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Oh, Zero.
Wang Yi shrugged his heavy bag off his shoulder, letting it fall with a soft thump to the floor. He ran a hand over his forehead, through his short gray hair. His shoulders slumped, exhaustion weighing heavy on his bones as he sighed.
What possessed me to get myself into this? He asked himself, though he already knew the answer.
He raised his eyes to the little shit sitting on his couch, his lips pressed into a tight frown. Ah Johnny practically vibrated with excitement- his foot kept tapping against the ground, and he was clearly struggling to squash his grin. Some kind of box was clasped between his palms, pulled in tight towards his chest.
He plopped down beside his boyfriend with another long suffering sigh. The couch dipped underneath his weight. He reached out, taking Ah Johnny's hand. He thumbed over it for a moment before pulling it up to his lips, pressing five small kisses across his knuckles. He heard Ah Johnny's breath stutter out of him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smirking.
…Wait.
He squinted.
'Is that box covered in tape?' He signed, his eyebrows raising. 'And what are those little things caught in it. Are those sticky notes?' Wang Yi tilted his head, eyeing him curiously. What are you up to?
His cheeks flushed pink, and he grinned ear to ear, shoving the box towards him. It crinkled as he squished it into his palms. "I- uh- I got you something!" He stuttered over himself, flustered. Wang Yi frowned. Already, the over-wrapped box was sticking to his hands. He glanced over at Ah Johnny, watching as his partner peeled a stubborn piece of transparent scotch tape off his palm.
'You used too much tape.' He pointed out, unamused.
Ah Johnny laughed brightly, a little breathless. He leaned closer, his arm brushing against Wang Yi's. His chest warmed. "I know, I know!" He murmured softly against his neck, snaking an arm around his middle. Wang Yi jolted a little, his heart fluttering. He could feel Ah Johnny's shit-eating grin pressed against his neck, and it did absolutely nothing but make his pulse pick up speed. He cursed himself. "I noticed."
'Affectionate today.'
"Just open it, Yiyi. Please?" Ah Johnny batted his eyelashes at him, jutting his lower lip out in a pout. His breath caught in his throat.
Intolerable shithead. He thought, but he couldn't hide the fondness in his tone- even from himself. He sighed- he'd been doing that a lot today- fighting back the urge to roll his eyes. What am I going to do with you?
He rested his head against Ah Johnny's chest as he got to work unwrapping his present. The cellophane was hard to untangle, and the scotch tape clung desperately to his hands. Sticky notes fluttered free whenever he unwrapped them, falling to his lap. On them were written knock-knock jokes, stupid puns, and sweet things that made color rise to his cheeks.
'Knock, knock!' The first sticky note read.
He turned towards Ah Johnny, raising his eyebrows. Ah Johnny shot him a bashful little smile, tugging his fiery orange hair out of his eyes. A smile threatened to tug on the corners of his own lips, but he squashed it down. 'Who's there.' He played along.
Ah Johnny perked up, his eyes brightening. "Orange!"
'Orange who?'
Ah Johnny leaned in, his eyes crinkling as he bumped his nose against Wang Yi's. "Orange you stunning."
He despised how that made his cheeks burn.
'I'm stuck on you, I can't get you off my mind!'
He huffed out a noise that was close to a laugh, his heart skipping a beat. 'You're such an idiot.'
"Oh, am I?" Ah Johnny pressed small, slow kisses against his neck, holding him close. He leaned back, keeping Wang Yi half on his lap. Wang Yi let out a heady breath, leaning in. "Well, at least I'm your idiot."
'I love you enough to love you quietly, because I know that's the way you need me.'
Wang Yi swallowed, relaxing against his chest until he was draped over him. Ah Johnny was warm underneath him, smiling as he played with the strands of his hair. He breathed in and out, closing his eyes for a moment.
I love you too. He didn't say. Couldn't or wouldn't, he didn't know anymore. But he knew Ah Johnny knew what he wanted to say with just as much certainty as he did.
'I love the way you smile at me when you think I'm not looking.'
Scratch that. Wang Yi was tempted to whap him over the head with this stupid box.
'You're utterly ridiculous.'
"And you're blushing." He chirruped right back, tugging him closer. Heat burned all the way out to Wang Yi's ears.
'It's like an infection. You make me ridiculous too.'
"Oh, how evil of me."
By the time he got the last piece of tape off the box, he was managing only by the skin of his teeth not to grin like an idiot. He was stupidly red, pink flush spreading all the way out to the tips of his ears. The box was small and velvety in his hands. He ran his thumb over the seam, moving to open it. Ah Johnny placed his hand over his, stopping him, and tapped the small sticky note on the top that read;
'Knock knock!'
He sighed, exasperated, but a smile tugged on the corners of his lips. Ah Johnny squeezed his hand, nuzzling against his cheek. "Come on, please?"
Something warm tugged on his heartstrings.
He's lucky I have a soft spot for those pretty green eyes of his.
'Who's there?'
"Olive!" He burst out, his eyes crinkling as he grinned. Big Johnny purred softly from where he laid, draped over the side of the couch. Oh, Zero save me. I already know where this is going. This was one of Ah Johnny's favorite stupid jokes, because it never failed to make Wang Yi shake his head and roll his eyes.
But I suppose I can humor him. As if he ever didn't.
'Olive who?'
Ah Johnny swallowed, his eyes fluttering shut. He took a deep breath in and out. Sweat beaded on his palms. He's nervous. He realized for the first time, as he watched Ah Johnny tuck a lock of hair behind his ear, his smile turning sweeter around the edges. Why is he nervous?
Ah Johnny flicked the box open, and his heart stopped beating in his chest. His breath stuttered, catching in his throat. Inside the box was nothing but one simple silver band, with tiny peridots dotted across its surface. Inside, on the bottom, it was engraved with a tiny heart. An even tinier paw print rested in the center of the heart.
"Olive you," Ah Johnny whispered next to his ear, his voice shaking just slightly. "and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you-"
Wang Yi didn't give him a chance to finish. He whirled around, fisting his hand in Ah Johnny's shirt collar. He let out a startled noise as he yanked him closer, kissing him so hard they fell back against the couch.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
When they parted, Ah Johnny laughed, his cheeks flushed pink. His hair was all messed up, spreading out around his head like a halo. Wang Yi's eyes were watering. Why were they watering? Was there something in his eyes?-
"Is that a yes?" He grinned cheekily at him, his eyes sparkling.
Wang Yi's only response was to kiss him again.