'Lan Zhan what are you doing? Yes , Wei Ying is cute and adorable and naughty and sweet... but you have always known what a big flirt he is... He would flirt with a God damn rock if he feels like it... So him talking to you this casually is just his way of teasing you... It doesn't mean he likes you the way you like him... ' Lan Zhan's logically side of brain reminds him.

Lan Zhan steps away from his friend and says, "Wei Ying, it's late. Go to bed." The he turns away from Wei Ying and starts walking to the other end of the room.

Wei Ying who was a little shook because of Lan Zhan's close proximity and the way Lan Zhan had smiled at him while cupping his face, regains his composure.
Lan Zhan's words about going to bed register in his mind. He calls out to his friend, "Lan Zhan... don't... don't ..."

Lan Zhan turns to look at Wei Ying. He can sense hesitation and worry in his voice. He asks, "What is it?"

"Lan Zhan... I don't want it to sound flirtatious but... Please sleep with me." Wei Ying blurts out and looks at anywhere but him.

"What?" Lan Zhan says breathlessly and thinks, 'Is he for real! I just told him not to flirt with me unless he means it... And he is at it again???'

"Lan Zhan, it's not what you think. It's about that dream demon. I think it can attack us again..." Wei Ying takes a deep breath and starts explaining, " I think the reason you stopped before you...you. Before you went all the way with me has something to do with your headband."

"What do you mean?" Lan Zhan asks... his curiosity peaking .

Wei Ying starts pacing around his room and starts explaining, "The dream demon is a very powerful demon. Once it selects it's victims they  are as good as dead. This particular demon wanted you to kill me and then kill yourself....but why did it not select me to kill you?  ...I think it's because at the time when it was searching for a body to possess it could not enter mine."

"Why?" Lan Zhan asks.
"I maybe wrong ,but at that time I had your headband tied around my neck... Lan Zhan... sorry about that." Wei Ying says smiling guiltily and continues, " The Lan headband is sacred and has pure magic within it. It has been known to resist evil... Am I right?"

"Mn."

"So, since it was on me at that moment, the dream demon couldn't possess me. So the only other unprotected target was you. That would also explain why when you... you tried to..."  Wei Ying pauses unable to continue.

Lan Zhan continues for him, "So when I tried to take you, my hand touched the headband lying on your chest and I was snapped back to reality....but... "

"But even after you saw that you had not hurt me you still wanted to kill yourself...That's what confused me too. But then I remembered that dream demon can manipulate emotions too once they are let in.... So even after knowing the truth your mind failed to process it. In your mind you had already done something unforgivable and the only way to absolve for that was to kill yourself."

"But... I didn't.. " Lan Zhan says, still confused.

"Yes... You didn't kill yourself my friend... And that is because I got angry and attracted resentful energy... The residual resentful energy left in your mind by the dream demon was attracted to me. So it left your mind and came to me....Of course this is just my guess as of now. " Wei Ying explains. He sees Lan Zhan looking worried so he adds,  "Resentful energy can't harm me Lan Zhan. I control them. I am after all Yiling patriarch." Then Wei Ying smiles reassuringly at his friend.

Lan Zhan visibly relaxes.

"So Lan Zhan, since the demon may attack us while we are sleeping I need both of us the share the headband... And that is only possible if you sleep with me.... So please sleep with me." Wei Ying says holding Lan Zhan's gaze.

"Mn."  Lan Zhan nods and walks over to Wei Ying. He pulls his headband off his forehead and ties it around their wrists. Then they walk towards the bed.
They both realize at the same time that there is no way that space can accommodate two grown men.

Wei Ying is the first to speak. He looks at his friend and apologetically says, "Ammm... Lan Zhan... It's going to be a tight fit... I know how you don't like to be close to people... Amm... ."

"You are not people." Lan Zhan says pulling Wei Ying by the hand, "Get on it." he orders his friend.

Wei Ying is dumbfounded, but he does what he is told and gets on the bed.
Lan Zhan follows the other and gets on the bed too since their wrists are tired together.

