Work Text:
The afternoon was particularly cold that day. The clouds covered the sun as if they didn’t want it to escape or reveal itself.
The office was equally cold and silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the rhythmic typing and occasional sighs from He Cheng. He had been there all morning, working.
Seated in his black leather chair, he was signing documents with his usual frown when a knock on the door interrupted him.
“Come in,” he said, his voice raspy. He didn’t bother to look up.
His younger brother peeked cautiously from behind the door, as if trying not to be noticed.
“What do you want, He Tian?”
He Cheng finally set down his papers and stared at him.
“There’s no need to be rude,” He Tian muttered, rolling his eyes as he stepped inside and sat in the chair across from him.
He Cheng knew there were only two possibilities: either He Tian needed something, or he would simply stay and keep him company.
Even though He Tian would never admit it, he liked spending time with his older brother, even if it meant sitting in silence while he worked. But lately, their time together had become less frequent. He Cheng was always busy with work, and He Tian often went out with friends.
“I need cash.”
He Cheng glanced at him before returning to his paperwork.
“You have a credit card.”
“Yeah, but I want physical cash.”
His older brother looked at him again, this time with a slightly confused expression.
“Why?”
For the first time, something unusual happened. Something He Cheng never thought he’d live long enough to witness. He Tian looked nervous, avoiding eye contact with him. He Tian was the type of kid to say things without a filter. Why on earth would he come to his office nervous like that. More importantly, he looked overall embarrassed. The unusual gesture worried the older brother.
“It's none of your business” He Tian finally spoke with a harsh tone.
“if it's none of my business, why are you asking me then”
He Tian stayed silent, looking anywhere but him. Was he in trouble and too embarrassed to ask?. No, that would be stupid since He asked for help when his bratty red-head friend was in trouble.
“Do you owe someone money?”
“What? no”
A lot of possible answers roam on He Cheng's head but he decided to let his little brother speak before jumping into one.
“You’re either gambling, in trouble, or buying something you don’t want me to know about. Which is it?”
The little brother just kept looking away.
Maybe he was embarrassed to go buy whatever he needed by himself.
“Tell me what you need to buy and I would get it for you then”
“NO” He Tian answered quickly.
The office went silent. It was the first time He Tian had ever raised his voice at him, at least that way. It was so spontaneous that it didn't leave room for He Cheng to react to his attitude.
They both stayed in silence looking at each other, not knowing what the next movement was going to be. It was the first time they saw themselves in this situation.
He Tian finally broke the silence.
“Whatever I'll buy it myself”
And with that said he left the room. Brother Qiu was at the door watching just the end of the scene unfold when He Tian passed him, pushing him aside.
“He Tian be respectful”
The big brother yelled but He Tian only flipped him and kept on walking.
Qiu walked inside the office looking at He Cheng.
“What's wrong with the little boy of the house today?”. Said Qiu in a teasing tone.
He Cheng sighed and massaged his forehead.
“He just came in and asked for cash. I figured since I denied all the options to retire money from his card he was going to ask sooner or later”. He stopped for a second thinking off what just happened “But he acted so strange”
He looked at Qiu, who was standing in front of his desk, staring at him with his usual serious face, though now it seemed a little gentler.
“Well, you know how teenagers are,” Qiu said finally, walking behind him. “You care too much, He Cheng. Just let him be.”
Qiu positioned his hand on his shoulders sensing the tension there. He applied pressure letting He Cheng get used to the touch. The warmth felt nice on his skin, and He Cheng relaxed a bit under it. Qiu kept massaging slowly, working the stress out, and He Cheng let out a quiet sigh.
They have been dating for a year now. But they kept it a secret from everyone, even from his little brother. He Cheng trusts him but you never know, better be safe than sorry.
“Maybe you're right”. Said He Cheng, breaking the quiet comfort that was in the room. “But what does he need cash for? What if he is on drugs?”
His brain started overthinking again. Giving him a small headache. He frowned at the feeling.
Qiu sighed, stopping the massage he was giving him.
“If you’re so worried, just check what he’s buying with the card. You own the account, so you can see it all.”
He walked in front of him and handed him a tablet.
He Cheng looked between Qiu and the tablet. He knew this was a violation to his little brother's privacy, and that sometimes it was better to not look for things you know you’re going to find. But isn't this what big brothers do anyways?. They do everything to protect their little brothers. So maybe this wasn't so wrong.
