k-pop; play me a piece of your heart
Title: Play me a piece of your heart
Pairing: Yifan/Yixing
Rating: PG
Summary: AU. Yifan’s not sure how to deal with his crush when he has to work with Yixing for a school event.
Author’s Note: 6408 words. For this prompt on exopromptmeme! I really hope it's sort of what you were looking for OP! ;~; It’s been aaaaages since I’ve written this pairing so I hope it’s not completely terrible D: Thank you to Cindy and Sammy for looking this over for me <3333 I hope you enjoy~ :D
Yifan is excited when his orchestra teacher announces the upcoming celebration for their high school’s anniversary in a month. They’re going to perform a couple of songs for the event, and Yifan’s always liked concerts and the chance to show everyone what he can do, even if he’s on stage with a bunch of other people. He grips his saxophone tighter in his hands, stretches his legs out in front of him, only to quickly pull them back when he accidentally knocks into Kyungsoo’s feet, sitting in front of him. Kyungsoo gives him a short look over his shoulder and Yifan nods apologetically before turning his attention back to their teacher who is clapping her hands excitedly.
“We’re going to be doing a collaboration with the dance team as well,” she announces, and Yifan’s stomach rolls over. “They will be creating a routine for one of the songs, and we’ll have a few possible solo opportunities too. If you’re interested, let me know!”
With that they’re dismissed for the day, and after Yifan’s cleaned up his sax and put it safely away into its case, he heads up to tell his teacher he’d definitely like the chance to do a solo for the event. He’s one of the very few who seem interested, most of the other students running out the doors, but Yifan loves to play the sax and he’d love it even more if he could perform on his own, no matter how little.
He doesn’t actually expect to get the solo, so when his teacher announces during orchestra practice three days later that there will be two solos and Yifan is one of them, he practically jumps out of his seat in excitement. He refrains himself at the last second though, instead just spasming in his seat and getting strange looks from the students around him. After practice, his teacher catches him to say someone from the dance team was going to stop by so they could discuss together what they wanted to perform.
“We get to decide ourselves?” Yifan says, surprised.
“Just keep it school appropriate, okay?” his teacher responds with a laugh and Yifan nods.
He returns to his seat then, takes his time to clean up his sax and waits for whoever is supposed to meet him.
He doesn’t have to wait very long. Five minutes later a familiar face peeks in around the door and Yifan feels his heart sink. Oh no.
“Ah, Yifan, right?” Zhang Yixing says excitedly, pointing at him. When Yifan only manages to dumbly nod in return, Yixing grins at him. A dimple appears in his cheek. Oh no.
He walks into the room, stopping at the front of the row of Yifan’s seat. “So you’re gonna be my partner for the concert, isn’t that great?” he asks and Yifan licks his lips slowly and nods again.
“Great,” he agrees, feeling slightly queasy.
Yixing smiles at him charmingly.
Oh no.
-
Of course Yifan knows Yixing. The entire school knows Zhang Yixing. He might not be as popular as the loud and witty Byun Baekhyun, who is known for playing pranks on the underclassmen and even their teachers (and somehow managing to get away with it with perfectly delivered eye-smiles), or Lu Han, the amiable star of their soccer team who practically has his own fanclub. But the dance team at their high school is pretty well known, especially after they did a rather scandalous routine to BEG’s Abracadabra during a basketball game two years ago.
So there’s no way that Yifan doesn’t know Yixing. Zhang Yixing, who is mostly quiet but also funny and impossibly kind. He’s the kind of guy who helps lost freshmen find their classes, or gives his lunch to his friends when they forget to bring sometime. Zhang Yixing, who is one of the leads of the dance team, with smooth moves and a fierce presence, so different than the way he usually is when Yifan sees him around in the halls.
Okay, so maybe Yifan has a bit of a crush. It’s hard not to, when Yixing is the kind of adorably attractive that Yifan really likes.
It would help, though, if Yixing wasn’t so completely out of his league.
-
Yifan is by no means popular, but he’s been friends with Lu Han back when he still had disheveled black hair and could barely kick a soccer ball let alone score winning goals game after game. They grew up together, same-aged friends who spent a lot of time at each other’s houses after school playing around while their mothers chatted over afternoon tea.
Lu Han might run with people Yifan rarely ever interacts with, but he’s still always there when Yifan has a crisis.
“It’s just Yixing,” Lu Han says, uncomprehending of Yifan’s situation. “There are so many cooler people at our school.”
Yifan sighs. Trust Lu Han to be completely unhelpful. “But I--”
“Yes, yes, you really like him,” Lu Han says, waving a hand in the air. “Isn’t this good, then? You can actually spend time with him.”
“That’s the problem,” Yifan hisses. He messes with his bangs anxiously while Lu Han takes to swiveling around in his chair at his desk, tossing Yifan amused looks every time he spins. “We only spent like ten minutes talking yesterday about possible ideas for our little solo part and he’s already so--so--”
“What?” Lu Han says loudly.
“Perfect,” Yifan finishes and he’s not sure if it’s the dreamy sigh or the dreamy look on his face that makes Lu Han throw one of his stuffed animals off his desk at his head. “Hey!”
“You’re disgusting. Seriously,” Lu Han says. “Please stop talking.”
That’s it. Lu Han’s the most useless friend ever.
Yifan hugs the stuffed alpaca Lu Han threw at him to his chest and glares. Lu Han sighs, finally coming to a complete stop to look at Yifan seriously. He graciously doesn’t make a comment about the alpaca, even though it looks like he wants to.
“Okay, okay, look,” Lu Han says, “this is your chance! Stop freaking out and woo him with your awesome sax skills.” He grins widely at Yifan. “I can put in a good word for you if you--”
“NO,” Yifan yells quickly. He coughs and leans back against the headrest of his bed. “Your good word means nothing. You’ll only tell him something embarrassing.”
“You have such little faith in your oldest friend, Yifan,” Lu Han says, pressing a hand to his chest like he’s terribly wounded. Yifan rolls his eyes. He knows better.
He sighs, slouching against his bed and stares over Lu Han’s shoulder at the calendar on his wall. Tomorrow, he has to meet Yixing again after school to decide what song they want to perform. “He probably won’t like me back, anyway,” Yifan mutters and Lu Han actually gives him a slightly sympathetic look.
“Well, not with that attitude he won’t,” Lu Han says, sliding over in the chair to punch Yifan in the shoulder, and Yifan knows he’s right about that, but still. He’s not going to hold his breath.
-
Yixing wanders into the music room ten minutes after they’re supposed to meet, an apologetic smile on his face and his backpack slung over a shoulder. “You haven’t been waiting long, right?” he asks, sliding into a seat next to Yifan.
“No, just got here actually,” he says, and it’s totally a lie. He might have rushed over right after his last class but Yixing doesn’t have to know that.
Yixing is smiling at him like he does, though, and that’s a little unnerving. Everything about Yixing is unnerving to Yifan. He fidgets in his seat and clears his throat before he says, “So, have you, uh, thought of a song you wanted to do?”
“Oh yeah!” Yixing says, like he’s completely forgotten the reason why they’re even here. He pulls his bag into his lap and starts searching through all the pockets, a really adorable pout at his lips until he finally pats his pants and laughs at himself. He pulls his phone from one of his pants pockets and holds up his phone. “I have some on here. What about you?”
Yifan holds up his phone as well. “I narrowed down a few of my favorite songs I like to play,” he says.
“Great,” Yixing says, pulling out a tangled set of earphones. He plugs it into his phone and hands one end to Yifan as he presses the other into his left ear. He smiles at Yifan, the smile that Yifan doesn’t like to admit makes his heart race, and says, “Let’s listen, then, shall we?”
-
Yixing dances like it’s all he was meant to do. It’s the way Yifan feels when he plays the sax. Confident, content, and so completely at ease. It’s like breathing.
Yifan normally feels a little awkward in his own skin. Too tall, too lanky, with hands that feel too big and a sort of everyday clumsiness that comes from limbs that are too long and uncoordinated. But with the sax in his hands, the music filling up his ears, he’s at home. It feels right. He feels right.
