There wasn't time to look at that message now; they had to go and pick up Wei Ying from the coffee shop.

And maybe because it had taken F4keSt0ries over twenty-four hours to get back to them, Lan Zhan felt on edge. They needed any help they could get at this point, but at the same time, he was filled with trepidation.

It was exactly like ripping off a bandaid.

Whether the plaster was taken off slowly, easing it away from the skin, or roughly pulled away in half a second, it was going to hurt. That was unavoidable.

The tension of knowing this fuelled his choice.

So Lan Zhan closed his laptop for now, and decided he would look at the message from F4keSt0ries later, when they got back with Wei Ying.

An image of Wen Chao flashed in his head, from last night.

The man had behaved just as well as the son of a multimillionaire might; full of arrogance and entitlement...but the look in his eyes as he lay on the floor...Lan Zhan couldn't get the feeling that he knew something...out of his head.

But what could it be?

This thought stayed in the back of his mind, even as he shepherded the kids into his "cool car" as JingYi insisted it should be called now. His enthusiasm was contagious and both A-Yuan and himself were greatly cheered by JingYi's comments on different sports cars. He was very knowledgeable too, and Lan Zhan wondered why.

Apparently, so did A-Yuan, because his next question was, "why do you know so much about cars?"

JingYi went all quiet.

Lan Zhan wished he had switched on his radio beforehand...and now it would be awkward if he suddenly did that.

"Look?! What's that car?" A-Yuan suddenly pointed to a red ferrari on the other side, and the moment vanished.

But it was certainly something to think about.

JingYi had been alright today, perhaps not as animated as he usually was, but certainly happier than last night.

Having a dysfunctional family was traumatic for anyone, let alone a six year old, but throw in an abusive and bad-tempered parent, too? That would be terribly upsetting for any kid. Perhaps they could try and talk to JingYi afterwards, and get him to open up a bit, and see if they could help him more.

Lan Zhan pulled up outside the Coffee Carousel and within seconds, Wei Ying was in the car and greeting the children with excited enthusiasm...until he caught Lan Zhan's eyes.

He grinned mischievously.

"And what about me? What kind of a greeting shall I get?" Lan Zhan murmured so the kids in the back couldn't hear him.

Wei Ying blushed immediately.

Lan Zhan raised a brow, a contented smirk on his face.

He put the car in gear and drove, leaving Wei Ying still spluttering.

Payback was fun...

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

The kids were still excited about their newest Lego additions, and ran off to play, leaving Lan Zhan alone with Wei Ying.

Lan Zhan spotted his laptop on the coffee table and remembered the message from F4keSt0ries, immediately freezing.

"Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying asked him, worried suddenly.

"F4keSt0ries replied." Lan Zhan took his hand and brought him over.

"Wait." Wei Ying pushed him down on the couch and climbed into his lap. "Before we do anything serious, I believe someone asked for a greeting." He smiled, his hands coming up to rest on Lan Zhan's shoulders, and then up to hold his face.

His eager lips found Lan Zhan's, his touch on Lan Zhan's cheeks unbelievably tender.

Lan Zhan felt seen. And wanted.

How could a simple kiss feel so direct, striking to the roots of his soul?

Right then, he stopped caring about anything else, except for this beautiful man in his arms. Lan Zhan groaned, a sound pulled out from the deepest part of him. His arms came around Wei Ying and he kissed him back with renewed fervour, a dizzying hunger starting to grow in a place that had nothing to do with appetite.

Wei Ying was moaning into his mouth and suddenly they were horizontal and Lan Zhan remembered that Wei Ying would still need to breathe, so his lips began to kiss a path down his delectable throat. His teeth grazed at Wei Ying's pulse, fluttering under his mouth.

"My love...what would happen...if you...you actually bit me? There?" He asked breathlessly, writhing under Lan Zhan's body.

Lan Zhan became still.

He gazed down into silver eyes, innocently asking a question that had been taking root unconsciously in them both.

Lan Zhan sat up, pulling Wei Ying up too, and seriously thinking about what he had asked.

There were whines of protest which quieted down after Wei Ying saw his face.

"My teeth come out whenever you are around." Lan Zhan admitted, running his thumb across his knuckles.

The outside of Wei Ying's hands was so soft...he wanted to taste it. But he settled for kissing that part of his sensitive skin.

Wei Ying shivered, his gaze never leaving Lan Zhan's face.

"Really?" His voice was gentle but curious. "What else happens to you when I come close?" Without fear, Wei Ying climbed into his favourite place once more.

"It feels like I have a functioning heart...in here." Lan Zhan takes his warm hand and puts it on his chest, where his heart used to be.

"How?" Silver eyes are staring back at him with intensity, as if everything depends on his answer.

