18 Chapter 18- Silent Nigh (1/2)
The door closed behind KO with a very clear, definite, absolute, unequivocal (and all other synonyms that he could think of) click... and Hao Mei felt that single sound shiver along his spine.
He swallowed.
Throughout the day, he'd managed to forget their sleeping arrangements and he did not, for even a second, believe that Xiao Nai had accidentally booked a single room. Laosan didn't even accidentally use pepper instead of salt, or wear mismatched socks, or forget his bank card pin. Accidentally forgetting that he was booking accomodation for two single men? Hao Mei scoffed aloud. There was a great chance of the Yangtze drying up over night. Which meant his friend had ”forgotten” quite deliberately.
Movement behind him made him jump and he spun around, heart racing, to stare wide eyed at KO, toeing his shoes off at the door. Would it hurt him to make some noise, sometimes? I should put a bell on him. As though hearing Hao Mei's thoughts, KO looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.
The younger man blushed and three black lines were drawn down his face. (A/N: I'm borrowing this from translations of Gu Man's writing- the three black lines on the face is from anime and manga where the character is drawn with lines on their face. It generally depicts an emotional/mental discomfort with the situation.) Feeling his cheeks heat, he almost squeaked out ”I'm going to shower” before racing into the bathroom.
It wasn't until he was already under the water, steam clouding the room, that he realised he hadn't grabbed his clothes. Or a towel.
Standing outside the bathroom door, hand raised and poised to knock, KO paused as he heard a loud thud, followed by a groan. ”Mei?”
”I'm fine.” Dim witted, but fine.
”Sure?”
”Yes.” To both. Now go away and let me wash my mortification down the drain. Hao Mei stuck his face under the water. If he couldn't breath, then surely he couldn't embarrass himself any further?
”I have a towel.” The door opened slightly and an arm squeezed through, leaving the towel on the floor before retreating.
Hao Mei looked down at himself, turning bright red with the realisation that as soon as the door opened he had leaned over and covered himself like some hapless female lead in a romantic comedy. His head thunked against the tiles once more. How many years had he shared a dorm with three other males? Admittedly, Xiao Nai had spent less and less time there, but still... bathroom privacy had been violated on a semi-regular occasion. So why the virginal, protect the goods at all costs, act?
Thunk.
Thunk.
Thunk.
His head was starting to hurt before he figured he'd knocked enough sense into himself. Flipping the shower off, he towelled himself dry before another epiphany hit. Why the hell did he give me a towel... but no clothes?
Fiddling with his laptop, KO heard the water stop and, for a brief moment, let his smile stretch his cheek muscles. When the door opened he had carefully schooled his face to its usual blankness and had his own towel, and change of clothes, ready to go. What he wasn't ready for, was Mr Beauty stepping from the bathroom with a white towel slung around his hips; crystal beads dropped from his hair and rolled over smooth skin, lovingly following the dip and curve of lean muscle. Now, it was KO's turn to swallow. His turn to feel his mouth run dry, and chest constrict.