prompt list: I would really like to see Fluff 7? it's a challenge but I think you could do it! but maybe Fluff 16 or Soulmates 18 spark more joy in you ^-^ (SCI)
#7 “I want to dance through an army of fireflies with you”
Zhan Yao keeps staring directly ahead, his jaw clenched.
“Why do you make me do this.”
“I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
Zhan Yao slowly turns his head to give Yutong an incredulous look. If looks could kill, well, Yutong would probably have been stabbed at least three times. Zhan Yao isn’t fed up with him enough to want to kill him. Yet.
“You’ve got to identify the target, none of the rest of us are masters of psychology.”
He’s also the only one Yutong can pretend to be in a relationship with, but Yutong isn’t going to say that. Then he’d have to admit that he’s too in love with Zhan Yao to pretend to be in a relationship with anyone else. And that he was only desperate to be in the field for this mission because being in love with Zhan Yao is getting him worked up in a way he’s never been before. And now he has to pretend to be with Zhan Yao because their cover is a newlywed couple. Maybe he didn’t think this through.
“But do I have to look like this?” Zhan Yao tugs at the lapel of his jacket. “We would have looked fine if I wore my own clothes. This is unnecessary.”
“Cat, matching outfits are cute, and we need to be overly cute to make people believe that you’re in love with me. This way, you don’t have to act as much!”
Never mind that Yutong has been in love with Zhan Yao since they were reunited and Zhan Yao proved to be the same snippy asshole he always was. Never mind that seeing Zhan Yao in his clothes is giving him a possessive thrill that he doesn’t know what to do with.
Now that he’s seen it once, he wants to see Zhan Yao in his clothes again and again and again. He convinced Zhan Yao by saying that this is fair – he’s already worn Zhan Yao’s clothes, even though that was voluntary and in the privacy of Zhan Yao’s flat. That made him feel –
Zhan Yao gives him another look. “And why do we have to pretend we’re in love?”
“It’s our cover. Also public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable. We want them to remember us but not want to look at us.”
Yutong looks over at him. He looks so good dressed all in white.
Yutong did not think this through. He’s going to be all over Zhan Yao all night and tomorrow he’ll have to go back to keeping a careful distance between them. It’s not like they have many boundaries, but he’s worried that this night will make him forget what they all are.
Zhan Yao is still staring straight ahead, and his clenched jaw is starting to look painful.
They turn the corner and get into the queue to get into the fancy ball.
Yutong might as well lean into it if this is the only chance he’s going to get.
He faces Zhan Yao, and smooths out his lapels, shamelessly strokes down his chest, slides his hands to Zhan Yao’s waist and leans in so their lips are nearly nearly touching, so Zhan Yao can feel his breath as he squeezes gently and says softly, “You look yummy, stop complaining.”
Zhan Yao leans back. His expression is not very “in love.”
He looks more like he’s trying to hold himself back from strangling Yutong.
His eyes flick to the people standing in the queue behind them.
Zhan Yao looks behind them again, then leans in and mirrors exactly what Yutong just did to him. His breath is ghosting over Yutong’s cheek, his hands are at his arm and on his waist. He’s almost looming over Yutong, and Yutong’s knees feel weak.
He hates that Zhan Yao can do this to him.
“The people behind us started avoiding looking at us.” His voice is more of a murmur, and it takes Yutong a second to restart his brain and process what he’s said.
They’re on a case. He has to get it together.
He gives Zhan Yao a smug look. “Told you.”
They get into the party and mingle, Yutong keeps his body angled towards Zhan Yao, and keeps himself always half-tucked into his shoulder, so Zhan Yao can always put his hand on the small of his back and guide him closer.
Which he does a few times.
Yutong’s breath comes shorter and his own hands go a little tingly when Zhan Yao’s fingertips brush his spine.
He needs to get over Zhan Yao.
Zhan Yao guides him towards the dance floor and Yutong curses that they need to be this close.
“I think it’s the man in the suit with the red ascot. He looks like he’s trying to assess the room, figure us all out.” Zhan Yao says.
He turns them, and Yutong looks at the man he means. Zhan Yao is right, he’s not doing a very good job of scouting. Then again, if he’s an assassin for hire, he’s the most handsome assassin Yutong has ever seen. If he wasn’t looking for an assassin, he’d glance over this guy completely.
“He could just be scouting for someone to take home tonight.
He’s handsome.” Yutong says, watching his eyes catch on a lady in a form-fitting red dress.
“He was looking at us.” Zhan Yao says, his face going stony.
“Maybe he wants to go home with us.” Yutong says, and stifles a laugh at the pinched expression on Zhan Yao’s face.
“He wasn’t looking at any other men. Let me test something.”
Zhan Yao says, and guides Yutong in their slow and clumsy waltz closer to the man in the ascot.
