Work Text:
The day was good. Nothing bad had happened, Cheng Xiaoshi was still safe. It was finally the time to book into their hotel, as they mistakenly booked it too late in the day, so they had to kill some time off and drag their luggage everywhere before being able to stow their stuff away.
That didn’t happen last time. Lu Guang blames it on his tiredness of repeating the same thing over and over again, having booked the hotel at 6 P.M. instead of 6 A.M. It was so long ago since the last time he experienced this.
They went to the reception desk, checking in, filling out what needs to be filled out. And finally, getting their room keys, they trekked up the stairs with their heavy baggage.
Cheng Xiaoshi opened the door, setting aside his suitcase, sprinting forward and flopping on the bed.
“Ah, finally, some rest!” he exclaimed, rolling around, the sheets crumpling under him.
Lu Guang was faced with a bigger problem.
It was just one big bed. A Queen’s size, he assumed. In the center of the room, two night lamps on stands on each side. The stands were cabinets. That wasn’t important, the more concerning thing is, there’s an idiot taking up the whole bed!
Lu Guang set his luggage aside, made sure the door is locked, then moved to explore around what he had booked. It was the same hotel as last time, outside of the big bed that was definitely meant for two people — he still had some hope there was a second one.
Only to get his hopes crushed. There was a makeshift kitchen and a bathroom, but not much else.
He went back to the main room, standing at the foot of the bed silently.
Cheng Xiaoshi, somewhat curled up around the blankets, looked up at him, question clear in his eyes.
Lu Guang sighed. “This is the only bed,” he exclaimed. They never shared one prior, not that Lu Guang could recall.
Cheng Xiaoshi just sat up and grinned, patting the spot next to him. “So what? Come here, we can watch the hotel TV together,” he said with a hum.
Lu Guang’s eyebrows went up for a moment. He was surprised, he didn’t expect Cheng Xiaoshi to be so… alright with it.
“First, change out of your day clothes,” he reprimanded. “Idiot.”
Cheng Xiaoshi bemoaned: “But the bed is so comfortable and I’m so tired!”
Lu Guang swatted at his foot, clear in his attention to annoy him until he changes out of his sweaty clothes.
“Alright, alright! Jeez.” His friend got up and tossed his clothes aside. Lu Guang quickly looked away as Cheng Xiaoshi scrambled through their suitcase to find any clothes, picking something at random.
“You can turn around, Lu Guang,” Cheng Xiaoshi said after some shuffling. “And anyway, am I just too handsome? You won’t die if you see me.”
Lu Guang looked back at Cheng Xiaoshi, now fully clothed in a light gray hoodie and some just as monotone sweatpants. “No, you’re just hideous,” he replied, not meaning a single word. Cheng Xiaoshi’s face contorted in a pout.
“…And why are you wearing my clothes?”
It’s not like they didn’t occasionally share clothes, due to them forgetting them at each other’s places and whoever got it first got to keep it for a while, but this was different. Did Cheng Xiaoshi deliberately go through Lu Guang’s suitcase?
Cheng Xiaoshu burst out laughing. “Lu Guang, you should see the look on your face!”
He scrunched his brows. Did his face really change that much?
While thinking, he suddenly felt his cheeks being squished. He snapped back to reality and saw Cheng Xiaoshi in front of him with a stupid grin.
(Oh, what he would do for that goofy smile.)
“Lu Guang, you’re adorable,” he giggled.
Lu Guang pushed him away. “I’m not.” He rolled his eyes. “And get off me, you’re still sweaty even if you changed,” he grumbled.
Cheng Xiaoshi draped his arms — and himself — all over him. “You’re sweaty too! Don’t deny it.”
Lu Guang still struggled. “Yes, and I want to shower, but you’re making it impossible to do.”
“You know,” Cheng Xiaoshi started, “I’m too tired to shower right now, but if we do it both, I’m willing to right now~!”
Lu Guang blinked at him.
“You’re clearly full of energy,” he said, grabbing a towel at his side. Lu Guang led both of them towards the bathroom.
“So you can go shower yourself!” he finished, pushing the towel at Cheng Xiaoshi’s chest and subsequently him into the bathroom.
The black haired boy let out a noise of discontent, because of course he had to, when Lu Guang slammed the door in his face.
