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Lan Zhan Gods voice calls out and his angel instantly answers as God knew he would.
Yes, God? Lan Wangji replies without any hesitation.
What do you think of Lucifers words, of his preaching? God queries and Lan Wangji detects a note of disappointment in Gods voice. He understands. He is also disappointed in his fellow angel.
He should be punished. No one should compare themselves to your holiness. Lan Wangji replies. God smiles at his angel. So perfect and good. The best at upholding the rules.
What should the punishment be? God asks next of Lan Wangji. Of course God already knows what the angel will answer but all the same the creator of everything would like to hear the angel speak.
I dare not make any suggestion. Only God knows of a suitable punishment. Lan Wangji replies resolutely.
Hmmm I see. And what of you my child? God asks voice full of sadness. Having to lose Lan Wangji and Lucifer is far too great a pain to bear but it had to be done.
Lan Wangji startles I do not understand.
Oh sweet child lying is a sin God's voice chides him fondly further confusing Lan Wangji.
God, please I do not understand. Lan Wangji calls out voice panicked.
Lan Wangji, Lan Zhan, my angel of light you along with Lucifer and the rest of his followers are to be cast out.
I...why? What have I done to offend his holiness?
You do not know?
Wangji shakes his head and God can feel the truth in the air surrounding them. He lets out a tired sigh.
A-Zhan you love someone more than me.
What? Lan Wangji gasps
I know of your growing affection for Wei Wuxian. God says as a way of explaining and watches with a heavy heart as Lan Wangji kneels before him.
You have nothing to fear! I am only loyal to you! Wangji begs
So should I cast out the one who tempts your very soul?
Lan Wangjis eyes widen in fear. Words he was ready to say to argue for his right to stay leaving him completely.
A-Zhan, I know your heart and your soul. As much love for me as you have the Angel Wei Wuxian still holds a much larger place in your heart.
Lan Wangji is silent. He thought he’d buried these feelings down enough. He thought he could fool his heart into believing that he was only fond of Wei Wuxian. He should have known better. Should have known God would find out. His shoulders sag and the tears he'd been holding back finally falls as he gazes at God.
For being one of my most loyal angels I shall grant you mercy. God says smiling sadly at Wangji. You will forget. The time you spent with Wei Wuxian will be erased from both your memories. It is all I can do for you, my child.
Tears fall down Lan Wangjis face as he let's God's warmth envelop him one last time. His last thoughts are for Wei Yings happines .
The fall hurts and happens all too fast. He isn’t really sure why he has fallen. Part of him feels like he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time but when he tries to fight his case God does not listen.
He accepts his fate after he realizes God will no longer answer to his calls. Being a demon really isn't all that bad. He is still given rules to follow and tasks to do. It's really not so much different from what he used to do in Heaven. The main difference is Hell is ugly and so are the other demons. He doesn’t get along with any of them. And none of them find it in themselves to approach him. It suits Wangji just fine. Maybe if he keeps his distance from them all God will be more willing to hear his calls. He just wants to know what he did wrong.
What could he have done to offend God so much? It's a question that he asks himself day after miserable day. He makes the most of his situation though. Through his work ethic he is able to place himself higher than all the other demons. He’s not the devil's right hand man but he is trusted to teach all new demons and left to his own devices when there is no work to be done.
Lan Wangji is overseeing a demon training class on how to manipulate emotions when he is summoned by the lord of flies, Beelzebub. He leaves the class in the hands of a lower ranking demon and follows the servant sent to fetch him. He must be getting a new assignment. It's the only reason Beelzebub would ever call him.
He reaches the demon's makeshift office and tries his best not to scrunch his nose at the awful stench. He knows they are all demons but must they live this way? Surely, there is nothing wrong with being clean?
He internally sighs, resigned to this awful fate he walks into the office and is confronted by the obnoxious sound of flies buzzing about. He hopes the meeting is quick.
To Lan Wangjis absolute relief the meeting is short and to the point. He is to travel to earth with a select few demons as hells representatives. They are tasked to create as much havoc as possible and promote sin. A job Lan Wangji is all too eager to accept. Any job that allows him freedom from hell and the other demons is one Lan Wangji will not reject.
