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a new celebration

Summary:

You Huo figured there would be nothing that could take his lover down other than himself.

Until Qin Jiu takes a shot of strong liquor.

—where Qin Jiu is a lightweight, despite his name.

Notes:

happy 520 ft the invigilator boyfies (yes this is what i call them in my head)

there's also art for this fic here!

*note: the 究 "jiu" in qin jiu 秦究 sounds like the word for alcohol 酒 "jiu" in chinese ((altho the tone is not the same;;;))

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

There isn’t much that deters Qin Jiu’s annoying and provocative personality, much to Gao Qi’s dismay.

 

He learns that although the man outwardly appears friendly and gentle with his wide smiles and handsome features, the arrogant and untamed side would always persevere in the end. He bears it proudly to the point Gao Qi believes that the man was insane.

 

No, scratch that, he is insane. It’s almost like the very blood pumping in Qin Jiu’s body is one of unrestrained insanity that the man himself bathes in from the way he carries himself.

 

And when the insane man is with his good friend, superior and sworn comrade, A, there are two possible outcomes that comes from this.

 

The first is the more favourable one out of the two. Even the other instructors and members of the S Squad agree (albeit with slight hesitation). It’s when You Huo manages to reel in the craziness exuding out of Qin Jiu before he does anything remotely rash. The fearless and firm personality of the chief instructor is not one to look down on. He doesn’t take personal feelings into account for his decisions and plans using rational thinking to back them up, which makes him seem cold and heartless.

 

Qin Jiu is obedient in this aspect; he still has his common sense attached that doesn’t overpower his craziness.

 

However, the biggest reason behind the slight hesitation from their subordinates was the overbearing tension the couple emits which results to a different kind of annoyance in the room. The cause of that is mostly Qin Jiu, Gao Qi inwardly notes with a frown as he sees the crazy man smothering all over his best friend like the plague that he is.

 

The second outcome that could potentially come out of this is still not the better option. This is because the second outcome is the couple sharing a single conscious mind with tacit understanding. It is when the two great masters decide that it was a great idea to execute whatever concoction of a solution it was that they had come up with to solve the problem right in front of them.

 

Honestly, Gao Qi prefers being fed poison over cleaning up after the couple’s great master plans any time, so it was a no brainer that the first outcome is the better one.

 

Which led him to the conclusion that only You Huo could solve or break the equation known as Qin Jiu. There is no in between and nothing else can change that.

 

...or so he thought.

 

It wasn’t until he gathered all his close friends and colleagues at a local bar during one of their precious holidays does he find another thing that affects Qin Jiu. There were only a handful of them at the table; Wen Yuan, 154 (in Wen Yuan’s phone), Chu Yue, 021, Zhao Jiatong and Qin Jiu.

 

You Huo still had some work left to finish so he would be arriving a little later than the rest of them.

 

They were all seated at a long wooden bar table with chairs lined at each side. The group sat in such an arrangement where the girls were together at one end and the guys at the other, leaving one seat empty beside Qin Jiu for You Huo.

 

“Isn’t that the strongest drink the bar serves?”  021 states, astonished at the small shot glass held by Chu Yue’s dainty fingers.

 

“Oh, trust me, this isn’t even enough to get her tipsy,” Zhao Jiatong says as she swished around her mug of draft beer to point in the general direction of the former invigilator Z.

 

Chu Yue grins as she downs the glass in one shot. She knocks her head back as the alcohol fizzes her throat pleasantly while the liquid warms her inside. “That really hits the spot! It’s been awhile since I had a drink with a merry crowd like this.”

 

The others watch her in amazement. If they drank like that continuously, they would surely not be able to last the night. Chu Yue looks up and holds out the huge glass bottle of the liquid she was drinking before offering, “Would any of you like a glass?”

 

Wen Yuan looks back at her in horror with a pale face. “…Is it too late to go home?” he whispers in a low voice under his breath. He thought no one could hear him, but the deadpan voice from his phone told him otherwise, “Don’t be a baby, 922.”

