Graduate School - Year 1

Some two odd weeks before Luhan begins his first year as a grad student, Tao calls Luhan to his new office for a chat.

"I'd like you to be a TA for Chanyeol's freshman English classes." Tao giggles and Luhan thinks it's very strange to suddenly be on the same level as the people who were his teachers in undergrad for four years. "He could use a little guidance," Tao concludes, still amused.

Luhan agrees—it's a great opportunity but Tao's also his academic mentor so what else can Luhan say but "Of course!"? Minseok congratulates him sincerely when Luhan gets home that night, but Jongdae grimaces at the thought of being stuck with Park Chanyeol any longer than necessary.

"It's bad enough that he and Junmyeon are friends and I have to see the big oaf every Thursday when he pops in for lunch," he complains with a longsuffering sigh. Minseok and Luhan know that he's missing Sehun a lot lately, and living with them as a third wheel certainly doesn't help, so they just smile sympathetically and Minseok heads to the fridge to grab Jongdae another beer. Jongdae takes the beer, and his friends' suggestion that he visit his boyfriend in China over autumn break.

The holiday does him good. When he returns from the long weekend it's clear that he hasn't slept a wink, but he's also much brighter and more cheerful by the time midterms hit at the end of October.

Chanyeol's cheerful too, though this is mostly because he's got Luhan to do all the exam grading for him while he blissfully attends meetings for the XiuHan Appreciation Club and tries to be subtle when asking after Minseok.

Luhan looks up from the long essay section he's grading and scratches the back of his neck.

"Um," he replies, unsure why Chanyeol is asking him this. "He's good, I guess?"

"And how's that new job treating him?" Chanyeol presses on, oblivious.

"He likes it?"

Luhan doesn't offer anything else so Chanyeol leaves him alone after that and later tells the Club that his ninja interrogation tactics were sadly unsuccessful.

Jongin snorts at this—he wouldn't use the word ninja to describe Park Chanyeol, not ever. Chanyeol takes this reaction as an insult and it's up to Kyungsoo, Jongin's husband and an unwitting club member, to bring the meeting back to order.

He's successful, if only because Chanyeol finds Kyungsoo's dour personality somewhat off-putting. They end their get-together with coffee refills and promises to meet again in November with more ideas. Kyungsoo let's Jongin drag him off to the park to watch the autumn leaves fall, but Chanyeol is content to stay in the cafe with Baekhyun on his lap and senior theses on the table, waiting to be edited.

Somehow Luhan gets roped into looking over those, too, even though he has it in writing from Tao that he's only the TA over the freshmen. He complains about this to his supervisor, bringing a latte with cute art on top to soften the blow so Tao doesn't suddenly burst into tears—which, according to Junmyeon by way of Jongdae, he's been known to do.

"But you're just so great at it," Tao appeases, his upper lip white with a bit of leftover foam. "And Chanyeol would never have made it through finals this semester without you. He's really, really grateful, I'm sure."

Luhan's not nearly as sure about this as Tao is, but he accepts the compliment with a heavy sigh and resigns himself to another semester of catering to Chanyeol's whims.

Winter holidays feel much shorter than anyone would like. Having a real life job means Minseok barely gets any time off, and this when Luhan still gets a solid month between December and January. Sehun doesn't make enough to buy a ticket home, so Jongdae surprises him on Christmas Eve and they post enough half-clothed selfies on Instagram for Minseok and Luhan to know they're having a good time. This makes it all the more difficult for Jongdae to come back to work, so he and Luhan spend a lot of time commiserating together over hot chocolate and biscotti once the spring semester begins on the third week of January.

They're in the cafe, sitting across from each other at the same table where Minseok and Luhan used to play footsies while studying, when a girl Luhan vaguely recognizes from one of Chanyeol's spring semester classes comes up to them. She's smiling and sort of red in the face, though the wind has been sort of strong lately and she could just be cold. But she also has a box of what is clearly chocolate hidden behind her back and her smile is too bashful to bode well for either of the table's occupants.

Jongdae, ever the observant psychologist, notices these details immediately and throws his hands up like a shield in front of his face. "I have a boyfriend!" He practically shouts, adding an falsely demure "I'm gay, you know," when the girl just looks at him, puzzled.

"That's nice?" She replies like she doesn't know why he's telling her this, and her confusion is explained when she holds out the chocolates to Luhan, and not to Jongdae at all.

He murmurs a quiet "Oh," while Luhan tries not to laugh at the poor girl's confession. He's her TA, for God's sake, but he's also a solid four years older than her, so aside from the obvious reasons he'd reject her feelings, there's the inappropriateness of that , too.

"Actually," he answers after a moment in which he runs a hand through his hair and clears his throat awkwardly, "I already have someone I like." She looks disappointed so he adds a soft "I'm sorry," and means it.

