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Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t consider himself a difficult patient.
Lu Guang would say otherwise, but he had done exactly what the doctors told him for the past 12 hours since his wound was stitched and his sprained ankle iced. He remained in his hospital bed while under observation, and was eventually cleared to walk.
True, he wasn’t supposed to walk all the way across the hall to another room, but Lu Guang was in there. The last time he saw him, he had fainted from blood loss and exhaustion, and no matter how Captain Xiao and the nurses assured that he was stable, he had to see him.
The problem was, they wouldn’t let him in.
“Immediate family for now,” one of the nurses said, with a stern look at the band on Cheng Xiaoshi’s wrist that identified him as a patient. “He’s under strict observation, so you may come back during visiting hours.”
“But he was just kidnapped,” Cheng Xiaoshi tried to reason with her. “He shouldn’t wake up alone.”
It gained a glimpse of sympathy from her, but she remained firm. “I’m sorry, but those are the rules. Do you have contact with anyone from his family?”
Cheng Xiaoshi shook his head, his shoulders already slumping in resignation before an insane idea took over his thoughts. “I”m his boyfriend! Doesn’t that count?”
The nurse was doubtful. “Ideally, it should be his parents.”
“They’re in the province,” Cheng Xiaoshi lied. “I’ve been living with Lu Guang for two years. We own a photo studio together. I know all his allergies. You can check the records to confirm.”
At this point, he was blocking the nurse’s way as she was trying to wheel a cart of medical supplies to the next room. He saw the exact moment she decided she had more pressing matters to attend to than arguing with him. “Fine”
She opened the door a little forcefully and led him inside.
When Lu Guang had told him to go away shortly after Cheng Xiaoshi had found out he was alive, it had honestly hurt him a little, even though he knew his friend wasn’t serious, but he would prefer that over a Lu Guang who was unconscious and looking worse for wear.
He was even paler than he usually was, almost blending into the sheets. The days spent in the hospital and later in captivity had left his cheeks hollow, and the harsh lights only made the bags under his eyes more prominent. His face was slack in sleep, his mouth slightly parted, and he finally looked his age without the ever-present furrow between his brows.
“It might take a few hours before he starts to wake up, and maybe another few before he’s completely lucid,” the nurse explained as she strode across the room and dragged a plastic chair closer to Lu Guang’s bed. “Now sit before you make your sprain worse. I’ll find something more comfortable for you in a bit.”
“Thanks.” Chang Xiaoshi sank into the seat, letting out a quiet sigh when it eased the pressure on his ankle. He waited for the click of the door closing before leaning closer to Lu Guang. He knew he couldn’t hear him, but he still felt compelled to talk to him.
“Aiyo, Lu Guang. You always scold me for being impulsive, but you didn’t have to give me a heart attack to teach me a lesson. I’ll be more careful next time, alright? But you have to promise to take care of yourself too.”
There was predictably no response. Chegn Xiaoshi crossed his arms over the railing and rested his chin on them. He only wanted a closer look at Lu Guang, but he ended up dozing off to the steady rhythm of his breathing.
When he woke up again, it was to the sound of the door opening and Qiao Ling’s voice calling his name. He didn’t know how long he was out, but sunlight had already begun to tame the harsh fluorescent lights. There was also a crick in his neck from sleeping an an awkward position, but he tried his best to hide it as he sat up.
“Cheng Xiaoshi, you almost scared me to death.” Qiao Ling stomped her way into the room. Cheng Xiaoshi held a finger to his lips and pointed at Lu Guang, but she only rolled her eyes.”
“The nurse said he’s under heavy sedatives. She also said you were ‘in your boyfriend’s room.’”
Cheng Xiaoshi winced. He had forgotten about his bold-faced lie, and he didn’t have to look at Qiao Ling to know she was smirking.
“I panicked, okay?” Cheng Xiaoshi buried his face in his hands. “They wouldn’t let me see him, so I said the first thing that came to my mind. Don’t tell Lu Guang. He’s gonna kill me.”
