The door closed ominously with a click.
Wen Qing studied the taller man, both with a personal interest and from a medical point of view, since she had seen him when he had first arrived here.
She was naturally a protective person especially of those that were close to her, not someone who would trust easily, and certainly not someone she did not know. Wei Ying knew this person for less than a couple of days, and she did not understand what reason there could be for him to miss work.
Her partner, MianMian, had informed her that Wei Ying wasn't feeling well, and since it was a harmless white lie, she let it stand, promising to go and see if he was okay.
She had been meaning to come and check on whom she thought of as her patient anyway, because he had been asleep for so long...though right now she was alarmed because she had definitely seen two puncture marks on his neck...which were no longer there.
It seemed impossible to her that someone could heal that quickly.
Not even a scab.
Secondly, her gut was telling her that something wasn't quite right...about this situation, and about him.
So she stared at him warily, not completely sure what to make of him.
Lan Zhan was... internally shitting bricks.
Wen Qing may have been shorter than himself, but he had a feeling that half of her strength lay in the ground. And she was obviously important to Wei Ying...because Wei Ying trusted him enough to leave him with his family.
So basically, he had to be careful.
Everything that had happened between himself and Wei Ying, it felt too private for him to say anything about it...and it felt too new as well. He needed to get used to the idea of having a boyfriend...if that was really what they were to each other, and it was a whole other issue aside from his physical problem.
Right now, he could not look away from her intense stare, and since it had all the vibes of a Mexican stand-off, Lan Zhan didn't even dare to blink.
It was A-Yuan who broke the stalemate.
He ran to Wen Qing and hugged her thigh, looking up at her with that delighted expression on his face.
"JieJie!" He cried out happily, his voice shattering the tense silence.
Lan Zhan watched in disbelief as her face transformed from cold and shrewdly hard to soft and warm as she pinched his pudgy cheeks and patted his head.
"Have you finished eating?" She asked him, keeping an eye on Lan Zhan and simultaneously checking the table where A-Yuan had been sitting at, and noting the empty carton of noodles.
Lan Zhan thought he might have seen a flash of disapproval, but he didn't know her quite well enough to be able to tell, with any amount of certainty.
"And I have homework." The child pouted, after nodding.
"Shall I help you with that?" She asked him, much kindness in her voice.
A-Yuan was way too cute to be refused, and suddenly they were both making their way towards the table to do just that.
Lan Zhan felt terribly awkward and out of place now.
He decided to make himself useful by going to cook something. Wouldn't Wei Ying be happy if there was a hot meal waiting for him when he got back from work? So he went into the kitchen.
There was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink and no dishwasher in sight, so Lan Zhan hunted around for a pair of washing up gloves first, before tackling that mess. However, there didn't seem to be any dishrags or teatowels to actually dry anything. And he frowned when he saw crumbs littering the countertop.
Mostly everywhere.
He hunted around the kitchen, choosing to look under the sink because rationally that was where cleaning products would be...right?
But he had no luck.
And upon investigating the other cupboards, aside from a tiny part filled with spices and chili sauce and chili oil, the cupboards were sparse if not bare. Lan Zhan tried not to think too much about that and wondered if Wei Ying kept most of his groceries in the refrigerator.
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
The refrigerator was mostly empty with a half empty jar of jelly and another one of pickles.
Where was his food?
As Lan Zhan closed the door, he spotted a piece of paper stuck on the outside with a magnet.
It appeared to be in code.
"What are you doing?" A cold voice asked him.
"Could you please help me?" He asked her, instead. "I do not understand what this says."
"It's a shopping list." Wen Qing told him suspiciously.
Lan Zhan was immensely pleased at his discovery.
"Translation please." He pushed it towards her, as a plan came to mind.
Wen Qing took it reluctantly.
"And...do you have a car?" He added.
It was better to strike when fortune was smiling at him.
***********
A-Yuan was having so much fun.
The strange but clever Gege had lifted him up and put him in a shopping cart, while his JieJie was fuming and stomping around after them.
A-Yuan found he could point at anything and it would be carefully considered and if it was acceptable, then it was put safely in the cart behind him.
Marshmallows, carrots and sweetcorn were approved, but any other type of candy was frowned upon. A-Yuan knew this was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity and he was all about trying his luck.
JieJie was despite her blustering, in agreement with Clever Gege, and shook her head every time he suggested something not healthy.
A boy could try...
