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fic advent: day thirteen
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frailspells ♥
tao/luhan
pg, 2.1k words
au. "tao knows what he wants". could be read like it takes place earlier in time in the same universe as baby, you're my style, if you squint
frailspells ♥tao/luhan
pg, 2.1k words
au. "tao knows what he wants". could be read like it takes place earlier in time in the same universe as baby, you're my style, if you squint
Yifan may be a crotchety and whiny stick in the mud, Lu Han thinks, but he definitely knows how to throw a good party. He raises his drink at him from across the room and Yifan tears himself away from whatever jailbaity freshman he's cornering for long enough to raise his own in acknowledgement, a bit of a grin on his face. At least this freshman seems to be able to hold his own. He likes the way that Yifan shifts uncomfortably under the kid's bored expression. That oversized idiot should have to work for some of it.
Speaking of freshman. “Hi,” the kid says. He's looming over Lu Han, a hair too close for comfort. “I'm Zitao.” Between that and the way that he wavers a little, Lu Han figures he has to be pretty drunk. He can't bring himself to mind, though, because his smile is earnest and, well, he's pretty cute. He looks familiar, though Lu Han can't quite place him.
“Nice to meet you,” Lu Han tells him amiably. Zitao's grin turns pleased, and oh, now that is nice, seeing him all lit up like that.
“Do you want a drink?” Zitao holds out a cup, eyes hopeful, and Lu Han takes it just so that he doesn't end up with it sloshed all over his front. When his fingers brush up against Zitao's, that's when he realizes it.
“Ah,” he says. “You're the lit major that's been trailing after Yifan like a baby duck.” Yifan had mentioned Zitao in passing, something about a new freshman he'd roped into running around and writing the human interest pieces for the school paper. He certainly looks the part. He's got a big scarf and a half dozen piercings in his ears, but Lu Han supposes he can let that slide because of how criminally tight his jeans are.
Zitao frowns for a second. “No,” he says. “I'm not a baby duck.” Lu Han doesn't even bother to hide his laughter, and he likes how flushed Zitao gets, confused and stumbling over his words. He doesn't, Lu Han notes, step away from him. “I'm not!” he insists. He tips his head. “You're friends with Yifan.”
It's not a question. “Yes,” Lu Han answers, anyway. “Why?”
Zitao's smile is back again, broad and pleased. “I know,” he says, and Lu Han snorts. “He told me you were coming.”
Lu Han carefully sets down the drink Zitao had handed him and raises his own to his mouth. This conversation is becoming circuitous and he's not sure he's drunk enough for it. “That's nice,” he says.
“I only wanted to come because of you,” Zitao admits, and Lu Han savours the tiny rush that sends through him. “I like you.”
“You don't know me,” Lu Han argues, but he can't pretend he doesn't like this. He sidles a little bit closer and tilts his head up. “How could you like me?”
Zitao shrugs. “I know what I like,” he suggests, fingers brushing unsteadily down Lu Han's arm, and Lu Han grins.
“Jesus, Zitao, there you are.” One solid arm folds around Zitao's middle and tugs him away. “You disappeared.” Minseok looks a bit harried, shakes his head. “Sorry, Lu Han. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on him.”
“Hyung,” Zitao beams, and he curls an arm around Minseok's shoulders in return.
Lu Han drains the rest of his drink and abandons it on a table. “Babysitting duty?” he asks Minseok. He's always liked Minseok, although that might have something with how easygoing he is. Even during exams, Minseok never objects to Lu Han waking him up at the crack of dawn to drag him out to play soccer.
Minseok shrugs and Zitao tips over to lean his head against the top of Minseok's. “I live near his dorm, I promised him a ride home.” He laughs and shakes his head. “I guess I forgot that probably meant making sure I didn't lose him in the process.”
“We can go home now, hyung,” Zitao says blearily. His eyes are fixed on Lu Han.
“Oh, we can?” Minseok drawls. “I have your permission?”
“Yes,” Zitao agrees, and Lu Han smirks.
“What a relief.” Minseok shifts his grip on Zitao's waist and rolls his eyes fondly. “See you tomorrow morning?”
“Bright and early.” Lu Han waves them off, and as much as he'll deny it later, his eyes follow them out of the room and his heart might miss a beat when Zitao looks back at him. Maybe. Freshman, he thinks. They get bolder every year.