“He probably won’t.” Qiao Ling nudged him on the shoulder until he sat up straighter. “Anyway, I brought some clothes and snacks for you guys.” She held out a duffel bag that he hadn’t noticed before. It was stuffed to the point where the zipper was barely holding it together. “I don’t know how long you’ll be here, so I got a little bit of everything.”
“Thank you, jie.” Cheng Xiaoshi took the bag from her and set it down next to Lu Guang’s bed. “I’ll try to stop by the studio once I get discharged.”
“Don’t worry about the studio. We’ll be closed until you both are fully recovered, so try not to do anything idiotic.” She stole a glance at Lu Guang. “Well–even more idiotic than what you already did.”
Cheng Xiaoshi groaned.
Five snacks and two doctor’s visits later, there was finally movement from Lu Guang’s bed. Qiao Ling had already left for the night, and Cheng Xiaoshi was playing video games on a padded armchair that the nurse had brought in after failing to convince him to go back to his own bed.
It started with a hitch in Lu Guang’s breathing. Cheng Xiaoshi immediately shut off his phone and dragged his chair closer to the bed. He wanted to take his hand, but he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries, so he settled for gripping the railing instead. “Lu Guang, can you hear me?”
Lu Guang only groaned in response and turned away from the source of his voice. Then he seemed to come awake all at once, his eyes snapping open to a look of devastation, and Cheng Xiaoshi could still remember his heartbreaking scream at the tunnel. He must have been having a nightmare.
He leaned closer until he was in his line of sight. “Hey, Lu Guang. I’m here. We’re at the hospital.”
Lu Guang stared at the veiling as he controlled his breathing, and it took him a while to collect himself and look at Cheng Xiaoshi. His gaze, when it landed, was laden with sedatives, but he seemed aware of him and where he was.
“Idiot,” his voice was raspy, his words slightly slurred. “What are you doing up?”
Cheng Xiaoshi breathed a sigh that bordered a helpless laugh. Of course, the first thing Lu Guang did was scold him.
“Looking after you. What else would I be doing?”
“You were shot.”
“And you were stabbed, and you got your wound reopened. Not that it’s a competition, but you lose either way.”
The perpetual furrow returned between his brows. Hel likely wouldn’t let the matter go, so Cheng Xiaoshi lifted his shirt to show him his bandaged wound. “See? It’s just a graze. I’m fine now.”
Lu Guang turned away, the only splotch of color returning to the tips of his ears. “You should still be resting.”
“I can rest here.” Cheng Xiaoshi reclined against his chair in demonstration. “Besides, after that stunt you pulled last time, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Cheng Xiaoshi was cleared for discharge the following week, while Lu Guang was expected to be confined for at least 3 more weeks. Cheng Xiaoshi took it as an opportunity to move permanently into his room.
Lu Guang’s injuries took a bigger toll on him this time. He was asleep more than he was awake, and he was also running a fever. The doctor told Cheng Xiaoshi it was normal, that it was his body’s way of fighting off infection, but he couldn’t help but fret.
Lu Guang was no better either. Every time he woke to Cheng Xiaoshi at his bedside, he would either try to convince him to go home to recover or scold him for aggravating his injuries by sitting on a chair all day. He never seemed convinced when Cheng Xiaoshi told him he was fine already, even as he walked a few laps around the room to show he wasn’t limping anymore.
It was getting exhausting, and he figured the best way to get Lu Guang to drop the argument was to suggest something outrageous.
“You want me to rest so badly? Move over.”
Lu Guang had been drifting again, but gaze snapped to him when heard this. ” What?”
“Move over, so I have room,” Cheng Xiaoshi clarified, his tone cheery yet serious.
Lu Guang opened his mouth, then closed it, completely at a loss. Warmth pained his cheeks, and the sight made Cheng Xiaoshi’s fingers itch for a camera. But then Lu Guang responded with something equally unexpected.
“Fine.”
“Eh, what?”
“Do you want to lay down or not?”
Cheng Xiaoshi wanted to say he was joking, but he didn’t want to annoy Lu Guang further. “Okay.”
Lu Guang huffed a breath and pushed against the bed to lift himself up and move sideways. Cheng Xiaoshi made an aborted motion to assist him, but Lu Guang was able to shift himself until he was pressed against the left railing.
