#all i wanted from a shiguang fic

[doublxpresso]

Something special

a scene from the fic Small world, long shadows

[muninnhuginn]

Link Click Fic Recs

This is part two of my gen fic rec list, updated with some more recent stuff. Part one can be found here. I've tried to pick fic that don't get as much focus within the fandom, so there's some twins stuff and noodle lesbians in amongst the regularly scheduled main duo angst.

These are listed in chronological order, with each author restricted to one work only.

the blinding light by jan

Rated Gen, <1k. Snippets of Xiao Li reckoning with the consequences of his denial about Qian Jin. This fic helped me remember that Xiao Li and Qian Jin were actually friends, before it all.

15min by Findarato

Teen, 2k. Post s2 hospital hurt/comfort fic. Lu Guang POV and all that entails. Feels somewhat like being inside during a storm, safe from the worst of everything, but still hearing the rain and wind wailing outside.

butterfly effect by BlurredReflections

Teen, <1k. This is a pretty short fic, focusing on the early days between Qian Jin and the twins. I have it in my notes as "qian jin + parenting = you tried."

run to show that love's worth running to by sunslants

Gen, 2k. Noodle lesbians epilogue set almost immediately after their episode concludes, short and sweet.

pay time's debt by yvesvi

Gen, 5k. Li Tianchen character study. Covers his complicated relationship with Tianxi and his mismatched relationship with Liu Xiao. There's this constant sheen of despair colouring everything but still hints of the warmth that once existed.

sept, oct by Toothpaste_Fresh

Gen, 4k. This is a look at what could have happened the first time around. Best way I can put it is that it's theorising in fic form. Has an ostensibly distanced POV, which somehow makes the emotions creep through the cracks.

howling tides by LadyCrimsonAndBlack

Teen, 2k. Lu Guang POV, following through the loops over and over until the present time. I really like how this fic expands so much on Lu Guang's inner thoughts whilst keeping them so separate from what he actually says to Cheng Xiaoshi.

[askew-d]

Can I ask, who are your top favorite romantic couples (can be canon or non canon) of all time from any media? Why you love them? Thx :D

here i go with another grand list that i was very happy to write! i’m in love with these asks, really. i’ll mention all of them, but at first i was in doubt if i could include one that isn’t ‘canon’, but rather rpf. either way, i added bonus couples for good reasoning! let’s go.

1. wangxian (lan wangji x wei wuxian), from mo dao zu shi — they are THE moment, they are THE couple, they are THE goals. who ever could have imagined someone would come up and write a troublemaker who falls into demonic arts and gets reincarnated to fight together with a sucker-for-rules expressionless man and make it work? they fit into any au as well, this fandom rocks. my lovely cultivators!

2. kagehina (kageyama tobio x hinata shouyou), from haikyuu!! — i dont even play volleyball. i dont even like sports! why do i love this anime and this duo specifically so much? they are so passionate about their hobbies, the rivalry and frenemy relationship? the POTENTIAL. the STORY they have. the "someone better will come and find you" promise. sheer beauty. they are silly and fresh and cute and i dont think i'll ever get tired of it.

3. yizhan (wang yibo x xiao zhan), from the untamed cast rpf — i know all the problematics about writing real person fiction. i KNOW, okay?? but people, let me like them and support them in peace?? 😔 i have so much love for these men, and its overall hella fun following their life unfold, even if they are not working together anymore. nonetheless, they are my dose of serotonin when i need it.

4. daiharu (kambe daisuke x katou haru), from fugou keiji: balance unlimited — i will not scream for a seson 2 here. i will scream for more FICS of them here! there ain't enough! its not even about the 'sugar daddy' appeal, its more about the 'partners in (solving) crime' appeal. oh and also the 'i hate you you arrogant prick but i WILL do anything for you' part. everything and every detail of this show.... seriously though: gold.

