#(...again)

DUANG WITH YOU (2026) aka duang and kissing qin's cheek

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Qin's revenge

he would probably start off real guarded. i mean... it's tim we're talking about after all. his entire life has been filled with loss. he lost out on a childhood, which, by extension means he lost out on any meaningful relationships for a good chunk of his life. he struggled to learn how to connect as a result, and many relationships passed him by.

then, by the time he got to college, he made a few friends, brian being the closest. he eventually gets close with jay, too. but then, marble hornets happens. everyone he loves is ripped away from him. he's left alone, and for awhile, he convinces himself that this is what he wants. he wants to be alone, because, in his mind, everyone he touches dies.

then, you come along. at first, he doesn't think much of you. you're pretty, sure. nice, caring, kind... but he doesn't deserve any of that. at least, he doesn't think he does. but you're persistent, breaking down his walls.

it's a process, sure. he fights it tooth and nail. he doesn't get mean, but he's honest and a bit self-deprecating. he'll list out all his flaws, trying to convince you that he's not good enough for you, that you deserve better. he'll tell you, over and over again:

"You don't want this. You think you do, but you don't. You don't know what the fuck you're getting into."

and, well... he's right – you don't know. but you keep at it. after long missions, you're there. you wash his bloodied clothes. patch him up when he gets injured. when he's been gone for two weeks and returns disheveled and out of it, you don't judge him. you just listen. you treat him with something foreign to him – kindness, the one thing he still swears he doesn't deserve.

but it feels so good, for once, to be cared about. and, even though he keeps telling himself he shouldn't, that he's selfish, that this will corrupt you and ruin your life... he breaks. his resolve crumbles to dust. he doesn't pull away when you try to hug him. doesn't shut himself from the world if he gets hurt. he begins to thank you, albeit so quiet you can hardly hear him, for patching him up, for washing his clothes, for doing everything he swears you shouldn't have to do.

he's not a flashy partner. he doesn't flaunt his love for you. he's subtle. he likes his privacy, his own space, and you're now a part of that. dates with him are private, often in the comfort of either of your homes because that's where he feels safest. movie nights, dinner dates, maybe a walk around if he's feeling bold. but these nights are his sanctuary. he'll smile – actually smile – when he's with you. acts of service are his love language; making you dinner, giving you a massage, etc. he wants to make your life just a little easier, partly because he believes that being with him is an arduous task so he has to even it out as much as possible. hates the idea of receiving all your love and care without giving anything back, so if you do something for him, expect him to reciprocate 2x as hard.

he's protective. very, very protective. i mean, can you blame the guy? for his entire life, tim has never been allowed to experience happiness, not for very long at least. so as your relationship progresses, the more worried he gets that something is going to happen. you'll find him awake at the most random hours of the night, stalking around the house, checking to see if anything, anything at all is out of place. he just can't believe something good has happened to him, and the idea of losing you would absolutely wreck him. god help you if you're a daredevil/put yourself in risky situations, because he's going to combust if you end up getting hurt or worse.

Chapter 3 is up on AO3 ;)