Hao Yi and Yixing walked slowly out of the café and towards their apartment. Hao Yi hung her head low, the events of the day playing out again and again in her head. She kept walking until she noticed she was alone. She turned around and noticed Yixing standing still, looking at her.

She cocked her head and looked at him, confused. “Yixing? Is something the matter?”

He shook his head and smiled. He slowly walked closer to her and grabbed her hand. “I just had a thought. We’ve spent almost every day together since we’ve met.”

She nodded, not catching onto his words.

“Every moment, except for when we’re sleeping. We’ve talked about our lives, told each other our secrets, seen each other at our darkest…”

She looked away when he mentioned secrets but looked back quickly as he continued.

“And we’ve never even had a proper date.”

She looked at him startled, her eyes widened and mouth agape with shock at the bluntness of Yixing’s last statement.

He looked away nervously. “I mean, unless you don’t feel that way. I mean, I love having you as a friend, but being around you has been amazing, and not just because you’ve been helping me with my problems, but- “

He stopped when he noticed her laughing at him, stumbling over his sentences like a toddler. He watched as she got herself together and finished laughing, hiding her contagious smile behind her hand.

“Is something funny to you?” He asked incredulously.

She shook her head and showed him a wide smile that reached all the way to her eyes. “Of course not, I just didn’t expect you to be so abrupt about it.”

“So, it that a yes?”

She looked at him for a moment, before nodding. “That’s a yes.”

He smiled at her widely before grabbing her hand and started walking again, pulling Hao Yi behind him.

She looked quickly behind her and noticed Luhan, giving him a quick smile and nodded her head, motioning for him to give them a bit of space.

Luhan nodded with a sad smile and walked slower, watching them.

Hao Yi looked back to Yixing and smiled, seeing him truly happy. “So, what do you have planned?”

“Well, it’s still early. How about we go back to my place, I can cook you some food, and we can watch a movie?”

Hao Yi nodded her head happily, “Sound’s perfect.”

They walked down the sidewalk hand in hand, perfectly content with how their day had finally ended.

When they stepped out of the elevator to the floor of their apartments, Yixing dragged her to his apartment, quickly unlocking the door and pulled her inside.

“Make yourself comfortable, you know where everything is. Dumplings and shredded pork with Beijing sauce sound good?”

She stared at him with joy, her stomach grumbling loudly. “Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing. I haven’t had food from home in so long.”

Yixing winked at her. “Then give me a bit, and I’ll have you thinking you’re back in Beijing in just under an hour.”

She smiled and walked into the living room, shrugging off her bag and grabbing the TV remote, clicking it on as she tucked her legs underneath her.

She flipped through the channels until something caught her eye, a news channel reporting on an accident.

She stopped quickly and turned up the volume, leaning forward.

“-and recent findings have noted that the victims of the car crash were in fact a Korean-Chinese family. There were no survivors out of the family of four, and police are investigating the possibility of foul play. This is only the latest in a recent string of suspected hate crimes against Chinese citizens in our community. More details to come soon.”

Hao Yi looked towards the kitchen, where she noticed Yixing standing, his face white with horror, and Luhan standing beside him, staring on worriedly.

“Yixing, I’m sorry…” Hao Yi started, but was startled when she saw Yixing faint, losing consciousness quickly.

“, I’ve got him,” Luhan said as he quickly solidified his arms and chests, catching Yixing under his armpits before he hit the ground. “Help me out, I can’t do this for long.”

Hao Yi rushed over and helped Luhan grab his legs, carrying him over to the couch. Once they had gotten the Chinese man settled onto the couch, Hao Yi looked back at the TV worriedly, and then back to Luhan.

“Luhan, what now? If we don’t figure this out soon…” she trailed off, looking down to Yixing, clearly bothered.

“I know, Hao Yi. I can’t put it off anymore. I’ve got to head to the police station again and see what they’ve been able to come up with so far, see if it can give us any leads. You stay here with Yixing, if he wakes up, keep him calm, keep him sober. I’ll come back as soon as I know anything.”

Hao Yi nodded and watched as Luhan disappeared through the door without another word.

She looked down and sat next to Yixing’s stomach on the couch, putting a hand to his head and pushing the hair from his forehead.

He stirred underneath her, and reached up, grabbing her hand with his own.

“Some first date, huh?”

Hao Yi smiled as she rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry, I should have changed it when I noticed what was showing.”

Yixing smiled and sat up, shaking his head. He held onto her hand tightly as he got comfortable, leaning back against the couch. She sat back and laid her head against his shoulder, breathing in his scent.

“Are you okay?” Hao Yi asked tentatively.

Yixing thought for a moment, staying quiet. Hao Yi sat up to look at him nervously. He nodded, and looked into her eyes, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.

“I’ll be alright,” he said with a smile. “Just need some time to let it sink in.”

Hao Yi laid back against Yixing again, sighing. “Are you worried at all?”

He hummed quietly and leaned his head against hers inhaling her scent before she spoke again.

“I mean, I know you were always suspicious because of hisdeath,” she muttered, keeping her eyes locked on her hands.

Yixing thought for a moment before he responded, his voice timid. “I had my suspicions, and they do seem to keep being proven, but I’m not going to let that get in the way of being happy again. Am I worried? Yes, absolutely, without a doubt. But I’m only worried about losing you as well. I don’t think I can fall down that hole again. I won’t be about to crawl out a second time.”

Hao Yi felt a tear fall down her cheek as she looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat as she listened to Yixing’s true feelings, seeing the hurt and worry in his eyes. She smiled and softly and leaned, giving him a soft peck on his lips. He looked at her, surprised.

“They’ll have to go to hell and back to pull me from your arms,” she said quietly, snuggling closer to his warm body, and letting her eyes droop shut, sleep slowly claiming her body.

He smiled and settled against her again, following suit. The two slept like that all night, neither loosening their hold on the other, out of fear that it would be the first and only time.