Wei Ying stays a few minutes past the time he's supposed to leave because he promised it earlier, but Lan Zhan can tell, he's dying to talk to Lan Zhan about the stunt he pulled.
Su She locks the door behind them and they walk towards the bus stop.
Wei Ying is practically vibrating next to Lan Zhan.
When they are far enough away, Wei Ying squeals with pent up excitement, jumping into Lan Zhan’s arms.
"I can't believe what you did! Oh my god!" He's so worked up, he decides that words are useless and kissing is a much better idea.
Lan Zhan stops walking, choosing instead to sit on the bench that they had previously used, because then he can fully concentrate on Wei Ying’s mouth. It is doing magical things to his body. Lan Zhan doesn't know if this is a result of his new change, or if kissing Wei Ying would have felt like this anyway, and he smugly believes the second theory.
Kissing Wei Ying...it is so good...he doesn't think anything could compare to it.
It is like floating in the air without the fear of falling.
It is happiness condensed into sensations.
It is everything.
Wei Ying doesn't care about anything right now. Lan Zhan is right here and under his hands, and all he wants is to be able to kiss him forever. Little tingles start buzzing in his chest until they spread out, he is shaking with his need and yet the slide of cool lips is grounding.
"Thank you." Wei Ying breathes out, smiling against his lips.
He is a beautiful man.
Lan Zhan cannot look away from this breathtaking picture, because Wei Ying is simply perfect. His gorgeous silver eyes twinkle merrily at him, as if he knows what Lan Zhan is thinking.
"No need." Lan Zhan whispers.
If Wei Ying was talking about Su She the Slimeball, then that is Lan Zhan’s pleasure. He hates bullies; he would have done something about him anyway. If he's talking about the kiss...well, Lan Zhan would've done that too, anyway.
"I guess we should make a move..." Wei Ying stands up reluctantly.
He holds a hand out for Lan Zhan, who pulls a little too strongly and their lips meet again once more. Lan Zhan likes this.
He likes the way Wei Ying’s eyes light up with a carefree joy, the way his smile is just so innocent. Wei Ying does everything with the whole of himself, whether it is walking, sitting or serving drinks.
Kissing too.
Lan Zhan thinks he has never seen anyone quite so alive before.
Tonight, Wei Ying looks relaxed. He might be tired, but A-Yuan isn't waiting for him at home tonight so he is free with his emotions. There isn't anything weighing him down.
Lan Zhan sees everything Wei Ying feels on his face and it is as startlingly beautiful as a painter's dream.
Together they walk ahead. The bus stop is empty and Wei Ying groans.
"I bet we've missed the bus." He says, with a pout.
It is singlehandedly the cutest thing Lan Zhan has ever seen.
"We can walk. It is a nice night for it." Lan Zhan starts to say....but his eyes fall on that familiar graffiti once more, and he is compelled to go closer.
"Lan Zhan...." Wei Ying is following because they're still holding hands, and yet Lan Zhan can sense his reluctance to go there.
"I need to see." Lan Zhan murmurs.
Even he isn't sure why there's a burning need to go and see where he had been left for dead. That much is true; whoever did this to him still thinks he's dead. And if that had happened...at the time, there were only two people who would have cared.
His brother and uncle would have been devastated.
What if it wasn't him who was attacked that night?
What if it was anybody else, with a loving family...with children?
What if it had been Wei Ying?
His gaze immediately finds Wei Ying, as a scorching fear grips Lan Zhan. For a second, he cannot breathe.
He pulls Wei Ying into his arms, a bone crushing hug just to feel his heartbeat, to know he is alive. Lan Zhan needs this more than anything else right now.
Wei Ying isn't sure what's going on.
He knows Lan Zhan is going through something...in the passing seconds, he's seen fascination followed by sadness and swiftly accompanied by rage. But this?
This is fear.
It feels heavy, surrounding them as they reassure each other that they're both alive...one more than the other.
Was it a quirk of Fate that they met in such dire circumstances?
Lan Zhan goes through all the variables in his head, all the possible outcomes of every single decision he made leading up to the attack, and then, every decision Wei Ying would have to have made that night too. If he had gotten on the bus at that late hour...Lan Zhan might not have made it.
And they would have missed their chance.
"Talk to me." Wei Ying whispers, when it looks like Lan Zhan isn't going to let him go anytime soon.
"Promise me something." Lan Zhan says. He's glad his voice comes out sounding stronger than he feels.
This surprises Wei Ying. But his response is immediate.
"Anything."
"Don't walk this path alone."
"What? Is that what you're afraid of?" The laugh dies on his lips when he sees how serious Lan Zhan is about this.
