Time of Togetherness

It's Cherubmas when it finally hits Ariel that he's not spending the year alone. Or rather, there's someone else in his humble little abode and he doesn't quite know what to feel with Qi Yu making it his duty to decorate the shabby little apartment. To say that he didn't expect to get this far with his whole 'get a cherubun boyfriend' is a bit of an understatement.

"You've got that look on your face again," Qi Yu points out to him after he moves the wreath to the apartment's entrance. "Stop thinking so hard. We still have to make dinner and whatnot."

Ariel blinks. "It's nothing serious," he says but Qi Yu isn't having it. Not now, not ever since they first met. The cherubun will throttle the truth out of him regardless if he wants to or not. "I swear it's not about work either."

His partner sighs. "Look, it's the holidays and I think you could afford to take some time off-"

"Or," he butts in. "You could show me how you make Ambrosia."

A pause echoes between them and Qi Yu simply looks unamused. "That's not taking time off, Ariel. That's finding other work to do. Also what if you end up eating the flower seeds? You're going to end up doing just that if I show you how to make Ambrosia anyways."

He swears he'll try his best not to eat the flower seeds but some of them really are quite delicious. And Ariel can't say no to nicely flavored seeds, regardless if they should be edible or not.

"I swear I won't try to eat them, even if they are tempting," Ariel promises instead. It'll just be a test of self restraint then, nothing too impossible. "But I'm still saying that I never expect someone like you to hang around me."

Qi Yu raises a brow. "What do you mean-"

"Well most of the succubuns thought I was insane for believing in the fact that I'd even find a cherubun, much less one who could tolerate me," he explains easily. "I'm not exactly the type of company that others are eager to keep around. And I'm not exactly rolling in carats either."

That's when it looks like Qi Yu gets it. Or at least parts of it but Ariel can't keep his mouth from moving. "Primrose even told me that I was more or less delusional for thinking that a bun, any bun, would be able to deal with the fact that I can't offer much for them in return for company.

His roommate scoffs. "And you actually listen to whatever Primrose says? Don't bother with him. He's got a stick up his ass and doesn't know what he's talking about. And I chose to stay with you because you were the first bun who offered me a place to stay with no strings attached. And you're offering to help those who're dear to you."

Ariel blinks. Actually, what Qi Yu says does make sense if he thinks about it. "Why wouldn't I help out friends though?"

"We barely knew each other for a day before you offered your place for me to stay, without rent too. And I'm thankful and I'm still not sure how I could pay you back."

Well, technically, there is a way if Ariel's being honest to himself. It simply makes him sound like he's only allowing Qi Yu to stay in exchange for his body which isn't right or far for that matter. He also likes to think that he has morals and a bottom line, thank you.

"Look, as long as I'm not alone then I count it as you paying back your non-existent debt to me. Plus, your cooking is next to none," Ariel points out instead. It's nice actually, to know that what he's dreamed about is now in front of him except he's too scared to reach out for it. Ariel doesn't want to make Qi Yu uncomfortable even if the cherubun would call him a fool for not doing so.

He's fine spending Cherubmas with Qi Yu. They're roommates on good terms even if Qi Yu hates it whenever he calls him his roommate. Really, what's up with that? Though he won't bother asking because he's sure that the answers will reveal themselves when the time comes even if Ariel doesn't consider himself that dense.

His roommate looks at him funny. "I thought you succubuns always want something in exchange for your services."

"I'm not greedy enough for that, Qi Yu," he deflects. Really, he's grateful for his roommate in a way that Primrose won't understand, nor will his friends. At least those buns will simply call him thick in the head and maybe a fool but that's pretty normal. It's not like they're any better.

Qi Yu though, doesn't do that and as curt as his words are, he hasn't had a bad word to say to Ariel. At least not since they found each other. Ariel is thankful for all of that, and for how the cherubun makes his humble abode a bit more lived in.