"Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us." Boris Pasternak

Jiang Cheng was feeling great these days.

Both his boyfriends were exceptional at demonstrating how they felt towards him and he hoped he was the same...this was still early days, yet he felt they were making progress. Out of the two, Nie MingJue was surprisingly the most patient with him, and stopped him from overthinking things, especially when he was prone to spiralling.

Jiang Cheng liked to think he was unaffected by his parents, but in his heart of hearts, he knew all his insecurities stemmed from too much "love" from his mother, an intrusive and never satisfied person, to not enough love from his father, an absent man in mind if not body.

And XiChen was the nurturing person in this relationship. His never failing care often surprised Jiang Cheng with how much he was willing to just listen, and only advise if asked, yet he remained impartial...it was such a good quality to have in a partner and Jiang Cheng assumed it was due to taking care of the IcePick (TM) that was his younger brother.

Still, Lan Zhan might have turned out worse so there was that....

So this kind of analysis which Jiang Cheng did more and more often, had him in a quandry: just what did he bring to their relationship?

He couldn’t really answer this, not to his own satisfaction at least.

He got on well with both MingJue and XiChen, separately and together, and there had been the odd occasion when he'd been able to make them laugh, which was a great feeling...but he couldn't help wondering if something was missing.

If he was missing something.

It was odd...this asking questions to himself, of himself, and being unable to answer.

And now there was another problem on the horizon.

Well, it wasn't a problem as such, just something he needed to devote more attention to: birthdays.

XiChen had told him when asking about Jiang Cheng's birthday, that his own one and MingJue's birthday were so close together, that early on in their relationship, they had decided to pick a middle date to celebrate both...and it was coming up soon.

Jiang Cheng wished he could have joined them after it had gone, because then he would have had at least a year to plan something, because time was a valuable commodity these days, and now he felt ill-prepared.

In just two weeks time, he had to come up with either a single present that both of them could enjoy, or two presents that they could enjoy separately.

And after considering all his options, Jiang Cheng felt like a fish out of water, as if he was really up the creek without a paddle, struggling to breathe...

See, his problem lay in the fact that both XiChen and Nie MingJue were wealthy. Not just wealthy, not just rolling in dosh, but lighting-it-up-and-burning-it kind of silly rich.

So they could not only buy something they wanted, they could probably buy the store that contained it too, individually.

Buying them something was not a viable option then.

So what should he do?

He thought about taking them out for a meal somewhere, maybe at an exclusive restaurant or somewhere hard to get into, but the Universe was really intent on challenging him these days, it seemed. On the five nights that they met up, Jiang Cheng learned just how influential his boyfriends were, on the daily.

They had decided to go clubbing one night, and their place to let off steam was the exclusive club, Pot. Pot was the happening place in the city right now, and ever since they had opened their doors for the first time a year ago. It was so busy that attendance was monitored and not only was there a queue going around the block every day, but they were regularly throwing people out to get a healthy rotation of clientele.

Jiang Cheng had dutifully stood in line, waiting behind a cowboy couple that would surely not be allowed in because of their wardrobe choices, I mean...come on, he thought, not for the first time wishing Wei WuXian was there to take the piss with him, when XiChen grabbed his arm and MingJue smiled indulgently, pulling him out of the line as they marched right up to the front doors.

The bouncers actually tipped their hats and let them in, throwing Jiang Cheng a cursory glance if that.

XiChen actually laughed at the look on his face.

Even the bartenders recognised MingJue's taller form and he was served first despite the clamouring crowd of wannabe revellers. A table was cleared for them right away and Jiang Cheng was having a surreal experience.

MingJue and XiChen didn't just like to dance, they loved it, and Jiang Cheng sat watching them, mesmerised. Their chemistry was off the charts as their bodies moved in complete symmetry, almost with some kind of sixth sense ability to predict the other's moves.

