[KPOP RPS] One shot: An affair (sort of) to remember {exo}
Title: An affair (sort of) to remember
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Lu Han/Sehun with a side of Lay/Chen
Word count: 3800
Summary: Lu Han leaned over the railing of his balcony and looked out over the sea. He had always liked the sea, he’d only had a few opportunities to see it over the years, but it had always called to him. He looked out over this sea, watched how it glittered like diamonds under the scorching Honduras sun, and he felt something in his heart unclench. He breathed a little easier, he felt a little calmer. Maybe this trip was actually a good idea, he did feel better, but he was damned if he was actually going to tell Yixing that.
A/N: Picked up as a pinch hit for the
sncj_santa, written for 
read0write
Lu Han leaned over the railing of his balcony and looked out over the sea. He had always liked the sea, he’d only had a few opportunities to see it over the years, but it had always called to him. He looked out over this sea, watched how it glittered like diamonds under the scorching Honduras sun, and he felt something in his heart unclench. He breathed a little easier, he felt a little calmer. Maybe this trip was actually a good idea, he did feel better, but he was damned if he was actually going to tell Yixing that.
“Hey, you ok out here?” Yixing asked, his voice was pitched low like he was trying not to startle Lu Han, but Lu Han was startled anyway.
Lu Han reluctantly turned round, reluctantly took his eyes off the captivating sea. He looked at Yixing who stood in the doorway to their hotel room, a worried frown on his face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just…” Lu Han waved his hand at the tranquil scene. A small, helpless gesture, he couldn’t quite find the words to explain just how he was feeling.
Yixing nodded, nodded like he understood how Lu Han was feeling. But Yixing didn’t quite understand. Yixing had suggested this trip because he wanted to have some fun, and live while we’re young (Yixing liked to quote song lyrics when making a case for something.) But Lu Han, Lu Han had agreed to come along because he was looking for…something. Peace? Adventure? He didn’t quite know.
“Are you about ready to do out and eat? I’m hungry.” Yixing rubbed his flat belly and feigned distress. “So hungry, I’m wasting away!”
Lu Han laughed and shook his head. “Sure, I could eat.”
“Excellent. Now come on, we have to go meet Baekhyun.”
“Okay, I’ll just be a min…wait! Who?”
Yixing rolled his eyes and spun around and stalked back in to their room, he flicked his hand in some aborted gesture; Lu Han thought that maybe Yixing flipped him the bird.
“Do you actually listen to anything I say?” Yixing’s voice filtered through the gauzy curtains.
“Sometimes.” Lu Han said quietly, looking back over the sea again. “Sometimes I do.”
“Come on! Let’s go!”
||
Lu Han was ready, but apparently Yixing suddenly decided he needed a few more minutes of preening so he sent Lu Han down to the bar on his own. Lu Han knew that ‘a few more minutes’ could mean anything between fifteen minutes to an hour. It was never just a few minutes. Lu Han didn’t feel like going in to the main hotel bar by himself, he could feel people looking at him as he walked through the lobby and by people he really meant Men. Men were looking at him, their gazes hot and hungry, like all they wanted in the world was to eat Lu Han up. Lu Han hadn’t seen any women so far. Like at all. No children either.
Lu Han was starting to suspect that Yixing had booked them into a gay resort.
Lu Han wouldn’t be at all surprised.
He decided to skip the bar for now, decided to wait for Yixing to finish making himself look pretty. He sauntered out onto the patio; he took a seat on a lounger beside the pool. The hotel was lavish, but with an almost tacky sheen to it. Lu Han kind of liked that about the place though. It was more of a Greek style décor wise inside, all pillars and white marble, but with a hacienda style pool and gardens, like the designer couldn’t quite choose between the two.
“Are you here alone?” A deep voice asked. Lu Han jumped, he’d been too engrossed in his design thoughts that he hadn’t heard anyone approach.
He let out an undignified squeak when he got a good look at his would be suitor. The guy was huge! Like man mountain huge! His biceps had to have been the same size as Lu Han’s head. He was wearing very, very tiny speedos that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Unfortunately. Thick veins corded over the muscles of his arms and thighs, bulging in a way that made Lu Han feel faintly sick. Lu Han hadn’t actually understood what the giant had said, his English was ok, not great, but he got by. The giant, however, had a thick accent. Probably Eastern European. But he was only guessing at that.
“I am here alone.”
Lu Han detected a hint of disappointment in the giant’s voice but he still didn’t know what the guy was saying. The look in the giant’s eyes was wicked, so Lu Han didn’t believe that he was actually disappointed by anything at all.
“I am so lonely. Would you like to come to my room and play with my love staff? It would like to play with you.”
Ah ha! Lu Han recognized the words ‘love’ and ‘staff’; he wasn’t quite sure how they related to each other, though. The English language could be really weird at times.
