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The first thing Yingxing noticed upon entering the old building was the garden, or what was left of it.
Knocked-over and broken vases littered the ground in pieces. At the same time, the few withering flowers could barely stand up, curling to the sides as if trying to disappear within themselves, with weeds accompanied by tall grass only feeding the abandoned aesthetic. It was a truly pitiful sigh of what one day surely could have been a beautiful display of colors but due to neglect, it now only served as a reminder that nobody lived there for quite a long time. As someone who considers himself to be an artist, it made his heart ache a little bit. This sentiment, however, did not seem to be shared with his companion.
– I don’t understand. – Mumbled his brother while looking around with disgust and badly concealed boredom. – Why bring me here if your boyfriend only asked for your help? –
Even if the age difference wasn't as big as others assumed, in moments like this it was clear who was the oldest just by attitude alone.
He wasn’t wrong. It's not like they would start the renovations right at the moment. Dan Feng merely wished to look at the old furniture with him to see what would be kept and what should be tossed in the trash, something Ren would be little helpful in doing given that he worked as a tattoo artist and knew close to nothing about woodworking. No, the only reason he even insisted so much on bringing him along was because it would be a great way to get him away from work without sounding too overbearing about it. Ren never really took time to relax, needing to be reminded all the time to do things such as go to sleep and eat, one could only ever wonder how he even managed to function properly despite obviously running on spite and caffeine alone.
– Is a great way to bond. – He grinned a little while walking into the house. – Don’t you like to spend some time with your favorite brother? –
The door at the entrance creaked once he pushed it, putting his bag on the floor while looking around trying to find Dan Feng. The inside was a lot less miserable than the outside, albeit a little bit too old-looking for his tastes. At least everything looked clean and well-kept, something he could attribute to the shorter man's almost compulsive need to make sure everything was always neat and in its rightful place. There was a reason he hardly spent time in Yingxing’s workshop, and if the clutter and messy look were anything to go by, he could at least count as a blessing if he even stepped foot in there, to begin with.
– You are the only brother I have. – He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner, trying to force his face to not move a single inch lest he end up smiling like an idiot.
He laughed in response, looking around for the time being while waiting for the owner to arrive, ignoring Ren’s pointed glare with all the grace he very much did not own.
The warm tones and dark wood combination created a very cozy environment, but he did not dare call this place “homey”. For some reason, the atmosphere inside was strange, stagnant; like time stopped moving altogether and all the clocks were lying. While not uncomfortable per se it did feel surreal. Like waking up in a dream inside a dream and not knowing it isn't reality till something breaks the illusion.
He did not have much time to ponder such unless thoughts, however.
— The two of you are quite late. — Dan Feng descended the stairs right in front of them with all the elegance and picture-perfect appearance he always showed to others. The only thing of note that betrayed that image was the fuzzy ugly socks he was wearing, a present given by Yingxing on last year's holidays.
And yet Ren doubted he would even keep them. What a man of little faith!
Despite knowing for a fact he worked as a writer, it still made a lot of sense to imagine Dan Feng as the CEO of a big company or the heir of some rich family. His personality and elegance did fit the image of someone well-off monetarily, especially with how proud he tended to act about even the most stupid of things. But no, according to him, he never lived in the lap of luxury or anything of sorts, leaving his home at a young age due to “personal problems”. He never elaborated much about what happened, and Yingxing will never press him about what obviously was still a sore subject.
— Traffic was bad, it is a miracle we are even here now. — The younger brother explained, still not sounding very happy with the situation, playing with the cord of his jacket more as a way to keep his hands occupied than anything else. He was the quiet type since childhood, but nobody could claim him to be shy. It was similar to how Dan Feng acted, but his case is related to pride instead of a lack of what to say or disinterest.
Both of them had a strange way of interacting. Since Yingxing was the only thing in common they could claim to have, a lot of conversations were dry and direct to the point, never leaving anything up for interpretation. It was not really hate or annoyance but overall a disinterest that bordered on apathy.
It was better than animosity at least.
After exchanging a quick kiss, Dan Feng took his hand and started to pull him along, smiling a little all the while.
— Let me show you around, you can take your bags to the rooms later. — As always, he didn’t take his eyes off his boyfriend, acting like a lovesick maiden, something only a few people were able to witness, probably for their own good, since such a sigh was sugary sweet to the point of making anybody nauseous.
