Mated

Chapter Eleven

Jiang Cheng (14), Wei Ying (15), Lan Zhan (16)

"Zhan-ge! Are you coming in or not?" Jiang Cheng asks, standing hip deep in the water. Wei Ying is floating on his back a few feet away from him. Lan Zhan hasn't even stripped down to his swimsuit yet and is sitting on the pier.

"Don't be shy, Lan Zhaaannnnn! Take off your clothes!"

"Shameless!"

Wei Ying doesn't even have to look to know that the tips of Lan Zhan's ears are red. Jiang Cheng's bark of laughter holds a fondness that he only has for his mates.

The past year has been an exchange of emails, texts, and an occasional phone call. Once a month weekend trips to Lotus Pier, Cloud Recesses, or the mountain. Wei Ying whining that Lan Zhan is abandoning him to go into the integrated scouts and Jiang Cheng hitting him on the head to remind him that he's the abandoned one. Wei Ying will be reunited with Lan Zhan in a year and Jiang Cheng will still be left behind. Whenever Jiang Cheng starts to feel left out he ends up at the bottom of a puppy pile, not always in animal form.

Over the past year they have gotten to know each other better. They don't always get along. Jiang Cheng will get grumpy, Lan Zhan silent, and Wei Ying too loud. They disagree and have stupid arguments which leads to the silent treatment. But it never lasts long. Whoever started the argument first breaks the silence and they make up.

This will be the first time that they will get to spend six weeks together. Two weeks in Lotus Pier, two weeks in Yiling, and two weeks in Cloud Recesses. There has been an electric excitement simmering since Lan Zhan and Wei Ying arrived.

Finally Lan Zhan shrugs his shirt off and unbuttons his shorts. Wei Ying had teased him about not just wearing his swim trunks to the pier like him and Jiang Cheng, but Lan Zhan said it wasn't decent. It's Jiang Cheng that lets loose a wolf whistle. Lan Zhan is still lean and lanky but is packing on muscle. The squeals that follow has Wei Ying turning so he can see Lan Zhan dunking Jiang Cheng under the water. He swims over to join in the rough housing. When they get tired they float lazily around each other discussing all the things they want to do during their time together.

"I'm hungry. Should we eat?" Wei Ying asks. Yanli packed a picnic lunch for them.

Agreeing, they climb out of the lake to dry off. Sitting on the blanket Yanli provided Jiang Cheng unpacks the basket. He passes a chicken sandwich to Wei Wuxian and a veggie wrap to Lan Zhan. He keeps the roast beef for himself.

"It's kind of your sister to remember I'm a vegetarian," Lan Zhan says.

"Jiejie IS kind and has a great memory," Jiang Cheng says proudly.

"Yanli-jie is the best," Wei Ying agrees.

"Maybe she would be willing to teach me how to cook," Lan Zhan says.

"Are you going to cook for us when we are mated, Zhan-ge?" Wei Ying asks, in a teasing tone.

"Mn, I would like that."

"If we let Wei Ying do it we'd starve," Jiang Cheng laughs.

Wei Ying can't even get mad about it because it's true. His parents won't leave him unsupervised in the kitchen. Kitchen appliances cringe whenever they see him coming.

"I can help with the cooking," Jiang Cheng says. "I help jiejie all the time."

"Then I'll take care of our kids!"

Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan turn to stare at their grinning mate.

"You can give birth to them too," Jiang Cheng snarks, lunging at the laughing boy.

"I would if I could. You do want babies one day, don't you Chengcheng?"

At fourteen Jiang Cheng hasn't thought much about babies, but it's not like he doesn't know what is expected of an omega especially now that he has found his true mates. His mama always told him that having children was his choice.

"I don't know," Jiang Cheng admits, truthfully. "I wanted Wei Ying to be my mate and I knew I wouldn't be able to have children with him, so I tried not to think about it."

Wei Ying sits up with Jiang Cheng still in his lap. "Were you really going to reject Lan Zhan?"

"I was trying to never meet him!"

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei Ying shouts.

"I didn't know Lan Zhan. I didn't love him then. I loved only you! Wanted you as my mate," Jiang Cheng shouts back.

"Didn't love me then?" Lan Zhan whispers. "Does that mean you love me now?"

"I love you like I love Wei Ying. I know as we grow older I'll love you both like how my mama and papa love each other."

"I love Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying too," Lan Zhan says with a full smile. A smile that takes Jiang Cheng and Wei Yings breaths away.

Wei Ying hugs Jiang Cheng tight and reaches out his hand to Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan shuffles forward and takes both of them in his arms.

"Forever and Always," Wei Ying says.

"For the record I do want children one day."

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying hold Jiang Cheng a little tighter. "So do we."