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“Lin Ling, how many of those coffees did you have?” The aforementioned man blinks in a daze, looking down towards his half-finished beverage (sweetened with honey and copious amounts of oat milk) and frowning. He tries to think back to when he’d acquired the drink, finding it increasingly difficult to even recall what he’d been doing prior.
Oh dear.
“I… think five.” He answers hesitatingly, amber brown eyes flicking up to meet questioning aquamarine, Nice doesn’t look very amused at his answer and the younger man could only smile sheepishly. Lin Ling doesn’t protest when the other man pries the drink from his hand, noting the slight tremble from his own hands as he finally registers the caffeine hitting him.
“Oh,” Lin Ling manages to say, clutching his tablet close for fear of dropping it. Damn it, if not for the marketing campaign causing him to pull multiple all-nighters, he wouldn’t be in this mess. He quirks a grin towards Nice, faltering slightly when the man pins him with a chilled stare.
“You have dark circles under your eyes too, and your hair is matted,” Nice frowns, each uttered flaw digging deep into Lin Ling’s shame and the younger man curses that he hadn’t managed to cake on enough concealer for the eye bags to go unnoticed. “How long has it been since you last slept, Lin Ling?”
Nice doesn’t yell or overreact, keeping his tone even and slightly pleasant even as he mercilessly cuts straight to the root of the issue. Lin Ling himself couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gotten a proper sleep, the furrow in his brow growing deeper as he contemplated the question.
There were power naps and stolen rests in the break room, squeezing in whatever rest he could between meetings and arrangements for photoshoots, but a proper uninterrupted sleep in his own bed? It may as well be a pipe dream for now with how busy the agency is and by proxy, how busy Lin Ling and Nice are.
He doesn’t think Nice would like that answer though so he opts for a half-truth, praying that his caffeine fuelled brain could come up with an excuse convincing enough to get Nice to back off on the scrutiny.
“I’ve… rested, when I could,” He says slowly, wincing as even to him, the answer was weak. Nice had the same thought too, tilting his head slightly before narrowing his eyes at his Personal Assistant. Lin Ling resolutely averts his eyes from direct eye contact, clutching his tablet like a shield from Nice’s piercing gaze.
He is saved by a staff member who calls out for Nice to get ready to be on set, the older hero dropping his stare to answer the call with his picture perfect smile. The camera-ready smile drops once the staff leaves, Nice whipping his head right back to Lin Ling and whispering low while leaning in so close that Lin Ling could feel Nice’s breath upon his skin.
“Get some water, no more caffeine for you and wait for me in the dressing room,” Lin Ling nods furiously, relief flooding him as Nice takes his leave in billowing white and glittering gold, discarding Lin Ling’s half consumed beverage on the way out. He sighs softly before tapping on his tablet with a contemplative finger, the heart palpitations had started and Lin Ling smoothes a shaking hand over his chest as if it could assuage the jittery feeling.
Nice was right, as always, he’d had too much caffeine for the day even for him, it’d do him good to have some water. Lin Ling sighs again, turning on his heel to make his way towards the catering table. Nice would give him quite the lecture if he didn’t do as he asked after all.
-
“I got us lunch, and you’re going to eat it,” Lin Ling should be more offended at the statement, but his traitorous stomach lets out a loud cry of agreement just as he had parted his lips to protest. The smug grin on Nice’s face was itching for violence, but Lin Ling refrains, opting instead for groaning softly as he closes his laptop. (After triple checking that he’d saved his progress of course, he wasn’t taking any chances.)
Takeaway containers of food still warm to the touch rustled in their plastic bags as Nice set them down on the coffee table where Lin Ling had made his workstation for the day. Lin Ling notes with glee that the takeaway containers belonged to a favourite restaurant of his, before blinking and looking up towards the older hero with a questioning look.
“But you don’t like this place,” The question of why (and how, considering Nice was at a photoshoot the whole day and Lin Ling had been observing on the sidelines for most of it) was left unsaid but Nice simply raises an eyebrow as if the question had been spoken aloud.
“It’s your favourite,” As if that was reason enough, as if Lin Ling simply liking the restaurant had made it somehow worthy of Nice’s patronage and Nice had simply stated it like it was obvious. It warmed Lin Ling to know that his preferences were being taken into account by the older man, cheeks matching the warmth as it stained red. He splutters a little before hurriedly clearing the table of any important documents or electronic devices to make room for their meal, attempting to keep busy as a distraction.
