It’s quite sudden but not all too surprising when Yixing finds Yifan standing in front of his apartment at almost one in the morning, three days after they last saw each other. It had been hectic after that that the younger was unable to visit the set for the time being. He had shared to the actor about the good news of his work being published in Vietnam as well. It had come as a surprise but Yixing accepted the offer for his book to also be translated into the Viet language. The author also informed Yifan that it meant that he wouldn’t be able to see him soon because he’ll be busy until everything necessary for the Vietnamese publication was complete. He thought that was understood by the elder, so it left him wondering why the taller male is stood in front of him with his makeup still on from filming. Yixing himself standing awkwardly at the threshold in his nightwear.

The question disappears when the elder surges forward and envelopes the smaller male in his embrace, breathing out three words that Yixing hears from him for the first time, “I missed you.”
He doesn’t know what to say, not when the phrase was said with so much emotion he can’t even pinpoint any hints of insincerity in it. He didn’t realize that the elder’s affection for him stretched that far, enough for him to long for the other so much after only three days of separation. Mouth empty of words, Yixing reciprocates by lifting his arms and wrapping them around Yifan’s torso, body shuddering a little when the actor inhales then exhales, his hot breath fanning across the sensitive skin on the smaller male’s neck.

The younger pulls away afterwards, sleep forgotten, and guides Yifan into the living room where the taller one doesn’t let go of him. Yixing allows the elder to cling to him as much as he wants, caressing the other’s back enough that he feels the other will fall asleep wrapped around him like a koala. After a few moments though, the actor pulls away, looking shy for his actions for the first time.

“Did something happen, Yifan?” The author reaches out and places his palm on the taller one’s cheek, which seems to help calm the elder as his breathing evens out and his eyes close upon the brunet’s touch.

“Yixing, I can’t do this anymore.” Yixing’s heart drops, the elation he felt earlier from hearing how much the other missed him disappears as fear takes over. A part of him is quick to chastise himself for ever believing that there is something beyond what he already has with Yifan at the moment, something good and happy.

“I like you. I really really like you,” Yixing is confused, the words coming out of Yifan’s mouth are too contradicting for him to be able to settle his emotions, “I’ve realized how much I need you when you weren’t beside me,” the younger doesn’t allow himself to rejoice just yet, knowing there is still something the other wants to say, “but I’m afraid.” Yifan looks away, shame painting his face at how cowardly he thinks he’s being but the shorter male wants nothing more than his honesty, even if it makes him look pathetic. He will accept the other either way. “What…what do I do? I don’t want to lose you, Yixing.”

The taller one looks up, frantic eyes meeting the younger’s, hoping to find the answers there, “What do we do?”

“I’m afraid too but not for myself, for you.” There is disbelief in the taller male’s eyes at how selfless Yixing sounds, causing him to reach out for the younger’s hands as he exhales the author’s name.

“I was already afraid before, Yifan, you know that. You’re an actor, a famous one at that. What if people find out?” The taller male squeezes the smaller hands inside his own before lifting them to place them on his cheeks.

“But Yixing…”

The younger doesn’t listen to what the other is about to say, rambling on as his emotions start to get the better of him.

“What will they say? What if this ruins your career? What if I ruin your career?”

“Yixing,” Yifan places his hands on the younger’s cheeks, effectively making the other stop, “Do you like me too?” There is seriousness in his eyes, the signs of his anxiety from earlier gone behind the shadow of Yixing’s. His gaze follows the way the author’s eyes move around, wanting to have the other’s focus.

“Yixing,” he calls out to the smaller male again, gently maneuvering the brunet’s chin so that their eyes can meet before he repeats his question, “do you like me too?”

The younger swallows when he hears a repeat of the four words, afraid of the possible consequences of his answer. However, the warmth in the actor’s eyes that evokes nothing but the will to tell the truth,  making him him nod his head with tears forming in his eyes when he sees the other smile, all hints of worry erased by the simple gesture.

