*****Warning: mild NSFW*****
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Sun He came home and the sound of music coming from inside the apartment made him stop in his steps. His gaze fell on the shoe rack and there was an extra pair of shoes there and Gu Liwei's slippers were missing. Sun He put on his slippers, his heart palpitating. A tantalizing smell tickled Sun He's nose and the most beautiful sight appeared in front of Sun He. Gu Liwei was standing in the kitchen wearing the frilly white apron Sun He had gotten him as a joke for their 100th days. On the dining table, were Sun He's favorite fried fish in sweet and sour sauce, braised bamboo shoots, Yuxiang tofu, stir-fried Chinese yam and fish ball soup. Gu Liwei was stir-frying another dish when Sun He came in the room. Gu Liwei looked up and their eyes met. He smiled at Sun He's sight and simply exclaimed. "You are back! Perfect timing, I am almost done."
Sun He flushed and smiled. "You are earlier than I was expecting."
Gu Liwei laughed and could not help tease him. "Well I changed my flight after receiving a call from a certain someone."
Sun He blushed but his smile got bigger. His heart was fluttering and he did not know what to do. He wanted to kiss Gu Liwei, to embrace him but he was not too sure if he should do that. Not everything was yet okay between them. Sun He uttered that he had to go wash his face and hand before going to the bathroom.
Throughout the dinner, Gu Liwei and him talked about their days. Gu Liwei also described some of the sights and views he was fortunate to see when he was in City N. Sun He's anxiety eased the more Gu Liwei talked because Gu Liwei's every sentence lamented that Sun He was not there with him. Sun He helped Gu Liwei cleaned the table and they washed the dishes together as they usually did after eating. Sun He was sitting in the living room sofa when Gu Liwei came out of the kitchen with a small cake with a single candle on top in his hand. Sun He was confused. He thought back and could not think of any anniversary or birthdays that they needed to celebrate. Gu Liwei set the cake on the table before going to his room and returning with a meticulously wrapped gift.
Sun He stared at him in confusion. "What are we celebrating?" he asked. Gu Liwei sat down next to him and lit up the candle with his lighter. "Well, today marks the 200th day since you accepted me." Gu Liwei smiled. "I know we never talked about it. But, I think every 100 days I spend with you is worthy of celebration." Gu Liwei picked up the cake and held it in front of Sun He. Sun He's vision blurred. He blinked his eyes and stared at Gu Liwei's smiling face. What did I do to deserve such a great man? He thought. Sun He smiled and he and Gu Liwei blew the candle.
"You did not need to get me a gift. I still have not used the drawing tablet you gave me." Sun He said while unwrapping the box Gu Liwei had handed him. "There are no such things as too many gifts for my favorite person." Gu Liwei smiled.
Sun He's hands paused in his actions. In the box was a travel booklet. "I figured we will both be very busy next year. With you possibly starting your own company and with my work, we will not really have any time to go anywhere, so why not go on a relaxing tour beforehand? I was thinking we could leave the night of December 22, spend Christmas in City N, and then head to a ski resort in City D to welcome the New Year. We would be back in Country C on January 3. "
Sun He looked through the booklet and read the descriptions of all the places they would see over the span of two weeks. Sun He had never gone to Country A, and never did he go on vacation for longer than 2 days with anybody except for his parents. Sun He could feel his eyes water again and wondered since when he became so sensitive. He put aside the booklet and the box that he had not finished going through and crawled on Gu Liwei's lap. Sun He could hear Gu Liwei's heartbeat under his ears. "Thank you" he started. "I am sorry… Sorry for pushing you away. I really did not realize I was doing so. It will not be easy but I promise I will learn to rely on you more and I will talk to you about everything. Even if it is a minor paper cut."
Gu Liwei chuckled. He lifted Sun He up a little and had Sun He straddling him instead of sitting on his lap. Sun He blushed at their position and did not dare to look up at Gu Liwei. Unfortunately, he wanted to hide but Gu Liwei was not allowing it. Gu Liwei lifted his chin and their eyes met. "I can forgive you" he whispered, his voice deep and low. "But you have to look me in the eyes and tell me the words that you said when you called me last night."
Sun He shrunk his neck and was looking anywhere except at Gu Liwei. His heart fluttered and he put his cold hands on his cheek trying to reduce his redness. They sat there for a few both waiting for Sun He to calm down. Sun He looked in Gu Liwei's eyes and all he could see was his reflection in those beautiful orbs. He sighed before slowly embracing Gu Liwei's neck. "I…" he trembled. He cleared his dry throat and his gaze travelled from Gu Liwei's smile back to his clear eyes. "I love you."
Gu Liwei's smile widened. He knew he was pushing Sun He a little but he really needed too. He needed to hear Sun He's words in person in order to believe that he truly was not dreaming. What surprised him even more was that Sun He actually did not shrink back after saying those words. His face blushed even more but he still stubbornly kept looking in Gu Liwei's eyes. Gu Liwei tucked Sun He's hair behind his ear and caressed his red cheek. "I love you too."