He hardly went shopping with his Baba, mostly because they did not have the time and his Baba always said Sundays were for fun stuff, so food either appeared in their home or it didn't, A-Yuan didn't really pay attention.
But today, because JieJie had made Clever Gege promise to pay for everything, he was looking now and again at everything going in the cart.
Clever Gege even asked him his opinion now and again, and A-Yuan loved that. It made him feel terribly important as if what he decided was good.
"What's this?" Clever Gege asked JieJie.
"Those are question marks." She told him. "Wei WuXian usually picks between what he can afford this week and what gets rolled over."
A-Yuan didn't understand that part, because he was too interested in the bright shiny apple he was given to chew on. He liked making patterns with his teeth on the surface and every time he did that, Clever Gege smiled at him.
A-Yuan liked Clever Gege.
And at the end, Clever Gege even bought him a tiny butterfly made out of bamboo on a stick. He had been looking at it, nothing more, when Clever Gege simply added it to their cart.
He was even allowed to hold it, on the ride home.
Wen Qing wasn't sure what to make of Lan Zhan either.
When he'd asked if she had a car, she thought he wanted to be taken somewhere and that would be that.
It would be the end of his visit and then Wei WuXian could go back to his unexciting life, as dreary as it was necessary.
She did not expect to be traipsing around a grocery store with a sensible man, making healthy eating choices and being extremely generous about it. She'd warned him that he'd be paying for it and he had agreed immediately.
So...what was the catch?
Why didn't he simply go away? Why was he staying?
It wasn't like he was going to steal something from Wei WuXian...the apartment was threadbare at best and really, steal what?
And it was this problem she was stuck on.
She could not fathom why Lan Zhan was still there.
But she was in for an even bigger surprise.
Lan Zhan wouldn't let her carry any shopping inside, even telling A-Yuan that gentlemen never allowed it and then because of the dodgy lifts, walked up four flights of steps without breaking a sweat.
And then...she almost had to pinch herself now, because Lan Zhan had bought cleaning supplies.
And then he started cleaning.
He made sure that kitchen was spotless.
A-Yuan was fascinated by him.
Every time he asked a question, Lan Zhan would answer him calmly, patiently, while pausing whatever he was doing.
"What else do gentlemen do?" This, A-Yuan really wanted to know, because the Clever Gege seemed to be one.
"They look after people. They make sure everyone is alright."
"I wanna look after Baba." A-Yuan had said, after thinking about it. He trotted off to put the carrots inside the newly cleaned fridge, and missing the way Lan Zhan’s face had gone totally soft.
"Now what are you going to do?" The little boy asked him, full of excitement.
Lan Zhan thought it was uncanny how much his eyes resembled Wei Ying’s. The same bright curiosity shone from his soul, and Lan Zhan remembered that Wei Ying had called his son a rascal.
Perhaps bandit would be a better description because the little lad had stolen his heart and Lan Zhan hadn't even known it.
Right from under his nose.
"I'm going to cook." He explained, setting a saucepan on the scrubbed stove.
A-Yuan's eyes had widened in shock.
"Really?"
Lan Zhan was nodding, after he finished washing the rice.
He was too busy thinking about why he wasn't feeling hungry at all.
***********
Wei Ying was having an ordinary day at work.
It was ordinary because Su She was being a little shit as usual and finding fault with every thing Wei Ying did. He hadn’t hired a new cleaner yet, so Wei Ying had that to look forward to, too.
Joy.
His mind often strayed to Lan Zhan, his stomach doing flip-flops every time.
What were they doing at home? Were they safe? Had A-Qing killed Lan Zhan and that was why it was so quiet? Was no news really good news?
He couldn’t make his mind up.
He had to discreetly check his phone when Su She the Slime Roll wasn't around, because more than once he had threatened to confiscate it.
Nothing.
Nada.
Zilch.
And that kiss?
He blushed every time he thought about it.
What was it about Lan Zhan that made himself so bold?
Wei Ying wanted to bury his face in their icebucket.
What was he thinking??
He wasn't...and that was the problem.
Lan Zhan was insanely hot and Wei Ying knew he was going to have a hard time keeping his hands to himself. But...
But...the rational part of his brain decided to wake up, right in the middle of mixing a pina colada for a customer, it hit him: he was mad.
Totally crazy.
He had to think about A-Yuan first.
That was non-negotiable.
Everything could come after that, but he had no business starting a relationship and not knowing what would come from it. Having Lan Zhan in their home was already a destabiliser because...because how long was Lan Zhan going to stay?
