Stay With Me (Part 1/2)
Pairings: Lu Han/Kyungsoo, past Kyungsoo/Other Characters
Rating: PG-13
Words: 12800~
Warnings: Alcohol and brief, very brief, usage of their stage names.
Disclaimer: Exo does not belong to me.
Summary: Lu Han wasn’t looking for a real boyfriend, merely someone to pretend to be one.
Author’s notes: Romance, fluff, maybe a little bit of slice-of-life. Dating profiles were inspired by an actualfax rent-a-date site (lol). All the love to S who suggested some of the locations for Beijing and to the wonderful C for the last minute beta ♥ All remaining errors are mine. (Title from Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’.)
Written for capricious_moon at the deerofdawn fest.
~ Part I ~
Lu Han’s life, if he were to stop and think about it, wasn’t all that terrible. He was the creative director for M, Seoul’s latest and hottest entertainment magazine. He lived in a cozy loft downtown that gave him a charming view of the city’s skyline. He had a close-knit circle of friends whom he spent most of his free time with, and when he wasn’t hanging out with them, he could be found online, attempting to annihilate enemies via a healthy game of Starcraft.
His parents, however, did not agree with this perspective. They had, on more than one occasion, expressed their concerns over his bachelordom. Of course, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t been trying. He had been in a few relationships over the past several years, but all of them eventually fizzled out after a few months. Not that he had any issues with his ex-girlfriends - or boyfriends; sexuality was, after all, fluid - but the truth was, he was looking for something else.
A connection. Some tiny little spark. That moment where he would look at the person in the eye and realize that yes, they were The One.
Minseok snorted when Lu Han explained this during one of their weekly drinking sessions. “‘The One’?” Minseok repeated, his eyebrows raised so high in skepticism that they practically reached his hairline. “Where are you reading this stuff?”
“It’s not ‘stuff’,” Lu Han told him indignantly. “It’s a very well-known fact that for each person out there, there’s that special someone for them.” Or something like that. It was hard to remember details when he had been drinking steadily for the past two hours.
“Right.” Minseok patted him on the shoulder before shoving another bottle of beer into his hands. “Whatever you say.”
Lu Han regretted all that alcohol the next day when he woke up to find six missed calls on his phone, all from his mother. He stared at the screen blearily before doing the next best thing he could think of when he was hungover and hadn’t had his daily shot of caffeine: he went back to sleep.
After what felt like half a second later, his phone rang again.
“‘lo?” he answered it with a grunt, before sitting upright in bed, rubbing his face hurriedly. “Mother! I was--ah, I was asleep. Yes, I know my cousins are married. Yes, I know I’m the only one who isn’t yet. No, I’m not planning-- wait, no, Mother, hold on, I don’t want to go on a date with Mrs. Zhao’s son-- “ Lu Han scrubbed his free hand over his face, trying not to inwardly sigh. “You know what, fine. Yes, I am dating someone. We’ve been together for months now. It’s a serious relationship, so you don’t have go through all that trouble to set me up with anyone--”
His voice trailed off and his eyes widened as he listened to the next thing she had to say. When he finally ended the call, he stared at the screen for several long seconds.
“Crap.”
~ * ~
Minseok clutched the edge of the table and laughed.
“It’s not funny,” Lu Han protested for the fourth time. “Come on, Minseok, stop laughing. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I can’t believe you lied to your mom about having a relationship,” Minseok managed to get out once he had calmed down. “What made you even say that in the first place?”
“I was still hungover, alright?” Lu Han muttered grumpily. “What am I going to do now?”
Once his mother had recovered from the surprising (and not-so-accurate) announcement that Lu Han had made, she had been completely delighted. Since his grand-aunt’s eightieth birthday celebration in Beijing was coming up in a few weeks, his mother had insisted that he bring along his partner to meet the family.
“Why don’t you just tell her the truth? I’m sure she’ll understand.” Minseok reached for his iced coffee, sipping through the straw noisily. Unlike Lu Han, who still felt like he had been hit by a truck, Minseok looked too wide awake and cheerful at ten in the morning for someone who had practically passed out on his own living room floor after drinking his weight in beer last night. Lu Han had barely been able to make it into the cab home.
“Not my mother,” Lu Han muttered. “She reminds me everyday what a failure to the family I am by choosing to stay single.”
Minseok gave him a sympathetic look. “Parents want the best for their kids. My mom calls me sometimes to ask if I’ve eaten well and my dad texts me reminders to switch off the heater before going to bed.” He grinned. “They do the same thing to my sister even though she lives with them.”
Lu Han couldn’t remember the last time his mother had asked him if he had eaten well, but then again he couldn’t remember the last time he had ever had a conversation with her that didn’t end in her asking if he was planning on staying single for the rest of his life.
“You know,” Minseok said, sitting upright suddenly, “I might have the answer to your problems right here.” He rummaged through his backpack before pulling out a sheet of paper. He handed it to Lu Han.
It took Lu Han a moment to realize that it was a flyer of some sort. The entire thing had been printed in pink - extremely bright pink , in fact - and was covered in a generous amount of red and white hearts drawn all over it. The words ‘MEET YOR DESTINY’ were printed in English, flanked by two more hearts with the words ‘FREE REGISTRER’ and ‘GUARANTEE SATISFACTION’. At the very bottom of the page, there was a short blurb written down along with a website address.
Lu Han read the blurb out loud. “‘Tired of being single at family dinners? Need a partner to fill up that empty seat at the wedding? Rent a companion today!’” Snorting, Lu Han looked up at Minseok. “Seriously? Where did you even get this?”
“Got it from the guy who moved in across the hall today. I meant to throw it away, but since you’re having a crisis….” Minseok’s face was a picture of calm, but Lu Han could see the edge of his lips twitching.
Narrowing his eyes, Lu Han crumpled the flyer into a ball and threw it back at Minseok’s face. “Ugh,” he said as Minseok avoided it smoothly, his eyes twinkling in amusement. “Here I am, telling you about my problems and instead of helping, you’d rather mock me.”
“Personally, I think you’re overreacting,” Minseok told him. “So what if you’re not dating anyone? It’s not exactly a bad thing.” He shrugged. “If I were you, I would just tell your mom the truth. What’s the worst that she could do?”
It was a question that Lu Han didn’t dare answer. Not that he was afraid of his mother. It was the fact that he didn’t want to end up disappointing her again. The way she had sounded on the phone, for instance - he hadn’t heard her sound this happy since she had discovered cable.
Groaning, Lu Han dropped his head onto his hands. He was doomed.
