He is dreaming. Lu Han thinks it’s only a dream because there's an angel in his dream, a vision, if not a deity's facade carefully being constructed in view. The angel’s face is close to his—so close in fact that if he were to tip his head forward, their noses would touch. The idea warms him even though he knows not who the angel is, and though it’s just a dream.

A really, really good dream.

He tries to delve more into what the dream is composed of—the angel’s eyes like chocolate orbs so deep Lu Han could get lost in them, his jaw that is perfectly chiseled, voice that is just so heavenly when he says…

“Hello!”

Wait a minute.

“AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

A loud thud resonates from the floor after Lu Han rolls and falls off his bed. On the other bed, Minseok shoots up from where he was previously slumbering to raise kung fu arms at the intruder who just happens to be—

“Jongin!? What on earth are you doing here??”

At least Jongin has the decency to look guilty as he discovers the racket that was made due to his invasion of other people’s dorm room. The magnitude of the trouble he is in hits him as he takes in Minseok yelling, especially because Minseok never yells.

“I – I – I just wanted to come g-get Lu Han-hyung to practice the new routine with me,” he squeaks. Kim Jongin, alluring sensual god on the dance floor is damn squeaking because Kim Minseok is ing angry.

Lu Han emerges from the pile of blankets he was previously hiding underneath when he thought they were being attacked by a crazed serial killer whose face had been hovering over his on the bed earlier, to grab at the clock on top of his bedside table. “For god’s sake, Jongin! It’s only four in the morning! Even when we were trainees we didn’t have to be up at this ungodly hour.”

“I’m really s-sorry. I just wanted to go practice but nobody wants to go with me a-and I thought you might w-want to, hyung,” Jongin replies, head bowed low and absentmindedly scratching fingernails across the mattress and – is he seriously looking like he wants to cry?

Lu Han’s previous comment resurfaces in his mind: maknaes are a pain in the behind, because even though Jongin is not the official maknae, he’s still just a kid. Testament to that is how he has perfected the guilty slash tryna-be-cute slash just-really-wanna-make-my-hyung-do-what-I-want-him-to kind of look.

He exhales a huge lot, conceding that the number of hours in which he gets to sleep more has now been reduced to nada. “Alright,” he says finally, “but just wait for me outside before Minseok here decides to kung fu you for real.”

Jongin quickly gets off the bed and scuttles out of Minseok’s sight.

***

“Do you really – practice this early?” There is a yawn wedged between the two halves of Lu Han’s question as he follows Jongin into one of the empty dance studios. He is grateful for the younger turning only dim lighting on, because the likelihood of a headache is now hovering above him like a predator waiting to pounce. Leaning against one of the mirrors, he allows himself to slide down, landing his on the floor, and closes his eyes.

“Hyuuuung,” Jongin whines, a fist on each side of his hips. “We need to practice.”

“Actually, we don’t.” Lu Han dares to compel an eye open, which he shouldn’t have done to avoid seeing Jongin’s pout – another very effective maknae technique. “Fine, I’m up.”

He shuffles towards the middle of the studio as Jongin proceeds to turn on an iPod. Pretty soon, the speakers are blaring with the main song they are to dance to in their next comeback stage.

Before rehearsals can commence, however, a tall, lanky, alabaster-skinned boy, bursts into the room looking like he'd been mauled by a beast. Wisps of his parrot feather-hair are sticking out from his head in all directions like skyscrapers and varied versions of the leaning tower of Pisa. Panda eyes that shame Zitao's identifying look sweep scathingly across the shiny wooden floors to a Kim Jongin who, at the darned hour, said pale boy really wants to attack. A shout rents the air on top of Growl Korean version as Sehun strides towards his target with a prosecuting index finger. "YOU!"

Half-amusement, half-pity fills Lu Han as Jongin is confronted by Sehun when the other cannot use maknae-line privileges to get out of trouble. He is careful not to make a sound when Sehun storms past him, because the maknae looks like he's going to annihilate anyone in his way.

"WILL YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY MY BLASTED PHONE IS SCREECHING AN ALARM EVERY FIVE SECONDS?"

Jongin backs away against a mirror-less wall, Sehun's frame looming over him—all the while mumbling incoherent apologies and explanations that only seem to infuriate the latter. He mouths help me to Lu Han, which scares him because now Sehun has noticed his presence too!

The maknae whips his head around with predatory eyes slowly focusing on him. "Lu Han hyung?"

"Hi," he replies. Deep inside, it's Eep!

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I uh—I came with Jongin to practice the new dance steps because nobody else was available." He doesn't say it's all Jongin's idea; the dancer is in deep enough trouble as it is.

"At this hour?" Sehun asks, features morphing into dumbfounded rather than furious. "And you set the alarm because you wanted me to join you?"

Jongin can only nod meekly as Sehun's eyes land on him once more. The latter seems lost in thought for what the other two think is a looong while until his face draws its normal neutrality. "Why didn't you just say so last night? I could've gotten out of bed on my own."

He stretches his arms like it were any casual day, walking to the centre of the room, and looks back at his two companions who are navigating through the sudden shift of atmosphere with bated breath. "Well," he says, "let's do this."

Both Jongin and Lu Han scramble to stand on each of Sehun's side, the former just managing to press the replay button.

***

It’s in similar situations that Lu Han finds himself for the following days—sans dorm room ruckuses and people with murderous glances because Jongin has finally learned that yanking people from the arms of sleep can lead to severe consequences. They still have very early morning rehearsals with Sehun as the release date of their new music video approaches, as well as the drama version of their first album.