Ren could only sigh while looking at the love birds a little behind them, rolling his eyes as far as he could while huffing similar to a teenager seeing their parents flirting first thing in the morning.
It was going to be a long week of hell, he could already tell as much.
…
Ren could not sleep.
The bed was comfortable and the room fairly neat, and yet here he was, rolling around from one side to the other unable to find a position that would make him relax enough to let himself pass out from exhaustion. Maybe he felt homesick, or perhaps the idea of being away from work disturbed him to the point of being unable to relax. Anyway, the reason is not that important, because no matter how much he tried he simply could not even nap a little, opening his eyes seconds after closing them.
With a huff and curse, he got up abruptly not even bothering to put on his slippers, opening the door carefully so as to not wake anyone up with the noise, walking outside in favor of doing something to at least starve off some boredom and hopefully get tired enough to pass out for a few hours.
It was dark, with not much being visible at this time of night. He left his phone charging by the bedside, so with not much else to do, he started to walk with a hand firmly on the wall, cursing himself for his careless attitude.
If I trip, I won't even care all that much if my screaming in anger wakes them up.
Ren was near the stairs when suddenly he heard a sound at the end of the corridor, abruptly stopping in his tracks, looking in the direction of the sound with hidden surprise and fear.
That’s…
A few feet away from him, dressed in white inner garments stood an unknown person he could swear to not have met before that moment.
The man was a pale figure amidst the darkness that enveloped his frail form. His eyes, blue in the same way the ocean could be considered such, almost looked like shiny lights, as bright as the moon from outside the window, but more hauntingly beautiful and striking. He was similar to Dan Feng in almost every way possible, like a twin or mirrored image, but even so, the man looked younger, more naive, and yet wise in his own way. He could not believe his eyes at the moment. It was like staring at a ghost, or a siren given how strangely beautiful the other was.
— I don’t think I ever saw you before… — His heart, loudly beating for within his chest almost drowned the others' voice given how low he mumbled his words. – Who are you? – He questioned, curious and guarded at the same time, tilting his head to the side while squinting his eyes a little.
Slowly making his way over to the stranger while crossing his arms, he wanted to take a closer look at whoever that was. His curiosity was piqued or whatever the exact phrase was.
– I’m Ren, and you? – Only by standing so close together that he could see the height difference between one another. He almost completely towered over the other with his form. Despite this fact, he did not look scared at all, only a little annoyed at having to glance upward so much.
How cute.
– Dan Heng, you probably met my older brother. – That did in fact explain just how similar they both looked to one another. It was a bit weird however, as Ren never met twins before or people that are almost the exact copy of someone else. He and Yingxing, for example, only have a few things in common in terms of appearance, and that’s enough to make people know just by looking that they are related.
There is also the fact Ren has blueish hair while Yingxing’s is a solid black with only a few white strands peppered all over despite not even being that old. Maybe it was stress or genetics, who knows?
– Yeah, he is my brother’s boyfriend. – With a sigh he rolled his eyes a bit before frowning a little. – He never mentioned having a brother. –
That actually made the other laugh a little.
– Didn’t he? – Dan Heng smiled also crossing his arms.
Well, is not like Ren talked much to the other or paid much attention to what he said. Yingxing was an adult man who could make his own choices in life and didn’t need his own brother trying to get into his business, because even if he was a bit too nice at times to some people he still was too strong-headed to simply do what other tells him to do, so really, if he wanted to date someone that proud and a bit snobbish who would stop him? Certainly not him.
Seeing his lack of response, Dan Heng was the one to roll his eyes this time.
– Well, you are here to help us clean correct? – He looked out the window, staring outside with a funny look on his face. It wasn't sadness, but something close to it. Perhaps melancholic could be the word one would use if feeling particularly poetic.
He gave his response almost right away as a way to make him less gloomy, explaining how that was the sole reason for him to even be there in the first place.
That did seem to make him a little bit happier. He smiled a little in his direction before turning around.
– Hm, alright, I’ll see you tomorrow then. – He nodded before walking away quietly, vanishing behind one of the doors as ghostly as he first appeared.
