Tao muffles a groan into Yifan's sweater when he hears the beeping of Yifan's phone on their bedside table. For the second time.

Yifan had just started a job as a junior associate at a law firm, which just means that he does anything the partners ask of him and that he works crazy hours. If he wants to get promoted at all he needs to show up first at the office or some other rule that Tao thinks is probably just as ridiculous.

Tao understands for the most part, but he can't lie that Yifan's alarm in the mornings bothered him and his sleep, especially that he's the type of person that struggles to go to sleep in the first place.

After weeks of moving in together, Tao decided that he should just adjust and follow suit to Yifan's schedule. Huge adjustment it was - regularly going to sleep at 11 PM and waking up at 6:30AM with Yifan made him feel like they were an old married couple, especially that before they moved in together, Tao was the type to pull all nighters and sometimes not even sleep for days on end.

Tao still doesn't wake up as early as Yifan though; his classes don't start until a couple of hours after Yifan leaves for work, so he usually takes the extra 40 minutes that Yifan spends to exercise and get ready for work to catch a little bit more sleep, only waking up early enough to make breakfast for his lover and bid him goodbye.

But lately, Tao had noticed something different in their routine. Yifan's alarm now rang twice in the mornings. Exactly ten minutes apart from each other. It drives Tao crazy because he can't get that extra amount of sleep he usually has.

"Why can't you just wake up on the first alarm?" Tao grumbles as he sinks his face towards his pillow, feeling the weight of Yifan's arms previously surrounding his waist lifted and the heat of Yifan’s body disappear as the older rises from the bed.

"Mmm, I don't know," Yifan mumbles, staggering to the closet to change into his workout clothes as he rubs at his eyes. "It just works better for me."

Tao closes his eyes shut and tries to go back to sleep, still feeling hints of sleepiness at the edge of his eyelids. Minutes pass, but he only feels increasingly awake, especially with the rays of the sun already seeping through the curtains, signaling to his brain that it's time to wake up. Begrudgingly, he decides to stand up and walk to the kitchen.

Despite having worked as a barista, Tao isn't that good of a cook. In fact, Yifan might just be better than him - when they just dated, Yifan would have him over at his apartment (in which they now live in together) and cook dinner for them both. But now the younger cooks; in the mornings he usually makes a simple breakfast - some eggs, french toast, and the like. Today, he feels like eating something sweet.

He whips up some pancakes - healthy ones, the ones with the bananas and the oats. Tao carefully plates them, drizzling maple syrup onto its golden-brown surface. As he’s finished, Yifan emerges from their bedroom; hair slicked back, wearing a fitted white shirt and slacks, his suit jacket hanging onto his arms - ready to leave after finishing his morning routine.

Tao gushes at the sight, even though he sees it every day. "You're so handsome," he declares as if he had not just been annoyed at Yifan for waking him up so early.

Yifan sits down at their kitchen table, and Tao reaches out to rub Yifan's shoulders, straightening the fabric of his shirt that had tiny crinkles. He continues to trace Yifan's jaw with his fingers and the older simply smiles in return. "I smell pancakes," he remarks.

"You're right," Tao shuffles over to the counter and places the plate in front of Yifan. "Eat up, Mr. Wu!"

Tao would usually eat alongside his lover, but he can't help but sit in front of Yifan and just stare at the older as he scarfs down his food. "Be careful with the syrup," he comments, perching his chin onto his knuckle and smiling at Yifan.

With his mind fully conscious and not cranky from sleepiness, Tao knows that he wants to bask in Yifan's presence any moment he gets. In truth, those moments are becoming increasingly rare as the older now spend lots of evenings in the office.

More than that though, Tao really is kind of sad that the honeymoon phase of their relationship is over.

He misses spending time with the older to just talk about everything and nothing, discovering each other’s quirks and flaws. He misses just messing around with Yifan, like how he would impulsively drag the older to the ice cream shop near their apartment and have way too much fun bickering over which flavor is better (Chocolate isn’t even that good, Tao). Or just how they would huddle together in bed and sleep in on the weekends.

Sometimes he feels that now, he puts in more effort in their relationship than Yifan does. But he tries to brush it off, attributing the fact to Yifan's fatigue from working long hours.

Before he knows it, Yifan is already standing up, shrugging on his suit jacket. "I'll see you tonight," he states matter of factly, planting a kiss on Tao's cheek.

Yifan turns to exit the apartment, but he catches sight of Tao staring intently at him. He stays in his track, returning the gaze and eyeing the expression on Tao’s face that is turning melancholic.

"I love you," Tao says with pursed lips. It's silly, but Tao wants to hear those words from the older. Lately, Yifan doesn't say it much. It's also childish, but Tao knows that by saying it first, Yifan will do the same.

Yifan gives a small smile. "I love you too, baby," he says in an encouraging tone, sensing the pretext behind Tao’s words. He walks up to Tao again, this time pressing a soft kiss on his lips.

Tao conjures up a smile.