Jiang Cheng had to admit, it was kind of hot to see them glide over the dance floor...but then, he made eye contact with XiChen and like a deer caught in headlights, he was unable to tear his amethyst eyes away from honey coloured ones, as both XiChen and MingJue began to dance for him.

They turned their bodies fractionally towards him, and XiChen wasn't looking away as MingJue let his hands roam lower and lower...and why was it suddenly so hot in here?

Jiang Cheng ripped off his tie, still watching them, and he knew from the look on both of their faces that they were just as affected by him as he was by them.

Suddenly, MingJue was striding towards him and Jiang Cheng barely had enough time to stand up before his mouth was taken in a hot possessive kiss, his breath stolen along with every single thought. Waves of pleasure swamped his nerves, cranking up the pressure in the air around him, crackling like a live wire.

MingJue was a hot pot of a firework in his belly, exploding with desire.

Jiang Cheng didn't even know how he ended up on the dance floor but suddenly XiChen was looking at him like that, and they ended up lighting that club on fire.

All in all, that night ended with a very satisfactory ending for everyone, even if Jiang Cheng didn't remember everything that happened....

A couple of nights later, they went out to eat having decided to meet MingJue at an exclusive restaurant. XiChen picked Jiang Cheng up from his apartment, remarking ever so casually that things would be so much easier if Jiang Cheng lived closer...and Jiang Cheng was so surprised, he had pretended not to hear...but XiChen's words stayed inside him like a fetus growing every day.

He tried not to look at those thoughts...always afraid.

XiChen had told him at the start when they were just exploring what they three could be to one another, that he would have an equal stake in this relationship between the three of them. However, because the other two had already been a couple beforehand, and for quite some time, Jiang Cheng sometimes felt like an extra. Most of the time, he could tell himself to stop being silly, that this was only inside his own head, not in anybody else's...but he had his dark days too.

Those were the days when he could not extinguish the flames of his mother's words, coming back to burn his soul with her harshness. His mother was not of the maternal kind, and it really was a miracle that his sister was so nurturing, when she couldn't possibly have learned by example.

Nothing good ever came out of his mother's mouth, just degrees of barbed comments designed to cause maximum hurt, and while Jiang Cheng was extremely glad that he had left her home with Wei WuXian back then, he wished he could have left earlier. If there was a way to expunge the memories of his time in her house, because it certainly wasn't a home, and definitely wasn't his, he would grab that lifeline with both hands right away.

So when XiChen casually said things which hinted at a future for them three as a group, together in the best sense of the word, Jiang Cheng had trouble believing it. He could tell himself positive things every day for the rest of his life, but actually believing in himself was so much harder.

He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, to be told that he was no longer wanted or needed, like his mother had implied throughout their relationship. Jiang Cheng was no idiot, he knew those were two different relationships in his head, but he couldn't help comparisons because the one was leading to the possible failure of the second and truth be told, Jiang Cheng was terribly frightened of this.

It stopped him from being able to fully relax in their company, the very same people who wanted him.

This restaurant like mostly all the others that they had visited either in twos or threes like this night, was also exclusive with a mile long waiting list, cancellations being snapped up in record time, and Jiang Cheng should know; he had researched a tiny bit on Google, just to know what to expect.

And Jiang Cheng knew from experience that when there were no prices on the menu, the numbers would be usually astronomical.

MingJue was going to meet them there, so XiChen and he were taken straight to their table...which happened to be a private room.

The whole place was dripping with wealth, from the high quality crystals dancing in the chandeliers on the ceiling, to the mirrored walls and velvet chairs. A small orchestra of twenty musicians were playing....he didn’t want to say musak...but elevator music sounded cheap when what they were listening to certainly was not.

He was brought out of his thoughts by XiChen taking his hand and bringing it to his own lips.

Honey coloured eyes stared back at him, searching.

"What's wrong, WanYin?" He asked, softly.

He continued to kiss Jiang Cheng's hand, letting the heat from his mouth linger on his skin, cooling as XiChen breathed out, moving on from one knuckle to the next.

