Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Burial Mounds is just a poetic name, it doesn't change what this place is - a landfill. A pile of trash so big it takes up the better part of what used to be called Yiling. It's a dangerous place to live due to all the toxic waste. For the same reason, it’s the only safe place for Wei Wuxian and the Wens. It’s not as bad, though, the radiation levels are just as high here as anywhere else. Wei Wuxian actually likes it here. He likes roaming the heaps of junk looking for whatever can be salvaged or re-used. He finds a bit of poetry in that too. Maybe this place is exactly where they belong - in society’s eyes, they are toxic refuse hoping to be salvaged.

The red light of his visor scares away a bunch of mutated rats. He bows down to examine what they were feeding on and finds out it's an animal carcass. Thankful for his helmet filtering out any smells, he turns away. Something reflects his flashlight and his heart picks up its pace. It looks like he might get lucky. He wipes away all the debris that is covering the mechanical limb before he pulls at it. He frowns when he meets unexpected resistance. It either got stuck or it's a bigger piece than he expected. With his excitement growing, he starts digging deeper. The rats come back watching him from a safe distance, waiting for him to leave them alone with their dinner.

"Sorry, guys, this might take a while," he says and pulls at a big piece of metal that he’s finally managed to uncover. He gasps when he sees what's under it.

"Wei Ying? What's that?" Wen Qing barks out, gesturing angrily to the heavy sack on his back. 

"I was looking for parts for Wen Ning's prosthetics, but I found something better," he says with a proud grin.

"I sent you out for fuel and you brought another piece of junk." She describes the situation with a long-suffering expression.

Wei Wuxian puts his baggage down as gently as possible, but it still makes an uncomfortable clink as it hits the ground of the bunker.

"This is not a piece of junk, Qing-jie," he protests and tugs aside the cloth.

Wen Qing takes a step back.

"A droid?" she squeals with horror.

"An android," Wei Ying corrects and crouches down beside his prey to uncover more of it.

"What are we going to do with a fucking android?" she asks. If Wei Wuxian didn't know her well enough, her threatening stare and aggressive stance with her hands on her hips would scare him to death.

"He can be useful. Do the heavy lifting. Help with building and gardening."

Their banter attracted other Wens and they are now lurking in the corners of the hall, listening and trying to take a peek of the android.

"This thing?" Wen Qing snorts dismissively and pokes the bag with her foot. Wei Wuxian bats her away and leans over the android protectively. "It doesn't even have all the limbs."

"I will fix him,” Wei Ying says, determined. “It's not like he's going to eat our food," he adds with a pout.

"If you don't have enough work, I'll find you some."

Wei Wuxian bats his eyelashes. "Come on, Qing-jie, you know I need a pet project or I'll go crazy," he pleads.

"I thought Wen Ning-" she swallows her words back when she hears the characteristic mechanical sound of her brother coming closer.

"Did you call me, jie-jie?" Wen Ning calls as he drags himself closer. They did their best to replace his lost limbs but all they had was scraps from the junkyard.

"Yes, I wanted you to see this!" Wei Wuxian calls. Wen Qing doesn't look at her brother, her face is red with embarrassment.

As Wen Ning whirs and creaks his way to them, other curious Wens come closer.

"Oh, it's... it's beautiful," Wen Ning says when he takes a look at the android.

"I found him in the junk, I think I can repair him so he can help around, but your cruel sister says I don't deserve any toys."

Wen Qing lets out an exasperated breath. Wei Ying knows it's not fair to use her brother against her because he's impossible to resist, but he’d do anything to win this argument.

Wen Ning doesn’t disappoint. He turns at his sister with the most adorable expression.

"Wen Qing, don't you see how pretty it is? It would be a shame to leave it to rust."

Wen Qing sighs in defeat and turns at Wei Wuxian pointing a finger in his face. "If you abandon your duties because of this thing, I'm going to smash it with a hammer."

Wei Wuxian gives her the brightest smile and a little thankful bow. "Thank you, Qing-jie. You are the best." He keeps the fact that a hammer would barely scratch the android's case for himself.  "Wen Ning, will you help me take him to my workshop?"

Wen Ning might be slow when he's moving but it doesn't change the fact that he has titanium enhanced spine and mechanical limbs that give him inhuman strength.

"Will do, Wei-gongzi"

They bring the android to the Cave. That's how everybody refers to Wei Ying's workshop because it's one of the least cozy parts of the underground bunker they are inhabiting.

Wen Ning heaves the android on the workbench and Wei Ying turns on the overhead light.

It's no wonder Wen Qing was so skeptical about the android's future. He looks pathetic like this. Just a head and torso, one complete arm sticking out, the rest is nothing more than cut-off wires. 

He's covered in grime and his case is scratched, but Wei Ying hopes that all the essential systems are intact. These things are made to last.

"Let's clean him up first," Wei Ying suggests. It's not polite to assume Wen Ning will be willing to help him, but Wei Ying noticed the awed look in his eyes when he saw the android and is sure he's right in judging Wen Ning’s intentions.

They scrub the case clean. There are no remains of artificial skin and his surface is smooth and shiny, so Wei Wuxian assumes he's not one of those types that are meant to look identical to humans. With the dirt gone he can see that Wen Ning has been right when he called the android beautiful. He’s a work of art even in his sorry state. His body parts are human in shape, but some lines are exaggerated - he has a perfectly symmetrical face with a sharp jawline, full lips, a beautiful nose, and arched eyebrows. His shoulders are broad, and the metal plates covering his torso imitate ripped muscles. 

He’s stunning. Wei Ying isn’t ashamed to admire him. With his own creations, he never cared about the aesthetic aspect. They were rough and clunky, utterly inelegant. That’s why people started to call them animated corpses. They served their purpose though. 

Wei Ying examines the android closely, making himself familiar with his exterior design. His fingers are buzzing with anticipation of what he's going to find under the casing.

There are two important things he learns from the android’s exterior. The brand on his forehead marks him as a creation of the Gusu Robotics company and his model code is LAN WJ 2301.

Wei Wuxian recognizes the brand name, but he never worked with any of the LAN models so he can't tell what the purpose of this android was. The model code is the closest thing he has to a name so Wei Wuxian starts to refer to him as Lan WJ.

Wen Ning, god bless him, doesn't comment on Wei Wuxian's habit of talking to the machines as he's working on them.

The more he uncovers, the more Wei Wuxian believes that he got his greedy hands on a treasure. Lan WJ's design is exquisite, the shapes are elegant, the surface is barely scratched and even the practical parts of him are made to be decorative. There's a design of simplified clouds on his chest and shoulders that Wei Wuxian supposes is going to glow when Lan WJ's reactor is on.

No matter how beautiful Wei Wuxian finds his casing, somebody defaced it. There's a word Hanguang-Jun scratched into his upper arm.  Light bearing lord.  Wei Wuxian wonders what’s the story behind the nickname. It must have taken a lot of effort to etch it into the surface. 

Wei Ying startles when Wen Ning’s hand falls on his shoulder. “You should call it a night,” he suggests in a soft tone.

Wei Wuxian rolls his shoulders, he’s getting stiff. “What time is it?” he asks, looking around for anything that would give away the time. It’s a dumb habit from when he used to live in buildings with windows.

“It’s past midnight,” Wen Ning replies.

“Oh, shit. Wen Qing will skin me if she finds out I’ve been keeping you up for so long.”

Wen Ning shakes his head. “Jie-jie already knows. She sent some food. I’m supposed to make sure that you eat and go to bed.”

“Oh, the devilish woman, she knows I wouldn’t endanger you,” Wei Ying says as he gets up from his workbench. He stretches, his joints popping. When he looks at the bowl of soup Wen Ning brought him, his stomach rumbles.

He grabs the bowl and sits in the rugged armchair he keeps in the workshop in case he doesn’t make it to bed.

“You’ve eaten?” he asks Wen Ning, who is now looking curiously at Lan WJ.

“Yes,” he mutters and touches the now shiny surface of the android’s chest tentatively.

Wei Ying takes a mouthful of the bland soup and makes a face. Wen Qing is a great leader and even better doctor but she’s a horrible cook.

“Do you really think he will work?” Wen Ning asks.

“I don’t know. I need to crack him open to find out.”

“You should wait till tomorrow. Do it when you are fresh.”

Wei Wuxian sighs. “Wen Ning is so wise. But I can’t wait to look inside.”

“I’m sorry, Wei-gongzi, I have to drag you to bed by force if you don’t go willingly.”

“You are a good friend, A-Ning, I only hate you a little.”

Wen Ning gives him a sweet smile. “No dragging then?”

“No dragging.”

Wei Ying does all his chores. He fixes the UV lights in the hydroponic garden, greases Wen Ning’s joints and works on the new air filter. He doesn’t skip any meals and drinks his daily ration of water like a good boy. He only does it to appease Wen Qing who’s keeping a watchful eye on him. If he’s a good boy, he gets to play with his new toy. His mind is in his workshop though. He’s burning with curiosity.

When he’s finally free for the rest of the day, he has to fight the urge to run to his workshop. Fourth uncle invites him to a game of cards, but he refuses, feeling just a little guilty.

His hands are shaking with anticipation when he unscrews Lan WJ’s casing.

Lan WJ is an example of the finest technology. Wei Ying finds it hard to believe that he was blessed with the opportunity to explore such a refined mechanism. 

He examines the reactor first. It looks intact, which is great news. Without the android’s power source being functional, there would be no chance to get him charged here. The other issue is that a faulty generator could blow the bunker up. He’s not going to tell Wen Qing about that possibility.

The generator looks fine though. The circuits got cut off by Lan WJ losing almost all his limbs. That’s why it shut down. Wei Ying closes all the circuits and pumps the chest with new cooling liquid. Just when he’s closing Lan WJ’s chest, Wen Qing enters the workshop.

