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Wei Wuxian peeked across the yard, his tails wagging in excitement. Lan Zhan would almost be done with getting ready for bed by now, and he wanted to be sure he caught him before he got to his room - if he got into bed, Wei Wuxian wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to get him back up. His patience paid off though and his ears perked as he saw the elegant sweep of white silk, the long tail sweeping behind him. Lan Zhan was on his way to his room!
He popped out of the hedges, landing on all fours barring Lan Zhan's way; for his part, the cloud dragon stopped but seemed unsurprised, raising an eyebrow.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian declared, grinning widely. "I've got a surprise! But you gotta follow me!"
"It's time for bed, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan replied, his voice calm and even as ever.
The kitsune for his part whined, shaking his head. "No, no, I can't show you tomorrow, I can only show you tonight! Come on Lan Zhan, you can go to bed late this one time! Please, please please?" He clasped his hands together and gave his biggest, sweetest eyes at Lan Zhan, even going so far as to bat his eyelashes a little. Lan Zhan, always so collected and steady, actually looked away. It was hard to tell in the dimming light, but Wei Wuxian was pretty sure his ears were turning pink in embarrassment.
"...Bed time is bed time," he responded finally, stepping forward again. But just as Wei Wuxian's ears began to droop and he was ready to move to his next plan, Lan Zhan reached out, shyly taking the tips of Wei Wuxian's fingers in his own hand.
Wei Wuxian blinked, then his face split into a massive grin as he shifted his hand to take hold of Lan Zhan's more securely, tapping his finger on the back of his hand. Lan Zhan was always a hard nut to crack, but it was always worth the effort!
He guided Lan Zhan carefully through his own ancestral home, back behind buildings as the lights of lanterns started to wink out and the rest of the Cloud Recesses retired for the evening. They didn't have to worry though, as Wei Wuxian's night vision was excellent and he guided them without issue through the moonless path. Past the edges, along the wall to the outer fields where the vegetable gardens grew in neat, well-maintained rows. Wei Wuxian guided them carefully here - no point in trampling people's food - and before long they were out among the flower fields, the clear night sky above covered with stars. Wei Wuxian finally released Lan Zhan's hand and gave a happy giggle as he fell to the ground, rolling around in the flowers and inhaling the fresh, crisp scent of the crushed grass underneath him.
"Lan Zhan, we made it! It feels so great out here, come join me!"
"Mn," Lan Zhan replied, his brow furrowed. He watched Wei Wuxian for a moment longer before he swung his tail around, sweeping his robe aside so that he could sit primly in the field. Even surrounded by the crushed grasses Wei Wuxian had rolled in, he looked the very picture of elegance, his hands settled on his knees and his small horns glistening in the dim starlight. He waited for his explanation, for Wei Wuxian's surprise, but before he could ask, a movement in the horizon caught his eye.
Wei Wuxian noticed Lan Zhan's attention shift, and he grinned wider, abandoning his rolling to come and flop down at Lan Zhan's side to watch. What started as a soft spot of warm light moving along the horizon had become two, had become a dozen, and now there was a steady stream of floating lanterns making their way up the mountain, passing through on their way to the heavens.
"Isn't it neat, Lan Zhan? There was a festival in town today! They're sending off lanterns for the spirits now - I thought you'd like to see them." He glanced at Lan Zhan, appreciating the play of distant lantern light on his features. "Pretty, isn't it? Maybe next year we could go to the festival together too and and eat some good food! What do you think?"
"Mn," Lan Zhan replied - it wasn't much but Wei Wuxian was pretty sure that meant he would like that. He grinned and leaned back on his hands as he turned back to watch the lanterns; his grin grew wider as he felt the brush of a tail circling around behind him, a touchless embrace as they sat together and watched until the lanterns had faded entirely from view.