Work Text:
Shen Qingqiu is breathing in the scents of the market and watching as Shang Qinghua pushes and weaves through the crowd. The shorter man is struggling a bit making Shen Qingqiu chuckle where he takes a much more leisurely approach. He glances at a stall of well made fans and turns back to tell Shang Qinghua that he wants to stop there. As he glances over the crowd he finds he’s completely lost sight of that familiar poorly constructed top knot. He starts looking around a bit faster and trying to stand on his toes to look down into the crowd but it’s no luck. He simply keeps walking and hopes that Shang Qinghua will realize he’s left him behind soon and be able to find him.
As if his inner thoughts were heard Shang Qinghua pops out of the crowd. He weaves towards him until he’s within speaking distance. “Bro! I thought I lost you forever don’t disappear like that.”
“Who disappeared? As I remember it you ran off and left me.” Shen Qingqiu raises his brow.
Shang Qinghua pouts before abruptly brightening up. “Well then we’ll just have to make sure we don’t get separated again right?”
Shen Qingqiu is suspicious but has no choice but to agree.
Shang Qinghua quickly reaches out and entwines their fingers, holding on tight as Shen Qingqiu tries to rip his hand away. “Perfect.” he chirps, “Now we won’t get separated.”
“This is shameless!” Shen Qingqiu hisses feeling his cheeks heat at the idea of someone seeing them walking around hand in hand.
“It’s fine bro. It’s just for safety, it won’t kill you.”
Shen Qingqiu huffs but begrudgingly allows it so they find themselves walking through the rest of the market hand in hand.
_____
Shen Qingqiu is sitting at his low desk doing some paperwork when he hears the door to the bamboo house open. At first he thinks it might be Liu-shidi but he hears no harsh footsteps so it must be Airplane. No sooner than he thinks the thought does Shang Qinghua come into view in the corner of his eye. Shen Qingqiu decides to ignore him while he finishes up this report as repayment for not knocking.
“Cucumber-bro!” Shang Qinghua beams coming up behind Shen Qingqiu to wrap his arms around his shoulders.
Shen Qingqiu immediately moves to shove the offending appendages off himself before going back to work.
“Aw bro don’t be like that. Can I not give you a hug?” Shang Qinghua says putting his hands on on Shen Qingqiu’s shoulders and shaking him gently.
Shen Qingqiu huffs. “No. Now stop being sticky I’m trying to get your stupid paperwork done.”
“Ah, so I can be sticky when you’re done with the paperwork?” Shang Qinghua teases.
Shen Qingqiu turns his head to glare “No.”
Shang Qinghua laughs before heading off to grab tea and snacks from the kitchen.
_____
Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu are ready for bed. They’ve spent the night eating endless snacks and reminiscing about their past lives together. Time got away from them and Shen Qingqiu has found himself to exhausted to fly back to Qing Jing. Shang Qinghua recommended a “Bro Sleepover” and Shen Qingqiu reluctantly agreed. So here they are crawling into the same bed.
“Bro, don’t you wanna put your hair up?” Shang Qinghua says where he sits on the bed hair already put into a loose french braid.
“I don’t know how. Da-ge and Er-ge always did meimei’s hair so I never had to learn. It’s fine I’ve been sleeping like this the whole time.” Shen Qingqiu says wishing that he had learned with how awful the tangles are in the morning.
“Here, I’ll put it up for you tonight and then later on I’ll teach you.” Shang Qinghua states not waiting for confirmation before starting to gether up Shen Qingqiu’s hair in his hands.
Shen Qingqiu almost jumps away but finds that the fingers combing through his hair feels kind of nice? He supposes it’s not too odd to let Shang Qinghua braid his hair. Of course it would be in this world, but keeping up this world’s standards all the time is exhausting. And so he simply relaxes into the feeling of his hair being gently put into twin french braids. The room is quiet and still in a way it could only be in the dead of night. All he hears is Shang Qinghua’s soft breathing and the rustling of his own hair.
Soon enough Shang Qinghua lets him know that the braids are in place, somehow with no need for a hair tie, and the two quietly sort themselves out before slipping into sleep.