Wei Wuxian looks up and pushes his protective glasses up his forehead.

“Are you here to drag me to bed?” he asks,

“No, it’s still early. You can play for a few more hours.”

“Thanks, jiejie,” he says in a voice that makes him sound like three years old. She rolls her eyes.

“I bought you something,” she says as she steps closer.

“Sweet buns!” he exclaims when she presents the plate to him. “Are we celebrating something?”

“Not really, but it was a good day so I decided we deserved a treat.”

“You are the best refugee camp leader ever,” he says as he snatches one of the buns. They are still warm.

“I’m not the leader,” she says grumpily. “People call you the Yiling Laozu.”

“People are stupid,” he says with his mouth full. He makes a place for her on the bench and she sits next to him. She bites into her own bun, eyes focused on the android lying on the table in front of them.

“How’s it going?”

“Good, I examined his reactor so far and it should be working.”

“Great. If you can get it running, we can use it to power the bunker.”

“Wen Qing!”

”What? It would be the most useful thing you could do with this thing.” She gestures at Lan WJ.

“That would be such a waste. He’s peak technology! He deserves more than…”

“Than keeping us alive?”

“Then powering the lights and the air filter. Wen Qing, I thought we are doing alright! Aren’t we?”

She averts her eyes. That’s a bad sign. With his chest feeling tight, Wei Wuxian tugs at her sleeve. There are holes in it. She’s been too busy taking care of everybody else to fix her own clothes.

“Wen Qing.”

“This place is falling apart faster than we can fix it,” she says quietly as if afraid of getting overheard.

“I’m doing my best.”

She looks at him, eyes soft. “I know A-Xian. I’m not trying to guilt-trip you. But I’m worried.”

“You are always worried.”

She sighs heavily but doesn’t say anything else. She drops her unfinished bun back on the plate and pushes it towards Wei Wuxian.

“He will be worth the effort.” Wei Ying says. “I promise. He’s really advanced, he will be able to do so much work. Not just some heavy lifting, actual work. He might be better at fixing the life support than I am.”

She smiles at him and nods, but he knows she doesn’t believe him.

Opening Lan WJ’s head is an entirely new adventure. It’s not like Wei Ying doesn’t know anything about AI, he studied it, but he decided to take another path. A path that took him right to the top only for him to fall straight to the bottom. He didn’t know the cerebral interface would turn out to be such a disaster. Everything looked so good and it was the middle of a fucking war, there was no time for more tests than the basics. He didn’t know there would be side effects, didn’t know about the neurological damage the operators would suffer. If he knew he would cause Wen Ning to lose control of his legs, he would never… No, that’s a lie he’s telling himself. He would do it again. He feels guilty for the people who suffered because of his invention, he really regrets hurting them, but he wouldn’t take it all back. He won the fucking war. He was a hero for a while. Now he’s here, shunned from society, living on a landfill like the toxic waste he’s deemed to be.

He sighs and lets his forehead fall on the table next to Lan WJ’s head.

“I’m still a mechanic,” he says to the android who can’t hear him. “I’m going to fix you and then you’ll help me fix this place.” He straightens up and looks down into Lan WJ’s peaceful face.  “We can both be useful again. We can prove we’re not just trash.”

Fixing on that thought, he resumes his work digging in the android’s brain.

There’s too much. It must have taken years to put together a model like Lan WJ. It will take Wei Wuxian months to get to understand all the nuances of his systems. And he can’t do most of it while they are turned off. Besides, he's getting impatient. It’s been days since he found Lan WJ. 

He didn’t always have much time and energy to spend on him though. After Wen Qing’s indirect complaint he doubled his effort to keep everything in the bunker running. He feels exhausted and bummed. He needs something good, something to cheer him up. He’s going to turn Lan WJ on.

To kick start the reactor he has to use the bunker’s power source. The lights go off for a moment.

When they turn back on, Wei Wuxian doesn’t even notice because he only has eyes for what’s in front of him. He was right about the cloud design on Lan WJ’s body. They shine bright blue now when the reactor is working. The reactor itself is a glowing orb in the center of Lan WJ’s chest. The nickname Hanguang-Jun makes sense now.

Wei Wuxian traces the patterns with his eyes up Lan WJ’s chest which is now rising and falling slowly as the cooling liquid is being pumped. With the limbs missing, the circuit is short and the rise and fall fast making an illusion of an agitated breath. There’s a sound to it, too loud for Wei Wuxian’s liking but he blames it on the long period of disuse.

Wei Wuxian’s look fixes on the android’s face which is still, only the brand logo on his forehead is shining slightly.

“Come on, wake up, Lan WJ 2301, wake up,” Wei Wuxian says. His anxiety grows every second the android is not reacting. What’s wrong? Are his processors fried? Is there a connectivity issue? Did Wei Ying fuck up or is Lan WJ beyond repair?”

“Please, Hanguang-jun.”

There’s a series of beeps that makes Wei Wuxian hold his breath.

Then Lan WJ’s eyelids open.

His eyes are bright and golden, almost human in their design but for the color and the slight glow. The irises widen and contract a few times with a sound only Wei Wuxian’s trained ears can catch, then they settle on the right size as the eyes focus on Wei Wuxian’s face.

“Lan WJ 2301? I’m Wei Wuxian. Wei Ying.”

The android is looking at him, his irises dilating again. Despite their look, Wei Wuxian knows those eyes are able to see much more than human eyes. Lan WJ is probably taking Wei Ying’s biometrics right now.

His gaze shifts over Wei Wuxian’s shoulder as he takes in their surroundings and analyzes threads.

Wei Ying can’t tell what causes it but the android jerks as much as possible with only one arm. A shrill sound that must be Lan WJ’s distress signal fills the room and makes Wei Wuxian’s head feel like it’s going to crack in half.

“Hanguang-Jun!” Wei Ying says and places his hand on Lan WJ’s chest right over his reactor. He feels the warmth of it. At the nickname, the android stops the alarm and focuses on Wei Wuxian’s face again.

He opens his mouth but nothing happens.

“I’m sorry, your voice box is busted, but I’m going to fix it, I promise.”

Lan WJ moves his head slightly looking down at his mutilated body. Wei Wuxian’s heart fills with pity.

“I’m going to fix you.” He pushes all his conviction into the promise.

The android looks him in the face and blinks slowly. Wei Wuxian wonders if the blinking serves another purpose than making Lan WJ less unsettling to the humans talking with him.

“There’s a lot I need to fix. To be honest, I don’t know the extent of the damage. I only turned you on to make sure your reactor and essential systems work.”

Another slow blink. Wei Wuxian guesses it means Lan WJ understands.

“Can you hear me and see me alright?”

Lan WJ gives a small nod. It looks as if it causes him pain which is, of course, nonsense, but it tells Wei Wuxian he should look into making Lan WJ’s movement easier. He must be stiff after basically being dead for a while.

“Good, I’m going to turn you off now so I can work on fixing you,” he says with a comforting smile which is stupid considering that he’s talking to a machine, but he can’t help himself. It’s who he is. He steps behind WJ but the moment he reaches up to his skull, WJ blasts the alarm again.

“Hey!” Wei Wuxian yells as he comes back into WJ’s visual field, palms pressed to his ears.

Lan WJ turns silent. He blinks at Wei Wuxian.

“You don’t want me to turn you off?” Wei Wuxian assumes. The android nods. Wei Wuxian gets it. If he turns him off it will erase his memory. For the android, it will be as if he dies again.

“I guess I can dig in your brain while you are awake, but do you really want it?”

A nod. 

“It might actually be better if you give me instant feedback,” he mutters more to himself.

“I’m going to leave now though so you should switch into standby.”

The android looks at him. It’s unnerving, blinking or not. Then he makes a series of beeps before he closes his eyes. The light of his reactor dims.

Wei Wuxian lets out a long sigh. This is going to be interesting.

As he leaves the room he runs into Wen Qing, who’s apparently been waiting for him just behind the door. It was probably her who alarmed Lan WJ.

“So, you didn’t blow us up,” she says with a lopsided smile.

“Uh. I was sure I wouldn’t! There was never any danger.”

“Don’t lie to me. I’m not a mechanic but I’m a Wen. I know how dangerous these things are.” The Wens built a weaponry empire. If somebody knew something about explosions, it was Wen Qing’s family.

Wei Ying raises an eyebrow. “ You knew and you let me risk it?”

She shrugs. “I trusted you.”

“Well, I didn’t blow us up!” he says triumphantly, adding some jazz hands for good measure.

Wen Qing rolls her eyes. “How is he? It didn’t sound well when I walked in on you.”

“I think you scared him.”

She cocks an eyebrow skeptically.

“His reactor is working fine, so do the basic systems. He’s in a standby mode so I don’t have to kickstart him again.” He leaves out the fact that the android asked him to leave him turned on.

“Good, you freaked us out with the blackout. Couldn’t you give me a warning?”

“And risk that you would stop me?” 

She shakes her head with a long-suffering sigh.

“Are you coming for dinner?”

“Sure,” he grins and grabs her arm.

Chapter Text

“Let’s check out your motor skills first. Can you raise your arm?”

Lan WJ lifts his arm and slowly stretches it above his head.

“Good. Bend the elbow.”

It creaks a little but it’s nothing Wei Wuxian is worried about.

“Great, now make a fist.”

Lan WJ doesn’t move. Wei Wuxian frowns.

“Lan WJ, make a fist.”

Lan WJ stares at his hand which doesn’t as much as twitch. He beeps. It sounds annoyed.