Yixing is like that when he dances. Yifan can tell, from the way he moves. The way he shifts, from the carefree Yixing who is always late to meet him and forgets half of what they’re doing in favor of asking Yifan random questions, to the poised, intense Yixing that slides a hand down his chest and rolls his hips in a way that Yifan thinks should be illegal.
“What did you think of that?” Yixing asks, spinning to a stop in front of Yifan. His hair is matted to his forehead and he shakes his fingers through it, smiling curiously at Yifan, waiting for a reaction.
Yifan has to tear his eyes away from where the tank top Yixing had changed into is clinging to his chest, pale skin a little shiny from sweat. He swallows thickly and meets Yixing’s eyes. Safe, he thinks. This is safe. “Good,” he says. “Really good.”
Yixing smile turns into a slight smirk, his eyes bright and amused. Knowing.
Never mind. Not safe.
“Really?” Yixing says, pulling at his shirt a bit to loosen it from his body. He walks over to join Yifan who is sitting a few feet away on the floor of the gymnasium. They’d come here to work after school; Yixing said it was better to dance in here than the carpeted floor of the music room. “You seem kind of distracted, are you sure you were watching?”
“Yes, it’s hard not to--I mean--” Yifan quickly shuts up, dropping his gaze to his shoes.
But Yixing just laughs. “You’re cute,” he says, like one talks about the weather. Yifan feels his face heat up. “Have you seen me dance before?”
Yifan nods, still not daring to look back at him. “I’ve been to a few of the dance team shows,” he admits. “A friend of mine, Minseok, is on the team, so I watch sometimes.”
“Oh Minseok-hyung,” Yixing says, nodding. “He’s really good.” He nudges Yifan with an elbow, and Yifan finally looks up at him. “And here I thought you were gonna say you came to watch me.”
That’s true, too. But Yixing definitely doesn’t need to know that. “You’re a really good dancer, too,” Yifan says, instead. “Really good.”
“If you think so, then you have to make sure to come to our next show just to watch me,” Yixing says decisively, before he laughs like he said something exceptionally funny. “I’ll put on a good show for you.” He grins at Yifan before he’s hopping up to his feet again, stretching arms over his head.
Yifan tries very hard not to think too much into that.
He’s not very successful.
-
“Mind if I sit here?” Yixing says, and he doesn’t wait for Yifan’s response before he’s plopping himself down into the chair across from him.
Yifan blinks and nods slowly and Yixing beams at him. Too bright. He looks down at his lunch and tries not to wonder exactly why Yixing has decided to come sit with him.
“You looked lonely,” Yixing says, like he can read Yifan’s thoughts. “Do you usually eat lunch by yourself?”
“Not always,” Yifan says. There’s usually Jongdae and Zitao, but he’s not sure where they are right now. “It doesn’t bother me to eat alone though.” He pushes slightly at the book he’s got open on the table, reading for his literature class. “I’m getting ahead of things.”
“You should help me out then,” Yixing says. “I’m so behind on everything.”
Yifan licks his lips and nods again. “I could do that,” he says, because, really, any extra time with Yixing sounds like a good idea.
And the excited smile Yixing gives him definitely makes it worth it. “Great!” he says, claps his hands together decisively before he finally shifts his attention to his lunch.
Yifan is considering what to say next, when suddenly Lu Han slides into the seat next to Yixing, a sneaky grin on his face. "Hey, what are you two up to?" he asks, like he's just caught them making out or something.
The thought of making out with Yixing makes Yifan flush unnecessarily and he opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish. Yixing, however, just grins at Lu Han and says, "Enjoying lunch. Do you know Yifan, Lu Han?"
"Oh yeah, we go waaaay back," he says. "I know all his little secrets, don't I, Yifan?"
Fuck. This is not good. The brightness in Yixing's eyes as he leans closer to Lu Han curiously is definitely Not Good.
“Really? You should tell me,” Yixing says, grinning wickedly at Yifan.
“Please don’t,” Yifan says quickly. “I will never talk to you again.”
Lu Han just laughs loudly while Yixing turns to Yifan with a pout on his lips. “But what if I want to know more about you?” he asks, a slight whine to his voice that Yifan thinks is unfairly cute.
Lu Han leans in and stage-whispers, “It’s okay, I’ll tell you everything there is to know later,” and Yifan groans and drops his face in his hands.
“There, there,” Lu Han says, reaching out to pat Yifan’s head and Yifan is so upset he doesn’t even bother shoving him away. “Don’t worry, I won't tell Yixing how you still sleep with a stupid stuffed goat--"
Yifan opens his mouth to angrily correct him when Yixing says serenely, "I like goats," like this is completely normal.
Lu Han is giving Yixing a strange look when Yifan peers through his fingers at them, but Yixing is just staring at him, smiling widely and making Yifan's heart race.
He really wishes it would stop doing that.
-
Yifan’s not entirely sure how this happened. How Yixing ended up at his house on a Saturday afternoon, when Yifan normally doesn’t even see him. How Yixing ended up in his room, looking around curiously at the movie posters on his walls and the pictures he has framed on his desk.
Yifan is nervous. It’s his own room but he feels strangely out of place, standing off to the side and rubbing his palms down the front of his jeans. Yixing seems perfectly at ease though, his hands clasped behind his back as he makes cute little noises while he peers around at everything he can, like he’s trying to memorize the layout of Yifan’s bedroom.
Yifan licks his lips, considers saying something, anything, asking Yixing why he’d suddenly texted him barely an hour ago to ask for his address and invite himself over. It’s not like Yifan minds, really, because any chance to see Yixing is good enough for him, but he wasn’t expecting this, and it’d been a mad dash to shove every possibly embarrassing thing in his room into his closet and agonize over exactly which button-down shirt he should wear before Yixing got there.
And, well, it is nice to see Yixing outside of school for once. Outside of their usual boring uniforms and boring classrooms. He’s dressed really nicely in fitted jeans that emphasize his thighs (Yifan has to force himself not to stare), and a low cut t-shirt under a cozy looking cream sweater (and again Yifan has to force himself not to stare at the peak of smooth, pale skin of his chest). Okay, so maybe this was actually a terrible idea and Yifan can’t figure out why he even said yes--
“How long have you been playing?” Yixing suddenly asks, cutting through Yifan’s inner tirade.
He blinks, refocusing on reality and the picture frame of Yifan with his sax that was taken maybe four years ago. “Oh, um. Since I was ten.” He walks over to Yixing and looks down at the photo with a small smile. “I wanted to do something cool like the drums in the beginning, but it didn’t work out,” he says, rubs the back of his neck. “Somehow, when I tried the sax, it just sort of fit.” He shrugs. “It might not be what I wanted at first, but I love it.”
Yixing stares at the photo for a moment longer before he sets it back onto the ledge of Yifan’s bookshelf. Then he grins at Yifan. “I think you’re pretty cool when you play the sax,” he says and Yifan hates how easily that makes him blush.
“Really?” he says uncertainly, giving his cased sax a glance in the corner. “You’ve barely seen me play it for real yet.”
Yixing makes a tiny humming noise in the back of his throat and then purposefully walks over to pick up the case with Yifan’s sax. He hands it off to him with a wide grin and plops himself down onto the end of Yifan’s bed. “Then what’re you waiting for?” he says, waving a hand at him. “Play.”
Put on the spot, Yifan blinks at him, then down to his case, and back up at Yixing who just looks somewhere between amused and expectant. Yifan grips his case tighter, his palms feeling a little sweaty from sudden nervousness and narrows his eyes at Yixing. “I don’t just give shows for free,” he says, surprising himself.
It makes Yixing laugh, though, so he doesn’t feel too bad about it. “What would you like then?” Yixing asks easily. He tilts his head, considering, and then breaks out into another one of those wicked grins. “A kiss, maybe?”