Cheng Xiaoshi swallowed as he eyed the space. There was enough room, but they would be laying flush against each other. He slid the other of the railing down and climbed onto the bed gingerly.
“Oh, the nurse is gonna love this,” Cheng Xiaoshi muttered as he settled fully onto the bed and couldn’t help the sigh he let out when his back was able to stretch out on something soft and horizontal. “There, happy now?”
Lu Guang closed his eyes to avoid his gaze. “Mn. Go to sleep.” His cheeks were dusted with pink when Cheng Xiaoshi glanced at him. He didn’t know if it was because of the fever radiating from him, but he felt his own cheeks start to heat as well.
He wasn’t really tired, but he pretended to close his eyes anyway in case Lu Guang was watching. After a while, he felt Lu Guang rest his head against his shoulder, and his lips twitched up in a giddy smile.
Cheng Xiaoshi was in and out of Lu Guang’s room so often that everyone stopped questioning his presence. Some nurses would frown disapprovingly when they found them sleeping on the same bed, muttering about how they might aggravate each other’s injuries, but for the most part, they looked at them fondly.
Cheng Xiaoshi also became known as Lu Guang’s unofficial boyfriend around the ward (the information hadn't reached Lu Guang yet, thankfully). The title sent an unexpected thrill down the pit of his stomach, but it was also inconvenient during the worst of times.
“Your boyfriend hasn’t been eating much,” one of them said as she was exiting Lu Guang’s room while Cheng Xiaoshi was about to enter. The door was still cracked open, which made him panic a little. He glanced over the nurse’s shoulder to see Lu Guang asleep.
“Is that so?” Cheng Xiaoshi asked, reaching behind her to click the door shut.
“It’s normal for patients to not have an appetite after surgery, but it’s been two weeks,” the nurse continued.
Cheng XIaoshi frowned once her words fully sank in. “I’ve seen him eating, though.” Now that he thought of it, Lu Guang always took a few bites before claiming he was full already, and he would turn down most of the snacks that he offered.
“Yes, but it’s not enough for his recovery. He’s going to get even skinnier than he already is.”
“Maybe I can cook something for him,” Cheng Xiaoshi contemplated. “Is there anything I should avoid?”
“Anything spicy or rich in flavor. Congee or noodles with a light broth would be recommended.”
“I see.” He wasn’t a good cook by any means, but he was usually the one who prepared their meals, and he had a rough idea of what Lu Guang liked and didn’t like. “I have a recipe for him.”
The nurse smiled. “He’s lucky to have a boyfriend like you.”
“Feel free to tell me when he’s misbehaving, and I’ll deal with it.”
WHen he opened the door, though, he was surprised to find Lu Guang awake, and even more so when he spoke up. “If anyone is misbehaving here, it’s you.”
“Lu Guang!” He hoped the panic wasn’t evident in his voice. “I thought you were asleep.”
“You were being loud.” He was half asleep and didn’t elaborate further, so it was safe to assume he didn’t hear anything prior to that.
“The nurse was telling me you aren’t eating enough.” Cheng Xiaoshi strode into the room and settled onto his usual seat, crossing his arms. “What’s the matter, hm? Are you sick of congee?”
Suddenly, the window was more interesting to Lu Guang. “I’m not that hungry.”
“That can’t be the only reason.” Cheng Xiaoshi shifted sideways to block Lu Guang’s view, until he was forced to look at him.
“My stomach…hurts a little,” Lu Guang gripped the sheets as he spoke, as if it pained him to admit it. “Whenever I eat too much, I feel nauseous.”
“And here you are saying you’re not misbehaving,” Cheng Xiaoshi sighed, his voice growing firmer at his next words. “Why didn’t you tell me? Or at least tell the doctor so they can check what’s wrong.”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Well, not eating would worry me more,” Cheng Xiaoshi pointed out and reached for the button to call a nurse before Lu Guang could argue any further.
Cheng Xiaoshi went back to the photo studio later that afternoon, trading places with Qiao Ling despite Lu Guang grumbling that he’ll survive being left alone.
