Archive of Our Own

zhanghao thanks god that china and korea share the same time zone as he sets foot on the tiled floor of incheon international airport. his legs feel numb and heavy from the hours of sitting. jetlag would be a real pain in the ass along with having to catch a flight at two in the morning. at least getting to fly in first class kind of eased the trouble of everything.

he watches with sleepy eyes when one of the airport staff approaches his father to inform him about their luggage. his mother almost wanders off to the duty free shops, but zhanghao shakes his head lightly. she pinches his cheek. "sleepy?" she asks in a soft voice.

he hums. his fingers tighten around the handle of his violin case. it's his only carry-on baggage aside from the sling bag resting on his left shoulder.

"hang in there, dear," his mother coos when he yawns. "the car should be outside already. just wait for your father to finish."

as if on cue, the middle-aged walks up to the both of them. he ruffles zhanghao's hair with a rough hand, dishevelling it even further than it already was from tossing and turning as much as his plane seat would allow. "let's go," he says.

the staff member leads them out the airport. zhanghao's mother has her arm linked around his. he likes the contact. it's soothing. they stop in front of a sleek black car. it looks fairly new and awfully familiar. he's trying to put the pieces together in his mind to figure out just where he had seen this car before. his brain is lagging like an old computer considering the fact that the sun hasn't even risen yet.

"it's the same model as ricky's," his father answers his unasked question. "i just bought it."

ricky

zhanghao already misses him. he wonders what he's doing—probably snoring away in his dramatic canopy bed. ricky promised to visit him often. other people found it ridiculous when he said that, but zhanghao knows he wasn't joking. he would probably get a video call some time in the afternoon. the drive to the new place feels like hours. his mother places a neck pillow on top of his shoulders and offers him a sleeping mask. he gladly accepts.

he wakes up from a hand shaking his shoulder lightly. he hears his mother's soft voice followed by the sound of a car door slamming shut. "wake up, dear. we're here."

he lifts up the end of the sleeping mask with his thumb. his mother is smiling at him. his father is already out the car, walking into the lobby of their new penthouse. he takes one look at it and decides that he prefers their home back in china.

a man dressed in a suit brings them to their suite. zhanghao thinks this guy is a little too well-groomed at fuckass o'clock in the morning. their suite is fully furnished. his parents kept making trips the past two months to make sure everything was ready before making the big move. they let zhanghao design his own room.

the suited man leaves after zhanghao's father dismisses him. he mumbles a quiet goodnight to his parents before trudging his way into his new bedroom. if his exhausted mind is correct, it should be at the end of the hallway on the upper floor.

his shoulders sag in relief when he sees the king-sized bed among the furniture he picked out. he falls asleep as soon as his body hits the plush mattress.

it only fully sinks in when he wakes up. this is home now. zhanghao is going to have to switch his default language to korean. he has to make new friends. he has to adjust to a new lifestyle. he's starting high school next week too.

zhanghao says goodbye to his new chauffeur when he gets dropped off at school. zhanghao likes him. the guy is probably around his father's age. he knows how to speak chinese, although very limitedly. he taught zhanghao a few useful korean phrases on the trip to school. it was the first time he had a conversation in korean with a person aside from his tutor back in china and the staff working at the penthouse.

students linger all over the hallways. he manages to get to his destination unnoticed by most of them. it's an achievement, really. it's hard to be invisible when you are standing at 180 and have barely any idea where you're walking.

the principal welcomes him into his office warmly. he speaks slowly to make sure zhanghao understands him. the old man tells him that another student is coming by in a while to give him a tour of the school. the situation has zhanghao overthinking.

having a student walk him through the school has a high chance of him earning his first friend here. then again, high school students tend to be mean, and zhanghao isn't fragile or naive (his parents would disagree), but he is very emotionally sensitive. ricky always laughed at his tears when they watched sad movies, even though zhanghao swears the blonde's eyes are glassy too. he crosses his fingers behind the heavy oak table. please be nice please be nice please be nice.

he hears three soft knocks on the door in the middle of the principal's speech about how the school could use a representative in their music department. he turns around to the sound of the door creaking open. he guesses it's his supposed tour guide.

the student is handsome, around zhanghao's height and has a good build. zhanghao tilts his head in question when he just stands there, not moving from the doorway and staring directly at zhanghao. he finally moves when the principal calls him over to sit. hanbin, if he heard correctly. huh. nice name. it sticks to zhanghao's brain well.

