quatrains | giving the impression that this isn't a dead end

giving the impression that this isn't a dead end

Getting Ryan to come over is surprisingly easy. He Ming thought there might be some kind of academic policy about not going to students' places, but then, they're in college. The administration probably doesn't care enough, which makes things much more convenient, especially if things should go wrong.

He's really hoping nothing will go wrong. He likes Ryan a lot. Someone smart and attractive and cool draws He Ming's attention and holds it easily, and with his prior attempts having apparently failed, he's taking drastic steps to show Ryan exactly what he wants.

(The help with math is nice, too.)

He Ming sprawls on his couch scrolling aimlessly through social media on his phone until he hears the knock on the door. Jumping to his feet, He Ming nearly sprints to let Ryan in. As soon as he opens the door he's grinning. "Come in, come in!"

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While an actual professor wouldn't be permitted to go into a student's room unsupervised, Ryan's position is a little murkier. He's a student himself, so it would be more trouble than it's worth to try and regulate when he does and doesn't visit his classmates. It's convenient for Ryan — often, if he accepts an invitation to tutor in someone's room, he'll get food out of the deal (which is not a possibility in the library). Considering the fact that this is one of the few semesters he's actually going to have the time to make money with side jobs like this, every little bit he can save counts.

He Ming is unquestionably one of the friendliest people he's tutoring. More often than not, he finds that during the course of their studies he ends up pressed up snugly against his side. Typically, Ryan doesn't allow people to get that close to him, but He Ming is relatively non-threatening and Ryan's handwriting can get small at times. He dismisses it meaningless, and he completely misses any doe-eyed looks that might be thrown his way or subtle innuendos. As such, he's walking into this relatively unaware of the real reason he's been invited over.

Ah, he's so enthusiastic...

"Thank you," he says politely, stepping inside and giving the place a once-over. If it looks fairly tidy, he'll step out of his shoes at the door. "Have you been well?"

He Ming makes an effort to keep his apartment neat, aided by his roommate who's more meticulous than he is. Neither of them wear shoes inside the house, though even if Ryan didn't take his off at the door, He Ming probably wouldn't have said anything. He has more important things on his mind.

"I've been great! The homework this week has been okay, I've been working on it... kind of." Hovering at Ryan's side, He Ming wants to reach out and touch him, just to feel him, but that hasn't worked before.

He'll have to be more obvious. Somehow.

"How are you? You can go sit on the couch—I'll get you something to drink." Not something alcoholic, because it's early in the evening yet and that would be a little weird. "Do you want water or something else?"

Ryan pads into the room, making his way to the couch at the invitation. "The same as usual, more or less. I'll take coffee if you have it, otherwise water will be fine."

Early in the evening for alcohol, late in the day for coffee... but Ryan usually only squeezes out three or four hours of sleep, anyway. By the time he's actually ready for bed, the caffeine will be a distant memory. He settles down on the couch, tucked into the corner that allows him to rest his left arm on the armrest. He smiles to himself just a bit as he starts to get out his materials.

"'Kind of' doesn't sound promising. I hope you weren't planning on keeping me overnight," he teases lightly.

"Coffee, then!" He has a container of coffee grounds from the local shop he likes the most, and he starts the coffeemaker with a mug. Pouring himself a glass of water, he goes back to stand near Ryan, already moving close enough to nudge him lightly with his knee.

"Why, do you have anything else to do?" he asks. He's teasing and shows it with a smile, patting Ryan's shoulder with his free hand. The touch lingers—but that isn't so unusual for someone as touch-friendly as he is. "Someone would think you want to get away from me."

Ryan stiffens slightly at the touch. It's not unusual for him — if they're caught up working he doesn't seem to mind getting close, but anything sudden will set him on edge. He's a lot better than he used to be, though, and he relaxes after a moment or two.

"I don't have any other appointments," he replies, which is essentially his way of saying he doesn't mind staying for awhile. He Ming is pleasant enough as far as people go. Since he's so attentive when they're working, Ryan's even somewhat fond of him.

"What were we working on last," he murmurs to himself, flipping through a notebook. "Ah, yes. Reviewing derivative applications. Let's see what you've gotten through on your own so far."

"I've gotten some done." He Ming has, genuinely, attempted his homework. It's already out on the coffee table. He's not trying to fail out his classes, and Ryan is an effective enough tutor that he's learned even while being distracted by his less-than-academic desires. Shuffling through the sheets, He Ming finds the assignment page and a few problems he's started working through.

Getting started on actual work should help Ryan feel more comfortable and in a better mood before he tries anything drastic. Once the coffee's done, he decides, he'll make his move.

