((A/N Edit:
 

Bonded pairs so far:
Romantic~
BaekYeol
KaiSoo
SuChen

Platonic~
ChanSoo
SuLay
BaekChen
SeKai
XiuHan ))

Chapter Twenty-Four
You say we’re only friends, and then you put an arm around my shoulders, I can change to play the part

“Sehun, please take me with you,” ZiTao whined, reaching towards the other across the island separating the living room and the kitchen. Sehun arched an eyebrow at the other, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Why?” he asked, his voice creaking a little still from the constant sinking at Coldstone a few days before. ZiTao le another whine, fidgeting in his seat.

“Please, just let me go out with you today, I don’t know the area well enough to go out on my own,” He pleaded. Yifan was still in bed and the blond wasn’t keen on waiting around until he got up. “I’ll buy you whatever you want,” He added, hoping it would sway the other in his favor.

“Are you ready to leave now?”

“Yes,” ZiTao said, perking up as Sehun grabbed his keys and headed toward the door, slipping into his shoes. ZiTao hopped off of the bar stool he had been on, hurrying to get his shoes on before Sehun changed his mind. The younger opened the door just as Yifan opened his and ZiTao’s room door and ZiTao nudged Sehun out before Yifan could step out of their room.

Wish how rushed ZiTao how been to get out of the apartment, they were waiting outside the bubble tea shop for close to twenty minutes and ZiTao was quick to grow bored as Sehun was messing with his mobile the entire time. LuHan finally met up at them, smiling at ZiTao and generally seeming happier about him joining Sehun and him than the youngest did. Sehun seemed less and less keen on letting ZiTao tag along as the days went by, turning a frown to the older as they made their way to meet LuHan again.

“Did you and Yifan-Hyung have some big lover’s fight? You’ve been avoiding him for over a week now,” Sehun pointed out, ZiTao’s ears turning pink as he shook his head.

“N-no, we didn’t fight,” He stated, looking away from Sehun.

“Why won’t you talk to him then?” Sehun pressed before ZiTao quickened his pace and hurried to meet LuHan at the end of the block. Sehun squinted at him before following after, his expression relaxing as LuHan pulled him in for a hug. His mood continued to brighten as LuHan draped an arm over his shoulders, leading the way into their usual bubble tea shop. A chocolate bubble tea for Sehun and a Taro tea for himself before he pulled Sehun to one of the tables as ZiTao ordered a strawberry flavored one for himself, sitting across from the pair once he received his drink.

“It’s cute how touchy LuHan-Ge is with you,” ZiTao said with a smile. “You two make a cute couple,” He added, slipping his straw into his mouth to chew on. He easily noticed the way LuHan tensed, pulling his arm from Sehun’s shoulder and holding his hands up in surrender.

“Woah, no. We’re not dating, ZiTao,” He stated, ZiTao’s eyes flickering to Sehun’s just in time to see the hint of hurt flash through them before the younger’s poker face was back and Sehun checked out of the conversation, making himself busy as he looked around the shop, sipping on his own bubble tea.

“My… mistake,” ZiTao said slowly, looking back to LuHan. “The only time I’ve seen people act like you two do is when they’re together,” He mused, looking to his phone when his screen lit up showing he had a message. He unlocked his mobile, messing with it and LuHan looked to Sehun with a smile that faltered a little at how the blond didn’t look over at him like he almost always did when LuHan looked to him. ZiTao caught LuHan’s attention again as he stood from the table.

“Thank you for letting me join you two this week. Victoria-Jei was out of town so I couldn’t go visit her, but she says she’s settled back now,” He explained. “I’ll see you at home Sehun,” He added, Sehun giving half a wave as ZiTao left. The pair sat in silence and LuHan opened his mouth to ask Sehun is he was alright when Sehun stood from their table.

“It’s getting late,” Sehun mumbled, LuHan’s eyebrows knitting together in response and he looked to the clock on the wall. Since when was four in the afternoon considered late? They usually stayed out past ten…

“I’ll walk you back to your dorm,” LuHan said, frowning when Sehun squirmed out of his touch but he didn’t try to press the matter as the worry of pushing the other away started to gnaw at the back of his mind. When they got back to the dorm Sehun noticed that Jongin and Yifan’s shoes weren’t in the entryway, more so felt at ease about it - until LuHan trailed into the dorm behind him.

“Sehun, what’s wrong?” LuHan asked starting to shut the door and freezing halfway when the other turned to face him.

“I don’t get you, Hyung. You and I have gone out on what seem like dates for close to three weeks, and you’re always clinging to me,” He stated, LuHan forming softly.

“Does the touching make you uncomfortable?”

“No! But…” Sehun ran a hand through his hair, falling silent as he looked off to the side. “It sends mixed signals when you all but pull me into your lap one minute and the next you’re wholeheartedly denying any thought that we’re together. I thought we were and with the way you act…” Sehun’s hands curled into fists and he stepped closer to LuHan, backing the other against the door and closing it in the process. Sehun stopped a couple inches from the other, careful not to touch him. “You like me, I don’t get why you won’t just admit it when I can feel it.”

