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Xie Lian and Hua Cheng have been best friends since their high school days.
They met on one of the usual days Hua Cheng was being bullied by his upperclassmen, big fat meanies who always pick on a scrawny and defenseless kid, stealing his lunch and leaving him wounded in the staircase, janitor’s closet, or the last cubicle of every school comfort room.
It was a regular occurrence, but Xie Lian never caught it happening in action. He was always too late, arriving at the staircase every time after Hua Cheng acquired a fresh wound. He couldn’t help it. Their class schedules were different. Xie Lian was in year 3, and Hua Cheng was in year 1; higher-year students get their lunch breaks later than lower-year students.
It’s only after one faithful day when Xie Lian was going to the teacher’s lounge, carrying his class’ workbooks, did he hear fighting from a distance. He runs to look out the nearest window and finds a group of bullies teaming up over someone. He couldn’t see who was on the receiving end of the curses and punches, but it wasn’t difficult to guess, as he knew of only one person whom the whole school loved to trash around.
“Hah! Take that, street rat!” one of the bullies says.
“Fuck off! I'm telling you, when I catch you, you’re dead meat to me!”, retorts Hua Cheng.
“Hahaha! You say that almost every day, and here we are! I guess I should just bust your mouth so you don't get to make stupid threats that never happen.”
“Hey!” Xie Lian shouts from the third floor as everyone stiffens and looks to where the voice is coming from. “Stop that! I’m listing your names and telling the principal!”
Here’s the thing: a threat from Xie Lian is different from a threat from any other student. He was all the teachers’ favorite after all!
“Run!”, the bullies panic collectively, abandoning their lunch break hobby immediately.
Xie Lian drops the workbooks he’s carrying and runs down as fast as he can. By the time he reaches the back of the school building, he only sees a small boy curled up and bleeding like a freshly peeled shrimp.
“Hey... San Lang. It’s me. Let Gege have a look at you. Please?”
“... don’t wanna…”l, Hua Cheng’s voice was oh-so-small, and it made Xie Lian’s heart ache.
“Why not, my sweet San Lang?” Xie Lian whispered.
“... I’m disgusting right now.” An almost inaudible voice came out of a sea of raven hair.
“Oh, baobei, you’re not disgusting. You never will be to me. You know that, right?”
“...”
“Come now, let your Gege have a look.”
Hua Cheng slowly uncurls from his position but keeps his head down.
“Let me see your face…”
“...mmrp”
“Alright, I won't force you. Can you stand? Let’s go home.”
Hua Cheng stands as Xie Lian supports his weak body. His weight fully leaned on the other. They went back to their classrooms, got their things, and walked home together to Xie Lian’s house.
Xie Lian always brings Hua Cheng home to fix him up, as both their parents are never home. That’s one of their common grounds, absent parents, but for different reasons. Xie Lian’s parents are never home due to overseas business trips and meetings, while Hua Cheng’s parents are never home because of overtime work or getting drunk with gambling buddies.
“Sit down. I’ll grab the bandages.” Xie Lian gently sits Hua Cheng at the center of his bed. Though his head is still down, he tries to sneak a peek and watches Xie Lian as he moves around his room. He’s so beautiful, what's a boy to do? The crease on Xie Lian’s worried brows brings out his gentleness. Hua Cheng is so weak for this boy. They both are for each other, actually. The swift, memorized movement of picking up bandages, ointments, and cotton pads is done so elegantly that he’s left shy and flustered even when he sees the same scene almost every day.
“What?” Xie Lian catches him staring.
“What what?” Hua Cheng answers as he raises his brow, chin still down, trying to hide his blush from being caught.
“You know what what,” a small knowing smile creeps up Xie Lian’s face as he climbs on his bed and sits across Hua Cheng.
“Actually, I don't.” Hua Cheng turns mischievous, lifting his chin up to challenge the pretty boy in front of him. “Care to enlighten me, pretty Gege?”
