Remember When...(YiZhan)

Chapter 12

Zhan was apprehensive when he glanced at his phone and realized he had 9 missed calls - all from Yibo. He must have seen the picture, he thought nervously to himself. After going home last night, he somewhat regretted taking Yang Zi's advice, but looking down at his phone, he couldn't help but feel somewhat hopeful.

Now that he was back at his apartment, he was about to call YiBo when his phone started ringing.

"Yibo, I was about to call you. I just got back from some meetings," Zhan said apologetically. He quickly kicked off his shoes, dropped his bag at the door and walked towards his living room.

"The picture," Yibo said quietly. "Why?"

Zhan paused trying to gauge Yibo's reaction. "Wh – Why?" he said, repeating Yibo's question.

Two hours had passed since Yibo had seen that picture and he had called Zhan nine times. In those two hours the worst thoughts had crossed his mind and when he finally got a hold of Zhan, anger was starting to prevail.

Yibo pinched the bridge of his nose trying to maintain control. "I understand professional promotional photos... I even understand the lunches and dinners. But this Zhan," he hissed. "This is a selfie."

"Bo, I... " Zhan started to say.

"A fucking selfie, Xiao Zhan, of you kissing her!" Yibo yelled. "What were you thinking?!"

Shock rendered Zhan speechless for a moment. In the time they've known each other, Yibo had never once raised his voice at him. He slowly lowered himself onto the edge of his white leather couch. This was not the reaction he had been hoping for.

"Did you not care what I would think?" Yibo asked. "That this would hurt me?"

"I.. I.. didn't know," Zhan stammered. "Yang Zi suggested to... to test how you feel."

"To test how I feel?" Yibo repeated, his anger rising to another level. He began pacing the room. "You wanted to see if I would get jealous?"

"Well, no...Uh maybe yes," Zhan said, confusedly.

"You take a photo with her to test how I feel about you?" Yibo said, incredulously. "You couldn't just ask me? What are you a fifteen year old teenager?!"

"Wang Yibo! It's not like you had time to talk to me in the last week," Zhan retorted, starting to get frustrated.  "Nor have we've ever had time to talk about us," he added.  Damn it! He had wanted to tell Yibo that he loved him and to see if he felt the same. However now that he was being yelled at, his pride started to get the better of him.

Yibo shook his head in bewilderment. He continued pacing and kicked a small pillow, which had been thrown on the ground earlier when Zhan hadn't answered his call. "You must think so little of me, of yourself, and hell even of our relationship to do something like that!" he shouted.

"What relationship, Yibo?" scoffed Zhan, reacting defensively. "We don't see each other, we have no time for each other. Admit it Yibo, other than a good fuck, what else do we have going for us?"

There was silence on the line as Yibo paled and stopped dead in his tracks. Zhan's words struck Yibo like a physical blow, knocking the air out of his lungs. He slowly sank to his knees. "You don't think we have anything else going for us?" he finally voiced, his words barely louder than a whisper.

"Bo..." Zhan murmured, hearing the hurt in the younger one's voice.

Still on his knees, Yibo felt like his chest was being stabbed by a thousand needles, each aiming to find its way through his skin, into his bloodstream, and straight to his heart. "You think all I am is a good fuck?" Tears he had been holding back began to fall from his eyes. Wasn't it just a week ago that he was wondering who he was to Zhan exactly? Now he had his answer...nothing but a good lay.

"I didn't say that," Zhan stated. He sighed and massaged his forehead with his fingers. This was going all wrong and he didn't know how to fix it.

"You are so fucking emotionally immature, Zhan," uttered Yibo, his voice as cold as ice.

Having about enough of being yelled at and insulted, Zhan felt his temper flare. "Fine if you're the mature one, why don't you do the mature thing and just end this! It's not like we'd ever have a future anyway!" Zhan shouted, tears pooling in his eyes.

Yibo let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. How many sleepless nights had he'd been through thinking about their situation and finding a way so they could always be together. Here he was planning a future for them, foolishly buying an apartment to show Zhan how much he wanted to be with him. I'm such an idiot, Yibo thought. 

Gathering the remnants of his shattered self, Yibo managed to breath out three words before ending the call. "Fine...we're done."

Minutes passed as Zhan stared down at his phone in horror, with one hand over his mouth. He had immediately regretted his last words even as they left his lips. He wiped the tears that were streaming down his face. "No, no please... I didn't mean it," sobbed Zhan. "Bo di... I didn't..."