Work Text:
Hanjiang drummed his fingers against his plastic coffee cup. He was the only person in the small cafe, sitting at a pale wooden table tucked in beside an elaborate indoor greenery. The barista shot him a look when Hanjiang kept tapping his fingers, but Hanjiang didn’t care. If he thinks I’m being loud now, just wait until Mika walks in.
Though they talked on the phone regularly, the two were rarely able to see each other in person since the show finished filming a few months ago. Mika had a jet setting lifestyle for work. One week he was in one place, the next he was on the other side of the world. Meanwhile Hanjiang stayed in one spot, feeling as boring and bored as ever. That’s why he decided to fly to New York City and visit Mika for the weekend. Mika had sounded ecstatic over the phone as they planned the trip. Hanjiang smiled to himself, remembering the way Mika’s broad smile could seep into his velvet voice.
But now Mika was late, and Hanjiang was becoming a ball of nervous energy. He was always the hyper type, and as the minutes ticked by he had a harder time controlling himself. He drummed his fingers on the cup. He tapped his foot. He checked his phone about every ten seconds. This poor barista was just going to have to deal with it.
And then Mika walked in. And Hanjiang froze.
The bell on the door jingled as he stepped into the shop. Somehow, he looked taller than Hanjiang remembered. His tall stature made more apparent by the tiny rolling suitcase he tugged behind him. He looked side to side, scanning the space for his friend and showing his elegant profile. Those cheekbones were still so deadly. Mika’s scanning stopped when he saw Hanjiang peering out from behind the plants. His eyes settled on the younger man, and promptly crinkled as his face broke into a massive grin. Somehow, his smile was even more deadly than the cheekbones.
Hanjiang had imagined this moment a million times. All the jokes he would tell. If he should pick up Mika when he hugged him or not. What to say to perfectly convey how much he had missed him. But now this wasn’t a daydream. Mika was here, smiling at him and taking long strides toward him. Here. They were together, finally, in the same space. Here. Together.
His brain scrambling for something to say, Hanjiang simply threw his arms open wide to welcome him to the table, “Mika! King!” He shouted in greeting. Mika laughed as he sat down in the chair across from him.
“Thank you so much for coming. I missed you,” Mika said, “This is important to me, you’re important to me. I’ve got a great day planned for us, so I hope I can make it up to you. But I’m sorry I’m late.” His dark eyes were trained on Hanjiang’s. Hanjiang could see in them how genuinely apologetic Mika felt.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Hanjiang said, brushing it off, “I’m happy you are here now.”
Mika smiled again at that, and Hanjiang took a moment to take him in. He was gentle. He was kind. He was handsome. He was here. He was… exhausted. Hanjiang could see the dark circles under his eyes. “Mika, you feel… sleepy?” he asked.
“Oh, um, yeah,” he admitted, “The plane was delayed, and it was a long flight. The chair was not comfortable, so I couldn’t sleep. But I’ll have some coffee. I’ll be fine.” He tried to stifle a yawn.
“No, you need sleep,” Hanjiang said.
“No no no,” Mika protested. “Really, I’ll be okay. I just need some coffee, that’s why I wanted to meet at a cafe actually. Trust me I can handle some jet lag at this point, I’ll be fine.” He went to wave over the barista, but Hanjiang quickly lowered Mika’s hand.
“Mika,” Hanjiang said, looking at him seriously, “We will go to my hotel. You will rest. Then we will do things.”
Mika blinked slowly, thinking. “Okay,” he relented. “But just a short nap. We’ll have to do stuff after.”
Hanjiang nodded solemnly, “Yes. But only after the nap, king.”
Mika laughed. Hanjiang smiled. Hearing it, seeing it, in person like this didn’t compare with it crackling over the phone.
The two boys walked outside to hail a taxi. Hanjiang insisted on handling Mika’s luggage. Mika tried to disagree and be polite, but then Hanjiang lifted the suitcase and held it to his chest, saying he would not let go, and Mika let him have it.
A taxi pulled up and Hanjiang put the bag in the trunk. As Mika went to open the car door, Hanjiang rushed forward and opened it for him instead. Mika laughed as he climbed in, then Hanjiang rushed around and got in himself. As he sat beside Mika, he explained “We go to my hotel, so you are my guest now. I have to take care of you.”
Mika scoffed, “You always take care of me Hanjiang.” He leaned back in his seat as he closed his eyes. “Such a gentleman,” he murmured.
Hanjiang beamed with pride at the compliment, and stared out the window at the passing city as they sped over to the hotel.
When they arrived, Hanjiang ran around to open Mika’s door. He also insisted on paying for the cab and handling the bag again. Mika was succumbing to his exhaustion, and so he didn’t try to fight back anymore. He took it all in with a sleepy smile. But he did laugh at Hanjiang when he got frustrated about not being able to open the hotel’s automatic sliding doors for Mika.
The hotel room was small, but on an upper floor so there was a nice view. The comforter on the bed was thick and creamy white. It was like sleeping on a cloud. Hanjiang immediately got to work rearranging pillows and setting up the bed for Mika’s maximum comfort.
It wasn’t long before Mika was all tucked in and off to dreamland while Hanjiang stood by the window, sipping the rest of his coffee and scrolling through Weibo.
“Hanjiang.”
Hanjiang looked up from his phone. Mika was looking at him, his eyes round with nerves. “Yes, Mika? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” his voice got quieter, “Could you come here?”