And like an idiot, he had offered Lan Zhan an unlimited amount of time to stay with them.
Well, he had offered it and he wasn't one to go back on his word, but the fact remained: there were too many ifs and buts here.
Without thinking, he opened a water bottle and took a long drink out of it, playing with the bottle cap in his fingers. When A-Yuan was only three, he used to love watching Wei Ying slide it in and out over his fingers.
"That's three dollars." Su She materialised out of nowhere, with a notebook and pen.
The little shit was busy writing it down when a customer glared at him, smiled at Wei Ying and put ten dollars in the tip jar.
"Three of that is for his water, wanker." And walked out of the bar.
Wei Ying had to bite his lip trying not to smile at the chameleon that was Su She now, as his scowl deepened. He went through all the colours of the rainbow.
Wei Ying ran his tongue over his lip again and again, puzzled because it ought to hurt...but it didn't. He distinctly remembered Lan Zhan biting him, accidentally of course, and then they talked about not apologising...so had he healed that quickly?
He couldn’t dwell on that because a crowd of late-night revellers walked in and by the time they closed, Wei Ying had been rushed off his feet.
Su She was waiting with a bottle of bleach and a mop.
**********
His partner behind the bar had offered to split the tasks but Wei Ying knew everyone was tired after a long day and besides, it would only make Su She worse, so he had patted the guy on the back and cheerfully refused.
What he hadn’t expected was that his partner was waiting for him in his car, when Wei Ying finally made it out.
It was closer to one now and Wei Ying already knew he had missed the bus.
He gratefully accepted the lift and chatted amicably about what an asshole their boss was, until they pulled up outside his block of flats.
"Just be careful." His partner said. "Some people have been going missing in this part of town."
Wei Ying froze unintentionally and then covered it with an awkward laugh.
"Sure I will. You have a nice night friend, and thanks for the lift."
His partner nodded and drove away as fast as he could.
Wei Ying trudged up the stairs slowly, the day catching up with him now. He hadn’t slept well the previous night and he was knackered.
Near the top of the stairs, he was hit with a dizzy spell and had to sit down, his head pounding. He knew it would go away soon...in a bit.
He was vaguely aware of the door opening behind him and then suddenly, he was being lifted up into strong arms, the scent of sandalwood enveloping him like a comforting blanket.
"Lan Zhan..." He smiled, closing his eyes.
"What is wrong?" Lan Zhan asked him urgently.
He had been restlessly pacing for around an hour, waiting for Wei Ying to come home.
That had been an eye-opener too, thinking of this place as his home.
After A-Yuan had gone to sleep, Wen Qing had sat as far away from him as possible and watched him like a hawk.
It had been unnerving to say the least, and then when she had pursed her lips and left without a word, he'd finally been able to let go of his breath. He hadn’t even realised that he was holding it, thereby proving that he didn't need his lungs.
Whatever was going on with his body still hadn't finished yet, of this he was certain.
And since there was nothing else to do, Lan Zhan decided to clean.
His meticulous nature helped him organise the living room and he'd already finished up in the kitchen.
He smiled when he remembered how A-Yuan had wanted to help him with everything, even chopping the vegetables but Lan Zhan had firmly told him no, it was a grown-up activity and took practice.
In the end, their vegetable fried rice looked so good, A-Yuan had agreed to taste it and ended up eating a small bowl of it too. Lan Zhan had said he needed a taster and A-Yuan officially accepted the job.
Lan Zhan had refrigerated some in a container which Wei Ying could take with him to work tomorrow, and made a list of his own of items that he would get when they next visited the store.
His neat calligraphy was written on a page from Wei Ying’s notebook and stuck on the refrigerator.
He kept checking his watch and when one o'clock came and went, he listened carefully, waiting for the familiar steps of Wei Ying's coming up the stairs.
He was rather pleased too, because his ears were attuned to the nuances in people's tread; he was able to tell the difference between their neighbours on either side as well as remembering what Wen Qing sounded like.
He heard the car door shut and he stood up, hoping it was Wei Ying. His sharp ears caught the opening of the outside doors as Wei Ying (?) entered, bringing with him the first crunching leaves of autumn as the breeze swirled around his feet.
Then the slow steps up the stairs...slower than normal because Lan Zhan paid attention.
He didn't want to scare Wei Ying...and what if it wasn't him? So Lan Zhan waited...and waited.
And then suddenly, the noise stopped.
Lan Zhan was alarmed...
