Chapter Text
The music is too loud, and the sounds weigh heavy on Shen Qiao’s sweaty skin. Because the heat, Gods, the heat. Too many people crammed up in a too small space, dancing bodies pressed together too tight until one doesn’t know if they’re breathing fresh air or the breath of another.
Well, not fresh air, there’s nothing fresh in here.
First, Shen Qiao thinks “What the fuck am I doing here?” Then, instantly “Did I just swear?” Followed by “Oh Gods, did I just say fuck? Did I just say it AGAIN? Did I say that out loud?”
“Yes, you did.”
Oh, so he did.
“What’s a beauty like you doing here all alone?”
Shen Qiao squints, trying to discern the features of the person that just approached him, but the darkness is too thick, and the strobe lights so bright that they leave him seeing white spots when they flash.
“I am not alone” He says. “This place is full of people.”
The guy laughs, and it’s not exactly pleasant. Kind of…sticky. Actually yes, this guy has a sticky laugh.
“What’s that even supposed to mean, eh?”
“I apologize, for some reason it seems that I have lost control of my mouth.”
There’s the laugh again, and the guy is suddenly very close. Too close for Shen Qiao’s liking. He takes a step back, but his back pumps against the wall, and that’s it, that’s as far as he can go.
“I have plenty of ideas about what you can do with that pretty mouth of yours.”
Shen Qiao giggles. He knows it’s bad manners to laugh at people but he can’t help it, the sounds just spill like water through an open faucet and he’s unable to stop.
“I’m sorry” He apologizes, in between giggles “. I don’t mean…it’s just… does that really work for you? I am not expert in… flirting, but it did not seem very…effective.”
And suddenly there’s a hand in his chest, gripping the front of his shirt and yanking him forward until he can feel the hot, heavy breath of the guy in his face.
“How about we see how effective it is?”
In any normal circumstance, Shen Qiao could have easily shaken him off. He’s the strongest in is martial arts class, even if his delicate appearance doesn’t show it. Any other time, this guy would be in the ground by now. But tonight…. well, Shen Qiao’s reflexes are not as sharp as they usually are, and, even weirder, he finds the whole situation so incredibly funny that he doesn’t even attempt to do anything other than giggle.
“What the fuck are you laughing at?”
“Your terribly sad attempts at picking him up, probably.”
Oh. That’s a different voice. And what a voice.
Shen Qiao will never admit it, not even to Bai Rong or Zhao Chiyin, but he has a thing for voices. He loves to listen to people who have nice voices talk. The reason his grades in history back in high school were so good was mainly because their teacher had a beautiful voice and Shen Qiao was enraptured in every class. Even now, fresh out of his third year of college, he often listens to podcasts about things he doesn’t particularly care about, just because he likes the voices of the people speaking.
And well, there’s this voice, the one that just spoke and sounded so incredibly close, he’s surprised he didn’t notice someone approaching. Well, not really, his mind is fuzzy and he can’t stop giggling, so it kind of makes sense that he didn’t notice.
“That was mean.” He manages to say in between giggles.
“Not at all.” The voice of the newcomer says again. “I can be quite mean, but right now I was merely stating a fact.”
The other guy -the one who, up until a moment, had a vice grip on Shen Qiao’s shirt, turns around, and something must happen, then, because his back goes impossibly stiff, and he takes a step back, almost bumping into Shen Qiao, and whatever retort he had ready dies in his lips, and what comes out is a strangled sound more suitable for a dying car engine.
“You” He squeals “. I don’t… I didn’t…”
“Scram.”
It’s a command. The voice is hard and solid, and it sends a shiver down Shen Qiao’s spine. The first guy disappears into the mass of bodies just as fast as he had arrived, and Shen Qiao’s left standing there, blinking at the darkness, trying to force his sight to focus on the person now in front of him. Why is his sight so blurry? He’s wearing contacts, it shouldn’t be so blurry. Maybe it’s because it’s too dark and the lights are flashing too bright, they’re about to give him epilepsy.
The voice laughs. Oh, what a laugh.
“Did I just say that out loud?” He asks, finally focusing on the figure standing before him.
It’s a man… not a guy, buy a man, with broad shoulders and dark hair and high cheekbones. He can barely see his eyes in the darkness but, when the strobe lights flash white, they seem dark and a little dangerous and…
“What part? The one about the lights giving you epilepsy, or… the one about my laugh?” His words dance with amusement and Gods, his voice, is it even possible for someone to have a voice so deep?
“Apparently both.” Shen Qiao deadpans. He feels like he should be embarrassed, but somehow, he’s not. Not really. “You do have a beautiful laugh.” He says, and giggles.
The man seems taken aback for a moment, but when he speaks, his words are laced with the same amusement as before.
“And you are too beautiful to be here drunk all by yourself.”
“I am most definitely not drunk.” Shen Qiao tries to shake his head, but the movement makes him lose balance, so he stops instantly and leans back against the wall.
“Forgive me, then, I assumed too much.” He man’s laugh is short this time, and Shen Qiao finds himself leaning forward, trying to chase it.
