The island is quiet at night, save for Mu Mu’er’s slow, regular breathing.
Bai Yao, after observing a little, sneaks in a little kiss.
Sweet, soft.
From his head to his feet, he’s all his.
A little bit later, Bai Yao pulls the zipper of the tent open a little to look. Qi Ya’s tent is equally dark. He must be asleep.
“Let’s go. Mu’er, get up,” he pushes Mu Mu’er on the arm and calls out quietly.
Mu Mu’er doesn’t open his eyes though, but pats Bai Yao on the head, “sleeping… Mu’er, sleeping…”
Bai Yao grabs the little restless arm and pinches the cheeks with a chuckle, “are you already hibernating, my little sea otter?”
Mu Mu’er was definitely fast asleep, and is clearly still sleepy, but is also conscious, asking, “what are we doing?”
“Yaoyao is going to show you stars.”
The mention of stars at least fills his response with a little more energy. Not that stars are that exciting to him, but the prospect of watching them with his Yaoyao is.
He hasn’t forgotten, though, that they’re not alone on their trip. When he’s finally back outside of the tent in his shoes, he starts mumbling for Qi Ya’s tent, “big bird-gege…”
Bai Yao quickly pulls his arm, quietly telling him, “just Yaoyao and Mu’er. We will go in secret.”
Mu Mu’er is clearly happy to hear that.
They’ve pitched their tents some distance below the peak, and of course the best viewing spot would be on the peak. Bai Yao uses his flashlight in one hand while holding his babe’s hand with his other, making slow progress.
Since it’s almost winter, there is only the occasional sound of crickets coming from the grass around and nothing else.
After they pass through a small growth of trees, they finally reach the peak. In front of them is a small clearing, the starry skies and the horizon of the boundless ocean surface down below, connected together – with stars having seemingly fallen into the ocean, and gently lighting up the waves and the edge of the coast.
Bai Yao is carrying two large blankets for them both. One can be laid on the ground while the other can cover them from the breeze.
They lie down, and the blanket is big enough for the both of them. They can both spread their arms and legs like starfishes.
The blanket is thick and the grassland is soft; the height of the peak is enough for them to see the little palm-sized collection of lights that is Qiaohai across the seas among the stars.
“Did we come from there?” Mu Mu’er points to the small cluster of lights, recognising and telling Bai Yao, “it’s home! Yaoyao and Mu’er’s home.”
Bai Yao looks at the little guy gently, “yes. That is our home.”
Winter must be coming soon; without sunlight, the night breeze is pretty cold, and Mu Mu’er sneezes a little. Bai Yao quickly covers him in the blanket, leaving only his little head out.
Still, Bai Yao is also a little cold, so he quickly decides to take Mu Mu’er by the maki into his lap, to be his personal little body warmer.
“Is Yaoyao cold?” Before Bai Yao can answer, though, Mu Mu’er is already using his hands to open part of his blanket, letting Bai Yao in as well.
“Together. We cover up together,” he says, holding Bai Yao’s hand and brushing to generate warmth, “together, and we won’t be cold.”
The little boy who was once hurt is still trying to help others around. Bai Yao feels truly warm inside, but also feels a little bitter again. If only Mu Mu’er was never subject to harm. He can’t change what was in the past, but he can certainly spend the rest of their lives together.
For the rest of their long lives, he’ll be the one to help him.
Meeting him must have been the luckiest thing to ever happen to Bai Yao. With all his luck used up to meet the best boy for him, he wants to ask him, to get an affirmative answer with what little luck remains…
After lying there for a while, Bai Yao is looking around the sky for any constellation he recognises that he can tell Mu Mu’er about, when he notices he’s only looking at him.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Yao pinches his cheeks, “don’t you want to come look at stars?”
“Yaoyao, Mu’er wants to hear Yaoyao call Mu’er’s name.”
Bai Yao obliges, and calls gently with a smile, “Mu’er.”
“Yaoyao…” Mu Mu’er leans a little closer, and stays with nary a distance between their lips, “Mu’er loves you.”
When a little sea otter looks up at you with starry eyes to confess, there must be no one that can refuse.
Bai Yao leans over to complete the kiss, right after saying, “yes, and I love you too.”
