The day dawned bright and early. Wei Ying woke to warm kisses all over his face. It wasn't that Lan Zhan was particularly warm, but the way his lips made Wei Ying feel hot all over.
He felt comfortable and snuggly and didn't want to move, but Lan Zhan was being insistent and something about that made Wei Ying clingier. He burrowed closer, seeking cuddles.
It wasn't lost on Lan Zhan, who huffed out a laugh.
"I think that's my favourite sound." Wei Ying mumbles, eyes still shut, stubbornly holding out against waking up for real.
"Mn. Mine is also Wei Ying's laugh." Lan Zhan kisses his forehead. "I have packed a bag or two for our trip."
That was it.
Wei Ying remembered that today was Sunday! And they were going to the beach!
One last kiss on perfect lips, and he jumped up out of bed and into the shower.
While he was there, Lan Zhan went into the kitchen and prepared breakfast. Today was technically still a holiday for the children, because from tomorrow, they will return to school.
And Wei Ying had mentioned that Social services were going to visit tomorrow, too.
Lan Zhan cut up the scallions for pancakes, and prepared the batter, tasting for salt. He made the children's food first and then added a healthy dose of chilli flakes to the last batch.
Then he went to wake the children.
There was a peacefulness to be gained by this orderly domestic bliss. Lan Zhan had had a different routine as a bachelor, one that centred on himself alone or sometimes with the exception of his brother, if he had actually spent the night in their shared apartment.
Not that he was complaining; no, this new life was very much appreciated with gratitude. If Lan Zhan had any other choice, he still thought he wouldn't change a thing.
He shot off a quick text to his brother about arranging a dinner with Uncle, and making sure the food would be suitable for two young children as well. XiChen replied with emojis and what Lan Zhan presumed to be a bomb.
He hoped it wasn't an accurate premonition on the outcome on whichever day they decided.
*********
After breakfast and handing the boys a bag to fill with whatever they wanted to take with them to the beach, for their own entertainment along the way, Lan Zhan loaded up the car so they could be on their way as soon as possible.
Wei Ying confiding in him about wanting to go in the first place, made him feel all kinds of warm inside.
He hadn't allowed himself to think about what a biopsy could mean, and all the resulting repercussions of that test, which frankly, gave him the heebie jeebies. But he was going to take his own advice about that, and not jump to any conclusions without proof.
He had his own theories about his venom, and they had been bolstered by F4keSt0ries with his crack observations on how he hadn't seen any ill vampires.
F4keSt0ries also mentioned that vampire venom worked in a specific way, removing anything which proved detrimental to its existence. Based on that, Lan Zhan was taking full advantage of having Wei Ying under him every night, and showing him how much he loved his boyfriend.
Part of his worship included biting Wei Ying in nonharmful places, nowhere directly into his bloodstream. Just one drop at a time, hoping it would reach wherever it was needed, and do the job that he hoped would end up saving Wei Ying, if it came to that.
And it proved to be a symbiotic relationship because by injecting that one drop of venom, Lan Zhan took one drop of Wei Ying's delicious blood, a nourishment that seemed to last ages within his own body.
Wei Ying always encouraged him to take more, saying he didn't mind in the least, and offering up his neck, something that still frightened Lan Zhan. For now, he contented himself with tiny bites in obscure places that only Wei Ying and himself knew were there. He would do internal inventory of sorts regularly, and up until now, his body was happily accepting the gift of Wei Ying's blood. He hadn't experienced any lack of nutrients, and more importantly, Lan Zhan hadn't felt hungry at all, in a long, long while.
Plus the side effects of Wei Ying's supercharged fuel was phenomenal. Lan Zhan could still go outside with no detrimental effects, such as dying or exploding as soon as the sun hit him, and for that, he would always be eternally grateful.
They might have stumbled upon a mutually satisfying system, but that didn't mean Lan Zhan was not aware of how much it helped him.
When he sees Wei Ying and the children waiting by the door, ready to leave, he thinks it might not be possible to love them any more. And yet, every time he has that thought, he's managed to prove himself wrong.
They pile into the car, the kids visibly excited enough to stay awake for half of the ride. Lan Zhan finds it amusing.
He would have commented but he thinks Wei Ying is distracted for some reason, and he would like to find out the cause.
It's a fairly straight road, driving on the freeway, and their hands are joined next to the gearbox, while Lan Zhan keeps one hand firmly on the steering wheel. This car is his baby, and it's never once let him down.
"What is on Wei Ying's mind?" Lan Zhan risks a quick glance in his direction.
Wei Ying is looking out of his passenger window, elbow resting on the frame, with his hand around his neck playing with the thick black string holding the locket around his neck. He hasn't taken it off once, since introducing Lan Zhan to his parents.
