Junmyeon couldn’t tell what shocked him more: finding the guestroom in his house empty or receiving a text reply from Yixing. For the hundred and tenth time, he wondered why Yixing invited him to join Jongin and himself on their date in the city when he could’ve easily disregarded that text message. When Junmyeon had first arrived at the breakfast place, Yixing had mentioned something about accompanying him to see a real estate agent later, but looking for a house seemed to be the last thing on Yixing’s mind as Jongin and him took their sweet time feeding each other even though there were at most three bites of pancakes left on the plate. One of the waitstaff apparently took pity on Junmyeon and gave him a complimentary glass of water, sparing him from having to awkwardly view his surroundings while he waited.

“Is your ‘child of a happy promptitude of spirit’ back?” Yixing asked when the plate in front of him was finally empty.

Jongin nodded and gave him a brief kiss. “I didn’t think you’d know that quote.”

Yixing seemed somewhat taken aback – Junmyeon had no idea why. There was nothing odd about the statement or the gesture – but he quickly recovered with a smile. “So what are we doing next?”

“House hunting.”

“I doubt we’d have much success looking for a house close to uni here,” Junmyeon pointed out, placing the glass he had been absently sipping from for the past half an hour or so on the table. “We’re better off going to one of the local real estate agencies like the one you went to last time.”

“Do you feel like going back already?” Yixing asked Jongin, obviously wanting him to say no.

“It’s up to you.”

“We just got here.”

Jongin nodded in response.

Yixing seemed to think it over for a while. “Let’s take a walk around the city.”

“Okay.”

Both of them stood up and Junmyeon naturally followed suit, but hesitated when Yixing gave Jongin’s sleeve a tug followed by a subtle nod in his direction. Jongin gave a nonchalant shrug, which Yixing obviously didn’t approve of, if the instant frown and pout on his face were any indication. Jongin didn’t seem perturbed and simply offered an arm for Yixing to link his own with, which he grudgingly did, and they headed out of the breakfast place. For the hundred and eleventh time, Junmyeon wondered why he was there.

***

Make that a hundred and twelve, or maybe a hundred and fifty, Junmyeon thought as the couple ambling a few steps ahead of him on the bridge towards the other side of the city went through an apparently endless routine of swapping whispers and spit. He had to admit that he wanted to be there so he could keep an eye on things, but Yixing wanted him there too, or else he wouldn’t have asked Junmyeon to come in that surprisingly pleasantly worded text. The discrepancy between that invite and the way he was blatantly being ignored was throwing him off.

Junmyeon’s thoughts quickly came to a halt when halfway across the bridge, Jongin decided to up the ante with an unprecedented nibble on Yixing’s neck as if they weren’t getting enough funny looks as was, which Yixing responded to with a halfhearted push and a chuckled “What are you doing?” Apparently couldn’t be bothered to voice a reply, Jongin casually threw an arm – the one that Yixing had been clinging onto – around him, squeezing Yixing against his side. Yixing rewarded him with a peck on the cheek, presumably in approval of being manhandled.

Silently tucking away the knowledge that Yixing was into the whole macho caveman nonsense, Junmyeon still had no idea what he was supposed to make of this farce. If this was meant to be a typical, PDA-filled date, then what did Yixing need him here for? Was he meant to be a spectator as a throwback to when they initially started dating? Or was all of this meant to be an elaborate show to get a rise out of him? What in the world for? Unless- Junmyeon left that thought unfinished. Maybe they had simply gotten used to having him around and it wouldn’t feel like a proper date unless they had a third wheel.

“I’m tired,” Yixing said just as they were approaching one of the so-called resting areas, which was basically an old wooden bench with cracks all over placed facing the river.

Taking the hint, Jongin went to sit on the bench and pulled Yixing onto his lap. This was followed by another kiss of approval, instantly making Junmyeon one with the horde of passersby giving the two of them funny looks. It was probably going to take them at least an hour just to cross the bridge.

“I like you a lot better now,” Yixing said, running a hand lightly down Jongin’s chest. That was when Junmyeon noticed that Jongin seemed to be wearing pajamas. This day was getting odder as it went.

“You know what Gracián said: ‘to last an eternity requires an eternity of preparation’.”

“He also told us to ‘be slow in enjoyment’,” Yixing said, following his words with an unhurried, lazy kiss as if what he meant wasn’t clear enough.

“But ‘quick at work,’” Jongin finished. Yixing pulled a face and was obviously more than ready to whine, but Jongin was a step ahead. “That quote doesn’t apply to us now.”

“You must’ve really liked those pancakes,” Yixing said, seemingly amused.

