Eyes wide and unbelieving at the sign Gu Wei had just made, Zhai Mei motioned with trembling fingers.
'Say it again.'
Grinning like the lovesick puppy he was, Gu Wei did the gesture again and again, earnestly repeating it with words too, his eyes never leaving Zhai Mei's.
'I like you, I like you, I like you, I like you, I like you.'
"I like Zhai Mei, I like Zhai Mei, I like Zhai Mei, I like Zhai Mei, I like Zhai Mei."
A giddy giggle breathed out of her, and Zhai Mei blushed at the unforgiving drops of confession.
She rested her forehead on Gu Wei's shoulder in reprieve, her hair falling over her frame, covering up her face.
Gu Wei laughed at her reaction, smoothing her hair out of the way, stroking her cheek as he did.
They stayed that way for a while, Zhai Mei leaning on Gu Wei, Gu Wei's hand roaming over her hair and face.
Zhai Mei lifted her head and gestured between them. 'Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?'
Gu Wei shook his head at her question, another laugh bubbling out of him at her answer.
'Ten years.' Zhai Mei frowned at him, making Gu Wei realise she was serious. Incredulous, Gu Wei slowly inquired, 'Ten years? That meant… Since school?'
Zhai Mei nodded.
Gu Wei was staring at her strangely, and his eyes drifted away as he thought about it.
It really could've been a decade.
Zhai Mei had been the first person he'd liked then too, and Gu Wei recalled all the little moments between them.
The first time at Paiwan, then their interactions at the reunion, the elevator, Chi Spring Hotel, Song Wei's weird expression when he thanked her for the towel, and the almost-kiss on the bench he still couldn't remember.
As the realisations hit him one by one, Gu Wei analysed his feelings.
What he'd been like during every single interaction, how relaxed Zhai Mei made him, his protectiveness at the lobby, how he'd treated Zhai Mei harshly back then in high school.
Unintentional or not, it still would've hurt if the person you liked dismissed you before you even managed to confess.
Gu Wei wanted to punch his old self.
Instead, he pressed his lips on Zhai Mei's head in the form of a kiss, lingering there for a second before placing his forehead on hers. 'I'm sorry.'
Shaking her head, Zhai Mei rewrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly, telling Gu Wei it didn't matter anymore, this was more than enough to make up for that.
They resumed their bear-hugging pose, and Gu Wei rested his chin on Zhai Mei's hair, staring at nothing.
Gu Wei was thinking, what was next? After this, what came next?
He had no clue, or rather, he had a clue, but chose not to acknowledge it.
Gu Wei did not want to become the 90% of the population who dated, but he also wanted this.
This warmth between him and Zhai Mei, that calmed his mind and made him feel wanted in return, her softness that brought out the part of him he'd never explored.
There was one thing that always loomed in Gu Wei's mind though.
What if he forgot again? If something like this happened again, and Gu Wei forgot?
Zhai Mei didn't know what it was, the hollow in his head that ate at anything consequential.
He came to the conclusion that he had to tell her, and dread filled him at the thought.
Gu Wei had never outright told anyone about his condition, even his friends realised through obvious moments rather than Gu Wei saying it himself.
The only person he'd ever told about his diagnosis was Ha Xing, and that was a long time ago.
Gu Wei took a step back in his thoughts.
Was this what relationships were about? You bared yourself to someone you're not familiar with, and hope they don't discard you?
But for Gu Wei, it wasn't the fear of Zhai Mei's reaction, it was the fact that Zhai Mei would know such a thing about him and look at him with different eyes from then on.
Not yet.
Gu Wei decided. He'd tell her some other time, it didn't matter that much now.
The person in his arms shifted, sighing contentedly.
Gu Wei swallowed his thoughts away, tilting his nose into Zhai Mei for her sweet smell.
However, the girl abruptly pulled away and stared at Gu Wei seriously. 'Promise me something.'
Curling a hair over his fingers, Gu Wei motioned for her to continue. He was listening.
Zhai Mei carefully signed the characters.
'No matter what, promise me we'll figure this out. You won't back out halfway and let us figure out what this is and what we want it to be. Promise me you'll stay.'
Zhai Mei's gaze was steel, staring into his eyes with a seriousness Gu Wei had only seen once from her. At the lobby of the HHE building.
Gu Wei unwound his hand from her hair and crossed his heart.
'I promise. But… I might forget again, like the bench. I still don't remember everything.'
'It doesn't matter. I don't care, we'll make new memories.'
'It does.' Gu Wei emphasised. 'I don't want you to feel that again, me forgetting everything and you scrambling to piece it back for me.'
'Wei Wei, once again, I don't mind. Today on the roof wasn't bad, was it? Even if it doesn't come back, we can make new ones, and if those go away too, we'll make another one. Now I know it wasn't on purpose, and it's not something you can control, so don't beat yourself up about it.'
Zhai Mei wasn't giving him any room for argument, and Gu Wei gave up, then signed after some thought.
'If it's not on purpose… then what do you think it is?'
Zhai Mei leaned forward with a secret smile and pecked him on the lips. 'When you're ready, I'll know.'
Gu Wei's heart squeezed at the selfless answer. Would Gu Wei ever be ready?
Zhai Mei gave him another peck in assurance.
However, this time, Gu Wei didn't let her get away. His mouth moved on hers, capturing her lips and sucking them into his.
Zhai Mei let out a soft breath in surprise, Gu Wei swallowed that too.
The kiss was soft, unhurried, unlike the one before.
Gu Wei felt Zhai Mei's heart thumping the same rhythm as his, and his lips tingled with every stroke of Zhai Mei's.
The two souls sighed into each other, keeping their hands where they were. Gu Wei in Zhai Mei's hair, Zhai Mei's equally in his.
They lost themselves in the kiss, any awareness of the world beyond long gone, not a single thought left in their heads except for each other.
Gu Wei and Zhai Mei had created a bubble of their own without knowing, and they were completely lost in it.