It was a warm night for a chocolate heist.

"Why did I let you talk me into this again?" Jiang Cheng scowls at his brother.

"Because you know it's a great idea. Besides, have you seen what the younger Lan brother looks like? There's no way they make that chocolate by themselves. And with the upcoming Chocolate Creation Awards coming up, there's no way I'm losing to them!" Wei Ying says, adamantly.

"So let me get this straight, you're going in there and just asking them to show you?" Jiang Cheng looks incredulously back at him.

"What? There's no way they can resist this face!" Wei Ying grins cheekily at him, pointing at his own face.

Jiang Cheng shoves him out of pure irritation.

"Well, in case that doesn't work, I have disguises." Wei Ying pulls out two Groucho Marx masks, complete with hairy ostentatious eyebrows, round rimmed glasses and the biggest nose smack bang in the middle.

Jiang Cheng looks at him as if he is out of his mind.

"You know what? That's it! I'm out!" Jiang Cheng gets up out of the bushes they are currently crouched in, and walks away.

Wei Ying is stuck there, rubbing his nose and contemplating his life choices.

It seemed like a good idea when it first came to him.

Lotus Chocolates had been first a few times in the Chocolate Awards thing…but the last two times, Gusu Cloud Chocolate had won in a landslide victory…and Wei Ying just couldn't believe it.

How were they coming up with such fantastic ideas and then recreating them for thousands of dollars?

The competition was only a week away and Jiang Cheng knew what he was going to make for the company…but Wei Ying was still looking for inspiration.

He didn't even know why he was here, in the middle of the night, sitting in a deserted parking lot and staring at the closed doors of Gusu Cloud Chocolate emporium.

A shadow falls over him, and he looks up.

There's a hand extended towards him, and it's attached to the most gorgeous person Wei Ying has ever seen. He sees his own hand come up to clasp it, and then he's rising up automatically. He feels like this is happening to someone else.

"Good evening."

Omg…what a voice! It's warm and syrupy, and so, so deep.

How is it possible that he can sound even better than melted chocolate?

Wei Ying wants to swoon. He feels as if he's the one melting, into a sea of caramel coloured eyes. They're so warm and beautiful….and Wei Ying suddenly feels bad.

He had come here with nefarious intentions…sort of. Okay, they were kind of bad? But he was going to be honest about them….

"I'm Wei WuXian…but you can call me Wei Ying." He says, surprising himself. "And I'm from Lotus Chocolates." He is being completely transparent now, as a sort of penance. Hopefully, it will be a redeeming factor.

"I know." The man with the stunning golden eyes smiles. He's confident and a little bit smug.

He's slightly taller than Wei Ying…and that answer?

Wei Ying wasn't expecting it.

"Y-you do?" Wei Ying asks, a little bit dazed, because the gorgeous hunk is still holding his hand and now he thinks he's going to faint for real.

"Mn. Welcome to Gusu Cloud Chocolate emporium. Would you like a tour?" The stranger asks him, with an air of amusement.

Oh no…he's looking at the Groucho masks that have fallen to the side.

Wei Ying wants to die…

He's going to pretend they're not his. Sounds like a plan…

Wait…did he say tour?

Wei Ying’s eyes almost pop out of his head.

"B-but…I'm from Lotus Chocolates." He repeats himself.

"I am aware." He leans forward and the gesture feels oh, so intimate. "You can call me Lan Zhan." He whispers right inside Wei Ying’s ear.

He shivers involuntarily.

The action does not go unnoticed. There is a hint of a smile on that stoic face.

Wei Ying wants him to smile.

A proper one, one that's definitely bigger.

He's not sure where that thought came from, but now that he's had it, he wants to make it come true.

Lan Zhan still hasn't let go of his hand.

And with his free one, he waves towards the darkened doors of the building he just came out of.

"Are you sure?" Wei Ying asks him, again.

He can't believe it.

Lan Zhan knows who he is… and still wants to show him inside?

This is like Mr. Krabs' secret Krabby Patty recipe that Plankton was always trying to steal.

"Mn." Lan Zhan doesn't wait for him to say anything more; he simply turns around and switches hands so that they are side by side, and walks forward to enter inside the emporium.

The shop front is dark at this time of night.

Lan Zhan waits until Wei Ying has followed him inside and then he locks the door behind them.

"You should have just knocked." Lan Zhan says, leading Wei Ying to another door, out of sight.

This one is concealed behind a pillar.

Everything is dark until Lan Zhan hits the light switch.

"I was going to…but Jiang Cheng said it would never work." Wei Ying told him honestly.

Lan Zhan pauses and turns.

His golden eyes are piercing but gentle. A contrast, and just as contradictory as the man himself.

"I would always open the door to Wei Ying." He says enigmatically.

Perhaps there is a deeper meaning here.

But Wei Ying is now entranced by a powder blue silk sheet covering something obviously secret.

Top secret.

The whole room is a brilliant eye-hurting white. It's a big room too, with computers set up on all the desks and plain notebooks with pencils waiting on the side.

Oh.

Wei Ying realises too late, where Lan Zhan has brought him.

This is the Jingshi. The Quiet room, and birthplace of every single award winning concept that Gusu Cloud Chocolate emporium has come up.

Lan Zhan glances at him briefly before pulling him along to the centre, where their next amazing concept is obscured by the pale blue silk.

Wei Ying catches Lan Zhan’s hand just as it lands on the silk.

There's no turning back after this.

"Wait." Wei Ying says urgently.

If Madam Yu was here, she'd whip him for even thinking this.

Lan Zhan waits patiently for him to gather his thoughts.

"Lan Zhan…I've changed my mind. Please don't show me what's under there. I don't want to know. Okay, that's a lie…" he laughs depreciatingly. The sound is a little desperate.

Lan Zhan merely raises a brow.

"I mean…I'm dying to know what's under that." He stops Lan Zhan from pulling it away. "But to be honest, Jiang Cheng has already submitted his design…and it wouldn't be fair. I only came here because I was curious…" he looks around the room. "I wanted to see how you operate…and this is good. Really good." He's resolving something inside himself. "And this is enough. I won't tell anyone anything about this place. You can trust me." He turns around to leave.

