Hands In The Stars

49. In Time

The pancakes glistered in the light and the champagne bubbled in the tall, crystalized glass. Edwin stared between the meal and Feng, who looked back at him with a small smile.
"Uh, Ethan? Who? Oh, yeah, uhm, was he supposed to come over? Or were we going to pick him up? Ugh I don't remember." Edwin realized. He poked the fluffy dish in front of him anxiously. He didn't want to eat them, but he noticed the hopeful gleam in Feng's smile disappear.
"Come on just eat them, Edwin you'll need to stay awake and alert for today. It's your day, celebrate it." Feng let out, he turned to look away from Edwin, watching the flowers out in their garden sway softly in the light breeze outside. "We have to leave in thirty minutes, I suppose we're picking Ethan up seeing that he doesn't have either a car or a licence. You should really try to convince him to get one, it would be so much more efficient."

He knew that Feng wouldn't let him out of the kitchen until the plate was finished. He knew that Feng knew he hadn't had anything but alcohol the day before. He also knew that he should, technically. He didn't want to do something stupid or embarrassing, like faint on stage, or with Ethan for that matter. A groan filled the kitchen once more and Edwin reluctantly took a piece of the pancake and stuffed it into his mouth. The sweet flavours and fluffy texture washed over him and as soon as he noticed they were perfectly fine, he finished them all off. It's true; They weren't as good as their mother used to bake them, but fine either ways. The dishes got dropped in the sink and Edwin rushed out to the bathroom, Feng's eyes following him. He dragged out the makeup bag and the realization of how little time he actually had left to get ready hit him. Thirty minutes was barely enough. He began fixing up his tired, pale face. Mascara and discreet lipstick applied quickly. He pressed on his eyelid tape, giving the double eyelid illusion to mask his monolids. Multitasking brushing his teeth and his hair at the same time was a bit difficult, but it worked. Lastly came his sweet-scented perfume

The pink elastic he had gotten from Ethan some days ago rested around his wrist. Edwin eyed it as he walked through the corridors. A small smile crept onto his face and he used it to tie his long, blonde hair into a ponytail.
"Alright, I'm ready to leave whenever you are." Edwin's voice echoed through the mansion. He stopped in front of one of the many porcelain vases lining the walls and mirrored himself in the contorted reflection. He never really did enjoy his stereotypical look, he enjoyed stuffing his eyelids full and hiding behind lightly coloured eye lenses. "Hurry up then! I'd rather be a few minutes early than late."

Merely fifteen minutes later, the row of three big, black car waited right by the entrance outside Edwin and Ethan's shared apartment building. The two at the front and back were occupied by three guards each, the one in the middle housing the Dongcock brothers themselves. It had become tradition that the Dongcock family always showed up on sight with three cars, six guards and normally three drivers whenever there was any big or crowded event going on. This time, however, they only had two drivers, as Feng had insisted he wanted to drive his brother and his brothers boyfriend to their graduation personally. Feng stretched a bit impatiently as he glared at the door to his left, waiting for it to open any second. They may have driven a bit out of the law in order to make it in time, though that was nothing that ever bothered them. Every official worker for the public society had memorized every single one of the Dongcock's vehicles, and made a note not to bother them. 

"I sincerely hope that kid is actually awake and on his way right now." Feng mumbled, the heat having put him in an easily irritated morning mood. All he wanted was to get out of the car. He leaned back in his seat with a sigh and honked for a third time, just in time for the entrance door of the apartment to finally swing open. Ethan half-jogged towards the car with quick steps in his white, thick heels. Curled hair swung slightly behind him. A suited man opened the car's door, letting a gust of wind inside and Ethan jumped into the back seat.
"Sorry I took so long, but thanks for picking me up anyways!" He smiled, a bit out of breath as he had clearly hurried with whatever he was doing prior to coming out.
"No, Ethan, I was in fact planning to make you miss your own graduation merely because I didn't want to be here. Of course we would pick you up, who else would do it?" Feng mumbled and rolled his eyes a bit. Ethan looked over at Feng with big eyes, but smiled as he noticed the smile across the older Dongcock brothers lips as well.