“It’s okay,” Wei Wuxian says, afraid that Lan WJ will start an alarm again. He grabs Lan WJ’s wrist with both his hands and gently guides it down to lay on the table. “I’m sorry, but I have to open it,” he says, tapping Lan WJ’s forearm lightly.

The android nods. Wei Wuxian smiles as he grabs his tools and pushes his stool closer. A lot of his colleagues would laugh at him for asking for consent from an android, but it feels right.

“You know what?” he says as he starts opening the casting. “Lan WJ sounds weird and Hanguang-Jun is a mouthful. I think you need a proper name.”

A slow blink. It’s fortunate Lan WJ’s face is so pretty or he would be rather scary.

“What about…” He takes a look at the android's incomplete body. He deserves a beautiful name. Wei Wuxian reaches up and runs his finger over the glowing blue pattern. It’s what makes Lan WJ look so striking, what probably brought him his other name. Blue and clear like a stream of water, like a cloudless sky.

“What about Lan Zhan?”

A single low-pitched beep.

“I take it as a yes.” Wei Ying grins. “Nice to meet you, Lan Zhan.”

The android looks away. Wei Wuxian doesn’t take it personally.

It’s weird to be digging in someone’s arm while that someone is staring at you unflinchingly. Even though he’s not actually a person.

It would be much better if Wei Wuxian had some real human to keep him company, but Wen Ning isn’t feeling good. His prosthetics chaffed and he got an infection. He’s not in pain since he lost all feeling from the waist down during the war, but Wen Qing keeps him in bed.

Wei Wuxian hums under his breath. It helps him relax. It’s not any song in particular. He just lets loose the part of his brain he’s not using to fix Lan Zhan’s artificial tendons, which results in random tones forming a melody. Wei Wuxian has always been fond of music, it must be the similarity with math.

He stops for a moment and gets a displeased beep as a result. He lifts his head with an amused smile.

“You want me to continue, Lan Zhan? Do you like my little song?”

A long unblinking stare. Then a low beep. Wei Wuxian laughs, but he resumes his song.

Wei Wuxian realizes he didn’t close the door when he hears a loud “Gege!” and then the sound of little feet running.

“Gege!” A-Yuan squeals again as he barges into the workshop.

On instinct, Wei Wuxian places his hand over Lan Zhan’s core to signal that there’s no danger. It works; no alarm blasts off.

Wei Wuxian turns to A-Yuan, who comes to a halt a few steps from the workbench and stares at Lan Zhan with wide eyes.

“Hey, little radish, did you come to meet my new friend?”

“He is badly hurt,” A-Yuan says with so much empathy it’s a wonder that it can fit in such a small body.

“Yeah, but don’t worry, I’m going to fix him.”

“Hm,” A-Yuan says with a firm nod as he walks closer. Before Wei Wuxian can stop him, A-Yuan climbs up to the table and sits where Lan Zhan’s legs would be.

Lan Zhan is watching him, his eyes glowing and pupils shifting as if he’s not sure what to make of the little human.

“His name is Lan WJ 2301, but I’m calling him Lan Zhan.”

“Lan Zhan. Nice to meet you. I’m Wen Yuan.”

A beep and a nod. That’s more than Wei Ying has ever gotten out of him. He’s going to be jealous.

Not finding the answer at all strange, A-Yuan points at the wires peeking out of Lan Zhan’s torso where his limbs should be attached.

“Does it hurt?” he asks him.

Lan Zhan doesn’t respond this time. 

Fighting back a smile, Wei Wuxian answers for him. “He doesn’t feel any pain. But I think he doesn’t like being like this.”

A-Yuan nods, the adorably serious expression still in place.

“Will you make him new legs like you did for uncle Ning-ge?”

“Probably. If I find the right parts,” Wei Wuxian replies. “But there’s a lot I need to fix first.”

“His arm.” A-Yuan assesses professionally. “Can I help?”

Wei Ying nods trying to keep his expression just as serious, but the corners of his lips are twitching. “Sure, you can hand me the tools.”

“Yes!” A-Yuan cheers and jumps off the table.

Once Wei Ying figures out what the problem is, it’s not hard to give Lan Zhan’s fingers their movement back. It means Wei Ying can pretend he’s letting A-Yuan help more than he actually is. It’s fun, less lonely. A-Yuan is fascinated by Lan Zhan and the android humors him, replying to his silly questions with beeps that the kid interprets as he wishes so it almost sounds like they are having a conversation.

“Bend your fingers for me, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says as he puts his tools down. The casting is still off so he can come back in if there’s still a problem.

The android slowly curls his fingers in a fist. Wei Wuxian makes a pleased sound. “Now one by one.”

“Wow,” A-Yuan breathes out as he watches the movement inside Lan Zhan’s forearm.

“Cool, right? But your own fingers work the same. They are just from a different material.”

Wei Ying laughs when A-Yuan looks down at his inner wrist as he wiggles his fingers.

“Right. Here,” he guides his other hand to press against his skin to feel the tendons moving.

A-Yuan’s eyes widen comically. “Am I a robot too?”

“No,” Wei Ying snorts. “But robots were largely made after people. Especially robots like Lan Zhan. They are called androids.”

“Hm. I’m hungry,” A-Yuan says, which means that what Wei Wuxian just explained was a bit beyond his comprehension.

“Right. It’s time for dinner. Let’s go,” he lifts A-Yuan into his arms.

“You are going to be alright, Lan Zhan?”

If it wasn’t impossible, Wei Ying would say that the look Lan Zhan gives him is confused. Then he beeps his affirmation.

“Don’t go to sleep. I’ll be right back.”

He doesn’t come right back though. The dinner is good, the mood is better, he gets dragged into some silly game, then drinks uncle fourth’s hooch and by the time he’s free to leave, it’s already way too late.

Barely keeping his eyes open, he heads to the workshop to turn the lights off and tell Lan WJ to go to standby mode.

He’s walking down the silent corridor when he hears strange sounds. He stops to hear better without his footsteps echoing off the walls.

It sounds like a melody, but he doesn’t recognize it until he comes closer.

It’s the melody he’s been humming while working on Lan Zhan’s arm. The android must have recorded his voice and now is playing it back to himself. It’s not all though. He’s adding his own sounds - beeps, and whirs. It sounds eerie. Wei Wuxian’s heart feels squeezed in a vice when he sees the android lying helplessly on the bench, singing to himself while waiting alone in a dim-lit room.

He stops the moment he hears Wei Wuxian’s steps.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying says quietly, choking on guilt.

The android doesn’t look at him. His eyes stay fixed on the farther wall.

Wei Ying walks closer.

“Lan Zhan, I’m sorry I let you wait. I got caught up in...human stuff.”

Nothing, not a look, not a beep. It feels awful being ignored by a sentient machine.

With a sigh, Wei Wuxian walks around the table. He closes the casting on Lan Zhan’s arm and pats it gently with his palm. It’s warm to his touch.

“I’ll continue tomorrow. Sorry for letting you wait in vain. You can go to sleep now.”

He waits for Lan Zhan to close his eyes and watches as his blue glow dims, then he goes to bed.

“Lan Zhan! Look what I have!” Wei Wuxian calls from the door. He had his breakfast in the cave, feeling guilty for leaving Lan WJ alone for so long last night. He ate and talked while he was running some diagnostics on Lan Zhan. He had to leave to fix a few minor things in the bunker. He’s being a janitor more than a mechanic these days. This time he kept his promise to come back soon. The android doesn’t show it, but Wei Ying thinks he appreciates it.

He walks closer to Lan Zhan waving the glass vials he stole in Wen Qing’s lab. It’s not like she needs them. All she does is treat minor wounds. She performed an appendectomy last week and it caused major excitement.

“I’m a bit worried about your grip, so I brought these to test it,” he says and places one of the fragile glasses next to Lan Zhan.

“Try to pick it up.”

Lan Zhan blinks at the vial, then moves somewhat gingerly to pick it up. It looks good at first, his fingers curl smoothly around it which pleases Wei Ying to see. Then he tries to lift it. The vial slips from his grip and falls on the ground where it shatters. 

Wei Wuxian never thought a beep could sound disgruntled, but the one Lan Zhan makes definitely is.

“That’s alright,” Wei Wuxian says cheerfully. “That’s why we have more of these.”

He holds another vial up for Lan Zhan who reaches for it with more vigor than before. 

When he thinks the android has a good grip on it, Wei Ying lets go of the glass.

The vial explodes, little shards fly all around. Wei Ying stares at Lan Zhan’s fist clenched around a piece of glass and grinding it to dust. Then the alarm starts. Wei Wuxian looks at Lan Zhan, confused.

“Hey! It’s alright, we’ll fix that. Calm down.”

Lan Zhan, still making that awful skull-cracking sound, lets go of the shard and reaches out for Wei Wuxian’s forearm but stops before he touches him.

Only then Wei Ying realizes that the flying glass has cut his skin. There are pearls of blood over his fingers, palm and forearm.

“Oh, I’m fine, Lan Zhan! Don’t worry.” He grabs a piece of cloth and wipes the blood off. The cuts are starting to sting a little, but they are all shallow.

Lan Zhan finally stops the noise.

Wei Ying grins at him. “You were worried about me, Lan Zhan?”

Lan Zhan turns his head away and looks at his fingers.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to dig around in your head to fix that. Are your touch sensors busted too?”

He gets a beep that can only mean an angry affirmative.

Wei Ying spends a nice evening tinkering with the sensitivity of Lan Zhan’s fingers and with his touch sensors. He’s pretty sure that if he does well, Lan Zhan’s hands will be as good as a human’s in dexterity and sensitivity. It's delicate work, the kind he usually doesn't have patience for. He has a good incentive now, the one that gives him immediate feedback with various beeps.

