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Everything was going fine until the vents started spewing gas.
Luo Weizhao could hold his own in a gun fight. Previous experience had shown he could brawl his way out even when he was vastly outnumbered. But he could not, as it turned out, hold his breath while doing both.
The need for air was becoming quite urgent now, and there were two guys wearing gas masks standing between him and the door. Honestly, he'd really hoped they were done with nonsense like this after the whole mess with the Cleaner's organization. But apparently even drug dealers were getting into James Bond villain shit these days.
A third goon grabbed him from behind and Luo Weizhao slammed his head back into that guy's gas mask—which hurt, damn it—at the same time as he kicked both feet out at the ones in front. All of them landed in a heap on the floor, knocking the wind out of him for a split-second, and he sucked in an involuntary breath. Instantly, the burn in his lungs turned from lack of oxygen to something far more chemical and unpleasant.
Shit, he thought, staggering to his feet just as goon number four came around the corner and charged, knocking his head into the wall with a sharp crack. His last thought before his vision went black was, nonsensically, Pei Su is going never going to let me live this down.
*
Waking up to find himself zip tied to a chair was honestly a surprise, given that he hadn't really expected to wake up at all. Luo Weizhao kept his eyes closed, body slumped to one side, listening for the sounds of anyone else in the room. It was quiet, but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone watching. He felt slightly light-headed—probably the result of whatever they'd used to knock him out—and his stomach was a little unsettled. But no other injuries other than bruises and a shallow cut from a knife slash he hadn't quite managed to dodge during the fight.
All in all, things could be worse.
Unfortunately, being knocked out meant he had no idea how much time had passed. It had been early afternoon when he went into the warehouse, not expecting it to turn into quite the shitshow that it did. What was that saying about curiosity killing the cat? But how could he resist taking a peek inside when he spotted a known low level dealer escorting a groups of rich suits into what should have been an abandoned warehouse?
Luo Weizhao bit back a grimace. The real mistake was not calling it in first. If one of the rookies had pulled a move like this, he'd have bitten their heads off. If Pei Su—
His jaw clenched. He preferred not to think about what had happened the last time Pei Su ran off without telling anyone.
But there was nothing to do about it now: Tao Ze had no reason to believe he'd need back up and wouldn't be expecting him to check in. He'd had dinner plans with Pei Su, but it wouldn't be the first time Luo Weizhao let work keep him later than expected. How long would it take him to get worried enough to make a fuss?
Best to assume he was on his own for the next few hours, at least. As he had the thought, there was the sharp click of a doorknob turning, followed by footsteps. Two, he thought—no. Three people had entered the room. The first pair of footsteps came to a stop in front of him. The others behind.
"Still asleep?" said the closest one. It was a man's voice, deep and filled with a confidence that spoke of a certainty it would be obeyed. "It should be wearing off by now."
"Perhaps the dose…" one of the others said, more diffidently.
"No," the first one cut him off coldly. Yup: this guy was definitely in charge. "He's awake."
A moment later, a palm struck his face lightly, snapping it to the side with a small sting. He blinked his eyes open to glare at the men in front of him. There were, indeed, three of them: the one on the left wore a lab coat and a vaguely worried expression. The one of the right had the look of a bruiser, and seemed bored.
The one in the middle was clearly the boss.
"Aren't you, Captain?" he continued with a cordial smile as his eyes met Luo Weizhao's, but those eyes held a coldness that promised more violence could be imminent. Ah, the one who'd just hit him, then.
The four of them appeared to be in the corner of some sort of lab space; they must have moved him. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, illuminating plain, white walls, metal benches, and various pieces of equipment that were no doubt used to manufacture all sorts of designer cocktails—including the one that had knocked Luo Weizhao off his ass earlier. No one else was there.
Luo Weizhao worked his jaw. "You caught me," he said, shrugging. "Can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"
The boss chuckled. "No, I suppose I can't." At a gesture, the bruiser brought over another chair, and he sat down, casually crossing his leg as he studied Luo Weizhao. The dark suit he wore fit too well not to be tailored, but still had the look of a cheap knockoff compared to the kind of thing Pei Su would wear. "I can blame you for ruining my evening. But you've caused quite a mess, and now I've got to clean it up."
"Sorry to interrupt your plans," Luo Weizhao said. He tugged his bound wrists against the back of the chair. "If it makes you feel better, this isn't exactly how I expected my evening to go either."
Luo Weizhao had sworn he wouldn't let Pei Su hide away in that creepy mausoleum he called a house. But after bullying him into coming over for dinner, now he was standing him up. If things were going to plan, he thought guiltily, he'd already be cooking dinner, maybe making Pei Su help chop vegetables—though he was terrible at it—just to see the cute little look of concentration he got when attempting something he wasn't too sure about.
It was good for him to experience such hardships. It helped puncture both his ego and the bubble of certainty that he wasn't worthy of such domestic niceties. Luo Weizhao had been working slowly and steadily on that last one for a while, and he thought he was finally getting some progress—
But there was no use thinking about that now.
"What would make me feel better is you telling me how much you know about my operation and if we should be expecting any other visitors from your department."
Luo Weizhao made a regretful face. "Afraid that's confidential."
"I thought you might say that," the boss sighed. He pulled Luo Weizhao's badge out of his pocket. "And I expect you are resistant to mere pain. Not that I couldn't break you eventually. But I do have plans, so…" He snapped his fingers and the lab coat lackey hurried over. He was holding a small brown case.
Luo Weizhao eyed it warily. He didn't think he would like where this was going. That feeling was only confirmed when the lackey snapped the case open and pulled out small bottle and a needle.
The boss laughed again at the face Luo Weizhao must have been making. "Now Captain Luo, there's no need to look so alarmed. You're quite lucky, you know. Some people pay quite a lot for the pleasure of this experience. Of course," he added thoughtfully as the lackey inserted the needle into the bottle, drawing out a pale fluid, "we are going to have to give you something of a special dose."
The lackey jabbed the needle into his upper arm, but the sting of it barely registered before he'd already pulled it out again.
"Don't bother trying to yell for help," the boss added, watching him carefully. "These walls are soundproof."
"You're not worried my backup's already on its way?" Luo Weizhao said to play for time. He didn't feel anything yet, but even the quickest drugs took more than a few seconds to take hold.
The boss shrugged. "That location is already being wiped." He leaned forward, smiling again, the unnatural whites of his teeth flashing threateningly in the dim light. "But I'd really like to know why you were in my warehouse in the first place."
"Well, I've been thinking of investing in some waterfront property…"
Casually, the boss reached out and slapped him again. "How long until it takes effect?" he asked his lackey.
Face smarting, Luo Weizhao let himself slump to the side, using the moment of distraction to tug at his bound wrists, trying to see if there was any give. The irony did not escape him: he'd promised to make Pei Su spend a day practicing how to break himself out of zip ties as soon as his gunshot wounds were fully healed.
Once again, his stomach twisted with guilt. They'd barely had a chance to talk since Luo Weizhao pulled him off the floor of Fan Siyuan's torture chamber. First, his sterile hospital room, with its beeping monitors and constant interruptions from nurses and other visitors, hadn't seemed like the right place for a heart-to-heart. Luo Weizhao assumed they'd have time when he was released, but then, for some reason, Pei Su had refused to move back into the apartment.
He worried Luo Weizhao.
