Rue

5

Wang Yibo knows Xiao Zhan would react that way, that's the main reason why he's hesitant in confessing about his feelings for him, they are both men after all. But he didn't expect the other man to avoid him for a month and counting. He tried to come to Xiao Zhan's apartment and wait for hours by sitting in front of the door or playing on his phone, sleeping is one of the options as well, hoping for Xiao Zhan to open the door for him. He tries to call and text him every now and then especially when he knows Xiao Zhan is free. Hell, he even went to Xiao Zhan's classes whenever he could in hopes to even just have a short conversation with him. All in hopes that Xiao Zhan would change his mind.

All those efforts were in vain.

Xiao Zhan was sipping on his coffee in the kitchen while scrolling through his phone when he heard a knock. There he goes again. He didn't move at all and let the person on the other side of the door keep knocking. After all, he doesn't want to communicate with Wang Yibo anymore.

He just keep on sipping on his hot coffee, tasting the bittersweet liquid and feeling the liquid to come to his tongue down his throat. He almost vomit the coffee when he heard a voice from the outside, "Aren't you Xiao-ge's boyfriend?"

That mother--

"Huh? Xiao-ge? Xiao Zhan?" He heard Wang Yibo ask Cheng Xiao.

Xiao Zhan finally knows the woman next door's name is. Of course, he knows. He is not a bad neighbor at all. He sometimes gives Cheng Xiao some food whenever he can't finish them. It's embarrassing to not share some to her after tons of fruits she had given him from the past.

Cheng Xiao hummed, "Mn. Isn't he your boyfriend or was I mistaken?"

Well, he's a good neighbor but he indeed forgot to mention that he and Wang Yibo were nothing but friends.

Wang Yibo, "No? What made you think of that?"

He could imagine Cheng Xiao blushing out of embarrassment. He would too if he accidentally assumed that a male neighbor is in a relationship with his male friend.

"Anyway, I noticed he's not opening the door for you so I kind of intervened now. Did you fight?" Cheng Xiao asked and after that, Xiao Zhan heard a knock. "Xiao-ge! Please, open up!"

Xiao Zhan flinched and felt his heart thumping loudly. He stood up and walked back and forth, not knowing what he would do. The loud knocking didn't help at all. f**k this girl.

"I got some pie for you anyway. It'll get cold if you keep on sleeping." Cheng Xiao keeps on knocking.

She's really getting me in trouble. What am I going to do?!

"It's no use." He heard Wang Yibo stop Cheng Xiao Zhan, "I'll go now."

The knocking stopped, causing Xiao Zhan to pause from panicking. He slowly walked towards the door and rested his ears to clearly hear the conversation of his former friend and neighbor.

Cheng Xiao, "I see. Xiao-ge is a good man and I didn't know what happened between you two. Maybe he's still asleep but I'm worried he's avoiding you and wants you nowhere near him? I'll... I'll just tell him you passed by. Maybe I could change his mind and talk to you. You don't seem to be a bad guy anyway."

Wang Yibo, "I... Okay."

Wang Yibo didn't leave that day. And that was not the only time he heard them talking while Wang Yibo was waiting for him to talk to him. It went on and on and on and on.

He heard how Wang Yibo enjoyed Cheng Xiao's company.

Cheng Xiao, "My parents are going to visit later. I also have mentioned you and Xiao-ge to them. You should go and eat with us while waiting for Xiao-ge."

Wang Yibo, "I'll stay here. He will come out any minute."

Cheng Xiao, "I see. Well, have you eaten? I'm going to cook something. I could lend you some while waiting for Xiao-ge."

Wang Yibo, "That would be unnecessary."

Cheng Xiao chuckled, "It's not. You're a friend to me after all."

Wang Yibo seemed to be having thoughts before answering, "Okay. Thank you."

Xiao Zhan sighed and went upstairs to take a nap. Napping knowing Wang Yibo is suffering and waiting for him to show up is difficult but he seemed to be used to this, not to mention he's been avoiding Wang Yibo for almost two months and Wang Yibo rarely takes a break in waiting for Xiao Zhan every weekend.

