Golden hair danced in the fragrant air when Edwin swung his head back, leaning against the chair he had thrown himself into. He exhaled a deep breath. The loud, obnoxious music from the other side of the wall tried pushing through, thudding out the bass through the air. That constant muffled thudding, booming from the aggressive music, day in and day out. This place was only ever silent when it was closed, most of the time at least. The glossy curls of his hair, previously fresh, bouncy and light, now drooped to mere sways at the tips of his hair. His deep red lipstick had gotten so smeared out over the moonlit night that it barely even tinted the burning cigarette between his lips anymore. Edwin's drunken vision faded in and out in rhythm to the bass from the DJ booth. His fierce eyes glued to the door leaning in and out from the staff room.
"Fucking bitch..." Edwin mumbled incoherently to himself. Without looking, he picked up the foggy glass from the wooden table in front of him. He almost dropped his grip of it for a second. Only almost. He couldn't recollect what he ordered, though likely a cherry vodka. He promptly swallowed down the last of it, dropped his cigarette into the elegant glass and examined it extinguish in the left over liquid.
Wrath in each erratic movement, Edwin dunked the glass back down onto the table once more. A loud groan filled up the room, his own. The backstage area was awfully vacant tonight. At any usual night, as long as the camellia was open, at least one other staff member would occupy the makeup area. Edwin wondered, where was Travis even when he wasn't here? His eyes ran over the messy makeup desk, the dirty coffee cups in the sink, the candy bowl besides the fridge, to the wall of immaculate clothes on the other side. Nothing could keep his mind occupied, keep him distracted. Just then, the door he had been so set on staring at previously swung open. Edwin jumped up in his seat, turning to glare at whoever dared disturb him and allow the unbelievably loud music into the room. Ethan stared back at him with an exhausted but joyful smile. He closed the door to once more damp the music down.
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Did I do a go-" Ethan's excited cheerful voice died down as he undoubtedly noticed Edwin's harsh expression. His radiant smile slowly faded from his plump lips. "Oh, you weren't watching, right? Well, Dorah said he thought I did a good job anyways, just so you know." He continued in a considerably lower voice. He spread his fingers through his messy, dark blonde wig, noting Edwin's eyes glued on him like a wolf to a rabbit. Ethan withdrew a slight step from the door and towards his partner. He barely managed to open his mouth when Edwin scoffed loudly.
"Dorah said?" Edwin repeated scornfully, his sarcastic tone mocking. He knocked his chair back and got up, hastily gaining a few weak steps towards Ethan. "You probably fucking relished in it, didn't you? You just, you completely embrace all that. Being up there on the- That fucking stage! Everyone just clinging and cheering over your exposed body, huh? And you just love every damn moment, that attention, don't you Ethan?!" Edwin hissed out. With wobbly steps, he stepped up to Ethan and knocked him back against the door behind them, staring intensely into Ethan's confused eyes.
"What? Oh, Edwin, please what are you on-"
"I know what you're like, don't try with me!" Edwin's loud voice cut Ethan off. "You'll just end up abandoning me for someone better, like- Someone like Zen, right?! What the fuck does she possess that I don't, huh? What is it?!" Edwin glared ferociously at Ethan. His breathe stank of alcohol, his frail arms quivered just the slightest. His harsh eyes stared right into Ethan, waiting for an answer, but Ethan merely lowered his head in uneasy anxiousness. His eyes glued down onto Edwin's uncomfortable shoes, not knowing what to reply. He tried taking a step to the side, but Edwin put his hand onto Ethan's chest and pushed him back again, keeping him stuck against the wall. "Oh no you're not fleeing me like that! Who are you going to? Someone better that me, maybe Chen, or Mei?! God, the list is so long. What do all of those have that I don't?! How come no matter what I produce, it's never enough? Go on, notify me!" He yelled out in violent anger, gaining a firm grip of Ethan's shoulder with his other hand.
The musics boom seemed to die down, it wasn't relevant anymore. A short, few seconds of silence fell between them as Ethan tried to rapidly come up with a list of what would be okay and not okay to say at a time like this.
