Wayward Travellers

chap. v

CW: Possessive behaviour if you squint (more visible here though), very minor body horror (might need to squint harder here).

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Things were definitely not okay and you didn't know where to even begin.

Your pride could handle the fact that you had to rely on Hong Lu to lead the way, that was completely fine even if you were a little bitter about it. What wasn't fine was the way Hong Lu and Yi Sang kept staring at each other without uttering a single word. There was a smile plastered onto the former's face as he held you on his lap — you didn't mind it aside from feeling his suit breathe on your back — while the latter just stared as he sat across from the two of you.

Didn't they realize how awkward this was?

You heard Hong Lu giggle before he nuzzled your cheek with his; placing a hand on your other cheek as the arm around your waist tightened a tiny amount. "[Name]," he cooed, "you like me better, no?"

...What's this now.

"I don't have favourites," you answered with a sigh. It was a brief moment, but you swore you saw Yi Sang look relieved before his expression turned stoic again.

"Really?" Hong Lu looked at you curiously. "Then why are you on my lap, hm?"

"Because you keep making me sit on your lap."

"Oh, but you can leave at any moment you please, I'm not forcing you to stay on my lap~"

...Well, he got you there.

Hong Lu giggled as you stayed silent and brought you even closer to himself, if that was even possible. "You can admit that you like me more, it's okay~"

"Like I said before, I don't have favourites."

Hong Lu let out a laugh in response but didn't push the matter; opting to continue cuddling you instead. Despite the fact that he was being slightly annoying right now, you couldn't help but forgive him with the way he was cuddling you. Maybe you really did have favourites...

Yi Sang's silence was making you a little nervous, though.

It wasn't unusual as Yi Sang spent more time thinking and pondering over stuff internally instead of speaking, but his silence right now had a different feel than usual. You couldn't put your finger on it but you could tell that something was wrong. You considered asking him about it, but you knew that he wouldn't appreciate it if you did it in Hong Lu's presence — regardless of Yi Sang liking him or not — and you doubted you'd be able to find a time to talk to him without Hong Lu being there as well, especially considering how clingy Hong Lu was being, so this matter would have to wait.

Still, you wanted to end the silence between the three of you right now since the awkwardness was killing you.

"What were the two of you doing before I found you anyway?" you asked. A simple question but it should get the job done as well as giving you some information. Yi Sang had already answered you some time ago when you asked him where he had been but you didn't mind hearing it a second time, not to mention that you wanted to know what Hong Lu was doing as well.

"As I said before," Yi Sang started, finally putting an end to his awkward silence, "I have been traversing through the peculiar spaces in search of the gate leading back."

You nodded before looking at Hong Lu. "And what about you?"

He shrugged, looking down at you with that smile of his. "I was simply wandering around," he answered before pouting— something that you, ashamedly, had to admit looked adorable. "A place like this has nothing to do so I was pretty bored, but now you're here, and I'm glad you are~"