Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

>>Zhan-ge

>>u home yet, ge?

Yibo messages Xiao Zhan as soon as the former has deemed it as late enough that the latter must already have arrived at home. It’s already nearing 6pm in Beijing and 7pm in Seoul after all. Of course Xiao Zhan is definitely the type of man to still have some other work to do even right after he steps out of the airplane, so Yibo had patiently counted the hours until he thinks now would be a good time to pester Xiao Zhan. Yibo doesn’t want to be seen as too clingy, and although he might be failing at that with his decisions, he still tries.

Yibo is now lounging on his couch, flipping through various channels on his television, while he waits for his dinner delivery. He’s ordered pizza for tonight, which is rare of him, but Yibo thinks that since he’s already eaten unnecessary carbs this morning he might as well just make this day a cheat day. It’s Saturday after all. It isn’t like he’s the type of person who gains weight all that easily either. Yibo only keeps track of the stuff he eats because he tends to get dizzy and sleepy whenever he eats heavily, and fails to get work done. For now though, he’ll indulge, especially that he’s pretty sure that for the next two weeks, he’ll be running mostly only on cold chicken breasts he’d have packed to eat in between rehearsals, and cafeteria food.

It’s finals. Finally finals. With everything that Yibo has been doing the past several weeks, he hasn’t really realized that his days as a university student are finally about to close. Since last year, he’s been too busy interning as an instructor for the nearby dance studio, and it’s only in the current semester that he and Cheng Xiao decided to execute the practical part of their internship in their own school, so they started to teach a group of high school girls who are also preparing for a number in the school founding festival after the finals. It’s a pretty brutal date, but they don’t really have the power to move the school founding and the exams to other days.  It’s only now that Yibo becomes thankful of his other professors for drilling him with papers during the span of four months, instead of clumping all of what they discussed into one big identification test that Yibo would surely keel over from reviewing for. Now, he only has to worry about an objective geology class to study for, a term paper for art class, and then a little bit for dance theory. He and Cheng Xiao would be supervising the high school girls on Tuesday and Thursday, and then one last time on Wednesday the week after this one, and then in that same week Yibo and his group would be rehearsing non-stop for their performances. It’s going to be a live event after all, and not only are they performing in front of hundreds of people, they’re also going to be graded by the senior instructors.

Additional to that, the ultimate deciding factor on whether or not they have succeeded—with passing grades or none—would be up to complete strangers, who would be attending the event to scout for their respective studios or companies. The companies rarely ever send anyone known to these events, so they wouldn’t really know who to impress in particular. But what they do know, is that these people are more about the objectives, so Yibo and his crew cannot just wing their way into ‘looking cool’. Yibo’s never really liked bombarding his routines with explosive moves anyway—it’ll look like trying too hard, so Yibo understands where these professionals are coming from. He’s received enough advice from his seniors in the past to have this mentality drilled into him.

Yibo’s phone lights up, pulling him away from his thoughts.  He swipes to answer the call.

“Are you busy?” Xiao Zhan’s voice is soothing from the other line, but Yibo frowns.

“Me? Why? I messaged you first didn’t I?” he says.

“I replied, though.”

Yibo blinks, and then pulls his phone back away from his ear to look at the screen. Sure enough, Xiao Zhan has messaged him twice.

“Oh” Yibo chuckles awkwardly. “Sorry, I was thinking about finals.”

“It’s this month, huh.” It’s only now that Yibo notices the slight echoes of footsteps on Xiao Zhan’s end.

“Mmn.” Yibo says. “Where are you? Your footsteps are echoing, ge.”

“Ah. I’m in the museum.” Xiao Zhan answers. “I had to bring and arrange the artworks here first because we’re opening the exhibit tomorrow. I’m about to head home now, though.”

Yibo worries his lower lip a little bit. “Did you fly to Seoul right after you graduated from here?”

“Mmn.” It’s a gentle sound. “During my senior year exhibit, a husband-and-wife got interested in the work I displayed. They bought it. Then they asked me if I wanted to work for them, turns out they’re the owners of this museum. They bought some of my works, and then appraised the others so the numbers blew up. Really, I was just lucky.”

“You’re talented, ge. I’ve only seen your work once, but I’m sure other people could also see the unique flow and harmony in the pieces you organize and create.” Yibo feels like he should tell him that.

Xiao Zhan does not answer right away, but he there’s a small exhale on the other line and it sure sounds like a smile. “Thanks, Yibo.” The smile is still in his tone. “I didn’t just transfer here, and then right away worked my job now, though.”

“You’re like…a manager, right?” Yibo asks, a little guiltily because he remembers now that he wasn’t there when Xiao Zhan was a speaker in his university.

“Hm, something like that.” The footstep echoes fade, and then the low hum of a car is heard. Xiao Zhan tells someone To the apartment, please. So Yibo assumes that he has a driver today and therefore wouldn’t be talking on the phone whilst manning a vehicle.

Xiao Zhan continues, “When I first got here, I started as a tour guide. I had to learn all the basics, ins and outs, and the history of the permanent displays first. I did that while taking on a master’s, and then when I finished the degree, I finally got to curate.”

Tell me more, Yibo’s brain suffices. He just hums, to show his further interest.

“It was just little sections first, and then as I learned more, they began to give me bigger jobs. They put me in charge of a few sections in the museum, permanently. I also got to curate for galleries outside. And then,” Xiao Zhan chuckles, and Yibo finds himself smiling as well. “Then they said I had a knack for obsessing over the details. Handling, resourcing, fundraising, even programming.”

“Wow, ge.”

“So the owners, they endorsed me to the board. Then they voted. And that’s when I got promoted to being museum director.”

“That’s amazing. And doesn’t sound like a manager. I oversimplified.” Yibo pouts into the mouthpiece.

“No, actually. It’s the same thing. It’s a managerial job, with extra steps.”

Yibo snorts. “You have like, three jobs. Now I know why you overspend.” He’s found out earlier that the shiny new piece of jewellery that Xiao Zhan had given him today costs more than the amount Xiao Zhan had given him online. “I still feel bad for the overpriced noodles.”

Xiao Zhan laughs again, and it’s truly a charming sound. “Bo-di, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll disclose to you that my first appraised work was evaluated at five thousand dollars.”

“That’s roughly the amount of—”

“It was sold at twenty one.”

“What the fuck.” If that had been Xiao Zhan’s first appraised work, then Yibo could only imagine just how much his other works have been sold for.

“Some buyers out there are crazy.”

“Why are you even working still?” Yibo half jokes. He has an idea as to why, but he asks anyway.

“I…all of the directorial duties. They’re objective, routinely. I mostly work on autopilot, and uh.” Xiao Zhan pauses, “How do I explain this. It’s kind of like—”

“It’s when you get to think of what you want to create next.” Yibo says wonderingly. Even he is surprised at his own words.

“Yes. That’s…that’s exactly it.” There’s another pause, and Yibo thinks he hears Xiao Zhan exiting the car. “I’m home.” he announces. “How did you know?”

Because. “I’m a dancer, Zhan-ge.” Yibo says as if that was a suffice answer on its own. After a moment, he decides to add, “I enjoy routine work and coming up with step sequences, but when you’ve been doing it long enough, you’ll start seeing a pattern and then you’re going to think of them less.”

Xiao Zhan stays silent on the other line, so Yibo continues. “When I think less, I guess that’s when I feel like I’m being creative. Maybe. I hope that makes sense.”

“It does.” Xiao Zhan’s voice is a little clearer now that he’s indoors. “Wow, Bo-di. I should’ve guessed you’re a dancer.”

Yibo’s sure his smirk could be heard on the phone. “You should see me dance, ge.” He teases.

“Your department will be performing for the festival, right. When is it?” Xiao Zhan asks. Yibo didn’t think that he would actually ask, or be interested even. “I’ll be flying back there next Saturday.”

“Ah.”

“Why?”

Yibo bites his lip, and straightens his back on the couch, hoping he’ll sound cheerful enough. “It’s next Friday,” he adds quickly: “but it’s fine, ge! Don’t actually take it seriously, I was just kidding.”

Xiao Zhan sighs. “Sorry, didi. There’s a fundraising event I have to attend on that date.”

It’ll be lying if Yibo said that he isn’t disappointed, but ah, well. These things are unavoidable. He’s busy. Xiao Zhan is busier. Yibo will be damned if he interrupts even just one of the events in Xiao Zhan’s schedule. Yibo knows he’s lucky enough to even be talking to Xiao Zhan right at this moment.

“Don’t worry about it, ge. Let’s just see each other when you’re free again.” Yibo reassures. “I’ll pretty much be doing nothing the week after the event, so just tell me.”

“I’m gonna free up Sunday.”

Yibo almost snorts, but successfully stops himself before he lets out any sound. Instead, he musters a reprimanding tone, “Ge, please don’t make your secretary-jiejie cry.”

Xiao Zhan doesn’t promise him anything, but they do still agree on meeting up on Sunday. Yibo eventually just turns off his television, there’s nothing interesting on it anyway, and he very much prefers to talk to Xiao Zhan with his full attention.

Nothing much happens during the length of their conversation, but it does span long enough that Yibo nearly misses the knock on his door from the pizza delivery guy. He talks on the phone while eating, the loud speaker on, Xiao Zhan doing the same on the other line. There’s even a point when the call is just left on, but none of them are talking. There’s just the small idle noises of them doing whatever tasks they had to do, with them occasionally asking random questions at each other.

When Xiao Zhan complains about being old, Yibo drops the Lego piece he’s been tinkering with and holds the phone to his face, as if scolding at Xiao Zhan’s name on its screen. “Twenty seven isn’t old, Zhan-ge. I’m only just six years younger.” He almost slipped and said We’re only six years apart.

There’s a continuous beeping noise on the other line.

“Ah, Bo-di, I gotta go. Client consultation.” Xiao Zhan actually groans.

Yibo smiles at his phone. “Don’t let me keep you, ge.”

-----

Yibo does bring Cheng Xiao her promised latte, on Monday morning. He hasn’t even fully handed the cup to her when Cheng Xiao stands on her toes to meet his eyes, her own round orbs sparkling. Yibo briefly doubts that she really needs the caffeine.

“Shut up.” Yibo says.

“I haven’t even said anything!” Cheng Xiao sinks down to her original height. She takes a whiff of the coffee that’s now in her hands, and then grins again at Yibo.

“Shut u—”

“Who did you do?” She blurts out. Yibo would’ve pressed a palm on her mouth if only the coffee cup isn’t so near it.

“It’s eight. Don’t you have an exam?” Yibo says. It’s too early for this. Yibo no longer even has classroom meetings.  He and Cheng Xiao have their dance theory exam later this afternoon, though.

“The exam is at eight thirty.” Cheng Xiao emphasizes. She steps back just in time Yibo’s incoming swat of hand over her head. “I’ve also already reviewed, so you can’t escape me.”

“How dare you trick me, when I agreed to get you that monstrosity.” Yibo glares at her drink.

Cheng Xiao holds the cup almost protectively. “I need the caffeine and sugar, okay?” She settles down on a bench beside the staircase in the hallway. Yibo follows after her.

“Seriously, though. I feel like you’ve been a little different and secretive these past few weeks.” She finally tells him. It doesn’t sound like a scolding, which is good, Yibo thinks.

Yibo takes in a breath first before speaking. “Xiao Zhan.”

“Xiao—who?”

“Why can’t you remember his name, when you’re the one who attended his speech—”

“THE GUEST ARTIST?!” Cheng Xiao very nearly spits her drink. “Why—how?”

Yibo tells Cheng Xiao about Xiao Zhan. He says he and Xiao Zhan have been keeping in touch online, but Yibo leaves out the bit of on which site did they actually meet. Yibo isn’t sure he’s ready for that conversation with Cheng Xiao yet, although he’s sure that she’ll understand. It isn’t like he’s committing a crime or anything, but it’ll just make him feel weird and awkward to talk about it with a friend that he’s had for years. Yibo feels like it’s kind of like lying, and almost feels guilty about it, but then Cheng Xiao suddenly pats him on the back and gives him an understanding look. Yibo still doesn’t know how it happens, but sometimes Cheng Xiao just gives him a look that comforts Yibo, as if telling him It’s fine. We’ll talk about it some other time. And Yibo couldn’t be more thankful.

“Do you like him?” she asks.

“I think.”

“How’s he like?” she stops patting Yibo’s back and goes back to sipping her drink.

“He’s really…nice. He’ll be flying back here next week and he even offered to clear up his schedu—”

Cheng Xiao waves a hand and shakes her head at the same time. “No no no, I meant. Like, How is he like. In bed.” She waggles her eyebrows and grins at Yibo.

Yibo scrunches his face and throws her a squint. He should have expected this.

Cheng Xiao laughs at him. There’s a pause, and then she speaks again. “I already know you like him.”

!!!

 Just like what noona said!! Is Yibo really that obvious?!

“How do you know?” Yibo says, sounding sarcastic. “I haven’t even said anything yet aside from the fact that we’ve fucked”—well, except that they didn’t actually fuck, per se. Yet.

Cheng Xiao settles the coffee cup on her lap. “You said, ‘I think’.”

“And that’s supposed to answer me ?”

“Yep.”

“Why are you a dancer. Why are you not in the philosophy department.”

“Why aren’t you filling up hollow bricks from just how dense you are with your own feelings?” she retorts.

Yibo chases her when she sprints off of her seat.

-----

Tuesday is peaceful enough. He wakes up pretty early, and decides to go over what he’s done so far for his term paper. In the afternoon, he goes to the high school to polish the girls’ dance number. Cheng Xiao occasionally sends him knowing grins, but Yibo just pretends to ignore her. The girls have improved, really improved, and Yibo looks forward to seeing their final performance, with the outfits and all, on the school festival.

Come Wednesday night, Yibo does the usual for his live stream, but then in the middle of it somebody brings up Yibo’s rude stream close last week.

>>Yes Didi we were worried L

>>y did you cut off the stream like that

>>I want my candies back

>>upstairs, thats petty

>>shut up, we NEED to be compensated

Yibo stops palming his groin and sighs exaggeratedly.

>>!!!!

>>IS THAT ATTITUDE

>>Didi can u do that again pls thank you

Yibo chuckles at that. He isn’t really annoyed at the comments that came his way. It actually crossed his mind the past few days. Of course, he’s never ended his streams like that before, so his viewers would definitely wonder why  it stopped that way. Yibo has expected that this would happen, and he wouldn’t really mind it all that much if he loses a few followers over something so small.

Still, what he doesn’t expect is the notification that follows.

<<Daylight05  has given you 300 candies!>>

Yibo blinks.

>>holyshit

>>is daylight a bot wtf

>>ah upstairs, now that u mention it

>>daylight always just says ‘ur beautiful didi’, ‘that was great didi’

>>HMMM

The indicator that says ‘Daylight05 is typing’ nearly gives Yibo a heart attack, but it then it stops, and no comment from Xiao Zhan pops up right away. Instead, Yibo’s phone buzzes on his bed, and Yibo couldn’t really reach for it now, so he resigns himself to just read the text later.

A minute later, though, a comment from Daylight05 does appear, and Yibo has to fight back a guffaw.

>> ○ I’m not a robot

>> recaptcha

>>PFFTTT HAHAHAH

>>are you an old man?

>>LMAO that’s definitely a dad joke hahahaha

>>is ur wife asleep lol

>>lololol look at Didi!! He can’t stand it Hhaha

Indeed, Yibo has one arm on his belly, and a hand on his mouth. He isn’t letting out any sounds, but his entire body is shaking. After a few seconds, he still cannot—for the love of the world—stop laughing. He finally gives in and lets out a noise, and laughs with his masked face buried in his hands.

Several notifications chime from his computer. Some of his viewers are actually giving him candies for just laughing.

>>Omg

>>Daylight, do that again!!

Yibo wishes he could wipe the tear from the corner of his eye. “Don’t bully Daylight, guys.” He says. “I wouldn’t want to lose my most generous viewer.”

>>I can’t believe this turned into a gag show so fast

Yibo clears his throat. “Don’t worry guys, I’ll make it up to you on Friday.” He winks.

