Work Text:
The man moves in on a Tuesday. November is never a good time to move, especially when snow had fallen the night before. Xue Yang is out on his porch, bundled up in a warm winter jacket smoking a cigarette when the moving truck pulls in the driveway across the street.
Xue Yang bought his house five years ago for three reasons: 1. The house was situated on four acres of land and it butted up against 1,000 acres of forest preserve. 2. There were only four houses on this dirt road and his is the last one at the dead end. 3. The house across from him had been empty until now.
The man that gets out of the driver's side of the moving truck is tall and thin. The puffy coat he is wearing doesn’t detract from that fact. The man does a little stretch and with his hand covering his eyes to shield from the sun he turns Xue Yang’s way smiling and gives a cheerful wave. Xue Yang doesn’t acknowledge him, snuffing out his cigarette and going back into his house.
There is a fourth reason Xue Yang chose this house to live in. It’s far from civilization. It takes over two hours to get to the nearest town and he doesn’t even own a vehicle. He pays a service to deliver any supplies he needs, including food, every six weeks. The self isolation keeps his darkest desires at bay. His job as a hacker (people pay him handsomely to ferret out secrets) soothes the itch for not giving into his dark desires. Now with someone so close he can feel the itch growing along his skin. It might be time to call his therapist.
A week after the man moves in Xue Yang’s doorbell sounds, which is a first in the five years he has lived there. Xue Yang honestly didn’t know that the doorbell even worked. Opening the door up a crack he immediately smells caramel. That smell makes him open the door up further revealing his new neighbor holding a cake stand with a caramel cake on it.
“Hi! I know you saw me move in a few days ago and I wanted to come over to introduce myself. I’m Xiao Xingchen.” This is said with a beautiful smile and the cake being brought up right under Xue Yang’s nose. The cake smells amazing and caramel is his favorite so he does the unsensible thing and let’s Xiao Xingchen in.
“Xue Yang. Would you like some coffee?” He had just brewed a fresh pot. When Xiao Xingchen nods, Xue Yang goes about taking down cups and plates for the cake. The cake is fucking delcious.
“Thank you. I like to bake,” Xingchen says with a laugh. Over the course of eating three slices Xue Yang finds out that Xingchen is an artist. He specializes in pottery but his passion is constructing large metal pieces. When he found the property he absolutely had to buy it. The large barn holds a kiln and the acreage is perfect for his large pieces to sit on display before being shipped to their buyers.
Xue Yang is in love with this man by the time he leaves. Instead of calling his therapist like he should Xue Yang digs out his kit. The one he hasn’t opened since moving here. The camera equipment sits sadly in its boxes just waiting to be used. Soon, he promises them, very soon.
Xingchen makes it a habit to visit Xue Yang at least once a week. He brings some type of dessert and Xue Yang makes the coffee. Xue Yang doesn’t have a type. He falls for people who he finds delicate, fragile...possessable. Xingchen isn’t fragile. Xue Yang has seen him wield a hammer that has to weigh as much as he does to make his art pieces. Xingchen is delicate. His pale skin is flawless, his frame wiry yet lightly muscled, and has elegant hands. He keeps his black hair long. While working it’s pulled back in a french braid, but when he’s visiting Xue Yang he leaves it down, flowing to his waist. When Xingchen tells him he will be gone for two days for a work meeting Xue Yang finally has his first opportunity to explore Xingchen’s house. The lock on the back door is super easy to pick. Even without practice Xue Yang could do it in his sleep. He’s a bit disappointed by the lack of challenge. He should suggest that Xingchen upgrade his lock. Xingchen’s home isn’t what he expected. The artist sticks to wearing mostly white and grey so Xue Yang is surprised by all the colors. The kitchen is in different color reds, living room oranges, bathroom blues, and the master bedroom is in dark shades of purple. The more he’s learning about Xingchen the more he’s falling in love. Once he has had his fill of going through all of Xingchen’s things he sets up two cameras with microphones in the kitchen. He’s leaving the cameras for the bedroom until later. Xingchen revealed that these two day trips are once a month, so he has time to get his set up just right. Xue Yang likes the anticipation of making himself wait. It makes it so much sweeter later on. Next time he will leave a present, now that he knows what Xingchen likes.
Xingchen returns with a cargo van filled with supplies and materials. Watching Xingchen in his kitchen for the first time baking a caramel cake to bring over for their weekly visit makes Xue Yang half hard. Xingchen is the best satisfying Xue Yang's sweet tooth the way he does. Xingchen spends a lot of time in the kitchen, which Xue Yang loves since he hasn’t installed any of the other cameras yet.
The second two day trip Xue Yang adds cameras to the living room. He leaves a new package of Xingchen’s favorite tea on the kitchen counter. When Xingchen spots it he just shakes his head and mutters something about thinking he had forgotten to purchase more.
