Work Text:
i. Quality Time
The apartment is notably quiet by the time You Huo arrives home.
That is nothing out of the ordinary and was actually expected since it was around three in the morning. But, he supposes that there was an inkling of hope that his boyfriend would be home.
He had sent a message to Qin Jiu earlier that day, detailing his late working hours. Qin Jiu responded that his schedule for the day was also rather hectic.
Of course it would be. It would be the first time they would meet in a little over half a month, and of course, even this little meeting had to be foiled by their work.
He turns the lights on and nearly drops his things when he sees Qin Jiu passed out on the couch. He quietly sets down his coat and walks over to Qin Jiu. The bright lights had already roused him from his sleep, and all You Huo had to do was stand next to the man to get him to fully wake up.
“Oh? You’re home?”
“Mhm. Have you been home long?”
Qin Jiu shakes his head, finally sitting up and pinching the bridge of his nose. “No. I just got home.”
He checks his watch. “Maybe a little over an hour ago,” he remedies.
You Huo nods. “I didn’t expect that you’d beat me home.”
“I snuck away while I could.”
Qin Jiu’s voice is still raspy, and You Huo can see the way he’s fighting to stay awake. He himself can feel a familiar burn in his eyes.
“Why'd you sleep here?”
“I was determined to wait for you, but of course, I was more tired than I expected.”
“Shall we sleep?” He calls out softly.
Qin Jiu nods, standing up and taking his wrist. “Let’s. Forget the shower. We’ll deal with it in the morning.”
You Huo would usually protest, hating the feeling of going to bed grimy and covered in the day’s dirt, but today he can’t seem to be bothered. He has a suspicion that it has to deal with the fact that he is finally home with Qin Jiu again, and a long day of training has worn him soft.
The best the two of them can muster with whatever energy they have left is haphazardly tossing on dirty sleeping clothes, and with that, they tumble into the sheets together. Qin Jiu presses his chest to You Huo’s back, and You Huo feels him take a deep breath.
Qin Jiu groans. “I haven’t felt such a nice bed in so long.”
“Surely they aren’t making the S-Brigade’s commander sleep on a mere cot?” You Huo asks sleepily, limbs feeling like lead and mouth barely forming the words.
“I think it has more to do with you finally being in my arms again, darling,” Qin Jiu mutters.
“Sap.”
“Call me what you will, I’m not lying.”
You Huo snorts, and rolls over, nestling into Qin Jiu’s arms. Qin Jiu wraps his arms around You Huo’s form, adjusting them over the pillows and pulling the covers up around their shoulders. “Just sleep. You’re starting to not make sense.”
Qin Jiu ignores him and continues to speak. “In the morning. Go on a date with me.”
You Huo yawns. “Aren’t we a bit too tired for a date?”
“We don’t have to go anywhere,” Qin Jiu responds after a beat, long enough to make You Huo think he fell asleep.
“Alright. Whatever you say,” You Huo says. It’s answer enough for Qin Jiu, who finally falls into blissful unconsciousness. Qin Jiu’s peaceful sleeping face makes You Huo even more drowsy, and he too slips into a dreamless sleep without much fanfare.
“This is what you meant by a date?”
“No, of course not. But, sometimes, we have to take advantage of the situations life throws at us.”
You Huo gives him an unimpressed look. “I would prefer not to take advantage of this one.”
There is laundry strewn all over the floors, draped over the backs of their couches, and on the coffee table.
“Well, if someone had bothered to do the laundry while I was gone,” Qin Jiu starts. He does not finish his sentence because You Huo sends him a scathing glare.
“Anyway, darling, do tell me how much you missed me,” he says, eyes curving into crescents as he continues teasing You Huo.
“I was also quite occupied while you were gone,” You Huo says, gritting his teeth.
“Anyway, I’m here now, so let’s get to it.”
“I’m going back to sleep.”
“There aren’t any covers to sleep on, my dear. We’ve washed them. And now we have to iron them before we can fit them back on the bed.”
I know that, you idiot, You Huo thinks. Outwardly, all that happens is a twitch in his eye, which Qin Jiu is awfully perceptive to. “Something wrong?”
You Huo contemplates shoving his fist in Qin Jiu’s mouth, but then takes a breath, and sits down next to him. “You sort your pile. I’ll do mine.”
You Huo makes it through folding a few shirts before Qin Jiu looks at him, and continues to stare. “What? What happened?”
“How about we make this a date?”
You Huo stares at him. “Have you…lost it?”
Qin Jiu chuckles. “No. I just think that making this a date would be a much better use of our time than just doing laundry.”