“But ah,” he bites his lower lip. “I’m really sorry in advance. I’ll be busy the week after that, so there won’t be any streams.”

>>NOOOOOO

>> Didi is still a student right

>>it’s the finals season ughh

Yibo tries to bring the mood back by running a palm across his inner thigh and leaning back on his chair. “But I promise, you’ll like what you’ll see on Friday.” He assures confidently, and then resumes to pleasing himself, and his audience.

It’s only when Yibo has ended the live stream—properly this time—that he picks up his phone from the bed.

<<I’m sorry to have caused you trouble.

Yibo walks back to sit on his gaming chair, and opens the browser on his computer. After that, he taps on his phone to video call Xiao Zhan. The man answers after two rings.

“Hi, ge.” Yibo greets. “I didn’t know you can make jokes.”

Xiao Zhan frowns. “I take back my apology.”

Yibo chuckles at that. “Really, though, Zhan-ge. Don’t worry about it.” He navigates a shopping site and picks his first item. “Those people are just saying I have to make it up to them just for the sake of getting my attention.” It’s been a lesson he keeps on learning every time he streams. Still, Yibo does have to make it up to them. He’s an entertainer after all, of sorts.

“What do you plan on doing for Friday?” Xiao Zhan is also in front of his laptop, phone perched beside it. It reminds Yibo of the time that he’d video called the other man and made him watch a private view of Yibo during a stream. It was only a few weeks ago, but somehow, it now feels faraway. Now, Yibo can see Xiao Zhan’s face on his phone screen, and Xiao Zhan can see him as well.

“It’s a secret, ge.” Yibo winks, and then laughs at himself at the silliness of it. Yibo finds it difficult to decide for the next items he’ll be adding to his cart, so he continues to scroll down the website and click on the next pages.

Xiao Zhan quirks an eyebrow. “Secret, huh? I’ll look forward to that, then.”

Oh Yibo certainly does hope that Xiao Zhan would like it.

“What are you doing now?” Xiao Zhan asks.

“Buying lube online.” Yibo says simply. Well, lube and some other stuff. “There’s a suggestion from the stream last week that I want to try.”

“And that’s…?”

“Also a secret.” Yibo grins at his phone screen. Xiao Zhan was still leaning on the wall of Yibo’s room when that suggestion rolled along the comments, so he wouldn’t have seen it.

Xiao Zhan only hums at that, but his interest is obvious. He doesn’t push with further questions though, which Yibo is thankful for, because he does not trust himself to keep it a secret if Xiao Zhan would keep on asking him about it. Several minutes go by, and Yibo just keeps on idly browsing and switching tabs. Xiao Zhan is also quietly typing something on his laptop. It goes by like that, until Yibo couldn’t focus on his task any longer.

Yibo puts his computer on sleep. “Zhan-ge.”

Xiao Zhan must have noticed the slight change in his tone, because the older man picks up his phone from where it has been propped up, and takes it in his hand so now Yibo can see him even more on close up. “Mm?”

“Zhan-ge.” Yibo repeats.

“Bo-di.” Xiao Zhan blinks at him. “Is something wrong?”

“Zhan-ge?”

“Yibo. I—”

“Am I bothering you, Zhan-ge?” Yibo thinks he’s done with overthinking things, but apparently he isn’t. Ever since talking to Xiao Zhan the night he came back to Seoul, Yibo can’t help but feel like there is a divide in between them.

Xiao Zhan must be a really busy man, and here Yibo is, keeping him from doing his job. Xiao Zhan is likely an irreplaceable person at his workplace, too, judging from what he has told Yibo that Saturday night. A lot of people must be dependent on him. The work on his laptop that Yibo is keeping him from doing is probably worth lives. While Xiao Zhan is definitely a person to be admired, Yibo is only a student. He’ll be finishing university in a bit, too, and after that he isn’t entirely sure of where to go or what to do. He only knows that he wants to dance, which doesn’t really sound like a definite plan. He suddenly feels small, and selfish.

Xiao Zhan leans closer to the screen, a frown worrying his face. “Why would you think that?”

Yibo feels like crying, which is stupid. He just shrugs. “Sorry, uh. Can you just forget I asked that?” He doesn’t really know how to deal with conversations along that path. Yibo’s more expressive physically, and not much on anything else.

“No, I can’t.” Xiao Zhan says almost scoldingly, and Yibo winces.  

Xiao Zhan is frowning even more now, and Yibo feels terribly guilty for derailing their conversation this way. Gods, he is so annoying, isn’t he? Yibo didn’t wish for this to happen, but his mouth just had to run before he can even think of what he is saying.

“Sorry, ge.” Yibo can only apologize. “I won’t spring that up on you again.”

Xiao Zhan sighs. Ah. He’s getting tired  of Yibo, isn’t he? He must be. It’s not like Xiao Zhan had signed up for any of this in the first place. It’s only Yibo who keeps on pestering him. And now that Yibo looks back on it, it’s always him who initiated conversation. Xiao Zhan only calls him when Yibo had messaged him first. He must be so annoying.

Yibo looks down on his lap, and then  lifts his head to turn and look at the black jewelry box sitting atop his vanity. Maybe he should have worn the lion bracelet tonight, maybe it would’ve made Xiao Zhan distracted and make him less stressed over Yibo’s behaviour.

“Yibo.” Xiao Zhan’s gentle voice pulls him out of his thoughts. “You’re not being a bother okay.” There is an emphasis on the word not, but Xiao Zhan is probably just saying that, because Zhan-ge is kind, and that’s just in his character to say something consoling, like that. Ah shit, since when did Yibo start predicting other people’s personalities? This isn’t like him.

Not knowing how else to respond aside from continuing to apologize, Yibo just nods his head.

“Yibo?” Xiao Zhan worriedly asks.

“It’s alright now, ge.” Yibo smiles at him. He hopes it’s effective. “I’m just stressed, I guess.”

That makes Xiao Zhan lean back on his chair, his expression easing out. “You did say it’s finals. Is there anything I can help you with? Except dance, of course.”

Yibo perks up. “Do you not dance, Zhan-ge?”

Xiao Zhan’s face scrunches, and it’s absolutely adorable. “If I have power over it, I’d prefer not to remember all the times I was forced to dance. Also, you didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. I have some academics to do, but most of my time will be spent on dance rehearsals.” Yibo waves a hand, waves the topic off himself completely. “Tell me about your experiences, ge.”

“Yibo…” Xiao Zhan makes a helpless face, and then he sighs. “Just this once, okay?”

Yibo nods, enthusiastic to hear about it.

“So, it was at my friend’s wedding. Her name is Lulu.” Xiao Zhan starts, and then gulps before he continues. “And you know how in some weddings even the guests are forced to dance together with the newly-weds and with the other guests? That happened. At first it was slow dancing, so I was able to keep up and copy from what the others were doing. And then when it was my turn to dance with Lulu, the music changed to a rap song.”

Strangely enough, Yibo can picture it happening. “What did you do?”

“I—” Xiao Zhan runs a hand across his face. “I did an awkward two-step to a rap song. I’m a disgrace to my family, Bo-di.”

Yibo’s eyebrows shoot up at the statement as he snorts, and then laughs. “I’d love to see that!”

Xiao Zhan looks dejected. “No you don’t. Even my own mother made a face at me.”

Yibo keeps on laughing, and Xiao Zhan just stares at him through the screen, a soft smile gracing his features after his initial embarrassment from sharing such a piece.

They talk a little more after that. When Xiao Zhan announces that it must be late for Yibo to still be up, Yibo almost protests, but decides against it. It’s much later in Korea, given their time differences. Xiao Zhan must have some other more important stuff to do in the morning, so Yibo takes it upon himself to end the call there. He almost feels sad about it, but the Xiao Zhan tells him Good night, which automatically sends Yibo into a much lighter mood.

Yibo finishes his online purchases, now without much thought. He just goes with what seems to be popular and highly rated, now that he isn’t really in the mood to browse such a site any longer. However, just as Yibo is about to check out, something in the suggested items catches his attention.

Yibo taps on his lip, thinking if he should get it. It does not take him too long to decide though, remembering his viewers’ initial reaction during the times he did something different during his live streams. He adds the item to his virtual cart, taps on the express delivery option, and pays with his card.

----

It feels a little weird coming back to rehearse in function room three, now that it’s pretty much bare again. There’s only been little changes made in it in the first place, the only big difference is that now Yibo is occasionally attacked by memories of seeing Xiao Zhan during the exhibit and remembering almost being caught making out in the bathroom with him. It makes heat crawl up to his cheeks, but it isn’t something that he can’t tame down. Yibo can’t be distracted, after all. He and his crew still have much to practice for their group performance, and then for their solo dances. He also still has to go and supervise in the high school later this afternoon. Today, Yibo doesn’t have any exams, but it is still packed.

It is way past lunchtime when the crew decides to finally have a break. They have been dancing for three hours nonstop, after all. Sometimes Yibo himself would go for as long as eight hours of practicing, with only short water breaks, because he tends to lose track of time when he’s alone.

Yibo eats his meal inside the room with some of the crew, quietly munching on cold food. The rest of them who didn’t pack food went out to either the cafeteria or to the nearby food stops outside the university.

After nearly thirty minutes, the rest of his group comes back to the function room, some of them doing very light exercises to help the food go down easier. Cheng Xiao comes back not long after, entering the room holding bags of drinks and some other snacks. Probably doughnuts. Apparently she became infatuated with the sweets from that doughnuts shop Yibo had accompanied her to, and now she’s a regular there.

The group yells praises at Cheng Xiao as she hands the drinks and bags of snacks over. She approaches Yibo last, and leans down to where he is sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

“Go to function room two.” She tells him as she hands him a sports drink.

“Why?” Yibo looks up at her as he opens  said drink. Cheng Xiao only looks at him as he takes a couple of gulps from the drink first, before she speaks again.

“I think you might be in trouble.” She says, voice in a low whisper so that the others wouldn’t hear her.

Yibo blinks, and then stands up. He has a foreboding feeling that it has something to do with the art class paper that he still hasn’t submitted just yet. It isn’t due until next week, but the old professor who teaches that class can be fussy. He takes another sip before he sets aside his drink beside a window pane.

“Start practicing without me.” He says belatedly before he leaves the room.

Yibo walks over to the next room, and knocks on the door. There is no response, so he twists the knob to see if it is locked. It isn’t.

He opens the door, and sees that the room isn’t entirely bare; some of the artworks from last week’s exhibits are still there, left by the owners for some reason. Some of the stands and easels are placed at one corner of the room, making the artworks in the middle look like they are out of place.

No one seems to be in the room, so Yibo steps back, about to turn around and close the door. Suddenly, someone from the other side of the door—Yibo’s blind spot—emerges, and grabs hold of Yibo’s wrist.

“Hi.” Xiao Zhan greets, his megawatt smile is so blinding that Yibo isn’t able to process what’s happening right away.

When Yibo does catch up, he leans back unconsciously. “ ‘Hi’?! Ge, what—why are you here?”

Xiao Zhan pulls Yibo in so he can close the door. Yibo allows him, but he’s still looking at the older man in disbelief.

Yibo tries to compose himself. “I thought you wouldn’t be back until next week?”

“That’s true.” Xiao Zhan replies, the hand on Yibo’s wrist tightens a little. “You’re wearing it.” The older man says, voice only above a whisper, smiling softly at the golden lion bracelet. Yibo had put it on this morning, thinking of it as something that would lift his mood throughout the day. It’s kind of like a lucky charm, almost. Who knew he’d actually really  be lucky today?

“I—yeah.” Yibo scratches the back of his head with his other hand, not really knowing what else to say.

“It really suits you.” Xiao Zhan clasps Yibo’s wrist with both of his hand, and then caresses Yibo’s knuckles, before he finally looks back up to stare at the younger’s eyes. “I was worried. You looked sad last night.”

“Ah?” Yibo opens and then closes his mouth. “Don’t tell me you—”

Xiao Zhan nods, understanding, and answering the unsaid question.

Yibo blinks rapidly. “You could’ve just called me, though?” He’s aware that his voice is raising slightly, but he’s too shocked to care. Does he deserve this?

“I wanted to see you, too.” Xiao Zhan says, massaging circles at the back of Yibo’s hand with his thumbs. “And in case it’s still bothering you, I want to tell you again; you’re not being a bother to me.”

Yibo wants to laugh, but the sound that comes out of him is something in between a scoff and a chuckle. It’s probably a more appropriate sound to reflect what he feels, though. “So you flew here just to prove that?”

“Mmn.” Xiao Zhan nods, eyes truthful. There’s only a ghost of a smile on his lips, and yet it manages to light up the entire room. Light up Yibo’s day.

“Why are you like this..” Yibo feels like he’s looking at Xiao Zhan with an almost constipated look on his face. His lip begins to tremble a little, so he bites it. He wants to cry and laugh, both at the same time, and Yibo is not sure what to make of the feeling. “Wow..”

“Yibo?” Xiao Zhan tilts his head.

God, I really like you a lot, Zhan-ge. Yibo thinks, looking at their hands. 

It’s when Xiao Zhan sucks in a sharp breath that Yibo realizes that he might have just said that out loud.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry, Zhan-ge.” Yibo says, unconsciously tearing his hands off of Xiao Zhan’s as he takes a step backwards. “I didn’t mean to..I just…” just what does he want to say? Yibo’s mind draws a blank, and yet he keeps on stuttering. Great. Zhan-ge had just reassured him, and yet now here Yibo is, already springing up unsolicited feelings on him again. Wow, when does Yibo ever feel content?

“Tell your brain to shut up, Bo-di.” Xiao Zhan says. Yibo doesn’t even have enough reaction time to deal with it, when the older man swoops in to cup Yibo’s cheeks, and kiss him against the door.

Yibo’s eyes close immediately, as if an automatic response to the gesture.  His lips, too, part right on contact with Xiao Zhan’s, and that’s when he realizes; maybe he’s too far gone. How long have they known each other? Has it even been a month, now?

Xiao Zhan retracts his tongue from licking the roof of Yibo’s mouth, in favor of biting lightly on the younger’s lower lip. “Stop thinking.”

It’s only when Xiao Zhan says that, that Yibo realizes that he hasn’t been reciprocating the kiss. So, Yibo finally does kiss back, first a peck on Xiao Zhan’s chin, and then on the lips, and then their tongues meet, and this time it’s both of them pushing and pulling. Their hands find their way to each other’s waists and hips, gripping each other’s bodies , and Yibo gets further pressed up against the door. His brain supplies him with the images of something similar that happened last week, and Yibo can’t help but grin.

When Xiao Zhan finally pulls back, they’re both panting. They catch their breath, and then Xiao Zhan wordlessly leans in once more, so they kiss again, albeit this time it’s shallower, slower, tamer. Xiao Zhan’s hands are still on Yibo’s sides, but instead of gripping, the older man is now just caressing him, as if he knew that something within Yibo needs to be soothed. Yibo melts into his touches. He could kiss Xiao Zhan for days, and he’s pretty damn sure that he’ll never get tired of it. But alas, they still have to part.

“I wish I have more time,” Xiao Zhan whispers against Yibo’s lips. “But I have a business dinner in Itaewon tonight.”

Yibo blinks. “What the fu—”

“Sorry.”

“No, I mean..” Yibo peels himself off the door, making Xiao Zhan step back as well. They put a little distance in between them , but Yibo still has one hand on Xiao Zhan’s forearm, and Xiao Zhan still has one hand on Yibo’s waist. “I was just…I can’t believe you went here on impulse.”

Xiao Zhan purses his lips. “It isn’t counted ‘on impulse’ if I booked tickets last night, right?”

That’s…funny. That’s supposed to be funny, right? Yibo should laugh, but he isn’t laughing. Instead, all Yibo feels is a different sort of warmth. He makes a face, and then fights back a little noise that would probably sound like a whine if he lets it out. “…ge, you’re going to make me cry. Cheng Xiao is going to laugh at me.”