It works somewhat; Nice watching him for a bit with faint amusement before he turns his attention to setting out what he’d purchased.
Savoury pork and cabbage dumplings, boiled not steamed, the moist skin still clinging to the filling and wafting steam when Nice removes the plastic covers, paired with wonderfully pungent black vinegar and thin slivers of ginger. Scallion noodles, fragrant and inviting, glittering in oil and tantalizing chewy thin noodles topped with a generous handful of spring onions. And ending it off with egg drop soup, how it’d managed to survive the commute from the restaurant to the shoot location Lin Ling wasn’t sure, but it was a welcome addition nonetheless.
Their beverage accompanying this meal would be oolong tea, decaf as Nice pointedly stated while he skillfully pours the tea into disposable plastic cups. Lin Ling rolls his eyes as he takes the offered cup from the older hero. Their fingers brush, Lin Ling startling a little from Nice’s cold fingers before hurriedly grabbing the cup, cheeks abloom again with heat.
Nice doesn’t comment on his spooked behaviour and simply pokes at his meal, gesturing for Lin Ling to go ahead. The younger male needs no further encouragement, digging in with a quick thanks to Nice for picking up the food.
They eat quietly, Lin Ling with more enthusiasm than Nice but at least the older hero was eating. There were times where Nice simply refused to eat anything for fear of messing up his strict diet, that all changed once Lin Ling came into the picture though.
For someone so neglectful of his own health, Lin Ling was particularly vocal and proactive in ensuring Nice’s physical wellbeing. He’d lost count the amount of times he’d had to force feed the older hero in the early days of his new career as his personal assistant. It was the reason why he kept granola bars on his person even now.
Nice had a bad habit of neglecting his meals unless specifically directed or cajoled into eating on the job. Lin Ling wasn’t sure how much of it was due to the Trust values holding him hostage as Mr. Perfect, but there was also a certain amount of self-inflicted strict discipline to maintain his current figure leftover from his days as an idol.
Eating lunch together happened naturally then, so there was less pressure on Nice when Lin Ling was eating with him. The hope was that Lin Ling’s presence could potentially influence Nice enough to take more than a couple bites of food while he was out and about. So far, it’d been successful, such as now with almost half the container of noodles polished off and at least four dumplings consumed.
Yes, Lin Ling counted, yes he was a little obsessive when it came to Nice eating, but every little bit consumed was a win in Lin Ling’s books. The older hero was currently sipping on a small bowl of egg drop soup, somehow managing to look elegant even while consuming slimy bits of seaweed and slivers of egg.
Lin Ling was just swallowing his final mouthful of savoury noodles when Nice spoke up casually.
“Do you have anything going on after work today?” Lin Ling almost chokes on his mouthful of noodles, grabbing and emptying his entire cup of oolong tea to prevent the food from slithering down the wrong channel. Nice watches him with a mildly unimpressed look and Lin Ling coughs in embarrassment.
“N-No, not that I’m aware of anyway,” Lin Ling’s eyes water a little from the effort to keep from hacking up a lung and he swipes at his mouth with a napkin as he strains to answer. Nice either ignores him or doesn’t see his struggle as he sets the bowl of egg drop soup down, the contents mostly emptied save for some broth leftover. (Lin Ling makes a mental note that soup could be an option in a pinch, filing it away for later)
“Good, I’ve made reservations, you’ll be coming with me after the shoot wraps up,” Lin Ling blinks up at Nice in confusion, the older hero nonchalantly stacking empty containers and bundling them into the plastic bags. Lin Ling attempts to help but is waved off, as usual.
“Be ready by 6pm, I’m taking you out,” Nice exits the dressing room laden with trash from their lunch, leaving Lin Ling to gape after him in shock.
He only fully registers what Nice had told him after a minute, his face exploding with heat.
Nice was doing WHAT?!
-
The agreed upon (if a little one-sidedly) time arrived before Lin Ling could blink. Organizing his scattered paperwork and ensuring his progress on his projects were properly saved before turning off the company issued laptop, Lin Ling settled into the sofa to wait for the older hero. Nice should be finishing up on his photoshoot soon, the younger man takes a glance around the room, mentally checking off the list of things to be done in his head.
