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Sizhui stumbled through the forest, his wet clothes cling onto him uncomfortably and the squish of his shoes didn’t help.
He came to the Jiang household, with Jingyi, to help Jin Ling catch a water spirit. Although Jin Ling insisted he needed no help whatsoever Jiang Chang told him it’s good to practice working with others.
So here he was stumbling in the dark; cold, wet, and tired after falling into a river twice. ‘Damnit’ Sizhui thinks to himself ‘This is the last time I’m ever going to hunt a water spirit’
He sneezed and shivered, rubbing his arms to hopefully generate some heat. Sizhui perks up as he hears his name being called, it sounded like Jingyi.
Picking up the last of his strength, hoisting up his clothing, he sprints to where his friend was. Sizhui gets to the clearing and sighed in relief at the sight of Jingyi and Jin Ling.
“Oh thank goodness” Sizhui says as Jingyi hands him his sword he unknowingly lost in the river, Jin Ling sighed “Can you even swim? Don’t they have rivers in the Gusu?” Jingyi glared at him “There are rivers, just not ones with spirits in them”
Jin Ling scoffed and looks to the side “Whatever, let’s just get back and dry him up, you don’t want to catch a cold then I’ll have to deal with you for longer” Jingyi nods turning to Sizhui “Are you going to be okay walking?” Sizhui nodded “I’m just a bit cold and tired, but the quicker we get back the quicker we fix that”
They walk back to the house, Jin Ling calls out for his uncle before sighing “He must be doing something else, Lan Jingyi do us a favor and take everything up to the bedrooms, I’ll show Lan Sizhui where he can take a bath”
Jingyi mumbled under his breath about being unfair as he takes the swords and items they had then heading to their rooms to put them away.
“Are you just gonna stand there?” Jin Ling said with a slightly harsh tone, Sizhui shook his head “Lead the way” the two walked in silence for a few moments, Sizhui spoke first “Will you be providing me with clothes for when I’m done?” Jin Ling raised an eyebrow “Why would I do that?”
“One of our rules is ‘Always change into fresh clothes after bathing’ I only brought this outfit because I didn’t think I would stay the night” Sizhui explained, Jin Ling opens the door to a room with a tub “I’ll grab some of my clothes or something, don’t make a mess by the way” Sizhui nodded and entered, closing the door behind him and waiting a moment before undressing.
If he was completely honest with himself it was weird bathing at someone else’s house, it was almost the same but it had a different aura to it. After taking down his hair and removing his headband he sinks into the freshly drawn water and sighed in relief as his muscles relaxed.
He was still so tired, maybe a small nap while he waits for Jin Ling to come back with some clothes, it shouldn’t be too long.
Shutting his eyes he sinks a bit deeper into the tub, he takes a deep breath before going completely under the water.
At that exact moment Jin Ling knocks on the door “Hey, Lan Sizhui, I got those clothes you wanted so badly” after hearing no answer he says “I’m coming in so you better be covered” he opens the door and places the clothes on a table, glancing over at the tub he panics.
To Sizhui he was harmlessly practicing holding his breath underwater.
Jin Ling thought he passed out and was drowning.
“Sizhui!” Jin Ling jumps over to him, grabbing him and pulling him out of the tub entirely, Sizhui coughs up some water he gasped into his lungs at the shock of being so suddenly handled.
Jin Ling lets out a shaky sigh before saying “What the hell was that! I leave you alone for what?! Five minutes!? And you are already drowning! In a TUB no less!” Sizhui coughs up the last of the water and says “I wasn’t drowning! I was holding my breath, however that stunt you pulled most certainly almost drowned me!”
Sizhui glared at Jin Ling, Jin Ling glared back, after a moment Jin Ling huffed and crossed his arms “Well then excuse me for trying to save you then” he says sourly, Sizhui angrily grabs the front of his clothes and pulls him closer “You almost killed me!”
“I’ll take note to leave you for dead nex-!…” Jin Ling suddenly blushed and looked away “Can we do this later” Sizhui was puzzled for a moment before blushing himself, he let’s go of Jin Ling and pulls his knees to his chest, covering anything he wouldn’t want to show.
