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Going to class without wanting to break something, or self combust, was becoming increasingly hard for Xue Meng.
He should have known things would only end up badly for him when he'd signed up for an elective with both of the Mei twins. Not that it had been by choice! Entirely accidental! How was he to know the both of them, with their wildly different degrees to him, would end up taking (class).
He was going to lose it. This elective was supposed to be a break! He already had to spend his main classes with fucking Mo Ran. Was he not allowed some peace?
Somehow, classes with the twins were worse.
It didn't help that whenever he was around them his heart sped up and his hands got all clammy. It totally wasn't a crush— no! What was he, a child? It wasn't his fault that both twins were unfairly handsome (though not as handsome as him). Anyone would react to that! It wasn't interest, not at all.
At least if he kept pretending to himself he wouldn't have to properly look at his feelings, or deal with the possible hurt that might come from them never being returned.
"You're late," Mei Hanxue commented quietly, a smirk adorning his pretty lips, as Xue Meng slid into the seat beside him.
"Lecture doesn't start for another minute," Xue Meng hissed back with a sharp glare, pulling out his notes as he tried to ignore how Mei Hanxue leaned forward into his personal space. "Why would I come early, anyway? As if I want to spend more time with you than I have to."
“Aw, don’t be like that, Mengmeng,” Mei Hanxue teased, finger reaching out to poke Xue Meng’s cheek. Xue Meng fixed him with a heated glare, scowling even as his cheeks began to darken. “You know you-”
“Be quiet.”
Both Mei Hanxue and Xue Meng paused in their battle of wills, turning around to look at the source of the cold voice. Mei HanXue sat next to his twin with his arms folded, jade eyes narrowed into an icy glare. It was enough to have Xue Meng spluttering and shoving Mei Hanxue away from him.
“Yeah, the lecture is starting, stop distracting me,” Xue Meng muttered. “Terrible.”
Mei Hanxue chuckled beside him but pulled back, slouching in his seat and not even bothering to take out notes. Xue Meng shot both of the twins one last glare before paying attention to what the lecturer at the front of the hall was saying.
At least, he went back to trying to pay attention. It was so difficult when he kept catching glimpses of them in the corner of his eyes. Mei Hanxue leaned back with his eyes half closed as if he didn’t have a care in the world, loose blond hair falling across high cheekbones. On the other hand Mei HanXue was paying rapt attention, hair tied back into a messy bun that served to highlight his features.
If Xue Meng was a weaker man, he would be drooling. But he wasn’t. And he absolutely didn’t find them more attractive than the average person! Sure, they were conventionally good looking. That didn’t mean he was attracted to them! Absolutely not!
He let out a light huff and forced himself to try to pay attention, scribbling down notes that he would undoubtedly not understand when he had to study later. But really that was what study time was for!
By the end of the lecture, he felt like he’d somehow lost knowledge. Absolutely nothing went in and he was fairly certain he’d forgotten other things he knew. How did that even work? Why did he even bother attending this lecture? Not only was the lecturer drab, but the company was terrible.
Speaking of the company, one was leaning right so close Xue Meng could practically feel long strands of hair brushing against his cheeks.
“What do you want?” he snapped, turning around to glare at Mei Hanxue.
“For you to not ignore me,” Mei Hanxue smirked, head tilting. “I’ve said your name so many times, Xue Meng, I’m offended.”
“Maybe I don’t want to listen to you.”
“Now, that’s just not nice, who wouldn’t want to listen to my beautiful voice?”
“Didi, stop it,” Mei HanXue spoke up, shooting his brother a younger frown. He then turned his cold gaze to Xue Meng. “We’re going to get lunch, are you coming with us?”
Xue Meng made a face, nose scrunching up in disbelief. “Of course not, I have… studying and shit to do.”
“Studying?” Mei HanXue raised an eyebrow. “It’s a bit early for you to start studying, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, since when do you study this long before exams?” Mei Hanxue added.
“Since this year,” Xue Meng retorted. “I’m turning over a new leaf and not cramming.”
