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"Ah, no new quests? What a shame," Su Muqiu says with no small amount of disappointment as he scrutinizes his screen.
“New quests? Today?” Ye Xiu asks, slightly intrigued. "What’s the occasion?”
“It’s Pocky Day,” Su Muqiu reminds him. “Look they even have flyers for it in this cafe! You didn't see them earlier?”
Ye Xiu lost interest as soon as the word pocky came up, already directing his focus back to the game. "Why would Glory have quests for that?”
“Just because you don’t have an interest in it doesn’t mean other people don’t care. Every event can be made into an opportunity!” Su Muqiu scoffs, reaching a hand out to mess with Ye Xiu’s hair.
Ye Xiu swats it away. “You just want more materials. And isn't it supposed to be for… lovers or something? Wouldn't it make single dogs in-game upset?" he wonders out loud.
Su Muqiu is quiet. "You do realize that includes us too, right?"
"Oh? You care about something like this?”
"I wouldn't say no to free snacks," Su Muqiu shrugs, not rising to the provocation.
"You'd give them up to Mucheng," Ye Xiu says lightly.
"But pocky sticks usually come as a box…" Su Muqiu says, a hint of longing in his voice. “There will be enough for us to split if we get one— but it’s useless to buy something like that, right? And they’ll be absurdly overpriced today!”
He says nothing more on the subject, truly engrossed in playing now. However, Ye Xiu’s attention has been diverted.
He doesn’t remember the last time Su Muqiu openly expressed the desire to have something in such a manner. Any extra money he earned was carefully saved away, any self-indulgent spending was always for his younger sister.
There’s a little change in one of the pockets of Ye Xiu’s pants. He doesn’t have to think twice before making a decision.
-
Later, in their now shared room, Ye Xiu presents a package to his friend.
"Huh, what's this?"
"What do you think?" Ye Xiu grins.
It’s amusing to watch how Su Muqiu’s eyes grow round with surprise. "... pocky?” The surprise melts into confusion. “Where did you get this?"
"Someone passed it along for you, back in the cafe. They were too embarrassed to face you directly… and then ran away before I could get their name."
Su Muqiu turns heads wherever he goes, Ye Xiu didn’t have to try very hard to come up with a believable lie.
But with the incredulous look that Su Muqiu directs at him, it’s apparent that he doesn’t buy it. “You seriously expect me to believe that?”
“It has happened before,” Ye Xiu reminds him.
Su Muqiu takes the box from Ye Xiu's hand and studies it closely, shaking it as if suspicious of a prank. His eyes suddenly light up. "Oh, it’s a flavour I have always wanted to try!"
A smile tugs at the corner of Ye Xiu’s lips. "Really?"
"Yeah! And so did Mucheng— she’s going to be so pleased when she gets home.” Su Muqiu answering smile stretches wide and unrestrained and it warms the pit of Ye Xiu’s stomach— before Ye Xiu registers his words. “And if that person doesn’t want me to know who they are, I won't feel bad about giving this to Mucheng either.”
"... all of it?" Ye Xiu asks, a little hesitant. "You said you wanted to try it”
“But Ye Xiu just imagine her expression when we present this to her!” Su Muqiu’s smile is so intense now, Ye Xiu is forced to look away.
“Just take one?” he suggests, voice forcefully casual. “I’m sure Mucheng won’t mind.”
Su Muqiu considers this. "Well someone did buy this for me… Ye Xiu do you want to try one too?” He offers the box to Ye Xiu.
Ye Xiu shakes his head. "I don't care for sweets."
"Liar." Su Muqiu opens the packet and takes out a stick, waving it in Ye Xiu’s face. "C'mon, we can share."
Ye Xiu: "...?"
"Don't you know how the game goes?” Su Muqiu says, a teasing lilt in his voice. “First one to back out does dishes for the rest of the week!"
They were going to do this?
Ye Xiu inches back, alarmed. "Not interested," he says, a little too quickly. “Su Muqiu, don’t make trouble.”
"You're chickening out? You?” Su Muqiu taunts.
Ye Xiu frowns. "This is pointless. Just hand it over if you don’t want it.”
"No, I got these as a gift,” Su Muqiu says smugly. “If you want a taste, do as I say!”
“What are you, five?”
Su Muqiu shrugs and bites a corner off. "Your loss. Oh, the flavour is really good… I wish I knew how to describe it. It's heavenly.”
He munches happily and makes it a point to hold Ye Xiu’s gaze.