And on that note... “Hey,” Lu Han says, sliding up between Yifan and his conquest. Nothing says party fun like cockblocking your best friend. The kid glances at Lu Han quickly, and then his focus heads right back to Yifan. Interesting. “Yifan, introduce me to your new friend.” Yifan's glare could boil his brain in his skull and Lu Han just grins back.
-
“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” Lu Han mutters. He's already late for class, he's got a headache, and now, when he needs coffee most, the line up is practically out the door. He debates just going straight to class instead, but he knows that part of the headache is a burning need for his daily dose of caffeine, so he resigns himself to the baleful eye of Professor Jung when he walks in late. It's too bad, really, because he likes Professor Jung. He's young and enthusiastic and endlessly patient with his students. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's incredibly handsome, too. Not that Lu Han has noticed.
For once, the campus baristas are moving efficiently and as he makes it up to the cash register, Lu Han is hopeful that he won't even be that late. He really, really wants to order his usual sugary monstrosity, but he knows it's a bit complicated and he needs to get out. He settles on just coffee, planning on loading it up with sugar, and when he fishes in his pocket for change, someone stops him. “I've got it.”
The voice, soft-spoken, is familiar, and Lu Han looks up to find Zitao smiling down at him, pleasantly. He has on this horrendous yellow and black scarf and Lu Han finds he likes Zitao's sharp eyes even more when they're not clouded with alcohol. “Hi,” he says, a bit dumbly. The barista clears her throat and Lu Han realizes they're holding up the line. “Sorry,” he says immediately, reaching for the cup in her hands and nodding in apology.
Zitao trails after him as he heads over to the little stand to dump sugar into his coffee. “That was nice of you,” Lu Han says after a second, stirring the sugar in. “Is this going to be a thing? You getting me drinks?”
It takes a few seconds for Zitao to remember the last time they'd met, but when he does, he flushes and shrugs. “Well,” he says. “If you'd like.”
Now that they're both sober, Lu Han can see this sly glint in Zitao's eyes. If Lu Han didn't know any better, he'd think it was almost predatory, the way he shuffles just a hair too close to Lu Han to be strictly comfortable and grins down at him, all teeth. “Free shit? Now that sounds promising.” He carefully presses a lid down on his coffee and debates checking the time on his phone. If he doesn't know what time it is, he reasons, it doesn't count as running late.
“Look,” Zitao says, one hand shifting on his own coffee, the other toying with the end of his scarf. “I know you've probably got class or something, but can I have your number?”
There's something really, really appealing about how direct Zitao is being. It's not like Lu Han has never been pursued, but he always tends to be the one to make the first move. Not to mention, he expects a dreamy lit major like Zitao to spend months trying to woo him with long yearning stares from afar. Wouldn't be the first time.
This, though, this is a bit new. Zitao is already pulling out his phone and holding it out to Lu Han. “You can have mine too,” he says.
“Alright,” Lu Han agrees, amused. They swap phones and take a few seconds to enter their numbers, and when he hands Zitao back, he realizes he's kind of coming to appreciate that smug little smile he gets when he feels like he's won. “I really do have to go, though. See you around?”
Zitao nods. “Oh, yes.”
Fifteen minutes after he runs into class, Lu Han's phone vibrates in his pocket. He smiles.
-
Lu Han had really had no idea what he was getting himself into when he gave Zitao his number. He gets a text every single morning, wishing him a good day, littered with emoticons. Half the time he doesn't even understand them. They're nice, though, they make him smile.
Zitao texts him all of the time. Lu Han gets selcas and filtered pictures of Zitao's food. He doesn't even bother to check his phone when it feels it vibrate in his pocket, because he knows it's Zitao, sending him something silly.
It's nice, though. Lu Han's busy, in his last year of college, and he's got almost no time, between his thesis and that class picked up as a TA, but Zitao doesn't seem to mind. It takes weeks before they can meet up again, even just for coffee, and when Lu Han rounds the corner to find Zitao standing in front of the coffee shop, Zitao straightens immediately and his face creases into a bright smile.
“Hi,” he says. “Long time no see.” He holds out a hand and even though Lu Han laughs and rolls his eyes, he takes it, lacing their fingers together.
