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“Shang-chi,” Nick calls from the doorway.
Shang-chi continues playing dead on their bed.
Their bed. Ha! It’s their bed now. So long, goodbye, single bed and don’t come back!
Nick slaps him on the butt, scaring the shit out of him; they need to swap to hard floors and not carpet, or Nick needs a bell.
“Stop hiding. We have half an hour,” Nick says.
He wriggles on the bed.
“Traitor,” he calls Nick.
Nick, his boyfriend. Boy. Friend. And a giant, unrepentant (but cute) traitor, planning this vacation with his dad, and then convincing him to go.
“Fine. Keep calling me traitor. But get up, go through the stuff I packed for you, see what’s missing.”
“Nnnnn.”
He yelps when Nick pulls on his ankle, and springs up off the bed before the tickling comes.
“If I empty everything and just bring a whole suitcase of snacks what do you think my dad would do?”
“He’ll just buy you another suitcase of everything and make you dress how he likes.”
“No thanks,” he makes a disgusted face, “And you know him too well already.”
He musses his and Nick’s hair before they open the door to greet his dad.
Nick makes a protesting noise.
“I spent 20 minutes on this!”
He doesn’t listen, and rumples their shirts, knocking away Nick’s hands. Nick gives up after a few tries and lets him aim for the “just had sex” look, eyes rolled toward the ceiling.
“This is childish.”
“Don’t care.”
“He’s gonna see right through - mmm!”
Shang-chi shuts him up with a kiss, turning it into a long one, biting Nick’s lip to make it redder. Unwilling to just be slobbered over, Nick bites back, and they end up bumping into the wall, fighting with their lips and tongues to see who comes out on top.
They forget about his dad, but his dad didn’t forget about them. Nor is he one to sit there ignored.
The door opens, and bumps into the back of Shang-chi’s head with a bang. His cheek knocks into Nick’s nose, and they both end up squatting on the floor, Shang-chi holding his head and Nick holding his nose.
Xu Wenwu squeezes through the gap in the door, making it knock into Shang-chi’s butt, adding insult to injury, and surveys the sight in front of him, the disapproval clear.
Shang-chi glares up at his dad, rubbing his head with one hand, pawing at Nick’s face with the other.
White short sleeved double pocket shirt, white pressed pants, casual sandals, stylish sunglasses, perfect hair…
“How much did your outfit cost?” He decides to ask what’s on his mind.
They’re going on vacation together, and his dad is going to deal with his lack of a filter, cause he’s not putting one on. And if he can’t deal then they never need to do this again, and that’s fine by him.
“More than your yearly salary,” Wenwu retorts, looking dapper as fuck standing there while they look up at him from the floor.
He wonders if his dad is still flexible enough to do the Asian squat. Probably not a great time to ask, if Nick’s death glare is anything to go by.
They help each other up.
“Sorry Uncle. We um, I’ll grab our suitcases, we’re ready to go.”
Wenwu looks him up and down through the semitransparent lenses.
“Call me dad,” Wenwu says, and exits through the door, like he’s a diva.
The door bangs Shang-chi on the butt again on Wenwu’s way out.
The bastard.
“Why did we have to fly together? We could have met you in Hawaii,” he complains, sitting in the club lounge, not looking everywhere. He has self control.
Wenwu ignores him, scrolling through his phone, sunglasses in a shirt pocket. Ignores the two ladies and a man staring at him hungrily from different tables across the lounge as well.
“What he means to say, Uncle -“
Wenwu gives Nick a glance.
“Uh… I mean… dad… haha I’ll just call you Uncle. Anyway Shang-chi means thank you for inviting us on this trip and paying for everything. We’re so grateful. Right?” Nick asks.
Shang-chi grunts.
Nick kicks him.
“Yeah, thanks dad.”
He crosses his arms.
Wenwu looks at him, then at Nick, then leans back and closes his eyes, raising his chin, all chiseled angles and looking like one of those perfect protagonists in manga.
