LAST TIME I CHECKED I WAS STRAIGHT!!! Zhuling ff - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Everyone ran farther in the cave to see what made such horrendous noise, when they finally saw it they were all in awe.
"Is that a dog?" Jin ling asked, speaking of dogs, Jin ling turned back to look for Sizhui.
"Nono you idiot it's a cat" Jingyi replied
"It's a cat and a dog mixed..?" Zizhen said with confusion.
"Lan Zhan do you have an idea of what it can be?"
"No idea"
So this was great, the 'monster' was a cat+dog mix which apparently was very very cute despite the horror stories.
Silence filled the cave, everyone was still confused of what it could be, obliviously with the looks of it—cat and dog mix but it was small, which was a problem because it looked very harmless so it was confusing on how it made such a loud noise out of such a small body. Was this a bait? Was there another beast deeper in the cave somewhere hiding?
"I see, it must be a magical creature then" Wei Wuxian said breaking the silence that was making it awkward.
As everyone was thinking the creature started growing. "Um why is it-"ah!" The creature jumped out of Sizhui's hands and grew bigger and bigger.
So calling it small was probably an insult to the creature.
And apparently an understatement cause this shit was huge and it kept growing....what the hell, this was not a normal beast!
"Sizhui be careful!" Jin ling pulled Sizhui by his wrists so he wouldn't be squashed by the creature.
"Thank you" he replied as he calmed down—he almost died.
Jin ling smiled as a reply.
"Now is not a good time for flirting" Jingyi said with a giggle as Zizhen rolled his eyes and shushed him.
"We aren't" they both synced, then looked at each other and then looked away. Well that was embarrassing.
"Move back everyone" Wei Wuxian shouted drawing everyone's attention.
"Lan Zhan, this is a beast, we have to kill it!" Forget the 'won't have to kill', that was when they thought it was a magical creature but this one looked like it had killer instincts.
Lan Wangi nodded and took out his seven stringed Quqin and started playing a melody that threw waves of attacks aimed at the beast, but nothing happened.
"What just happened?" Jingyi asked looking at everyone as they stepped back—they were all shocked, the beast right here was not an ordinary creature at all because none of Lan Wangji's guqin attacks hit him.
Jin ling drew his bow and arrow from his carrier and aimed it at the beast, yelling for everyone to get aside before releasing the arrow... The creature remained same save for the fact that it was now chasing Jin ling.
Everyone could see the thing running towards Jin ling, but no one was closer than Sizhui.
Sizhui yelled, "MOVE AWAY!" as he shoved Jin ling out of the way, his arm being clawed over by the creature's sharp claws.
Everyone rushed over to Sizhui, attempting to move him out of the way to safety.
After Sizhui was safe in the corner Wei Wuxian took out his chenqing and began playing a melody that made everyone shudder. "Everyone attack the beast at the same time," he said, and everyone began attacking it. After 2 minutes of attacking, the beast appeared to be exhausted, and it began to shrink.
"Look everyone it's shrinking" Jingyi pointed at the beast.
"We all can see you idiot" Jin ling shouted from far away giving Wei Wuxian a laugh.
"Pfft You guys never stop fighting do you?"
Lan Wangji turned to look at Wei Wuxian "Wei Ying, we shouldn't kill the creature"
"Why?" Jin ling asked.
"It's still a magical creature not a beast, if we grant it's wish then it would go away by itself" Wangji answered as Wuxian nodded in response.
"A wish? And what would that be?"
"Senior Wei, I think we should go deeper into the cave where the creature was staying to see what he really wants," Sizhui commented, his expression stern due to the pain in his injured arm.
"I agree but Sizhui I don't think you should come with us, you're hurt badly dear" Wei Wuxian replied.
"No no I'm fine I can still help" Sizhui insisted knowing well that he could faint any moment right now.
"Sizhui no." Lan Wangji spoke.
"I'll take Sizhui" Jin ling shouted.
"Ooo take Sizhui?" Jingyi giggled.
"Jingyi." Zizhen sighed.
"Oh would you please stop talking! I meant that I'd take Sizhui out of the cave and tend to his injuries" Jin ling was on the verge of punching Jingyi, but he refrained.
"All right, Jin ling, you take Sizhui outside and treat his wound, and the four of us will deal with this beast problem." Wei Wuxian was exhausted and wanted to get things over with as soon as possible.
With the magical creature in tow, the four of them began walking deeper into the cave, with two of them heading outside.
——
Jin ling had wished for Jingyi and his blabbering to disturb the silence after a few awkward minutes had gone by with Sizhui all silent on him right now.
It was even more awkward with how close they were to each other since he was assisting Sizhui in walking.
The close proximity did not help his racing heart and head at all—all Jin ling could think about was if Sizhui was pretending to forgot about that night.
All though, that is great in a way since nothing would happen to their friendship if both of them were never to talk about it.
The suffocating silence finally broke.
"Jin ling?"
"Yes?" Jin ling looked anywhere but Sizhui's close face.
"That night when we were at the inn.."
Jin ling panicked right after he heard the word inn..was Sizhui finally remembering?
"Well it's like a blackout in my brain..I can't remember anything...did something happen that night..?" Sizhui tried not mumbling on words.
Should Jin ling lie to him because he didn't know how to respond to this question? Should he just play dumb and say he can't recall anything as well? Or should he tell it like it is? Jin ling was puzzled as to why he felt so guilty because it was Sizhui who had begun it all...was he wrong to keep going?
"Jin ling?" Sizhui tried reading Jin ling's expression but he just couldn't, except the fact that he looked confused.
"Nothing."
"Hm?"
"Nothing happened that night. We both were tired so we both went to sleep on our own beds" He lied. He couldn't lose his first friend—not for something this stupid.
