Work Text:
It took her a moment to realise that she was softly smiling as she was listening to the laughter that was coming from Mo’s room. If she was honest with herself, she had not heard her son laugh like that in ages. It was a nice change that both she and Mo needed without even realising. It was as though her heart was lighter knowing he felt happy. Sure, he was tipsy at this point, but so were his friends, He Tian, Zhan Zheng Xi and Jian Yi, the latter, together with Mo, being the loudest.
She wondered if his friends had ever seen him like that, but her thoughts were interrupted by Jian Yi’s laugher while requesting Tian to take another sip of whatever they were drinking. Allowing them to stay home, the drinking game the four were playing was simply chaos kept under control. They were going to have such a horrible hangover, but at least it was Friday, they had finished school and they could sleep in a little longer the next day. Mo's mother did not expect any of them to make it home, so in case that happened, she was prepared.
Meanwhile, behind the closed door of Mo's room, the four were dotted around the room, anywhere they could sit. There were bottles of alcohol strewn everywhere, soda and juice, from gin to whiskey to Jagermeister, beer and other experiments they suddenly wanted to try or were used to design different punishments. Four pizza boxes were shoved under Mo's desk, and the bed hosted some half-eaten plates of cake.
Leaning against the side of the bed, Mo tilted his back, looking at the ceiling. Zheng Xi had asked him something, but the question registered then was out of his mind like it had never been there. There was an empty beer bottle between them, its neck pointing at Mo, that was used as a 'wheel of fortune', but in this case for a game of 'Truth and Dare'.
“So?” Zheng Xi asked, his tone impatient as he gently kicked Mo’s foot with his. “If you could be invisible, what is the first thing you would do?” he asked again, taking the shot glass and drinking the rest of its content.
“Uhmm…,” Mo made a soft sound, pondering, “I guess sleep in class…,” he said and looked up, but for whatever reason, his eyes went to Tian, not Zheng Xi, who had asked the question.
“That’s it?” Jian Yi blinked confused. “From all the things you could do, you choose to sleep in class? Of all places? You’ll basically go to class to sleep?” he snorted while taking a handful of peanuts and starting to munch on them while sipping from his beer.
“Are we not going to talk about the fact that Mo is choosing to go to class butt-naked?” Tian raised his hand and pointed out.
“No!” Zheng Xi shook his head. “I liked it when I didn’t have that mental image in my head, thank you very much,” he grunted and stole a peanut from Yi’s hand, shoved it into his mouth and ate it.
“Priorities,” Jian Yi rolled his eyes at Tian and Mo.
“I donno…,” Mo shrugged. “Like…,” he sniffed again, “invisibility is not such an amazing power…,” he decided. “Like are what are you gonna do? Be a creepy stalker? Or… or…,” he lifted his finger to keep everyone quiet a little longer as he spoke, “right, you… break into government facilities to find their secrets? Like what? They are just going to leave top-secret documents on the table for the Invisible Man to come and pick them up?” he argued. “That’s some bull shit if you ask me…,” he pointed at Jian Yi. "Think of better questions next time,” he scolded him, forgetting that Zheng Xi had been the one with the question.
“Yes, we need a better question,” Tian agreed and leaned down, giving the bottle on the floor another spin. They had chosen that variant of the game, more or less so, as none of them had been in the mood to write down dares and questions on pieces of paper. Now the bottle spun for a bit, only stopping when it pointed to Zheng Xi.
Tian grinned while Mo and Jian Yi chuckled, both of them rubbing their hands together. “My turn,” Tian said and nodded, “Truth or dare?”
“Truth…,” Zheng Xi instantly said, rolling his eyes, but feeling his heart picking up a notch, mild fear creeping in; he did not like when Tian was asking the questions.
“Someone’s scared,” Mo sat up properly, leaned in then dropped onto his four, stretched and reached right over Tian's lap almost straddling him, lifted the lid of a pizza box and seeing still a couple of slices in, he went for one.
