Work Text:
A date. That’s what He Tian had called it. The offer had been presented in passing, as if he’d just asked if Mo did last night’s math assignment. No way he’d heard correctly, not over the chattering of the busy hallway, other students hurrying to class. However when the question was repeated he felt his throat dry up, mind working frantically, reaching for some smart reply.
“What nonsense are you talking now?”
He busied himself at his locker shuffling stray papers, stacking his books. He refused to turn and face He Tian because he knew his composure would fail. It always did, evident in the flush of his cheeks, the press of his eyebrows, twist of his lips.
It meant facing those feelings that made his stomach drop, his heart flutter, feelings he stamped down and tried unsuccessfully to ignore.
He Tian pushed his locker door closed so they were face to face, crowded him against it. “I said, let’s go ice-skating this weekend.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t need to be that complicated Guan Shan, it’s either yes or no.”
Complicated tended to work in his favor so he hadn’t answered, didn’t have a chance to. The bell had rung like a saving grace giving him an excuse to slip off to class, bide his time. By that afternoon he’d forgotten the matter entirely.
Yet Saturday had easily come around, announcing itself with a soft rapping at his bedroom door.
“What?” he’d called irritated, pressing his cheek further into the pillowcase, body burrowing deeper into the warm cavern of his sheets.
He’d left his balcony door open last night and the cold that drifted in settled over him in waves.
An answer still hadn’t come and Mo could feel himself drifting, if it was important he was sure his mom would have let herself in. Shifting to his side he let himself slip back into the gentle confines of sleep.
Around noon, hunger forced him to brace the cold path to the kitchen, rubbing at the sleep gathered in the corners of his eyes.
He grunted in response to his Mother too drowsy to comprehend, yanking open the fridge to scan its contents. Retrieving some juice from the top shelf he uncapped it and took a long drink directly from the cartoon.
Something in his peripheral caught his eye and he turned, curious, only to spit the mouthful of juice, spraying his immediate area.
“Guan Shan,” his mother said sharply, shaking her head before tossing him a kitchen towel.
He caught it loosely, had to grab at it twice, still coughing up the liquid lodged in his windpipe. Bracing himself on the counter he pointed, convinced it was too early to be trusting his own eyesight.
“What is he doing here?” he gestured wildly at their kitchen table where He Tian sat.
“He’s been waiting for you,” she said moving to clear He Tian’s plate from the table.
“I’ve got it,” He Tian insisted, rising and carrying the plate to the sink to wash. Smug smile on his face.
Guan Shan watched him in disbelief, before crossing his arms in annoyance. ‘Look at this bastard strutting through his house like he owned the place, touching their sponge, using their dish soap!’ He mentally racked up the offenses.
“I’m surprised you even know how to wash dishes, I always have to do it at your house.” Mo seethed.
“I’ve learned a thing or two from observation,” he winked. Mo clenched his fists, talking himself off the ledge. His mom was here, He Tian had a good reputation, be cool. He whispered it harshly as He Tian and his mom laughed at a joke.
“You never answered my question,” Mo interrupted “What are you doing here?”
He Tian pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. “You wound me Mo, you can’t have forgotten that we agreed to go ice-skating today, remember?”
“No, we didn’t,” Mo said through his teeth, bending to mop up the spilt juice. Fuck he’d forgotten that conversation. “We didn’t agree to do anything. I never said yes.”
“So, you do remember then.”
“So, what?”
“So, let’s go.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Yes, you are,” his Mom cut in. “You didn’t just have him wait here for two hours so you can change your mind.”
“Two hours!? What have you been doing for two hours? Why didn’t you wake me up?!”
“I tried but you didn’t answer, then we got caught up looking at your baby pictures…”
“I’m surprised you weren’t actually born with that scowl on your face.” He Tian chuckled.
“Mom whyyyy?” Mo moaned.
“Because you were adorable and I like to show off what I made.”
“Please stop,” he dragged a hand down his heat flushed face.
The tips of his ears were still aflame when they reach the skating rink but they cooled instantly upon entering the building.
The rink thankfully wasn’t too crowded when they arrived, less chances of someone from school seeing them. Though in all honestly given his close proximity to He Tian lately even if someone saw it’d be nothing new. He Tian hanging off his shoulder had become a common scene throughout the day at school. He was painstakingly difficult to shake, seemed to cling tighter around Mo the more he struggled. With these cold weather months, he would admit the extra body heat was nice and He Tian tended to be warm like a furnace.
They stowed their trainers in a shared locker and changed into their skates.
Mo ignored He Tian’s emphasis of “Our locker.”
Out on the ice Mo was a natural. He had skated this rink multiple times, usually with his mother. First being guided as a kid, later supporting her as she grabbed onto him for stability when he set a fast pace.
They were memories he was fond of and put him at ease, a nice reprieve.
