It\u2019s two weeks into summer vacation and Wei Ying is looking to get laid.<\/p>\n
Luckily, Nie Huaisang\u2019s invited him to his pool party. \u201cA small get together,\u201d he\u2019d said, \u201cfor everyone from our high school class.\u201d The Nies are rich, with a huge sprawling estate and bowling alleys and pools and saunas and everything\u2014but so is basically every other family in the neighborhood. It\u2019s a bit of a competition, a bit of a circlejerk, and Wei Ying\u2019s never cared about the politics of it all.<\/p>\n
But he cares today<\/em> about the connections. And hopefully the connections to Wei Ying\u2019s dick.<\/p>\n Like, okay, honestly? Maybe a pool party with a bunch of people you used to go to high school with isn\u2019t the best place to get laid. But he\u2019s been brimming with this energy and this horniness that even though he\u2019s a virgin, he really wants to get off with someone else right now, someone that\u2019s not just porn noises coming from his phone and his right hand. Plus he kind of wants to get it over with right away. So he doesn\u2019t get performance anxiety for the person he\u2019s with in the end.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s to Nie Huaisang\u2019s pool party he goes to, wearing a sheer black shirt and booty shorts. Metrosexuality is in right now, and Wei Ying feels good. He\u2019s going to get laid, he knows it.<\/p>\n He arrives fashionably late, as one does, red sunglasses perched on top of his forehead. Nie Huaisang greets him with an excited, \u201cWei-xiong! It\u2019s been too long!\u201d and a tackle and a hug.<\/p>\n Wei Ying hugs him back. \u201cYou smell like alcohol,\u201d he comments, grinning and crinkling his nose. \u201cWhy do you smell like alcohol?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been wondering the same thing.\u201d Nie Mingjue, Huaisang\u2019s older brother, appears at his side, eyebrows furrowed into a disapproving scowl.<\/p>\n Huaisang laughs. \u201cOh, da-ge, hi,\u201d he says sheepishly. \u201cI was just, uh, I may have been passing beers around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuaisang,\u201d Nie Mingjue growls.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what, I gotta go,\u201d Huaisang says to Wei Ying. \u201cI think I hear Wen Ning calling my name!\u201d And ignoring his brother completely, he flees to somewhere else in the backyard.<\/p>\n Wei Ying giggles as Nie Mingjue stomps around the rest of the party, maybe to find the other alcohol perpetrators. He goes to the long snack table near the deck, absently grabbing a thing of juice and plucking a wasabi pea into his mouth. He and Huaisang were in similar friend groups at school, but there\u2019s a lot of people he doesn\u2019t recognize, too. It must be a joint pool party between both brothers. Especially with the way Nie Mingjue gives up on looking for any kids holding cans of beer and instead struts over to a group of people Wei Ying doesn\u2019t recognize, people who look older, still shirtless. Wei Ying tilts his head in thought. There are a few girls there, but also guys, and he kind of recently discovered that he likes men as much as he likes women. Maybe\u2026<\/p>\n He\u2019s grabbing another handful of wasabi peas and wondering if he could hook up with any of these strangers when there\u2019s suddenly a deep, familiar voice, saying, \u201cWei Ying.\u201d<\/p>\n Wei Ying turns. \u201cLan Zhan!\u201d he says, and is almost blown away by the boy he sees.<\/p>\n Because\u2026 well it hasn\u2019t been that<\/em> long, only a couple of years, and he\u2019s pretty sure Lan Zhan actually doesn\u2019t look that different from when he last saw him. But when Wei Ying thinks of Lan Zhan he usually thinks of when they were thirteen and partnered up for a school project and Lan Zhan got annoyed because Wei Ying wanted to spend all of the class time they were supposed to be working on it chattering endlessly about himself. Wei Ying had compromised and decided to ask Lan Zhan fun, invasive questions about him instead.<\/p>\n They still got a perfect score on the project in the end.<\/p>\n But this Lan Zhan in front of him is\u2026 a man. Not the thirteen-year-old kid with the straight bangs and impassive-turned-furious face in his mind\u2019s eye. This Lan Zhan has a couple of centimeters on him, loose white hoodie over broad shoulders, and casual light blue swim shorts on, showing off his big, strong legs. His hair is falling loosely over his face, and his skin is a bit damp like he\u2019s been swimming. His cheekbones are sharp and his jaw is pronounced, making him, overall, a hunk<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cLan Zhan, it\u2019s been too long!