Work Text:
Drumming, transparent beads of water slithered down fair skin as they curved along the supple yet toned muscles of You Huo's arms. He pushed back his drenched hair and washed out the last bits of shampoo before turning the shower off.
He grabbed a towel, carelessly wiped down his body, wrapped the towel around his waist and sauntered out of the bathroom. Sweater in hand, he was halfway through pulling it over his head when two sudden knocks from the door startled him.
He calmly wore his sweater and, disregarding his wet hair, he went to open the door, coming face-to-face with a familiar, striking visage.
He looked at Qin Jiu, and perceived his similarly drenched locks and the elusive fragrance of minty shower gel; it seemed like he too was fresh out of the shower. The man was wearing a black tank top, but because it was a size larger for comfort, the neck was loose, revealing his clavicle and strength-filled muscle lines.
You Huo was dazed for a fraction of a second before he returned to himself. He ignored the way his fingers curled unconsciously and asked, “What is it?”
Long and shower-chilled fingers suddenly touched the side of his face. There were a few rough calluses scattered across those fingers, but they brought a sense of comfort, feeling very real.
You Huo's breath hitched but he didn’t shy away, and instead raised his eyebrow. He felt one finger gently swipe under his eye, wiping away a water droplet, and then heard the man finally say: “It's nothing. I just wanted to see you.”
Just a few simple words with no excuses made but their significance knocked the air out of You Huo’s lungs. Dozens of questions churned in his mind, so he found himself asking breathlessly, “...Why?”
Why did Qin Jiu want to see him? Was it for something work related? Did something unexpected pop up? Or…
A sprout of hope wiggled itself from his heart, swaying with expectations like an innocent sapling that knew no better of the cruel world. Before a wild mutt could trample it to smithereens, a pair of very kind, sturdy hands gingerly shielded it.
You Huo heard the man’s shaky inhale, as if he was nervous, and after a short pause, that low and magnetic voice said: “Because I missed you.”
That tone of voice contained an irrefutable timbre of honesty, pure as it scratched his eardrums.
They both had just gotten off work almost three hours ago, but Qin Jiu said he missed him. This type of longing was quite different, it was the type where one didn’t want to let the other person out of their sight for even a second, wanting to spend every breath together.
The way he said it made it seemed like it was long overdue, as though those words were uttered after a very long separation.
This particular type of yearning could only mean one thing.
Qin Jiu took a step closer and suddenly their chests were almost touching, and when he bowed his head slightly, their cheeks couldn’t help but brush. He buried his face in the crook of You Huo’s neck, the neckline of his sweater skewed, causing a stubborn itch as warm breaths splayed across snowy skin.
A tingle shot down You Huo’s spine, but whether it was due to the man’s next words or the ticklish sensation of dripping water around his neck, he couldn’t tell.
“You Huo… I missed you." Qin Jiu's lips fluttered against the exposed skin of his shoulder as he asked: "I want to stay by your side. May I?”
Water flowed along the column of his neck from where Qin Jiu’s head lay, dissolving into his skin and leaving an icy burn in its wake. That, combined with the faint whispers of approaching residents from the end of the hallway abruptly woke You Huo up from his surprise.
Although he just showered, he realised his lips were somewhat dry, so he licked them and nodded as he pulled Qin Jiu into his apartment unit. “Mn, stay with me.”
The door closed with a soft click, and with the disruptive noises of other people dwindling to a halt, it seemed as if the two of them were within their own little world, liberated of all distractions.
Within these four walls, only Qin Jiu’s elated smile was reflected in You Huo's pale irises, and with both their hairs still dripping, they almost seemed to be standing under the hail of rain once more, just like all those years ago...
Accompanied by the biting wind, the taller of the two had stepped closer and moved the only umbrella present towards the shorter youth, causing his own shoulder to eventually go numb with the incessant patter of freezing raindrops.
However, when a particularly strong gale abruptly swept by, the umbrella was rendered null as it was pushed back, and the rain smothered the skin of their faces, drenching them from head to toe like a playful child who hadn’t yet had enough of mischief.
They probably painted quite a sorry and comical picture, You Huo reckoned.
Although pitiful, he would always remember the way Qin Jiu had stretched a slender hand out to tuck a side of his fringe behind his ear.
He felt that those fingertips had been hot, so hot that he would still be able to recall their scalding yet tender touch whenever he closed his eyes.
When they had slowly trailed down his cheek afterwards, You Huo wasn’t sure anymore if they felt abnormally hot because their surroundings were cold, or if that heat, spreading like unbridled waves, was due to something else.
What he did know, however, was the fact that the thumps of his heart had definitely accelerated. Like a car with malfunctioning brakes, he couldn’t stop his heart and very being from flipping and trembling.
Just like right now.
