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Hua Cheng was a strange roommate.
Black nail polish, several ear piercings all fitted with black metal jewelry, a red string tied around his finger and that wasn’t even — Xie Lian breath stalled every time Hua Cheng seemingly just forgot a shirt again, coming in from the back studio he rented. Maybe — just maybe if it had just been the toned planes of his chest and the broad shoulders, maybe Xie Lian could ignore it.
But from wrists to collarbone and down, trailing far below the waist band of any given pair of black ripped jeans he wore was the intricate swirl of maple leaves and gleaming flutter of butterflies. There was a set of red dice at his right wrist, a red eye at the dip of his throat. It was the most edgelord display of tattoos Xie Lian had quite possibly ever seen —
And Xie Lian was a squeaking puddle because of it.
He hadn’t even lived with Hua Cheng all that long!
And then— and then!
That fucking eye patch.
Not to mention the wild tangle and curl of his hair! Did he wake up like that? Did he blow-dry it to sweep perfectly over his face like that? Xie Lian didn’t know! But he did very much want to touch it, to run his hands through it, to sink his fingers through it all the way to Hua Cheng's scalp and hold on to it so tight as Hua Cheng railed him against the kitchen island—
“Pirate McPirate-y Face not around?” Fang Xin asked as he set the groceries down on the kitchen counter.
Xie Lian hummed from the table where he set down the stack of mail. “His truck is probably out back.”
Feng Xin crossed his arms as he gazed out the back window, “Mnnn, I see it.” He still shook his head. “I still think you should get a different tenant.”
Xie Lian brushed the comment away. “San Lang is a good tenant. He pays on time every month, and has honestly helped me out with enough in this old house to let him stay as long as he likes.”
Clearly, Feng Xin didn’t agree as he glared back through the window at the crimson Ford F-150 backed up to the back studio's large glass garage doors.
“You don’t even know what he does for money!” Feng Xin sniped.
That was — a valid point. Xie Lian was quite convinced whatever it was Hua Cheng did, it couldn’t be entirely legal. But every few weeks he would drop by Xie Lian’s bedroom and count out in stacks of 20s and higher, handing out usually $100 to $200 more rent than he owed before reiterating to Xie Lian for the thousandth time if there was anything Xie Lian needed to just let Hua Cheng know.
And Xie Lian never said a damn word about anything but stuff around the house still kept ending up — refreshed.
Gutters were cleaned, the driveway resealed, and a new garage door opener had been installed.
A new dishwasher had appeared at their door shortly after Hua Cheng moved in! Xie Lian had frantically tried to stop the installers for over forty minutes before a heavy hand had landed on his shoulders and Hua Cheng had waved the installers to continue and told Xie Lian with a smile not to worry, the dishwasher was indeed at the right house.
Xie Lian had even come home one afternoon to security cameras, a new code-compliant door knob and a camera doorbell installed just a few weeks later!
And when Xie Lian had nervously sat in the kitchen and asked about them all Hua Cheng had done was hum again and say they were just precautionary, “this isn’t the best neighborhood, and this’ll make me feel better that home is safe.” Though ‘home’ had been said just as Hua Cheng had looked back over his shoulder and pinned that single dark eye on Xie Lian. Then he’d smiled and turned back to finish up the dishes.
The house had probably doubled in value just from Hua Cheng’s ‘precautions.’
So did Xie Lian know entirely what Hua Cheng did in that studio all day? No. But he also didn’t think he’d find anyone else as good of a roommate as Hua Cheng. He picked up after himself, he swept, he did dishes, he cleaned up fastidiously after his cat, Eming. And after several strings of terrible roommates, Xie Lian wasn’t about to willingly spin the roulette wheel again.
Besides — as much as Xie Lian hated to admit it — he really wanted to keep seeing that shirt-allergic man lumbering around his house. Even if Xie Lian was far too old for him, and to much of a mess and too much of a hermit, and just — frumpy, Xie Lian had grown into being quite frumpy. All of that aside — he still enjoyed drooling over the tall devistation that rolled through his house at the oddest of hours and always greeted him with a warm smile and every now and then a big hand resting at Xie Lian’s back or shoulder or once or twice even his head.
“Hmmm,” Xie Lian hummed. “I like him, so he gets to stay.” He smiled up at Feng Xin.
Feng Xin gave a huff in Xie Lian’s direction. If it had been Mu Qing, doubtlessly, Xie Lian would have received an eye roll.
Just then Feng Xin’s phone went off, with speak of the devil, Mu Qings grumpy face flashing across the screen.
“Hello—“
Xie Lian came up behind, pulling things out of the paper bags to set on the counters.
“Alright, alright,” Feng Xin started into the tone he only reserved for Mu Qing.
Odd, most couples got softer with each other, those two seemed to get a fair bit more like two chainsaws gearing up to grind each other to dust.
As loud as they could get with just conversations, Xie Lian always wondered what intimacy between the two of them was like… it had to be all cursing and crowing, right? Or was it the opposite, was the only moments they were quiet with each other the soft press of lips —
Somehow the idea of the two of them going at each other like a wild dog fight seemed more fitting.
“I know — “ Feng Xin snapped before aiming the phone away from his mouth. “Mu Qing wants me home.” He said to Xie Lian.
Already waiving him off, Xie Lian set the last of the groceries on the counter before studiously starting to fold up the bags.
Hua Cheng had shown him that. How if you folded all the bags up and lined them up next to each other they all fit neatly in the corner under the kitchen sink… it wasn’t that Lian hadn’t known it was just — he wasn’t very good at staying organized.
“We will stop by later, okay?” Feng Xin said as he shifted past Xie Lian, not even waiting for a reply.
It’s not like Feng Xin and Mu Qing needed the invite. Friends since they were all kids, they showed up unannounced at least half the time.