\u201d Wei Ying ropes him into a hug\u2014then immediately lets him go, wincing. \u201cOh, sorry, I forgot you don\u2019t like touching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Lan Zhan swallows. \u201cI do not mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell then,\u201d Wei Ying says, and smirks. \u201cIf you say so.\u201d And he tackles Lan Zhan in the biggest, most obnoxious hug he\u2019s ever given anyone in his life.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan, for his part, doesn\u2019t protest\u2014he even reciprocates to an extent, hands on Wei Ying\u2019s waist. \u201cHow are you?\u201d he says, when Wei Ying finally lets him go. And it sounds like a genuine question, too, not one of those things people say just to make conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m doing great,\u201d Wei Ying says. The wasabi peas are still in his palm; he pops all of them into his mouth. \u201cJust got here, really, so I haven\u2019t had a chance to dip my toes in the water yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan casts his gaze over the yard, the pool, the jacuzzi, the hot tub. \u201cWould you like to join me in the hot tub?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n Wei Ying perks up. \u201cI\u2019d be delighted.\u201d<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Wei Ying sticks a toe into the water then yelps. \u201cThat\u2019s hotter than I thought it\u2019d be,\u201d he says with a laugh.<\/p>\n Beside him, Lan Zhan\u2019s already sunken into the tub. He\u2019d taken off his hoodie, revealing a large pale expanse of toned chest and what looks to be an eight-pack. Wei Ying tried to convince himself that he wasn\u2019t looking too hard, but he can\u2019t help himself. You can\u2019t just put something like that, art<\/em> like that in front of Wei Ying and expect him not to stare<\/em>. It\u2019s like bringing him to the Great Wall of China then going, okay, now don\u2019t look at it.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan\u2019s much closer to him than the Great Wall of China, though, because even in the Nie\u2019s five-foot-long hot tub, it feels like he and Lan Zhan are pressed thigh to thigh. The most that they\u2019re touching is maybe a brush of their feet beneath the water as he settles down, and yet being with Lan Zhan now feels like there\u2019s no air in the room. Or, rather, in the hot tub.<\/p>\n \u201cComfortable?\u201d Lan Zhan asks.<\/p>\n \u201cTotally,\u201d Wei Ying answers immediately. Though it\u2019s not wholly untrue\u2014the hot water feels good against his skin, seeping into his bones. \u201cAahhhh, this hot tub is great actually. Lan Zhan has the best ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMn.\u201d Lan Zhan turns his face, ears red.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d Wei Ying says, from where he\u2019s lying down. Lan Zhan is staring valiantly at his face. \u201cHow have you<\/em> been, Lan Zhan? Getting all 100s? Got your job? Got yourself a girlfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Lan Zhan says.<\/p>\n \u201cNo to which one? The grades? The girlfriend? All three?\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan doesn\u2019t answer; he\u2019s turned his face away again.<\/p>\n \u201cLan Zhaaaan.\u201d Wei Ying pokes Lan Zhan\u2019s toe with his own under the water. He feels Lan Zhan jolt\u2014feels it, doesn\u2019t see it, even though he\u2019s watching Lan Zhan like a hawk now. \u201cWhich one is it? Tell me!\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan says, \u201cGuess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuess<\/em>?\u201d Wei Ying squawks with laughter. \u201cDoes Lan Zhan play guessing games now? Okay, okay, fine, you got me Lan Zhan. I\u2019ll guess.\u201d<\/p>\n He thinks out loud. \u201cHmm\u2026 It\u2019s probably not the job one, because companies would be stupid to turn you down. They\u2019re probably begging to hire you. And then the grades\u2026 We were both valedictorians, so don\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve slacked off in your academics!\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan\u2019s impassive face gives away nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that leaves the girlfriend\u2026 but I can hardly believe that one too,\u201d Wei Ying says with a pout. \u201cHow could you not have a girlfriend? Look at you! I mean, I know you didn\u2019t have a girlfriend in high school, but that was high school<\/em>. Don\u2019t tell me girls haven\u2019t asked you out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Lan Zhan says, then stops and seems to consider something. \u201cThey have.