Work Text:
Sometimes, some days, many things, good and bad, happens in a brief while, not really letting us focusing in feeling according to each. It's like our brains just gets into a process of moving forwards without knowing where to go, what to say or how to feel. It's like we become robots, unable to express anything. But actually, it's not that situations don't affect us. They do. However, we retain all of that inside. Saving everything into a box. Maybe, a Pandora's box. Because it always opens, sooner or later we burst into emotions. We feel all we didn’t during the whole time in one second, making the world look as an overwhelming place to stay. Only when this happens and we end up reacting to those emotions, it's when we can understand all what we lived.
And suddenly, everything in front of us is way clearer.
*****
That day had been tough. It had been his birthday, but it turned out painful and gloomy. He was working that day, not really having too much time to celebrate, still he tried to. Afterwards, regrets filled his heart, not really wanting to celebrate his birthday ever again. The stress of his tight schedule, the tiredness of recording day and night, the heat of the summer made all those insults and mockery affect him enough to have a knot in his throat and wish to disappear from Earth. However, that's impossible to happen, so he tried to cope up with poker face even if he felt all eyes were on him, pitying him. His 21st birthday became a hell even if it started as sweet as it had never done before. Yet the person who made it special wasn't beside him. He was alone. So he had to overcome that day alone.
Finally, when the night had arrived, the birthday had even ended, still his mood was down, remembering those comments as his head couldn’t focus on something else. The lines of the scenes that night disappeared and when his eyes reread them, his brain was reading nothing. They just moved from side to side, looking as working, but being unable to.
Then, after the whole day alone, that man showed up again with worried eyes, observing around in a hurry. Wang Yibo had spent long time admiring him already; it was so easy for him to find that star. However, that person looked so quickly around he wasn't finding what he wanted. Until finally, someone spotted Yibo when he asked. Right after, their eyes met and Xiao Zhan walked with long steps toward him. His long hair and white clothes danced in the air, as if an angel had just fallen from sky. So Yibo just stayed on his place, hearing that soft voice once more.
“I came as soon as possible” Xiao Zhan spoke with heavier breath than usual, indicating he might have run too.
He tried not to know what he was talking about, though. “Why?”
“I wanted to know how you are, Yibo” his expression was so sincere the younger man felt his eyes burning.
“I'm fine, we have to record now. Have you studied the lines?” he changed the subject fast, not letting him continuing asking so Yibo didn’t have to continue lying.
Still, Xiao Zhan frowned. “Yes, it's the scene in the rooftop, right?” Yibo just nodded and headed to the set. Without a minute of delay, the director gave the order to get ready for the first take so any possible attempt to talk was broken. Yibo was glad because if they talked about it, he wouldn’t be able to work properly after. That was why, not looking back, he went up on the rooftop thanks to the help of the staff. When he turned around, Xiao Zhan's eyes were on him constantly. He could even feel some staff glancing at them, wondering why they weren't playing as usual.
“The camera broke?!” the director's surprise was heard around the set, so both deviated his attention quickly.
“Repair it fast!”
“We need to go to the truck first!”
“We’ll be so late...” the director sighed and turned toward the actors. “Come down and wait, this will take a while” exactly after this, Yibo was already approaching the staircase. However, Xiao Zhan was faster.
“We’ll stay here” adding his coworker was enough to make Yibo return on his steps, desiring to know why they would. “Will you watch the stars with me, Yibo?” a tender smile captivated him and immediately, the young man couldn't say no. Then, the staff went away to help with the broken material and, as they sat over the rooftop with only each other's company, Yibo sighed and relaxed a bit, showing his real mode.
The night was dense, but clear. No clouds that could hide the stars shinning deeply thanks to the lack of light around. The moon was also greeting them at a side, just showing part of itself shyly. Everything made a beautiful combination to admire and calm one self's soul. Around, people were still working, but it felt as they'd entered a bubble and they couldn’t hear them as the staff couldn't see them either. That was why Xiao Zhan decided to do that.
“I saw a bit of the livestream” not everything would be watching stars, though. In response of his silence, the older man continued talking. “I saw the mean comments. I also saw you, Yibo” then, he glanced at him, finding a man looking down.
“It’s nothing”
“Aiyo, Yibo. How long will you keep pretending it's fine? That you're okay?” he frowned while speaking aloud, kind of scolding him for trying so hard to hide his real emotions.
“If I show I'm not, will something change?” as always his answer surprised him and Xiao Zhan confirmed once again he was a clever boy.
“No, it won't. But at least I may help you to feel better” for a second, the stars weren't watched anymore between them.
