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As much as Han Geng attempted to keep his apartment in Beijing clean and somewhat welcoming, it always seemed cold and filthy each time he returned. He'd only been away for a week but the absence of his children's laughter and Zhou Mi's gentle, melodic voice made every corner of his residence twice as dismal as it was in actuality. He was grateful to have found the place; it was affordable and left him money to send home but it was claustrophobically small and the walls were so thin that they might as well not have been there at all. One small window allowed some light (when the sun wasn't obscured by smog) into the kitchen; rather, the kitchen area, for Han Geng only had been able to designate a small corner of the room for cooking. He only had an old rice cooker, too. He hadn't bothered buying even a small broiler top or pots and pans and instead cooked only what he could with a rice cooker. His factory job had provided workers with meals but there was no going back now. He smiled a little as he imagined how appalled Zhou Mi would be to see that his husband had such a limited kitchen, although it wasn't as though their kitchen at home was much better.

Han Geng sighed as he set down his small duffel bag containing nearly all that he owned as he let his mind wander. Not too long go, when Zhou Mi was three months pregnant with their daughter, they'd visited luxury show homes that they certainly had no means by which to buy, just for the fun of experiencing the "high life." They were treated just as though they were prospective buyers and the thought of living in such a luxurious building, in such an affluent neighborhood gave them plenty to talk ad giggle over that night in bed.

"I wish I could give you that sort of life, though," Han Geng reflected, trailing his fingertips over Zhou Mi's back as Zhou Mi used his chest as a pillow.

Zhou Mi smiled and sat up, settling himself astride on Han Geng's lap. His beautiful eyes searched Han Geng's as he traced over his cheek bones.

"I just need you, Geng," Zhou Mi whispered, pressing himself closer to Han Geng and blushing contentedly as Han Geng sat up as well, running his hands over Zhou Mi's thighs, momentarily settling on the younger man's hips then finally carressing the slight swell of Zhou Mi's stomach.

"I love you," Han Geng whispered against Zhou Mi's lips as he gently slipped his hands beneath Zhou Mi's shirt and traced over his hipbones.

"I love you, too," Zhou Mi smiled, a beautiful blush flushing his cheeks.

Han Geng hadn't thought that he was going to be able to make love to Zhou Mi during his pregnancy because... well, their baby was right there... but things just came naturally, as they always had. Han Geng felt as though he was being intimate with Zhou Mi for the first time: Zhou Mi's body was responding to his touch differently- he was delightfully more sensitive- and the curves of his body had become more defined. They were simply so deeply in love...

Another sigh left Han Geng's lips. Thinking about Zhou Mi sometimes made him feel less lonely but other times, it simply accentuated his loneliness. This was one of those times: he longed to have Zhou Mi in his arms again. Aside from the precious picture of his family which he'd framed, Han Geng's meager apartment contained no trace of those who mattered to him the most. It barely even seemed as though he lived there.

He was fortunate in that he didn't have to share his apartment room while other workers often had to share their room with as many as ten other people. But whether or not he had a dozen others sharing his room or had it all to himself, there was only one person whom he wanted to see more than anyone...

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Thanks for reading :)

x Angela