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Zhou Zishu has a problem.
His best friend is gay. Wait, no, actually THAT’s not the problem. They’ve been friends practically forever, even if they didn’t see each other for twenty years. Once they met again at university and reconnected over terrible cafeteria food and a shared library table, it was like puzzle pieces clicking into place.
They just fit. Even though they’re so different.
For one thing, Wen Kexing is gay as fuck and Zhou Zishu is comfortably straight. Wen Kexing dates a lot and sleeps with whoever he feels like. Zhou Zishu doesn’t date, period, but he will occasionally pick up a girl at a bar and go home with her for a few hours.
Wen Kexing likes to make a major production of getting dressed up, even if it’s just for class. Zhou Zishu dresses solely for his own comfort, and according to Wen Kexing, he looks like a douchebag frat-bro. Zhou Zishu thinks Wen kexing dresses like a pretentious asshole, but who is he to judge?
Wen Kexing enjoys fancy restaurants and Zhou Zishu prefers hole in the wall noodle joints.
Wen Kexing is in the band and Zhou Zishu plays basketball.
Zhou Zishu thinks that he’s average looking. He also thinks that Wen Kexing is one of the most beautiful men he’s ever met.
And therein lies the problem.
Because:
#1 Zhou Zishu is straight! It’s just that Wen Kexing is objectively beautiful! Literally any random person would say the same. He has big dark eyes which can inflict major damage when he decides to use the ‘poor me puppy eyes’. His lips are shaped like a perfect bow, and normal people do not have lips that color! Oh, and he’s fucking ripped. Zhou Zishu has not been checking out his best friend (except when he kinda does) because that would be weird right?
#2 Wen Kexing definitely is not interested in anything serious, and has never been. He flirts like a beast, and he specifically flirts with Zhou Zishu and he’s straight! Every once in a while Wen Kexing will play fight with him and somehow Zhou Zishu is always the one pinned against the wall. The last time, Wen Kexing had stared down into his eyes and pressed his wrists into the wall. Then, all at once, he’d released his arms and walked away laughing over his shoulder.
#3 But really, #2 doesn’t even matter because Zhou Zishu doesn’t even LIKE dating.
The awkward coffee and tea meet ups. Trying to even figure out if they're into him. All of it is just so-UGH. So terrible. It’s always a relief to say goodbye and come home to their shared apartment, where he can actually be himself, frat bro clothes and all.
It’s so much better to hang out with Wen Kexing. Wen Kexing likes to cook, and Zhou Zishu loves to eat. They watch movies, and play Minecraft and talk about everything.
Except...Wen Kexing never talks about his dates. Like, never ever. The last few times Zhou Zishu asked Wen Kexing got all uptight and deftly changed the subject. Zhou Zishu can’t exactly get upset about that because it’s not like he’s any better. Wen Kexing sometimes asks about his dating prospects and mostly Zhou Zishu just shrugs, and says no, I haven’t met anyone. He has never clarified that he’s really not looking because why do you have to look for something when you already know where it is?
Look, Zhou Zishu is not a homophobe! It would be fine if he was gay, it’s just that he’s not. And YES, Lao Wen, bisexuals exist (™) but he’s never been attracted to anyone else. Wait, he meant men. He’s never been attracted to any other men. How can he be bisexual if he’s only attracted to one guy? Not that he is, anyway. It’s normal to think your best friend is the most beautiful person in the world right? He can’t help it if that’s a fact.
So Zhou Zishu thinks about all this on the bus home. Once he lets himself into the apartment, he eyes the small kitchen where Wen Kexing is not, and then he further eyes the living room where Wen Kexing and his favorite coat which he throws everywhere, are also not.
Sighing deeply, Zhou Zishu trudges to his bedroom, dumps his backpack and keys on the chair in the corner, and flops face first on the bed. He checks his phone, and nope, no messages since this morning.
He turns his head to the side so he can keep breathing. Wait, hadn’t Wen Kexing mentioned something about dinner tonight with a friend? Ugh. That’s usually code for ‘going out to get laid.’ Zhou Zishu would never object to it if he brought someone back home, even though he hates to admit it would absolutely bother him. The thought of having to lay here and listen to someone else-...no.
