"No, you're not."

And Chen pulls back so that he can pull Yixing forward. And their lips meet in an undeniable proof.

As the night passes, the tears are soothed away through caresses with thumbs and lips and the warmth from one mingles with the other as they curl up on the bed intertwined under the blankets so that you can’t tell where one starts and the other one ends.

That night, there is proof that neither of them are really alone.

~*~

But in the morning, Yixing is too tired to even stir when the covers push away to the brisk air, and the bed dips and arches from the displacement of weight.

In the morning, Jongdae takes one last look at Yixing before he turns and walks away.

The night had seen tears that could be wiped away with hands. But the morning saw tears that ran inside, untouchable, that burn down the throat with the taste of vanilla salt.