Work Text:
LynnLynn isn’t sure when it all started, but he and his friend group started comparing his little brother to a puppy. He would follow their group everywhere and anywhere eagerly without even really knowing what their plans were. He was always trying to fit in with the guys older than him. He would copy their slang and intercept conversations when he thought he knew enough on the topic to survive them grilling him. He’d take college courses so he’d understand it when they complained about upcoming assignments and how they didn’t understand the material despite getting tutored. He would steal LynnLynn’s old clothes and try mimicking his clothing style. A pair of pants that sagged even with his tightest belt and a beanie that didn’t suit his haircut so his hair would look all weird underneath it.
It was like watching a puppy trying to blend in with a pack of wolves.
LynnLynn never truly minded, his younger brothers’ mirrored actions just flattered him. Most of his friends laughed along and didn’t mind his presence anyways. It's endearing having someone idolize you even if you’re simply just existing. His best friend Chau Yuet was always the one who found it the most interesting to watch the two interact.
Once some years ago, their friend group was at the skate park after finishing up the last day of midterms for their senior year. LynnLynn was sitting on a bench as he watched Yichen try to teach Suren how to do a proper kickflip and Suren was just uselessly flailing and getting upset that he somehow wasn’t executing the move properly. He took a sip from his orange juice box, the yellow liquid flowing up his clear straw as he felt a thud on his right side.
“The puppy ain’t here today?” A dramatic but fulfilled sigh accompanied the sentence, as if grateful to finally have somewhere to sit after a long day.
“Nope, he had an emergency art club meeting today.” LynnLynn said casually, pointing the juicebox in the direction of the owner of the sigh.
The boy happily took the juice box, “Man, I really wanted to show him a new trick I learned. He would’ve found it cool.” Another sigh escapes the boy’s lips, those same lips wrapping around the used straw to use unnecessary force to get the juice out its prison.
“Yuet, we both know he’d only find it cool because he knows nothing about skating.” LynnLynn deadpanned, tsking mentally at his friend’s foolishness.
“You got it all wrong, he’s actually learning! You just don’t pay enough attention to the little guy, he’s got a notebook and everything. It’s cute.” Chau Yuet chimes, stealing another sip of the juice.
LynnLynn’s head tilted, “Are you for real? I didn’t know Zheyi wanted to learn to skate. I could give him one of my old boards. Kinda weird he didn’t say anything about it.”
“Nah, don’t bother.” Chau Yuet set the juicebox down the bench, “I already bought him one for his birthday. custom and all,” He looked up at the sky, staring at the puffy white clouds, “Just make sure he doesn’t fall and hurt himself.”
The sharp January air nipped at their necks, scarfs rendered useless due to the relentless winter. Everyone was gathered in the living room of the two brothers’ home, the fireplace crackling to keep them from sitting in complete silence. The air was thick, everyone hyper aware of the disappointment radiating from their youngest.
Soon the silence was broken, “It sucks that we couldn’t go out for your birthday today Zheyi, sorry about that.” LynnLynn rubbed his brother’s back, warm hands trying to ease the tension in the younger’s muscles.
Zheyi’s face was buried in his arms, his knees propped up on the couch and hiding his long body. “It’s not your fault ge, I just can’t believe it started snowing suddenly.” He mumbled. He lifted his head from his bundle of limbs and sighed loudly, “You guys didn’t have to come over you know. It’ll be hard to get back home.” He looked out to his brother’s friends sprawled between chairs, the couch, and the floor.
“Don’t even worry about it, Yichen offered to drive everyone home afterwards so it's all good!” Zihao chirped, arm swinging around their oldest’s neck.
“When the hell did I say that?” Yichen scoffed, squirming around as he tried leaving the pink haired boy’s grasp.
“Right now, I put the words in your mouth. No takebacks!” Zihao cackled, throwing his entire body onto Yichen and knocking them both fully onto the carpeted floor.
Zheyi let out a small laugh, his chest warming up slightly, “Seriously, you guys didn’t need to throw this pity party.” His hand gave a few meek waves, “I know this must be lame of me.”