He slowly opened the bank app and logged in He Tian profile, waiting for something new. His last purchase was some sandwiches, the other purchases were delivery food and occasionally cigarettes.
He groaned, annoyed. He had already told He Tian to stop smoking. But as always he never listened to him.
Then the notification went on, he quickly left the tablet on the table, hesitating to watch.
Qiu rolled his eyes and grabbed it.
His eyes went wide and He Cheng snatched the tablet from his hands, concerned at his reaction.
“Well at least it is not drugs or some porn subscription”. He said awkwardly with a grin.
He Cheng looked at the notification and his eyes widened as well.
Lurex Condoms Large, Water based lube $15,76 - pharmacy J
He slowly left the tablet on the desk again.
Both of them left in an unreadable silence that Qiu decided to interrupt.
“Come on, He Cheng. He’s seventeen. What did you expect? He’s growing up.”
Qiu’s voice cut through He Cheng’s thoughts, but it did little to calm the frustration boiling inside him.
He stood abruptly, grabbing his jacket with sharp, deliberate movements. He was taking He Tian back to the office. They needed to talk.
“So that means he’s just going to go around having sex?” His voice was clipped, his temper barely restrained. “He’s seventeen, Qiu. That’s exactly why I’m worried.”
Qiu followed him as he stormed toward the door.
“Where are we going?”
“To pick him up before he does something stupid.”
But before He Cheng could reach the door, Qiu stepped in front of it, blocking his way.
“Move.” He Cheng’s voice was low, dangerous.
Qiu didn’t budge. “He Cheng, let him figure things out on his own. You can’t protect him forever, especially from this.”
His words hung heavy between them, but He Cheng wasn’t in the mood for reason.
Qiu’s stance relaxed slightly, but his eyes stayed locked on He Cheng’s. “Would you have wanted your dad to talk to you about sex?”
His jaw tensed. “I didn’t have one around,” he muttered, “and that’s exactly why I made bad choices.”
He moved to push past Qiu, but Qiu caught his arm, holding him in place.
He Cheng let out a slow, irritated breath. His patience was running thin. “I swear, if you don’t move, I’ll break your nose.”
Neither of them moved. The air between them crackled with tension. Qiu wasn’t backing down, and He Cheng wasn’t about to let him win.
Then, in a quieter voice, Qiu said, “He Cheng, he’s being safe.”
It was a simple statement, but something about the way Qiu said it, steady, reassuring, made He Cheng pause.
His glare faltered for just a second as he met Qiu’s gaze. And in that second, he saw what Qiu was really saying: It’s okay. He’s okay.
He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. He hated how Qiu always knew exactly what to say to make him hesitate.
Maybe he was right. Maybe He Tian was old enough to handle this on his own.
And if he barged in now, like some overbearing parent, He Tian would never let him hear the end of it.
With a frustrated sigh, He Cheng took a step back.
“Fine.”
Qiu finally moved away from the door, a small, knowing smile playing at his lips. He Cheng rolled his eyes when he caught the look.
“Whatever. I’m starving,” he muttered. “I’ve been stuck in that office all day. Grab my phone. I left it on my desk.”
Qiu nodded, heading toward the desk. He was glad He Cheng decided to stay. He Cheng was ridiculously overprotective when it came to He Tian. Even though he looked serious, he was always thinking of what was best for him and would do anything to keep him safe. Qiu found it kind of cute, if you asked him.
But when he reached the desk, the phone wasn’t there. Frowning, he turned back.
“Hey, it’s not—”
He Cheng was gone.
Qiu cursed under his breath and sank into the chair, shaking his head.
Of course. He should’ve known better.
He Cheng sat in his car, eyes locked on the glowing dot on his phone screen. He Tian’s location led him to a small playground in the middle of a park.
Without a second thought, he pulled over, turned off the engine, and stepped out.
It didn’t take long to spot his brother. He Tian was sitting on the swings, his body relaxed as he talked to someone beside him. The other person, a girl, was bundled up in an oversized jacket and a hat that obscured most of her face.
He Cheng took a step forward, then hesitated.
What the hell am I doing?
The realization hit him like a slap. He had tracked his brother’s phone to cock block him. Like some paranoid parent.
