Jongdae was never one to be overwhelmed by emotions. Heck he didn't think he operated on an emotional level at all. However, as soon as Yixing sauntered into his life, complete with cheeky grins and vague hand gestures, Jongdae was seriously contemplating just how level-headed he really was.

Like right now. Jongdae thought vaguely, his face burning as the other male waited for an answer.

"So who don't you find cute or attractive?" Yixing repeated, eyes widening in curiosity.

"Oh, uh, this ice-cream cone! You see, I gave it a name and uhm..."

Jongdae mentally kicked himself as Yixing eyed the soggy remains of the cone skeptically and suppressed a snort. His half-formed excuses were abruptly cut off as Yixing's breath suddenly crept past his ear.

"But you know, ZhongDai, I totally heard you and the ice-cream guy. Just saying."

The younger flushed at the half-smirk and twinkling eyes, and impulsively smeared his ice-cream coated hand across the other's cheek. Just to shut him up. And possibly to wipe off that irritating smirk. So much for being emotionally controlled.

Unfazed by the sudden attack, Yixing ran his tongue over the corner of his lip, scooping up a small chunk of chocolate chip. "Yum, this flavour really suits you ZhongDai. Dark chocolate chips with a hint of fresh oranges."

The smirk was back in full force.

It's almost as though Yixing enjoyed torturing me, Jongdae fumed darkly, as he stalked across the road and back towards the library. He was about to storm inside and bury himself in a pile of books when memories of the librarian's dire warnings descended upon his head. Cursing under his breath, he clomped to the other side of the building. At least he had borrowed books beforehand and could read in the park. Jongdae moved briskly across the grass towards his favourite spot (in the shade under a large oak tree), only to stop in shock.

"How'd you get there so fast?"

Yixing grinned up at him from his comfortable position, his back leaning against the thick tree trunk, "You're rather predictable, ZhongDai."

When the latter failed to respond, Yixing felt compelled to elaborate.

"On the rare occasions you read outside, you always choose this spot. Since you got kicked out this morning, you would obviously come here to read so I didn't even bother following you across the road- I just came straight here."

The stunned boy slowly lowered himself to the ground, his mind processing the surprisingly accurate analysis. That stupid Pasta Boy is more perceptive than I thought.

"Of course I am." Yixing smiled vaguely, as he opened his leather-bound sketchbook.

The younger boy huffed in response, secretly too amused to be genuinely irritated. He stared blankly at his book, his mind too immersed in thoughts to take in the words on the page.

"But you know, ZhongDai, I totally heard you and the ice-cream guy. Just saying"... so how much did Yixing actually hear? The entire conversation? That would be rather unlikely seeing as both guys had kept their voices down. Jongdae decided firmly as he flipped a page. Yixing can't have heard that much. 

~

Ten minutes later, Jongdae was furiously wiping tears off his face as he flipped another page. This damned book needs to stop with the angst.

The little voice in his head snickered. What was that about being level-headed again? 

Jongdae growled in response, almost tearing the next page as he struggled towards the last chapter. The sound of Yixing's pencil and the soft rustling of pages was abruptly broken by a series of strange noises. Yixing's head whipped up, startled at the bizarre sound. His eyes fell on a Jongdae who was bawling his eyes out, having reached the final line of the book and given up on choking back his sobs. Yixing hastily d in his pocket for a tissue as Jongdae turned into a human sprinkler before his very eyes, tears splashing everywhere.

Jongdae, on the other hand, was reeling from the novel's ending.

Emotionally controlled are we? Really? The voice in his head was back in full force, this time adopting a condescending tone. 

"Uh ZhongDai?"

Come on, man, that ending was heart-breaking- you were friggin reading it to me! Jongdae replied, trying to ignore the fact that he was, as other people might call it, "talking to himself".

"Would you like a tissue?"

Haha but unlike you, peasant, I have a high emotional intelligence. The voice smirked.

"SHUT UP!" Jongdae half-yelled, half-sobbed at the voice, oblivious to the tissue that Yixing was attempting to hand him. The latter jumped in shock and the tissue floated down onto the tear-ridden page.

"Uh, okay clearly you don't want the tissue. I'll just give you some space and retreat now." Yixing suppressed a nervous gulp as he slowly backed away. He had heard of people taking a story's ending badly, but not like this.

Jongdae blinked. He rubbed his eyes before staring at Yixing in bewilderment, "What tissue?"

More confused than ever, Yixing cautiously pointed at the tissue lying on the opened book.

"Oh. Thanks." He flashed the older male a watery smile before proceeding to blow his nose noisily.

Yixing watched as Jongdae wiped his face dry, mentally debating about whether it was safe enough to return to his sketchbook, which he had abandoned in his haste to find a tissue.

"Uh, do you mind if I sit down again?" Yixing watched Jongdae frown and hastily added, "Or will that trigger another hysterical shouting session?" 

"Of course it won't you idiot." Jongdae forced another watery smile, "I was talking to myself."

He regretted it the moment those words exited his mouth, attempting to clarify as Yixing tried to inconspicuously retreat another step. "No, no I meant I was saying 'shut up' to the voice in my head."

Yixing raised his eyebrows in response and sat down. "Uh-huh? Anything else I need to know before I cart you off to a mental institution?"

"Har dee ha ha, Yixing. You know what I mean, that irritating voice inside your head that oozes pessimism."

Yixing pretended to think for a moment, before grinning widely. "Nope. I'm so perfect the little voice in my head has nothing negative to say."

Jongdae hit his head (lightly) against the tree trunk. Sometimes he really didn't know how he put up with Yixing. The guy was an obnoxious little twit... Who offered him tissues and saved him a seat when the library was full. Who knew where his favourite outdoor reading spot was. Who knew how to push all his buttons without trying and then make everything better with a wide grin.

"Hey Yixing?" Jongdae spoke suddenly.

"Mhm?"

"Do you think we're like destined to be soulmates?"

Yixing put down his sketchbook, contemplating the question.

"Soulmates forever? Nah too painful." Yixing's eyes glinted with an unusual wisdom. "Soulmates enter to reveal another layer of yourself and then exit again. Soulmates don't... linger." The last word was spoken with a finality of sorts. Silence fell as the boy fiddled with his pencil for a few moments before speaking again, a smirk creeping across his face. "However, if we were to date, it would be a different story."

"I'm not sure I would want to read such a story." Jongdae immediately shot back.

"No-one said you had to read it, you idiot. Write it." Yixing winked, doodling a little heart on the corner of Jongdae's book. The younger boy shook his head in mock-disgust but didn't rub the heart out. "We'll see about that."

Uh yeah super late update woot. Sorry about that folks!

Can I just say I'm amazed there are over 50 subscribers in 3 chapters.

Seriously you guys are the best. :D

- Lychee

Note: I have no idea as to why some chunks of the text are a larger font size than others