“Alright. But how do you propose we do that?” You Huo asks, eyebrow raised and very notably skeptical.
He finds himself with his legs in Qin Jiu’s lap, intently listening to Qin Jiu tell a story about two unruly trainees while folding a shirt. Qin Jiu feeds him a chip and goes back to telling his story. Empty chip bags are discarded on the coffee table, along with candy wrappers and empty mugs of coffee.
“And you wouldn’t believe it. The two trainees just stood there. It was as if they hadn’t just dyed the general’s hair pink with prank shampoo.”
“There’s no way,” You Huo comments.
“Absolutely yes way, darling,” Qin Jiu counters. “The meltdown the general had after had to be controlled by me, of course. I swear, I’ve never seen someone so angry.”
You Huo sets aside the folded shirt into Qin Jiu’s clothing pile and takes a sip of coffee. “And what happened to the trainees?”
“Being sent to you.”
“You’re kidding.”
When Qin Jiu doesn’t answer, You Huo furrows his brows. “Did they seriously make it out alive?”
“Barely, but yes. After all, they are somehow related to some higher ups. They’ve been indefinitely suspended from the S-Brigade and are being sent back to the main military base for, how did the general put it, further discipline.”
“So now, they’re my problem,” You Huo asks, sending Qin Jiu a dry look. Qin Jiu holds his hands up.
“I had no say in this.”
“Of course you didn’t.”
Qin Jiu folds another pair of sweatpants and sets it aside. You Huo finds a miscellaneous sock and tosses it back into the laundry basket. It’s not his problem now.
“Look at that. We’re done.”
You Huo eyes the pile of unironed bedsheets and pillowcases on the lounge chair beside Qin Jiu. “Mhm.”
“Ignore that. We can always sleep on the couch.”
You Huo snorts and stifles a yawn into his fist. “Anyway, I’ll probably end up assigning those trainees to 021. She’ll enjoy it.”
“Good decision. After all, we wouldn’t want to make it harder on our dear Chief Instructor.”
Qin Jiu pats his legs and massages his calves. He would normally glare at Qin Jiu, but he’s getting a massage out of it, so he settles on a mildly irritating look.
“Now, for the next part of our date.”
“I’m not doing any more chores,” You Huo murmurs sleepily.
“Lunch, how do you feel about lunch?” Qin Jiu asks, leaning in and kissing him on the lips.
“I could be persuaded,” You Huo says, cracking an eye open.
“Care to join me in the kitchen, my dear?”
“...No.”
Qin Jiu has a particular way of swindling You Huo into his plans, so You Huo finds himself, moments later, chopping vegetables alongside Qin Jiu.
“How about a smile, hm? I can feel your vicious chops from over here.”
You Huo nudges him. “Mind your business.”
Qin Jiu chuckles, and leans into him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “I’m sorry. This isn’t exactly our ideal day off. I know it’s been a long time.”
You Huo shakes his head. “You know that doesn’t matter to me.”
“You don’t mind cooking with me, then?”
You Huo shakes his head again, looking up at Qin Jiu. After all, he hasn’t seen his boyfriend in person for about three weeks. He isn’t complaining at all, as long as he’s by his side again. “No. Not at all.”
Qin Jiu grins, nudging their noses together. “Good. We’ve got a lot of it ahead of us. After all, you can’t just keep eating instant noodles when I’m away. I think I’ll have to teach you how to cook properly some time.”
His boyfriend sure knows how to ruin the mood.
“...Get lost.”
ii. Physical Touch
“Don't you think 001 has been in a bad mood?”
You Huo glances at Gao Qi. “Hm?”
“001.”
“What about him?”
“He seems to be in a bad mood,” Gao Qi repeats, slowly. He seems more wary of You Huo’s reaction now. “Are you too?”
“No. And how am I supposed to know? I haven't seen him all day,” he says, almost uninterested.
“Ah.”
Gao Qi awkwardly shifts on his feet. “Are you two…fighting?”
You Huo snorts. “No. I really haven't seen him at all, not of our own volition. We’re busy men.”
“...I see. Well. That better get resolved soon, because the entire S-Brigade will collapse if he continues being in a bad mood.”
“Why's that?”
“I heard he's running them to the ground.”
“Nothing new, then.”
Gao Qi sighs and shakes his head. “You two, honestly…”
You Huo remains silent, and Gao Qi throws his hands up in the air. “A, how about you just go home? Go get 001 and go home. I’ll…I’ll arrange for everything.”
You Huo raises an eyebrow. “You can handle all that?”
