Chapter Text
That day started off pretty sane and normal for Xiao Zhan; he stretched his arms into his pillow, reaching a hand out to trace Yibo’s back as he slept facing away. The man barely budged from his fetal position so Xiao Zhan rolled out of bed and headed for Meihua’s crib.
As he’d expected, he found her bright and awake, playing with her feet as she babbled lightly to the little plastic animals on her baby mobile.
Xiao Zhan smiled down at her, taking in her perfect gummy smile, and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Morning, baby.” He whispered to her, laughing as her persistent little fingers grabbed onto his nose and cheeks. He dropped little butterfly kisses onto her fingers and detangled himself from her surprisingly strong grip.
Easing her out of the crib, he murmured to her, “Go wake Dada up.”
On the bed, Yibo had sprawled onto his back, blankets up to his chest, still snoring.
Without much ceremony, Xiao Zhan plopped a squirming baby on top of Yibo’s chest and left for the bathroom with a kiss on his forehead.
He heard Yibo murmuring to their baby as he brushed his teeth and came out to see Meihua sitting safely in the circle of Yibo, who had gone back to sleep. Xiao Zhan snorted and went to prepare Meihua’s bottle.
When he made it back to the bedroom to give his daughter the bottle, he saw Yibo prop her up against his raised legs, her bum on his belly.
Meihua wiggled around, throwing lethal kicks to her Dada’s face with her legs, giggling whenever Yibo made mock-wounded noises. Xiao Zhan stopped in the doorway, and watched them play for a bit. He smiled at the sight they made, against the pure, unfiltered light streaming through the thin curtains, and the slight chill of the morning still hanging over them.
Finally, the moment broke when Yibo spotted him. “Hey look, Papa’s got your milk.” He picked Meihua up off him and heaved himself out of bed. Xiao Zhan greeted him with a smile as he passed by, to which Yibo pressed a dry kiss to his cheek.
The whole thing had Xiao Zhan sighing in contentment, head already shaking at how life had taken such a turn for him. He fed Meihua the bottle after he tucked her against his arm, watching her bright eyes dart across the shapes the morning light made over the ceiling.
He fondly shook her bottle to remind her to keep sucking, such a curious bug his little baby was. She was easily distracted by everything shiny and noisy or even remotely interesting. Xiao Zhan wondered if these were the musings of every parent: my daughter is the most creative, the most observant, they’d all probably said at any point.
By the time the last dregs of milk were finished off by Meihua, Yibo was done in the bathroom, coming out with a towel draped across his shoulder.
“What’s the plan for today?” His voice was raspy in the mornings, and eyes slightly swollen with sleep, yet he was still the most beautiful person Xiao Zhan had ever seen.
He smiled at him, “I think we can have a chill day today, eh Meihua?” He sat the baby up on his lap and gently thumped her back to burp her. But Meihua had plans; she inched her arms over to her Dada standing next to the bed, eager to get up and be in his arms as was her favourite position to be in, whenever he was home.
Xiao Zhan wondered with a chuckle, if that was the one thing that tied Dada and Meihua together in a bond that didn’t need to be biological: their clinginess.
Yibo hummed, “A chill day. So that means after breakfast I’ll take her down to the park with my skateboard.”
Xiao Zhan nodded his acquiescence with a smile aimed at his boyfriend; lately it was Yibo’s favourite task to take Meihua down to the small park in their complex. It hosted a small driveway-like lane for bicycle enthusiasts that Yibo loved to scale over several times with his skateboard. Meihua would be parked carefully to the side in her pram and in complete view and reach of Yibo. Later, when he would tire of doing tricks on the board, he’d wheel Meihua’s pram over to the small garden in the middle, with its butterflies and flowers and birds chirping in the tree that overwhelmed the baby’s senses.
It was, as Yibo said, more interesting to watch Meihua’s reactions to the world around her, rather than the small garden itself.
“Okay, that’s good,” Xiao Zhan said, easing Meihua up over his shoulder as she’d burped, “that gives me time to straighten the house a little and get some work done.”
Yibo scrunched his nose adorably at him, “Work, ugh,” he gave a mock-shudder, “why work when you can play?” The light shone in his eyes and glinted off, giving him a particularly naughty look as he winked teasingly at Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan made a face at him but then laughed as Yibo leaned in to press kisses to his mouth, minty and breathless.
They pulled away and Xiao Zhan led them out of the bedroom to their small table. He left Meihua in her baby playard (given to her by her amazing Auntie Lulu who was horrified to note that she had a niece she could’ve been spoiling all this time) on the living room floor with some of her toys, that made noises and lit up much to the delight of the baby.
Yibo slumped on the chair at the table, phone in his hand as he scrolled through some of the messages he received that morning. Xiao Zhan took his time plating up their breakfast, and brought it to the table, it being peaceful and quiet as they dug in.
The couple had only just made it halfway through breakfast when a faraway jingle interrupted them. Yibo looked up from his phone in confusion even as Meihua chirped in the background. Xiao Zhan instantly recognized the sound as his FaceTime call on his computer. He frowned, “Who’s calling at this time?”
Yibo inclined his head, “Go take it, could be important.”
With hurried steps, Xiao Zhan walked to the office room. It was the lawyer, that one on jiejie’s case. Despite himself, Xiao Zhan felt the bottom of his stomach cave through. Her calls never meant a good thing.
