Venom

《 Thirty 》

Yifan was at his limits. He felt restless and angry. The shorter man was driving him crazy. Two weeks had passed without a single word exchanged between them. Lorenzo spent most of his days at work and when he would come back, he would hang out with Jia in the garden or take Zhen and Maelin out to spend time with them. The elder wouldn't even look at his husband. Every night when it was time to sleep, the smaller man would be fast asleep when Yifan would walk out of the bathroom after showering. Lorenzo had slept with a barrier of large pillows between them. In the mornings, the elder would be gone before Yifan could even wake up.

These two weeks felt like the worst days of Yifan's life. The younger man felt bored without Lorenzo's presence. Yifan was getting restless. It was early morning when he awoke. The tiger sat up and saw his silent lover sitting on the chair in front of the vanity. Lorenzo was dressed in a red shirt and black trousers. He was styling his hair and the man flinched when he heard the bed creak. The elder felt his blood run cold as he felt a heavy gaze on him.

Their eyes met and Lorenzo looked away quickly. He wore his shoes and left the bedroom. Yifan sighed in frustration and got out of bed. The man used the bathroom and got ready for work. He went downstairs and ate breakfast with his family. Lorenzo sat next to his sister and his gaze never met his eyes. Not having much appetite, the tiger left his food unfinished. He didn't notice Lorenzo's worried gaze on him.

Yifan left the house and drove to work. When the tiger reached, he noticed Kevin wasn't there again. It had been two days since his friend hadn't shown up. That wasn't normal. Nico walked over to him in the locker room with worry in his green eyes.

"Something is wrong with Kevin." The green-haired man said.

Yifan raised a brow. "What happened?"

"He fell in love with a silly girl who played his heart. It's her wedding today and he's been down since last week. Now, he's not coming to work. I tried to call him but he's not picking up." Nico said.

Yifan felt his fists tighten and he took a deep breath. "We'll meet him later."

A few hours passed with them working on vehicles. The two men finished work early and changed back into their regular clothes. Yifan's vehicle pulled out of the parking lot and Nico's yellow Mustang followed. Their friend lived twenty minutes away from the shop. Their vehicles pulled into an apartment complex and they left them in the visitor parking lot. They entered the main gates with the spare key Kevin had given them for emergencies. The two men walked through a path filled with bushes and several doors lined up neatly. They reached a familiar door number and knocked.

No one answered and Yifan pulled out his phone. He dialed Kevin's number but no one answered. Having no choice, they used a duplicate key that Nico had on him. They entered a small living room to see broken furniture and empty bottles of alcohol. The whole place was a mess. Nico closed the door behind him and they saw the conditions of the place. Old food wrappers were thrown on the floor, mixed with dirt. There was a bad smell in the air and dirty dishes in the kitchen. The two entered the main bedroom and saw their friend, Kevin. Nico set a hand on Yifan's shoulder as the tiger stared at his friend.

Kevin looked up with pain evident in his bloodshot eyes. "Guys? What are you both doing here?"

This room was also a mess. The silent man sat on the floor around old pictures scattered around him. He was dressed in shorts and a ripped black shirt. His hands were filled with bruises and knuckles that held dried blood. Tears were falling from his eyes that held heavy dark circles. His hand held a picture of a woman who was smiling. The woman that had broken his heart.

Yifan walked forward and kneeled before the taller man. The tiger set a hand on Kevin's shoulder and the man burst out crying. He threw his muscular body on the younger man who hugged him tightly. Kevin sobbed brokenly in his younger brother's arms. Nico came closer and rubbed the man's trembling back as tears filled his green eyes.

"You idiot." The green-haired man scolded. His heart broke at the sound of his best friend crying. "She doesn't deserve an angel like you. Why did you make a mess of yourself?"

Yifan held Kevin until his sobs decreased. The tiger pulled away and wiped away his friend's tears. "What time is her wedding?"

"Forget it, Fan." The older man said but Yifan shook his head.

"Time?" He asked again.

It was Nico who answered. "Five."

"Nico, get him ready." The younger man said and Kevin shook his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's see her one last time." The green-haired man said while helping Kevin up.

"I don't want to." His friend lied.

Yifan set a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "If you stay silent today, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Yifan nodded at Nico who dragged Kevin to the bathroom. The tiger went back to the living room and took off his jacket. He took off his shoes and grabbed spare slides from the shoe rack. Yifan went to the kitchen and grabbed garbage bags, cleaning wipes, air freshener, and other cleaning supplies. He wore a pair of gloves and opened the curtains and windows to let in fresh air. The man picked up all the glass bottles and stored them in a plastic bag. He picked up used napkins and wrappers and filled them in another bag. He threw out a broken wooden table and shattered vases. Yifan dusted the dirty areas and used cleaning wipes on the TV and the end table next to it. He did the same steps in the messy kitchen and bedroom. Nico helped him clean the bedroom as they waited for Kevin to finish showering.

Thirty minutes later, the whole place was clean and there was a fresh scent of lilies everywhere. Nico had gone to a store nearby and came back with fresh groceries and fruits. The man stocked up the fridge as Yifan stood in the living room. He ordered a new coffee table and flower vases, knowing Kevin loved to keep flowers in his home.

As Yifan sat in the living room, Nico went to check on Kevin. He entered the bedroom to see the tall man walking out of the bathroom. There was a towel wrapped around his lower body and his upper body was on display. The shorter man felt his throat run dry at the sight of his friend.

The taller man's washed hair was half-wet and fell around his sharp jaw. There was a few drops of water running down his hard abs, down to his v-line. Nico tried not to look further down. Kevin looked much better now. He looked normal. His handsome face was clean and his black eyes stared at Nico who stood frozen. His heart was racing for some reason.

"You good?" The hot man's deep voice asked and Nico almost fell to the ground.

"Y-Yeah." The green-haired man cleared his throat and walked over to the man's closet.

Nico picked out an outfit for the silent man and handed it to him. "Get dressed and c-come to the living room."

He said with a shaky voice. Nico walked out of the room with a pale face and heavy breathing. He closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. The man went to the living room and sat down next to Yifan. The younger man looked up from his phone and raised a brow at Nico.

"He's almost done." The older man said and Yifan nodded.

Ten minutes later, Kevin appeared in a clean black suit. Yifan decided to take a quick shower before leaving, feeling sweaty after cleaning. Kevin and Nico were left alone again in the living room. The shorter man tried his best not to ogle at the sexy man who sat next to him. Kevin had tied his hair in a bun and the suit was tight around his muscular body. The sleeves of his coat were rolled up and his tattoo peeked out from his arm. Nico opened the first aid kit on the table and pointed at his friend's hands.

"Let me see them." He said.

Kevin held out his hand and Nico grabbed his wrist. He set the heavy hand on his lap and began to clean the wounds. The bigger man observed Nico who had worry on his pretty face. There was a red hue on his cheeks and his eyes were hidden between long black lashes.

"Are you sick?" Kevin asked while pressing a hand on the man's forehead. Nico's hands shook slightly as they wrapped the man's bruises after applying ointment. "You are a bit red."

"I'm okay, Kevin. I was running around a lot today for you, dummy." Nico said while rolling his eyes. He ignored how fast his heart raced. What was happening? Why was he so nervous around Kevin lately?