"Won't you hear me out?" Lan Zhan suddenly says.

His words are like leaden weights holding Wei Ying down.

Lan Zhan comes to stand in front of him.

"I know who you are. I know you." Lan Zhan pauses, not looking away once. His golden eyes are on fire. "Wei WuXian, winner of the National Chocolate Creation Awards 2015/2016/2017 consecutively, under the banner of Lotus Chocolates. Unrecognised every single time. And this time too, Jiang WanYin will submit his design, correct?"

Wei Ying nods. He is, in part, awed that Lan Zhan knows who he is and of his successes. And this is strange because Madam Yu purposely removed his name from the creative register. He did help Jiang Cheng…but that was only because he owes them.

This is information no one should know.

And the other part of him is happy and satisfied too, that someone knew.

"How…how do you know?" He says.

The floor is suddenly blurry.

Lan Zhan lifts his face and tenderly wipes under his beautiful eyes.

Wei Ying looks as brilliant as he does in all the pictures Lan Zhan was able to dig up of him. They were hard to find, but Huaisang proved his excellence there too.

"I have my ways." Lan Zhan suddenly changes his mind.

He doesn't want to tell the Wei Ying, Master Chocolatier, creator of brilliant concepts such as layering, the architect of Chocolate moulding as it is known now, where every single nobody can copy and paste his magnificent ideas, how he knows him.

Maybe Wei Ying would think he's crazy and Lan Zhan certainly feels that way sometimes. But he had correctly identified Wei Ying through his creations and when the quality of the work Lotus Chocolates was producing suddenly dropped…Lan Zhan knew.

And they were running out of time.

Lan Zhan had been looking for Wei Ying…for years.

Now here he was… about to walk out of his life.

Lan Zhan wasn't going to let him.

Not this time.

"I have a proposal for you." Lan Zhan says.

He's fascinated and delighted to see the burst of interest in those beautiful starlight eyes. Wei Ying makes him want to believe in magic.

But it is doused, put out just as quickly.

"I can't." Wei Ying is already shaking his head.

"You don’t know what I'm going to say, yet." Lan Zhan knows he has to be careful here.

Wei Ying looks as if he's ready to run at the slightest provocation. Like a skittish stallion…the danger and the beauty…it's all there, in his gorgeous eyes.

What Lan Zhan wouldn't give to drown in them, every day?

But he cannot let his desperation show.

Even Lan Zhan doesn't understand this need. Or where it came from. Ideally, he should walk away from the catastrophic fallout that his proposition is guaranteed to create…yet a part of him wants Justice for Wei Ying.

It burns so brightly inside him, that Lan Zhan is positive everyone can see it. He was so traumatised by what happened to the brightest star in the Chocolate world, and his righteous heart rebelled at how Wei Ying had been treated.

That was one side of it.

He would say nothing of his own feelings.

Somewhere along the way, Lan Zhan had fallen in love with this gorgeous soul. It happened so slowly, that Lan Zhan wasn't even aware of it, not until the man was standing right in front of him.

Merely a few minutes ago.

He refused to think about that now.

Wei Ying was more important right now.

"Come with me." Lan Zhan suddenly decides.

Just talking to Wei Ying isn't going to cut it. Not any more.

Lan Zhan needs the shock and awe method.

Wei Ying isn't sure what's going on any more. He came here to steal secrets…or so he thought. Instead, it is himself who has been stolen.

He feels safe here, with Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying hasn't felt safe in ages, most of his life.

But Lan Zhan looks as if he believes Wei Ying…believes in him.

Lan Zhan takes him down a dimly lit corridor to a narrow, spiralling staircase.

They climb each step carefully, one by one until they reach the top. The ascent makes Wei Ying dizzy, and he's glad of Lan Zhan’s hands on his waist, steadying him.

"This is part of the original structure." Lan Zhan says, apologetically. "Everyone was stick thin and box shaped."

His comment is so out of character that it forces a surprised laugh out of Wei Ying's mouth.

It startles Lan Zhan and he glances back at Wei Ying, just to make sure it came from him. His own smile comes back, small but noticeable.

They have to walk sideways in order to navigate the thin corridor, all the way to the end where a slim door waits for them.

Lan Zhan pulls out the key from a chain around his neck. He opens the door, smiling to himself because he has managed to interest Wei Ying.

Wei Ying is the golden chaffinch that everyone wants to catch. The only difference between them and Lan Zhan is, where the others want to lock him away in a gilded cage and no matter how pretty it is, it's still a cage… but Lan Zhan wants to set him free.

And that's why this will work.

Ironically…they have to start in a prison…of sorts.

Lan Zhan opens the door and lets Wei Ying in.

He's confused as he looks around the small room.

It's impeccably clean, but sparse.

There is a portable stove on a bench and a bookshelf crammed with text on perfecting techniques for the aspiring Chocolatier.

But what is slightly disturbing is the tiny bed in the corner, covered by a thin blanket and hiding a slim pillow.

There's a threadbare faded blue rug on the floor and a tiny empty vase on the sill of the window high up on the wall.

Lan Zhan remembers when it used to be full of gentians.

"Lan Zhan…? Whose room was this?" Wei Ying feels as if he cannot breathe.

Whoever lived here…it seems as if this room was for the sole purpose of trying to contain them. It is a prison.

He is horrified. Who could live like this?

Lan Zhan turns to him then, and Wei Ying is shocked to see him crying. His tears fall silently as if they too, are scared to make a noise. Before Wei Ying can think about what he's doing, he has already moved. His feet take him into the circle of Lan Zhan’s arms and he tries to comfort this quiet person as best as he can.

"My mother lived and died here." Lan Zhan says, eventually.

Wei Ying tightens his arms. He wasn't prepared to hear those particular words.

"Why?" He asks.

"I don't know. But she accepted her fate. I brought you here…because I do not want the same thing to happen to you."

The best thing about hugs, Lan Zhan thinks, is that the person giving them is given comfort in return for their efforts. It is a symbiotic deal.

"Don't worry about me." Wei Ying says, discreetly wiping his face on Lan Zhan’s shoulder before stepping back.

Lan Zhan takes his hand quickly, as if he's afraid Wei Ying will vanish just like that.

