Luhan meets Minseok on a sunny day filled with green grass mixed with sand. They've both enrolled in the same tennis training camp, and they've been grouped in to the same group of 4, and to Luhan, it feels like fate.

(It's not a proper tennis camp, it's just what they call a 'beginners course', but in reality its just something people enroll in just to feel like they're taking care of their lives - perhaps just to convince the people around them that are they're taking care of their lives)

(Luhan joins the camp after Yixing nags and nags about him doing something, and with a picture of his parents looking on with disappointment imprinted on his heart)

"Hello, I'm Minseok" he smiles, lips rising crookedly, revealing a gummy smile and a impossibly cute impersonation of a steamed bun, and Luhan knows that it's too late, and nothing could stop his fall now.

Luhan learns that Minseok has joined with a good looking and friendly, albeit clingy, guy named Jongdae, and that they study commerce at the same university (Jongdae loudly claims that they're the best of friends, only to earn a well earned hit from Minseok).
In turn, Yixing explains to the pair that he and Luhan were friends back from university in China and here they are in Korea together again and they're still close enough for Yixing to be able to drag Luhan to a tennis camp (he doesn't tell them that Luhan has dropped out of his course and that's he's given up)

Minseok and Luhan verse for the first time in a tennis match, and Minseok wins by a landslide. And it's only the first of many, many losses on Luhan's side.

-

They all click, all four of them, and soon they're meeting up even when they're not playing tennis, and hanging out as a group of four has become a common occurrence.

(Minseok and Luhan have bonded over their common love for soccer, for coffee and so much more, and Luhan is decidedly in love)

(Luhan has gotten used to babying Minseok, he likes to feed him, and to squish his white cheeks, he's just so adorable, he can't help it. He knows he's digging his own grave, because it'll never work, and no matter how much Luhan entwines their fingers or links their arms, Minseok's heart will never answer to Luhan's)

They're on the grassy ground of the tennis court, three of them trying to ignore the scratchiness of the sand on the ground, while one (Luhan) tries to ignore the jolts of electricity that run up and down when Minseok's sweaty arm makes contact with his own.

"Minseok has gotten straight A's again" Jongdae's whiny voices carries across the faint breeze, "I'm so pissed"

"Maybe if you actually tried Jongdae, you'd be able to do the same" Minseok's lips tilt and they're so very, very red and kissable Luhan thinks.

"Well Mr I-never-do-anything-but-study, not everyone can put their heart and soul in to everything they do"

This earns laughs from all of them, all of them aware of how passionate Minseok is, how determined he is and how hard he tries to do his best. Luhan envies and hates this side of Minseok because he knows he'll never catch up, but he loves it because its Minseok.

Soon enough Yixing and Jongdae decide to face off in a match of tennis and leave Luhan to try his very best not to stare at the beauty that is Kim Minseok.

"What about you Luhan, how's your studies?"

Luhan freezes.

"I- um- I actually don't study. I- um - dropped out a while ago" He stutters out. He knew that he'd have to tell Minseok sometime but shame fills him to the brim and he feels worthless.

Yixing had known long, long ago, and Jongdae seemed to have found out a while ago. But Luhan had tried to keep it from Minseok, and he had keepen it hidden for a while, but this question was suddenly just too direct and he couldn't avoid it any longer. Or maybe he was just tired of keeping something from someone he was so close too. Maybe it was about time Minseok knew the disappointment he was so that he could accept that Minseok was just too good for him.

"Oh, how come you never told me this?"

Luhan raises his head in surprise. Minseok seems unfazed by this more information, his eyebrows frowning not because he thinks Luhan is not good enough, but because he didn't know.

"It just never really came up"

"But why?"

"Because it was useless, there was no point" he says with a bitter smile.

Minseok doesn't need to know that Luhan gave up on something that meant everything to him because it was just pointless, there was no point, and it only brought disappointment, just like his stupid crush on Minseok, that was just impossible, because Minseok was always all the way on the other side of the court, in a different world.

Minseok knows better than to push, and that's the end of it.

Their relationship doesn't change, Luhan still finds it hard to look away and still finds it hard not to baby Minseok, because he deserves it, deserves all the love, all the care in the world. Becuase Minseok all but shines, all flawless white skin and a beautiful smile, his eyes sparkling like something that looks like hope.

(But its not just that. Minseok never lets the ball hit the court twice. He knows its just a game, they're not really playing by the rules, and the coaches have said that its okay if the ball bounces more than it should in a real game, because it's pointless anyway. But to Minseok, it's important to always, always give it his all. Maybe it he won't make it, maybe he'll run for it and the ball will still hit the court, but to Minseok, everything is worth it)

-

Minseok visits Luhan's apartment on a whim, because he feels like he deserves to, because they're that close that he should. Maybe because he misses him.

Luhan opens the door with only a pair of tracksuits, and Minseok has to fight back the blush rising on his face and tries not to ogle at the eye candy that is Luhan's chocolate abs.

Luhan doesn't seem to realise the things he is doing to Minseok, to Minseok's body, to Minseok's heart, as he laughs and ushers him in, the same special treatment he always seems to provide.

While Luhan makes some coffee, Minseok inspects the apartment, it's pretty small and pretty neat, nothing special he thinks, until his eyes land on something beautiful.

At the furthest corner of the room, he spots a beautiful painting, it's the sky, it's the stars and something he can't describe, but it really, really feels like love.

He moves towards it and it's like a cave with hidden treasures, sketches, paintings and he can't describe it except that they're beautiful and the love that overflows from his heart should not be allowed, surely it's unhealthy, surely he'll die from this avalanche of feelings.