“Uhhh.” Lu Han stammered. “I have friend.” Lu Han pointed in the general direction of the hotel lobby. “I wait.”
Lu Han smiled and waited for the man to leave. But the man didn’t leave; instead he took a seat on the lounger beside Lu Han and casually put his hand on Lu Han’s knee. Lu Han looked at the meaty paw and shuddered.
“I wait with you.” The giant said slowly, like he was trying to soften his accent to make himself more understandable. Lu Han appreciated the effort but he really wished the guy would just leave him alone.
“No, it’s fine. I go now.” Lu Han faltered over the words as he stumbled to stand. He backed away from the lounger he had been perched on; walking backwards the way he was he didn’t see the staggered steps that lead back up to the doors to the lobby. He tripped, but he didn’t fall down. Instead he tumbled into the path of someone walking down those steps and that person broke his actual fall. Which was lucky for Lu Han, but not so much for the person he’d landed on.
“Oh I am sorry!” Lu Han immediately started to apologise in English but stopped when the person he’d landed on started apologising in Korean. Lu Han was so happy to hear a language he was more familiar with that he didn’t stop to correct the guy, tell him that he had nothing to be sorry for. “Are you ok?” Lu Han asked in Korean. He started to brush imaginary dust off the guy’s clothes like that would make up for Lu Han almost squishing him. He stopped his frantic sweeping when he got his first look at the man’s face. The kid’s face. No, not kid. Young man. He could only have been a few years younger than Lu Han was. But since Lu Han was often told that he looked like he was twelve, he really wasn’t one to judge ages. The kid—young man—was cute in a cold sort of way. His expression lacked warmth but there was a light in his eyes, Lu Han got the impression the kid was almost laughing at him.
“I’m fine. You speak Korean?”
“Are you sure? Yes, right now I live there; I go to university in Seoul.”
The kid actually smiled at this, the smile gave Lu Han a feeling of some kind of victory, but he wasn’t quite sure why. “My name is Lu Han.” Lu Han said with a small bow.
“Sehun.” The kid—Sehun—said, his bow was a little more pronounced.
They stood there for a few long seconds, awkwardness hanging heavily between them. Lu Han wanted to strike up some kind of conversation, partly because he felt a burgeoning attraction towards Sehun, but mainly because it might discourage the attentions of Goliath, who was still looking at him with interest. Though Lu Han held no illusions of his new friend doing anything crazy like fighting for Lu Han’s honour. That would be a fight that would not end well.
“So…” Sehun started.
“So…”
“I just came out here to look for my friend.” Sehun looked around the patio, at the people who milled around the pool. “But I can’t see him. He might be at the bar.” Sehun turned to go, but Lu Han grabbed his arm with the desperation of a drowning man grasping for a life jacket. Sehun looked a little taken aback and looked ready to pull away, to get as far from possible from the crazy man clutching at him. Lu Han blinked and looked down at his hand. He blushed and let go, stepping away. He tried to style out the faux par, but he might have failed miserably.
“Uhhhh,” Lu Han looked away. “I’m going to the bar, I was just heading over there, I’m meeting a friend too”
Sehun nodded and started to walk back up the steps, Lu Han hurried to follow. He cast a look back at his Goliath. Goliath had already turned away and was working his charm on some other young stud. Lu Han didn’t know if he should be relieved or offended that he was so easily replaced.
Lu Han walked a little behind Sehun. He tried not to focus on the slim hips and lithe body. He wasn’t looking for a holiday hook up…no matter what ideas Yixing might have. And Yixing probably had a lot of ideas.
“Oh,” Sehun gasped, he stopped suddenly and Lu Han almost tripped over him again. He was able to catch himself this time, before he fell, before he embarrassed himself any further. “There’s my friend.” Sehun pointed over to a dark corner of the bar. Lu Han could just about make out a small figure huddled at a table. “So I’ll be going first then.” Sehun bowed stiffly and walked off. Lu Han watched him go feeling like he had missed a step somewhere.
Yixing wasn’t in the bar. Lu Han wasn’t really surprised.
||
Yixing got lost. On the way from their room to the hotel lobby. Lu Han really should have been expecting that.
||
“Oh my god!” Yixing screeched. “Did you see that guy in the speedos! I swear his thighs were the size of my waist. What is a ‘love staff’? English is so weird.”
||
Baekhyun, it turned out, was someone Lu Han already knew. Sort of. He was another trainee at Yixing’s entertainment company. The company Lu Han wanted to join but hadn’t yet found the courage to audition for, despite that being the main reason he left Beijing for Korea in the first place.
But it was weird seeing Baekhyun here in, here in this place, in this country. Lu Han only really knew him by sight and from a distance, usually he saw him in the centre of a group, with people clustered around him. Lu Han wouldn’t have recognized him here, here in this bar surrounded by shadows and not adoring fans.
