OAS Extra 2- Daily Life pt 1

The phone buzzed just as He Ziwei was spacing out, curled into the soft cushions of the sofa. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. On the TV, a laundry detergent commercial was playing. It was the second month of him living with Tang Zhou.

It took him a while to dig the phone out from the pocket of the pants Tang Zhou had tossed over the armrest. The caller ID said “Tang Sanzang.” He Ziwei rolled his eyes. He silently wondered what kind of parents would name their child something that ridiculous. He tapped the answer button before realizing it was Tang Zhou’s phone. A clear female voice came through the receiver, crisp and strong, not soft or sweet, but clean and assertive. She hesitated for a few seconds after hearing a stranger’s voice, then politely asked, “Hello, and you are?”

“Ah? I’m his roommate.” He Ziwei replied with zero confidence, sounding unsure and cautious. He had no experience dealing with strangers and came off stiff and awkward. After a pause, he added, “Sorry, he’s in the shower right now…”

The woman on the other end went silent. The kind of silence that invited all the wrong ideas. After a moment, she asked again, “When did you two start being roommates?”

He Ziwei was totally confused but answered honestly. “Two… two months ago…”

Just then, the water stopped. Tang Zhou stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, drying his hair with a white towel in one hand. He asked casually, “Who is it?”

“Uh… Tang… Sanzang?” He Ziwei replied uncertainly. His voice lifted slightly, shaky with confusion.

Tang Zhou’s expression twitched. He let out a long, heavy sigh, took the phone from He Ziwei’s hand, and solemnly greeted the caller. “Sis.”

He Ziwei knew Tang Zhou had an older sister. Not only did he know, he remembered her name was Tang Xuan. But who the hell sets their own sister’s contact name as Tang Sanzang? What kind of normal person does that?

It had been a while since Tang Zhou last called his sister. He had only changed the contact name out of spite after she kept pestering him to get a girlfriend. Eventually he got used to it and never changed it back. He didn’t expect the joke would come back to bite him now. From the phone, his sister’s voice was already filled with outrage. Tang Zhou massaged his temple, trying to calm her down, then looked helplessly at He Ziwei. He rubbed the boy’s face, then lightly smacked his ass.

The whole thing was beyond awkward. He Ziwei’s face flushed instantly. Embarrassed out of his mind, he fled to the kitchen. He pulled down the wooden cutting board propped against the wall, set it on the marble counter, and grabbed two of Tang Zhou’s favorite oranges from the fridge. Trying to redeem himself, he pulled out a fruit knife to slice them. While cutting, he kept one ear tilted toward the living room.

He just happened to catch Tang Zhou’s voice again. After a few vague replies to his sister, Tang Zhou let out another sigh and said clearly, “I’m not lying. I like him.”

A sharp gasp came from the kitchen.

The orange rind was a little tough. He Ziwei pressed down too hard. The cheap supermarket knife was unexpectedly sharp, and it sliced through his left index finger from the pad to the nail. It took about three seconds for the blood to start flowing, but once it did, it dripped steadily, pooling on the board.

Tang Zhou turned around and immediately saw the mess of blood. He told his sister not to call their parents just yet and hung up. In three long strides, he was at He Ziwei’s side, grabbing his hand to inspect the cut.

The wound was deep and still bleeding after more than a minute. Tang Zhou brought the finger to his mouth.

The taste of iron spread across his tongue. Tang Zhou sucked at the cut gently. Once the bleeding slowed, he licked it a few more times and finally let go. The first two joints of He Ziwei’s finger glistened with moisture.

“Disinfecting,” Tang Zhou said solemnly, seeing He Ziwei glaring at him with a bright red face. He explained the miraculous healing power of saliva with complete seriousness, then took his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.

“Come on, baby. Get dressed. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“It’s not that serious, is it?” He Ziwei flinched, startled. He quickly pulled his hand away. The pain was starting to set in, a dull throb that wasn’t particularly sharp but steady enough to notice. Still, he didn’t feel like going to the hospital. “It’s not even bleeding anymore. Just a small cut.”

“No.” Tang Zhou frowned, clearly concerned. “Better get it checked. What if it gets infected? It’s a pretty deep cut.”

No matter how He Ziwei tried to sweet-talk his way out of it, Tang Zhou didn’t budge. In the end, the two of them headed out toward the hospital anyway.

The nearest clinic was two bus stops from their apartment complex. It was already past ten at night. The buses had stopped running, and the streets were nearly empty. They walked toward the hospital together. Somewhere along the way, Tang Zhou reached over and took He Ziwei’s right hand.