He knew their fridge was absolutely empty, so he stopped by a nearby wet market. There wasn’t much fresh produce left at this hour, but he was able to buy tomatoes and a dozen eggs. He was on the way out when a stall selling flowers caught his eye.
There were only a few stalks of flowers left: some roses and a few blue tulips here and there. He bought a bouquet of them. It was normal to give his ‘boyfriend’ flowers, after all
“I’m back,” Cheng Xiaoshi announced, juggling the bouquet, a plastic bag containing Lu Guang’s dinner, and a large size Wintermenlon Milk Tea (because QIao Ling had no problems bossing him around as soon as he was upright).
Lu Guang barely glanced away from the book Qiao Ling had bought for him, while Qiao Ling immediately made grabby hands for her drink.
“What’s that?” She asked with a knowing smirk at the flowers.
“For our sunshine over there.” he thrust the bouquet towards Lu Guang before he lost his nerve.
It forced Lu Guang to set his book aside, and his annoyance was immediately replaced with confusion. He accepted the bouquet, running his fingers across the petals. “What’s this for?”
“To cheer you up,” Cheng Xiaoshi simply said. Lu Guang continued to touch the petals, which was as good as a thank you. “Does your stomach still hurt?”
“Not so much. They gave me meds.”
“Up for an early dinner?” Cheng Xiaoshi began unpacking the contents of the plastic bag on the side table, revealing a container filled with tomato egg noodles. “I made it myself,” he added because he knew Lu Guang wouldn’t be able to turn him down.
Disapproval crossed Lu Guang’s expression. “You didn’t have to go through the trouble. The hospital already provides food.”
“You don’t like it,” Cheng Xiaoshi countered. “And like I said, I want to cheer you up.”
Lu Guang didn’t argue any further. He was frowning when he traded the flowers for the bowl, but he picked up the spoon anyway and took a sip of the broth.
“I wanted to make Male Dormitory noodles, but the nurse said you can’t have anything too rich, so this is just chicken broth.”
“It’s good,” Lu Guang said in between bites. He ended up finishing more than half of the bowl.
The nurse who spoke to Cheng Xiaoshi that morning came to take Lu Guang’s temperature and deliver his medicine for the night. When she saw the half empty bowl and the bouquet of flowers next to Lu Guang, she smiled. “You only eat your boyfriend’s cooking, huh?”
They both froze. Even Qiao Ling, who was on her phone the whole time, paused from sipping her drink, though it was more from silent amusement.
“He’s not my–” Lu Guang began, but Cheng Xiaoshi cut him off with a nervous laugh. “He’s always been a bit of a picky eater.”
The nurse turned back to Lu Guang, who had suddenly taken a keen interest in the linens of his blanket. “You should keep this one. I couldn’t even get my boyfriend to buy me sweets while I was on my period.” She paused and squinted at his reddening ears. “Eh? You look like you’re burning up. Let’s take your temperature again.”
“I’m fine,” Lu Guang said. “The soup was just hot.”
“Alright, then. Call if you need anything.” She packed her equipment and walked out the door, leaving an awkward silence in her wake.
“Well,” Qiao Ling got up from her seat and patted Cheng Xiaoshi’s arm. “I should probably go. You can take care of yourselves, right?”
Traitor.
Once she was gone, Lu Guang continued to poke around the contents of his bowl. If Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t acknowledge it, he probably wouldn’t bring it up either, but he couldn’t lie–not to Lu Guang.
“I’m sorry!” He blurted, and it startled Lu Guang into looking up.
“Why”
“I was the one who told the nurse I’m your boyfriend so I can stay here with you.” Cheng Xiaoshi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
Lu Guang blinked. “I thought the nurse assumed.”
“It was all me unfortunately. I didn’t expect it would go this far.”
A beat of silence, and then. “Idiot”
“You’re not mad?”
“I don’t really care.”
He should have felt relieved at Lu Guang’s indifference, but he didn’t know why he deflated in disappointment. “Okay, sorry either way.”
Some of the disappointment eased when he noticed Lu Guang kept glancing at the bouquet of flowers on his bed.
Cheng Xiaoshi should have dropped the act once Lu Guang was discharged, but doting on him felt innate at this point that he just…kept going.
