Chapter 16: You’re Suited for Me

The heating in the Japanese restaurant was cranked high, yet Chen felt a chill running through him.

It wasn't the air conditioning; it was the fact that from the moment they sat down until now, Xavier hadn't looked at him once.

"Dr. Xavier, try this," Dr. Zhang, sitting opposite them, pushed a plate of salmon over. "The sashimi here is very fresh."

Xavier nodded, picked up a slice, dipped it in soy sauce, and ate slowly.

Dr. Zhang continued chatting with a smile: "By the way, I looked over that patient's file from last time. Your treatment plan was actually brilliant. Could you walk me through it when you have a moment?"

"Sure," Xavier said.

Sitting beside him, Chen gripped his chopsticks until his knuckles turned white.

He picked up a piece of surf clam and placed it in Xavier’s bowl.

"Try this," he said with a radiant smile. "It's quite sweet."

Xavier glanced down at the clam in his bowl but didn't touch it.

Chen’s smile stiffened for a fraction of a second.

"Don't like it?" he asked. "I'll swap it for—"

"No need," Xavier interrupted him, pushing the clam to the side. "I'll manage myself."

Chen was stunned.

Dr. Zhang didn't notice anything amiss and continued his conversation with Xavier.

"What do you usually do after work, Dr. Xavier? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Xavier took a sip of tea. "No."

"Are you free this weekend then? A friend of mine opened an escape room; it's quite fun. Want to go together?"

Clack.

Chen slammed his chopsticks onto the table.

Dr. Zhang jumped, looking at him in surprise.

Chen forced a smile. "Nothing. Just a slip of the hand."

He lowered his head and continued eating, but his ears were pinned back, listening intently.

Xavier ignored him and said to Dr. Zhang, "I might have to be on call this weekend."

"What about next week?"

"We'll see."

Listening to them go back and forth, Chen was drowning in jealousy but could do nothing.

He could only bury his head in his food, treating every slice of sashimi as an imaginary enemy to be crushed between his teeth.

——————

Meanwhile, on the other side of town.

Sebastian was lying facedown on the sofa while Lucian sat beside him, his hands pressed against the man's waist.

"Gently," Sebastian said without looking up, flipping through a file.

"Okay," Lucian replied, but his hand drifted slightly to the side.

Sebastian’s brow furrowed.

"Where are you touching?"

"Massaging you," Lucian said innocently. "Didn't you ask for a massage?"

Sebastian turned his head to look at him.

Lucian looked back, wearing a perfect "I haven't done anything" expression.

Sebastian stared at him for two seconds before turning back to his file.

Lucian’s hand moved again.

This time he touched the side of the waist, his fingertips brushing against the skin with a faint, lingering warmth.

Sebastian snapped the file shut.

"Lucian."

"Yeah?"

"If you touch me like that again, I'm chopping your hand off."

Lucian laughed.

He pulled his hand back slightly, resting it obediently in the original position, but the bratty smirk remained on his face.

"Why are you always so suspicious?" he asked. "I’m seriously trying to help you."

Sebastian didn't bother responding.

He reopened the file, but he felt as though the temperature from those hands was impossible to shake.

The phone rang.

Sebastian checked the caller ID, and his expression shifted.

He picked up.

"Mom."

Lucian’s hand faltered.

Sebastian’s voice sounded different than usual—less distant, layered with something hard to define.

"Yeah, I know... This New Year... I might come back... maybe..."

Lucian watched him, watching his profile, the slight furrow of his brow, and the way his fingers tightened around the phone.

"I know, I understand. We'll talk about it when the time comes."

The call ended.

Sebastian set the phone aside and leaned back against the sofa, silent.

Lucian watched him.

After a few seconds, he reached out and pulled the man into a full embrace.

Sebastian was taken aback. "What now?"

Lucian rested his chin on the man's shoulder without saying a word.

Sebastian was silent for a moment, suddenly remembering that Lucian’s parents had passed away not long ago.

The New Year.

When other families were reuniting, he would be alone.

Sebastian’s hand rose, hesitated in the air, but eventually landed on Lucian’s back, giving it a few light pats.

"Alright, don't overthink it," he said.

Lucian lifted his head to look at him.

"I'm going with you," he said.

Sebastian blinked. "What?"

"The New Year," Lucian said. "I'm going back with you."

Sebastian looked at him.

In those eyes, there was seriousness, anticipation, and a trace of cautious probing.

He opened his mouth to refuse.

But the words died in his throat.

"...Suit yourself," he said.

Lucian’s eyes instantly lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Lucian beamed, genuinely happy this time.

He pulled Sebastian into a tighter hug, nuzzling his head against the man's shoulder.

"Then stay still for the next few days," he said, his tone full of mirth. "Otherwise, you won't even be able to sit properly once we get there."

