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Two

“The truth runs wild like a tear down a cheek. Trying to save face, and daddy heart break, I’m lying through my teeth. This voice inside has been lying at me. Trying to replace the love that I fake with what we both need.” Troye Sivan

***

“So an old friend of mine, you know, Joy?” Wendy blabbered; hugging Taeyong’s pillow close to her chest as she sat on the other’s bed, her younger brother Jisung went out to biking.

“Sort of, I think I know her. What’s up?” Taeyong shrugged, pulling his cap off and used it as a fan, remembering the time when Ten used it to fan him, a faint smile lingering on his lips.

Wendy rolled his eyes at Taeyong’s sort-of like lovestruck self. “Anyway. She met a boy yesterday, ‘a really really handsome boy’ according to her” Wendy quoted with her fingers, “but he seems gay since he bought make-ups and stuffs.”

“I thought your friend has some phobia towards boys.” Taeyong frowned, remembering a little girl with cute eyesmiles on display when Wendy stayed during their summer vacations at Taeyong’s house. “She used to be scared at me even when were just neighbours! She lives across the street before right?” Taeyong asked, Wendy nodding as a response before she tilted her head.

“Who lives there now by the way?”

Taeyong smile caught Wendy off-guard, furrowing her brows.

“Yah, are you hiding something from me?” Wendy threw the pillow towards her cousin, who caught it right away. “And in case you thought I forgot, which I didn’t by the way, who is that someone who helps to make your heart beat off from death?” She joked.

“Don’t say it like that,” Taeyong mumbled, hiding his eyes behind his fringes, “you make it sound like I’ll die at any moment.”

Wendy frowned at that and tried to console him right away, “I didn’t mean it like that Taeyongie, it’s just that—“

“His name is Ten.” Taeyong brushed the apology off, Wendy smiling slightly at the revelation. She knew he was gay three years ago. She was the first one to know before his own parents since Taeyong knew that she wouldn’t judge him right away. She helped him come out to his parents who accepted him nevertheless the issues of his gender. However, Taeyong still had that nagging thought in the back of his mind that his parents accepted him simply because any sort of depression could affect his condition. He was still their son, after all.

“Oh?” Wendy exclaimed, plopping another pillow on her lap, “and when will I meet this Ten guy?”

“Later,” Taeyong said, standing up to walk towards his door when a series of knocks (or more like banging) was heard followed by obnoxious Tee, open up! outside. “Or more like now.” Taeyong rolled his eyes, opening the door and glaring at the sight of his best friend.

“What now?” He tried to sound irritated but the pout Ten gave him melted his heart right away. Taeyong mentally sighed; Ten is seriously dangerous to his health.

Ten bypassed him and entered the room as if it was his, mouth dropping at the sight of Wendy who raised a perfect brow in her cousin’s direction.

“Since when did you start bringing girls in your room Tee?” Ten’s eyes widened, “I thought you don’t like girls!” Taeyong mentally face palm, debating whether to punch Ten in the face or throw him off the window.

“Ten, meet my cousin. Wendy, this is Ten.” He introduced the both of them, ignoring the idiot who was gaping like a fish deprived of water.

“S-She’s—Oh my God. I’m sorry!” Ten bowed apologetically, Wendy mouthing to Taeyong, ‘That’s him!?’ Which Taeyong responded with a nod.

“He’s an idiot.” Wendy stated the obvious to which Taeyong just nodded again with a nod, Ten cringing at the sudden insult.

“Yah.” Ten pouted, crossing his arms on his chest. “Don’t gang up on me. My brother went away to God-knows-where and I was left alone at our house. Didn’t I told you I want to share something?” Ten reminded Taeyong about their text conversation yesterday.

“Oh, right.” Taeyong nodded to himself, sitting at his study chair while Ten walked towards him, Taeyong’s heart skipping a beat when Ten fixed his fringes that was disarranged earlier while he was putting his cap on, Wendy never missing the slight blush on Taeyong’s cheeks.

She cleared , getting Taeyong’s attention. “Uhmm. I’ll see you layer Taeyongie.” With that said, she left her cousin’s bedroom with a dash.

“What do you want to talk about anyway? You were pretty weird yesterday.”

Ten groaned, as if the things that happened yesterday could cause his death itself.

“I was so awkward.” Ten managed to say, dropping his head on Taeyong’s pillow face first. Ten always like how Taeyong’s pillow smell, a fragrance of lilac with the hint of vanilla, making his hazy mind relaxes.

“She must think I’m a weirdo now.” He mumbled but Taeyong didn’t hear him because he was mumbling against the pillow.

Taeyong threw one of his caps on Ten, the lying figure still not moving an inch.

“What? I didn’t hear you, nitwit.” Ten sat up with the pillow on his lap, burying half of his face on it just because Taeyong smells heavenly.

“I met a girl yesterday.”

Taeyong rolled his eyes, “Of course you met a—what?” He asked, his voice turning to a whisper yet Ten’s oblivious to the shaky tone of his voice.

“I told you about my mother’s weird habit on making me an errand boy when buying things for her salon right?”

Taeyong nodded silently, awaiting for any revelation that might cause his already fragile heart to break to pieces; caus