Work Text:
1.
It was a Sunday but there had been an alert for an urgent case, so Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou rushed over immediately. Pulling the surgical mask over his nose, Xiao Lou approaches the crime scene in the heavy rain. Examining the body in the downpour is particularly difficult, but he does his best like everyone else in the team. After it is done, he walks briskly towards the team’s van, sneezing a few times on the way. His intern, Wang Yurui, looks at him, “Doctor Xiao, have you caught a cold?”
Xiao Lou shakes his head. “I’m just sensitive to the cold,” he says, passing her a towel and then drying himself off.
Yu Hanjiang’s intern, Liang Jun, hurries over, carefully holding two cups in his hands. “Doctor Xiao, Yurui, Group Leader Yu told me to pass this to you.” Xiao Lou accepts the cup of tea, his heart already warming at how Yu Hanjiang still thinks about him even when he is busy.
“Doctor Xiao, is that someone else’s jacket?” Wang Yurui suddenly asks.
Xiao Lou freezes minutely. The jacket that he is currently wearing fits too loosely on his frame, and is clearly not his own. He had been out on a lunch date with Yu Hanjiang when they received the call, and drove straight to the crime scene without changing into their uniforms first. It unexpectedly began to rain on the way, and Yu Hanjiang had firmly insisted that Xiao Lou take his jacket instead.
Xiao Lou quickly makes up an excuse. “Yes, it’s Ha- Group Leader Yu’s. I forgot mine and borrowed it.”
Wang Yurui takes a sip of tea. “Group Leader Yu is so nice, getting us tea and lending his jacket,” she compliments. Xiao Lou can only nod in agreement, pushing down a knowing smile.
2.
“How are you feeling?” Xiao Lou asks, his voice filled with concern.
Yu Hanjiang returns a smile, rubbing his temples. “Much better. I already took some medicine.”
Xiao Lou peers at his pale complexion. Yu Hanjiang rarely falls sick, but he had oddly woken up that morning with a slight fever and insisted that he was still able to go to work. It might be due to trauma from the Two Jokers secret room where Yu Hanjiang had contracted the plague in the desert, but the sight of his unhealthy pallor brings back memories of when he was on the verge of death. Xiao Lou can’t quite get himself to stop worrying.
A knock on the door breaks the atmosphere. “Come in,” Yu Hanjiang calls out hoarsely.
Liang Jun promptly enters. “Oh, Doctor Xiao is here, I hope I’m not interrupting. Group Leader Yu, these are the files you asked for.”
Yu Hanjiang thanks him, clearing his throat with a pinched expression. Once Liang Jun leaves the room, Xiao Lou turns to Yu Hanjiang with determination, “We’re going home on time today. No working overtime.”
“Okay,” Yu Hanjiang replies with a smile, but he notices that Xiao Lou’s expression still does not improve much. “I already said okay, don’t look so sad anymore. It makes me sad too, hm, Madam?” His voice takes on a placating tone.
Xiao Lou’s eyes widen at the term of endearment that Yu Hanjiang called him back when they were in the historical setting of the 8 of Hearts secret room, and Xiao Lou had played the role of his wife. “We are at work,” he chides, but he fails to hide the pink flush that rises to his ears.
Yu Hanjiang asks with a glint in his eye, “So, I can call you that at home?”
“Absolutely not,” Xiao Lou retorts. “Don’t even dream of it.”
3.
At noon, Wang Yurui invites Xiao Lou for lunch but notices that he already has a lunchbox in front of him at his desk. “Oh, you're having fried rice too. You're eating the same thing as Group Leader Yu.”
Xiao Lou pauses, the chopsticks halfway to his mouth. “What a coincidence?”
Wang Yurui nods enthusiastically. “Yes, I reported to him just now and it looks exactly the same, even the meat and vegetables. You and Group Leader Yu must have the same taste in food.”
Xiao Lou coughs slightly. “It must be.” He does not mention how Yu Hanjiang so diligently cooked and packed this lunchbox for him in the morning. Yu Hanjiang had complained, “It’s too easy when I carry you. I’d like there to be more weight.”
