Morning Kiss

Duan Xu asked, "What do you want to call me?"

"Do you have a nickname?" Shen Yanlang tightened his grip on Duan Xu's hand.

His hand is so soft.

Duan Xu lowered his head to look at their clasped hands. "Xuxu is my nickname."

Shen Yanlang's hand was large, with distinct knuckles and long fingers, just enough to completely envelop Duan Xu's hand.

"Then should I call you baby?" Shen Yanlang said, lifting Duan Xu's hand and lightly kissing it.

Duan Xu's heart tightened, and he said embarrassedly, "No, that's way too cheesy."

Shen Yanlang chuckled softly and ruffled Duan Xu's hair. "Then we'll talk about it later."

Once we're married, I'll just call him my wife, and Xuxu can call me husband.

Duan Xu silently flushed, looking away as he said, "It's getting late. We should rest."

"Okay."

After turning off the television, Duan Xu led Shen Yanlang upstairs and stopped before the guest room. "You can sleep here. There's a private bathroom inside, and there are new toiletries in the cabinet."

Shen Yanlang stood in the doorway without moving. "Xuxu, we're already boyfriends, and you're still making me sleep in the guest room?"

"Then what else?" Duan Xu huffed. "Listen, stop always thinking about those things. We're still young."

Shen Yanlang found that amusing. "Young? Xuxu, we're both adults. How are we young?"

"And besides..." Shen Yanlang deliberately paused, then leaned down slightly and breathed against Duan Xu's ear. "When your heat comes, sooner or later you'll have to... Wouldn't it be better to get used to it in advance?"

We slept holding each other before we even confirmed our relationship. Now that we're boyfriends, why would I sleep in the guest room?

The temperature in Duan Xu's face rose again. Stubbornly, he said, "I can go to the hospital for suppressants and isolate myself."

Shen Yanlang raised a brow, pinned him against the wall, and leaned closer. "Do you think I'd let you go to the hospital?"

Duan Xu looked away, his heartbeat uncontrollably speeding up, his words becoming clumsy. "You... you can't act like a hooligan..."

"Xuxu." Shen Yanlang lightly kissed Duan Xu's lips. "Being intimate with your boyfriend isn't acting like a hooligan."

Ah! He actually couldn't refute that!

In the end, under Shen Yanlang's affectionate gaze, Duan Xu was so charmed that he nodded and agreed to sleep with Shen Yanlang.

It wasn't until they entered the room that Duan Xu suddenly came to his senses. He immediately despised himself, then turned to Shen Yanlang with an imperious look. "We agreed that you can't do anything else. Otherwise, I'll kick you out and make you sleep on the street."

Shen Yanlang froze for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Mm, I'll listen to Xuxu."

I do want to do something a little excessive, but... I should save it for his heat.

Duan Xu: "..."

Not human. He really wasn't human! Always thinking about his heat, hmph!

Come to think of it, when would his first heat arrive?

Duan Xu had never experienced a heat before, so he had no idea how intense it could be. He took it for granted and was even rather curious. Only after truly experiencing one did he learn how torturous it was.

While Duan Xu went to wash up, Shen Yanlang went out again and brought in the backpack he had left in the car. It contained pajamas and clean underwear.

Duan Xu spotted it the moment he came out, wearing an expression that said, "You planned this all along." "Why didn't you bring it in with you earlier?"

Shen Yanlang found his expression adorable and smiled. "What if you made me sleep at a hotel?"

Heh! Duan Xu didn't believe him!

Even if he really had told Shen Yanlang to stay at a hotel, Shen Yanlang would have found some way to remain here!

Duan Xu gave a soft huff and walked over to sit on the bed. "Go wash up. It's almost one."

"Okay." Shen Yanlang took his pajamas into the bathroom.

Duan Xu's excitement had faded by then. The moment he lay down, he became unbearably sleepy. After yawning, he glanced toward the bathroom and mumbled softly, "Brother Yan, I'm going to sleep first..."

Then he fell asleep.

When Shen Yanlang came out, he was wearing only sleep pants, his upper body bare and revealing eight sculpted abs. His muscles were firm, his lines smooth, and droplets of water slid down his body. Any omega would have drooled at the sight.

He had deliberately come out half-dressed, intending to show off his physique. Yet when he looked over, Duan Xu was already sound asleep. His performance had gone entirely unseen.

Shen Yanlang clicked his tongue, quickly put on his pajamas, went around to the other side of the bed, turned off the light, and climbed in.

The slight movement didn't wake Duan Xu. Shen Yanlang moved closer and gathered him into his arms, letting out a satisfied sigh before he couldn't help sniffing Duan Xu's pheromones.

Duan Xu had put on a fresh scent-blocking patch again when Shen Yanlang went into the bathroom, afraid that if they slept holding each other, things might get out of hand.

As a result, Shen Yanlang could only smell a faint jasmine fragrance now. It was the scent Duan Xu had left in the room earlier; there was barely any scent on him himself.

"You guard against your boyfriend as if he's a wolf." Shen Yanlang chuckled.

Still, he knew that his previous bouts of hooligan behavior had frightened Duan Xu.

Shen Yanlang didn't put on a scent-blocking patch either, nor did he deliberately release pheromones, lest he accidentally trigger Duan Xu's heat. After all, this wasn't exactly a good time.

Holding Duan Xu, he thought about many things—about the present and the future. Only after he had thought enough did he slowly fall asleep.

The winter sunlight was warm as it streamed through the window and spilled into the room, adding a touch of warmth to it.

Duan Xu was awakened by a ringing sound. He reached out and fumbled across the bedside table until he finally found his phone. One glance showed that Qiu Shan was calling.

"Hello, Mom." Duan Xu answered the phone groggily.

Qiu Shan's voice came through the receiver. "Xuxu, are you up?"

"Not yet." Duan Xu kept his eyes closed and rubbed his head against what he thought was his pillow, only to realize it was Shen Yanlang. He instantly woke up.

Shen Yanlang had woken up too, but he didn't move as he held Duan Xu. Knowing that Duan Xu was speaking with his mother, he listened quietly.

"Ah, it's like this. Mom still has to be busy for a few more days, so I probably won't be back until the seventh or eighth day of the New Year," Qiu Shan said. "Tell that future boyfriend of yours that we'll need to reschedule."

Future boyfriend?

Duan Xu glanced at Shen Yanlang beside him, his toes curling instinctively. "Ah, got it. You two focus on your work. Don't worry about me."

"Alright. Take good care of yourself, especially during your heat. And watch what you eat too—don't eat too many snacks," Qiu Shan reminded him.

Duan Xu murmured his agreement, and not long after, he hung up.

"Future boyfriend?" Shen Yanlang asked, stroking Duan Xu's chin.

Duan Xu held his wrist and said quietly, "Well, before yesterday, you were my future boyfriend."

"Hehe... That's true." Shen Yanlang let go, but he leaned closer, deliberately lowering his voice. "Then, boyfriend, do you want a good morning kiss?"

Duan Xu's breathing hitched, his heart sped up, and his face flushed, but he answered honestly, "I do—mm..."

The moment he said it, Shen Yanlang kissed him.

This good morning kiss was especially heart-stirring, because Duan Xu could feel Shen Yanlang's gentleness and affection, nearly enough to drown him.

When the kiss ended, the corners of Duan Xu's eyes were red, his gaze glistening with moisture, and his whole body felt melted, limp and soft.