“I am not going to give Satan the chance to dare me,” Zheng Xi argued, but Tian remained silent, momentarily fully distracted by Mo.
“He’s gonna fuck you up regardless,” Mo said flatly, and Tian turned his head to look at him as Mo leaned back against the bed, the slice of pizza in his hand.
"Could you do that again?" Tian asked silently, swallowing hard. “Please?”
"No," Mo shook his head and just turned his attention towards his pizza slice.
"You talk an awful lot when you’re drunk, Little Mo…,” Tian sighed, still not able to look away, cursing himself for not reacting quicker then Mo had done that.
“Firstly, I’m not drunk,” Mo pointed out, lifting one finger in the air, “and secondly,” and he lifted a second finger up, “you barely talk,” Mo retorted, his mouth full. “Grow some balls, chicken dick!” he added, eyes on Tian.
“Uuuuh!” Jian Yi sniggered, “here’s an idea, next time She Li comes after Mo, let’s just let him loose, but drunk! Hammered!” he grinned. “I bet some interesting shit will happen."
“Yeah, like me getting killed this time!” Mo shuddered. “Dumbass!” he added, glaring at Jian Yi. He looked at Zheng Xi and pointed, “Give him a slap from my part,” he commented. “I’m too lazy to lean over and do it myself.”
“No!” Zheng Xi protested and instead gingerly caressed Yi’s cheek.
“See who loves me?” Jian Yi grinned, happily plonking his face against Xi’s hand.
“He has chosen truth!” Tian said dramatically, loudly, stopping Mo, Zheng Xi and Jian Yi from arguing further, his eyes turning to Zheng Xi. “Are you ready, pup?” he grinned.
“Just… fucking ask…,” Zheng Xi shuffled uncomfortably, his cheeks reddening as though he already knew what was coming.
Pressing his lips together into a thin line for a moment, Tian’s eyes moved to Jian Yi, then back to Zheng Xi, who also looked at Jian Yi, following Tian’s stare. “Would you…," he started, "let me borrow Jian Yi for a night?” he asked, but suddenly the entire room exploded.
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?!” Mo suddenly shouted slapping Tian over the head.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, Satan!” Jian Yi protested at the same time, pushing himself a little further away from Tian and behind Zheng Xi.
“You keep away from him, or I’ll strangle you!” Zheng Xi threatened Tian, placing himself between him and Jian Yi, all of them screaming at the same time.
“I’m joking!” Tian shouted over everyone, laughing, his eyes going back to Mo. “I’m joking…,” he said softer, reassuring him, catching Mo’s hand by the wrist, pulling at it gently, bringing it closer to his lips and biting it before Mo could take his hand away while frowning annoyed.
“You’re always joking!” Mo complained.
“About this yes,” he grinned, proud to have caused such a reaction in him. “Okay, the real question,” he suddenly changed the topic and looked back at Zheng Xi.
“No, you missed your turn,” Zheng Xi, pointed out. “Next spin!” he shouted wanting the matter forgotten and gone.
“Fuck no!” Tian grinned, “Scared?”
“I’m not scared,” Zheng Xi argued, showing him the middle finger.
“This can turn into a dare if you lie,” Tian probed.
Realising that it might have been the case, Zheng Xi squinted at Tian, his jaws clenching. “Fine, ask…,” he sighed, feeling Jian Yi’s hands on his shoulders, holding on to him.
“What's your biggest fear?” Tian simply asked.
“Why you always need to ask this sort of shit?” Jian Yi muttered to himself, “it’s like you’re collecting everyone ‘weak spots’ for future revenges,” he added mildly distraught.
Frowning a little confused at the rather normal question, Zheng Xi drew in a deep breath. But even if the question was simple, he realised that the answer was less so. It was not complicated, that was not even the right word. The answer was simply hard - or rather - hard to accept. What he missed at that moment was not the answer to the question but the courage to actually say it.
