Chapter Text
Mu Sicheng waited restlessly at the bus stop, fingers half-frozen from the cold— Armand had agreed to meet him there, despite the winter having just reached its lowest temperatures of the year. His monkey headphones pulsed with sound, but their main purpose was to keep his ears from falling off in the bitter cold, his hair already dusted with snow.
He was shivering a little, the light jacket he’d put on nowhere near enough insulation, but it would be fine— he generally didn’t go out and stay out much in winter, so he didn’t have any heavy down jackets, especially considering their cost.
Suddenly, his phone screen lit up, and he checked it— a message from Armand.
[Armand: Mu Sicheng, if you’re waiting outside in this weather, don’t.]
[music: There’s nowhere nearby I can stay QAQ]
[Armand: If you’re too cold, we should change the meeting place.]
[music: I’m fine]
[Armand: Alright then. I’ll arrive in five minutes, if you can wait that long.]
Mu Sicheng: What’s five minutes, I’ve already waited half an hour!
He put away his phone, rubbing his hands together and breathing on them to warm up, shifting his stance for the rest of the five minutes.
Finally, a car turned onto the road, stopping next to where he was standing, and Armand stepped out of the opening door, frowning. “Your jacket’s too light. You should’ve worn a warmer one. Come in, Georgia’s waiting at my place. Did I make you wait long?” He caught Mu Sicheng by the wrist, pulling him into the vehicle. “Your hands are so cold.”
“Mmmm,” some part of him wanted to loudly protest how long he’d waited, but it’d been his fault anyways— he’d come a full twenty minutes early, even after being told traffic was a nightmare and Armand would be late. “Not really.”
The prince hummed doubtfully and reached over to close the door. “It’s a long ride and the car’s heated, you might want to lose the coat.”
Mu Sicheng laughed, sloughing off the jacket and putting it on the seat, then leaning in closer to his—
boyfriend?
“You know, my first love was a girl, my classmate. I never thought I would like a boy in my life.”
Armand tensed slightly. “Hm?”
“Yuan Qingqing…” he sighed. “It was very natural, at that time. She was the first one to treat me like a person and not a psycho kleptomaniac, but then… she died, the same way as Liu Huai. She never liked me back, either, and we… and I… moved on, eventually.”
The other wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I see.”
“Hm.” He sighed again. “Sorry, I messed up the mood, didn't I?”
“No, don't be sorry. It's fine. I just— I don't know what to say.”
Another quiet hum, then silence.
Then—
The monkey’s eyes were drooping shut in the warmth— he shivered slightly as the hot air hit his bare skin—
“Hey, are you sleepy?” Armand remarked, half incredulous.
Mu Sicheng huffed, secretly rather glad the tension had been broken. “There’s a test soon, so I have to study. And when it’s not studying, I have to train for the league— I haven’t slept in two days.”
“Hmmm.” Armand breathed out a huff of air, the sound coloured with a tinge of amusement. “Stupid.”
He harrumphed, pressing closer and wrapping himself around the other's arm, already warm from the heating, slowly nodding off. “Don't shoot me, Vice Captain.”
“…Why are you leaning on me?”
Mu Sicheng tried not to feel embarrassed, responding defensively with, “What, I'm not allowed to? You already said we're together.”
“I did, didn't I? Fine, you can lean.”
Mu Sicheng had fallen asleep only a few minutes into the ride, and had been doing so for almost two hours. At some point, he’d shifted so his head was in Armand’s lap and he was lying down across the seats, occasionally making noises or shifting in his sleep.
Armand didn’t want to wake him up.
Clearly, he needed the rest.
The watery winter sunlight fell through the window onto Mu Sicheng’s face, filtering through his lashes and leaving fine lines of shadow under his eyes, the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed jostling his monkey headphones with every movement.
He wanted to reach out.
He didn’t dare startle him from his slumber.
Mu Sicheng shifted again, making an unintelligible noise, and the driver turned around, slowing the car. “We're about to arrive, will you be waking up your companion?”
“It's fine,” he responded, almost entranced. “Just keep driving. I'll arrange it.”
Armand reached into his pocket for his phone, careful not to disturb the other's rest, and snapped a photo to send to his brother.
[Armand: Ge, can you come down to meet us? We are two minutes away]
[Georgia: Oh, why?]
[Armand: I'll just carry him, but I won't have free hands to open the door.]
[Georgia: OK]
He shut off his phone, putting it back, then shifted in preparation to lift him up as the car came to a stop in the driveway.
His brother waited for him, opening the door with a flourish and a light in his eye. “Do you need help?” he asked gently, though the laughter in his tone was hard to disguise as Armand alighted, Mu Sicheng in a princess carry in his arms.
He shivered at the sudden onset of cold air, instinctively holding the other closer. “Ge, can you help me with the doors? I'll put him in my bedroom.”
“Of course,” the Crown Prince replied, eyes crinkling into crescents as he held the front door open for Armand to pass. “I'll tell Bai Liu not to contact Mu Sicheng for some time and to go through you instead, or else I fear he'd be woken up. Hold on, I'll get his jacket from the car if you can hold on.”
Armand scoffed. “Of course I can.” He slowed his breathing slightly anyways, regulating it so he wouldn't be tired out as he entered, kicking off his shoes.
Georgia disappeared out of view for a bit and came back with the red-and-black hoodie Mu Sicheng had been wearing over the T-shirt he had on. “There's just this? Isn't this a bit…”
“Too light, yes,” Armand responded, continuing through the next door and up the stairs. “Help me with my room door?”
After passing through, he laid Mu Sicheng on the bed, gently taking off his shoes and placing them neatly, then covering him with the blanket. “Thanks, gege.”
Mu Sicheng turned over in his sleep, reaching out with his hands trying to grab at something as he hummed.
A small vocalisation left him, like a child's cry, almost heartbreaking, and Armand instinctively sank down to sit by his side. In that moment, however, Mu Sicheng caught his shirt and tugged with a force surprising for a sleeping man.
With a sigh, Armand too lay down, freezing for a second as he found himself being enveloped in the other's embrace before at last melting into the hold.
It was… not discomfiting, the way they slotted into each other's bodies, and he found his eyes drooping shut as well.
But he wouldn't fall asleep. He'd just… rest for a second.
Georgia peeked into the room, praying to whatever gods existed that his brother wasn’t making out with Mu Sicheng, and was elated to notice that they were not, in fact, doing the down and dirty. Instead, they seemed to be… sleeping? Armand looked at peace in a way he hadn’t seemed for years, and anyways it was good for him to get some rest. For both of them.
He left the room with a smile on his face, closing the door quietly behind him as he headed down to prepare food for when they both woke up.
After all, in this country, the host cooked.