October 7th, 2015

Yixing was annoyed. Not "Ugh I've missed the train now I've got to wait two minutes until the next one arrives"-annoyed or "Why's the line in front of the Starbucks store so long I'm running late for work and only want a friggin' black coffee size Venti oh god why is this person in front of me taking so long to order?!"-annoyed.

He was down right pissed off.

It was the 7th October, not only did that mean that it was his birthday (and Yili's), it also meant that his best friend Luo Zhixiang was about to arrive in Beijing, one of the only persons he actually gave a damn about and whom he hadn't seen in over a year.

And Yixing was still wind up with Yifan who didn't even seem to give one flying about the whole situation. It had started this morning. Right when Yixing had sat down in his office chair, Yifan had called him to inform him he'd be picking him up in twenty minutes to accompany him to some stupid meeting. He hadn't expected a lot from Yifan, but when they had ended the call Yixing was a little peeved Yifan hadn't even slipped a 'Happy Birthday'. It wasn't like Yixing was craving for Yifan's appreciation or something, it was just common decency.

"I hope you're not in a rush," Yifan had greeted him when he slipped onto the backseat of the car, "We have to prepare a load of stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Ugh, I've got to meet the boss of the club we're going to hold the Halloween party... get over invitations that we're going to send out now..."

Yifan ranted away and acted like he was the busiest man alive and his stupid parties had the main priority in the whole universe and Yixing just hoped he could leave around four so he'd make it in time to the airport. And he had told Yifan. He had told him that he could only stay until four because he needed to pick his friend up and Yifan had nodded and said "Yeah, of course, no problem bro" and Yixing actually had thought: Cool, this might even work.

How wrong he had been. It was five already and Yixing was still at some designer's studio who had been in charge of the invitation cards and Yixing had the feeling Yifan took some extra time to get through the different examples.

"Eeeeeh I'm not too sure about the whole... you know..." Yifan was contemplating and waggled one card in front of the other man's face, "I don't know... something's missing but I don't know what it possibly could be... Yixing, what do you think?"

"I'm thinking I'm running late for my appointment, and I don't give a about your stupid invitations!"

The designer, Mike or Mitchell or whatever stupid foreign name he had picked, gasped theatrically at Yixing's comment but Yifan just nodded.

"Yeah, one second, then we can go."

"You've been saying this for the last thirty minutes! Just take one god damn sample, they will get thrown away anyways, so why even waste so much paper on that stuff?!" Yixing lashed out.

Yixing's comment seemed to trigger a whole new idea in Yifan's mind and he hit his fist onto the table and then pointed at the younger one with a thrilled expression on his face.

"You are so right!! Oh my god! Yixing!" He turned to Mike who couldn't quite follow, "Forget the paper, we're doing e-cards!"

Yixing grunted. This was not what he had had in mind!

"So... my prince... you mean, we send them out via mail?"

"Yes! We're going to save the paper!"

"But... we'd need all those mail addresses... and I'd have to edit the design to make it fit for the format... and you want the cards to be sent out in two days..."

"Yeah, so?"

Yixing bit his tongue and checked his watch for the time. 5:15. Zhixiang's plane was just about to touch down. He'd be needing maybe thirty to fifty minutes to get out of the baggage claim. If Yixing made a run for the next metro he might stand a chance to get there in time.

"This is amazing!" Yifan chanted after Mike had agreed to get over the designs once again, "I'll drop by tomorrow around noon to take a look at them! Yixing, let's go!"

Mike's wide smile was clearly fake and forced. Yixing sensed he wanted to murder Yifan for making him put so much work and effort in a thing that had just been completely overthrown. Same here, Yixing thought and Yifan dragged him out of the designer's office.

"So, the only thing that's left now is to drive one floor up and get the seating order figured out."

"The WHAT?!"

Yixing had actually expected to finally leave this god damn building he had spent the whole day in already because Yifan had run from one office or studio to the other.

"What's the problem?"

"I've told you that I need to get to the airport today! I wanted to leave over an hour ago!"

They drove up one floor and Yifan made an "Oh!"

"Don't 'oh' me, why do you need me to do this together with you anyways? I don't care who sits next to each other, I don't even know 90% of the people you're inviting!"

"I need the second opinion of a media-expert!" Yifan simply answered and Yixing groaned once again to indicate his discontent.

"Yeah, second opinion my !" The journalist scoffed, "Just let me go already so I can pick up my friend!"

"It's not going to take long!" The prince retorted and grabbed Yixing's elbow to drag him out of the elevator.

