Luhan was in Beijing. Kris told himself it was coincidence that Luhan just so happened to be staying in the same city that he'd accepted a work schedule in. He hadn't received a call from a friend at the agency saying that Luhan was going to be there.

It was also a complete coincidence that the hotel Kris just happened to be staying at was also the one that Luhan had just checked into that morning. He definitely hadn't called in every favor he had to find out what hotel he would be staying at.

And as he walked around the hallways of the hotel for probably going on four hours now, just wandering the halls with the excuse of being restless, he said it was a coincidence when he happened upon Luhan walking out of a hotel room.

He stopped walking, his heart pounding into his chest as he watched Luhan turn around and lock the hotel door, completely unaware that Kris was even standing there.

He gulped when the boy turned around and their eyes met. Luhan's eyes wide, keys danging from his fingers as his breath stopped. Kris smiled nervously, taking a step forward.

“You...look like .” His voice wavered, and those were definitely not the words that he'd meant to say; but anything he'd wanted to say and flown out of his head the moment he saw the other man with bags under his eyes and hollow cheeks and dampness on his face, an unhealthy shade of pale.

To his surprise, though, Luhan laughed, a sound Kris hadn't heard in so long that it felt like the first rain falling in a desert after a long drought. He smiled.

“You look great.” Luhan said, eyes raking up and down Kris's body. He hadn't changed much, but the palor in his face was better and he'd filled out a little more. He tooked healthy. He looked good.

Both of them smiled, neither knowing what to say. Kris dropped his hands to his sides, swinging them awkwardly by his side. They were silent for a long moment as a family passed by, ushering their little girl to keep up with them.

Both men waited until the family had turned the corner and their voices faded into the distance before either spoke again.

“Coffee?”

“Sure.”

The cafe in the hotel overlooked a park. The boys got their coffee and sat by a large window near a little area of rose bushes with a spotlight shining on them.

“So...what are you doing here?” Luhan asked, watching Kris stare up into the sky. There were no stars in the big city, just deep blue night hidden behind grey clouds.

Kris kept silent for a while, bringing his cup to his lips to take a sip of the bitter warm liquid. His eyes turned to meet Luhan's and his smile was sad. “I'm staying at this hotel for work. I heard that you were here too.”

Luhan nodded and they fell silent again. Neither knew what to talk about. Luhan hadn't known he'd see Kris at all, though something deep down in his heart had hoped they would run into each other. Kris had never expected to actually see Luhan, despite searching him out, and now that the other man was sitting right across from him, he couldn't think of a single thing to say to him.

“How are the others?” Kris ended up asking, his heart twisting in his chest at the thought of the boys he'd left behind.

Luhan shrugged. “They're good.” He spoke quietly. “I've been taking care of everyone as best as I could...just like you asked me to.”

Kris returned Luhan's smile. Both boys looked out the window.

“Tao is taking it the hardest...you know how much he cared for you...” Luhan bit his lip, glancing over at Kris to find a broken expression on his face. Tao and Kris had always been close, ever since the trainee days. Kris had always taken care of Tao the most and protected him and Tao was the hardest to leave, the most difficult goodbye Kris had ever made.

“He'll be alright.” Luhan continued. “Sehun is taking care of him. We aren't getting as many group schedules as usual, though, so I guess that's a good thing, but everyone is still really busy. We don't see each other all that much. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are working on their TV shows and things...but we all got together and watched your new movie.”

Kris looked up, a small smile on his face. “Really? What did you guys think?”

Luhan chuckled. “You were ment to be an actor, Duizhang.”

The nickname surprised Kris. He hadn't expected it, and Luhan noticed this.

He shrugged lightly. “We never stopped calling you that. We'll never stop. Even if you aren't a member anymore, we're always going to be family, and you're always going to be Duizhang.”

Kris smiled, fighing back the tear. He nodded. Luhan continued speaking, rambling now to keep his own tears at bay.

“It also seems to help Tao, if we don't...address you by name around him. The poor kid gets so emotional over the simplest things...”

Kris cleared his throat, stopping Luhan from speaking anymore. Kris had known that Tao was in love with him, and it broke his heart that he had to say goodbye.

The silence surrounded them again as they sipped their coffee. It warmed both of their hearts, but though neither said it, they doubted the effect came from their drinks. Just the proximity made the two of them feel like they hadn't felt in a very long time. Better.

“It's hard on everyone with you gone.” Luhan finally spoke up, once his cup was empty and he sat it down on the table between them.

“I know.” Kris's empty cup found a spot next to Luhan's.

“We all understand what you did, though. Even though it's hard to deal with. No one blames you.”

Kris didn't know how to respond to this, he simply nodded and let another silence surround them.

Luhan stood up. “I've got to go. I'll get into a lot of trouble if they find me with you.”

Kris nodded, standing up as the other man started to walk away.

“Luhan.” The boy stopped, turning back around to look at Kris. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

Luhan's smile was genuine, a twinkle in his eyes that hadn't been there for a very long time. “I'll see you again, Duizhang.”

Kris stood in the cafe for a long time, even after Luhan and the memory of his words in Kris's head had vanished. He walked back to his room and he didn't see Luhan again after that.

He was in his room at his house when he heard the news. He'd been scrolling through instagram on his phone, loking at what Tao had been posting recently. It always made him smile, but something he saw made him curious.