“Then maybe we should try it…”

“Yifan…”

“I’m afraid too, Yixing.” The elder cuts another possible ramble again, cupping the other’s cheeks a little tighter to make him stop completely. “It will be my first time being in a relationship with a guy. What if I don’t fulfill my role well as your boyfriend? What if I hurt you without meaning to? What if I accidentally treat you the way I would a woman?” There’s a pause where Yifan looks down, his earlier thoughts seemingly eating him up once more but he shakes his head and stares directly into the smaller male’s eyes again, determined as he says, “I’m afraid of a lot of things too, Yixing. But more than any of those, I’m more afraid of losing you.”

The author swallows at the confession, the lump of uncertainty that clogged up his throat disappearing as his eyes lock with Yifan’s.

“What can we do?” Yixing asks, chewing on his lip afterwards, sharing the sentiment as Yifan. He knew it was bad to have involved himself with the actor but feelings aren’t exactly easy to rein and more often than not they control us more than we control them.

“Let’s be together,” Yifan sounds determined as he removes his hands from the other’s face to take the younger’s hands once more, furrowing his eyebrows as if to decide whether what he’s going to say next is acceptable or not, “but let’s not label our relationship if you’re afraid of people finding out.”

Yixing tilts his head to the side, obvious confusion written on his face.

“I mean, we will still be exclusively seeing each other since we’ve already clarified that we have mutual feelings but we won’t call ourselves each other’s boyfriends.” Yixing can see that even the actor is having a hard time explaining what solution he had come up with, his forehead creasing as he tries to word his sentences correctly. “It’s like another step in what we’ve already been doing.”

“So we’ll be together but not really?” The author asks, “Like an open relationship?”

“Well, an open relationship still has labels and that means we are alright with seeing another person outside of our relationship while we,” Yifan points to the both of them, “are together. But we will be seeing each other exclusively, so it’s not that.” Yixing can see that the other is putting in a lot of effort, his own hands wanting to reach out and pat down the actor’s head when the other looks up from beneath his lashes and apologizes, “I’m sorry, I think I’m only giving you a headache.”

“No, I appreciate that you’re trying,” the smaller male reassures the elder, finally releasing one of his hands from the actor’s hold so he can cup Yifan’s cheek, “I think I understand the essence of it.” He smiles up at the other and it instantly draws a grin on the taller male’s lips.

“Since we have a mutual understanding, we’ll see each other exclusively, do things that couples do in secret and if someone bothers to ask, we’ll say we aren’t in a relationship – not with each other or anybody else for that matter. So, it’s like we’re exclusively dating then.”

Yifan thinks about it for a minute and nods in agreement, finding the term more proper than what the younger suggested earlier, “Yes.”

Yixing nods, humming in understanding before he looks at the elder, worry clouding his eyes again, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“One hundred percent.”

“If the media–”

Yixing is interrupted by Yifan this time, the elder’s words making him blush like a teenager when he is in fact already in his mid-twenties, “As long as I have you, I’ll be fine.”

“God,” the author allows his head to fall on the elder’s shoulder, to hide the reddening of his cheeks, “you’re so lame.”

“I never said that yet.”

“Then say it,” Yifan whispers into the younger’s ear and that’s when the smaller male realizes how huge the difference is of that one step they took from when they were only testing the waters, “I want to hear you say it.”

“Ilikeyou.” The words come out in a rush as Yixing mumbles it into the fabric of the other’s shirt. He feels lighter now, all of his earlier worries leaving him when the taller male pulls him closer and keeps him there, the large body he’s pressed against vibrating as the actor chuckles.

“What was that? I didn’t hear it.” Yifan makes a show as if he’s cleaning his ear with his pinky finger when the younger looks up at him, expression showing anger with a hint of embarrassment. The elder just waits, looking a little smug as he raises an eyebrow to encourage the author.

Yixing swallows, pushes himself away from the taller male but keeps his eye contact with the other. The haughtiness in Yifan’s expression is exchanged for one of anticipation when he sees the smaller male ball his fists on his lap.

“I like you.” The actor had already known what the younger would say but the words still manage to make him flush bright red, especially when Yixing repeats it, “I like you, Wu Yifan.”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough.” Yifan cages the smaller male into another embrace, startling the author but it is only for a split second as arms wind around the actor’s torso after a few beats. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you say that again.”

“O-okay.” Yixing agrees, certain that he wouldn’t know how to properly respond as well if something does happen when they’ve only recently – mere minutes ago – agreed on how they will proceed with their relationship. For now, he’s content being enveloped in the elder’s embrace, inhaling Yifan’s scent as much as he could while he’s buried in the comfortable hug.
 