Jin Ling gets up and speed walks out the door, shutting it with a small bang. Sizhui stands up and grabs the clothes, getting dressed quickly and walking out the door.
He walks down the hallway to he was about to open the guest room that was reserved for him, before he could open it he hears someone whispering his name. He looks around and sees Jingyi poking his head out the door and waving him over.
Sizhui goes over to his room and goes inside, Jingyi shuts the door and turns to him with a smile “Okay, tell me what happened” he says with the expression of someone who hasn’t heard a good story in a while.
“What makes you think something happened?” Sizhui said, playing dumb of course he knows what Jingyi meant.
“Don’t be like that!” Jingyi whisper yelled “I heard Jin Ling grabbing clothes for you and when he came back he was beat red and muttering something about cursing Wei Wuxian”
Sizhui looks around before pulling Jingyi closer “Now you must not tell a single soul about this, or Jiang Chang will have my head”
After explaining the whole story in elaborate detail Jingyi was giggling to himself trying to suppress a shit eating grin.
“So, how will you handle it tomorrow? Or are you simply not going to say anything?” Jingyi says, Sizhui shrugs “I don’t know, I’ve always had a fancy for Jin Ling but the way he blushed and had a loss for words was kinda endearing”
Jingyi gagged “Ew, he looks like a banana and has the attitude of a spoiled brat” Sizhui nodded crossing his arms “While that is true I think there’s more too it then that”
“Enjoy being gay then”
“Oh shut up, every Lan generation has at least one romance with someone who dresses in color and doesn’t fit with the Lan rules”
“I hate that you’re right”
“I’m always right”
The next morning Sizhui decided it was best to wash his clothes before wearing them, so he wore the outfit Jin Ling gave him to breakfast.
At first Jingyi pestered him about people getting the wrong idea but Sizhui told him not to worry and that he will be fine.
They get to the table and sit down, Jin Ling didn’t even give them a glance and stared at his food, focusing on every bite.
Jiang Chang was different, he saw Sizhui and said “Care to explain your attire, Lan Sizhui?” Sizhui smiled innocently as he picks up his chopsticks “Jin Ling was nice enough to give them to me while my clothes wash, who knew water spirits could get you tossed into a river twice”
Jingyi snickers “Your hair is in a traditional Jin style as well, I didn’t know you could do those” at this point Jin Ling did look up, and boy was it a sight.
Sizhui was wearing his clothes, they fit him perfectly despite them being tailored to his own size, his hair was indeed up in a Jin hairstyle, his headband was still there but in a way the yellow and white looked good together.
Sizhui made eye contact with Jin Ling for a moment before the other looked back at his food, Jingyi sips his tea with a knowing glance at Sizhui.
Jiang Chang laughed a bit “I’m glad this brat isn’t completely ill-mannered, I must say you wear his clothes well, warm colors suit you” Sizhui laughed waving his hand “Oh no you are too kind, I’ll keep in mind the warm colors thing when I eventually get clothes for outings”
Jin Ling looks up from his food in slight shock “You mean you don’t have any clothes other then those Lan clothes?” Sizhui nodded, Jin Ling sighed as it seems something had finally been explained to him “I always thought you just had a bad fashion sense, but you have never worn fashion”
Sizhui nodded “Since you seem to know so much, why don’t you take me out to buy me an outfit sometime? Surely I can find a free day to spend as I please”
Jin Ling looks to the side, avoiding Sizhui’s eyes “I’m sure I can open up a date, if Uncle allows it that is” Jiang Chang rolled his eyes “You aren’t a child, do what you want”
Sizhui nodded “I can clear up a spot next week, is that okay?” Jin Ling pulls out a schedule, because of course he has one, and hums “I’m good on Tuesday” Sizhui smiled and nodded “It’s a date then”
Jiang Chang choked a bit on his tea as Jin Ling flushed slightly as he was writing it down in his schedule.
After the breakfast Jingyi high fived Sizhui for getting himself a date.