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

Chapter 8 ☼ Haunting

Hong Fa scowled, "I'll kick your ass if you do, He Tian, I swear."

"If you don't come with me I'll just be obligated to buy anything I see. I'm not decent at shopping."

The redhead blanched, but knew He Tian wasn't joking. He would most definitely buy far more than necessary.

"Fuck you."

"Eventually, I'm hoping," He Tian replied pleasantly. "Grab your jacket."

Hong Fa swore again. But he grabbed his jacket and keys and followed a beaming He Tian out the front door, locking it behind him.

☼

We could save each other.

There wasn't much left that could be done to save He Tian, truthfully. But he could still protect Hong Fa. It was far too late to try to cut Hong Fa out of his life without hurting both of them as a result. Hong Fa could help He Tian by keeping him sane.

Sane enough. Hong Fa certainly made him feel emotions he tried to avoid; fear, guilt, sorrow. Learning that Hong Fa skipped meals because of low funds made He Tian's chest ache in a way he refused to admit. Instead, he forced Hong Fa into letting him buy as much as possible.

"Bread?"

"Fine."

"Broccoli, carrots, celery..."

"Fine..."

"Egg custard tarts."

"No. Put them back."

He Tian got them anyway. He ended up spending more on Hong Fa than he had himself, but he wouldn't let Hong Fa see the price that it all rang up to. The redhead didn't need to know, and He Tian was just assured by the fact that his boy... the boy... wouldn't be going hungry.

It was growing dark out when they boarded the bus with their arms full of groceries, the sky hinting towards rain. He Tian insisted that Hong Fa tuck himself into the window seat once more, and Hong Fa reluctantly obeyed.

Hong Fa set some of his groceries onto his lap to blow warm air into his hands. He Tian noticed, reaching to grab Hong Fa's with his own. The pale slender fingers certainly were freezing, and He Tian squeezed them gently, pulling their hands to tuck under his thigh.

"Your hands are so cold because you're weak," He Tian teased quietly, just loud enough for Hong Fa to hear.

Hong Fa rolled his eyes, but he didn't pull his hand away. Instead, he glanced nervously to He Tian, "So we hold hands, we kiss... and we're still just friends?"

He Tian was slightly taken aback. It wasn't a conversation he expected to happen so soon.

"What would you say we were?" He Tian murmured.

"Despite the fact that you drive me fucking insane... I wo- I would like to be more than just friends," the redhead tripped over several of his words, but he locked his blue eyes with He Tian's silver eyes.

He Tian swallowed hard. His instinct was to make a snide remark, but instead he forced back the nervousness and sided for honesty, "I've never had anything more, I've never even had a friend. You'll have to bear with me while I figure things out."

"I'm new to this, too," Hong Fa sounded relieved. "So... for now, we can just say that we're dating."

"I like that," He Tian nodded. And he couldn't handle the awkward, tense conversation any longer. "Smartest idea you've had yet, Carrot Head."

Hong Fa smiled, a smile that made He Tian's stomach flip strangely, "You're such an asshole."

In He Tian's pocket, his phone buzzed. He momentarily released Hong Fa's hand in confusion to pull it out and glance at it. And his heart dropped. There was no reason his father would be calling again. But yet...