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"Easy now," Guangyan said in a low voice, his grip strong over Yiyong's upper arm to steady him as he moved closer to grab the parallel bars on either of his sides. Guangyan was conscious of how much thinner the limb was now, albeit already plumper and sturdier than when Yiyong had just woken up weeks ago, and was gentle but firm as he helped Yiyong position himself.
It was a happy coincidence Yiyong ended up at the hospital Guangyan was interning at for his physical therapy. Once his father told him, Guangyan made it a point to drop by whenever he could, even timing his breaks according to the schedule Yiyong's mother gave him when her work began to get hectic as the bills piled up. Guangyan didn't dare ask the hospital to accommodate for him, but soon the staff themselves suggested he accompany the other.
Yiyong had been less than thrilled at the prospect of going through physical therapy, for the second time no less. His glare was fiercer than usual; Guangyan caught sight of him glowering at his legs once, before Yiyong realizing he had arrived, and he had heard more than one nurse mention being intimidated by him in the break room.
According to Dr. Li, though, Yiyong's attitude changed when he was around. His expression would soften, so she said, and he'd be more receptive of Guangyan's instruction when Dr. Li used him as messenger, supervising from the corner of the room.
And so, with her recommendation and the agreement of the nurses and his mentor, Guangyan became all but the official assistant whenever Yiyong came. Not that Guangyan was complaining about adding that to his job description.
He kept his palm flat against Yiyong's back even though his steps were steadier now as he went from one end to the other. The contact was more to support himself than Yiyong, the heat of him beneath his shirt irrefutable evidence that he was really there, awake and (almost) walking, because more often than he liked Guangyan still felt it was a dream.
"Hey." The rough voice pulled Guangyan out of his thoughts to Yiyong by the end of the bars, lips pursed into a thin line as he seemed to study Guangyan's face over his shoulder. "Help me to the chair."
Guangyan not only helped him to the wheelchair, but also led him downstairs to the entrance to wait until his mother came to pick him up. Ye Baosheng offered him a hug once Yiyong was in the car, and Guangyan couldn't help return the smile she gave him, long as it had been forced and strained throughout Yiyong's second coma as she tried to comfort Guangyan whenever he visited.
He rushed back to his mentor's office after seeing the car off. Dr. Zhou offered him a smile, a glint in her eyes as she asked, "How's your friend's progress going?"
It was never said outright, but Guangyan knew what everyone at the hospital thought. He couldn't quite deny there was something, though, at least on his end. He'd had a long time to ponder, analyze and digest all he'd felt watching Yiyong fall to the floor in a pool of his own blood. The desperation choking him up as he pressed at Yiyong's chest and breathed into his lungs, the panic coursing through him when Yiyong wouldn't react.
Guangyan had a long, long time to himself as he watched Yiyong's comatose form for over a year and grief and heartbreak overcame him whenever he so much as entertained the thought of him never waking again.
Heartbreak.
It took Guangyan months to come to terms with it, but that's what it was. He would look at Yiyong's peaceful expression, the realization heavy in his chest, and pick up whatever comic or book he had at hand to read to him.
The fact that Yiyong was not only awake, but also making steady progress towards walking by himself was surreal. "He's doing well," Guangyan said. "Dr. Li thinks at this rate it'll be a speedy recovery."
A knowing look was her response, the glint in Dr. Zhou's eyes still there as she shuffled the papers in her desk and changed the subject.
As soon as Yiyong gained confidence in his movements, he jumped out of his window and snuck into Guangyan's room.
Guangyan stopped in his tracks, hands still on the buttons of his nightshirt, as he gaped at Yiyong closing the window behind him. "Are you crazy? What if you fell?"
Yiyong shrugged him off, making his way to the bed and throwing himself face first into the mattress. It was a sight Guangyan had not seen in well over a year and he looked on for a moment, taking it in, before sitting on the bed and asking him what's wrong as he settled a hand on his shoulder.
"Obsession," was the muffled answer he received, and Guangyan didn't ask any further. Instead, he finished preparing for bed and joined Yiyong on the mattress with a blanket for himself. They laid without a word, Guangyan unsure whether he should turn off the lights or not, until Yiyong shifted to his side to stare at him and added, "He's been bothering me since I woke up. I can't handle it anymore."
Guangyan gave him a hum of understanding, turning so they were face to face. "Then we should help him move on, shouldn't we?"
Yiyong's face scrunched up in distaste at his suggestion. "I still get tired too easily," he admitted in a near whisper, tone harsh as frustration seeped into his words.
"Well, you don't have to do it alone." Guangyan offered him a smile. "We can call Chuying-jie tomorrow and start working on the case, hm?"
All he got as a response was a grunt. Guangyan would never be able to explain how he knew, but there was a finality in there familiar to him, familiar when dealing with Yiyong, and he took it as his cue to turn off the lights.
Guangyan woke up with the sound of his alarm, his eyes flitting open just in time to see Yiyong reach over him to turn it off. He watched him, Yiyong's eyes scrunched with a mixture of sleepiness and anger as he swiped at the phone's screen with a sense of finality, and then moved to fit himself against Guangyan's side, almost gingerly.
"Yiyong," he said, his hand lifting to pat at the other's head, aware of how neatly it fit into the crook of his neck. "I have work today. Get up."
With a glare and incoherent mumbles, Yiyong pulled himself up and Guangyan jumped out of bed once he saw Yiyong make his way to the window. "We're not risking a new head injury," he said and with a fistful of Yiyong's sweater guided him, surprisingly obedient, down the stairs to the kitchen.
His father was still asleep, having closed the bar late as per usual, so Guangyan whipped up two plates of scrambled eggs and toast for the both of them while Yiyong called Chuying.
"So, what do we have this time?"
Her excitement was easy to hear even from his place by the stove, and Guangyan didn't have to think too hard as to why. From conversations they had here and there, Chuying mentioned how stressful her new job was. How she had yet to prove herself to colleagues who looked down on her for not having been transferred through normal means.
