Jun saw compassion in Xian's eyes as he observed Dr. Ray performs her magic. Unable to quell his inquisitiveness, Jun asked, "Have you ever had any pets?" 

Not taking his eyes off Wu and Ji, Xian shook his head and answered, "I always wanted to, but I never had a home to keep them all. Back in the orphanage, whenever I would find any animal injured, I'd sneak it in, but I'd be caught by the caretakers and have to return those animals back to the street. It hurt my heart, and eventually I stopped bringing them in. If I found any animals, I'd take them directly to a shelter. 

"By the time I purchased my condo, I was rarely there to even remotely settle down. The majority of my time, I would be travelling around the world for our matches, or would be at the rink practising or even if I am at my place, it's simply to sleep. Never did find the right opportunity to bring another soul into my life."

Xian fondly gazed at Sahara, who was snoozing next to him. "I never was much of a fan of dogs, and I don't think I still am, except for this babe, but she's different. Maybe, one day I'll have a pet turtle or bird." 

Jun placed his hand on Xian's back and caressed it softly, saying, "You have a big heart, Wei Ying. You're compassionate and sweet. Not many are like you." 

Xian was quiet, but glancing at Jun, he whispered, "Lan Zhan, once I leave, you can send them to their respective sanctuaries. I won't be angry. Don't worry. I cannot burden you to take care of souls when I myself ain't able to shoulder them."

Nudging his shoulder, Xian gave him a small smile and walked into their kitchen. 

Watching Xian's retreating back, Jun thought to himself, 'I can never give them away, Wei Ying. After you leave, they are some of the few memories you would leave behind with me.' 

Shaking himself from such heavy and morbid thoughts, Jun followed Xian. 

Dr. Ray gave Wu and Ji a clean bill of health, and they were all happy that the precious souls were safe and sound. 

Sitting around the table for breakfast, Jeff and Christian were animated, and their sneaky touches did not go unnoticed by Jun. Though he wanted to be civil and ignore them, Xian, on the other hand, had different thoughts.

"Hey, why are you two here?"

Unperturbed, Jeff asked, "What do you mean?" 

Pointing to Christian, Xian continued, "He's like my older brother. I don't want to see you two se*ing in front of me. That's scandalous." 

"I'm leaving for the US in two days, so we planned to spend the day together before going back to see your game tomorrow. That leaves us with just today, and we plan on doing more than se*ing up."

The thought of Jeff leaving soon left a different taste. He was here on vacation, and their plans differed because Jun made the request.

Before Jun could voice his opinion, Xian let out a groan and apologised, "I am sorry, you two. Y'all had plans, and I -"

"Hey!" Jeff was quick to interject, "As much as you think it was an issue or a hindrance, I am glad in a way that I could be a part of your journey, revenge, and healing. Over the years, Chris has shared so much about his lil' brother that I have always wanted to get to know you too. I'm glad we could finally meet. I hoped it could have been under better circumstances, but nevertheless, I am glad to be here."

"Thank you, Jeff. Christian. Without you, we-"

"Hey!" Jeff held Xian's hands warmly and smiled, "Our ordeals may be different, but our pain is the same. I am here for you now and forever. You have a brother in me too. After Chris, if you ever wish to seek me out, I'm just one call away."

Taking a deep breath, Xian nodded, and Jun was glad his Wei Ying could finally have the family he wanted.

"Speaking of which," Xian's eyes glittered with mischief as he turned towards Christian and asked, "Did you ever try out that package I shipped to you?"

Christian's reactions were instant as he balked and Jeff became curious and asked, "What package?"

"Many years ago, one evening, I was at Christian's office, studying, when he received a call. What he didn't realise was that it was you on the other end, so while he was working, your call was on speaker, and before he could warn you, let's say I heard all about your shenanigans and dreams."

Laughing at their mirrored expression, Xian continued, "So, when I was in Las Vegas, I came across this shop that sold toys, but not the ones kids play with. These were custom-made ones. I shipped him-"

"Xian. No." Christian groaned, and at this point even Jun was curious. The former's hesitation spurred Xian to share and say, "Puppy play."

"What?" Jeff was shocked, and Jun was scandalised.

"Yeah.  I knew how much you guys loved to experiment, so I had them shipped. What I didn't realise is that Christian never used them."

"Chris?"

"I didn't because they are..." He whispered into Jeff's ears, whose face was now flushed with crimson red.

Xian continued drinking his coffee and winked at Jun when their eyes met.

Jun knew he had to step in before this could get out of hand. "Anyway..." He dragged for some momentum, saying, "Xian and I will be stopping by the rink today for an intense practice. If you're around, we can meet for dinner."

Jeff and Christian sought each other's eyes and were quiet. Thankfully, Xian chose not to prod too much, and Jun got the message. They wanted to spend their evening together, probably with whatever gift Xian had shipped to Christian.

