“Like… like everything and… all of the things inside this big… wide… uh…”

“Yeah.” Luhan nods lazily, loose hair falling in front of his eyes. He is beautiful like this, all messed up in a good way and features sharpened by the moonlight.

The mall’s rooftop is empty: just wide, plain surface where they lay, too close. Too close. The breeze is surely skin-breaking. It is cold and as they breathe, there are thin smoke curling from their mouths. Luna’s nose and cheeks are already reddish and her eyes are stinging.

“This is ours, but I really don’t give a if this and those are really ours. Everything we own doesn’t give me anything anyway. Now this, this is just one of my forbidden places.” Luhan doesn’t look at her, but it is as if he is actually staring at her that has made her fidget and shiver despite the night air. There is something in the way he moves and breathes, like he is trying to be comfortable but he couldn’t. He glances at Luna this time, rather lazily or sleepy or just exhausted. Luna’s lips are trembling from the cold, clasping her hands together and blowing them a supposedly hot, but shaky breath.

“You mean, even the school is…”

“Unfortunately…”  Luhan sighs, and for some impossible reason that Luna doesn’t know, Luhan takes off his uniform coat and drapes it over Luna’s upper torso. Luna looks at him dumbfoundedly, hands stopping midway from brushing each other. “You’re cold.”

“No, I’m okay.” Luna forces herself to look away quickly but she couldn’t. There is something in Luhan’s eyes, something that is so magnetic and breath-taking and addicting. She wants to reach out and swipe the loose hair slightly hiding the diamonds that are his eyes. She is already raising her hand, eyes trying to fix on the man’s eyebrows, and she stills for a moment, only to sneeze, face scrunching and eyes squinting.

“I’m sorry.” Luna mutters, looking down from embarrassment.

“No, you aren’t.” Luna is thankful that Luhan has looked away as he says those, because Luna is sure he looks awfully embarrassing. “Do you want to get in? I have the keys to the supermarket.”

Hypermarket, Luna repeats mentally.

“Uh… not until you get your coat back.” Luna speaks, and completely lays down the bare cement. “I will stay here freezing with it, and you, too, because you’re acting like a dumb about not taking it even though you’ve been clenching your teeth together because you’re cold too. Honestly.”

Luna is right. She is right when she has said that Luhan is cold, freezing even, and maily that Luhan is dumb. Luhan is just wearing a seemingly thin clothe and his lips have gone really dry already.

“Then be it.” Luhan mutters then, impossibly close to Luna that has made Luna flinch a bit but leans in a little more a second later.

Luhan’s presence is comfortingly warm, like he has formed an invisible barrier that is surrounding them to keep their even breathing in and keep them warm inside. Luna holds her breath, entirely hyperventilating because she never has gotten this close to someone she really likes (this is the first time she likes someone anyway) and due to the fact that it is Luhan who chooses to move closer first. She does feel Luhan’s knuckle and fingers brush against her own, and she swears to God he feels tingling sparks from where skin meets skin. The only thing she isn’t sure of, though, is if Luhan feels the same, if he feels the said spark too or if his hearts races just as fast as how Luna’s does.

“Right.” Luhan states. “I’m going to die with hypothermia here anytime soon. I hadn’t tried this before and I didn’t actually know that the coldness could dig its way to my marrows.” He breathes, lips trembling as he chuckles.

Luna laughs in return. Apparently that is the most sensible idea Luhan has ever thrown to her. “It’s okay to let your proud down a bit, you know. You could actually die when you don’t …” Luna sits up, takes off Luhan’s coat that smelt of Luhan and drapes it over Luhan’s chest, smiling.  “Don’t worry. No one else is around. It’s just me and you… here. No one else is going to hear you surrender. You…”

“Stop… the talking.” Luhan smirks. Luna doesn’t even know how Luhan does it but Luhan is already on his feet and is dragging Luna down the stair by the wrist. Luna is left dumbstruck, really, because if only they are officially together then what Luhan is doing   is an abuse of public display of affection, only that there is no public, no affection and no them as a whole. Only that it is a display, for Luna’s eyes to watch and heart to feel. It feels so good, warm and overwhelming. The way it looks like Luhan’s calloused fingers are meant to be around her wrist, or to her fingers or to anywhere, but as of the moment it is to his wrist. The thoughts that are running inside her mind are suffocating her in a very beautiful way. If only she has the guts to flick her wrist a little so that they could lace their fingers together, try if the spaces in between each are also made in pair, she could have done. She hasn’t.

“Tell me, where are you taking me?” Luna tears her stare from their connected tie to look up at Luhan, just the back of Luhan’s head though. Even from the back, Luhan looks so beautiful, and Luna wonders if where does the ‘Nobody’s Perfect’  came from.