Lurking on the relationship_advice subreddit forum is one of Tao’s guilty pleasures. He finds the absurd posts and stories entertaining – sometimes he sees posts made by people who were clearly being s and were to blame for their own relationship problems, and their cluelessness makes Tao roll his eyes. Other times he reads posts about couples fighting over the silliest of things, and he laughs.

But mostly, he likes to think that he’s an emotionally healthy person and in a loving relationship, so he offers advice to other people as a harmless pastime. Usually, he leaves replies on posts made by people who are younger than him, and about basic things like communication and honesty in relationships.

This time though, he contemplates making a post of his own. It’s ridiculous because his post title would be drastically less dramatic than the other ones he sees on the forum – which probably means that it isn’t that big of a deal, Tao convinces himself. But out of curiosity, he tries to search the keywords to find if other people faced the same problem as him and if anyone has helpful advice that he can also try.

He enters the keywords boyfriend, busy, and work. But he deletes the last two words because he realizes that it isn’t actually the issue. He types in the correct ones: boyfriend doesn’t tell me he loves me anymore. He cringes at himself, but he can’t lie about his own feelings and his mind that’s too insecure for its own good.

A number of posts appear after he hits search, and he opens one post with the most comments. Why doesn’t my [21F] boyfriend [24F] tell me he loves me anymore? the title reads.

I live together with my boyfriend after dating for a year. Our relationship is fine, but I can’t help but feel insecure that my boyfriend doesn’t say I love you to me first. What should I do? Am I just being irrational?

Her situation is very similar to Tao’s, so he continues to scroll and reads the top comment.

You and your boyfriend probably just have different love languages, it states plainly. Yours is probably words of affirmation. Just make him take the test so you’ll know his love language.

Love language. Huh.

Tao taps on the link that the comment provides, bringing him to a webpage explaining the term.

The five love languages are five different ways of expressing and receiving love: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Not everyone communicates love in the same way, and likewise, people have different ways they prefer to receive love.

Tao scrolls down to read the page where it continues to explain what each of the love languages means. He arrives at the end of the page, linking to a quiz that can be taken to determine his love language.

It sounds like a scam, Tao thinks. There are a lot of quizzes on the internet, so how is this one any more valid than the others? But he’s too curious and he takes the quiz. And the commenter on Reddit was right, his love language was indeed words of affirmation.

Tao toys with the idea of making Yifan take the test, but it’s definitely too obvious. Instead, he decides to go to the individual pages of each language to get a more in-depth explanation, curious if he can decipher what Yifan’s is by himself.

Tao unlocks the door to their apartment, expecting it to be empty – he likes to study at the library in the evenings and Yifan usually doesn’t arrive home until hours after he does.

But Tao is greeted with the living room already illuminated with the dim light of the television, and the sight of Yifan perched on the couch, wearing gym shorts and a varsity sweatshirt with eyes fixated on the television screen as the sounds of a movie softly play in the background.

Tao thinks that he misses seeing Yifan relaxed like this, in comfortable clothes – as handsome as he is in his work clothes. He walks around the couch, entering Yifan’s line of sight, and the older notices him. “Hey, love,” he greets and gestures towards the spot next to him.

Tao opts to sit down on Yifan’s lap instead, and the older hums quietly as the weight of Tao’s body leans on him. He rests his chin on Tao’s shoulder and locks his hands around Tao’s frame. “How come you’re already home?” the younger asks softly, turning to face Yifan.

“I finally closed a deal for a client, so my boss let me off early,” he says happily. Tao brushes away the stray strands of hair on Yifan’s face as the older talks.

Tao proceeds to cup Yifan's cheeks in his hands, his cheekbones with his thumbs before leaning in for a kiss. "I'm proud of you," he praises.

They fall into a comfortable lull, basking in each other’s presence without anything nagging in the back of their minds. Tao especially enjoys feeling the warmth and strength of Yifan’s body fully engulfing him like this, without worrying that the older has to hurry and leave the apartment like he does in the mornings.

"Oh," Yifan breaks the silence, and he relaxes his embrace around Tao. "Wait a moment," Tao feels the older shifting underneath him, so he moves to let Yifan stand up.

Yifan disappears into the kitchen, Tao’s gaze following him as he is curious as to what Yifan is doing. A few seconds later, he comes back with a bowl and a fork in hand.

"Here," he places them onto Tao's lap. "I got it on the way home."

Tao is slightly confused as he holds the cold bowl in his hands. It must have been from the refrigerator, but it’s not fully cold, so Yifan had only stored it for a short moment. Still, there’s shrink wrap carefully secured on its surface that Yifan put to protect whatever’s underneath it.

It's dragon fruit.

Tao's favorite fruit that he ate almost every day during the summer.

Except that it’s not summer. Tao knows that. The fruit isn’t even in season. And Tao also knows that the only fruit shop that sells his favorite treat during these months is all the way across town. He doesn’t know why Yifan would downplay his actions by saying that he got it on the way home.

Tao’s heart swells at the thought that the rare instance Yifan has time off, he chooses to spend it to do something so simple yet so, so nice and precious for Tao – for no particular reason at all.

