anon meme prompt fills (2)
title: how you treat your friend
rating: pg
word count: 3804 w.
summary: luhan just wants to spend the last week of summer with minseok, his best friend. he's not pleased when it appears that minseok wants to spend it getting closer to a girl named seojin.
notes: from exopromptmeme: 'this is not how you treat a friend.'
seojin is a petite girl, toned and not too thin, with a cute little pointed noise and pixie-like ears. her skin is pale from her mom's family's genes and she becomes bright red instead of tanning brown when she's out playing soccer in the sun too long. it's on a day where she's flushed from running around the field, eyes sparkling with the excitement of the game, braided pigtails in disarray, and her shoulders almost cherry red from the harsh rays of the sun, that minseok meets her.
the ball rolls to the edge of the park where minseok and luhan are sharing a serving of takoyaki. there's one particular ball that they're fighting over - the one that has the most katsuobushi, minseok's favorite topping. but that same one also happens to have the most sauce and aonori, which are luhan's favorites. they are having a war for that one piece, plastic toothpicks clashing like swords in a close hand-to-hand battle of precision when the soccer ball happens to lightly bump minseok's foot. minseok looks away for a second and the takoyaki ball is quickly caught up by luhan. minseok lets out a whine of indignation, but it quickly fades off into another kind of sound as seojin jogs up to them.
a few meters away, seojin calls to luhan.
"hey, can you kick the ball back to me?"
luhan's mouth is full, so when he replies back neither seojin nor minseok catches what he says. but before luhan coils his legs for a kick, minseok reaches down and picks the ball up. his eyes are a little intense, luhan can see that and it's weird because luhan has just stolen the one thing that was on minseok's mind; it's sliding down his throat at the moment and if minseok's feeling intense about anything it should be the fact that luhan has his lips smeared with ponzu mayo sauce. it disturbs luhan that, regardless of this fact, minseok still has on that smile that shows his gums.
minseok walks toward seojin, balancing the ball carefully in one hand. when he closes the distance between seojin and himself, he stretches his arm.
"here you go" luhan hears minseok say.
the pitch of minseok's voice sends chills down luhan's spine, makes his fingers and toes curl, and causes the doughy snack to stick midway down his esophagus.
"thanks" seojin says, an awkward smile gracing her lips.
she also sends a little wave to luhan before she bounds back to her game, little cotton shorts riding up and her left tube sock sliding down. minseok stares at her long after she's rejoined the game. luhan has to walk to where minseok stands to remind minseok that he's still there. luhan's holding the now cold tray of takoyaki. suddenly, luhan isn't so keen on sauce and fish flakes anymore.
"hey luhan" minseok says in almost a whisper.
luhan doesn't reply. he doesn't really want to because he knows what's on minseok's mind now.
"who is that girl? how do you know her?" minseok asks in an awestruck voice.
luhan gulps. he could really use a drink right now. he needs something to wash down the thing stuck in his throat. he thinks it's the takoyaki but when minseok turns his expectant eyes on luhan's, luhan thinks maybe it's something else.
***
they have been inseparable since the fifth grade. luhan always introduces himself as minseok's friend since the fourth grade though because that's when they actually meet for the first time. luhan was a foreign exchange student and minseok was the lucky one who'd been chosen to show luhan around.
"you mean the unlucky one" minseok always interjects at this point in the anecdote.
because during their first year together, they hadn't exactly gotten along. whenever minseok had gone off to play with his friends at recess, the teacher would drag him back because he was in charge of showing luhan how to do his korean homework. whenever minseok wanted to partner with another kid for projects, the teacher had always put him with luhan. it wasn't that minseok hated luhan, but luhan could see how constantly being put as his babysitter would be annoying. fortunately, or unfortunately for minseok, luhan didn't find it annoying at all. of course, luhan had never let minseok know.
he would be the one to always say things like, "you know it wasn't fun for me either" or "how do you think i liked being paired with you all the time?"
in reality, luhan had been ecstatic, only hurting in private when minseok had that reluctant expression on his face. fortunately, in the fifth grade, luhan and minseok finally became closer to what they were now: best friends. both had joined the summer soccer league. luhan had become exponentially better with his korean. and minseok had grown a little soft for the doe-eyed boy from beijing.
i'm always the one chasing, luhan remembers quite bitterly.
but for once, minseok is doing the chasing this particular summer night. he chases luhan down when luhan walks faster in the direction of home.
