Surprisingly, Lu Han isn’t late to his vocal lessons. In fact, he’s a whole five minutes early.

His professor, ever the drama queen, rubs at his eyes as if he’s seeing things. But no, Lu Han is actually on time for the first time in his three years at university. Looking at the confused and horrified glances of his peers, Lu Han stifles a laugh as he walks to the back where he and Lay usually sit, dropping his bag on the floor next to his chair.

A trembling second year student walks up to him. “Are you okay?” The girl asks, her eyes wide with fear.

Lu Han gives her a blinding smile. “I’m great. Thanks for asking.”

The frightened girl stumbles over her you’re welcome and she walks hurriedly back over to her group of friends that are watching her with worried looks and frantic whispers.

This is a wonderful feeling, Lu Han thinks, grabbing a stand and dragging it over to his seat. He looks up at the clock and then at the door, wondering when Lay is going to arrive; class doesn’t technically start for another two minutes, but he always expected Lay to be on time. It’s not like he would personally know since he’s always more than fashionably late.

“I never thought you would ever come in on time,” his professor says upon coming over to where Lu Han was starting his vocal exercises.

“I can walk out and come back in twenty minutes.” Lu Han shrugs and begins to stand so he can do just that when his professor pushes him back into his seat. He glances up at the man with a raised eyebrow and a smirk playing at his lips. Maybe he should come in to class on time more often. What is so amazing about him being early? It happens sometimes.

“That won’t be necessary. Finish your warm ups.”

Nodding, Lu Han continues on in his exercises. He’s in the middle of humming through the scales when Lay strolls into the room exactly the minute class is set to start. So that’s when he comes in. Precisely on time.

Lay isn’t surprised to see him when he approaches, usual lost mask of emotions on his face. His younger friend waves as he covers a yawn with his hand. Lu Han smiles and waves as well. He watches as Lay tosses his own bag as he passes by his chair and continues on walking to retrieve the guitar he keeps in the classroom from closer to the front of the room.

“How do you feel about later?” Lay asks upon returning with his guitar in hand. Lu Han is grateful that he’s actually going to participate and not just sit around like most days.

Lu Han shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m going to sing like I always do.”

Pulling his chair to sit closer to Lu Han’s, mostly because Lu Han isn’t thoughtful and sat the stand in front of him as if he was the only person who needed to use it, Lay takes a seat and sets the guitar in his lap. “Didn’t you ask that kid from SIPA to come watch? You’re not going to feel nervous singing in front of your crush?”

Tensing, Lu Han glares out of Lay from the corner of his eye before sighing. “First, and this is the last time I’m saying this, I am not crushing on Minseok. Second, he isn’t coming. He told me he can’t make it.”

Lay made a sound of understanding and reached over to drag the stand to a better position between them. Lu Han may be skilled in hiding his feelings with obnoxious and random outbursts but Lay notices the slight slump of his shoulders. He isn’t Lu Han’s best friend for nothing.

Placing his hand on the other’s shoulder, Lay waits until Lu Han looks at him, confused. “It’s okay, Lu. We all get rejected sometimes. It’s a way of life.” He laughs when Lu Han punches in the arm.

“. I should kill you.”

“Stop hanging around Baekhyun so much, Lu. He’s starting to corrupt you.”

“Yixing! Han! I don’t hear singing. You better sound excellent if you can afford to slack off.” Their professor scolds and Lay and Lu Han both wave at him with sweet, almost mocking smiles.

They go through the song Lu Han is singing for his performance later once and as soon Lu Han’s throat closes around the last note and the sound of the guitar dies out, they start talking again.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll be there to support you.” Lay grins, absentmindedly playing a random tune.

Lu Han rolls his eyes. “You have to be there, stupid, you’re my accompaniment.”

“And Sehun said he’ll try to get Baekhyun out of the studio for a few minutes so they can come watch.”

Nodding, Lu Han touches Lay’s arm. The younger man stops playing.

“Is it just me or are they oddly close?”