The worn out couch dipped next to him, a chocolate-y and wood-like smell invading his nostrils. A warm body scooted closer, knees touching and shoulders brushing. “We don’t pity you, so stop that.”
Zheyi shifted his gaze, his eyes meeting a golden pair. “You’re part of the group pup, so cheer up would you? It’s your birthday! How old are you now?” A strong arm slithered behind his back, fingers curling against his shoulder.
Zheyi squirmed, the couch cushion he was hugging got a tighter squeeze, “I’m 16 now.”
There was the loud click of a tongue, “I’ll tell you what pup, 16 is an important age. You know why?”
Zheyi shook his head, his cheeks dusted pink from embarrassment from this silly nickname Chau Yuet always used. “Why?”
“ ‘Cause usually people meet their first love, or realize they’ve been there all along.” The tone was teasing, a pointer finger meeting the tip of Zheyi’s nose for a quick tap.
“Don’t say stupid stuff like that Yuet!” LynnLynn yelled, “Don’t listen to a thing this idiot’s telling you Zheyi. He’s lost it because of the cold.” LynnLynn shot his friend a threatening look.
Zheyi wanted to melt into the couch, he was so self conscious whenever Chau Yuet teased him. “Love isn’t even my focus right now anyways, I just want you guys to see me as an actual man.” Zheyi straightened his posture as he looked Chau Yuet in the eyes, “I’m not the puppy you swear I am!”
Chau Yuet gave a slow nod, as if he was truly taking in every word. It felt more mocking in Zheyi’s eyes.
“Then prove it, I’ll be waiting.”
The rest of his older brother’s senior year consisted of him proving that he wasn’t just the sophomore that would follow around but a boy a part of their gang.
Chau Yuet noticed every little difference.
For instance, the dedication to using his brand new skateboard and refusing help from anyone who dared to offer.
He’d get a small carton of chocolate milk from the school vending machine and watch Zheyi’s attempts to skate. He’d see the flailing of limbs, the gasps when he almost fell. He took a sip subconsciously between attempts and gave mental pointers as if they’d reach the young boy’s mind telepathically.
He wondered why Zheyi felt the need to lie to LynnLynn about joining a new afterschool club to pull all this off. Maybe it was so his brother wouldn’t try helping. Maybe it was fear of his brother thinking he couldn’t handle himself. Zheyi hid it from the whole group, strategically going at hours he knew everyone would be busy based on group texts and memorizing people’s schedules.
Chau Yuet found him as a happy little accident. His coworker at his part-time job asked to switch shifts so for the first time in a while, he had Tuesday afternoon off. He decided he was going to the park, he was sure he’d find at least one of the guys.
He just didn’t expect that guy to be LynnLynn’s little brother.
Zheyi hit an edge of concrete, stumbling off the new board as he used his arms to balance himself and stop from meeting the concrete personally. He visibly sighed and groaned, picking up the board and walking back to his starting point.
Everytime he held it up, a huge paw print was displayed on the bottom. It was like a logo, a signature. He was the groups’ puppy, the cute little guy.
Chau Yuet smiled as he sipped, the younger one was so docile and so cute trying to impress everyone.
Next time he noticed a difference in Zheyi was when they would have the rare lunch where everybody was able to eat together at their usual spot, the school’s bleacher. Suren and Zihao were sharing a sandwich, arguing about which half was bigger. Yichen and LynnLynn were talking about upcoming graduation practice, saying they should suggest moving days since the reserved day was inconvenient for the soccer team. Hengyu and Zheyi were laughing at something on the smuggled ipad Zheyi got from LynnLynn last christmas, the pair’s laughter ringing his Chau Yuet’s ears.
Chau Yuet stared at the younger’s lunch box. It wasn’t the cute lunch bag he always carried, the one with an interchanging pattern of chibi bunnies and carrots. Instead, it was a sleek and simple black insulated bag. His utensils were a muted silver that gleamed in the noon’s light instead of the cute plastic cat paw ones he’d always use and get teased for since they were so cute.
He cleared his throat, “What happened to your cute setup, pup?” He blinked, eyes still boring holes into the new lunch equipment.
Zheyi’s laughter slowed, his face contorting into one of confusion. “Huh?” His eyes followed Chau Yuet’s gaze, “You mean my new lunch bag?”