Saying their goodbyes, Christian and Jeff were on their way when Xian brought two duffels and placed them in his car. Sahara jumped into the backseat, and soon they were on their way for a final practise session.

"Here." Xian handed Jun a duffel and said, "This one is yours."

Upon inspection, Jun was shocked. It was his old jersey.

Lan

03

He hadn't seen his jersey since his accident. Once, while he was cleaning his wardrobe, he did find it, which caused him great anxiety, and after that incident, Ms. Lee had done a wonderful job of hiding his jersey.

"I asked Ms. Lee to give me your old jersey. I thought you and I could fulfil our old dream. You wear yours, and I'll wear mine. We'll compete, and let us say today that a veteran and a prodigy will face each other as competitors."

A moment later, Jun asked, "What will the winner get?"

"Whatever he wants."

At Xian's statement, Jun met his eyes, and there was nothing but warmth and honesty in them. Jun knew Xian wasn't lying. Probably, if he were to win and ask Xian to stay back, be with him, choose him, and not go to the NHL, Xian might oblige.

"Whatever?" Jun reconfirmed.

"Whatever." Xian's answer was final, and Jun smiled.

He knew it was time to don the jersey and win the match.

Xian took his spot in front of the net and waited for Azure to make his first move. Smiling inwardly, he felt proud as he saw the red jersey on Azure's body.

As a young boy, due to a lack of facilities like television, he had no idea what the great Lan Wangji looked like, except for the jersey he wore. Today, their jerseys were almost identical, with minor design changes and names of sponsorships.

Lan Wangji, the veteran who once had a deal with the NHL, stood at the centre with an aura of dominance over the game he was in charge of. It hurt Xian's heart to see the man in front of him deprived of such happiness. He was born to play.

Whenever they had a game, Azure's eyes would sparkle, and though, due to his prosthetics, he wasn't able to play for longer hours, that did not deter Azure from giving his best.

If Xian was ever asked in the future what the best moments of his life were, he would remember every single game they played together.

As a child, he was in awe of the great Lan Wangji, and as an adult, he was irrevocably in awe of the soul in front of him.

The puck was ready, and with a buzzer set, Lan Wangji pushed himself off the ice and raced towards the net.

Opening up his body, Xian's grip tightened against the stick. Squatting lightly, he was ready.

They met. They clashed. They were a series of blurred movements with a mix of red and blue hues. Quick and strong, lithe and agile, one could hear the other pant, but that did not stop their play.

Today, Xian was more than a goalie, a move that Lan Wangji had not expected. He was all out there. He no longer just manned the net but snatched the puck and dashed towards the other side.

Quick in his reflex, Lan Wangji saw what Xian was planning, and now he reversed his role and became a goalie. Blocking Xian's puck, the younger man simply smirked, hit the puck behind Lan Wangji, slithered sideways, and his back was to the latter's when he skated forward and shot the puck to score a goal.

It took the two of them a minute to catch their momentum. This was the first time Xian scored against Lan Wangji, and seconds later he was engulfed in a warm hug by Azure, who whispered warmly into his ears, "You're ready, my Wei Ying."

Xian's heart melted. He was indeed ready for more. It was just a fine line between wanting to know what he was ready for. Was it the man in his arms, the dream they saw together with millions of fans awaiting their player's entry in the NHL, or both?

It was past eight in the evening when they packed their bags and headed back home. Sahara was happy to head back too, though she did enjoy playing around on the ice.

"I'll be back after a quick shower." At Azure's comment, Xian nodded and settled himself on the comfortable couch with Wei Wei on his lap, Furball on his shoulder, and Wu Ji on Sahara's back and forehead, respectively.

Who would have thought this giant bear was such a sweetheart?

Turning back to the television, Xian switched to Netflix and glanced through the section until he came across some BDSM-related series. An automatic smirk graced his lips as he thought back to a fond memory.

"You're smiling." Azure took a seat next to him and smelled lovely.

"Is that odd? By the way, that was a super quick shower." Xian pointed out.

Removing his prosthetic leg, Azure moaned, and Xian was quick to place the older man's leg over his own and give him a deep tissue massage.

"Heaven." Azure commented absentmindedly. "There's nothing wrong with your smile; it's just that you were looking at the screen and smiling. Did you find something interesting?"

"A memory," Xian answered.

"Memory?"

"Yup. Two years ago, I had just turned eighteen, and we were in Japan for a match there, where I met this fan of mine, and let's just say he made my birthday a lot more memorable."

Azure cocked his neck sideways, and Xian couldn't help but blush.

"That's it?"

"No... but you might find me weird -"

Taking Xian's hand in his, Azure gave him a warm smile as he stated, "I will never find you weird, and this space should be your safe zone. You can share whatever it is you wish to."

A few minutes later, Xian continued, "He was my fan, a very sweet man indeed. Quite older than me by decades, but an amazing man. We chatted a lot, and he told me about his partner and asked me to join them for dinner.

"At first, the club looked like a normal lounge, a place where you can dance and enjoy, but it's what's behind the scenes that's more memorable."