What the hell was he thinking anyway? Why was he acting so weird today? Lu Guang would have to figure that out later. Right now, he simply flopped down on the bed.
He didn’t realise it, but he was very tired himself… The mattress was really comfortable, he could feel the tiredness seep into his bones… The gentle rushing of shower water serving as white noise in the background.
…
……
It was a disorienting world, his. Sometimes it felt like everything was shaking and swirling around him, and he ran an endless loop which didn’t get him one step ahead, nor ever back.
Like a projector full of a film roll, it screened — in black and white, a grayscale, random landscapes and memories. What was his and wasn’t was unclear, but it was with the intent to confuse him.
Deaths of those supposed to be alive — those alive who were supposed to be dead. A face, he doesn’t know, haunting — running out of time — it’s all blurry. Like the stars are aligning for something grandiose, for something none ot them are ready for.
……
…
Lu Guang felt his head spin. His vision was blurry, and he saw a blob of a face in front of him; the warm touch on his cheek had roused him from his state. He let out a groan, blinking up at the figure. It slowly came into clarity that it was his best friend, a slight concern and a smile on his face.
How long was he out for…?
“Lu Guang, you’re awake!” Cheng Xiaoshi exclaimed in high spirit. “I just finished showering, you should go now.”
…Ah, so it wasn’t that long.
Lu Guang stared up at Cheng Xiaoshi, still dead tired. The hand never left his cheek, he felt it heat up. Lu Guang wanted to so badly just lean in, enjoy the warmth of his living body, let himself be consumed by but a touch.
He groggily sat up, watching how Cheng Xiaoshi got himself comfortable on the bed.
As tired as he was, he did plan to shower before convincing Cheng Xiaoshi first. So, Lu Guang begrudgingly took his towel and picked out some random clothes, his steps a little uneven as he set everything aside in the bathroom.
Bad idea to put them on the floor, it was wet. Why did Cheng Xiaoshi never fully close the shower curtains…?
Lu Guang groaned to himself. The towel was fine, but he’d have to pick another shirt. He hung his stuff up properly.
Showering… wasn’t very eventful, even if Lu Guang’s brain liked coming up with weird thought processes, that he was too tired to entertain. Things did get worse when he was fatigued, but he didn’t want to entertain anything right now.
He dried himself off, setting the towel at the sink to wash it later. He also changed, ‘cept for the shirt which had gotten wet, thrown straight into the laundry.
Lu Guang, rubbing his tired eye, padded across the main room to his own suitcase. A squeak sounded behind him but he didn’t pay it any mind, probably just something he made up.
After he threw his shirt on, he turned towards Cheng Xiaoshi, who for some reason was curled up on the bed, clutching his phone, staring at him.
“What’s got you in the corner of the bed?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Cheng Xiaoshi waved off, loosening his body to a normal position.
Lu Guang didn’t care enough, practically falling on the bed. He was out like a light.
…
And of course, because of his horrible sleeping patterns, he woke up a few hours later. Lu Guang checked his watch; 2:39 A.M., the dead of night.
At least he didn’t dream this time.
He looked at Cheng Xiaoshi, who was sleeping at the other side of the bed, snoring away. He had been facing the windows, Lu Guang on the side of the door.
…
For a while, Lu Guang listened to his breathing patterns, watching his shoulders rise and fall.
…
He was just out of reach… And he looked so captivating, so vulnerable, all Lu Guang wanted to do was reach out and coddle him in his arms all day.
…
He shuffled just a little closer, propping his head up on his elbow. Lu Guang looked back towards the door. Nothing there. It should be locked.
…
It’s better to check first.
So, he carefully slid out of bed, checking the door. Of course it was locked. A waste of time supplied by his head once again.
…
Well, maybe if he got into bed and lied down close to Cheng Xiaoshi, it’d seem like it wasn’t intentional…
…
Sure. So, he went in, close to Cheng Xiaoshi. He was a little nervous, for some reason. But he let his arm drape over his waist, and whywashisshirtupnowheistouchinghisbareskin, and nuzzled his nose into Cheng Xiaoshi’s nape.
It was comfortable… nice. Alive.
He could feel how his stomach rose up and down, breathing. It innately calmed Lu Guang down from his annoying racing thoughts.
He let his eyes close. Not that he would be sleeping for a while, but at least he could pretend.
And listen for the while, too.