"come on, tell me~" minseok begs. "how do you know her? who is she?"
luhan doesn't want to say because, even if minseok is the one chasing after him this time, the reason behind the chase isn't exactly ideal.
park seojin and luhan aren't the best of friends even if they've known each other since middle school. in fact, luhan is pretty sure seojin harbors a crush on this other kid named chanyeol. because though seojin, chanyeol, and luhan all attend a music academy after school, they don't really talk. luhan's friendship with her is based on pleasantries and things like 'how was your lesson today?' or 'it sounds like you're really getting better on that piece.' luhan takes piano lessons. seojin takes flute lessons. and park chanyeol takes guitar lessons as well as all the fickle hearts of the girls that attend the academy.
luhan is walking so fast that they are almost home. this isn't how he imagined spending the last week of summer together. luhan's original plan had been to walk home as slowly as possible. because, even if they lived a block away from each other, the end of summer meant less time playing with minseok.
luhan doesn't hide his pout. he doesn't care if minseok teases him about pouting when he's old enough that they are entering high school. high school means different classes, means less time together, means that minseok could make other friends. other best friends. luhan gulps unconsciously. the thought makes him nervous.
"please luhan? pretty please?"
minseok does this thing where he opens his already large eyes wider and doesn't blink for a very long time. his eyes start getting watery and luhan worries.
"ugh, alright. her name is park seojin. she plays flute and goes to my music academy okay?"
luhan folds his arms. he wants to tell him about seojing's crush on park chanyeol and that he doesn't have a chance at seojin. and that if minseok thinks that luhan is going to spend the rest of summer vacation following seojin around, minseok has another thing coming. luhan's eyes narrow, just waiting for it.
"oh" minseok just says.
luhan blinks.
"okay" minseok says, a smile spreading across his face slowly. "okay."
minseok threads an arm through luhan's.
"now was that so hard?" minseok asks, rubbing the top of his head on luhan's shoulder.
minseok laughs into luhan's neck and luhan, feeling just a little relieved, laughs too.
"only because you're my friend" luhan says begrudgingly.
"best friend" minseok insists.
and when minseok squeezes luhan's elbow affectionately before leaving in the direction of minseok's home, luhan feels much much better.
***
the next morning, luhan has already forgotten about the encounter. he knows minseok wakes up super early, so luhan compromises and wakes up at nine to a beep-beep on his cellphone announcing a text.
it's from minseok and though luhan groans at the sunlight streaming into his bedroom, his mouth cracks into a grin when he sees the text.
"matinée movie time" it says. "i'll be waiting at the playground."
luhan scrambles to get up, almost tripping on unfolded clothes in the middle of his bedroom floor. he brushes his teeth with his eyes barely open, washes his face, then pees in a matter of five minutes. he spends a little more time on his clothes because if he doesn't, he knows minseok will make fun of him. something like, 'i can't believe someone as good looking as you dresses so badly' will leave minseok's lips. and though luhan doesn't ever take that as a diss, he still wants to see the approving glance that minseok gives luhan when he actually tries.
the playground is their usual meeting spot that is roughly half way in between their houses. luhan can see minseok sitting on one of the swings, earphones firmly lodged in his ears and his head bobbing to music that luhan can't hear. it brings a mischievous smile to his face.
luhan sneaks up behind minseok, careful not to disturb the sand on the playground floor, alerting minseok of his presence.
tip
toe
and bam!
the sudden grip on minseok's shoulders tilting him from behind produces a satisfying squeak out of minseok. luhan laughs as minseok tries to spin around in the swing set. his earphones jerk away and unplug from the jack on his phone, making the music blast on speaker.
"hey!" minseok whines.
a smile blossoms on minseok's face anyway when he sees luhan in his maroon letterman's jacket and sky blue shirt over black skinny jeans. at the same time, however, the grin on luhan's face slowly fades. he recognizes the song playing on minseok's phone. it's a piano concerto. a symphony orchestra swells in the background and luhan hears the familiar sound of a flute cutting clear across the temporary silence.
suddenly, his own words from yesterday resonate inside his head.
"her name is park seojin. she plays flute."
luhan's expression hardens. minseok doesn't seem to notice because he's turning off the music, stuffing his earphones into his tiny messenger bag, and dragging luhan off to the cinema talking about this movie he's wanted to see and please will luhan watch it even though luhan may not like it.
minseok takes luhan's silence as a yes. and by the time luhan breaks away from thoughts of minseok and seojin, he realizes they're in the theater that shows something that's been advertised as "the scariest horror movie of the century".
luhan panics.
