Exactly What We Expected
Title: Exactly What We Expected
Pairing: Lutao-but-as-bros
Rating: PG
Length: One-shot.
Summary: Lu Han and Zitao are out shopping during their day off. Bromance ensues.
Hardcore Lutao bromance shipper + damage control for upcoming crack/smut Lutao fic + (only) fellow Lutao shipper who only reads non-smut = This fic. I'm sorry.
- - - - -
Lu Han’s face is contorted in childlike concentration as he pores over racks of toiletries bags at the mall. Zitao roots through some a few feet away, watching Lu Han be almost systematic in his search, running his hand down the racks and picking the odd one off its hook to check for the price tag.
“Ge,” Zitao asks quietly, “what’s a good price?”
Lu Han’s hands stop moving for a second.
“Well. It depends which brand. And avoid these ones over here. Look, come here,” he beckons Zitao back to where Lu Han had been inspecting earlier. “Look at how bad quality they are.”
Lu Han takes one and unzips the zipper.
“Look,” he says, re-zipping it. The motion is unsteady. “Isn’t that awful?”
He tries to zip it correctly one more time, with a more dramatic effort. Zitao giggles. Lu Han makes several more attempts for his own amusement, nods, then slowly puts it back. Zitao reaches for a leopard print bag off the rack and turns it over in his hands.
“Ge.”
“Hm?”
Lu Han’s eyes on him are like spotlights, and although his expression is warm and attentive, Zitao only fidgets with the bag some more and keeps his eyes fixed on it. He’s afraid to ask.
“Lu Han ge, you wanted…to go play soccer with Minseok ge today, right?”
The elder frowns a bit but, after a short nibble of his thumb, responds:
“That…that’s not as important to me anymore. After debut, you know? I’m not as particular about what I do during free time.”
“Oh.”
The younger turns away slightly, back to finding a toiletries bag.
“Zitao.”
“Yeah?”
“I meant, I’m not as particular about who I spend my free time with, either. It really doesn’t bother me.”
“I’m sorry.”
With a disarmed chuckle, Lu Han latches onto Zitao’s arm.
“Zitao! You’re going to kill me! Really, don’t worry about it.”
Zitao gives no signs of having heard him.
“And how about you, Mr. Walks On The Beach Alone?”
“It’s not like that! Besides, I feel a lot better now that I can get fans’ love.”
“Oh, you. Next time we’ll go together, okay? We’ll play beach volleyball or something.”
Lips pursed, Zitao nods energetically.
Lu Han chuckles to himself. After a minute he looks back up at Zitao, then settles his gaze on the younger’s hands, still holding the leopard print bag from earlier.
“You gonna marry that one, hm?”
“Huh? Oh, you mean buy it? I guess.”
Lu Han carefully works it out of Zitao’s grip and into his. He evaluates the outer shell, the inner pockets, and finally, the zipper. Zitao laughs with his eyes crinkled shut at the deliberately loud zipping noise and reaches back for his bag. Lu Han stops him with one hand.
“Gege is buying this for you.”
“What, no-“
“Try me.”
Lu Han drops the toiletries bag and holds up both fists, feet set apart in a fighting stance.
At the cash register, Lu Han is waiting for the receipt and Zitao is sighing and staring into the distance. The receipt comes, and Lu Han gently punches him in the elbow.
“You sound so miserable. Here, have your bag now, you’ll feel less lonely.”
Zitao makes a noise of half-hearted protest at the teasing. Lu Han hits him on the shoulder with the bag Zitao still hasn’t accepted.
“Take it. You can show your gratitude by using it once you get home.”
He pushes Zitao out of the store with a hand on his shoulder blade.
Out on the street, Zitao slows his rolling walking gait so that Lu Han can keep up while still keeping lookout for a good place to eat. His walking speed -and boredom- are kept in check with periodic consultation of his phone. Lu Han’s shoes make a short, sudden noise in the sidewalk gravel. Zitao looks up for an explanation. The elder is still and staring at a bubble tea shop across the street. From his other side, Zitao is unable to properly see his face, but he can make an educated guess on what is troubling him.
“Gege, I want bubble tea~”
“But, Zitao. We haven’t had dinner yet.”
Zitao bites his tongue in amusement: He had guessed correctly.
“But it looks really good~”
Lu Han bites his thumb and looks back at him.
“Zitao, no-“
“Just this once? Just the small-sized ones?” he asks, miming the extra-small cups.
Lu Han gives a short laugh, and both of them know that he can’t hold onto rational thinking much longer.
“Fine. We’ll have dinner later. I haven’t had any since I was with Sehun back in Korea, anyway.”