“Hey, good morning.” He sent her a curt nod, voice tight with tension. She sent him back a greeting with a grim smile.
“Xiao-laoshi, I’m really sorry to disturb your morning, but I wasn’t sure when else to contact you.”
He shook his head and relaxed minutely, “Not your fault. I’m free and at home right now if that’s what you were asking. Is, uh, is everything okay?” He almost didn’t want to know why she’d called. There was something so fragile about the morning he’d just had, he didn't want it to shatter with the weight of something he couldn’t handle.
On the grainy video, the lawyer laughed albeit nervously, “Oh everything’s fine. Just wondering about you and Meihua doing well.”
Then before Xiao Zhan could nod and update her, she continued, “Well, actually, there’s an update I wanted to share.”
There it was, Xiao Zhan held his breath; this couldn’t be good. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Yibo standing at the door of the office, out of frame but listening in. Somehow his presence eased something inside Xiao Zhan. Of course, he wasn’t alone in this. He wasn’t Meihua’s only parent, there was someone who could share his burdens, whatever they may be.
Without moving his gaze from the video, he reached a hand out of shot towards Yibo, who stepped forward and clasped it firmly.
The warm weight of his hand against Xiao Zhan’s own, made him ask, “What is it?”
“The investigator who’s working on Junhui’s case said the suspect was last spotted in Shanghai, which I informed you of last month.” Her voice was now crisp and professional, nothing like the gentle questioning from earlier and Xiao Zhan was almost grateful for it. He nodded at her to keep going.
“I have been informed that since then the suspect has fled from Shanghai, now in the vicinity of Beijing.” Xiao Zhan felt Yibo’s grip on his hand become tighter even as his gut swooped in fear.
“We have no reason to believe he’s after Meihua, but we’re also not ruling it out. I suggest you tighten your security measures and keep everyone informed at all times wherever you go.”
Xiao Zhan let out a shaky breath, “So you mean he could come to us? Come for Meihua?”
The lawyer maintained a plain expression, from what he could make out of her on the video, but then shook her head, “We don’t know whether he’s aware of Meihua’s custody or what Meihua even looks like. We don’t believe he’s coming for her but we’re also not ruling out the possibility.”
He shook his head in frustration; that told him practically nothing.
Yibo’s grip on his hand pulsed twice, warning him off.
Xiao Zhan calmed himself down, “Okay, we’ll keep on the lookout for anything weird. I already had- Yibo actually had our security tightened, it’s the best we have for Meihua right now. We barely go out as it is and Meihua is always with either of us at all times.” He carefully left out the part where Yibo was now a part of his life just as much as Meihua and was living with them. They didn’t need to know that but from the relieved smile she gave him, he wagered she had an inkling.
“That’s good, Xiao-laoshi. I’ll keep you updated on everything as soon as I hear more from the police. We believe he’ll be caught soon if he’s in Beijing.”
With a few more words exchanged, the call ended. Xiao Zhan whooshed out his breath and held his hands over his face as he bent over in his swivel chair. He felt more than saw Yibo join him on the floor in front of him, bending to look at his face. He wanted to hide away from it all, the horror of it, the sadness he felt, the helplessness that encountered him.
Large hands rubbed comfortingly up and down the length of his thighs. It made him nearly sob with the tenderness of it. Moving his hands aside, he gazed down at the loving expression on Yibo’s face.
He was the best, he was honestly the absolute best.
Xiao Zhan leaned down and touched his forehead against Yibo’s. “Thank you.”
Yibo made an inquisitive sound. Xiao Zhan shook his head against him, never breaking the contact or opening his eyes, “Thank you for being here for us.”
Yibo tsked, reaching up to caress Xiao Zhan’s cheek with a long-fingered hand. “None of that now. Why are you thanking me when it’s my job to be doing this?”
This made Xiao Zhan crack a smile, “A job to you, is it? Is that all we are?” He opened his eyes to throw him a teasing look, the moment lifting as Yibo grinned back.
“Oh actually,” Yibo made a mock-thoughtful expression, “I suppose it’s because I love you both as well.”
Despite the teasing nature of the moment, Xiao Zhan smiled through his tears, “And we’re lucky to have you in our lives.”
Yibo’s expression sobered up again as Xiao Zhan’s tears began falling. “ Baobao ,” he whispered in an agonized voice at the sight of tears on his face, and pulled him into his arms.
Xiao Zhan clung to Yibo with both arms around his neck, tucking his nose in the loose collar of Yibo’s T-shirt, taking in his scent to comfort himself. All the while, Yibo’s hands roamed the expanse of his back gently, tracing the line of his tense posture as if he wanted to physically take his stress away.
It made Xiao Zhan finally smile and pull away. He was being so silly.
Wiping his eyes, he laughed at himself, “ Aiyah , why did I ruin such a nice morning with my crying?”
“Xiao-laoshi looks beautiful even when he’s crying.” Yibo parrotted almost instantly.
There it was. He shoved at the cackling man and got up out of his chair. They’d left Meihua out here for far too long, but as he re-entered the living room area, he spotted that she’d not even moved from her place. There she sat, gnawing furiously on her donkey plushie, a gag gift from Yibo who thought it’d be hilarious for her to have a Li’l Apple doll, staring dead into the sun from the balcony windows.
