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In their first week as a couple, Mo Ran and Chu Wanning easily fall into a natural routine. Every morning, Mo Ran wakes early and prepares a fresh lunch for Chu Wanning. They meet outside Chu Wanning’s apartment, and together they walk out of the complex to the streets below. It’s a fifteen minute walk to Chu Wanning’s workplace—Sisheng Health, a small research company that can only afford to pay Dr. Wanning far less than what he is worth—so Mo Ran walks with him all the way into the front lobby. There, he hands Chu Wanning his carefully packed lunch, offers a “good morning” to the CEO (his adoptive father, coincidentally), and leaves the building to head back home. Sometimes he’ll run into his little step-brother on the way back to their apartment building. Xue Meng works for Sisheng as well, but no way in hell would Mo Ran wait for his fussy little peacock of an apartment-mate to get ready for the day before walking Chu Wanning to work. He doubts that Xue Meng wants to be around them, anyway.
While Chu Wanning works, Mo Ran gets started on his own day. He runs an after-school program in the early afternoon before closing up to head to the gym where he teaches various classes. Usually, he doesn’t return home until late in the evening, so he stops for takeout on the way back to his apartment. He doubles his order now, knowing that Chu Wanning will be needing dinner brought to his doorstep.
They dinner together in one of their dining rooms (usually Mo Ran’s, though he has been making an effort to slowly tidy up Chu Wanning’s space), chat, clean up (Mo Ran does most of this, though Chu Wanning tries to help as much as he can), and wish each other good night as they retire to their own rooms to dream of the other until morning comes.
It’s a comfortable cycle. They don’t have much time together during the week, but they make the most of it. Chu Wanning stops working weekends, to the delight of Xue Zhengyong, so that he can spend more time with Mo Ran outside of work.
One month into their relationship comes the question of sex.
Mo Ran had tried so very hard to be respectful of Chu Wanning. Chu Wanning, that beautiful man who he almost scared off for good with his initial advances. He had been afraid that rushing into intimacy would cause Chu Wanning to close off again, but surprisingly, Chu Wanning responded favorably to his carefully worded proposal.
This weekend, Mo Ran and Chu Wanning will have sex.
Mo Ran will keep it respectful, of course. He won’t do all the unspeakable things he’s wanted to do to his neighbor from the moment he laid eyes on him. At least not right away. He has condoms safely stashed in his room. He will do this properly, safely, respectfully, the way a good and responsible boyfriend should. Chu Wanning deserves nothing less.
The week drags on. On Thursday night, Chu Wanning has to deal with an emergency at work and misses dinner, so Mo Ran bangs his fist on Xue Meng’s door and demands that he help him finish the takeout cooling on his dining table. After dinner, he mopes and whines to Xue Meng over alcohol. Xue Meng eventually screams in disgust that he doesn’t want to hear about Mo Ran’s future sex life with his workplace hero and hurls a novelty throw pillow at his face. It has a disgruntled cat printed on it. Mo Ran thinks it looks a little bit like Chu Wanning and starts tearing up.
~~~
Finally, Friday arrives. Mo Ran has never felt less motivated to be at the gym. Five. Six. Seven o’clock. As soon as he finishes teaching his last class at eight in the evening, he hurriedly gathers his belongings and excuses himself, not even bothering to shower.
Mo Ran gets to the door of the apartment complex at the same time as Chu Wanning, who flushes red at the sight of him. Mo Ran’s heart rate picks up.
It’s time, they both think to themselves.
Well, almost. Chu Wanning needs to shower just as much as Mo Ran does to get the grease and dust of the engineering lab off. Mo Ran scrubs his sweat away, head giddy with anticipation.
Chu Wanning is waiting in Mo Ran’s room, sitting stiffly at the foot of the bed. He’s in light pajamas, fiddling with the bottom of his shirt nervously.
Mo Ran will make that nervousness the last thing on Chu Wanning’s mind.
He starts slow. Sits next to Chu Wanning on the bed and takes his hand, gently talking some of the nerves away. They kiss, and they have kissed before, but this time it feels different. This time, they know it’s only a prelude. Mo Ran guides Chu Wanning to lay fully on the bed. He slips a hand under Chu Wanning’s pajama shirt, rubbing a little before sliding it up and off. It isn’t fair for Mo Ran to be the only one naked, fresh from his bath.