Someone’s phone rang. Minseok excused himself before stepping outside to answer the call. As Lu Han sat there, the sounds of the conversation growing around him within the cafe, an idea began to blossom in his mind. A few seconds later, he stood up, searching the floor around the table before finding what he was looking for.
When Minseok came back, the flyer that he had given him earlier was folded and hidden away in Lu Han’s pocket.
~ * ~
That night, Lu Han found himself sitting in front of his laptop, navigating the website that had been listed on the flyer. Except for the typo on the banner, which made Lu Han twitch whenever he caught sight of it blinking at the top part of the screen, the setup wasn’t as dodgy as he had initially assumed. The website looked professionally done, sans the monstrous pink that had been on the flyer, and there were positive testimonies from previous clients whose names were omitted and replaced by initials instead. There was even a section filled with legal jargon and disclaimers that gave him a headache halfway through, which he skipped before clicking on the sign-up button.
Sometime around noon the next day, Lu Han received an email that looked suspiciously like one of those spam mails for Viagra. He was about to send it to the junk folder when he noticed the address where it was sent from - admin@meetyordestiny.com - and almost dropped his coffee mug onto his laptop.
Thankfully, his assistant was off running an errand on the other side of town, which meant he didn’t have to worry about her showing up and accidentally catching sight of his screen. After battling internally between wanting to delete the email or click it open, he gave in to the urge to do the latter.
The email started off cheerfully enough, congratulating Lu Han on signing up. According to the email, if he agreed to the conditions (which were in an attached file, spanning six pages of legal jargon and disclaimers that made his head hurt), he would be provided access to a list of potential people to select as his ‘companion’. Once he had made his choice, the company would make arrangements for them to meet - along with a selection of safe, very-PG and harmless activities - that would take place during the date.
Since he was on a deadline of sorts, he skimmed through the file briefly, which listed down what services were provided by the hired companions included and what was not.
No sex. No kissing, inappropriate touching or sexual advances. The website was clear on these things; whoever was hired would play the role of a companion, and only that. They could be attentive and sweet and caring to the client, but within specific boundaries - which suited Lu Han just fine. He wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, merely someone to pretend to be one. He replied to the email, checking on the box titled ‘Yes’.
A few minutes later, he received a response. He opened the email that had popped up in his inbox and found that it contained a link to another site, along with an ID and password and a short message from someone named Kim Jongdae, thanking him for selecting their service.
Once he had accessed the list, Lu Han leaned in, almost eagerly, to view the selection of companions, which ranged from Extremely Good-looking to Sculpted Male Models. Beneath each of their pictures, they had listed their names, age, character traits and hobbies. Some of them seemed to closer to his age, some a lot older by a couple of years. Some were dressed in suits or casual clothes, posing or smiling for the camera, while a fair number of the companions were shirtless, revealing very toned and extremely muscular abs that made Lu Han feel slightly insecure when he compared them to his own skinny figure.
Half an hour later, he managed to narrow down his choices to two profiles. The first was a handsome man who looked like he should have been on the cover of a fashion magazine by the way he pouted and posed smolderingly for the camera. Kai, The Dancer. Part-time dance instructor, loves dogs and children.
The second profile was of a serious young man with large eyes and a shy smile who was about three years younger than him. His picture had caught Lu Han’s attention because, unlike the others, he had seemed… awkward. Nothing like the modelesque poses that he had seen. D.O, The Actor. Likes singing, cooking and watching horror movies. Part-time singer and performer. After having to deal with countless idols that seemed so cookie-cutter and perfect, Lu Han had to admit that this was refreshing.
By the time his assistant returned from her errand, along with his coffee and two appointments booked in his calendar for that afternoon, Lu Han had picked his date.
~ * ~
The next few days practically flew by. Lu Han was caught up with work; a dating scandal had broken out overnight between the top idol stars of two rival agencies, which meant that the editor-in-chief of the magazine had everyone scrambling to make room in their next issue to replace their two page spread on one of the idols. That left him with barely enough time to think about his date until he found himself standing on the second floor of a cafe in Garosu-gil late Friday evening, searching for his companion within the crowded place.
He had, in the end, settled on D.O. as his companion. Lu Han had been tempted at first to pick Kai, but when he had read the rest of his profile and found out that he was a fan of Chelsea, which was most definitely not Lu Han’s favorite football team. That alone was enough to eliminate him from the list.
(Besides, D.O. had seemed small and cute and cuddly in his picture, which, in Lu Han’s opinion, was not a bad thing at all.)
He received another email from the website a few hours before he was due to meet D.O. To avoid any confusion, he would be holding a red flower, matching the one that Lu Han was supposed to bring along for their first date. It felt so utterly cliche that Lu Han almost reconsidered going through with the entire thing, but then he had remembered that there had been a non-refundable clause in his contract. There was no backing out now.
Finally, Lu Han caught sight of someone seated alone at the corner of the cafe, his head bent over his phone. All the other tables were occupied by groups or couples, which made him stand out amongst the crowd. For a moment, Lu Han hesitated, wondering if he had the right person, but then he saw the red rose that was placed on the table, signifying that this was, indeed, his date.
Lu Han took a deep breath, before slowly making his way towards the table. His mind was a turmoil, filled with sudden doubts. Was he making the right decision? Should he have listened to Minseok instead and told his mother the truth? It was not too late to change his mind, to call home and tell them that something had come up and he couldn’t make it to Beijing after all--
D.O. looked up just as Lu Han approached him. For a brief moment, their eyes locked - before a shy smile appeared on the young man’s face, causing Lu Han’s heart to beat a little faster.
Bundled up in a soft-looking charcoal grey turtleneck, D.O. was far from just cute. His hair was swept across his brow to one side neatly, with the exception of several stray strands that stubbornly fell across his thick eyebrows. Somehow, the effect made him look less serious than his profile picture had been. His eyes were large, just like in his picture - up close Lu Han could see the long lashes that framed the edges - and his lips were plush and pink, shaped like a heart.
To his surprise, the voice that greeted him was much deeper than he had expected. “Lu Han-ssi?” D.O. asked cautiously, as if he were unsure whether he had the right person. When Lu Han nodded, he quickly stood up, introducing himself politely. “Thank you for choosing me, Lu Han-ssi. I hope our date will be a satisfactory one,” he added.
“Uh,” Lu Han said, still a little taken aback by his bluntness.
Suddenly, D.O. blushed. “Sorry, I’m still--ah, I’m still new at this,” he admitted, wincing. “They said I didn’t have to be so formal but I--I might have messed it up.”
