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The streets of Xiacheng bustle with people, each food stall filled with noisy customers jabbering. The scene is just as pristine as Zhang Hailou remembers while he walks through the main alley with nothing more than himself.
Yet, unlike other times he had set foot in Xiacheng, his heart weighs heavier than any rock he had ever carried on his back.
His eyes wander here and there, each scent he breathes in brings back sweet yet painful memories. These food shops where he and Zhang Haixia used to take a 15-minute break from their training under the watchful eye of their mentor.
A young and sheepish Zhang Hailou stuffing himself to the point of choking and a caring Zhang Haixia patting his back, discreetly laughing at him as he was reprimanded by Zhang Haiqi. In other words, two naive children and a godmother living together as a family. Or at least that is what Zhang Hailou had wholeheartedly believed until now despite the least decade of turmoil that had passed.
Reality had shattered this fleeting illusion the moment he witnessed the cruel death of his dear Zhang Haiqi, powerless and filled with an unprecedented heartbreak at the mere idea to have imagined the Zhang Haixia he had known could have committed such an atrocity.
As much as his mind screamed with the irrepressible desire to hurt Zhang Haixia with his own hands, his heart only pleaded for honest and sincere explanations, unable to conceive that the one with whom he shared joyful moments just had fallen into the dark side of history.
Zhang Hailou’s feet instinctively lead him to the same street he knows so well. The cobblestone street where he and Shrimpie used to stroll after enduring Zhang Haiqi’s gruelling training, baozi in hand and smiles on their lips beneath the autumnal sun. Those days were long gone, now facing solitude as he continues alone on the path.
Like a feather caught in a gust of wind, his dizzying steps stop him before the same gingko tree, its leaves having turned orange some thirty times over now. Looking more closely, he could still distinguish the claws left by the neighbour’s cat on the branches, a stark reminder of what his impulsivity had done to Haixia.
Zhang Hailou straightens the bridge of his glasses with his long and trembling fingers as an attempt to soften his blurry vision, then cautiously approaches the large gate. He glances at both sides in case a potential enemy was tailing him and waiting for the right moment to strike, then he pushes the pile of scrap metal. The noise of rust makes his ears and teeth, but he manages to smile when he sees two doodles carved on the middle crossbar of the gate.
He remembers that day, a beautiful summer as delightful as the others. In his memories, Zhang Haiqi had left early in the afternoon to resolve a matter related to the Archives, leaving the ten-year old him and Haixia in the residence. Zhang Hailou had the brilliant folly to want to carve his name onto the gate as a mark of ownership, to Haixia’s dismay who had no choice but to follow him.
“I’m writing my name here and you here”, said Zhang Haiyan, pointing to two slots with the end of a metal tool he had found somewhere in his mentor’s office.
“Mentor will be angry you know it…”, Zhang Haixia worried, an awkward smile playing on his lips as he watched Zhang Haiyan scrape the green gate in every possible way.
“No way, she won’t know unless one of us blows the whistle.”, he reassured him briefly before sighing with satisfaction,”I’m done. Look, isn't it beautiful ?”, he boasted admiring his handy work.
Haixia leaned closer, enough for his shoulder to press against Zhang Haiyan’s, his eyes narrowed as a veteran searching for the slightest flaw in a piece of art.
“You messed up this character…”, Haixia said desperately, his hand gently resting on Zhang Haiyan’s shoulder while he took his hand with the other to guide him to correct his mistake.
“Right! Thank you XiaZai, what will I be without you by side”, Zhang Haiyan thanked him then slipped the tool into his palm, “now it’s your time to write your name on it”
Zhang Haixia didnt object and started to carve his name next to Zhang Haiyan’s when a familiar voice rose from behind their back.
“What are you two doing ?”, Zhang Haiqi asked her two disciples, her severe voice contrasting with the white satin qipao embroidered with orchids that she wore.
Zhang Haiyan startled, almost hitting Haixia who, for his part, had already noticed shìfù’s presence.
“N-nothing. We were just talking about how rusty the portal is ahah, right XiaZai?”, he nudged Haixia’s elbow, waiting for his support.
Haixia only nodded slightly in agreement with Zhang Haiyan’s rubbish. And of course, Zhang Haiqi had seen through the lie easily because she had punished them by cleaning all the weapons that might rust.