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you don\u2019t have a girlfriend?\u201d Wei Ying guesses.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan shakes his head.<\/p>\n It hits Wei Ying like a stroke of inspiration. \u201cWait! Do you have a boyfriend<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a conversation he\u2019d ever imagined he\u2019d have with Lan Zhan, when he was a teenager. He\u2019d been convinced for most of the time they\u2019d known each other, when they were younger, that Lan Zhan was boring and just funny to irritate. Only in the last year of high school when they were made valedictorians together and spent a bit more time together in the way that newly maturing young adults sometimes do when they realize that high school doesn\u2019t matter, did Wei Ying realize there was a bit more under Lan Zhan\u2019s frosty, pretentious exterior. Beneath that was learning that Lan Zhan liked<\/em> rising to Wei Ying\u2019s bait as pissed as he might seem otherwise. They spent a lot of time in the student council break room sniping at each other for the smallest things, Wei Ying giddy about it all.<\/p>\n But still\u2014despite this, Lan Zhan had always seemed untouchable to the female student body. Wei Ying hadn\u2019t factored in the idea that he could be gay<\/em>.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s a disappointment when Lan Zhan purses his lips and says, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat!\u201d Wei Ying straightens up in the hot tub and shakes his head. \u201cI can\u2019t believe it. You\u2019re single<\/em>? Please tell me boys have asked you out too.\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan seems to be struggling.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d he says finally.<\/p>\n \u201cAha! Desired by men and<\/em> women,\u201d Wei Ying says smugly. \u201cI\u2019m jealous, though, Lan Zhan.\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan\u2019s eyebrows fly up. \u201cJealous of what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat you\u2019re so desired and yet you choose to be single.\u201d Wei Ying sinks back into the hot tub, in mock despair. \u201cWhat a privileged life you must live.\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan looks him up and down. But he\u2019s definitely not checking him out\u2014Lan Zhan doesn\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n \u201cWei Ying is quite desirable, too,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, Lan Zhan.\u201d The blush that creeps up Wei Ying\u2019s cheeks is totally involuntary, and also excruciatingly embarrassing. \u201cYou flatter me. But I\u2019m single too. You know, I just came to Nie Huaisang\u2019s pool party to get laid?\u201d<\/p>\n He regrets it as soon as the words fly out of his mouth\u2014Lan Zhan doesn\u2019t need to hear that<\/em>!<\/p>\n Lan Zhan\u2019s mouth tightens. \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot like! You know,\u201d Wei Ying blabbers. \u201cI thought I would\u2014I thought what I wore was pretty provocative, but now you got me into the hot tub so I can\u2019t show off.\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan mumbles something that sounds like, \u201cGood,\u201d under his breath.<\/p>\n Wei Ying tilts his head, scoots towards Lan Zhan on the plastic bench. \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan meets his eyes. \u201cWhat you were wearing was provocative,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you agree.\u201d Wei Ying huffs. \u201cI could be getting laid now if it wasn\u2019t for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou may leave the hot tub anytime you wish,\u201d Lan Zhan says.<\/p>\n \u201cNow you\u2019re just tricking me into staying here longer with you.\u201d Wei Ying crosses his arms. \u201cWell it won\u2019t work!\u201d<\/p>\n But he stays in the hot tub. They\u2019re only a couple of feet apart now, and Lan Zhan is watching him warily, like he\u2019s afraid what Wei Ying might do.<\/p>\n Wei Ying peeks over at him, then giggles. \u201cI\u2019m joking,\u201d he says, and elbows Lan Zhan. \u201cI like spending time with Lan Zhan! It\u2019s a good thing no one wants to come into this tub with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe they are playing a drinking game.\u201d Lan Zhan looks pointedly over at the crowd.<\/p>\n It does seem, in fact, that Huaisang has managed not only to deter his brother from searching for the illicitly procured alcohol, and instead has egged his brother into a game of beer pong against two other guys who are laughing from the other side of the ping-pong table. All three of them are shirtless while the rest of the party is cheering them on. Huaisang waves his new can of beer and yells, \u201cGo da-ge!