Archive of Our Own ^beta

"mu qing, you're really red...are you sure you want more?" xie lian nervously laughs while looking at mu qing— ironic that he asks because hua cheng is obviously pouring him a glass of water to drink.

they are seated inside a private room, a rectangular table separates xie lian and hua cheng's seats from mu qing and feng xin. "yeah...yeah..." mu qing breathes out, he tries to take another gulp, though it’s cut short by feng xin pulling the cold glass away from mu qing's lips. "that's enough. you never told me your alcohol tolerance was this bad." mu qing's eyebrows furrow, instantly shooting a betrayed and in disbelief look at feng xin. "like you would care." mu qing rolls his eyes, still eyeing the cup he once drank from. "if i knew i wouldn't have let you drink any..." feng xin whispers, and hua cheng hears it clearly.

mu qing is quiet, as if he's heard what feng xin said. however it is not the case. "are you sulking?!" xie lian exclaims loudly, restraining a laugh while leaning closer to the table. "i am not!" mu qing responds—just as loud as xie lian— and leans as well on the table. perhaps feng xin and hua cheng talked in a quiet voice, or maybe their voices weren't even quiet, but that doesn't matter, mu qing and xie lian didn't hear them either way. "gege, let's go home." hua cheng wraps his arm around xie lian's waist, tugging him to stand up. "but i don't wanna leave them aloneee!" hua cheng sighs, "we aren't gonna leave them, gege. they visited us remember? they're staying at our house for the time being." xie lian's drunk state did forget that, however his face instantly changes into a more excited look.

"oh yeah! come, come!" surprisingly, he stands balanced alone, and walks towards mu qing, who is still sitting down quietly. mu qing's body is heavy, wanting— no— needing sleep. xie lian's efforts to get him to stand up are useless, he too feels just a little tired, just a little. "do you need me to carry you?" feng xin rolls his eyes, but it's a genuine offer. "hell no! i can stand up just fine!" unlike xie lian, mu qing almost trips, and he hasn't even left his seat yet! his legs wobble along with his vision, he curses mentally, saying that he will never do this ever again.

a hand wraps around his waist, and he feels a muscular forearm hug his back. they don't speak a word, mu qing feels his impossibly warm face go hotter, as if he could almost sweat. thus, he doesn't look at him, because he knows that the person keeping him balance right now is feng xin— how could he not? he knows that smell, he knows those hands, and he knows that protective stance of his.

mu qing instantly knows.

"be careful, but i've got you." feng xin whispers to him, and by convenience, his ear is directly beside feng xin's mouth. perhaps feng xin is not sober, too, mu qing thinks. there is absolutely no way he would say that sober... right? mu qing is left dumbfounded. there was a tinge of sweetness, like his words were meant to caress mu qing in a way. or it could be that feng xin didn't actually mean to let mu qing hear that, maybe he accidentally spoke aloud.

feng xin follows hua cheng and xie lian back to their parking while he heavily drags mu qing along with him— not that mu qing was heavy, not a chance, at least for feng xin he's light— it's because mu qing is quite literally getting dragged, his legs refuse to do work, feng xin can't believe someone as drunk as mu qing would still be this petty! "mu qing, fucking try to walk, you're doing it on purpose!" he readjusts mu qing in his side, setting him higher so that his feet can start walking, but mu qing refuses. "humph. but you just said that you've got me—" feng xin's eyes go wide, he's thankful that xie lian and hua cheng are talking about something else, distracted by something else, he prays to the gods that they didn't understand what mu qing said. "you fucking heard that?!" feng xin whispers dramatically, the hand covering mu qing's mouth gives way for an answer. "was i not supposed to?" well, that certainly clears things up! "i- fine. i'll actually carry you if you want."

"mkay." mu qing yawns when feng xin picks him up, feng xin gives way for mu qing's face to snuggle into his neck, and mu qing accepts. mu qing can't tell if feng xin's nape is warm, or, if it's just his own cheeks that are on fire. it wasn't that noticeable, but feng xin actually tried to hide his face from mu qing when he found out that mu qing heard him. hell, even the tips of his ears were tinted pink! he stupidly thought that carrying mu qing— that not being able to see his pretty, flushed face— would calm his cheeks down back to a neutral color other than red, but no. instead, he is certain that when mu qing clung onto him, embracing him harder, his whole face got redder, the opposite of what he damn wanted!

he makes sure mu qing is comfortable, and he also makes sure that his grip would not falter. feng xin swears he saw hua cheng steal a glance of him and mu qing, though he pays no mind to him.

they sit in their old spots: feng xin and mu qing in the back, hua cheng in the drivers, and xie lian in the passenger seat. their ride was silent, aside from the constant twist and turns from a stubborn mu qing trying to cling onto feng xin again, to which feng xin submits to. and the constant knowing glances hua cheng gave feng xin when their eyes coincidentally meet in the rear-view mirror. overall, it was a smooth ride.

when they get to xie lian and hua cheng's place, mu qing is very sleepy, as if the nap he took on feng xin's arm did not suffice. well, it really didn't. as much as feng xin emits safeness that mu qing kept clinging onto, that short sleep did result to him having a stiff neck. "i'll go take care of gege, you and him...do whatever?" hua cheng shrugs, a drowsy xie lian went upstairs first, leaving the three of them downstairs. "medicine is in those cabinets, eat or drink anything." hua cheng only looks at what he's describing, leaving feng xin to remember and render it. "alright, thanks." hua cheng nods before locking the door and following xie lian who is waiting on the top of the stairs.