“What are you smiling about?” He Tian teased when Mo had lapped the rink back to their starting point “Thinking about me?”
Mo looked at him blankly, wondering why he hadn’t gotten out on the ice yet, just lingered in the entranceway.
“What’s with you? You’re the one that wanted to come here to begin with.”
He Tian shuffled awkwardly, gripping the rinks wall tightly as his feet slid back and forth trying to find his balance.
“I haven’t done this in awhile,” he admitted.
“So, you’re telling me you invited me out here but you can’t event skate,” Mo scoffed.
He Tian shrugged, pushed off the wall, over calculated momentum making him bend back at the waist then snap forward, overcompensating.
“Shit!” Mo said, instinct overtaking him, diving forward, tucking an arm under He Tian’s, wrapping it around his back to steady him. A tense moment passed where it seemed like they’d both fall before Mo rights them.
“Be careful!” Mo panted, wiping at the sweat beading at his brow in spite of the cold.
“Are you saying,” He Tian stumbled, snatching at Mo for purchase “you care about me?” He grinned up at him, a hand wrapped tight in his jacket, dragging out the ‘me’.
Mo contemplated dropping him but they’d signed a safety waiver before being allowed access to the rink.
The minute shifting of their bodies carried them toward the center of the rink, stuck in a continuous revolution as He Tian still struggled to gain his footing.
Mo used the side of his blade, nicking into the ice to bring them to a halt, breath heavy with exertion.
“Look,” Mo said formulating a plan, we have to get you off to the side or you’re gonna make both of us fall.
“No I’m not,” words barely off his lips before he slid heavily to his knees, legs splayed beneath him.
Mo prayed for strength.
With some sketchy maneuvering he was able to get He Tian back on his feet to attempt a beeline towards the nearest wall. It’s not just the distance itself that has to be considered but bypassing oncoming patrons.
Taking a deep breath he addressed He Tian, refusing to make eye contact.
“Put your hands on my waist,” he instructed.
He Tian looked taken aback. “What?”
“If we’re going to get both of us ‘safely’ to that wall” he pointed, “I need you to listen to me.”
“Okay.”
As they adjusted position, Mo couldn’t ignore the lingering touches of He Tian’s hands as they moved down his shoulder to his waist, which of course he gripped beneath Mo’s coat. They lit up his skin even through his sweater.
“You fit perfectly in my hands,” He Tian mused in his ear.
Mo couldn’t answer if he wanted to. He felt a flush creeping up the back of his neck that He Tian confirms.
“Are you warm?” He Tian whispered, breath tickling his ear “Even though it’s so cold in here?”
Mo shivered.
He shook his head trying to focus. “You ready?” he called over his shoulder.
“Ready.”
Mo dug in a skate and pushed off lightly, easing them into the movement. It took a second for He Tian’s body to catch up, delayed momentum docking him against the curve of Mo’s ass. That in itself was incentive enough to get Mo moving, embarrassed at how well they fit. He tried to keep his brain from considering other angles in which that position worked. He pushed off again, a smoother transition as he shifted his weight to his other foot, now easily towing the other boy behind him. He could imagine how ridiculous they looked, and if He Tian wasn’t so clearly awful at skating he’d think it had been a set up. They slowed to dodge a patron zipping by them aimed for an opening in the rink to step off the ice.
Everything ran smoothly until they reached the opening. Mo stepped easily over the lip of the rink, but He Tian collided with it unaware.
A sharp intake of breath behind him was the only warning he got before time slowed. A moment in which everything seemed magnified, but he could do nothing to stop it.
He Tian crashed headlong into him, hands grabbing wildly to avoid the inevitable. They grappled for a bit, Mo trying to support both their weights, but he went down and it would’ve been comical, if his hands weren’t full of Mo’s jacket.
He Tian hit first, yanking Mo down on top of him, legs tangled.
When Mo opened his eyes they were a hair’s breadth apart. He immediately propped himself up on his elbows to put distance between them, but an arm curled around his waist anchoring him in place.
“I knew I could get you to fall for me,” He Tan said, looking winded but otherwise okay.
“Did you hit your head on that fall, you nutcase, let go!”
“Why? Let’s stay like this for a bit, I’m kind of dizzy. And you’re warm…” He at least had the decency to look sheepish despite their indecent position, tangled up in each other arms. The corridor they’d fallen in looked like it was rarely used, sports equipment and boxes lined the walls. They probably wouldn’t be disturbed.
“Fine, but only for a few minutes.” Mo conceded.
“Thanks…” He dropped his head back and Mo could see the quick rise and fall of his chest. They were quiet for a bit, the silence comfortable, but then there was a nudge between his legs as He Tian bent his knee upward sliding Mo forward so their hips aligned.
“Hey!” Mo sputtered, struggling. “What the hell!”
“This position is better,” He Tian laughed.