“I’m glad you and Lu Han made up,” Minseok said gently while watching Shixun pack his belongings, “although I do think I’m going to miss our late night conversations.”

Shixun looked up with a grin, “Don’t act as though I’m never coming back when I’m clearly always around. Besides, it was about time I stopped bothering Yixing and you all the time.”

Minseok laughed amiably at this, “Yixing likes you a lot too,” He slowly approached Shixun before placing a warm hand on the other’s shoulder, “Whoever treats Lu Han well, we will like.”

“I won’t ever leave him on his own,” Shixun promised Minseok, a sincere smile appearing on his lips, “I would never forgive myself if I would do so.”

Minseok nodded his head in approval, “With these words, I’m sure Lu Han is in good hands.”

Shixun’s smile widened at this. He had vowed to never let Lu Han alone, and it was a promise he was determined to keep. No matter what the future may hold for him, what will happen and what the truth might be, Shixun had already decided that Lu Han would stay by his side. There was no way he could leave the other on his own, throwing the other’s heart on the ground and mercilessly breaking it. There was no way he could ever do something as cruel as that. The only thing he wanted was to have Lu Han smile. As long as Lu Han was happy, Shixun was happy.

“Could I request something selfish?” Shixun asked.

Minseok blinked his eyes at this, “Something selfish? What is it?”

Shixun grinned a little too foolishly as he looked down, “I want to steal Lu Han for a day.”

“Ah,” Minseok said, eyes shining with sparkles, “you want to go on a date with Lu Han.”

This caused Shixun to blush, but there was no way he could deny it. There was no denying that he wanted to go somewhere with Lu Han, spend some time with the person he loved so much. He wanted to bring Lu Han happiness, and he wanted to show Lu Han that he really cared about him. He wanted to do something that would make Lu Han feel loved.

“Lu Han loves going to amusement parks,” Minseok said encouragingly.

»

“Shixun, are you ready to go?” Lu Han asked the other the moment Shixun stepped outside the hostel, “Let’s go to pick up-”

“Lu Han,” Minseok appeared behind Shixun, “you don’t need to go to Zitao’s place today. I’ll go.”

“But Minseok,” Lu Han began, surprised by Minseok’s words, “I’m always the one who goes to Zitao’s. You shouldn’t trouble yourself going all the way there just to pick something up, I can go.”

“You’re having a day off, Lu Han,” Minseok said matter-of-factly, eyeing Lu Han seriously when he saw the other’s resistance, “it has already been decided.”

This caused Lu Han to frown, “Minseok, what’s going on-”

“I want to take you on a date,” Shixun interrupted him with the kind of seriousness that was obviously to hide his nervousness.

“W-What?” Lu Han managed to say, eyes widening in surprise, “Why all of a sudden-” A soft blush colored his cheeks, “You could’ve told me earlier.”

“Shixun really loves to play the romantic, Lu Han,” Minseok said with a chuckle, before giving the both of them an encouraging look, “don’t come back until you’ve had a great time.”

“Thank you, Minseok,” Shixun said gratefully before taking Lu Han’s hand, “Let’s go, Lu Han.”

It was quite funny, really funny, incredibly funny, that Shixun felt as though he was born just to hold onto Lu Han’s hand. It was quite amusing, really amusing, incredibly amusing, how his heart could beat so loudly that it hurt, but it was not uncomfortable. It was not uncomfortable and Shixun would not mind dying with such a feeling. It was so sweet, so wonderful and it made Shixun believe that he could do anything as long as Lu Han was by his side. He was dragging Lu Han with him as he ran through the streets, loving the feeling of just the two of them against the world. The smile that was permanently gracing his lips made him feel like a little child, but that was totally fine because he could feel how Lu Han was holding tightly onto him. Lu Han trusted him his everything, and Shixun was going to protect all of that.

“Where are we going, Shixun?” Lu Han asked, a little out of breath but his voice still as clear as day to Shixun.

Shixun glanced back, gentle eyes looking into Lu Han’s. Maybe Shixun really was a romantic, a hopeless romantic, at heart, because he loved the thrill and excitement of surprising Lu Han. He loved to see Lu Han’s face genuinely brightening up at all the little surprises he would present to the other. He loved those little things more than anything else, sharing memories with Lu Han that only the two of them would understand. After all, the best experiences always start out of nowhere but end up into something brilliant. The best moments are those that make you feel like nothing could ever beat this beauty that is right in front of your eyes. The best memories are those that you will never forget, no matter how hard time tries to wash the colors and sounds away, because its perfection can withstand any torment and suffering.