There had been a moment, sitting on the bench together on New Year's Eve, when he'd thought they were in sync. But Pei Su was skittish as a feral cat. Even if you only wanted to help him, you couldn't approach him head on or he would run away to lick his wounds alone in a barren alley.
It didn't matter; Luo Weizhao was an experienced cat wrangler at this point. There were many things that still needed to be said, but he could play the long game.
He grimaced. Dying here would be really inconvenient. And Pei Su would likely never forgive him.
"Who's Pei Su?" said the lackey who'd drugged him.
Luo Weizhao blinked and found both of them watching him intently.
"No one," he said, shifting in his chair. The air had gotten warmer; he wished he could take his jacket off. "Hey, how much money did you spend on this place? Couldn't you afford a decent thermostat?"
For some reason, that seemed to please the boss. Luo Weizhao tugged his wrists against the ties again, suddenly aching to punch that smug smile off his face. The boss's smile widened.
"How are you feeling, Captain?"
"Fine," Luo Weizhao said, surprised to find it was true. "Just fine. Maybe you gave me a bad batch."
The lackey holding the needle shot his boss a nervous look. "I can give him another dose—"
But the boss only shook his head. "Does Pei Su know about my operation?"
Luo Weizhao stared. "Why would he know anything?" he asked, perplexed. Pei Su was strictly not supposed to be working on cases while he recovered.
"You seemed concerned about him."
He rolled his eyes. "Of course I am."
Hadn't he spent nearly a third of his life worrying about that brat at this point? Might as well say it seemed like he was breathing—Luo Weizhao spent just as much time doing either one these days. Being concerned about Pei Su was a full time occupation.
The boss cocked his head. "You didn't tell him about the warehouse?"
Luo Weizhao made a face. Geez, it was like a one-track mind with this guy! So annoying. If Pei Su was here, no doubt he'd have the perfect thing to say. Something equally cryptic and infuriating. Certainly, he managed to infuriate Luo Weizhao on a daily basis.
Not that—he didn't want Pei Su here. Not in danger. It would just be nice to see his face is all. Hear his voice say something that sounded perfectly polite unless you knew how to read the laughter in his eyes.
He had very nice eyes.
The boss had a strange look on his face. Luo Weizhao paused, suspicious. "What?"
"I'm sure he does," the boss's voice came from somewhere distant. "But I'm not really interested in your boyfriend's eyes, Captain. I'm really going to need you to focus now."
"What?" Luo Weizhao said absently. "Boyfriend?" His right knee was bouncing up and down. He stared down at it, perplexed, but the movement didn't stop. The sudden need for a cigarette hit with startling violence. His hands jerked fruitlessly for a moment before he remembered the ties. "Shit. Can you reach my pocket?"
It was the boss's turn to look confused. "What?"
"My pocket. Ah, I really want a cigarette. What, you don't allow smoking in here?" He started laughing. "Really strict policies…" Kidnapping police officers? Yes. Smoke in the drug lab? Absolutely not.
"Actually—" the lackey piped up, a pissy look on his face.
The boss cut him off. "Why not?" he gestured, and the lackey made a face but reached over and began riffling through Luo Weizhao's jacket pockets.
"Not that—the left one—my left, my other left," he directed helpfully. Finally, the man emerged with the packet and shoved a cigarette into his mouth with more force than seemed strictly necessary. "Hey!" he protested when the lackey simply backed away, though it came out slightly muffled. "Light?"
The boss held up an engraved lighter. "You have to give something to get something. My warehouse, Captain. How did you find it?"
Luo Weizhao wanted to laugh again. How's that for irony? All this fuss over something he'd stumbled over basically by accident!
The boss's eyebrows rose. He lit the cigarette, waiting until Luo Weizhao inhaled before plucking it from his mouth.
"Accident?"
Luo Weizhao shrugged, eyeing the cigarette. "Wrong place, wrong time." He opened his mouth hopefully, but the bastard held it out of reach.
"Who did you tell?"
Luo Weizhao clamped his lips together, something niggling at the back of his mind. He absolutely should not answer that. It was extremely important.
The boss made a soft tutting noise. He let him take another puff of the cigarette before snatching it back again. "Come on, Captain. Aren't you getting tired of sitting here? Just answer this one last question and we'll be done. Who else knows about my operation."
"Hey," Luo Weizhao protested mildly. But it was hard to stay mad for some reason. Everything felt… fine. Nice, actually. He was fairly sure it shouldn't, given the fact that he was still tied to a chair and likely about to be killed as soon as they realized no one else at SID knew anything. But that knowledge seemed soft and muffled, as though a layer of cotton lay between it and him.
When his eyes managed to focus again, the boss was sitting back, looking very satisfied; a cat that had found a whole jar of cream. At his gesture, the bruiser who'd been loitering near the door started toward him. Luo Weizhao smiled up at him.
"Hey, I don't suppose you've got a cigarette? Your boss stole mine." He squinted. The man seemed vaguely familiar, and was also sporting the beginning of an impressive black eye. "Say, did I kick you in the face earlier—?" The guy pulled out a gun and aimed it at his head. Lab coat lackey made an alarmed sound. "Oops. Guess so." Luo Weizhao gave him a hopeful wink. "No hard feelings?"
"Not around the equipment," the boss instructed. "Take him to the basement."
The radio clipped to the boss's waist let out a chirp.
"What is it?" he demanded, and then in response to the muffled voice Luo Weizhao couldn't quite make out, "What? Who?" His eyes turned to Luo Weizhao's, frowning. "Make sure he's alone," he finally ordered. "Then bring him up. Double the watch outside." Putting it back, he gave Luo Weizhao a hard look. "It seems we have another visitor. Have you been holding out on me, Captain?"
Luo Weizhao flexed his bound hands, perplexed. "I haven't been holding anything."
"Give him another dose," the boss snapped at lab coat.
The soft ping of the elevator down the hall was followed shortly by a knock on door.
"Ow," Luo Weizhao said, looking up to find the lackey pulling back the needle again. "Not cool," he informed him sternly.
Another security goon had entered and gone over to the boss. "We checked him over. No wires, no weapons."
The boss nodded. "Bring him in, then.'
A moment later, the door opened again, and two more goons came in, hands wrapped around the arms of—
"Thank you for seeing me," Pei Su said smoothly to the boss, as though they were meeting for a business lunch. His eyes briefly caught on Luo Weizhao before brushing over him like he wasn't even there. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Heyyyy!" Luo Weizhao exclaimed, perking up. "What are you doing here?" Then he frowned, remembering, "You shouldn't be here." He blinked. "What are you wearing?"
The last time he'd seen Pei Su, he's been dressed in some of the loose-fitting sweats Weizhao had brought him at the hospital. Now he was looked like he was ready for a night out at the club: form-fitting black pants, a silken shirt that hung open in a way that exposed far too much of his chest, and a leather jacket.
Luo Weizhao shifted in his chair. "Where you wearing that to dinner?"
Pei Su looked good. He looked great. Luo Weizhao was going to kill anyone else in the room who looked at him.
"You have five seconds to explain who are you and what you're doing here," the boss said conversationally as his goons shoved Pei Su into a chair then fanned out to surround him.
"Hey, buddy, his eyes are up there," Luo Weizhao called to the one on the left whose eyes were definitely following the V of Pei Su's shirt a little too closely.
Pei Su lifted his hands, appeasing. "My name is Pei Su. And I'm here because you have something of mine."
