Social Outcast

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Edited by: Planetes

Fang Zhaomu landed in Seattle at three in the afternoon.

Seattle was raining again. To keep his luggage light, Fang Zhaomu did not bring an umbrella.

Before he had boarded the plane, Andrew had sent him the address of the hotel. Fang Zhaomu had searched it online. That hotel was a little far from the airport, but as he was afraid of getting lost on the public transport, pondering over it, he still decided to take a taxi.

In the taxi, Fang Zhaomu told Andrew, “I’m here.”

Andrew sent him a reply very quickly. “You’re on the way already?”

The taxi moved off, and the scenery outside the window sped past. Andrew’s voice was placid, and Fang Zhaomu could not identify Andrew’s location, nor could he distinguish how Andrew was feeling about it. So he only replied, “Mn”, then yawned.

“If I take a taxi, how long would it take before I arrive?”

Andrew paused before saying, “If there’s no jam, it’ll be about 40 minutes.”

He had sat for too long on the plane. No matter how Fang Zhaomu adjusted his position, he still felt stifled. Cracking the window just a little open for some fresh air, he asked, “What time will you reach the hotel? How would I go up?”

“I’m also on the way back to the hotel,” Andrew said. “I’ve left a keycard with the front desk. You just have to let them know my room number, and they’ll give the card to you.”

Fang Zhaomu obediently agreed, then asked Andrew again, “How long do you need before you’ll reach?”

“I’m not sure. You should take the card and head up directly.”

Fang Zhaomu told him he understood, and after hanging up, he stared unseeingly at the scenery outside.

When he reached the hotel, following Andrew’s instructions, Fang Zhaomu went to the front desk. The staff immediately understood when Fang Zhaomu told her the room number, and without asking any further, she gave him a keycard.

As Fang Zhaomu headed to the lifts, he looked around at his surroundings. He thought that Andrew must be very competent at work, if not his company would not have provided him with such a luxurious hotel for him to stay at.

In the lift, he sent Andrew a message, saying that he was on the way up. Andrew was staying on the 28th floor, and the lift was so fast that he reached very quickly. Yet to receive Andrew’s reply, Fang Zhaomu cautiously pulled his luggage along and found the room. Unlocking the door, he opened it.

Beyond the door was darkness. Fang Zhaomu stepped inside, and the door closed behind him. He could not see anything.

Fang Zhaomu was afraid of the dark, and he also did not know if Andrew was there. Nervousness crept up upon him, and he did not dare to take a step further, even wanting to open the door and run away instead.

Towards the complete darkness, he called out softly. “Andrew?”

After a while, no one responded. Fang Zhaomu gave a small sigh of relief, thinking that Andrew must not be back yet. He stretched his hand up, about to fumble for the light switch, and suddenly heard a voice he was very familiar with near him. “Xiaomu.”

This was the first time Fang Zhaomu had directly heard Andrew’s voice, and his heart instantly sped up.

Andrew’s voice was a lot more solid than listening to it through the phone. Just by hearing “Xiaomu”, Fang Zhaomu could imagine how Andrew was standing there. He did not know how much taller than him Andrew was, as it could not be seen from the photos.

“Why didn’t you switch on the lights?” Fang Zhaomu hesitantly released his luggage and walked in with his hand against the wall.

“I don’t want to scare you.” Andrew’s voice was a little closer. From what Fang Zhaomu saw of the room just now with the door open, Andrew should be standing at the end of the doorway.

“Why would I be scared?” Andrew sounded very earnest, and Fang Zhaomu laughed hearing him. He comforted Andrew, “You’re exaggerating. I’m very daring, I won’t be so easily scared off.”

He took another step, groping his way through the dark. When he suddenly caught a person’s arm, he then realised that Andrew had actually been so close.

Fang Zhaomu let go, but his hand was now instead caught by Andrew.

“You’re very daring?” Andrew asked him.

Fang Zhaomu could hear the amusement in Andrew’s question, and so blustered, “What do you mean? Say it clearly.”

Andrew did not speak, and only laughed.

In a dark room, a person’s senses would be heightened. Andrew had only gripped his wrist with a little strength, and it was enough for Fang Zhaomu’s mouth to turn dry. He was afraid that if his heart beat any harder, Andrew would be able to hear it. In the air tinged with a light incense fragrance, Fang Zhaomu suddenly felt that the room was filled with underlying ambiguity that was slowly heating up. Fang Zhaomu did not dare to move, but Andrew moved.