 

“You’re only able to say that because you are not subjected to the pressure of drinking alcohol that a normal human being can’t possibly withstand from your superiors, 154,” Wen Yuan hisses to his phone. 154 returns with an eye roll at his colleague, adding an arm cross for more dramatic effect.

 

“…We’ll pass,” everyone except for Qin Jiu and Gao Qi replied in unison.

 

“Hm. You all are no fun,” Chu Yue shakes her head in disappointment with a sigh. As she was about to pour herself another glass, she spots Qin Jiu fiddling with his phone from the corner of her eye. She focuses on the innocent empty glass of iced black tea that sits in front of him on the table. Her lips twists into a grin before tapping on the table twice to gain his attention.

 

“How about you, commander of the S Brigade?” She pushes the bottle to his direction. “I believe this is the first time we’re drinking together at the same table?”

 

Qin Jiu regards her with a look from his eyes before turning his attention back to his phone. “It is,” he answers with an indifferent smile but doesn’t move to accept her offer of alcohol. He ends his words there with no intention of pursuing a conversation. This very act of shrugging off Chu Yue’s question irks Gao Qi who sat adjacent to his worst enemy.

 

Out of spite, he moves Qin Jiu’s empty glass towards Chu Yue. “All the more to share a drink together, wouldn’t you say?”

 

Chu Yue nods with a grin as she pours a good helping into Qin Jiu’s glass. “You totally get it, Gao Qi.”

 

The glass is then placed back in front of him. Qin Jiu looks at it with a deep frown.

 

“What’s wrong? Won’t even drink a drink I pour you?”

 

“It’s not that.”

 

“Don’t need to be reserved. We’re all friends here. Just have a drink and loosen up a little!” Gao Qi says with a huge smile as he presses the cup into Qin Jiu’s hand.

 

The cold glass of alcohol felt wet in his palms as some of the liquid had spilled out from the force of Gao Qi’s insistence. Qin Jiu stares at the filled glass with narrow eyes and a vice grip.

 

Everyone’s gaze was on Qin Jiu, looking in anticipation.

 

“Boss? What’s wrong?” Wen Yuan asks as he sees the hesitation in his boss’ actions. It’s not like him to act this way, he thinks to himself. The grip he has on the glass tightens with so much strength Wen Yuan was afraid Qin Jiu might actually break the glass with his bare hands. The creases between his brows deepens as his boss stares at the glass of alcohol as if it has done him wrong.

 

He lifts a hand to his mouth in surprise, covering his gasp. Could it be?

 

Before Wen Yuan could voice his assumption, Qin Jiu gulps down the alcohol in one shot.

 

The crowd cheers in a tipsy frenzy. Qin Jiu grimaced slightly from the stinging sensation in his throat. Gao Qi smiles gleefully at his enemy’s tortured expression.

 

Maybe this get together will be worthwhile after all, Gao Qi thinks with much joy in his heart.

 


 

Not. Gao Qi is beginning to regret thinking that. How naïve, he thought to himself.

 

It wasn’t another hour until You Huo got to the bar. The chief instructor’s mood was terrible before he even entered the establishment. A raging blizzard ready to unleash its wrath onto anything that comes across him.

 

It’s been half an hour.

 

Half an hour since Qin Jiu stopped messaging him on WeChat.

 

Half an hour since he stopped being able to focus on anything else.

 

Half an hour since You Huo began staring at the never changing screen of their conversation that ended with a “mny darrrearrrr” and a few “????” from himself.

 

After that odd exchange, Qin Jiu hasn’t sent anything else. Slightly worried, You Hou dialled his number several times, but it never once connected. He frowns at his phone before glancing at the time displayed at the top. You Huo briefly remembers what Gao Qi had said to him in the morning before leaving his office.

 

“The drinking get together is today, A. Don’t forget! Everyone will be there.”

 

His frown deepens with this new information. You Huo has a bad feeling about this.

 

He quickly finished off his work and rushed over to the meeting place. As soon as he enters the bar, he is greeted with the sight of his lightly buzzed friends swaying and laughing at each other’s antics. He never bothered to greet the rest of them as he zooms in onto Qin Jiu’s figure.

