Chapter Text
Wedding day
Shu Yi has a moment of panic as his husband-to-be Gao Shi De moves in close, then closer, for their first kiss. Why did we go with a modern, Western wedding? Shu Yi would gladly bow to the heavens and to their parents, bow to each other with all the lies clenched in his fist.
But this -- Shu Yi's only kissed girls before. Nerves, curiosity -- both were present then and both course through him now. Is it the tux? Is it the way Gao Shi De's hair is styled in a cool part? Is it the way Gao Shi De is staring at him, eyes soft and steady?
Shu Yi has no idea. All he knows is that between one blink and the next, Gao Shi De has swept him into his arms, a hand cradling the back of his head and another wrapped around his waist, and Shu Yi's propelled forward, inevitable, into the kiss.
He reaches out, hands landing on chest and shoulder to anchor himself. Thump-thump-thump beats his heart as soft lips, warm lips, I do lips brush over his. When, oh fuck, when did he start kissing back?
Shu Yi's blushing when they separate. He should smile probably, should probably put on a better act. But well, Shu Yi can only manage this much with Shi De's arms still around him, hot. Then again, it's almost summer in Taipei.
~
One month ago at the Zhou residence
"No."
Otousan sighs. "We don't have any other options. And this is their condition for the merger."
"Tousan!"
"Shu Yi! I will add a clause that he cannot touch a single hair on your head or his company is ours and your marriage will be immediately annulled."
"But-"
"Shu Yi," otousan shuffles closer on the couch they're sharing, "I know I'm not a good father. I shouldn't put this burden on you. But I've built this company up from nothing and we're about to lose it all. Can you save your old man this once?"
Shu Yi rolls his eyes to the ceiling and sighs. He knows. He knows the sacrifices his otousan has made to provide for him all these years. Still. An arranged marriage? In this day and age? To a man he barely knows? To a man?
Next morning at Shu Yi's favorite coffee shop
"Why are you doing this? Why me? Why marriage?"
CEO Gao links his hands together and leans across the tiny table. "Zhou Shu Yi, my mother is my world. I would do anything for her. And what she wants is to see me married."
Shu Yi scoffs. Seriously? "Then marry someone you love! What's wrong with you?"
Gao Shi De blinks at him, slow as a cat. And as deliberately, he leans back and takes a sip of tea. "Are you in love, Shu Yi?"
"Me? No." Too late, Shu Yi realizes his mistake.
"And Cheng Yi Group doesn't need my help?"
Shu Yi grits his teeth. "Stock options! Shares of the company. There are logical business deals we can make!"
"Mmm," Gao Shi De nods, almost agreeable. Then -- "But I don't need those."
"Gao Shi De!" Outside the window, a child is skipping along eating a popsicle like nothing is wrong. But everything is. This whole situation is nuts. Completely baka! Business proposals are not supposed to be actual proposals.
"Gao Shi De," Shu Yi tries to reason, "if we get married, you'd be stuck with me too."
Gao Shi De stares at him, calm as anything. "I don't mind."
Shu Yi wants to scream. He minds. He's always thought he would marry for love the way his parents did. And this? This is the exact opposite, loveless, business.
"You really don't mind? What if I'm awful? I'm an only child. I'm told I'm a little spoiled."
Gao Shi De has the audacity to smile. "I'll take my chances."
No! Why? Gao Shi De hasn't cracked once during this whole exchange. Still, Shu Yi had to try. He has to at least make the terms work.
"Three years is too long. Make it three months."
"Three months is barely enough to complete the merger. Two and a half years."
"Six months."
"It'd break my mom's heart."
"A year. That's long enough!"
"Two years. Final offer."
"And if we fell in love in the meantime?"
Gao Shi De arches an eyebrow. "Cheers to love."
"With someone else, Gao Shi De!"
Gao Shi De mimes clinking cups and drinks. And that smirk! Shu Yi wants to wipe it off his face. Instead he grabs his coffee and downs the whole cup in one go.