If not caught in the whirlwind of their unremitting schedules, he finds himself jammed between two maknaes. They are now the clingiest bunch that even Kris has taken to calling them the trio. It shouldn’t be that unusual, except that Jongin refuses to let anyone else into their little bubble, depriving even Zitao of being able to hang out with Sehun, and Lu Han has a very good idea why.

He thinks it's endearing the way Jongin is making an effort, though the why is still a little lost. Still, it's becoming increasingly hilarious that Jongin finds every opportunity to glue HunHan together like his life depended on it, but with little to no amount of subtlety. It's too obvious not to miss the way Jongin purposefully leaves them alone together, only to come back when Lu Han and Sehun create spaces between them for just a little while.

"Jongin, I know what you're trying to do and I'm telling you to quit it."

The dancer tears his gaze away from his phone in alarm. "But I've always ordered chicken in the morning, hyung! You know when Kyungsoo says I can even order chicken with my eyes closed, it's true! I love chicken and chicken loves me—"

"Not that, you idiot," Lu Han says with a laugh. "I'm talking about how you're pushing me—scratch that, shoving me towards admitting... certain feelings for uhm, a certain maknae."

"But I'm not doing that."

"Liars don't get chicken."

"Okayyyy so maybe I'm really convinced on shipping the two of you, why can't you just make our dreams come true?"

"What." He gazes at Jongin like he just grew another head.

"It's what the fangirls say about HunHan. They even write stories about you guys, stories about loooove," Jongin singsongs, waggling his eyebrows silly and making heart shapes with his hands to and from his chest; Lu Han thinks this might not be the same person the fans say has smoldering, seductive eyes.

"Imagine what they say about KaiLu."

"What's that?"

"KaiLu," Lu Han repeats, chortling. "It's what they were screaming at our showcase in China. I looked it up and apparently it's when the fans ship you and me."

An odd expression crosses Jongin's face, making the older one wonder if he said something wrong. "They ship us?"

"Well, yeah," Lu Han replies, a rather warm sensation mapping into his cheeks. "Apparently, they can ship anybody. There's KaiSoo too—you know, you and Kyungsoo."

"But Kyungsoo is just my hyung!"

"And you're just an annoying second maknae, who would be less annoying if you buy me chicken this time."

“Actually, I sort of left my money in the dorm,” Jongin begins not-so-guiltily, earning him a glare. “And I’ve called in the chicken so it’s on its way.”

Lu Han groans at the same time his wallet probably starts wailing.

***

That night, Jongin finds himself scrolling through fan conversations about HunHan. EXO fans are really smart, he reflects, and so they might give him an idea as to how to uphold the sacred ship that should be sailing through the seas. Lu Han can be evasive all he wants, but Jongin is not giving up.

His efforts are rewarded when he comes across a gif picture of Lu Han and Sehun doing funny antics. A fan has commented: “Lu Han and Sehun must feel sparks when they’re together! Kyaaa~” Jongin inwardly coos at such a cute moment, until he feels a sudden lurch in his stomach that he’s always attributed to feeling sympathy for Lu Han’s undisclosed feelings. Not to worry, hyung, he whispers, I’m working on it.

That’s when a eureka moment lights up the bulb in his head. That’s it! He just has to make Lu Han and Sehun feel sparks! Beaming like he’s just been presented a chicken as offering, Jongin turns off the laptop and starts forming a new plan in his head.

***

Days later, Jongin is frustrated at how his plan has produced zilch. As a matter of fact, he hasn’t even come up with a detailed strategy, because how on earth do you make people feel sparks? And for the love of all the chicken in the world, what exactly are sparks? He has half the mind to try making Lu Han and Sehun feel an electric current, just a weak one, but that’s probably dangerous, bordering on deadly, and he doesn’t even know how to do that either.

He drops on the studio floor and gripes unintelligibly, arms flapping, drawing weird glances from the other members.

“Maybe he’s just tired from all the dancing,” Minseok murmurs to Lu Han’s ear as Jongin turns into a full-thrashing mess.

Lu Han shrugs his shoulders when he sees Junmyeon approaching the dancer, but makes a mental note to check up on Jongin too.

“Are you okay?”

Jongin has been alternating between pouting and sighing and taking massive breaths for the past half-hour since they got back to the dorm after a day of rehearsals. He tilts his head to peek at Lu Han’s worried expression, realizing he might be looking on the outside the chaos he’s feeling on the inside. All he wants is to make Lu Han happy, and the answer to that is by making him get together with Sehun, which Jongin is failing at. Why is it too difficult?

When he hasn’t replied to Lu Han’s query because of the internal conflict he’s battling in his head, the older one prods, “Will it cheer you up if I buy you another bucket of chicken?”

Lu Han is a really good hyung, especially to him. Why can’t Jongin return that goodness back?

Lu Han lifts his hand to feel Jongin’s forehead. “You’re not feeling sick, are you? You’ve just been offered free chicken and you don’t even bat an eyelash.”

The second mention of chicken snaps Jongin to attention, which makes Lu Han laugh. No more words are needed in confirmation. “Very well,” Lu Han says cheerfully, “I will place an order for delivery.”

Just before he stands up from their place on the couch, his arm brushes with Jongin’s. Out of the blue, the touch zaps them with a force that may well be an electric shock.

“Oh!” Jongin jerks from his slouched position, his thoroughly stunned expression amusing the older male.

“It must be the static build-up, Jonginnie,” Lu Han says simply. “I’ll go make that call, okay?”

He leaves the dancer behind, not knowing that another battle has been waged inside Jongin’s head because... did sparks just happen?

A/N: This is for Sam, who floods me with love and virtual flowers. Turns out I can complete a chapter even with a burning fever when properly motivated. <3

A little bit is for B, even though she's no EXO fan, for having phone alarms spaced at five-second intervals, and still she won't wake up.

Please tell me what you think of this chapter. Huhu