Luo Weizhao groaned. "Don't tell him that. Why did you tell him that?"
"Pei Su, Pei Su…" The boss looked him over. "Funny how your name keeps coming up. How did you find this building?"
Pei Su smiled. "Oh, that's easy. I planted a tracker on him."
Luo Weizhao's mouth dropped open. "You what."
Pei Su sniffed, finally looking at him. "How else am I supposed to keep tabs on you?"
"You're not!"
And then Pei Su's face twisted into an expression Luo Weizhao had never seen it wear before. "But gege," he whined, somehow managing to peer up at him through his eyelashes, "you promised you'd take me to dinner and then you were late. Again."
Luo Weizhao choked. It was definitely more than a little warm in here.
"You have a girlfriend, a wife?" Pe Su appealed to the boss. "You understand how it is."
"Not really the sign of a healthy relationship," sniffed the lab coat lackey.
"No, I get it," offered one of the security guys.
"I'm don't take relationship advice from drug dealers," Luo Weizhao informed them. He turned to Pei Su. "You little shit," he said, admiringly.
"As fascinating as this is," the boss broke in, looking extremely put upon, "neither of you is going anywhere. Your boyfriend poked his nose where he shouldn't have," he told Pei Su. "And now you have too. So give me one good reason why I should just kill you both right now."
"One," Pei Su, said, holding up a finger, "if he disappears, I won't be the only one who comes looking. Two—" He held up another. "—I'm very rich."
"He is," Luo Weizhao confirmed, "Sooooo rich. Obnoxiously rich."
"I'm sure I can make it worth your while," Pei Su continued as if Luo Weizhao hadn't spoken. Rude. He was smiling his false smile—lips pursed thinly and eyes cold. Luo Weizhao hated that smile. He much preferred the real one, small and private, that Pei Su only allowed a few people to see.
He liked being one of the few.
"I have money," the boss said dismissively, but his eyes had lit up with greed. "What I need is the cops off my back."
Pei Su hummed. "What if I could guarantee his silence about whatever it is he's poked his nose into? And as collateral, I'll provide an investment into your business."
Amazingly, the boss actually looked like he was considering it. Luo Weizhao laughed again.
"Oh, come on," he said.
Surely, no one would actually believe they could threaten to kill a cop and then get away with it? But then again, Pei Su must know that. And Luo Weizhao truly hadn't raised that child to be an idiot, even if he did seem far too eager to throw his life away at times. So he must have a Plan B in mind.
Pei Su's smile had begun to look a little strained for some reason.
The boss eyed Luo Weizhao. "A tempting offer, but I prefer not to take chances." At his gesture, the bruiser grabbed Pei Su's arm, hauling him roughly to his feet. The movement must have tugged at his healing wounds, because he couldn't hide a wince.
Luo Weizhao stopped laughing very abruptly. "If you lay one hand on him, I will rip it off and beat you to death with it," he said very seriously.
The boss rolled his eyes. "Captain, I really don't think you're in any position to—"
Several things happened at once.
Luo Weizhao stood up and charged at the bruiser, swinging around at the last second to whip the metal body of the chair into him as he tackled him to the ground.
Pei Su shouted.
The lights went out. A gun went off.
And then a heavy weight landed on top of Luo Weizhao, silken fabric pressing into his face as the door of the room burst open and familiar voices began shouting commands. For several moments, everything was complete chaos.
Luo Weizhao jerked against his bonds.
"Stop moving. Stay down!" Pei Su hissed in his ear.
Luo Weizhao's head was swimming. "Pei Su? What are you doing?" Pei Su didn't move. Luo Weizhao's chest went cold. "Are you hurt? Pei Su?" He jerked his hands again.
The lights suddenly flickered back to life. For a moment, all Luo Weizhao could still see nothing with Pei Su crouched over him, shielding him from the room. Then he sat up. Luo Weizhao, twisted his neck, straining to look him over, but he was trapped on his side and the angle was too hard.
"Pei Su," he repeated, "answer me. Are you hurt?"
Pei Su patted his shoulder. "I'm fine, shixiong."
"Are you sure? What about—"
"I'm sure."
"Oh," Luo Weizhao said over the heavy beating of his heart. "Well. That's good." He tried to sit up and jerked in surprise when his elbow knocked hard against the floor. Right. Still tied to the chair. "Then cut me loose so I can kill you."
Around them, police had surrounded the members of the gang, who were all down on their knees with their hands up—except for the bruiser, Luo Weizhao noticed with some satisfaction, still down on the floor where he had tackled him.
"Of course, shixiong," Pei Su murmured demurely, though his lips were twitching.
It was too endearing. Luo Weizhao opened his mouth to scold him some more, but suddenly Tao Ze appeared, looming over them both slightly out of breath and looking extremely relieved. "Lao Luo!" he exclaimed, kneeling down by his side. "Pei Su—are you both all right?"
He reached into his pocket, bending over Luo Weizhao. A moment later, the ties around his wrists snapped free.
Luo Weizhao sighed in relief, pushing himself awkwardly upright.
"I'm fine," he said, rubbing his wrists. "Except this. Ow. And that—" He tapped his elbow. It had been slammed into the floor and was now making it's discomfort known. "That kind of hurts a lot, actually." And it was so hot in here, he couldn't understand why no one else seemed bothered by it. He fumbled with the sleeves of his jacket, which seemed stubbornly unwilling to be removed for some reason. After a moment, hands gripped his arm.
Pei Su and Tao Ze were exchanging an unreadable look.
"Hold still," Pei Su, murmured, pulling him free so effortlessly that Luo Weizhao could only stare suspiciously at the traitorous article of clothing once it had been removed.
"—took so long," Tao Ze was saying when he tuned back in. "You took a big risk. When could have lost contact once you went inside—"
"I didn't have a choice," Pei Su said. "They were going to kill him."
Luo Weizhao stared at him, struggling to make sense of this.
"Hey," he said, tugging at Pei Su's sleeve. "Sorry. I was late."
Pei Su's face did something strange. "It's okay," he said, and patted Luo Weizhao's shoulder again.
"It's not," Luo Weizhao insisted. "But I'll make it up to you." He frowned, eyes catching on the gang members again. "You shouldn't be here, though," he remembered slowly. He swung his gaze back to Pei Su, who was watching him with both eyebrows raised. "You want to die?" He smacked Pei Su on the arm, which infuriatingly, make Luo Weizhao sway. "Check him," he ordered Tao Ze, flapping his wrist vaguely at Pei Su. "Check his—the—"
"I'm fine," Pei Su interrupted, having the nerve to roll his eyes, the ungrateful brat. "But they drugged him with something. I don't know what."
Tao Ze's brows furrowed. "Lao Luo? Do you know what it was?"
"Hmm?"
"The drug they gave you, shixiong," Pei Su said very slowly.
Fine, he'd just do it himself, since everyone else was useless. Luo Weizhao narrowed his eyes and began patting at Pei Su's chest, pulling up the edge of his shirt to check the damn wounds himself. Pei Su caught his hand gently but firmly.
"Shixiong… shixiong," Pei Su repeated. Something about his tone indicated this wasn't the first time.
Luo Weizhao blinked. "What?"
"The drug?"
The drug? "Oh." He blinked again. Looked around. Lab coat lackey was lined up with the others. He tilted his head. "Little weasel shot me up." He frowned. "Big needle." He held his hands up to demonstrate. "Biiiiig needle."