Xiao Zhan snorted at her fixation just as Yibo followed him out, swatting his hand away from his butt. He threw his boyfriend a warning look, even as he appreciated the man’s interest. It’d been months now they began dating, but with a baby to look after and their harrowing schedule to keep up with, the two hadn’t had any chance to be alone on their own.
Maybe they could visit Chongqing, and drop Meihua off for a day as they explored Xiao Zhan’s hometown. And maybe, just maybe, Xiao Zhan thought, they could book a lovely suite just for the two of them. Sleep in the same bed without a baby in a crib somewhere.
Xiao Zhan felt his traitorous cheeks heat up at the thought and loudly called over to Yibo, “Okay I think it’s time you take her out. Look at her, she’s so desperate.” He laughed as Yibo leaned out of the laundry room to take her expression in, with a grin.
“Okay, let me get ready. Then the two of us will be out of your hair for a while.” Yibo threw back at him with a pointed expression.
Xiao Zhan rolled his eyes and grinned at him, “I miss you both already,” and laughed as Yibo made a face at him, before leaving to get changed.
Xiao Zhan giggled, feeling a little silly as he checked on Meihua’s jacket and then double-checked Yibo’s mask and beanie. He felt as if he was sending his two kids off to kindergarten and dodged a kick from Yibo when he voiced it. Before they left with Yibo hefting Meihua’s pram in one hand and the baby in the other, he pulled Yibo’s mask down, planting a short but sweet kiss on his lips. Moving aside, he dropped a kiss on the baby’s cheek as well.
“Alright, you both can go now.” He said, fixing Yibo’s mask but ignored his tell-tale smirk.
Getting into the groove of his work was simple. He felt assured that Meihua was with Yibo and that the both of them were safe inside the limits of their complex. Tidying up the worst of the mess in the bedroom and other rooms, Xiao Zhan sat down at his office computer, quickly rifling through all the tasks his manager had set for him. Scripts, events planned, new endorsement deals, and song offers.
He grinned as he answered Yixing’s texts about the man wanting to write a song for him. Xiao Zhan would’ve been honoured, his inner Exo-l jumping out at the opportunity to sing something written by an EXO member, but his priorities lay in acting at the moment.
He knew Yibo would love to snag up a song written by Yixing, however, and let the man know of the possibility. Just for good measure, he sent over Meihua’s latest picture, her wearing her bunny onesie at the party. Xiao Zhan laughed at the dramatic response he got, and made a mental note to ask Yibo to invite the man over, once they were shifted to Shanghai.
Speaking of which, he contacted his agent and let her know of everything they’d need prepared once they arrived. With their lives being as busy as it is, Xiao Zhan knew neither of them could think of planning to furnish the house themselves. That’d be a nightmare project, even for Xiao Zhan to take on. So he’d hired the best interior designer in the city and commissioned them for a mural for Meihua’s room.
Only the best for his baby girl, of course.
Xiao Zhan groaned as he got up out of his chair, a good hour later as he finished off his work. Checking the time, he noted there was still enough left before he started lunch so he grabbed his script for Ace Troops, hoping to memorize more of his lines for next week’s shoot. His slippers squeaked against the kitchen tiles as he took his tumbler of green tea out and headed for the living room sofa. Something in him made him stop and head over to the balcony.
Crisp autumnal air greeted him as he slid the doors open, stepping out shivering slightly in his short-sleeved T-shirt. He took a deep breath of the clear, fresh air, a rarity for a city like Beijing.
Xiao Zhan chanced a look down, and with delight noted that the balcony gave a perfect view of the small garden that Yibo and Meihua liked to frequent. It was mostly empty save for the two of them, which was expected since most residents had left for work and the few stragglers here and there were mostly maintenance workers, going over the park to comb out any trash.
Currently, the two were in the middle of the garden, with Meihua’s pram cushioned on the soft grass and Yibo on the concrete path with his skateboard, attempting a new trick over and over to achieve perfection.
He felt dizzy with love for a moment as he watched them. Yibo with his concentrated face as he did the trick repeatedly, glancing up now and then to keep an eye on the baby. Meihua was far too preoccupied with everything else to even look at her father’s tricks. The baby was leaning out of her pram, arms hanging loosely over the safety arm, legs bouncing about as soon as she spotted a butterfly.
He grinned at the two of them, but then turned back to the house when he heard a chime from his phone.
Figuring it was Yixing, he dropped his script on the sofa to free up a hand for his phone. But it wasn’t him.
Xiao Zhan frowned as he read the message and dreadfully studied the picture attached to it.
Sorry to disturb you on your day off, Mr. Xiao. Your lawyer must have informed you of our new findings. Please be on the lookout for the suspect. I’m attaching a picture. Please stay safe and call me for any emergency.
It was from the detective who was handling jiejie’s case. It was mostly a closed case but the police still needed to question the man to rule out any suspicions. Staring down into his eyes, Xiao Zhan felt a wave of revulsion.
This was the lowlife who’d left jiejie pregnant on her own, to give birth alone, and then Meihua, a helpless newborn all out in this world without a father.
He clamped down a wave of emotion; it was all for the better now. Meihua finally had parents who loved her completely, who would always make sure she had nothing to want for, whether it be love, attention or material.
Convincing himself of this was easy, but Xiao Zhan still felt restless to go back to work now, so he took up his cold brew green tea and went back out to the balcony, to watch Yibo and Meihua play around.