“I…” LuHan started to look away from Sehun but the blond moved so that he was still in LuHan’s line of sight. “I’m… nervous because of how my last relationship ended,” He said, trying to keep his breathing even.

“But that got sorted out, and it’s not like it’s going to turn out the same. You only have one platonic soulmate.”

“That’s not the part that worries me, last time…” LuHan shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, holding it until his throat began to burn and he let it out and opened his eyes to look at Sehun again. “Last time I rushed into something I didn’t understand. I don’t want to do that again and hurt you like I hurt Minseok.”

“But you feel something for me, I know you do, I feel it too. I know I wouldn’t feel this pull if you didn’t.” LuHan hesitated again, Sehun his lips in the silence.

“Yes, I feel a pull towards you. Even with what I said to ZiTao, I like you,” LuHan finally admitted, seeing the way Sehun’s shoulders relaxed in response, a smile crossing his lips as he stepped back to give LuHan room to breathe.

“That wasn’t so hard, now was it, Hyung?” Sehun asked, LuHan rubbing his face with one hand and sighing at how quickly the other’s mood flipped for the second time that day. “We should go on a proper date sometime,” he added with a small grin.

Yifan had learned, well more so over head during art with Yixing on the last day of the term that the younger was still planning to practice over the midterm breaks since the art building, like the library, was still open to students. With ZiTao still avoiding him for the most part he found himself making his way down the hall until he found the practice room Yixing was playing in. However when the blond looked up from the piano and to the door Yifan ducked out of sight and the shuffle he heard from the room had him turning and trying to hurry from the room before-

“Yifan-Ge!” The voice pulled him to a halt and he felt his ears start to burn as he slowly turned to face the other. “I’m so happy to see you, I didn’t think I would get the chance to talk to you until the other half of the term started.” Yifan’s voice caught in his throat as Yixing stepped up to him and he had to swallow a couple times to bring it back.

“Y-you’re happy to see me?” he asked, feeling a tingle in his toes at Yixing’s smile.

“Yes!  I wanted to ask you to meet me this Friday out in the field at the back of the main building,” Yixing replied. “About… ten at night,” He added and Yifan wasn’t sure how long he stared at the blond as a dimple poked into his cheek.

“Y-yeah, of course. I’ll be there,” Yifan stammered, Yixing’s eyes lighting up.

“I can’t wait,” He said and Yifan finally broke eye contact, ruffling the hair on the back of his head. “I’ll let you go now, but I’ll see you then,” He added, giving a small wave to Yifan before making his way back into the practice room. Yifan reached over and pinched his upper arm, wincing a little at the sting. Well, he was pretty sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“Ge?” Yifan lowered his laptop screen, looking to the fidgeting figure in the doorway.

“You’re done ignoring me?” He asked, ZiTao closing the door behind himself. “Are you going to tell me what I did that make you so mad that you avoided me as much as you could the entire break?”

“You-” ZiTao looked down, messing with the sleeve of his shirt. “You didn’t make me mad,” He said, Yifan closing his laptop and setting it on the shelf of his night stand, patting his bed. ZiTao padded over, opting to stand instead and he started to worry his lower lip with his teeth.

“Then why did you-”

“I was embarrassed,” ZiTao cut in, tucking his chin into his chest.

“What were you embarrassed about?” Yifan asked, watching ZiTao’s cheeks tint pink.

“Th-that night you woke me up… and then you crawled into my bed because I wouldn’t come into yours...” Yifan thought for a moment, and then felt something click and he looked away from the other, coughing once at the memory.

“You… don’t need to be embarrassed about that. It’s not something you have control over,” Yifan replied, ZiTao shaking his head.

“You’re not understanding.”

“What is it that I’m not understanding? Those things happen, you’re bound to have… heated dreams and that’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” ZiTao argued, Yifan taking a deep breath.

“Why don’t you think it’s not okay?”

“Because…” ZiTao swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Sehun had been telling him for a couple of months now that he needed to just get it over with if he wanted Yifan to know exactly how he felt, and for anything to come out of their relationship. “Because my dream was about you,” He managed not to stammer through the statement, and peeked up at the surprised expression on Yifan’s face.

“I…” He trailed off before shaking his head again. “Again, it-it’s not something you can control, ZiTao-”

“If I could I wouldn’t have woken up!” Yifan’s mind went blank for a moment and he stared at ZiTao who was finally making eye contact.

“...What?”

“Ge, I was embarrassed because I had a dream about you, with your hands all over me and then you were crawling into my bed, and then your hands really were on me, and I didn’t know if I would be able to keep mine to myself,” ZiTao said in one breath, Yifan having a chance to think and speak while the younger paused to breath.

“Why would you…” Yifan’s forehead scrunched up a little before his eyes widened. “You have…” He cut off when ZiTao sat in his lap, both of ZiTao’s legs resting on one side of Yifan’s thighs.

