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Before the sun rises, the employees are excitedly preparing for the anniversary of the Astral Express Cafe opening day.
While they plan to open their doors as any other day, the real celebration begins after they close. A private event between the employees and their guests who have supported their business since the day they opened. The list of their guests are already chosen and agreed by the staff weeks prior, leaving it up to Himeko to send the invitations.
Otherwise, Caelus and PomPom have taken the lead in organizing the party and delegating the job to the rest of the staff.
“Himeko has already finished handing out the invites. Mr. Yang is checking our inventory and purchasing more ingredients for the party.” PomPom goes through their notes and checks off the list of things to do. “He should be returning soon and we should have more than enough time to cook all the food and bake the desserts!”
“Then everyone else should be preparing the venue so..” Caelus snaps his fingers and points to the rest of his coworker aka his amazing twin sister and friends. “We’re going all out in the decorations, guys!”
“Hey! Who put you in charge, Caelus?!” March 7th pouts and puts her hands on her hips.
“Himeko and Mr. Yang did!” Caelus said proudly, but a cough from PomPom reminds him of a very important detail he purposely skipped. “Or…They put me and PomPom in charge.”
Stelle rolled her eyes and said bluntly, “Dumbass.”
Gasping at his sister language, Caelus grabs the nearest person, who happened to be Sunday, and shakes him. He let out a pitiful whine and said dramatically, “Sunday! Stelle is being mean to me!”
Sunday looks torn what to do or say in this scenario, and glances in Dan Heng's direction. His brows are furrowed, appearing no different than a wet cat in distress. Clearly, he was asking for help from the stoic man.
Dan Heng, understanding his coworker's unspoken request, sighs quietly. He reaches out to remove Sunday from Caelus octopus-like grip. Gently pushing the poor soul behind him, he turns to his best friend with a stern gaze.
“Caelus, you shouldn’t be grabbing Sunday like that.” Dan Heng said sternly, crossing his arms.
Under his scolding, Caelus shrinks slightly and rubs the back of his neck. He had the decency to look guilty at least, “Sorry about that, Sunday.”
“It’s…alright.” Sunday said slowly, deciding it was best to stand behind Dan Heng for the time being.
“Remember, Sunday is a delicate bird. You’ll give him a heart attack if you scare him like that.” Dan Heng reminds him, ignoring the said bird sputtering.
“Noted, Cold Dragon Young!” Caelus grins and sends them both a thumbs up.
Mildly offended where this conversation was going, Sunday opened his mouth to interject until Stelle stepped forward. Preventing the boys from derailing any further, she whistles to gather their attention.
“Caelus isn’t wrong that decorations are a must-need, but we’re forgetting something else: Entertainment!” Stelle eyes hold a mischievous shine to them. A sign that whatever thought is running through her head will be hilarious to her, but embarrassing for everyone else.
“Oh no.” Caelus whispers, dreading what he’s about to hear.
A sentiment Dan Heng shares while Sunday looks confused.
On cue, it was March 7th turn to speak up. She claps her hands together and smiles brightly, “So the other day, we ladies were discussing what we should do for the party. After consulting Mr. Yang wisdom, we have decided on the theme! You boys and Mr. Yang, will crossdress!”
“No.” Caelus whispers, eyes wide in horror.
“Yes.” Stelle, his twin, cackles gleefully.
“Oh, and we’ll be dressed as waiters for the party! Isn’t this going to be fun, you guys?” March 7th asks excitedly.
Dan Heng closes his eyes and resists the urge to groan. Next to him, Sunday blanches and sputters for the second time today. Out of sympathy for their newest coworker, he pats his shoulders.
To no one’s surprise, the girls have already prepared everyone's outfits for the party.
Initially, Dan Heng and Sunday refused to wear the dresses they provided. It was only after Caelus, being the first amongst the trio, agreeing to wear the dress that they swallowed their pride. Once they change outfits, the girls are quick to help them with their hair and make-up.
