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Things started out innocent enough. Harmless even. As Wei Wuxian usually intends them to be.
The array was coming along extremely well. It was experimental, had never been done before. He was sure it had never even been thought about. How could it be? Who had ever thought of allowing rabbits to communicate with humans? It was hardly a useful tool in wartime or any other time to be perfectly honest and would cater to such a small amount of people that its creation couldn’t possibly be justified.
But you see, Lan Wangji likes rabbits. Adores them in fact.
It only took Wei Wuxian watching his beloved, surrounded by clambering furry bodies, his lips quirked up in such a profoundly minute display of delight, to decide he needed to make such an array.
His Lan Zhan would love it. So, he would make it happen. Simple as that.
Of course, The idea was first met with the almost imperceptible emotion that was Lan scepticism. Lan Wangji had questioned the science behind it, the safety of it.
“Side effects?”
“Understanding the sentiments of cute rabbits.”
They were sitting in the jingshi after a light lunch. At least Lan Wangji was sitting, back straight. Wei Wuxian was sprawled more or less in his lap, twirling the ends of his hair between his fingers and being a little bit of a nuisance. Pestering was one of his love languages and there was no one he wanted to distract more than his husband.
“Is it permanent?”
“Well, I didn’t design it to be.” He sat up, trailing his hand down Lan Wangi’s clothed thigh, appreciating the strength concealed under seven layers of pale robes and Lan propriety. He hummed, and leaned up to Lan Wangji’s reddening ear, “Would you like it to be permanent?”
They did not do much talking after that.
Wei Wuxian did not have all the answers then but he had worked hard at it every chance he got.
During night hunts when the juniors had settled in, he would scribble on a piece of paper he kept in his Qiankun pouch, his charcoal scrawls barely visible under the dim light of a talisman he would stick to the walls of their tent until Lan Wangji pulled him close and nibbled at his neck in protest of his disrupted bedtime.
He would think about it, turning it over in mind hours after his husband had wrecked him, laying on his chest, Lan Wangi’s arms tightly wound around him, until his heartbeat lulled him to sleep.
It should have been an easy enough equation once he mulled it over. A collection of items belonging to both parties- a piece of silken fur, a strand of Lan Wangji´s even silkier hair, an array to bind, and another infused with power and intention.
The result was pure essence and needed to be contained within a medium for consumption. Lan Wangji had suggested a tea leaf and Wei Wuxian had clapped with glee at the excitement of it all.
*****
It all goes horribly wrong. Lan Wangji is now a rabbit.
Wei Wuxian had turned around for a second or two and now Lan Wangji is a snow-white rabbit nestled on seven layers of robes, a hair ornament and a white ribbon.
Wei Wuxian panics immediately.
It does not take him long to realize he does not speak rabbit. He is not sure Lan Wangji understands human now. He picks him up gently, fretting at the feel of his incredibly soft fur and the frailty of his new form. He places his husband on a low table and frets some more.
“Stay there. Don’t move. I’ll… I’ll fix this.” He is not sure he can. Lan Wangji twitches his noses at him.
Wei Wuxian flips through his notes, trying to keep his hands from trembling too hard to turn the pages. There is no solution, of course, he had no idea there would even be problems like this that needed solutions.
He tries to calm down, his mind racing. He cannot even pinpoint where he went wrong much less a way to reverse it. He waits a shichen. Then two. Lan Wangji is still regrettably a rabbit. He rises, deceptively calm and fetches his husband a ceramic bowl of water. He noses at the bowl, pink nose twitching all the while. If he is shocked by his reflection in the shimmery liquid, he does not show it.
Wei Wuxian puts his head in his hands. What had he done?
"What do we do?" He says aloud.
Lan Wangji, simply stares at him, lop-eared.
Wei Wuxian tries to imagine what he would have said if he had human vocal cords. Xiongzhang, Shufu.
He hastily discards the second option and scrambles to his feet.
“I’m sending for your brother.”
Wangji stares up at him, then rears up on his hindlegs to softly butt against Wei Wuxian's robes. The pads of his paws are pink and soft looking. Wei Wuxian nearly swoons with joy that Lan Wangji seems to understand this much and approves of his choice.
"Okay," he says decisively, stooping to cradle his husband in his arms, "Okay."
The message is sent with an array. It is short and extremely straight to the point. A feature Wei Wuxian hopes will give it an air of urgency in the event the contents of the paper do not. Unlikely. Lan Wangji is a rabbit. Please help. Do not inform Shufu. Extremely unlikely.
He has Lan Wangji perched on the low table and is watching him mournfully. Lan Wangji stares at him calmly, occasionally distracted by the sound of ruffling leaves outside. His little rabbit ears twitching. Wei Wuxian knows he is not worried even though he cannot speak or be understood and is currently trapped in a soft, furry prison.
He wishes he could emulate the sentiment.
A soft knock sounds on the door of the Jingshi.
Wei Wuxian looks up from where he sits and Lan Wangji's ears perk up with interest. Lan Xichen sweeps in, dignified in flowing robes. His usual air of cool authority is tinged with worry.
"Where is Wangji?"
Wei Wuxian shifts, revealing the rabbit. Lan Xichen gasps, a slight sound, his surprise unconsciously restrained by years of Lan rules and regulations.
