Fic: Unnecessary

Title: Unnecessary
Fandom: Exo
Focus: Jongin-centric, Kai/Suho
Genre: General
Rating: G
Length: Drabble, 456 words
Summary: In Jongin's opinion, Junmyeon does too much for him. To him.

"Take some more," Junmyeon says, using his pair of metal chopsticks to snatch a slice of sizzling pork belly from underneath Chanyeol's nose and set it down on Jongin's plate. The only thing that keeps Jongin from thanking him -- ready to shove aside that childish resistance, the urge to say "I could've gotten it myself" without meaning it -- is that Junmyeon immediately sets his sights on Moonkyu's plate, and then Sehun's. 

 

Jongin lowers his gaze and plucks the piece of meat up, only to drop it back on his plate. 

 

"Don't play with your food," Minseok says from the other end of the booth, and Jongin hates how that immediately makes Junmyeon turn back to him with a small frown. 

 

He looks like he's about to say something -- only three years older, only a year more of experience in the company and Junmyeon thinks he's some sort of super sunbae -- but instead, he turns back to Minseok and says cheekily, "not all of us are old in both age and at heart, Minseok-ah." 

 

The rest of the trainees laugh in-between bites of food, gulps of cider. Jongin tries to too, as Minseok playfully grumbles about Junmyeon having no place to speak, about the hypocrisy of calling him old, but not hyung, but it's not the full-bellied, back-slapping laughter he's prone to. 

 

Jongin pretends he doesn't notice Junmyeon slipping him another slice of meat again, ignoring it once again for the kimchi on the other side of the plate. It's sour and tangy in his mouth, and his throat thirsts for grease and fat and comfort even as the smoke from the table's grill chokes him. 

 

"I'm going to get some air," someone else says before Jongin gets to, forcing everyone to move out of the narrow booth. There's enough of them that there's tripping over feet, the shameless theft of food from each other's plates; in the chaos, Jongin feels frail fingers wrap around his wrist and tug him towards the doors of the restaurant. 

 

Junmyeon's hair is gross from sweat, from both practice and being in a crowded space with half a dozen other guys. It reflects the orange of the street lights, moreso than the build-up of oil on his face. It's a familiar sight. 

 

"You didn't have to do that," Jongin says belatedly. Didn't have to give him the meat, didn't have to divert Minseok's attention, didn't have to give Jongin an out just because they both knew he'd rather be home in bed with an hot pad or a cold compress or something against his back, not like his ratty sweatshirt that's slowly growing tighter with every move Junmyeon makes.

 

Junmyeon lets go of his wrist, still smiling.

Original Post: Here. 
Prompt: "Do you think it's possible to love someone your whole life and never really realize it until something happens that makes you see?" - Rosalee Futch, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
Author's Note: Originally I was planning to compile my free kicks, but I decided to just post them separately instead. Why not. This was the first ever free kick I did, though it basically was the same as the old, prompted 30-minute challenges the writing memes used to do. Anyway, this is set pre-debut. I love the idea of Suho taking care of Kai since the time they were trainees up until now lol. I don't know if either of them are truly in love at this point, but at least Kai should be feeling that tenderness that is born when someone seems extra considerate of you lol The title comes from Suho's unnecessary actions and Kai's unnecessary reaction to them.

Fic: Conspicuity

Title: Conspicuity
Fandom: Exo
Focus: Suho-centric, Sehun-focus
Genre: General
Rating: G
Length: Drabble, 553 words
Summary: Junmyeon watches Sehun get ready for patrol duty, and Minseok has things to say about Sehun's styling. Superhero!AU

"Rainbow hair isn't inconspicuous," Minseok moans, his face in his hands. He's massaging his temples with his fingers, and Junmyeon figures his hyung must be acting as his own make-shift cold compress. Yet another unfair perk of superpowers. "It's a target."

 

The two of them are sitting on the floor of Minseok's old bedroom, as if it were three years earlier before they'd split up for university. Back when Junmyeon hadn't known of family secrets and the temperature-resistant suit Minseok kept hidden in a secret compartment in his closet. He glances back at it before returning his attention to bodyguard #9 and Minseok's attempt to lecture on... proper presentation? Which is strangely heading in the same direction as Minseok's old rants about the messy state of Junmyeon's room.

 

"On my planet, this hair is downright boring." 

 

Sehun's drawling voice echoes from the attached bathroom, where he's obviously taking his time preening in front of the mirror. Junmyeon wonders if he's telling the truth, recalling the boy's bored stories of his fellow reptilian aliens who could somehow shift into something Earthlings found presentable. Sharp chins and smooth skin, fluffy hair more dull than whatever they had back home and pretty eyes. 

 

"Well, considering your planet doesn't exist anymore because some giant douche space-dragon ate it or something--" all three of them ignore Lu Han's indignant gurgle from where's he's standing guard on the other side of the bedroom door, his alien jaw probably dislocating again, "--I would consider a little more camouflage more helpful than anything."

 

Sehun sticks his head out of the bathroom, his tongue poking out from his mouth. Everyone ignores the fact that it's slightly longer than the average human tongue. "You're just jealous that you have to wear some dumb cowl."

