[Fic] Chains of Perception 07/??
Title: Chains of Perception
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairing: Kris/Tao (smatterings of others later)
Length: 2500w (chapter 07)
Disclaimer: I do not own the boys.
Summary: Wufan is a straightforward business man with no time or thought for his personal life - until he discovers an ad in the newspaper for a support group geared toward homosexual men. Despite his every intention of not going, he manages to find himself there anyway, meeting and getting to know 10 other men who are just as screwed up or worse than himself.
There's an apology sitting on the tip of his tongue that's drowned out by the shock of the overly decorated room in his view. Tacky christmas lights line the walls and there's a small tree on a table in the center of the ring of chairs and Wufan is a little too afraid to walk the rest of the way in. There's a gentle nudge on his lower back from Luhan who's managed to run into him since he isn't moving and is now blocking the door. Zitao graciously tugs Wufan to the side by his elbow and allows the people to pass as the other man eyes the tree like it's about to run over and eat him.
"Are you alive in there?" Zitao inquires, waving a hand in front of his face and snapping him out of his reverie.
"Um, yeah. Just . . . " Wufan eyes the tree again. "Yeah. I'm good."
Zitao snickers and takes the opportunity to lead Wufan to his seat, not letting go of his arm until their asses are firmly pressed against plastic. Up close, he spies the tacky decorations, about three strands of lights too many and enough tinsel to keep the North Pole going for the next decade. Minseok may be cute, but his taste is atrocious. Wufan mentally shudders and pulls his eyes off the blight and onto more favorable terrain. Like Zitao's face.
"I promise I'm not avoiding you," Wufan starts.
"I know," Zitao replies with a knowing smile.
"How do you - Yixing." He shouldn't have even bothered because of course Yixing.
"I would tread lightly around him for a while," Zitao advises and Wufan looks over to see a death glare sent right at him by the usually jovial assistant.
"What did I do?"
"You took his precious Joonmyun from him for four days."
"Oh please," Wufan scoffs. "Those two snuck off to dirty the building with their sexual escapades daily at least."
"I'm surprised you noticed."
Wufan turns to Zitao with raised eyebrows. "What does that mean?"
"It means you wouldn't know an invitation if it bit you on the ass."
Wufan's about to reply, but it's cut off - along with his line of sight - when Sehun decides to forego his chair and just settle on his lap from the start.
"Oh no you don't," Zitao gripes before lifting the boy off Wufan and sitting him in his own chair. Sehun pouts, Zitao glares and Wufan snorts in amusement. It doesn't stop the younger boy from scooting his chair over and resting his head on his shoulder as he picks at the plaster on his cast. Wufan leaves him be in favor of Minseok standing to call everyone to order.
"I'm sure you've all noticed the holiday decorations," he begins happily and Wufan internally cringes.
"It looks like Christmas threw up in here," Jongin points out and Kyungsoo reaches over to swat him on the leg.
"Be nice," he hisses.
Minseok clears his throat and pretends to not have heard the interruption. "I'm sure most of you know what this means." Minseok pauses for effect and it's clear no one is remotely as close to excited as he is. "Secret Santa!"
There are a few claps around the room until Minseok crosses his arms, cocks his hip and looks around the room with one raised eyebrow. Everyone else chimes in and he's appeased enough to continue. He pulls a hat from underneath his chair and shakes it in the air. "Everyone's name is in here and you'll each pull until we all have a giftee. There's a $20 cap on gifts, although you don't have to spend that much. You don't have to spend anything. HERE, it's the thought that counts."
Minseok makes the mistake of handing the hat to Jongdae first who proceeds to stick his hand down and try to open the slips of paper to find one he wants. He gets a slap on the hand and Minseok choosing one for him. Jongdae looks like a scolded puppy, rubbing his hand and pouting yet it has no effect on Minseok who merely moves to the next person and all the way around. Wufan pulls a name and shoves it into his pocket for later. There's a Sehun still in his personal space and he doesn't really want to admit to himself how excited he is for this activity.
