Work Text:
1)
“Which brand of chips do you like, Yifan?” Yingjie held up the two bags. “I don’t have any preference, what do you want?”
Yifan, busy glancing over at all the drinks, shrugged. “Whatever you like, Yingjie.”
“Yifan, I asked what you wanted.”
“But I don’t care.”
Yingjie groaned. They had become rookies on the team together, but they hadn’t really talked much outside of practice. Even during the training camp, they had barely spoke— different classes, different training times.
But now they were roommates! They should become friends, right?
“But I don’t care either, so it’s up to you.”
“Yifan…” Pouting, Yingjie tossed both of the bags into the cart. “We’re using captain’s money anyways. I’m sure he won’t mind?”
“Wow, how devious of you,” Yifan laughed, also grabbing some coffee and sodas. “Anything else?”
Giving the cart a once over, Yingjie replied, “No, I think that’s it. We have sweet junk, salty junk, and what’s this? More junk! Did anyone have any specific requests?”
“No. I think we’re good.” Pausing, Yifan added, “Unless you had any specific requests, Yingjie?”
“I’m fine. You?”
“There’s kind of been something I’m craving, but we can’t really buy it here.”
“Oh?” Yingjie deftly took the cart from Yifan’s hands and began to push. “What is it? Is there a specific store? We have time.”
He wanted to spend as much time as he could, out here. Practice was stuffy. Every expectation on him was just another weight on his chest, and there wasn’t anyone his age to actually talk to— except Yifan.
“No. Just missing my mom’s cooking.”
“Oh… That’s sweet, what kind of food?”
“She makes this really, really amazing chicken congee.” Yifan smiled wistfully. “Every time I was sick, or sad, which was a lot of the time, she would make it for me. I’ve been craving it for a while now, but even when she helped me, I was never able to get the taste just right.
“Hmn.” Yingjie had no idea how to continue the conversation. He needed to work on his conversation skills badly.
“Sorry, did I make the conversation weird? My bad, Yingjie. Let’s pay and head back. I need to work on my assassin more. If I get better,” Yifan nudged Yingjie with his shoulder, “then maybe I can support you better. Isn’t that right, future captain?”
“Hey! That’s just a rumor. There are a million more witches in the training camp.” He pouted. “But, you know what?”
“What?”
“If I’m going to be the future captain, then you’ll have to be my vice-captain.” He glanced over to Yifan, who had a raised eyebrow and a somewhat confused smile. “Listen. Everyone else is old and stuffy. Who else would want to support me? And hey, I’ll be there to support you as well. So, let’s lead Tiny Herb together!”
“Wow. What a speech.”
“.... Is it a yes or a no?”
“It’s a yes.”
2)
“Give.”
“Huh?” Startled, Yifan stopped mindlessly drinking and glanced up from his phone. “Give what?”
Gao Yingjie stuck out his hand. “I want some.”
“You have your own.”
“I do.”
“Fine.” Pouting in return to Yingjie’s expectant gaze, Yifan handed over his cup. “You might want to be careful, though. ”
“Why should I be careful? Mhn—” He took a large sip and choked, coughing into a napkin laying on the table. “ Wow. That’s—that’s really sweet? What the heck?”
Yingjie turned to look at Yifan, whose eyes were bright and full of mirth.
It took his breath away, and suddenly his dying tastebuds didn’t seem to matter anymore.
“Sorry, I—” Yifan did his best to suppress his laughter. “Sorry, it’s just what I like. Do you not like it, Yingjie?”
“I like sweet things, but this is less sweet and more like you decided to drink liquid sugar. How are you even still alive?”
“Honestly?” Yifan gingerly grabbed the drink and took a sip. “I have no idea.”
3)
Really, Yingjie hadn’t wanted to watch a movie at all, let alone some Western romance film. But Yifan had looked so hopeful, and he couldn’t remember when the last time was that they had actually gotten to hang out.
Day after day, he drilled with Wang Jiexi, and every night he was too tired to do anything but sleep. And even on the days that he wasn’t quite so busy, Yifan was off in his own world, playing Glory.