He sets off to earth with his first task being to corrupt God's current obsession. The humans. Lan Wangji is a bit hesitant but knows this first task is what will determine if he can be trusted on earth or if he will have to remain in hell. And after breathing fresh air for the first time in who knows how long, he is not eager to return to the dingy basement that is hell.
Lan Wangji is successful in his infiltration of the garden of Eden and easily disguises himself as a snake to observe the humans. After a few weeks of observation he comes up with a plan that will surely secure his post on earth. He will trick one of the humans into eating the fruit from the only tree God has made clear he does not want them anywhere near. It's simple really and with humans being allowed free will Lan Wangji figures it will be an easy task.
“So God doesn’t want us to eat from this tree because we will then possess knowledge?” Eve asks, holding a ripe apple in her hand.
Lan Wangji nods his snake head “yes”
“Well that's silly, what's so bad about having knowledge?” Eve asks.
“Power” Lan Wangji hisses and watches as Eve stares at the apple. She looks back to the snake then again at the apple and bites. She licks her lips and looks around herself confused.
“I don’t feel powerful,” she says looking at the apple curiously.
“It takes time.” Wangji hisses
Eve sighs “I should probably have Adam try it to.”
Wangji nods in agreement and watches as Eve gets up to look for Adam. He slithers close by and out of the way to make sure Adam also takes a bite of the apple.
He knows his work is done when he hears God's outraged voice boom through the forest.
Lan Wangji is quick to slither away and hide. Should God see him corrupting his precious humans ...he shivers at the thought. In his haste to get away and stay out of sight he slithers right into something solid.
He looks up confused and his eyes widen at the object he's bumped into. No. Not an object but a person. A distressed person with beautiful large white wings. Wangji stares only a second longer at the beautiful angel who is so worried that they haven’t even noticed Wangji by their feet. His heart races as he soaks up all the light the angel has and then he shakes himself mentally.
He needs to hide. He cannot under any circumstance be found. He dreads to think of the paperwork that would surely be waiting for him if he would be forced to return to hell. Once hes at a safe distance away the demon switches into his human form and watches as Even and Adam hang their head in shame.
Their punishment is being cast out of the garden of Eden and part of Lan Wangji hurts for them. The life outside of these garden walls will be arduous. He only hopes God will have some mercy on them. He watches solemnly as Adam and Eve make their way through the garden hand in hand and thinks to himself that at the very least they will both have each other.
And then to his amazement a white figure flashes before them. It is the angel he had seen earlier. Lan Wangjis eyes widen in surprise but watches silently as the distressed angel offers the couple his sword. The humans hesitate but the angel pleads with them and offers them a warm smile.
Lan Wangji feels his chest stutter. He does not know this angel. He is not even on the receiving end of that smile but he would gladly trust the angel with his life. The humans seem to agree with Lan Wangjis' judgement because they take the offered sword and then follow the angel as he leads them out the garden.
Lan Wangji watches them leave silently completely mesmerized. He should hide. He should hide and report back to hell that he has accomplished the task he was sent to do. But his legs will not move. There is just something within him that will not allow him to leave the place he stands.
And then the Angels gaze lands on him and Lan Wangji cannot look away from their beautiful silver eyes. What is actually happening to him? Angels and demons are not supposed to feel attraction...and yet...is he attracted to this angel? Or is he just surprised to see an angel after spending so much time in hell?
He’s so confused by all the emotions he feels he fails to notice the angel making his way over to him.
“Hello there demon” the angel's voice greets Lan Wangji who is startled out of his thoughts. The angel is absolutely breathtaking up close. Especially with his polite smile aimed at him. Lan Wangji shakes himself mentally. Angels are supposed to be beautiful after all. He hasn’t been exposed to them in centuries. He's just not used to being around such a beautiful creature. That's all. He is definitely not attracted to the angel.
“Angel” Lan Wangji greets back.
The angel's smile widens “I take it you saw what just happened?”
“Mn”
“Would you care to keep it our little secret?” the angel asks,voice playful but eyes serious.
Lan Wangji is a little surprised at the request and the angel's attitude toward him. Angels and demons are supposed to be enemies. He’s heard of other demons encountering angels and fights always ensuing. The demons would complain that the angels were always so haughty and righteous but Lan Wangji does not sense that from this angel.
“Look I know we aren’t meant to get along but if you report me I’ll have to fill out so much paperwork. Surely you understand?” the angel says, making Lan Wangji realize he’s been quiet for far too long.
