Calling Lu Han

Luhan hated cell phones.

Despised them, even. They were, and he thought this with complete honesty, a bane to his very existence. Cellphones were especially frustrating when they refused to ring, or more specifically, ring with the familiar flash of image that almost always accompanied her calls. That, now that, was the most frustrating part about it all.

The phone lay on the chair beside Xiumin's pile of books, mocking him with it's blank screen and illuminated touchpad. Wringing his fingers, Luhan took a deep breath before reaching for the damned contraption.

I'm not pathetic, he told himself, there is nothing wrong with checking my phone for messages.

Not even if if it was for the hundredth time that afternoon, Luhan thought bitterly.

He didn't get it though. She had told him that she would call him today. Had she forgotten? Had something happened? Had she not liked their date last night as well as he had? Did she not know that her promise had reduced him to a blubbering, phone-screen staring boy?

"Waiting for her to call you, are you?" Tao's teasing voice momentarily distracted him.

Turning, Luhan discovered the giant maknae sprawled hapharzadly on his study chair. He had a book open before him and large framed glasses on the bridge of his nose. Frowning, the currently blond singer shoved his phone into the back pocket of his jeans and sighed.

"Is that you just starting on your homework?"

Tao glanced at the book on his lap, rolled his eyes and grinned mischieviously. "Nice try, Lulu, but not going to work. That's the fifth time you've checked your phone in the past five minutes." Luhan's eyes widened at the number. He was indignant. He certainly didn't remember checking his phone five times in the past five minutes alone. Maybe just once, or twice, but not five.

"I counted," Tao added nonchalantly. "Why don't you just call her? This idea of her calling you first is silly, anyway."

Luhan tched. "It's not like that, dummy. She told me she was going to be busy and that she was going to call me when she was done."

Tao's eyes rolled. "Same thing."

"Why don't you just do your homework, kid?"

The maknae laughed and turned back to his book. "Whatever you say, hyungnim."

Luhan stood, ever so aware of the electrical contraption in his back pocket and made his way to the kitchen. Kris and Xiumin were making something edible in a bowl when he walked up.

"Need help?" he asked quickly. Cooking was a good distraction, wasn't it? He wouldn't be thinking about the phone if he was trying not to slice his fingers off. Reaching for a knife, he shuffled towards Xiumin. "I can cut, or whatever." Their leader nodded but didn't immediately look up. "There are some cucumbers in the fridge. You can slice those up for us."

"Are we making a salad?"

Xiumin shook his head. "I'm teaching Kris to make kimchi soup." Luhan's eyes widened but he said nothing. Silently, he set to cubing the cucumbers for the accompanying pickle Xiumin always made with his delicious soup. It wasn't before long that the thought crept up on him again, though.

Maybe she called and I didn't hear it.

Involuntarily, he reached for his cell. Kris' dark eyes followed the movement exactly. "You should just call her," Xiumin muttered, eyes still on the food before him. Luhan cleared his throat and tried to move his hand discreetly back to the cucumber and cutting board.

"Or go see her." The leader agreed.

The statement brought Luhan's attention to his hyung. "You think I could do that?" Kris stopped fiddling with the cabbage leaves and met Luhan's questioning look with a raised eyebrow. "Are you playing this whole 'she'll call me first' game?"

There was a short silence before Kris continued, "It's senseless, that game. And no one ever wins, to be honest. Just your pride, if you're into that sort of thing."

Luhan was quiet. It was easy to see the sense in that statement when it came from Kris. Sighing softly, he asked, "What do you think I should do? I want to see her but..."

"You don't want to seem desperate," Xiumin chimed. The young singer blushed. Well that was a good way to put it, yes.

"Take something nice, something you remember from the date last night, and go to her place. Girls usually appreciate genuine interest far more than chivalrous acts. Trust me."

Luhan smiled. Of course he trust their leader. Everyone did. That was why he was their leader. He was wise in things like this. Then, as if hit by a sudden epiphany, he turned suddenly, reached for his coat and wallet on the sofa and ran out the front door. Xiumin's laugh echoed after him. "Good luck!"

Luhan didn't even hear him.

- - -

Standing in front of Carese's apartment complex, Luhan's sense of brevity had just about dissipated. Where was Kris when you needed him? Luhan thought as he made his way, hesitantly, towards her apartment. The butterflies in the pit of his stomach doubled in size with every step he took. By the time his knuckles rapped the wood of her door, he was bordering on physically sick.

Carese opened the door almost immediately. Her shocked expression gave way to a warm blush when she saw what it was that he held in his hands.

"So I know that the boys back in the States might do the whole 'You call me first' thing, but I cannot," Luhan admitted sheepishly in Mandarin. Carese's smile couldn't have been wider. "I never did like the boys back in the States, anyway."

Luhan grinned and offered the present he had bought: a small, pink ribboned box. Carese' squeal of delight when she opened it was enough to convince him that he'd made the right choice.

"You bought me cheese cake!"

He nodded, still smiling. "You had to rush off after our date yesterday that you couldn't have dessert. And you mentioned that it was your favourite so I thought..."

Luhan didn't get the chance to finish. Standing on her toes, cradling the cake carefully with one hand, Carese kissed him. With stars still swimming behind his closed eyelids - now when had they closed? - the Chinese singer felt her pull away and say, "You are the sweetest, ever."

When he met her chocolate coloured gaze, he could feel the butterflies in his tummy turn into a soft, endearing fuzziness that leaked into his entire body. And that was when he knew, just knew, that if it meant his pride, his money, even his career, he would be willing to lay it all down just to see her smile at him that way again.