Ianthe

My eyes train on him, unblinking, noting the way his body slumps in the chair, head thrown over the back of his chair, breathing peacefully. I stand directly in front of Deer at Dawn, mere inches away from his face, waiting for him to rouse from his slumber. The two reddening patches on my thighs, where my palms rest to support my weight, aches.

Maybe Lu Han has some sixth sense like we do, because once I near him a little closer, he wakes with a start, and stares straight into my eyes. Shock registers in his warm brown depths as he moves back instinctively. I straighten my sore back, hissing through my teeth.

You’re up early, Lu Han states, shooting a quick glance at the round thing with sticks that move in a steady, circular motion. It tells Time, something that never existed in my world… a clock?

I nod silently in reply, and he stretches, his tee shirt driven up and displaying the taut abdominal muscles of his. I’ve heard it’s what most women like about guys. I admit, I would prefer guys with muscles than with fats, too.

I like your abdominal muscles. And, you look good. I praise him, because he does look wonderful for a person who had just woken up. Lu Han’s faces flushes with color as he pulls his shirt down hurriedly and offers what I assume to be a shy smile. He thanks me. I grin. His eyes rake me over and suddenly, he laughs.

Why? I raise a questioning brow, like I’ve seen Mortals do, at him, wondering if he’ll understand what I want. He does.

While you seem to be complimenting on my looks, I suggest you go for a wash-up, not that you look horrible. Since it seems you’ll be here for a bit, I’ll bring you somewhere today. I’m free.

I tilt my head to my right at him, pondering what he meant as he steers me to the square bathroom again and tells me to use a cloth to scrub my face and brush my teeth again, like last night. I don’t question him. He’s a Mortal in his element, I’m not.

I do feel refreshed when I immerge from the washroom after 'washing up', and I see that Lu Han’s changed his clothes-his jeans, to be specific. He runs a hand through his floppy blondish-brown fringe and gestures at the main door to his house. He then turns and walks out, so I follow him, dressed in a slightly smaller tee shirt and still-too-huge trousers.

People stroll on the streets this morning, some waving at my savior as he saunters acrross his place. He informs me that they are his neighbors and friends, and he introduces me, telling them my name and how he got to know me, which was not entirely true. But that’s all he says. No one questions my being further, and some exchange a few words with me even. They seem fine, okay. But I stick close to Lu Han, due to both the unfamiliarence with the new surroundings and that he emits a safe bubble enveloping us form danger, and talk little.

Someone mentions the word ‘girlfriend’. I vaguely remember I have come across that word somewhere in the Encyclopedia of Mortals and Their Habits, but I can’t completely recall what it means. Anyhow, it doesn’t bother me much and I continue to plaster the same smile onto my face whenever someone waves or calls to us, but Lu Han apparently blushes embarrassingly at every sound of the word.

So I ask him what he means.

Lu Han doesn’t tell me. Instead, he grabs my hand lightly and leads me into a shop named ‘Starbucks’. I don’t see how it relates to any star; exactly what we are somehow part of. It doesn’t look like a rock; neither does it ‘glitter’ like what humans see from Earth. Plus, stars definitely don’t sell cakes and coffee.

What would you like to eat or drink? Lu Han points at the tiny words inscribed on the board above the queue of people’s heads. I zoom in on the words.

Coffee, Black coffee, White coffee, Mocha, Cappuccino, Espresso…Caramel Frappuccino.

Yes. That’s it.

That, please. Thank you. I aim the tip of my index finger at the white chalk-like wordings. Lu Han leans in closer to inspect it.

He winks. Good choice. One caramel Frappuccino, coming up!

I giggle as he sweeps over to a lady behind a counter and speaks to her as she simpers and jabs at the screen beside her. Cheeks flushed, she bows her head quickly and accepts the scrap of papery note Deer holds out. I blink at the coins the she drops into Lu Han’s palm, noticing the way she seems short of words as she talks to him and laughs at whatever my benefactor said. Her fingertips brush Lu Han’s hand, and I frown as she jerks it back immediately. Her eyes never leave Lu Han until he turns to wave at me, and I see that the lady’s-she seems around Lu Han’s young age of twenty-normal brown eyes frost at the sight of me.

I don’t like her, my sub-conscious whispers to me, and I am in agreement. She looks mean, especially with that sharp stare obviously directed at me, that icy glare, and the upturn of the corner of her lips. I shiver involuntarily. Lu Han doesn’t notice her scowling at me, because he’s facing me, and when he returns to the lady, her fake, sugary smile is back.

A jolt of realization strikes me.

Here’s your Frappe. It’s nice, hope you enjoy it, too. Lu Han hands me a cold plastic cup of thick, brown liquid. Some stuff in it glitters under the light. Is that ice shards? I sniff at it. It smells nice and oh so sweet. Lu Han chuckles softly as he watches me take a tasting sip of the drink, and after confirming it tastes mouth-watering, but a little bitter, though, I start slurping.

