Wild Creatures

Chapter 12

Lan Zhan had nearly lost control.

He knew it.

Wei Ying knew it.

And the worst thing was, Lan Zhan didn't know how to fix it.

The most important part of all this was, Lan Zhan had not bitten Wei Ying…but it was close.

They had been kissing on the floor of his bedroom (and that image was going to stay in his head for all eternity, rent free), and then, Wei Ying had sucked on his tongue…it was so easy to lose control.

One second, they were both lying and down and the next, Lan Zhan’s hunger flared so strongly, all he could see was something to bite.

While he still had the ability to think, he flipped them around and pulled himself off Wei Ying, retreating as far as he could go. He closed his eyes and bit his lip quickly, extinguishing the flames of his hunger as fast as it rose.

When he opened his eyes, that's when he saw the wounded look on Wei Ying’s face.

It was gone in a flash and Wei Ying plastered a smile on his face…but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Only when Lan Zhan thought he was fully in control, then he went to help Wei Ying up, but Wei Ying brushed him off.

"So…what do you need, clothes-wise?"

And that had been the end of that.

Lan Zhan collected everything he thought he needed, nightwear, shirts, trousers, cardigans and the all important underwear. He filled up a holdall, folding the socks too so nothing would wrinkle.

And all throughout, Wei Ying didn’t look at him once.

He just sat on the edge of Lan Zhan’s bed quietly, looking at his hands.

It was unnerving for Lan Zhan too, because Wei Ying had never been this silent. It was simply…too odd.

Only when they got to the door, did he think of something.

"Lan Zhan…you know your brother?" Wei Ying said.

They were by the front door, putting their shoes on.

"Mn?" Lan Zhan was only relieved that he was talking again.

"Well, I just wondered…wouldn't he have seen our shoes? Yours…can be explained away…but he would know if you owned something like these, right?" Wei Ying looked at the cheap trainers on his feet.

"Xiongzhang has his own drawer." Lan Zhan explained.

He demonstrated by going to the other side of the wall and pressing an invisible button which made an identical shoe rack come out. His brother's shoes were on display, all of them far more expensive than Wei Ying had ever owned. The gap between their circumstances was even more apparent with everything Lan Zhan showed him.

Wei Ying nodded.

The way back to the bus stop felt frosty and awkward.

This was new for both of them, and neither wanted to start a conversation on a topic which could not be mentioned in public, let alone discussed in depth.

Lan Zhan rested the holdall in his lap when they managed to find seats.

He felt antsy and nervous because he wanted desperately to talk about what had happened between them in his apartment…but it wasn't a good time. He had seen disappointment and a longing in Wei Ying's eyes too, because he tried to say something several times during the ride home, but he'd catch himself and shake his head as if telling himself to wait.