Work Text:
we should just kiss
(like real people do)
Xie Lian has a few favourite things, all of them quite simple. He loves the way that the spring sun feels against his skin while he walks outside. He loves arranging the flowers at his friend’s flower shop during work. The sharp bite of black coffee early in the morning is another simple favourite.
His all time favourite thing, however, is the peace that comes with the kisses his boyfriend bestows upon him.
He and Hua Cheng are still fairly new across the line of best friends-into-boyfriends, so while every kiss they manage to share makes Xie Lian’s heart race, it also settles a deep peace into his bones that he hasn’t felt in close to a decade.
It’s a simple thing, being kissed. The feeling of Hua Cheng’s slim fingers twining in the hair at the nape of his neck, the gentle way in which he coaxes Xie Lian so that their noses don’t squish together and their lips can meet easily.
Their first kiss, though inexperienced for them both, was also simple.
(Also a long time coming, if Xie Lian had to be honest with himself.)
Though they’ve shared plenty of kisses since then, Xie Lian is almost sure that their first one is and will always be his favourite. The slight flush that had taken over Hua Cheng’s nose and cheeks in the dim light of their apartment’s kitchen, the way his fingers trembled slightly as they came up to cup Xie Lian’s own burning cheek, and the way his lips were slightly dry as they kissed the corner of Xie Lain’s own, off-centre in their inexperience are a permanent fixture at the forefront of his mind.
He still remembers the shaky inhale of his own breath, the feeling of the other’s red cashmere sweater under his fingers, and the way he couldn’t force his eyes open for fear that he would see regret in Hua Cheng’s expression.
He remembers the way neither of them moved before Hua Cheng shifts just slightly so their lips perfectly align, and the soft sigh that escaped from his own mouth as he relaxed in the taller man’s arms, a mantra of finally on repeat in his own head.
They had kissed for what felt like forever that night, standing in the kitchen and refusing to let the other go. Words were not something they needed in the moment, content instead to share the warm silence that accopamined the change in the air between them and through the apartment with the realisation of their mutual want.
They kissed one last time before separating for bed, Xie Lian’s fingers lightly gripping dark hair as he felt the burn of Hua Cheng’s fingers on his ribs through the thin fabric of his own sleep shirt. It took every ounce of willpower stored deep into his soul to pull away from the other and go sleep in his own room, separated for the first time in hours.
Xie Lian didn’t get a whole lot of sleep that night.
-
Kisses quickly became goodbyes or greetings- they were soft, simple ways to say goodbye as Hua Cheng was pressing a coffee into Xie Lian’s hands and his mouth to his as the other is frantically trying to get out the door to his job on time. Or, they were simple greetings when the artist stumbled back into their apartment during an odd hour, fingers playfully above his head so as to make sure he didn’t dirty Xie Lian’s clothes with the paint or clay or other mediums that always seemed to cling there.
They’ve quickly slid into the top spot of Xie Lian’s mental list of favourite things, but there’s just one small hiccup when it comes to the kisses they share.
Xie Lian is still too shy to ask for them, relying fully on Hua Cheng to be the one to kiss him, be it on a random occasion or otherwise. Even though there’s been instances where Xie Lian has felt the urge to kiss the other, his shyness will overtake him and he’ll settle instead of tucking his burning face into the cool skin of his boyfriend’s neck, hiding there until the feeling dissipates. Or on the days that he’s a little more brave, he’ll settle for just shifting on his feet and looking up at Hua Cheng through his lashes in hopes the other will kiss him instead.
Being randomly kissed and asking for them are two different things, and there’s a little stab of silly jealousy when Xie Lian notices that Hua Cheng easily does both.
There doesn't even seem to be any hesitation when the younger man leans in, pressing kisses to Xie Lian’s own lips, or his hair, or his cheeks. There’s also not any hesitation for that low voice to murmur a quiet “Gege, come kiss?” whenever the other wants to just hold Xie Lian and kiss him gently, usually when he’s trying to decompress himself or comfort the other.
It makes Xie Lian wish that he could do the same, makes him want to do the same.