Lu Han had to admit that he wasn’t exactly pleased to see Baekhyun. Mainly because he was sitting at Sehun’s friend’s table. Lu Han’s heart had sunk a little when he saw just where Yixing was dragging him. Sehun wasn’t sitting there though, so it was possible that Sehun and his friend had found each other and moved on in the short time Lu Han had been waiting for Yixing. Hope was always a fine thing, wasn’t it?
The bar was quiet; it was the middle of the day and most people were either going for a siesta or they were by the pool or down at the beach. There were a couple of diehard drinkers propping up the bar and a couple of people sat at tables, probably trying to escape the heat. Lu Han welcomed the soothing coolness of the bar, of the fans installed at intervals along the ceiling, of the gentle breeze they provided.
Yixing grabbed Baekhyun in a crushing hug; the jug of ice water that was sweating on the table was almost a casualty of his enthusiasm.
Introductions were made, Baekhyun vaguely knew Lu Han as well and there were awkward smiles all round. Especially since Baekhyun was giving him side-eyed looks, sly little looks. The kind of looks that Yixing gave him when he was up to something. The kind of looks that Yixing was giving him right now.
Oh god.
The table was set for four. Yixing had taken the seat in front of Baekhyun leaving Lu Han seated opposite the mystery guest.
“You fucker.” Lu Han said through gritted teeth. “You’re setting me up with someone!”
Yixing just smiled sweetly. “Whatever gives you that idea? Not everything is about you, you know. And you told me you were fine, totally fine. Completely fine.”
“Fine.”
“Yes, fine.”
“Right.”
Lu Han sighed. A pulse of pain started up in his temple, the beginnings of a tension headache. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again he found Baekhyun watching him. Lu Han forced a smile and Baekhyun seemed to relax a little. Lu Han felt some of the tension ease out of him. He was here on holiday with his friend, here to relax and enjoy himself; He could relax and enjoy himself.
He could.
“So, Baekhyun.” Lu Han started, “What brings you to Honduras? Quite a coincidence you being here at the same time.”
“Oh.” Baekhyun seemed surprised. “Jongdae arranged it. You know Jongdae, don’t you?”
Lu Han only nodded. He did know Jongdae. He had (in part) agreed (reluctantly) to go on this trip was so Yixing could get a chance to flirt with Jongdae the cute travel agent they met in a bar. Going on a trip to a beautiful faraway place just so your bestie can try to get into a guy’s pants? That’s the kind of things best friends do.
Unfortunately trying to set your bestie up with a guy even though he has said he’s not ready to date yet, even though said bestie has said he’s fine. Yeah, that’s the kind of things best friends do too.
“There was a package deal.” Yixing said happily as he plucked his napkin from under his cutlery and shook it out. He grabbed the menu and started to look it over even though Lu Han was sure Yixing didn’t understand it. “I did tell you about it, you didn’t listen.”
Lu Han glared at the empty seat, wondering who it belonged to.
||
It’s not like Lu Han had just had a relationship that ended badly or anything as dramatic as that. It was stupid, really stupid. All he had was the thought of a relationship, all he had were hopes that had crumbled. He felt sort of like the heroine in a teen romance novel, pinning away for the unattainable hero. But unlike in the books or movies Lu Han didn’t get his hero. He got to feel silly, like a little boy with a big crush.
||
The waiter came and they fumbled through their orders, Baekhyun and Yixing got by through pointing randomly at the menu. Lu Han just asked for fries. His stomach rumbled but he wasn’t sure he could face a lot of food right now, especially some of the things he thought the other two just ordered. The waiter left and they fell into easy conversation, with Lu Han mainly listening and laughing and feeling better than he had in a while.
“There you are!” Baekhyun exclaimed to a shadow behind them. Lu Han turned a little in his seat and yes, sure enough there was Sehun. Lu Han felt his breath catch a little, Sehun really was handsome. “Where the hell was this bathroom? Back in Korea?”
“Ha, ha! You’re funny.” Sehun deadpanned as he dropped into the empty seat opposite Lu Han. “There was this guy in the bathroom, ugly muscles. Tight speedos.” Sehun shuddered. When he looked up and caught Lu Han’s eye the corner of his mouth twitched. Lu Han thought that might be a smile. That was totally a smile.
Lu Han waved, a shy, flick of his fingers.
“Oh my god!” Yixing and Baekhyun cried in unison, both clutching their hearts in mock horror. “You two have already met!”
“How?”
“When?”
“That is so unfair!”
Sehun caught Lu Han’s eye again and Lu Han struggled not to laugh at the confused look on Sehun’s face. Apparently he had no idea what his friend was up to either.
“I don’t want to know what they are talking about, do I?” Sehun asked him.
“No, no you really don’t.”
||
“Xing, how old is he?”
“How old is who?”
“You know who.”
“No, I don’t know who.”
“Sehun.”
“Sehun? He’s old enough. Why, are you interested?”