Zitao can't make a lot of money, he doesn't have a job, but he still insists on paying for Lu Han's complicated, pricey drink. Lu Han is planning on arguing, but Zitao shoulders in front of him, carefully counting out his coins, and it sends a shiver down Lu Han's spine. Who knew he liked a little chivalry? His fingers come to rest lightly against the small of Zitao's back and he presses his cheek to Zitao's shoulder for a second. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” Zitao replies, and his smile is near blinding.
They settle into a little table, and Lu Han shifts back in his seat. Zitao leans forward, resting his chin in his hand, eyes fixed on Lu Han. “I can't believe I finally got a second to breathe,” Lu Han tells him. He raises his eyebrows at Zitao over his coffee. “It's nice to see you again.” He snorts. “And not just in like, the dozens of selcas you send me daily.”
“Dozens?” Zitao scoffs. “How are you on the honour roll if you don't know how to count?”
The retort that Lu Han wants to snap back dies on his lips when his phone vibrates. He ignores it, but it goes off again, so he pulls it out. “Ah, shit,” he sighs, and across the table, he can just see Zitao's shoulders wilt. The texts are from Kyungsoo, and they make his stomach clench with guilt. “I forgot I had a tutoring session today, I'm sorry.”
“It's fine,” Zitao tells him, but his disappointment is written all over his face. He holds his coffee in front of him, both hands wrapped around the cup, and he doesn't look up. It doesn't take a mind reader to figure out what's going through his head. All that work, and now Lu Han's bailing.
“Raincheck?” Zitao nods and Lu Han sighs. “Zitao.” His eyes flick up again. “Giving up already?” The smile is back, creeping across Zitao's lips and making the corners of his mouth curl up. Lu Han grabs a hold of Zitao's horrible scarf and bends down to press a swift kiss to Zitao's lips. He tastes like that gross black coffee he drinks, but Lu Han doesn't even mind.
“Nope,” Zitao says when Lu Han straightens. “Not a chance.”
“Good,” Lu Han tells him, and with one final tug on Zitao's scarf, he slips out the door. He's not running, but he feels out of breath anyway. When his phone vibrates in his pocket, he laughs out loud, his chest light.
Speaking of freshman. “Hi,” the kid says. He's looming over Lu Han, a hair too close for comfort. “I'm Zitao.” Between that and the way that he wavers a little, Lu Han figures he has to be pretty drunk. He can't bring himself to mind, though, because his smile is earnest and, well, he's pretty cute. He looks familiar, though Lu Han can't quite place him.
“Nice to meet you,” Lu Han tells him amiably. Zitao's grin turns pleased, and oh, now that is nice, seeing him all lit up like that.
“Do you want a drink?” Zitao holds out a cup, eyes hopeful, and Lu Han takes it just so that he doesn't end up with it sloshed all over his front. When his fingers brush up against Zitao's, that's when he realizes it.
“Ah,” he says. “You're the lit major that's been trailing after Yifan like a baby duck.” Yifan had mentioned Zitao in passing, something about a new freshman he'd roped into running around and writing the human interest pieces for the school paper. He certainly looks the part. He's got a big scarf and a half dozen piercings in his ears, but Lu Han supposes he can let that slide because of how criminally tight his jeans are.
Zitao frowns for a second. “No,” he says. “I'm not a baby duck.” Lu Han doesn't even bother to hide his laughter, and he likes how flushed Zitao gets, confused and stumbling over his words. He doesn't, Lu Han notes, step away from him. “I'm not!” he insists. He tips his head. “You're friends with Yifan.”
It's not a question. “Yes,” Lu Han answers, anyway. “Why?”
Zitao's smile is back again, broad and pleased. “I know,” he says, and Lu Han snorts. “He told me you were coming.”
Lu Han carefully sets down the drink Zitao had handed him and raises his own to his mouth. This conversation is becoming circuitous and he's not sure he's drunk enough for it. “That's nice,” he says.
“I only wanted to come because of you,” Zitao admits, and Lu Han savours the tiny rush that sends through him. “I like you.”
“You don't know me,” Lu Han argues, but he can't pretend he doesn't like this. He sidles a little bit closer and tilts his head up. “How could you like me?”
