Strange Love [19 Days Fanfiction - He Tian/Redhead]

Chapter Four ☼ I Walk The Line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line
-Halsey / I Walk The Line (cover)

☼

Hong Fa eventually settled onto the couch bed after He Tian nearly had to use physical force.

"I have to call my mom!" he had protested.

But once he had done that He Tian refused to acknowledge all other excuses. His nerves felt fried, his fingers trembling where he had shoved them under his thighs. The dark haired boy didn't seem bothered by the fact that they had literally just kissed on his kitchen floor.

Rather, he was in the kitchen eating leftover gumbo that Hong Fa had stored in Tupperware in the fridge.

"So what time do you usually go to bed?" He Tian asked randomly, walking from the kitchen with his bowl and moving the pillow he'd loaned Hong Fa so he could sit.

"Uh... late?" Hong Fa shrugged, but a thought struck him. "What do you expect, I'm always here late cleaning up after you, fucker."

He Tian barked out a laugh, "How will you service me now that I'm keeping you even later?"

"I won't kill you in your sleep?"

He Tian chuckled, leaning so close his lips nearly touched Hong Fa's reddening cheek, "Thanks."

To make things worse, Hong Fa wanted to kiss him again, wanted to taste the smoke on the boy's breath. He knew that he occasionally found boys attractive, that wasn't rare, but what was rare was wanting to act on that attraction.

"I think I want to sleep now," Hong Fa croaked.  "I'm tired."

He Tian didn't seem to notice his inner turmoil, "Generally I'd call bullshit, it's not even 11pm. But, I suppose I've made today a little stressful for you, so I'll let it slide."

Hong Fa nodded, watching He Tian get up and retreat to the bedroom with his bowl of food, "Right."

"Night, Carrot Head," He Tian called pleasantly, and then he flipped off the light, shrouding Hong Fa in darkness.

The room was silent, leaving Hong Fa's ears straining for any noise that could come from the front door across the room. Down the hall he could hear He Tian rustling around in the bathroom drawers, could hear him brushing his teeth. Something told him it would feel so nice to kiss He Tian while he tasted minty.

Yet, Hong Fa fell over on his side, pulling blankets towards his stomach at the thought. He couldn't actually be falling for an asshole like He Tian. He Tian surely couldn't like him back. The boy was a flirt, it wasn't rare for him to try to seduce others, but surely he didn't just kiss other people...

It was sending his brain into overdrive just thinking about it, the feeling of He Tian's lips nearly permanently etched against his. He was going to go insane. He'd lied saying he was tired, he was the furthest thing from tired.

The couch was comfortable, but the apartment was cold and Hong Fa couldn't stop tossing and turning. Around 2am, still without the slightest bit of sleep, Hong Fa got up to use the washroom and perhaps splash a bit of water on his face in attempts to calm his jittery limbs. He felt even more worked up than he had running from the two assholes who had tried grabbing him.