhan won’t run. He won’t because Yixing knows- Luhan didn’t simply space out. Oh, no. He knows. Luhan had it written all over his face, with his glossed over eyes and mouth open so wide Yixing could probably fit a small rock into it. Yixing cackles- no, chuckles, because Zhang Yixing does not cackle- internally.
Luhan gives him a scathing look before turning back to look at Kai and Taemin (who have both moved on to picking out CDs and deciding which choreographies to go over). He makes a simpering little huff before declaring, “On second thought, I might stay after all.” He is pointedly not looking at Yixing. He’s still too busy looking at Kai instead.
“Are you sure, Lu?” Yixing teases, smiling slightly and poking at his best friend.
From near the front of the room, Luhan watches as Taemin cracks a joke and Kai laughs, eyes turning into moon crescents and lips curling upwards to show beautiful pearly whites. He forgets to breathe for a moment.
Yixing barely has time to roll his eyes before Luhan nods decisively. “Yeah, I can totally do this whole dance class thing.”
“Luhan-” If Yixing had known that seeing Kai was all it would take to make Luhan go with him, then he would have introduced him a lot earlier.
“Shh.” Luhan cannot be bothered with Yixing speaking right now.
“You know-” I’m kind of friends with Kai, so I can introduce you to him after class if you want- is what Yixing would have said if Luhan had not cut him off again.
“Can you go away and play with Yifan or something?” Luhan makes a little shooing motion and Yixing would be offended if he wasn’t Luhan’s best friend.
“I can’t play with Yifan, he wouldn’t come with me," Yixing deadpans."That's why you’re here." Points to Yixing for sticking with his lie. (In reality, Yifan is probably peacefully sitting in his room, doing boring things. Like sleeping.)
Taemin calls everyone to attention, apparently done with both music and choreography decisions.
Luhan, unsurprisingly, scrambles to the front of the room so that he’s standing almost five feet away from Kai.
Yixing, to his credit, only rolls his eyes once before he walks up next to Luhan. “You would choose the best place to openly gawk,” he says this in quick, muttered mandarin, to which Luhan replies with the same courtesy.
“Shut it, Xing.” He doesn't say it as softly, but uses the same language- which confuses everyone in hearing range. Which means Kai. Confused is a cute look on Kai. Luhan may or may not have a problem.
“So we’ll be doing some jazz and ballet today, if that’s alright with you guys,” Taemin says, smiling brightly. “It’s kind of Kai’s forte, and we should let him show off his skills while he’s here, right?”
Luhan wholeheartedly agrees.
Someone groans next to Luhan (who is obviously not Yixing) and complains, “I don’t want to do ballet.”
That makes Taemin and Kai frown and they look at each other, already going into an impromptu dance class teacher meeting.
Kai looks a little disappointed; Luhan decides that he doesn't like that look. Nope. Not at all.
Within seconds of seeing that disappointed face, Luhan turns to his side and hisses, “Kim Jongdae, you will learn ballet.” He says this as threateningly as he can and even raises a little fist to back up his point.
“But ballet is so-”
“Do not make me call Joonmyun.” Luhan’s flat out threatening him. He couldn’t care less- Luhan does what he has to.
Now, Luhan looks as threatening as a (vicious) kitten. And his ‘threat’ sounds nothing close to threatening. Because Joonmyun is an angel living on earth and he’s the least threatening being in existence, with his easy smiles and gentle nature.
But Jongdae flinches away just a little because- oh hey, Kim Joonmyun and Luhan are totally tight with each other and Jongdae rather likes Joonmyun so-
“On second thought, ballet sounds cool,” Jongdae says, grumpy frown in place.
Taemin brightens and Kai lets out a little sigh of relief. (He really wanted to teach jazz and ballet today.) Taemin heads over to the stereo and presses play. He signals to Kai and says, “Whenever you want to start.”
Kai gives a grateful little smile and sweeps the room with his gaze once. Coincidentally, his gaze stops on Luhan. (Or maybe not so coincidentally, because Luhan made sure to stand right in his line of vision.) “Ready?” he asks the class. It sounds like he’s asking Luhan. That’s all that matters.
“When you are,” Luhan says, grinning prettily in the way that he knows everyone falls in love with the first time they see it. (Yixing tries hard really, really hard not to clap his hands and laugh and ruin that whole moment.)