The bottle of water from a brand Nice prefers is sitting chilled in the mini fridge, it’s a rare rest day for Nice tomorrow so there wasn’t a schedule for Lin Ling to debrief him with as his personal assistant … Lin Ling is startled out of his mental checklist by the sound of the dressing room door clicking open.
The younger man moves fluidly to retrieve the bottle of water, swiping the folded towel on the desk as well just in case Nice needed it. The older man enters the room with a tired sigh, his picture perfect smile immediately sliding off his face, though he does soften visibly when Lin Ling comes up to him, water bottle in hand.
“You’ve worked hard, Nice,” Lin Ling tries for a smile, the corners of his lips twitching as he twists the cap open for the older hero. Nice takes the offered water with a slight huff, gratitude swimming in his aquamarine eyes as Lin Ling dabs away a few stray beads of sweat.
“Thank you, Lin Ling,” the named man surpasses a shiver at the way Nice’s voice, strained with slight fatigue, shaped his name. “Let me change out of this before we leave, hm?”
Which reminded Lin Ling-
“Uh, actually where exactly are we going? Our schedule is cleared for the day, no?” Lin Ling follows after Nice into the changing area, frowning slightly as he scrunches his nose in annoyance. “They didn’t give you more work did you? I already told them that they’ll have to run it by Miss J first before-”
“It’s not work, Lin Ling, don’t worry, you’ll see,” Nice cuts in smoothly, running through his temporary wardrobe with a crisp click of hangers before selecting a few to bring into the changing room. He arches a brow when Lin Ling moves to follow, the younger man blinking up at him in confusion.
“I need to change Lin Ling, unless you’d like to join me?” The smirk that graces Nice’s lips should be illegal, and while Lin Ling is glad it wasn’t shown to the public (there would be a bloodbath otherwise), the full force of the implication Nice was insinuating slams into him and he flushed bright red.
He squeaks out an apology, turning quickly back towards the resting area to escape the situation, Nice’s amused chuckle following after him. Where was his head today? Evidently not present in the room with them, that’s for sure.
Lin Ling blames the coffee, and by proxy, himself, as he settles in to tidy up before they leave for wherever Nice had deemed necessary for them to visit.
-
The place Nice had been alluding to was an exclusive boutique that catered to high-end clients in the richer district. Lin Ling was suddenly glad for once that he’d put on a suit that day; a photoshoot usually required a stricter dress code as Nice’s personal assistant. Though it still begs the question why Lin Ling’s presence was required for after-work shopping.
The answer became obvious when Nice was presented with a measuring tape upon entry into the opulent but tasteful boutique, on a silver tray from a steward no less, Lin Ling was definitely out of his depth here. The older hero leads Lin Ling towards the back into a more private room.
A podium sat in the middle of oak wood flooring and furnishings, wooden shelves tucked full of bolts of rolled fabric, all neatly arranged by material and then colour. The room smelled of cloth and earthy wood, it smelled expensive, too much so for common folk like Lin Ling.
Lin Ling couldn’t help but voice his concerns to Nice as he was led to step up to the podium and made to shed his blazer. Lin Ling tosses it carelessly to the side to drape messily across an armchair; Nice doesn’t so much as twitch, but he does snap the measuring tape in his hands louder than intended like a whip.
Lin Ling flinches, but doesn’t back down.
“What’s this all about, Nice?” His question goes unanswered as the older hero approaches, passing the tape behind him to encircle around his waist. Lin Ling resists the urge to suck in his stomach and forces himself to stand straight before Nice mercifully releases him.
“I’m ordering you some new clothes,” Nice replies casually, winding the measuring tape around Lin Ling’s arm. The younger man immediately begins to protest but is silenced swiftly by Nice’s intimidating stare and a minute tightening of the tape around his bicep.
“Shush, let me do this for my beloved,” And there it was, the one argument that ends it all. Lin Ling swallows his complaints immediately, resignedly allowing Nice to measure his body to his heart’s content. Nice’s smug yet slight smile was reward enough for the ordeal, and Lin Ling was not prideful enough to continue arguing against free clothes. (Even if the clothes were probably more expensive than what Lin Ling would have liked.)
Besides, all that mattered to Lin Ling was that Nice was having fun, and if it meant staying stock still while his lover poked and prodded at his person then so be it.