Gao Qi’s shoulders slump. “Do I have a choice? The military’s been making you guys run back and forth for their errands regarding the system. It’s the least I can do. Go home.”
You Huo regards him with one last look, as if saying, last chance to opt out . Gao Qi doesn’t maintain eye contact with him, instead turning his head and reprimanding a trainee.
You Huo huffs. “Then, good luck. I’m taking my leave.”
He removes the cap from his head, strolling off the training grounds and into his office to collect his things. He decides to take a stroll over to the S-Brigade’s base just to see what the commotion is about.
When he reaches the training grounds, he notices the absence of one particular commander while the S-Brigade trainees are running through a course. A trainee notices him and immediately stops to greet him. “Chief Instructor, what brings you here?”
“Where’s Commander Qin?”
“Oh, er…he’s in his office.”
“That’s strange,” You Huo notes. “Thank you for letting me know. Carry on.”
The trainees are particularly motivated today, and You Huo wonders if Qin Jiu had given them a stern talking to before he retreated to his office.
He doesn’t bother knocking and walks in, finding Qin Jiu completing some paperwork. He leans against the doorframe. “Write any harder, and you’ll end up breaking the pen. You don’t want to redo those forms, do you?”
Qin Jiu looks up, momentarily surprised. “My dear.”
There’s something minutely off with his intonation, and You Huo tilts his head. “Not playing around with your trainees today?”
“As you can see, I happen to be a bit occupied.”
“Oh,” You Huo says, walking over to his desk. As he approaches, he can more clearly see the tightness in Qin Jiu’s posture. Qin Jiu’s jaw is clenched tight, the grip on his pen very clearly starting to bend the plastic.
“The usual migraine, then?”
“You read me like an open book, darling.”
“Let’s go home.”
Qin Jiu raises an eyebrow. “Aren’t you busy?”
“Gao Qi decided to take over for today.”
Qin Jiu sets his pen down, and briefly massages his temple. “That’s nice, darling.”
“Right, come on. Let’s go.”
“You go on ahead. I’ll finish this up, and I’ll meet you at home.”
You Huo places a hand on top of his, preventing him from picking up his pen again. “Let’s go,” he repeats.
“You’re not leaving without me, are you?”
You Huo shakes his head. “Better to cut your losses now, Commander Qin.”
Qin Jiu releases a laugh and stands up. “Alright, Instructor You. I’m going.”
He gathers his coat and locks up his office. He takes a glance at his trainees, and You Huo cuts in before he can say anything. “078 will probably deal with them.”
“I see.”
You Huo all but drags him off the base, back onto their small flat. Qin Jiu is about to lie down on the couch, but You Huo steers him into the bathroom.
“Alright, what are you up to?”
“Making you take a shower.”
“I’d rather not do that right now.”
You Huo crosses his arms. “Shower. Now.”
“I can do that myself.”
“I also want to take a shower.”
Qin Jiu raises an eyebrow.
“Quiet, you. Not like that,” You Huo mutters.
The two of them strip down to nothing, carefully stepping into the cramped shower obviously not made for two.
Qin Jiu watches him curiously as he starts to wash himself off. He adjusts the water slightly, glancing at Qin Jiu to gauge his reaction. “Is that warm enough?”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m showering,” You Huo says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Which it is. He’s not doing anything but showering. Most definitely.
You Huo grabs the shampoo, lathering up a dollop in his palms. Qin Jiu gestures for him to hand over the bottle. “Pass it here.”
You Huo ignores him, and beckons Qin Jiu closer.
“Darling. I’m also trying to take a shower,” he says helplessly.
“Come here,” You Huo persists. Qin Jiu finally steps into his space, and You Huo takes his head, lathering soap into his hair.
“What are you doing?” Qin Jiu asks, again. You Huo is tempted to knock him out and just get it over with. But again, all he says is, “I’m showering.”
He carefully cards his fingers through Qin Jiu’s hair, gently massaging the shampoo into his scalp. Qin Jiu continues to look at him curiously, but he can slowly see the tension melting out of his shoulders. After a while, You Huo feels a warm hand settle on the small of his back.
“No funny business,” You Huo mutters into his ear.
“I’m just showering,” Qin Jiu replies cheekily.
You Huo narrows his eyes, but allows Qin Jiu to spread soap onto his back. Slowly, calloused palms spread the soap over his sides, and deft fingertips drag over his hips. His hands travel upwards to in between his shoulder blades, and down again so he can place a hand on top of You Huo’s stomach, his thumb rubbing gentle circles into his skin.