And before Xie Lian could even have half the groceries stowed, Feng Xin was gone. His grey Volvo in the driveway starting up as he still argued on the phone, most likely about absolutely nothing of importance with Mu Qing. A bizarre sort of very specific foreplay, if you will.
It wasn’t until Xie Lian had just about everything put away he noticed it, a small brightly packaged bag of cookies.
Had they gotten these?
Xie Lian glanced over the packaging and didn’t recognize a single thing about it. It hadn’t been opened yet, so they must have picked them up… maybe Feng Xin had slipped them into Xie Lian’s cart.
Well that was sweet of him!
Xie Lian happily tore the bag open to find suspiciously small cookies… he popped one in his mouth—
“Uhhggg,” Xie Lian did not like the taste of that.
How was a cookie grassy?
But if Feng Xin had gotten them for Xie Lian, not enjoying them made him feel a bit guilty… he popped a second one into his mouth.
GRASSY.
Xie Lian swallowed but still flicked his tongue out in a disgusted expression. “Gross,” he murmured to himself.
He quickly shuffled the small bag of cookies into the snacks cupboard. Maybe Hua Cheng would like them — he’s the only person that ate Xie Lian’s cooking with a wide grin so honestly, he’d probably enjoy just about anything.
It took one hour, forty-seven minutes, and thirteen seconds before Xie Lian realized he wasn’t sure if gravity was working on him any longer…
Sitting with his laptop, upstairs on his bed, Xie Lian started to think — maybe he’d fucked up.
“Oh no.”
When Hua Cheng came in through the back door — it was loud. Was he always that loud? Were those silver trinket-lined black boots always that thundering against the house's hardwood floors?
Was it that loud when Xie Lian walked? That thought was slightly horrifying… how had he not noticed he was that loud?? Oh wait… that wasn’t him walking, that was Hua Cheng.
“Gege?” Hua Cheng called from the kitchen.
That was probably in response to the mess…
All that passed through Xie Lian’s mind was — was Hua Cheng wearing a shirt today? Xie Lian hoped it was a shirtless day…those were his favorite days.
Upside down on the couch, Xie Lian leaned his head over, his long hair a waterfall of chestnut off the seat cushion and onto the floor.
Xie Lian should probably answer —or hide? He looked down though and on his chest, Eming had already taken up residence. The silver striped cat with particularly striking red eyes purred happily from where he’d splayed out over Xie Lian. His eyes closed and a happy vibration hummed through them both.
Xie Lian liked that — laying there, he felt like he might be purring too right along with Eming.
“Gege?” This time it was closer, and Hua Cheng was stepping into the living room, a curious look on his face.
There was unfortunately a shirt on…
“I like your cat.”
That was not what Xie Lian had intended to say!
“Uh huh,” Hua Cheng said, his eye running over the scene.
There was a pile of candy bar wrappers on the coffee table as well as Xie Lian’s phone, tablet and laptop… Also there was Xie Lian, in sweat pants, a white shirt and oversized cardigan. He lay with his head leaning off the couch seat as his bare feet were up against the wall. Eming happily ignored Hua Cheng's appearance at the door as he snuggled in against the cardigan.
“You two look very comfy,” Hua Cheng’s chin lifted as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
“Mnn,” Xie Lian hummed as he raised a hand, tracing his fingers down over Eming’s profile, the cat giving a content stretch of his front paws and nuzzling into the attention.
“Did gege go on a cooking adventure this afternoon?” Hua Cheng asked.
Oh.
That.
Hua Cheng’s brow rose.
That must have been said out loud.
“I’m hungry.” Xie Lian explained.
Hua Cheng gestures to the coffee table now obscured by the piles of candy wrappers. “I wouldn’t have guessed.” He smiled though as he took a step closer. “And the kitchen?”
“Oh.” Xie Lian repeatedly looked away. “That.”
“That?” Hua Cheng repeated. His eye narrowed on Xie Lian. “Is there something…?” He trailed off.
“Well I was just hungry,” Xie Lian tried his very best to not sound like he was blasted out of his mind but since he’d never actually been high before he couldn’t gauge how he was doing even in the slightest sense. “But — I honestly couldn’t really remember how to make any fooooooodddd.” His face scrunched as he realized that didn’t sound like a normal human at all. “Ooopsie.” He gave a not at all normal laugh.
Hua Cheng suspected something.
Xie Lian was trying so hard too!
Maybe he should have stayed upstairs… but he was still hungry! And once he’d gotten down the stairs, just the thought of having to go back up the stairs— Xie Lian wasn’t so sure he could do that.
Eming still purred contentedly on Xie Lian’s chest.
“Gege,”
Oh fuck, Xie Lian refocused on Hua Cheng.
He was closer. Hua Cheng went down to his haunches as he approached the couch.
“Don’t be mad…”
Where the fuck—? Xie Lian snapped his mouth shut, that’s not what — okay it was true though, but still not what Xie Lian intended to say!
Just then Hua Cheng leaned in and Xie Lian’s eyes went wide.
He smelled delicious.
And not the candy bar kind of delicious.
“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Hua Cheng raised a brow.
“You smell really good.”
A smile cracked. “Do I?”
Xie Lian snapped his mouth shut, concentrating entirely on not drooling. “Yeah, you always smell good.”
“Anything else?” Hua Cheng still prodded.
“Uhm, well,” Xie Lian stared straight up to the ceiling. The floaty feeling, the kind where he couldn’t tell if he was part of the couch or half cloud drifting away was really starting to sink in through his bones. “I ate something.”
“Obviously,” Hua Cheng gestured to the coffee table.
“Not those things,” Xie Lian pressed his lips together. “I think I ate an edible.”