He his computer and he googled it. He searched through the pages and he found an article. Luhan had left SM. He looked at the comments, flipped onto some other websites and read what people were saying about the matter.

When Kris had left, he'd received so much hate for it. He'd gotten better and he'd moved on. He missed this guys and he loved the guys and he hated the way they were treated and that needed to change. He was happy when he saw so many comments about how wonderful it was that Luhan was leaving, and how he could have a chance to be happy and healthy now. That was the whole reason Kris had done this in the first place.

He turned off his computer and pulled out his phone, making a call. It took him two weeks, a good chunk of money, a few favors, and a signed photo for someone's neice to get the information he needed and he hopped on the plane as soon as he could.

The neighborhood was practically deserted. He went straight to the hotel once he got off the plane, hidden behind a thick scarf and some large sunglasses, but as soon as his bag was put away, he left.

The text had an address and Kris gave it to the cab driver in rushed Korean. He had to say it twice. It had been so long since he'd spoke Korean he mispronounced a few words. Seoul was exactly like he remembered it, though. Vibrant and busy, even with the rain pelting the world in the middle of the day.

According to the message, Luhan would be leaving for class in an hour and it would take the cab half that time to get to the apartment he was staying in now. Kris sighed, looking out the window. It felt like he was home again, a weight lifted from his heart that he hadn't even realized was there. He'd been in this city for so long that it held a part of his heart, and it always would.

The cab came to a stop, halted because of a traffic accident on the road. Kris cursed. He would never make it there in time, now. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it to the driver, jumping out of the cab.

Soaked to the bone in a matter of minutes, with no umbrella, he took off running down the street. He didn't even know where he was going, he just kept running. Dodging traffic to get across the streets and not stopping for anything. He found the college Luhan was attending and dashed down the streets, finding the nearby apartment he'd found that Luhan was staying in now that he was no longer living in the dorms.

Breathing heavily, receiving strange looks from some of the students walking in and out of the building. Kris pushed through the door and took the stairs two at a time until he came to the right number. He pounded on the door. He heard shuffling coming from inside, but the door didn't open. He pounded on the door again.

When the door finally swung open, Kris came face to face with a Luhan. He looked different than last he'd seen him. His skin looked brighter and his cheeks were chubbier and there was a smile on his face until he saw Kris, then it faded into confusion.

“You look great.” Kris gave a soft, awkward chuckle.

Luhan looked him up and down. “You look like .” They mirrored their greetings from their last meeting.

Both men laughed. Kris scratched at his wet hair, dripping water in the hallway. Luhan jumped at him, pulling Kris into a tight hug. His clothes quickly soaked through as they hugged, Luhan refusing to let go of Kris, burrying his head into Kris's neck.

“Thank you.” He whispered into Kris's ear.

Kris smiled, finally pulling away from Luhan. “I think we should get inside?”

Luhan laughed awkwardly and nodded, taking Kris's hand and pulling him into the apartment. He kicked off his shoes and pulled of his wet socks and jacket, hanging them up to dry.

“Why don't we get into something dry?” Luhan suggested, pulling his damp shirt from his skin as he walked into the apartment. “I think I've got something that will fit you until your clothes dry out.”

“Thanks..” Kris muttered, following Luhan down the hall with a trail of water.

Luhan turned and laughed. “Bathroom is there.” He pointed to a room. “I'll bring you something to change into.”

Kris nodded, walking into the bathroom. He stripped out of the wet things and hung them over the shower rod to let them dry out. He found a towel in the cabinet and used it to dry off, wraping it around his waist at about the time Luhan knocked on the door.

He opened the door to find Luhan holding a pair of sweats and a an oversized shirt that he was sure had once belonged to him anyway. Luhan had already changed his shirt and hadn't bothered to put on new pants, so he had just walked out in his boxers.

Kris cleared his throat, taking the clothes. Luhan leaned against the wall, giving Kris the privacy to get dressed.

“It's because of you that I was able to do this, you know.” He called into the bathroom.

Kris pulled on the pants and walked out with the shirt still in his hands. Luhan stared. He hadn't seen Kris shirtless in a while, and he had to admit that the man still looked...really good.

“That was the plan.” Kris said, a small smile on his face. “They never treated us like humans and we all deserved better.”

“But if you'd have never left, then I wouldn't have had the courage to leave either.” Luhan admitted, smiling as he looked up at Kris. “So thank you for that.”

Luhan wrapped his arms around Kris once more, pressing his lips gently to the man's shoulder. “It's because of you that I can live freely. I've even heard the others are talking about leaving as well.”

Kris smiled, ruffling Luhan's hair. “I'm just glad that you're better.”

Luhan grinned, pulling away from Kris. He took the man's hand and walked with him into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

“Why did you come here?” He asked, finally, the question that had been on his mind since he'd seen Kris at his door.

Kris scratched the back of his neck. “I...I heard what happened and I just...I needed to come see you.”

Luhan chuckled, reaching up to brush Kris's cheek with his fingers. “I missed you too.”

Kris took Luhan's hand, resting his cheek into it with a soft smile on his face. “It's good to see you again.”

Luhan nodded, already leaning forward. He pressed their lips together softly, both of them smiling into the kiss. When they pulled away, Luhan grinned again.

“Now there's nothing stopping us from doing that.” He whispered.

Kris laughed, pushing himself up, pressing Luhan down on the couch and crawling over him, wrapping his arms around the man and pulling him into another kiss. “I've missed this.”