 “Wherever this will take us.”

»

“Where do you want to get into first?” Shixun asked the moment they stepped into the amusement park, admiring the way Lu Han’s eyes were shining golden.

Lu Han glanced at him with utter happiness, “I’m fine with anything.”

“Let’s go find a map then, I was sure I saw some at the entrance,” Shixun said before turning around and walking towards the big wall next to the entrance they just went through. However, when he realized that Lu Han was not following him, he stopped walking and turned around, clueless as to why Lu Han had not followed him, “What’s wrong?” 

Lu Han’s eyes widened before averting his gaze, looking down on the ground instead, “Nothing.”

Shixun did not think he was going to understand Lu Han’s reason for not following him, until he noticed Lu Han’s gaze on his hand. It came as an utter shock because he never thought such a reason could exist. He never thought that Lu Han needed something as much as Shixun wanted to provide. He did not think love could make the both of them so innocent. Innocent in a brilliant way that only lovers would understand.

Shixun grinned playfully, “You want me to hold your hand?”

Lu Han’s eyed him with genuine surprise at this, “W-What? No…”

“I promised you I would never let you go,” Shixun said as he approached Lu Han, fingertips gingerly touching Lu Han’s hand before holding onto it, “and I’m not going to break that promise.”

Lu Han looked him in the eyes, and Shixun understood that Lu Han was trying to find the reassurance he so desperately needed right now, “Shixun-ah, don’t ever leave me alone-”

“I won’t, Lu Han,” Shixun said as he embraced Lu Han, “I promise, I won’t.”

“-because I don’t think I would be able to take that,” Lu Han said while burying his face in Shixun’s chest, “I don’t think I could ever take that. I… I’m scared.”

Shixun felt something warm blooming on his dress-shirt, and when he looked down, he saw how Lu Han had one hand desperately clutching onto the fabric of his cloth. It made him sigh lovingly before patting the other’s head softly, gently whispering, “I love you, Lu Han, I really do.”

Shixun understood that holding hands did not merely serve to please the desire to be close to one another for Lu Han. Holding hands meant much more than that. For Lu Han, who never had anyone who would stay for him, opening up made him extremely fragile for any harm that could come his way. For Lu Han, extending his own arm was already something that needed so much courage, that he desperately needed the other to hold onto him, to tell him that everything was going to be alright. For Lu Han, holding hands was a way of knowing that Shixun really would not leave him on his own. Shixun would not grow a pair of wings all of a sudden and fly off somewhere far away, leaving him all on his own.

And Shixun wanted to tell Lu Han so desperately that he was not an angel, by no means. He was not going to fly away. He regretted ever thinking about leaving Lu Han on his own, but even if he had left back then, it would not have been a graceful disappearance. It never would have been anything close to elegant. He would have reluctantly plastered some artificial wings on his back, his pride making him never look back even though he was sure he was going to fall the moment he jumped.

Because he could not fly. Shixun could not fly.

Lu Han had it all wrong, because Shixun was no angel, would never get a pair of bright white wings that would take him to Heaven.

Shixun would only lose Heaven if he were to try to fly away. He would lose Heaven and fall right into Hell.

“Let’s go get the map together then, okay?” Shixun said before laughing a little, “Don’t cry anymore or I might start stuttering again.”

Lu Han laughed at this, “Yeah, you probably will.”

“So stop crying,” Shixun said before moving away a little so he could look Lu Han into the eyes, the few drops of tears making those beautiful orbs glister with stars.

“But I actually want to hear you stutter, though,” Lu Han said with a soft chuckle, “that Shixun-ah is the best.”

Shixun grinned amusedly as he leaned forward, forehead leaning against Lu Han’s, “Is that so?”

Lu Han’s eyes widened at the sudden closeness, “Y-Yes…”

“But I think the handsome and cool Shixun is also not that bad,” Shixun said before pressing his lips against Lu Han’s, but letting the touch only last for a short second, “or am I wrong?”