Zitao grins.
“You’ll be my stand-in maknae.”
“I am the maknae,” Zitao says hotly.
Lu Han giggles.
“Ugh, too much tapioca,” Zitao grunts, clutching his stomach.
Lu Han eyes him worriedly over his menu.
“You’re not too full for dinner, are you?” He fidgets with the pages. “Wu Fan is going to kill me,” he wines quietly.
“Nothing hotpot can’t handle.”
Lu Han blinks up at Zitao.
“Hotpot, huh?”
“Oh, oh. I meant-sorry. I mean, is it okay if we order hotpot?”
Lu Han puts down the menu.
“Of course.”
Lu Han’s stare is wide-eyed and resolute.
“Anything for my stand-in maknae.”
“I am the maknae!”
Once dinner is finished, Lu Han and Zitao find themselves outside in front of a merchant selling plushie key-chains at a nearby night market.
“Perfect,” says Lu Han. “We need six for the K members and then a few for the managers, too. Help me look, Zitao.” Lu Han squats to finger the ones on the lowest row. Zitao points to one right above Lu Han’s head.
“Ge, is this one Donald Duck?”
“What, this one? Huh, I guess it’s supposed to be.”
“It doesn’t really look like the one from Disneyland.”
Lu Han bows his head at the memory, biting his lip.
“No, not really. I guess it’s a rip-off?”
“Do you still like it?
“Yes…” he pauses, eyes wide, then looks up at Zitao. “Why…”
“No reason at all, so go keep looking for ones we should buy!”
Meekly, Lu Han moves back to the plushies he had been examining originally. He hides a bright smile behind one hand at the sound of Zitao picking up the key-chain and beckoning the merchant.
It starts to rain heavily as they set back out onto the street.
“Oh shit,” says Lu Han, and their eyes meet; he doesn’t usually swear in front of Zitao. “I have an umbrella in here somewhere…” Lu Han rummages through his bag. “There we go! Here, open it.”
Zitao shuffles his handbag, three shopping bags, and the gift-wrapped box holding the toiletries bag from earlier, in order to properly open the tiny umbrella.
“Ge, you should probably put the bag with the key-chains in your backpack. So they don’t get wet, I mean.”
“Huh? Oh, I guess so. Here, hold them for a sec- look at you, you’ve got so many bags! You never even put the toiletries pouch I got you back into your bag…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t…” Lu Han pauses before putting the handles of the key-chain bag in Zitao’s mouth. “Don’t worry about it.” He chuckles at the sight of Zitao holding them between his teeth. “Here, this pocket should be good. I’ll take that back now,” he says with an eye smile. Zitao spits the bag into his hand.
“Ge, do we call Manager ge to come pick us up?”
“Oh, uh, sure. Let me get my phone.”
For a good two minutes, Lu Han’s phone eludes his search through his backpack.
“Ge, you’re going to get wet-“
“But I put it in here, I swear!”
Zitao watches him move farther and farther away from the shelter of the umbrella in his distress, getting soaked as he rummages through the main pocket.
“Ge, come here.” He wrangles him back under the umbrella and keeps an arm around his shoulders. Lu Han buries his entire face into the bag and stays there for a minute before emerging triumphant.
“Ha ha!”
“You going to call Manager ge yet?”
“Oh, hush.” Lu Han flicks him in the chest while speed-dialing their manager. He holds a funny face contest with Zitao while waiting for him to pick up, which the younger promptly forfeits in a fit of giggles. Lu Han flicks his chest again when his giggles drown out their manager’s words.
“He’ll be here in ten minutes and you’re hogging all the umbrella!” he whines, huddling into Zitao’s shoulder.
“I’m really glad you brought it, but it really is a small umbrella.”
The elder rubs the back of a finger under his nose.
“I’m catching a cold already,” he says with a frown.
Zitao wraps him into a hug, inadvertently tilting the umbrella and letting a downpour of heavy raindrops fall on Lu Han’s back. He shies at the contact of the rain, then gives up completely on the umbrella and starts spinning in circles under the rain.
“Ge, Ge, your cold!”
Lu Han is making helicopter noises.
Ten minutes later, their manager pulls up across the street and Lu Han jumps for joy, running into Zitao’s arms and lifting him clear off the ground (Zitao gives a surprised shout) before running for the van.
Zitao sits in the middle row of the van with Lu Han at the back, who takes out each plushie in turn and walks them across the inside surfaces of the van, making tiny noises as he moves them from seats to windows to doors to the ceiling.
Zitao takes the two towels offered by the manager and places one around his neck. He takes the other and pats it gently down on Lu Han’s hair.