At the very very back, is something special, he can tell, because there is someone on it, someone painted so beautifully that it must be someone who Luhan really loves. The person is smiling up at starry night sky, and there is grass, there's sand and a net and -

It hits him like that time Yixing accidently sent a ball flying in to his gut (that had Yixing apologizing with fervor, and Luhan coming to him, carrying him like he was precious, like Minseok needed the so much care just because he was hit by a tennis ball, making his heart beat too fast)

That person is him, it's Minseok, and he doesn't know what to do.

Minseok is entranced, so entranced that Luhan has to break the spell

"Minseok what are you doing - "

They stare at each other in silence.

"You're an artist" Minseok says it as a statement because it suddenly all clicks, that's why Yixing is in the art course at the university and that's how he knows Luhan and that's the thing that Luhan dropped out of -

"Why did you drop out? These - these are so beautiful. Why-why would you i don't understand -", all his thoughts are a ramble because it doesn't make sense, because he doesn't understand.

"Because it was pointless. I told you this" Luhan smiles a sad smile and Minseok wants nothing but to punch it off, "What would I do with art? Is it going to make money? Is going to make my career? Is it going to make my parents happy?"

Suddenly, anger rises through Minseok, like a fire twisting through his blood, and it hurts because suddenly his heart is full of it.

"It's always like that for you isn't it? Always giving up before you try, always cutting yourself short" He's shouting he thinks. Or is he? He can't tell.

But just Luhan looks at him like he's on the other side of the court, like he's on the other side of the world, and just as quickly, a sadness fills him and it hurts so much more.

"I love you" Minseok whispers, blurts out quietly, he didn't mean to, he just wants Luhan to return the ball that he's just hit over the net, wants him to reach out and to hit it back, but he stands still and lets it fall and Minseok feels something inside him break.

Because Luhan, since the beginning, has always let the ball bounce twice, several times before he hit it. He won't make it anyway, it's going to bounce anyway, why bother. It's pointless. So he stands still.

Minseok has never cared that Luhan was a drop out. Minseok has never cared that Luhan never won a single tennis match. Minseok just wanted Luhan to run.

-

The following tennis meetings are heavy and awkward. They both pretend they're okay but the tension in the air could cut ice and Luhan truly wants to run for the ball, he wants to tell Minseok 'I love you so much it hurts' but he knows its pointless, he knows Minseok is too good for him, standing all the way on the other side of the court, so far away that he can't even hope. And he just can't, his feet are frozen, and it feels like he's forgotten how to run.

Jongdae sits next to him, they're looking up at the stars as Minseok is engaged in a tennis battle with Yixing.

"I don't know whats going on but I do know that Minseok is hurting. And so are you" Jongdae looks at him like he's done something wrong, and he has, because Minseok doesn't deserve to be sad, or be hurt, he deserves to be happy, he deserves the best.

Jongdae sighs in to the silence that Luhan gives him.

"Well, just so you know, Minseok is planning to go on a blind date tomorrow. 11am at that cafe. It's your choice whether you do anything or not", and with that Jongdae is gone, leaving Luhan to deal with fresh pain, and the image of Minseok sitting with some other guy, laughing and smiling, stabbing in to his heart.

Waking up that day is painful, everything is painful because he misses Minseok, because he can't live without Minseok, doesn't want him with some other guy.

Luhan starts painting, it's sudden and it's been a while since he's painted (It's been a while since he's done anything, really) but he needs it. So he paints the image of Minseok, the side that he loves most. He paints Minseok, running for the ball, unsure whether or not he'll make it but still trying, and it's so, so beautiful. His skin is shining with sweat and it looks more beautiful than the stars in the night sky, and his eyes are sparkling with determination and hope and it's blinding and Luhan wants to capture it, wants to capture his beauty, something that's just so indescribable.

Luhan is filled to the brim with love and he decides, maybe it's time that he started to try. He can feel the ball about to drop on to the court, and it's now or never.

Luhan starts to run.

It's 10:59 and Luhan is running like he's never run before to that cafe, the cafe that he and Minseok frequent (because Minseok thinks their coffee is amazing and Luhan thinks whatever Minseok thinks is amazing, is amazing). It's filled with their memories and he doesn't want any person to intrude on it.

Minseok is standing at the door, he's dressed in a red coat that contrasts so beautifully to his white, white skin that Luhan just wants to kiss, and he looks a little nervous, maybe upset and it's so damn cute -

"Luhan?" Minseok looks at him, his eyes impossibly wide and it's quick, but Luhan thinks he sees relief.

It's hard to breathe and he doesn't know if it's too late.

"I love you" he blurts out, his breath coming out unevenly and his legs shaking from exertion.

Minseok looks at him with wonder, with surprise. Then suddenly, it blooms, a flower blooming in to a flourishing spring, and he's smiling so wide and so, so beautiful and Luhan knows that this will the image of his next painting because it's a kind of amazing beauty that must be captured, something he needs to capture.

"Finally" Minseok whispers, and his lips are trembling in joy, and they're flushed red from the cold and Luhan decides to take the plunge.

He presses his lips on to Minseok's and he's rewarded with a soft inhale of breath and the softness of Minseok's lips, and surely he's in heaven because his heart is beating impossibly fast and the love he feels is overwhelming.

-

On their next tennis meeting, Minseok and Luhan verse each other, and for the first time, Luhan is reaching, running to make sure that he never lets the ball bounce twice. For the first time, Luhan wins against Minseok, and despite losing, Minseok is smiling, laughing, and he's jumping over the net to join Luhan on his side of the court. And Luhan is sure that he'll never stop painting, he'll never stop drawing, until all of Minseok's beauty is fully captured, and basks in the fact that it will never be.

--