"You're such a leech, you cling to that popular boy too much it's getting disgusting."

'It's just a nightmare.'

Zitao kept on repeating that through his head like a mantra, but sadly it did nothing but to mock him that he's stuck in repeat to Yixing's torment. Again and again the words he said out from their first encounter gets rephrased for the panda to unwillingly listen to.

"You're just an eyesore, yet you have the guts to flaunt your ugly face beside Yifan? How petty."

Zitao winced, clearly, that sentence hit a sore spot. A memory suddenly tugged against his brain, and since he's dreaming right now, he once again relived that moment.

The scenario changed and he's now sitting alone in a table, he's in the cafeteria along with tons of students who are enjoying their lunch break. Yifan went to the restroom for a bit, and Zitao wished that he should have just followed the elder instead of hearing the words that made him cry on his bed for three restless nights.

"I heard that guy's a for our captain, is it true?"

Zitao looked to his left, seeing a group of mostly boys with a mix of girls who probably are someone's girlfriend in that clique.

"Really?" One of the girls shrieked, face scrunching from disgust. "That's disgusting! Is Kris gay?"

He really hates to hear the name Kris.

Kris is the basketball captain, the popular guy, the person who forgets that he exist because he's friends with the 'cool kids.'

The panda hates that name so much because it means that Yifan would be gone for the whole day so that Kris can show off how awesome he is, yet even though Yifan changes his persona a little bit to fit in -he really doesn't have to in his opinion- his love for the guy remains the same.

Zitao was jerked out of his thoughts when he saw one of his classmates, who's usually beside them in class, move his upper body forward to the table to whisper not so discreetly.

"I heard him more than- I swear!- More than once confess to Kris! But I think Captain only thinks of him as a bro, isn't he in love with Jessica anyway?"

"Oh yeah! He actually told me that he has a major crush on her!" One of Yifan's teammate cackled, voice irking the panda's ears off and the information painfully tugging at his heart once again.

"So it's just that gloomy guy who's a you know?" The girl from before asked, and Zitao wants nothing more than get a staff and shove it in . "Jeez, what a thick-face, he's tarnishing Kris' reputation with his ugly face."

"Umnnn, actually he's not that ugly." A girl retorted while blatantly looking at Zitao.

"He's filthy, Probably having wet dreams for Captain. Like seriously I don't even know why Captain's with him." Another teammate blurted out, tone so loud that Tao is sure that he doesn't give a damn if he hears him.

"Well, I heard they met through their rich dads. Maybe Kris doesn't want any conflicts so he stays with the boy- OR! He's a nice guy so he's probably just taking a pity on that ."

The table round up with laughter, and Zitao clearly remembers how he ran out to the restroom and unceremoniously bumped into his sunshine. When Yifan -not Kris because Kris doesn't give a damn- asked what's wrong, he covered up the raw wounds inflicted with a smile and a lie that he just went to follow the elder.

But right now in this nightmare, he couldn't move a limb and instead his ears became a prey to the fits of laughter that's mocking him. It made his head pound, the non-stop torment already taking a toll on him.

He wants to cover his ears, but he knew it's impossible so he opted to scream his lungs out in the end to drown out the noises he's subjected to listen to.

A few moments of doing that he woke up. Upper body flinging upwards and he's still screaming- throat sore and his mind heavy due to his already depleted energy.

When he's awake enough to stop burning his throat, he looked around gasping for air. He can feel a slight sting each time he intakes air through his mouth, yet it pales in comparison when he realized he's alone again.

"Yifan? Gege?"  Zitao looked around him, still hoping that the elder would show up.

When he realized Yifan truly left -again-  Zitao decided to crawl to the elder's bed with his body shaking and covered with cold sweat. He slammed his body on the mattress, his arm immediately extended to grab a pillow to hug. He didn't even manage to cover his self with a blanket because when the comforting smell of Yifan hits his nose, his lead like eyelids closed and he drifted off to sleep again.

He should have just begged Yifan to let him sleep on his bed last night, maybe if he did he wouldn't have to go through such nightmare.

Zitao could feel someone leering at him when he entered the room with Yifan. He doesn't have to know who it is though, the elder's warning glare is enough to tell him who's the perpetrator. After the incident, Yixing had already tried multiple times to terrorize him whenever Yifan's not around. It's no wonder that he's the leading actor in every nightmare that he's unfortunately experiencing for a couple of nights already.

