[exo] a thousand cranes.
Title: a thousand cranes.
Pairing: Sehun/Luhan, slight TaoHan
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst
Length: 1.1k
Summary: Luhan thinks that a thousand paper cranes will bring Sehun back to him.
Warning: character death.
A/N: another gift fic for my junior. also, more angst. yay.
It is quiet in the room. All that can be heard is the soft sounds of Luhan folding paper cranes.
Zitao simply reads a book on the couch, occasionally glancing up at Luhan to make sure he’s fine. Today seems to be a good day for Luhan, who is folding away without rest.
Luhan’s eyes are glassy; he looks at the paper in his hands blankly, fingers robotically twisting and folding the paper to form cranes. When he is finished with one crane, he holds it up to the light. Gently, he tugs at the tail of the crane, watching as the wings flap. Up and down, up and down.
Luhan breaks out into a smile. He sets it down gently on the table, and turns to face Zitao.
Zitao-ah, Luhan says. Zitao looks up. Probably to tell me about his progress, he thinks.
Yes?
I folded forty paper cranes today, Luhan informs him happily.
Zitao grins at him. That means we can celebrate! Do you want bubble tea? he blurts out without thinking.
He only realises his mistake when Luhan freezes, wide eyes staring up at him.
Suddenly, Luhan towers over him. His expression is cold and unforgiving.
Don’t ever talk to me about bubble tea again, he hisses.
Zitao can only watch as Luhan retreats into his room.
-
Luhan stares brokenly at a photo frame. He slowly strokes the face on the left.
Sehun-ah, where are you?
-
It is Day 100 of Luhan’s paper crane folding craze. Each day, Zitao watches as Luhan continuously presses creases into the intricately designed origami paper. Each day, he keeps track of the number of cranes Luhan has folded.
(Today, he folded fifty. Zitao marks it onto his notebook, and notes that Luhan has folded three hundred and seventy eight so far.)
On a good day, he can fold up to seventy without breaking down. On a bad day, he will scrape past with about twenty or so before he runs out of the house. Zitao doesn’t stop him, because Luhan always comes back.
And Zitao will wait for him. It’s all he can do.
-
[Day 200, 647 cranes folded]
In an attempt to cheer Luhan up, Jongin brings over an assortment of colourful wigs for girls.
Luhan takes one look at the wigs and bolts into his room.
Zitao can only shake his head as Jongin looks at him sadly.
Too many memories of Sehun.
-
[Day 250, 789 cranes folded]
This time, it’s Minseok and Yixing who come to visit. They bring sushi for Luhan.
Luhan rejects it coldly.
-
[Day 300, 895 cranes folded]
Luhan, let me in, Zitao pleads. He listens to the sound of shattered glass and ripped paper as Luhan goes on one of his rages.
Get out! Luhan screams. Zitao winces as the chair hits the door.
It’s an hour later, that Zitao hears the click of a door being unlocked. He gets up and slowly, very slowly, he opens the door. He is greeted by a mess of glass shards and broken ornaments and Luhan’s blood.
Zitao says nothing. He merely steps inside and doesn’t bother with the wreck in front of him; instead, he kneels down and holds a crying Luhan in his arms.
They stay that way till night time. Luhan finally falls asleep, murmuring Sehun’s name, and Zitao carries him onto his bed.
He cleans up the room before Luhan wakes up.
-
[Day 364, 1000 cranes folded.]
Luhan smiles quietly as he strings a crane into place.
He finally has his column of a thousand paper cranes. Now he can have his wish.
Zitao only watches him. There is a hint of sadness in his eyes; he shakes his head.
-
Day 365. It is Sehun’s birthday, and the day of his death.
Zitao brings Luhan to Sehun’s grave. He pushes a parasol into the soil by the grave stone before walking away.
Luhan sets two cups of bubble tea in front of the stone. He beams at the picture of Sehun.
Sehun-ah, I got you your favourite flavor of bubble tea! You love chocolate, don’t you? Here, you can try my taro flavoured one - do you like it? You don’t? Luhan rambles to the picture.
And look! There’s sushi! I know you really love tamago, right? See! Your hyung knows what you love best!
Luhan picks the column of paper cranes lying beside him. He hangs it up on a tree branch next to the grave.
I folded one thousand paper cranes for you, Sehun-ah. Do you like them? They’re rainbow-coloured, just like your hair. You can wear this on your head, you know? Luhan continues talking. His eyes are watering up.
They say that if you fold one thousand paper cranes all on your own in a year, the gods will grant you a wish. Luhan whispers, leaning in to get close to the grave stone as if whatever he is saying is scandalous. Do you think they’ll grant me my wish now?
He stands up; his eyes are closed; he clasps his hands together.
Sehun-ah, come back to me, Luhan prays. He hopes and hopes and after what seems like eternity, he half-expects Sehun to be by his side like nothing ever happened; he would be teasing Luhan with a cup of taro bubble tea and smearing mayonnaise from the sushi on to his face before licking it right off; and they would be together again, just like before;
…but Luhan opens his eyes, and there is no Sehun.
Lightning flashes across the sky, followed by a roll of thunder.
“Hey, Luhan?” Sehun murmurs.
Luhan stops his crying to look up at Sehun. He grips his hand tighter.
“You shouldn’t cry, it makes you look sad,” Sehun lifts up a finger to stroke Luhan’s tears away.
“You know, they say the gods will grant you a wish if you fold one thousand paper cranes within a year, all by yourself.” Sehun chuckles weakly. A cough racks his body. “Do you think it works? Do you think we can be together again?”
“Of course we’ll be together. I won’t have anyone else. And in some other life, we’ll find each other again.” Luhan is sobbing again.
“Don’t go, Sehun-ah. Don’t leave me here,” Luhan whispers brokenly.
Sehun smiles sadly.
“I’ll never leave you. Not even when I’m gone.”
A long beep resonates throughout the room.
The raindrops pour down, and Luhan falls to the ground on his knees. The rain mixes with his tears.
Perhaps, the sky was mourning for Sehun, too.
Happy birthday, Sehun-ah. I love you.
fin.