Kai gives a shy smile in response and Luhan is pretty much done with the world.
-
Kai doesn’t know it yet, but that smile is all he is going to be seeing and thinking about for a long time.
-
Luhan skips back to his dorm, in a daze and blissfully content.
There are two occupants in his room. One is even on his bed. Normally, Luhan would be pissed beyond belief at this terrible, blasphemous act- but right now, he can’t find it in himself to care.
Joonmyun smiles his greeting while Yifan frowns. Yifan takes one look at overly excited Luhan and turns to Yixing. “Should I ask?” Yixing shrugs while Luhan runs over to Yifan.
“Ask me how dance class went,” Luhan demands.
Yifan looks visibly distraught as he says, “I don’t think I want to-”
“Ask me,” Luhan demands once more.
Obligingly, Joonmyun asks from his spot a couple feet away from Yifan. “How was dance class?” Luhan whirls around in a full circle before zoning in on Joonmyun; he proceeds to run up to Joonmyun with the biggest grin ever.
“It was the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Luhan is so close to gushing and spewing flowery language that it almost gives Yifan a headache.
-
For the next forty-three minutes, Yixing, Joonmyun, and Yifan are subject to Luhan’s whole spiel about the new and ever so handsome Kai.
“Seriously, I didn’t think people could be that attractive in real life!” He flops onto his bed and effectively squishes Joonmyun. “Really, he is so beautiful and who the fuck gives a fuck about ballet, really? Except when he does it, ballet looks like the best artistic dance form in the whole wide world.”
Luhan’s whole monologue about the beauty of Kim Jongin and his newfound appreciation for dance sounds like spastic flowery words and romanticized notions at its finest.
Yifan gets a headache.
-
Luhan wakes Yixing up one Saturday.
Which is shocking in itself (because Luhan almost never wakes up before Yixing). Yixing spares a glance- it reads ten o’clock.
Which is more shocking than Luhan waking up before Yixing.
“Let’s go,” Luhan grabs at Yixing’s blanket and tugs. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” But Luhan speaks his words quickly and with a whine so it just sounds like letsgoletsgoletsgoaygdshgleah to the newly awoken Yixing.
Yixing groans and tries to cover his face with his blanket. “Go where?”
“Dance practice, stupid,” Luhan snorts.
That is the most shocking of all.
-
“Dance is a work of art.” Taemin states this cheerfully. Luhan is actually paying attention.
Although that might be because Kai has come to help Taemin again. Luhan has a new appreciation for Taemin. And his friend. Yes. Definitely his friend.
“He’s a work of art,” Luhan mumbles.
“You’re shameless,” Yixing pouts. Yixing looks a little disheveled from quickly having to get ready and being dragged to the dance hall. Luhan had literally dragged Yixing off his bed, shoved him into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and then walked over to pick Yixing’s clothes (to save on time).
Luhan just beams at him- which really is shameless.
-
Yixing knows Kai, but only on a very basic level. From one dancer to another, they have acknowledged each other’s talent more than once. That was it.
But now that Luhan has developed a rather intense attraction to him, Yixing had decided that getting some information was in order. And information Yixing does get (even if it is from their decidedly small and already established circle of friends). “You know he’s just a second year, right?”
Luhan merely blinks, processing the new information quickly. “...how do you know that?” is his first question.
“Yifan told me,” Yixing supplies.
Luhan frowns at the answer- Yifan knows Kai? He needs to talk to that man later. “And how does Yifan know?”
“He heard from Zitao- who heard from Sehun- who is supposedly Kai’s best friend.” Yixing pats himself on the back for getting this type of information for Luhan.
Luhan, generally, would have given a reaction along the lines of “what the fuck,” and not have trusted such information- but he figures he can make an exception in this case. “That’s okay, I don’t mind if he’s a little young.” He shrugs a little and is done with the conversation.
Yixing is not. “Luhan, you have four years on the guy.”
Luhan retorts, “Love knows no age!” with an easy smile and it amuses Yixing greatly. But as his best friend, he feels the need to burst his bubble.
“You don’t even know him.” Yixing thoughtfully points out.
“Or boundaries!” Luhan cheerfully adds.
Yixing gives up. Luhan is Luhan and if Luhan is really attracted to Kai, then he will continue to be really attracted to Kai.
