Liu Sang woke up to find Pangzi also in the apartment and didn't even manage to feel surprised. He and Wu Xie were in the kitchen, dissecting some antiques deal over the background of radio noise. (Liu Sang didn't even own a radio.)
There was light coming in around the edges of the curtains, so it must be the next day. Liu Sang pushed himself cautiously up onto his elbows, and found that his glasses had been joined on the bedside table by a small brass bell. He stared blankly at it for a moment, then sat up the rest of the way. The sleep had definitely been good for him, and he wasn't going to ring for attention, like an impatient hotel customer.
Still, navigating his way out of the bedroom still took far longer than he wanted it to, even though he decided he just couldn't be bothered changing out of the clothes he'd slept in right then. (He justified it to himself by not wanting to chance one Wu Xie or Pangzi walking in on him mid-dressing.) But the radio noise gave him cover, and it wasn't until he was actually standing in the kitchen doorway that either of the other men noticed him.
"Jinx, you're up!" Pangzi said, reaching hastily to switch the radio off. "Didn't you see the bell?"
"I saw it," Liu Sang said, choosing to answer the purely factual question.
"You should have rung it instead of getting out of bed," Pangzi said. "I was going to bring you breakfast."
He actually looked a bit disappointed. Liu Sang didn't bother arguing, but sat down at the table instead, around the side from Wu Xie. He registered for the first time the mound of groceries on the counter-top. "You brought all this food?" he asked.
"I did," Pangzi said. "Tianzhen said you didn't have any."
"I do have food," Liu Sang protested.
"You do not," Pangzi said. "Your fridge was practically empty."
Liu Sang glared at him, then at Wu Xie. "You should have checked the freezer," he complained.
"I did," Wu Xie said, maddeningly amused. "And I found the instant noodles in the cupboard too."
"There you go. Food."
Pangzi snorted. "Ready meals and instant noodles don't count."
"Of course they do," Liu Sang said. "Food's food."
"Absolutely not," Pangzi said. "That sort of rubbish won't help you get well."
"Listen to Pangzi," Wu Xie said. He snatched a piece of fruit out from under Pangzi's chopping knife, and grinned when he got whacked with Pangzi's free hand in response.
None of this, however, solved the key question. "Why?" Liu Sang demanded.
"Why what?" Pangzi asked.
"Why are you —" Unable to find the words, Liu Sang settled for making a sweeping gesture instead.
Pangzi put down his chopping knife so that he could more theatrically look heavenwards and rolled his eyes. "Jinx. Are you really this slow?"
Liu Sang glared at him.
"We're looking after you," Wu Xie said. "You just got out of hospital. You're being looked after."
"We're not accepting arguments at this time," Pangzi added.
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branchandroot
Fill: Cascade deleted scene (from ch1, now non-canon)
Date: 2021-09-14 09:50 pm (UTC)There was light coming in around the edges of the curtains, so it must be the next day. Liu Sang pushed himself cautiously up onto his elbows, and found that his glasses had been joined on the bedside table by a small brass bell. He stared blankly at it for a moment, then sat up the rest of the way. The sleep had definitely been good for him, and he wasn't going to ring for attention, like an impatient hotel customer.
Still, navigating his way out of the bedroom still took far longer than he wanted it to, even though he decided he just couldn't be bothered changing out of the clothes he'd slept in right then. (He justified it to himself by not wanting to chance one Wu Xie or Pangzi walking in on him mid-dressing.) But the radio noise gave him cover, and it wasn't until he was actually standing in the kitchen doorway that either of the other men noticed him.
"Jinx, you're up!" Pangzi said, reaching hastily to switch the radio off. "Didn't you see the bell?"
"I saw it," Liu Sang said, choosing to answer the purely factual question.
"You should have rung it instead of getting out of bed," Pangzi said. "I was going to bring you breakfast."
He actually looked a bit disappointed. Liu Sang didn't bother arguing, but sat down at the table instead, around the side from Wu Xie. He registered for the first time the mound of groceries on the counter-top. "You brought all this food?" he asked.
"I did," Pangzi said. "Tianzhen said you didn't have any."
"I do have food," Liu Sang protested.
"You do not," Pangzi said. "Your fridge was practically empty."
Liu Sang glared at him, then at Wu Xie. "You should have checked the freezer," he complained.
"I did," Wu Xie said, maddeningly amused. "And I found the instant noodles in the cupboard too."
"There you go. Food."
Pangzi snorted. "Ready meals and instant noodles don't count."
"Of course they do," Liu Sang said. "Food's food."
"Absolutely not," Pangzi said. "That sort of rubbish won't help you get well."
"Listen to Pangzi," Wu Xie said. He snatched a piece of fruit out from under Pangzi's chopping knife, and grinned when he got whacked with Pangzi's free hand in response.
None of this, however, solved the key question. "Why?" Liu Sang demanded.
"Why what?" Pangzi asked.
"Why are you —" Unable to find the words, Liu Sang settled for making a sweeping gesture instead.
Pangzi put down his chopping knife so that he could more theatrically look heavenwards and rolled his eyes. "Jinx. Are you really this slow?"
Liu Sang glared at him.
"We're looking after you," Wu Xie said. "You just got out of hospital. You're being looked after."
"We're not accepting arguments at this time," Pangzi added.