\u201d and Mingjue shouts, \u201cWhere did you get that?\u201d Then one of the guys he\u2019s playing with chucks the ping-pong ball at his cheek and he growls and tries to throw it back. The guy ducks and it bounces on the concrete. Mingjue shouts again.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan makes a small noise beside Wei Ying. \u201cIt looks like I will have to drive me and my brother back home,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Wei Ying says. He looks closer at one of the guys playing against Mingjue\u2014not the one who\u2019d thrown the ping pong ball, but the other one, a bit taller and almost as bulky as Mingjue. He does have a similar likeness to Lan Zhan. \u201cThat\u2019s your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMn.\u201d Lan Zhan nods.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have such a fun-loving brother,\u201d Wei Ying says thoughtfully. \u201cWho would\u2019ve guessed? But! I think I like Lan Zhan best, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan does not look at him. His ears are red again.<\/p>\n \u201cSeriously, I still can\u2019t believe you\u2019re single,\u201d Wei Ying continues. \u201cWith boys and girls asking you out, and you turning them down\u2026 You\u2019re breaking so many hearts! Does that mean you have someone you like, though?\u201d<\/p>\n Aha<\/em>. Lan Zhan gets a look on his face, like a deer caught in headlights.<\/p>\n Wei Ying grins. \u201cYou do! You do, you have someone that you like,\u201d he says, and shakes Lan Zhan\u2019s bare arm excitedly. \u201cWho is it? Tell me, Lan Zhan, please?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou,\u201d Lan Zhan says, \u201ccan guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh my god, this again.\u201d But Wei Ying laughs\u2014Lan Zhan being full of surprises is another one of the reasons he likes Lan Zhan so much. \u201cOkay, um. Is it a boy or a girl?\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan does not answer. Probably because he\u2019s smart like Wei Ying and knows that however he answers, it\u2019ll narrow down all of Wei Ying\u2019s possible guesses by approximately half.<\/p>\n Wei Ying whines, \u201cYou can\u2019t just tell me to guess and then not answer!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoy,\u201d Lan Zhan replies.<\/p>\n \u201cOoh.\u201d For some reason it\u2019s not a surprise, although Wei Ying had kind of been hoping otherwise, because Lan Zhan liking a girl would just be\u2014safer, for some reason. But a boy, and Wei Ying\u2019s a boy, and it makes him feel\u2026<\/p>\n He ignores the vinegar under his tongue.<\/p>\n \u201cA boy,\u201d Wei Ying says, and taps his chin thoughtfully. \u201cA boy. Is it Nie Huaisang?\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan shakes his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNie Mingjue?\u201d Wei Ying grins. \u201cI can see that, your brother\u2019s hot older friend, coming over all the time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not Nie Mingjue,\u201d Lan Zhan says.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay.\u201d Wei Ying giggles. Lan Zhan and Nie Mingjue would look good together, but he feels kind of relieved. Who could compete with that?<\/p>\n \u201cIs it someone that I know?\u201d Wei Ying checks.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan seems reluctant when he nods.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I know a lot of people! Hmm.\u201d Wei Ying thinks more, accidentally scooting closer. Their thighs are touching under the water now. It\u2019s a bit of a distraction, but if he moves away, then it\u2019ll draw attention to it. Or maybe Lan Zhan will think that he doesn\u2019t want to be so close to him, which is not<\/em> true.<\/p>\n He goes back to the matter at hand. \u201cIs it Mo Xuanyu?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it Wen Ning?\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan slides his gaze over to the pool where everyone\u2019s now gathered, Wen Ning curled up on the steps by Nie Huaisang\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it Jiang Cheng?\u201d Wei Ying asks, making a face.<\/p>\n Minutely, Lan Zhan also scrunches his nose. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, good, I would\u2019ve caused a riot if it was,\u201d Wei Ying says. \u201cBut I should\u2019ve known better, Lan Zhan has taste. I mean, Jiang Cheng\u2019s fine, I guess, if you like Jiang Chengs.\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan says, \u201cI was under the impression he was your best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is!