“Good that you finally realised you’re not smart enough for that,” Mei HanXue nodded, expressionless face almost more offensive than the taunting expression on Mei Hanxue’s.
“Yeah, something like that,” Xue Meng replied as if he wasn’t seething inside, shoving notebooks into his bag with a bit more force than necessary. He wasn’t going to rise to the bait. Not this time! Not when he could just fuck off, and not have to deal with them anymore. "Whatever, I'll see you in the lab later."
He didn’t give them a chance to respond, standing abruptly and striding out of the lecture theatre. The further away he got, the better, for both his head and his heart. A moment longer and he probably would have punched one of them.
And if he did that he would end up far too close to them… And that would just take his mind down a route he didn’t want to consider.
No, avoidance was the best plan. How he’d manage that he wasn’t sure. He’d survived this long, hadn’t he? After all the years he was yet to kill them.
He knew deep down that things were different now, and had been for a while. The feelings that had begun to bloom inside of him were the cause of that, the cause of his increased irritation with the twins as he tried to hide it. Not that he had strong feelings, or any at all. He wasn’t about to admit that. It was just something small and stupid, it would go away soon enough.
Xue Meng let out an irritated huff, hurrying away and towards the library to pretend to study for the next hour.
Xue Meng was feeling a bit better when the time for their lab rolled around, after managing to get part of an assignment done without much of a struggle. That was honestly a miracle, considering he normally powered through it with a load of energy drinks and stressful calls to friends the day before it was due. It wasn’t that he wasn’t diligent! He was, he tried! It was just so hard to start in advance.
So managing for once was great, and had him in a better mood as he entered the lab.
That mood was quickly shattered.
The first sight he was hit with was of Mei Hanxue lounging in a chair with a slightly prettier than average girl in his lap. She leaned forward as she laughed, long dark hair cascading over her shoulders and tickling Mei Hanxue’s shoulders. Another girl stood beside them, leaning on Mei Hanxue’s shoulder, and two more sat on desks that were very much not meant to be sat on. All five of them were laughing over some joke, overly flirtatious smile curling up Mei Hanxue’s lips.
How Xue Meng wanted to punch that smile off his face.
Even Mei HanXue didn’t seem too bothered by the girl perching on the table next to him, feet swung over his lap. While he wasn’t smiling like his twin was, there were no icy glares being shot at those around him. Xue Meng had spent long enough around him to be able to read that. He didn’t mind having these girls around him like this. If anything, he was also enjoying it.
Xue Meng stumbled as he walked in, dropping the notebook in his hand. The slam as it hit the floor had six pairs of eyes turning to him. Mei Hanxue smirked teasingly, while Mei HanXue raised an eyebrow.
Xue Meng's face completely shuttered off as his mind went blank.
This was just too much for him to handle today. He couldn’t deal with it.
“What are you doing?” he bit out, each word forced as he tried to push down the cocktail of emotions in his chest. Rage tainted his cheeks red, an anger at having to see such an inappropriate scene. “Is this the place for you two to-to- to mingle!”
“Mingle?” Mei HanXue repeated, hint of a sneer in his tone.
“You really are old fashioned, Xue Meng,” Mei Hanxue snorted.
“What else could it be?!” Xue Meng shook his head, taking a step backwards as if it was one of the worst things he’d scene. It was! Well, close to it! It was the worst outside of catching his cousin doing… Well, he didn’t want to think about that! “In front of me, you’d really- you’d really do something like this?”
"Xue Meng, it’s not-"
"I don't care, shut up! Why would I care? I have somewhere to be!"
Xue Meng didn't stick around to hear any excuses, fleeing as quickly as his legs could take him. He really didn't care! So what? They were allowed to be with whoever they wanted to. He already knew Mei Hanxue flirted around a lot, and Mei HanXue was far too attractive to remain single for long. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he’d walk in on them eventually. But in a place of education? Disgraceful! What did they need him around for anyway, when they had so many girls to hang out with? Not that he was jealous in any way. He knew that they didn’t like him, and he certainly didn’t like them.
