Zhan couldn't tell how many seconds had passed while Yibo kept staring at him with that unreadable expression. The only thing he knew was that in less than a second, Yibo stepped fully into the room and kicked the door shut behind him....bang!
He heard the water bottle slip from Yibo's hand and hit the floor before Yibo grabbed both of his hands in his own. They were icy cold, as though he had come from an entirely different world. The chill traveled straight through Zhan's body, making him shut his eyes briefly before Yibo leaned in and spoke in that low, quiet voice meant only for him.
"There's a huge difference between stories and reality, Zhan. Everything I told you earlier was just words. What you're about to face now is real. This is a lifetime choice you're making, and I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to be the reason you experience something painful again in this life."
He finished while watching Zhan's eyes under the dim light of the room. Only the bedside lamp was on, and its glow made Zhan's pale eyes shine....wide, intense, devastating.
The way Zhan looked at him only deepened the weight pressing on Yibo's heart after everything Zhan had said.
He said he loved him.
He accepted him with everything he carried from his past.
He stood in front of him with complete honesty, giving him a value Yibo himself had never given himself.
Zhan's hair was still wet, some strands falling over his skin, others clinging to his neck. Yibo felt the urge to reach out, to run his fingers through that hair, to feel the warmth of his skin...maybe even feel the pulse beneath it. He swallowed and tried to steady himself as Zhan began to speak.
"You are not going to hurt me. I'll just be facing something with you....something that we have to face if our life is going to move forward."
He paused, then continued:
"Nothing in this life goes perfectly. Everything comes with challenges. My life isn't perfect either, Yibo-ge. I grew up with a lot of gaps and flaws, and yet we keep living. Whether you want it or not, life doesn't stop. Time keeps moving forward."
Every word sank into Yibo's mind and stayed there. They added to the storm already in his chest, mixing shock with gratitude that fate had somehow brought Zhan into his life.
He swallowed again, tightened his grip on Zhan's hands, and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. Zhan's warmth and the scent of his soap filled his senses. He breathed him in as though Zhan were the only air he needed.
Zhan's fingers were small in his hands....slender, fragile, as though they could break from a single touch. Yet he held on, forcing his voice out.
"I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you, Zhan. I don't know what I did to be given you in my life, but I promise you… I will never make you regret this decision. I'll spend the rest of my life proving that you didn't make a mistake."
He felt Zhan nod gently against his forehead.
"Same with me."
At the same time, Zhan tried to move away, but Yibo quickly pulled him back, wrapping an arm around his back.
"Where are you going?"
he asked quietly, his face still close to Zhan's.
Zhan met his gaze.
"I'm going to put on clothes. I just took a shower."
Yibo swallowed again before replying:
"You don't have to. Just stay like this… don't you remember saying you fucking want to sleep with me"
Zhan didn't know when he smiled, but he slipped out of Yibo's hold this time. With a small victorious smile, he looked at him...but Yibo started walking toward him.
One step, two steps.
Zhan stepped back, and Yibo kept advancing until Zhan's back hit the wall, trapped between the wall and Yibo's body. Yibo placed both palms on his face, holding him in place just as Zhan's lips parted and a soft, helpless plea escaped him...one he himself didn't fully understand.
"Please…"
Zhan whispered as he looked at him.
Yibo lowered his forehead to Zhan's, letting out a slow breath that brushed warmly across Zhan's skin before he spoke.
"If you want me to stop… then say again what you told me earlier."
Zhan pulled his face back slightly, his brows drawing together in thought. He paused for a few seconds before understanding what Yibo meant.
His eyes widened.
He meant those words.
I love you.
Something inside Zhan's chest shifted...something bold and unfamiliar gave him courage. He placed both hands on Yibo's chest, feeling the steady beat beneath his palms. Yibo looked down at his hands in surprise, then back up at him.
Zhan bit his lower lip, his heart racing. But instead of saying it, that nervous spark pushed him to tease instead. He shook his head.
"I said a lot of things. I don't know which one you mean."
Yibo's eyes darkened slightly. That wasn't what he wanted.
"You know exactly what I mean,"
he said softly.
"Say it again, Zhan."
Zhan shook his head again.
"The topic we were talking about?"
He asked innocently. Yibo only pulled him closer until their foreheads touched again.
"You said you love me."
Zhan couldn't meet his eyes this time.
"Did I really?"
He asked, pretending to doubt it.
To his surprise, Yibo leaned in and brushed soft kisses across his cheeks, slow and careful, before whispering:
"You know what I mean. Say it again. Let me hear it."
Zhan smiled, his eyes closing as his voice came out soft and trembling.
"I love you. I want to live my life with you, as your partner."
Yibo let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes, as if the words had struck something deep inside him.
"Say it again…"
There was a brief silence as Zhan gathered his courage, then his voice came again, right against Yibo's ear.
"I love you, Yibo."
When Yibo opened his eyes and looked at him, Zhan barely recognized the man he knew...his expression was intense, vulnerable, and completely undone.