It's a good strategy. Ryan starts to relax further, leaning forward to go over the work He Ming's done so far. There's been a lot of progress over these past couple months. A cursory glance tells him that he has a good understanding of the concepts, though it does seem like he started to get distracted on that last problem he tried. He stopped fully showing his work and made a couple minor mistakes. Honestly...

"I see you were getting bored, here."

"Aha..." That was around the time when He Ming was thinking about what he should do about Ryan, and definitely getting distracted. But not bored. "I was trying! I was just thinking about other stuff."

Other stuff, like sitting with Ryan with their thighs touching—and only being pulled away by the sound of the coffeemaker finishing up. He goes to fetch a mug of it with a sheepish laugh.

"Do you want cream or sugar?"

"You're really rather bright, you know. You just need to work on your focus." And isn't that a blessing? Some people he's paid to tutor, he wonders how they even got into a school like this in the first place...

Finished looking over what he has done, Ryan starts to apply some corrections to He Ming's work. He'll only fix the first couple errors, leaving him to make it the rest of the way through the problem on his own.

"Hmm?" Ryan glances up, twirling the pencil in his hand as he considers. "I'll take it black, please."

"Okay!" Very cool, like He Ming expected. He grabs a coaster to set under the mug. He makes sure there's space between them and the coffee. Just in case. When he takes a seat again He Ming plasters himself to Ryan's side again. This time, he lets his hand trail along his arm up to his shoulder.

"You work so hard." It's attractive. He Ming squeezes his shoulder lightly, a long lingering touch that's accompanied by a slide of his thigh along Ryan's. "Don't you ever take a break?"

As soon as He Ming returns with the drinks, Ryan sets that pencil down. Knowing that it's too hot to drink just yet, Ryan simply picks up the cup to warm his hands and inhale the scent. Coffee is probably the only food or drink he actually likes, and this cup has a pleasing scent. Not that he has the time to really appreciate it before He Ming thoroughly distracts him. The way his hand drags up his arm has him shivering a bit, though it's not unpleasant.

He's so close...

Ryan sets the mug back down, watching him curiously for a couple seconds before responding, "There's no time for a break. I need to graduate before my scholarships are up."

That shiver is promising. At least He Ming knows Ryan might react to his touch, and for him, something is better than nothing.

"I don't mean a break from school. At least not a big one." He Ming rubs his thumb in a tiny circle on his arm, looking up at him in the most appealing way he can. "Just a little break, every once in a while. With me. I can help you relax."

In general, Ryan is fairly oblivious when it comes to social cues. But the way He Ming strokes his arm with his thumb with that suggestive look on his face and even more suggestive phrasing — finally, things start to click into place.

"...can you?" he asks, as if he doesn't have a clue what he means.

"I can," He Ming says, insistent in both voice and movement. He grips Ryan a little more tightly and shuffles closer to plaster against his side. "I want to help you because I like you."

Like Ryan helps him. Except not with math.

How laughable. There's no good reason for him to like him — he doesn't even really know who he is! Ryan behaves differently with people he's essentially being paid to interact with. He's patient, tolerant, even kind at times. If He Ming met him under any other circumstances, he would almost certainly hate him...

What an unpleasant thought.

Well, there's no reason he can't have a little fun with him in the meantime. He'll teach him why he shouldn't be so careless with his heart, and he won't even charge. Ryan twists to face him properly, delicately resting one of his hands on He Ming's upper thigh. Since he never returns all those casual touches, he's pretty sure he'll take notice.

"And how would you help me, exactly?"

Even though He Ming only ever spends time with Ryan in the context of tutoring sessions, he wants more of what he has. When a hand comes to touch him in return, He Ming brightens, pressing towards the attention with obvious delight.

"By helping you relax. I'm good at it." He Ming isn't really shy about what he likes. With an equal lack of discretion, he runs his hand to Ryan's wrist and pulls him closer. "Let me try?"

The voice in his head that always demands for Ryan to behave logically and with restraint fades slightly, temporarily overpowered by amusement and his insatiable curiosity. He doesn't respond verbally. Ryan just tilts his head back with a challenging little grin, daring He Ming to keep going.

A challenging look like that is no deterrence, and in fact more like encouragement. He Ming moves quickly. He swings a leg over Ryan's lap to straddle his hips, moving to hold his shoulder instead as he leans over to kiss him. It's mostly eagerness and enthusiasm and a lot of other experience He Ming won't mention at that moment, as he finally feels Ryan's lips on his.

In contrast, Ryan has no experience whatsoever. He's never even held hands with a prospective partner, much less this. It's a little more than he'd bargained for, and it leaves him temporarily at He Ming's mercy as he's forced to just go along with his pace. He's close, he's too close, Ryan's trapped —

Forcing himself to calm down, he places his hands on He Ming's chest and leans up into the kiss to regain a little control. This isn't what he had in mind, but he thinks he can go with it.

