Yixing sat at his desk, the lights off and his lamp illuminating a small radial area around him, going through the plastic films from the last little run with his Polaroid camera. His eyes softly ran over the quick capture of Yixing leaning against Wufan's shoulder, and making bunny ears on the elder’s head with his fingers.

There was something different, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Yixing sighed and flicked off his lamp. He sat in the middle of the darkness for a moment, and glanced over at his phone. Almost as if on cue, the sleek white device vibrated, and beeped, signalling an incoming text message. Yixing slid it over, and checked it.

(1) New Message (s)

From: Fanfan
r u awake? :)

Yixing rolled his eyes.

To: Fanfan
Learn to type, dummy.

From: Fanfan
i can type fine. i asked u smthng. :/

To: Fanfan
What do you think?

From: Fanfan
that u r. :D wanna go 2 the rivr?

To: Fanfan
It takes forever to type like that. I don't see how you can do it all the time, Fan. Plus, why do you want to go at this time?

It took a while for Yixing to get a response.

From: Fanfan
4 fun. we havent gon in while. its faster. wat r u talking about? there r firework 2day.

Yixing stared at the text for a moment, because everything Wufan said was so jumbled up. He was talking about going to the river, and then texting speed, and then he went back to the river. He could almost imagine Wufan telling this to him in person, animatedly waving his arms as he spoke; completely contrasting his deep, y— wait, what?

Yixing rubbed at his face, trying to calm his heated cheeks, and sighed. What was he even thinking? Wufan wouldn't like to be thought of that way by Yixing. They were friends. A simple relationship. Nothing more, nothing less.

To: Fanfan
You're dumb, but sure, I'll come out. :)

From: Fanfan
u luv me ;)

To: Fanfan
Maybe I do.

Wufan took a deep breath as he shoved his hands into his pocket, gripping his phone tightly. It had been ten minutes since the last text message that he received, and he was unable to stop looking at it.

Again, he took out his phone, and stared almost longingly at the text message.

From: Xingxing
Maybe I do.

He took another sharp inhale, trying to calm his speeding heart. Whatever happened to burying it as deep as it'll go?

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist, and Yixing's soft laughter escaped into the open air, puffs of warm air hitting Wufan's neck.

"Boo!" Yixing giggled — giggled — as he hugged him.

To be honest, Wufan's heart did leap at Yixing's actions, but it wasn't because he was startled. It was dark, but Wufan could still see the childish dusting of color on Yixing's cheeks. He swore he mirrored it, and hoped that it could pass as exertion, because Wufan didn't blush.

They settled by the edge of the river. Wufan sat with one of his knees tucked close to his chest, while the other stretched out across the ground, and he rested on his jacket. The younger of the two laid down, staring up at the darkness of a eleven 'o clock sky, his back pressed down against the grass and his head resting against Wufan's thigh as he pointed out stars to Wufan.

"They're so beautiful," Yixing told him, smiling softly.

"You're beautiful..." Wufan murmured before he could stop himself, brushing Yixing's hair out of his eyes.

Yixing glanced at him curiously, and Wufan flushed in embarrassment, averting his eyes from Yixing, not daring to look at him. A cheeky smiled danced across Yixing's lips, and he raised an eyebrow at Wufan.

"You think I'm beautiful?" He asked, jabbing at the taller's sides.

It was, completely, a new feeling to Wufan; having the air whooshing out of him as his back smacked down against the grass with a not-so-reassuring cracking sound. Wufan found it hard to breathe again, as Yixing pinned him down. He has a mischievous grin on his face, and Wufan was rendered terrified.

"Fanfan, I asked you a question," Yixing pressed, and Wufan tried to hide his flaming blush.

"Yes, I think you're very beautiful," he replied, after he gathered all his internal screaming (because Zhang Yixing is straddling him, and this was going on his 'no one is ever knowing of this' list).

Yixing smiled, his dimple seemingly cuter, and more prominent, under the moonlit glow. Wufan swore he looked angelic.

"And right now, you look so angelic," he added.

Yixing blushed slightly, "What's with all the compliments, Fan?"

"Because I like you, Xing... I like you a lot..." Wufan didn't know where he got all the courage to even talk about this with Yixing. "I like the way you look when your hair is pulled back while you paint; I like the way your eyes sparkle with excitement when I mention something you like. I like you. It sounds like a high school student's kind of confession, but I'm not good with my words. I think I'm in love with you, Xing."

Yixing blinked at him, wordlessly, a somewhat blank look on his face. Suddenly, Wufan couldn't suppress that urge to kiss him anymore, and so he did. The older man's fingers traced Yixing's jawline gently, before he closed the gap between them, his lips moving slowly against Yixing's. It's an instinct, so Yixing kissed him back.