"I dunno. I just...it's silly." Wei Ying blushes, turning around to make sure the children are still fast asleep. A small smile forms on his face at the sight of the two young ones holding each other with their pudgy cheeks squished on the leather seats, having sunk down on their boosters.
Lan Zhan brings their joined hands to his lips, kissing Wei Ying's soft skin leisurely. The shiver he gets in return is so worth it. He's lucky to have such a responsive, sensitive partner.
"Nothing Wei Ying feels is silly. I would be honoured to hear Wei Ying's thoughts." He presses.
"Well, I can't help thinking we're on the cusp of something...something. You know when you're on a roller coaster, and it's climbing up. Like, you can see you're going up, and it's a slow and steady ride. The problem comes because you know that you have to come down too, and that's the crunch. It's the anticipation of the whole thing. That's what I'm feeling now. As if things have been too quiet recently, and something is gonna happen." Wei Ying smiles ruefully. "I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but I just can't shake this feeling. That's all."
"Wei Ying's feelings are valid, and I shall do my best to distract him." Lan Zhan says this with perfect sincerity.
"It's not just that, though."
"Mn?"
"I can't get that mysterious dude out of my head. The one that wore all white, remember him? He was weird and kept staring at me. And the other guy, the one with pink highlights. At least we know his name, which is great, except it doesn't help at all." Wei Ying rubbed his temple, suddenly feeling exhausted. "With him, I felt like I'd seen him before...but I just can't place when."
Lan Zhan felt for him.
Both of their worlds had changed so much and nothing had removed the complex uncertainty that seemed to shroud their every day.
"Wei Ying only has a couple more days to go at the Coffee shop. How do you feel about that?" Lan Zhan points out, hoping to distract him from his preoccupation with danger.
Wei Ying brightens immediately, and Lan Zhan can see whatever he's thinking, it's already good for him.
"Now that I've had the time to get used to the idea, I kind of can't wait? You know, I feel anxious about waiting for it to come. I'm excited, both to be your partner and write our book. And I want to explore other things which I never had time for." His knee bounces with excitement.
"Such as? What has Wei Ying always wanted to do?" Lan Zhan wondered what it could be, that has turned Wei Ying into a bright red giggling mess of a beautiful man.
He's truly so cute!
"I wanted to try my hand at painting." Wei Ying whispers this as if it's a huge secret.
And Lan Zhan supposes it is, because he doubts Wei Ying has told anyone this before.
"At home or lessons?"
"How about both?"
"I hear body paint is a thing..." he lets that hang between them.
"Er...no offence, but ew?" Wei Ying scrunches up his face in distaste.
"Edible, chocolate body paint." Lan Zhan clarifies, loving the new and somehow even stronger blush on Wei Ying's face as he gets what Lan Zhan is implying.
It's a solid request.
And Lan Zhan doesn't mind who does who...
**********
It's just past nine in the morning when they park the car at one of the many parking lots near the beach.
It's a bright, sunny day with warm sunshine colouring everything a tea hue of golden rays. They all use sunscreen, even Lan Zhan because he doesn't want anyone asking questions. Then he hoists three bags of towels, bathing costumes and a cooler full of fun snacks and drinks out of the boot, while Wei Ying holds the hands of their children.
He offered to help Lan Zhan, but the latter refused, saying he could manage perfectly well.
Again, Wei Ying was reminded how good it felt to be taken care of. It was heartwarming to have a partner in everything, one who so obviously cared about them, actively wanting to look after all of them.
All this time, he hadn't understood about the Lan Zhan shaped hole in his heart, one that was constantly waiting to be filled. They were a family of oddly shaped jigsaw puzzle pieces, and somehow, they all managed to slot together so perfectly.
Both A-Yuan and A-Yi marvelled at the sand their feet sunk into as they climbed the first dunes that rose up before they could see the sea.
And then, there it was.
Bright and sparkling, mysterious and deep, and still inviting, it was a strong vivid blue, the darker hombre to the sky, no less blue but a cerulean, lighter colour. Gold sands all along the length of the sea provided the perfect contrast, with startlingly white seagulls and their yellow beaks completing the scene.
Wei Ying looks towards the children and finds Lan Zhan doing the same.
They're in awe.
"Why is there so much of it?" JingYi recovers first, scrunching up his eyes.
Lan Zhan finds them a spot on the empty (for now) beach, and whips out sunglasses for everyone.
He lays out towels to sit down, speaking all the while.
"There's a story about that. I'll tell you about it after lunch."
The boys cheer, still looking at the monstrosity of the ocean, the little waves crashing upon the shore, with frothy bubbles depositing seaweed clumps here and there.