When he looks up, Gao Shi De is still watching him but the smirk is gone, replaced by a look that Shu Yi cannot read. "What? Do I have coffee on my face?"
"No. Your face is perfect."
Shu Yi rolls his eyes. What kind of line is that? No wonder Gao Shi De can't get anyone to marry him. "Fine. Two years but either of us can file for divorce if we fall in love."
"Deal."
~
Wedding night
"Wait," Gao Shi De stays him with a hand on his arm. "I should carry you over the threshold."
Shu Yi cannot believe what he's hearing. "I'm not your wife, Gao Shi De!"
"Then you carry me in."
Shu Yi stares at him. That's not any better. The wedding has taken the whole day with parties that drained the life out of him. His cheeks hurt from smiling and he just wants to go home and faceplant onto his bed and sleep. And Gao Shi De is what, trying to uphold some stupid tradition for a marriage that isn't even real?
"Gao Shi De," Shu Yi pokes at his chest. "It's not that I can't. I just don't want-" Before he finishes his sentence, Gao Shi De's swept him up in a bridal carry and walked them in. "Gao Shi De!"
"Your shoes, Shu Yi."
Shu Yi bats his hands away. "I can take off my own shoes!"
Shi De does leave him be then and tends to his own shoes and jacket. And then Shi De flicks on the lights and it hits the white of his tux like a spotlight. Shu Yi doesn't mean to look at his chest. It's none of his business. But he's so tired that it's all about the path of least resistance. And right now that's his eyeballs following where the light hits.
"Shu Yi," Shi De thumbs through his phone and comes to sit next to him on the sofa. "It doesn't look like the bed has been delivered yet."
Of course not. The way his life is going, of course the bed they ordered for Shi De isn't here yet.
"Just sleep with me," he sighs. "I'm going to shower."
Gao Shi De's in a V-neck tee and sweatpants when Shu Yi gets out of the shower. The soft white and gray of the outfit and his brushed out hair make Shi De look younger somehow, more vulnerable. Like maybe this is a lot for him too. This day. This marriage. This weird relationship they have now because one of their parents wanted them married and the other one needed it.
"Gao Shi De," he sits on the edge of the bed next to him. "We can be friends, right? We can make this work."
Gao Shi De looks at him with big eyes and smiles at him, soft. "Mmm," he nods. "Friends."
Shu Yi beams. "Good." He flops back onto the bed. Ah, finally! "Go shower. It'll feel nice," he says over a yawn.
By the time Gao Shi De makes it back to bed, Shu Yi's sound asleep. He does wake up once in the middle of the night. And for a moment he's disoriented. There's someone in bed with him. Then he remembers. Oh, it's his husband. And that's his husband's arm he's sleeping on. Comfortable, he thinks before drifting back to sleep.
~
Two days into their marriage, at mama Gao's
"There's the lovebirds!" Mama Gao greets them with warm hugs. "Aiya, are you still working? You should take some time off for your honeymoon!"
"Mom!" Gao Shi De full-on blushes and it's a sight to see.
"Mom," Shu Yi smiles at her. "We're fine. We will after the merger's complete."
"Right? My Shu Yi understands romance."
"Your Shu Yi?"
"That's right! I have three sons now. Here, come say hi to Oscar."
And Shu Yi cannot help but like her. She's warm and feeds them amazing home-cooked food. Not to mention -- and this is the most important part -- mama Gao teases Shi De right alongside Shu Yi. Shu Yi really likes her so very much.
~
A week into their marriage
Gao Shi De's bed never arrived. First it was delayed. Then it was delivered to the wrong address. Now the people who received the bed are refusing to return it.
"I should just order another bed."
Shu Yi burrows under the blanket and places Gao Shi De's arm under his head. A week in and he's already gotten used to this, to Shi De's arm a perfect cushion. "Forget it. Just sleep here. Mom won't like it anyway, if she sees us sleeping in separate rooms."
Shi De tucks the blanket in for him and continues typing one handed on his computer. "Okay."