Chauyuet gave a simple nod.
“I thought the old one was too childish, so I replaced it. I’m too old to be using that stuff now.” Zheyi waved off, his chopsticks flicking across the air. “This one still has a cute design but it’s..” His sentence ran into the void, his thoughts being stopped. How could he explain this without sounding like he was trying too hard? “It’s more mature? I guess.” His reply sounded more like a strained out question than an actual answer.
Chau Yuet reached for the bag, his fingers curling against the handle. The bag had an embroidered white paw print at the bottom left corner. A detail that would’ve been insignificant had it been anyone else holding the bag.
“Despite the change, it’s still something anyone would point at and say it’d suit you.” Chauyuet let out a soft chuckle, amused that despite his efforts he’s truly still Zheyi, the cute puppy that follows them around. Zheyi locked eyes with Hengyu “Hengyu ge is that true? I thought this one gave me a cooler vibe.”
Hengyu refused to give an answer.
After Chau Yuet and the rest of the boys graduated, he couldn’t notice all those small things anymore. The group would still hang out as much as possible, but the changes in Zheyi were in more obvious jumps, his mind not knowing what he could expect to happen next.
In the blink of an eye, Zheyi’s a senior in high school on his way to graduate. He’s invited to the ceremony of course, a necessary hangout to formally invite the whole group.
They met at an arcade with a built-in restaurant and sat at the biggest booth they could find available. All 7 of them squished into the hard plastic seats, Suren being more on Zihao’s thigh swearing it’s for the purpose of having a seat cushion rather than just simply lying about giving everyone else more room.
Zheyi clapped his hands together to take the attention, “I’m so glad we could all finally hang out! I know how stressed you guys must all be with your workloads and upcoming finals.”
“We’d always make time for you Zheyi, you know that!” Hengyu ruffled the younger’s hair, cooing at how cute he looked with it all messed up.
“Ah, ge stop that!” Zheyi huffed, swatting away the invading arm. “Anyways,” He tried to fix his hair as he spoke, “You guys know it’s my last year and I wanted to ask if you could all come to the graduation ceremony. I already managed to get tickets after trading with Bowen and Jack.”
“Was I not invited before?” LynnLynn remarked with confusion, looking at his brother in disbelief. Overdramatically he placed a hand over his heart, pretending like he was just shot.
Zheyi let out an annoyed whine, “Of course you were idiot, I meant everyone else! Don’t even start right now.”
The group laughed in unison, mutters of yes, of course, and hell yeahs filled the air.
“Okay good, now as a thank you I’ve decided to buy us food today. No going overboard though.” He points at Zihao, “Order food you’re going to eat, not to take home and snack on in the middle of the night.”
Zihao let out a gasp so dramatic it almost sounded like his lung collapsed, “I have literally never done that!” That made the group groan and retort back, “Ah okay fine! I’ve never done that to you specifically.”
Chau Yuet stared at Zheyi, interested in the sudden grand gesture.
“Since when did you have big boy money?” His words came out jokingly but he was truly curious since paying for 7 people is nothing anyone can just casually offer .
“I didn’t tell you Yuet ge? I got a job at this one bookstore near your campus, I work there whenever I’m not busy with student council.”
Chauyuet blinked stupidly, “You’re on the student council now?” He leaned all the way forward, chin digging a hole into his palm.
“Yeah, only the vice president, but still pretty important!” Zheyi huffed proudly, his famously cute teeth catching the neon lights of the nearby games, “I’ve grown up a lot since you guys left me. Fending for myself and all that.” He hummed, tapping his phone screen and turning it around to show Chau Yuet, “I even made more friends, this is a trip we took to the snow for Bowen’s birthday a few months back.” The lockscreen showcases a gaggle of boys with thick snow gear and in the middle (which Chau Yuet assumed was because he was the tallest of them all) was Zheyi with the biggest smile he’s ever seen and snowflakes littered in the hair that wasn’t hidden beneath the beanie and goggles he wore. “Skiing is so much harder than you think ge, especially when no one in the group has a clue on how to.”