Xiao Lou raises a brow. “You’re boasting about your fitness?”
Yu Hanjiang snakes his hands around Xiao Lou’s waist. “I’m making sure that at night, there is more meat for me.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Xiao Lou says, though the smile on his lips betrays him almost immediately.
4.
Xiao Lou heard from an assistant that the investigating team’s case had resulted in a chase, and that Yu Hanjiang had apparently injured himself. He rushes to the medical bay, practically bursting through its doors, but stops abruptly in his tracks when he sees that Liang Jun and the nurse are still present. His eyes scan Yu Hanjiang’s body. There is a bandage wrapped around the man’s forearm but apart from that, he looks fine.
Xiao Lou pulls himself out of his thoughts and calms himself down. “I heard you had a difficult chase today. Are you both alright?”
“I'm alright,” Liang Jun answers, “but Group Leader Yu hurt his arm. The perpetrator was very fierce.”
Yu Hanjiang glares at the back of Liang Jun’s head, before quickly interjecting, “I’m fine. It’s only a surface wound.”
Once Yu Hanjiang’s health is cleared by the nurse, he leaves with Xiao Lou on the premise of “I’ve troubled Doctor Xiao to come to the medical bay for me. Let me walk you back to your desk.” Once they are alone in the hallway, Xiao Lou asks again, “Are you really okay?”
“I’m really fine. It doesn’t even hurt,” Yu Hanjiang assures. “Xiao Jun was being dramatic. Don’t listen to him.”
Xiao Lou frowns at his words. “I feel inclined to believe him now.”
Yu Hanjiang rubs the back of his neck. “Word spreads fast around here.”
“Would you have tried to hide your injury from me?” Xiao Lou asks, upset.
“Of course not,” Yu Hanjiang replies, his gaze full of tenderness. “But I would like to have told you myself.”
Xiao Lou finally relaxes. “As long as you’re alright. Don’t strain yourself.”
“I know.” Yu Hanjiang beckons a confused Xiao Lou into his office and quickly shuts the door behind him. “Give me a quick kiss before you go back to work.”
“... Hanjiang.”
“What?” Yu Hanjiang cheekily pulls Xiao Lou closer. “No kiss for your injured husband?”
Xiao Lou raises his brows. “I thought you said it doesn’t hurt.”
Yu Hanjiang looks at him pitifully. “It hurts now .”
Rolling his eyes, Xiao Lou plants a quick peck on a satisfied Yu Hanjiang’s lips before swiftly exiting the room.
5.
Liang Jun is shopping at the supermarket on the weekend when he runs into the people he least expects to see. “Group Leader Yu, Doctor Xiao,” he greets in surprise. It is strange to see the two men out of uniform, both dressed in casual clothing. Wait a second, are those couple sweaters?
“Xiao Jun, what are you doing here?” Yu Hanjiang asks.
“I’m visiting a friend and buying a housewarming gift,” Liang Jun explains. He looks at Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou’s trolley full of groceries. “You’re shopping… together.”
“Yes, we live close to each other,” Xiao Lou answers smoothly.
How close do you live together that you even have to share a trolley? Liang Jun thinks absurdly. All of a sudden, a flash of silver catches his eye. There is a shiny ring on both of their fourth fingers. He gasps, “Group Leader Yu, you’re married?”
“Yes, I am,” Yu Hanjiang answers with a strange amount of determination.
Liang Jun cannot help his jaw dropping. “Doctor Xiao, you’re married as well?”
“No, I just like it,” Xiao Lou responds with a pleasant smile.
Liking jewellery but wearing the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand? Liang Jun can only laugh awkwardly before excusing himself. The second that Liang Jun leaves, Yu Hanjiang turns to Xiao Lou with a gloomy stare. “So, you’re single?”
Xiao Lou slaps his arm lightly. “Can’t you lie a little for show?”
Yu Hanjiang leans closer to whisper. “In that case, may I have your number?”
Xiao Lou scoffs amusedly and walks away. “I am not so easy to hit on.”
“Oh? I like a challenge,” Yu Hanjiang drawls, pushing the trolley quickly to catch up.
+1.
“Matching rings?!”
