Work Text:
The middle of fall has become Jian Yi’s favorite time of year. Ever since he started dating Zheng Xi, he’s been more open to Jian Yi’s need for physical touch, especially on chilly mornings.
“Ah~ It’s so cold.” Jian Yi huffs breaths of hot air into his bright red hands as he scoots closer to Zheng Xi, they take the early train toward the inner city to get breakfast before heading to school. The air that escapes through his thin fingers condenses into a visible cloud in front of him, dissipating quickly. It isn’t that cold outside, but the metal box car of the train trapped the cold within its seats and along its silver bars, making it several degrees lower on the inside. Jian Yi felt like his butt might fall off from how numb it is.
“You forgot your gloves again?” Zheng Xi asked, his tone expectant and his eyes deadpan.
“I didn’t forget them, it’s October, Xixi. It’s only cold on the train.”
Zheng Xi digs into the pocket of his black jacket, handing him a black wool glove. “Here, I knew you’d get cold easily.”
Jian Yi slides the glove contently over his right hand, looking around the seats. “I think you only gave me o-”
Zheng Xi wordlessly grabs his left hand, interlacing their fingers and sliding their locked hands into his pocket. Jian Yi stares for a moment, feeling his face grow hot.
It was silly how small gestures like these drove Jian Yi crazy. Zheng Xi never understood it, and Jian Yi knows he never will, but the way Zheng Xi knew even the tiniest details of him was something very special, like easily guessing what Jian Yi will forget that day, knowing when Jian Yi isn’t acting like his usual self even when he tries his best to hide it, how he prefers hot chocolate over coffee when it’s cold. Zheng Xi probably knows him better than his he knows himself, and it frightens him, but damn it feels good.
There are very few people on the train this early in the morning, when the sun is barely rising, but one older woman that was sitting close by was giving them a look of judgement. Zheng Xi is the type to care a lot about appearances, but ever since they officially started dating Jian Yi has noticed him care less about what others think, always putting Jian Yi’s feelings over his own.
They’d fought about it once.
“I know you don’t like the way people look at us.” Jian Yi whispers into the darkness of his living room as he gazes up at the ceiling while laying on his couch, Zheng Xi was sitting on the floor by his head, not looking at him when he spoke. “I wish you didn’t pretend not to hate when you’re with me.”
“Who says I hate it?”
“I do! I feel it!” Jian Yi sits up, spilling with all the anger he’d been holding in for weeks. “If you don’t like holding my hand in public, then don’t force yourself to do it!”
“But you like it.” Zheng Xi looks at him, his expression serious.
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It’s the only thing that matters.”
“Why?” tears have started to form in the corners of Jian Yi’s eyes, he lowers his head. “Why are you being so-”
“Because I chose to, Jian Yi.” Zheng Xi pulls himself up onto the couch, “You don’t think I thought about it before I asked you to be my boyfriend? It took me years to figure it all out. I want to become someone who can protect you, and part of that is coming to terms with the fact that people won’t like us. So I’m going to hold your damn hand and I’m not gonna let go for a second, got it?”
Jian Yi sniffles, wiping the snot from his nose with the sleeve of his white sleeping shirt. “Old people suck.”
Zheng Xi pulls him onto his lap, Jian Yi presses his cheek against his chest, curling into him as much as his long body would allow. Zheng Xi rests his chin on top of his head, “Stop crying, you look ugly when you cry.”
“At least I’m not actually ugly, like you.”
“You’re a bad liar.”
“Whatever, kiss me.”
“No, you have snot all over your face.”
“Hmph.”
“-Yi.. Jian Yi.”
Jian Yi blinks out of his daze, Zheng Xi is standing in front of him, holding his hand out, waiting.“Stop dozing off, let’s go.”
Jian Yi thinks he’s perfect just like this, the light brown locks of his hair still damp from a shower, dark brows framing his cloudy blue eyes, the light color reminds Jian Yi of an early winter morning just before it snows.
He smiles and takes Zheng Xi’s hand, “En.”
__
Jian Yi notices the girl next to him rubbing a patch over her leg, warming it up for a few seconds then ripping it off quickly.
“What are you doing?” He asks, craning his neck.
The girl looks up at him, “What’s it look like, genius? I missed a spot this morning.” “I still don’t know what that is.”
“It’s wax? For hair removal? Do guys really have it that easy?”
Jian Yi walks over and props his leg on the bench, pulling the ankle of his sweatpants up and revealing his thin leg hair. “Yes, we do. We have leg hair, and it’s natural.”