Zitao shrugs. “I know what I like,” he suggests, fingers brushing unsteadily down Lu Han's arm, and Lu Han grins.
“Jesus, Zitao, there you are.” One solid arm folds around Zitao's middle and tugs him away. “You disappeared.” Minseok looks a bit harried, shakes his head. “Sorry, Lu Han. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on him.”
“Hyung,” Zitao beams, and he curls an arm around Minseok's shoulders in return.
Lu Han drains the rest of his drink and abandons it on a table. “Babysitting duty?” he asks Minseok. He's always liked Minseok, although that might have something with how easygoing he is. Even during exams, Minseok never objects to Lu Han waking him up at the crack of dawn to drag him out to play soccer.
Minseok shrugs and Zitao tips over to lean his head against the top of Minseok's. “I live near his dorm, I promised him a ride home.” He laughs and shakes his head. “I guess I forgot that probably meant making sure I didn't lose him in the process.”
“We can go home now, hyung,” Zitao says blearily. His eyes are fixed on Lu Han.
“Oh, we can?” Minseok drawls. “I have your permission?”
“Yes,” Zitao agrees, and Lu Han smirks.
“What a relief.” Minseok shifts his grip on Zitao's waist and rolls his eyes fondly. “See you tomorrow morning?”
“Bright and early.” Lu Han waves them off, and as much as he'll deny it later, his eyes follow them out of the room and his heart might miss a beat when Zitao looks back at him. Maybe. Freshman, he thinks. They get bolder every year.
And on that note... “Hey,” Lu Han says, sliding up between Yifan and his conquest. Nothing says party fun like cockblocking your best friend. The kid glances at Lu Han quickly, and then his focus heads right back to Yifan. Interesting. “Yifan, introduce me to your new friend.” Yifan's glare could boil his brain in his skull and Lu Han just grins back.
-
“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” Lu Han mutters. He's already late for class, he's got a headache, and now, when he needs coffee most, the line up is practically out the door. He debates just going straight to class instead, but he knows that part of the headache is a burning need for his daily dose of caffeine, so he resigns himself to the baleful eye of Professor Jung when he walks in late. It's too bad, really, because he likes Professor Jung. He's young and enthusiastic and endlessly patient with his students. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's incredibly handsome, too. Not that Lu Han has noticed.
For once, the campus baristas are moving efficiently and as he makes it up to the cash register, Lu Han is hopeful that he won't even be that late. He really, really wants to order his usual sugary monstrosity, but he knows it's a bit complicated and he needs to get out. He settles on just coffee, planning on loading it up with sugar, and when he fishes in his pocket for change, someone stops him. “I've got it.”
The voice, soft-spoken, is familiar, and Lu Han looks up to find Zitao smiling down at him, pleasantly. He has on this horrendous yellow and black scarf and Lu Han finds he likes Zitao's sharp eyes even more when they're not clouded with alcohol. “Hi,” he says, a bit dumbly. The barista clears her throat and Lu Han realizes they're holding up the line. “Sorry,” he says immediately, reaching for the cup in her hands and nodding in apology.
Zitao trails after him as he heads over to the little stand to dump sugar into his coffee. “That was nice of you,” Lu Han says after a second, stirring the sugar in. “Is this going to be a thing? You getting me drinks?”
It takes a few seconds for Zitao to remember the last time they'd met, but when he does, he flushes and shrugs. “Well,” he says. “If you'd like.”
Now that they're both sober, Lu Han can see this sly glint in Zitao's eyes. If Lu Han didn't know any better, he'd think it was almost predatory, the way he shuffles just a hair too close to Lu Han to be strictly comfortable and grins down at him, all teeth. “Free shit? Now that sounds promising.” He carefully presses a lid down on his coffee and debates checking the time on his phone. If he doesn't know what time it is, he reasons, it doesn't count as running late.
“Look,” Zitao says, one hand shifting on his own coffee, the other toying with the end of his scarf. “I know you've probably got class or something, but can I have your number?”
There's something really, really appealing about how direct Zitao is being. It's not like Lu Han has never been pursued, but he always tends to be the one to make the first move. Not to mention, he expects a dreamy lit major like Zitao to spend months trying to woo him with long yearning stares from afar. Wouldn't be the first time.