Yifan’s heart sinks to his stomach. Does he know?! Maybe Lu Han told him, maybe Yifan’s been too obvious, maybe--
Yixing’s laughter fills his ears and cuts off his panic. “I’m just kidding,” he says, and Yifan’s not entirely sure if he’s relieved or disappointed. He just stares. Yixing leans back on his hands atop Yifan’s bed, stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankle. “You play something,” he says, “and I’ll dance for you. Or treat you to something. Whatever you want.”
Yifan’s not entirely sure what he wants. Well. What he wants that he could actually tell Yixing to his face. In the back of his mind he remembers Lu Han’s advice to woo Yixing with his sax skills and even though Yifan doesn’t think that’s possible, it can’t hurt. Right?
He licks his lips and says, “Why don’t you just stay for dinner?” His heart is pounding at the invitation because he’s sure Yixing has more interesting things to do on a Saturday night than to watch Yifan play the sax and eat with his family or something but--
“That’s even better,” Yixing says delightedly, and his smile shows off his cute dimple and makes his eyes shine and Yifan is in way too deep. He really is. “Now come on,” Yixing says. “Play me something.”
-
“I know you don’t care about dance enough to come watch us rehearse,” Minseok says, sitting on the bleachers next to Yifan. He nudges him in the side and gives him a sly smile.
“Have you been talking to Lu Han?” Yifan asks slowly, trepidation filling his gut.
Minseok laughs. “I don’t need to talk to Lu Han to know about your crush on Yixing,” he says and Yifan feels his whole face go red. “The only person who doesn’t know is Yixing.”
“I’d like to keep it that way please,” Yifan says and he sounds pathetic even to himself.
“You know I won’t tell,” Minseok says and that’s why Yifan likes Minseok the best. “Lu Han, on the other hand….”
Yifan groans, shaking his head. He can only hope Lu Han hasn’t already told Yixing all of his terrible secrets, especially not this one. Yixing hasn’t asked him for confirmation on anything so maybe Lu Han is being kinder about this whole thing than Yifan expected from him.
“He talks about you a lot,” Minseok says casually, nodding in Yixing’s direction. He’s stretching on the floor and chatting with the dance team’s lead, Kim Jongin, who Yifan knows is also doing a solo collaboration with Kyungsoo for the upcoming event. He’s laughing over something, his eyes curving into crescents and his face a little flushed from dance and when he glances over at Yifan, he feels his heart stop, for just a second.
It jumps back into motion as Minseok’s words catch up to him and he turns to him in surprise. “What?”
“Yeah, he talks about how you’re really cute and such a good sax player,” he says, and Yifan wonders what sort of look is on his face because Minseok is definitely laughing at him. “He thinks you have good taste in music and fun to be around.” He grins and nudges Yifan again with his elbow. “I’d say he kind of has a crush on you, too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Yifan says and his voice goes a little embarrassingly pitchy.
Minseok only pats his shoulder and graciously doesn’t mention it, instead favoring to tell him, “You should confess. You’ve liked him for a long time, haven’t you?”
Yifan has thought about it, in very weak moments especially as of late now that he and Yixing have been spending more time together. Especially now that Yixing seems to treat Yifan like a friend and not just some guy from the orchestra that he has to work with. Yixing texts him pictures of food, tells Yifan to practice hard on the sax and asks questions about homework even though they’re not even in the same class. He sits with Yifan during lunch sometimes, laughs over Jongdae’s stupid stories and feeds Zitao bites of his meal and smiles at Yifan so warmly it’s impossible for Yifan to feel anything but happy.
So he’s thought about it, confessing. When they’re practicing together in the music room and Yixing is making up ridiculous dance routines just to be funny, when Yixing drags him after school to a nearby patbingsu shop even though they should be working and it’s really too cold for ice cream in the first place, when Yixing invites Yifan to come watch dance rehearsal with cute smiles and exaggerated aegyo like he actually needs to convince Yifan at all. There are moments there, where it all builds up inside of him, so full that his heart threatens to burst with his confession, but the moment will pass before Yifan can say anything and he pushes everything away, telling himself maybe another day.
It sucks because Yifan thinks he does want to tell Yixing, wants to put himself out there, and it’s never been that hard for him before, to speak his mind. He thinks he’s a pretty confident guy, all things considered, but something about Yixing makes Yifan so flustered and so uncertain that it’s easier keeping his feelings to himself.
He sighs, rubs a hand over his face. “I don’t know, Minseok,” he mutters.
“Just tell him,” Minseok says, “you’ll probably feel better if you do.”
Yifan’s not so sure about that, but as he glances over at Yixing again and Yixing catches his gaze and waves cheerfully, he thinks that maybe Minseok is right.
-
The last notes of the sax fade out as Yifan finishes the piece, gently setting his instrument onto his lap as Yixing, too, comes to a stop in front of him. He’s grinning widely as he meets Yifan’s gaze and Yifan smiles back. “I think that was the best we’ve done,” he says.
“Just in time, too, right? Since the show is this Friday,” Yixing says and he lifts the bottom of his shirt up to dab at a bit of sweat clinging to his neck. Yifan swallows thickly, trying not to stare at the smooth expanse of skin in gets, at the faint line of hair from his navel and disappears into his pants.
Shit shit shit. Yifan hastily drops his eyes and focuses on cleaning out his sax to put it away. Two seconds later, Yixing plops himself down into the seat next to him, stretching his legs out around the music stands to not knock them over and raising his arms over his head with a low sigh.
“You play really well,” he says, dropping his arms and reaching out to poke Yifan’s shoulder with a finger. “I didn't know much about the sax before this, I didn't know it could make such nice music.”
Yifan chuckles. "Most people don't," he says with a slight shrug. He sets his sax carefully into its case and snaps the top shut. "I'm kind of invisible as a sax player in the orchestra."
"But you're so tall!!" Yixing exclaims, making Yifan laugh out right, amused. Yixing looks almost offended on his behalf which makes a soft burn of pleasure run through Yifan's veins. Yixing huffs a bit and adds, "Well, I don't think you're invisible, and after our performance, the rest of the school won't either."
Yifan is pretty sure the only one people will be watching is Yixing, not him, because Yixing is made for the attention, the spotlight. With the sleek moves and smooth choreography he created for their piece, there's no way everyone won't be staring at him. He wishes he could say as much, but instead just murmurs, "We'll see."
"Have some faith!" Yixing says, and he pats Yifan's knee, his small hand seeming so small on Yifan's long leg. "You're really good."
"I know I am," Yifan says, because if there's anything he's a hundred percent confident in, it's this. "But you stand out much more than you think, Yixing."
There’s a spark of amusement in Yixing’s eyes as he tilts his head at Yifan and says, “Really? Do you think so?”
“You-You’ve always stood out to me,” Yifan says, and he’s not sure why his mouth is speaking without his brain’s permission. Yixing is staring at him with surprise now, and Yifan hastily tries to backtrack. “I mean--well, it’s hard not to notice you--you’re so nice and cool and, I just….”
“Yifan,” Yixing says, and he smiles at him like it’s any other day, like Yifan isn’t practically bursting inside with a sudden need to tell him, to make it clear how much Yifan can’t help but think about him, how amazing Yifan thinks he is, especially now, after all the time they’ve spent together lately--
“I like you,” he blurts out before he can stop himself, but at this point he almost doesn’t mind. He’s said more than he ever meant to say and, well, he doesn’t think he can hold back. Yixing’s smile fades just a bit in shock, and he stares at Yifan blankly, the way he gets sometimes when his mind wanders off in the middle of conversations. Yifan doesn’t take that too heart, just plows on. “I really like you, Yixing, and I don’t know why I’m telling you this, I mean, I don’t expect you to like me back, but it’s, uh, been really fun getting to work together on this project with you and, well.”
He swallows thickly, feeling his face heating up the more he speaks and the more Yixing’s silence weighs down on his shoulders. Yixing is a lot of things, but around Yifan he’s rarely this quiet. He almost always has something to say. But now it’s like he’s stuck in whatever separate universe his thoughts have traveled to, leaving Yifan behind in the stark reality of what he’s just done.