"A house."
There was silence, long enough for Guangyan to set the plates on the table, the sound of porcelain on wood loud in the quiet. "As in, a building?"
Guangyan could imagine Chuying deflating in her seat. He took a bite off his toast, staring at Yiyong for him to continue.
"Yes, a building," Yiyong said with a huff. "He's been housing the same family for generations, and now he's empty."
"And what does he want, exactly?" Guangyan asked.
Yiyong stuffed a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, and still wasn't quite done chewing when he answered. "Closure. He wants to say goodbye to the last person who was born, raised, and grew old within his walls."
He went on to offer the details he had gathered so far. A rough description of the family ("The youngest child is the only one left, along with his two children"), of the surrounding area ("He mentioned lots of green - a forest, a lake with ducks and a stream of water that sprung out of it"), and both Chuying and Guangyan agreed Yiyong wasn't the best at digging for characteristics that could help them. This earned Guangyan a blank stare that had him understanding where the nurses at his hospital came from.
"Send me all the details, I'll look into it," was the last thing Chuying said before excusing herself, quick, a loud voice in the background calling her name before the call ended.
Guangyan moved to pick up their plates, but Yiyong stopped him. "You're going to be late. I'll do the dishes." To which he added, at the shocked expression Guangyan was no doubt sporting, grumpy: "It's only dishes; I'm not not that helpless anymore."
"I know," Guangyan said with a smile. "But that doesn't mean you can keep coming and going through the window, got it?"
"It's not like I brought my keys with me to go back through the door," Yiyong grumbled under his breath, taking the plates from Guangyan and making his way to the sink.
"Stay here, then. Just, promise me you won't use the window, ok?" and he must do a poor job of hiding his desperation because Yiyong looked at him for some time, wordless, before giving him a nod that Guangyan would almost call meek.
Guangyan kept his phone on silent, but felt its vibrations inside his pocket throughout the entire day.
In his first break in the morning, he fit himself into the corner of the break room, coffee cup in hand, and scrolled through the hundreds of messages between Yiyong and Chuying. The first ten were her complaining that what little information he got was no good and she couldn't find anything, followed by suggestions of what to ask. Yiyong's responses were curt, as he expected, although he did seem to listen and try to pull out more details from the House.
By lunch time, the amount of messages were too much. Guangyan jumped to the end of the chat before even touching his meal. A clue. He went back until he found it: the nearby lake used to be a stable long ago, full of horses instead of water. It didn't take long for Chuying to identify it as Changpi Lake, which meant the house had to be located in the town of Sanxing. She was pulling up old lists of residents when his time was up, and Guangyan stuffed the phone in his pocket and tried to focus on what he had to do.
It was no easy task, considering how his phone all but vibrated continuously mid-afternoon. Guangyan could only reign in his curiosity for so long, until he excused himself to one of the bathroom stalls. Hunched up over the toilet seat, he searched through the messages trying to find what had them in such a frenzy.
A person reported missing. There was no guarantee it was related to the House, but there were enough coincidences to raise an eyebrow: the elderly man had been listed as a resident of Sanxing a few years back and he had been reported missing three days ago by his son, who lived in Keelung. Chuying's revived excitement was evident as she flooded the chat with the information she found. By the time Guangyan was catching up to the most recent texts, Yiyong's name popped up on his screen.
"He went to say goodbye, I'm sure of it," Yiyong said as soon as Guangyan answered the call.
"Hi to you too."
"We need to go to Sanxing," Yiyong went on, ignoring him completely. A smile pulled at Guangyan's lips at hearing him so earnest, so eager, for the first time since he's regained consciousness. Yiyong would never admit it, but he knew how important it was for him to help the spirits. That he was finally diving head first into a new case, it was the return of normalcy. Of the old times. Guangyan could be frustrated with his antics another day. "Tomorrow morning, let's go."
"I'm surprised you don't want to go today," Guangyan said with a laugh.
"The last bus to the lake leaves at four forty, we won't make it."
Guangyan had not expected him to have looked things up already, and then it hit him. "How do you know I have tomorrow off?"
"Your dad told me," Yiyong answered and Guangyan could see him shrug, even if they weren't on video. "We'll talk when you're off."
Yiyong didn't even wait for him to answer before ending the call. Guangyan bit his lip, looking up how long the trip was. At least two buses, a little over two hours, and just enough to have his heart speeding up with excitement.
He tucked his phone in his pocket and went back to work hoping the day would finish faster.
Yiyong was helping his father set up the bar when Guangyan made it home from work.
He was pulling out the stools from where they were piled up and setting them by the tables in fours. Guangyan caught him sit down in one of them after he was done, his eyes closed and his brows furrowed as he - Guangyan was pretty sure - tried to catch his breath.
"Tired?" Guangyan asked once he was close enough.
"No," Yiyong said, scowling his way. "I've been waiting for you so you could buy our bus tickets for tomorrow."
Guangyan gaped at him. "I'm paying?"
"Chuying says she can't leave the office without evidence to back up that he might be there, so it'll be just the two of us," and he stood to make his way to Guangyan's house without even acknowledging his question. "You coming?"
It was all still surreal to Guangyan. Yiyong on his dining table after work, guiding him to buy two bus tickets and looking satisfied with himself at having their route all figured out, with a backpack on the chair next to him. The unspoken confirmation that he would be spending the night over, after coming through the front door instead of sneaking in through the window. This last thought had Guangyan's cheeks burning hot, and he hid his face behind his laptop screen.
Yiyong might have been excited, but he did not have the energy to back it up.
Guangyan stared at his sleeping face plastered against the bus window. The walk and subsequent subway ride to Taipei City Hall Bus Station, since Chuying was unable to give them a lift, had been enough to knock him out in the first hour-long ride to Luodong Transfer Station. Guangyan shook him awake once they arrived, and with bleary eyes Yiyong followed him to the seats by the stop of their next ride, only to fall back asleep before the bus even left the town.