 

His lover was slumped in his seat, looking down at his hands defeatedly. It was strange seeing him in this position in contrast to his usual domineering and lazy pose. You Huo can’t help but feel his worries increase.

 

With every step closer, he could smell the intoxicated air of alcohol and smoke surrounding the bar and his friends. His nose crinkled in disgust as he watched Chu Yue downed the whole bottle with a merry crowd behind her celebrating and cheering in loud voices.

 

You Huo tunes out the loud sound of the people around him and takes in the empty bottles in front of his lover. His nose wrinkles at the sight.

 

“Qin Jiu,” You Huo calls his name in a soft yet stern voice, something he only uses when it is just them together.

 

There wasn’t a response. Dead silence from the slumped figure known as the great grand master Qin Jiu. His mood worsens as the lines of frowns on his forehead carved deeper.

 

He turns to look—no, glare—at Gao Qi. His golden eyes sharp and cold, freezing any poor unfortunate souls within his line of sight. The frown on his face carries a heavy look of disappointment. Gao Qi knew instantly that he fucked up.

 

“Who let him drink this much?”

 

In that instance, Gao Qi sobered up. The heavy tone of stern and ice in the question was enough to tell him that the jolly fun times are over. Cold sweat trickling down his whole body as he meets eyes of his sworn comrade but also superior known as the Chief Instructor You Huo. He felt his life flashing before his eyes as he smiles in greeting towards his superior only to get a deeper frown in return.

 

“Ah. By ‘him’ you mean,” Gao Qi gestured nervously towards the boyfriend of the chief instructor in a silent prayer, “the commander of the S Brigade?”

 

You Huo gives him a look that indirectly tells Gao Qi that he should stop beating around the bush and answer his question immediately. He gulps nervously at the accusation thrown towards him earlier and defends fervently, “It wasn’t me! He only drank a glass at most. I swear!”

 

“Only one glass?”

 

“Yes! After drinking from that glass, he remained in his own seat staring at his phone for a long time until now. Nobody dared to offer him anymore drinks.”

 

You Huo was stunned into silence. What on earth did Qin Jiu drink for only one glass of alcohol to make him like this? He turned around to look at the alcohol bottle placed precariously next to the aforementioned glass.

 

The label reads, 35% alcohol content. Puzzled, he turned around to shoot another bone-chilling glare at his subordinate. Gao Qi shirks in his seat.

 

Before You Huo could question Gao Qi any further, Qin Jiu lifted his head up to lock eyes with him. His usually resolute and playful dark eyes were now hazed from being intoxicated. Qin Jiu’s fingers stroked the top of his own head before leaning down to press onto his temples.

 

Qin Jiu does not say anything when their eyes meet and pointedly looks away the next instance. Instantly, You Huo knew something was not right.

 

He concludes that his lover might not be good at drinking. It seems that despite his name*, Qin Jiu was a bad drinker. They were always swamped with work to go out for drinks that it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that after years of knowing each other this group of former invigilators finally find out about this fact today.

 

Who would’ve known that Qin Jiu, the commander of the S Brigade, the former invigilator 001, the chief instructor’s boyfriend, would have a low alcohol tolerance?

 

Even You Huo wouldn’t have been able to guess it.

 

It’s a rare occasion. Definitely one for the calendar. You Huo thinks that maybe he would actually mark it down for fun to tease Qin Jiu. But, he can save that thought for later.

 

He approaches his drunken boyfriend, this time with a clear mind on what he should do. He grabs Qin Jiu by the hand and calls upon his name again, “Qin Jiu.”

 

This time, Qin Jiu lifts his head from the call of his name to look at their intertwined hands before attempting to pull his hands away from You Huo. You Huo frowns at his drunken lover as he tightens his hold on the other’s hand, “Let’s go home. You’re drunk.”

 

Qin Jiu looks up with hazy eyes to meet with narrowed light-coloured ones. He stares at their linked hands again before slapping away You Huo’s hold on him with a sharp tug that was more serious than it should be.

 

“No,” Qin Jiu says in a stern voice that made him sound sober if it wasn’t for the slight flush colouring his face.

