Wei Ying felt soft kisses on his eyelids and he moaned, not wishing to get up at all. But Lan Zhan was persistent and he felt as if he was floating in a bubble of love.

He whined and hid his face in sandalwood scented clothes.

There was a huff of laughter as Lan Zhan kissed the top of his head.

"Wei Ying should get up now."

"I don't wanna..." Wei Ying pouted, eyes still shut tightly.

There was a long suffering sigh.

"What would Wei Ying like in order to wake up?" Lan Zhan finally said, stroking his hair affectionately.

"Five kisses..." Wei Ying replied without missing a beat.

"It seems...if someone can think coherently...then perhaps they are already awake?" The deep voice was full of humour.

Wei Ying pretended to snore.

But Lan Zhan knew of his weakness. Tall fingers stepped on either side of his ribs and just as Wei Ying realised too late what this meant, those fingers began mercilessly tickling him until he was shrieking with laughter, sleep forgotten like chores at bedtime.

"Please...my love, Hanguang-Jun...Gege...Lan Er-Gege...please...I'm a-awake...!" He gasped out, until Lan Zhan kissed those beautiful pink lips, irresistible and plump, catching his bottom one between his teeth. Wei Ying looked so beautiful, it made his heart hurt.

His face was flushed with the exertion of laughing too much, a pink sheen on his face as he tried to hold onto Lan Zhan’s wrists to prevent another attack, while his sparkling silver eyes were full of cautious good humour.

"Wei Ying is beautiful...Wei Ying is mine." Lan Zhan hauled him up to a sitting position, and kissed him once more. "That's two." He whispered against his lips.

"I always feel as if they are never enough..." Wei Ying admitted.

"My kisses are always yours..." Lan Zhan told him, kissing him again. "Wei Ying is sweeter than any fruit...more addictive than any drug, and more beautifuller than any flower."

Wei Ying giggled at that.

"It's not a word." He pretended to be serious.

"I just said it."

"That doesn't make it one." Wei Ying insisted.

"I have a whole dictionary of words which mean only Wei Ying..." Lan Zhan said, even more seriously.

"Lan Zhaaan!" Wei Ying whined, covering his face.

Lan Zhan kissed the back of his hands.

"That's five." He stood up and pulled Wei Ying up too.

Wei Ying stared at him in disbelief.

"You're not serious?"

"I do not know of what Wei Ying is speaking." Lan Zhan was busy not making eye contact, and dusting off his white robes.

Wei Ying stepped into his personal space with righteous agitation.

"I don't count those last two. That's an infringement...of...of my husbandry rights! Hands don't count! AT ALL!"

"Then Wei Ying should not cover up his beautiful face. It is a prerequisite. The punishment is most definitely fitting, because where else am I supposed to kiss?" Lan Zhan raised a brow with a smirk.

Wei Ying pouted and stomped off towards the mouth of the cave where the forest began, thanking his lucky stars that where he was leaving was already empty.

This was truly too much to ask of him! How dare Lan Zhan think hand kisses were the same? Anyone with half a brain could see that lip kisses held more value.

Wei Ying felt cheated. Aggrieved. Irritated. And annoyed.

But he sagged using the wall as support because a wave of exhaustion suddenly hit him, sapping away at his strength and he had to wait a moment before he could move again.

This wasn't normal...

He heard footsteps behind him and he hurried out, not wishing to worry Lan Zhan further. But each step felt forced and heavy as if bricks were tied to his feet.

Outside, night had fallen and the forest was alive with the creatures of the dark. Bright shining lights were glimpsed in between the bottle green leaves, shadows moving silently among the branches and there was a symphony of harmonious croaks, hoots and whistles.

A hand slipped into Wei Ying's, accompanied by the scent of soothing sandalwood.

"I'm still annoyed at you." He huffed.

Lan Zhan squeezed his hand and stopped walking. They hadn't reached the others yet, although they could hear them.

In this dark, transparent night, Wei Ying looked at his beautiful husband whose golden eyes had a trace of regret lurking in their depths.

Lan Zhan tugged on their joined hands and pulled a reluctant Wei Ying closer.

"Mn. Am sorry for teasing Wei Ying." Lan Zhan told him honestly.

"Alright," Wei Ying agreed, "how will you make it up to me?"

"Like this."