"Edwin, please." He ultimately tried to reason with his boyfriend, his voice low in a mumble. Ethan bit the inside of his cheek, desperately trying to remain calm and collected. He gathered a quivering breath and shifted his eyes up from the floor to look at Edwin's hand on his chest. "Edwin, that hurts, please calm down. You're being irrational, take a breath. I'd never leave you like that. I don't see why you'd even think so? If you're in a bad situation, you can talk to me, you know?" Ethan paused for a moment, trying to see if Edwin was going to do anything, but the other merely kept his eyes glued stuck on Ethan. His hand remained pressing against his chest just as harsh. The rock in Ethan's stomach inevitably grew. "I'm- I'm only here because you requested me to? I thought you'd be happy with this. Now if there's anything wrong just mention it already, instead of going around yelling at everything that moves, please." He felt his eyes starting to burn. He looked up at Edwin, seeing his boyfriend glare back at him with a puzzled expression. It was as if Ethan's words didn't register at all for the high status criminal. Then, Edwin's face turned into a broad grin and he let out a small chuckle.
"Happy? You think I'd be thrilled? Over what? You getting sexual with other people, flinging me to the side, is that what would make me happy?!" He growled, let out a deep sigh and jerked his head. Edwin turned away, incapable of looking into his lovers teary eyes. "You asshole."
"That's not it! You're getting it all wrong, I'm not trying to-" Ethan shut up as he felt a harsh sting against the right side of his face from Edwin's strong slap. Edwin clenched his hand high, and for a second his dominating eyes revealed a slight glimpse of surprise. That small glimpse disappeared just as quickly as it had came and left nothing but a cold, irrational fury. Edwin grabbed onto Ethan's chin, making Ethan look into his eyes as he stared down at the other.
"You're disgusting, Ethan Yú." Edwin spoke in a harsh, cold tone, as if he were scolding a child. He marked the name of Ethan's family with an icy chill, and Ethan fathomed why all too well. It was in his blood, to be quite filthy. Assigned whore at birth. "You're so fucking gross, you should be relieved I'm still here for you, without me you'd be nothing! You got that?! You'd possess no income, no friends, you'd be a loner rotting away in that miserable room of the Yú's home! Nobody would want you if it weren't for me, you're just a dancer, nothing more, and there won't ever be anything more special about you..." He lowered his voice a bit, but kept his glare hard as stone as he pushed himself back from Ethan, giving Ethan a jerk to the side before he stepped back. "Get the fuck out of here. Go hang with some old man in a dark alley or something, isn't that what you want anyways? Just go, you slut!"
The two of them stared at each other for a long second. Like frozen in time, Ethan did not dare moving just yet. At long last, Edwin turned away and went back to his table. He put his hands down onto the surface and let his head fall.
"I said get out." He mumbled, staring down at the table. Ethan raised his hand up to his burning rosy cheek and stared at Edwin. He sighed in defeat, turning back to the door to his left and mechanically grabbing his white winter coat that hung on the wall right besides it. Right where it hung almost every night.
"You really feel like this, yet you were the one who asked me to come here? I do not like their gross drooling and attention, I'm here to be with you, Edwin. I didn't- I'd never think you'd act like this." Ethan mumbled in disbelief, taking one last glance at his lover before stepping back out from the staff room and rushing onto the dance floor. He looked around himself for only a second before starting to shove his way through the crowd of people. His mind was blank, as blank as can be, his body moving purely on movement memory. He needed to get out. He thought Dorah might have been trying to capture his attention as he passed the bar in quite a hurry, likely disturbing more than a few customers along the way. That didn't matter, Ethan didn't hear what he was saying anyways. Taioung regarded Ethan with a perplexed expression the entire way, and when he came at rushing speed towards the door, Taioung had already opened it. Ethan stepped out onto the wet, snowy street. He wanted to slam the door behind him, though it was too heavy, he merely shoved it shut. As sudden as that, the world fell silent for a few seconds.
