[FANFIC] Resistance
Title: Resistance
Pairings: Xiumin/Lu Han
Genre: Blade Runner!AU, Sci-Fi, Angst, Romance
Rating: PG - 13 (mentions of sex, mentions of rape)
Wordcount: 5, 321
Summary: Prequel to Placebo Effect. Lu Han exists to please - one of the replicant models of pleasure bought by high class businessmen with too much time on their hands and an obsession with sex. It takes another replicant called Minseok to show him that he can have something so much more than just an existence.
Disclaimer: I do not own EXO or Blade Runner.
Note: This is based off the universe in Ridley Scott’s film 'Blade Runner' but many aspects are changed so it may not be completely accurate. You do not need to have watched Blade Runner to read this. You also do not have to have read Placebo Effect to read this.
Resistance.
{ prequel to Placebo Effect }
Lu Han is woken up by a coughing fit that racks through his body, sending his limbs into a spasm. He screws his eyes shut as his stomach contracts violently, hearing his breath rattle in his lungs. His fingers reach out and grasp blindly for the glass of water next to his mattress before they find their target, and he gulps the water down readily to soothe his tickling throat.
He sits like that for a moment; glass in one hand, sheets clenched between the fingers of the other and he forces his breathing to even out. He supposes if he was human he would fear he was getting sick.
But he doesn’t need to fear that.
He stretches his legs out, the sheets twisted over his ankles. A maze of dirt trails over the ceiling, a patch of something more sinister creeping out from the corner joining his room to the next. He licks his lips and revels in the way they moisten for a moment before it vanishes and they crack again almost immediately.
The clock on his bedside table is broken but the numbers still shine faintly through the smashed glass telling him he only has an hour until he has to be up and ready. He places the glass down and collapses back onto his mattress, a rebel spring pressing sharply into his spine but he ignores it, letting his eyes fall shut again and sleep pull him back into her depths.
--
Lu Han has never really thought of himself as beautiful.
It doesn’t matter how many times it’s whispered into his ear, or pressed against his lips and swallowed by his mouth. No matter how many times someone pushes against him, all hands and tongue and skin and the words spill over his stomach in the heat of the moment. When the other screams his name and falls into a rapid mantra of praises, he still doesn’t think he’s beautiful.
When he lies in bed afterwards, all hot and sweaty - he thinks he is the least beautiful then.
He exists to please - one of the replicant models of pleasure bought by high class businessmen with too much time on their hands and an obsession with sex. It doesn’t really disgust him, perhaps he is too used to it by now, but it upsets him that there is nothing more to his life, that nobody needs him. Instead, he feels like his time on Earth is limited to the amount of satisfaction he can give - a mere existence more than anything else, not what he would call a ‘life’.
Lu Han doesn’t complain because replicants are to do as their told - easy replacement inspires a constant fear of being retired and a slip up could be the difference between life and death. And yet death isn’t as frightening as it may have once been to Lu Han, now he sees it as almost a path to relief and a final peace.
Sometimes he wonders if replicants go to heaven.
As he walks into the lounge, eyes immediately flicker over him; some filled with want, an animalistic desire, and he even notices a sense of hatred flicker across a few - but all of them look at him like he’s a toy for their benefit, a precious thing with red cheeks and a button nose whose purpose in life is to make pleasurable noises when touched in the right places.
Lu Han knows only too well what will happen when the novelty fades.
As he offers one of the men a drink, he is pulled closer to the man’s bloated stomach, callused fingers rubbing against his cheek and lips pulled into a smirk over cigarette-stained teeth.
“I’ll be waiting for you later precious,” he breathes, the alcohol on his breath overwhelmingly nauseating. Lu Han nods with a practiced flirtatious smile.
“Of course,” he says and bows, not missing the way the man’s eyes linger on his mouth and the sliver of tongue that passes over his lips.
His boss calls out from across the room, “Oh and before you go Lu Han, this is Minseok, he’ll be staying with us over the next few weeks until he finds a new home. Make him welcome.”
He gestures over to a boy who stands a few steps away. There’s no way that he’s a pleasure model, with his chubby cheeks and his short stature, but there’s something in the way that he smiles; the way his lips pull up slightly higher at one corner and his eyes stretch out to the side - it makes time pause for a moment and Lu Han has to remember to breathe.
He offers a small smile and vaguely wonders if he should go get his systems checked for a virus.
Lu Han is getting ready to meet with his boss later, lining his eyes with black and setting his hair perfectly when Minseok walks into the bathroom.