-
Affectionate touches come easily to Xie Lian, even if the kisses don’t. Even before they were dating, it wasn’t a big deal to find them two of them curled close on the same couch, or for Hua Cheng to have a hold of the other’s sleeve to lead him through a crowd. Eventually, the casual touches turned into hand holding or arms thrown around shoulders or waists.
There was just something so different about showing his affection through kisses and the show of it with gentle touches that has created a mental block for Xie Lian, as much as he wishes it hadn’t.
Even when they started dating, the affectionate touches still came easily. Soft brushes of fingers against cheeks, or tucking long black hair behind Hua Cheng’s ears when he slept against Xie Lian’s own shoulder under the pretense of watching a movie in one of their beds, or even just sitting with their legs tangled together on the couch as Xie Lian traces the multitude of ink on Hua Cheng’s arms and shoulders.
And it’s not the fact that he doesn’t want to kiss Hua Cheng, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. He wants to kiss the other man so much and so often that it settles in as an ache in his chest.
But he knows he’ll get there.
Eventually.
(He hopes.)
-
The flower shop where Xie Lian works isn’t necessarily the biggest in the area, but it is one that has the most loyal client base, so there’s always a steady amount of work to do.
He enjoys the steady stream of work- talking to customers while he tends to the front counter in the mornings, and making arrangements in the soft afternoon sun at his arranging table near the back of the shop, tucked behind a simple curtain to give the arrangers a reprieve from the bustle in the front so they can focus. It’s simple, and calming, and it’s a life that he wasn’t ever sure he would get to have a few years ago. He treasures every busy moment of it.
The only drawback is that on the exceptionally busy days, Xie Lian doesn’t get a chance to do much of anything else, like checking his phone, and even when his boss insists, he’s known for skipping lunch on the busiest of days, working through it so that things don’t fall behind.
Today has been one of those days- he arrived at the shop earlier than he usually would in an effort to help push out the huge order of arrangements that had come in at the beginning of the week. His work station has been absolutely covered in flowers and ribbon ever since he had arrived, and the only real breaks that he’s taken are ones out of slight frustration with his own hair, stealing a few seconds ever so often to retie the messy bun on top of his head and tucking the stray pieces behind his ears before he gets back to work.
This is how his boyfriend finds him in the afternoon. Xie Lian’s soft yellow overalls are covered in an innumerable amount of stray petals from a multitude of flowers, and he’s pretty sure that the sage green shirt he’s wearing under them has a smear of flower pollen on the right shoulder where one of his coworkers accidentally bumped into him.
“Gege?”
It’s the voice that he knows he’d recongize even after centuries apart, but Xie Lian still startles with a soft noise, the small piece of ribbon he’s been using to tie his hair up slipping from where he’d been holding it between his teeth; he has to make a quick decision, and he lets his brown hair tumble from his hands as he grabs the ribbon before it touches the floor.
Across the table, Hua Cheng is doing his best to stifle his laughter, a small bag in one hand and the other pressing lightly across his own mouth. His hair is loose around his shoulders today, and the eye not covered by the fabric of his eye patch is shining with mirth. He looks as handsome as he always does- a red silk button down whose sleeves tease at the vast tattoos under his arms where they’re cuffed at his forearms, and his dark jeans tucked into the short black leather boots that Xie Lian knows take forever to get on but the other loves them so much that the time is worth it.
Xie Lian wants to lean over the table and kiss him so bad that his chest aches with it.
“San Lang…” Xie Lian knows he’s got a slight whine to his voice and a flush to his cheeks, and he tightens his fingers around the ribbon in his hands to keep from pulling the other over the table and pressing their mouths together. “It’s not funny!”
“My apologies, love.” The bag in Hua Cheng’s hands finds a new resting spot on the table, and he steps around the table so he’s standing in front of Xie Lian. He leans in to press a kiss to the other’s forehead, one hand resting on Xie Lian’s hip as the other reaches for the ribbon. “May I?”
It would be so easy to tip his head back and press his lips to Hua Cheng’s. All he would have to do is take in a deep breath, tip his head back as he goes onto the tips of his toes, and kiss his boyfriend.
