Warning mention of rape and threesomes. 

Almost everyone could agree that Tang Tang was a cutie. He was practically a living national treasure with his large innocent eyes that would sparkle every time someone brought out some candy or grow moist and teary whenever he was teased or bullied. His skin was white as snow, his lips a splash of luscious red; like the single corruption, the single drop of color on an otherwise blank sheet of paper. Tang Tang himself was equally as lovable. While he did grow, his frame was that of a slender young man - not a child’s, and his intelligence was easily equal to or above those his own age, he somehow retained that innocence and childishness that most lose once they pass adolescence. 

So, it was no surprise that everyone loved him.( Irosh says that using the word love in this context devalues it and that what those people had for Tang Tang was more of a superficial obsession with his outer appearance. I roll my eyes at him.) Anyway, the neighbors would give him little trinkets, the shopowners would give him sweets (not for free of course, but there was always one of “us” around there to pay for it - I’ll get to the “us” part later), old people would pull him aside to talk for hours, girls would chatter around him, boys would eye him blushingly, and almost all animals would acquiesce to being petted provided it was him doing the petting. Notice how I said “almost”. For some reason, all animals loved Tang Tang except cats. They simply detested him, turning their noses away and refusing to let him come within even a few feet of them. It’s true that cats hate everyone, but if even squirrels and rabbits run to the man, then why do cats insist on turning away? (Irosh says that that’s why cats are the smartest animals on earth. As he says this he’s teasing my cat in my living room. I should take a picture before I return to the story.)

Alright, I’m back. Anyway, with Tang Tang being that way, naturally, he had plenty of admirers. There was the quiet type, the loud type, the obnoxious type, the warm type, girls, boys, neither, both, ...etc. Of these numerous admirers, a group was formed, consisting of...I wouldn’t say the strongest, but perhaps the best in each of their respective fields or talents. (At this, Irosh is clicking his tongue saying what a waste of their education if they simply grow up to become love-struck fools. I throw him a glare, are you telling the story or am I? He makes a motion of zipping up his lips. Finally, some peace and quiet.) Okay, so where was I? Well, there was naturally the icy cold corporate CEO, the seemingly playful but hiding a fragile heart celebrity, the gorgeous female lawyer, the obsessive researcher, ...and me. 

Who am I, you might ask? Well, I’m a web designer, that is to say, I’ve probably designed the websites for most of the bigshots around here. Furthermore, if they have issues with their websites then they turn to me. Now that probably sounds more impressive than it is. Basically, I sit in my dimly lit room and code, exchanging frequent emails with my clients. I don’t really have much power, I mean if I wanted to go plant a virus or screw up everyone’s website I probably could? But what’s the point? I’d lose my clients’ trust and be out of a job. After all, I’m easily not the only one out there. One of the best? Yes. But I’m not the only one. So, I am pretty normal, besides the fact that I am - well, I was Tang Tang’s fan club president. 

Okay, wait. Before you start going crazy and pointing out how that isn’t normal let me put forth my theory. (Irosh says this doesn’t constitute a theory since I’m not actually planning on testing it in a propper study or experiment, I thought you said you were going to be quiet???) Anyway, my theory is that I quite honestly believe that the other bigshots in the fan club (mentioned above) only let me be president because of my normalcy. They saw me as hardly a threat, someone they could easily depose if they felt like it or if I abused my power. Besides that, there was also the fact that I was probably the only one in that group who got along with almost everyone else. I am a dog-like person. Maybe you haven’t noticed because you don’t really realize it until you meet me. I love people and of the people I love, Tang Tang used to be my favorite. And I am willing to do almost anything for those I love, and I mean anything. 

For example, there was that one time when I was, like those overenthusiastic manga characters, wearing a headband, holding a banner, and shouting “TANG TANG GO!!!” at the top of my lungs through a bright red megaphone. Oh, did I also mention that I was wearing an orange jumpsuit at the time? I believe Tang Tang was participating in a race that day and orange was his team color. Anyway, could you imagine the corporate CEO doing that? If he did, he’d certainly be receiving a lot of stares in the office the next morning. So, there I was, standing there backed by the handful of fan club members grudgingly holding the banners (without the rest of the outfit) behind me. The rest of the members (including the CEO) were naturally in the VIP seats, watching from a prestigious position in the stands while the few members behind me gritted their teeth at the unfairness of it all. But, someone had to be there cheering so it was me and the fans who either couldn’t afford higher seats or wanted to appear down to earth for Tang Tang. 

