The One Who Listens

Step 7: Be Responsible

Just Fluff today, Guys...
Oh and E-Ming comes to the picture.

"Gege..."

"Hm?"

"Gege, gege..."

"En."

"Gege, are you mad at me?"

"No I am not."

"Yes you are. I am sorry."

"Why are you apologising?"

"I made you mad."

"Should you be apologising to me?"

"But San Lang was being bullied."

"Does not give you the reason to break your father's nose, San Lang." Xie Lian sighed.

"He just needs to wear a cast over the bridge for a few weeks. No harm done." Hua Cheng reasoned.

"No harm done? Hua Cheng!"

The student whined as his doctor pinched his side playfully. He then returned to bending the wire of the bicycle wheel. Feeling thick oil on his cheek, Xie Lian tried wiping it off with the back of his hand but he ended up smearing it even more. He, then in a pouty voice said,

"I should have specified what exactly I meant by blackmailing... You could have talked it out, San Lang..."

The boy in question pulled the wire harder to make it stretch a bit and cut it with a wire pincher.

"But, sometimes words cannot settle matters, fists can." Hua Cheng said in an equally pouty tone.

"I agree with the first half, not the other. I think I am not being sufficient. I feel like I am spoiling you or something similar. San Lang, I am serious." Xie Lian laughed in spite of himself, as Hua Cheng was still smiling at him, dreamily.

"Gege is the best." Hua Cheng said, with no room for negotiation.

He picked up the low graded flame thrower and helped Xie Lian join the two ends securely. Both of them got up and looked down at their creation. The duo was in a recycling stall of a random fair. It was a weird one. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were just strolling down the lane, to a park the psych had highly recommended. But upon reaching there, they figured a big fair was being held. No matter how much they tried, they could understand the theme. It had stalls of all kinds. Food, clothing, furniture, games, books, paintings (Hua Cheng scrunched his nose when he saw those).

"Since we are already here, let's do something fun," Xie Lian had said, smiling widely, pointing at a recycling stall.

Hua Cheng just could not make his doctor realise that whatever they did together was always fun, with Xie Lian explaining everything slowly and carefully and encouraging Hua Cheng to express his own feelings about it. All the student could do was to bask in the sunshine Xie Lian provided. He felt as if he could deal with every bit of anxiety he faces if he was with Xie Lian.

He loved the way Xie Lian would hold his hand while crossing the streets, or when they would squeeze through the crowd.

He loved the way Xie Lian would smile bashfully when he would realise he had been holding Hua Cheng's hand for much long after that

Hua Cheng loved how he laughed so easily.

He loved how Xie Lian could talk him out of every emotional tempest.

He loved how he always felt supported these days, like even if he screws up, things will be alright.

Because Xie Lian told him so.