IN MY REMAINS - CHAPTER 12
Title: In My Remains - Chapter 12
Pairing: KrisLay (main), LayHan, BaekYeol
Word Count: ~2,000 words
Summary: A weary Yixing returns home from prison for a crime he didn’t do and discovers that the lover he has covered for had been cheating on him.
Length: Chaptered
Disclaimer: Title comes from a song by Linkin Park. Inspired by Nice Guy.
A/N: This is the sequel to one-shot Lost in the Echo.
“Who the hell gave you this?” the blond exploded, the sparks of fury coming from the celebrity leaving Yixing dumbfounded. “Is it Luhan!?”
At that, the surprise gave way to genuine annoyance and Yixing had to grip the piece of paper tightly to stop himself from hitting Kris. Although he could understand now the animosity between the two of them, it didn’t mean that Yixing appreciated it when one attacked the other, physically or verbally. He shot Kris a scowl and shoved the paper back into his pocket.
“No,” Yixing said coolly, “I didn’t see him today.”
The only people he had come across today were the MBC receptionist, Baek Hyun and Jongin. Yixing had a slight idea who the writer of that note might be but he hoped it wasn’t true. He especially did not want to share his suspicion with Kris because he knew Kris would fly into a rage if he knew.
“What do you mean you fired Chanyeol?” he said instead, frowning. Weren’t they inseparable? Hell, they even have couple rings - Yixing never even had that for once in his life.
The tall celebrity flushed a little. “He was getting out of line. Trying to prevent me from going after you,” he muttered.
What.
What?!
Yixing’s jaw dropped in horror. Holy mother of… Did Kris really intend to cheat on Chanyeol with him!? And he expected Chanyeol to be okay with it? He balled his hand into a fist in disbelief, tempted to punch the living daylights out of the other man. As much as he still stupidly harboured something for Kris, he could not believe he had actually come between “KrisYeol”. He was the fucking third party.
“Are you retarded?” Yixing exclaimed, grabbing a fistful of Kris’s shirt. “How could you do this to Chanyeol?”
The look of guilt and confusion on Kris’s face hit a raw nerve in Yixing. How dare he pretend this was fine-
Baek Hyun burst through the door before Yixing could send a punch to Kris’s handsome face. It was only when Baek Hyun’s eyes widened slightly that it occurred to Yixing that shit, Kris was the person Chanyeol is cheating on Baek Hyun with and Baek Hyun didn’t even know.
Or did he?
He could practically feel vibes of hostility roll off Baek Hyun’s skin. Hmmm. From what Yixing remembered, Baek Hyun knew that Kris was Chanyeol’s boss as well as the man who broke Yixing’s heart, but it didn’t make sense for him to loathe Kris unless he knew what was going on behind the work relationship of Chanyeol and Kris.
“I think Jongin’s looking for you,” was all Baek Hyun said before he pulled Yixing off Kris.
Yixing cleared his throat uncomfortably; the puzzled look on Kris’s face making it obvious that he had no clue who Baek Hyun was. Of course. Why would Chanyeol tell Kris about his lover?
“Kris, Baek Hyun,” he murmured an introduction but he didn’t have the opportunity to say another word when Baek Hyun dragged him out of the staff room without even greeting Kris.
He let the other man push him to stand a distance away from the staff room and watched as Baek Hyun practically stared a hole at the door where Kris stood on the other side.
“What’s going on, Baek?” he asked slowly.
Baek Hyun’s head snapped up to stare steadily at Yixing. “Don’t cheat on Luhan, okay?” he said tightly. “Luhan’s good for you.”
“Why are you so adamant that I stay with Luhan?” Yixing demanded suspiciously when a thought came into his head. He pulled out the threat note and thrust it into Baek Hyun’s. “Did you write this? Did you put this in my bag?”
Baek Hyun at least had the decency to look embarrassed as he tore the piece of paper into pieces without reading it. The scowl on Yixing’s face grew even darker because even though they were good friends, it just wasn’t right to be sending threats to him as much as Baek Hyun rooted for him and Luhan. It was still ultimately the decision for Yixing to make.
“I don’t want to see you hurt again,” Baek Hyun said sincerely. The unreadable expression in his eyes caused Yixing to wonder if there was more to his words than he believed. Just what was it? What else was being hidden from him?
