Kray; The Painter’s Shell 4/?

Kris woke up to an empty bed. Groggily, he checked the time while attempting to peek an eye on his surroundings. 7:00AM and all the curtains are closed, providing the darkness he needed to stay asleep. Yixing’s side of the bed was still a bit warm, so he couldn’t have got up long before.

After cleaning himself up, he headed downstairs, pausing at the last step to try and identify the smell that wafted in the air. There were sounds coming from the kitchen, so he quickly trudged over, all the while trying to keep him stomach from rumbling.

The brunette looked up when he entered, pausing his reading for a while before turning back his full attention to the newspaper again. Great, not even a morning greeting.

“Come on, don’t tell me you’re going to treat me like this after what we did last night?” Kris grumbled, taking a seat on the island counter across from Yixing, glaring at the other albeit childishly. At this, Yixing merely raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to look up from his newspaper.

“We didn’t do anything,” He replied calmly.

“We slept in the same bed,” Kris tried again, trying his best to make Yixing drop his guards around him. “You and I. Don’t tell me that’s nothing,”

“That’s because you left your blanket at home and no, that’s not something.” The corner of the other’s mouth quirked up as he read but not enough to reveal the dimples he had so wanted to see. Kris was briefly reminded of his mission.

“Fine.” He surrendered before burying his face onto his arms on the counter. Seriously, he wasn’t even supposed to get up yet so what was he even doing here, dressed even? He momentarily contemplated on going back upstairs to his bed or just stay there and live like normal people.

The sound of porcelain clinking on the counter disrupted his thoughts and he quickly looked up. In front of him, was a stack of waffles with butter and maple syrup, which looked entirely too delicious and tempting to turn down in his sulking. So he took the fork Yixing handed to him and tried his best to ignore the smugness on the other’s face. Then he remembered something.

Kai.

“Yixing,”

The other replied with a hum, still not looking up. Kris rolled his eyes. Just what is so interesting in a newspaper?

“Do you know Kim Jongin?” Kris started, staring straight at the head across from him unblinkingly. When the other shook his head uninterestedly, he tried again. “Kai?”

Again, he shook his head.

“He’s a fashion designer.”

“And?” Yixing finally looked up, startling Kris a bit.

“He was looking for an artist. Someone that he can work with in designing prints and setting the color schemes. “

“And you suggested me?” There was not a trace of accusation in his voice, more like it was said matter-of-factly. Kris nodded guiltily. He regretted not asking Yixing about it first and now he felt like the world’s biggest mother, trying to get someone to notice her son’s art.

Yixing nodded thoughtfully, clicking his tongue. “Okay,”

This pretty much gave Kris a surprise. “Okay?” He asked again to make sure and Yixing nodded. “Seriously?”

“Yes seriously now eat up or you’re going to be late for whatever,” The brunette said as he closed the newspaper to help himself to coffee. It took Kris a full minute to register what Yixing had just said.

Late? He didn’t have anythin- oh god, Chanyeol.

With that in mind, he nearly sputtered his food back out as he stood up abruptly, knocking his knees on the counter and nearly sending the chair toppling back. Before he even knew it, he already has his bag with him and was running out the door.

--

Kris sighed in relief as he watched Chanyeol strike his killer smile, putting on his most charismatic image for the perfume commercial he was shooting. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Baekhyun huffing when the female model (Yuri, if he wasn’t mistaken) put an arm around Chanyeol, bringing him closer to her. But Kris also didn’t miss the way Chanyeol’s eyes flickered towards Baekhyun in a moment of apology, making the other smile softly. He couldn’t help but be envious of these two lovebirds.

His was pulled out of his reverie when his phone rang. , he forgot to put in on silent, he cursed silently as he rummaged around in his bag for his phone. The director cast him a glare that clearly meant ‘get the out’ and Kris was more than happy to oblige. The air in there smelled like makeup and hairsprays anyway.

He wasn’t pleased when the name Kai popped up on his phone.

“Hello?” Kris was pretty damn sure his voice was anything but polite, but he couldn’t care less.

“Whoa I thought you’d cool off,” Kai laughed at the other end and Kris was sorely tempted to end the call then. “So seeing how your mood is crappy today, I should just get straight to the point, yeah?”

