A vampire.

The thought was giving him chills.

Lan Zhan knew it was coming; he had been getting the signs for this change for the past three days.

It should not be such a shock.

He had been overwhelmed by this beautiful man in his arms so he could be excused for not thinking about it... but now that it had happened for real, Lan Zhan could be forgiven for taking a few moments just to get used to it.

He sifted through his thoughts first, checking which ones he wanted to examine.

It wasn't fair.

He knew this, and still it happened to him; he had to let go of this futile and time-wasting thought.

It was what it was, and there was no point in wishing otherwise, when the likelihood of changing back was the equivalent of watching pigs fly.

Onto the next one.

How did he feel about this?

It actually wasn't bad.

He had been fortunate enough to watch a Ted talk recently, which scientifically proved how gay people improved society, that they were likely to be more intelligent and empathetic than their "normal" counterparts.

It made him feel even better about being gay, and luckily, his family was intelligent enough to appreciate him regardless of his preferences.

This was a new change to his life and lifestyle...it was nature's improvement...and Lan Zhan actually liked it. Perhaps that was a little too optimistic for now, but he could grow to like it... he was sure.

There was still so much to figure out about this condition, and yet somehow... looking at this wonderful person in his arms, Lan Zhan couldn't bring himself to regret anything.

Change, perhaps not so severe, usually was a part of life that nobody could ignore. It could be fought against or accepted, but other than his own reaction to it, there was nothing Lan Zhan could do about it.

Lan Zhan was lucky enough to have this family to help him through the hardest part... now the question was, how was his own family going to take it?

This was far more difficult to think about.

His brother, XiChen, was a kinder person than his uncle.

No... maybe it was wrong to paint uncle as an unkind person because that wasn't true at all. Would it be better to say that sometimes, Uncle Qiren could be severe in his dealings with his nephews? And it was this severity that was absent from his brother.

And then... what about his profession?

Just his hours had to change, and Lan Zhan saw no reason why he couldn't work from home with a computer. He could even work from here.

This was sounding better and better.

What he didn't want to think about was actually telling them about himself.

He was going to have to be brave.

But XiChen had given him time, he thinks. As much as he needed.

He will miss sleeping, Lan Zhan thinks. Not the health benefits because that was a moot point now, but the actual act of sleeping.

The getting one's self ready for sleep, the relaxation which was a prelude to actually falling asleep.

Wei Ying snuggles closer, and his warmth is much welcomed.

Lan Zhan closes his eyes out of habit.

Tomorrow morning, he will tell Wei Ying first.

Wei Ying is on his side.

It is this thought that gives him courage, enough to let this go.

**********

Lan Zhan does not move as Wei Ying stirs, stretching after spending most of the night in one position. He can feel Wei Ying staring at him, and it takes every ounce of self-control in him, not to move a muscle and give himself away.

Wei Ying climbs on top of him, and Lan Zhan suddenly has a head full of different ideas he'd like to experiment with... if Wei Ying is amenable.

Wei Ying leans down, and his soft lips caress Lan Zhan’s eyelids. The clean, sweet fragrance of lotus flowers floats up to his sensitive nostrils, and they flare automatically.

Anything to drink in this heavenly scent.

But that tiny action has cost him.

With a delighted whoop! Wei Ying swoops down to take his lips in an unrelenting kiss, his soft mouth urgently seeking more as their hearts soar with glee. This is such a simple pleasure, and neither wants to stop... or deny the other.

This kiss, it seems like it can go on forever and ever, its sweetness incomparable. Lan Zhan thinks he can kiss Wei Ying for days. He cannot believe that so much of his life has passed by without this ... wonder.

But of course, Wei Ying needs to breathe.

When they part, there is a look of disbelief on Wei Ying’s face, and the more that Lan Zhan looks at him, his blush deepens.

It makes him look so much more adorable.

Lan Zhan raises his upper body, leaning on only his forearms as Wei Ying meets him in the middle for another erratic kiss. Lan Zhan feels no change in himself, but it is particularly satisfying to hear and feel Wei Ying’s heart as if it wanted to burst out of his chest and come out kiss Lan Zhan itself.