Chauyuet hummed, genuinely impressed. “Really now? I guess since you’ve done it once, you could help me learn.” He teased, re-tapping the screen to look at the picture once more.
“It was like teaching a puppy a trick, it’s impossible without practice! I don’t think I could be your teacher without accidentally injuring you twenty times in the process.” Zheyi nudged Chau Yuet’s arm playfully, “That’s enough teasing me, let’s order our food now.”
Zheyi comparing Chau Yuet to a puppy was rich, considering it’s always been the other way around.
Zheyi never explicitly said where he was going for university, but it shouldn’t have been surprising to anyone that he would want to follow in his brother's footsteps.
Most of their group stayed close to home and each other. Being roommates with each other was just a given, some unspoken agreement between them.
So when Zheyi came up to him with the idea, he wasn’t entirely shocked about it. He was just surprised that he was Zheyi’s first pick, considering he literally has a brother in the friend group.
The younger asked him casually as they both waited for LynnLynn to get gas for the car to go meet up with everyone else at the nearby beach.
“Hey Yuet ge, who are you rooming with this year?” Zheyi asked nervously, fiddling with his sleeve the way a nervous kid does.
“Ah, I’m not sure yet. Why do you ask?”
“Would it bother you if I asked to be your roommate?”
Chau Yuet turned from the passenger's seat to look back at the brunette, “No, it wouldn’t. But I have a question.”
“Shoot it.”
“Why not go with one of your friends in your year?”
Zheyi paused. “Well, they all paired up already. Plus, I want someone familiar. Someone who knows me well. But not too well like Lynn ge, I’ve lived with him for enough of my life.”
Chauyuet liked that answer.
“Sure, let’s be roommates pup.”
Chau Yuet couldn’t erase the move in day from his brain even if he tried. Zheyi borrowed LynnLynn’s car to bring all his stuff to the cramped apartment, boxes flooding the backseats and car floor Chau Yuet was leaning against the wall as he saw the boy emerge from within the beat up car.
“Where’s the heavy stuff pup?”
Zheyi snapped his head to look at Chau Yuet, “Yuet ge how long have you been there? I didn’t see you.” He shut the driver’s door before snapping the back door open, “I don’t need the help, I’m stronger than I look.”
Chau Yuet let out a genuine laugh, “So now you’re all big and strong now that you’re in uni?”
“Yeah I am, I’ve always been I’ll have you know.” Zheyi grunted as he lifted up a box, seemingly full of dishware. “Just open the door for me when I get there, dummy.”
Even though Zheyi didn’t ask for help, Chauyuet gave it anyway. To make the process faster, to settle in before the day concluded.
“Thanks ge, you didn’t need to help me.” Zheyi huffed as he threw himself to the couch, letting his arms and legs spread across. “All that movement made me hungry. What do you want to order? My treat.”
If Chau Yuet was a dog, his ears would’ve visibly perked up. “You sure? I’m a big eater. I can eat your whole body weight probably. We can go half and half.” He said as he stacked plates on top of each other, placing them into the empty cabinet.
“Be serious ge, let me buy it. You let me stay with you after all!” Zheyi straightened up, twisting his body from the couch to look at Chauyuet. “I’m not a helpless puppy, I’m a man now! So basically, a fully grown dog. Some may even say a wolf when I’m mad.” He joked, mimicking dog ears with his large hands.
Chau Yuet felt something shift around in his chest. He looked at Zheyi. Not in the usual observation but in full effect. He studied the younger intensely.
His ears were now adorned in jewelry despite the younger always expressing fear about piercing guns before. The silver had a gleam that doesn’t come from cheap temporary earrings but actual piercing quality silver. His eyes were encapsulated with smooth but subtle makeup, made to make him look sharper. His clothing went from oversized and brilliant to sleek and form fitting. His lips finally smooth after being nagged for years to wear lip balm so they wouldn’t crack in winter. His hands were smooth from the use of creams to ensure his skin was well kept. This wasn’t the clumsy boy LynnLynn introduced to him all those years ago. It was a different person, yet with the same adorable face and name.
“Wolves are usually scary with pointy teeth, you got those cute bunny teeth.” He teased, snapping himself out of it.