“It’s fine, D.O-ssi,” Lu Han said hurriedly. The other man still seemed flustered, so Lu Han gestured at him to sit down, sliding into the empty chair on the other side of table himself. After a moment, D.O. did just that. “I-I’m new at this too. I don’t really go out. On dates.” He grimaced, realizing how much of recluse he sounded. “I mean, I haven’t actually dated anyone in a while.”
The shy smile that D.O. gave him made his heart skip a little. “In that case,” he said, still blushing, “Can I call you ‘hyung’?”
~ * ~
D.O., or Do Kyungsoo, which Lu Han discovered later on was his real name, was not the usual sort of person he would have expected taking up this sort of job. He had another, Kyungsoo explained, stocking shelves at the convenience store in Jongno during the daytime. It hadn’t been his intention to join a date-for-hire site, but he’d needed the money - for what reason, he didn’t elaborate, and Lu Han didn’t wanted to pry - so he had bitten the bullet and submitted his application form and a picture of himself that he had convinced his friend to take of him.
He had given Lu Han his real name on their second meeting. Or, as Kyungsoo insisted on calling it - their date. And it felt like a real date, somehow - the way Kyungsoo would blush and act embarrassed when Lu Han teased him about taking too long to pick between nachos or fries at the concession stand where they were about to watch a movie, or the way Kyungsoo would lean in closer to Lu Han, their shoulders brushing against each other, to point out something amusing in the store window as they strolled down the streets, calling him ‘Lu Han-hyung’ in the sort of tone that Lu Han was used to hearing girls calling their boyfriends.
He liked it.
He liked it the same way he liked hearing Kyungsoo talk about a movie he had just seen, picking apart the plot and describing the parts that he found were his favorite. He liked seeing Kyungsoo flustered too, when Lu Han tried placing a Mickey Mouse hairband on his head during their third outing at the amusement park, his face turning bright pink as Lu Han made him pose for a picture.
(That was before he discovered that underneath all of that shyness, that pretty face and that disarming smile, Kyungsoo hated being forced to do anything cute, fluffy or sickeningly adorable. Lu Han didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was already all of that without even trying.)
He also liked how Kyungsoo seemed to understand when Lu Han told him about his fear of heights, avoiding the dreaded roller coasters and extreme rides, guiding him towards the bumper cars and sports arcades instead.
But yet, at the end of every ‘date’, when the allotted hours were up, Kyungsoo would take a few steps away, forming a distance more suited for acquaintances than boyfriends, thanking him with a slight bow while reverting back to ‘Lu Han-ssi’ before turning around and hurrying off to catch his train or bus. And every time, he would end up leaving Lu Han frustrated and confused at the abrupt switch in demeanour.
Eventually, to his dismay, Lu Han discovered that while he was able to hire Kyungsoo for a few hours to play his pretend boyfriend, he wasn’t allowed to have him for more than a day. He hadn’t realized it - having vaguely skipped through the contract that he had been sent - but it was written there, clear as day, pointed out to him only when he had sent an email to the website admin.
When he had received a response, it was on the day of his fourth date with Kyungsoo. He fretted over the email as he stood in front of the metro exit near Garosu-gil, waiting for Kyungsoo. He had a week left before his trip to Beijing, where he had to show up with his supposed boyfriend. Of course, he could always try another option. Find another service that would allow him to hire someone to fit his requirements. Yet, somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to go the entire process of getting to know someone new all over again, not when he had his mind set on bringing Kyungsoo.
He started a little when he heard Kyungsoo’s warm greeting. Looking up, Lu Han couldn’t help smiling at the sight of Kyungsoo standing in front of him, bundled up in an oversized winter coat and a woolen hat over his head. He looked like a puffed up marshmallow.
“You’re actual on time,” Kyungsoo remarked, sounding surprised, although his lips were already parted in that familiar heart-shaped smile that Lu Han had grown fond of seeing. “Did you get off from work early?”
“Maybe,” Lu Han said. He reached out to playfully tug at the pom-pom that was bobbing merrily on top of the hat. Kyungsoo blushed, swatting his hands away, his fingers brushing warm against Lu Han’s. Dropping his arms, Lu Han turned away, ignoring the way his own fingers tingled from the brief touch. “Come on, we’ll be late.”
Kyungsoo must have caught onto his mood; as they stood in edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the lights to turn green for them to cross the street, he heard Kyungsoo murmuring-- “Hyung, are you feeling well?”
Lu Han glanced over at Kyungsoo, who was looking at him, his head tilted slightly as he awaited Lu Han’s answer. His eyes were filled with worry, which made Lu Han’s chest tighten slightly at the sight.
He nodded. Instead of looking away, Kyungsoo furrowed his eyebrows, looking unconvinced. “Are you sure? You’ve been sort of quiet.” There was a strange tone in his voice, something that Lu Han couldn’t quite place. It seemed as if Kyungsoo sounded hurt.
“I’m sorry,” Lu Han replied. He reached out, about to touch Kyungsoo on the wrist gently when he thought the better of it, pulling his hand back. “I was thinking. About, uh, work.”
The light turned green. They crossed the street quickly, avoiding a large group of tourists wearing hats with tiny flags fluttering on top of them walking across from the opposite side. Once they reached the other side, the two of them made their way to the small Italian restaurant where they had reservations for. When they were seated inside, tucked away in their own little corner for some privacy away from the other patrons, Lu Han finally came to a decision.
He studied Kyungsoo’s face for several moments, before deciding to be blunt. “I’ve been wondering about this job that you’re doing,” he began. “You said that you needed the money, that’s why you decided to do it.” He paused. “What is the money for?”
Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. Lu Han could see the panic in his eyes. “I’m not going to judge you,” he said hastily. “I just… I guess I’m curious.” He tried to give Kyungsoo a reassuring look, hoping that Kyungsoo would believe him.
“I-- uh.” Kyungsoo paused, before glancing down at the ground. “It’s for my acting classes,” he said quietly. “I’m… I don’t make much, at the convenience store. Not enough to pay for these classes. Sometimes my parents help me out, but I don’t want to burden them.”
“How much do these classes cost?” Lu Han asked curiously.
Lu Han listened as Kyungsoo gave him a figure. When he was done, Lu Han stuck his hands into his pocket, taking a deep breath before exhaling, the faint puff of cold air forming in front of him. “I have a… plan that might help you.”
