Chapter Text
It turned out that Wei Ying was righter than Lan Zhan had thought. With the preparations underway for the clans to come there was little time for anything else. Lan Zhan was sad that he didn’t get to reply to the torrent of words, or really read them, but it was a comfort to know Wei Ying wouldn’t stop writing.
The day of arrival came and Lan Zhan, for probably the first time ever, was mad at his brother. How dare he send him out last minute when he knew how much Lan Zhan was looking forward to today. He flew faster then he was really allowed by Lan rule, but he was too captivated by the words on his arm to really care. The usually almost unreadable text was made perfectly illegible by whatever Wei Ying was currently doing. Walking or on his sword no doubt. The writing had lulled, and Lan Zhan wondered if Wei Ying had reached the gate yet.
He landed around the curve of the path and walked around both excited and nervous when he heard voices. When he appeared, they stopped, everyone, turning to look at him. His face was passive as always, but his heart was rabbiting in his chest.
“Hanguan-Jun,” the guard greeted. “This man does not have an invitation.”
Jiang Cheng stepped forward, exuding the full power of sect heir. “He is my brother and we are not leaving him out here.”
“No invitation, no entry,” the guard said.
Wei Ying hadn’t looked up once during the interaction. He was scribbling away on his arm and Lan Zhan could feel the tingling, itching to find out what was being said. He didn’t look away from Wei Ying, only doing so when the silence stretched. He glanced at the guard who had a curious and expectant look on his face.
‘He’s fine’ was what he meant to say but “He’s mine” came out instead. The guard blink surprised, and Wei Ying’s head whipped up. He stared at Lan Zhan, who gave himself a moment of embarrassment before he realized that it was the truth. Wei Ying was his and even if it cost him his soul, he would make sure nothing happened to him.
Wei Ying marched over, a splutter of indignation and warning coming from Jiang Cheng. He stopped in front of Lan Zhan staring at him for several seconds before grabbing his hand and pulling the sleeve back. Looking down, Lan Zhan saw that there was no way he could have read anything Wei Ying had written. His arm was almost black with text. Wei Ying looked back up at him.
“LAN ZHAN! I can’t believe you’re here! Why didn’t you tell me! How dare you not tell me. Why didn’t you tell me!”
Perfect.
Wei Ying’s smile was warm and split his face. His gestures appropriately large and his voice was all that Lan Zhan had expected it to be. Only better. He decided that Wei Ying could talk forever, and he would never get tired of it.
Wei Ying surged forward and flung his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck. Jiang Cheng let out another splutter of warning, but it went ignored. Wei Ying buried his nose in Lan Zhan’s neck and breathed, causing a shiver of pleasure down Lan Zhan’s back. A chuckle followed and Lan Zhan wrapped his arms around Wei Ying in turn. He was warm, the heat curling comfortably around him. All the fire Wei Ying contained leaked into Lan Zhan and he craved more. Wanted to run his hands through Wei Ying’s hair and down his back. Wanted to know that Wei Ying felt him and much as he did.
Lan Zhan almost gave into the impulse to kiss him, but his Lan trained mind wouldn’t allow anything that public yet. The whole group had gone silent. Jiang Cheng seemed in shock while Yan Li just smiled softly. Lan Xichen chose that moment to come down the stairs, taking everything in with a glance, his polite smile in place.
“Welcome to the Cloud Recesses. It seems there’s a problem?”
He glanced at the guards who looked lost but shook their heads. “A misunderstanding?” It was so obviously a question that everyone turned to look at the couple.
Lan Zhan bowed to his brother and saw the brief shift in his smile. Lan Xichen nodded back, and the air seemed to clear as if nothing strange was happening at all. The Jiang’s made their way into the Recesses and Jiang Cheng turned briefly towards his brother before Yan Li dragged him away.
When Lan Zhan and Wei Ying were the only ones left the guards pretended they didn’t exist as Lan Zhan led Wei Ying towards his room. Wei Ying was oddly silent, but Lan Zhan could feel the energy ready to burst from him, a steady thrum under the skin. The Recesses were bustling with people and the sun was warm as spring began to make its way.
The more defined roads began to change to smaller gravel paths before becoming nothing more than a simple foot trail. The chant started quietly at first but built as they got farther from the crowds. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!”
With a final exclamation, Wei Ying flung himself into Lan Zhan’s arms again, almost knocking him over. His head once again buried into Lan Zhan’s throat. Lan Zhan allowed himself a few moments to return the gesture, taking immense pleasure in the shiver Wei Ying made. There were a few moments of mutual nuzzling before Wei Ying drew back. His eyes sparkled and that face splitting smile was back.
“Always when I least expect it. You need to warm me when you made declarations like that Lan Zhan, I almost fainted from the shock.”
“More fun that way.” He looked into Wei Ying’s eyes and whatever expression he had made Wei Ying’s breath catch and eyes go dark.
“If you look at me like that Lan Zhan, I’ll have to do something.” Lan Zhan didn’t move. A smile twitched up the corners of Wei Ying’s mouth as he leaned closer, their breaths mingling with the scent of spring. Their noses brushed, and for several seconds neither moved. A spark in Wei Ying’s eyes brought Lan Zhan’s lips to his. It was the best thing Lan Zhan had ever experienced.
Wei Ying was soft and warm. Steadfast and pliant. Stubborn and unpredictable. All the things that Lan Zhan had come to love about him, all the things that drove him mad, all the things that he had yet to know.
Perfect.
The kiss broke and Wei Ying rested his forehead against Lan Zhan’s, a soft chuckle floating between them.