He didn’t look as surprised as Xie Lian thought he should look. “Mnnn, bright blue bag?”
Xie Lian cocked his head. “Did I—I didn’t mean to…”
Holding up a hand, Hua Cheng brushed off the concern. “I shouldn’t have left them out.” He raised a brow though. “How much of a cookie did you have? They’re quite strong.”
“How much of one cookie…” that statement tumbled around several times in Xie Lian’s head.
Hua Cheng’s brow rose again. “Xie Lian,” he called him by name this time. “How much did you have?”
“I didn’t know…” Xie Lian tried to defend himself. “They were really small cookies! They were like sample size cookies! Toll house cookies are bigger than those!” Xie Lian made a face. “Not good cookies though.” He poked out his tongue and made a disgusted sound. “Toll house cookies taste so much better.”
“How much?” Hua Cheng’s voice changed tone and shifted into something more serious.
“Just two…” Xie Lian tried, hoping his own casual tone would help ease the delivery.
“Two whole cookies??” Okay, he sounded concerned. “The serving size on those is half a cookie.”
“Am I in trouble?” Xie Lian pushed up this time. Eming finally stirred, jumping off him and bounding off the couch. “Did I—what do I do?”
“Oh you are going to get—“ Hua Cheng laughed, not his usual laugh either, half flustered, half disbelief, and half actual mirth. “Gege, have you ever had anything like this?”
Xie Lian had to grab the back of the couch to steady himself, his movements all felt heavy and his body swayed even as he managed to pivot around. “Well, Not exactly…“ his arm slipped against the leather of the couch—
Hua Cheng was there in an instant, catching Xie Lian before he could hit the floor and guiding him back onto the couch, sitting down there himself.
“Thank you,” Xie Lian felt warm suddenly before going on. “What — what do I do?“
This was certainly new for them both, judging from the complete look of dismay on Hua Cheng’s face.
“You are going to get—VERY high,” Hua Cheng nodded, seemingly mostly to himself.
Higher than this? Xie Lian wondered. He looked down at his hands and the world spun even from that small movement. “Oh no,” he repeated. And he just — he felt at a loss. “How do I not get higher?”
Hua Cheng laughed. “Oh gege,” he shook his head. “That option, now, isn’t really available.”
Xie Lian frowned as he looked down, what should he do? How — oh god, this was a mess and now he’s made it into Hua Cheng’s mess and Xie Lian was always making messes… He didn’t feel steady, he legitimately was not sure if he could make it back upstairs to his bed… but if he stayed down here what were his options?
It was then an arm snaked around him, pulling Xie Lian back on the couch, and back against Hua Cheng’s side, a chin resting on Xie Lian’s shoulder and a deep voice that nearly made Xie Lian start drooling again spoke at his ear.
“You’ll be just fine, okay?” The curve of a smile. “Lucky for us both, I don’t have a single thing to do tonight, so I’m happy to keep gege company.”
“San Lang…” Xie Lian trailed off. “I—I’m sorry.”
“No, no,” Hua Cheng brushed it off. “I think we’ve both definitely learned a lesson. You shouldn’t eat whatever you find like a raccoon and I shouldn’t leave a brand new bag of particularly potent edibles just laying around in case there's a raccoon.”
“I thought Feng Xin bought them,” Xie Lian said in his defense.
The shake against his side was — Xie Lian loved that feeling. He didn’t want to just hear Hua Cheng laugh ever again — he wanted to feel it like this, to melt into the vibration of it against his back, to hear it’s deep tone so close to his ear.
“Ha! Oh, I don’t think that prick has ever dislodged the stick up his ass long enough for an edible in his life” he laughed again. “The day either one of those idiots buys cookies I would like to watch.”
Xie Lian barely registered what Hua Cheng said as to Xie Lian was slowly melting back into Hua Cheng. His back pressed into him and Xie Lian’s head fell back on Hua Cheng’s shoulder and his hand rested on Hua Cheng’s knee — he was warm and every word vibrated through Xie Lian. He wanted him to keep talking, he wanted him to never let Xie Lian go. This was blissful. This was perfect.
“Are there other edibles in the house?” Xie Lian asked, not really caring about the answer, just wanting to feel the hum in his side when Hua Cheng answered.
“Mmnnn, some.”
His voice was so deep, so close to Xie Lian.
“There’s some honey in the kitchen.” Hua Cheng admitted. “And there’s stuff upstairs in my room.”
“Stuff?” Xie Lian lifted his head. “Weed stuff?”
Another laugh. “Yes, weed stuff.”
“And other stuff?” Xie Lian didn’t look back over his shoulder.
“A bit.“ Hua Cheng answeed nonchalant.
“Are you a drug dealer?” Thoughts — weren’t staying in Xie Lian’s head very well. “Feng Xin and Mu Qing think you are.”
“No,” this laugh was definitely genuine.
“Why do you give me so much money then?” Xie Lian’s gaze narrowed.
“It’s not drug money,” Hua Cheng had a smile on his face, Xie Lian didn’t even have to look back.
“You gave me drugs,” Xie Lian reasoned.
“I accidentally left perfectly legal edibles on the kitchen counter,” Hua Cheng countered.
Xie Lian made a face. That was a good point. “Are you a legal drug dealer?”
Another laugh. “No.”
Xie Lian pouted.
There was a pause and Hua Cheng brushed Xie Lian’s long hair back over his shoulder. He was careful in how he did it, long fingers threading through his hair but not tangling it.
“I’m sorry,” Xie Lian said again, turning to look up into Hua Cheng’s face. “I shouldn’t have caused this trouble for you.”
“It’ll be alright,” Hua Cheng just repeated. “I am enjoying the excuse to hang out with gege anyway.”
“You’re babysitting me,” Xie Lian sighed. The sigh made his floaty feeling a thousand times more prominent.
