Strange Love [19 Days Fanfiction - He Tian/Redhead]

Chapter Six ☼ Gasoline

You can't wake up this is not a dream
You're part of a machine
You are not a human being
With your face all made up living on a screen
Low on self esteem so you run on gasoline
-Halsey / Gasoline

☼

He Tian was at the bus stop nearly two hours before school was to start. It was the earliest he'd been up in quite a long time, and the stupid red head wasn't answering his goddamn phone. Granted, they had gone to bed rather late texting, as He Tian had asked Hong Fa how to make rice pudding and had been heavily ridiculed for it. He didn't, however, scald the rice to the bottom of the pot like Hong Fa had said he would.

The fall morning was bitter, hinting quite obviously that winter was closer than summer had once been. He Tian's breath was clouding with each exhale, and goose-pimples had long since formed on his arms. His black track pants and black tee did little to protect from cold.

It was eerily quiet down the street, and not a single bus had even driven past the stop. Hong Fa lived in what was known as a less wealthy part of time. Not quite poverty level, but rather close. Normally He Tian wasn't one to judge, but being up before the sun put him on edge, but he wasn't aware of a part of town that bus avoided and it was pissing him off.

Finally, however, a bang sounded from down the street and the red head was shuffling his way into view. As he came closer, He Tian could see him fumbling to zip his white jacket up, fixing his backpack strap and shivering. His neck, however, was missing the bandage.

He Tian stuffed his own hands in his pockets, lifting his eyebrows as Hong Fa finally reached him, "It took you long enough to get out here."

"Fuck off. I'd still be sleeping if you hadn't called me like six times."

The boy's brows were furrowed, and He Tian was excited to pester him the entire walk to school, "It was either you lose sleep or I lose my balls. It's fucking cold."

He moved to pull out a cigarette, slung an arm around Hong Fa's shoulder, and practically dragged the boy forward so he could look at him better. Hong Fa snorted, "Maybe if you wore a jacket, shit for brains, you wouldn't be cold."

"Only pussies wear jackets in the fall," He Tian remarked pleasantly, pinching Hong Fa's sleeve fabric. "Now, why the hell did you take your bandage off?"

"I had to shower last night," Hong Fa pushed He Tian back a few steps. "Now stop bugging me so early in the morning or I'll worsen that bruise on your nose."

He Tian only laughed as Hong Fa stalked past him, starting down the sidewalk to head to school. Once again, he stepped up alongside the red head, finally perching his cigarette between his lips, shielding it from the wind, and lighting it.

"I think I might have given you competition when it comes to cooking rice pudding," he hummed, blowing smoke against the gray sky.

"Hmm."

"Just call me the stovetop master," He Tian continued, throwing his arm around Hong Fa. "I put stuff on the stovetop and then forget about it. It takes real talent, you know."

Hong Fa scoffed, "You scalded it, didn't you?"

"No, fucker, I didn't," He Tian gave Hong Fa's hair a playful tug, immediately getting his arm shoved off Hong Fa's shoulders in the process.