Maybe it was a trick of the light, or the lack of sleep was finally catching up to him, making hallucinations appear out of nowhere. But for a quick second, as fast the blink of an eye, Ren could swear to see something akin to a tail moving behind Dan Heng’s lower back right before he left his field of vision.
Huh, weird. Was the only thing he could think before simply deciding to go back to bed.
…
Sleep came (surprisingly enough) a bit too easily to him the other night. Maybe due to how quiet this place was, or the presence of his boyfriend, but usually he had a bit more trouble getting his body to relax and his mind to be quiet, a problem he very much shared with Ren, so he could only wonder if his brother managed to at least nap a little. But since he still hadn’t left his room he had a bit of hope for the best.
Shaking his head a little to the sides and smiling, he put some of his tools on the ground, looking over the few pieces of furniture they dragged outside after breakfast. Since most of the work involved dismantling anything that was either too old or too broken, it was deemed a better idea to do it in a big open space instead of cramped inside one of the rooms.
Soon they fell into a rhythm, carefully looking over everything to see what would be kept or not, testing their endurance to see what still held up. And despite claiming otherwise, Dan Feng proved himself to be quite knowledgeable about the whole process, so with the pace they were going, it would take maybe two days to finish everything, perhaps even less than that.
After a few minutes in this calm atmosphere, the door slammed open, and a grumpy-looking Ren walked in their direction still in his pajamas and with hair all over the place resembling a fluffy cat who was put inside a washing machine.
– Why didn’t you wake me up? – His voice was rough, still carrying traces of sleepiness in his tone, glaring at the general direction of the sun as if it personally was making him uncomfortable on purpose.
He looked well-rested enough, and that was the most important part. Since they were in a completely different place from the usual and he was dragged along against his wishes, he worried a lot if Ren would take the time to relax at least a little bit.
– Oh hey Sleeping Beauty, did you have sweet dreams? – Yingxing could not help himself, smiling smugly at the other while cooing like an overbearing mother would, knowing his teasing worked as intended just by the deeply annoyed look on his face and the heavy sigh coming from Dan Feng. He didn’t feel bad or even embarrassed about it - it was his duty as a sibling to sometimes be annoying just for the sake of a bad joke.
– Both of you have trouble sleeping, so I figured it would be best to let you rest more. – Dan Feng explained while rolling his eyes, soon turning back to what they were previously doing, ignoring how the heat made his skin clammy. He was in fact trying not to think about his own body at all, knowing the second he paid attention to it his carefully placed mask would shatter into a million pieces and he very much did not want to explain that mess to anyone, least of all his own boyfriend.
He wasn't as obsessed with appearances as others claimed, just a little more self-aware than most.
– Hey, I saw your brother the other night, where is he now? –
That seemed to catch him off guard, making him almost drop the hammer in his hands, ignoring Yingxing’s laugh in favor of staring at Ren in badly concealed curiosity.
– Huh? – He mumbled a bit confused before returning his face to the same neutral expression he often wore. – Probably in the old study room. – He nodded his head in the general direction of the house, trying his hardest not to loudly sigh once the expression of the other man relaxed into something far softer than normal and (dare he say), far more passionate if the word could even be used in this particular instance.
That screamed trouble, but before he could say something else, Ren already left to go inside in quick steps, presumably to search for the other man.
Yingxing laughed, getting closer to his boyfriend, and swiftly starting to tie his long dark hair with careful movements to not pull too hard on it. He was always so gentle when taking care of him, it never failed to warm his heart in those caring and tender moments.
– I didn’t realize they never talked before. – In just a few seconds he managed to do a long braid with not a single strand out of place.
He knew his brother wasn’t the most social person in the world most of the time, but it was just one of those things where you fail to consider how much one person knows about the other. Well, better late than never as they say. At least it looked like they were getting along just fine.
– Dan Heng did mention meeting someone new. I just never imagined that person to be your brother out of all people. – He laughed, quickly kissing him on the cheek before getting up from the ground with a huff.
Yingxing quirked an eyebrow a bit confused by that claim, urging him to answer with a movement with his hands as if giving him the floor to do a presentation.
Dan Feng rolled his eyes and crossed his arms trying to not smile too much.
– His description was… Creative, to say the least. – That was one way to put it.