 

From: ❤️Wu Yifanfan❤️
Morning babe :) I didn’t want to get out of bed or film because it’s so cold outside :( But I remembered that I’ll see you later so I’m off to the set now :)

Yixing is sure that Yifan’s messages have grown cuter as the days they aren’t together pass, his personality changing when he’s with the author or talking to him. Even with the knowledge of how adorable the actor can be, the shorter male still can’t stop himself from having a stupid smile on his face as he rereads the message, sending the other a reply after screaming into his pillow. He has finally been able to finish all negotiations and paperworks with the publishing company that will translate and distribute his work in Vietnam. When he told the taller male about it, the actor immediately asked him if that meant he can come to see him already even though it has only been two days since Yixing last visited the set. The younger thinks it’s only because in the last week he’s only been able to go to the filming site once, compared to his usual almost daily visits.

The author doesn’t mind, however, finding it cute how a man as huge as Yifan turns into an adorable child whenever he subtly asks for attention. And Yixing, no matter how hard he tries or tells himself not to fall too much for the loveable display, the younger feeds off of it and wants to hear more of it. So it’s not so much of a surprise when he sees the chance to mention baking cookies for Yifan. The actor’s reply is instant.

From: ❤️Wu Yifanfan❤️
For me??? >///< You’re the best Yixing<3 Hurry and come here already! I can’t wait to see you!
                
To: ❤️Wu Yifanfan❤️
See me or the cookies? :\

From: ❤️Wu Yifanfan❤️
Of course you babe!!!!......and the cookies hehe just kidding!

Yixing shakes his head and sends one more message before leaving his phone on the counter, shedding his clothes to take a shower. The smile on his face stays even as the water from the shower gets into his mouth. He thinks, as he washes the shampoo from his hair, it’s so silly how the thought of seeing someone – Yifan – alone is enough to make him this happy.

To: ❤️Wu Yifanfan❤️
Can’t wait to see you too :”)

“Mmmmm,” Yifan hums as he finally empties the bag of cookies that Yixing set aside for him to eat after filming. “This is so good,” the elder looks like he’s about to cry and the author can’t help himself from giggling when the other turns the plastic as if shaking it will produce more cookies, “Why is that the last piece?”

“You can only have that much, sadly.” The younger juts his lips out as if showing pity, biting his bottom lip afterwards to stop himself from laughing out loud when Yifan exaggeratedly pouts.

“You might be forgetting that you’re still on a diet, Scholar Yu.” Minseok reminds his talent from where he is leaning against one of the tables, flipping through a magazine with Yifan’s face on the cover.

Yixing hides his smile behind his hand when the actor directs his eyes to where the manager is, eyebrows stitched together after being called with his character’s name and not his own and for the reminder that he is still supposed to follow a food regimen.

“You should thank Yixing.” The Korean isn’t fazed by the glare his talent is giving him, continuously moving from one page to another, not bothering to read the articles. “If not for him, you wouldn’t even be able to see a shadow of those cookies.”

“I’m always grateful for Yixing though,” Yifan mumbles, the words unsurprisingly causing the author’s face to go red, something that nobody else in the room seems to notice – to Yixing’s relief.

“I’ll go see if the scene they’re filming is done and if we can move to the next location for your scene with Yibo.” Minseok sets the magazine on the table but before he can leave the room he turns around to look at Yixing, directing his next words to the younger Chinese. “I hope you don’t have any more of those.”

Then the manager is out of the room.

“Hey, Xing,” Yifan’s eyes are still on the door as he slowly reaches for the younger’s hand, placing his on top of the brunet’s smaller hand before squeezing it. Once he is certain that his manager is not returning any time soon, the actor removes his gaze from the door to look at Yixing.

“Can you wait for me later? I’ll take you home since I don’t have to be on set tomorrow.”

Yixing nods and he does wait this time, even falling asleep on the couch inside the dressing room with his tablet still on his lap with the document he was typing on still open on the device. The author’s hand is lax on the attached keyboard as he takes his nap. Yifan feels a little bad that he made the smaller male wait when he found the other like that. It’s not really late yet, only six thirty in the evening but the elder is certain that the exhaustion from the previous days seeped into the brunet’s bones now that he has nothing else on his mind and has no need to force his body to move. He carefully wakes the sleeping male and quickly changes his clothes so that they can leave at the soonest possible time.