Xiao Zhan chuckles and caresses Yibo’s cheeks with his thumbs. He doesn’t say anything for a few moments, and then just leans in again to peck at Yibo’s lips.  “Tell your friend thanks, for calling you.”

Yibo nods. “How long before you have to go?”

Xiao Zhan winces a little. “My driver is just outside.”

“Oh.”

“But, a few minutes more wouldn’t hurt.” Xiao Zhan pulls Yibo again. They kiss a little more than a couple of minutes, just tiny pecks and subtle touches, nothing more, and yet it makes that warm feeling in Yibo grow. Eventually though, they part again.

Yibo walks Xiao Zhan until the university gates, where the older man’s car pulls up. Xiao Zhan squeezes his arm, and murmurs something about not actually being needed in the dinner.

Yibo laughs at him. “Go now, Zhan-ge. We don’t want your secretary stressing over you again.”

Xiao Zhan’s face scrunches. “Ziyi’s more than enough to persuade the clients.”

“Ah, so the secretary-jiejie now finally has a name.” Yibo chuckles. “Seriously now, ge, you don’t want to be caught in traffic.”

Xiao Zhan sighs, squeezes Yibo’s arm again. “I’ll see you next week.”

“Mm.” Yibo smiles at him, and waves a little when the car drives away.

“Oh wow, you’re back!” Cheng Xiao greets once Yibo enters the rehearsal room again. Yibo hasn’t been gone that long, so he assumes the crew had only just started practicing again.

Yibo walks over to where Cheng Xiao is doing her stretches. “How dare you, selling me to a rich man in turn for some drinks and doughnuts.”

The girl stops reaching for her toes. “Ah, I’ve been found out.”

Yibo sends her a stinky eye.

“But ah, I’m not that cheap. I’ll have you know that I’ve bargained for something better.” She says. When Yibo just stares at her suspiciously, Cheng Xiao waves her hands. “I gave your boyfriend my e-mail and told him to send me a photo of that sunflower painting, that’s all.”

“Wow, I’ve been traded for an art class paper.” Yibo deadpans, but laughs the next second. “But we weren’t allowed to take photos of the artworks in the exhibit. How are you going to explain that?”

“Ah!”

Got her. Yibo thinks.

But then Cheng Xiao moves in front of him and leans in, her eyes wide. “You didn’t deny it!”

“Wha-“

“I called him your boyfriend and you didn’t deny! “ she cheers, albeit softly, because she knows that Yibo isn’t the type of person who doesn’t want to have his personal matters be heard by the other people in the room.

“Shut up. You’re not getting that sunflower picture.” Yibo tells her, but one corner of his lips is threatening to lift up. “He says thanks, by the way. Where exactly did you meet him?”

Cheng Xiao sticks a tongue at his first statement, but then resumes to her stretches. “The school carpark was full earlier and his driver had to park in the doughnuts shop.”

“And you robbed him there.”

“Hey! I’m nicer than that!”

Yibo copies some of her stretches and counts in his mind. “Did he tell you anything?”

Cheng Xiao pauses from her movements, and just looks at Yibo.

“What?”

“He just said he wanted to see you, is all.” Cheng Xiao replies. “I can tell there’s more than that, though. I told you earlier this week that you seemed different, didn’t I? To me, he seemed that sort of worried about you. Yibo, I’ve known you for years, and I don’t know how long you’ve known that guy for, but that doesn’t really matter. I just know he understands you, probably more than I do.”

Even when Cheng Xiao is the one more vocal with feelings between the two of them, she still doesn’t say things like this on the regular, so Yibo doesn’t really know what to say.

Cheng Xiao continues, although her serious expression lifts this time, “I swear I really was ready to just rob him there, if he isn’t so kind.”

Yibo is glad that Cheng Xiao is the one to initiate diverting the topic away from his feelings. “ So kind to me? Or so kind to you and your infatuation to doughnuts?” 

-----

The items that Yibo had ordered on Wednesday night arrive on Friday morning, and Yibo is thankful that they have been packaged discreetly. The receptionist in his building’s ground floor has, at this point, gotten used to the amount of things that he orders online. Yibo is not really too fond of going through the hassle of visiting physical stores, so he buys a lot of things—from clothes, to figurines, to the more discreet stuff—online. He does not get the items from the ground floor right away though, as Yibo is busy cramming and memorizing all morning until past noon for his geology exam at 3pm, so he only gets the package in the late afternoon, when he’s finally arrived back in the apartment again.

He signs a proof of receipt, hands the little board back to the receptionist, and then takes his items upstairs to his unit.

Yibo has not even hit the couch just yet, when he starts to undo the packaging. He tears the biodegradable plastic, revealing a sleek black carton box. The box is bigger than the ones he has received from the shopping site before, which isn’t surprising, considering what Yibo had ordered. Yibo settles the box on the coffee table, while he sits on the couch. When he finally opens the box, there is a small black envelope atop a bed of confetti. Yibo opens the envelope, and finds out that it only contains a generic message of thanks for his purchase.

Yibo takes out the item most familiar to him first, takes the lube out of the box, and settles it on the table. He shoves some confetti out of the way first; the rest of the items are packaged in individual boxes, also black. Yibo is a little thankful that their boxes didn’t say something overly embarrassing like those shady ads in porn websites. There are two rectangular boxes, one thicker than the other, and then a flat slide-out box tied with a white ribbon. Yibo reaches for the bigger rectangular box first and slides out the item inside.

It’s a rubber dildo nearly the color of Yibo’s skin, with a suction cup at the base, and there is absolutely NO way that thing is making its way up to Yibo’s ass tonight. Nope. Maybe another day, but not today. Yibo hasn’t even fucked himself with three fingers just yet, so he’ll definitely pass on that for now.

The item inside the thinner box seems to be…kinder. Because it is smaller. It’s a vibrator, still shaped like a dildo, but thinner and shorter than the flesh-toned rubber toy Yibo held before this. And it’s hot pink. Yep, he’ll use this later. But first, he checks its box if it came with any batteries. And thankfully it did, because Yibo really isn’t in the mood right now to go to a convenience store to buy batteries for a vibrator.

Lastly, Yibo inspects the contents of the flat box, untying the ribbon on it, and then sliding the inner carton off the encasing. The inner carton has a bedding of white satin, and on it is a small white mesh bag, both matching the color of the item inside; a single pair of thong, its outer band made out of lace, while its inside is thinly lined with something that feels smooth enough that Yibo is sure it wouldn’t be uncomfortable when worn. He holds it out and inspects it more, and notices the tiny ribbon that decorates the front of it. On top of the ribbon where the knot is supposed to be, there is a rhinestone, small but noticeable enough. There is another item inside the mesh bag; a stretchable band, also made out of lace. It also has a ribbon on it and several rhinestones, but Yibo isn’t exactly sure of what it’s for, so he just puts it back in its bag for now.

>>I hope you wont be at work during my live.

Yibo sends to Xiao Zhan. His phone rings.

“Am I still not allowed to know why?” Xiao Zhan asks him, playfully.

Yibo chuckles, holding his phone against his ear with one hand while his other hand neatly placed the items back into the large box. “Zhan-ge, you’re the reason why I have to do this, so.” He teases.

“I see I have been demoted back to being an anonymous viewer.” There is a sigh on the other line, and Yibo can imagine Xiao Zhan pouting a little, and then the older man chuckles.

Yibo smiles at the sound of it. He really likes Xiao Zhan’s laughter. Still, he has to swerve their conversation to a topic that is not Yibo’s live stream, because Yibo has very little patience and he’d rather not get hard now and have phone sex, right before his stream.  So he says, “Ge, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“Mm?”

“Are you a Korean? Citizen, I mean.” Yibo asks. “You did say you’ve been living in Seoul since college graduation, so…”

“Hm? Yeah, I’ve been here for longer than what the citizenship requires, but I’m still a resident of China.” Xiao Zhan replies. “I just have a long-term multiple-entry visa, for work purposes.”

“Oh.” Yibo nods knowingly, even when the man can’t see him anyway. “I thought you’d have applied for a citizenship there. But right, it’ll definitely be a hassle if you get a citizenship there, but then keep on coming back here. I didn’t get it either, not that I stayed long enough to reach five years in Seoul anyways.”

It’s true, the hassle. Only people who would wish to permanently migrate to South Korea, or to other countries, would get citizenships there. It’s a hassle because in order to get the citizenship in Korea, one must have been residing there for over five years. Not only that, their Chinese citizenship must be legally rescinded as well, because China does not allow its citizens to have a dual citizenship with any other countries. China does allow people from select countries to enter the country without a visa, but unfortunately Korea isn’t one of them.

“How about you, Bo-di? How come you chose to have a Korean persona?” Xiao Zhan suddenly asks him, and Yibo stands up from the couch, carrying his things to his room.

“Ah, that.” Yibo pushes the door to his room with his hip. “I just feel like the divide between me and Didi would be clearer if I make him a different person, entirely, I guess.” He started doing it for fun only, after all. “I don’t regret being carried away and getting to know you, though, Zhan-ge.”

He hears another smile. “That’s nice to know, Yibo.”

Yibo doesn’t think that needs to be responded to, so he just continues, “I used to live there when I was in middle school. But then my parents thought the business there can run itself, so they decided to move back here. I kind of miss Seoul, though, to be honest.”

“Do you want to visit?” Xiao Zhan asks almost immediately and Yibo would have facepalmed if both his hands aren’t occupied.

“Zhan-ge, my visa is expired.” Yibo tells him.

“We can work that out.”

Yibo just chuckles. “Alright, maybe. Some other time.” At this point, he already knows he can’t win. “I have to go now, Zhan-ge. I’ll see you in…two hours.” He says as he checks his phone for the time.

“Alright. I’ll look forward to it, Didi.”

 The initial plan was to just walk in front of the camera and surprise his viewers. But now that Yibo is looking at his reflection in his bathroom mirror, he feels a little bit conscious of what he looks like. Yibo knows to a certain degree, that he does look good, but there’s just something about his get-up tonight—or lack thereof—that makes him feel shy. He isn’t exactly unconfident, it’s just that he feels kind of uncertain. But, whatever. Yibo just throws on a white robe and walks back to his room.

He’s already eaten, and he has spent the past hour in the shower, prepping himself with two fingers. All that’s left now is the usual starting routine of getting to his computer set-up. Yibo untucks a part of his blonde hair from the mask, makes sure the stuff he would need later are just within reach, and then he goes Live.

>>DIDI

>>ur early tonight didi

>>didi lookin sofft in dat cute fluffy robe

“ahaha…Hey guys, good evening.” Yibo gives them a little wave. “Ah, is it early?” he looks at the digital clock, “right, just four minutes.”

>>ooohh shiny blingie

<<Daylight05 has entered your livestream.>>

<<Daylight05 has given you 100 candies!>>

Of course Xiao Zhan will immediately send him a hefty amount. Yibo is wearing the lion bracelet on his right wrist tonight.

>>!!!!

>>d a d j o k e 0 5

Yibo makes a face at his screen for a split second, “Thank you, Daylight.”

<<Daylight05 has given you 25 candies!>>

>>srsly now

>>how even r u producing money

Yibo pouts. “Hey, Daylight. Don’t steal my viewers’ attention.” That earns him back his viewers’ attention, some of them sending him a several candies for just pouting.

>>awww didi dun worry, no rich man can peel me away from ur streams!

>>yeah right! U still gotta compensate for exiting last time thooo

“Yes, yes, of course.” Yibo tilts his head, something he knows is cute. He begins to untie his robe, and then parts it. The left side of it falls to his elbow, and then followed by the right side. He smiles at the number of candies thrown first, before he fully exposes his pale chest to his audience.  Yibo then reaches to pinch a nipple between his thumb and index finger, and says, “I apologize…”

>>thou art forgiven

>>ah we r so weak against u didi

“I mean,” Yibo continues playing with his nipples until they stiffen. “this stream might be cut off, too.”

>>WHY

>>didi how could u : ((

“ah,” Yibo sighs, thrusting lightly against nothing. “I’ll be violating some rules tonight, so I hope you guys are recording this stream.”

>>!!!!!

>>wdym

>>WHAT

>>this is suspense pls didi what are u planning pls

The streaming site only allows for three violation strikes. Yibo has always followed the rules, they are all pretty simple anyways. But tonight, Yibo has decided to intentionally break at least one of them, though he hopes that he wouldn’t be caught early enough for the site to actually cut off his live stream.

Yibo winks at them. “You’ll know soon enough.” He pushes his chair back a little bit, and then he stands up, and then Yibo shows his audience what he’s wearing underneath the robe. Yibo doesn’t need to read the comments on his screen to know that he has effectively hyped his viewers. The multiple ding sounds are enough to tell him that.

Yibo takes off his robe, and lets it pool down on his chair, covering the seat and the armrests with fluffy white material. He then sinks down into the chair, and then reaches out for his mouse to adjust the audience’s view, zooming it out a little bit so that he can now be seen from head to his thighs. He isn’t quite content with that though, so Yibo pushes his chair further, so that a bit of his shins can be seen as well. He isn’t used with this distance, but it looks good. It also feels good, knowing that tonight he’ll be exposing himself much more than he already has in the past.

He finally looks at his screen.

At least fifteen users have showered him with fifty or more candies, each. Yibo smirks at the screen, raises his legs and plants the heels of his feet onto his seat, and then parts his legs. “Do you like it?”

>> OF COURSE WE DO WTF HOW COME UR STILL ASKING

>> hes asking bcoz he kNOWS

>> didi ur cruel

>>us mere mortals cant reach u thru our screens

>> d0 yOu LiKE iT

>>??????OF COURSE WE DO

>>BITCH

<<Starberry017 has given you 75 candies!>>

Yibo is delighted with the response that he is receiving. The number of candies are still going up. He runs a finger along the line of his dick, the material of the underwear doing very little to cover it up, and moans when he presses at the tip of it. The thong are just the right size for him, covering up enough of his private parts, though a bit tightly. Yibo doesn’t mind it all that much, it’s a nice feeling, especially when he grinds his ass onto his seat.

 “Would you like to see the back? I’ll show you the back.” Yibo says, bringing a leg down, not really waiting for the viewers to respond. They’ll have no choice but watch him.

Yibo manages to turn around without having to fully stand up, one foot on the ground to support him, one knee on the chair for balance. He leans towards the backrest of the chair, holds onto it with one hand, and with the other hand, Yibo reaches down at his behind to palm at one of his exposed ass cheeks. He squeezes at it, and then lightly taps on it when he hears those chiming sounds again. He further leans towards the chair, his back curving down, ass lifting to be shown on the camera even more.

“I’ve already prepped myself.” Yibo retracts his hand and brings it to his face, sucks at the middle finger first, and then followed by the index finger. He reaches back down again, and very carefully lifts the half-inch lace strap that hinders his rim from being seen. Yibo slides two fingers under the strap with precision, and pokes at his hole with the tip of one.

>>holyshit downloading screen recorder app now

>>SAME UPSTAIRS

It doesn’t take Yibo too long before two of his fingers are thrusting inside him with ease, he’s made sure to loosen his hole in the shower after all. “So good.”

He then turns back around, sitting on the chair again with his legs down, but parted. Yibo reaches for the drawer that he’s left open earlier, the items he needs neatly placed ready inside of it. He takes out the flesh-colored dildo, and then holds it out for the viewers to see.

>>I am going to die tonight.

>>already edged myself like 3 times

>>here comes the 4th

Yibo chuckles as he licks his lips, and then bites at them. He then pulls his chair closer to the desk, so that he can be seen properly. Yibo gulps first, and then slowly and provocatively, he flattens his tongue at the base of the toy and licks upwards, making sure to have eye contact with the camera lens.

Numerous chimes. Yibo is no longer surprised at this point. He sticks the dildo near the edge of table, and then spits on it. He pumps it a few times to slick it up, before he finally stands up and leans down on the table to engulf the toy in his mouth in just one fluid movement. It’s a little uncomfortable doing it with a mask on his face, but Yibo manages to stay in frame even though he can’t see much. Yibo pulls back with a pop sound, and then he licks the dildo from base to tip again. He sucks back on it, although this time he’s holding it at the base. 