 

Like they were still on opposite ends of the conference table, arguing over the topic at hand. Like they were still strangers, without anything between them.

 

Like they had forgotten about each other.

 

You Huo freezes. Their eyes locked tightly in each other’s gaze. His fingers throbbing and stinging from being pushed away.

 

“I can’t go home with you,” he repeats with clarity this time.

 

You Huo casts his gaze down to his throbbing fingers before breathing quietly, “…And why not?”

 

It’s weird how You Huo is afraid of Qin Jiu’s next words. The old, repeated dream—nightmare—he used to have every night in the system was resurfacing in his mind.

 

When Qin Jiu was a memory he was not allowed to indulge in. When they were no longer reality.

 

His fears should’ve disappeared when they got out with nothing left to threaten their memories and past. Yet he still finds himself bracing for Qin Jiu’s next words with downcasted eyes. You Huo holds his breath as Qin Jiu stares up at him intensely.

 

All of a sudden, warm fingers held his chin in place to maintain eye contact. “No matter how beautiful you may be, pretty stranger,” Qin Jiu says with a sharp glint in his eyes, “I’ll have you know that I am very much taken. My dear is way more attractive and prettier than you so don’t even think you can steal me away from him.” He ends it with a shove to put some distance between them.

 

If You Huo thought finding out that Qin Jiu could get drunk from a glass of strong alcohol was the discovery of the century, he was terribly wrong for once. And he rarely is wrong which tells something about this revelation in particular.

 

An idiot. His beloved lover is an idiot. You Huo internally barrages him with all the insults he could muster in his mind as he pulls the man by the collar to crash their lips together. He hears small gasps around him but he pays it no mind as he shares a searing kiss with the love of his life.

 

You Huo feels the resistance but he pushes himself even deeper into their embrace and captures Qin Jiu whole with all his strength. When they part, their foreheads meet and their breaths intermingles.

 

“We’re leaving,” You Huo states as a matter of fact when their lips part, not before dragging his dumbfounded and protesting boyfriend down the path to their shared apartment with a strength that a drunken Qin Jiu could not fight off. The rest of their friends could only watch as this whole debacle played out right in front of them.

 


 

Qin Jiu groans awake as a subtle pain hammer down his head. It’s a dizzying feeling but he still manages to push himself up from bed with white sheets scattered around his body. He held his head up from the pounding headache as the sunlight streaks into the room.

 

The usual chilly morning greets him with its gentle breeze brushing his bare skin, tickling him with the long strokes of wind. It’s only then does Qin Jiu realises the lack of clothes he has on himself. He looks down onto his body only to find litters of scratches and red kiss marks all over them.

 

Flashes of yesterday’s incident came crashing down on him as he stares at the mark of evidence from the aftermath.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Qin Jiu asked, slurring his words, as he was shoved onto their bed as soon as they arrived at their house. Their eyes never left each other’s sight, locked strongly.

 

You Huo scoffs at him with a huff, sitting on top of him with both legs at each side—straddling Qin Jiu effectively, “Disciplining you.”

 

“And what makes you think I would let that happen?” His voice was a lazy drawl, hands reaching to caress the long legs that lay by his sides.

 

You Huo pressed down onto his shoulders with his hands to stop Qin Jiu’s movements, his eyes glinting brightly even in the dark.

 

“…You dare question?”

 

Qin Jiu glances at the clock on their nightstand, catching sight of his beloved in the same direction. It was still quite early in the morning on the first day of their requested holiday that were months in waiting. On days like these, You Huo would sleep in as much as he can and Qin Jiu would let him.

 

He takes in the sight of his lover’s back covered with loving marks—old and new—made by Qin Jiu himself. The light filtered through their curtains, casting a glow onto his pale skin making him look angelic while shrouded in their white bedsheets. His long lashes catch the sun, hiding beautiful light-coloured eyes within.

 

“Have you finally sobered up and remembered who I am?” You Huo asked in between gasps, his eyelashes trembling as their foreheads touched.

 

“How could I forget? My dear is the only one who tastes this sweet. It’s a blessing that only I know all too well,” Qin Jiu whispers into his ear, gripping tighter onto You Huo’s waist. His lips curled into a smile as he watches his darling’s ear reddened and stole another intense kiss.

