Fold. Open. Fold diagonally. Open. Repeat. Bring in the side corners.

Kyungsoo’s fingers move without thinking. He spent many hours in harshly lit waiting rooms folding paper cranes, and it’s a habit that stuck with him.

Fold the corners. Turn. Repeat. Open up, lift and flatten. Turn. Repeat.

The flimsy napkin isn’t suited for origami and Kyungsoo rakes his nails across the edges of the fold in an attempt to make it look neater.

Fold. Flip. Repeat. Fold over one side. Fold up the top flap. Flip. Repeat. Invert upper tip to fold the head. Pull wings out and down.

Kyungsoo carefully sets his creation down in front of him. The door of the restaurant opens and the little paper crane’s wings shiver in the cold winter breeze.

Kyungsoo looks up and sees Tao’s, Kris’ and Luhan’s familiar faces as they approach his table. Luhan nearly trips over his own feet as he greets the shorter man, arms stretched out, pulling him into a bear hug. Kyungsoo notices the wrinkles near his eyes are more pronounced than they were 2 years ago, when he last saw Luhan. Kyungsoo feels a rush of affection towards his band mate as he takes in the scent of Luhan. Tao’s next; a sweet smile on his face, his bangs covering his eyes and when he wraps his arm around Kyungsoo and pulls him closer, Kyungsoo notices how skinny the Chinese man is now, ribs visible and upper arms barely defined in the long sleeves under the tight stretch of his black shirt. He sees dark lines on Tao’s neck; curling and twisting around the nape, disappearing under the collar of his shirt. Kyungsoo briefly wonders what Tao has tattooed on his back, but Tao pulls away and Kris steps up, looking apprehensive and uncomfortable.

It’s the first time they meet again since Kris left EXO for a new life in Canada. Looking up at the tall man, Kyungsoo knows he made the right decision when he agreed to meet them all here, in Beijing. He shakes hands with his old friend, and although Kris’ appearance has changed dramatically (he put on a few pounds, his hair is no longer groomed to perfection in a trendy haircut and he’s wearing an outfit that’s functional but boring), his smile hasn’t changed and Kyungsoo sets aside any lingering feelings of disappointment or anger. Kris was part of the team and as far as Kyungsoo is concerned, his departure hasn’t changed that.

“Good to see you again, my friend.” Kris’ shoulders relax visibly and he smiles even wider, ruffling Kyungsoo’s hair as he slides into the seat next to Luhan.

There’s an awkward pause as the four of them look at each other, unsure of where to begin. How do you catch up on a couple of years in the span of a short lunch break?

Kyungsoo’s stomach growls loudly.

“I guess we should order first then,” Luhan laughs, and he turns in his seat to draw the attention of a waitress.

Tao waves a hand in front of Kris’ face. “You should show Kyungsoo the pictures. They’re adorable.” The older man looks slightly embarrassed, and mumbles that there’s time for that later. Luhan barks out a laugh, “Come on Kris, he just wants to show off. Perks of being a godfather.” Kris pulls out a thin tablet from his vest pocket, tapping the screen a few times before sliding it over to Kyungsoo. There’s a picture of a smiling young girl and a baby boy sitting next to each other on the grass.

“Wow, they grow up fast. How old is Lily now?” Kyungsoo asks Kris.

“She’s turning three in two weeks.”

“And Noah?” Tao reaches over to the tablet, making a swiping motion, and in the next picture, the little boy is standing up against a coffee table. “10 months. And he’s walking already. Strong kid, just like his godfather.”

The conversation is cut short when a waitress shows up to take their orders. Kyungsoo has Luhan order for him, as he never managed to get a grasp on Mandarin. The woman blushes as she looks at Luhan, and he needs to repeat himself twice before she gets the order right. There’s a skip in her step when she walks away.

“I see you’re still getting plenty of attention from the ladies,” Kyungsoo smirks with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

Luhan waves his hand noncommittally. “You know how those girls are. They’d jump on anyone who shows up on daytime tv with their ugly mug.”

“Your gig is hardly a crappy daytime tv show. Everyone’s watching it these days. It’s the biggest game show on Friday night, despite your ugly mug,” Tao interjects. Luhan flips him off. “Hey - your words, not mine.”

The waitress returns with their drinks, blushing furiously when she serves Luhan. He winks at her before she walks away, and his three friends groan in unison. “Don’t be jealous, guys.”

“Flirting with the waitress? That’s so cheesy,” Kyungsoo whispers.

“Why wouldn’t I? She has great . And she left me her number.” There’s something scribbled on the napkin under Luhan’s drink. “I might give her a call.”

“You’re disgusting. I thought you were seeing that actress, Lijuan something?”

“Yeah, so? Tao, I’m not forcing these girls to throw themselves at me. Besides, Lijuan knows I’m not ready to settle down yet” Luhan says.

Tao takes a sip of his gin tonic, lips pursed in a harsh line beneath judging eyes. “You’re a real keeper, Luhan.”

Luhan his head to the side but he’s unfazed by Tao’s obvious sarcasm. “Don’t you think you’re not in the best position to lecture me about my promiscuity? From what I hear, you’re getting more than all of us here combined. I guess it’s a good business model though, judging by the all the A-listers on your client list.”

“That’s different. I’m single.” There’s a pink tint to Tao’s cheeks, Kyungsoo notices.

Luhan laughs. “Single, but never alone, right? You were never good at being on your own.”

Tao snorts. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Kyungsoo rests his hand on Tao’s thigh. “I think he’s referring to the fact that, despite all your big words about taking long walks on your own, you were always seeking out people to keep you company.” Tao shifts in his seat, and Kyungsoo notes again how incredibly thin the man has become, his thighs barely filling out his skinny jeans.

Tao glances up at Kris and Kyungsoo recognizes something he’d seen so often during their years together – how Kris and Tao had a way to communicate without words, translating their most private thoughts into a quick look or a furtive touch. Kyungsoo had never been able to label the relationship between the other two members, because he thought they were too different to be soul mates, yet so much more than just friends.  Whatever it was Tao couldn’t find on his lone walks, Kris was the only one able to fill that gap and keep the restlessness out of the younger man’s eyes.

Kris’ mouth twitches a little, and the moment passes when Tao breaks eye contact and turns back to Kyungsoo.

“I’m doing just fine on my own,” Tao says. “I don’t need anyone to hold my hand, never have, never will.”

Kyungsoo wonders if it’s directed at himself or Kris.

            ***

“It’s a shame you can’t stay longer. Xiumin will be back in town the day after tomorrow” Luhan says after they’ve finished their meals.

Kyungsoo smiles apologetically. “I know, but Chanyeol wants me back in time. I only have a week to learn the