He glances up and their eyes meet in the mirror, a split second where Lu Han sees a glimmer of something in Minseok’s eyes not too dissimilar to his own - a glimmer of despair rimmed with hope.
“What are you doing,” he asks, walking forward to lean against the wall beside the sink. His hands play on the edge of his jeans, fingers curling into his pockets and thumbs hooked in his belt loops.
Lu Han presses his lips together as he begins to outline the waterline of his left eye, careful not to let it smudge.
“Just doing my job.”
Minseok exhales, and he turns away, seemingly embarrassed
“You’re a pleasure model replicant right?”
Lu Han nods, blinking furiously after he presses a little too close to his eye. Minseok makes a low humming sound in his throat and does his funny little smile again.
“I wish I was as beautiful as you,” he says simply.
Lu Han watches him leave and the door shuts softly behind him.
.
That night when he is pulled against his boss, he lets his mind wander to crooked smiles and small eyes and there’s an ache in his chest because he wonders if anyone will ever love him.
Their eyes catch occasionally - when Lu Han is offering a glass of water, when he’s being pulled into someone’s lap, when rogue hands wander over his body as he stands in wait. Minseok’s eyes spark with a flash of anger and something else Lu Han is unable to classify before his face becomes controlled again; a perfectly stationary expression, an unreadable mask. Lu Han ignores the gazes and lets his eyes flutter shut, a breathy sigh escaping his parted lips when fingers trail over his thigh because this is what he has been designed to do.
He wonders if Minseok cares about him; nobody has ever cared about him before. He finds the idea a little exhilarating and wonderful and when he thinks about it, his lips pull into an unreserved smile.
But then he remembers that they are both replicants and caring is something beyond either of their capabilities.
Lying is something inherently built into Lu Han - it comes so naturally that occasionally he has to remind himself of what is true and what is not. He supposes in a way, the fact that his emotional experience is limited as a replicant is an advantage for what he does. He can shut himself off from the world and hideaway in an enclosed space in his mind, his body impulsively continuing, almost completely detached from his thoughts.
He builds a little place at the corner of his mind, a small room where the walls are yellow and the carpet is clean and he sits beside the window in the room, watching the world through pretty tinted glass. As he looks out of the window, all he sees are trees and birds and sun, and for those moments in time, the world is perfect.
Until reality claws its way back and the moment fades away into moans and sticky heat.
He barely ever speaks to the other replicants around the house and when he does, it’s generally only to ask a favour or to notify them of something. He learnt early on that it was never good to make friends - not with an existence like his.
So it surprises him when Minseok purposely walks over to him one afternoon, touching Lu Han’s arm lightly.
“Are you busy tonight?” he asks.
Lu Han looks up; a brush of eyes.
“No.”
Minseok smiles a little.
“Meet me in my bedroom later then.”
As he walks away, Lu Han feels a part of his heart shatter because he had hoped Minseok wasn’t like the others, he had hoped for once there was someone who could see past the exterior and desire Lu Han in a less simple, less animalistic way. Lu Han unclenches his hands and only then sees the marks from his fingernails indented against his wrist.
He wonders what it feels like to be retired.
He wonders if it’s painful.
He realises he doesn’t even care.
As the sun sinks low and the shadows creep over the house, the flickering glow of lamps illuminating the hallways, Lu Han walks slowly to Minseok’s room. He lets his fingers trail over the wall, weaving around the photo frames that line the corridor, fingertips collecting dust as they glide across tiny bumps in the plaster. With a knock, the door slips open and Lu Han walks in.
“Hello,” he says and Minseok smiles, his hand tracing the sheets on the bed timidly. Lu Han sighs, pulling his shirt over his head.
There’s a sense of despair that scratches at his chest as he walks forward and pushes Minseok back a little, hand wrapping around his head and kissing him hard; a clash of lips and teeth - a clash of pain and heartbreak. There’s a pause where Lu Han frowns because Minseok is lifeless beneath his touch and then there is a hand on his chest and he is being shoved away, faced with a pair of wide eyes.
There is something not too dissimilar to pity that passes over Minseok’s eyes before surprise flitters back.
“Is that what you thought I wanted?” he whispers. He brings his hand up high, almost to his lips, but instead, he lets it hover in the air.
Lu Han tilts his head. “It isn’t?”
Minseok breathes out. “No of course not I- I would never ask you to do something like that.”