His palm was warm. His steps were calm and unhurried. It felt more like a date than anything else. He Ziwei stole glances at Tang Zhou’s side profile from a step behind. The more he looked, the more handsome he seemed. His heart swelled with quiet satisfaction, but his face stayed guarded. After a moment, he muttered a complaint.

“Let go already. What if someone sees us?”

Tang Zhou looked around at the few scattered people on the street. Then he turned and studied He Ziwei’s expression. He let go and casually slid his hand back into his pocket, leaving He Ziwei blinking in the cold wind.

He Ziwei puffed out his cheeks and stared down at the ground. Something felt very wrong. Normally in situations like this, Tang Zhou would sneer and say something like “You think I’m afraid of being seen?” But today he had just let go. He watched the straight line of Tang Zhou’s back move ahead of him and started sulking in silence.

Love had such a fucking short shelf life.

He Ziwei grumbled inwardly but couldn’t stop sneaking peeks at the man beside him. The more he looked, the more annoyed he got. When Tang Zhou noticed the storm cloud gathering in his face, he let out a low laugh from deep in his chest. He reached out and pulled He Ziwei into his arms.

“Dumb baby.” His voice was warm, laced with amusement. His left hand rested lightly on He Ziwei’s shoulder, then slid up to ruffle the swirl of hair at his crown. He laced their fingers together again and asked gently, “Does it still hurt?”

“No… not really.” He Ziwei flushed red, answering in a mumble. His little tantrum had been completely seen through, every thought laid bare. And now he felt ridiculous. Embarrassed like a bashful housewife, with not an ounce of dignity left.

Under Tang Zhou’s openly fond gaze, he desperately needed a distraction. Suddenly remembering the reason he had cut his hand in the first place, he jumped at the chance to change the subject.

“Why’d you tell your sister?”

Tang Zhou went strangely quiet. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat and said, “I told my family I was chasing my roommate.”

Back when they started living together, the arrangement had been under the label of shared housing. He Ziwei had only told his mother he was staying with an old college friend. Tang Zhou, on the other hand, had told his sister he was pursuing someone he liked. And now, thanks to that one phone call, the whole “roommate” cover was blown. It was basically the same as coming out to her on the spot.

Hearing that, He Ziwei started to panic. They hadn’t even found their footing yet, let alone prepared to face that kind of pressure from their families. Tang Zhou saw his brows crease again and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“It’s fine. My sister won’t say anything.”

At most, she might fly over to confront him in person. She was probably already looking up tickets.

Two bus stops wasn’t far, and they reached the hospital quickly. The night outpatient lobby was mostly empty, but there were still four or five people waiting in line. After checking in, Tang Zhou led He Ziwei to one of the plastic chairs in the waiting area.

They had just sat down when a sharp, heart-wrenching wail burst through the quiet air. The room directly across the lobby was the emergency room for night cases. Both double doors were wide open, with a clear line of sight through the middle. The beds were arranged on either side, separated by folding screens that blocked most of the view. The emergency must have been on the left side near the entrance. A group of doctors and nurses were crowded around a patient. The defibrillator kept going. Each time the current hit, the body arched up from the bed, then slammed back down with a heavy thud.

A woman in her mid forties was dragged out by family members and collapsed straight to the ground. Her crying echoed across the quiet, cavernous space. She gasped and sobbed, rolling on the floor and flailing wildly, screaming up at the ceiling in broken dialect that sounded like it had been torn out of her chest. Every word was soaked in blood and grief.

Tang Zhou couldn’t understand what she was saying, but he immediately noticed He Ziwei’s mood shift. The man clutched at the corner of his shirt, face tight, lips pressed into a hard line. Tang Zhou reached behind him and pulled him into his arms.

He Ziwei looked up at him, his voice small and uncertain. “Tang Zhou…”

Tang Zhou gently pressed his head to his shoulder, shielding his eyes from the scene. His cheek brushed against He Ziwei’s soft skin, and he covered the hand that had been tugging at him.

“Don’t look,” he whispered. “It’s okay.”

He Ziwei buried his face in the crook of Tang Zhou’s neck. He no longer cared if anyone saw something they weren’t supposed to. Tang Zhou was his only source of safety. Only Tang Zhou.

Eventually, the woman was taken away by medical staff, but the air only grew heavier. Their number was soon called. The attending doctor was a woman, busy scribbling something down. Without looking up, she asked in a flat voice, “What’s the issue?”

“Knife injury,” Tang Zhou answered formally.

That caught her attention. She glanced up, eyes flicking over He Ziwei’s body as if trying to locate the wound. He Ziwei flushed with embarrassment and held up his left hand.

