Chapter Text
“Karaoke time!”
Qiao Ling pumps her fist, whooping as she enters the photo studio. Xu Shanshan is close behind, which means that Dong Yi is right next to her. Lu Guang barely has to raise his head to confirm this. Still, he puts his book aside and gives a small nod of greeting.
“Karaoke?” Cheng Xiaoshi’s eyes light up, which makes Lu Guang’s heart do something stupid. With determination, he keeps his eyes on Qiao Ling, ignoring the heat crawling up his spine.
“Karaoke!” Xu Shanshan confirms. She slings an arm around Dong Yi’s shoulders. “It’s been a crazy few weeks, so we think we should go out and try to have some fun!”
“By ‘we’, I assume this is all your idea?” Cheng Xiaoshi teases. Xu Shanshan rolls her eyes.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Dong Yi’s the one who suggested it, didn’t you, baobei?” Xu Shanshan turns to Dong Yi. Qiao Ling hides a smile behind her hand as she sits beside Cheng Xiaoshi on the couch.
“Huh? Oh, yeah,” he blusters. Cheng Xiaoshi bursts into laughter.
“He’s a bad, bad liar. Try again next time, Xu Shanshan.”
“Whatever! Are you two in?”
“Aw, I don’t know if our old man Lu Guang would be down. Look how tired he’s been in the last few weeks!” Cheng Xiaoshi leans across the couch to pinch at Lu Guang’s cheek. He tries to swat Cheng Xiaoshi away, but—
Red spreads across the clean white of Cheng Xiaoshi’s shirt, disappearing behind his black jacket. He sways, dropping to one knee. His eyes are dimming rapidly, his mouth opens as if he wants to say something, but it’s too late, he’s too late, he’s too late he’s too late he’stoolatehe’s—
“I’ll go.”
Cheng Xiaoshi’s hand drops, along with his jaw. “Really? You will?”
Lu Guang doesn’t meet his gaze. Cheng Xiaoshi knows him too well not to be able to read the thoughts behind his eyes.
“Great!” Qiao Ling cheers, once again pumping her fist. “Get changed, we’re leaving in half an hour!”
— ❤︎₊ ⊹ —
Cheng Xiaoshi, of course, doesn’t change. Not that Lu Guang would want him to, but something about seeing Cheng Xiaoshi in the same damn letterman jacket as he locks the door makes him huff a laugh.
“Lu Guang, are you laughing at me? You better not be! It’s not like you changed either!” Cheng Xiaoshi cries. Lu Guang ignores him.
“So immature,” Qiao Ling calls, walking ahead. Xu Shanshan laughs in agreement.
“We are not ,” Cheng Xiaoshi insists.
“Then why are you pulling Lu Guang’s hair?”
“...it’s fun.”
Cheng Xiaoshi, much to Lu Guang’s disappointment (no, he would never admit it), lets go. “Which karaoke place are we going to?”
“The one I went to with Dong Yi last time. It’s really fun, I promise!” Xu Shanshan declares, turning to walk backwards and face them while still walking, Dong Yi’s arm firmly in her grip. “Besides, there’s drinks~”
“Alcoholic,” Cheng Xiaoshi accuses.
“You’ll be the first to be drunk, I promise,” Xu Shanshan retorts.
“That’s not surprising. He’s a lightweight,” Lu Guang pipes in.
“You—” Cheng Xiaoshi makes another grab for Lu Guang.
“Pay attention when crossing the street before you get run over.”
“Hold my hand, will you?”
“Enough. You’re not an invalid,” Lu Guang responds, “you don’t need my help to walk.”
“Oh, c’mon! I just wanted to,” Cheng Xiaoshi tells him, which makes Lu Guang’s heart do another stupid thing (two is too many stupid things for a heart to be doing in one day. He should go to the doctor), so he opts to ignore Cheng Xiaoshi again and walk ahead of him.
Leaving him behind always makes Lu Guang a little bit nervous, so it’s not long before he rejoins Cheng Xiaoshi’s side. The black haired man in question laughs brightly. “Aw, you’re so worried for me! Like a true mother goose.”
“Keep provoking Lu Guang and maybe he’ll push you into the street,” Xu Shanshan says. She holds onto Dong Yi’s arm, still leading the way.
I would never, Lu Guang thinks, but he says nothing, only giving Cheng Xiaoshi a small, crooked smile.
I would never let anything bad happen to you ever again.