The blasting music had stopped. Slight buzzing came from the extremely light night-time traffic. Folks could be heard quite a distance away, on the more crowded streets higher up. Some muffled parties, chatting and activity pushed through the walls of towering buildings surrounding the road all around. Ethan looked through the dark, cold winter night. His vision blurred up more and more with each passing second. He slowly slipped his winter coat on, but the frosty air had already wrapped itself around him and made itself at home by his presence. Ethan's thoughts suddenly came crashing in. He barely even registered what had happened, but something was wrong, terribly wrong. He searched through his pockets and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter, placing the stick between his lips to light it up with a shaky hand. He took a deep breath of the poisonous smoke as he let the warm tears roll down his cold cheeks. Ethan looked around himself, through the street surrounded by shadows. To no surprise, at two forty-five on an icy cold Thursday night, not a single soul was within viewing-distance. The few dim street lights barely gave any comfort at all. The teenager felt his tears roll down his chin and drop onto the ground beneath him, but he didn't bother to try and stop it. His makeup may be damned, he had nobody to impress and nobody to hide from. He considered simply walking back home, but a single glance at his heels received a heavy, broken sigh. The night was cold and dark, the city was a wild waste, the walk would presumably take over an hour and his feet would be bleeding before he had even gotten halfway.
Unable to hinder himself, the boy withdrew a few steps away from the entrance, set his burning face into his frozen hands and sobbed. He sank down, into a pitiful ball of cigarette smoke and tears. His knees hugged against his chest, folding his distinctive coat uncomfortably at the waist and hip. He didn't know what to do anymore. There seemed the only thing he could do was give in to the winter night. Shun would have known what to do, an inaudible voice within his head convinced him. But Shun wasn't here. Ever since he passed, things hadn't been the same. No matter how much the both of them tried to ignore it, Shun's brutal death had inevitably caused such a deep rift between Ethan and Edwin. For a while, Ethan genuinely thought they were getting into better times, things seemed so smooth just a second ago. But at that moment he realized he might have missed more than he knew. With quivering fingers, Ethan fished his small phone up and stared at his dull reflection through the black, turned off screen. Maybe someone could pick him up. Not someone he knew, of course, that would be too embarrassing, but he had heard there were sites used to find drivers for a fee, among other things.
"You'd have a death wish to walk through the city all alone at this time, especially if you look as you do..." He mumbled incoherently to the reflection. With a deep, shaky, wet breathe, Ethan slowly stood back up. His sobs didn't cease, though. He kicked the snow beneath him, but instantly regretted his decision as he felt the cold liquid slip between his sore toes.
"Oh, hello there darling, I didn't notice you coming out here." A deep voice came from behind Ethan. The teenager froze in nervous fear, feeling a shiver run down his spine. Ethan slowly turned around, almost holding his breathe in shock. Hastily, he wiped some tears off his cheek and accidentally smudged his makeup out even more. He couldn't afford to be seen like this, not in this dreadful place. He barely recognized the faces of everyone here yet. This was a dangerous place to be weak at. Ethan squinted into the ominous shadows from the side of the building, then it finally came. Meihui stepped out into the muted light. The older drag queen tossed his already burned out cigarette onto the ground, causing it to extinguish in the snow.
"What are you doing out here, honey? Didn't your shift only just start an hour ago?" Meihui asked, looking up at the taller male in front of him. Ethan was prepared to receive a scolding about following his schedule, but Meihui's eyes softened as he noticed Ethan's face. "Oh my... No, forget about your shift." He mumbled. Meihui stepped up closer to his friend and clutched a hold of Ethan's hand, taking his cigarette from him and flinging it onto the ground as well. It took a second for Ethan to be able to answer anything at all.
"I-I'm sorry Mei, I didn't think about that." He finally choked out. Ethan lowered his head in shame. "It's, uh, calmer out here. I'm just taking some air." He forced a cheerful tint to his words, and tried to avoid Meihui's inspecting eyes.
"Oh dear." Meihui placed his soft hand onto the younger's cheek and examined his face for a few seconds. The cold winter wind blew down his neck. "What's wrong, Yú? You look exhausted. Do you want to go in and talk about it?" Meihui offer his comfort in a soothing, caring tone. "Come." He took the few steps to the entrance door and rested his hand on the handle. Meihui turned around to look back at Ethan, but Ethan didn't follow. Alternatively, the teenager shook his head slightly and took another step away, with a painful, reassuring smile.
"Uh, no mister Xun, that won't be necessary. I think I'll just stay out here for a minute, then go home. I don't- Yeah, thank you." Ethan dismissed his superior coworker, turning back to the street as he waited for the sound of loud music to open up once more behind him. Yet, nothing, the nightly silence remained. Meihui's soft steps came back to him.