The response takes a moment longer than He Ming expects, and he's starting to consider sitting up and giving Ryan a chance to speak. When Ryan finally kisses him back, He Ming hums with delight and wraps his arms around him to better hug him close.

He keeps shifting on Ryan's lap. He's almost trying to squirm closer, though they're already pressed chest to chest, and with another soft moan he runs his tongue along the seam of his mouth.

Now that really is too much. Ryan breaks the kiss and looks up at He Ming quizzically, slightly flushed.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" He really would actually like to know, though he's mostly asking now to gain a little time to think. Maybe he should try to convince He Ming to "help" with his medical studies, he'd be the one in control then...

He Ming stops when Ryan pulls back, eyes wide with excitement.

"How long..? Um, for a while. I thought you were cute when we met, and you're so nice to me." Setting his hands on Ryan's shoulders, He Ming watches him with quiet attention as he runs his palms over his chest. He really does like Ryan. He thinks he's smart, and more than that, his personality is impressive.

"I like you," He Ming tells him softly. "I really do."

Behaving in a seductive manner does not come naturally to Ryan at all, but with He Ming handing him all the power by confessing like this, he gains some confidence he usually wouldn't have. His hands drop to the hem of He Ming's shirt, fingertips slipping up inside to stroke his bare torso.

"What if you helped me study this time? I'm in medical school, you know," he says softly.

"What do you mean?" He Ming stays still, carefully controlling his breathing as he lets Ryan put his hands under his shirt. He's tense, almost nervous, but he wants this. At least he thinks he does.

"How can I help you study..?" Beginning to lean in again, He Ming tilts down as if about to kiss him once more.

Slowly, he starts to hike up He Ming's shirt. Ryan leans in too, but he moves so that his mouth ends up near his ear rather than kissing him properly again.

"Let me study you," he whispers.

He Ming's gaze on Ryan becomes hot and almost dark, until his eyes shut. He doesn't expect Ryan to bypass him, and at the sound of his voice at his ear, he shivers.

"How are you going to study me?"

Perhaps wrongly, He Ming takes that as only an innuendo, and holds himself very still for Ryan's touch.

And for once, Ryan mostly means it as an innuendo. That's not to say he won't be genuinely studying his musculature, but he's definitely planning on making him squirm.

"Studying a body in motion would really help me nail down the mechanics of certain muscles," he replies, fingers ghosting over his skin.

Ryan presses in on his abdomen, huffing a soft laugh. "Like this right here... you have some tension in your abdominal obliques. A lot of people get tense there when they're turned on. Are you excited just from this?"

Of course he's tense, he's sitting on his crush's lap and he's touching him. He Ming pouts, just a little, forcing himself to relax and slump down.

"I'm excited," he admits, voice quieter than usual before he gathers himself again to look into Ryan's eyes and tug at his shirt. "Do you not like this? Do you not like me?"

How cute. Ryan does feel a little bad, though. He doesn't dislike He Ming, but he can't say he likes him in the way He Ming wants — not right now, at least. He's never really thought of him in that way, but he doesn't think of anyone in that way so it doesn't really count as a point against him. Ryan starts playfully inching He Ming's shirt up, silently encouraging him to take it off.

"If I didn't like it, you'd be on the floor right now." Which is decidedly a non-answer, but he hopes he doesn't push it.

"Do you not like to be teased?"

He Ming gives Ryan the benefit of the doubt, or at least he gives him the benefit of his massive crush that he wants so badly to be reciprocated. Ryan's lack of answer slips past and He Ming smiles at him as he reaches down to get the hem of his shirt and pull it off over his head. He lets it crumple into a pile on the ground next to the sofa.

"I don't mind being teased." Even with his torso exposed, He Ming is comfortable with himself and with sitting where he is. His hands start to travel over Ryan's chest in return. "As long as the teasing ends eventually."

Well that's something Ryan can't promise. The hands on his chest make his gut tighten slightly, and even Ryan couldn't say if he likes it or not. He wraps both arms around He Ming and pulls him in close enough that it won't be an issue, trailing his fingers along his back as he gently kisses and nibbles at his neck. That someone apparently trusts him enough to allow him access to such a vital area is admittedly a rush, and he lets himself indulge more than he usually would.

He Ming is pliable to Ryan's touch, his exploratory touch and the feel of his mouth and even the brush of teeth against his throat. It's contact, and that's all he wanted. With a quiet moan He Ming begins to rock gently against his lower stomach.

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giving the impression that this isn't a dead end

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Took a long weekend!

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