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Lu Guang would have never thought that sustaining multiple stab wounds in the abdomen would prove to be such a hassle, but again, he would have never thought he would ever get stabbed in the first place.
Firstly, three gaping holes on his side inflicted by someone impersonating his close friend certainly don’t feel dandy, and his consciousness slipping away due to extreme blood loss can easily be confused with the sweet slumber of death. He is not any more experienced in the matters of stabbings than your regular post-graduate student, and it does feel like the world comes crashing down when he registers the constant beeping of several machines his body is hooked up to.
Secondly, awakening to a throbbing sensation all across his body with the inside of his mouth feeling like something crawled in it and died a gruesome death is certainly not ideal. He should be back in the studio, cleaning the displayed cameras on their shelves meticulously. “You’ve been out for two weeks,” he recalls Xiao Li say. A slight grimace finds its way onto his face as he imagines just how dusty their treasured cameras must have gotten.
Thirdly, being subjected to Cheng Xiaoshi’s dramatic entrance as he bawls his eyes out after less than an hour of being back among the living is certainly inconvenient, if not a little embarrassing. The idiot doesn’t even bother checking his condition before starting to ugly-cry and cause a commotion, which he admits is slightly understandable as Cheng Xiaoshi has been informed of his “false” death. This knowledge doesn’t stop the second-hand embarrassment from creeping in, and he turns his head away in what he hopes is being perceived as an annoyance. If there is a violent squeeze in his heart at witnessing Cheng Xiaoshi make such an expression, twisted and contorted in pain, Lu Guang likes to think it’s his abused body’s natural reaction to his surgery.
All in all, Lu Guang can picture himself jotting down at least a forty-point list of what he hates about getting stabbed, but none of those points can beat the hassle of being moved back home.
The way back is fairly easy, Captain Xiao offers to drive him to the shop, and the offer is accepted by two overly-cheerful blockheads before he even gets a say in it. “You are busy with the case, Chief,” he starts, “we can call a cab. I would hate to be a bother.”
Xiao Li only looks at him like he just cursed his whole family with eternal anguish, and he is ushered into the police car accompanied by the giggles of Cheng Xiaoshi and his chattering with their landlady. The ride is quiet but not uncomfortable, aside from the facts that one, the car jostles and he hits his side on the door by accident, ignoring Xiao Li’s muttered apology in favor of willing away the pain, and two, Cheng Xiaoshi sitting a bit too close for his liking. His thigh is pressing against Lu Guang’s own, the heat radiating off of his friend is familiar yet also uncanny in the way that it has been absent for so long that it nearly feels foreign. He fights every urge to lean into the touch but fails eventually and presses a cheek to Cheng Xiaoshi’s shoulder. Bones dig into his face and he frowns, has this fool been eating at all?
He is exhausted beyond belief although they’ve only been in the car for roughly fifteen minutes—he absentmindedly scratches at his wrist where his smartwatch usually rests, but now is missing. He makes a mental note to ask Cheng Xiaoshi about it later, and the same man who’s pressed against his side humming an infuriating commercial song is what lulls him to sleep.
…Only to be shaken awake by something nuzzling into his hair. “Lu Guaaaang,” the cause of every wrinkle on his face whines against his ear, making him furrow his brows. “Wake up, we’re here already. I know you wanna be princess-carried—“
“As if I would—“
“—but it would jostle your wounds so we can’t have that! Maybe when you’re all healed, huh, Guang Guang?”
Lu Guang can feel a headache brewing, so he lets Cheng Xiaoshi help him out of the vehicle. His partner has one arm slung around his upper back while his free hand is gripping him by the arm, firm enough to provide support if Lu Guang were to tip over, yet not enough to hurt. He feels a puff of breath against the back of his neck as he’s escorted towards the entrance of their small shop, and he has all but his long-sleeved sweater to thank for hiding the traitorous goosebumps he gets on his skin. This is disgusting, he concludes. Non-existent bile rises in his throat and he chokes on nothing but his mess of feelings. “Careful, Lu Guang. Don’t send yourself into a cardiac arrest on your first day back home.” Qiao Ling chastises, but there’s a small smile adorning her face. Ah, he really did miss this. The warm afternoon air washes over him like a well-loved blanket, familiar and safe. It soothes his frayed nerves like a balm from staying in a hospital bed that he’s so sure was not made to accommodate a human being. “My heart is doing fine, thank you very much,” he retorts.
