Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

Red Crayon Hearts

Lan Zhan wakes up with his arms full of Wei Ying’s warmth. He smiles, taking a deep breath. Lotus flowers and chocolate, for some reason, the fragrance drifting into his senses along with the memory of going to sleep together last night, but somewhere in between, the cold spot next to him, and the feeling of absence, of missing a part of himself. He remembers tossing and turning, and then soft words whispering in his ear.

“Xingan, you really can't sleep without me, huh? I'm here, my Love. I'm here.”

His lips kiss the top of a slumbering head, the silky hair soft and thick between his fingers.

There are nights that Wei Ying can't stay sleeping, and last night must have been one of them. Lan Zhan stays for a few moments more, cherishing the peace that always comes from the early morning time. Wei Ying won't wake up for another few hours, and that's good because today is a special day, and Lan Zhan has plans.

When he's ready, he promises himself that he'll come back to bed so he can wake up with his husband later. Then he eases himself out of their bed and tucks the blankets more securely around Wei Ying’s shoulders, wincing when he reaches out to grab at him. Lan Zhan pushes his pillow, still warm from his body heat, into Wei Ying’s arms, holding his breath. He needn't have worried; Wei Ying smiles and sighs himself back into a deeper sleep. Lan Zhan can't resist bending down to kiss his forehead, letting his lips linger against the soft warm skin a few moments longer.

He pads downstairs in his bunny slippers that Wei Ying bought for him, turning on the kitchen light. He can smell more chocolate, and the light above the stove is on, which is odd since he made sure everything was off last night, before going to bed.

There's a white plate next to the stove, and on it, Wei Ying has drawn a heart with chocolate sauce, with their initials inside. There's also a message that reads, ‘Turn Around’ in cursive writing.

Behind him, on the breakfast bar, there are three things: a mug with a dish covering it, and again with chocolate writing: ‘Drink Me’ on it.

Uncovering it, Lan Zhan discovers it is pre-prepared hot chocolate, so he sticks it in the microwave and when it's done, brings it back to sit at the bar on the high stool, ready to see what else Wei Ying has surprised him with. There's a pang of regret because Lan Zhan always has a surprise ready for Wei Ying every year on this day, but today, Wei Ying has done it first.

Not that it's a competition…but if it was…

Anyway.

There's a vintage shoebox with an old faded crayon heart, once a vivid red and now rather sadly, it's barely a dusky pink colour. Time has gradually bled away the original shade, leaving it bereft of its brightness. Lan Zhan’s fingertips trace over the edges of the misshapen heart with crusty glitter still clinging onto the dried glue, drawn twenty two years ago with shaky hands who didn't know what they were doing. All he knew back then, was that he had made a friend with silver eyes and a beautiful red ribbon in his short little ponytail, and Lan Zhan loved him.

Next to it is a folded piece of paper and a chocolate heart wrapped in pink foil. On the outside of the folded paper is a sentence, thankfully written in blue ink: ‘Eat Me’, it says.

This time, Lan Zhan does not, putting it to one side. With the hot chocolate, it will be too much, but he has an idea of what to do with it. Then, he opens the note. Immediately recognising his husband's terrible writing, he's shocked to see the usual chicken scratches have transformed into an elegant script, proving his theory that if Wei Ying just took the time, he could write as beautifully as he painted.

“Dear Heart,” he reads out loud, noting with alarm that his fingers are shaking already. To know that Wei Ying spent precious time not sleeping in order to do this…it means a lot. He swallows hard and continues. “Lan Zhan, ah, my sweet husband, I didn't know what to get for you today, because it's so important, and the usual candy, chocolate and flowers thing feels so jaded, and I wanted to do something extra special for you instead. And then I remembered this box.”