Xiao Zhan took a few sips from his tumbler and absently played with his phone, watching Yibo stumble and nearly land on his knee. He cursed under his breath and then relaxed as Yibo balanced himself out. Xiao Zhan laughed at himself; no wonder he could barely watch Yibo’s motorcycle races. The slightest hitch in a move would prove disastrous and he doesn’t want to think about what that could possibly mean.
Xiao Zhan swallowed a few more sips and watched as Yibo finally abandoned his skateboard to pull Meihua out of her pram. He grinned as Yibo took selfies with the baby, eventually putting his phone away to bounce her up into the air. The wind carried their giggles and whoops from down there and if Xiao Zhan could bottle that bliss up, he would.
Xiao Zhan was swirling his green tea when he noticed it.
A man on the northern edge of the garden, just standing there and staring. Staring at Yibo and Meihua. Staring at his family, but not moving an inch.
It was almost like he was transfixed on them. Xiao Zhan stopped breathing for a moment.
The man looked inconspicuous enough: black pants and a black jacket over a buttoned shirt, a grey cap stuffed onto his head. His posture seemed loose but his hands were twitching from where Xiao Zhan could see.
He immediately began hyperventilating reaching into his pocket for his phone, not taking his eyes off the man. Xiao Zhan could make out his features clearly so he held up the picture the detective had sent not even ten minutes ago.
His stomach plummeted to the depths of his body; it definitely could be him but Xiao Zhan was so far up he had no way of confirming it. If he went down now, that would mean taking his eyes off his family and who knew what that man would attempt in so much time.
Xiao Zhan’s fingers trembled as he quickly dialled Yibo.
“Hey baby,” his boyfriend’s voice began but Xiao Zhan cut him off, “At your 6 o’clock, Yibo, check him, who is he ?”
“What,” there was a crackling sound as Yibo handled his phone with one hand and reached for Meihua’s pram with his other. Xiao Zhan watched as Yibo swivelled around to face the man, who was now but a couple of yards away from them.
“Shit.” He heard Yibo mutter and watched as his boyfriend pulled Meihua out of her pram, clutching her in his arms and backing away.
Xiao Zhan echoed Yibo’s curse as the man took a step forward. He felt the rising panic as he dropped his tumbler on the balcony floor, not caring to hear as it cracked open. With shaky limbs, he stuffed his feet clumsily into his shoes, grabbing something out of his drawer that he usually kept locked, and dialled the detective with his other.
The whole way down was a mix of panic and adrenaline, his limbs moving on autopilot as he took the stairs down. He dictated the whole thing to the detective on-call who assured them that the nearest unit had been dispatched and would likely be there in five minutes.
Five minutes was too long, was something Xiao Zhan refrained from screaming at her. Five minutes and it could all be over. His family could be gone.
Ignoring the door attendant’s panicked cry, he burst out of his building in his ratty sleep clothes, not caring a bit that his face wasn’t covered up.
There were questions racing through his mind: how did this man get here? How was he able to infiltrate their complex? Did the security fail them?
And the most important: what was that man going to do to Yibo and Meihua?
His legs pumped as he ran towards the garden, glimpsing a view of Yibo’s back to him as he held onto Meihua, slowly backing away from the man who was now edging over to them.
In a flurry of movement, he reached his family and firmly shoved a startled Yibo back behind him, aiming the small device in his right hand at the man.
“Don’t come any closer or I swear I’ll deploy it.” Xiao Zhan shouted at the man, heaving and panting as he pushed Yibo and Meihua behind him further with his left hand.
“Xiao Zhan—” Yibo gasped behind him but he paid him no mind.
The taser was still aimed at the man, though he was too far away for it to do any damage.
He was shaking terribly, he could feel that. Yibo’s hand was now clamped on his shoulder and he could feel his warmth through the thin T-shirt he wore.
“Why are you here?” Xiao Zhan demanded, watching as something other than that creepy, blank stare took over his face. The man’s face showed naked fear as he began shaking his head.
“No, listen I just—”
“You just what, huh? Thought you could come here and take her? Hurt my family?” Xiao Zhan took a menacing step forward, relishing the way the shorter man flinched away from him, his arm up as if he was bracing for an attack.
“Xiao Zhan, calm down.” Yibo’s voice filtered through the angry buzz in his mind. “ Baobao ,” he whispered into Xiao Zhan’s ear, “we’re okay, we’re unhurt. Put it down.” Yibo rubbed his shoulder comfortingly just as Xiao Zhan heard the sirens.
The police were here.
And just like that all his strings were cut. Xiao Zhan’s limbs felt like jelly as his arm dropped and his knees nearly buckled. Two police officers ran towards the man and forced him onto the ground.
Yibo caught him with an arm around his shoulders just as a woman in a professional suit came bounding up to them. She had her gun drawn and quickly stuffed it back into her holster, watching the officers cuff the man and stuff him into a police car.
Xiao Zhan was barely aware of his own senses but saw her nod towards, “Xiao-laoshi, it was good of you to contact me directly. He’s going to be in Beijing custody but we’ll transfer him over to Shanghai police. Thank you for helping us out.”
But Xiao Zhan couldn’t respond. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth even as his limbs shook.
Yibo grasped his shoulder harder, and Meihua, his sweet Meihua didn’t make one sound. She looked inquisitive at all the people around her suddenly, feeling safe in her Dada’s arms.
“Oh no,” murmured the detective, “let’s get him inside.” She was probably talking about him, he figured, as Yibo steered him back towards the building. He felt fingers pry away the taser from his hand, which he willingly let go of.
