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"Should we leave him?" Wen Ning signed to Wei Ying.
Like Wen Ning had been before tapping Wei Ying's shoulder to get him to look, Wei Ying was looking at Lan Zhan, in a blanket nest in the middle of the bed, finally sleeping after a painful night.
Wei Ying nodded and Wen Ning had to agree. He'd asked because he didn't want to leave even if Lan Zhan had said so—what if he needed help? what if—
"We'll be late," Wei Ying signed back, because there was a note by the bed with his daily schedule, and Wen Ning offered a hand for balance as he stood. Then they left. There was water on the side table, and painkillers, and they'd left Lan Zhan's phone charging by his head so he'd be able to call if needed.
And off to class they went. The weather was nice and they took the bus, which wasn't nice for Wei Ying's vertigo or Wen Ning's motion sickness, but it got them there fast. Wen Ning held Wei Ying's hand as he caught his breath.
Wei Ying grinned at him when he straightened, not at his best but nowhere near his worst, and Wen Ning walked him to class, then headed off to his own.
They met two hours later. The sun was up, Wei Ying was wearing his sunglasses, and Wen Ning had regained some of the words he'd woken up missing.
They sat and waited for the bus. Lan Zhan drove them sometimes, more often a few months ago before his back had gotten awful again, but the bus wasn't so bad if it wasn't crowded and they had plenty of Dramamine. And there were always siblings and neighbors to call, but today would be good, Wen Ning thought, after they finished their break.
"We had plans," Wei Ying said with his mouth-words because his hands were busy holding Wen Ning's.
Wen Ning nodded. "Food."
"Food," Wei Ying echoed. He paused for a moment, remembering. There was a balance to helping him, knowing when he needed prompting and when he didn't. Wen Ning waited and Wei Ying looked at him triumphantly. "Food shopping."
Wen Ning nodded. "List."
He had made it with Lan Zhan the day before, cuddling in bed, Lan Zhan talking and writing to distract himself from pain and Wen Ning offering options when he floundered. Lan Zhan, being the only member of the household who could drive, used to do the shopping, but now even the length of the apartment was a challenge for him. Now, Lan Zhan handled the list and Wen Ning handled the memory, and Wei Ying handled the trip, full of social energy and excited at the concept of a grocery store.
For his part, Wen Ning didn't understand the fascination. Sure, it was nice to see things stacked, but their kitchen was just as nice, so leaving the house seemed unnecessary to admire order. But Wei Ying also liked the shopping carts. He would hold on tight and put his feet up and dash down the pavement. Sometimes it made him wobbly all day if he did that. But he would always smile and say it was worth it. He never quite reached that level of enthusiasm when, on his best days, Wen Ning offered him a skateboard. Not that he himself skated often, but he agreed that the rush of wind through hair—protected firmly by a helmet—and the freedom of speed were unreplicable.
"Ready?" Wei Ying asked.
"Ready?" Wen Ning echoed him.
Wei Ying made a face at him. This one said: Stop making me put my well-being first.
Wen Ning kissed him.
Wei Ying's face now said: Kiss me again and also you're very strong and pretty.
Lan Zhan made that face, too. Wen Ning was very aware of their thoughts, because they were not at all subtle when they talked about him, which was okay because he was just as open about his love.
"Ready," Wei Ying said. Wen Ning kissed him again. It wasn't easy to take a second look at oneself when everything was already decided. He stood, taking Wei Ying with him, and they sat on the bus until it arrived at the grocery store, where, as predicted, Wei Ying grabbed a cart and sped with it in all his joy, and then sat on the curb to catch his breath and get his vision to stop spinning.
Wen Ning rubbed his shoulder, Wei Ying resting his head between his knees. He offered water when Wei Ying surfaced. Eventually, Wei Ying stood. He held on to the handles of the cart again, but Wen Ning moved towards the front and held on there, leading Wei Ying through the store so he wouldn't get lost or distracted and Wen Ning, not having many words today, would be unable to call for him.
Wen Ning passed Wei Ying a copy of the shopping list. He kept one for himself and guided them to the necessary sections, fruits and vegetables and snacks. And real food, too, for days when more than one of them could cook—it was safer to do it in groups, with Wei Ying's villainous palate, Lan Zhan's bizarre one, and Wen Ning's fine motor skills or lack thereof. They grabbed some frozen meals, just in case, but most of what they ate was dropped off by relatives or ordered in. The miracles of delivery.
They could deliver groceries, too. They sometimes did. But in some ways it was easier to go inside a store, and when they could—why not?
Wei Ying grabbed some chocolate. When he thought Wen Ning wasn't looking he grabbed some spicy chocolate just for himself.
He did not grab noodles, so they circled back around. Then, because they were on sale, they grabbed a packet of cookies to share while they waited for dinner to either heat up or arrive. As much as everything was planned in their household, it was always spontaneous, nothing ever certain or and no one ever enough to commit to a concrete plan.
They grabbed flowers on the way out. Just because they could.