“I hope we do that every day,” he said.
Lan Zhan hummed in agreement. His lips tingled and he could still feel Wei Ying pressed against them. He licked them; the taste of Wei Ying’s fire so teasingly sweet. There was a curious expression on Wei Ying’s face and Lan Zhan waited for him to speak.
“You’re much more handsome than I thought you’d be,” Wei Ying said, running his fingers through some of the hair that slipped over his shoulder.
Instead of replying Lan Zhan just rubbed their noses together. “Are you a rabbit?” Wei Ying laughed.
Perfect.
Lan Zhan drew away and the blooming feeling swelled at the pout that Wei Ying gave him. “No inappropriate behaviour outside.”
“You’re the one that started it! You can’t claim someone like that and not expect to do something about it!” There was a second before the meaning sunk in. His smirk was undermined by the blush that spread over his cheeks.
Lan Zhan tugged him towards the house. The fire was hotter almost radiating off Wei Ying and Lan Zhan was more than happy to do something about it. Wei Ying looked around the room curiously. He poked around things and set the string of his instrument into a cacophony of sound. He didn’t touch it again.
“So you,” he said finally, arms folded in a way that suggested everything he was going to say was irrefutable. Lan Zhan had no doubt it was. “I would have been able to guess it was yours right away. Nothing that has to do with you can escape me. “
“Good to know.”
Lan Zhan moved closer, Wei Ying’s expression once again darkening. He licked his lips and Lan Zhan followed the motion. A shy expression came over Wei Ying’s face and Lan Zhan watched fascinated as he glanced to the floor then back up at him through his lashes.
The coy smile that followed sent another shiver down Lan Zhan’s spine. Wei Ying was nothing but trouble. “I didn’t know you would be so easy Lan Zhan.”
“Only you Wei Ying.”
The smile that followed had Lan Zhan vowing no one would see it. Ever. Wei Ying was his. They met in the middle again, lips hot against the others. All the fire that Lan Zhan wanted surged to the surface, scalding him perfectly. Wei Ying teased him, drove him on in between plundering his mouth and biting along his neck.
Perfect.
Wei Ying was the one to lead them to bed, lying down and pulling Lan Zhan on top of him. “Show me everything,” he whispered into the shell of Lan Zhan’s ear. Lan Zhan took a moment to look at Wei Ying. His face was flushed, lips swollen, and kiss marks shone brightly against his skin.
Perfect.
Lan Zhan leaned close giving Wei Ying a soft peck earning him a groan and a whine. Wei Ying looked beautiful like this. His. Marked. All the words they had exchanged, everything they had promised was nothing compared to this. Wei Ying here, under him, wanting him, knowing him better than any living soul. Closing his eyes, Lan Zhan leaned their foreheads together again.
“Lan Zhan?”
The soft question almost made Lan Zhan cry. There wasn’t anything like it in the Could Recesses. Only rules. His Uncle and brother loved him, he knew they did, but they never showed him affection like Wei Ying did. Openly. Freely. The affection Lan Zhan craved he found in Wei Ying and he was never letting go of it.
“Love you, Wei Ying.” He’d surprised him again if the slack-jawed bewilderment was anything to go by.
Wei Ying groaned and pulled Lan Zhan into another kiss, heated with all the fire he possessed searing his affection permanently into Lan Zhan. “You need to stop doing that before I explode.”
A smiled tugged at Lan Zhan’s lips and Wei Ying whined, high and needy. “You're doing it again! Please, Lan Zhan!”
Perfect.
Deciding to oblige him, Lan Zhan leaned down and kissed Wei Ying hard. He didn’t even need to ask for entrance before his tongue found its way into Wei Ying’s mouth. It was hot and Wei Ying groaned, running his hands up into Lan Zhan’s hair. His fingers caught on the headband and he broke the kiss to look at it.
A possessive surge had Lan Zhan pulling away, untying the band and wrapping it around Wei Ying’s wrists, admiring them while Wei Ying looked at it confused.
“Lan Zhan?”
“After.”
“But…”
Another kiss had Wei Ying silent again and this time Lan Zhan didn’t stop.
What does it mean?” Lan Zhan turned from his desk to regard Wei Ying sprawled on the bed, his ribbon tangled in his fingers.
A curl of possessive satisfaction swirled in his chest at the sight. “Marriage.”
There was a pause. “What?” Wei Ying sat up, expression one of confused excitement. “Really?”
“Lan Zhan dipped his head and Wei Ying looked back at the ribbon expression morphing into wonderment. “Marriage.”
Lan Zhan watched as Wei Ying flattened it on the bed and stared at it. He now looked serious.
“Wei Ying?” Wei Ying’s own ribbon was on the floor with the rest of his clothes and he got up to retrieve it returning to the bed with it and a knife.
Lan Zhan watched curiously as Wei Ying cut his own ribbon before doing the same to Lan Zhan’s. Surprised, he watched as Wei Ying tied the two shorter coloured ribbons together.
“There,” he said. “Now we match.” He held out Lan Zhan’s new ribbon, a combination of both colours. Lan Zhan took it and tied it in place letting each colour fall over his shoulders.
Wei Ying sighed in appreciation, coming over and taking one end in each hand. “Now everyone knows that you belong to me.”
The bloom that had begun so long ago unfurled fully as Wei Ying smiled down at him. He was now his forever and he had the evidence to prove it. Lan Zhan pulled Wei Ying in, resting his forehead against his stomach.
“Love you, Wei Ying.”
Lan Zhan felt the rumble of Wei Ying’s laughter as he shook with it. “Love you too, Lan Zhan.”