Seeing as his family consisted of minimal contact and even less affection, Christmas was never a tradition. As a kid he would watch televised movies and awe at the decorations around the city, but never fully participated. He would marvel at the men in Santa costumes and cheerful music that would spill from loud speakers in the shops. The world may have seemed a warmer place outside, but never inside his own home.
And now that he's alone, there simply isn't a point to celebrate. The presence of a tree in his apartment would only remind him of those precious memories he'd never formed. Maybe he would have turned out a better person if he had something happy to clutch in his heart. Wufan sighs and rivets his eyes once again on the small tree in the center of the circle. One more thing this group of misfits has given him. A reason to hope.
He's not sure how long he was spaced out until Zitao pokes him in the side and sends him a questioning glance. Wufan shakes his head and gives him a small smile before perking his ears up to listen to poor Chanyeol.
His parents managed to lock him inside a room with a female stripper. His cell phone had been confiscated and he spent an entire hour trying to beat down the door as the stripper sat in the solitary chair he was supposed to be occupying.
"She seemed understanding enough," Chanyeol explained. "Stopped trying to take off her top when I told her I was gay and my parents were attempting an intervention."
Wufan waits until he's at home before he pulls out the paper in his pocket. Like a child, there's a small adrenaline rush at finding out the name of who he'll be playing Santa for this year. Of course, he's really hoping it's Zitao or even possibly Sehun or Yixing because he knows them well enough he could pick out a gift without too much trouble. But the name printed neatly in red ink on the small piece of paper isn't any of those three.
Luhan.
He knows absolutely nothing about Luhan save for him working as a nurse at the hospital and that Sehun used to cling to him. There's never been a real chance to speak with him and going over now to do it would probably give his identity away prematurely. He crinkles the paper before sighing and flattening it again. He slides it inside his wallet and chooses to worry about the problem later because right now he wants to fall into a soft pile of blankets and sleep until tomorrow - tomorrow where he'll be back up to his nose in documents and probably a still pissy Yixing.
If he finishes early enough he might save some of his weekend.
Wufan and Joonmyun ban Yixing from the office Saturday afternoon after he keeps trying to steal the secretary. They both yell and push until he's locked out and Joonmyun turns off his own phone when it starts vibrating. All they need is a little longer and this will all be over. Yixing can wait. Lord knows, Wufan sure has.
Today Wufan is being the gentleman and picking Zitao up from work to take him to lunch. It's only mostly an excuse to get the hell out of the office because it's Monday and he's nursing more than a few paper cuts and files be damned because they managed to finish in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Yixing had fallen asleep in his office chair and Joonmyun had kicked it from the desk so he crumpled on the floor before jerking awake. Yixing grumbled but allowed himself to be dragged from the building after throwing his boss a frown.
The studio is airy and has a nice, simple feel to it. He spins in a circle before Zitao walks in wearing a smile and cloth pants that cling to every muscle in his legs. And ass. He turns around and Wufan's mouth suddenly feels as dry as the desert. That's not fair.
It's positively obscene the way the fabric glues itself to the delicious curve of his thighs before pronouncing the swell of his well defined butt. Wufan's kind of in awe of the spectacle and doesn't realize they're supposed to be leaving until Zitao clears his throat. Wufan blushes, blood rushing up instead of the downward spiral it had been headed in his embarrassment. He's quick to shuffle outside, strides forcing him in front of the other man so he doesn't get pulled into temptation again.
Zitao is clearly dangerous territory.
Kyungsoo is his chipper self, a red and green plaid bowtie affixed to his white button-up and a pair of jingling reindeer antlers perched in his hair. Wufan leans over the counter to flick a bell and the man scrunches his face in delight before shaking his head. It looks as if the holiday spirit has Kyungsoo firmly in its grasp. And it's positively adorable.
"What would you like today?"
"Surprise me."
"That's adventurous," Zitao comments.
"You should try it some time."
Wufan leaves the other two watching his back as he maneuvers around to find an empty booth. He feels a certain sense of satisfaction at being unpredictable which is probably due to Zitao's influence. But it's not like he'll ever tell him.