It only hurt because of how inappropriate it was. There was no other reason for it.
He didn’t care one bit.
Fuck both Mei Hanxues. He didn’t need either of them.
Xue Meng was still angry by the time he got back to his dormitory in the evening. No amount of snapping at Mo Ran during their classes or being enraptured by Chu-Laoshi’s every word during his lecture could help when he was like this. He didn’t even understand why he was so mad. So what? He knew that Mei Hanxue was an insufferable flirt and Mei HanXue was an insufferable bastard and they were both insufferable jerks. He shouldn’t feel any worse than normal over it. He’d known them for years! This wasn’t new at all.
Each time he thought about it, one horrible thought flitted across his mind. He was jealous. He was jealous because he wanted their attention to be on him, no matter how much it infuriated him.
But he didn’t want to admit that. He couldn’t admit that! There was no way it was true, he’d just been hanging around Mo Ran too much. That lovesick fool was constantly talking about sappy nonsense and it was getting into Xue Meng’s head. He had no interest in something like that. Especially not with them! No feelings at all.
Xue Meng growled as his thoughts took a stupid direction, flinging himself onto his bed face down. He should just stop thinking about it. He had more important things to do! Maybe he should play that latest mind numbing game Mo Ran kept on recommending. It would certainly work to fill the time and stop him from wanting to print out a picture of the twins just to punch it.
A knock on his door pulled him away from that thought.
“Who is it?” Xue Meng yelled in response, not bothering to get off his bed. It was probably Mo Ran coming around to pester him. He’d just throw a pillow at him when he entered and hoped he got the message. He huffed as the door clicked open. “I’m not in the mood, Mo Ran, just let me enjoy my evening in peace.”
He twisted around to throw a pillow at the annoying cousin of his, mouth falling open as someone who was distinctly not Mo Ran caught it.
“Really, Xue Meng, is that how to greet a guest?” Mei Hanxue asked with a light smirk, throwing the pillow right back onto the bed.
“It’s not a surprise, all things considered,” Mei HanXue added, closing the door behind him as if they weren’t going to be kicked right back out. “He’s never had any manners.”
“Hey- Did I say you could come in?” Xue Meng splutted. “I’m only rude to unwelcome guests!”
The twins shared a look before approaching the bed, pouncing before Xue Meng had a chance to react. In no time he was sandwiched between them, a hand held by each to stop him from escaping or attacking them.
“Hey, unhand me! Let go, fuck off, I don’t want to talk to you two right now! Don’t you have your girls to go pester?”
“Xue Meng,” Mei HanXue sighed, tightening his grip on Xue Meng’s hand till it was almost painful. His scrutinising gaze narrowed until Xue Meng was forced to look away, blush staining his cheeks. “You need to learn to listen before you make assumptions.”
“Who-”
“Mengmeng, just be quiet,” Mei Hanxue interrupted, free hand coming to cover Xue Meng’s mouth. “Listen to us, okay?”
Xue Meng glared at him as he let out muffled complaints. How dare Mei Hanxue? He didn’t even have a chance to escape when it was two against one, both with iron grips on him so he was stuck unable to even voice his annoyance.
“Earlier was a misunderstanding,” Mei Hanxue continued. “We weren’t flirting with those girls at all, as hard as that may be for you to believe.”
“It is hard when you flirt with anything that moves,” Mei HanXue snorted. “I wouldn’t lower myself to flirting like that.”
“Hey, that’s not what we’re talking about right now. Arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere is it, ge?”
“You’re infuriating,” Mei HanXue rolled his eyes before looking back at Xue Meng. “Are you going to listen now?”
Xue Meng gave them both his sharpest glare, detracted from by the tears that had begun to prick at the corners of his eyes. What did they think they were doing? Coming here and covering his mouth and holding his hands and pressing right up close to him in a way that he’d always dreamed of. How dare they!
“Didi,” Mei HanXue gave Mei Hanxue a look, gaze flickering with his order. Mei Hanxue removed his hand from Xue Meng’s mouth.