Their relationship was kept tightly under wraps for now, but Miss J had been pushing for Nice to announce it rather than let the media catch them. Better optics, she’d claimed, better to hear it from Nice’s mouth than from a drama mongering tabloid reporter that could spin it into a betrayal to his fans. Which when she put it that way does hold some truth to it, especially since they’d been dating for the better part of half a year. Just shy of two months after Lin Ling was promoted to be Nice’s personal assistant.
Lin Ling never would have pinned Nice as the type to fall hard at first sight, but he supposed that was information only privy to Nice himself. And now Lin Ling he supposed, though sometimes he still could hardly believe he was dating Nice.
A brush of warm lips on his nape jolts Lin Ling back to the present from his unintentional trip down memory lane. Nice had somehow stepped up to the podium if the warmth against Lin Ling’s back was any indication, arms encircling Lin Ling’s waist in a loose grip. The measuring tape was momentarily discarded; rolled into a neat coil and set delicately on the work desk.
Lin Ling was suddenly glad for the privacy, the media would have had a field day if they were caught in this position, and Miss J would have his head-
“You’re thinking too hard again,” comes Nice’s voice, right by the shell of his ear, Lin Ling feeling his face flush hotly at the proximity as his racing thoughts slam to a halt. Nice buries his face into the crook of Lin Ling’s neck, a content sigh leaving his lips as he sinks into his younger paramour.
Lin Ling frowns, hand automatically coming up to card through winter snow hair and pushing the stray strands away from Nice’s face. The other man leans into the touch like an affectionate house cat.
“We could go home if you want? You’ve been up since 4am, I’m sure you’re tired, I’ll cook,” Lin Ling offers, worry etching his features for his exhausted lover. Nice detaches from Lin Ling with a soft fond chuckle, he holds Lin Ling’s hand to his face, leaning into it as he presses a soft kiss on the palm.
“Mm, no, I have plans for us today, and I’ll see it through,” Lin Ling would like to argue that if Nice was so exhausted he’d resorted to inhaling Lin Ling like a strength enhancing drug, they should be heading back home. But seeing Nice’s determined face, Lin Ling couldn’t bring himself to deny him.
“Alright… but since it's your rest day tomorrow, I’m staying over to make sure you rest,” Nice’s eyes gleamed with something at Lin Ling’s words, but it was gone as quickly as it’d appeared, replaced with softness and affection.
“Of course, my love,” Somehow, Lin Ling wonders why his agreement sounded so ominous coming from Nice.
-
They arrived at their destination somewhere on the outskirts of X-City after leaving the boutique. The car turned inwards to a fenced off property with an impressive looking building sitting right in the middle of the compound, surrounded by perfectly manicured and maintained gardens.
The building itself was jet black with modern architecture, harsh lines and clean finishes, the only thing sticking out being the large glass dome atop of the structure. A tasteful plaque on the side of the large double door entrance spelled out “X City Planetarium” in elegant golden script. Lin Ling wasn’t even aware that this planetarium existed.
Feeling slightly overdressed in the “ready-made” bespoke navy blue tuxedo Nice had basically foisted upon him, he turns to his companion of the evening and frowns slightly.
“Bit much for a planetarium date isn’t it?” Nice simply smiles in return, similarly dressed in an opulent tailored suit in cream and gold finish, he looked every bit like a model posed for a magazine cover. It was unfair how good he looked, but Lin Ling supposed his beauty came at a steep price.
Pianist fingers curl under Lin Ling’s chin and tilts his head up in a playful gesture, knuckles brushing lightly against him and Lin Ling couldn’t stop the shiver that tingles down his spine at the featherlight touch. Aquamarine eyes darkened slightly before Nice smiles pleasantly.
“We’ll see, hm? Come, we should go inside,” Nice exits the car smoothly, swinging open the car door on Lin Ling’s end before the younger man could open it himself. Ever the gentleman, Lin Ling thinks idly, rolling his eyes a little as Nice reaches out a hand to help him out of the car.
The Planetarium’s interior featured large floor to ceiling windows, allowing for natural light to pour in and light wooden floors, the lobby was empty of its usual patrons and aside from a few of the staff, it seemed only Nice and Lin Ling were in attendance.
The hand on his back guides Lin Ling towards one of the many auditoriums the building houses, the large dome above already displaying an ethereal spread of a starry night sky. Lin Ling wanders in with awe, noting distractedly that there were no cushioned seats available save for a dining table set for two right in the middle of the room.
