Chapter Text
Cuddling was new.
Forget that, everything about this was new.
She lay on his chest. They had decided to take a mid-day break, and while they were planning on watching a show they had instead moved into each other. Ziqi had one arm wrapped around her skull, right before the nape began, and Miaomiao did her best not to dig her elbows or knees into him. Their breathing was so loud though, that it would occasionally make them giggle. She would tell him to breathe softer under the dappled sunlight, and he would retort that she was the one who was breathing loud enough to cause an earthquake.
But somewhere between the teasing they had nodded off, Miaomiao waking up to her head all groggy, a tell-tale sign of a sleepless night from a messed-up sleep schedule. She peeked at his face only to see his eyes lowered onto her.
“Ziqi.”
“Hm?”
“Ziqi.”
He hummed again. “Why do you keep saying my name?”
Because I keep worrying that you’ll stop answering me, she thought, but she countered with another question instead. “Will you answer even in your sleep?”
“You fall asleep before me though.”
She lightly dropped her fist on his shoulder while he hissed in mock-pain. “Answer the question!”
“You should wake me up so I can answer.”
“Can I really?”
He looked away.
“Can I?”
“Miaomiao,” he whined.
“Okay, okay,” she said, diving back into the cuddle when they started breathing in sync again, she whispered a little, “I’ll do it when you least expect it.” She traced little hearts out on his chest, but then he held her hand, stopping her.
“Miaomiao,” he said, sounding serious. “What if…”
“What if what?”
She gazed at him. Back in the parallel world, she never got to look at him this closely. His hair was shorter too. She reached out, touching the tips. He had once confessed to her that he would go to brush his hair and feel unmoored as the hair gave way to air.
“What if you get disappointed?” he said, licking his bottom lip in nervousness. “I’m not…I’m not the person I was in there. I mean, I am, but I’m also not.”
She was on her hands now, trapping him against the couch as she looked at him. His eyes were shiny, almost downturned, his brows nearly kissing. She leaned in, pressing a kiss between his brows. She felt rather than heard his breath hitch, and her chest ached. She wanted to wash all his pain away, if she could.
“Isn’t it great then, that we can keep learning new things about each other?” she said, making her voice all cheerful. “People say that the honeymoon stage of relationships are short, but just think! We can have it twice as long!”
He gulped, his adam’s apple moving. “You’re doing it again,” he said, nearly squinting as if he were looking at the sun, even though the sun had set long ago.
She tilted her head, and he followed, as if he were unable to help himself, just to keep her in his gaze longer. “Doing what?” she asked.
“Saving me.”
“You are very good at flattering me,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Are you sure this is your first relationship?”
He brought her hand to his lips. “In every life, I will only love you.” He kissed her palm, right on the softness of her ring finger. “And I’ll only marry you.”
She blushed. “You…”
“Why,” he joked, though his throat tightened, “are you planning on leaving me?”
She looked down. “We only have been dating for a few weeks,” she said. “Will your family even like me?”
“What’s not to like about you?” He held her hand firmly, intertwining their fingers. “Miaomiao, even I know there is no need to rush. But the fact that you wore a wedding dress twice and neither for me makes me feel aggrieved,” he said.
“I’ll wear it one day, for you.”
He smirked. “Is that a proposal?”
Her face twisted in a pout. “You really—”
He pulled her to him, his laugh rumbling through her. She laughed along, his breath brushing against her cheek. Her eyes focused on his. For the first time in her life, she understood the phrase ‘dark-bright eyes.’ The irritating thing about sight was that she could only hold onto one aspect of him. Her eyes flicked to his lips, the pinkness of it. She moved closer, and their lips bumped into each other.
Ziqi froze.
Miaomiao looked up at him through her lashes. “Sorry,” she said. “Did you hate it?”
He answered by chasing her lips. He was warm under her, lips playfully nudging against hers. They pulled away, both bright red.
“Ziqi, this one was too…”
He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, “What, did you get hurt?”
“It was too short.”
She felt his smile linger in the second kiss, but the third one slowly turned hot when she opened her mouth, almost instinctively brushing her tongue with his. He sighed happily, tongue moving against hers as he clasped her waist softly, like she would break. She could feel everything. The now-rapid beat of his heart under her hand, the worn cotton of his t-shirt, and the sound of kissing echoing in her ears, loud enough to make her shy. She slid her hand up until she reached his collar, fingers meeting skin and he whimpered into her mouth—
The door-bell rang.
He sat up, pulling her with him, both their eyes wide. His hair was sticking up at odd angles. She bet she wasn’t any better.
“Who is it?” she whispered.
“I ordered take out while you were asleep,” he said, also whispering.
She hastily got off his lap, making a run for the washroom while he went to the door.
She looked in the mirror, almost not recognising herself. Her lips were tingly and puffy from all the kissing, eyes dazed as if she was still in a dream. Is this what she looked like when she kissed him?
She somehow swallowed down her bashfulness as she made her way back to the couch. He was placing bowls and containers on the table, looking calm and collected by all means except for the ripeness of his ears.
She played with the hem of her sleeves. “Ziqi—”
“Miaomiao,” he cut in, meeting her gaze. “Are you sure you’re not the one who’s dated before?”
“What nonsense are you saying,” she muttered.
“You kissed too well.”
She hit his arm. “How can you say that out loud!?”
“What, the word ‘kiss?’”
“Ziqi!”
He held her hand, pulling her down. “Come eat,” he said. “I won’t say it anymore. So can I get one last one?”
“Last what,” she said all pouty.
“You told me not to say it out loud.”
She looked at his mischievous expression. But she still leaned in, pressing a kiss against his cheek. “That’s all you get for teasing me,” she said.
He smiled so wide, it eased all her annoyance. He filled up her bowl, putting more of the meat in front of her. And as they flipped through the TV channels, unsure of what to watch, talking nonsense for hours, she thought she would like to do this forever.