~
A month into their marriage
Shu Yi's stomachaches have decreased in frequency over the month of living with Gao Shi De. He didn't know this before but Gao Shi De cooks and he cooks well.
"I had to. It was just my mom and I for a long time, and she worked long hours. She taught me how to make scrambled eggs in case I got hungry before she came home. And then she taught me how to make fried rice because it's easy too. I just take leftover rice from the day before and add in the eggs and green onions and carrots and ham."
Shu Yi picks out pieces of egg and ham from the wok and chews. "Mmm! It's good. But you know what would make this amazing? More hot peppers and less carrots!"
"Would aggravate your stomach, you mean?"
Shu Yi sighs. Of course Gao Shi De would harp on that. It was just one time that they had the spicy hotpot when he keeled over after. Just one time!
"Carrots are good for your eyes, Shu Yi. You should eat them."
Shu Yi ducks the chopsticks with the offending carrot. "Then you eat them!"
"I do eat them!" Gao Shi De demonstrates. "But you should too."
"Otousan never made me eat carrots." He sticks out his tongue. It's childish maybe but well, they're friends. He can do this much.
Gao Shi De rolls his eyes at him. "Next time, I'm chopping the carrots finer so you can't pick them out."
"Don't you dare!"
"Just watch me!"
Shu Yi flicks his ear because he could, because Gao Shi De is not going to step away from the fire in the middle of cooking.
"Shu Yi! Zhou Shu Yi, you come back here! I'm giving you all the carrots!"
~
Three months into their marriage
Both of them have been working longer and longer hours to finalize the merger. They're almost there, the end just in sight. The rebranding is complete. The billing system revamped. There's just the matter of finalizing the apps and the last contracts for the reorg.
Then late one Friday evening, Gao Shi De collapses.
Shu Yi's working at the other end of the building with Bing Wei, looking over HR files, when Zhe Yu bursts into the room. "Your!" Zhe Yu pants. "Your lover."
Shu Yi blinks away the words in front of him. His lover? He doesn't have one. Then -- "Gao Shi De! What happened?"
"Fainted. I called the doc-"
Shu Yi runs. He runs as fast as his legs could take him.
He's out of breath and angry by the time he gets there. Fainted? What the hell, Gao Shi De?
Gao Shi De lays pale and still on the sofa as his cousin, Dr. Pei Shou Yi, examines him. Shu Yi doesn't know what to do. The Shi De he knows is competent in all areas of life, competent at life. Then again, Shi De has been coming to bed late lately. A few times Shu Yi had woken to Shi De asleep on the sofa, laptop still warm on his lap.
"What are you doing to him?"
Shu Yi snaps his head up, glares. "I'm not doing anything to him!"
"Hmm." Shou Yi looks at him critically, like he can't trust a word out of his mouth. "Don't keep him up at night. He's exhausted."
"Keep-" Shu Yi blushes at the implication. They're not like that. They're like best friends who live together and cuddle sometimes. "I'm not."
"Hmm," Shou Yi hum in approximation of 'sure, I believe you'.
Shu Yi really dislikes him sometimes.
After Pei Shou Yi leaves with instructions of care for Shi De, Shu Yi smoothes out the blanket over him. "Carrots my ass," he mutters under his breath. "How's it helping you now?"
Shi De turns to him in sleep, a soft "Shu Yi" on his lips. And Shu Yi finds he can't flick Shi De's forehead after all. Not right now.
"Shh. Sleep."
Next morning, still in Gao Shi De's office
Shu Yi inhales the scent of the chest in front of him, forehead tucked under the chin he's starting to know the exact shape and weight of. It's warm and too bright and he makes a displeased noise when an alarm goes off.
"Shi De, off."
"I can't believe this.You're the one that's sick and he's bossing you around?"
"Shh!"
Shu Yi sighs. It's too noisy. Why is Zhe Yu here? At least, blessedly, the alarm noise stops.
"Zhe Yu, leave us. We're fine."
"You're not fine. You fainted!"
Oh, right. Shu Yi wakes up all at once. "Gao Shi De," he reaches up to touch his face, fingers catching on lips, chin, cheek. "Are you okay?"
