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Wei Wuxian has been trained to be quiet, to blend in, to disappear. He treats it like a game, it makes the hours waiting on roof tops and in shadows pass a little faster. When the game gets boring he reminds himself that he will die if he moves, or Madam Yu will punish him, that’s usually enough to keep him still a while longer.
The Gasu Lan Sect is easy to break into, easy to bypass the patrols, easy to sneak into the inner sanctums without alerting anyone. Because the Gasu Lan Sect is strict and repetitive, and their rules make them predictable.
What isn’t predictable is Lan Wangji waking up when Wei Wuxian’s knife is so close to his throat that the blade nicks his fine skin as he pushes Wei Wuxian away.
“Ah,” Wei Wuxian thinks on his feet, “Lan Zhan, I need to tell you something important!” He moves two strides closer in a hurry but the other man draws back. Wei Wuxian throws away that plan and tries another. “Alright, you caught me,” he laughs embarrassed then he moves a little closer in a more casual way and the other man doesn’t move away.
Lan Wangji isn’t calling for help, isn’t saying anything, and Wei Wuxian knows it must be only a matter of time. Casually, carefully he starts to shorten the distance between them.
“I had heard that Lan Zhan’s a progeny but I never expected he’d wake so easily! Impressive, impressive.” Wei Wuxian steps to the left, breaks eye contact, keeps the small dagger in plain sight, deescalating his threat level one move at a time. Still the other man does not speak, which makes it hard to lull him into a sense of ease, but Wei Wuxian is nothing if not tenacious. “I thought, if I can sneak up on Lan Wangji then I can truly be considered part of the cultivation world,” Wei Wuxian sees Lan Wangji flinch when he moves closer in a quick step but he doesn’t move, doesn’t back away, staring at him like he’s surprised and not entirely happy.
It’s possible Lan Wangji’s threat level has been overestimated by Madam Yu but Wei Wuxian isn’t one to question his orders when trying to elevate the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. He will kill whoever he is required to kill. Even if he thinks the man doesn’t have a survival instinct in his body.
“But you woke up!” Wei Wuxian affects his happy surprise at the turn of events, “Good job.” He’s close enough to make the strike, and without hesitation he attacks. He’s blocked, but he flows with the momentum. Strike after strike, block after block, and he reassesses his dance partner as the move across the space countering and parrying.
The dagger is flung aside and Wei Wuxian has to draw Suibian for his next attack. The fight is hard, the fight is exhilarating. Wei Wuxian forgets that he’s supposed to be quite in the thrill of the fight. Jiang Cheng never fights this well and Wei Wuxian often has to let him win to keep tensions between them at a minimum. But Lan Wangji fights with skill and precision, no wasted movement, no distraction and Wei Wuxian knows he’s fighting an equal for the first time in so very long.
They make it outside, flowers around their feet, and someone interrupts them. The glares of their swords have awoken the patrols, but instead of letting the man get close to Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji redirects his sword glare at the intruder, sending them flying backwards and away from their fight.
“Keeping me to yourself?” Wei Wuxian grins, “Why Lan Zhan, I’m flattered.” But time is up, he releases because where there is one sentry there are others, and the fun of it is washed out by the need to finish the job and escape. He certainty can’t leave until it’s done, he’s never failed an assignment and he won’t now.
He’s poised on the cusp of doing something reckless when the xiao music starts, and his intentions fall apart because he’s stayed too long. Intentions or not, success rate or not, against a concentrated attack from the Lan’s famous musicians Wei Wuxian knows he doesn’t stand a chance.
He goes to escape, and Lan Wangji blocks him. He tries another direction and the same happens again.
“I thought we were friends, Lan Zhan. I’ll be disappointed if you don’t let me leave,” Wei Wuxian wheedles to no avail. The Twin Jade bars the way with his arms held out, his sword unsheathed and extended in one hand, his scabbard in the other. Wei Wuxian feels himself get tired as the music weaves through him. His knee meets the ground and he bites into his cheek to stay awake, but the moment he’s not moving Lan Wangji pulls out his guqin and joins the melody. After that Wei Wuxian succumbs.
It will be bad, to be caught, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. His limbs are heavy, his body uncooperative, and against the Twin Jades combined efforts he can only wait for another opportunity.
He wonders, as his sword is taken from him and someone pulls him off the ground roughly, what they’ll do with him. But then the person pulling him up is pushed away and Wei Wuxian is tugged behind Lan Wangji’s body, his arm outstretched between Wei Wuxian and the rest of the Gusu Lan Sect’s disciples. “He is mine, no-one harms him.” Lan Wangji says clearly, plainly.
Wei Wuxian feels his world tip at the familiarity of the words. His plans for escape tumbling away, for filling the mission becomes impossible, improbably, he will not. He will not do it. How could he?
“I won’t tell you anything,” he warns shaken to his core, “I don’t belong to you.” He will not betray his family. Not for life, not for death, not for his soul.
Lan Wangji turns to face him looking solemn, closed off. He looks nothing like the animated cultivator Wei Wuxian had been fighting just before. “That is fine,” he says plainly, “but this-“ he, holds Wei Wuxian’s wrist, “means you’re mine, and I am yours.” Wei Wuxian does not think to pull away as Lan Wangji unravels his wrist guard to show the perfect script of his own words etched into the skin, then with just as much care he pulls his sleeve back to reveal Wei Wuxian’s messy scrawl on his own arm. It is irrefutable and with so few words Lan Wangji has upturned his entire world. “For everything else,” Lan Wangji says, “there is time.”
Then with more care than he deserves Wei Wuxian is led away. His soulmates eyes follow him until they are out of sight, and Wei Wuxian does not know what will happen tomorrow, but he does know his life has changed and will never be the same again.