***
It felt like a decade passed before Yixing had his weekly off day. Although his job at MBC was only on weekdays, his night stint at Jongin’s pub meant that he could only have Sundays off. All this would change soon enough though, because according to Jongin, if Yixing was going to sing at his pub, he had better brush up on his instruments and song writing. Jongin even made Yixing promise to quit his job at MBC soon because 1) he was going to need the hours in the day to practise and 2) he was paying Yixing enough to cover the salary MBC gave him.
Unfortunately for Yixing, he was experiencing one of the worst writer’s block. After his 15th attempt to write lyrics, he threw the notepad down onto the table in frustration and flopped facedown onto his bed. Funny, inspiration should come easily to him but all Yixing could think of right now were the numerous secrets kept from him and the truth that nobody was giving him. Two years of no contact with the outside world had triggered way too many events.
Lifting his head an inch from the bed, Yixing turned sideways to look at his backpack. It took only three seconds before he decided to reach over and take the stack of letters he had stolen, no, borrowed, from Baek Hyun’s box.
Squelching down his anxiety, Yixing pulled a letter randomly from the middle of the pile and opened it with some hesitance.
- did well in the auditions. One of the judges said they would definitely call me. This is it, Baek! After 5 years, I’m finally going to debut! -
How did such an actor hopeful turn from this to Kris’s manager?
A sigh escaped his lips as Yixing reached for another letter further down in the pile.
- I didn’t get it, Baek. Hyung says the role went to someone who was a friend of a friend of the PD’s. -
- The company dropped me. Said I was wasting too much of their resources and I was becoming old. -
Sympathy for Chanyeol burned dully in his chest but other than that, there was also apprehension. How could Chanyeol become lovers with the man who stole his chance of fame? The letters fell from Yixing’s hands onto the floor as a thought struck his head. Did he have a motive for getting close to Kris?
His head was starting to throb. Scooping up the letters, Yixing dumped them all in his drawer and curled up on his bed, burying himself under the blanket. Some sleep would do him good. Everything else could wait till the next morning.
His eyes had barely closed when he was awakened rudely by a loud commotion outside his door. Before he could process what was happening, his door was flung open and there stood 3 figures - Kyung Soo, Jongin... and Kris.
“I told you not to disturb him!”
“Hyung, just let them be-”
Yixing’s bleary gaze flickered away from the squabbling couple to the tall blond next to them, who at least had it in him to look embarrassed for the sudden intrusion. Reluctantly, he sat up on his bed, subconsciously aware that his hair was sticking out in odd angles and that he was basically not in a state for visitors.
“What’s going on?” he asked wearily, raising an eyebrow as Jongin literally carried an annoyed Kyung Soo out of his room and slammed his room door shut.
Standing at the foot of his bed, Kris shuffled uncomfortably and fidgeted with his hair. “Did I wake you up?” he asked softly. “Sorry... I can’t seem to do anything right. I just wanted to talk.”
He looked so sheepish and doubtful of himself that Yixing’s heart couldn’t help but thaw a little. The Kris he knew had so much confidence it could rival a politician's, yet he was standing there looking so unsure of himself.
Maybe Kris could answer some of the questions that had been killing his brain cells lately.
Feeling sorry for the latter, he patted the side of his bed and gestured for Kris to sit next to him. “So what is it that you want to talk about?” he asked, a hint of wariness in his voice. “You do know that you’re not exactly in my good books now, right?”
The celebrity sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed, his body turned to face Yixing. Yixing’s stomach flipped at their close proximity and at how indecent this could possibly look. They were on a bed for god’s sake. He suddenly felt relieved that at least he was under the blanket and that thin material at least prevented skin to skin contact.
“I think there’s some misunderstanding,” Kris began, looking at Yixing imploringly. “There is nothing going on between Chanyeol and I.”
Yixing snorted indignantly, his hands clenched tightly at his side. He might not know Chanyeol, but after reading the letters, he was sure the other did not deserve to be treated the way Kris did to him. He was tempted to clout Kris again, which seemed rather obvious to Kris that the actor quickly continued. “Chanyeol and I are friends. There’s nothing more to that.”
