"Am I trying to steal someone else's lover?" he questioned himself as that was the guilt he felt. He knew the jealousy he had earlier was not for Zhan, but his crush whom Zhan had loved for so many years. He knew finally what he wanted, he wanted that love, that love given by Zhan, that love given by Zhan only for himself, all for himself. "I tried very hard to not label what I felt for you, but now that I want to embrace it you decide to leave me hanging?" Yibo said, hitting his head in frustration "This won't do! I have to do something about this!" Yibo said, holding his head in his head, even though he decided to do something about it, he didn't know what to do next.
The next day ...
Yibo paced back and forth outside the Forensic science department, he wasn't sure how to start a conversation with Zhan, he wanted to talk to him about the previous day, he did try texting him and calling him as well, but Zhan didn't reply to him. Hence he decided it would be best to talk to him face to face. Just as Yibo turned around he saw a group of people were coming out of the classroom, he understood the classes had ended hence he waited for Zhan by the door.
Yibo was eagerly looking for Zhan, his eyes shifted from one person to another as he was growing more and more impatient. Just as he was looking around, his gaze fell on Zhan, he happily took a step forward but then stopped on his tracks "Zifan?" Yibo mumbled as he was a bit taken back seeing Zhan's ex boyfriend Zifan along with Zhan . Just as he did Zifan looked at Yibo "Oh Yibo, what brings you here?" as soon as Yibo's name was called, Zhan looked at Yibo as well, he was surprised to see Yibo, but then the previous day's embarrassment crept to him as he turned his head around.
"I...What are you doing here?" Yibo then remembered that Zifan was from a different major, he was confused about what he was doing at the department of Forensic Science. Zifan smiled "I have a research topic which is closely connected to Forensic, hence I decided to attend a week's lecture so that I get an insight about it" Yibo nodded, but he focused back on Zhan "umm... Zhan, can you speak with you?" Zhan looked at him yet he was silent. Yibo stepped forward "I really want to talk to you". Just as Yibo was trying to make amends, Zifan stepped in between the two "Oh we were about to get lunch, do you want to join us?".
Yibo was honestly not comfortable with Zifan, but since this was his only chance to talk to Zhan, hence he nodded "Sure" he said, Zifan smiled "Excellent, let's go". Zifan and Zhan walked ahead, while Yibo quietly followed them behind as the three of them reached a local restaurant by their university.
Zhan sat down, while Yibo who was about to sit beside Zhan was stopped by Zifan who quickly sat down beside Zhan, making Yibo sit directly opposite to Zhan. "Eat anything you like, I'll pay" Zifan said while taking the menu. While Zhan looked at the menu as well, he occasionally stole glances at Yibo who was looking at him, Zhan immediately looked away, while Yibo sighed.
After the dinner ...
The entire dinner was awkward as Zhan and Yibo kept stealing glances at each other while Zifan was blabbering how great of a relationship him and Zhan used to have in the past. All Yibo and Zhan wanted was to hurry up and finish their dinner, so that they wouldn't have to stay there anymore. The three men walked side by side.
Seeing as they were nearing Zhan's house, Zifan began to speak once again, but before he could say anything, Yibo cut him off "Zifan! I actually have something to talk with Zhan, if you could let us alone that would be great" Zifan's jaw was wide open, but he later chuckled "Okay, see you tomorrow" he waved leaving the two men alone.
Zhan walked ahead since it was just him and Yibo, he felt his face warm once again and fanned his face to cool himself down "I'm sorry Zhan, I.. umm... Don't know what came over me and I kissed you, I didn't mean to, but umm... You know just like how you dreamed of your crush and then kissed me back then in the forensic lab, I too had such a dream and kissed you". The confession was what Zhan hadn't expected, he thought Yibo might say he had mixed feelings and that he kissed to figure them out, but it turns out he kissed him because he had a dream.
