The Prince and the Plant Whisperer

The Stand-Off

[~Posted 6/25/21]

Lilly's looking at her roommate, graceful in a dress. And thanks to all the energy it'd taken to haul Tom upstairs—the tall, elegant girl's face is flushed with exertion.

Kai beauty seems more feverish than usual.

But she seems as shocked as anyone else by Lukas's unexpected presence.

So Lilly glances over to the handsome upperclassman, who just regards the three of them an unreadable, intent gaze.

On the cold marble landing of the stairs, there's silence. Until Barry smiles nervously and adjusts his backpack. "I was just about to go back to my room and study," he tells no one in particular.

Kai waves to him. Then, with a direct, clear-eyed gaze, she addresses Lukas. "What brings you ... here?"

He lives somewhere across the courtyard, doesn't he?

Lukas's eyebrows flick upward a little. His voice, firm, practical: "It's going to rain tomorrow."

Kai's face remains mystified.

"My umbrella?" Lukas prompts. "The one I lent you?"

The umbrella!

"Right!" Kai shakes her head. "Let me grab that for you..."

But as she reaches for the door of their dorm room, he moves to follow her. His gaze shifts past her shoulder, into their common room.

With a slow understanding, Kai realizes—

Oh! He means to come in.

Lilly's eyes are wide, as the three of them enter.

So there they are. Inside.

Kai and Lilly stand like uncomfortable hosts, while Lukas seems as placid as a nighttime pond. With his hands in his pockets, and an unconcerned face, he glances around. 

And tilting his head slightly, he looks straight at the horizontal Tom Levay.

Strange, Kai thinks. Lukas doesn't look at all surprised.

Does he think it's just, like, a normal, everyday thing for us to have drunken guys sprawled in our common room?!?!?

Lukas just continues to gaze calmly at Tom, who a moment later happens to lift up his head and notice the broad-shouldered upperclassman.

"Hey! Lukey," he slurs. "Our dates just decided to skip straight to the after-party," he says. It's almost a sneer.

A cloud passes across Lukas's face.

Stepping forward, Kai tries to introduce the two guys.

"We already know each other," says Lukas, not taking his eyes off of Tom. Then finally he glances over at Taeyong, and nods.

"Let me go get your umbrella—" says Kai. But as heads toward their bedroom, she gives the scene a backward glance.

And her surprise grows.

Lukas has parked himself down. Right next to their mini-fridge, he's stationed himself in a silver-gray bean bag chair that Lilly had impulse-bought online. 

His lanky body's recessed into the depths of the chair. His long knees point upward. Like a praying mantis.

He has no intention of leaving! Kai realizes.

Watching the whole situation, Lilly suddenly gets the smallest hint of a bemused smile on her face. "Well, I'm going to change out of this dress. Back into jeans. Since it seems like our night's over."

She returns a minute later, wearing jeans rolled at the cuffs and a drapey pink sweatshirt that falls down one shoulder.

Meanwhile, Lukas has made himself very, very comfortable. He's reclined as much as possible into the bean bag chair. Settled in.

With one hand, he absently grabs a colorful resin magnet from their fridge door, and starts examining it.

He sighs and says to no one in particular, "This is good. I've been meaning to make more time to hang out with friends."

"With friends?" Lilly squeaks. Thinking, We are you friends?

Lukas smiles at Lilly. "Kai and me—we've gotten to know each other. In Intro Psych."

With that, Tom's head swivels over. His tongue sounds like a potato in his mouth, as he says: "What do you know about our girl Kai?"

A challenge.

"I—" Lukas leans forward, the sinews in his neck straining. Then he stops short. Like it's not worth it.

I know more about Kai than you do, Lukas thinks silently.

Meanwhile, Kai realizes:  Lilly and I've just been made the hosts of a unplanned party.

It's a party full of people... who'll call their own shots on when they'll leave and head home.

Like Tom, over there on their sofa. Taking his own sweet time to sober up.

And like Lukas parked in their bean-back chair—his vibe channeling one of those determined shoppers who camps out all night outside a store, just to be first in line for a 7AM shopping deal.

And like Taeyong: his eyelids starting to droop, as he rests his chin in his hands.

With puzzled laughter in her eyes, Kai says to Lilly, "Should we put on some music?"

Because, really? What else is there to do?

"I've got a good playlist?" says Lilly, running to get her phone.

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