Rue

4

It was already seven in the morning when Xiao Zhan woke up from a slumber. He stretched his limbs and rolled off of his bed. He heard a silent buzz. He looked at his lamp table, picked up his phone and opened it. He saw Wang Yibo had messaged him just now and read it.

"Meet me at the usual place."

Xiao Zhan groaned and lay back down again. What is wrong with Wang Yibo? He hasn't brushed his teeth yet and that young lad already wants to meet him. Before he could cuss under his breath, he felt a tingly buzz from his phone.

He opened it again and saw Wang Yibo had messaged him another, "Wake up, oldie. I'm already here."

Xiao Zhan's forehead creases, What?

That's when he started scrolling and saw Wang Yibo had chatted with him thrice today. Two just now and one 30 minutes ago. He has been awake since six in the morning?!

All he could do is sigh, facepalm himself and moan out of annoyance. This boy does love draining him.

He stood up and lazily started preparing to meet Wang Yibo.

With a white shirt and shorts, hair still clearly wet and shuffled from a quick shower, and his phone, he headed out but just when he opened his door he met a girl with a yellow sundress on and a summer hat.

The f**k? Oh, the girl from next door.

"Oh, hi." The girl bowed.

That's when Xiao Zhan noticed the girl was holding another basket full of fruits.

He bowed, "Hi."

The girl looked at him and smiled. She pushed the basket with her one hand to Xiao Zhan's stomach, "The fruits were still too much. I just realized yesterday. I'd just give it to you. You can give this to your friends or anyone. Don't worry, I'm not an obsessed stalker. I just don't have anyone to give this to."

Xiao Zhan is indeed almost thinking this lady is obsessed with him but then it does make sense. They don't have any close neighbors, the closest one is about a mile away from them. He had no choice but to gladly receive them and smile at the girl in front of him, "Thank you. These are pretty ripe."

"Yeah. My parents own a vegetable garden. They really love gardening. Anyway, I have to go. I still have more things to do today. Have a good day." The woman bowed once again and slowly backed away and went off.

Xiao Zhan sighed and looked at the basket in his hands. The fruits in the basket from last night were too much for him. Having another one would simply make him fill up too much that his stomach could burst open or the fruits would simply rot in a corner of his kitchen.

I should give these to Yibo, he thought and went back inside as he thought holding a big basket is quite embarrassing. He went to the kitchen and put every fruit from the basket into a paper bag then headed off.

Xiao Zhan entered the coffee shop and saw Wang Yibo drinking a cup of macchiato. He cleaned up his shirt and eventually, walked towards the where the young boy is currently sipping on the coffee while waiting for his arrival.

Xiao Zhan placed the bag of fruits on the table in front of Wang Yibo and sat across from the said man.

Wang Yibo flinched when he heard the bag meet the table. His back straightened when he saw it was actually Xiao Zhan who interrupted his morning coffee.

"Impressive. It's new to see you sipping a coffee. What made you change your mind about them?" Xiao Zhan asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Wang Yibo rolled his eyes and sighed, "You're late. I also haven't eaten."

Xiao Zhan just looked at Wang Yibo dead in the eyes with his arms crossed while resting on the table. He then rested his back on the chair and pointed at the paper bag by looking at it and raising both his eyebrows, "Yours."

Wang Yibo looked at the paper bag. Curiosity caught him which made him set the cup aside and hold the bag and peeked at what was inside, "You bought it?"

Xiao Zhan's eyes furrowed, "You think I'd buy those for you? Of course not. Anyway, a neighbor gave me two baskets of fruits and I thought I wouldn't be able to finish them before they start rotting so I just bought some for you."

Xiao Zhan picked up the half empty macchiato and took a sip before he placed it down and looked at Wang Yibo and there it goes, the obnoxiously beautiful smile of his friend.

Xiao Zhan grew up in an affectionate household but showing such this kind of gratitude over simple things undeniably gives him the ick. Before he could even shut Wang Yibo up, the younger one already looked at him with a smile, "Thank you, ge."

You know, Xiao Zhan could still accept a silly smile and a thank you from Wang Yibo but this smile Wang Yibo flashes right in front of his eyes simply makes him puke. What's with the serious, sincere smile?

"It's just a bag of fruit?! What's the big deal?"

Wang Yibo's smile faded but his mood didn't seem ruined. As Xiao Zhan could examine, the lad's eyes were sparkling more than usual. Maybe due to the shop's lighting and oh... it's also morning. Sun's up, yeah.