“Oh my god,” he mutters under his breath and he’s standing quickly, nearly knocking his saxophone case to the floor in his haste. “I’m sorry. I-I’ll just go now,” he says, slinging his backpack over his shoulders and pulling his case to his chest like it’ll project him from the way Yixing blinks back to life. His expression is still unreadable, but Yifan doesn’t want to stick around to hear what he has to say.
He bolts out of the room before Yixing can even open his mouth and the entire way home he wonders what the hell he’d been thinking.
-
"I'm proud of you, you finally did it!" Lu Han says, clapping Yifan on the back with more force than necessary. The way he's smiling makes it seem like he's more amused by Yifan's plight than actually proud, but Yifan is too upset to care.
"Then why do I feel so miserable?" he asks.
"Well, maybe if you hadn't gotten scared and run out of there before Yixing could say anything...."
"I wasn't scared," Yifan huffs in protest. He wrings his hands together and sighs. "I was just, embarrassed? I don't know." He groans. "I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have said anything and now he probably hates me."
"He doesn't hate you," Lu Han says, matter-of-fact. Before Yifan gets a chance to question him, he continues, "He asked where you were today during lunch. He thinks you're avoiding him."
"I am avoiding him," Yifan says, frowning. "Though he wasn't supposed to notice."
Lu Han snorts. "It's hard not to notice when you're not around," he says, gesturing at Yifan. "Suddenly there's so much more room~"
Yifan glares at him. "You are so unhelpful."
"I can't help you anymore," Lu Han says. "You confessed on your own, so you either stop sulking and stop avoiding him, or you go on festering in your misery until you forget about him."
Neither of those options sounds particularly pleasing. Yifan just sighs and flops backwards onto Lu Han's bed, unsure.
"And, well, I'm pretty sure if Yixing has anything to say about it, he's not gonna let you forget him so easily," Lu Han adds and there's something in the tone of his voice that suggests he knows more than he lets on.
Yifan leans up on his elbows to look at him, and Lu Han smiles at him in that angelic way of his that's not angelic at all. But Yifan is in the midst of despair from his confession and the unopened texts from Yixing on his phone and the effort he's put in to avoid him at school so he doesn't care. He just flops back down with a groan and lets Lu Han pat his knee sympathetically.
Tomorrow he will have to actually see Yixing properly because tomorrow is the big school event they've been working toward. Tomorrow he and Yixing will perform their piece and then, maybe, after all that, things can go back to how it used to be and everything will be all right.
Yifan clenches his eyes shut tight and hopes.
-
“Hey,” Yixing says, catching Yifan just before they’re supposed to set up for their performance. Yifan knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid him today, but he’d still tried his best to keep as much of a distance between them as possible. When he looks at Yixing though, he’s surprised to find him smiling like it’s any other day, his cute dimple showing in his cheek and his eyes warm. “Good luck out there,” he says, then chuckles. “Not that you need it. I know how good you are.”
“You, too,” Yifan says quickly, “Break a leg--I mean, not really, but uh--”
Yixing’s laughter cuts him off and Yifan flushes, shoulders hunching a bit. “Let’s show them what we can do, together, okay?”
Yifan nods at him, not willing to speak again in case he says something else incredibly stupid. Yixing pats his arm gently, encouragingly, before he flits off to join the rest of the dance team.
The anniversary event goes even better than expected. Yixing gives Yifan a wide smile just before Yifan launches into their piece. He's not nervous; playing the sax always makes him feel good, grounded, and especially after a few days of turmoil, performing the song he and Yixing picked out in front of the school, with Yixing dancing beside him, well. That feels better than anything.
There are other stages after the orchestra-dance team collab; some of the sports teams came together to raise money for the school through a win-a-date auction and Yifan watches that with amusement. Lu Han's face is quite priceless when a simpering first year girl wins, especially since Lu Han had mentioned something about hoping Minseok would bet on him and Minseok didn't even raise his hand.
Another class organized a small talent show, and even some of the teachers got together to put on a ridiculously done skit telling students to work hard and celebrate learning. They're all supposed to stay and watch the program to the end, but halfway through Yifan finds himself being pulled away by none other than Yixing.
"Don't look so afraid," Yixing says, and of course they end up in the music room. Yifan will forever associate this stupid room with his abysmal confession. "I just want to talk."
"We're supposed to be watching--" Yifan says in a weak attempt to get out of this mess.
Yixing just laughs. "I've heard Jongdae sing a hundred of times, I think we're okay." He smiles. Yifan feels a little trapped. Yixing is blocking the doorway.
He rubs his palms on his jeans and says, “Look, I, uh, I’m pretty sure I know what you want to talk about and it’s okay. You don’t have to say it.” Yifan stares at a spot above Yixing’s shoulder so he doesn’t have to see the expression on his face, yet in his peripherals he can tell Yixing is frowning. “I shouldn’t have said anything, and it’s probably better if you just forget about it. I’ll forget all about it, too, since that’s better for both of us, right?”
He darts his gaze toward Yixing, biting his lower lip nervously, and for a long moment Yixing is silent, staring at him blankly just like he did when Yifan confessed. But this time he breaks through it, and Yifan is surprised to find him grinning now, the same way he grinned before their performance not an hour ago, the same grin Yifan sees in his head every time he tries not to think about Yixing at all.
“Yifan,” he says softly, and it’s almost fond, the way his name sounds on Yixing’s lips. Yixing strides the few feet between them until he’s standing just in front of Yifan and he has to lightly tip his head back to look at him. Yifan’s throat feels suddenly dry. He kind of wants to hide.
But then Yixing says, “You know how you said you were glad you got to work with me on this project?”
Yifan blinks at him. He wasn’t expecting that. He nods, because that’s safer than speaking.
“I was really glad, too,” Yixing continues pleasantly and the pounding of Yifan’s heart in his ears starts to quicken. “I’m glad it was you. It wouldn’t have been quite as fun with anyone else.”
Yifan’s not so sure about that but he doesn’t dare refute him. Besides, this is...this is exactly what Yifan wants to hear. Yixing doesn’t hate him, for his confession. Yixing liked spending time with him.
“And,” Yixing says, and his grin is practically blinding now, it’s so bright. Yifan can’t look away from him even if he tried. “Most importantly, I’m glad you like me. I’m glad you told me, because, well, I really like you, too.”
It takes a moment, for those words to sink in. Then Yifan is lurching backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet because what???
“What?!” he exclaims, eyes widening. He must have heard wrong, there’s no way--
Yixing laughs. “I’m serious,” he says. “I like you, Yifan. The way you said you liked me.” He frowns slowly and adds, “Unless, that’s changed…”
“No!” Yifan practically shouts. “No! It hasn’t, I like you, I do.”
“Good,” Yixing beams, and he steps up to Yifan again and reaches up to tug on the collar of his uniform blazer. “Because I’ve wanted to do this for awhile.”
And before Yifan can even process it, Yixing is yanking him down into a kiss, pressing his soft, plush lips against Yifan’s, in the way Yifan has always thought about in his dreams. Except this is infinitely better than his stupid dreams, his dreams don’t stand a chance against the sweet, sweet reality and the way Yixing’s laughter bubbles out of him afterward, breath tickling Yifan’s chin before he kisses him again and again and again.
By the time they part for real, Yifan feels a little dizzy and his heart has practically flown out of his chest and Yixing is standing in front of him with a beautiful smile and slick red lips and god, is this real? Is he dreaming?
Yixing releases his hold on Yifan’s collar and instead slides his hand down to lace their fingers together and squeeze, and wow. Yes. This is real. He gapes at Yixing and questions, “You like me?”
“I do,” Yixing says simply. Then he grins and drags Yifan toward the door. “Now come on, I hear Baekhyun and Chanyeol are supposed to perform SNSD’s I Got a Boy in drag as the closing stage.”
Yifan laughs, still so surprised, but mostly happy, and he gently squeezes Yixing’s hand back and follows after.
note: rolls thanks to the op for the cute prompt i had fun writing this! i hope you enjoyed it~ thank you for reading!♡ (＾ω＾)
Pairing: Yifan/Yixing
Rating: PG
Summary: AU. Yifan’s not sure how to deal with his crush when he has to work with Yixing for a school event.