Regardless, such instances weren’t rare and I enjoyed it. I liked to think it made Tang Tang’s day a little brighter to see us there grinning and cheering like fools. Certainly, he’d smile at us first (probably because he saw us first in our bright orange gear). Anyway, such days continued and we - the fan club members - maintained this strange equilibrium where no one would get too close to Tang Tang but everyone was always there, ready to pay for his treats, to provide an umbrella on a rainy day, to cheer at his sporting events. Honestly, looking back, most of them were rather like hawks, waiting to swoop down on their prey. Not many of the fan club members had just innocent, pure appreciation for our golden boy as I did but I didn’t find this out until...the incident. 

The incident didn’t really involve me as much, at least at first. I was chilling in my room writing code, as usual. I’d just taken a shower so I was wrapped in nothing but a pair of boxers with a towel around my neck. Naturally, there was a steaming mug of tea next to me and I’d just reached out to take a sip when suddenly. DING DONG, DING DONGDINGDONG. Jerking forward, I just managed to jerk back in time to allow my tea to splatter on my chest rather than on my new keyboard. Hissing in pain, I bent over to set the now only 6/7ths full mug back down before standing up and hobbling over to the door. Of course, it was only after I opened the door, feeling the chilly breeze whip past my bare chest, that I realized that I was in nothing by boxers. 

However, my embarrassment was rapidly overtaken by concern as I noticed that Tang Tang was almost equally as bare but in far worse condition. Wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and half a shirt (quite literally, half because the other half had been ripped off), Tang Tang was standing there shivering in the cold.

“Tang Tang...what…?”

“Ge!” With a shout, Tang Tang threw himself into my arms, his large eyes teary (for those who don’t know, “Ge” means older brother in Chinese and is an appellation used for close older males). I awkwardly patted his back, pulling him into the toasty warm room amidst his sobbing. I wanted to ask what was wrong yet the image I’d seen moments before hit me. Was he attacked? But by whom? Everyone loves him...was it a cat? (At this Irosh scoffs at my conclusion. Leave me alone, I was panicked.) But no, his clothes were ripped off and those red marks I saw...hickeys? Who in their right mind would possibly do this??? But, then again considering Tang Tang’s lovely appearance it’s not impossible...this calls for an emergency fanclub meeting! As my thoughts were racing, Tang Tang’s sobbing slowly died down and, probably becoming aware that his face was buried in my bare chest, he jerked away with a blush stammering “I-I-I’m sorry!”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for...can you tell me what happened?”

“It...they...they wanted to…” Seeing his eyes once again pool with tears, I hastily speak.

“No need to say it. Can you tell me who did it though?”

“It...it was...Mu Ge, Wen Ge, and Qin Ge. They...they wanted a threesome.” As he said this his voice got softer and softer yet nothing erased the shock I felt in my heart. First off not only is one of our VIP fan club members involved but three of them? Furthermore, they don’t just want Tang Tang to themselves but they want a threesome???

“...Ge-” I blinked, coming to in time to hear Tang Tang’s words. “Ge, I really don’t want to go back or they’ll find me, can I stay with you please?”

Naturally, my instinct was to say yes but then I remembered a certain someone’s face. (Wipe that smug expression off your face. Yes, expressions do count as interruptions. No, I’m not changing the rules, expressions still distract me.) But after a moment, I brushed it off since a certain someone naturally wouldn’t be petty enough to get mad over me allowing my friend who was nearly raped to stay at my house. (Now that certain someone is pouting. Ha! Serves you right.)

So I brought him in, made him a cup of tea, which I changed to coca seeing that the tea went untouched. I got him some clothes (rather large but I couldn’t just leave him and go shopping). Then, I recalled my own state of undress but just as I got up to go change, I felt a tug on my boxers. Looking down, I found myself the recipient of those large teary orbs and immediately an arrow of cuteness shot through my chest.

“...Ge?”

“Yes?” I blinked, coming bac to focus.

“Is...is what they said right?”

“What did they say?”

“That-that all my friends are only there because they want to...to sleep with me.” As he says this his voice grows quieter and I feel my heart ache.

“No, no sweetheart. That’s not true at all.” I squated down so that I was eye-level with the sitting Tang Tang. 

“Really?” He looked up, seemingly not quite believing my words.

“Really.”

“Then who…?”

“Me, for one and I’m sure that there are others.”

“You really don’t?”

“I really do not.”