Jongin nodded and pulled Yixing into a smoochfest, but not before shooting Junmyeon a sidelong glance. So this show was meant for him, Junmyeon thought as he turned away, eager to hand over his VIP ticket to someone else. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t bat an eyelash at Yixing and Jongin going at it regardless of time and place since he wasn’t completely ignorant to what they thought of him, but the fact that he was invited to see this was bizarre to say the least. What were they getting out of this? Unless they got off on being watched or were closet emotional sadists, calling him over was a useless exercise. Unless, unless – and Junmyeon was going to finish the thought this time – Yixing wanted to make him more covetous than he already was, to flaunt what he could have had but missed out on because he was, in Yixing’s words, a dickless wuss. That was the same thing that Yixing had – unintentionally, Junmyeon had assumed – been doing for the past eight months or so. In which case, the persistent voice in Junmyeon’s mind said with added emphasis so he couldn’t chicken out of completing the thought, he still mattered to Yixing.

But then why was Jongin in on it? Unless the whole relationship was an elaborate scheme… Junmyeon let that erratic thought trail off unfinished because he was starting to sound like a fruit loop with a tinfoil hat. He turned back around just in time to see Yixing and Jongin getting off the bench to finally continue their way to the other side of the bridge.

“Where do you want to go?” Yixing asked, leaning into Jongin as Jongin slipped a hand on his waist, or rather into his back pocket, Junmyeon noted with inexorable bitterness.

“Where do you want to take me?”

“Maybe we should get work out of the way.”

“So we can end it with pleasure?”

Yixing gave a jolt – Junmyeon suspected it had something to do with the hand Jongin had buried in his pocket – before giving Jongin a reproving nudge with his elbow. “What happened to your ‘noble heart dowered with patience’?”

“I was talking about the ‘pleasures of conversation’.”

“Sure you were,” Yixing said dryly. “What was in those pancakes? I don’t feel any different.”

“I don’t feel any different either.”

“Just this morning, you were-”

“‘Happiness earned gives double joy,’” Jongin interrupted. “Right?”

“Does it now?” Yixing said, giving Jongin a dubious look. “What did I do to earn this happiness?”

“You tell me.”

Yixing kept his gaze on Jongin for a second longer before guessing, “I bought you food. Is that it?” Jongin simply nodded in response, making him laugh. “You’re so shameless.”

“I live off your generosity.”

“Does that mean that you’re forever beholden to me?”

“If you want me to be.”

Yixing chuckled. “I like that.”

Junmyeon was certainly not a part of that conversation. If anything, he felt like a forgotten tag-along, effectively smashing his previous thoughts to smithereens. He made a show out of clearing his throat, making Yixing startle and pull Jongin aside, apparently thinking that they were blocking the way for some random passerby. Talk about forgotten.

“Do you want to go see a real estate agent now?” Junmyeon asked.

“Do we?” Yixing asked Jongin.

“We should. ‘For a thing to remain undone nothing more is needed than to think it done.’”

Yixing nodded, albeit with a trace of reluctance. “We’ll come back, right?”

“We can, or I can help you move and we can explore your new house.”

“If I can find one.”

“You will.”

“There should be more houses up for rent now,” Junmyeon said. “What didn’t you like about the ones that you looked at before?”

“Too far, too expensive, too ugly, too secluded, too overgrown.” Yixing shook his head. “There’s always at least one thing wrong with each of those houses.”

“Just find a house that’s close to uni and within your budget, and then you can make it perfect,” Jongin suggested.

“Who’s going to do all the work?” Yixing asked. Jongin whispered something to him, which he responded to with a laugh and a playful shove. “You’re horrible.”

“It’s your chance to ‘appreciate all men.’”

“I can do it,” Junmyeon offered. “If you need any help at all, I’d be happy to lend a hand.”

“See?” Jongin said to Yixing, earning him a weak elbow in the ribs.

“Well, I guess if you really want to,” Yixing said to Junmyeon.

Junmyeon knew full well that he was being made a fool out of, but he simply smiled and nodded. If he disregarded why he was here and why Yixing was essentially inviting him to his future house, the gist of it was Yixing wanted to spend more time with him. Granted, that was a very optimistic interpretation, but it no longer felt like he was shoving himself into situations where he was far from welcome – if he overlooked the way he was treated, that was. Maybe Jongin had a point when he talked about only showing up when invited or whatever it was that he said.

“Do you want to catch a cab back?” Junmyeon asked. “I’ll pay the fare.”

Yixing shook his head. “No, we’ll take the-”

“That sounds great,” Jongin cut in. Yixing gave him an odd look but didn’t say anything.

Emptying his wallet for a filthy rich heir to one of the most popular resorts in the country wasn’t exactly part of Junmyeon’s plans, but that was exactly what he had been voluntarily doing for most of the past eight months. What difference did it make if the brat actually wanted him to fork out money rather than ungraciously accepting simply by not saying no?

“I’ll hail a cab.”