It made him a bit uncomfortable.
Definitely, it was a terrible thing to think. But to him, even worse was the idea that Yifan might not need him— if Yifan had even needed him in the first place. The idea of them, not sticking to each other in the future, not together— it scared him.
Yifan didn’t need him as much as he needed Yifan.
But, as they lay here, Yingjie could forget that. Together they squished onto his bed, laptop settled gently onto half of their laps. The bed was barely even comfortable for one person, let alone two, and they made do by practically pressing themselves together.
The movie was a basic romcom. The acting was subpar, the jokes were over-the-top cheesy and predictable, but at that current moment, none of that mattered.
The most important thing was that Yifan enjoyed himself.
The ways that his eyes lit up at each corny joke, or how he tried to hold back his tears at the fifth misunderstanding between the protagonist and her rich CEO boss who just, for some reason, couldn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas.
“Yifan?”
“Yes, Yingjie?” His eyes didn’t leave the dimly glowing screen.
“We’re best friends, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. That’s all.”
4)
“So.”
“Sooo….” Yifan leaned over, closer to the screen.
“How is it over there?” Yingjie replied back. They were separated by two computer screens and thousands of steps, but there was this still this aura of tension that he felt like he couldn’t escape from.
“It’s fine. I mean, I’m doing really, really well. Captain Ye Xiu has been complimenting me a lot recently.” Yifan beamed, and suddenly, everything became better and worse all at once.
“Really?” Damn, Yingjie, at least spice up the conversation a little.
“Yes! I’ve been learning a bit more map strategy. I’m having Luo Ji— you know, the summoner on my team— help me out with this neat little trick. Maybe I’ll have the chance to show you one day.”
“Oh. Yeah. I’d like that.”
“And what about you, Yingjie?” The tone of Yifan’s voice suddenly became more muted, and Yingjie tensed up.
“It’s been fine.”
“Just fine?” Yifan tilted his head. His roommate, the one with the glasses—Yingjie couldn’t remember his name— came into the room at that moment, and the two began to chat. He couldn’t catch the entire conversation, and he honestly wasn’t too sure if he wanted to.
It felt like an hour before Yifan turned back to him.
“Sorry, just discussing tomorrow's schedule. So, what have you been up to, Yingjie?”
“Nothing, really. Drills. You remember.”
Yifan laughed, but quieter than he had before Wenyi— the name had finally come up— had entered the room. “Yes. I do remember. It hasn’t been that long.”
No, it hasn’t, but every second I’m not with you feels like an eternity.
“Mhn.”
They sat there, Yifan in his bed and Yingjie at his desktop, in a somewhat comfortable silence.
“I miss you, you know,” Yingjie almost couldn’t catch him with how quiet he was. “Sometimes, when I wake up, I think I’m still at Tiny Herb and that you’re just across the room. In fact, I’m a bit scared that someday, in the morning, I’ll call Wenyi by your name and that he’ll tease me forever for it.”
“I—” Suddenly, everything Yingjie wanted to say, every pent up word, felt like it was all going to come out.
“Goodnight, Yingjie. I have to sleep soon. Busy day tomorrow.” He laughed again, but suddenly it felt hollow. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Goodnight to you too, Yifan.” But by the time Yingjie had finished his sentence, his friend had already logged off.
5)
“Yifan!” Yingjie burst through the door slowly, a steaming bowl nestled between his hands. He nudged the door shut with his foot, before placing the bowl down beside Yifan’s bed. “How are you doing? Are you okay? How long have you been sick for? I would have visited earlier, but I had no idea that you were even back, let alone unwell—”
“Yingjie.” Coughing, Yifan righted himself up from where he laid slouched on the bed.
“Yes? Please don’t talk too much, I know your throat hurts really badly. Here, stay still and I can feed you, if you’re feeling too weak—”
Yifan sent a glare his way. Yingjie shut up.
“How did you even get into my house?”
“Oh!” Yingjie smiled, the shine and brightness too much for Yifan’s weak heart. “Your mom let me in. I’ve actually been here for the last….” He glanced up at the clock. “For the last three hours?”