Dan Heng tunes out the commotion a couple feet away from him (and fails). A headache already forming hearing March 7th wrangling Caelus into sitting still or else he’ll smudge the eyeliner. In contrast, Sunday sits politely and allows Himeko to straighten his hair without a fuss.
“I knew it for a long time, but I still can’t believe it. You make such a beautiful woman, Dan Heng. I’m envious actually. Give me your secrets on how you achieved that.” Then there’s Stelle pouting and grumbling behind him.
With nimble fingers, she carefully pushes the decorative pins into his hair bun. A set of simple hair pins coated in gold and embedded with glass orbs almost matching Dan Heng teal eyes.
“There’s no secret, and I am not a woman, Stelle.” Dan Heng reminds her dryly, but his friend is not entirely convinced.
“Liar! Look at this figure of yours, like really look at it, Dan Heng. Slender shoulders. Plump hips. Most importantly, a snatched waist.”Stelle emphasizes by using her hands to form a shape of what’s supposed to be his body.
“Please act normal for once.” He said bluntly, glaring at her from the mirror.
Immune to his withering stares, Stelle continues to talk, “If I was single, which I am not by the way, I definitely would tap that.”
“Stelle.”
“Also your scary as fuck boyfriend will bite my head off for touching you.”
“Ren is not my boyfriend.” Dan Heng said immediately only to wince the second he realized his mistake.
Judging by the grin on Stelle's face, she intentionally caused him to slip. The audacity of her to even comment on it, trying to get her hands on some juicy gossip like the grubby raccoon she is, “Why, Dan Heng! I didn’t even mention Bladie . It could’ve been Boothill, Argenti, or even Jing Yuan! Is there something going on between you two I don’t know about?”
Cursing himself for his own stupidity, Dan Heng's mind is running through the loops on how to change the subject. Unfortunately, he was stuck thinking about her question that is making him question his opinion on Ren.
The Stellaron Hunters, a renowned bar owned by Elliot, was not in the picture when the Astral Express Cafe first opened their doors. In recent years, Elliot offered to become one of their sponsors leading to several collaborations between the two. It was through one of those collaborations Dan Heng first met Ren, one of their bouncer and bartender.
“Huh. Aren’t you Yinyue Juns’ little brother? You’re shorter than I thought.” Ren looks down at him with crossed arms.
It wasn’t the height comment that bothers Dan Heng, but the way he said it that made him bristle. His eyes narrowed at the taller name and spit back, “Has anyone not taught you any manners or will I have to do it myself?”
“So the lizard does have some fight in him.” Ren grins, placing a gloved hand atop of his head. “I like to see you try.”
Since the very first day, Ren made it his mission to make his life a living hell.
Dan Heng can testify the other has a vendetta against him. There was no concept of personal space, constant jabbing and teasing, and stalking him after their shift was over. It was unsettling to see Ren hiding in the shadows nearby. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest the moment he made eye contact with a pair of crimson eyes staring intensely at him. Or the other time Ren found out where he lived and invited himself in for dinner.
One of these days, Dan Heng will need to invest in pepper spray and a pocket knife in case his acquaintance decides to bury his body miles away from the city.
But as of right now, Ren hasn’t done anything drastic to prompt him to get the said items.
Otherwise, he was annoyingly diligent in his job from being a bouncer to making drinks. Outside of the bar, to Dan Heng's discovery, he’s surprisingly laidback. Ren prefers to remain quiet and watch his friends from the sidelines unless someone asks for his opinion. Of course, there are moments his sarcastic comments will come out but it was more teasing than anything.
Intimidating, charming, and the most infuriating man Dan Heng has ever met.
They are neither friends or enemies, and they are definitely more than a typical coworker. If there is a word he can describe his weird relationship with Ren, it would be rivals at best.
But at the same time, it wasn’t enough to define how he feels about Ren.
The other man being his rival wouldn’t explain why his heart beats faster seeing his annoying yet handsome smirks. It doesn’t explain the loneliness he feels lately, eating dinner alone without Ren barging into his home uninvited. Or why his thoughts have centered around him at all in the first place.
