"Rockstar" Luhan/Chen, hinted!Tao/Kris

If there was anyone Jongdae hated more, it was Lu Han. And of course when he said hated, he meant teach that rock singer a well-earned lesson in humility because Lu Han was such an , just to Jongdae. They'd been dancing around each other for five years now. Five years they'd been in show business, and Lu Han with his too pretty face and his raw voice was somehow being hailed in 'some' circles as the rock star of the future. Meanwhile Jongdae had had only one hit song. According to Lu Han, that was a fluke, and privately - definitely not publicly - Jongdae was inclined to agree with him. Among the entertainment sphere, ballads were just not as popular as catchy riffs and guy-liner. It wasn't fair, but then again life wasn't fair, and Jongdae was never going to resort to such gimmicks as Lu Han was always doing, just for a few more fans and popularity.

"I'm a rockstar, baby," Lu Han had told him the last time they met, backstage at a music show when Lu Han's song had won #1 and Jongdae hadn't even been in the ranking. Some girl group called Exa had given Lu Han a run for his money, placing second with a margin of 2,000 points. Even girls could not compete to Lu Han. 

Jongdae had scoffed, then smiled sweetly, rolled his eyes at Lu Han and walked off. "Try again next time, huh?!" Lu Han had called, like the ornery creature he was, still trying to ruffle Jongdae's feathers, although to what purpose Jongdae had no idea. 

That was two weeks ago, and Jongdae was still quietly promoting his songs, recording unplugged versions 'Best Luck' while Lu Han was already done, a collection of 5 winning trophies added to his pile before Exa could finally win one. 

Jongdae admired the trophies up close, hands crossed across his chest as he waited for his manager Zitao to catch up with whatever the guy was bringing up from the car. A party. Of course he'd be obligated to attend a party, at Jongdae's house, with Jongdae's friends. Appearances mattered of course and so what if their companies had been rivals for twenty years longer than Jongdae's and Lu Han's respective careers. There will be some pictures taken here and uploaded to official social media because everyone wanted to see singers pretending to be like each other, smiling blandly cheek to cheek while off screen they hated each other's guts. 

"Jongdae, so good to see you," Lu Han simpered. 

Jongdae immediately turned to greet him, smiling just in case anyone was watching, although to his surprise it was just them in the hallway. Perhaps that accounted for the less than hate-filled expression the rock star was giving him. If official media pictures were supposed to look sweet, in the company of others they were used to keeping up animosity. But when no one was watching, no one at all, not even managers or staff or close friends of either party, there was almost little point in pretending to be better than the other.

That didn't make him like Lu Han anymore though. It just meant he could take his time, really think about some good one-liners and wait to deliver them with all the clarity his professional disdain for Lu Han's craft required. 

"Your trophy case is lovely, Han." He stressed lovely, just in case the rock star was already drunk, and therefore dense to sarcasm. 

"It is, isn't it..." Luhan smirked, and then his lips. Jongdae didn't know why that small movement drew his eyes, but he glanced upwards again before the other could notice. Sometimes he cursed the guy for having such sparkles in his eyes. Just another reason life wasn't fair, because if the rocker looked like an absolute angel, then why didn't he act like one. Why did he always seem to have it out for Jongdae in one way or the other. Unfortunately, between the lips and the eyes, Jongdae felt a tiny bit cornered. Uncomfortable, if he could admit that much to himself. 

Looking around, there was no one else coming to save him either. Just Lu Han, who was continuing to smirk and smile even as he put his hand up against the glass of his trophy case where there five new wins had been added to almost a dozen from previous years. 

"Well, if ever you get lonely, you're welcome to come and visit them. Give you something pretty to look at, since you probably have... what... a few ribbons? For effort?"

Jongdae was known for looking polite. His smile was cute and adorable, catlike even. Everyone said so. Right this moment though he knew it was gone from his face, every bit of sweet that sweet normally sweet temperament. Lu Han always did bring out the worst in him. He also made him want to wipe that smirk from Lu Han's lips. With his lips.

Jongdae blanched, startling even himself, because where did that even come from!

Any retort he might have made was wiped from his mind. He cleared his throat, intent on restarting the evening completely, and for once time was on his side. Zitao arrived back up the stairs shoulder to shoulder to Yifan, Lu Han's beleaguered manager, the two politely arguing as they always did because company policy required it. Jongdae followed the two of them, and then stayed close to either Zitao or some of their other friends for most of the night. 

