Yixing parked in front of the stone house, exiting the car and grabbing his few bags. He walked in the door to be greeted by Yifan sitting on the bottom steps of the grand staircase leading upstairs. Yixing stopped in his tracks after closing the heavy door with a bang, making the elder brother jump in fright.

“You are home finally,” observed Yifan in a small voice. The taller man straightened his posture and messed with the cuff links on his white cotton shirt, trying his best to not show his nervousness.

“Yes, I am,” replied Yixing as he approached his brother.

“We need to talk.”

“I honestly hate how lately that is the first thing spoken, ‘We need to talk,’ Yifan, if you just let us alone, we would not have to be the average bickering brothers. Is there any way you can change your mind,” pleaded Yixing sincerely. Yifan sighed deeply and hung his head in shame.

“Even if I would leave you alone, it would be too late. Luhan is set to transfer schools Friday,” stated Yifan, shocking Yixing.

“He is transferring?!”

“Yes. We made a deal. He agreed.”

“What was the deal?”

“He would either but ties with you or be deported back to China with his family.”

“Yifan! I love you, brother, but I cannot believe your audacity,” declared a furious Yixing, causing the elder man to flinch at the sharp words. Suddenly, a phone ringing cut through the tension. Yifan scrambled through his pockets to retrieve his phone. Recognizing the number as his father’s assistant, the man answered quickly.

“Hello Mr. Chang. What can I do for you at this time of night.”

“Yifan! Come to Hyeosung Hospital! Your father is about to die due to a ! He is in critical condition. Tell Yixing to come if you get word to him. Hurry,” ushered Mr. Chang before hanging up. Yifan gave a stunned look at his phone. Yixing stood by in utter confusion.

“What is wrong, Yifan? You look pale.”

“Father is dying,” announced Yifan to his brother, shocking the younger to silence. Yixing put his things down quickly before sprinting out the door.

“Come on! We have to hurry. Where is he,” called Yixing as he approached the car.

“Hyeosung. It is near his office,” answered Yifan as he he slid into the passenger seat of Yixing’s car. The brothers sat in silence at the drove. If silence meant Yixing sighing every two minutes and Yifan drumming his fingers on his long legs, it was super silent.

“He can stay”

“What,” asked confused Yixing as he pulled into the hospital.

“Luhan. He can stay. I will stop. I do not like him but I have more important matters than him,” decided Yifan as he got out of the car.

“Thank you. Now, let’s hurry”

Running into the hospital, the two headed towards the ICU. They found Mr. Chang on their way; said man was sitting in the floor with his head in his hands as sobs racked his body. As the brothers approached the grieving man, Yifan fell to his knees beside the middle-aged man. The assistant raised his face to them.

“He is gone. They couldn’t save him. I am so sorry boys.”

Yixing sat down with his back braced against the wall, his hands coming to his face as he began to sob openly. Yifan moved to sit next to the younger, placing a hand on his brother’s knee.

“It will be ok, Yixing. I will handle it. Go home,” suggested Yifan softly. Yixing nodded and got up to leave. He gave a small bow to Mr. Chang and Yifan. He left the hospital, leaving Yifan to handle all the official matters while he himself handled his grief. He needed comfort, comfort from one person only. On the way home, Yixing called Luhan. Luhan answered on the fourth ring.

“Yixing? What’s wrong,” asked Luhan in a groggy voice. Yixing looked at the luminescent clock on his dash; it was around midnight. He had woke Luhan up.

“L-luhan. Father died,” announced Yixing in his broken voice, throat sore from his sobbing.

“Oh my god! Yixing, where are you?”

“I am on my way home.”

“Come get me.”

“No, you need to sleep.”