"Won't you come in with me? It's harsh out here. If anyone has been a pain I will just throw them out instead, not you." Meihui's soft words danced around the dark air. For a second, Ethan wanted to follow him back inside again, but then he thought of the aftermath.
"I, well, I don't know if I'll even be allowed to- To go back inside again, at this point. I've barely gotten started and I've already messed up so much, I apologize for taking your time like this." Ethan stuttered and mumbled out his last words, fiddling nervously with his fingers in front of him. He couldn't hold back a sniff anymore. "You can go though. You look like you're freezing, you've been out here for a while, right? Oh, but, uh, how long do you think you'll be here tonight?" Ethan once more forced a small smile and peeked up at Meihui. The man stared back at Ethan with tender eyes.
"Baby, two things. First of all, I own this entire thing and say that you're always welcome here, even if you make a mistake or two. Second, to acknowledge your question I can stay for however long or short I want to." He reassured Ethan, surveying his body from head to toe. After a few seconds of silence, Meihui ultimately asked what they both already knew. "Do you want a ride home, honey?" He fished up his car keys from his pocket with a weak, worried smile. Ethan paused, then let out a gentle sigh.
"You're way too sweet to be here, Xun. I appreciate you will likely let me in anywhere, but Edwin wouldn't like having me back in there now and he'll cause you some serious trouble if he wishes. I don't want to put you through that. I couldn't. He owns any place he indicates he owns, you know that too. I- I don't really like asking for this but if you could merely drop me off at my home that would be extremely sweet of you. I can pay your gas, not right now but soon." Ethan almost pleaded, his eyebrows lowered. Meihui stared at Ethan through the dark, then let out a deep sigh. Of course, Meihui thought to himself, so heavily he almost feared he might have stated it out loud at first. How could he not have guessed? Meihui never admired Edwin. He knew far too well about how Edwin's temper could go from top to bottom within a split second, it was obvious that Edwin was the problem behind everything, how could he not have guessed?
"Ethan." Meihui mumbled, offering him a modest, affectionate smile. "If you don't have any plans, you're allowed to come home with me. I couldn't possibly forsake you alone at your home like this, so how about we have some tea together?" He asked. Shivering from the frigid air, he concealed his face into his light pink fur jacket. The red curls from his short wig blew into his face.
Meihui's sudden suggestion had seized Ethan completely off guard, and it took a second for the sobbing teenager to comprehend what the older man had mentioned. Ethan suddenly tried to wipe his tears once more, his hands now black and glittery.
"I- I mean, well, is that-" Ethan stuttered as he tried to calm his breathing and kicked some snow beneath him. "I suppose, I couldn't possibly say no to such an offer. I know you won't stop until I agree, either way." He couldn't help but to smile a bit. "I can wait if you don't want to leave just yet though, I expect you still have things to do. You encounter so many people every night. Your schedule must be packed."
"Darling you are worrying way too much." Meihui let out. "Dorah can handle that place on his own, and I think both mister D and madame Lin might be in there as well. It's not like we're all alone here. You need to relax for just one second. Come on." Meihui gained his way down the street and stopped in front of the police car parked alongside, opening up the passenger door and turning to look back at Ethan. "Well? Come on then, get in."
*
The ride was long, dead silent. Ethan was too caught up in his own thought to even notice where they were headed. He stared out the window, watching the street lights pass them by. Eventually, Meihui took a sharp turn, snapping Ethan back to reality. Ethan watched around himself in surprise as Meihui drove into the fancier area of the city. Ethan had never truly been here, merely seen the area pass by. It wasn't the kind of place his kind of family were welcomed at. Only the wealthiest citizens, with the highest statuses, were allowed to live here. Though, unlike the hill where the Dongcock's and Jung's had their mansions, this area was built up by apartments so big they made the sky crumble. Truly the big city dream.
"Come on now darling, what's on your mind? You didn't just decide to suddenly go enjoy the nice weather outside in the middle of the night all by yourself now, did you?" Meihui's question cut the silence. Meihui may have formatted it as a question, but Ethan knew that was a statement. Ethan turned his head to look at the man driving the car.