Sebastian was speechless. "And whose fault is it that I’m like this?"

Lucian’s smile stiffened.

He loosened his grip, looking at Sebastian with a guilty expression.

"...Mine."

"At least you know it."

Sebastian pushed him away and supported his waist to stand up.

"Help me to the bedroom."

Lucian stood up immediately, supporting the man's waist.

The two of them walked slowly toward the bedroom.

At the door, Lucian suddenly spoke.

"Hey..."

Sebastian didn't look back. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Sebastian’s footsteps faltered.

He didn't turn around; he simply kept moving forward.

"...Stop the nonsense."

——————

Two days later, Sebastian’s back finally felt much better.

Though he still had to wear the brace, at least he didn't have to lean against things to catch his breath every few steps.

When he woke up, he could dress himself and go to the bathroom without help; it felt like a new lease on life.

"How is it?" Lucian leaned in, looking for credit. "It's all thanks to my massages."

Sebastian gave him a look that made his skin crawl.

"Those 'massages' of yours," Sebastian said leisurely, "cost me three extra days of recovery."

Lucian: "..."

Fine, then.

——————

Meanwhile, at Marcus’s home, the atmosphere had dropped to freezing point.

His phone wouldn't stop ringing—it was all journalists.

He had been trending for three days, his name attached to every headline. The Bar Association had sent a notice for him to cooperate with an investigation. Several major clients had called overnight to terminate their contracts, barely able to speak for fear of being implicated.

The biggest headache was his home life.

When his wife slammed the divorce papers onto the table, he didn't even have the strength to argue.

"Marcus, I've known about your filthy secrets for a long time," she said coldly. "I turned a blind eye for the sake of the kids. Now that the whole world knows, we're done."

The door slammed shut.

Marcus sat in his study, staring at a glass of red wine, his expression dark enough to drip venom.

Sebastian.

He ground the name between his teeth, his hatred absolute.

The leaks, the evidence, the things that had ruined his reputation—it was all him.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, it's me."

The person on the other end said something.

"Find someone for me." His voice was low. "Sebastian. Yeah, that lawyer. Track his recent movements. I want details."

He hung up and downed the wine in one go.

——————

The New Year was approaching.

Sebastian and Lucian went to the supermarket together to buy supplies.

Sebastian pushed the cart, walking slowly but no longer needing support.

Lucian walked beside him, occasionally tossing items into the cart.

"What's your hometown like?" Lucian asked.

Sebastian picked up a pack of cured sausage, looked at it, and set it back down.

"Just a small town," he said tonelessly. "Too many familiar faces. You meet someone you know every two steps. You might not like it."

Lucian laughed.

"I’m a natural with people," he said, a hint of pride in his voice. "I'm great at it."

Sebastian gave him a look.

There was a trace of worry in his eyes.

"Don't go touching me in front of them," he said. "They won't be able to handle the whole 'gay' thing."

Lucian paused, then his smile widened.

"Then let me hold you more now?"

Sebastian took a deep breath. "I told you, I don't like men."

Lucian leaned in a bit closer.

"Then what kind of women do you like?"

Sebastian opened his mouth but found no answer.

He realized he had never thought about it.

Work, cases, clients, trials... His life was so packed with those things that there was no room for anything else.

Occasionally people would set him up, but he would just go through the motions and go back to work.

Sometimes he truly wondered if he were asexual.

"I'm busy with work," he said dismissively. "I don't have time for that."

Lucian watched him and, for reasons unknown, took a step forward to close the distance and pulled him into a hug.

Sebastian was speechless.

Does this guy have some kind of hugging fetish?

"What are you—"

"You’re suited for me to top." Lucian’s voice was muffled against the man's shoulder, carrying a hint of a laugh.

THUD—

Once the words registered, Sebastian landed a punch.

"Ouch—" Lucian hissed in pain, clutching his face and taking a step back.

But his other hand was still protecting Sebastian’s waist, never letting go.

Sebastian glared at him, his chest heaving.

Lucian held his face, looked at him, and suddenly laughed.

"That punch," he said with a sigh, "had a lot more weight behind it than a few days ago."

Sebastian took a deep breath.

"Keep talking nonsense and the next one will have more."

Lucian let go of his face, rubbing the spot where he was hit, but the bratty smile remained.

"Fine, fine, I’ll stop." He said, "Let's go, let's keep shopping."

He turned to walk ahead but paused after two steps to look back.

"By the way," he said, "that expression you just had? Pretty cute."

Sebastian snatched a pack of sausages, ready to hurl it.

Lucian laughed and ran off.

Sebastian stood there, sausage in hand, watching his back. He didn't know where to direct his rage.

Finally, he tossed the sausages back on the shelf and continued pushing the cart.