— ❤︎₊ ⊹ —
“Boooo!”
“Shut up, didi!”
Cheng Xiaoshi laughs and laughs, his fist hitting against the seat of one of the low sofas arranged around the karaoke room weakly, tears gathered in the wrinkled corners of his eyes. Lu Guang can’t help but smile faintly. He kills the grin quickly when Qiao Ling rounds on him.
“You two— so cruel!”
“It was good, Qiao Ling,” Lu Guang says genuinely. “Well done.”
She huffs and tosses her shoulder length hair haughtily before taking her seat on another couch.. “Damn right it was! I’d like to see you guys do any better!”
“Hard pass. I’m not singing.” Cheng Xiaoshi sits back up properly, his arms propped up on cushions behind him. Lu Guang is only inches from him, feeling weirdly safe despite the fact that Cheng Xiaoshi isn’t actually touching him.
“Why were you so excited to come, then?” Lu Guang decides to ask.
Cheng Xiaoshi grins and leans forward to grab his drink. He returns and places his arm back behind Lu Guang. “The drinks are good.”
“If you won’t sing, who’s going next. Lu Guang?”
Lu Guang only looks at Qiao Ling, who shrugs as if to say well, at least I tried.
“No worries, it’s our turn!” Xu Shanshan stands and takes a pair of mics, passing one to Dong Yi. Cheng Xiaoshi rolls his eyes teasingly.
“Lu Guang and I could do much better, we just don’t want to,” Cheng Xiaoshi informs the room. His arm moves to grab onto Lu Guang and pull him closer, smiling broadly. Their faces are only mere inches apart when Cheng Xiaoshi goes on. “Isn’t that right, Lu Guang?”
It takes him a beat to remember how to breathe. He smells alcohol on Cheng Xiaoshi’s breath. “I’m not sure. Could you?”
“Oh, come on! This is slander, I say, so much slander,” Cheng Xiaoshi sighs, loosening his grip. He doesn't let go, so Lu Guang doesn’t leave. He only sits up and turns his head to watch Xu Shanshan and Dong Yi sing.
They pick a slower love song, smooth notes and crooning voices mingling together to fill the small and dimly lit space. Qiao Ling closes her eyes and sways to the music, a smile on her lips.
“Do you know this song?” Cheng Xiaoshi asks, making Lu Guang jump. His lips are only inches away from Lu Guang’s ears.
“I do,” Lu Guang replies, voice soft. He loves the song. It reminds him of Cheng Xiaoshi.
“What’d you say?”
“I said, I do,” Lu Guang repeats, a little louder.
“I can’t hear you. Come closer,” Cheng Xiaoshi insists, and he draws back slightly to give Lu Guang room.
He sighs and sits up a little straighter. He moves closer to Cheng Xiaoshi. He leans his head down to talk directly into Cheng Xiaoshi’s ear.
Cheng Xiaoshi turns his head and kisses him.
Not that Lu Guang realizes what’s happening for the first six seconds. All he sees are Cheng Xiaoshi’s long, thick eyelashes and the flicker of dark red karaoke lights passing by and the tiny black curl of Cheng Xiaoshi’s hair just above his eyebrows.
Then he realizes that the sensation he’s feeling on his lips is Cheng Xiaoshi’s damn lips.
They feel the way they look; somehow both rough and soft. Lu Guang tastes baijiu in his mouth and finally lets his eyes fall closed.
The music rises and falls. Cheng Xiaoshi angles his head and Lu Guang shifts closer, moving purely on instinct. Belatedly, he realizes that his hands are still awkwardly at his side, so he starts to reach one out, aiming to cradle the back of Cheng Xiaoshi’s head, and—
Just like that, the song ends and Cheng Xiaoshi is sitting up, clapping and laughing. “That’s your best? Dong Yi carried that song.”
Dong Yi flushes red and Xu Shanshan glares. “Fuck you, Cheng Xiaoshi! You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“What, so you’re saying that Dong Yi isn’t a good singer?”
“Th-that’s not—! Cheng Xiaoshi, you little—!”
Cheng Xiaoshi dodges a hit from Xu Shanshan, laughing, his head thrown back. Lu Guang’s eyes flit to Cheng Xiaoshi’s lips.
Are they redder than normal, or is it just a side effect of the lights? Do they look a little swollen, or is he just imagining things?
Lu Guang gives up, looking away. He breathes out slowly and comes to a conclusion quickly.
He must be hallucinating.