“A little bit,” Hua Cheng chuckled. “But I get to give you lots of attention, and don’t tell sober Xie Lian this, but secretly I like that a lot.” He gave a wink to Xie Lian even as he said it.
That couldn’t be even kind of true. Hua Cheng barely knew Xie Lian. They watched movies together sometimes and ate most nights together but that was — that was different. That wasn’t lying more against Hua Cheng than the couch, that wasn’t a hand on Hua Cheng’s thigh, that wasn’t his voice so close to Xie Lian’s ear he wondered what his lips would feel like…
“Maybe I should just go upstairs,” Xie Lian worked on breathing very carefully, in and out.
“We can go upstairs if you want,” Hua Cheng kept a level gaze on Xie Lian though. “I don’t want to leave you alone though.”
“Will I get worse?” Xie Lian questioned.
“I don’t know,” Hua Cheng shook his head. “But you definitely might and I don’t want you to have a bad time alone. You could get — very scared and I don’t want you to go through that alone.”
Xie Lian shifted around, his hands brushing up over Hua Cheng’s shirt as he looked over their precarious—was he falling backwards?
Hua Cheng grabbed Xie Lian’s elbow, steadying him. He smiled again, wickered and amused, but also almost pleased with himself like he’d been gifted a pleasant surprise.
“New experience for gege,” He chuckled.
“I think I just need to sit here for a minute.” Xie Lian tried his very best not to sound like he had no concept of which direction was the floor.
“Absolutely,” Hua Cheng gave a nod. “We can sit here as long as you like.”
Fifteen minutes later, Xie Lian found himself in Hua Cheng’s lap.
He can remember wanting to be in Hua Cheng’s lap and he can remember thinking about getting into Hua Cheng’s lap, but at what point had he crawled over those long legs, straddled his hips and snuggled in against Hua Cheng’s neck — that Xie Lian had no memory of happening.
It seemed fine though, Hua Cheng had his phone in one hand, idly scrolling, while his other hand—
Xie Lian reddened. Hua Cheng’s long fingers were splayed across his back, moving at a slow leisurely pace to rub up and then back down his spine.
“I don’t like this,”
Hua Cheng immediately stopped his hand, pulling it out from under Xie Lian’s shirt.
“Not that,” Xie Lian whined, and leaned back, straddling more squarely over Hua Cheng’s hips, his legs pressed alongside his own. “Put it back.”
“My hand?” Hua Cheng inquired, looking up into Xie Lian’s face.
“Yes.”
“Of course,” with a tinge of a wicked smile, Hua Cheng complied, sliding his hand under the shirt to Xie Lian’s lower back again. “And the part you don’t like, gege?”
Xie Lian’s hand landed on Hua Cheng’s chest. “I don’t like this.” He shook his head. “I don’t like it when you wear a shirt.” That wasn’t what he meant though and with a scrunch of his face he went on. “It’s not good when you don’t wear one though too. I don’t like it.”
Hua Cheng’s smile only grew as he raised a brow, his phone set down, he raised his other hand to pet Xie Lian’s hair up out of the way, back across his back. “So, for clarity, you don’t like it when I wear a shirt — but you also don’t like it when I don’t wear a shirt?”
Xie Lian didn’t answer. His head felt heavy. And his hand on Hua Cheng’s shirt felt glued in place, his fingers idly petting along the collar. Did his chest always feel like this? Why did he always wear red? Hua Cheng had a talent for finding red things that was for sure.
“I’m afraid this is an issue with only two options, gege. I’m either wearing a shirt or I’m not, there isn’t really an in-between.” The amusement was evident in Hua Cheng’s voice. “Are you suggesting I switch to a vest or something?”
“Take it off,” Xie Lian seemed to forget what manners were entirely as he demanded.
The surprise on Hua Cheng’s face was immediate. “Right now?”
“Yes”
“Whatever gege wants,” Hua Cheng gave a small chuckle before gently he urged Xie Lian back far enough he could reach down and slipped the red sleeveless shirt off over his head and tossed it to the edge of the couch.
There was a difference between touching over a shirt and under a shirt, but Xie Lian did not register that at all as he immediately replaced his hands back over Hua Cheng’s shoulders running both of them down over his chest. Under his fingers was the very skillful and artful swirl of maple leaves and silver butterflies, the lines smooth over Hua Cheng’s skin.
“Is gege comfortable now?” Hua Cheng whispered, he was so close to Xie Lian and yet he hadn’t moved?
Was that Xie Lian? Had Xie Lian moved in closer? He couldn’t remember.
“I don’t wanna move.” Was all Xie Lian managed.
Another chuckle. “You don’t have to. We can stay like this as long as you like.”
“Feng Xin thinks I should kick you out.” Xie Lian murmured. “He says you’re a drug dealer and he thinks your friends are weird.”
“He Xuan is very weird.” Hua Cheng conceded without a fight.
“Shi Qingxuan likes him.” Xie Lian's face reddened and he looked back down. “That was supposed to be a secret.” He said with an air of dismay.
“Oh, I know,” he chuckled as he leaned back into the couch, letting Xie Lian’s hands trace along his collar bone.
“That it was a secret?” Xie Lian perked.
Hua Cheng shook his head. “Shi Qingxuan’s not that subtle.”
“Does He Xuan know?” Xie Lian felt horrified.
The laugh Hua Cheng let out at that moment was one Xie Lian had never heard from him. It was clear that was somehow the funniest thing Xie Lian had ever said to Hua Cheng.
“He doesn’t know then.” Xie Lian concluded.
“If he ever figures it out, it’ll be a genuine miracle.” Hua Cheng concurred.