"What do you mean?"

"Dragon Lair." Xian's smile deepened as he shared, "And the owner's name is Papa Dragon, or as his family reveres him, Papa D."

"Papa D?"

"Yes. That's his pseudonym. His real name is Akira Takahashi."
(A/n: Yup, you got that right. For all of you who have read Silence and Fearless, this is for you all.)

"Lan Zhan, you might really get along with Akira."

"Me?"

"Mn. He, like you, does not see his disability as an issue. For him, it's more of an ability. Papa D is deaf and mute. I'm not aware of his history, but from what I could gather talking to his fiance, he fought battles to get to where he is."

"What's Dragon Lair all about?" Azure inquired, and Xian shared.

"Dragon Lair needs a personal invitation to enter their sanctuary. A building annexing the main club, it's a place where one can feel completely at ease to practise whatever they feel with absolute consent and maturity.

"I was always curious about the subject of BDSM and Papa D walked me through it like a personal tutor."

"So, you and Papa D -?"

Grinning at Azure, who was unable to complete his question, Xian shook his head and continued, "No. Papa D does not sleep with people. It's said he loves his fiance too much for him to continue living the way he did. I didn't ask much, but I did accept when he suggested that I should spend my night with someone else."

Unable to control his blush, Xian faced the television, though there was nothing playing on it.

"Wei Ying?"

"I..." Scratching his cheeks, Xian gave out a small chuckle and said, "I had an orgie."

"You what?" Azure was surprised, and Xian covered his face with his palms.

"I was there for three days and tried everything they could offer and made amazing friends."

"Do you often go there?"

"Nope. That was my first and last time there."

"Why didn't you go back?"

It was at this moment that Xian chose to look at Azure and answer truthfully, "I was afraid to love that place too much. It gave me everything I wanted but also made me realise I didn't have that one thing in life."

"What one thing?"

"Love."

They were quiet, and Xian finally sighed, "Papa D is amazing. Maybe I'll go and pay a visit when I am in the US."

Xian did not miss Azure's flinch, and he quickly added, "I am just going to go and meet him and his fiancée. Not to play in the Dragon Lair. Those days are long behind me."

Xian chose an anime, and just when his eyes were all droopy, Azure gently tapped his thigh and handed him a piece of paper.

"What's this?" He turned the page only to find it was handwritten.

"Our conversation from last night and this morning gave me an idea to start a foster care programme in the sanctuary itself. I wanted to name the care as 'Hope'."

Xian was astonished as Azure shared, "Throughout the years we have found many infants and have always given them away to places that could take care of their needs. But now I wish to build a community here for them.

"I will need lots of sanctions from the government to build this care, but for now I want to make this a global scenario. Build a house on our land, a bit away from the main house though, where people from all around the world can come and live here, be a part of the foster care programme, and feel the love you give and get."

When Xian found his bearings, he finally asked, "Why hope?"

"This place gave you and me hope. By bringing Furball, Wei Wei, and Wu Ji here, you gave them hope. I gave Sahara hope. Mr. and Ms. Lee are this sanctuary's hope, and all the other countless people who make this place successful are all about hope."

"So these handwritten pages?"

"It's a rough agreement. I want your help to run this place. I know it's not possible physically, but I want you to be part of this care. I wish to name you the director of this programme. What do you say? Will you help me out?"

Leaning forward, Xian kissed Azure's forehead and whispered back, "I will be happy to help in any way I can. Let us build 'Hope' together, Azure."

"Mn. Thank you."

"By the way, I won today, what's my price going to me?" Xian smiled as he asked and Azure cupped the younger man's face and said, "Ask and I'll give you everything."

"One day. I will." Xian whispered back as their eyes found each other.

It was early morning when they left the sanctuary together. With a bottle of protein shake in his hand, Xian was scrolling through his phone as Azure was driving them to the rink where their final match was held, when he saw JC's name flashing on his screen.

"Sup brother-"

"Don't pick up anyone's calls. Don't stop anywhere. Once you are near the arena, directly enter the VVIP area. Don't -"

"Hold on! What's happening? Why are you panicking?"

"Aren't you aware?" JC quietly asked.

"Aware about what?"

"I am sending you a link. Click that and call me back ASAP."

Xian clicked the link and gasped. It was what he feared. The news article had Azure's face plastered all over it. It was a picture of them from the previous day playing together. It was a picture of them in their jerseys, and a caption below that read, 'Veteran player Lan Wangji and the nation's love and goalkeeper Wei Wuxian, played a match together. Are they just friends or lovers?'

Fu*k!

He called the first person in his mind to sort this mess out.

Best-on-best:

A competition featuring the most elite level of players possible. Most commonly used in the context of men's international tournaments that allow professional players and are held at a time that does not conflict with league schedules.

(A/n: I am so glad that you are all giving me immense support for this book. They have come so far but yet they need to go miles ahead too. Love them and keep supporting us.)