Four year age gap be damned.
-
And so, Luhan’s crush on Kai continues.
It’s actually mildly concerning- how attracted Luhan is to Kai, that is.
-
The first time Luhan sees Kai outside of dance practice, Luhan gapes. Kai looks fresh out of class, eyes droopy with sleep and textbooks on hand. Luhan doesn’t know why he’s so shocked to see him- they attend the same college, after all. Luhan blames it on visual shock.
Kai is wearing a backpack and his clothes are casual (jeans with a black tank top). Casual looks good. Or Kai makes casual look good. Same thing.
Luhan had been walking to his own class when he had spotted him; Kai looks as casual as can be, and yet he still makes blood rush to Luhan’s face (because dear lord, he’s blushing).
And as if that wasn’t enough- oh hell, he’s walking Luhan’s way.
Luhan feels the instinct to run away and hide- except that would be silly. Pfft. Luhan hides from no one. (But Kai makes him want to- slightly.) That “fight or flight” reaction is still very much happening (and his body is telling him to fly the fuck away) and Luhan fidgets as he stands. Kai is just walking along, yawning like he was put on this Earth to tell everyone how attractive yawning could be- he’s doing nothing that would make Luhan want to run. (Except, you know, doing strange things to his heart.)
What is wrong with him right now? He doesn’t run. So he takes a deep breath and puts a smile on his face before calling out to the person who has indirectly given all his best friend’s a headache. “Kai!”
Kai stops mid-yawn (aw man, is that even supposed to look as cute as it did?) and looks around for the person who had called out to him. Luhan gives a little wave and Kai walks over, confused but friendly.
“Hi,” he says, giving a confused smile. “You look familiar, but I’m sorry- I don’t think I caught your name.” Kai looks genuinely confused and sorry and that does weird things to Luhan’s heart.
“It’s Luhan,” he blurts because- right, he never introduced himself to Kai. Whoops. “I’ve attended your dance class a couple times,” Luhan explains. He made sure to attend. “I mean, I don’t dance that often, but I’ve gone before.” Luhan doesn’t know why he’s elaborating. He really doesn’t. There is no word filter to be found right now.
“Oh,” Kai nods, now being able to remember where he’s seen Luhan. “Dance practice. Right. It’s always nice to meet a fellow dancer.” Kai gives another smile. “Well, I need to go to my next class now, but it was nice talking to you. Luhan returns the smile effortlessly- but the thing Kai says next has him smiling even wider. “I’ll see you at next practice, okay? We’ll talk more then.”
“Yes,” Luhan manages to breathe out. “I’ll see you then.” Luhan is beaming, even as Kai waves his goodbye and leaves.
Luhan is left watching Kai’s retreating back with a wide smile and a very tingly feeling in his heart.
(He’s still blushing.)
-
Luhan calls Yixing immediately to tell him about the encounter.
Yifan makes Yixing hang up.
“Rude,” he mumbles to his phone, mentally smacking Yifan on the forehead.
Oh well. He got to talk to Kai.
That’s the important thing here.
Luhan walks back to his room, happy.
-
Luhan is casually lounging in his room, content with doing absolutely nothing productive for the time being. His closest friends have decided to join him on the current task of unproductivity.
Yixing and Yifan are sitting together on Yixing’s bed while Joonmyun is occupying the desk chair closest to Luhan.
He decides to make casual conversation. “You know it’s really easy to threaten Kim Jongdae?” It’s actually not as casual as Luhan would have liked, but that was the first thing he thought of after taking a look at Joonmyun’s face. “It’s been about a year and he’s still the same,” Luhan announces. Because it’s been a year and his feelings for Joonmyun are most definitely still the same. (How Luhan ever found out about Jongdae’s feelings is another story for another day.)
“You really should stop doing that,” Joonmyun frowns at him. “He’s such a nice kid.”
Luhan winces in Jongdae’s place at the word ‘kid’ but holds his tongue because he really doesn’t think Jongdae would appreciate him saying, “Jongdae really likes you, you know. That’s why I can threaten him so easily.” Luhan figures he needs to stop looking at Joonmyun immediately, lest he out Jongdae, so he turns to Yifan and Yixing.
He focuses on Yifan’s calm face and then something sparks in Luhan’s memory, because he is sure that he had to ask Yifan something and- “Kai,” Luhan suddenly says. Ah, yes. Luhan remembers now. “You know Kai?”