Kyungsoo’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sleeping with you--”
“No, no,” Lu Han said hurriedly. “I don’t mean that, Kyungsoo, it’s got nothing to do with sex.” He quickly explained his situation, including the part where he had accidentally made his parents think that he was dating someone. When he got to the part where he had signed up with the website, Kyungsoo snorted, before clamping his hands over his mouth and looking at Lu Han with a wide-eyed expression.
Feeling amused at the sight, Lu Han continued on. He would pay the equivalent of Kyungsoo’s classes for the rest of the term. All Kyungsoo needed to do was to pretend to be Lu Han’s boyfriend when he visited them this upcoming weekend.
Lu Han could see Kyungsoo looking doubtful. He knew that it was dumb, but he couldn’t think of anything else. He admitted that, in a way, he was attracted to Kyungsoo and wanted to spend as much as he could with the man (ignoring the fact that his time was actually funded by Lu Han), but he wanted to help make things a little easier for Kyungsoo too.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” Lu Han told him. “But… if you say yes--”
“I’ll do it,” Kyungsoo told him, causing him to stop mid-sentence. “I mean, yes.”
Lu Han felt relief crashing down on him at Kyungsoo’s determined yes. He reached out and placed his hand on top of Kyungsoo’s, gripping it tightly in a show of gratitude before pulling it away, aware that he might have overstepped his boundaries.
But at the sight of Kyungsoo’s smile, Lu Han couldn’t help but think that perhaps Kyungsoo didn’t mind it at all.
~ * ~
A week later, Lu Han arrived in Beijing with Kyungsoo.
Under normal circumstances, Lu Han would have stayed at his parents’ home, where he had his own room and bed - but he decided against it, figuring that Kyungsoo might be uncomfortable (boundaries, Lu Han reminded himself firmly). Instead, in order to maintain the illusion that he and Kyungsoo were a couple, he had reserved a suite at the Shangri-La. The suite came with a small kitchenette, a jacuzzi bath, and two separate bedrooms.
Once they had checked in, Lu Han sat on the lounge chair by the living room window, waiting for Kyungsoo to finish unpacking in his own room. They had a couple of hours before heading out to meet Lu Han’s parents for dinner. As he glanced out the window, watching the cars crawling along the busy street below and the pedestrians filling up the sidewalk, his thoughts lingered on Kyungsoo.
He had made sure that Lu Han was seated comfortably with his earphones in his seat on the plane, he had held Lu Han’s hand and rubbed his back comfortingly when Lu Han had been trying not to hyperventilate (thanks to his acrophobia) when the plane had started to take off from the runway. He had even helped carry Lu Han’s bags, giving them up only when he had stood in the middle of arrival hall looking slightly overwhelmed by the immensity of the airport and the signs that were in a completely different language.
In short, Kyungsoo had acted the role of a warm and caring boyfriend, just as he had been hired to do. It was perfect, perhaps too perfect, to the point that Lu Han was beginning to find it hard to distinguish between which was the real Kyungsoo, and which was the role that he was playing.
He shook his head, trying to clear the negativity from his mind. Why was he feeling bothered by this? Kyungsoo said that he was training to be an actor. Of course he would be able to play his role to perfection. And it wasn’t as if Lu Han was really dating him. He shouldn’t even be thinking about this, let alone allow himself to be caught up in the fantasy that Kyungsoo was his boyfriend.
Feeling a little better after his own internal pep talk, Lu Han stood up, just as the door leading to Kyungsoo’s room opened and he stepped out.
Lu Han almost choked. “What are you wearing,” he bleated, flabbergasted.
Instead of the turtleneck sweaters that Lu Han had been used to seeing, Kyungsoo was wearing a white, fuzzy- looking sweater. Across the front, there were two giant hearts surrounding a purple teddy bear clutching a sign with the words ‘LOVE’ in its paws.
It was cute, it was sweet, and it was nothing like Lu Han would have expected from Kyungsoo.
“It’s a--it’s a couple sweater!” Kyungsoo said brightly.
“A couple sweater?” Lu Han repeated.
Kyungsoo nodded, his head bobbing up and down quickly. “Yup! Isn’t it the cutest?” he added, smiling so broadly that it was hard to believe he wasn’t faking it, but the embarrassed flush of his ears and cheeks told Lu Han otherwise. He held up another sweater, the colors and patterns matching the one he was wearing, with the exception of the bear which was pink instead of purple. “Here’s the other matching one. I got these before we left. We can wear it today and show your parents--”
“Wait, Kyungsoo,” Lu Han interrupted him gently. “That’s not--you don’t have to do all that.”
Large, confused eyes met his. “I--I don’t?” Kyungsoo blinked. “But, this is… we’re supposed to show that we’re a couple, right?”
“It’s kind of obvious that you’re trying too hard,” Lu Han said. He pointed at the sweater that Kyungsoo was wearing. “Anyone can tell how uncomfortable you are wearing this, for instance.”
Kyungsoo looked crestfallen. “But--”
“Kyungsoo.” Lu Han took a step forward and wrapped his hands around Kyungsoo’s fingers. He could feel how tightly Kyungsoo was gripping the other matching sweater, the one that Kyungsoo had held up earlier, the one that was meant for Lu Han. “You don’t have to try to impress my family.”
“Oh.” For the first time since Lu Han had met him, he looked lost. The wide smile that he had been sporting was replaced with downturned lips, and his eyebrows were creased together in a frown. “Then... what should I do?”
“Just--” Lu Han paused, trying to figure out what to say. He wasn’t exactly an expert in relationships. None of his exes had lasted long enough for his parents to meet before. “Just be yourself.”
Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “Be myself?”
Lu Han nodded. “Besides,” he added, “I’ll be doing all the talking, translating everything to them. But if you’re not certain of what to say, just smile and tell them duì and xiè xiè.” He watched as Kyungsoo tried the words for himself, repeating them several times before getting the hang of it. “See? Easy as that.”
“What do those phrases mean?” Kyungsoo asked.
“‘Yes’ and ‘Thank you’,” Lu Han translated, before adding dryly, “Although I wouldn’t recommend saying them to my cousin Li-Hu, since practically every word out of his mouth is practically a proposition.”
Kyungsoo’s cheeks turned pink at this. “I’ll--I’ll remember that,” he said. Then, he looked down at his sweater and said in a sheepish voice, “I guess I’d better change into something else.” He glanced at Lu Han’s hands briefly, which were still holding onto Kyungsoo’s. “Could I--”
“Oh.” Lu Han yanked his hands back hurriedly, before taking a few steps back and turning around to make his way back to his spot near the window, while trying to keep his thoughts from returning to how right Kyungsoo’s hands had felt in his.