My scalp prickles and my eyes fly up to meet the previous mean-looking lady’s furious gaze. Frost burns with something else this time as she clenches her fist, smiling forcefully at her new customer while sneaking peeks at me and little Deer. I feel defensive, suddenly.

Deer, she’s staring at you. I warn Lu Han.

Huh? He swings his head back briefly and smiles hello again at the woman cashier. She swoons, and Lu Han doesn’t seem notice it as he returns his attention to me. I widen my eyes in surprise. He doesn’t know that the young woman harbors romantic feelings for him?

Oh, Karla? She’s a friend of mine, lives nearby, too.

She likes you. I put simply.

It comes as a hit to his head from the back.

What? No, she doesn’t. Lu Han laughs as if it is a ridiculous hypothesis of mine.

I insist. Yes, she fancies you. I am sure of that. I noticed her nervousness around you, and the daggers she shot me when you smiled at me.

Lu Han closes his mouth, stunned. He glances back at Karla, then back at me. Karla’s fluttering of fake lashes does not go unnoticed by me as Lu Han looked back at her again.

Ianthe, let’s go. I said I’ll bring you somewhere, right?

And the subject is dropped and forgotten…For now. Lu Han asks me what I have been calling him just now.

Dear?

Oh, Deer, 鹿, I say. Deer at Dawn? It’s an adorable nickname. You would not mind, would you?

Lu Han smiles his shy-boy smile and shakes his head as he propels me into a ‘shopping mall’, and into a shop selling clothes humans wear. I gasp. Shirts, dresses, they are hung all around the shop on dark-red walls on hooks, a variety of different colors, designs and styles. Deer holds up a hanger with a white, loose t-shirt hanging on it against my body. It had frayed and stray pieces of cloth acting as the hem of the shirt, ragged and torn. There is a tear or two here and there in the bodice of the garment, too.

I raise a baffled brow at him. He wants me to wear clothes with holes?

It’s the fashion, the trend that ladies your age are wearing now around town. Try it. Lu Han sees my mortified expression and laughs softly, his eyes twinkling with mirth. At that moment, he looks so, so much younger than his age, sweet and cool simultaneously. On that accord, I take the clothes.

Lu Han approves with ease when I emerge from the changing rooms in the store and I let him choose whatever he is trying to get for myself, knowing he’s using his hard-earned human money to buy all those things he has in his arms, and I thank him silently in my head.

I wonder why he is being so kind and helpful towards me. Is it due to his pure heart, or that he has ulterior motives I cannot detect? I stop my train of thoughts. They’re making a wrong turn.

We wander around the mall, sometimes going into potential lady-shops, others, shoes and accessories. I deny the accessories; they would be a waste of money for him. But Lu Han settles for a hairband, anyway. A sky blue circle of clothed rubber with sparkly beads. He tells me to just comb my hair and fringe back against my head and gather all my hair in one hand and tie it up with another. The rubber’s sole purpose is to keep my hair out of my face when I feel warm, or am doing something, says him.

He’s the human, the expert, what am I to say?

I manage to succeed in doing so, and I do indeed feel much cooler and free. I leave my hair like that up and help him carry the paper bags of clothes, mostly. And a pair of sneakers to walk around in. I’m glad for the shoes’ protection; I don’t trip over them like I do sometimes in Lu Han’s too-huge boots.

How much do you actually know of us humans? Lu Han enquires at one time while we stroll back home. I contemplate.

We have this thick, thick book with thousand over pages in it, all about Mortals and their habits and such. It’s just that, well, it’s so long that I’m too lazy to finish reading it. Whenever there’s something new happening on Earth, it just adds in by itself, the book.

Wow, a living book? So you never actually get to finish reading it?

We have an eternity to finish it. I tell him quietly, and he nods.

The atmosphere chills-literally, too, as it is presumably November, late autumn-and I rub my arms through the fabric of the coat Lu Han lent me. Its hem dangles around my calves.

Cold?

I nod yes.

Let’s hurry then, if you can manage it. Lucky we bought you winter clothes, too.

I nod again. Lu Han stoops silently, and voluntarily takes the bags from my hands before quickening his footsteps, his boots crunching fallen leaves on the ground occasionally. I listen acutely as I try my best with my healing injuries to catch up-that Deer has long legs-and analyze his footsteps.

They’re a solid thud-thud sound on the concrete ground, not too heavy. It gives me the feeling of being protected, that people can really rely on him safely, his uniqueness, and his energy as a young man.

I am soon accustomed to his familiar thuds, beating out a rhythm on the floor as he walks. I stare up at the back of his golden-blonde head, his hair ruffling in the frequent gentle late autumn breezes, and I warm unintentionally. Maybe that’s what people swoon over too-this safe-feeling, including his handsome, doll-like features. Maybe, that’s what entrapped Karla the Starbucks waitress deep into his spell and sent her over the edge with rage when he trains his eyes on me than her.

He has that I’m-everything-you-can-ever-wish-for-so-fall-for-me effect, my Deer savior.