As if the very thought of Ren drifting away from him bothers him greatly and it did .
“Hello? Earth to Dan Heng?” Stelle's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. She puts her hands on her hips, “Are you daydreaming about your not-boyfriend?”
Scowling, Dan Heng answers firmly, “No.”
“You’re no fun. But fine, I’ll stop since we’re on a time-crunch. Now choose your earrings, Dan Heng.” She pouts at his reaction, picking up a box of neatly arranged jewelry for him to pick out.
Next to the pair, Himeko chuckles at her employees' antics. She can’t resist chiming in, “Perhaps you should wear the lotus earring. It fits the aesthetics of the dress.”
Humming thoughtfully, he picks up the earring Himeko suggested. A simple design of a dangling gold lotus in full bloom. It would match the style of his outfit, a sexy-version of the elegant Luofu dresses.
Dan Heng nods his head before putting it on himself. Then he lifts his hair up slightly to check himself in the mirror. Nothing too flashy or too heavy for his ears, even Stelle gave a thumbs up in approval.
He turned to Himeko and said politely, “Thank you, Himeko.”
“You’re welcome, Dan Heng.” Himeko puts the brush down and picks up the angel wings headdress. “Can you hold your hair up for me, Sunday?”
Squinting at the accessory in Himeko's hands, Sunday reluctantly does as she asks and lets her put the headdress on him. As she adjusts the angel wings, he glances at Dan Heng next to him. His coworker's eyes are closed while Stelle dusts his face with light amounts of make-up.
“If I remember correctly, I believe the Stellaron Hunters are invited to our party, no?” Sunday asks, watching the other scowl deepen further.
“They are. Kafka herself confirmed she and Silver Wolf will be present. She has yet to say if her other coworkers will be joining as well.” Himeko answers, letting go of the headdress once she was done. She grabs the make-up set and starts applying it on Sunday face.
Overhearing their conversation, Caelus pipes up, “Firefly said she was coming! She’s not sure about Bladie though. He might not come, or so she said.”
“Guess your not-boyfriend is not coming to see his hot boyfriend in a dress.” Stelle said lightly, watching her friend open both eyes to give her a bland look.
Normally, Dan Heng would be glad to hear he won’t have to see Ren tonight. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the festive mood if they end up fighting again over their feelings. Aeons, they aren’t even an item no matter what Stelle and his friends said otherwise.
Still, there is a bitterness gnawing in his chest thinking about Ren avoiding him of all things. Isn’t it usually the other way around?!
“Of course not and I’m not his boyfriend, Stelle!” Dan Heng snaps, startling his friend who almost dropped the make-up palette in her hands.
By Kafka's insistence, Ren took his coworkers and friends' offer to join them at the Astral Express Cafe anniversary party.
On most days, he would be more than eager to visit the cafe just to bother Dan Heng. It was so easy to rile him up and watch his calm facade shift into annoyance. The scowl he gave him reminded him of an angry kitten whose claws can barely scratch his hand off.
Though, Ren knew Dan Heng wasn’t a weak little kitten and proved it during their first meeting.
To his surprise, Ren had not expected for the kitten to respond so strongly.
The second Dan Heneg grabs his hand, his world starts to slow down and shifts upward. Before Ren realizes it, he finds himself thrown over his shoulder and hitting the ground. All the air in his lungs is knocked out leaving him gasping for oxygen. His wide crimson eyes stare up to Dan Heng standing over him with his arms crossed. He couldn’t look away from the teal eyes glaring down at him like he was no more than an insignificant ant.
In those few moments alone, Ren was entranced by the fiery beauty who caught his attention. He knows he’s grinning like a fool. It’s confusing Dan Heng why he was smiling and not getting angry, but the poor kitten didn’t understand how easily he stole his heart.
Needless to say, Silver Wolf and the Racoon Twins recorded the entire incident.
Recently, things have started to slow down between them.
While it’s still fun to tease Dan Heng, Ren realizes there is comfort in merely basking his presence next to him. He adores the fire shining in his bewitching gaze, but the calmness in his mirror-like emerald eyes is just as enticing. They’ve captured him since their first meeting, dragging him under with his mere existence.
