Strings of Fate || Mafia AU (hiatus)

Ch. 10

The next days Wuxian was always surprised by the older. he wasn't able to make himself clear to Xichen, yet the older was persistent in bringing gifts and doing gestures that the older do on his own accord.

Xichen brings him breakfast every time he leaves his apartment. The older waiting outside on his own with a bag of a container of freshly cooked breakfast. He declines shyly but he got nothing to do when the older gives him pouty sulking lips. He just accepts them politely and thanks him.

The older even goes his way in fetching him from his university, though, his always excuse is that the way to his university is the route of his jogging routine. Even a child knows that it was a lie, but he pretends he doesn't know it, understanding that maybe it is because of his attraction to him that the older goes out of his way to do it.

He also sometimes treats him to food on their way home as they walk side by side, extravagant or just street foods, anywhere as long as they both get full. There were also small gestures that Wuxian obliviously not notice.

Slowly, Wuxian started to heal. The pain of loneliness was buried at the back of his head. Though once in a while, the pain comes rushing back, it was less painful since the older distracts him from them.

His life runs so smoothly that he questions himself, "Is it right to rely on him to forget the pain I'm feeling while he doesn't know that I like another and he'd become the stepping stone of my moving-on process?" he thinks as he stares blankly at his ceiling.

It's been a month that the older confesses his feelings for him yet he hasn't given him an answer yet. Despite his vagueness, the older still goes his own way to spoil him, or he may call it courting since it seems like it.

He sighs heavily, the image of his unrequited love still appears on to his blank ceiling but not as painful as before. Maybe a twinge or two, a little pinch, but it doesn't open his waterworks anymore.

He sighs exasperatedly as he tosses another turn on his bed whilst contemplating. Maybe it's time to acknowledge the older's efforts. Or he should tell him the truth and not lead him on. The outcome will be either he accepts the fact and move forward or despise him for not being clear and back out from all the efforts he did. Though it might hurt a little when your childhood friend suddenly avoids you, after being able to have a chance to communicate with them once again.

He would feel sad when that happens, but he needs to be clear to Xichen for the sake of the older not wasting his efforts on him and of course to not hurt the older any further since Wangji was still the one in his heart.

Just as he was thinking deeply, the sound of his doorbell rang, disturbing him from his thoughts. He stood and walk up to the door.

Upon opening up, he saw a familiar figure that always appear at the least expected time.

"Hi!" the older beams, holding out a container of food, that by the looks of it, it looks delicious, the aroma escaping from the small gaps of the container.

"Did you cook this?" Wuxian asked, eyes darted on the food, mouth-watering from the delicious smell of it

Xichen nods proudly. He's been secretly having cooking class but it's not like he's going admit that to him.

"You cooked almost every day for me!" he whined, taking the container nonetheless.

Xichen chuckles, "I just cooked too much for one person," he lied, scratching at the back of his neck.

Wuxian chuckles, "Why don't you join me, since you cooked the food," he suggested, opening the door wide and stooping aside to give Xichen a space to enter.

The older smiles fondly as he accepts the offer and entered his apartment. Afterwhich, Wuxian closed the door behind them.

Then they settled at his small table, the food Xichen cooked and Wuxian's leftovers are served on the table, and two clean bowls of rice are sitting in front of them.

They awkwardly sat in front of each other, both of them waiting for the other to speak first, and a little awkward silence settled between them.

Until Wuxian decided to speak first.

"Uhm..." he paused first, fixing the words he wanted to clear out to the older, to come clean to him. "Well, for starters... I- Well, I liked Wangji..." he confesses, throat dry at every word released from his mouth, eyes not meeting with the older as guilt rises in his chest for leading him on without coming clean first. He hopes the older won't take it in a bad way, that he meant not to give him hope amidst his crisis over his unrequited love.

Xichen listened, and despite knowing that, he felt million of needles prick his heart. If he could just close his ears and pretend he's listening, he could have. But it's his first love, and his childhood friend, of course he should always open his ears to listen to whatever his Xian would tell him.

"And..." he trails off. "...I was meaning to tell you right after you confessed to me but I don't know how that's why I just had the courage today," he sighs, "S-so, yeah. Whatever your decision, I know that's valid. So...." he mumbles, secretly wishing the older won't avoid or despise him for being greedy.

But what Wuxian expected was otherwise his expectation, he thought he'll lash out at him and get angry but the older only chuckled.

"I already knew," he confesses, "I would've not told you my feelings otherwise," he added. "I even volunteered to help you forget the pain that I'll always be right beside you," he continued.

Wuxian's mouth gaped open in disbelief, "W-why-- when?!" he exclaimed, eyes wide.

"When we drank last month, you were so wasted that you spilled your feelings," he answers, grinning. "I thought you remembered what I promised that night but the morning came, and you forgot all about it so I decided to not tell you and let you figure it out yourself, " he confesses.

"I- uh... I don't know what to say..." he says in disbelief, "That was embarrassing!" he whined, hiding his face behind his palms.

Xichen chuckles, "It's fine. But what I said doesn't change. I like you and I'm willing to help you get over him, hm?" he hums, reaching for the younger's hand and removing them from cupping his face to hold them firmly but gently in his hand.

Wuxian watches their hands link, his cheeks turning red from blushing, and his heart pounding tremendously in his chest. "Are you sure?" he asked, confused, bewildered, and unable to process the thought.

Xichen chortles fondly as he nods, "Yes, I'm sure," he reassured, pulling his hand to leave a peck on his knuckles.

Wuxian smiled sheepishly, his whole body already becoming red from the sudden confession.

"Fine," he answers, looking away with a small smile on his face.

After their talk, they decided to enjoy the little food they shared together. The younger agrees to the older's request and the older makes sure that somewhere in the middle, the younger will reciprocate his feelings.

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A/N: Uwaaah Another update done again. I'm sorry if it has typographical errors and wrong grammars, I'm really really sleepy from all the tiredness from the whole day of being a student teacher. Every time I go home from internship, I just feel so tired and sleepy. I'm so sorry for the short updates! Thank you for reading! Lovelots!