Xie Lian cocked his head at that moment. He couldn’t feel — his body didn’t feel real. Floating had transcended into an entirely different feeling, and had evolved to feel like Xie Lian was no longer a mortal with mortal concerns like a body.
“You’re enjoying this.” Each word was accented by Xie Lian walking his fingers up Hua Cheng’s throat, the last step a light tap over his Adam’s apple.
“Mnn,” Hua Cheng didn’t deny it.
Sliding his arms back around, Xie Lian leaned in as he rest his forearms alongside Hua Cheng’s head. His hands still reached up and he slid Hua Cheng's inky black hair back away from his face.
“Roommates don’t sit like this,” Xie Lian spoke out loud.
“They don’t?” Hua Cheng sounded sincere but there was a small lift to his voice.
Examining the sharp planes of Hua Cheng’s face, Xie Lian leaned in closer and Hua Cheng smiled but didn’t move away, letting his head rest along the back of the couch he seemed more than content to receive the scrutinization.
“This stupid eye patch.” Xie Lian said. He leaned forward, his nose brushing with Hua Chengs again. “It shouldn’t be this stupidly hot.”
That equally stupid smile was still on Hua Cheng’s face. He let out another laugh. “Yeah?”
“A lot of this is stupid,” Xie Lian gestured to — all of Hua Cheng.
“Mnn,” Hua Cheng cheekily rubbed his nose up to touch Xie Lian’s. “Tell me more about it.”
“Bastard.” Xie Lian blurted.
A wide grin broke on Hua Cheng’s face. “Accurate.”
Xie Lian pushed off from the couch to look down over Hua Cheng again. “Stupidly hot bastard.”
The cheekiness was falling away from Hua Cheng’s face though as he adjusted, sitting up a bit straighter. “Gege,” He cleared his throat.
“How old are you?” Xie Lian cut in, pointedly not acknowledging Hua Cheng’s shift. He was feeling — oddly confident. Was that weed? He wasn’t sure. But the floaty ness — it felt like a lack of consequences.
“Twenty six.” Hua Cheng had a sort of distant look.
“I’m too old for you.” Xie Lian laughed— the feeling of laughing felt like bubbles filtering through Xie Lian. “I’m too much of a mess.” He looked at the house around him. “I didn’t even buy this place, I inherited it when my parents died.”
The big hands gripping Xie Lian’s thighs tightened. “Gege,”
“I’m a very sad old man,” Xie Lian murmured. “You shouldn’t waste your time here with me.” Xie Lian shook his head. “Not like this.”
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be,” Hua Cheng said in response.
“That can’t be true.” Xie Lian traced along the swish and swirl of a butterfly, making its path over Hua Cheng’s shoulder.
Those same long hands seized Xie Lian at his hips though, Xie Lian was flush against Hua Cheng. “It is. I don’t lie to gege.” He said it as if the thought disgusted him. “I’ll stay here as long as you want me here. I’ll stay till the earth erodes away. I’ll stay till the sun winks out its last ray of light.”
That wasn’t the response Xie Lian had anticipated.
But there was something else…
His legs gripped at Hua Cheng’s sides. And all he could think about was the fire running through his veins as Hua Cheng had seized him.
Before he hadn’t even felt like he was a body, he hadn’t felt real but now — he was all body and blood and pounding heart.
He let out a whine as he bucked his hips in against Hua Cheng’s. It was too perfect of an angle and it pushed them both perfectly flush together, ground both their groins in just the right way.
Xie Lian struggled to look anywhere but that dark eye watching him.
“Xie Lian,”
“You never call me that.” Xie Lian whined. “But tonight I’ve gotten ‘Xie Lian’ three times.”
“Tonight is different.” Hua Cheng’s voice didn’t hold the same amusement as before.
“Cause I’m high.” Xie Lian nodded like it made sense, like any of this made sense.
“No,” Hua Cheng swallowed. “Because you’re — you’re perfect.”
His heart was thundering through his chest, could Hua Cheng see it? Xie Lian couldn't feel anything else.
A big hand was brushing the hair away from Xie Lian’s face again. “I don’t know if you’ll remember any of this.” Cupping Xie Lian’s cheek, a tender gesture as he held his face.
“I’ll remember,” Xie Lian pleaded.
“I might be more scared that you mean that,” Hua Cheng’s voice was quieter. “What if you hate me in the morning? What if I push you to do something you don’t want?”
Xie Lian suddenly felt no other desire than to be as close to Hua Cheng as possible. He clamored forward on his lap, and his hands clutched at Hua Chengs.
“I want you so close you suffocate me,” Xie Lian admitted. He ground his hips down again with another whine, his eyes fluttering at the feeling that soared through him.
“What if I do?” Hua Cheng murmured in return. “What if my embrace snuffs out every last bit of your light?”
“Then I’ll wrap myself in darkness and your arms and die happily among all these stupidly hot tattoos.” Xie Lian squeezed his hands over Hua Cheng's biceps to emphasize every bit of how much he meant it.
“I don’t know that tomorrow I can be normal after this,” Hua Cheng shook his hand, his own hands pushed at Xie Lian’s cardigan and slid up under his shirt again, this time not just a comforting rub as they griped Xie Lian’s hips, fingers delving under his waistband.
Xie Lian’s eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head. “Don’t be normal,” He wheezed. “Never be normal again.”
Hua Cheng surged upwards then, A fist full of Xie Lian’s soft hair, he slammed them both into a kiss that was akin only to the first morsel of food for a man at the brink of starvation.
Barely shuddering out one breath after another, Xie Lian was sure he’d overload, was sure this would be the sensation that broke him and he clutched at Hua Cheng’s arms in a desperate need to ground himself.
The kiss broke finally after an agonizingly long time without breath and Hua Cheng’s head dropped.
He was heaving for breath. “I’m sorry.” He said desperately.
