Chapter Text
"Lan Zhan!"
Wei Wuxian grabbed his husband's hand before turning to him. "I still can't believe you got rid of that ghost so easily!"
They were walking side by side in one of Guangling's biggest and densest forests. The air was fresh and humid just like any other autumn day, and dark leaves were softly crunching underneath each one of their steps. It had been an intensive fight, and the quietness of their surroundings was more than welcome.
A couple of weeks ago, Lan Xichen had received a concerning message from a small village reporting night attacks. As soon as the sun was down, the villagers were hearing rumbles from deep inside the forest, so low they could feel the ground shake. At first, they thought it was a simple earthquake, but every morning their crops were destroyed and their kitchen ravaged, no matter how careful they were to protect everything before going to sleep.
Lan Xichen sent his brother and his husband to the village at soon as they were back from a night hunt with the juniors. It took several days for the couple to reach their destination. Their search only took several more days, and they quickly figured out what had happened.
Deep within the forest, they found a ghost, an e gui, whose insatiable hunger was waking it up every night to scavenge for any food it could find in and around the village. Its grey almost translucent skin was making it almost impossible to spot during the night, but Wei Wuxian noticed a trail made of leftover food and waste.
Their hunt finished directly into the ghost's nest.
"I bet it didn't even know what was happening! That went just so fast!"
"Mh," Lan Wangji said, tightening their hands. "Wei Ying helped."
He scoffed. "Barely. I already know you are good, but each time you impress me more!"
Lan Wangji's ears turned slightly pink at the praise. Wei Wuxian couldn't get enough of this shade.
They were now making their way towards the village before they could go back to the Cloud Recesses for a well-deserved rest.
Wei Wuxian continued:
"The villagers won't ever believe us when we'll tell them the e gui is already gone! They'll think we are lying!"
"Lying is forbidden."
A clear laugh erupted from Wei Wuxian. "But they don't know that! They didn't have to copy the Gusu Lan Sect's rules hundreds of times. Certainly not under the close surveillance of the most handsome of the Lan disciples."
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji reprimanded, but once again his ears were already pink.
Wei Wuxian's face became thoughtful. "Now that I think about it…" He turned towards his husband, considering him from head to toe, his index scratching the side of his nose. "You're too clean and proper. They'll never believe you just fought a threatening ghost."
Lan Wangji stopped walking to face Wei Wuxian, serious as ever. "What does Wei Ying propose?"
A mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Well…"
Before he could do anything, Wei Wuxian pulled Lan Wangji by the collar of his robe, catching his face between his hands, and kissed him fervently. Despite the surprise, Lan Wangji didn't take long to kiss him back, grabbing his waist and holding his husband close against him. Wei Wuxian deepened the kiss and used this distraction to slide his fingers into Lan Wangji's soft hair, disheveling his perfect hairstyle. A low moan escaped his lips when Lan Wangji moved on to his neck, kissing and biting the tender skin, and decided it was time to stop this before he was the one looking improper.
Wei Wuxian pushed himself back from his husband and examined his masterpiece. Lan Wangji's hair looked like a bird's nest, strands going in every direction. His lips were red and swollen, and Wei Wuxian had to restrain himself to kiss them again.
"You look perfect now," he said with a sly smile. He raised his head and kissed the top of Lan Wangji's nose, lovingly. "That should be enough. Unless you want something more… intricate. I'm sure we can find a spot in the woods."
Lan Wangji's only answer was a quiet Shameless, but he took Wei Wuxian's hand and kissed his knuckles, his eyes never leaving the other's, almost eager.
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian felt a raindrop fell on his face. He looked up and through the thick branches, he could see the sky getting menacingly grey.
Lan Wangji followed his movement, but as soon as his own eyes laid on the sky, he dropped Wei Wuxian's hand.
Surprised, Wei Wuxian grabbed his arm instead. "Lan Zhan?"
His husband kept scanning the sky, a furrow between his eyebrows, as if he was looking for something.
More raindrops fell, and Wei Wuxian gripped his husband's arm harder, trying to bring him back from wherever his mind went.
"Lan Zhan, what's wrong?" he asked, worried.
"Maybe…" Lan Wangji finally said in an uncharacteristic small voice. "Maybe we should rest for the night."
Wei Wuxian shot his eyebrows in surprise. "Rest? It's barely the middle of the day. We can still walk to the village for a moment."
Lan Wangji seemed more tense than usual. "It'd be safer."
Trying to lighten the sudden heavy atmosphere around them, Wei Wuxian let out a playful laugh. "The big Hanguang-Jun is not afraid of a little rain, aren't you?" he teased. "Don't worry Lan Er-Gege, I'll lend you my robe to protect you!"
Lan Wangji stayed silent, eyes still roaming the sky. Wei Wuxian could feel his distress and instantly regretted his words.
"Lan Zhan," he said, rubbing his hand again his husband's arm. "I was joking. We can rest." He looked up once again. "You're probably right anyway, it seems like it's going to be a bad storm."
At his words, Lan Wangji felt even tenser.
"I don't think there's an inn nearby, though," Wei Wuxian continued. "We'll have to find something in the forest."
Lan Wangji only nodded, grabbed Wei Wuxian's hand, and hastily hurried them through the trees.
As Wei Wuxian followed along, he wondered what had made Lan Wangji's behaviour so odd.