Lost and enchanted AU - Part 3 of 3
EXO as animals series: Lay
You don’t remember anything where where you? Was this heaven? It most probably was because unicorns weren’t real, neither was the boy that lived with them, neither his looks or behaviour…
Lay x Reader
Unicorn AU/Fantasy/Romance/Fluff/Have faith… maybe more…
Masterlist
EXO hybrid series
< Part 2 - Epilogue >
Yes of course, of course it wasn’t real, why would this man that had you between his arms inside a giant butterfly cocoon wrapped around red petals having long hair that was actually manageable in this magical place be real?
It’s been annoying lately, you saw him more frequently, every night, you loved him, but he wasn’t yours, not anymore, his job was more important, it always was… you were second plate, love had no space in Dr. Zhang Yixing’s life, his duty was to be a good researcher, nothing else mattered.
Of course he’d be in the lab, where else could he be? You didn’t really know why you wanted to see him one more time, it’s been too long since the ink of the divorce papers dried, who’s fault was it? Weren’t you patient enough? Were you selfish to ask him to chose between you and his research? Or perhaps it was him who didn’t appreciate you? All those nights you asked him to get to bed early, all the missed dinner dates… were you both wrong?
You wanted to see him, your magical unicorn, he always knew how to place his warm hands over your temples to make your headache disappear, the same headache that you held for months that no pills or naps cured, it wasn’t the same, it wasn’t Yixing’s loving touch.
Like always, you parked your car far in the parking lot, you watched him through the window, wearing his white lab coat and his lab glasses, his hair pushed back, the concentrated look as he worked away, you wondered if he ever missed you, it seemed like he was waiting for you to leave the house because he never called, he never did what you were doing right now, and he seemed complete…
Early shift, everyone hated it except you, means you will get to finish early and have the rest of your day off, the morning customers were also easier to please, they were all in a hurry to get to work on time.
“Why don’t you get the coffees? I bet she’ll love to see you?”
“No Luhan gege, I know she won’t, just get it already we are late”
“We are always late, you make me drive all the way here just to get her to make you coffee”
“It’s the only thing I have left, the only thing that makes me feel I’m still human and not a machine”
“Listen to Lu-ge, get your woman Xing, you have to try at least”
“I don’t deserve her gege, never did, now go get me that coffee”
“You are so stubborn dude, wait here”
Yixing watched from outside as you greeted Luhan with your big smile, he’d do anything to hold you again, anything to hear your stories about rude customers that return the coffee for being cold, or how you needed a neck massage that he never gave you, wondering if anyone was lucky enough to touch your skin at night, if anyone was filling that empty space he’d created.
“Good morning, the usual?”
“Yes please”
You smiled, why wasn’t Yixing able to smile? Did he lose the ability when you left or was it before? Is that why you left? Because you always mentioned how you missed his dimples, those that he hid, those you loved in his face.
“Here you go sir” you handed Luhan the takeaway tray with 2 paper cups of coffee, Luhan took them “wait! I forgot the extra tissues”
“Excuse me?”
“The extra tissues, you always ask for, I know they are handy”
“Oh yeah sure”
Extra tissues, because yes Zhang Yixing was a researcher but he was a mess, all his shirts had coffee and food stains, stains that no one took off for him, not anymore…
“Dude, she stopped me for the extra tissues, I thought she saw you and was about to interrogate me”
“She didn’t forget”
“Forget what? That you drink and eat like a toddler? I swear to god I think she spoiled you too much, I wished I could just tell her these tissues are going to be for a good use”
And the days passed like that, you looking at him from your car in the parking lot late at night, and him through the window glass early in the morning, neither of you knew that the other didn’t sleep to see the other as you worked, foolish of you.
“But she has an eye for you Yixing”
“Nah Lu-ge, most probably it’s because we spend so many hours in the lab”
“I mean… I don’t blame her, you know actually even researchers get to live a life, she just doesn’t know that you are a loser that had one and dumped it in the trash”
“Thanks for making me feel so good always gege”
“Don’t mention it Xing” added Luhan with a wink “right gotta go, just be careful she looks too horny lately, if you don’t want her you know where my office is”
Luhan was referring to Dr. Jung Hansu, and of course she had an eye for Yixing, who wouldn’t, perhaps he was the only one that didn’t see her like a piece of meat.