Their stop was approaching, from what he could see of their location on his cellphone. Guangyan took one more look at Yiyong's peaceful expression before nudging him. Hard. "Come on, our stop is soon."
"But it's the middle of nowhere," Yiyong protested as Guangyan pulled him up from his seat.
Yiyong wasn't wrong; their stop was a small, modest iron structure along the lone road by the edge of the lushly vegetated hills. If it weren't for the fact Guangyan could spy the lake further away in between the trees, he would wonder if the GPS had failed him.
They waited until the bus was gone, leaving just the two of them behind, before calling him. The first time Guangyan saw the House, sitting in Yiyong's room, he'd taken a step back at the size of him. Now, alone on a deserted road, the looming figure remained as intimidating as ever. Tall and large, the Obsession took on the appearance of an elderly man who, had he been a real human, would have given a bodybuilder a run for his money in his prime.
Sturdy as a house, Guangyan thought to himself as Yiyong waved his hand for the House to lead, and they followed. The Obsession guided them down the stone paved road encircling the lake, turning at a well-trodden dirt path which cut straight through the forest. His excitement was evident in his fast pace, sad and dulled eyes bright ever since Yiyong had mentioned the elderly man's disappearance and their theory, and the both of them lagged behind.
"Sir --" Guangyan tried to call out to the receding back, when Yiyong yanked at his arm. "What, we're losing track of him."
"Don't," Yiyong hissed out, his brows furrowed. "We can catch up."
Guangyan pressed his lips into a thin line, quiet until Yiyong let go of his wrist. "If we get lost in the forest because --"
"We won't," and he didn't even have a chance to ask any questions before Yiyong's arms were around his neck and his weight heavy against his back.
Guangyan grabbed at one of the nearby trees, the bark harsh against his fingers, to try and gain his balance. "At least warn me," he huffed, adjusting Yiyong behind him. His heartbeat thrummed in his chest and he hoped his backpack would act as a buffer for Yiyong not to feel it, uncomfortable as it was to have it squished between them.
"If it were Summer, I'd drop you." Yiyong ignored his empty threats, instead wrapping his arms around Guangyan's neck as he picked up the pace, and that was enough for him to go quiet the rest of the way. He followed a glimpse of the House into a right turn, then left, and found between the trees and shrubberies a small clearing with a quaint brick house. It was decently sized -- the House had mentioned previous generations had been numerous -- a simple structure surrounding a central square-shaped courtyard on three of its four sides.
The courtyard did not have a gate, only its brick floor demarking the limit between the House's premises and the surrounding forest, so they could see the telltale signs of abandonment from where they stood: moss covering a good portion of the floor, the overgrown weeds poking through the yard's flooring, and the missing tiles from the roof, amongst other.
"Did he say how long ago they left?" Guangyan asked, taking in the scenery. "It seems like it's been abandoned for forever."
"Only mentioned a few years, but how much is that to an old house?" Yiyong said with a shrug.
Guangyan was still gaping when Yiyong pulled at his wrist, leading him to the wing furthest from them. It was only then Guangyan noticed the door was open and the House was nowhere to be seen.
The Obsession was inside what seemed to be a bedroom; Guangyan caught a glimpse of a bare bed from the corner of his eye as they entered. They were not alone -- opposite them by a dust-filled shelf stood an elder man, staring out a dirty window.
"Ma Hongxu?" Guangyan called out before the man could think them intruders. It worked, somewhat, but now he was frowning and stepping away from them.
"Someone wants to see you," Yiyong cut in and unfolded the drawing he had in his bag before the man could continue to misunderstand.
Guangyan watched the shock on Ma Hongxu's face as the House materialized not far from him, standing in the corner and looming over them, tall and large and wide. He stared at Yiyong's direction, mouthing at him that he was too abrupt and what if he fell ill from the shock?
Yiyong jutted his chin towards them, urging him to just watch, and Guangyan did so with an exaggerated huff.
"I've always wanted to meet you like this, Xiaobao."
Ma Hongxu's posture eased as soon as the nickname left the Obsession's lips. His oldened, grayed eyes shot up to study the House's face, confusion evident as he obviously did not recognize it.
"You've grown older since you left," the House said, leaning in closer. He straightened his back when Hongxu took a step back and offered him a smile, disarming. "Is Ming'er taking good care of you? It was hard on me being left alone here; things have been difficult since you've stopped visiting."
He went on to describe minute details: the kitchen window cracked by a broken branch on a stormy night, the mold growing on the bathroom floor, the civet nest formed right above the main room almost as soon as one of the roof tiles went missing. Hongxu listened without a word, realization dawning on his face.
This time, it was Guangyan who pulled at Yiyong's wrist.
Yiyong resisted, his stare sharpening closer to a glare, then, until Guangyan said, "Give them some privacy."
He acquiesced, but only after taking a quick photo with his phone. "What are you doing?" Guangyan asked as they stepped outside.
"Chuying needs evidence that he's here, remember?" He said, eyes trained on his cellphone but following Guangyan nonetheless. "They have at least an hour and a half to get here."
Guangyan hummed in response, then released his grip on Yiyong's arm when he realized he was still hanging on to him. Yiyong didn't seem to notice anything, simply putting his phone away in his pocket and taking in the scenery around them one more time.
"It's a shame," Yiyong mumbled, almost to himself, "To have this place just rotting away..."
Guangyan could guess at what Yiyong was thinking, his gaze faraway as he stared at the peeling walls surrounding them. "Do you miss it?" he asked, adding a moment after when Yiyong turned to stare at him in question, "Your old house."
Where you lived with your grandpa and dad, was what he didn't say. He didn't have to, Yiyong's expression softening at the mere suggestion. "Of course," he said roughly. "I lived there most of my life."