And rightly so.
When he opened their front door and saw Wei Ying sitting on the second last step, cradling his head as if he was in pain, Lan Zhan swooped in to pick him up.
He frowned deeper when he could accomplish that as if Wei Ying weighed nothing substantial...but Lan Zhan wasn't sure if this was a result of his new found strength, or because Wei Ying really wasn't looking after himself.
Suddenly A-Yuan's wish seemed less unreasonable too, to want to look after his Baba.
And how could he love the way his name sounded on Wei Ying’s lips even more?
Wei Ying was tired...exhausted actually.
This much Lan Zhan could tell just from the way his blood sounded sluggish in his veins...Wei Ying was out of energy.
Lan Zhan closed the door of the apartment with his back, careful not to make any loud noises because A-Yuan was asleep a few rooms away. He tried not to jostle Wei Ying in his arms, liking this more than he should...and finding out that he couldn't care less about that.
It felt right.
Maybe the kitchen was the best place for now...
He gently assisted Wei Ying into a chair and pulled out the freshly warmed up rice from the microwave, a certain luxury item here in this now not-so-bare kitchen.
Wei Ying opened his eyes blearily at the mouthwatering smell, the aromatic rice making his stomach rumble with eager anticipation.
"You cooked?" He gave Lan Zhan another one of his blinding smiles.
"Mn." Lan Zhan committed it to memory and fetched him a glass of cold water to go with his meal.
Wei Ying started shovelling it into his mouth, hardly chewing until Lan Zhan placed his hand on his spoon-wielding one.
"Please. Chew."
"Too hungry." He said between mouthfuls of rice and vegetables. "This is sooo good, though!" He beamed again.
"I'm glad you like it." Lan Zhan really was.
"But it could use a little kick..." Wei Ying got up suddenly and retrieved a bottle of chili sauce, pouring it over his food until it was an alarming shade of danger.
Lan Zhan sat back just watching him, one eye on his phone just in case he had to call an ambulance.
But Wei Ying seemed happier, and as Lan Zhan calmed down, he appreciated the feeling of satisfaction that arose deep within him, a warmth that had nothing to do with temperature.
Seeing someone appreciate and be verbal about his cooking...it was nice.
"I always admire people who can cook." Wei Ying sat back, rubbing his belly with contentment.
"I have always cooked for myself." Lan Zhan admitted. His ears felt warm now.
"Hmm....but!" Wei Ying suddenly shot up in his chair. "Hang on, where did you get the rice from? The vegetables?" His eyes flashed to the refrigerator and he jumped out of his chair to go and read the list. "This...this isn't mine."
Lan Zhan again wasn't sure what to say.
Wei Ying turned around, admiring the beautiful writing on his notepaper.
"Did you write this?" He asked, and then answered his own question. "Well, I know it wasn't Wen Qing. She's a doctor...it's self explanatory." He snickered as if it made sense. "What happened to the list that was there?"
"Wen Qing deciphered it."
"Deciphered?" Wei Ying threw back his head and cackled. "I mean, she is a doctor...surrounded by bad writing." He explained when Lan Zhan looked confused. "Probably the only person who could have. But this...this is exquisite." He kissed the writing and put it back underneath the magnet holding it in place.
Lan Zhan clenched his fists, wondering when would be the perfect time to go and kiss him. It was all he wanted to do ever since Wei Ying started to eat, and every time he opened his beautiful mouth, it was a torture for him.
He decided to sit on his hands instead.
"So...I guess Wen Qing didn't kill you...what did you get up to while I was gone?" Wei Ying looked around the kitchen and saw it gleaming like a polished jewel. "Did you clean up in here? Sweetheart, you didn't have to."
Right.
That was it.
End of any self control.
Wei Ying found himself pushed up against the wall, fierce eager lips on his as Lan Zhan gave up trying to stay away. And then Wei Ying was kissing him back with the same amount of urgency like a starving man, his sinewy arms wrapped around Lan Zhan’s waist like a vice.
Lan Zhan was cradling his head, making sure it wasn't banged against the wall in his enthusiasm because Wei Ying all in black was temptation on legs, and Lan Zhan simply couldn't wait any longer.
The thrill of being able to kiss him with abandon, careful of not biting him again, yet Lan Zhan felt as if his blood was singing in his veins. If his heart was actually working, then it would have flown away by now, totally overwhelmed by the feelings assaulting him.