"You mean you dreamed of your crush ?" Zhan asked to which Yibo bit his bottom lip and nodded "Well you could say that I guess, maybe not crush, probably the person I've been lately having some infatuation" Zhan felt his heart drop with Yibo's reply. He knew Yibo could never look at him that way, but he built this tiny hope somewhere in the corner of his heart, that someday him and Yibo could actually be a thing just like how he imagined it always. But somehow Yibo's answers were spraying water over the spark he held within him, but on the other hand he was slightly happy that Yibo didn't kiss him to tease him or whatever, it was purely a misunderstanding.
"I'm sorry too for acting so rashly, had I known this before, we might have solved it more quickly" Zhan smiled as he hid the sorrow in his heart. Yibo sheepishly smiled as well ruffling his hair "From now on we tell whatever we have in our mind, no pushing each other and certainly no acting awkward around each other" Zhan laughed and nodded "Sure" he said giving him a thumbs up.
"I'll see you tomorrow then, DON'T avoid me, do you know how hard it is to eat lunch alone?" Yibo pouted, making Zhan laugh even more "I became a habit for you right?" Yibo chuckled and nodded "Yes, a bad one" Zhan made a proud face making Yibo smiled "Well goodnight, see you tomorrow" Zhan waved him goodbye while Yibo waved at him as well. The two men walked in opposite directions, while Zhan was sad at the same time he was happy since he was back on friendly terms with Yibo. And Yibo smiled because he was happy that he talked it out with Zhan.
The next day ...
"Good morning~" Yibo arrived early to the university just so he could hang out with Zhan at his Forensic science lab, since he had no morning classes, he decided to spend his entire morning with Zhan since he too had no classes but had some experiments to do "So...How is the final year project coming around ?" Yibo asked while curiously taking a peep at the slide which Zhan had placed under the microscope just a while ago.
Zhan sighed taking his notes "I don't know, I felt it was coming along well and good, but I keep thinking the topic that I choose for might not be good enough for a final year project" Yibo rolled his eyes "A top student thinks he is not good enough, imagine what would other students think" Zhan chuckled "What? I'm not perfect all the time, I too can make mistakes" Yibo nodded "True, but you have tons of confidence and that alone is enough, so stick with the current topic and work on it" Yibo motivated.
Zhan nodded with a smile "You've been here a thousand times and yet you suck at adjusting the focal of a microscope" Zhan teased Yibo. He looked at Zhan and pouted "Hey! It's not my fault, if you ask me to write codes, I would probably do that, anything other than computer science, I suck at it" Zhan chuckled and stood beside Yibo "Let me help you".
Zhan stood behind Yibo and rested his head on his shoulder while looking over the lens to adjust the focal. Yibo had no idea what Zhan was doing because all he could feel was Zhan's warm breath over his cheeks and his face just inches away from his. He would hear Zhan's heartbeat, along with his own loud heartbeat. He could feel his ears get red. It felt as though he was drunk even without being drunk. Probably he was drunk, drunk by the entirety of Zhan.
Zhan turned to look at Yibo, their eyes meeting each other's gaze, looking at each other lovingly as though they had been longing for each other. But suddenly the lab door opened, startling the two men. Zhan pushed Yibo making him stumble and fall on the floor. "Zhan? Yibo?" Zhan and Yibo looked up and saw Zifan standing by the door "What are you guys doing?" Zifan asked to which Yibo awkwardly laughed "I was just resting" Zifan made a confused expression "On the floor? It's dirty get up" Yibo nodded "Yeah you're right" he said walking over to the chair while dusting his clothes.
"What are you doing here Zifan?" Zhan asked not sure what he was doing at the lab. Zifan smiled "Oh I had a surprise for you?" Zifan said to which Zhan blinked, not sure what the surprise was. Meanwhile Yibo curiously leaned in as well "I actually submitted your last year project at Acadiana Crime Lab and guess what they accepted you for a 5 months internship training there, starting from next month".
Zhan's jaw dropped as he totally didn't expect this to happen "What?" Yibo who was not sure what had happened as his mind tried to contemplate 5 months was shocked by this as well "What?" Yibo too asked as both Yibo and Zhan looked at each other with an expression that had written confusion all over it.
***
To Be Continued ...