Xiao Shen didn't wait.
As soon as Dongxin stepped down from the porch, he was pulled into a warm, familiar hug—arms tight around his waist, chin resting lightly on his shoulder. It was sudden, urgent in a quiet way, like Xiao Shen needed the contact to steady himself. The warmth of his body hit first, then the scent of him—faint shampoo, summer air, and something sweet underneath it all. Something unmistakably him.
"You smell like expensive laundry soap," Xiao Shen murmured, his voice low near Dongxin's ear. "The kind that makes people fall in love with you."
Dongxin let out a quiet breath, amused despite himself. "You're an hour early and already accusing me of seduction?"
Xiao Shen pulled back just enough to look at him. "Guilty conscience?"
His eyes were warm, searching. And though his grin was crooked and playful, something in his gaze lingered too long—like he was trying to memorize this version of Dongxin before it slipped away. His hands didn't fall away immediately; they hovered at Dongxin's sides, like they weren't quite ready to let go.
"You look good," he said, his voice quieter now. "Wait—is that the sweater I gave you?"
Dongxin glanced down at his outfit. "No. I almost wore it, but… I'm saving that one."
"For what?"
There was a pause.
Dongxin looked away toward the streetlight, letting the silence settle between them. "Another day."
Xiao Shen didn't press him, but he gave a knowing smile—like he understood more than he was letting on. "Come on. I drove."
Dongxin blinked. "You? Drove?"
"I'm capable of responsibility."
"Since when?"
"Since today."
"You're early and responsible?" Dongxin teased, already following him toward the curb. "What happened, did aliens get you?"
"I'm evolving."
"Like a Pokémon?"
"Exactly," Xiao Shen said. "Only hotter."
His car sat under the flickering streetlamp—a beat-up silver sedan that had been passed between siblings like a family heirloom. It had a cracked rearview mirror, only three hubcaps, and a stubborn rattle in the engine that no mechanic had ever successfully diagnosed. But it was clean, surprisingly, and there was a faint citrusy smell in the air as Dongxin slid into the passenger seat.
"You cleaned it?" he asked, glancing around at the vacuumed floor and wiped-down dash.
"I made an attempt," Xiao Shen said as he started the engine. "I also installed a lemon-scented air freshener, so if you die tonight, you'll die inside a fruit salad."
"That's very comforting."
"I know. I try to be romantic."
"You're failing," Dongxin said lightly, but there was fondness behind the jab. "Though the effort's impressive."
The engine hummed to life—louder than it should've been—and Xiao Shen pulled into the street without looking back. The city moved around them in warm amber tones, streetlights trailing like fireflies through the windshield. Music played softly through the car's tinny speakers—something slow, gentle, filled with layered harmonies. Dongxin didn't recognize the song, but he liked how it filled the silence without pressing into it.
"So," Dongxin said, turning to look at him, "are you finally going to tell me where we're going?"
Xiao Shen's fingers tapped idly against the wheel. "Nope."
Dongxin tilted his head. "Is it another rooftop?"
"No rooftops."
"Is it dinner?"
Xiao Shen offered a small smile. "Eventually."
Dongxin squinted. "Okay, at least tell me if I should've brought an umbrella or a valid will."
"You're safe," Xiao Shen said. "Probably."
That earned him a side-eye, but Dongxin didn't push further. The corners of Xiao Shen's mouth twitched like he wanted to keep joking, but his eyes kept flicking back to the road—hyperaware of the traffic, the lane lines, the occasional parked car. There was something tight in his posture, something almost jittery.
"You've been fidgeting since we left," Dongxin said after a moment. "You're nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"You keep bouncing your leg."
"That's not nervous. That's bubble tea."
Dongxin raised an eyebrow. "And emotional repression?"
"Exactly."
They shared a soft laugh. Then, for a stretch, neither spoke.
Outside, the traffic began to thin. The buildings grew farther apart. The city's heartbeat slowed to a quieter rhythm. Dongxin leaned his head against the window and watched neon signs and old brick storefronts pass by in a blur.
"Okay," Dongxin said eventually, "is this a murder plot?"
"Would I dress like this for a murder?"
"You wore that to prom."
"Prom wasn't a murder," Xiao Shen said. "It was a very stylish social experiment."
"A fashion crime."
"I'm ignoring you."
"I'm serious. What's with the mystery?"
Xiao Shen's hands tightened briefly around the wheel. "Because if I told you, it'd ruin the surprise."
"Since when do you care about surprises?"
"Since I started planning this three weeks ago."
Dongxin blinked. "Wait—three weeks?"
"I had a whole vision board."
"You don't own a vision board."
"I used your Pinterest account."
"You what?"
Xiao Shen's grin widened. "You shouldn't leave your tabs open."
Dongxin groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "You're unbelievable."
"I know," Xiao Shen said. "You keep dating me anyway."
Dongxin didn't answer right away. He just looked at him—really looked. The gentle lines of Xiao Shen's face softened by passing headlights, the familiar profile he'd watched a hundred times in classrooms, on rooftops, under flickering signs in the city night. There was a quiet steadiness there, even under the nerves. And that quiet steadiness did something strange to his heart.
"You ever think about the future?" Xiao Shen asked suddenly.
