Pseudo PDA

“Why can’t you just forget about this crush?”

“Because I’m not letting him dictate my life.” Liao huffs, focusing on unlocking his locker instead of his larger friend leaning against the locker beside him. It was the end of the day and all Liao wanted to do was get his things and go home. However, his best friend has some issues to address that simply could not wait another day or two for the weekend to come. Typical impatient Lu Bu. “I can handle myself perfectly fine, Lu Bu.”

“So stuff like this is alright by you?” Lu Bu asks, holding up a letter Liao found in his locker earlier that day. Liao snatches the letter from him as he continues. “You know who it’s from and you know why he wrote it. I just don’t understand why you want to put yourself through this. I’m not saying drop the crush for good, just long enough for the bastard to graduate. Why make it worse for yourself when the prick has one more year here?”

“Weren’t you the one who told me not to let people tell me how to live my life?” Liao inquires as he opens his locker, adjusting his glass as he glances at his friend. “I’m simply following your advice.”

“And I’m happy about that but that was before all this crush business started.” Lu Bu points out. “If you were crushing on any other guy in the school, I’d be behind you 100% but you’re crushing on the cousin of your tormentor. It’s not exactly helping you in any way.”

Liao sighs as he places his books in his locker. He understood his friend’s concern about him. He has been dealing with the insults and all since freshman year. If not for Lu Bu’s advice, he never would have gone public with his orientation but he regretted nothing after that day. It was certainly nice to not have to hide that about himself and have every girl in school hit on him more than once before realizing he was not interested. However, a certain upper classman decided to take that small fact and make a big deal out of it. He did not mind it much at first but it was beginning to wear on him a bit and it certainly did not help that he had feelings for this upper classman’s younger cousin. It was obvious from the start that Liao had feelings for the older male after sharing a few classes with him. He would always stutter while talking to him, left little love poems in his locker, and he would blush the brightest of reds when a classmate would call him out for staring at the other.

“I realize that but unlike you I don’t beat at the problem until it goes away.” Liao states as he turns to Lu Bu. “Plus, no one else seems to think it’s a big issue.”

“So you know the entire school knows about your crush on him?”

“Yeah and I get the occasional teasing from some of our classmates but they aren’t really mean about it.” Liao explains, returning to his locker to pull out his bag. “Give it a few months and it’ll be like every other rumor that goes through this school-lost and forgotten.”

It was true, a few guys from his classes did poke fun at him for it whenever his crush came into their conversations but they meant no harm. Zhang Fei was a common one as he shared a lot of classes with Liao and would always try to bring up the boy in question just to watch Liao fluster. A few other guilty parties were Daqiao and Xiaoqiao, Pang De, Xu Huang, even Xiahou Yuan was guilty of this but they were never malevolent in their words. If anything, any girls that would talk about the two thought they would make a cute couple especially the Qiao duo.

“But you’d think that the object of your affection would at least step up to address it.” Lu Bu mutters.

“I don’t expect him to do anything. He’s the most popular guy in his class year and in the entire school.” Liao states as he begins to blush. “I wouldn’t expect him to worry about something as silly as this.”

“If he only knew the name of the storm that way causing you trouble.”

“Okay, would you knock it off with that already?” Liao snaps as he turns to Lu Bu, shutting the locker as he does. “The only reason you’re so hateful about him is because he’s related to Cao Cao and you’ve always hated him. He’s not that bad of a guy, so why don’t you pull your head out of your ass and give him a chance?”

Lu Bu opens his mouth to speak but seems to notice something behind the other and smirks. “I guess I was wrong. Look who’s finally stepped up after all is said and done.”

Liao gives the other a confused look until he realizes what he means and slowly looks over his shoulder. His cheeks turn a bright pink when he finds his crush standing behind him: Xiahou Dun. He was only an inch or two taller than him but his build was clearly larger than Liao’s despite the blue letterman jacket he is wearing. His short brown hair is spiked as usual with his shot bangs brushed to the side. That paired with his grass green eyes is what lured him to the older man to begin with, not that he would ever admit it aloud, and his attitude certainly helped him along the way.

