(( Hello hello~ I think this is the earliest I've posted a chapter in a while, I'm usually in bed after my long day of class :3

I'm also surprised that the HunHan didn't get much attention, some people seemed so interested in them before they got together :<

Hmm... not much to say, but when do I have much to say as of lately? xD I'm gonna go back and actually link the last few songs that I'm sure I've missed, and I have a few days free so I'll probs be going and revising chapters and the released playlist a little while I have the chance. Hope you all have a lovely week~ ))

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Please Answer Me Honestly,
Will You Go Out With Me?

“Ice skating?” Yifan found himself rubbing the back of his neck as he nodded, looking from the ground up at the blond in the doorway before him. “I’ve never been, but it always looked like people have a lot of fun with it,” Yixing said, a dimple poking in his cheek. “Let’s go-” He paused, feeling Junmyeon’s hand on his shoulder as the other appeared behind him with an icy-fake smile painted on his lip.

“Ice skating sounds like a lot of fun, I think that Jongdae and I should come along,” He stated, Yifan swallowing hard at the dark look in the younger’s eyes.

“Junnie, my arm’s broken, they’re not going to let me on an ice rink,” Jongdae called from where he was sprawled on Yixing and Junmyeon’s new couch, just out of view from Yifan, who hadn’t dared to come into the apartment when Yixing’s guard dog was home.

“You hear that, he thinks it’s a great plan,” Junmyeon said, pulling Yixing to step back into the apartment. “Why don’t you come and sit while we get ready, Yifan-Hyung?” he offered in an all-too-polite tone, and Yifan noticed Jongdae’s frown when Junmyeon dragged Yixing to the door on the far end of the room.

“Since when are you the one who ignores what I say?” he asked, sounding a little offended, but Junmyeon shut the door to the room without replying and Jongdae huffed a sigh, looking up at Yifan who was fidgeting a little in the center of the room. “First he decides no until my arm is healed, now he decides to drag me somewhere that I get to just sit around just so he can make sure you don’t try anything with Hyung. What’s next?” he pouted, flipping through the channels on the television.

Yifan eventually sat down on the couch beside Jongdae, and it was only fifteen minutes of awkward silence before the two blonds emerged, Yixing trailed closely by Junmyeon who looked like he was trying to wrap a third scarf around the other’s neck as they walked over to meet the two on the couch. Yifan was on his feet quickly, Yixing giving him a contagious smile before leading the way out of the apartment while Junmyeon pulled Jongdae from the couch and to his feet.

“Come on, you need a coat,” he said Jongdae looking far from pleased as the blond opened the closet and pulled out one, shoving it in his arms before he hooked his arm around Yixing’s arm and lead the way down to the parking lot. “We’ll meet you there, Yifan-Hyung,” He called, pulling Yixing in the direction of his car while Yixing gave him a small frown that he seemed to miss, and Jongdae sighed dramatically as he trailed behind.

Jongdae was surprised that the staff let him on the floor, even if he was only allowed to sit on the benches outside of the rink, and he rested his chin in the palm of his good hand, his elbow propped up on the edge of the rink as he watched Junmyeon treat Yixing like a four year old, lacing up his skates for him before starting on his own. While Junmyeon was messing with the laces that were tangled on his pair Yixing looked over at Yifan and nodded his head towards the rink entrance, standing and grabbing the rink edge to keep himself up. He glanced over at Junmyeon, who was still fighting with his laces, then back to Yifan, holding his hand out to the older. Yifan leaned forward to peak at Junmyeon around Yixing to make sure he was distracted before he took Yixing’s hand and helped him onto the floor. Yixing grabbed onto the edge of the rink, giving Yifan a small smile.

“You go ahead, I’m gonna figure out how to skate,” Yixing said and Yifan looked around the near empty rink before holding out his hands to the younger.

“I’ll keep you up, just focus on moving your feet,” He offered. Yixing looked at his hands, then up at his face before his smile grew a little and he took Yifan’s hands one at a time. “Try not to pick up your feet, scoot them along the ice,” Yifan advised, moving backwards as Yixing started forward. Yixing nodded, his eyes glued to their skates as he tried to mimic Yifan’s steps. He slipped a few steps in, Yifan flexing his arms so Yixing had something sturdy to hold onto, and they were still for a moment until he regained his balance.

“I’ll take it from here, Yifan-Hyung.” The eldest wasn’t able to miss the way Yixing’s smile deflated at the voice behind him, and his hands were pulled from Yifan’s arms. Junmyeon shifted so he was next to Yixing, wrapping one arm around his waist and holding one of his arms with the other hand, leading him down the rink in a fashion that had Yifan worried that they were both going to end face down on the ice. He skated after them in small glides, turning so he was skating slowly backwards.

“Junmyeon, I think you can hold him a little lighter. I’m not sure if he’ll be able to keep his balance if you’re holding him tightly like that,” Yifan said slowly, watching the other closely to try and pick up on any hint that would end with the blond trying to poison his food.

“Y-Yifan-Ge’s right,” Yixing tried, Junmyeon turning the scowl that had started to him, and it softened just before his grip on the other did as well. He shifted so that he was holding one of Yixing’s hands rather than his torso, Yifan hesitant to move to the other side of Yixing. He offered his hand to Yixing, who took it and held it tighter than the hand that Junmyeon had offered to him, missing the deep frown that crossed the others face in response.

"Junnie~ I'm boooored!" Jongdae whined, after the three of them had gone around the rink twice, and Yixing tried to pull his hand from Junmyeon’s. “And hungry! I can’t eat with only one arm.”

