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Wei Wuxian was confused.
He'd woken up in the Cloud Recesses’ library, which wasn't so weird by itself, except that he'd been pretty sure that his punishment had still been in session and Lan Wangji would never have allowed him to nap. Besides, he didn't remember falling asleep. His body felt off too, in ways he couldn't explain.
The papers in front of him were ones he could not recognise too, something about a travel talisman, though they seemed to be about the creating process of it and not the complete thing. Interesting, but odd.
"Wei Ying?" A deep voice called before he could explore more.
It was... It was Lan Wangji, or at least that's who he thought it should be. Wei Wuxian recognised that face, and was sure that no one else was able to do such a solemn expression. Yet, he was too different to ignore. Taller, broader, clearly a man where the Lan Wangji he has just been with was still a boy.
"Lan Zhan?"
Lan Wangji smiled. Wei Wuxian was sure this must be a dream. "Are you still asleep, Wei Ying?"
Then he did something that had him stunned into stillness. He came up to him, put a hand on his shoulder, leaned down, and kissed his forehead. Natural and so so fond he could have melted from how warm it made him feel.
"I- uh- what?"
This time his reaction made Lan Wangji's eyes narrow in what he thought was concern. "Is everything okay?"
"Hm... I don't know what's happening. Are you really, Lan Zhan?"
He rested a hand on his forehead then, his concern became even more noticeable, so much that Wei Wuxian was finding it odd to see. Lan Wangji was rarely that open with his emotions around him, and when he was, anger was all he had to show him. "You do not have a fever."
"I'm not sick! You're the one who's all..." he gestured vaguely to him. "Old."
"I am old?"
"Yeah! I was just writing lines and then I guess I fell asleep and you showed up looking like that! Why am I even explaining this... This is surely a dream."
That seemed to displease Lan Wangji the most of everything he had said, and faster than he could comprehend he was being pulled to his feet and led somewhere. When asked, all the answer he got was a curt "Healer".
Wei Wuxian had the impression this was not, in fact, a dream. Am I sick? Did I somehow forget years of my life?
He worried himself about this matter all through the checkup process, short as it had been. The healer had been worried too, when Lan Wangji had said something was wrong with his memory, but after a short examination she had determined him to be under the effects of a spell, a temporary issue that would pass on its own when it lost effect. Which was good news, even though they didn't know what the talisman did, what with it apparently being one of hsi new inventions.
Thinking back to the work he'd read back in the library, Wei Wuxian came to a bewildering conclusion. "I think I time traveled."
With his eyes alone, Lan Wangji asked him a question. "It's just that the papers were all about travel and the prototype had something about visualizing where you wanted to go and…" he delved into his explanation as they left the healing pavilion, choosing to keep his focus on that while he sorted out his other questions.
For his part, Lan Wangji listened attentively, never once complaining about how much he was babbling. It was nice, not many people would hear about his theories like this.
Only once he was done did he choose to comment. "Wei Ying is truly brilliant, to have figured out so much already."
His heart fluttered. Too much! Lan Zhan is far too much!
"How can you say things like that?!"
"It is only the truth."
"Lan Zhaaaan, you can't do this to me. You hate me! I'm- I'm pathetic and ridiculous and full of nonsense remember? You were calling me those things just a moment ago! How come you grow up to be so…" Wei Wuxian couldn't bring himself to finish. What would he say? Nice? That wasn't enough to describe it. Kind? Gentle? Loving? Anything he said would've been too embarrassing!
Lan Wangji offered him an amused look, "I would not be so dismissive with my husband."
"Husband?"
This isn't a prank, is it? No, Lan Zhan kissed me back then before he knew I was from the past… But is this really possible? Do I really get to marry him? Even though I never thought this was something I wanted before, it's not something unpleasant to think about.
"Mm."
"You're not pranking me are you?"
"No."
Well, then.
They made their way through an unfamiliar small path in the hills of the Cloud Recesses, and Wei Wuxian was so distracted that he almost didn't notice the small, white balls of fluff scattered around. Upon sitting down, they moved towards them, hopping excitedly in greeting.
"Bunnies?"
He hadn't questioned where he was being taken to, but he'd never expect their walk to end in a field full of bunnies of all things.
"Wei Ying gave me a pair around the time his punishment ended, more came after."
"Oh."
Does he mean that we… Ever since then?
"You must have questions."
"It won't be long until the end of punishment, Lan Zhan! Didn't you hate me?" He grinned, still out of sorts, but all for taking the opportunity to talk to Lan Wangji and attempt to come back to the dynamic he was used to. "Are you trying to say we got together then? Was giving you bunnies the thing that got your heart?"
Lan Wangji huffed, clearly amused, though his reply was serious. "I have never hated Wei Ying. I was simply unsure of how to deal with my feelings, and if you were being sincere. It took us some years to understand one another."
This was surprising. "But I've been trying to befriend you all along!"
"You like to tease, and at that age I had not known how to discern between the jokes and your genuine interest."
"I guess that makes sense."
Wei Wuxian made a promise to himself to think about that later, now even more determined to befriend the boy waiting for him on his own time.
"How did we get together then? Do I like living here? Do I have to follow all of your boring rules all the time?"
For a moment, something sad passed through Lan Wangji's eyes. "We travelled together for two months, solving the mystery of a dismembered body. By that point we had both matured, and I had already learnt better than to hide the affection I felt for you."
Face warm once again, he wondered how Lan Wangji had become so honest about his feelings. They spoke like this for a good part of the afternoon, and Wei Wuxian discovered a lot about what this future looked like.
Though they often traveled for long periods of time in their night hunts, his older self was happy in Cloud Recesses, and Lan Wangji made it clear that he would not have asked him to stay otherwise. He allowed him to break the rules! Not all of them, but some. Enough to have fun for sure.
They had children together, two of them. Lan Sizhui, a boy older than himself, and Lan Yun, who was a recent addition to the family. They were both teachers, and the juniors apparently loved when he took them to night hunt. All in all his life seemed good. Happy.
It was more than he'd ever known to want, and now that he had it in front of him, he found himself fiercely wishing he could build something like this as well.
"Lan Zhan, what If knowing this changes things somehow? What if we never…"
Impossibly, Lan Wangji offered him his warmest look yet. "Wei Ying," he said, voice deep and reassuring. "I may have had trouble showing it, but even back then, I had loved you, that is not going to change," he paused, thoughtful. "And should this life be something you do not wish to have, know that I only want for you to be happy, if that happiness is not by my side then so be it."
Aahh he's too earnest!
Throughout the day he had learnt much about Lan Wangji as well. He was attentive, teasing and far more sweet than he'd ever imagined. He made him blush too many times to count, and gave no rest to his heart. Who wouldn't want this? He found himself thinking, A love so sweet and so freely given, with no debts or conditions attached to it.. Now that I know I can have this, how could I ever wish for anything else?
Wei Wuxian knew not to take this for granted, nothing in life came for free after all. But he'd like to try, to get to know his Lan Wangji like this, if he was willing. To make a life of their own.
"You're too much, you know? How does my future self handle it?"
"He often says I should be more careful with his heart."
"Well you should! I hope my Lan Zhan doesn't turn into such a bully."
"Your Lan Zhan?"
"You know wha t I meant!"
I really will try my best. I hope he does too.