With his free hand, Yibo reaches for the open drawer again, and flicks the switch of the vibrator as soon as he gets hold of it. The pink toy lets out a low humming sound, and Yibo reaches behind him, and traces the vibrator along the line of his ass. He’s already loose enough that intrusion shouldn’t be too uncomfortable, so Yibo blindly shoves aside the strap on his ass, and lets the vibrator poke against his hole.

“Mmmhm!” he moans against the dick he’s sucking on, eyes closing instinctively . Yibo has lubed himself up pretty generously earlier, and the vibrator is relatively small enough that Yibo is sure that it wouldn’t hurt—and it truly doesn’t—but, it’s just that. It feels different. It’s only now that it crosses his mind that he hasn’t actually done this before. Not with anyone, not alone, and he hasn’t even tried the toy earlier. And yet here he is now, with half the vibrator inside his ass, and another dildo in his mouth. The thought strikes him hilarious, and Yibo grins against the dick pressed against his lips.

>>thats fuckin kinky

>>anyones teeth close to my dick seems like a horrible idea but

>>didi is an exemption

>>agreed

There are also several users going wild about the vibrating sounds behind Yibo, so Yibo finally pulls back completely, both from the dildo on the desk and the vibrator inside him. He goes back to sit down, assumes his earlier position; heels of feet on the seat and legs parted. He sinks further on the chair.  The strap has snapped back to cover the line of his ass, so Yibo traces the vibrator from the base of his ass, up to his balls, up to the tip of his dick. He switches the toy on, circles it there for a bit, and then proceeds to drag a line on his abdomen, and then upwards again until he reaches a nipple.

“Fuck, fuck.” He whispers. His nipple tingles a bit, so Yibo brings the toy to play with his other nipple, which also tingles in a mere few seconds, so Yibo finally switches off the vibrator.

>>ITS HOT PINK

>>trust didi to have the most common sex toys and still be able to make them look pretty

>>im ordering

>>HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!

He receives a few hundred candies and Yibo knows it’s because he is now sliding the vibrator back inside his ass. He looks at the camera and licks his upper lip.

“Ah, you really should be recording this.” Yibo says before he finally lifts the strap away from his hole, so now he’s explicitly showing where the sex toy is fucking him. Yibo doesn’t stop there, though, as he also shoves to the side the part of the underwear that covers his balls. It gets caught it the middle, so it’s just half the base of his dick showing.

>>JESUS CHRIST

>>IM BURNING THRU MY BANK ACCOUNT RN I HOPE UR HAPPY

“Thank you,” Yibo reads the username, and then grins cheekily. “I hope this compensates you.” He says as he rests one leg over an armrest, pushes the vibrator deeper inside him, and pulls down the top edge of the skimpy underwear, so now more than just the tip of his dick is also shown, its head almost a bright red, and so lewd, considering that there’s an innocent white ribbon just right beside it.

>>MOTHER OF MERCY

>>FUCKING HELL

>>holy fuck the person in-charge of monitoring didi is probably also fapping right now jesus fuck

>>im saving this recording for future use J

“Ah,” Yibo says whilst adjusting the angle of the vibrator, “Don’t put it up on other sites, okay?”

>>YES DIDI

>>this one is loyal to only u and will obey u

>>’death by didi dick’ is going to be written on my tombstone

>>i regret  n o t h i n g

As he meets the movements of the vibrator with small hip thrusts, Yibo feels the familiar coiling in his gut, “I’m close, I’m close…”

>>Beautiful. Just keep going.

There you fucking are. Yibo doesn’t know if he’s only thought of it, or actually said it out loud, but he doesn’t really care. He’s too busy chasing his orgasm.

The vibrator hits Yibo’s prostate, and Yibo nearly screams.

“Shit!” his free hand reaches back for the dildo still stuck on the table, and he squeezes and strokes it, in time with the strokes on his hole. He flicks the vibrator switch and it speeds  up, and Yibo finally comes, spurting white all over his stomach and thigh and the underwear.

Yibo further pushes down the top edge of the thong and fully exposes his dick, but he doesn’t care. He strokes it, milking every last bit of cum. The vibrator is still inside him, its low hum combined with the continuous chimes from the computer almost too noisy, so he finally pulls it out and switches it off. God, it’s so wet. Yibo presses the tip of it onto the tip of his cock, and turns it back on. He cries out.

“Fuck!” Yibo lets out a high-pitched yelp, giggles, and throws his head back all at the same time. He nearly drops the vibrator in the haste of switching it off. He places it on the table, and then he grips his dick, almost as if edging himself. It quite feels like that, too.

>>fuck I wish I had unlimited balance to shower didi with more $$$$

>>I don’t think I can be satisfied by other streamers EVER AGAIN

>>this is THE stream

>>hey Daylight where are u do ur thing

Before his viewers begin to tease Daylight05 again, Yibo lifts his hips—carefully, so as to not off-balance him on the chair—and pulls off his soiled underwear. The chimes quickly come in again, and Yibo chuckles at the simplicity of his viewers.

Yibo lets the thong  fall where—oh it’s fallen off the chair—his robe lay on the floor. He spreads his legs once again, traces his rim with an index finger. He does not push it in, though. Instead, Yibo just palms his inner thighs, massaging them up and down.

<<Daylight05 has given you 1000 candies!>>

>>MOTHER OF GOD

Yibo presses the videocall button, once his stream has finally closed. Miraculously, he didn’t get cut off. Maybe the person monitoring him was indeed masturbating to him as well. He chuckles at the thought. But then frowns when his call gets declined.

Like before, Xiao Zhan opts for a voice-only call.

“Fuck.” The older man breathes on the mouthpiece, and send shivers throughout Yibo’s exposed skin. He’s still sensitive from his orgasm, and Xiao Zhan’s voice does absolutely nothing to help him ease out of the bliss.

“Hi. Zhan-ge.” Yibo has a shit-eating grin on his face. He wants to sound like he has a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Thank fuck I’m home.”

“I told you, ge.”

“Fuck” Xiao Zhan keeps on cursing. Yibo loves it so much. “I want to—”

“Fuck me?” Yibo’s voice is perky.

“Yes, Yibo.”

“Did you touch yourself while watching me?”

“Yes.” Xiao Zhan answers. “You’re so good, Bo-di. I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Do you want to switch to video?” Yibo asks. He’s wondering why Xiao Zhan didn’t answer the videocall in the first place.

“No.” the older man’s voice sounds strained, though.

“Why?”

“I’d rather restrain myself, until I see you in person again.” Xiao Zhan tells him. “Yibo, I hope you’re ready. I’m going to fuck you senseless.” he grits out.

“Shit.” Yibo breathes. “Zhan-ge, if you keep talking like that I’ll get hard again.”

“Alright, sorry. Fuck.” He hears Xiao Zhan taking a deep breath on the other line, and Yibo feels pride bubbling up in his chest. He did that. He made Zhan-ge lose composure.

“But Yibo,” Xiao Zhan says when he finally sounds back to normal. “Are you sure? Remember when I said it could hurt.”

Yibo hums. “As long as it has nothing to do with weird toys and wounding me or you, I’ll be fine.”

“It’s nothing like that.”

“Then wha—”

“Overstimulation.” Xiao Zhan finally says.

Yibo blinks. That… doesn’t really sound like it’ll hurt him. Does Xiao Zhan think he’ll hurt Yibo by making him wait? “What do you want me to do to yo—”

“You.” Xiao Zhan cuts him off. “I’ll overstimulate you, didi.”

Yibo gasps quietly. It still doesn’t sound like it’ll be harmful, and somehow, the idea of being overstimulated makes him feel excited.

“Don’t be too quick to say yes, Yibo. It might not sound like it’ll hurt but,” Xiao Zhan pauses, as if contemplating on what words he should say next. HE doesn’t seem to have found the words, though, so he stays silent.

Yibo thinks he gets it. “But I told you I haven’t been fucked before, so you want to be careful? Zhan-ge, I promise, I’ll be fine.”

“Bo-di…” Xiao Zhan sighs, but he doesn’t sound exasperated, so that’s good, at least. “Even some experienced people don’t like it.”

Oh, he’s telling Yibo that his past partners haven’t welcomed the idea of overstimulation happily. “Doesn’t mean I won’t like it.”

“Okay…uh, alright. What I mean is,” Xiao Zhan pauses, then continues, “I’ll have you cum at thrice, first, before I finally fuck you. Is it that clearer?”

“Ah.” Yibo unconsciously gulps. “Consecutively?”

“Consecutively.”

“Fuck.” Yibo breathes. That’s—

“I can hold back, though. I just want to let you know that—”

“Don’t!” Yibo nearly rises from his seat at the pressure of his voice. He gulps again. He knows his stamina is good, and he’s tried coming more than thrice in a day before, but never consecutively. He tries to compose himself, tries easing a breath out. “Don’t hold back, ge.”

“Yibo, I don’t mean for this to be a challenge…”

“No, no.” Yibo assures, although he’ll be lying if he says that the competitive part of him didn’t wince at that. “I want to.” He bites his lip. “With Zhan-ge. I trust you.”

Xiao Zhan gasps slightly, and then Yibo hears him smile. “Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable for you?”

Yibo almost retorts, but then a memory strikes him, “You sound like—you are a nice person.”

A sweet chuckle. “I could be more of a pervert than what you actually think, you know”

“Ah, after watching what I did earlier, yes.” Yibo says. “I’m pretty sure you are.”

And Yibo knows that he and Xiao Zhan are now on-board with this, no more retractions.

---- 

Yibo had agreed with Xiao Zhan to restrain himself until they meet again on Sunday, but you see…Wang Yibo doesn’t really have that much of an immaculate patience. His self-control and determination to wait only lasts him until Wednesday, after he comes home tired from the last rehearsal in the high school.

“Zhan-ge…” Yibo practically whines into his phone the moment Xiao Zhan answers the call. He’s already out of his pants and underwear, and now gripping his dick.

“You impatient boy.” Xiao Zhan sounds like he’s trying to be reprimanding, but he just chuckles a second later.

“You knew this would happen.” Yibo says.

“Mmn, I did.” Xiao Zhan replies.

“Please, gege. Can I cum?” Yibo should be embarrassed of his words, but he couldn’t find it in him to care now that his cock is rock hard. “Please?”

“Oh, Bo-di. How can I deny you?” Xiao Zhan says. “This is unfair, I’m in the office.”

“Gege,” Yibo grips his dick tighter. “Zhan-ge, if you won’t let me, it’s fine. You can say no. I’ll obey.” And even Yibo himself is surprised at how true that statement is. He trusts Zhan-ge enough to take care of him later, if he won’t let Yibo orgasm now.

“Baby—”

“Fuck.”

“Go ahead, baby.” Xiao Zhan tells him. It’s all Yibo needs to let go.

“Thank you, gege.” Yibo strokes his cock vigorously, and he comes embarrassingly quickly. He moans into the mouthpiece of his phone, and thinks he might’ve heard Xiao Zhan cussing under his breath on the other line.

“You’re so good, Yibo. I can’t wait to see you.” Xiao Zhan says, when Yibo comes down from his high.

---

Thursday is a gruelling finalization day. Everyone, not only people from Yibo’s department, is busy. The festival is a university-wide event, after all, so even students from other departments and organizations are going to participate and perform. Yibo’s department especially, is definitely required to do so, as it is where they would be graded for their major classes. The arts and design students have also collaborated with them and with the students who are going to perform by singing.

Their costumes only arrive at noon, which is pretty late, considering that they expected them to arrive on Monday, but thankfully the clothes fit well enough to allow free movement, the material soft and comfortable for dancing.

Yibo and Cheng Xiao end up doing a run-through with the high school girls, since today seems like a chaotic mash-up of everything that would be happening tomorrow. Practically all performers are gathered into the repurposed school quadrangle, waiting for their turns to practice on-stage. The upside to it all is that the girls are all excited, as it is the first time that they will be rehearsing in the university grounds, instead of in the practice room in their own building. They’re also pretty hyped up seeing their seniors dance like pros.

The day goes by fast, and before Yibo knows it, it’s already Friday.

Yibo wakes up a couple of hours before lunch time. He checks his phone, and taps on his group chat with the rest of his dance group. There are motivational messages there, which Yibo replies to with a simple message of his own. Xiao Zhan has also sent him a good luck message earlier this morning, and Yibo replies to that as well.

Yibo does a few chores, and his phone rings just as he has just finished loading the washing machine.

“Zhan-ge, hello.” He greets.

“Hi, Yibo.” Xiao Zhan says. “Are you busy?”

“Just doing a little bit of housework, then I’ll practice.” Yibo answers. He moves to the kitchen, where he inspects the fridge for brunch. “Are you busy?”

Xiao Zhan chuckles. “No, no. Don’t worry. I didn’t leave more work for Ziyi. I just wanted to check on you.” And then the older man adds, “I’m sorry again, that I can’t be there.”

“Zhan-ge...” Yibo can’t help but smile. “It’s really fine.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

 Yibo has a feeling of what’s coming, but ah, Xiao Zhan seems happy spoiling him with gifts, so. There’s that. And Yibo decides to leave it be for now. He just hums.

Yibo then hears a couple of knocks from the other line, and Xiao Zhan says Yes, come in, and then he hears a woman’s muffled voice, to which Xiao Zhan replies to with a simple Alright.

“Ah, Yibo?”

Yibo tries not to laugh. “Zhan-ge, please tell the secretary-jiejie thank you for her hard work.”

“Ha-ha. Funny.” Xiao Zhan deadpans, but then his voice eases. “Okay, I’ll go now. Good luck on your performance, Yibo. I hope you the best.”

“Thanks, Zhan-ge.”

Yibo resumes some of his chores, eats a light meal, and then practices his solo dance in his living room. After that, he rests for an hour before he showers, and prepares to go to school for the festival. He dresses in a simple shirt and jogging pants, as his crew will still be doing a run-through of their sequence before they go up the stage.

The festival will start at five, and with the amount of performers—starting from the high school, Yibo’s crew wouldn’t be up on stage until maybe seven. He still have plenty enough time to lounge and rehearse more. He packs a small bag with a bottle of water, a face towel, and his costume, and then heads for the school.

When Yibo arrives, there are already a bunch of people fuzzing about on the school grounds. He passes by a few men setting up tents to around the perimeter, probably where the food stalls and pop-up stores would be situated. There is a truck right by the gate, and when the back of it opens, it reveals several huge lights and sounds equipment . There are some people carrying plastic chairs , but Yibo doubts those seats would be for the people who would be watching tonight, as they’ll probably be put inside the tents. The stage itself is a little bare still, but there are a few men there who are carefully taping cords around the perimeter of it, making sure that the performers wouldn’t trip or have a hard time moving on-stage later.

Yibo goes up to the catwalk and enters the building. He halts to a stop when he sees his art professor just about to turn the direction Yibo is in, so Yibo turns as well, and takes the longer route to the function rooms. He hasn’t submitted his paper yet, but Yibo doubts he’ll be hunted down for it today. Some professors tend to be told to be lenient towards graduating students anyway.

When he gets to function room three, most of his group is already there. The speakers are on and playing their group dance, but the members aren’t actually dancing to it; some of them are stretching, some swaying their bodies to the music but not actually doing the steps, some are on the floor fiddling with their phones.

Yibo walks to the bench right by the wall, and settles his duffle bag before he sits down. He plays some game on his phone, while he waits for the rest of the crew to arrive. By the time they are finally complete, they do group stretches, and do a full run-through of their program one last time, before they rest for a bit, and then start changing into their costumes for tonight.

When he and the other guys come back to the function room—because they’ve been kicked out earlier in order for the girls to use the room as a dressing room—they see the girls clumped together, fussing about something.

“Wah, Yibo, you look cool!” Cheng Xiao tells him when he approaches her.

“What’s going on?” he asks, evading her compliment entirely.

The girl frowns for a second, but resumes to having a cheerful expression immediately as she produces a few packs of…thin strips of foil?

“Those are…?” Yibo looks at the strips.