Author’s Note: 6408 words. For this prompt on exopromptmeme! I really hope it's sort of what you were looking for OP! ;~; It’s been aaaaages since I’ve written this pairing so I hope it’s not completely terrible D: Thank you to Cindy and Sammy for looking this over for me <3333 I hope you enjoy~ :D
Yifan is excited when his orchestra teacher announces the upcoming celebration for their high school’s anniversary in a month. They’re going to perform a couple of songs for the event, and Yifan’s always liked concerts and the chance to show everyone what he can do, even if he’s on stage with a bunch of other people. He grips his saxophone tighter in his hands, stretches his legs out in front of him, only to quickly pull them back when he accidentally knocks into Kyungsoo’s feet, sitting in front of him. Kyungsoo gives him a short look over his shoulder and Yifan nods apologetically before turning his attention back to their teacher who is clapping her hands excitedly.
“We’re going to be doing a collaboration with the dance team as well,” she announces, and Yifan’s stomach rolls over. “They will be creating a routine for one of the songs, and we’ll have a few possible solo opportunities too. If you’re interested, let me know!”
With that they’re dismissed for the day, and after Yifan’s cleaned up his sax and put it safely away into its case, he heads up to tell his teacher he’d definitely like the chance to do a solo for the event. He’s one of the very few who seem interested, most of the other students running out the doors, but Yifan loves to play the sax and he’d love it even more if he could perform on his own, no matter how little.
He doesn’t actually expect to get the solo, so when his teacher announces during orchestra practice three days later that there will be two solos and Yifan is one of them, he practically jumps out of his seat in excitement. He refrains himself at the last second though, instead just spasming in his seat and getting strange looks from the students around him. After practice, his teacher catches him to say someone from the dance team was going to stop by so they could discuss together what they wanted to perform.
“We get to decide ourselves?” Yifan says, surprised.
“Just keep it school appropriate, okay?” his teacher responds with a laugh and Yifan nods.
He returns to his seat then, takes his time to clean up his sax and waits for whoever is supposed to meet him.
He doesn’t have to wait very long. Five minutes later a familiar face peeks in around the door and Yifan feels his heart sink. Oh no.
“Ah, Yifan, right?” Zhang Yixing says excitedly, pointing at him. When Yifan only manages to dumbly nod in return, Yixing grins at him. A dimple appears in his cheek. Oh no.
He walks into the room, stopping at the front of the row of Yifan’s seat. “So you’re gonna be my partner for the concert, isn’t that great?” he asks and Yifan licks his lips slowly and nods again.
“Great,” he agrees, feeling slightly queasy.
Yixing smiles at him charmingly.
Oh no.
-
Of course Yifan knows Yixing. The entire school knows Zhang Yixing. He might not be as popular as the loud and witty Byun Baekhyun, who is known for playing pranks on the underclassmen and even their teachers (and somehow managing to get away with it with perfectly delivered eye-smiles), or Lu Han, the amiable star of their soccer team who practically has his own fanclub. But the dance team at their high school is pretty well known, especially after they did a rather scandalous routine to BEG’s Abracadabra during a basketball game two years ago.
So there’s no way that Yifan doesn’t know Yixing. Zhang Yixing, who is mostly quiet but also funny and impossibly kind. He’s the kind of guy who helps lost freshmen find their classes, or gives his lunch to his friends when they forget to bring sometime. Zhang Yixing, who is one of the leads of the dance team, with smooth moves and a fierce presence, so different than the way he usually is when Yifan sees him around in the halls.
Okay, so maybe Yifan has a bit of a crush. It’s hard not to, when Yixing is the kind of adorably attractive that Yifan really likes.
It would help, though, if Yixing wasn’t so completely out of his league.
-
Yifan is by no means popular, but he’s been friends with Lu Han back when he still had disheveled black hair and could barely kick a soccer ball let alone score winning goals game after game. They grew up together, same-aged friends who spent a lot of time at each other’s houses after school playing around while their mothers chatted over afternoon tea.
Lu Han might run with people Yifan rarely ever interacts with, but he’s still always there when Yifan has a crisis.
“It’s just Yixing,” Lu Han says, uncomprehending of Yifan’s situation. “There are so many cooler people at our school.”
Yifan sighs. Trust Lu Han to be completely unhelpful. “But I--”
“Yes, yes, you really like him,” Lu Han says, waving a hand in the air. “Isn’t this good, then? You can actually spend time with him.”
“That’s the problem,” Yifan hisses. He messes with his bangs anxiously while Lu Han takes to swiveling around in his chair at his desk, tossing Yifan amused looks every time he spins. “We only spent like ten minutes talking yesterday about possible ideas for our little solo part and he’s already so--so--”
“What?” Lu Han says loudly.
“Perfect,” Yifan finishes and he’s not sure if it’s the dreamy sigh or the dreamy look on his face that makes Lu Han throw one of his stuffed animals off his desk at his head. “Hey!”
“You’re disgusting. Seriously,” Lu Han says. “Please stop talking.”
That’s it. Lu Han’s the most useless friend ever.
Yifan hugs the stuffed alpaca Lu Han threw at him to his chest and glares. Lu Han sighs, finally coming to a complete stop to look at Yifan seriously. He graciously doesn’t make a comment about the alpaca, even though it looks like he wants to.
“Okay, okay, look,” Lu Han says, “this is your chance! Stop freaking out and woo him with your awesome sax skills.” He grins widely at Yifan. “I can put in a good word for you if you--”
“NO,” Yifan yells quickly. He coughs and leans back against the headrest of his bed. “Your good word means nothing. You’ll only tell him something embarrassing.”
“You have such little faith in your oldest friend, Yifan,” Lu Han says, pressing a hand to his chest like he’s terribly wounded. Yifan rolls his eyes. He knows better.
He sighs, slouching against his bed and stares over Lu Han’s shoulder at the calendar on his wall. Tomorrow, he has to meet Yixing again after school to decide what song they want to perform. “He probably won’t like me back, anyway,” Yifan mutters and Lu Han actually gives him a slightly sympathetic look.
“Well, not with that attitude he won’t,” Lu Han says, sliding over in the chair to punch Yifan in the shoulder, and Yifan knows he’s right about that, but still. He’s not going to hold his breath.
-
Yixing wanders into the music room ten minutes after they’re supposed to meet, an apologetic smile on his face and his backpack slung over a shoulder. “You haven’t been waiting long, right?” he asks, sliding into a seat next to Yifan.
“No, just got here actually,” he says, and it’s totally a lie. He might have rushed over right after his last class but Yixing doesn’t have to know that.
Yixing is smiling at him like he does, though, and that’s a little unnerving. Everything about Yixing is unnerving to Yifan. He fidgets in his seat and clears his throat before he says, “So, have you, uh, thought of a song you wanted to do?”
“Oh yeah!” Yixing says, like he’s completely forgotten the reason why they’re even here. He pulls his bag into his lap and starts searching through all the pockets, a really adorable pout at his lips until he finally pats his pants and laughs at himself. He pulls his phone from one of his pants pockets and holds up his phone. “I have some on here. What about you?”
Yifan holds up his phone as well. “I narrowed down a few of my favorite songs I like to play,” he says.
“Great,” Yixing says, pulling out a tangled set of earphones. He plugs it into his phone and hands one end to Yifan as he presses the other into his left ear. He smiles at Yifan, the smile that Yifan doesn’t like to admit makes his heart race, and says, “Let’s listen, then, shall we?”
-
Yixing dances like it’s all he was meant to do. It’s the way Yifan feels when he plays the sax. Confident, content, and so completely at ease. It’s like breathing.
Yifan normally feels a little awkward in his own skin. Too tall, too lanky, with hands that feel too big and a sort of everyday clumsiness that comes from limbs that are too long and uncoordinated. But with the sax in his hands, the music filling up his ears, he’s at home. It feels right. He feels right.