"I don't know. My whole body feels like I'm on fire for your touch." Lan Zhan tells him honestly. "And even though I don't need to breathe, I feel like I cannot. There are fireworks going off in my head." He buries his nose in Wei Ying's neck, unashamedly taking huge gulps of the lotus flowers and vanilla scent which seems to be Wei Ying's unique fragrance.

"You smell of sandalwood." Wei Ying does the same thing, humming in appreciation. "And to come back to my badly timed question, have you thought about what would happen? If you actually drank from me? Straight from the source?" Wei Ying giggled as if he had just said something funny.

"Do not joke about that!" Lan Zhan looks angry.

"Why?" Wei Ying lets his fingers caress Lan Zhan's cheek.

Lan Zhan leans into his touch, not looking away.

"Hmm?" Wei Ying persists, wanting an answer.

"I am scared." Lan Zhan closes his eyes.

He cannot bear seeing any kind of disappointment in those live-wire eyes right now. They are the colour of sizzling lightning, so bright, so electrifying, gazing deep into his soul.

"Of what?" Wei Ying hugs him close, cradling his head and tucking it in, under his chin.

Lan Zhan feels protected.

"I don't want to lose control." He admits.

"But why do you think you will?" Wei Ying says gently, his fingers carding through Lan Zhan's shorter hair.

It's still luxuriously soft and thick, and Wei Ying likes the feel of it through and in between his digits.

"I don't know enough about...my condition. I don't want to put you in danger. I'm waiting... waiting for me to lose control and turn into a monster. It could happen at any time and -"

"Sweetheart! Wait, my love?" Wei Ying's tone becomes urgent as Lan Zhan's voice turns into sobs.

But Lan Zhan isn't listening to him, too caught up in the drama of his misery. All his life, whenever he's had to think about vampires in general, it's always been the savage kind. Google didn't help either, with images of fangs dripping with blood. Lan Zhan wants to believe this isn't him, but at the same time, he's being bombarded with violent pictures depicting animalistic behaviour...and now that he is one himself...he's terrified.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying raises his voice, enough to get his attention.

Miserable golden eyes that have lost their lustre gaze back at him, and Wei Ying becomes desperate with wanting to prove Lan Zhan wrong.

"Didn't you say we were going to learn by ourselves? Didn't we say we were going to trust ourselves?" He demands. "I will not let you lose control. I don't believe you can. So why don't you trust yourself? I can trust you...but you have to believe it, too." Wei Ying grabs his face, speaking these words right into him.

And then in the most ultimate, intimate gesture, he kisses Lan Zhan's forehead. His lips linger, pausing because the skin is soft and smooth, but firm like the purest Jade.

Wei Ying takes his hand and places it on his own chest where Wei Ying's heart beats powerfully, sending nourishing blood through every vein and artery in his body.

"Do you feel that, sweetheart? I want you to know, I'm not sorry for bringing it up. And from what you're saying about it being premium unleaded gasoline, I don't even think you would need a lot. Just a few drops each week. And I'm not rushing you into something...I'm merely putting it out there. Whenever you're hungry, all you have to do is tell me. That's all I'm saying." He says, ever so kindly.

Lan Zhan is feeling overwhelming gratitude, and infinite love for him.

He has never met anyone so kind before.

But there is another issue.

"I do not...want to turn you into what ... what I am. I do not think that would be good." Lan Zhan replies.

"Okay...we can explore that later. And alright, so no biting, biting yet, and there are other ways, especially if my blood is as potent as you say it is. So let's table this conversation for when you're ready. But on the subject of blood, and more specifically, yours...isn't it weird that A-Qing didn't say anything? Normally all blood is a shade of red, right?" Wei Ying taps his nose, deep in thought. "But she wasn't surprised at all...which means she's seen something like it before. And I want to ask her about it...but I'm going to wait. We have to go see her at the lab tomorrow morning, she's coming to drop off Wen PoPo and come with us."

"Wen PoPo is going to stay with the children?" Lan Zhan asks for confirmation.

Wei Ying has already given him lots to think about, and now his head feels funny.

"Hmm. Wen Qing said there's something she needs to show us about our blood samples...and obviously, it must be something a bit more complicated than an iron deficiency, for her to want us in a high security lab."

"High security lab?" Lan Zhan echoes.

"Yep, Wen Ning has a really cool job. Some government facility or other, I forget what he actually told me about it. But because it's that, I'm thinking they wouldn't allow civilians to randomly visit, right? So maybe that's why she's picked a Sunday. Well, she wanted us to go as soon as possible, and I can only make it tomorrow. So we'll see."

"Mn." Lan Zhan opens his laptop.