Lu Han feels his heart slowly patch itself back together and a sense of relief wash over him - and it’s strange because sex has never bothered him quite like this before, except there’s something about Minseok that makes him expect more. A wave of embarrassment washes over him and he bites his lip, quickly slipping back into his shirt.
“Sorry,” he says, “It’s just, that’s only ever what people want from me.”
He shuffles awkwardly on the spot for a moment but then warm arms wrap around his thin frame, clinging onto his shirt and a face presses into his chest.
“I would never,” Minseok says firmly, his voice a little muffled by Lu Han’s shirt, ‘I would never use you. I just wanted a friend.”
Lu Han lets his own arms sneak around Minseok’s shoulders and his eyes fall shut. For once in his life, he feels truly comforted - he’s never had a friend before.
“Thank you,” he says softly, and his heart is whole again.
Lu Han discovers that some replicants can feel emotions.
He overhears his bosses discussing it in hushed tones over their afternoon drinks, their disgust regarding the issue evident. They call it a bug - a virus, and yet the existence or absence of this virus is the difference completing the gap between replicant and human. The thought of it sends Lu Han’s mind spiralling into possible future realities that he’s never even dreamed of before, a dream of a life, something more than an existence.
When the day is young and only the dust specs of light filter in through the tiny window in his room, Lu Han lies awake in bed, his hands by his side and his chest rising and falling rhythmically. He realises in that moment, that he no longer feels that haunting coldness which had numbed his veins, instead, his body is warm, a sense of contentment weaving around his heart and tingling in his fingertips. He thinks this must be happiness and he smiles.
Lu Han and Minseok find a space behind the kitchen - a small room that reeks of disinfectant and mothballs - and they make it their own. It’s here that they forget about the world, the wooden door creating a seemingly impenetrable barrier from the outside. They talk for hours sometimes but the time goes by unnoticed - it’s in this room time stands still. It’s in this room, that they have the ability to be almost human.
It’s in this room that Lu Han falls in love.
He doesn’t understand it at first when his heart rate increases as Minseok brushes against him, or the way the mere thought of the other induces a smile. It only becomes worse when Minseok laughs and Lu Han feels his pulse leap against his skin and drum in his chest, the desire to hear that sound again overwhelming him and crowding his thoughts. He begins to not only enjoy his time with Minseok but to crave it, a consuming yearning to feel that sense of security, that pure happiness again.
His boss begins to notice the change and his nights escalate into a violent battle between sex and brutality, his name not only whispered amongst praises now but derogatory terms and vicious hisses.
It’s when he is thrown against the wall one night, his neck bruised from the fingers that had been clenched there and his head throbbing with a dull ache, that he wonders if it’s all worth it.
“Don’t fuck with me Lu Han,” his boss sneers, looming over his head, teeth bared in a savage growl. “I’ll kill that fucking replicant if you do anything with him.”
Lu Han nods and almost forces a smile but his lips twitch uselessly, stinging from a cut which scrapes across them.
“I can’t - I can’t talk to you anymore Minseok,” he says quietly later and hopes his voice doesn’t give anything away. He looks at the ground because it’s easier that way, easier than seeing the disappointment trickle down Minseok’s face.
“Why?”
The question is almost as soft as Lu Han’s words and it’s so tender that it breaks Lu Han’s heart just that little bit more.
“I just can’t.” He wants to apologise, to hold Minseok tightly and tell him it’s not his fault but he remains silent, hands twisting together.
Minseok steps forwards and in a sudden movement, he jerks back the collar of Lu Han’s shirt, gasping at the line of bruises curving down from his neck and across his collarbone.
“Lu Han,” Minseok says and his voice is so deadly quiet and edged with so much undisguised venom that Lu Han shivers a little. “Who did this to you?”
Lu Han shakes his head and pushes his hand away. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing Lu Han! You’re hurt!” Minseok grabs onto his wrist, fingers curling tightly against his skin and Lu Han looks up in surprise, his shock only increasing when he sees the unfiltered rage on Minseok’s face.
Lu Han tries to tug his arm away but Minseok holds on tight. “It’s really alright Minseok, I-”
“It’s not right Lu Han! They can’t do this to you!” Minseok shouts, and although Lu Han knows that the anger is only fuelled by his worry, he still shrinks back as fear curls in his chest. A tear slips down his cheek and leaves a hot trail over his skin, collecting on his lips, an unnecessary flash of anger striking inside him.
“It doesn’t matter Minseok! I was made for this!”