"We can go there to visit, if you want," Guangyan offered in a quiet voice.
Yiyong snorted at the idea. "I'd rather not," he said, and reached for his cellphone again. Guangyan watched as he typed up a message, giving Yiyong a questioning look as he put it away once more.
"I told Chuying to take her time," was all he offered as explanation before asking Guangyan for the chips they had brought with them.
Chuying and her colleagues showed up almost four hours later.
As far as her colleagues were concerned, it was a coincidence Guangyan and Yiyong bumped into the elderly man while out on a trip to Sanxing. They reported him as soon as they recognized him as the missing Ma Hongxu, and accompanied him to the house out of both sympathy and vigilance.
All three of them played the part well, if Chuying's discrete thumbs up as they helped Hongxu into the car was any indication, and Guangyan and Yiyong were left alone as the House accompanied the entourage in a flash.
Guangyan watched as Yiyong stretched his back, took in a long breath and set back towards the direction of the bus stop they came from. "Where are you going?" he asked in a smug tone, "You said it yourself before we came here: the last bus leaves at four thirty."
Yiyong stopped dead in his tracks. He pulled out his cellphone and stared back at Guangyan visibly at a loss.
"Did you not take that into consideration when you asked Chuying to take her time coming?" The purse of his lips was enough of an answer. Guangyan pulled out his own phone, chuckling to himself. "There's a hotel nearby, we can stop there."
Were he in a different mood, Guangyan would bask in this and tease Yiyong as they walked towards the hotel further, but this was their first case with an Obsession since he woke up. The first time he had seen Yiyong this excited in so long.
A smile pulled at his lips; little by little the sense of normalcy was returning to them. There wasn't the the possibility of Yiyong not waking up looming over them, nor the lingering worry of Yiyong's recovery. They were here, kilometers away from home, for the sake of an Obsession they wished to help and their only worry now was where they would be spending the night.
Guangyan stopped in his tracks, and Yiyong turned to look at him in question. "You didn't bring any clean underwear with you, did you."
It was very much a statement, one Yiyong did not bother to deny as he held Guangyan's stare.
Guangyan sighed at the silence that stretched between them, and pulled out his cellphone again to search for a nearby store.
They found a convenience store closer to the city center, far off from Changpi lake, and settled for a cheap inn nearby after eating an early dinner of instant noodles.
Guangyan paid for the both of them, and Yiyong sure didn't protest.
Why he bothered to pay for a twin double, rather than just a regular double bedroom, was something he knew the answer to but the question came back to him all the same when Guangyan woke up with Yiyong pressed against him. His arm was slung over Guangyan's torso and Yiyong's face was buried into his shoulder, even though the mattress was more than big enough for the both of them. Guangyan couldn't see his expression, but the slow, rhythmic movement of his back suggested he was still deep asleep.
One glance at the clock on the bedside table told him it was still early, but Guangyan couldn't fall back asleep even if he tried.
"Is there another Obsession bothering you?" Guangyan asked in a quiet murmur when Yiyong stirred awake over an hour later.
Yiyong wiped off the drool from his cheek with the arm that had moments ago been around Guangyan's waist, nonchalant, and mumbled, "Not really. It's just more comfortable."
Guangyan didn't even have a sly response to that; his mind was still reeling from the implications of Yiyong's words and the fact that sleeping with him was no longer related to any Obsession at all. Since when? The thought would bother him for the rest of the day, many days even, as he tried to pinpoint when a possible change happened, if at all.
That morning, however, all he managed was a forced chuckle and a, "Guess I won't bother with two beds next time, then."
Yiyong only made a noise of agreement as he made his way to the bathroom and shut the door behind him, leaving Guangyan to ponder on the fact that: one, Yiyong agreed to share a bed even if unnecessary and two, there would be a next time.
He could get used to this, Guangyan mused to himself as he stared at Yiyong's sleeping face later in the morning on the first bus ride to Taipei. He was leaning heavily against Guangyan, head resting more against his chest than his shoulder. Guangyan shifted him so he could elevate the armrest between them, and Yiyong flopped back against him with a low grumble of complaint, all but splayed over his lap.
Guangyan rested his hand on Yiyong's hair and stared out the window to admire the countryside passing by, content.
On Guangyan's next day off, Yiyong called Chuying to take them to Keelung.
It was the first time in a long while their off days coincided and Guangyan sat on the front with Chuying, chatting as he kept an eye on the GPS. Yiyong sat in the back, sprawled out on the backseat, his nose tucked into a comic book and only occasionally adding to the conversation.
The trip wasn't long compared to their journey to Sanxing, only a thirty minute ride stretched to forty due to traffic. It was easier, lighter as Guangyan and Chuying took the chance to catch up, and more so once Yiyong pulled out some sweet buns his mom had bought for them this morning. That was, until Chuying's cellphone rang.
She threw the phone towards Guangyan after a struggle to pull it out of her jacket. He caught the device in the air, accepted the call and put it on speaker without even thinking. It seemed she was about to protest, mouth open despite still being half full with a bun and her eyes on him instead of the road, before the voice rang loud in the car: "Yi pa."
The look on her face at the rough tone was enough for Guangyan to offer a wordless apology, which she ignored as she downed her food with a loud gulp. "Aye, captain," she said and Guangyan caught her checking the rearview mirror to get a glimpse of Yiyong. He was pointedly keeping his eyes on the comic he brought with him, but the thin line of his lips made it clear he was listening.
"We've got a body in Zhongshan," the officer said, gruff. "How fast can you get there?"
Chuying gave a nervous laugh. "Forty-fifty minutes tops, sir, turning around from Keelung now."
"All right, sending the coordinates," and without further formality the call ended.
