the child that was blessed by the stars (hht x ysg)

cologne

the other boy was getting closer these past days and shi gu didn't know how to feel about it. he had confessed to him multiple times by now and each one was more sincere than the last, getting under his skin. he had received the most precious gifts, mostly food, showing him how much the taller guy cared. he also noticed something that made him want to hide in bed under his blanket out of embarrassment. 

whenever the boy was pleasantly invading his personal space, he got a hint of cinnamon filling the air around him and staying in his memory for far too long to still be appropriate. when he was lonely at nighttime, but couldn't bring himself to go see his parents, he imagined the now so familiar fragrance surrounding him, softly embracing his figure and guiding him into soothing, much needed sleep.

it was always just a small hint of hao ting's cologne, always light and soft in his mind. once, after he had pressed him to his broad chest, to prove how easy it was to attack the smaller boy, the scent had stuck to his uniform for over a week. shi gu found it hard to admit that he had slept in it more than once. 

and then there was their first kiss, of course. hsiang hao ting had visited his room for the first time, both of them a nervous mess. shi gu told himself he had no reason to be nervous, the taller wasn't there to humiliate him again, but he knew, that wasn't the reason for his anxiety. the other had apologized profusely and before shi gu could explain himself, he had been close again, this time closer than ever. soft lips pressed against his, the touch over before his brain had registered what was happening. minutes later, a blushing hao ting had left long ago, he still felt the slight pressure, but more intensely was the strong, pleasant scent of cinnamon and just...hao ting that filled his nostrils and made his head spin. the scent was engraved in his memory forever, his favorite thing to come home to later and the one thing to always calm him, once he was embraced in the owner's arms. 

after a while of properly hanging out he had gotten comfortable enough to share some of his honest thoughts. he never meant to start bawling in front of someone who he'd just started to get close to, but questioning the way his entire life had played out, how could he not? if he thought about it now, it was good to come clean about some of his darkest thoughts, because hao ting was very good at reading his signs correctly and comforting him in the best way. he had become even more attentive than before, often doing seemingly small things that meant the world to shi gu.

from then on, picking the smaller up from home, he always pulled him into a hug, first thing when shi gu opened the door, not forgetting it once. and never once was it something else engulfing shi gu than warmth and cinnamon cologne. the smaller immediately relaxed into the touch, finally allowing himself to breathe in the comforting scent fully, wanting to fill up his entire being with it. 

the perfect mixture was revealed, when hao ting surprised him with showing up at his part time job. it was christmas and the other couldn't accept his crush studying himself to death anymore. it was their first unofficial date and shi gu was in love with every second of it. soft lips pressing against his, only for a split second, careful hands fixing his scarf, so it wouldn't get stuck in the wheel spoke, the fairy lights illuminating his crush's features dimly. yes, that was the time he had to admit it, hao ting wasn't the only one with a crush anymore. the strong scent of the chocolate melting on the flame, faintly mixing with the cinnamon, turning into shi gu's favorite. if it was a perfume to buy, he'd stock the shelves of his bathroom with it, but this was nothing but a part of hao ting, making it a million times better.

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