He carried all of Lu Guang’s bags when they were leaving the hospital. When the taxi arrived, he opened the door for him and made sure he was settled before climbing into the other side.
He also took care of everything once they got home.
Lu Guang was prescribed antibiotics, painkillers, along with supplements for a variety of deficiencies that had only made themselves known during his recent bloodwork.
Cheng Xiaoshi made sure to sort all the pills he needed to take every meal in a small bowl and served it along with a glass of water. He didn’t leave the room unless he saw Lu Guang swallow them all.
Lu Guang continued to grumble that he could take care of himself, but he was always doing the opposite of that.
During their first full day back at the studio, Cheng Xiaoshi caught him reaching for something on a high shelf (the doctor specifically warned against stretching too much).
“Lu Guang!” he snapped. “What are you doing?”
He was reaching for a lens at the topmost shelf, which they had finished repairing right before all hell broke loose. He drew his arm back and turned around to glare at Cheng Xiaoshi. “You put it there when I told you we’ll have it delivered soon. The customer had already been waiting for a month now.”
“You’re not supposed to be working!”
“Neither are you.”
“I’m not the one with a wound that’s in danger of reopening!”
Lu Guang was getting annoyed. He could tell with the way his nose was scrunching up. It reminded Cheng Xiaoshi of a disgruntled cat, and some of his anger dissipated.
He sighed and took Lu Guang by the wrist, pulling him away from the shelves. “It’s annoying, being nagged at, huh? You’re only getting a taste of your own medicine.” He slung his arm around Lu Guabng’s shoulder.
Lu Guang tried to push him away, which only made him hold on tighter. With his face in close proximity, Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly had the urge to plant a kiss on his cheek, and that’s what made him let go.
It was so abrupt that it earned him a raised a brow.
“Go to sleep,” Cheng Xiaoshi told him, even though the sunlight was climbing high in the sky. He walked away before he could be questioned.
Xu Shanshan invited them out to dinner on a random Tuesday. They hadn’t seen her since the incident with Liu Min, and while she didn’t know exactly what happened to them, Qiao Ling told her they had both gotten into an accident and were recently discharged from the hospital.
‘All the more reason to celebrate.’ Xu Shanshan texted to their group chat.
For the first time, though, it was Lu Guang who wanted to go while Cheng Xiaoshi protested against it.
“You’re still recovering,” was Cheng Xiaoshi’s reason.
“I’m not going to tear my wound open by going to dinner.” Lu Guang was currently wiping down the front counter, which had accumulated a layer of dust while they were away. “Besides, we haven’t seen any outside company in a month.”
“Lu Guang, if you’re sick of me, just say so,” Cheng Xiaoshi lamented, draping himself on the armrest of the couch.
Lu Guang threw the rag at him. “It’s not like that. I’m worried about you, idiot.”
It’s true, Cheng Xiaoshi would have gone a little stir-crazy being shut in doors with no socialization with other people, but he had been preoccupied with taking care of Lu Guang. He quite enjoyed it, in fact. He didn’t think he’d mind if he and Lu Guang were the only people left in the world (and maybe Qiao Ling, but she would definitely get sick of them both).
“Fine,” he conceded. “But are you up for it? Don’t just think for my sake.”
Lu Guang nodded. “It would be nice to go somewhere that isn’t the police station.”
Xu Shanshan’s chosen venue was a hotpot place a few blocks away from the Photo Studio. It was easily walkable on a good day, but Cheng Xiaoshi insisted on taking a taxi and paid for the fare himself.
QIao Ling and Xu Shanshan were already there by the time they arrived, while Dong Yi was running late because he was coming from the office.
Qiao Ling waved at them from a table next to the window.
“Glad to see you both upright,” Xu Shanshan greeted once they got to the table. “Sorry I wasn’t able to visit, but I’m sure Cheng Xiaoshi would have been an unbearable patient.”
“Give me some credit, Lu Guang was the unbearable one,” Cheng Xiaoshi quipped back.