Mu Mu’er then slips right into Bai Yao’s lap to look at the stars with him quietly, when he suddenly recalls something.
“Tail!” He says, with hopeful eyes, “Mu’er wants to hug Yaoyao’s tail.”
Bai Yao has no reason not to oblige. Sighing, he transforms his thick, long leopard tail back out. He wraps it into Mu’er lap before he can grab it.
Mu Mu’er brushes his face against it, happy with his fluffy toy. After holding it for a while, he starts pulling the fur on it straight. For particularly unruly sections, he glomps.
Bai Yao doesn’t know if snow leopards like to play with their own tails when bored, but it’s certain sea otters must love them.
It’s a bit itchy on Bai Yao’s tail as he observes his boyfriend’s play with a soft smile. He rubs his hands on Mu Mu’er’s earlobes, “when we’re back, Yaoyao wants to go visit grandpa Xü and auntie Zhang, and tell them we are now boyfriends.”
Mu Mu’er appears to have been too focused on the tail to get what Bai Yao was saying.
Bai Yao shakes his tail, and pulls it away from Mu Mu’er’s hand for a second, brushing past the little guy’s face with the tip of his tail as he turns his head to follow, asking, “Mu’er, do you want to?”
Bai Yao has long since been treating the elderly couple as family. After Mu Yi gave his blessings to them, he’s thought about telling them about their relationship.
He’ll help them understand their relationship, and also wishes his relationship with Mu’er never needs to remain hidden.
The boy thinks for a little, looking at Bai Yao the entire time; he trusts Bai Yao enough to nod without thinking much about it
“Ok. Tell auntie Zhang Mu’er loves Yaoyao a lot.”
Bai Yao smiles, then leans over to bite Mu Mu’er on the lower lip gently, then retreats before Mu’er can react.
Obviously, no one can just take the tease lying down. Mu Mu’er leans forward to kiss back, but Bai Yao also leans back on purpose, asking with a fiendish smile, “what?”
Mu Mu’er tries to negotiate, “ten, Mu’er wants ten kisses every day! That one did not count, so we have twenty left!”
Satisfied with his ‘calculation result,’ he begins his execution without waiting for Bai Yao’s approval. Bai Yao, amused, then takes over the initiative and holds Mu’er by the head while sticking his tongue in.
He really thinks it might be a lost cause to teach Mu Mu’er French kissing, as all the little sea otter ever wants is to brush lips together.
Not that he has a problem with that. It’s cute.
The boy still has his eyes open, too, and looks all the time they’re kissing. Chuckling with muffled voice, Bai Yao covers Mu’er’s eyes with his hand, in order to help focus him on the passionate kiss.
“How many ’embraces’ a day, then?” After the kiss, Bai Yao brushes his tail against Mu Mu’er’s arm.
Bai Yao has told him about the proper term of ‘having sex,’ but it didn’t seem to resonate with Mu Mu’er much. He still wants to call it something to the effect of hugging, because he likes being held in Bai Yao’s embrace.
Mu Mu’er is about to answer when the fiendish smile on Bai Yao finally gets through to him, and he realises he means that kind of embracing, not simply hugging, and blushes.
“One, just one,” he whispers almost inaudibly, before adding, “or half.”
Bai Yao laughs. Half? How is he going to go halfway? How does he expect to start on the ‘half’ next time?
In any case, with one hand beneath Mu Mu’er’s head protecting him, he lays him flat on the blanket to kiss him again, while approaching him on the ear to say, “Yaoyao hasn’t ’embraced’ today. Yaoyao still wants it. Can I?”
“No more. Mu’er has no more…” but his speech is cut short by a kiss.
Bai Yao’s chiselled features include eyes that seem to go deep towards the soul. When Bai Yao is focused on him, Mu Mu’er feels like he can see himself inside his eyes.
Then, he thinks that he must have been wrong. Home wasn’t where the town was, but where Bai Yao is.
Under the starry skies, the two of them are hugging, deeply entwined with one another. Mu Mu’er holds himself back from moaning too loudly, turning himself into a little whimpering mess with his arms held in place by Bai Yao’s hands. Still, he finds himself not want to look away from him for even a second at all.