5. hilson (gregory house x james wilson), from house m.d — oh, my sweet stupid and repressed doctors, i would do unspeakable things for you. wilson has been through every hard moment of house's life. you can name them, he's been there. through every ridiculous situation of his too. it is overwhelming, honestly. the ending couldn't have been more reasonable and fitting for them, in my opinion.

6. hannigram (hannibal lecter x will graham), from hannibal — this gif alone of them with scratches and smiling conspiratorily to each other sums up their entire dynamic. they're toxic and no one's doing it like them. like, yeah, no shit, who would even dare, right? murder husbands can do anything and eat the rude as much as they want, i will be sipping on my drink and watching intently. (man truly looked at this detective he framed for murder and said he would remember their moment together forever??? just dont throw him in jail then???)

7. shiguang (lu guang x cheng xiaoshi), from link click — these pretty boys traveling through time invented the concept of yearning, and i will not explain more to not give season 2 spoilers. i fell in love with them as soon as i saw the first shot of the anime. it doesnt help that they have the same dynamic as wangxian, too. cheng xiaoshi, my beloved, you would never do anything to harm anyone (not purposefully) and i (as well as lu guang) worship you 🙏

8. renga (hasegawa langa x kyan reki), from sk8: the infinity — let's be true tho, can they never do a sports anime without pulling up homosexuals?? not that im complaining at all. please continue, in fact. every couple in this story is valid (adam does not exist), and i love this spirited, young concept of redescovering the beauty of a hobbie. lovely, all of them, but most specially my langa and his admiration for reki. their dynamic has no complications, its just so sweet.

9. moshang (mobei jun x shang qinghua), from the scum villain self-saving system — i will not share a pic of moshang official art because i find shang qinghua appearence too much childlike and annoying, meanwhile i find him much more interesting in the book and fanarts. in any case, i love this couple more than the main couple simply because our airplane-bro can make everything so hilarious. there are fics of them out there which are peak entertainment (check this one!). mobei's tsundere attitude and shang qinghua's shamelessness are a great combo.

10. hualing (hua cheng x xie lian), from heaven official���s blessing — the longing is unbearable. hua cheng loves this man so much, for real. waiting 800 fucking years?? being his most devoted believer? can you believe the audacity?? my man, though he has low self-steem, does anything to protect his god. he doesnt care about any realm. he only cares for xie lian, his dear god. they are the cutest couple.

bonus: aziracrow, johnlock, tododeku, victuuri, blackbonnet, mafuyama, redblue (from this is how you lose the time war).

these are my favorite ships ever! they are what i scream about alternatively, and when i say so, i'm not joking. one week i'm freaking out over new link click content and in the other one i'm reviewing house m.d episodes. my life's a circle with my favorite ships in it and i ain't regretting anything.

thank you for asking, by the way! big hugs! 🤍

[rose-tinted-vision]

1, 11, 14, 16, 17, 19 for the behind the scenes of fic asks! ((this is hualianisms, i can't send asks from my sideblog🥲))

Hello @hualianisms!! Thank you for the asks (๑>◡<๑)

What was the first fandom and/or pairing that you wrote fic for?

(／。＼)...am I going to embarrass myself on main today because the first fic that I published on ao3 was for the ReoNagi pairing from Blue Lock, but I technically wrote fic for Inazuma Eleven when I was a wee little child. What was yours?

If you could only write angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Definitely angst, it comes easier to me than fluff or smut 〜(＞＜)〜

If you were stuck on an island with only two characters, who would you pick?

Only two? That's a hard choice >_< Shi Qingxuan (TGCF) and Yu Shisan (A Journey to Love), probably. SQX can just whisk us away~

What is your most underrated fic?

