Work Text:
The fire crackled, embers popping and smoke drifting up into the air in tendrils, bathing the clearing in a soft, honey-orange glow akin to the setting sun. On one side, two trees stood tall and strong, a hammock tightly tied around each trunk, the rest of the patterned rope dipping near the floor under the weight of Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe. On the other side, Liu Qingge sat in a cheap camping chair, sweatpant legs hanging into the dirt with a blanket bundled loosely over his waist, an ever present scowl curling his lips as he stared at the warm fire.
Luo Binghe leaned into Shen Yuan’s ear, his eyes drifting to stare at Shen Yuan’s closed ones, his gaze impossibly soft and swimming with affection. His lips moved slowly, whispering something not audible to Liu Qingge, and Shen Yuan’s lips curled into a soft smile. He opened his eyes to meet the other’s, and Liu Qingge could see the fondness in those green depths; he could almost feel the way that their hearts beat in unison, forever entwined. Liu Qingge swallowed vinegar, the cold breeze winding its way up his pant legs and tickling his skin.
“Binghe!” Shen Yuan shouted, his tone scandalized. His face was blushing ruby-red, enhanced by the warm tones of the fire, and although he sounded upset, his lips were pulled into a smile and his eyes sparkled with contentedness. Luo Binghe’s eyes were half-lidded, a lazy smirk on his lips, and his hand rested around Shen Yuan’s shoulder. Liu Qingge felt akin to the fire; burning with jealousy.
Luo Binghe mumbled another thing in the man’s ear, starting as a whisper but intentionally getting louder towards the end. Although he didn’t hear the beginning part of the sentence, the end was enough to set Liu Qingge’s face ablaze, for he was sure that he heard, “with Qingge and A-Yuan together.” The way Shen Yuan’s face contorted, twisting into something hard to decipher yet also keenly interested, made Liu Qingge’s hands twitch in his lap. Shen Yuan just scoffed, turning his head towards the dark woods surrounding their campsite.
After a few minutes of silence, with Liu Qingge closing his eyes and feeling the breeze on his face, Luo Binghe started to hurriedly whisper to Shen Yuan again. Liu Qingge looked over, and Luo Binghe’s eyebrows were furrowed, his mouth pulled into a frown. Shen Yuan was closing his eyes, shaking his head and waving his hand in a ‘drop it’ manner, yet Luo Binghe didn’t let it go. Liu Qingge finally noticed what was wrong; Shen Yuan’s shoulders were shaking and his teeth were chattering. The fire had started to die down, losing most of its heat, and the breeze had picked up, meaning that even their shared body heat was not enough to keep Shen Yuan warm.
“Here, take the blanket,” Liu Qingge called to them, and Luo Binghe looked up with surprise on his face. After a moment of consideration from Luo Binghe, the man cracked a smile, and Liu Qingge balled up the blanket and tossed it at that face. When the blanket fell into his lap, he dropped the smile and gave him a scowl, which nearly prompted Liu Qingge to let out a snicker.
“Thank you, Qingge,” Shen Yuan muttered as Luo Binghe pulled the blanket around the man’s shoulders, making sure every part of him was covered. Shen Yuan let out a pleasurable sigh, his body ceasing its shivering after a few moments. Liu Qingge’s eyes drifted back to the fire, and Luo Binghe’s eyes drifted back to Liu Qingge.
“Qingge… are you cold?” Luo Binghe asked carefully after a few minutes, his gaze narrowing on Liu Qingge’s hands clasped in his lap. Liu Qingge snapped his eyes up to the other’s, eyebrows furrowing in denial. He shook his head. “Are you sure? You’re shivering.”
What? Liu Qingge looked down, and, as the man had said, his body was quivering ever so slightly, completely unbeknownst to him. As if on cue, a harsh gust of wind blew through the campsite, making the dying fire spark up briefly. Goosebumps erupted over Liu Qingge’s exposed arms, and he pulled them in closer to his chest. He supposed that he was, in fact… kind of cold.
“Why doesn’t Qingge come over here?” Luo Binghe invited, saying the words slowly so that he wouldn’t spook the man. Liu Qingge looked up, eyes wide as he stared between Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan, and the empty space on the hammock next to them. Surely, he wasn’t inviting him to…. “There is plenty of blanket to share.”
Liu Qingge felt his face flush a deep red, his hands twitching in his lap. No way. He couldn’t possibly intrude like that.