Wei Ying’s hands wander as their kiss deepens.

Lan Zhan feels every nuance of his touches like a scorching fire, the flames licking, burning away his self-control until there is nothing except them left.

Wei Ying is a dream he didn't know he wanted... and now that he's here, Lan Zhan wants.

"I can't believe..." Wei Ying says, leaning in for another sweet kiss.

Their lips cling together in desperation, a chasing after more, more, more.

"Mn?" Lan Zhan will not allow Wei Ying to slip away, to let this kiss end.

He wants this more than anything.

Wei Ying’s blush becomes even deeper, and his beautiful face is a delightful pinky red... the colour has moved down to the top of his attractive chest and across his delectable collarbone.

"What we did..." Wei Ying doesn't understand why he cannot get enough of this... of Lan Zhan’s taste. "I didn't know it could be like that."

"Does Wei Ying... regret?"

The word slips out, and Wei Ying is shocked enough to lean back.

He's shaking his head even before Lan Zhan stops speaking.

"Never!" He says vehemently.

It makes something swell in Lan Zhan’s chest to see himself and what they did together, be accepted, and defended in Wei Ying's mind. He feels proud, too.

"Good." And then because he can, he kisses Wei Ying one last time.

His sharp ears have caught the minute change in the mechanism of Wei Ying's alarm clock - it is going to go off any second now.

Lan Zhan smiles when it does.

He is relying more and more on himself now, and the information which this new brain provides. He is adjusting to the high levels of data being bombarded at him; he has learned how to differentiate between important and factual knowledge, easing his previous stress.

Now, it feels effortless.

Wei Ying boops his nose, chuckling as Lan Zhan screws up his face in response.

"Gotta get ready." Wei Ying feels shy... but in a delicious way.

Lan Zhan hasn't stopped looking at him once, and it makes him feel cherished. It is a hungry look, but Wei Ying would like to think he can tell the difference hungry, and hungry.

He feels so alive...it can't just be because of last night.

Well, not the actual act, though it's a contributing factor.

Last night, they came together in more ways than one, and Wei Ying feels so much closer to Lan Zhan now. He knows out of the two of them, Lan Zhan is the least likely one to need his protection... but Wei Ying wants to give it.

It's the wholesome-Ness of this relationship, a meeting in the middle.

A partnership in the truest sense of the word.

He's feeling something else, too, but this he wants to hug to himself like a priceless jewel. He wants to savour this feeling until he's ready to share it with Lan Zhan because three days is simply not long enough to know.

For anyone else? Yes, absolutely.

For Wei Ying? No. He knows it better than the back of his hand.

He tucks it away in the secret recesses of his heart, keeping it safe until the time is right to share with Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying is floating in happiness as he breezes through his own shower and gets A-Yuan ready for school.

Lan Zhan has made a simple congee for breakfast. It is hearty and filling, and the best thing about it is how well it mixes with chilli oil.

Wei Ying doesn't even mind kissing Lan Zhan in front of A-Yuan, who seems to take it as if it's a completely normal action of his Baba to do.

Wei Ying doesn't mind because he's sure.

"When you come back, we should talk." Lan Zhan says against his lips.

Wei Ying smiles, too, and it feels wonderful.

"Okay." He says simply. "I'll be back soon." He promises.

A-Yuan runs back to hug Lan Zhan’s legs, smiling up at him. He's so innocent.

At this moment, Lan Zhan thinks he could cry.

His face won't let him, and maybe his tear ducts have dried up.

He doesn't care.

A-Yuan is more important than any of that.

"Have a happy day, Zhan Gege!" A-Yuan insists, and then with a chubby hand, gestures for him to bend down.

Lan Zhan is expecting him to whisper something in his ear; he's certainly not expecting the softest kiss on his cheek.

"Let's play when I come back!" A-Yuan says eagerly as he runs back to Wei Ying, who was standing in the doorway, watching everything.

He discreetly wipes at his face, and Lan Zhan is grateful that at least one of them can still cry.

