Chapter Text
The cursor blinked on the screen like it was mocking him.
Sheng Shaoyou exhaled, fingers rubbing at the bridge of his nose as the 3D model on his monitor distorted again. Another failed render. Another night slipping through his tired hands. The desk around him was a graveyard of coffee cups and pencil shavings, half-crumpled tracing papers, and open sketchbooks filled with eraser marks that bled frustration.
The air in his room smelled of ink and burnt-out ambition.
He had promised himself an hour’s rest after dinner. That was six hours ago.
Architecture was supposed to be his passion. Now, it felt like punishment—a relentless test of patience and precision.
Every line, every angle, every sleepless night carried the weight of his parents’ expectations. Don’t disappoint them, he reminded himself. Just hold on until graduation.
His stomach twisted with fatigue, but he pushed the feeling away. Sleep was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Not tonight.
The glow from his phone lit up the cluttered desk.
Notification.
Hua Yong: Hey, gorgeous. Still up?
Shaoyou’s tired lips twitched. Of course it was him.
Two years, and it had always been like this—Hua Yong appearing exactly when Shaoyou needed a reason to stop pretending he was fine. They weren’t boyfriends. Not even close. “Situationship” was the polite word for whatever they were—two people circling each other, pretending not to care while memorizing every scar.
Hua Yong was everything Shaoyou wasn’t: effortless, charming, the kind of man who carried chaos in his smile and knew exactly how to make it look good.
He texted back.
Shaoyou: Yeah :( Still working.
Hua Yong: Pulling an all-nighter again?
Shaoyou: Yeah. Need to finish these plates.
Hua Yong: You need a break, pretty. How about we go to the park? I’ll pick you up.
Shaoyou hesitated, fingers hovering above the keyboard. He wanted to say yes. He also wanted to be responsible for once.
Shaoyou: I need that :( but I can’t. Too much left to do.
Hua Yong: Then do it later. You’re allowed to breathe, you know.
A pause. Then another notification popped up.
Hua Yong: *Also, saw your new post on Insta. You looked real hot, by the way ;) *
Shaoyou rolled his eyes, smiling despite himself.
Shaoyou: It’s not just for you 😝
Hua Yong: Damn. Well, I’m still picking you up. Ten minutes.
He stared at the screen. The reasonable thing would be to ignore it. Finish his model. Keep working.
Instead, he stood.
There was something about Hua Yong’s voice, his carelessly soft texts, his ability to drag Shaoyou out of his overthinking without ever saying much. He was dangerous that way—an escape dressed like comfort.
Shaoyou grabbed his jacket, tied his hair loosely, and whispered to himself,
“Just an hour.”
But he knew he was lying.
The night air bit gently at his cheeks when he stepped outside. The city was quieter at this hour—occasional headlights gliding past, neon signs buzzing lazily in the distance.
Hua Yong’s car rolled to a stop beside him, music pulsing faintly through the tinted windows. When the door opened, the smell of his cologne drifted out—clean, warm, familiar.
“Hey, architect boy,” Hua Yong greeted, one hand draped casually over the steering wheel. His hair was messy, his expression all sleepy mischief. “Didn’t think you’d actually come.”
Shaoyou slid into the passenger seat. “Neither did I.”
They drove without talking at first. The hum of the engine, the city lights streaking by—it was almost hypnotic. Hua Yong’s playlist was soft tonight, a mellow guitar track that made the silence feel less heavy.
“You look dead,” Hua Yong said finally, glancing at him.
“Thanks,” Shaoyou muttered. “Just what I needed to hear.”
Hua Yong laughed quietly. “You’ve been killing yourself for that project again, haven’t you?”
“It’s what I do,” Shaoyou said, voice dry. “Can’t afford to mess up.”
For a while, Hua didn’t reply. Then, softly: “You don’t have to earn every breath, Shaoyou.”
Shaoyou turned to him, caught off guard by the sincerity beneath Hua’s usual teasing tone. His chest tightened. He looked away quickly, watching the blur of lights outside the window instead.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
Hua Yong smiled. “You’ll see.”
They ended up at their park—an unassuming spot tucked behind the river, quiet and half-forgotten by the city. The lampposts flickered faintly, scattering pools of gold across the pavement.
They sat on the grass. No words, no pretenses. Just the sound of crickets and wind brushing through leaves.
Hua leaned back, hands behind his head. “You ever think about quitting?”
Shaoyou laughed softly, bitterly. “Every night.”
Hua turned to look at him. “Then why don’t you?”
“Because…” Shaoyou’s voice faltered. “Because I don’t know what I’d be if I stopped trying.”
The honesty surprised both of them.
After that, silence again—comfortable, for once. Shaoyou’s eyes grew heavy, exhaustion pulling him under. He shifted closer without realizing it, head tilting until it found Hua’s shoulder.
Hua froze for a second, then let out a quiet exhale.
Carefully, he adjusted so Shaoyou could rest better. His hand brushed against Shaoyou’s arm—light, deliberate, staying there just long enough to mean something.
“Sleep,” Hua murmured. “You’re safe here.”
Shaoyou smiled faintly, half-asleep. “You feel like peace.”
Hua’s gaze softened. He didn’t reply.
Because peace, for them, had never lasted.
He watched as Shaoyou drifted off—hair falling into his eyes, lips parted slightly, breathing slow and even. Something in Hua’s chest ached at the sight. This was supposed to be casual. Just two people avoiding commitment.
But holding him like this…
It didn’t feel casual at all.
The night stretched quietly around them, gentle and endless.
And Hua Yong, for the first time in a long time, didn’t want the morning to come.