When they open the door to the entrance, he expects to find a lot of things. He knows by now that Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling have been taking turns cleaning the studio in between working with Xiao Li, so he doesn’t expect it to be dusty or cluttered. What he doesn’t expect to see, however, is what seems to be a zillion balloons decorating the front of the shop. Cats, dogs, and bunnies, he notes wryly. There’s a ‘Welcome Home!’ banner written in— “Is that the Barbie font?” He asks incredulously. Cheng Xiaoshi rubs the back of his neck. “It was totally Qiao Ling-jie’s idea, I just played along.”
“Cheng Xiaoshi, you lying scum! You literally wanted to go with Spider-Man, I had to take matters into my own hands!” Qiao Ling points an accusatory finger at him as Cheng Xiaoshi flusters. “Spiderman?” Lu Guang turns and musters what he hopes to be a disappointed glare, but his heart is feeling as light as clouds. “Really, Xiaoshi?”
Xiaoshi presses a palm against his right eye. “We actually did watch it once, so, uh, I don’t know—“
“It’s good, Xiaoshi,“ Lu Guang finally relents, putting his poor friend out of his flustered misery. The pink-cheeked toothy smile he gets from his partner is worth all the embarrassment and exasperation. “I’ve troubled you, Qiao Ling-jie.”
“Aish, don’t be dumb, Lu Guang! It’s the least I can do for you after I…” she trails off for a split second before regaining her composure. “Today’s a big day. We got lots of food, so eat to your heart’s content!”
He allows himself a small smile as Cheng Xiaoshi gently swings an arm around his shoulder. The phantom pain on his side still pulls at him sometimes as Xiaoshi shakes with laughter, but he ignores it when the hand gripping his forearm tightens. He nods his head in gratitude as Qiao Ling hands him a bowl of noodles, and uses the time she is facing away to gently tap the hand fisting the fabric of his shirt. “Lu Guang.” Cheng Xiaoshi mutters as he shoves noodles into his mouth, and it amazes Lu Guang just how much alarm and relief his partner can convey through just his name. I’m glad you’re back, you asshole. “Later,“ he says, and when Cheng Xiaoshi looks like he’s about to say something, he shoves his own chopsticks full of noodles in his mouth, effectively shutting him up with an ‘Mmph?!’
“Cheng Xiaoshi?” Qiao Ling looks over, puzzled. “Did you say something?”
Xiaoshi barely manages to swallow the mouthful of food before he shakes his head, “No, not at all, my dearest landlady!”
The rest of the meal goes by without a hassle aside from the occasional glances from Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling sometimes spacing out on the now replaced couch in the studio. Green, Lu Guang notes. He finds that he doesn’t hate the color so much, it feels homey in the way that it blends into the interior of their small living space. He tunes out the sounds of Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling fussing over how much he ate, shrugging it off with an “I don’t have an appetite.” It is not a lie, he had been on a feeding tube for two weeks, and on his third week at the hospital, he had only been allowed liquids, soups, and mashed potatoes. His stomach has shrunk more than what he’s comfortable with, so he cannot enjoy the noodles as much as the noodles Cheng Xiaoshi cooked for the two of them— The Bowl of the Male Dormitory.
Cheng Xiaoshi puts a bowl of steaming wonton soup in front of him, face bright and lips turned up. “Now, now, Lu Guang, I knew you’d say that so I prepared some homemade wonton soup for you!” Lu Guang coughs as he faces away, willing away the burning of the tips of his ears. “Idiot,” he says, and accepts the bowl gratefully. The soup is much easier for him to eat, although the broth is a bit too bland. He suspects Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t season it as usual on purpose so Lu Guang could have an easier time digesting it. Not that no-spice chicken broth is not welcome, and he makes an appreciative sound at the back of his throat.
The chatter between their landlady and his bunkmate continues well until they’re all done with their respective meals, with Lu Guang joining in only when necessary. It’s amazing how they fall back into bickering in the comfort of their shared home as if the recent events involving Liu Min and his stabbing never occurred in the first place. He plays mute for the moment, reveling in the quiet bliss although he’s aware that pretending won’t make the stitches heal faster, or cover the dark circles Cheng Xiaoshi has been sporting underneath his eyes, soothe the tremor of his hands, or make Qiao Ling feel comfortable enough to not fiddle with the hem of her shirt whenever she has to look at Lu Guang for longer than five seconds. He knows he can’t stay like this for a long time, but it is still nice to play the part.