"Well I, uh, I just, I don't know. Maybe I just wanted some air?" Ethan stuttered out, unsure of how to answer, or how to find the right words for it. Meihui only gave him a small, silent nod. He remained silent, he didn't ask any further question, but Ethan sighed in defeat and answered the unsaid. "I guess I was just waiting." He started, lowering his voice a bit. "Well, Edwin told me to leave but I didn't really know where I'd go. I doubt I'd be allowed to his apartment, and my parents place is way out of walking distance. I guess I hoped he'd come back to get me, but I suppose I was wrong. He doesn't want to see me." Ethan finally admitted, feeling a bit ashamed over having dragged Meihui into the situation. This was supposed to be privately, between him and Edwin. "I'm sorry for all of this."
"Ethan dear, listen. Whatever you think of Edwin, whatever he tells you, he has no damn right to boss you around. He doesn't own you or that building. You don't need to follow his order like some slave!" Meihui raised his voice a bit at the end of his statement and Ethan could see his grip of the wheel tighten. "That kid doesn't have all screws in if you get what I'm saying. I've seen what he's capable of, you don't need to fall for his bullshit. He's a very good manipulator."
The car suddenly came to a stop and Meihui stepped out with firm motions. He seemed so sure on what to do, so certain that his actions were right, Ethan couldn't help but to watch his every move. Ethan knew this man was truly something else. In his mind, whatever Meihui said was right, whatever he did was planned out, laid perfect. Ethan had never had a role model before, until then. The late teenager quickly followed out into the big parking lot and carefully closed the car door behind him. Then he registered what Meihui had actually said.
"Hey, I know he may not always be the ideal person and all that, he has done some bad things, but that's certainly not all that he is! You don't know Edwin like I do and you never will." Ethan suddenly argued back. "He's a good partner, he's just been through things, unimaginable ones. And, I guess, he got a bit jealous. I've just- I've never seen him so pissed before. He has never hit me like that, he's probably having a pretty hard time right now." Ethan mumbled out his last words, biting the inside of his cheek.
"When a man raises his hand on his lover, he's no longer a man, Ethan. If he loved you he'd never let you stand out there. Then I would not have been the one to pick you up, but that's not how it is. I take care of cases like these all the time. People report their lovers going physical on them all the time, and sometimes if the victim themselves refuse to acknowledge it, a close friend or family member will. I do not want to see yours or Edwin's name on any of those reports. So, let's say he got jealous, then for what? What is his reason to get so jealous he'd be acting like such a dick?" Meihui asked. He walked towards one of the big apartments and waved for Ethan to follow, as if this conversation was a casual coffee talk.
Ethan stood there like frozen under the weight of the cops words. The silent blanket had fallen once more. The two of them stepped into the hallway of the building, but while Meihui took a few steps towards the staircase, Ethan stopped. Meihui's words had shook him, but Ethan knew even if he would have wanted to he had nowhere else to go but forwards. Though, he refused to answer. Meihui waited, then opened his mouth once again. "You're blind, darling. You're blinded by whatever he refers to as love. If you truly love someone you'll always keep them in your mind, you'd never do anything to get in their way and especially not to harm them. Physical attention doesn't define love, baby. Sometimes that's called being used." Meihui looked down to open his own jacket, but when his eyes raised again he got met with an unexpectedly angry glare.
"It wasn't his fault..." Ethan mumbled out. His tone was cold, stern, but not overpowering. "And I am so tired of everyone going around and telling me about what a monster I'm dating. With me he's gentle, he cares and he loves, but everyone keeps insisting that he's such a rude bitch. He's ungrateful and manipulative and gross and violent and the list goes on! Of course he'd be pissed when that's all that everyone ever talks about. You don't give him a single second to prove himself. You have settled on this twisted image of how he is supposed to be, a heartless bastard, and you wouldn't even give him a chance to change. It's obvious he'd be scared your words will get to me but they won't. Nobody knows Edwin better than I do and nobody will tell me what he acts like, I already know. I will know that better than anyone else ever will. Unlike you, I don't let his family's name speak for him, he can make up his own person." Ethan stated as a matter of fact. His usual unsure stutter and low tone seemed to disappear in that moment. The only thing that mattered was getting his words across.
