Archive of Our Own

“I'm not sulking,” Du Cheng denied, sulkily.

“Are you jealous that I got a blind date for Shen Yi and not you? If you want, I can arrange another one for y-” She offered.

“-No! I don't want another blind date and I'm not sulking, okay? I'm just.. bored,” Du Cheng concluded lamely. He tried to school his features into something less grumpy but going by the unimpressed look on Du Qing's face - he failed.

The truth was, he was sulking. He just didn't know why.

Maybe it's because his usual pastime of crashing Shen Yi’s house and poking at the array of Interesting Stuffs there had to be postponed due to aforementioned blind date. But it's not like Du Cheng himself wants to go for one either - although the previous one was tolerable purely due to the mystery he had to solve.

Still, he'd rather spend his time petting Xiaoxuan while watching Shen Yi paint. There's just something very therapeutic about it.

Instead, they were now both wasting their time.

Du Cheng, rotting on his sister's sofa while he imagined Shen Yi is politely smiling at whatever his blind date says.

Like, what would they even talk about? Shen Yi’s hardly one to yap or share about his deepest darkest past with a total stranger. He might seem approachable, and talks amicably with people, but you could tell from his stiff smile that he's really doing all that out of manners. Du Cheng knows that because the smile Shen Yi has when they are together is different. 

One time, late at night at a godless hour when they were both running on their sixth coffee, Du Cheng made a pun* so bad it caused Shen Yi to laugh until his cheeks squished his eyes into a deep crinkle.

Du Cheng had felt his heartbeat jackrabbit then, and thought that all that caffeine was finally going to send him into a cardiac arrest and an early grave like his sister predicted. He had quickly downed two cups of water and the feeling went away so he guessed he'll live on for another few more years.

Anyway the point was, it takes particular effort and prerequisites to get close with Shen Yi.

Firstly, you would have to share the same job so that you can have common topics to talk about(murder cases) and next, you have to pester him long enough to make your own inside jokes(candy thief).

So Du Cheng highly doubted that whoever this blind date was would be able to catch Shen Yi’s attention. And honestly, they will both be better off without any more blind dates for the foreseeable future ever.

“Bored? Why, because there's no Shen Yi to pester?” His sister teased, which hit the nail on the head and Du Cheng frowned deeper. “Do you want to see who I set him up with this time?”

“No,” Du Cheng grouched. He couldn't care less which other pretty girls his sister somehow has a connection with. There won't be a second date, anyway.

Because Du Qing had never cared about his opinion in the first place, he found himself shoved with a face full of a picture on her phone. 

Du Cheng scowled. “Why are you showing me a photo of a guy?”

“I just found Shen Yi whatever he said his type was,” She replied casually.

“What?” Du Cheng squawked, sitting up abruptly as he snatched the phone from her hands for a closer look. He felt his heartbeat pick up and glanced at his sister. “So.. what did he say his type was?”

Du Qing smirked. “Tall, dark and handsome.”

He examined the picture again, feeling the knot in his stomach twisting further. Fine, so the guy did seem to have long legs and, Du Cheng thought as he zoomed into his face, he guessed that Shen Yi could describe him to have symmetrically pleasing features.

But! Still! Since when was Shen Yi into guys anyway?

Shen Yi’s faceless blind date Du Cheng had in his mind morphed into the strapping young man in the photo. He says something witty, and imaginary Shen Yi laughs out loud with the deep eye crinkle.

Du Cheng inhaled sharply at the stabbing pain in his heart and did not like that vision one bit. The phone was clenched so hard in his grasp he could almost strangle the guy through the device.

Who gave this man the right to be the one making Shen Yi smile like that? He hadn't even seen him at his best, making magic with his charcoal pencil, or at his worst, in his vandalising punk days. He doesn't understand that under those layers of genius was just a passionate and kind boy who chose to use his skills for the greater good.

And the only one who knows him so well, the only one who should be sitting across from Shen Yi making him laugh is.. is Du Cheng himself!

Du Cheng dropped the phone in shock at the realisation, to which his sister caught expertly with a “Hey!”.

He recovered with a deep breath. He looked at his sister and demanded, “Where are they meeting at?”

Du Qing gave him a knowing smile.

***

Du Cheng barreled into the cafe his sister had told him with the frazzled wind of a mother who had lost her child in a supermarket.

“Shen Yi!” He rushed to the artist, looking perfect as ever, and cast a scornful glance at the man seated opposite him.

“There's a new case, we need you urgently.” He grabbed and pulled Shen Yi away by the hand, who threw a “Sorry!” over his shoulder at Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome.

They were quickly strapped into Du Cheng’s car before he realised that they had nowhere to go. His finger froze over keying in the GPS.

“What’s wrong, what happened?” Shen Yi questioned with that cute furrow in his brow that made him look like a worried hamster. Du Cheng wants to just bundle him up in a blanket and keep him in his pocket forever.

“My sister told me about it,” Du Cheng blurted out, suddenly feeling his heart race at what he's about to say. “You don't have to look for any more guys, you have.. me.”

