Remember me...

6. We meet again..

"Let's get drunk tonight." Zhan stood up immediately and said no but Yubin wasn't hearing any of it. "You came back after three years. You owe me." "Yubin, no. You know how I get. " Zhan was still dragged out by Yubin and an hour later, Zhan found himself in front of a lavish club. Yubin saw the amazement on his friend's face and smiled. "I know a lot of people here. I worked here for a while. The drinks are great and I feel like drinking expensive stuff. Let's go." Zhan let out a chuckle and gave in, following Yubin inside and the loud, blaring music had his heart racing with excitement. "Like it?", asked Yubin wiggling his eyebrows and Zhan said, "Yes".  "Come on, then!" Zhan followed Yubin with a huge smile on his face and they took a seat at the bar. The entire club was filled with people and the energy in there was infectious. Zhan found himself looking around, happy to be there. "When was the last time you got plastered?",yelled Yubin over the music and Zhan laughed. "My nineteenth birthday." "Fuck! That was a great night. Zhuocheng got a tattoo." Yubin laughed hard and Zhan joined in remembering how much they had laughed at Cheng the next day. The guy was surprised to find an itchy, aching back and had refused to show them his tattoo. "In his defense, If I get a flower tattooed on my butt, I would not show it to anyone either." Zhan cracked up at Yubin's words and took a sip of his drink. "When are you going to see Cheng, Zhan?" The question had come out of nowhere and it messed with a light buzz Zhan was having. "Don't know. You almost threw me out of your restaurant. Cheng will definitely break a few of my bones." Yubin winced and gave him a look of pity. It was definitely going to happen. Zhuocheng wasn't a happy bunny anyways so, it was sure that Cheng might actually punch Zhan for the stunt he had pulled. Zhuocheng was the closest thing he had to a brother and his taking off was hard on him. Zhoucheng wouldn't accept him as easy as Yubin had. Zhan wasn't ready to get punched in the face...yet.

The dark gloomy cloud hovered over them but soon a throat was cleared and they saw a girl in a black dress before them. "Wanna dance?" The sweet voice was aimed at Yubin and Zhan smiled in amusement. Yubin looked over to his friend and was about to decline her offer when Zhan took the drink from his hands. "He is all yours. Though I have to warn you, My friend here is a horrible dancer." The girl smiled looking at Yubin intently and Zhan motioned him to go. "I will be fine", he said firmly but Yubin was still indecisive. "You sure?", he asked and Zhan nodded. "I am. Go on." Zhan watched as Yubin led the girl to the dance floor and saw Yubin say something in her ear that had her blushing. His friend was clearly still great at flirting. Yubin had been everyone's favorite back in college. Being here brought good memories back and it had been so long since Zhan had gone out to have fun. Zhan was watching the swaying bodies on the floor, actually enjoying the night. "Need company?", Zhan heard a voice from beside him and found a girl sitting next to him with a sultry smile on her face. He clinked his glass to her, turned his eyes back to the dance floor and the woman placed her hand on his thigh. "If you are ignoring me, I am definitely doing something wrong." The girl was extremely beautiful with her straight black hair, killer red dress and heart shaped face but Zhan wasn't interested. "No offense. I'm just here for a drink." He was polite but curt as he removed her hand from his thigh and the woman pouted. "Am I not your type?",she pressed and Zhan bit his lip thinking it was better to nip things in the bud. "I am not into women", he said evenly and was half-expecting the girl to be disgusted but the smile on her face got brighter. "Damn, I am wounded. Such a loss for womankind. I am Fang Qi." She offered Zhan her hand and Zhan shook it introducing himself. "Xiao Zhan." "The guy with you is your partner?", she asked politely and Zhan smiled before saying no. "He is my best friend." "I thought I could snatch you away from him. It's such a bummer. I don't get to have the most handsome man in here ." Zhan smiled at her words but all of a sudden, the hair on the back of his neck stood when he felt someone come up close behind him.