I'll take underrated to mean not doing as well as I thought it would since I really liked this? It's a toss up between one of my Link Click fics (Qiao Ling centric, S2 canon compliant) and one of my earlier Mysterious Lotus Casebook fics (Gen, LXY/LLH centric). I really enjoyed the process of exploring what went on in Season 2 of Link Click through Qiao Ling's eyes, and thought that there weren't enough fics featuring her, which is why it's a fic that's really dear to me. As for the Li Xiangyi centric fic (i must admit that imagining pre-canon stuff is a favourite of mine), I wanted to explore the process of Li Xiangyi becoming Li Lianhua, and how he had changed so much over ten years. It was fun to imagine him traversing the jianghu and picking up various skills along the way! But I do understand that Genfics aren't for everyone, so it's okay. I do have more recent ones that aren't doing that well but I have...complicated feelings regarding those

What fic are you most proud of?

(I also cannot simply choose one, my bad).

I have this ShiGuang fic that was loosely inspired by a manhwa called "The tale of the Yellow dragon", that was nearly complete by the time the S2 finale came out and I figured, why not throw Lu Guang's lines in there? and it fit, so I was really happy with how it turned out :D Another fic that I'm proud of is Tales of Tianji Manor, mainly because I wasn't sure that people would enjoy a fic told from Madam He's pov, but the fandom was so nice about it ^^ and it was fun to explore the OT3 dynamics from her pov!! and (last one, I promise!!) I was really happy with how the ZhanHua fic turned out :D Zhan Yunfei was one of my favourite side characters, and explore his ten years of yearning and devotion was interesting.

Who is the easiest/hardest character for you to write about? Why?

I'd say the hardest is Di Feisheng's (MLC) pov for me, I'm not sure if it's writers block or burnout, but trying to wrangle his character has been a challenge lately. Another would be Ning Yuanzhou (A Journey to Love), because the man thinks so damn much, and he has to be a leader, a lover, a father and a brother all at the same time. Oh and Yi Zhi Hua's (White Cat Legend) tone is quite tricky for me to grasp...

easiest would probably be what I call the "simp characters" (not that I'm calling them one-dimensional, it's just that they have Prioritised that One Special Person): Fang Duobing for one, he has a rather straightforward personality, he places his family and Li Lianhua first, and he's honest about his feelings. Qiu Qingzhi is another. (it's harder to see beneath his layers but) imo his motivations were mainly to protect Li Bing. and I just really like to write Yu Shisan, the man loves so deeply and freely.

[saelterlude]

Familiari(tri)

Summary: Cheng Xiaoshi loves hair ruffles. Lu Guang loves kisses. Qiao Ling loves cuddles. That's it, that's the fic.

For Shiguang Fluff Week 2024 Day 5: Kiss/Cuddle/Hair

note. I couldn't leave out Qiao Ling from this one, her part is shorter and less thought out than the other two, but I still want to include her. Plus, it completes all three prompts.

[joeys-piano]

Shiguang | Teen | 8.1k+

A/N: a gift fic that might've been 2 years in the making, depending on when I would decide to check this show out from the cool things @feu-eau has reblogged. It just felt right to gift the fic to you because otherwise, I wouldn't have found this! This oneshot is a slice of life about food and what it means to be home. I hope you enjoy this, friend. It was so much fun getting to write this~

Summary

An excuse to leave the studio leaves him happier than he’s been. Not that he admits it—but Lu Guang knows. The man’s a superhero on his bike, the Peter Parker of the nineteen-nineties while Xiaoshi’s Mary Jane. And maybe the real villain all along is a storm cloud that doesn’t break. But that’s an idiot’s way of thinking—he’s got Lu Guang where he wants him.

Kofi Support~

[ajwinter-is-a-nerd]

LCWEEK2023 - DAY FIVE

A Shiguang FanFiction

Prompt: Heartbreak

Summary: Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang get into an argument; the risks of their relationship is painted in red.

**Trigger Warning** Blood and injuries are depicted in this fic. We are not party to the violence, but we see the aftermath.

** Homophobia

Rating: Mature

Stretching his neck, Lu Guang twisted his head from side to side as he stepped downstairs. It was difficult to tell which was hotter: upstairs or downstairs. The heat rose, but at least there was a fan up there. He felt slighted by his ‘cool down’, his fingers leaving sweat marks on the book in his grip.