"I hate you so much!!"

Yifan ignored him and pushed him into the office of yet another lady who was awaiting him already.

“I’ll get you to the airport asap after this, okay?”

“You’ve got ten minutes, I swear to god!”

Ten minutes turned to twenty turned to forty turned to an hour and Yixing had tried to reach Zhixiang but couldn’t and really felt like taking the pot of tea they had been served and smash it onto Yifan’s head. Yifan was still discussing whether or not he could actually let two of his former model girlfriends sit together at the same table because he had left one of them for the other. When Yifan was finally done he turned to Yixing and said:

“So! Now on to the airport!”

“FINALLY!” Yixing lashed out and strode out of the office to get the elevator.

By now, Zhixiang must’ve already been standing in the arrival hall, completely confused why Yixing wasn’t there. And right when the elevator arrived at the ground floor, Yixing’s phone started buzzing. It was Zhixiang who had left a few messages that only now arrived due to the bad signal in the building.

“This is just great!” Yixing yelled and typed a quick answer with a heartfelt apology and the message he’d be coming home as soon as possible.

“Huh?” Yifan asked as they walked over to the car, “Everything alright?”

“Everything al… you!! Jesus ing Christ, Wu Yifan! Are you that stupid or are you doing this on purpose to make me want to commit mass murder?!”

The prince blinked and then slowly seemed to understand but anything he could’ve possibly said at that moment would’ve fueled the fire of rage burning in Yixing’s ribcage so he said:

“Just get me home already!”

“So the airport’s off?”

“YES because Zhixiang already left for my home!!” Yixing retorted and didn’t even wait for the driver to open the car doors.

Yixing was so caught up in mentally killing Yifan he didn’t notice how the Bentley took a different route from what it should’ve taken and he only realized when they came to a halt in front of the Hilton.

“What the Wu Yifan?!”

“I knowwwwwwwwww, but this is going to be good, trust me!”

“You are the ing worst I told you to drop me off at home!! What the ing hell is wrong with you?!”

Yixing got dragged out of the car and into the lobby, rich snobs and businessmen lifting their heads as he yelled around in the whole building. He didn’t care if he looked like a hysterical wife that had just caught her husband cheating on a much younger mistress – or something like that.

“I ask you to do ONE THING, is this actually too much to ask for?! I’m sacrificing my whole life for your royal and yet you treat me like this I just—GOD YIFAN you can’t treat people like this!!”

Yifan let him scream and yell and pushed him into the nth elevator this day and Yixing asked himself why he didn’t just start hitting his fist into the other one’s face. He’d deserve it!

“Oh my god would you please calm down, Yixing? We’re about to enter a restaurant, okay?”

“You--- I’m not going to calm the down I’m not going to have dinner with you what the ing hell!! I’d rather die than spend one more minute with you!!”

The hate and rage Yixing was feeling went beyond explanation. Yifan still clung onto him, and, unfortunately, kept the control even though Yixing tried to struggle himself free. When they entered the restaurant he managed to keep the volume of his cursing to a minimum but he still acted like a three year old that didn’t get the candy he wanted at the supermarket.

“You are the worst, Wu Yifan! Have you ever thought about seeing a doctor about your awful behavior?! You’d badly need it, somebody needs to fix that twisted mind of yours!!”

Right when the insults just kept rolling off his tongue like they were nothing Yifan quickly jockeyed him into the far back of the restaurant into a separate room. When a waitress opened the door, Yixing stood in the middle of a room with one big table. About twenty people sat around it and they cried out:

“Happy Birthdayyyyy!”

Yili hopped into his direction and gave him a big hug.

“Brother! I wish you all the best!”

“I… what???”

Yifan leaned forward and murmured:

“Just… trust me for once, and your blood pressure will thank you. Happy Birthday.”

“My dearest!”

Yili let go of Yixing and in that moment he saw how Zhixiang stood in front of him.

“What are YOU doing here?!”

“Surprise, surprise!”

Zhixiang’s bright smile paired with his boyish facial expressions never failed to light up Yixing’s day and when his best friend pulled him into a hug all the negative feelings were completely forgotten.

“I thought you…”

“Yeah, that was a hoax,” Zhixiang explained and pointed to Wu Yifan, “I was really shocked when I got the call from none other than the Prince.”

“It’s a surprise birthday party!” Yili cheered, “And we’ve gathered mine and your friends to celebrate!”

“But...?”