“I’m glad you both could make it.”
Shang-chi’s distracted by the waitress coming by with drinks.
It’s not such a long flight this time like the trip from Cambodia, so there’s only business class.
Ha. Only. Like it’s not his second time not riding in the very back of the plane in front of the bathroom.
It’s still nice though, and he hugs Nick the entire time.
He orders food, ‘cause he’s not paying for it. Until Nick takes out his card and swipes, glaring at him. Oops.
His dad sits across the aisle, resting his eyes (or whatever), wearing earbuds to ignore the woman sitting to his right.
First impression of Hawaii:
Bright. Hot. And Coconut Ice Cream!!
Pretty good impression then.
4 star hotel, because Nick threatened to back out while he did the planning with his dad saying it’s too much already.
Suite of rooms, so he has privacy with Nick, even if his dad is across the living room.
Waterfront view.
Rich people stuff.
“This is bribery,” he hisses at Wenwu as he rolls his suitcase by him, out of Nick’s earshot.
“Nick looks happy,” Wenwu replies.
His face screams “hit me”. Or maybe that’s just Shang-chi imagining things.
Dammit.
“Thanks,” Shang-chi mutters, and escapes toward his and Nick’s room.
It’s late, and Wenwu rests early, claiming the flight tired him. Shang-chi tells him that’s what age does to you, and Nick pokes him in the side for the comment.
They go to a gay bar. They as in him and Nick. It would be weird to go to a gay bar with his dad tagging along.
Or would it?
Yes it would. Of course it would.
But it might be funny.
Wait. No. The guys would be all over his dad and he does not need to hear any action coming from across the living room at night, thank you.
Anyway. It’s a blast. Some celebration is going on and he and Nick sing drunken karaoke midway through, Nick hogging the mic and Shang-chi hugging Nick’s midriff until the mic’s taken away.
Hey. At least Nick’s a good singer. Not like some of the others who sound like banshees.
He forgot about hangovers. Well. More like ignored the memory until it’s again a reality. And it is reality now, the reality of him puking into the toilet for the third time that morning.
He finds freshly made orange coconut smoothies waiting for him and Nick after he washes out his mouth and goes out in search of water. He stares at it, and looks around for his dad.
“The boss went out for a run,” a voice says from a corner, making Shang-chi’s heart jump two floors.
It’s the dude. That dude! The dude Xialing assigned to his dad before they came back to the States. The hulking muscle giant named… something starting with a T.
“Uh, hi, T- um… Tooooom?”
“Matthias,” the man re self introduces again.
Okay. So his name doesn’t start with a T. Bite him.
“Sorry. Nice to meet you. Again,” he adds, belatedly.
“The boss had me bring these up for you and Nick. For hydration. He scheduled brunch in two hours.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll just… take these then…”
He grabs the two smoothies and escapes back to his room.
Nick is imitating cooked shrimp in bed.
A half naked, enticing, muscular, tanned smooth expanses of skin -
Shang-chi puts down the smoothie for Nick on the nightstand, and takes a sip from the straw of his own to clear his head.
“Omg this is really good. Nick, my dad ordered smoothies for us.”
Nick groans, and rolls over.
“I hate you. Why didn’t you stop me?”
“Cause you’re too cute to be stopped.”
“I never want to be hungover again.”
“You said that last time.”
Nick scoots to the edge of the bed and makes pouty lips at him.
Instead of kissing him (uh hello? He just threw up, even if he brushed his teeth three times and rinsed), Shang-chi sticks his straw at Nick’s lips, who lazily takes a sip. Then opens his eyes.
“Oh this is actually really good.”
“I know right? But uh. So we’ve a guest.”
“Matthias? Ya. I told you. When I asked, your dad said this way he’ll be out of our way for couples stuff. Probably cause he doesn’t want to third wheel.”
Well. He forgot then. How considerate of his dad.
“… my dad scheduled brunch in two hours.”
“Oh good. Wake me up in an hour.”