Oddly enough, he had been debating a lot on that issue lately. He was aware that his reticence towards a fully honest relationship with Jian Yi could eventually spell trouble. How long before he would break his heart completely, and Yi would want to go, leave behind the hurt and the person who had caused it. He had not fully admitted that to himself, let alone to everyone else… especially to Jian Yi, that he - in fact - was afraid of losing him, as a friend and as a lover.
“So is this a dare after all?” Tian grinned seeing Zheng Xi’s reluctance to answer.
Flinching slightly, Zheng Xi swallowed hard, his eyes going to Tian, “You can be such an asshole,” he muttered.
“Remember, no lying…,” Tian insisted, ignoring the insult. “You cannot expect us to be truthful, and then you chicken out when it’s your turn,” he argued.
“Yes,” Mo suddenly added and nodded firmly, his arm wrapping around Tian’s shoulders as he leaned against him fully, his eyes on Zheng Xi.
Grunting annoyed, Zheng Xi swallowed hard and sighed. He glanced at Jian Yi who was now looking at him, all focused if not a little concerned. “Biggest fear is losing Jian Yi…,” he said silently, quickly lowering his eyes not being able to look anyone in the eyes.
“What?” Mo asked, barely hearing him, so he leaned a little towards him, pulling Tian with him, or more like using him to keep his balance.
“I said!” Zheng Xi repeated, but louder, “my biggest fear is losing Jian Yi!” he shouted now. “Happy?!” he added, eyes going to Tian, annoyed with him.
“Extremely!” Tian grinned in return, briefly eyeing Jian Yi who had turned white as a sheet, then slowly red.
“That’s so… expected,” Mo made a disappointed face and shrugged, shifting and sinking back against Tian. His head was swimming from the mix of alcohol, beer, gin and some vodka, but it was not enough to not allow him to think clearly. Though, whatever inhibition he had up until that moment, it was now out of the window; the same went for any filter he usually applied for his thoughts and words.
But while everyone was talking about everything and nothing, tipsy-arguing, Jian Yi stood silent, his eyes fixed on Zheng Xi, who kept his back on him. He remained motionless for a bit, then seeing him still doing or saying nothing, Yi inched a little closer. He reached out, his hand resting on the back of Zheng Xi’s head, then went up as he ran his fingers through his hair. Of all the things Zheng Xi could have come up with, he had said that, and the moment he heard it didn’t feel like Yi’s heart had skipped a beat but stopped completely.
He moved even closer, his other arm wrapping around Zheng Xi’s stomach as he glued himself against his back, hugging him from behind. Usually, Zheng Xi was the one who would comfort him like this, but this time Jian Yi had felt that Xi needed him instead. He leaned his chin against his shoulder and his head against Zheng Xi’s, a soft smile on his lips. “You tease and scold me so often…,” he said quietly, speaking only for their ears, “but then you go around saying things like that…,” he sighed softly, feeling a soft warmth spreading through him, “and then you expect me to not fall for you even harder…,” he let out a silent, shuddering breather.
“It’s not like I don’t know I should not be so harsh…,” Zheng Xi whispered, his hand resting on Jian Yi’s now. “It’s just—,” he started but stopped and remained silent. ‘Excuses,’ he thought, everything he wanted to say now were excuses, just his fear speaking again.
Leaning his forehead against Zheng Xi’s shoulder, Jian Yi pondered for a bit then sniffed. He really wanted to know the rest of what Zheng Xi wanted to say, but he realised that like so many other things before that, he was going to have to wait. “The only way you can lose me…,” he started speaking, “is if you tell me yourself to go away…,” he said and smiled as he looked up.
“Then if I ever tell you that,” Zheng Xi immediately answered, without a second thought, a mild ache instantly swimming in his stomach, “be stubborn and don’t go,” he said and raised his hand, his pinky finger up.
Making a small sound, Jian Yi reached up at once and tightly curled his pinky finger around Zheng Xi’s, a big smile on his lips. “Promise!” he said happily and leaned more against Zheng Xi until he made him complain about how heavy he was.
