Not Part of the Plan

Chapter 15

Blue Rose. You guys know the drill. Time to write.

...

"Any plans for Christmas tomorrow?" Yixing peered over the top of his canvas to catch Junmyeon's eyes. "We're both still jere," Junmyeon pointed out next, looking oh so adorable kicking his feet as he sat on the table. Yixing quickly went back to work, the barest traces of an outline sketched onto the canvas in front of him, his pallete clutched firmly in his other hand. It had been a long while since he painted out his feelings. But tonight, on Christmas Eve, seemed like a perfect time to try. It's not like Yixing had anywhere else to go or anything else to do.

"Where's Tao?" he asked instead, avoiding the question entirely. Junmyeon's little kicks stopped as he scrunched his face. Yixing's heart gave a little pang. He really was such a precious thing. "Shouldn't he be here tonight?" Yixing continued, finally picking a brush out so he could begin.

"He said something about going to do something with Yifan," Junmyeon replied, bracing his hands on either side of himself and leaning forward slightly. Yixing tracked his movements while also trying to figure out where to start on his painting. "He said he'd be back in the morning and to have a good Christmas Eve."

"Why didn't you go home?" Yixing questioned next. Again Junmyeon paused in his actions. "I mean," Yixing continued in a much gentler tone. "They don't live far, do they?" Junmyeon just barely shook his head. "I would give anything to see my family right now," Yixing whispered to himself. He missed home. A lot. He missed his mom and dad. But it wasn't always the most cost effective to go and see them during the school year. So Yixing spent a lot of time here.

"I don't know if I could face them this year," Junmyeon finally responded, scooting forward until his feet hit the floor. "They've carefully constructed this plan for me that I'm desperately trying to follow but a part of me hates it. A part of me wants to burn my degree to the ground. The longer it goes on, the more I just want to run away and never look back." Yixing set his palette aside and threw a cloth over his canvas. This conversation was far more important than his painting. "Am I even doing the right thing here Xing?" Junmyeon's desperate gaze met his. "Please tell me I'm doing the right thing."

"You know I can't do that Jun," Yixing replied. And it was true. As much as Yixing wished he could shoulder the burden, he just couldn't. And he couldn't tell Junmyeon what the right course of action was because he wasn't Junmyeon. He couldn't pick a future for the first year, no matter how much he wished he could. "It's still your first year. You have all the time in the world to decide what you want to do." Junmyeon cast his eyes down, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. "Do you...want to try painting?" Yixing asked hesitantly. He loathed sharing his workspace. But how could he say no to that look of surprise followed by genuine delight.

"You'd really let me paint?" Junmyeon asked, his voice pitching up in his excitement. "You don't even let Luhan touch your supplies. What makes me so special?"

Everything Junmyeon. Everything.

"Painting is just therepudic," Yixing said at last, whipping around so he couldn't see Junmyeon's expression. He would fall all over again, and he couldn't afford it now. Not after working to get their friendship back. "Come on," he urged, striding and yanking the current canvas off. He replaced it with a fresh one as Junmyeon skipped over, making Yixing's heart beat erratically in his chest. "You can't really go wrong with canvases," Yixing explained as Junmyeon squished in beside him. "And here is this." Yixing gently placed the palette in Junmyeon's hands, guiding his fingers to the correct spots. "And now pick a brush."

"Um." Junmyeon's tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated. The corners of Yixing's lips ticked up at the sight. Junmyeon truly was a precious person who had to be protected at all costs. "This one." Junmyeon selected a brush at random. Now he studied the blank canvas, frowning thoughtfully. "What do you usually paint?" Junmyeon finally asked. Yixing flinched, though the first year didn't notice.