Instead, he offers up a shy smile as the ribbon exchanges hands, easily stepping forward a step so Hua Cheng can settle behind him. The feeling of his boyfriend’s slim fingers through his hair is enough to relieve some of the tension in his shoulders, and he lets out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding as he lets his eyes fall closed.
“Gege wasn’t answering my text messages, so I figured that meant he was too busy at work and would be skipping lunch-” a playful tug on the stands of Xie Lian’s hair that matches the tone of voice that Hua Cheng is speaking to him with, “-again.”
“We have to get all these arrangements done before five today, so I offered to work through lunch to make sure we got them done.” Xie Lian’s tone is sheepish as he easily follows the tug of Hua Cheng’s fingers through his hair, his own fingers tangled together in front of himself. “We’re over halfway done already!”
Humming quietly, the taller man finishes the careful bun he’s pulled the other’s hair into, tying the ribbon tight enough that it’ll stay but not tight enough that it’ll pull on Xie Lian’s scalp. “And what if I say I’m over halfway closer to disappearing due to lack of attention from gege, hm?”
Xie Lian’s laugh is bright as he tips his head just enough to see the other, fighting back the flush that threatens to appear once again on his face when the other drops a kiss to the back of his head, twining long arms around Xie Lian from behind. “San Lang might feel like he’s going to disappear but I don’t think that’ll actually happen.”
“You never know, gege. You never know.” Hua Cheng places another kiss to the back of Xie Lian’s head, swaying them a little in place as he hooks his chin over the other’s shoulder. “Will you be home late?”
Xie Lian shrugs the shoulder Hua Cheng isn’t resting on, one of his hands coming up to absentmindedly play with a strand of Hua Cheng’s black hair that’s fallen over his own shoulder. “I’m not sure, it’ll depend on how quickly we can get everything done here.”
He glances sadly at the bag he knows contains lunch for him, tucking his bottom lip into his mouth as he tries to mentally calculate if he’ll actually have time to eat it. There’s still so many arrangements to get done, and Xie Lian knows himself well enough that even if his own share gets done, he’s not going to be able to resist helping his coworkers if they ask for it.
“Try to eat, okay?” There’s a squeeze of the arms around his waist, and Hua Cheng’s voice is low beside Xie Lian’s ear, causing him to fight back a small shiver. “If you get back and I’m still at the studio, text me and I’ll grab something on the way home so you can just rest.”
Placing his hands over the other’s on his waist, he squeezes them once as he offers Hua Cheng a small smile. “That sounds nice. I’ll be sure to let you know, okay?” A small moment of hesitation, and Xie Lian turns carefully in Hua Cheng’s arms, looping his arms around his neck. “Thank you for lunch, by the way!”
The smile on the taller man’s face is one that Xie Lian knows is only saved for him, and the tone of voice the other speaks with is the same. “Anything for you, as you know.” Hua Cheng brings one of his hands up to cup Xie Lian’s cheek gently, brushing his thumb over to curve of it as he glances at the table they’re still standing in front of. “I should probably let gege get back to work.”
Even though he knows Hua Cheng is right, Xie Lian really doesn’t to let his boyfriend go. He also knows that he can’t afford to just stand around anymore than he already has, so leans into the hand on his cheek with a quiet sigh. “As much as I hate to agree, I really should get back to work…”
“I’ll see you at home, okay?” There’s a couple of kisses pressed to Xie Lian’s forehead, the coolness of Hua Cheng’s lips balancing out the warmth of Xie Lian’s own skin. “Don’t forget to let me know when you get home.”
A slight nod from Xie Lian, and all it takes is him looking up briefly through his lashes before Hua Cheng is leaning down with a soft smile, pressing their mouths together in a few chaste kisses before he pulls away, leaving his hand on Xie Lian’s cheek until he can’t any longer. Instead, he uses it to grab the bag off the table once again, pressing it into Xie Lian’s chest until the other wraps both of his hands around it gently.
They’ve never been ones to say goodbye, because Xie Lian mentioned once early in their friendship that there’s a finality to it that he can’t stand. Saying goodbye has always set an itch under his skin ever since the passing of his parents, and Hua Cheng was more than understanding when Xie Lian had an outburst over it the first time he tried to say it when leaving.