A few other girls sitting at the bench notice them talking and listen in.
“It’s so light! You’re so lucky, Jian Yi, waxing hurts.”
Jian Yi contemplates for a second, “Let me try it.”
The girls immediately surround him, “You wanna try waxing? It really hurts.”
“It can’t be that bad.” Jian Yi shrugs, the girls look at each other and smile knowingly.
The brunette girl pulls a box out of her gym bag, “If you say so!” She takes a wide strip of white paper and separates it into two sticky pads, pressing them onto his shins and rubbing them. Jian Yi notices the paper get warm, but so far, no pain.
“Why do you rub i- AAAAAAA!” Jian Yi swears the girl had ripped a layer of skin off him as she quickly tore both wax pads from his leg. He falls onto the side of the bench, holding his shin. “FUCK, YOU RIPPED MY SKIN O-”
He looks up at the girls who have surrounded him, an evil glint in their eyes. There’s a fresh, sticky paper of wax in both of their hands as they slowly close in on him.
“No..No- get away from me..HELP!”
Zheng Xi returns from the basketball court to find Jian Yi in fetal position under the boys bench, sobbing quietly into his knees.
“What the hell happened to you?”
“Girls are demons, Zheng Xi, they’re pure evil.” He cries.
Zheng Xi rolls his eyes, “Stop being dramatic. Get out from under there, class is over.”
Jian Yi’s legs still burn on the walk home, but more than that, he hated how his legs felt in his sweatpants, like sandpaper rubbing against his bare skin. “How can girls stand wearing pants and tights with waxed legs? I feel like I want to kill someone.”
“Is that why you’re walking weird? You waxed your legs?”
“I didn’t wax my legs, girls waxed my legs. I am never trusting a girl again.”
“Right.” Zheng Xi says, pulling him in for a quick kiss as they reach the foot of the stairs at the train station. “I’ll probably come over later, my sister asked me to help her with her school project.”
“Tell your sister she’s evil too.” Jian Yi says, kissing him again.
“I’ll do that.” Zheng Xi replies sarcastically, not letting go of Jian Yi’s hand until the train reaches a full stop and the doors open. “I’ll text you, okay?”
“Okay.” Jian Yi waves goodbye once as he leaves, and one last time toward the window as the train leaves.
“I feel like throwing up just looking at you two.”
Jian Yi jumps, but sighs in relief when he sees He Tian standing next to him. “Don’t hate us cause you can’t be us.”
“Hm. Maybe I am you.”
“Watch your fuckin’ mouth, chicken dick! I heard that!”
Jian Yi smirks at him, “Maybe you aren’t.”
He Tian flips him off, but Jian Yi completely ignores him as he remembers what had happened today, he balances on one leg and pulls his sweatpants up, “Look what the girls did to me after school, my legs are completely bald!”
Mo Guan Shan walks around He Tian to see,“You let them rip your hair out? Nasty.”
“You should try that too, little Mo.” He Tian leans into his neck, speaking clearly into his skin.
Mo grabs his face and shoves him off, “This is why I don’t stand next to you, you fucking bastard!”
In retaliation, He Tian wraps his arms around his waist, holding him steady as he turns his head toward Jian Yi, winking at him. “You could put that to good use.”
“What does that even mean?” Jian Yi asks, “My legs are bald.”
“Exactly.”
“Don’t listen to him, he’s stupid.” Mo says angrily.
“Are you upset with me?” He Tian asks Mo, grinning, “Don’t worry, I like your legs exactly as they are, little Mo. I even prefer a little hair.”
“Get the fuck offa me you nasty dog!”
Jian Yi goes deaf to their bickering, genuinely confused as to what He Tian was insinuating. They get on the next train together.
“Oh yeah, why isn’t Zheng Xi with us? Doesn’t he practically live with you now?” He Tian asks.
“Xixi doesn’t have to be with me all the time.” Jian Yi says, gaze shifting to Mo.
“The hell are you lookin’ at? You tryna say something?” Mo hisses.
“Oh nothing.” Jian Yi says innocently, “I’m always glad to ride the train with you too, redhead.”
“Yeah piss off.” Mo says, flipping him off. Mo’s place is much closer to school, and he used to bike to and from easily, but recently, or rather, for the last year, he’s taken the train to He Tian’s place most of the time.
He Tian’s question makes Jian Yi’s thoughts drift, as they often do, to Zhan Zheng Xi. They’ve been through so much together since middle school, now fitting so comfortably in each other’s lives as they move through high school. He wishes it could stay this peaceful, this easy, forever.