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
||
Afternoon faded into evening and evening gave way to night and the four of them found themselves in the little bar shack attached to the hotel, or more specifically attached to the hotel’s beach. It stood on legs a couple of feet above the sea, held up on spindly legs that Lu Han didn’t quite trust. It sold cheap beer that tasted a little like pee and served fried yojoa fish and baleada filled with meat roasted over a fire pit. It also featured karaoke, though they didn’t know that until they got there. The bar also contained one Kim Jongdae. Lu Han wanted to ask Yixing if Jongdae had been included in the holiday package deal, but he didn’t get a chance because Jongdae was standing at the mic singing a beautiful ballad and, if possible, Yixing fell even more in love.
The temperature had cooled little, but it would be a few more hours before it dipped low enough to be truly comfortable. The night was still sticky hot and the shack didn’t have air conditioning, so Lu Han took the drink Baekhyun had ordered for him—even though he didn’t really want it—outside. The drink was cold and Lu Han wanted to hold on to it until it wasn’t cold anymore. It was only slightly quieter outside, Lu Han could still hear the smooth tones of Jongdae’s voice, could hear the whoops and cheers of the crowd.
Lu Han took off his shoes and lowered himself onto the deck of the bar; letting his feet dangle over the edge, his feet barely brushing the water. He looked out into the dark, watched the lights from the buildings lining the beach dance off the waves.
“It’s beautiful.” Sehun said. Sehun’s voice should have startled him, his presence surprising and sudden. But Lu Han found he wasn’t surprised that Sehun had sought him out, he’d been waiting for it for most of the night. He’d been hoping for it, though he hadn’t dared admit that to himself.
“Yes it is.” Lu Han didn’t turn round or stand up. He just stayed there and waited for Sehun to sit down next to him. Sehun obliged after a minute of hesitation. Sehun sat there stiffly, he had his knees drawn up to his chest, he hadn’t taken off his shoes and obviously didn’t want to put them in the water.
“But it’s not as beautiful as you.” Sehun said in a monotone, like he was reciting something he had read in a book.
Lu Han blinked, he turned a wary, side eyed glare on his companion. That was such a terrible line that Lu Han couldn’t think of anything to say to it. Sehun’s expression was thoughtful, serious. Sincere. But he wasn’t looking at Lu Han; his gaze was looked on the sea.
Wow.
“Uhhh, thanks?”
Sehun just nodded and continued to look out at the dark sea.
They were silent for a while, but their silence wasn’t awkward. Lu Han found it quite pleasant to sit here with this cute boy, no pressure. Lu Han set his drink aside and leaned against the deck rail, it wasn’t that late but he could feel the first tugs of tiredness.
“I am not sure how to do this.” Sehun said.
“Do what?”
“Flirt.” Sehun said this like it should be obvious, because of course it was.
“You’re trying to flirt with me?”
Sehun nodded again. A definitive nod.
“Why?”
Sehun shrugged. “Something to do.”
Lu Han eyed him again. Shadows played across Sehun’s face so it was hard to tell but Lu Han could just about see a smile, a smile that was more than just a flash of light in his eyes, more than a quirk of the lips.
“Asshole. You really do suck at it.” Lu Han gently bumped his shoulder against Sehun’s. Then he gathered up his shoes and stood up, he left his drink where it was. “You coming back inside?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Lu Han waited until they were almost to the main door before he said; “Sehun?”
“Yeah?”
“You have a beep on your nose.”
“I have a what on my what?”
Lu Han reached up and tweaked Sehun’s nose.
“Beeeeeep.” Lu Han said. “Now, that is how to flirt.”
||
Lu Han leaned over the railing of his balcony and looked out over the sea. The day had dawned bright and cool, a stiff breeze had kicked up overnight and the air felt weighty with moisture. A storm was on its way. They had planned to go see the Copan Ruins today…or rather Lu Han had planned on going to the ruins and Yixing planned on tagging along if he really had to. But those plans went out the window, not just because of the impending storm but because Lu Han really didn’t want to leave his hotel room. And Yixing wasn’t here in their room, he was somewhere…else.
He heard the gentle chimes of his cell phone sound through the open door that led back into the room. Lu Han didn’t really want to answer it because what he didn’t need right now was a healthy dose of ‘I told you so’. He dragged his feet as he went to answer it anyway. Yixing would only keep calling until Lu Han did answer.
“Slut.” Yixing said with relish as soon as Lu Han hit the call button.
“Look who’s talking.”
“Screw you.”
“No Thanks. How’s Jongdae?”
“Sleeping. How’s Sehun?”
Lu Han glanced over at his bed, Sehun was still sleeping soundly, the thin bedclothes had mostly slipped off him revealing soft skin that Lu Han itched to touch again.
“Sleeping.”
“Lu Han?”
“Yes?”
“This is going to be the best vacation ever.”