"but you're my best friend~" minseok whines.
"screw the friendship. i hate horror movies! you know it!"
he tries to leave, spilling a little of the extra large popcorn minseok just bought for them to share. but minseok just giggles and coaxes him back into his seat.
"come on, please?" minseok begs, using his puss-in-boots eyes again. "i'm scared too. but i know i won't be scared if you're here with me, please?"
minseok's hand find luhan's, threading their fingers together. minseok squeezes.
"please?" minseok repeats.
luhan doesn't say no.
***
luhan somehow survives the movie and manages to finish the last of the popcorn while he's at it. all he wants to do is take a nap on minseok's tummy to sleep away his popcorn coma, but he has music academy tonight.
"piano lessons?" minseok asks, looking wistful.
luhan nods, mouth forming into a line. 'you're asking because you want to spend more time with me, right?' luhan wants to ask, but he's afraid it'll come out something like, 'or is it seojin you want to see?' so he keeps his mouth shut.
when luhan runs into seojin at the academy, he's especially cold. he doesn't return her greeting and when seojin is warming up he says something like: "been slacking off this summer?" and makes her face fall. he feels horrible about it afterward while he's taking the 730 bus back home. it's not seojin's fault after all. he's just feeling petty and jealous about losing his friend to a girl. and luhan thinks that it's not just minseok's feelings for seojin that's ruining the last of summer - it's luhan's too.
when luhan reaches his front door, he's feeling super tired. he just wants to go to sleep early so maybe he can wake up early enough to meet minseok for breakfast. he rushes in, racing for the stairs to his bedroom and barely hearing whatever it is that his mother yells at him from the living room.
"okay mom" he shouts from the top of the stairs.
whatever it is, he'll do it tomorrow.
luhan opens the door to his bedroom. the first thing that hits him is the fact that his lights are on. he throws his music bag on the desk chair and lets out a high-pitched chewbacca sound when two arms encircle his waist from behind.
"arghsshhff" luhan shouts.
before he can do anything like punch the intruder in the face, he hears the familiar laughing sounds of minseok at the nape of his neck.
"minseok!" luhan cries out indignantly, but he's already smiling too.
minseok drapes himself on luhan's back as luhan picks up clothes and other junk from off the floor. even though they've known each other for all these years, luhan still gets a little self conscious when the ever-so-tidy minseok comes over to his room.
"how was piano lessons?" minseok asks, ticking the shell of luhan's ear with a brush of his lips.
luhan stiffens, steeling himself for questions that beat around the subject of seojin.
"it was alright."
as he's straightening up, luhan realizes minseok has been going through his CD collection. specifically CDs of classical music. they all feature prominent flutists. his expression stiffens, but minseok presses on.
"what kind of pieces are you working on lately?" minseok asks, poking his nose close to luhan's cheek. "is it any one of these?"
minseok points to the CDs in luhan's hand. luhan bites his lip, waiting for the moment minseok segues into questions about orchestras, then flutists, then oh yeah doesn't seojin play the flute?
"nothing that you'd know" luhan says shortly.
minseok's grasp on luhan's shoulders loosen and half of luhan regrets the curt way he's just replied. but luhan can't deal with this. he knows he can't deal with getting his best friend stolen by some flute wielding, soccer playing girl who would probably make minseok fall head over heels in love.
"i just thought..." minseok starts to say softly.
his voice is a little too soft and luhan understands it's because he's a little bit hurt.
"i just thought i'd try to get to know a little more about your piano lessons" minseok finishes. "because we're best friends, you know."
luhan is surprised to find he's not really sorry about his curt behavior anymore. so what if minseok is hurt? the one who will eventually get abandoned is luhan. why would seojin refuse anyway if minseok were to ask her out?
when luhan doesn't say anything, there's a silence before minseok continues hesitantly.
"to be honest, i've met her before" minseok confesses. "park seojin i mean."
luhan's eyes dart up toward minseok's face, but minseok is looking at his toes.
"last week" minseok says in a crawling voice. "she came up to me and said..."
but luhan doesn't hear anything else. there's a loud buzzing in his head because... oh god, they've been secretly dating and i'm the last one to know.
"...so i told her, of course. because i'm luhan's best friend. right?" minseok asks, his voice uncharacteristically vulnerable.
"what?" luhan asks on reflex.
"your summer concert. the one the academy's putting on? you never mentioned it."
the summer concert..., right. it was the saturday before the first week of school. luhan had planned on playing his piece and promptly leaving in order to get a few hours in at the arcade with minseok that night. and now, apparently, minseok wanted to spend that night listening to the lovely flute stylings of his new girlfriend seojin...