Puddles of water had formed under Ethan's feet and the mixture of snow and mud had started to melt. His heels did nothing to protect his sore feet anymore, he took them off.
"I suppose that's just why he raped that young girl, right? That's why he hit you? Why he let you just stay out there in the cold with nobody by your side, because he's just so lovely?" Meihui asked in a serious tone. He was just about to open his mouth again for further accusations, but for once, Ethan cut him off.
"He didn't do that. I mean, he has never rape anyone, that's just a rumour, it's not true. He has almost never even so much as raised his voice at me before, so you can't use that as an argument to him being a bad person. And him being upset right now won't cut it for me either. Any couple will argue occasionally, we'll just make up again. There have been times when I have been the one angry with both him and Shun and- And that doesn't mean our love disappears overnight. I bet you'd crack too if you were under enough pressure, everybody does, so do I." Ethan corrected Meihui. A small sigh escaped Meihui's lips, then he walked up to Ethan and wrapped his arms around him.
"I admire you. Your love is so very strong, and you're one of the most stubborn people I've ever encountered when it comes to certain subjects. I wish you'd be as stubborn when it came to your own well being, I just don't want you to end up like Yubi. Also, don't assume that I'm not under pressure honey, ever again." Meihui slowly let go of Ethan. The teenager looked at him in confusion, but his deep brown eyes softened. Meihui took a step back, then made his way towards the spiral staircase. "Come on, the elevator is broken so we'll have to walk."
"Oh, what floor do you live at?" Ethan asked, a bit uncertain over the extremely sudden change of subject.
"Top." Meihui answered simply, his steps quick and even.
Panting for breathe barely just halfway up the tall tower, Ethan dragged himself up after Meihui, who walked like he was simply making his way downtown. Just as Ethan stepped up onto the floor, Meihui swung the door to his apartment open. It revealed a white hallway with rich painting decorating the high walls within.
"Hurry up, Shasha is pretty good at escaping." Meihui told Ethan, who quickly hurried inside. He stopped a few steps in and heard the door close behind him. Ethan looked around the hallway, and his eyes grew big.
"This is amazing..." Was all he managed to mumble out. His eyes scanned over one of the paintings, full of delicate details and intentionally mixed textures. A small exotic shorthair cat came running in full speed towards the door, meowing happily as its tail rose up into the air, causing Meihui to smile and bend down to give the cat a pat.
"Shasha! This is Ethan. Ethan, my baby girl Shasha." Meihui introduced the teenager and the cat to each other, standing up again with a warm smile "Alright, I'll let you explore around here while I prepare some hot tea for us. Then, I'll just wash off a bit, so take your time and make yourself at home." He gave Ethan one last look, a soft smile, and then made his way into the cozy apartment.
Warm, fluffy fur stroke against Ethan's damp leg and his eyes quickly shifted from Meihui, to Shasha, then back to Meihui. He watched the elegant man disappear behind a wall. The apartment smelled fresh, warm, clean and comforting. It fit Meihui well. Ethan smiled a bit and carefully sat down onto the floor in the hallway, putting away his shoes neatly lined up with Meihui's. The kitten crawled up into his lap and sniffed him curiously. His hand stroke slowly, carefully, over the soft cat. Shasha didn't seem to mind at all, and the boy let out a small chuckle.
"I like you too Shasha. I think I'd also need a small pet to spend my lonely days with." He mumbled in a low voice, hoping to not catch Meihui's attention. He sat there for a long while, feeling the heat of the apartment against his skin, and the kittens comforting aura. In that moment, Ethan simply took in everything of this room. Eventually he motioned for Shasha to step down, then stood up and started walking around the place.
Edwin's elegant apartment was said to be one of the fancier kinds, and Ethan knew that to be true, though Meihui's seemed to be made for royalty. It was considerably larger than the one Edwin let Ethan share with him. Every single item inside looked to be more expensive than anything Ethan would ever dream of, it almost made him afraid to interfere with anything. Monumental, exquisite paintings, clearly made by the finest oils, mixed with signed posters by famous, recognisable drag queens, lined the walls neatly. One of the framed, glossy posters presented Miss Pandrea herself. All the same, Ethan recognized many other faces as well, and he stood like speechlessly over this massive collection of notable names. He walked thoughtfully through the living-room, running his fingertips over the big, soft couch, and his eyes glued stuck onto a white sealed door. He was just about to approach it when he realized it was most likely where Meihui's bedroom was placed. Out of respect for the others privacy, he turned and walked around the corner into the kitchen. Meihui was sitting peacefully by the big wooden table, tenderly wiping his makeup off.
