Work Text:
No one is surprised at the news of Xie Lian and Hua Cheng getting together.
“Oh! That’s wonderful news, A-Lian!” said Shi Qingxuan.
“I don’t care,” said He Xuan.
“Wait, you weren’t already dating?” said Pei Ming, but he’s never at their hangouts so he doesn’t really count.
Xie Lian supposes it has been a bit of a long time coming. He and Hua Cheng have been best friends for years—all throughout university and the time following. They’d always had a bit of an interesting friendship, though Xie Lian usually just chalked that up to his ragingly ginormous crush on him. From the moment their eyes met in that lecture hall all those years ago, Xie Lian had been gone. So utterly gone.
And then one day, a hug between them lasted for ten minutes rather than the usual five, and apparently that was enough to make them snap. Hua Cheng asked Xie Lian out a few seconds after they let go of each other, and they’ve been together ever since.
“I’m experiencing a bit of a dilemma,” Xie Lian says one day in the corner of a coffee shop three blocks away from where he lives. He twists his tongue, thinking of what to say next. “It’s about San Lang.”
“No,” says He Xuan immediately.
Xie Lian blinks. “What?”
“No,” says He Xuan again. “I’m rejecting this conversation before it starts. I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me.”
“Hmm,” says Xie Lian. “So, basically—”
“I am literally begging you to go to someone else about this. I’m sure Qingxuan would be very interested in whatever your little dilemma is.”
Xie Lian frowns. “Why don’t you want to know?”
“Because,” says He Xuan. “You telling me is the equivalent of me getting involved.” He stops to shudder dramatically. “I don’t want to be involved. I refuse to be involved.”
“But you’re my friend.”
“So is literally everyone else.”
Xie Lian’s frown deepens. “But you’re my…best friend?”
He Xuan stares at him for a long time. “Why do you sound so unsure about that,” he says finally. “That took you so long to say. I’m insulted.”
“Well, I wasn’t sure if we were!” Xie Lian says defensively. He puts his hands up in front of him. “I’ve always thought so, I promise.”
He Xuan huffs. “Fine,” he grunts. “Tell me about your stupid little dilemma.”
“Thank you,” says Xie Lian, and then he takes a deep breath. “So you know how San Lang and I have been dating for a while now?”
“No, really?” He Xuan gasps, and the expression looks so comically out of place on his face that Xie Lian almost snorts out a laugh. “What the fuck? You and Hua Cheng are dating?”
“Okay, okay, I get it.” Xie Lian shakes his head. “The thing is—he hasn’t kissed me.”
Instead of breaking out into a series of violent coughs like Xie Lian expected him to, He Xuan just closes his eyes, takes a very visible deep breath, and sets his cup of coffee down onto the table.
“Then just kiss him first,” he says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Xie Lian feels the tips of his ears burn. “I—no.” He coughs, averting his gaze awkwardly. “What if…what if he doesn’t want to?”
He Xuan levels him with an unimpressed look.
“No, listen,” Xie Lian continues. “It’s been two months. I’ve been brushing my teeth more than six times a day since we’ve gotten together just in case he does it!”
“What the fuck?”
“And we’ve…we’ve been on plenty of dates already. If he wanted to kiss me, wouldn’t he have done it by now? We’ve even held hands!”
“How scandalous,” He Xuan deadpans.
“And, like, holding hands is comfortable for us now. We do it a lot. Like, we’ll be walking somewhere together and he’ll just, you know, grab my hand and take it into his.”
“You can hold hands while you kiss, if that makes it more comfortable.”
He Xuan leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest as if he’s just ended world hunger. Xie Lian genuinely doesn’t know whether he should laugh or cry.
Instead, he continues: “Sometimes, he’ll touch my hair, or my face, and I’ll think he’s about to kiss me but then he just…doesn’t.” Xie Lian cringes at himself and mentally makes a note to never speak of this aloud ever again. “One time, we were sitting on a bench somewhere outside, and we were both leaning back against it and our faces were so close to each other. And I really thought…because our lips were so close to touching, I—”
“Okay,” He Xuan interrupts, and Xie Lian immediately shuts up. “I’ve heard enough. Please stop talking.”
“I’m serious! That was like…the moment I started to actually imagine what kissing San Lang would be like.” The words feel strange coming from his mouth, and they make Xie Lian flush bright red. “Like…what would his lips feel like? They look very soft, don’t you think? So I imagine they would feel quite nice against my own.”
“Xie Lian I am begging you to shut the fuck up right now before I do something I will most definitely regret.”
Xie Lian pauses. Oh dear. Perhaps he had gone a little too far with his explanation? “I didn’t mean…sorry. I might have gone a little overboard.” He hums. “It’s just…I just think that kissing San Lang would be very—”
“Stop,” He Xuan snaps. He launches up to his feet, and when he does, Xie Lian notices his cheeks have turned bright pink. “Never talk to me about Hua Cheng ever again. Ever. Actually, just never talk to me ever again in general. If you want to know what kissing him feels like, then just kiss him. End of story. Good luck.”
And then he turns away and storms off, leaving Xie Lian staring after him dumbfounded.
And well. That could have gone worse.
✧✧✧
You
Do you think I should ask him?
Xuanxuan
xie lian it is 2 in the morning
You
True
So why are you awake?
Xuanxuan
…
ask who what
You
Ask San Lang why he doesn’t want to kiss me
Xuanxuan
that’s an excellent idea
yeah do that
good night!
You
Are you just saying that? Or do you actually think so
Xuanxuan
i think that no matter what you do hua cheng will be an annoying asshole!
so good luck and good night!