"One more time."
Zhan tightened his grip on Yibo's shirt and whispered again:
"I love you so much, Yibo."
Yibo's voice came out low and shaken.
"I love you too. And I always will."
Warmth flooded Zhan's chest, his eyes burning with emotion. Their gazes locked, thoughts moving in the same direction. Yibo's eyes slowly drifted to Zhan's lips. Nervousness made Zhan bite his lower lip, but he heard a soft sound from Yibo...something between a breath and a quiet groan.
There was fear in Yibo's eyes, like he was afraid to cross the distance between them. But Zhan decided to follow his heart.
He rose onto his toes, cupped Yibo's face, and gently brushed his lips against Yibo's.
His legs felt weak, heat spreading through him, as if every feeling he had ever carried had gathered into that single moment. His face burned with the weight of what he had done.
"Zhaaan…"
Yibo's voice was low when he spoke again.
"May I kiss you?"
The question surprised him, but Zhan nodded slowly. Yibo leaned in, holding him firmly, and their lips met fully this time....careful, deep, like he was afraid of losing him.
Yibo lifted him into his arms, pulling him closer until Zhan's hands wrapped around his neck. The world around them faded, leaving only the warmth of their bodies and the sound of their breathing.
Even then, Yibo held him with tenderness, as if Zhan were something fragile he could never afford to break.
The last thing Zhan remembered was his back landed on the bed beneath him and the laud crash of the bedside lamp hitting the floor, its light scattering across the room.
(That is all i have to give you 🫣😉 and yes they did it...they sleep with each other 😜)
✺✺✺
"You didn't look down on me. You built the foundation of love." ..... Zhan
Zhan's eyes opened slowly, feeling as though he were rising from warm water. His eyelids were heavy, and he shifted slightly, his hand resting on Yibo's body, which he was almost lying on. Slowly, he adjusted his position, settling his face into the hollow of Yibo's neck.
His eyes still felt heavy as fragments of memories and sensations stirred inside him. His body responded faintly to thoughts he could barely recall, as if embarrassment itself was blocking the details from his mind.
He blinked, then opened his eyes again. The first thing he saw was Yibo's face...his profile clean and sharp in the soft morning light. His chest moved steadily with each breath, calm, certain, protective. Zhan's hands rested on his chest, while Yibo's arms were wrapped firmly around his waist, both hands beneath the thin shirt Zhan had put on at dawn. The shirt was light and reached his knees, but the way Yibo held him made it feel like it had been pulled halfway up his body.
His breath caught as the memories he had been avoiding came flooding back.
Last night…
Everything that had happened between them was nothing like the stories he had heard, read, or imagined.
It hadn't been sudden. It hadn't been easy.
There had been pain, tears he hadn't expected, confusion as his body tried to accept something completely new. But there had been no force, no rush.
The way Yibo had held him....like something fragile he was afraid to break...and the gentle words he had whispered into his ear had eased most of his fear and confusion.
Zhan didn't know how many times Yibo had stopped to ask him if he was okay or they should stop. And through everything, he realized he had discovered a feeling he never knew existed, something that had spread through his body and mind, touching every part of him.
Even after they had finally calmed down, Zhan kept watching Yibo. The duvet covered them up to Yibo's waist. Slowly, Zhan traced his fingers across Yibo's chest...firm, steady, like a solid wall. He remembered how different Yibo had felt the night before. He slowly moved his hand lower, feeling the warmth of Yibo's skin...when suddenly, the world shifted.
In one swift movement, Yibo opened his eyes, tightened his hold on Zhan, and rolled them slightly so that Zhan ended up lying on the pillow beneath him.
A startled sound escaped Zhan's lips as his head sank into the pillow.
So Yibo had been awake?
Had he been watching him this whole time?
Yibo brushed his nose lightly against Zhan's neck, moving slowly, deliberately, making warmth spread through Zhan's body. His breath fanned against Zhan's skin as he pressed his lips to the sensitive spot behind his ear.
A soft smile appeared on Zhan's lips as he whispered,
"So you were awake?"
"Mm,"
Yibo answered in a low voice against his ear, tightening one hand around Zhan's waist while the other reached for Zhan's hand, intertwining their fingers.
Zhan felt trapped in his arms...yet protected, safe, completely secure.
He swallowed as Yibo lifted his head and their eyes met. In Yibo's gaze, Zhan saw many things...beyond what he had seen last night, there was something else, something that made him feel strangely fortunate. A feeling that said he had been seen, chosen, cherished.
Yibo brushed a stray lock of hair from Zhan's face with the back of his hand. Without thinking, Zhan lifted both hands and held Yibo's face. Yibo leaned into his touch, pressing a kiss into Zhan's palm in a way that made his heart ache.
"How do you feel?" Yibo asked.
Zhan's breath caught before he answered.
"I'm okay. What about you?"
Yibo smiled, almost laughing.
"Better than I deserve."
