Wei Ying grinned back at Lan Zhan.

"I hate to tell you this...but what about the daylight? Isn't that going to affect you?" He came and joined them at the table, turning his chair around so that the back faced his chest as he straddled it.

Lan Zhan thought he looked so hot, just like that.

"I went out yesterday." He defended himself.

"But...what time did you go out?" Wei Ying persisted. "I'm not trying to discourage you..." He stretched out his hand and intertwined their fingers together. "But I'd rather you didn't hurt yourself on a whim."

"It was past five in the evening." Lan Zhan admitted.

"So if it was already dark....maybe that's why you were okay?" Wei Ying smiled, comfortingly.

"We can try." Lan Zhan knew he was being stubborn. "Otherwise how will we know if I do not try?"

"Finished!" A-Yuan said, pushing his plate away from himself.

He climbed off his chair and went to put his plate on the sink. He reached for the taps but was just a little bit too short to reach.

Before Lan Zhan knew what he was doing, he was by the little boy, lifting him up so he could wash his hands and rinse out the plate.

"Thank you, Zhan Gege." He gave Lan Zhan a bright smile.

Wei Ying was watching them from his chair. He saw Lan Zhan’s face, the softening of his golden eyes as he accepted the little boy's words. There was such a tenderness in his expression that Wei Ying was blinking back extra moisture.

"Shower time!" A-Yuan declared after he wiped his hands.

"We'll be back in a few minutes." Wei Ying stood up reluctantly.

He had been enjoying having this chat with Lan Zhan...discussing his condition. But he thought Lan Zhan was being overly optimistic by thinking that the daylight wasn't going to affect him.

He tried to recall all the things he knew about vampires.

1. No reflection in mirrors. Check.
2. Garlic allergies. Possibly.
3. Drinking blood. Check.
4. Daylight = death. Possibly.
5. Stakes to the heart = death. Possibly.

Definitely did not want to check out whether that was true or not, besides, didn't a stake to the heart kill off everything, vampire or not?

So that was a little bit stupid.

6. Can't enter a home unless invited.

Well, that one was not only a moot point, but also a wrong assumption.

Wei Ying hadn't actually invited Lan Zhan into his home, however he had invited him to stay for as long as he wanted, right? Did that count?

7. Holy water?

Wei Ying didn’t want to say that he didn't believe in that...but it was a bit of a stretch....right?

8. Vampires were supposed to be really pale. Check.

Lan Zhan was very pale.

Though that part might be his natural colouring.

A-Yuan was being really good today.

He distracted Wei Ying from his thoughts as he showered and got dressed with his help.

"I helped Zhan Gege yesterday." His little boy said proudly.

"And did you like doing that?" Wei Ying asked him, helping his arm through a sleeve.

"Ahuh. Can we cook something today? After I come back?" He looked so hopeful that Wei Ying was reluctant to say no.

But he had no idea when he would be home to cook, and he didn't want to impose upon Lan Zhan again.

"Let's see." He squished A-Yuan's cheeks fondly, kissing them afterwards. "If not today, then definitely tomorrow, okay?"

Tomorrow was safer.

Tomorrow he was going to be home all day, for his little boy.

"Yay!!" A-Yuan clapped happily.

He picked up his towel from the floor and went to hang it on the radiator, humming to himself.

Wei Ying watched him go, wondering if Lan Zhan was right.

Was his little boy really lonely?

He made a mental note to ask his teachers at school the next time there was a parents meeting.

The doorbell rang, and there was excited squealing as A-Yuan waited until an adult came along to open it. Wei Ying ruffled his damp hair on the way to let Wen Ning enter.

A-Yuan ran back into his room to collect his backpack, a pink one with Bambi as a baby on the back of it.

"Got your water bottle?" Wei Ying asked him, proudly.

"Yep." A-Yuan pulled it out to show him. "But I nearly forgot!" He looked upset, running back into the kitchen.

Lan Zhan had just stood up when a solid, warm weight fixed itself to his thigh.

He looked down into a beautiful, innocent face full of eager affection.

"Zhan Gege, I'm going out now, but I'll come back soon. See you later!" He said joyfully, before running back to his Uncle Ning.

Lan Zhan had smiled at him, cupping his cheek.

What a sweet young man.

Wei Ying waved goodbye to the precious people and sauntered back into the kitchen with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"Lan Zhan...."

"Mn?"

"Come here."

Lan Zhan shivered at the command in his voice.

He wasn't sure what it was about Wei Ying’s tone...but it was turning him on.

Wei Ying winked at him and sauntered out again.

Of course, Lan Zhan was going to follow.

"Sit. Let's talk." Wei Ying gestured to the other side of the couch, and then he angled his body so they were facing each other sitting down.

"Mn. Talk about what?" Lan Zhan said, a little warily.

"You. I was thinking...here we are rushing into something...and all I know about you is that your car is currently stuck in a garage somewhere and your brother cares about you." Wei Ying smiled to soften his words. "To be honest, if it was just me, I wouldn't care. To me, just seeing you with my little Radish...that's enough to convince me that you're a good person."