When they finish up, Cheng Xiaoshi offers to wash the dishes. Lu Guang attempts to help until he is slapped gently back into his seat by his partner, and he gives it up with a sigh. Watching Qiao Ling pack her stuff from the corner of his eye, he startles when she suddenly turns to look at him. “Lu Guang, can we talk before I leave?” She fiddles with the strap of her bag uncharacteristically and sneaks a glance at Cheng Xiaoshi. “Alone?”
Lu Guang doesn’t see but feels the way his partner tenses at that, hands in the sink pausing their monotone scrubbing of a plate. His jaw is set tight, and although it’s impossible to make out what kind of expression he’s making, Lu Guang is sure that his eyes hold hesitation. There’s something extremely tragic about this unintentional distrust, and his heart splinters in his chest like the roots of a dying tree. Cheng Xiaoshi opens his mouth to retort, but Lu Guang interrupts him before he gets the chance to break whatever’s left of the illusion of normalcy they managed to establish in favor of Lu Guang’s return. “Sure, come with me.”
He exchanges a look with Cheng Xiaoshi as he walks past him, and lets their shoulders brush just barely. It is not nearly enough to soothe Xiaoshi’s anxieties, but it is the most they can afford at the moment, so it shall do. Qiao Ling follows him to his shared room with his business partner, closing the door behind them. He averts his gaze with a heavy as she pretends to not notice how he didn’t lock it after themselves.
“I won’t beat around the bush about this,” She begins with an exhale so deep, it has Lu Guang wondering if she feels like death has warmed over too, or if it’s just his own feelings of post-recovery. “I’m sorry, Lu Guang. I.. I can’t believe he ended up—no, I ended up hurting you, I don’t—“ she cuts herself off abruptly before inhaling shakily. “I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know how I didn’t notice Xu Shanshan taking that selfie.”
Lu Guang starts feeling like this whole conversation is completely pointless, a cycle of admissions thrown into the void only to be dragged out and repeated. He sighs, a tired and weary thing while trying to ignore the voice in his head nagging him about being an ‘old soul’. The voice sounds too much like a certain idiot roommate. “It was never your fault to begin with, some things are simply meant to happen,” he organizes the few framed photos on their nightstand absentmindedly as he speaks. “I wasn’t the only one he endangered. He would have landed you in the hospital alongside me, had Cheng Xiaoshi been worse of a fighter. This encounter could have cost us more than we could ever imagine.”
Qiao Ling’s brows pinch together at that, cheeks flushing in anger. “Lu Guang, are you trying to say that you’re glad it was you?! Are you out of your mind?”
“Well, I don’t mean I enjoyed getting stabbed and nearly flatlining during surgery, but imagine how much worse it could’ve been if he got you too?”
“…Lu Guang.”
“Hm?”
“No matter where this case takes us, I’m not kicking the bucket before I see that prick behind bars.” A flick of her wrist signals the end of their conversation as she reaches for the doorknob, and Lu Guang can only follow behind. She announces absentmindedly, turning to face her tenants before she leaves through the door: “You boys better behave while I’m gone, I don’t wanna come back to a war zone in the sunroom.” Her eyes seem to betray her words, gentle and warm in a way only an older sister’s can be. “And, Lu Guang, welcome home again.” With that, she’s swiftly out the door, the guest chime sounding off behind her.
“You’re left with me once again, Guang Guang,” Cheng Xiaoshi grins with no light in his eyes, so Lu Guang doesn’t fuss over the nickname. The exhaustion from over-exerting his body is slowly starting to catch up to him, and he has half a mind to be slightly irritated with himself. Even the most mundane tasks tire him out like an old man. Getting stabbed truly is troublesome.
“Unfortunately. Now spill, what’s going on?” Lu Guang asks, reflexes from living with Cheng Xiaoshi for nearly a decade kicking in when he nearly slaps the soy sauce off the counter, saving it skillfully. “Hm? What do ya mean?” his partner asks lightly. Their fingers brush as Cheng Xiaoshi moves to retrieve the bottle, the older one jolting and scrambling to pull his hand back. Lu Guang swallows down an irritated sigh. “This, Cheng Xiaoshi. I mean exactly this.”
