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Fox hybrids and Ferret hybrids both had elevated urges to play. And while Hua Cheng and Xie Lian had gone plenty of years without anyone to be their playmate, they were more than happy to make up for lost time now, rolling around their shared apartment with foolishly excited vigor as they pinned each other or played chase around the rooms.
Xie Lian felt more alive than he’d felt in years, filled with childish glee as he dodged between chairs and tables to outrun Hua Cheng.
When he’d been really young, he remembered playing like this with Feng Xin, but they hadn’t ever been quite so perfectly aligned in their instincts for these play fights like Hua Cheng was and as they got older Xie Lian had learned to get the energy out with the proper fighting drills that Feng Xin preferred.
But still. This was what his instincts had craved.
He still loved to do the drills and did them often. Was grateful to have reunited with Feng Xin and get to share that with him.
But this was bliss.
Xie Lian darted past Hua Cheng at top speeds, turning quickly to try and trip his roommate up.
Of course Hua Cheng couldn’t be shaken off by such simple tricks, chasing him without faltering until Xie Lian backed himself into Hua Cheng’s room and, cornered, gave up on running, pouncing on him instead and laughing in delight as they flopped down onto the floor, Hua Cheng careful to cushion their fall.
Usually Xie Lian checked to make sure he was okay when Hua Cheng did that, it didn’t seem fair that Hua Cheng would bear the brunt of every fall they had, but he was entirely too amped up from their prolonged game of chase. So, mind empty of anything but the joy of their play fight, Xie Lian bit down on Hua Cheng’s neck gently.
And promptly felt his roommate go completely still under him.
For a moment, his brain was washed with victory, the sense that Hua Cheng had stilled because he was acknowledging Xie Lian’s win. And then reality caught up and he quickly pulled back, face turning red.
“I’m so sorry, San Lang!”
“Gege doesn’t have to apologize,” Hua Cheng assured, voice smooth and gaze kind as ever.
“I bit you.”
“It didn’t hurt.”
Xie Lian searched his face, but could find nothing but genuine affection there. “I’ll try not to do it again.”
“Gege could do it again if he’d like. He could bite harder even.”
“Wouldn’t that hurt?”
Hua Cheng smiled. “It’s fine. Foxes play bite too, gege.”
Xie Lian felt his mouth move before his brain. “I want you to bite me too then.”
***
“Why are you so covered up today?” Feng Xin's ears perked up with his curiosity.
“Ah, no reason,” Xie Lian smiled.
“You’re going to overheat in that,” Mu Qing bristled, tail flicking with his irritation as they all went through the doors of their preferred gym.
“It’s fine, really.”
“I have a spare shirt you can change into,” Feng Xin offered.
“It’s really fine, I’ll just go easy today.”
Feng Xin didn’t seem convinced, herding him towards the locker rooms.
Xie Lian could've tried to weasel around them for longer, but he supposed if they were that worried he might as well just let them see.
Letting Feng Xin bully his shirt off, Xie Lian kept his eyes off them as his friends fell silent, no doubt taking in the absolute mess of bite marks littering his arms and neck. He’d been nipped at other places too, but those hadn’t bruised.
“What happened?”
Xie Lian laughed awkwardly. “San Lang looks worse honestly.”
Mu Qing’s face scrunched as if Xie Lian had poured lemon juice directly onto his tongue.
“Hua Cheng did this?”
“Ahaha. En. I asked him to.”
Now it was Feng Xin’s turn to look disgusted.
“We just got a little carried away and we both agreed we could go harder than we were so—“
“I don’t need to hear about it!” Feng Xin quickly handed back Xie Lian’s turtleneck shirt.
Xie Lian put it back on, looking between his friends. This was exactly why he hadn’t been going to tell them. “I do like what we do, but it’s fun wrestling with Hua Cheng.”
“Is that what you call it?” Mu Qing muttered.
“Yes?” Xie Lian glanced between his friends again, noting their obvious discomfort.
“I’m. Glad you’re happy. We didn’t realize you were dating him.” Feng Xin seemed to get the words out as if someone was yanking them from him.
“We aren’t?” His eyes widened as he realized why they were so uncomfortable. “No, no, it’s not like that! It’s just an instinctual thing for both of us—“
“I’m going to go warm up!” Feng Xin announced before leaving the locker room.
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he watched his friend march out with a bright red blush. At least Mu Qing seemed to have calmed down.
“That’s all part of your play fighting?” Mu Qing asked, voice still pitched as if he was annoyed but tail settled enough to give him away.
“Yes, exactly.”
Mu Qing crossed his arms. “I didn’t realize you bit during that. I thought you just didn’t have that instinct.”
“Ah, Feng Xin never liked being bit. I had already given up play fighting at all by the time we met you honestly. No one around me really enjoyed it.”
Mu Qing’s tail began to flick again.
Xie Lian waited.
“Cat hybrids do that too, you know.”
“So do dog hybrids,” he nodded towards where Feng Xin had gone. “That doesn’t mean you’d enjoy it.”
Mu Qing opened his mouth, then closed it, tail lashing.
“Do you?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never tried.”
Xie Lian smiled. “Do you want to?”
Mu Qing met his eyes for a moment before his gaze dipped down to Xie Lian’s covered neck and arms. “No. We have the gym, I don’t need to take play fighting from your San Lang.”
Xie Lian didn’t know why Mu Qing always had to say it like that. Didn’t know why he never corrected the “your”.
(Perhaps, if he was honest, he knew the answer to both those questions, but it was easier if he pretended not to.)
“I wouldn’t have to bite you if that’s what you’re worried about. And definitely not as hard as I bite San Lang.”
Mu Qing made a face again as he turned to leave the locker room. “I don’t need to be part of your flirting.”
“It’s not flirting, it’s completely normal between friends for ferrets and for foxes. I thought for cats too?”
Mu Qing rolled his eyes, tail gently whacking Xie Lian. “Sure.”
***
Xie Lian maintained that it was completely normal between friends for fox, ferret, cat, and dog hybrids to bite at each other in play.
But perhaps, now that they were a couple and he was catching sight of himself so marked up with bites and hickeys that he was practically a full body bruise, Xie Lian could admit Mu Qing had had a point.
Good thing he owned a lot of high collared shirts now.