While not using too many flowery words and needless praise, the picture he formed was that of a curious and a bit naive man who lacks several good nights of sleep and therefore looks two steps away from passing out on the floor. And yes, some parts of these descriptions did fit him like a glove, but others... not so much.
– Hah! That sounds funny. –
It very much did.
…
The moment he entered the place his nose was immediately bombarded with heavy dust and the smell of old books, making him sneeze violently in surprise, unable to prevent such an involuntary reaction from occurring, covering the bottom part of his face with both of his hands in a futile attempt at breathing easier, looking over at the other man with watery eyes and a deep frown.
For his part, Dan Heng did look a little apologetic, quickly going closer to help him get some of the dust out of his clothes and face while mumbling about how he only intended to clean the office and overestimated how dirty it was. Normally Ren didn't like being fuzzed over so much for no good reason, he was a grown-ass man after all, not a little child anymore. But at that moment, he intended to enjoy it to the last second and more.
– Do you feel better now? – He tilted his head to the side before stepping back a little.
Ren nodded, mentioning with his hand the pile of books and documents crowding the desk with an inquisitive look.
Most of the covers were a bit hard to read, being either completely gone or fading. But the ones still intact appeared to be either about biology or medical practices, so it was safe to assume the rest were similar in concept. It did raise a few questions, but since neither of the brothers looked like they actually lived there or even visited all that much, so he assumed it all belonged to a family member who owned the place beforehand.
Dan Heng went back to what he was doing before Ren’s appearance, looking over his shoulder every so often to ensure the other was listening to his words.
– Our grandfather used to live here before... – He paused, trying to find the right words. – Well, before his illness got worse. –
He got on his tiptoes trying to reach the higher shelf, cursing under his breath and wondering if he should simply get a ladder when Ren suddenly got closer, forcing Dan Heng to suppress a startled sound from escaping his mouth the moment the other pressed his chest against his back for a second before getting the books and moving to leave them alongside the others. And against his expectations of how he normally would react to such close proximity with what was pretty much a stranger, he could feel his face getting warmer.
– We didn’t talk that much last night. – Ren commented while trying to make sure the pile on the desk didn’t fall on the ground, not yet realizing the flushed state he left the other. Something that was probably good, given how he looked like the type who would tease him for it.
The stack shook to the sides precariously. If they were to put anything there it would surely end up as a mess on the floor.
– I supposed we didn’t… – He breathed heavily trying to calm down his heart.
The atmosphere wasn't tense per se. A bit awkward, sure, neither of them could be considered social or expressive for a reason, but there wasn’t that much pressure in keeping a conversation going, so for a time both stayed silent, cleaning the room without a word. Ren would take out anything on the shelves the other was unable to reach and then wipe with a piece of cloth. Dan Heng felt a lot more relaxed that way, brushing aside the strange interaction from early in favor of not overthinking it too much, something he, unfortunately, did very often.
After getting rid of all the dust, it was time to see which books would stay and which he would need to look closely to assess their damage. Since a lot was falling apart, this would end up being the easiest part of the whole process. So, sitting on the chair near the desk, Dan Heng started to go over everything carefully.
– Do you work? – Ren asked while leaning on the wall and flipping through a collage textbook with no real interest in what was written in there. He wasn’t one to like biology all that much if he was being honest. He knew the basics, and for now, that was enough.
Contrary to that, Dan Heng did look engrossed in everything he read, having to stop himself time and time again from paying too much attention to the wrong thing, taking a few seconds for him to realize the question was obviously aimed at him and nobody else.
– Yes, in a library, what about you? –
He smiled a little almost unconsciously after imagining the other working in one of those cozy libraries you tend to see in movies. It did fit him incredibly well if the way he acted was anything to go by.
– I’m a tattoo artist. – He shrugged a little. It looked a bit obvious according to Silver Wolf. Something about his vibes and looks fitting the stereotypes perfectly. Not that he even knew there was such a thing as a stereotypical tattoo artist out of all things. It sounded so stupid, it almost made him laugh the first time she told him that.
For some reason the answer seemed to intrigue the other.
He got up from where he was sitting, getting closer with a curious look on his eyes. It looked like he was preparing himself mentally about something, taking some time before finally saying what he wanted.
Ren’s phone number.
For some reason that surprised him more than it should.