Yixing is like that when he dances. Yifan can tell, from the way he moves. The way he shifts, from the carefree Yixing who is always late to meet him and forgets half of what they’re doing in favor of asking Yifan random questions, to the poised, intense Yixing that slides a hand down his chest and rolls his hips in a way that Yifan thinks should be illegal.
“What did you think of that?” Yixing asks, spinning to a stop in front of Yifan. His hair is matted to his forehead and he shakes his fingers through it, smiling curiously at Yifan, waiting for a reaction.
Yifan has to tear his eyes away from where the tank top Yixing had changed into is clinging to his chest, pale skin a little shiny from sweat. He swallows thickly and meets Yixing’s eyes. Safe, he thinks. This is safe. “Good,” he says. “Really good.”
Yixing smile turns into a slight smirk, his eyes bright and amused. Knowing.
Never mind. Not safe.
“Really?” Yixing says, pulling at his shirt a bit to loosen it from his body. He walks over to join Yifan who is sitting a few feet away on the floor of the gymnasium. They’d come here to work after school; Yixing said it was better to dance in here than the carpeted floor of the music room. “You seem kind of distracted, are you sure you were watching?”
“Yes, it’s hard not to--I mean--” Yifan quickly shuts up, dropping his gaze to his shoes.
But Yixing just laughs. “You’re cute,” he says, like one talks about the weather. Yifan feels his face heat up. “Have you seen me dance before?”
Yifan nods, still not daring to look back at him. “I’ve been to a few of the dance team shows,” he admits. “A friend of mine, Minseok, is on the team, so I watch sometimes.”
“Oh Minseok-hyung,” Yixing says, nodding. “He’s really good.” He nudges Yifan with an elbow, and Yifan finally looks up at him. “And here I thought you were gonna say you came to watch me.”
That’s true, too. But Yixing definitely doesn’t need to know that. “You’re a really good dancer, too,” Yifan says, instead. “Really good.”
“If you think so, then you have to make sure to come to our next show just to watch me,” Yixing says decisively, before he laughs like he said something exceptionally funny. “I’ll put on a good show for you.” He grins at Yifan before he’s hopping up to his feet again, stretching arms over his head.
Yifan tries very hard not to think too much into that.
He’s not very successful.
-
“Mind if I sit here?” Yixing says, and he doesn’t wait for Yifan’s response before he’s plopping himself down into the chair across from him.
Yifan blinks and nods slowly and Yixing beams at him. Too bright. He looks down at his lunch and tries not to wonder exactly why Yixing has decided to come sit with him.
“You looked lonely,” Yixing says, like he can read Yifan’s thoughts. “Do you usually eat lunch by yourself?”
“Not always,” Yifan says. There’s usually Jongdae and Zitao, but he’s not sure where they are right now. “It doesn’t bother me to eat alone though.” He pushes slightly at the book he’s got open on the table, reading for his literature class. “I’m getting ahead of things.”
“You should help me out then,” Yixing says. “I’m so behind on everything.”
Yifan licks his lips and nods again. “I could do that,” he says, because, really, any extra time with Yixing sounds like a good idea.
And the excited smile Yixing gives him definitely makes it worth it. “Great!” he says, claps his hands together decisively before he finally shifts his attention to his lunch.
Yifan is considering what to say next, when suddenly Lu Han slides into the seat next to Yixing, a sneaky grin on his face. "Hey, what are you two up to?" he asks, like he's just caught them making out or something.
The thought of making out with Yixing makes Yifan flush unnecessarily and he opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish. Yixing, however, just grins at Lu Han and says, "Enjoying lunch. Do you know Yifan, Lu Han?"
"Oh yeah, we go waaaay back," he says. "I know all his little secrets, don't I, Yifan?"
Fuck. This is not good. The brightness in Yixing's eyes as he leans closer to Lu Han curiously is definitely Not Good.
“Really? You should tell me,” Yixing says, grinning wickedly at Yifan.
“Please don’t,” Yifan says quickly. “I will never talk to you again.”
Lu Han just laughs loudly while Yixing turns to Yifan with a pout on his lips. “But what if I want to know more about you?” he asks, a slight whine to his voice that Yifan thinks is unfairly cute.
Lu Han leans in and stage-whispers, “It’s okay, I’ll tell you everything there is to know later,” and Yifan groans and drops his face in his hands.
“There, there,” Lu Han says, reaching out to pat Yifan’s head and Yifan is so upset he doesn’t even bother shoving him away. “Don’t worry, I won't tell Yixing how you still sleep with a stupid stuffed goat--"
Yifan opens his mouth to angrily correct him when Yixing says serenely, "I like goats," like this is completely normal.
Lu Han is giving Yixing a strange look when Yifan peers through his fingers at them, but Yixing is just staring at him, smiling widely and making Yifan's heart race.
He really wishes it would stop doing that.
-
Yifan’s not entirely sure how this happened. How Yixing ended up at his house on a Saturday afternoon, when Yifan normally doesn’t even see him. How Yixing ended up in his room, looking around curiously at the movie posters on his walls and the pictures he has framed on his desk.
Yifan is nervous. It’s his own room but he feels strangely out of place, standing off to the side and rubbing his palms down the front of his jeans. Yixing seems perfectly at ease though, his hands clasped behind his back as he makes cute little noises while he peers around at everything he can, like he’s trying to memorize the layout of Yifan’s bedroom.
Yifan licks his lips, considers saying something, anything, asking Yixing why he’d suddenly texted him barely an hour ago to ask for his address and invite himself over. It’s not like Yifan minds, really, because any chance to see Yixing is good enough for him, but he wasn’t expecting this, and it’d been a mad dash to shove every possibly embarrassing thing in his room into his closet and agonize over exactly which button-down shirt he should wear before Yixing got there.
And, well, it is nice to see Yixing outside of school for once. Outside of their usual boring uniforms and boring classrooms. He’s dressed really nicely in fitted jeans that emphasize his thighs (Yifan has to force himself not to stare), and a low cut t-shirt under a cozy looking cream sweater (and again Yifan has to force himself not to stare at the peak of smooth, pale skin of his chest). Okay, so maybe this was actually a terrible idea and Yifan can’t figure out why he even said yes--
“How long have you been playing?” Yixing suddenly asks, cutting through Yifan’s inner tirade.
He blinks, refocusing on reality and the picture frame of Yifan with his sax that was taken maybe four years ago. “Oh, um. Since I was ten.” He walks over to Yixing and looks down at the photo with a small smile. “I wanted to do something cool like the drums in the beginning, but it didn’t work out,” he says, rubs the back of his neck. “Somehow, when I tried the sax, it just sort of fit.” He shrugs. “It might not be what I wanted at first, but I love it.”
Yixing stares at the photo for a moment longer before he sets it back onto the ledge of Yifan’s bookshelf. Then he grins at Yifan. “I think you’re pretty cool when you play the sax,” he says and Yifan hates how easily that makes him blush.
“Really?” he says uncertainly, giving his cased sax a glance in the corner. “You’ve barely seen me play it for real yet.”
Yixing makes a tiny humming noise in the back of his throat and then purposefully walks over to pick up the case with Yifan’s sax. He hands it off to him with a wide grin and plops himself down onto the end of Yifan’s bed. “Then what’re you waiting for?” he says, waving a hand at him. “Play.”
Put on the spot, Yifan blinks at him, then down to his case, and back up at Yixing who just looks somewhere between amused and expectant. Yifan grips his case tighter, his palms feeling a little sweaty from sudden nervousness and narrows his eyes at Yixing. “I don’t just give shows for free,” he says, surprising himself.
It makes Yixing laugh, though, so he doesn’t feel too bad about it. “What would you like then?” Yixing asks easily. He tilts his head, considering, and then breaks out into another one of those wicked grins. “A kiss, maybe?”
