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In three days he'd be returning to the Lonely Hearts nightclub to shoot an 'art piece' for Ardor Gin. The gin was made in collaboration with Memphis Pell, tycoon and founder of M.P. Enterprises. The insanely wealthy distiller's younger brother had recently been embrangled in some controversy, following a drunken night where he was caught on camera spewing some anti-Oriental remarks.

It made sense now why Ling had been chosen to advertise the newest gin from a company experiencing a drop in sales due to a family member's racist remarks. And being the only East Asian in this smaller modelling agency, clearly, Memphis was attempting to run reparations.

Ling didn't really care about some middle-aged man saying stupid shit about squinty eyes, and so would happily take the money of his older brother to advertise their booze.

Until then however, Ling planned on being an anti-social little hermit. For the last several hours, he'd been in his workshop-slash-conservatory finalising more designs when the doorbell rang. 

"Wyatt!" called out Ling, before remembering that Wyatt was out.

After a split second of pondering whether he should pretend not to be home, Ling decided to not be an asshole and went to the front. It was late afternoon, still bright. Maybe some materials were being delivered.

It wasn't a delivery. Ling almost shut the door in his face, but Xavier stepped up and put his foot in the way.

"Ling just wait, please," he pleaded.

"Why Xavier?" Ling was more resigned than pissed at this point. "Go ask locker girl instead. I'm really not in the mood."

"Look, she was just some chick. I know I messed up, but can I just explain?"

Ling scoffed. He would've just finished up at the gym.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" came another masculine voice from the sidewalk.

Xavier turned his head, seeing Wyatt a second after Ling. His friend had stopped his car on the curb and put the window down. In a large SUV and aviators, Wyatt actually painted quite the intimidating picture. Ling was a little concerned his friend might have been considering running Xavier over.

Xavier sighed, clearly frustrated. "This isn't your business Wyatt."

Also clear, was that Wyatt didn't plan on leaving the two alone.

Xavier grumbled, though his face softened when he turned back to Ling. "Yes, I made out with her. It wasn't planned, and nothing more happened. I know that probably doesn't make much difference. But I don't care about her Li Li. I love you, and I just want you to give me a chance to explain. Please." 

Wyatt, still sitting in the car with the engine running, volubly and derisively snorted.

Ling though, was finding it hard to remain detached. This fucking sucked. "Xavier, it doesn't matter. This relationship obviously wasn't as important to you, so just go home."

"That's where you're wrong, Li Li," he appealed, doing his best to ignore Wyatt. "It's one of the most important things in my life."

"That's a good one," mocked Wyatt, causing Xavier's jaw to clench.

"Can we go to my place?" he said quietly. "Just to talk. And if you don't want to hear it after five minutes, then I'll drive you home."

Ling tried to return the request with a scowl. He refused to look beside Xavier's mouth where, when smiling, his dimples would be.

"Ling please, at least let me try and fix this?"

"Ling, you can't seriously be considering this?" called Wyatt, who must've had bat-like hearing.

Unfortunately, Ling was. This was probably going to end even worse, but he really had been trying with Xavier. After his sordid dating history, a normal relationship was a nice thought. A nice thought that was looking more and more like a pipedream, but maybe he should, at the very least, give Xavier that five minutes?

And he did have some stuff at Xavier's apartment. Fuck. Fine.

"All right," he caved in, still trying to sound as unshakeable as possible.

"Really? Come on Ling, this guy's an asshole, don't fall for it."

Xavier craned his neck to Wyatt. "How about you let your grown-ass friend make his own decisions."

"Xavier stop," said Ling in a quiet plea of his own, then called louder to Wyatt, "Wyatt, thank you, but just leave it. It's fine."

He descended the few steps with Xavier, but asked him to start his car while he spoke to his friend for a minute.

"Are you seriously letting him coerce you back to his place?" uttered Wyatt, turning the Jeep off and stepping out to meet Ling.

"Firstly, he's not coercing me into anything. I know you're just looking out for me Atti, but this was probably going to happen sooner or later. And I've got stuff at his place."

Even though Wyatt was younger, he always tried to be protective of his dǎ gé. Ling found it sweet. Wyatt was a good friend. Even if he could be a forgetful idiot at uni and a hustling fox at night.

"Fine, I guess." Wyatt deflated a little. "Do you want me to follow you guys though? I can call Logan and Rigby to join?"

Ling giggled like a schoolboy at the thought of the three of them staking out the apartment.

"I'll be okay. Xavier may be an ass, but he's never been a violent ass."

His taller friend shot one last glare at Xavier's Camero. "Just a dumbass."

✦

Xavier's apartment was three rooms, with the bathroom and laundry branching off from the living area-slash-kitchen. Ling had always liked the small but modern place, and the bed-nook hidden behind wooden slats opposite the kitchenette. It sure as hell didn't hold the same homey feeling now.

After what had to be hours of Xavier laying out his excuses and apologies, with Ling sitting on the lounge behind the dining table, Xavier paced before him.

"...you've always been my rock, Ling. Before I turned pro, before the money, before all of it. When I first moved here, you were the one I could always rely on. I thought I could be the same for you. But I'm stupid, and I'm weak, and I wasn't thinking, but I swear it won't happen again. I'll even go on different days than her if you don't want her talking to me, not that I would even look at her again. Ling, I promise."