The island is quiet at night, save for Mu Mu’er’s slow, regular breathing.
Bai Yao, after observing a little, sneaks in a little kiss.
Sweet, soft.
From his head to his feet, he’s all his.
A little bit later, Bai Yao pulls the zipper of the tent open a little to look. Qi Ya’s tent is equally dark. He must be asleep.
“Let’s go. Mu’er, get up,” he pushes Mu Mu’er on the arm and calls out quietly.
Mu Mu’er doesn’t open his eyes though, but pats Bai Yao on the head, “sleeping… Mu’er, sleeping…”
Bai Yao grabs the little restless arm and pinches the cheeks with a chuckle, “are you already hibernating, my little sea otter?”
Mu Mu’er was definitely fast asleep, and is clearly still sleepy, but is also conscious, asking, “what are we doing?”
“Yaoyao is going to show you stars.”
The mention of stars at least fills his response with a little more energy. Not that stars are that exciting to him, but the prospect of watching them with his Yaoyao is.
He hasn’t forgotten, though, that they’re not alone on their trip. When he’s finally back outside of the tent in his shoes, he starts mumbling for Qi Ya’s tent, “big bird-gege…”
Bai Yao quickly pulls his arm, quietly telling him, “just Yaoyao and Mu’er. We will go in secret.”
Mu Mu’er is clearly happy to hear that.
They’ve pitched their tents some distance below the peak, and of course the best viewing spot would be on the peak. Bai Yao uses his flashlight in one hand while holding his babe’s hand with his other, making slow progress.
Since it’s almost winter, there is only the occasional sound of crickets coming from the grass around and nothing else.
After they pass through a small growth of trees, they finally reach the peak. In front of them is a small clearing, the starry skies and the horizon of the boundless ocean surface down below, connected together – with stars having seemingly fallen into the ocean, and gently lighting up the waves and the edge of the coast.
Bai Yao is carrying two large blankets for them both. One can be laid on the ground while the other can cover them from the breeze.
They lie down, and the blanket is big enough for the both of them. They can both spread their arms and legs like starfishes.
The blanket is thick and the grassland is soft; the height of the peak is enough for them to see the little palm-sized collection of lights that is Qiaohai across the seas among the stars.
“Did we come from there?” Mu Mu’er points to the small cluster of lights, recognising and telling Bai Yao, “it’s home! Yaoyao and Mu’er’s home.”
Bai Yao looks at the little guy gently, “yes. That is our home.”
Winter must be coming soon; without sunlight, the night breeze is pretty cold, and Mu Mu’er sneezes a little. Bai Yao quickly covers him in the blanket, leaving only his little head out.
Still, Bai Yao is also a little cold, so he quickly decides to take Mu Mu’er by the maki into his lap, to be his personal little body warmer.
“Is Yaoyao cold?” Before Bai Yao can answer, though, Mu Mu’er is already using his hands to open part of his blanket, letting Bai Yao in as well.
“Together. We cover up together,” he says, holding Bai Yao’s hand and brushing to generate warmth, “together, and we won’t be cold.”
The little boy who was once hurt is still trying to help others around. Bai Yao feels truly warm inside, but also feels a little bitter again. If only Mu Mu’er was never subject to harm. He can’t change what was in the past, but he can certainly spend the rest of their lives together.
For the rest of their long lives, he’ll be the one to help him.
Meeting him must have been the luckiest thing to ever happen to Bai Yao. With all his luck used up to meet the best boy for him, he wants to ask him, to get an affirmative answer with what little luck remains…
After lying there for a while, Bai Yao is looking around the sky for any constellation he recognises that he can tell Mu Mu’er about, when he notices he’s only looking at him.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Yao pinches his cheeks, “don’t you want to come look at stars?”
“Yaoyao, Mu’er wants to hear Yaoyao call Mu’er’s name.”
Bai Yao obliges, and calls gently with a smile, “Mu’er.”
“Yaoyao…” Mu Mu’er leans a little closer, and stays with nary a distance between their lips, “Mu’er loves you.”
When a little sea otter looks up at you with starry eyes to confess, there must be no one that can refuse.
Bai Yao leans over to complete the kiss, right after saying, “yes, and I love you too.”