The silence was thick and tense afterwards. Guangyan laid down Chuying's cellphone in the compartment between them without a word. She didn't move nor ask him to check it when it dinged not much later, even though it was most likely from the officer's message with the address.
"I'll leave you guys at Ma Zhiming's address and head back, okay?" She said in a quiet voice, eyes trained on the road.
"No problem," Guangyan said, perhaps too fast. "Just a bus ride home, we'll be fine."
Chuying dropped them off near a large apartment building not much later, one of the many in the nicer part of the city. Its entrance was sleek and modern in a way only fancy, expensive towers were, and with a doorman sat behind a rosewood counter to top it off. The man let them inside once they announced themselves and he confirmed via intercom.
Guangyan half expected a maid to open the door for them, but instead a short and well dressed middle aged woman welcomed them and introduced herself as Yuan Jiamei, Ma Hongxu's daughter-in-law as per Chuying's investigation when looking into the case.
"Oh, and the policewoman?" Jiamei asked as she closed the door behind them. "I thought she would come, when she called and said you would like to visit."
"They called her and she had to go back," Guangyan answered amiably. Jiamei guided them to a simple yet elegant dining room decorated in neutral tones of beige and brown, and gestured them to take a seat as she went to fetch some tea.
They were silent as they waited, and Guangyan gazed out the floor-to-ceiling window across the room and took in the labyrinth of concrete, steel and glass buildings. The ocean was barely visible in the horizon, a small splash of blue tucked between the apartments, office towers, and shopping malls.
"It's really lucky you were in Sanxing that day," Jiamei said as she came back, tray in hand. She set it gently on the table, serving them both a cup of fragrant, steaming tea and placing between them a plate of sweetcakes.
Guangyan thanked her, and besides him Yiyong only nodded as he accepted his own drink. "It was lucky," Guangyan said with a nod of his own, their rehearsed story on the tip of his tongue. "We were out on a small trip, trying to get away from the city and all."
He didn't miss the way Jiamei's eyes drifted between them. Guangyan maintained the smile on his face and thanked his luck Yiyong was preoccupied reaching out for the cakes, although a part of him wondered what his reaction would be if he noticed.
"Oh? Are you two office workers?"
Yiyong shook his head, then kept himself preoccupied chewing. Guangyan answered, "I work in a hospital."
Jiamei hummed in response, impressed, maybe. "Extra lucky, then. Thank you for helping a lost grandpa."
"He wasn't lost at all," Guangyan said. "But we thought it weird when we saw him alone, and while walking with him to the house he'd mention how things had changed over the years, so we asked Chuying-jie if she knew anything about it, just in case."
Her expression almost fell. "Yes, it's really changed over the years."
"It's a lovely village," Guangyan offered.
"It is, Baba loves it there. Sadly the house suffered from a few bad years we had, I'm sure you've heard the shipping industry has only now been picking up again." Guangyan gave Yiyong a light kick beneath the table before he could say that, no, they hadn't. "We didn't have much of a choice, there's a company to maintain, employees to keep employed."
Guangyan nodded along in understanding. "I imagine he was unhappy seeing the house as he did, but he didn't say anything."
Jiamei's tight smile told him Ma Hongxu absolutely made his mind known once he came back home. "It should be back on its feet soon, though: we'll be renovating it next year and turning it into a boutique hotel," Jiamei said, then added, "Perhaps you can stay there next time."
"That'd be nice," Guangyan said, choosing not to ask Hongxu's opinion on the matter and to ignore the light kick Yiyong gave him at the revelation.
Jiamei left not much later to fetch Hongxu, and almost as soon as she was gone the House materialized besides them, large and out of place.
Yiyong didn't hide his scowl now. "You were right," was all he said because they had talked about this. The reason the Obsession had left its natural territory, alarmed by the appearance of surveyors and sudden surge of attention after years of neglect.
Hongxu joined them afterwards and urged Jiamei leave to buy his favorite pastries. It was a good excuse to leave them alone, although from the defeated look on Jiamei's face Guangyan gathered it wasn't an unusual request of his.
"Are you sure?" Guangyan asked once it was only the four of them.
The House smiled at him, soft and melancholic. "Yes, Xiaobao and I have discussed it - the family has moved on, and I'm ready to go now."
Hongxu's eyes were wet with unshed tears. They stared at each other, and finally Hongxu gave a small nod of agreement.
Guangyan placed a hand on Hongxu's shoulder as they both watched Yiyong pull out his writing utensils, as they saw him unfurl the blank sheet of paper and grind the ink. They observed the sharp, confident strokes of his brush and Guangyan held Hongxu back, assured him everything was fine, as black tendrils emerged from Yiyong's chest. It coiled around his arm, working its way down to the tip of his brush and melting into the surface of the page.
Dark mist rose from the paper, flying towards the House and surrounding him so fully he was out of sight, hidden behind a curtain of black. When the mist dissipated, he was gone.
Hongxu's shoulder shook beneath Guangyan's palm and he offered a comforting squeeze. He didn't cry, though, and instead leaned forward to ask for the couplet he had written. Hongxu took it gingerly, reaching for the pair of glasses hanging from his neck to read.
"It's beautiful," he breathed out, "May I keep it?"
"Of course," Yiyong said.
Wet eyes trembled. Hongxu bowed his head. "Thank you."
"I changed my mind."
That was all Yiyong said as he closed the door behind him one morning. Guangyan stopped stirring his bowl of rice and egg, his usual breakfast when his father was away to see his suppliers and he couldn't be bothered to make anything more elaborate, and stared at Yiyong as he sauntered into the room and sat across from him on the table.
Guangyan's dad had given him a copy of the house keys a few days back, and the image of Yiyong casually coming in by himself was still something he wasn't used to. Guangyan forced himself to look away, went back to mixing, and asked Yiyong what it is he meant.
"My old house. Before, you mentioned we could go visit." Yiyong paused, and Guangyan looked back at him at the apparent hesitation. "Can we go today?"
