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“Are you even aware of all your emotions?” Chen inquired. “How can you know what I’m feeling if your own overwhelm you?”
Moon’s mouth dropped open in a scoff, but no words followed when Chen continued to watch him with that same penetrating stare. Was he right?
The sexy man with the mussed, sweaty hair picked up Moon’s free hand and placed it over his heart. “Close your eyes and clear your mind. Tell me all the emotions you are feeling.”
Moon huffed, not wanting to play this game, but it was becoming frustrating that Chen was picking up his emotions and he couldn’t. If this helped him understand Chen better, he would try it.
“Irritation. Annoyance. Frustration,” Moon listed.
Chen’s chest jerked under his hand as if he’d laughed. “Those are all the same emotion. Dig deeper.”
“Happy. I am happy. And confused.” He paused and licked his lips, skirting away from something else.
A cool hand landed on top of Moon’s. Not holding it. Just lightly covering it, supporting him. “You don’t have to say it out loud, but you must at least admit it silently to yourself.”
“Anxiety,” Moon forced out. “Fear. Just a little. I…I’ve never done this. Never…been so close to someone.”
“Very good,” Chen whispered, his voice becoming almost hypnotic. The hand covering his lifted and the tips of Chen’s fingers ran up and down his fingers. “Imagine each of those emotions is a tree in a forest. Irritation, annoyance, anxiety, happiness, fear. They’re trees. See yourself walking past the trees. With each step, a tree falls behind you and the emotion slips from your mind. Tell me what is beyond the trees.”
What started as a laugh left Moon’s throat as a harsh gasp. The trees formed in his mind and in a flash, he stood in front of a vast, dark lake under a bright full moon. The water was so still it was like staring at black glass. Even the moon’s reflection was without a single ripple.
“A lake,” he choked out. As soon as the word left his lips, he saw a lotus blossom unfurl on the water. Its pink petals were lush and full. From the heart of the flower, a golden light rose and a rush of joy washed over Moon. But it wasn’t his. That happiness was outside of himself. This was Chen’s joy. It was so rich and deep; Moon was sure he could gather it up in his arms as if he were gathering up lotus blossoms.
He looked out across the lake and saw other blossoms, but they were smaller, their light dimmer. He picked out worry and fear, the same as his own. Yet, they didn’t compare to Chen’s joy.
Moon’s eyes popped open, and he grinned at Chen. “That’s amazing. I can feel you now. You’re happy. So fucking happy. You’re this calm lake and your emotions are flowers floating on the top of the water. Is that what I’m like to you?”
A loud bark of laughter jumped from Chen, and he tackled Moon onto the mattress. He braced his elbows on either side of Moon’s head, pressing their bodies together. “Your emotions are a flock of magpies chattering and flying about my head. I must capture each one to discern what it represents.”
Moon rolled his eyes, but he didn’t deny it. He might be calm and collected on the inside, but his emotions ran riot inside of his chest most of the time. “Okay, so how is it you’re a lake?”
One corner of Chen’s lips lifted. “I’m over two thousand years old, baobei. That is a lot of time to meditate and study. I’ve learned to recognize my emotions and gain control of them so they do not control me. If you wish, I can teach you some techniques.”
“Oh please, Chen, I—” Moon choked off what he was going to say when that perfect control cracked, and a flood of angry, possessive emotions rushed in.
“You do not call me that when we are alone like this,” Chen hissed. Those warm brown eyes shifted to blue and the air chilled. “We are not strangers. You are mine.”
While startled by the sudden shift, smug delight had Moon smiling up at the grumpy vampire. This was a wonderful new button that he couldn’t wait to push in the future.
“Is that right? What am I to call you, Mr. I’m in Complete Control of My Emotions?”
Chen’s eyes widened and the icy blue disappeared so fast, Moon cackled. Yes, Chen Bo Cheng, two-thousand-year-old vampire, was in control of his emotions, unless it came to the man he was bound to. Then all bets were off.
“Ah…I…” Chen drew away, the tips of his ears flushing red.
Moon wasn’t letting him go anywhere. He wrapped both his arms and legs around him, trapping them together. It was tempting to keep teasing him, but now that he was aware of Chen’s emotions, he was swamped with his lover’s discomfort and embarrassment. That couldn’t continue. “Help me. I know that the Chinese have a different etiquette for names, nicknames, and endearments. What should I call you that would make you happiest?”