hanbin maintains eye contact with him when he pulls out the cushioned chair. it's getting a bit weird. why won't he look away? is this a norm in korea that zhanghao should get used to?

he should say hi. manners. "hi." it comes out softer than he would've liked.

he sees hanbin's throat bob. "hello," he says. is it rude to assume that it sounds forced?

the principal does their introductions for them. he whispers hanbin's name, testing it out on his tongue. it rolls off smoothly. he only half listens for the rest of the time he's in the office.

hanbin is really nice. he offers to carry zhanghao's backpack when they have to go to class. his voice is nice. zhanghao wants to listen to it more. the corridors are mostly empty now that classes are starting soon.

zhanghao's new classmates look at him with comically wide eyes when he walks into the room. he becomes a target for way too many questions when he stands there a bit too long. hanbin raises both his arms up and gestures for them to sit down. they all listen to him. what the fuck? it's like hanbin is instructing a bunch of well-trained shepherd dogs.

hanbin walks over to his own desk and zhanghao just follows. he isn't sure where to sit. the guy sprawled on the table next to hanbin's gets up while gathering his things. he is as good looking as hanbin. he mumbles something about sitting at the front before leaving. zhanghao continues standing there awkwardly until hanbin taps the now empty spot next to him. he can't help but smile thankfully when he plops down next to his new friend. is it too early to call him that? he hopes not.

if zhanghao has a say in the matter, he thinks hanbin is definitely an extrovert. he starts a conversation with zhanghao easily, talking about random facts ("did you know that dogs sweat through their paws?"). he suggests calling each other nicknames to loosen up.

"hao."

zhanghao sucks in a sharp breath. only his parents call him that. he doesn't even let ricky say it, yet it just sounds so right coming from hanbin. this boy he met a mere half an hour ago. he doesn't even realise that he's smiling. "hanbinie?" he tries. he's pretty sure koreans do that—adding the '-ie' at the back of people's names.

hanbin beams at him. "sounds good."

they leave for the school tour after hanbin successfully gets the teacher's permission for it. hanbin walks leisurely around the school and explains what all the rooms are used for. apparently, there's a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor gymnasiums, and an animal coop where they keep chickens and bunnies. zhanghao expected nothing less from a school his parents chose.

hanbin holds a door open for zhanghao to walk through. it leads to the back of the school where there are metres of green grass and students running around. zhanghao speculates that the white shirts and grey shorts are the school's pe attire.

zhanghao watches the students on the field. he notices one of them staring, maybe even glaring, at them. he swallows and looks back at hanbin, who waves at mr. resting bitch face. his eyes dart between the two. whatever. he waves at resting bitch face too.

hanbin walks over to his friend and zhanghao trails closely behind. seokmae. hanbin calls him. seokmae smiles widely—huge contrast from his glare just a moment ago—when he hears hanbin's voice. huh. zhanghao has watched enough movies to know what a lovestruck idiot looks like. this seokmae guy fits the criteria perfectly. 

zhanghao takes it upon himself to get to know this seokmae guy. that can't be his real name, but zhanghao is going to call him that in his head for now. he introduces himself with a bow. seokmae's name is actually seok matthew. the glare is back when he shifts his attention to zhanghao. zhanghao keeps glancing at hanbin to avoid eye contact.

hanbin starts blabbering about zhanghao being a transfer student and whatnot. he is getting more and more uncomfortable by the second as matthew doesn't stop looking at him like he took the younger's firstborn.

zhanghao almost gets socked in the face by an incoming dodgeball, but hanbin comes to the rescue as his knight in shining armor. he barely manages to keep the ball from continuing on its course onto zhanghao's nose with an outstretched hand and remarkable reflexes. the furrow between matthew's brows deepens when hanbin begins fussing over zhanghao.

he doesn't even get the chance to calm himself down before hanbin is ushering him off the field. the next place they visit is at the side of the school. it's a greenhouse as big as two classrooms combined. zhanghao hasn't even walked in yet but the pink and blue and yellow of the flowers blooming inside already look so beautiful.

hanbin holds the door open for him. he roams around the room, curiously reading all the labels on the pots. they look very well taken care of.

the bell rings and hanbin lifts his wrist up to check the time. "hao, it's lunchtime," he informs. "you can sit with me."

zhanghao turns his head away from a pot of bougainvilleas. he's glad hanbin is taking such good care of him. he doesn't want to imagine how lost he would be if anyone else were to be the one chosen by the principal.