Part 2
Rating: PG-13
Words: 12800~
Warnings: Alcohol and brief, very brief, usage of their stage names.
Disclaimer: Exo does not belong to me.
Summary: Lu Han wasn’t looking for a real boyfriend, merely someone to pretend to be one.
Author’s notes: Romance, fluff, maybe a little bit of slice-of-life. Dating profiles were inspired by an actualfax rent-a-date site (lol). All the love to S who suggested some of the locations for Beijing and to the wonderful C for the last minute beta ♥ All remaining errors are mine. (Title from Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’.)
Written for capricious_moon at the deerofdawn fest.
~ Part I ~
Lu Han’s life, if he were to stop and think about it, wasn’t all that terrible. He was the creative director for M, Seoul’s latest and hottest entertainment magazine. He lived in a cozy loft downtown that gave him a charming view of the city’s skyline. He had a close-knit circle of friends whom he spent most of his free time with, and when he wasn’t hanging out with them, he could be found online, attempting to annihilate enemies via a healthy game of Starcraft.
His parents, however, did not agree with this perspective. They had, on more than one occasion, expressed their concerns over his bachelordom. Of course, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t been trying. He had been in a few relationships over the past several years, but all of them eventually fizzled out after a few months. Not that he had any issues with his ex-girlfriends - or boyfriends; sexuality was, after all, fluid - but the truth was, he was looking for something else.
A connection. Some tiny little spark. That moment where he would look at the person in the eye and realize that yes, they were The One.
Minseok snorted when Lu Han explained this during one of their weekly drinking sessions. “‘The One’?” Minseok repeated, his eyebrows raised so high in skepticism that they practically reached his hairline. “Where are you reading this stuff?”
“It’s not ‘stuff’,” Lu Han told him indignantly. “It’s a very well-known fact that for each person out there, there’s that special someone for them.” Or something like that. It was hard to remember details when he had been drinking steadily for the past two hours.
“Right.” Minseok patted him on the shoulder before shoving another bottle of beer into his hands. “Whatever you say.”
Lu Han regretted all that alcohol the next day when he woke up to find six missed calls on his phone, all from his mother. He stared at the screen blearily before doing the next best thing he could think of when he was hungover and hadn’t had his daily shot of caffeine: he went back to sleep.
After what felt like half a second later, his phone rang again.
“‘lo?” he answered it with a grunt, before sitting upright in bed, rubbing his face hurriedly. “Mother! I was--ah, I was asleep. Yes, I know my cousins are married. Yes, I know I’m the only one who isn’t yet. No, I’m not planning-- wait, no, Mother, hold on, I don’t want to go on a date with Mrs. Zhao’s son-- “ Lu Han scrubbed his free hand over his face, trying not to inwardly sigh. “You know what, fine. Yes, I am dating someone. We’ve been together for months now. It’s a serious relationship, so you don’t have go through all that trouble to set me up with anyone--”
His voice trailed off and his eyes widened as he listened to the next thing she had to say. When he finally ended the call, he stared at the screen for several long seconds.
“Crap.”
~ * ~
Minseok clutched the edge of the table and laughed.
“It’s not funny,” Lu Han protested for the fourth time. “Come on, Minseok, stop laughing. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I can’t believe you lied to your mom about having a relationship,” Minseok managed to get out once he had calmed down. “What made you even say that in the first place?”
“I was still hungover, alright?” Lu Han muttered grumpily. “What am I going to do now?”
Once his mother had recovered from the surprising (and not-so-accurate) announcement that Lu Han had made, she had been completely delighted. Since his grand-aunt’s eightieth birthday celebration in Beijing was coming up in a few weeks, his mother had insisted that he bring along his partner to meet the family.
“Why don’t you just tell her the truth? I’m sure she’ll understand.” Minseok reached for his iced coffee, sipping through the straw noisily. Unlike Lu Han, who still felt like he had been hit by a truck, Minseok looked too wide awake and cheerful at ten in the morning for someone who had practically passed out on his own living room floor after drinking his weight in beer last night. Lu Han had barely been able to make it into the cab home.
“Not my mother,” Lu Han muttered. “She reminds me everyday what a failure to the family I am by choosing to stay single.”
Minseok gave him a sympathetic look. “Parents want the best for their kids. My mom calls me sometimes to ask if I’ve eaten well and my dad texts me reminders to switch off the heater before going to bed.” He grinned. “They do the same thing to my sister even though she lives with them.”
Lu Han couldn’t remember the last time his mother had asked him if he had eaten well, but then again he couldn’t remember the last time he had ever had a conversation with her that didn’t end in her asking if he was planning on staying single for the rest of his life.
“You know,” Minseok said, sitting upright suddenly, “I might have the answer to your problems right here.” He rummaged through his backpack before pulling out a sheet of paper. He handed it to Lu Han.
It took Lu Han a moment to realize that it was a flyer of some sort. The entire thing had been printed in pink - extremely bright pink , in fact - and was covered in a generous amount of red and white hearts drawn all over it. The words ‘MEET YOR DESTINY’ were printed in English, flanked by two more hearts with the words ‘FREE REGISTRER’ and ‘GUARANTEE SATISFACTION’. At the very bottom of the page, there was a short blurb written down along with a website address.
Lu Han read the blurb out loud. “‘Tired of being single at family dinners? Need a partner to fill up that empty seat at the wedding? Rent a companion today!’” Snorting, Lu Han looked up at Minseok. “Seriously? Where did you even get this?”
“Got it from the guy who moved in across the hall today. I meant to throw it away, but since you’re having a crisis….” Minseok’s face was a picture of calm, but Lu Han could see the edge of his lips twitching.
Narrowing his eyes, Lu Han crumpled the flyer into a ball and threw it back at Minseok’s face. “Ugh,” he said as Minseok avoided it smoothly, his eyes twinkling in amusement. “Here I am, telling you about my problems and instead of helping, you’d rather mock me.”
“Personally, I think you’re overreacting,” Minseok told him. “So what if you’re not dating anyone? It’s not exactly a bad thing.” He shrugged. “If I were you, I would just tell your mom the truth. What’s the worst that she could do?”
It was a question that Lu Han didn’t dare answer. Not that he was afraid of his mother. It was the fact that he didn’t want to end up disappointing her again. The way she had sounded on the phone, for instance - he hadn’t heard her sound this happy since she had discovered cable.
Groaning, Lu Han dropped his head onto his hands. He was doomed.