You
I’m just nervous
What if he actually doesn’t want to?
Xuanxuan
what part of “good night” do you not understand
You
I really love him, and I really would like to kiss him
And I think that if he doesn’t feel the same way, I’d like to know explicitly so I won’t keep getting my hopes up
Yeah
Yeah, I think I’m going to ask him
Thanks, He Xuan!
Good night! ☺️
✧✧✧
Xie Lian brushes his teeth extra hard before meeting up with his boyfriend on the day he decides to ask.
“San Lang,” he starts. They’re at Hua Cheng’s apartment, lazing around on the plush couch in the living room. Xie Lian is leaning against Hua Cheng’s side, their hands clasped together between them. This much, he knows, is okay.
“Yes, gege?” says Hua Cheng. He turns his head so that they’re facing each other, his visible eye sparkling.
“I want to talk to you about something,” says Xie Lian. He gulps and hopes Hua Cheng doesn’t see. “It’s…important, I think.”
“Oh?” Hua Cheng straightens up. He swivels around in place and crosses his legs, reaching out to take Xie Lian’s hands into his. “You have my undivided attention, gege. What is it? Is something wrong? Did someone hurt you? I’ll kill them.”
“No,” says Xie Lian. He smiles. Hua Cheng is really so sweet to him. “No, no. I’m okay, San Lang. It’s just…”
Hua Cheng is looking at him with a soft eye and parted lips. Xie Lian’s eyes flicker down to them briefly, and he sucks in a breath. They really do look so, so soft. Xie Lian would very much like to kiss them.
So he takes a deep breath and blurts out, “I just wanted to know…whyyouhaven’tkissedme?”
Hua Cheng blinks once, then blinks again. “What?”
“I don’t want to force you!” Xie Lian says quickly. “I don’t want to make you do something you don’t…want to do. It’s just…” He trails off. God. This was such a stupid idea. He never should have asked. “I just wanted to know,” he starts again, this time a lot slower. Are his fingers shaking? They’re probably shaking. He feels like they’re shaking. “Why you…haven’t…kissed me.”
This is so incredibly embarrassing. He doesn’t dare look up to see what kind of expression Hua Cheng is making right now.
“Gege,” comes the voice that is oh so dear to him. “Gege, will you look at me? Please look at me.”
And Xie Lian has never denied him anything.
So when Hua Cheng reaches for his face and tilts it upwards towards his, Xie Lian goes along without hesitation. Their noses bump and Hua Cheng breathes a laugh.
“Gege,” he says, and Xie Lian feels it against his upper lip, “you really will be the death of me.”
Then Hua Cheng leans forward, and Xie Lian’s brain short circuits when he feels eyelashes against his cheek. Their lips brush softly, barely a peck, but Hua Cheng doesn’t move. He presses his lips to the heart of Xie Lian’s mouth and kisses him like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like he’d been waiting to do this ever since Xie Lian had said yes to their first date all those months ago. Like he’d always thought Xie Lian was his to kiss.
They pull away only long enough for Xie Lian to gasp, “San Lang…what…” And Hua Cheng laughs and closes the gap between them again. It’s heavier this time. Hua Cheng loops his arm around Xie Lian’s waist and pulls him impossibly closer as he opens his mouth and tilts his head.
He pulls back slightly but keeps his hand on Xie Lian’s cheek, thumb brushing the skin beneath his eye gently. Xie Lian leans into the touch and smiles.
“Gege,” Hua Cheng starts. His lips are red and his eye is wide on his face. “Gege, I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long.”
Xie Lian feels his cheek warming. He tries not to smile too widely. “Me too,” he says, and then they’re both laughing. “Can we do it again?”
“Yes,” says Hua Cheng immediately, and he presses another kiss to Xie Lian’s mouth. “I didn’t know if you wanted this.” He breaks away then plunges in again. “That’s why.” Xie Lian’s eyelids flutter. “Would never do anything gege doesn’t want.”
“I want everything,” says Xie Lian, his voice a little muffled by Hua Cheng’s mouth. He pulls away from Hua Cheng’s hold just enough to whisper, “I want all of you.”
He wishes he could record the expression Hua Cheng makes in return.
✧✧✧
(Later, they lie in bed and kiss till they can no longer breathe.)
✧✧✧
Xuanxuan
xie lian wtf happened to you
you’ve been mia all weekend??
feng xin and mu qing just fucking called me to ask if i know where you are
You
scram
Xuanxuan
uggggghhhhhhhhhhh i see
You
gege told me you…
aided
in this new development in our relationship
so i’m in a bit of a generous mood
2% of your debt is cleared
Xuanxuan
dude fuck you
You
don’t make me lower it
Xuanxuan
the debt? please do lower it! and go fuck yourself!
You
i change my mind
1% of your debt is cleared
Xuanxuan
DIE
✧✧✧
“So I assume it went well,” He Xuan says coolly the next time he and Xie Lian meet up for their weekly coffee. “Judging by that disgusting face you’ve been making for the past twenty minutes.”
Xie Lian’s fingers tighten around his steaming mug, and he sighs into the hot fumes. “It did. He kissed me.”
“Great,” says He Xuan, sounding very much like he doesn’t care at all.
“We also did more than that,” Xie Lian continues. “We were kissing, and then he—”
“No.” He Xuan slams his hand down onto the table and immediately stands up. “Goodbye.”
“Wait, He Xuan—”
But He Xuan is already gone. Xie Lian tilts his head back and laughs.