On an ordinary day, Lan Zhan would have put his shoes on and walked outside, having already collected his keys and wallet.
Without any hesitation.
But as Wei Ying opened the door, and the muted sunlight spilled in, Lan Zhan was overcome by uncertainty. For all his previous bravado, he was now doubting himself and his situation.
What if Wei Ying was right?
What if he could never go outside in the daytime ever again?
How tragic was that?
Something he never thought about, something that he had taken for granted all his life, was going to be taken away from him.
And he had no choice in the matter.
That's what hurt the most.
For the first time since he had fully woken up, Lan Zhan felt an irrepressible anger at whoever had done this to him. The rage had slowly been building up unconsciously in the back of his mind, and now suddenly it swooped to the front of his attention.
Lan Zhan vowed then and there, once his body finished this weird transition, he was going to find whoever was responsible and destroy them.
"Did I build it up too much?" Wei Ying was saying. He had kept quiet, watching the uncertainty cross over Lan Zhan’s face and hoped he wasn't the one who put it there.
"Build what up?" Lan Zhan struggled to catch up to what he said.
Wei Ying waved a hand at the sunshine.
"It's just that...you were completely for it a few minutes ago...and now you seem to be having second thoughts. Was it because of something I suggested?" Wei Ying rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, it's totally fine if you've changed your mind about coming. You can stay." He put his warm hand on Lan Zhan’s shoulder.
Wei Ying was disappointed though. He had been looking forward to introducing his friends to Lan Zhan, showing him where he worked, maybe even make him a drink. Coffee he had wondered about, and then realised that Lan Zhan was the type of person who probably preferred tea.
Something about Wei Ying’s words made Lan Zhan stick his arm into the direct sunlight.
For a few seconds, they both admired his hand, reflecting the strong light.
"Does it...does it hurt?" Wei Ying asked him, tentatively.
Lan Zhan closed his eyes to better concentrate.
The sun felt warm but in a comfortable way...not dangerously hot like he had been expecting. There was even something comforting about it.
"No...it does not hurt." Lan Zhan opened his eyes, looking into silver ones watching him back in trepidation. "At least...not yet. But, I have not completed the change yet." Of that last part, Lan Zhan was completely sure.
"So really, what you're saying is that we can't tell for now?" Wei Ying was quick to catch on.
"Mn." Lan Zhan didn't want to elaborate...not yet.
There was another fear that he didn't want to give a voice to, a deep seated one that was slowly festering in the deepest corner of his mind. Perhaps...no, no, he knew. He was going to have to tell Wei Ying, and very soon.
Wei Ying put his arm through Lan Zhan’s and made them link hands.
"Then, what are we wait for?" Wei Ying said brightly, oblivious to the turmoil going on in Lan Zhan’s mind.
So Lan Zhan put all of his doubts aside and stepped out into the dazzling sunshine.
Wei Ying was putting on a false bravado too.
Part of him was hoping that Lan Zhan wouldn't turn into an exploding firework just by coming out of his flat. They still had to get outside because the test was done using the huge window outside his door.
Wei Ying wanted to be safe when it was this important, and so far, all they had to go on was Lan Zhan’s instincts.
But wasn't that all about trust?
And they were about to find out either way, in just seconds.
This was the last flight of stairs.
"Any time you need this umbrella, just say." Wei Ying said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
"Mn."
In direct contrast to Wei Ying’s impending jitters, Lan Zhan felt more and more calm as the steps fell away from their feet and they got closer to the main door.
Wei Ying took a deep breath and threw open the door.
One more step...and they were outside.
Wei Ying paused, looking up at him.
Lan Zhan was still intact, and right next to him.
"I think we will be alright." He said, smiling.
Wei Ying let out all the air in his lungs, in one complete whoosh.
"Okay." He was smiling too. "Then this is the way to the bus stop."
They were a little early and Wei Ying appreciated the chance to spot the different coloured flowers growing in people's gardens, pine cones that had fallen from the trees, opening in the last heat of the summer.
