Author: London_Calling

Pairing: Xiumin / Luhan

Luhan flinched; then he heard giggling.

“Are you afraid of lightning?”

Luhan surveyed the man next to him. Short, with messy brown hair and an armful of books. “No. Isn’t it human nature to react to loud and unexpected noises?”

The man grunted noncommittally and went back to watching the storm. The large windows provided a perfect viewpoint, a front seat to the storms via the small bookstore. The rain was coming down in sheets, blurring the concrete buildings that lined the street. The normally bustling sidewalk was abandoned.

When another lightning bolt touched down nearby Luhan dropped the book he was clutching. Jumping backwards his actions were accompanied by loud laughter.

“You really are afraid!”

Luhan scowled at the man. Who was he to judge his fear? Storms were scary. “It isn’t nice to laugh at someone else like that.” Luhan bent down and scooped the fallen book into his arms, attempting to return it to its original state as his hug-through-the-storm-object.

“Is that the Idiot by Dostoevsky?” The man asked, straining his neck to get a better look at the book.

“Um.” Luhan wasn’t used to such questions. “Yes, it is.”

“Have you read it?”

“No.” Luhan looked at the book cover. “I haven’t. Have you?”

“Yeah. Interesting book if you like chaos and depression.” The man smirked. Luhan gulped, rather involuntarily, at the action. “I am Kim Minseok.”

Luhan stared down at the hand that was currently directed at him, firm and still and expecting his reaction. A bit delayed, a bit apprehensively, Luhan shook the offered hand. “I am Luhan. Nice to meet you.”

“Have you ever read Notes from Underground?” Minseok asked. Luhan noticed that Minseok gestured with his hands as he spoke, leaning towards Luhan as he asked the question. Was he one of those slick business guys that studied and watched body language like it was an infallible religion? Luhan hated those guys.

“I have.” Luhan answered quietly. It was strange, talking to someone like this. He usually didn’t. His life consisted of walking to the bookstore and the grocery store. And home – with piles and shelves of books. It had been that way since his father passed away.

“What did you think?” Minseok asked brightly.

“An unreliable narrator.” Luhan answered quickly, surprising himself.

“Right!” Minseok pointed at Luhan, excited. “If you really compare the underground man with another literary character you could say he is most similar to Humbert Humbert, at least in my opinion.”

“I agree.” Luhan caught himself smiling, quickly regaining his indifferent expression. Why did it feel so dangerous, talking to this man?

“Hey, the rain is letting up!” Minseok pointed at the window. Luhan once again lost control as he grinned happily at the change in the weather.

“If you are okay with it, I mean if it isn’t creepy, do you want to exchange phone numbers? We seem to have the same taste in books and it was fun talking to you. Even if our discussion was rather short.”

Luhan looked at the man, considering. Was he a serial killer? Maybe some freak that preyed on twenty-somethings that went to bookstores and read Russian lit? Or maybe he was actually eager to make Luhan’s acquaintance.

“Is something wrong?” Minseok asked, noting Luhan’s reluctance. “If it is weird we don’t have to.”

“No. Uh. We can exchange numbers.” Luhan stuttered the words, but went through with it. They exchanged numbers and pretty soon they were texting each other frequently.

Luhan smiled when a new text message came through- usually a recommendation to read a certain book. Sometimes it was a question about a character or book they had both read. Pretty soon it was about other things too. Real life things.

Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?

Luhan stared at his coffee pot. He had just brewed a new pot. It was his favorite coffee. He was comfortable, with his book in his perfectly temperature controlled home.

Sure. Where?                                       

Luhan showed up and ordered on his own. Usually he was too nervous to do so. He hated being questioned about all the details like sugar and cream and short or tall or all of the other things he didn’t want to answer.

“Hey!” Minseok waved him to his table. “Glad you could make it.”

“Me too.” Luhan answered, sitting down.

“You look really nice today.” Minseok spoke quickly.

Luhan smiled. Funny what getting out of the house did for a person.