This, though, this is a bit new. Zitao is already pulling out his phone and holding it out to Lu Han. “You can have mine too,” he says.
“Alright,” Lu Han agrees, amused. They swap phones and take a few seconds to enter their numbers, and when he hands Zitao back, he realizes he's kind of coming to appreciate that smug little smile he gets when he feels like he's won. “I really do have to go, though. See you around?”
Zitao nods. “Oh, yes.”
Fifteen minutes after he runs into class, Lu Han's phone vibrates in his pocket. He smiles.
-
Lu Han had really had no idea what he was getting himself into when he gave Zitao his number. He gets a text every single morning, wishing him a good day, littered with emoticons. Half the time he doesn't even understand them. They're nice, though, they make him smile.
Zitao texts him all of the time. Lu Han gets selcas and filtered pictures of Zitao's food. He doesn't even bother to check his phone when it feels it vibrate in his pocket, because he knows it's Zitao, sending him something silly.
It's nice, though. Lu Han's busy, in his last year of college, and he's got almost no time, between his thesis and that class picked up as a TA, but Zitao doesn't seem to mind. It takes weeks before they can meet up again, even just for coffee, and when Lu Han rounds the corner to find Zitao standing in front of the coffee shop, Zitao straightens immediately and his face creases into a bright smile.
“Hi,” he says. “Long time no see.” He holds out a hand and even though Lu Han laughs and rolls his eyes, he takes it, lacing their fingers together.
Zitao can't make a lot of money, he doesn't have a job, but he still insists on paying for Lu Han's complicated, pricey drink. Lu Han is planning on arguing, but Zitao shoulders in front of him, carefully counting out his coins, and it sends a shiver down Lu Han's spine. Who knew he liked a little chivalry? His fingers come to rest lightly against the small of Zitao's back and he presses his cheek to Zitao's shoulder for a second. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” Zitao replies, and his smile is near blinding.
They settle into a little table, and Lu Han shifts back in his seat. Zitao leans forward, resting his chin in his hand, eyes fixed on Lu Han. “I can't believe I finally got a second to breathe,” Lu Han tells him. He raises his eyebrows at Zitao over his coffee. “It's nice to see you again.” He snorts. “And not just in like, the dozens of selcas you send me daily.”
“Dozens?” Zitao scoffs. “How are you on the honour roll if you don't know how to count?”
The retort that Lu Han wants to snap back dies on his lips when his phone vibrates. He ignores it, but it goes off again, so he pulls it out. “Ah, shit,” he sighs, and across the table, he can just see Zitao's shoulders wilt. The texts are from Kyungsoo, and they make his stomach clench with guilt. “I forgot I had a tutoring session today, I'm sorry.”
“It's fine,” Zitao tells him, but his disappointment is written all over his face. He holds his coffee in front of him, both hands wrapped around the cup, and he doesn't look up. It doesn't take a mind reader to figure out what's going through his head. All that work, and now Lu Han's bailing.
“Raincheck?” Zitao nods and Lu Han sighs. “Zitao.” His eyes flick up again. “Giving up already?” The smile is back, creeping across Zitao's lips and making the corners of his mouth curl up. Lu Han grabs a hold of Zitao's horrible scarf and bends down to press a swift kiss to Zitao's lips. He tastes like that gross black coffee he drinks, but Lu Han doesn't even mind.
“Nope,” Zitao says when Lu Han straightens. “Not a chance.”
“Good,” Lu Han tells him, and with one final tug on Zitao's scarf, he slips out the door. He's not running, but he feels out of breath anyway. When his phone vibrates in his pocket, he laughs out loud, his chest light.
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(i might still be a little drunk.)
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Lu Han grabs a hold of Zitao's horrible scarf and bends down to press a swift kiss to Zitao's lips. He tastes like that gross black coffee he drinks, but Lu Han doesn't even mind.
i have floated into the sun and burnt to a crisp
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especially this fic. tao is an adorable little freshman and the selcas and pictures and emoticons~ wah, I feeling like I'm drowning in fluff.
<3
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i love younger, but direct and chivalrous zitao and surprisingly-liking-to-be taken care of lu han. or something more eleoquent than that XD
but this is my favorite taohan that i've read ♥ so so perfect
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Here is greedy me wishing that you continue this universe and these lovely couples down the road.
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