Love O2O- Beyond a Beautiful Smile

Chapter 54- The Line in the Sand

It is a truth universally known that when battle lines are drawn between family members there can be no winner.

     Upon returning from the weekend away, Mei and KO found a note posted to their front door. Mei yanked it off, scanning quickly before crumpling it in his hand.

     "What was it?"

     "Eviction notice."

     "They can't evict you though." KO followed Mei inside and dumped their bags on the coffee table in the lounge.

     "They obviously don't know that yet." The fake notice was tossed into the bin before Mei opened the fridge. "Beer?"

     "Tell Laoda first," the older, much more domesticated, man started unpacking their clothes, separating them into piles of light, dark, and underwear. "And you might need to rescue that note. Xiao Nai might need it."

     Mei scowled at the logic- it was much more satisfying to throw it away- but pulled the notice out of the trash. He smoothed it flat on the table before taking a picture and sending it to Xiao Nai. Once his phone dinged that the picture had sent, he tossed it and the notice on the table.

    "It didn't take them long." He flopped on to the couch behind KO as his partner continued unpacking and sorting. Lying down was the only way to stop himself from pacing with frustration: it wasn't his fault if it also gave him the perfect view of KO's rear every time the man leaned over to pull something else out of their bags.

     "When was the notice left?" Bags empty, KO carried the pile of light coloured clothes into the tiny laundry.

     "Yesterday."

     "So we've got at least one more day before they find out they can't touch this place," KO's voice carried through the apartment even as beeping sounds told Mei the first load of laundry was being put on to wash. Sometimes he thought the sound of the washing machine beeping was the most comforting sound in the apartment. Not because it meant he didn't have to do laundry (not that he would have done it anyway- isn't that what dry cleaners are for?), but because it meant someone was in his home, caring for him. Every mechanical beep, be it the washing machine or the dryer, was like a pat on the shoulder reminding him that he wasn't alone.

     "Pa will probably self-combust and take a day to calm down enough to think logically. Ma will coo at him until he stops raging and then it will be her turn for hysterics when they access the family registry." Mei rubbed his eyes, a headache forming behind them. "Hopefully taking myself off their registry will be enough of a point."

     "Is that likely?"  A knee nudged Mei's shoulder and he sat up enough for KO to sit on the couch, then leaned back with his head on the hacker's lap. Cool fingers stroked gently over his brow and he sighed with relief.

     "With Pa's temper and pride? And Ma's "what will people think?" dramatics?" He snorted. "Not a chance. No war worth winning is over that quickly anyway."

     Opening his eyes, Mei looked up at KO then reached a hand up to cup his cheek.

    "They just don't know that I already have my prize."

     The soft words and pink atmosphere startled KO and a blush crept over his cheeks.

    "So corny."

    "So true." Mei smiled up at his lover. KO's head lowered as Mei lifted his and their lips met in a kiss even softer than Mei's words. "I love you, Oppa."

     "I love you, E-Mei."

The following days played out according to Mei's predication. Two days later he received a phone call from his father; with the phone on speaker and KO's phone recording the tirade that Mei's father levelled at his son, the pair drank beer and ate salted peanuts as they listened.