The action warmed Jiang Cheng, unintentionally relaxing him and he sighed, letting the tension drop from his stiff shoulders.

"Nothing....much." He grinned sardonically, trying to play off his fears as if they were nothing.

All XiChen had to do, was raise a single beautiful brow.

"I thought we agreed to be honest with each other." He whispered.

"We are...I am...I am trying to be." Jiang Cheng finally admitted. But he wasn't ready to share his feelings, at least not yet. "I'm trying to work things out...in here." He tapped the side of his head.

The action reminded XiChen of Wei Ying and he smiled softly.

Softly, always for Jiang Cheng.

"Well, we're here for you...if you need any help." He offered.

Jiang Cheng nodded and took XiChen's hand in his. Carefully and with his full attention, he opened the loose fist and brought the soft skin of XiChen's palm to his lips, gently kissing the centre. He could not resist letting his tongue come out and taste the warm skin, enjoying the way those honey coloured eyes turned infinitely darker so quickly.

"That is so hot." Another familiar voice said, sliding into the seat next to him.

Nie MingJue grabbed his chin and kissed Jiang Cheng's mouth almost reverently, telling him without words how much he meant to them.

Jiang Cheng had been surprised at how he had not even heard the door open, but thinking back to that night, he had seen the flare of heated recognition reflected in XiChen's eyes and should have known something was up.

But they were all still learning new things about each other and he did not let himself dwell on this any longer...it was a thought for another day.

XiChen watched them kiss, impossibly turned on by their simple connection. Jiang Cheng had that electricity about him, and even more attractively, he didn't seem to be aware of it, or the pull he represented to both himself and MingJue. XiChen thought the addition of Jiang Cheng's presence within their group was turning out to be very successful indeed...and now he was only waiting for Jiang Cheng's own acceptance of this fact.

But Jiang Cheng had his own demons, and like those that XiChen and MingJue had to battle through to get to the point they were at now, Jiang Cheng would have to fight those battles by himself. The breakthrough would happen when he realised he was not alone.

Not anymore.

This epiphany of sorts had to be reached by himself, through his own cognition and though XiChen didn't want him to suffer any more than he already had, some pains were too necessary. The path paved with hot coals would lead to a new kind of healing, one forming a harder skin made up of love...only the best kind.

So he settled back and stopped himself from reaching out to the lonely man, still afraid to share what was hurting him inside. Jiang Cheng was like a pressure cooker...he needed an emotional release and soon...because it was only a matter of time.

XiChen had leaned over Jiang Cheng to get his kiss from MingJue, making sure to be quite vocal in his reactions, and he sat back satisfied with the way Jiang Cheng was squirming as if his trousers were too tight suddenly.

Dinner was a relaxed affair, and when they finished, both XiChen and MingJue, formidable man that he was, glared at Jiang Cheng for pulling out his wallet. Jiang Cheng had noticed that they never paid for the food but always, always left a substantial tip for their wait staff.

It was only later Jiang Cheng learned that Nie MingJue had his fingers in more pies than Jiang Cheng could count, via recognising an opportunity when he saw it, so most of those exclusive and high end restaurants they visited were owned by either MingJue on his own, or joint ownership with XiChen.

So bringing himself back to his original problem, if going out to eat was out, because he'd never live it down, and buying anything for them was also out...Jiang Cheng was totally out of ideas.

With only one week left, he turned to his last ever resort.

He rang on the doorbell of his brother's house, hoping that a) he wouldn't regret it because this was Wei WuXian, and b) that Lan Wangji a.k.a. IcePick wouldn't open the door.

But today was not his day...

Cold...no, frosty golden eyes stared back at him, uninvitingly.

Jiang Cheng always thought gold was a friendly colour. Yellow meant warm like the sun, like roses and daffodils and buttercups, heck, even dandelions were happily yellow.

Today really wasn't his day...