“Mn” Lan Wangji agrees. Because yes he knows how terrible the paperwork can be for these types of situations.
He’s awarded with a brilliant smile from the angel. His heart beats rapidly within his chest at the sight. He decides that maybe he is just a little attracted to this angel.
If someone had told Lan Wangji that his first encounter with the angel would not be his last he would have rolled his eyes at them. He may have even laughed. He would have thought this person (or being) knew nothing about how vast earth actually was. Not only that but the tasks assigned to him and the angel were also different. There was no guarantee that the angel would even be on earth. Angels could monitor from heaven. What need would they ever have to be on earth?
And yet…
Lan Wangji, a demon from hell, who was tasked to wreck havoc on earth and sway humans to sin, is absolutely wrong about his assumptions.
Not only does he bump into the angel frequently over the years but they also develop a sort of friendship. It happened after their fourth encounter. The last time Lan Wangji had seen the angel it had been in Egypt. A good decade before he sees him again in Rome. Lan Wangji had time to kill and had stumbled upon a restaurant that boasted brewing the best tea. Just as he was being led to his own table the angel had greeted him enthusiastically and offered him a seat at his table.
“You know we’ve bumped into each other a lot over the last century and I don't even know your name.” The angel had said conversationally and Lan Wangji was taken aback by how friendly this angel was. Most other angels wouldn’t spare Lan Wangji a glance when they randomly encounter each other.
“Wangji” he replies before he can really think about the consequences of giving an angel his name.
He watches the angel look at him confused for a moment before he's smiling excitedly “Wangji” the angel repeats and Lan Wangji can’t help the warmth that rushes to his ears hearing the angel say his name out loud.
“Mn” Lan Wangji replies and the angel gives him another heart stopping smile.
“Call me Wuxian” the angel replies and the demon does the same as the angel had done before and says his name out loud.
“Wuxian”
“Thats me!” the angel cheers laughing merrily.
After that whenever they would be in the same place they would go somewhere to eat and catch up. They’d come to an agreement that neither of them really liked the way heaven and hell handled things so they kept their friendship a secret from their superiors.
Being friends with the angel Wuxian was not always sunshine and rainbows though. Lan Wangji learned this after having to save the angel multiple times. Sometimes the demon wondered how Wuxian was still an angel. Yes, he was good, far too good at times but he was also loud, quick to anger and never did things the normal way.
Lan Wangji had once found the angel in a Parisian prison waiting to be executed all because he’d had a craving for some wine. Lan Wangji had simply sighed before using his magic to switch the guard and Wuxian's places. The angel had been so happy and grateful that the demon could do nothing but suppress a smile every time Wuxian called him his hero.
It took Lan Wangji a few more years (around the time the humans had decided to all go to war) to realize his true feelings towards his friend, the angel, Wuxian. He’d fought it of course. He’d deny it to himself every time he looked in the mirror. He was a demon for crying out loud. He should not be feeling these emotions. He should not feel himself feel whole whenever the angel was near.
But he did. And he could deny it no longer. He was impossibly in love with the angel. Not that it was hard to fall in love with Wuxian. Wuxian who was kind, funny, vibrant, and beautiful. Wuxian who did not judge anyone and gave the humans opportunities to right their wrongs. Wuxian who was so incredibly self-less and whose smile alone could light up a whole room.
It was truly a miracle Lan Wangji hadn’t realized sooner why it was that denying the angel anything was close to impossible.
Years continue to go by and Lan Wangji keeps these feelings close to his chest. Too weak to stay away from his only friend and too scared of the consequences should he act on his feelings.
One night as they're drinking wine in Wuxian's museum of oddities the most wonderful yet tragic confession slips his lips “ Wangji, I think I’m in love with you”
Lan Wangji does not need to miracle away all the alcohol he's consumed to sober up. Those words he’s only ever dreamed and fantasized about are enough.
“Wuxian” he breathes unsure if he really heard the angel correctly
“You don’t have to say anything, Wangji. I just…” Wuxian sighs brokenly and it takes everything in Lan Wangji not to scoop him up in his arms and hold him close. “I just thought you should know," Wuxian says and Lan Wangji bolts out of the museum.
It is the most cowardly thing he has ever done but he cannot stay. He was sent to earth to corrupt HUMANS not angels. Not angels who smile brighter than the sun. Not angels that would rather use all of their magic if it can help rather than watch on as humans suffer.