After they leave, he busies himself with cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast preparation. This is followed by hoovering and a general dusting of the place.

There isn't much to pick up.

And then, packages start to arrive.

There are papers to sign because these items are expensive. Lan Zhan already knows what they are, as he brings them inside.

He's most looking forward to fixing the extra security lock into place, and then he has to set up his computer and phone.

Wei Ying returns just as Lan Zhan is finishing reading the instructions.

Lan Zhan begins to roll up his sleeves and looks up to find Wei Ying watching him with a single-minded devotion. His attention is on each inch of exposed skin that Lan Zhan reveals, and Lan Zhan can hear his heart beating faster and faster.

It is almost comical when Wei Ying licks his lips.

Lan Zhan knows.

He is surprised that he hadn't realised how much Wei Ying likes his forearms. He goes even slower now, wanting to long it out.

"I hope you don't mind." Lan Zhan starts to say. It's also a test to see if Wei Ying is paying attention to him.

"Huh?" Wei Ying sidles ever closer.

"This is for your door." Lan Zhan tells him.

Wei Ying’s beautiful eyes have glazed over.

"I am going to spread you open over every available surface." Lan Zhan adds, pushing his luck.

Wei Ying simply nods.

Lan Zhan is bursting with a need to laugh out loud.

It is more surprising that Wei Ying isn't flatout drooling.

Lan Zhan puts a single finger under Wei Ying’s chin and lifts his face up, so his beautiful gem-like eyes are looking at him instead.

Wei Ying whines.

"I can do this later." He says.

Unfortunately, this is too true.

Wei Ying has to go to the first of two jobs in less than half an hour and Lan Zhan still has something important he needs to tell him.

He takes Wei Ying’s hand and leads him to the couch, where they sit down facing each other.

Lan Zhan quickly unrolls his sleeves so that Wei Ying isn't distracted any more.

Sure enough, his lovely gem-like eyes clear pretty quickly.

Lan Zhan takes both of his beautiful hands in his two. He admires the pretty contrast between them; Wei Ying’s fingers are golden and warm, while his pale ones are almost white and definitely colder.

Wei Ying seems to have realised that it's time to be serious.

"What is it, Lan Zhan?" He asks, giving their hands a warm squeeze.

Lan Zhan knows if he thinks about it, he's going to lose his nerve. So he just comes out and says it.

"I am no longer changing." He waits.

There is a long pause.

"Okay…?" Wei Ying says, with a little uncertainty.

"So…I am a vampire now. Completely." Lan Zhan emphasises.

Wei Ying raises a brow.

"Aannd?" He questions. And then he slides even closer. There is the naughtiest smile on his face. "Is this the part where you say you want to bite me?" He brings his wrist up to wake under Lan Zhan’s nose.

"Shameless!" Lan Zhan moves out of his range.

The suggestion is simultaneously abhorrent and turns him on at the same time.

Lan Zhan doesn't want to think about wrapping his lips around that gorgeous, tempting skin. His canines are enlarging and it's the worst possible timing.

Lan Zhan quickly thinks about A-Yuan and the feeling goes away. Only when he's certain that he looks normal, he faces Wei Ying once more. It's just as well because Wei Ying is climbing into his lap now.

"Sweetheart…didn't we talk about this? I don't mean to upset you…and it's a tough thing, changing into something different than what you're used to. Aren't we still learning about each other?" He says. His voice is so kind.

Lan Zhan just feels accepted.

It is enough.

So he nods.

"So why don't we take it slow for now? Anytime you feel uncertain or need something from me, just say… okay?" His lovely silver eyes are so earnest and sincere, Lan Zhan cannot help but believe him, that everything will be alright.

"Plus…you know how every second counts?" Wei Ying adds.

That is all the warning he gets, before Wei Ying’s incredibly soft mouth is on his.

This sweetness is something else.

Each kiss leads to another and doesn't feel like it's enough. The warm, wet slide of his hot lips heats Lan Zhan from his insides, a touch that only belongs to Wei Ying alone.

These hungry kisses go on forever until Wei Ying pauses to breathe. Luckily, that's when his alarm goes off.

