The minute hand on his neon green clock shifted a millimetre to stop at 3. Yixing frowned at the clock, tempted to put the blame on its bright colour for not having the time move faster than it was. It was 11:15pm, a little over 3 hours since he had sat in front of the computer and all he had eaten was half a piece of granola bar he found in his backpack. His stomach growled impatiently but Yixing did not need a reminder to check whether his half-siblings were still awake. 

Getting up from his spot in front of the computer, he opened his door cautiously, leaving two inches for him to look down the hallway. It was quiet out, which was a good sign, since Bi Ren liked watching her favourite TV drama every night until midnight. Maybe she went out to one of her parties?

He in a deep breath and slipped out of his bedroom, careful to close the door softly. It was almost ridiculous how low he had to stoop for a snack to munch on, but Yixing couldn’t really fault them. He was a stranger in a home they had lived in their entire lives, even though it was funny how they found him a threat. He tiptoed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, eyes lighting up at the sight of leftovers and inwardly thanked the housekeeper while he took a Tupperware of chicken soup out to heat up.

“Stealing food?” a voice asked sarcastically behind him. Yixing’s fingers tightened on the Tupperware, reluctant to let go. He didn’t even want to turn around, knowing Bi Ren would have the same icy stare on her face as she had the past few days but it’d be rude not to. She was still older than him.

Yixing met her gaze with dread and struggled to smile. “It’s just... leftovers,” he mumbled. “I... don’t want it to be wasted.”

It appeared to be the wrong thing to say because the next second, Bi Ren had snatched the container from him and flung it across the kitchen. An eyebrow lifted up on her face, followed by a smirk. “I rather waste it on the floor than waste it on you,” she drawled sweetly but before she could continue, someone else had entered the kitchen.

“Yixing.”

The voice was a temporary reprieve to his hunger pangs. Yixing never thought he’d be so happy to see Luhan. Next to him, Bi Ren seemed to be sharing the same thoughts, eyes opened so large they looked like they were about to take over her face.

“Y-y-you. Aren’t you Luhan?” she spluttered, losing her composure for the first time Yixing could remember.

Luhan’s bright smile promptly drew Yixing’s attention away from his half-sister. He was introducing himself to Bi Ren, but Yixing’s mind was still stuck on the image of Luhan’s smile.

“... borrow him for a while?”

“S-sure. Take as long as you need.”

With confusion written all over his face, Yixing let Luhan pull him out of the manor into a matte black Porsche. He was still so startled at the idea of Luhan being here, in the Palace, that he felt like he lost the power of speech and all he could do was to sneak sideway glances at Luhan while he drove them past the gates. He was content with doing just that until they reached their destination but his empty stomach thought otherwise and loudly announced its very sorry state.

“Did I interrupt you from having supper?” Luhan finally spoke.

Supper...? Oh right. Yixing’s cheeks heated up. How much did Luhan see in the kitchen? Did he see Bi Ren hurl the food away? Did he see the spilled soup on the tiled floor? “I was... just going to heat up leftovers,” he mumbled, which was the truth, except for the fact that it wasn’t supper for him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, unable to block the nagging question in his head for any longer. “Why are you here, Luhan?”

***

That was a good question.  Why was he here? Was it really because of Sehun? It wasn’t like him to be concerned for anyone that wasn’t himself, much less feel protective. Luhan had always considered people as objects to possess and throw. The rage that boiled inside him when he saw Yixing’s half-sister push Yixing around was foreign to him but he had been overwhelmed with the urge to tear her away from him.

He couldn’t be having feelings for Yixing, could he?

“Sehun,” he said instead. “Wanted me to check on you.” Partial truth, but it was more than enough for him to share. Luhan turned the key in the ignition and nodded at the Italian restaurant in front of them. “I’m hungry. I hope you don’t mind pizza.”

The family restaurant was thankfully not crowded when they entered. Luhan carefully took off his sunglasses despite knowing that it was a little dangerous for him to be out in public mere hours after the stupid reporter released news of him and Abel but the patrons here didn’t look like they were into tabloids much.

Not knowing what Yixing liked, he went a little overboard ordering 2 large pizzas (a Hawaiian and a pepperoni) but from the way his eyes lit up when the waitress brought their food, Luhan gathered Yixing didn’t mind all that much. He nibbled on his own slice of Hawaiian pizza, frowning thoughtfully as the other man practically gorged himself. He seldom ate that much for supper back home. Were they starving him or something?

“Did Ma ask for me?”

It was then Luhan took a good look at Yixing’s face and saw the hope that glittered in his shining eyes despite Yixing nonchalantly munching on his pizza. There were 2 routes Luhan could take in answering his question and he chose the rougher path.