- - - - -
Pairing: Lutao-but-as-bros
Rating: PG
Length: One-shot.
Summary: Lu Han and Zitao are out shopping during their day off. Bromance ensues.
Hardcore Lutao bromance shipper + damage control for upcoming crack/smut Lutao fic + (only) fellow Lutao shipper who only reads non-smut = This fic. I'm sorry.
- - - - -
Lu Han’s face is contorted in childlike concentration as he pores over racks of toiletries bags at the mall. Zitao roots through some a few feet away, watching Lu Han be almost systematic in his search, running his hand down the racks and picking the odd one off its hook to check for the price tag.
“Ge,” Zitao asks quietly, “what’s a good price?”
Lu Han’s hands stop moving for a second.
“Well. It depends which brand. And avoid these ones over here. Look, come here,” he beckons Zitao back to where Lu Han had been inspecting earlier. “Look at how bad quality they are.”
Lu Han takes one and unzips the zipper.
“Look,” he says, re-zipping it. The motion is unsteady. “Isn’t that awful?”
He tries to zip it correctly one more time, with a more dramatic effort. Zitao giggles. Lu Han makes several more attempts for his own amusement, nods, then slowly puts it back. Zitao reaches for a leopard print bag off the rack and turns it over in his hands.
“Ge.”
“Hm?”
Lu Han’s eyes on him are like spotlights, and although his expression is warm and attentive, Zitao only fidgets with the bag some more and keeps his eyes fixed on it. He’s afraid to ask.
“Lu Han ge, you wanted…to go play soccer with Minseok ge today, right?”
The elder frowns a bit but, after a short nibble of his thumb, responds:
“That…that’s not as important to me anymore. After debut, you know? I’m not as particular about what I do during free time.”
“Oh.”
The younger turns away slightly, back to finding a toiletries bag.
“Zitao.”
“Yeah?”
“I meant, I’m not as particular about who I spend my free time with, either. It really doesn’t bother me.”
“I’m sorry.”
With a disarmed chuckle, Lu Han latches onto Zitao’s arm.
“Zitao! You’re going to kill me! Really, don’t worry about it.”
Zitao gives no signs of having heard him.
“And how about you, Mr. Walks On The Beach Alone?”
“It’s not like that! Besides, I feel a lot better now that I can get fans’ love.”
“Oh, you. Next time we’ll go together, okay? We’ll play beach volleyball or something.”
Lips pursed, Zitao nods energetically.
Lu Han chuckles to himself. After a minute he looks back up at Zitao, then settles his gaze on the younger’s hands, still holding the leopard print bag from earlier.
“You gonna marry that one, hm?”
“Huh? Oh, you mean buy it? I guess.”
Lu Han carefully works it out of Zitao’s grip and into his. He evaluates the outer shell, the inner pockets, and finally, the zipper. Zitao laughs with his eyes crinkled shut at the deliberately loud zipping noise and reaches back for his bag. Lu Han stops him with one hand.
“Gege is buying this for you.”
“What, no-“
“Try me.”
Lu Han drops the toiletries bag and holds up both fists, feet set apart in a fighting stance.
At the cash register, Lu Han is waiting for the receipt and Zitao is sighing and staring into the distance. The receipt comes, and Lu Han gently punches him in the elbow.
“You sound so miserable. Here, have your bag now, you’ll feel less lonely.”
Zitao makes a noise of half-hearted protest at the teasing. Lu Han hits him on the shoulder with the bag Zitao still hasn’t accepted.
“Take it. You can show your gratitude by using it once you get home.”
He pushes Zitao out of the store with a hand on his shoulder blade.
Out on the street, Zitao slows his rolling walking gait so that Lu Han can keep up while still keeping lookout for a good place to eat. His walking speed -and boredom- are kept in check with periodic consultation of his phone. Lu Han’s shoes make a short, sudden noise in the sidewalk gravel. Zitao looks up for an explanation. The elder is still and staring at a bubble tea shop across the street. From his other side, Zitao is unable to properly see his face, but he can make an educated guess on what is troubling him.
“Gege, I want bubble tea~”
“But, Zitao. We haven’t had dinner yet.”
Zitao bites his tongue in amusement: He had guessed correctly.
“But it looks really good~”
Lu Han bites his thumb and looks back at him.
“Zitao, no-“
“Just this once? Just the small-sized ones?” he asks, miming the extra-small cups.
Lu Han gives a short laugh, and both of them know that he can’t hold onto rational thinking much longer.
“Fine. We’ll have dinner later. I haven’t had any since I was with Sehun back in Korea, anyway.”
Zitao grins.