I heard a sigh of relief. Then, silence. We sat there like that for the rest of the evening. Him quietly sipping his coca and me typing away at my code. Cohabitation with Tang Tang was...fine. I took the couch and gave him the bed despite his protests. I cooked and took care of most things and Tang Tang wasn’t particularly picky or messy either. If there was one thing I’d have to mention though, it’d have to be his defencelessness. 

When reaching for a higher shelf his shirt would pull up revealing a sliver of his creamy snow white waist, when eating spicy things his eyes would tear up and his lips would become even plumper and more luscious tempting one to take a bite, even his sneezes were like a whimpering kitten. Thank god it was me living with him. If it were anyone else, man or woman...I just hate to think further. So our ordinary days continued until the weekend when, as usual in the afternoon, Tang Tang was lying on the couch snoozing with a sizeable portion of his waist and stomach visible where his shirt had pulled up. As usual, I went to place a blanket over him when I noticed a limpid pair of eyes watching me. 

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“Yeah...you’re really not interested at all?” 

I blinked. “What?”

“You’re really not interested in doing something to me?”

Haah? Had his experiences traumatized him so much that he was now suspicious of everyone around him?

“I’m not. Now, be careful not to catch a cold napping like that.” I said, placing the blanket on him. Tang Tang didn’t respond, looking first at the blanket then at me. 

“Let’s date.”

“Hmm?” I blinked.

“You’re the only person who truly likes me. You’re not after my body and you’re always there for me so...let’s date.” 

I felt my brain short-circuiting for a moment. Holdup, weren’t we friends? How did it jump to the assumption that I want to date you???”

“Ah?”

“I like you, let’s date.” Tang Tang grabbed my hand and leaned close to me. While my brain was still struggling to process the situation, our lips got closer and closer. Just as they were about to touch-BANG!

“Hey, I’m back!” There, at my front door stood a man with long silver-blonde hair tied in a ponytail, sharp prominent and elegantly handsome features however, with the goofy grin on his face, the elegance was obscured. (Okay, okay, you’re always elegant, fine). Upon seeing us, he froze, then held out a shaking finger. 

“You-you two-!”

“Who are you?” Tang Tang demands, turning around.

“I’m here to arrest a cheating couple, that’s who!” He proudly proclaimed. I felt a headache coming on.

“Tang Tang he’s-”

“I don’t care if you love me, the one I love is Ke Ge!” He pointed to me and I felt the headache creep up one notch higher.

“Oh really?”

“Yes!”

“You love him?” At this point the man had a mischievous glint in his eye and I felt my brow twitch.

“I do! And it’s true love.”

“True love huh? Then-” Something told me I really didnt want to hear what he was going to say next.

“ENOUGH!” They both turned to me. 

“Irosh, this is Tang Tang. I’ve told you about him before, he’s currently staying with me due to some circumstances. Tang Tang, this is my boyfriend Irosh who just came back from his trip abroad.”

Needless to say, within minutes a sobbing Tang Tang could be seen running out of my house despite my best efforts to stop him.

“Just let him go.”

“But will he be okay?”

“That’s not up to you, is it? Besides, it’s his choice and he has other friends. But-”

“Instead of worrying about him, why don’t you worry about me instead?” At this moment, I finally sensed the danger lurking behind Irosh’s seemingly benign visage. 

“It was initiated by him and our lips didn’t even tough-mphm, mm…” Several minutes later, he pulled away and I was left gasping as his lips trailed down my collarbone sending shivers down my spine.

“...Iro-mm, Irosh...the tea…Ah!” I yelped, as I felt him nip my shoulder. “Forget about the tea, focus on me first.” His words were aggressive yet I heard a hint of pleading under the roughness that instantly melted my heart. What boyfriend would want to come home to see his partner almost kiss another man? Sighing, I wrapped myself tighter around my man as we headed to the bedroom.

I didn’t see Tang Tang again until a bit later and he was very clearly avoiding me by then. He seemed to have gotten together with another one of his numerous fans, a particularly passionate novelist. So, I relinquished the position of fan club president to that fellow and went off happily to continue my commonplace but sweet life with my web designing and boyfriend. Then some months later, Irosh got an offer to teach at a university abroad (he’s a professor) so the two of us left our country and wandered off to see new sights, and I never saw Tang Tang again. I wonder if he’s found his happiness? Maybe with one man or even multiple? But then again, as Irosh often says, true happiness comes when you learn to love yourself without being dependent on someone else. Of course, having that someone else is great, but it isn’t everything and I hope one day Tang Tang can realize that. Honestly though, I don’t know if people will leave him alone long enough for it to happen.