The hand cupping the side of his face was definitely larger than that of the youth’s back then, yet they were nonetheless careful, fond, and very, very warm.
And now, experiencing those familiar emotions once more, You Huo finally realised what exactly it was he had felt during that time.
Under that harsh curtain of rain, he was living through the anticipation and excitement of a budding romance. Young, naive, but courageous like no other, and as fearless as they were.
From that certain second of that very day some years ago, his stagnant time had pulsed with a vivid burst of colour. Like a canvas which had been destined to be left eternally empty, a sudden palette full of fresh paint smeared lovely brushstrokes over its blank surface. That bold palette happened to fall from out of nowhere unexpectedly, very much like how a certain someone had walked into his every day, through his many yesterdays, and towards his many tomorrows.
Because of that person who had shared with him an umbrella, and because of how they very naturally caressed his face, tilted his chin up and pecked the corner of his lips… his heart inevitably fell as he, too, fell in love within that moment where their gazes had crossed.
The air had been so fragile, as if a mere breath would shatter the atmosphere. However, the canvas was ever-changing as it gained new colours each passing second; each brushstroke was trying to convey something, aching to unravel the deeper meaning behind every vibrant hue.
So with the way his own body had taken the initiative to tiptoe slightly, hook his arm around that person’s neck, and slot their lips together, he knew that Qin Jiu had become his first and last love.
The umbrella had slipped from Qin Jiu’s hand with his daring action, causing it to roll by their feet somewhere he couldn’t remember. By then, the rain came crashing down, and the two were iced to the very bone, but soaked in a dizzying mist, he could only remember how his waist was hugged tightly and how soft lips had loved his own.
He hadn't felt the cold at all, especially not when the clumsy press of their lips felt feverish. Whether it be that youth from that rainy haze, or the matured man by his front, You Huo also knew that this person would be his one and only.
Qin Jiu’s eyes contained a knowing glint as he chuckled: “My dear, thinking about that day?”
You Huo met those eyes, grey as smoke yet softer than silk, and snorted half-heartedly: “You looked like a drenched puppy back then.”
“A puppy? Ah, did your heart go soft because of how cute I looked?”
“...” You Huo thought for a moment and internally admitted that Qin Jiu’s appearance that day, with his hair over his eyes and lips dewy from rain, did indeed move his heart a little.
Or a little more than a little, but that was a fact he would keep to himself.
You Huo pulled the man towards his bedroom and, as he picked up the hair dryer, he gestured at the bed with his chin. “Sit down, I’ll dry your hair.”
Qin Jiu did as told, but the moment he sat down, he wrapped his arms around You Huo’s middle and nuzzled his face into his abdomen before looking up with a sly yet suave smile. “So you are moved. Your heart is beating faster.”
Qin Jiu’s eyes were curved into charming half-crescents, and the look within them was blindingly bright, like stars on a midsummer’s night. The tips of his brown hair were still wet, and occasionally a few water droplets would slip down the planes of his cheeks.
This man usually had a handsome arrogance that would cause swoons but also give others a sense of oppression, but at this moment, with his slightly long fringe brushing through his eyelashes as they shivered with each blink, he appeared very harmless and dare You Huo say… adorable.
Really like a puppy seeking affection, a stark yet pleasant contrast to his proud, wolf-like demeanour.
You Huo suddenly felt something warm brush the back of his thigh. He quickly realised it was a cheeky hand that had trickled down his spine at some point in time.
“...” He was almost deceived by this darn puppy.
That hand didn't even try to be sneaky as it very shamelessly rubbed from the top of his thigh to his calf.
So, without mercy, he switched on the hair dryer, instantly increased its blowing power to the max, and unceremoniously blasted Qin Jiu’s infuriating grin.
“Moved my foot. Stop talking nonsense.”
“If you say so, darling.”
When the bastard’s smug laugh brushed the edge of his mouth when their faces neared, the hair dryer’s strong wind gradually whirred to a stop as You Huo left it aside to properly hold Qin Jiu’s face.
One person lowered their eyes and head, whilst the other tipped their head back to look up, then the former dipped, and their lips met each other.
You Huo’s breathing naturally increased with their deep kiss, and although his expression was ever-lazy and aloof, Qin Jiu didn’t even need to think to know that his advances were very effective.
Qin Jiu laughed unabashedly, and as You Huo grumbled under his breath and smacked his shoulder, Qin Jiu flipped their positions, toppling them both onto the cushy bed.
He leaned over You Huo and reclaimed those sugary lips, this time with a force enough to bruise.
He knew his dear wasn’t very honest with his emotions, but that was fine because he would always be able to find the truth within his dear’s earnest heartbeats.
.
"My dear, your ears are red."
"They're not."
"Oh? They're redder now. Did my puppy eyes work?"
"Tch... less talking, more doing."
"Mm, anything you want."