That faint smile preserved on Zhang Zhang Haiyan’s lips by this memory fades as he crosses the threshold of the house. Thinking back, he had always led Haixia astray with his stupidity, pushing him to put his life in grave danger like the Panhua Reef case until he took his life with his own hands.
His heart aches with remorse when he takes steps toward the courtyard, left exactly as they had been when they left for Changsha. Only one of the maids running to him reminds him that this place isn’t yet deserted.
“Mr Zhang, you’re back”, she hastens to greet with a slight bow, “have you eaten yet? I can prepare some -“
“Leave me alone.”, raspy cuts Zhang Hailou, abruptly interrupted in his life’s reminiscence as his gaze fixated on the guardrail overhanging, dreaming of his mentor still sneering at the so-called men courting her behind the iron barrier.
“But-“, the maid tried to convince her master otherwise, only to be welcomed by a scathing protest.
“Leave me alone.”, snaps Zhang Hailou, unable to contain all the frustration and sadness drowning his heart.
The frigtened maid assents quickly before withdrawing to her quarters, granting Zhang Hailou the silence he desires. He remains standing for a few minutes, eyes closed and breathing in the fresh air garden while recalling the years spent studying, training and laughing with Haixia. Then, light droplets of water land on his hair, weaving through his jet-black locks before trickling down his pale forehead. He opens his eyes again to find his glasses speckled with a fine mist, not enough to obscure his vision.
Zhang Hailou switches back to reality and hurries into the residence, taking the wooden stairs two time at each to reach the covered corridors leading to the backyard. Every step seemed to carry the crushing weight in his chest, the melancholy of his movements mirrored his distress at the stark reality of having lost everything. He eventually halts in front of the second garden being the sport where Zhang Haiqi used to watch them from far as they busied themselves with their silly teenage.
The light rain tints the ground with a fine layer of mist, fragrant with the scent of the few surviving flowers Zhang Haixia had carefully planted during his convalescence. Zhang Hailou couldn’t resist but to reach for them, ignoring the cool strides of water stinging his jacket.
With a gentle dullness, he cups a white osmanthus, its petals intact despite the winds it had endured. Its aroma echoes the unique perfume of Haixia’s clothes, floral yet earthy. In truth, everything around reminds him of Haixia. He releases the flower, his gaze turning to the table in the center and unknowingly, he is drawn into a wave of flashbacks, one in particular.
Zhang Hailou could see his 17-year-old self projected before him, standing stiff as a board, struggling to hold an oil lamp upright in the middle of a pouring rain as a punishment for breaking Zhang Haiqi’s rules once again. Zhang Hailou felt the incessant shivers pricking his hands, reddened by the cold, and his stomach growling with hunger for the past two hours.
“Mentor…how heartless you are. Forcing me to stand in the cold uh.”, cursed Zhang Hailou, shaking as he stretched his arms straight across his chest, his hands gripping the old oil lamp whose fame flickered with his breaths.
“Don’t say that, she can hear you”, a caring voice emerged beside him as a black silk drape covered the rainy sky.
“Xiazai, what are you doing here?”, Zhang Hailou asked when he saw Haixia’s beautiful face smile at him.
“I thought you were hungry after waiting so long alone in the cold”, replied Haixia, his expression being a mixture of amusement and pity as he lightly shook a pouch with his free hand, “so I brought you some snacks until the end of you’re done here”
The smell of pastries wafting from the package made Zhang Hailou’s mouth water, ready to abandon what little self-discipline he had and devour it.
“You’re a lifesaver, you know it?”, he said rhetorically, then bent his back to try and grab the bag.
“No, you’re not allowed to break from your position or shifu would be mad at you again, and you’ll suffer even more”, Haixia warned as he brushed the contents of Zhang Hailou’s nose away.
“Then how am I supposed to eat ? With my feet ? I hadn’t mastered this technique yet but I-“
“I can feed you”, broke in Haixia, meeting hailou’s gaze with a rare intensity, “if you want to”, he added hurriedly, as if in a futile way to conceal the indecent offer he had just made.
Zhang Haiyan remained silent for several seconds, his eyes locked on the pink shade of Haixia’s cheeks while he tried to understand what had just been proposed to him. His heart rate quickened as he finally grasped his request.
