[ His cheeks color. He hates it, a little, the way the other can tell him with such confidence that it was obvious, especially with all the effort he went to trying to hide it. His pride is soothed in the moment that follows though by the fondness in Yingxing's eyes, the thumb that smooths over his jaw, the look on his face as he assures Dan Heng that he likes him too.

He relaxes into that touch, even as he continues to smooth the older man's hair away from his face. ]

Okay. I. That's good.

[ Internally, he pulls a face at how awkward he sounds, but there's nothing he can do about it now. ]

I just wanted to make sure you knew first, because... this is my first heat— [ he doesn't really remember confessing it to the other earlier when he was out of his mind ] —but everything I've read says that they get worse before they get better.