"you don't have to..." hanbin trails after not receiving an answer. this is the first time in the entire morning when hanbin doesn't look confident and calm. on the contrary, he looks kind of like a lost puppy. cute.

zhanghao flails his arms around. "no! i mean—" he recollects himself. "i want to."

hanbin walks over to him with a toothy grin. he has nice dimples. they resemble cat whiskers, a little. he grabs zhanghao's wrist and pulls him out the greenhouse.

"come on," he says. "there should still be choices to pick if we hurry."

he lets go when they enter the school building, where there are a lot more people around. zhanghao has to hold himself back from reaching out for hanbin's hand. he liked the weight of it along with his rough fingers. they are still walking side by side, close enough for zhanghao to brush his sleeve against hanbin's.

hanbin tells him about how his lunch table is very vacant, the only other occupant being matthew. zhanghao doesn't know how to feel about that. his gut is telling him matthew probably doesn't like him that much.

"you two seem really close," he comments without thinking.

he can see that matthew definitely likes hanbin as more than a friend. he doesn't know if he can say the same from hanbin's point of view. they might be dating. the thought causes a sinking feeling in his chest.

hanbin shares his story with matthew—talking about how they are childhood friends and have stayed close since the day they met. zhanghao feels jealous and silly. jealous because he wants to be close to hanbin too. silly because hanbin had been a complete stranger to him until only two hours ago.

"he's like my baby brother," hanbin finishes.

okay. so, definitely not dating. that's relieving. is it selfish for him to think that he has a chance with hanbin? with how he has been treated the entire morning, it's easy to get the wrong idea. but hanbin hasn't talked to anyone else like how he talks to zhanghao. he almost completely ignored a group of girls greeting him during their tour, movements stiff and smile tight. zhanghao allows himself to hope.

hanbin helps zhanghao get his food. it looks pretty good for a school meal. then again, his parents probably considered this aspect too when choosing this school. they sit at a table near the wall of the cafeteria. heads turn and people whisper, but hanbin doesn't react if he notices. zhanghao tries to follow suit. they sit down facing each other.

"enough about the school." hanbin pushes a carton of milk towards him. "tell me about yourself."

zhanghao toys with the milk carton. "what would you like to know?"

hanbin taps his chin, as if in thought. "everything," he says in a genuine tone.

zhanghao's breath hitches. sung hanbin... how can he just casually say stuff like that? he tries to laugh it off. "that's a lot, you know? choose somewhere to start from."

"fine. tell me about fujian, then."

"how do you know that?"

hanbin shrugs. he pokes a straw into zhanghao's milk carton. zhanghao gives in.

hanbin keeps asking questions about him and zhanghao provides answers to each of them. he's talking about the music school he used to attend when hanbin reaches over the table with his chopsticks and starts picking the bones out of zhanghao's mackerel. he protests, claiming he can do it himself, but hanbin insists.

matthew joins them soon enough. he chooses to sit next to hanbin. the expression on his face isn't a nice one per say. zhanghao can't help but think he's done something wrong. he diverts his gaze back to hanbin and the cogs in his brain start turning. it's so fucking clear like this.

matthew looks at hanbin like only hanbin exists. hanbin is staring intently at zhanghao, not even acknowledging his friend past a short greeting.

zhanghao clears his throat and continues talking about fujian to distract himself. first day of school and he's already in a little bit of a dilemma.

zhanghao is sat at his new dining table with his parents. his hair is still wet from his shower and the soft fabric of his pyjamas make him feel even more tired than he should. his mother places a piece of fish on top of his bowl of rice. it reminds him of hanbin earlier in the day. a faint smile settles itself on his face.

"i'm guessing your first day went good?" his mother asks.

zhanghao nods with a mouthful of rice. hanbin had made it so much easier for him. if he doesn't count the amount of imaginary daggers matthew shot at him, it would have been better. he will just have to do with what he's got though.

he swallows the food in his mouth. "there's this guy named hanbin. he's really nice."

his father refills half empty his cup of water for him. "it's nice that you already have a friend. you were always really shy."

zhanghao laughs.

