Work Text:
Silence, same just like the nights before.
The porch light glowed dimly as Chi Cheng finally arrived home. The watch on his wrist was close to two in the morning. Cold air brushed against his skin, familiar now, the same as the routine he had slowly grown used to: coming home late, exhaustion clinging to his body, his mind still tangled in unfinished thoughts.
He walked quietly toward the bedroom.
Suo Wei was already asleep, his back facing the door, the blanket pulled halfway up his body. It should have been a comforting sight. Instead, an unfamiliar emptiness settled in Chi Cheng’s chest—as if something that used to be there had quietly slipped away.
He changed into his sleepwear in silence.
“You’re home?”
The hoarse voice stopped him for a moment.
The same voice that used to greet him every morning, only softer now, heavier with sleep.
“Mm… today was pretty busy,” Chi Cheng replied.
Suo Wei nodded faintly, eyes still closed, and drifted back to sleep.
And just like that, the night ended.
Their days passed in much the same way. Brief greetings in the morning, brief questions at night. Sometimes Chi Cheng left before Suo Wei woke up; other times, it was the opposite. Weekends no longer held plans -only rest, unfinished work, or shared exhaustion neither of them voiced.
Lonely, yet never truly spoken about.
That Friday night, Suo Wei came home first.
He opened the door to darkness. Silence. Cold air welcomed him along with a long, tired sigh.
Today, they hadn’t even seen each other.
He smiled bitterly. Could this place still be called home?
After changing his clothes, Suo Wei went downstairs to get a drink. His steps slowed when he reached the living room. He stood there longer than he realized, staring at the couch that used to feel too small—because they always sat too close.
Friday nights were once spent watching whatever was on TV, talking about nothing in particular, sometimes falling asleep on the couch with their fingers intertwined.
When did everything change?
Those warm days felt like they belonged to another life.
He didn’t notice Chi Cheng’s presence until a familiar voice broke the silence.
“You’re not asleep yet?”
Suo Wei turned around. “Mm.”
Awkward.
They both felt it at the same time.
“You—”
“You—”
They stopped.
“You go first,” Chi Cheng said quietly.
Suo Wei hesitated, then spoke, “Do you… want to watch TV together?”
Chi Cheng nodded.
They sat side by side, the distance between them small—yet unbearably far. The television flickered to life, though neither of them truly watched.
“It’s strange,” Suo Wei said softly.
“Hm?”
“We’re here… but it feels like we’re so far apart.”
Chi Cheng swallowed, nodding in agreement.
Silence filled the room again.
“I used to wish the nights would never end,” Suo Wei said, looking at Chi Cheng with a faint smile—one that felt distant, almost lonely.
“But now, I find myself wishing for the opposite.”
They looked at each other in quiet understanding, trying to read what words failed to say. Chi Cheng reached out, gently taking Suo Wei’s hand, rubbing his thumb over familiar skin before slowly pulling him into an embrace.
Warmth.
It had been a long time since it felt like this.
That night, they stayed on the couch until morning, the TV playing softly in the background. And in that shared silence, the feelings they once thought they had lost began to return.
No matter how far apart they drifted, they realized one thing clearly—
In the end, neither of them could truly let go.