Yixing would always start with a little greeting before giving out snarky remarks like why he's not acting like a leech and following his obsession in the restroom or why he couldn't shake off the 'I have clouds all over my head' aura. It irritates the younger actually, and yet at the same time he couldn't just shrug off the feeling of something akin to a pinch to his heart whenever Yixing lets out those harsh words.

Was he obsessed? Was he really acting like a leech?

It bothers him, because somehow he couldn't deny it to his self. It also makes him wonder if Yifan is already irritated with his way of showing love. He always wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to his feelings for the elder, yet at same time he's good at hiding the scars placed all over his delicate organ.

"Peach, you look a little dazed. Are you okay?"

Zitao blinked, looking at Yifan who's already sitting down. His cheeks flared up when he realized he's still standing and he probably looks like he's in a trance before the elder snapped him back to reality. He heard someone snicker, he turned his head immediately just to see Yixing staring up at him with amusement in his eyes. He immediately turned away after seeing that, proceeding to take his seat clumsily because he couldn't manage to remove his backpack.

"Gods, why are you such a kid."

He can see Yifan from the corner of his eyes while he struggles, he almost whined until a big hand helped him with removing the other strap from his shoulder.

"Too adorable, still the cute little kid from back then." He heard Yifan saying, and couldn't help but to feel elated when he felt fondness from his tone. His heart almost exploded when he peered at Yifan and saw a gentle smile adorning his face.

"Gege," He called out, his expression awed as he stares at Yifan. "I really love you."

He whispered the last part, knowing all too well that saying it out loud wouldn't cost Yifan any good. He just couldn't resist it. He couldn't stop confessing again and again because damn, he's just so whipped since middle school and he just couldn't close the lid of his heart since it's overflowing so much already.

So he doesn't miss a day without reminding Yifan how much he loves him. Sadly, there's a consequence of saying it to someone who doesn't love you back romantically.

"Silly younger brother, I love you too."

He received a pat in the head, and a laugh that made him feel like Yifan isn't taking his feelings seriously.

Naturally, heartbreak occurs, and Zitao takes it in like a daily dose of multivitamins everyday.

"That's quite cruel of him you know?"

"It's none of your business." Zitao gritted out, annoyed and disturbed with the fact that Yixing seemed to be waiting for him to go to the restroom. Well that's where they are right now, but Jesus Christ they're already done with the class they're both in together. He's currently in another class already and Yixing shouldn't be here because he's an art major, he's supposed to have class in another building.

So why the hell is he hanging around in the freaking restroom as if he's been waiting for his prey all along?

"Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be in another building?"

"Well, I was waiting for a chance to chat with you but your buttercup decided to stay with you like a dog protecting its bone. So...here I am." Yixing shrugged. "You know I really didn't mind waiting for you even though it kinda reeks here."

'What a creep.'

Zitao thought, looking at Yixing through the mirror with disgust written all over his face. The artist didn't miss the expression, and he gave out a smirk to that.

"Come on now, I bet you wouldn't mind if it was Yifan waiting for you. I also feel like you'd find it romantic albeit the setting."

Zitao shook his head, clearly not amused with Yixing's persistent bugging.

"Why won't you just leave me alone? What do you even want from me?"

He turned his body to face Yixing, noticing that he's actually a few inches taller than the other. But somehow, whenever Yixing opens his mouth, he felt like a mouse cowering from a cat who's about to eat him alive.

"You want me to answer that honestly?" The artist looked at Zitao straight in the eyes. "I want to craft a masterpiece out of you."

"What?" Zitao blurted out, clearly not expecting the answer given to him.

"You're so easy to read Huang Zitao. The easiest one I've ever read to be honest. You act like you have strong walls surrounding you, yet when I pressed on your weakness you crumble so easily like a sand castle brutally washed away with the waves." Yixing's eyes seems to glimmer with deranged fascination about his 'project' that Zitao unconsciously stepped back to feel a little security for his well being. "Your expressions, your eyes, the way you die a little on the inside when I mention things regarding your buttercup. It's so beautiful Zitao, you're the perfect canvas for my upcoming project."

"You'd think I'd let you use me?" Zitao whispered, tone almost mocking the artist for his assumption that he'd let his self become a muse for a wacko.

The panda already had a premonition that Yixing would smile at his question, but it didn't make the prickly feeling that almost made him shudder go away when the artist smiled sweetly at him.

"Oh, you'll be the one crawling back to me, little chirp." Yixing said, reassurance dripping from his voice.

A week later and the routine continues, Zitao would wake up alone on a Wednesday morning while Yifan chooses to bask in th