That just validates his straightness though. What straight man wants to listen to his best friend have gay sex? He can’t help it if the thought of someone else touching his Lao Wen makes him want to decapitate someone.Really not his fault!
He needs alcohol for this, he decides, and goes to open some wine. He stands there in the kitchen, thinking. It’s Friday, he can sleep tomorrow, Wen Kexing clearly has his own plans, he should just settle in and get wasted. He takes the bottle and a glass and carries it back to his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.
He pulls the internet on his laptop and scrolls through instagram for awhile. Wen Kexing has uploaded a new picture, and Zhou Zishu scowls at it. Wen Kexing, some doofy looking guy, his little sister and his Aunt Luo are all sitting around a table looking happy.
He doesn’t bother expanding the picture to look for any details, he has seen enough! No, he decides, his plan of getting drunk is a good one. It shouldn’t take too long, anyway, especially because he hasn’t eaten since lunch.
After his third glass of wine, he’s feeling a little fuzzy but otherwise fine. Eventually, he hears keys in the lock, and the sounds of his best friend arriving.
“A-Xu?” His footsteps sound in the hallway and then he’s swinging the door open without knocking. His eye brows are furrowed. “Why are you lying here in the dark?” He leans over and spies the half empty wine bottle on his night table. “Drinking a whole bottle of wine?”
Zhou Zishu plays it cool, and says, “Nothing’s wrong,” and then realizes Wen Kexing hasn’t asked him that at all. He watches Wen Kexing wander in. He picks up the wine bottle and holds it up to the light. “How was dinner?” he asks.
Wen Kexing blinks slowly at him. “It...was fine?” He puts his hands on his hips. “Seriously, are you okay?”
Snorting, Zhou Zishu starts to realize he might actually be a little drunk already. Wen Kexing looks really good. He’s in a teal silk shirt, with a wide black belt and black pants that hug...everything. “I like the teal,” he says.
That wipes the concerned look off Wen Kexing’s face, and gifts him with the wide dimpling smile.
“You’re so-” Zhou Zishu stops, eyes wide.
Laughing, Wen Kexing pulls a face, making his eyes wide “What am I, A-Xu, tell me.”
Tipping the glass back, Zhou Zishu finishes his glass of wine, then wipes his mouth with his sleeve. “You know what you are,” he says accusingly.
Wen Kexing looks hurt. “A-Xu?”
Okay, no, he’s not allowed to look like that. He’s not allowed to have hurt feelings when all Zhou Zishu wants to do is tell him how beautiful he is. Really, he doesn't understand why he’s standing there looking stunned, everyone knows he’s gorgeous. It’s like, a basic fact. Like math.
“Math…” Wen Kexing sounds puzzled. His hands are fluttering in front of him, before he clasps them together.
“Yes!” Zhou Zishu tells him, “Exactly! Because math has circles, and squares...oh, and lines.” He nods seriously. “You,” he points, “are a circle and I am a line.”
Wen Kexing sits down at the end of his bed, giving him a mystified look. “I’m a circle.”
“Mmn.” Zhou Zishu says. “And I’m a line.”
“Is this your second bottle? How much have you-”
“A straight line,” Zhou Zishu clarifies.
“A straight line,” Wen Kexing echoes softly.
“Lao Wen, you’re gay, right? So you might know this. What do you call someone who is straight but is attracted to one man? That’s not gay, right?” Zhou Zishu should have done this before. Of course Wen Kexing will know the answer.
Wen Kexing looks down at the comforter for a moment. He holds up one finger. “You’re asking me...about a straight man who is attracted to another man?” The line is back between his brows.
“Just the one,” Zhou Zishu says, relieved. “See Bisexual people are attracted to women AND men. Not just one man.”
“But you,” Wen Kexing says, eyes locked on his, “Are attracted to one man?”
“Yes,” Zhou Zishu tells him, “And it’s driving me crazy!”
Wen Kexing bites his lip. “What if...what if you told this person you like him?”