"But...it's not just you." Lan Zhan finished for him.

He was starting to feel uncomfortable again, but he wasn't sure what it was. Something on the periphery of his thoughts...something really important...

"Right...it's not just me. I have to think about my kid. So...I'm not saying no, to us...I'm saying let's take things slowly. That's all. Get to know each other...that sort of thing." He smiled at Lan Zhan again.

Lan Zhan was finding it difficult to concentrate now.

The thing that he had forgotten was a buzzing in his ears, something was trying to remind him ... but of what?

"Isn't it, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying was saying, and Lan Zhan realised that while he was busy trying to get rid of that miscellaneous noise in his head, Wei Ying had been talking and...Lan Zhan hadn't heard a word.

Lan Zhan looked up blankly.

"Lan Zhan?"

"I don't know what it is...but there is something wrong." He told Wei Ying.

Now his head was hurting terribly too.

A pounding in the front of his forehead which suddenly became sharper.

Lan Zhan clutched his head, accidentally biting down on his own lip and once he licked away the blood...he felt much better.

"Sweetheart...tell me, what's going on?" Wei Ying had scooted closer and was rubbing his back, warm, soothing circles which simultaneously calmed and comforted Lan Zhan.

"I think I am hungry. Or...I was." Lan Zhan leaned back, closing his eyes.

"Is that why you bit your lip?" Wei Ying asked him, his sharp eyes not missing a beat.

Lan Zhan nodded.

"Yesterday...after we kissed...your blood...it tasted different." He admitted.

"In what way?" Wei Ying covered his knee with his warm palm.

"It was better. More powerful...I think. No hunger for ..." He looked at his watch. "Twenty four hours. Whereas my blood....only three or four hours, max."

"Wow...that's...that's pretty intense."

To his credit, Wei Ying did not move away, even after Lan Zhan admitted to the difference between their blood types.

"Do you think it's the blood type specifically?"

Lan Zhan shrugged.

"I do not know. I have only my instincts to guide me." Lan Zhan settled back in his seat, already feeling more comfortable. "The other noticeable thing was...where I bit you...there should be a cut...but you have already healed. I am surprised."

Wei Ying let his tongue explore around his lip, checking if what Lan Zhan was saying, was true. He had expected his lip to hurt earlier in the day...but apparently, it had healed already...

That was another thing worth thinking about.

"As for myself, what would Wei Ying like to know?" Lan Zhan continued.

There was so much Wei Ying wanted to ask him...so much he should be asking him...but all he could see was the kindness in his beautiful golden eyes when he was talking to A-Yuan.

If he had to draw a pie chart about the requirements for being good boyfriend material, those circles would be overlapped so far, just a rim would be visible in his one. Most of whatever he wanted had a lot to do with A-Yuan being accepted too...and Lan Zhan was doing a superb job.

So far.

"Tell me about you. What did you do for work?" Wei Ying said at last, after thinking about it for a while.

He wasn't expecting those delicate ears to suddenly change colour.

"Omg...is it something terribly embarrassing? Are you...I dunno..." Wei Ying thought really quickly. "Are you a model?"

"I am an architect by profession...however, I was hired by my local gym to be...an influencer. Because of my healthy living choices and strict workout regime. Both are providing a good source of income...if Wei Ying is concerned...I will be a good provider...for both of you." Lan Zhan looked at the floor throughout the whole of that incredibly long for him, speech.

By now, his ears were a bright red.

"So not...too far...what's your username?" Wei Ying whipped out his phone, to Lan Zhan’s alarm.

He was mortified.

It was one thing to promote a healthier way of living as something on the side, especially if it helped people and that part was what fuelled his continuation on making posts...but another thing entirely to have your crush go through the page and see every single picture...

Would Wei Ying laugh at him?

XiChen had hidden a smile when he first found out, but both of them were flabbergasted at how much of a moneymaker it turned out to be.

Although...given his current situation, it was looking increasingly unlikely that Lan Zhan would be able to return to that lifestyle.

How could he promote snacks and high fibre bars when the mere thought of them was making him feel sick?

Though there was one thing about all of this which made him glad that if something like this was going to happen to him, then now was the best time. His body was in its prime condition because Lan Zhan looked after it to the best of his ability.

In the beginning, he had hired a personal trainer and then as he got better results and understood the process, he started devising better routines and better protein diets until there was not an ounce of useless fat left on his body.

In fact, Lan Zhan was quite happy that if he was going to stay the same size and shape etc., then now was the best time.

Wei Ying was already pressed up close to him, their thighs aligned so that a pleasant warmth comforted Lan Zhan all along one side.

"Hanguang-Jun." Lan Zhan replied reluctantly. "All lowercase."

He was staring down, concentrating on a bit of fluff on the carpet rug.

Steeling himself for what surely was going to be a humiliating experience.