"Who is it, my love?" Wei Ying came bouncing into view, hugging his husband with one arm.

For once, Jiang Cheng was utterly relieved to see him.

So much so, that he didn't even fling him off immediately when Wei WuXian hugged him.

Those velociraptor eyes were unblinking, staring at him warily.

It was unnerving.

Jiang Cheng hoped the IcePick would go away and do....whatever IcePicks normally did...for example, stick their heads in something hard...but Lan WangJi had nothing better to do it seemed....unfortunately.

Only Wei WuXian seemed to be oblivious to the rising tensions in his living room.

"So...what brings you to our humble abode?" Wei Ying brought in mugs of steaming hot chocolate and Jiang Cheng was reminded of another time, when the deja vu hit hard.

He had been in this exact same position once before, and that had ended in tears.

His...

He looked around instead, thinking there was nothing humble about this place.

"Actually...I was hoping to ask you something...." He looked pointedly at the IcePick.

Lan WangJi stared back in that unfriendly, freezing way of his, his expression stoic and unreadable.

Jiang Cheng sighed internally.

"In private." He spelled it out.

If anything, Lan WangJi's glare became even more cold.

Jiang Cheng was pretty sure that if they had a thermometer, it would probably crack from hypothermia.

"Oh, you better get used to this." Wei WuXian beamed at him, linking his hands around his husband and gazing up at him adoringly. "We're a team. There's nothing I don't know that Lan Zhan doesn't either. You're stuck with us."

Lan WangJi was staring back at Wei WuXian with the softest expression on his face, as if he had not been glaring at Jiang Cheng just milliseconds ago.

Jiang Cheng wanted to throw up.

So two for two, nothing on his wishlist was happening today.

"Are you alright? You're looking a bit green...?" Wei WuXian was saying, sipping his hot chocolate.

Jiang Cheng had noticed too, that Wei WuXian had put waaay more mini marshmallows in Lan WangJi's mug too...

He scowled at both of them.

They stared back, unfazed as if this was normal.

"Okay, fine." He finally bit out. "I need help."

"Plastic surgeon?" Lan WangJi offered helpfully.

Wei WuXian laughed and patted his arm.

"What's up?"

"It's their birthdays soon and I don't know what to get them."

"Oh, that's easy. Buy them some chocolate. The good kind...you know, I just discovered this website where they custom make spray-"

Jiang Cheng watched Lan WangJi force a cup into Wei Wuxian’s lips, effectively shutting him up.

"Buying anything is no good." Jiang Cheng only just stopped himself from wailing. "They're too rich. It wouldn't count if they could probably buy the website too. Think of something else."

"A nice meal...?"

"No restaurants." Jiang Cheng listed on his fingers the names of all the ones they had visited in the past week.

He wanted to wipe off the smug smile on Lan WangJi's face.

The IcePick knew.

"Alright then, what if you cooked something? You know, give them something which came from your heart..." Wei Ying smiled broadly at him. "How are things between you three?"

Jiang Cheng got the distinct feeling that Wei WuXian was laughing at him. He imagined Wei WuXian sitting like a gremlin on a fence watching the show that was his life, for entertainment.

With a bowl of popcorn.

A big bowl.

"It's fine, and none of your concern." He bit out again, earning himself another frosty glare.

He didn't care what Lan WangJi thought about the way he spoke to his brother, it was the same as he had been doing before they split, so it was nothing new, and frankly, Jiang Cheng was going to put his foot down if the IcePick tried to interfere there.

"I'm only trying to help." The Gremlin replied, mischievously.

Sure he was.

But Jiang Cheng was nothing if not persistent, however hopeless this was turning out to be.

"I can't cook, you know that." He sighed out loud now.

"I know, but I thought you could rope them in to helping you, you know, like a joint effort. The Lans are incredible at cooking....actually my Lan Zhan is for sure." Wei WuXian reached up to kiss said man's cheek fondly as they shared another warm look.

