Chapter Text
“Y-You...are...an…absolute i-idiot!” Jin Zixuan wheezed out through each gasp, teeth chattering as he hauled his elbows onto the ground and out of the roaring currents. His body racking out shivers as the punishing and very cold water continued to penetrate the lower half of his — already fucking soaking — thin layers of his robe. “The fucking g-goddamn worst partner to h-have.”
Wei Wuxian’s voice, cheerful and lilting, rang out among the stillness of life surrounding them. “My such crass words coming out from the Peacock! What would your family say about that?”
My family wouldn’t care because you’ll be the death of me by the time we get back!
He didn’t bother answering back, knowing the tell-tale sign of a fight that’ll happen next. Instead, he chose to focus on calming his frantically beating heart down. Jin Zixuan was exhausted to say the least, laying his head on his arms as eyes closed and breaths still gasping slightly.
However, he also did not like the constant feeling of liquid lapping at the thoroughly-soaked bottom half of his body and so with his last remaining strength — fueled through adrenaline and pure desperation — hauled the rest of himself up, not caring how undignified he looked.
Flopping on his back in an un-Jin-like manner, Jin Zixuan could only muster a glare and pointed his middle finger up at Wei Wuxian. To the eyes of others, he would have looked like a soaked cat trying to intimidate a tiger in their own domain.
He knew it was petty but pettiness practically defined the Lanling Jin Sect and so petty he’ll be.
“At least we’re not injured?” Wei Wuxian — the nerve of him to smirk — said as he looked down at him, hands on hip. He didn’t look the greatest but still fared far better than Jin Zixuan. Stray leaves clung to his hair with dirt streaking his face and small cuts from the branches on his robes. “It’s not my fault you took a dive into a fucking river and I managed to fell on top of a tree.”
Jin Zixuan wanted to murder — even though he knows he’ll lose but at least he’ll goddamn try — that bastard.
“Maybe,” he hissed out instead of committing to what his heart wanted, “this wouldn’t have happened if we’ve just killed it like normal fucking cultivators!”
Jin Zixuan’s vermillion mark on his forehead was erased from the rapid currents and his hair was hanging limply, water droplets trailing down his neck and clinging to his back.
Wei Wuxian at least had the decency to look sheepish. “Well…”
“Who in their right mind,” Jin Zixuan ranted on, “decides that summoning corpses in a restricted area with barely any room for even the two of us was the way to go?! Especially against a fucking Yao that threw said corpses like sacks of rice!”
“Hey! At that time I thought it was the right idea!” The other defended himself, lips turning downward slightly as eyes wandered around. “Now that I think about it, that probably wasn’t the best move considering…”
He trailed off and Jin Zixuan could feel dread creeping back onto him.
“Please don’t tell me it’s alive.” Jin Zixuan groaned, rubbing his face and taking note of the fact that his hands were freezing and he was still shivering. It was usually an automatic process; the qi would instantaneously flow through his meridians, warming up parts of his body that needed it. So for it to not be working made him very much concerned.
“Not only did we get flung into this clearing surrounded by nothing but trees and a river, courtesy of me,” Wei Wuxian prattled out, “I can still sense the Yaoguai around here, badly injured but still powerful enough to kill us.”
Shit. Jin Zixuan still couldn’t warm his body up and he sure as hell wasn’t able to sense anything here. He then came to the conclusion that his spiritual powers must have been sealed. But how? From a curse? An unexpected foe?
From the Yao ?
He remembered feeling immensely tired as the fight continued with the monster but had dismissed it as just being, well, tired. Jin Zixuan thought even further, before when it felt like his spiritual powers were diminishing.
The fucking Yao had ran its claws down his stomach. A scratch his golden core had healed instantly, yet it had felt like pinpricks of electricity numbing his entire being. It was at that moment that his aims had become clumsy, coordination faltering and his usual speed not present.
It took advantage of Jin Zixuan’s predicament, grabbing and throwing him into the unsuspecting Wei Wuxian — leading to their current predicament.