He tugs Qin Jiu’s head under the showerhead, rinsing the suds out of his hair. He’s careful about not getting it into Qin Jiu’s eyes, gently brushing the bubbles out of the way and slicking his hair back. Qin Jiu closes his eyes, leaning into You Huo’s touch. His hands pause from where they are on You Huo’s waist.
You Huo blinks the water out of his eyelashes and moves to lather soap onto the firm muscles on Qin Jiu’s shoulders. Before he can get any further, a large hand tangles into his hair, and tugs him in for a kiss.
You Huo wraps his arms around Qin Jiu’s shoulders, kissing him back and balancing them against the cold tiles of their shower wall. You Huo pulls back after getting too much water up his nose from kissing under the relentless stream of the showerhead.
“How’s your migraine?” He eventually asks after catching his breath. Strands of hair have fallen back into Qin Jiu’s eyes, and he reaches up to slick them back into place. Qin Jiu leans back in, kissing the corner of his mouth. You Huo pushes him back and levels him with a stare. “Answer me.”
“Terrible,” Qin Jiu murmurs, “but at least I have you.”
You Huo sighs, and reaches up, taking Qin Jiu’s face into his hand. Qin Jiu leans into his touch, closing his eyes and tilting his head to nuzzle into You Huo’s palm.
“Should we finish up and get out?”
Qin Jiu meets his gaze, and shakes his head slowly. “How about we stay here for just a bit longer?”
You Huo huffs out a laugh, and nods. Who’d been the one to originally protest the idea? “Okay. We’ll stay.”
Though Qin Jiu is a bit taller than he is, he tugs his head down to his chest, resting it against his heart. He runs gentle fingers through Qin Jiu’s hair, scratching gently against his scalp. The water quietly beats down on their backs.
He briefly considers the price of the water bill before closing his eyes, resting his chin on top of Qin Jiu’s head.
Later, they will emerge with pruned fingertips and aching spines, but for now, You Huo is content with the consistent warmth pressed against his chest and the rough palms pressed against his lower back.
iii. Acts of Service
“Morning, sweetheart.”
The light streaming through the curtains feels stronger than usual, You Huo notes as he wakes up. Qin Jiu shifts beside him, the arm around his waist tightening slightly as Qin Jiu leans in to kiss his nape. His breath is warm against his skin, and You Huo shifts closer to him. Qin Jiu noses into his hair, pressing another kiss to the back of his head. He moves sluggishly, as if he were still sleepy. You Huo most certainly is. He doesn’t want to move from the safety of his covers.
You Huo turns over, facing Qin Jiu. He stifles a yawn. “Morning,” is what he attempts to say, but a strangled cough comes out instead.
They both pause.
“...Darling, was that you?”
“No, it was the damn dog,” You Huo grits out. “Yes, it was me.”
Now that he’s a bit more awake, he is very much aware of how scratchy his throat feels, and how much his head is throbbing. Qin Jiu sits up and stares at him. “Are you sick?” he asks, disbelief coloring his voice.
“No, I just sound like this,” he bites back.
His voice sounds much more nasally than he remembers it being.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know you could get sick,” Qin Jiu says, amusement clear on his features.
“Of course I get sick. I’m fucking human,” he grumbles. But now that he thinks about it, when was the last time he actually fell sick? He hadn’t even gotten as much as a sniffle when they had finally exited the system all those years ago, as opposed to many other invigilators who’d fallen ill.
Briefly, he does recall the influx of trainees being sent to the med bay within the past week. He also does recall the increase of late nights that he’s had to pull in the recent weeks.
“Figured it out yet?” There is still mirth within Qin Jiu’s eyes. You Huo wants to beat him up.
Qin Jiu must see the bloodlust in his eyes because he gives him that familiar shit-eating grin. “So fierce, my love. Like a disgruntled kitten.”
“Kitten, my foot. Scram.”
He attempts to get out of bed, and makes it about three feet out before he sneezes so hard he shivers. It’s a foreign feeling, being this cold and hot simultaneously. He stubbornly persists, trudging his way to the bathroom and squeezing out toothpaste onto his toothbrush before he sneezes again and it flies into the sink.
He stares at it hatefully.
“Surely you don’t think you’re going to work like that?”
“I’m fine.”
He descends into a coughing fit as Qin Jiu watches him through the mirror.
“Oh, of course,” Qin Jiu finally says when he finishes.
You Huo sullenly sets down his toothbrush, and Qin Jiu takes that as his cue to drag him back to the bedroom. Somehow, Qin Jiu manages to wrestle him back under the covers.
“There. That wasn’t so hard.”
“Quiet. Go to work.”
“You believe that I’m going to leave you here?”