– What for? – He asked, like a complete idiot, grimacing internally with the dejected look he received in response.
Way to go dumbass.
– I want to see your art. Is… is it weird? – He didn’t think his question was too weird. But perhaps it was more forward than it should. They did meet not long ago, after all, there was the possibility of him reading their entire interactions wrong.
But before he could apologize, Ren answered in a hurry:
– Not at all. – He took his phone from his pocket, feeling his cheeks blushing a little at Dan Heng’s laugh.
Later, when he was in his room packing his things, he remembered the strange scene from the night before, realizing he forgot to ask about the whole “maybe not even real” tail thing.
Maybe I was really sleep-deprived.
He decided to believe in that for now.
…
It was late afternoon when they finally managed to finish all the work and decided to go inside to spend time together before Yingxing inevitably had to go back home. And since both were pretty tired, the solution was obviously to lay down in bed and cuddle till the last second.
– My hair is still pretty wet. Maybe I should dry it first. – He mumbled while rubbing his face against the other's chest like an affectioned cat, only needing to start purring next to really sell this image. It took everything in him to not laugh at the absurdity of such a line of thought, especially given the fact he should be compared to a lizard more than anything else.
It was a bit absurd to think he really would have to courage to get up at the moment for a reason so silly. He wasn’t even the one being turned into a sentient pillow after all. He’ll live.
– I have a question. – His hands started to rub up and down on Dan Feng’s back in slow repetitive movements, smiling to himself once he felt his body relaxing almost immediately in his hold, waiting for an answer before deciding to just go ahead and say what he wanted already. – If we are alone, why are you still so… Human? –
That had the contrary effect to what he intended because he went still as if startled by the question.
It surprisingly didn’t take too long in their relationship for him to find out his boyfriend wasn’t exactly 100% “normal” as some may say. It was the little things:
How he moved his head as if not used to its lightweight, the too-sharp teeth, how his eyes tend to shine in the dark even with no light source near. The only reason nobody suspected a thing is due to the fact that the only one who stared at him too much to be healthy and liked to take in every little detail was Yingxing himself. And since he truly wished for Dan Feng to feel comfortable enough to show who he really was, he decided to question him about it in the most gentle and non-judgmental way he could.
And that’s how he figured out he was dating a dragon out of all things.
He really was a gift that just kept on giving.
– The room is too small for that. – He reasoned, sitting on his lap to look him directly in the eyes with a smirk. – And I don’t wish to crush you. –
The other huffed clearly offended by such notion despite it being the objective true.
He put his hands around his waist, putting on the best puppy face he could make, and begged the love of his life if he could at least show his horns and tail. It was a nice compromise really, so the chances of being denied what he wants were closer to zero.
Well, would you look at that?
After sighing loudly and rolling his eyes so far back he would make Ren proud, Dan Feng did exactly as nicely asked, putting a little of his true form on full display for the absolute and pure delight of his huge nerd of a boyfriend.
– It makes me think you like me only for my… “cool” looks, as you would put it. – He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of skilled hands rubbing the base of his tail with care and precise motions he tried so hard to perfect.
Yingxing actually laughed at that.
– I don’t like you. – He sat on the bed, kissing him all over his face with obnoxiously loud noises. – I love you. – The tone was sincere and full of passion, being something he clearly believed more than anything else in the world.
And despite being dating for well over two years now, Dan Feng could not help but blush like a maiden.
His future husband was truly going to be the death of him.
…
– Don’t forget to call me once you get home. – He squished his cheeks and hardened his stare, making sure to let the other know how serious he was being in the moment. It was a bit silly to worry so much, but he could understand the sentiment, so he nodded a little more for extra measure, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside once their lips touched for a little while longer before he stepped back to let him go.
Ren was as grumpy as ever, drumming his fingers against the wheel while obviously trying to not look in their direction for even a second.
– So, still regretting coming with me here? – Yingxing smugly asked with a bit of a mischievous tone.
His brother could not have looked any more done with him than in that moment, looking as if considering driving over him to hopefully fulfill the Cain extinct inside of him that screamed for a bit of a payback for every single misdeed he has ever made against him.
Luckily for Yingxing, he had better self-control than this.
– Just get inside the damn car, will you? –
They had a long way back home after all.