On the third trip cameras are added to the bathroom. Xue Yang’s present is a shaving kit. Xue Yang likes how Xingchen’s face scrunches up in confusion when he encounters one of his presents. He likes it even more when Xingchen uses them. Xue Yang’s present to himself is that first shower Xingchen takes, the cameras placed perfectly so Xue Yang can see his whole body.
Xingchen moans as the hot water heats up his skin, soothing his tired muscles. As he takes his erection in hand, Xue Yang does the same. He times his strokes with Xingchens spilling over his fist as Xingchen’s come washes down the drain.
Xingchen has now lived across the street for a little over six months. Other than Xue Yang’s secret visits into Xingchen’s home, Xingchen hasn’t invited him over. They do all their hanging out at Xue Yang’s, which he's fine with. He likes the separation of it. When Xingchen comes over with homemade pastries there's a thick tension in the air. The pastries get thrown onto the counter before their bodies meet in a rough embrace. There is nothing soft about their kisses, more teeth than is really necessary but Xue Yang loves the sting of it. Xingchen fucks him over the kitchen table, clothes still on, and the prep so minimal it sears him from the inside out. Xue Yang knows he won’t be able to ever let this man go.
After that first time they have sex several times a week. Xingchen ticks all of Xue Yang's boxes when it comes to degrees of roughness and pain. He’s so fucking perfect. When Xue Yang finally has the chance to install the cameras in the bedroom he leaves Xingchen a vibrator. He drops it in the drawer along with his other sex toys. Xue Yang has pre-used it, not bothering to clean it. Once again Xingchen looks at the toy with confusion written all over his beautiful face, but he just shrugs and proceeds to use it calling out Xue Yang’s name as he comes.
Everything is perfect, until it's not.
A man, tall and elegant like Xingchen, but lacking his beautiful smile, arrives on a Saturday. Xingchen sees him from out of Xue Yang’s window and he flys out the front door without a single word to Xue Yang. Xingchen does not return.
The man’s name is Song Lan and Xue Yang hates him immediately. He calls HIS Xingchen, sweetheart and kisses him sweetly. In all the months that Xue Yang has known Xingchen he has never mentioned having a boyfriend. Song Lan clearly acts like Xingchen belongs to him. With a few strokes of his keyboard he finds out that Song Lan is a homicide detective in the city. Does Xingchen stay with Song Lan on his business trips? If they are together how can Song Lan let Xingchen out of his sight? Xue Yang didn’t mind the business trips before because he was setting up his cameras. Now he doesn’t like the trips but he isn’t ready to stop them just yet.
“Were you with Xue Yang just now?” Song Lan asks.
So Song Lan knows about him...interesting.
“Yes. I want you to meet him before you leave.”
“Did you two fuck before I showed up?”
“No...we can go over there right now. I’m sure A-Yang would be up to taking us both,” Xingchen teases.
Xue Yang doesn’t hate that idea even though he DOES hate Song Lan. That hate only grows as Song Lan proceeds to make love to Xingchen. It’s the complete opposite of what Xue Yang and Xingchen get up to. He doesn’t even watch until the end.
On Sunday Xue Yang opens the door to find Song Lan, but no Xingchen.
“Are you here to warn me away from your boyfriend?”
“Husband, actually.”
What the actual fuck? Xue Yang has done an extensive search into Xingchen’s life and a marriage license was not among his findings. So either Song Lan is lying or they aren’t married legally. He can’t mention this without giving his stalker tendencies away.
“No, I’m not warning you away.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To meet the man my husband has grown to love,” Song Lan says.
Knowing Xingchen loves him fills Xue Yang with warmth, which is the opposite of how he normally feels when a past partner has expressed their feelings. That’s how he knows Xingchen is different.
“You don’t mind your husband cheating on you?”
“It’s not cheating when I know about it. He was honest from the very beginning.”
“He never mentioned you. Why do you live apart?”
“Xingchen needs the space to do his work and my job requires me to be in the city. We see each other once a month. It works for us,” Song Lan says.
“If Xingchen was my husband I would never let him out of my orbit. But I guess it's good for me that you don’t need him constantly in yours.”
“I know Xingchen would like us to be friendly, but your hate for me is rolling off you in waves.”
“I need a moment to process this shit, but we don’t have to like each other to fuck,” Xue Yang points out with a jagged smirk, his canines on full display.
“Very true.”
Being fucked over the kitchen table is becoming a thing for Xue Yang. It’s very reminiscent of his first time with Xingchen. Xingchen joins them as Song Lan squeezes Xue Yang's cock to stop his orgasm in its tracks.
“Bastard,” Xue Yang snarls.
“You won’t come until I say so and even then you’ll be begging for it,” Song Lan promises.
He does beg which makes him hate Song Lan even more but it's a love hate by the time he leaves to go back home to the city.