Cheng Xiaoshi’s smile falls like puzzle pieces off the board, leaving gaping holes where his lips should be. It’s a relief that Lu Guang can read his mind. He watches with quiet apprehension as multiple emotions flash across his partner’s face, varying from regret to grief with hints of relief at the edges. It settles on anger, and Lu Guang shoves down the disappointment. “Seriously, Lu Guang? You’re seriously asking me what’s wrong?” Cheng Xiaoshi’s jaw is tense with pent-up emotions and Lu Guang wants nothing but to reach for him, anything to smooth out the furrow of his brow. He lets himself get yelled at instead. “My—my best friend nearly died. I thought—“ Xiaoshi swallows with what seems to be great difficulty. “I thought you died.”
Something in his posture or face must have touched Xiaoshi, because he sees the fury leave Cheng Xiaoshi’s body as soon as it was let out, and Lu Guang decides that he doesn’t like the way the light in his eyes dims as if he’s lost all the fight in him. It is not exactly healthy, but he would prefer to get yelled at, be given the cold shoulder for weeks, and receive a punch square in the face for his dishonesty than to see his best friend get through life, breathing and surviving every day, yet dying with every turn of that lunar path like this.
He sees his friend glance at the decorations they put up for Lu Guang’s return home, balloons scattered on the floor uselessly, and his face darkens in shame. “Sorry, I… Today was supposed to be a day of celebration…” His head tips forwards and Lu Guang’s heart swells with equal parts affection and grief. His Xiaoshi, always too considerate and self-sacrificing and so, so naive with his hero complex. He takes the sniffle from the older as his cue to finally, finally put his hands on him, both palms resting against his shoulders. Cheng Xiaoshi’s nearly a head taller than him, and keeping his arms in this upright position pulls at the stitches on his side, but he barely pays it any mind. He is supposed to be Xiaoshi’s guide, leading him through an endless sea of photos and assisting him through the shadows behind his eyelids as he wakes up in a dark room in a cold sweat. Picking up the pieces and putting him back together is what he is made for, so it is easy to fall back into what’s instinctual when he is overwhelmed with the all-too-familiar urge to comfort.
“You’ve been through a lot. It’s okay to be angry.” His hands stay where they are on Xiaoshi’s shoulders, ever so grounding, stern but very gentle all the same. “I apologize for worrying you.”
Cheng Xiaoshi wipes at his nose with the back of his hand, snot glistening under the sunlight. Lu Guang nearly snorts at his friend’s lack of manners before a soft “Stupid Lu Guang…” is muttered and he is being pulled towards the recently purchased couch. It still smells new and he faintly mourns the worn edges of their old one, but he knows they can make a new home out of this after a few uses. He just needs to settle down on it with a good book, and a mop of unruly brown hair resting on his lap.
Now is not the right time for any of that, as Lu Guang has recently sustained very troublesome and sensitive injuries. Cheng Xiaoshi is mindful of them without needing a heads up, settling down next to his friend after propping up a cushion behind Lu Guang for extra measure. Only a second passes before his face is buried in the crook of Lu Guang’s neck in a position that he is sure cannot be comfortable. Lu Guang resigns himself to sit through a series of complaints from the man about a neck strain later on, and he slowly slides down the couch to get them to a more comfortable spot. His hand automatically flies to Xiaoshi’s hair, although a bit hesitant at first, then moves in soothing circles against his scalp as he feels his skin wet with tears. What a crybaby his roommate is, never running out of tears to shed for everyone. Always putting himself in the line of fire for foes and friends alike. Never asking for more than what he thinks he deserves.
They don’t utter a single word for what feels like hours after that, until the sun goes down and Cheng Xiaoshi’s tears subside aside from the occasional sniffles and a damp cheek rubbing against his neck. He can’t help but crack a small smile at his partner’s dog-like antics, but it freezes on his face when he realizes that what Xiaoshi is doing is not quite a nuzzle, but a pulse check. “Idiot,” he says unhelpfully, but there’s no bite to his word. He hopes he doesn’t sound as flustered as he feels. “I’m here now.” The taller hums against his neck, and Lu Guang has to suppress a full-body shiver at the vibrations. “You better not pull that shit on me again, you hear me, Lu Guang,” He rubs at a red-rimmed eye, no doubt exhausted from all the crying. “I’m supposed to be the one who gets in trouble and worries you. It doesn’t suit you at all.” Lu Guang can only huff in amusement. “So you do admit to being a constant nuisance.”