Xie Lian tucks his bottom lip into his teeth once again as he watches Hua Cheng weave his way with an easily familiarity back to the front of the shop, and he just holds the bag with one hand as the other gives his boyfriend a slight wave when he looks over his shoulder when he reaches the curtain.
He really wants to run after him and kiss him. He wants to pull him close with his hands in that silk shirt and press their mouths together until they’re both flushed and panting and Xie Lian has to make them stop before they get in trouble with his boss.
He doesn’t, and settles instead for watching the soft curtain close behind the other, his gaze transfixed on the broad spread of Hua Cheng’s back and shoulders until he can’t see them anymore. Setting the bag in his hands onto the table once more, he buries his face in his hands, pressing tightly to muffle the quiet noise of frustration he makes.
Xie Lian allows himself to stand there for a few more seconds before he takes in a deep breath while rubbing at his cheeks, and he busies himself once again with the arrangements he had been working earlier, doing his best to push down the urge to call Hua Cheng and tell him to come back so he could kiss him again.
He manages, but just barely.
-
Xie Lian is dozing on the couch when he hears the lock to the front door of the apartment click open quietly, and he sits up from where he was curled up against one of the throw pillows, blearily looking towards the source of the sound; he has to braces himself against the couch cushion with one hand as he sways, the other bunching up the sleeve of the red shirt he took from Hua Cheng’s closet earlier to rub at his eyes to try and get them to focus as his soft pyjama pants bunch around his feet.
Standing in the doorway and hanging his keys on the hooks on the wall is the man who Xie Lian’s stolen shirt belongs to, and the recognition of that paint-splatted red shirt and black jogger combination that Xie Lian has seen for years now settles him easily. Hua Cheng is holding a bulging bag in one hand, the other untying his shoes as he brings each of them high enough he can reach them. His hair has been put into a high ponytail that’s slightly off-centre instead of being loose like it was when Xie Lian saw him earlier, and he wants to run his fingers through it.
It’s that thought that gets him off the couch, stretching his arms above his head until his spine gives a few soft cracks, and he pads quietly over to where Hua Cheng is nudging his shoes into the line of their others.
Xie Lian has to stifle a yawn behind his hand as the other reaches out to grab lightly to a spot of red shirt that seems to be safe from paint. “Welcome home!” He squeezes the fabric in his hand once before he moves to grab the bag of food instead, his free hand tucking his hair behind his ears. “How is your commission coming?”
The smile Hua Cheng gives him is tired, but the kiss pressed to his forehead is soft, and Xie Lian closes his eyes from a brief moment to revel in it as his fingers curl tighter around the handles of the bag. He’s almost ashamed of how much he’s missed Hua Cheng today, but he doesn’t let the feeling overtake him.
“It’s almost done,” Hua Cheng places a hand on Xie Lian’s shoulder to steer him towards the kitchen, keeping pace behind him as his free hand reaches out to turn the light on, bathing them both in the warm light. “I should have it ready for them to pick it up by this weekend.”
Xie Lian hums quietly as he sets the bag down on the counter, tucking a few stray pieces of hair that had fallen from the bun he had piled his hair into after his shower behind his ears. “Would you like to go out this weekend if that happens? There’s a new cafe a few blocks away that just opened and Ban Yue has done nothing but talk about how good it’s been for the last few days.” He offers a smile to his boyfriend that’s busy getting plates down from their cabinets, and the smile he flashes Xie Lian draws a small one of his own to his face. “We could maybe go Sunday morning?”
Abandoning the plates to the counter, Hua Cheng reaches out to gather Xie Lian into his arms, wrapping them around the other’s waist and squeezing tightly, his eye alight with mischief. “What’s this? Is gege asking me out on a date?”
Xie Lian laughs as both of his hands come up to press to the other’s shirt, uncaring of the smudges of clay that’re liable to dot his hands as he does so. “Would San Lang like to go on a date?” There’s a faint blush to Xie Lian’s cheeks as he curls his fingers some, tipping his head to the right and looking up at his boyfriend innocently.