“Yeah, so?” Yifan merely stares at him, confused as to why Luhan looks so betrayed. “Yixing knows him too.” Yifan promptly throws Yixing under the figurative bus because that last statement has Luhan gasping.
“You know him?” If Luhan looked betrayed before, it has nothing against what he looks like now.
“I was going to tell you that we knew each other because of dance,” Yixing pouts innocently. “But then you went and told me to go away and play with Yifan.”
That sounds like something Luhan would say- he even vaguely remembers it. So he turns his attention to Yifan instead.
“How do you know Kai then?” Luhan demands. Yifan doesn’t dance- at least, Luhan doesn’t think he does. “And do you dance?” Luhan must know.
“No, I do not dance.” Luhan knew it. “And because he’s Sehun’s best friend?” Yifan supplies. Luhan stares blankly. “You don’t remember Sehun, do you?”
Luhan beams because Yifan is completely right. Yixing laughs lightly and offers a, “Sehun is Zitao’s boyfriend,” and- oh, now Luhan remembers.
“I accept your reasoning,” Luhan sniffs. He doesn’t have to ask about Zitao because Luhan knows Zitao as the cute little boy that looks up to Yifan.
Yixing suddenly looks like he’s contemplating something really complex. “You know, I’ve never called him anything but Kai- do you think Kai is his real name?”
“Probably not,” is Joonmyun’s thoughtful answer. Yifan and Yixing are from then on ignored as Luhan focuses on Joonmyun instead.
“What makes you say that?” Luhan immediately counters.
“What do you want from me?” Joonmyun asks, painfully confused.
Yixing sits where he is, content with watching.
Yifan remains blissfully disconnected from the conversation.
-
“His real name can’t be Kai,” Luhan figures this out after a particularly one-sided argument with Joonmyun.
Joonmyun pouts a little and reminds Luhan, “That’s what I said in the beginning.”
Luhan doesn’t like the answer- or the pout- so he immediately moves to get up and squish Joonmyun into the chair he’s sitting in.
And then Yifan suddenly cares about the situation because Joonmyun is being squished and is in a headlock and- when did that happen?
“What’s going on?”
“You were sitting right there and you don’t know what’s going on? Really, Yifan? Really?” Luhan gives him a judging stare while Yixing smiles.
“His talent to space out at any given situation adds to his character,” Yixing quips.
“Thanks, Xing,” Yifan replies, tone sullen.
“Any time, Yifan.”
Joonmyun gets the back to the situation at hand whilst trying to shove Luhan off. “Luhan is mad that neither of us know Kai’s real name- how would I know anyway, I’m not the one with the painful attraction to him.” Or at least, he tries to get the situation back at hand.
But Luhan is squishing him so Yifan and Yixing can’t really hear anything because everything sounds muffled- the only thing they really hear is, “Kai’s real name”.
"Kai's real name?” Yixing echoes.
“Why didn’t you just ask me then?” These are Yifan’s words.
“You know it?” Luhan sits up, now just sitting in Joonmyun’s lap.
“His name is Jongin,” Yifan deadpans. The perks of knowing Zitao’s boyfriend- also known as Kai’s best friend.
Luhan leaps up from Joonmyun and tackles Yifan off Yixing’s bed and to the ground, shrieking “Jongin,” for the duration of the fall to the impact.
Yixing looks mildly concerned.
Yifan groans in pain while Joonmyun is just barely recovering from the earlier squish.
(But Joonmyun manages to give Yifan a tired thumbs up as he gets used to not having to breathe in Luhan.)
-
Luhan keeps his self-promise of attending the next dance practice. He even attends alone (because Yixing had chosen not to go in favor of watching a movie with Yifan. Pfft.)
But oh well- Luhan could handle flying solo today. He enters the dance room with pep in his step and immediately zeroes in on Kai’s figure. He greets Taemin (who Luhan has grown to deeply appreciate) and moves to greet Kai as well, having gotten more confidence after his first real conversation with him. “Jongin,” Luhan cheerfully calls to him.
Jongin, who had been deeply immersed in teaching Jongdae one of the more complex parts to a certain choreography, whips his head around so fast and searches with startled eyes as to who called him.
