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A gentle breeze ruffled Wei Wuxian's hair as he lay in the grass, his head pillowed on his arms and his legs crossed, one foot tapping lazily to some unheard tune. Idly, he chewed a long blade of grass, watching the clouds go by. All around him, he could hear the gentle rustling of the many rabbits as they munched and hopped and sniffed around.
It was an idyllic, peaceful day. He had no responsibilities he needed to pay mind and no unfinished tasks to complete. There were no demands upon him whatsoever. It should have been a great feeling, and yet...
Wei Wuxian was bored senseless.
His Hanguang-Jun was teaching the juniors. As much as it once - and still even now, if he was honest - would have entertained him immensely to see the stiff-backed affront in Lan Wangji's eyes, he had no intention of interrupting a lesson purely for mischief. They had won acceptance from the Gusu Lan - begrudgingly from some, like Lan Qiren - and while Wei Wuxian had no doubt Lan Wangji would travel the world with him if needed, he was just as certain Lan Wangji wanted a home for them here in the Cloud Recesses.
Not even the infamous Yiling Lazou, who courted misfortune and flaunted taboo, could bring himself to jeopardise such a wish.
Thus, he suffered in silence. Mostly silent, anyway. At least half the time.
He occupied himself where possible, of course. He was thoroughly enjoying circumventing some of the Gusu Lan's most strict teachings where it came to Sizhui and the other disciples. In his opinion, a little flexibility in their cultivation could only benefit them. Not everyone could reach unattainable perfection through discipline like his Hanguang-Jun.
Wen Ning had also settled nearby, at least for now; it wasn't quite as independent as Wei Wuxian had wanted him to be, but at least Wen Ning hadn't stayed for him alone. The Ghost General had taken to going night hunting with the disciples and seemed to genuinely enjoy their company, especially that of Sizhui. The decision, at least, had been his, and that was a good start. Besides, it meant he could still see Wen Ning, and he hadn't realised how much a part of him didn't want to be separated until Wen Ning had taken those first steps away from him outside Yunping City. It had been bittersweet.
The days they spent fishing, wandering the mountains, or just simply spending time together felt familiar and soothing, no matter where they were. And if the disciples sometimes crashed their party to ask endless questions or bicker amongst themselves, free from the scrutiny of their teachers, well... the more the merrier, as it kept the boredom at bay.
He knew Caiyi Town almost as well as he knew Lotus Pier, by this point. Every road and alley was etched clearly into his mind. He knew which vendors would be agreeable to letting him sneak a little of their wares if he forgot to bring money with him, which happened fairly often. He knew where to find the spiciest food to combat the Gusu Lan's bland and ascetic diet.
Sometimes, like today, he chose to come and visit the many rabbits that had overtaken the Gusu Lan countryside. It was mind-boggling to imagine that all these little puffs of fluff had sprung almost entirely from the two he'd gifted to a stiff and repressed fellow cultivator all those years ago, despite his protests. It reminded him of simpler times, when such a gesture had seemed the height of hilarity and daring. And it calmed his mind, imagining the smooth-faced and unflappable Lan Wangji taking care of these little rabbits, unable to bring himself to curtail their breeding. It was honestly too cute.
He rolled onto his side, propping his head up on one hand to watch them. Gods, but there were a lot of them. They were all perfectly snowy white, with twitching pink noses and red eyes, so there wasn't even a way to tell them apart - not that he could imagine Lan Wangji individually naming so many rabbits. Idly, he wondered if the original pair - both male; he wasn't so irresponsible as to give Lan Wangji a breeding pair, though it clearly hadn't made much of a difference - had been given names, names that only his Hanguang-Jun had ever known, not unlike their song.
Frowning, Wei Wuxian found his attention caught by one particular bunny who hopped awkwardly behind some others, clearly uncomfortable with its back leg. He sat up, reaching over easily to grab it and lift it up to his face. No blood smeared the white fur, which was a good sign, but it kicked up an almighty fuss when he attempted to handle that leg, so he was convinced something was wrong. A quick squeeze before the rabbit managed to pull its leg away made him think the limb wasn't broken, but he didn't know what else could be wrong with it. The little thing didn't trust him enough... but perhaps it would let its master examine it.
Wei Wuxian stood up, tucking the rabbit into his sleeve and trapping it awkwardly, but gently against his chest. He slid his other hand inside as well to pet it comfortingly and try to prevent it from panicking at the unusual hold. It made him glad he was wearing the Gusu Lan's white robes today, as it helped hide the small lump. If he looked like he was holding an invisible baby, that was fine. Everyone here, whether they were amused or offended, had little expectation of him to uphold the Lan virtue of poise, so no one was likely to stop or question him.
He cast a glance up at the sky as he hurried back to the jingshi. It was barely past noon, so Lan Wangji would definitely still be teaching and Wei Wuxian was very sure that "injured rabbit" did not constitute an emergency of high enough importance to interrupt the lesson, so back to the Jingshi it went. He would never find it again in amongst what could possibly be hundreds of other, identical rabbits if he left it behind and brought Lan Wangji back later.
That was how he was still reasoning his actions when he slipped into the Jingshi, rabbit still cradled gently in his arm, knowing full well he was violating a Lan rule. Pets were prohibited in the Cloud Recesses, along with everything else that could be considered fun... or so it felt, at times. Lan Wangji had only gotten away with it because they were technically wild animals that he just happened to feed and had never lived indoors, so Lan Qiren hadn't forced him to get rid of them. Whether that was due to indulgence or inability to enforce the rules, Wei Wuxian had no idea.
