Chapter Text
“San Lang,” Xie Lian begins, “I heard…it’s your birthday today?”
They stand in the streets of Ghost City, the ghostly residents surrounding them all hollering and cheering for Hua Cheng at the tops of their non-existent lungs. Xie Lian stands before Hua Cheng with his hands behind his back, his gaze lowered demurely.
Xie Lian has gotten used to Ghost City in the year or so he’s been living there, although it is different traversing the colorful streets as a human than as a dog. In some ways it is a much more overwhelming place to live when one is expected to speak and interact and to not make a fool of oneself. However, it cannot be denied that having opposable thumbs is superior in all other ways.
Not to mention, that he can now speak to his beloved San Lang, instead of contenting himself to only watch and listen to the confusing, complicated, wonderful man.
Hua Cheng has clearly been waiting for Xie Lian’s words for a long time. He crosses his arms and tilts his head, replying with a grin. “Mm-hmm. Yeah.”
Xie Lian clears his throat softly a few times, then slowly pulls the gift box from behind his back.
The box is gaudy, bright and red—befitting of Ghost City. As Hua Cheng raises an amused eyebrow at it, something inside gives a little thump thump thump. The other eyebrow joins the first. Xie Lian has to fight hard to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards. He holds out the box, and loses the battle against his smile as Hua Cheng slowly grasps each side of the lid.
Hua Cheng pulls off the top of the gift box, his glittering black eye going very round and wide as the small creature within pokes its head out at once, gazing back at him with huge black eyes of its own. Xie Lian can’t help letting out a laugh as Hua Cheng ducks his hands into the red box and scoops out the small, squirming puppy; a pudgy creature with midnight black fur and a huge, red bow around its neck.
“Happy birthday, San Lang,” Xie Lian says. “I thought you might be getting lonely, without a real dog to spoil.”
“I could never be lonely with gege here,” Hua Cheng says. And yet, he is already pulling the puppy in close to his chest and stroking a pale finger across its soft head.
“Maybe San Lang should give it a kiss right away, just to be sure there are no surprises,” Xie Lian says, and laughs so hard at the face that Hua Cheng makes that he almost drops the now-empty gift box.