Rolling his eyes, Lu Guang ignored the video game noises from behind the desk. Cheng Xiaoshi was determined to beat Qiao Ling. Lu Guang had no faith that that would ever happen.

Qiao Ling was curled up on the olive green couch across from the desk, eyes fixated on her mobile phone.

“Glad to see you’re both hard at work.” Lu Guang spoke to the screen hypnotized pair.

“Hey- I’m here if anyone comes in! It’s fine!” Cheng Xiaoshi psh-awed at Lu Guang, continuing his battle.

Not overly concerned, Lu Guang turned to Qiao Ling, sitting on the couch beside her.

“Here.” Lu Guang set the book he’d brought in between them. “All yours.”

Tearing her eyes from the screen, Qiao Ling peeked at the hardcover between them. Dropping her phone to her side, she swept the book up to hold it against her chest.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Qiao Ling chanted, pulling Lu Guang into a hug. She’d been wanting to read the book for the past month, but Lu Guang wouldn’t share it until he read it first.

A guest has arrived. The door announced.

Lu Guang’s grimace was away from the door as he awkwardly patted Qiao Ling’s back. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Hey, how can we help you?” Cheng Xiaoshi’s voice dangled in the air, still being pulled by his video game.

“Aweh, young love.” The elderly guest ignored Cheng Xiaoshi’s question, distracted by the ‘couple’ on the couch.

“No.” Lu Guang stated, stiffly separating himself from Qiao Ling.

“Aweh, but I wuv you Lu Guang!” Qiao Ling pinched at Lu Guang’s cheek.

Unfortunately for Lu Guang, Qiao Ling was far past the point of Lu Guang’s steel stare shaking her. His death stare continued to bore into her as she babbled baby noises at him and risked purpling his cheek between her fingers.

“You might not know it yet, young man.” The elderly woman kept giving her blessing. “But one day you will understand the love you two share.” Gripping her violet purse, she tilted closer to Qiao Ling. “Don’t worry young lady, he’ll figure it out soon enough.” She closed her statement off with a wink.

Uncomfortable, Cheng Xiaoshi coughed from behind the counter, the game now shut off. “How can we help you, ma’am?”

“Oh! I would just like some film developed!” She exclaimed, digging into her purse.

Lu Guang raised an eyebrow, trying to catch a fragment of Cheng Xiaoshi’s attention. The smile plastered across his boyfriend’s face was clearly forced; it was both too large and without the warm creases around his eyes.

“Of course, is it just this roll?” Cheng Xiaoshi raised his hand to accept her offering.

“Yes, thank you young man.” Her hand trembled as the roll dropped into Cheng Xiaoshi’s palm. “Don’t you think those two are quite the pair?” She ‘whispered’ loud enough for the whole room to hear.

“No.” Lu Guang flatly stated again while Qiao Ling scrunched up her face.

Laughing, she continued her conversation with Cheng Xiaoshi, organizing a pick up time and payment.

Qiao Ling and Lu Guang eyed each other nervously. Cheng’s voice was far too high pitched, his voice too rigid. They’d get the comments semi frequently, depending on who was within the closest proximity to Qiao Ling. They always grated on Cheng Xiaoshi, but this one seemed particularly chafing. Perhaps it was the fact that instead of being called solely ‘cute’ or asked if they were dating, the elderly woman decided that they were in love.

“Have a wonderful day!” Cheng Xiaoshi grit his teeth, over enthusiastically waving goodbye.

“Cheng Xiaoshi…” Lu Guang gripped the edge of the counter.

“It’s nothing.” Cheng Xiaoshi forced a smile, the edges of his eyes glistening under beading tears.

“Hey,” Lu Guang reached out for Cheng Xiaoshi’s hand.

Rubbing away a tear, Cheng Xiaoshi pretended to resist Lu Guang’s tug. His limbs limp, Cheng Xiaoshi fell into Lu Guang’s hold.