"Xiao Zhan gave me a bag of fruit which is unusual for him. It doesn't matter if it's not from his whole heart but knowing I was the first person he wanted to share these. I'm grateful for that." Wang Yibo smiled before pushing the bag away from them to see more of the person across from him.

Xiao Zhan is speechless, at least to say. Not only Wang Yibo thanked him, the lad also called him by his name.

Wang Yibo looked at the older man for a good minute before clearing his throat and shifted into a good position.

Xiao Zhan saw how Wang Yibo's expression turned serious which made him do the same, "So, what's up?"

He didn't receive a reply, rather Wang Yibo picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip.

Silence suddenly engulfed the atmosphere around them.

Wang Yibo finally inhaled and let out a loud sigh, "I have something to tell you. Please, don't be mad."

Xiao Zhan blinked and looked at Wang Yibo intensively, "What? Did you open my phone while I was asleep during the ride? You forgot to flush the toilet in my apartment months ago?"

Wang Yibo looked at him with what-the-f**k face, "Seriously?"

"Or when I saw you naked once while showering because you forgot to lock the door?"

Wang Yibo, "..."

Xiao Zhan smiled timidly, "Look, you got nothing to worry about. I have no photographic memory so you're safe."

He got no response from the younger one.

"Look, you seem nervous about whatever you want to say. Just calm down. It's not like you murdered somebody?"

"Of course not! I'm not a criminal!" Wang Yibo starts to fill in with fire, he's about to explode from Xiao Zhan blabbers. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "I'm serious. Give me some time and I'll tell you this detail by detail."

Xiao Zhan gulped, "Okay?"

Wang Yibo, "I... I've been liking this person for a while now."

"What?!"

Wang Yibo, "..."

"You like someone?! And you never told me?!" Xiao Zhan whispered but with full energy, "Did Seungyoun know about this?!"

Wang Yibo nodded.

"And you're just telling me about this now? What kind of friend of-- a while?! How long have you been hiding this from me? I thought we were friends!"

Wang Yibo stammered, "We are friends, that's why."

Xiao Zhan went closer to Wang Yibo and held both the young lad's shoulders, "Who is she? A mutual friend? A classmate? A professor?! Tell me, do I know her?"

Wang Yibo's eyes widened from the aggressive hold he had received from the man, he held the man's wrist and removed it from holding his shoulders. The older one seemed to be busy freaking out about what he just discovered. He didn't seem to notice a glint of fear in Wang Yibo's eyes.

Xiao Zhan, "Is she pretty? Hey, answer me. Who is it? I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Wang Yibo nodded, "Beautiful. As beautiful as sunshine. Worthy to be blind just to take a glance at his face."

Xiao Zhan sat up properly again but his eyes didn't stop from glimmering like a child who saw an expensive toy in a mall, still with curiosity, he replied, "Who?"

"You."

"You?" Xiao Zhan asked as if he's waiting for a continuation.

Wang Yibo looked at the man across from him for a while and when he noticed the man wouldn't be able to get it for a while, he stood up with the paper bag on his right hand and was about to walk away when Xiao Zhan blocked his way to the exit, "You!"

Xiao Zhan, "You what?"

"Talk to yourself." Wang Yibo pointed at Xiao Zhan using his index finger and pushed him using it, enough force for Xiao Zhan to understand but not enough for the man to get hurt, "You!"

"Ah?"

"Dumb. I like you." Wang Yibo answered calmly, "Ever since we first met. Do I really have to say the whole "I like you" for you to understand? Were you that oblivious?"

Xiao Zhan just stood there, like a statue. Not even a muscle was visibly moving. What is this young man in front of him talking about?

"Ever since my eyes landed on you, I liked you. I just wasn't prepared to tell you. I don't want to surprise you either. I don't want to look like a stalker or an obsessed person. I just want to be with you to the point that it actually doesn't matter what I am to you. I could be a friend, a brother, a colleague, a schoolmate, just not a stranger. You don't have to give it back. I just can no longer prevent myself from hiding this."

Xiao Zhan could feel his heart pumping. He knows damn well he's about to burst from too much blood his heart is pumping through his body. He could feel his hands getting cold. Was it because of the coffee shop's blasting air conditioner or was it because he's nervous? Is he trembling? Yeah, he's definitely cold.

"I have to go."

Wang Yibo tried to catch Xiao Zhan's wrist and held him from leaving but like a rabbit Xiao Zhan is, he hopped out of the scene rapidly.

With that said, Wang Yibo was left alone.