Work Text:
Da Qing leans against the sun-warmed brick wall across the street from the cafe. He is not nervous, he tells himself, hands jammed into the pocket of his overalls, because this is not a date. This is just coffee. The cafe isn’t even one of the romantic ones that real Dragon City locals know, the ones tucked around corners in Old Town or near the waterfront.
It’s just coffee. And maybe a pastry. And of course he’ll pay because he is Da Qing, King of Cats, and he is a gentleman.
It’s not a date, he reminds himself as he catches sight of Li Qian, sunlight bathing her in gold as she makes her way down the street to him. It’s not a date, and they are friends. Just friends. He is absolutely, positively sure they are just friends, right until she is standing beside him.
“Good morning.” Li Qian smiles and slips her hand in his. She kisses his cheek. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”
“I’ve been waiting forever,” he says, “and now you’re here.”
Li Qian studies him a moment before smiling again. “I am.” She steals a kiss, and he gives her another, and it isn’t a date, it is a beginning.