"it took you two months to finally talk to ricky," his mother brings up. "his mother and i almost gave up on organising the playdates."

he remembers it. they would alternate going to each other's houses during the weekends. it wasn't like he hated seeing ricky—the words just refused to come out his mouth when he meets new people. ricky himself being so shy didn't help the slow pace their friendship was moving at too. they finally started talking when ricky found zhanghao's violin one day, fumbling it around curiously. poor little hao almost had a heart attack at how his most prized possession was handled so roughly.

he hopes ricky visits soon.

matthew does warm up to zhanghao eventually, albeit extremely little by little. hanbin likes dragging zhanghao everywhere with him. it feels as if he used several tubes of super glue between their fingers. it's not like matthew had a choice—he can't just tell zhanghao to fuck off, even though zhanghao can see the temptation dancing around in his eyes.

he had asked hanbin about it a couple weeks after enrolling.

"huh? matthew?" hanbin puts down his pen. he was going through a biology worksheet.

zhanghao nods. "i feel like he hates me."

"nah," hanbin dismisses. "it was always just me and him. maybe he's just trying to get used to it."

does hanbin not realise the obvious looks matthew sends his way?

he goes back to his biology homework. zhanghao isn't quite satisfied with the explanation. "then, what about you?" he asks. "why don't you need any time to get used to me."

hanbin turns his entire body to face zhanghao and leans into his space, startling him a bit. "because i think you're really easy to like, but maybe that's just me." he pinches zhanghao's cheek.

zhanghao can feel his face heat up instantly. his ears always go red easily, so it's obvious that he is flustered. hanbin has a triumphant smile on his face. he can't let him win like this.

"so you like me?" zhanghao tries to fight back.

hanbin looks amused. he tilts his head, as if he is teasing the transfer student. "don't ask dumb questions. you're supposed to be the smartest here. of course, i do."

zhanghao gives up. he picks up the biology work on hanbin's desk and shoves it in his face. "do your homework..." he mutters.

"oh, but i'm stuck on number four, hao. i need your help," he whines.

lord help zhanghao.

fast forward maybe three months after this. he thinks he finally got matthew to like him. the younger boy doesn't look like he wants to fling zhanghao across the room half the time anymore. zhanghao counts it as a win. they even get comfortable enough to joke with each other now.

hanbin is a huge flirt. maybe not. he is only a huge flirt with zhanghao, actually, and he himself knows this. he would always stand way too close and casually say stuff that has zhanghao wanting to explode on the spot. he doesn't do it with anyone else. a lot of people including matthew send him envious looks.

he can't help falling for hanbin—not when he's the nicest person he has ever met. he feels bad about it, mostly because of matthew. they may have developed into quite close friends, but the not so happy look on matthew's face when hanbin refuses to let go of zhanghao's hands is still evident. it makes him feel like he's doing something wrong.

zhanghao tells ricky about it on facetime one day.

ricky shows two different sticker packs at the camera. "pick one."

"pink."

ricky nods and goes back to his journal. "quanrui," zhanghao calls.

the blonde looks up from his notebook and squints at his friend. "what's wrong?"

"why would you assume something's wrong?" he looks at the raccoon squishmallow on his bed. hanbin had given it to him out of the blue one day, rambling about how he thought it looked like zhanghao. his chauffeur and parents gave him knowing looks when he hugged it home.

ricky pushes his journal to the side. "you said my name like that."

"like what?"

"like how you said my name when you accidentally scratched my car."

"i said sorry!"

ricky laughs. "i know."

zhanghao pouts at the camera. ricky rolls his eyes fondly. "tell me."

"i think i like someone," he admits.

"hanbin?" ricky deadpans.

zhanghao rubs his face and whines. "now you're making it sound like i'm obvious."

"you talk about him every time we call," ricky sighs. "i hear his name more than my own from you."

"oh my god..." zhanghao murmurs.

"so, what's the problem?" ricky questions. "he probably likes you too. i'm like a hundred and one percent sure."

zhanghao knows that. friends don't send goodnight and good morning texts to each other with heart emojis. friends don't hold hands and link arms whenever they get the chance. friends don't buy each other gifts with hidden romantic innuendos behind them every week. friends don't keep the notes they pass to each other in class.

"there's this other guy in our friend group—matthew," zhanghao starts explaining. "i think he likes hanbin too."

there's a silence. 

"and?"

zhanghao presses his lips into a thin line. "am i a bad person for still wanting hanbin?"

ricky combs a hand through his hair. "not to me, at least," he ponders. "it's not your fault if hanbin likes you. it's also not your fault if you like hanbin."

"but they've known each other for, like, years," zhanghao continues. "they went to the same kindergarten, rui."