“You are forgiven. You know, it’s not possible for me to be drunk, because I don’t drink. My friend Bai Rong got me a glass of…iced tea, I think, and it was nice, a little bitter, maybe, but definitely not… alcohol...alcoholic…alcoholized, is that even a word? Do you know if it is?”
“It is not.” The man says, and he seems to be much closer now, so close that Shen Qiao can see that he has a stripe of white hair tucked behind one ear. “How did your friend leave you here all alone? Didn’t she know how dangerous it was? That scumbag from before was one step away from dragging you away to a dark corner to have his wicked way with you.”
His eyes are dark, melted caramel, and they crinkle at the corners when he smiles. And his smile, oh… Shen Qiao doesn’t think he has a type, but if he did have a type it would be that smile. No, not THE smile, but a person with that smile, this person, probably.
Thankfully, it appears that he managed to not say that out loud, because the man is still staring at him with his lips slightly quirked upwards and an unreadable expression but says nothing else. Another giggle finds its way out of Shen Qiao’s lips.
“Wicked way?” He covers his mouth with one hand, trying to regain his composure. “It’s not actually that dangerous.” He says “He was… he was funny. And it’s just a party. Not that I’m into parties, I usually don’t go to parties because the music is too loud, and there are too many people, and I’m busy studying, but if you’re scared it’s dangerous, I can keep you company until your friends arrive.” He offers, because he’s never been the one to leave someone alone if they’re scared, and this man has a pleasant voice to listen to, so he doesn’t really mind spending time with him, not at all.
“That is incredibly nice of you, thank you.” He leans in, then, and his hot breath tickles Shen Qiao’s ear when he whispers. “If you like my voice, we can talk all you want.”
The room is still too hot, but maybe someone opened a window, because the shiver that just ran down Shen Qiao’s spine is definitely not normal. Maybe he’s getting sick? His iced tea did have quite a lot of ice…
“My name is Shen Qiao.” He offers.
“Shen Qiao.” The man whispers his name as if savoring it. And there’s the shiver again… “I am Yan Wushi.”
“Yan Wushi.” Shen Qiao smiles. “It suits you.”
“Hn?” Yan Wushi raises an eyebrow and Shen Qiao laughs, soft and breathy.
“Yes, you look like you’re called Yan Wushi.”
“Your laugh is…” Yan Wushi pauses, stares at him with sharp, dark eyes, then his lips curve slightly upwards. “…delightful. You’re delightful. I was certain that his party was going to be a drag, but meeting you was a wonderful and surprise.”
“Oh, I’m glad to have met you, too. Your voice is nice, and I like talking to you. I’m feeling kind of funny; I usually don’t talk this much, you know?”
Yan Wushi laughs, and Shen Qiao’s stomach does a summersault.
“Maybe that iced tea was expired. You never know, with the crap they serve at these parties.”
Shen Qiao giggles, and instantly lifts one hand to cover his mouth.
“I apologize, it’s just… you’re funny.”
“Funny.” Yan Wushi repeats, sounding almost surprised “That’s definitely something I’ve never been called before.”
“No?” Shen Qiao giggles again and makes a gesture with his hand towards the man before him. “You do look all…. menacing and all, but you’re actually pretty nice. Your eyes are nice, too.”
Yan Wushi leans in then, soft breath ghosting over Shen Qiao’s lips. The air is suddenly charged with something electric, sparks of lightning float like champagne bubbles around them, and when they touch skin, they set everything on fire.
“A-Qiao, A-Qiao, you’re too trusting. I could be the Devil, for all you know.”
The way he says his name sounds like a prayer, but his tone is laced with the same amusement Shen Qiao’s beginning to recognize. It’s doing something to his head, having him so close, listening to his voice in such a way.
“I’m beginning to think that maybe… maybe it’s possible that I am drunk.” He admits, and his voice sounds so soft that it’s almost drowned by the electronic music blaring in the background (that somehow, he had forgotten about) “I’m feeling kind of funny.”
Yan Wushi chuckles, and Shen Qiao’s breath catches in his throat. This is definitely not normal.
“Don’t worry, Ah-Qiao, I will not allow any creeps to come near you.” He leans in again, voice soft as a caress when he speaks. “You’re safe with me.”
“When someone says that in a movie it always ends up badly.” Shen Qiao says with a laugh.
“But you just said I was nice.” Yan Wushi leans back, giving Shen Qiao some space to breathe, and holds a hand to his chest in feigned offence.
“And you said you could be the Devil.” Shen Qiao retorts, holding back a laugh.
“You tricked me, didn’t you? You’re not as sweet as you look.”
Shen Qiao just grins and shrugs.
“Maybe you just assumed too much.”
Yan Wushi barks out a laugh that sounds too loud even with the music, broad shoulders shaking, dark eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Oh, Ah-Qiao, you’re too much. If you’re not careful I might decide that I want to keep you.”