Zheyi whined and threw himself back onto the couch, “I’m gonna bite you one of these days and then we’ll see if you’ll feel what I mean or not.”
Chau Yuet pointed, “Right here?” He pointed to his shoulder, golden skin exposed through the wifebeater he was wearing.
“Nope, right on your throat so the word pup can’t ever come out of your mouth ever again.”
Chau Yuet didn’t ever forget what Zheyi said that day. He felt like he was Zheyi’s prey after that, the heartbeat in his throat pulsing faster and harder every time his gaze met the younger’s.
It wasn’t meant to be anything he was sure of it, but his heart and tainted mind betrayed him.
This self proclaimed wolf boy was like touching a scalding hot teapot with your bare hands. Each interaction they had burned Chau Yuet from the warmth it made him feel. His heartstrings twisting into larger knots and clogging proper blood flow to his brain and body. Crazy was the only word that could describe what he was truly feeling.
Zheyi was domestic. He wouldn’t just cook comforting meals, but he’d cook enough for three people. Meaning a double portion for Chau Yuet and a normal serving for himself. If it was omelets he’d draw a cat face onto the pastel yellow egg for his own and a simple stylistic drizzle for Chau Yuet. He’d buy the almond milk brand Chau Yuet preferred though it cost 2 dollars more than the generic brand. He’d package lunches for when Chau Yuet wrote down his planned study session on the dry erase calendar Zheyi bought to magnetize to the fridge. He’d make sure to wake Chau Yuet up whenever he forgot to set his alarms for class.
He never failed to show gratitude for the agreement to become roommates. Zheyi was a saint of a co-habitor. It was almost insulting, Chauyuet needing to push himself to stay a bit more organized so Zheyi wouldn’t think he’s a slob.
Zheyi was the perfect match for Chau Yuet, in the sense of living styles of course.
He’s Chauyuet’s type.
Of roommate.
ChauYuet writes down things just for Zheyi to think of him those days and dote on him. It was selfish to want the attention the younger could be using on studying or mingling outside with others. He couldn’t help but want to lean into the warmth the winter boy radiated.
He sighs, pressing the dry erase marker harder into the whiteboard. The ink is streaky and you can barely see the writing beneath it. He wanted to add how his dance group was going to have a performance this upcoming Saturday. As pathetic as it sounds, he hoped Zheyi would ask to go instead of him having to invite him without exposing his desire to have the younger’s attention.
To halt his train of thought, two long noodle-like things enveloped his waist both warm yet unexpected.
“Yuet ge, you going somewhere?” Zheyi asked, resting his chin in the crevice between the shoulder and neck.
The way he tensed up was comical, the sharp hitching of his breath was laughable.
“It’s nothing, I was just checking to see if the marker still had ink. Guess this one doesn’t.”
One of Zheyi’s arms left his waist and reached for the empty marker, “Ah seriously? I’ll buy you another one. You could use the green one meanwhile I find you another purple one.” He pocketed the useless vessel to throw away later. “So, when are you planning to add your performance?”
Chau Yuet coughed out of surprise, “How’d you know about that?”
Zheyi gave him a puzzled look, “Lynn ge is on your team of course I know everything! I’ll make you your favorite breakfast for good luck.” Zheyi sang, grip tightening around Chau Yuet’s stomach.
“You don’t have to, you know.” Chau Yuet said shyly, wishing he could add that having him in the audience was more than enough to get him through the day.
“I insist, I’ll even make an embarrassing sign with glitter and a cut out of your face.” Zheyi pinched the older boy’s cheek mockingly, cooing at how the skin flushed underneath his warm fingertips. “I’ll be your number one fan.”
Is there such a thing as too friendly? Too clingy, too nice and too caring? If there was, Zheyi was teetering that fine line.
A smile was forcing its way onto his lips, his mouth moving faster than his brain. He’d never let Zheyi know, but he was absolutely perfect for him. That’s more terrifying than any crowd he could’ve performed for.
For his performance, part of the routine was handing out a rose to a random lucky crowd member. One in the front row for convenience. All the members kept it a surprise, whispers of who they thought of giving theirs to.