 

"The cowl is not dumb, it's a legacy from my fath--"

 

Minseok's voice stops short in his throat, his eyes darting over to Junmyeon guiltily. Junmyeon shoves down the bubbling resentment in his chest, instead huffing playfully before waving a hand and encouraging his hyung to carry on. It's nice to hear about the things their family has kept from him anyway, even if it come years late. 

 

"Right," Sehun says, picking up the conversation, if not the awkward air, "anyway, I'm just about ready for my patrol and Tao and Jongin are supposed to meet me on the roof of the police station so." 

 

When he strolls out of the bathroom, he's truly a sight. The rainbow hair has an unearthly glow, accentuated by the glowing domino mask around his eyes, and the star-speckled suit clings tightly to his muscles. Junmyeon feels like he could easily pluck a star right off the spandex, is almost tempted to try.

 

Sehun catches his eye and smiles, lips thin but sincere across the exposed part of his face. "I'll see you later, Junmyeon hyung," he says, slowly rising off the ground and towards the open window despite Minseok's sputtering about how anyone could catch sight of him, about secret identities and how brightly he stands out. "My next shift is tomorrow so I'll see you then?"

 

Junmyeon stands up to follow him to the window, arm raised as he waves. "Of course. Good luck, Sehunnie." 

 

Sehun grins brightly before accelerating into the distance, rainbow streaks trailing behind him.

Original Post: Here.
Prompt: “I should be upstairs grooming my hero hair.” — Stefan Salvatore, The Vampire Diaries
Author's Note: Another WCAU Round 1 free kick. This is actually part of my Superhero Squib Suho AU, or was an early part of it before I had to revamp things. It's set after Suho's found out about the world of superheroes. He and Xiumin are brothers in this, but while Xiumin inherited their father's power and legacy, Suho was locked out of the loop due to his own lack of powers until he was assigned bodyguards (Exo) after one too many kidnapping incidents. Xiumin's power is ice and water manipulation, while Sehun and Lu Han were reptilian-humanoid aliens from the same planet, only Sehun's species glows a la Marvel's Majesdanians. This is mainly because I am forever fond of Sehun's rainbow-dyed hair from 2013. That's... probably all I'm going to say about backstory, other than there's supposed to be underlying tension between the Kim brothers due to the fact that the family was keeping such a huge secret from Suho. I hope I can write more in this AU in the future.

Fic: The Colors of Sirens Aren't Just Red and Blue

Title: The Colors of Sirens Aren't Just Red and Blue
Fandom: Exo
Focus: Lu Han-centric
Genre: General
Rating: G
Length: Drabble, 524 words
Summary: Idols are special, splashes of color in a grey and lonely world. 

Idols are a beautiful abnormality in a world of greys, sirens tinted with the slightest bit of color at the corners of their eyes and in locks of shamelessly bright hair. Of all the reasons Lu Han signs up for a contracted shelf life a country away, this is the most important. 

 

"It's why people don't particularly like them," the casting scout explains to him as she hands over her card. SM Entertainment, it reads. He knows it should be pink, has seen traces of color during the concerts he livestreams on his computer, but the cardstock in his hand is as grey as the concrete. "It's an illusion, you're not supposed to see color unless you meet that someone special."

 

And yet nothing explains the way crowds of fans all simultaneously see the world in dull pastels and clouded hues. A miracle, they call it. 

 

Lu Han accepts -- of course he accepts -- and imagines himself in a world of color. The world of idols. He dreams of walking in through the frosted doors of the company building and seeing colorful paintings, the pink logo of the company. 

 

But just like when he first stepped out of the airport all those months ago, heart shoved into his throat because his chest was so full of expectation, all he sees is grey. 

 

A passing stranger -- another trainee, probably, he looks so young -- stops in his tracks, cocks his head in a way that makes his oversized ears stand out even more. 

 

"New guy?" he asks, sounding neither particularly cruel or sympathetic. Lu Han wonders how many new guys he's seen with those cool eyes. 

 

When Lu Han nods, the other smiles tightly. Hints of brown start creeping into Lu Han's field of vision, starting from the strands of the trainee's hair, but it stays a dull muted color. Lu Han knows the surprise on his face is all too obvious when the other begins to beam. 

 

"Yeah, I have that effect," the guy says cheekily, reaching out for Lu Han's arm, "and I bet you will too. You look the type."

 

Lu Han doesn't even have the chance to stumble over Korean in an attempt to answer, barely has a chance to formulate one in Mandarin before the trainee starts dragging him down the hallways. He almost calls out for him to stop, but more and more colors are creeping into his vision and he stares wide-eyed at the door they all seem to be reaching to him out from. 

 

"Feast your eyes," his surprise escort says, pulling away from Lu Han and resting his hand on the door handle. His smile is brighter than ever, and Lu Han can see the obnoxious bright orange of his hoodie by this point. As the boy opens the door, another tumbles out, his hand still on the other handle.