At the one year mark of Xingchen moving in he finally invites Xue Yang over. He cooks them a three course meal, ending with Xue Yang’s favorite caramel cake and a dessert wine. His eyes feel heavy after the last swallow and he’s confused when Xingchen whispers sweet dreams in his ear.
Xue Yang is disoriented when he opens his eyes and is staring at a blinding light fixture pointed right at his face.
“Sorry...I’m not trying to blind you.”
Xue Yang hears Xingchen but he can’t see him. His voice came from somewhere to the right but he can’t move his head or his body. When Xingchen’s face comes into view Xue Yang opens his mouth to ask where he is but nothing comes out.
“I know this must be terribly confusing. Let me explain. I drugged your wine just like I drugged his wine.” Xue Yang’s head is turned so he can see a man strapped down on a steel table. He is naked and blood is flowing sluggishly from several deep cuts that have been made from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. “I call it the Romeo drug. It mimics death, slowing your heart rate down until it's barely detectable. When you wake your limbs and other functions such as talking don’t come back for several more hours.”
Xingchen turns his head back so he’s staring at the ceiling. Even without seeing he can tell he’s also naked, strapped down to a steel table as well. He doesn’t know what the fuck is going on but he doesn’t feel fear. What he feels is intrigue and arousal.
“I knew you would like this,” Xingchen purrs, running his finger up and down Xue Yang’s erection. “Is it the feeling of helplessness or the anticipation of that fucker's death? I think it’s a bit of both.”
All Xue Yang can do is blink. He can’t move but his cock has no issues with being harder than he’s ever been in his life.
“Meeting you was the second best day of my life after meeting Song Lan. How lucky can one man get? My neighbor ended up being the famed hacker/stalker Chengmei. Was I meant to be your next victim?”
Xue Yang whimpers as Xingchen strokes him. Yes and no.
“It was a lot of fun pretending I didn’t know about the cameras. Did you enjoy my performances? I made sure to play it up. Thank you for the gifts, I loved them all. Song Lan wanted me to kill you after I found the first camera, but I told him that would be a waste. I am a little disappointed that you never found my kill room. Everytime I swept the house to find the new cameras I wanted to find one here, other than the ones I have in place so Song Lan can watch.”
Xue Yang wants to ask if Song Lan is watching right now.
“You got harder when I mentioned Song Lan. He is watching. I’m going to fuck you. Blink once if you’re okay with that.”
Xue Yang blinks once. Xingchen sinks down on Xue Yang's cock causing him to shout in surprise. He was expecting to be fucked but he’s not going to complain about getting his dick wet.
“Fuck!” In his head the curse comes out strong but it’s barely a whisper.
“Your work is impressive, A-Yang. You would submerge yourself into your victims life, making them completely dependent on you and when they had no one and nothing else you would crush them under the heel of your boot. Did you watch them as they ended their lives? Did you get off on them taking their last breath?” With each new question Xingchen rides Xue Yang a bit harder, making him gasp and moan.
“Yes…”
“Were you going to do that to me?”
“No, I’m never letting you go.”
“Good.”
Xingchen doesn’t hold back as he chases his release, Xue Yang coming just a beat behind him.
“Who is that man?” Xue Yang asks as Xingchen un does the belts on his arms and legs taking time to rub each limb back into consciousness.
“A rapist that the police never had enough evidence to convict him with. I’m the justice that the law can’t provide.”
“You don’t think I deserve justice for the lives I’m responsible for?”
“No. I just see it as ridding the world of weak people. You didn’t force them to kill themselves. Did you stop because you felt remorse?”
“No, I stopped because I almost got caught. How often do you do this?”
“Song Lan limits me to three a year so that we don’t arouse suspicion. He can only make so much disappear. Moving out here was a risk because of the distance, but the Romeo drug keeps a man or woman under for nearly twelve hours and another few hours of immobility once they wake. I couldn’t pass up the property. This room used to be a dry food storage. I renovated it and I upgraded the kiln to burn hot enough to cremate a body.”
The room has steel walls and a steel floor with a drain in the middle. A water hose with a sprayer is attached to a sink for easy clean up. Xue Yang never once got his own hands dirty when it came to his victims' suicides, but he wants to now. That itch he had been ignoring for five years is now a steady hum and the only way to soothe it is by spilling more of this man's blood. As the man lays in pieces on the floor Xingchen and Xue Yang come together to fuck against the wall. Blood is still slick on their bodies. Once they are sated, cleaning up the mess doesn’t take that long. Xue Yang helps Xingchen pack up the body parts to be hauled to the kiln and they spray down the room with bleach and other chemicals to wash away any traces of DNA. They then wash themselves down and dress in clean clothes.
Later Song Lan calls to tell them they did good and to welcome Xue Yang into their world. With Xue Yang’s expertise it will make hunting down their next victim so much easier. Xue Yang has never been happier.