“Excuse me?”
“Yeah, I went out shopping for stuff with your mom. We made you…” He held up the bowl, which was steaming slightly less than before, “congee! Since you’re sick, I mentioned it to your mom, and we went out and bought the ingredients together. Your mom helped, ”
“Wait.” Groaning, Yifan rubbed his temples. “Since when have you been hanging out with my mom?”
“Uh, since you first joined Team Happy. You know, your mom’s food really is the best.”
“Yingjie, it’s been over a year and neither of you have told me this?”
“Sorry. Anyways, congee?” While his words were apologetic, his face was anything but, and he brought the spoon to Yifan’s lips with an amused smirk. “Open up!”
“....Oh.” Eyes going wide after taking a sip, Yifan glanced over to where Yingjie had suddenly gone still.
“Sorry, was it bad?” Bringing the bowl to his lips, Yingjie took a tentative sip. “I don’t cook too often, so I wasn’t too sure. Does it need more salt? Or maybe I should have added more ginger— Yifan? Yifan, what’s wrong? Is it really that bad?” Placing the congee off to the side, Yingjie knelt down to brush away the few tears off of his friend’s face.
“No, nothing like that. It’s just…” Yifan paused, as if grasping for words that didn’t exist. “You’ve grown a lot, Yingjie.”
“It’s to be expected. It’s been a long time, after all.”
“That’s true. But at the same time, I feel like I haven’t gotten as far as you have.”
“Yifan, you shouldn’t say things like that anymore. You’ve done so much. You’re a part of a championship team, you’ve beaten so many experts, you’re an expert yourself, really—”
“Not— Not anything like that, Yingjie. Don’t worry about it.” Yifan broke into a soft smile, one that made Yingjie’s heart flutter. “I’m fine. Actually, better than fine. Thank you for the food.”
“Oh! Oh, good, you like it then.” Yingjie smiled back. “I’ll make it whenever you want me to.”
“Anytime?”
“Anytime.”
Everyday, if you want me to.
6)
“Yifan?”
“Yes, Yingjie?”
They walked through the park, following a small path lined with trees. The wind rustled the leaves, and with every step Yingjie found it harder to breathe.
Really, there were no words that could describe everything that was going through his mind. What are the words you use to tell someone that the fact that they’re even alive makes this world a better place. That with every smile, with every gentle laugh, every soft word of encouragement, your day becomes a little brighter.
… Those were the words, but the feeling was just simply more.
For Yingjie, it wasn’t just something as simple as love, or necessity.
It was just… how he felt about Yifan.
“I care a lot about you.”
“I sure hope so.” Yifan laughed, and suddenly, Yingjie could say a bit more.
“When I say I care a lot, I mean I care a lot about you, Yifan.”
“Oh, Yingjie…”
“There aren’t enough words in any and every language for me to explain how I feel. I don’t even know if there’s enough time in the universe for me to explain. But, I hope that somehow, you understand—”
Yifan grabbed onto Yingjie’s hand, and suddenly the entire world had stopped around them. “Yingjie, you don’t need to say anymore.”
Tightening his grip, Yingjie only continued on. “I want you to understand that eventually, I will find the words. And I hope, even at that time, if it’s in five minutes, five years, five decades later, you’ll be here to hear them.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Yifan?”
“I’ll be here to hear every word you want to say.”
Bonus:
[Yanqi]: okay so finally!!! after!!!! years!!!! Yingjie and Yifan are finally together!!!! :celebration:
[The Littlest Lu]: .... they are???
[Qiying]: They're not officially together yet.
[Tang Hao]: they're not officially-officially together but considering who we're talking about, they've essentially gotten married and on their honeymoon
[sus]: hUH
[sus]: WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN????
[Yanqi]: they posted a picture together holding hands~
[sus]: but that's normal???
[Yanqi]: but the vibes!!! the vibes are different!!!
[sus]: doubt
[The Littlest Lu]: ok boomer
[sus]: how in any way was that an appropriate response i literally did nothing
[Qiao Yifan]: .... what
[Qiu Fei]: congrats :)