"Is it him?" She points at Jongdae skeptically.

The man in question snorts an indignant "As if!" But Luhan responds more gently.

"He actually doesn't go to school here anymore but I've liked him for a very long time."

She nods once, sharply, then pulls the proffered chocolates back into her embrace and rushes out the cafe door, her embarrassment clear on her cheeks. Luhan lets out a breathy laugh after she's gone and Jongdae, noting this reaction, breaks into a boisterous chuckle.

"Just wait until I get home to tell Minseok about this," he gloats, though Luhan's not sure why Jongdae's so pleased. The poor girl had really been very sweet about the whole thing and it's not her fault that Luhan's heart already belongs to someone else.

Still, he can't help but hold up his phone and smirk. "Not if I tell him first!"

They nearly break their thumbs trying to text Minseok before the other, and by the time he responds, to Luhan's message first of course, the incident of the girl's confession is just an amusing memory filed away with the rest of Luhan's grad school experiences.

It's a while before Luhan even thinks of his admirer again, but Jongdae takes great pleasure in telling Junmyeon about the whole event. Junmyeon, of course, tells Tao. He, in turn, joins the XAC as a temporary member and gleefully relates the tale to the four people on campus who are more invested in Luhan's relationship status than probably anyone else.

"He said that?!" Baekhyun gasps like the reason for Luhan's rejection comes as a surprise to any of them.

"I knew it!" Jongin agrees, and Chanyeol nods vigorously, his eyes suspiciously glassy.

Kyungsoo's really the only one who doesn't react with unnecessary dramatics. Tap appreciates this because he personally thinks that shipping people in real life is a waste of time. Besides, Minseok's graduated already; why do Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Jongin still care?

Tao gets no answer to this, but the question floats around in his mind whenever Luhan comes to his office to complain about Chanyeol. Luhan also occasionally updates his mentor on his academic growth, like he's actually supposed to be doing in the first place, but Tao finds he's less invested in Luhan's studies than he is in Luhan's relationship with Minseok.

This realization comes during spring break. With it comes a total breakdown because Tao's a sworn non-believer and now he feels like a flake. Junmyeon comforts his boyfriend the best he can but even an impromptu shopping spree, courtesy of Junmyeon's wallet, can keep Tao smiling for long. It's not until the university reopens a week later and Tao joins the Club as an official member that the cheerful personality Junmyeon fell in love with finally returns. Grateful for the reappearance of Tao's happiness, Junmyeon decides to join too, so by the time midterms are over and April rolls around, the Xiuhan Appreciation Club has grown remarkably.

There's no longer enough space for the six professors to sit at the table where the Club formerly met, so their April meeting is instead held at a larger table in the back. This part of the cafe is much more secluded than the table by the window that the initial members are used to, but it's also much closer to Minseok and Luhan's special seats.

Luhan's there, at his and Minseok's table, when Chanyeol and the others gather one week into April. He's actually doing his own schoolwork and not grading Chanyeol's papers, for once, so he offers a polite wave and hello of acknowledgement but is quick to return to his studies as soon as the faculty find the roomier table and sit down.

They have to whisper and use code to still talk about their OTP even though one half of that pairing is barely two tables away, but this doesn't put a damper of the usual excitement. Chanyeol thinks it's actually more exciting this way and Tao, surprising everyone, says he thinks so too. It seems that once he commits to something the Chinese professor goes all in. This realization makes the more fervent Club members, specifically Jongin and Baekhyun, bouncy with exhilaration and leaves Kyungsoo exchanging looks of fond exasperation with Junmyeon.

"Is it always like this?" Junmyeon wonders, later when the meeting's over and he's got Kyungsoo in his office with Jongdae listening in with no shame on the other side of the door.

"They're terrible together," Kyungsoo huffs but he's amused. "It's endearing too, of course, but I really don't get the appeal."

Junmyeon shrugs; he doesn't get it either. "To each his own, I suppose."

"And then there's the two of us," Kyungsoo says.

Junmyeon laughs. "Indeed."

Jongdae wastes no time in texting Minseok what he's just learned. Minseok replies that he and Luhan already know about their professors' strange obsession.

"It's a good laugh," Minseok tells Jongdae over convenience store ramen that they're scarfing down for a quick lunch before Jongdae goes back to work and Minseok goes to the cafe to meet Luhan. "Feel free to tell Sehunnie about it too, if you'd like."

Jongdae grins at his friend with a mouthful of noodles. They both know Jongdae's already told his boyfriend everything.

"Feel free to tell Luhan about it too," Jongdae mimics childishly. As with Sehun, there's nothing to tell so Minseok just sticks out his tongue at his friend, quickly chugs the leftover broth out of the styrofoam, and yells a laughing goodbye over his shoulder as he leaves. Jongdae pours into his leftovers at being abandoned but then he checks his watch, realizes he should have been back to Junmyeon's office five minutes ago, and rushes out too.