“You know it.”
The end.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Lu Han/Sehun with a side of Lay/Chen
Word count: 3800
Summary: Lu Han leaned over the railing of his balcony and looked out over the sea. He had always liked the sea, he’d only had a few opportunities to see it over the years, but it had always called to him. He looked out over this sea, watched how it glittered like diamonds under the scorching Honduras sun, and he felt something in his heart unclench. He breathed a little easier, he felt a little calmer. Maybe this trip was actually a good idea, he did feel better, but he was damned if he was actually going to tell Yixing that.
A/N: Picked up as a pinch hit for the
sncj_santa, written for read0writeAn affair (sort of) to remember
Lu Han leaned over the railing of his balcony and looked out over the sea. He had always liked the sea, he’d only had a few opportunities to see it over the years, but it had always called to him. He looked out over this sea, watched how it glittered like diamonds under the scorching Honduras sun, and he felt something in his heart unclench. He breathed a little easier, he felt a little calmer. Maybe this trip was actually a good idea, he did feel better, but he was damned if he was actually going to tell Yixing that.
“Hey, you ok out here?” Yixing asked, his voice was pitched low like he was trying not to startle Lu Han, but Lu Han was startled anyway.
Lu Han reluctantly turned round, reluctantly took his eyes off the captivating sea. He looked at Yixing who stood in the doorway to their hotel room, a worried frown on his face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just…” Lu Han waved his hand at the tranquil scene. A small, helpless gesture, he couldn’t quite find the words to explain just how he was feeling.
Yixing nodded, nodded like he understood how Lu Han was feeling. But Yixing didn’t quite understand. Yixing had suggested this trip because he wanted to have some fun, and live while we’re young (Yixing liked to quote song lyrics when making a case for something.) But Lu Han, Lu Han had agreed to come along because he was looking for…something. Peace? Adventure? He didn’t quite know.
“Are you about ready to do out and eat? I’m hungry.” Yixing rubbed his flat belly and feigned distress. “So hungry, I’m wasting away!”
Lu Han laughed and shook his head. “Sure, I could eat.”
“Excellent. Now come on, we have to go meet Baekhyun.”
“Okay, I’ll just be a min…wait! Who?”
Yixing rolled his eyes and spun around and stalked back in to their room, he flicked his hand in some aborted gesture; Lu Han thought that maybe Yixing flipped him the bird.
“Do you actually listen to anything I say?” Yixing’s voice filtered through the gauzy curtains.
“Sometimes.” Lu Han said quietly, looking back over the sea again. “Sometimes I do.”
“Come on! Let’s go!”
||
Lu Han was ready, but apparently Yixing suddenly decided he needed a few more minutes of preening so he sent Lu Han down to the bar on his own. Lu Han knew that ‘a few more minutes’ could mean anything between fifteen minutes to an hour. It was never just a few minutes. Lu Han didn’t feel like going in to the main hotel bar by himself, he could feel people looking at him as he walked through the lobby and by people he really meant Men. Men were looking at him, their gazes hot and hungry, like all they wanted in the world was to eat Lu Han up. Lu Han hadn’t seen any women so far. Like at all. No children either.
Lu Han was starting to suspect that Yixing had booked them into a gay resort.
Lu Han wouldn’t be at all surprised.
He decided to skip the bar for now, decided to wait for Yixing to finish making himself look pretty. He sauntered out onto the patio; he took a seat on a lounger beside the pool. The hotel was lavish, but with an almost tacky sheen to it. Lu Han kind of liked that about the place though. It was more of a Greek style décor wise inside, all pillars and white marble, but with a hacienda style pool and gardens, like the designer couldn’t quite choose between the two.
“Are you here alone?” A deep voice asked. Lu Han jumped, he’d been too engrossed in his design thoughts that he hadn’t heard anyone approach.
He let out an undignified squeak when he got a good look at his would be suitor. The guy was huge! Like man mountain huge! His biceps had to have been the same size as Lu Han’s head. He was wearing very, very tiny speedos that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Unfortunately. Thick veins corded over the muscles of his arms and thighs, bulging in a way that made Lu Han feel faintly sick. Lu Han hadn’t actually understood what the giant had said, his English was ok, not great, but he got by. The giant, however, had a thick accent. Probably Eastern European. But he was only guessing at that.
“I am here alone.”
Lu Han detected a hint of disappointment in the giant’s voice but he still didn’t know what the guy was saying. The look in the giant’s eyes was wicked, so Lu Han didn’t believe that he was actually disappointed by anything at all.
“I am so lonely. Would you like to come to my room and play with my love staff? It would like to play with you.”
Ah ha! Lu Han recognized the words ‘love’ and ‘staff’; he wasn’t quite sure how they related to each other, though. The English language could be really weird at times.
“Uhhh.” Lu Han stammered. “I have friend.” Lu Han pointed in the general direction of the hotel lobby. “I wait.”