“Are you two done?” Mo blinked and reached down for the bottle as he finished eating his pizza slice.
“Shut it, Redhead!” Zheng Xi glared, but evens so, he still didn’t let go of Jian Yi.
“Predictable,” Mo muttered and made the bottle spin. He watched it stop pointing at Jian Yi, so he instantly grinned. “Truth or dare, fuzz-head?” he asked and waited.
“Dare!” Jian Yi grinned.
“Uuuuh, danger, danger!” Tian snorted. “Someone’s feeling mighty tonight!”
“I’ve been energised!” Yi chuckled, grabbing Zheng Xi’s beer bottle from his hand and taking a sip.
“We gotta come up with a good one then,” Mo added. “He’s being adventurous,” he sniffed, looking around for the gin bottle but deflated the moment he saw it empty.
“He’s expecting us to dare him to do something to Zheng Xi,” Tian commented as though he knew why Yi felt so 'energised.'
Hearing Tian, Zheng Xi momentarily froze, then turned his head and briefly glared at Yi who grinned in return. “Why are you talking about us like we’re not even here?” he argued, turning his head back and snapping his fingers at Tian and Mo, who was completely ignoring them.
“Predictable,” Mo said again, disappointed, then eyed Jian Yi, “but challenge accepted,” he suddenly said, his gaze momentarily going to Zheng Xi. “I dare you…,” Mo started, pointing at the two like he had a magic wand in his hand and was about to cast a spell.
“Make it hard, finish them!” Tian encouraged him while chuckling, gently patting Mo’s arm that was wrapped around his shoulders.
“It’s gonna be an easy one,” Mo went on, holding Yi’s gaze. “So… I dare you… to let go of Zheng Xi and not touch him for the rest of the night!” he said proudly.
Mouth falling open, not believing what Mo had just said, Tian started laughing even harder and louder as Jian Yi and Zheng Xi instantly started to complain and argue with him, loudly and very seriously at that. “That was fucking evil!” he said and looked at Mo rather proudly. “We gotta get you drunk more often!” he decided.
“Satan!” Jian Yi hissed at Mo. “Beast, Father of Lies, King of the Bottomless Pit!” he shouted. “Son of Perdition! You two deserve each other,” he angrily added, briefly pointing at Mo and Tian, then clung to Zheng Xi even tighter.
“I trusted you, Mo,” Zheng Xi said, disappointed. “That was a low fucking blow…,” he nodded, his hand going over his shoulder and grabbing Jian Yi’s t-shirt, pulling him even closer to him. “But I refuse!”
Covering his face with his hands, trying to hide his laugher, Mo whizzed before he fell to the side. “You two are so fucking stupid… just fucking confess!” he sighed as he tried to push himself up but felt Tian hovering over him. “Get off me!” he complained and pushed Tian so he could sit up again. “But seeing you have refused the dare, you need to comply with the rules,” he grinned.
“Groooooss…,” Tian laughed, briefly throwing Mo a glance before sitting up again, eagerly grabbing two glasses, the Jagermeister bottle and the jar of mayonnaise. He heard Zheng Xi and Jian Yi complain, probably both contemplating their choices, but in the end, the two remained glued to each other, fear and resignation etched on their faces.
Watching as Tian was preparing the drink, Mo happily rubbed his hands together. ‘Smoker’s Cough’, that was what Tian was making. It was an unfortunate mix of Jagermeister and mayonnaise. All one needed to drink that unique shot was some Jagermeister in a glass and a spoonful of mayonnaise. It was a horrible thing to taste and feel, the textures of the two and the flavours, were a very wretched combination, and that was the punishment one underwent if they refused to answer a question or execute a dare.
“Don’t throw up on my carpet!” Mo warned the two as Tian was handing them the shot glasses.