"Su Muqiu…" Ye Xiu says helplessly. "Just leave a piece for me at the end if you care so much about it."
"That's not the point of pocky!” Su Muqiu shakes his head. Some of his hair falls over his eyes, but Ye Xiu can still see them clearly, shining with challenge. “You either go through with it, or stay a chicken! I’ll tell Mucheng when she gets back, she’ll have a good time laughing at you."
"Alright," Ye Xiu says, knowing he’s sealing his fate but unable to back away in face of that look. "Alright."
-
"Give up," Su Muqiu mutters, crunching furiously after he bites off another piece. The distance between their mouths is gradually decreasing. Ye Xiu can now feel warm breath over his face when Su Muqiu leans in to take another bite.
"Never," he says, or tries to. He’s the one holding the stick between his lips so it comes out a little garbled.
Once Ye Xiu has committed to something, he isn’t the one to back away. The only drawback is… Su Muqiu has an equally competitive spirit and no desire to give in.
If Su Muqiu doesn’t relent, their mouths will surely end up pressing together at some point.
Ye Xiu should feel alarmed by the prospect, this isn’t what he intended to happen when he stayed behind in the internet cafe, so he could buy pocky from a vendor without Su Muqiu's knowledge.
But as Su Muqiu leans in yet again, Ye Xiu can’t help wondering…
There’s barely any pocky left now. Su Muqiu still looks determined. Ye Xiu’s brain helpfully shuts itself off as Su Muqiu inches closer.
Anticipation bubbles under his ribs. Then there’s a crunch as a piece of pocky is broken off again.
“... How much do you have left? I think we ended up with equal parts,” Su Muqiu says disappointedly.
Ye Xiu blinks his eyes open. “I still have some in my mouth. Aren't you supposed to try and take that?”
Su Muqiu just stares at him. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“I don’t know, but doesn’t that mean I win?” Ye Xiu says, munching and swallowing the last piece in his mouth. Su Muqiu was right, he thinks. It really is delicious.
Victory always tasted good. Ye Xiu isn't disappointed by the outcome. Not at all.
“Hey, that’s not fair! Neither of us leaned away!” Su Muqiu protests.
“Not my fault if you don’t know how the game is played,” Ye Xiu says, unconcerned. “It’s not like we have any other way to settle it.”
“Maybe we do,” Su Muqiu says. To Ye Xiu’s surprise and no small amount of shock, he leans in a final time and this time doesn’t pull away. There is no pocky left for him to chew off, what was he trying— oh.
Just when their lips are an inch apart, Su Muqiu pauses and gauges Ye Xiu for his reaction carefully expecting to be pushed away before he crosses this final line.
But Ye Xiu’s eyes have already fluttered shut again and his mouth is slightly parted, giving Su Muqiu easy access. It’s hard to resist after that.
Su Muqiu carefully slots their lips together, pressing the briefest and gentlest of kisses against Ye Xiu’s mouth. He doesn’t close his eyes, still waiting for a reaction.
Ye Xiu inhales a deep, shaky breath but still makes no movement.
“Alright, then,” Su Muqiu whispers, echoing Ye Xiu’s words from earlier and throws caution to the wind. One of his arms wind around Ye Xiu’s waist to tug him closer as Su Muqiu pulls him in for a proper kiss.
The pocky box lies beside them, forgotten.
-
“Does this mean I win?” Su Muqiu asks once, as they pull away, gasping for air.
“On what basis? I already swallowed the remaining pocky.”
“But you still tase of… mmph!”
-
“Brother, did you get these for me?” Su Mucheng says with no small amount of delight, not minding that the box presented to her has already been opened once and is one stick short.
“Ye Xiu bought them,” Su Muqiu says, ruffling her hair. “You should thank him.”
“I—” Ye Xiu attempts to clarify but Su Mucheng has already thrown her arms around him.
“You knew?” He hisses to Su Muqiu later as they both watch Su Mucheng happily munch away at the treats.
The twitch of Su Muqiu’s lips betrays his amusement. “You just confirmed it. Too embarrassed to face me directly, huh?”
“... shut up.”
“Brother, Ye Xiu,” Su Mucheng calls to get their attention. “I can’t eat these all alone! Do you want a piece?”
Su Mucheng wonders if she said something wrong when both boys are visibly startled by her words.
She watches their faces curiously for a moment, seeing their cheeks tinged an identical shade of pink.
Well, she shrugs, popping another stick in her mouth. More for herself.