Already the trees were losing their vivid green shades in favour of reds and golds, deep russets and rich ochre hues replacing them. Autumn was hurrying in, not waiting for anyone's permission.
Saturdays always felt lonely to Wei Ying.
Most people were still in bed, so the number of commuters was way less than the Monday to Friday crowd. There were less cars on the road too, so the bus had no issues getting to the high street on time.
"How many hours does Wei Ying work on a Saturday?" Lan Zhan wanted to know.
"My shift starts at nine and it's usually until four unless I have to cover for someone." Wei Ying explained. "That gives me plenty of time to reach Love Bites. That one starts at six and I can't be late for that."
Lan Zhan raised a brow.
"The manager has a stick shoved up his backside." Wei Ying said, by way of explanation. "And it's not smooth."
The imagery alone made Lan Zhan’s ears hotter.
"If you're coming with me tonight, you'll see." Wei Ying added, his tone more than a little despondent.
"Mn. Am coming with Wei Ying." Lan Zhan confirmed. "If Wei Ying doesn't like it...why stay?"
"The tips! They're so worth it. Plus I actually love tossing bottles about, there's something artistic in being able to do that. And the clients understand about Su She." He sighed, not wishing to elaborate.
Lan Zhan did not like this Su She person on principle; anyone who made his Wei Ying suffer wasn't worth the space they took up by existing, in his book.
But he had no right to say anything...yet.
Technically, Wei Ying wasn't his, not in the way that Lan Zhan would have preferred to identify him.
Not yet.
And he also did not know what time A-Yuan was coming home this evening.
From what he had observed, there wasn't a set pattern on who looked after the little boy. Sometimes it was Wen Qing and otherwise it was a toss up between Wen Ning and PoPo.
Was this instability adding to A-Yuan's loneliness feelings?
Lan Zhan suspected it was true.
He remembered when he was a kid, he and XiChen almost always preferred their Uncle Qiren over any baby sitter, but unfortunately, this wasn't always feasible. If it wasn't Uncle Qiren, then they really had no idea who was coming.
The only constant they had was each other, and that was more than what little A-Yuan had.
But Lan Zhan didn't want to say anything to Wei Ying. This morning's fiasco was one he did not wish to repeat, since it was too early in their relationship to know when the other wasn't pointing out mistakes instead of healthy observations.
It was sad that Wei Ying’s circumstances did not allow him to survive only on one job...which was the biggest tragedy in all of this.
The bus ride wasn't the most comfortable one, as the bus driver hadn't mastered the highly skilled art of braking gently yet.
Lan Zhan wished him a speedy learning process.
They were sitting down but both were holding onto each other as well the closest wall mounted pipe.
Wei Ying smiled apologetically as the bus protested, grinding to a sudden halt and they lurched in their seats.
"This is us." He said, cheerfully as ever.
There was a two minute walk to the Coffee Carousel.
Lan Zhan kept part of his brain watching his reactions to the sunlight, while the rest of him admired other shop fronts.
The Coffee Carousel was situated smack bang in the middle of the High Street, located between a cake shop and a gift card place. It was the ideal place to be and already there was a queue when they entered.
"I'm apologising now for what I'm going to do." Wei Ying murmured, taking off his jacket.
Lan Zhan only had seconds to glance at him before he was reaching for a woman and hugging her tightly.
"MianMian! I'm so sorry for leaving you in the lurch yesterday! But on the plus side, I feel so much better now!" He kissed her cheek too, and that's when she pulled him off herself, scowling.
"Save it! A-Qing already told me, and is that him?" She narrowed her gaze at Lan Zhan who felt immediately uncomfortable.
"Yeah, he wanted to tag along today...is it okay if he sits somewhere? Out of the way?" Wei Ying discreetly winked at him.
Lan Zhan was being assaulted.
There was no other explanation for this.