He grabs his jacket and blows Lan Zhan a parting kiss. The door closes after him and suddenly, Lan Zhan is left all alone.

The apartment seems bleak and horribly lonely once the bright light of Wei Ying has left.

Lan Zhan turns back to his chores.

After he's fitted the security device, and made sure it works, then he has to set up the laptop and his new phone.

Then, he can get started on looking for the person who did this to him.

************

Wei Ying’s day starts off in a hectic rush of office workers needing shots of caffeine to deal with their day. It's the start of the week and everyone hates Mondays. The weekend seems so far away…and the mountain of days to overcome before then, seems insurmountable.

Wei Ying can usually relate.

But today? He's floating on clouds of happy kisses and cuddling. Nothing can get him down, not even screaming kids and their parents.

MianMian makes him eat a toasted sandwich and practically forces him to sit down while he eats. Wei Ying suspects that Wen Qing has blabbed about his dizzy spells and that's why she's being extra nice.

There's no point in telling her that he's feeling much better than yesterday because she'd rather believe her frightening girlfriend over him any day, and besides, didn't like attract like?

MianMian was deceptively short and cuddly looking. Like a velociraptor.

In fact, they had a lot in common.

Height, sharp teeth, lethal sense of humour, and killing instincts. Wei Ying was counting off her attributes on his fingers.

An unexpected rush in the afternoon led to time passing by faster and before Wei Ying knew it, he was already ushering A-Yuan into their home.

Lan Zhan has snacks ready for both of them.

Wei Ying goes straight up to him, grabs his face and kisses his lovely lips.

"You beautiful man!" He cries in delight.

A-Yuan is similarly happy and takes his bowl into his bedroom to play with his Lego; Lan Zhan tells him to find twenty red pieces of a certain shape, and he nods enthusiastically, hurrying away.

The moment A-Yuan is out of sight, Lan Zhan picks up an astonished Wei Ying and sets him on the countertop. Wei Ying’s hands rest on Lan Zhan’s shoulders, and his gorgeous silver eyes are twinkling dangerously. He crosses his ankles behind Lan Zhan’s back, pulling him closer.

"Lan Er-Gege…what are you going to do with me, now I'm in your clutches?" He mock shivers.

Lan Zhan decides to teach him a lesson and not actually kiss him, since that's what he is expecting. His lips land on Wei Ying’s neck and this time, he shivers for real. He hadn’t known that lips could feel so soft, and a moan is dragged from his own mouth as his eyes close by themselves.

Lan Zhan can taste the remnants of a floral wash Wei Ying must have used, and traces of coffee, a dark delicious roast warming his skin. His tongue hovers over Wei Ying’s pulse as it flutters faster, and yet he skims over it with no desire to bite him…yet. His mouth skates over to the incredibly tempting dip in his collarbone, and this is where Lan Zhan can feel his canines extending once more. His teeth graze but do not break Wei Ying’s skin. It is so soft to kiss, and Lan Zhan loses himself in this quiet worship of his lover.

All around him is the intoxicating scent of lotus flowers and Wei Ying’s own unique fragrance…it is this which Lan Zhan cannot get enough of.

Their bodies are lined up perfectly, and Lan Zhan feels warm all over. His body feels sensitive and primed…but right now, they don't have time to do anything more than this intimate exploration.

Wei Ying is desperately holding onto Lan Zhan, his body vibrating like it's been charged with Lan Zhan’s kisses, the source of his frenzied state. He whines when Lan Zhan steps back.

He can't get too far away though, because Wei Ying’s legs are still around his waist.

"Later." Lan Zhan promises him.

Both are panting now, and Lan Zhan is surprised by this. He knows he doesn't need to breathe, but it's funny how the body retains muscle memory, as it were.

"You're so mean to your Wei Ying!" He pouts.

That's so unfair, Lan Zhan thinks. He isn't ready at all, and this is an assault of cuteness.

If his heart wasn't dead already, it would be flip-flopping on the floor right now. Nobody had a right to look that fabulous.