"Any idea on what you're getting for the Secret Santa?" Zitao inquires not long after sitting across from the other man. Wufan narrows his eyes and clucks his tongue.
"Not telling."
"Oh come on," Zitao whines. "Not even a hint? I won't tell."
Wufan plays it off with a smile and uses Kyungsoo's appearance along with their food as an excuse to not talk. Only part of it is because he still hasn't taken the time to sit and think about Luhan. Mostly, though, it's because Zitao is cute when he's flustered and pouting. "What are you? Twelve?" he teases when he sees the other man's bottom lip poke out further.
"He's never patient around Christmas," Kyungsoo says as he pats Zitao on the back. "Such a child."
Wufan's Luhan problem falls to the side as he joins in with Kyungsoo to tease Zitao who is now starting to turn a pretty shade of red.
That damn Christmas tree is still there the following meeting and if Wufan's not mistaken, there are even more ornaments on the flimsy branches and it looks on the verge of toppling over. He unconsciously scoots his chair out a little in the fear of being eaten by tinsel when it all collapses. Sehun is at his side once more and the first thing he notices is the lack of a cast.
"Congratulations," he offers as Sehun proudly displays his arm. "How does it feel?"
"Weird." And they both chuckle before Minseok calls everyone to attention.
Wufan abandons following the movers and speakers in favor of observation much as he'd done the first meeting. Only this time he's paying more attention to Luhan in an attempt to bore through his skull and possibly discover an answer to his gift situation. A sold three more days of putting it off and now he knows he needs to get his act together or end up handing the poor guy a shoddily wrapped box of toothpicks come the 22nd. The only thing he manages to note, to his dissatisfaction, is Luhan's apparent weight loss and the bags under his eyes.
His inability to mind read is frustrating and his attention wanders, carefully lingering on fidgeting hands, bouncing feet and lips turned up into smiles. There are a number of differences between these actions and the ones he'd noted upon his arrival. Some of them are more startling than others and he wonders exactly how no one else has picked up on them yet.
He's still surprised to discover Sehun hasn't noticed the way Jongin's eyes follow his every move, even more so than he'd ever done with Kyungsoo. Jongin may be one of the quieter people in the group, but he doesn't lack confidence. His very stance proves that. So what is he waiting for?
The one thing that stands out the most, however, is the interaction between Chanyeol and Baekhyun. The smaller man is still covered nearly head to toe, oversized hoodie a barrier from prying eyes. But Wufan's eyes catch on the pale skin of his hand, of a wrist that's exposed for the first time. And while that's something in and of itself, it's seeing Chanyeol's large fingers resting on the skin that has Wufan staring in disbelief. From what he knows, Baekhyun never allows contact, even when it's over his clothing.
Zitao is the one who pulls him from his thoughts with a nudge and a mouthed question of concern. Wufan tilts his head toward the pair he'd been watching and hears Zitao's sharp intake of air when he sees it too.
Another sweep of the room and Wufan registers Minseok's subtle smile and his gaze directed at Baekhyun as well. Of course he'd know.
As the meeting comes to a close, Wufan finds himself on his feet and walking toward Luhan before he can sneak out the door. The smaller man is already attempting to do just that and Wufan stops him with a hand wrapped around his upper arm. Luhan looks up at him in surprise before smiling.
"Hey," he chirps, sounding a lot happier than he appears.
"Are you alright?" The question spills from his lips before he really thinks about it. But Luhan looks so frail, as if a stiff gust of wind would send him careening into the sky.
"I'm just tired," he admits. "I picked up extra shifts at work and I'm still getting used to it."
"Is that all? Are you eating enough?"
Wufan is genuinely concerned, fingers taking note of the too thin arm they're still clinging to. But Luhan is laughing it off and Wufan knows a forced reaction when he sees one. "I'm fine," he assures and when he moves to leave, Wufan lets him go. "Good night."
"Night," Wufan mumbles, sighing and letting his arm fall to his side. That damned protective instinct he'd first felt with Sehun is bubbling and it's threatening to clog his throat.