“Is who oddly close?” Lay raps his fingers on the pick guard.

Lu Han has to restrain himself from turning into the Hulk and smashing the guitar like those rock stars do on television. “Don’t start playing oblivious now, Yixing.”

Sighing in defeat, Lay turns the guitar on its back in his lap and shifts so his body is facing the other. “Look, Lu, if Sehun wants to express an interest in Baekhyun and Baekhyun is stupid enough to take the bait, then let them do it. It’s sort of what you’re doing with that Minseok guy or whatever his name is. Both you and Baekhyun are flirting around people you probably shouldn’t be messing with. But because it’s wrong of me to berate Baekhyun when he’s not here, I’m saying this for you: if trying to have a friendship or whatever relationship with that kid from SIPA gets you in trouble, I’m not sure if I’ll be willing to help you.”

Settling the guitar in a proper position, Lay plays out the intro to the song they are supposed to be practicing. Surprised by the lecture, Lu Han almost misses his cue to start singing.

Minseok sighs. He’s sprawled out along the back seat of Kris’ car with the top down, observing the fat clouds and the setting sun. Hopefully it doesn’t rain but it is hard to predict this crazy spring weather. The sound of machinery and obnoxious yelling is tasking on his ears and he hums All That Jazz from Chicago in the hopes of dispelling the noise. The guys seem to want to ruin his day, though, because their shouts increase in volume and Minseok sits up and looks in the direction of the garage to see Chanyeol in a heated argument with some chubby guy standing in front of a beat up navy motorcycle. Groaning, he falls back onto the seat and checks the time on his phone. If he remembers correctly, it should be around the time Lu Han and his classmates will be getting ready for their little performance thing. Bending one leg so he fits on the seat better, Minseok decides to send a text of good luck and sorry I couldn’t make it to Lu Han. Not even a minute passes before his phone jingles the closing song from Hairspray and he reads Lu Han’s reply of thanks, baozi <3 stop apologizing. Minseok rolls his eyes at the nickname but smiles nonetheless.

“What are you doing?” Chanyeol’s voice rings out from above and the sudden sound of his voice causes Minseok to drop his phone.

He narrows his eyes at the younger man and reaches blindly onto the floor of the car to grab his phone. Once it’s in his hands, he brings it up to his face to check for any scratches before facing Chanyeol again.

“Is it possible for you to ever start a conversation with me without scaring me half to death?”

“No,” Chanyeol replies, kneeling over the back of the passenger seat. His hair is pulled back loosely but a few strands still fall into his face. He smells of sweat and oil and Minseok hopes none of it is on the taller man’s jeans or else Kris is going to be pissed about having to clean his seat covers. “Answer my question,” he demands and Minseok decides to pocket his phone.

“I’m talking to a friend,” Minseok says. “I mean, there isn’t anything else for me to do. The last time I offered to help, I messed up someone’s car.”

“You didn’t mess up their car, you ed up their car,” Chanyeol corrects, grinning at the memory while Minseok frowns.

“In my defense, it was my first time installing a full body kit.”

Chanyeol folds his arms over the top of the seat. “So who were you talking to?”

“A friend.”

“Was it that guy you were holding hands with? His name is Lu Han, right?”

Minseok covers his face with his hands. “We weren’t holding hands.”

“Sure, sure.” Narrowing dangerously dark eyes, Chanyeol’s thin, pink lips curve into a smirk. “You know...Tao may be keeping all of your little secrets but he won’t be enough to keep you safe when I tell Kris you’ve been seeing some other guy behind his back.”

It’s not an empty threat. Minseok knows that if Chanyeol makes up something about his and Lu Han’s friendship to Kris, he’ll be given hell. Lowering his hands from his face, he pushes himself up until he’s sitting and staring at the tall man leaning over the back of the seat. He doesn’t let his growing fear show visible on his face. “You’re jumping to conclusions, Chanyeol. Kris and I have been together for the past four years. I’m not just going to randomly cheat on him. And if I did, I wouldn’t do it with you around.”