The young man's eyes widened and they were shining. Sun He was very happy and a silly smile appeared on his face. They both stared at each other smiling like two fools. Sun He did not know who made the first move. He only knew that Gu Liwei's tongue and his were entangling with each other before he knew it. Gu Liwei's arms tightened around his waist as their kiss deepened. Gu Liwei's taste reminded Sun He of home. Sun He separated from Gu Liwei, out of breath. He was home, he thought.
Sun He tried to catch his breath and blushed at the realization that he could feel Gu Liwei's hardness pressing against his. He moved slightly and a groan came out of his and Gu Liwei's mouths. "Baobei, unless you want me to take you right in the living room, you better not move." Gu Liwei held his moving waist down to stop his small movements. Sun He chuckled, happy of his effect on Gu Liwei, however he stopped his actions. "I need to shower" he whispered once they had both calmed down. "Can I join you?"
Sun He blushed and shook his head. "Not today…" Gu Liwei's eyebrows jumped up. Did that mean he could join him any other day? Sun He looked down at Gu Liwei's lips and pecked him softly. "How about you meet me in my room in half an hour?"
Gu Liwei sat down on the sofa in a daze. Did Sun He just proposition him? Gu Liwei was happy but worried. Gu Liwei was worried that Sun He was forcing himself still. He knew Sun He had found the ring. After all, no matter how cleverly Sun He had put the box back, Gu Liwei could still tell that something was amiss. He wondered if the ring pressured Sun He into accepting him. He wondered if Sun He truly loved him. Sun He had this unconscious habit of scratching his ear whenever he lied or told half-truths. Gu Liwei knew that he could not rely on those tell-tales signs to prove that Sun He was not lying when he said he loved him, but he still could not help forcing Sun He to say the words to him in person. Seeing Sun He's sincere reaction when he told him he loved him earlier had eased Gu Liwei's worries but Sun He propositioning him brought these worries back to the surface. Gu Liwei had always been the one initiating any of their sexual activities. Sun He should not be forcing himself again, right? Gu Liwei sighed before heading to the guest bathroom. He really needed to cool off.
Gu Liwei knocked on Sun He's bedroom door and no one answered him. He hesitated before turning the door handle and going inside. "Sun He" he called out. A faint noise came out of the bathroom. "I'm coming. You can sit on the bed. I am almost done". Sun He's muffled voice came out of the bathroom. Sun He stared at the thing in his hand and cursed Gu Liwei's taste under his breath.
Gu Liwei sat down on the bed, his eyes floating from the bathroom door to the bed. For some reason, he felt more nervous than he did their first night together. Gu Liwei heard the bathroom door open, he looked up and his eyes widened. Sun He was standing in front of him wearing almost nothing besides a pair of cat ears and a small underwear, which barely hid anything, with a cattail hanging behind him. Gu Liwei abruptly stood up and his fingers and jaw clinched.
Sun He looked everywhere but at Gu Liwei before muttering "They did not have a bunny costume in stock..." Gu Liwei remained quiet and Sun He looked up and met with his angry eyes. Sun He was shocked and unconsciously stepped back. Was Gu Liwei unhappy with his costume? Sun He took a few steps towards Gu Liwei flinching slightly from the feeling behind him. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.
Gu Liwei's expression worsened watching Sun He's small flinches. Sure enough, he thought, he was forcing himself. Sun He grabbed Gu Liwei's hands and ran small circles on them with his fingers. Gu Liwei stared at his actions and took a couple deep breaths to calm down. He was so painfully aroused and angry.
"You don't have to force yourself to please me. If it's the ring…" Sun He's eyes widened and he chuckled. "I am not forcing myself… I promise. The ring did force me to think. I thought a lot. Thought about our relationship and what you meant to me." Sun He blushed and embraced Gu Liwei's waist. "Then I realize that you have always been taking care of me, silently. You respected and supported my decisions, accepted all my flaws and stepped aside whenever I needed space even if I, myself, did not realize that was what I needed. You were always there and your absence made me feel like I was missing a part of me. I thought maybe I had just gotten used to you but then I thought about never seeing you again and could not believe how heartbroken and suffocated I felt at that thought. I realized that from the first time we met, I started falling for you. I fell hard and fast. I could not bear to lose you. I talked to Ah Jing trying to think of how to show you that I really loved you, but he told me only I would know. So, I thought of this way. This was supposed to be a gift for later. But you surprised me tonight, so here I am." This was the most that Sun He had said in one breath in the entirety of their relationship. Gu Liwei's anger vanished as fast as it came, and he felt his teeth aching from all the sweetness Sun He's words brought him. "Thank you." He murmured.
Sun He looked at Gu Liwei and landed a kiss on his lips. He blushed at the thought of his next actions. Sun He slowly kneeled down at Gu Liwei's feet and his hands reached towards the elastic band of Gu Liwei's pajama bottoms. "You are always taking care of me… Let me take care of you for a change."
Gu Liwei's eyes darkened and he clenched his fingers. Sun He had never looked more beautiful.