“Junmyeon, you wanted this to be a double date, but you’re only paying attention to me. I think Jongdae’s feeling left out, and that’s not fair to him,” Yixing said, the three of them coming to a stop on the ice. “Yifan-Ge will make sure I don’t get hurt, you don’t need to worry,” he pressed, and Junmyeon frowned before taking a slow deep breath and letting Yixing go carefully.

“I’ll be back once I get him something to eat,” he said, his eyes flickering to Yifan’s to give him a warning look before he made his way to the entrance of the rink. Once he got off the ice he teetered over, tipping back and landing on his . He winced, groaning before taking off his skates and slowly getting back onto his feet. “Now my rear hurts,” he muttered, sitting beside Jongdae to pull his shoes on.

“Not my fault~” Jongdae chimed in response, earning a small shove to the shoulder before Junmyeon stood and grabbed him by his good arm, dragging him out of the rink and to the concession stand. One short purchase later he shoved a hot dog in the brunet’s hand and dragged him back towards the rink. They sat back on one of the benches, Junmyeon switching back to his skates. Once they were fastened tightly, he stood, starting towards the rink when he felt something press against his stomach. He looked down, frowning when he saw Jongdae’s cast wrapped around his waist.

“Jongdae, what are you doing? Let go,” Junmyeon demanded, though he refused to push against the other’s cast.

“Will you just leave them alone, Junmyeon?” The irritation in the brunet’s voice caught Junmyeon off guard and he paused before looking back at him. “Yifan isn’t doing anything wrong, he just wants to spend time with Hyung. Imagine if Hyung was this protective over you when it came to me.” Jongdae wasn’t looking up at Junmyeon, instead down at his lap, and the older felt a sick feeling starting in his stomach. “Imagine if Hyung made me afraid to even look at you any time he was in the room with us?” He looked up at Junmyeon out of the corner of his eye, keeping his head down. “Hyung wanted you to be happy, even if it meant that he would be alone sometimes when you would be with me because it meant that you would be happy, and he knew that. Doesn’t he deserve the same?”

Junmyeon swallowed hard, hoping that would make it a little easier to breath. Jongdae had never shown irritation towards them in their entire relationship, and he couldn’t remember the last time the other had used his name, so why now? He was just trying to protect his platonic soulmate. Junmyeon managed to break his gaze from Jongdae’s, looking back over at the pair on the rink, just in time to see Yixing slip and start to fall forward. He jerked forward on instinct, feeling Jongdae tighten his grip so he wouldn’t try to go any further as Yifan stopped both of them and caught Yixing. The blond staggered a little, holding onto Yifan’s forearms tightly until he stopped wobbling, then he looked up at the older, and the smile he gave Yifan caused Junmyeon to stop trying to fight Jongdae’s restraint.

“Maybe… Maybe you’re right,” Junmyeon said softly, his shoulders relaxing as he felt his chest tighten a little as he sat down beside Jongdae. He knew that feeling; it was the same one he got when Jongdae would stare at him and smile, affection dripping from his gaze. He watched Yifan move in front of Yixing again, taking hold of both of his hands as he started to slowly skate backwards, picking up the pace gradually as Yixing got the hang of it.

“So are we just going to sit here like parents chaperoning a date, or can we get out of here and go somewhere else?” Jongdae asked, Junmyeon feeling a sense of relief when he didn’t sound angry any more. He looked to Jongdae then back at the pair on the rink, fingers curling around the scarf in his hands as worry trickled into his stomach.

“We… we can… leave them alone…” He said slowly, a smile perking the corner of Jongdae’s lips for the first time during the whole double-date. “But if Yixing gets hurt under his watch, I’m going to blame you as much as I’ll be blaming Yifan,” He added and Jongdae laughed, standing from the bench once Junmyeon had taken his skates back off. They made their way from the rink and returned Junmyeon’s rented skates, making their way from the rink long before Yixing and Yifan noticed.

The pair had gone around the rink enough for Yixing to feel comfortable only holding one of Yifan’s hands as the older skated beside him, and Yixing looked up at Yifan to say he thought he was getting the hang of the skates when someone shot past them. One of Yixing’s feet slipped back and he started forward, shutting his eyes and tightening his hold of Yifan’s hand as he expected to hit the ice, slowly easing his eyes open when he hit something a lot warmer and softer than ice. Yifan was on his back underneath Yixing, his own face scrunched up before it slowly relaxed and he looked up at Yixing, giving a small smile that Yixing returned.

“You protected me.”

“The last thing I want is for you to get hurt, so of course I protected you,” Yifan said, Yixing sliding off of him to let him sit up. “I want… to always be there to protect you, if you’ll allow me the honor,” the older added, Yixing’s head tilting a little at the shyness that was entering his tone. “I-I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Yixing.” Yixing smiled and nodded to signal the other could continue. “I… I really like you, and it seems like you like me back, so I was wondering… if you would be my boyfriend,” Yifan said with only a little quiver to his words, and he looked up at Yixing, feeling a little worry at the confused and curious look on the blond’s face.

“I thought we already were boyfriends,” He stated, causing Yifan’s heart to skip a beat.

“You what?”

“I thought we already were boyfriends. We go on a lot of dates, so it made sense that we were boyfriends because that’s the sort of things that boyfriends do, and-” he stopped when Yifan covered his face to hide the blush trailing over his cheeks, and Yixing reached out to try to pull his hands away from his face. “Ge, did I say something wrong?”

“N-no just… you’re saying the word ‘boyfriends’ a-a lot,” Yifan said, and Yixing giggled.

“Because we’re boyfriends~” He chimed, pulling an embarrassed whine from the older as he finally got Yifan’s hands down from his face enough to place a soft kiss on Yifan’s lips.

(( Yixing being all 'because we're boyfriends' is one of my favorite things x3 ))