Wei Ying knows they will have to give the children some time to adjust, to get used to being here. It's a new experience and important for them not to be scared about it. That much water mass was daunting, even to adults, so he wasn't surprised at the kids' reactions to the sea.
"It's very beautiful." Wei Ying says gently. He's looking at A-Yuan, who hasn't stopped staring at the water.
A-Yuan reaches across to hold his hand, so Wei Ying bends to kiss the top of his head, doing the same to JingYi, just in case he feels left out.
"Have you been to the sea before?" Wei Ying asks Lan Zhan.
Luckily, he understands that the children need some kind of normalcy right now, and what could be better than their parents discussing things like they do at home?
"Uncle brought XiChen and I once, soon after my mother passed away." Lan Zhan replied, watching JingYi.
The boy is staring back with an unreadable expression.
"My parents brought me here when I was little, too." Wei Ying would have winked but he's wearing shades. The action would be lost. "They used to have donkey rides."
"Looks like they still do." Lan Zhan points to a sign for them, a distance away.
The children look much more interested in that, but sadly, still scared of the sea.
Well, there was only one way to divest them of that.
Wei Ying took his shoes and socks off, rolling up his trousers.
At first, his actions appeared to be innocent to the kids.
But then he says in a golden voice, "I'm going to dip my feet in there."
A-Yuan clutches him tightly, while JingYi shrieks.
"Don't go!" They both shout.
Wei Ying pushes his sunglasses on top of his head.
"There's honestly nothing to worry about," he says, trying not to laugh, but at the same time, he knows this can go either way. "Look, watch me. I promise you nothing will happen to me." He holds out his pinky finger, and pinky promises them both to seal his words.
Lan Zhan couldn't look away even if he wanted to.
Wei Ying is incandescent, as the sun shines behind him, and he runs, not walks into the sea.
Both the children are holding hands, anxious and tense as they watch him go towards something bigger than a swimming pool, something which could potentially take one of their fathers away.
They see Wei Ying shiver as the cold ocean water caresses his feet in greeting, and then a small wave comes and splashes his calves, and he's shrieking with the novelty of being there, touching water yet to be warmed by the sun. He kicks at the water, laughing loud enough that they can hear him this far away.
He's obviously having a great time.
It's JingYi who stands up first.
A-Yuan watches him, shocked that his best friend wants to go over there, where Wei Ying is holding his arms open for them. He stares as JingYi (oh! the! Betrayal!) runs towards his dad, ready to dip his toes into ... into that!
He's aware of Lan Zhan scooting closer to him. And then Lan Zhan is lifting him into his lap, hugging him.
"Sometimes, we don't know when we need a hug." Lan Zhan murmurs, his lips next to A-Yuan's ears so he can hear what Lan Zhan is telling him over the crashing waves of the sea. "Thank you for hugging me," he adds, surprising A-Yuan.
"You're scared?" A-Yuan asks him, only about fifty percent in disbelief. Still, his chubby arms hold Lan Zhan tightly.
"It's been a long time since I've been here. I forgot what the sea is like, how big it is." That's not a lie.
Lan Zhan might not be scared of it, per say, but it's the absolute truth that he had forgotten how simply massive the sea was.
"Do...d-do you wanna go with me? If we're together, it won't be so bad." A-Yuan tells him, and they're both surprised by his bravery. "Baba is already there, and JingYi is having fun."
Indeed, they're now taking turns to splash each other with the cold water, and everyone can see that they're having a great time.
"Will you hold my hand?" Lan Zhan asks him, hiding his smile. A-Yuan had given him a good idea; if the child thought he could help Lan Zhan get over his fear like this, it would inadvertently help him get over his fear as well.
A-Yuan nods, standing up. He lets Lan Zhan help him roll up his trousers and store away his shoes and socks, much in the same way Lan Zhan had done for JingYi, and then they're ready to go.
It's A-Yuan who walks patiently next to Lan Zhan, setting their own pace. He stops just out of reach of the water, watching JingYi who can't stop laughing as he chases a wily and super fast Wei Ying in the shallow water.
Lan Zhan knows that Wei Ying is keeping an eye on them, even if he's wholeheartedly playing with JingYi, a game of tag without rules, it seems.
And then A-Yuan finds his bottled courage and lets it loose, without warning, running into the sea and screaming as loudly as his best friend.
After that, it's all out war.
They split up into teams and whoever gets tagged, gets splashed. They have so much fun playing this game, and they're all completely drenched, by the time JingYi announces he's starving, that's when they realise it's past midday.
