¤ Mafia (April Visit).

@X ZHAN *even though you take to cooking most of the food when it comes, I manage to slip in a few pieces of woodear and some of your favorite slices of beef into the spicy soup for you*
*sets my chopsticks back down while I wait for the food to cook*
*remembers that you have been telling me about your therapy*
I know...I was a little...irrational last time, but I understand its for our relationship. I'm not...well, I don't think I'm crazy

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@W YIBO /when our food begins to arrive, I cook a lot, even if I'm not going to eat a lot of it/
It is important. I have been going for a while now, and it helps. I think.
/thinks of my outbursts, and sighs, swirling the food around in the bubbling soup aimlessly/

@X ZHAN Oh...
*is obviously disappointed that your appetite isn't what it used to be*
*tries to be understanding nonetheless*
Gege can drink the hot pot soup then. It looks and smells flavorful!
*sips at the glass of water they brought us and then nods my head*
I'm nervous...but I want to go. I think its very important

@W YIBO /arranges my plate and utensils to sit in perfectly straight lines/
No, I’m fine. I don’t eat a lot for a couple days after chemo
/rests my hand in your lap, turning up the heat to our pots despite none of the food being here yet/
Are you... nervous for therapy?

@X ZHAN *notes that the waitress gives you a disgusted glare when you order her around*
*tries to make eye contact to apologize to her, but she's already ways off*
*focuses back on your instead, smacking my lips slowly*
I'm not super hungry Gege...just a little
*looks at the soup that is starting to bubble*
What about you Gege? You haven't had anything all day

@W YIBO /snaps my fingers at a passing waitress, pointing to our table when she looks/
Sesame sauce.
/says plainly, returning my attention to you/
What else, Yibo? Are you hungry? They should hurry up, all this food is raw anyway

@X ZHAN *whines softly when my phone is confiscated, though I don't ask for it back*
*sits back in my seat with my hands folded over my lap*
*when the hot pot base comes out, I see that you ordered the non spicy for me despite loving spicy yourself*
*salivates in excitement*
Wahhh Gege! This smells so good!
*smiles and turns to you*
Can you ask them for sesame sauce? Please?

@W YIBO /takes your phone when you hold it out to show me and slips it into my opposite pocket without even glancing at the screen/
/returns my attention to my half finished text, typing with a little scowl this time/
/when the soup bases come to be filled, I look up at it, feeling queasy seeing food/

@X ZHAN *double taps the comment so that I can like it*
*the moment of silence goes by so quickly when I'm on my phone, and I look up at you in a little startle when you ask me*
Oh-
*holds my phone out to you so you can see*
My fans are writing longer and nicer comments nowadays...they're so sweet

@W YIBO /watches you lose interest in me, half written text abandoned/
/stares blatantly at your phone screen while you go through it, not hiding that I was looking/
What’s so interesting over there?
/asks after a minute of this nonsense/

@X ZHAN *wondering if it would be easier to pass time by also getting on my phone as well, I take it out and start to read through some fan comments on my latest update*
*hums when you ask me a question*
Oh...nothing Gege
*says so a little absentmindedly, currently reading through a long praise of the storyline so far*

@W YIBO If you want Swiss roll, we need to pick up more cream on our way back
/murmurs absentmindedly, preoccupied with a text/
/looks back at you when you call for me/
What’s the matter?

@X ZHAN Huh? I thought Gege had a cake in mind?
*thinks off the top of my head*
I want a swiss roll cake...that sounds yummy
*smiles to myself*
And we are gonna make strawberry cupcakes, right Gege?
*seeing you check your phone makes me fall silent again*

@W YIBO Later, but we’re not eating mayo here
/says decisively, taking your hand again once we submit our order/
/with my free hand, I check my phone for any work updates/
/angles the phone slightly away from you, knowing you didn’t like it/
Mm... yeah, sure. What are we making again?

