Six Degrees of Separation [JunZhe]

1. It Must End

He had always feared this moment, the moment when Zhang Zhehan would finally let him go.

Although they seemed to have a deep romantic-sexual relationship, Gong Jun still doubted Zhang Zhehan's feelings for him; he knew him to be supportive and soft-hearted; he knew that he loved him, but he didn't know which type of love. He had always felt himself falling deeper and deeper for him, while Zhang Zhehan seemed to grow more and more distant.

It was the first day after the concert, Gong Jun had been feeling uneasy with Zhang Zhehan's indifferent attitude. He had been avoiding him ever since they left the dressing room the night before; he hadn't uttered a word to him after the fan meeting and even refused to sit close to him during dinner.

Gong Jun started getting worried and he feared what's yet to come. From his experience in acting out romantic scripts, he had learned that this behavior would only lead to one thing. A break up.

However, he had always considered those scripts to be stupid and somehow unrealistic; the leads never confront each other and they always evade taking the first step, striving to put their dignity over their feelings instead of striving to chase the love their hearts always craved.

Gong Jun sat sleepless in bed, head against the wooden board of the hotel bed, he groaned in annoyance at his inability to stop over-thinking and fumbled between the sheets for his phone. It was exactly 2:00 AM. He knew Zhang Zhehan would still be awake since he was never the type to sleep early; he opened the chat and closed it three times, afraid of receiving another rejection.

But then the phone lit up with a new notification.

[Come to my room]

Without replying to the text, Gong Jun got up and sprinted to Zhang Zhehan's room, which was just next door. He was about to knock before he realized that the door was slightly open, he pushed it reluctantly and the squeaking sound caught Zhang Zhehan's attention. He was sitting on the chair watching the city lights, his hair was perfectly fine and it seemed like he never slept as well.

"Zhang Loashi." Gong Jun called softly.

"Don't call me that when we're alone, JunJun." Zhang Zhehan left his chair and approached him, closing the door along the way. "Sit." He motioned towards the bed.

Gong Jun's heart pounded, a hundred thoughts ambushed his mind as he quietly observed Zhang Zhehan's stern, indifferent expression. "You haven't slept too?" He finally spoke, voice shy and low.

"I couldn't." He sat beside him on the bed; his eyes carrying words that he didn't want to say.

"Why?" Gong Jun tried to caress his face but Zhang Zhehan averted his touch.

"JunJun..." He placed his hand over his, "I don't know how to say this..."

Gong Jun was internally screaming at Zhang Zhehan to stop right there and take back whatever he was about to say, "I know what you want to say..." He shook his head slowly, "don't..."

"Listen to me," Zhang Zhehan pulled him into a hug, "you know I will always be there for you, supporting you in every step you take and every decision you make..." He stroked his hair, "I promised you that on stage and I meant every word..."

Gong Jun's eyes had already started dripping tears on Zhang Zhehan's clothes, he gripped his shirt and pulled slightly, uncontrollably, as he continued to hear the words that he'd acted out in countless dramas, the words that end relationships and break hearts. "Zhehan..."

"You have a whole future ahead of you, you should continue to chase your dreams." Zhang Zhehan spoke softly, "one of your dreams came true yesterday, and more is yet to come..." He pulled back and looked at him, he paused for a while before lifting his hand to wipe away the tears on Gong Jun's pretty face, "why are you crying?"