“Just follow me.” Luhan says, not even turning around. Luna feels slightly disappointed, putting like a sad duck.

“How could I properly follow you when you are literally dragging me all the way to God knows where?” Luna mumbles slowly, not sounding angery or pissed or anything, just being like a child asking an older one if where his candies are hidden. “I don’t understand why people love dragging and manhandling me everytime. First, Baekhyun. Second, you. Third, still you.”

Luhan suddenly stops and Luna keeps on blabbering about how old she already is and how smart she is just to be manhandled by anyone that she almost bumps into Luhan’s chest. And probably if Luna hasn’t blinked into reality and came into a halt, she would have been in the hospital by now with a broken nose.

“Because you’ll surely just look like a lost puppy if I’m not… going to hold you all the way.” He says, and Luna gulps as her cheeks blush and eyes widen. “You see, you are a walking danger zone. You need me, or anyone, to keep you away from possible dangers besides yourself.”

“Dangers. With s.” Luna repeats monotonously, lowering her head. She does hear Luhan’s sigh. “I don’t know that I act like a child.”

“You do.” Luhan says though, but offers a hand in front of Luna nevertheless. And when Luna looks up, Luhan’s eyes are shining under the moonlight that is escaping through the glass windows at the upper corners of the walls.

Luna raises both of her eyebrows questioningly. “What’s… what’s that for?”

“Asking me what?” Luna stares at the hand, palm up infront of her. Luhan isn’t looking at her. She is wide eyed again, probably it is really in her nature. What the is going on, she asks herself mentally for reassurance that she isn’t just dreaming about this.

“Asking your permission to drag you.”

“What?” Luna boasts incredulously. “Are you kidding me?”

“No.”

They are at the center floor of the wide aisle in between the fast food stalls and department electronics store. The lights are out and there is only silence next to the sound of their breaths. The stalls are closed, even the small dessert stralls at the center. The place suddenly looks like a ghost town, in a good way though, a luxurious ghost town.

“You’re being crazy and paranoid at this.”

“No, I’m not.” Luhan says indignantly. They are looking at each others eyes. Luhan’s stare is more than hypnotizing. He sighs. “Let’s put it this way. You have to not to over react about words, you know.”

“I’m definitely not.” And Luna wants to add something like I just want your attention etcetera etcetera. She knows she’s is the one wh o is acting crazyt right now.

Luhan straightens his hand, and sighs again. “I’m asking you the permission for me to guide you around, can I? I can be a tourist guide of my own forbidden place.”

Maybe Luna’s inner self faints from over hyperventilation with that. Maybe Luhan herself wants to faint with that. Luna blinks rapidly at the hand stretched towards her, awkwardly fidgeting.

“Fine.” She mumbles, anyway.

…

Luhan is really an out-of-this world child. He has so many things running inside his head, which are actually visible from the way his eyes flicker with utter joy and the twitch of his lips. He manages to break (Is it even called break when he actually had all the keys in the building?) in into the ‘Only Authorized Personnel Allowed’ room and after waiting for a short time, the lights went on. It is somewhat a blindingly welcome to her adjusting eyes but she is immediately engrossed at the sight in front of her.

Before they arrived there, there was no light at all that Luna almost had tripped and fell if only Luhan hadn’t been holding her hand to steady her. Luna feels guilty about it. She must have made Luhan feel disappointed about his stupidity.

But then it is worth it.

Luna had been to skating rinks before, much when she was still a child and when her parents were still around. It had been so long ago since then. There is no reason for her to go to the places they had been because, what for? To hurt herself about reminiscing her parents’ smiles when she finally had made it stand up on her own at the center of the rink and slide successfully for a meter? That probably is going to be the stupidest idea he’d ever think of.

The skating rink is incredibly wide for the establishment. It takes almost half of the first floor, shaped into an enormous hexagon.

“Are you okay?” Luhan barely touches her on the shoulder, and still she doesn’t know that Luhan is just inches away from her. When she turns around, Luhan raises two pairs of white-colored skating shoes. Luna still remembers her first roller skates that her father gave to her when she was ten, as a gift from her winning a singing contest.

Luna nods  a bit, and before she knows it, Luhan is already on his knees in front of her and is untying her shoelaces.

“You told me you don’t know how to tie shoelaces.” Luhan murmers, head lowered a s he pulls Luna’s shoes off. Luna is sure that she’s blushing because she suddenly feels hot under her coat, her lower lip in between her teeth to prevent her from squeaking. “Do you know how to do it now?”

“No.” She says, gripping on the edge of the bech as lUhan slides his feet, one by one, into the skating shoes. “Junmyeon did it for me.”

Luhan says anything after that.