“Are we going to sleep soon?” Liu Qingge asked, refusing to answer the offer. Luo Binghe turned his head to Shen Yuan, the two communicating between each other silently, and then he shook his head no. Seeing this, Liu Qingge stood up from his chair, his arms still flush with goosebumps, and he stared into the fire. “I’m gonna cut some more wood.”
The two in the hammock didn’t say anything as Liu Qingge started to walk away, picking up the axe leaning against a stump near their seats. Shen Yuan’s eyes drifted to the man’s exposed arms, the muscles flexing as he pulled the axe up to rest on his shoulder. From the shadows, he pulled a log, resting it on the stump the axe was leaning against and making sure it wouldn’t roll off.
As he started swinging, the two men in the hammock were enraptured. Liu Qingge’s huffs of breath as he swung the axe—the thing coming down onto the wood with a loud crash, showing his blatant strength—and easily cut the wood into many smaller pieces were hypnotizing, sending a shiver down Shen Yuan’s spine. Luo Binghe seemed equally as affected, his eyes sparkling with an almost hungry glint.
Of course, Liu Qingge did not pick up on either of their gazes, and continued cutting the wood and tossing it back over to where they were sitting.
Soon enough, he had a good amount, and he dropped the axe onto the grass with a thud. He grabbed the last piece of wood and hauled it into his arms, walking it over. His arms were covered with a thin sheen of sweat, shining under the light of the campfire.
Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe gulped in unison, their cheeks flushing.
“Qingge…” Luo Binghe started, speaking before he could even think about what to say. He shook his head and blinked his eyes, as if coming to his senses, as Liu Qingge stacked wood onto the dying fire. Liu Qingge looked up, eyebrows slightly raised with a wary expression, and looked at Luo Binghe with a scowl as if he was expecting an insult.
“What?” he asked, voice laced with a hint of irritation. Luo Binghe’s lips turned down at the corners just slightly, as if he was hurt at Liu Qingge’s tone.
“You- you really-” Luo Binghe stuttered, not knowing what to say. He coughed under the gazes of both Shen Yuan and Liu Qingge, and he put his head in his hand.
“Binghe and I thank you for cutting us wood,” Shen Yuan assisted, running a hand across the back of Luo Binghe’s head and looking at the other. Liu Qingge grunted in response, falling back into his chair. The two in the hammock started to chat again, and Liu Qingge let himself zone out to the sounds of the crackling fire and the wind howling and shaking the treetops.
He must have looked pretty miserable, because Shen Yuan piped up.
“Is Qingge not having a good time?” he muttered, the both of them staring at him with furrowed brows and wide eyes. Did he really look that pitiful?
He wasn’t having a bad time, per se. He just felt a little shitty about being a third wheel. Of course, he didn’t say this.
“I’m fine, you guys can keep talking,” he hissed, his tone coming out a lot more hostile than he meant it to. He schooled his expression to hide his jealousy and regret at snapping at them. Luo Binghe’s eyes narrowed at the way Liu Qingge’s brow was slightly stitched, and the way his lips were pursed. Although his gaze was turned away, he could see the way his eyes reddened at the corners.
“Qingge. What is wrong?” Luo Binghe asked, voice full of tenderness and consideration. Liu Qingge’s body seemed to tense when he got called out, and he huffed and crossed his arms.
“I don’t-” he paused, shaking his head and turning it towards the others, “I don’t know why you keep inviting me to this stuff. This is obviously a date—It’s not great to be a third wheel.”
Liu Qingge cringed and turned his head away again, suddenly keenly interested in a fern that was swaying in the breeze. Luo Binghe and Shen Yuan looked between each other and their faces broke out into smiles. Although they tried their best, they couldn’t stop themselves from quietly laughing. Liu Qingge turned his head around, cheeks burning from embarrassment, a scandalized expression playing on his face.
“You!” Liu Qingge bit out, staring daggers into Luo Binghe’s amused eyes. Luo Binghe sighed and collected himself, sitting up straighter as if he were a judge delivering a verdict.
“Qingge, we don’t mean to laugh,” Luo Binghe started, trying to tamper down the smile tugging at his lips, “it’s just that- we invite you here because it’s a date.”
Liu Qingge’s brows furrowed in confusion, not catching onto the meaning behind the other’s words. Shen Yuan snickered, and Liu Qingge stared down Luo Binghe.
