2 days later.

"Skiing?"

"Yeah!!"

"But..." Chen peered at the brochure that Luhan produced from behind his back with a cheeky grin.

"No buts, Chen. You promised me you'd go for this holiday!!" Luhan pouted, and Chen swiped at him with a laugh. 

"It's not that, but... I kinda can't... Haven't... Skied before."

Chen flushed in embarrassment as Luhan's eyes widened. "You... Haven't?"

Chen shook his head. In his universe, skiing really wasn't a very popular sport. People didn't like winter sports, instead preferring to stay at home and warm up in front of a fire. "I guess it hasn't really become a thing in my universe."

"Oh..." Luhan's mouth formed a perfect O shape. Then he broke into a smile. "Then it's good because there's always a first for everything."

Chen couldn't help but smile. He knew perfectly well what Luhan was up to, suggesting this trip and all. Luhan, you really can't hide anything from me...

***

One week later.

"I assure you it'll be damn freaking fun!!" 

Luhan didn't remember how he got wedged tightly under Chanyeol's arm as he and Chen were walking out of their apartment, but it happened. He glanced over at Chen, who wasn't looking very comfortable in Baekhyun's death waist-grip, and chuckled softly. And the interesting shade of purple that flashed on Chen's cheeks when Chanyeol connected them together with his huge arm crashing over Chen's shoulders was hilarious.

"Yeol... You are suffocating Chen to death..." Baekhyun drawled, and tried his best to lift his lover's arm off the stricken boy. Chanyeol laughed. "I know he loves meeee...." 

Luhan watched as Chen wriggled expertly out of Chanyeol's and Baekhyun's grasp, with a kind but slightly horrified smile. "I don't need that much love guys, thanks."

"Awwh, because you get them from Luhan hyung?" Baekhyun suggested, and received an eager hi-5 from Chanyeol.

Luhan rolled his eyes and went over to Chen, steering him away. "Ignore those two. They are a crapload of rubbish sometimes." He remarked nonchalantly, and Chen had to smile. 

The four of them headed to the car park where Chanyeol's car was parked. He loaded their luggages into the car boot, while Baekhyun assisted him. Luhan went over to Chen and rubbed his shoulders comfortingly.

"It'll be fine, okay?" He whispered to Chen.

Chen's shoulders were still tense despite Luhan's assurance. "What if they find out about me...?"

Luhan sighed. His best friends still didn't know about Chen's secret, and he was unsure whether or not telling them would be the best option. And if it is, how to tell them.

Chen waited for his reply with steady, hesitant eyes.

"That... When the time comes, I will tell them, okay?" He gave his most reassuring smile to Chen. Inside, his heart was pounding. How would they respond to Chen? Would they think of him as a freak?

Chen nodded, his eyes still watching him unblinkingly. Sometimes Luhan feels that Chen might be secretly able to read his mind. 

"Get in, last one in is a pighead!!" Chanyeol sing-songed. Luhan guided Chen over to the passenger door and pushed him gently into the backseat first, before climbing in himself. Baekhyun jabbed him from the passenger front seat. "Pighead treats lunch!!"

Luhan beamed. "If you guys don't mind ice cream sandwiches and potato crisps..." 

"What the heck Luhan!!" Chanyeol and Baekhyun chorused, and Chen hid back a giggle at the back of his hand. Luhan smiled at the smaller boy beside him. Why is he so cute, he thought.

***

The 2-hour drive to the ski resort was rather uneventful, with Chanyeol belting out DBSK's Hug for the first half of the ride, and the second half trying to rap Eminem's Not Afraid but failing badly due to his horrible slurring. Finally Baekhyun stuffed a meat roll into his mouth and he shut up. Chen let Luhan rest his head on his shoulder, and the older man closed his eyes, his hand drooping down to the side and falling on top of Chen's arm.

If Chanyeol or Baekhyun saw their rather intimate position, they didn't say a thing. Somehow, by observing the couple's silent eye conversation throughout the journey, Chen knew that Luhan's idea of Operation Get-Chen-to-be-happy-and-carefree-again wasn't the only objective of this trip.

The ski resort was bustling. There was people everywhere, from shrieking babies to obnoxious children to even more obnoxious teenagers to loving couples to elderly uncles sipping cinnamon latte.

Chen was alarmed at the crowd at the ski resort. "I didn't know it's so popular here..." 

"Of course it is!!" Luhan laughed at Chen's astonished expression. "It's practically everyone's favourite winter sport. It's thrilling, it's fun, and it's endless!! Look at that!" He pointed at the long vast slope of white snow, where tiny dots of people were sliding down the ice.

Chen gulped. It seemed a little scary for him.

"C'mon guys don't just gape at the snow!!" Chanyeol huffed, as he opened the boot. "Collect your luggage or I'm leaving them inside!"

