~First Bridge~

Saying goodbye to Yixing had been hard, but Luhan had known that it was going to happen. Yixing was a ghost after all and they were helping him so he could finally move on. So saying goodbye to him was a given. Jongin and Sehun though? That was a little harder.

The two had decided that were going to travel around a bit, attending dance competitions in various different cities, all in Yixing's name. He would have been proud of them. Luhan definitely was. But he hated having to say goodbye.

They split ways with the promise of seeing each other again one day, maybe when the two of them reached Seoul again. But Luhan knew that that had likely been the last time that they would ever see each other again.

After that life had returned to relatively normal for him. He had taken over Jongin's classes, becoming the instructor for the kids dance lessons instead. Having a job kept him busy, kept his mind busy. It certainly kept him distracted from the still ever present ghosts that followed him around. And when he didn't have dance to distract him then he had Minseok.

The other male was still right there, by his side, nearly every second of every day, and Luhan was so grateful to have met him when he did. Not all spirits that were still on the earth were friendly after all. On more than a few occasions Luhan would find himself being stalked by a ghost with murderous intentions and it was only thanks to Minseok cradling him and persuading the spectre to leave them alone that he had survived this far.

It was unfair, nobody else had this problem. Even Minseok didn't have this problem until Luhan had barged into his life. And yet the smaller male refused to leave Luhan, choosing to stick with him even with the sometimes life-threatening hassle. He really was a guardian angel or something.

Exiting the front entrance of the dance studio, Luhan let a happy smile spread across his face before he all but bounced over to Minseok's side. He immediately threaded their fingers together, wiping a few ghostly forms that were slowly meandering down the street out of his sight. "Thanks for waiting." He smiled, squeezing the smaller hand in his warmly.

"No problem. How was class?" Minseok asked him, returning his smile as they began to head back to Luhan's apartment.

"It was good. The kids are picking it up well. They might even be ready for competition soon."

"Well that's good. I can't wait to see them perform."

Their voices faded away as they continued to walk, leaving the dance studio behind. The figure leaning against the wall of the building opposite the studio, though, kept his eyes firmly locked on the departing duo.

If Luhan had looked back and spotted him he would have recognised him to be the random blond guy who had appeared in his hospital room back in China, when he had first woken up with his ghost seeing powers. The mysterious figure in black who had looked at Luhan with chillingly cold eyes.

He remained rooted to the spot, even after Luhan and Minseok had faded from his sight. A pensive look painted his face with pursed lips and a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

"Interesting... Let's see how far he gets." He finally pushed himself off of the wall, turning and beginning to walk away. His footsteps made no sound.

"Time is ticking..."

---

Stepping into his apartment, Luhan immediately kicked off his shoes, uncaring of where they landed as he groaned in satisfaction. Home, he could finally relax.

He dropped his backpack onto the couch on his way through to the kitchen, calling out to Minseok who had followed into the apartment behind him, closing the door. "Hey, do you want anything to eat? I'm starving!"

"No thanks, I ate earlier." Minseok answered back, his voice trickling into the kitchen where Luhan was rummaging through the fridge.

Standing up, a piece of chocolate already in his mouth, he scowled playfully as he looked towards the door where he knew Minseok was watching him in affection. "You always eat without me! Do my table manners disgust you or something?" He said, a playful pout upon his lips.

The other male chuckled warmly, his eyes disappearing into crescents just how Luhan liked them to as he wandered over. He slid his arms around the taller's waist and with just that one simple gesture Luhan lost any will to pretend to be upset with him. "Of course not. I just have a different schedule to you." He explained. "It's okay though, go cook yourself a meal. I don't mind."

"Fine." Luhan sighed dramatically before he lifted his hand to poke Minseok's nose with a playful giggle. "But don't start at me when your stomach starts to rumble. You turned down my food. And I don't offer twice in one day."

Pulling out of the other's arms Luhan immediately began to move around the kitchen, preparing himself something quick yet filling to eat. He soon settled on a mix of rice and noodles. Mainly because that was all he really had left in his cupboards besides snacks. He would need to make a run to the supermarket soon. He had enough for now though, and within a few minutes he had a steaming bowl of food which he carried through to the living room.

Flopping down onto the couch, he idly switched the television on, barely giving it a glance as he snuggled into Minseok's side, already beginning to stuff his face with his meal. Now that he was eating he realised just how hungry he actually was. But then dance did tend to make him ravenous.

"So," He started, talking around a mouthful of rice. "How was your day?"

"Quiet really. I went to see my Dad again." Minseok answered, his voice falling into it's usual soft tone.

Lifting a hand to cover his mouth, Luhan at the mess on his lips before swallowing everything that was in his mouth as he raised his eyes to Minseok. "Oh really? How is he?"

Minseok gave him a soft smile in reply, the expression matching the tone of his voice. "He's okay in spirit. But his health is getting worse again. He needs a lot more help now than he did before. But I don't mind. He's my Dad."

Stuffing his cheeks with noodles, Luhan raised an eyebrow at Minseok, giving him a somewhat unimpressed look. "Minseok..." He said, once he chewed the noodles down enough to slide into his cheek. "You would have helped him even if he wasn't your father. You're just that kind of person." He swallowed the noodles quickly so he could give the other a cheeky smile as he pinched his cheek. "Everybody's guardian angel."

Minseok had simply swatted Luhan's hand away, rolling his eyes affectionately as the younger giggled cheekily. He didn't reply though and instead they fell into a companionable silence, the only sound being the quiet voices from the television. Soon enough Luhan had finished his food and reluctantly rolled off of the sofa, pulling away from the other's side, and returned to the kitchen to clean up.