Kris merely grunted in response, making the other chuckle.

“About that painter of yours. When can I see him? I’m free tonight so might as well put my time to good use?”

“I’ll tell him later,”

“Okay,” The line was silent for a second before the other added. “And ease up, man.”

The line was cut off before Kai even stopped talking. Kris had a bad feeling about Kai, but he didn’t know where they sprouted from.

--

Kris would never have thought that he could see Kai being as ungracious as he was right then as he sat in the white couch. Across him, Yixing stared at him emotionlessly.

“The Zhang Yixing?” Kai exclaimed, already knowing the answer but his jaw dropped open anyway when Yixing nodded.

The blonde looked on with curiosity. Why was Kai reacting this way?

“You’re… Zhang Yixing,” It took a while for the brunette to recover from his shock, eyes wide as he stared at Yixing across from him. The latter started squirming under his stare, though only Kris noticed as Kai was too busy being shocked. Then he noticed that he was staring.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’d never thought I’d get to see you, I mean, I Googled you and all I get was teapots. I never knew you’d be this…” Kai trailed off there, his voice fading as he took in the sight of Yixing in front of him. When the smirk formed back on his face, Kris didn’t like it.

He knew that look.

“Straight to the point, Kai,” At this, he received two glares. Kai for interfering and Yixing for being rude, but the designer continued on anyway so he could only sigh in relief.

“I only came here to see who your painter is, Kris. Now that I did, I don’t think there’s any other reason for me to be here,” Kai said with his cool, his earlier behaviour forgotten. As he stood up from the couch, he extended a hand to Yixing, his eyes locking to the other’s unblinkingly. “I’ll come here another time,”

Kris’s eyes caught the way Kai’s hand lingered on Yixing’s after the handshake, his tanned skin a stark contrast to the other, complementing it. For some reason that he couldn’t place, he found that annoying.

Kris was the one who escorted the designer out, insisting for Yixing to say where he was. At the door, his forehead collided against the back of the other’s head when he stopped abruptly before turning around, that smile on his face.

“I’ll come another time,” Kai said with a grin and a twinkle in his eyes before Kris shut the door in his face.

With it, came a promise. A promise of what? Kris didn’t know, but he suspected that it had something to do with Yixing and by the way he said it, it wasn’t going to be good.

When the rumble of a car woke him up from his reverie, he found himself regretting his decision, the decision of signing a contract with a devil going by the name of Kim Jongin. When he walked back inside with a sigh, Yixing looked at him questioningly.

“So you’re famous?” Kris started. Yixing simply nodded.

“Where do you think I get all this money?” Yixing informed, motioning to his surroundings.

Right. Why hadn’t he thought of that? The marble staircase, the castle-house itself, and the sea view. All those are expensive, all right.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Again, he nodded. Kris sighed, running his fingers through blonde hair.

Great. Just when he thought he got Yixing figured out.

--

“Aren’t you cold?”

Kris’s eyelids fluttered open when he heard the voice, instinctively turning his body to the door to get a glimpse. The light from behind the silhouette of the brunette was blinding, and he quickly shut them again. Shouldn’t Yixing be in his room?

“No,” He answered groggily, burrowing his head further into the pillow.

Still, Kris heard the soft sounds of footsteps before they stopped beside the bed. The coldness around his still cold body was cut off by the blanket, making him sigh in relief at the warmth. He opened his eyes to look at the other, expecting him to walk off without a goodnight. But he didn’t.

As unpredictable as Yixing was, he climbed onto the bed, pushing Kris to the other side so he can slide under the blanket as well. Kris looked at him questioningly as the other pulled the blanket to his chin, his hair spreading out on the pillow as he took off his hair band.

“This is mine,” Yixing said simply, turning his back to Kris, who watched him

Kris let his eyes wander over the other, from his hair, to his nape to his shoulders and hands. His hands were sorely tempted to trace the path that his eyes did but he knew better. The dim light from the window illuminated the other’s figure on the bed, giving him an almost ethereal glow. His mind could only classify it as beautiful. But beauty? What is beauty when this person exists?

He felt his heart race when the thoughts crossed his mind.