Chen took his duffel bag and lifted it up on his shoulders. They rest joined him as they walked towards the main resort building.


"So how many rooms did you book?" Baekhyun tried to tiptoe and peer over Chanyeol's shoulder to see the form he was filling, but apparently it wasn't working. Chanyeol laughed and head-locked him playfully.

"Of course, two rooms!!"

Chen blinked. Two rooms? He turned to Luhan and caught a faint streak of pink flash across his cheeks. "So, I'll be sharing with Luhan?"

Chanyeol snorted, and Baekhyun hugged Chen's arm. "Would you rather stay with me then?"

"No!!" Chanyeol and Luhan replied in unison, and they turned to stare at each other. Chen giggled, and Baekhyun squealed, enveloping Chen in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh my goodies you are SOOOO CUTEEE!!" He let go when Chen began to gasp for air. "Luhan, you have good taste." He wriggled his eyebrows cheekily.

Chen swatted Baekhyun away, grinning. "Please, I said I don't need so much love from you guys...-"

"-Because you get them from Luhan hyung???"

Chen and Luhan groaned in unison, and they turned to stare at each other.

And Chanyeol and Baekhyun collapsed to the floor in laughter.

***

There was one bed. As expected. 

Luhan placed his bag on the foot of the bed, shifting about awkwardly as Chen followed him into the room, closing the door. 

The air suddenly felt warmer, and Luhan's heart started to twitch subconsciously.

Chen chucked his bag on the floor and sat down on the wood panels with a sigh. Luhan's eyes widened. 

"What are you doing, Chen?"

"Feeling out my sleeping spot, why?" He answered, as if walking into a hotel room and claiming a sleeping spot on the floor was the most natural thing to do on earth.

"You... You can't sleep on the floor!" Luhan almost shrieked. "These are wood panels for goodness sake, you will freeze to death!!"

"I have Touch Heat" came the reply.

Luhan smacked his head. "That's not the point Chen..."

The smaller man sighed and stood up, throwing his duffel bag perfectly on the armchair. "There?"

Luhan took his arm, ignoring the sudden buzzy feeling that shot through his body. 

"Chen, you sleep on the bed. It's big enough. You'll get a neck cramp if you sleep on the armchair, I'm serious!!"

Chen stared back at him blankly. "You never let me sleep on the bed."

"That's my bed back at home. It's different."

"Okay, if you don't mind..."

Luhan suddenly felt guilty, like he hadn't been treating Chen well. The way he looked so hesitant of sleeping on the same bed with Luhan, it was like an unspoken rule that he was not to sleep on the same bed Luhan was sleeping.

Which made Luhan think, did he remember that night when we shared a bed?

Maybe he didn't. 

Luhan didn't know why he felt a tiny bit upset about that.

Chen snapped a finger at his face. "Luhan?"

"Ohh?" He shook himself out of his thoughts as Chen tilted his head towards the door. "Lunch?" 

Luhan grinned and nodded. "Let's go!!"

***

The four men didn't do much for the rest of the day, just walking along the snowy plains and talking about everything and anything. At least, most of the topics were about Chen.

"Chen, which school did you study at?" 

"Unnh..." The school he studied at wasn't one that Chanyeol or Baekhyun or anyone would know. Luhan thankfully came to his rescue. "Oh he studied at a foreign school. He just moved back to Korea last year. Most of his family aren't in Korea."

Chen felt glad that at least part of it was true.

Baekhyun looped an arm around Chen's shoulders. "So why did you come here by yourself?"

"Uh, to experience the culture..."

Chanyeol whooped. "Then you've met the right folks!! Baek and I love travelling, you and Luhan hyung can join us anytime!!" 

Then he added, "We can go for a summer holiday! Beaches are awesome too."

Chen smiled wanly in acknowledgement, and he could feel Luhan's eyes boring into the back of his skull. Both of them knew the truth. Chen won't be around for the summer. He would've gone back by then.

"Uhh...?" Baekhyun broke the awkward silence, and glanced nervously at Chanyeol as if saying, what da hell did ya just doo?! Chanyeol shrugged, looking equally as frantic.

"Yeah, summer sounds great." Chen patted Baekhyun's arm and smiled. His eye smile, the one that he knows people will buy.

Baekhyun gulped.

"Hey hey." Chanyeol stepped between them and pried them apart, slinging Baekhyun's arm awkwardly onto his shoulder possessively. Chen chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to hit on your baby Baek." He turned to wink at Luhan, who turned a strange shade of pink.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged a glance, and then they suddenly not-so-accidentally tripped, pushing Chen right smack into Luhan's chest. 

"Oooops!!" They yelled in unison a little too loudly, and then tumbled off on the snow in laughter.