Dan Heng doesn’t understand the power he holds over him. Wherever he goes, Ren follows to keep him in his sight at all times. Yes, he’s aware that his little “habits”(as Kafka puts it lightly) are too intense for the kitten, but can anyone blame him?
In Ren's eyes, Dan Heng is no different than the moon in the night sky. An ethereal being who is beyond anyone grasps with cold politeness and a frosty heart keeping people at arms-length. Yet people like Ren will gather and give chase regardless of the impossible walls getting in his way.
So to watch how easily Dan Heng gives his attention away to his friends is but a slap in the face for him. He always looks at him with annoyance while he gives his smiles to others. It does nothing more than stir the green-eyed monster slithering around his heart.
He’s aware that his way of showing affection to the kitten wasn’t normal by anyone's standards. Kafka glossed it over finding it cute, but Silver Wolf gave him a look like he was an idiot. Firefly herself was reluctant to comment on it.
Of course Dan Heng would come to hate him.
Still, Ren would rather be hated than be forgotten in Dan Heng's mind.
With his mood soured, he originally planned to skip the party and stay home to sort out his thoughts. The less he sees Dan Heng face, the less likely he’ll do something drastic causing irreparable damage to their strained relationship. Unfortunately, Silver Wolf came knocking on his door and dragged him to the Astral Express Cafe.
“You are not skipping out on this! If I have to go, so do you!” Silver Wolf explained after arriving at their destination.
“Silver Wolf is right, A-Ren. You need a break for once.” Kafka said soothingly, smiling politely at her coworker.
Ren narrows his eyes at them and states, “You up to something.”
“I think I’m going to say hi to Stelle. Have fun!” Firefly moves the second she spotted one of the twins amongst the crowd of people.
Silver Wolf pops her bubblegum and lifts up her game console, “I’m going to continue my guild wars. See you losers!”
The two girls walk away to do their own thing leaving Kafka and Ren near the entrance. The magenta hair woman chuckles at her coworkers' quick escape. She glances at Ren, who is currently glaring in Silver Wolf's general direction. Her smile grows before she approaches him and lifts a gloved hand up to touch his shoulder.
When his crimson eyes turn to her, Kafka remains pleasant yet playful, “Relax, A-Ren. After all, this is a party. Your beloved kitten is here too. From what I see, he’s a popular host.”
“He’s always popular, even if he doesn’t realize it.” Ren grumbles, unsure if he should be glad for the kitten's obliviousness or not.
A tray falling to the ground snaps his head to attention. It doesn’t take long for Ren to locate the source of the sound. He makes eye-contact with a familiar pair of wide teal eyes and then his eyes mirror the other reaction: shock.
“R-Ren…?!”
Instead of wearing his uniform, Dan Heng wore a dark green qipao clinging to his figure. The slit reaches up to his thigh revealing his smooth legs tempting Ren to grab them. His long hair was wrapped up in a bun, held by cheap-looking hairpins to show off his slender neck and shoulders. The matching dark gloves only enhance his delicate and petite frame. A pair of teal-colored horns rests atop of his head with light jewelry hanging between them giving Dan Heng the perfect image of an ethereal dragon.
The light dusting of make-up only highlighted the blush darkening his cheeks and his stunning eyes.
If Dan Heng believed he wouldn’t recognize him, then the kitten is wrong. Of course Ren will always spot him no matter how far apart or how different his appearance will be.
Upon realizing he was caught by Ren, Dan Heng abandons the tray he dropped and turns to run towards the back of the cafe.
“Oh my, he’s dressed so lovely tonight.” Kafka praises, covering her mouth with her hand as she watches him run.
Not long after Dan Heng ran, her coworker snaps into focus and chases after his kitten. Smiling at the pair, Kafka can’t help chuckle and rest her cheek in the palm of her hand.
