Baking with you

16. Taking it easy

Xie Lian waited for a few minutes, but heard nothing due to the falling snow. Then suddenly Hua Cheng showed up at the door, and dropped their bags heavily; he was covered in snow, and, taking his coat off, shook it outside the flat, then came in. He hung his coat behind the door and kept shaking snow off his hair.

"Shit I'm freezing", he said, while Xie Lian got closer to help him. "Can't feel my hands".

Xie Lian held both Hua Cheng's hands together between his, rubbing them to warm them up. "Better now?", he asked, then realised the awkwardness of his actions. He froze, and looked at Hua Cheng's face, his face burning in embarrassment.

Hua Cheng smiled, and said, "You need to do that to my whole body then".

Xie Lian pffted a laugh, "San Lang!", and pushed him away playfully; however, Hua Cheng stepped up, pressing Xie Lian against the nearest wall, getting close, too close, their lips almost touching.

"Do you think I'm joking?", he said, and added, "Gege. You know I'm into you right?

Without thinking, Xie Lian gasped, and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him; it was a soft and gentle kiss, and they kissed again, and then again.

Hua Cheng broke the kiss, and, cupping Xie Lian's face, said, "You deserve better than this. It's snowing, we're stuck here, and we have wine. Let's just... take it easy?"

Xie Lian nodded, feeling he had just been gently rejected, but Hua Cheng held his hand, and they walked together into the flat. It was an open plan: a lounge with two well-used red sofas, a side-table with a lamp; by the window a round wooden table and four chairs, and a counter with a stove and a fridge. Hua Cheng turned the lamp on, and a yellow light filled the space.

"Sit down Gege, I'll get us some wine. This is a French house", he laughed softly, "So of course they have bottle-opener and wine glasses..."

He sat awkwardly at the corner of a sofa, and Hua Cheng, bringing their wine glasses, sat beside him at ninety degrees so he could face Xie Lian. They clinked the glasses and had a sip; Hua Cheng put his glass on the window sill behind the sofa, and, with his face on his hand, kept looking at Xie Lian tenderly, a soft smile on his lips.

He then said, "When I said I'm into you, I don't mean just physically. I can't stop thinking of you".

Xie Lian, looking down, mumbled, "Hum, yeah. You can't stop thinking of me, and all I do is to push you away... saying 'next time'..."

But Hua Cheng just smiled, and shook his head, "You never pushed me away Gege. Every time you said 'next time', it meant there would be a next time so... I was happy".

Xie Lian blinked, trying to get his thoughts around it; he convinced himself he wasn't cut out for dating because well, who would put up with the weird way he was? Such person simply didn't exist, and in the end, he pushed people away, or left them before they left... Was it possible someone like Hua Cheng, who accepted him as he was would actually come by?

He felt his cheeks burning, and replied, "I-I don't know what to say".

Hua Cheng caressed his face lightly, and said, "You don't need to say anything". He paused, and asked, "Can I kiss you?"

Xie Lian nodded, and Hua Cheng got closer for a long gentle kiss. Xie Lian wrapped his arms around Hua Cheng's neck, and they just kissed for a long while, just stopping from time to time to sip on their wines, smile at each other, then cuddle a bit, nesting in each other's arms.

"You must be tired", Hua Cheng said, "We were up quite early. Do you want to go to bed?"

Xie Lian nodded, and they got up and went to check the sleeping facilities.

•

"That's why Shi Qingxuan had that funny smile... there's one bedroom, and one bed!", Hua Cheng said.

"I, hum, can I go and have a shower?", Xie Lian asked; he was totally fleeing the scene, and also feeling self-conscious about possibly getting physical with someone – after a long long time.

"Alright", Hua Cheng replied, then walking over to an embellished wooden wardrobe, he got Xie Lian a towel, and put some bedding out.

Surprisingly, the bathroom didn't look as old as the rest of the house, but had a 1970s feel, with beige flowery tiles all over. Xie Lian took a while to adjust the water temperature on the old-fashioned hot and cold taps, and had a shower, getting himself distracted. He brushed his teeth, got dressed, and went back to the bedroom, where Hua Cheng had made the bed.

"San Lang, you should have waited for me to help you", he said.

Hua Cheng smiled, then grabbed a towel, clothes and toiletry bag, and, putting a hand on Xie Lian's waist lightly, said, "Be right back".

Xie Lian put his stuff on a chair where his bag was, and crawled under the covers; then he stayed lying down for a while, looking at the ceiling, thinking. His mind was buzzing at everything that happened after he was alone with Hua Cheng in this flat! Hua Cheng saying he was into him, pushing him against the wall... kissing him...

Well actually, it was Xie Lian who kissed first, giving away feelings he didn't know himself he had! In spite of himself, he couldn't find fault in Hua Cheng – he was sweet and caring and respected Xie Lian's space... he was just perfect. It seemed he had been waiting for so long... It was all real, Hua Cheng was real! And now what, what was he supposed to do?

Hua Cheng returned, wearing sweatpants and a tight t-shirt, and, looking at Xie Lian, said,

"Gege, if you feel uncomfortable I can sleep on the sofa".

I must look like I'm freaking out, Xie Lian thought, and, turning himself on the side, lifted half of the bed covers, and smiled, "I don't. Come".

Hua Cheng smiled, and got into bed, laying down beside Xie Lian, but keeping a distance. Look how weird I am, Xie Lian thought, that even this crazy sexy guy is kind of afraid to approach, like I'm pure and chaste, holding on to my honour... he sighed.

"You're not going to ask why I kind of... ghosted you?", he asked shyly.

Hua Cheng turned around to face him, and said, "Will you tell me? You don't need to".

Well he wanted to; not that it mattered anymore anyway, but he needed to clear the air.

"We were seen somewhere", he started, "Then there came gossip. You know how it is. They said you fuck around, you flirt with everyone. You even asked Xuan Ji out".

Hua Cheng just asked softly, "Did you get mad at me then?"

"No", Xie Lian simply replied, "I'm not judging you, you can do whatever you want. It's your life – I just, hum, I just got mad at myself really".

Hua Cheng asked, "Who's Xuan Ji?"

"Head waitress", Xie Lian replied, "Pretty, with black hair and a fringe".

"Oh, her", he replied, "Well, I never asked her out. I think it's incredibly pretentious of them to think I'm flirting while I'm just being polite?"

Xie Lian didn't reply.

"What else did they say Gege?"

"I feel a bit stupid actually but – " he paused, then continued, "They said I'm too old for you, that you must be after bright young things like yourself. That I was just being a fool..."

This time Hua Cheng pursed his lips, clearly annoyed, and replied, "What are they talking about? You're just a few years older than me, and you're hot! Are they blind or something?"

Xie Lian smiled sadly; he was feeling stupid. But at the same time... happy.

Hua Cheng caressed his face and said, "Just to make it clear: from that whole shop and from the whole world... Gege, only you, you're the one I want". He smiled.

Xie Lian dragged himself closer to him, and said in a whisper, "I want you too San Lang".

Awww aren't they super cute?! 🥰

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed chapter 16!

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