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Lan Zhan and Lan Huan decided to finally give in to their Uncle’s many hints and get their portrait painted for his birthday.
Lan Huan picked out a painter recommended to him by Nie Huaisang, an old family friend. The painter’s studio was conveniently nearby and Lan Zhan found that he liked the artists work that he was able to view online.
Lan Zhan didn’t feel particular comfortable about posing for the painting though. He was wondering if perhaps they could just provide photos and leave when Lan Huan knocked on the door of the studio and Lan Zhan was blinded by…Wei Ying.
“Hi! I’m Wei Ying, I’ll be the one creepily staring at you for hours!” he grinned.
Lan Huan greeted Wei Ying warmly. Lan Zhan swallowed hard and tried to find his voice. It seemed that Wei Ying’s beauty had somehow rendered him speechless.
Luckily Lan Huan was carrying the conversation. Lan Zhan took in all of Wei Ying while they spoke. Tall, slim, fluffy hair in an insufficient bun, sparkling eyes, perfection in Lan Zhan’s opinion.
Wei Ying led them to a sofa and Lan Zhan sat down next to his brother. Wei Ying sat opposite them on an armchair, he sat crosslegged with his legs underneath him.
“So! Tell me what I’m doing here, what’s the style I’m going for? You want me to draw you as cowboys? Dinosaurs? Emperors? Dinosaur emperors!” Wei Ying cried.
Lan Huan laughed. “Just a classic portrait of my brother and I please, it is a birthday gift for our Uncle, who raised us.”
“Great! So just as you are then? In these fancy suits? Is this how you usually dress?”
“Yes,” Lan Zhan managed to reply.
“It speaks!” Wei Ying teased. “Okay, shall we get started?”
“Yes,” Lan Zhan replied.
Wei Ying stood and clapped his hands together. “Okay, we need to decide on the pose, do you want to be seated side by side, or standing or maybe one of you seated and the other behind with a hand on one shoulder?”
“Perhaps the third option,” Lan Huan suggested.
After a brief discussion, it was decided that Lan Huan as the oldest would stand and Lan Zhan would sit in a chair in-front of him. Wei Ying arranged them into the pose then backed away and looked at them. “Hmm..you seem a little stiff? But would you want to be stiff?”
“Uncle would prefer it.” Lan Zhan stated.
Wei Ying laughed. Lan Zhan stiffened even more. It was the most beautiful sound. Something so free and easy, something that Lan Zhan wanted to capture and hold in his heart.
“Your Uncle sounds fun,” Wei Ying said as set up his canvas.
“He is…very principled,” Lan Huan replied.
“Like I said…fun.”
Wei Ying started to sketch. As he did so he would peep out from behind the canvas and look at Lan Zhan or Lan Huan. Lan Zhan found himself somewhat annoyed whenever Wei Ying peeped and his eyes weren’t on him. He told himself to act professionally.
“Such beautiful boys! What a treat for the eyes!” Wei Ying teased.
Lan Huan laughed.
“Shameless,” Lan Zhan muttered, once again feeling jealous that his brother has been included in the compliment.
Wei Ying laughed again. Oh dear. That was dangerous for Lan Zhan’s soul.
“I hope you can cope with this shameless servant, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying drawled. “We will be spending quite a lot of time together.” He winked.
Lan Zhan felt his ears heat.
Lan Huan squeezed his brother’s shoulder slightly. Lan Zhan froze in place. He forgot how perceptive his brother could be. But surely here there would be little time for his meddling…
“You know my brother is also very creative, he writes his own Guqin music, and it’s so moving!”
Ah Lan Zhan was mistaken. Apparently there was always time for meddling.
“Wow! A composer!” Wei Ying exclaimed. “That’s so impressive, I play the flute but I’ve never written music before…maybe we could duet one day!”
“I would like that,” Lan Zhan found himself replying. His brother squeezed his shoulder again. Lan Zhan wished he could glare at him, but didn’t want to turn around. Wei Ying had asked them to remain in their positions.
Wei Ying grinned. “Now Lan Zhan, I know you want this to be a formal painting but surely you don’t have to look quite so stern!”
Lan Zhan tried to school his expression. “My apologies, I was thinking of something…unpleasant.”
“Oh my…don’t do that. I never do that of I can help it,” Wei Ying replied.
“Are you a full time artist?” Lan Huan asked.
“I wish! No, I work in tech but Huaisang has been amazing at getting me gigs like this. Maybe soon I can give up my day job!”
Lan Zhan pressed his lips together so he didn’t blurt out an offer to support Wei Ying in doing whatever he wished.
“Perhaps you will meet someone soon who would happily financially support your creative endeavours,” Lan Huan offered with another squeeze to Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Subtle. Lan Zhan tried not to think about crushing his brother’s fingers…
“Maybe!” Wei Ying laughed.
Lan Zhan closed his eyes to savour the sound.
“Hey, don’t close those beautiful eyes okay?”
Lan Zhan opened his eyes, Wei Ying was kneeling in-front of him. His eyes were…
“You are sad…underneath the surface…” Lan Zhan observed softly.