He feels it rising now, a sense of hysteria that bubbles up through his body and shakes his limbs, his vision completely blurred.
“I wasn’t made to be loved!” he spits, a bitter edge on his tongue. He swallows a sob and Minseok catches him, arms enveloping him in a warm hug. His thumb rubs a soothing circle into the back of Lu Han’s neck for a moment before he pulls away, leaving a mere breath between them.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t be loved,” he says softly and Lu Han’s eyelashes flicker, damp with tears as Minseok leans forward and their lips meet.
--
“Is this right?” Minseok asks one day, their bodies flush against each other; the contact of skin against skin sending pleasurable sparks of fire through his veins.
“I’m not sure,” Lu Han replies, his hand snaking up from Minseok’s waist to press against his chest, fingers curling against the heart that beats against his palm. He closes his eyes and exhales slowly, feeling his own heartbeat thrum against his ribcage.
He breathes in and out, feeling Minseok’s chest rise and fall against his hand. “I think so,” he finally whispers, eyes sincere in the darkness. “You give me purpose; you give me life.”
Minseok smiles grimly and presses their foreheads together with a sigh.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
-
Lu Han doesn’t need the little room in his mind with the yellow walls and the clean carpet and the large window anymore. He has his own place now, a real place, somewhere where he is not alone; and it is better in every way because this place is where Minseok is.
-
It’s night time when Lu Han finds Minseok sitting with his back against Lu Han’s bed, legs stretched out in front of him and his body slumped forward.
Lu Han immediately alerts, the realisation that something is very wrong thudding against his chest.
“Oh my god Minseok what happened? Did someone hurt you? Are you sick?” He falls to the ground beside him and Minseok looks up. Lu Han almost stops breathing because of the utter lifelessness in Minseok’s eyes, the spark of life extinguished and pain swallowing his eyes in darkness. Lu Han grabs him by his shoulders, shaking him a little as if to wake him up, a desperate attempt to return the flame of life to Minseok’s gaze. It’s only then that he realises the latter is trembling and his hands twist restlessly in his lap.
“Minseok, tell me what’s wrong, please?”
Minseok shakes his head slowly and he swallows whatever emotion he is feeling.
“Kiss me,” he says, voice hoarse and trembling slightly.
“Minseok I-”
Minseok grabs at his hand and tugs it, his eyes pleading. “Please Lu Han, please,” he says and his tone is almost childish, not so much a desire as a need for comfort, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. “I need you to kiss me, I need you to make it go away.”
Lu Han hesitantly leans forward and kisses him softly, feeling a slight sense of relief when Minseok relaxes and his hands come to rest on Lu Han’s shoulders, nails digging a little too hard into his skin as though he never wants to let go.
They sit there in the dark exchanging slow kisses until Minseok falls asleep, his head on Lu Han’s shoulder as the latter sits wide awake, confused and frightened as his heart twists painfully because of the feeling of complete helplessness that invades his mind.
He discovers the problem only a few nights later.
Lu Han squeezes his eyes shut, a gasp escaping his lips when his boss leans into him, hands clenching against the sheets. His whimper of pain is smothered by the pillow pressed against his cheek.
A mouth descends on his neck and it’s hot and sticky and Lu Han feels a sudden desire to throw up in disgust and self-loathing.
“You are so much better than that replicant boyfriend of yours,” his boss breathes next to his ear before he bites down, hard on Lu Han’s neck. Lu Han freezes and his breathing stops; the anger which leaks through his veins renders him almost numb.
“What did you say?”
“I said, you’re a much better fuck than that stupid replicant friend of yours.”
Lu Han realises he is shaking - not out of fear but anger, and it’s swirling around his chest in a frenzied hurricane, each breath pained as he presses a hand against his boss’s chest and pushes him back harshly. The rage is blinding and his vision dots with spots of black and white.
“What the fuck did you do to him?” Lu Han says, voice low and edged with venom.
His boss grins, pleased to elicit such an extreme reaction from his replicant.
“I screwed him.”
Lu Han punches him then, fist slamming into the side of his face.
“What the fuck?” he says and Lu Han punches him again as tears blur his vision, the face beneath him warping into a hideous monster of blood and skin. Fury surges through him and he kicks his boss away, lip curling in hatred as he does his best to stop his fists slamming into his chest again and again. He curls his fingers into fists and they shake at his sides.
“Never, ever touch Minseok again” he says, “or I will kill you.”