"Where did you gain the money for all of this..? Excuse me for saying, because I'm not an expert, but I doubt you could make this much money from being a cop." Ethan asked, his voice stunned. He looked through the room and waited for Meihui to finish wiping off his eyeshadow.
"Ah, well, I do get paid pretty good from work. But you know, I could just give Feng a call." Meihui explained with a small chuckle. He ran his hands over his now exposed face. "Nothing is free, though. Baby, come on sit down, don't be shy." Meihui invited him, and Ethan did as he was told. He seated himself in front of Meihui, who pushed the makeup-remover wipes in his direction. He gently took one and started cleaning his face while Meihui went up to pour the warm water into two big porcelain cups. Meihui placed two bags of strawberry flavoured tea into them. He carried the heated cups over to the table and placed them down, leaning a hand against the table.
"Oh? Thank you." Ethan blushed a bit as the tea got placed in front of him, and the pleasant smell of warm strawberries and sugar took up the air around them.
"I'm probably asking a lot of things at once right now, but do you want to get changed into something more comfortable later? I have a lot of stay at home clothes. You should borrow a pair for the night." Meihui smiled.
"Awh why didn't you tell me I look like such a mess for?" Ethan suddenly let out, glancing at himself through the small mirror placed on the table. He felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as the realization that Meihui had been looking at this all along hit him. He tried to get the streaks of eyeliner away from his cheeks. "Huh? Oh, actually I think I would really appreciate a change of clothes if that's okay. I'm actually kind of freezing." He chuckled a bit, looking down at the now black wipe in his hand with disappointment. He picked up a new one, rubbing his face harshly.
Meihui left Ethan alone in the kitchen for a while, then came back wearing a black pair of boxers and a light purple t-shirt. In his arms, a pair of gray sweatpants and a t-shirt rested. He placed them down onto the table, sat down on his chair once more and took a big sip from his tea. Ethan curiously picked up the shirt and his eyes lit up a bit as he saw the tokyo mew mew print on its front.
"This is so cute!" He couldn't help but to beam out as he stood up and started getting changed right on the spot. Meihui chuckled a bit, watching Ethan get changed with a warm smile. The boy seemed to be feeling a bit better than before, at least. How quickly Ethan got comfortable around him.
"I thought it would fit you. Hey, by the way, are you excited for your tattoo? You're about to get it soon, right? David is really nice, if you haven't met him already." Meihui suddenly asked. His question caught Ethan a bit off guard, but he smiled nonetheless.
"Yeah, everyone keeps saying he is! I haven't really thought about it that much, honestly, I never thought I'd even get here, but now I guess I have to. I'm not against it though, the design is really pretty. I've seen it countless times already, it's practically burned into the insides of my eyelids at this point." Ethan chuckled, then sat down again. "Though, so it is for everyone else as well I suppose. It wouldn't surprise me if Fei helped come up with the design. Edwin has been trying to convince me to put it on places like my lower hip or around my shoulder blade so my hair can cover it up, I know I want it somewhere visible though. I want to be proud of it." Ethan's hands surrounded the teacup, and Meihui smiled at him.
"Well, that's you're choice."
Snow fell on the other side of the window. Ethan paused for a second. He wanted to ask, but didn't know how to do it in a proper way. Was there any appropriate way to bring up an inappropriate subject? He thought Meihui might have sensed he was about to open his mouth, because the other remained silent, waiting.
"Uhm, I'm sorry for this, you don't have to answer, but I just can't stop wondering. I know you're friends with Feng, but I never thought you'd be so close to him that he'd help you get all of this, that man is cold as stone! From my perspective, though he might be giving at times, he doesn't seem like the guy to just give away these gifts. Also, I was so sure Feng was together with someone else, or no one at all. I might just be confused. Did you... Join because of him?" Ethan asked, scanning Meihui's face for a reaction. He was afraid he might have said something he shouldn't have, but Meihui smirked, staring down at his tea for a moment.