The intense attention he was getting from both people just staring at him was unnerving anyway but the wink?
It was definitely too much.
"As long as he's a paying customer, he can sit anywhere he likes." She retorted, turning back to deal with the next person in the queue.
"She's just joking." Wei Ying reassured him, leading Lan Zhan to a table in the more secluded part of the cafe. "And I'll come and see what you're up to in my break."
"I brought your lunch." Lan Zhan put the grocery bag that Wei Ying hadn't noticed, on the table.
Wei Ying beamed at him, his lovely eyes crinkling at the edges in the warmest way.
"Thank you! Then I'm definitely coming back." He gave Lan Zhan finger guns and jumped over the counter, grabbing his apron.
With the practised ease of a professional who had done this many times over, he wrapped it around his too slim waist, efficiently tieing it in the front.
All of that had rooted Lan Zhan to the spot, his thirsty eyes wanting to drink him up even more...but Wei Ying flitted like a butterfly, bobbing and weaving between the other members of staff, and simultaneously charming his customers so their grimaces became grudging grins, their previous impatience turning into an in depth perusal of the baked goods.
Lan Zhan took off the jacket Wei Ying loaned him, and joined the end of the queue. His wallet was already out.
Wei Ying lifted his beautiful face to greet the next customer and was shocked to see it was Lan Zhan.
"Lan Zhan! Really, she didn't mean it! That table is always empty. And she knows that." He glared at MianMian.
"Hey, if he wants to pay, then it's no skin off your nose. Serve him and move on." She said, her tone severe but kind.
"Fine but I'm paying. Take it out of my salary." Wei Ying insisted.
She scowled at him but didn't disagree.
Meanwhile, Lan Zhan had no idea what was going on, or why Wei Ying wanted to pay for him so badly but he figured this was neither the place or the time to question anything. He would remember this and ask later.
"What'll it be?" Wei Ying asked, a politeness in his voice that Lan Zhan didn't like.
But he knew it wasn't really to do with him.
"Green tea?" It came out like a question. Lan Zhan felt the too familiar burn in his ears. He sighed internally.
"Oh...you don't just get green tea any more." Wei Ying smiled almost predatorily. "There's fruit infusions, ginger, ginseng, macha, but my favourite one is lotus flower and orange blossom green tea." His voice softened at the end.
"Then that's what I'll take." Lan Zhan put fifty dollars into their tip jar when he thought Wei Ying wasn't looking.
He moved over to the side to wait for his drink.
Now that he had actually ordered it, Lan Zhan wasn't quite sure what he was going to do with it, when it arrived. Maybe he could still drink it?
Luckily the public bathroom was right next to his table....just in case....
**********
Lan Zhan thought he was going to be bored just waiting for Wei Ying to join him for lunch, but people watching turned out to be far more entertaining than he had ever experienced.
He could hear all the conversations going on around him, and when he wanted to concentrate on any one in particular, all he had to do was focus a bit more and the other noises faded into a background symphony.
He realised he was inadvertently practicing and honing his new skills, which was a really useful gift.
Also, the rich aroma of Brazilian coffee, mixed with chocolate was becoming something warm and intoxicating for him. He loved the medium roast scent that lit up his insides even without taking a sip.
But that wasn't all.
Lan Zhan learned that the difference in milks added to his experience, the subtle nuances of oat milk and soya milk, almond too were slight but distinct layers of a whole.
And added to that was the sweet fragrance of carrot and chocolate cakes, blueberry muffins and fruit tarts, there was also a wide range of filled paninis adding to the mix.
His olfactory sense was working overtime.
Lan Zhan patiently worked through all the information firing through his new brain and found he could cope quite well with it now.
Like any other skill, he was getting better and better with every day that passed.
Midday came and went and still no Wei Ying showed up.
Lan Zhan went back to stand in the line, but this time he had Wei Ying’s lunch in a tupperware container in his hands.
He wordlessly handed it over when his turn came around.