"Your alarm." Lan Zhan points out just before it does indeed go off.

Wei Ying beams at him, his warm finger tracing the shell of Lan Zhan’s ear.

"That's a really cool gift." Wei Ying murmurs, leaning closer so that his mouth is hovering above, just a hair's breadth away from kissing Lan Zhan once again.

"Mn. I am going to go grocery shopping tonight. Does Wei Ying want anything?" Lan Zhan smiles as Wei Ying blushes.

"I saw your list…and I added to it…if that's alright?"

This is when Lan Zhan chooses to answer by kissing him senseless. He's so pleased that Wei Ying is feeling more comfortable with him buying things for them. Their lips are so close anyway, he doesn't even have to do much except lean forward, and they are both in the land of bliss.

Wei Ying’s hands wind up in his hair and he's clutching a fistful when Lan Zhan sucks on his tongue and his response is to unintentionally tug.

Lan Zhan likes that, and his reaction is to growl deep in his throat.

This time when they break apart, Wei Ying starts giggling.

"Mn?"

"Oh…nothing… I just thought, if every time we're kissing because the alarm is going off, we're actually training ourselves to have a pavlovian response to this sound. Every time it goes off, we have to kiss." He cackled, finding it extremely funny.

"Mn. It can be anywhere…" Lan Zhan suggests, liking this even more.

Wei Ying throws back his head and laughs out loud, unrestrained.

Lan Zhan lifts him off the counter. He loves the way his larger hands fit around Wei Ying’s waist…as if they were always supposed to go there. If he stretched his fingers, Lan Zhan thought they could touch.

Wei Ying says goodbye to A-Yuan before he goes. They both know this is a good night too, because A-Yuan will be asleep by the time Wei Ying comes home later.

Lan Zhan is waiting by the door with other snacks for Wei Ying to enjoy in his break. He crowds Wei Ying against the door…and he knows Wei Ying has to go…but Lan Zhan doesn't want him to.

"Call me. When you have ten minutes before leaving work." Lan Zhan says, stealing the last of Wei Ying's breath.

These kisses are an addiction.

Lan Zhan waves his phone in front of Wei Ying's face.

"Do not walk home alone." Lan Zhan repeats himself. "Wait for me."

Wei Ying is nodding along with one last kiss.

He knows Lan Zhan is particularly worried about this, and he's not about to go against his wishes here.

"Wen Ning is going to stay until I get back." Wei Ying manages to say as they part. He sees the flicker of uncertainty in golden eyes that clearly don't want him to leave. "Don't worry about him. He's a sweetheart. Cinnamon Bun. Total opposite of Wen Qing. You'll love him." Wei Ying jumps forward and plants a kiss on his cheek. "See you later!"

And he's gone.

If there was a way Lan Zhan could keep him safe from anything that would dare to hurt him…Lan Zhan would do it in a non-existent heartbeat.

He returns to A-Yuan and together they fend off the loneliness that is inevitable with the absence of Wei Ying's presence.

They are each other's comfort now, sharing the comradeship of a joint melancholy. But it is easier because they make each other happy.

Wen Ning comes by at around eight.

Lan Zhan isn't sure what to make of him.

Wei Ying had described him as a sweetheart, a cinnamon bun…

Lan Zhan was sure he was going to hate him.

Anyone who stole the endearment from him couldn't be a good person…and it was the principal of the matter.

However… Wen Ning was a gentle soul.

They had only met in person twice before this, and that was just in passing.

This evening, Lan Zhan gets to monitor the man he had implied Wei Ying was interested in. Even that thought was enough to put a sour taste in his mouth. Sure, Wei Ying had laughed until he cried…but Lan Zhan was still wary.

Wen Qing's brother was really the total opposite, in that, Wei Ying was spot on in his assessment. He was tall and made from pure muscle too. Lan Zhan was happy about their height difference though, because he definitely had a couple of inches over Wen Ning.

The petty part of him stuck his chest out and flexed at that.

Wen Ning got on with A-Yuan like a house on fire. They were having such a good time that Lan Zhan thought it was okay for him to go run his errand. If he left now, it would give him enough time to put the shopping away and cook something for Wei Ying to eat when they returned.