There it is. Xie Lian relaxes a bit as he sees the naughty smirk that he loves on the little boy’s face, and he couldn't help teasing him back.
“Silly boy… hmph!”, he forces a pout, though he can’t help the smile that’s peaking through, as he dabs the cut on Hua Cheng’s nose with a cotton wet with antiseptic.
“Ah! Gegeee~! What is this? Why are you being mean?” Hua Cheng fakes a hurt pout. “I never thought the day would come that my knight in shining armour would turn against me and be the biggest of my bullies!”
Xie Lian gasps, “San Lang! I would never! You know I would never… right?” Now leaning in with a sad face that’s close to hua cheng, grabbing the wounded boy’s left collar with his free hand like a dog pawing at its owner.
Ah, those big doe eyes. Hua Cheng can't help but pull back his teasing when his Gege is this sincere. “Of course, I know”, Hua Cheng assured with a gentle smile. He rests Xie Lian’s chin on his index finger and rubs his chin with his thumb. “This San Lang is just teasing.”
“San Lang teases too much”. It’s Xie Lian’s turn to pout now.
“Sorry, Gege. I can't help it. You make the most adorable face when I tease you”, he snickers.
“Adorable? I’m older than you. Geges aren’t adorable. They’re strong and reliable, you know.”
“I know. But you’re all of those… and more,” Hua Cheng says with something unreadable in his eyes. Always seems like he is saying something while not needing to say anything else, leaving a blushing Gege in the wake of his words.
This is it. This is why other people call them too close for friends! Ever since they were young, they have always exchanged these naughty teases and wooed each other with sweet nothings. It has always been like this.
Back in university, Feng Xin and Mu Qing would stare at them with open mouths as they teased each other to fake pouts and win each other’s favor back with gentle nudges. In the workplace, Yin Yu turns back whenever he visits Hua Cheng’s office and catches him on his phone with a stupid grin on his face cause he knows he won’t get a single decent reply from the man while he’s texting with Xie Lian. At friend group hangouts, Shi Qingxuan would watch them with heart eyes and bug He Xuan to copy them as they put different food on each other’s plates, occasionally feeding the other with a bite or two.
“How are you two not together again?” Shi Qingxuan asks one night when the gang was playing games at Hua Cheng’s apartment on a stormy night.
“What do you mean? We’re always together.” Xie Lian answers as he picks two cards from the deck in his right hand to lay down on the table.
“This is better, Gege.” Hua Cheng whispers as he points at two different cards on Xie Lian’s right hand, while resting his chin on the other man’s left shoulder. In return, the older man leans his weight on the other’s right shoulder.
“You’re supposed to hide your cards from each other, you know?” Feng Xin states with an annoyed look on his face.
“Scared to lose?” Hua Cheng lifts his brow toward the man without moving from his position beside Xie Lian, who’s now changing the former two cards he’s holding with the new combination recommended to him.
“I’m just saying, that’s how games work.” Feng Xin responds while rolling his eyes.
“You’re not even on the same team. Don’t teach him.” Mu Qing adds.
“Look at that, the love birds are really turning into each other, Gege. They’re picking up on each other’s annoying habits.”
“Love birds?!”, a collective complaint shouted from the opposite side of the table.
“San Lang, don’t tease them. They’ll deny and try to pretend more if you push it. Just let the love birds fly freely!” Xie Lian comments, too busy studying his hand to look at the bantering group in front of him.
“Gege’s right… as always,” Hua Cheng supplies in a low whisper that’s only meant for the other.
“Of course I am.” Xie Lian winks as he turns his head a little bit to face Hua Cheng briefly.
“I mean… not that I disagree, but don’t you guys think you’re lovebirds too? You’re too comfortable with each other to be anything but, if you ask me.” Shi Qingxuan interjects but does not get a chance to be answered by the two giggling boys. Instead, she got a loud rumble of thunder that made every single one of them jump. “Eep! He-xiong, the rain’s picking up again!”