“I cut myself. Just a kitchen knife.”

Her expression returned to boredom. She waved them off.

“You can go home.”

“Could you at least prescribe something? Just to treat it?” Tang Zhou asked.

“Treat what?” the doctor said, finally cracking a sarcastic smile. For the first time, she sounded almost like a person. “Go buy some rubbing alcohol from the pharmacy across the street. Wipe it at home.”

It was obvious she had no intention of keeping them any longer. He Ziwei, still red in the face, tugged at Tang Zhou’s sleeve and pulled him toward the door.

It was already past midnight. They had come all this way, witnessed a tragedy, and ended up walking home with nothing more than a scolding. The air between them felt heavy. They didn’t talk much on the way back.

Once home, Tang Zhou pulled a bottle of alcohol and a pack of cotton swabs out of his pocket. The alcohol had cost ten yuan, and the swabs two-fifty. He sat down on the couch and started disinfecting the cut.

He held the injured finger between two of his own, dabbing carefully with the cotton. The alcohol stung a little. As he wiped, he blew gently over the skin. He Ziwei was touched, but didn’t want to seem too delicate. He gave Tang Zhou a nudge.

“That’s enough. You don’t need to fuss.”

Tang Zhou finished wrapping the bandage, then bent down and kissed the spot right over the gauze. Since He Ziwei’s hand couldn’t get wet, Tang Zhou stood up and pulled off his shirt, then tugged him toward the bathroom.

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll give you a bath.”

Under the showerhead stood two naked men facing each other. The shorter one had his head covered in foam, eyes closed, chin slightly lowered. The taller one had both hands buried in his hair, massaging his scalp in slow circles.

They had barely started when He Ziwei got restless. While Tang Zhou was rinsing out the shampoo, he slid his uninjured hand down the man’s chest, feeling around until he caught a small, hard nub between his fingers and started toying with it. After a while, Tang Zhou gave a low grunt and smacked He Ziwei’s ass with a sharp crack, voice hoarse with restraint. “Behave. You trying to get fucked again?”

He Ziwei didn’t flinch. His hand moved lower and grabbed Tang Zhou’s half-hard cock. He leaned forward to avoid the stream of water, tilted his head up and kissed the man’s jaw. “Don’t you want me?”

They had just started their new jobs and were constantly drowning in work. Most nights, they collapsed into bed and passed out. It had been days since they had touched each other. Young and full of energy, it didn’t take much to set Tang Zhou off. The rest of the shower turned into a full-blown skirmish. He quickly rinsed their bodies, gave a rough once-over of He Ziwei’s hole, then lifted him by the ass and carried him out. The next second, they were both on the bed.

Tang Zhou knelt between He Ziwei’s legs, pressing down on him and trailing kisses down his neck. One hand wrapped around his cock, the other braced beside his side, and his mouth latched onto the right nipple, sucking hard.

The soft pink bud grew swollen under his lips and tongue. Tang Zhou bit down gently, pulling and teasing it. Before long, He Ziwei started squirming beneath him, chest arched up to chase his mouth. “Mmm… do the other side too…”

His nipples were being devoured like a feast, wet noises coming from Tang Zhou’s mouth. The room filled with short, urgent breaths and heavy panting. Two fingers worked their way into his hole, joints bending as they stretched and searched, the slick heat of his insides clinging tight around them. The velvet-soft walls were so slippery they seemed to suck the fingers in, and even before being properly penetrated, clear prostate fluid was already starting to seep out.

“Ah… right there…”

Tang Zhou’s fingers brushed over his prostate again. He Ziwei shivered from head to toe, letting out a drawn-out whimper through half-lidded eyes. “Nngh… just put it in already…”

Tang Zhou wrapped him up from behind, lifted his left leg, slid on a condom, and pressed the head of his cock to that twitching hole. He Ziwei was unusually eager today. Even after the fingers were pulled out, his hole couldn’t close properly. It spasmed open and shut until the next second it was split wide by a rough thrust.

“Ugh…”

A hand grabbed his face from behind and turned it sideways, lips crashing over his in a feverish kiss. He Ziwei reached back and pulled Tang Zhou’s neck toward him, kissing him fiercely. Tang Zhou’s cock ground deep inside him at a torturously slow rhythm, teasing the sensitive spot with every shallow stroke and the occasional hard jab. The pain faded fast, replaced by waves of shivery pleasure. He Ziwei felt like his whole body was melting, but Tang Zhou kept going slow, dragging it out until his need turned into hot frustration. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes as he rasped out, voice half petulant, “Are you fucking me or embroidering flowers back there?”

