Wild Creatures

Chapter 16

Technically Lan Zhan didn't need to breathe and there was no discernable reason why he wasn't doing that very normal action right now.

But Wei Ying was walking towards him with the brightest smile on his face and Lan Zhan...Lan Zhan just wanted it to stay there. He wanted that smile more than anything else in this moment.

As with all the times it has happened, Lan Zhan drowns in this feeling of love. It has become more and more frequent lately, in these three short days he has lived here, but he has no doubts at all of what he is feeling.

These feelings are like a knife in the dark, a thief stealing his senses. Sudden and without warning, his whole being is filled with love for this extraordinary man.

And when the phone is thrust into his face, that's when he's amazed.

Wei Ying has captured him and A-Yuan with such tender looks on their faces. Everything Lan Zhan is feeling, it is right there on his face, in his expression. There is kindness and there is love in his eyes. And how could there not be? When A-Yuan is looking up at him like that? There is a wealth of trust and innocent joy in those gray eyes are that is more precious than gold.

"Lan Zhan...let's take some more pictures. Together." Wei Ying says. His eyes are suspiciously wet, and that breath-stealing smile is lethal.

Silently, Lan Zhan nods.

He cannot speak right now for fear that this too will be taken away from him. Maybe ... in return for taking away his sunshine, the Universe has gifted him this, a memento, a souvenir of this happy time.

Perhaps it will only last seconds and they must take advantage of it.

Both Wei Ying and himself are scared; Lan Zhan can smell it.

It is the uncertainty of not knowing.

"Alright! One, two, three, say Bunny Rabbit!" Wei Ying takes selfies of the three of them, the first few are ordinary and they're all smiling. But then he encourages A-Yuan to make funny faces and the boy is hesitant, not sure he should because it doesn't seem right.

And then Lan Zhan sticks his tongue out.

Wei Ying recovers first and suddenly, all three are being very silly, and everything is immortalised on a digital format.

They end up a giggling mess on the floor, two adults and a breathless child and for a few minutes, Lan Zhan thinks this is the life.

This is the life for him.

Wei Ying gets up reluctantly and brushes himself off.

The magic is broken...just like that.

"I'll be back soon." He says.

He doesn't want to go and it's all over his face.

"Before it gets dark." Lan Zhan says firmly.

Wei Ying nods solemnly, hearing the warning in his tone.

Up until Thursday, he hadn't had a cause for being scared of the dark.

"Baba...you don't have to go. We can make a watch out of paper...or even Lego." A-Yuan says so suddenly.

He gets up and runs to Wei Ying, hugging his thigh tightly.

"Don't be silly, my darling little Radish. I'll be back in twenty minutes, thirty tops I promise. In and out." Wei Ying bends and captures his body, lifting him up to plant a giant kiss on his forehead. "Now, you be good for Zhan Gege and make something interesting for me for when I get back."

Wei Ying waves at them with his fingers and gives Lan Zhan a wink, and then he turns and leaves.

Just the click of the door echoes in the empty room, sounding ominous and heavy in the silence left behind.