No. No, what is he thinking? As an effort to rid himself off those thoughts, he turned his back to Yixing, all the while screwing his eyes shut. No, he shouldn’t think about Yixing that way.

Kris found himself ed when he actually did turn back around to face Yixing. Well, he could deal with this for one night. Looking at Yixing brought his thoughts to Kai’s behaviour that morning and he frowned.

He knew what kind of person Kai was. The look in his eyes, that smirk. He should have known better than to introduce Yixing to him. He wasn’t worried that Kai would try to lure Yixing in, but he was worried that Yixing would actually fall for him. Unconsciously, he moved closer towards the brunette, running his finger on the other’s shoulder to see if he was still awake. When the other did not budge, he leaned in closer, resting his forehead against his nape cautiously. After minutes pass, he let himself relax.

No, he’ll not let Kai get his way.

It was the last thought before he succumbed to sleep, still leaning into the other’s warmth. If only he’d been a bit more attentive, he’d have appreciated how the soft light glinting in Yixing’s open eyes added to his beauty.

--

For the next few days, they slept like that, together under the same blanket that still (somehow) smelled like Yixing. Yixing’s attitude towards him had not changed, and neither did their relationship. Kris would still try to make it work and Yixing would still give him the emotionless glances and words, only to completely contradict his behaviour by preparing his food, making his bed and acting like they really are married. It got Kris so pissed sometimes, that he wished he could punch that pretty face.

It was a Saturday. Kris was dreaming of dragons when he was woken by loud, boisterous laughter. He glanced at the digital clock on the night, cursing under his breath when he found that it was really too early for anyone to be laughing that loud. Stupid Yixing, he cursed mentally, burying his head into his pillow to try and get back to sleep. Then his eyes snapped open.

Yixing? He’d never laugh like that.

The bed creaked violently when he bolted off the bed, walking quickly to Yixing’s room. Please not be true, he chanted in his head, nervously stepping over to Yixing’s open door.

His hand itched to rip the door off when he saw Kai in the room, leaning too close to Yixing as the other made nonsensical coloured patterns on the white canvas. It was plain as day how Kai leaned in to the other’s ear when he talked, how his voice dropped octaves that Kris couldn’t even hear what he was saying. He could see the hand on Yixing’s shoulder.

It was supposed to be an innocent one, but with how Yixing’s white shirt appeared so thin, Kris saw only the bad in them. What’s worse, Yixing doesn’t seem to care, even the slightest bit.

“So early?” Kris asked with fake politeness, noting with triumph the way Kai almost jumped back at his voice. Yixing didn’t even bother to acknowledge him, which left him a bit annoyed.

“Oh Kris.” Kai greeted through a set of perfect white teeth, his hand still on Yixing’s shoulder. “I’d have thought you’re a morning person.”

“Sad to say you’re wrong,” There was every bit of irritation in his voice as he said it, scowling at the other when his hands moved to the curve of Yixing’s neck. “What are you doing here?”

From the way his eyebrows raised, Kris could see him turning smug. And just what was Yixing thinking, letting Kai touch him? The frown on his face deepened at the thought.

“Me? I just wanted to see his paintings, that’s all.” Kai drawled, amusement taking over when he sensed Kris’s anger. “What are you doing here?”

That directly translates as afraid I’ll snatch him away? In his mind and Kris found himself seething.

“I live here,” er, Kris wanted to add, but he wouldn’t curse with Yixing around. And risk his feelings getting found out.

“Not your room though,” The other chuckled.

Kris was just about to retort when Yixing stood up, keeping his brushes and speaking in his usual soft voice. “Kris. Get yourself cleaned up.”

Kai’s hand fell off his shoulder when he walked towards the door, heading towards Kris who was still seething with anger.

Which quickly dissipates, leaving only surprise when Yixing rests his hand against Kris’s cheek.

“I’ll cook.”

He walked away, leaving both Kris and Kai dumbfounded. And Kris’s heart skipping beats.

What’s predictable about Yixing again?

--

By the time he finished getting dressed, Kai was already downstairs. The fact that he had taken only 7 minutes to shower bugged him, since he had always liked long showers. But nevermind that, as long as he get downstairs quickly.

He didn’t pay attention to anything else on the way down except the thought of Kai and Yixing in the same room, which made him want to remove all the doors in the house. No, he didn’t like that idea.

