Work Text:
I.
It was happening again. More and more, recently. Not that he was complaining. In fact… it might partially be his fault. Maybe.
But it wasn’t his fault, because he technically wasn’t doing anything. He was doing so much nothing that he almost couldn’t stand it. And yet, he let himself stay relaxed on the couch, breathing deep and eyes softly closed. He let the cold hands hover over his cheeks and the warm breath ghost over his face.
He let Lu Guang press a tender, hardly there kiss to his lips.
It wasn’t his fault, but he’d certainly never prevent it.
He waited until he was positive Lu Guang had moved away before he yawned and stretched, blinking open his eyes.
“Good morning,” he chirped, throwing his legs over the edge of the couch and standing up.
“It’s the middle of the day,” Lu Guang griped back, not even sparing him a glance.
Cheng Xiaoshi frowned. “I don’t say things like that when you nap.”
“And I don’t say ‘good morning’ in the middle of the day.”
He groaned and threw himself back onto the couch.
“Weren’t you getting up?” Lu Guang said, very judgily for someone who went around kissing people while they slept.
“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed, tipping his head back until he could feel the sunlight on his face through the window. “I think I like you better when I’m sleeping.”
“What?”
Cheng Xiaoshi sat up. “Nothing.”
II.
There were some good things about the bottom bunk. Namely, when Lu Guang got up in the middle of the night and tried his hardest to ensure the bed didn’t creak when he climbed down (it did anyway) so Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn’t wake up (he also often did anyway— which wasn’t the good part, just to be clear), and then Lu Guang would gently brush Cheng Xiaoshi’s hair back from his forehead before pressing a soft kiss to his nightmare-warm skin.
Sometimes it happened twice.
When Lu Guang returned from the bathroom or the kitchen or wherever he’d gone, he’d hover before he climbed the ladder. Smooth Cheng Xiaoshi’s hair back again, as if it could’ve gotten messed up in the short span of time he was gone. And then he’d leave another gentle kiss on Cheng Xiaoshi’s forehead.
Cheng Xiaoshi had gotten good at holding still. Listening for the faintest pad of footsteps so he’d know to wipe the giddy grin from his face before Lu Guang came back into the room.
And Lu Guang called him unsubtle.
III.
They had had another fight. Cheng Xiaoshi hated how late nights and clients’ memories dragged that out of him. Hated how he felt after— torn up and regretting but still so bitter and tense and like a vice was around his heart.
Lu Guang hadn’t been pleased. Cheng Xiaoshi knew he had a point. He had argued that it wasn’t a good one. But these past few minutes of calming down were making him begrudgingly accept that it was.
That just made all the feelings worse.
There were footsteps on the stairs. Cheng Xiaoshi closed his eyes. He didn’t want to apologize until the morning. Or ever. Maybe Lu Guang would just forget about it. They’d never have to talk it over at all.
The bathroom sink squeaked on. The water rushed through the pipes. Cheng Xiaoshi slowed his breathing, let the tension drop from his shoulders. The water turned off.
More soft footsteps.
“...Cheng Xiaoshi?”
Lu Guang walked closer until he was standing beside the ladder.
“Are you asleep?” He whispered. Cheng Xiaoshi heard him take another step. Away from the ladder. Toward him.
He didn’t respond.
Lu Guang hesitated. Finally placed a hand on Cheng Xiaoshi’s turned shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. And then he leaned down, pressed his lips to Cheng Xiaoshi’s temple, then backed away. “Goodnight.”
IV.
He didn’t remember falling asleep. Didn’t know how he possibly could have, here. He was going to hurt tomorrow.
Cheng Xiaoshi shifted, preparing himself to unslouch from the countertop and the inevitable crackling that would accompany shifting his shoulders back into proper place.
A subtle tug on his hair stopped him.
He let himself go pliant again, sighing deeply. Lu Guang.
The fingers in his hair massaged gently at his scalp, and he didn’t have to wonder how he’d slept here any longer. It was a good enough feeling that he’d sleep almost anywhere to have it.
The quiet ambiance of papers flipping almost made him want to actually sleep again.
He felt himself drifting in and out of consciousness for a while until he noticed the rustle of paper had stopped. The head massage, too.
Inwardly groaning, he slowly blinked open his eyes.
Right as something pressed to the back of his head.
He jerked up, just short of flailing.
Lu Guang, for his part, had stepped back fast enough and was frowning like nothing had happened. “Are you okay?”
“I—” Cheng Xiaoshi made an indignant noise, something between errant bird call and cough. “Fine.”
Lu Guang raised an eyebrow. “Don’t sleep on the counter, idiot.”
“Ah— yeah,” Cheng Xiaoshi fumbled, watching Lu Guang roll his eyes and step away like he hadn’t just almost been caught.
Why was he the one experiencing a near-heart attack here?
+I.
Lu Guang was asleep.
Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t consider himself a creep, but, well. He didn’t know how long he’d been staring. He was rationing that he wasn’t the one who’d started it, and Lu Guang definitely stared at him like this when he slept, too, so it almost didn’t even count.
He really shouldn’t base all of his actions on ‘what would Lu Guang do?’ because that had him moving, slowly and as carefully as possible, until he was straddling the body on the couch. Lu Guang kissed him in his sleep. Why shouldn’t he do the same?
It was more intimidating now that he was here, hovering in Lu Guang’s space. He could almost feel how his chest rose and fell with each breath, see the dark circles under his eyes in stark clarity.
His fingers were poised right over those sharp cheekbones, right where he could brush away the tiredness and stress if he really wanted to.
If this was how Lu Guang saw him (he hoped this was how Lu Guang saw him), he didn’t understand how he held himself back. How he wasn’t always soothing down the worry lines and pressing a feather-light kiss to each nightmare-fluttering eyelash.
Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t know how he’d hold himself back. He didn’t think he wanted to. He dipped down slowly, letting his fingers brush against skin as he pressed his lips to Lu Guang’s once, twice, and again. Until he felt the breath of a gasp against his lips, felt the shift underneath him on the couch.
He still didn't stop.
Hands pressed into his shirt and he opened his eyes to see Lu Guang blinking, shocked, up at him. “Cheng Xiaoshi,” he whispered in awe or horror or half-awakeness— Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t tell.
“Payback,” he murmured, bending back down as fingers curled into the fabric across his chest. Lu Guang remained relaxed and pliant for another few gentle kisses before he tensed and then shoved, sending Cheng Xiaoshi back onto his heels.
“You knew?” He accused, fingers twitching like he’d planned to let go and then thought better of it.
Cheng Xiaoshi gathered both of Lu Guang’s hands into his own, placing another kiss to his knuckles. “Is it really that surprising?”
“Yes,” Lu Guang hissed, yanking his hands back and consequently pulling Cheng Xiaoshi closer to him yet again.
“I’m not the one who usually naps on our couch, Guang Guang,” he teased, tilting his head so it would be easier to press their lips together when he decided to do it again. “You really didn’t realize something was up?”
Lu Guang got even stiffer, holding his breath as Cheng Xiaoshi grinned. “Why didn’t you say something?” He demanded through gritted teeth.
Cheng Xiaoshi shrugged. “I didn’t know how long it had been going on.” His knees were protesting this position, but he couldn’t give up just yet. “So, how many kisses do you think I owe you?”
“Negative ten,” Lu Guang huffed, turning away. His cheeks were bright red. Cheng Xiaoshi wanted to press his lips to them and see if he could feel their heat. He hummed.
“You owe me, then?” Cheng Xiaoshi murmured against his jaw just to feel the muscles jump as Lu Guang clenched his teeth. His cheeks were hot. “What’s taking you so long? It’s not like you to keep unnecessary debts.”
“Shut up,” Lu Guang quipped, but he didn’t even try to pull his hands from Cheng Xiaoshi’s.
“Mmm,” he hummed again, pressing feather-light kisses along Lu Guang’s jawline in a path back toward his mouth. He shivered underneath the touch.
“Cheng Xiaoshi, stop.” He croaked, pushing weakly at his chest again.
Cheng Xiaoshi sat up, shifting to take the pressure off of his knees. He was suddenly hyper-aware of their position. He felt his own cheeks flush, looking away. “Sorry. Too much?”
Lu Guang didn’t respond. Cheng Xiaoshi swung his leg back over, settling against the other arm of the couch.
“...Sorry,” Cheng Xiaoshi finally murmured. It felt inadequate. And unfair. Lu Guang had stolen how many kisses? This was only, like, ten. At max. But ten was a lot, if Lu Guang didn’t want even one.
Lu Guang cleared his throat. Shifted. “I didn’t think you knew.”
“...That you were kissing me in my sleep?”
The blush that painted his cheekbones crawled up to his ears. “Don’t say it like that.”
Cheng Xiaoshi scoffed, amused. “What, you want me to lie, instead?”
Lu Guang looked away.
“...You’ve been stealing kisses for weeks,” Cheng Xiaoshi murmured, ducking close again, until he swore he could feel the heat from Lu Guang’s skin.
“Not stealing.”
“Oh? You were going to give them back?”
Lu Guang’s nose scrunched, and he turned to look Cheng Xiaoshi in the eye, but froze when he realized how close they were.
“...I wouldn’t mind,” Cheng Xiaoshi whispered, eyes flicking down to Lu Guang’s lips and then back up, “if you wanted to pay off your debts.”
Lu Guang sighed. Pained. Tired of his jokes. Fond. Cheng Xiaoshi grinned. Lu Guang pressed a brief, no-nonsense kiss to the smile. “Shut up.”
“Gladly.”