“Y-Yes. Why not”, he agreed with an awkward smirk betraying the embarrassment that had taken hold of him.
Haixia nodded too then drawn nearer until he was facing Zhang Haiyan, close enough to admire his deep irises. He took a Lüdagun (rolling donkey also known as fire chop rice cake) from the bag and brough it to Zhang Haiyan’s parted lips, gently pushing it into his mouth.
The mere touch of him on his lower lip almost made hailou fall backward, his blood pumping throughout his body even to his ears. He chewed the treat vigorously, never taking his eyes off Haixia, mesmerised by his presence.
“Another one ?”, offered Haixia and expertly fiddling wih the bag before pulling out another.
“Yes”, was all Zhang Haiyan could manage to reply, stiffened body under the weight of the lamp he held and his heart pounding as loudly as the rain surrounding them.
Haixia obliged and slipped another one through his lips, only this time to be caught between the lips as the sticky rice glued to his fingers. Zhang Hailou swallowed with difficulty, taken aback by the lingering sensation of Zhang Haiyan's finger near his tongue.
“Sorry.”, apologized Haixia after finally freeing himself from Zhang Haiyan’s, his eyes averting the gaze and his cheeks bruning even brighter, a crimson red this time as he brought his sugar-sticky finger to his own lips absentmindly. So unlike of the Zhang Haixia Zhang Hailou knew.
Zhang Haiyan nearly choked at the sight, absolutely captivated by the glimpse of Haixia’s tongue tip swirling around his slender finger. He was distracted enough to lose his balance for split second and let go of the lantern handle. Just as he thought he had wasted two hours for nothing, Haixia’s grip instantly caught both his hand and the lantern. With his other hand, Haixia held Zhang Haiyan’s waist so the umbrella and snacks dumped onto the dirty soil.
Although Zhang Hailou didn’t intend for it to happen, a pleasant tingling sensation spread through his stomach. His palms grew even clammier, enveloped by the warmth of Haixia while the touch on his waist seemed to be branded with a hot iron.
Neither dared to look away or make a sound, only their slightly ragged breathing unveiling their emotions. The rain did nothing to help the situation when a blast of wind blew the bushes and sending them waltzing against the table with Zhang Haiyan leaning against the edge while haixia stood between his legs. Miraculously, the lamp didn’t fall though its flame wavered.
Haixia tightened his grip on Zhang Haiyan’s lean side, afraid that he might slip, his gaze travelling over the other face’s before he settled on his lips. Zhang Haiyan gulped as he realized the position he was trapped in.
“I-I’m okay. Thank you XiaZai…you should go before Shifu sees you.”, Zhang Hailou stammered and wriggled free from Haixia on his skin.
“Hm. Be careful. 15 minutes left”, Haixia responded, stepping back to retrieve the drenched umbrella and the pounch ruined by the water seeping in, “what a waste”, he muttered to himself before retreating to his room.
Zhang Hailou still recalls what this incident had brought to light and awakened within him. He runs his hand over the spot when it had happened with a dejected smile, rolling his eyes as if trying to relive those moments over and over again.
Not in the mood for an early night, he leaves the garden behind in search of good wine, which he easily finds on one of the wooden shelves scattered everywhere. Without delay, he climbs the buildings with ease, weaving between the tiles and window sills until he reaches the slippery roof.
He gazes at the view of Xiacheng imprisoned in a lightning storm, the kind he hates then sits down with a bottle in hand. Water seeps in his bones while the wine he drinks superficially soothes the hole in his heart. Drinking to forget, drinking to escape. Zhang Hailou no longer even knows why he drinks, but he does anyway. Yet, his mind keeps returning to the moments he spent with Shrimpie on that rooftop no less than months ago.
He couldn’t forget Haixia’s laughter echoing in his ears like a melody when they reminisced about their childhood, nor the confidences they shared under the setting sun.
“Do you remember when I said I had no one left in Xiacheng to return to?”, Haixia started, gazing at the vast horizon.
“Of course I do! You sounded a bit dramatic if you ask me”, Zhang Hailou joked a bit before understanding Haixia’s seriousness, “but tell me, why did you say that?”
A sigh escaped Haixia’s throat, pushing himself up with his elbows.