"Wei Ying."

The way he says that name, it's like it means everything to him. Wei Ying is compelled to look at him.

"I want to give you something." Lan Zhan says.

"What?" Wei Ying can't deny it, this strange curiosity which is growing in his heart, despite his efforts to snuff it out.

"An opportunity." Lan Zhan knows he's made a colossal mistake when Wei Ying bolts.

He's out of the room and sideways bouncing out of the corridor, and it would have been funny if Lan Zhan hadn't seen the raw panic in his eyes.

But if Wei Ying is fast, Lan Zhan is faster.

He's been up and down to this room more times than he can count, and because of this, he can jump down to land nimbly on the step below the one Wei Ying has had to stop on, because he's suddenly hit with vertigo.

"Slow now." Lan Zhan guides him down at a snail's pace.

Even when they're on solid ground, he doesn't let go of the beautiful man. Not now that he has inadvertently spooked him.

He won't make that mistake twice.

They start walking.

Wei Ying is surprised when Lan Zhan leads him out of the Emporium, closing the lights as they go.

He's not sure what to make of this startlingly attractive person. Lan Zhan is beautiful in a way that steals his breath, and it's the kind of beauty that hurts deep inside. The kind that you feel when you listen to a beautiful piece of music, or when you appreciate a lovely delicate flower. It's the kind of pain that strikes deep inside your soul.

Wei Ying waits obediently while Lan Zhan locks the doors after they exit. A part of him is resigned; he came here by himself, so he's going to see this through.

Lan Zhan brings him to a white sports car.

Wei Ying knows it's expensive but he couldn't name the brand. Lan Zhan opens the door for him and Wei Ying sits inside, just going through the motions.

Lan Zhan gets in next to him and adjusts the heating as he starts the car. Wei Ying shivers and only thinks about how cold he's feeling now that there's an alternative. The interior of the car is also white everywhere…and Wei Ying thinks it suits him.

Lan Zhan has a certain vibrancy about him, a fire that cannot be quenched.

Wei Ying is attracted to it like a moth.

He knows it will probably kill him, but at this point, he can't bring himself to care at the moment. The car smells like Lan Zhan, Wei Ying thinks. It's a curious mix of sandalwood and chocolate…kind of addictive.

Minutes later, and definitely having broken a few speeding laws, Lan Zhan pulls up outside a super sleek modern structure. It's all angles and glass, and looks even more luxurious than his car.

The house looks foreboding … no…austere would be a better definition.

Lan Zhan doesn't bother with the front door. He helps Wei Ying out of his car and brings him to a hidden gate on the side and out of the way. Wei Ying thinks he wouldn't have noticed it otherwise, if Lan Zhan hadn't brought him directly to it.

He opens a locked door and they enter a tiny room, about the size of a small bathroom. Wei Ying clings onto Lan Zhan when his stomach drops as it suddenly begins to move and he recognises it as an elevator.

It takes them straight down to an open area.

It is like the centre of the sun, with a sunken seating arrangement in the middle, a cosy fireplace with a massive screen above it on the wall. There are rooms that lead off the main area, like the petals of a sunflower.

Wei Ying doesn't have time to look around any more, because Lan Zhan is leading him into a laboratory of sorts.

It's closed off by glass panelling, and filled with state-of-the-art technology, machines and computers that Wei Ying has only read about before.

He watches Wei Ying walk around the room, taking in the equipment and the specialised machinery. He asks questions now and again.

Lan Zhan answers him efficiently; if there's a way to be clinical about what they both can do, then he's definitely that. But he wants Wei Ying to bring his particular method of chaos to this process, and the only way to do that is by wooing him with creative freedom. It will appeal to his spirit which, despite what he's trained to say, longs to soar into the open skies of novelty and discoveries.

Lan Zhan wants to nurture that spark. He wants to fan the flames of Wei Ying's creativity, to be the wind which helps him fly.

"Are you ready to listen to me now?" He asks when Wei Ying returns to him. He looks thoughtful.

Wei Ying nods.

"There is a prestigious competition to be held soon. I want us to enter as a team."

"I can't." He says.

But it's too late.

Lan Zhan’s plan has worked, and Wei Ying has been seduced. He's only saying no because he's expected to. It's his training kicking in.

Lan Zhan saw the flash of longing before it was subdued.

He pounces. Verbally.

"I can guarantee anonymity. No one has to know and your family will never find out. Unless you want to tell them. And they're going to be busy with the Chocolate Awards. They don't even know about this one. And by the time they do, the deadline to submit early concept ideas will be over and they won't be able to interfere in any way, which shall become solely your project." Lan Zhan has never spoken so much in one go.

"When do we have to do this by?" Wei Ying says carefully.

He's not sure why Lan Zhan wants to help him.

And the offer is so tempting.

It'll be like the old days.

When everything used to be fun.

Creating magic for the sake of it.

"Three days from now. The unveiling and subsequent judging will take place on New year's eve, in a secret location. We are not allowed to attend after submitting our entry." Lan Zhan delivers the information passively, though he is anything but.

He really wants Wei Ying to agree.

"Can I think about it?" Wei Ying says carefully. "I still have to help Jiang Cheng with his project."

"I want to say no." Lan Zhan admits.

He holds both of Wei Ying's hands, and his thumbs are caressing his knuckles warmly. He feels so close to this man…it's a connection which has grown over the years in spite of their distance. So Lan Zhan believes he can be absolutely honest with him.

"Why?" Wei Ying asks. "Why do you want me?"

It's a loaded question. And there's more than one answer, because Lan Zhan has asked himself this very same question many times.

Wei Ying is the brightest star…who doesn't know how bright he can really shine. Lan Zhan wants to help make him see.

"You saw where my mother lived. I sometimes wonder whether her breakthrough in the cultivation of chocolate and manipulation arose because of her confinement…or because of her dedication to the art. I think about how much more she might have achieved had she been given that much more freedom. I want to win in her name…but I'm a realist. I know I cannot do it by myself." He refrains from saying that he thinks this will be just as monumental for Wei Ying…if he lets himself participate.

Freedom is a gift he wishes to give to Wei Ying so that he can break free from the golden cage of the Jiangs.

