losing my MIND over the fact that Ilya probably thinks he's actually helping when they go to Shane's parents' house.
They get there and Shane is like "Ilya and I are, uh..." and Ilya is like "hmm we haven't talked about this but I know Shane is really uncomfortable right now, so I will shout out the one (1) english word I know that describes this situation. LOVERS."
Then they're talking about how long they've been together and Shane is like "since our rookie season" and Ilya is like "well, hold on now, you said you don't like lying to your parents, so let's be very clear about when this started. We have to be so clear about the fact that it started the summer before our rookie season. Wait, would it make you feel better if I give your parents the exact date and time of our first hookup?"
And then Yuna is like "you've been in love that long?" and Ilya is like "I need you to understand I've been drilling your son into mattresses from here to Florida for the last decade, but I can't say that because I want you to be my mother in law, so are you picking up what I'm putting down?" and Shane is like ILYA and Ilya is like "I am ANSWERING MY MOTHER IN LAW'S QUESTIONS"
And then he drinks his vodka and eats his pasta in his Boston shirt, very proud of himself for being sooooo supportive, meanwhile Shane is actively praying for a black hole to swallow him up
"Variety: You guys have really become best friends."
Connor: "He was just here for a week and stayed at my place. Itâs really enlightening about the culture of how men and man-on-man affection is received because you donât see that a lot. Itâs taboo for men to be friends and grab each other a certain way or hold hands. And me and Hudson being in such a sexual circumstance with one another, itâs really interesting to watch people sexualize our very amicable signs of affection. That just shows where the culture is still at in a way like, âOh, these two menâŚâ Just because weâre really comfortable with each other and we love each other, weâve been through the craziest experience together, weâre on this crazy rollercoaster together, if I have my hand on his leg as weâre sitting down doing a press thing because heâs my best buddy and I love him, and we have that level of comfort. Itâs just interesting that that instantly gets turned into, âTheyâre more than friends.â"
i feel like ive been bamboozled... finally watched abo desire and what the hell do u mean broke traumatized secretary x omega-hating emotionally stunted ceo was only the sideplot and the main plot was a couple of psychos and their pharmaceutical research?!
You know, more millionaires should skip their 15th mansion and start funding multi-million dollar BL series to live out their gay fanfiction AU dreamsâmafia boyfriends, rockstar angst, omegaverse heat cycles. Do something useful with your wealth!
In my part 46383627 of Gao Tu and Shen Wenlang headcannons, this is the day that Gao Tu realizes he has forgiven everything and that he truly does love Shen Wenlang.
This day, Shen Wenlang takes him and Lele out for a picnic. Just the three of them. And Gao Tu thinks itâs a bad idea because just yesterday at the posh hotel conference room where Shen Wenlang had a meeting with a top executive from S Country, his joint business venture with them did not push through as planned.
And it had surprised Gao Tu because he knew how hard Shen Wenlang worked on that proposal. There were many late night meetings with the team and several legal meetings to ensure all went according to plan. As his secretary, Gao Tu knew the ins and outs of these things. Shen Wenlang does not make him stay late into the night with him at HS Group (he doesnât do that to his entire staff anymore) but Gao Tu knew the alpha would do the work himself, coming home at 2 in the morning all exhausted.
(Heâs not sure if Shen Wenlang knew he too was staying up late at night on his laptop, finishing up the proposal and research as well so that they have one more stuff off their checklist the next morning and heâd put it away and feign sleep when heâd hear him come in so he doesnât worry about him still being awake.)
So going to a picnic the day after that massive business failure was really a bad idea because Gao Tu knew the alpha had to do some damage control. He knew Shen Wenlang had to fly to S Country to do a counter proposal. He knew he had to get the rest of the research team together at once to work on possible revisions. But no. They were headed to a picnic.
Lele was over the moon about it. And Shen Wenlang packed snacks, to which Gao Tu had to take over and do the packing instead because they cannot possibly live on chips alone. So he made sandwiches and Shen Wenlang cut up some fruits and Lele packed the cookies that Peanut gave them (Uncle Hua Yong makes the best cookies!)
And they drive to the park, Lele in the car seat at the back singing to some song while Shen Wenlang drove. And it must be the puzzled look on his face about all this that Shen Wenlang reaches to hold his hand while he steered the car on the other, eyes never leaving the road of course.