“Alright, I think you should be as good as new now. Let’s try,” Wei Wuxian says with a satisfied smile. He moves his stool to be able to look at Lan Zhan as he picks up the last remaining vial. It doesn’t slip, doesn’t shatter. He turns it in his fingers, makes an appreciative hum, and puts it down. He moves to the testing board Wei Ying hastily threw together for him to test the touch sensors. It’s a piece of plastic with different materials glued to it inelegantly, smooth and rough and all in between.

Lan Zhan slowly moves his fingertips from a piece of cloth to a piece of sandpaper. Wei Wuxian puts his elbow on the table next to Lan Zhan and leans his head on it, watching the android enjoying his renewed sense with a pleased grin.

Lan Zhan turns to look at him. Are his eyes a bit brighter today or is it just Wei Wuxian being happy and tired? The line of his lips seems softer than usual too.

He moves slowly but smoothly, raising his hand. Wei Wuxian wonders what he’s doing for a second, then Lan WJ takes a strand of Wei Ying’s hair between two fingers.

Wei Ying holds his breath. Lan Zhan rubs his fingers together, examining the texture. Then his hand moves to Wei Ying’s face and brushes his cheek so gently it seems impossible coming from a machine. Wei Wuxian holds very still, his eyes fixed on Lan Zhan’s intent face. He wonders if Lan Zhan can feel his skin warming under his touch.

Lan Zhan presses his fingertips to Wei Ying’s lips.

The fucking alarm again. Wei Wuxian flinches so hard he almost falls off the stool.

“Lan Zhan! What the fuck? What is it this time?”

Still trying to make Wei Wuxian’s ears fall off, Lan WJ points at Wei Wuxian’s chest.

Dumbly, Wei Ying looks down as if he could see something there. When he can’t he presses his palm to his sternum. His heart is beating fast. Oh .

“My heart is fine, Lan Zhan! I swear, it’s alright.”

The silence is as deafening as the alarm has been.

Wei Ying sighs.

“Look, you can’t freak out every time I bleed or my heart rate is out of normal.”

A beep that sounds like a question.

“I was just...excited that your hand works properly.”

Yes, that’s it, that’s definitely the reason for his little palpitation. Nothing else. It has nothing to do with the fact that it was the tenderest anyone touched him in ages and it was a fucking android treating him so gently.

Lan Zhan nods and beeps.

Wei Ying smiles but it’s a little shaky.

“You are welcome.”

“Does it mean he is able to like things?” Wen Ning asks.

“I think he has preferences. There are some sensations he identifies as positive and others that are negative.” The way he touched Wei Ying’s hair was very different from how he touched the sandpaper.

“Oh, I see. So you want him to have more positive sensations,” Wen Ning says, looking down at A-Yuan, who’s carrying a little white bunny in his arms. The bunnies used to be lab subjects but now the refugees keep them as a source of meat and as pets.

“Androids get bored too, you know? They are able to process a lot of information at once. Lan Zhan doesn’t get much input in the cave so he has nothing to process. It won’t damage him if he’s idle, but it’s better if he’s not.”

“Wei Ying is so kind, treating him like a human.”

Wei Ying frowns. “He’s artificial, it doesn’t mean he’s any less sensitive than an organic being.”

Wen Ning nods, looking apologetic.

Wei Ying regrets gushing on him like that. He heard a lot of arguments about androids back in the day and he always had little tolerance for people who treated androids like things.

He finds it stupid to make something as close to humans as possible and then treat it differently than humans.

“Lan Zhan,” A-Yuan yells in lieu of a greeting and flops the bunny on the table in front of Lan Zhan.

“We bought you a friend,” the kid says when Lan WJ looks confused. As confused as possible with minimum facial expressions.

“To enjoy your renewed sensors,” Wei Ying adds an explanation.

He smiles as he watches Lan Zhan run his hand over the fur very gently. A-Yuan shows him how to scratch behind the bunny’s ears and he mimics it.

He looks at A-Yuan, at Wei Ying, back at the bunny. Then something Wei Ying deemed impossible happens. Lan Zhan’s lips curl up into the smallest of smiles. His heart quickens a little, fortunately, Lan Zhan is too busy petting the bunny to freak out again.

“Did he just smile?” Wen Ning whispers.

“I think he just learned to smile.”

Wei Ying keeps coming back to the part of the landfill where he found Lan WJ in hopes of finding other parts of him or any parts at all that he could use as a substitute. He wonders how such an advanced model as him ended up in the trash. It’s strange that no one tried to at least reuse his core.

Deep in thought and elbows deep in trash, he hears the sound of an engine. He jumps to his feet and turns, gun at the ready.

The purple color of the bike’s pulse engines gives away who the rider is. Wei Ying relaxes and grins.

“A-Cheng!” He calls and runs up to him. Jiang Cheng gets off the bike which is hovering a few feet above the ground.

“Why is it not a surprise to find you rolling in the trash?” He asks, his voice distorted by the speaker of his helmet.

“I’m not rolling in it, I’m looking for something,” Wei Ying pouts.

“Of course you are,” Jiang Cheng snorts.

“It’s good to see you,” Wei Ying says despite the jab and pulls him into a hug.

Jiang Cheng huffs but he wraps his arms around his brother.

“Let’s go inside.”

Wei Wuxian grins when he sees A-Cheng’s face in the decontamination chamber. He can see more of him since they are in nothing but their underwear. He looks as strong and healthy as ever, maybe more so than when Wei Ying saw him last, which relieves some of the guilt he constantly feels for not being able to keep an eye on his little brother. Jiang Cheng on the other hand doesn’t seem as pleased with what he sees.

“You are too thin,” he grumbles. He places his palms on Wei Ying’s cheeks and turns his head from side to side.

“Any parts falling off? Any neurological damage?” He asks, sliding his hands to Wei Ying’s shoulders and jostling him a little.

Wei Ying snorts. “A-Cheng, stop, I’m alright. How many times do I need to tell you this place is safe?”

“As many times as I find you playing with toxic waste.”

Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes, but he can’t fight back the fond smile spreading over his face.

“You know I promised Yanli to make sure you are alright,” Jiang Cheng says, his voice turning softer, more serious.

Wei Wuxian brightens up at the mention of his sister. “How is jiejie?”

Jiang Cheng takes a deep breath. He grins. “She’s with a child

“What? Really?” Wei Wuxian cries out.

Jiang Cheng nods, and Wei Ying throws himself around his neck.

“That’s wonderful news!” He says hiding his face in the crook of Jiang Cheng’s neck so he can’t see the tears in his eyes.

It’s really great news, incredible. Being able to conceive is rare these days, but of course, Yanli is the lucky one. Who else deserves it more than her?

“She’d really like to see you,” Jiang Cheng says.

Wei Wuxian pulls away and hopes Jiang Cheng doesn’t notice his sniffle.

“I’m not letting her come here, especially not now.”

“Didn’t you say this place is safe?”

“A-Cheng.”

“I know,” he sighs. “But you could visit her, you know?”

Wei Wuxian shakes his head. “I’m not risking the Jins taking the opportunity to get revenge on me.”

He was responsible for a lot of shit that happened during the war but he refuses to accept responsibility for Jin Zixun’s death. The asshole was playing a hero and was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He might have died by the hand of one of Wei Wuxian’s machines but it was his own fault.

“They wouldn’t. Jin Zixuan-“

“The peacock dislikes me as much as I dislike him. I don’t want to argue about this, there’s no point. Let’s celebrate that we are going to be uncles!” He pats Jiang Cheng’s shoulder and leads the way out of the chamber.

When she hears the news, Wen Qing orders for some special stuff to be brought from the stock to celebrate. She and Jiang Cheng dance around each other as they’ve been for years now. It’s painful to watch. The dinner is rich, there’s even sweets and alcohol, and Wei Ying has an overall good time. It’s great to catch up with Jiang Cheng, to hear about the world beyond the limits of the Burial Mounds slowly healing.

“I have something to show you!” Wei Wuxian exclaims proudly.

“I’m not sure I want to see it,” Jiang says with an exaggerated frown.

Wei Ying laughs, he’s pleasantly buzzed.

“Of course you do.”

“The last time you were this excited you were hooking your consciousness to a machine,” Jiang Cheng reminds him bitterly.

“Don’t start with that, A-Cheng. Come on, I know you’re curious.”

Jiang Cheng grabs the almost empty bottle with a disgruntled sound and follows him to the workshop.

Wei Wuxian’s heart speeds up as he opens the door. He heads straight to the table Lan Zhan is lying on. He places a hand over his core and calls his name softly to wake him from the standby mode. He resists the pull to watch as his light gets brighter and his pretty eyes open. He looks at his brother instead.

Jiang Cheng is hovering in the doorway with his eyes wide and lips parted, he’s staring at Lan WJ.

Wei Ying can tell the exact moment Lan Zhan opens his eyes because Jiang Cheng stumbles a few steps back. He holds up the bottle as if ready to defend himself with it.

“Wei Wuxian! What the fuck?”

Wei Ying hears Lan Zhan’s questioning beep and presses his palm more firmly to his chest to prevent him from freaking out.

“A-Cheng-“

“You got yourself a fucking warrior android?” Jiang Cheng yells, horrified.

Wei Ying frowns, his eyes flicker to Lan Zhan.

“That’s not what he is.”

“Of course it is! I’ve met the LANs before. They are the most advanced of their kind. Fucking killing machines!”

Wei Ying opens his mouth but he doesn’t get a chance to say anything.

“You need to get rid of this thing!”

Wei Wuxian widens his stance and squares his shoulders, he keeps touching Lan Zhan with one hand.

“He’s not a thing ,” he growls.

“Don’t you understand what danger you are putting everyone in? You know nothing about him. What if his objective is to kill everyone with Wen genes?”