A beat of silence and then Hua Cheng’s exclaimed “Of course!” has Xie Lian laughing as his boyfriend covers his cheeks in quick kisses, lingering once on his jaw before Hua Cheng presses his mouth to the other’s firmly. He doesn’t hesitate to slide his arms loosely around Hua Cheng’s waist as one of the other’s hands curls around the back of his head, the other settling loosely low on the side of his neck. Their kisses stay soft for a few beats, lips just chastely brushing against each other, before Hua Cheng uses the hand that has at some point untied Xie Lian’s hair to guide his head to deepen the kiss, tangling gently in the long strands of his hair.
A slight tug on the hair at the nape of his neck has Xie Lian opening his mouth under Hua Cheng’s, and he can’t hold back the soft sight that escapes him at the first soft brush of the other’s tongue against his own.
Here in the safety of Hua Cheng’s hold in the apartment they share, Xie Lian is slowly finding it hard for himself to be shy.
They stay there so long that Xie Lian can only focus in the feel of Hua Cheng’s shirt that he’s gripping and the soft noises he makes when Xian Lian works up the courage to tug gently on his bottom lip with his teeth before he soothes the sting with small brushes of his tongue.
When they manage to break apart, Xie Lian’s lips are sore and slightly swollen, and he knows that Hua Cheng’s must feel the same. In a moment of bravery, he detangles one of his hands from the back of the other’s shirt to brush his thumb across his bottom lip.
“I take that as a yes?” Xie Lian’s voice is soft but even he can hear the slight teasing tone it takes off, and he presses lightly on Hua Cheng’s bottom lip with his thumb before he drops his hand back down.
“Gege, you really will be the death of me,” the low timber that is Hua Cheng’s voice is enough to send a sharp flash of warmth through Xie Lian’s blood, and his fingers tighten in red fabric as the other continues. “Of course it’s a yes. I will always want to go on a date.”
Xie Lian smiles as he moves his arms to twine around the other’s neck, squeezing once gently as he leans back some to see Hua Cheng’s face fully. “Then it’s a date!”
Hua Cheng’s smile is bright enough to rival the light over their head, and Xie Lian has to remind him a few times in between soft laughter and kisses that they still need to eat dinner and Hua Cheng still needs to change out of his current clothes.
The kiss that Hua Cheng gives him later that night before they part for bed has Xie Lian so breathless that he has to lean back against his own room’s door when it shuts behind him, fingers brushing across his own mouth as he grins.
It’s there, his mouth kiss-swollen and his blood thruming warmly through his veins at the residual feel of Hua Cheng’s touch, that Xie Lian decides he’s going to kiss Hua Cheng first on their upcoming date.
He will.
-
Xie Lian is nervous.
He’s gathering some of his hair up and away from his face when the feeling hits him, and he has to take in a deep breath to steady himself; he ties the hair he’s gathered up into a bun with a soft elastic before he drops his hands to his own cheeks, patting them a few times while taking in a few steadying breaths.
When he manages to even his breathing back out, he drops his hands back down to tug lightly on the sleeve of the pale orange tshirt he’s wearing, doing his best to try and settle it in a way he’s happy with in the light denim overalls he’s decided to pair it with. He takes a few moments once he settles to look through the small jewelry box tucked on the top of his dresser, pulling out two small silver earrings in the shape of butterflies that Hua Cheng bought him a few years ago and putting them on.
With one more glance in the mirror and one last adjustment to the hair that’s brushing against his shoulders, Xie Lian slips out of his room, making his way down the short hallway and into the living room.
Hua Cheng is sitting on the couch already when Xie Lian steps in, and he stops just out of sight of the other to take him in. He’s always been the most handsome man Xie Lian has laid his eyes on, and this morning is no exception.
His boyfriend has paired a deep red and black striped button-down with ripped black jeans; his hair is loose around his face save for a few small braids tucked on the underside, and Xie Lian can just barely see the glint of silver lining the other’s ears.
He’s so handsome that it makes Xie Lian want to show him off to the world and proclaim mine , but he also wants to hide him away in their apartment so no one else can see him except for Xie Lian himself.
Xie Lian also wants to kiss him until they’re both stupid.