He nearly attacked that man back there. He nearly lost his family. He nearly lost this whole dream he spent months building. Xiao Zhan shuddered with residual fear and adrenaline. He could feel the slump taking over and wondered how Yibo was able to handle it so easily.
Yibo felt like he could run a marathon with how jittery he was; he deposited Meihua’s playard in their bedroom, leaving her there with some of her toys but not before divesting her of her tight outdoors jacket and hat. He passed a loving hand over hair, marveling at its softness and the warmth of her skin. He swallowed his fear; it was over now, the worst of it. What shocked him the most was Xiao Zhan’s reaction. He’d behaved like a cornered animal, like he’d do anything to protect him and Meihua.
And while his heart only grew with love, it also rattled him how carelessly Xiao Zhan would behave in the face of fear. Throwing himself like that in front of them was a stupid move. Yibo had been dead set on backing away slowly to their building where he would’ve signalled their doorman, who was always on duty.
That phone call from Xiao Zhan had warned him well, even though the panic in his voice had chilled Yibo to the bone. He’d worked quickly to grab Meihua’s pram close to him but the situation clearly called for him to grab her and run. And so he did. Or at least, he tried until his boyfriend nearly barreled into him, wielding a taser with a manic expression.
Yibo had been torn between wanting to keep Meihua safe behind Xiao Zhan and himself or tackling Xiao Zhan and putting himself forward to keep him safe.
He’d warred with the two sides until he’d heard the police sirens coming closer. And then it was all over.
The nightmare that had interrupted their peaceful morning was nearly dealt with. It was the aftermath that was terrible to experience. Yibo knew that.
He had Xiao Zhan sitting on the living room sofa and watched with muted concern as the man folded himself over into his hands, much like he’d done earlier. Yibo knew it was his way of hiding from the world, of hiding his pain and not being too unbearable for others.
But Yibo wanted Xiao Zhan to be open with him, to share his pain with him.
“ Baobei ,” he whispered to him, hoping to get some reaction. He didn’t.
The detective had stationed two police officers at their entrance which he appreciated, but he knew they’d be back later to take Xiao Zhan and his statements.
Another harrowing ordeal to go through, to watch Xiao Zhan give his statement, having to go over every minute detail of the way he must’ve felt so helpless.
On the sofa, Xiao Zhan made a low sound that seemed wrenched out of him.
“Yibo,” he finally voiced out, the sound raw and punched. Without a word, Yibo reached for him. The apartment was empty for now, and with the main door firmly shut and guarded and Meihua safe in their bedroom, Yibo decided they could let down their guard.
Moving to the sofa, he swiftly pulled Xiao Zhan, long limbs and all, onto his lap, where the man wrapped himself tightly around Yibo, like he was scared he’d run away.
“I’m here, I’m okay, we’re okay.” He repeated over and over to his boyfriend, running his hands up and down his back, placing tender kisses on his hair.
In his arms, Xiao Zhan made another low sound, “Meihua?”
“She’s fine, baobao , absolutely fine, just busy playing with her toys,” Yibo rushed to assure, keeping his voice gentle like he was dealing with a spooked animal.
And he surmised, that was exactly the way Xiao Zhan was acting. Like he’d been cornered into a cage, like he’d been tested to his extremes.
But it was over. And that was what Yibo kept repeating to him, until they were interrupted by two unhurried knocks on the main door.
Yibo quickly pulled Xiao Zhan away, who wasn’t teary-eyed anymore but still looked dazed, as if he’d woken up from a bad dream just now. He let the man arrange himself on the sofa as he got up to answer the door. It was the detective again.
“So sorry to bother you so soon. But I’ll need statements.” She looked apologetic, which Yibo appreciated. This wasn’t an easy situation for anyone.
Yibo nodded curtly at her and returned to the sofa, where Xiao Zhan looked slightly better, there was more colour to his cheeks and the lost look in his eyes had been replaced by something lighter and softer. Something more like Zhan-ge, Yibo thought.
Yibo gave his first, and then Xiao Zhan began his own, much more detailed than Yibo’s. He listened with a heavy heart as Xiao Zhan retold the whole thing, stark and horrifying as it was from his side. Halfway through he wavered; his strong, beautiful boyfriend faltered. Without much thought, Yibo reached out to clasp his hand, only then realizing how stupid that move was. He flinched away from the hold, as Xiao Zhan threw him a dismayed look.
Fuck, Yibo was in a tough position here.
But of course, nothing could move past the observant detective. She gave him a look which reminded him a lot of his mother.
“Don’t worry, Yibo-laoshi. I’ve worked with many families in my time in the police force. I’ve met all kinds of people.” At that, she paused and gave him a pointed look.
Oh, she knows. Yibo gulped at that thought; her knowing wasn’t all that bad but it could affect the way she handled Meihua’s case. What if she deemed them unfit to be parents just because they were together and in love?
“So,” she continued, oblivious to his internal panic, “I wouldn’t mind at all, if any of my victim’s families needed support during statement-giving. Even from spouses .”
Her emphasis on the word lifted Yibo’s heart. He felt elated as he smiled gratefully at her, slipping Xiao Zhan’s hand back into his own, this time intertwining their fingers. His heart thumped loudly in his chest.
I’m here for you, Zhan-ge , it said. I’ll always be here.