"We can. I just have the night shift today."
And it was decided. Yiyong got up from his seat and served himself a bowl of rice from the rice cooker, cracked an egg over it, and came back to eat in Guangyan's company. They ate in companiable silence, and left not soon after, Guangyan's bag over his shoulder.
He wasn't sure if the house remained the same or if it changed so much Yiyong didn't recognize it, silent as he was. Guangyan lingered nearby, watching. His expression was neutral enough as his eyes seemed to take in the old building, tracing the outline of the second floor before stalling on the front shop ahead of them.
"This is where you grandpa's calligraphy school was, right?" It was now a homey neighborhood coffeeshop, quaint and simple in its neutral brown decoration and yellow lighting. There were a few people inside, most studying or on their laptops with their drinks nearby. Guangyan touched Yiyong's arm and he snapped back to look at him.
"Yeah," he said, and sounded as far away as Guangyan had imagined he was. Yiyong blinked at him, questions in his eyes as he seemed to come back to the present.
"Your mom told me a lot of stories," Guangyan said, "About how she practically bullied your dad into dating her."
Yiyong chuckled, a rare sound, but there was a sadness underneath that made Guangyan want to hold him, hug him, anything. He held himself back, unsure what to do. "Yeah, she likes telling that one." His voice was small, almost a mumble, and turned back to the building. He seemed lost in thought once again.
"Do you miss your old place too, where you lived before now?" His eyes were still trained on the shop as Yiyong asked some time later.
The question took Guangyan by surprise; Yiyong wasn't one to make many personal questions. After so many years, most of what they knew of each other was what they had picked up over time or, as it happened often these days, what they learned from the other's parent.
"Not really," Guangyan said with a shrug. "Dad and I moved often, so it's a bit different for me."
It was then Yiyong turned to him again, and Guangyan shifted under his stare. There was a question there, he knew, and could imagine where it came from. "Don't you miss her?"
They didn't talk about it at home often, not after so long, but his dad still had photos of his mom. There was even one in his room, tucked away in the corner of his desk, of her holding him as a toddler. A young pale woman, her expression tired but happy as she held a wide eyed Guangyan, chubby and pink cheeked as he reached out towards the camera. A stranger in many ways, save for the stories his dad would tell occasionally.
Guangyan shook his head. "I was too young when she died." That was what he always said and, for the most part, it was true. There was something in Yiyong's expression, though, an openness and vulnerability that led him to add, "I wonder what it would have been like, though, if she were still here."
If there was someone he didn't mind being honest with, it was Yiyong. "You know," Guangyan said in a lighter tone, "Auntie actually gives me some ideas of how it would be like."
Yiyong stifled a laugh at that. "You sure she's the best example?"
"I am," Guanyan said, then added with a smirk, "Although I wonder how she'll take it when I tell her you disagree."
Yiyong threw him a glare, playful, before nudging him in the chest with his shoulder. "Like hell you will."
It was a moment Guangyan had never imaged sharing with him, but it filled his chest with warmth. Even more so when Yiyong asked not much later, "Hey, are you still free? I want to visit my grandpa and dad."
Guangyan offered him a soft smile, then, and moved his right shoulder where his backpack hung. "I've got everything with me already, so."
The House became the first case of many, the one which opened the doors to a new routine, a new normal, similar to what they had before Yiyong's second coma.
Neither Chuying nor Guangyan had as much free time now, their jobs taking up a much larger chunk of their days than before. Even Yiyong had an occupation of his own, albeit much more flexible, as a freelance illustrator and calligrapher. That was, when he actually listened to the client and did as instructed instead of trying to impose his own ideas. Guangyan insisted he should post his comics online again, but Yiyong argued it was much harder to make money that way.
So, they took turns working on cases. Chuying accompanied Yiyong occasionally, and Guangyan would follow when she couldn't, which was more often than not. Sometimes, although rare, the three of them set out together. Both of them only asked Yiyong not go by himself, to which he snorted and reminded them that an Obsession wasn't the one who had hurt him. Chuying had stared at the floor at that and Guangyan had never glared at Yiyong so viciously in his life.
A lying, vengeful toy searching for the owner who had abandoned them might have changed his mind. Or, at least, Guangyan hoped so, because he would rather not run into a scratched up Yiyong outside the hospital after a long shift and have to drag him inside to get patched up again.
Which was why, when Yiyong asked him to go with him to Houwan for a case, it had been a relief.
He was waiting outside the hospital already when Guangyan finished his shift that night, duffel bag resting by his feet while he sat on the wooden bench scrolling through his phone. Guangyan had a bag of his own over his shoulder besides his usual backpack, which despite his best attempts at hiding it in the staff room had not gone unnoticed. Yiyong's last visit was still fresh in his coworker's minds, and he didn't miss the look in their eyes. Further details wouldn't help his case so he didn't share them: how else would they interpret Guangyan travelling across the country with Yiyong, right as he finished his last workday before a five-day vacation nonetheless?
And Yiyong would be the one paying, too.
Guangyan had stared at him for at least a solid minute when he mentioned it. A trip to Pingtung county was not cheap. Instead of explaining the offer, Yiyong had unfurled a piece of paper and the Obsession was besides them as soon as Guangyan laid eyes on the ink drawing. Their skin was a light brown with a series of rough ridges, some of which he later realized were names, dates. Carvings which were etched on the bark of a tree, he guessed, from the green tint and texture of their hair.
They would travel overnight to Houwan village and search for the remnants of an old shrine. For what, they did not know yet, as the Obsession they were going to help did not come themselves. Guangyan raised an eyebrow as the Tree presented themselves as a friend, but in hindsight if the Road Saint could have a child then nothing stopped Obsessions from having other relationships. Still, one would think they would offer more details during their trip, especially with a five hour layover waiting for their second leg by bus, yet their explanations were sparse.
