Work Text:
Lan Wangji is looking through some paperwork when the slamming of the door announces Wei Wuxian’s arrival.
“Lan Zhan, I’m home!” he also immediately calls out and Lan Wangji can’t help but to smile down at the paper in his hands.
Lan Wangji will never get over the fact that the jingshi is now their home. That Wei Wuxian is living with him, because he loves him, even though he also knows what Lan Wangji is.
“In here,” he calls back, uselessly really, since there aren’t that many places to hide in the jingshi and Wei Wuxian throws himself over Lan Wangji’s back the moment he’s close enough. Lan Wangji doesn’t budge with the force of it, like he would have done a few weeks back, because he knows Wei Wuxian accepts him for what he is.
In fact, it seems like Wei Wuxian is greatly enjoying the fact that Lan Wangji is so much stronger than him, because he has taken to throwing himself at Lan Wangji at all times of the day.
“What boring things are you doing today?” Wei Wuxian wants to know and Lan Wangji shows him the paper.
Wei Wuxian reads the first two sentences and then lets out a pained groan.
“But that is so boring!” he exclaims and Lan Wangji has to agree.
The paperwork is not Lan Wangji’s favourite part of being Chief Cultivator.
“What would you rather do?” Lan Wangji asks, and he grows concerned when Wei Wuxian goes serious in an instant.
“I actually have a question,” Wei Wuxian says as Lan Wangji turns towards him.
“Okay,” Lan Wangji agrees, but Wei Wuxian shakes his head.
“Not here,” he decides and grabs Lan Wangji’s hand to tug him up and away from his desk. “This is for boring work and I’d really much rather cuddle you while asking my question.”
It puts Lan Wangji on edge, hearing that, because Wei Wuxian knows Lan Wangji greatly enjoys cuddles. If Wei Wuxian thinks his question will upset Lan Wangji so much that he needs to counteract it with cuddles immediately, it must be serious.
Lan Wangji follows Wei Wuxian obediently to the bed, where he allows Wei Wuxian to manhandle him under the blanket, before Wei Wuxian presses himself into Lan Wangji’s side.
“Ask your question,” Lan Wangji says, when it becomes apparent that Wei Wuxian is seemingly content to simply cuddle him.
But Lan Wangji is curious now.
“Fine, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian pouts and then trails his finger over Lan Wangji’s shoulder. He would be following one of the many white lines that mar Lan Wangji’s back and that wrap over his shoulders if Lan Wangji wasn’t wearing clothes right now.
Lan Wangji knows the question about his scars would come up sooner or later, but really, he could have done without it at all.
“What happened?” Wei Wuxian asks lowly and Lan Wangji sighs.
“I got punished,” he easily says and Wei Wuxian frowns.
“But you have these on your other form as well. What could hurt you so much that both of your forms wear the mark of it?” Wei Wuxian goes on, and Lan Wangji slings his arm around Wei Wuxian’s middle.
“They are designed like this,” Lan Wangji explains. “The punishment you got when you were in the Cloud Recesses, that was the one for humans,” Lan Wangji goes on.
“There is one for your kind as well?”
“Yes. We heal fast and without scars, normally,” Lan Wangji tells him. “The punishment I received was tailored to our kind, and is only meted out to them. No human could withstand it.”
“So many hits,” Wei Wuxian whispers and Lan Wangji can see that he’s trying to mentally count the lines on Lan Wangji’s back.
He can spare him that.
“Thirty-three,” Lan Wangji says and Wei Wuxian flinches in his arms.
“So many,” Wei Wuxian whispers and then presses a kiss to Lan Wangji’s chin. “What horrible thing did you do to deserve a punishment so severe?” Wei Wuxian wants to know and Lan Wangji presses his lips together.
“You said you have one question,” Lan Wangji tells him eventually, because he doesn’t want to upset Wei Wuxian.
It’s probably better if he doesn’t say anything at all.
“Aw, Lan Zhan, don’t be like that. You can’t just start telling me and then not going through.”
“I can,” Lan Wangji tells him, but they both know that Lan Wangji will cave if Wei Wuxian really wants to know the truth.
