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Fang Duobing has a habit of bounding home from the market, purchases swinging behind him, energy and excitement like a wave ready to crash over Lotus Tower. Li Lianhua has a habit of watching him from the door, then turning away and puttering with his plants when Fang Duobing gets near enough to see. Fang Duobing always drops his purchases and greets Hulijing, then greets Li Lianhua through the window, elbows on the sill.
It’s a nice routine. Sometimes Li Lianhua breaks it by staying at the door. He’s tired and the doorframe is strong. Hulijing breaks the first wave of Fang Duobing’s energy, jumping around his feet, before Fang Duobing leaps up the step to smile at Li Lianhua, ponytail swinging.
Today Li Lianhua waits by the door. He’s slow to suppress his smile. Fang Duobing leaps up, grinning broadly enough for both of them, and drops his purchases. Then he steps closer to Li Lianhua and kisses him.
The doorjamb of Lotus Tower is solid behind Li Lianhua’s back. Fang Duobing is warm in front of him. Li Lianhua forgets to move. It’s not the brash, bold kiss he would have expected. Fang Duobing’s lips are gentle. Tender. His hands hold Li Lianhua’s waist lightly. It’s kind of unbearable. Li Lianhua doesn’t want him to stop.
After several long moments, Li Lianhua places a hand on Fang Duobing’s chest. But as Fang Duobing starts to pull back, Li Lianhua’s fingers twitch, clutching the fabric of his robes. Fang Duobing returns. Li Lianhua draws a breath, and Fang Duobing deepens the kiss.
After that, Li Lianhua just holds on.
All good things come to an end. When Fang Duobing pulls away, Li Lianhua makes sure his breathing is steady, then says, “Xiaobao, don’t you know it’s rude to kiss someone who’s not kissing back?”
Fang Duobing splutters. “You did kiss back!” Li Lianhua examines his sleeve, unconcerned. “You—before—you! You moved your mouth!”
“I was thinking.” Fang Duobing makes an outraged noise. “About how to respond. I often think aloud, you know.”
Fang Duobing’s face colors with indignation, but beneath it he looks wounded. Li Lianhua wants to win this argument but he doesn’t actually want to make Fang Duobing feel like a terrible person. He pats Fang Duobing lightly on the arm as he moves away. “Don’t worry about it. Your robes are crooked.”
Fang Duobing plops down to dinner that night still looking annoyed, but when Li Lianhua gives him his second-best innocent look, Fang Duobing sighs and visibly lets it go. They eat a normal meal. Fang Duobing provides unsolicited opinions on the food.
After that, Fang Duobing spends more time greeting Hulijing when he gets home, and there’s less energy to wash over Li Lianhua. He’s not rude. He doesn’t seem unhappy. It takes Li Lianhua two days to realize Fang Duobing is being respectful.
Li Lianhua spends the next few days lingering in doorframes and pausing significantly near Fang Duobing. He even, after careful thought, adjusts the neck of his robes to sit a little looser. Fang Duobing ignores it all. He just scratches Hulijing and jumps lightly up to Lotus Tower, grins at Li Lianhua happily, and puts his purchases away. Puts them away!
Finally Li Lianhua has no choice. The next time Fang Duobing comes home, Li Lianhua blocks the door and kisses him.
When he pulls back, Fang Duobing looks adorably dazed. Li Lianhua feels unbearably fond. He gets his face under control before Fang Duobing sobers up and notices.
He isn’t expecting Fang Duobing to jab a finger in his chest. “Li Lianhua! You goat. What did you say about kissing people who don’t kiss back!”
Li Lianhua supposes Fang Duobing hadn’t kissed back, for the breath the kiss had lasted. “You’re right,” he says, gliding away. “We’ll have to never kiss again.”
“Ah! Ah, haha.” Fang Duobing hurries after him. “I can be lenient.”
Li Lianhua pushes down his smile. “What about me?”
“I guess you can be lenient too.”
Fang Duobing kisses him. This time, neither holds back.