“Oh, so you kiss all your friends?” Yixing retorted sarcastically.
Kris’s eyes rounded at the remark and his mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to form a sentence but his brain wasn’t helping him. “I don’t...” he trailed off and shook his head fervently. Understanding dawned on him. “... You saw that kiss, didn’t you? That would explain your reaction yesterday.
“Chanyeol and I were never together.” Kris played with the hem of his shirt uncomfortably. “We were friends. Just close friends like I wrote you. I didn’t realise he likes me? It was only recently that he confessed to me... last week actually.”
Yixing’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Last week?” he echoed. “But Chanyeol has been telling me to stay away from you since I became your PA and that you belong to him and-” He paused. “What about the couple ring? I saw that KrisYeol ring on your table!”
The look of bewilderment on Kris’s face looked so real that Yixing found it difficult to think he was faking it. “What KrisYeol ring?” He frowned. “Chanyeol said that? He’s... more possessive than I thought,” he murmured under his breath and reached under the blanket for Yixing’s hand. “I swear to you, Xing. I haven’t dated anyone since you... since you covered for me in prison. I love you.”
Kris’s hand felt warm in his. Almost as warm as how his cheeks felt right now. Those three words sent an arrow through his heart. His chest tightened so much he found it difficult to breathe.
“You... love me?” Yixing asked haltingly, an expression of uncertainty on his face.
It almost felt like a dream when the other man nodded firmly and enveloped him in a hug before he could realise what was happening. His lips twitched into a slight smile. Kris loved him. He had been waiting for him.
“You suck,” he muttered into Kris’s shirt, though that did not stop him from tugging him closer. He buried his head into Kris’s chest, overwhelmed by his familiar smell and the onslaught of emotions. Relaxing in his hold, Yixing’s smile widened just a tiny bit at the sound of relieved laughter from the latter. His eyes fluttered close as Kris placed a lingering kiss on his forehead.
Maybe for today, he’d forget about the questions that were yet to be answered. Maybe for today, he’d forget about the lies people blatantly fed him. Maybe for today, he’d forget he was with Luhan.
Just for today, he’d pretend everything was perfect.
thirteen
Pairing: KrisLay (main), LayHan, BaekYeol
Word Count: ~2,000 words
Summary: A weary Yixing returns home from prison for a crime he didn’t do and discovers that the lover he has covered for had been cheating on him.
Length: Chaptered
Disclaimer: Title comes from a song by Linkin Park. Inspired by Nice Guy.
A/N: This is the sequel to one-shot Lost in the Echo.
“Who the hell gave you this?” the blond exploded, the sparks of fury coming from the celebrity leaving Yixing dumbfounded. “Is it Luhan!?”
At that, the surprise gave way to genuine annoyance and Yixing had to grip the piece of paper tightly to stop himself from hitting Kris. Although he could understand now the animosity between the two of them, it didn’t mean that Yixing appreciated it when one attacked the other, physically or verbally. He shot Kris a scowl and shoved the paper back into his pocket.
“No,” Yixing said coolly, “I didn’t see him today.”
The only people he had come across today were the MBC receptionist, Baek Hyun and Jongin. Yixing had a slight idea who the writer of that note might be but he hoped it wasn’t true. He especially did not want to share his suspicion with Kris because he knew Kris would fly into a rage if he knew.
“What do you mean you fired Chanyeol?” he said instead, frowning. Weren’t they inseparable? Hell, they even have couple rings - Yixing never even had that for once in his life.
The tall celebrity flushed a little. “He was getting out of line. Trying to prevent me from going after you,” he muttered.
What.
What?!
Yixing’s jaw dropped in horror. Holy mother of… Did Kris really intend to cheat on Chanyeol with him!? And he expected Chanyeol to be okay with it? He balled his hand into a fist in disbelief, tempted to punch the living daylights out of the other man. As much as he still stupidly harboured something for Kris, he could not believe he had actually come between “KrisYeol”. He was the fucking third party.
“Are you retarded?” Yixing exclaimed, grabbing a fistful of Kris’s shirt. “How could you do this to Chanyeol?”
