“Luhan! Luhan, wake up!” a voice said urgently, shoving the idol so hard his head felt like it was going to be ripped off from his neck. A growl escaped Luhan’s lips as he stirred from his sleep and yanked the blanket from his face to glare at his manager irritably. Why the did that prick wake him up? After last night’s idiotic run-in with Yixing and that stranger, he hadn’t been able to get a proper sleep. Yixing wouldn’t pick up his phone calls – which he bet had something to do with the other man.

Zitao inhaled sharply, eyes wide in horror at the huge bruise on his eye. “Did you get into a fight? What the hell happened?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Luhan said brusquely with a grimace. He had to remember not to move his face so much. Everything was hurting like hell. “What do you want?”

 His most disliked tabloid magazine was into his face and , he was on it. Suddenly Luhan wasn’t so sleepy anymore. His mouth fell open in shock as he quickly scanned through the words. “What the hell, Tao?” he choked. “These are lies! We have to sue them!”

“So… you didn’t sleep with her?” his manager asked cautiously and received a shove from Luhan.

“Of course I didn’t!” Luhan exclaimed, agitatedly jabbing the photos in the magazine. “This photo’s from the first time I met her at the hotel pub. Nothing happened.” . . Luhan dropped the magazine and dove under his blanket to search for his mobile phone. Yixing… Yixing must have seen this. He had to explain – but all of a sudden it rang. Reporter Lee. Squelching down the anxiety that was rising in him, Luhan promptly sent the call to voicemail but it only rang again. Reporter Amy. Reporter Yong. Reporter, after reporter, after reporter, was spamming him with calls.

Zitao snatched the phone from his hand and pocketed it. “I’ll deal with it,” he said grimly. “I suggest you stay home today, Luhan. It’s going to be chaotic.”

“I need my phone,” he snapped, holding his hand out but it was brushed away by his manager.

“No, Xiaolu,” Zitao retorted back. “You’re not new to this anymore. You know you need to lie low. Yixing can wait.” He narrowed his eyes into slits before he stood up from Luhan’s bed. “Don’t make me lock you in.”

. He had to get to Yixing. He had to explain. Why didn’t he tell him over the phone the other time when he had the chance? Luhan growled under his breath and irritably flung his pillow across the room. That raw expression in Yixing’s eyes when he got into the car… Luhan swallowed, not liking how uncomfortably stuffy he suddenly felt. It had taken Yixing so long to trust Luhan, to finally agree to go out with him – now he probably thought he was just fooling around, giving him false hope. Not true. Luhan really liked him.

Whatever Yixing had with that tanned stranger could not happen. Must not. He had to find him.

****

His throat was all clogged up. Yixing was feeling unbelievably cold, despite the temperature right then in the hot afternoon was 32^oC. He couldn’t stop trembling and it was so silly, so dumb that he was so emotional over someone who took his heart with no intention of keeping it, and shattered it into a million pieces. He really couldn’t blame Luhan either, since the idol did warn him before that he could end up like Abel Chung – someone he liked being around with but would never fall for. The only person he could blame was himself.

He looked up from the cement pavement, where he had been blindly following the past hour or so. His eyes stung terribly, filled with the unshed tears that were collecting at the corners. Yixing hated himself for being so weak, so needy, so desperate for love he’d follow anyone who would whisper a few sweet nothings. He really trusted Luhan.

The buildings ahead were starting to look incredibly familiar. Yixing stared up at the apartment building, belatedly realising that this was where he came from in the morning, when he left Kai’s apartment. How did he end up walking back here? Biting his lower lip, Yixing contemplated on going up to see him but it was pathetic. He just left there 2 hours ago and now he was returning because there was nowhere else to go. It was truly pitiful.

Wrapping his arms around his waist, Yixing sat down on the sidewalk outside the entrance of the building and rested his chin on his knee. Kai said they would meet tonight… maybe Yixing should just wait here for a while before he headed upstairs. Pretend he was giving Kai a surprise. He closed his eyes and buried his head into his arms, silent tears running down his cheeks.

“Hey stranger, you look familiar,” a voice said teasingly above Yixing before sitting down next to him. Quickly turning his face the other way to wipe his tears onto his sleeves, Yixing looked up and tried to smile at Kai, whose grin immediately disappeared.

“What’s wrong? Were you crying?” Kai asked in concern, reaching over to cup the side of Yixing’s face. Kai was overly comfortable with skinship, which would normally scare Yixing off a bit, but right now, it only felt nice to have someone care. Yixing closed his eyes briefly when Kai’s thumb caressed his damp cheek and smiled at him feebly.

“I’m just not… having a good day,” he whispered to Kai and the younger man seemed to understand.

“Why don't we go up to my place?” Kai suggested softly. “We can stay in and call for delivery.” He stood up and offered his hand to Yixing, who took it with some hesitance.

Kai’s apartment somehow looked different now that he wasn’t in a rush to leave it. Not even noticing he was clinging onto the hem of Kai’s shirt, he allowed the younger man to take him inside and sat at the edge of the couch, looking around the apartment while Kai called for fast food delivery. It was rented, he believed, since Kai was only an exchange student, and it couldn’t look barer. The owner of the apartment was either an artist or a wannabe interior designer, what with all the clashing colours on the wall and the furniture. Looking at it was enough to renew his headache.

Hugging the offensively neon pink cushion, Yixing pulled his gaze from the wall in front of him and glanced to the side where a lonely photo frame stood. He picked it up, a slight smile forming on his lips when he caught sight of the adorable baby photo.  

“Is this you?” Yixing asked, finger absently grazing the glossy plastic layer of the photo frame. The couch sank in as Kai sat down next to him and took the photo from Yixing.