“That wasn’t a question. I will be ready in ten minutes, and you better be here,” replied Luhan before hanging up. Yixing gave a slight smile at his frisky boyfriend. Sometimes Luhan gave him such a surprise with his random moments of bravery. Yixing started driving the way to Luhan’s house. As expected, Luhan was waiting for the elder on the corner by his house. Yixing pulled over, and Luhan slid into the passenger seat, closing the door behind him before attacking his boyfriend in a loving hug.

“I am so sorry,” whispered Luhan into the crook of Yixing’s neck.

“It is not your fault. Yifan is handling it,” mumbled Yixing as he soaked the warmth and comfort coming from Luhan. Slowly, he felt the tendrils of sorrow release their grip on him as comfort flooded his system.

“Yifan is,” replied Luhan in shock as he pulled away to examine his boyfriend’s face, a worry look etched into his own. Yixing’s eyes were bloodshot from sobbing, and his skin was clammy salty tears and sweat. In other words, Yixing looked like a lost child And in all honesty, he was. He was a scared little boy who just losted his father.

“Yes. He is grief-stricken because of the death. In the end, he said you can stay too. He is done playing games when he has other important matters to handle. So, you don’t have to go back to China. You don’t have to go to that school. We can stay close,” responded Yixing with a slight smile, which caused the broken man to look cynical. Luhan gave a bright smile and hugged the elder, thankful for some good news amongst the horrible. He gave Yixing’s hand a soft squeeze for comfort and reassurance.

“Let’s go to your house. I will stay with you tonight. I already wrote a note for Seoyung.”

“Ok. Thank you.”

Luhan only smiled his shining smile and interlaced one of his soft hands with Yixing’s pale one. The couple drove in silence while Luhan rubbed soothing circles with his thumb on Yixings hand. Yixing was the happiest person with this boy. His grief was soothed by the kind caress on his hand to remind him he was not alone in this. As long as Luhan was by his side, everything will be alright. Yifan will take over the company. Yixing will not have to a business college. He can go to college for what he wants. Most importantly, Yixing will always have Luhan.

“Would you ever want to marry,” asked Yixing offhandedly as he pulled into his driveway of his house, shutting off the car and looking at the other male who wore a shocked expression.

“W-what?”

“If you could, would you marry me? Eventually that is. We are far too young now. But would you? If you had the chance to?”

Luhan thought about it for a moment, biting on his lip nervously. After considering it for a bit, he nodded with a twinkle in his eyes that remind Yixing of the North Star.

“Of course.”

Yixing smiled and leaned over to his boyfriend to give a sweet, chaste kiss on the lips. After the two pulled away, both got up and went inside to Yixing’s room. Luhan ran and jumped onto his boyfriend’s bed with a chuckle. Yixing took off his shoes and joined him.

“I have never been able to sleep in your bed yet,” observed Luhan as he laid his chest on Yixing’s chest.

“Well now you must stay forever. Because I am not letting you escape for a long time,” joked Yixing with a slight chuckle. Luhan nodded and snuggled into his boyfriend.

“Yixing, tell me about your father. If you can,” asked Luhan warily. He knew Yixing was still hurting but he was hoping this would help him.

“Well, I don’t remember much about him honestly. He was always busy when I was young. I would have dinner with him and mother twice a year. However, that stopped when mother took a hand in the business affiars and did not return home often. Yifan was the favorite child of father, so he only cared about Yifan. When it was my birthday, Mr.Chang, my father’s assistant, would buy my gift for him. He was a very strict man, and I never looked at him like a father. But he was still my father.”

“I am sorry, Yixing,” replied Luhan softly as he gave a soft kiss to his boyfriend. Said man gave a slight shrug.

“It is life. Yifan will be taking over the company. I am free from the restraints of my father. However, I will miss him. But that’s life. Eventually, life starts taking things away from you,” answered Yixing with a sigh before closing his eyes.

“Goodnight my beautiful deer.”

“Goodnight my lovely,” spoke Luhan softly before closing his eyes to the world and opening his mind to wonderful dreams about his boyfriend. Tomorrow will be the beginning of a new chapter for them both.