“N-Not bad,” Lu Han said while desperately trying to look at anything but Shixun, “n-not bad at all…”

“You’re stuttering,” Shixun said in amusement.

“B-Because people are watching,” Lu Han defended himself.

“If that’s what you say,” Shixun said while moving his head away.

It did not take long before Lu Han nervously looked up again, hesitantly landing his gaze on Shixun, and Shixun took complete advantage of this by pressing his lips against Lu Han’s again. He let it last a little longer this time, probably to satisfy his want and desire to make Lu Han his own. He always turned into a crazy mess of a teasing child whenever it came to Lu Han. Satisfaction came in the form of a blushing Lu Han who tried to hide his happiness.

“So, shall we go?” Shixun said the moment the kiss ended, a satisfied glimmer swimming in his eyes, “I wouldn’t mind kissing you more but there are children walking around here and I wouldn’t want them to learn from us.”

Lu Han hit Shixun’s shoulder at this, “You’re the one who’s doing all the bad things.”

“Clearly not, since you’re the one who hit me,” Shixun threw back before grabbing onto Lu Han’s hand to stop him from saying anything more, “let’s go before they call the security on you.”

»

Time flew, and before they both knew it, it was already close to closing time. Shixun had taken Lu Han to all the attractions the other wanted to go to. And so many times he had wished he had brought a camera, because the way Lu Han was smiling was too beautiful to not capture it. But that was alright, he decided, because nothing saved a view as beautifully as the own mind, and Shixun would just need to make sure he would never forget. He probably would never. There was no way he could ever forget the way Lu Han’s eyes would curve when he smiled, the corners of his lips would be tugged up when he laughed, and the way Lu Han’s laughter sounded like the perfect lullaby that he could never get enough of. He would never let himself forget it.

“You want to get onto one last attraction before we leave?” Shixun asked Lu Han as they walked around, playfully swinging their interlinked hands, “Or do you want to go home?”

“I want to get on the merry-go-round,” Lu Han said while looking Shixun in the eyes, “let’s go to that attraction before we go home.”

“The merry-go-round?” Shixun said with a chuckle, “Are you a girl or a child?”

This caused Lu Han to frown disapprovingly, “The merry-go-round isn’t just for girls and children.”

“You know, most couples would go the ferris wheel and then kiss each other when they’re at the top,” Shixun grinned before continuing, “you sure you don’t want that?”

Lu Han hit the other in embarrassment, “I’m not doing that. Let’s go on the merry-go-round.”

And before Shixun could say anything back, Lu Han had already let go of Shixun’s hand and was running in the direction of the carousal. It was quite beautiful, pretty elegant for a merry-go-round in an amusement park. It was big enough that even adults could get on it, but unsurprisingly to Shixun there was no line for this attraction. He sighed before running after Lu Han, hugging the other male who was patiently waiting for his turn. Shixun smiled in satisfaction when he felt the other flinch in surprise and embarrassment, the heat of Lu Han’s body intensifying his own body temperature.

He rested his head on the other’s shoulder, a pleasant sigh leaving his lips, “Did you enjoy yourself today?”

Lu Han laughed softly at this, “Of course I did. We had so much fun today.”

“That’s great to hear,” Shixun said before planting a kiss on Lu Han’s cheek, “that’s absolutely wonderful to hear.”

“Shixun!” Lu Han spoke out loudly, cheeks flushing red.

“Lu Han,” Shixun whispered in his ear.

“Let me go,” Lu Han said as he tried to get Shixun off of him, “let go, it’s our turn.”

Shixun reluctantly let go, waiting for the employee to open the entrance and let them inside. Lu Han was looking around, carefully choosing where to sit. He stood still for a few seconds, giving Shixun a quick glance before getting onto one of the white horses. Shixun got onto the other horse next to Lu Han’s, glancing around before looking at Lu Han.

“Why would you choose the merry-go-round?” Shixun asked again.

However, Lu Han did not reply, merely looked in front of him. Shixun was about to ask again, but then the carousal started rotating and the horse he was sitting on starting moving up and down. Everything around him was glistering and shining and the whole world looked as if it was glowing. Everything was glowing. Even his heart was glowing.

“You want to know why I chose the merry-go-round?” Lu Han asked after a while, catching Shixun’s attention.

Shixun nodded his head, “Yes.”

