Jiang Cheng was baffled.

There really was no other word for it.

He stared at both Nie MingJue and Lan XiChen...and if his gaze lingered on the latter more than the other, well, it really couldn't be helped. Lan XiChen was incredibly good looking...not just good looking. Those words seemed lame in comparison to the real thing...Lan XiChen's features were unearthly, carved from the finest jade yet Jiang Cheng had never thought of him as cold.

Lan XiChen was as warm as the sun on his face in the middle of spring, and Nie MingJue was like sudden hail, unexpected and hard, cold, harsh and hurt if exposed to it.

How the two of them were in a relationship, it just...Jiang Cheng did not understand.

It didn't make sense to him at all, how two people so opposite in every way, could make it work.

And then his own confusion was debilitating.

For years, maybe two at least, Jiang Cheng had standards. Wei Ying had asked him once, when they had foolishly drunk enough beer to get tipsy, but not enough (sadly) to forget that conversation.

"Who do you see yourself with, five years from now?"

They had been sitting quite discreetly on the upper bleaches of the football field, watching Nie MingJue blast his way through the rival team's defence like water. Shallow water, at that.

XiChen had been waiting on the sidelines with a towel and a bottle of water, and Jiang Cheng's gaze had never faltered while he spoke.

"Someone with a great set of morals, someone beautiful to look at. Someone who would stand up in the face of injustice, but at the same time, someone who was kind, thoughtful and generous. Not just with money, I mean."

Wei Ying had eyed him over the rim of his illegal bottled beer.

"That's six different people. I swear...you better lower your standards, or you'll be waiting forevah!"

At the time, both of them had assumed he had been speaking about a girl, a mysterious woman who would come towards him when time parted like mist to reveal his one true love....yet all throughout that conversation, XiChen had been performing every act that Jiang Cheng had described: he was patiently waiting, he looked better than gorgeous, he was demonstrating kindness with the towel and compassion with the water, generously giving his time, when he did not actually enjoy football.

Six years had passed and Jiang Cheng had found his crushing had bloomed into something different, something far more powerful. When XiChen had walked into his sister's bakery, Jiang Cheng had felt faint....oh, come on!

He was going to get the chance in a lifetime to be able to finally, finally, speak to him...and he messed it up.

Jiang Cheng wanted the ground to open up and swallow him, not even take the time to chew...but XiChen had been nothing except kind. His soft words of encouragement had grounded Jiang Cheng and afterwards, everything was so much easier. Too soon, he had packed XiChen's order and worse, had to watch him walk away.

Jiang YanLi had noticed.

Of course she did....

Jiang Cheng sighed internally, preparing himself for the inevitable questions. But she had merely pulled up a stool and waited.

His A-Jie was the best...truly, she knew what he needed even before he did. And she had perfected the best ways to help when they were kids; she knew to ask Wei Ying plenty of questions to get him to talk, and for a chatterbox as manic as him, it was easy.

Jiang Cheng had spent many an envious evening watching the two of them and wondering who really was the adopted one.

He had never been able to be candid about his feelings, and right up until now, it was only the familiarity he shared with his siblings that allowed him to speak his heart in their presence.

So he had spilled his guts to his sister, that he had gradually discovered he was in fact, gay, and kind of, sort of proud of it? He hated the uncertainty that came with it, though. Whenever these discussions came up, everyone was obsessed, obsessed with who was top and who was bottom.

Did it really matter so much?

He didn't understand it or the fascination that others held with this regard.

Love was love...nothing else mattered.

He ended up telling his sister about the single time he was bullied at high school. Showers after gym was his lowest point; he still had scars on his back due to a bad fall as a kid, and it made him self-conscious about showering with others. So every time gym finished...or any kind of sport, actually, Jiang Cheng found himself dawdling, waiting for everyone else to leave before risking taking his clothes off.

But he wasn't the only one who was waiting for everyone to leave...

Five boys had cornered him, and he was ready to fight, when XiChen had stepped in. Nie MingJue had been right behind him, and Jiang Cheng was too embarrassed to hang around after that, so he had run away with his tail between his legs so to speak.

But it had never happened again because every time Jiang Cheng had left the showers, XiChen and Nie MingJue had always been shamelessly making out, right there outside the boys changing rooms.

Even as he had told his A-Jie this, he was realising that XiChen's kindness had extended to include himself as well.

Now XiChen asked him first, if he could hold his hand.

Jiang Cheng felt like prey trapped in a spider's web...but in a fun way? As if there was such a thing? He nodded, blushing when those elegant fingers touched his hand, turning it over so his tanned fingers were interlinked with those paler ones.

"This can be your safe place." XiChen was telling him. "You can ask us any questions, voice any doubts...tell us whatever is on your mind. We don't judge people, especially not you." He winked and Jiang Cheng felt a stuttering in his chest.

"H-how would it work?" He wondered, and then blushed hard, mortified that he had spoken aloud.

"Like all good relationships. We are simply looking to increase our pleasure, and that 'our' includes you." Nie MingJue replied.

"Would you like a demonstration?" XiChen smiled first at him, and then at Nie MingJue.

MingJue opened his arms and XiChen went to sit in his lap.

Jiang Cheng couldn't look away.

Both men were incredibly beautiful, though he doubted anyone had described MingJue as that. Powerful, muscular, and raw...those were just some of the words that came to mind, but as Jiang Cheng looked on, his intelligent eyes caught the unmistakable look of tenderness and love that passed between them, and now he was hooked, walking the fine line of healthy interest and voyeurism.

Still he watched as MingJue traced the outer line of XiChen's mouth with the tip of his tongue, teasing and playing with fire, because XiChen had that in spades. He turned and straddled MingJue, whose huge palms were already squeezing those shapely buttocks.

XiChen dived in with a breathy moan and began his worship of that sinful mouth, and both of them lost themselves within the kiss. It quickly escalated with XiChen writhing in MingJue's lap, obviously in discomfort, straining for more.

Jiang Cheng was impossibly turned on.

And he was surprised, both at himself and at them, who publicly were quite restrained, but here....

XiChen stopped what he was doing to take in a red-faced and sweating purple lotus. He grinned as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He climbed off his boyfriend, who let out a whine of disappointment and XiChen blew him a kiss before sitting right next to Jiang Cheng.

"You have to know, any relationship between the three of us would be rooted in equality. Bottom line." He said, winking at MingJue who guffawed at his intended pun.

"Equality?" Jiang Cheng asked with uncertainty.

"Hm. For example, and because we are big fans of showing not telling, would you allow me to kiss you?" XiChen had already taken his hand and his thumb was tracing along the ridge of his knuckles.

The question had come out of the blue and yet still, Jiang Cheng was nodding. He wondered briefly why his brain was not allowing him to refuse this man anything.

He closed his eyes because the sight of XiChen coming any closer with the intention of wanting to kiss him, was more than he could take right now, especially after that hot display of their true emotions. If one thing was clear, it was that neither was holding back; honesty ran through all their interactions.

"Don't be scared...MingJue will touch you, too. Just experience whatever you're feeling, and if you don't like anything at all, tell us to stop. It's okay to do that." XiChen told him firmly.

He unbuttoned Jiang Cheng's shirt, just a few top ones and at first Jiang Cheng thought it was so he would be more comfortable.

But as hot lips, softer than he had ever thought, stole his breath, behind him where he was most sensitive, MingJue began kissing the back of his neck. When the second pair of lips had touched him, Jiang Cheng had stiffened automatically, but XiChen had held his face, gently stroking his high cheekbone with his thumb.

That smallest of touches served to calm his mind and fully enjoy this fantasy coming to life, the reality that he was finally kissing XiChen. Naturally, his lips responded and a hum of approval meant he could improve on his endeavour, wanting to taste more of this delicious man.

He had for a second thought about MingJue and his kissing...would he be distracted? Too distracted by that kissing to enjoy this one? Yet if anything, the opposite was true: every touch was multiplying his pleasure, leading him to go higher and higher...and then suddenly, they both stopped.

XiChen surveyed his work: Jiang Cheng looked thoroughly kissed, his lips red and swollen, and utterly beautiful. MingJue was staring at him over Jiang Cheng's shoulder, desire burning in his black eyes.

"So..." XiChen said, smiling a wicked smile. "What do you say?"

He reached behind him for a plate that held chocolate rabbits and passed it to MingJue, who took one and held at Jiang Cheng's mouth for him to bite. All three shared equally before another was eaten in the same way.

"What can I say?" Jiang Cheng pretended to think, tapping his chin.

"I say yes."

*******

A/N

Unplanned and I have to say, I never ever, ever thought I would write something like this....

My own blushing was out of control, but I had a great time writing this. Thank you to both vampire9619 and lachimochi21 for suggesting it. I really hope you guys like it!

And everyone else because I really, really should be writing the next chapter for book 7....those readers think I've expired an untimely death by chocolate, hehe!

Have a wonderful day everyone and I hope something really cool and unexpected happens for you all.

Eat some chocolate and feel blessed!