Life moved on for them. All around them everyone went back to their work and their lives and routines like nothing had transpired. Meihua didn’t act any different, either, which along with their grueling schedules helped push the two back to their normal lives.
Xiao Zhan felt silly after it all; how he’d worried and panicked and gone into an absolute daze. He’d reacted far too much over something that had an easy fix. The fear was still present at times but nothing was soothing like the balm of being around loved ones.
His mother had been the first who had found out; she’d threatened them both with traditional Chinese medicine if they didn’t take care of themselves. Yibo had laughed like she’d been joking but Xiao Zhan knew the post was already on its way.
Xuan Lu had re-entered his daily life with much gusto, hell-bent on becoming the best Auntie, Meihua had ever had.
Xiao Zhan had grinned at them when they came back from their little date with matching shirts. Only Yibo had grunted at her and taken Meihua away, muttering something about “hogging his poor baby.” It had made Xuan Lu giggle uncontrollably but Xiao Zhan had only shaken his head at his boyfriend. The jealous idiot.
The incident had sparked a greater fervor towards their move to Shanghai. Xiao Zhan spurred on the designers and renovators, adamant on bringing Yibo and Meihua there as soon as he could. He didn’t care if his Beijing apartment’s lease was up or not; he knew he’d be travelling enough in the near future to make enough use of it. He just needed to get his family away from there.
The joyful echoes of Meihua’s laughter and Yibo’s excited whooping was worth it all.
“Zhan-ge,” Yibo gasped, his grin full and wide on his face, as he danced his feet over the dark tiles of the bathroom floor. “These are heated !”
Xiao Zhan giggled and nodded, “I knew you would enjoy this the most, Mr. I-can’t-stand-cold-feet Wang.”
Yibo went as far as to sit down on the heated floor, rubbing his butt back and forth like a gleeful puppy. Meihua, on the other hand, was out in the corridor, in her pram, shrieking at the lights all around her as they bounced off the gleaming new tiles. Everything was shiny and new to her and Xiao Zhan was relieved to see she was taking in her new surroundings well. This would be her new home and her future after all.
Later, that day, when all the renovators and estate agents had left them well alone, Xiao Zhan had set up a small corner in their huge house, stuffed it up with pillows and sheets and let Meihua roll around in it as Yibo ordered them takeout.
It was the sweetest sort of bliss he’d experienced in a long time. Tucked into the suburbs of Shanghai, their baby shielded from prying eyes, the two men had their dinner sitting on the floor, facing each other. Xiao Zhan smiled when he thought about how this was kind of their first sitting-down date, in their new home, with their daughter.
Wang Yibo couldn’t believe his luck, or rather the way Fate brought Xiao Zhan back into his life, one Sunday. And along came all the feelings he’d repressed, all the happiness he’d thought to be one-sided, all the love he’d missed out on. And a beautiful baby who was most definitely the best daughter in the entire world, not that he was biased or anything.
Xiao Zhan had been there for him as much as Yibo had been for him. He truly felt the way they both were in an equal partnership. A partnership that was absolute bliss, Yibo mused.
They settled into their new home with assured vigour; their careers were just as busy but they knew that taking out the time to be a family now and then, was really the essence of it all. Yibo’s win on Street Dance of China 3 had thrown Xiao Zhan into a frenzy, with the man preparing an entire feast for Yibo, once he returned from his race.
But Xiao Zhan had no idea the race would go terribly; so he and Meihua were rushed to Changsha, where they would meet up with a slightly injured Yibo. Xiao Zhan had been shaking uncontrollably when it happened, horrid flashbacks from that particular day coming back to him.
He hadn’t said much to his crew before going home, packing his and Meihua’s bags and taking the earliest flight.
Yibo, unsurprisingly, had been shocked to see them there. But Xiao Zhan could see the tell-tale signs of the man forcing his body through enduring pain and exhaustion. Still, Xiao Zhan had let him shoot the episode for Day Day Up, before he whisked the man away, much to the approval of Wang Han.
Their little family had spent an entire day, recuperating and tending to wounds and a damaged ego. But at the end of it all, Yibo had sunk into Xiao Zhan’s embrace without question, seeking out comfort from the one person who’d give it all to him.
But bliss it absolutely was. Yibo couldn’t remember a time he looked forward to being home. Gone were his days of lazing about the apartment, not doing much. His life now kept him busy, and Meihua even more so. But he wouldn’t trade it for the world. There was something quite comforting about a child needing him to be there for her, and he damn well was going to provide that.
Yibo grinned down at Meihua, who was busy trying to get her toes into her mouth, fighting the resistance of her sleep onesie as it prevented her from doing so. She was the best, his heart thumped, and he thought back to when Xiao Zhan had first planted this idea in his head. The idea of fatherhood.
It was far too quiet in the afternoon once he got back to the flat. The sun was beating down relentlessly on the streets and the poor people who were unfortunate enough to be out at the time. Wang Yibo was grateful for the company car’s A/C working on full capacity to chase away the heat.
Wrestling his jacket off, he ventured further in, wondering where Xiao Zhan was. It was usually around the time of Meihua’s nap hours so he figured the man would be somewhere in the kitchen or the lounge. But he wasn’t there.
Wang Yibo quickly noticed the silence around him; the wall clock in the kitchen ticked loudly and a faint sound was heard from the bedroom.
Bingo, he thought and moved slowly with socked feet over the plush rug in the lounge towards the bedroom door.
