Work Text:
Wei WuXian had been complaining for days that the food at the Cloud Recesses were bland. Tried as he might, he hadn’t been able to eat his fill. Every time he ate, he always had to school his expression as to not make Lan WangJi lose face.
He knew he was acting more and more like an ungrateful child when he complained to Lan WangJi about it. He should keep his mouth shut and show him a face. But really, he could only stand eating such a plain and bitter food for so long.
“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, let’s go to Caiyi town,” he said as he entered the jingshi and found Lan WangJi at his desk.
Lan WangJi titled his head slightly at him.
“Don’t give me that look. Let’s go, Lan Zhan. We’ll eat dinner at that Hunan restaurant. I can only eat your sect’s food for so long.”
Lan WangJi, having known Wei WuXian’s fondness of spicy food, had been expecting this to happen sooner or later. So it came as no surprise at all when Wei WuXian came whining to him.
“Mn,” Lan WangJi agreed easily.
“You agreed?” Wei WuXian was slightly surprised by how fast he agreed to his demand.
But the surprise came and went by fast. “That’s great, Lan Zhan. Can we go now? Oh, let’s stop to buy a few jar of Emperor Smile’s too. And let’s drink after dinner while we’re at it,” he continued to talk as they exited the jingshi.
“…”
At Lan WangJi’s silence, Wei WuXian stopped and looked over at him. “We’re not going to drink alcohol?”
“You can drink.”
“But you’re not going to drink with me?”
Lan WangJi shook his head.
“Lan Zhan, don’t be like that. Don’t let me drink by myself, it’s lonely,” Wei WuXian pleaded, standing in front of him – effectively blocking his way, and holding on to the front of Lan WangJi’s robe.
Lan WangJi was silent again. His face, which usually betrayed nothing, looked slightly conflicted.
Wei Ying knew that he only needed to cajole Lan Zhan a little bit more before he gave in to his whims. But then he remembered the last time Lan Zhan got drunk. Disaster happened. And although it still led them to the happy life they were living now, Wei Ying still shuddered remembering that.
“Ah, don’t mind me, Lan Zhan. Forget it. You don’t have to drink, Lan Zhan. Just keep me company while I drink, will you?” He conceded.
“Mn.”
And they went to the Hunan restaurant in Caiyi Town to satisfy Wei WuXian’s craving of spicy food. He ate a lot – until his stomach felt like it was going to explode. On the other hand, Lan WangJi was content by just watching Wei WuXian eat his fill. He only ate a little, and only the ones that wasn’t too red.
True to his word, Wei WuXian drank. A lot. Lan WangJi had tried a few times to stop him from drinking another cup to no avail. It was a wonder Wei WuXian didn’t pass out from being drunk. Then again, no matter how drunk Wei Wuxian was, he still behaved like he always did. There was no difference between sober and drunk Wei Wuxian.
But right at this moment, Wei WuXian was definitely tipsy.
“Han Guang-Jun, Han Guang-Jun. Come, come,” Wei WuXian gestured with his finger so that Lan WangJi would lean forward across the table.
Wei WuXian reached out his hand to touch Lan WangJi’s cheek.
“Wei Ying,” Lan WangJi warned.
“What, Han Guang-Jun, why are you like this? You’re so shy Han Guang-Jun. But you seem to like it when I touch you like this when we’re alone in the jingshi,” he continued to talk as his hand brushed aside the strand of Lan WangJi’s hair and slipped it behind his ear.
His smile grew as he noted the tip of Lan WangJi’s ear turned pink.
“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan warned him again, his eyes closed.
“Ah all right, all right, Lan Zhan. I’ll stop.” He threw both his hand in the air.
Wei WuXian then proceeded to call the waitress and ordered another jar of Emperor’s Smile, but before the waitress could go to prepare the order, Han Guang-Jun spoke, “Wei Ying, you should not order anymore. We should go back.”
“Han Guang-Jun, just one more, and then we’ll go. I promise.”
“Wei Ying, it’s nearly past curfew. You have drink plenty.”
While Wei WuXian continued cajoling Lan Wangji to let him have another drink, the waitress was still standing there, looking nervous and confused. She wasn’t sure what she should do.
“I will pay now. Please don’t mind the last order,” Lan WangJi said to the waitress, putting her out of her misery.
Wei Ying was about to open his mouth again, protesting Lan WangJi, but he cut him off –
“Wei Ying, Uncle is patrolling tonight.”