Lan Zhan crashed their lips together, forcing Wei Ying to gasp. He seized his chance and began to explore, each swipe of his clever tongue producing sharp tingles everywhere. Wei Ying was on fire just from this, his hands holding on to Lan Zhan's robes desperately, while his mouth was ravaged again and again. Teeth clashed in a bid to get closer, because Wei Ying could suffer no distance right now.

His hands tangled in Lan Zhan’s perfect hair, and then those silky ties belonging to the Lan Clan headband wrapped around his fingers and he yanked. Lan Zhan had secured it perfectly though, and it did not come undone, but the effect it had on Lan Zhan’s mind was staggering.

Lan Zhan growled.

He pushed Wei Ying up against the nearest tree and slipped a hand inside his robes. But his mouth...his mouth was worshipping every inch of Wei Ying's face until he was a puddle of knots, melting against his husband.

Afterwards, he was glad because he had a legitimate excuse why his legs weren't working correctly.

Lan Zhan straightened their robes and paused, his golden eyes searching silver ones, instinct driving his thoughts.

"Is Wei Ying alright?" He was suddenly worried that he had been too rough, especially given Wei Ying's recent symptoms.

Wei Ying hated the worry in his eyes and wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan’s waist, hoping to draw some of his strength. His cheek rested on a strong heartbeat only just now slowing down to normal.

"Yes, I'm okay." And then, because he had promised numerous times not to hide anything from his husband, he told him the truth. "I'm not sure why I'm feeling so tired though. I just woke up from a nap. Did you manage to sleep at all?"

"I was watching Wei Ying sleeping. Don't need anything else."

If Wei Ying wasn't already hugging him, he would have jumped into his arms for saying that.

"We should go to the others." He murmured instead, not wishing to dwell on his condition.

"Mn. Only when Wei Ying is ready."

A warm palm stroked his back comfortingly.

Wei Ying enjoyed it for a few moments before reluctantly pulling away, testing his own strength.

Luckily, his feet had decided to cooperate and he could stand just fine. Lan Zhan wrapped an arm around his waist and then they joined the others.

Li XiWang came running up to them with Rumi.

"Zei Gege said we're going to meet Dunshi Gege's family tonight!" She said enthusiastically, her burgundy eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes we are, hopefully." Wei Ying said. His arms reached out to pick her up, but at the last minute, he doubted if he could, so he crouched down to her level and hugged her and then Rumi straight after.

The action had not gone unnoticed by either Lan Zhan or Hui Gai, who caught one another's gaze discreetly.

Hui Gai spoke to Lan Zhan in their mind connection and vanished.

He reappeared five minutes later, with a glass of green sludge.

Wei Ying had been chatting animatedly to his children about the possibilities they could find in the huge cave, but he scowled when he saw what was in Hui Gai's hand.

He stepped back warily.

"Where are your talismans? The ones to make medicine taste better?" Lan Zhan coaxed him, turning Wei Ying's face towards him. "If you use one, you could give our children a good role model experience."

Wei Ying let his heavy head drop against Lan Zhan's shoulder. He knew Lan Zhan was right...it was just the idea of medicine...

"Fine, fine!" He huffed and pulled one out. "The only problem is, I'm torn between Emperor's Smile and Spicy noodles, and you."

"It tastes of all three?" Lan Zhan made a face.

It was so unexpected, Wei Ying giggled.

He slapped the talisman on the glass and chugged it down manfully.

Lan Zhan wiped his face for him with a pristine, white handkerchief.

Dunshi bent down to talk to both of them.

"I bet you're anxious, huh?" Wei Ying patted the side of his cheek, affectionately.

Only now he was realising that this was it, Dunshi was back with his family now, and the odds were that he wouldn't be leaving with them when they left.

Dunshi would stay here with his family from now on, if they accepted him back.

So all they had to do was make sure that everyone was actually happy this.

"Are you happy to be here, Dunshi?" He asked, softly.

"I miss my mommy." Dunshi nodded enthusiastically.

Wei Ying's heart broke a little at that.

Throughout their travels, the many months they had spent together, it was easy to forget that Dunshi had a family and that he might be missing them, and his home so much.

Now the only thing that remained to be seen was a hopefully happy reunion.

"Then, what are we waiting for? You should lead the way." Wei Ying replied instead, injecting a positive tone to his words.

It didn’t bear thinking about that anything other than Dunshi and his family being happy at finally meeting again, was possible.