"good night!" xie lian sort of yells, voice tired yet said with a genuine, happy smile. feng xin grins subtlety in acknowledgment. at their first night there, (this is their third day) they had slept in different rooms, though both rooms were identical and were next to each other on the first floor, hua cheng was not a selfish man when it comes to money. so, conveniently, they had two— if not more than two spare guest rooms!

although right now... mu qing still clings onto feng xin's side; he only notices now that mu qing's arms— despite being wrapped around him— had a very light squeeze, barely noticeable. "can you go in your room alone? or still dizzy?" feng xin asks, though he does not plan on expecting an answer. so, he leads mu qing to his (guest) room. after the lights had illuminated mu qing's room, mu qing lets go of feng xin's body and almost trips as he speed walks to face plant on the bed, not even bothering to change. "are you- are you not going to change at least?" feng xin looks at the luggages in mu qing's room, however unlike his, mu qing's luggage is completely empty; then feng xin looks at the cabinet near him, and to his surprise, it's all arranged, all hung up too! feng xin feels a little ashamed that his clothes were still in his own luggage untouched.

"feng xin...stay." he hears a muffled groan from mu qing's pillow. now feng xin can think of three things: the first is that by some curse of the alcohol, mu qing is stupidly scared of being left alone. the second thing feng xin thinks is that mu qing could possibly plan ahead of time that he will indeed have an awful hangover. and the third being...the most unbelievable one. with the whole ride of mu qing clinging onto him, feng xin does not understand why he would hug him, wrap his whole body around him, and not anyone else? feng xin isn't dumb but...now he thinks he is because he suspects that mu qing's actions are not normal!

for someone who gets irritated at feng xin on a daily, why the hell would he do all those touchy stuff just now!

feng xin can't say no, he doesn't want to. "okay, i'll fix myself up first. then i'll go back here." he says in a soft voice, perhaps mu qing is shocked that he agreed. when feng xin comes back, the lights are off, the room is cold, and he can hear a faint stable breath snoring contently.

feng xin isn't quite sleepy, so he sits down on the other side of the bed where mu qing is sleeping in. he takes his phone out and entertains himself for a bit. he hears subtle shuffles of the blanket move, and he feels mu qing move closer to hin too. as if mu qing isn't bored with the physical touch he has given feng xin in the past hour or so. "head hurts..." the screen of feng xin's phone brightened up his and mu qing's view, perhaps that's how mu qing saw where feng xin was resting, or it could be that mu qing stirred when he felt the weight of feng xin's body move the bed. both would be realistic enough for him.

"i took some meds before going here. do you want to drink some now, or try to sleep it out?" feng xin now believes that staying with mu qing tonight would be just fine. despite him thinking of going back to his room when he heard mu qing's snores, he decided against it. sure, a headache isn't even bad! especially for mu qing, but then he did somewhat agree to be responsible for mu qing.

mu qing slowly sits up, his head feels like it's spinning, the bright light from feng xin's phone doesn't help him the slightest, which makes his eyes forcefully shut. but thankfully, his face isn't burning anymore. "sorry it's bright, i thought you were asleep." feng xin rushes back to the bed to turn his phone off, easing mu qing's unpleasant expression in the dark. "here, drink this." feng xin hands him the medicine and some water. "and here." feng xin has known mu qing long enough to the point that it was almost a reflex to grab one the assortment of essential oil's he'd spotted near the cabinets where the medicine was stored. sure, mu qing definitely had his own stored in a bag or something, but feng xin didn't want to trouble himself finding it despite mu qing's things being organized.

"lay down now and try to rest." feng xin must admit, he's starting to feel quite tired too when he smells the calming  scent of the oil mu qing is applying on his temple. before feng xin fully lays down, he asks mu qing: "uhh. do you want or need anything else?" he looks at mu qing's drowsy face and loose hair attentively. "i want..to cuddle?" mu qing drunkenly slurs; while feng xin shouldn't be that surprised, he really can't help it! feng xin nods, though not sure if mu qing could even see a glimpse of it from the darkness. feng xin lays down comfortably first, his arm open for mu qing to snuggle into. "c'mon." that is the last thing feng xin mumbles to mu qing.

what feng xin didn't expect is mu qing's head being cutely snuggled and smushed in his neck, yet he doesn't complain. feng xin doesn't know if he could physically allow himself to complain. his hands seek to touch mu qing— in any way and in anywhere. he settles for mu qing's head. his cool fingers releases the build up stress and tension gathered in mu qing's head. he slowly massages mu qing's anett, gentle repetitive movements lull mu qing to sleep in almost an instant. when feng xin notices this, he does not stop, instead he pulls the comforter over mu qing's shoulder— despite both of them already being warm from sharing each other's body heat. his hand gradually loses its rhythm as feng xin lets his eyes fall shut.

could this be wrong? in a way it's not. well...perhaps feng xin believes so. the way that throughout the night they don't release their holds on each other, the way when they turn around, the other follows, the way that when mu qing squeezes on feng xin's hug tighter he squeezes back subtly— that. that he thinks is somewhat not normal for them. and fuck, he doesn't even have an excuse on why he's not saying no to mu qing! perhaps it's selfish of him to admit that in a situation like that— or, in a position like that with mu qing—he feels rather enjoyed. again, to feng xin, snuggling like this does not seem normal, how could it be? maybe...just maybe. if it were in a more friendlier manner, feng xin would not mind as much, but god fucking damn this world!

and perhaps, that is another problem feng xin (and possibly mu qing) would face some other day.

***

"san lang, do you think they slept in the same room?" xie lian asks, and hua cheng smiles knowingly. because in truth, he may or may not have seen feng xin grab the medications and enter the other guest room. they had just finished preparing breakfast for the four of them; a manner hua cheng did for xie lian, but for the next week it’s not only for him. “gege, there’s your answer.” hua cheng says as he sits down. xie lian didn’t understand at first, but then he hears the gradually increasing volume of not-so-muffled screams and shouts from the other room.

xie lian sighs with a laugh.