Unsaid Love Story

Chapter 11

Zhan sits back on the bed, his elbows resting on his thighs and his head in his hands. The thought of Yibo drives him insane. His mind keeps racing, refusing to calm down or focus. This is unusual for Zhan. He's typically composed, possesses a rational mind, and isn't easily bothered.

He lets out a sigh and tries to shake the cobwebs out of his head, but it only makes things worse. Frustrated, he stands up and kicks the wall, screaming at himself to pull it together. He brushes away some stray dark locks of hair from his face and takes a deep breath. "Take it easy, Zhan. Breathe in and out. Just relax. Everything will be fine."

Once his breathing returns to its normal rhythm, he slips his phone into his pocket and applies some scent blockers before leaving the room. Descending to the lobby, he inquires about Yibo's whereabouts, hoping to resolve the tension that surrounds them.

There isn't a person in sight as Zhan heads for a room where he hopes to find Yibo. Approaching the door, he stares at it for a few minutes, considering his decision again. Even though he feels prepared for the world, facing Yibo is something he isn't quite ready for. However, fate has determined that he must confront him. With conviction in his heart, he acknowledges the missteps he has made throughout his life but is certain that what he is doing now is right.

"Yibo?" He asks, trying not to draw attention to himself, and knocks on the door tentatively a few times. He knocks again and gets no response, so he decides to test the door. It's open.

With caution, he enters the room and takes in the sight of an open suitcase, clothes scattered on a couch, a pair of sunglasses, and a wallet on the coffee table. He makes a quick sweep of the room and discovers no one in sight. "Where could this lunatic possibly be?" He asks out loud.

"Here, bunny!" A gruff voice says it from behind, causing him to jump in surprise. He slowly turns around to see Yibo standing in the bathroom doorway, a sinister grin on his face. He feels his heart pound in his chest as their eyes meet.

Surprise sparkles across the alpha's face, and Zhan feels like a deer in headlights because nothing comes out of his mouth as he had planned earlier. They continue staring at each other for another minute before Yibo's towel drops accidentally, which makes the situation even more awkward.

"Sorry," Zhan turns around and palms his face, hoping Yibo's naked figure will come out of his mind, but it doesn't. He feels his cheeks turn red. He struggles to compose himself and removes his hands from his face when he hears Yibo giggle from behind. He hears the wet footsteps wandering around, but he doesn't have the guts to face him again, not after seeing him naked.

"You don't have to be embarrassed. It wasn't the first time you saw me naked!" Yibo reminds Zhan of that day and makes him live once again in those particular moments.

Summer on weekends had felt like a whole damned lifetime ago. It had been just a couple of days before students had to keep their heads in the books again, and it had to be one of the hottest days on record. The heat was so intense that Zhan's brother's practice was canceled. Even his sister had left for their grandmother's house, as they were all close to passing out from heat exhaustion.

And that was why Zhan had decided to spend one of his last truly free days at the only refuge from the heat, away from his friends. The lake, although not the largest, had a few bluffs and a serene river feeding it. One particular feature occupied his thoughts at that moment.

"Why don't people just take a boat out here?" He wondered as he skipped another stone over the water. The same question repeated itself in his mind for what felt like the tenth time. The view over the bluff formed a pretty rare island in the middle of the lake.

"Maybe they don't want to stop you from swimming out there and adding one more rock to the pile." He was startled because he thought he was alone. Turning around, he saw Yibo shielding his eyes against the sun and surveying the horizon.

"What are you doing here?" Zhan asked, his eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. It seemed like the other boy had been following him everywhere.

"Just like everyone," Yibo reiterated. "The water looks great." Within a minute, he kicked off his worn sneakers and followed suit down to his boxers. He contemplated his options and then started to remove his boxers and add them to his pile of clothes.

"Whoa!" Zhan was surprised. "Uhh." He stared at Yibo in unconcealed shock and then squeezed his eyes shut, his hands coming up to cover them. He blinked his eyes and peered through his fingers, hoping the other boy would cover his body.

But Yibo wasn't bothered. "I'm not fucking around in wet boxers, bunny," he said openly. It sounded more reasonable than crazy; maybe it usually did in the context of him, though.

"Are you sure? What if there are leeches?" Zhan argued, remaining skeptical of the idea. "You should at least consider it."

"It's not a big deal. Come on, join me. It'll be fun." Without any further notice, Yibo ran right off the ledge and leaped. It wasn't pretty, but it was impressive.

"Nah." Zhan shook his head and stood up, adjusting his hair under his cap. He then crossed his arms over his chest and watched Yibo with a terrified look. He knew hitting the cold water would be a rush. It would sting the balls of our feet and ache everywhere, but it would feel like being alive.

As Yibo emerged from the water for a breath, he noticed a pair of frightened brown orbs observing him from the bluff above. "Come on, bunny!" He teased, backstroking quickly to ensure he was out of his landing zone in half a second.

"Nah!" Zhan shook his head violently, his hairstyle destroyed on impact again and flinging out of his face. He understood that staying would no longer bring him peace. He sighed and turned to leave, but Yibo shouted and caught his attention.

"Wait, hold on." Yibo dove back down deep and came up with two similarly sized smooth stones in hand. "Gotta have these."

While Zhan didn't exactly get the reason, he took those stones anyway. "For what?" He asked, rubbing them against one another.

"I gave you those precious stones, so you have to wait here until you give them back to me." Yibo shrugged and winked. His stupid game always infuriated Zhan, so he angrily threw the stones at him one by one.

Yibo skillfully caught each stone and swarmed around before adding them to the pile of gray rocks in the crudely arranged pyramid in the center of the island.

Zhan blinks and jerks slightly in reality as Yibo stands before him, a stupid smirk playing on his lips. He can't believe how messed up his life is at this moment. It would have been preferable if he had stayed in his room, but he didn't. Now, he has to endure strange feelings of anxiety and anticipation swirling in his stomach.

It feels like a fever dream, like something he makes up for himself as they stand in the middle of the room, staring and not talking.