Incarceration is the strangest of punishments; it makes the one suffering believe they are deserving of it.

Lan Zhan strongly disagrees.

Wei Ying nods.

Lan Zhan cannot tell what he's thinking.

"I won't tell anyone." He promises.

Lan Zhan’s heart sinks.

He knows what is coming.

It still hurts badly.

"You said you'll think about it." It comes out accusatory.

Wei Ying just smiles.

"If you say yes, then bring enough clothes with you. You'll be staying here." He adds. He cannot help feeling possessive…just a little bit.

Lan Zhan is bitterly disappointed. He took a gamble because he believed in himself…and his ability to convince this genius to work with him.

But he has failed.

The drive back is silent and he doesn't know why Wei Ying is smiling. Lan Zhan feels lost.

It is the opportunity of a lifetime.

And Wei Ying is walking away from it.

Still, he won't push Wei Ying to see things his way.

It just wasn't meant to be.

***********

Lan Zhan is stewing.

Everyone stays out of his way that first day.

Just the look on his face is enough to keep the time wasters at bay.

No one knows why he's upset, not even his brother.

And Lan Zhan is glad that he never told anyone about his plan. The haters would be laughing at him, and even the ones on his side would be feeling sorry for him. Lan Zhan could do without extraneous pity.

It's a Sunday.

Lan Zhan has already been awake for several hours when his bell rings. He checks the security cameras and nearly drops his tea. It's the expensive stuff, been in his family for centuries, but he wanted to drown his sorrows one way or another.

It has worked, sort of.

He feels a secret thrill bubbling up inside him, as he rides the elevator up to ground level.

Wei Ying is standing there, the picture of perfection. He's ridden here on his motorbike, and boy, do those black leathers look great on his lean frame. His jacket matches his trousers, and his red t-shirt is a flash of colour that begs attention. His hair is loose and flying in the sudden breeze.

He looks gorgeous.

Alive.

Free.

Lan Zhan is ready to give him anything he asks for..

Most importantly, Wei Ying is carrying a duffel bag, hopefully full of clothes because he's staying. And there's a backpack on his shoulder which looks too light to be carrying anything of importance.

Lan Zhan is vibrating with well concealed excitement. Outwardly, he is calm though and even as he shows Wei Ying into a light coloured room, he realises that it will become Wei Ying’s space in time. Wei Ying cannot be contained, and anyone who tries is a fool.

Wei Ying dumps his bag in there and follows Lan Zhan into the lab. He swings the backpack off his shoulder and pauses, waiting for Lan Zhan to give him direction.

"Well…we've lost a few days. If we brainstorm most of today…do you think we can come up with something that will blow them away?" Lan Zhan says.

Wei Ying only smiles his affirmation.

Lan Zhan grabs a remote control and lowers a screen while a keyboard rises up and out next to him on the adjacent white table.

"I was working on a few ideas before I contacted you." Lan Zhan says.

The truth is, he didn't know if Wei Ying would be interested. Lan Zhan scrolls through his concepts and they're good. They're really good.

Wei Ying watches them, studies as each photo promotes and encourages his thought process. It is fascinating for Lan Zhan to see his animated face.

There are about twenty ideas up there, and fifteen perfectly workable with a few tweaks.

The screen folds away and Lan Zhan turns to Wei Ying.

"So…what do you think?"

"Um…so while I was thinking up ways to let you down gently…" Wei Ying pulls out a whole sheaf of papers with the most elaborate drawings on them.

Lan Zhan looks at them, and there must be a few hundred different ideas here…but the one that's caught his eye is a masterpiece of several sheets taped together.

He points to it excitedly.

"See, that's good, right?" Wei Ying says. His voice is humming with excitement. Outside, he looks calm, but it's his eyes which give him away.

Stormy, tempestuous, like a raging sea with crashing waves, in a night where every colour except gray has been sucked out of the picture. There are silver flecks like diamond stars shining in a moonlit night.

Lan Zhan wants to kiss him so badly.

He's everything and more… that Lan Zhan had imagined.

They step closer to each other, an animal magnetism that neither can deny.

But at the last second, doubt steps in and Lan Zhan backs off.

He sees the disappointment in those wonderfully expressive eyes…and worries that he might have made another mistake.

Wei Ying tugs his jacket off and pulls off a red scrunchie from his wrist. He lifts up his hair in a practiced move and efficiently ties up his gorgeous hair into a messy bun.

It suits him well.

"Where shall we begin?" His cheeky grin is back.

Lan Zhan brews them more of his lucky tea, as he's calling it now, and they get started.

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

It is by no means easy.

The laboratory has a modern kitchen side to it; when they're working with chocolate, it is inevitable.

Wei Ying’s idea is ostentatious to say the least.

It brings in the most creative aspects of their skills and training, but they are challenging themselves every day.

Lan Zhan is in heaven.

He is spending every hour of his waking life in the presence of a chocolate god.

There is nothing Wei Ying hasn't tried to do with this tricky art medium, and hardly anything he isn't willing to try.

Before they actually start making the piece they're going to submit, Wei Ying insists on experiments. He wants to push the chocolate they're using, and themselves, to their limits. It's the only way to learn, he says.

And there are so many things that can go wrong.

Lan Zhan refuses to think about them, otherwise he's going to go insane.

He agrees that they need to test out everything before making the thousands of pieces which they will need to create their masterpiece. He has allowed them three days to get the tests out of the way.

And then it's the grueling task of assembling.

Wei Ying is a hard worker.

He pushes and pushes, and they're both working until they're exhausted…but there's no other way.

"I've always loved chocolate." Wei Ying says, one day. "I love the way it melts."

"Melts?" Lan Zhan is working alongside him and together, they're trying to find a way to get their creations to fly.

So far, everything they've tried has failed. Wei Ying does not seem to mind; he says their design, one that combines Lan Zhan’s showpiece with Wei Ying’s creative genius, is great by itself. He says they don't need to make it work…but Lan Zhan wants to do this for him. He wants those birds to fly…for real.

They've been working nonstop for over a week and they're both tired.

"Let's take a walk." He suddenly says.

Wei Ying looks at him as if he's gone mad.

"Lan Zhan…we can't. We haven't got time."