“How adorable they are. Good luck, A-Ren.~”
Heading to the back of the cafe, Dan Heng pushes the “Staff Only” door open and continues to run. The fact he was wearing heels didn’t bother him in the slightest knowing he has a maniac chasing after him. He can hear the door slamming open, and a brief glance to his insistent shadow is all he needed to know.
The spine-chilling sensation wasn’t the fact Ren was not too far behind. It was his eerily blank face darkening underneath his bangs. His eyes are zoned in on him, radiating a beastly glow that made Dan Heng feel like a prey being hunted.
Which is exactly their scenario right now.
“I thought he wasn’t going to come. Why is he here?” Dan Heng screams internally, turning sharply into the dressing rooms.
Inside the dressing rooms was Caelus on his break chatting with Luka and Boothill. Their conversation pauses when a blur of black runs past them. He cranes his head to look at who it was and blinks seeing Dan Heng heading upstairs.
“Dan Heng?” Caelus calls out, but unfortunately his best friend was too far away to hear him.
Boothill whistles sounding impressed and comments, “Holy forkeroni! Look at Dan Heng rocking on those heels!”
Then another blur of black passes through like a storm.
In a split second, a pair of crimson eyes glance at them. The trio shudders at the killing intent in his gaze promising nothing but pain if they try to stop him.
“Wasn’t that Ren from the Stellaron Hunters?” Luka asks, sweat dropping as he watches the other man run up the stairs. He looks to his friends with concern, “Is Dan Heng going to be okay?”
“Ehh. Dan Heng is a tough cookie. He can take care of himself when it comes to Mr. Intimidating-As-Fork.” Boothill shrugs off his concern. He tilts his hat up and chuckles, “Considering how much he vents to me about him, the little dragon overdue for a heart-to-heart with him.”
“Still…” Luka frowns, turning to Caelus to hear his opinion. He almost jumps, seeing his friend smile that doesn’t meet his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Luka. Boothill is right about Dan Heng. Now if he isn't okay, Blade can taste my baseball bat before he even leaves the premises. Not just me though, but all the staff too will make sure he pays!” Caelus threatens so smoothly you can almost miss it. He even gestures to his bat sitting innocently on the table.
If Dan heard what Caelus said, he would be touched by the Astral Express Cafe protectiveness.
However, he was preoccupied by the fact Ren was still chasing him.
“How persistent can you be?!” Dan Heng shouts at him, but the lack of answer is already terrifying itself.
Unfortunately, his luck runs out the moment he enters one of the guest rooms built specifically for staff needing to stay overnight for any reason on the second floor. His plans to lock the door are futile when his pursuer moves faster than him. A large hand grabs the door before it can close. Ren shoves it open and enters the room, and at the same time, Dan Heng stumbles back to avoid being hit.
“Are you done running away, Dan Heng?” Ren speaks for the first time since the chase started.
The door closes behind him, and with the man himself blocking the only exit, removes all of his escape routes. As he walks forward, Dan Heng takes several steps backward frantically looking for a way to slip by him. His eyes are always returning to Ren trying to decipher his next move and his intentions in this moment.
He doesn’t see the bed until his legs hit the edge causing him to fall ungracefully. Gasping, Dan Heng scrambles to scoot away when his back meets the wall. A bandaged hand slams the wall next to his head further corning him and leaving no chances of escape.
In response, Dan Heng shuts his eyes tightly. No matter how hard he tries, the rapid beating of his heart refuses to calm itself. The adrenaline of the chase, and the surprise of meeting Ren today left his face flushed. Now he’s cornered like a prey waiting to be eaten.
“Am I that hideous for you to refuse to look at me? Why, I’m hurt.” Ren said, his tone sounding almost pained at the rejection. He chuckles dryly and asks, “So why are you wearing a dress?”
With his eyes closed, he swears he can hear the other voice against his ear. A smooth and deep voice holding a slight rumble dripping of seduction.The flush on his cheeks darken, jolting feeling the brush of chapped lips on his skin.
“It’s…It’s for the party. Stelle idea of entertainment.” Dan Heng answers, fingers curling into fists.
