Everyone’s first impression of Luhan is sweet.

He’s nice and kind and sweet and that’s because Luhan looks like all those things. With his tiny frame, doe eyes and pretty face, Luhan looks like your usual friendly neighbor or the cute boy behind the cash register who signs your name correctly on your coffee cup with a smile or the guy behind the mic on Saturday afternoons singing you sweet love songs.  

Not the kind who would beat up thugs and muggers and leave them bleeding on the ground, unable to utter a word for their jaw has been dislocated and their ribs crushed.

No. No one expects Luhan as a weapon.

But that is who Luhan is. Aside from being the guy who hands you your coffee with a smile and sings you sweet love songs, he is a weapon. He’s a weapon and one of the most skilled weapon the academy has. His innocent looks help hide his identity and he uses it a lot to his advantage. Including tricking his new opponents during training to make them think he’s weak.

“That’s cheating.” Kris, Luhan’s friend at the academy, once said to him. “Your face cheats.”

Luhan always laughs it off and treats Kris to coffee from where he works to shut him up.

Anyone who ever messes with Luhan finds their faces on the ground or with a broken arm or jaw. They learn not to hit on him rudely, call him names or treat his friends lightly. They wouldn’t want to go home bloodied and bruised.

But not everyone knows that. Especially not the poor passer by who was attempting to help save Luhan from being mugged one night only to just get in the way and have his face socked by Luhan himself.

“I am so sorry,” Luhan apologizes, crouching down to see if he’s alright once Luhan is done sending the mugger unconscious. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” The stranger says, wincing as he feels blood trickle down his nose. “I think.”

Luhan helps him back inside the coffee shop to treat the stranger’s black eye (after letting the authorities clean up the mess and take the mugger away) but there’s not much Luhan can do except help clean the blood on his nose and make sure the ice pack stays on.

“You sure don’t look like a weapon,” The stranger says as Luhan makes him some hot chocolate to make up for all the damage.

“Why?” Luhan asks, giving him a plate filled with cookies too and then jokes, “Because I look pretty?”

“Yeah,” The stranger answers sheepishly and Luhan finds the red on his cheeks cute when he’s embarrassed.

“I’m Luhan,” Luhan says with a smile, not even offended that this person thought he was pretty when he hates being seen like that most of the time.

“Yixing,” The stranger smiles back. Or tries to since his face still hurts.

Luhan laughs as Yixing just ends up cringing.

 

* * *

 

Luhan meets Yixing again two weeks later at the academy he goes to. Yixing is the new transfer student and even if Luhan is already a few years ahead of him, the principal places Yixing in the same year as him.

“He’s a gifted one,” The students whisper as he arrives.

“I’ve heard his talents are exceptional.”

“He’s cute.”

They end up being seatmates at first and then friends after two minutes when Luhan teases him about that night Yixing tried to 'save' his life.

“Yeah I was hoping you wouldn’t remember,” Yixing smiles, still embarrassed about that.

“Oh I think I’ll remember that for a long long time,” Luhan snickers at him making Yixing blush profusely throughout the rest of first period.

Without the bloody nose and the bruise in his eye, Yixing is a handsome boy with the cutest dimpled smile that makes both the girls and the guys at the academy swoon.

And he is exceptional. Yixing is extremely powerful and fast in a different kind of way. Where Luhan uses his strength, Yixing uses his intellect. Where Luhan uses his skills and throws swift kicks and punches, Yixing uses his best judgement and quick thinking. His senses are keen and sharp that he’s able to perceive things and can guess what his opponent’s next move is going to be.

And most of the time, Yixing is always right.

Luhan and Yixing both excel in their own field that it isn’t a surprise when Luhan asks him to be his meister over lunch one day.

“You’re picking me?” Yixing asks, his eyes widening and Luhan hands him a tissue to wipe off that bit of rice stuck near his bottom lip.

“Why are you so surprised?” Luhan puts his chopsticks down to talk to him better. “I think we’re a good match.”

Yixing seems to think so too.

“We need to have a link though,” He replies. “You know this can’t work without a proper link.”

“We’re friends,” Luhan smiles. “I think that’s the only link we need.”

Yixing agrees, grinning back at him that Luhan can’t help but reach out and poke his dimples with his chopsticks.

 

* * *

 

They excel as expected. With Yixing’s brains and Luhan’s ability to fight, they become the top students at the academy.

It wasn’t easy. Working as a team took some time to adjust. But it was fun and Luhan has never had this much fun and passion in doing what he’s meant to do. He used to think it was effortless. He’s fine on his own. He didn’t need training. Hell, he didn’t even think there could ever be a person who can control him. A person suited to be his meister. One that can tell him what to do and command him to move in a fight and can share the same thoughts as him. One that he can deeply trust because a weapon must always render himself completely to his meister.

But there is one and it’s Yixing.

“You guys are perfect together,” Kris comments as they walk through the hallways for their next class.

“I know, right?” Luhan beams, swinging his backpack along. “He just knows how to handle a fight. He knows what to do right before they attack and every command he gives me-”

“No,” Kris replies, cutting Luhan off with a knowing smile. “I meant that you two are really perfect together.”

It takes Luhan a few seconds to get what Kris is saying and the puzzled look on his face is replaced with amusement.

“What?” Luhan laughs. “Me and Yixing?”

Luhan continues to laugh while Kris just shakes his head, still with that knowing smile on his face before turning on another corridor to get to his own class.

“That’s funny!” Luhan yells behind him, still laughing as he enters another classroom.

“What’s funny?” Yixing asks as Luhan takes the seat beside him.

“Kris,” Luhan snorts, taking out his notes. “Kris said you and I are- “

Luhan looks at him and the amusement on his face slowly fades.