He wants to help Luhan.
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairing: Kris/Tao (smatterings of others later)
Length: 2500w (chapter 07)
Disclaimer: I do not own the boys.
Summary: Wufan is a straightforward business man with no time or thought for his personal life - until he discovers an ad in the newspaper for a support group geared toward homosexual men. Despite his every intention of not going, he manages to find himself there anyway, meeting and getting to know 10 other men who are just as screwed up or worse than himself.
There's an apology sitting on the tip of his tongue that's drowned out by the shock of the overly decorated room in his view. Tacky christmas lights line the walls and there's a small tree on a table in the center of the ring of chairs and Wufan is a little too afraid to walk the rest of the way in. There's a gentle nudge on his lower back from Luhan who's managed to run into him since he isn't moving and is now blocking the door. Zitao graciously tugs Wufan to the side by his elbow and allows the people to pass as the other man eyes the tree like it's about to run over and eat him.
"Are you alive in there?" Zitao inquires, waving a hand in front of his face and snapping him out of his reverie.
"Um, yeah. Just . . . " Wufan eyes the tree again. "Yeah. I'm good."
Zitao snickers and takes the opportunity to lead Wufan to his seat, not letting go of his arm until their asses are firmly pressed against plastic. Up close, he spies the tacky decorations, about three strands of lights too many and enough tinsel to keep the North Pole going for the next decade. Minseok may be cute, but his taste is atrocious. Wufan mentally shudders and pulls his eyes off the blight and onto more favorable terrain. Like Zitao's face.
"I promise I'm not avoiding you," Wufan starts.
"I know," Zitao replies with a knowing smile.
"How do you - Yixing." He shouldn't have even bothered because of course Yixing.
"I would tread lightly around him for a while," Zitao advises and Wufan looks over to see a death glare sent right at him by the usually jovial assistant.
"What did I do?"
"You took his precious Joonmyun from him for four days."
"Oh please," Wufan scoffs. "Those two snuck off to dirty the building with their sexual escapades daily at least."
"I'm surprised you noticed."
Wufan turns to Zitao with raised eyebrows. "What does that mean?"
"It means you wouldn't know an invitation if it bit you on the ass."
Wufan's about to reply, but it's cut off - along with his line of sight - when Sehun decides to forego his chair and just settle on his lap from the start.
"Oh no you don't," Zitao gripes before lifting the boy off Wufan and sitting him in his own chair. Sehun pouts, Zitao glares and Wufan snorts in amusement. It doesn't stop the younger boy from scooting his chair over and resting his head on his shoulder as he picks at the plaster on his cast. Wufan leaves him be in favor of Minseok standing to call everyone to order.
"I'm sure you've all noticed the holiday decorations," he begins happily and Wufan internally cringes.
"It looks like Christmas threw up in here," Jongin points out and Kyungsoo reaches over to swat him on the leg.
"Be nice," he hisses.
Minseok clears his throat and pretends to not have heard the interruption. "I'm sure most of you know what this means." Minseok pauses for effect and it's clear no one is remotely as close to excited as he is. "Secret Santa!"
There are a few claps around the room until Minseok crosses his arms, cocks his hip and looks around the room with one raised eyebrow. Everyone else chimes in and he's appeased enough to continue. He pulls a hat from underneath his chair and shakes it in the air. "Everyone's name is in here and you'll each pull until we all have a giftee. There's a $20 cap on gifts, although you don't have to spend that much. You don't have to spend anything. HERE, it's the thought that counts."
Minseok makes the mistake of handing the hat to Jongdae first who proceeds to stick his hand down and try to open the slips of paper to find one he wants. He gets a slap on the hand and Minseok choosing one for him. Jongdae looks like a scolded puppy, rubbing his hand and pouting yet it has no effect on Minseok who merely moves to the next person and all the way around. Wufan pulls a name and shoves it into his pocket for later. There's a Sehun still in his personal space and he doesn't really want to admit to himself how excited he is for this activity.