He doesn’t wait to see his boss’s reaction and instead, he leaves, walking quickly straight to Minseok’s room, pushing the door open with a bang. Minseok glances up; startled.
“Lu Han what are you-”
“My boss he- why didn’t you tell me!” Lu Han’s fist is clenched around the material of Minseok’s shirt, pulling him forward. He knows that his anger towards Minseok is irrational but it spills over the surface and drowns him in an intense rage.
Minseok closes off and his eyes dull again.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters Minseok! He can’t just do that too you!”
“He does it to you every day what’s the difference!”
Lu Han inhales deeply through his nose, closing his eyes, and as he opens them, he releases his fist a little.
“Because you are so much better than me.”
Minseok looks at him and Lu Han sees tears in his eyes.
“Never say that again Lu Han.”
Lu Han looks at him. “I’m sorry,” he says as a tear runs down Minseok’s cheek. Minseok’s guard flickers for a moment and fades as his eyes fill with pain. He collapses against Lu Han.
“It was terrible,” he chokes, voice thick with tears. Lu Han pulls him forward and his arms wrap around Minseok’s body, holding him tight as the other boy crumbles into him, trembling as his tears soak into Lu Han’s shirt. The tears soon become heart-wrenching sobs and Minseok clings to Lu Han as though he is the only thing that keeps him alive and stops his complete breakdown into insanity.
Lu Han rocks him back and forth, hand stroking through his hair and shushing him soothingly as Minseok shudders noiselessly against him. He pulls back a little and looks into Minseok’s eyes, past the tears, past the pain, past the despair and he sees a glimmer of something like hope.
“I love you,” Lu Han says and he knows then, that his words are the truth.
Minseok doesn’t smile but he nods and Lu Han sees the glimmer brighten. Their lips meet and the kiss is achingly soft, the taste of salty tears on their tongues.
“I’m sorry,’ Lu Han whispers against his mouth, thumb rubbing circles into Minseok’s shoulder, “I’m so sorry.”
Minseok doesn’t reply but he moves closer and shakes his head, a silent ‘don’t be’, their noses bumping against each other as he does so. They kiss again before they both pull away and Lu Han links their fingers together.
“I’ll always be here for you.”
Minseok smiles; it’s a little weak but it’s a smile, and Lu Han leans their foreheads together, feeling the warm breath on his face.
“I’ll never leave you,” Minseok replies and his eyes are determined. “I promise to never leave you alone.”
Lu Han nods and kisses him again and silently hopes they will be like this forever.
They have sex for the first time that night.
It’s Minseok who deepens the kiss, Minseok who begins to undress Lu Han, slowly pulling the shirt over his head, lips pressing insistently against the latter’s. Lu Han presses his fingers into Minseok’s jaw and murmurs against his lips.
“Are you sure?”
Minseok nods and pulls him closer, hand trailing down Lu Han’s stomach until he finds the zipper of his pants. Lu Han rolls himself on top and presses down, feeling a rush of gratification as a moan escapes from the lips parted against his own. Minseok arches into him and his hands scrabble at Lu Han’s hips, pulling them closer, inspiring jolts of pleasure which electrify at every point of contact. The friction is heated and Lu Han trails his tongue over Minseok’s skin, thrilled with the way he has the ability to elicit shivers and sounds of bliss from the other. Minseok groans and crashes their mouths together; the heat only increasing when Lu Han drags his teeth across Minseok’s bottom lip before slipping his tongue inside his mouth, their hips sliding together.
“Fuck,” Minseok breathes and his head falls back, exposing his pale neck as Lu Han begins to trail kisses over his collarbone. Lu Han smiles and pulls him closer, Minseok’s fingers tangling in his hair.
“I love you,” he says, breath ghosting across his skin. Minseok shudders and pulls his head up, kissing him roughly, a clash of tongues and teeth.
“I love you so much,” he says against Lu Han’s mouth and Lu Han thinks he has never been happier.
When they lie in bed afterwards, Minseok’s fingers stroking his cheek with a feathered touch, Lu Han smiles in the dark as the happiness in his heart swells. Their legs are still hot, resting against each other and Minseok smiles shyly back, bringing his fingers down to press against Lu Han’s lips.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers before leaning forward to kiss him lightly.
For the first time in his life, Lu Han actually believes those words.
It’s early morning and Minseok is sleeping in Lu Han’s bed, his arm wrapped around Lu Han’s middle and their legs tangled beneath the sheets.