“…”
And that silenced him.
It wasn’t that Wei Ying was afraid of Lan QiRen. It was mostly because he didn’t want Lan Zhan to lose anymore face because of him. He was indeed a bit tipsy now, but he at least still had some decency. He knew how much Lan Zhan had to sacrifice for the both of them. It was not exactly easy to gain the Lan Sect’s approval considering his wanton ways in his previous life.
The approval itself did not really matter that much to Wei Ying, but he knew how much it meant for Lan Zhan that Lan QiRen and all the Lan Sect accepted the both of them.
Wei WuXian was silent when they exited the restaurant and began their walk to the dock. Lan WangJi thought it was strange since he usually talked a lot. He feared Wei Ying was cross with him because he had refused him to have another drink.
Lan WangJi then glanced to his right only to see Wei WuXian eyes dropping slightly that he almost tripped on his own feet from falling asleep. It was a good thing Lan WangJi had caught him before his face hit the ground.
“Wei Ying. Are you all right?” he asked, steadying him.
“Lan Zhan, I’m sleepy and my head’s spinning. I can’t walk straight, Lan Zhan. Help me, carry me. I want to sleep.”
Lan WangJi, already unable to refuse him to begin with, said, “All right” and effortlessly carried him on his back.
Wei WuXian rested his head on Lan WangJi’s back and circled his arm around his shoulder, while Lan WangJi continued to walked down the street with effortless grace despite the extra weight on his back. It was as if Wei WuXian weighed nothing.
Said weight on his back was humming a tune they both know by heart instead of sleeping.
“You said you were sleepy.”
“I am, Lan Zhan, I am. I’m only humming so I could fall asleep, it’s so calming.”
“…”
A moment passed, Wei WuXian has stopped humming. Lan WangJi thought he was already asleep, when suddenly Lan Wangji felt something soft touched the back of his neck.
A kiss?
If Lan WangJi was surprised, he didn’t show it. He didn’t given any indication that he felt the kiss except for the slight tightening grip on Wei WuXian’s thighs.
“Lan Zhan.”
“Mn.”
“Lan Zhan, what happened to you in all the years I was dead?” he asked out of the blue.
Lan WangJi stopped in his track.
Wei Ying had already known the answer to that particular question, thanks to Zewu-Jun for telling him about it at the Jin Temple. He didn’t know why he opened his mouth and asked Lan Zhan that. His mouth was indeed had a brain of his own.
It was not like he wanted Lan Zhan to relive the bad and hurtful memories, but he wanted to hear it from Lan Zhan. He wanted to comfort him, to thank him. Lan Zhan was unfairly kind, always accepting his every whim, so ready to jump to his defense. It was making it hard for Wei Ying to breathe.
“What do you mean?”
“You are so nice to me, Lan Zhan. You even took me back to Gusu with you when we met again for the first time in Dafan Mountain – granted, you already knew who I am back then. But that was exactly that, we weren’t –“
Lan WangJi’s back stiffened under him.
Wei Ying didn’t know why he decided to open his mouth, and now he regretted it.
“Ah, forget it Lan Zhan. I don’t even know what I was saying. Don’t know why I asked that in the first place. I didn’t mean to make you relive bad memories. I’m sorry I asked you that, I’m sorry. I love you.”
He pecked Lan WangJi’s neck again, lips lingering a second longer, and buried his face on juncture between his neck and shoulder.
Lan WangJi’s squeezed his thigh again. “You don’t have to say sorry.”
By the time, they arrived at the dock, Wei WuXian was fast asleep, and stayed asleep on Lan WangJi’s side throughout the boat ride. And he was still fast asleep when they arrived back at the Cloud Recesses. They arrived way past curfew, but fortune was on their side, they didn’t meet Lan QiRen patrolling.
It was only when they were inside the jingshi and Lan WangJi had dropped him on the bed and proceeded to help him take off his shoes, did Wei WuXian wake.
He stared at Lan WangJi with half lidded eyes, and smiled.
He felt so lucky to have someone like Lan Zhan – No.
He was lucky to have Lan Zhan himself loving him. His chest felt full and warm.
“Lan Zhan, come.”
“Wei Ying, you are awake. You should bathe.”
“I’m too tired. Let’s just sleep. Come here Lan Zhan, I’m cold.”
“But I also need to bathe.”
“Let’s do it tomorrow, together. Now come here, I’m cold. You need to share your warmth.”