Shen Qiao snorts and looks away, hoping that the other cannot see the blush he feels creeping up his neck. He can sense Yan Wushi moving, the air shifting and, when he turns to look back at him, he’s incredibly close, so close he can see the lights flashing in his dark eyes, feel the soft puffs of his breathing. He smells of something that makes him think of dark rooms, rugs and fireplaces, something like sandalwood or pine. Unconsciously, he leans closer to take a deep breath and, when he raises his eyes, Yan Wushi is looking at him with an unreadable expression.
“What?” Shen Qiao whispers. It’s strange to whisper in a place like this, but they’re so close, he can’t manage to speak any louder.
“Just wanted to make sure you remember me tomorrow.” Yan Wushi whispers back, then closes the distance between them and catches Shen Qiao’s lips with his.
Shen Qiao has kissed people before. He kissed Bai Rong once before he realized he didn’t really liked girls that much, and they both decided that they were better off as friends. A guy kissed him at a party back in high school, but Shen Qiao just turned around and ran away. He’s never really been interested in the physical part of human relations, until now, apparently. This kiss is… it’s not groundbreaking, it doesn’t make him get butterflies in his stomach or make his legs tremble, but it’s nice. Yan Wushi’s lips are soft and demanding and being so close like this his scent is everywhere, and Shen Qiao’s senses seem to go on overdrive. He can feel Yan Wushi’s fingers tangling in his hair, and the heat emanating from his body, and everything just seems to slow down: the music fades into a mere background noise, people disappear, lights are off. It’s not groundbreaking but the world seems to change just a little every time the other’s lips brush his.
“Shen Qiao!”
The voice takes a minute to reach him, but when it does, it’s like someone has yanked his head up above water, and everything comes crashing down on him at the same time: the noises, the lights, the heavy, stale air. And Yan Wushi… Yan Wushi is suddenly far, so far that Shen Qiao finds himself moving forward, trailing after him.
“Ah-Qiao, it seems like your princess in shinning armor is here to save you.” He bows his head slightly and winks, lips curving upwards. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
And, just like that, he disappears in the mass of dancing bodies, leaving Shen Qiao to gape after him, unable to even speak.
“Qiao Qiao, don’t you have ANY self-preservation skills?!”
Bai Rong appears suddenly in front of him, hands on her hips and lips pursed in what she intends to be an angry pout, but Shen Qiao recognizes as worry.
“Bai Rong I… I think my iced tea might have been…”
“Oh no!” She grabs his face with both hands and studies him closely. “Your face is all red, and you… do you even know who that was?”
Shen Qiao sighs, shrugging, and allows her to grab his hand and lead him towards the door without offering resistance.
“I’m feeling a little funny…” He begins, and as soon as they’re out the door and the cold night air hits his face, he bends over to the side to puke.
“Oh, Shen lang, I think I might have mistaken our drinks…”
Shen Qiao would have rolled his eyes if his current state had allowed it.
*
“So, you’re telling me that you don’t remember anything?” Bai Rong asks the next morning, seated cross-legged on her bed.
Shen Qiao shakes his head very slowly, keeping his eyes closed to try and fight the pounding headache away. He burrows deeper inside the covers and releases a pained moan.
“Barely.” He manages, and his tongue feels like sandpaper.
“I’m so sorry, Shen Lang, I should have checked the drinks, I just went to say hi for a moment and I got kind of…distracted, you know, and then I come back and you’re being harassed by no other than…!!”
“Bai Rong please, don’t shout.” Shen Qiao pleads. “I was not being harassed.”
“Do you even know who that was?”
Shen Qiao peels the covers off his face down enough to look at her through half lidded eyes.
“Yan Wushi.”
Bai Rong arches her dark, delicate eyebrows and hugs the pillow in her arms even tighter, looking at him like the name meant something important.
“Exactly! Yan Wushi!”
“I don’t actually know who he is…”
“Oh, Shen Lang! You really need to pay more attention to what’s going on in the world. Do you remember Yuwen Yong?”
“My father’s political adversary?”
“Yan Wushi’s his advisor!!”
Bai Rong bounces on the bed to emphasize her point, and Shen Qiao’s stomach turns upside down.
“Please don’t… don’t move, just…”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Qiao Qiao, I’ll get you some water.”
Then she proceeds to jump off the bed very indelicately, making the mattress bounce -along with all of Shen Qiao’s insides.
“I don’t know what he was doing at the party.” Bai Rong says as she returns, leaving the glass of water on the nightstand. “But you have to stay away from him, he’s like the devil. Your father would flip if he knew he approached you.”
I could be the Devil, for all you know. Yan Wushi had said. Shen Qiao’s memory is hazy at best, but Yan Wushi’s voice is something he doesn’t think he would be able to forget even if he tried.
“He was all right.” Shen Qiao murmurs, as he hides under the covers again.
Inside the back pocket of last night’s pants, that are neatly folded on the table, his phone vibrates with one new message, but neither Shen Qiao nor Bai Rong notice, yet.
From: Uknown number
A-Qiao, would you like to meet again?