These parties didn't usually excite him. In fact, he couldn't wait until he could bow out, but appearances had to be kept up and after the homepage worthy picture of the night where Jongdae and Lu Han gave thumbs up at the camera and then separated almost immediately.

Somehow, a few hours into the evening, he found himself back at the trophy case, waiting with foot tapping for Zitao to come out of the bathroom so they could leave already. He didn't see Lu Han coming up until the man was right by his side, and he jolted just a bit for the shock. 

"Back here again, huh? I see you can't possibly tear yourself away."

"Shut it, Han. I'm just waiting for my manager."

"Zitao?" Lu Han laughed. "Well I'm looking for Yifan too, so you can expect it'll be a while."

Jongdae... balked. Well, .

"Anything I do can to help you pass the time?" Lu Han continued. That smirk was back. That smirk that Jongdae wanted so desperately to wipe from his face entirely. 

"Pretty sure there's nothing you can do to help me." Jongdae's line of sight, however, betrayed him, eyes glancing once again at Lu Han's lips, and this time the rockstar definitely caught him looking.

"Is that right?"

"Yeah..."

"Nothing I can do to help you?"

"That's right," Jongdae reiterated. 

"But maybe there's something you can help me with?"

Lu Han took a step forward. Jongdae took a step back, and was that... a reciprocating glance at his mouth?! He tried clearing his throat again but it was pointless. His back was to the glass of the case, his hands down by his side, and he could have so easily put them up to stop Lu Han, but the moment the other stepped in too close, instead of halting him, Jongdae let him come.

The other's hands touched him first, fingers rolling hesitantly across Jongdae's shoulders while Lu Han's mouth came ever closer. Maybe, maybe they could just have this moment and then go back to hating each other's guts? He hadn't kissed anybody in at least four years. Dating hadn't exactly been a priority, and there was nobody who'd taken his fancy. Not even to mess around with. Jongdae knew he was grossly underpracticed. Unskilled even. Still, how hard could it be to just, let go? He closed his eyes, waiting for the press of Lu Han's lips against his, and when it happened, he even wove his arms gently against Lu Han's hips until they wrapped around the small of his back, waiting for the rush of emotions....

Five minutes later he was sitting in the backseat of the nanny van with Zitao driving, arms crossed over his chest and pouting.

"I can't believe I caught you kissing!" His manager continued to rail. "Kissing! And with Lu Han! Of all people! You know it's not allowed! If the CEO found out, he would... he would..."

"Fire you because you were occupied in another room kissing Yifan?" Jongdae dared to fire off in return. He huffed, and Zitao flailed wildly.

"That is not the point, Jongdae! WE are not celebrities. YOU are. And you just... you just can't!"

Jongdae did not argue with him. Not now, not when his emotional manager was already more emotional than usual. They fumed in silence for the rest of the ride while Jongdae recounted in his head everything that had happened. He was not proud of himself. A moment of weakness, and look at what he got. An irate manager, and now he officially has a history with Lu Han. Lu Han, his less than favorite person in the whole wide world. 

It was late when they arrived in the underground garage. Zitao parked the van and hit the engine, and Jongdae jolted awake from whatever snooze he'd put himself into. They neither of them moved for a second though, Zitao checking him out in the rear view mirror to see if he'd actually offended his charge in any way. Zitao was always like that, yelling initially, and then groveling back to make sure there was no real harm done.

"Sorry..." he started to say. Jongdae hummed in response, still not moving. He saw Zitao's mouth open and close, and for a moment he was sure his manager would never get out what he wanted to say. But then, "So... you kissed Lu Han..."

"Yeah? What about it," Jongdae growled.

"I... just... well, how was it?"

Jongdae snorted, rolling his eyes. He unclicked his seatbelt and started for the door, Zitao following suit as Jongdae replied. "Wet. Wet and sloppy. His breath tasted like stale beer, and where the hell do people even put their hands when kissing! Or their tongue! It's weird, okay! It was weird as hell and I can't believe we did that! I just... need practice, apparently. Lu Han even said so... 

He resolutely did not meet Zitao's eyes after that. He'd already suffered enough mortification for one night, thank you very much.

**Drabble included originally as an unfinished fic within my story, 'Write Me Into Fiction, Hyung'