Holding onto Fang Zhaomu’s wrist, he gave a tug, and pulled Fang Zhaomu into his arms.

Andrew was a lot taller than Fang Zhaomu had imagined. He hugged Fang Zhaomu, and Fang Zhaomu’s hand was on Andrew’s chest. Through a thin t-shirt, he could feel his firm muscles.

“Andrew…” Fang Zhaomu called him, then did not know how to continue. He looked up, his lips brushing past Andrew’s chin, and Andrew seemed to unconsciously leaned back a little.

Fang Zhaomu was taken aback, and pushed Andrew. “Forget about the fact that you didn’t turn on the lights, why are you hiding?”

“I’m not.” Andrew denied.

His hand was on Fang Zhaomu’s back, a very gentlemanly way of hugging him.

Fang Zhaomu again pushed him lightly, and Andrew released him.

“I finally know why you wanted to download the dating app,” Fang Zhaomu leaned into Andrew’s body again. He raised his chin, tracing Andrew’s stubble, and accurately pressed into his lips before moving apart, then grumbled, “Because you don’t know how to take the initiative at all.”

In the next second, Fang Zhaomu could not say a word anymore. Andrew held onto Fang Zhaomu, and lowered his head.

Fang Zhaomu’s shoulders were tightly held by Andrew, his lips and tongue fiercely occupied by Andrew, and he almost could not breath. Andrew kissed him like he wanted to devour him, and the passionate sound of kissing filled the room. Fang Zhaomu’s legs weakened, he was about to slide down the wall. Only by holding onto Andrew’s arms did he barely manage to stand.

Andrew registered Fang Zhaomu’s unsteady feet, and moved back a little. “I’ll carry you over to a seat?”

Hugging Andrew, it took Fang Zhaomu sometime before he responded. “Mn.”

Andrew lifted Fang Zhaomu up in a princess carry, and took a few steps before placing him down on something very soft. Fang Zhaomu reached out to touch his seat, and asked, “Are we on the bed?”

“Yes.”

“Are we still keeping the lights off?” Fang Zhaomu asked. “Don’t you want to see me?”

“I don’t want to scare you.” Andrew repeated.

When Fang Zhaomu heard this, he wondered if Andrew’s face had some disability, or an even bigger problem. His heart ached a little for him, and so he said, “It’s fine if we leave them off then. It doesn’t matter.”

Fang Zhaomu reached out and tugged at Andrew’s clothes. “Come over then. It should be fine if I touch you, right?”

Andrew leaned over, kissing Fang Zhaomu’s lips haphazardly. He grabbed Fang Zhaomu’s hand and placed it on his face.

Fang Zhaomu lightly dragged his hand down Andrew’s face. “Mn, your eyebrows are very nice.”

A second, and Fang Zhaomu leaned in to kiss Andrew’s brows, then touched his brow bone and eyes. “Your features are very defined.”

He then kissed his eyes, and touched his nose and face. Andrew’s nose bridge was very high. Although he could not see it, Fang Zhaomu felt that he could not be ugly, and so intimately kissed the tip of Andrew’s nose. “Your nose is very sharp too.”

Finally, it was his lips. Fang Zhaomu pressed on his lower lip, and then replaced his fingers with his own lips. He pecked him lightly, and felt Andrew’s warmth and his breaths. He concluded, “They’re all very nice.”

“Are they?” With a low voice, Andrew pressed against Fang Zhaomu’s back, pushing him to sit on him.

“Yes, they are,” Fang Zhaomu said. “Actually, I’m also not much to look at. When you see me, you might be disappointed as well.”

“I won’t.” Andrew responded.

His embrace was very warm, and when he spoke, his lips were plastered to Fang Zhaomu’s ear. “I know that you’re very good looking.”

“But you can’t always keep the lights off.” Fang Zhaomu said helplessly.

Andrew rested his head on Fang Zhaomu’s shoulder. After a moment, he spoke up. “Let me hug you for awhile more.”

“Why are you behaving like we’re about to be parted forever?” Fang Zhaomu laughed. “Then we’ll just keep the lights off for now.”

Andrew grasped around for Fang Zhaomu’s hands, and held them tightly, seeming as though he was feeling insecure. Fang Zhaomu lost his rationality. He leaned over next to Andrew’s ear and asked him, “Or shall we… do it before we turn on the lights?”