Cheng Xiao looks at him as if he hasn’t been part of human civilization for at least fifteen years.

“Hair tinsels!” she says, and then tugs on a part of her hair, which only now does Yibo notice has something shiny clipped onto it. “Isn’t it nice?”

“Uh, yeah.” Yibo replies. The foils are silver and shiny and, “That’s actually nice partnered with our outfits.” He realizes, now that he takes a good look at Cheng Xiao’s overall appearance. Yibo then notices that the other girl behind her also has some of the shiny strands clipped onto her hair.

The group’s costumes are pretty plain; just a black long-sleeved zip-up and matching pants for the guys, and the girls have three-fourths zip-ups and shorts that reach ‘til their mid-thighs. Their clothes would have been basic-looking, if it isn’t for the inch-thick strips of reflective fabric which are meticulously sewn along the lengthier parts of their costumes. The reflective parts almost have a mirror-glaze kind of effect to them, able to bounce back light. The initial suggestion was to use LED strips to light up their costumes, but to be able to use those, they would need to consult with someone who can adjust the LED colors per switch of the songs they will be dancing to, which is a lot of work, considering that they aren’t the only people in school who are busy during this time. So reflective silver fabric it is.

“Right?” Cheng Xiao says. “Let me put it on you!”

Yibo raises an eyebrow. He suspects this is just one of Cheng Xiao’s stunts to doll him up, but whatever, the tinsels look nice anyway and some of the guys are already being sat down by the girls so the tinsels can be put on their hair. Yibo shrugs, and sits down.

Cheng Xiao lets out a little squeal of delight, and starts to tear open a pack of the hair accessories. She takes out a comb out of her bag, and starts messing with Yibo’s hair. Yibo lets her be, and just leans the back of his head against the wall. Might as well take a nap while the girl works on his hair.

Yibo thinks he might have actually fallen asleep while having his hair meddled with, because when he opens his eyes, Cheng Xiao is no longer in front of him, and is instead crouched down combing another one of their groupmates’ hair.

“He’s awake!” someone whispers, and all eyes turn to him.

Yibo glares at Cheng Xiao “What did you do?”

“Ah, Yibo,” Cheng Xiao stands up straight and walks towards him. “Why do you always assume the worst?” Yibo is about to retort, but then Cheng Xiao shoves him an open compact mirror. Oh.

Yibo opens, and then closes his mouth. He just stares at his reflection on the tiny mirror, and wonders how in the heck Cheng Xiao managed to do this all while he was sleeping.

Out from the corner of his eye, Yibo catches Cheng Xiao making a face at the group of girls at the corner of the room, sending them a thumb up with one hand and an ‘OK’ sign with the other, as she not-so-quietly whispers “He likes it.”

Yibo sends another glare her direction, but then resumes looking at himself. Ah. He wouldn’t disagree with her though, Yibo does like it. His hair has been parted to one side, the thin strips of silver carefully weaved into his hair. There aren’t that many tinsel strands attached to his hair, but they have been placed expertly enough that Yibo is sure that it’ll catch attention.

That’s not the only thing, though. Cheng Xiao had put  makeup on his face. His skin glows at certain parts, his lips are nearly cherry-colored, and his eyes. Wow. Somehow, Cheng Xiao was able to put a nude shimmer eyeshadow and a smudge of dark eyeliner on him. It looks good.

Yibo closes the compact mirror and shoves it back to Cheng Xiao. He doesn’t know what sort of expression he is making, but it is enough for Cheng Xiao to flip her ponytailed hair and say, “I’m the best.”

After they’re done with their preparations, they leave their belongings in the room and lock it, and then proceed to the school grounds where the speakers are already booming. The festival has started about an hour ago, and now students from the high school have started performing.

Yibo’s group proceeds to the benches reserved for the performers, and hears squeals from the back of the area. Cheng Xiao tugs his arm and drags him to where their high school trainees are, and Cheng Xiao smugly presents him to them with elaborate jazz hands. The high school girls ogle him and Cheng Xiao, praising them at how cool they looked. Yibo then starts to feel embarrassed, and swerves the conversation by telling the girls some encouraging words.

When their trainees are finally called, Yibo and Cheng Xiao accompanies them to the side of the stage, and pats them on the back one by one as they climb up the stairs. He and his fellow instructor go back to their own group once all the girls have finally assumed their starting positions.

The lights dim, indicating that the performance is about to start, and the crowd falls into silence, anticipating the girls’ dance number. The girls look down, and for some reason, Yibo could feel their nerves.

Before Yibo can even realize what he’s doing, he cups both his hands at the sides of his mouth and yells, “You can do it! Focus! You’re the best!”

“You’re gonna do great! Let’s go!” Cheng Xiao follows after him, clapping twice, loudly.

The song starts immediately after that, and when the girls lift their heads on stage, they are all smiling towards Yibo and Cheng Xiao’s direction.

“Ah I’ve always known you’ve been doting for them.” Cheng Xiao elbows him, but her eyes are fixed on the stage.

Yibo doesn’t warrant that a response. Instead, he just watches as their students dance in synchronization, much better than all the times that they have done during all their rehearsals. Yibo is so proud of them. When the performance ends, Yibo is sure that he and Cheng Xiao are the ones who are clapping the loudest. He congratulates the girls once they have come down the stage, but they don’t chat for long, since it’s his group’s turn next.

Yibo and his crew gather at the backstage while the hosts on the stage are doing an intermission, ensuring that the crowd wouldn’t be confused with the transition from high school performances to college performances.

The group does a little huddle, and yells a “1, 2, let’s go!”, before one of the hosts calls them up the stage. It’s finally time.

Every person in the group quietly goes to their position. The lights dim, but there’s a faint red glow that comes from the lower lights on the stage. Yibo hears the whoas from the crowd, probably amazed at how the crew’s outfit reflect the lights. And then, the spotlights move out, and top lights turn on, and the music starts.

The first song is a group dance, everybody in the crew gets to dance to it, their choreography the same for each member. They take several turns on who goes to the center position, and then the song fades, and the boys quickly exit the stage, while Cheng Xiao and the other girls receive chairs from a few stage hands. They push the chairs to the center, and the song for the girls’ number starts.

The girls loosen up their hair, and they move slowly, matching the sensuality of the music. There’s a part in which they have to step on the chairs, and the girls do it in mastered and calculated movements, the boys cheering silently when they completed the move perfectly. The song then comes to a slow close, a beat drops, and the girls push the chairs away and they come down from the stage.

It’s the boys’ turn now, and Yibo takes center position. The electric hiphop beat comes on, and they start moving. Unlike the fluid movements of the girls earlier, this dance requires steps which are almost robotic. The beat changes several times, and the boys keep up with the speed. The audience yells when they do fast floorwork, and then the music fades, once again giving way to a new song.

It’s now time for the solos, and it starts with the boys. Yibo patiently waits at the side of the stage as each of his groupmates have their turn to hog the stage all to themselves, giving each member a highlight.

Yibo is last to perform for the boys’ solos, and he’ll be followed up by Cheng Xiao, the first one for the girls’ solos, so they fall in line at the side. Yibo is about to turn around to face her to tell her something about the non-slipperiness of the stage, but Yibo stops turning his head midway, when he spots a familiar tall man standing in the middle of the crowd. WHAT.

What is Zhan-ge doing here!?

Yibo wants to go to the man, but there’s only one more guy left before it is finally his turn to go back up to the stage. Yibo bites his lip and tries to compose himself. Not that he’s nervous, no. He’s fucking happy.

He looks at Xiao Zhan again, whose eyes are on the stage, watching the current performer on it. The side of the stage isn’t clearly seen from where Xiao Zhan is located, so Yibo doesn’t blame him for having nowhere else to look at.

The song changes, another guy comes up the stage, and so, Yibo is next. Then, finally it’s Yibo’s turn. Cheng Xiao wordlessly gives him a pat on the back just as he climbs up the stage.

The guy before him still hasn’t left the stage even when the lights have already dimmed again, but for good reason.  Yibo hands his groupmate the strip of black cloth he has hidden underneath his sleeve. When he removes it from his wrist, it uncovers the lion bracelet he has worn earlier today. Yibo’s fully certain now that it is indeed a lucky charm.

His groupmate puts the cloth over Yibo’s eyes and ties it at the back of his head, tight enough that it wouldn’t fall but loose enough for Yibo to be able to pull it down later on. After that, his groupmate runs down the stage, leaving Yibo alone.

Yibo makes the split second decision of rolling up the sleeve where there’s the bracelet underneath. He tries to keep his smirk to himself, but he doesn’t care much if it’s obvious.

A moment later, he feels the spotlight heat on him, and then the song finally comes on, and Yibo starts moving. It’s trap music, with an EDM vibe fused into it. It has both slow and fast beats, and Yibo moves just in time with them. Eventually he takes down his blindfold, and he sinks to his knees, eyes upwards, evoking the song. He then slowly looks down, and does floor work that makes the audience yell and cheer and holler, and Yibo subtly lifts his eyes to where he knows Zhan-ge is watching him from.

Sure enough, Xiao Zhan is gaping at him, unblinking. Yibo continues with his movements. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t missed a single beat or step, but time suddenly seemed to have stretched in that moment, as he makes eye contact with Xiao Zhan while he’s practically fucking down onto the floor. Yibo hasn’t felt it in a while, but right now, he feels nervous on-stage, heart thundering inside his chest, but he’s pretty certain it’s not because he’s dancing in front of many people.

Yibo eventually gets up to finish the rest of the steps, and he forces himself to tear away his gaze from Xiao Zhan. When he kneels again, Yibo no longer has as much steps as he did earlier, as this is now the start of the focus transition from him to Cheng Xiao. He has coordinated this part with her, so they are now both dancing to the same song, with Cheng Xiao bidding him to rise from the floor, and they dance together for a bit, before Yibo finally leaves the stage, and Cheng Xiao starts her solo.

Cheng Xiao’s dance has a similar beat with the previous song, so the steps are also evocative of sensuality. She moves on the stage with grace, and without fail Cheng Xiao is able to incorporate gymnastic movements into the dance without making those moves look out of place. It’s a skill that dancers work hard to master, and Yibo is sure that whoever critic or scout the companies have sent here tonight will be impressed by her solo.

Yibo wants to move away from the stage, even just for a minute, but he just inhales and exhales instead, steadying his nerves so that he wouldn’t actually go and head to Xiao Zhan’s direction. Man, it sure is difficult to restrain himself, but there’s only a few more minutes until Yibo has to go back to stage a last time for another group sequence to close the dance.

The rest of the girls follow after Cheng Xiao is done with her solo, and soon enough, Yibo is on stage again.

The beats are once again electric and the base is low. The song demands fast movements, and the crew chases after the beats, until the song slows down a little bit for the chorus, but it still requires energetic and synchronized motions. The music fades again and makes way for the final song. The crew huddles—a part of the choreography—and then mimics a burst, as they go to their positions.

When Yibo was assigned to partner up with the members of his team, this was the first song that they have decided on, as its lyrics spoke to them;

The way we play tonight

Is what we leave behind

It all comes down to right now

It’s up to us

The song does not call for any complicated moves, but the motions are big and powerful enough to catch attention, as if saying, Look at us.

This is the last time to get it right

This is the last chance to make it or not

We got to show what we’re all about

It’s the final time that Yibo and his team members are going to perform in their university. There is no certainty if they will be invited for future events, there is no certainty if the scouts will come contact them after this. They have to prove themselves.

This is the last chance to make our mark

History will know who we are

This is the last game so make it count

It’s

Now or never

The crew ends the routine with a bold move, with Cheng Xiao and Yibo in the middle, beside them are their crewmates.

The girls they have trained shoot up from their seats first, clapping and screaming and cheering, and then they are eventually followed by the rest of the spectators. Practically everyone on the school grounds are yelling Whoaaaa’s at them, and Yibo feels drunk from it all; their performance ending powerfully, the proud faces of their instructors at the sides, his group member’s loud ragged breathing around him, the heat of the spotlights on his face,.. Xiao Zhan staring right at him, smiling, beaming, clapping his hands elaborately. Yibo wants to run to him.

Yibo doesn’t get to do that right away, of course. He first gets roped into another huddle backstage. They exchange congratulations and praises for such a great performance, until Cheng Xiao startles him by fanning him with a giant piece of folded paper.

“You should go,” she tells him as she stops fanning him. “My god, Yibo. You look high.”

Well. He probably is high.

“Do you think it’s fine if I—” Yibo starts, but the girl cuts his sentence midway.

“Yeah, of course.” Cheng Xiao drops the paper and turns Yibo around. “Just text me, for your things.” She tells him, and then pushes Yibo to the direction of the crowd.

Yibo turns back around anyway, “Thanks.”

“Thank me with latte and doughnuts.” Cheng Xiao puts one hand on her hip, the other hand making a shooing gesture. “Now, go to your boyfriend, before the crew decides to rope you into drinking.”

Yibo does leave after that, waving at Cheng Xiao for a little bit before he turns again and actually runs to the direction of the crowd. He takes the longer route, and startles Xiao Zhan when Yibo appears behind him, laughing like the real actual gremlin that he is.

“Yibo!” Xiao Zhan’s eyes light up when he sees him. Yibo wants to hug him, kiss him.

Yibo doesn’t even greet him back, he just links hands with the taller man, and weaves them both away from the crowd and drags Xiao Zhan to the back of one of the buildings. It’s near the exit gates of the school, but it’s pretty quiet, and no one’s there to disturb them.

Xiao Zhan stutters behind him, Yibo effectively shuts him up by driving him up to a wall and crushing their lips together.

It’s very satisfying.

They melt into the kiss quickly, their movements syncing with the other’s, as if they have been so used to doing this for a long time now. Yibo grins, almost laughs for a reason he doesn’t know of, but he instead gasps, as Xiao Zhan takes the opportunity of him opening his mouth to attack Yibo with his tongue. Yibo lets him, lets Xiao Zhan’s hands grip his waist, lets Xiao Zhan manhandle him so that it’s now Yibo’s back pressed against the wall.

“Please don’t tell me you’ll be flying again in like, two minutes.” Yibo says right after Xiao Zhan parts away from his lips. “I don’t think I can wait until Sunday for you to finally fuck me, ge.”

 “Fuck.” Xiao Zhan bites the tip of his ear. “No, Yibo I’m not going anywhere.”

Yibo kisses his jaw. “Good.” But then he remembers what Xiao Zhan had said during one of their calls, and so he pulls away completely.

“Yibo?”

“You said you have a fundraising to attend today.” Yibo says. “Zhan-ge, I really hope you’re not skipping work because of me.”

Xiao Zhan chases after his lips, “I’ve raised funds.”

What.

“Don’t tell me—”

Xiao Zhan shuts him up with a kiss, and Yibo just once again melts to it. “I didn’t buy the entire event, I just pledged.” The taller man nips Yibo’s jaw. “I knew you’d nag me if I did.”

Yibo grins so wide, he feels his face hurt. “That’s right.”

Xiao Zhan steps away entirely, but he reaches for Yibo’s hand tenderly, and holds onto it. “Let’s go?”

Yibo nods, and lets himself be pulled past the exit gates. Xiao Zhan leads him where the older man says his car is parked behind the school, where there are much less vehicles compared to the school’s actual parking lot, but still has a number of cars in it nonetheless. They reach the middle of the lot, and Xiao Zhan stops in front of a new red Audi A3. Yibo slides into the seat when Xiao Zhan opens the door for him, and then the older man circles the vehicle and settles down inside himself.

As Xiao Zhan is revving the engine, Yibo startles him by cupping his cheek with one hand and kissing him again. There is plenty of space inside the car, and Yibo moves to lean further towards Xiao Zhan, but then the man places a hand on his chest.

“Baby,” Xiao Zhan starts, Yibo isn’t sure if the endearment is meant to ground him or turn him on even more. But then Xiao Zhan continues, “I’d love to fuck you here, too, but you deserve more than that.”

Yibo almost retorts, almost says Xiao Zhan can fuck him here and then later again, but Xiao Zhan adds, “And this is a rental car.”

