“So everything has been coming along nicely. We predict that the merge will be successfully completed by the end of the month.” A deep, firm voice sounded about the room.
“Excellent! This will be the highlight of the year. Our companies will be a perfect match.” Another, lighter, male voice agreed.
“But of course the media won’t see it that way.” A female mused before sipping on her tea.
“She’s right. Corporate won’t be happy unless there is a tighter bond.” A second female complained as she downed her cocktail.

Zhang Yixing pressed his face against the cool wooden door a little harder than before. It was carved to perfection, but he had his mind focused on more important things other than the fine architecture of the house. The young brunette enjoyed his parent’s business affairs more than anything. He thought it was exciting to be important and business-like. Ever since he was a child, Yixing wanted to take over the family business, and that’s why he stood outside of the drawing room of his family’s hosts, (eavesdropping) trying to pick up every word of the new business deal.

“Well…there could always be a marriage…?” Yixing almost fell over, and it would if he did, because he was wearing a new suit.
“We have a son.” Yixing’s mother continued.
“Do you have any daughters?”
“One but she’s married.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. All we have are sons. Our eldest two are married and gone.”

Silence.

“Well…it would most certainly be a statement if the two boys…” Someone coughed up their tea and Yixing definitely fell over. “Mom!? What are you saying!? Are you crazy!?”
“Unacceptable!” the deeper voice roared.
“Well think about it sweetheart, it’s a different time and age. She’s right, it would be a statement and we would be appealing to a different crowd. Just last week you were complaining about the customer age ratio.”
The room grew silent except for the sound of Yixing’s father coughing.

Yixing didn’t want to hear anymore. He didn’t want to get married. And he especially didn’t want to get married to a man! Why would his mother suggest such a thing!? It’s not right! He didn’t even like Kris as an acquaintance let alone a lover.
Just then, a door down the hall flung open and as cold, sad irony would have it, it was Kris. Wu Yifan…Wufan…Li Jiaheng…what was his name? Yixing was pretty sure that his mom called him Kevin at one point.

However, Kris wasn’t his same old, suave looking, princely self today. He stumbled into the hallway looking confused and lost. His hair had that bed head, overnight look. His dress shirt was ed at the collar and tucked out of his pants. As he stumbled down the hall, he ran his figures through his now noticeable greasy hair.

“Hey!” He slurred, “Whadder you doing here?”
Yixing’s eyes widened. Obviously, someone has been out all night.
“Our parents are talking.” The brunette mumbled as he stood up. “Um…you smell.”
“Yeeah…um…” he pointed to the wooden door. “Don’t tell ‘em I was here, ‘kay?”
Yixing scrunched his nose, “…Sure.”               
Kris nodded in a daze and staggered down the hall to another room.
Yixing shook his head, “Never would I marry him.”


*Two months later*
 

The car was completely silent. This could not get more awkward. Kris hadn’t looked at him the entire night and now they were expected to live together?

It was exactly two months ago when the Li’s and the Zhang’s announced the engagement of their sons. Yixing was mortified. He never really considered himself to be gay. If a friend asked him, he would say he was bi, because he did find men attractive, but if his family asked him, the answer would definitely be that he was straight. Besides, the only person he dated was a girl in high school. Kris on the other hand would screw anything with a skirt. He hated the idea.

*Flashback*

“Boys, we asked you here for a very important reason.”
Yixing knew it was coming; he just didn’t want to hear it. Kris on the other hand downed his scotch and snapped his fingers for a refill, not really grasping the situation. It was only noon for crying out loud.
“Kris.” His father’s deep voice echoed in the silent room. The blonde looked up to his father, to his mother, and back to his father again.
“Pay attention.” Kris nodded, while his mother stood behind him chasing down an aspirin with a martini.
“Like mother like son.” Yixing scoffed and turned back to his father.
“Yixing…” His father started, but turned away thinking it would be easier to talk to someone else.

“Kris…your parents and my wife and I agreed that it would improve the company if we…connected our families.” Kris stared blankly at the man in front of him, still not getting it. “We decided that it would be best if you two…well the most conventional thing would be for you two to…marry.”
Kris’s eyes widened and he began to choke on his drink. Tears formed in his eyes at he looked at Yixing and then to his father. Kris’s dad had his head buried in his hand by the window as his mother downed her third drink.
“What!?”
“We-” Mr. Zhang started.
“NO! Dad!” Kris stood up, “What does he mean!? Why!? I’M NOT EVEN GAY! HOW IS THIS CONVENTIONAL!??”
“Son, listen-”
“No!” Kris turned to Yixing. “And why aren’t you freaking out!?”
“I knew.”
Kris was furious, “I’m not marring him! I’m straight! I REFUSE! Go find some girl and adopt her and marry her off! NOT ME!!”
With that, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut.

*End Flashback*

Well even though they refused, the marriage was still on. Tonight…was their engagement party. The media was in an uproar, two sides formed, one for and one against the marriage.

