PD Chapter 37: Aftermath

The narrow space was filled with a strong, pungent smell.

Wen Xunchuan tossed the used tissues into a sealed sensor trash bin, pulled on his pants, buckled his belt, and turned to see He Linzhou still bare-chested, leaning languidly against the cool wall, lost in thought.

He glanced at He Linzhou’s undone fly and teased, “Giving the bird some air?”

He Linzhou snapped back to reality at the sound, looked down, and after a few hasty wipes with some tissues, he stood straight, zipping up and buckling his belt while muttering irritably, “I’m sleeping on a soft bed tonight.”

“Soft beds aren’t good for your back,” Wen Xunchuan commented as he picked up the shirt he had peeled off He Linzhou during their encounter and handed it to him.

He Linzhou took the shirt with a hint of disdain, shaking it out before slipping it on, glancing at Wen Xunchuan disapprovingly, “So, germophobia doesn’t apply when you’re not the one wearing it, huh?”

After buttoning up the few dangling buttons, he opened the restroom door. A waft of sandalwood greeted them, finally dispelling the salty stench that had filled their nostrils in the confined space.

There was a small step at the door which He Linzhou missed in his distraction, nearly stumbling down, but Wen Xunchuan was quick to catch him.

Unapologetically, He Linzhou leaned on him, putting some of his weight on Wen Xunchuan’s shoulder while rubbing his nose, “I need to mention to Chen Si about how cramped this place is.”

Just as he finished speaking, someone entered the restroom. Hearing this, the newcomer paused, looked up, and said, “I might as well move a bed in here for you.”

Seeing it was Chen Si who had walked in, He Linzhou’s arm around Wen Xunchuan’s shoulder tightened suddenly.

Taken aback, Wen Xunchuan looked at him and asked, “What’s up?”

“Weren’t you just complaining about sore legs?” He Linzhou turned to him.

Wen Xunchuan frowned, “When did I—”

He Linzhou squeezed his shoulder and cut him off, “Come on, don’t be shy, Si Ge is not an outsider.”

Chen Si gave a knowing look, patting He Linzhou’s shoulder as he squeezed past, “Mr. He, impressive.”

He Linzhou returned his gaze with a nod, “Let’s go.”

Saying this, he strutted out, gripping Wen Xunchuan’s shoulder with an air of command.

Once they left the bar, He Linzhou’s demeanor deflated, and he slumped against Wen Xunchuan, clutching his lower back and complaining, “Damn, why didn’t you just break my back?”

Wen Xunchuan looked at him, amused and annoyed, and shrugged off He Linzhou’s arm.

He Linzhou frowned and shook his arm, grumbling, “Can’t you be a little supportive? Have a heart for your fuck buddy, will you?”

Wen Xunchuan, pulling out his phone to call a ride-share, replied without looking up, “Sorry, legs are too sore to help.”

…

Back at home, He Linzhou dashed into the bathroom first while Wen Xunchuan, removing his smoke-scented shirt, called out dryly toward the bathroom, “Ever heard of being a gracious guest?”

Peeking from behind the door, He Linzhou shamelessly grinned at him, “Sorry, nope,” and then slammed the door shut.

When Wen Xunchuan finished showering, He Linzhou was already tossing and turning in his bed, having taken up nearly two-thirds of it. Propped up on an elbow, he was absorbed in a mobile game.

As Wen Xunchuan approached, He Linzhou quickly scooted under the covers, peeking out and promising, “I won’t make a peep tonight.”

With a grunt of acknowledgment, Wen Xunchuan turned off the light and climbed into bed.

Surprisingly, He Linzhou was true to his word—perhaps genuinely tired—as Wen Xunchuan soon heard even, steady breathing beside him.

Adjusting his own breathing, he quickly fell asleep too.

In the early morning, Wen Xunchuan woke up to a heavy, pressing sensation at his side. He shifted, trying to relieve the numbness in his limbs, but the embrace from behind tightened.

He Linzhou’s bare chest was pressed against his back, an arm, along with his leg, unapologetically thrown over him, and even more troubling was the hot hardness pressing against him from behind…

Wen Xunchuan elbowed back and turned his head, “Get up.”

He Linzhou, with his prominent nose nuzzling the back of Wen Xunchuan’s neck, mumbled sleepily with a raspy, magnetic morning voice, “Don’t move, tired…”

Wen Xunchuan paused, admittedly struggling to resist the seductive deep voice given his body’s morning condition.

After a moment, he nudged He Linzhou again, “Your hand, it’s numb.”

He Linzhou loosened his grip, and Wen Xunchuan reached for his phone beside the pillow, squinting at the time— “Damn, why didn’t the alarm go off.”

He hastily extricated himself from the clingy embrace and got out of bed to look for clothes in the wardrobe.

He Linzhou propped himself up, rubbing his bleary eyes, and said, “Oh, it did… I think I turned it off this morning…”

Wen Xunchuan took a deep breath, turned to look at him, and said through clenched teeth, “Thanks for that.”