Shi De's heartbeat accelerates. Shu Yi is no doctor but that can't be normal, even if his temperature feels normal. "Pei Shou Yi said you're to rest this whole weekend. Maybe Monday too. You have severe sleep debt. You've been working too much, Gao Shi De."
"I'm fine."
Shu Yi shifts up a little so he could glare at him. "As if! You rest or I'm never eating carrots again."
"Carrots?" He hears the note of confusion in Zhe Yu's voice. "I don't think I know that euphemism."
"Get out!" Shu Yi rounds on him and startles a quiet Bing Wei who was apparently here all along. "Both of you -- just go."
"Don't yell at him, god!" But Zhe Yu tugs Bing Wei along anyway, as he goes.
"Shu Yi," Shi De says when the door shuts off the outside noises and shuts in the two of them alone. "Thanks for staying with me. I think I sleep better when I'm next to you."
"Baka. Who's the one going off to the sofa to work at night?"
Gao Shi De smiles sheepishly and says nothing, but he does hug Shu Yi and Shu Yi lets himself hug back, affirms that Shi De is here and fine. He'll be fine.
~
Five months into their marriage, chez otousan's
Life after the merger shifts into calmer waters. Shu Yi visits his otousan one weekend to bring some of Shi De's fried rice and side dishes.
"Shu Yi," otousan starts. "You can stop now. You don't have to pretend anymore."
Shu Yi blinks. Six months ago he would have welcomed this sentiment. Heck, even five months ago he would have. But it's been five months of living and working with Gao Shi De and Shu Yi finds that he doesn't mind.
Case in point: last night. Shu Yi came home late after meeting up with his old friends Yu Xin and Zheng Wen for dinner. ("Are you sure he doesn't like you at all, Shu Yi? I saw that kiss at your wedding! Looked pretty real to me." Yu Xin had pointed a finger at him and stared him down. "Yu Xin," Shu Yi had to say, "he makes me eat carrots.")
Once home, Shu Yi padded up the stairs, quiet, curious what Gao Shi De gets up to when he's not around.
And at first he didn't know what he was hearing. Then he realized it was baby babbles -- half English and half Mandarin, all cute and barely decipherable. Then he realized that Gao Shi De was doing it back, all "xiao baby Oscar, ni guai ma? Are you being good for mom? You like this dong hua pian? This cartoon is funny, right? Who's your favorite character? Ni xi huan shui?"
Shu Yi knew Shi De had missed him, missed their mom now that she's taken Oscar back to America to live with Brandon and Ashley. He just didn't realize how much. Shi De was literally cooing at his baby brother, his face pure joy.
Shu Yi kept hidden and quiet for a whole ten minutes just watching, until Shi De spotted him and waved him over. "Shu Yi ge ge is home. Say 'Shu Yi ge ge, hi'!"
"Otousan, I'm fine. It's only been five months. The contract's for two years."
Otousan grumbles. "Two years is too long. Don't you have that divorce clause?"
That divorce clause. They do have it, but -- "I'm not in love with anyone, tousan."
"That's the problem, Shu Yi!"
"Tousan!" You started this, Shu Yi wants to say, but they both know that.
Tousan clears his throat. "How's he treating you?"
"Fine. He cooks. He cleans. We're friends."
"He's not making you… uncomfortable?"
Shu Yi tsks. Truth is, he has been feeling a little uncomfortable, but not for the reason otousan thinks. It's just that Gao Shi De cooks and he does the dishes. Gao Shi De drives them to work and back. Gao She De takes care of him much more than he knows how to take care of Gao Shi De. Shu Yi only nursed him the weekend he fainted, feeding him take-outs and confiscating Gao Shi De's laptop so he couldn't work. That was it really.
"Otousan, let's have some sushi," Shu Yi says, steering them towards a safer topic. "I came all this way so let me order?"
"This brat!" His otousan shakes a finger at him, fond. "Like you don't order all the time!"