The look of guilt and confusion on Kris’s face hit a raw nerve in Yixing. How dare he pretend this was fine-
Baek Hyun burst through the door before Yixing could send a punch to Kris’s handsome face. It was only when Baek Hyun’s eyes widened slightly that it occurred to Yixing that shit, Kris was the person Chanyeol is cheating on Baek Hyun with and Baek Hyun didn’t even know.
Or did he?
He could practically feel vibes of hostility roll off Baek Hyun’s skin. Hmmm. From what Yixing remembered, Baek Hyun knew that Kris was Chanyeol’s boss as well as the man who broke Yixing’s heart, but it didn’t make sense for him to loathe Kris unless he knew what was going on behind the work relationship of Chanyeol and Kris.
“I think Jongin’s looking for you,” was all Baek Hyun said before he pulled Yixing off Kris.
Yixing cleared his throat uncomfortably; the puzzled look on Kris’s face making it obvious that he had no clue who Baek Hyun was. Of course. Why would Chanyeol tell Kris about his lover?
“Kris, Baek Hyun,” he murmured an introduction but he didn’t have the opportunity to say another word when Baek Hyun dragged him out of the staff room without even greeting Kris.
He let the other man push him to stand a distance away from the staff room and watched as Baek Hyun practically stared a hole at the door where Kris stood on the other side.
“What’s going on, Baek?” he asked slowly.
Baek Hyun’s head snapped up to stare steadily at Yixing. “Don’t cheat on Luhan, okay?” he said tightly. “Luhan’s good for you.”
“Why are you so adamant that I stay with Luhan?” Yixing demanded suspiciously when a thought came into his head. He pulled out the threat note and thrust it into Baek Hyun’s. “Did you write this? Did you put this in my bag?”
Baek Hyun at least had the decency to look embarrassed as he tore the piece of paper into pieces without reading it. The scowl on Yixing’s face grew even darker because even though they were good friends, it just wasn’t right to be sending threats to him as much as Baek Hyun rooted for him and Luhan. It was still ultimately the decision for Yixing to make.
“I don’t want to see you hurt again,” Baek Hyun said sincerely. The unreadable expression in his eyes caused Yixing to wonder if there was more to his words than he believed. Just what was it? What else was being hidden from him?
***
It felt like a decade passed before Yixing had his weekly off day. Although his job at MBC was only on weekdays, his night stint at Jongin’s pub meant that he could only have Sundays off. All this would change soon enough though, because according to Jongin, if Yixing was going to sing at his pub, he had better brush up on his instruments and song writing. Jongin even made Yixing promise to quit his job at MBC soon because 1) he was going to need the hours in the day to practise and 2) he was paying Yixing enough to cover the salary MBC gave him.
Unfortunately for Yixing, he was experiencing one of the worst writer’s block. After his 15th attempt to write lyrics, he threw the notepad down onto the table in frustration and flopped facedown onto his bed. Funny, inspiration should come easily to him but all Yixing could think of right now were the numerous secrets kept from him and the truth that nobody was giving him. Two years of no contact with the outside world had triggered way too many events.
Lifting his head an inch from the bed, Yixing turned sideways to look at his backpack. It took only three seconds before he decided to reach over and take the stack of letters he had stolen, no, borrowed, from Baek Hyun’s box.
Squelching down his anxiety, Yixing pulled a letter randomly from the middle of the pile and opened it with some hesitance.
- did well in the auditions. One of the judges said they would definitely call me. This is it, Baek! After 5 years, I’m finally going to debut! -
How did such an actor hopeful turn from this to Kris’s manager?
A sigh escaped his lips as Yixing reached for another letter further down in the pile.
- I didn’t get it, Baek. Hyung says the role went to someone who was a friend of a friend of the PD’s. -
- The company dropped me. Said I was wasting too much of their resources and I was becoming old. -
Sympathy for Chanyeol burned dully in his chest but other than that, there was also apprehension. How could Chanyeol become lovers with the man who stole his chance of fame? The letters fell from Yixing’s hands onto the floor as a thought struck his head. Did he have a motive for getting close to Kris?
His head was starting to throb. Scooping up the letters, Yixing dumped them all in his drawer and curled up on his bed, burying himself under the blanket. Some sleep would do him good. Everything else could wait till the next morning.
