In Between Us || Zhanyi

|| 34 ||

The cabin was wrapped in a soft hush, broken only by the rhythmic sound of breathing. Zhan stirred first, his body instinctively waking from the sleep he had fallen into. His senses slowly registering the soft weight against his chest. Blinking a few times, he glanced down, and his breath caught as his gaze fell on the figure nestled in his arms.

His husband, Yibo

Zhan's heart tightened at the sight of his husband's peaceful face, the tension from earlier seemingly washed away in slumber. For a moment, everything else faded—he stayed still, his gaze lingering. The soft rise and fall of Yibo's chest, the slight parting of his lips, the way his body fit so naturally against Zhan's—it was almost too much.

Zhan lifted a hand, hesitant, as if afraid to disturb the fragile calm. His fingers brushed Yibo's hair back, a soft caress that was as much for himself as for Yibo. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to his forehead, his lips lingering as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, though he wasn't sure if he was apologizing for earlier, for the past, or for everything altogether. Or was his apology will be enough for his whole life?..........he didn't know, the grieve inside him was huge.

Zhan's gaze flickered to the clock on the wall, reality intruded. 5:45 PM. A quiet sigh escaped him. He could already picture the chaos waiting outside this little sanctuary—missed calls, urgent emails, and people wondering where he'd disappeared to. Normally, he would have been anxious about it. But now, none of it seemed to matter. All he could see was Yibo, vulnerable and serene, as if this fleeting moment could heal the fractures between them. How he wished he could have stopped the time here only.

Zhan looked back at Yibo, who shifted slightly in his sleep, his brows twitching, as if disturbed by even the smallest movement. Zhan's heart melted for this view, his husband lips pasted against his chest curved in adorable pout escaped a slight suppress groan. Zhan smiled as his fingers worked on Yibo's forehead.....caressing and tracing out those wary lines. He pressed a kiss again, this time a longer one, He could feel Yibo relaxing but smiled when he felt Yibo crawling as if trying to snuggle for more.

Zhan's chest tightened. He needs me.

He wished to be remained in that way but a thought crossed his mind, they were here like this quite a long hour, Yibo must be hungry. The thought brought a pang of guilt to his chest. But as the realization struck, Zhan barely registered his own hunger. He hadn't eaten either not just few hours but from last night, but it didn't matter. Not right now.

Pushing aside his own exhaustion, Zhan carefully eased Yibo off his chest. His movements were slow and deliberate, his arms supporting Yibo until he was lying comfortably on the sofa. The young man's peaceful expression didn't falter, and Zhan took a moment to adjust the overcoat draped over him, tucking it in more securely, his hands lingering for a second longer than necessary.

After ensuring Yibo was settled, Zhan stood and stretched, the stiffness in his limbs a faint reminder of how long he'd been in the same position. He walked into the personal washroom of his cabin and with a glance at the mirror, he caught a sight of his own reflection and huffed out a dry laugh. I look like I've been through a storm