"i would have thought, as your friend, you would have invited me..." minseok says, sounding a little depressed now.
it makes luhan angry all of the sudden. so much so that his arms and legs move solely on instinct.
"you know, you call me your best friend" minseok is saying, voice gaining volume "but sometimes you don't treat me like one. if i'd known you had a concert i would have..."
but minseok doesn't get to finish. luhan's legs bring him closer to where minseok toes the ground. luhan's arms take control of minseok's cheeks and neck, righting his head so that minseok's eyes are looking into luhan's instead of boring holes into the floor. luhan's brain only registers that minseok's eyes have gone puss-in-boots wide again. except, before he can really appreciate the look on minseok's face, luhan's nose bumps painfully close to minseok's and there is something warm pressing at his lips. he finds that it's not just 'something warm'. what luhan finds is minseok's lips and when minseok presses back, luhan's eyes flutter, sliding shut.
luhan reluctantly breaks away when minseok's hand gently pulls at his shoulder. they bump foreheads because luhan can't seem to take physical separation more than a few centimeters right now. he watches with rapt interest as minseok's eyes blink rapidly while minseok catches his breath.
"this" minseok says, still slightly flushed, "is not how you treat a friend."
minseok pretends to scowl, mock anger flashing in his eyes. but it all disappears when luhan pulls him in again, this time closer. and this time, minseok opens his mouth because oh, luhan has just squeezed minseok's ass with both hands.
***
"it's really sad how dense you are" minseok says, feigning pity. "i mean not only did i initiate dates to the movies, but i even tried to familiarize myself with the piano music you were into and for what? all my efforts pretty much went to waste."
luhan giggles into the crown of minseok's head. it's been three weeks since school's started and almost every day there's been sleepovers back and forth. this time, it's at luhan's house because luhan's mother has followed his father on a business trip to changsha for a week. they're house sitting, or so they tell minseok's parents. they're lazing around on luhan's bed, spooning with minseok as the little spoon, while minseok complains about luhan's lack of awareness.
"but i totally thought you were pining after seojin."
"who?"
"the flute player?"
"oh. her."
there's a little bit of spite in minseok's voice and it makes luhan lift his head to peer curiously into minseok's face.
minseok crinkles his nose.
"i thought she was teasing me for not knowing anything about you. i thought she was in love with you."
luhan freezes for about a split second before burying his face into minseok's neck and laughing, laughing, laughing. minseok makes an annoyed sound.
"what?! she asked me: 'you don't even know about the summer concert and you call yourself his best friend?' how would you feel?"
minseok huffs, puffing his cheeks.
"and you didn't even tell me about the concert. you should be ashamed to call yourself my best friend."
"i'm sorry" luhan tells him, making little butterfly kisses on minseok's shoulder that has him relaxing into the bed again. "would you believe me if i told you i was too busy thinking of how to spend the last days of summer with you?"
minseok snorts.
luhan sighs breathily on purpose into the shell of minseok's ear. luhan suppresses a giggle as he watches a blush spread from the tips of minseok's ears all the way down to his neck.
"if i can't have the title of best friend... at least i have the title of boyfriend?" luhan tries again.
luhan earns an elbow in the gut. and though it hurts, he lets out a laugh, trapping minseok to his chest before he can elbow luhan again.
"let go of me you jerk! you don't deserve to even be called a friend!" minseok yells, lightly thrashing against luhan's hold.
"hey" luhan says. "hey, hey."
and as he says so, luhan turns minseok so they are face to face, chastely kissing him to emphasizes his words.
"i'm"
on the forehead
"so"
on the bridge of his nose
"so"
on the tip of his nose
"sorry."
on his left cheek
"i'm sorry."
on his right cheek
and finally, luhan smiles, seeing minseok with his wide eyed look again.
"and i love you" luhan finally says, eyelids sliding shut when his lips meet minseok's.
luhan ends up smiling into the kiss because this, he realizes, was definitely how he'd always wanted to treat his friend, kim minseok.