 

You Huo scoffed again—the second time that night—after their heated kiss which ended with more teeth than tongue. “…That’s not what you said at the bar.”

 

“Oh? Then what did I say, my dear?” His thumb stroking You Huo’s parted lips, coaxing him to speak more.

 

You Huo pushes them both down onto the bed, digging his knee into Qin Jiu’s body with both hands pressed into his chest. It’s during moments like these Qin Jiu finds himself falling in love all over again with You Huo. His beautiful golden eyes moist from tears that refused to be formed and shed, his dark hair matted with sweat messed from them intermingling and their skin flushed with each other from where they were connected.

 

“Just recalling it makes me angry.”

 

It amazes Qin Jiu how innocent and peaceful You Huo looks asleep, a great contrast in regards to their activities last night. Rather than sharp and cold gazes that greets his playful ones, which he absolutely adores mind you—he is blessed with a different side of You Huo in the morning and he makes it a little secret he keeps to himself by waking up earlier than him every single time.

 

Qin Jiu remembers the shape of his lips curled under his, the way his arms wrap around his own in a tight embrace and especially the way his piercing gaze never left him. He gently brushes away the dark locks covering his lover’s face and watches delightedly as You Huo scrunches in discomfort, eyes slowly fluttering open.

 

Another secret Qin Jiu keeps to himself is that he loves to watch You Huo waking up (but, he thinks his dear already knows).

 

Qin Jiu moved his hand to caress You Huo’s face softly, stroking his cheek with his thumb. A gentle gesture that only he is given permission for.

 

“Good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well?”

 

You Huo leans into the touch, eyes closing in comfort but he lets out a snort at Qin Jiu’s morning greeting.

 

“Sleepy.”

 

Qin Jiu chuckles at his response. “It is unusually early for you to wake up at this time.” You Huo hums in agreement.

 

“Normally, I’d let you sleep a little longer. But it is a rare holiday for us so I’m going to ask Big Invigilator to put in some effort to wake up so that we can go grab breakfast together.”

 

You Huo doesn’t respond to that, playing dead by keeping silent.

 

“Come, my dear. If you sleep all day, when would we be able to have time to date?”

 

This time, there is a tug on his hands pulling him away from the soft pillows. You Huo finally opens his eyes to give him one of his signature dead glares which only makes Qin Jiu laughs as he was long immune to them.

 

It takes awhile to persuade You Huo out of bed before they’re finally out in their living room, all washed up and dressed for breakfast. The both of them are a menace in the kitchen, despite being good at everything else. Which is why they would always head outside to grab food or have it delivered to their house. Since it’s their long-awaited break, they opted for dining outside.

 

As Qin Jiu grabs the keys to their front door and clicks it open, You Huo stops him with a tug on his sleeves. His hand pauses from opening the door wider, turning his body to look back at his lover.

 

“Hold on, I forgot something.”

 

Qin Jiu looks with bewilderment as he watches You Huo walks up to their calendar taped to their wall with a permanent black marker. He scribbles something he can’t make out from afar onto yesterday’s date.

 

Once You Huo was done, he walks back to Qin Jiu’s side nonchalantly. He doesn’t speak of his actions and continues to walk through the door that leads outside.

 

“Okay, let’s go.”

 

Qin Jiu links their hands together as they walked side by side to their favourite spot to grab breakfast at.

 

“What did you write on the calendar?”

 

“A new celebration day,” You Huo says with a tiny smile.

 

As confused as Qin Jiu was, he lets it slide as he sees that his boyfriend is in a very good mood, squeezing their interlocked fingers. He could always go and read what he scribbled down when he goes home after all.

 

(He later receives a message with a video attached from their group chat containing all their friends in the middle of breakfast that makes him realises what exactly was written on their calendar.)

Notes:

thank you so much for reading and indulging in my headcanon of lightweight qin jiu <3
the jiuhuo brainrot is real;;;

feel free to leave your thoughts on the fic below, i would love to hear them!! you can also scream at me through the links below so pick whichever you are most comfortable with <3

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