Someone’s phone rang. Minseok excused himself before stepping outside to answer the call. As Lu Han sat there, the sounds of the conversation growing around him within the cafe, an idea began to blossom in his mind. A few seconds later, he stood up, searching the floor around the table before finding what he was looking for.
When Minseok came back, the flyer that he had given him earlier was folded and hidden away in Lu Han’s pocket.
~ * ~
That night, Lu Han found himself sitting in front of his laptop, navigating the website that had been listed on the flyer. Except for the typo on the banner, which made Lu Han twitch whenever he caught sight of it blinking at the top part of the screen, the setup wasn’t as dodgy as he had initially assumed. The website looked professionally done, sans the monstrous pink that had been on the flyer, and there were positive testimonies from previous clients whose names were omitted and replaced by initials instead. There was even a section filled with legal jargon and disclaimers that gave him a headache halfway through, which he skipped before clicking on the sign-up button.
Sometime around noon the next day, Lu Han received an email that looked suspiciously like one of those spam mails for Viagra. He was about to send it to the junk folder when he noticed the address where it was sent from - admin@meetyordestiny.com - and almost dropped his coffee mug onto his laptop.
Thankfully, his assistant was off running an errand on the other side of town, which meant he didn’t have to worry about her showing up and accidentally catching sight of his screen. After battling internally between wanting to delete the email or click it open, he gave in to the urge to do the latter.
The email started off cheerfully enough, congratulating Lu Han on signing up. According to the email, if he agreed to the conditions (which were in an attached file, spanning six pages of legal jargon and disclaimers that made his head hurt), he would be provided access to a list of potential people to select as his ‘companion’. Once he had made his choice, the company would make arrangements for them to meet - along with a selection of safe, very-PG and harmless activities - that would take place during the date.
Since he was on a deadline of sorts, he skimmed through the file briefly, which listed down what services were provided by the hired companions included and what was not.
No sex. No kissing, inappropriate touching or sexual advances. The website was clear on these things; whoever was hired would play the role of a companion, and only that. They could be attentive and sweet and caring to the client, but within specific boundaries - which suited Lu Han just fine. He wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, merely someone to pretend to be one. He replied to the email, checking on the box titled ‘Yes’.
A few minutes later, he received a response. He opened the email that had popped up in his inbox and found that it contained a link to another site, along with an ID and password and a short message from someone named Kim Jongdae, thanking him for selecting their service.
Once he had accessed the list, Lu Han leaned in, almost eagerly, to view the selection of companions, which ranged from Extremely Good-looking to Sculpted Male Models. Beneath each of their pictures, they had listed their names, age, character traits and hobbies. Some of them seemed to closer to his age, some a lot older by a couple of years. Some were dressed in suits or casual clothes, posing or smiling for the camera, while a fair number of the companions were shirtless, revealing very toned and extremely muscular abs that made Lu Han feel slightly insecure when he compared them to his own skinny figure.
Half an hour later, he managed to narrow down his choices to two profiles. The first was a handsome man who looked like he should have been on the cover of a fashion magazine by the way he pouted and posed smolderingly for the camera. Kai, The Dancer. Part-time dance instructor, loves dogs and children.
The second profile was of a serious young man with large eyes and a shy smile who was about three years younger than him. His picture had caught Lu Han’s attention because, unlike the others, he had seemed… awkward. Nothing like the modelesque poses that he had seen. D.O, The Actor. Likes singing, cooking and watching horror movies. Part-time singer and performer. After having to deal with countless idols that seemed so cookie-cutter and perfect, Lu Han had to admit that this was refreshing.
By the time his assistant returned from her errand, along with his coffee and two appointments booked in his calendar for that afternoon, Lu Han had picked his date.
~ * ~
The next few days practically flew by. Lu Han was caught up with work; a dating scandal had broken out overnight between the top idol stars of two rival agencies, which meant that the editor-in-chief of the magazine had everyone scrambling to make room in their next issue to replace their two page spread on one of the idols. That left him with barely enough time to think about his date until he found himself standing on the second floor of a cafe in Garosu-gil late Friday evening, searching for his companion within the crowded place.
He had, in the end, settled on D.O. as his companion. Lu Han had been tempted at first to pick Kai, but when he had read the rest of his profile and found out that he was a fan of Chelsea, which was most definitely not Lu Han’s favorite football team. That alone was enough to eliminate him from the list.
(Besides, D.O. had seemed small and cute and cuddly in his picture, which, in Lu Han’s opinion, was not a bad thing at all.)
He received another email from the website a few hours before he was due to meet D.O. To avoid any confusion, he would be holding a red flower, matching the one that Lu Han was supposed to bring along for their first date. It felt so utterly cliche that Lu Han almost reconsidered going through with the entire thing, but then he had remembered that there had been a non-refundable clause in his contract. There was no backing out now.
Finally, Lu Han caught sight of someone seated alone at the corner of the cafe, his head bent over his phone. All the other tables were occupied by groups or couples, which made him stand out amongst the crowd. For a moment, Lu Han hesitated, wondering if he had the right person, but then he saw the red rose that was placed on the table, signifying that this was, indeed, his date.
Lu Han took a deep breath, before slowly making his way towards the table. His mind was a turmoil, filled with sudden doubts. Was he making the right decision? Should he have listened to Minseok instead and told his mother the truth? It was not too late to change his mind, to call home and tell them that something had come up and he couldn’t make it to Beijing after all--
D.O. looked up just as Lu Han approached him. For a brief moment, their eyes locked - before a shy smile appeared on the young man’s face, causing Lu Han’s heart to beat a little faster.
Bundled up in a soft-looking charcoal grey turtleneck, D.O. was far from just cute. His hair was swept across his brow to one side neatly, with the exception of several stray strands that stubbornly fell across his thick eyebrows. Somehow, the effect made him look less serious than his profile picture had been. His eyes were large, just like in his picture - up close Lu Han could see the long lashes that framed the edges - and his lips were plush and pink, shaped like a heart.
To his surprise, the voice that greeted him was much deeper than he had expected. “Lu Han-ssi?” D.O. asked cautiously, as if he were unsure whether he had the right person. When Lu Han nodded, he quickly stood up, introducing himself politely. “Thank you for choosing me, Lu Han-ssi. I hope our date will be a satisfactory one,” he added.
“Uh,” Lu Han said, still a little taken aback by his bluntness.
Suddenly, D.O. blushed. “Sorry, I’m still--ah, I’m still new at this,” he admitted, wincing. “They said I didn’t have to be so formal but I--I might have messed it up.”