“Ah.”

“Ah.” Xiao Zhan echoes, voice endeared. Yibo thinks that Xiao Zhan would just continue working on the engine and then maybe start driving, but the older man just keeps on staring at him, eyes a little wide and mouth a little ajar.

“Zhan-ge?”

“You’re so beautiful, Yibo.” Xiao Zhan tells him. Yibo feels like Xiao Zhan is going to say something else, but then the older man just takes a breath, relaxes into his car seat and asks, “Where to?”

They, of course, drive to Yibo’s apartment. Xiao Zhan parks the car in the building’s basement, and, just as Yibo is about to walk to the elevator shaft, Xiao Zhan opens the door to the back seat. When he emerges, Xiao Zhan is carrying a fat cylindrical container of something, which he hands to Yibo as they walk to the elevator shaft that would take them to the twenty seventh floor.

“This is?” Yibo asks. It’s a gift, of course, but he asks anyway.

“Open it when we get to your place.” Is Xiao Zhan’s answer.  The elevator pings, and they’re now on Yibo’s floor.

They walk to his unit, and Yibo puts in his code calmly, body no longer as heated as it was fifteen minutes ago. Yibo hugs the gift container as he opens the door and steps in with Xiao Zhan, and oh.

Oh. He’s entering his place with Xiao Zhan.

Yibo places the gift on the dining table, his heart beating fast for some reason. When he looks to his side, Xiao Zhan is there, anticipating for Yibo to open his present. Yibo does, lifting the top half of the simple pale yellow container, and slips it off from the bottom half.

A bunch of flowers—white flowers—pour about, stemming out of the cylinder in all directions, forming into one huge bouquet. There’s at least three dozen of the flowers, all of them big and full and fragrant, even though Yibo belatedly realizes that they aren’t actually real, but are instead made of something that is probably fine silk.

Yibo doesn’t know much about flowers, or plants in general, but he does know what this is, because he’s seen them on someone’s canvas before.

“White peonies.” Yibo whispers, caressing one flower head gently.

“I wanted to paint you.” Xiao Zhan matches the lowness of his voice. “But I didn’t know how you looked like under the mask, before.”

"So you associated me with these sweet, virginal flowers.” Yibo turns to face the man fully. He feels he’s grinning. Feels it in his face. Feels it in his chest.

“You are sweet and virginal.” Xiao Zhan tells him  as he tips Yibo’s chin up, and starts to kiss him slowly. Yibo eagerly responds to it, lets Xiao Zhan’s tongue roam his mouth while he palmed Xiao Zhan’s firm chest.

Xiao Zhan holds his wrist that had the bracelet on it, and pulls away just enough for Yibo to feel his breath on his lips. “You were so good earlier, Yibo. I’m glad I went.” And then he kisses Yibo again.

Yibo could feel the air getting hotter, but before their movements evolve into something else, Yibo blindly loops an arm around the faux bouquet of peonies, and manages to peel himself away from Xiao Zhan, stepping to slide to the side.

Xiao Zhan blinks dumbly when Yibo does that, and Yibo cannot—for the love of the world—help himself put place a wet kiss against the taller man’s cheek.

“Wait here, ge. I’ll call you.” Is all that Yibo says before he saunters to his room, carrying the flowers at his side.

Yibo shuts the door behind him, and he settles the flowers at the table beside his bed, beside the lamp. He then strips off of his clothes, tossing them to the hamper at the far corner of his room. He tries to wipe himself clean as best as he can, because he doesn’t think he can be patient enough for a shower. Yibo takes off the accessories on his hair and the remnants of the night’s makeup off his face; he wants to look as natural as possible, but he leaves the bracelet on and reapplies a little bit of balm on his lips.

Yibo then opens his closet, and produces the white mesh bag of lingerie. He puts it on, careful so that the sides of it wouldn’t twist. The additional stretchy lace almost slips out of the bag, and it’s in that moment when Yibo realizes what it’s for. He takes it out, and fastens it onto his thigh, the rhinestones on it strangely a pretty match against the gems and the gold of the piece of jewellery on his wrist.

He very briefly thinks if he should put on the blond hair, but immediately decides against it. He’s Yibo right now, and he has received reassurance from Xiao Zhan enough times that he’s beautiful this way, too. Still, he feels a similar kind of embarrassment that he felt the first time he presented himself to his online audience in those white briefs, so Yibo takes the white robe hung on his gaming chair and wraps it around himself. He refuses to check himself in the mirror, afraid that he’ll back out from this…thing, and just end up stripping everything off.

“Zhan-ge?” Yibo says, peeking his head out his door. He sees the man walk towards him from the direction of the living room where he’s probably waited for the past several minutes.

He doesn’t wait until Xiao Zhan reaches him, and instead opts to walk back and sit at the edge of the bed, where he fidgets with the loose ribbon of his robe. Yibo must have been occupied, because he startles a little when he finds Xiao Zhan in front of him, and then, kneeling.

“Hi,” Xiao Zhan says, placing a comforting hand on Yibo’s knee. Yibo covers that hand with his, caresses it for a bit, before he lifts it up to his mouth and presses tiny pecks at the knuckles of it. Xiao Zhan’s hands are a little calloused, roughened by years of working hard in the industry he’s living in, and it’s only now that Yibo realizes that his hands are slightly bigger than Xiao Zhan’s. It’s an endearing contrast, given the difference in their heights. The closer he gets to this man, the more that Yibo learns about him. And he wants to learn more, and then give himself to him, and then learn more.

“Zhan-ge.” Yibo says, the older man’s knuckles still pressed against his lips. “you said you’re going to fuck me senseless tonight, right?”

Xiao Zhan breathes out sharply. “Yes, baby.”

“Come here,” Yibo motions, and Xiao Zhan takes that as a hint to kiss him again. Yibo spreads his legs apart to accommodate Xiao Zhan kneeling in between them, and the older man takes that as an opportunity to run his hands on Yibo’s legs, starting from the base of his ankles and moving up to his thighs.

Xiao Zhan gasps below him, when his hand catches the lace on Yibo’s thigh.

“Yibo…”  the older man parts from him a bit, so that he could look down and see the piece of fabric decorating Yibo’s skin.

“Fuck.” Xiao Zhan says once he finally sees the lace band. “Fuck.”

“Do you like it?”

Xiao Zhan gives him an incredulous look, “You’re going to be the death of me. Fuck,” he says, when he parts the rest of the robe and it falls off of Yibo’s shoulders, revealing the thin underwear Yibo has worn on his last live stream. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” Xiao Zhan kisses on top of his knee, and then the inside of his thigh.

Xiao Zhan then rises from the floor, and Yibo looks up at him. Zhan-ge is towering over him in this angle, and Yibo tells him, “I want to suck you off, gege.”

Xiao Zhan places a hand on Yibo’s hair and runs it through the tresses, but he shakes his head, “You first,” he reminds the younger male. Yibo feels his throat drying up just from how commanding that sounds.

He bites his lip, “Yes, Zhan-ge.”

“On the bed, Bo-di.”

Yibo obeys, stepping onto the bed with his knees, peels off the robe and leaves it on the floor, and then lies down on his back once he’s reached the pillows. He spreads his legs to accommodate Xiao Zhan again, and he makes  grabby hands at him. Thankfully, the older man gets the cue, and kisses Yibo again. God, he really likes Xiao Zhan’s kisses so much, maybe too much.

Yibo gasps against Xiao Zhan’s mouth when he feels a hot hand palming his groin, pressuring the lace of the underwear against his dick and it feels so good, Yibo arches into the touch. He’s already burning up from all the anticipation, and his high from earlier seems like it’s coming back to him.

“Zhan-ge.” Yibo murmurs even while Xiao Zhan is still kissing him, just because.

Xiao Zhan moves from kissing him on the mouth, to nipping at his jaw, and then lapping at the length of Yibo’s neck, down to the solid expanse of Yibo’s chest, where he nips at the skin again, continuously, until the patch below Yibo’s clavicle burns. Yibo whimpers. Xiao Zhan’s hand is still on his groin, kneading his balls and his dick, and Yibo is so hard.

“Just cum, if you need to.” Xiao Zhan tells him, that silky voice now against his ear. “I’ll make you cum many more times tonight.”

“…fuck.” Yibo is already breathing raggedly. The band of the thong comes down when Xiao Zhan tugs it, so Yibo’s cock springs free, the cold air in the room hitting his senses like a punch to the gut.

Xiao Zhan licks the shell of his ear, the same time he runs a finger along the length of Yibo’s cock. “Cum.”

Yibo whines as he actually does release. Holy shit. He wraps his arms around Xiao Zhan, as he fucks the air in between them, occasionally meeting the older man’s torso in the process. It isn’t that much of a powerful orgasm, but it’s the first time he came with so little touch. Yibo is positive that he came because of Xiao Zhan’s words, and not the touch.

Xiao Zhan then moves below him, and before Yibo could even react, the man lifts his hips a little, and then presses his tongue against Yibo’s covered ass hole.

“Fuck!” Yibo yelps from the suddenness of it, his hips automatically bolting up.

Instead of being veered away by the movement, Xiao Zhan takes it as an opportunity to slide an arm under one of Yibo’s legs. He lifts it, puts Yibo’s thigh with the lace band on his shoulder, and keeps it there with a firm hand. All while his mouth is still on Yibo’s ass.

“Shit…” Yibo threads his fingers into Xiao Zhan’s hair, and the man below him hums, sending vibrations against Yibo’s hole. It makes him whimper again, his grip on Xiao Zhan’s hair tightening. The man’s hair is soft against his fingers, and Yibo unconsciously tugs on it.

Xiao Zhan opens his eyes, meeting Yibo’s, and in this perspective, the older male’s eyes are both intense and grounding, a combination that Yibo would never have crossed Yibo’s mind if he was never to experience it, yet here he is.

Xiao Zhan’s eyes soften as the seconds go by, and he lowers Yibo’s leg slowly, just enough for Yibo to be able to comfortably stretch it a bit, but not enough for the pad of his foot to settle on the bed. 

“Okay?” Xiao Zhan asks, running a palm down Yibo’s other leg, easing Yibo’s nerves.

“Mmn.” Yibo hums. “So okay.” He grins a little.

Xiao Zhan returns his smile. And the man is still smiling when he presses a chaste kiss onto the flesh of Yibo’s inner thigh, just right above the lace band is located. Xiao Zhan pulls away from it too early, in Yibo’s opinion, but makes up for it by going down to lap on Yibo’s exposed dick. He licks the tip first, and then takes the—oh—semi-hard length of it inside his mouth, and, shit, Yibo feels the pad of a finger pressing against his hole.

When Xiao Zhan re-emerges, he has a questioning look on his face, and Yibo gets it, his lean arm stretching to reach his bedside drawer. He opens it, takes out the lube and passes it onto Xiao Zhan. The older male takes the bottle from Yibo’s hand, he kneels upright, and then presses a kiss against Yibo’s raised knee as he flicks the cap off with one hand.

“I’m going to prepare you now,” Xiao Zhan lifts the strap that covers Yibo’s hole, and nudges it to the side, like how Yibo did in his stream, so now again, his dick and his balls are exposed. Yibo much prefers it this way, though, when Xiao Zhan is between his legs.

Xiao Zhan squirts plenty of the lube right at the base of Yibo’s dick, and Yibo moans, when the cool slick slides down and reaches the crevice of his ass and his hole.

“Pretty.” Xiao Zhan licks his lips. He runs his palm along Yibo’s entire groin area, and Yibo cants his hips up in response. The older man moves to Yibo’s side, so he’s no longer in between the younger male’s legs. Xiao Zhan situates a hand beside Yibo’s head, while he starts to finger Yibo’s rim with the other.

Yibo threads his fingers onto Xiao Zhan’s hair again, pushes down, just enough for the man to get his signal. Kiss me. Xiao Zhan does, and at the same time pushing his finger further inside Yibo.

“ah,” Yibo gasps quietly. Xiao Zhan pushes his finger further, and hooks it, right at the right spot. Yibo’s eyes widen and his mouth opens more, so Xiao Zhan takes the opportunity to dive his tongue into Yibo’s mouth, the same time Xiao Zhan caresses that spot inside Yibo.

“Zhan-ge. Zhan-ge.” Yibo’s arms are now wound around Xiao Zhan’s torso. “How come you’re so good at this? Ah,” he moans again when he feels another finger trying to make it past his rim.  “Mmm.. This is unfair, you’re doing this better than I do.”

The second finger slides fully inside him, and Yibo would have yelped, if it isn’t for Xiao Zhan’s tongue diving back into his mouth.

There is a string of saliva between their lips when they part, and Xiao Zhan says, “You’re taking it so good, baby.” He’s intentionally hitting Yibo’s prostate with every thrust of his fingers, as if unapologetic of the sensitivity he’s causing the younger to feel. Of course, he’s unapologetic about it. Look at him smiling.

“You’re enjoying this way too much, gege.” Yibo teases. He’s thankful his eyes are only half-close, as he sees Xiao Zhan actually smile, bright and blinding, and warming, and “Oh fuck.”  He’s adding a third finger. “Fuck.”

“Breathe, baby.” Xiao Zhan kisses the top of his head. He slows down his hand, but the fingers inside Yibo doesn’t stop from caressing the walls.

Yibo’s dick is hard again at this point, the top of it bobbing against Yibo’s stomach.

“Do you want to come in my mouth?” Xiao Zhan checks his face, and Yibo almost doesn’t register what he’s just said, stunned by Xiao Zhan’s face in this close proximity.

“Wh—? Fuck. Yes.” Yibo says once his brain catches up. “Yes.”

Xiao Zhan manages to lower himself without taking his fingers out of Yibo’s hole. And then, Xiao Zhan strokes Yibo’s length once, twice, and then sinks down with his mouth, engulfing Yibo’s dick in one motion. Fuck.

Xiao Zhan bobs his head up and down, his cheeks hollowed. The three fingers now fully sheathed inside Yibo start to move again. They twist and thrust inside of him, and combined with the older man’s hot mouth on his cock,  and the tiny guttural sounds that Xiao Zhan makes, it’s all so hot.

“Gege, I’m gonna—” Yibo warns.

Xiao Zhan hums around his length, bobs his head faster, his nose lightly grazing the lower part of Yibo’s stomach as he does so.

“Zhan-ge. I—near—” Yibo tries hard not to thrust his hips up, but then Xiao Zhan twists his fingers inside Yibo in a particularly delicious manner that just grinds onto his prostate again, and when it happens, even Yibo is surprised that his hips have snapped up, evoking a choked sound from Xiao Zhan’s throat. Yibo almost pulls away, but Xiao Zhan just grips his thigh, keeps him there. Xiao Zhan keeps on humming and thrusting and sucking, and—

“Gege!” Yibo yells, when a finger goes underneath the lace strap on his thigh, lifts it up far enough, and then snaps it down, hitting Yibo’s flesh so, so sweetly. He comes right then, his hips betraying his control, still thrusting upwards to Xiao Zhan’s mouth. Yibo breathes. The man just keeps on taking him, as if Yibo’s load is some kind of treat to him. Fucking hell.

 Xiao Zhan releases Yibo’s dick from his mouth. It’s—fuck—it’s all clean. Yibo’s first release is still on his stomach, but there’s not even a drop that’s left from his second. Xiao Zhan slowly takes his fingers out of Yibo’s ass, coaxing an equally slow moan out of the younger’s mouth.

“Where the vibrator you used last time?” Shit. Xiao Zhan’s voice is raspy.

Yibo is still high, chest still heaving, heels of feet still digging onto the mattress. He opens his mouth, wanting to answer Xiao Zhan, but there are no words that come out. The toy is right where he got the lube from, he wants to say, but all he can do is breathe.

“Yibo.”

Yes, yes. The vibrator. It’s there. It’s in the drawer.

“Wang Yibo.” Xiao Zhan’s voice is raised. Slightly. But still. Raised. He sounds impatient, his voice still raspy from giving Yibo head and swallowing Yibo’s cum and yes—fuck. Yes. Yibo should really hand him the vibrator.