_____
Shen Qingqiu sits admiring the meadow they’ve found themselves in; how the wind blows through the branches of a nearby willow tree and rustles vibrant purple flowers, how ducks swim across the sparking pond, how the sun beams down pleasantly warming his skin, fighting off the chill of early spring. He’s at peace surrounded by beauty and filled with the good food they’d brought with them for this little scenic picnic.
His peace is quickly destroyed by a certain hack plopping himself down into his lap. “What the hell are you doing in my lap? Absolutely shameless.”
“Oh puh-lease. Nobody’s around it’s fine.” Shang Qinghua points out before settling his head in the crook of Shen Qingqiu’s neck.
Shen Qingqiu lets out a deep sigh before wrapping his arms around Shang Qinghua’s middle. The chill in the air is chased away for good by the warmth of Shang Qinghua. “You’re disgustingly sticky you know that?”
Shang Qinghua turns his head to look at Shen Qingqiu his usually caramel eyes looking almost golden in the sunlight. “You like it.” He smirks a bit laughing as Shen Qingqiu looks away, cheeks beginning to flush, clearly from the cold.
______
It’s Shang Qinghua’s birthday. Not the one in this world but his original birthday. Happy birthday has been sung, food and cake have been eaten, now it’s time for gifts. Shen Qingqiu pulls a big clay jar out of a qiankun pouch and hands it over.
Shang Qinghua makes a show of inspecting the jar. “A very medium ugly jar Shixiong thank you so much.” He beams sarcastically.
“Just open it you stupid hack.” Shen Qingqiu grumbles.
Shang Qinghua gasps in mock offence. “Wow calling me a stupid hack on my birthday?”
“Yes I am. Now open your damn gift before I start beating you with my fan again.” Shen Qingqiu glowers.
Shang Qinghua salutes. “Yes boss opening the gift right away.” he teases before barely dodging the swipe of a fan.
Upon opening the jar he’s hit with a smell he hasn’t smelled in decades. Coffee. Looking inside sure enough it’s filled with coffee beans.
“Don’t drink it all too fast that shit’s from deep in the demon realm it was hard to get.” Shen Qingqiu points out looking smugly at Shang Qinghua’s awestruck face.
Shang Qinghua abruptly sets down the jar and practically leaps over the low table between them. At first Shen Qingqiu just thinks it’s yet another hug but it’s not. Quicker than he can recognize what’s coming chapped well bitten lips meet his. It’s just a quick press barely even a second but Shen Qingqiu’s thrown completely.
“Wh-what? Why?” He manages to stutter out, surprised to find that the disgust he would’ve expected to feel at being kissed by another man hasn’t come, in it’s place is a happy warmth.
“It’s called gratitude? You’ve never heard someone say I’m so happy I could kiss you?” Shang Qinghua looks at him like he’s stupid.
“People say that they don’t actually do it!”
“Well I did it. Do you want me not to do it again?”
“It’s whatever just give a guy a warning sheesh.” Shen Qingqiu turns away.
He sees Shang Qinghua smile at him out of the corner of his eye before he announces “Kiss incoming!” and leans in to press another peck to Shen Qingqiu’s lips, this one lingering a bit longer.
“Happy birthday.” Shen Qingqiu mumbles before chasing after those lips as Shang Qinghua pulls away.
_____
Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua are having another sleepover, this time planned. As the two lay down, each on one side of the bed, Shen Qingqiu gets to thinking. It’s fall now so it’s quite chilly at night. These blankets are nice but something else might be nicer. It wouldn’t be weird would it? It’s not like they’ve officially talked about what kind of relationship they have but neither does anyone else in this setting really until things get very serious. Will things between them get serious? That’s besides the point. Not relevant right now. Shang Qinghua has kissed him, quite a few times at that. So it shouldn’t be strange for him to want to steal his warmth a bit right? Yeah.
With that thought in mind Shen Qingqiu starts to slowly inch his way over to a seemingly asleep already Shang Qinghua. Before he can actually touch Shang Qinghua the doubts start to pour in. What if he wakes him up and he’s upset? Maybe he just shouldn’t.
Suddenly an arm reaches out and encircles him, pulling him closer. “Stop being weird just c’mere.” Shang Qinghua mumbles sleepily.
Shen Qingqiu wiggles a bit closer and wraps one of his arms around Shang Qinghua returning the embrace. “Goodnight.” He whispers settling in.
“G’night.” Shang Qinghua mumbles into his well braided hair.