An old enshrined deity suffering from the changes brought upon by modernization. They did not wish to move on, that was the only thing clear so far, but how Yiyong could be any help Guangyan did not have a clue. The Tree also did not give him room to investigate while Yiyong slept, disappearing as soon they boarded the bus which would take them to the town of Checheng. With a huff, Guangyan leaned against the window and let the light thrum of the engine and movement of the bus lull him to sleep.
When Guangyan opened his eyes again, the sun was rising in the horizon, brilliant against the blue sea. The first rays of the morning were coming through the half closed curtains and Yiyong stirred besides him, then, moving away from Guangyan with an incoherent mumble of complaints and turning to face the other side.
It was a sight to take in, more than welcome as the Tree was nowhere to be seen and Yiyong continued to snore besides him. Guangyan shifted the dark curtains in a way so as that the light did not shine directly on Yiyong's face yet he could still admire the view.
He had looked it up once Yiyong mentioned where they were going, Houwan being so small he had not heard of before then. A quaint, quiet fishing village on the other side of the country. The pictures he'd seen had seemed idealic, the type of place one would run off to when searching for peace and quiet. Perfect for a getaway.
They had done numerous trips since the House over the past months, and yet Guangyan still felt his face burn hot if he let himself linger too long on the thought. On the looks they would get sometimes as they checked in to their bedroom, as if those of his co-workers were not enough. Only the Tree reappearing and Yiyong sitting awake as if on cue brought him back to reality, and the realization that they were almost there.
They still had one last bus to go, but this time the Tree kept them company and actually spoke to them. Once they were in the village, both of them followed the Tree to the coast as it guided them to a salt marsh that lay beyond the village beach.
Salty winds blew at them as they maneuvered through rocks and shrubs, up until the ocean water lapped at their feet and they could not go further. Guangyan and Yiyong stopped, but the Tree carried on, floating above the water.
"It's further away," they said, pointing to an area completely submerged.
"Is it always flooded?" Guangyan asked, stepping back as an incoming wave threatened to wet his shoes. He pulled Yiyong along with him.
"No, but it was supposed to be dry around this time." The Tree raised their hands defensively as Yiyong stared their way sharply. "I live in the forest, I hardly ever come all the way here. How am I supposed to know?"
One would think a tree spirit of all things would be more attuned with nature. Guangyan pulled out his phone without another word. Besides him, Yiyong squinted in the general direction the Obsession had pointed at.
"I see them," Yiyong said, already pulling a pen and small notebook from his bag. He pushed it towards Guangyan not much later; it was a sketch-like shadow, blurry, and exactly what he saw as he looked ahead. The Obsession stood over the small waves, its appearance hazy as if covered by mist.
In the blink of an eye, the Tree was besides the Obsession. In another, they were back. "She's stuck."
"The tide's rising right now," Guangyan supplied and both the Tree and Yiyong stared his way.
"And that means?" The Tree asked.
"That we won't be able to get there any time soon." He turned his phone screen towards them, then added when they continued to look at it blankly, "This says the tide will be at its lowest tomorrow at seven in the morning."
The Tree deflated at his words, their shoulders dropping. "She's already this weak; I was hoping we could start today."
Start what, exactly, they did not say and did not give either of them room to ask, as the Tree excused themselves not a moment later. They claimed to be tired, and then they were gone. Guangyan let out a sigh and turned back to the other Obsession further away from them. She didn't look at them, nor move in any from what he could see.
Yiyong pulled at his backpack's strap and Guangyan let himself be guided back the way they came. "Might as well go drop these off since we can't do anything today."
Guangyan stopped in front of their hotel once they arrived and stared. It was not far off from the beach, and all the balconies of the narrow 5-story building undoubtedly benefited from a great view. Yiyong cleared his throat besides him, mumbled something about their room being at the back, and guided him inside.
Beach view or no, this was definitely more expensive than any hotel Guangyan had paid for them. He sat down on the large king-sized bed in the center of the room and pat the soft, fluffy pillows at the head. To his right, there was a large frameless glass door which opened into a balcony overlooking the narrow main road of the village. "Did you win the lottery?"
Yiyong scowled at him. "No, I finished that big job last month, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember, I'm just wondering what got you splurging like this," and Guangyan pointed at the flatscreen TV hanging on the wall across him to make a point.
"Mom kept hassling about you paying all the time; figured it'd be my turn for once," Yiyong said with a shrug, but his voice became lower and lower as he finished his sentence. So much so that Guangyan barely heard him as he continued, crouched over his open duffel bag, "Besides..."
Guangyan stared, expectant, but Yiyong kept digging into his bag instead of speaking. He knew better than to push Yiyong or insist, so instead Guangyan laid down on the mattress with a sigh and closed his eyes.
"There's supposed to be a big aquarium nearby, the biggest in the country," Guangyan said, recalling some of what he read a few days before. "Do you want to go, since we've got the whole day free now?"
"Why not?"
The world around them was all shades of blue.
They stepped into the light, pale turquoise exhibit and strolled through the long, meandering corridor watching as the mountain streams turned to cerulean riverbeds which made way to those of the darker, indigo ocean. Guangyan stopped in front of all the plaques in place, tugging Yiyong along and reading the explanations aloud to him. Yiyong was quiet besides him, compliant as he followed without a word and only occasionally commenting on one thing or the other.
It was in one of the larger rooms that Guangyan lost him. The place was dim, most of the light coming from the illumination near the tanks. Guangyan had been focused on two fish which swam by the rock structure near the back; one hid within the cave carved into the stone, while the other rushed behind them from another opening, chasing them out and taking the place for themselves. Guangyan had just turned to point them out to Yiyong, as he noticed the fish positioning itself to take its revenge, when he noticed he wasn't anywhere near.