His beautiful golden eyes are sparking with agitation, fear making them appear even brighter.
Lan Zhan is terrified about this.
"Please. If not for me, then do it for A-Yuan. Please." He repeats himself, not even blinking once.
His gaze is so intense, it makes Wei Ying shiver involuntarily.
He finds himself nodding slowly.
"But...Lan Zhan, how will that work? You...what if..." Wei Ying can't bring himself to say the words.
Coupled with that, the slow realisation dawns that it could so easily have been him in Lan Zhan’s place.
What then? What would have happened to A-Yuan then?
Thoughts crowd his mind as image after image bombards the screen in his head and suddenly, he is terrified as well.
Not for himself, but for his son.
He's vaguely aware of gentle fingers wiping at his face tenderly.
"Lan Zhan..." He breathes out, overwhelmed by the direction of his thoughts.
"You are safe." Lan Zhan promises him, his voice returning to a much more soothing tone. "I am here."
"But for how long?" Wei Ying asks.
It's not the question he really wants to ask...but it's important nonetheless.
"As long as you need me." It is another promise.
Wei Ying laughs quietly, and the sound is wet with unshed tears.
"Then prepare to stay forever...because...because I don't want to let you go." He admits. These words are coming from his heart, and Wei Ying is powerless to stop them. "I don't know what it is about you...maybe it's me...but I feel like you're my person. I've never felt this way about anyone ever. It's a new experience...but I want you to stay. For as long as you want to...that is."
Uncertainty clouds those bright crystal eyes.
Lan Zhan makes a decision then.
"I want to stay." He lifts up Wei Ying’s face with his hand, noting how easily it fits. His hand is open, a caress that holds the face of this person whom he has come to care for deeply.
If that isn't love...then Lan Zhan doesn't know what is.
But it is too soon to say the words.
He doesn't want to frighten away this perfect man, this beautiful soul.
He wants to keep Wei Ying safe forever.
So he keeps this kiss brief, because it's necessary. It is the seal that should end every promise between them.
It feels right.
"Alright...Good..." Wei Ying laughs as soon as his lips are free. "I feel like a weight has lifted from me. I'm glad we sorted something out. It's progress."
Lan Zhan nods, studying him.
At least the panic has gone, even if the fear lurks behind a cheerful demeanour.
But Wei Ying should know what he's dealing with.
"I am proof that vampires exist. It's not a joke anymore."
Wei Ying nods back.
This is new territory for them both.
"Whoever it is was careless." Lan Zhan adds, the anger rising to the surface of his mind once more. "And I'm going to catch him." This sounds like a promise.
Wei Ying holds himself tightly, not giving in to the trembles that are hidden under his skin.
He is scared, but more for Lan Zhan than himself now.
They're hands are still joined, and Wei Ying uses this connection to squeeze his. He wants to help, he realises.
"Let's do it together." He says, feeling much braver.
Lan Zhan is already shaking his head.
"I do not want to put you at risk. You're more important to me." As if his arms are thirsty to hold Wei Ying again, he pulls him into a close embrace.
"But...Lan Zhan...I'm saying you don't have to do it alone. I'm here...and I'll support you. In whatever capacity. I might not know about relationships but I would imagine that it's a partnership, right? So I want to help. We can be a crime fighting duo. The next Batman and Robin."
Lan Zhan laughs.
It is unexpected, pulled out of him unawares.
"What? I'm serious." Wei Ying pouts.
Lan Zhan has found his own weakness.
"Alright. But I'm Batman." He says, drily. He's still smiling.
"We can both be Batman." Wei Ying compromises, grinning.
A laughing Lan Zhan is way better than a scared, angry one.
"We'll see."
"So let's look for clues, my fine feathered friend!" Wei Ying says, reluctantly letting him go.
"Bats do not have feathers." Lan Zhan replies, a twinkle in his eye.
"But Robins do...just sayin." Wei Ying saunters off, leaving that hanging.
Lan Zhan follows him deeper into the alley. His fingers caress a spot on his neck which feels warmer than the rest of him.
Someone bit him there.
Someone drank his blood.
And left something behind.
Lan Zhan can taste something else in his blood now. In the beginning, it tasted good...like the best meal. But the last few times, he's noticed a slight yet growing difference and this knowledge comes from deep within.
It is venom.
Soon, it will obliterate his organs and he will become One who cannot die.
He is unsure about whether or not he can still survive using his own blood anymore...but he will have to be even more careful around Wei Ying.
Not even accidentally biting him.
Lan Zhan puts these thoughts aside and begins to look around.