"Hm, me and Feng have been together for a while now, though not in a romantic way. It's more like, hm, whatever, I don't know how to describe it! Well, not to you. You could call it dating if you'd like, but I'm still married... Not to him, of course." Meihui answered softly. He looked up at Ethan with a small smile. "I didn't have a choice, dear. I had nowhere to go, Feng opened up his arms for me and I suppose you could say that calmed me. I haven't left his side since and I couldn't leave now, even if I wanted to. I'm bound to stay in this until he decides to let me go, which I for one do not think will happen, because that man is far from stupid. He needs my role in the police office, and I would have no chance trying to do anything against him. This may sound a bit dramatic to you but I don't really have a choice, I'm forced to help no matter what happens. That man can get rid of me in mere hours and not leave one trace behind, no doubt."
Ethan's eyes were like glued on him, glazed with emotions Meihui couldn't fully make out. Thought, wonder, worry, or a bitter cocktail of such. He sighed, taking another sip of his tea and the room fell silent. It didn't break until Meihui put his cup down onto the table again.
"The excitement of your tattoo got me thinking. Fei is such a wonderful woman, it's sad she had to raise two devils. She's always so kind and loving, yet she gets treated like crap by that husband of hers. If I had the chance, I'd put a bullet through Dai's heart within a second, even if it would cost me my life. Though, trying that would just be stupid. He disgusts me." The words hung in the air. Momentarily, both of them seemed a bit shocked. Such forbidden words were never dared spoken out loud, but the secure feeling in Meihui's apartment and that very moment that snowy night seemed to let the unspeakable out of both of them.
"Personally I haven't seen Dai around too much, and I'm very happy for that. I had a dinner with him, it was a nightmare. I don't think I've ever been so terrified. Though, Edwin was there too so it went fine. In the end, his presence calms me. I'm at Edwins place often, but Dai is rarely home at all. He's really threatening to be around-" Ethan cut himself off as he came to the sudden realization. "Oh my god, no...My mentor is fucking my boyfriend's brother!" He let out, and Meihui couldn't hold back his laugh.
"Alright, alright no more of that family now. Sorry. Have you met David Yung yet? Or Luui, for that matter?" Meihui quickly changed the subject. "You're going to look lovely with those flowers on you, baby."
"No, I haven't met them, but I've heard people talk about them a lot. I think David, or his father maybe, is rather close with Dai." Ethan answered. "From what I know, Yung and Wǔ are a rather strange couple. They're very young to be in the Takers, right? I think Feng mentioned Yung was born into it. I don't doubt that he's good at what he's doing, but I feel bad for him. If he was born into it, like the Jung's, he never even had a say in the matter and he'd never be able to leave, even if he'd rather die than participate. I'd never want to put my or any other child through something like that." Ethan sighed, playing around with the spoon inside his teacup.
"I can't imagine how it feels to be born into such a mess either, but those two really impress me. Maybe you didn't know yet, but Luui suffers from that, uh, what's it called..." Meihui paused for a moment, staring off into space. "Oh, I think it's called multiple personality disorder, or something in the like. Apparently he has been through some really traumatic times, and there are a lot of things that could put him into a panic attack. It doesn't matter what he's doing or where he is, and his altars are not all fun and games. I've met Lou mostly, and let me warn you that guy is not a nice one. I think David is one of the best people I've ever met, actually, his patience, skills and caring love is incredible. You really need to see his more complicated work, it's amazing! The skill is definitely there. Personally I think Davids eye for detail and his strong sense of forgiving others is what's balancing out Luui most of the time. Those two are a power to be reckoned with. They barely show up around here, though, and when they do it's only for big events or special meetings, arms linked, such a couple I must say." Meihui spoke in an admiring tone, then suddenly got back up onto his feet again. "Well, I'm going to prepare your bed for tonight, we should watch a movie or play some games later, just do something relaxing, how about that?"
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Oh this chapter was long, really long, and fully packed with information. There are always a lot of things going on between the lines in Hands In The Stars, but maybe especially much in this chapter. Which has been your favourite chapter so far?