Don’t ask him why.

“Ah, Kris,” Kai greeted for the second time that morning. He seemed to have recovered from the shock of Yixing actually having that relationship with Kris (though they were not, really, but Kai didn’t have to know that) and happily watching the other set up Kris’s breakfast.

Kris didn’t even bother to answer. Instead, he took his usual seat on the counter and glared at Kai. “Are you staying for breakfast?”

“Nah. I need to get going. I’ve already been here long enough.” Kai said, pushing himself off the seat. “Bye, Yixing. See you another time.”

Better yet, don’t come back.

Yixing turned towards him and nodded before putting a plate in front of Kris.

Breakfast was a relatively silent affair, both having thousands of questions in their heads but neither bold enough to speak up or ask about what had happened. Apparently they both reached a silent agreement of just leaving it at that, and just forget it ever happened when Yixing stood up and left, probably to his room. Kris finished his breakfast bitterly, suddenly feeling very alone.

After breakfast, Kris decided to spend his day rereading his entire collection of classics, hoping the day could pass quickly without him realising it.

But no, after the second book, his eyes were already tired. Glancing at the clock, he found that 5:00PM wasn’t really the time for lunch anymore so he decided to bother Yixing instead. The book was left open on his bed, its frayed pages flapping slightly from the breeze from his open windows.

Yixing was still painting, sitting alone in deep concentration in front of his easel. The nonsensical patterns from earlier has morphed into a bird. Yellow, purple and green with a white tail and azure eyes. The colours seemed so mismatched but with the way Yixing used them, they looked like they actually belonged there. Judging from the progress, Yixing must’ve been painting for a long time already.

“I swear all you do is paint,”

Kris saw the way Yixing’s hand stilled for a moment before he continue, adding little details onto the bird’s feather. “That’s what gets food on the table,”

Kris momentarily wondered if Yixing painted because of his job, or if it was his passion. “That’s the reason?”

Yixing stayed quiet, opting instead to add little finishing touches of grey and bits of black onto the bird’s tail.

“You know, I think you should come with me,” Kris said, pulling Yixing’s hand. The other yelped uncharacteristically, his brush falling to the floor and staining it, some of the black paint splattered onto the sleeve of his shirt. In no time at all, Kris was already dragging a very reluctant Yixing out the front door.

“Kris- let go,” The other tried pulling his hand from Kris’s grip, but the blonde’s grip was way stronger than any painter’s.

Looking at his car from afar, Kris wondered idly if he should take Yixing out somewhere. To the mall, park or anywhere else aside from this house. And then he thought of something really smart.

The beach.

Again, Yixing struggled against his grip, but quickly silenced himself when his feet kicked some sand into the air. He stopped struggling entirely when Kris stopped right beside the waters, the soft splashing of the water against the shore a beautiful sound in their silence.

Yixing looked around in awe at the water, letting the breeze caress his face as his eyes wandered to the sky, the sand, the waters, everything. The birds sounding in the distance complemented the sounds of the water, creating a song so melodious, ho harmonious Kris couldn’t help but to stop and listen.

Kris watched the other with a small smile on his face, engraving the image of every twitch of his lips, every glint in his eyes and the way his hair seemed to flow with the wind onto his mind.

“Have you never seen this?” He tried asking, though he knew Yixing had. The photo he took with Baekhyun had been taken on the beach anyway, and if that’s not enough indication, Yixing lived beside the beach so help him god if he had never experienced it. The sound of Kris’s voice startled Yixing, he could see from the way the other turned abruptly to him before looking down at his feet.

“Yes,” He admitted, eyes still fixed on his feet shuffling in the sand. “It’s just that it’s been a while.”

“Since you’ve been out of the house?” Yixing nodded, glancing at Kris before looking out into the sea. That gaze surprised Kris, for it showed him an emotion the other had never even hinted at having; insecurity. He looked so vulnerable, so unlike the cold, immovable shell of the painter that used to be so optimistic and vibrant, the one who used to laugh and smile so wide his dimples would show.

“Then you must miss this,” He said, motioning towards everything that seemed just so alive at that time. Yixing simply nodded again, though Kris could see that he was really in awe. Then an idea crossed his mind and he smirked.