His eyes had barely closed when he was awakened rudely by a loud commotion outside his door. Before he could process what was happening, his door was flung open and there stood 3 figures - Kyung Soo, Jongin... and Kris.
“I told you not to disturb him!”
“Hyung, just let them be-”
Yixing’s bleary gaze flickered away from the squabbling couple to the tall blond next to them, who at least had it in him to look embarrassed for the sudden intrusion. Reluctantly, he sat up on his bed, subconsciously aware that his hair was sticking out in odd angles and that he was basically not in a state for visitors.
“What’s going on?” he asked wearily, raising an eyebrow as Jongin literally carried an annoyed Kyung Soo out of his room and slammed his room door shut.
Standing at the foot of his bed, Kris shuffled uncomfortably and fidgeted with his hair. “Did I wake you up?” he asked softly. “Sorry... I can’t seem to do anything right. I just wanted to talk.”
He looked so sheepish and doubtful of himself that Yixing’s heart couldn’t help but thaw a little. The Kris he knew had so much confidence it could rival a politician's, yet he was standing there looking so unsure of himself.
Maybe Kris could answer some of the questions that had been killing his brain cells lately.
Feeling sorry for the latter, he patted the side of his bed and gestured for Kris to sit next to him. “So what is it that you want to talk about?” he asked, a hint of wariness in his voice. “You do know that you’re not exactly in my good books now, right?”
The celebrity sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed, his body turned to face Yixing. Yixing’s stomach flipped at their close proximity and at how indecent this could possibly look. They were on a bed for god’s sake. He suddenly felt relieved that at least he was under the blanket and that thin material at least prevented skin to skin contact.
“I think there’s some misunderstanding,” Kris began, looking at Yixing imploringly. “There is nothing going on between Chanyeol and I.”
Yixing snorted indignantly, his hands clenched tightly at his side. He might not know Chanyeol, but after reading the letters, he was sure the other did not deserve to be treated the way Kris did to him. He was tempted to clout Kris again, which seemed rather obvious to Kris that the actor quickly continued. “Chanyeol and I are friends. There’s nothing more to that.”
“Oh, so you kiss all your friends?” Yixing retorted sarcastically.
Kris’s eyes rounded at the remark and his mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to form a sentence but his brain wasn’t helping him. “I don’t...” he trailed off and shook his head fervently. Understanding dawned on him. “... You saw that kiss, didn’t you? That would explain your reaction yesterday.
“Chanyeol and I were never together.” Kris played with the hem of his shirt uncomfortably. “We were friends. Just close friends like I wrote you. I didn’t realise he likes me? It was only recently that he confessed to me... last week actually.”
Yixing’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Last week?” he echoed. “But Chanyeol has been telling me to stay away from you since I became your PA and that you belong to him and-” He paused. “What about the couple ring? I saw that KrisYeol ring on your table!”
The look of bewilderment on Kris’s face looked so real that Yixing found it difficult to think he was faking it. “What KrisYeol ring?” He frowned. “Chanyeol said that? He’s... more possessive than I thought,” he murmured under his breath and reached under the blanket for Yixing’s hand. “I swear to you, Xing. I haven’t dated anyone since you... since you covered for me in prison. I love you.”
Kris’s hand felt warm in his. Almost as warm as how his cheeks felt right now. Those three words sent an arrow through his heart. His chest tightened so much he found it difficult to breathe.
“You... love me?” Yixing asked haltingly, an expression of uncertainty on his face.
It almost felt like a dream when the other man nodded firmly and enveloped him in a hug before he could realise what was happening. His lips twitched into a slight smile. Kris loved him. He had been waiting for him.
“You suck,” he muttered into Kris’s shirt, though that did not stop him from tugging him closer. He buried his head into Kris’s chest, overwhelmed by his familiar smell and the onslaught of emotions. Relaxing in his hold, Yixing’s smile widened just a tiny bit at the sound of relieved laughter from the latter. His eyes fluttered close as Kris placed a lingering kiss on his forehead.
Maybe for today, he’d forget about the questions that were yet to be answered. Maybe for today, he’d forget about the lies people blatantly fed him. Maybe for today, he’d forget he was with Luhan.
Just for today, he’d pretend everything was perfect.
thirteen