They had the park all to themselves. Shen Wenlang brings out a kite and teaches Lele to fly one. Itâs Gao Tu who ends up getting it in the air successfully to which Shen Wenlang thanks him with a hug from behind and Gao Tu inhales that earthy floral iris. Itâs soft and smooth which means the alpha is in a good mood which is still all so puzzling because Gao Tu is still waiting for him to express disappointment over the failed venture.
They get a blanket out on the grass and open up their snacks. Lele takes out his camera and takes pictures of everything he can find: rocks, ants, trees. Shen Wenlang feeds Gao Tu an apple slice, shows him the perfect heart shaped fruit he cut out earlier to which Gao Tu just gives him an amused smile in thanks.
They all lay down on the blanket after, and Gao Tu listens as Lele points out the number of shapes and images he can spot on the clouds. He listens as Shen Wenlang agrees that that one is a rabbit and that one looks like poop.
âThis is the best day ever!â Lele exclaims as he gets up to run around the wide park.
And Gao Tu had to sit up and look at Shen Wenlang, who is still laying there, hands behind his head, eyes closed with a small smile painted on his peaceful and serene face, as if the weight of that business venture failing did not even bother him one bit.
Itâs rare for him to see him like this, Gao Tu realizes.
âIt really is, donât you think?â Shen Wenlang says.
Gao Tu snaps out of it. âWhat is?â
âToday. Best day ever.â
Gao Tu thinks twice about his next words.
âWell, it is. Compared to yesterday.â
Shen Wenlang only hums, still with his eyes closed.
âI still have the file on a drive right now. If you want to work on that proposalâŚâ Gao Tu truly canât help it. He wanted to blame it as something he was used to doing through years of being his secretary. But he also wanted to do something anything for Shen Wenlang to be able to win that business deal. He knew what it entailed. How important it was for HS Group. It was only just 4 in the afternoon. They can still make it back to the city and have Shen Wenlang fly out of Jiang Hu in no time.
âDid you know I havenât seen Lele in a week?â
Shen Wenlangâs response has Gao Tu look at him puzzled. The alpha cracks an eye open before shifting to move his head on the omegaâs lap where he snuggles and closes his eyes again.
âHis room is right next to ours and I didnât have time to see him.â He continues. âWhen I get home, the both of you are asleep. And in the morning when I get up, the both of you are off to work and school.â
That was true. That was just how it is in their household at the moment, Gao Tu thinks. Everyone was so busy, including himself.
âThat business deal wanted more from HS Group, including overtime work not just from me but for everyone on the team as well. And considering the time difference between our country and theirs, it would seem that we might have to be working around the clock with them.â A crease forms on the alphaâs brow. âI didnât want that.â
Shen Wenlang then takes Gao Tuâs hand and gently presses his wrist to his nose.
âI have a family now. You. Lele.â Shen Wenlang then opens his eyes to look at him. âI promised myself that if something gets in between that, then it wouldnât be worth it.â
Shen Wenlang gives a soft kiss on the back of his hand.
âLet them keep their trillions. I just want to keep you two.â
And Gao Tu sits there, heart beating frantically at those words. Heâs heard thousands of sweet words from Shen Wenlang since the day they were reunited. But this one was different. This instance was different. He knew how important this deal was. He heard Shen Wenlang and Hua Yong discuss it before. This partnership would have been a major breakthrough on a global scale. It would set HS Group right up there among the best of the best.
Shen Wenlang chose him over it.
Trillions.
His father would have handed him over for trillions in a heartbeat.
But not Shen Wenlang.
âPapa!â
Leleâs voice calling out to him cuts through his reverie.
âLook at my pictures! Thereâs a wolf on the cloud-â
âReally now!â Shen Wenlang grabs him and Lele squeals as the alpha wrestles the little one down on the ground.
Gao Tu picks up Leleâs camera that was tossed aside. He canât help but turn it on and capture this moment of his son and his mate.
And thatâs when Gao Tu realized it was the first time he referred to Shen Wenlang as one.
Mate. His mate.
It shook Gao Tu to his core. That he wanted this man, who chose him among all the riches the world could offer.
Maybe it was time he deserved someone who truly wanted and loved him back. Maybe it was time he stopped thinking so little of himself when there was someone who thought the world of him.
During the drive home, Gao Tu thinks that when someday Shen Wenlang asks him for the eighth time, heâll say yes.