And as if mirroring the spark in between them, that was when the fireworks went off.

The kiss was slow and sweet, and Wufan nipped gently at the younger man's lower lips and Yixing's lips parted in a soft gasp. Wufan slid his tongue in, running it along the crevices of Yixing's mouth, exploring every little bit. Yixing's fingers grabbed at Wufan's hair, and tugged slightly, eliciting a groan from the older.

Wufan's heart soared, because maybe his feelings weren't one-sided after all.

But, that was when it hit Yixing what they were doing. He pulled away with a gasp, a string of saliva still connecting them.

His expression was dazed at first, but it quickly became flustered and shocked as he registered what had just happened between the two of them. The brunette chewed on his lower lip, and scrambled to his feet, running back home — or at least Wufan thought that was the way to Yixing's place.

He was still too dazed to confirm it.

Wufan stared into the space in front of him where Yixing once straddled him. The light weight on his hips suddenly missed, and he swore under his breath, because he's just seriously ed up their happy-go-lucky relationship.

The fireworks died down.

They don't talk for a whole week, and Wufan is scared less. He doesn't know what to do, because Yixing hadn't bothered to contact him for a whole week. He hadn't received a single text, or a call.

Wufan spent the days staring longingly at his phone, and anticipating a call from Yixing. Anything to tell him that he and the twenty-three year old brunette are still friends.

It scared him, when his phone began to beep and vibrate. Wufan scrambled to get it, crossing his fingers, and hoping that it was Yixing.

(5) New Message (s)

He took a deep breath, and opened them.

From: Lulu
You kissed him, and he ran away, yet you didn't follow him? Are you dumb, Wufan??? How old are you, three? HE KISSED YOU BACK!!!! Be a man! >:O

From: Lulu
.

Wufan groaned. Leave it to Lu Han to rub salt into an open wound, and make it burn.

From: Lulu
Hey, it's Minseok; Han's being unreasonable, don't mind him! :3 just, make up with Yixing soon! We can't have the old married couple fighting at our next reunion ;) you know Hannie ships you guys like crazy! <3

And Minseok, to defend his boyfriend. Wufan could picture the younger of the two whining because hearts were only supposed to be sent to him!

From: Panda Tao
You're stupid. ;) Yixing ge likes you. Just look at his face.

And Zitao to give him false hopes. Wufan quickly typed Zitao a reply.

To: Panda Tao
How wud u no? :/

The conversation thread was updated almost immediately.

From: Panda Tao
The great Taozi knows all :P

He rolled his eyes.

Wufan crossed his fingers, and hoped that the last message would be Yixing.

And his heart skyrocketed as he checked the final message.

From: Xingxing
Come over? Please? =)

Wufan nearly dropped his phone as he stumbled to write a reply.

To: Xingxing
Ok.

He rushed over.

Wufan stood awkwardly at Yixing's front door after he rang the doorbell, shifting from foot to foot. It didn't take long for Yixing to open the door, but it seemed like it was forever to the nervous twenty-four year old.

"— Hey, are you even alive?"

Wufan blinked, snapping himself out of his little trance to see Yixing staring at him weirdly.

"Y-yeah, I'm alive…" he mumbled.

"Good, I don't know what I would do if you were dead," Yixing said as he flashed a coy grin.

Wufan was awkwardly ushered into the living room, as Yixing tugged on his wrist to lead him. He was pushed onto the sofa, and Yixing leaned over, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Stop dosing off," he coaxed. "Everything's alright, so stop looking at me like I'm going to kill you,"

Wufan nodded dumbly. They always kissed each other's cheeks, he told himself, trying to calm his racing heart.

"I'll get us some snacks. Make yourself at home,"

Again, he nodded dumbly.

As Yixing left the room, Wufan noticed something different from the normal monochromatic orange furniture of Yixing's living room.

A painting. Wufan knew that Yixing didn't really paint anymore, but he also knew that Yixing didn't display any artwork that didn't belong to him. But there was something weird about this certain painting.

Wufan got up to get a closer look at it. Being around an artist all his life, Wufan easily identified the materials used in the painting. A white crayon, and a rosy coloured watercolour paint.

It was pink, and that was the first thing that threw Wufan off.

But under closer inspection, Wufan realized that the white crayon served as a resistant to the watercolour paint to form words. He was almost shocked that he didn't realize that earlier.

The text on the painting perfectly spelled out the characters for 'I like you too'.

Wufan's heart stopped.

Yixing walked into the room, and his eyes widened at he looked between Wufan and the painting. He should have known that it was the first thing he would notice, because Yixing hadn't put up anything new in his living room for months — ever since he stopped painting, to be exact.