“Nice to see you too, Lu Bu.” Dun chuckles. The genuine warmth in his voice is enough to make Liao melt where he is standing but he tries to keep himself composed. “And I’ve been looking for you, Liao. We need to talk about something,” he glances up at Lu Bu “alone.”

“Does it really matter if I’m here or not?” Lu Bu asks. His tone is defensive and irritated as would be expected. “Anything you say to him can easily be said with me around.”

“J-just wait for me in the front lobby, Lu Bu.” Liao stutters as he glances over his shoulder at his friend. “We won’t be more than a few minutes.”

Lu Bu huffs and pushes himself off the lockers. “Alright, I’ll leave but only because you asked, Liao.” He then starts walking down the hall, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “But if you’re not there in ten minutes, I’m coming back with one of my baseball bats.”

Liao rolls his eyes and turns back to Dun, glad most of initial warmth in his face has dissipated. “So…what is it we need to talk about so badly?”

“I think you know.” Dun sighs as he leans against the lockers. “I know some of the other students have been giving you a rough time.”

“No, they’re just teasing me. They aren’t really that bad.” Liao reassures the other but he stern look he is given tells him the other is not buying it. “Well…I am having trouble with a handful of guys but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” Liao murmurs as he slips the strap of his bag onto his shoulder.

Dun goes to speak but then notices the letter in the other’s hand. “What’s that then?”

Liao glances up at Dun then at the letter in his hand. “It…it’s nothing.” Liao goes to quickly stash it into his bag but it is plucked out of his fingers before he can even move.

The letter appears to be simple with no writing on the outside but opening it reveals something that causes Dun’s brow to furrow. He does not recognize the handwriting but he can clearly make out the message.

You think ignoring me is going to make this stop, fag? You really think Dun shares your sick homo feelings? He absolutely hates your faggot guts, so stop trying to go after him. I’m not stopping until you drop the act or drop dead, whichever comes first and I would prefer the latter. Do yourself a favor to the world and end it now.

Dun glances up at Liao as the other looks away, obviously trying to hold back tears. “You just get used to it after a while.”

“You shouldn’t have to get used to it at all, Liao. You of all people shouldn’t need to go through this to begin with.” Dun states then gently lays a hand on Liao’s arm. “You’re too sweet for this kind of treatment.” Liao’s cheeks burn a bright pink again despite his want to control it. “Why not just tell someone about it?”

“It wouldn’t do any good.” Liao sighs. “It would just stir trouble and start an unnecessary witch hunt in the school. I’m already dealing with enough problems from this handful of guys. I don’t need half of the school turning against me.”

“Well, I’m not walking away until something is done about this.” Dun says, causing the other to look up at him. “I understand you don’t want to start trouble but maybe you don’t have to. If these guys are bagging on you because of this whole crush thing, why not just shut them up with a bit of reality?”

“W-what do you mean?”

Dun seems a bit hesitant as he runs a hand through his hair then looks up at Liao. “What if we pretend date for a bit? The other students won’t know any better and it might get these guys off your back, if only for a few months.”

Liao’s heart flutters at the idea. Yes, while the word “pretend” was entailed in the statement, the thought that Dun actually wanted to help him by taking on such a role was flattering. It may only be a public thing but this may be as close to his dream as he will ever get.

“A-alright,” Liao stammers “I guess we could give it a try.”

The warm smile Dun gives him is enough to make Liao’s heart burst out of his chest. “Good to hear. I’ll contact you later tonight then?”

“Yeah, I’ll be online for a bit before bed.” Liao chuckles, his cheeks seeming to cling to a faint red tinge.

“Cool, I’ll talk to you then.”

Dun takes off down the hall, giving Liao a moment to lean against the lockers and catch his breath. In just the span of a few minutes, he went from being a mere classmate to being his crush’s fake boyfriend. It probably would not mean much to anyone else but to him, it was the best moment in his life. He takes off to the front lobby, eager to get home and talk to his new “lover”.

