Chapter 33
Nobody had ever looked at him like that …
Fei was leaning low over the Cloud Chamber, his hair beginning to loosen out of his ponytail, almost covering his face in a sweeping wave.
Alexej beside him, lost in his own thoughts, turned a little towards him.
"It's too late …", came from behind the shimmering dark curtain, "I can't do it … it will never be …"
The other young man watched him silently as him lowered his head almost into the appliance.
"Of course you can't be a teacher anymore, you're making a million times more a year …"
The Triad Leader jerked up. "Yes! I am!" he gave wild laugh. "I could hire any international specialist! … I could buy them!"
He turned to the scientist, twisting his expressive features into an almost comical look. "I could buy you!"
When Alexej didn't answer he narrowed his eyes, challenging.
"Can I tell you something?" the wrestler asked.
Liu Fei Long inclined his head in an echo of his former imposing ways, quirking his eyebrows quizzically.
"Can I hold you in my arms to do it?"
"Pardon …?" The Chinese froze, staring in disbelief.
The Russian let a cloudy gaze pass over him. He seemed in some inner turmoil, visible in the way he lowered his eyelids and his breathing quickened. He looked away first, his eyes briefly flickering down to the Cloud Chamber. His lack of body tension suggested he was not going to enforce the request.
"… after that, I promise, I'll never touch you again."
Fei held his position, his face motionless, assessing. When his classmate looked up he surprised himself by giving just the slightest nod. They straightened up, the Kung Fu fighter watching the wrestler warily, like two contestants before a match. But Alexej waited until the Chinese had given another small nod, before grasping his shoulders and encircling him with his powerful arms.
"I'm sorry."
Fei tensed and frowned dangerously, a lovely expression on him, but let the Russian draw him in lightly against his shoulder.
"I'm really sorry I taunted you, and with that boy girl thing too … at that Eco's."
Alexej just barely brushed Fei's temple with his nose, a strange, incongruous gesture, since the Chinese' body was tautened into a graceful warrior's stance, beautiful but deadly.
"I was jealous, you know … of Misha last night …"
A jolt went through the supple fighter, and Alexej steadied him loosely.
"Yes … I know … totally uncalled for at the moment … "
Nobody had ever given him such a feeling.
"I can't imagine a gay life … no children … everything else it stands for … I'm not like Misha …"
… scary …
Alexej's voice was getting a little muffled, he had lowered his head onto Fei's shoulder.
… he was losing himself …
"I know this is a terribly bad moment, but there won't be any better … have to get it over with…", the Russian sounded under his breath, rushed,
… there would be nothing left of him …
"for this one tiny moment in eternity … now … it's you and me … an alternate universe … where I am gay … or you are all woman. And will be my wife."
… he had to flee …
"You don't have to say anything … have to squeeze you a bit - please protest if you can't breath any more."
… but someone was holding him tight, and saying strange things … it felt …
After a while Alexej released the slender Asian enough to look into his face. "You're worried? don't be …"
… good … it felt good …
"Going on and on about you … unforgivable. I mean Misha did too, yesterday night! But that was different …"
… don't black out! Misha.
" … and you chose. And perhaps you're right. I've known him for ever, and he's been waiting so long now, patiently … "
Fei blinked, staring at the Russian.
" … ok …", Alexej supplied, gently, "… not so patiently, we both know it's not his strong suit, patience … oh you are sweet when you blush, won't kiss you, don't know if I could make myself stop then … so he's waiting impatiently, but unconditionally … I know that guy", he sighed.
Fei felt as if coming up from under water. But his classmate was beginning to sound more like the Alexej of the Star Wars boxers, the intelligent, cracky person he had known since four months, and what he was saying … he wanted to hear more …
Alexej caught his gaze and smiled like a cat. "You like what I'm saying … don't you?" he gave a soft laugh. "What do I get if I tell you more?"
He didn't wait for an answer, but began shifting them around, like dancing slow blues, rolling up his eyes melodramatically.
" … if you turned out to be from Mars - he'd enrol in a course for Martian!"
Now Fei laughed, hesitantly, shaking his head a little, adjusting to the wrestler's lead with natural ease. The heavy set Russian exhaled audibly, fixing the Chinese in a lascivious stare … abruptly bursting into violent motion, sweeping his classmate along with him, bending him backwards in theatrical imitation of a passionate tango. Fei followed automatically, graceful and supple, playing along like a charismatic go-go-girl from outer space.
"Ai, dai, dalalai!" *
With this shout Alexej halted them in the midst of a complicated figure. He lowered his face into Fei's hair, whispering, the Chinese turning his ear towards his mouth as if he didn't want to miss a single word.
"If you turned out to be a woman, after all, he wouldn't mind … he's bisexual ... did you know?"
At the mention of word 'bisexual' Fei twitched a little, but didn't answer, and Alexej twirled him around, manoeuvring them skilfully through the lab. "Oh, but you can dance! part of Kung Fu skills, huh?", the Russian breathed huskily, Fei pivoting without effort, as in a dream. He had no idea what he was. He had never cared for anyone that way, except for Asami, and Asami was a man, yes, but if he had been a woman he probably wouldn't have felt any different.
- to be continued -
* Russian refrain from a melancholic folk song
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