Work Text:
(unfortunately, couldn`t find this arter`s page to leave a link, if you know, please, write in comments).
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It was already nearing midnight, and Tian habitually rubbed his eyes, glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. At last, his patient wait was rewarded: the back door banged open, and the redhead stepped out into the night. He didn’t seem surprised to spot He at the edge of the street; instead, he stretched, shook himself off, and jingled his keys as he locked up behind him. Once again, he was the last to leave. But Tian had long since gotten used to how stubbornly Mo threw himself into his work—sometimes even rivaling his older brother’s workaholism. It used to be a point of contention between them, but now Tian understood all too well how much you sometimes had to give if you truly wanted to achieve something.
“What are you doing here?” The question was routine—this wasn’t the first time Tian had waited by the gate of the service for him, especially after returning from a business trip. He couldn’t always manage to call ahead, and this had been one of those times. “Where’s the car?”
Taking advantage of the empty, dimly lit alley and Mo’s brief surprise, Tian pulled him in for a quick kiss, only to get a gentle, half-hearted smack in the stomach in response. ‘Nice try,’ he snorted to himself, soaking in the familiar, beloved feeling that always seemed to spring up the moment they met.
“I left it in the parking lot. You told me not to show off around here.
“Did you fly in today?” Mo said, half as a statement, already heading in the right direction. “I’m tired, but we could…”
“Damn it—” Suddenly Tian tripped on an uneven curb and hissed, trying to put weight on his foot. He looked up, a little sheepish. “Hold on a second, it’ll pass and we’ll be on our way. I’ve got everything planned out already.”
Shan watched for another minute as Tian struggled, making futile attempts to move, then strode over in a couple of long steps and effortlessly scooped him up, straightening as he did.
Tian froze, startled and barely breathing. He wasn’t sure if he was afraid of being dropped—making his hurting foot even worse, shooting pain still stabbing through it—or simply caught off guard. Finally, he managed to exhale:
“Hey, put me down, I’m actually pretty heavy.”
The redhead gave a snort at this, taking his first step:
“Not heavier than that welded bumper for the jeep we worked on the other day. I held that up in the air, and let me tell you, that was much more awkward—I was bent over in the weirdest way,” he gave his load a gentle shake as if Tian weighed nothing at all, “while you’ve forgotten how to lift anything heavier than a pen in your office. Come work at our service—haul a few tires with rims, loosen rusted bolts. After that kind of workout, I had sore muscles in places I didn’t even know existed for the first couple of months. But now, they don’t even ache. So… enjoy the ride while I’m in a good mood. You don’t get to carry me all the time.”
Tian shut his eyes with a contented smile. He’d noticed before that Mo’s shoulders seemed stronger lately—his whole body felt heavier, denser, and yet stayed just as lean. But he’d always chalked it up to not getting many chances to take a good look at him up close, much less to touch him. After that ridiculous incident with the renovation, Shan sulked at him for over a month. Tian himself couldn’t figure out what possessed him to even consider tearing Shan’s apartment apart, brick by brick, without getting the owner’s permission.
Luckily, they managed to settle things. Mo moved back into the spruced-up little studio, renovated according to a project he had approved, and little by little began to agree to "meetings," as Shan called them. Or "dates," as Tian preferred to say, cherishing the hope that one day little Mo would finally accept his offer to move out of his “burrow” and live together. That’s why moments like these, when he managed to persuade Mo to come over or stay the night, instantly made his mind go blank with nothing left but pure joy at the chance for intimacy. And now, for the first time, he could truly enjoy the sensation: being carried so easily and confidently, held tightly but gently at the same time. It felt wonderful. And he didn’t hesitate to share:
“Baby, carry me like this more often! I can’t get over how much I love it!”
“Yell it louder, why don’t you—pretty sure the entire street hasn’t heard yet,” Mo grumbled, with his usual hint of bashfulness. “Alright, I’ll think about how you can earn it. Just don’t go breaking your legs on purpose. Cancel all your plans, you’re coming with me. You’re such a handful, you spoiled brat…”
They were heading off toward the parking lot and didn’t notice two figures stepping out of the shadows.
“Why didn’t you call out to them?” Qiu asked. “We could have helped.”
“Something tells me they’ll manage on their own,” Cheng replied, catching a slightly thoughtful glance. “Don’t tell me you want that too.”
“Hm? Want what? To be carried?” Qiu was still watching the couple who had long since disappeared into the darkness.
“No way. You weigh as much as a rhino—I’d throw my back out.” Cheng’s grumbling was almost sincere, but Qiu just sighed and held out his arms.
“Cheng. No one will ever know. Come here.” He laughed quietly as Cheng, covering his face with his hand, finally took a step toward him. “Oh wow… you really are heavy. You need to lose a few kilos. Or ten… I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Cheng, stop squirming, I’ll drop you! I swear, you’re the slimmest!” From now on, this is how we’ll always walk. Mmm…
The city at night shimmered with lights, whispered with the sounds of tires and the leaves of the avenues and parks, hiding countless shadows within itself. And in those shadows were people who needed only a little to be happy.