Chapter Text
Cheng Xiaoshi remembered the Triple Star Warriors fondly. He'd watched it himself growing up, and only was reminded of their existence during their mission to recover Doudou.
Even though he knew it shouldn’t, Cheng Xiaoshi still got misty-eyed when he recalled Mr. Li kneeling in front of his son, now three years older, and apologizing, explaining that he was late because he needed to find all three Warriors for him.
It had actually been Lu Guang’s idea, spying the masks in a storefront on their way to meet up with the police.
And, even though they had both been alphas at the time, Cheng Xiaoshi thought it strange that Lu Guang willingly chose the Blue Warrior.
It was a popular theory that each of the Triple Star Warriors also represented their own secondary gender: Red for alphas, Blue for omegas, and Pink for betas.
When the time came to choose their masks to surprise Doudou, Qiao Ling immediately gravitated towards the pink one, as it was her favorite color, leaving the blue and red ones for him and Lu Guang to choose between.
And, of course, Cheng Xiaoshi had wanted the red one, but also didn’t want Lu Guang to feel he was being pushed to be the quote-unquote omega Star Warrior.
But, Lu Guang had chosen the blue mask of his own volition. Cheng Xiaoshi always wondered if Lu Guang knew about the theories and if he’d picked Blue regardless.
Now, he couldn’t help but watch as Lu Guang sat on the floor in front of their laptop that had been set on the table, plush in his lap and staring transfixed at the cartoon, wondering if he’d somehow known.
No, there’s no way he could’ve known.
…although, he had been acting jumpy the day that Vein appeared…
No, Cheng Xiaoshi refused to think about that. All of it was in the past.
He had to focus on the present.
Bright colors danced across the screen, mesmerizing Lu Guang as the Triple Star Warriors flew into frame. Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t hear what they said past the headphones on Lu Guang’s ears, but he knew they were each calling out their own names.
“Star of Courage: conquering fear!”
“Star of Wisdom: serving knowledge!”
“Star of Justice: bringing hope!”
Cheng Xiaoshi watched from his seat on the couch, despite not able to hear it, and wished he had a little bit of help from each of the Warriors.
He couldn’t deny that he felt fearful about this new phase in Lu Guang’s life, unsure of what was going to happen and scared of the future, of the unknown.
Lu Guang had always been his hope.
Words he’d spoken months and lifetimes ago still hung in his heart, much too real to ever truly fade away:
“I believe everyone has a reason to keep on living. Though at times we may find ourselves in darkness, eventually we meet people who shine their light on us.”
When he’d spoken those words, the only people he’d thought of were Qiao Ling and Lu Guang.
Lu Guang had always been the source of his hope, his Light in the darkness.
But now…
“I miss you,” he murmured, voice unheard.
Cheng Xiaoshi sighed and stood up from the couch, trying not to notice how Lu Guang didn’t even spare him a passing glance.
He idly wondered if he put a pacifier in between Lu Guang’s slack lips would he suck on it? Not that he could try; apparently ‘Yongshi’ didn’t need them.
Instead, he continued on into the kitchen, knowing that as soon as Lu Guang roused from his stupor, he’d insist that it was feeding time again.
It was better to get ahead of the question he knew would inevitably be coming.
Cheng Xiaoshi pulled out the regular ingredients for ‘Yongshi’’s meals - fruits, veggies, some meats, and, of course, an applesauce pouch - and sliced the solid food into bite-size pieces just right for a toddler.
Just as he was about to pick up the thick plastic plate, he paused, looking at its contents critically.
He knew that Lu Guang was going to eat this, knew because he’d seen him do it so many times before. And while these portions were fit for a young child, they were woefully inadequate for a grown man.
So, he set the plate down and began cutting more food until the portion size was more geared towards Lu Guang than a toddler.
Even if Lu Guang was acting like a toddler sometimes.
Lu Guang was still enraptured by the cartoon, so Cheng Xiaoshi set the plate down and paused the show. It seemed Lu Guang was oblivious to the instinctive whine that curled out of his throat as he was deprived of his entertainment. He looked up at Cheng Xiaoshi with big eyes, wordlessly pleading for him to turn it back on.
