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Wei Wuxian wipes away the sweat on Lan Sizhui's face. He's still very hot to the touch.
After a nighthunt gone wrong, Lan Sizhui got trapped inside a collapsed building. It took them all three days to make sure Lan Sizhui was brought out safely without letting the ruins cave in further.
Drained after fighting the yao and being forced to practice inedia, healing his shallow wounds was his core's least priority. The long scratches on his leg got infected badly, leading Lan Sizhui to come down with a fever.
Wei Wuxian tucks away the locks of hair sticking to his face, and Lan Sizhui's eyes flutter open. Wei Wuxian gives him a soft smile. "Good, you're awake now! Let me grab some food to eat, hmmm?"
He turns to leave, but stops when Lan Sizhui holds on tightly to his sleeve.
"Xian-gege…" Lan Sizhui rasps, tugging his sleeve. "Don't leave…please… don't leave me…"
Wei Wuxian's face goes impossibly softer. "Alright, baobei. If that's what you want."
Lan Sizhui's lips weakly curl to a small smile and he pulls Wei Wuxian closer.
The Lans' arm strength is really no joke! Wei Wuxian is caught off-guard and he awkwardly lands half on top of Lan Sizhui on the bed.
Lan Sizhui scoots over to let Wwx lay more comfortably beside him. Then he snuggles himself close to Wei Wuxian's side, throwing an arm around Wei Wuxian's torso and basically burying his face into the crook of Wei Wuxian's neck.
Wei Wuxian fondly chuckles and tucks Lan Sizhui's head beneath his chin. He wraps an arm around the boy while his other hand combs through his inky black hair.
Then, Wei Wuxian starts to hum.
He's taken back to years ago, when A-Yuan was just a small three year old. The little toddler would sometimes sneak into Wei Wuxian's bed, wrap his short arms around Wei Wuxian's neck, and settle his head in the space between Wei Wuxians head and shoulder. The little boy looked so comfortable and pleased in that position. No one had the heart to pry him away and take him back to Wen-popo's cottage.
"Xian-gege? Sing?" Little A-Yuan once asked. Wei Wuxian hummed a tune he forgot where he picked up from. A-Yuan liked it very much. And from then on, Wei Wuxian would hum the lullaby until they both eventually fell asleep cuddled under the thin, coarse beddings they have.
Wei Wuxian continues to hum the same song from back then. Within the next few seconds, Lan Sizhui's breath goes even, falling back asleep.
Lan Sizhui’s steady heartbeats also lull Wei Wuxian to sleep, pulling him into a dream of the home they managed to carve within the Burial Mounds.
For once, Wei Wuxian's dreamed of happy memories.
+ + +
Lan Sizhui is still feeling unwell. But years of habit lets him wake up to the sound of the bell signalling for 5 o'clock.
The sun has yet to rise, and it is still dark. Lan Sizhui feels a little disoriented. He closes his eyes and focuses on his other senses instead.
There's warm, heavy weight restricting his movements. But rather than feeling trapped or threatened, Lan Sizhui wants to bask in this unexplainable blissful feeling. It's enticing him back to sleep.
Something shifts beside him, and the weight above him lessens. A small sound of protest escapes Lan Sizhui's lips and without opening his eyes, he tries to chase after it.
Lan Sizhui hears a soft huff as a large hand gently lands on his head, pushing him back to the bed and softly pats his hair. "Sleep."
+ + +
The next time Lan Sizhui wakes up, rays of sunshine light up the room with a mellow glow.
His cheeks heat up when he realises he is laying in someone's embrace. He was never this close to someone ever since he got his own chamber in the disciples' dorms.
He tries to wiggle free without disturbing the other, but the arms hold him tighter. It didn't hurt. It feels almost protective, like a promise never to let go.
Lan Sizhui looks up and finds Wei Wuxian's peacefully sleeping face.
He has never seen Wei Wuxian this tranquil before. The corner of his lips is slightly curled to a smile so soft. So caring. So loving.
Lan Sizhui is embarrassed to admit that he sometimes felt envious of the other disciples being pampered by their parents. Which he shouldn't be! Hanguang-jun might not be so open to show his affections, but Lan Sizhui was still raised with love from his adoptive father.
But now… being on the receiving end of that it feels a little overwhelming.
Then, Lan Sizhui vaguely recalls a memory from a recently recovered past.
A memory of a different face but with the same doting expression.
A memory of moments when he was sick, or plagued with nightmares, or simply feeling cold. And he would fall asleep within the embrace of his Xian-gege, knowing it is safe and everything will be okay coz Xian-gege is here...
More than a decade has passed, but it still perfectly feels the same.
He doesn't want to let go either.
For just this moment, Lan Sizhui lets himself indulge in this warm bubble of tenderness.
× end ×