Yixing turned around to face the guests. A good twelve people were strangers, most likely Yili’s friends, the other ones were his own friends and even Luhan was there and waved at him.

“I do not understand.” He had to admit and looked at Yifan.

“It was his idea actually!” Yili said and patted Yifan’s shoulder who just scoffed, “He came to me and said ‘Yili, I think it would be nice to organize a little get together with your and Yixing’s friends on your birthday!’ So we contacted your friends to surprise you!”

“It was kind of hard to get a hold of Zhixiang though.” Yifan threw in.

“Ey, but you found me!” The Taiwanese said, still smiling from one ear to the other, “Our plan was pretty cool! I got picked up by Yili at the airport while I was sending you these texts.”

“Yifan had the mission to keep you busy long enough until dinner,” Yili explained.

“You people are the worst…” Yixing exclaimed in shock and suddenly felt awful for saying all those things to Yifan.

“Let’s sit down!”

Yili was so pumped and excited she infected everybody else with it and they spent the evening with a lot of expensive alcohol and exquisite food. For a second Yixing was afraid it would get awkward with his friends and the rich kids but soon the whole seating order was mixed up and everyone was having a marvelous time. Yixing excused himself for a second and walked over to the window which held a magnificent view over the city that had taken on the coat of the night. As much as he didn’t like the thought of it, but he might had to apologize to Yifan. He had the feeling he had stepped way over the line, minding that Yifan had only tried to not let this surprise blow up.

“What are you doing?”

Zhixiang stood next to him and they leaned into each other, Yixing placing his head onto his best friend’s shoulder. It was rather crazy how in a short span of a few semesters they had grown so comfortable with each other. But Yixing was glad to have him. Even though Zhixiang seemed like a childish and rather careless person, he was sincere at heart and one of the only people that made Yixing drop his sassy and witty attitude.

“Thinking.”

“Yeah. I see that. What are you thinking about?”

Yixing sighed and took a sip from his Whiskey (why had he grown so fond of this stuff).

“I think I need to apologize to Yifan. I’ve been a nasty today.”

“… and you’re usually a kind sweetheart around him?” Zhixiang joked, because he had to endure Yixing’s rants over WeChat and Facetime about the royal on almost a daily basis.

“That’s not it! I said really awful things today because he was flying me off the handle.”

Zhixiang nodded and Yixing understood that his best friend thought he was right. They often went without words and Yixing exhaled a long breath.

“We kind of heard your ranting.”

“Oh my god! Really?”

His friend made an “uh-huh” sound and Yixing whined.

“How embarrassing! Now I feel even worse!”

“Don’t worry, everyone will act like nothing happened, if that calms you down.”

Yixing made some incoherent noises while the other one patted his back.

“You know what I think?” Zhixiang said and threw a look over his own shoulder before he turned to Yixing again, “I think Yifan kind of likes you.”

“Okay, now you’re completely mad!”

“Well, tell me what you want, but he’s coming over and he’s killing me with his looks. That guy’s jeaaaaaalous!”

“Shut the hell up, would you!?”

“Yixing, we need a minute.” Yifan butted in and Zhixiang sent his best friend a meaningful look before he turned around and joined Luhan who was in deep conversation with one of Yili’s friends.

The journalist looked at Yifan who looked into his glass and kept the other hand behind his back. Yixing wanted to say something but then Yili appeared with a big present under her arms.

“Present time, Yixing! Let me start Yifan, my present is way better than yours!”

“We’ll see about that, sister!”

It was only now Yixing realized she was already wearing the jewelry Yifan had bought for her. When she shoved the package in blue wrapping paper into his hands, he said:

“But… you shouldn’t have! I don’t have anything for you either!”

“I wanted to!” The princess responded and added, “It’s okay, I don’t need anything. I’m happy you’re here!”

He believed her because she was giving him a sincere smile and he slowly opened the packaging while the siblings watched him in anticipation.

Yili had gotten him a book. The Elements of Eloquence.

“It looks lame, yes, but you have to read my devotement!” Yili threw in as Yixing had raised an eyebrow in surprise so he opened the book and read Yili’s message she had written down on the first page.

Her handwriting was nice and clear, like the handwriting of an empathetic and honest woman who had considered her words thoughtfully. It fit her.

“Oh my god, Yili, you are the cutest!” Yixing exclaimed and Yili sent her brother a triumphant smile while she hugged Yixing.

When they parted, Yili turned to her brother and said:

“Well, my job here is done!”

“God damnit Yili, what did you write down again!”