“Why would I do that?” Zhou Zishu says, putting his wine glass down with a clink, then flopping back on his pillows. “He could have anyone, why would he want me?”
Silence.
Silence.
Zhou Zishu opens his eyes to find Wen Kexing’s mouth dropped open, like he’s completely shocked. “What?”
Shock turns to anger. “What do you mean why would he want you? Of course he wants you!”
“You don’t know that,” Zhou Zishu says, annoyed. Like how the fuck?
“Zhou Zishu,-”
Oh shit, he must really be pissed-
“Anyone with working fucking eyes wants you, seriously, what the hell?” Wen Kexing is leaning forward. “How long have you had this low self esteem and I just never noticed-oh, my God.” He stands up and paces around. He turns around when he’s near the door and looks back. “A-Xu, tell me the real reason you don’t go on dates.” He crosses his arms over his chest like he means business.
Shaking his head, Zhou Zishu scowls. “I hate dating. All I can think about is coming home and hanging out with you. Why would I want to go on dates when you’re home?”
Wen Kexing climbs on the bed and lies down next to Zhou Zishu. “A-Xu.” He takes a deep breath. “What if...what if you went on a date with me?”
But Zhou Zishu laughs, and it’s an ugly sound. “You like pretty boys.” He turns his head to look at his best friend and...is he blushing?
He’s also nodding. Wen Kexing says, “I do.” And looks him up and down meaningfully. “I’ve been telling you for years, A-Xu, but you don’t…” he presses his lips together. “But you don’t ever believe me.”
Needing some time to process this, Zhou Zishu protests, “You’re sleeping with every one else!”
“Hey!” Wen Kexing says sharply, then pinches the shit out of Zhou Zishu’s arm.
“Ow, you asshole!”
“Don’t slut shame me, and anyway, it’s not nearly as many as you think.”
They lay there on the bed just looking at each other, Zhou Zishu rubbing his shoulder, and Wen Kexing glaring a little.
“Will you even remember this tomorrow?” Wen Kexing asks, staring into his eyes.
“Uh, yeah, I’m not that drunk.”
Snorting, Wen Kexings says, “No, of course not. My mistake.” After a few minutes, he adds, “Getting back to your question, you’re definitely not gay, probably somewhere on the bisexual scale.”
“Bisexuals Exist ™,” Zhou Zishu says dutifully. “Are you sure, though?”
Wen Kexing’s entire face softens. “Positive. Would you like to practice being bisexual, by kissing a man?”
“That depends,” Zhou Zishu tells him.
“Mmm? On what?” Wen Kexing asks.
“On who it is.”
Wen Kexing reaches over and draws a strand of Zhou Zishu’s hair away from his eyes. “What if it’s me, A-Xu?”
Zhou Zishu can’t help himself, and drops his gaze to look at Lao Wen’s beautiful mouth. “Okay,” he says, and then-
Large hands cupping his face, soft lips pressing against his mouth, and oh, Wen Kexing smells good, and Zhou Zishu wants to know how he tastes, so he flicks his tongue over Lao Wen’s bottom lip, and then-
His entire body goes hot when their tongues meet. He can’t help moaning into Wen Kexing’s mouth, because it’s so obvious in retrospect, he’s wanted this, he’s wanted this for so long- And he’s learning too, learning how Wen Kexing likes to be kissed, that he likes it slow and deep, he’s learning that Wen Kexing wants to touch him all over, and he is so okay with that but maybe not tonight, because-
Zhou Zishu wants this, he wants all of this, forever.
Wen Kexing pulls back a little, still hovering close, lips nearly touching. “We are so lucky you got drunk tonight,” he says, those pretty lips curving up. He steals a quick kiss, and then snakes his arms around Zhou Zishu’s back, pulling him closer. Zhou Zishu allows himself to be tugged, and settles in snugly, pressed against Wen Kexing’s very firm chest, and slips a leg in between his. “My A-Xu, a cuddler. Truly I would not have guessed.”
Zhou Zishu tightens his arms and tucks his face into Lao Wen’s neck. “Only with you.”