He's windswept and out of breath, and Junmyeon shoots him an odd look for it, when he gets back to work, but when Minseok gets to the cafe and makes his way inside to find Luhan, his breathing is perfectly normal and there's not a hair on his head that's out of place. Jongdae has no way of knowing this, of course, so the difference doesn't particularly matter, but Luhan's perfection never ceases to leave Minseok breathless so he, at least, is glad to still look somewhat composed.

Luhan tells Minseok he looks wonderful because Minseok might not believe him when he says this, but Luhan swears Minseok's perfection does the same things to him as Luhan's apparently does to Minseok. He doesn't get up to hug or kiss the Korean boy hello, but when Minseok pulls out the chair and sits down across from Luhan, the TA's feet are quick to settle in the trap between Minseok's legs, just like they always do.

"It's hard to hold hands when you're not sitting next to me," Luhan whines, feeling particularly petulant after suffering through the (mostly) terribly written essays on Plato's Republic that Chanyeol's assigned for the final.

"We never sit together when we're here," Minseok points out obstinately. Luhan rubs a foot along the inside seam of Minseok's jeans and smirks when Minseok lets out a tiny yelp of surprise.

"Don't you argue with me, Kim Minseok," Luhan warns him. "I've got all sorts of tricks up my sleeve."

He proves this by sliding his foot even higher, along Minseok's thigh and toward his crotch, and Minseok practically falls over himself to relocate to the seat next to Luhan instead of across from him.

Once he's seated and Luhan's still smirking, it's Minseok's turn to whine. "So mean to me," he hides his face and mumbles into Luhan's shoulder.

"Whatever," Luhan counters smoothly. "You love it."

Minseok is all set to respond by rolling his eyes but still admitting that, yes, he really does, when someone clears their throats and startles the two boys apart.

"It's you!" Luhan remarks, surprised to see the girl who'd confessed to him so long ago, way back in January. She must have transferred out of Chanyeol's class because Luhan hadn't seen her again after that, but here she is now, standing in front of them and frowning.

Minseok's confused. "Who?" He whispers, trying to find out how Luhan knows this girl without risking having her glare him. He fails miserably. She looks from Luhan to Minseok and her frown deepens as she crosses her arms over her chest and continues to glare.

Finally, she speaks. "You know he has a crush on you," she asks Minseok, tone nasty. "Right?"

Well that's petty. And a little bit overdue, to be honest. Also, Luhan doesn't quite know how she arrived at this conclusion based on the little information he gave her before, but she's not wrong so really she's the only one surprised when Minseok flat out giggles.

"Oh god," he responds through his laughter. "I certainly hope so. Otherwise this would be really awkward."

He means this like the two of them, together, but he also makes sure to lift their hands, entwined but previously resting under the table, to show the girl what he means.

The girl's face colors but her gaze remains harsh as she turns to Luhan. "You only said you had someone you like," she accuses. "Not that you were dating."

Now Luhan's laughing. "I barely know you! Why would I tell you if I'm dating someone?"

Minseok holds up their hands again. "Which he is."

Luhan nods. "Which I am," he agrees.

The girl's eyes narrow and she turns abruptly to flounce out the door in a huff. Minseok and Luhan are simultaneously so flabbergasted and amused that they don't pay her much notice. Minseok returns to his nuzzling while a highly distracted Luhan attempts to grade papers with only one hand, and neither of them see the curl of victory on the girl's lips as she leaves.

Theirs is a world only big enough for two, but so is Kyungsoo and Jongin's, and Junmyeon and Tao's, which is why the girl's small smile becomes a satisfied grin when she repeats, verbatim, what Luhan and Minseok said back at the cafe and waits, with her palm outstretched, for the promised money.

The deal they'd made—she and Kyungsoo, and later Junmyeon—was the payment of 200,000 won for explicit confirmation of a relationship. Kyungsoo opens his wallet, pulls out a crisp 100,000 won bill—this one courtesy of Junmyeon—and places the money in her hand.

The girl's not enrolled in anything he or Junmyeon are teaching in the upcoming semester, and he'd never stoop so low as to threaten her grades anyway, but he still keeps his tone firm when he says "Speak of this to no one," and walks away.

The girl rolls her eyes at his retreating figure but happily stuffs the money into her purse, right next to the now crumpled 100,00 won bill that Professor Do had given her right at the start of the spring semester.

Easy money, she thinks, taking her phone from her pocket to text her girlfriend as she walks down the sidewalk back to her dorm. And now she has enough to treat Amber, for once, instead of the other way around.

Happy anniversary, her message says. Dinner's on me.

The girl smiles down at her phone when it vibrates with a reply almost instantly and her girlfriend's response is nothing but line after line of smiling, heart-eyed emojis.

How is this so long.