Seeing as his family consisted of minimal contact and even less affection, Christmas was never a tradition. As a kid he would watch televised movies and awe at the decorations around the city, but never fully participated. He would marvel at the men in Santa costumes and cheerful music that would spill from loud speakers in the shops. The world may have seemed a warmer place outside, but never inside his own home.
And now that he's alone, there simply isn't a point to celebrate. The presence of a tree in his apartment would only remind him of those precious memories he'd never formed. Maybe he would have turned out a better person if he had something happy to clutch in his heart. Wufan sighs and rivets his eyes once again on the small tree in the center of the circle. One more thing this group of misfits has given him. A reason to hope.
He's not sure how long he was spaced out until Zitao pokes him in the side and sends him a questioning glance. Wufan shakes his head and gives him a small smile before perking his ears up to listen to poor Chanyeol.
His parents managed to lock him inside a room with a female stripper. His cell phone had been confiscated and he spent an entire hour trying to beat down the door as the stripper sat in the solitary chair he was supposed to be occupying.
"She seemed understanding enough," Chanyeol explained. "Stopped trying to take off her top when I told her I was gay and my parents were attempting an intervention."
Wufan waits until he's at home before he pulls out the paper in his pocket. Like a child, there's a small adrenaline rush at finding out the name of who he'll be playing Santa for this year. Of course, he's really hoping it's Zitao or even possibly Sehun or Yixing because he knows them well enough he could pick out a gift without too much trouble. But the name printed neatly in red ink on the small piece of paper isn't any of those three.
Luhan.
He knows absolutely nothing about Luhan save for him working as a nurse at the hospital and that Sehun used to cling to him. There's never been a real chance to speak with him and going over now to do it would probably give his identity away prematurely. He crinkles the paper before sighing and flattening it again. He slides it inside his wallet and chooses to worry about the problem later because right now he wants to fall into a soft pile of blankets and sleep until tomorrow - tomorrow where he'll be back up to his nose in documents and probably a still pissy Yixing.
If he finishes early enough he might save some of his weekend.
Wufan and Joonmyun ban Yixing from the office Saturday afternoon after he keeps trying to steal the secretary. They both yell and push until he's locked out and Joonmyun turns off his own phone when it starts vibrating. All they need is a little longer and this will all be over. Yixing can wait. Lord knows, Wufan sure has.
Today Wufan is being the gentleman and picking Zitao up from work to take him to lunch. It's only mostly an excuse to get the hell out of the office because it's Monday and he's nursing more than a few paper cuts and files be damned because they managed to finish in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Yixing had fallen asleep in his office chair and Joonmyun had kicked it from the desk so he crumpled on the floor before jerking awake. Yixing grumbled but allowed himself to be dragged from the building after throwing his boss a frown.
The studio is airy and has a nice, simple feel to it. He spins in a circle before Zitao walks in wearing a smile and cloth pants that cling to every muscle in his legs. And ass. He turns around and Wufan's mouth suddenly feels as dry as the desert. That's not fair.
It's positively obscene the way the fabric glues itself to the delicious curve of his thighs before pronouncing the swell of his well defined butt. Wufan's kind of in awe of the spectacle and doesn't realize they're supposed to be leaving until Zitao clears his throat. Wufan blushes, blood rushing up instead of the downward spiral it had been headed in his embarrassment. He's quick to shuffle outside, strides forcing him in front of the other man so he doesn't get pulled into temptation again.
Zitao is clearly dangerous territory.
Kyungsoo is his chipper self, a red and green plaid bowtie affixed to his white button-up and a pair of jingling reindeer antlers perched in his hair. Wufan leans over the counter to flick a bell and the man scrunches his face in delight before shaking his head. It looks as if the holiday spirit has Kyungsoo firmly in its grasp. And it's positively adorable.
"What would you like today?"
"Surprise me."
"That's adventurous," Zitao comments.
"You should try it some time."
Wufan leaves the other two watching his back as he maneuvers around to find an empty booth. He feels a certain sense of satisfaction at being unpredictable which is probably due to Zitao's influence. But it's not like he'll ever tell him.