Thankfully, traffic wasn’t too bad on their way to Yixing’s apartment, the two of them not bothering with the cooking and having takeout instead, even if Yifan isn’t exactly allowed to eat such food. They just sit on the couch and exchange some stories with the author talking mostly about the Vietnamese publication of his work. At some point they find themselves on the floor, emptying the boxes of food they bought, no distance separating them. When Yixing finally admits how exhausting his week has been, Yifan’s arm instinctively moves to drape over the younger’s shoulder and as much as it is new, the author doesn’t shake it off, instead, he leans into the other, the silence between them filled by the second movie that’s playing on the TV.

As much as Yixing wants the elder to stay, he still needs to go home. So when he sees that it’s already past midnight, he urges the taller male to get going, almost asking Yifan to stay with him instead after seeing how he pouted in a silent plea to stay longer. But he knows that he should ask him to go so he stands his ground and walks the elder to the door, watching him put his shoes back on before donning his mask and cap.

“Rest a lot, okay?” Yixing pulls Yifan’s jacket together and closes the hoodie halfway through before pulling away. “You have to go back to the set the day after.”

When the author steps back and looks up he is met with hopeful eyes and, instantly, he knows what that gaze means. He swallows when the taller male caresses down his arm then takes his hand, the actor’s other hand already on Yixing’s cheek. There is a lot of staring that happens afterwards that the smaller one can’t remember when Yifan leaned down so that he can plant his forehead against the brunet’s.

“May I, Yixing?” The actor’s hot breath fans across the younger’s face, the smell of the cheap wine and the chocolate the author reluctantly allowed the other to have invading his nostrils, sensing how he will taste those soon as well. But the smaller man remains silent, biting the inside of his cheek as he feels his face heat up. So Yifan repeats the question, lips ghosting centimeters away from the brunet’s, “May I kiss you, Yixing?”

“Ye–”

Yixing’s answer disappears between their lips as the elder presses softly against his, their eyes instantly closing upon contact. The author finds his hands grabbing fistfuls of the taller male’s jacket when Yifan starts pressing their mouths together, gliding smoothly as he maneuvers his head to kiss the younger as gently as he can but still conveying the desire he has with every push he exerts on their exchange. They are breathless when they finally pull away but Yixing can’t find it in himself to get mad at how his lungs are burning from the lack of oxygen, not when the taller one is smiling down at him and peppering kisses all over his face.

The first kiss was followed by a second, a third and so on. Every time Yixing visits the set and they find privacy, their lips attach to the other’s quickly, afraid that the little time they have just by themselves will be put to waste if they are apart for a second.

Yixing has already lost count of how many times they’ve kissed by now but still, it’s an important day and he wishes to kiss Yifan as much as he can, not only because he wants to but it also seems to be the birthday boy’s only wish for the day which he knows the author will gladly give him.

Everybody is doing the last scene for the day before they are off to a restaurant with the whole cast and crew to celebrate the actor’s birthday. So while the others are still busy, Yixing pulls Yifan to the Yu Residence set that isn’t being used a lot lately, meaning there is less chance that someone will be there. That is an assumption the younger should not have made.

As the author tiptoes and pulls Yifan down for a kiss, behind the door to the Yu study, Lu Han covers his mouth when he gasps, eyes widening at the sight before him.
 
 

 
Lu Han didn’t really want to interrupt them but with how Yifan’s hand is wandering down his best friend’s back he had to do something before he sees this scene turn explicit. Also, he needs to talk to Yixing about this, about how he didn’t care to share this vital information, privately.

The director comes out from his hiding place and clears his throat, having to do it twice and louder when the two don’t hear him the first time. Yifan and Yixing jump out of each other’s hold, eyes wide in surprise at having been found out.

It’s the actor who tries to speak up first after seeing that the smaller male beside him is frozen in shock, looking guiltily at his best friend.

“Lu Han, I–”

But the director easily shoots him down, “I don’t need to hear anything from you. Please leave me and Yixing alone.”

Yifan doesn’t move at first, looking at the younger for approval before finally leaving the dimly lit room with a squeeze to the author’s arm to show his support.

Once the tall male is out of earshot, Lu Han turns his attention to his best friend, crossing his arms over his chest before commanding him with one word, “Explain.”

The shorter one swallows, wishing he had Yifan’s calming presence by his side. Eventually, after Lu Han narrows his eyes at the younger, the author breathes out the whole story, starting from when he told the actor that he is starting to like him in a romantic way.

“Break it off,” Lu Han immediately says once the younger finishes his story, “this instant.”

“What?” The author, who has taken a seat, looks up at his best friend with an incredulous expression on his face.

“He’s just playing with you Yixing. Can’t you see?” The elder rushes forward, his presence looming over the author as he continues, “You don’t call each other boyfriends, that in itself is suspicious especially since he came up with that idea. If he really likes you then he wouldn’t be afraid of anything and fight for you.”

“I like him but I’m afraid too, and I agreed to this because I understand where he’s coming from.”

“No, Yixing. You don’t understand.”

“No, Lu Han. You’re the one who doesn’t understand.” Yixing finally stands up, having had enough of how the elder is trying to control his relationships for him, the volume of his voice rising unconsciously because of his anger. “You don’t understand because you’re still hiding behind the past, using that as an excuse to ruin other people’s relationships and impeding your own chances at love.”

It isn’t a known fact to a lot of people, maybe a few from the film industry but not so much to the public – although they have heard of rumors about an unnamed director being gay – that Lu Han is attracted to men. The only reason why that story got spread around is because he had an affair with an actor before while filming a big budget movie, Chen Xuedong.

Lu Han was so enamored by the man that he believed Xuedong would fight for him and that they would someday be together in public as an official couple but the moment the filming ended, the actor slammed all of those dreams to the ground, shattering the director’s heart along with them. Xuedong called off their relationship, telling Lu Han that he didn’t mean anything he said and that he was only doing it to be favoured by the director, seeing as he only had a supporting role in the movie. Lu Han didn’t want to take his word it at first, telling Xuedong that he would forgive him because he believed that someone was just instructing the actor to tell him those things in order to finish their relationship. But Xuedong’s reply rung in his ears, echoing even from the distant past:

“Are you blind? Why would I want to be with you? With a man?”

The actor shoved him then as if he was an ill person who was contagious, pushed Lu Han until the back of the director’s head hit the wall painfully. Xuedong didn’t even bother saying neither an apology or a farewell, he just left Lu Han sat on the ground nursing a bleeding wound. 

Assuming that it’s the fame getting to Xuedong’s head that made him act arrogantly and treat Lu Han as such, the director steered clear from doing big projects and working with popular celebrities until Yixing’s insistence on having Yifan for his book’s adaptation.

Lu Han returns to the present where the author is still looking at him, the expression on his face having already changed from one of anger to concern. The director wants to say something, wants to tell his best friend he’s wrong, that he is not doing what Yixing just said but before he can even say anything, the younger is talking once more, his earlier anger mellowing down to plead to the elder.

“They’re not all the same, Lu Han.” It’s the one thing that the younger keeps telling him whenever a possible suitor comes up to him but he never listened to that. Yixing doesn’t seem to be keen on stopping from repeating it, however. “You should give Yifan a chance. He’s a good person.” The author seems to be in his own world afterwards, “I’ve never met anyone who made me feel this at home, Lu Han. Just as much as he doesn’t want to lose me, I don’t want to be apart from him as well.”

Lu Han still can’t grasp how the younger fell so easily into the tall actor’s trap. He keeps quiet and this only seems to irritate his best friend, huffing and looking at him with pointed eyes.

“I don’t get why you were teasing me so hard on him the first few weeks but now that we’re actually together, you try to break us apart?” The younger crosses his arms the same way Lu Han did earlier, rolling his eyes then tilting his head to the side, “What’s wrong with you?”

The director groans, finding a fault in his earlier antics.

“It’s only because I know how much you admire him as an actor, that’s all.” His shoulders drop, knowing that he won’t be able to persuade his best friend into calling off whatever he has with Yifan. “I just want you to be careful, Xing. You barely know this guy.”

Yixing smiles, aware that deep down Lu Han is just worried for him and he was just looking out for him as a friend. He reckons, it’s also because the director does have more experience and knows more about him and how the author deals with heartbreak. It’s just that Yifan does make him feel special and he too can sense that the actor feels the same about him and he doesn’t want to lose that.

“I know enough.” The smaller male gives the elder a quick hug, face determined when he pulls away. “You don’t have to worry, Lu Han. Yifan is no Xuedong.”

The director’s face drops, eyebrows furrowing to show displeasure, “Please stop saying that wretched name.”

Yixing knows it’s no time to giggle but he can’t help but do so when his best friend reacts after the younger pokes at the director’s wounds.

“Come on.” It’s the younger who pulls the director out of the Yu Residence set as if they weren’t arguing mere minutes ago. “I’m hungry.”
 
 

 
 
“Looking chummy there with Minseok,” Yixing teases his best friend when he finds him out in the balcony and taking a long drag of his cigarette. Lu Han clicks his tongue at how the younger worded his observation before.

“You’re drunk and just seeing things.”

“Shut up.” The smaller one drawls out and leans over the ledge, cocking his head to the side to look at the elder. “Yifan told me that Minseok asked you out the other day.”

Lu Han flicks his cigarette before taking another drag, “He just asked if we can hang out, that’s not asking out.”

Yixing shrugs before looking out to the city, “Counts as the same for me.”

“We’re just friends.” The elder answers gruffly, dropping the stub before crashing the remaining fire under the soles of his shoes.

“Yifan and I were just friends too.” The author tries hopefully but Lu Han just presses his foot against the floor even harder.

“I made it clear to myself that I will not want anything from him beyond friendship.”

Yixing scoffs, rolling his eyes, uncaring if his best friend can see him do it or not. Oh alcohol.

“Get over your past already.” The younger bites out, patience running thin at how the director and Minseok are just chasing each other in a circle. “Can’t you see how Minseok is trying so hard to make you smile every day?”

Lu Han can’t really retort to that because he does see the manager try, so very hard.

“You can’t close off yourself forever, Han.” The smaller male sounds sad this time, his expression reflecting the emotion when he turns to look at the elder. “Stopping yourself from falling in love will hurt just as much.”

“But history repeats itself, right?” Lu Han answers back, gesturing with his hand at the other when he adds, “Look at you.”

“Yes,” the author answers dejectedly, as if knowing whatever he says will not change his friend’s way of thinking, the pain Lu Han suffered a better teacher than his best friend, “but it doesn’t mean that you can’t change the outcome.” Yixing straightens up and faces the director, wearing a serious countenance the next time he opens his mouth to speak. “Han, you can’t let your past dictate how you live today just because you’re afraid that it’ll be the same in the future. Isn’t there a saying that it’s better to have loved than not at all?”

The director is silent, unable to find a retort for his best friend’s words, knowing that they are more or less true.

“Open up, Han.” The younger places a hand on Lu Han’s shoulder, a small encouraging smile on his face. “There’s Minseok. I know he’s not what you expected but our idea of who we want to fall in love with has never been and will never be the same as the person we actually fall in love with. He’s there, Han. He’s welcoming you with open arms. Even if it’s not Minseok who’s meant for you, at least learn to slowly open up.” There’s a pause and the curve of the smaller one’s lips turns upside down, eyes shimmering with worry. “I can’t see you like this anymore, living in the past. Let yourself fall in love again. If in the future it ends up in a fallout, then so what? At least for a moment you felt alive and loved again. Be selfish, Han. Sometimes you have to be selfish to be happy.”

“But selfishness caused me that mistake.” The elder finds his voice, looking away as he grits his teeth at the reminder of what happened not even two years ago.

“No, Han.” Yixing places a hand on his best friend’s cheek to make Lu Han face him. “It was innocence but you’re stronger now and you have better judgment.”

The elder laughs a little as if the other just said a joke, “What makes you think I’ve judged Minseok well?”

“Well,” the author’s hand falls to his side once he knows the elder will keep the eye contact then he shrugs, “you think he looks like a baozi. I don’t think you’re wrong there.”

Lu Han narrows his eyes at the younger, “Yixing.”

The shorter male laughs, the concern he had earlier now replaced by mirth.