“Tsk. We should go. We’re out of chips anyway. Don't wanna get stuck here eating nothing.” He Xuan stands up, taking the last cookie on the table.
“We’re going too”, Feng Xin and Mu Qing chime in, followed by another loud rumble. “This storm is not looking good.”
At that, everyone picked up their pace and made their way out of the apartment.
“Can I sleep over, San Lang?” Xie Lian whispers as they clean the mess they made.
“Of course, Gege! I was just about to say it too. I won’t let you go home alone in this weather anyway. If I drive you home, we might get stranded on the road.”
“Yeah, I thought so too.” Xie Lian smiles as they finish the cleanup.
After clearing out the living room, they both fell into a familiar rhythm. They went to the bathroom to brush their teeth and change their clothes for bed. It’s like they do this every night, with Xie Lian already having a favorite oversized shirt of Hua Cheng he always borrows and his own toiletries in the younger man’s apartment.
“Wanna watch a movie tonight, Gege?” Hua Cheng suggests.
“Sure! Your turn to choose right?”
“Mhmm. Or we can also watch the new season of that xianxia you like?”
“Oh! That works too!”
And so they took their place on Hua Cheng’s couch and sat beside each other. Shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh. As the night went on, they got more and more comfortable and cozied up to each other. Xie Lian’s back to Hua Cheng’s chest as the taller man’s left arm is wrapped around the smaller man, a blanket over them, keeping their bodies warm. Before they knew it, they were 4 episodes in, and it was getting late in the night.
“Wanna turn in Gege?” Hua Cheng’s low voice was right beside Xie Lian’s ear, making goosebumps rise and suppressing a shudder difficult.
“Is my San Lang sleepy?” xie lian leans his head back, resting it on Hua Cheng’s shoulder, tilting his head up and towards the younger’s direction.
“Not really sleepy, but I do feel a little tired. Aren’t you tired, Gege?” His breath is now fanning over Xie Lian’s forehead as he’s now also facing the other’s direction.
“Maybe a little. I do feel like stretching my back.”
Hua Cheng didn't have a guest room. Well, technically, he does. But he turned that space into an art studio and told Xie Lian he’d clear it so that he could have a room to stay in whenever he needed to crash at his place, but it was never cleared out, and ever since Hua Cheng moved into this apartment, Xie Lian has been sleeping on Hua Cheng’s bed beside him.
It was completely normal for the two. Hua Cheng used to stay over at Xie Lian’s place when they were younger, and the latter always made him sleep beside him on his bed. For them, nothing changed even though they’re both grown men now. Sleeping on the same bed is as normal to them as having lunch together at their favorite cafe. In fact, sleepovers are one of their favorite hangout activities. They always sleep over each other’s places when they have free time, or even when they don't! They’ll simply take a longer route to work, not minding the distance between their apartments at all, because they get to have a cozy night with the other.
“San Lang?” Xie Lian asks as he wiggles closer to Hua Cheng in the dark room, under the blanket.
“Mn?” Hua Cheng pulls Xie Lian closer on his waist, enveloping him with his warmth.
“What do you think about what Shi Qingxuan said earlier?” Xie Lian wraps his arm around Hua Cheng in return, hugging his torso and burying his face in Hua Cheng’s neck.
“Which one?” Hua Cheng replies while nuzzling the top of Xie Lian’s head.
“About us being too close like we’re love birds…”
“Hmm. Gege’s thinking about that?”
“It just crossed my mind. Do you think we’re too close, San Lang?”
“Too close? If you ask me, I feel like I'm not close enough to Gege.” Hua Cheng tightens his embrace and decides it’s his turn to nuzzle Xie Lian’s neck.
“San Laaang!” Xie Lian giggles, “You know I'm ticklish. Cut it out.” Xie Lian pushes Hua Cheng’s chest with zero force, his cheeks blooming pink.
“Gege always gives me that excuse. Hmph!”
“It’s not an excuse, it's true.” Xie Lian chides.