Yifan’s heart sinks to his stomach. Does he know?! Maybe Lu Han told him, maybe Yifan’s been too obvious, maybe--
Yixing’s laughter fills his ears and cuts off his panic. “I’m just kidding,” he says, and Yifan’s not entirely sure if he’s relieved or disappointed. He just stares. Yixing leans back on his hands atop Yifan’s bed, stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankle. “You play something,” he says, “and I’ll dance for you. Or treat you to something. Whatever you want.”
Yifan’s not entirely sure what he wants. Well. What he wants that he could actually tell Yixing to his face. In the back of his mind he remembers Lu Han’s advice to woo Yixing with his sax skills and even though Yifan doesn’t think that’s possible, it can’t hurt. Right?
He licks his lips and says, “Why don’t you just stay for dinner?” His heart is pounding at the invitation because he’s sure Yixing has more interesting things to do on a Saturday night than to watch Yifan play the sax and eat with his family or something but--
“That’s even better,” Yixing says delightedly, and his smile shows off his cute dimple and makes his eyes shine and Yifan is in way too deep. He really is. “Now come on,” Yixing says. “Play me something.”
-
“I know you don’t care about dance enough to come watch us rehearse,” Minseok says, sitting on the bleachers next to Yifan. He nudges him in the side and gives him a sly smile.
“Have you been talking to Lu Han?” Yifan asks slowly, trepidation filling his gut.
Minseok laughs. “I don’t need to talk to Lu Han to know about your crush on Yixing,” he says and Yifan feels his whole face go red. “The only person who doesn’t know is Yixing.”
“I’d like to keep it that way please,” Yifan says and he sounds pathetic even to himself.
“You know I won’t tell,” Minseok says and that’s why Yifan likes Minseok the best. “Lu Han, on the other hand….”
Yifan groans, shaking his head. He can only hope Lu Han hasn’t already told Yixing all of his terrible secrets, especially not this one. Yixing hasn’t asked him for confirmation on anything so maybe Lu Han is being kinder about this whole thing than Yifan expected from him.
“He talks about you a lot,” Minseok says casually, nodding in Yixing’s direction. He’s stretching on the floor and chatting with the dance team’s lead, Kim Jongin, who Yifan knows is also doing a solo collaboration with Kyungsoo for the upcoming event. He’s laughing over something, his eyes curving into crescents and his face a little flushed from dance and when he glances over at Yifan, he feels his heart stop, for just a second.
It jumps back into motion as Minseok’s words catch up to him and he turns to him in surprise. “What?”
“Yeah, he talks about how you’re really cute and such a good sax player,” he says, and Yifan wonders what sort of look is on his face because Minseok is definitely laughing at him. “He thinks you have good taste in music and fun to be around.” He grins and nudges Yifan again with his elbow. “I’d say he kind of has a crush on you, too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Yifan says and his voice goes a little embarrassingly pitchy.
Minseok only pats his shoulder and graciously doesn’t mention it, instead favoring to tell him, “You should confess. You’ve liked him for a long time, haven’t you?”
Yifan has thought about it, in very weak moments especially as of late now that he and Yixing have been spending more time together. Especially now that Yixing seems to treat Yifan like a friend and not just some guy from the orchestra that he has to work with. Yixing texts him pictures of food, tells Yifan to practice hard on the sax and asks questions about homework even though they’re not even in the same class. He sits with Yifan during lunch sometimes, laughs over Jongdae’s stupid stories and feeds Zitao bites of his meal and smiles at Yifan so warmly it’s impossible for Yifan to feel anything but happy.
So he’s thought about it, confessing. When they’re practicing together in the music room and Yixing is making up ridiculous dance routines just to be funny, when Yixing drags him after school to a nearby patbingsu shop even though they should be working and it’s really too cold for ice cream in the first place, when Yixing invites Yifan to come watch dance rehearsal with cute smiles and exaggerated aegyo like he actually needs to convince Yifan at all. There are moments there, where it all builds up inside of him, so full that his heart threatens to burst with his confession, but the moment will pass before Yifan can say anything and he pushes everything away, telling himself maybe another day.
It sucks because Yifan thinks he does want to tell Yixing, wants to put himself out there, and it’s never been that hard for him before, to speak his mind. He thinks he’s a pretty confident guy, all things considered, but something about Yixing makes Yifan so flustered and so uncertain that it’s easier keeping his feelings to himself.
He sighs, rubs a hand over his face. “I don’t know, Minseok,” he mutters.
“Just tell him,” Minseok says, “you’ll probably feel better if you do.”
Yifan’s not so sure about that, but as he glances over at Yixing again and Yixing catches his gaze and waves cheerfully, he thinks that maybe Minseok is right.
-
The last notes of the sax fade out as Yifan finishes the piece, gently setting his instrument onto his lap as Yixing, too, comes to a stop in front of him. He’s grinning widely as he meets Yifan’s gaze and Yifan smiles back. “I think that was the best we’ve done,” he says.
“Just in time, too, right? Since the show is this Friday,” Yixing says and he lifts the bottom of his shirt up to dab at a bit of sweat clinging to his neck. Yifan swallows thickly, trying not to stare at the smooth expanse of skin in gets, at the faint line of hair from his navel and disappears into his pants.
Shit shit shit. Yifan hastily drops his eyes and focuses on cleaning out his sax to put it away. Two seconds later, Yixing plops himself down into the seat next to him, stretching his legs out around the music stands to not knock them over and raising his arms over his head with a low sigh.
“You play really well,” he says, dropping his arms and reaching out to poke Yifan’s shoulder with a finger. “I didn't know much about the sax before this, I didn't know it could make such nice music.”
Yifan chuckles. "Most people don't," he says with a slight shrug. He sets his sax carefully into its case and snaps the top shut. "I'm kind of invisible as a sax player in the orchestra."
"But you're so tall!!" Yixing exclaims, making Yifan laugh out right, amused. Yixing looks almost offended on his behalf which makes a soft burn of pleasure run through Yifan's veins. Yixing huffs a bit and adds, "Well, I don't think you're invisible, and after our performance, the rest of the school won't either."
Yifan is pretty sure the only one people will be watching is Yixing, not him, because Yixing is made for the attention, the spotlight. With the sleek moves and smooth choreography he created for their piece, there's no way everyone won't be staring at him. He wishes he could say as much, but instead just murmurs, "We'll see."
"Have some faith!" Yixing says, and he pats Yifan's knee, his small hand seeming so small on Yifan's long leg. "You're really good."
"I know I am," Yifan says, because if there's anything he's a hundred percent confident in, it's this. "But you stand out much more than you think, Yixing."
There’s a spark of amusement in Yixing’s eyes as he tilts his head at Yifan and says, “Really? Do you think so?”
“You-You’ve always stood out to me,” Yifan says, and he’s not sure why his mouth is speaking without his brain’s permission. Yixing is staring at him with surprise now, and Yifan hastily tries to backtrack. “I mean--well, it’s hard not to notice you--you’re so nice and cool and, I just….”
“Yifan,” Yixing says, and he smiles at him like it’s any other day, like Yifan isn’t practically bursting inside with a sudden need to tell him, to make it clear how much Yifan can’t help but think about him, how amazing Yifan thinks he is, especially now, after all the time they’ve spent together lately--
“I like you,” he blurts out before he can stop himself, but at this point he almost doesn’t mind. He’s said more than he ever meant to say and, well, he doesn’t think he can hold back. Yixing’s smile fades just a bit in shock, and he stares at Yifan blankly, the way he gets sometimes when his mind wanders off in the middle of conversations. Yifan doesn’t take that too heart, just plows on. “I really like you, Yixing, and I don’t know why I’m telling you this, I mean, I don’t expect you to like me back, but it’s, uh, been really fun getting to work together on this project with you and, well.”
He swallows thickly, feeling his face heating up the more he speaks and the more Yixing’s silence weighs down on his shoulders. Yixing is a lot of things, but around Yifan he’s rarely this quiet. He almost always has something to say. But now it’s like he’s stuck in whatever separate universe his thoughts have traveled to, leaving Yifan behind in the stark reality of what he’s just done.
