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“Wei-gongzi, are you going to get sleep today?” Wen Ning just barely poked his head into the Demon Subduing Cave. His look of concern was far less threatening than his sister’s, but that could be forgiven as he was trying his best.
“I don’t need to sleep yet,” Wei Wuxian said with a broad smile. If he smiled enough, Wen Ning usually left him alone. “Plus I’ve finally made progress on the compass! It would be a shame to go to bed now.”
Wen Ning ducked his head in a small bow and entered the Cave. “I don’t believe you,” he said as he picked Wei Wuxian up under the armpits and dragged him to his bed. Whenever Wei Wuxian struggled or made a grumpy noise, he said “Sorry, Wei-gongzi,” without changing his grip in any way.
It took a minute, but eventually Wei Wuxian settled in his bed, and even pulled one of the threadbare blankets over his legs. “This really isn’t necessary,” he said.
“You won’t sleep otherwise,” Wen Ning said. “If you won’t take care of yourself, then Jie and I will have to instead.”
Despair rose up in Wei Wuxian’s throat. That wasn’t right, he couldn’t be a burden, he had to stay strong to protect the Wens. (That wasn’t right, Jiang Yanli was the only one who should take care of him, he couldn’t be a burden--)
“You don’t have to. You don’t have to call me gongzi, either.” If he was being sharp with Wen Ning, all the better. That would drive his point home. “Don’t think you have to serve me just because I brought you--”
“That’s n-not it, Wei-gongzi.” Wen Ning frowned for a second as he ordered his words. “It’s not service, it’s--” He shook his head and tried again. “Wei-gongzi was kind to me when he didn’t have to be. At the archery competition.”
Wei Wuxian scraped his memory for anything about the competition. He had done well, the Twin Jades were there, it was in Qishan… That had been the first time he met Wen Ning. He didn’t recall exactly what he’d said, but Wen Ning’s archery had impressed him, and…
And that was enough for Wen Ning to stay by him. To rescue Jiang Cheng. To shelter them with his sister and help with the core transplant. Wen Ning was too much, too kind. There was no repaying him, not really, not even after resurrecting him.
But it was easy to show gratitude. Wei Wuxian reached up and cupped Wen Ning’s face, tracing one of the black veins that rose up his cheek. Wen Ning immediately stilled, but he let Wei Wuxian sit up in bed and gently pull him closer. Wen Ning’s lips were cold (of course, his heart didn’t beat) and soft and once he realized what was going on, they moved against Wei Wuxian’s easily.
“S-sorry, Wei-gongzi,” Wen Ning said when he pulled back. He ducked his head and was already trying to disappear into the floor.
“Don’t be.” Wei Wuxian laid back and felt himself smile, for real, with no shadow of resentment or strain, for the first time in weeks. “I promise to sleep, now.”
Wen Ning smiled as he left the cave, and if he would smile like that every time Wei Wuxian slept, maybe he would sleep every night.