Guangyan was going to retrace his steps and return to the previous exhibit when he ran into Yiyong sitting on the stairs they had taken to get here. He had his pencil in hand and his small notebook on his lap, so engrossed in what he was doing he didn't even take notice as Guangyan sat besides him.
Yiyong was sketching the previous exhibit they had left a while ago, the tank streaked by a combination of algae and oysters stuck to the glass, with a stray fish swimming here and there. At the center stood a dark, pencilled silhouette, tall and thin, casting a high shadow over the floor behind him.
"Is that me?" Guangyan asked, recognizing the shape of his backpack.
Yiyong grunted in confirmation, but didn't look away from his drawing.
"Are you bored? Should we go somewhere else?"
He mumbled a no. Yiyong flipped through the pages as if to make a point, and Guangyan saw sketch after sketch of most of the exhibits they went through. A close-up drawing of himself caught his attention, his smile wide as he pointed at a dwarf shark swimming right besides him. Guangyan's face grew hot.
"C'mon then," he said as he stood up and pulled Yiyong along with him. "We haven't even gotten to the belugas and the penguins yet."
The sun was low on the horizon when they reached their hotel again.
Guangyan set his bag by the bed and sat on the mattress, massaging his stiff shoulder. They hadn't planned to stay for so long, but then he'd gotten caught up in the beluga and seal exhibits as they followed his movements, even seemed to play with him from across the glass. At some point, he'd left Yiyong to himself, distracted by one penguin who seemed to pose for him, and slipped away to the gift shop.
"Ah, before I forget," Guangyan said, reaching from where he sat for his backpack. He called Yiyong over and put the keychain over his palm. It was of a small, round smilling penguin, its back emblazoned with the aquarium's name. "You're gonna lose the keys my dad gave you if you don't put anything."
Yiyong pulled said key from his pocket, twisted it into the chain's loop. "Thanks," he said, but his expression was odd. For some reason, his posture was rigid and the air awkward.
Guangyan was wondering what it could be, as Yiyong seemed to mull over whatever it was that bothered him. What he did not expect, though, was a "Would you say we're dating?" which Yiyong blurted out.
"What? Why?"
Yiyong shrugged, but his stiffness made it less casual than he intended. "Everyone thinks we are."
"I've heard. Does it bother you?" Yiyong shook his head, but the pensive look on his face didn't do much to calm Guangyan. "What, do you want us to?" He asked with a forceful laugh, hoping it wasn't obvious how nervous he was.
Yiyong's expression was serious. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" The words sounded hollow in his throat, his tongue dry in his mouth as Guangyan echoed his words.
"No," Yiyong said. A silence hung between them, until he broke it with a quiet "Can I try something?" and it was the most vulnerable Guangyan had ever heard him.
Guangyan gave a small nod, gripping at the bedsheets beneath him to ground himself and willing his mind not to read too much into this. They stared at each other for some time and then, finally, Yiyong leaned in and pressed their lips together.
He felt a fool for it, but Guangyan closed his eyes and pressed against Yiyong nonetheless. Because he'd imagined this countless times, the warmth of Yiyong's kiss. Of his mouth moving against his, their breathes intermingling as Yiyong backed away.
Yiyong didn't say anything, just stared at him. Guangyan licked his lips nervously and watched as Yiyong's eyes darted down to his mouth. It was enough to make his mind go blank. "And?" Guangyan chanced, his fingers aching at how tight he clung onto the the sheets.
"Maybe we should," Yiyong whispered. He bit his lip and raised his gaze again. "I don't know - I can't imagine spending this much time with anyone else."
The relief that washed over Guangyan was immediate. "Me neither," he breathed out in almost a sigh.
Yiyong didn't waste any time, pulling Guangyan close not a moment later and mashing their mouths together. There was none of the gentle caution he had in the previous kiss, tentative and unsure, instead there was his usual aggressiveness as he pushed against him, as Yiyong's fingers knotted themselves into Guangyan's hair and pulled hard enough to elicit a surprised groan.
They were laying on the bed now, Yiyong pinning Guangyan into the mattress with his weight. Their lips still on each other, heavy breaths and the occasional moan the only sounds in the room besides the rustling of bedsheets.
Until Guangyan began to laugh.
Yiyong raised himself on his elbows, staring down at Guangyan in that expression he knew so well. Brows furrowed, eyes set in a way most would misunderstand as a glare but Guangyan knew meant he was confused. Meant he was trying to figure out what he did wrong. With another chuckle Guangyan reached up to smooth out the crease between his brows, then slid his hand down until it was cupping Yiyong's cheek. His thumb grazed over Yiyong's kiss swollen lips.
"I was just thinking about how we could have done this sooner," he said and reveled at how Yiyong's shoulders seemed to loosen, then. "Since when?"
Guangyan didn't have to specify, still he had not expected Yiyong to look so flustered at the question.
"I don't know, I put off thinking about it," which was as Yiyong an answer as ever. Guangyan laughed and raised himself to press their lips together again. Yiyong accepted it at once, but pulled back not much later to ask, "What about you?"
"I had a feeling, but only was sure after... You know." Guangyan hesitated because it still ached to think or even mention it, even as vaguely as he did. The feel of Yiyong's lips then, unmoving as he had breathed into them, contrasted heavily with the lingering kisses they had just shared and hurt him in a new way he hadn't even thought possible after so long.
"Mom told me you came practically every day to see me. Slept over, even." Yiyong's words brought Guangyan out of his thoughts to see the soft, sad expression on his face. He hated it.
This time Guangyan was the aggressive one, slotting both his hands behind the nape of Yiyong's neck and pulling him down again. Kissing him with shadows of the desperation he had felt then, trying to chase it away with the warmth of Yiyong lips and breath against his skin.
Because this was their reality now. Tomorrow they would return to the coast at low tide and figure out how they can help the Obsession, and another day between their jobs and their daily lives together they would fit in whatever other Obsession comes to Yiyong for aid.
And Guangyan wanted nothing more.