Ling didn't look at his eyes, or his lips, or the fitness tank top he was wearing, or his blond surfer locks, or any stupid part of Xavier. Instead, he looked around the apartment again. At some of Xavier's clothes he'd mended. At the rugs and other furnishings he'd bought for Xavier. At the fridge on the wall beside him where he'd printed out and stuck recipes because Xavier couldn't cook for shit. Ling would usually end up cooking for him.

Sometimes, when he'd be buried in work, Xavier would drop by to pick him up, take him straight here and put on a movie for them or something. It usually managed to get Ling out of his own head.

He really did like it here.

"Ling?" said Xavier, and Ling snapped back to reality as Xavier walked over and knelt on the floor before him. "Ling, can you give me another chance? I'll do better."

Even kneeling, he was still about as tall as Ling sitting, back straight at the edge of the couch. He looked away.

But Xavier didn't relent. "Please," he again asked, softly, bringing his palms to rest on Ling's knees.

Ling still didn't answer. Neither did he smack those hands away.

"Li Li," he uttered, this time in a coaxing manner. "I'll beg you know. I'm not above sounding pitiful." He gently pushed Ling's legs apart to get closer.

"You're an asshole," mumbled Ling, seeing the dimpled smirk it provoked.

"I know. But I'll try not to be from now on." Ling didn't pull away when Xavier pecked him on the cheek. "I'm sorry." He kissed Ling again, slower, on the jaw. "Sorry," he murmured, the vibration from his lips resonating down Ling's throat.

He was still looking to the side, averting his face, but Xavier nudged it to face him with his hand. Brushing Ling's lips with the pad of his thumb, once again, Ling didn't move away when Xavier brought his face close to his own.

Xavier kissed him on the lips. Short, gentle. "I'm sorry," he murmured again, barely moving back.

He kissed him again until Ling gave in and responded, letting Xavier open his mouth with his inciting one, deepening the kiss.

The voice that told Ling he was being an idiot faded into the background, and he let Xavier take off his puffer jacket, before he tossed it somewhere and slid his hands up Ling's thin sweater – all while not breaking the kiss.

Ling brought his hands to Xavier's chest, then raked them up and around his neck. The MMA fighter responded in kind and lifted Ling with ease, cupping his arse as he took him over to the bed. The six stairs that led to it proved too long a wait, apparently, and Xavier's postponement took them to the wall beside the flight, which he pressed Ling's back against. He broke away a short distance from his mouth, only to grind himself against Ling, who gasped at the pressure and twined his legs around Xavier's hips tighter.

Him in jeans, the other in fitness joggers, Ling could still feel Xavier's hardening length, letting his head fall back against the wall when Xavier's mouth led a heated trail down his neck. Ling reached for the hem of Xavier's tank top, the other immediately obliging, by using one hand to help Ling take it off. He flung the garment away, returning the gesture and hastily removing Ling's sweater.

He went straight for Ling's lips again, though Ling pouted against the kiss.

"What?" asked Xavier, searching his face.

"You smell like sweat and gym equipment." 

Xavier obviously saw right through it. "You like it when I've just come from training." He came in close again, so he could say that against Ling's mouth.

But the shirtless, dainty, semi-hard fashion designer whose arse was currently being grabbed by the man who had him pressed against the wall, was going to stick by his scruples on this one. Bullshit as they were.

"Okay, I'll have a shower," relented Xavier, mockingly fretful. He put Ling down, who half-heartedly battered the taller man's chest after he asked Ling to join him.

"I'm still mad at you," said Ling, probably sounding like a sulky kid.

"I know. But I think I can change that when I get out." Xavier bent down, crushing Ling's lips in another fervid, tongue-clashing kiss before breaking away and leaving an out-of-breath Ling for the bathroom.

Being the compulsive sap that he was, the moment he heard the water come on, Ling went around to do a light cleaning. 

Xavier's phone rang, and Ling went to the couch and answered. He didn't recognise the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hey, is Xavier there?" asked a man.

"Not right now. I can take a message if you want? Otherwise, just call back later—" preferably in the morning "—if you want to speak to him."

"Nah, that's fine. Just tell Xay that his single arse needs to come to the party Friday night. Some of the chicks at work have been asking about him."

Ling's mood fell flat. "I'll let him know." He hung up and tossed the phone back on the couch.

He didn't really take note of the shower water turning off and put his sweater and puffer jacket back on. Before he forgot, Ling also grabbed his shirt and pyjama pants he'd left from the cupboards above the bed.

"Ling, what are you doing?" called a confused Xavier when Ling was in the middle of opening the front door.

"Someone named Troy called," he relayed, going for casual. "I told him you were unavailable, but rather than call back he wanted me to give you a message." By the dawning look of realisation and alarm, it seemed his ex had an idea of what was coming next.

"Ling—"

Ling's casual snapped. "We have been dating for months, but you haven't even told anyone, have you? You didn't tell your Catholic parents and I let it pass, trying to be understanding. But your friends, which you've never introduced me to, by the way, don't even know I exist. Now I know why everyone in the gym was looking at me weirdly."

"Li Li, please, I just needed time, let me explai—"

"How about no. I'm done, we're done. This was a mistake for me to come here. Don't you dare follow me."

Ling slammed the door in Xavier's face and rushed out of the building and onto the streets.

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I wonder what might happen when Ling storms out to the streets by himself at night.

~ Daci