With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, forcing himself to think. Maybe Qiu had a point. Maybe he did need to give He Tian some space. From a distance, they weren’t doing anything wrong. Just sitting and talking. Well now they were a little bit closer, but that was fine too. But then….He Tian leaned in, and… now THEY WERE KISSING.
He Cheng’s fingers twitched. His rational side whispered that it was fine. That it was normal. That his brother deserved privacy.
But that whisper was drowned out by the sudden rush of protective instinct.
Before he could stop himself, he was already moving.
His footsteps were deliberate but not loud, and as he approached from behind, he cleared his throat just enough to make his presence known.
He Tian pulled back from the kiss, irritation flashing across his face, until he turned and saw who had interrupted him.
His expression dropped instantly.
The girl, at least what he was guessing , quickly dipped her head, the brim of her hat shielding her face as she stared at the ground.
“We need to go,” He Cheng said flatly, stepping in front of them, trying to get a better look at the girl his brother had been kissing. But He Tian’s companion kept his head down.
He Tian stood abruptly, his body tense with anger. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He Cheng didn’t flinch. He just met his brother’s glare with his usual unreadable expression.
“I came to pick you up. You need to come back to the office.”
He Tian’s eyes narrowed. Confusion flickered in his gaze before his expression hardened into something colder.
His voice was low, firm. “I’m not going.”
He Cheng’s blood boiled with a mix of anger and frustration. His entire day had been nothing but stress, and the disrespect in front of him pushed him to the edge. Without thinking, he raised his hand, ready to strike.
But just as his fist was about to land, someone grabbed his wrist, halting him mid-motion. He whipped his head around, furious and surprised, trying to see who dared to stop him.
His eyes widened in shock when he saw it was the girl, well…not a girl, but a red-haired boy standing in front of him. The person on the swing with He Tian hadn’t been a girl after all. It was another guy.
“Pl-please, big brother, don’t hit him. He’ll go.”
The voice was soft but firm, carrying a calmness that contrasted with the tension in his eyes. The boy couldn’t have been much older than He Tian, maybe even younger. His expression was a mixture of fear and determination, as if he was desperately trying to protect He Tian while battling his own anxiety. There was bravery in his stance, but it was clear that he was terrified at the same time.
For a moment, He Cheng stood frozen, staring at the boy’s face, still gripping his wrist. The anger in his chest was slowly replaced by confusion and hesitation. His hand slowly lowered, and he saw the boy exhale deeply, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
He Cheng was too stunned to speak, he looked back at He Tian but he wasn't looking at him. He was staring at the red headed boy.
“Little Mo is okay, I won't go. I want to eat dinner with you”
Yeah right, dinner. Thought He Cheng, who knew what they were actually going to do.
“Go Tian, it must be important if your big brother came all the way here just to pick you up,” the younger boy said with a calm tone, but his expression remained serious, almost unreadable.
He Tian was about to protest again, to voice his objections, but the boy cut him off before he could speak.
“I’ll tell my mom that something came up. Just go,” he insisted, his words firm but calm.
He Cheng couldn’t help but notice how different the boy seemed. Despite his calm voice, his face was set in an expression of quiet determination, and He Cheng found it hard to read his emotions. There was something oddly familiar about him too, but it took a moment for the realization to hit. Oh, right. He was the bratty friend, the one He Tian had been hanging around with. That explained a lot, He Cheng thought with a small frown.
He Tian gave in reluctantly, nodding. “Okay, I’ll go. Be careful on your way home, little Mo.” He reached out as if to pull the boy into a hug, but Mo took a small step back, a blush coloring his cheeks as he gently pushed He Tian away. His gaze flickered briefly to He Cheng as if looking for confirmation, though He Cheng said nothing.
He Tian raised an eyebrow at the reaction but understood the unspoken message. He stepped back, grinning as he ruffled the boy’s hair.
Mo rolled his eyes, a hint of irritation on his face. “Don’t do that, and don’t call me ‘little Mo.’” He swatted his hand dismissively, his tone bordering on exasperated but with a trace of humor.
He Tian laughed softly, taking it in stride. “Okay, okay, Mo Guanshan. I’ll be going now,” he said with a teasing smile, calling the boy by his full name in a playful manner.
With that said, He Tian turned around and looked at his older brother. The slight smile he had going on and his happy mood turned into an annoyed one when he remembered that He Cheng was there.