Shen Yi blinked, eyes wide. “You?”

“Well, I fit the criteria, don't I?” He puffed his chest out in false bravado.

He knows that he's tall, skin tanned from police footwork, and was even said to be handsome, although mostly by aunties twice his age. 

Shen Yi gave him a once over and Du Cheng felt himself go red under the intense scrutiny. “I guess, if you don't mind..”

Mind that he's a man? Well, sure Du Cheng, never really had much interest in guys before, or even girls, for that matter, but Shen Yi's.. an exception.

It's like how he’s never thought much about shampoo, but found himself secretly trying to smell Shen Yi’s hair ever since he had an addictive whiff standing close behind him at that gun range.

So surprise, surprise, it turned out that Shen Yi's an exception to many things for him. 

“Of course I don't mind!” He proclaimed loudly, before softening to a shy mumble. “It's.. you.”

Now it's Shen Yi’s turn to turn a little pink. He chuckled and they both looked away bashfully.

Shen Yi scratched his cheek and asked, “Then, can we go back home now?”

“Sure!” Du Cheng replied eagerly, feeling his heart settle back in place.

Home was an unspoken agreement as Shen Yi’s house since it's where they hang out 99% of the time because Du Cheng’s place is cold and bare and distinctively Shen Yi-less.

Home was a safe space exclusive only to the both of them. None of their other coworkers have the privilege of dropping by without warning. 

Du Cheng is happy to go home anytime with the other man.

He glanced at the rearview mirror, catching Shen Yi's eye and they shared a smile, one of those soft ones. He felt the same flutter in his stomach that he had previously pegged as indigestion.

God, no wonder his sister had called him an idiot.

His smile did not fade all the way home.

***

Du Cheng sighed in contentment when he stepped into Shen Yi’s house and was welcomed by the familiar smell of woody paint.

That lasted all of three seconds before Shen Yi broke the comfortable silence like a sledgehammer to glass with, “You can take off your clothes whenever you are ready.”

Du Cheng’s pretty sure his heart actually stopped for one concerning moment. “H-Huh?”

Shen Yi raised a delicate brow at him as he removed his coat casually and Du Cheng has never been more flustered in his life.

Was this a thing guys do? Strip on the first date?

“Or.. if you change your mind, it's fine. I can find someone el-”

“-No! No, I won't change my mind about this,” Du Cheng reaffirmed vehemently. “It's just.. it's just it's a little fast and I.. I've never really done this before..” He trailed off looking at his feet, to which Xiaoxuan had been begging for pets, but he thought it would be inappropriate to give it while having this sort of conversation.

“Ah, perhaps next time then,” Shen Yi replied lightly.

He wasn't using the full disappointed tone that had guilt-tripped the hardest of criminals into confessing their crimes, but there was a slight tinge of it and that will just Not Do. Du Cheng can't have him thinking that he's not interested - he's pretty sure this'll feature in a few of his dreams soon but come on, he had only found out that he's in love with the guy literally an hour ago!

Du Cheng enveloped both of Shen Yi’s hands in his and promised, “Definitely next time!”

“Maybe after a few dates..” He added meekly with averted eyes, which was how he had missed the other man looking at their joint hands in utter bewilderment.

Shen Yi's face flushed pink. “Dates?????”

Du Cheng held his gaze and gave a serious nod. “I would like to do this properly.”

Shen Yi tilted his head and blinked at him in a way that reminded him of an adorably confused puppy. “What are you.. talking about?”

***

When Du Cheng said he wanted to be the one to make Shen Yi laugh, he didn't really mean it like this.

Shen Yi had one arm holding his stomach, the other covering his mouth as he chortled uncontrollably. 

“Your sister said that I wanted to haha.. date someone.. ha.. tall, dark.. pffft.. and handsome!?” He managed to squeeze out in between fits of laughter.

“Is that not what you told her?” Du Cheng demanded hotly with a defensive cross of his arms. He could already feel the flames of embarrassment licking up his chest.

“Definitely not,” Shen Yi snorted before wiping away a stray tear. “Ah, I told her I was looking for a fit nude model to practice drawing muscles.”

One could hear a pin drop in the ensuing silence.

“Fit. Nude. Model.” Du Cheng repeated gravely with the air of someone who had been told the name of his parents’ murderer.

“I’m going to kill her." He turned to leave but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

“Don't leave,” Shen Yi tugged him back to face him and of course, Du Cheng let him. “I recalled being promised a date,” He said with amusement still lacing his lips.

Du Cheng swallowed. They were standing pretty close, with Shen Yi’s hand burning a brand on his forearm. “I thought you weren't looking for a date,” He muttered petulantly. 

The moment Shen Yi lets go of him, he’s gonna dig a hole in the ground and bury himself deep. Death by mortification and all that.

“I certainly wasn't looking for anyone,” Shen Yi shook his head with a breathless chuckle before looking at him with a warm gaze, “Since my heart already has you.”

Du Cheng almost fainted the second time that day and felt his face break out in the goofiest grin ever.