"so did we, but you don't see me stroking your face and passing you love notes." the blonde raises an eyebrow.

zhanghao whines again. ricky tries not to laugh. despite being younger, he thinks zhanghao has always been the cuter one.

ricky picks up his phone and moves over to his bed. "look, hao. stop being so nice. it's okay to like someone that clearly likes you back—even if their childhood friend is in love with them. it will never be your fault."

zhanghao nods silently. it's nice that he will always have ricky to go to at the end of the day.

"are you and jingxiang still fighting?" he asks.

ricky hits the end call button.

zhanghao listens to ricky. he starts getting braver. he did initiate stuff with hanbin before, but never in front of anyone else. he will never forget the gleeful look on hanbin's face when he held his hand in front of an audience for the first time, the audience being matthew. he left the lunch table early that day. now with both of them being clingy, they have become inseparable. everyone is starting to speculate their relationship, even the teachers and that's saying a lot.

the first time zhanghao meets hanbin's mother feels like a fever dream. he is standing at the door, waiting for it to be opened after ringing the doorbell. hanbin had invited him over the day before so they could work on a pair project together. he hears the door behind him opening instead and turns to find matthew with a garbage bag in his hand. awkward. zhanghao had nearly forgotten that they're neighbours.

"school project." he feels like he owes matthew an explanation.

right on time, hanbin's door opens and zhanghao immediately escapes. he doesn't think he could subject himself to matthew's accusing face for any longer. he is about to surge forward to hug hanbin in relief when he realises the person who let him in is not hanbin. he has to look down a bit to find a woman smiling up at him.

"you must be zhanghao!" she claps. "hanbin never stops talking about you."

oh, hell. that information isn't helping with his delusions.

zhanghao bows. "nice to meet you."

"hanbin is in the bathroom," she explains. "you can go ahead and wait in the living room."

he sits on one of the sofas. hanbin's mother disappears somewhere and comes back with a tray of food. she puts it down in front of zhanghao. "i'm experimenting on some recipes. help yourself and tell me which ones you like."

he thanks her when she walks back into the kitchen. hanbin's house smells like a bakery, sugar filling his nostrils.

hanbin finally shows up after five more minutes. he apologises profusely to zhanghao who tells him it's fine.

"i thought we could do the project in my room, but since you're already comfortable out here, i'll just get my stuff and we can get started," hanbin muses when he watches zhanghao nibble on his mother's pastries.

they do their project on the floor, since the coffee table is too short for them to reach while sitting on the couch.

zhanghao loves spending time with hanbin. they could just sit in silence and he would still enjoy every single second. hanbin's presence alone is just so calming to him. it makes him feel warm and fuzzy. coupled with the sweet air from the desserts baking in the oven right now, it feels so much like home. it's making him a little sleepy. he leans into hanbin. hanbin moves closer to him too, and then their bodies are touching.

zhanghao leans his head onto hanbin's shoulder, inhaling the flowery scent of his laundry detergent. hanbin uses his index finger to lightly trace the features on zhanghao's face. "let's take a break," he suggests.

hanbin gets up from the floor and pulls zhanghao with him to sit on the sofa. zhanghao might as well be in hanbin's lap with how he has his legs over hanbin's thighs perpendicularly. hanbin gently places a hand behind zhanghao's head and manoeuvres him so that he's leaning somewhere between his shoulder and chest.

they end up falling asleep. it takes them a little more than an hour to wake up. they are both lying down on the couch, with zhanghao on top of hanbin. he has his face in his chest and their legs are tangled together. he gently pats hanbin's face to wake him up. "hanbinie..." he whispers, sleep still prominent in his voice.

hanbin opens his eyes slowly and looks down at zhanghao. he giggles and runs a hand through his hair. "ah, we fell asleep."

the position they are in would be awkward for anyone else, but they find it so natural. the sound of a camera shutter is heard not far away from them. hanbin shoots up and zhanghao almost falls off the couch if not for the arm around his waist holding him safely. hanbin's mother has her phone pointed at them and a twinkle in her eyes.

"oh, the two of you are adorable," she gushes.