“Jongin?” Luhan repeats, softer and a little confused. This is not the reaction he had been expecting- maybe he didn’t think this through. (Okay, so maybe he didn’t think this through at all.)
(And now Luhan belatedly realizes that he could come off as creepy. Oops.)
Jongin stalks over to Luhan and stops just a foot away. (And wow, Luhan thinks Jongin looks really good up close.)
"How did you find out my name?" He sounds a little panicked but really cute, so Luhan is conflicted on how to feel.
"You don't like the name?" Okay, so maybe shouting out his name across the room was a bad idea.
“It’s not that I don’t like it but- I don’t know, I always thought the name sounded kind of- lame?” There is a sheepish smile on his face as he awkwardly rubs the back of his neck with his right hand and Luhan’s word filter stops working completely.
“Jongin is a pretty name.” Luhan says what he thinks is the complete truth.
That statement has Kai- no, Jongin- blushing to the tips of his ears and all Luhan wants to do is smother him in a hug because it should not be possible to look that adorable.
Jongin smiles a little at him and feels the need to reciprocate the compliment- not just because it is something to say, but also because it is something that he sees as a truth. “Luhan is a pretty name too,” he says- and Luhan almost drops to the floor. He resists the urge to stop, drop, and roll because he’s sure he’s not actually on fire. Even if it feels like he is.
And then Jongdae goes “aww,” and ruins the moment in the worst way possible because he starts slow clapping it out; Luhan hates Jongdae.
“Joonmyun thinks Jongin is a pretty name too,” Luhan immediately retaliates. Petty, but effective.
Jongdae stops clapping.
-
Jongdae takes to also calling Kai by his real name- probably as a way backhanded way to spite Luhan.
So whenever Jongin hides his face in his hands or looks mildly embarrassed when Jongdae screeches out a loud "Jongin!"- Luhan wants to fling himself into the sun or something.
If Jongin hates him for this, he will cry.
-
Luhan waits until dance practice is over to sheepishly walk over to Jongin. “Sorry about earlier.” Luhan is sincerely sorry. “I didn’t know you didn’t like the name.” But to be realistic- why else would he go by a nickname? Luhan feels like slapping himself in the face.
“It’s okay,” Jongin smiles, waving a dismissive hand. “Can I call you Luhan?” It is a subtle question in regards to honorifics, and Luhan finds that he doesn’t care in the slightest.
“Yes,” he confirms this with a quick nod. “Feel free to call me just Luhan.” Or anything, really. Luhan would be okay with anything.
“Well, Luhan,” Jongin drawls. “Thank you for saying my name is pretty,” the statement is said with a mild blush and utmost sincerity.
Luhan now believes that Jongin is the prettiest name in the world. No one can convince him otherwise.
“And because you think it’s pretty,” Jongin fidgets and looks a little shy and is pretty much the cutest thing Luhan has ever seen. “Feel free to call me Jongin.”
Luhan blinks in rapid confusion because did Jongin just- did he just-?
Jongin is smiling at him and Luhan finds himself smiling back just because he can’t really help it. Jongin does strange things to him. And his heart. Definitely to his heart.
He can call him Jongin? Luhan tries hard not to let out the overjoyed laugh in his chest. This is progress, Luhan thinks. Progress that he definitely wants with Jongin.
“I’ll keep you to that,” Luhan retorts, playful smile on his lips. He’s much calmer on the outside than he is on the inside. He’s actually screaming on the inside.
“I’ll be much obliged if you do,” Jongin retorts with his own sassy comeback.
And Luhan just feels a tiny bit more attracted to him because he’s always liked that type of sass and-
Jongin is still smiling.
Huh.
Jongin has a really beautiful smile.
It is a smile that makes Luhan feel like he has his own little bit of personal sunshine- which is worrying in itself.
"Well," Luhan thinks, "this obviously isn’t good." For the first time throughout the entire duration of Luhan’s attraction to Jongin, he’s finally worried.
And he still can't stop smiling at Jongin.
-
Luhan eventually starts having regular conversations with Jongin.
At first, it just begins with quick hello’s and fleeting goodbyes.
And then it goes onto becoming sweet how are you doing’s and cute complaining about life and school and everything in-between.
Jongin is all shy smiles and soft chuckles and Luhan really doesn’t know what to do.
