Inarticulation (MLM/MxM/M4M ORIGINAL)

Extra Chapter 2: Someone to Spend Time With

Since the events on Bing Chuan Mountain, neither of them had left the house. They didn't need to, and they didn't want to in the first place. It was a draining event, and it only caused both to lose track of time and put on a few pounds. This was by no means a bad thing, as it only made their hours of lounging around with one another all the more comforting.

Still, all of their shared time doing nothing made Wen Jingyi feel as though something was missing in their new leisurely lifestyle. While apologies for his absence had been made to many of his family and friends, he hadn't yet straightened things out with a certain someone.

Or, rather, there were two people he still needed to talk to, but he's working down that list.

Wen Jingyi and Xun Jie had yet to go on their first date together. It was a fact that seemed false upon first thought, but when he began to ponder it further, it only made him feel awful.

This was why he and Xun Jie were walking the streets, hand-in-hand, window-shopping with one another. Wen Jingyi hadn't the slightest idea how occasions like these were supposed to play out other than the couple enjoying one another's company.

Whether they were outside of the apartment or staying in, they were always happy in each other's presence. So, while the date was quite unnecessary, Wen Jingyi still thought it was only appropriate that Xun Jie be able to experience his first ever date.

In their case, it was difficult to tell if this date was going well or not.

Xun Jie was confused. He didn't say anything to invoke this thought, but instead let the emotion show on his face with a quirked eyebrow when Wen Jingyi had suddenly suggested that they leave the apartment for a day. The man was still very much excited to do more exploring with Wen Jingyi. They held hands over the car's center console, shared laughs at several given moments throughout the day, and Xun Jie was still smiling widely by the time that they had finally found a small café where they could eat dinner. Wen Jingyi could swear that he was even kicking his feet giddily as they sat across from one another.

What else could Wen Jingyi do but smile at him?

Xun Jie looked up from the menu on the table and saw his expression. It was as though that smile had been contagious, and soon the corners of Xun Jie's lips curled up, and Wen Jingyi bashfully looked down at his own menu again.

"So," Xun Jie said, "are you going to tell me why you've made today so special?"

Wen Jingyi stumbled on his words before he could even begin to speak. "Well, you could say that today is a celebration of sorts. A celebration for the resolution of Heng'e, our return home, and...us."

There was a short pause before he could manage to speak that last word, and even after doing so, he couldn't possibly bring himself to explain Xun Jie's raised-eyebrow expression.

"I figured that this was that sort of occasion. I have only the smallest bit of understanding these events, and I didn't want to question your sudden decision of wanting to go out because of my inexperience. Though I do wish you had told me you were taking me on a date beforehand."

Wen Jingyi, still flustered by his own words, felt his face growing warmer as Xun Jie spoke.

"In truth, people in this day and age usually only have dates as some sort of test drive. It's to see if the two of them would really be compatible in a healthy relationship, and to see if they can really enjoy being with one another no matter where they are."

Xun Jie had confusion plastered on his face, but he still listened to everything Wen Jingyi had to say.

"I wanted to see if what we had could work outside of both of our comfort zones. You insist on living in this world, with me, and in the apartment, but I want to know if you're fully committed to everything like you say you are, including this relationship."