Strawberry And Cigarettes || ONEUS Leeon

42

Xion POV:

Xion awoke by the smell of something cooking in the kitchen. Getting up from his bed, dragging his feet behind him since he was still half asleep. The sight in front of him woke him right up. Leedo is cooking pancakes with his mom!

"Good morning sweetie. Come sit down and have some pancakes." His mother greeted him, placing a plate of pancakes and strawberries on the table.

"After breakfast I want to take you to meet my friend, Chaein. And I.M is coming along too." Leedo added, sitting next to him.

After breakfast the two headed out to meet Chaine in her office.

Entering the office, Xion spotted I.M sitting across from her. He sat there, hands clasp on his lap, his hair messy, eyes tired and red from crying, bruises and cuts still lined his face from the night before. He flashed a quick pity smile at Xion before going back to looking at his own hands.

"Please sit, both of you. My name is Chaein and I'm a psychiatrist. Don't need to worry. Today we'll just be talking. Make yourself comfortable. I.M would you like to start us off from the very beginning. Leedo, would you like to wait in the waiting room?"

She watched the door close behind Leedo before getting started. "Well then, let's get started." Chaein seated herself comfortably on the sofa with I.M and Xion in front of her.

This is what really happened and how to lead up to it.

[ Flashback ]

As of now, Leedo and Xion have been dating for 3 years.

[ school courtyard ]

"Hey, where's Xion?" I.M spotted his brother waiting for him at the front of the school.

"His teacher wanted to talk to him and he said it might take a while so he told me to go first." Stuffing his phone in his pocket.

I.M sat down at the bench nearby, placing his hands as support behind him as he received a confused look from Wonho. "Let's wait for him. We're not in a hurry to go back home anyways. Let's enjoy the fresh spring air. It'll be healing for the both of us."

"Ook..." giving his brother another confused look. "You can go home if you want, I'll wait for Xion."

"No no, it's fine. This can be our brother time, you know. So how's my brother's last year of high school?" I.M ask, looking up at the clear blue sky, tapping his foot on the ground to a rhythm.

Ignoring I.M's question. "Changkyu hyujng, do you like Xion?" Wonho abruptly asks, knocking his brother off guard.

His foot immediately freezes just as well as his body did but continued again, "Who wouldn't adore Xion? He's cute. He's sweet, bubbly, warm-"

Wonho shaking his head, "Hyung I'm not that stupid. I'm your younger brother but I know how you act when you like someone because you act so cold to everyone else except Xion.

This time I.M stopped his tapping, stopped his humming. His body is now completely still. "You're right, I do like Xion."

"How long?" Wonho asked, knowing that was a straightforward question.

"The day you rescued him from the bullies. When we had our first conversation alone. The time I bought him strawberry cake because he said he liked them. Simple answer: 3 years." I.M concluded his explanation, stealing a glance of Wonho who was deep in thought.

"Then why didn't you pursue him?"

"Because at that time he was head over heels for you. Because he saw you as his hero, not me. You protected him from bullies, took care of him, not me. I didn't have a chance back then. I wanted the best for him."

"Are you saying you have a chance now?" Suspecting his brother.

I.M doesn't answer his brother's question but answers it indirectly. " For the past 3 years building our friendship. I have no intention of going behind your back.

"How much do you love him?" I.M asks.

Wonho ignores his brother's question. "I know you've been flirting with him. You buy him stuff almost everyday. I take that as flirting, no?"

"When I buy him stuff, I get it for you too, no? I care for him as I do for you. I don't care what you call it, but I was looking out for him. I care about him as you do. Answer my question, how much do you love him, Wonho?"

"I love him more than ever. I would die for him."

I.M turns his head to face Wonho, "So would I. I would do anything to protect him, anything."

"If you claim to love him that much, then back away from him. Stop flirting with him, stop doing whatever you're doing with him."

"It's not illegal to care for him, is it? I already told you I have no intention to steal him away from you."

"I don't believe that. You might not be but if you had a chance in the near future, you would. Don't think I don't know you. You're the most popular guy in our school back then. I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to use Xion." Wonho spitted out without thinking much about it but would regret later.

"Use him? Are you hearing yourself? You think I care about my own reputation more than Xion? You're that confident that you know me that well? Have you ever wondered why the bullies that assaulted Xion never bothered him anymore? I tracked them down and beat them up and reported them. I was the one that made sure those three paid their price. So yeah I definitely cared about my reputation because that actually ruined it. Because after that, everyone started to hate me because they found out that their popular "hero" is gay. Yeah you could say that really helped my reputation. Why the hell would I still care about Xion if I was being attacked at school? And now I'm not even at your school, so what would being nice to Xion do for me?" I.M got up with a heavy chest and was frankly angry. "Have fun waiting for Xion."

Just as he turned his back, about to walk away when a small voice called out. "Oh Wonho hyung! I thought I told you not to wait for me." Xion skipped towards his boyfriend. "Oh I.M hyung. You're here too. Let's go to a cafe together!" Xion beamed, not sensing the tension that was once there.

I.M smiled brightly, "I'm sorry Doongdoongie, I have to do something so I can't join today. I'll join you next time, I promise." I.M flashes one last smile before turning his back away, disappearing into the distance.