“Yes, yes of course.” Hanjiang walked over to stand right in front of Mika. “Is this good? Do I…” he squatted down and cupped a hand around his ear for Mika to talk into, “Is this close enough for you Mika?”
Mika laughed, “Not like that, I meant…” his eyes strayed to the other side of the bed. It was empty. Mika’s eyes dropped quickly to the floor. “Nevermind.”
But Hanjiang thinks he knows what Mika meant now. He just doesn’t believe it. “You want… me sleep with you?”
Mika’s ears were turning red. Hanjiang had forgotten how adorable it was. After a very long moment, Mika managed to say “Yes. Will you?”
“Yes, of course,” Hanjiang responded immediately, not giving himself time to process all the emotions that flooded into him. He couldn’t help but feel the butterflies though.
“Xie xie,” Mika said in Mandarin, thank you. His pronunciation was always the tiniest bit off somehow and Hanjiang chuckled. It was adorable. Those god damn butterflies were undeniable now.
Just like that, they were lying in bed together. Side by side. Mika turned to face Hanjiang beside him to ask: “Are you okay with cuddling?”
Hanjiang didn’t know that word, “Cudd-uh-ling?” he repeated slowly, each syllable a little harder and sharper as he tried to fully enunciate them.
“It’s like… touching… and holding,” Mika explained.
“Oh. You can touch me anytime Mika, that’s okay,” Hanjiang said, nodding.
Mika laughed at the inappropriate phrasing. Nevertheless, he moved forward. The two boys gently shifted against each other until Mika’s head rested on Hanjiang’s chest. Hanjiang’s arm wrapped around Mika’s back, his hand against Mika’s shoulder. It felt so right to be this close, holding each other. Hanjiang absentmindedly began tracing little circles against Mika’s bare shoulder with his thumb.
Mika sighed a breath of relief, relaxing further into Hanjiang. “I missed you.” He murmured softly.
“I missed you too,” Hanjiang said. “Without you, China doesn’t feel same. It’s not so happy.”
Hanjiang felt Mika’s head nodding against his chest, “Me too. It is harder to relax, and harder to smile without you. It’s easy to feel alone.”
“Hey! You are not alone, you have me always, Mika,” Hanjiang said, squeezing Mika a little closer. “I crossed the ocean so I can do the club a ding with you.”
“It’s called cuddling, Hanjiang,” Mika corrected, laughing.
“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Hanjiang responded defensively.
Mika laughed harder. Hanjiang squeezed him again, gently rocking the both of them side to side. They held each other, breathing slow. Hanjiang could live in this moment. No expectations or obstacles. Just him and his king, and a deep sense of comfort. Ease.
It was a few hours before they awoke tangled together, each of them with their arms wrapped around the other. Hanjiang was the first to blink his bleary eyes open. Looking at Mika, he was surprised. The older boy looked so peaceful and small. His chest rising and falling. His fingers subconsciously clinging to the front of Hanjiang’s shirt. He didn’t have to. Hanjiang wasn’t going anywhere.
He wished that he could tell Mika everything. How frustrated he felt when his phone had a poor connection and their calls would suddenly drop. How he got so flustered every time his parents asked about the pretty blonde boy from the show. How being home felt so different after the show, more hollow. How every night he lied in bed wondering if Mika was okay. Wondering if Mika was thinking of him too. Wondering how things could have gone differently if Hanjiang was a little braver. He was always so loud and brash, but he struggled to voice the things that truly mattered to him.
He had a crush on Mika since he first saw him. He knew that Mika cared for him deeply as well, but he couldn’t tell if it was romantic from his end as well. The in between was torture. To care without knowing where you stand. To stand there while knowing how hard you’ve fallen. Hanjiang could take it though. He would suffer a thousand wounds to see Mika smile.
That smile. Hanjiang took this time to admire Mika’s features. Those defined lips that could curl into a bashful grin or sing such heart-stopping melodies. And that mole. Just above those lips and just off-center. Hanjiang had imagined kissing that little mole countless times. Not to mention how many times he thought of the lips beneath.
Mika rolled over toward Hanjiang with a quiet groan and squinted his eyes open. “Oh. Hello,” he said, chuckling at how close they were. He seemed more relaxed than before. Better rested.
“Hello,” Hanjiang echoed absent-mindedly. “Good morning king.”
“Good morning Hanjiang,” Mika said with a laugh. “Your hair is all messed up. Here, let me just,” he reached up and softly flattened the flyaways. His touch was so light, so careful. Always so polite.
Mika retracted his hands as he finished smoothing Hanjiang’s hair, then smiled up at him. Hanjiang realized that he could finally do it now. Kiss him. Learn Mika’s true feelings.
“Mika,” he began. He took a breath to brace himself, his gaze dropping down to the sheets, “Can I… kiss you?”
“Yes.”
The quick response is unexpected. Hanjiang’s eyes dart back up to Mika’s face in disbelief, but Mika looks completely serious. His eyes are heavy with emotions Hanjiang can’t quite place.
“Please.” Mika adds, just a whisper. His eyes don’t waver.
Hanjiang places his hand just under Mika’s chin, lifting slowly. Mika’s eyes close in blissful surrender and Hanjiang closes the distance between them. Their lips brush against one another before properly connecting. Slow and steady.
After a moment, Hanjiang pulls back just an inch, hesitant. Their noses bump together.
“Again?” Hanjiang asked.
“Again.” Mika agreed, laughing. So Hanjiang closed the distance between them and kissed that precious laugh that was so burned into his memory. Again and again.