Work Text:
Tang Yi was finding it increasingly difficult to fight his growing attraction to Meng Shao Fei.
Why else would he search the other man out, simply to tend to his bruised side after throwing him to the floor in defense of his sister? Why else would he feel guilty at the action, when he’d never felt remorse in such situations before?
Why did he keep finding Shao Fei’s jealousy and embarrassing actions cute and endearing instead of wanting to be as far away from him as he could whenever he did something like he did with Zhi De? Pressured and uncomfortable feelings not present when it was Shao Fei like it was with his subordinate. No feeling of expectancy with them, as if Tang Yi owed them to him.
When Andy was massaging his temples, all he could think about was Shao Fei’s reaction. When he was massaging the ointment into the marks on Shao Fei’s back, all he could think about was having the man underneath him. And then when Shao Fei had interrupted his massage with Jin Tang, all he could think about was having Shao Fei atop him instead.
“Fucking useless.” He sighs, taking a drag of his cigarette as he looks over the garden from his balcony.
Shao Fei had left him fucking useless.
He wasn’t even Tang Yi’s usual type. Which made this even more baffling. He was drawn to striking beauty or looks. A handsome or beautiful face was more likely to turn his head than a cute one. And Shao Fei fell more into the cute category, with his ears and easy blush.
But Shao Fei’s beauty was understated. Hidden behind his wide smiles and almost manic gaze. Although his eyes were stunning when he was glaring, intensity to them in full force and turning Tang Yi’s knees weak when it was directed at him. And his smile only added to his long list of charms that Tang Yi had slowly been and reluctantly adding to over the past few weeks. It felt sometimes that Tang Yi was staring into the sun whenever Shao Fei smiled at him. The warmth and happiness that came with it was completely unavoidable.
Shao Fei hadn’t been on his radar until he suddenly was. Sleeping on a palette in the woods and shaking with a fever after helping him escape and apologizing so genuinely in a way Tang Yi wasn’t used to.
His idiocies and embarrassing moments had slowly turned into endearing and funny ones that made Tang Yi’s heart skip a few beats. Him holding onto his colleague in those stupid matching shirts had filled Tang Yi with jealousy, instead of wanting to laugh and dismiss him.
Even though he now owed Andy one, it was worth it because of the reaction he’d gotten from his police officer.
Fuck.
“He’s not yours, you idiot.” He berates himself out loud under his breath. Taking another drag so he can hold the smoke in his lungs longer than necessary. Trying to burn the want he felt for the other man out of himself.
‘ But he could be .’ A voice whispers in the back of his mind. ‘It seems like he wants to be’ .
Shao Fei’s unconscious admittance of jealousy had been adorable, filling Tang Yi’s stomach with butterflies even as Shao Fei had hurriedly backtracked. Choking on his lunch as he’d spluttered and explained before Tang Yi had taken pity on him and distracted him by asking for some coke.
It was so easy to make Shao Fei happy. Him simply drinking coke with their dinner had made him light up, as did Tang Yi drinking from the cup despite Shao Fei’s tease of already having drunk out of it. Something that had made him shy, but he’d ignored as he’d simply drank again. Making sure to keep eye contact to get Shao Fei to blush. So at least he wasn’t the only one feeling embarrassed.
Sharing a drink wasn’t something he ever really thought about. But knowing Shao Fei did, had made him overthink it in a way he’d not done since grade school. Thankful that he wasn’t one to blush easily as Shao Fei had watched him, own blush present on his cheeks as he’d visibly tried to fight back a smile.
He liked making Shao Fei happy. It was an emotion he’d not had a chance to see on him up until this point. Or one he’d not been interested in seeing or even thought about as Shao Fei had constantly been invading his business.
But it was different now.
What did they say about traumatic events being able to create the closest bonds?
Honestly, that was his biggest fear. That these rising feelings weren’t real, and were simply a byproduct of the abduction and subsequent escape they’d been through together.
Shao Fei didn’t deserve to have his feelings seemingly reciprocated until Tang Yi’s head sorted itself out and realized that his feelings had indeed been trauma induced. Especially since Shao Fei’s own feelings seemed to be genuine, and probably weren’t situation induced like his possibly could be (or was that what he secretly hoped?).
Because no matter his romantic feelings, they were friends now. Although he wouldn’t say that to Shao Fei, as his constant happy ‘we’re half friends’ declarations brought him a lot of joy as there’d been nobody else who had been so proud to be his friend, even if it was just ’half friends’. And honestly, he wanted to wait until Shao Fei needed a distraction to spring the full ‘friends’ title onto him. As he knew it would be a good one.
Tang Yi didn’t want to ruin their friendship. Especially since Shao Fei didn’t seem to be doing anything to jeopardize it either despite his, in Tang Yi’s opinion, obvious romantic feelings. It seemed that they both wanted to keep their blooming friendship intact.
So where did that leave him?
Sighing, he stubs the last of the cigarette out in the ashtray he left on the balcony. It was getting cold, and Hong Ye would scold him if he caught anything, so he goes back inside. Shutting the sliding doors quietly behind him before he heads downstairs.
It was late, but he wanted something to eat before bed. Or at least something to do to distract him from his circling thoughts. So he goes downstairs, nodding to one of his men stationed by the front door as he goes to the kitchen. Already thinking about what he can make reasonably quickly.
He’s stopped at the fridge though by the voice that had been haunting him. Tone amused but stubborn.
“I’m not giving you Zhao Zi’s number.” It’s Shao Fei followed by two pairs of footsteps.
“C’mon, shorty gave me your number.”
“And i’ll be kicking his ass for it.”
“Please.”
“No, I can see your intentions from space. You’re not ruining his innocence.”
Shao Fei and Jack come into the kitchen, Jack hanging off of the shorter man in a gesture that has jealousy and anger firing in Tang Yi’s gut. Feelings he ignores as he simply looks at them before opening the fridge. Getting the eggs and milk out. As well as some nearly wilted greens.
“Tang Yi!” He can hear the beam in Shao Fei’s voice. “Getting a late night snack?”
There’s scuffling, and Tang Yi hears the kitchen island stools be pulled out and then sat at.
“I’m making an omelet.” He explains. Getting the frying pan out as well as the oil and spices.
“Oh! Make me one?” He looks over his shoulder to find Shao Fei leaning his chin in his hand, batting his eyelashes at him as he stared. Jack is looking too, but he’s looking at him in a way that clearly means he knows what Tang Yi is feeling.
Instead of answering, Tang Yi just turns back around. Listening to Shao Fei huff before he quietly gets two more plates out. And it takes a few seconds, but when Shao Fei notices it’s worth it.
“You’re the best Tang Yi! Isn’t he the best Jack?” The words warm him right down to his toes, stomach flipping pleasantly at the praise at such a simple action.
“Sure.”
Fucked. Shao Fei was going to leave him absolutely fucked.