He Cheng saw all the scenarios and almost felt bad for interrupting. He soaked it up and started walking to the car with his little brother.
When they got inside the car, He Tian talked.
“What do you want, I was literally just at the office. You could have called me” his tone was harsh. He wanted to let He Cheng know he was angry and didn't want to be there.
He Cheng let out a breath ready to start the awkward conversation.
“Are you two going out?”
He Tian looked at him annoyed.
“No, we are friends no more”
“Well you sure treat your friends very well if you kiss them”
He Tian looked away.
They stayed silent for a bit. He Cheng then noticed the pharmacy bag inside He Tian's jacket.
“Are you sick?”
He Tian turned to look at him confused.
“No, why?”
“What's in the bag then”
He Cheng made a head movement indicating what he was talking about.
He Tian 's eyes widened and hid the bag in his pocket.
“I was having a headache and bought a pill”
He Cheng knew his little brother wasn’t going to tell him the truth right away, and he didn’t want to resort to just yelling at him like their father would. He didn’t want to repeat those mistakes.
He shifted uncomfortably in his car seat, now face to face with He Tian, his gaze steady, locking eyes with his little brother.
“Okay, He Tian. I’m going to ask you two more times,” He Cheng said, trying to keep his voice steady. “You can lie all you want the first time, but you have to tell me the truth the second time.”
Despite his attempt to stay calm, his frown deepened, and his tone came out sharper, angrier than he intended.
“I am telling the truth. We are…” He Tian started, but He Cheng interrupted him before he could finish.
“What’s the deal with that guy? And what’s in the bag?”
He Tian’s posture shifted, unease creeping in. The tension was thick in the air.
“Why are you doing this? Since when do you care about what I do?” He Tian snapped. “This is the most we’ve talked in ages, and now you’re being an absolute idiot. You’re just like—”
He Cheng cut him off, his voice rising. “That was your first chance.”
He Cheng made a conscious effort not to take his brother’s words personally, though they stung. The silence in the car thickened, the atmosphere growing heavier.
He Cheng took a deep breath, deciding to press on. “Now you have a second chance. Tell me the truth.”
He Tian sat there, his expression a mix of nervousness and defiance. He was clearly struggling, torn between avoiding the truth and facing his brother’s demand.
Impatience began to bubble up in He Cheng. He could feel the tension building between them.
“One,” He Cheng said, his voice calm but firm.
He Tian scoffed, a sarcastic laugh escaping his lips. “I’m not eight. Counting doesn’t work on me anymore.”
“Two,” He Cheng said, ignoring his brother’s comment. He leaned in a little, waiting for the response.
He Tian’s face shifted again, nervousness creeping in. “I told you, it’s not going to work,” he muttered, his voice faltering slightly.
“And…” He Cheng was certain this time it would work. He leaned forward even more, ready for the final push.
But before he could finish, He Tian couldn’t take it anymore. His shoulders tensed, his jaw clenched, and with a frustrated breath, he finally snapped.
“OK stop, I bought condoms!”
He yelled and then tossed the bag to his older brother's legs, the content inside visible to everyone's eyes in the car.
They both stared at the box of condoms and then at each other.
He Tian looked away embarrassed.
He Cheng let out a sigh. He tried to think about what he was going to say to him.
“He Tian. . . I know you're growing …up and that means you will get others … urges”
He coughed awkwardly not knowing how to continue.
He Tian groaned and covered his face with the jacket he was wearing.
“Don't please”
“But I want you to know that you don’t have to feel… weird about this. It’s okay,” He Cheng said, his voice softer now. “But you need to be informed. There are a lot of diseases you can catch, and… well, you don’t have to worry about getting someone pregnant in this case, but still—you have to be careful.”
He Tian kept his head down, refusing to look at his older brother.
“It’s just that… people act like sex is only about pleasure, but it’s more than that, He Tian,” He Cheng continued. “And you never actually talk to me, so I don’t know what you’re thinking. I don’t know if you’re making this decision because you’re ready or if it’s just about the moment, which, by the way, is fine too… I just—” He exhaled, realizing he was rambling.
“I just want you to be happy.”
Silence settled between the brothers once again. He Cheng sat there, regretting what he had just said.
“I’m… scared.”
He Tian’s voice was so quiet, so uncertain, that it caught He Cheng off guard.