Liang Jun quickly shushes Wang Yurui, shying away from other people’s stares in the cafeteria. “Think about it. Group Leader Yu fetches Doctor Xiao to work every single day without fail. Would you really be so nice to your colleague? Is Doctor Xiao contributing gas money?”
Wang Yurui crosses her arms in front of her. “So, your meaning is?”
“What if,” Liang Jun pauses, “they actually live together.”
“Nonsense,” Wang Yurui counters. “Why would colleagues live together? I wouldn't want to live together with a colleague.“
Liang Jun narrows his eyes. “That's exactly it. They are not just colleagues.”
Wang Yurui covers her mouth in shocking realization. “They’re really married?”
Liang Jun rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Group Leader Yu said that he was married but Doctor Xiao said that he wasn’t. Could it be… trouble in paradise?”
The next day, Liang Jun sees Yu Hanjiang in a new light. Group Leader Yu is actually such a romantic person, and love can actually bloom in their police precinct! Doctor Xiao had been reluctant to admit the marriage, they must have just had a couple’s feud.
“What are you smiling about?” Yu Hanjiang asks, unimpressed. “Not enough work to do?”
Liang Jun is internally burning with excitement at having solved this tiny mystery. He spots the familiar thermos bottle on Yu Hanjiang’s desk and points to it. “Should I send that to Doctor Xiao?”
Yu Hanjiang raises a brow. “No, it's mine.”
Liang Jun looks out of the window at the dreary weather, and then back at Yu Hanjiang in disbelief. “You're not getting a drink for Doctor Xiao this morning?”
Yu Hanjiang snorts, before his expression settles into a slight smirk. He says in a low voice, “Since you've figured it out, keep your lips sealed. If this news gets out, you'll be the first person I come to find.”
Liang Jun gives a tiny salute and mimes a mouth-zipping action. Yu Hanjiang grins and passes over the thermos. “Now deliver this.”
Liang Jun beams widely and accepts the bottle eagerly. “Group Leader Yu, a man must give in to his family. Even if it is not your fault, it is better to apologize first.”
Yu Hanjiang gapes at him, rather offended. “I’m assigning you more work.”
In the evening, Wang Yurui notices Yu Hanjiang exit his office, but Xiao Lou does not move to stand up. She rushes to Xiao Lou's side. “Doctor Xiao, aren't you leaving yet?”
Xiao Lou glances at the stack of papers in front of him. “No, I want to finish organizing this first.”
Wang Yurui reaches over and grabs the stack from him. “I can do it. Go home and enjoy your dinner,” she says with a wink. Xiao Lou tries to assure her that he can finish it, but she personally hands him his briefcase and pushes him out the door.
In the carpark, Xiao Lou slides into the passenger seat. “It seems that my intern has figured it out.”
Yu Hanjiang huffs. “Xiao Jun, that big mouth of his. He even thought I was arguing with you and told me to apologize,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief. “He’s so observant and yet he made a mistake in his report today.”
Xiao Lou chuckles. “In his defense, you aren't very subtle.” He motions to the thermos bottle in his hand.
“What?” Yu Hanjiang asks. “A group leader can't get a drink for his colleague?” He intertwines his fingers between Xiao Lou’s and presses a kiss to his knuckle. “My forensic doctor gets cold easily. I can't let it affect his work now, can I?”
Xiao Lou smiles. “Wow, Group Leader Yu is so magnanimous.”
“You're just learning this?” Yu Hanjiang leans closer. “Looks like I need to try harder.”
“Try any harder, and you might as well tell everyone that we’re married,” Xiao Lou says.
“I would love to announce it,” Yu Hanjiang tells him. “Maybe in the future.”
Xiao Lou nods in agreement. “It would be nice, after we have become more experienced. Until then, tone it down a little?”
Yu Hanjiang groans, “It’s so difficult to hold back.”
“Control yourself.” Xiao Lou pats Yu Hanjiang’s thigh appeasingly. Then, he adds, “Until we get home.”
Yu Hanjiang does not reply, only immediately starting the car to the sound of Xiao Lou’s light laughter resonating in the car.