“Because…” Lu Han bit his lower lip, a short silence enveloping the both of them before he continued, “Because I never thought I would be the kind of person who would be able to get onto the ferris wheel and kiss the person I love. I… I’m frightened? I’m scared to death that this is all a dream and if I ask for too much, they’ll take you away from me…” Lu Han looked Shixun in the eyes, “As long as I don’t ask for too much, as long as I’m not too selfish, they won’t take you away from me, right?”

Shixun felt his heart clench painfully as he let those words sink in. He saw the uncertainty swimming in those beautiful eyes, felt the insecurity wrapped around Lu Han’s aura. He wished he could take them all away. He wished he could take all those bad things away. If there was a way to protect Lu Han from all those harmful thoughts, he would immediately do so.

“I keep feeling like something bad is going to happen soon,” Lu Han said sadly.

Shixun wasted no time in moving his hand to the back of Lu Han’s head, pushing it right to his, causing their lips to clash. It was a desperate kiss. It was a kiss that was to convey all his love to Lu Han. It was heavy, intense, and it made the mind fuzzy, dizzy, crazy. But that was fine because Shixun would be there to catch Lu Han. He would be there.

“Nobody’s going to take me from you, Lu Han,” Shixun said when the kiss ended.

“But Shixun,” Lu Han said, and his voice cracked, “I can’t help being selfish. I can’t help being a little bit too selfish. And it’s frightening that I… That I wanted to have you get on the horse, because… Because…”

Lu Han took a deep breath, eyes fluttering close for a short moment. Shixun waited patiently, his breath caught in his throat as he waited for Lu Han to speak. He wanted to hear. He desperately wanted to hear, but he would in agony until Lu Han would sat it.

“Because I want you to be my prince.”

Shixun’s smile was so bright that it almost hurt, but that did not matter because all that mattered were those words. They were all that mattered, all he ever needed and all he ever wished to hear.

“I’m not rich, Lu Han. I have nothing, absolutely nothing,” Shixun said as he slowly reached for Lu Han’s hand, “but you still want me, and that makes me feel like I’ve everything.”

»

“Go sleep, I’ll wake you up when we’re there,” Shixun said as he watched Lu Han fighting to keep himself awake.

Lu Han shook his head a little, “I don’t want to.”

Shixun sighed before patting Lu Han’s head that was resting on his shoulder, “It’s going to take a very long time, so go sleep Lu Han.”

Lu Han hesitated for a moment before slowly closing his eyes, “Okay,” He reached out to hold onto Shixun’s hand, fingers intertwining, “Okay.”

Shixun smiled in bliss as he watched Lu Han sleep, softly continuing to pat the other’s head in a peaceful rhythm. There was something about watching Lu Han sleep that calmed him down. A pleasant bliss.

“Sleep well,” Shixun said with a soft smile.

 
»

The moment they arrived at the hostel, the both of them felt that something was wrong. Before they even stepped inside the hostel, they just knew something was terribly wrong. And the moment they stepped inside the hostel and went to the living hall, they saw Minseok with his face buried in his both hands. Yixing was sitting next to him, eyes casted down and face radiating sadness. There was something terribly wrong.

There were two strangers standing in the middle of the place, dressed in neat clothes. They looked like the kind of rich people that continuously graced the newspapers and magazines. Young but insanely charismatic. They had never seen the two before, but something told them Minseok and Yixing did.

Yixing looked up to them, “Lu Han… Shixun…”

One of them men turned his head to look at them, and the moment his eyes landed on Shixun’s face, the eyed widened in horrifying surprise. The young man gasped before using his hands to cover his mouth, wide eyes looking straight into Shixun’s confused ones.

“Sehun, is that you…?” The man whispered, “Is it really you, Sehun?”

“Kyungsoo, what are you saying-” The other man spoke before his gaze also landed on Shixun, causing his whole face to burst with shock too, “You…”

Kyungsoo wasted no time and quickly rushed towards Shixun, throwing himself on the other. Shixun thought he might not be able to breathe anymore because the other was embracing him with so much force it hurt. It really hurt and it felt suffocating and all he wished was to be able to breathe properly again.

“I- I’m not-” Shixun began, eyes instantly looking at Lu Han, who was just as surprised, “I’m Shixun.”

The small male hugging him looked up to him before shaking his head, “No, you’re not. You’re Sehun.”