“You can get back to it later,” Cheng Xiaoshi reasoned with him. “Isn’t it breakfast time?”
In a blink, his wide pupils shrank, the childlike innocent pleading disappeared, replaced by a more mature expression. “Thank you, Xiaoshi,” Lu Guang said with a small smile, gaze immediately dropping to the doll in his lap. “Did you like the show? I know you wanna keep watching, but you gotta eat first.”
It almost sounded like he was reasoning with the doll in the same way that Cheng Xiaoshi had just reasoned with him.
Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t want to think about what that meant, what it implied about Lu Guang’s mentality and how he viewed Cheng Xiaoshi.
Instead, he watched as Lu Guang picked up a slice of strawberry and held it up to the doll’s mouth.
But his aim was off, still having it in his lap and ‘feeding’ it at a strange angle, so every time that Lu Guang brought a piece of food towards the plush, it pressed against the plush’s mouth before disappearing in Lu Guang’s own.
Cheng Xiaoshi knew that Lu Guang wouldn’t see it, but he held back his wince anyway. I really hope that doesn’t stain, he found himself thinking.
Instead of saying anything or attempting to help, he just watched as, little by little, piece by piece, Lu Guang’s breakfast disappeared.
There was some irony to be found in the fact that his diet had never been healthier than it was right now. Before he was abducted, Lu Guang predominantly ate cup noodles, as it was the only thing they could reliably afford.
And, while Cheng Xiaoshi wasn’t privy to his meals with Vein, they couldn’t have been the healthiest.
Now, he insisted on ‘Yongshi’ receiving the best diet of only fresh produce, healthy protein, and minimal sugars.
And at least he hadn’t noticed the increased portion size.
As Lu Guang finished eating, he picked up the doll and turned it around, face morphing in surprise as he saw its mouth stained pink. “Oh no! Someone’s been a messy eater!” In one, fluid motion, he stood, balancing the plush on his hip. “Time for a bath!”
Cheng Xiaoshi followed, hoping that the soap that Lu Guang had bought would actually work with fabric.
Together, they made their way into the bathroom, where their tub had been overtaken by colorful toys. Plugging the drain and turning on the water, Lu Guang carefully removed the doll’s clothing and then his own.
“Are you…?” Cheng Xiaoshi started to ask, then decided against it, instead deciding to just watch.
Lu Guang seemed oblivious to Cheng Xiaoshi’s presence, testing the temperature of the water before turning the faucet off.
And then, grip tight on the plush, he stepped in.
He held the doll in his lap as he sat down in the water, giggling as he reached for a rubber duck and splashing the water, seemingly oblivious to the way the fabric soaked up the warm bathwater.
Cheng Xiaoshi grimaced. Ugh, that thing’s gonna get so moldy if it doesn’t dry properly.
And then, in a strange dichotomy to his gleeful face, Lu Guang spoke somewhat seriously, “Alright, little baobao, time to get you cleaned up.” His own expression fell as he reached for the special baby-approved body soap and uncapped the bottle.
He squeezed some out onto his fingers, smiling at the gentle scent before gently lathering it into the fabric around the plush’s mouth.
Cheng Xiaoshi found himself leaning forward, anxious to see if the stain came out, afraid to see Lu Guang’s reaction if it wouldn’t.
But, thankfully, the red strawberry juice disappeared beneath Lu Guang’s patient fingers, until the plush looked as good as new, if a bit drenched. He then scooped up some of the bathwater and used it to rinse its face of suds.
"Good boy!” he praised the doll. “I know it tastes yucky, but now you’re all clean!” His own answering giggle was punctuated by a yawn. “Mm, is it nappy time?”
With one more check to make sure all the soap was gone, Lu Guang pulled the plug out of the drain and stood up, heedless of the water that trickled off of his body in rivulets.
Cheng Xiaoshi silently thanked whatever Deity listened as he followed Lu Guang’s dragging footsteps to the bedroom. Usually, Lu Guang only took his showers just before heading to bed, so his muscle memory must have taken over and told him it was time to sleep.