Yibo breathes again, and this time, he is able to turn sideways. His initial plan is to just blindly reach over to his drawer again, but he couldn’t—for fuck’s sake—he couldn’t stretch his arm the right way, so he turns. He turns to his side, lands on his stomach, and ignores the pool of his own cum on which he’d just lied down on, and crawls the few inches to his bedside table.

Yibo tosses the pink sex toy  Xiao Zhan’s way when he’s finally able to take a hold of it, and just stays where he is. He can’t move back to the center of the bed even if he wants to. He’s both high and drained, sweaty and sticky, yet still hot.

Xiao Zhan pushes his hips up with both hands, squeezes both Yibo’s ass cheeks when his butt is finally pert facing up. Yibo loops an arm around the nearest pillow and he pushes his chest onto it, so his back dips and his ass rises up even more.

Xiao Zhan doesn’t warn him when he inserts the vibrator in Yibo’s ass. And it’s fucking switched on. It’s on the lowest setting, but it’s still on. And it makes Yibo bite at the edge of his pillow and whimper into it. It’s too much.

The older male pushes the vibrator further with one hand, the other hand has its palm on Yibo’s ass cheek while the thumb is pushing against the crevice of Yibo’s ass to further reveal his loosened hole to Xiao Zhan.  The vibrator is then switched off, but Xiao Zhan pushes and pulls it, thrusting once again onto Yibo’s walls.

Yibo’s hand finds the headboard of the bed and he grips there. If it’s to balance his body or to keep his mind steady, he doesn’t fucking know.

It’s too much.

The vibrator switches on again. On to the highest setting this time. And Yibo fucking shouts into his pillow.

Just like that, the toy is switches off, pulls out of him.

Fuck what?

Why—

Yibo feels Xiao Zhan’s—still annoyingly clothed—chest brush against his back, when Zhan-ge hovers above him.

“Yibo?”

Yibo feels fingers threading through his hair, tugging slightly, pulling him up, pulling him to reality. His face emerges from where he’s buried his head onto the pillow, and when he turns a little, he sees Xiao Zhan’s face near him. Yibo wants to kiss him again.

But Xiao Zhan looks…worried. Why?

“Zhan-ge?” Yibo’s surprised that his voice came out barely above a whisper. Yet he continues, “Why did you stop?”

Xiao Zhan blinks, opens his mouth. He first cradles Yibo’s face with one hand, before he speaks. “Yibo, you’re crying.”

“Huh? I’m not, I—” Yibo starts, but finds that Xiao Zhan’s thumb that is caressing his cheek is wet. With tears.

“Do you want me to stop?” Xiao Zhan asks, gently.

No, he doesn’t want to stop. Didn’t he already make it clear to Zhan-ge that he wants all of it? Hasn’t Yibo asked enough times already to be fucked? What the fuck?

“Bo-di, you can rest,” Xiao Zhan says “We can try again next time. We can just—”

“Zhan-ge.” Yibo grits out. He supposes his voice came out sound too irate, that Xiao Zhan had to stop mid-sentence.

The look of worry on Xiao Zhan’s face only increases, and Yibo wants to fully turn to him so he can eat that look off of his face. But his strength is still focused on where he’s trying not to off-balance his body on the bed.

So, Yibo just glares at the man. “Gege.”

Xiao Zhan looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights, and it annoys Yibo, because it’s both annoying and cute.

Yibo scoffs. Huffs in irritation. He doesn’t know what to say, so he just reaches for the already open drawer again, takes out the dildo he swore he wouldn’t use, and pokes it at his entrance.

Xiao Zhan gasps at that, and catches Yibo’s wrist before the dildo penetrates his hole. “Yibo?!”

“Zhan-ge.” Yibo breathes, tries not to snap. “I want this. Okay? I want you to make me cum again, so then you can finally fuck me, please.” There, he said it.

The grip on his wrist loosens a little, and Yibo is able to poke the head of the toy against his rim and pushes it in. He lets out a soft but prolonged exhale, just as he continues to insert it in himself. Yibo is about to push it further, but then, Xiao Zhan grips his wrist once again.

Yibo is just about ready to glare at him again, but then Xiao Zhan says, “Let me.”

Yibo’s bubbling annoyance relents, burns into embers. Gone. He takes his grip off of the base of toy and lets Xiao Zhan’s hand takes its place instead. But. Yibo places his hand on top of Zhan-ge’s.

“Are you sure about this, Xiao Zhan?” Yibo smirks at the older man. “Do you want me to stop?”

Xiao Zhan looks effectively baffled.

“Wang Yibo, are you even human?” Zhan-ge finally says after two seconds of being speechless. His tone is incredulous, but his face tells otherwise. Xiao Zhan is smiling. At Yibo. Yibo loves it.

“Come on, gege.” Yibo says, as if he isn’t the one who’s already come twice and cried and about to be impaled. He covers Xiao Zhan’s hand with his own, and presses down, so the dildo which head is already well past his rim goes deeper inside him. Yibo keens.

Despite having already prepared Yibo extensively, Xiao Zhan is still very careful when he twist the dildo inside the younger.

“Yibo, baby, you’re so good to me” Xiao Zhan says while he watches the toy move in and out of Yibo’s entrance. “Fuck, you were so good earlier, too. Do you know how crazy you were made me when you were grinding down on the stage?”

Yibo fights a giggle, but it still comes out anyway. He knows the effect of that on people. He’s glad it has the same effect—possibly more—on Xiao Zhan.

“Do you want me to grind down on you, Zhan-ge?” Yibo knows the answer. Of course he does. But he asks anyway. Because his ego loves to be stroked like that.

“Fuck.” Is the only thing that Xiao Zhan says, as he forces the dildo to be fully sheathed inside Yibo.

It stretches Yibo’s hole. It fucking burns, he’s hard again, and he’s sensitive once more, and Yibo loves every bit of feel it gives him.

Yibo retracts his hand and lets Xiao Zhan fuck his ass with the toy. He’s somehow regained strength now, so Yibo props his elbows on the bed, and twists his torso a little so that he could see Xiao Zhan over his shoulder.

“Damn. That’s sexy.” Xiao Zhan bites his lips, angles the dildo differently to hit Yibo’s prostate deliberately. It sends Yibo whining and keening and giggling onto the pillow.

Xiao Zhan moves closer to him, still thrusting the toy inside him, but Xiao Zhan’s hip sticks closer to his side, and Yibo suddenly feels the man’s erection pressing against his thigh.

“Shit.” It’s both of them that curses. Somehow, the idea of them synching in other ways crosses Yibo’s mind. It adds to the warmth in his chest that’s been there since the beginning of all this, adds to the coiling in his gut.

Yibo reaches for his dick, nearly screeches at the sheer sensitivity of it. He very nearly cums again with just that one touch. Holy fuck.

“Yibo,” Xiao Zhan breathes, one hand now gripping Yibo’s waist. Zhan-ge presses his groin harder onto Yibo’s thigh, and begins to snap his hips, as if he’s actually fucking into the younger male. It doesn’t help that the steady thrust of the dildo inside him matches the rhythm of Xiao Zhan’s hips. “Yibo, Yibo.”

“Fuck, Zhan-ge.” Yibo reaches for his dick again, and this time, he actually grips it, strokes it. He swirls the pad of his thumb against its tip, and then he begins to pump. His hips follow his movements, thrusting into his hand, and it causes for the dildo behind him to slip out and enter again without a steady pace, and for some reason that just makes Yibo even more turned on.

Yibo then feels Xiao Zhan’s hand gently prying his hand off his dick, to take its place. Yes. Fuck. Good. Better.  Zhan-ge’s hand on him is better.

“Come on, Yibo” Xiao Zhan is hovering behind him again, his long limbs allowing him to still be able to fuck Yibo with a dildo in his ass. “Cum for me, baby. Then I’ll fuck you.”

“Yes,” Yibo breathes, “Fuck, I want that. I really want that.”

The toy twists inside of him again, and before Yibo could yelp his orgasm out, Xiao Zhan’s mouth is already on his, swallowing his noises. It’s only when he comes to again, seconds later, that Yibo realizes that Xiao Zhan’s hand wasn’t even on his dick when Yibo came for the third time.

Yibo chuckles.

Xiao Zhan slips the dildo out of him. “What?” Yibo can still feel the man’s hardness on the back of his thigh.

“Gege. You’re really able to make me cum just with your voice.” Yibo replies. He stretches a little before he settles on his knees and faces Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan is about to say something, but stops, when Yibo is fully facing him. He gulps, taking a moment, before replying, “Bo-di. Do you know how you look like right now? Fuck.”

Yibo, admittedly egotistical as he is, actually hasn’t quite considered what he looks like right now. He blinks, tilts his head, and then looks down to get a semblance of his current appearance and oh.

Wow.

Shit.

When Xiao Zhan told him that he would overstimulate Yibo, Yibo had readily accepted the fact that it would be messy. Of course it would be messy. He’ll be coming several times in a row. What’s not going to be messy? But. Yibo did not expect it to be this…vulgar.

His chest is painted white, the pool of cum on his abdomen from the his first orgasm has dried, but his recent release had coated over it, and it’s now dripping over the band of Yibo’s skimpy underwear. The lace has snapped back into place, but Yibo notices a small tear right where the lace starts underneath the band. There’s also cum on the front of his thigh, and on the inside of it, and somehow. There’s also cum on his forearm. Not only that.

He’s also hard again.

“Zhan-ge.” Yibo whines, embarrassed. He looks so dirty, while Xiao Zhan looks unfairly still made up in front of him. “You’re cheating, Zhan-ge. Why do you still have so many clothes on?”

That seems to snap Xiao Zhan out of his gaze. The older man curses under his breath, and steps out of the bed tentatively. Yibo follows his movements, helps Xiao Zhan unbutton his annoying button-up shirt. Xiao Zhan unbuttons it from the top, while Yibo untucks it out his pants and unbuttons in from the bottom.

Yibo leaves Xiao Zhan to shimmy out of his pants, taking the opportunity to grab a few tissues and wipe himself back into chastity. It’s only now that he notices the presence of the peony bouquet that he’s put there on his lamp table earlier.

He grins, looking up at Xiao Zhan, who’s now fully naked.

“Zhan-ge, am I still sweet and virginal? Do you take your words back now?” Yibo teases, deliberately speaking in an innocent tone as he cups with one hand the base of Xiao Zhan’s reddened dick.

“You fucking gremlin,” Xiao Zhan grips his hair as Yibo lands a kitten lick at the tip of the older male’s dick.

Yibo is just about to lean forward again to tease Xiao Zhan’s cock even more, but the older man suddenly manhandles him, ending up with Xiao Zhan sitting on the bed, and Yibo sitting on Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan braces his hands on Yibo’s back, so that Yibo wouldn’t accidentally fall off to the edge of the bed. It’s…sweet. Yibo couldn’t help but lean forward to kiss the tip of Xiao Zhan’s nose, smile, and then leave a peck on his lips, smile.

Xiao Zhan chuckles lightly. “Yibo, you’re amazing.”

“And?” Yibo just wants to be annoying. He reaches for the lube again, and presses it onto Xiao Zhan’s chest.

Xiao Zhan takes the bottle into his hand, “And I’m going to fuck you.”

“Senseless?”

“Senseless.”

Xiao Zhan pours a dollop of lube onto his hand, and then reaches towards Yibo’s ass hole. He lifts the lace again to move it out of the way, but Xiao Zhan must have stretched it too much, as it produces a tearing sound, and the thin waist band separates from it entirely.

Yibo blinks, multiple times, at the ruined lace in between them, and then laughs, boisterously, because it is hilarious and. Sexy.

“Zhan-ge? Couldn’t you have held back on that one?” Yibo chuckles against Xiao Zhan’s neck, trying to hide his laughter there. He doesn’t know when he started to wind his arms over his Zhan-ge’s shoulders.

“Sorry.” Xiao Zhan shyly murmurs, but quickly regains himself, and proceeds to slick up Yibo’s backside again. To it, Yibo almost falls towards Xiao Zhan, but the man’s steady posture is enough to balance them both. Oh. Xiao Zhan very easily slides a finger inside of him, and then two.

“Ah.” Yibo moans against the older man’s ear. He licks at the shell of it, and revels at the way Xiao Zhan’s body shudders when he does so.

Xiao Zhan takes revenge by sliding up three fingers inside Yibo. He twist them a bit, and hits Yibo’s sweet spot.

“Ge!”  Yibo digs his nails onto Xiao Zhan’s shoulders. “Zhan-ge. Please, I’m ready. Just—please.”

“Look at you,” Xiao Zhan curls his fingers once again, “easily switching from teasing to whining.” He sloppily kisses the joint between Yibo’s jaw and neck. “I like that a lot.”

“Gege, please…”

“Yes, baby. Can you lift your hips a bit?” Xiao Zhan asks of him, Yibo does. A moment later, he finally finally feels the blunt tip of Xiao Zhan’s cock pressing against his rim.

Yibo sinks down to it, too fast probably, as it immediately sets all of his nerves on fire, but he doesn’t care. Yibo needs it buried inside him now.

“Fuck, Yibo, slow down. Ah. Shit.” Xiao Zhan pants in segments, watching as Yibo sheathes him down to the hilt. He looks at Yibo’s face, checking.

“I’m fine.” Yibo answers before Xiao Zhan could even ask. “And I don’t need a moment.” And to prove it, Yibo is actually the first one to initiate movement; lifting his hips again so that half of the cock inside him slides out, and then he draws back down to sheathe it again.

“God.” Xiao Zhan audibly gulps. “Just like that, baby.” The older man starts to fuck up into him, places wet kisses along Yibo’s jaw line, his neck, below his clavicle where Xiao Zhan had marked him earlier.

Yibo moans when the hickey burns again, his hold against Xiao Zhan tightening.

“You’ve done so good, Yibo. You’re doing so good.” Zhan-ge pets his hair. “I’ve wanted to fuck you like this ever since you dance on stage earlier.” He breathes hot breaths against Yibo’s ear. “I’ve wanted to fuck you there.”

“Shit.” Yibo curses. Ah. Ah. “Maybe. Next time, ” He starts, and moans at his own idea first, before he gets to say it. “Next time, fuck me during a live stream.”

Yibo’s heart thunders in his chest. Did he really just say that? Not the fucking during a live stream part, no. But. Next time?

Xiao Zhan’s clouded bewildered eyes shoo away the budding doubt within Yibo.

“Really?” Xiao Zhan’s voice is ragged, he thrusts up against Yibo’s prostate particularly deliciously, “You’d let me do that?”

“I want you to, gege.” Yibo tells him. “Maybe fuck me on the gaming chair, if that works. Hah—” a thrust. “If it breaks, just get me a new one.”

“Fuck.” Xiao Zhan curses silently, his voice so low Yibo probably wouldn’t hear it if Xiao Zhan’s mouth isn’t so close to his ear. One of Xiao Zhan’s hands move to Yibo’s lower back—the other supporting Yibo’s waist—and tears the remainder of the lace off of the waistband.

“Holy shit, gege.” Yibo gasps when the band snaps onto his back. Xiao Zhan moves the band further up Yibo’s torso.

“Beautiful.” Xiao Zhan whispers, as if he isn’t even trying to compliment Yibo and just telling the truth.

“Or,” Yibo starts again, because he’s a mighty little shit, “I can put a set up in the living room. Maybe. Maybe I should get a visa. Then you can fuck me in your office—ah?!”

Yibo feels himself being lifted up, with Xiao Zhan’s hands gripping right where Yibo’s butt meets his thighs. He wraps his arms tight around Xiao Zhan’s shoulders. “Give a guy a warning!?”

Instead of replying, Xiao Zhan presses Yibo’s back to the cold door of a closet. It shocks Yibo’s skin, cold on his back, fiery hot on his front. His cock bobs between him and Xiao Zhan, below it he can clearly see where the man is fucking into his used hole.

“Maybe—” his mouth runs again.

“Baby, shut up.”

“Ah, but gege.” Yibo says anyway, he gulps first, because he is parched at this point, “Imagine if I stream in your office. You’ll be working, while I fuck myself on your desk.”