Mu Mu’er then slips right into Bai Yao’s lap to look at the stars with him quietly, when he suddenly recalls something.
“Tail!” He says, with hopeful eyes, “Mu’er wants to hug Yaoyao’s tail.”
Bai Yao has no reason not to oblige. Sighing, he transforms his thick, long leopard tail back out. He wraps it into Mu’er lap before he can grab it.
Mu Mu’er brushes his face against it, happy with his fluffy toy. After holding it for a while, he starts pulling the fur on it straight. For particularly unruly sections, he glomps.
Bai Yao doesn’t know if snow leopards like to play with their own tails when bored, but it’s certain sea otters must love them.
It’s a bit itchy on Bai Yao’s tail as he observes his boyfriend’s play with a soft smile. He rubs his hands on Mu Mu’er’s earlobes, “when we’re back, Yaoyao wants to go visit grandpa Xü and auntie Zhang, and tell them we are now boyfriends.”
Mu Mu’er appears to have been too focused on the tail to get what Bai Yao was saying.
Bai Yao shakes his tail, and pulls it away from Mu Mu’er’s hand for a second, brushing past the little guy’s face with the tip of his tail as he turns his head to follow, asking, “Mu’er, do you want to?”
Bai Yao has long since been treating the elderly couple as family. After Mu Yi gave his blessings to them, he’s thought about telling them about their relationship.
He’ll help them understand their relationship, and also wishes his relationship with Mu’er never needs to remain hidden.
The boy thinks for a little, looking at Bai Yao the entire time; he trusts Bai Yao enough to nod without thinking much about it
“Ok. Tell auntie Zhang Mu’er loves Yaoyao a lot.”
Bai Yao smiles, then leans over to bite Mu Mu’er on the lower lip gently, then retreats before Mu’er can react.
Obviously, no one can just take the tease lying down. Mu Mu’er leans forward to kiss back, but Bai Yao also leans back on purpose, asking with a fiendish smile, “what?”
Mu Mu’er tries to negotiate, “ten, Mu’er wants ten kisses every day! That one did not count, so we have twenty left!”
Satisfied with his ‘calculation result,’ he begins his execution without waiting for Bai Yao’s approval. Bai Yao, amused, then takes over the initiative and holds Mu’er by the head while sticking his tongue in.
He really thinks it might be a lost cause to teach Mu Mu’er French kissing, as all the little sea otter ever wants is to brush lips together.
Not that he has a problem with that. It’s cute.
The boy still has his eyes open, too, and looks all the time they’re kissing. Chuckling with muffled voice, Bai Yao covers Mu’er’s eyes with his hand, in order to help focus him on the passionate kiss.
“How many ’embraces’ a day, then?” After the kiss, Bai Yao brushes his tail against Mu Mu’er’s arm.
Bai Yao has told him about the proper term of ‘having sex,’ but it didn’t seem to resonate with Mu Mu’er much. He still wants to call it something to the effect of hugging, because he likes being held in Bai Yao’s embrace.
Mu Mu’er is about to answer when the fiendish smile on Bai Yao finally gets through to him, and he realises he means that kind of embracing, not simply hugging, and blushes.
“One, just one,” he whispers almost inaudibly, before adding, “or half.”
Bai Yao laughs. Half? How is he going to go halfway? How does he expect to start on the ‘half’ next time?
In any case, with one hand beneath Mu Mu’er’s head protecting him, he lays him flat on the blanket to kiss him again, while approaching him on the ear to say, “Yaoyao hasn’t ’embraced’ today. Yaoyao still wants it. Can I?”
“No more. Mu’er has no more…” but his speech is cut short by a kiss.
Bai Yao’s chiselled features include eyes that seem to go deep towards the soul. When Bai Yao is focused on him, Mu Mu’er feels like he can see himself inside his eyes.
Then, he thinks that he must have been wrong. Home wasn’t where the town was, but where Bai Yao is.
Under the starry skies, the two of them are hugging, deeply entwined with one another. Mu Mu’er holds himself back from moaning too loudly, turning himself into a little whimpering mess with his arms held in place by Bai Yao’s hands. Still, he finds himself not want to look away from him for even a second at all.
