when things fly apart [Unknown (TV 2024) Fanfiction 關於未知的我們 ]

across another threshold

The trip back to Taiwan is exhausting in more ways than one for Qian.

First of all, it rankles him that Yuan is so fucking calm, considering everything that's passed between them in the last five days.

But no, Qian had come out to Yuan - his gay not-brother - over dinner, after which they'd spent hours talking to each other. They'd spent days together afterwards with Yuan being nothing but respectful and polite and even brotherly at times.

Then Yuan had shown up for their outing with a cup of tea for Qian and wearing a too-casual, sexy-as-hell outfit that managed to drive home even harder that a) Qian is definitely gay and b) Yuan is definitely not his brother. And he'd proceeded to take Qian to a beautiful garden fantasy-land (okay, it was Brooklyn; maybe "fantasy-land" was a stretch) and crack him open even more, until Qian was unwittingly trapped into thinking about Yuan's nipples.

Oh, and by the way, I'm feeling jealous about you having sex with another guy. Just FYI.

And then every time that thought rolls around, after years of almost never thinking about sex, he starts thinking about it for way too long, in many different contexts, most of them involving Yuan. Which makes him feel very hot, and very bothered.

And then he feels scared, which makes him feel angry.

It's all too much. It's too many emotions to process in such a short period of time, in a place that isn't his home, with too many strangers' eyes and Yuan right there watching his every move.

Although right now at JFK International Airport, as they're waiting at their gate for their flight to board, Yuan is sitting in the chair next to him and calmly reading a book like his entire life isn't being turned upside down.

Because it isn't, Qian thinks irritably. He's been out and proud and into me for four years. It's old fucking news for him.

Bastard.

"What's wrong with you?" Yuan asks mildly, turning a page in his book. It's in Japanese. Show-off.

"Nothing," Qian says irritably.

Yuan doesn't answer, or even look away from his book. Instead, he reaches over and puts a firm hand on Qian's thigh, and only then does Qian realize he's been bouncing his leg up and down wildly for several minutes.

Qian closes his eyes, even as his thigh obediently stops its bouncing. Has he mentioned the touching? Because Yuan keeps touching him. Not inappropriately, just - touching. His shoulders, his back, his arms, his - his thigh, where Yuan's hand is now, squeezing gently and rubbing just a little as if that's going comfort Qian and not cause him to - it's making him -

Yuan takes his hand off Qian's thigh, and Qian breathes a sigh of relief, until he feels Yuan rest his palm on the back of his neck. Irritation flairs again, not only because Qian is overstimulated, but also because Yuan isn't even looking at him, just turning another page in his book, and Qian opens his mouth to snap at him when -

"Nggh," is the sound that comes out of his mouth as Yuan presses his thumb and forefinger in the exact spots in his stiff neck that causes all the pain and tension to dissipate from his muscles.

Yuan finally, finally looks up at him, a small, triumphant smile on his face. "Right there?" he asks, finding the knot that lives in Qian's trapezius and digging in.

"Mmm," Qian hums in affirmative, his eyes sliding shut. Maybe some touching isn't that bad after all...

"Here you go!" Lili's voice chirps happily from a few feet away. She's prancing towards them, clutching an armful of snacks and bottled drinks, having found a canteen to purchase all of them. "Stock up for this twenty-two-hour flight, my dear brothers, we're all going to hate each other when it's over."