Lu Han smiled and waited for the man to leave. But the man didn’t leave; instead he took a seat on the lounger beside Lu Han and casually put his hand on Lu Han’s knee. Lu Han looked at the meaty paw and shuddered.
“I wait with you.” The giant said slowly, like he was trying to soften his accent to make himself more understandable. Lu Han appreciated the effort but he really wished the guy would just leave him alone.
“No, it’s fine. I go now.” Lu Han faltered over the words as he stumbled to stand. He backed away from the lounger he had been perched on; walking backwards the way he was he didn’t see the staggered steps that lead back up to the doors to the lobby. He tripped, but he didn’t fall down. Instead he tumbled into the path of someone walking down those steps and that person broke his actual fall. Which was lucky for Lu Han, but not so much for the person he’d landed on.
“Oh I am sorry!” Lu Han immediately started to apologise in English but stopped when the person he’d landed on started apologising in Korean. Lu Han was so happy to hear a language he was more familiar with that he didn’t stop to correct the guy, tell him that he had nothing to be sorry for. “Are you ok?” Lu Han asked in Korean. He started to brush imaginary dust off the guy’s clothes like that would make up for Lu Han almost squishing him. He stopped his frantic sweeping when he got his first look at the man’s face. The kid’s face. No, not kid. Young man. He could only have been a few years younger than Lu Han was. But since Lu Han was often told that he looked like he was twelve, he really wasn’t one to judge ages. The kid—young man—was cute in a cold sort of way. His expression lacked warmth but there was a light in his eyes, Lu Han got the impression the kid was almost laughing at him.
“I’m fine. You speak Korean?”
“Are you sure? Yes, right now I live there; I go to university in Seoul.”
The kid actually smiled at this, the smile gave Lu Han a feeling of some kind of victory, but he wasn’t quite sure why. “My name is Lu Han.” Lu Han said with a small bow.
“Sehun.” The kid—Sehun—said, his bow was a little more pronounced.
They stood there for a few long seconds, awkwardness hanging heavily between them. Lu Han wanted to strike up some kind of conversation, partly because he felt a burgeoning attraction towards Sehun, but mainly because it might discourage the attentions of Goliath, who was still looking at him with interest. Though Lu Han held no illusions of his new friend doing anything crazy like fighting for Lu Han’s honour. That would be a fight that would not end well.
“So…” Sehun started.
“So…”
“I just came out here to look for my friend.” Sehun looked around the patio, at the people who milled around the pool. “But I can’t see him. He might be at the bar.” Sehun turned to go, but Lu Han grabbed his arm with the desperation of a drowning man grasping for a life jacket. Sehun looked a little taken aback and looked ready to pull away, to get as far from possible from the crazy man clutching at him. Lu Han blinked and looked down at his hand. He blushed and let go, stepping away. He tried to style out the faux par, but he might have failed miserably.
“Uhhhh,” Lu Han looked away. “I’m going to the bar, I was just heading over there, I’m meeting a friend too”
Sehun nodded and started to walk back up the steps, Lu Han hurried to follow. He cast a look back at his Goliath. Goliath had already turned away and was working his charm on some other young stud. Lu Han didn’t know if he should be relieved or offended that he was so easily replaced.
Lu Han walked a little behind Sehun. He tried not to focus on the slim hips and lithe body. He wasn’t looking for a holiday hook up…no matter what ideas Yixing might have. And Yixing probably had a lot of ideas.
“Oh,” Sehun gasped, he stopped suddenly and Lu Han almost tripped over him again. He was able to catch himself this time, before he fell, before he embarrassed himself any further. “There’s my friend.” Sehun pointed over to a dark corner of the bar. Lu Han could just about make out a small figure huddled at a table. “So I’ll be going first then.” Sehun bowed stiffly and walked off. Lu Han watched him go feeling like he had missed a step somewhere.
Yixing wasn’t in the bar. Lu Han wasn’t really surprised.
||
Yixing got lost. On the way from their room to the hotel lobby. Lu Han really should have been expecting that.
||
“Oh my god!” Yixing screeched. “Did you see that guy in the speedos! I swear his thighs were the size of my waist. What is a ‘love staff’? English is so weird.”
||
Baekhyun, it turned out, was someone Lu Han already knew. Sort of. He was another trainee at Yixing’s entertainment company. The company Lu Han wanted to join but hadn’t yet found the courage to audition for, despite that being the main reason he left Beijing for Korea in the first place.
But it was weird seeing Baekhyun here in, here in this place, in this country. Lu Han only really knew him by sight and from a distance, usually he saw him in the centre of a group, with people clustered around him. Lu Han wouldn’t have recognized him here, here in this bar surrounded by shadows and not adoring fans.