“I truly thought no one was waiting for me here, that nothing tied me to this place anymore despite the years I'd lived in this city”, he began gloomily and took a few sips of wine,, “But I realized something after four years. What we call home isn’t just a place to eat and sleep after work, but becomes home when loved ones await our return’, he continued as he turned his attention to Haiyou, who had been watching him for quite a while.
“So, where’s your home now ? Xiacheng ? The Archive ? Mallaca ?”, genuinely inquired Zhang Hailou, curious to know Shrimpie’s answer.
Haixia smiled sincerely at him, “You.”
An angel passed, leaving Zhang Haiyan speechless and blinking nervously.
“Me ?”, he repeated, pointing at himself like there was another Zhang Hailou somewhere nearby.
“Yes. You. Zhang Hailou”, confirmed Haixia who stared at Zhang Hailou while he moved closer and rested his head on his tense shoulder.
Zhang Hailou didn’t pull away, still stunned by the revelation. There was no reason to react like this, however his heart raced and his head spun not from alcohol for once but from Haixia’s words.
“Why?”
“I don’t need to explain why. You already know it.”, Haixia affirmed whereas he leaned more heavily against Zhang Haiyan while admiring the beautiful view.
“No. I have no clue why, I, Zhang Hailou, would be your home”, he retorted, unable to understand why he, who had caused his infirmity, would be considered by the latter as his home.
“Zhang Hailou. Feigning ignorance really suits you ”, Haixia chuckled and straightened up enough to get a full view of him.
“XiaZai I’m not lying! I don’t know why -“
He was cut off by a brief and tender warmth on his lips. The feel of Haixia’s full lips on his own short-circuited his senses, sucking awat every thought rushing through his mind. That brief surge of passion vanished in an instant as Haixia pulled back, silently studying the puzzled look on Zhang Hailou’s face. He couldn’t hide the flush in his cheeks when he figured out he had just been kissed by Haixia.
“Do you get it now ?”, said Haixia bravely, drinking his liquor as if nothing had happened.
Zhang Hailou didnt answer, far too preoccupied with tracing his lips, hoping to find that same heat there. Nothing in his head was working properly. His brain screamed in horror, repulsed by the idea of being kissed by a man, but his heart begged for Haixia to inflict that pleasure upon him again. He somehow regained his composure, controlling the redness in his cheeks then turned his head toward Haixia, busy counting the few stars blooming in the sky.
“Zhang Haixia.”, he called his name.
Haixia shifted his focus to him, “Hm?”
“You're my home too.”, he declared and pressed his lips to Haixia’s.
Haixia stayed still, preferring to let himself be guided by Hailou’s impulses. Only their lips had touched, and yet it was enough to confirm the mabigous nature of their relationship they had shared for the past decade.
Zhang Hailou drew back once he felt he had truly tasted Zhang Haixia’s lips, left lost in a maze of uncertainty after what he had just done.
“I-I’m sorry”, he apologized awkwardly,
“I’m not angry”, reassured Haixia, reaching for his hand,”i should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry -“
“What are you two up doing up there ? There are more important things to do than get drunk. Into the office. Now.”, Zhang Haiqi souted from the ground floor when she spotted the two of them sitting side by side.
Zhang Haixia pulled his hand right away from Zhang Hailou while he put some distance between their bodies upon hearing their shifu.
“Didn’t she say she wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning? She’s always looking to beat the shit out of me”, Zhang Haiyan complained, using the moment as an escape route from the situation.
“Come on, serious matters awaiting us”, Haixia noted, accepting the veil of ignorance cast over them as Hailou carried him down on his back.
Home.
Now, no loved ones wait for him. Just him and his demons. He empties the bottle, his head growing fuzzy with the cold rain soaking his clothes. With a clumsy leap, he jumps down before resuming his walk along the corridors where he used to push Haixia’s wheelchair, doing everything he could to keep him entertained. His heavy legs carry him to a door he knows too well. His fingers linger on the wooden pattern with hesitat care before he opens it. The damp wood creaks beneath his touch, filling the room with a forestry scent. As he enters, a flood of emotions crashes over him. Everything has been left exactly as it was. From the decorating lights casting their glow across the room, to the ink-stained papers scattered on the coffe table, to the immaculate bed where Haixia used to rest. Only a basin of hot water and a change of clothes neatly folded on the dresser break the illusion that nothing has changed.