Instead he settles for stepping into sight of the other with a small smile, rocking on his heels a couple of times before he speaks. “Are you ready, San Lang?”
Hua Cheng instantly pockets his phone at the sound of Xie Lian’s voice, looking up at him with a smile as he nods once. “Of course.” He stands up from the couch, reaching for Xie Lian, who goes easily into the other’s arms. “Gege looks very nice today.”
A light laugh as Xie Lian hugs the taller man back for a few moments, and he pulls away just enough to tuck some of Hua Cheng’s hair behind his ear, letting the silver piercings lining them catch the light. “You look very nice today, too.”
Hua Cheng hums, leaning down to press their mouths together gently for just a few heartbeats before he pulls away, pressing a singular kiss to Xie Lian’s forehead. “Ah, maybe, but I could never look as good as you.”
Rolling his eyes as he affectionately flicks the other’s nose, Xie Lian takes a step back so he can move towards the small bowl on their entryway table; he pockets his wallet easily before grabbing Hua Cheng’s, offering it to the other as he speaks. “San Lang, none of that this morning. I won’t listen to it today.”
A smirk pulls at the other’s mouth as he bows his head slightly, reaching for the proffered wallet as he does so. “My apologies.” He reaches around Xie Lian to unlock the door, grabbing his own keys off the hook with his free hand. “Let’s go, gege.”
-
Xie Lian is sure his cheeks are going to be sore from smiling and laughing by the time he and Hua Cheng decide to head back to their apartment. He can’t help but let his gaze follow the other as he moves to take their mugs back to the counter, grabbing a small box to put their leftovers in once he does so.
He knows that other people in the shop have been looking at his boyfriend ever since they stepped in, but Xie Lian also knows that Hua Cheng has only ever had eyes for him, so the stares only make him proud, not jealous.
“Does gege want to go anything else while we’re out? Or do you want to just go back to the apartment?” Hua Cheng easily boxes up their leftovers, offering his free hand to Xie Lian once he’s done so.
The expression on Hua Cheng’s face is softer when regarding Xie Lian than any that anyone else around them as gotten to see, and it’s so simple to lace their fingers together, squeezing softly.
“I say we go back and find a movie to watch. Does that sound okay?”
Hua Cheng nods, tightening his grip on Xie Lian’s hand as he leads them back to the entrance of the cafe, making sure to not let go.
The grip on his hand makes Xie Lian feel safe. It makes him feel as though Hua Cheng won’t ever leave him behind, and that he will always be there when Xie Lian needs him to be. Their fingers lace together like they were made for each other, the dark black of Hua Cheng’s nail lacquer playing off the slight tan and freckles that are taking over Xie Lian’s own hand.
The need to kiss Hua Cheng is back and back with a vengeance this time.
Xie Lian can do it.
Standing here on the sidewalk, holding the hand of the man that feels like home , Xie Lian knows that going up onto his toes and pressing his mouth to Hua Cheng’s is going to be like every other thing about falling in love with him is.
Simple.
“San Lang?”
The sound of Xie Lian’s voice is enough to draw Hua Cheng’s attention, and the other looks down at him with a slight tip of his head, his gaze questioning. “Gege?”
Xie Lian laughs quietly at the slight confusion crossing the other’s face, and he squeezes his hand just once before he takes a small step closer. A handful of heartbeats pass between them before Xie Lian goes up onto his toes just enough to press his mouth gently against Hua Cheng’s, his free hand just barely cupping the other’s cheek as he does so.
He keeps the kiss chaste and short, but he can still feel the flush threatening to take over his cheeks when he steps back, his fingers gripping the other’s tightly once he does so. “Let’s go home?”
Hua Cheng just blinks at him for a few times before the softest smile Xie Lian has ever seen crosses his face, and he nods a single time.
“Home.”
-
Now that he’s done it once, the floodgates have been opened and Xie Lian finds himself kissing Hua Cheng all the time. In the morning before breakfast, when Hua Cheng stops by the flower shop with lunch for him, when they’re cooking dinner, and any other time he feels like it.
Kissing the other whenever he wants is just like everything else with Hua Cheng.
Simple.