He leaned in, brushing a kiss against the corner of Zhan's lips, then slowly traced a path down to his throat. Something shivered through Zhan all the way to his toes before Yibo lifted his head again and looked at him.
Zhan's eyes drifted to something he had noticed the night before...a mark on Yibo's shoulder. He reached out and gently touched it.
Yibo turned and looked at where Zhan's hand rested on the scar, then gave a faint smile.
"That wound…?" he asked, then continued without waiting.
"I got it when I was with Malo. There was a fight. I stepped in to stop someone, not knowing the other person was holding a weapon. He cut me. It was deep...that's why it left that scar."
Zhan's breath caught in his chest. Without thinking, he lifted his face and pressed his lips gently against the mark.
Yibo's body stiffened for a moment, not from pain, but from something deep that filled his heart.
Something like acceptance.
"That time is over. It will never come back,"
Zhan said softly as he pulled back.
Yibo looked at him and slowly shook his head.
"I don't know what I did in this life to deserve meeting you."
Zhan only smiled.
"Just say thank you."
Yibo bowed his head slightly and started repeating playfully,
"Thank you…
Thank you…
Thank you…"
Zhan covered his mouth to hold back his laughter. Yibo laughed too, squeezing his hand.
"I'm hungry. Let's go downstairs and find something to eat."
Zhan nodded.
"You go first. I'll come down later."
Because of how his body felt, he knew his legs wouldn't cooperate unless he took a warm shower first.
When Zhan came downstairs, he had changed into a soft peach-colored satin outfit that hugged his body gently. He wore a cap, leaving part of his hair uncovered, and the faint scent of his perfume followed him like a second skin.
The kitchen was bright with morning sunlight. Yibo stood there, dressed in dark trousers and a white short-sleeved T-shirt, barefoot, his hair damp and unstyled. He was stirring something on the gas stove, and Zhan still found himself amazed that Yibo could cook.
The smell of onions frying in oil wrapped around his senses. It was as if Yibo sensed him, because he turned and looked at him. His eyes lingered on Zhan as if he were memorizing him, then he smiled softly. Zhan's heart tightened at the look in his eyes.
"Good morning," Zhan said with a small smile.
Yibo extended his hand.
"Come here."
Zhan took his hand, and Yibo pulled him fully into his chest. He inhaled Zhan's scent deeply.
"You look breathtaking… You look really good."
Instead of responding, Zhan said,
"I'm no longer surprised that you can cook."
"Not just cooking," Yibo replied. "From now on, you won't be surprised about anything concerning me."
Zhan nodded and looked at the frying pan full of onions and oil.
"What are you making?"
Yibo turned the pan toward him, then stood behind him, handing him a wooden spoon.
"Stir."
He leaned close to Zhan's ear as Zhan started stirring, then gently placed his hand over Zhan's to guide the movement.
"What is it? Please tell me."
"I want you to look closely and tell me."
Zhan narrowed his eyes thoughtfully just as Yibo leaned down, inhaling his scent again.
His heart jumped.
"Yibo…" he whispered.
"Hm?"
"You're distracting me."
Zhan felt Yibo's smile against his neck.
"That's the point. I wanted to be sure of that."
He blew softly against the back of Zhan's neck. Zhan almost dropped the spoon.
Yibo laughed and reached for a bowl filled with beaten eggs.
"This is my signature way of frying eggs. No one in the world can do it like me."
He poured the eggs into the onions.
Zhan watched him stir, his gaze drifting to the veins on Yibo's hands and how naturally he moved. He didn't look like the hospital doctor he knew...domestic life suited him perfectly.
"What are you looking at?" Yibo asked without turning.
"You're… good at this. You're really skilled," Zhan said softly.
Yibo glanced at him, one eyebrow raised.
"Good at what?"
"Cooking."
Yibo smiled and scooped a small portion with the spoon, holding it out.
"Open your mouth and taste before you judge."
Zhan opened his mouth, and Yibo paused for a second, watching his lips, before feeding him. The taste surprised him...rich, warm, fragrant with onions.
"Well?" Yibo asked.
"It's good."
"Are you sure? Don't lie to me."
Zhan smiled.
"It's really good. I told you, you're good at this. I knew it from the last time I ate your food."
Yibo shook his head.
"With all my skills, I know I can't beat you. The spices you use… even if I died and tasted your food in the afterlife, I'd know I've been disqualified from cooking forever."
Zhan burst into laughter, his heart light.
"Seriously, your spice containers are many. We'll sit down someday and you'll explain them all to me."
Yibo was about to continue when his phone on the counter began to vibrate. He turned toward it.
Zhan noticed the spice containers on the shelf and thought to himself that he definitely needed to order more before they finished.
Yibo smiled when he saw the caller ID. He picked up the call and placed it to his ear....
But in the next second, his eyes widened in shock, and his lips trembled as he whispered,
"WHAT…!"
NB
I will update on weekends, want to finish it before RAMADAN.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤💛