Lan Zhan was out of his bed and bursting into Wei Ying's room in seconds, turning on the light. Wei Ying was thrashing on the bed, his eyes still closed and another scream ripped out from his throat.

Lan Zhan ran to his side, and tried to wake him, shaking him gently. It took a while but he awoke, trembling, drenched in sweat. Whatever he had seen in his dreams made him cry out, and Lan Zhan stiffened when Wei Ying threw his arms around him, sobbing into his neck.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures and waved away his brother and Nie MingJue, both who had come to see if they could help.

But holding Wei Ying like this, so close to his heart, he was suddenly very aware of something special...something he had not felt in two thousand years. This Wei Ying was different, because his body was like the first ever Wei Ying he had known.

This body had a golden core.

This body...this Wei Ying could cultivate...and if he was successful, he could cultivate to immortality, like Lan Zhan had.

Lan Zhan...was so shocked, he hadn't realised Wei Ying had stopped crying.

"Is...Wei Ying...alright?" He asked.

"No."

"Does Wei Ying want to talk about it?"

"I don't want to scare you." Wei Ying was still trembling, but he moved away.

Lan Zhan hated that. He watched as Wei Ying tried to pour himself a glass of water from the nightstand, but his hand was shaking too much. Lan Zhan took over, holding the glass to his lips.

Three sips later, Wei Ying took the glass from him and put it on the side.

"I'm sorry for waking you. And your shirt..." He grabbed a bunch of tissues and tried to dry Lan Zhan's chest.

Lan Zhan took hold of his hand, stopping him from continuing.

"If Wei Ying suffers this much...what about the sleeping pills?"

"I don't like taking them." Wei Ying admitted. He tried to take his hand away, but it was Lan Zhan's now.

"Mn?"

"Because then, the next day, I feel terrible. All groggy and sleepy and then I can't sleep during the night. It's a vicious cycle." He looked so miserable.

Lan Zhan pulled him into another hug, still keeping a hold of his hand. He waited until Wei Ying's arms came around his waist loosely. They stayed like that for a few minutes.

Wei Ying could hear the beating of Lan Zhan's heart right next to his ear. It was soothing, its steady thump-thump lulling him into sleep. And now a warm hand was rubbing slow circles on his back, the movement comforting and nice.

"Lan Zhan?" He slurred, soothed by the motion.

"Mn?"

"What are we doing?" His eyes were closed almost all the way now.

"Sleeping." Lan Zhan answered him.

He lay Wei Ying down gently, covering him in his blanket. There was a cloud whine of protest before he fell back to sleep. Now, Lan Zhan tested out his theory. He began transferring spiritual energy, directly into a Wei Ying's core, a satisfaction spreading through his own chest at this marvellous discovery. He couldn't wait to tell his brother the wonderful news.

*******

In the morning, Wei Ying woke to a pounding headache. He wanted water, and was grateful to the Heavens for the painkillers next to his glass. He waited for another hour before daring to rise, wanting to let his eyes get accustomed to the bright light of day. He showered and changed, and then went downstairs for breakfast. It was past midmorning now and he was the only one there. There was a note next to his tray, held down by the pepper shaker.

"Please make your way to my office when you're finished with breakfast." The note said. Wei Ying read it aloud.

He remembered the soft scent of something equal parts masculine and familiar, but he could not name what it was, except that it seemed dear to him. And the bed had a dip next to him...but he remembered going to sleep alone last night...

However, apart from the now slight headache, he felt great. In fact, that bed must have magical properties because he could have sworn it was the best night's rest he had gotten from anywhere.

He uncovered the tray and was delighted to find a new bottle of chilli sauce. He drowned his noodles in it generously before digging in. His phone started ringing half way through his breakfast, and he nearly dropped it in his haste to pick it up.

"Where the hell are you?" Bellowed an extremely irate brother.

Wei Ying realised he'd forgotten to tell Jiang Cheng he was moving here temporarily. He rectified it immediately, but then had to endure a half hour of you're-so-irresponsible-can't-trust-you-with-anything lecture from Jiang Cheng.

Lan Zhan came to search for him because he was taking so long. When he saw Wei Ying's face, because he was soooo interested in whatever Jiang Cheng was spewing, that Lan Zhan immediately took the phone out of his hands and held it to his ear.

"Wei Ying is done with talking to you. You interrupted his breakfast." And Lan Zhan hung up on him.

There was an angry shout before he'd done that, and Wei Ying shuddered, when the phone rang again.

Lan Zhan took one look at the caller ID, and switched the phone off completely.

"Please..." He gestured towards his plate, wanting Wei Ying to continue eating.

Wei Ying wanted to swoon! What was going on?? He wanted to simultaneously kiss Lan Zhan and hug him to bits for intervening like that.

Lan Zhan sat next to him, reading something on his phone. Whenever Wei Ying wanted to reach for something, Lan Zhan was there first, his fingers briefly brushing against Wei Ying's.

Of course, every time that happened, Wei Ying shivered.

When he had totally finished eating, Lan Zhan took his plate and other utensils, and rinsed them out before stacking them into dishwasher.

"Come." His deep voice commanded, and Wei Ying could feel his insides melting.

Lan Zhan held out his hand, and Wei Ying shyly took it.

"Thanks...I might have got lost trying to find your office."

"Mn." Lan Zhan was trying to keep calm.

Having Wei Ying under his roof was...distracting. He could easily define the moments or the time when Wei Ying wasn't here as being the boring ones, the time when he was just waiting...and then his emotions were fully under control. And now that he was finally, finally here, Lan Zhan had the whole spectrum to deal with. There was irritation at his brother for interrupting Wei Ying's mealtime, for getting angry, for lecturing his Wei Ying, just really for breathing...

And then that stab of delicious joy whenever he saw Wei Ying looking so happy, as now, after a deep sleep. The cute way he blushed whenever he was embarrassed, like when Lan Zhan had offered his hand, it was just so lovely.

A part of him didn't care if Wei Ying didn't ever remember, because this...what they had now was like falling in love again, for the first time.

But then he remembered his discovery from last night, and his chat with XiChen that morning over breakfast.

Of course, XiChen immediately knew something was up just by looking at his face and Lan Zhan was extremely glad that he did not have to explain too much why he was already hugging the Young Master Wei.

"He has a core? You're sure?" XiChen was beyond excited.

"Mn. Responds to energy transfer."

"Didi..."

Lan Zhan saw his eyes fill with happy tears, just before he hugged him.

"There must be something in the library to tell us how to speed up the process...if there's anything we need to do." XiChen had left after that.

He was still in there, Lan Zhan heard the sound of books being shuffled and moved in the library when they walked past.

Wei Ying stopped.

Lan Zhan turned around, a question on his face.

"What's...what's in there?" Wei Ying licked his lips.

Lan Zhan distractedly answered him, following the movement with his hawk-eyes. "The library."

He continued to walk, tugging Wei Ying behind him and simultaneously trying to get himself under control.

Wei Ying wasn't sure what it was that made him stop there. Inside him, something was pulling him towards that door...but already Lan Zhan was taking him away, and they were already in his office.

Lan Zhan had made adjustments.

There were now two desks opposite each other, with lap tops, note pads, pencils ready sharpened and pens to scribble. He pulled back the chair for Wei Ying to sit down, effortlessly pushing it back to a comfortable space. If his hand lingered on the back of that chair a little longer than necessary, no one said anything about it. Lan Zhan went to sit in his seat, relieved he had thought this through.

Any closer and he would have been overcome with the urge to touch him...kiss him, even...

"So where should we start?" Wei Ying asked innocently.

Lan Zhan thought it was probably a good thing Wei Ying had no clue as to what he had been thinking. His ears were red but easily explained away by the sunlight shining on his form from behind him.

"File."

He watched Wei Ying reach for it, those sun-kissed fingers lifting the beige card open. Lan Zhan had made a photocopy of the picture Wei Ying had drawn of himself, all those years ago, the one where he had snatched back his gift just to add a flower in Lan Zhan's hair.

Their love was declared in another language, one made up of things not said, of gestures reeking of want, and of not saying what they felt with words. Of trying out other mediums of communication, wanting the other to just know.

Wei Ying was staring at the painting.

He studied the art, wondering what it was that Lan Zhan wanted him to see or feel. From the way Lan Zhan was looking at him now, like he wanted to eat him, he figured the picture was important...he looked up...and back at the picture again...

"Is this you?" He asked incredulously.

"I looked different then." Lan Zhan was disappointed.

Wei Ying showed no signs of remembering. There was nothing on his face to show even a flicker of recognition.

When it had been drawn originally, albeit on a whim, it had been created out of love not yet clearly defined. Wei Ying had wanted to give him something to remind Lan Zhan of himself, and what better way than to give a personal drawing, one created by his own hand?

The three siblings of Lotus Pier had left Cloud Recesses soon after that, and Lan Zhan had discovered how much he missed that bright soul.

The library where their punishment sessions had passed, a month of bliss and longing, that place turned into one he found hard to endure. Filled with the ghosts of their past, Lan Zhan tried to avoid it as much as he could. The classroom where they studied, it was no better. His eyes would drift to the now empty table beside him, and if he tried, he could see the silhouette of the boy he had fallen in love with.

The cold pond was no better; and really, was there no place Wei Ying had brightened with his presence?

The only place that held any sanctuary against the memories of him, was ironically the very gift Wei Ying had given him, the two rabbits. Wu and Ji, one black and one white. The two of them seemed to attract more wild rabbits until they had a good twenty. Lan Zhan had no idea where they were coming from, but they offered him emotional support when he desperately needed it. He would forever be grateful to his rabbits for their gift.

"Lan Zhan?"

His soft voice interrupted Lan Zhan's thoughts, drifting over the hush that had settled over the two of them.

"Mn?"

"Who painted this?"

How could Lan Zhan say, "you did."?

So he remained silent.

"Was it your Wei Ying?"

Finally, Lan Zhan looked at him.

Wei Ying wanted to cry at the pain so vibrant and still alive, clawing its way to his heart. Lan Zhan had suffered greatly, was still suffering now. He nodded, one sharp, barely there tilt of his head.

"When?"

"Long time ago."

"How did you know you loved him?"

How did anyone know? How could they? Love was an illusive dream, incomparable to anything else. And they had been just teenagers. What would they know about love, or anything else for that matter?

They had no idea what was happening to either of them, as this love cast its destructive force through their bodies, obliterating anything and everything except itself until that was all he knew.

"I just did." Lan Zhan defended himself.

He could because he had analysed every single facet of what he felt, to reveal the jewel called love.

"So you knew, right?" His voice was almost reverent.

"Mn."

"And what about your Wei Ying? Did he know?" The question was innocent, as was its asker.

"No. My Wei Ying did not know." That at least, was the truth.

"Really?" Wei Ying was blushing as he thought.

Lan Zhan wanted to know what he was thinking about.

"That's just...I bet that sucked, huh?" There was a shy smile about his face.

"Royally."

Wei Ying snorted out a laugh.

It lifted the tension that had gathered about them, like low cloud upon a mountain top.

"When did he realise? I hope soon after..."

Lan Zhan gazed at those beguiling silver eyes, the peaceful innocence that existed now, protecting him.

This Wei Ying did not know.

He had no idea what happened after that.

"Later..." No other words would come out, so Lan Zhan settled for that one.

Wei Ying's whole body seemed to relax after that.

"Ah..that's good, that's great." He nodded to himself, thinking hard. "Were you happy then?"

Lan Zhan had to think about that.

Happy?

Such a tame emotion. Did it come anywhere near what he felt?

A big fat no.

"It was a difficult time." He replied instead.

And their time together was so short...at least to Lan Zhan. Any time spent with Wei Ying was never long enough.

There was a knock on their door.

XiChen poked his head around the corner.

"Didi? I think I found something..." His eyes flickered to Wei Ying. "Good morning, Young Master Wei! Did you sleep well?" He asked meaningfully. There was a playful smile on his lips.

Wei Ying smiled and nodded.

Lan Zhan stood up, letting his chair make the most awful screeching sound as he did so.

"Stay here." He told Wei Ying before he left.

So Wei Ying was left twiddling his thumbs and looking around. There were some interesting things lying around, but his hands were already pulling on a narrow drawer before he could stop himself.

Oh well...he thought...Lan Zhan had told him to stay put...but he hadn't said anything about not touching anything.

There was a white handkerchief with two embroidered rabbits on the corners. It was wrapped around a long wooden box, which Wei Ying carefully lifted from its snug position. On its lid, there were clouds engraved all around the edge. And when he slid it open, he sucked in a breath. Resting on a navy velvet background, was the whitest ribbon he had ever seen, shining with a luminosity only seen at night under the glow of the moon. There was a silver metal piece in the middle, also engraved with the cloud insignia.

Wei Ying touched it briefly with his first finger, running it over the delicate design. The silver metal was cool to his touch, and before he gave himself a chance to think about what he was doing, he lifted out from the security of its box.

Lan Zhan came back, right then.

Their eyes met, a clash of gold against silver, a hunger rampant and so alive, that Wei Ying was stepping back, but it was too late, for Lan Zhan had already caught him in death grip. Those hot pink lips crashed against his, searing in his intensity. Captivating, capturing, gliding over his, and when Wei Ying opened his to breath, just for some relief, their tongues began a dance of fire, illuminating his insides until Wei Ying didn't know where he began and Lan Zhan ended. Excitement and joy burst forth like popping candy on his tongue, electrifying and buzzing with a different sort of energy.

When they broke apart, both were short of breath...and then Lan Zhan took the ribbon from him, replacing it in the case and returning it to the drawer which he closed with a thud.

*******

Wei Ying had run away after that.

Lan Zhan was sitting at his desk, alone in his office when XiChen came to find him.

"Didi?"

Lan Zhan looked up, his golden eyes full of pain.

"What happened?" XiChen pulled up a chair to sit next yo him.

"I...kissed him."

XiChen made a noise of disapproval.

"And then?"

"He left."

"You should apologise."

"Mn."

"As soon as possible." XiChen stood up, expecting him to follow.

Lan Zhan felt as if his legs were made out lead, but he made himself stand up and leave his office. XiChen returned to the library, and he continued up the stairs to where he hoped Wei Ying had returned to his room.

But as he got closer, the unmistakable sound of their song rang out.