Lu Han had to admit that he wasn’t exactly pleased to see Baekhyun. Mainly because he was sitting at Sehun’s friend’s table. Lu Han’s heart had sunk a little when he saw just where Yixing was dragging him. Sehun wasn’t sitting there though, so it was possible that Sehun and his friend had found each other and moved on in the short time Lu Han had been waiting for Yixing. Hope was always a fine thing, wasn’t it?
The bar was quiet; it was the middle of the day and most people were either going for a siesta or they were by the pool or down at the beach. There were a couple of diehard drinkers propping up the bar and a couple of people sat at tables, probably trying to escape the heat. Lu Han welcomed the soothing coolness of the bar, of the fans installed at intervals along the ceiling, of the gentle breeze they provided.
Yixing grabbed Baekhyun in a crushing hug; the jug of ice water that was sweating on the table was almost a casualty of his enthusiasm.
Introductions were made, Baekhyun vaguely knew Lu Han as well and there were awkward smiles all round. Especially since Baekhyun was giving him side-eyed looks, sly little looks. The kind of looks that Yixing gave him when he was up to something. The kind of looks that Yixing was giving him right now.
Oh god.
The table was set for four. Yixing had taken the seat in front of Baekhyun leaving Lu Han seated opposite the mystery guest.
“You fucker.” Lu Han said through gritted teeth. “You’re setting me up with someone!”
Yixing just smiled sweetly. “Whatever gives you that idea? Not everything is about you, you know. And you told me you were fine, totally fine. Completely fine.”
“Fine.”
“Yes, fine.”
“Right.”
Lu Han sighed. A pulse of pain started up in his temple, the beginnings of a tension headache. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again he found Baekhyun watching him. Lu Han forced a smile and Baekhyun seemed to relax a little. Lu Han felt some of the tension ease out of him. He was here on holiday with his friend, here to relax and enjoy himself; He could relax and enjoy himself.
He could.
“So, Baekhyun.” Lu Han started, “What brings you to Honduras? Quite a coincidence you being here at the same time.”
“Oh.” Baekhyun seemed surprised. “Jongdae arranged it. You know Jongdae, don’t you?”
Lu Han only nodded. He did know Jongdae. He had (in part) agreed (reluctantly) to go on this trip was so Yixing could get a chance to flirt with Jongdae the cute travel agent they met in a bar. Going on a trip to a beautiful faraway place just so your bestie can try to get into a guy’s pants? That’s the kind of things best friends do.
Unfortunately trying to set your bestie up with a guy even though he has said he’s not ready to date yet, even though said bestie has said he’s fine. Yeah, that’s the kind of things best friends do too.
“There was a package deal.” Yixing said happily as he plucked his napkin from under his cutlery and shook it out. He grabbed the menu and started to look it over even though Lu Han was sure Yixing didn’t understand it. “I did tell you about it, you didn’t listen.”
Lu Han glared at the empty seat, wondering who it belonged to.
||
It’s not like Lu Han had just had a relationship that ended badly or anything as dramatic as that. It was stupid, really stupid. All he had was the thought of a relationship, all he had were hopes that had crumbled. He felt sort of like the heroine in a teen romance novel, pinning away for the unattainable hero. But unlike in the books or movies Lu Han didn’t get his hero. He got to feel silly, like a little boy with a big crush.
||
The waiter came and they fumbled through their orders, Baekhyun and Yixing got by through pointing randomly at the menu. Lu Han just asked for fries. His stomach rumbled but he wasn’t sure he could face a lot of food right now, especially some of the things he thought the other two just ordered. The waiter left and they fell into easy conversation, with Lu Han mainly listening and laughing and feeling better than he had in a while.
“There you are!” Baekhyun exclaimed to a shadow behind them. Lu Han turned a little in his seat and yes, sure enough there was Sehun. Lu Han felt his breath catch a little, Sehun really was handsome. “Where the hell was this bathroom? Back in Korea?”
“Ha, ha! You’re funny.” Sehun deadpanned as he dropped into the empty seat opposite Lu Han. “There was this guy in the bathroom, ugly muscles. Tight speedos.” Sehun shuddered. When he looked up and caught Lu Han’s eye the corner of his mouth twitched. Lu Han thought that might be a smile. That was totally a smile.
Lu Han waved, a shy, flick of his fingers.
“Oh my god!” Yixing and Baekhyun cried in unison, both clutching their hearts in mock horror. “You two have already met!”
“How?”
“When?”
“That is so unfair!”
Sehun caught Lu Han’s eye again and Lu Han struggled not to laugh at the confused look on Sehun’s face. Apparently he had no idea what his friend was up to either.
“I don’t want to know what they are talking about, do I?” Sehun asked him.
“No, no you really don’t.”
||
“Xing, how old is he?”
“How old is who?”
“You know who.”
“No, I don’t know who.”
“Sehun.”
“Sehun? He’s old enough. Why, are you interested?”