Cheng Xiaoshi lifts his face from where he had been hiding for the past hour, and when he looks up, he’s smiling, and they are just boys again. “You love me anyway.”
Guang’s blood runs cold at the words. The owner of said words seems to be as surprised, if the deer-in-headlights look on his face is any indication. He sputters with a nervous laugh on his lips, “Uh, I-I mean, you probably—“
He can divert the attention to something else, drag Xiaoshi into their usual banter, or play it off as a joke. If it were a few months ago, he would have liked to playfully shove Xiaoshi off of him with an exasperated “As if,” yet, he had been brought back from the dead through nothing but pure luck and a little bit of mercy from his assailant who decided to miss multiple important organs, and he has never understood more clearly than that moment that yes, time is infinite, but it is also never nearly enough.
He feels it in his bones every time Cheng Xiaoshi forces him into a ridiculous selfie, or Qiao Ling demands a photo of all three of them together because ‘You guys run a photo studio, for God’s sake! Live a little!’, he feels the urgency that’s settling into the pits of his stomach along with the slight irritation at having to face a lens awkwardly. The urgency eats at him, nothing but a harsh reminder of how fickle of a thing time is, and he cannot help but feel like everything he has ever wanted to keep is slipping through the cracks of his palms like the synthetic sand inside of an hourglass. He occasionally does spend an hour or two in the dark room, processing dozens of pictures of himself with the people he learned to call family, and while it makes him feel a bit giddy with affection, he also overflows with the possibility that all he might have left one day might be those photos.
For Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi, there is not a single moment left to spare. Every minute spent without expressing how he feels is a waste, so for once in his life, Lu Guang embraces the feeling of urgency instead of shoving it underneath a lump of emotions that feel too much like a certain man with bright eyes and a brighter smile.
“I do.” Lu Guang quickly cuts him off before his partner can spiral down the path of self-deprecation once more, opting to look away as he feels a blush creep up his face. He faintly regrets doing so, as the expression the older’s making is probably worth getting stabbed over and over again, but he cannot bring himself to face him head-on. He only hears Xiaoshi make a pathetic noise as his breath catches in his throat, the heat radiating off of his skin like milk with honey after a night of insomnia. It is only after Cheng Xiaoshi manages to force out a “Wha—? You do…?” that he composes himself and turns to look at him. It quickly reveals to be a horrible idea, a lapse of judgment, as he finds their faces a bit too close for comfort. He finds it even more uncomfortable that he wants to close the distance further. “You fool,” Lu Guang chokes out as if it’s the insult of the decade. Cheng Xiaoshi laughs then, a loud and obnoxious sound that Guang would dislike to hear from anyone else, but his traitorous heart thumps hard against his ribcage as his body relaxes in relief. “I can’t…” The older manages to get out between giggles, “I can’t believe it took you a murder case, an attempt on your life, and a life-threatening surgery to admit it, you really are something else, Lu Guang!” He huffs in exasperation as Xiaoshi wipes at the tears in the corner of his eyes from the laughing fit and grabs the face of his partner with both hands. He stares at him intently. “….What….? L-Lu Guang?” Cheng Xiaoshi stammers, not knowing where to look. “What are you doing?”
He presses harder on Xiaoshi’s cheeks, ignoring the other’s theatrical yelps of pain. “You didn’t say it back.”
“Huh? Oh,” Just like that, Cheng Xiaoshi goes completely red on the face, and Lu Guang is overcome with the urge to see how much further he can push it, which is a thought that goes ignored as soon as it is materialized. This is a precious moment that he cannot afford to ruin with childish urges along the lines of pressing his lips to one red cheek. “I… I like you too, Lu Guang. I have for a while.”
It is Lu Guang’s turn to be startled. “A while? Since when?” And how did I miss it?
Cheng Xiaoshi brings up a hand to rub the back of his own neck absentmindedly. “I can’t say, you’ll make fun of me.”
Lu Guang can’t help the snort that escapes him this time, but his eyes are open when he stares into his partner’s eyes with as much affection as he can muster. “I won’t, just tell me.”
Cheng Xiaoshi sighs as if he has just aged by ten woeful years. “Since I invited you to play basketball with us back in high school.” One. Two. Three seconds is how long Lu Guang is able to hold in a chuckle until it rips from his throat, making Xiaoshi shrink in on himself. He doesn’t miss the way soft brown eyes gaze at him in wonder and awe. “You… you have to be joking.”
