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Mo scratched his scalp with his nails, getting rid of all the grease, debris ,and hopefully the thoughts that have been busying him since he woke up today.
All he’s been thinking about is that bastard He Tian, damn chicken dick. He can see that stupid smirk even with his eyes close, adorning his face almost all the damn time, the fucker’s fit to be a model with that face of his. Mo knows he’d never do it though.
The amount of times they were stopped on the street or in supermarkets by random people claiming to be “scouting for models” because of He Tian, too many times to count on all of his fingers and toes.
He doesn’t blame them though, or the girls that crowd around He Tian all the time at school, he’s practically dripping in charisma, he’s very well mannered and kind ( to the point even Mo’s mom would occasionally tell him to ‘learn a thing or two from He Tian’). Sometimes it's enough to make someone like Mo become bashful.
At this, Guan Shan physically recoils back in shock at his thoughts, and almost slips on the wet floor but holds onto a soap holder built into the wall just in time. He groans as he picks himself back up, trying to continue his shower. His face feels warm but he can't tell if it's because of these thoughts or because of the hot water blasting him.
Mo had an inkling that he felt different about He Tian than he did with his other friends, but never had the courage or time to really sit down with his feelings, afraid of what he might discover about himself. But inside the small bathroom, with the shower walls almost hugging him. It felt right to let his thoughts divert a little, as if the privacy of the steam rising around him warranted such thoughts.
Mo knows he’s grateful for having He Tian around, he’s helped him out a bunch even if he’s constantly irritating him in the process.
The bastard has the ability to make anybody swoon, so was this a byproduct of all the flirting?
He twisted the shower faucet, the audible squeak stopping his train of thought.
“I should wrap this up and clean the bathroom, dinner won’t make itself if I take any damn longer” Guan Shan sighed, snatching a fresh towel off the hanger and started cleaning the bathroom, leaving it the same way he found it.
He took a long breath in, feeling a little lightheaded with all the steam still in the bathroom.
“Finally done. God do I hate cleaning bathrooms”
He unlocked the door and swung it open, fully expecting his mom to be in her room like usual. The towel hanging around his waist slipped down the moment he stepped out into the hallway, he looked down and grabbed it without wrapping it around him again.
And as he looks back up and into the other end of the hallway out of habit, he sees the very face that has been plaguing him all morning, with his smirk stretched wide from ear to ear. Only that his line of sight was directed way lower than Mo’s face.
Mo yelped in surprise and covered his crotch with the towel and bolted into his room, slamming the door behind.
“MOM WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS IDIOT CAME” Guan Shan practically yelled, voice wavering only a little in the end at the sheer embarrassment that racked through him.
He smacked his face into his hands, skin flushed red all the way down to his shoulders. Almost the same color as his hair.
He could faintly hear both of them giggling, the absolute audacity of these two! He kicked his door with his foot and yelled again. “WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING STOP IT” Before wincing and bending into himself to hold his foot, he hit the damn door too hard.
.
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.
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He Tian knocked on the door, standing in the familiar stairwell once again. He heard hurried footsteps come to the door, before it was cracked open slightly, and a head of red hair peeked through. Though it wasn’t his redhead.
“Oh! Hello He Tian, come in.” Mo’s mom smiled warmly once she recognized him, opening the door fully and moving out of the way for him. “How are you dear?” she looked up at him, arms crossed loosely as she watched him peel off his shoes and slip on white slippers from the box by the door.
“I’m great, I hope you are as well. Here,” He handed her a clear plastic bag that had boxes of snacks and candy. “I got these on the way here for you and little Mo” He smiled back at her.
“Oh sweetheart, you shouldn’t have. Come in, I'll open these for you and my boy, and I’ll get some tea ready, yeah?” She stated more than asked, motioning for the tall boy to follow her.
He walked into the kitchen that's connected to the living room behind her. “Mo’s showering right now, so go ahead and sit on the couch until he comes out.” she said without looking at him, while pouring water into a kettle.
He then walked right back out, and into the living room and blobbed down onto the couch. From where he’s sitting, he had a clear view of the entire hallway and the bathroom door.
He imagined little Mo coming out only in a towel, water dripping from his pretty red hair, and his skin flushed pink from the steam. He grinned to himself before taking out his phone and looked through his games album for something to play and kill some time.
After a couple minutes, Mo’s mom came out of the kitchen with a tray in her hands; two mugs of hot tea and a bowl of the snacks He Tian bought.
“Here you go dear” She put the tray in front of them on the short coffee table and sat down on the opposite side of the couch.
“Thank you” He smiled and took the mug, holding it with both hands and blowing on it.
She hummed and took her own mug, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a minute. She then cleared her throat and spoke,” I actually wanted to tell you something, He Tian” She took another sip from her mug without looking at him.
The younger boy swallowed and looked in her direction “ Yes?”
“In all honesty, He Tian, I can’t thank you enough for hanging out with my son so often.” she smiled, the wrinkles becoming profound around her tired eyes.
“He felt so distant towards me after entering high school, it worried me. He would come back home bruised and beaten up every night. But never said anything about how or who did it” She sipped again from her mug of herb tea, brows knitting together only a little at the memories.
He Tian fiddled with the hem of his sleeve, still listening to her.
“You know how he is, never talks about how he’s feeling, or what’s bothering him.” she sipped again, looking nowhere in particular before humming softly
“But ever since he told me he’s been hanging out with you and the other two boys, it feels like an invisible weight’s been lifted off his shoulders. He’s not getting into any fights and all the studying you and him are doing paid off, I can tell” She smiled so deeply, almost at the verge of tears.
“Thank you, for being there for my sonny” She looked at He Tian, with so much adoration and gratitude. Like he’d hung the very stars in the night sky. He couldn’t keep eye contact.
“Little Mo, he’s a really important person to me. I’ll always be there for him” Tian smiled, his dimples showing and his eyes closing, feeling cozy and mellow.
Before he could continue, a familiar grumble came from the end of the hallway along with the sound of a door creaking open. And there he was, the man of the hour.
He Tian couldn’t help but smirk. He looked almost the same as he imagined mere minutes ago, a soft pink brushed across the tips of He Tian’s cheeks.
Mo walked out casually, and when the towel slipped from where it was hugging his waist he stared at it for a moment before picking it up. He definitely didn’t know He Tian came, looks like his mom didn’t tell him.
When the redhead finally looked up at where He Tian sat, he turned bright red, making not only the black haired boy chuckle but his own mom too, as he zoomed into his room.
This was going to be a fun evening.