“Ge, I don’t understand why you look surprised,” ZiTao stated, looking confused when Yifan picked him up and set him on the bed, standing and stepping away. “There’s a pull I feel towards you… Sehun told me that I wouldn’t feel it unless you felt it too!” Yifan looked back to see ZiTao get up from the bed and followed him across the room.

“ZiTao, I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” He tried, the other shaking his head.

“No! I love you and you love me, and that’s all there is!” ZiTao’s hands started curling into fists. “You’re always touching me and hugging me like LuHan-Ge does with Sehun and they’re together…” Yifan closed the last few steps between them, taking a gently hold of ZiTao’s wrists. “You love me… I know you do…”

“Of course I do ZiTao, but... Not in the way you’re thinking,” Yifan tried to sooth, ZiTao pulling his wrists from the other’s grip.

“No! If you didn’t, you wouldn’t act the way you do!” ZiTao argued, and Yifan sighed, pulling the younger tightly against his chest.

“ZiTao, please don’t cry,” He murmured, feeling the other quiver in his arms like he did when he would wake from a nightmare with tears in his eyes. “You know there are two kinds of soulmates, so why are you so against us being platinic ones?” He asked, nudging ZiTao to look up at him with one hand. When ZiTao forced his lips against Yifan’s rather than replying the older responded by holding ZiTao out at arm’s length, his voice lowering in tone. “Do not do that,” He ordered slowly, focusing hard on remaining firm as tears trailed down ZiTao’s cheeks.

“Why?” ZiTao asked, the creak in his voice almost enough to make Yifan cringe.

“Because I like someone else, the way you want me to like you.” ZiTao sniffled, flinching when Yifan tried to wipe away the tears on one cheek.

“You don’t have to lie.”

“ZiTao, I’m not-”
 

“I’ll stop being a brat! I know I whine a lot and bother you about buying me things… I’m a cry baby and you’re always having to come to my rescue and it’s annoying to you,” He sniffled again, his shoulders jerking a little as he took a break to breath, trying to make it less choppy.

“ZiTao,”

“Is it because of the night light? We don’t have to use it any more if it makes it hard for you to sleep, I’ll stop needing it, I’ll get over being scared of the dark, I-I won’t crawl into your bed anym-more.” The tears were rolling down his cheeks now and Yifan was surprised that the other was managing to speak as clearly as he was. As much as his words stung Yifan pulled ZiTao against his chest again, combing his fingers through the other’s hair.

“ZiTao, no. Don’t do this, there’s nothing wrong with climbing into my bed or not wanting to sleep in the dark. You can be a handful at times, but one day you’re going to find your romantic soul mate and they’re going to adore every bit of that.”

“I want it to be you,” ZiTao whimpered and Yifan kissed the top of his head.

“I know. But… I can’t, ZiTao. It wouldn’t be fair to be with you that way when my heart is with someone else.” Yifan frowned when he felt ZiTao’s hands push against his chest before the blond ran from the room, slamming the door being himself. Yifan sighed, running a hand through his hair as he heard another door shut. ZiTao must have gone to Sehun and Jongin’s room, he thought, sitting on his bed. He debated going after the other, but at the same time space might have been the better option for a while.

He waited half an hour before he left their room, cocking an eyebrow when he found Sehun and Jongin sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the tv screen. He padded over to their door, his knocking causing the duo to look over at him.

“What are you doing?” Sehun asked and Yifan frowned at him.

“I’m checking on ZiTao.”

“Hyung left,” Sehun stated, looking back to the tv.

“He what?”

“He ran out of the apartment after he came out of your guys’ room,” Jongin said.

“Did you tell him no again?” Sehun snorted and Yifan looked to the front door.

“Something like that,” He said softly, digging into his pocket as his mobile started to ring. His eyes barely had to read over the caller ID for him to quickly select answer. “Victoria, is ZiTao with you?”

“Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Maybe he’s crying so hard he can’t tell me what’s got him in so much pain,” Came the cold toned response.

“That means yes,” Yifan sighed, leaning against the younger duo’s door.

“Care you tell me what you did to upset my child?”

“Why do you assume it’s something did? And when did he go from being our child to your child?”

“When he told me that he’s been in love with you for months.” Yifan shook his head; had he been the only one not to realize it? “And your name is the only thing he’s managed to get out, and he’s not crying to you, so I have every right to assume that this is your fault.”

“Victoria, this isn’t anyone’s fault! I just tried to explain to him that I don’t like him the way he wants me to. He refused to accept that the bond he feels is anything but a romantic one and…” He cut off, opening his eyes to find the duo staring at him and he closed his mouth before walking across the room and through his own door, closing it behind himself. “He kissed me and got even more upset when I told him not to. He started being hard on himself, saying he would change what he thought I saw as faults. I tried to explain that I couldn’t love him the way he wants me to, and then he left,” He explained. He heard Victoria take a slow breath and mumble something too low for him to make out.

“He’s going to stay here for a night or two until he calms down and wants to see you.”

“I can’t thank you enough.”

“You can try,” Victoria deadpanned before handing up.