“Yeah, yeah.” Hua Cheng nuzzles his cheeks instead. “We should've had tea before lying down.”
“Yeah, I'm feeling stuffed too.” Xie Lian sighs.
“We shouldn't have served the leftover stew you made for lunch. I ate too much for dinner.”
“You're the only one who ate it.”
“I’m the only one with taste.”
Xie Lian rolls his eyes. Whenever Hua Cheng spoke about his cooking like this, he doesn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. He feels like his San Lang is just tolerating his kitchen experiments, but he also knows he is sincere when he says he likes what he makes. “My favorite was the raspberry pie.”
“That's because it was from your favorite shop near Qingxuan's place. I saw the box. I can still smell the pie from you, you know? No wonder I wasn't able to have some, you ate it all, didn't you?” Hua Cheng’s eye narrows as he pulls back from his cheek a little to look at the man he’s cuddling.
“Nah uhh, He Xuan also had some!”
“Of course he did, what didn’t he eat?”
“Haha! San Laaang, there you go again, being a meanie.” Even though Xie Lian reprimands Hua Cheng’s remarks all the time, he adores it when the man talks like this. He thinks it’s extremely charming.
“I turn mean when I don't get to have dessert after dinner.”
“You do love dessert. How about the carrot cake? Didn't you have some of that?”
“Nah, my eye was on the pie. I can really smell it from you.” Hua Cheng sniffs his cheek, leaning close to Xie Lian’s face once again. “Pie stealer.”
“As if, I brushed my teeth, y’know.” Xie Lian swiped his tongue over his upper teeth.
Hua Cheng, as close as he is to Xie Lian's face, followed the movement with his eye easily.
“No trace of raspberries!” Xie Lian proudly says.
“Then why can I smell the raspberry from you?”
“Must be outside my mouth then.” Xie Lian licked his bunny tongue-pink lips, and Hua Cheng felt his eyes grow heavy, starting to get hypnotized by the movements of the tongue in front of him. “Oh! It must be my lip balm. The new one you gave me. It’s raspberry flavored.”
“Yeah?” Hua Cheng asks
“Mhm”
“Let me try Gege.” Hua Cheng leans a little forward, darts his tongue out, and gives Xie Lian's lower lip a tiny lick with the tip of his tongue. “Mmm, it does taste a little like raspberry.”
Xie Lian giggles, feeling a little ticklish from the feather-like doting of Hua Cheng's tongue. “You could've just asked to try on my lip balm if you wanted to know what it tastes like, San Lang.”
“I wanna know now. And I'm seeking retribution from the pie stealer.”
“It was my favorite pie. Can't blame me.”
“Hmm..” Hua Cheng tentatively licks the lips in front of him again. “Guess I'll just have to have some vicariously.”
Xie Lian giggles again. “Silly boy. That's not even the pie you're tasting!”
A gentle kiss was made on Xie Lian’s lips.
“This would do.” Their voices turned to whispers unknowingly, talking against each other’s mouths.
“I bet you're tasting something balmy right now. Probably the beeswax.”
Kiss. This time lingering a little on Xie Lian's lips.
“Not really. Tastes good.” Kiss.
Xie Lian snorts weakly, “Yeah, right...”
“I don't have to prove my case to you.” Lick. This time, more sure than before.
“Yeah, you do.” Xie Lian's eyes were getting heavy, too. “I happen to be the owner of these fruity lips, for your information.”
Kiss. “I don't really know how to prove it to you.” Kiss. “I think the only way is…” Kiss. “…if you taste it on me too.”
Giggle. “I can actually taste it a little.”
Hua Cheng kisses with more pressure. “Right?” Kiss. “We should try the other flavors too.” Kiss. “I think they have it in chocolate too.”
Hua Cheng sucks Xie Lian’s lower lip and releases it with a pop.
“Haa–”. Xie Lian breathed out, air punched out of his lungs. “No, the chocolate one is tinted.”