He couldn’t believe that had happened. Couldn’t believe that he had let it happen.
“ Fucking hell. I can’t believe we got into this fucking mess. ” He murmured out under his breath as he took it all in.
Wei Wuxian chuckled nervously. “Hey, hey, you’re cursing way more than normal. We can still kill it if — ”
“My spiritual powers are sealed, hopefully temporary, presumably from the Yao . One of its claws scratched where my golden core was located. Still, a misjudged calculation on my end.” Jin Zixuan interrupted flatly, equally landing an even flatter look at him. “Suiha is also missing as well.”
“Well shit.”
“Yeah.”
It was silent for a moment before Wei Wuxian opened his mouth. “Well, I still have Chenqing with me and some talismans because, you know, I’m always prepared.” He flashed a smile at him, in which Jin Zixuan rolled his eyes in a way that would’ve made Jiang Cheng proud. “You also have your super flashy butterfly talismans that we can send out for help!”
Jin Zixuan snorted before getting up in a sitting position. Reaching inside his inner robes for said talismans, he produced what appeared to be a conglomerate of paper stuck and ink smudged together, tilting his head towards the other man with a small smirk. “Yes, my super flashy butterfly talismans that also took a very nice swim with me.”
“You’re being far too sarcastic for my liking.” Wei Wuxian sniffed, before peering closely and frowning slightly as he took in the shaking figure. “Peacock, you’re shivering like crazy.”
“Again, my spiritual powers are sealed,” he muttered, focusing his gaze on his trembling hands and how reddened it now looked, “and I fell into freezing water.”
“Your lips are blue and shit.” Wei Wuxian continued on as if he hadn’t heard him. There was a look of contemplation and — was that concern? — on his face.
“Nice observation.” Jin Zixuan snapped out, feeling far too tired to deal with this. However, the sudden rustling of robes being taken off alerted him and he willed his head to turn back around, face flushing red. “What the fuck are you — ”
Warmth immediately enveloped Jin Zixuan as cloth draped over his whole body. Quickly, he grabbed the robe by his hands as if it offended him, ignoring how his body missed the heat. He opened his mouth in protest. “I don’t need your help.”
“Just put the damn robe on. Your pride was already ruined the moment you fell into that water.”
The sharp glare he received from the latter effectively shut down any other retort he would have otherwise said. Instead, Jin Zixuan shrugged on the outer robe, eyebrows furrowing at the clash of colors and the dirtiness present.
Yet, it was warm and comfortable and smelled nice and …
Okay, maybe he did have a tiny crush — because who wouldn’t? — on Wei Wuxian, kept concealed under insults said inadvertently and blank expressions betraying nothing.
Regardless, Jin Zixuan very much enjoyed the company of the latter. The way his smile, full of confidence, would create a nervous bundle of want in his stomach. How his laughter would often tighten his throat, words refusing to come out.
Not to mention his obviously good looks and his body and—
Jin Zixuan was suddenly pitching forward, eyes drooping and limbs suddenly heavy. Warm, strong hands wrapped around his waist before he could fall face flat on the ground. Unconsciously, he leaned back closer to the warm source, the other’s steady breathing further making him sleepy.
“Oi,” Wei Wuxian whispered gently, for once foregoing his usual teasing voice, “you can’t go and fall asleep on me. What will the others say?”
“The others...can go…fuck themselves.” Was all he could mumble out, words slurred from exhaustion. He slumped further against the firm chest, humming in content as the warm grip on him tightened.
A puff of warm air indicated the other’s amusement. Pleased, a small and rare smile curled on his face. A smile berated by both parents alike for how vulnerable and exposed it made him. A smile kept hidden by a facade of indifference.
He didn’t hear the sharp intake of air by Wei Wuxian as if punched; his senses were too muddled to comprehend what was happening around him. He was on the verge of passing out.
“Zixuan,” he breathed out, “you must be very out of it if you’re smiling at me.”
All he could muster was an even softer “ Mhm” in confirmation before darkness claimed him.