Work Text:
Luo Binghe had a shitty, shitty day.
Ever since he woke up, it seemed like everything that could go wrong did, the universe seeming to decide that it would mock him today rather than leave him be.
Every little annoyance throughout the day built up into a ridiculous storm in his chest, from the moment he woke up in an empty bed for the third morning in a row while Shen Yuan was visiting his family to when he stepped in an ankle-deep puddle as soon as he left work, realizing as he stared out at the continuous downpour that he’d forgotten his umbrella.
He just wanted to go the fuck to sleep and not wake up until Shen Yuan returned home.
His shoes squeaked obnoxiously as he climbed the stairs up to his and Shen Yuan’s third floor apartment because, of course, the elevator was broken.
He fumbled with his keys before finally getting the right one and unlocking the apartment, letting the door slam behind him without giving a damn about his neighbors. He kicked off his soaked shoes angrily and growled when they hit the wall, barely holding back an enraged shout of just pure fury.
It was then that he noticed that there was a lamp on in the living room; one that he was sure was off when he left that morning. Before he could walk further in to investigate, immediately on edge about someone possibly being in his apartment, a figure appeared from the hall.
“Binghe,” Shen Yuan greeted, his eyes bright behind his glasses. “Welcome home.”
Luo Binghe stared at his boyfriend, the fury and general despair that had been clawing at his throat all day dying down to simmering embers. Shen Yuan wasn’t supposed to be home for another couple of days and yet, here he stood before him with that sweet, crooked smile on his face.
Shen Yuan then saw the state of his clothes, wet and clinging to his body, and flew towards him. It seemed his mother-hen instinct had taken control as he cupped Luo Binghe’s cheeks between his cool hands.
He was honestly freezing and Shen Yuan’s hands always seemed to be cold, relying on Luo Binghe’s natural warmth to heat them up, but Luo Binghe nearly melted into their touch anyway.
“Oh, Binghe, you’re soaked,” Shen Yuan murmured, looking up at him with worry. “Let’s get you showered and I already ate but I can try cooking dinner for you—“
“A-Yuan,” Luo Binghe interrupted, keeping his boyfriend from pulling away. Shen Yuan watched him, waiting for him to continue patiently. “I just…”
He didn’t want to do anything but crawl into bed, pile blankets on top of them and hold Shen Yuan close until he fell asleep. He hated that just the thought of cuddling with his boyfriend after such a wretched day made his eyes sting with tears, blinking harshly to banish them to no avail.
Shen Yuan’s face softened, brushing an errant cluster of Luo Binghe’s wet hair away from his forehead before moving to the tips of his toes to press a sweet kiss to the area he just uncovered.
“Warm shower and then bed, okay?” he asked quietly. Luo Binghe could only nod, already feeling better at the sight of his boyfriend’s smile as he gave him a quick kiss on the lips before taking his hand and guiding him to their room.
With Shen Yuan’s help, Luo Binghe was peeled out of his wet clothes and standing under a hot shower just minutes later.
If it had been any other day, especially after not seeing Shen Yuan for days, he would have definitely said any flirtatious line he could to get his boyfriend to join him for less than innocent activities but tonight, he just wanted to sleep.
When he was sufficiently warm, Luo Binghe stepped out of the shower and dried off with the red fluffy towel Shen Yuan had left for him. He huffed a laugh to himself at the pile of his softest nightclothes gathered on the counter.
Once he was dressed, he left the bathroom with his towel in tow, feeling infinitely better than he had all day.
Shen Yuan was waiting for him on the bed, reading something on his phone in the faint light from the bedside lamp. When Luo Binghe reappeared, however, he put his phone away and reached out for the towel just as anticipated.
Luo Binghe handed it to him and sat on the bed with his back to his boyfriend, who started to dry his hair for him. It was always a pain to deal with when exposed to the elements but Shen Yuan always leapt at the chance to take care of it. He just had to let his eyes slip closed and allow slender fingers to brush through the wet strands with such sweet care.
“You’re home early,” Luo Binghe mumbled, leaning back into the towel and Shen Yuan’s hands.
“It was boring at my parents’ house,” his boyfriend told him with exasperation. “I missed my Binghe too much to stay away.”
There was surely a blush on Shen Yuan’s thin face after saying something so sappy but Luo Binghe felt his heart soar at the words. “This Binghe missed A-Yuan, too.”
He’d never before loved anyone in the way that he loved Shen Yuan. It was an all-encompassing love, a balm on his soul and a heart that matched his own down to each vein and artery. He was feeling more emotional than usual, the stress of the day slowly lifting from where it weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Once his hair was sufficiently dried and beginning to curl at the ends, Shen Yuan tossed the towel towards the hamper and kissed the back of Luo Binghe’s neck.
“Let’s sleep, Binghe,” he whispered, his warm breath sending shivers across Luo Binghe’s skin.
They moved together under the blankets and Shen Yuan put his glasses on the nightstand, turning off the lamp while he was at it. He turned to face Luo Binghe and asked, “How do you want me?”
It might have sounded dirty on any other night and while it did send a brief spark through Luo Binghe at the phrasing, both of them knew that he hadn’t meant it like that.
“Can I hold you tonight?” Luo Binghe asked in the darkness. While he loved the nights that Shen Yuan was the big spoon very much, tonight he simply wished to hold his shorter boyfriend as close to his heart as he could.
“Mn.” Shen Yuan kissed him once, then twice more before turning around.
Luo Binghe instantly molded himself to his back, wrapping his arms around Shen Yuan and pulling him to his chest as if their bodies could merge into one if he tried hard enough. Shen Yuan hummed as he pressed his body back just as much, his thinner arms folding over Luo Binghe’s as he laced their fingers together.
He always slept with his legs tucked towards his chest and Luo Binghe bent his own to match, every part of their bodies lined up together under the warmth of the covers.
He nosed at Shen Yuan’s neck, kissing everywhere he could reach as they settled in for sleep. His eyelids were already starting to feel heavy as he delighted in the cuddling, feeling Shen Yuan’s steady heartbeat where his hand rest over his chest.
“I love you, A-Yuan,” he whispered, squeezing his boyfriend’s fingers gently.
He was quickly falling asleep and the last thing he registered were the sweet words infused with love returned to him.
“I love you, too, Binghe.”