flashfics; b.a.p, exo
1. The Kindest Boy ►
The best thing about Jongup, Daehyun thinks, is the optimism. Jongup will always follow, always care, and always smile back. When night turns into day and Daehyun wants to close his eyes for a long time, Jongup will still be the last to give up. Those are the moments when Daehyun wants to hug Jongup the most.
2. Growing Up, Growing Apart ◄
Being maknae is a full time position, but Zelo thinks he does his job rather badly. There’s a world of possibilities here- the right to be possessive, free hugs, and an unlimited arsenal of aegyo no questions asked. Given the chance, however, Zelo is content simply following Jongup around. Zelo knows that one day, Jongup will no longer want to be silly with him, sit in the same room while Zelo does laundry, or clap madly while they explore the workings of Zelo’s skateboard. One day they will both be older. Zelo will no longer be criminally young and Jongup will no longer be perpetually confused. Sometimes Zelo is afraid they will grow into different people who like different things. But for now, Zelo is maknae and Jongup acts like they’ll never get any older.
3. Somewhere, Someone is Fighting For You ★
Here’s the problem with being de-contextualized-they forget that Kris, too, is made of skin and bones. In his chest, under his rib cage, Kris carries the same level of fear and humility. Fear of rejection, so he tries his best to be kind. Uncertainty about humility, because if there was a line between being thankful and self-assured, then Kris lost sight of it a long time ago. Kris is only one person, but as long as someone, somewhere sees him in a good light, Kris will try his hardest to stay that way.
4. The Last 100 Days; for Amber
Yixing is working the transmission lines when Minseok finishes decrypting the last round of messages dispatched to the embassy.
He clutches the draft in his hands and makes a sprint up the hall. The message had been clear enough:
War inevitable
Break relations
Destroy codes and ciphers
Kris is studying maps in the war room when Yixing bursts in. These days Kris looks thinner, less tall than Yixing remembers. He still recalls the operation in Qingdao, those sleepless nights he spent trying to predict the details of an impeding air attack through badly organized intelligence, and meeting the young man who would soon become the commander of unit e12.
The biggest misconception Yixing had was believing that war would be over once they finished the raid in the north. War was never over, and Yixing proceeded to spend the next few years working as the head of the signals and intelligence unit. It was a small team of layman turned professionals, not that anyone was qualified to call themselves a professional at the alarming rate the budget was dwindling.
Kris, for all of his even-headedness, had little interests in the workings of Yixing's team. He was more focused on their agents in the east and the naval conflict. Yixing ignores all of this as he continues to work on breaking the enemy's codes. War was coming to them, whether Kris liked it or not.
"They're making an attack," Yixing says when Kris finally turns around. "I just don't know where."
Kris looks unimpressed.
"We need to dispatch warnings to the bases," Yixing continues. "We need to be on the defensive."
"You tell me this everyday," Kris replies, looking back down at his maps. In the earlier years of their friendship, Kris would walk to the window and stare at the sky during briefs. If Lu Han was the face of diplomacy, then Kris was the brains behind the operation.
But the truth of the matter is that Kris was dying, and they all knew it. His health has been deteriorating since he collapsed last august, but e12 needed him just like the counterintelligence force needed Yixing.
When Yixing imagines the end of the war, he doesn't think about diplomacy. Yixing dreams of peaceful skies and radio broadcasts that aren't frequently interrupted with warnings. He dreams of walking through the garden and Kris rising from his wheelchair. One day, Yixing thinks.
One day Jongdae will finally pursue his dream of becoming a singer, Lu Han will stop pretending to smile, and Yixing will finally tell Kris how he feels.
The first three were originally posted on my tumblr ♥ Want to talk Meta?? Talk to me on twitter!