"Any idea on what you're getting for the Secret Santa?" Zitao inquires not long after sitting across from the other man. Wufan narrows his eyes and clucks his tongue.
"Not telling."
"Oh come on," Zitao whines. "Not even a hint? I won't tell."
Wufan plays it off with a smile and uses Kyungsoo's appearance along with their food as an excuse to not talk. Only part of it is because he still hasn't taken the time to sit and think about Luhan. Mostly, though, it's because Zitao is cute when he's flustered and pouting. "What are you? Twelve?" he teases when he sees the other man's bottom lip poke out further.
"He's never patient around Christmas," Kyungsoo says as he pats Zitao on the back. "Such a child."
Wufan's Luhan problem falls to the side as he joins in with Kyungsoo to tease Zitao who is now starting to turn a pretty shade of red.
That damn Christmas tree is still there the following meeting and if Wufan's not mistaken, there are even more ornaments on the flimsy branches and it looks on the verge of toppling over. He unconsciously scoots his chair out a little in the fear of being eaten by tinsel when it all collapses. Sehun is at his side once more and the first thing he notices is the lack of a cast.
"Congratulations," he offers as Sehun proudly displays his arm. "How does it feel?"
"Weird." And they both chuckle before Minseok calls everyone to attention.
Wufan abandons following the movers and speakers in favor of observation much as he'd done the first meeting. Only this time he's paying more attention to Luhan in an attempt to bore through his skull and possibly discover an answer to his gift situation. A sold three more days of putting it off and now he knows he needs to get his act together or end up handing the poor guy a shoddily wrapped box of toothpicks come the 22nd. The only thing he manages to note, to his dissatisfaction, is Luhan's apparent weight loss and the bags under his eyes.
His inability to mind read is frustrating and his attention wanders, carefully lingering on fidgeting hands, bouncing feet and lips turned up into smiles. There are a number of differences between these actions and the ones he'd noted upon his arrival. Some of them are more startling than others and he wonders exactly how no one else has picked up on them yet.
He's still surprised to discover Sehun hasn't noticed the way Jongin's eyes follow his every move, even more so than he'd ever done with Kyungsoo. Jongin may be one of the quieter people in the group, but he doesn't lack confidence. His very stance proves that. So what is he waiting for?
The one thing that stands out the most, however, is the interaction between Chanyeol and Baekhyun. The smaller man is still covered nearly head to toe, oversized hoodie a barrier from prying eyes. But Wufan's eyes catch on the pale skin of his hand, of a wrist that's exposed for the first time. And while that's something in and of itself, it's seeing Chanyeol's large fingers resting on the skin that has Wufan staring in disbelief. From what he knows, Baekhyun never allows contact, even when it's over his clothing.
Zitao is the one who pulls him from his thoughts with a nudge and a mouthed question of concern. Wufan tilts his head toward the pair he'd been watching and hears Zitao's sharp intake of air when he sees it too.
Another sweep of the room and Wufan registers Minseok's subtle smile and his gaze directed at Baekhyun as well. Of course he'd know.
As the meeting comes to a close, Wufan finds himself on his feet and walking toward Luhan before he can sneak out the door. The smaller man is already attempting to do just that and Wufan stops him with a hand wrapped around his upper arm. Luhan looks up at him in surprise before smiling.
"Hey," he chirps, sounding a lot happier than he appears.
"Are you alright?" The question spills from his lips before he really thinks about it. But Luhan looks so frail, as if a stiff gust of wind would send him careening into the sky.
"I'm just tired," he admits. "I picked up extra shifts at work and I'm still getting used to it."
"Is that all? Are you eating enough?"
Wufan is genuinely concerned, fingers taking note of the too thin arm they're still clinging to. But Luhan is laughing it off and Wufan knows a forced reaction when he sees one. "I'm fine," he assures and when he moves to leave, Wufan lets him go. "Good night."
"Night," Wufan mumbles, sighing and letting his arm fall to his side. That damned protective instinct he'd first felt with Sehun is bubbling and it's threatening to clog his throat.
He wants to help Luhan.