Wei Ying is standing next to a gruesome brownish patch of what Lan Zhan can smell, is his own dried blood.
"I found this." He holds his palm open so Lan Zhan can see what it is.
Lan Zhan takes it from him.
It is a brass button, with an image forged onto it.
Lan Zhan puts it into his pocket after studying it. He's going to need help...and he thinks he's running out of time. He may need to talk to his brother sooner than he wanted...
They look around carefully, using the light from the nearby properties. There's a sensor light that Wei Ying keeps activating to give them light, coupled with the torch from his phone.
That's another thing Lan Zhan really misses: his phone.
He knows his brother has it...but there's no way to avoid a meeting if he wants it back.
They search until Wei Ying’s phone dies.
Lan Zhan decides to come back in the daytime, and check if they can find anything else.
One thing is certain: he is not going to let whoever did this to him, get away with it.
He is going to find them.
He ignores the little voice in his head that says, and then what?
*********
The walk home is quiet.
Both are lost in their thoughts.
The night is silent with not even the sound of a car going past.
Lan Zhan thinks the culprit had picked this place on purpose...which made sense. But he has too many questions and not enough answers.
Was he attacked at night out of necessity? Was his assailant able to go out during the day? Lan Zhan had a feeling that using the dark of night was intentional for more than one reason.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Wei Ying says, swinging their arms.
"I am thinking about the attacker." Lan Zhan admits. "I do not want anyone else to suffer...this."
"Don't worry, Lan Zhan. We're going to find him." Wei Ying promises, determination shining in his silver eyes.
Lan Zhan nods.
"Do you think they might be local? And if so...why aren't there any more cases? Why isn't it in the news?" Wei Ying stops suddenly. "It should be all over the papers, television, Internet. Everywhere? Right?"
"Right. So why isn't it?" Lan Zhan thinks this is a very good question. "Unless someone is trying very hard to keep it out..."
"But what if, Lan Zhan...what if, it's already there but hidden? I mean...what if no one reports how the victims are dying? Because I refuse to believe that you're the only one...unless whoever attacked you didn't finish the job...sorry!" Wei Ying gives him a cheeky grin. "You know what I mean." He had clutched Lan Zhan’s arm in his excitement and only lets go now as they resume walking.
"Wei Ying has raised some excellent points. I shall investigate tomorrow." Lan Zhan says, smiling at his enthusiasm.
"Nuh uh...tomorrow is Sunday." Wei Ying declares...as if that's supposed to mean something.
"Yes, and today was Saturday." Lan Zhan agrees, giving him a funny look.
"No, silly. Sundays are family days. We don't work or do anything that's not fun. It's mine and A-Yuan's favourite day. Sometimes A-Ning and A-Qing join us, but now you're here, you have to as well." Wei Ying beams at him.
It does sound good.
"What do you do on family days?" Lan Zhan asks as they climb up the stairs of Wei Ying's apartment building.
"Nothing specially special, but at the same time, it is special. Know what I mean?" Wei Ying slides the key into the door and they enter.
"No. I do not." Lan Zhan says, closing and locking the door behind him.
He frowns upon doing that.
There's just a deadbolt and a safety catch.
No other locks aside from the main one.
He does not mention it now....but he decides to visit a hardware store as soon as possible. Maybe even tomorrow, if he gets the chance. He is distracted by Wei Ying though.
Wei Ying comes up behind him and wraps his arms around Lan Zhan’s waist, yawning.
"Thank you...Lan Zhan. For choosing to stay with me."
Lan Zhan is already turning around and hugging him back.
Wasn't that the difference though?
This was his choice...whatever he did now.
And it made him feel so much better.
He leads Wei Ying who is mostly asleep by now, to their bedroom. He helps him slide out of his work clothes, and changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt.
Lan Zhan is too distracted about the lack of pyjamas to really think about anything else...and he decides, the first thing he's going to buy after extra locks, is some proper sleep attire for this caring man.
He was willing to bet that A-Yuan had everything he needed.
Lan Zhan was doing well, he could admit that to himself and a small part of him hurt at how much Wei Ying was suffering. He was working two jobs as well, but circumstances were not in his favour.
Well...Lan Zhan was about to change all that.
He slips into bed and Wei Ying naturally gravitates towards him.
Something settles inside Lan Zhan as his arms wrap around Wei Ying’s body, holding him closer.
This too, feels right.
The gentle perfume of lotus flowers, clean and fresh, comes from Wei Ying’s loosened hair, soft and fragrant under his nose.
It is the best feeling, this warmth.
And as he falls asleep, Lan Zhan makes a list.