 

"Chanyeolie," the shorter trainee says, thick brows narrowed. His skin is pale, his shirt a bright yellow. The colors burst, lingering behind Lu Han's eyelids as he tries to blink them away in surprise. It's brighter than any concert he's ever watched. 

 

It's magic.

Original Post: Here.
Prompt: "life is literally black and white, until you see your soul mate for the first time"
Author's Note: Written for WCAU Round 1, another free kick. This was actually an idea I'd been bouncing around for a while and the opportunity came to just. Write it. Haha. Unfortunately, it was wasted on Lu Han, but i do hope to take this concept and rewrite it with a pairing or with characters I actually care about. Anyway, the first thing to know about this is that I actually strongly dislike soulmate AUs, and the concept of soulmates in general, unless it's platonic. In my opinion, we find happiness as we go, so I don't really like the idea of being fated to be shackled to one other person and that's it. Too sad. Anyway, so I just... came up with this idea that idols, who sell this fantasy of being your ideal type, can be cultivated to have a similar affect to the soulmate trope of only seeing color when you meet your soulmate. And that people actually look down on idols for it because it's a sort of false love and happiness if they're letting you see muted colors. I've got some other worldbuilding rules and ideas built up, but it's probably not the place to go too into depth with them. 

Anyway, in this story, it's basically AR more than it is AU, set pre-debut. Lu Han joining SM and meeting first Chanyeol, and then Xiumin. I wasn't sure if I wanted any of them to be soulmates since I don't particularly ship any permutation of the three. Had to include Lu Han and Chanyeol though since they were Team Xiumin's fellow teammates and there was a bonus for using everyone. Meh.

Fic: Payback

Title: Payback
Fandom: Exo
Focus: Baekhyun-centric, Baekhyun/Suho
Genre: General
Rating: PG-13
Length: Drabble
Summary: Baekhyun's heard of Junmyeon's grudges, but has never been on the end of one until now. Warning for non/dub-con and lapslock.

joonmyun holds grudges. they all know this, from the way certain trainees would take the long way around the company building if they even caught a whiff of him and his twitchy face in the distance. "he wasn't a bully," sehun tells him, "at least not anymore than some of you." he glances at baekhyun like it's his fault chanyeol's ears are too big for his head, that zitao's words are still in the stumbling stages, just ripe for the pickings. baekhyun takes his opportunities, makes the best of them. sees a talent scout in the distance and belts out a ballad within earshot. shoves jino down into the basement and kicks the door shut. 

 

that's life. 

 

"sehun was crying," joonmyun hisses, his eyes dark and his grip tight on baekhyun's wrists over his head. baekhyun finally kinda understands why kris ran into that ocean in the middle of winter now, for reasons other than a script and the unyielding urge to get the fuck away from them and flee the country as usual. "you kicked the ball into his face."

 

"it was an accident?" baekhyun insists, although if he's honest, it was just barely. he'd been aiming for kyungsoo's head instead, given how it was sticking up from his narrow shoulders and practically screaming TARGET RIGHT HERE in kyungsoo's lovely voice. how was he supposed to know sehun -- loyal little brat, it's almost tear-inducing really -- would dive right then and there, lanky body stretched out in an ill-fated attempt to protect one of his tiniest hyungs.

 

two hours later, and here he is. backed up against a dirty bathroom stall, joonmyun hovering over him. not quite the image of gangnam's poster boy baekhyun used to hear about back in their trainee days. less class president, more mob boss. yikes. 

 

joonmyun's free hand reaches down, and baekhyun gulps he hears the sound of a belt coming undone.

 

he's heard about the hazing, from before the company started focusing more on Public Image and realized that anything that happened in its halls could be used against them in a court of law in the unusually common chances that people's contracts were taken to said court. chanyeol used to regale him and jongdae with tales of how one of the older trainees had made him crossdress and practice with the twelve-year-old female trainees sm had somehow lured into their system. jongin occassionally mentions the time taemin had flushed his face in the toilet and made him clean up the splashed water with a toothbrush. 

 

maybe joonmyun is finally hazing him. maybe he'll make him run around the football field in just his briefs, take a snapshot and send it to taeyeon noona with a HAHAHA caption. it wouldn't be the first time she's seen him like this. 

 

"suck." 

 

suck what, baekhyun almost asks except as soon as he opens his mouth, joonmyun shoves him down to his knees so that he's facing ugly plaid boxers. like really ugly, bargain bin ugly. not exactly what baekhyun ever imagined joonmyun wearing, given his blazers and polos. he looks up as if to comment on it, but joonmyun's fingers squeeze his cheeks, his lips automatically puckering. 

 

"like you're worth ruining silk," joonmyun tells him, rolling his eyes. his clothed dick is edging closer and closer to baekhyun's mouth, and baekhyun swallows preemptively.

 

"besides, i'm just warming you up. you still owe sehun."

Original Post: Here. 
Author's Note: Written for WCAU's Round 1 overtime. The theme was erotica, so I wrote the set-up to revenge porn. It's not my usual thing, and I'm not particularly proud or into it, but points are points. Was supposed to be a meta take of Team C (Kyungsoo, Sehun, Suho) getting eliminated from the competition and the blame falling on Baekhyun.