Pei Su and Tao Ze seemed to have another silent conversation. Then Tao Ze got up and walked away.
"Why don't we get off the floor now," Pei Su suggested.
"Don't think I can," Luo Weizhao confessed, because his legs were, at that moment, feeling a little disconnected from the rest of him. "Legs are jelly."
Pei Su sighed. "I'll help you. Come on."
And then there were hands under his arms, pulling him up. "Whoa," Luo Weizhao said, swaying slightly on his feet. Then he frowned, remembering, "Wait. You're not supposed to lift—"
"Sit," Pei Su ordered, pushing him into a chair. "Stay."
"Woof," Luo Weizhao said, and laughed at the look on Pei Su's face. His little cat. He reached up, but Pei Su was too far away to pet his hair. Unfortunate.
Things got a little fuzzy after that.
Time passed in fits and starts. Luo Weizhao vaguely registered fingers at his wrist and conversations happening around him, but none of it seemed important. Then a hand, cool and familiar, pressed against his forehead. When he sighed and leaned against it, it jerked slightly, and a second hand cupped the back of his head, as though he needed steadying.
"I'm not going to fall," he said without opening eyes. "Feels good. Hot."
"All right, shixiong," Pei Su said, his voice unusually soft and agreeable. So that was nice.
Other voices were speaking—the words hospital and harmless and sleep it off floated by without meaning. Luo Weizhao had the impression he ought to be involved in whatever discussion was happening, but it seemed easier and much more pleasant to stay where he was. But at last, something must have been decided, because he found himself walking down the hallway, securely bracketed between Tao Ze and Pei Su. Luo Weizhao waved as they passed the line of now handcuffed gang members; the boss glared back. Pei Su's arm tightened around his waist.
"Don't worry," Luo Weizhao assured him. "They won't touch you."
"How could I worry," Pei Su said with a strange edge to his voice, "with shixiong here to throw himself in front of bullets for me?"
"Exactly," Luo Weizhao agreed, then peered at him uncertainly. Did Pei Su not feel safe? Maybe he should go back and make sure things were taken care of…
"Hey, whoa," Tao Ze exclaimed, grabbing him by the arm as he stumbled while attempted to turn around. "The car is this way, Lao Luo."
"But…"
"This way," Tao Ze repeated, directing him firmly.
"Where's my car?" Luo Weizhao asked, puzzled. He looked around. He wasn't actually sure where here was.
"I drove here," Pei Su said.
"Oh. Okay." Luo Weizhao nodded. "Where are we going?" he asked as Tao Ze helped him into the passenger seat.
Tao Ze raised his eyebrows. "You are going home. I am going to go deal with these arrests and see what else we can dig up about the rest of the organization before it goes to ground."
"My report!" Luo Weizhao remembered. "You need…" he trailed off, distracted by Pei Su reaching across his body to grab his seat belt. He licked his lips, staring down at Pei Su's bent head as he buckled him in.
Tao Ze chuckled. "Go home, Lao Luo. I'll take your statement in the morning."
Luo Weizhao frowned. Something about that didn't seem right, but he didn't have the strength to argue. And then the door was shut and the car was moving and somehow he'd lost time again because they were already pulling up at his apartment.
Luo Weizhao went so quiet on the drive home that Pei Su was almost certain he'd fallen asleep. But as soon as the car pulled to a stop outside his apartment, his head jerked up as though some internal homing device had switched on.
"Oh," he said, staring out the window in surprise, but made no move to leave the car. Pei Su sighed and leaned over to open his seat belt for him.
"Wait here, shixiong," he instructed, and got out, walking to the other side. Luo Weizhao looked mildly surprised to see him on the other side of the open door, as though the intervening five seconds had erased his memory of Pei Su being in the car with him. Perhaps they had. But he obediently climbed out when Pei Su reached for his arm, swaying only gently as his feet met the pavement. He'd refused to put his jacket back on when they left; Pei Su draped it over his shoulders now even though the cutting January wind didn't seem to be bothering him.
"I can walk," he protested when Pei Su wrapped his arm around his waist.
"Of course you can," he agreed, and then let his eyes go wide and pleading. "But I've only just been released from the hospital, and my legs are a little unsteady. Surely shixiong won't mind helping me to the elevator?"
"You—" Luo Weizhao said, appearing nearly speechless for a moment. "Well, hold onto me tightly, then," he finally managed, and Pei Su did, so that was all right, then.
And it was just as well, because the motion of the elevator didn't seem to agree with him; by the time they exited onto his floor, he was fairly clinging to Pei Su, which slowed their progress even more. Pei Su told himself very firmly that he was not enjoying the novelty of Luo Weizhao's heavy weight draped over his back, his head nodding against his shoulder. He wasn't.
He was just being a good, concerned colleague. That was all.
Ping Diguo came over to investigate as they finally came stumbling into the apartment, twining around both of their ankles in a way that indicated dinner was both long overdue and immediately requested.
"Your brother will feed you," Luo Weizhao informed him, because even being stoned out of his mind wasn't enough to make him forget to assign Pei Su chores. He bent to greet him—or attempted to—but the movement overbalanced him and only Pei Su's quick grab for his shoulder kept him from toppling to the floor. "Oops," he said, looking slightly bewildered by this change in gravity.
"Why don't you lie down first?" Pei Su suggested, maneuvering him toward the bedroom.
"This is your bed," Luo Weizhao protested as Pei Su sat him down.
"It's actually your bed," Pei Su reminded him. "I'm not staying here anymore. Remember?"
Luo Weizhao's brow furrowed. "But… you're staying now?"
The hopefulness in his voice caused a strange squeeze in Pei Su's heart. "For the night," he clarified. "But shixiong has been through a hard day. He should sleep in the bed and I'll take the couch."
Luo Weizhao's face, which had momentarily brightened, dropped back into a scowl. "You just got out of the hospital—"
"I slept all day."
"—and you're wounded—"
"I didn't pick a fight with an entire gang of drug dealers." Pei Su ran a light finger across his bruised cheek, ignoring Luo Weizhao's flinch. His lip was split, and his arm had nasty cut that they'd bandaged at the scene. His jaw clenched. Even putting aside being shot up with some unknown drug, this had been entirely too close.
Pei Su realized his finger was still stroking his cheek and pulled it back.
"Okay," Luo Weizhao said, nodding as if they'd both agreed on something. "Then we'll both sleep here."
Pei Su's froze. "Shixiong?"
"It's a big bed." Luo Weizhao flopped backward, eyes closing. The corner of his shirt had flipped over, revealing a smooth patch of stomach. "Room for two."
Pei Su's mouth opened. Closed again.
"I'll feed the cat," he said, and escaped the room.
In the quiet of the kitchen, he opened a can of cat food under Ping Diguo's careful supervision, then took a few steadying breaths. Luo Weizhao… was not himself. Pei Su needed to remember that. Things that seemed like a good idea now would not look the same tomorrow.
On the other hand… Pei Su did need to keep an eye on him. What if he started experiencing some weird side effect of the drug in the middle of the night and Pei Su was all the way down the hall? Putting it like that, didn't it only make sense to stay together?
In the morning, surely Luo Weizhao would also see the sense in that. Yes, surely.