Patting Cheng Xiaoshi’s fluffy black hair, Lu Guang whispered into his ear. “I love you.” He sealed the statement with brief kisses along the ridge of Cheng Xiaoshi’s ear.

A wet ‘ha’ left Cheng Xiaoshi’s throat before he pushed away. “Next time you guys fall in love, can you let me know first?” Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t bother to laugh at his own joke.

“You’re being an idiot.” Lu Guang scoffed, taking over the logistics of the elderly woman’s photos. Considering Cheng Xiaoshi rarely did the administration side, Lu Guang was betting that there was at least something out of order or not marked down.

“And you’re being an ass.” Cheng Xiaoshi spat out, the anger not caused by Lu Guang directed towards him.

“What was I supposed to do, Cheng Xiaoshi? What would have made you happy?” Lu Guang elongated his words, lacing them with a threatening edge.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Cheng Xiaoshi immediately started backpedaling.

“Should I have forced the woman out by telling her ‘no, we’re not in love because I’m actually gay for the guy behind the counter?’” Lu Guang shook his head, frustration pulsing through his veins.

“Guys, come on, don’t make it into a big thing. It was just a crazy old lady.” Qiao Ling wedged herself in the middle of the conversation. The two men easily looked over her head and continued.

“You know, it might actually be nice to feel like you’re proud of being with me, for once.” Cheng Xiaoshi bit his lip, leaving a hint of iron.

Lu Guang slammed his palm against the counter, causing everyone to jump.

“You know it’s not that simple. Business is already slow. We can’t afford to get black listed for something so trivial.” Lu Guang clenched his jaw, his shoulder’s widening.

“Trivial? Is that what I am to you?” Cheng Xiaoshi spat back.

“ENOUGH!” Qiao Ling pushed Cheng Xiaoshi back. “Don’t let some stupid comment ruin your day.”

Lu Guang huffed a laugh with a shake of his head.

“You too!” Qiao Ling jabbed her finger into Lu Guang’s chest. “It obviously hurt Cheng Xiaoshi’s feelings, you don’t need to rub salt in the wound.”

“Whatever.” Lu Guang grit his teeth, spinning on his heel.

“Where are you going?” Qiao Ling shouted after Lu Guang, who was nearly upstairs.

“So grumpy.” Cheng Xiaoshi pouted, as if he wasn’t fuelling the fire less than ten seconds ago.

“You two are going to be the reason I go gray.” Qiao Ling sighed, returning to her curl on the couch.

As fast as Lu Guang had gone up stairs, he’d circled back down them, pulling a jacket over his arms as he went.

“Oh come on, Lu Guang!” Cheng Xiaoshi whined. He’d been irritated, but he always wanted Lu Guang to stay. He felt like a piece of him was missing when Lu Guang was away.

Lu Guang leaving in a huff felt about as great as if someone had shoved a lump of coal down his throat.

“I’ll be back later.” Lu Guang mumbled before throwing open the door.

A guest has arrived.

“Idiot.” Qiao Ling cracked open her new book.

Stammering, Cheng Xiaoshi waved his hand around. “Wh-what? Why is it all my fault?”

“Because you’re so thick sometimes.” Qiao Ling shook her head, flipping the page.

-

Cheng Xiaoshi sat at the kitchen counter, watching the steam billow off his tea. Qiao Ling had left hours ago. This house felt haunted without Lu Guang.

For the second time in the last minute, Cheng Xiaoshi pressed his phone screen to see if he’d missed a notification from Lu Guang. They’d been in fights before, and it wasn’t particularly abnormal for Lu Guang to step outside to clear his head, but leaving this late without word was out of character.

Cheng Xiaoshi: You don’t have to come home right now, just let me know you’re okay.

Cheng Xiaoshi: Please. I’m worried about you.

His sigh blew the steam away from his face. Accepting defeat, Cheng Xiaoshi sipped at his tea, the cup beside him staying empty.

