Airport            |   Implied Lu Han/Jongin          |     PG

Drabble          |   677 words                                

heavily inspired by Lu Han's airport photo.

The picture is not mine; I give credit to lucky0420 as stated in the photo,

and tumblr as the vehicle from which this drabble was born. 

Mostly told from Lu Han's POV, it is also very much Lu Han-centric,

and the lukai shipper in me had to add hints of lukai just to appease my muse.

Still, I hope you enjoy.

He walks, arms heavy with the physical manifestation of his fans’ adoring love. His heart feels heavy with each gift shoved unto him, and so he says thank you as sincerely and earnestly and hopes that for the moment it is enough.

And so Lu Han sits in the place where all roads meet into the confluence of life, or the imitation of it.

He sits and basks in the music-- there's the melodious voices of TVXQ spilling from the earphones settled on his neck; but there is also the discordance of fans screaming, biting words of people too stressed and too tired to even muster a gentle thought, the bursts of laughter from the family sitting a few feet away.

He belongs here. Somewhat.

He's forgotten how many tracks he left here, and he thinks, ah, I passed by this spot before; I warmed that seat across from me. I've pressed an arm against his shoulder in that very stretch of the walkway; I've kissed his forehead in that very place where the heat of the sun warmed the floor.

He smiles at the memory, and like clockwork, he hears the hushed whispers of fans speculating.

He knows there will be a million theories by tomorrow of why he's sitting here by himself, with a wistful smile on his face, but he thinks they won't come close to the truth.

He breathes, and he smells the food wafting from the mother who is feeding her child with store bought sustenance, and his mouth waters. He looks away. He catches the eye of a fan and when she sees his welcoming smile, she gathers enough courage to ask for his autograph.

He signs with a flourish, tells her to take care of herself and to study well, and she nods, eager to please.

He's left in the in betweens. This is the place where it's not really part of anywhere, just the means to an end, and people are never going to remember anything much about this place, because it just phases out from memory.

An accessory to the destination.

Still, he peruses his surroundings with amazement. It's jam packed and inconsistent; some places are dingy with lighting but some are exposed to too harsh brightness, washing out people's complexions. 

He nods to acknowledge the people waving at him from afar, grateful that they're not trying to smother him with their enduring affection, leaving him with no room to breathe. He glances around, counting the ticking of the clock.

Everyone is waiting, but there's still a long time to go.

So he thinks of things not meant to be and things inconceivable; of things beautiful and deadly; of harsh breaths on pale sweaty skin and plush lips closing over the skin of his shoulder, legs tangled together in a bed too small for two; he thinks of sweet soft smiles and the brush of a hand over his, warm and secure. The word fate dangles tantalizingly over his mind's eye before he brushes it off, shoving it to the deepest recesses of his mind.

He'd like to think his future wasn't set in stone from the beginning, that his life was choices and happiness and bad decisions and just Lu Han.

He hears the PA system announcing flight after flight and people with their bags rushing to and fro, passports and tickets in their hands.

He tunes them out, grabs his headphones and settles it over his ears, drowning out the cacophony, lets his eyes rest from all the chaos it was engaging.

Maybe he's fallen asleep, or maybe he's just given his eyes a bit of a respite, but the next thing he sees when he opens his eyes is the bright glaring red of the sign announcing his flight. He stands, takes all of luggage, and departs.

Amidst the cheering of the crowd, over the clamor of his fans wishing him well and screaming take care’s and we love you, Lu Han! on the top of their lungs, he thinks,

I'm coming home, Jongin.

Please don't forget to comment! <3

Thank you for reading!