That night, at the Gao-Zhou residence
"Gao Shi De, what can I do for you? Is there anything you want?"
Gao Shi De fumbles the knife. "What?"
"Mmm, I'm not good at cooking or doing the dishes. I don't like driving."
"Shu Yi," Gao Shi De frowns at him. "What are you talking about? You're enough. You don't need to do anything for me."
"Because we're not really married?" Shu Yi challenges him. Because what the fuck? "But I thought we were friends."
"We are friends."
"Then what can I do for you, friend?"
Gao Shi De goes still and quiet and Shu Yi can see the wheels turning in that head. It makes him smile. Gao Shi De is such a nerd.
"Can we get you a piano? I remember you played in school. You were good."
"Piano?" Shu Yi is surprised. He hasn't played the piano in years. Not seriously. "It's at tousan's right now. I can get it moved here. Over there in the living room. What do you think? That corner."
"Mmm," Gao Shi De agrees easily. "I'd love to hear you play."
The day after, chez the Gao-Zhou residence
Unlike the bed that never was, Shu Yi's piano gets delivered quickly and to the exact spot he wanted.
Gao Shi De runs a reverent finger over it. As he should.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Shu Yi knows it is. His baby grand is still grand after all these years. After all, its tuning schedule is tighter than some people's physical checkup schedules. Still, he hits a few keys just to make sure.
"Mmm. Beautiful." Gao Shi De leans against the piano, watching him.
Shu Yi starts with the scales then Für Elise then Blue Lover, letting muscle memory take over.
When he looks up, Gao Shi De is still staring at him, eyes immensely soft, entire face immensely soft. "Bravo," he claps.
And suddenly Shu Yi feels shy. "Stop!" He smacks Shi De in the arm. "This is just baby-level."
"Baby-level? Don't put so much pressure on Oscar. I know mom said he's smart but- Ow!"
~
Six months into their marriage
Gao Shi De is finally taking weekends off. Shu Yi wakes one Saturday to his quiet giggles. Shi De's left arm is commandeered as a cushion so he's attempting to muffle his laughs with his right hand.
Cute, the word comes unbidden to Shu Yi.
"You're up."
Shu Yi locks eyes with Gao Shi De and they both lunge for his phone at the same time. "Show me! Gao Shi De, what were you looking at?"
"Funny pictures of you."
"Shut up! I don't have any funny pictures!"
"Otousan gave them to me."
"Liar!"
When he finally wrestles the phone from Shi De, he bursts out laughing. "Comics? Why are you hiding this? I want to read too."
Gao Shi De shrugs. "It's not business news. It's not even regular news. Do CEOs read comics?"
"Baka. My CEO friends do!" And Shu Yi settles more comfortably against Shi De's chest so they can read together.
~
Eight months into their marriage
Shu Yi knows in some distant part of his brain that Gao Shi De is considered handsome by most and extremely handsome by some. But he never expects to see this -- some young, pretty sales rep new at the company openly flirting with him.
"Aren't you going to go rescue ma- your husband?" Zhen Xuan, their eccentric genius CTO, clutches at a cup as he stares down at the scene alongside Shu Yi.
"He can take care of himself."
"Doesn't look like it. Ma bao needs help. I'll go-"
"I'll go!" Shu Yi snaps and then fuck, now he has to go.
"Gao Shi De," he tries to put on a smile as he approaches. And wow, that sales rep is gorgeous up close. What is he doing here? They have that divorce clause after all. Gao Shi De doesn't belong to him. Shu Yi starts to turn around.
"Shu Yi!" Gao Shi De grabs his hand and tugs him back. With a meaningful nod - help me! - Gao Shi De links their fingers and gestures to the girl. "Ms. Lin here was telling me how pretty Lüdao is."
"Lüdao?"
"I'm from there," Ms. Lin starts saying and Shu Yi only half listens because Gao Shi De is squeezing his hand and Shu Yi can't concentrate. What am I doing here?
"Shu Yi and I are thinking of going to Lüdao for our honeymoon," Gao Shi De says, and Shu Yi finally snaps to attention.
