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Li Lianhua sighed and turned to his companion with a tired expression. For the last hour, their young friend Fang Duobing had ostracised himself from the main camp to sit, sulking, on a tree stump.
Di Feisheng regarded Li Lianhua with his usual cool stare, betraying nothing bar the smallest twinkle in his eye, his only tell that he found amusement in the situation before him. “I’ll meet you at the check point in two days.” He looked over to Fang Duobing sulking across the field in the soft morning sun. “Talk to him or he’ll become even more insufferable,” he added, toying with a small blade to give weight to his point.
Li Lianhua nodded and waved the other man on his away, understanding the threat and not wanting to feed into it. Or admit that it was his fault to begin with.
A cool breeze sang through the clearing, picking up the Autumnal leaves and sending them swirling. The trees swayed, the sounds of nature bringing him a quiet peace. Li Lianhua watched as the wind caught and combed its cool fingers through Fang Duobing's hair.
Shaking himself back to reality, Li Lianhua made his way over to the younger man, who immediately turned away from him on arrival. The way Fang Duobing’s bottom lip jutted out as he pouted added extra charm to his youthful face. Oftentimes Li Lianhua had found himself gazing at the younger man in awe of how someone could be equal parts cute and handsome - surely there was no one as sweet as Fang Duobing. Or as trying.
“Come now, Fang Xiaobao. It’s not yet midday; it’s a little early to be so negative, don’t you think?”
The younger man simply huffed and continued to face away from his mentor.
Earlier that morning the trio had been unloading from the Lotus Tower to set up camp for a few days. Li Lianhua had already spent the most part attempting to keep the peace, his two companions at loggerheads seemingly from the moment they'd awoken. Exhausted and unable to think of anything else to create conversation to starve off the tense silence that enveloped them, Li Lianhua had asked his young friend if there had been any developments regarding his pending marriage. Unfortunately for everyone involved, after Fang Duobing had confidently retorted "I’ll get married when you do", Li Lianhua’s playful response sent the young hero into a spluttering mess: "I see you’re planning to be a bachelor a long time, Fang Xiaobao. Who is there for me to marry?” With a wry smile, Li Lianhua then turned to his old friend dressed in silken shades of black and red. “Unless you plan to ask for my hand, Director Di?” This, it turned out, had been a very wrong move.
Ever since Di Feisheng had joined them Fang Duobing had been eagerly vying for Li Lianhua’s attention any given chance. He’d been a fool not to understand why sooner. He’d been certain that Director Di was just being mischievous in suggesting their young companion was harbouring feelings beyond that of a keen student and close friend. Looking at the young man pouting away before him, it was clear as day. It was almost involuntary how his heart skipped a beat at the thought.
Seeing that talk wouldn’t distract the young man from his sulking, Li Lianhua took himself back to the Lotus Tower, moving back his sleeves to start preparing some vegetables. The stove was soon covered in steaming and bubbling pots, the air filling with a delicious concoction of aromas. Each day Li Lianhua had been trying each day to inject more flavour into his recipes for his companions, if anything to lessen their complaining - with his reduced senses, this particular mission remained unsuccessful. The seasoned warrior could only hope that food, however bland, was enough to lure Fang Duobing away from his malaise-
Li Lianhua hissed through his teeth as pain erupted along his finger, where the knife had caught him mid chop. I suppose this is karma for laughing at the young pup.
After loosely tying a bandage round his finger, Li Lianhua quickly finished the final side dishes and started decanting them from his small kitchen to the table outside. Fox Spirit barked happily, dancing around the table and his owner, eager for any treats coming his way. Li Lianhua chuckled, throwing him a carrot. Now he just needed the other pup to join them.
“Fang Duobing, will you join me for a meal?” The younger man didn’t so much as turn around. With a sigh, Li Lianhua added: “The chicken is from the market.” That did it. Of course it did.
After a little hesitancy, the young warrior’s stomach trumped his sulking, bringing him stomping over to sit at the table. He quickly grabbed his bowl and started a small pile of vegetables atop his rice, before tucking into the seasoned chicken, making sure not to make any eye contact with the man opposite him. Li Lianhua smiled at his young companion noting with intrigue how Fang Duobing, despite his mood, made sure to pick out some of Li Lianhua’s side dishes rather than instantly going for the market-bought food.
“Is it delicious?”
“Hm,” Fang Duobing replied, mouth full of rice and chicken, before catching himself and looking away, remembering he was supposed to be ignoring Li Lianhua.
Li Lianhua leant across the table, moving the plate of chicken next to Fang Duobing. “Have it all. I bought it for you.”
The younger man looked up, a look of confusion distorting his bright features- Which rapidly turned to concern as he clocked the bandage wrapped loosely round Li Lianhua’s finger, spots of red bleeding through the material. Fang Duobing rushed around the table within seconds, grabbing Li Lianhua’s hand and inspecting it carefully as if he was about to conduct surgery. Li Lianhua regarded his friend with an amused expression, mystified how the young warrior could switch between emotions at such speed.
The young man tutted and unwrapped Li Lianhua’s poor attempt at bandaging to redo it. “There. You call yourself a miracle doctor and you can’t even dress a simple wound.”
Li Lianhua simply nodded in response, looking over his finger with interest. Fang Duobing sniffed at Li Lianhua’s lack of reaction, turning to sit back at the table and reaching for his bowl to continue picking at the mountain of food he'd amassed. Li Lianhua eyes traced over his handsome features. This young man was deeply amusing to him. Although he’d never admit it out loud, he missed his endless yapping when their paths deviated, his curious mind and puppy-like energy that made others roll their eyes he found the most endearing of traits. Plus he was so easy to tease.