\u201d Wei Ying says. \u201cYou know, in that sense that you\u2019ve known your best friend since you were practically a baby so the idea of\u2014well.\u201d He wants to say the idea of anyone liking Jiang Cheng is weird<\/em> but it\u2019s not, really, because Wen Qing had liked Jiang Cheng in high school and Wei Ying had tried to hook them up. They go to the same university and are in the same focus of study now, and even are at the same internship\u2014which both of them had told Wei Ying about, and Wei Ying had not told the other. It\u2019s part of why Jiang Cheng hasn\u2019t come back for summer break.<\/p>\n He wonders if Wen Qing still has that crush on him.<\/p>\n But it doesn\u2019t matter, because Lan Zhan doesn\u2019t like Jiang Cheng, and that\u2019s all that matters. \u201cYou should just tell me, Lan Zhan,\u201d he whines. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause,\u201d Lan Zhan says, then pauses. \u201cIt is a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n A laugh bubbles out of Wei Ying\u2019s throat. \u201cWhat does that even mean<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt means it is a surprise,\u201d Lan Zhan says again, and Wei Ying laughs and laughs.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n The afternoon gives way to evening, oranges and indigos smattering across the sky. Some people have left the party for other engagements; Nie Huaisang blasts bad pop music on a radio while his brother turns on the pool lights and the fairy lights, dotting the backyard in more stars under the dark sky. Food had been brought out, passed around, like a reverse potluck.<\/p>\n Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are still in the hot tub.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like a prune,\u201d Wei Ying says.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan says, \u201cMn,\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s been long enough that it feels natural for Wei Ying to just reach under the water and grab Lan Zhan\u2019s hand. He pulls it out. \u201cYou don\u2019t even have wrinkles on your fingers!\u201d he says. \u201cWhat kind of creature are you, Lan Zhan? Are you even human?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Lan Zhan intones.<\/p>\n Wei Ying laughs. \u201cYou have nice fingers, though,\u201d he says, and spreads them apart. \u201cI remember you used to play guqin and piano in school! Do you still play?\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan nods. \u201cI am studying music composition,\u201d he replies.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, of course, how perfect for you.\u201d Wei Ying runs his fingers over the long length of Lan Zhan\u2019s, the knuckles, the pads.<\/p>\n This is\u2026 weird and definitely not what normal friends do, especially not sort of friends you haven\u2019t seen in a couple of years. But Lan Zhan hasn\u2019t told him to stop, so it must be fine.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan is watching their hands, too. \u201cWei Ying,\u201d he says, maybe a warning tone in his voice.<\/p>\n It makes Wei Ying kind of want to\u2014do more, act out. \u201cYou have really nice hands, Lan Zhan,\u201d he says. \u201cLike, really big hands. I think if you had a boyfriend you could do him really well with these fingers, you know? Or just show them to him. Who could resist these hands? They\u2019re so big, they can probably wrap around anyone\u2019s waist.\u201d He presses them apart again. He kind of wants to stick them in his mouth, but he knows that will definitely<\/em> be too much.<\/p>\n \u201cCan they?\u201d he asks. \u201cDo you know if your hands are big enough to wrap around the waist of the boy you like?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like to find out?\u201d Lan Zhan asks.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014what?\u201d<\/p>\n Wei Ying raises his head, looks up. He\u2019d been so focused on distracting himself with Lan Zhan\u2019s hands that he hadn\u2019t realized that Lan Zhan\u2019s eyes have now turned dark, darker than before in the low light of the backyard. They\u2019re hungry, and predatory, and\u2014and looking directly at Wei Ying.<\/p>\n Wei Ying laughs nervously. \u201cLan Zhan, what are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n Lan Zhan takes his hands out from between Wei Ying\u2019s palms, and slips them lower. Against Wei Ying\u2019s body.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n His fingers are so close to Wei Ying\u2019s waist. Ghosting against his rib cage. So close to pressing in, digging in, leaving bruises.