The feeling of nervous tension returns and Lan Zhan is looking at Wei Ying. His curt nod makes Lan Zhan click on the message from F4keSt0ries.

WHERE DID YOU SEE THIS?

That's all it says.

"Shall we tell them?" He asks Wei Ying.

"Why not? I mean...we already know what that particular glyph means, we're just testing them, to make sure whatever information they're giving to us is correct, right?" He shrugs at Lan Zhan.

"In an alley, hidden around graffiti." Lan Zhan types it out.

The response is immediate: those all too familiar dots appear straight away, and it feels like F4keSt0ries was just waiting for a response from them.

STAY AWAY FROM THAT PLACE. IT'S A KILL ZONE. SAFE FOR VAMPIRES BUT NOT FOR HUMANS.

Those words blink back at them, chillingly ominous.

Wei Ying slides off Lan Zhan's lap and sinks into the spot beside him, and Lan Zhan immediately feels colder for it.

How do you know? Wei Ying types his question fast.

I JUST DO. THIS CONVERSATION HAS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF TRUST.

But you're not willing to give any names...and yet you want us to trust you.

Lan Zhan is watching Wei Ying work his magic. Sure enough, the dots reappear.

THAT'S TO PROTECT BOTH OF US. THE FACT THAT I'M STILL HERE, ENTERTAINING YOUR QUESTIONS GOES A LONG WAY ON MY PART TO EARN POINTS. NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO GIVE ME SOMETHING IN RETURN.

What do you want to know?

WHY ARE YOU SO INTERESTED IN VAMPIRES?

The question throws Wei Ying off his tracks and takes him by surprise.

"What shall I tell him?" He defers to Lan Zhan.

"The truth. Modified." Lan Zhan pulls the computer a little more towards himself so it's easier to type.

A friend was recently attacked.

He leans back to wait.

Wei Ying reaches over to hold his hand.

"We haven't given too much away." He approves.

But Lan Zhan can tell he's stressed.

WHERE? BY THIS SIGN? HOW IS THE 'FRIEND' NOW?

"So much for anonymity." Wei Ying sighs. "This person is clearly much smarter than we thought." He was referring to the speech marks around the word 'friend', as if whoever was replying, didn't believe them.

"What now?" Lan Zhan thinks fast.

Should they give away the truth, all of it? And once the proverbial cat was out of the bag, they would have lost the advantage...if they ever had one. Once they admit to anything, they won't be able to take it back...and what if telling the truth here puts them at a grave disadvantage?

Before they can type out their answer, the three pulsing dots return to the screen.

I KNOW HOW HARD IT MIGHT BE FOR YOU TO TRUST ME...BUT I'M WORKING ON SOMETHING BIG...SOMETHING THAT WILL GET RID OF THEM FOREVER. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME...AND IN RETURN, I PROMISE TO HELP YOU.

"Is that even possible?" Wei Ying scoffs.

Lan Zhan types something and Wei Ying watches over his shoulder eagerly.

We are going to think about it.

He exits the chat quickly.

And then he changes the VPN.

"Damn...we should've done that first." Wei Ying laments. "But good idea! Now that he's the one who wants something, we can actually think about what we want."

"In the meantime, let's get started on your first chapter." Lan Zhan says.

Within seconds, he's set up a Google docs template.

"Huh?" Wei Ying says, blank faced.

"Advice for Single Parents." Lan Zhan says the words as he types it out.

"You're serious?" He asks incredulously, as his brain catches up.

"Mn," Lan Zhan says, his fingers ready to type. "Don't think too hard. For now, just talk about your favourite moments with A-Yuan. A normal nonfiction book has anywhere from 90,000 to 110,000 word count. Anecdotes help the reader to connect their experiences with yours, and will help to make you sound authentic."

"You...you've been doing research!" Wei Ying accuses him.

"I do not want Wei Ying to panic. But informed choices are best." Lan Zhan turns to him, now taking both his hands in his own. "If it is too intimidating to think of it as a book, then how about a journal project? Only for us."

"Only for us?" But Wei Ying couldn't deny that this name made him feel so much better. He was already nodding.

"Good boy." Lan Zhan takes him by surprise and leans in to kiss his forehead. "Will this be easier if I ask you questions? We can do one question a day."

"Okay." Wei Ying says simply.

Just by turning this into a project and not a book, Lan Zhan had already made it so much less of a daunting task. If it was only for both of them, then Wei Ying could talk about anything. Suddenly, it felt so much easier.

"What did you do for his first birthday, after you adopted him?"

That's all Lan Zhan has to say for the biggest smile to light up Wei Ying's beautiful face. Everything he felt on that day is apparent on his face now; the proudness of a father's joy at another precious birthday for his son, the happiness on his child's face...the simple giving of assurance that the child was valued, and loved, hence the celebrations of his life's milestones.