Zhan Yao slows them down as they get closer, pulls Yutong to him and doesn’t even try to lower his voice as he says, “I love dancing with you, I want to dance through a field of fireflies with you.”
Yutong watches everyone in his field of view avert their eyes from him and Zhan Yao. Like magnetic repulsion, he thinks with an internal laugh.
Zhan Yao keeps their dance going, and once they’re a little further away and Yutong’s back is once again facing the man in the ascot, he finally lets out the snort he was keeping in. “That was so cheesy, cat! Is that how you try and seduce people? No wonder you’re still single.”
Yutong is shocked. He’ll get Zhan Yao back for that.
“He was still looking at us.”
“Maybe he has no social boundaries. Usually infiltrators are more subtle.”
“He’s leaving, let’s follow him.” Zhan Yao says, his eyes trained on the man in the ascot.
Yutong takes him by the hand and leads him away from the dancefloor, towards the door the man in the ascot went through. This is a big venue, grand and with a lot of branching corridors. But Yutong is a professional, and he knows how to tail someone.
He drops Zhan Yao’s hand as soon as they’re through the door, and goes through the door that’s swinging closed to the left of them. He’s immmediately faced by another corridor. He moves at a half run, not wanting to make too much noise, trying to listen out for doors shutting in front of them.
He sees a door swinging shut down another corridor, and veers into it, Zhan Yao following close behind.
He’s about to burst through the door and take out his gun when Zhan Yao grabs him, slams him against the wall and kisses him.
Yutong is about to push him away and ask what the hell is going on when Zhan Yao slides a hand into his hair and angles his head better, then coaxes him into kissing back.
It’s not like he was going to try very hard at pushing Zhan Yao away.
He melts into it, lets his hands come up to grip Zhan Yao’s back and kisses him like he’s desperate for it.
Zhan Yao is a really good kisser.
Yutong has given up on being aware of anything but Zhan Yao’s lips, the press of his body, the feel of his hand cradling Yutong’s face like he’s something precious.
“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Zhan Yao pulls away, but keeps his body pressed against Yutong’s.
Zhan Yao looks at the man in the ascot, standing just along the corridor from them.
“That’s no problem, we just needed to get away from the party for a bit, you know how it is.” Zhan Yao says with a little laugh.
His hand is still in Yutong’s hair, and Yutong doesn’t want to turn his head for fear he’ll move it, so he’s just staring at Zhan Yao, the way his eyes crease as he laughs self-deprecatingly, the way his lips are redder than usual and his cheeks stay flushed as he presses himself a little harder into Yutong.
If he does that any more Yutong is going to get hard for real, then there’s going to be a bigger problem than a possible-assassin expertly shaking a tail. Scratch that, most professionals can’t shake Yutong tailing them. This is definitely their guy.
Yutong is a little offended he made it seem so easy, to be honest. He’s going to blame being distracted by Zhan Yao, and thankful for Zhan Yao’s quick thinking.
For a second there he did think, with the way Zhan Yao was kissing him, he thought that maybe Zhan Yao –
“I’ll just –“ the man in the ascot motions to the door at the other end of the corridor, then starts walking.
Zhan Yao goes straight back to his mouth like he’s starving for more.
Got to keep up the act, right?
Zhan Yao tilts his head up with a thumb under his chin, and kisses down his neck.
Yutong’s not going to be able to pretend he’s not enjoying this if Zhan Yao –
Zhan Yao sucks a mark onto the side of his neck, like he knows where Yutong is most sensitive.
Yutong can’t stop himself from whining and clenching his hands on Zhan Yao’s shoulders, pulling him closer.
He didn’t beg, and he’s counting that as a win.
He hears the door swing shut, and Zhan Yao moves back to his mouth. Zhan Yao doesn’t stop kissing him.
Their suspect is getting away.
Zhan Yao kisses him deeply, one last time, then pulls himself away and drops a final, chaste kiss on the side of Yutong’s mouth. Like a farewell.
“We should follow him.” Yutong manages to get out. His voice sounds all raspy. He’s not entirely sure that he’ll be able to stand by himself if Zhan Yao takes his hands away.
Zhan Yao also looks a little shellshocked. Yutong is proud that he did that.
“Yeah, yeah.” Zhan Yao says, and pulls away, straightening his suit. He nods like he’s trying to centre himself.
Maybe Yutong could get him to fall in love with him. This is the first time he’s seen Zhan Yao shaken up like this, and he adores it. Maybe he has hope, maybe Zhan Yao could be convinced to take a chance on him.
After they get their suspect.
Yutong slides out from under Zhan Yao – he didn’t go far when he pulled away, and he’s still looming. Yutong doesn’t know how he does that, they’re basically the same height.
Yutong heads down the corridor after the man in the ascot, not running yet. He’s not sure his legs can take it.