Not telling him was frankly, futile. Wei Ying was smart enough to be able to find him on any one of the social media platforms he used, and as anyone with any kind of branding expertise knew, the same name was used to make it easier to find him.

So it was only a matter of time.

"Omg...you....you...look at those pecs! And is that an eight pack?" Wei Ying sounded delighted.

"You've already seen them." Lan Zhan retorted stiffly. But he was secretly proud of that.

"Not like this, I haven't! Did you use special lighting and professional cameras?" Wei Ying hummed in approval. "This is serious eye candy." He snickered. "I'm going to follow you."

Lan Zhan lunged for his phone before Wei Ying could press the right button and in his haste, he knocked Wei Ying down, covering him with his hard body. Wei Ying was holding his phone out of reach and as far away as possible from Lan Zhan, wearing the cheekiest smile.

He was the brightest star in Lan Zhan’s universe.

Looking up at him, his rosy cheeks were flushed with the prettiest pink tinge, contrasting with his beautiful silver starlight eyes, framed by lashes thick and curly...he was devastatingly gorgeous.

Their lips were so close to touching...just a light breeze could make them kiss...but Lan Zhan waited.

"Why were you so worried, Sweetheart?" Wei Ying held his face with his free hand, his palm soft if slightly rough against Lan Zhan’s cheek.

His voice was even gentler.

Lan Zhan couldn't take the compassion lingering in those mercurial eyes, stormy with swirling emotions...everything Wei Ying was feeling...it was right there.

Lan Zhan bent his head instead, leaning his forehead against Wei Ying’s shoulder and closing his eyes.

"I thought...Wei Ying would laugh." He said, honestly.

Wei Ying dropped his phone, not caring where it fell. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan’s bulkier frame, holding him close.

"I would never." He whispered.

His mouth was right next to Lan Zhan’s ear, his warm breath eliciting a shiver in the other.

"But...Lan Zhan, do you see why we should get to know each other first? I think it would make things easier, so neither of us overreact. For example...this morning...when you said A-Yuan was...lonely...I did the same thing, didn't I? When you were just telling me what you thought, but I was unintentionally making it about me. And now you're doing the same thing." Wei Ying’s right hand began stroking Lan Zhan’s hair, trying to comfort him.

"Wei Ying...is correct." Lan Zhan murmured. "So how do we do this?" He turned his face so his nose was at the base of Wei Ying's neck.

His scent was so refreshing...mouthwatering and floral, like the rarest lotus flowers.

"We just spend time with each other...I think that's the best way." Wei Ying said, pretending that the way Lan Zhan was so comfortable on his body wasn't affecting him ... no sir...not in any way...

"And...I will have to go back to my apartment...to get some clothes." Lan Zhan clarified after he caught the disappointment flashing on Wei Ying’s face.

It cleared up straight away, and Wei Ying gave him a heart-stealing dazzling smile in return.

"Alright. In the gap of time when I would normally be going to fetch A-Yuan from school, we can do it then. I'll help you." Wei Ying promised.

Lan Zhan was still trying to recover from this gorgeous man, who tossed around his smile like it was nothing, when it really should be illegal.

Wei Ying’s alarm blared out like klaxons and he scrambled to find his phone to switch it off, one hand on his heart.

Lan Zhan could hear it beating faster, galloping away like wild horses.

Was he really having such an effect on Wei Ying? He'd noticed it before and put it down to Wei Ying being winded from him crashing on top of him...but the heart rate hadn't gone down...all this time.

Just to check, Lan Zhan let his tongue come out and he licked the tiny hollow in between Wei Ying’s neck and collarbone...and he got a full-body shiver out of Wei Ying!

That was so exciting!!

What else could he do?

Lan Zhan very carefully pressed his lips on the most sensitive skin; it was so soft and ...tasty...as he sucked a bruising kiss upon that pale skin, and this time, Wei Ying moaned.

Lan Zhan looked up triumphantly.

"No fair!" Wei Ying complained, wriggling out from underneath him. "I have to go to work now and I have absolutely no thoughts happening...up here." He pointed to the side of his head.

He was just about to bend and pick up his phone when the dizziness came back and he teetered, as his vision swam.

"Wei Ying?!" Lan Zhan had his elbow, looking at him with concern.

"Oh, I think I just got up too fast!" Wei Ying waited for the moment to pass and then he reached up to kiss Lan Zhan’s cheek. "Thank you. I'm okay now."

He really was feeling alright and grabbed his phone and as an additional afterthought, he grabbed his umbrella too.

"It's not raining?" Lan Zhan said, when they reached the door.

"No...I'm bringing that with us just in case." Wei Ying grinned. "It's more for you...if we turn out to be wrong. About the daylight."

Wei Ying handed Lan Zhan a jacket since his old one was ruined with blood stains, and Wei Ying had thrown it away with Lan Zhan’s permission.

"Alright...ready?" Wei Ying asked him, hand on the door handle.

Lan Zhan nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Let's face the music...and dance..." Wei Ying whisper sang...

And then he opened the door.