“Oh my god,” he mutters under his breath and he’s standing quickly, nearly knocking his saxophone case to the floor in his haste. “I’m sorry. I-I’ll just go now,” he says, slinging his backpack over his shoulders and pulling his case to his chest like it’ll project him from the way Yixing blinks back to life. His expression is still unreadable, but Yifan doesn’t want to stick around to hear what he has to say.
He bolts out of the room before Yixing can even open his mouth and the entire way home he wonders what the hell he’d been thinking.
-
"I'm proud of you, you finally did it!" Lu Han says, clapping Yifan on the back with more force than necessary. The way he's smiling makes it seem like he's more amused by Yifan's plight than actually proud, but Yifan is too upset to care.
"Then why do I feel so miserable?" he asks.
"Well, maybe if you hadn't gotten scared and run out of there before Yixing could say anything...."
"I wasn't scared," Yifan huffs in protest. He wrings his hands together and sighs. "I was just, embarrassed? I don't know." He groans. "I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have said anything and now he probably hates me."
"He doesn't hate you," Lu Han says, matter-of-fact. Before Yifan gets a chance to question him, he continues, "He asked where you were today during lunch. He thinks you're avoiding him."
"I am avoiding him," Yifan says, frowning. "Though he wasn't supposed to notice."
Lu Han snorts. "It's hard not to notice when you're not around," he says, gesturing at Yifan. "Suddenly there's so much more room~"
Yifan glares at him. "You are so unhelpful."
"I can't help you anymore," Lu Han says. "You confessed on your own, so you either stop sulking and stop avoiding him, or you go on festering in your misery until you forget about him."
Neither of those options sounds particularly pleasing. Yifan just sighs and flops backwards onto Lu Han's bed, unsure.
"And, well, I'm pretty sure if Yixing has anything to say about it, he's not gonna let you forget him so easily," Lu Han adds and there's something in the tone of his voice that suggests he knows more than he lets on.
Yifan leans up on his elbows to look at him, and Lu Han smiles at him in that angelic way of his that's not angelic at all. But Yifan is in the midst of despair from his confession and the unopened texts from Yixing on his phone and the effort he's put in to avoid him at school so he doesn't care. He just flops back down with a groan and lets Lu Han pat his knee sympathetically.
Tomorrow he will have to actually see Yixing properly because tomorrow is the big school event they've been working toward. Tomorrow he and Yixing will perform their piece and then, maybe, after all that, things can go back to how it used to be and everything will be all right.
Yifan clenches his eyes shut tight and hopes.
-
“Hey,” Yixing says, catching Yifan just before they’re supposed to set up for their performance. Yifan knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid him today, but he’d still tried his best to keep as much of a distance between them as possible. When he looks at Yixing though, he’s surprised to find him smiling like it’s any other day, his cute dimple showing in his cheek and his eyes warm. “Good luck out there,” he says, then chuckles. “Not that you need it. I know how good you are.”
“You, too,” Yifan says quickly, “Break a leg--I mean, not really, but uh--”
Yixing’s laughter cuts him off and Yifan flushes, shoulders hunching a bit. “Let’s show them what we can do, together, okay?”
Yifan nods at him, not willing to speak again in case he says something else incredibly stupid. Yixing pats his arm gently, encouragingly, before he flits off to join the rest of the dance team.
The anniversary event goes even better than expected. Yixing gives Yifan a wide smile just before Yifan launches into their piece. He's not nervous; playing the sax always makes him feel good, grounded, and especially after a few days of turmoil, performing the song he and Yixing picked out in front of the school, with Yixing dancing beside him, well. That feels better than anything.
There are other stages after the orchestra-dance team collab; some of the sports teams came together to raise money for the school through a win-a-date auction and Yifan watches that with amusement. Lu Han's face is quite priceless when a simpering first year girl wins, especially since Lu Han had mentioned something about hoping Minseok would bet on him and Minseok didn't even raise his hand.
Another class organized a small talent show, and even some of the teachers got together to put on a ridiculously done skit telling students to work hard and celebrate learning. They're all supposed to stay and watch the program to the end, but halfway through Yifan finds himself being pulled away by none other than Yixing.
"Don't look so afraid," Yixing says, and of course they end up in the music room. Yifan will forever associate this stupid room with his abysmal confession. "I just want to talk."
"We're supposed to be watching--" Yifan says in a weak attempt to get out of this mess.
Yixing just laughs. "I've heard Jongdae sing a hundred of times, I think we're okay." He smiles. Yifan feels a little trapped. Yixing is blocking the doorway.
He rubs his palms on his jeans and says, “Look, I, uh, I’m pretty sure I know what you want to talk about and it’s okay. You don’t have to say it.” Yifan stares at a spot above Yixing’s shoulder so he doesn’t have to see the expression on his face, yet in his peripherals he can tell Yixing is frowning. “I shouldn’t have said anything, and it’s probably better if you just forget about it. I’ll forget all about it, too, since that’s better for both of us, right?”
He darts his gaze toward Yixing, biting his lower lip nervously, and for a long moment Yixing is silent, staring at him blankly just like he did when Yifan confessed. But this time he breaks through it, and Yifan is surprised to find him grinning now, the same way he grinned before their performance not an hour ago, the same grin Yifan sees in his head every time he tries not to think about Yixing at all.
“Yifan,” he says softly, and it’s almost fond, the way his name sounds on Yixing’s lips. Yixing strides the few feet between them until he’s standing just in front of Yifan and he has to lightly tip his head back to look at him. Yifan’s throat feels suddenly dry. He kind of wants to hide.
But then Yixing says, “You know how you said you were glad you got to work with me on this project?”
Yifan blinks at him. He wasn’t expecting that. He nods, because that’s safer than speaking.
“I was really glad, too,” Yixing continues pleasantly and the pounding of Yifan’s heart in his ears starts to quicken. “I’m glad it was you. It wouldn’t have been quite as fun with anyone else.”
Yifan’s not so sure about that but he doesn’t dare refute him. Besides, this is...this is exactly what Yifan wants to hear. Yixing doesn’t hate him, for his confession. Yixing liked spending time with him.
“And,” Yixing says, and his grin is practically blinding now, it’s so bright. Yifan can’t look away from him even if he tried. “Most importantly, I’m glad you like me. I’m glad you told me, because, well, I really like you, too.”
It takes a moment, for those words to sink in. Then Yifan is lurching backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet because what???
“What?!” he exclaims, eyes widening. He must have heard wrong, there’s no way--
Yixing laughs. “I’m serious,” he says. “I like you, Yifan. The way you said you liked me.” He frowns slowly and adds, “Unless, that’s changed…”
“No!” Yifan practically shouts. “No! It hasn’t, I like you, I do.”
“Good,” Yixing beams, and he steps up to Yifan again and reaches up to tug on the collar of his uniform blazer. “Because I’ve wanted to do this for awhile.”
And before Yifan can even process it, Yixing is yanking him down into a kiss, pressing his soft, plush lips against Yifan’s, in the way Yifan has always thought about in his dreams. Except this is infinitely better than his stupid dreams, his dreams don’t stand a chance against the sweet, sweet reality and the way Yixing’s laughter bubbles out of him afterward, breath tickling Yifan’s chin before he kisses him again and again and again.
By the time they part for real, Yifan feels a little dizzy and his heart has practically flown out of his chest and Yixing is standing in front of him with a beautiful smile and slick red lips and god, is this real? Is he dreaming?
Yixing releases his hold on Yifan’s collar and instead slides his hand down to lace their fingers together and squeeze, and wow. Yes. This is real. He gapes at Yixing and questions, “You like me?”
“I do,” Yixing says simply. Then he grins and drags Yifan toward the door. “Now come on, I hear Baekhyun and Chanyeol are supposed to perform SNSD’s I Got a Boy in drag as the closing stage.”
Yifan laughs, still so surprised, but mostly happy, and he gently squeezes Yixing’s hand back and follows after.
note: rolls thanks to the op for the cute prompt i had fun writing this! i hope you enjoyed it~ thank you for reading!♡ (＾ω＾)