Wei Wuxian’s heart skips a beat at the thought, but then he realizes it’s not possible. Lan Zhan likes Wen Yuan. 

He shakes his head vehemently. His brother is adamant, though.

“It’s like keeping a fucking bomb as a pet.”

A wave of anger washes over Wei Wuxian.

“Enough!” He shouts. “Stop talking about him like that or leave.”

Jiang Cheng huffs out a surprised sound.

“I can’t believe you,” he shakes his head. “Putting a fucking machine before people again. ”

The little word is like a stab in the chest. Before Wei Wuxian recovers, Jiang Cheng turns on his heel and stomps down the hall.

Wei Wuxian listens to his steps, frozen to the spot. When he can’t hear them anymore and the fact that his brother is really leaving dawns on him, he collapses on his stool with a heavy sigh.

He looks at Lan Zhan who’s looking at him, face as impassive as usual, but his head inclined to one side which gives off a curious vibe.

His eyes are too intense for Wei Wuxian to bear right now. He drops his head on Lan Zhan’s chest.

“Is it true, Lan Zhan? Are you a killing machine?”

He doesn’t need an answer, he already knows it. He has known for a while, but he’s been ignoring the signs. He saw where his weapons should be connected.

“It’s okay, Lan Zhan. I fought in the war too,” he says. “Neither of us wanted to kill people, right?”

Lan Zhan doesn’t respond, but he lifts his hand and runs his fingers through Wei Wuxian’s hair. For a killing machine, he really likes touching soft things.

Wei Wuxian’s smile feels melancholic as he turns his head to rest his cheek against Lan Zhan’s smooth casing. It’s warm against his skin, maybe too warm. Wei Ying will have to check out his cooling system.

Wei Wuxian finds an arm. He’s quite sure it’s from a different model, but it’s made by Gusu Robotics, so he should be able to connect it. 

Wen Ning is well enough to join him in the workshop. It’s lovely to have someone to talk and joke around with while they work. Lan Zhan doesn’t share that opinion.

“Ouch! He shocked me!” Wen Ning cries out.

“What? Must be a faulty wire,” Wei Ying says, agitated, and hurries to Wen Ning’s side.

“There’s not,” Wen Ning protests, cradling his hand against his chest. Wei Ying takes it in his hands to examine. It looks alright.

Lan Zhan makes an aggravating sound that makes both men jump. Wei Ying drops Wen Ning’s hand and looks down at Lan Zhan.

“Lan Zhan, did you hurt Wen Ning on purpose?”

Lan Zhan blinks at him, an epitome of innocence.

Wei Ying turns away and rubs his mouth to hide a smile.

“Wen Ning, I think that all the digging in his head is making him a bit sensitive. Maybe you should keep away from him. Come here, I’ll show you what else I need your help with.”

It’s not a lie. There are modules in Lan Zhan’s brain he isn’t familiar with and doesn’t understand. He needs to examine them so he doesn’t mess up as he connects new limbs. He’s also very curious about them.

He’s spending so much time in the cave these days that he decides to drag a mattress there and spends most nights in the workshop.

He finds out that the white noise Lan Zhan makes helps him fall asleep, and when he wakes from a nightmare it’s to Lan Zhan playing the little song for him, the one Wei Ying composed while fixing his arm.

It’s late at night. Wei Ying knows he’s going to hate himself when Wen Qing drags him out of the bed in the morning, but he knows trying to fall asleep would be futile. There’s strange energy running through his veins. He’s restless, twitching and fidgeting even though he keeps himself occupied.

He has Lan Zhan hooked to his computer to run a diagnostic and to look into his software.

“Wait, what’s this?” he mumbles. Lan Zhan doesn’t react, he’s not able to in this state.

It’s a memory. It shouldn’t be there. All Lan WJ’s memories should have been wiped out when he switched off. This one was tucked away though, stored on a safe drive together with essential programming. Somebody must have done that on purpose. Maybe even Lan Zhan himself.

Wei Wuxian holds his breath as he plays the memory. It feels like intruding on something private. What justifies it for Wei Ying is the possibility of the memory helping him to understand Lan Zhan, to help in fixing him.

The scene plays out on the monitor in front of Wei Ying. There’s no sound, but he can imagine it even though it’s been years since the end of the war. The memory doesn’t take place on a battlefield, though. Lan Zhan is flying over a village. His legs must have included jets then, Wei Wuxian takes a note about that. He descends in the middle of a street. There’s chaos raging all around him. Buildings are burning and collapsing, and people are running around in panic. The sight brings a bitter taste to Wei Wuxian’s mouth. The Wens never shied away from attacking civilians.

The moment Lan Zhan appears, the villagers’ behavior changes. They flock around him like chickens. Wei Ying doesn’t need to hear them to know what they are chanting.

Hanguang-Jun.

“Jiang Cheng was wrong!” Wei Ying shouts when he barges into Wen Qing’s office.

She looks up from bandaging granny Wen’s hand. She looks disgruntled, but before she manages to kick him out, he continues.

“Lan Zhan isn’t a soldier. He's a search and rescue!”

Wen Qing blinks and straightens, she looks interested.

“It makes so much more sense,” Wei Ying exclaims excitedly. He walks to and fro to burn the excess energy. “He’s built like a human but without the parts that would get damaged too easily like skin or hair. And he has an empathy module! Why would a soldier need that?”

Wen Qing shakes her head. “I share your excitement about not having a killing machine in the basement, but what does it mean for us?”

Wei Ying sighs. She’s always so practical, always judging someone’s worth by their usefulness.

“It means that he’s actually used to dealing with people, to taking care of them. His job was to evacuate the inhabitants of attacked places and find a safe place for them. He has advanced sensors, he can help us get the bunker back in shape.”

Wen Qing nods and a small smile appears on her lips.

“Sounds good.”

“Yeah,” Wei Ying sighs out. “I’m sorry for interrupting you. I just needed to share it with someone,” he says and turns to leave.

“Wei Ying,” she stops him, “It’s been a while since you were this excited about anything. I’m happy for you.”

Wei Ying gapes at her, his throat tightening with emotion. He coughs to clear it.

“Thank you Qing-jie.”

He thinks about it as he walks back towards the cave.

He’s been a mess after the war. His physical injuries weren’t severe, but being shunned from society and having to hide away because he protected the Wens took a toll on his psyche. On top of that, he was eaten by guilt for what happened to Wen Ning and other operators. He spent days and nights trying to help Wen Ning. He wasn’t eating or sleeping until he collapsed from exhaustion. He wasn’t talking to anyone but Wen Qing, and that was only because she assisted him with the medical stuff. Once Wen Ning was able to stand up on his new feet, Wei Wuxian felt nothing but emptiness. He was grateful to Wen Qing for taking over restoring the Burial Mounds to a habitable place. He pushed his weight but he was only going through the motions. He can see it now. He guesses he really has to thank Lan Zhan.

He walks into the workshop and the android looks at him. He waves his new hand, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Wei Wuxian’s heart beats stronger than in months.

“I’m going to get you some legs,” he says.

“No fucking way!”Jiang Cheng yells at him from the screen.

“I’m not calling to get your permission. I’m calling so you… know in case something happens.”

Jiang Cheng huffs angrily. “You mean if you don’t come back.”

“I’m not stupid, I know it’s dangerous.”

“But you are still risking it for that thing .”

“I’m disconnecting. Bye, Jiang Cheng!”

“No, wait!”

Wei Wuxian meets his brother’s eyes through the screen. The connection is shitty here so he’s a bit smudged and shaky, but Wei Ying can still make out his trademark frown as he’s pondering about whatever he’s planning to say.

“I’m going with you to Cloud Recesses.”

Chapter Text

The Gusu Robotics headquarters in Cloud Recesses was destroyed by the Wens during the war.

Wei Wuxian has been there once before as a robotics student. It used to be beautiful. Hi-tech buildings so tall their tops were shrouded in the white fluffy clouds making justice to its name. Glass and metal glistening in the sun were giving the place an ethereal look.

The Cloud Recess always valued beauty and knowledge the most. They only started to make soldiers during the war. Before they used their advanced AI in educators, healers and other androids made to help people.

They built beautiful hanging gardens and a huge educational center here in Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian remembers the awe he felt when he first came here. His heart aches when he sees the current state of the place.

The buildings have collapsed, the gardens are burnt and withered, and the clouds gathering above the ruins are heavy and gray.

“Do you really think we can find something useful here?” Jiang Cheng asks. He sounds anxious. They traveled by using Wei Ying’s fierce corpses, which always makes Jiang Cheng nauseous even though he doesn’t admit it. He protested against using them for other reasons, and he was right. If anyone saw them, they would recognize the hated Yiling Patriarch. That’s why Wei Wuxian doesn’t use them often. Also, there’s the thing about them causing neurological damage to everyone but Wei Ying. Well, Wen Qing insisted his brain was damaged too but headaches and nightmares couldn’t compare to losing control over one’s limbs, right? She protested too. As usual, Wei Ying didn’t listen.

“I’m sure about it,” he replies. “But we have to be careful. Some of the security systems might still be functioning.”

That’s why he insisted on bringing his droids with him. 

He walks through what used to be the gardens. The two huge robots shadow him, mimicking his every move.

Jiang Cheng stays close by his side, looking skittishly around.

They spend some time figuring out which building used to be the lab. The fierce corpses are digging through debris for them.

“This looks like a good way inside. Seems stable enough,” Wei Ying assesses.

It’s dark inside so they turn on the lights on their suits and on the fierce corpses. It gives the hall an eerie look. There’s a wide white staircase leading up, but the higher floors have collapsed so it leads to nowhere. There’s glass and mortar scattered everywhere. Several hallways lead from the hall, but some of them are blocked by debris. The light doesn’t reach the far corners so it’s hard to tell what’s hiding in the shadows.