A guest has arrived.

Cheng Xiaoshi shot up, the couch creaking under him. “Lu Guang?”

The lights stayed out and the only response was echoing footsteps.

On high alert, Cheng Xiaoshi leapt to his feet, running directly to where the intruder would be. “Who’s there?” He asked with more force, switching on the light.

White hair matted red was the first flash he saw of Lu Guang.

“I thought you’d be sleeping.” Lu Guang croaked, his chin resting against his chest.

“What happened?” Cheng Xiaoshi rushed over to Lu Guang, crouching to look at the face Lu Guang tried to hide.

The worst visible marks were that one eye was swollen shut, the other was a slash just below his ear. The rest of Lu Guang’s face was covered in an array of bruises and scrapes.

“Can we talk about it tomorrow?” Lu Guang’s body sagged.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Cheng Xiaoshi pulled at Lu Guang’s sleeve, marked in blood from defending himself. Whatever dispute they’d had earlier disappeared into the void; all that mattered was taking care of Lu Guang.

Holding his breath, Cheng Xiaoshi fought to keep bile and tears at bay. He desperately wanted Lu Guang to feel like he could lean on him.

With sluggish steps, Lu Guang followed Cheng Xiaoshi’s lead.

Cheng Xiaoshi ignored each pained yelp as they went up the stairs. There were obviously more wounds besides his face. Pinching his lips between his teeth, he forced himself to keep it together.

Guiding Lu Guang to their bathroom, Cheng Xiaoshi avoided looking back. Keeping his gaze down, he sat Lu Guang down on the toilet lid before turning on the tap to warm up the water.

Finally, Cheng Xiaoshi brought his gaze to Lu Guang. His blood stained face winced as he struggled to pull his arm out of his jacket.

“Let me.” Cheng Xiaoshi took over clothing removal. Tears ran down his face as Lu Guang’s breath hissed against his skin. “What happened?” Cheng Xiaoshi’s trembling voice barely broke over the sounds of the splashing water.

“I got into a fight.” Lu Guang’s scabbed fingers attempted to undo his shirt’s buttons, but Cheng Xiaoshi immediately took over.

“I’ve never seen you fight.” Cheng Xiaoshi focused on Lu Guang’s buttons.

“Yeah.” Lu Guang rasped, his marred fingers hovering around Cheng Xiaoshi’s curls.

Cheng Xiaoshi whined, the thick purple bruises along Lu Guang’s stomach suffocating him.

“I’m okay.” Lu Guang promised.

Shaking his head, Cheng Xiaoshi ran his fingers along Lu Guang’s stomach, checking for signs of internal bleeding.

“See? All good.” Lu Guang weakly chuckled.

His meek laughter was cut short as Cheng Xiaoshi removed his shirt.

Tears freely running down his face, Cheng Xiaoshi started working at Lu Guang’s belt. His heart broke as Lu Guang flinched at his touch. He was scared to see any more bruises.

“Stand up.” Cheng Xiaoshi offered a hand to help Lu Guang up, his pants automatically falling to the floor.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Lu Guang kept attempting to reassure Cheng Xiaoshi, but it was difficult to do with such a marred face.

Sobbing, Cheng Xiaoshi removed Lu Guang’s last layer of clothing, hoping that for once, he wouldn’t find a new set of bruises.

Taking a deep, shaky, breath, Cheng Xiaoshi led Lu Guang to the shower. Lu Guang yelped as the warm water hit his skin.

Letting his own clothes fall to the floor, Cheng Xiaoshi followed after him. Taking the shower head, he gently rinsed the mosaic of wounds across Lu Guang’s skin.

“What happened?” Cheng Xiaoshi’s voice was still frail.

“Just a fight.” Lu Guang bowed his head.

Cheng Xiaoshi watched the water ripple down the bruises along Lu Guang’s spine.

“Against a truck? That had a particular vendetta against your groin?” Cheng Xiaoshi carefully thumbed away some dried blood by Lu Guang’s hip.