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
||
Afternoon faded into evening and evening gave way to night and the four of them found themselves in the little bar shack attached to the hotel, or more specifically attached to the hotel’s beach. It stood on legs a couple of feet above the sea, held up on spindly legs that Lu Han didn’t quite trust. It sold cheap beer that tasted a little like pee and served fried yojoa fish and baleada filled with meat roasted over a fire pit. It also featured karaoke, though they didn’t know that until they got there. The bar also contained one Kim Jongdae. Lu Han wanted to ask Yixing if Jongdae had been included in the holiday package deal, but he didn’t get a chance because Jongdae was standing at the mic singing a beautiful ballad and, if possible, Yixing fell even more in love.
The temperature had cooled little, but it would be a few more hours before it dipped low enough to be truly comfortable. The night was still sticky hot and the shack didn’t have air conditioning, so Lu Han took the drink Baekhyun had ordered for him—even though he didn’t really want it—outside. The drink was cold and Lu Han wanted to hold on to it until it wasn’t cold anymore. It was only slightly quieter outside, Lu Han could still hear the smooth tones of Jongdae’s voice, could hear the whoops and cheers of the crowd.
Lu Han took off his shoes and lowered himself onto the deck of the bar; letting his feet dangle over the edge, his feet barely brushing the water. He looked out into the dark, watched the lights from the buildings lining the beach dance off the waves.
“It’s beautiful.” Sehun said. Sehun’s voice should have startled him, his presence surprising and sudden. But Lu Han found he wasn’t surprised that Sehun had sought him out, he’d been waiting for it for most of the night. He’d been hoping for it, though he hadn’t dared admit that to himself.
“Yes it is.” Lu Han didn’t turn round or stand up. He just stayed there and waited for Sehun to sit down next to him. Sehun obliged after a minute of hesitation. Sehun sat there stiffly, he had his knees drawn up to his chest, he hadn’t taken off his shoes and obviously didn’t want to put them in the water.
“But it’s not as beautiful as you.” Sehun said in a monotone, like he was reciting something he had read in a book.
Lu Han blinked, he turned a wary, side eyed glare on his companion. That was such a terrible line that Lu Han couldn’t think of anything to say to it. Sehun’s expression was thoughtful, serious. Sincere. But he wasn’t looking at Lu Han; his gaze was looked on the sea.
Wow.
“Uhhh, thanks?”
Sehun just nodded and continued to look out at the dark sea.
They were silent for a while, but their silence wasn’t awkward. Lu Han found it quite pleasant to sit here with this cute boy, no pressure. Lu Han set his drink aside and leaned against the deck rail, it wasn’t that late but he could feel the first tugs of tiredness.
“I am not sure how to do this.” Sehun said.
“Do what?”
“Flirt.” Sehun said this like it should be obvious, because of course it was.
“You’re trying to flirt with me?”
Sehun nodded again. A definitive nod.
“Why?”
Sehun shrugged. “Something to do.”
Lu Han eyed him again. Shadows played across Sehun’s face so it was hard to tell but Lu Han could just about see a smile, a smile that was more than just a flash of light in his eyes, more than a quirk of the lips.
“Asshole. You really do suck at it.” Lu Han gently bumped his shoulder against Sehun’s. Then he gathered up his shoes and stood up, he left his drink where it was. “You coming back inside?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Lu Han waited until they were almost to the main door before he said; “Sehun?”
“Yeah?”
“You have a beep on your nose.”
“I have a what on my what?”
Lu Han reached up and tweaked Sehun’s nose.
“Beeeeeep.” Lu Han said. “Now, that is how to flirt.”
||
Lu Han leaned over the railing of his balcony and looked out over the sea. The day had dawned bright and cool, a stiff breeze had kicked up overnight and the air felt weighty with moisture. A storm was on its way. They had planned to go see the Copan Ruins today…or rather Lu Han had planned on going to the ruins and Yixing planned on tagging along if he really had to. But those plans went out the window, not just because of the impending storm but because Lu Han really didn’t want to leave his hotel room. And Yixing wasn’t here in their room, he was somewhere…else.
He heard the gentle chimes of his cell phone sound through the open door that led back into the room. Lu Han didn’t really want to answer it because what he didn’t need right now was a healthy dose of ‘I told you so’. He dragged his feet as he went to answer it anyway. Yixing would only keep calling until Lu Han did answer.
“Slut.” Yixing said with relish as soon as Lu Han hit the call button.
“Look who’s talking.”
“Screw you.”
“No Thanks. How’s Jongdae?”
“Sleeping. How’s Sehun?”
Lu Han glanced over at his bed, Sehun was still sleeping soundly, the thin bedclothes had mostly slipped off him revealing soft skin that Lu Han itched to touch again.
“Sleeping.”
“Lu Han?”
“Yes?”
“This is going to be the best vacation ever.”
“You know it.”
The end.