"It wouldn't be a surprise then, would it?" Jiang Cheng pinched the skin on the top of his nose between his brows in frustration. "And what sort of lame gift is that, if they had to cook it themselves??"

"Okay, okay, I've got it!" Wei WuXian exclaimed, suddenly. "And are you sure you're alright?" He reached across to feel Jiang Cheng's temperature.

Jiang Cheng swatted his hand away like an errant fly.

"What? What have you got?" He asked instead, ignoring the IcePick who looked like he was on the edge of his seat, ready to use physical means to show hiw much he didn't like what Jiang Cheng was doing.

"You could make them a present...you know, use your arts and crafts skills." Wei WuXian sat back proudly, nestling into the cocoon of his husband's arms as they wrapped more firmly around him.

Jiang Cheng imagined making some sort of glued pasta shape horror for his boyfriends like he had when he was a child. In garish colours too...

"No." He stood up. "Thanks for...nothing."

"Aww! Jiang Cheng, don't be like that." Wei WuXian looked hurt.

Jiang Cheng actually felt sorry until Lan WangJi spoke.

"Yes. Don't."

How he could make those two words so threatening...

"Look, the way I see it, if you can't buy them something, then you have to give them something money can't buy." Wei WuXian said.

Oh, sure...that was sooooo helpful...Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. When he got to the door, he turned to see them both liplocked and his own brother making the most obscene noises while the other one's hands were wandering lower and lower...

Jiang Cheng fled.

*********

So now, after stewing for a whole week, Jiang Cheng hit upon a rather unusual idea.

It was so unique...and involved him baring his vulnerabilities...but he really hoped his intentions would be clear...and not mistaken....

The night of their birthday celebrations was here.

Jiang Cheng got dressed carefully, tying his surprise on his body, careful not to let any of it peek out and spoil anything. He arrived at Nie MingJue's flat with a bottle of wine that he knew both of them enjoyed. He rang on the doorbell and waited, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him.

XiChen opened the door and welcomed him inside with a passionate kiss after closing the door behind him. He felt the strong arms of MingJue wrap around him from behind, kissing his neck.

Jiang Cheng totally forgot that he wasn't supposed to expose this part of his body and shuddered through the delicious sensations short circuiting their way through his nerve endings.

"What's this?" MingJue's voice deepened, and with his teeth, he pulled off the purple ribbon Jiang Cheng had carefully hidden, tied around his own neck.

Oh no...

"Um...it's nothing..." Jiang Cheng didn't mean to get flustered...but now he was thinking it was a terrible idea, and what was he thinking?

He was so stupid, thinking it would be cute and fun and unique, but instead, he had ended up making a fool of himself...and damn...he was not going to cry...

He turned around blinking back tears trying to leave, but XiChen stood in the way.

"Please...I want to go..." God, he felt so humiliated, all he wanted was to be able to get out of here and hide somewhere...

Soft arms came around him from the front, and warm, really strong ones came around his body from his back.

XiChen had known something was up with Jiang Cheng for a few weeks now, and he was hoping that Jiang Cheng would say what it was sooner rather than later, and if he wasn't confident in talking to them both at the same time, then he was ready to offer his help privately too.

Just that neither he nor MingJue expected it to be today. Their eyes met full of understanding over Jiang Cheng's shaking form, and both of them promised each other silently that they wouldn't let go...not tonight, when Jiang Cheng needed them so much.

For a few minutes, they let him be, quietly absorbing the strength they were offering.

"WanYin...it's okay." XiChen only had to say those three words for the floodgates to open.

Jiang Cheng cried, big ugly tears, his red face trying to still hold in his emotions, like an iced over lake slowly cracking in the summer sun. He wasn't even aware of Nie MingJue picking him up and taking him straight to their bedroom.

They lay Jiang Cheng down on their bed, one on either side holding him safe.

He cried for a long time, and all the while MingJue stroked his hair lovingly, while XiChen spoke the softest words in his ears, and they held him tightly, offering him a safe place where he could let go of all the tension that had been building up within himself.

