Gege ai ni! {MDZS Chatfic}

30｜Offline

"Are you not sad? They are going to leave you and... you're going to be alone..."

Lan Xichen blinked and then laughed. "Wanyin, do you think I don't have any other friends? I'm not going to be alone."

Jiang Cheng was embarrassed but argued, "But you are still going to be upset... Right?"

Lan Xichen smiled softly and nodded. "Of course. They are my closest friends after all. But I shall be supportive of their decisions. And I still have you, don't I?" Lan Xichen didn't want to talk about it anymore and decided to tease Jiang Cheng, tapping him on the knee with a finger.

Jiang Cheng immediately tensed up, flustered. "Um- um..."

"Or maybe I don't," Lan Xichen's face fell, half pretending and half not. It was just a joke but it was on him because Wanyin doesn't like him.

"N-no! No, of course you'll still have me!" Jiang Cheng protested.

"Oh?" Lan Xichen knew he probably shouldn't but he let his hand rest on the younger's knee.

Jiang Cheng nodded vigorously, trying to ignore the fact that HOLY SHIT, HE'S TOUCHING ME- and instead said, "And- and... And you like me, right?" he blurted out.

Lan Xichen's expression froze on his face and for a moment Jiang Cheng regretted what he said, shit, what if he was wrong? He won't be able to take either the embarrassment or rejection and he will jump out of the window in Lan Xichen's fourth-floor apartment and-

"Yes, I do," Lan Xichen said softly.

"..."

"Wait- what?"

Jiang Cheng's eyes grew round. "You... you what?"

Lan Xichen stared at him, a bit puzzled. The younger did just ask him if he likes him, right?

Jiang Cheng's mind whirled and his breathing sped up. In almost a whisper, he asked uncertainly, "You... like me?"

Lan Xichen was about to respond but he noticed the younger's flushed cheeks and excited eyes and something felt off. It wasn't anything bad but... this shouldn't be the way he should be responding, right? Unless... Lan Xichen's gaze settled on Wanyin's lovely face.

"I..." Jiang Cheng breathed, "Xichen-ge, I..."

Lan Xichen's heart took a leap and he squeezed the knee his hand was still resting upon and asked, "Hm? You what, Wanyin?"

"I... I like..."

Lan Xichen's hand moved on its own, up the younger's thigh. Jiang Cheng's eyes widened and he stammered, "I-! I!"

"I like you!" His heart might have literally skipped a beat. At the same time, Lan Xichen's hand had managed to make its way up his thigh and pinched his waist. He let out a squeak.

Jiang Cheng didn't know when but his hands had subconsciously clutched onto Lan Xichen's shoulders- maybe to push him away or pulled him closer- it seemed like his arms hadn't decided yet.

They stared at each other for a moment, facing each other, one sitting and one standing. Then Lan Xichen removed his hand from Jiang Cheng's shorts and asked innocently, as if his hand wasn't literally in Jiang Cheng's pants a moment ago, "Can I hug you, Wanyin?"