“I’m just saying, that at least you’re seeing just the good things and not trying to find a flaw in him.” Yixing smiles, nodding to himself as if to approve of what he just said. “I think that’s a good start.”

Lu Han doesn’t answer and it is silent for a moment. He looks back to where the staff and crew are still celebrating Yifan’s birthday, keeping his gaze there when he asks, “Are you happy? With Yifan, I mean.”

Yixing doesn’t respond until the director is facing him again, a bright, blinding smile hanging on his lips when he tells Lu Han, “Very.”
 
“Yixing?” Their little private bubble is suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice which makes the best friends look towards where the sound is coming from.

“Oh,” the author suddenly beams, his smile meaningful, “Minseok.”

“Hey, Lu Han.” The manager brightens up when he realizes that the Chinese director is there as well but because things seem to have become awkward since he asked if they can go hang out outside of the set, he’s been keeping his distance from the other, afraid that he will disrupt the friendship they’ve just recently built. Lu Han notices it too but doesn’t say anything, thankful that Minseok isn’t forcing himself on him and is understanding of his need for space and time to think.

When the director has acknowledged him with a nod, the Korean turns to the author to tell him of his initial intent in finding him, “Umm, Yifan is looking for you.”

“Okay. I’ll leave you two to talk then.” Yixing looks at Lu Han then at Minseok, smiling mischievously. The elder glares at the author when his gaze falls on him again before he walks off, patting Minseok’s shoulder encouragingly on his way back into the restaurant.

The director turns around and faces the city, the cold wind of November brushing against his face. He doesn’t really have anything to say at the moment, wanting to gather his thoughts first. But he’s also afraid that his silence will be taken the wrong way.

Why did you put me in this situation? Lu Han asks, the question pointed towards his best friend who has long gone to go off to his pair.

“Look Lu Han,” the director is startled by Minseok’s voice, hoping he would have just left without a word, “I know you understand where I’m trying to lead this relationship to. You’re not an idiot. You’re far from that. You’re intelligent, you’re…” Lu Han can hear the manager grumbling as if to scold himself for going off-track. “Anyway, I’m sorry if it came out as if I used the friendship I so tried to have with you to be in a more intimate relationship with you.” He sounds sincere and Lu Han realizes then that he always spoke so genuinely and he never completely lied to anyone especially to the director. And that has always intrigued the Chinese man, how someone in the entertainment industry can be so honest when he works in a field that is built above a pile of lies.

“I won’t force you to go out with me.” Minseok adds after a while when Lu Han just keeps quiet. “If you don’t want to, it’s okay. I understand that you don’t like me.” The director thanks that his back is to the manager as he scrunches his face at the Korean’s assumption.
 
“I-I’ll leave now.” Minseok informs him when the other doesn’t say anything in reply. But before he can fully turn around to return to the restaurant, Lu Han’s voice finally breaks the silence that he has enveloped around himself.

“Sunday next week.”

The manager blinks, jaw unhinged as he looks at the director’s back, “What?”

“I’ll text you what time and where.” Lu Han still doesn’t face Minseok when he reaches for his pack of cigarettes.

“Wait…”

“Take it or leave it.” The Chinese male says before placing a stick in his mouth. Minseok smiles when Lu Han turns around with a look of frustration after not getting any affirmation, feeling a bit stupid for his sudden actions. The director doesn’t really want to do things so fast but he knows that Yixing is right. Minseok is here. Minseok is kind and always there for him no matter how bad his temper becomes. But he isn’t choosing Minseok out of convenience because he knows deep down that he also likes the other, even just a little and that in itself is enough for him to open himself to the possibilities. He is aware that the feelings he has for Minseok are of the same ones when he started seeing Xuedong but he doesn’t want to associate what he has now to that person. Like Yixing said, he can’t keep living in the past.

“It’s a date, then.” Lu Han averts his gaze when the manager finally answers, having recuperated after the director’s sudden response. Minseok leaves with a bounce in his steps afterwards and the Chinese male finds it adorable.

Now he has agreed to going on a date with Minseok. It finally dawns on him what he just did and he almost bites his cigarette into half.

“Ughhh Zhang Yixing!”

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY WU YIFAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope things aren’t too fast though I really have to go through without putting too much fillers anymore >~< Still, enjoy the rest of the chapters and let me know your thoughts about it :)