“You’re the worst, Lu Guang! Bullying your poor partner for being so enchanted by your mediocre basketball skills and bland personality!”
“My basketball skills aren’t mediocre.”
“So you’re completely fine with me calling your personality bland?!”
“…Mn.”
“….Ah, Lu Guang. I was just messing with you, don’t be upset! You’re not half-bad at basketball.”
“…”
“Sorry, sorry! Why aren’t you looking at me? Heh, here you are. Alright, let me make it up to you!” That’s the only warning Lu Guang gets before he feels the softest brush of lips against the side of his neck where his pulse is beating steadily. Shit, Lu Guang’s brain short-circuits for a second before rebooting. I guess it’s not that steady anymore.
“Annoying,” he says, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, small and private and reserved only for the man with his heart on his sleeve. “You’re forgiven.”
The rest of the evening goes by in a blur, with Lu Guang lounging on the couch as Cheng Xiaoshi navigates around their little living space with ease, decluttering and cleaning everything spotless. He looks excited to have Lu Guang back, so he decides not to tease him about the uncharacteristic fuss he’s making over dish soap stains on their kitchen counter. When nighttime rolls around, it is truly no different than their routine before the events of the past few months. They turn the lights off, make sure to not leave the kettle and the rice cooker plugged in, and when Lu Guang hopes that they’re finally turning in for the night for a much-needed rest, he hears something scrape at the floor. He turns on his heels in confusion, only to see Cheng Xiaoshi dragging a chair to push against the door to the photo studio. “…What are you doing, Xiaoshi?” He asks incredulously and sighs when the man gives him a toothy smile. “Just making sure nobody is barging in while we sleep, you know? Better to be safe than sorry.”
Lu Guang considers looking up therapists nearby as he watches Cheng Xiaoshi quadruple-check the door he just locked with great horror. “Just come on in, you fool. It’s safe.”
Cheng Xiaoshi gives him a look full of doubts that will most likely be sticking with both of them for a long time, and Lu Guang quietly swears to resolve them one by one to put his partner’s mind at ease. His words must have been soothing enough for him, however, because he advances towards their shared bedroom after directing a threatening look at the poor chair.
They decide on a change of routine, and Cheng Xiaoshi takes the top bunk since Lu Guang is still in recovery and cannot be expected to climb up and down every time. It feels good to be back home, Lu Guang has to admit. He missed even the distinctive smell of their room, reminding him of freshly washed sheets, the afternoon sun, and the very man lying down on the top bunk. He wishes to never fall asleep to the beeping of machines, eyes tracing the pattern of the hospital room ceiling until sleep decides to be kinder to him. He would much rather hear the annoying snores of Cheng Xiaoshi and his occasional blabber in his sleep.
“This feels weird,” The same man startles him out of his thoughts. “I can’t see your feet dangling off of the bed like this.” He turns in the top bunk and the frame creaks. Lu Guang’s eyebrow twitches. How is he supposed to sleep like this if Cheng Xiaoshi won’t stop tossing and turning?
“Creep,” Lu Guang says, but there’s laughter in his tone. “Disgusting.” He adds more seriously this time for extra measure.
There are approximately ten minutes of silence before the cause of all of Lu Guang’s headaches speaks again. “Tell me, Lu Guang, how about we go abroad again once this whole… thing is over?”
“We?” Lu Guang inquires, surprised. “As in, the three of us?”
“No! Never!” Cheng Xiaoshi all but yells, then quiets down with a soft hush coming from the bottom bunk. “I mean, just the two of us. Like good ol’ days.”
“…What about our rent? We have a shop to run.”
“Hmm…” Cheng Xiaoshi ponders for a moment, before he speaks again, “I’m sure I can convince Qiao Ling to give us a month off, or something. She doesn’t stand a chance against my charming smile, she won’t even know what hit her!”
But how are we going to support ourselves financially? Lu Guang wants to ask, but he bites his tongue. He is used to shooting down Xiaoshi’s harmless self-indulgences, but right now, he knows that the promise of a better day is exactly what his partner needs. He doubts money will be that big of an issue, anyway. They make it work somehow like they always do.