++++
notes(pt 2): so i took this prompt in two ways. one way was angst, with one of them ending up with a girl. the other was fluff and this is how i wrote it bc i just needed some fluff in my life. OTL.
also i'm so sorry for typos or anything awkward bc i wrote it in one go and i don't particularly feel like editing it this very minute. also i already posted it to the meme, so... /throws hands in air and waves em like i just don't care.
rating: pg
word count: 3804 w.
summary: luhan just wants to spend the last week of summer with minseok, his best friend. he's not pleased when it appears that minseok wants to spend it getting closer to a girl named seojin.
notes: from exopromptmeme: 'this is not how you treat a friend.'
seojin is a petite girl, toned and not too thin, with a cute little pointed noise and pixie-like ears. her skin is pale from her mom's family's genes and she becomes bright red instead of tanning brown when she's out playing soccer in the sun too long. it's on a day where she's flushed from running around the field, eyes sparkling with the excitement of the game, braided pigtails in disarray, and her shoulders almost cherry red from the harsh rays of the sun, that minseok meets her.
the ball rolls to the edge of the park where minseok and luhan are sharing a serving of takoyaki. there's one particular ball that they're fighting over - the one that has the most katsuobushi, minseok's favorite topping. but that same one also happens to have the most sauce and aonori, which are luhan's favorites. they are having a war for that one piece, plastic toothpicks clashing like swords in a close hand-to-hand battle of precision when the soccer ball happens to lightly bump minseok's foot. minseok looks away for a second and the takoyaki ball is quickly caught up by luhan. minseok lets out a whine of indignation, but it quickly fades off into another kind of sound as seojin jogs up to them.
a few meters away, seojin calls to luhan.
"hey, can you kick the ball back to me?"
luhan's mouth is full, so when he replies back neither seojin nor minseok catches what he says. but before luhan coils his legs for a kick, minseok reaches down and picks the ball up. his eyes are a little intense, luhan can see that and it's weird because luhan has just stolen the one thing that was on minseok's mind; it's sliding down his throat at the moment and if minseok's feeling intense about anything it should be the fact that luhan has his lips smeared with ponzu mayo sauce. it disturbs luhan that, regardless of this fact, minseok still has on that smile that shows his gums.
minseok walks toward seojin, balancing the ball carefully in one hand. when he closes the distance between seojin and himself, he stretches his arm.
"here you go" luhan hears minseok say.
the pitch of minseok's voice sends chills down luhan's spine, makes his fingers and toes curl, and causes the doughy snack to stick midway down his esophagus.
"thanks" seojin says, an awkward smile gracing her lips.
she also sends a little wave to luhan before she bounds back to her game, little cotton shorts riding up and her left tube sock sliding down. minseok stares at her long after she's rejoined the game. luhan has to walk to where minseok stands to remind minseok that he's still there. luhan's holding the now cold tray of takoyaki. suddenly, luhan isn't so keen on sauce and fish flakes anymore.
"hey luhan" minseok says in almost a whisper.
luhan doesn't reply. he doesn't really want to because he knows what's on minseok's mind now.
"who is that girl? how do you know her?" minseok asks in an awestruck voice.
luhan gulps. he could really use a drink right now. he needs something to wash down the thing stuck in his throat. he thinks it's the takoyaki but when minseok turns his expectant eyes on luhan's, luhan thinks maybe it's something else.
***
they have been inseparable since the fifth grade. luhan always introduces himself as minseok's friend since the fourth grade though because that's when they actually meet for the first time. luhan was a foreign exchange student and minseok was the lucky one who'd been chosen to show luhan around.
"you mean the unlucky one" minseok always interjects at this point in the anecdote.
because during their first year together, they hadn't exactly gotten along. whenever minseok had gone off to play with his friends at recess, the teacher would drag him back because he was in charge of showing luhan how to do his korean homework. whenever minseok wanted to partner with another kid for projects, the teacher had always put him with luhan. it wasn't that minseok hated luhan, but luhan could see how constantly being put as his babysitter would be annoying. fortunately, or unfortunately for minseok, luhan didn't find it annoying at all. of course, luhan had never let minseok know.
he would be the one to always say things like, "you know it wasn't fun for me either" or "how do you think i liked being paired with you all the time?"
in reality, luhan had been ecstatic, only hurting in private when minseok had that reluctant expression on his face. fortunately, in the fifth grade, luhan and minseok finally became closer to what they were now: best friends. both had joined the summer soccer league. luhan had become exponentially better with his korean. and minseok had grown a little soft for the doe-eyed boy from beijing.
i'm always the one chasing, luhan remembers quite bitterly.
but for once, minseok is doing the chasing this particular summer night. he chases luhan down when luhan walks faster in the direction of home.
