Lost In Our Times || CloverNyx

Affogatto

     * Vanilla ice cream
     * Italian liqueur (amaretto, etc.)
     * 4 espresso cups of black coffee
     * Scoop ice cream in bowls, pour liqueur, and top with hot coffee

Chapter Three

     Luhan jolted awake, his arms and legs flailing around. Murmurs and quiet giggles brought him into reality, and the bright artificial glare of the classroom lights burned into his eyes. He blinked and looked next to him, only to find Kris glaring at Luhan.

     "How long did you stay up last night?" He asked, flipping an eraser loudly through the monotonous drone of the English teacher.

     Luhan rubbed his eyes and yawned, leaning his head on the wall. 
      
    Thankfully Kris and Luhan had chosen to sit at the back of the class today, or else it would've been straight to detention for Lu. If the teacher ever paid attention to his class, that is.
    
     "Around three or something. I got back into the dorm and I wanted to fit some homework in."

     Kris shook his head, jotting something into his notebook that he had gleaned from the teacher's messily scrawled notes on the old-fashioned whiteboard. "You really should start being more proactive."

     Luhan heard the pop of a gum bubble and turned to look at the seats near the windows. Two boys were looking at him, one with a mischievous, cheesy grin, the other giving him a side, feline look. Luhan gave them a scowl, yet started laughing when they started reenacting soft snoring and sleeping.

     "Chen and Xiumin have been trying to wake you up ever since you started snoozin'. I'm honestly really surprised that the teacher didn't notice, considering most of the class has taken pictures of their cute little flower boy." Kris teased.

     Luhan opened his mouth to respond, embarrassed and starting to flush red at the words, but suddenly the bell rang sharply. Students jumped out from their desks, bolting out of the room for freedom, thankful to be released at the mercy of Mathematics. Kris rose languidly, stretching out his arms and arching his back. He leaned down to scoop his bag up from the ground.

"C'mon we can't be late for study group today. Last ones there has to buy lunch for everyone, remember? I don't want to do that again." He laughed darkly, shoving his hands into his pockets. Luhan laughed fondly, shoving his notebook in his bag and looping it over his arm.

     "Who's going today?" Xiumin asked as him and Chen approached them. Kris thought it over.

     "I'm pretty sure everyone can make it today. Depends on if Yixing can actually remember we have study group today." They all laughed.

※※※

     The boys always had study groups on Thursdays and Fridays, since those days Kris and Luhan didn't have to work; their boss had hired more workers due to worrying about their stress levels, despite Luhan's repeated reassurances. Suho was always first to the study group.

     "KRIS!" He shouted, smiling. Luhan saw Kris tense up a bit, then shake to try and relax.

     "JUMYEON!" He called back, swiping away any stray hairs from his forehead and walking quickly to Suho, embracing him in a tight warm hug, away from the cold winds of the upcoming winter, and leaving Chen, Luhan and Xiumin to trudge alone huddled together in a line like little penguins. Luhan was glad he wore a thick wooly jacket today, and not a thin sweater like Chen.

     They were walking to the school's front expansive grounds, under the shade of a great maple tree,  as always when they have their weekly Thursday and Friday study group. Luhan, Chen and Xiumin exchanged a relieved look, knowing that they weren't last, therefore not having to buy lunch.

     "YAH! ITS COLD!" Chen shouted at no one, shivering as they approached Suho and Kris.

     "I brought blankets for us, Jongdae, I know the weather. And your fashion choices." Suho said calmly, digging into his duffel bag. He threw out some thin, rough gray sheets at the shivering trio.

     Chen ignored the dig at his clothing sense and gave a sniff at the blankets. "Are these even usable? You should donate them for the pets in homeless shelters for extra pee pads." His mouth curved upward as Xiumin and Luhan barked out a laugh and quickly turned away to look around as Kris glowered at Chen.

     "Don't make fun of my boyfriend's blankets. Be grateful he brought anything at all." He said darkly, putting an arm around Suho.

     Chen only shrugged. "I can't be grateful for pee pads Kris. Donating them would be a blessing to the shelters." He shoved the blanket in Kris's face, to Suho's amusement, and stalked past them to dig into the duffel bag in hopes of finding a proper blanket. Luhan and Xiumin blandly dropped the murky gray cloths on the grass, much to Kris's broody glare, and rubbed their hands together. Luhan pointedly ignored Kris in mocking fear of his temper tantrums, who now muttered at how he felt "the disrespect of a thousand knives through his dongsaeng and hyungs." He wasn't about to deal with his moods.

     Luhan looked around, anxiously waiting who would show up next, when he could make out three running figures slowly getting closer to them.

     "Look guys," he pointed.   "Three more are coming. I think it's Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Lay."

     And sure enough, the five heard Baekhyun let out a battle cry, his dirty blonde-brown hair flapping wildly in the wind, twin to Chanyeol's dark wavy hair. Lay ran swiftly, his black hair barely moving.

     "Are we late?" Chanyeol panted as they reached the maple tree. Suho counted heads.

     "No. Kai is missing, he's the last one." He reassured them, laughing. Baekhyun and Chanyeol screamed and yelled, hugging each other. Luhan felt bad for third wheel Lay, so he brought him closer and gave him a hug. Xiumin and Chen joined them.
Kris scoffed. "You guys act as if you won a daesang. You weren't last, that's all."

     Baekhyun broke his embrace and scowled. "THIS IS AN ACCOMPLISHEMNT! I need to save money for my rent and beautiful things, like Chanyeol." He smiled up at the beany giant, who looked at him with wide eyes.

     "Are you saying I'm just an item in the store waiting to be bought? I'll have you know, Byun Baekhyun, I am a tempest hurricane that can't be bought or stopped." He said, easing to a soft smile as he stared at his lover. Baekhyun laughed, their cold misty breaths mingling with one another.

     "I'll fight wars and currents to reach you, Park, and we can be wild together."

     Luhan and Xiumin turned away in uncomfortable embarrassment while Lay and Chen slapped at each other in screeching happiness. Suho cleared his throat.

     "Someone call Kai and tell him to get lunch. I'm starving."

     The other seven nodded their agreement, and Lay fumbled for his cellphone from inside his jacket to called Kai, telling him to get anything for lunch and to make it quick, while trying to hold Chen at bay from screaming into Kai's ears. Luhan stood with Xiumin.

     "Look at these little kids." Xiumin said jokingly, standing tall side by side to Luhan. They looked over at the two couples bickering about nonsense, and at Yixing's patient pushing at Chen and at the old maple tree.

How proud the older brothers felt as they saw their dysfunctional family.

Author's Note: Heyyy lol i finally finished this chapter after much procrastination :D i actually really like this chapter bc it's rlly long and the events in it and uh yeaah I LOAF it a lot and j hope you enjoyed reading it :)