"Maybe I could change your mind." The deep, husky voice came from behind Zhan and Zhan's entire form stiffened when he heard the familiar voice. "Wang Yibo." The woman's eyes settled on the man behind Zhan as he introduced himself and she smirked at the man before leaning towards Zhan. "I already have company." Her tone was coy and Zhan could guess what expression Yibo might have on his face. Excitement. Lust. It was radiating off Yibo's body in waves and Zhan felt bile rise in his throat. He stood up and was about to walk away when the woman took hold of his arm. "Hey, stay please." Maybe, Fang Qi found being surrounded by two men thrilling and was unwilling to lose their attention. Too bad, Zhan couldn't entertain her. He was a hair breadth away from a panic attack and he tried to look for Yubin from the corner of his eye but his friend wasn't anywhere around. "I need to go. Enjoy your evening, Fang Qi." He removed her hands from him and walked towards the washrooms without a backward glance. Fuck! He still needed time. He wasn't prepared yet! This couldn't happen. Taking in deep breaths, Zhan entered the facility and stared blankly at the mirror. The image before him was pale, afraid and Zhan looked away barely recognising himself. He stood in the cramped bathroom for a while trying to figure out what to do. Yubin wasn't answering his phone but Zhan couldn't blame Yubin. The music was too loud and Yubin was enjoying his night. 'I can just slip away and text Yubin' Zhan thought and hurriedly opened the door but froze when he saw a figure leaning against the wall. Waiting for him.

"You took forever in there." Zhan raised his eyes and they locked with the dark eyes he loved so much. His throat went dry at the sight before him and tears prickled Zhan's eyes. How he had longed to see this face. Still utterly perfect. Wang Yibo had always been a handsome guy. It was strange to see a face Zhan was most familiar with and still feeling as if he didn't know the man before him. The raw and mysterious air that surrounded Yibo was different. It made him more attractive somehow. The features of his ex were sharper and Zhan knew he was in trouble if he stayed any longer. A perfect eyebrow arched at Zhan and Zhan like the coward he was thought he could run away. He had only taken two steps when a hand came over his shoulder and Zhan found Yibo beside him, the grip on his shoulder hard. "What is it?", Zhan asked softly looking anywhere but at Yibo and his body shuddered when he felt a finger touch his face. "Why did you run away?",asked the husky voice and Zhan's hands shook with fear. "I wasn't needed there anymore." His tone was clipped and he tried to move again only for the hold on him to get harder. Zhan looked over to Yibo sharply and found the man staring at him with a deep frown on his face. As if he was searching for something. Did Yibo recognize him? Zhan's blood went cold with that thought and he waited for Yibo to say something with a bated breath. "Name?",came the abrupt question and Zhan felt the sense of loss come down on him like a ton of bricks. Yibo didn't remember him. He had forgotten Zhan. Even though Zhan had said he was prepared he still couldn't stop the tears from filling his eyes as he looked at the man he loved with everything in him stare at him as if he was a total stranger. It hurt. Badly. His chest hurt and all Zhan could think of was getting out of there. "Let go." His words were a soft plea but they failed to affect the man before him.

"Name?",Yibo asked him again and Zhan looked away just as a tear rolled down his eyes. "Xiao Zhan." "Xiao Zhan." The name rolled off Wang Yibo's tongue like a musical tone and Zhan desperately burned that voice in his head because that's all he was going to get from this man. "Let go now." He tried again and felt Yibo lean closer and breathe him in. "You want to go to her?" The anger in that voice was barely detectable but Zhan had known Yibo closely. He could guess what the man was feeling with a mere glance at him. He met Yibo's gaze to find those dark eyes narrowed and his heart thundered in his chest. "No. Aren't you going?" Zhan tried to keep his feelings under a tight rein but still some of his annoyance bled through. "I don't like being second best. I would rather stay here and ask you why you ran away from me." "I...d-didn't", Zhan spluttered and Yibo backed him into a wall while Zhan just stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "You did. You ran away because you know me. Don't you, Xiao Zhan?" Zhan pushed at the muscular chest leaning closer to him and shook his head. "No. I don't. You are mistaken." Zhan struggled to free himself and Yibo stared at him with a dark emotion flickering in his eyes. "Then why did you freeze as soon as you felt me come up behind you? Why did you walk away from me without a backward glance as soon as you heard my voice? You know me and you are scared. Why? Where did we meet?" The cold voice made Zhan nervous and he bit his lips to stop himself from saying the truth. This was his chance. A chance to cut all of his ties and move on. He could free himself from Yibo's shackles and leave. "W-We haven't. I don't know you and I am not scared of you. Just let me go." "What if I don't?",Yibo challenged and Zhan swallowed hard at the underlying threat in that voice. "Please",he whispered again and closed his eyes making tears roll down his cheeks. He didn't open his eyes even when he felt Yibo pull back and walk away from him. He couldn't. The sight of Yibo walking away from him would destroy Zhan. He couldn't endure that pain again.