“It’s fine, D.O-ssi,” Lu Han said hurriedly. The other man still seemed flustered, so Lu Han gestured at him to sit down, sliding into the empty chair on the other side of table himself. After a moment, D.O. did just that. “I-I’m new at this too. I don’t really go out. On dates.” He grimaced, realizing how much of recluse he sounded. “I mean, I haven’t actually dated anyone in a while.”
The shy smile that D.O. gave him made his heart skip a little. “In that case,” he said, still blushing, “Can I call you ‘hyung’?”
~ * ~
D.O., or Do Kyungsoo, which Lu Han discovered later on was his real name, was not the usual sort of person he would have expected taking up this sort of job. He had another, Kyungsoo explained, stocking shelves at the convenience store in Jongno during the daytime. It hadn’t been his intention to join a date-for-hire site, but he’d needed the money - for what reason, he didn’t elaborate, and Lu Han didn’t wanted to pry - so he had bitten the bullet and submitted his application form and a picture of himself that he had convinced his friend to take of him.
He had given Lu Han his real name on their second meeting. Or, as Kyungsoo insisted on calling it - their date. And it felt like a real date, somehow - the way Kyungsoo would blush and act embarrassed when Lu Han teased him about taking too long to pick between nachos or fries at the concession stand where they were about to watch a movie, or the way Kyungsoo would lean in closer to Lu Han, their shoulders brushing against each other, to point out something amusing in the store window as they strolled down the streets, calling him ‘Lu Han-hyung’ in the sort of tone that Lu Han was used to hearing girls calling their boyfriends.
He liked it.
He liked it the same way he liked hearing Kyungsoo talk about a movie he had just seen, picking apart the plot and describing the parts that he found were his favorite. He liked seeing Kyungsoo flustered too, when Lu Han tried placing a Mickey Mouse hairband on his head during their third outing at the amusement park, his face turning bright pink as Lu Han made him pose for a picture.
(That was before he discovered that underneath all of that shyness, that pretty face and that disarming smile, Kyungsoo hated being forced to do anything cute, fluffy or sickeningly adorable. Lu Han didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was already all of that without even trying.)
He also liked how Kyungsoo seemed to understand when Lu Han told him about his fear of heights, avoiding the dreaded roller coasters and extreme rides, guiding him towards the bumper cars and sports arcades instead.
But yet, at the end of every ‘date’, when the allotted hours were up, Kyungsoo would take a few steps away, forming a distance more suited for acquaintances than boyfriends, thanking him with a slight bow while reverting back to ‘Lu Han-ssi’ before turning around and hurrying off to catch his train or bus. And every time, he would end up leaving Lu Han frustrated and confused at the abrupt switch in demeanour.
Eventually, to his dismay, Lu Han discovered that while he was able to hire Kyungsoo for a few hours to play his pretend boyfriend, he wasn’t allowed to have him for more than a day. He hadn’t realized it - having vaguely skipped through the contract that he had been sent - but it was written there, clear as day, pointed out to him only when he had sent an email to the website admin.
When he had received a response, it was on the day of his fourth date with Kyungsoo. He fretted over the email as he stood in front of the metro exit near Garosu-gil, waiting for Kyungsoo. He had a week left before his trip to Beijing, where he had to show up with his supposed boyfriend. Of course, he could always try another option. Find another service that would allow him to hire someone to fit his requirements. Yet, somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to go the entire process of getting to know someone new all over again, not when he had his mind set on bringing Kyungsoo.
He started a little when he heard Kyungsoo’s warm greeting. Looking up, Lu Han couldn’t help smiling at the sight of Kyungsoo standing in front of him, bundled up in an oversized winter coat and a woolen hat over his head. He looked like a puffed up marshmallow.
“You’re actual on time,” Kyungsoo remarked, sounding surprised, although his lips were already parted in that familiar heart-shaped smile that Lu Han had grown fond of seeing. “Did you get off from work early?”
“Maybe,” Lu Han said. He reached out to playfully tug at the pom-pom that was bobbing merrily on top of the hat. Kyungsoo blushed, swatting his hands away, his fingers brushing warm against Lu Han’s. Dropping his arms, Lu Han turned away, ignoring the way his own fingers tingled from the brief touch. “Come on, we’ll be late.”
Kyungsoo must have caught onto his mood; as they stood in edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the lights to turn green for them to cross the street, he heard Kyungsoo murmuring-- “Hyung, are you feeling well?”
Lu Han glanced over at Kyungsoo, who was looking at him, his head tilted slightly as he awaited Lu Han’s answer. His eyes were filled with worry, which made Lu Han’s chest tighten slightly at the sight.
He nodded. Instead of looking away, Kyungsoo furrowed his eyebrows, looking unconvinced. “Are you sure? You’ve been sort of quiet.” There was a strange tone in his voice, something that Lu Han couldn’t quite place. It seemed as if Kyungsoo sounded hurt.
“I’m sorry,” Lu Han replied. He reached out, about to touch Kyungsoo on the wrist gently when he thought the better of it, pulling his hand back. “I was thinking. About, uh, work.”
The light turned green. They crossed the street quickly, avoiding a large group of tourists wearing hats with tiny flags fluttering on top of them walking across from the opposite side. Once they reached the other side, the two of them made their way to the small Italian restaurant where they had reservations for. When they were seated inside, tucked away in their own little corner for some privacy away from the other patrons, Lu Han finally came to a decision.
He studied Kyungsoo’s face for several moments, before deciding to be blunt. “I’ve been wondering about this job that you’re doing,” he began. “You said that you needed the money, that’s why you decided to do it.” He paused. “What is the money for?”
Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. Lu Han could see the panic in his eyes. “I’m not going to judge you,” he said hastily. “I just… I guess I’m curious.” He tried to give Kyungsoo a reassuring look, hoping that Kyungsoo would believe him.
“I-- uh.” Kyungsoo paused, before glancing down at the ground. “It’s for my acting classes,” he said quietly. “I’m… I don’t make much, at the convenience store. Not enough to pay for these classes. Sometimes my parents help me out, but I don’t want to burden them.”
“How much do these classes cost?” Lu Han asked curiously.
Lu Han listened as Kyungsoo gave him a figure. When he was done, Lu Han stuck his hands into his pocket, taking a deep breath before exhaling, the faint puff of cold air forming in front of him. “I have a… plan that might help you.”