Inching it open, he was greeted with a whoosh of crisp, cold air. Even though Meihua wasn’t Xiao Zhan’s daughter biologically, she’d definitely inherited his propensity to sweat and feel hot all the time.
She would refuse to sleep or exist anywhere that was hotter than room temperature.
Xiao Zhan was more than happy to offer his air-conditioner up for the job. But Yibo knew how the man secretly enjoyed having the air-conditioner on at all times.
The room was also shrouded in darkness; the double window covered with the thickest curtain Xiao Zhan could find. The darkness would’ve bothered him but a few stubborn rays of sunlight had still managed to peek through, lighting the room up in a dim glow.
Smiling at the sight before him, he took a step into the room.
Off to the side, Meihua was well tucked in and asleep in her crib. Xiao Zhan, on the other hand, was sprawled carelessly across the bed, still in his jeans and shirt. Yibo snickered at the man’s blissed-out expression and relaxed posture. His Zhan-ge was obviously in his perfect heaven.
The low sound of laughter had caught Xiao Zhan’s attention who raised his head to look at Yibo.
With a lazy arm, he beckoned Yibo forward into the room. Soon, Yibo had closed the door behind him and joined Xiao Zhan on the bed. He didn’t make a move to lie down, unsure of whether he could do that.
But it seemed Xiao Zhan already had ideas. With a swift motion and a surprising amount of arm strength, he’d pulled Yibo down beside him in the same listless position he’d been in.
Yibo grinned and settled in beside Xiao Zhan; he noted the way his heart seemed to ease with the situation at hand. On his right, Meihua was fast asleep, probably dreaming of cute things babies dream of. On his left, Xiao Zhan was relaxed and quiet, which was something he knew was the man’s ultimate de-stressed form.
Yibo himself willed his body to do the same. The meeting at the cafe had taken a slight toll on his nerves; he was still uncomfortable with doing interviews alone.
It was then that he noticed what was on the ceiling. Yibo snorted with suppressed laughter.
Beside him, Xiao Zhan noticed and huffed in exasperation.
“I got nostalgic,” the man defended himself in a whisper.
“I can tell,” Yibo returned with a grin, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the view.
Despite there existing six years between the two, Yibo had always worked tirelessly to relate to his former co-star. At first it was under the pretense of wanting to get along with the new cast, but later it became his sole purpose.
He was used to being seen as the young one or the baby of the group, and it never bothered him. It was only when Xiao Zhan looked at him that he suddenly wanted to be the mature one, the one his Zhan-ge could look at and see him as his equal.
That was why Yibo had been surprised to learn that sometimes even someone like Xiao Zhan could have his childish moments. He could be unnecessarily petty and sulk in the corner. He would resort to childish gestures to benefit himself and even, on occasion, act like the young one to earn his colleagues’ sympathies.
Yibo had also discovered that the man’s occasional childishness also seeped into his hobbies. Xiao Zhan was as much of a fan of video games as him, often challenging him to one.
Wang Yibo was even more delighted to learn, in that one moment in the late afternoon, that him and his Zhan-ge also seemed to share some fond memories of childhood.
Warmth filled his chest as he smiled widely at the little glowing stars scattered across the ceiling. An image of his own childhood bedroom ceiling popped up into his mind.
“I had these too,” he admitted to Xiao Zhan. The other man hummed in answer, and all was quiet for a few minutes.
Xiao Zhan broke the silence, “I wanted her to have that too.”
Yibo smiled slightly, “You’re a good father, Zhan-ge.”
“Not a father yet.”
“Yet?” Yibo frowned, not moving his gaze from the ceiling.
“Mm. We’re only her guardians right now, Yibo. To earn that title of father, we’ll need to do so much more.”
Yibo’s heart thumped loudly in his chest. His head turned to finally face Xiao Zhan.
“We?”
Xiao Zhan didn’t look at him; he breathed deeply and blinked slowly before asking, “Want to take a nap? This air-con is too good.”
Wang Yibo huffed a laugh, despite the tightness in his chest.
The two didn’t partake in any other conversation as Xiao Zhan settled onto his pillow and promptly fell asleep.
Yibo stayed awake and stared at the stars for a long time before getting up and walking to Meihua's crib.
He took in her delicate features; the wisps of her baby-fine hair, her long eyelashes, her small button nose and a cherry-red pout coated in drool.
He smirked and reached down with a careful finger to wipe it off on his shirt.
God, if someone could see me right now, he pondered.
The cool, unflappable, and careless Wang Yibo wiping drool off a baby’s mouth.
Not just any baby though, he told himself, his baby. This was his baby. His and Zhan-ge’s baby. No one else.
Standing there, in the quiet hours of a hot afternoon, Yibo promised himself to be worthy of the title ‘father’. He wanted to be the parent that Meihua deserved.
Leaning down, he thought he should start showing her that right away. With a careful kiss pressed against her brow, he murmured, “I love you.”
Meihua kept on sleeping, but in her dreams, she was wrapped in warmth and two unbelievably bright smiles.
Standing here now, he felt he finally was worthy. Worthy of her love and adoration whenever she looked at him with a gummy smile. Worthy of the affection her other father showered them in. Worthy of this surreal life he had now.