“San Lang,” Xie Lian whined.
Hua Cheng shook his head. His hands released Xie Lian like he was releasing a red hot iron, and he pushed back on the couch, gulping down another breath.
Xie Lian didn’t know what to do, He was still — fuck he was still so high! His only grounding was Hua Cheng, and he’d just cast Xie Lian away like he disgusted himself. A whine escaped him again as he fidgeted there in his thrift store extra large cardigan.
“San Lang,” he repeated again.
Hua Cheng didn’t lift his head. His hand shook as he pressed his palm over—
“Oh,” Xie Lian breathed.
In those black, tight-fitted jeans Xie Lian could make out the very prominent shape of Hua Cheng's very severe erection.
Pressing his palm over his groin, Hua Cheng gulped for another breath.
“Kiss me again.” Xie Lian demanded.
“I don’t know—I’m so sorry—“ Hua Cheng shook his head.
“I’ll remember all of this,” Xie Lian said defiantly. “Kiss me again.”
He still didn’t lift his head.
“You told me whatever I want, you said so over and over again, and I want what you want.”
“I don’t think you want the same things as I do right now.” Hua Cheng's voice was like gravel.
Xie Lian felt cold, without Hua Cheng wrapped around him, consuming him he felt like he’d freeze to death. “Tell me then,” he bargained. “Tell me what you want.”
He lifted his head just enough, but wouldn't look up, refusing to meet Xie Lian’s gaze.
“I want to fuck you so hard, you never get high again without thinking about it.” Hua Cheng’s voice was still thick, still growling and gravel. “I want every time you get a whiff of weed you get hard thinking about how I railed you into this couch.”
“Good.” Xie Lian’s hands came up, cupping over Hua Cheng's tangle of black hair. “That’s exactly what I want.”
He ran his hands through Hua Cheng’s hair, he pet it away from his face, he placed one shaking hand under Hua Cheng's chin and lifted, leaning down at the same time to connect their lips again.
Xie Lian hummed as he pressed himself into the kiss, letting his eyes slip closed as he absolutely fell through the sensation, his foggy mind shooting off sparks and sirens as he gave a soft whine into the kiss. It was tender and short and there was an audible sound as Xie Lian pulled away.
Hua Cheng’s eye was wide as he looked straight up at Xie Lian. It was clear he’d never closed his eye for that kiss.
“That's what I want.” Xie Lian shook his head vigorously. “San Lang is so perceptive. That’s exactly what I want.”
Hua Cheng swallowed, the bob of his Adam’s apple against Xie Lian’s soft, pale fingers.
Xie Lian grabbed at one of those big hands and lifting his shirt, he replaced Hua Cheng's hand back possessively over his waist, right where Xie Lian was hoping bruises would be from how hard Hua Cheng would fuck him.
“You said whatever I want.” Xie Lian reminded.
It was slow, but Hua Cheng blinked and then blinked again before nodding. “Whatever gege wants,”
“Mhhh,” Xie Lian hummed as he pressed in another kiss followed by a second and a third.
Sparks flared at each one and Xie Lian felt like a cloud again, he felt distant and too present, he felt confident and scared out of his mind. He wrapped an arm around Hua Cheng's neck, amazed how he wanted nothing more than to grind in his lap for eternity.
“This was your weed,” He said sweetly. “Now this Xie Lian is your problem.”
Hua Cheng let out a breathless laugh. “It’s always my pleasure to clean up after gege’s messes.”
“Exactly,” Xie Lian slid his arms out of his cardigan. He couldn't really manage to get it off gracefully but it flopped to the floor eventually. His hands returned to Hua Cheng's throat, sliding up to his face to press in another kiss.
And suddenly Hua Cheng was raised from the dead, his hands clawed at Xie Lian through his thin t-shirt and over his sweat pants and gripped his thighs—
And Xie Lian was thrown back into the couch cushions.
His world spun and the breath was knocked out of him in a whirl of color and Hua Cheng’s hot breath as he descended over Xie Lian.
“Please don’t hate me for this.” He murmured into Xie Lian’s neck. “I don’t think I could bare it if you hated me.”
Xie Lian just tipped his head — his mind absolutely flooded by arousal as Hua Cheng, twice his size and savagely beautiful crawled over him. “I won’t,” Xie Lian squeaked as he swam in the sensation. “I love this.”
Hua Cheng let out a breath as he tipped his head. “It’s hitting you harder now, isn’t it?”
Xie Lian didn’t know what that meant but his mouth felt slack, his body sooooo soft. “I want my shirt off,” he said and grabbed at the fabric.
“Let me help,” Hua Cheng said as he pushed his hands up Xie Lian’s chest, slipping the shirt off.
The movement — Xie Lian blinked. “I feel really high,” his world was all soft clouds and warm limbs and every touch felt like so much — he could only concentrate on one sensation at a time, Hua Cheng’s hair brushing his arm, Xie Lian’s bare feet doing their best to grip the back of Hua Cheng’s thighs. Hua Cheng’s nose brushed at Xie Lian’s neck. It all was too much.
“Mn. You’re sinking into it pretty heavily.” Hua Cheng assured. “We can stop—“
“No stopping!” Xie Lian’s eyes flew open. “You’ve flirted with me nonstop since you moved in! No stop!”
Hua Cheng smiled, cupping Xie Lian’s face, drawing that single-minded attention down to him. “If you want to stop, I will, immediately. Just push me away, say ‘no’ or ‘stop.’”
“I don’t want you to stop,” Xie Lian felt like he might cry at that moment. Why wouldn’t Hua Cheng understand? Xie Lian had never wanted anything so much in his entire life! “I want this so bad, please.”