Wei Ying blinked. “Perceptive,” he replied with a crooked smile. “Keep your eyes open for me, okay?”
They were quiet after that. Lan Zhan wanted to ask questions. He wanted to ask why Wei Ying was sad, he wanted to ask how long he had been sad, he wanted to ask for permission to take the sadness away or at-least try to…instead he posed and thought.
“And that should be enough for today,”
Wei Ying announced.
“Wonderful, I’m just going to go outside and make a phone call, Lan Zhan can you meet me outside in ten minutes?”
Lan Zhan nodded and sighed internally. Once again his brother’s meddling was so obvious it made him want to wince.
Lan Huan disappeared outside and Lan Zhan turned to Wei Ying.
“I apologise about earlier,” he started.
Wei Ying waved a hand between them. “It’s fine. I am sad. Well, at-least there has been a lot of sadness in my life and now…well…even though a lot of those scars are sort of healed…I’m still…I’m still left with a hole you know?”
Lan Zhan nodded. “I understand.” He put a hand on his chest. “Hole.” He said.
Wei Ying smiled. “Kindred spirits perhaps.”
Lan Zhan licked his lips and gathered his courage. “Wei Ying, do you consider it a conflict of interest to date a client?”
Wei Ying looked thoughtful. “We have five sessions together, then you are not a client anymore.”
Lan Zhan nodded. “We will revisit this in five sessions then.”
Wei Ying smiled and held out his hand. When Lan Zhan shook it, his heart skipped a beat.
Wei Ying let out a breath. “I have a feeling these are going to be the longest sessions of my life.”
Lan Zhan huffed out a laugh. “I hope not.”
Over the next five weeks Wei Ying flirted and Lan Zhan became more and more enamoured.
Lan Huan meddled until he realised meddling was no longer required then he just smiled and acted smug and sometimes found reasons to leave before the session was fully ended to allow Wei Ying and Lan Zhan time to talk alone.
Finally…after what seemed like forever…the painting was finished. Wei Ying was jittery and nervous when he showed them the finished work. Lan Huan gasped and exclaimed it was perfect. Lan Zhan smiled and nodded in agreement. Wei Ying beamed at Lan Zhan as though his opinion was the more important one.
Lan Huan made his excuses to leave, claiming he had an evening meeting which Lan Zhan knew was utter bullshit but he didn’t call him out on it because he was desperate to be alone with Wei Ying.
As soon as Lan Huan left, Lan Zhan reached for Wei Ying’s hand.
“Our agreement…” he muttered.
“Ah yes! I remember. A date was what was agreed wasn’t it? Lan Zhan, can I be forward and ask for more? I sort of…maybe went and fell in love you.”
Lan Zhan hugged Wei Ying close. “I love Wei Ying too.”
Wei Ying melted into the hug. “That’s good, that’s very good.”
“Mn, that is very good.”
“Lan Zhan…I fear from what you have told me about your Uncle, he won’t approve of me.”
“Don’t care,” Lan Zhan replied petulantly.
Wei Ying laughed his beautiful laugh. “Oh you want me bad huh?”
Lan Zhan did not deny it, but he did squeeze Wei Ying’s waist where his hands still rested.
“Lan Zhan, you know those holes we have inside of us?” Wei Ying asked.
“Mn,” Lan Zhan replied.
“I don’t think they will ever go away entirely, but I think maybe happiness could make them shrink, do you want to try and do that with me?”
Lan Zhan nodded.
“Good,” Wei Ying whispered and then he kissed him.
**********
A few years later…
Lan Qiren liked the painting of his nephews because it showed them as he saw them, loyal, dependable, to be admired by all.
Lan Huan liked the painting because it conjured happy memories of teasing his little brother through his first crush.
Lan Zhan liked the painting because it reminded him of the day he met Wei Ying. Wei Ying who smiled at him and laughed with him and kissed him with his whole heart.
“Husband!” Wei Ying cried as he appeared beside Lan Zhan and threw his arms around him. “Stop looking at that old painting! I should really paint you again you know, my skills are so much better now that I’m a full time artist.”
Lan Zhan kissed his husband’s cheek. “No. This one has sentimental value. It reminds me of the day we met.”
“Ahhh Lan Zhan, so sweet! Maybe I could just improve this one? I could always draw myself across your lap? Wouldn’t that be a nice sight for your Uncle? And maybe I could be nak…mmm!”
Lan Zhan shut his shameless husband up in his favourite way, by kissing him. He felt the little hole inside of him grow smaller and smiled against Wei Ying’s lips. “Perhaps you could paint me a portrait for my birthday?” he offered when he finally let Wei Ying breathe.
“Okay,” Wei Ying agreed swaying a little on the spot.
“You could be naked in that one,” Lan Zhan added, before walking away.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying spluttered as he jogged to catch up. “Who is the shameless one now?” he cried.
“Still you,” Lan Zhan replied with a smirk, enjoying the undignified squeak his husband made behind him before he turned and caught his love in his arms and kissed him and kissed him and kissed him.