"come on, tell me~" minseok begs. "how do you know her? who is she?"
luhan doesn't want to say because, even if minseok is the one chasing after him this time, the reason behind the chase isn't exactly ideal.
park seojin and luhan aren't the best of friends even if they've known each other since middle school. in fact, luhan is pretty sure seojin harbors a crush on this other kid named chanyeol. because though seojin, chanyeol, and luhan all attend a music academy after school, they don't really talk. luhan's friendship with her is based on pleasantries and things like 'how was your lesson today?' or 'it sounds like you're really getting better on that piece.' luhan takes piano lessons. seojin takes flute lessons. and park chanyeol takes guitar lessons as well as all the fickle hearts of the girls that attend the academy.
luhan is walking so fast that they are almost home. this isn't how he imagined spending the last week of summer together. luhan's original plan had been to walk home as slowly as possible. because, even if they lived a block away from each other, the end of summer meant less time playing with minseok.
luhan doesn't hide his pout. he doesn't care if minseok teases him about pouting when he's old enough that they are entering high school. high school means different classes, means less time together, means that minseok could make other friends. other best friends. luhan gulps unconsciously. the thought makes him nervous.
"please luhan? pretty please?"
minseok does this thing where he opens his already large eyes wider and doesn't blink for a very long time. his eyes start getting watery and luhan worries.
"ugh, alright. her name is park seojin. she plays flute and goes to my music academy okay?"
luhan folds his arms. he wants to tell him about seojing's crush on park chanyeol and that he doesn't have a chance at seojin. and that if minseok thinks that luhan is going to spend the rest of summer vacation following seojin around, minseok has another thing coming. luhan's eyes narrow, just waiting for it.
"oh" minseok just says.
luhan blinks.
"okay" minseok says, a smile spreading across his face slowly. "okay."
minseok threads an arm through luhan's.
"now was that so hard?" minseok asks, rubbing the top of his head on luhan's shoulder.
minseok laughs into luhan's neck and luhan, feeling just a little relieved, laughs too.
"only because you're my friend" luhan says begrudgingly.
"best friend" minseok insists.
and when minseok squeezes luhan's elbow affectionately before leaving in the direction of minseok's home, luhan feels much much better.
***
the next morning, luhan has already forgotten about the encounter. he knows minseok wakes up super early, so luhan compromises and wakes up at nine to a beep-beep on his cellphone announcing a text.
it's from minseok and though luhan groans at the sunlight streaming into his bedroom, his mouth cracks into a grin when he sees the text.
"matinée movie time" it says. "i'll be waiting at the playground."
luhan scrambles to get up, almost tripping on unfolded clothes in the middle of his bedroom floor. he brushes his teeth with his eyes barely open, washes his face, then pees in a matter of five minutes. he spends a little more time on his clothes because if he doesn't, he knows minseok will make fun of him. something like, 'i can't believe someone as good looking as you dresses so badly' will leave minseok's lips. and though luhan doesn't ever take that as a diss, he still wants to see the approving glance that minseok gives luhan when he actually tries.
the playground is their usual meeting spot that is roughly half way in between their houses. luhan can see minseok sitting on one of the swings, earphones firmly lodged in his ears and his head bobbing to music that luhan can't hear. it brings a mischievous smile to his face.
luhan sneaks up behind minseok, careful not to disturb the sand on the playground floor, alerting minseok of his presence.
tip
toe
and bam!
the sudden grip on minseok's shoulders tilting him from behind produces a satisfying squeak out of minseok. luhan laughs as minseok tries to spin around in the swing set. his earphones jerk away and unplug from the jack on his phone, making the music blast on speaker.
"hey!" minseok whines.
a smile blossoms on minseok's face anyway when he sees luhan in his maroon letterman's jacket and sky blue shirt over black skinny jeans. at the same time, however, the grin on luhan's face slowly fades. he recognizes the song playing on minseok's phone. it's a piano concerto. a symphony orchestra swells in the background and luhan hears the familiar sound of a flute cutting clear across the temporary silence.
suddenly, his own words from yesterday resonate inside his head.
"her name is park seojin. she plays flute."
luhan's expression hardens. minseok doesn't seem to notice because he's turning off the music, stuffing his earphones into his tiny messenger bag, and dragging luhan off to the cinema talking about this movie he's wanted to see and please will luhan watch it even though luhan may not like it.
minseok takes luhan's silence as a yes. and by the time luhan breaks away from thoughts of minseok and seojin, he realizes they're in the theater that shows something that's been advertised as "the scariest horror movie of the century".
luhan panics.