“Entertainment.” Ren repeats slowly as if he didn’t believe his explanation.
“Yes. The other male staff are also wearing dresses.” He doesn’t see how the other eyes narrow in displeasure.
He doesn’t know about the jealousy boiling in Ren's chest. The very thought of all of those people downstairs having seen him dressed like this makes him grind his teeth. Again, the need to sweep his kitten off of his feet and hide him from the world resurfaces. An unhealthy possessiveness he’s reigning in but barely.
Right now, Dan Heng is literally the embodiment of temptation turning all eyes onto him.
“You’re really testing my patience tonight, kitten.” Ren informs, watching his kitten snap his eyes open to look at him in disbelief.
“I’m testing your patience? Did you hit your head on Luocha coffin recently?” Dan Heng asks, unable to believe his statement.
“No to your last question. Yes to the first- Do you have any idea how you look right now?” Ren asks irritably. He gestures to his exposed shoulders to his thighs and finally, to his face covered in make-up. “You’re dressed like a five-star dinner ready to be eaten by somebody!”
The anxiety Dan Heng felt for the past few minutes morphs into anger at his words. He is perfectly aware of his appearance tonight per Stelle and his friends' enthusiastic description. Yet the way Ren said it grated his nerves.
The audacity of this man to question him like this as if they are a couple when they are anything but one. It is nothing but a reminder to Dan Heng what he truly feels for this annoying man. The truth that he can no longer run from his heart burns, practically trembling in rage as he glares at him.
“How dare you…! First, you avoid me for weeks and now you come here interrogating me! What do you want from me, Ren? I can’t tell if you want to make my life miserable or what, but enough is enough!” Dan Heng hisses, satisfaction running through his veins watching Ren stare at him in shock. “Why in Aeons’ name do you care so much?”
“Because I love you, Dan Heng!”
Everything comes to a standstill for Dan Heng.
Uncertain if he heard it correctly or not, he scrutinizes Ren. He blinks seeing a rare blush rising to his cheeks. The way Ren averts his gaze away looking almost shy; too nervous to even meet his eyes. It hits Dan Heng that he heard it correctly, but the question remains what now?
“You...What?” Dan Heng said carefully, still processing the fact Ren actually confessed to him.
“I thought you were supposed to be smart, Dan Heng.” Ren snaps at him but not out of anger.
Thankfully, Dan Heng is still in shock to even be offended. He can feel his cheeks heat up, swallowing as he asks, “How long…?”
“Since the first day you threw me onto the floor. But I’ve only realized it recently.” He said nonchalantly causing the blush on Dan Heng cheeks to darken.
“I thought you were a masochist, but this confirms it.” Dan Heng comments, his heart beating faster when Ren makes eye contact with him.
“Shut up. I said my part. If you're going to insult me, at least have the decency to say something. It's a “Yes Ren, I will date you” or “Fuck off”. Nothing can get worse tonight.” Ren grumbles, hanging his head low as he waits for a response.
He doesn't notice Dan Heng's thoughtful face. Inside his head, he was connecting all the dots linking to Ren behavior. Evaluating every single detail he found endearingly annoying and his own feelings. It was enough to conclude Ren was ridiculous.
So ridiculous he can't help chuckling which wasn't missed by Ren. The other lifted his head to glare at him.
“Sure, go ahead and laugh. Laugh at a guy like he didn't take the jump and confess. I don't have a sensitive heart at-” Ren's sarcastic ramblings stop when his face is grabbed by gloved hands.
“This entire time I thought you had something against me. Constantly following me, badgering me, and always ignoring personal boundaries. But I didn’t dislike it entirely. You are the most insufferable yet charming man I have ever met, and I…” Dan Heng interrupts him with exasperated fondness in his tone.
His thumb strokes his cheek before moving his hand to push his bangs back. Crimson eyes widened upon being greeted by Dan Heng smiling at him. The shine in his teal eyes gazing at him in wonder instead of the frosty mirror-like emerald he is used to seeing.
“I love you, Ren.”