Cheng Xiaoshi waited in silence for Lu Guang to reply. For several minutes, the only noises were the splashing of the shower with sporadic hisses of pain.

“Fuck.” Lu Guang’s face fell into his hands, his back trembling. “It’s not fucking fair! ”

Lu Guang was perpetually stoic. He’d seen the worst of the worst, through his own life and the lens of others. But he always kept a stern facade.

“Lu Guang?” Cheng Xiaoshi rested his hand against Lu Guang’s back, his own ability to control his tears long gone.

Someone had broken the strongest man he knew. Someone had brought Lu Guang down to a trembling, bloody mess. Cheng Xiaoshi could barely breathe. His heart pulled from his chest and smashed alongside Lu Guang’s body.

“It’s not fair.” Lu Guang muttered between sobs.

Nodding, Cheng Xiaoshi gently resumed rinsing Lu Guang’s body.

They didn’t speak another word until Lu Guang was fully disinfected and each wound was wrapped.

“Do you want some tea?” Cheng Xiaoshi dumped the pot of cold tea.

Lu Guang nodded, sliding into the seat that Cheng Xiaoshi had taken while he’d waited for him.

“Can you watch over the shop tomorrow?” Lu Guang’s question was quiet and gravelly.

“Yeah, take the day off, you need to rest.” Cheng Xiaoshi responded quickly, mildly relieved that Lu Guang was actually willing to take time to heal.

Setting the kettle on the element, Cheng Xiaoshi grabbed his old teacup to rinse, Lu Guang’s still sat unused.

“It’s not that.” Lu Guang tapped at the counter. “I need to get a new phone.”

“They broke your phone?” Cheng Xiaoshi’s arms dropped to his side.

“Yeah. They didn’t like the picture.” Lu Guang’s knee shook.

Cheng Xiaoshi realized they’d both spoken in plural. That it wasn’t a random one on one fight. More than one person had hurt Lu Guang. They didn’t like the picture?

Clamping against the sink, Cheng Xiaoshi started to feel dizzy, reality starting to sink in. “The - the picture of us?” His knees couldn’t hold up the heart that was falling to the floor.

Cheng Xiaoshi could see the photo clearly. He had a goofy smile on while he dug his nose into Lu Guang’s cheek. It was silly. Even the edge of Lu Guang’s lips fought a smile.

It’s not fucking fair. Lu Guang’s words played in his head. He was right. It’s not.

Wheezing, Cheng Xiaoshi slid to the ground, his head pressed against the cupboard. He clenched the fabric bunched around his knees as his chest heaved with his sobs. He choked on his breath, his throat tightening as if someone was wringing their hands around his neck.

Guilt pulled at Cheng Xiaoshi’s stomach as Lu Guang’s hands wrapped around his waist. Lu Guang was the one who was hurt, why was he the one comforting him? But Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t help it. Snot and tears streaked his cheeks as Lu Guang tightened around him.

Lu Guang ran the tip of his nose against Cheng Xiaoshi’s nape. “Don’t let them win.” Lu Guang’s broken lips kissed Cheng Xiaoshi’s spine.

“How do we win?” Cheng Xiaoshi pressed a tight fist against the cupboard, a string of spit hanging from his mouth.

“By not letting them get between us, okay?” Lu Guang’s voice sounded stronger than it had all night.

Cheng Xiaoshi shook his head. It was a picture. A picture on a phone. How the fuck did that effect anyone else’s life? How could someone see that and decide it was reason enough to beat Lu Guang black and blue?

“I love you, Cheng Xiaoshi.” Lu Guang pulled closer, rubbing his cheek on the back of Cheng Xiaoshi’s shoulder. “I love you. I love you.”

Cheng Xiaoshi’s fist unfurled, giving into Lu Guang’s hold.

As the kettle screamed, Cheng Xiaoshi rested the crown of his head against Lu Guang’s chest. Neither of them bothered to wipe the other's tears.