“Yuet, who are you picking?” LynnLynn spoke through chews of his granola bar, crumbs littering the corners of his mouth. “I was thinking of picking just the person who sits in front of me, I really don’t feel like looking for people or walking too far. I have to get in position for the ending since I’m the center anyways.”
Chauyuet nodded along, hearing but not listening to every word. He knew who he wanted to give the silly rose to, he’s known since they ever brought the idea up after a particularly long practice that had them exhausted by not satisfied, as if the performance needed something more.
“Yeah, I was thinking of doing the same.” Which wasn’t a lie, it was more like misguidance. He had requested a front row ticket from their captain the day prior, picking the seat that’s perfectly placed right in front of the position he’d be in when the time comes. He could picture it now. The shocked look on their face, the gasp as their fingers brush as the stem switches from hand to hand. The wink he’d throw carelessly, hoping his boyish charm carries enough weight to plant a seed of potential.
“I gotta go, I forgot my charger at home.” Chau Yuet picked himself off the gym floor, crumpling up the candy wrapper he had in his hands.
LynnLynn looked up to meet his eyes, “Just borrow Yichen’s, I’m sure he won’t mind.”
Chau Yuet looked like a deer in headlights, “Uh, no. I need this specific one for my earbuds.” He shoved the piece of trash in his pocket, picking up his bag at a concerningly fast pace. “I’ll be back in time, don’t worry.” He swung the worn black strap over his shoulder and sped walk away before he could be questioned any further.
Zheyi’s legs were propped up onto the couch to hold up his massive sketchbook, his nose buried into the graphite ridden paper. A habit he’s had for forever, curling up into a ball. His supplies littered the couch and coffee table. He had wads of crumpled paper on the rug and thrown poorly around the trash can.
Chau Yuet’s keys rattled the rusty doorknob and snapped Zheyi out of his trance. He snapped his head to the door to see a very out of breath boy.
“Hi.” Chau Yuet said before huffing twice. “I brought you,” He wheezed, “Your ticket.”
Zheyi’s eyes lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “Did you manage to get to the front row like I asked ge?”
Chau Yuet nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Of course I did. It’s the privilege that comes with being a senior on the team, priority picks and all that.”
Zheyi moved his sketchbook to his side, springing off the couch in an instant. “I’ll start getting ready, you’ll wait for me right?” Zheyi started collecting his art supplies in a frenzy, eraser shavings falling like snowflakes at his feet.
“As long as you’re done by five.”
Zheyi emerges out of his room with a new outfit. It’s one Chau Yuet has seen before of course, but something about it seems different this time.
There’s an eye-catching baby pink button up. The type of shirt that you grab at the store and tell your friends to buy it as a joke because it’s such a ridiculous color for everyday use. Yet somehow it fits Zheyi perfectly. His skin tone the right golden shade to where the pink tone compliments instead of insults his visuals. The top two to three buttons are undone, the top of his chest and collarbone peeking out. Decorating his neck was a short and simple silver necklace with a light blue gem in the center. A necklace LynnLynn bought for him as a graduation gift with a significance Chau Yuet doesn’t remember but one between the two brothers. A black cord bracelet tight on his wrist, a silver and black ring on the fingers of the same hand. No earrings but all the piercing holes are still visible due to use. Light makeup that looks like it was done professionally and impossibly in such a short time span, probably due to practice.
The best part about the outfit was the shining pearls caught between Zheyi’s lips, a smile that could make people could blind from how it sparkled.
“I’m ready ge! Sorry, my original outfit didn’t look right to me so I switched the shirt out. I probably took too long didn’t I.” Zheyi rubbed the back of his neck, shy as he stood at the doorway of his room.
Chau Yuet's body somehow knew to shake his head before his consciousness could snap out of the trance it was in. “Not at all. It looks good.” Instead of a smooth answer he retorted with a simple and dry one, trying to not seem as if those undone buttons were the reason for the crawling feeling on his skin. He gestured his head to the main door, “Let’s get in the car.”
Zheyi wasn’t kidding when he said he’d make an embarrassing sign. The only part he left out was the cut out of Chau Yuet’s face. He shoved it in the trunk of the car, careful to not crease the cheap paper’s edges. He tried to let himself in the car, but the older boy already had the passenger’s door open like an expectant doorman.