Yixing looks like his usual self today. His hair is messily put together, probably from getting to class in a rush. He’s wearing his glasses today too and Luhan knows that’s because he doesn’t have the patience to put on his contacts when he’s in a hurry. He’s wearing his favorite jacket over his plaid shirt and twirling his pen in his hand and he looks just like the usual Yixing that Luhan always sees.

Except that Luhan sees something else. Something different. And Luhan will blame this on Kris’s words later on and how they’re seated near the windows so the sun is hitting Yixing’s face perfectly. And it doesn’t even matter so much that Yixing has a slight acne problem these days due to the stress of exams coming up. Luhan just sees Yixing really really differently.

“Luhan?” Yixing asks, nudging him with his knee under the table and Luhan jolts out from that very confusing moment.

“What did Kris say that was funny?”

Luhan blinks back at his surroundings and scrunches up his face at his notes.

What did Kris say that was so funny?

“I’m not sure.” Is all Luhan can reply.

 

* * *

 

Maybe that was all it took. A few words from Kris for Luhan to open his eyes a little bit and see his friend, his meister, in a new light.

And it worked. Somehow, it worked because that’s all Luhan can think about now. He thinks about how Yixing is very attractive with his hair tousled as he studies all sprawled out on the foot of his bed and how he likes it when Yixing doesn’t forget to pull the covers up to his chin before he leaves his room when Luhan falls asleep first. He thinks Yixing looking confused a lot of times is cute and then finds it y when they’re out in trainings instructing Luhan what to do with that fierce gaze in his eyes and his tone coming out all commanding.

He thinks about how he and Yixing are perfect together. And they are perfect together. They’re great as a team and as friends. They may not like the same things but they get along really well. Luhan may be irresponsible and aloof but Yixing balances that out well with how in control he is.

But as Luhan thinks deeper about it, he doesn’t think how they’re great as just friends.

He hates how he sees Yixing like this. It’s messing up his concentration and his friendship with him. Luhan doesn’t want that to happen. He cannot destroy what he has with his meister all because of some stupid crush.

“A stupid crush?” Yixing asks him one night as they’re studying in his room. They’re seated cross-legged facing each other in the middle of Yixing’s small bed. They’re quizzing each other on their upcoming exams but he can’t concentrate at how his heart is beating fast whenever Yixing inches forward to peer at the notes Luhan is holding if he got his answers right and his face is so close to his or when he bumps his knees near his thigh. Luhan has had enough of all these feelings and blushing every now and then that he decides right there to break off being friends with Yixing.

Because Luhan is smart and this is the smartest thing he can think of.

“Yes,” Luhan says, tossing his notes aside. “We can’t be friends anymore.”

Yixing looks at him. “Because you have a crush.”

Luhan nods.

“A stupid crush.”

Luhan nods one more time.

“On me.”

“Yes,” Luhan sighs, getting off the bed. “It’s a stupid crush and I’m not really up for anything stupid right now. We’re graduating, Xing. I can’t deal with this at the moment-”

Luhan is suddenly pulled down to Yixing’s eye level and Yixing doesn’t even give him enough time to process what’s about to happen when he presses his lips softly to his.

It takes a couple of seconds for Luhan to breathe and open his eyes and focus. And when he does so, he sits back down on the bed because his legs are a little wobbly. Yixing’s hand on his arm feels nice and soothing and Luhan swallows hard when he just smiles at him.

“How about this,” Yixing starts, leaning back and putting their notes back together. “We go back to studying so we can ace this year and graduate. And then after exams, why don’t we grab a cup of coffee downtown and talk about this stupid crush you have and how I’ve had it too ever since you punched me in the face all those years ago.”

Luhan blinks back at him. “You…”

Yixing just waves the notes in his face. “You still have to enumerate all the grappling techniques.”

They ace their exams that week and graduate as the top two students in their class that year.

Another week later, Yixing kisses Luhan properly just outside their house after that coffee date he promised him and Luhan doesn’t think it’s a stupid crush after all.

 

* * *

 

Luhan stares blankly at the person Kris is pointing to him across the field. He’s tall and lanky. Not much muscle can be seen and Luhan doubts he’d make a good weapon.

“His name is Sehun.” Kris says to him and Luhan only stares at the boy sitting there without feeling anything for him. He’s here to find a weapon. Someone to train. Someone to command.

Someone who can bring back what he has lost.

He’s not here to feel anything for anyone.

“He graduated as one of the top in his class and needs a meister.”

Luhan doesn’t take one more look at this kid as he turns around to head back.

“I’ll take him,” He says.

“He’s going to be stubborn,” Kris explains as they both walk away. “I taught him in my class once.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Luhan,” Kris places a hand on his friend’s shoulder to stop him in his tracks. Luhan does so but doesn’t turn to look at him. He can tell his friend is concerned about him but these days, Luhan doesn’t want concern from anybody.

“Picking up where you left off isn’t going to be the same thing. It’s been years. You’re not a weapon anymore.”

Luhan knows that. But he doesn’t care. All he needs is a weapon worthy of bringing him back to his feet again.

“You need a link for this to work,” Kris continues. “You barely even know him yet and you’re already agreeing to this-”

“Does he want to stand by Death’s side?” Luhan asks. This is the only thing he needs to know. The rest don’t matter to him.

Kris seems reluctant to reply instantly but in the end, he gives him an answer.

“More than anything, yes.”

Luhan shrugs off his friend’s hand on his shoulder.

“Then that’s the only link I need,” He mutters under his breath, not waiting for Kris to follow as he walks away.

 

a/n: no, you don't need to read/watch the original soul eater to understand all this. if you're still confused, you're supposed to be :)