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“C’mon bro it’ll be fun. Just a few songs for nostalgia’s sake pretty please.” Shang Qinghua pouts tugging on Shen Qingqiu’s sleeve. He knows his cucumber-bro is weak to pathetic whining so he really works his big dewy doe eyes.
“Absolutely not. If anyone hears they’ll think we’ve gone insane.” Shen Qingqiu turns away.
Shang Qinghua wiggles his way back into his vision. “We can just do english songs dude. That way no one can even understand.”
Shen Qingqiu frowns for a moment before his face softens in that special way that means he’s gonna give in. “Fine, you have to start though.”
“Yes! Karaoke time!” Shang Qinghua snatches Shen Qingqiu’s fan and at his look of outrage explains. “It’ll make a good microphone bro. Lighten up it’s not like I’ll break it.”
“Whatever just do your song you stupid hack.” Shen Qingqiu huffs.
Shang Qinghua knows he’ll have to sing the song that’s been stuck in his head. He was making a bit of a deal with one of his disciples and he randomly remembered it and can’t get it to leave. With that in mind he holds up his ‘microphone’ and starts doing his best to make the jazzy trumpet noises that open up the song.
“Ask any of the chickies in my pen.
They’ll tell you I’m the biggest mother…hen”
Shen Qingqiu rolls his eyes. “Chicago? Really?”
Shang Qinghua nods as he sings the last of the the opening. He opens his mouth again to struggle through the little instrumental part. It goes on like this for a moment, him switching back and forth between singing the lyrics and the instrumental parts in between. After a moment he hops up to try his hand at giving his bro a burlesque dance. It looks atrocious he’s sure but it makes Shen Qingqiu laugh so he counts it as a win.
He does a few spins before belting out his final lines.
“What’s the one conclusion I could bring this number to?
When you’re good to mamaaaa mama’s good to youuuu!
Aw yeah!”
Shang Qinghua breathes for a moment before beaming and handing over the fan. “Your turn bro. Break a leg.”
Shen Qingqiu gently takes the fan thinking for a moment before he starts to sing a bit shyly but quickly.
“I’m sittin’ with an empty glass and a broken heart, thinkin’ to myself what have I done.”
Shang Qinghua immediately recognizes the song and starts to clap and cheer obnoxiously. “Hell yeah I fucking love nightcore!” Shen Qingqiu smiles and sings more sure of himself.
“push push push rewind.
Go go back in time”
Shen Qingqiu sings louder starting to get really into it. When the chorus hits Shang Qinghua happily joins in.
“Do you remember when we, started this mess?
My heart was beating out of my chest.
Remember when we, stole your dad’s car?
I never thought we’d take it that far.
Oh we were flying so high, yeah partners in crime, so why’d we ever say goodbye?
Remember when we, when we, had it all?
Do you remember when?”
Shen Qingqiu hops up to jump around, unadulterated joy on his face for the first time Shang Qinghua can remember. As he stands up to join in the dancing all Shang Qinghua can think is how breathtaking Shen Qingqiu is when he’s got his walls down, when he’s letting himself freely express his feelings. He’s bordering on radiant despite his clumsy movements and overly excited singing.
Once the song comes to a close the fan is passed back over with a laugh. “See I told you it’d be fun.” Shang Qinghua teases.
Shen Qingqiu flips his hair behind himself. “Yeah yeah whatever, just sing something.”
Shang Qinghua racks his brain and all he can come up with are songs about being hopelessly into your best friend for some reason that he really doesn’t need to address. He decides to stick to a classic.
“You’re on the phone with your girlfriend she’s upset.
She’s going off about something that you said.
Guess she doesn’t get your humor like I do.”
Shen Qingqiu raises a brow at the song choice but stays standing with that little smile on his face.
As he sings about short skirts he lifts his robes up, flashing an ankle and making more laughter bubble out of Shen Qingqiu’s throat. As the chorus hits he’s joined, the two of them practically screaming more so than singing in their excitement.
“If you could see that I’m the one who understands you!
Been here all along, so why can’t you see-ee-ee?
You belong with me-e-e!
You belong with me.”
What a sight they’d make to anyone else. Rambunctiously jumping around and screaming in a foreign language. As the song gets towards the end Shang Qinghua starts serenading directly to Shen Qingqiu.
“Oh I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night.
I’m the one who makes you laugh when you know you’re ‘bout to cry.
I know your favorite songs and you tell me ‘bout your dreams.
Think I know where you belong.
Think you know it’s with me.”
With one final ‘you belong with me’ the song is complete and he passes the fan back curious as to what song Shen Qingqiu will pick next. He starts to sing way up high and Shang Qinghua doesn’t recognize the song at all.
“You’re on my mind all of the time.
I like it, like it.
Head in the clouds not coming down.
Excited, cited.
They see how I’m acting and they telling me I’m crazy.
I can taste you on my tongue, a cotton candy daydream.”
As the chorus comes in he quickly figures out that the title of the song must be ‘in my room’ with how many times it’s repeated. It’s surprisingly cute? He very much wishes he could hear the track alongside Shen Qingqiu’s singing.
Suddenly Shen Qingqiu is looking him in the eyes as he sings.
“I don’t think that what we got is just a fling.
I know you’ve got more than just a crush on me.”
He repeats it over and over and as Shang Qinghua watches how the light bounces off those deep green eyes he is coming to the startling reality that it might be true?