@X ZHAN *pouts when you mention that there is no mayo*
Butbut...
*huffs sadly*
Corn with mayo is the best...
*sighs and perches my head on your shoulder, watching you lovingly as you mark the menu*
*once the waitress is off handling our first order, I take your hand again*
Gege...after therapy, do you still want to do bake cake with me?

@W YIBO /pulls the order slip toward us to mark down portions of what you want, doubling the quantities you tell me/
They don’t serve mayo in hot pot
/despite my joke, my voice is monotonous and serious-
/after the sheet is filled with what we want, I hand it off to the waitress, taking care of everything since I was sitting on the open end/

@X ZHAN *even though you don't agree explicitly, I know you've agreed when we pull up in front of the restaurant*
*bounds beside you, careful to take the arm that was not hooked up to the machine during chemo*
*nods my head as we sit in the same booth*
Okay Gege I know~
*looks down at the menu*
Can I have pork? And corn!

@W YIBO /wordlessly brings us into the first hot pot restaurant I see/
/sits you in a booth seat and traps you in my sitting beside you/
No shrimp
/reminds you, ignoring the waitress who came to give us water/

@X ZHAN *leans back in my seat, already used to your driving*
Uhm...
*looks around the streets, already imagining everything I cannot have in Australia*
Gege how about hotpot?

@W YIBO /holds your hand loosely, squinting under the bright sunlight when we left the hospital/
Hm, no mood. What about you?
/pulls us in a random direction/
/tilts my head up as we walk, ignoring oncoming pedestrians as I busied myself with looking at restaurant names/

@X ZHAN *stands up to follow you, hurriedly hefting my backpack over my shoulders and then taking your hand again*
Okay Gege, what are you in the mood for?
*nods my head at the nurse as we leave, following you down the long, windy hallways until we reach the exit*

@W YIBO /flexes my arm a little when I’m released, wincing/
Can’t hurt myself that easily, you know that/
/without thanking the nurse, I just get up and put my jacket back on/
Come on, let’s get lunch. I’m hungry now-

@X ZHAN *my eyes glance from your hooked up arm to the machine, pouting to answer your question*
*when your nurse finally removes the machine, I hold your hand against me, complaining*
I was worried that it would hurt you if you accidentally moved in your sleep, Gege!
*ignores the nurse who is giving me a weird look*

@W YIBO /looks down at you through bleary eyes/
/glances at our hands, feeling that they were rather sweaty/
Why would I be in pain, I just woke up...
/doesn’t even flinch when the nurse come by to take me off the machine/

@X ZHAN *from the start of the process I keep looking nervously between you and the monitors that are hooked to your body*
*is too fretful to sleep, and despite all my curiosities, is too nervous to disturb you when you nap*
*when you wake up again, I haven't moved an inch or started my homework*
*clutches your hand when you speak*
Gege! Are you in pain?
*frets in front of you*

@X ZHAN *from the start of the process I keep looking nervously between you and the monitors that are hooked to your body*
*is too fretful to sleep, and despite all my curiosities, is too nervous to disturb you when you nap*
*when you wake up again, I haven't moved an inch or started my homework*
*clutches your hand when you speak*
Gege! Are you in pain?
*frets in front of you*

@W YIBO /after some small talk at the beginning of the session, I fall asleep in the treatment chair with the drip plugged uncomfortably into the pit of my elbow/
/wakes up again near the end, my body used to his schedule/
/looks down at our connected hands, and murmurs sleepily/
You’re still here

—after chemo—

@X ZHAN *picks Jian Guo up to place her beside me on the couch so I can get up*
*takes your hand and nods*
Okay gege, let's go.
*bends down and picks up my backpack before giving each cat a headrub with my free hand, following you out to the car*

@W YIBO /pushes Muffins off me, but the cat doesn't protest, already used to my shoving/
/gives your stomach one more before getting up/
/holds a hand out to you/
Come on, I need to check in earlier.