"Just ten minutes." Lan Zhan promises.

He takes Wei Ying’s hand and knows he's won when there aren't any more protests. They've been touching each other more and more frequently these days, as if they cannot keep their hands off each other, But there's no time to explore what is simmering between them…not yet.

There's a deadline looming on their horizon, and it's only getting closer.

Lan Zhan forces a thick and heavy coat on Wei Ying and puts a similar one on himself. Scarfs and gloves are next because it's chilly outside.

"I can't believe we've been stuck inside for seven days already. Today is…?" Wei Ying asks.

"Twenty eighth. We have three days left until New year's eve and we have to go set it up as well." Lan Zhan says.

They're walking through the forest at the back of the house. Most leaves have faded and the trees are mostly bare.

"We're ninety percent ready." Wei Ying smiles, linking their arms together. "Partner."

That word causes an electric current to pass through Lan Zhan’s body.

He shivers, glancing at Wei Ying and thinking he has never looked so lovely before. The chill in the air has made his beautiful face a little red on his nose and his breath steams as he talks. His vibrant silver eyes are deep and mysterious…and Lan Zhan feels like he could lose himself in their depths.

Drowning in them…but more fun.

"You were saying…melting chocolate." Lan Zhan prompts.

He wants to know every thought Wei Ying has. It's fascinating to him. Everything about Wei Ying is fascinating to him.

Leaves crunch under their feet. It is a crispy morning.

"I used to make it last longer." Wei Ying laughs. "And in my head, I thought if I didn't chew it, if I let it sit on my tongue and just…it's the best feeling, Lan Zhan! The way it goes down your throat…!"

Lan Zhan can think of plenty other things that involve sitting on tongues…his ears are red and it's not the cold.

"We should go back." Wei Ying turns them around.

They're standing underneath a maple tree with just a few leaves on it. A sudden gust of wind shakes the last remaining samaras off the branches and immediately Wei Ying throws out his palm to catch one. It's one of those helicopter leaves that spin with the seedling attached.

He stares at it.

And there's such a look of wonder on his face…

Lan Zhan loves him for it.

His expressive face shows every emotion he's feeling now, and it's magical. He's suddenly very excited..

"Lan Zhan?....I think I've got it!" Wei Ying throws his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck and hugs him tightly.

"Got what?" Lan Zhan wishes they could stay like this forever.

His arms are full of Wei Ying, the scent of vanilla and lotus flowers all around them. He has fallen in love with this man, many times.

There's no time to talk though, because Wei Ying is clutching the helicopter leaf in his one hand and Lan Zhan's in the other and they're running back to the lab.

Wei Ying is simply on fire.

He experiments with thin layers of chocolate, so fine that Lan Zhan wonders if they'll snap. Wei Ying mixes different ingredients until he's made a quick batch of different chocolate helicopter leaves, complete with the seedling.

The moment Lan Zhan figures out what he's trying to do, he jumps into action by calculating how much air they will need and force to make it happen.

They make a great team.

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

Before they know it, it's New year's eve and they have to hire a van to help them take all the parts to where this secret contest is being held.

Lan Zhan has roped in his brother and his brother's boyfriend to help them, otherwise it won't get done and they'll have wasted all this time and effort for nothing.

XiChen and Nie MingJue are going to meet them there.

Wei Ying is nervous on the drive to this secret location. Lan Zhan gives up the temptation not to move and ends up putting his warm palm on Wei Ying’s knee to still it, because his jitters are making it bounce erratically.

To distract him, Lan Zhan talks.

He doesn't usually and this is new…but he would do anything for Wei Ying.

"Is there anything you haven't thought about, regarding chocolate?" He asks.

Wei Ying blushes.

It's a strange reaction.

Why was he all red?

Lan Zhan was mystified. Wasn't it a normal question?

"Oh…look, we're here!" Wei Ying says too loudly.

And before Lan Zhan knows what's happening, Wei Ying is already out of the van and opening the back door to start unloading.

"Gosh, look at those muscles!" He whispers to Lan Zhan, when Nie MingJue picks up two crates to take inside.

Lan Zhan frowns and picks up three. He can manage quite well and it's worth it, just to look at the expression on Wei Ying’s face.

It's still red, and his silver starlight eyes are round with amazement. Lan Zhan feels ever so proud of himself now. He has a strict discipline with his body usually and it's paying off now. Wei Ying even reaches across to poke at his biceps with wonder.

And Lan Zhan preens at the hungry look Wei Ying throws at his forearms.

Nie MingJue might be bulky muscle, but Lan Zhan is built with not obvious ones, yet he's just as strong.

The team is directed to a white room. It's completely empty except for a white pedestal with steps on all four sides.

"It looks like one of those Aztec temples." Wei Ying says, rubbing his hands.

Lan Zhan merely smiles. If he could, he would raise one temple in the world and his god would be Wei Ying.

In a way, this entire exercise is a homage to Wei Ying. Lan Zhan is going to be the best devotee.

"When is the winner to be announced?" XiChen asks, bringing in the last of their containers. He hands the keys of the van back to Lan Zhan.

His brother had gone missing for ten days, and thus morning's phone call had come out of the blue…and one look at the two of them and the preliminary drawings…and XiChen understood everything.

He was dying to tease his baby brother, but WangJi was trying hard not to look at him. He flexed his fingers, winked and grinned knowingly at his own boyfriend. Today was going to be along day for WangJi…

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

At last, everything was set up.

They had to start in the middle of the room with the temple pedestal first, and then work their way around the rest of their display.

"I can't believe that every single piece is edible. WangJi, WuXian…you both have outdone yourselves!" XiChen was so proud of them.

Lan Zhan smiled. It was late now and they were leaving to go home.

There were six entries in all and the show was being broadcasted straight after the National Chocolate Creation Awards, later on this evening.

"We'd better get a move on." XiChen says, coming in to hug his baby brother. "A-Sang is throwing a party and we don't want to be late." In his ear, XiChen whispers, "WangJi, I approve." He smiles at those red ears.

Out loud to Wei Ying, he holds his hand out.

"May the best team win. Are you doing anything special tonight?" He asks politely.

"We're going to watch the results tonight." Lan Zhan interjects quickly before Wei Ying can answer.

