#wrtng

summary: in which movie night takes a twist that lan jingyi does not appreciate...until he does, actually fandom: mdzs/cql pairing: lingyi characters: lan jingyi, jin ling, ouyang zizhen, lan sizhui

"Hit play, he's coming back up—move Zizhen!"

Jingyi pauses to readjust the armful of snacks and giant bowl of popcorn he'd been sent to fetch while the others started the movie. That had sounded...suspicious. But this is his house, so he knows whatever movies they're picking from will probably be just fine. Besides, his mom wouldn't let him have a DVD player in his room, so the movie had to be on VHS even if someone did bring something.

They probably just wanted to prank him by playing the Lion King opening super loudly when he came in. Bracing himself, Jingyi opens the door, barely managing to catch the bag of kale chips as they made a break for it.

"Hey guys—"

"Bro, you took forever—" Zizhen cuts him off, only to get cut off himself by an even louder Jin Ling.

"Lan Jingyi, sit down, the movie's starting, god you're so slow."

Rather than setting the snacks down or sitting on the bed with the rest of them, Jingyi shoots Jin Ling a glare. Not that he sees it, what with his head pushed back so far and his bangs falling in his eyes. Jin Ling shakes his hair out of his face to meet his glare head on.

It makes his skin itch,

They, the ones who told us it was getting better

That it was safe.

Numbers rising, the mask back:

Travel?

Afraid to go again, to go outside.

To smile. To laugh and touch flesh to flesh.

The fear is back. The others.

Those who only got one shot

Not bothering with the second.

They forgot about the others.

The children

The elderly.

The anxious breath as I have two strikes against me.

The fingers crimp and type my words again