"mum!" hanbin groans. zhanghao buries his face into hanbin's chest in embarrassment.

his school life passes on as how you would imagine it. hanbin is there most of the time, matthew half the time. he would call matthew one of his best friends now, even though he is still obviously upset every time zhanghao and hanbin get a little too up in each other's faces.

he is a bit disappointed that hanbin hasn't confessed or anything yet, but he can wait. he himself refuses to be the one to make the first official move anyways, so he has to rely on hanbin.

the day of their graduation is beautiful. the sun is out and cherry blossoms are drifting in the wind. his chauffeur tells him about his own high school days on their way to school. hanbin meets him at the entrance. he looks as handsome as ever. zhanghao's heart swells. he feels so in love.

the ceremony ends without anything significant happening. matthew congratulates the both of them sincerely. he has a bittersweet expression on his face and watery eyes when he excuses himself to the restroom.

hanbin drags him out the school building after they lose sight of matthew. "i'm going to confess to you." the statement alone is technically already a confession, but hanbin is one for the dramatics.

hanbin tells zhanghao i love you and zhanghao wants to say it back, but he's just so overwhelmed with happiness. students are piling up around them and zhanghao thinks whatever. he cups hanbin's face and dives in and it feels so so right. the crowd cheers, but all zhanghao can hear is how hanbin laughs into the kiss. he moves his arms to rest on hanbin's shoulders while a pair of large hands make their way to his waist.

he can see matthew staring at them from the side of his vision.

it's not my fault. ricky's voice rings in his head. it will never be your fault.

zhanghao moves into a studio apartment near their new university with hanbin.

("there's a bigger place just a few blocks away." his father squints at the layout of the building. "are you sure you're fine with this?"

"yeah," he breathes out. he would be fine with living under a bridge if it meant staying with hanbin.

his mother ruffles his hair. "i'm sure it's not that bad. after all, hanbin will be with him."

"true," his father nods. "but if the two of you ever need a more space to work with, just tell me."

"oh, and use protection, please," his mother adds and his father chuckles heartily.

his ears burn. "oh my god...")

zhanghao loves uni life—mostly because it comes with hanbin. they spend so much more time together now, if that is even possible. their love life has been getting a lot more... passionate too.

at the start they would just give each other quick pecks, but it has recently escalated to very heated make out sessions. zhanghao still wants more though. does that make him greedy? he knows hanbin wants it too, if his hungry gaze and roaming hands are anything to go by.

zhanghao has to map out a plan to make hanbin snap. hanbin doesn't even take him when he's in his lap, panting for air and eyes glassy with want. he knows hanbin has a possessive streak. he could use that to his advantage.

he executes his plan when hanbin is still in class. zhanghao is totally free for the day aside from the morning lecture. he digs through hanbin's closet and pulls out hanbin's favourite shirt. it's a worn out tee with the logo of a band that hanbin doesn't even listen to. zhanghao slips the shirt on. it smells like hanbin. he's already getting worked up.

he decides to forego his pants too, leaving him in his boxers. he really hopes this plan works because his legs get cold really easily and these boxers are way too short. he puts on his reading glasses and grabs a book before hopping on the bed. he has to look nonchalant somehow.

his plan does work, because hanbin takes one look at him and pounces. zhanghao feels sorry for their neighbours. he hopes they don't file a noise complaint.

hanbin is gentle at first, but rough when he gets impatient. the night ends with marks and bruises all over zhanghao's body as well as a sore ass. fuck, they have to stay at hanbin's mother's for the weekend because of chuseok. hanbin reassures him that she wouldn't mind that they have both been defiled. zhanghao whines into his chest.

hanbin's mother squeals when she opens the door for them. the entire apartment smells like food. zhanghao is excited. she wiggles her eyebrows at zhanghao's neck. he pretends he can't see her.

matthew visits the next day. zhanghao is wearing an oversized cardigan which exposes his collarbones. the marks hanbin had left are still slightly visible. he would change into more decent clothes, but a selfish part of him wants to prove a point to matthew once and for all.

matthew eyes the fading hickeys with a clenched jaw and balled up fists when zhanghao sets down desserts for them on the coffee table. he is about to take a seat on the couch when a hand pulls him backwards. he giggles when he falls into hanbin's lap and strong arms wrap around his waist.

a cough from matthew reminds them that he's still there. zhanghao is bit embarrassed, although he was the one who wanted to show matthew that hanbin is his and his alone. matthew starts talking about school and how he has joined a few new clubs. hanbin and zhanghao listen to him attentively.

in the blink of an eye, they have to attend matthew's graduation ceremony. zhanghao had specially ordered a large bouquet for him a few days prior. hanbin complains about how he didn't get one during their graduation. zhanghao kisses him to shut him up.

matthew looks extra happy today. he doesn't have a frown on his face anymore when hanbin slides an arm around zhanghao's waist and rests his hand on his hip.

that's good.

"you've worked hard," zhanghao whispers to him when they're huddled together in a group hug. he can feel matthew nod. all's well that ends well.