They watch the other two leave and then get in the van to go home.

Wei Ying is quieter than normal now, but Lan Zhan can feel his gaze on him as he's driving them home. Every time he tries to catch his eyes, Wei Ying is faster and looks away before he can.

It is already nine at night and Lan Zhan knows he's going to have a hard time staying awake tonight…but it's absolutely imperative that he does. So when they reach home, he goes straight into their kitchen and brews some of his lucky tea.

He makes a cup for Wei Ying too, and brings both cups to the sunken seating arrangement where Wei Ying is already lounging.

"It feels funny not to be rushing around." Wei Ying remarks, as Lan Zhan comes to sit next to him.

He turns on the television and starts flicking through the channels until he finds one featuring Chef Amaury Guichon, the chocolate magician.

Wei Ying sits up immediately and completely focuses on the screen.

"I love this guy!" He exclaims enthusiastically. "Have you seen his creations? I would give anything to be in the same room as him." He sighs and leans against Lan Zhan’s body.

Lan Zhan doesn't dare to move.

He's even holding his breath in case Wei Ying moves away suddenly.

They're both dressed in pyjamas.

Lan Zhan’s are pale blue silk with tiny white rabbits embroidered on the collar and pocket, and one each on the cuffs of his sleeves.

Wei Ying had squealed with delight when he first saw them, and now Lan Zhan wasn't going to wear anything else.

Wei Ying was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tank top.

His wiry muscles were on display, his biceps flexing every time he made a move and this was as often as he had a thought.

Lan Zhan couldn't look away.

His mouth was watering so badly, he had to drink the tea, and it was too hot.

Wei Ying ends up lying down again, and this time his head is in Lan Zhan’s lap.

This is the first time they are so relaxed, both with each other and because there's nothing else to do until the show begins.

Lan Zhan’s fingers are carding through the most silky hair he's ever felt. The action feels natural and Wei Ying hasn't stopped him yet. His eyes are closed, and Lan Zhan is allowed to drink him in, unobserved.

He is simply captivating.

His long brows shelter the most gorgeous eyes, hidden from his view at the moment, his high cheekbones are flushed because Lan Zhan wants to make sure Wei Ying is warm enough. And if Lan Zhan looks closely, he can see a faint dusting of freckles across his nose.

He has never seen someone as effortlessly lovely as Wei Ying before.

And to find out he was smart as well?

It was the icing on the cake.

"Can we watch the national chocolate awards?" Wei Ying murmurs.

"Mn." Lan Zhan puts them on when it's the right time.

Wei Ying sits up for this too, and Lan Zhan misses his warmth immediately. But after he drains his cup appreciatively, he leans right next to Lan Zhan.

"That's nice tea." He says, absentmindedly.

"Mn."

On screen, the Jiangs are visible.

Madam Yu is preening next to a nervous looking Jiang Cheng.

Wei Ying shoots off a quick text message to him, wishing him good luck.

But Lan Zhan notices that Wei Ying has stiffened.

So he asks the question which has been preying on his mind.

"Why do you stay with them?"

Wei Ying thinks about this before he answers.

"I…I guess I thought Jiang Cheng still needs me. And I haven't thought about what's next…you know." He sounds lost.

Lan Zhan reaches across and joins their hands.

"Wei Ying can do anything he wants to." He says softly.

"After tonight…I want to sleep forever." He laughs.

It sounds hollow to Lan Zhan.

He sends a message, knowing it will be hours before it is answered, but the most important thing is, he's sent it. Now he just has to wait.

The award show they're watching has too many breaks and Lan Zhan can feel how anxious Wei Ying is becoming.

"If Wei Ying could have any pet, what would it be?" Lan Zhan asks him, just to get his mind off whatever he's thinking about.

"Bunnies." Wei Ying says, without thinking about it.

That's even better.

"Come with me." Lan Zhan says. "They're not going to announce the winner yet. I have something to show you."

Wei Ying stands up straight away and Lan Zhan leads him to a closed off room.

It's full of toys and there's a separate area with a timed dish for treats, and hay is waiting to be chewed.

And then all thoughts disappear because the fluffiest little bunny comes hopping over to them. It's pure white with a powder blue ribbon tied around its neck. And as Wei Ying coos at it, another chonky fellow bounds out of a castle like structure and nuzzles his hands.

Wei Ying is in heaven.

He looks up at Lan Zhan with a pout.

"Lan Zhan…you've been holding out on me! You had these beauties all the time and I never knew?"

Lan Zhan is in love.

And so he has the good grace to be embarrassed.

"We didn't have time. Would Wei Ying like to watch the awards show with Chu Chu and Chonk?"

Nothing could prepare him for Wei Ying’s delighted laughter.

It's so lovely to see him like this, unguarded and just himself.

"Let's do that." He agrees joyfully.

Lan Zhan lets him pick up Chonk and he picks up Chu Chu and some bunny treats. It is New year's eve after all.

The buns should be allowed to celebrate too.

They sit cross-legged on the couch facing each other, with the buns in between them. Lan Zhan offers the treats to Wei Ying, who makes sure Chu Chu gets her fair share, because Chonk lives up to his name.

And then it's time for the winners to be announced.

Having bunnies in his lap, helps, Wei Ying thinks, as he pets Chu Chu. He's not so stressed after all.

The judges will choose and in his heart of hearts, he already knows Jiang Cheng isn't going to win. Madam Yu will get upset, and they'll be lucky if it isn't public.

The purple silk is removed from the dart board and darts which he and Jiang Cheng made by hand. It was painstaking work but Wei Ying wanted to help him somehow. Only then could he leave, knowing he had tried his best to do something for his brother.

The judges politely smile and congratulate the Jiangs but they quickly move onto the final entry, covered in pale blue silk and hidden from view.

The judges whisk away the cover.

Wei Ying gasps.

His mouth is open and he cannot believe what he's seeing. XiChen is standing there by himself and he smiles politely when the judges gasp too.

"There's more." Lan Zhan tells him.

If he's proud, he has good reason to be.

The glass case previously hid a dragon.

And oh, what a magnificent creature!