Luo Weizhao was exactly where he'd left him, eyes closed, legs splayed carelessly half off the side of the bed. In the intervening minutes, he'd managed to pull off his flannel button down—now abandoned on the floor—leaving him in just an undershirt. Pei Su watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest for a moment, letting it bleed away the terror of those long minutes he'd spent waiting outside while Tao Ze rounded up backup, not knowing if they'd be too late.
If Pei Su hadn't gotten bad feeling and tried to reach him when he was late—if Du Jia hadn't been able to track his phone signal…
"Shixiong." Pei Su touched his arm.
Luo Weizhao's eyes drifted open. "Pei Su," he said, and smiled up at him, open and uncomplicated, as though seeing him was a pleasant surprise.
It was disconcerting.
"Here," Pei Su said, holding out a glass. "Drink some water."
The instructions from the medical personnel on the scene were relatively simple. Luo Weizhao had been shot up with a variation on a known party drug—meant to induce a type of easy-going euphoria according to the gang's chemist, who'd seemed more than eager to try and cut a deal. Pei Su was to keep him hydrated, watch for nausea or other signs of distress, and otherwise let him sleep it off.
Now Luo Weizhao—easy-going, indeed—lifted his head up like a helpless baby bird, which was not in any way hopelessly endearing. Pei Su sighed and sat down beside him, sliding a hand behind the back of his neck to keep him still as he held the glass up to his lips.
"I hope shixiong remembers this tomorrow," he said, watching the motion of Luo Weizhao's throat as he swallowed.
"Mm. So filial," Luo Weizhao agreed, still smiling dopily. A line of sweat was dripping down his throat.
Pei Su put the glass on the bedside table, ignoring the urge to wipe it with his thumb. "How do you feel?"
"Fine. Great." He waved a hand loosely then let flop back onto the bed. "Just fine." He squinted at Pei Su, eyes focusing abruptly. "Oh. I forgot dinner."
"It's all right—"
"I'll cook," Luo Weizhao declared, actually trying to sit up.
Pei Su put a hand on his chest. "Shixiong should rest. I'll order something."
Luo Weizhao's expression took on a decidedly mulish cast. "I said I'd make you dinner. You got dressed up and everything."
A delicate flush crept up Pei Su's cheeks. In point of fact, he had spent an embarrassingly long time considering what to wear tonight. It's not like it was unusual for them to share a meal; they'd lived together in this very apartment for weeks. But something felt different now all of Pei Su had moved out, all of his secrets bared.
Nearly all.
He wanted something to be different. That was the whole point of moving back to the villa.
"Shixiong," he began, trying again to push Luo Weizhao back onto the bed, in a vain attempt to ignore this entire line of observation. "Shixiong, if you'll just—"
But Luo Weizhao's attention seemed to have caught on something else entirely. His head cocked, a Velociraptor zeroing in on some hapless prey. "Shixiong, shixiong… that's not what you said before."
Pei Su blinked. "What?"
"Gege," Luo Weizhao sing-songed, lips curving up into that unnerving smile again. "Luo gege."
Pei Su had a well-deserved reputation for shamelessness. But in the face of this ruthless two-pronged attack, even his notorious bravado faltered for a moment. Blush deepening, he repeated, "I'll order something," and began to stand up.
"Hey, no, don't go…"
Even impaired as he was, Luo Weizhao still had the skills of a seasoned SID officer. With unexpected agility, he rolled over on top of Pei Su, trapping him between elbows resting on either side of his chest, careful to hold his weight off Pei Su's recovering injuries.
Pei Su was speechless for a moment. His heart, unable to keep up with this rapid turn of events, began thumping quite rapidly. One of Luo Weizhao's legs had slotted neatly between Pei Su's; other parts of him, pressed firmly underneath its solid weight, had also begun to take a rapid interest in the proceedings.
There was no hope for it. He could only brazen it out.
Pei Su peered up at him, batting his eyelashes coyly. "Luo gege, this is quite forward, don't you think?" he said.
Luo Weizhao, not chastened in the slighted, merely grinned. "I should sit on you more often. Keep you from running off."
Seeing that his opponent felt no need to abide by the usual laws of war, Pei Su swiftly decided to change tactics. "Ge," he whined. "My wound… it's not comfortable."
This, as expected, had an immediate effect, in that Luo Weizhao moved off of him… only to smoothly scoop Pei Su up into his lap, and unexpected and somewhat dizzying change in position.
Pei Su's memories of Luo Weizhao finding him in Fan Siyuan's lair were fuzzy at best. He thought Luo Weizhao had cried; he knew he'd held him—despite everything, it had felt nice, and beyond the relief of knowing it was all finally over, Pei Su remembered thinking only that dying in his arms wasn't such a bad way to go.
Looking up at him now was an odd sort of d éjà vu. The positions might be similar, but Luo Weizhao's face was no longer crumpled with agonized grief. Instead, he gazed down at Pei Su with an equally agonizing fondness. In neither case could Pei Su bear to examine the emotion too closely.
"Better?" Luo Weizhao said. He looked quite pleased with himself.
Despite himself, Pei Su began to laugh. "Shixiong is definitely full of surprises, tonight. Who could have guess how sticky you could be?"
"You don't have to dress up for me, you know," Luo Weizhao told him, ignoring this. "Aren't you hot? You should take this off," he said, tugging at the sleeve of Pei Su's jacket.
Pei Su raised an eyebrow. "You don't like my clothes?"
"You look good. You know you look good. Doesn't matter what you wear." Luo Weizhao announced, dropping each casual word with the deadly aim of a sniper. His eyes had drifted down to the deep V of Pei Su's shirt, snagging there. Pei Su's chest flushed, feeling that look burn like a physical touch. "But you should be comfortable," he continued after a pause. "I like it when you're comfortable."
For some reason, this comment, low and intent, made Pei Su's heart rate kick up even more. He swallowed hard. "All right," he said. "Then…" He looked up at Luo Weizhao expectantly, but he didn't seem inclined to move. "Ge…?" he tried, enjoying the shape of the word on his tongue.
"Hmm?"
"You need to let me up if you want me to change."
Luo Weizhao sighed heavily. Put upon. As if Pei Se was the one being difficult. "Didn't I tell you?" He tapped Pei Su's nose warningly before at last condescending to release him. "This time, I won't let go."
Pei Su, having at this point taken several hard hits to both his dignity and the more tender emotions he normally tried to avoid, stumbled as he got to his feet, feeling the unfairness of this low blow quite keenly. Straightening, he looked back down onto the led. Luo Weizhao was leaning back on his elbows, watching him lazily, oblivious to having just veered them into such dangerous territory. It would be improper to take advantage of his openness in a moment like this. A better man probably wouldn't.
But, after all, Pei Su had never been under any illusions about the kind of man he was.
"Shixiong…" he paused, then reconsidered his strategy. "Ge, you shouldn't promise things like that. Won't you regret it later?"
"Little shit," Luo Weizhao said without missing a beat, "what regret?" He sighed again, expression taking on a mournful cast. "I already told you what I regret."
He had.
I really regret letting you walk alone in the darkness for so long.
Something went tight and pinched in Pei Su's chest. Like the core of star collapsing before it implodes in glorious supernova.
"Perhaps I did not want shixiong to be dragged down into the darkness with me."
Luo Weizhao frowned at him. "Come here."
"What?"
"Come here."