Tang Zhou burst out laughing. The one time he actually tried to be gentle, and this little bastard was still complaining. He bit He Ziwei’s cheek, wrapped his arms tighter around his waist, and started pounding into him. Each thrust drove his cock deep, jolting He Ziwei’s body up with the impact.

He Ziwei had his ass half in the air, legs splayed out weakly on the bed. Tang Zhou turned slightly to fuck him from behind, his left arm wrapped around He Ziwei’s waist to hold him close, switching between tugging at his nipples and jerking him off. That thick cock buried deep inside him hit his prostate over and over, each thrust sending a spark of pleasure blazing through his body. Before long, soft sobs started leaking from his throat.

“Ah… feels so good…” He Ziwei’s chest was flushed with a thin layer of pink. Tang Zhou’s hand landed on his ass from time to time, making it jiggle with crisp smack smack sounds. His hole clenched around the cock pistoning inside, tightening with each spank.

“Baby, you suck me in so well.” Tang Zhou murmured against his shoulder, lips dragging up to his earlobe. The smooth skin along his neck was covered in hickeys, each one deepened by time. The sight made Tang Zhou burn hotter, his thrusts turning fierce.

“Ahh… mm…” The moans took on a sweet, slutty edge. He Ziwei clung to Tang Zhou’s arm like a boat in a storm, overwhelmed and sobbing. “Nngh… I’m gonna come…” His cock twitched a few times and released. His hole clenched up as his body went limp in Tang Zhou’s arms, tossed under wave after crashing wave.

Once the storm passed, Tang Zhou pulled out his softening cock and tied off the condom, tossing it into the trash by the bed. He Ziwei lay on his side, still lazy and dazed, cheeks flushed and ears faintly pink. Tang Zhou rolled him over and hugged him chest-to-chest. He Ziwei let him, limp and unwilling to move. Tang Zhou kissed the corner of his lips and guided his head onto his shoulder, letting his chin rest right against He Ziwei’s hairline.

“Tell me. What’s going on with you today?”

“Mm?” He Ziwei didn’t want to talk. It took him a while to give a vague, muffled hum.

“You’re all over me tonight. That means you’re feeling insecure.” Tang Zhou stroked the bare skin on his back, voice low and gentle as he coaxed him. “I dote on you like crazy every day. What’s got you spiraling again, hmm?”

He Ziwei went quiet. He hadn’t expected Tang Zhou to notice so much, more than even he realized himself. Every time he got clingy, it was like he was trying to confirm something. To confirm that this person beside him still belonged to him. Suddenly, his nose stung.

After a long pause, he lifted his head, eyes red and watery. “I thought about my dad today.”

Tang Zhou froze. He had figured out back in sophomore year that He Ziwei was from a single-parent household. He always said “Mom” on the phone, never “Dad.” Later, during a dorm chat about parents, his guess was confirmed. After they got together, the topic of family had become somewhat taboo. Neither of them ever brought it up again.

“My dad died of a heart attack when I was ten. They couldn’t save him.” He Ziwei trembled a little in his arms, voice soft and tinged with tears. Tang Zhou held him tighter and murmured, “It’s okay now, baby. That’s all in the past.”

“I fucking hate you,” He Ziwei muttered, shifting his face into Tang Zhou’s neck. After a pause, he spoke again. “When we moved in freshman year, the first thing I saw walking into the dorm was your family. And the first thing you said to me was, ‘Your dad didn’t come with you?’ So fucking annoying.”

Tang Zhou blinked at the accusation. He’d probably just said it casually and forgotten it years ago, but He Ziwei had held onto that grudge all this time.

“You think I’m petty, don’t you?” He Ziwei lifted his head and glared at him when he didn’t respond.

“No, I’m the annoying one,” Tang Zhou said, kissing the corner of his eye to coax him. “Don’t be mad, baby.”

He Ziwei huffed. “I remember every shitty thing you’ve done.”

“Good. You better remember every one of them.” Tang Zhou leaned in close and chuckled by his ear. “That way, your whole heart will be filled with me.”

“Shameless,” He Ziwei muttered, but he was laughing now. His face turned red as he punched Tang Zhou twice.

“As long as I get to have you,” came the utterly shameless reply, and just like that, the heavy mood was gone.

“Go to sleep, baby.” Tang Zhou reached out and switched off the bedside lamp. In the darkness, they held each other face to face. After a while, He Ziwei whispered softly, “If you ever stopped liking me, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“I never will,” Tang Zhou murmured, kissing his lips. “I’ll always be right here, baby.”

He Ziwei hugged him tighter. Their tangled bodies melted into the darkness, waiting to embrace the next morning.