It’s not like Luhan set out to make an enemy out of everyone in Minseok’s family (besides the man himself).

It’s not like Luhan wanted the world to be against him.

It’s not like he wanted to lose Minseok.

~*~*~*~*~

“You’re sure this is okay?” Luhan whispers for the umpteenth time, gripping Minseok’s hand as the latter reaches out to the ring the doorbell of his family’s house.

“Of course.” Minseok smiles, although it doesn’t quite reach his eyes the way they normally do.

“Minseok…”

Luhan is unable to finish his statement, as the door opens, revealing a small woman with Minseok’s eyes that Luhan assumes is his mother.

“Minseok! We haven’t seen you in ages,” she says, and Minseok leans down to kiss her on the cheek.

“Hey, mom.”

“Who’s this?” she asks, turning her head to face Luhan, and Luhan feels his face burning up under her gaze—she seems to see straight through him, all his deepest secrets brought to light just from one look.

(Just like Minseok, he realizes.)

“This is Luhan,” Minseok replies, and he squeezes his and Luhan’s joined hands. Minseok’s mother’s eyes flash downward at the movement, and her jaw clenches almost imperceptibly.

“Well, why don’t you come in,” she says, and Luhan can hear her fighting to keep her tone neutral and polite—surely, she wants to throw him out, wants to scream at him for corrupting her perfect Korean son, what kind of nonsense are they teaching those kids in China?—but there are no words said as the air grows thick and tense.

“Your father’s in his study right now, but he’ll be out soon, I’ll tell him you’re here.”

Minseok’s mother leaves, but the tension remains, and Luhan swallows thickly.

“She doesn’t like me.”

“Luhan, it’s fine,” Minseok murmurs, but his voice is strained and he rubs the back of Luhan’s hand with his thumb, a sure sign that he’s nervous.

The room falls silent, and Luhan’s eyes dart around the room restlessly, landing on random objects throughout the room—the thin, grey film of dust covering the coffee table and the bookshelf; the family photos on the wall, showing Minseok in his various stages of life, from adorable baby to dapper college graduate; the white coffee cup perched precariously on the arm of a chair.

“Minseok.”

The gruff voice pulls Minseok and Luhan to their feet, bowing the requisite ninety degrees to Minseok’s father.

“Father, this is Luhan,” Minseok says, nudging Luhan forward slightly, and he stumbles, not expecting the push.

Minseok’s father says nothing, merely looking him over once before grunting.

“Your mother made dinner.”

They follow Minseok’s father to the dinner table, and sit down in silence as Minseok’s mother places dishes at the table.

Minseok and Luhan thank her for the food, and everyone begins to eat; the air is unbroken by conversation. Luhan almost can’t stand it; he’s used to casual, easy dinners with Minseok, where they talk about anything and everything and nothing at the same time, because that’s just how easy it is for them to be together.

“Min-ah, when were you going to tell us you were dating a man?”

Minseok coughs on his tea, massaging his throat as he sets the cup back down. “Today.”

“How long have the two of you been together?” she asks, in full-on protective mother mode now. “Do you live together?”

“Almost two years, now. And yes, we live together.”

Minseok reaches for Luhan hand under the table, squeezing gently, and Luhan swallows thickly, praying to anyone, anything, that Minseok’s parents will approve.

“You aren’t having , right?” Minseok’s father mutters, seemingly more to himself than anyone else, and Luhan fights hard to prevent his cheeks from tinting red. He sneaks a peek to the side, and he can tell that Minseok’s doing the same, as he shakes his head quickly and vehemently.

“Well,” Minseok’s mother sighs, “if the two of you are happy, there isn’t really much we can do about that, is there?”

“Huh?” Luhan exclaims, before he can really begin to gather his thoughts. “You-you’re really—”

“No kissing,” Minseok’s father says. “And no in the house, either. I don’t let your brother do that with his girlfriend, and you’re no exception.”

“Thank you, thank you so much,” Minseok says, but Luhan’s mind has already wandered, a habit which he probably ought to break but he probably won’t anytime soon.

Because he won’t lose Minseok, at least not in the foreseeable future.

They finally have the true freedom they’ve always wanted, the need for approval that, though it remained unsaid, now lifted a huge weight off their shoulders.

And really, that’s all they ever wanted.

“So you’re stuck with me now?” Luhan whispers in Minseok’s ear, and Minseok clenches his hand almost painfully around Luhan’s in response.

“Shut up.”

...yeah... idek what this was...

...why do i keep writing stuff like this...

this was like totally different from what i originally intended like i was gonna make minseok's parents hate them 5ever and yeah idek man THIS WAS GROSS DON'T READ IT

/rolls away into a pit of flames/

i'm probably gonna redo this later and delete this one and pretend the gross never existed??