~~

Xiahou Dun has started chatting with you

“Hey.”

“Hey Dun. ^^”

“So, how are we going to make this seem legit?”

“It can’t be that hard to make a relationship seem public. Have you seen Zhu Rong and Meng Huo in the halls recently? Ick. XP”

“Ugh. Yeah, I have her in one of my classes and she ALWAYS needs to be walked to class by him. But I don’t want it to seem too real like them with all the PDA they have going on. This is the start of a relationship, so we can’t be too upfront about it.”

“Must be fun to have her with what I’ve heard. XD Then let’s go the Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang approach. Hand holding, puppy eyes, the occasional kiss of the cheek and forehead. Relatively tame PDA without the pin of “Oh, they must have been dating for months before now” like Rong and Huo.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Hey. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Are you…you know…”

“Gay?”

“…yeah…”

“Well, I’m technically bi on a need-to-know basis.”

“And who needs to know?”

“As of right now: you, my cousins, my family, and basically anyone in my close circle of friends.”

“Doesn’t sound as private with you being one of the most well known guys in the school. Everyone is practically your friend at that point.”

“I don’t consider everyone in the school my close friends. They mostly consist of people I’ve known since grade school.”

“Understandable.”

“And compared to how many people know your orientation, it’s significantly small. I admire that you decided to be public with that so early in your first year.”

“.///. …really?”

“Yeah, I might be a social guy but I’d never have the guts to admit something like that to so many people I barely know. That’s another reason why I wanted to help you out in this. You’re such a sweet and honest guy that you can’t be treated badly for doing something so few are brave enough to do.”

“I guess…but I gotta head to bed in a little bit. Meet you in the front lobby tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll see you then.”

“G’night love ”

“>//w//<”

~~

Liao was very eager the next morning, almost unable to contain his excitement when he met up with Lu Bu to walk to the bus stop but he had to keep it together. He practically sprang off the bus after arriving to the school to meet up with Dun, racing ahead of Lu Bu who could barely keep up with the other despite being more athletically gifted than the other. He and Dun speak for a few minutes, greeting one another with a hug and a small kiss from Dun, which causes Liao the blush a significant bright pink and those around them to stare in surprise as the two spoke. Lu Bu eventually catches up and is surprised as the other students seeing the two but he simply lets it go and tells his friend he will “catch up with him later on this” before heading to class. Dun then escorts Liao to his class and lets him know meet him at the “usual spot”, i.e. Liao’s locker near the end of the hall.

The rest of the day goes by with only a few students making comments about them, mostly the girls in the school giggling whenever they passed the “couple” in the hall, saying something about how adorable they look together. They have a few run-ins with some of Liao’s teasing friends who congratulate him for the dream hook up. He still got a few teasing remarks from Fei and Huang but nothing more than that. Later, at the end of the day, the two are walking to Liao’s locker from their last class, Liao latched to Dun’s arm as he goes on about some silly story the other seems amused by.

“I take it Lu Bu was not too happy about that?” Dun inquires with a warm chuckle.

“Not really,” Liao laughs “the only other time I’ve seen him equally as red was when he got sun burn that one time after falling asleep at a pool party. He still won’t admit to it though and he’s never told anyone but me about it, so don’t bring it up next time you two speak.”

“No problem but I guess this explains why he hates him so much.” Dun sighs. “I’ll have to ask my cousin about that then and see if he remembers it as well as Lu Bu does.”

“Well, if you do, let me know.” Liao requests. “I’d like to know if…oh dear.”

Liao comes to sudden halt, nearly causing Dun to falter but he manages to stop just before pulling Liao to the floor. Dun looks up to find what caused Liao to stop: a clearly written word on the other’s locker in bright pink spray paint along with a note sticking out of the bottom of the door. No doubt this was from the same ones giving Liao trouble.

“That’s…a bit more damaging than the usual stuff they do.” Liao murmurs with a sigh.

