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“C’mon Guang Guang~ It’ll be fun! When was the last time you had fun?” Cheng Xiaoshi leaned against him, nudging him playfully. “Hmmmm?~?”
Lu Guang pushed him off, keeping his hand on his perfect little annoyance’s arm. “I don’t have any need for fun. Besides, why would I want to go to a karaoke bar with you?”
“It’s not just with me! Qiao Ling will be there, and Xu Shanshan and Dong Yi! The gang Guang Guang! The gang will be back together! Doesn’t that mean something to you?” He put his hand over Lu Guang’s and stared into his eyes. “Whaddya say? Come on. For me?”
“No.”
“I’m so glad you both decided to come out with us! It’s been so long since all of us have been together.”
Lu Guang’s face was blank as Cheng Xiaoshi went around and greeted everyone. The bar they were at was a familiar one. Clean, with secluded booths, meaning that no passerbys would be able to hear anything. Not that Lu Guang was planning to sing. He was here to babysit and that was it.
-
The microphone was in his hand. How many drinks had he had? Two? Four? Lu Guang blinked a few times, trying to get the words on the screen to focus. “I don’t...” He shook his head and handed the mic to someone. Qiao Ling, maybe? His head hurt. He slumped in the seat. “I don’t sing,” he grumbled to his chest.
“I know, I know. Here you go, Mr. Grumpy.” There was a cold bottle of water pressed into his hands. Cheng Xiaoshi? There was a sigh as the familiar, warm body sat next to him, arms touching. “I guess I shouldn’t have asked you to come out here with me, huh? I know it’s not your scene.” He removed the water from Lu Guang’s hand, twisted open the cap, then handed it back to him. “Gotta stay hydrated.”
“Cheng...Xiaoshi...” He scowled, squinting up at him. His...there was a frown in his eyes. Without thinking about it, he reached out to touch his mouth.
“Woah! Your hands are cold.” Cheng Xiaoshi grabbed his hand and held on tightly. “I gotchu, don’t worry.” A squeeze. “Don’t you worry.”
Lu Guang sipped his water and nodded. “Of course.”
He must have dozed off. His neck was stiff and there was cotton coating the inside of his mouth. He swallowed a few times, then grimaced. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked up and around the room. Qiao Ling was talking with Dong Yi and Xu Shanshan. Cheng Xiaoshi was... No. No, no, no. Where was he? Lu Guang stumbled to his feet, knocking into the table in front of him. The three others turned to his direction, startled. “Where?”
Qiao Ling deciphered the half-drunk, half-asleep question. “He stepped outside to get some air. He’ll be back in a minute.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “He was looking forward to performing a song for you. You better go make sure he gets that chance.”
He wanted to perform a song for Lu Guang? It was probably something ridiculous. Something silly, or embarrassing. But Qiao Ling was right, he had an obligation to give Cheng Xiaoshi the opportunity to embarrass himself, if that’s what he wanted. Clutching his water bottle like a lifeline, he shuffled out of the booth.
After a quick glance around the bar, he deduced that his partner was outside the building entirely, or at least he hoped that was the case. After a few mumbled “Excuse me”s, he made his way out to the cool night air. This sobered him up completely, but the effect was undone by seeing Cheng Xiaoshi. He was leaning against a pole, staring up at the sky. His hands in his pockets, the slight wind blowing his hair around his face.
He looked sad. Lonely.
Lu Guang cleared his throat. The transformation in Cheng Xiaoshi’s face was immediate. Before he had even turned completely, the light was back in his eyes just as the smile was on his face. “Lu Guang! How was your nap? You’re such an old man. You were pretty drunk too.” He bounded over and put his arm over Lu Guang’s shoulders. “You wanna head home?”
Yes. Desperately. But no, he couldn’t. “Ah...Your landlady said you had one last song to perform? That you were waiting for me to wake up?”
This was met with a grin. A laugh. The arm around his shoulder turned to a handhold, tugging him inside, back to the booth. “Okay, okay! I’ve been practicing this one.” He sat Lu Guang down and took up the mic. The other three all took their seats. Qiao Ling took out her phone to record.
The lights dimmed, the screen flashed a countdown. Cheng Xiaoshi pointed at him dramatically. “Lu Guang, this one’s for you.”
It was awful.
A slow-tempo, crooning love song. Lu Guang vaguely recognized it from some movie years ago. “Like a river flows, surely to the seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea~” With every drawn out note, Cheng Xiaoshi would stare directly into Lu Guang’s eyes. Though the performance was one of the worst he had ever heard, he couldn’t help but be captivated.
“Some things are meant to beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~” He didn’t know how to respond. Even when he sang the main crux of the song. “I can’t help falling in love with yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou~”
What was Cheng Xiaoshi even saying here? Well...he knew what he was saying, but what was he saying???? Lu Guang’s cheeks flushed under the strobing lights, and when Cheng Xiaoshi held out his hand, he couldn’t help but take it. They swayed to the slow music as he continued to croon about love. There was a part of Lu Guang that wondered if this was still some sort of weird dream.
And then the song was over. They stared into each other’s eyes. “Well, what did you think?” His cheeks were red too, but he was smiling. Lu Guang’s heart fluttered.
“I...well...” He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Well...” They had both hinted at wanting to be more than just...whatever they were. They shared a bed most nights. There were longing looks, and secretive handholds. But nothing this explicit. A declaration of love using an outdated song? He placed his hand against Cheng Xiaoshi’s cheek. “You can’t help what you can’t help, I suppose.”
He grinned against Lu Guang’s hand. “You liked it then?”
“No, your singing was terrible. Absolutely horrid performance.” He removed his hand, and pressed his forehead against Cheng Xiaoshi’s. “But I loved you, love you.”
He felt warm arms wrap around his waist, and before he knew it, soft lips were against his. Fools indeed.