“Hi doctor, you are still here? It’s too late” she said closing the door behind her tying her hair into a high ponytail before placing her lab glasses on”
“Hi Dr. Hansu, yeah well I have stuff to do, so I better keep going”
“Don’t you… do anything besides the lab?”
“No I have no time”
“I swear if I didn’t know that Dr. Luhan is too straight to be otherwise I would of thought you were a couple, you are not gay are you?”
“WHAT!?” exclaimed Yixing raising his gaze at her and making an actual eye contact.
“I am sorry sunbae (senior), too blunt? Yes too blunt, excuse my mouth diarrhoea”
“What makes you think something like that?”
“To get your attention, so… you are not gay are you?”
“No I am not, I was married and I didn’t appreciate her enough, and to save you time, I’m still in love with her”
“Really? OMG I’m so sorry… why don’t you get her back” said Hansu getting closer slowly.
“I don’t deserve her”
“Then you don’t love her, then that would give me some hope” Hansu took the liberty on placing her hand over his shoulder, Yixing looked at her hand and as an instinct he returned the smile, innocent act…
It was just a bad timing because your tears were already shedding, Yixing had time for love, you saw it, he was smiling at this colleague, why were you upset? He was free, this wasn’t cheating, Yixing moved on you thought, you couldn’t see no more of this, tearful lonely night.
However Dongjun your most loyal costumer visited the following morning, he always had the ability to make you smile, this morning wasn’t any different, and this time when he pushed his business card along with the money you pulled it to your side with you index finger, silently Dongjun made the happiest silent expression “really?” he whispered taking his change back.
“Not making any promises Dongjun-ssi”
“It’s enough for me”
And what it looked like a nice agreement between 2 people, was in reality the horror or Yixing who saw everything, and Luhan who actually heard everything being the next customer in the queue, Yixing felt like a stab in his heart.
“So basically he hasn’t taken any holidays for over 17 months, can’t you force him to take holidays manager-nim?”
“Dr. Luhan I cannot force anyone to take holidays, perhaps he wants to take them in one go for an occasion?”
“Is getting his wife back occasion enough?”
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t sleep and barely eats since his divorce, his ex just needs a little push and they’ll be back together, believe me, he needs this, and all be for the cause of science, he will work a lot better being happy”
“I don’t want dramas Dr. Luhan”
“Trust me!
“What do you mean you booked me a holiday? And where? Fiji? Are you out of your mind Lu-ge?”
“Nope I am not, I actually took your credit card and man you are loaded, spend it before you start getting white hair and wrinkles”
“You took time off for me, booked a flight, a hotel, all without asking my opinion?”
“Hmmm, I guess I did ha? All non refundable, am I not the best gege ever?”
“Lu-ge~~~”
“Stop whining, I will tell you something, just promise me you will behave”
“What now?”
“It’s ___, that guy… she is going with him to Fiji, as I ordered the coffee today I went to the toilet, I took her purse and looked through her stuff, I saw the hotel name and the dates in the brochure”
“You did what?”
“Oh man it was right there unattended under the counter, too tempting not to, besides you should be thanking me not scolding me”
“So ___ is going to Fiji with that flirt?”
“Yixing, this dude I’ve seen before, he’s been after her for like an eternity”
“So what’s your plan?”
“Just show yourself in a nice place getting some healthy needed tan better than the vampire tone you have developed in the lab, dress nicely, put your hair back, show her that body that has gone virgin again”
“Lu-ge~~~”
“Don’t Lu-ge me, now go shopping for something nice, I trust your judgement”
“Excuse me? Who are you?”
“You’ve never heard of Luhan, Lu-ge?”
You were confused at this customer’s odd question.
“That bastard, he’s never mentioned me not even once?”
“Sir there’s a queue” you said embarrassed.