Kiss.
“You’ll get fudge lips? Hmm..” Kiss. “I like the sound of that.”
At this point, they were fully making out. Lips smacking against each other. Loud. Tongues going beyond lips and inside each other. Both of them were in a trance with the sensation of their warm, soft lips meeting.
“But if Gege doesn’t like that–” Kiss. “Let's stick to the fruit flavors then.” Kiss.
“I think they have a banana-flavored one.” Xie Lian responds as if he’s running out of breath.
Hua Cheng leans over, his upper body hovering over Xie Lian’s now.
“I don't like bananas.” Nip.
“..aAh– You do.” Xie Lian was panting. “You like the banana bread I make.” Kiss.
“You're right.” Suck. “I might like it in lip balm form if you wear it then.”
Hua Cheng kisses Xie Lian deeply, each one increasingly wetter and hotter than the last, their conversation left in the air. Desire is stirring between them. The room is getting increasingly warm. Their bodies are taking over the decision-making.
Xie Lian's hands found Hua Cheng's raven locks and grabbed them hard, pulling the head full of it down towards his face, as if wanting to merge two heads into one. Hua Cheng’s hands, on the other hand, were travelling from Xie Lian’s mid-thigh upward. His thumb reaches the point where his pelvis and thigh meet, scrunching Xie Lian’s loose shorts above his hands, skin on skin, sending shocks of electricity up Xie Lian’s spine, causing his whole body to jolt from the heated yet gentle touch.
They've never done this before. While they were often called too close for best friends, they've never crossed this line with each other. If they were only rational enough to be asked, they’d probably say they don't know where the confidence to touch each other came from, as if they've always known these are places on each other’s bodies that they can always touch.
Xie Lian wrapped his legs around Hua Cheng’s hips, bringing their bodies impossibly closer. They were rubbing against each other, crotches warm against the other. When did they start? They both don’t know.
Hua Cheng's hands moved further northward, passing his hand above the gathered fabric of shorts, running his thumb over Xie Lian’s hipbone towards soft love handles. The smooth expanse of skin is turning rough from goosebumps growing in the wake of big calloused hands.
In their eagerness, it wasn't long before they were feeling the signs of their climax.
While panting against each other’s mouths, Xie Lian's left big toe found the waistband of Hua Cheng's sweat pants and boxers, using it as leverage to push upward and meet Hua Cheng in the middle of their grinding, causing the fabrics to slide down, exposing half of Hua Cheng's right ass cheek. The exposure of one of his hip bones made grinding all the more pleasurable for Xie Lian, so he couldn't help but release a throaty groan, his moans never getting the chance to be breathed as they were immediately swallowed by the man above him.
Hua Cheng continues to slide his hand upward, exposing the torso underneath the borrowed oversized red shirt to the cold air. Calloused fingers touching every area of heated skin he can find. He kneads the soft skin on the small waist, the firm yet plump chest, and travels his palm around the man under him, scooping him up right under toned biceps, embracing the shaking body under him.
Not long, both of them found release as they felt each other trembling in each other's hands. The fabrics between them grow wet by the second, but neither minds.
Slumped against each other, they breathed heavily in the very little space between them, hands still caressing skin and combing hair tangled from the tangle, eyes still hazy from their activity, yet looking at each other nonetheless.
Once their breaths have evened out and stares focused on each other’s features, Xie Lian whispers, “I thought we were choosing a lip balm flavor for you.”
“Oh. Okay, then I don't want the banana. I’ll go for raspberry too.”
“Copycat.” Xie Lian bumps their foreheads together.
“Only cause I already know what it tastes like.”
Both their cheeks pinken at the verbal acknowledgement of what they did, but neither felt the need to address it.
That's always the way it was for Hua Cheng and Xie Lian. They just do what feels right to them, not thinking about labels or what other people would say. They trust each other to the bone and know that whatever the other does is done out of love. Whatever that type of love is, neither cares to define it with social constructs.