“You want me to feel like shit? Sitting here watching you be all lovey-dovey?” Liu Qingge scowled, his heart twisting with a mixture of jealousy and hurt. He wondered if they knew of his feelings for them, and were flaunting it just to mock him—as if to make him see what he missed out on. He scoffed, running a hand through his bangs, before standing up and going to sit in his tent.
“Wait- Qingge, that’s not what we meant,” Luo Binghe said quickly, his smile dropping from his lips. Shen Yuan’s eyes widened and a frown twisted his face, but he let Luo Binghe explain. However, the man did not have a proper way to say what he wanted to say.
“Qingge-” Shen Yuan started, but was cut off by Liu Qingge loudly unzipping the tent.
“And, just so you know, these tents aren’t soundproof. If you’re going to do it, at least be courteous and get in the car.” Liu Qingge stepped inside the tent, his stomach roiling and his mind reeling. He already knew Luo Binghe was an asshole, but he didn’t think Shen Yuan would do that to him. He sighed as he laid down on his sleeping bag, knees brought to his chest.
What seemed like a lot of time passed as Liu Qingge stared at the plastic walls of the tent, the distant sounds of the campfire and the wind coming through to his ears. However, he heard no further speaking or laughing. He pulled his knees closer to his chest, waiting to fall asleep before they tried to come and talk to him.
He started to shiver, teeth chattering as the breeze filtered its way through the fibers of the tent. He pulled his threaded blanket over himself, but it was not enough to stop the chill from seeping down to his bones. He cursed himself—if he hadn’t had such an outburst, he’d still have enough face to sit at the campfire and get warm. He grasped for his water and took a swig.
After a few more minutes of thinking, he started to hear footsteps and the cracking of sticks approaching his tent. He quickly sat up, unwilling to let them see him curled up like that, and he rubbed a hand over his eyes. He huffed as his body started to shiver despite his best attempts at keeping it still. So much for trying to fall asleep.
“Qingge,” Luo Binghe muttered quietly, not knowing if he was awake or not. Liu Qingge did not answer, but Luo Binghe continued anyway, sounding as if he was truly speaking from the heart. “We really didn’t mean to offend you. My words came out wrong, okay? That’s not what we meant.
“Come to the campfire. I know you’re cold in there. I can hear your teeth chattering from here.”
Liu Qingge hadn’t even noticed his own teeth chattering. He waited for Luo Binghe’s footsteps to move back towards the campfire, and once he was out of earshot, Liu Qingge stood up.
He paused at the door of the tent. If that wasn’t what they meant, then what could they have possibly meant? Liu Qingge didn’t think he was stupid—he was able to read the room. But this time, it was as if the room was written in a different language with a different alphabet—completely undecipherable.
He braced himself and wiped the vulnerable expression off of his face, replacing it with a look of irritation instead. He unzipped the tent and stepped out, making his way back to the campfire silently. The others were quiet, their expressions hard to read. He took a seat.
“What did you mean?” Liu Qingge asked bluntly. The others didn’t seem to falter, already used to the way he got straight to the point. They glanced between each other, to which Liu Qingge added, “Be straight. Whatever you say, I’ll… take it on the chin.”
They looked between each other again, and Liu Qingge stared at the both of them. His gaze caught on the way Luo Binghe gripped Shen Yuan’s hand, his knuckles white.
“Qingge, we…” Shen Yuan started, feeling as if the explanation would be better if it came from him. He knew now that Liu Qingge has had feelings for him for years—Luo Binghe helped him to realize that all the times he thought Liu Qingge was just being extra friendly, he was actually flirting. However, he realized too late, and recently Liu Qingge had been distancing himself since he noticed that the two of them were in a relationship. It didn’t help that Luo Binghe was one of Liu Qingge’s martial arts rivals, and someone who had taunted him relentlessly when they were children. Safe to say, the entire coupling made Liu Qingge sick with jealousy.
It took a while before the two of them had realized they both had feelings for Liu Qingge, as well. They had been afraid to bring it up to the other, but they both realized that they had been a bit too into it when Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe would spar with each other. Luo Binghe also felt ruthlessly jealous whenever Shen Yuan would hang out with Liu Qingge alone, and when he brought it up, the conversation spiralled from there.
So, they had come to the conclusion that they would pick him up. They thought he might get the hint—they had already gone to the most popular date spots. The movies, a restaurant, an amusement park, a national park, into the city, out for breakfast and coffee, shopping, to the library, and now, camping. Let alone these dates, they both had been flirting with him, yet they may as well have been flirting with a brick wall. Their flirting stuck to Liu Qingge like darts stuck to water—that is to say, it did not land.