Tao feels the couch dip as Yifan sits next to him again, shyly looking at him in the eyes.

"Thank you for being so patient with me, baby," he says. He doesn’t specify, but Tao deciphers from Yifan’s solemn eyes that the older knows that they have drifted from each other, even just a little bit; and the guilt that Yifan feels for letting it happen.

"I know I'm not good with words. I love you," Yifan adds, and he takes one of Tao’s hands in his and gently plants a kiss onto his knuckles.

Tao feels tears swelling in his eyes. He eyes Yifan’s hand that is holding his, only to notice hints of purple at the edge of Yifan’s fingertips. The color of the dragon fruit must have stained his hands while he was peeling them for the younger to eat.

People whose love language is acts of service may not express their affection through words. Instead, they express their love through actions, keeping their partner's best interest and happiness in their minds.

"I love you so much," Tao hugs him and he releases a sob into Yifan's neck. Yifan did not expect Tao's somewhat emotional reaction, but he knows that the younger is happy.

So, the love language thing really is real.

They spend the rest of the evening finishing the movie Yifan was watching and just silently enjoying each other’s presence, Tao finishing the bowl of his favorite fruit and Yifan massaging the younger’s feet.

Tao stares at Yifan lovingly as the older is still deep in slumber. It’s not often that Tao wakes up earlier than him, so he savors the sight of Yifan’s peaceful face, the soft light of the morning sun kissing his skin. He lets his fingers absentmindedly trace Yifan’s forearm, and he stirs in his sleep at the touch.

Moments pass and the light from outside is getting brighter – Tao knows that it’s only a matter of seconds before Yifan’s alarm goes off. And another ten minutes before the second one does so, too. Tao had learned something new about his boyfriend, but the godforsaken double alarm that Yifan uses remains a mystery.

Sure enough, the first alarm goes off, and Yifan slowly opens his lids to reveal slightly red eyes. He reaches out to turn it off, and turns to Tao, a little surprised that the younger is already awake.

“Hey,” he whispers, hair messy and eyes puffy. He lies back down on the bed and circles his arm around Tao’s frame.

He pulls the younger in closer, closing the space between them, loving how the younger fits so perfectly against him. He places a soft kiss on Tao’s forehead before tucking his chin on the younger’s ruffled hair. Tao hums in satisfaction, savoring the feeling of Yifan’s embrace around him.

Tao thinks that he can stay in that moment forever if he can, but it’s fleeting – the quiet atmosphere broken by the soft beeping of Yifan’s second alarm.

Yifan props himself up on his elbows to turn it off. “Alright, I have to get ready now,” he brushes the back of his hand on Tao’s cheek before standing up from the bed.

Tao manages to doze back to sleep, relishing the feeling of the soft comforters around him even though Yifan is not next to him anymore. He wakes to see Yifan already showered, dressing up and buttoning his shirt in front of the mirror.

A thought crosses Tao’s mind.

Physical touch is a nonverbal love language people use to let others know they are cherished. The physical nature of this language leads some people to think it’s simply about satisfying sensual needs, but desiring physical touch is more about feeling seen and safe than it is about .

“Yifan, your alarm…” Tao starts, voice raspy from sleep. “Do you set that just so you could cuddle me every morning?”

Yifan glances at him, a grin decorating his face as he scrambles to find a tie inside of the drawers. “You figured that out, huh?” he says, turning back to the mirror, and Tao can see Yifan’s laugh from the reflection.

Tao can’t help but giggle at the realization. All this time he had grumbled and been annoyed at Yifan for the alarms, only to find out that the reason behind it is the sweetest that it could possibly be.

“You’re such a romantic,” Tao teases, staring at Yifan’s back.

Yifan turns to him, a smirk pulling the edge of his mouth. “I’m not the one who cried just because my boyfriend gave me some fruit.”

Tao shrieks and playfully tosses a pillow at his older lover. “Shut up!”

Yifan laughs, his deep voice cracking just a little bit. He finishes putting on his tie and walks up to their bed, sitting next to Tao. “I have to go to the office early,” he says, his smirk turning into a half-apologetic smile.

“Of course you do,” Tao pouts playfully, but he’s not mad at his lover. He understands.

Yifan thumbs at the tip of Tao’s nose and leans in for a peck. “I love you,” he says without pulling away, and Tao feels his warm breath against his lips.

“I love you too, Yifan,” he gazes at Yifan with eyes full of adoration, hoping that it conveys just how much he loves Yifan that, even though his own love language is words of affirmation, he cannot convey through words.

a/n

ahh i hope you enjoyed this!!! thanks so much for reading my stories. i'm so happy that a lot of people still care about this pair after so many years. <3

i'm working on a longer story but idk when i can upload it cause i'm still busy with college and all. anyways, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think!!

if you like this story, please feel free to follow me on my fic writing twitter. :) i am always open to making new friends and talking about taoris!​​​​​​

feed me comments and i'll feed you more taoris :)