“What do you want to say?” Xue Meng muttered, stopping his glaring to stare sullenly at his legs. “If you’re just going to taunt me, I don’t want to hear it.”
“Oh, Mengmeng,” Mei Hanxue sighed, hand moving to caress his cheek and force him to look up. “We only taunt you because your embarrassed reactions are so adorable. We’re here to clear up all the misunderstandings. As I said before, we weren’t flirting with those girls.”
“Sure looked like it.”
“Put didi in a room with girls and it looks like he’s flirting,” Mei HanXue sneered, before his expression turned more serious. “But he wasn’t, for once.”
“For a start, none of those girls would be interested in me! Shocking, I know. But they all… swing the other way. We were just discussing a few things.”
“We were discussing you,” Mei HanXue supplied where Mei Hanxue did not. “And our interest in you.”
“Interest?” Xue Meng blinked. “What do you mean?”
Silence fell over them, and Mei Hanxue leaned forward with a glint in his eyes. Xue Meng automatically leaned backward, eyes widening and cheeks darkening. He thumped against Mei HanXue’s back, truly trapped between the two of them.
“Like this,” Mei Hanxue murmured, before capturing Xue Meng’s lips in a kiss. Xue Meng gasped into it, instantly freezing up at the insistent pressing and tongue swiping at his lips. He parted his mouth slightly even as confusion washed over him. What was happening. What should he do? How did he kiss someone?
He didn’t move when Mei Hanxue pulled away, still in a stupor.
“You broke him,” Mei HanXue sighed, firmly pushing Mei Hanxue’s face away. His slender fingers grasped Xue Meng’s chin and turned him to look the other way. “You have to take it slowly.”
Xue Meng had barely gotten over the shock of being kissed by one twin when the other was kissing him too. Xue Meng didn’t move, unclear on how to reciprocate even as Mei HanXue gently nibbled his bottom lip. Should he be opening his mouth, should his tongue be involved, how would he make sure their teeth didn’t clash?
Mei HanXue let out another sigh as he broke the kiss, his hand moving to rest on Xue Meng’s nape. “Maybe we shouldn’t bother, if you’re going to kiss like you're made of wood.”
“What- I- Sorry I don’t have experience!” Xue Meng spluttered, pulled out of his shock long enough to be annoyed. Before he could squirm away Mei Hanxue was wrapping arms around his waist, draping over his back and pushing him forward into Mei HanXue’s chest. “What are you doing?!”
“Hugging you,” Mei Hanxue laughed lightly, pressing a kiss to Xue Meng’s cheek. “Do you not want that? Are you still going to deny your feelings?”
“What feelings?”
“I don’t know, your jealousy at seeing us with all those girls? Wanting to kiss us again… Liking us?”
“Who likes you?”
“Didi, stop it,” Mei HanXue put in, flicking Mei Hanxue’s forehead. “Xue Meng, if this isn’t what you want, tell us. We’ll leave.”
“There’s plenty of others out there for me- ow!”
Xue Meng bit his lip. He wasn’t sure if he could openly admit that he liked them, but he didn’t want them to leave. He didn’t want them to go away and… Well, he really wanted to try kissing them again. And to do better this time. He leaned forward to hide his bright red face into Mei HanXue’s chest. “Don’t go.”
“That’s answer enough,” Mei Hanxue hummed, hugging in closer from behind. “No need to be jealous anymore, Mengmeng, we won’t be looking at anyone else. Why would we, when we’ve got the perfect person to tease right here.”
“Assuming you get better at kissing,” Mei HanXue added.
“Practice makes perfect,” Xue Meng mumbled.
Mei Hanxue smiled against his neck. “There will be plenty of time to practice. Won’t there, Gege?”
“Mm, yes, plenty of time.”
Xue Meng finally let himself relax, pushing away the embarrassment that constantly washed through him. He may still think they were both annoying, and he knew that they wouldn’t stop teasing him, but he was content for the first time in a long while. It just felt right like this.
So he finally let himself stop thinking and worrying, losing himself in the feeling of being held in their arms.