On instinct, Luna stands up and makes her way to the center of the rink with skill and precision. She almost had slipped at first because this is practically her first after a long time. And she laughs, turning around like a kid with her roller skates.

“Be careful!.” Luhan yells from where he is seated, and Luhan just nods but falls after.

Luhan rushes towards her, sliding effortlessly as if skating is something like breathing. He kneels in front of her, cursing under his breath.

And then suddenly, Luna starts laughing out loud she almost has snorted. She is so happy with this, skating. It is just, it had been so long since she last tried it. And because someone else is with her, not someone from before. It is Luhan, and the fact that Luhan barely knows her, that they barely know each other that much, makes her think that finally, this is home.

“Thanks.” She mutters then, when Luhan pulls her up to stand. Luhan smiles warmly and it is even more beautiful that the skayting rink they’re in.

“What for?”

“Everything.” Luna mutters, lowering her head and skating away from the man he really like, or loves, to hide her blushing cheeks.

“I don’t know what’s everything. I don’t even have everything.” Luhan yells, but stays at his spot ehile he watches Luna skate away to the other side.

“You do.” Luna yells back, but doesn’t turn to look up at him. He is just like talking to no one particularly. She keeps on moving, around and around, while Luhan stays still, just watching her. “You are sharing everything to me. I feel happy about it.”

“Luna…” Luhan calls, and Luna finally looks up. “You have to look at me in the eyes once I catch you, you understand? You have to tell me what everything means.”

“What?”

Luhan smirks. “I said, go on! Save yourself away from me because I’m going to catch you and…”

Luna stares with wide eyes, perplexed.

Luhan is approaching him now, slowly, slowly, game face on.

Luna doesn’t even notice that she has screamed, completely unaware of her feet moving on their own as Luhan moves forward, closer, closer, bright smile with excitement and eyes glinting like of a prey’s.

Luna keeps on yelling “No!” and “Go way!” but Luhan just laughs at her, skating faster in full speed as he chases her rather more seriously now. His laughter sounded so carefree and the glint on his eyes makes him look ven younger, like now is just the time that he finally gets comfortable aroung Luna’s presence.

“You need to stop, Luhan!” Luna yells breathelessly, eyes widening when Luhan closes their distance to just a little more that a meter. Adrenaline rush is taking over her, and so she lets her limbs move him away on instinct. A bubble of laughter is forming in his throat at the situation that they’re in, but she doesn’t release it. Instead, she screams, pushing and pushing against the slippery artificial ice to get away past his chaser. There is a warm something blooming in his chest and he feels overly excited that she doesn’t feel anything awful anymore. She suddenly doesn’t bother thinking about what the time is or what Chanyeol is doing right now, if he is already on his way to fetch him out of there. They are moving in circles, passing at every side of the hexagon rink, so many times Luna doesn’t even remember how many exactly.

“Aren’t you tired?” Lyhan calls, and the sound of his voice is slowly fading as Luna lurches forward. Luhan makes a halt, bending his waist to rest his hands on his knees and catching his breathe, head lowered.

Luna slows down into a stop. “Are you?” She asks, and this time she does turn around to look at him. She manages to laugh at loud at the man three meters away from her. “Was that all you’ve got?”

Honestly, Luna is getting really tired now too. She is actually panting now, and there are beads of sweat on his forehead. It is like more than fifteen minutes has already passed since they started playing. Yes, it is called playing, Luna thinks. And it is fun. Really, really pure fun, especially when Luhan occasionally trips and falls because of his speed. Luna knows it really hurts, but she just gives off a round of mocking laughter, Luhan is the one who started anyway, that Luhan’s neutral face turns into something playfully annoyed or angry and starts chasing Luna again.

“You sure are a physically fit adult.” Luhan snorts, and before Luna could realize it, Luhan is already making his way up to him with a devilish grin. Luna, however, still manages to turn around but Luhan has already caught her, and she trips and…

Fell.

Luhan is laughing atop of her, eyes squeezing shut like a cat’s, and Luna tries not to move any part of her body and fakes a laughter to join the other. There are slight evidences of wrinkles around his eyes but they don’t seem to matter because they actually look good on him. His breath smells of peppermint, so good and sharp. Luna closes her eyes and, slowly, she stops laughing. ‘Help’ is the only mantra in her head.

The man atop of her moves slightly.

Luna  clenches his hands into fists.

“Hey, Luna.” That really smells like peppermint. “Are you on the verge of passing out again? Tell me!”

“No.” Luna squeaks. Her heart is racing seven times faster than normal, and she is slightly getting dizzy with it. She wishes and prays to not let Luhan feel the pounding in her chest. She does feel a pair of eyes watching her, her face, eyes, nose, lips—no, not the lips, no.

“Why aren’t you opening your eyes, still?” Luhan murmurs neutrally, not moving.