“I can work two jobs,” Xiaoshi announces as if reading his mind. “I’ll even come home and cook for us.”
“I’ll work too, dumbass.” Lu Guang turns to lie on his side by accident, forgetting his injuries until he is breathless and sweating profusely from the sharp pain. “Lu Guang?” His partner’s head pops up from the edge of the top bunk, leaning down to see better in the dark. You’ll fall off, you rascal. “Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?”
“‘M alright,” Lu Guang manages to say unconvincingly. That is all it takes for Cheng Xiaoshi to slowly jump out of his bed and appear next to Lu Guang, hands hovering above him unsurely as if trying to see how he can help. “Here, let me help,” he mutters before positioning Lu Guang on his back again, making sure he is not lying flat down by fluffing up the pillow and folding it in half against the bed frame. They sit in silence until Lu Guang’s breathing slows again, and the exhaustion from walking around with healing wounds starts catching up to him. “Go back up and sleep,” he orders, not wanting Xiaoshi to lose any more sleep because of him like he did in the hospital. He barely dozes off before he feels a hand poking his cheek, followed by a whine that reminds Lu Guang too much of the cries of an attention-seeking puppy. “Lu Guaaaaang,” Xiaoshi groans, and he can hear the pout in his partner’s voice. “I’m cold and lonely. Let me sleep in the bottom bunk too.”
Lu Guang’s eyes both shoot open at that, neck turning pink. “B-But…! My injuries….”
“I’ll be mindful of them, I promise! I’ll be really good! I’ll even make sure you don’t try to turn in your sleep, so please, Lu Guang, please,” His sorry excuse of a coworker is truly persuasive with the puppy eyes he is currently giving to the injured man, although he looks slightly ridiculous. “You’re lucky I like you,” Lu Guang sighs with resignation. “Come here, you immature idiot.”
“I am lucky.” Cheng Xiaoshi beams at him then, all teeth and eyes brighter than the moon, and the crack inside Lu Guang deepens, splinters, and breaks him all the way down the middle. He’s fallen for this stupid guy harder than a car rocketing off a cliff. He tries to think of something he wouldn’t do for him and comes up empty. He would spend the rest of his life cleaning up after Xiaoshi’s messes. He would get drenched in the rain every day just to get him boba and deal with the fever if he had to. He would follow him to the ends of the world, wherever he wanted to go. He would make a home out of anything just to keep him by his side. He would bare his chest to many more stab wounds just to keep him alive for a few more hours. He would probably kiss him until Qiao Ling walks in on them and gives both of them an earful.
Everything he wants to say lodges itself in his throat like food forgotten to be chewed. It must be raining outside because there are droplets inside his eyelids as Cheng Xiaoshi slowly and cautiously curls against his good side. All he can do is blink them away as subtly as he can and wrap an arm around Xiaoshi’s waist, pulling him impossibly closer in the tight space the bunk bed provides. There’s a kiss pressed against his shoulder, so soft that Lu Guang nearly thinks he imagined it, and then his partner’s breathing evens out.
Lu Guang tries not to watch him like a creep but eventually gives in to the urge due to what he assumes to be the newfound emotions bubbling up in his chest. He spends some time staring at the man against his side, committing the way their limbs feel pressed against each other to memory. He glances at his empty wrist again, wishing he had his watch on so he could see just how much time he spent watching his poor partner sleep. It is only then that he feels a head moving against his shoulder, soft brown waves tickling his neck. “I’ve your watch, by the way,” Cheng Xiaoshi mumbles sleepily as if the words weigh more than the suffocating weight on their shoulders that comes with their line of work. Maybe it does, in a way. Lu Guang’s heart stutters in his chest. “It’s in m’ pocket. Jacket…. coat. Remind m’ tomorrow…” is the last thing Lu Guang hears before the man is out like a light again, and he cannot help the chuckle that escapes him at the sight. Tomorrow, they will have to wake up earlier than usual and face another stressful day of investigating a series of murders. Tomorrow, Cheng Xiaoshi will get nervous around Qiao Ling again, standing just a little bit closer to Lu Guang. Tomorrow, Captain Xiao will update them on the recent findings, and they will go from there. But, tomorrow Cheng Xiaoshi will give him his wristwatch back, and Lu Guang will probably kiss him as a thank you if he has the balls to.
But for now, he only holds him a little bit tighter. “…Mn, I’ll hold you to that, Xiaoshi.”