“Qin Jiu, I have a cold. I’m not dying,” he says, exasperated. “I’ll be fine. Just bring me some medicine, and I’ll sleep it off.”
Qin Jiu purses his lips, and leaves the room momentarily to come back with cold medicine. “You’re sure?”
He’s a grown man. You Huo is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He has for the past thirty or so years of his life, so when he speaks, he speaks with conviction and a stern tone. “I’m sure. If it’s any consolation, I’ll call you if I need something.”
Qin Jiu crosses his arms. “Fine.”
You Huo stares at him suspiciously. That was a little too easy. But he’s tired, and he just wants to sleep, so he takes the pill and shoos Qin Jiu away.
“I’m fine. Seriously.”
He doesn’t remember much after that, because he probably passes out right then. When he comes to, he feels even worse than what he’d felt in the morning. He’s not even sure if the cold medicine has done anything.
And then he realizes that he is not laying on his pillow anymore. Instead, it is a firm chest, and You Huo has an inkling as to whose chest it is.
“Qin Jiu?”
Qin Jiu looks away from his laptop. “Oh. You’re awake.”
“What are you doing here?” He grumbles. “Did you even leave when I told you to?”
“I came back to check on you. You were burning up, so I decided to stay back and keep an eye on you.”
He supposes that makes sense. “How long have I been out?”
“It’s one in the afternoon now. You should take another dose.”
You Huo nods, and closes his eyes. “I should. I also should’ve called out today.”
“I already did it for you. Gao Qi is similarly shocked that you’ve fallen ill.”
You Huo snorts, and then descends into a coughing fit. Qin Jiu props him up further against his chest, patting his back slightly. “Alright, time to take your medicine.”
Qin Jiu places a pill into his palm, and hands him a glass of water. You Huo gulps it down, wincing as the water hits his throat. “You know, you don’t have to do this. I’m old enough to take care of myself.”
“I’m aware of that,” Qin Jiu says offhandedly. “I made you congee.”
“Seriously?” You Huo looks up at him in disbelief.
“Well, it was either that or you were going to end up eating cup noodles.”
“I wouldn’t have,” You Huo says, sniffing slightly. “Hand me a tissue.”
Qin Jiu grimaces, and passes him the entire tissue box. “Quick. You should eat some congee. This cold medicine is stronger, so it might upset your stomach if you don’t take it with food.”
He fetches a bowl from the nightstand, placing it into You Huo’s palms carefully. He lifts a spoon up to his lips, and nudges him. “Eat.”
You Huo stares at him. “I can feed myself.”
“I know.”
You Huo reaches for the spoon, but Qin Jiu nudges him again. “Let me do something for you, hm?”
You Huo slowly lowers his hand, considering him for a moment. “No, no. This won’t do. I’m already this old, Qin Jiu, don’t be difficult and give me the spoon.”
Qin Jiu relinquishes hold of the spoon to him, and sits back, letting You Huo carefully sip the congee.
“Have you just been sitting here the whole time?”
“Well, no. I cleaned and disinfected the rest of the flat. I also went grocery shopping to make the congee. I did the dishes from last night too. I started the laundry just so you could have some fresh clothes to wear.”
You Huo blinks. “All that?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to drag you up to do something silly like the dishes.”
“You could’ve waited until tomorrow. The dishes aren’t going anywhere.”
“I wouldn’t make you do them, darling.”
“I’m sick, not dying,” You Huo reminds him. He feels his stomach turn, so he wisely hands the bowl back to Qin Jiu.
“Done already?”
“My head hurts. I’m laying down.”
He lays back down on Qin Jiu’s shoulder, and Qin Jiu shifts him slightly so he’s on his chest instead. You Huo thinks for a moment before speaking. “You’re going to get sick too.”
Qin Jiu chuckles, and rubs his back gently. “Well, I live with you. It was bound to happen anyway.”
You Huo looks up at him. “What, and you expect me to stay home and take care of you?”
“Your words, not mine.”
You Huo sighs, and lays his head back on Qin Jiu’s chest. “I wouldn’t make you congee.”
He pauses, then adds on to his answer. “But, I would stay home with you.”
Qin Jiu laughs, and leans down, kissing his temple. “Would you, now?”
“Sure. Anything to get out of work.”
“Your words are so harsh, my dear.”
You Huo doesn’t answer, instead yawning and closing his eyes. “I’m cold.”
“You do have a fever. Best to sleep it off. I’ll take care of you.”
I don’t need that , he wants to say. But Qin Jiu pulls the covers up around his shoulders, and kisses the top of his head. You Huo sighs, resigned to his fate, and mumbles to him quietly. “You know, I have paperwork.”