When he finished, XiChen brought over a warm wet cloth and wiped his face while MingJue held him on his lap.

"WanYin...please listen to us." XiChen said and then realised it was the wrong thing to say to an already frightened young man.

Jiang Cheng felt like a ship tossed out to sea, rudderless and sails torn away by the high winds of his own emotions, anchorless and left at the mercy of its fate.

"I'm going to say this to you as many times as is necessary, until you truly start to believe us. Jiang WanYin, we love you. I love you, Nie MingJue loves you. We want you to stay with us forever." XiChen said, instead of saying what he had planned.

Jiang Cheng was like a cornered wild animal right now; only soft reassurances and tender care could get through to him.

"How could you think otherwise, WanYin?" MingJue's voice was full of hurt. "All the times we've been together, what did we do wrong to make you think we weren't serious about this, about us? Whatever you think you know, throw it out right now, because it's not working for us." MingJue continued to stroke his hair and slowly, Jiang Cheng began to relax.

He thought about all the times XiChen and MingJue had demonstrated their affection...about how many times their sweet touches had felt like love to him...it had been real...but he had not let himself believe.

And in doing so, he was not only hurting himself, he was inadvertently hurting them too.

So much.

"My mother..." He choked out.

And so it began. Jiang Cheng bared his soul, telling these two immensely caring people about his life, even before Wei WuXian came to live with him, what had happened time after time, when his mother had let him down. And it wasn't just his mother, but his apathetic father who had no idea of the damage he was doing by not demonstrating enough how he felt about his only son.

"Well, I don't know about you," Nie MingJue had a dangerous glint in his eyes. "But I know for a fact, not all parents are fit to be the ones that their own children need. That's why, when people get married, it's said to be the start of a new life." He reached around the bedside cabinet and pulled out a velvet box, which coincidentally was a deep plum colour. "Huan, I know you wanted to wait, but I don't see the point."

Jiang Cheng looked to XiChen who was sitting as close as he could to both of them.

"Yes, I believe you're right. Let's do it."

They both smiled at Jiang Cheng warmly.

"We wish to make this arrangement permanent." MingJue said. "We can all marry each other. Right now. We don't need any minister or magistrate to tell us that our love is real. We know it."

"Yes, in here." XiChen placed his hands on their chests where their hearts lay.

MingJue copied him, laying a hand on his over Jiang Cheng's heart and on XiChen's. They waited for Jiang Cheng to catch up. Slowly, with tears running down his cheeks still, he lifted his hands and did the same so all three were connected at the same place.

"We can be a triangle." He said.

XiChen tried not to laugh. It was so out of the blue.

MingJue let out a big belly laugh, and suddenly, when Jiang Cheng realised what he had said, he started laughing too.

When they calmed down, MingJue opened the box that lay between the three. He slipped the identical ring on Jiang Cheng's finger, Jiang Cheng placed his one on XiChen and XiChen took the last one to give to MingJue.

"I think it's sweet that you wanted to give us yourself as our birthday present." MingJue said, sliding the purple ribbon out from his pocket.

In a flash, he had tied Jiang Cheng's wrists to the bedpost.

XiChen pulled out some rope and tied his feet.

"I intend to enjoy my present thoroughly." MingJue promised, as he began to undress his husband.

XiChen gave in and began with kissing both of his husbands.

Jiang Cheng smiled and finally accepted himself and his new life. It would take time, but he was willing to try, with these wonderful souls so ready to accept him.

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

A/N

So...I really thought I'd be done with this one, but so many of you said so nicely if I'd consider writing one with the threesome, so here we are...

I had to mess around with their official birthdays, but I'm going to go with writing liberties as an excuse and let's not talk about that...

It was supposed to be a short one too, at 2K but it's nearly 5K...

I'm throwing chocolate at you guys, have to rush off to work, see you later!