Luhan squeezed his arm gently. "Glad you're putting up with them well, Chenchen." A bright smirk crossed his face, but the slight blush was still present on his face. 

Chen laughed. "Whatever, they are still tolerable, for now." He returned the smirk, poking Luhan's rib. "And I said don't call me Chenchen!"

"Chenchen."

"Shut up!!"

***

After dinner, Chanyeol and Baekhyun decided that their hormones were getting out of control so they disappeared back into their resort room. Luhan doesn't even want to think what they are going to do inside.

He walked along the open corridor with Chen beside him. It was a chilly night, and the breeze was subtle as it tousled their hair and ruffled the little furs on Chen's coat. Chen had a peaceful look on his face, and his mouth was slightly curled upwards in a kittenish smile.

Luhan thanked Chanyeol mentally for coming up with such a brilliant idea. I'm glad Chen is finally relaxing himself and not holding himself back like the last few days.

Chen stopped when they were nearly reaching the end, turning and leaning his arms on the railing. "It's kind of nice tonight," He remarked, gazing at the snowy blackness of the night. "I can't wait for tomorrow so that I can learn to ski."

"It's fun, I assure you." Luhan stepped up beside Chen.

They remained in comfortable silence for a while, and Luhan turned to observe the other boy. His face was lit by the dim lamp that hung a distance away from them, and the light casted little shadows on Chen's perfect cheekbones. His eyelashes suddenly seemed more distinct and separate, Luhan almost felt like he could start counting them one by one. The kittenish smile was still present, and coupled with Chen's little eye smile - the one that crinkled his eyes at the edges - made Luhan gasp and tremble unconsciously.

He is so beautiful I can't...

He swallowed thickly and quickly averted his eyes, staring down at his hands and willing himself to not look up, not look up...

"Luhan?" 

. Even the way he says my name is beautiful.

"Unh?" He said to the railing.

There was silence for approximately ten seconds before Luhan decided to tear his eyes off his hands and look at Chen. Chen was gazing at him with a rather amused expression on his face. 

"You look cold. Want some heat?"

Heat?! Your heat?!?!!? 

Luhan felt his cheeks almost burst into flames as Chen took a step towards him and placed his hand on his chest, warmth spreading from his palm as his eyes glittered silver. Oh, that heat. Luhan mentally kicked himself.

"Better?" Chen smiled that freaking gorgeous eye smile (metallic version) again and Luhan wanted to just die on the spot. 

"Thanks, ch-ch-Chen..."

Chen didn't pull away, even though he had clearly stopped using his power. He looked into Luhan's eyes, and something stirred in them.

Luhan leaned forward instinctively, his heart fluttering madly, his fists bunching up, his lips gradually closing the distance...


"Oh my god there they are!!" A shriek jolted Luhan from the moment, and he practically jumped backwards in shock, his fingers uncurling from his palm. His throat felt extremely dry and parched. Chen was still staring at him, unmoving, and behind him were Chanyeol and Baekhyun, hand-in-hand, gaping at them.

Chen turned to look at the couple, and smiled. "Hi, how was your session?"

"Oh great!" Chanyeol flushed a bright red, and Baekhyun nudged him hard. "We are interrupting," he whispered hastily.

"O-oh, sorry, we were just walking about, no offence, we're going!!"

With that, Chanyeol and Baekhyun disappeared back around the bend. 

Luhan whooshed out a breath that he felt he was holding for way too long.

Chen turned back to him, and a small pout found its way to his lips. "They are starting to get on my nerves, Luhan..."

Luhan laughed fondly, and ran a hand through his hair.

The moment was broken.

But at least it wasn't completely destroyed.

A/N: okay what on earth did I write. After one whole load of angst there is suddenly too much baekyeol craziness and luchen awkwardness haha.
I'm trying to work on their characters now, since they are closer to each other, and its time Luhan opens his eyes and look at his protector properly so yay for fluff xD

Right. SO... Promotion time! GO read Connected. Haha!! 

MY RANDOMNESS SPOT

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Can't get over how synchronised they are. I like the hair flip haha.

CHEN AND XIUMIN OMG how can they put the little ones up there?! T_T (actually they should, since they are little so they weigh less but thats not the point)

Someone give them protective harnesses please

cr: tumblr (twistednoona)

UGH you damn cookie just go into the milk!! ... Ahh nom nom 

*cries* this is so cute <3

cr: tumblr (kmuzikluver)

THIS. Is so cute. Sehun Kris Tao have derp faces HAHA

I watched EXO Showtime for like 5minutes then i had to pause and spazz around because they are just too OMG.

I remember watching SHINee variety shows and dying too but theirs aren't so bad coz there are 5 of them but 12 THIS TIME.

cr:tumblr

Sorry couldnt help it. D.O. and Xiumin possessed. HAHAHA 

Until next time!!