The gesture was innocent and polite on the outside. Internally without realizing, Chau Yuet was trying to impress the younger and show him the type of caring treatment he’d receive if he’d ever see the older as more than his brother’s best friend.
The performance started 2 minutes ago and Chau Yuet’s hair was clinging to his forehead due to how slick with sweat it was. He felt gross. He probably looked like a clumsy fool trying to fit in with actual dancers, people who were born for the spotlight. But even so, he kept pushing himself. Maybe Zheyi would see him in a different light. Maybe he’d zero in and only see him within all the moving bodies and admire the precision in his lines and the power in his steps. It’s ten seconds until they pull the roses from their pockets and hand it to the crowd.
Zheyi’s waving the sign stupidly, the words on it blurry as Chau Yuet swings his head with the beat. He doesn’t need to know what it says right now, he imagines he’ll see it thrown onto a counter when they get home. He sees the plastic glitter give out small glints due to the stage lights but even that couldn’t outshine the boy behind them.
He tries to maintain eye contact with the younger the entire time, and tells himself it’s because he needs a focal point to make sure he knows he’s in the right positions. Not because he’s the only thing he even cares about seeing in the room.
The final chorus of the song hits and that’s the cue to sprint to the audience. Chau Yuet’s hands are clumsy and rushed as he jogs over to Zheyi and tries to retrieve the rose at the same time. It’s in poor condition the way it was sloshed around and one of the leaves snapped off.
Even so, after he semi fixes it up on the way there, he stands in front of Zheyi. He’s panting and sweating everywhere. His baggy baseshirt jersey clung to his body. The glasses he struggled to keep on his head were crooked. He forces his lungs to stop taking air to tighten his lips into his best smile. He places one arm behind his back and outstretches his other with the rose to Zheyi’s chest. The contacts in his eyes burned a little as they shuffled around from the frantic movement of his gaze to meet Zheyi’s eyes. He said nothing, hoping everything in the silence was able to make its way into the younger’s heart.
Zheyi dropped the sign into his lap. He grabbed the upper section of the stem, his fingers grazing the bottom of the rose petals. A slight shake in his hand as he pulled it closer and out of Chau Yuet’s grasp.
“Are you sure?” A quiver on the boy’s lips, a nervous look away from the intense gaze of the older.
“I don’t want to hand it to anyone else.”
He spun on his heel and finished the rest of the performance. The audience cheered and clapped. Frat boys cheering their fellow brothers and girls who’ve been waiting for the chance to talk to their crushes were screaming like their love lives depended on it. Parents shouting that’s their child and making a ruckus in between the sea of people.
As clear as day, Chau Yuet hears Zheyi scream his name (along with LynnLynn’s).
Chau Yuet and LynnLynn paired up to go see Zheyi together. They planned to ask about the performance and an honest rating of how they did both together and individually.
However there were already people surrounding the younger.
“Why weren’t you up there? You have the looks for it.” A girl who clung onto Zheyi’s arm sang as she dragged her finger across the pink fabric of his shirt.
He laughed nervously. “Oh, really? I don’t think so. Plus talent is what matters.”
The girl giggled a fake high pitched giggle, the kind that anyone normal would curl up in disgust to if you were aware of the poor pick me flirting tactics of sorority girls. “Fine. Then you should be a model. I bet you have the perfect body for it.” She squeezed his arm, trying to feel his slender frame in a manner that wasn’t enough to cause a scene without seeming like he was the one in the wrong.
“You should talk to one of the actual performers, no? They have strong arms and don’t even need to flex to see their builds.” Zheyi shuffles and he tries to politely remove her. He fails.
Before LynnLynn could, Chau Yuet intervened.
“Pup, we’re leaving.” He states firmly, planting himself directly in front of the younger and his newly found pest.
“Ge! I was waiting for you to finish changing so we could go out!” Zheyi’s face flushed with relief, his smile seeming genuine.
Chau Yuet adored how the wording worked in his favor. “Oh yeah? How about I treat you since you’re my number one fan?” He pointed to the sign, “Special treatment for my favorite boy.”