“This is creepy,” Jiang Cheng mutters.

“Do you want me to hold your hand?” Wei Ying asks with a grin.

Jiang Chengs makes a rude gesture. Wei Ying laughs. It drowns in a noise that makes them both jump.

“Is the building collapsing?” Jiang Cheng asks as they turn back to back, guns at the ready.

“I don’t-” A shadow runs over the walls, making him choke back the rest of the sentence.

There’s a flutter of white almost glowing in the light of the flashlights as something attacks one of the fierce corpses. Wei Ying does his best to fend off the attack and use the corpse’s massive body to shield him and Jiang Cheng.

The corpse shoots a few rounds, which effectively makes the attacker back off.

In another flash of white, the attacker lands in front of them, not out of shooting range but out of reach.

It’s a man. He’s wearing long floaty robes as if he stepped out of ancient times. His hair is long and pitch black, arranged artfully with a silver headpiece at the top of his head. He’s wielding a long sword. No, he’s not holding it in his hand. It is his hand. He’s not a man. 

Wei Ying can see it clearly now. There’s a long nasty scratch on his cheek but instead of blood, there’s the same smooth and shiny surface of Lan Zhan’s body glistening inside the gash.

“You are trespassing on the Gusu Robotics property. Leave now,” the android says, but his voice is too smooth to be threatening.

“We come in peace!” Wei Ying calls from behind the fierce corpse.

“Then why are you armed?” 

“To protect ourselves,” Wei Ying explains patiently. “This place has been ruined. We didn’t know what we could run into.”

“We expected to run into some jerk,” Jiang Cheng mutters. Wei Ying pokes him with his elbow and makes him hiss.

The android seems unsure. His face is much more expressive than Lan Zhan’s and it’s not just the artificial skin. He looks similar though. His features have the same exaggerated beauty to them.

“What did you come here for if you knew the place was ruined? Did you come to loot?” He asks and shifts into a defensive stance, his sword pointed. It trembles slightly though. There’s something off with the android.

“Well, actually…” Jiang Cheng whispers.

“We came for something, yes,” Wei Ying admits, trying to keep his voice calm and soothing. “But our intentions aren’t malicious.”

“You came to steal. How is that not malicious?” judging by his raised voice, the android is losing his patience. His face and left arm twitch. He’s defected.

“Let me explain,” Wei Wuxian says in a placating tone. “What if we put down our weapons and speak in peace?”

The android hesitates, eyeing the two droids. Wei Wuxian makes them lower their guns and back off. The strange looking guardian of the place lowers his blade and lets it retreat back into his arm.

“My name is Wei Wuxian,” he says and takes a step closer. “This is my brother Jiang Cheng.”

Jiang Cheng gives the android a nod as artificial eyes give him a long interested look.

“Do you have a name?” Wei Wuxian asks gently.

“I’m Lan XC 0810,” he says, then lowers his eyes. “But people used to call me Lan Xichen.”

Now when Wei Wuxian can observe him uninterrupted, he notices all the signs of Lan Xichen’s damage. He twitches uncontrollably and one of his eyes looks shattered.

Wei Wuxian smiles. “Nice to meet you, Lan Xichen. The reason we came here is that we recently met someone like you.”

The android raises an eyebrow in a very human-like manner.

“Lan WJ 2301.”

“Oh,” Lan Xichen lets out very softly. “I thought we were all destroyed.” It’s barely more than a whisper.

“I found him very damaged, he lost almost all his limbs and had some internal damage too. I’m trying to fix him.”

Lan Xichen nods, his expression determined.

“What do you need?”

“Two legs compatible with his model, a voice box and an eye.”

The android stares at him in silence for a long moment.

“If there are any parts left, I know where to find them. Follow me.”

Lan Xichen shows them a safe way through the complex. He seems to trust them but is wary of the fierce corpses.

“Are those…”

“War droids. Controlled by the cerebral interface, yes. We brought them for protection.”

“You were fighting in the war,” Lan Xichen assumes.

“We did, but we were on the right side, don’t worry. My brother even fought alongside some Lans, right, A-Cheng?”

Lan Xichen turns to Jiang Cheng and only receives a frown as a reply.

“You don’t look like a part of the security system,” Jiang Cheng says sharply.

Lan Xichen drops his gaze looking almost bashful.

“I’m not,” he sighs. “But I’m the last one left. I took it upon myself to guard this place. It’s my home,” he sounds so mournful it’s breaking his heart. Even Jiang Cheng’s expression softens upon hearing about the android’s sorrowful fate. He knows what it's like to have one’s home destroyed.

“What was your original occupation then?” Jiang Cheng asks.

Lan Xichen’s face brightens. “I was an archivist,” he says proudly, “and a museum guide.”

“That explains the clothes,” Jiang Cheng notes.

Lan Xichen holds up one hand, long sleeve swinging in the air, the embroidered hem is ripped.

“The kids used to like it,” he says sadly.

It’s too much for Wei Wuxian to bear. He stops in his tracks and turns at Lan Xichen.

“Lan Xichen. You should come with us,” he says firmly. He’s faced with two surprised glares.

“But I’m useless. Damaged,” Xichen protests in a small voice. 

“I can fix you,” Wei Ying says confidently. 

“But I-”

“Look, you are not a guard,” Wei Ying cuts him off. “This is not what you are supposed to do,” he says, spreading his arms to indicate the ruins surrounding them.

“You are an educator. There are kids where we came from and everybody could profit from the information stored in your memory.”

Lan Xichen nods. “I guess you are right,” he says humbly. “I have the whole archive saved on my drive after all.”

“Holy shit,” Jiang Cheng breathes out.

They end up finding more than Wei Ying wished for - parts for both Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen as well as components that will help upgrade Wen Ning’s legs and some essential systems of the bunker. They take as much as they can carry. When they are ready to leave, Wei Wuxian pauses as something catches his attention. It’s not a part that Lan Zhan was supposed to have by design, nor one that he needs, but Wei Ying thinks he might like it. He stuffs it into his backpack with a small smile on his face.

Lan Xichen hesitates when they walk out of the building complex, a melancholic expression on his face.

To Wei Wuxian’s surprise, Jiang Cheng places a comforting hand on the android’s shoulder.

Lan Xichen turns to him and smiles. He gives a minute nod and follows the two men and two war droids to Burial Mounds.

“Wei Wuxian! Are you kidding me?” Wen Qing groans when she sees the android taking his new surroundings in with huge eyes. “You need to stop bringing in every half-functioning android you find.”

“I’m sorry, madam,” Lan Xichen says in the smooth and polite tone of his, “but I’m fully functioning. There’s just small damage on some of my systems that Wei-gongzi promised to fix.” As if on cue, Lan Xichen’s head swivels violently.

Wen Qing gapes at him, surprised by the android talking to her like that.

“I don’t want to be a burden to your settlement. All I wish for is to offer my service.”

Wen Qing frowns but she seems unable to resist Lan Xichen’s charm.

“And what services can you offer?” She asks.

“I’m an educator. I have the whole historical archive of the Gusu Cloud Recesses educational center saved on my drive.”

Wen Qing’s eyes widen comically. “All of it?”

“Yes,” Lan Xichen says with a nod as if it wasn’t one of the biggest treasures these days due to the war wiping out a lot of historical records. “But I can do a lot of work and don’t need food or rest. I can go out with no need for protective gear and…”

“Alright, alright,” she cuts him off with a raised hand. “You can stay.” 

She turns to Wei Wuxian, who’s been listening to their conversation with a smile on his face and his arms crossed on his chest. 

“You are responsible for him.”

“Sure,” he grins. “Lan Xichen, let’s go to my workshop, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

When they enter the cave, Lan Zhan is awake, playing checkers with A-Yuan and apparently letting him win, which is a show of empathy not even all humans Wei Wuxian knows would be capable of. He raises his head when he hears them entering and becomes very still. There are no words, not even a beep coming from either of the androids. Lan Xichen crosses the room in a few long strides. He leans down to Lan Zhan and the two press their foreheads together. 

Wei Wuxian doesn’t know what the two are communicating between them, but when they are done, Lan Xichen is smiling.

“Lan Zhan says I’m very lucky that I have been taken here.”

Lan Zhan insists that Wei Ying fixes Lan Xichen first. It might be just his caretaker programming, but Wei Ying likes to believe it’s his personality. 

With two functioning hands, he’s able to assist Wei Wuxian and they replace Lan Xichen’s eye and connect it correctly in record time. 

Lan Xichen is very different from Lan Zhan. He’s chattering all the time, sharing stories, and asking questions in his soothing voice. Wen Yuan spends all the time he’s allowed in the cave, watching Wei Ying work and listening to Lan Xichen. He doesn’t seem to imprint on him the way he did on Lan Zhan, though. Even Jiang Cheng seems lured in by Lan Xichen and sticks around the bunker for longer than usual.

It would be more logical, more practical, to connect Lan Zhan's legs first. But Wei Ying has a long history of making irrational decisions and this is one of them. He starts with the voicebox. 

Lan Xichen offers help, but Wei Ying sends him off with Jiang Cheng to check out the bunker's defense systems and outer sensors. There have been strange flares on the cameras which might be anything, really, but Wei Ying wants to be sure no one's trying to hurt his little refugee community. 

The other reason is that he feels there's something intimate about giving Lan Zhan his voice back. He wants to do it alone.

They've been communicating for weeks now, in beeps, in looks, in gestures and touches. Wei Ying prides himself on being able to understand Lan Zhan's meaning without words. The idea of Lan Zhan being able to vocalize his thoughts gives him a thrill anyway.