Making a disgusted sound, Zheng Xi took the glasses and handed one to Jian Yi. It did not occur to either of them that only Jian Yi needed to pay the price, yet Tian had prepared two. It was Mo who was about to point it out, but Tian covered his mouth with his hand just as Mo wanted to speak up, so now the two other idiots clinked their glasses and drank in one go the content.
Shudders, more complaining, coughing and desperate need for beer issued just moments later as the two almost threw the glasses at Tian. Some wild cursing followed and even more laugher from Tian and Mo, but Zheng Xi and Jian Yi remained unmoved, clinging to each other, tears in their eyes. Feeling like he had aged ten years, Zheng Xi reached out, shuddered, then finally spun the bottle. “I’ll get my revenge, Redhead…,” he sniffed, feeling Jian Yi nod behind him.
“You’re both dumb, though,” Mo said, but without giving them an explanation.
“Revenge!” Jian Yi hissed and pointed.
The bottle stopped, its neck pointing at Tian and the other three let out a long ‘ooooooh’ as though they had been waiting for that moment.
“Me! Me!” Jian Yi raised his hand as though he was in school.
“Why am I the one to pay for Mo’s sins?” Tian complained.
“No, you’re just the weapon,” Jian Yi waved him off before quickly turning to Zheng Xi. They started whispering between each other for a bit, nodding now and again, while looking at Mo sometimes.
“So truth or dare, Tian?” Jian Yi suddenly asked.
“Dare!” he grinned but was suddenly kicked by Mo, repeatedly at that. He caught his foot by the ankle and pulled him closer, smiling widely. “You can always drink a Smoker’s Cough with me,” he grinned at him.
“You heard him,” Mo pointed at Jian Yi while taking to Tian, “you’re just the weapon, it’s your dare, but I am going to be punished for it when it’s not even my turn!” Mo kicked Tian again with the sole of his other foot, “dog-shit!”
“Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Tian chuckled and caught his other leg as well.
“We know!” Zheng Xi suddenly raised his hand as they had reached a decision.
“Why are you teaming up for this?” Mo argued.
“Cause the Satan rubbed off on you from him,” Jian Yi pointed out, throwing a glance at Tian, then at Mo, then Tian again. "It's only fair!"
“So what is your dare? Tian sighed as though he was tired of waiting.
“We dare you…,” Jian Yi started, dramatically at that, “to marry Mo!”
“What?" Mo instantly protested. “NO!" he shouted, "that’s not even a fucking dare, you asshole!” he pointed at Jian Yi.
“I’M IN!” Tian raised his hands in the air, “Let’s get married, Little Mo!” he enthusiastically shouted, more than happy to comply.
“Not this again,” Mo sighed, feeling exasperated.
“Again?!” Zheng Xi asked a little confused. "When did this happen before?"
“You stay out of this!” Mo shouted at Zheng Xi while pushing Tian away from him. “Stay put!” he warned him as though he was a dog.
“I’ll take that dare any day,” Tian calmly said as he looked at Jian Yi and Zheng Xi.
“Well, Mo seemed scared enough,” Jian Yi nodded at how the events were unfolding.
“I’m not marrying anyone!” Mo shouted again. “I cannot marry!!!” he struggled as he was pushed down, Tian hovering on top of him.
“Why?” Tian asked, his expression suddenly turning serious as he looked at him.
“Because…,” Mo swallowed hard, thinking just as hard, “I cannot marry… anyone who…,” more pondering, “my mother doesn’t approve of!” he shouted, his chest rising and falling as he tried to breathe calmly.
There was a moment of complete and total silence, then Tian, still not moving from where he was, just reached for the bottle and spun it. The bottle spun under everyone eyes, all of them watching it focused, thought, unluckily for Mo, it stopped pointing at him.
“Are you fucking joking?” Mo muttered, and tried to reach the bottle with his hand and make it spin again. “This is some major bull shit,” he shouted, but his eyes went back to Tian as he felt his hand squished under his. “Don’t you fucking dare!”