Hailou suffocates as he confronted so vividly everything Haixia had given up for him, a thin film of warm tears of guilt in his eyes as his hands clenched into fists. He dares to move around the room, careful to not get the floor too wet and settles into the same armchair he sat everytime when Haixia was being examined by the doctor.
He still thinks he could see his face smile at him as listening to absurd stories for the umpteenth time. But when he blinks, nothing but the empty space greets him, offering a view of the mirror in front of him. The same mirror that had made his heart skip a beat for good on an evening much like this one.
It was pouring rain, and Zhang Hailou had suggested to Zhang Haixia that they take a short walk to clear their heads after enjoying the dishes at Zhang Haiqi’s favorite restaurant. Neither of them had anticipated that a downpour would hit them so they hadn’t brought anything to protect themselves.
“If I’d known I’ would’ve brought an umbrella. Are you okay here XiaZai ?”, wondered Hailou, hurrying Haixia along the uneven cobblestones of the street next to their house.
“I’m fine, focus on not tripping on the ground”, said Haixia, doing his best to make his way to dry ground as well.
It took only 3 minutes before they reached the house and slipped quietly into haixia’s lit bedroom.
“Fianlly, we’re safe”, breathed Hailou with relief before feeling a chill wash over his cheeks, “Soaked but safe”, he corrected himself as he saw his wet shirt was clingling to his skin.
“We should have listened to Shifu, she-”, Haixia’s words trailed off as he looked at Zhang Hailou, or rather at the translucent fabric revealing every detail of his upper body.
He couldn’t help but stare helplessly at Hailou’s muscular abdomen and chest exposed so gracefully before him that it bordered on indecency. A sharp tingling rose in his lower abdomen. This didnt go unnoticed by Hailou who, thoroughly uncomfortable by the situation, cleared his throat harshly.
Aware that he had been caught red-handed, Haixia lowered his head, his hair dripping rhythmically on his waterlogged pants he was wearing, while his fingers crumpled the fabric. Instantly, they both remembered the unexpected confession on the rooftop that had been ignored all week, although it was more than obvious that what had been left unresolved had to be concluded that very night.
Instead of covering himself, Hailou plunged his hands into the hot water of the basin prepared earlierw wringing the excess of water from the towel. He moved closer to Haixia, who was still curled up like a cat that had been startled.
“Do you need a hand ?”, Zhang Haiyan foolishly offered as he tried to remain calm.
Haixia slowly lifted his head, meeting Hailou’s gentle features. Hailou’s pulse increased erratically while his ears turned red at that sight. Since when had his shrimpie been so bewitching ?
“You don’t have to do it. I can manage myself”, protested Haixia, far too reluctant to accept the gesture. He reached for the warm towel Zhang Haiyan was holding with the intent to clean himself up, only to be pulled further out of his chair.
“I want to. Please”, begged Zhang Haiyan in a voice so intimate that Haixia felt a long shiver run down his spine.
Haixia stopped resisting his grip and let himself slide back into his chair, facing his blurred reflection in the rectangular mirror. Hailou knelt before Haixia and gently took his right hand, delicately rubbing his knuckles, then his palm with absolute precision as if he was handling porcelain. Hailou did the same for Haixia’s other hand, paying close attention to his trimmed nails while he suppressed the tremors in his own movements under Haixia’s piercing gaze. Once satisfied with his work, he sought for the face looming over him, his own expression revealing nothing but confused affection.
“Can I…”, Zhang Haiyan started, only to stop short.
“Can you what?”, Haixia asked again, a little amused by Hailou’s hesitation as he was aware of what he was about to ask .
“I mean, can I…”, Zhang Haiyan repeated this time, focusing his gaze not on Haixia’s face but rather on the tight beige top he had in front of him, “clean you more”
Shoot
Zhang Haiyan panicked at his absurd request, ashamed of having said something so ridiculous in his life. What on earth had gotten into him ?
“You-you don’t have to say ye-“
“Yes you can”, Haixia interjected.
“Can I ? Really ?”, exclaimed Hailou, caught off guard by Shrimpie’s unexpected agrement to his request that he almost stumbled backward.