Kyungsoo’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sleeping with you--”
“No, no,” Lu Han said hurriedly. “I don’t mean that, Kyungsoo, it’s got nothing to do with sex.” He quickly explained his situation, including the part where he had accidentally made his parents think that he was dating someone. When he got to the part where he had signed up with the website, Kyungsoo snorted, before clamping his hands over his mouth and looking at Lu Han with a wide-eyed expression.
Feeling amused at the sight, Lu Han continued on. He would pay the equivalent of Kyungsoo’s classes for the rest of the term. All Kyungsoo needed to do was to pretend to be Lu Han’s boyfriend when he visited them this upcoming weekend.
Lu Han could see Kyungsoo looking doubtful. He knew that it was dumb, but he couldn’t think of anything else. He admitted that, in a way, he was attracted to Kyungsoo and wanted to spend as much as he could with the man (ignoring the fact that his time was actually funded by Lu Han), but he wanted to help make things a little easier for Kyungsoo too.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” Lu Han told him. “But… if you say yes--”
“I’ll do it,” Kyungsoo told him, causing him to stop mid-sentence. “I mean, yes.”
Lu Han felt relief crashing down on him at Kyungsoo’s determined yes. He reached out and placed his hand on top of Kyungsoo’s, gripping it tightly in a show of gratitude before pulling it away, aware that he might have overstepped his boundaries.
But at the sight of Kyungsoo’s smile, Lu Han couldn’t help but think that perhaps Kyungsoo didn’t mind it at all.
~ * ~
A week later, Lu Han arrived in Beijing with Kyungsoo.
Under normal circumstances, Lu Han would have stayed at his parents’ home, where he had his own room and bed - but he decided against it, figuring that Kyungsoo might be uncomfortable (boundaries, Lu Han reminded himself firmly). Instead, in order to maintain the illusion that he and Kyungsoo were a couple, he had reserved a suite at the Shangri-La. The suite came with a small kitchenette, a jacuzzi bath, and two separate bedrooms.
Once they had checked in, Lu Han sat on the lounge chair by the living room window, waiting for Kyungsoo to finish unpacking in his own room. They had a couple of hours before heading out to meet Lu Han’s parents for dinner. As he glanced out the window, watching the cars crawling along the busy street below and the pedestrians filling up the sidewalk, his thoughts lingered on Kyungsoo.
He had made sure that Lu Han was seated comfortably with his earphones in his seat on the plane, he had held Lu Han’s hand and rubbed his back comfortingly when Lu Han had been trying not to hyperventilate (thanks to his acrophobia) when the plane had started to take off from the runway. He had even helped carry Lu Han’s bags, giving them up only when he had stood in the middle of arrival hall looking slightly overwhelmed by the immensity of the airport and the signs that were in a completely different language.
In short, Kyungsoo had acted the role of a warm and caring boyfriend, just as he had been hired to do. It was perfect, perhaps too perfect, to the point that Lu Han was beginning to find it hard to distinguish between which was the real Kyungsoo, and which was the role that he was playing.
He shook his head, trying to clear the negativity from his mind. Why was he feeling bothered by this? Kyungsoo said that he was training to be an actor. Of course he would be able to play his role to perfection. And it wasn’t as if Lu Han was really dating him. He shouldn’t even be thinking about this, let alone allow himself to be caught up in the fantasy that Kyungsoo was his boyfriend.
Feeling a little better after his own internal pep talk, Lu Han stood up, just as the door leading to Kyungsoo’s room opened and he stepped out.
Lu Han almost choked. “What are you wearing,” he bleated, flabbergasted.
Instead of the turtleneck sweaters that Lu Han had been used to seeing, Kyungsoo was wearing a white, fuzzy- looking sweater. Across the front, there were two giant hearts surrounding a purple teddy bear clutching a sign with the words ‘LOVE’ in its paws.
It was cute, it was sweet, and it was nothing like Lu Han would have expected from Kyungsoo.
“It’s a--it’s a couple sweater!” Kyungsoo said brightly.
“A couple sweater?” Lu Han repeated.
Kyungsoo nodded, his head bobbing up and down quickly. “Yup! Isn’t it the cutest?” he added, smiling so broadly that it was hard to believe he wasn’t faking it, but the embarrassed flush of his ears and cheeks told Lu Han otherwise. He held up another sweater, the colors and patterns matching the one he was wearing, with the exception of the bear which was pink instead of purple. “Here’s the other matching one. I got these before we left. We can wear it today and show your parents--”
“Wait, Kyungsoo,” Lu Han interrupted him gently. “That’s not--you don’t have to do all that.”
Large, confused eyes met his. “I--I don’t?” Kyungsoo blinked. “But, this is… we’re supposed to show that we’re a couple, right?”
“It’s kind of obvious that you’re trying too hard,” Lu Han said. He pointed at the sweater that Kyungsoo was wearing. “Anyone can tell how uncomfortable you are wearing this, for instance.”
Kyungsoo looked crestfallen. “But--”
“Kyungsoo.” Lu Han took a step forward and wrapped his hands around Kyungsoo’s fingers. He could feel how tightly Kyungsoo was gripping the other matching sweater, the one that Kyungsoo had held up earlier, the one that was meant for Lu Han. “You don’t have to try to impress my family.”
“Oh.” For the first time since Lu Han had met him, he looked lost. The wide smile that he had been sporting was replaced with downturned lips, and his eyebrows were creased together in a frown. “Then... what should I do?”
“Just--” Lu Han paused, trying to figure out what to say. He wasn’t exactly an expert in relationships. None of his exes had lasted long enough for his parents to meet before. “Just be yourself.”
Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “Be myself?”
Lu Han nodded. “Besides,” he added, “I’ll be doing all the talking, translating everything to them. But if you’re not certain of what to say, just smile and tell them duì and xiè xiè.” He watched as Kyungsoo tried the words for himself, repeating them several times before getting the hang of it. “See? Easy as that.”
“What do those phrases mean?” Kyungsoo asked.
“‘Yes’ and ‘Thank you’,” Lu Han translated, before adding dryly, “Although I wouldn’t recommend saying them to my cousin Li-Hu, since practically every word out of his mouth is practically a proposition.”
Kyungsoo’s cheeks turned pink at this. “I’ll--I’ll remember that,” he said. Then, he looked down at his sweater and said in a sheepish voice, “I guess I’d better change into something else.” He glanced at Lu Han’s hands briefly, which were still holding onto Kyungsoo’s. “Could I--”
“Oh.” Lu Han yanked his hands back hurriedly, before taking a few steps back and turning around to make his way back to his spot near the window, while trying to keep his thoughts from returning to how right Kyungsoo’s hands had felt in his.
Part 2