There’s an enormous bang and light floods the room, and Lu Han leaps up, grabbing onto Minseok in fright. A series of men enter the room, their guns evident even in the shadow of the dark, illuminated by the light of the hallway.
“Kim Minseok, you have been ordered to be retired. Please, do not resist.’
Minseok sucks in a deep breath and his eyes drift over to Lu Han.
“Run,” he mouths.
And they do.
Gunshots echo around them as they dive off the bed and push their way out of the door, bare feet burning against the floorboards as they run, hands clasped together, Minseok leading the way. It’s almost out of habit that they wind up in their cupboard at the back of the kitchen, breathing heavy in the dark and heart beats leaping against each other’s chests in panic.
“What do we do?” Lu Han whispers.
Minseok presses a finger against his lips to quieten him.
“I’m going to run away.”
Lu Han does not miss the exclusion of ‘we’ from the sentence.
“No,” he says fiercely, his hand grasping around Minseok’s wrist, “You are not leaving me.”
Minseok nods, silhouette barely visible in the dark.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not bringing you into this. They’re after me. If you come, they will kill you too.”
Lu Han tightens his fingers. “You promised Minseok, you promised you would never leave me!” his throat constricts a little and he bites back a sob.
Minseok hesitates, “Lu Han, I don’t know what I would do if anything were to happen to you.”
Lu Han breathes out slowly. “And you don’t think I feel the same way about you?” He kisses Minseok, a mere brush of lips.
“I love you Minseok, and I am not going to let you leave me. We’re in this together.”
Minseok pulls him close and hugs him tight, nose cold as it presses into Lu Han’s neck.
“Please be safe,” he whispers, almost a prayer, the sound breezing against Lu Han’s ear.
And again they run.
The night is dark and they are only wearing light clothes so the wind is harsh against their skin, numbing their limbs and biting at their feet but they only run faster. They can hear the shouts behind them dim but they keep running, past the flickering light of the street lamps, past the run down houses - their desire to find a new world and begin their own lives is not so much a dream anymore as it is a necessity now.
They have no idea where they are going or how they end up in the train station but they do, and they sit there breathing heavily, a minor sense of relief washing over them as they realise that they are safe - for now.
“I think-I think we made it far enough,” Lu Han says, sinking to the floor. Minseok nods and follows him down, bringing an arm to wrap around Lu Han’s waist and pull him closer, shoulders pushing together and thighs against each other.
The night air is alleviated a little as they huddle together but it still nips at their bare toes and fingers. Minseok finds a blanket and throws it over both of them and they shiver beneath it, ignoring the cold in favour of the warm feeling of freedom.
When morning comes and the train station stirs to life, Minseok turns to him, eyes solemn.
“I’ll go look for some food and more clothes,” he says and Lu Han nods, kissing him once before he is lost amidst a flurry of faces, the workers crowding the station in uniforms of black and white.
Lu Han sits there for a while, doing his best to keep the blanket over his toes and his limbs as close to his body as possible. There are a few other homeless people sitting around the station, most he assumes, are addicted to emotion pills. The sight of a manically smiling man with red-rimmed eyes confirms his thoughts.
Someone parts from the crowd and shuffles over to wall, sliding down against the bricks, head bowed and blonde hair falling over his eyes. For a moment, Lu Han thinks he is crying but no tears fall down his cheeks as his hands clench into fists in front of him.
Lu Han tilts his head curiously and stands up, walking over to sit beside him, dragging his blanket along. When the other man looks up, Lu Han sees it, the misery that swirls in those eyes is something so very akin to his own and he realises that the man isn’t human - the man is like them.
“You’re a replicant too,” Lu Han says quietly and the man’s eyes widen with fear as he quickly presses a finger against Lu Han’s lips to shush him. Lu Han pushes his hand away gently.
“It’s okay, I won’t tell.”
The man frowns at him. “How did you know?”
“I can just tell,” Lu Han says with a shrug. There is a pause where the man scrutinises him.
“Are you running too?”
Lu Han smiles sadly, “Aren’t we all?”
The man nods grimly and his eyes finally hold to Lu Han’s, their pain evident.
“I’m Wu Fan,” he says softly.
-
A/N: And so it ends part way through Placebo Effect. I know this doesn't really live up to Placebo Effect but I hope people like it anyway! Poor Lu Han and Minseok never really did have a happy storyline did they? ;; Also this was really difficult for me to write in the sense that ive never dealt with themes like this before and I really do hope ive handled it all okay. ugh. and yup, thats all.