The girl, now visibly upset, clung even tighter to the boy. Her eyes went sharp as she spoke to Chau Yuet, “Shouldn’t you guys have a team dinner to celebrate or something? I was planning on getting dinner with him.” She sneered, her fake personality from five seconds ago withering away in an instant.
“You were? You didn’t even ask me?” Zheyi's face twisted with confusion, a big invisible question mark appearing beside his face.
She groaned, “Well I was going to, but this guy cut me off.” Her face went from interested in Zheyi to annoyed she had to deal with his obliviousness.
Zheyi tugged harder on his arm, “Let go. I wouldn’t have said yes anyways.” Zheyi retorted as he managed to break free, “Anyone who is rude to Yuet ge automatically loses the ticket to be in my life.”
Chau Yuet supposes you could call him a bit of a jealous type of guy for pulling what he did. In his eyes, it was like watching a hyena approach an innocent little puppy, mouth watering as it imagined every way it could devour it. He couldn’t help but feel the need to chase it away. Somehow throughout the process though, Zheyi showed he was even more territorial of him than he was of the younger.
After dinner and back and forth of who was going to pay, they arrived home exhausted. Their social batteries drained and Chau Yuet’s legs refused to do any more work to take him to his bedroom.
They collapsed together on the couch, the humming of their broken light filling their shared silence.
“Pup, could you look at me real quick?” Chau Yuet murmured as he pushed himself into a proper seated position. Despite the direct ask, he wasn’t really looking for Zheyi’s gaze.
“I have a question.” He rubbed his arm to soothe himself, his own palm burning the flesh of his arm. “Am I your type?”
Zheyi blinked, his glassy eyes seemed like windows to the gears turning in his heads going haywire. “What are you talking about?”
Chau Yuet sighed, “Like if there were people competing for your attention and affection, would you pick me for my qualities?”
There was a long pause. A sequence of fluttering blinks followed by quick calculations in the younger boy’s mind.
“Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” Zheyi finally spoke, “Or am I so full I got sick and I just started hallucinating?”
Chau Yuet gave out a sound that could be interpreted as both a laugh and scoff. “You aren’t hallucinating but even if you were, why would you be this concerned that this was what I was doing?”
Zheyi frantically started waving his hands, “No! I just can’t believe it because I haven’t been interested in anyone but you for pretty much my entire life.”
It was Chau Yuet’s turn to stare stupidly and not come up with a response.
“Did you really just steal my confession?”
Zheyi’s eyes widened even further somehow, “I didn’t mean to!”
Chau Yuet leaned in closer to the flustered boy, their breaths mingling. “It’s alright. As long as it really was one.”
Zheyi’s eyes flickered to the lips threatening to meet his own, “Y-yeah. It was.” His peach flavored lip balm had a strong enough scent to prick Chau Yuet’s sense of smell.
Chauyuet’s eyes meet the younger’s, an eyebrow quirking upwards. “May I?”
Zheyi’s eyes looked like they were dams about to burst, “If you really want to.”
He nodded. He leaned all the way and closed the gap between them. He tilted his head so their noses wouldn’t bump awkwardly, allowing Zheyi to stay still in shock. Their mouths moved in a careful rhythm, Zheyi’s first kiss slipping into Chau Yuet’s grasp with a peach undertone. Zheyi’s hands trembled as they cupped Chau Yuet’s cheeks. His eyes shut so tight they might need a crowbar to crack them back open when the time comes. He’s giving all of himself into the kiss, even if he’s not really sure if it’s actually working.
Chau Yuet melts into him. He hums happily and a smile invades their intimacy. He slowly pulls himself away to not leave Zheyi breathless. His hands found themselves on Zheyi’s slender waist, perched as if they belonged there.
“I’m glad you’ve grown up into a wolf.”
Zheyi pouted and whined, “Stop comparing me to weird animals, you sound crazy.”
Chau Yuet shrugged, “As long as it makes sense to me. You used to be this little puppy following me everywhere but you’re your own person now. Take it as a compliment.”
Zheyi’s forehead met Chau Yuet’s shoulder. He let out a dramatically long sigh. “You’re lucky you’ve got the face to excuse how weird you truly are, ge.”