Wei Ying leans back and launches into a story about that day and how excited A-Yuan was.

Lan Zhan lets his fingers fly, typing as fast as the words leave Wei Ying's mouth, like kisses on the wind.

And he remains true to his word; when Wei Ying adds how happy they had made A-Yuan at the end of that day, and how A-Yuan had chosen that day to call him Baba instead of Xian-Gege...the tears in his eyes were real.

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

When Wei Ying's alarm goes off, Lan Zhan shows him a YouTube video about ten minute meals suitable for children to help with.

He's seen it before, and so he watches Wei Ying's face throughout the clip, hoping he's distracted Wei Ying enough for him not to miss going to work at the bar. It might take Wei Ying weeks to adjust to this new norm...but the moment Lan Zhan puts a camera in his hands, he's going to start paying this amazing man.

That alone, he hopes, will give Wei Ying courage to continue with the book project. Lan Zhan has got a good feeling about it.

And his good feelings are usually profitable.

They decide on black bean spicy tacos.

Wei Ying calls the kids out to help and that's when Lan Zhan hands him his phone.

"Film everything. We can edit later, add music, that sort of thing."

Wei Ying is startled at first, but they all start having fun, and he and Lan Zhan switch it up, Lan Zhan realises how much of a natural Wei Ying is.

He immediately puts the kids at ease with being filmed, makes them laugh and giggle and does the sharp stuff like chopping the spring onions himself, making a point of saying that was the grown-up part, and true to form, fifteen minutes later, their tacos were ready to go.

This meal was a big success!

The children wanted to make more and Wei Ying had to convince them that wasting food wasn't an option. Lan Zhan had picked up a frozen sponge roll, and he cut up three pieces and sprinkled icing sugar over them, handing out three bowls.

The children clapped their hands and cheered, and Wei Ying smiled at everyone, just watching his family have a great time.

And then, A-Yuan held out his fork with a piece of the dessert on it, towards Lan Zhan.

"Zhan Gege...you didn't eat anything. Have some of this!" He says anxiously.

Lan Zhan didn't know what to do.

"Er...sweetheart, Zhan Gege has allergies. He can't eat normal food." Wei Ying explains, quickly. His eyes switch between his son and his very-much-a-vampire boyfriend.

"Allergies?" A-Yuan asks, doubtfully.

"They're when you can't eat or drink something. Your face goes red and puffy..." JingYi giggled, puffing out his cheeks to demonstrate.

And then both boys are laughing and eating and everything is alright once again.

Lan Zhan sits down next to Wei Ying, who grabs his hand under the table. Lan Zhan traces the characters for thank you in the centre of his palm.

When dessert is finished too, Wei Ying encourages the kids to help with cleaning up, and they make a game out of it, from the washing and drying of the dishes, to wiping the surfaces and cleaning the table.

By nine o'clock, both kids are yawning.

"Zhan Gege...story and song?" A-Yuan asks, sweetly.

"Song?" JingYi asks him, surprised.

"Yes. Zhan Gege is really good." A-Yuan tells him, and all the while, Wei Ying is watching this with the biggest smile on his face.

He hangs back in the kitchen, holding onto Lan Zhan's hand.

"See, sweetheart? You're really good. If a child can already tell...why can't you?" He says gently. "You shouldn't be too hard on yourself. That's all."

Lan Zhan kisses his cheek in return, feeling the weight of his words.

They help the children change into their pyjamas, and they're too tired to do anything other than what they're being asked to.

A-Yuan makes grabby hands at both Wei Ying and his Zhan Gege for one last hug and a kiss from each; Wei Ying complies and includes JingYi in his showering affection, and Lan Zhan does the same.

Wei Ying tells them a story about a grandmother who liked to put her porridge outside to cool, and a naughty monkey who came everyday to steal it. The grandmother heated the stool upon which the monkey sat every day, and when his bottom was burned, he ran away promising never to return.

The kids smile sleepily, and Lan Zhan knows, it's time for his lullaby.

Every time he sings this song, he remembers his kind and loving mother. Her sweet voice lingers in his head, singing alongside him, and he hopes he can infuse these precious words with the same amount of love he felt when she used to sing to him.

When the song finishes, both kids are fast asleep and Wei Ying switches on the nightlight, and they pad out of the room.

Wei Ying leads him straight into their bedroom.

"Sometimes, I think about how lucky I got, with you." He says, pushing Lan Zhan onto their bed.

"I am the lucky one." Lan Zhan tells him honestly.

"But then, you go and sing to the kiddies, and let me tell you, there's nothing hotter!"

This time, it's Wei Ying who pounces.