They sit on the bed awkwardly for a few seconds contemplating how to proceed.
Then as if making up his mind, Lan Zhan turns to his friend.
He says with hesitation, "Wei Ying, do you trust me? "
Wei Ying nods.
"I won't hurt you. You are safe with me...You still believe that right?" Lan Zhan asks with a slightly shaky voice.

Wei Ying nods again.

Lan Zhan slowly lies down on the bed. He puts his free hand out and gestures Wei Ying to put his head on his outstretched arm.
Wei Ying is not sure if that's the best way to tackle the issue at hand and says, "Lan Zhan if I put my head on your hand it will go stiff and hurt...maybe we should... "

"No." Lan Zhan says cutting Wei Ying's words off.
He gently pulls Wei Ying down so that his head rests on Lan Zhan's shoulder and their chests are sticking together with Wei Ying's free hand on his friend's chest.
Lan Zhan then threads the fingers of their tied hands together and puts their now joined hands close to their chests.

Wei Ying blushes deeply and looks up at Lan Zhan's face.
Lan Zhan's face is calm and composed.

'How can he be so calm... Does my closeness not affect him at all?... Am I the only one who is so affected??' Wei Ying asks himself, getting annoyed.

"Are you cold?" Lan Zhan asks without looking at his friend's face.

'Let's see if he really can remain unaffected', Wei Ying thinks mischievously and say, "Hmm... I am cold.. Lan Zhan, can't you do something to warm me up...hm?"

Lan Zhan doesn't react for a few seconds then he snaps his fingers and the next moment a sheet is covering them.

"Better?" Lan Zhan asks.

Finally accepting defeat, Wei Ying answers, "Yes... better. " He sighs and thinks, 'Lan Zhan... you really are a Jade... your heart is unwavering.'

The tiredness of the day finally catchs up to him and Wei Ying falls asleep in his friend's arms.

The same could not be said about Lan Zhan who had put all his years of practice at looking calm and composed so as not to scare his friend.

He looks down at Wei Ying's sleeping form.
'The face didn't show anything. I was able to monitor my heart beat as well.... I did good... I made Wei Ying feel secure.' he thinks feeling proud of his self-control.
But Lan Zhan is only human. He can't keep up this facade forever.

He thinks it's safe to let go. Wei Ying can't see him anyway... Wei Ying is already sound asleep.

He let's go of his well controlled , suppressed emotions.
He breaths out heavily. His body shudders a little. Flush rises to his cheeks and his heart starts to pound in his chest. His free hand moves to Wei Ying's back and comes to rest on his shoulder.
He strokes Wei Ying's arms gently for a few minutes and then sleep engulfs him. His breathing evens out and his heart grows quieter.

That is when Wei Ying opens his eyes, he looks at their intertwined fingers and places a kiss on it.
He calls his friend's name softly, "Lan Zhan... " when Lan Zhan doesn't answer , Wei Ying whispers, "Lan Zhan, your face doesn't show anything, so I waited and listened to your heart... and guess what it told me?"

He lifts his head and looks at his friend's beautiful calm face. He whispers ever so softly, "I know now that you too have feelings for me....but Lan Zhan ....I don't know how deep your feelings run.. and.. I am scared... I am not ready...I don't want to be 'your Now'... I want to be 'your Forever' .. So, I hope you can wait for me....just like I will wait for you... So we can meet in the middle. OK?"

Wei Ying then brings his face near Lan Zhan's and places a kiss on the side of his lips.
Then he puts his head back on Lan Zhan's chest and falls asleep listening to the calming sound of his friend's beating heart; engulfed in the fragrance of sandalwood.

{Note :- We have come to the end of another chapter. Now you know the reasons behind Lan Zhan's actions towards Wei Ying. I promise all their actions have reasons. And I will try my best to address them.
You feedback keeps me motivated and so do your votes.
Thank you for reading.
Have a nice day }