Universal Love - Scenes of YuZhou

Filling the Void (R-18)

He closed the door behind him a bit more roughly than he meant, the sharp 'bang' making him wince. It only punctuated his sour mood even more. Long days and long travels filled with too much noise and too many people culminated in coming back to a dark apartment filled with nothing but silence and emptiness. The complete difference would have been shocking if he hadn't already known that this was what he would walk into. It didn't make it any easier, though.

With a deep sigh, he set his bags down and slowly slid his shoes off. His arms stretched toward the ceiling as he wiggled his toes and rolled his head side to side, trying to work out the kinks and stress in all of his muscles and nerves. It didn't work, and the quiet surrounding him became deafening, began to swallow his fragile composure.

This wasn't new, he should be used to this, this feeling of isolation, of separation from the rest of humanity. There were times he truly enjoyed it. Particularly after enduring the constant and complete exposure of fans following him everywhere, even public restrooms. But on a day like today, as glad as he was to be away from the throngs of people he had encountered at the airport, he hated how alone and disconnected he suddenly felt. It was almost enough to make him turn around and walk right back out the door.

He remained frozen in place instead. A thin sliver of light cast over the furniture of the living room caught his eye. He wondered if he simply had not noticed it until that moment, but then it grew bigger and he remained still as a solid shadow moved within the light.

"Oh, you are here! I thought I heard the door," a voice soft, yet laced with excitement, spoke from the shadows as it moved towards him. "I was beginning to think I'd screwed up your schedule and you weren't going to be back until tomorrow."

What stretching had not been able to do for his muscles and mood, the familiar voice and very solid arms encircling his waist did. He relaxed into the sudden appearance that set his heart racing.

"What are you doing here?" he breathed, the happiness overwhelming his voice as he gathered the shadow to him. He could feel the chest held against his expand with a deep inhalation, slow and steady, before his question was answered.

"I know, I'm supposed to be working...blah, blah, blah...but I made an executive decision and switched my schedule around a bit." There was a deep pause before he finished, a bit shyly, "It just felt wrong to be so close and not see you, even for just a bit."

"You don't know how much I needed this, Zhou. Thank you," JingYu sighed, the remaining stress and tension unwrapping itself from within him.

They graced the darkened entry way another minute or two, before JingYu broke the silence with a small laugh and pulled WeiZhou towards the kitchen with him.

"An executive decision, huh? Did it look anything like a 4 year old throwing a tantrum because he wanted cake for dinner?" JingYu asked jokingly. Flipping the switch on the wall, light flooded the room just in time for him to see WeiZhou roll his eyes with a grimace and shake of his head.

"Ugh, you are so not allowed to talk to my mom anymore," he groaned.

A hearty laugh burst out of JingYu. "Your dad told me that one."

WeiZhou just groaned again, so JingYu pressed a sloppy, apologetic kiss to his forehead, which only made him groan even louder.

"I was four! It was my birthday! Of course I wanted cake for dinner! Sheesh!!" WeiZhou exclaimed, his hands flying around in exasperation.

He continued to grumble, but with a smile on his face, as he pushed a laughing JingYu to one of the stools at the counter. Grabbing a can and a container out of the refrigerator, WeiZhou sat the beer in front of JingYu and turned to the stove with the plastic box. JingYu cracked open the can and took a deep swig of the blessedly cold beverage, all the while watching as WeiZhou placed dumplings in a pan to heat. The ease with which they fell into domesticity when together always amazed JingYu, but even as bewildering as it was, he basked in the glowing feeling. This was what kept him going when life seemed too hard.