“Then, if you want that, let's stop talking about it” his reply was rude, cutting the chat abruptly. He wasn't the type of guy who beat around the bush, still Xiao Zhan gulped and nodded in silence. Right after, Yibo glanced at him, knowing he had gone too far with the person who wanted to help him the most, and for a second, he felt even worse. So exactly when he was taking the decision to stand up and go down there, Xiao Zhan spoke aloud for last time.
“Which star do you think I am?” his eyes were looking up, having the whole universe shinning into his pupils, and Yibo was retained a bit more. He checked all the visible stars until his hand pointed out one that was vividly brightening.
“That one”
“Why?”
“Because it's the shiniest star in the sky” he explained effortlessly, not really having planned to play or flirt. For Yibo, he was always brightening so specially that he searched for that bond without thinking about it twice.
“And you?” Xiao Zhan asked, this time with a wild smile on his face after his comment.
“The one beside it” his eyes were stuck now on those two stars, one brightening more than the other, but so close one another that they seemed as shinning together even more.
“Why are you so romantic?” his coworker couldn't help but ask with red ears and Yibo started to be unable to control his commissures from moving slowly on his face.
“It’s really easy with Zhan-ge” as easy as playing without realizing it and Yibo was aware. However, after this, Xiao Zhan remained looking at those stars without even blinking and silence took over for a few seconds.
“It’s a pity the light we see it's from millions of years ago” he pouted suddenly.
“Maybe, their light it's from when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying fell in love” his comment could be refuted very easy, yet Xiao Zhan just giggled embarrassed and turned his head toward him.
“What do you mean?” his voice became very low.
“Maybe those two stars were meant to be here... As us” Yibo also faced him, letting the sky surround them tenderly.
“So those stars are our witnesses?” his almond eyes seemed as the paradise Yibo wanted to never let go.
“They are”
“And what are they witnessing?”
“Our love story”
“Yibo...” Xiao Zhan sighed with a smile that must be hurting his cheeks. His partner only kept waiting for what would come after his name. “Love story, do you think this is a love story?” he kept giggling, maybe because that comment made him nervous or maybe because the idea of living a love story with Yibo was too exciting.
“Yes” his answer was too short, concise and straightforward that Xiao Zhan felt how his stomach went up and down in a second, losing that smile as fast as that affirmation was spoken.
“I know that we're more than friends, that we've spent a night together, that we've kissed... But I'm not sure if I consider this a love story” his voice became sad, accompanying the upset face of Yibo who tried to hide it immediately.
“You’re not in love with me, right?” his almond eyes stared at him, not even attempting to remove them a second. And Xiao Zhan felt exposed, as if even the minimum thought would be read by those eyes.
“No, I really like you, but I don’t know if it’s because I’m so into this character...” when he explained the main reason why he was holding back about going further, Yibo still saw a way.
“And after, when we'll end the drama, what will happen then?” his question arrived so fast that Xiao Zhan smiled by how cute it was.
“I may indeed fall in love with you” at first, he said this so sure of himself, but at the next instant, he got all shy and his eyes burned as hell.
“Do you want to fall in love with me?” Yibo approached him a bit, to speak lower so only them and the stars above them would know about it.
Xiao Zhan, then, leaned his head on his knees and stared at him with brilliant eyes. “Believe me when I say I'd love to” in millions of years, Yibo would have never thought he would obtain such an answer. So when his ears corroborated he was awake and perfectly aware of the meaning of that sentence, he bit his lower lip to control himself poorly.
“I wanna kiss you so badly, now...” he complained in a mutter before hiding his face on his hand, listening a soft giggle beside him.
“We can't now, but you can come to my room after...” his invitation made his eyes wide widely as that man chuckled nervously. It was the first time Xiao Zhan made the first step. And that verified his words.
“I'd love to” slowly, one of his hands went to search for his friend's, stroking it gently while being sure no one was watching them. His thumb rubbed that soft skin as if it was his lips kissing him as sweet as he had never done before. His day had sucked with capital letters, still exactly when they met again, all of that magically disappeared.
However, in the middle of their world of stars, love and hidden caresses, the director broke it by calling them to record. Both turned around, removing their hands as if they burnt. Even if they wanted to remain like that until their skins would merge, they also knew the sooner they would end, the sooned they would meet in that room again. So both stood up to finish their work.
Before that, Yibo called Xiao Zhan for last time. “I’ll wait for you to fall in love with me, I've promised it to the stars” not expecting that at all, the older man wided his eyes slightly, noticing that maybe, he wouldn’t have to wait for too long after all.
“Then, never break that promise, please” his eyes started to bright as if the sky was inside of them, but it was just the happiness after having heard one of the most beautiful love confessions of his life. And in fact, Xiao Zhan found himself craving for loving that man back as soon as possible.