The pregnant pause that Shen Yuan took just made Liu Qingge impatient and restless. “I said give it to me straight.”
Shen Yuan seemed to snap out of his trance and nodded, adjusting his glasses. “Right, sorry.
“We are sorry for hurting you. We want you to know that you mean a lot to us,” Shen Yuan started for real this time, fidgeting with his fingers beneath the blanket. He adjusted his position and sat up straighter. “…We also know that you have feelings for us. Or, well, at least me.”
Liu Qingge felt his heart drop to his ass. His stomach churned uncomfortably, and he shifted in his seat as he looked away. He couldn’t be more embarrassed. He may as well go start packing his things.
“We want you to know that you shouldn’t be embarrassed. I never noticed before—that fault is only mine.”
How couldn’t he be embarrassed? He said to give it to him straight, but now he was wishing they said nothing at all. He’d rather be mocked than deal with this torture.
“However, me and Binghe came to a realization a couple months ago. We promised to do something together, but our goal hasn’t been quite successful yet. Our goal hasn’t realized we’ve been trying to score.”
What could that possibly mean?
“What does that have to do with me?” Liu Qingge mumbled, frustrated at the metaphors and the tip-toeing around what they really meant.
“Qingge,” Luo Binghe spoke up, his voice kind as it called Liu Qingge’s name. He was always saying it, as if it was sweet on his tongue. “Qingge, we like you. That’s why we invited you on these dates. Not to mock you, or flaunt our relationship—we did all these things with the hopes that you would catch on and join us.
“Perhaps it was the wrong approach, but we meant well. We like you, Qingge. We want you to be with us.”
He took a brief pause before adding, “Though, it was my fault we did it in the tent. This one apologizes for being discourteous and uncouth.”
Having said their piece, the two of them fell silent. Liu Qingge was speechless as well, his body quaking where he sat. He wondered if he had fallen asleep and was dreaming the whole thing up. He pinched his forearm, yet he was still here, the dim light of the campfire bathing the other two in a beautiful, orange hue. Had he eaten any strange berries in the forest? This surely could not be real.
“How- how long have you known?” he muttered quietly, voice extremely small. Luo Binghe let a small smile turn up the corners of his lips, yet this time Liu Qingge did not feel embarrassed. Just so very exposed.
“Like A-Yuan said, we’ve been trying to pick you up for a couple months. But I suppose we’ve both liked you for a long while before.”
Liu Qingge fell silent again, the campfire popping to make noise in his stead. Bats flew around overhead, barely visible in the darkness.
“This isn’t…?” Liu Qingge mumbled, trailing off in utter disbelief.
“It’s not a joke. We really like you, Qingge,” Shen Yuan finished his thought, his words of reassurance running like honey over Liu Qingge’s quivering heart. Shen Yuan wanted to reach out and grip the other’s hand, to rub a thumb against it to assure him this wasn’t a hallucination or a falsehood, but he was stuck to his seat across the campfire.
“We understand this is probably a lot to take in,” Shen Yuan continued, gripping his own leg with his hand, “If it takes you a while to get to an answer, that’s okay. We’ll be waiting here with open arms.”
Liu Qingge bit his lip, his eyes dry from staring, unblinking, at them. He glanced over to the empty spot on the hammock, and the extra blanket that had been moved aside. He felt goosebumps rise on his arms, though he wasn’t sure if it was due to the cold or the situation he was in.
Glancing between the two of them one last time and finding no signs of amusement or unseriousness, he decided to stand up. His knees were weak, he realized, so he stumbled a bit as he made his way around the campfire. The other two did not mutter a word.
Making sure the hammock was steady, he took a seat in it, the tree creaking under their combined weights. Shen Yuan couldn’t help the large grin that broke his face, and Luo Binghe felt himself smile as well.
Liu Qingge pulled the blanket over his lap, the goosebumps receding as the body heat of Shen Yuan next to him and the blanket covering him heated him to his core.
They started chatting again, and the atmosphere was anything but awkward. Liu Qingge butted in to the conversation every so often, to which his words were readily answered without judgment and with care.
He slowly inched closer, eventually pressed right to Shen Yuan’s body. Shen Yuan reached out a hand and looped it around Liu Qingge’s shoulder tentatively, starting to play with a lock of his hair. In his other hand, he held Luo Binghe’s.
As the fire died out, neither of them felt any colder than they had before—the warmth from each other’s feelings was enough.