“That’s my brother,” Kai said noncommittally, an unreadable expression on his face that Yixing couldn’t help being curious about but he did not want to pry. Kai tried to smile, but it was obvious that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He placed the photo aside and grasped Yixing’s hand. “Are you okay?”

Yixing cringed. He was trying so hard to forget Luhan and what happened but Kai’s question reminded him of the whole situation again. He nodded slowly, and this time it was him who had the forced smile.

“Is Luhan really your brother?”

He swallowed. “Yes… w-why?”

Kai lifted his eyebrow doubtfully. “The way he behaves… doesn’t seem like he’s just a brother,” he said slowly. “He’s a bit too overprotective.”

Yixing looked away from him and nervously played with his fingers. He didn’t know Kai well enough, but the other man gave him a sense of protection he didn’t feel from Luhan. He shrugged instead, not knowing what to say. The less Kai knew, the better. The doorbell rang just then, an indication that their fast food was here.

Kai held up two burgers. “You want fish or chicken?” It didn’t really matter to Yixing so he told the latter to pick instead. He was about to reach for the other burger when Kai unwrapped it and wouldn’t let Yixing take it. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he gestured at the burger. “Go on, I’ll feed you.”

A light blush coloured Yixing’s cheeks. “I don’t think that’s a good idea—” he tried to say but Kai only waved him away and eyed the burger in his hands. His stupid stomach had to betray him right there and then and let out an extremely loud growl, sending his cheeks flushing even more. Hesitantly, Yixing leaned closer towards Kai and bit into the BBQ chicken burger, nearly groaning at how good it tasted. He was so concentrated on eating he didn’t even notice Kai moved towards him until he his lips.

“Sorry,” Kai said cheekily, looking not the least bit apologetic. “You just look like you enjoyed it so much I had to try it.”

“You’re holding the burger. Just eat from it,” spluttered Yixing, who was quite certain he looked as red as a cooked lobster now. With a broadening grin, Kai brushed the back of his hand along Yixing’s warm cheek.

“It tastes better from your lips.”

Yixing snatched the burger from Kai’s hands and punched him lightly on the shoulder but it looked and felt less threatening when Yixing was blushing so madly. “Oy, I’m older than you here. You should show me some respect,” he muttered.

Kai looked thoughtful, as if he was seriously considering Yixing’s words. “So it’s okay as long as I ask for permission?” he asked curiously. “May I kiss you?” His eyes twinkled, the mischievous glint back in them. “Or can I only kiss you if we date? I’m fine with that too.”

Yixing’s eyes popped open and with each inch Kai shuffled towards him, he backed two inches. Yixing dropped the burger onto the couch in his haste to put as much distance between them as possible and quickly stood up. “Sorry. I just… can’t,” he uttered and practically dashed out of Kai’s apartment.

***

The Palace was a lot quieter now that the reporters were all gone. Yixing tightened his grip on his backpack and with a deep breath, he traipsed towards the house reluctantly. As he neared the house however, he could hear loud shouting inside, a major contrast to the unnatural silence that surrounded him. Yixing swallowed uncomfortably and was about to reach for the door handle when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He whipped around, heart thumping rapidly, and almost forgot to breathe when he saw it was Luhan.

“Yixing, you have to let me explain,” Luhan said urgently before Yixing even opened his mouth. “I didn’t sleep with her. I swear.”

Yixing hated the sudden hope blooming in his chest and hated how relieved he felt. Instead, he kept his facial expression blank and just shrugged. “It’s really none of my business.”

“Xing, she’s just my –”

The door was suddenly flung open. “I thought I heard voices outside,” Uncle Heng said frostily, angrier than Yixing had ever seen him. Yixing’s heart raced and he was about to apologise (what for he didn’t know – he just didn’t want Uncle Heng to be mad at him), except Uncle Heng wasn’t looking at him. He reached over and grabbed Luhan, hauling the idol roughly into the house. “You’re Luhan, aren’t you? That so-called boyfriend of hers?”

Feeling more than a little out of place, Yixing timidly followed behind them, watching as Uncle Heng forced Luhan onto the couch next to a sullen Bi Ren. He stood in the corner of the living room, not knowing whether or not he should go to his room. On one hand, he wanted to know what was going to happen; on the other hand, he wasn’t sure if it ought to matter to him

“What the hell are these photos?” Uncle Heng demanded to know, pointing at the tabloid magazine Yixing was shown earlier that day.

“Just us entering and exiting the hotel at different times. And that,” Luhan answered warily, jabbing at the photo of them at the hotel pub. “Was just us drinking together. For your information, sir, I did not sleep with her. I never have.”

Uncle Heng eyed Luhan for a long time before he directed his gaze at Bi Ren. “I want you two to get engaged.”

What? Yixing in a deep breath, eyes wide. Did he… correctly hear what Uncle Heng said?

Luhan snorted in disbelief, lips curled in disdain. “Isn’t that a little too soon?”

Uncle Heng’s fists shook so badly Yixing feared he would hit Luhan. Instead, the older man pointed forcefully at Luhan. “Bi Ren’s reputation is ruined because of you. The best way to manage this is to tell the public that you two are engaged to be married anyway.” His hand s out to grab Luhan up by the collar. “If you know what’s good for your career, you’ll do it.”

No. This was not happening. It was all so surreal. Yixing’s heart dropped to his feet, and he swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Averting his gaze from the smug Bi Ren and the stunned idol, Yixing willed himself to keep walking up the stairs to his room. Only when he shut the door behind him did the blank expression slip from his face and he slid off the wall to plop heavily down onto the floor with a choked sob.

A/N: I will be in Hanoi in the following days! No updates from me till next Tuesday~ ^^