In the end, Xiao Zhan fell into a slumber.

He woke up to the voice of the female neighbor calling Wang Yibo, "Yibo, here. I hope you liked it. Anyway, Xiao-ge is going strong, eh? At this point, I'd just really think you two are in a gay relationship and you somehow cheated on him or did something extremely horrible which is the reason he no longer wants you near him."

Xiao Zhan, despite being upstairs, could hear the voices of the two as his windows were wide open. It's quite cold but gossiping is way better than staying warm. He could drink coffee for that.

Wang Yibo, "Good assumption but no. Your Xiao-ge is straight."

Cheng Xiao, "And you're not?"

Wang YIbo, "No. I don't think so."

Cheng Xiao hummed, "Was it the reason why he avoided you?"

Could be.

Cheng Xiao, "Is he some sort of homophobic?"

No!

Xiao Zhan mentally answered.

Wang Yibo, "Maybe? I don't know."

He didn't hear any response after that.

It took at least five minutes before he heard Wang Yibo speak, "Thank you for the food. I think I have to go."

Cheng Xiao, "You seem to leave earlier than usual? Something came up?"

Wang Yibo, "I don't feel quite well. I think I caught a cold."

Cheng Xiao, "Oh. Uh..."

Xiao Zhan didn't wait for Cheng Xiao to continue and went downstairs to hear more.

He sharpened his hearing yet all he heard was a simple farewell from Cheng Xiao and a footstep starting to fade. Once he couldn't hear the footstep anymore, he opened the door.

Fuck.

He realized he was mistaken when he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face of a man, it's been a while since he met Wang Yibo's eyes, even just looking at his face. This made him realize that the person who walked away wasn't Wang Yibo but Cheng Xiao.

"Xiao Zhan--"

Xiao Zhan quickly closed the door but something prevented him. He heard a hiss from the other man but he is more concerned at what is stopping the door from closing. He looked at where the issue was and saw Wang Yibo's fingers between the doorframe and the door itself.

Xiao Zhan could feel rage filling him up. He breathed in, opened the door and shouted at Wang Yibo, "What do you want?!"

Xiao Zhan could feel himself running out of breath due to the annoyance and rage he is feeling. He only calmed down when he saw how Wang Yibo caressed his knuckles.

Xiao Zhan lowered his voice and slowly reached for Wang Yibo's hand to look at it and the damage he had done to the young man, "I'm sorry. Did it hurt?"

Wang Yibo didn't stop looking at his face which made Xiao Zhan feel awkward, "Please, talk to me."

Xiao Zhan stood up straight and breathed in, "For what? Do you know how suffocated I am whenever I think of you liking me? It disgusts me. Is avoiding you not an enough answer? Do you want me to murder you just to tell you I don't want you around me anymore?"

Wang Yibo looked down to the ground, like a child being scolded by his parents for stealing a popsicle in the fridge. He felt helpless.

Xiao Zhan, "I no longer want to be involved with you. Did you not get it?"

Wang Yibo whispered, "I don't need your heart nor your sympathy. You can beat me up, spit on me however you like by being... different. I just want you to not avoid me like I have some unrecoverable disease, like you're disgusted whenever I'm around. I don't need a lover, I just need a friend. I'm not forcing you to like me back. there is no need to give those feelings back."

Xiao Zhan, "..."

Wang Yibo, "Give me time. I'll show you what I mean. I'm content with being with you as a friend. I just confessed because I can no longer hide those feelings."

Xiao Zhan, "What exactly do you want?"

Wang Yibo raised his head and looked Xiao Zhan straight in the eyes, "You."

Xiao Zhan, "Yibo..."

Wang Yibo, "Don't avoid me. You know we can still be friends."

Xiao Zhan seems to be choking, he can't breathe properly. Hearing Wang Yibo's words made him special, he was relieved but the other side of him seems to feel hurt. He doesn't like Wang Yibo but is he not worthy to pursue?

Wang Yibo, "Please, we can work things out."

Xiao Zhan examined Wang Yibo's expression. He may not admit it but he knows deep inside, he had missed this young boy in front of him.

Xiao Zhan smiled, "Okay."