This brunch place probably costs a week of his salary, he thinks, digging into his plate even more at this thought. He’s going to eat his dad out of house and home.
Unlikely, but a man can have goals.
“So, are you two hooking up or what?” he asks his dad during a lull in conversation, more to troll than anything.
Matthias’s fork stops midway to his mouth.
Wenwu, on the other hand, doesn’t miss a beat and replies, “Yes. He is irresistible when he calls me Daddy in bed.”
Matthias turns beet red and Shang-chi chokes on his food, falling into a coughing fit while Nick tries to pat his back while laughing.
Once he can breathe again, Shang-chi protests, “Ew. I don’t want to know any details!”
“You asked,” Wenwu replies, cool and unaffected, sticking a forkful of food into his mouth.
Matthias buries his head in his food.
“Won’t be doing that again,” Shang-chi mutters to himself.
Nick laughs until he has tears in his eyes.
But really though. Are they?
It turns out, Shang-chi is apparently their best entertainment.
- He’s pooped on by some demonic bird flying by.
- He falls off the boat they rented for whale watching.
- He cannot, Cannot, get the hang of surfing. Cue much mirth from everyone besides him as he falls over and over again. Yes. He realizes he’s from California. He doesn’t have time, okay??
- The helicopter tour was cool. Nothing happens to him there. It was just cool so he’s mentioning it.
They take a lot of pictures. Specifically, Nick takes a lot of pictures of him and his dad. But they also take a bunch with all four of them.
It’s really unfair, because his dad looks good in every single one, while Shang-chi is in all manners of poses, expressions, and different stages of eyes-are-open (or not open).
“Wow look at this one, it’s like your dad’s a model,” Nick says, as they flip through pictures one night.
Shang-chi shoves him lightly in protest (and jealousy).
“I’m just saying! You cannot deny that your dad is hot,” Nick says, while Shang-chi pouts. “But that’s where you get your hotness from, obviously.”
Okay. That assuages him slightly.
“I’m more like my mom,” he says, just to be contrary, and Nick shoves him back.
They roughhouse a little bit in bed, until they’re both out of breath, in each other’s arms.
“You should, like, visit your dad more,” Nick whispers, stroking his arm, while he admires Nick’s abs.
“He shows up unannounced all the time.”
“Yeah but, you don’t visit him. There’s a difference. I bet he’ll be really happy if you do.”
“He’s just gonna act like it’s no big deal anyway.”
“You do the exact same thing. Nope. Don’t lie. His birthday’s coming up. Take him out.”
Nick nudges him when he stays silent.
“Fine. But help me think of ideas. Like he probably has everything.”
“I think anything you do will make him happy.”
Doubt it.
“Fine.”
They lie in silence for a while, with just the whooshing of the air conditioning around them.
The week and a half trip is over in a flash, and they have to go back to their real lives and slave away at work once more.
Well. Not his dad. His dad is retired and he’s doing whatever he’s doing for fun and to punish unfortunate souls in the world.
They part ways at the airport, saying their goodbyes before Shang-chi and Nick head to their gate. Their goodbyes are stiff and awkward, and then they stay an arms length away from each other.
Just before they leave, though, Shang-chi reaches out an arm, and they pull each other into a hug.
“Let’s play basketball sometime,” he says.
He knows it’s random okay???
But Wenwu nods only after a split second’s surprise.
“Er. I mean. If the doctors say it’s okay for your legs…”
“I’m fully recovered.”
“Cool. Uh. Thanks for the trip. It was fun.”
Wenwu nods and releases him before the hug turns awkward. He stands there, not sure what to do next.
Wenwu shoos him.
“Bye Uncle! Thanks for everything!” Nick takes Shang-chi’s hand and waves goodbye with the other.
“When will you call me dad?”
Nick laughs nervously.
“Oh my god stop. Bye! And bye Matthias!”
Matthias waves them goodbye, hulking behind Wenwu.
They escape to the security check.
Not a bad vacation.