Gently

By the time he opened his eyes again, they had already passed his house and turned the corner to Haoran's street.

"... Haoran, I don't think I can save you now. I'm not big enough." "Heh."

A deep, sightly condescending laugh escaped from Haoran.

"Shut up! I'm serious!" "Okay."

"I'll save you later though. I'll be the best." "I know."

They'd passed through the house's threshold. He put Duyi on the bed. The snake stayed on the room's floor, curled into a fat ball.

Haoran went downstairs. The sounds of windows opening and ventilating fans running were heard by Duyi.

He turned on his side and hugged the pillow by his head. It had the same smell of sunshine on the prairie by the ocean.

It made him a bit dizzy, but he was reassured.

He now knew that what he had been smelling lately wasn't shower gel.

Haoran returned to find Duyi hugging his pillow. He sniffed and rubbed his nose, a bit reluctant to spray in the room.

He liked the grapefruit smell.

He went into the bathroom and found the inhibitors.

He had a needle in one hand and a cotton swab in the other.

He sat Duyi on his lap and trapped him against his chest with one of his arms.

He sat up against the head of the bed for stability.

Duyi squirmed.

He felt Haoran's mouth by his ear, "I have to inject the inhibitor. It might hurt you, so you can't move."

On the back of his neck, Haoran lifted Duyi's slightly long hair and found the source of the grapefruit smell.

He was tempted to take a bite. He breathed heavily before...

He inserted the needle into Duyi's glands.

Duyi whined and bit his collar. If he was hurting, Haoran should hurt too!

"Hiss!" Haoran sucked in a hard breath and accidentally pushed the needle in a bit deeper.

"AH!" Duyi stopped biting before opening his mouth to suck in a gasp. It really hurt!

"Quit moving or it'll hurt more."

When the injection was done, Haoran pressed the cotton ball in the hand on Duyi's back against the glans and pulled the needle out with the other.

Duyi shivered as it went.

Haoran lightly massaged the injection area to disperse the fluid in the glans into the body and stop the bleeding.

He felt that his shirt was wet and could see that Duyi was crying again.

"Hic! Couldn't—hic!—c-couldn't you have been more gentle!"

Duyi didn't even have any energy left to hit him. His shaking didn't allow him to curl his hands into fists.

His tantrum turned into gentle pats and rubs on Haoran's chest as his tears fell.

Haoran pat Duyi's back.

He looked down to see Duyi's crying face and gulped.

"Don't squirm so much."

The salty scent suddenly overtook the scent of grass on the prairie and Duyi shivered harder before calming down.

They both sat in silence for a bit, just breathing in the smell of grapefruit by the ocean prairie.

Duyi then realized where he was and what he was currently doing.

His hands gripped Haoran's shirt even tighter when he realized that he didn't want to let go.

"Haoran."

Duyi heard his breathing stagnate for a second. He realized hadn't said Haoran's full name before. Just Fatty, Tank, and Big Ran.

It sounded serious.

"...Duyi."

Duyi never heard his name sound so good before either. He made a split second decision.

His hands slid around Haoran's back and clung to him like a slithering snake. He was slightly cold, and Haoran was like a big, warm tree that would shield him from the wind.

Grass he could hide in when he was scared.

The sun that would warm him up when he was cold.

He was sure that it wasn't because he was saved that he felt this way.

He had been worrying about Haoran for a while, and it had become a habit. He didn't realize that habits could develop in this fashion.

Haoran froze for a minute. Duyi could hear their hearts beating faster together.

The blush on his ears was even more intense.

"...I won't move next time."

Next time?

"Hm"

"...D-don't, n-nevermi—"

Haoran realized what he meant. He kissed the top of Duyi's head.

Duyi hadn't even realized that he had been holding his breath until he released it.

"... I'll try to be gentle, just stay still."

He massaged the back of Duyi's neck until his rapid breathing was steady.