"but you're my best friend~" minseok whines.
"screw the friendship. i hate horror movies! you know it!"
he tries to leave, spilling a little of the extra large popcorn minseok just bought for them to share. but minseok just giggles and coaxes him back into his seat.
"come on, please?" minseok begs, using his puss-in-boots eyes again. "i'm scared too. but i know i won't be scared if you're here with me, please?"
minseok's hand find luhan's, threading their fingers together. minseok squeezes.
"please?" minseok repeats.
luhan doesn't say no.
***
luhan somehow survives the movie and manages to finish the last of the popcorn while he's at it. all he wants to do is take a nap on minseok's tummy to sleep away his popcorn coma, but he has music academy tonight.
"piano lessons?" minseok asks, looking wistful.
luhan nods, mouth forming into a line. 'you're asking because you want to spend more time with me, right?' luhan wants to ask, but he's afraid it'll come out something like, 'or is it seojin you want to see?' so he keeps his mouth shut.
when luhan runs into seojin at the academy, he's especially cold. he doesn't return her greeting and when seojin is warming up he says something like: "been slacking off this summer?" and makes her face fall. he feels horrible about it afterward while he's taking the 730 bus back home. it's not seojin's fault after all. he's just feeling petty and jealous about losing his friend to a girl. and luhan thinks that it's not just minseok's feelings for seojin that's ruining the last of summer - it's luhan's too.
when luhan reaches his front door, he's feeling super tired. he just wants to go to sleep early so maybe he can wake up early enough to meet minseok for breakfast. he rushes in, racing for the stairs to his bedroom and barely hearing whatever it is that his mother yells at him from the living room.
"okay mom" he shouts from the top of the stairs.
whatever it is, he'll do it tomorrow.
luhan opens the door to his bedroom. the first thing that hits him is the fact that his lights are on. he throws his music bag on the desk chair and lets out a high-pitched chewbacca sound when two arms encircle his waist from behind.
"arghsshhff" luhan shouts.
before he can do anything like punch the intruder in the face, he hears the familiar laughing sounds of minseok at the nape of his neck.
"minseok!" luhan cries out indignantly, but he's already smiling too.
minseok drapes himself on luhan's back as luhan picks up clothes and other junk from off the floor. even though they've known each other for all these years, luhan still gets a little self conscious when the ever-so-tidy minseok comes over to his room.
"how was piano lessons?" minseok asks, ticking the shell of luhan's ear with a brush of his lips.
luhan stiffens, steeling himself for questions that beat around the subject of seojin.
"it was alright."
as he's straightening up, luhan realizes minseok has been going through his CD collection. specifically CDs of classical music. they all feature prominent flutists. his expression stiffens, but minseok presses on.
"what kind of pieces are you working on lately?" minseok asks, poking his nose close to luhan's cheek. "is it any one of these?"
minseok points to the CDs in luhan's hand. luhan bites his lip, waiting for the moment minseok segues into questions about orchestras, then flutists, then oh yeah doesn't seojin play the flute?
"nothing that you'd know" luhan says shortly.
minseok's grasp on luhan's shoulders loosen and half of luhan regrets the curt way he's just replied. but luhan can't deal with this. he knows he can't deal with getting his best friend stolen by some flute wielding, soccer playing girl who would probably make minseok fall head over heels in love.
"i just thought..." minseok starts to say softly.
his voice is a little too soft and luhan understands it's because he's a little bit hurt.
"i just thought i'd try to get to know a little more about your piano lessons" minseok finishes. "because we're best friends, you know."
luhan is surprised to find he's not really sorry about his curt behavior anymore. so what if minseok is hurt? the one who will eventually get abandoned is luhan. why would seojin refuse anyway if minseok were to ask her out?
when luhan doesn't say anything, there's a silence before minseok continues hesitantly.
"to be honest, i've met her before" minseok confesses. "park seojin i mean."
luhan's eyes dart up toward minseok's face, but minseok is looking at his toes.
"last week" minseok says in a crawling voice. "she came up to me and said..."
but luhan doesn't hear anything else. there's a loud buzzing in his head because... oh god, they've been secretly dating and i'm the last one to know.
"...so i told her, of course. because i'm luhan's best friend. right?" minseok asks, his voice uncharacteristically vulnerable.
"what?" luhan asks on reflex.
"your summer concert. the one the academy's putting on? you never mentioned it."
the summer concert..., right. it was the saturday before the first week of school. luhan had planned on playing his piece and promptly leaving in order to get a few hours in at the arcade with minseok that night. and now, apparently, minseok wanted to spend that night listening to the lovely flute stylings of his new girlfriend seojin...