“Was not,” Lu Guang muttered. He was already pulling out a seat next to Qiao Ling. The restaurant had those old school wooden armchairs. It looked heavy–at least that’s what Cheng Xiaoshi told himself as he helped pull the seat the rest of the way and pushed it forward as Lu Guang settled down. That earned him a questioning look from everyone, including Lu Guang.
“You shouldn’t be lifting anything heavy,” he reminded, although it sounded more like an excuse. He pointedly ignored QIao Ling’s snickers.
Dong Yi arrived fifteen minutes later, but he still had a bouquet of flowers for Xu Shanshan, which was probably the culprit to his lateness.
Lu Guang greeted both of them. He always had a habit of not quite meeting people’s eyes, but this time, Cheng Xiaoshi noticed his gaze strayed to the flowers Xu Shanshan was holding. He seemed to like flowers more than he cared to admit. Cheng Xiaoshi made a mental note to get him more next time.
It turned out, the reason why Xu Shanshan invited them out was to announce that she and Ding Yi were official.
“As if that needed an announcement,” Cheng Xiaoshi scoffed. “You’ve been making moon eyes at Dong Yi since we were in college.”
“That’s rich, coming from you,” Xu Shanshan countered.
Qiao Ling elbowed him, and he squawked in response. “”That’s great! I’m happy for you two.”
They went through all the perfunctory conversations, with Lu Guang asking Dong Yi how his job was going, and him asking when their Photo Studio was opening again. Neither he nor Shanshan probed for more details, fortunately.
At some point, the hotpot had come to a rolling boil. They had ordered a four grid pot with two spicy and two non-spicy broths. Without even realizing it, Cheng Xiaoshi had grabbed Lu Guang’s bowl and began ladling mushroom broth into it, which was the mildest and easiest to digest.
Lu Guang accepted the bowl with a soft “thanks,” but it did not end there.
Before he knew it, he was also picking the meat with the least amount of fat for Lu Guang, giving him all the lotus roots because he knew he liked them, and constantly asking if he would like to try a variety of meatballs or skewers.
“Get some for yourself,” Lu Guang snapped at some point.
Across the table, Dong Yi was doing the same for Xu Shanshan, while Qiao Ling watched the proceedings with varying degrees of amusement. “Looks like I’m going to become the fifth wheel soon,” she muttered.
Dong Yi insisted on paying for everyone’s meal as a way to celebrate receiving his first salary. He had to leave soon after, since he had an early work day ahead, and they collectively decided to end their get-together there.
It was raining by the time they exited the restaurant, and they stayed under the awning to wait for their respective taxis. Qiao Ling was taking a two-stop route with Dong Yi and Xu Shanshan, even though she lived closer to the Photo Studio. When asked, she claimed she still had a lot to catch up on with Xu Shanshan.
The blinking dot on Cheng Xiaoshi’s phone screen indicated their taxi had arrived, but it seemed like the driver had gotten the directions wrong and stopped one block ahead.
Lu Guang, who was looking over his shoulder, suggested. “We can walk to him. It’s not far.” He was already pulling out an umbrella from his bag.
“I’ll hold that.” Cheng Xiaoshi took the umbrella from him and waved to the others before opening it and holding it over both of them.
Lu Guang also said his goodbye and nearly walked into him when he turned around.
Cheng Xiaoshi nudged him forward so that he was under most of the shade. He unconsciously tilted the umbrella forward as they walked.
“You’re getting wet,” Lu Guang protested.
Cheng Xiaoshi’s back was indeed gradually getting soaked, but he didn’t mind. “It’s not that far. I’ll live.”
When they found the taxi, Cheng Xiaoshi opened the door to let Lu Guang in first.
Lu Guang asked the driver if they could lower the AC so he wouldn’t catch a cold, while Cheng Xiaoshi sat there, thinking of Dong Yi’s behavior towards Xu Shanshan and Qiao ling’s knowing smiles.
He was fucked.
The trips to the wet market didn’t stop.
They had lived off of microwavable meals and food delivery this whole time, but Lu Guang’s recovery didn’t stop once he was up and walking again. The doctors warned him about possible digestion issues, so Cheng Xiaoshi made sure they had fresh produce and meat stocked up every week.
