whirlwind: diyue ficlets

nothing has to change

dylan has been crouching there petting and talking to the deer for over 30 minutes now. yueyue knows 'cause she's been standing here in the shadows watching him do just that for exactly the same amount of time.
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she had noticed when he slipped away outside after they had finished cleaning up after dinner. she thought he was going out for a smoke. and he was; but after finishing the cigarette, he started walking towards the forest. her curiousity got the best of her and she sneaked out to follow him.

as she stepped out, the crisp winter night greeted her. she took a deep breath and let that cold refreshing air filled her lungs. then she looked up and saw that the full moon was out. she smiled. it's gonna be a good night. it was already a good night.

she snapped out of her thoughts as she saw the white of his jacket getting farther in her peripheral vision and hastened her steps to keep up with his long stride.

damn these short legs. ugh and he wont let me forget it too!

she stopped when he stopped. at the sight of him looking around like he expected someone to be there waiting for him, her stomach dropped a little.

wait. is he meeting someone? am i about to bear witness to a secret meeting?

but then she saw the deer. it had come out from the depth of the forest and approached him. he dug his hand into his jacket pocket as he slowly crouched down in front of the beautiful creature. he pulled his hand out and opened his palm. the deer sniffed at whatever it is he offered and ate from the palm of his hand, like they're long-time buddies.

did he really go out in the freezing cold just to feed the deer?

then she saw his mouth moving.

he's taken to talking to animals now too? he really does have a lot to say, doesn't he? i wonder what he's saying to it.

as she watched him, she tried to remember the last time she had ever seen him this still and quiet.

i think this is a first.

and silently she thanked the universe for letting her witness this rare moment where Wang Hedi wasn't being boisterous and hyper. she would never forget the serene and peaceful look on his face right now; another mental picture she would keep inside the wang hedi folder of memories she has tucked deep inside her heart.
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moments pass. and it's cold. she should go, but something keeps her rooted there. she can't even bring herself to look away. he and the deer make such a striking sight; two of the most beautiful creatures she knows framed by one of the most beautiful sceneries she's ever seen in her life. they are mesmerizing.

her thoughts go back to all the things they've gone through while filming this show. she almost passed on this project. he convinced her accept it. and she is forever grateful that he did. all the new skills she has learned, all the new friends she has made, all the life-lessons she got; she owes them all to him. not too mention, all the fun she's having at the same time. when this ends, she will definitely miss the camaraderie of scrubbing the toilets with kido, all the teasing she and wuyi gets from the rest of the cast, and the heart to heart talk all the staff and guests have at every dinner time.

she is still busy with her own thoughts when suddenly he stands up and turns to look at her. he smiles. not the megawatt wang hedi smile that can light up the whole city of Shanghai but the soft, intimate, knowing smile he would only sometimes show the people closest to him. his eyes are so clear, she swears she can see the moon reflected in them. she doesn't even care that he knows she's been watching him. she's busy taking another mental picture.

and she doesn't know what or why or how, but right then a sudden surge of fondness and affection for this one human being fills her heart. and it made her heart feel so full she thinks it could burst at the drop of a hat. she doesn't know what to do with this overwhelming feeling so she does the only thing it is telling her to do. She runs up to him and kisses him.

He stumbles a little from the impact of her tiny body hitting his but before he can gather his thoughts, he feels her lips on his. He's stunned but then he smiles into the kiss and kisses her back.
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they break apart and she looks a little abashed. he tries to catch her eyes but she keeps looking away.

"what was that for?"

"nothing."

"wow. if that was for nothing then i wonder what you would do if there really was something."

"shut up, di."

"and if i dont? you'll use your lips to shut me up?"

"you're incorrigible."

"and you, shen yue, just committed a kiss and run."

"i'm not running."

"not physically you aren't. but i can see your mind going a hundred miles per hour."

"i just felt like i had to kiss you. i'm sorry."

"wait. what. why are you sorry? dont be."

"i dont know what's gotten into me."

"whatever it was, it should get into you more often. that was a nice surprise."

"don't say it like that."

"why not?"

"you make it sound like i was possessed!"

"weren't you? the shen yue i know would never crash into me lips first."

"that's not what happened!"

"it's not?"

"you smiled!"

"and? is smiling not allowed anymore?"

"you know what you were doing with that smile, wang hedi!"

"if this is your way of saying you were charmed by my smile then just say so, shen yue. you don't have to be so shy about it. millions of people love my smile. you're in great company."

"narcissistic jerk. i take it back!"

"whoa what. you can't take a kiss back. how do you even do that?"

"i don't care. i'm taking it back. it never happened."

"..."

"..."

"okay. if that's what you want. it never happened. i won't tell anyone"

"just like that?"

"your wish is my command, princess moon. you know that. i'll do whatever you tell me to when it comes to us."

"i think i love you."

"i think you do too."

"narcissistic jerk."

"whom you think you're in love with..."

"i never said IN love!"

"potayto, potahto."

"what are we gonna do, di?"

"nothing."

"nothing?"

"we're gonna stay exactly the way we are. because nothing has really changed, has it? i've loved you for a while now and despite only realizing it recently, you've loved me for a while too. and we've been doing just fi-"

"you love me?"

"idiot."

"i'm not a narcissistic jerk like you!"

"okay, shen yue. that's the third time you've called me that tonight and you know what they say about third times."

"no, what did they s- WANG HEDI PUT ME DOWN!"

and as he picks her up and kisses her underneath the moonlight in the middle of a wintry arxan forest, she thinks, "he's right. he loves me and i love him and that's simply the way it is. nothing has to change. right now we are exactly where we're supposed to be and what we're supposed to be to each other."

(2 December 2018)
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