“You heard it right”, reaffirmed Haixia with an even more playful smirk, raising his arms on both sides as an invitation to undress him.
Zhang Haiyan giggled several times before he leaned in close enough to unbutton the sleeves without bumping into Haixia’s legs. Then he moved down to his feet, undoing the collar with questionable dexterity as his shallow breathing grew heavier the more Haixia’s chest was unveiled before him. True, he had undressed beautiful young women more than twice before, but he never had felt this strong sensation engulf every cell of his body. Haixia simply stared at him like a wax doll being pampered by its owner, the only difference being that his skin was burning under the privileged view of Hailou’s neck.
Zhang Haiyan undid the last button just above Haixia’s waistband, finally able to breathe a little more normally.
What seems strange is only strange because humans are convinced of it, Hailou thought
So he grabbed the towel dipped in lukewarm water and ran it along Haixia’s damp sternum like none of it was strange at all. However, Haixia made his task more difficult.
“You can remove the shirt completely. I’m not cold”, Haixia clarified with a mischievous look.
Sly fox, Hailou cursed inwardly but obeyed without complaint.
He set the cloth aside on his shoulder and with both palms wormed between the damp weave of the shirt and Haixia’s glistening skin. Haixia quivered fleetingly at the touch on his bare chest, but Hailou’s burning gaze upon him warmed him right away. Of course, Hailou was supposed to act politely however in the face of such beauty, he gave up all ethics for the pleasure of his soul. His hands picked the same toward draped over him edged closer to Haixia. He brushed over Haixia’s trembling Adam’s apple, then ventured lower into the neck, letting the cloth graze over his nipples.
Haixia let out a quiet sight while he clutched to the arms of his wheelchair as if his life depended on it.
And Hailou enjoyed it. His hands continued lower, imprinting every contour of Haixia’s abdomen which remained in good shape despite his forced sedentary lifestyle. He paused below his navel as he confronted Haixia eye to eye.
“XiaZai…”, he whispered, his fingers curving the outline of Haixia defined hips, “Can I wash your back too ?”
Hailou knew how sensitive that part of Haixiia’s body, as well as his legs, was, but his desire to get closer even more had gotten the better of him.
“I don’t mind.”, answered Haixia shakily against Hailou’s wet hair tickling his nose.
No one had ever touched his back, or rather he hadn’t allowed anyone since it had healed out of shame at bearing the burden of having been weak. However, for Hailou he could set his pride and ego aside to please him just as he had always done before.
Hailou gave a nod, shifting away from Haixia’s mouth for his back. He positioned behind he stood behind the wheelchair, his hands clasping the washcloth against his lower back. He cast a quick glance at their reflection glass, dazzled at the speed with which Haixia’s chest rose and fell.
The view of the permanent burns on both of his shoulder blades broke Zhang Haiyan’s heart. He struggled to hide the guilt while cleaning away the excess of dead skin. The higher he went, the harder it became to catch his breath, his stomach knotting with tremendous sorrow.
“Does it still hurt ?”, Hailou asked as he mildly rubbed against the scar.
“From time to time”, admitted Haixia, unaccustomed to such a personal and thoughtful question.
Hailou bit his lip in regret, his gaze carefully studying the stream of water flowing through the tiny gaps in the burned skin. With controlled slowness, he trailed down his bare arms, the rush of blood blocking his train of thought. He tilted his head enough to feel the warmth of Haixia’s nape against his breath. His mouth caressed him as lightly as a feather, inhaling deeply the fragrance of oud wood that intoxicated him before before pressing a gentle kiss there. He withdrew, watching out of the corner of his eyes Haixia’s body stiffened, reflected in the miror, before he repeated the motion, this time betwee his shoulder blade with greater fervor.
Would he plead insanity if Haixia were to reject him for improper behavior ?
Zhang Haiyan would never know owing to the fact Haixia grabbed his wrist and pulled it firmly closer to him.
“What game are you playing, Zhang Hailou? », Haixia’s voice rumbled as loudly as the pouring rain.
« I’m not playing any game XiaZai… », Hailou explained, running his free hand through Haixia’s tousled hair, closing the distance to just a few inches between their mouths, “I’m truly not.”, he said a second time while he tucked a loose strand of hair behind Haixia’s earlobe.
