Four Hearts, One Home

Chapter 6

"Xiao Zhan" Wang Yibo called. He was a little surprised at how much he liked the name coming out from his mouth with so much familiarity.

"Yes, Sir" The young man responded with no confidence at all.

"Call me Yibo. Wang Yibo. " He asserted hovering the steering wheel and he wondered whether he was too drunk to even allow an intern to call him by his name and not use honorifics. But quickly the younger man chuckled softly  saying, "You're my boss. I can't just call you by your name. I think you're too drunk, sir."

On hearing that, an endearing smile plastered across his face. "What if I just want to know you better?" He asked and briefly the young man went quiet. Yibo doesn't seem to know why he was eager  about this man but he was having fun in making him awkward.

"Sir... "

"Wang Yibo. Call me Yibo"

"Alright, alright, Wang Yibo" The younger man, Zhan called his name out for the first time and it puckered his mind. "Why do you want me to call you by your name?" Zhan asked.

"Because you're cute"

"Huh!?" Xiao Zhan's jaw dropped. Obviously, he seemed to be taken aback  by his straight forwardness. Even Yibo couldn't believe in himself and his mouth but as the saying goes; Wang Yibo was someone who does everything in his mind as long as he knows it was safe. Besides, in his head, he felt that if he kept Xiao Zhan close, his affair with Jane will never be open in the air.

Moreover, he found joy in teasing Zhan. Or may be, he was just very drunk for the night.

"Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?" Yibo proposed again knowing the other man was uncomfortable.

He then heard Zhan sighed aloud and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the younger man roll down the windows by his side.

"Wang Yibo, Wang Yibo, aren't you too frivolous?" Zhan asked which surprised him mildly. He expected the younger man to just shy away but in fact he noticed that Zhan had a spine to stand up for himself. "Are you always this friendly with everyone?" Zhan asked.

"Just with you...you'd be surprised that you're the only person to have sit beside me in this car. So you can consider that I'm treating you differently." Yibo replied and it was not a lie. He didn't know why but with Zhan, he was ready to break his own set of rules which was; the cold boss.

"Am I that attractive?" Zhan flashed a  bright smile at him while asking and it made Yibo's heart glow. He loved a bold man.

"Attractive? More like cute and clumsy but appealing enough to my eyes. "

"Wang Yibo, are you by any chance hitting on me?" asked Xiao Zhan.

"Will that be a problem if I say yes?" Yibo slyly smiled.

"Wang Yibo..."

"If you keep calling my name like this, I'd soon make you scream out my name in bed." He said parking the car and enjoyed looking at the young man twisting his beautiful face in embarrassment.

Zhan could not believe his ears. He blink a couple of times to actually verify that he was with his own boss. He had heard so much about his 'cold boss' in magazines and among his colleagues but the Wang Yibo he knows, appeared nothing close to what he had heard. Never in his wildest dream did he expected his boss to be a Cassanova. First, his intimacy with Jane and now he was courting him, a man! He was not just courting, he was talking about 'bed' and it made him aware that his boss was a player and more importantly, bisexual?

Zhan noticed the car was parked exactly where he wanted to, outside his place. It seemed Wang Yibo indeed had a good memory on his own despite being drunk.

"I hope you won't be embarrass to see me tomorrow, Sir". Zhan teased and creaked open his door and suddenly he felt his wrist grabbed tightly. " Call me 'Sir' when in office." followed next.

Zhan smiled feeling victorious. He loved how quickly his boss turned serious and worried at the mention of 'office'. "Hmm... Good night". He agreed and left for his apartment.

***

Meanwhile, about a hundred metres away, Mew parked the car outside Gulf's apartment which was a three storied building and looked as though more than six families were sharing the apartment.

He felt weird that it was the second time he was driving Gulf home consecutively but under two very different circumstances. He remembered how quiet Gulf was, the previous night when he dropped him off. Until now, the thought that he was hurting him didn't cross his mind. But now as he watched his drunken state wheeze slowly in the front seat, he wondered what the young man actually wanted.

He took the apartment key from Gulf's front pockets and quickly carried him inside the apartment. It was awkward because he could feel that Gulf's neighbors were looking at them like it was a good show. Besides, it was too early for people to get drunk. Still, even though Gulf was neither his friend nor his lover, he couldn't bear to just leave him unattended. After all, he felt like he owed him.

On entering the room, he made the unconscious Gulf lie down on the couch, switched on the light and skimmed the room. It was cozy, all painted with white and small glass windows along with a bathroom attached to it. The room didn't consist of anything luxurious assets but enough to survive.

He relaxed for a moment in the couch, while waiting for the water in the heater to heat up. He then took a bucket and mixed the water making it lukewarm.

He took his handkerchief out and soaked it in the water while gently moving it along Gulf's face and to his nape, hoping that it will relax him.

And it struck him how weirdly he cared about Gulf and how much the young man affected him. Was it because of guilt? Gasping, he quickly took his hands away from Gulf and fixed his eyes at the young man who was sleeping soundly.

Man, aren't you good looking? He observed and exit himself from the room suddenly liking the closeness with Gulf. He wished they could be friends. Will Gulf be okay with it?

He lied down on the couch opposite to the one where Gulf was sleeping and waited for him to wake up. There was a part of him that was curious about how Gulf would react once he sees him in his apartment. Somehow, he just wanted to see Gulf in a normal light, like a friend and with no unwarranted emotion.

And thinking about it, he slept off on the sofa opposite to Gulf's.

Hours later, he woke up. As soon as he woke up, he rounded the corner and flashed towards Gulf who was no where seen on the couch.

Shocked, he woke up, his heart pounding. He looked at the clock; it was nine o'clock. He could not believe he had slept that long but shrugging that off, he looked for Gulf and stopped as soon as he rushed into the washroom. Gulf was there alright but sitting on the wet marble before him was a large pool of vomit, some of it still trailing from his lips. Gulf turned his head towards him, the fluid coating his mouth said one thing, "Water."

Upon hearing that, he dash to the kitchen, took the water and returned as he watched Gulf throw up in the sink. Knowing that Gulf was already too weak, he held him on his forehead and gently poured water on his head.

Moments later, they both came out with wet clothes. He allowed Gulf to lie down back on the couch and took off his wet shoes, and clothes, allowing him to sleep in peace. After which Mew left.

***