Qin Jiu only laughs, and nods. “Okay. I’ll take care of that too.”
iv. Gift Giving
“My god, it’s getting so cold these days.”
You Huo hums in agreement. “I know. And you still stepped out with such a thin coat.”
Chu Yue glares at him. “Yeah? Look at what you’re wearing. Didn’t you just get sick a few months ago?”
You Huo remains silent, graciously ignoring that last comment. “This jacket is padded.”
“Lucky you,” she mutters sourly.
“We’re almost at the restaurant. Aren’t you the one who chose to walk?”
“Quiet. I don’t need to hear about my bad choices anymore.”
You Huo sighs. “Do you—”
“I can’t take this anymore, here's a clothing shop!”
She hooks You Huo’s arm with her own, and ducks into a random retail store. The bitingly cold wind is suddenly replaced by the warmth of the heater, and the two of them both sigh in relief. Chu Yue sags against him slightly. “Oh. I could live here.”
“I’m hungry, so let’s not.”
“Fine. Help me pick out a coat.”
“Just pick one. Does it really matter?”
Chu Yue glances at a price tag, and her eyes bug out. “Holy shit.”
You Huo looks at where she’s pointing, and laughs. “Well. At least you’ll know it’ll be a good investment.”
“A, I can’t buy this.”
“You have more than enough.”
“It’s a darned jacket!”
“The sales associate is looking at you funny,” he whispers.
“It’s…” She mutters helplessly. “It’s a jacket.”
“Indeed. A down padded jacket, it seems.”
“I hate you,” Chu Yue spits, picking up the jacket and patting it down. “Oh, but this is a nice jacket.”
“Is it really, though?”
“You are trying to make me feel worse.”
You Huo smirks, and turns around, wandering off on his own so Chu Yue can contemplate whether or not she really wants to drop an obscene amount of money on a jacket.
He stumbles onto the scarves section, and finds a black scarf that catches his attention. He reaches out to feel the material, humming when he feels the thickness and the softness of the material.
“Sir, would you like some assistance?”
He turns, finding a sales associate standing behind him. “I’d like to take this scarf.”
“Oh! That’s wonderful. Have you looked at all of our other offers? This one here is cashmere.”
You Huo shakes his head. “Just this will be fine.”
“We also offer complementary embroidery, if you’d like to consider that as well.”
You Huo pauses. “Actually, I will.”
The sales associate looks pleasantly surprised, and ushers him over to the counter, handing it over to the person manning the machine. “What would you like it to say?”
“Qin Jiu. Here are the characters.”
He writes them out on a sheet of paper provided by the store, and the sales associate smiles at him. “Oh, is this a gift for a brother or a friend?”
“No. For a lover.”
“O-oh! I see.”
Chu Yue wanders over then, a bag dangling off her arm. “Hey, you’re getting something too?”
You Huo glances at the bag, and she scowls at him. “It turned out to be on sale.”
You Huo ‘oh’s, and Chu Yue nudges him. “Leave me alone.”
The embroidery doesn’t take long, since it was only two characters being sewed on. The scarf turns out to be more expensive than he anticipated, but at least it was high quality. He’d rather pay a hefty sum for it to last ages, rather than have to buy a new scarf every season.
“For Qin Jiu?” Chu Yue asks when they leave the store, her new coat wrapped snugly around her body.
You Huo nods.
“I figured. It’s totally not your style.”
“That coat isn’t yours either.”
“...Be quiet.”
When You Huo arrives back at his flat, Qin Jiu is not yet home, so he doesn’t bother starting dinner. He starts on cleaning the kitchen instead, and when that’s done, he decides on a hot bath. The cold weather calls for something like that anyway.
As he’s putting on his clothes and draining the bathtub, he hears the door unlock and a set of familiar footsteps enter the flat.
He tosses his towel over the back of a chair, and toes on a pair of slippers. “Welcome home.”
Qin Jiu leans over, kissing him briefly on the lips. “Sorry, I’m late. I got caught up with something.”
You Huo waves him off. “Should I start on something to eat?”
“Oh? My darling is offering to cook?”
You Huo ignores him. “You’re getting leftovers.”
“Ah.”
“What? Not satisfied?”
Qin Jiu chuckles, grabbing his waist and hugging him from behind. He lowers his voice and kisses the shell of You Huo’s ear. “No. Could I eat something else?”
“Old rascal,” You Huo scolds, whacking his shoulder and breaking away. “I’m not cooking. We still have some tofu from last night.”
“That’s fine. Anyway, I have something for you.”