Wei Ying tries out the voicebox first, and finds out it’s fully functioning. He sets up the voice to Lan Zhan's liking. He connects it to Lan Zhan's system and runs a few testing words through it. None of that prepares him for the first time Lan Zhan speaks on his own.

Wei Ying sits down on his bench, facing Lan Zhan, and gives him a little nod. He's nervous. Surprisingly, the android seems a bit unsure too.

Wei Ying smiles reassuringly, when he hesitates.

Lan Zhan closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them, they seem even brighter than before.

"Wei Ying."

Lan Zhan doesn't speak much even now when he can. Wei Ying doesn't care, he's not actually surprised that Lan Zhan isn't as chatty as Lan Xichen. It's enough to know he can speak when he needs to. And if the only thing he ever said was Wei Ying's name, it would be worth the effort. It's incredible how much emotion he can put into those two syllables.

"You are smitten by an android," Wen Qing says over dinner.

Wei Ying frowns. "I'm just happy he's doing alright. He was in a really sorry state and he'll soon be able to function to his full potential."

"If by his full potential you mean fixing the life support and weeding radishes in the hydroponic garden, then sure."

"Why do you always need to be so cynical?"

She shrugs with a small lopsided smile and puts down her chopsticks. "Might be something in the air," she says as she stands up and grabs the empty dishes.

"Haha," Wei Ying mutters.

“There’s something else I brought for you from Cloud Recesses,” Wei Ying says hesitantly. “I’m not sure you will like it.”

“What is it?” Lan Zhan asks. His voice still gives Wei Ying chills even after days of hearing it.

“Hold this,” Wei Ying says instead of a reply and hands Lan Zhan a mirror. Lan Zhan accepts it, frowning as if the concept of a mirror is foreign to him. Wei Ying pushes his hand up so the mirror is in front of his face.

“Like this. Now close your eyes.”

Only when he’s sure Lan Zhan isn’t looking, does he pull out the special part he took from the Gusu Robotics’ labs. The hair is long and dark, just like Lan Xichens. Wei Ying wonders if it was for the same model as it was for a female android, but he’s sure it will suit Lan Zhan well. He carefully arranges the wig on Lan Zhan’s head and smooths it down over his shoulders.

“You can look now,” he says, voice trembling slightly.

Lan Zhan opens his eyes and his mechanical pupils dilate.

“Hair?” he says.

Wei Ying’s stomach lurches. He was sure Lan Zhan would like it, but it sounds far from that.

“Yeah. Do you like it?”

“Do you?”

Wei Ying frowns in confusion. “Yeah, it looks good on you, but that doesn’t matter. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t like it.”

“Wei Ying likes it, so I will wear it.”

Wei Ying sighs. They were looking at each other through the mirror as they talked, so now he takes the mirror from Lan Zhan’s hand and puts it down. Lan Zhan looks at him.

“Look. Lan Zhan. You don’t have to do anything because I like it. This was supposed to be a gift. You like soft things and you touch my hair all the time, so I thought you would like it.”

“You didn’t bring it because you don’t like how I look without hair?”

Wei Wuxian huffs out a laugh. “No. Lan Zhan, I think you are beautiful with or without hair.”

Lan Zhan blinks, then averts his eyes. He slowly raises the mirror and examines his reflection. With his free hand, he brushes the long strands of his new hair.

“I think I do like it,” he says, then pauses.

“What is it, Lan Zhan?”

“Can I still touch your hair?”

Wei Ying laughs despite his cheeks burning. “Of course, Lan Zhan.”

“Hm. Thank you Wei Ying,” he says, putting down the mirror. 

The Cave is a much livelier place these days, filled with voices and laughter. 

Wei Ying looks at Lan Xichen and Wen Ning discussing the best way to connect the legs to Lan Zhan's severed wiring while Lan Zhan braids Wen Yuan's hair. The boy is sitting on the edge of the table, swinging his legs and cuddling a bunny.

Wei Ying gives himself a moment to just watch them and his chest feels full to bursting with warmth and light.

It's equally nice when the others leave and it's just him and Lan Zhan. Wei Ying has officially moved to the cave and turned part of it into a bedroom. Late at night, when Lan Zhan tells him he's going to shock him if he doesn't stop working and doesn't get some rest, Wei Ying reads to him from the few books they downloaded from Lan Xichen’s memory or they talk. It's easy to talk to Lan Zhan. It doesn't matter if Wei Ying feels like talking about his childhood in Yunmeng or the war. Lan Zhan always listens tentatively and never judges. Wei Ying isn't sure if his programming doesn't let him or if he just doesn't want to. Either way, it's nice to finally be able to talk about the things he's too ashamed to tell anybody else.

Once his legs are connected, Lan Zhan is offered to share a room with Xichen or to get his own. He chooses to stay in the Cave. He says he's used to it but Wei Ying secretly hopes it's their evenings together that he's staying for.

Wei Ying's mind is shattered into million pieces but he keeps pushing on. Each piece of his mind cuts through the enemy lines like a blade. Mechanical bodies are blown apart in front of his many many eyes. There are biological bodies too, the only difference is that those are even messier as Wei Ying tears them apart with his many many hands.

He reaches for one, it's struggling as he lifts it off the ground. It turns its head towards him and he sees its face. It's Jiang Yanli's face. Jiang Yanli screams as he tears her apart. 

Some part of Wei Ying's mind is screaming too.

The other parts reach for other bodies. Jiang Cheng. Wen Ning. Wen Qing.

They are all screaming. Wei Ying is screaming too. So loud he doesn't hear his name being called.

He grabs another body.

Somebody jerks him so hard that all the scattered parts of Wei Ying's mind come back together.

"WEI YING!" 

Wei Wuxian wakes with a gasp. For a moment he thinks he's still on the battlefield. He somehow got out of his suit and is just a vulnerable flesh, easy to tear apart. Then the blue light shining through the dark pierces the fog in his head and he realizes it's Lan Zhan crouching by his bed, gripping his shoulders firmly.

"Wei Ying."

Wei Ying closes his eyes and feels warm tears slipping from between his lashes. He can't see the comforting blue light with his eyes closed though so he opens them even though it means looking into Lan Zhan's concerned face.

He's so pathetic he even made an android concerned.

"I'm alright, Lan Zhan," he says but it comes out too raspy to sound convincing. He puts his clammy palm on one of Lan Zhan's still gripping his shoulders. Lan Zhan understands the gesture and lets go of him, but he doesn't get up. Wei Ying makes space for him so he can sit on the edge of the bed, stretching his brand new legs in front of him. He's still getting used to them.

"It was just a nightmare," Wei Ying says. His heart is already beating at a normal pace.

Lan Zhan frowns. "Obviously I never experienced it myself, but I'm familiar with the concept and it sounds uncomfortable."

Wei Ying lets out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, it can fuck one up pretty badly."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Wei Ying sighs. "Not really. It was the war again. I was... I was hurting people I love."

"But you would never hurt anyone you love," Lan Zhan says with such conviction Wei Ying has to avert his eyes.

"You shouldn't be so sure about that."

"I am."

Wei Ying looks at him. His eyes are glowing dimly and he looks like he's ready to punch anyone who talks badly about Wei Ying including Wei Ying himself. 

It’s impossible to fight back the smile curling up Wei Ying's lips.

"Thank you for waking me up."

"You were screaming. I was worried."

"I'm sorry, I'm alright now." Wei Ying gives him his best reassuring smile and pats his hand. Lan Zhan seems like he's pondering saying something but what he settles on is a simple: "You should go back to sleep."

In a long exhale Wei Ying lets out a tension that has built up in his chest.

"Yeah. You are right, Lan Zhan. Goodnight and thank you again."

Lan Zhan nods. He's about to push himself up on his feet but freezes instead.

"Lan Zhan?"

There's an ugly whirring sound as Lan Zhan tries to bend his knees but nothing happens.

"I think something's wrong," he says way too calmly for someone who can't move his legs.

It's alright, Wei Ying can be agitated for both of them. He bolts upright. 

"What is it? The connectivity? Is something jammed?"

Lan Zhan turns at him and pushes him back on the mattress.

"Don't bother about it now. You need to sleep. You can fix me in the morning."

"And what are you going to do? Crawl?"

Lan Zhan tilts his head as if he's considering that as an option. Wei Ying slaps his chest.

"No way!" He protests. The truth is that without Wen Ning's or Lan Xichen's help he won't be able to get Lan Zhan back on the table and he doesn't want to rouse half of the bunker in the middle of the night.

"Stay here," he says eventually.

Lan Zhan raises an eyebrow.

Wei Ying scoots farther to the side.

"Just lay here with me. It doesn't matter where you go into standby mode, does it?"

Lan Zhan looks at the mattress. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Wei Ying waves him off. "The mattress is wide enough. Come on, lay down."

With Wei Ying's help. Lan Zhan lies next to him. 

He was right. It is uncomfortable but for an utterly different reason.

Even when he squeezes his eyes firmly shut, Wei Ying is hyperaware of the body next to him. Of the warmth he emanates, the slow rise and fall of his chest, the pulse of his core, the gentle whirring.

"Wei Ying?" Despite Lan Zhan's soft tone, Wei Ying almost jumps out of his skin.

"Lan Zhan?"

"Your heartbeat. Are you nervous?"

This is getting annoying. Wei Ying sighs. He focuses on the dark ceiling as he answers.

"Well, you know, sharing a bed is a bit... intimate for humans."

He feels Lan Zhan shift, he feels his eyes on him. He doesn't dare to turn his head.

"Hm. So you are nervous because I'm not human."

Wei Ying's face crumples. "No!" he turns and meets Lan Zhan's eyes. This was all a huge mistake. "It's not like that."

"What is it then? Please explain, Wei Ying."