Hua Cheng softly connected their lips, “shh sh sh, I know.” He kissed Xie Lian again. “I just need to make sure you have a way out, I figured you’d get this high and I need you to know stopping can happen very quickly, at any point you’re overwhelmed.”
Xie Lian shook his head. “I’m not overwelmed — please, I love this!” His hands fumbled but still slid up Hua Cheng’s neck, framing his face.
That was when Hua Cheng smiled, leaning in to brush his nose over Xie Lian’s again. “You’re gonna fucking love sex this high.”
He couldn’t even process those words, couldn’t fully comprehend what Hua Cheng meant as he nodded. “Want you,” he pet his petit fingers over Hua Cheng’s face. “This feels so good.”
Another smile, this time greedy and devilish as Hua Cheng licked his lips. “I am going to give you“ he leaned in to run his teeth over Xie Lian’s bottom lip, biting ever so gently, slowly letting the plump lip slide from his mouth. “an absolutely spiritual experience.”
Xie Lian wasn’t even sure he was connected to the earth any more. His head swam with Hua Cheng and Hua Cheng’s mouth and that stupid eyepatch and his dark hair and — Xie Lian nodded, “uh huh,”
This time when Hua Cheng leaned back down he finally graced Xie Lian with a kiss, finally let his tongue lapse into Xie Lian’s slack mouth.
And it was heavenly, it was messy and Xie Lian distantly heard himself whining again and the rustle as Hua Cheng’s hands went to his jeans—
FINALLY.
“I wanna—“ Xie Lian breathed through the kiss, his coordination was completely gone as he tried to paw at Hua Cheng’s waistband.
“Mnn, you will,” Hua Cheng purred as he pushed the jeans and black boxer briefs down in one go, kicking them off as he reached for the strings of Xie Lian’s sweatpants,
Single minded and still thinking about nothing else other then the flushed, heavy cock Hua Cheng had revealed, Xie Lian hummed as his pawing, incompetent hands finally found Hua Cheng’s dick and started to run his hands over it.
“Enjoying that?” Hua Cheng teased as he plucked Xie Lian’s pants loose enough he could haul Xie Lian’s hips up with one hand and push the pants off with his other hand, stripping Xie Lian in one go.
“I like this,” Xie Lian said again in a sweet tone, his eyes hooded. “I want more,” he reiterated, anything to keep Hua Cheng going.
“I know, baby,” Hua Cheng leaned in again
And Xie Lian’s brain exploded at the kiss and he was thrust into pure bliss. “I like this,” he gasped into the kiss again, desperate for Hua Cheng to know.
His answer was a chuckle.
And that’s when — Xie Lian gasped.
Slick fingers, though Xie Lian couldn’t remember any — his head lulled back and he saw the open cap of a small lotion bottle. When had—?
Xie Lian’s breath hitched again as another finger entered him. His body arched as he whined.
“Feeling okay?” Hua Cheng dipped his head to kiss over Xie Lian’s sternum.
“Tight,” Xie Lian couldn’t find another word — wasn’t sure what word to pick —there was a lot of those. ”Don’t stop,” he hastily added on as his eyes rolled open.
“Mnnn,” Hua Cheng hummed. “Working on it not feeling so tight,”
Xie Lian nodded.
And the finger inside of him —crooked and moved and — Xie Lian’s head lost all ability to remain upright. His mouth hung open and his eyes rolled back and it was — total bliss — it was so perfect—
“Yes,” he whined.
“Good boy,” Hua Cheng plopped another kiss to his sternum. “Keep telling me ‘yes’ if you want to keep going, okay?”
“Yesss,” Xie Lian repeated as there was a long drag of those fingers out of him and then back in.
Of their own accord, Xie Lian’s hips started to roll with Hua Cheng’s hand, trying his absolute hardest to fuck himslef on those long fingers. Though every roll up, ground his own red, hard cock against Hua Cheng’s abdomen, the friction absolutely maddening.
“Want something bigger?” Kiss to his collarbone.
“Yes,” Xie Lian breathlessly answered.
And those fingers were gone and Xie Lian gasped at their absence, and whined and his hands clawed at Hua Cheng in the endeavor of begging for more—
And with one hand pressed flat over Xie Lian’s stomach, Hua Cheng pushed Xie Lian flat onto the couch before with his other hand he guided his flush cock between Xie Lian’s legs.
“Ahh,” Xie Lian’s hands dove through Hua Cheng’s hair as he felt the stretch and slide.
It was an all too fast for a second and yet also a stretching millennium as Hua Cheng steadily pushed forward. His hand shifted to grip Xie Lian’s hip, holding him steady. Xie Lian’s legs moved up, bending himself like a pretzel for Hua Cheng and he whined into Hua Cheng’s open mouth.
And then he bottomed out and Xie Lian heaved for breath there, clutching at Hua Cheng for dear life.
His mouth moved into Hue Cheng’s and yet — he couldn’t find words, he couldn’t remember what Hua Cheng wanted him to say and he couldn’t think of anything other than the soft whine that escaped him.
“You’re so beautiful,” Hua Cheng spoke soft as he moved his mouth into Xie Lian’s, his hand moved up between them.
Xie Lian twitched and arched and floundered from the sensation, impaled completely and that large hand so perfectly dragging up his body. “Yes,” he shuddered out, remembering the one word.
“Anything,” Hua Cheng smiled. “Anything you want from me and it’s all yours.”
Xie Lian whined and his hips rocked. His own precum making his movements between them slick and his cock slipped against Hua Cheng.
It wasn’t enough and slowly at first Hua Cheng’s hips rocked, then a bit faster, but steady as he wrapped an arm around Xie Lian, holding him at the middle of his back, urging them to move seamlessly together. His other hand pressed flush over Xie Lians chest before moving up and up and covering over Xie Lians throat.