"i would have thought, as your friend, you would have invited me..." minseok says, sounding a little depressed now.
it makes luhan angry all of the sudden. so much so that his arms and legs move solely on instinct.
"you know, you call me your best friend" minseok is saying, voice gaining volume "but sometimes you don't treat me like one. if i'd known you had a concert i would have..."
but minseok doesn't get to finish. luhan's legs bring him closer to where minseok toes the ground. luhan's arms take control of minseok's cheeks and neck, righting his head so that minseok's eyes are looking into luhan's instead of boring holes into the floor. luhan's brain only registers that minseok's eyes have gone puss-in-boots wide again. except, before he can really appreciate the look on minseok's face, luhan's nose bumps painfully close to minseok's and there is something warm pressing at his lips. he finds that it's not just 'something warm'. what luhan finds is minseok's lips and when minseok presses back, luhan's eyes flutter, sliding shut.
luhan reluctantly breaks away when minseok's hand gently pulls at his shoulder. they bump foreheads because luhan can't seem to take physical separation more than a few centimeters right now. he watches with rapt interest as minseok's eyes blink rapidly while minseok catches his breath.
"this" minseok says, still slightly flushed, "is not how you treat a friend."
minseok pretends to scowl, mock anger flashing in his eyes. but it all disappears when luhan pulls him in again, this time closer. and this time, minseok opens his mouth because oh, luhan has just squeezed minseok's ass with both hands.
***
"it's really sad how dense you are" minseok says, feigning pity. "i mean not only did i initiate dates to the movies, but i even tried to familiarize myself with the piano music you were into and for what? all my efforts pretty much went to waste."
luhan giggles into the crown of minseok's head. it's been three weeks since school's started and almost every day there's been sleepovers back and forth. this time, it's at luhan's house because luhan's mother has followed his father on a business trip to changsha for a week. they're house sitting, or so they tell minseok's parents. they're lazing around on luhan's bed, spooning with minseok as the little spoon, while minseok complains about luhan's lack of awareness.
"but i totally thought you were pining after seojin."
"who?"
"the flute player?"
"oh. her."
there's a little bit of spite in minseok's voice and it makes luhan lift his head to peer curiously into minseok's face.
minseok crinkles his nose.
"i thought she was teasing me for not knowing anything about you. i thought she was in love with you."
luhan freezes for about a split second before burying his face into minseok's neck and laughing, laughing, laughing. minseok makes an annoyed sound.
"what?! she asked me: 'you don't even know about the summer concert and you call yourself his best friend?' how would you feel?"
minseok huffs, puffing his cheeks.
"and you didn't even tell me about the concert. you should be ashamed to call yourself my best friend."
"i'm sorry" luhan tells him, making little butterfly kisses on minseok's shoulder that has him relaxing into the bed again. "would you believe me if i told you i was too busy thinking of how to spend the last days of summer with you?"
minseok snorts.
luhan sighs breathily on purpose into the shell of minseok's ear. luhan suppresses a giggle as he watches a blush spread from the tips of minseok's ears all the way down to his neck.
"if i can't have the title of best friend... at least i have the title of boyfriend?" luhan tries again.
luhan earns an elbow in the gut. and though it hurts, he lets out a laugh, trapping minseok to his chest before he can elbow luhan again.
"let go of me you jerk! you don't deserve to even be called a friend!" minseok yells, lightly thrashing against luhan's hold.
"hey" luhan says. "hey, hey."
and as he says so, luhan turns minseok so they are face to face, chastely kissing him to emphasizes his words.
"i'm"
on the forehead
"so"
on the bridge of his nose
"so"
on the tip of his nose
"sorry."
on his left cheek
"i'm sorry."
on his right cheek
and finally, luhan smiles, seeing minseok with his wide eyed look again.
"and i love you" luhan finally says, eyelids sliding shut when his lips meet minseok's.
luhan ends up smiling into the kiss because this, he realizes, was definitely how he'd always wanted to treat his friend, kim minseok.
++++
notes(pt 2): so i took this prompt in two ways. one way was angst, with one of them ending up with a girl. the other was fluff and this is how i wrote it bc i just needed some fluff in my life. OTL.
also i'm so sorry for typos or anything awkward bc i wrote it in one go and i don't particularly feel like editing it this very minute. also i already posted it to the meme, so... /throws hands in air and waves em like i just don't care.