“I don’t get how you can be so calm about this” Dun comments “and before you say it, I understand that you’ve just grown a thicker skin to all of this. That doesn’t make it right.” Dun flusters when Liao nuzzles against him and looks down at the other. “Liao?”

“Did you forget? We’re pretend dating here.” Liao whispers then sighs. “I can manage as long as I got you, sweetheart.” He says in a more normal tone, making sure some students passing them could hear.

Dun sighs under his breath and hugs the other, feelings his cheeks grow warm as he does. It was so strange that this was happening but it is not like he did not have a reason. Liao was an adorable and amazing kid: smart, honest, loyal, not to mention he was a lot better looking than some of the other guys he has seen around school with his dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Hazel was not that common of a color around here and Dun always found them to be gorgeous. The small moments they have had today are enough for him to understand the other. He was a quirky dork with a beautiful soul and a big, strong heart. He needed one to go through all this and still manage to smile at the end of the day. Dun nuzzles into the dark locks he has come to adore, causing Liao to blush but the other does not complain. He wants this as much as the other does even if Dun is not as obvious about it.

~~

The next few days were nothing new to the two as they continued their act. They still got the cute comments from everyone, Liao was still getting small bits of teasing from his friends, and Lu Bu surprised the two by being rather accepting of this arrangement even if it was only temporary. The two spent the weekend together to quell a suspicion about how real the relationship was. All they did was watch bad movies and tell hilarious stories about their childhoods because it just felt natural for the two. The cute exchanges between the two of them went from slightly awkward to relatively normal and everyone seemed to leave them be, mostly everyone at least. A week after the two initially “got together” is when things were truly tested for the two.

It was the end of the day again and the two had reached Liao’s locker quicker than usual because Liao had a project to work one and needed to get all his materials from his locker. He is rambling on about his project topic to Dun as the other leans on the lockers beside him, listening closely to the boy, when someone calls out to Dun. Liao cringes when he hears the voice, not because it sounded like nails against a chalkboard but because of conditioning: is tormentor was finally approaching him again in person.

“There’s my favorite cousin.” Cao Cao chuckles as he approaches the two, being followed by two other students, one of whom Liao recognizes as one of Cao Cao’s other cousins, Cao Ren. He pays the three no mind as they speak with Dun. “What are you doing hanging out with Liao here?”

“I figured you’d have heard by now, Cao.” Dun sighs as he brushes his hair back. “We’re dating and I prefer to hang out with my boyfriend at the end of the day.” Liao lightly blushes when the term is mentioned, trying to focus more on gathering his things than the conversation going on beside him.

“No, I’ve heard, I just thought it was a ridiculous rumor some freshman came up with. I didn’t take it too seriously.” Cao explains with a wave of his hand. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind if we spoke with Liao for a bit?”

“Sure you can but don’t expect me to go anywhere.” Dun states as he crosses his arms.

“Not even for the right of your lover’s privacy?”

“Any business you have with him is mine as well.” Dun argues. “I don’t need to leave.”

“Stubborn as always, aren’t you, Dun?”

“It runs in the family, as you obviously know.” Dun glances down and notices something sticking out of Cao Cao’s bag: a can of pink spray paint and a small note tucked in beside it. Cao has little time to react before the can and note are both snatched out of the other’s bag. “And what’s with these?” Dun inquires, holding up the two objects.

“They’re for a class project” Cao bluntly replies “now give them back.”

“A project, really?” Dun sighs, obviously not convinced by the blatant lie. “I don’t recall there being any senior projects involving spray paint and this color does look awfully familiar, like the color someone used to deface Liao’s locker for the past week.” He pops the lid off to find the spray can had been used and a quick shake proves that most of the contents have been used. “Sounds like you got an early start on this “project” you have. I wonder what I would find written in this little note you had stashed next to it.” He holds up the note between his fingers as he glares past it and at Cao Cao. “Maybe some verses of hate along with a threat and a statement of implied suicide perhaps.”

“It’s none of your business, Dun.” Cao growls as he snatches objects from Dun, only managing to grab the can as Dun pulls the note out of reach.

“No, I think is it, Cao Cao.”