“All right.”
“Lan Zhan,” Wei WuXian said once he was nestled securely on Lan Wangji’s side.
“Mn.”
“Thank you.”
Maybe it was self-defense, or maybe it was just already planted in his system, but Lan WangJi did turn rigid every time Wei WuXian said thank you. Every time Wei WuXian said thank you, it usually didn’t end up in something pleasant. Heaven knew what happened last time.
But right at this moment Wei Ying was snuggling nicely on his side, absorbing his warmth. Wei Ying’s arm was draped across his chest, and his was securely wrapped around the small of Wei Ying’s back. He had nothing to fear. He shouldn’t let the past haunt him. Wei Ying wouldn’t go anywhere. Even if he would, Lan Zhan wouldn’t let him.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei WuXian whispered his name, pecking the side of his jaw.
“You love me as if I deserve you.”
Hearing this, something akin to a hot something flared inside Lan WangJi’s chest. He flipped to his side, glaring at Wei Ying. He himself couldn’t believe how disturbed he was that Wei Ying was humbling himself down like that. His mouth was half open, about to say something when he was cut off by Wei Ying’s chuckles.
“My Han Guang-Jun, there’s no need to look so serious like that,” he said, reaching out his hand to cup his cheek. “I just want to say thank you.”
And he gave him a kiss full on the lips. “So, thank you. I really like you, Lan Zhan. I love you.”
Lan WangJi’s face was still hard, he was still bothered by what he said, about Wei Ying not deserving his love.
“Why are you still giving me that look? Did I say something wrong?”
“Wei Ying,” Lan WangJi began, face still serious.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei WuXian retaliated, smiling cheekily.
“Wei Ying.”
“Lan Zhan.”
“Wei Ying, let me speak,” Lan WangJi said, sighing. He flipped them over and rested both his hand on either side of Wei WuXian’s head.
“Wei Ying, let me be the judge of that,” Lan WangJi said.
Wei Ying didn’t quite catch up on what Lan Zhan was talking about, he titled his head. “Of what?”
“You, deserving my love.”
“Oh, that!” Wei Ying chuckled. He didn’t realize Lan Zhan would be bothered by that. It was honestly just something that he said without meaning behind it. He only meant to exaggerate thing a little bit to say thank you to him.
When Wei Ying told him this, he could see the muscle on his jaw relaxing slightly, but his eyes were still intensely boring into him. Wei Ying couldn’t help but stare back and admire at this unfair beauty in front of him.
He traced his finger on his eyebrows, and then his nose, his cheeks, his lips –
“Wei Ying,” Lan WangJi said, grabbing his hand.
“You do, Wei Ying.” He told him with such conviction. “You do deserve my love.”
And Lan WangJi pinned Wei WuXian’s hand over his head and kissed him hard, all the while mumbling Wei Ying and you do, you do, you do like a mantra.
Wei Ying felt his chest was about to burst. He felt full, and his eyes stung. He didn’t know someone could feel this much of happiness. He broke his hand free from Lan Zhan’s grip, and rested it on Lan Zhan’s neck, and the other on the back of Lan Zhan’s head, tugging his forehead band off and bringing him even closer. He swore to heaven didn’t ever want to let him go.
Lan WangJi felt the tears on his cheek and stopped his attack on Wei WuXian’s lips. He stared at him, lips swollen and eyes red with a trail of tears. Lan Zhan’s eyes turned soft and he kissed each corner of Wei WuXian’s eyes. Kissing the tears away in the very literal meaning.
“Thank you, Lan Zhan.”
“Wei Ying, I’ve told you. Between you and me, we don’t need to say thank you or sorry,” he said, before he gave Wei WuXian one last kiss on the lips and switched to his side again, resting on his back.
Wei WuXian snuggled closer to him.
“Lan Zhan, are you going to sleep now?”
“Mn.”
“After all the kisses? You can’t do that to me, Lan Zhan.”
“Uncle is patrolling.”
“That hasn’t stopped you before.”
“…”
“Lan Zhan?” he teased.
“Lan WangJi?“ his hand stroking his chest.
”Lan Er-gege?“ he whispered, pecking the spot below his ear.
And suddenly Wei WuXian found himself pinned beneath Lan WangJi again.
Their moans and screams could be heard throughout the night, giving Lan QiRen who was on patrol duty a severe migraine and forced him to cancel classes the next morning.