On the way out, he always stopped by the same flower stall, to the point where the elderly shopkeeper already knew him by face. After his seventh visit, she finally asked him.
“Who are these flowers for?”
“My boyfriend,” he answered reflexively. It had been months since they were discharged from the hospital, and yet he seemed unable to drop the idea that Lu Guang was his boyfriend.
“How long have you been together?”
Of course, he didn’t have an answer for that, but he counted long since Lu Guang moved in with him. “Almost 2 years.”
“That’s sweet. Do you have a picture?”
Cheng Xiaoshi dug out his phone and scrolled through his gallery. There were not enough photos of them, and it took him a while to locate one where they were standing at the entry way of the Photo Studio. It was a silly selfie he took, with his arm slung around Lu Guang’s shoulders, and Lu Guang begrudgingly staring at the camera.
He should take more photos with him, maybe even make one his screensaver. He mentally smacked himself before he could act on his thoughts
He showed the lady their photo instead.
“Oh, he’s lovely. You should bring him here next time.”
She wrapped up the flowers in baby blue wax paper, because she knew at this point that it was his ‘boyfriend’s’ favorite color. She even gave him a discount this time.
Cheng Xiaoshi never had the courage to give the flowers directly to Lu Guang. He always brought it up to their room and placed them in a vase between their desks, and he would catch Lu Guang stealing glances at them whenever they were sorting through photos or working on a new case.
Today was different.
He didn’t know what possessed him, but as he was walking home from the market, he realized that he desperately wanted Lu Guang to be his boyfriend. He always knew he loved Lu Guang, but somewhere between watching him bleed out on the couch and finding out that he’d been kidnapped, that love had become more than platonic.
He wanted to hold Lu Guang’s hand. He wanted to drape his jacket on his shoulders when it was too cold, wanted to cook for him, wanted to take him out on dates, wanted to wrap his arm tigher around him when he caught other pepole staring. And most of all, he wanted to kiss him.
When he arrived at the Photo Studio, Lu Guang was talking to a customer. He glanced at the door briefly, but turned back to the customer when he saw that it was him.
Cheng Xiaoshi set the groceries down by the door and hid the flowers behind his back. He waited until the customer left before approaching the counter.
“Hi”
Lu Guang raised a brow at him, which was his usual expression when he thought Cheng Xiaoshi was messing around. “What are you doing?”
Cheng Xiaoshi revealed the flowers; a bundle of blue roses this time, and tried not to push them to him as aggressively as he did in the hospital.
Lu Guang didn’t accept the flowers. His usually blank expression shifted between surprised, confused, before settling on exasperation. “Cheng Xiaoshi, you don’t have to keep up the act.”
“it’s not an act,” Cheng Xiaoshi replied, holding the flowers tighter so as not to lose his resolve. “For the past few weeks, I realized I'd like to be your boyfriend. Officially. And I know you. You’ll call me out if I’m doing something that annoys you, but the fact that you’ve put up with this act makes me think you’d like it to be official too.”
Lu Guang remained rooted on his spot, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Just as Cheng Xiaoshi was starting to internally panic that he misread the situation, Lu Guang reached out to take the blue roses. His movements were mechanical, and there was a dusting of pink high on his cheeks.
Cheng Xiaoshi flashed a brilliant smile and rounded the counter so he could stand in front of him. “Well?” he prompted.
“I did think about it,” Lu Guang admitted. “I’ve always…liked you that way. I have no idea why. You annoy me half the time but…I like you.”
“Since when?”
“Since the beginning,” Lu Guang said, and his soft admission and the way he was fully blushing now punched the air out of Cheng Xiaoshi’s lungs.
“Shit,” Cheng Xiaoshi said with a breathless laugh. “You have more self control than me because if I'd realized sooner, I would've been all over you.”
“You are demonstrating a good amount of self control now.”
Not for long. Cheng Xiaoshi took the roses back and gently set them on the counter before settling his hands around Lu Guang’s waist. “Is this okay?”
Lu Guang hummed in assent.
“Can I kiss you now?”
“Of course, idiot.” Lu Guang wrapped his arms around Cheng Xioshi’s neck and was the one to close the gap between them.