Yifan suddenly seemed to have second thoughts on his gift but Yili urged him to finally hand it over, so he grunted and gave Yixing a smaller package than Yili had.

“I’m kind of afraid,” Yixing admitted as he opened the wrapping but he received no answer as Yifan was downing the rest of his drink.

Yixing gasped as he opened the box that had appeared beneath the paper and he saw the exact same watch he had taken a look at barely two weeks ago.

“I…! No, I cannot accept this!” He drowned Yili’s screams of enthusiasm as she saw the watch herself.

“But Yixing! It’s so pretty oh my god!” She threw in and leaned over to take a closer look.

“It is, but it’s too expensive, I cannot possibly…”

“Why? How much was it?” Yili asked.

“120,000!” Yixing gasped and felt a little dizzy.

The princess frowned and then said:

“But that’s a good deal for a Rolex!”

“That’s what I said!” Yifan said and seemed glad someone finally was on the same page as him.

“Okay, maybe it’s not a lot for you guys,” Yixing admitted, “But I still cannot accept this, Yifan, that’s way too much!”

“No returns! I did not keep the receipt anyway!” Yifan said and took off to get another drink.

Yixing was left confused next to Yili who wanted him to try the watch on immediately.

“No, seriously…” Yixing blabbered, and he didn’t know what to do or to say.

Now he was feeling really bad. I’d rather die than to spend one more minute with you. You are the worst. And yet he was still giving him that watch, the one Yixing had liked. Yifan had actually bothered and thought of what to get him. He had actually remembered a detail about Yixing and had gotten that god damn Rolex because he wanted to do something nice for the younger one.

“You heard my brother: No returns!” Yili chirped but realized Yixing was uncomfortable so she pulled him to the table to join the round again.

Yili’s friends had gotten Luhan hammered and it was around two am (because the prince and the princess can stay at a restaurant as long as they want as rules for normal people never applied to them) when Yixing and Zhixiang finally decided to bring him home. They were, in fact, the last people to leave except for Yili and Yifan who were wrapping up the bill with one of the poor staff members who had been forced to stay until the party was over.

“Zhixiang, you get the elevator, I’ll be right back.” Yixing ordered and Zhixiang nodded and dragged Luhan with him who mumbled something about “Best evening everrrr”.

Yili had gone to the counter with the staff and Yifan was sitting alone at the table and poured himself a ‘quick glass’ of Whiskey before he had to go. Yixing sat down next to him and the prince looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“Yes?” He asked and supported his head with one of his hands while the other one was clinging onto his drink.

“First of all – thank you. You really didn’t have to do this.”

“Yeaaaah, don’t mention it. Yili was involved in the matter too. You’re welcome.”

His semi-drunk smile was only half-hearted. He wasn’t buying it.

“Second of all I am really, really sorry.”

“About what exactly?”

“Geez, do you really want me to say these things again? Everything I said today. All the insults. I went too far. I’m really sorry.”

Yifan leaned back in his chair and looked at Yixing for quite some time before he asked:

“So you wouldn’t rather die than to spend one more minute with me?”

Repeating the sentence in his head had already been bad. Hearing Yifan say it was even worse and it felt like his conscious had just slapped Yixing in the face.

“I wouldn’t. That was… really stupid, and I was angry… I didn’t think it through, and I didn’t mean it like that. Really.”

“Well then,” Yifan exclaimed, “I guess we’re even now. I’ve been an . You dragged me for it. We’re good now.”

He grabbed one of the glasses that had stayed unused and poured a small amount of Whiskey into it to hand it over to the other one. When Yixing had taken the glass, Yifan raised his own.

“Truce?”

“Truce.” Yixing affirmed and they clinked their glasses before they downed the alcohol.

“Yiiiixing, hurry uuuuup!” They heard Zhixiang call from afar and Yixing sighed.

“I’ve got to go.”

“Hmm,” Yifan mumbled and nodded, “Make sure to get Luhan some water or he’ll be feeling this tomorrow.”

“I will. Goodnight.”

“See you around.”

Before Yixing left the room he took one last look over his shoulder. Yifan looked incredibly lonely sitting at a table this big while he waited for his sister to return. Yixing asked himself whether Yifan also felt like he looked.

IDK man does the font differ from the other chapters I cannot tell but I've got the feeling that it's different??? WHY. WHY.
Btw this story is killing me I am fighting a horrible writer's block and I'm happy I've still got some chapters but srsly how can I crush this I am going CRAZY.