You Huo closes the fridge, and raises an eyebrow. “Really? So suddenly?”
“Well, it was a spontaneous purchase. I drove past the shop the other day, and came back earlier to get you something.”
You Huo must admit, his interest is piqued. “Alright. What is this mysterious gift?”
Qin Jiu pulls out a small box from his coat pocket, and You Huo raises an eyebrow. “Hm.”
“Oh, sweetheart, don't panic. It’s not what you think.”
You Huo narrows his eyes, walking away for a moment to put their food in the microwave. When he returns, he finally answers Qin JIu. “What about me says panic?”
Qin Jiu doesn’t say anything, and flips open the box. It reveals two stud earrings, one appearing to be diamond, and another with a blood-red stone.
You Huo blinks. “...What’s this?”
Qin Jiu reaches up, fiddling with the existing black stud on You Huo’s ear. “I do love seeing you wear earrings. I thought these would suit you very well.”
You Huo takes the box into his hands, running a finger over the studs. “But the earring I have now is quite special.”
“I know. But these could be too. Let’s make new memories with these ones, my dear.”
The diamond earring glints in the dim lighting of their kitchen. You Huo reaches up, removing the black stud from his ear. Carefully, he inserts the diamond earring and slides the backing on. He sets the box down on the counter, and turns back to Qin Jiu. “How does it look?”
Qin Jiu smiles. “Beautiful.”
He reaches for You Huo, pulling him close under the guise of inspecting the earring. You Huo suddenly remembers the scarf, and pats him slightly. “I actually have something for you too.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
He pulls back, reaching for a chair at the kitchen counter and pulling out the bag containing Qin Jiu’s scarf. “I just bought it today, when I went out earlier with Chu Yue.”
He gestures for Qin Jiu to take it, and he does, reaching inside and pulling out the scarf. “Oh, darling, how did you know I needed a new one?”
“I did the laundry last week. The ends of your old one are fraying.”
“Is this my name?” Qin Jiu asks, eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise. He runs his fingers over the golden embroidery at the corner.
“Mhm.”
“Thank you, darling. This is beautiful. I’ll use it every day.”
You Huo scoffs. “Ridiculous. It’ll need to be washed.”
“Here, help me put it on.”
“How old are you? Can’t you do it yourself?”
You Huo still finds himself taking the scarf, carefully wrapping it around Qin Jiu’s neck and tucking in the ends carefully. Qin Jiu looks down at him fondly. “How’s it look?”
You Huo’s hands linger, falling down to rest on Qin Jiu’s chest. “Handsome.”
A hand around his waist pulls him closer. You Huo leans closer, taking Qin Jiu’s face in his hands and kissing his jaw. “Thank you. For the earrings.”
“Of course, darling,” Qin Jiu mutters, brushing their lips against each other. The microwave goes off in the distance. You Huo can only see Qin Jiu.
The beeping of the microwave is forgotten in the background as You Huo tugs Qin Jiu in for a kiss by his scarf, and soon enough the poor scarf is discarded and tossed onto the ground.
v. Words of Affirmation
“Hey, A, the S-Brigade is rolling in.”
“Mhm. That’s early, even for them.”
021 hums. “Well. A certain someone was insisting on that time change.”
You Huo pauses. “Qin Jiu?”
“Yes. You’ve been worried, haven’t you?”
You Huo sighs, and crosses his arms, leaning against his desk. “With the S-Brigade being sent into the system’s new training simulations as their testers, and with the amount of faulty mechanics and malfunctions the military has seen from it, how could I not?”
“You don’t trust the thing.”
“Do you?”
021’s lips are pressed into a fine line as she looks away. “No. But 001 is fine. He made contact with us first.”
She turns to him again. “Wouldn’t you like to see him?”
“I’ll be out in a moment.”
She nods, placing a hand on his shoulder before leaving.
It had been about a month, maybe more, since You Huo had seen Qin Jiu last. He and some of the S-Brigade members had been sent into the new system to test out all the simulations and work out the glitches. Of course, there were a lot of those. What had been a two week test run turned into something more like five weeks, which You Huo was not very pleased with.
Furthermore, there had been such limited contact between the rest of the military and the S-Brigade members that You Huo had probably only talked to Qin Jiu a handful of times.
He leaves his office, locking it up and walking over to the training areas, where he finds a tall head of brown hair with the rest of their group of former invigilators surrounding him.
“Anyway, welcome back, 001. We’re glad everything worked out,” 078 says.
Qin Jiu smiles casually. “I’m glad too.”