“Why?” he asked, his tone gentler now.
“I… I know it’s a big step, and that’s what scares me,” He Tian admitted. “What if I get even more attached after this? What if he doesn’t like it? Or worse… what if we go through with it, and then I leave? Will he be hurt? Will he miss me?”
He Cheng understood all the questions, all the emotions behind them. And for the first time in a long while, he felt relieved. He was glad He Tian had finally opened up. As he listened to his little brother, the weight of his worry slowly faded.
He knew he couldn’t fix everything, but at the very least, he could be there to listen. So He Tian wouldn’t have to feel alone, wouldn’t have to be scared of something he should be able to enjoy.
“They do say you get attached to who you had your first time with… it depends on how he sees it too. If you two have a strong bond, it won’t change just because of this. But if you don’t feel ready, it’s okay to wait. There’s no rush, Tian.”
He stopped for a moment thinking of his next words.
“Besides, he likes you. I can see that. Not every guy is man enough to stop me or even touch me”
He heard He Tian softly chuckle from where he was hiding.
“I know you are smart … and I know you'll make the best decision for your happiness. Even if its going with it or not”
He Tian peeked out from under his jacket, then slowly sat up, settling into his seat again. After all, he did need to talk to someone.
In front of Mo and his friends, he was the carefree, sarcastic guy who acted like nothing fazed him.
But in reality, he overthought almost everything. He filled the margins of his school notebooks with his inner thoughts, trying to make sense of them. Writing helped, but it had never felt as good as actually saying them out loud.
“And as for not knowing if he’ll like it. Just ask him what he wants you to do. Simple.”
He Tian immediately cringed at his brother's words.
“Or you can also just play a bit before actually do it, that way you can see where he likes to be touched and etcetera, a little of foreplay”
“OK stop talking”
He Cheng laughed slightly at his little brother's reaction.
“Thanks for telling me, and please don't be angry because I interrupted your date”
“I'm not mad”
He Cheng let out a breath, at least he wasn't hated.
“Besides I know you have a lot of experience in the topic, because of Qiu”
He Tian side eyed him waiting for his brother's reaction.
“Yeah…” Cheng answered calmly.
Then his eyes snapped.
“Since when do you…”
“I… saw you guys kissing…a while ago”
He Cheng looked away and covered his face with his hands.
“I should have told you… I'm sorry Tian”
He Tian looked at him unbothered.
“It's okay”
He Cheng just nodded softly.
Well, after all they weren’t the type to talk about their feelings anyway, so not telling him about Qiu wasn’t that big of a deal. But still, he would lie if he said he didn’t want to hear more about his brother's life. He was kind of his own son after all. He was the one that bathed him and fed him. The one that protected him and also the one who healed his wounds when he was a child and he came back home crying with a scrape on his knees. And even though he will never admit it out loud, he was still a sweet little boy in his eyes.
“Do you take it from the ass?”
He Cheng 's eyes widened and looked at his brother in disbelief. He Tian just looked at him with an innocent smile
“What?”
He laughed and Cheng punched his arm.
“That's no way to talk to your older brother”
They laughed for a bit just enjoying each other's company in the small space they had in that car. But the whole scenario still made He Cheng a little nostalgic, it took him back to the times when Tian was just a child and they hid in his car to watch movies or eat fast food away from their father.
Tian appeared to read his expressions since he gave him a small smile, He Cheng smiled back.
“You want me to drop you off at his house or mine?”
“Didn't you say we had something at the office?”
He Cheng chuckled.
“Well yeah it was a lie”
He Tian groaned, annoyed. He stared at the ceiling of the car thinking what he was going to do. He let his imagination run wild and thought of the future, of the time he was going to be gone and how he was not going to see little Mo, it was sad. But then he thought about how they will meet again, how they were going to go out on official dates. How they will spend Christmas and new years eve together. He felt safe… and happy.
He Cheng waited patiently for his answer.
He turned to look at his older brother and smiled calmly.
“Drop me off at his house”
“Hey. How did you know where I was?” He Tian asked after some minutes of silence. Curios about how his older brother had found him.
He Cheng just avoided the question and looked to the road.
“He Cheng?”
His older brother answered casually.
“Magic”
He Tian looked at him in disbelief and groaned.
“Fucking psycho”. He muttered and He Cheng just smiled slightly.