Wufan looked over at Yixing, and then back at the painting. Taking a breath, he stalked over to the brunette, and stared hard at him. Wufan pinned the twenty-three year old artist to the wall.

"That better be to me," he growled, and Yixing's cheeks flushed a bright pink, nearly the same shade as the painting.

Yixing looked down shyly, and nodded.

"It is..." he mumbled, poking at his fingers.

Wufan grinned, and lightly brushed Yixing's hair out of his eyes.

"Can I kiss you?" Wufan asked, carefully.

Yixing shifted, looking down, "On one condition,"

"Anything."

"Be my boyfriend?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Wufan whispered, tilting Yixing's head up, and connecting their lips in a sweet kiss.

The taller pressed Yixing against the wall, and their kiss quickly escalated to something more passionate, continuing what they left off at, before Yixing ran away from Wufan a week ago.

Yixing pulled away with a gasp for air, and then pulled Wufan back down to connect their lips in another kiss. Wufan loved the way Yixing grabbed at the dominating control, even though he knew it wouldn't last long. They parted slightly, just barely, and their lips brushed lightly against one another as they spoke.

"I love you," Wufan murmured against Yixing's lips, and Yixing's eyes glimmered.

Wufan loved the way he looked, with his lips red and slightly swollen from the intensive kissing and minimal biting.

"Don't make me run away again," he joked.

Wufan pressed their foreheads together, and smiled lightly, "I won't let you."

Yixing's eyes twinkled at the statement, and he grabbed the pen from his pocket, stabilizing the taller's face, and drawing neat characters onto his cheek, and kissing it.

Wufan ran his fingers over the marks, and looked at Yixing.

"What did you do?"

Yixing grinned coyly, and shrugged. Wufan quickly grabbed his phone, and looked into the dark screen, trying to make out the backward characters. Yixing laughed and his own phone, holding the reversed camera to Wufan's face.

wo ye ai ni. I love you too.

A stupid smile spread across Wufan's face, as he turned to Yixing.

"I want to hear you say it,"

"Maybe later..." Yixing replied, and Wufan pulled him into a kiss, as if it were a punishment.

A week into their relationship, as they sit in front of the television, cuddling, Wufan decided to take a huge risk that might put their relationship on the line.

But it was killing him, and he had to know.

"Baby," Wufan muttered, and Yixing hummed in response.

"What is it?" He asked, after Wufan didn't continue his statement, or question.

"Do you love me?"

Yixing blinked at him, bewildered.

"Yes... why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

Wufan sighed, "Do you remember that once day you ran into my arms, crying?"

Yixing pondered the thought, "The time that Minseok ate my cookie?"

Wufan slapped his palm to his forehead.

"No, the time when you talked about fluttery things,"

Yixing bit his lower lip in thought, and Wufan pecked his lips when he pouted, unable to recall the situation.

"You told me you didn't want to feel fluttery around someone," Wufan supplied.

"Oh!"

The brunette's cheeks coloured slightly, and he looked down at his hands.

"What about it?"

"Can I ask who it was?" Wufan asked, hesitantly.

Yixing was silent for a moment. Then, he turned to kiss Wufan, fingers curling into the dyed blonde locks. Wufan let himself get lost in the softness of Yixing's pliant lips, but he knew the brunette was just trying to distract him.

They parted for air, and Wufan chuckled lightly.

"You're a good kisser, baby, but it doesn't mean you don't have to answer my question."

Yixing pouted.

"But it's so embarrassing, Fanfan," Yixing whined, pulling at the hem of Wufan's shirt, and playing with it. Wufan tried not to melt.

"Just tell me; I'm your boyfriend, I'm not going to judge you. Or get jealous," he paused, "Actually, I might get jealous."

The twenty-three year old sighed, "You can't get jealous of yourself, you dummy."

Wufan stared at him for a moment, before that stupid smile spread across his lips.

"It was me?" He asked, almost excitedly.

Yixing rolled his eyes, and pushed him away.

"No. Go away," he huffed.

Wufan grinned stupidly, and hugged his boyfriend, despite the smaller's struggling.

"I love you, Xingxing," he cooed.

"I don't,"

"Don't what?"

"Love you."

"Me too, baby. I love you a lot," Wufan grinned, trying his best not to cackle.

Yixing shot him an unimpressed glare.

"Don't antagonize your boyfriend."

"I'm just expressing my love, baby boo,"

Yixing made a disgusted expression.

"Call me that again, and we're done."

Wufan started, and hugged Yixing tightly, "No, baby, I love you! You know that, don't be like that!"

Yixing snickered, because he loved the way Wufan was so wrapped around his finger.

"I love you too," he cooed, and Wufan brightened up entirely.

"... I make you fluttery."

"Shut the up."