Venom

《 Five 》

The tiger offered his arm blankly and Lorenzo held it. His hand wrapped around the firm muscles as he allowed the taller man to lead him down a black marble path. They reached a black door and before Yifan could reach for the keypad to enter the pin, it opened by itself.

"Here goes nothing." The elder whispered while clutching his husband's arm tightly. The taller man stood quiet with confidence in his stance.

As the heavy doors opened, a young girl appeared in their sight. Her thin frame was covered in a dark green dinosaur onesie and she was slightly taller than Lorenzo. A smile formed on her pink lips as her moon-shaped eyes met Yifan's. The teenager was pretty and gave off an adorable vibe. She had short black hair that was put in two ponytails. The girl had a round face with chubby cheeks that Lorenzo wanted to pinch.

"Maelin."

"Brother, you're back!"

The girl hugged Yifan who patted her head lovingly. Maelin pulled away and held her brother's free hand. She looked at the stranger next to her brother and gave him a friendly smile.

"You came with a friend, come in!"

They entered the place and Lorenzo saw a large living room. There was a silver chandelier hanging above three dark red sofas that circled a black glass table. There was a small fireplace mantel and on the ruby-red wall facing the sofas was a large TV screen. Little pots of plants were neatly lined around the place, giving it a homey vibe.

"Zhen! Brother is home!"

Suddenly, another person appeared. It was Yifan's little brother. The boy was a head taller than Lorenzo. His slim body frame was covered in a blue stitch onesie. Zhen had a beautiful smile on his face and his black monolid eyes were filled with happiness as they looked at Yifan. Soft brown locks fell to his round face as he hugged his brother.

"Brother, you're home!" Lorenzo watched Yifan pat his brother's head with a soft smile on his face. This was the first real smile the shorter man had seen on his husband. It looked good on the younger man's face.

"Grandma Jia, brother is here!"

Then, an elderly woman came out of a hallway located behind the sofas. There was a smile on her small face that had small lines of aging. She was short and dressed in a white blouse and black pajamas. Her black hair was put in a neat bun and her facial features were similar to Yifan's but much softer. Even in her old age, she still had the vibe of grace and beauty. The woman handed Zhen a cup of water and looked at Yifan.

"Welcome home, honey." The woman smiled and glanced at Lorenzo who watched the interaction in silence. "Who is this handsome guy you have brought along?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lorenzo Zan." The shorter man shook her hand politely and smiled back.

"Your last name is the same as ours. What a coincidence." The woman giggled.

"Of course it will be the same." Lorenzo smiled. "I have to take my husband's last name after all."

"Husband's last name?" Jia became confused after she heard those words.

"Yes." Lorenzo leaned his head on Yifan's chest.

"Yifan is my husband. We just got married yesterday."

Dead. The whole place went dead silent. So silent that Lorenzo swore he could hear his own racing heart. Zhen choked on his water and Maelin patted his back. Jia's bright smile dropped and she stared at Yifan who wrapped an arm around Lorenzo's waist. The younger man pulled his lover close and gave a nod. His eyes were serious and his face remained blank as always.

"Both of you, sit down and explain yourselves." Her tone was harsh but hidden under it was hurt.

The taller man kept his grip on Lorenzo's waist as he led him to the sofa in the middle. They sat down together and the shorter man laid one hand on Yifan's thigh. In return, the man kept his hand on his side. A fake display of affection. Jia sat down on the right sofa while the two teenagers sat on the left.

"Lorenzo, please tell me the truth." The woman said softly. "How did you and Yifan meet? How is he your husband?"

"I met Yifan a year ago at a restaurant. I was out with some friends and a guy was bothering us and he saved us from him. I chased him from there but he didn't give in at first." Lorenzo smiled lovingly as Yifan leaned back on the sofa. "A few weeks after that incident, I saw your grandson at a seafood market. Some annoying girl was bothering him there so I saved him."

"How did you save my brother?" Maelin asked curiously and the elder man grinned.

"Well, I got jealous and threw a fish at the girl's head as she tried to get his number. She got mad and left fuming." He said with a cat grin.

Zhen began to laugh but one look from his grandma made him silent. Lorenzo cleared his throat as the taller man began to play with his small hand. "I asked for his number but he still ignored me and went his way. I was so heartbroken and decided to let my little crush go. However, fate kept making us cross paths. We met again the next day at a gym. There was a guy that was helping me workout and this time, Yifan approached me."

Lorenzo let out a sweet giggle and covered his face with his free hand, acting shy. Inside, he wanted to kill himself for his cringy acting. However, the show had to go on. He let out a dreamy sigh and leaned onto his husband's shoulder. Yifan's hand twitched on his waist and Lorenzo bit back a whimper at the grip on his sensitive body part.

"He was jealous. I tried to walk away to go workout somewhere else but your grandson didn't let me go. In anger, he confessed that he liked me. We started going out but kept our relationship a secret from everyone. In such a short amount of time, he showed me the meaning of true love. We were there for each other in our hard times and Yifan not once went against whatever I wished. Seven months later, he proposed to me and I said yes. We had a secret wedding a day ago but we don't want to hide it anymore. I'm so sorry for the pain we have caused but I don't want to hide our love from anyone."

"Zhen and Maelin, please go to the garden." The old woman dismissed the teens and the two left the living room. The tension in the air increased.

"Why did you both hide your relationship?" Jia asked and Lorenzo looked at Yifan. "Yifan, you tell me. Why did you hide so much from me?"

"I was afraid." The younger man said. "You wouldn't accept me."

"What type of excuse is that? I've raised you!" The old woman said in a sad tone. Tears welled in her eyes and Lorenzo looked down. He felt ashamed even if it was all an act. "Why did you think I wouldn't accept you? You hid him from me and also hid your wedding from everyone. You didn't even invite me or the kids. Do you know how big of a commitment marriage is?"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm so upset with you. The fact that you thought I would abandon you just because you are gay, hurts me so much. We are family, not strangers living together." Tears fell down her face and Lorenzo felt his heart sink.

"I'm sorry, Grandma Jia." Yifan stood up and kneeled in front of the old woman. "Forgive me."

"I want to talk to Lorenzo alone, go out to the garden with your siblings." She said and Yifan stood up. He glanced at his husband who's eyes begged him to stay. The taller man looked back at his grandma.

"Grandma Jia, don't make us part. If I see Lorenzo with another man, I won't be able to tolerate it." His words reeked with the tone of possession. As if the elder was only his, and no one else on the earth had the right to be with him. His words made the shorter man's heart leap even if they were all lies.

"Yifan, go to your siblings. I have to speak to your lover alone. Please don't disobey my words." His husband left and now Lorenzo was left alone with Jia who watched him in silence. Before she could say a word, the shorter man spoke.

"I know you're hurt we kept our relationship a secret but I love Yifan with all my heart. If you separate us, I won't be able to live. Please don't punish us for our mistake."

"Do you love him that much?" The woman asked. Her eyes were on Lorenzo like a hawk.

"I do. I love him more than I love myself."