The question floated out of nowhere.
Dongxin turned toward him, caught off guard. "Where's that coming from?"
Xiao Shen shrugged with one shoulder, still watching the road. "Just been thinking about it lately. Like… where we'll be. Five years from now. Ten."
Dongxin hesitated. The words sat heavy between them—not dramatic, not urgent, just quietly, deeply sincere. His hand brushed his pocket, the weight of the ring still there. A tiny circle of silver inside a cheap velvet box, pressed against his thigh.
"I think about it," he said. "More than I probably should."
Xiao Shen's fingers shifted again on the steering wheel. "And?"
Dongxin exhaled. "I see you."
Xiao Shen's hand twitched again on the wheel. He didn't respond right away, but his lips parted, like he was about to say something—something real.
Then the light ahead changed.
"We're almost there," he said quietly. "One more turn."
"One more turn?"
Dongxin felt the shift in Xiao Shen's voice—calm, measured, but with the faintest hint of nerves buried beneath. He said it like he was trying to convince himself as much as Dongxin.
The car turned onto a narrow side road, one that immediately looked unfamiliar. Rows of low brick buildings passed them in quiet succession, half of them closed for the evening. The road curved again, then again, and then again, and still Xiao Shen didn't speak.
Dongxin didn't comment at first. He let the silence hang, watched the streetlights flicker across Xiao Shen's face as they passed under them. The music continued in soft loops through the tinny speakers—something acoustic now, barely audible under the low hum of tires on pavement.
But after ten minutes of driving… then fifteen… Dongxin raised an eyebrow.
"We're lost, aren't we?"
"No."
Dongxin turned toward him. "You hesitated."
"I didn't."
"You absolutely did."
"That wasn't hesitation," Xiao Shen insisted, eyes fixed on the road like it owed him money. "That was… dramatic pausing."
"You're circling the same flower shop for the third time."
"Maybe I like the flowers."
"It's closed."
"They're very resilient flowers."
"Xiao Shen."
Silence.
"Xiao Shen."
He groaned, slumping in his seat like a teenager getting caught sneaking in past curfew. "Fine. Maybe I took the wrong exit."
Dongxin folded his arms. "Maybe?"
"Definitely," Xiao Shen admitted, dragging a hand down his face. "I knew I should've printed out directions."
"Who prints directions in 2020-whatever-this-is?"
"Responsible people!"
"You weren't even responsible enough to charge your phone last week, and now you're planning secret anniversary trips without a GPS?"
"I had a plan!"
"You had vibes," Dongxin corrected.
"Very powerful vibes!"
Dongxin laughed, the sound catching in his throat before spilling out fully. "You are unbelievable."
"I prefer 'mysterious and free-spirited.'"
"You're driving us into the suburbs."
"They're very scenic suburbs!"
"There was a pig farm two streets back."
"See? Authentic."
Dongxin shook his head, still smiling despite himself. "Just admit you're lost and open Google Maps before we end up in a field."
Xiao Shen let out a long, exaggerated sigh and reached for his phone. "You're ruining the magic."
"Good. The magic was taking us into a cornfield."
He tapped at the screen with the resigned defeat of a man surrendering his dignity. "Ugh. I had it all timed out, too. Sunset drive, gentle playlist, a poetic turn into a perfectly lit overlook…"
Dongxin leaned over, watching him scroll through the GPS. "And instead?"
"And instead, we're twenty minutes off course and rapidly approaching goat country."
Dongxin snorted. "Incredible. Truly romantic."
"Stop laughing," Xiao Shen muttered. "This is your fault."
"My fault?"
"Yes. You distracted me with your collarbone and your moon necklace and your tragic boy energy."
Dongxin arched an eyebrow. "Tragic boy energy?"
"You know what I mean," he said, pointing a finger without looking. "You're like one of those anime protagonists who stares out windows and says things like 'I wonder if I'll ever feel whole again.'"
"…I've literally said that."
"I know. And I fell in love with you anyway. It's disgusting."
Dongxin rolled his eyes, but his cheeks flushed with heat. "Get us back on track, idiot."
"Yes, my tragic prince."
He turned the wheel again, following the GPS's soft robotic instructions. The tension eased out of the car slowly, like breath exhaled after being held too long. Outside, the horizon began to melt into deepening amber, the sun tipping lower, washing the streets in gold and orange and bruised purple. The music drifted quietly back into focus—something gentle and wordless—and Xiao Shen drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting lightly between them, palm up.
He didn't say anything.
But the gesture was there.
Open.
Waiting.
Dongxin glanced down, then hesitated before letting his fingers slide into Xiao Shen's, their hands curling together like they'd done it a thousand times before. Maybe they had.
They didn't speak after that for a while.
There was no need to.
The GPS crackled back to life: In 400 meters, turn left.
"See?" Xiao Shen said softly, smirking as he kept his eyes on the road. "We're not lost. We're just taking the scenic route."
Dongxin squeezed his hand. "Next time," he said, voice low, "just admit you're lost from the start."
"I like keeping you on your toes."
Dongxin glanced sideways at him, smile still faint on his lips. "I like knowing where we're going."
And still, even as the city lights reappeared in the distance, neither of them let go.