Las Vegas, NV (Part 2)

Las Vegas, NV

Lu Han simultaneously wants to take a nap by the pool and to hide away from the sun.

"What is wrong with you?" Tao asks, eyeing Lu Han as he lurks in the building making up his mind.

"I value my pale skin," Lu Han hisses back. "Also, the sun causes cancer."

Kris sighs, but wraps a hand around Lu Han's wrist and pulls. "We'll set up one of those umbrellas and get you in the shade. Come on, Princess."

When he gets into the cool, clear water and sinks down to his shoulders, however, Lu Han decides that the three layers of sunscreen is probably enough. Either way, it is worth a little suntan.

They gather back in the suite around six and start looking for good places for dinner on the hotel computer.

"Italian," Tao says.

"French," Kris says.

Lu Han rolls his eyes. "Both."

At that moment, the door to the suite opens and Yixing barrels in, MCM bag over one shoulder and pulling Jongin by the hand. He is smiling, looking happier than Lu Han has seen him in a long, long time. He's dressed in some loose harem pants and a white tank top that is hanging off one shoulder and clinging onto parts of his body due to dried sweat.

"Borrowed some dance clothes from Jongin," Yixing explains, dropping his backpack onto the floor by the door.

"How was it?" Kris asks, obviously trying to hide his curiosity.

"Yixing was really good," Jongin replies at once.

Yixing's dimple appears and he scratches his ear with embarrassment. "What are you guys doing?" he asks.

"Looking for a good place for dinner; what do you want?"

"Italian," Yixing replies.

Tao lets out a triumphant smile and Kris sighs. "Go shower," he grumbles. "I'm starving."

"We should shower together," Lu Han hears Jongin mutter. There is a shout of laughter and a light smacking sound, along with a "Yahhhh, watch it" from Jongin.

Lu Han's heart drops and he looks away, suddenly feeling unhappy. He doesn't want to hear Yixing's response.

When Lu Han has his hook-ups, it is strictly one date only. To his horror, Jongin sticks around for the whole week.

"You're not doing it right," Lu Han hisses to Yixing on his way to his room one day. "You’re supposed to have amazing and then never see them again."

Yixing only laughs. "I actually kind of like Jongin," he says, moving past him quickly. "Besides, we're not even hooking up anymore."

Lu Han is even more flabbergasted. If Yixing isn't getting any from Jongin, then why the hell is stupid Kim Jongin still around all the time?

"He's good for Xing," Kris explains when Lu Han voices his frustrations. "He's managed to get Yixing dancing again finally. You know, Jongin's auditioning for a big time LA hip hop company in a few days, and he's somehow convinced Yixing to sign up too."

"Yixing is WHAT?" Lu Han yells, shocked. For some reason, his own best friend has neglected to inform him of this very fact. For a moment, he flounders. "Does that mean he might not be going back to New York with us? If he passes the audition? What about grad school?"

Tao gives him the look, and Lu Han wilts a little under the younger man's intense gaze. "Yixing will metaphorically die in grad school," he says. "He needs to dance, Lu; you know that better than anyone."

However, the mere thought of returning to New York without Yixing, of living life without Yixing close by, scares Lu Han.

At the start of the journey, Lu Han had thought that he did not need to do any soul searching because he knew exactly who he was and what he wanted. However, hearing that Yixing, the one sure constant in his life, might be taken away from him has him rethinking his previous conclusions. Yixing can't be almost 2500 miles away, across the whole goddamn North American continent; he just can’t.

Then Lu Han's heart starts hurting because Yixing would then be staying in LA with Kim Jongin. Even if they aren't ing now, surely, if Yixing stays, they would develop into something more. They already seem so close, going to the dance studio for practice while the others lounge by the pool, shop, and explore Vegas.

Lu Han finds that he is not okay with that prospect.

He doesn't like the way Jongin's dark exterior contrasts with Yixing's pale, white skin. He doesn't like how the two have so much in common, and how easily Yixing has taken to his new friend. He doesn't like feeling replaced, specially by someone so flawless as Kim Jongin.

Then again, Lu Han's heart has been hurting a lot lately. When Yixing touches his hand, or flashes that dimpled smile and asks him if he has eaten dinner, Lu Han's heart feels as if it is going to jump out of his chest.

It's just nerves, Lu Han tells himself. He just doesn't want his best friend to leave his side.

Deep down, even he knows that he is just lying to himself.