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“You know you may lose him if you don’t say something to him.”
“How can I say something to him? How does he feel? I have no idea, and if pushed he may just go along with it because it would ‘make you happy.’”
“Still, you should tell him how you feel about him.”
“The time is not right.”
All Zhao Yun Lan could do is sigh and say, “I don’t want you to regret it.”
Looking at his hands, Chu Shu Zhi simply stated “I won’t”, mentally crossing his fingers and hoping to god it was true.
~~~
That Chu knew his own feelings toward Guo Chang Cheng was a given, but he had no idea what his real feelings actually were for him. Yes, he knew Guo admired him, was in awe of him and even a little afraid of him. But did his feelings for his “Chu ge” go beyond that? Go where he'd love to lead him?
It was getting harder and harder for him not to show Xiao Guo how much he cared, how much he loved him and how much he wanted to, well, at least kiss him. He didn’t want to pressure him into something he didn’t want. Who knew what went on inside that head of his?
~~~
After the conversation with Yun Lan, he fixated on the words “you may lose him”. Lose him? To whom? He knew Guo was adorable, sweet and, if he were pushed, sexy. But he didn’t think other people saw, when they looked at Chang Cheng, anything more than a gawky, slender young man who was kind but shy. Who was coveting what was his?
“Chu Ge! Let’s go get some food!” He bounced up to Chu Shu Zhi like a puppy greeting it’s beloved owner. “Chief Zhao has a craving for noodles but doesn’t want to leave the office in case Professor Shen shows up. He specifically asked for noodles from the stall on the other side of town, which is weird because he said he always loved the noodles from the stall on the next street…”
Chu glared at Zhao’s office, knowing full well just why Yun Lan had suddenly developed a craving for “across town noodles”. If looks could kill, the SID would be advertising for a new chief tomorrow.
~~~
As they made their way, he noticed how many people stopped Guo to chat, and not always so innocently.
“Guo Chang Cheng, you haven’t called me!” came the complaint from a young man as he reached out and grabbed Guo’s arm playfully. “I thought we could catch a movie together one night.”
Blushing, he said that he’d been too busy with work, hadn’t had time to call or go out.
Chu flexed his hand into a fist and casually gazed at the handsome young man. “He won’t be getting time off for a while, you should maybe call someone else.” At that, he put his hand on Guo’s shoulder and steered him away from the other person.
“But Chief Zhao said that I’d get a day off at least once a week….” he said, puzzled.
“There are more cases, time off suspended for now!” snapped Chu. “Okay, pull back on the scary a little,” he thought, looking at the expression on Guo’s face. He sighed.
“Let’s go get noodles, Xiao Guo.”
~~~
Noodles bought, and having dodged several other people whom he considered potential – not “competition”, but there it was – they arrived back at the office.
Guo volunteered to deliver the food to Zhao. And didn’t come back out.
He could see him through the glass, attempted to catch their attention, but nothing. He remained inside office, now with the blinds drawn. “What the fuck?”
A few hours later, he received a text from Guo:
“Working on something with the Chief and Professor Shen, leave without me.
They said they’ll buy me dinner. See you tomorrow!”
A very annoyed Chu left for the night.
~~~
Around midnight, his phone chimed with a message. He hoped it was a reply to all the ones he had sent Guo – “Where are you?”,“Did you get home?”, “DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS??”
Opening up the message, he read:
“Come pick up Guo Chang Cheng, he’s not feeling well. This is the address.”
Slamming the door behind him, Chu took off down the street.
~~~
“CHU GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ‘Kiss me! Kiss me with your mouth! Your love is sweeter than wine! But wine is all I have! Will your love ever be mine???’” Guo slumped over the table, giggling to himself.
Looking at both Yun Lan and Shen Wei with murder in his eyes, he growled “What. The. Fuck. Did. You. Do. To. Him??”
Yun Lan help up his hands defensively and said “Nothing! We did nothing! He just had to drink every drink that was sent to him by other tables because, and I quote, ‘it would be rude not to’. There were,” he coughed, “quite a number of drinks sent his way.”
“IT’S EIGHTIES NIGHT!!!!” Guo cackled. “‘KISS MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!’”
Shen Wei, Yun Lan and Chu Shu Zhi looked like they’d rather be anywhere else but at the same table as a drunk Guo.
“Lao Chu, can you please take him home? We have something we need to get to...” Ears pinking up at Yun Lan's words, Shen Wei couldn’t meet Chu’s eyes.
“Seriously?!?! You’re leaving me with him because you have a date?”
~~~
Guo bopped down the street still singing “Kiss Me” at the top of his lungs.
“WILL YOU PLEASE STOP!” shouted Chu. Every single time he sang “kiss me”, that’s all he wanted to do. Because a drunk Guo was adorable, sexy and, god help him, flirty. He stroked his fingers up Chu’s arm, pulled on his clothes and batted his eyelashes at him. He didn’t know whether to haul him into his arms and kiss the hell out of him or stay as far away from him as possible. A drunk Chang Cheng is definitely off limits.
“Kiss me, Chu Ge!”
“Nope.”
“But whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?” Guo spread his arms and twirled around.
“Because you’re drunk.” He explained slowly, watching him twirl.
“No, I’m not.”
Chu snorted. “Yes you are.”
He stopped twirling, stood in front of him and said, “No. I’m not.”
Chang Cheng stared hard into his eyes. “Chief Zhao told me that you had feelings for me, but were too ‘cowardly’ - in the Chief’s words - to say anything. He thought that maybe, as he put it, you’d lose me to someone else.”
It was his turn to snort. “As if that would happen. I’ve known for a long time that I felt more for you that just friendship or brotherly affection. So…”
He stepped forward, right up against Chu Shu Zhi's chest, cupped his face with his hands and said, “'Kiss me. Kiss me with your mouth, your love is sweeter than wine. But wine is all I have, will your love ever be mine?’”
“It has for a long time, dumbass.”
Chu grabbed and kissed him with every ounce of love and passion he felt. Guo returned the favour.