When his glossy lips whisper simple words of affection, Ren swears his heart almost stopped. The blush on his face having already faded returns at full force.
“You…! You really shouldn’t be playing tricks on me! I’ll be mad if you’re lying to me!” Unlike his calm and collected self, Ren is flustered to the point of attempting to hide it behind anger. He’s still processing Dan Heng confirming their feelings are mutual.
As if reading his mind, Dan Heng rolled his eyes and stated bluntly, “You’re such an idiot.”
Still holding Ren face in his hands, he leans forward to press their lips together.
For the second time in the past five minutes, Ren swears his heart almost stopped. The list of things that will forever surprise him continues to grow, most of them including his kitten.
While Dan Heng is bold, their first kiss is clumsy yet it’s the best kiss he ever had. The shock melts away prompting him to finally move his hands and hold Dan Heng. A hand on his dainty waist, the other holding the back of his head allowing Ren to deepen the kiss. He keeps his eyes open drinking in the sight of Dan Heng face steadily becoming redder.
“Ah…Ren…” Dan Heng gasps sweetly, letting go of his face to clutch his coat.
The way his kitten says his name sounds divine on his tongue. Alas, Ren didn’t want their first time together to be in the cafe guest room where there’s a party downstairs.
Ren reluctantly breaks apart the kiss, but not without swiping his tongue against his swollen bottom lip. Admiring the pretty sight of Dan Heng blushing cheeks, he makes note of the cheap quality of his hairpins and jewelry. Later, he’ll craft much higher-quality hairpins and jewelry exclusively for his kitten.
“Are you convinced now?” Dan Heng asks, wiping his mouth and unaware he’s smearing the lipstick more.
He doesn’t point it out for now and hums thoughtfully, “Maybe. I might still be in a dream and in need of my princess kiss to wake me up.”
Chuckling softly at the smack delivered to his chest, Ren watches Dan Heng puff his cheeks out cutely. He wraps his arms around his waist, tugging him closer, and rests his chin on his shoulder. Hearing a huff from his kitten, he feels his hands warily touching his back to return the gesture.
“Does this mean we’re going out now?” Dan Heng asks uncertainty.
“Kitten. I might be the one who said it first, but you took the bold approach and kissed me. I think we are going out- We’re boyfriends now.” Ren groans, pressing his face into his neck before nuzzling it.
Dan Heng tenses finding the sensation ticklish and swats his back lightly, “Stop that, Ren. It’s ticklish, and let go . I still have a job to do.”
“Nope Not happening. I’m not letting you go.” He refuted strongly, lifting his head to kiss his reddened ear. Hearing Dan Heng gasps softly, Ren smirks and seductively whispers a promise:
“No matter how far apart we are, I’ll always chase after you. There’s nowhere for you to run, Dan Heng.”
Pausing, Dan Heng glares at his now boyfriend, currently hugging him. Despite his chest growing warm at that, the more rational part of him scolded Ren, “That is not flirting. That is a threat , you idiot.”
“But I’m your idiot now, remember? We’re boyfriends.” Ren reminds him mirthfully.
“If you keep acting like this, I’ll take back what I said and act like today never happened.” Dan Heng threatens. To his annoyance, the other just snorts lightly at him.
“No take-backs. You’re stuck with me now.” Ren retorts back playfully.
“Horrible. All the more reason to return you.” He said dryly.
“No refunds. Although…” Raising his head, he sits up straighter to scrutinize Dan Heng and his attire. His kitten, confused why he was staring, squirms underneath his gaze. Then, Ren asks bluntly, “...Do you think I can take you home like this? A present just for me.
Dan Heng blush turns a shade darker. He grabs his collar and tugs him closer. Annoyance is all too clear in his voice as he demandes, “Just kiss me already before I change my mind.”
Laughing at his kitten ferocity and cuteness, Ren does exactly as he said. He closes the distance and captures Dan Heng's lips again.The thought of their friends and coworkers partying downstairs are forgotten.
Later, they can share the news of their relationship and keep the details of their escapades to themselves.