<\/p>\n Actually, Wei Ying\u2019s pretty sure he will<\/em> get laid tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cLan Zhan,\u201d he says quietly. \u201cThe boy you like\u2026 is it me?\u201d<\/p>\n In response, Lan Zhan closes the gap between them. What had been so far apart\u2014well, five feet initially, only centimeters now\u2014is closed into none as their mouths meet into a deep, harsh kiss. Wei Ying can feel the heat of Lan Zhan\u2019s breath between them, in his mouth as Lan Zhan grips his body beneath the water, dragging him closer, skin against skin in the low rumbles of the hot tub. The bubbles beneath their feet, against their knees as Wei Ying parts his lips again, feels Lan Zhan meanly bite his lower lip, exhale between another kiss, the bridge of his nose against Wei Ying\u2019s own, short nails scraping along Wei Ying\u2019s stomach\u2014<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s a noise, a small putt-putt<\/em> beneath them, and\u2026<\/p>\n The bubbles stop.<\/p>\n Actually, the entire hot tub stops.<\/p>\n The water around them is clear and still and they can see the lower halves of their body clear under the moonlight. Wei Ying is gratified to see that he isn\u2019t the only one who\u2019s become hard at just a mere kiss, and by the sizable bulge under Lan Zhan\u2019s shorts, he has a feeling he\u2019s going to have a very<\/em> eventful night.<\/p>\n But they\u2019re stopped from their kissing when there\u2019s a squawk behind them. Nie Huaisang is marching towards them, still a little tipsy, robe over his shoulders, waving his hands dramatically.<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys!\u201d he accuses. \u201cYou\u2014I\u2019ve been okay with leaving you two here all day, but did you just break<\/em> my hot tub<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t!\u201d Wei Ying protests. \u201cIt was a total coincidence, we just started kissing\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t lie to me, I can see your boner from Mars,\u201d Nie Huaisang says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not on Mars, Huaisang,\u201d Wei Ying says. \u201cHow drunk are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot drunk enough.\u201d Nie Huaisang bends down near the concrete around the hot tub as if he can hear the pipes through the ground. Then he peers into the hot tub, then shrieks dramatically and covers his eyes. \u201cReally not drunk enough! I didn\u2019t need to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen don\u2019t look,\u201d Lan Zhan tells him.<\/p>\n Nie Huaisang stands back up and huffs. \u201cI can\u2019t believe you two,\u201d he says, crossing his arms and looking very pointedly at their faces. \u201cYour flirting actually broke my hot tub.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt didn\u2019t,\u201d Wei Ying tries to say.<\/p>\n But Lan Zhan curls his arm around Wei Ying\u2019s body. \u201cIt did,\u201d he agrees.<\/p>\n And he actually sounds kind of smug<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys,\u201d Nie Huaisang says long-sufferingly.<\/p>\n But Wei Ying doesn\u2019t care about that. He giggles against Lan Zhan\u2019s neck and peeks up at him. It\u2019s a bit like seeing Lan Zhan for the first time\u2014this Lan Zhan who likes him<\/em>, of all the people he\u2019s turned down\u2014and seeing him all over again, the boy Wei Ying loudly introduced himself to when he was nine and declared that he was going to be his friend, no matter what it took.<\/p>\n \u201cWanna get out of here?\u201d Wei Ying asks him.<\/p>\n Lan Zhan threads their hands together and begins to pull them up. His small smile is brighter than the night sky above them. \u201cWherever you want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wei Ying and Lan Zhan use<\/strike> break hot tubs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[176,53,175,174,132],"fandom":[464],"rating":[675],"ship":[577],"relationship":[606],"minorfandomships":[],"class_list":["post-89","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-default","tag-finger-kink","tag-flirting","tag-hand-kink","tag-hot-tubs","tag-modern-au","fandom-mdzs","rating-teen","ship-wangxian","relationship-slash","series-maws"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fandom?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"ship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ship?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"relationship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/relationship?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"minorfandomships","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/minorfandomships?post=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}