Wuxian is much too good for Lan Wangji to ruin his life. They have lived for centuries and have been able to be friends during all this time without having either of their superiors suspect a thing. What if they get caught? What if God or Satan find out?
They’d both be punished. Lan Wangji is a demon and knows hell. He’s managed to survive but Wuxian should not ever know the feeling of being cast out from heaven. He should never ever experience the cold that comes with losing the warmth of heaven's light. With these thoughts running through his brain he transports himself to a different realm to hide.
He decides that the time he was able to spend with Wuxian was a gift and they will be memories he will always cherish but he cannot risk Wuxian being cast out of heaven. And worse yet he cannot risk Wuxian being punished by death. Now that is just something he would not ever allow to happen. If he has to renounce his place in Wuxian's life then so be it. As long as the other is safe nothing else matters.
His plan only works for a year. He was just wandering through a park causing minor inconveniences to the humans when he bumps into the one person he’s been trying to avoid.
Wuxian stares at him surprised before completely composing himself and greeting Lan Wangji.
“Wangji.”
“Wuxian.”
“Can we talk?”
“Wuxian, I do not think-” the demon tries to say, but is instantly stopped by Wuxian.
“Please” the angel begs and Lan Wangji has never been good at denying the angel anything so he nods his head ‘yes’ and allows the angel to lead him to a quieter area.
“Wuxian- “ Lan Wangji starts but the angel holds out a hand to stop him.
“Look, I know that what I said that night might have scared you. But it shouldn’t. Please don’t feel burdened because you don’t feel the same way”
Lan Wangji feels himself going mad in his head. How could Wuxian think for a second that he doesn’t feel the same way. That he's dreamt of traveling the world with the angel at his side. That he’s imagined them holding hands, hugging, and kissing with all the beautiful places on earth as their backdrop. That he still fantasizes them settling in the middle of nowhere and just being together.
“Wangji, you’re my best friend and I just thought I needed to say the words out loud. I know now I was wrong. So...can we please pretend it never happened? Can we please go back to being friends?” Wuxian asks and he looks so close to tears that it shatters Lan Wangjis resolve. He is just too weak. He does not deserve to be in the presence of Wuxian if his own selfish desires will bring harm to the one being he loves the most.
Instead of running away (again) or telling Wuxian that they should not and could not be friends anymore he takes one of Wuxian's hands and cherishes the warmth before looking directly into the others mesmerizing silver eyes.
“I do not want to pretend” he says measuredly and feels Wuxian clutch to his hand tighter in panic. He squeezes back gently hoping to assure the other he is not telling him they cannot be friends (even though he knows he should).
“Wuxian is my best friend too. And I am sorry for running away that night.”
“You don’t have to apo-” Wuxian tries to say but Wangji caresses his cheek and delights in the way Wuxians eyes widen and his cheeks take on a rosy hue.
“I do...because I love Wuxian too.” he says and feels light. He feels relief so overwhelming he could cry. But Wuxian has not replied. If anything he is frozen in front of him.
“Just thought Wuxian should know” he adds, hoping it will make Wuxian react.
It does.
They both end up on the floor from the force of Wuxian launching himself at Wangji. They stare at each other surprised before they are both laughing hysterically. When their laughter dies down they are kissing and Wangji can’t help but feel more alive in this moment than he ever has in all his years of living.
The angel and demon decide to leave the park so they can be together properly and once they’ve explored each other in ways they never thought possible they fall asleep in each others arms.
Lan Wangji is the first to wake and is honestly grateful to be able to appreciate the angel sleeping soundly in his arms. He knows their relationship will have to be hidden. That they will need to be more careful than they ever have been. But even knowing the risk and the dangers that they may face he cannot seem to regret his choice.
And then Wuxian snuggles into him and dreamily whispers “Lan Zhan”
Lan Wangji freezes as memories come crashing back to him. The first time he met the angel. The first time they got in trouble because the angel had tricked Wangji. The first time the angel had called Wangji his best friend. The first time they collected fruit together. The first time they played music together. The first time Lan Wangji knew that the angel held his heart and soul all in the palm of his hand….
He remembers his conversation with God. He remembers why he was cast out from heaven.
Shocked, he looks down at his beautiful angel and whispers “Wei Ying”