Yibo sighed and pressed a kiss to Meihua’s forehead, feeling the comforting warmth of her skin. Scooping her up, he began working through the motions of putting her to bed. Him and Xiao Zhan had planned to watch a movie that night, but Meihua needed to stick to her sleeping schedule. The next day Xiao Zhan would be flying out to Chongqing to see his parents, and a few days later Yibo would follow behind. There, Xiao Zhan had planned a surprise for him. He’d relentlessly teased and wheedled the man, but his boyfriend hadn’t budged. Impossible man, Yibo huffed out a laugh through his nose, ignoring Meihua’s irritated look at him.
There was an all-encompassing silence around them; only the low hum of the television buzzed around them, the hour being late and Meihua well-settled into deep slumber.
Yibo felt the arms around him tighten and curved his lips up into a barely there smile. Xiao Zhan had wrestled him onto the sofa to watch a movie he wasn't really interested in. But still, Yibo bore the consequences of wanting to spend time with Xiao Zhan and once the man was absorbed into the scintillating plot, he’d whipped out his phone and was already browsing through his Instagram.
Only a quarter of the way through the movie, Xiao Zhan beside him had shifted, spreading his long legs across the length of the sofa they shared, causing Yibo to scoot and adjust around the offending limbs. But when he turned around to admonish the man, he found a pair of mesmerized eyes, hooked onto the blue light of scenes emanating from the television. Yibo pursed his lips against another smile, choosing to shift and deliberately lean back against his boyfriend, hoping that would snap him out of it.
But Yibo had clearly underestimated his opponent for Xiao Zhan had merely accepted his weight and gone as far as to wrap his warm arms around Yibo's midsection.
Now Yibo was well versed with the fleeting touches between them but something about the act of Xiao Zhan holding him, for no other reason than to be reminded of his presence, sent something sizzling down his spine. Why was this so terribly sexy to him?
Yibo bit his lip and palmed Xiao Zhan's hands over his belly, patting them now and then and feeling the soft skin over fine bones. As moments passed, the overwhelming desire faded into assured affection. Yibo breathed in deeply and as he exhaled he let more of his body weight rest on his boyfriend. Xiao Zhan accepted it yet again.
Yibo felt dizzy with the knowledge that Xiao Zhan could easily hold him and not complain. Xiao Zhan would let Yibo climb over him in bed and use him as his personal pillow. And the man wouldn't even notice anything amiss. Suddenly, bedtime sounded delicious to him.
"Zhan-ge?" Yibo's voice was hoarse with disuse; the movie was almost over and he'd been so content in his boyfriend's arms that he'd barely felt the time slip away.
"Hmm?" Xiao Zhan distractedly rubbed his cheek against Yibo's hair, reminding him of cats that often needed reassurance and comfort.
"Sleep?" Yibo freed one of Xiao Zhan's hands from their hold on his waist, playing with the wrist then rubbing unending circles into his palm.
Xiao Zhan made a curious noise, "If you want to rub my palm, rub the right one I might as well get some money out of it."
Yibo snorted and leaned his head back to rest on his boyfriend's shoulder, his collarbones pressing sharply into the back of Yibo's head. "Why do you need more money? I'll make all the money for you, baby."
He only meant it jokingly but he didn't expect Xiao Zhan to retaliate by leaning forward and biting his ear. All the muscles in Yibo's body spasmed as he yelped and tried to escape Xiao Zhan's grip.
"What the hell, Zhan-ge?" He rubbed his probably reddening ear furiously. It didn't hurt terribly but the jolt had been enough to snap him out of his relaxed state.
Behind him, Xiao Zhan sniggered relentlessly. Yibo pouted.
He moved to get up, "I'm going to my daughter, she's better company than you."
"She falls asleep around you, how is that company?" Xiao Zhan snarked back, tilting his head to look at Yibo.
The movie had ended just as their banter had begun, so now the screen was barely lit with colour and the darkness around them had closed in further. Despite himself, Yibo felt fear creep up his spine. He scratched his arm jerkily, feeling goosebumps arise. "Yeah okay I'm going now."
Something in his voice must have signalled Xiao Zhan, "Okay baby, you go in and I'll switch everything off behind you."
And with that Yibo fled to their room, sneaking a look at Meihua to assure her comfort before plunging head first into the duvet on their bed.
By the time Xiao Zhan joined him in bed, he was mostly asleep; his brain ticking long enough to feel his boyfriend's presence behind him. Familiar, warm arms wrapped yet again around him and this time Yibo didn't hesitate to slowly let go.
Xiao Zhan pressed a smile into Yibo’s neck, feeling the dead weight of the man’s body in his arms and quickly rifled through his plans for the next few days. He would drop off Meihua at his parents’ in Chongqing and arrange a few days off for Yibo.
From there on, they would enclose themselves in a luxurious honeymoon suite at a hotel and spend quality time together, as boyfriends and not necessarily as parents.
Xiao Zhan knew the surprise would be well-received by Yibo. The man had been talking about taking a vacation with him and Meihua for a long time now. Meihua would join them later on, of course, but Xiao Zhan needed her absence for two things. Quality time alone with his boyfriend, and asking a question. A question that would be accompanied with something precious in a box. Xiao Zhan felt a shiver of anticipation at that, hoping to hear the answer he knew it would be. He closed his eyes and drifted off soon after, to the lullaby of Yibo’s deep breathing and Meihua’s snuffling.
Little did he know, an almost similar such box was encased into the lining of Yibo’s suitcase. This one, had a question his owner had to ask too.
fin.