“And this too,”

Yixing seemed confused for a moment before he turned to Kris, only to get splashed by sea water on his face. Anger showed on his face as he wiped it, glaring at Kris hard. But the blonde was taking none of it, though. Instead, he splashed him once more, this time splashing his left hand and neck.

“Just what are you doing?!” Yixing’s eyebrows furrowed as he backed away, trying to keep himself out of range.  Kris stalked forward, a stupid grin decorating his face as he challenged Yixing.

When sea water entered his eyes though, it didn’t feel pretty. He had not expected Yixing to get back at him with splashing, so he had taunted him with his eyes wide open, but apparently he was wrong. And he was dearly paying for the consequences.

Yixing splashed him again before running off, leaving Kris to recollect himself. By the time Kris started running after him, Yixing was already meters away, but for someone blessed with such long legs, it didn’t take long for Kris to catch up to him.

“Get back here!”

The water was salty, Kris could taste it when Yixing sent them up to his face. He had tried to scoop some more water, but Yixing suddenly pushed him and he fell into the water. The water splashed all around him, drenching his shirt and pants in salty water. He sent a glare to Yixing, looking up at him with feigned anger before he heard the most beautiful thing ever.

Yixing laughed.

He laughed, smiling wide with his eyes turning into crescents and the dimples he so wanted to see showing on his right cheek. It had sounded so beautiful, so heartwarming he thought he could die from it. His heart skipped a few beats, palpitating wildly in his chest as he stared at Yixing, his jaw dropping unconsciously.

There he was, standing with his feet in sand and his hair loose, flowing wildly in the breeze. The white shirt that he wore almost fell off one shoulder, revealing his collarbones and the graceful arch of his neck, which sent a shiver down his spine. Kris gulped. When he thought of dragging Yixing out, he had clearly not expected this.

“You don’t need to look so surprised.” Yixing mused, his smile still as wide as ever, his dimples as pronounced.

“You...” Kris trailed off, still unable to get that information inside his head. “Laughed,”

Again, Yixing chuckled, taking a few steps forwards to cover the distance between them. He offered a hand out, holding it right in front of the blonde’s face. “Come on, you wouldn’t like getting too soaked,”

Looking at the hand in front of him, he decided to do another thing instead. With a mischievous grin on his face, he grabbed the hand, only to pull Yixing down towards him. The other fell a bit more graciously than Kris did, hitting the water with much less force and creating less mess of water, which managed to soak one side of his white shirt. Kris was pretty sure 24-year-olds wouldn’t act like this, but does none of that matter when Yixing is involved?

They were so close, Kris noticed when Yixing tried to stabilise himself, eventhough he was already on the ground and partly in water. His heart hammered so loudly against his chest Kris could’ve sworn Yixing could hear it when the other’s hairband fell, letting his hair fall in loose strands around his face.

Kris watched Yixing’s eyes, trying to search for anything that he could take as a sign, but he found that they were as unreadable as always. So he shifted his gaze elsewhere, only to find that it had travelled lower. And he quickly found that pulling Yixing into the water had been a mistake.

Because his white shirt was thin, so very thin it didn’t help at all in concealing any of it’s owner’s upper body. He could see the subtle lines of his abs, the dark spot on his chest and the exact shape of his body. Those images weren’t exactly doing healthy things to his mind. Instead, they sent a shiver through him, a kind of longing sparking under his fingertips to try and touch.

He tried to stave off the thoughts by looking into the other’s eyes once again, who were already trying to search the depths of his soul. The eyes are the windows to the soul anyway. Gingerly, he lifted his fingers to the other’s hair, collecting them in one side before running his fingers through the soft jet black strands.

He could feel the air becoming too cold, giving him shivers as he risked leaning in, eyes fixed onto the other’s bow lips. The other sounds seemed to drown out, increasing the loud thumps of his heart until they were practically the only things he could hear. They were so close, their breaths already mingling when he saw the frown on the other’s face.

Then he was up and gone, leaving Kris sitting alone on the beach with his heart shattered and bloody in his mouth.