“But you’d do it if I wasn’t around?” His eyes glint mischievously and Minseok curses mentally for saying that last part. The short man inhales sharply when fingers grip the front of his shirt and pull him up against the back of Chanyeol’s seat. He wraps his hand around Chanyeol’s wrist, digging his nails into his skin. “I can’t wait until I don’t have to see your face anymore. Can you feel my excitement?”

Minseok’s eyes widen at a familiar click and the press of the intimidating edge of Chanyeol’s favorite switchblade above his collarbone.

“I hope he breaks you in half, Xiumin. I hope he leaves you on the corner of the street to rot as nothing but a pile of damaged good a dog wouldn’t even want to piss on. You’d wish he killed you instead.”

Chanyeol trails the edge of his blade light along the width of Minseok’s neck, careful not to break the skin. Closing the knife after it runs the course of the column, he holds onto Minseok’s shirt until he hears Kris call for him from inside the garage.

As soon as the younger man’s fingers leave his shirt, Minseok scrambles to the opposite end of the car. Chanyeol laughs at him and exits the car without glancing back. Minseok wants to cry, but he doesn’t. He sits there and stares off into space until the garage closes for the day and Kris is already starting the car. At the sound of the engine revving, he breaks out of his trance and climbs into the passenger seat.

“I’m sorry for making you come with me to work,” Kris apologizes, maneuvering outside the parking lot and onto the road. “You said you had plans for today and I forced you to come with me.”

“It’s fine,” Minseok waves off the apology as he clicks his seatbelt in place, leaning against the door.

“No, it’s not,” the Chinese man stresses. He grabs Minseok’s hand and laces their fingers together as he drives.

“Kris…”

“Why don’t I treat you to dinner?”

Squeezing his hand, Minseok hums lightly in agreement. He and Kris haven’t been on anything resembling a date in a while. The thought of them going out, even if it is to eat, makes him smile and push the worry of Chanyeol’s threat to another part of his mind. Kris doesn't need to know about Chanyeol yet.

“Italian?” he asks, voice high-pitched with hope.

Kris chuckles and his smile brightens up everything around them more than the sun could ever attempt to. “Sure, we can have Italian.”

"Dessert?"

"Ice cream?"

Minseok shakes his head. "Cheesecake."

At a stoplight, Kris yanks Minseok away from the door and kisses his forehead sweetly. "Cheesecake it is, then."

Here we have proof Kris isn't always Godzilla. We also have proof Chanyeol is a meanie.

(I'm getting too comfortable with writing Baekhun someone save me ldjkfdk i have to write Baeksoo gdi)

Family crisis has been settled for the time being so no worries :) Thank you everyone ♥

@yixicorn: someone put the link on tumblr? (brand new information) but Kris isn't always a bully! see! he's nice sometimes

@s_koala: they bring so much life to this fic. really.

@tomatomc: lol the bacon/lulu/bubbleteafreak trio is so stupid. and you gave the exact reason why Baozi can't two time Kris. boy will die.

@fmaxp3rt: tao w/ his default expression, okay? and the baeksoo will be...interesting. i'll say that. (FOUR days) Kris keeps his betches in line, keeps. 'em. in. line. and no love for you.

@yoonmi: only the president can save them when sehun no longer wants bubble tea

@soymilk: oh noes, your brain cells D: it's okay, chanyeol was a good guess *pat pat* lol minseok can't love them both because Kris would destroy him. destroy.

@lulusbaozi: baekhun don't care about little flirtatious glances, they jump right into the relationship without even noticing. and chanyeol can't get out. he needs to be xiumin's bff for life

@pasywasy: but minseok would be cute as a wimpy little girl. and then luhan could save his wimpy girly from the krisdragon XD

@starkey: lol i totally didn't mean that when i said kris is a hard lover OTL and did this chapter answer your question about chanyeol? i lob you too~ :D

@guggig0307: baekhyun's sculpture is the best weapon against the big chanyeol lol

@dibsfortwo: minseok needs to just find the right person to tell all his problems to :)