In China's character song Nihao China, he says something about staying up late watching videos (misugi chatta aru~/I've watched too many, aru~) and my mind did a thing.
Have a beautiful day!
One more. One more video and then he'd go to sleep. That's what Yao had been telling himself for the past three hours. He squinted to find the touchpad of his laptop in the dark and then clicked on the suggested video.
He squealed so loud it might have woken up the neighbors.
He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and dialed Ivan's number.
"Kto—"
"Ivan!"
"Yao?" Sheets ruffling. "Are you okay?"
"What, me? Sure. Ivan, I just sent you a video that you have to see!"
"A… a video?" The click of a light switch.
"Grab your computer."
"Can't I watch it on my phone?"
"No, I want to hear your reaction!"
"Alright, give me a moment." Ruffling. Footsteps. A sigh.
"Have you got your laptop?"
"It's starting up."
"Good."
In the dark, the silence was intimate somehow. Yao closed his eyes and listened to Ivan's breathing. It sounded like it could have been right next to him. "Talk."
"Mm?"
Yao let his head rest against his pillows, eyes still closed. "Say something. Waiting is boring."
Ivan snorted. "You woke me up."
"Sorry."
"I thought something was wrong."
"Were you worried, aru?"
"A bit."
The pillows started to feel more and more like Ivan's shoulder would. It made Yao smile. "Nothing's on fire, nobody got murdered and I haven't run out of groceries."
"Good. As long as it's not your own blood, right?"
Yao chuckled; he couldn't help it.
"Did you e-mail it?"
"Yes."
Clicking.
"Is the link working?"
"I think so."
The blankets felt like arms, like a warm embrace. Something to melt into.
A deep sigh, mixed with a hint of laughter. Yao imagined how it would vibrate through his own body.
"Pandas?" Ivan said. He should have known.
"Yes, pandas!"
"Yao, I don't know exactly what time zone you are in, but it has to be somewhere between 2 and 5 AM."
"But look at the pandas! They're letting them go down a slide!"
"We have a meeting in the morning."
"But Ivan!"
Another sigh. "Fine."
Yao listened, drinking in the amused sounds on the other end.
"They're tumbling over each other."
"That's what pandas do." Yao smiled into his pillow. "Have you ever seen Kung Fu Panda?"
"No."
"You should. We can watch it together."
"Mm." A deep inhale. "The video's over."
"Did you like it?"
"Very much. But now Yao needs to go to sleep."
"Okay, okay."
"Are you lying in bed?"
"Yes, have been all along."
"Computer away?"
"No…?"
"Put it away, Yao."
Yao turned his laptop off and put it to the side. "It's gone."
"Good. Lie down."
He arranged his pillows and snuggled into his blankets.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Yes."
"Then go to sleep, Yao. I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow."
"Alright."
"Are you going to sleep?"
"Yes, Ivan."
"No more videos, da?"
"No, Ivan."
A short silence. "Goodnight."
Yao yawned. "Goodnight."
"I'm going to hang up, okay?"
"Okay."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Yao looked at his phone. A notification reminded him that he hadn't yet viewed a video Yong Soo had sent him. But Ivan had told him to go to sleep…
One more, then.
"Is it this one?"
Yao lifted his head off the meeting table. If Ivan hadn't spoken to him, he'd have fallen asleep. "What?"
"That movie. Kung Fu Panda. Is this it?"
Yao squinted at the image on Ivan's phone. "Yes, that's it."
"Looks funny. I look forward to watching it with Yao."
Yao yawned.
"That's the price for staying up late, da?"
"Shut up, aru."
Ivan smiled and pulled Yao against him. "You can sleep now. No one's going to say anything useful anyway."
Yao nuzzled Ivan's shoulder. "There were pandas on a slide."
"I know. I saw it."
Kiku approached with a pile of documents. "Chuukoku-san… Ah! Dou shitan desu ka?"
"Misugi chatta aru..." Yao mumbled.
Kiku looked at Ivan. "Panda videos again?"
Ivan smiled and nodded.
"I'll come back later."
Ivan draped Yao's coat around him like a blanket. "No more videos until Yao's had enough sleep."
Yao sighed deeply. "Misugi chatta… aru..."
The only sounds that followed were light snores.