“Fang Duobing.” The young man turned, mouth full of rice. Li Lianhua leant forwards, Fang Duobing freezing mid-chew at their sudden closeness. It didn’t go unnoticed by the older man how the younger man’s eyes automatically drifted to his lips. “Thank you.”
Fang Duobing looked dumbfounded. “Wha- for what?”
With a smile, Li Lianhua raised his hand between them, waggling his bandaged finger. Fang Duobing looked grateful for the barrier between them, before recovering and huffing in a way that really didn’t fool anyone. Curious.
“You did a good job,” he said with a smirk, using said finger to lightly brush under the younger man’s chin. As Fang Duobing choke-coughed on the rice he’d suddenly swallowed, Li Lianhua swished his sleeve back and stood, pleased with his work.
He’d got not two paces from the table before his young companion had somewhat recovered himself and called after him, grabbing his mentor's snow white sleeve to halt him in his tracks. “Li Lianhua!”
Li Lianhua cocked his head to the side in response, noting, with pleasure, how a subtle rose-tinted blush had started to spread across Fang Duobing's face.
After a moment of quiet between them, neither moving away, Fang Duobing ripped his hand from the sleeve and crossed his arms in mock annoyance. “Nothing.”
Li Lianhua watched his companion cycle through a range of emotions, feeling a pang of sympathy for the younger man. For a long time they had been dancing in limbo where something as minor as brushing fingertips could mean everything, or nothing at all. This recent development must be sending the young warrior into nothing short of a meltdown, if what he (and practically everyone who crossed paths with them) suspected to be true. But there wasn’t a chance in the world that Fang Duobing would make the first move - his respect for his teacher and friend outweighing whatever intentions he had romantically. Li Lianhua felt equal parts delighted to have elicited such a strong reaction from his young companion, and flattered by Fang Duobing’s considerate approach, or lack of, pursuing him… and slightly intimidated by the responsibility that he would have to initiate anything. The more time that passed, the more he realised how much he wanted to see where this new path could take them.
A wry smile crossed his face. Li Lianhua doubted his approach to fixing the bad mood clouding Fang Duobing’s entire being was what Di Feisheng had in mind, and marvelled impishly how this would potentially change their dynamics.
Before he could convince himself it might be the worst idea in the world, Li Lianhua approached the table and planted a soft kiss on the younger man’s forehead. Fang Duobing shot up, spinning to face him, eyes searching for reason, hand instinctively grabbing his to prevent him from escaping.
“Li Lianhua! What was that?”
“Hm?”
Fang Duobing sighed angrily. “Don’t- Ugh, never mind.”
Li Lianhua cast his eyes down, noting how their hands were still intertwined. Was that his own heartbeat that was thundering through him, or was what he sensed radiating through Fang Duobing? He wasn’t sure the last time he felt such an extreme reaction to anything or anyone. It scared him. But probably not as much as fear coursing through his young friend, whose face betrayed him.
Gently, Li Lianhua traced along Fang Duobing’s jawline. “I’m not playing with your feelings, little fox.”
Fang Duobing leant forwards instinctively before suddenly stopping himself, still unsure. Worried to make a mistake. Worried he’d ruin everything.
Li Lianhua smiled. “Fang Xiaobao, I’m afraid you are playing with my feelings now. Perhaps-”
Li Lianhua had made the mistake of not looking at his companion, rendering him completely stunned when Fang Duobing’s lips softly brushed against his, catching the rest of his words in his mouth. As they broke away, Fang Duobing tenderly rested his forehead against Li Lianhua’s.
“I’d like to kiss you again… if you would like to?”
Fang Duobing was indeed one of the most curious people he’d had the fortune to cross paths with.
“Mnh. Not here.”
Nodding, the younger man immediately took a step back as if drawing a line between them. Li Lianhua shook his head at Fang Duobing’s wrongful conclusion. For someone so intelligent, he could be so incredibly dumb.
The older man headed back to the Lotus Tower, stopping and turning just ahead of the entrance. He motioned with his head towards Fox Spirit, sending the little pup scrambling towards the leftover food at the table and away from the Tower itself.
“Fang Duobing. It’s a little cold out here, don’t you think?”
An euphoric smile lit up Fang Duobing’s face as their eyes met. After a beat, renewed energy seemingly oozing from the younger man, he quickly crossed the short distance between them, wrapping his arms around Li Lianhua’s slim waist, pressing his lips against his once more. Li Lianhua chuckled softly, cupping Fang Duobing’s face to steady them as he almost lost balance at their sudden reconnection. Fang Duobing’s kisses were endearingly clumsy in their eagerness, all his earlier hesitancy evaporating by the second. As if by instinct, Li Lianhua turned his head slightly, deepening their kisses, surprising the both of them. Fang Duobing smiled against his lips, grateful for better access.
Finally breaking for air, the pair regarded one another with soft eyes. When Fang Duobing looked up at Li Lianhua, it felt as though he was seeing the world for the first time. It was the kind of look that made the older man’s heart flutter even when he tried hard to ignore it. There were some decisions Li Lianhua had made in his lifetime that he would take to his grave regretting, but this… this was easily one of the best decisions he’d made. It was clear how much Fang Duobing cared for him. It meant so much to Li Lianhua to give himself permission to reciprocate, knowing how mutual their affections were, that his feelings were safe with Fang Duobing.
“I’m afraid if I kiss you again I won’t stop,” the young warrior said in gentle, hushed tones, eyes fixated on the curves of his companions lips.
Li Lianhua smiled, his heart full. “I was hoping you wouldn’t.”