What has started as a random little flash of attraction is slowly turning into something much deeper than that, and Luhan knows he is in trouble.
He continues going to dance practice if that means he gets to see Jongin- but that means that he’s willingly waking up early for the sake of seeing him. Luhan practices diligently, blushes when around Jongin, and still feels that weird tingly feeling every single time he so much as just looks at Jongin.
(But that feeling gets worse when Jongin looks back- which the younger boy has been doing much more often as of late.)
If trouble were a pit he could fall into, Luhan would already be there.
Seeing Jongin during dance practice and getting those random conversations with him are slowly becoming the highlights of Luhan’s week.
And that is dangerous.
Because that just means one thing, really.
Luhan has a problem.
-
Luhan finds out a lot of things about Jongin throughout the course of his building friendship with him.
Jongin, on top of being shy and adorable and sassy, is incredibly easy-going. And on top of that, he is undeniably beautiful- in all sorts of ways. Besides the obvious physical factor, his heart is proving to be just as beautiful as his face is. He is legitimately earnest in everything he does and has a love for dance that is evident in every move he makes. He’s diligent, as well as passionate and hardworking. He’s perpetually sleepy but always manages to smile and play around. He can be a complete brat (Luhan found this out the hard way) but at the same time is so childishly innocent that all Luhan wants to do is huggle him forever.
Not only that, but he has the sweetest little smile and -
Luhan may have a legitimate crush on Jongin.
This is a problem.
-
Luhan opens the door to his room with a bang. “Okay, so I have a problem,” is his opening statement.
Surprisingly, Yixing is the only other occupant. Yixing blinks at him slowly, practicing his confused look. “Don’t you always?” He tops it off with a teasing grin, making his dimple appear.
Luhan ignores the playful jibe in favor of babbling. “On top of me thinking Jongin is the most attractive person on the face of the planet, I kind of, maybe, like his personality too.” It’s not so much a maybe and more so the actual truth, but Luhan’s not ready to say that out loud yet.
Yixing only hums in response. “This is turning into more than I anticipated.”
“And what did you anticipate?” Luhan is honestly curious.
“For you to think he’s attractive for a while and then get bored after finding someone more good looking.” Yixing speaks with the utmost honesty because it would not have been the first time Luhan has done so. He says the truth like a seasoned best friend would- but Yixing admits that he has been proven wrong.
“Thanks,” Luhan deadpans. “But no one is more good looking than Jongin,” he huffs. The words leave his mouth before he really thinks about it and- oh, he has such a problem.
Yixing and Luhan share a glance and Luhan ends up flinging himself towards his bed.
“I’m doomed,” is all Luhan can say.
“Jongin will be the end of you,” Yixing solemnly adds.
-
Luhan has an obvious habit around Jongin. And it’s that he can’t stop smiling. Jongin calls him out on it one day, but in the most butterfly inducing way possible.
“You smile a lot, huh?”
No, actually he doesn’t. It’s just around Jongin. “Do I?” Luhan asks, chucking awkwardly.
“Yeah, you’re always smiling when I see you.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” Luhan thinks. He has an awkward reply ready and waiting, but Jongin doesn’t let him have the ability to stay coherent.
“You have a pretty smile,” Jongin says this as a passing comment, like he is making an observation.
“You think I have a pretty smile?” Luhan’s pretty sure he’s gaping.
Jongin blinks, slow and deliberate. Luhan has a smile that he likes seeing, that he would actually like seeing more of. From the first day he saw it, he thought it was pretty. (Of course, Luhan had been smiling with every intention for Jongin to think he was pretty- but details.) So his answer is obvious. “Yup.”
Luhan’s sure of it- Jongin really will be the end of him.
-
Luhan has figured out that this attraction to Jongin has somehow morphed into an actual, genuine liking of him-
And he can’t help it if he wants to have an actual, genuine relationship with him.
Because while Luhan is still very much attracted, he now likes much more than just Jongin’s face. He likes the way Jongin shyly chuckles, the playfulness that comes out at the most random of times, how he manages to always be sleepy but snaps to attention the moment dancing is involved, how awkward he can be during conversation, how he smiles with a type of brightness that can light up Luhan’s world, how he’s- how he’s just Jongin, because Luhan finds that he likes everything about Jongin.
So he needs Jongin to like him back.
Right now.
-
part two.