Chapter Text
Yue is taking his usual shower at night and singing along to his playlist - proud of himself for nailing some of the choreography to the Stray Kids song playing over the speaker. He can’t go crazy as the shower stall only has so much room. He hears the door open and close, which isn’t unusual in and of itself. Sometimes Pang needs to use the facilities or grab something, mindful to keep the warm air inside
It’s when it’s quiet for a heartbeat too long that he purses his lips, sides the shower door open ever so slowly and peeks his head around the door, hair still full of bubbles. He blinks a couple times thinking he’s hallucinating because right there, in the middle of the room pacing back and forth, is his sǎozǐ.
"Dafuq are you doing in here, Yao? I’m trying to take a goddamn shower!” He points to his lather-filled hair in exasperation and waves at it with his finger.
“I really need to talk to you, Yue…” Yao starts strong, no hesitation in her voice.
“I’m sorry, but…. Now?! Here?! In the middle of my shower?” Yue is annoyed, voice rising as he gets more worked up. “I’m goddamn naked and vulnerable. And you decide you need to talk?”
Yao looks up at him with eyes that betray how much she is trying to hold in but is failing in doing so. “Yes… look, I can’t get in touch with Jinyang. She is on a flight somewhere and AI Jia isn’t picking up his phone. You’re available now and you’re the one who quote unquote said ‘us mids need to stick together.’ I need to talk this out with somebody. So, I need you to be a girl for me.”
He watches as she makes herself comfortable while he’s still staring - naked, lathered up, in the shower. He sighs heavily knowing she’s settling in and waits, keeping his face peeked out with a long suffering face of dumbfounded disbelief around the door. “Okay…. So now you’re just sitting there. Please don’t tell me this is going to become a thing now?”
Yao finally finishes on her long winded talent; the lather in Yue’s hair is completely gone now. He knows he’ll have to re-shampoo it.
“So, what do you think?” Yao looks up at him, hope in her eyes.
“Why?”
“Why should I make the first move?”
“No, why the hell are you still in here? Let me shower in peace!” Yue slides the door shut firmly and goes back to his shower, listening for the door to open and shut - leaving him to finish his shower - which by this point had gone cold. He sighed heavily and he rinsed the suds out of his hair.