Wei Ying was humming in pleasure, and everything was new to him. His heart thudded in his chest, proving to him that this wasn't a dream and it was really happening to him. He was being kissed by an extremely hot guy and he was just inches away from swooning at how romantic this all was.
Lan Zhan had cleaned his kitchen.
Lan Zhan had cooked for him.
This was something surreal.
When they paused because again, it was Wei Ying who was panting and trying to catch his breath, Lan Zhan decided to answer his question.
"Wen Qing took A-Yuan and myself out shopping." He explained.
"Shopping? As in...groceries? Ah...that's why the food." Wei Ying untangled himself from Lan Zhan and reached into his back pocket, taking out his wallet.
He wished it was one of those magical never-finishing and refilling ones so that every time he opened it, there would be something in it. Right now, he was hoping it wasn't going to embarrass him.
"How much do I owe you?" He asked, looking up.
But he wasn't prepared for the amount of hurt that he saw, glittering in those beautiful golden eyes.
"Nothing. If anything...I owe Wei Ying." Lan Zhan said, looking away.
Wei Ying’s words hurt him more than any blade ever could.
"Lan Zhan...I-"
"No. You said this morning, no sorries. Well then I'm saying, don't make this about money. It's just paper at the end of the day. But it corrupts." Lan Zhan ran a hand through his gorgeous hair. "Please...let us not mention it again." He was adamant about this.
"Alright." Wei Ying put away his wallet, trying not to be embarrassed about it. "But I want you to know..." He spread his arms out to gesture at the kitchen. "All this, cleaning and cooking for me, us...you don't have to do it. You're our guest."
"What if I want to?" Lan Zhan argued back, stubbornly.
"Really?" Wei Ying asked in a small voice.
He looked so uncertain, that Lan Zhan wanted to hold him in his arms and protect him from the world.
So he did.
Wei Ying cooed, his face pink and beautiful.
"Yes, really." Lan Zhan replied.
Why was it so much easier to think when he had Wei Ying in his arms like this?
He knew inherently that Wei Ying was far more fragile than himself now, even if Lan Zhan hadn't finished changing. But perhaps that's what made it even more meaningful to him. Lan Zhan was shocked at how much and how far he was willing to go to protect him.
"What about you, Sweetheart? Are you hungry at all? Done any more biting?" Wei Ying smiled against his neck.
He had a feeling Lan Zhan was dangerous, a predator even...but this was the safest he had felt in such a long time, that he didn't want to examine it too much.
After a hard, long day of working and when he felt too tired to stand up, wasn't it nice just be able to give up, lean into someone else for a change and take some of the strength they were offering him freely?
A nice warm hug...it meant more to him then his next paycheck.
Lan Zhan was feeling ... something. The more Wei Ying called him sweetheart, the more other feelings grew and he knew by some kind of killer instinct that Wei Ying was important to him.
Perhaps more than he had the capacity to weigh.
"Hm?" Wei Ying leaned back to look into his eyes.
Lan Zhan was lost in those dazzling silver eyes, sparkling with mischief.
"Not hungry?" He asked again.
"It is strange...but no. I am not hungry." Even Lan Zhan thought it was weird.
Wei Ying yawned and teased him.
"Are you sure you didn’t want to bite anyone at the supermarket?" He giggled.
"They would have tasted bad." Lan Zhan made a face, wrinkling his nose.
Wei Ying grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom. He was already swaying with fatigue, and just managed to grab his night clothes, drifting towards the bathroom with more yawns.
Lan Zhan thought he was adorable.
Minutes later, he came back.
"Your turn."
Lan Zhan watched him, making sure he slid into his bed safely before using the bathroom himself.
When he came back, Wei Ying was fast asleep, leaving him enough room to lie down beside him.
As Lan Zhan got into bed, Wei Ying seemed to know he was there and unconsciously wriggled closer, frowning in frustration.
"So far away, Gege..." He mumbled until he was sprawling all over Lan Zhan’s body.
Lan Zhan held him closer, shutting his eyes finally.
This level of peace and harmony was something he had never before achieved outside of meditation, and even then, it only had skimmed the surface.
This?
Holding the one he loved?
It was incomparable.
He smiled as he fell asleep, knowing that this too wouldn't be for much longer.
******
A/N
Dear wonderful Readers,
What do you think so far?
They certainly have their fair share of troubles but hopefully they have each other too...
Thank you so much for reading and I hope if not ice cream, then certainly chocolate hot or chunks, either will do for all of you.
Charlie.