He pulled at Pei Su's sleeve, dragging him down. Pei Su obediently let himself be pulled in closer, only to draw back with a hiss when Luo Weizhao instantly flicked him on the forehead.
He grinned. "That's for saying stupid things."
Pei Su rubbed at his forehead, scowling at him. "This drug is supposed to make you nicer."
"I am nice. I'm always nice," Luo Weizhao dismissed.
"I'm getting changed," Pei Su told him primly, walking away before he could respond to that as he wanted, then stopped, remembering that he no longer had any sleep clothes at the apartment. Luo Weizhao had brought his pajamas to the hospital after he'd woken up.
"Wear some of mine," Luo Weizhao said, waving at the dresser.
Which is how Pei Su found himself self-consciously tugging on a pair of his worn black sweatpants. Though the two of them were a similar height, Luo Weizhao carried more bulk, and both the pants and t-shirt he'd borrowed fit loosely.
Luo Weizhao's eyes were half-slits when he came back from the bathroom, but they opened appreciatively at the sight of him.
"Here," Pei Su said, feeling inexplicably awkward again. He tossed another pair of sleep pants at him. "If I go order some food, do you think you can manage to put these on without falling over?"
Luo Weizhao wrinkled his nose, comically offended. "Yes, mother cat," he said, then laughed to himself.
Pei Su rolled his eyes. He went out to the living room, pulling out his phone.
There was a message from Tao Ze: How is he?
Pei Su considered and discarded a variety of responses to that before settling on: Fine. If I took video, I'd have blackmail for life.
He pulled up a food app and quickly placed an order of their regular dishes from the place down the street.
His phone chimed again. Be nice, Tao Ze had sent.
I'm always nice, Pei Su typed back, biting back a smile, then stuffed the phone into his pocket.
"Shixiong?" he called, knocking on the door. "Are you decent?"
When there was no answer, he cracked it open, peering in to find Luo Weizhao had actually managed to discard his jeans and worm his way into his sleep pants. Now he was sprawled on his back, eyes were closed, mouth hanging open slightly, bare feet oddly vulnerable looking on top of the covers.
Pei Su let out a long, slow breath, half relieved and half disappointed. So that was that, then. He pulled a blanket off of the couch and laid it over Luo Weizhao. Better that than risk waking him by trying to get him under the covers. Then, he retreated to the living room, where Ping Diguo looked up at him curiously, as though wondering why on Earth he was out here and not in the bedroom where he belonged.
"Your dad is a menace," Pei Su informed him solemnly, and perhaps Ping Diguo had sympathy for that sentiment, for he soon wandered over to settle on his lap, happily suffering his attentions until the food arrived. By that point, Pei Su found he had little appetite, more exhausted than anything; he ate a few disinterested bites, then put the containers in the refrigerator, shut off the lights, and bid Ping Diguo good night.
His tooth brush was still in the bathroom. Pei Su, stared at himself in the mirror. Normally, he would take a shower before bed, but tonight, with Luo Weizhao waiting in the bedroom, it seemed like too much effort.
This isn't real, he reminded himself sternly. This isn't your life. Not yet. And maybe not ever if he messed this up. How could Luo Weizhao ever trust him as a partner if he couldn't trust Pei Su to take care of him when he was like this?
Luo Weizhao remained where he had left him.
"Shixiong," he said, touching Luo Weizhao's arm gently.
"Hmm?" Luo Weizhao mumbled but otherwise, did not stir.
"It's time for bed."
As he suspected, this had little to no effect. Luo Weizhao, once deeply asleep, was not easily wakened. Pei Su carefully rolled him, maneuvering him under the covers.
Then, he hesitated at the side of the bed. Probably at this point, it would be safe enough to leave Luo Weizhao for the tender mercies of the office couch. Pei Su shouldn't be too greedy after everything he'd already been given. But once again, he found himself acknowledging the truth: he was a selfish man.
So after only a moment's pause, he put his glasses on the bedside table, pulled back the covers on the other side of the bed, and climbed in beside him.
All was quiet. With only the light of a single bedside lamp, the room was dim and soothing. Pei Su, extremely aware of the body laying next to him, whispered, "Goodnight, ge," feeling as though he'd gotten away with some clever ploy when there was no answer other than the soft hum of traffic far below.
And then: Luo Weizhao rolled over, flopping one arm across Pei Su's chest. He face lay half-nuzzling the side of his chest, half-mushed into Pei Su's armpit.
Pei Su lay frozen. "Shixiong?" he said after a moment. "Are you awake?"
Luo Weizhao snorted vaguely, digging his nose into Pei Su's side. One of his legs had bent, snaking over Pei Su's knee, a slow but inevitable encroachment of territory against which he found he had no defense. Slow and careful, Pei Su curled his arms around Luo Weizhao, allowing one hand to gingerly stroke across his hair—as though Luo Weizhao was Ping Diguo that first time, and might turn to claw him at any moment. But of course, Ping Diguo hadn't then, and Luo Weizhao was equally docile now, seeming just as content to lay defenseless before him, as baffling as that seemed.
And it was there, in the semi-darkness—with Luo Weizhao clinging like a particularly persistent limpet—that Pei Su found his courage at last.
"You scared me tonight," he confessed, letting the words slink out honestly into the quiet of the night. "Losing you… would be a blow. I don't know that I could recover. So you should take better care, Captain Luo."
At this unusual release of tenderness, a heavy warmth settled in his chest. Luo Weizhao's fingers twitched, briefly tickling his side. And then two eyes glinted up at him.
"All right," Luo Weizhao agreed, awake after all. "I'll take responsibility."
Pei Su sucked in a breath. "Ge," he said reproachfully.
Luo Weizhao only blinked up at him, sleepy and unrepentant. "Ah, Pei Su," he sighed, "I haven't been reliable. This is my fault."
This surprising self-criticism from possibly the most reliable person Pei Su had ever known left him so dumbfounded he nearly forgot his previous embarrassment.
"What is?" he ventured, when Luo Weizhao didn't seem inclined to continue.
"I haven't been reliable," he repeated after a moment. He gave Pei Su's stomach a reassuring pat. "But now I can be. I want to be a person…" he broke off for a yawn, "who can be there for you."
As a speech, Pei Su considered this cleverly crafted to both explain nothing and leave him in more turmoil. Captain Luo, his mind whirled, don't you think you've already done enough? Do you need to do more?
"But why?" the words dragged out of his throat unwillingly. If the answer contained the words guilt or obligation, he suddenly felt he might shrivel up and die right there. "I'm grown now. I'm not—not some helpless…"
"I want to take care of you," Luo Weizhao said simply. Easily. As though it cost him nothing to admit. "Can’t I?"
The plaintiveness of the question knocked the breath out of Pei Su. As if allowing Luo Weizhao to do this would be granting him some great favor instead of a great burden.
I want you, he thought. It wasn't a new thought or a unusual one; wanting Luo Weizhao was the background radiation of being in his presence. But the strength of the hunger that accompanied it still caught him by surprise. He wanted him, and he wanted to come home to this little two bedroom apartment every night, raise their cat, laze in bed together, build the ordinary life he'd promised his mother he was going to have now. The wanting clawed its way up Pei Su's gut, spreading its tendrils through his chest until he was fairly choking in it.
"It's all right," Luo Weizhao said, apparently mistaking his silence for disagreement. His eyes were drifting closed again, but he took Pei Su's hand and raised it to his lips, brushing a chaste kiss against the back. Pei Su's breath caught. "It's hard for you. I won't say it again. I can wait."
