Chapter Text
Leo didn’t mean to stay up until 3am with his eyes drooping and a pillow clutched to his chest. Okay, maybe he meant to stay up this late, it was just a good thing his coach gave him the day off tomorrow- though that didn’t stop him last time.
He glances at his phone continuously, slowly gnawing on his bottom lip as he watched his the minutes countdown.
He refreshes his livestream site and his fingers dance on his leg, his phone finally buzzes with a face time.
He scrambles for the buttons and manages to click the green phone, “Hey!” He grins widely and is greeted with a minute of lag separating him and the other person.
Finally, a brunette young boy with a smattering of freckles waves haltingly on the other side, "Hi!" He holds a large stuffed pillow with a face in his lap and grins.
“Cutting it a little close.” Leo says fondly and the face on the other side chuckles slowly.
Leo waits for the lag to keep up and Guang-Hong Ji leans into the lens, “I’m here! I ran from practice and everything.”
Leo grins wider, “What time is it there?” He already had an idea but wanted to know anyway, Guang-Hong sets his laptop up.
“Me? That’s better question for you," He tuts, "I can’t have those bags under your eyes on my conscience.” He says wryly with his hand over his heart.
“It’s 3, and I’m made of tougher stuff than that.” He flexes, a shy smile twitches across Guang-Hong mouth.
“Alright, we should turn on Rabbit, I think the lag is making you look like one big glitch, the podcast is almost on.” Guang-Hong says earnestly.
Leo gives thumbs up and tries to bring up the podcast, “Alright, but the bet is still on that Mrs. Ritz that did it.”
“Deal,” Guang-Hong says with a nod, “The loser has to wire the other one ten bucks.”
“Don’t think I won’t do it!” He crows as he turns on Rabbit and another version of Guang-Hong’s face comes up.
Guang-Hong crinkles his nose in a smile, “You better, Mrs. Ritz is way too obvious to be the murderer….It’s the grounds keeper.”
“Pfft,” Leo threw his arms up, “Don’t talk to me about obvious.”
“Turn it on, turn it on.”
Leo excitedly turns on the podcast and they settle in to listen to it across continents. The detective is slowly seduced by the maid and the cook is locked in the cellar, no doubt by the killer. Both Leo and Guang-Hong gasp when the detective is almost chopped in half by a booby trap.
It’s 4 in the morning for Leo when it draws to the close with the narrative describing the door slowly jiggling on the other side of the drawing room.
Guang-Hong was mumbling in Chinese anxiously and Leo was holding his breath, “The door knob to the empty room creaked slowly... Join us next week for Murder on The End of String returns for another installment!”
Both Leo and Guang-Hong groan, “Another cliff-hanger?” Guang-Hong mumbles and Leo nods in agreement.
“Honestly…” He turns off the torrent and puts Guang-Hong on full screen, “Guess we’ll have to wait until next week to see who wires who 10 bucks.”
Guang-Hong grins and the image blurs as he seems to pick up his laptop and move it. “Okay, they always do this anyway."
“It’s so good though.” Leo gushes.
Guang-Hong hums with a frown, “But the part with Lisa? Seemed a little forced, not very cute.”
“What?” Leo stopped yawning and sat up straight in bed, “Lisa was eyeing him for the whole series. Seduction, inevitable.”
“She said ‘Mr. Calvin I need to see you in my living room and then just pushed him up against the fireplace’.” Guang-Hong explained, he stuck his tongue out, "Bleh."
“Yes, seduction,” Leo nods firmly from the other side of the world.
“Fireplaces hurt!” Guang-Hong defends with a finger wag.
“How would you have it?” Leo asks curiously.
Leo waits a minute for Guang-Hong to respond, “Slow and easy, they glance at each other across the room once, twice, smile, she hands him a tissue, he briefly touches her hand...They have a silent moment.”
Leo beams, “Very dramatic."
Guang-Hong seems to puff his narrow chest out, “I’m going to Hollywood one day. I’ll have to know these things.”
“Okay, but when does she push him up against the fireplace?” Leo teases briefly.
Guang-Hong hesitated as they looked at one another, “Um,” Leo flushed at Guang-Hong’s freckles lit up, “When the time is right.” He says firmly and Leo has to look away,
He eventually places his head down and they chat about the rest the twists of the murder mystery podcast they found, and then how Guang-Hong’s dog was and when Leo was going to turn in his third college assignment.
“Anyway, it’s due the 10th, but I’m hoping it'll snows and they cancel...everything. Forever.” He sighs and Guang-Hong watches him closely.
“I believe in you!” Guang-Hong says purposefully, “Fight!”
Leo can’t stop smiling, “Thanks, yeah, I think I can.” He tries to cover a yawn and he can feel Guang-Hong examining him.
“Are you tired?” He asks curiously.
Leo just gives a droopy smile, “Don’t worry...You matched timezones with me last time anyway. It's only fair.”
Guang-Hong leaned forward and his face was close to his laptop screen, “You should take care of your health.”
“College isn’t really helping with that.” He jokes and tries to smile to show Guang-Hong that he’s fine, “Besides! I like...seeing you.”
Guang-Hong’s face was definitely a shade darker at that, he blushed so easily as his ears turned fire engine red. “Well,” he huffs, “I suppose it is like a time-matching game, and um,” Guang-Hong seems to search the floor earnestly, “It’s fine.”
Leo nods and his eyes droop down, “Also, what do you want for your birthday by the way?”
Guang-Hong props his head upright, “I dunno, I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Come on,” Leo could have shaken the screen, “I’ve marked the 7th down on my calendar.”
Guang-Hong shrugs with a smile, “Isn’t there a competition that day anyway?”
Leo pouts, “I probably can’t go to it...But I can still mail you something!”
“I’ll take anything.” Guang-Hong says thoughtfully.
“Awww,” Leo whines, “I want you to like it.”
“I’ll like it,” Guang-Hong assures him, “I’ll definitely like it.”
“Okay...Teddy Bear stuffed with sweet meats it is.” Leo says with a huff.
“I love it already!” Guang-Hong holds up one of his stuffed animals. “See?”
Leo sighs, “Promise you’ll like it?”
Guang-Hong eyes soften, “Yeah.” They stay very still for a moment and Leo feels oddly very awake. “And do your homework,” Guang-Hong says with a frown, “You have to do well in American college to tell me how it is.”
“You still want to go to LA for school?” Leo shakes his head, “I haven’t even been there!”
“We can visit together then!...And I’ll be discovered immediately.” He says cheekily with a cheer and Leo touches the screen.
“Okay, we can go together.” Leo says as he hunches his shoulders over and Guang-Hong squishes the stuffed toy dog to his chest.
"Go to sleep, Leo." He says softly with a smile and Leo reaches for his computers power.
He yawns, "Okay," He drowsily grins, "To next time."
Guang-Hong puts a hand through his hair, "I'll your time next time!"
Leo shakes his head, "We'll see...One of us needs their beauty rest."
Guang-Hong sighs and they try to say goodbye again but end up making silly faces at each other and Leo falls asleep in front of his laptop.