"Oh..okay, sorry I just misunderstood something"
Sizhui didn't know how to feel about the answer—he should be happy, but at the same time, he kinda expected something?
He's not gay. He doesn't like Jin ling—besides, you can't possibly fall in love with a person you've just recently met. It just doesn't make sense.
All though he's not straight either.
He's never really thought about it—sure he's have had crushes on older sisters but they were all puppy crushes—nothing close to what he's felt since he met Jin ling.
The heavy silence had returned once more.
"Can we stop to to rest for a moment? I'm exhausted and in desperate need of a drink of water." Jin ling requested.
Sizhui was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Jin ling calling his name.
"Sizhui?"
"Sizhui??"
"Ah what? Oh yes we can stop" Sizhui replied avoiding eye contact with Jin ling, this Jin ling noticed right away.
Did he just avoid eye contact with him? Why? Did he say something he shouldn't have? Does he hate him now? Jin ling frowned upon the stupid thoughts rushing through him—he was overthinking it.
Both of them walked up to the water and sat down to sip it. Sizhui was attempting to drink but was unable to do so due to a severe injury to his arm so Jin ling aided Sizhui and said, "Here, let me help you."
Without looking Jin ling in the eyes again, Sizhui replied with a thank you. Jin ling had noticed it yet again, and it was upsetting him much.
"Sizhui."
"What..?" Sizhui answered without making eye contact.
"Look at me, damn it," Jin ling said as he drew Sizhui closer.
"Can you tell me what you're doing?" Sizhui tried not to frown but that just made it look like he was annoyed.
"Stop ignoring me..." Jin ling said with a sigh.
"But I wasn't" Sizhui responded confused.
"You were" Was he though? Or was Jin ling just overthinking it like always.
"Do you hate me now because of what we did that night?
2 things can happen right now — Sizhui remembers and they just talk it out or Sizhui doesn't remember, meaning that Jin ling has fucked up.
"Wh-What did we do?" Sizhui looked like he just had a a-ha moment.
So it was the latter. Curse his damn mouth.
"It doesn't matter, let's keep walking." Jin ling felt so humiliated that he was about to get up and escape. Sizhui tugged Jin ling's arm and forced him to sit down just as he was about to get up.
"Tell me," he said. Jin ling's spine shivered at the tone Sizhui had just used.
"Ahah....ha nothing we just slept. On our own beds"
"You're lying." Sizhui looked determined—like he figured something out, which was honestly annoying him.
"Fine!! You were the one who began the whole thing! You got drunk and ran over to me, licking my face like a dog!!"
Sizhui looked at him with a terrified expression on his face.
Then he stood up and attempted to go before Jin ling dragged him down to seat.
"Come on, you can't just leave like that" Jin ling said with an annoyed tone.
"So you're telling me, that I got drunk?"
"Yes, I made that pretty clear"
"Okay so next, I came over to you"
"Uh huh"
"I um..licked you apparently like a...dog?"
"DONT MAKE ME REPEAT IT"
"Why a dog"
"How the hell would I know?"
"Okay so..." Sizhui was embarrassed to say the least—so he wasn't dreaming, "I'm sorry for doing all that"
Looking at Sizhui, Jin ling felt guilty that he was not taking any blame.
Well...I should also be sorry here too since I did let you continue....
"Oh." Sizhui looked at Jin ling with a very awkward expression.
"What?" Jin ling looked at Sizhui
"Um you said—"
"I SAID IT OUT LOUD??"
Sizhui nodded.
In entered the awkward silence.
"I'm not gay" Jin ling stated.
Sizhui stared at him.
"I'm not gay either" Sizhui replied.
"You were drunk" Jin ling said.
Sizhui nodded, "but you weren't"
Jin ling looked at him—was that an indirect accusation?
"...yeah I wasn't"
"Then why didn't you stop me?"
"First, your stupid strength—like you didn't budge off me at all!"
"And?"
"KindaWantedIt" Jin ling mumbled fast, but thanks to Sizhui's hearing he heard it clearly.
"But you just said you weren't gay-"
"I don't know okay! You're my first friend but ever since we've met my stupid heart keeps beating too much!"
"Ever since we've met?"
"Shut up! Don't make me repeat it"
Sizhui reached for Jin ling's hands and firmly grasped them—Jin ling glanced at him, puzzled, as Sizhui beamed at him.
"You're...what are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" Honestly, Sizhui didn't know either, all though he was leaning towards kissing.
This time Jin ling initiated it by pulling Sizhui close to the point where there noses were touching.
Sizhui smiled.
And then Jin ling smiled.
"We seem pretty gay to each other right now" Jin ling says smiling.
"Oh really? I'm not that gay"
"Will this make you change your mind then?" Jin asked before gently setting his lips on Sizhui's.
Sizhui couldn't say anything, just nodded in reply before his lips were met with Jin ling's really soft lips.
Jin ling pulled the other closer with his left hand while his right hand wandered off to the dark hair, tugging it gently—Sizhui on the other hand just sat there without any knowledge of what he was supposed to do or where he was supposed to place his hands.
Jin ling noticed this and offered to assist Sizhui by instructing him to place his hands behind his neck; Sizhui was aware of this, so he placed his arms around Jin ling's neck and began kissing him. He wasn't stupid, albeit he was inexperienced.
They kissed for around two minutes before pulling back. They were out of breath, but it didn't deter them from going for it again.
But they held back. The others could catch up to them and they weren't going to risk it.
"Oh and I forgot" Jin ling lowered his shirt showing the dark spots above his collarbone.
"What...?"
"These were done by you"
"Yeah no,"
"Don't drink again Sizhui"