He lets Chu Wanning keep his pants on for a while. Give him that bit of fabric to hide behind until he gets comfortable. Mo Ran takes his time warming Chu Wanning up, until his muscles relax and Mo Ran can feel the tension leave in his breaths. That’s when he pulls away, planting a kiss on the corner of Chu Wanning’s open lips before he slides himself off to reach for the side table drawer.
Mo Ran reaches into the open drawer and grasps—nothing.
Nothing?
Mo Ran cranes his head, peering into the drawer.
Nothing??
There’s nothing in the drawer.
Mo Ran swings himself off the bed, standing in front of the bedside drawer in disbelief.
“Mo Ran?” Chu Wanning asks from his bed. Mo Ran’s dick is so hard, and it only gets harder hearing Chu Wanning’s voice say his name in that breathy tone, but there’s nothing for him to put it in. His drawer, stocked with condoms just earlier that week, is empty.
“Baobei,” he says, voice breaking a little, “I… it looks like I forgot to get condoms.” The pain in his voice is audible. They had been waiting all week for this. Mo Ran had been waiting for this for months. Honestly, Mo Ran would love to stick it in raw, but he wants to be a gentleman! Only the best for his Wanning.
“Oh.” Chu Wanning’s voice gives very little away, but Mo Ran can tell that he sounds disappointed. He hurries to rescue the situation before the mood is completely ruined.
“Don’t worry, Wanning,” Mo Ran purrs, climbing back onto the bed and caging Chu Wanning in with his body. “We can get to that next time. Tonight, why don’t I show you some things we can do with my mouth…”
~~~
The weekend passes. They made some date plans that ran long into the day, and so couldn’t find the time for a second attempt at Friday night’s escapades. It may not have gone as planned, but it was still enough to satisfy them for the time being. With that, the work week begins again.
The first half of the week passes without incident. Thursday is minor chaos. Not only does Chu Wanning make it back late, but Mo Ran has to call Xue Meng to ask him to water his house plants, because he forgot to before leaving the apartment at an unusually early hour. He and Chu Wanning only share a short phone call that evening before falling into their respective beds, exhausted from the day’s work.
Mo Ran goes through his Friday morning routine unhurriedly, and there’s a rare lack of urgency in Chu Wanning’s bearing as they walk to his office. The easy calm lasts through the rest of the day, and Mo Ran’s final class of the evening ends up empty, giving him leave to pack up early and get a head start on the night’s preparations.
Mo Ran tidies his apartment, lighting some candles and fluffing up the pillows on his bed. He has ample time to wash up, cook a light dinner, and prepare ingredients for breakfast before a chime announces Chu Wanning’s presence at the door. Honestly, he would have given Chu Wanning his own key if Xue Meng didn’t already have the only spare.
The pair enjoy a fresh dinner, after which Mo Ran rises and gently guides Chu Wanning to the bedroom. He’s less visibly nervous this time. He relaxes faster under Mo Ran’s touch than he did the last time, and Mo Ran thinks that maybe it’s good that they had one experience already before moving on to penetration.
When their breaths start coming out in gasps, Mo Ran presses a deep kiss into Chu Wanning’s open mouth before sliding off him to roll to the bedside drawer. He reaches a hand out to pull it open and—
It’s empty.
Again.
Mo Ran feels like his eyes are about to fall out of his dumbstruck face. This can’t be happening. He bought a new pack while Chu Wanning was on his business trip. He bought a brand new pack and stowed it away in this very drawer.
So why, now, when he needs it the most, is it empty???
Before he realizes it, Mo Ran lets out a sob. Chu Wanning makes a questioning sound from where he lies naked on Mo Ran’s bed.
“Wanning,” Mo Ran manages, his voice thick with emotion. “Why don’t I show you what I can do with my fingers tonight?”
~~~
Chu Wanning’s body feels pleasantly heavy in the morning. Mo Ran steps through the door the moment he wakes, carrying a tray full of various breakfast foods and drinks. Since he has to leave to teach morning classes at the gym, Mo Ran leaves Chu Wanning with a kiss and his apartment key.