And it was exactly as Hua Cheng promised.
Xie Lian felt his vision wink in and out, and his body absolutely writhing in complete rapture. He wasn't sure if sound even came from his throat any more or if he was just swallowing gulps of air like a fish that had finally found water.
His fingers gripped at Hua Cheng’s inky hair, his only life line through the seas of rapture and ruin.
That’s when Hua Cheng started to fuck him harder.
Xie Lian’s throat pressed up into Hua Cheng’s palm as his head fell back off the couch cushion and a strangled whimper of absolute ecstasy escaped him.
It was more than a spiritual experience. It was a near-death experience. It was a defining memory. It was the exact instance Xie Lian knew he’d never let Hua Cheng leave him.
And when Xia Lian came it was an explosion of white and stars. His toes curled and his body strung as tight as it ever had before falling so ungracefully back from heaven and he was panting, his cum slick between the two of them—
Hua Cheng was right there to catch him though, fucking him like it was his own only hope for salvation.
His hips shuddered as he came inside of Xie Lian. His face buried in Xie Lian’s neck and his hands gripping onto Xie Lian’s skin for a second too strong before he let up— and they collapsed.
All sense of time had drained from Xie Lian as he lay across the couch, Hua Cheng on top of him, his cock still inside of him.
It could have been an hour or just a handful of minutes before Hua Cheng stirred. He pressed a hand into the couch as he slowly eased himself up,
Xie Lian gave one final whine as he was suddenly empty.
And then Hua Cheng was gone.
Xie Lian’s head flung back forward, his hands shook as he searched for Hua Cheng helplessly.
He returned a moment later, cleaning the two of them up with a few tissues.
Xie Lian’s hands clamored back at Hua Cheng’s shoulders and neck. “Stay,” he whined. “Please, please stay.”
He didn’t know how to voice it any longer — but he never wanted Hua Cheng to leave. He never wanted to think of himself as a person without Hua Cheng. He wanted to be connected to him, he wanted to be his other half, to have Hua Cheng as his own other half.
He wanted forever and then some.
“I’m not leaving,” Hua Cheng assured. “I’ll stay till you come down.”
That wasn’t even a tenth of the time Xie Lian wanted.
“Longer,” Xie Lian breathed as he smoother his hands over Hua Cheng’s tattooed chest.
There was a chuckle and Hua Cheng graced another kiss on Xie Lian’s lips. “Whatever gege wants,”
“Yes,” Xie Lian murmured, snuggling in to press his cheek to Hua Cheng’s shoulder.
A soft maroon blanket was pulled up over them, Xie Lian couldn’t remember where it had come from, but Hua Cheng pulled it up around them both as he curled around Xie Lian.
And they lay like that, content as the universe seemed to filter through Xie Lian’s senses.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever get this high again but if it meant he got fucked like that for a second time, Xie Lian would eat the whole bag of cookies next time.
Beep Beep — fail sound.
Beep beep beep — fail sound.
Xie Lian scrunched his nose, nuzzling into the warmth of Hua Cheng’s arm. Pulling the blanket up over his bare shoulder again as he burrowed against Hua Cheng's chest.
Eming gave an insistent nudge against Xie Lian’s thigh, making it clear he was unhappy about the disturbance.
Beep beep beep - fail sound
“Oh for fucks sake, Feng Xin!”
The door.
Xie Lian shot up into sitting.
His clothes — were… where were they?
Xie Lian looked around and — his world spun just a little.
OH FUCK.
Xie Lian was still high. Not like he had been, not the ‘infinite space of shifting realities that had been Hua Cheng licking every space of Xie Lian’s skin he could get to’ sort of high but still — he was ‘too much weed, morning after’ high.
Peering over the side of the couch, Xie Lian snatched up some boxers, and threw on a shirt — red? Not his shirt, but that was fine! He shoved his arms through the sleeves of his gray cardigan and scrambled off the couch.
It was just as he slid into the entryway hall that there was finally a — Beep Beep beep beep and the lock flipped!
The door opened and Mu Qing and Feng Xin both stood in the doorway.
“Hullo.” Xie Lian hoped that sounded normal.
Spoiler: it didn’t really.
Feng Xin’s brow scrunched first as he stepped into the house — “What are you wearing?”
Xie Lian looked down at the baggy clothes he’d managed to throw on. Black boxer briefs, and a red sleeveless shirt, both several sizes too big all under his thrift store cardigan.
“Those aren’t your clothes.” Mu Qing voiced the thought on all of their minds.
Xie Lian pressed his lips together as his hands went to his hips. As far as options went he didn’t feel like he had a lot.
“No,” a hand settled then over Xie Lian’s shoulder. “They're not.”
A head taller, and with taking Xie Lian’s clothes not really a realistic option, Hua Cheng had pulled the maroon blanket over one shoulder, and toga style pulled it across himself. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, and the look on his face was not pleased to have house guests.
Feng Xin immediately turned to Mu Qing and said. “I fucking told you!” He shook his head as he turned and went back to his car. “I win, and you get dishes for a month!”
Mu Qing seethed for a breath before following up to Xie Lian. “We’ll drop by when you’re less occupied.”
“Call first.” Hua Cheng instructed.
It only earned him a glare before Mu Qing turned to leave as well.
As the door still sat ajar, and the sound of the Volvo outside purring to life again, Xie Lian turned.
Hua Cheng tipped his head to look down.
Xie Lian gave a grabby grabby hands motion up—
With a smile, Hua Cheng understood as he bent and pressed a sweet kiss down on Xie Lian’s lips.
“Good morning,” He greeted and crooked a smile. “Roommate.”
Xie Lian smiled as well. “Good morning, roommate.” And he nearly climbed Hua Cheng like a tree to get back up to connect their lips again.