“You’ll be my stand-in maknae.”
“I am the maknae,” Zitao says hotly.
Lu Han giggles.
“Ugh, too much tapioca,” Zitao grunts, clutching his stomach.
Lu Han eyes him worriedly over his menu.
“You’re not too full for dinner, are you?” He fidgets with the pages. “Wu Fan is going to kill me,” he wines quietly.
“Nothing hotpot can’t handle.”
Lu Han blinks up at Zitao.
“Hotpot, huh?”
“Oh, oh. I meant-sorry. I mean, is it okay if we order hotpot?”
Lu Han puts down the menu.
“Of course.”
Lu Han’s stare is wide-eyed and resolute.
“Anything for my stand-in maknae.”
“I am the maknae!”
Once dinner is finished, Lu Han and Zitao find themselves outside in front of a merchant selling plushie key-chains at a nearby night market.
“Perfect,” says Lu Han. “We need six for the K members and then a few for the managers, too. Help me look, Zitao.” Lu Han squats to finger the ones on the lowest row. Zitao points to one right above Lu Han’s head.
“Ge, is this one Donald Duck?”
“What, this one? Huh, I guess it’s supposed to be.”
“It doesn’t really look like the one from Disneyland.”
Lu Han bows his head at the memory, biting his lip.
“No, not really. I guess it’s a rip-off?”
“Do you still like it?
“Yes…” he pauses, eyes wide, then looks up at Zitao. “Why…”
“No reason at all, so go keep looking for ones we should buy!”
Meekly, Lu Han moves back to the plushies he had been examining originally. He hides a bright smile behind one hand at the sound of Zitao picking up the key-chain and beckoning the merchant.
It starts to rain heavily as they set back out onto the street.
“Oh shit,” says Lu Han, and their eyes meet; he doesn’t usually swear in front of Zitao. “I have an umbrella in here somewhere…” Lu Han rummages through his bag. “There we go! Here, open it.”
Zitao shuffles his handbag, three shopping bags, and the gift-wrapped box holding the toiletries bag from earlier, in order to properly open the tiny umbrella.
“Ge, you should probably put the bag with the key-chains in your backpack. So they don’t get wet, I mean.”
“Huh? Oh, I guess so. Here, hold them for a sec- look at you, you’ve got so many bags! You never even put the toiletries pouch I got you back into your bag…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t…” Lu Han pauses before putting the handles of the key-chain bag in Zitao’s mouth. “Don’t worry about it.” He chuckles at the sight of Zitao holding them between his teeth. “Here, this pocket should be good. I’ll take that back now,” he says with an eye smile. Zitao spits the bag into his hand.
“Ge, do we call Manager ge to come pick us up?”
“Oh, uh, sure. Let me get my phone.”
For a good two minutes, Lu Han’s phone eludes his search through his backpack.
“Ge, you’re going to get wet-“
“But I put it in here, I swear!”
Zitao watches him move farther and farther away from the shelter of the umbrella in his distress, getting soaked as he rummages through the main pocket.
“Ge, come here.” He wrangles him back under the umbrella and keeps an arm around his shoulders. Lu Han buries his entire face into the bag and stays there for a minute before emerging triumphant.
“Ha ha!”
“You going to call Manager ge yet?”
“Oh, hush.” Lu Han flicks him in the chest while speed-dialing their manager. He holds a funny face contest with Zitao while waiting for him to pick up, which the younger promptly forfeits in a fit of giggles. Lu Han flicks his chest again when his giggles drown out their manager’s words.
“He’ll be here in ten minutes and you’re hogging all the umbrella!” he whines, huddling into Zitao’s shoulder.
“I’m really glad you brought it, but it really is a small umbrella.”
The elder rubs the back of a finger under his nose.
“I’m catching a cold already,” he says with a frown.
Zitao wraps him into a hug, inadvertently tilting the umbrella and letting a downpour of heavy raindrops fall on Lu Han’s back. He shies at the contact of the rain, then gives up completely on the umbrella and starts spinning in circles under the rain.
“Ge, Ge, your cold!”
Lu Han is making helicopter noises.
Ten minutes later, their manager pulls up across the street and Lu Han jumps for joy, running into Zitao’s arms and lifting him clear off the ground (Zitao gives a surprised shout) before running for the van.
Zitao sits in the middle row of the van with Lu Han at the back, who takes out each plushie in turn and walks them across the inside surfaces of the van, making tiny noises as he moves them from seats to windows to doors to the ceiling.
Zitao takes the two towels offered by the manager and places one around his neck. He takes the other and pats it gently down on Lu Han’s hair.
- - - - -