“So it’s a dare?” Tian grinned.
“That’s not what I said!” he shouted again, wanting to kick him, but Tian caught his leg now, pushing Mo’s knee down just as it was about to hit his groin.
“I dare you to ask your mother if she would approve of me marrying you!” he said and grinned widely.
“What?!” Mo stopped kicking and fighting, his eyes on Tian. “Are you insane?”
“You refuse the dare?” Tian sniffed and briefly glanced at the bottle of Jagermeister and jar of mayonnaise that were on the floor right in front of them.
Following Tian’s eyes to the ‘revenge kit’, Mo shuddered then swallowed hard, pondering his options. “Fine,” he gritted his teeth and pushed Tian off him.
“Oh, boy…,” Jian Yi smiled, rubbing his hands together.
Straightened up, feeling his ears burning and cheeks reddening as he smoothed out his t-shirt, Mo cleared his throat, “Maaaaa!!!” he suddenly shouted, making Jian Yi flinched. He wanted to stand up, ready to go and get his mother, but just as he sat up, the door to his room opened.
“Yes?” she smiled, calmly so, looking at her tipsy son as though nothing had happened. Tian was right behind him and she expected him to be grinning or at least laughing, but he was regarding her in silence, eyes big, face concentrated like a little pup waiting for his first command. “Did you call me?” she said and waited, pretending she had not heard the shouts, the dares, all the questions and everything the four had been talking about since the game had started.
“Yes!” Mo said firmly, “tell this idiot…,” and he pointed at Tian, “that I cannot marry him because you don’t approve of this marriage!” he nodded.
“But I approve,” she said instantly and watched as everyone’s face dropped. She wanted to laugh, especially because of Tian’s face, who suddenly looked like he had been bestowed with the holiest of gifts.
“What?” Jian Yi asked, slowly followed by everyone else, tiny, quiet ‘whats’ coming from each and one of them, repeatedly so.
“Mom!” Mo said, swallowing hard, “you…,” he tried to speak, not daring to look at Tian.
“You mean to say you don’t like him?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“That’s not the point!” he suddenly exploded. “I’m too young to get married!” he complained, raising his hands into the air, exasperated.
“That you are," she agreed "so…,” and she now looked at Tian, “my only condition is for you two to wait and be sure about it,” she shrugged now, "marriage it's kind of a big deal and commitment,” she added, but Tian was wide-eyed looking at her, nodding very firmly. “You hurt my son, I’ll rip your heart out and make you eat it before you die,” she added, serenely smiling.
“Yes, ma’am!” Tian nodded, sitting straight as a soldier in front of their general.
“Mom, that’s a bit creepy…,” Mo made a soft sound, “appreciated, but…,” he swallowed hard, feeling slightly scared. He looked at Tian, but the idiot was firmly nodding at her as though he had just taken the request extremely seriously.
“Lovely,” Mo’s mother nodded now, “that’s all…,” she added, and her eyes turned to Mo, feeling a little disarmed as she had not expected that reaction from Tian. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my soap operas,” she smiled even wider now and briefly eyed each and one of them, holding back another chuckle as she quickly closed the door and left them alone.
She heard Mo shout again, Zheng Xi and Jian Yi bursting out laughing, while Tian was awfully silent until a louder, very decisive and serious ‘marry me!’ covered all of their voices. She drew in a deep breath wondering how long until Mo was going to introduce Tian officially as his boyfriend or something, anything but 'chicken-dick' or ‘dog-shit' and other odd combinations that only her son could come up with.
Now everything made more sense; the running to him every time Tian was in trouble, the bites and hickeys Mo would get on his body, the constant talking about him. It mattered little what others would think of him if Tian was the one who could make her son happy and Mo was the one who could do that, too, for Tian, she had no business standing in their way… neither her or Mo’s father. As far as she was concerned, the kids had their support, so sitting down in front of the TV, she grabbed the remote, a soft smile on her lips while listening to the laugher coming from the other room.