"Are you staying over tonight?" He asked Minseok, already working on washing the dishes he had used. He hated doing the dishes, it being one of the household tasks he would rather get away with not doing. But since meeting Minseok he had learned that if he left any on the side for washing later then he would have to endure a long lecture about cleanliness and hygiene. He had heard that lecture so many times already and right then all Luhan wanted to do was finish up so he could sleep. He was exhausted.

"If you want me to." Was Minseok's simple reply.

Luhan immediately nodded, rinsing off the last piece of cutlery and draining the sink. "Please. I always sleep better when you stay over." He said, a soft whine in his voice again as he tried to dry the now clean cooking implements.

"Then I'll stay over." The smaller nodded, giving Luhan another affectionate smile.

With that knowledge in mind, Luhan quickly set about drying the dishes and returning them to their cupboard homes in his kitchen. The promise of snuggling and a good night's sleep was irresistible to him, and as soon as he was finished he pulled the other into the bedroom and threw the bed clothes that he always borrowed into his face. "Go change." He grinned, already playfully pushing Minseok towards the bathroom.

Once he had succeeded, the other male obeying with an amused laugh, Luhan all but fell into his own bed clothes, depositing his dirty clothing into the wash basket, before he flopped, face first, onto his bed. If there was one thing he was proud of it was just how comfortable his bed was. He had saved up for a rather expensive one, but it provided so much comfort that it was definitely worth the money in his eyes.

He shuffled over after a while, making enough space for Minseok who, once returned from the bathroom, immediately slid into the spot without hesitation. Luhan hummed happily to himself as he moved in closer to the other, snuggling up into his side. A smile spread over his lips as he felt his smaller yet stronger arms circling him and pulling him closer.

They were both silent for a while, settling down and relaxing in the bed before Minseok's voice reached Luhan's ears. "I'm not, you know. A guardian angel."

Lifting his eyes, Luhan let his gaze wander over the intricacies of Minseok face. His hair was mussed and falling over into his eyes, hiding his thick eyebrows. Luhan loved how the other's eyes could go from looking large and innocent to looking small and cheeky. The benefits of having single eyelids. His nose was small and always held a temptation to poke, which Luhan could never resist. The hint of cheek bones was somewhat enticing, but he liked how Minseok had cheeks that he could squeeze and poke whenever the urge hit him. Those were the reason why Minseok's mental file in his head was labelled 'Baozi' after all. And then there was his lips, they were thin but hidden behind them was perhaps one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen.

Minseok was handsome. He was beautiful. He was breath-taking really.

"You are to me." He eventually replied, his voice just as soft as he gave the other male a smile that was full of feeling. "You may not think so, but you are to me, Minnie."

The look that Minseok was giving him made Luhan's heart start to thud harder in his chest, but he couldn't help but continue his words. It was about time he was completely honest with him. "I don't think I would have made it this far without you. I..." He started, pausing to take a breath before he locked eyes with Minseok's adorably surprised yet touched ones. "Meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me."

The room became silent, Luhan almost holding his breath. Okay so it wasn't a complete confession, but the meaning was there. And he knew that Minseok understood everything he was trying to say. Now all he could do was wait for the other to react, make the next move, do something so they could escape this awkward tension.

He didn't really have to wait long though before Minseok gave him a tender smile, and lifted a hand to brush the backs of his fingers against his cheek in a rather intimate gesture. "I feel the same way about you."

With a heart thudding loudly in his chest and butterflies running rampant in his stomach, Luhan gazed up at Minseok with hope and adoration shining in his eyes. "Minnie..."

He didn't have the chance to say anything more before Minseok was leaning closer and Luhan felt the soft brush of his lips against his own. The kiss was timid, shy, unsure... but it made Luhan's heart sing with joy. He was soon smiling, sliding a hand around the other's neck to pull them closer together, kissing back with gusto.

Kissing Minseok was something that, he had to admit, he had dreamed about a few times. But it was finally happening, and it was so much more than he had ever expected it to feel like. Luhan's entire body was tingling, moving on instinct, his senses being filled with everything that was Minseok. How his hair felt in between his fingers, his familiar scent, the quiet sounds of his breathing, the taste of Minseok's lips left on his, and when Luhan opened his eyes, the sight of the other with flushed cheeks but with a tender smile.

They shared another softer kiss, a simple press of their lips that held so much feeling between them. But this time when Luhan pulled away he saw a glint of something in Minseok's eyes. He couldn't tell what it was but it was enough to confuse him slightly.

"Luhan, I..." Minseok started, causing panic to suddenly flood through him. Had they moved too fast? Was them taking their 'friendship' to this level wrong? He had legitimate feelings for the other male. This was what he wanted. But did Minseok not want it too?

He tried not to let his panic show though as he instead gave him a soft smile. "Yeah?"

A beat of silence passed them before the expression on Minseok's face softened, the smile on his face turning affectionate. "I'm proud of you, you know. You're doing so well now."

"Only because of you." Luhan said, a blush spreading across his cheeks as he lowered his gaze a little bashfully. He felt fingers under his chin though, and he was forced to meet Minseok's affectionate gaze once again.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere."

Luhan felt so much happiness and relief, that he couldn't stop himself from closing the distance and kissing Minseok once more. They had crossed a line with their relationship, moving from just friends to something more. It was risky, but he didn't regret it. He was positive that things could only get better for them now.