It took practically five minutes for Kris to recover from the heartbreak, which only happened after he gave himself a million reasons that he was sure were only to ease his hear. His body felt heavy, his chest tightened and his throat constricted, making it seem as if breathing was the least he could do. He hadn’t expected such blatant rejection. At least put some sugar in it, Kris thought bitterly. Standing up, he let the water drain from his clothes as he stood, looking around.

The sun was setting, painting the sky with hues of red, orange and yellow. It practically looked like the sun was bleeding all over the sky, soaking it in red. There were no cloud- wait. After a few passing moments of thinking, he smiled.

There may be hope after all.

--

When he got back inside the house, Yixing was nowhere downstairs. In fact, the light was switched off in every room. Running upstairs, he expected the lights in Yixing’s room to be on, but they weren’t. Taking tentative, measured steps towards the room, he tried to make as little noise as he can. The door creaked a little when he opened it with worry, only to sigh in relief when he saw the figure curled up on the bed. He quickly made his way to him, his earlier worries forgotten.

“Yixing?”

The other stayed still, not bothering to respond until Kris sat on the bed, shaking him a bit.

“Yixing?”

Again, he got no answer, so he decided to leave him alone instead. With a worried frown, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him softly.

All the way downstairs, he couldn’t help but think of the other. Will he be okay if he saw it? Was it the reason he stayed cooped up in here? Did he leave because of the sunset?

Kris wished desperately for the answer to the last question to be yes, for he didn’t want to ruin this so early. They still need to marry, and he didn’t want to break his mother’s heart. He shook the thoughts out of his head when he reached the kitchen. Wanting to repay the other back for his kindness, Kris decided to make some soup for him. They had both skipped lunch, anyway.

The doorbell broke his concentration on the soup. He didn’t know why people need to concentrate on fixing up some soup, but he was one of the people who did. With quick strides, he walked to the front door, leaving the soup to boil on the stove.

To his surprise, he opened the door to Baekhyun, who looked like he had just been caught in a hurricane. His hair was messy, his eyes red and there were tear tracks running down his cheeks.

“Baekhyun?” Kris called, worried.

Instead of replying, the other lunged forward into his arms, burying his face into the curve of his neck and started to sob. Vicious tremors wrecked his body as he tried to suppress them, his hands the back of Kris’s shirt mercilessly. Kris hugged him back, letting his hand run through the other’s hair soothingly to ease his sobs. But they did nothing. If anything, it only tightened Baekhyun’s hug on him. Worried, he patted the other’s back unsurely.

“Baekhyun? What happened?” His voice was soft when he spoke, leaving him a little flabbergasted that he can speak with such softness.

The other shook his head vigorously, his sobs dying down a bit.

“Come on, Baek. That’s not nothing,” Kris tried again, this time trying to make himself as persuasive as he could. He was never an expert in this area and therefore he had little to no experience in consoling people.

“Really, it’s nothing,” He said, though his hug hadn’t loosened.

“Chanyeol, is it?” He felt Baekhyun tense up in his arms for a second, before he relaxed again. The slight nod against his neck was enough of an answer.

“It’s okay, come in.” It was a bit weird inviting someone else into their own home, but Baekhyun hadn’t been home enough so it made the situation less awkward. Kris looked up, his hand reaching for the doorknob to close it when he saw it.

Chanyeol.

The other was standing in front of the gate, looking at them with betrayal evident on his face. His face was set into a frown and his eyes were wide as he staggered back.

I can’t believe you, Kris.

The model’s hands fisted at his sides, an indication of the anger coursing his veins at the sight of the two men, embracing in the doorway. With a final blink, he turned and marched to his car, every muscle in his body tensing.

“Chanyeol, wait!”

Kris pushed Baekhyun away before running to the gate, wishing that Chanyeol was still there.

But luck wasn’t on his side. By the time he reached the gate, Chanyeol’s car was already speeding off into the night, the blast of the engines matching the driver’s fury.

--

A/N: Soooo, I told you this would be posted earlier, only to post it nearly a week after. I’M SORRY OTL my comp broke down and I don’t know how to fix it! Then it just repaired itself and I don’t know what was wrong with it in the first place T^T

So here’s the Kray (fluff?) I promised ^^ and Kai’s role in this. I love Kai orz. Do tell me what you think J That is, if I have any readers left because of my late posting T^T

Do comment :D Thankss