Oh my, he never had crossed such a line of intimacy with anyone, not to mention that no living being, except Zhang Haiqi, could match Haixias undeniable charm. Lost in the sumptous irses, he stopped thinking and bridged the gap separating them with a hesitant kiss.
The realization struck and as Zhang Hailou tried to lean back, Zhang Haixia parted his lips imperceptibly but enough to allow him to continue. So did Hailou. He lost all his brittle control and buried himself in Haixia’s mouth as his hand clutched his head with a desperate grip, eager to engrave the heat of their contact into his skin. Haixia’s fist on Hailou’s wrist drifted to his collar, drawing him too into this fiery dance.
In less than ten seconds, Hailou carried Haixia effortlessly and shifted onto the bed with him straddling Haixia, being careful to not hurt his legs. He took a moment to appreciate Haixia’s slender body lying before him, then fiddled his shirt until it came off totally, revealing his sculpted shape.
“Do you like what you see ?”, half-joked Hailou after he noticed Haixia’s lingering gaze on him.
“Your tattoo…it does suit you well enough”, praised Haixia, mapping the strokes of the Qiongqi.
“I know it suits me, just like yours”, Zhang Haiyan returned the compliment with his fingers following Haixia’s tattoo as it gradually showed itself.
They shared a blissful smile until they caught their breath, lulled by the steady rhythm of raindrops pattering against the bedroom tiles. Time seemed to stand still, letting them to explore their feelings for one without interruption for once. Zhang Haiyan was the first to move, drawing dangerously close to Shrimpie's face.
“When it’s all over and your legs are healed, I won’t stop at just kisses”, stated Zhang Haiyan who was meticulously appraising the curves of Haixia’s arms until he stopped right in front of his Adam’s apple.
“You’re such an impatient pervert”, Zhang Haixia whispered with a smile, bitterly hiding the cruel fate that awaited them sooner or later.
As if to prove Shrimpie’s point, Hailou rushed to his lips, experimenting all kinds of kissing techniques he had learned from who knows where. Then he seized the opportunity and planted a few long kisses in Haixia's crook, his teeth eagerly nibbling on his skin to the point of leaving faint light red spots.
“Zhang Hailou!”, gasped Haixia, his voice bretaing a satisfaction behind his reprimand…
Until he heard very familiar footsteps coming from nearby, too close in fact.
“Zhang Hailou! Shifu.”, il warned as he reluctantly pushed Hailou away, “she’s coming”
Zhang Hailou froze a second before he leaped off the bed in a flash.
“Shoot! Why is she here?”Hailou grumbled as he tried to put on his drenched shirt, tossing the spare one already laid out to Haixia.
He barely fastened the last button when a knock followed by the door opening with a beautiful pair of legs stepping onto it.
“Zhang Haixia, I need to talk to y-…Why are you here again ?”, snapped Zhang Haiqi, her arms crossed at the sight of Zhang Haiyan’s unwelcome presence.
“Ah right Shifu, can’t a friend stay with his buddy anymore ?”, he blabbled from across the room, exchanging a brief glance with Haixia who perfectly straightened his new clothes and combed his hair.
Zhang Haiqi didnt answer. Instead she swept her gaze around the entire room in a silence. Of course, she couldn’t help but notice the piece of clothing on the floor near the bed where Haixia was sitting, or the water stains on the bedsheets, and certainly not the still-visible tattoo of Hailou struggling to put his shirt on properly.
But she chose to ignore it, for once. Or once again.
“Nevermind, I don’t have time for your childish game. If you’re done, get out.”, she said curtly, pointing to the door.
“Right, right no need to be so harsh with me…old lady”, he grunted as he strided across the room.
“Who are you calling old!?”, she snapped at him.
Zhang Hailou just smugly smirked at her and walked through the room. He glanced one last time at Haixia and winked at him then left the room under Zhang Haiqi’s skeptical gaze.
Zhang Hailou never would have believed that the moment would be the last one he could share with Zhang Haixia. What seemed like a long and pleasant dream came to an end when he became aware of his surroundings once more. There he was still sitting in that armchair in a lifeless room.
“Ah Zhang Haixia, you’re not going to believe this…”, he chuckled, eyes fixed on the bracelet Haixia had given him,”I thought I saw your face again…”
But today, all he had left were fragments of a distant, unreachable past.