That morning Wei received a text. "Going home to eat today, join me?"

He smiled and quickly replied in agreement adding at the end, "I'll cook for you."

That was, after all, why he had bought so many things, he didn't think Yunlan could cook so the real choice was to let the food expire or cook it himself.

Later that morning he received another text, this time from Hong.
"Let's have lunch together."

He smiled but he was busy already having plans to eat with Yunlan, so he wrote back, "Sorry I can't today :D"

The next text was so fast that he wondered how she had time to write it.

"An emoticon? And a happy one at that?? What happened? What are you hiding from your little sister?"

Wei laughed, he hadn't yet told her that they were back together, so he wrote: "I'm going to cook for Yunlan today :D"

After sending it, he sent another one to clarify that it wasn't for work.
"At his place :D"

He never used emoticons before but now it came automatically to him. What was Yunlan doing to him?

He read Hong's next text and laughed.
"I just stopped screaming! Remember to invite me to the wedding or I'll kill you."

He went back to work but those words stayed with him, he couldn't keep them out of his mind.
He went home as soon as he finished, to start cooking something good, and when Yunlan arrived the place already smelled deliciously.

They sat at the table eating and Yunlan was enjoying everything so much that the words escaped his mouth before he could stop them.
"I could get used to this, you should cook for me every day."

Wei paused and Yunlan panicked.
"I mean, if you want to, I know you have your work and your own place, I like your cooking a lot but I wasn't implying you should become my cook, I just..."

"Yunlan," Wei interrupted him. "It's okay, you can say anything you want, I'm not going to run away anymore, I want you to be yourself and tell me what's on your mind."

That reaction had startled him a lot, he wanted Yunlan to be comfortable around him, this time he wanted to make things good and be a good boyfriend.

Yunlan actually had something on his mind, and asked, "Really? Can I?"

Wei looked at him. "Of course you can, I want you to."

Yunlan took a deep breath.
"Then... I was thinking... you should bring your stuff here, it'd be easier for you and more convenient..."

Wei smiled, nodding towards his backpack. "I already thought of that."

Yunlan frowned a bit, that wasn't exactly what he meant, so he gathered his courage and tried again.
"Not just that, I meant all of it..."

Wei looked intently at him and Yunlan blurted out: "You could move in with me."

Wei stayed silent for several seconds so Yunlan filled it with: "If you want, this place is big enough for both and you wouldn't have to go back and forth I..."

"Yes," Wei said. Maybe a wedding was too much for him, but living together was something he could accept. It was scary, but not at all unpleasant. He would learn to not let his fear ruin his relationship.

Yunlan smiled unable to say anything more, he couldn't believe that Wei had accepted so easily, and he went back to eating his lunch. When he got back to work, Wei went to give the news to Chu.

"You're leaving me?" his friend asked.

Wei laughed. "Don't be melodramatic, I'll stay until you find a new roommate but I want to move in with Yunlan," and he did, he thought, he really wanted it.

Chu helped him pack most of his stuff and together they started searching for someone who would live with him. Wei was happy that the search gave good results sooner than he expected. The new guy was a shy little thing and Wei warned Chu. "Please be kind to Guo, he seems to be easily scared."

Chu faked offence. "I'm not scary, I never scared you, did I?" Then they both laughed and Wei took away the rest of his stuff, clearing every trace of his presence.

Before he went out for the last time, Chu extended his hand saying, "Let's stay in touch, alright?"
Wei looked at his hand and shook it, nodding his approval. All that time he had thought he was alone, but he already had a friend who cared about him.

~~~~~~~~

Moving in with Yunlan was wonderful, now he could really call the place home, but there was still something bothering him.

Every morning he woke up alone and noticed the discarded take-out boxes in the trash. He wasn't home at night to cook dinner, so Yunlan resorted to delivery.

With their work hours, they didn't see each other as much as he wished to, and they hadn't had sex since that day at the apartment he shared with Chu.

Wei thought about it, he always valued his independence but they were living together now. Just the day before they had argued because Wei suggested he helped pay the rent and the bills, but Yunlan had refused.

"You're not just a roommate here, we are a couple, you don't have to pay rent to me."

Wei had insisted and Yunlan had dropped the matter to not anger him, but now Wei thought about it and he had to admit that maybe he was doing it again.

Did he want to share the expenses so he wouldn't feel trapped? So he could feel like he could leave anytime without owing him anything?
That didn't sound like a true relationship; if needed he could help, and he had personally taken care of the food, after all, he could keep doing that and let Yunlan worry about the bills.

Without having to pay rent and bills he didn't really need to work so much, and he wanted this relationship to work so it was probably time he loosened a bit and accepted Yunlan's help.

What Yunlan needed was not his money but his love.
He thought about it for a long time and he reached the conclusion that he could give up his second job now. He didn't want to ruin things again, Yunlan wanted to take care of him just as much as he wanted to take care of Yunlan.

It was a long and difficult decision, but once it was made he felt strangely lighter, he will be able to spend more time with Yunlan and he'll also have time to see Hong more often.

He smiled, for the first time in many years he'll be able to enjoy free time, and he would enjoy taking care of their house.