He watched as Lu Guang climbed the stairs to the loft - he didn’t want to call it a nursery anymore, all things considered - and brought the plush to their little closet, selecting one of the fluffier onesies, and carefully dressed him, seemingly oblivious to the way he was still soaking.
“Can’t have you catching a cold, little baobao,” he cooed, nuzzling the plush.
Okay, maybe he wasn’t oblivious to that, but apparently couldn’t tell that it needed to be dried properly.
Instead, Lu Guang brought the plush over to the middle of the room and curled up in the nest that he’d made for him and ‘Yongshi’.
At this time of day, the sunlight drifted in from the window, shining directly on him, and Cheng Xiaoshi could see Lu Guang melting into sleep, helpless against it.
Before he fully passed out, he pressed his lips against the plush’s forehead.
Cheng Xiaoshi watched with something sour swirling in his gut, but decided not to think too much about it.
After all, Lu Guang was happy, and that’s all that mattered, right?
He sighed as he heard Lu Guang’s breathing even out, finally stepping towards the nest that he’d been barred from entering.
With gentle fingers, he reached inside and pulled the plush from Lu Guang’s lax grip. It smiled up at him, oblivious to its fate.
Cheng Xiaoshi stared down at it, fingers tightening ever so subtly against its fabric.
Finally making up his mind, Cheng Xiaoshi tiptoed out of the loft, careful to not wake Lu Guang.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The gentle, rhythmic thump, thump, thump filled their laundry room as Cheng Xiaoshi watched.
The doll rolled around in the dryer, smile still visible through the clear door.
If Lu Guang saw this, he’d absolutely flip out, Cheng Xiaoshi thought with a wry grin. He could practically envision his mate bursting through the door, screeching, “GET HIM OUT OF THERE, YOU’RE HURTING HIMMMM”.
“I know it’s good for him,” he found himself speaking out loud, “But something about this just feels…”
He didn’t trust himself to continue that sentence, instead feeling his expression twist. “Am I really talking to this… this thing?”
The plush, of course, did not answer.
Instead, it merely just tumbled around in the dryer, looking much too carefree.
It had to be dry at this point, right? Cheng Xiaoshi glanced at his phone, grimacing at how long it was taking.
The plush had a huge head.
Lu Guang said it looked just like Cheng Xiaoshi; what did that say about Cheng Xiaoshi’s own head???
Cheng Xiaoshi opened the dryer door and felt the plush, grunting in frustration when it still felt slightly damp. “Damn giant head taking forever to dry,” he muttered as he pushed it back into the dryer with more force than necessary and turned it back on.
Lu Guang had gone down for his nap about half an hour ago, but the real question would be if he would stay asleep or realize that ‘Yongshi’ was gone and wake up.
And Cheng Xiaoshi did not want to have to deal with a distressed ‘mother’ Lu Guang, tearing the studio apart, looking for his missing ‘child’.
Even though Lu Guang was supposed to be the ‘mature one’ out of both of them, his reaction would probably only be described as a ‘temper tantrum’.
Cheng Xiaoshi sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time as he watched the doll tumble within the dryer.
The first sense of wrongness came from the back of his head, feeling like all of the hair stood on end, but for seemingly no reason.
And then the weight in his chest grew heavier, filling his body with something akin to… fear?
Why was Cheng Xiaoshi having a fear response? There wasn’t anything here that could possibly-
Oh.
Oh no.
And then, he heard drifting from upstairs: “Yongshi? Baobao?”
“Shit!” Cheng Xiaoshi swore as he yanked the dryer door open. Was it still damp? He couldn’t tell, but it wasn’t like he could keep drying the thing.
Thinking quickly, he yanked the plush out of the dryer and, closing the door as quickly and quietly as possible, placed it on the lowest shelf of their laundry closet with the door ajar.
Then, he heard Lu Guang’s voice, now more frantic: “Xiaoshi! I can’t find the baby!”
The bond weight in his chest grew heavier, leaching Lu Guang’s panic into Cheng Xiaoshi’s body as he ran out of the laundry room and up into their loft, where Lu Guang was on his hands and knees, peering under furniture.