He spins around in delight, excited amber brown eyes finding softened aquamarine as Lin Ling gestures animatedly at the ceiling.
“Nice, this is amazing!” Lin Ling jogs up to the older man leaning against the doorway, attempting to tug him further into the room to share in the beautiful view. Nice follows easily with an indulgent laugh, his arm curling around Lin Ling’s waist, slotting perfectly in place.
The accompanying dinner was also delicious, made all the more so in accompaniment by the beautiful scenery projected onto the ceiling. Each dish was served accordingly in small portions; savoury broth to whet their appetites, appetizers of crunchy wafers topped with sparkling ikura and flying fish roe, poached fish with crispy skin and flakey meat that melted on the tongue, tantalizing slices of tender beef… The food was decadent and portioned perfectly to fill up by dessert, which was a rich chocolate mousse.
Lin Ling was sorely disappointed then, when the starry night sky faded into darkness, dim warm lighting replacing the cool blue. He turns towards Nice, only to be greeted with a beautiful bouquet of red roses and baby’s breath. The fresh flowers still sparkling with condensation and held together with white and yellow paper (because those colours reminded him of Nice in his white and gold regalia, and were hence, now his favourite colours), all tied together primly with a blue ribbon the colour of Nice’s eyes.
Lin Ling cradles the bouquet preciously, the paper rustling as he adjusts his grip, careful not to smush a single petal by accident. He smiles up at Nice with a pretty flush while he thanks the older man for the beautiful gift.
“That’s not all, here,” Nice presses a keycard into Lin Ling’s unoccupied hand, the plastic a lovely pearlescent white, refracting rainbows as it catches the dim lighting of the Auditorium with a thin gold stripe running down near the edge of the card.
Lin Ling’s name is engraved on the back of the card, granting him unfiltered access to the tenth floor suite where Nice resided in Hero’s Tower-
Oh.
Emotion wells up in his chest, happiness, excitement and overall, relief. Lin Ling could not deny the small dark part of his brain that whispered that Nice was only with him because he was the easiest target. Why else would Nice have gone for plain, average Lin Ling after all if not for the proximity.
Spending so much time together as Hero and Personal Assistant, getting closer was almost a given, however with Nice giving him full access to his rooms that he kept private from even Miss J herself…
Gentle hands encased his own holding the card and Lin Ling blinks through blurred tears as Nice simply smiled adoringly at him like he’d hung up the stars.
“We can discuss living arrangements later, but for now, I really do love being by your side Lin Ling,” Nice leaned in close, Lin Ling squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment but otherwise didn't push him away.
“Happy Birthday, Lin Ling.”
His eyes snap open, jolting as his eyes meet directly with Nice’s before the older man finally seals their lips together in a loving kiss. They part after a bit, Lin Ling attempting to catch his breath and fix the bouquet in his hands that had gotten slightly crushed where he’d squeezed it in anticipation.
“Birthday…?” Lin Ling manages to breathe out, dazed as he was from the kiss. Nice huffs slightly, not quite a laugh but definitely amused, tugging Lin Ling’s chair closer with ease, Lin Ling frantically trying not to swoon at the display of casual strength and possessiveness. Nice then leans his head against soft brown tresses, his arm snaking around the other man’s waist, his hand settling comfortably near Lin Ling’s navel.
“Did work blur your days together that much, băo bèi?” The endearment was purred, Nice’s voice curling around each syllable like a content cat around a ball of yarn. And Lin Ling can’t help the pinch he gives Nice’s cheek in reflex.
“And whose fault is that for being so popular, Mr Perfect?” Lin Ling huffs in faux annoyance but the grin upon his face speaks volumes of his true feelings on the matter. Happy for Nice’s success as he always was. The laugh that escapes from Nice feels too shamelessly unrepentant towards his lover’s plight and should warrant another pinch, but it was perfect to Lin Ling.
He settles instead on pressing a chaste kiss on Nice’s lips to shut him up, only for the other man to immediately take advantage and chase for more. Greedy thing but Lin Ling was not opposed to it.
The night ends with Lin Ling making good on his promise, returning to Hero’s Tower with Nice. And if Lin Ling returned to work sporting a suspiciously expensive high collared jacket and multiple bandages… Well, it was no one’s business but his own thank you.