“B…because I don’t… want to.” That is just another stuttering squeak.

“Open your eyes, Luna.” Luhan commands, and Luna doesn’t know what is actually happening. She doesn’t want to open her eyes because she is afraid to fall into it. She is tempted, but she doesn’t. No one is moving. It is silent either, and their post-pants from the chasing are the only ones that Luna is hearing, after the pounding heartybeats in his eras.

“No.”Luna squeaks again. She needs to stop squeaking like a squeaking doll goddamnit.

“Open them.” Luhan says again, probably leaning in closer because Luna could already feel the air that Luhan is breathing out, over his philtrum. “I have something to tell you.”

“No, say it. I’m fine with my eyes closed, y… you know.” Luna interjects. “Is it even… Are we going to talk like… like this, huh? Cool, isn’t it?  Something new ha ha.” She bites her tongue.

Silence.

Another beat of silence.

Luna suddenly thinks that she is just dreaming all of these, and soon she’d wake up to the glow-in-the-dark star stickes-covered ceiling of her room.

But it is heavy, Luhan is heavy, and it doesn’t seem like a dream at all. She is thinking of opening her eyes when the man atop of her speaks.

“I… Well… I…” Luhan sighs. “You know, I was really about to catch up with you the other day to… to apologize about what I said but I was kind of… intimidated at how you reacted so…” He groans quietly. “…so I asked Baekhyun to pick you up this afternoon and bring you here so that we could talk and… I’m sorry, for what I said.” He sighs sadly. “I wasn’t thinking when I said those. My brain filters were malfunctioning, you know. I…”

“You are the one who commanded Baekhyun to bring me here?”

“Yeah, I’m so-“

Luna opens her eyes immediately, slightly reddish and blurry. It flickers with anger and disappointment at the same time. “Don’t you know how freaked I am when I was left alone, Luhan? When Baekhyun left me and I didn’t know what to do? Don’t you know that I felt really stupid about not knowing where to go and who to talk to? I felt like , Luhan, and now you are telling me that these are all just a set up?” She breathes, face reddening and eyebrows creasing. “Are you-“

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t…” Luhan sounds really desperate. “I…”

“Are you messing up with me? Are you? Because look, I am not crazy as hell to let you do anything you want to me. You know-“

“Shut up.”

Luna growls. “I know I look nothing but just a ty mundane, nerdy student compared to all of you but I have my-“

“Shut. Up.” Luhan is staring straight into her eyes, so hypnotizing that soon they’re going to capture her soul and never give it back again. “Shut up.”

But Luna isn’t a coward. She is really, really angry, so angry she that she doesn’t have the enough force to push Luhan away.

“I have dignity and-“

“Shut up or I’ll kiss you.” Luhan snaps, eyes too serious and dark.

Luna gulps.

No, that is just a trap. Luhan would never do it even if she keeps on blabbering for the next few hours. The coldness ice is getting its way in his coat.

“No! You shut up! I don’t know if you’re just being a or a or a to me, but let me tell you-“ that I am not as stupid as you, Luna is supposed to say but Luhan’s dried lips is already sealing her own and she doesn’t even had the time to yelp at the sudden shock.

Too much things are running inside his head. Too much that she couldn’t decipher any. Her eyes are wide and so she could see Luhan’s closed own, long eyelashes flattering over his cheekbones.

Luna breathes in finally. She doesn’t even know at all that she is holding her breath, until she realizes that she couldn’t breathe. Luhan’s lips stayed still, clasping his lower lip. It is as if Luhan is just feeling the warmth of Luna’s lips, or just wants to feel the presence of having someone so, so close. Stupidly thinking, Luna is just feeling the same way. Her stomach churns and heart flutters. This is too much.

 “Can I?” Luhan speaks against her lips, all too soft and silky and husky and sticky. “I just…”

Luna thinks for a moment. Just a moment. “Okay.”

Luhan’s lips moved, nibbling Luhan’s lower lip to wet the said dried flesh. All too suddenly, Luna’s responding and closing his eyes, angling herself the closest contact. The kiss is just sloppy, sleepy and just… just as if they’re just wandering around each other’s mouth. Luhan swipes his wet, snaky tongue in between Luna’s lips, and Luna whole-heartedly lets him in. She even chuckles when Luhan’s tongue stretched to tickle the upper oral cavity.

“You’re having fun, aren’t you?” Luhan mumbles, opening his eyes lazily to look at Luna and smiling slowly yet beautifully.

“Shut up.” Luna murmurs, reaching up to peck open mouthed kisses onto Luhan’s lips. Luhan is more than happy to kiss her back, smiling. “You’re sleepy. Let’s go home.”

Luhan laughs at this. “Where home? My home?”

“You got me.” Luna kisses him once more.