For lack of a better place to set it down, Wei Wuxian put the rabbit on their bed. It sat still, sniffing furiously at Lan Wangji's side of the bed. He chose to leave it there and not think too deeply on what scents might be left behind, settling down at their table and brewing some tea. It was too early to drink liquor, especially when he had a small, fluffy guest to watch. He sat and waited for the tea to cool enough to drink, glancing over at the rabbit every now and then to make sure it hadn't hopped away.
One such glance had him frowning yet again at the rabbit, tea forgotten halfway to his lips. The thing was hopping around their bed, exploring its new environment... and it looked fine. Both back legs moved as normal, no hint of pain. Wei Wuxian knew there was no way he grabbed the wrong one. He hadn't taken his eye off it since he saw the limp and it hadn't let him touch that leg.
He downed the rest of his tea in one gulp and stood up, approaching the bed. Before he reached it, he'd realised what had happened and couldn't help but laugh ruefully. On the white sheet was a burr. He picked up the offending piece of foliage, noted the few strands of wispy white fur stuck to it, and sighed. He'd smuggled a rabbit into Cloud Recesses for a burr that would have - and did - come off all on its own. The little rabbit had only been irritated, not in pain.
He sat down on the bed, scooping the rabbit back into his hands as he swung his legs up, holding it at eye level once again.
"All this fuss for nothing!" he told it accusingly. "I ought to cook you for the trouble I went through."
A completely empty threat, of course. He'd never have the heart to eat one of Hanguang-Jun's rabbits. It seemed to realise as much, for it was quiet and still in his hands, curiously twitching its nose at him. Unable to help it, the corner of his lips kicked up in a half-smile and he scratched the rabbit behind its ears. It relaxed even further, its eyes half-closing, and Wei Wuxian decided it could stay for a little while to keep him company before he took it back home.
He scooted further down the bed to rest against the pillow, setting the rabbit down on his chest as he petted it gently. It was a soft, fluffy ball of warmth against him that occasionally poked him gently with a curious nose. It was a surprisingly comfortable feeling and Wei Wuxian didn't even notice when his eyes gradually closed and he drifted off to sleep, the rabbit placid under his hand even as it stilled.
~*~
"Wei Ying."
The familiar voice disturbed his sleep. Though he knew he wasn't displeased to hear that voice, he was really comfortable and didn't want to wake up. Groaning slightly, he tried to sink deeper into a dream of a giant bowl of lotus root and rib soup.
"Wei Ying."
The voice was more insistent this time, accompanied by a tug on his hair. Disgruntled, he opened one eye, able to tell, despite his blurry vision, that Lan Wangji stood over him. He managed a grunt that his Hanguang-Jun obviously took as a query.
"Notes."
Confused, Wei Wuxian opened the other eye, but still couldn't bring Lan Wangji into focus. He must've been under deep to feel this disoriented. Maybe he should nap cuddling with rabbits more often...
The rabbit! He realised abruptly his chest was only as warm as the rest of him, no longer heated by the little ball of fluff. He blinked furiously to clear his eyes, prepared to sit up, when he noticed his little friend was nestled contently in the crook of Lan Wangji's arm. He felt a rush of relief; at least he wasn't going to have to turn the jingshi upside down looking for the little thing.
His gaze tracked up to Lan Wangji's face, opening his mouth to say something, when he suddenly noticed the slight knitting of the taller man's eyebrows. He fought to stop one of his own arching as he rapidly thought about what might have ticked him off. It couldn't be the rabbit, could it? It was against the Gusu Lan's rules...
"Lan Zhan, I thought he was injured," he said, pulling out a pout and aiming to sound wounded by the accusation. "I only -"
"Not the rabbit," Lan Wangji interrupted. "Night hunt notes."
Wei Wuxian was confused for a fraction of a second until Lan Wangji's other hand came up, holding a small stack of papers. Each one had been chewed, some worse than others, but all were damaged. He had a pretty good idea who the culprit was, his eyes slashing to the rabbit sitting pure and innocent as fresh snow in Lan Wangji's arms. He scowled at it briefly before turning on the charm.
"Lan Zhan... Lan Zhan, you can't think I chewed these, could you? I think you already have the guilty party apprehended."
"Your fault for bringing it here," Lan Wangji stated, unmoved. "You will explain to the juniors why they will have to rewrite their notes."
Wei Wuxian bit his lower lip, thinking fast. He really didn't want to be the target of their snits when they learned. Only Lan Sizhui could be counted on not to take it out on him. "I'm sure I can come up with something," he murmured, unaware he'd spoken out loud until his hair was pulled once more with just enough force to tug his head to one side.
"False words are prohibited."
He sunk back into the pillow and the pout was entirely real this time. "Fine, fine, I'll tell them! You are too cruel, Hanguang-Jun."
Lan Wangji said nothing, but Wei Wuxian didn't care, as he'd suddenly realised something. Reaching up a hand, he could just reach the tips of the long, silky hair that hung over Lan Wangji's shoulder. Curling it around his fingertips, he tugged gently, and Lan Wangji obediently bent towards him.
"Say, Lan Zhan... if there are no notes, you don't have to work, right? You could put your free time to good use."
If the suggestive lilt to his voice could possibly have been missed, the fingers tugging at the sash around Lan Wangji's waist all but shouted his intentions. Wei Wuxian heard the gentle thud as the rabbit was allowed to jump to the ground mere seconds before Lan Wangji joined him on the bed, long body covering his completely as their mouths met in a tangle of lips and tongues that whipped arousal through them both.
Left to its own devices once more, the rabbit made its way through several more documents and even some of the clothing that slithered off the bed to the floor by the time their passions were spent.