"For what?" Pei Su whispered.
"Until you're ready."
The words were so low, he had to strain to hear them, then Luo Weizhao fell silent. Pei Su considered all his plans: selling the villa, moving out on his own, proving he was capable of standing on his own. Then, for the second time that night, he gathered his courage.
"What if… I'm ready right now?"
Pei Su dared a glance down, waiting for a response to this declaration. After a moment, proving the universe indeed had a sense of humor, he got one: Luo Weizhao began to snore.
*
Since it had understandably taken quite some time for him to fall asleep after that, by the time Pei woke up, mid-morning light was already shining through the open blinds.
Luo Weizhao's weight was no longer resting on his chest.
Pei Su took a moment to process this. It was fine. Probably Luo Weizhao had woken up at the usual time and decided to let him sleep. Maybe he'd even gone into the office already. That would be the responsible thing to do; there was certain to be a mess there still to be dealt with from last night. They could talk later. Who knows what he even remembered? Maybe there was no need to talk about anything at all—
Finally opening his eyes, he turned his head… and found Luo Weizhao sat beside him on the bed, back propped against his pillow. At Pei Su's movement, he glanced up from his phone, said, "Sleeping Beauty awakens," and then went right back to whatever it was he was doing.
Pei Su scrambled to sit up as well, carefully hiding a wince at the pull on his healing chest wound. Luo Weizhao flickered to him. His lips pursed. His attention stayed on his phone.
"Shixiong," Pei said cautiously, "how do you feel this morning?"
If Luo Weizhao remembered nothing, surely he would have woken Pei Su up demanding to know what he was doing in his bed?
"Ge," Luo Weizhao corrected absently.
Pei Su's mouth dropped open, a cautious light of hope beginning to burn in his chest.
"Ge," he repeated slowly, "how are you feeling?"
Still typing, Luo Weizhao said, "Just checking in with Tao Ze. Everything's under control."
Since that hadn't answered the question, Pei Su sighed and redirected. "Are you not going in, then?"
Luo Weizhao shook his head. "I have more important business to take care off." Having said that, he tossed his phone on the bed, focused his attention on Pei Su, and promptly shook a finger in his face. "One: what were you thinking walking a place like that last night? Just out of the hospital and already tired of living?" Pei Su opened his mouth to respond, but Luo Weizhao cut him off with a second finger thrust in front of his eyes. "Two: don't let me catch you taking a risk like that again. Not for anything."
Here, at least, Pei Su felt as though he had the higher ground. "Certainly," he said with his most innocent smile, "if gege will kindly refrain from marching into such places without back up in the first place."
"Three," Luo Weizhao continued as if he hadn't spoken, although the tips of his ears had gone slightly pink, "you are going to tell me exactly how you tracked me."
Pei Su nodded. "Of course, ge."
Several things had been occurring to him in quick succession over the course of this interrogation. That Luo Weizhao obviously remembered the night before, yet had chosen to remain here in bed with him. That he was putting on a big act of being irritated, but had actually barely scolded Pei Su at all. That just now, he'd scooted so close their thighs were pressed against each other.
Luo Weizhao eyed him with suspicion, but could clearly not find another reason to complain. "Fine," he said gruffly. The tension in his shoulders began to relax. "Then—"
"As for your first point," Pei Su cut in. Luo Weizhao's head snapped up, eye narrowing dangerously. "I was thinking that perhaps you didn't want to be executed by drug dealers."
"You little—"
Pei Su slung a leg over his hips, neatly depositing himself into Luo Weizhao's lap. Luo Weizhao's mouth snapped shut.
"And I was thinking that it would be hard to do this if you were dead," Pei Su said, wrapping his arms around Luo Weizhao's neck. "Wouldn't that be a shame?"
"Shameless!" Luo Weizhao managed. His face was very red, but both of his hands had anchored themselves firmly to Pei Su's hips.
Pei Su leaned forward, so close that their lips nearly brushed. Luo Weizhao's eyes were very wide. Pei Su smiled and leaned to the side. "I want to take care of you, too," he murmured in his ear. "Or is only shixiong allowed?"
Luo Weizhao's hand tightened convulsively around his hips. "Pei Su," he said in a tight, warning tone.
"Ge," Pei Su responded, and felt Luo Weizhao shiver almost imperceptibly. He pulled back to meet his eyes. "Did you mean your words?"
Luo Weizhao didn't pretend ignorance. "I did." His jaw worked silently. "I said I can wait. You don't have to do this."
Pei Su considered him fondly. This foolish man. "I want to," he said. "I want you."
Luo Weizhao closed his eyes, breathing out sharply. Abruptly, his arms came up to encircle Pei Su's back, pulling him even closer. "Then I'll take responsibility," he said, and pressed their lips together.
Though it was what he had wanted, Pei Su was startled by the sudden fierceness of this embrace; he could only moan and melt into Luo Weizhao's arms, letting him set the pace. For his part, Luo Weizhao seemed determined to make up for any previous hesitation by devouring Pei Su right then and there. He kissed him like a man starving, roaming hands sliding up the back of his t-shirt while his tongue charted previously unexplored territory.
"Ge," Pei Su gasped as his mouth drifted down his throat. He could feel Luo Weizhao's growing erection through the thin fabric of the sweatpants they both wore, and his hips jerked helplessly, trying to grind against it.
Luo Weizhao bit out a muffled curse, and then one of his hands was tugging at the waistband of Pei Su's pants, sliding them down just enough to let his cock bob free. Pei Su bit his lip, watching Luo Weizhao's rough hand wrap around it.
"That's right," Luo Weizhao murmured, "look at that. Look how badly you need it." Pei Su made a small, wounded sound. "Shh," Luo Weizhao shushed him, mouthing at his jaw. "Shh, I'll take care of you."
The slow, firm movement of his hand was a delicious torture. Pei Su kissed him desperately, groping for the elastic waistband of Luo Weizhao's pants.
"Off, take them off," he said against his mouth. "I want to—"
Luo Weizhao cursed again, drawing his own cock out, and Pei Su leaned back far enough to admire it, bracing himself with one hand on Luo Weizhao's shoulder.
"I want to," he said again, and Luo Weizhao guided his other hand down.
"Just like that," he murmured as Pei Su stroked him, voice gone low and hot. Pei Su had never heard him quite sound like that before; the knowledge that it was him making Luo Weizhao sound that way now felt headier than any drug. "That's good."
For a moment, they were moving in sync, breathing as one, racing toward a finish that Pei Su could see getting rapidly closer.
And then his side twinged.
"Ah," he gasped, fingers spasming on Luo Weizhao's shoulder.
"What?" Luo Weizhao said sharply. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Pei Su said, then made a face, because when Luo Weizhao sounded like that, there would be no putting him off. "My side," he admitted. "This position, it's just—"
Luo Weizhao already had a hand on Pei Su's back. "Lie down."
Pei Su sighed and allowed himself to be maneuvered onto his back, eyeing his sadly abandoned cock while Luo Weizhao studied his face intently.
"Better?"
He nodded. Luo Weizhao didn't move. Pei Su endeavored to look like a man who may have recently been shot, but had also definitely been cleared for strenuous physical activity.