There's a hotdog stand nearby and Lan Zhan treats them to fresh ones, declining to eat. They all sit on warm towels and dry off in the sun, eating their food and drinking the colas that Lan Zhan pulls out of his magical cooler.
"I thought you said you packed a bag or two?" Wei Ying grins at Lan Zhan, as his gaze drifts over to the three full bags and the cooler bag.
"A beach trip needs towels and a change of clothes." Lan Zhan replies, defending himself.
Wei Ying wipes his hands on his trousers, Lan Zhan makes a face, and the kids copy Wei Ying. And then he pounces on one of the bags, whooping in delight.
"Lan Zhan! You absolute gorgeous man! I love you!" He declares, pulling out buckets and spades, enough for all of them.
Lan Zhan just has to kiss him for that.
"Let's have a competition. We can split up into two teams." Wei Ying says enthusiastically, beaming at his family.
They take a child each and start building sandcastles.
Wei Ying makes up elaborate tales of dragons guarding pearls and princesses trapped in high towers, while they work. Lan Zhan makes sure they are correctly sunscreened and hydrated as he talks.
And then JingYi remembered that Lan Zhan had a story to tell them. He's on Lan Zhan's team, and reminds him.
Wei Ying and A-Yuan are close enough to hear as he begins.
"There was once a group of monsters who were very naughty. They would steal people's things, annoy them, and cause mischief. The village elders prayed for help, and an old sage appeared. When the monsters saw him, they laughed and weren't scared at all of an old man. They laughed and taunted him, and then the fight began, because the sage said he was going to teach them a lesson.
"He turned out to be a champion of fighting, and began beating the naughty monsters, and they ran to hide from him. They chose the sea, sinking right down into the bottom. The villagers weren't happy because they said the monsters would come out when the sage left.
"So the sage took a deep breath and began drinking, and he swallowed the sea."
"What? All of that?" JingYi shielded his eyes and pointed at it, obviously not believing it for a second.
"All of that." Lan Zhan replied with a straight face.
"And then what happened?" A-Yuan asked, eagerly.
Wei Ying simply smiles back, breathtakingly beautiful as always.
"They find the monsters at the bottom of the sea and defeat them. But now, they have no sea. So the villagers start praying, and the sage tells them not to worry. He stands at the edge of the sea, and empties out his bladder."
Both the children wear identical faces of disgust when they realise what Lan Zhan means, with a little bit of help from Wei Ying, who's laughing too hard already.
When he stops, that's when Lan Zhan adds, "that's why it's salty."
Wei Ying completely loses it, then.
************
In the afternoon when it's too hot to remain out in the sun, they seek shelter on the boardwalk, going in and out of shops, buying souvenirs and eating rock candy and nougat, candy floss and ice cream of varying flavours. Wei Ying picks Death by Chocolate, A-Yuan has banana flavour, and JingYi chooses Monkey Business, which is basically banana and caramel flavour with extra steps.
And then they find the carnival.
By this time, it's late afternoon and lights are being turned on, giving the rides a fantasy look. Wei Ying goes on all the rides with the kids, while Lan Zhan opts out of a few, holding onto their belongings instead, and snapping pictures of them having a wonderful time.
He's taken hundreds of snapshots today, every one a special memory. There's one of all them standing in the ocean, the open sky a backdrop of glorious proportions, another of the sandcastles they built, declaring it a tie when Wei Ying and A-Yuan had built a moat around theirs, and multiple towers, while JingYi and Lan Zhan had gone for sheer grandeur.
Their entry would have won by its epicness, with the many intricate walkways between each tower and painstaking detail.
"Size isn't everything!" Wei Ying had murmured under his breath with a cheeky grin.
"Isn't it?" Lan Zhan had smirked back, meaning something else entirely, and thinking the blush on his lover's face was so worth it. He had lowered his shades so that Wei Ying could look into his eyes and know exactly how serious he was being.
After the rides and pizza, eaten while watching the awe-inspiring sunset, they visit the arcade.
Lan Zhan makes all of them pick a toy, even Wei Ying, and then he shows off marvellous skill and dexterity on the claw machine, and wins every one.
There are two bunnies for the kids and a little stuffed black donkey for Wei Ying, who kisses it enthusiastically and overdramatically. Lan Zhan kisses him for real when he thinks the children aren't looking, though their giggles prove otherwise.
The last thing they do, are the donkey rides. Wei Ying protests that it's just for the kids, but then the donkey's owner, a little person, laughs at him, and then how can Wei Ying refuse after that?
He even pats the donkey on its head and tries to kiss it goodbye, drunk on what a great time they all had today. Lan Zhan manages to pull him away before the ass gives him a kick for his trouble.
They wave goodbye to the sea, promising to return before the year is out, and then it's time to go home.