“R-Really?” He couldn't help but pull the other man into a tight embrace.

The other man’s head only reached up to his chin, his cheek rested directly at his chest. He’s pretty sure that Shen Yi could hear how hard his heart was pounding.

“I don't let just anyone waltz into my house and watch me paint,” Shen Yi's smiling voice was muffled into his chest.

Du Cheng giggled and took the chance to tilt his head down for a few whiffs. Ah… still as nice as he had remembered. 

Shen Yi chuckled, a sound that tickled his heart even more. “Are you smelling my hair?”

“...No?”

“You sound unsure.”

“I'm just..” Du Cheng bent lower to touch his lips to the other's forehead while he continued breathing in his scent. “Kissing your forehead.”

Shen Yi tilted his head up to face him with a playful smile, cutting off his access to his hair. “What about my lips?”

“Guh,” Du Cheng expressed eloquently.

Shen Yi’s smile widened indulgently with the eyes crinkle, and Du Cheng’s never seen someone so beautiful in his entire life.

He knows, and had heard on multiple occasions that Shen Yi is good-looking, but those people have clearly never seen him like this. He's beyond attractive, surpassing gorgeous and landing on divine. He's practically glowing with a halo behind him and Du Cheng's just a helpless moth drawn to his flame.

He cradled the other's cheek in one palm and ducked down while Shen Yi stood on his tippy toes for them to touch lips. Du Cheng felt a zap to his heart from their point of contact.

Wow, he felt like he was floating, even more than that time he had accidentally snorted some cocaine during inspection. In hindsight, using his nose to identify drugs wasn't his best idea.

Just then, Shen Yi licked his mouth open with his tongue and all other functioning brain cells came to a halt while he felt his blood rushed south.

He might have to reconsider the part about not stripping on the first date.

***

“How could you lie to me like this?! I'm literally betrayed by my own kin!” Was the first thing Du Cheng rattled off when Du Qing picked up the phone.

When he was answered by unrepentant cackles, he vowed to strike her off the family tree.

Du Qing? Who's that? He'd always been a single child.

“Sorry, dear brother, but your sister is tired of watching you two idiots pine for each other.”

“I don't pine,” He denied.

“Yeah you don't pine, you sulk. On my sofa. Which was even worse, because you didn't even know why.”

He pulled his phone away from his ear to squint at it in suspicion.

Could his sister read his mind via Bluetooth?

“And poor Shen Yi is left to pine, knowingly, for eternity,” She sighed wistfully before complaining, “If I hadn't trick you into taking action, I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to drink your wedding wine even when I'm 80!”

“W-Wedding..? You're thinking too far, jie!” Du Cheng retorted, even though he already had half the guest list ready. It was the principle of the thing.

“Too far? With the way you look at him, I'm surprised you don't already have half your guest list in mind.”

Du Cheng groaned at the idea of being Perceived.

“And congratulations on finally getting laid!”

“What?! We d-didn't,” Du Cheng sputtered as he searched outside the windows for any potential nosy sisters with binoculars. He lowered his voice and hissed, “Shut up. How the hell did you know?”

"You're calling me the next morning after you had rushed off to declare your undying love to Shen Yi, what else could have happened last night?"

Sometimes Du Cheng thinks she'll do quite well as a detective at the police station, although it'll probably be a nightmare for everyone else.

"We just.. slept." They definitely did more than just sleeping.

"Mhm, I'm sure you two did," Du Qing said, clearly not believing it. "Have fun and stay safe. Tell Shen Yi I said hi."

“I won't. Bye.” He hung up and wiped an embarrassed hand down his face.

He took a deep breath to lower his blood pressure that inevitably shoots up when talking to his sister before heading back into the bedroom.

“What did she say?” Shen Yi asked sleepily as he sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes. The duvet slid off one of his naked shoulder to pool at his waist. He looked like an ethereal being in one of his paintings and Du Cheng's mouth ran a little dry.

“She's not sorry,” He managed to croak out in reply.

Shen Yi chuckled sweetly, much like the sound of angels laughing, and patted the empty spot beside him to invite him back to bed.

Like a sailor answering a siren’s call, Du Cheng dutifully obliged.

END

*Bonus Bad Pun Scene as requested:

Du Cheng snapped case file #492 close and buried his face in his hands with a groan. "Arghhh I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to be an alligator in a dumb vest."

"Huh?" Shen Yi blinked blankly at him, because for a moment, he thought he heard him talking about alligator fashion.

"You know," Du Cheng peeked tiredly through the two spread fingers covering his face at him. "An... investigator?"

"Pffft!" The answer was so unexpected, a chuckle bubbled out of him in surprise.

Then, the sleep deprivation kicked in and Shen Yi's laugh got harder because they were both looking through past cases for clues at shit 'o' clock in the night and Du Cheng made the stupidest pun he'd heard of all time.

Shen Yi has never laughed so much in the past 7 years of his life and he thinks he's a little bit in love with the man across him.

Oh, well, that's a problem for another time...