Wei Ying took it without checking and then he blushed in the most adorable way.
MianMian was walking past then and eyed what was in his hands.
"I thought I told you to take your lunch break ten minutes ago." It wasn't a question.
"Going, going...jeez." Wei Ying yanked off his apron, and put his food in the microwave to heat up.
Lan Zhan waited for him, not trusting him to come to their table by himself, something that didn't go unnoticed by Wei Ying. When he finally sat down in front of Lan Zhan, he first gave him the sweetest of smiles, until he saw Lan Zhan’s untouched tea.
"Was there something wrong with it?" He asked around a mouthful of rice.
"No. I just don't feel like drinking it." Lan Zhan was telling the truth.
"Did you taste it?" He lowered his voice. "Can you? Taste it, that is."
Lan Zhan grabbed the mug and sipped the smallest amount he could, wrinkling his nose. He instinctively knew that one or two sips would go largely unnoticed in his body...now. But any more than that and his body was going to expell it with a greater force. He could still remember what the undigested steak felt like in his mouth.
"I can taste it." He confirmed. "But I would rather not throw up in such a public place."
"Okay, okay, don't drink it." Wei Ying told him firmly. "I too, don't want you to suffer any episodes here. What about your hunger?"
It had been just fine...until Wei Ying mentioned it.
Lan Zhan had been too busy with the conversation he could hear all around him to remember that, and now Wei Ying had basically shoved him under the proverbial bus, suddenly it was all he could think about.
As discreetly as he could, Lan Zhan bit his own lip and wiped away the blood, noting that it didn't seem as nourishing as before. So he did it again and felt much better.
Oh no....that wasn't good.
Lan Zhan had roughly calculated how much blood he had remaining in his system. He wasn't sure if, after the change, whether his body would continue to make new blood, because the nourishment factor was questionable.
And then there was the elephant in the room:
What would happen if he lost control? What if he needed to drink...fresh blood?
But a family friendly coffee shop was so not the place to have this chat.
Wei Ying was staring at him, more perceptive than Lan Zhan would have liked suddenly.
He reached over and patted Lan Zhan’s hand.
"Whatever it is...we can deal with it together. Alright?"
Just that small bit of assurance, and the warmth of his hand made Lan Zhan feel so much better.
Not trusting himself to speak, Lan Zhan simply nodded.
Wei Ying slipped into the bathroom and returned with a rinsed out plastic container which he put back in the bag next to Lan Zhan.
"Let's leave the tea there." He said. "MianMian will never know."
Lan Zhan nodded again, relieved that he did not have to deal with it just yet.
And with that, Wei Ying returned to creating a magical experience for his waiting customers.
He was a magnet for Lan Zhan’s eyes.
Easily the most vibrant star in this galaxy, he outshone every other person there, whether customer or staff. His bright happy smile made his grumpy customers smile too, and the conversation he teased out of them led to more sales that MianMian definitely noticed. His mischievous silver eyes saw more than he let on, but Lan Zhan saw when Wei Ying slipped a lollipop to a child on the verge of a tantrum, thereby stopping that particular drama.
And in no time at all, it was three thirty and Wei Ying tossed his apron at his boss happily. He refused the sandwiches she was practically forcing him to take, instead telling her that he had Lan Zhan now, and she didn't need to worry about him any more.
Suddenly, everything made sense to Lan Zhan.
Wei Ying wasn't the sort of person who easily accepted handouts, and no doubt he felt guilty every time MianMian gave him free food. That was why he had paid for Lan Zhan’s tea, because he didn't want to be in anyone's debt. No more than usual anyway...and Lan Zhan had done a good thing by putting money in their tip jar.
And another idea formed in his head...one that might be a little more successful if he was clever about it. But he would have to do it in secret for one thing, and secondly, since it concerned money, it was even more imperative that Wei Ying not find out.
But that was a problem for another day.
Right now, they were going to go back to Lan Zhan’s home.
The one he shared with his brother.