“How do we even know you’re really dating him?” Cao inquires. “I know you too well, Dun, you’re soft-hearted. You’re probably just “dating” him to stop the harassment. Don’t take me as a fool.”

“Trust me, Cao, we’re dating and what you think really doesn’t matter.”

“Then prove it.” The statement surprises Dun but it does not show. “If you’re really dating him, show me.”

Dun shrugs and pushes himself off the lockers. “Fine, as long as you leave him along after this.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Dun growls under his breath but quickly calms down. He grabs Liao by the shoulders and turns him to face him. Liao is obviously surprised by this as his wordless question flashes through his eyes. The smaller boy is surprised when lips make contact with his own. He locks up for a moment, wondering if what was happening was real or not, then pushes back into the obviously real kiss. It was his first in his life and he did not want it to stop. This may be the only time he would get to do this. Liao wraps his arms around Dun’s neck as one of the hands on his shoulders carefully but smoothly travels down to his hip. The contact is soon ended when Dun pulls away, allowing Liao to nuzzle into his shoulder, mostly to hide his blushing face, as he looks at Cao Cao.

“Happy now?”

Cao seems lost for words, trying to form a sentence before growling then storming off down the hall, his cousin and friend following behind him.

Dun chuckles and looks back at Liao, who is still hiding his face. “You alright?”

“I just got kissed for the first time in my life by my crush.” Liao murmurs then looks up at Dun, his cheeks still a bright pink. “What do you think?”

“I think you should be happy.” Dun smiles and pecks the other between the eyes. “And that you look very cute when you blush.”

“Stop it already,” Liao groans “it’s not like anyone’s around to see this.”

“Who’s says I’m doing this for anyone else?”

Liao looks up at the other in surprise, a spark of hope lighting up hazel orbs. “Wait, you mean you…”

“Guess it wasn’t as fake as we imagined it would be, but can you really blame me?” Dun says as he cups Liao’s face in his hands. “You’re one of the sweetest boys I’ve ever met, one of the smartest by far, and you certainly aren’t hard to look at.” He leans his forehead against Liao’s as he continues. “Perhaps we should stop pretending, for both our sakes.”

Liao simply smiles and hugs the other tightly, happy tears springing forth as he kisses the other. He pulls away to wipes away his tears then looks up at the other. “I’d be happy to.”

“Well, I called that.” The two look down the hall and spot Lu Bu approaching them, a proud grin on his face. “I figured you two weren’t really together from the start.”

“So you simply played dumb?” Dun asks as Liao nuzzles against his chest.

“Yeah, only because I knew what you two were up to” Lu Bu glances to the side with a chuckle “and you seemed pretty happy with the circumstances, so I left you be.”

“Well, I’m happy to know that you’re accepting of this, real or not.” Dun wraps an arm around Liao as they walk up to Lu Bu. “How about you two skip the buses and ride how with me? We have quite a bit to talk about.”

“Fine by me” Lu Bu sighs and watches as the two kiss before Liao goes to gather the rest of his things “because you did something I’m glad someone had the balls to do at last.”

“I had my assumptions that Cao Cao was giving Liao trouble. He was never too fond with him from the start and I recognized his hand writing from the letter I read the day we decided on this plan.” Dun explains as he glances over his shoulder. “It’s about time I be honest like Liao always is.”

“Yeah, I always admired that about him. He might not be the most outspoken of people but he’s very honest.” Lu Bu admits. “If only everyone could be that upfront about themselves.”

“Including you?”

Lu Bu gives the other an odd look. “What do you mean?”

Liao returns to Dun’s side as the older boy chuckles, wrapping his arm around the other’s waist and pecking him on the cheek. “We’ll get to that on the ride home.”

The two walk past Lu Bu, who sits there in thought for a moment. “What the hell could he mean by…” He groans under his breath as he assumes what it could mean. “Damn it, Liao.”

“Hurry up or you’ll be left behind!”

Lu Bu huffs and runs after the two down the hall, knowing he would hear on the way home about that one night.