Chu Yue sees You Huo approach, and clears a space next to Qin Jiu. Qin Jiu’s gaze falls on him, and he grins. “There you are.”
You Huo rolls his eyes, nudging Qin Jiu’s shoulder with his own. “Didn’t care to greet me first?”
“Forgive this one for his mistakes, Chief Instructor.”
922 laughs. “We’ll leave you to it, boss.”
The group disperses, all walking off to probably discuss some new strategy. It leaves the two of them alone, standing quietly next to each other.
“Walk with me, darling.”
They fall into step with each other, and You Huo recognizes the path to the S-Brigade training area and Qin Jiu’s office. Qin Jiu closes the door behind them when they enter, and pushes You Huo up against the door. He kisses him fiercely, knocking all the breath out of You Huo’s lungs.
You Huo clutches his arms, gasping and letting Qin Jiu lick into his mouth. He groans, tangling his fingers in Qin Jiu’s hair and kissing him back with equal fervor. Qin Jiu’s hands wander all over his body, not letting an inch of him go untouched.
You Huo pulls away to breathe, and Qin Jiu rests his forehead on his shoulder. “How are you, darling? Are you feeling alright?”
You Huo laughs incredulously. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You were stuck in there longer than we anticipated.”
Qin Jiu shakes his head. “I’m fine. The rest of the S-Brigade members are alright, too. The glitch caught us off guard, but it was manageable. The initial situation it dumped us in only caused some minor injuries.”
You Huo nods. “That’s good.”
He falls silent. Qin Jiu must sense something wrong with the atmosphere, because he speaks up then, nudging You Huo slightly with his knee.
“Were you worried?” Qin Jiu asks a little playfully.
But You Huo nods, only a slight movement of his head. And Qin Jiu pauses there.
“I’m sorry,” Qin Jiu finally says.
You Huo kisses him again, and shakes his head. “No need for sorry between us.”
“I wish I could’ve let you know. But the communications system…”
“Malfunctioned, and 922 has been working on fixing it ever since,” You Huo cuts in.
“There won’t be any simulations with it for a while,” he says, sighing slightly. “Though, I suppose us invigilators are slightly relieved that it’s the case.”
“Mhm.”
“How was it without me, hm?” Qin Jiu swiftly changes the subject, and You Huo indulges him.
“Well, it was very quiet. That, I very much appreciated.”
“You wound me, truthfully.”
You Huo laughs. “Though, I did have to cook everything myself, which I did not enjoy very much.”
“Is that really all you see me as?”
“A glorified chef? Perhaps.”
Qin Jiu shakes his head, finally laughing and pinching You Huo’s waist in reprimand. “Then, did you miss me at all? I’m beginning to feel a bit unwanted here.”
“So many questions, Gi,” You Huo mutters. But he wraps his arms around Qin Jiu’s neck, pulling him down so that they’re only a hair’s width apart.
“I missed you,” he says. Surprise floods Qin Jiu’s features, and You Huo continues, knocking their foreheads together. “I missed you like crazy.”
Qin Jiu kisses him then, but unlike their previous kiss, it’s slow, and sweet, and everything that You Huo has missed for the past month.
“I missed you too, my dear,” Qin Jiu says when he finally pulls away. “Every day.”
You Huo huffs. “That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
Qin Jiu hugs him, not responding to his taunt. You Huo hugs him back, closing his eyes and breathing in Qin Jiu’s scent.
“Let’s go home, darling.”
“Now?”
“Now.”
You Huo frowns as Qin Jiu takes his hand, dragging him out of his office. “What for?”
“We have a lot to make up for,” he says, a devilish smile on his lips.
“You old hooligan,” You Huo remarks mildly, not really resisting Qin Jiu’s grip on his hand.
They pass by a group of trainees who gawk at them, and scramble out of their way. Chu Yue catches sight of them leaving and rolls her eyes.
“You love me,” says Qin Jiu casually, throwing him a grin.
“I do,” says You Huo. Unfortunately, he tacks on in his mind.
“I love you too, sweetheart. And I’ll love you more if you’ll allow me to take a bath with you later.”
“Dream on.”
“I’m just kidding, I love you no matter what. But, it was worth a shot.”
You Huo stares at him incredulously, because when did he fall in love with such a fool?
His fool, he supposed.
You Huo laughs at him, and Qin Jiu laughs with him too.
With a fond huff, You Huo walks off the base with Qin Jiu, hand in hand. Qin Jiu tangles their fingers together, and kisses his knuckles gently.
Yeah. You Huo really loves him.
(“Darling, would you please reconsider that bath?”
“Qin Jiu.”
“...Yes?”
“Get lost.”)