Wei Ying closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath. He's a fucking war hero, he can do this, he can be brave.

"It's because when someone has some... secret feelings for the other. It's hard to hide while sharing a bed."

Here, it's out. Wei Ying keeps his eyes closed. His heart is beating so fast he's surprised Lan Zhan is not trying to give him first aid for a heart attack.

Lan Zhan doesn't react at all. It seems that Wei Ying's meaning flew over his pretty android head and for a moment, Wei Ying feels almost relieved.

Then he feels Lan Zhan's hand gently tugging a strand of hair behind his ear.

"Wei Ying?"

"Hm?" He doesn't want to open his eyes but he knows Lan Zhan is waiting for it.

When he meets the golden stare his heart stops for a change.

"Wei Ying, do you wish I was human?"

It's so soft, yet so urgent Wei Ying feels the words hitting him with a physical force. 

The answer pops up in his head in an instant. Indisputable and unshakable. Still, he forces himself to give Lan Zhan's question a proper consideration. The question and the one asking it deserve more than Wei Ying's knee-jerk reaction.

He looks at Lan Zhan and thinks. He tries to imagine what it would be like. Skin instead of metal and synthetics, heartbeat instead of the pulse of his core, eyes that don't glow and can't read his physiological functions.

He comes to a conclusion and pushes himself up on his elbow so he can look at Lan Zhan properly as he delivers his answer.

"No," he says firmly. "I don't wish you were human, but I wouldn't mind if you were."

Lan Zhan frowns in confusion. Wei Ying shakes his head to get his thoughts in order.

"I mean... it doesn't matter to me whether you are human or android. I like you. You. I like you for how kind you are. I know you are programmed to care, but you are not programmed to pet rabbits, to let A-Yuan win in checkers, to tug my hair behind my ear. I like you for the way you smile when you find something amusing, for the way you frown when I tease you, for the way you approach the world without prejudice."

Lan Zhan is smiling now. The almost imperceptible curve of his mouth makes Wei Ying warm all over.

"Those things might be different if you were born human. Or not. I don't know. I know I like you, Lan Zhan."

Lan Zhan nods as if he was just faced with a fact that he's not supposed to discuss.

"Wei Ying?"

Wei Ying nods, holding his breath.

"What do people do in bed to express their feelings for each other?"

Wei Ying huffs out a laugh. 

"Uhm...cuddle?" he says hoping Lan Zhan won't notice him blushing.

"Can we cuddle?"

"Yes," Wei Ying breathes out. "Yes, we can cuddle."

Wei Ying settles against Lan Zhan's chest and lets him wrap his arms around him. His body is very firm, but not uncomfortable.

"Your heartbeat is still very fast," Lan Zhan says, sounding disgruntled.

"I'm excited," Wei Ying says. "It will wear out."

"I want you to stay excited," Lan Zhan protests and Wei Ying chuckles.

"I meant that my heart will calm down. I'm going to sleep," he says, wiggling a little before he closes his eyes.

Lan Zhan runs his hand through Wei Ying's hair, making him purr.

"Sing to me, Lan Zhan," he mutters, not really expecting Lan Zhan to grant his wish. Lan Zhan does though. He hums a simple melody, one that Wei Ying recognizes as the first he hummed to Lan Zhan all those months ago. It sounds beautiful in Lan Zhan's deep voice and Wei Ying gently succumbs to sleep. 

Wei Wuxian wakes from the best sleep he got in ages. There were no nightmares, no twitching limbs, no bugging thoughts, just a warm body by his side and strong arms around him. Those strong arms tighten when he wiggles and he lets out a satisfied hum.

"Lan Zhan? Did you have a good night?"

"Hm. Hearing your heartbeat is calming."

Wei Wuxian's heartbeat reacts violently to those words. "Um, I... I slept well too. You are kinda comfortable," he jokes and pats the casting on Lan Zhan's chest. 

Lan Zhan hums, it's deep and very human and Wei Ying wants to stay in this bed with him forever.

"You should get up and go get breakfast," Lan Zhan says as if in reaction to his thoughts.

"Hmpf, I don't wanna," Wei Ying says petulantly and hides his face in the crook of Lan Zhan's neck. Lan Zhan runs his hand through Wei Ying's hair, then down along his spine. Wei Ying freezes as the touch sends a spark of electricity to the part of his body that is dangerously close to Lan Zhan's thigh. Before he has a chance to move away, Lan Zhan's hand travels even lower and pinches Wei Wuxian's ass cheek.

"Ouch!" Wei Ying squeals, bolting up. He scowls down at Lan Zhan, who looks on the verge of laughter. It's so surprising it gives Wei Wuxian a moment's pause, but when his brain connects again, he slaps Lan Zhan's chest.

"How cruel, Lan Zhan!" he complains in a childish voice. He folds his arms and pouts petulantly. "Now I'm hurt and can't go to breakfast. You will have to stay here with me and cuddle me until I feel better."

"Hm." Lan Zhan nods, and Wei Ying's heart leaps in excitement. It dies with Lan Zhan's next words. "Or I can drag you to the dining hall."

Wei Ying watches in shock as Lan Zhan puts one arm under his bent knees and one under his arms and heaves him up with no strain. He yelps a little and wraps his arms around Lan Zhan's neck. He reluctantly looks down. Lan Zhan is tall which means Wei Ying is too high above the floor for his liking. He presses his face into Lan Zhan's chest instead. It's much better. He likes Lan Zhan's chest. He decides he's going to spend as much time pressed against it as possible.

"Wait!" he says when the mushy fog in his brain gives way to rational thought. "Your legs were jammed last night!"

Lan Zhan pauses with his hand on the door of the workshop.

"Lan Zhan! You lied!"

Lan Zhan meets his eyes with a defiant expression. "I think my legs got better over the night. Must be Wei Ying's closeness."

Wei Ying huffs out a laugh and slaps Lan Zhan's chest again.

"You are lying right now!" And joking which is maybe more impressive. "You are not supposed to lie."

"I'm supposed to observe and learn human behavior. You lie all the time. Even Wen Qing lies when she thinks it's for a good cause."

Wei Ying huffs out an astonished laugh and shakes his head. "You are incredible, Lan Zhan."

"Thank you. Wei Ying is incredible too."

Squealing pathetically, Wei Ying hides his face again, it's really becoming a habit. 

He forces himself to take a calming breath and lifts his eyes up to Lan Zhan's face.

"Lan Zhan?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want to learn another human habit? One to...um...show feelings?"

"Mn."

“Put me down and I'll show you."

When he has his feet firmly on the ground, Wei Ying gently cups Lan Zhan's cheek with his palm earning himself an unsure frown. He pulls Lan Zhan down and stretches himself on his tiptoes. He presses his lips to Lan Zhan's other cheek.

The android doesn't react. He doesn't even straighten up. It almost seems as if he shut down.

"Lan Zhan?"

Lan Zhan blinks, then he sighs out a little "Oh," and finally straightens up.

"I think I liked that."

"Good," Wei Ying says with a grin, "because I intend to do it again. I intend to do it often if it's alright with you."

"Mn."

Wei Ying's grin grows bigger. He grabs Lan Zhan's hand and leads him to the dining hall. There's extra spring to his steps.

Things are good. They are the best since long before the war. With the two androids working tirelessly the repairs of the bunker go faster than it's breaking down. 

Wen Qing seems more at ease. Jiang Cheng visits more often. There's some negotiation with the Jins and Wei Wuxian can call Jiang Yanli without fear.

He falls asleep in a firm embrace every night knowing that if nightmares come for him, there is someone to pull him back.

It's wonderful.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Wen Qing asks teasingly. They recently started movie nights thanks to Lan Xichen's archive. The movie is about to start in a few minutes and almost everyone is already settled in their place.

"He...um, he's not my boyfriend," Wei Wuxian mutters, his ears burning.

"Oh, sure," Wen Qing says with a crooked smile and turns towards the wall that the movie is projected onto. Wei Ying keeps staring at her until he's startled by Lan Zhan sitting down on the seat next to him.

Wei Ying grins at him to mask his insecurity. "Lan Zhan! You are finally here, I was afraid you got lost."

Lan Zhan doesn't look at him. "The movie is starting," he says dryly.

Wei Ying gets through the movie night with a sense of unease that only grows bigger when they settle down to sleep.

He's already lying when Lan Zhan sits on the edge of the bed, his back to Wei Ying, and doesn't move. It reminds Wei Wuxian of the first time they shared a bed and for a moment he stupidly hopes Lan Zhan's legs are jammed. He's suspicious that it would be better than what's going to come.

"Lan Zhan?" he prompts because he can't stand the suspense. He brushes his fingertips softly against Lan Zhan's back offering comfort as much as seeking it.

"Wei Ying," it's almost a sigh. "What am I to you?"

In any of the catastrophic scenarios that have been playing out in Wei Ying's head, Lan Zhan didn't ask this.

"What?" Wei Ying frowns in confusion. He sits up and shifts so he can look Lan Zhan in the eyes. 

"What am I to you, Wei Ying? You told Wen Qing I'm not your boyfriend."

"Oh."

"Is it because I'm an android? Is there an equivalent for our relationship? Or is our relationship of entirely different nature and I just misunderstood the signs you gave off?"

"You did not!" Wei Ying cuts him off with a sense of panic. "Of course you did not, Lan Zhan, it's just..."

"What?" he asks impatiently.

"It would be rude to call you my boyfriend without... without discussing it with you first."

"Oh."

Wei Ying feels a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He heaves a deep breath and takes Lan Zhan's hand into both of his.

"Lan Zhan, would you like to be my boyfriend?"

It might be just a play of Wei Ying's imagination or Lan Zhan's core shines a bit brighter as he answers.

"Yes, Wei Ying, I do."