Later, Chu Wanning places the dishes in the sink. Mo Ran asked (begged) him to leave the washing for when he comes home. Chu Wanning tries his best to make the bed before locking up Mo Ran’s apartment and heading to his own to change.
He’s taking a walk around the city when his phone beeps.
Wanning, i have a quick break rn. im gonna pick up some more condoms. wanna try again tonight?
Chu Wanning’s naturally stern face softens into a smile as he types a reply.
Yes, that would be nice. Thank you, Mo Ran.
Truth be told, he had started to wonder if the condom issues were a sign that Mo Ran didn’t actually want to take that next step. He blushed remembering the feeling of Mo Ran’s fingers, but that was a different kind of intimacy.
Honestly, Chu Wanning didn’t mind the idea of Mo Ran forgoing condoms, but he wanted to be respectful of his boyfriend’s wishes. Chu Wanning didn’t know much about sex, but he knew that it was called protection for a reason. He knew it was better to practice safe sex, however much he wanted to just take Mo Ran’s unit in all its raw and unfiltered glory.
Just when Mo Ran was scheduled to come home for dinner, however, an emergency alarm text lit up Chu Wanning’s phone. He sped out of the apartment toward Sisheng Health, apologizing to Mo Ran on the phone about having to deal with a critical malfunctioning freezer unit.
And so Mo Ran spends another Saturday evening moping in his living room with only Xue Meng for company.
On Sunday morning, Chu Wanning unlocks Mo Ran’s apartment door. Mo Ran is awake and preparing breakfast. As the last stove is turned off, Chu Wanning presses himself into Mo Ran, apologizing for the previous night. Mo Ran silences him with a kiss, walking him slowly toward the bedroom.
Chu Wanning steps backwards until his legs touch the base of the bed. He lets himself fall onto the clean sheets. Their clothes pile slowly on the floor as the two melt into each other lazily, their bodies accustomed to each other at this point. As he had the previous times, Mo Ran reaches to open the drawer.
And as he had the previous times, he stares at the empty contents in grief and shock.
“Empty…” he says in a voice just as, well, empty as the drawer.
“Empty?” Chu Wanning repeats.
The pain in his chest is almost unbearable. Week after week of constant betrayal by his traitorous bedside drawer. Filled with sudden resolve, Mo Ran slides it closed and moves to reach for his clothes. “I’m. Going to go to the store.”
Going to the store? The words take a moment for Chu Wanning to comprehend. At the thought of Mo Ran leaving him like this, naked and desperate and wanting, something in Chu Wanning’s frustrated body finally snaps. He grabs Mo Ran by the elbow. Mo Ran spins to face him in surprise.
“Mo Ran. I don’t. Care,” Chu Wanning bites out.
Mo Ran’s eyes peel open wide. “What?”
Chu Wanning’s face is a deep red at this point, but he doesn’t care. “I. Don’t. Care. About the condoms.”
Understanding slowly dawns on Mo Ran’s face, and he feels a rush of blood heading down from his head to a place that needs it more. Much, much more.
“You don’t. Care about the condoms,” Mo Ran repeats, bringing his body closer to Chu Wanning. Chu Wanning shudders and breaks eye contact, nodding slowly. A grin splits Mo Ran’s face.
“Oh, I love you, Wanning,” he says, before descending upon the willing man below him.
~~~
In the darkness of his room, a young man sits with his legs pulled in on his bed. He’s curled in on himself, his hands pressed to his ears, eyes wide and unfocused. Beside him, several packets of unopened condoms. The silence in the room is broken by faint and rhythmic thumping, as well as muffled gasps and moans. At every sound, the young man’s face twitches and he presses the heels of his palms harder into his ears.
I thought… I thought they couldn’t do it if they didn’t have condoms… I made sure they didn’t…. Those lying bastards! What did I steal all of these for, then?!
The young man glares daggers alternately at the pile of condoms and at his phone, which sits at his feet open to a group conversation. It’s full of laugh-crying emojis from two other users with nearly identical profile pictures. Before Xue Meng can snatch up his phone to type up a scathing response, a euphoric scream cuts through his apartment wall, sending his eyes back into traumatized unfocus before he squeezes them shut, as if the loss of his vision could somehow dampen the unmistakable sounds of his cousin and his mentor having wild, unprotected sex.