“Yibo, baby—”

“Zhan-ge.” Yibo pants, he can feel another wave of orgasm about to arrive. “Zhan-ge. How come you call me baby so much? Do you actually have a daddy kink—Ah! Fuck!”

Xiao Zhan slams into him roughly, loudly, strongly. The closet door behind him banging and startling him. Xiao Zhan finds that as the perfect opportunity to just shut Yibo up using his own mouth, skipping the nipping and teasing part, and leaping straight into sucking on Yibo’s tongue, and biting onto it. It doesn’t draw blood, but enough to hurt. Still, as if that isn’t punishment enough for Yibo’s stubbornness, Xiao Zhan once again hooks a finger under the lace band that is still on Yibo’s thigh, stretches it at its maximum, and then lets it come back and hit Yibo’s thigh.

“Fuck!” the fourth wave finally crashes, and Yibo spurts against Xiao Zhan’s stomach and chest.

The older man just keeps on slamming into him. Xiao Zhan’s pace is now erratic, he’s probably close, and yet he still manages to say. “You keep orgasming when you get hit. Maybe you’re the one who’s into pain play. Hmm, Bo-di?” he snaps his hips.

Yibo’s mind is murky, but he understands the snark. “Maybe we should try enough times for me to know, gege.”

Xiao Zhan doesn’t verbally respond. Instead, he just continues thrusting up to Yibo’s ass, breath now shaky.

“Zhan-ge. You feel so good inside me,” Yibo coaxes, head dropping to the crook of Xiao Zhan’s neck. Fuck me more—”

Yibo’s back lifts off the closet door one moment, and then, Xiao Zhan thrusts back inside him powerfully, so much so, that Yibo doesn’t know who moans louder when the man finally releases inside of him. It’s warm. So warm, and because of their positions, Yibo can immediately feel some of the cum oozing out of his hole, even when Xiao Zhan’s cock is still inside of him.

“Wow, fuck, Zhan-ge—”

“I’m not yet done with you.” Xiao Zhan grits out. He’s still panting, head resting on the closet door beside Yibo, and his face is flushed, and his damp hair is sticking to the sides of his forehead. But. He’s still hard. Inside Yibo.

Xiao Zhan’s eyes soften for a moment. “Can you still—”

“Yes, Zhan-ge.” Yibo hugs Xiao Zhan’s shoulders, “But you’ll have to do all the work.” His hips are starting to hurt. It’s a welcome type of pain, though. Maybe he is in that sort of thing.

“Of course, baby.” Xiao Zhan plants a kiss on the side of Yibo’s forehead, slides out of the younger, to which Yibo sighs, and then brings him back to the bed, laying Yibo down gently. Xiao Zhan then reaches for a pillow, and then tucks it underneath Yibo’s lower back.

After that, Yibo readily lifts his hips. Xiao Zhan doesn’t even need more lube to slide back into him, Zhan-ge had prepared him so much earlier, and there is still cum inside him. It’s all so hot, and overwhelming, and warm, and Yibo stretches out his hands. Come here, Zhan-ge.

Xiao Zhan gets the signal, continues to thrust into Yibo even as he moves to cradle and kiss the younger man. Wow. Yibo is so tired, so drained, body so used. And yet. With Xiao Zhan hovering above him like this, cradling him as he fucks into Yibo, moving his lips gently against Yibo’s even when Yibo isn’t responding that much anymore…all of it somehow still feels new. And again, overwhelming.

He winds his arms around Xiao Zhan. Yibo doesn’t know if he’s hard again, because at this point he’s pretty sure his dick has gone nearly numb from all the overstimulation, but Yibo does feel that coil in his gut again.

They don’t exchange anymore words, since their mouths are connected. And when they release—together, this time—neither of them still dares to part from the other, just contentedly alternating between sucking onto each other’s lips, or nipping on each other’s chin. and jaw. and neck. and that tiny joint right below the ear.

“Zhan-ge…” Yibo finally says after, fuck, he doesn’t know. He’s been in a high for so long, he’s no longer sure if he is still able to differentiate seconds from minutes, and minutes to hours.

Xiao Zhan is collapsed on top of him, his weight a comforting presence against Yibo’s still-hot skin, but.

“Xiao Zhan gege…” Yibo sing-songs. “You’re heavy.”

That seems to call Xiao Zhan back to planet Earth. He supports himself above Yibo. “Sorry, I tend to get drained.”

Yibo quirks a brow up at him “You tend to get drained?”

“Ah.”

Yibo just laughs at him, stops when all Xiao Zhan does is look, and look, and look. Before he knows it, Xiao Zhan is kissing him again, and Yibo isn’t sure why the touch of the man’s lips on his doesn’t feel carnal.

Eventually, Xiao Zhan peels away from him, pulls his dick out of Yibo’s hole.

“Holy shit…” Xiao Zhan says when he sees how much of his cum oozes out of Yibo’s ass hole. “Ah, Yibo, I’ll have to go get you cleaned. Okay?”

Yibo nods at him. He feels relaxed, despite all his limbs and his waist and hips screaming at him. When Xiao Zhan comes back, he’s wrapped up in the black robe he’d used the last time he’s been to Yibo’s place, and he’s carrying a small towel with him.

Yibo pouts at him, “Gege, help me get this pillow off my back. I can’t move. I think you broke me.” Even his legs are still splayed out, knees still propped top. He can’t bring them down to the mattress.

“Sorry, Bo-di. I went overboard.” Xiao Zhan apologizes. He then tells Yibo to press the heels of his feet onto the bed and slowly drag his legs downwards. It works, and doesn’t hurt too much. Xiao Zhan slips the pillow off his back after that, and then proceeds to wipe Yibo down.

Yibo just stares at him, stares at Xiao Zhan instructing him how to move his legs down, stares at Xiao Zhan wiping his legs, his stomach, his chest….He stares at Xiao Zhan staring at him.

“Don’t be sorry, Zhan-ge.” Yibo finally says, after what seems to be a really long stretch of time. “I liked it. A lot.”

“Thank you, Yibo.” Xiao Zhan says, and then helps him when he tries to sit up.

“Ah. Hell.” Yibo curses, wincing while holding onto his hip as he props himself on the headboard. He catches Xiao Zhan’s mouth with his, before the man could apologize again.

Xiao Zhan seems to get what he means. So instead, Zhan-ge holds onto his leg, tugs the lace band on his thigh, “Bo-di, do you even know what this is?”

“An accessory?” Yibo tilts his head.

Xiao Zhan chuckles a little. “Yes, it is.” The man props up that leg and plants a kiss on the knee. Xiao Zhan continues to kiss up, until he reaches the stretchable lace. He catches it between his teeth, and then tugs it down, down, down, down until he is able to slide it off the whole expanse of Yibo’s leg and off of Yibo’s foot.

Yibo holds his breath while it happens. He doesn’t even know what was it that happened. He isn’t able to dwell too much thought in it though, as Xiao Zhan is now tugging on the waistband on his torso.

Yibo laughs. It looks silly, now that all the sex is over. He lets Xiao Zhan slide it off his body, too. When he’s done doing so, Xiao Zhan takes Yibo’s wrist with the bracelet on. There are some marks on Yibo’s wrist from how long he’s worn it today. Xiao Zhan unclasps it. He settles it on the lamp table, right beside the flowers.

Yibo wants to say something. He doesn’t know what—fuck that. He knows precisely what he wants to say, but he holds off from it. At least. Maybe for now. It’s too early for that.

Instead, he just blurts out, “Zhan-ge. I’m hungry.”

Wang Yibo is terrible at speech.

They end up in Yibo’s kitchen, Xiao Zhan rummaging through his pantry…or what used to be his pantry. There’s nearly nothing left in his fridge now, just a pack of romaine lettuce and some electrolyte water. His cupboard only had vinegar. And, apparently,

“Pancakes?” Xiao Zhan takes the carton box of pancake mix from the cupboard.

“I’m okay with that.” Replies Yibo.

Yibo just leans on the kitchen counter, quietly watching as Xiao Zhan dumps the contents of the packet into a bowl, and then adds water to it, because apparently Yibo had run out of eggs, too. He hasn’t restocked in the past two weeks.

Xiao Zhan is still in the black robe, while Yibo has taken to wearing the white one again. And they’re in the kitchen. And Xiao Zhan is cooking. And Yibo’s there, watching him.

And Xiao Zhan is cooking.

It’s such a simple meal. Or snack. It’s basically just sweetened flour and water, then fried. It doesn’t even have any sides to go with it, or any sort of syrup to drizzle on top of it, but it makes Yibo happy. He watches as Xiao Zhan finishes ladling the pancakes into two plates, and setting them on the table, and it makes Yibo happy. Xiao Zhan then takes a seat on the small dinner table.

It makes Yibo happy.

“Yibo?” Xiao Zhan looks up at him. There’s a seat beside him that Xiao Zhan had pulled for him to sit on, but Yibo pushes back towards the table.

Next, he takes his plate of pancakes, and slides its contents on top of the stack on Xiao Zhan’s plate. He then approaches Xiao Zhan, nudges the man’s legs so that they spread wide enough, and then. Yibo sits in between them. His back to Xiao Zhan’s chest.

Still without word, Yibo reaches for the fork, and begins to slice the food. He doesn’t bring the fork to his mouth though, even when he’s already effectively stabbed a piece of pancake onto it. Has he gone too far?

“Yibo—?”

“Do you want me to move?” Yibo asks, eyes still on the plate.

Xiao Zhan’s left arm loops around his waist. “No, don’t.”

Yibo has to stop himself from smiling so widely when Xiao Zhan plants his chin onto Yibo’s shoulder. He can’t though. So instead of taking the food on the fork for himself, Yibo aims it towards Xiao Zhan’s mouth, watches as the man chews it.

Finally Yibo decides to have some, too, and picks a piece using the same fork and eats. Ah. Wow. “That’s bland.” He says. But it’s still the tastiest thing Yibo has eaten.

“I’ll cook something else for you next time.” Xiao Zhan says. Okay. Tastiest as of now, then.

They continue eating until they finish the food, which doesn’t take too much time because as it turns out, he and Xiao Zhan are actually famished from all their previous activities.

Yibo leans back against the man behind him. Xiao Zhan’s arm never left his waist.

“Yibo, do you want to go out tomorrow?”

Yibo has to stop himself from whipping his head so fast. “Where?”

Xiao Zhan blinks, and then, “I haven’t thought that far. I just wanted to go out, with you. If that’s fine.”

Yibo himself doesn’t have any places in particular that he wants to go to. But, “I want to go on a date with Zhan-ge.”

Xiao Zhan’s eyes widen a bit at the mention of the word date. “Really?”

Yibo, a lacking of eloquence as he is in other aspects of conversation, still manages to get the implications of it. “Really.”

“I might not be around sometimes, you know.” Xiao Zhan is now hugging him with both arms.

Yibo raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘sometimes’? Zhan-ge, I wouldn’t expect you to physically be here most of the time.”

“Caught me again.”

“I’m serious.” Yibo says, but Xiao Zhan pecks his lip, so his face morphs back into non-seriousness.

“Okay,” Xiao Zhan tells him.

“Stop bailing on the secretary-jiejie.” The corner of Yibo’s lips tug upwards.

“I’ll try,” Xiao Zhan says, and before Yibo could protest, Xiao Zhan shuts him up already by kissing him. It makes Yibo happy.

--- 

Yibo checks himself again in the mirror, making sure that he’s put his tie properly. You know what? No.  He hasn’t tied it properly. So undoes it, and tugs it off his neck completely. He also undoes the first two buttons of his inner shirt and decides, yep, that’s better. 

After that, he walks to exit his room, but gets startled when his phone rings suddenly. He almost trips beside his gaming chair—all-black now, ever since the old one got broken about a month ago—and Yibo curses under his breath. He fishes his phone out of his pants pocket, and sees who the caller is.

“You better have good reason for calling me on a date night.” He tells Cheng Xiao.

Xiao Zhan had landed back in China and just ten minutes ago, he had messaged Yibo that he’s nearing Yibo’s apartment. By now, Xiao Zhan’s probably parking his car in the basement of the building. The man had insisted that even when he’s the one who flew overseas for this date, he should still be the one to fetch Yibo, and then go together to where the fine dining place that Xiao Zhan had reserved is. Yibo had suggested otherwise, saying he could just take a cab, but Xiao Zhan had been firm to say no. Because this is supposed to be a late celebration of Yibo’s birthday.

Xiao Zhan wasn’t able to go back to China on the actual date of Yibo’s birthday, because he’d been roped into stuff with the museum owners, which Xiao Zhan couldn’t possibly run from. Yibo had laughed at how Xiao Zhan seemed to be more upset than him, and really, Yibo wasn’t even the least bit upset at him for that.  For the past months that they’d started dating, Xiao Zhan had always been ready to answer whenever Yibo calls him. It’s always Yibo’s place that he goes to first, when he arrives in China. It just so happens that there are some things that they couldn’t avoid, including the event that coincided with Yibo’s birthday.

Yibo himself is quite busy, too. Because of it, he had to reduce the amount of time he spends on live streams, going from twice a week to maybe three or four times a month. Right after he graduated, he went to work in the dance studio he had interned for, but this time he’s actually the one who heads the choreographies and other routines, unlike before. The place is surprisingly busy, so Yibo hasn’t had enough time to book for out of town vacations, much less renew his Korean visa. Today is just one of his few days off, and he’s glad that it has somehow coincided with a Beijing event that Xiao Zhan would have to attend tomorrow.

Xiao Zhan had asked Yibo what he wanted for his birthday, and when Yibo told him that he wanted nothing in particular, Xiao Zhan had actually said “How about that A3 we rode during the school fest?” and Yibo almost yelled at work during lunch break because of it. He’s managed to talk Xiao Zhan out of it, thankfully, and so now Yibo has the white peony painting hung on his living room wall. It’s not what he chose to write an art term paper for, because Yibo felt like it’ll be too personal, so like Cheng Xiao, he just wrote about the sunflower painting instead. That, and a brand new skateboard he’s sure is only owned by twelve people in the world, at most.

“Ah, Yibo!” Cheng Xiao screams—squeals?—no, it sounded more like a scream. She also works at the same studio, but Cheng Xiao has a different schedule than Yibo has, and today she is supposed to still be at work, which is. Why.

“Did you end practice early today or—”

“I’m here in your building’s lobby!” Cheng Xiao says, and then, “Oh! Hello! Nice to meet you again!” she greets someone. “Your boyfriend is here, too! Wha! This is great!”

That sends Yibo fast walking to exit his apartment. He strides to the elevators, uncaring that his call with his friend gets cut off when he enters the shaft. When he gets to the lobby, he of course, spots Xiao Zhan first. Because the man is standing. And stunning.

As per most of the time, Xiao Zhan is in a business outfit, looking classy and made up and handsome and ah, maybe Yibo should have worn that necktie.

“Yibo, “ Zhan-ge eyes him, and then smiles. “You look nice.”

“Xiao-laoshi is much better looking.” Yibo retorts.

“Right, do not mind the girl in the gym pants.” Cheng Xiao says from where she is sitting on the lobby couch, staring up at them. Her eyes hold no resent, though.

“Did you leave work?” Yibo turns to her.

“Does he say that to everyone?” Xiao Zhan also asks Cheng Xiao. Yibo lightly elbows him on the rib.

Instead of answering, Cheng Xiao shoots up from her seat, bouncing on her feet. She unzips her bag and produces a folder out of it, which Cheng Xiao opens, and unclips an envelope from. She hands it to Yibo.

“Literally arrived just, fifteen minutes ago. And then I ran here.” She says, as if that statement explains things. She’s grinning, widely.

Yibo looks at Xiao Zhan, who gestures for him to open the letter. So Yibo does, and when he does, he almost drops the letter. He almost crumples it when he catches it again, and he looks at Cheng Xiao, who’s grinning while nodding now, and then back to Xiao Zhan.

“Bo-di?”

Yibo can only gulp, before he begins to read, “From YG Entertainment,”