“This is about Yixing, I need to talk to you” pleaded Luhan with them deer eyes pupils dilating making you almost want to pat his head.
“Alright, I guess… Kwonmi-yah, will you cover for me for 10 minutes?”
“Yah!”
“It’s urgent… Yixing…”
“Oh, sure no problem go, go”
You took off your apron and followed him to an empty table.
“Be quick I have no breaks left on my shift”
“Yixing is going to Fiji”
“And that is my concern because?”
“Because I’ve seen you in the parking lot almost everyday for the past year and half, and because I know you didn’t see or date anyone all this time and because is time for you pigheaded idiots to get back together”
“Well you are wrong, I’m seeing someone”
“So is Yixing, he’s actually going with Dr. Hansu”
“Is he? I’m sure that doctor will be the perfect match for him, they will have things to talk about, just like I will have with Dongjun oppa”
“Oppa… that sounds so cringy, Koreans… I bet you are dying to call Yixing naogong again”
You crossed your arms over your chest “is that all? I need to go back to work”
“I am giving you the opportunity to get him back… Fiji, I have booked a room for you in the same hotel as him, I will pay for your plane ticket too, what time do you get off?”
“Bu-“
“Time? I need your passport number to buy it”
You couldn’t believe what this man was telling you, you really could use a holiday, Fiji and Yixing meant sun and tan Yixing under the sunbeams… his smile, his dimples, his…”
“At 7, I finish at 7” you replied enthusiastically.
“I’ll be right here”
And Luhan was way too nice to you, after booking your flight he gave you a gift card to go shopping, what you didn’t know is that is was topped with ₩1,250,000 (€1,000 - $1,100) you remembered what he said.
‘Don’t go cheap, buy anything you want, it’s for a good cause’
You bought quite a lot of things and finally you decided to get that Japanese straightening hair treatment that you always wanted, fantasising over Yixing touching your hair was a big deal.
“A unicorn? Really Xing? So your theme is either busy doctor or ‘hey I’m virgin’ type of deal?”
“Gege~~~”
“What? You look like a 14 year old, not even that man, if you wear a t-shirt with a white unicorn with pink hair age 14 you are retarded”
“She likes unicorns”
“Well wear that when you are about to seal the deal, in your own weird cosplay fantasies, she could be Tinkerbell and all that, but not in public please”
Luhan looked through what Yixing bought and actually it wasn’t all bad, he chose for him a white linen shirt and some beige bermuda shorts “this, wear this tomorrow, she will arrive a day after you, try to get out in the sun, you don’t want to scare her, your green veins are more visible than your actual original skin tone”
“Look who’s talking, you are paler”
“Not anymore Yixing, the only darker skin you have is your under-eye circles, besides my paleness is healthy, unlike yours”
As soon as Yixing arrived he took his shoes off, the warm white sand ticking his toes and the incredible view of the sea, the heat touching Yixing’s skin, the smell of the ocean… he sighed and a rush of hope was sensed.
He can make you see him as a man again, all he needed was appear before you, maybe this wasn’t a bad idea after all, the atmosphere was too romantic, it was perfect, perfect but Dongjun would be the obstacle, when he remembered he knew this time he will have to try harder, not take you for granted, you were the precious source of life he needed to treasure and beg for.
He went to the lobby and was given the key and walked trough the little bridge that would take him to this overwater bungalow, he couldn’t believe Luhan actually booked the most expensive looking one, the last one on the edge overlooking the ocean, too big, too much, his blood boiled thinking that Dongjun had booked something similar for you, this bungalow could convince anyone to do anything.
‘Do anything, do anything, do anything’ played in mantra in his head.
He quickly changed in his swimsuit and rubbed some tanning oil over his shoulders and torso, relaxing in the lounge chair outside the bungalow letting his skin absorb the sun trying to think of the way…
But a much needed sleep and he saw you wrapped in red rose petals…
“Lay!” you said kissing his forehead “did my dress dry? The petals are ripping”
‘So is my heart’ thought Lay in his mind.
__________________________
A/N: Yes I tricked you again, there will be an epilogue of course
Thanks for reading