“He offered to help you?” Luhan asked, taking a drink from his bubble tea as they sat down at a table by the window.

Minseok nodded in reply, sliding his bag off his shoulders and leaning back against his chair.

Luhan hummed thoughtfully, swallowing his mouthful of tea and setting it down on the wood surface.

“Odd,” he thought aloud. “Not that he isn’t nice,” he added, “it’s just out of character for someone like him.”

“How do you know Jongdae anyway?” Minseok asked. “You’ve never said anything about him before.”

“He was at Yixing birthday party when we were younger. I met him a few times before high school, but then we started first year, and he was… different.” The Chinese boy finished simply, not able to think of any other way to describe the change.

“Different how?” Minseok asked interestedly, watching Luhan as the other took another sip of his drink.

“He’s more reserved I guess,” Luhan offered. “He used to be really outgoing and cheerful, but now his friends are limited to Yixing and the others you met today. Sad really.”

Minseok nodded thoughtfully, thinking back to the way that Jongdae’s expression had changed when he was talking to him earlier and how he had never seen him around before. It seemed unlikely to him that someone with such a warm impression would be considered an outsider, but what did he know? He only had Luhan and was probably the most unknown, unpopular student at school.

As he looked back up at Luhan, he only just caught a sprinkle of red rise across the other’s pale cheeks and his eyes darted back to Minseok’s face as soon as he caught the older watching him.

Without saying anything, Minseok turned round to face where Luhan had been looking and watched a couple of students enter the small café, the shorter’s arm slung lazily around their taller companion’s shoulders. He felt a sharp kick against his shin under the table and he shrieked,  turning back round to Luhan to see the other ducking his head as the customers in the café looked around briefly at the commotion.

The two boys who had just come in also looked, and as Luhan smiled sweetly at the customers to apologize for the noise, the shorter tanned boy nudged his friend in the ribs and ruffled his dyed blonde hair playfully as the other grinned back at him.

“What?” Minseok asked Luhan, watching the other in slight amusement as he subtly played with his hair to make sure it looked good.

“What?” The other responded, eyes darting back to where the two boys were standing for a brief moment before re-focusing on Minseok.

“Someone else you met at Yixing’s party?” Minseok asked innocently, snorting through his straw as Luhan blushed furiously and narrowed his eyes at the redhead.

Before Luhan could reply, one of the boys spoke to the woman taking the order and he and Minseok glanced over discreetly, Luhan biting his lip and grinning shyly at the blonde boy who had turned around as his friend ordered.

“Can we have them to go?” The tanned  boy asked, his low voice loud in the quiet café, and Luhan frowned slightly at the request.

Luhan and Minseok watched as the waitress behind the counter handed the orders to the pair and they thanked her before heading back outside, the blonde boy winking at Luhan cheekily as his friend tossed an arm over his shoulders again while dragging him away.

Minseok turned his attention back to Luhan, waiting expectantly. Luhan just rolled his eyes at him in a silent warning, but Minseok kicked his friend back lightly and grinned at him.

“You blushed,” Minseok said shortly, laughing as Luhan’s controlled expression twitched in annoyance. “You actually blushed. Who is that blonde child to make something that rare happen?” He teased, exaggerated wonder on his face.

“Shut it,” the younger shot back, and Minseok laughed at the quiet desperation brewing on his friend’s face. For all the time he had known Luhan, the younger boy had always been in control of his expressions and never let anything disrupt his sarcastic personality. Until now, that is.

“You like him,” Minseok stated, finishing off his bubble tea with a loud slurp which made everyone turn to look once more, and Luhan smiled apologetically for the second time.

“If I do?”

“You could at least pick someone our age, Lu,” Minseok teased, and Luhan choked on his mouthful.

“He’s not that much younger!” Luhan replied indignantly. “He’s 16,” He added, crossing his arms once he’d finished coughing.

“First year of high school, huh?” Minseok mused, eyes twinkling with something and Luhan narrowed his eyes again in suspicion.

“What?” He asked apprehensively.

“Nothing.” Minseok stood up, reaching over to the bin to dispose of his empty cup, and Luhan’s face snapped in realisation.

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned, watching the older grab his bag and hoist it back onto his back. “I’m serious, Minseok. Don’t tell Yixing. I will hurt you,” he added, but Minseok just whipped his phone out of his blazer pocket and pressed the screen, laughing at Luhan’s horrified expression.

“Touch type,” He shrugged, ducking away from Luhan and running out of the café as he burst into peals of laughter, the younger immediately following him.

“Consider this revenge!” Minseok yelled before turning into the road where he lived, and Luhan skidded to a stop, flicking Minseok the finger as the older grinned good-naturedly before slamming his garden gate.

The younger turned towards the direction of his house and began walking, only to stop to fish his own phone out of his pocket as it vibrated, lighting up with a message alert.

From : Yixing

Cradle snatcher ;)

Luhan growled under his breath, pocketing his phone and changing direction. Yixing was dead meat.