He must have succeeded, because after a few moments, Luo Weizhao nodded as well and then promptly reached down and pulled off Pei Su's pants. "Arms up," he directed, and then Pei Su's shirt was gone as well, leaving him sprawled completely naked on the bed with Luo Weizhao kneeling over him still mostly clothed.
"Ge," Pei Su complained, and Luo Weizhao grinned and made quick work of his own clothes as well. And that was—well. That was.
Pei Su swallowed, pulling his eyes up the lean, corded muscle of Luo Weizhao's thighs, his proud cock jutting out below a treasure trail leading to a comfortingly sturdy chest. He licked his lips.
Luo Weizhao's cheeks were flushed when Pei Su finished his slow perusal. "Happy?"
Pei Su hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose you'll do."
Luo Weizhao's lips twitched. And then he was laying down beside Pei Su, leaning carefully over to kiss him without pressing any weight on his side. "Little shit," he murmured against his lips, and Pei Su grinned back at him.
They kissed lazily, some of the earlier heat having died back down to a low simmer. Pei Su was aware of his arousal, but it was pleasant to have Luo Weizhao touching him like this as well, pleasant to have him taking his time. When he grew tired of plundering Pei Su's mouth, he continued southward, pressing kisses down his neck, over his collarbone, onto the burn scars on his chest.
Pei Su shuddered. "Don't," he said. "I know you hate them."
"I hate that you hurt yourself." Luo Weizhao raised his head to look at him. "You won't do that anymore." It wasn't a question. Swallowing, Pei Su shook his head. Luo Weizhao held his gaze for a moment, then nodded, satisfied. "But they're part of you now," he said, tracing one of the scars with his finger. "How could I hate them?" He lowered his head and followed the path of his finger with his tongue; Pei Su gasped, the sensation odd, but strangely thrilling.
While Luo Weizhao's mouth was busy, his hands had drifted to Pei Su's nipples, idly playing with them. Pei Su whined, an embarrassing sound from deep in his throat, and Luo Weizhao made an interested sound, directing his attention with more focus.
"Shixiong," Pei Su gasped, sliding a hand into his hair as he sucked, scraping his teeth gently. When he finished with that one, he moved to the other, taking his time with each. "Shixiong has more patience that I would have imagined." He felt like a bundle of tightly wound nerves, ready to explode.
Luo Weizhao looked up at him and winked. And then he ducked down and nipped at the tender skin of his thigh. Pei Su jerked. Luo Weizhao soothed it with his tongue, repeated the gesture on his other leg.
"Shixiong," Pei Su whined, and Luo Weizhao laughed because he was terrible.
"All right, all right," he said, "Don't worry, I said I'll take care of you," and took hold of Pei Su's neglected cock. Pei Su sucked in a shocked breath, and then he wasn't breathing at all because Luo Weizhao had opened his mouth and swallowed him down, sucking deep. He threw his head back, mouth open in a silent gasp, then just as quickly tilted it back down because he couldn't not look—not when Luo Weizhao's tongue was licking long stripes around the tip, not when his pretty lips were stretched tight, bobbing up and down, his eyes lifted upward to look right back at Pei Su—
"Gege," Pei Su whined, quicker than he would like, but the embarrassment was like a far away country. He was squirming, his fingers convulsing in Luo Weizhao's hair, equally embarrassing words spilling from his lips without permission. "Oh, oh, gege, I'm gonna—"
Luo Weizhao pulled off, stroking him furiously as Pei Su came with a wordless cry. His vision whited out for a few seconds. Cock still twitching, red-faced and heart racing, Pei Su came back to himself in time to watch Luo Weizhao rise to his knees, swipe a hand through the come smeared across his stomach, and begin jerking himself off.
Pei Su made an inarticulate, beseeching sound, reaching for him; Luo Weizhao obligingly shuffled out from between his legs and up against his side where Pei Su could join his hand to Luo Weizhao's, sliding up and down, up and down until he let out a soft grunt and came, spurting hot stripes across Pei Su's chest.
Luo Weizhao flopped onto his back. Pei Su peered down at himself, panting as if he'd been running a race. After a moment, Luo Weizhao rolled over and joined him in admiring his handy work, then bent to lap at the mess around Pei Su's nipples.
"Ge," he yelped, too sensitive, and then had to suffer himself to be kissed quite thoroughly.
"All right?" Luo Weizhao asked, pulling back to look at his face.
"Salty," Pei Su observed, licking the taste of Luo Weizhao from his lips with a thoughtful hum. "I want breakfast."
Luo Weizhao rolled his eyes. "Stay here," he said, getting off the bed with far more energy than Pei Su felt was fair. But he forgave him when he returned soon after with a warm wash cloth and a several containers of leftover take out. Setting the latter aside, he carefully wiped Pei Su clean before bundling him back beneath the covers.
"How do you feel?" he asked, climbing back into bed beside him. "Does your side—?"
"It's fine," Pei Su assured him. "I'm not so delicate."
"I know." Luo Weizhao put his arm around him, pulling him close. Pei Su leaned his head back against his shoulder, marveling at how natural it seemed. "Indulge me."
"I suppose. If I must."
He'd meant the words lightly, but all of a sudden, Luo Weizhao looked uncharacteristically uncertain.
"You don't, you know. If you… that is, if you'd rather not…"
Pei Su listened to this awkward fumbling with fascination. "Is the redoubtable Captain Luo, actually feeling insecure?" he said, deciding to show his embattled shixiong some mercy. "You shouldn't, you know. That performance was quite impressive. Especially for a man your age."
As expected, this retreat to the familiar was enough to restore some of the redoubtable Captain's dignity.
"Why you little—" Luo Weizhao exclaimed, raising his hand to flick Pei Su's forehead. But at the last second, he smoothed it over the top of his head instead, petting him as if he was a cat. "Brat," he said, scowling fondly. "I'll show you a performance."
"Mark your words, shixiong," Pei Su murmured, hiding his own smile. There was a comfortable warmth filling his chest.
They ate some of the take out in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"Will you really not go into work today?" Pei Su asked as Luo Weizhao got up to take the containers back to the kitchen.
"This afternoon," he called over his shoulder.
Pei Su nodded. "Just as well. I have a meeting with my realtor later."
Luo Weizhao stopped, looking back sharply. "Buying more real estate?"
"Hmm, no," Pei Su said with studied casualness. "Selling actually. I'm putting the villa on the market." He looked down at his lap, unaccountably bashful at the last moment. "I hadn't decided yet, where I'll go next."
"Oh no?" Luo Weizhao said in a dangerous tone. He was walking purposefully back over to the bed. "What options were you considering?"
"Well," Pei Su said slowly, drawing out the word. He was still staring at the bed covers, idly fiddling with them as if they were the coin he'd given up. "I was thinking a little apartment in the city. A couple bedrooms. A balcony."
"Uh huh." Luo Weizhao put the take out containers on the floor. He leaned over the bed with both hands braced on either side of Pei Su. "What else?"
"A cat, I think."
"Naturally."
"Convenient to work."
"Sensible," Luo Weizhao acknowledged.
"And comfortable." Pei Su swallowed, finally looking up to meet Luo Weizhao's eyes. His face was very close. Very intent. "It should feel like home."
Luo Weizhao leaned forward until the short gap between their lips closed. "And does it?" he asked when Pei Su had been kissed to his satisfaction.
Pei Su smiled, light and easy. "Yes," he said. "It does."