It was was pure white and each scale glowed with an iridescent shine. Its underbelly was a pale, icy blue and visible because it was wrapped around a silver staff encasing a luminescent pearl at the top, as if it were guarding it.

It was majestic, the pose so dynamic and realistic that Wei Ying thought it was going to move any second now.

Its jaws were open and when XiChen pressed a button, it actually blew out smoke.

Wei Ying finally turns to the person who had helped create that masterpiece.

"How?" Wei Ying asks, incredulously.

Lan Zhan cannot stop smiling.

He doesn't care what those judges think. All he cares about, is what Wei Ying thinks.

"There's a hidden mechanism encased in chocolate so it doesn't get damaged." He explains how the Gusu Cloud scientists managed to make it happen.

"That's just…amazing." Wei Ying shakes his head.

"You inspired that." Lan Zhan tells him.

The smile has gone and in its place is the most sincere face. Lan Zhan scoots forward to hold his hands.

These hands should be treasured. They have created works of art, inspired generations of Chocolatiers…they are priceless.

"I'm pretty sure that if I'd made anything remotely like that, I would remember it." Wei Ying says in disbelief.

"You didn't make it out of chocolate. You drew it for me." Lan Zhan pulls out his wallet.

Wei Ying cannot believe a single word he's saying, until Lan Zhan hands him a folded napkin. It's very fragile and yet, the edges are torn because someone has repeatedly opened and folded it up, many times.

He remembers it.

His silver eyes shoot up to meet golden ones.

"You're that kid? I remember you." He wants to smack himself. How could he have forgotten Lan Zhan? Granted, at the time, there was no way, and he didn't manage to get a name back then…but he recalled those mesmerising golden eyes, even then. "You still kept this…" he looks at the drawing of the dragon that is identical to the one which is now the winner of the Chocolate Awards.

They watch XiChen accept the cheque for thousands of dollars.

And a seething Madam Yu shoves her son.

Lan Zhan quickly changed the channel.

It's eleven o'clock now.

The show they've been waiting for is starting.

Lan Zhan is right by his side.

This time, it's Wei Ying who reaches across and clasps their hands together.

Watching shows like this are interesting anyway, but when he had a vested interest in the winner, it meant something entirely different.

Wei Ying tries to stay calm.

Chonk helps.

He burrowes even closer to Wei Ying and lets himself be kissed.

After the dramatic opening and talking up about how prestigious the entire thing was, something at which Wei Ying let out a helpless snort, that's when it got even better.

Straight away, they know this is a different calibre of artists who have submitted entries.

Wei Ying turns to Lan Zhan nervously.

"You know the competition is going to be fierce, right?"

Lan Zhan squeezes his hand and says nothing.

He hasn't drunk thousands of dollars worth of tea, for them to lose their bottle now.

"Thousands!?? Wait, we couldn't have!" Wei Ying squeaks.

Oh…Lan Zhan thinks bashfully…he might have said that aloud.

"So…each cup costs a thousand dollars. It's a hundreds-of-years-old tea. You can't even buy it out there." He gestures in a vague way at the outside world. And clears his throat.

Wei Ying makes an unintelligible noise.

"Um…so what XiChen-Ge just won…I bet that's just pocket change to you?"

Lan Zhan bites his own lip to stop himself from smiling. He was born with petty genes…what is a man supposed to do?

"Xiongzhang will donate it to a worthy cause." He explains.

"Well…why enter that type of contest anyway?" Wei Ying asks.

"Publicity mostly. And it's a challenge, isn't it?" But Lan Zhan was bored. He helped his brother because he couldn't not help…but his heart wasn't in it.

And then he'd found Wei Ying…and here they were.

He still had something else he wanted to tell Wei Ying…in approximately forty-five minutes.

The first entry was about to be revealed.

They are both tense.

This is chocolate fountain, but all the parts are edible and polished to look like real black crystal. The finished product is jaw-droppingly good, and the judges have nothing but praise for the creators.

The second entry is a functioning handfootball game with pegs and players all made out of chocolate. The judges think it's quite fun and end up trying to score, but just as they leaving, one of them picks up the ball and puts it in their mouth.

There is an audible crunching sound…and the judge's face crumples into a mask of pain. After the fuss dies down, that entry is disqualified because the ball wasn't made out of chocolate after all.

Wei Ying bites his lip, trying not to giggle…but he makes the mistake of catching Lan Zhan’s eye and it's all over after that.

They have tears coming out of their eyes until Lan Zhan hands Wei Ying one of his white handkerchiefs.

"That's definitely a tooth breaking…" Wei Ying is still laughing helplessly.

"Saga…" Lan Zhan finishes for him.

At least this eases their stress and they are more relaxed when entry number three comes into view.

It's a working train set.

There's even fake steam coming from the train that's currently moving on edible tracks. The trees, the sign posts, the lights…even the people are made from chocolate. One of the judges, not the one with the broken tooth, makes others taste to make sure.

They gush about it and Wei Ying thinks it's a real contender.

Entry number four is a dolls house.

It's big too, and made in the old Victorian style. The dolls are also made out of chocolate, so is all the furniture with the focus on attention to detail. Everything looks authentic and accurate…and it's truly stunning.

"That's it…we've lost." Wei Ying says, but his eyes are still shining.

"Do you not care?" Lan Zhan asks him.

"I do care…but I'm doing damage control up here." Wei Ying taps the side of his head. "Truthfully…what's going to happen if we lose?"

Lan Zhan takes his hand thoughtfully.

He wants so badly to ask Wei Ying two very important questions…but something tells him to wait.

"Many big companies watch this show." He replies.

"But, you're not interested in big companies…" Wei Ying looks around, pointedly. "You're already affiliated with Gusu Cloud Chocolate emporium…"

"You're right…I'm not interested in them. I'm interested in the private investors." Lan Zhan says. It's okay to tell Wei Ying about them because this is his back up plan.

And he doesn't think he's going to need it. He eyes the clock…it's half past eleven now.

Suddenly there's a flurry of activity on screen as the fifth entry is about to be viewed. When the judges open the door, a whole lot of smoke comes out and it's hard to see.

For a moment, they think that's supposed to happen…but then the judges come out coughing and waving away excess smoke.