The boys kept their distance at the party. Kris drank the whole time and kept to himself, only smiling at a few people. Yixing, however, made up their whole life story; how they met, how Kris swept him off his feet, how he proposed. The younger brunette spoke to the CEOs of different companies and their wives, speaking about his parent’s plans for the company and how perfect everything was coming together. He made a great first impression and he left the party with everyone in love with the Fanxing couple. No matter how great the couple was made out to be, it was still an incredibly awkward car ride.

“What direction?”

Yixing was taken out of his daze, “What?” 

“What ing direction!?”
“L-left!!” Yixing shuttered in his seat, he didn’t even know if Kris should be driving. Because Kris lived in and out of his parent’s house, he had to move in with Yixing.
“You have two beds?” Whoops.
“…No…”
“Well you’re sleeping on the couch then.”
“Excuse me?” Yixing turned in his seat with some sass.
“I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you!”
“Well it’s my apartment, so you sleep on the couch!”
“No.”
“Well, I’m not sleeping on the couch.”
“Well, neither am I.”
.

.

.

“Which direc-”
“RIGHT!!”
“NO NEED TO YELL!”
“YOU STARTED IT!”
“KISS MY !”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t be the first!”
“What is that supposed to mean!?”
“It means that you probably have like five different types of STDs going on down there.”
“I’m clean, thank you very much.”
“I doubt that- left. Should you even be driving?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?”
“Because besides being an anti-social at the party you managed to drink half the bar.”
“I have a high tolerance level.”
“Is that what you call the scenario in the hallway?” Yixing snorted
“What scenario?”
“When you stumbled into the hallway and asked me not to tell your parents.”
“That’s called a hangover. It’s completely different.”
“That was not a hangover.”
“Yes it was!”
“If you have a high tolerance level, than you wouldn’t have had such a bad hangover in the morning!”
“So I may have gone over board! Who cares! I was partying, it happens.”
“You were partying on a Wednesday night? You lush.”
“I’m not a lush….…wait…you were listening to our parents talk that day, weren’t you!?”
“Yeah?”
“That’s why you knew about the engagement!”
“Way to pull it all together, Kris! Want a cookie?”
“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME!?”
“YOU DIDN’T ASK!”    
“Ugh, God, you are so frustrating.”
“Well you’re no walk in the park. Turn here and park in the garage.”

The whole transition of getting Kris’s things into Yixing’s apartment was a fest and took a good two hours because he brought his whole house and the elevator was broken.
“What the did you bring?”
“The necessities.” Kris shuffled through his pockets.
“Are you kidding me? These eight suitcases are the necessities!? They’re huge!” Kris nodded, “Theres more that I have to bring tomorrow.” He mumbled as he got out a pack of cigarettes.
“Oh no you don’t!” Yixing plucked the cigarette out of his mouth and snapped it in half.
“What the hell!?”
“If you’re living with me, there’s no smoking.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Okay, mister five year old, I’m letting you drink. Be happy that I’m letting you do that much. Pick one for all I care, both will kill you.” Yixing walked down the hall to his bedroom and closed the door.
“Jeez, this kid.”

An hour later, Yixing came out of the bedroom cleaned and dressed in sweats and a comfortable shirt. His hair was still wet and stringy, so with a towel in hand, he began to softly dry it.
“What are you doing!?” He screamed as he dropped his towel.
Kris was on the couch, his dirty shoes were on the coffee table, a glass of whisky was in his hand and a cigarette was in his mouth. “Sup.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘SUP’!? YOU ARE BREAKING TWO HOUSE RULES AND YOU ARE DRINKING ON TOP OF THAT!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?”
“I’m stressed.” Kris turned his head back to the TV. Yixing spazzed around the living room for a few seconds and stomped into the kitchen.
“Wu Yifan, I demand that you take those shoes off and put out that cigarette immediately.”
“Or what?” Kris scoffed as he exhaled a puff of smoke. He laughed at the threatening tone of the scrawny brunette. Very suddenly, Kris felt a cold, wet blast on the back of his head. He immediately stood up and faced the boy behind him who held the kitchen hose in his hands.
“Put. Down. The. Hose.” Kris growled.
“You put out the cigarette.” Yixing hissed back.
“Not in your life ti-” Once again Kris was blasted by the projection of water.
“WOULD YOU WATCH IT! THIS IS AN ALEXANDER AMOSU!!” But Yixing only laughed and squirted him again.
“STOP!”
“Make me!”
Kris angrily put out his cigarette in his glass and hopped the couch, “I said stop!” he yelled as he stomped towards Yixing. The younger, however, only smiled and squirted him some more.
“GET OVER HERE!” Kris ran, chasing Yixing into the kitchen. “You’re dead!” He screamed, slipping in the process.
Yixing took the opportunity to run back to his room and slam the door shut. Kris followed but ran into the door.
“You didn’t!”
“It’s what you deserve!” Yixing yelled from inside the room. “Go sleep with the rest of the crap that you brought to my apartment!”
“UGH!” Kris kicked the locked door and began to walk away, but not before he heard a loud “And no smoking!!!”