As if the plush could fit its giant head beneath any of that, Cheng Xiaoshi thought.
He mentally dragged his hand down his face. It wasn’t even alive to be able to fit its head anywhere to begin with.
He really needed to get out of the house sooner or later.
"I saw i- him downstairs. He wanted to play hide-and-seek with you! He just got a little excited and started before you woke up.”
And, before his eyes, he watched as Lu Guang’s panic drained away, replaced with relief. “He is?” And then pure joy saturated his face before he rushed to the door. “I’m gonna find youuu!” he sang as he ran out of the room, leaving Cheng Xiaoshi behind without even a second thought.
Cheng Xiaoshi sighed once more, eyes falling to the nest that Lu Guang had made solely for himself and ‘Yongshi’.
Maybe he could…
Making up his mind, Cheng Xiaoshi slipped downstairs and grabbed the pillow from his own nest and brought it back up, replacing it with the one from Lu Guang’s nest.
He knew that messing with an omega’s nest was frowned upon, especially when the omega was expecting or had pups, but… in his defense… Lu Guang was neither.
And he’d been so, incredibly lonely.
"Found you!” echoed up from downstairs, and Cheng Xiaoshi followed it to the laundry room, watching as Lu Guang cradled the plush in his arms, giggling all the while.
The sight of his mate looking so happy was worth it, worth all the loneliness and lying.
Even if it made Cheng Xiaoshi’s vision blur from his tears.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thankfully, Lu Guang didn’t mention the pillow to Cheng Xiaoshi or demand it back, and he sank down in his own nest that night with a sigh of relief.
Lu Guang’s scent curled around him, and he couldn’t help wriggling closer to the pillow, holding it in his arms as he scented it.
It had been so long since he’d had his Omega in his arms, Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t even stop himself if he wanted to. His hands ran along the fabric, squeezing near the base, where he imagined Lu Guang’s thighs and very squeezable butt to be.
It had just been So Long.
He couldn’t help rolling his hips up against the end of the pillow, burying his face in the top, pretending he was nuzzling into the crook of Lu Guang’s neck, breathing in his scent.
He wished Lu Guang was here, wished his Omega was in his arms, moaning so sweetly into his ear as he clutched at Cheng Xiaoshi’s shoulders, hips rolling against Cheng Xiaoshi’s.
They moaned in tandem as Cheng Xiaoshi pushed Lu Guang down onto the mattress, nose pressed against his shirt where the fabric was saturated in deliciously sweet scent.
“Love you,” he groaned as he balanced himself on one hand while his other untucked his cock from its confines. “Want you.” He thrust forward, feeling delicious friction against his length, eyes rolling at the sensation.
But, it wasn’t enough.
He rolled his hips, clutching Lu Guang tighter, breathing huskily against his shirt, nipping at the fabric as he thrust forward again. “So beautiful,” he slurred, “You’re so beautiful.”
Unbidden, tears slid down his cheeks, dampening the fabric beneath him as his hips snapped forward. “Missed you,” he sobbed, sniffling against Lu Guang’s shirt.
"It’s okay,” Lu Guang whispered, voice barely audible. “I’m here.”
Scalding tears burned his cheeks, soaking into Lu Guang’s shirt as he thrust forward faster and harder, his sobs mingling with his groans.
This was his Omega, he growled as he felt his knot growing, felt the delicious friction against his sensitive skin.
“Gonna knot you,” he growled, “gonna make you mine.”
Heavy breathing echoed raggedly in his ears, was it his or Lu Guang’s? It must be both, they’re both so close.
“Please!”
With a groan, Cheng Xiaoshi thrust forward, feeling pure pleasure lance through his body as he felt his orgasm crash down upon him. His hips instinctively stopped, despite not feeling the familiar squeeze against his knot.
Finally thinking clearly, he looked down, even more tears coming to his eyes as he realized.
He realized that ‘Lu Guang’ was just a pillow.
He realized that his ‘shirt’ was just the pillowcase.
And he realized that he was all alone.