He informed the other two where he was going and set off immediately. The faster he got back, the faster the time could go and the faster he could have Wei Ying back home safely.

And in his arms.

Lan Zhan had wondered if by consummating their relationship, would it have dulled the fiery passion that seemed to live under his skin almost permanently now? He thought it would be like an itch; once scratched, the feeling would go away.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

If anything, his need and desire for Wei Ying was even stronger and slowly leaving the realm of his self-control.

Lan Zhan tried to put it out of his mind now. He had a job to do and perhaps it would help keep himself occupied.

He entered the grocery store with a determined sigh.

*************

Wei Ying was surprised because being a Monday, he expected the bar to be a little bit quieter. No such luck.

When he pushed past the double doors of Love Bites, the crowd around the bar was already three people deep and counting.

Su She was nowhere to be seen and the assistant bartender was clearly swamped with orders.

Wei Ying leaped over the counter to cheers and whipped his apron on, beaming at his customers after returning a knowing grin with his co-worker.

And that was that.

The tip jar was overflowing, money was pouring in and there was a crowd of happy punters.

And right in the middle of all that, Wei Ying heard his phone go off. Out of habit, he checked the number discreetly and didn't recognise it, so he thought nothing more of it.

But straight after that, he shivered.

He looks around, wondering why he's feeling jittery all of a sudden, like somebody's watching him…but no one's paying attention to him, not that he can see anyway.

The feeling doesn't go away either, not when he's cleaning up the bar after last call, not when he's washing up the last of the glasses and not even when he pulls his phone out to call Lan Zhan.

It only leaves him when he ushers the last customer out and with a sigh of relief, he can finally lock the front doors for the night.

Wei Ying is ready and waiting by the door when Lan Zhan comes to get him.

Lan Zhan is already dealing with so much, so Wei Ying doesn't bother telling him about his experience. In his mind, there's no point going on about a "feeling" when it could be just that and nothing else.

And it's the best feeling in the world to tuck his arm in Lan Zhan’s and walk together to the bus stop, to sit side by side and rest his tired head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Wei Ying only realises now how lonely his life is…or rather, was.

Everything is the same and yet, it is not.

Simply because he has someone to share it with now.

Lan Zhan is here.

They climb up the stairs. After the first flight, Lan Zhan decides to do something about Wei Ying’s tiredness, and just because he can, he lifts Wei Ying into his arms and carries him up the remaining three, without even breathing faster, or sweating…or any of the usual signs of being weak.

Wei Ying is startled at first, and then begins to enjoy himself immensely.

His arms are around Lan Zhan’s neck and his feet do these little kicks in the air and he thinks, any minute now, he's going to wake up, because this cannot be happening to him. How is this his life now?

And yet, it is.

They get right up to his door and Wei Ying makes a mental note to himself that he should probably get another set of keys for Lan Zhan, as he opens the door for them. And he starts to blush a lot, because this…Lan Zhan carrying him over the threshold of their home…it feels like something more.

He's still thinking about this as they take off their shoes and jackets by the closed door.

And that's why Wei Ying jumps, when there's a loud knocking on it, right next to him.

Then a voice says, "open up, Didi! I know you're in there. It's me, Xiongzhang."

***********

A/N

Dear Fabulous Readers,

I couldn't resist!! You know how much I love cliffhanger endings and this one was too good not to do!

Yesterday I learned my lesson well.

Wattpad lost 3000 words in just a couple of seconds last night, otherwise this update was supposed to go out yesterday evening. Some of that bad luck was probably because of my bad Internet situation, so it's not all their fault.

Hopefully, fingers crossed, things will be easier now.

I'm trying to do as many updates as I can because on the fourth of January I'm flying out to meet a group of wonderful ladies, all of whom I only know because of Wattpad, so I can't be too mad at them.

I won't be able to write then so I'm hoping you guys won't miss me too much. It's only for about ten days in total.

Until then, happy chocolate eating and happy reading, everyone!

Charlie