They are what?
"We've been married for eight months but we've been too busy to go on our honeymoon."
Shu Yi tugs at Gao Shi De's hand. What are you doing? We're not going on a honeymoon!
"Aww," Ms. Lin misinterprets. "You're still in your honeymoon phase."
"We are." Gao Shi De tugs him closer and leans in for a kiss.
It's a very deliberate peck, the exact sound sequence of a cartoon kiss: mmm-mwa!
Shu Yi's shocked into stillness. They hadn't kissed after the wedding. Not even as a performative act in front of mama Gao. Gao Shi De's lips are still soft and warm.
"Oh no, your husband's shy! That's so cute!"
Gao Shi De turns to look at him and Shu Yi can feel his blush now like a furnace on his face.
"Sorry," Gao Shi De says and pecks him again.
"Gao Shi De!" Shu Yi tugs him by the wrist and drags him to the nearest empty conference room. "What are you doing?"
Gao Shi De looks from his lips to his eyes, apparently unrepentant. "Kissing my husband. Not blowing our cover."
Shu Yi lets go of his arm. Right. Their cover.
Then Gao Shi De snorts.
"What's so funny?"
"You know what that looked like just now? That you dragged me away to..." And Gao Shi De wiggles his eyebrows.
"You're terrible!" Shu Yi smacks his chest. "But don't surprise me like that again. I almost had a heart attack."
"Because I kissed you? Am I that bad of a kisser?"
"That wasn't even a kiss! That was a peck!" Shu Yi regrets saying it the moment it's out of his mouth.
Gao Shi De stops laughing. Gao Shi De steps close. "Then what's a kiss?" He looks at Shu Yi's lips.
"Gao Shi De!"
"For reference. For next time."
"What next time? Do you intend to flirt with every pretty, new hire?" Shu Yi doesn't know where that came from. He doesn't care. It's not- they're married in name only.
"Shu Yi," Shi De frowns as he squeezes Shu Yi's shoulders. "I wasn't flirting. I wouldn't--"
"Wouldn't?" Does he care?
"--wouldn't do that at work. That's unprofessional."
Right. Of course that's what Gao Shi De meant. Shu Yi shakes him off. He needs to leave. "I have a meeting." At least he probably does. And why are their conference rooms so stuffy? There's absolutely no air.
That evening at the Gao-Zhou's
"Shu Yi," Gao Shi De sits on the edge of the piano bench. "You've been playing for the last hour and a half. Come eat."
And Shi De slides a hand under his arm and down to hold his palm, to turn it over for inspection.
"Shu Yi."
"I'm not hungry." Shu Yi is something but he's pretty sure hungry is not the word. Frustrated. A little confused. A little numb in the fingers from playing too long. A little parched.
"At least drink something." Gao Shi De gets up and pours him a glass of water.
Shu Yi takes it robotically and robotically drinks. Even after all that piano playing, his mind hasn't shut off. What is wrong with him? Why is he still keyed up, still thinking about the pecks and Lüdao and that stupid divorce clause?
Guilt? Guilt maybe.
"Gao Shi De," he looks up at him. "This afternoon I shouldn't have said that. You can flirt. We did say-"
"I'm gay, Shu Yi." Gao Shi De looks away.
"Okay? Then you can flirt with guys. We did say-"
"I know." Shi De gets up and strides into the kitchen, pours himself a drink -- whisky.
Other than at their wedding, Shu Yu had not seen Gao Shi De drink. And never this much. Shu Yi doesn't understand. Did he cross a line? Why is Gao Shi De so upset? Shu Yi eats his dinner in silence as Shi De knocks back a glass and then another.
"Gao Shi De, that's enough." Shu Yi gestures for the bottle. "Come on."
But Shi De just smiles at him, cheeks rosy like he's a child broken into his mom's makeup. "Zhou Shu Yi, do you know you're pretty?"
"Gao Shi De, do you know you're drunk?"