And going by the glint in his eyes, he does want to know.
“Fine,” Lan Wangji says before Wei Wuxian can start pleading. “But I don’t want you to be upset.”
“Why would I be upset?” Wei Wuxian gives back, a puzzled look on his face, but Lan Wangji only sighs.
“I got them for defying my elders. One stroke for one elder,” Lan Wangji tells Wei Wuxian who nods, but the frown on his face doesn’t leave.
“Why would you, though? Defy your elders like this?”
Instead of answering, Lan Wangji turns onto the side, and pulls Wei Wuxian close again until he can rest their foreheads together, until Wei Wuxian is safe and sound in his arms and nothing bad can happen to him.
“For you,” Lan Wangji then confesses and Wei Wuxian goes stiff in his arms. “When I took you away from the battlefield into the cave, I fought thirty-three elders to protect you.”
“And you got a stroke for every one. For me,” Wei Wuxian whispers and Lan Wangji can tell that he is upset.
“Yes,” he still agrees. “And I don’t regret it.”
“Even though you couldn’t—,” Wei Wuxian trails off but Lan Wangji knows exactly what he wants to know.
“Even though I couldn’t protect you, yes. It was the right thing to do, and I would do it again, even knowing how it ends,” Lan Wangji promises him and presses a kiss to Wei Wuxian’s forehead.
“I would always protect you again.”
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says and his voice is all wobbly and Lan Wangji can see the tears form in his eyes.
“Don’t cry, my love,” he says and kisses the tears away. “I am all healed up.”
“You wear the marks of your love for me on both your forms,” Wei Wuxian says, and Lan Wangji has never looked at it like that, but he supposes Wei Wuxian is right.
“Yes,” he agrees and is met with a hungry kiss from Wei Wuxian.
“Show me in your other form,” he demands as he’s nibbling on Lan Wangji’s lips.
Wei Wuxian doesn’t have to ask twice, Lan Wangji almost immediately changes. He doesn’t let go of Wei Wuxian; they have done this enough times now, that Lan Wangji can change even while Wei Wuxian is hanging off him.
Wei Wuxian is still cradled close to him when he changes, cradled close to his centre, several tentacles wrapped securely around Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji is as touched by the devotion and love he can feel from Wei Wuxian as he had been the first time.
“Like shooting stars in the night sky,” Wei Wuxian mutters as he trails his fingers over one of the faint silver lines on Lan Wangji’s otherwise pitch black body. “You’re so beautiful.”
There had been a time where Lan Wangji had not believed that to be true, not that he had cared much, but the sheer awe in Wei Wuxian’s voice and his face, makes it hard for Lan Wangji to disbelieve his words.
Instead of changing back to his human form and tell Wei Wuxian how shameless he is, Lan Wangji rolls them over and buries Wei Wuxian in a mass of tentacles.
Wei Wuxian doesn’t seem to mind that much, with how he laughs, but Lan Wangji can still feel him trailing his fingers over the mess of scars on Lan Wangji’s body. Wei Wuxian has never paid this much attention to them, and Lan Wangji shivers with every touch.
Wei Wuxian seems to notice it too, because the touch becomes teasing and featherlight and Lan Wangji is startled to find that he apparently is ticklish in this form.
Wei Wuxian keeps it up, and Lan Wangji can’t help the sound of laughter that escapes him; filling the room and probably hurting Wei Wuxian in the process, because Lan Wangji’s sounds are not made for human ears.
“Ah, my Lan Zhan, your laugh is beautiful too,” Wei Wuxian tells him, effectively catching Lan Wangji off guard, again, and by now Lan Wangji should just accept that nothing he is or does, seems to be too much for Wei Wuxian.
Lan Wangji wants to give the sentiment back, wants Wei Wuxian to know just how much his laugh brightens up Lan Wangji’s day, but when Wei Wuxian snuggles into Lan Wangji with a soft sigh, he’s loath to change back.
Instead he pets Wei Wuxian, who is curled up on him like a cat, and they fall asleep like that; happy, in love, and together.