“She didn’t,” he replied, heart twinging with guilt as Yixing’s face fell. “Why would she? What have you done for her? All she’s been doing for you the past decade is to look after you like you’re her own child and you can’t even fulfil a little dream of hers.”

His words were harsh, particularly so for a person as naïve and innocent as Yixing but Luhan thought it was high time Yixing faced reality.

“Sehun told me,” Luhan continued, “About your little mishap in that high school singing competition of yours. Just one failure and you’ve given up?” He let out a derisive snort. “Oh, but now you’re the son of a billionaire. You don’t even have to do anything and everything will fall into your lap. Isn’t your life sweet.”

The little twinges in his chest became full-fledged squeezing at the struggle Yixing was having not to cry. Luhan averted his gaze. The pizza in his hand started to taste like sandpaper – dry, bland and rough... very much like how he was feeling.

“Sing for me,” he said suddenly. Yixing’s head jerked up, uncertainty and disbelief on his face.

“H-here?”

Luhan nodded. “Here,” he confirmed. “Now.”

Yixing sank down in his seat, the pizza forgotten. He stared at the table, looking very much like a hunted rabbit. “I c-can’t.”

“I’m leaving you here if you don’t,” Luhan threatened dangerously, leaning forward towards Yixing. “You’re going to have to hitch a ride back with a stranger.” He scoffed. “No wonder Qiuyue didn’t try to make you stay. You’re pretty useless, aren’t you?”

Yixing’s face was like an open book, the fleeting expressions telling a story Luhan didn’t really want to read. Guilt ate at him but Luhan forced it down and instead raised an expectant eyebrow at him.

Then – much to his surprise – Yixing opened his mouth. The words that came out were barely a whisper, so soft that Luhan couldn’t hear anything more than the ss and the shs. Luhan shook his head and grabbed his sunglasses off the table, pretending to leave, when he finally heard it. Yixing’s voice was far from being perfect, yet he sang so sweetly and melodiously Luhan didn’t pay any attention to the notes his voice cracked on. (Personally, Luhan had always laughed when fans told him they fell in love with his voice and believed that that was a code phrase for saying they liked his face, but he swore he could feel his heart race at that very moment.)

Yixing’s cheeks coloured as the last word of the song left his lips. He ducked his head, completely missing the smile on Luhan’s lips that could only be described as affectionate. It was only when Luhan nudged Yixing’s foot under the table that the other man look up uneasily.

“You did well,” Luhan told him but Yixing didn’t look at all convinced. In fact, he was avoiding Luhan’s gaze altogether, which irritated him somewhat. When he gave a compliment, he expected a reaction better than this.  He leaned over to tug on Yixing’s red ear and succeeded in getting the other’s attention but Luhan didn’t let go. Instead Luhan cupped the side of his face and drew Yixing closer, noticing with interest that the latter’s face was radiating heat.

He didn’t know what possessed him to react this way. He was normally rational. That, or calculative. His actions were usually part of a larger plan that secured him a better life. So it didn’t make sense why his inner voice kept nagging at him to kiss Yixing. But he did it.

Blood rushed to his own cheeks as his lips found Yixing’s pliant ones, tasting a concoction of nervousness and doubt mixed with pineapple and ham. He was starting to realise that kissing Yixing was an addiction he had no cure for, an obsession a control freak like him had no power over. The kiss was by no means a long one but it was enough to make him see sparks and go out of breath. What was it about Yixing that caused him to do absurd, illogical things?

When Luhan moved away to catch his breath, it hit him that Yixing had gone very stiff. The other man wasn’t looking at him at all and he was so tense under Luhan’s grip that it seemed he might break if he poked him hard enough. Luhan flashed him a concerned look, gently nudging his hand.

“Yixing?”

“... Don’t,” Yixing choked out in a trembling voice, and withdrew from the idol. “Don’t do it if you don’t mean it.” He took in a deep breath but his voice still wavered when he spoke again. “I... I like you and I don’t blame you if you don’t feel the same but please don’t... don’t treat me like a toy.”

The raw emotion on Yixing’s face stabbed at Luhan’s chest. A million thoughts assaulted his mind as the younger man stumble blindly out of the restaurant, nearly crashing into a couple on his way out. His head was telling him to ignore him – insecure people like Yixing were easy to find and have – but Luhan’s heart was instructing him to do something he never did. And for once, he decided to listen to his heart.

He gave chase. 

A/N: Luhan's the male lead of Katy Perry's Hot N Cold, lol. But anyway. My plotting for this fic ended here. Not to say that this fic is completed (hoho, far from it) but I don't know how long I'll take to finish the remaining of my plot outline... so please give me your support? ;; Thanks for all your lovely comments!