"Not drunk. The employees -- half of them are in love with you. They like your style. They like your accent. They like how fierce you are in the boardroom. They like you."
Shu Yi knows this. Zhe Yu and Bing Wei are rumor mill central. It's not like he doesn't know what gets around in the company. And the employees like Gao Shi De too. So what? "What are you trying to say, Gao Shi De?"
Shi De tilts back the last of the liquor in his cup and looks him in the eye, steady, almost as if he were not drunk. "Since you gave me permission to flirt, I also…" Gao Shi De gestures with an arm. "You can also-" And then Gao Shi De lists to his right and almost falls out of his chair.
"Damn it." Shu Yi catches him and drapes an arm around him. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."
Getting Gao Shi De to bed is easier said than done. Shu Yi's winded by the time he drops Shi De's weight onto the mattress. And then he couldn't get Gao Shi De's arms off of him. Turns out Gao Shi De's a clingy drunk.
"Gao Shi De!"
"Shu Yi, am I really a bad kisser?"
Shu Yi sighs. Drunk people are the worst. "You're a good kisser, okay?"
"You're a good kisser."
"Yay us. Go to sleep."
"Zhou Shu Yi."
"What?"
"May I have a kiss?"
"You are so drunk."
"Just one little peck."
"Gao Shi De!"
"Please?"
Shu Yi knows he shouldn't. Gao Shi De is wasted and bound to regret everything in the morning. Then again, Gao Shi De is looking up at him now softly, pleadingly, like he needs a kiss. Shu Yi leans down and carefully, very gently, kisses his forehead. "Sleep."
Next morning chez the Gao-Zhou's
"You did the dishes."
"I had to-"
"Sort of."
"What? Gao Shi De! Why are you soaking them again? What did I do wrong?"
Shu Yi fishes out a plate and looks at it. It's just a plate.
Then Gao Shi De points to a corner and scratches at a speck of something. Oh. Is something wrong with his eyes really? Or is it just that dishes aren't interesting?
Shu Yi makes a face. It's got to be the dishes' fault. He bets if it were a speck on Gao Shi De's face, he would notice.
Not that there is a speck on Gao Shi De's face right now. It's unfair. He was so drunk last night and this morning he looks just fine.
"Are you feeling okay?"
Gao Shi De scrubs at a plate and looks at him. "Just a little headache. It's nothing."
Well then. "Do you remember last night?"
Gao Shi De slides his eyes slow-slow-slowly to the right, to where Shu Yi's standing. "Did I... do something?"
"Did you?" Shu Yi couldn't help teasing him. But at Gao Shi De's frown, he lets it go. "You just wanted a kiss to prove you're not a bad kisser."
Gao Shi De squeezes his eyes shut.
"Don't worry. Nothing happened. And for the record, you are a good kisser. You kissed me at our wedding so I remember. Don't worry about it, okay? If that's what's holding you back from flirting with people."
"Zhou Shu Yi, I'm more worried about our dishes. How does this one still have suds on it? Did you not rinse it?"
"Shut up! I washed it, okay?"
"If this is how you wash… Do you need help in the shower?"
"There's more water in the shower! The spray radius--! Why am I explaining this to you? Shut it!" He flicks the sudsy water at Gao Shi De.
But Shi De's undeterred. "Shu Yi, promise me you'll never do the dishes in the shower."
"Tao yan!" Shu Yi splashes a whole bowlful of water this time and Gao Shi De flings a plateful back.
Within minutes, their previously pristine kitchen looks like a shallow pool. But well, it's just water. They can clean it up.
The real problem is that Gao Shi De is wet. His shirt has turned into cling wrap. Shu Yi has maybe noticed his chest before, that it's nice to lean against, nice to cuddle against, that it smells good. But now it's on full display like it's in some horny museum and- oh.
Shu Yi scrambles away to claim the shower first.
In the shower
Do you need help in the shower? Gao Shi De's words loop in his head like a weed, persistent, annoying.
Shu Yi slides a hand down, palms himself. Tugs and tries not to think of any particular face.
Not any particular voice either.
Fuck.