Apparently that one was supposed to be a live volcano and the entry was a little bit too accurate…

"Oh God…that means -"

"The next one is ours." Lan Zhan says.

He's nervous and so glad that it doesn't show.

"I've never smoked…but a drink sounds good." Wei Ying says.

"Ah…I'm sorry…there's none here because I have an adverse reaction to it. More tea?" Lan Zhan offers instead.

"You're not going anywhere, Pal." Wei Ying grabs his hand so that both of his encompass Lan Zhan’s, one on each side.

This is it.

The judges are standing outside the last door.

Lan Zhan can't feel his fingers, that's how tightly Wei Ying is gripping him.

The door opens and everything they've made for this contest is laid out in that temperature controlled room. They spot the tag that says "push me".

The first domino falls and it's the catalyst for the entire show.

In this room, there are exactly six thousand and eight hundred pieces, hand decorated and placed just so.

That one domino makes a lotus flower come alive, creates a fire-breathing dragon, a multicoloured mandala, and finally four separate paths that lead all the way up the steps to the top of their Aztec temple, where there's a chocolate dome. One domino triggers a test tube made out of sugar to drip hot milk onto the chocolate dome, and another domino triggers a fan and suddenly, fifty helicopter leaves fly out of the hole in the dome. They fly all around the room and Wei Ying spots one of the judges jumping up to catch one and popping it into their mouth.

The dome melts into a chocolate River which passes by a miniature windmill that actually works.

Every single item, including the fan, is edible because they weren't taking any chances.

It's now five minutes to midnight.

The judges are in a deep discussion.

Wei Ying has given up and is pacing.

The domino part had been his idea and the dome was Lan Zhan’s. Together, they made that masterpiece. Even if they didn't win…Wei Ying was proud of his work.

Their work.

Lan Zhan was the best partner he could ever wish for. They did everything together, and it was good, better than when he had to do most of the work by himself at Lotus Chocolates.

Here was someone he could bounce ideas off and actually get a real answer from. Lan Zhan paid attention to him.

That's why Wei Ying was sad.

Heartbroken, actually.

He wanted something more…but he wasn't sure if he should say anything.

There were moments when they would be standing so close next to each other, when he thought Lan Zhan was going to say something…moments when Wei Ying just wanted to smash their lips together and be done with it.

But how could he be so ungrateful?

Lan Zhan believed in him, and here was Wei Ying, willing to throw all that away?

He kind of felt terrible about this.

"The judges are back." Lan Zhan’s voice cuts through all the confusing thoughts in his head.

Wei Ying returns to sit next to Lan Zhan on the couch.

This might be the last time he gets to do this…he thinks.

The thought brings tears to his eyes.

He really likes Lan Zhan.

No…that's not true.

He loves Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying chokes back a sob.

Lan Zhan turns to face him, and suddenly, the competition is forgotten, because Wei Ying is crying.

"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan wraps his arms around the shaking man, holding him tight.

Something's wrong.

Wei Ying is shaking in his arms and Lan Zhan doesn't know what to do.

He's trying to push him away.,.but Lan Zhan…he's not going to let Wei Ying go.

Not this time.

The announcement is live:

They've done it! They've won!

But Lan Zhan can't bring himself to care about that.

"Wei Ying…talk to me." He says gently.

There's a glass of water next to them, and Lan Zhan makes him drink some.

"Better?" He bends to see, looking into those wonderful silver eyes, still filling with tears.

"Um…so is it okay if I leave tomorrow?" Wei Ying asks.

If Lan Zhan wants him out now…he's not sure if any cab would be willing to drive out here, since it's New year's eve…

"Wei Ying." Lan Zhan says ever so calmly. "I don't want you to go."

"Y-you don't?" Wei Ying presses the heels of his hands to his eyes, hoping the tears will stop.

"No. I want to ask you two questions. Then we can decide what we're going to do. Alright?" Lan Zhan says.

His voice is eerily quiet.

Wei Ying is terrified.

His mind is thinking up the worst scenarios and he almost misses what Lan Zhan says.

"....thinking we work so well together, what about starting our own company?"

"What?" Wei Ying asks, stupidly.

His mind isn't working too great right now, and that question completely throws him off his game.

"You don’t have to answer now…" Lan Zhan quickly says. "Just please…think about it?"

Wei Ying is nodding to the last part.

He's too relieved not to be kicked out right now.

"But my second question…is more of a personal one." Lan Zhan continues. "I like you, Wei Ying."

"I like you, too." Wei Ying repeats back.

Lan Zhan can tell, Wei Ying has worked himself up into such a state, that nothing is going in.

Nothing important, anyway.

"Okay…I more than like you. I love you, Wei Ying."

Lan Zhan is smiling at him.

Everything stops.

Lan Zhan loves him?

"Lan Zhan…are you sure?" Wei Ying asks him, hardly daring to believe it.

Lan Zhan is nodding.

"Yes, Wei Ying. I love you. I want us to get married…if you feel the same way." He continues.

Wei Ying throws his arms around this beautiful man, and suddenly, they're both crying and kissing and Wei Ying has never felt so happy in his life.

Phones are ringing, both of their mobiles and the landlines, and these two are lost in the sweetest of kisses.

It's only later, Wei Ying remembers something.

"Um…I have something for you." He hurries out of the room.

Lan Zhan misses him already.

He's not ready to face anybody else right now.

It's New year's day now, he's living in a lovely bubble with only Wei Ying. He wants to stay like this forever.

Wei Ying comes back with his hands behind his back.

He looks so shy…and beautiful.

"Close your eyes. I didn't have time to wrap it." He says. "Hold out your hands." He adds.

Lan Zhan closes his hands.

He smells the chocolate first. Something cool is in his hand.

He opens his eyes.

It's a chocolate rabbit. With blue icing as a ribbon.

"Happy New year, sweetheart." Wei Ying says.

Lan Zhan pulls him down onto the couch and kisses him senseless.

Clothes are shed and love declared. The chocolate ends up melted.

And licked off.

A satisfactory start to a new partnership.

One that will last forever.

THE END

A/N

Dear Fabulous Readers,

Happy New year in advance!

This story was a surprise to me too…I hope you like it.

It came out nowhere…

Charlie.