"Wangji." he breathes and moves to kneel beside Wei Wuxian. "Wei-gongzi.Tell me what happened."
Wei Wuxian tells him, going into extreme and unnecessary detail. He can not help it. He dissects each detail that leaves his mouth, hoping that by saying it all out loud the problem will present itself, concealed under a step he took or failed to take during the making of the array. The moment of realization does not come and Wei Wuxian deflates with the defeat.
Lan Xichen listens as the flow of words ebbs then peters out, his brow lightly furrowed. When Wei Wuxian stops, he says, simply, reassuringly, “You had good intentions.”
Good intentions or not his husband is a rabbit. Wei Wuxian refuses to let himself be comforted by how good his intentions are. The end result is not good.
“He cannot talk, at least not in a way I can understand.” He says lamely.
Lan Xichen nods calmly, “Can he understand you?”
“Yes, I believe he can to an extent.”
Lan Xichen regards his younger brother and stretches his fingers tentatively towards him.
“Wangji, are you alright?” Lan Wangji’s nose twitches, he bumps into his brother's fingers.
One. Two. Yes.
“Good.” Lan Xichen says, “I have brought a healer.”
He looks to Wei Wuxian apologetically, “I can only do so much. I do not have any experience with … this. I have sworn her to secrecy. Shufu will hear nothing.”
Wei Wuxian nods dumbly, heat rising to his cheeks. He had thought of doing that himself but is immeasurably grateful Lan Xichen took the initiative. The healer comes in on the Sect Leader’s signal. Wei Wuxian has met her several times when escorting the juniors to the infirmary for a customary checkup after a night hunt. She is a very familiar face.
Lan Qiaolian her name is. Tall and willowy thin and quiet as all Lans are. Her hair is greying at the temples. She is not easily fazed which counts as a plus in a situation such as this one. She inclines her head in greeting. Wei Wuxian weakly returns the courtesy. She spots the rabbit that is supposed to be the great Hanguang-Jun, listens to Wei Wuxian’s rushed, panicked explanation and simply nods serenely like she’s heard it all before.
A headache? Two drops of this in a glass of water. You turned your husband into a rabbit. Of course, perfectly normal. Let’s have a look at him.
“May I touch him?” the question is directed to Wei Wuxian. To the patient’s wife.
Her tone is respectful and without judgment. Wei Wuxian thinks he can trust her. He gives consent. She approaches Lan Wangji who watches her carefully. Wei Wuxian thinks he recognizes her.
Lan Qiaolian gets to work immediately. She silently runs spiritual energy through Lan Wangji’s tiny form, applies pressure to his side to assess his meridians. She works efficiently with hardly a hmm or a haw. Lan Wangji bears this stranger’s respectfully invasive touch until a cursory press behind his ear triggers his hindleg to tap rapidly against the table. Lan Qiaolian withdraws immediately and Lan Xichen breathes out a tad too loudly. Wei Wuxian does not know whether to laugh or cry, he fears should he open his mouth he would produce a grotesque amalgamation of the two so he stays quiet.
The examination ends and Lan Qiaolian surrenders Lan Wangji back into Wei Wuxian's embrace and his fingers unconsciously card through his soft fur.
“He will be alright.” Lan Qiaolian says, “His golden core is strong, although muffled by this…” she pauses, “this.”
“It is powerful cultivation.” she turns to Wei Wuxian, her eyes warm rather than accusing. “Lan fūrén’s cultivation is very strong.”
Wei Wuxian cannot bring himself to acknowledge the compliment.
“However,” she rises to her feet, "Han Guang Jun´s core is even stronger and will burn through it fairly quickly."
“So, what do we do?” Lan fūrén is trying very hard not to cry.
“We can only wait.” she says sympathetically.
She looks to Lan Xichen and he nods once, rising to his feet.
“Wangji shall be all right,” he says “Keep him hydrated and cool.”
Wei Wuxian belated realizes Lan Xichen has simply repeated the same set of basic instructions given to the juniors on rabbit care and upkeep.
At the door, Lan Xichen turns to him once more.
“I will send someone with lunch and dinner. Something that suits both of your…palates. I doubt Wangji will take kindly to soup in this state. Send for me should my presence be wanted.”
His gaze, soft and loving, lingers on his younger brother. And Wei Wuxian is wracked with the guilt of starting this and then dragging Lan Xichen from his duties to help him deal with his mess.
"Thank you Zewu- Jun," he bows, silently vowing to repay his brother-in-law back in some way for all he has done.
“And Wei-gongzi,” Lan Xichen adds, “Keep him inside and away from birds of prey.”
*****
The jingshi is silent once more and Wei Wuxian sits down and frets. His husband will pull through he knows but how long will that take? He is tempted to take apart his array once again, figure out where he went wrong and reverse this. It is his fault and he wants to fix it. Fix him.
A soft wet nose bumps into his hand and Wei Wuxian looks down at his Lan Zhan’s furry face, all his worry forgotten. He is ever amazed by the power Lan Wangji has over him, the calmness he could coax into him unrestricted by any form, leporine or otherwise.
“Aiyah. Lan Zhan,” he groans, “I’m so sorry. I was stupid. I never should have done this.”
Lan Wangji bumps into him again, snuggles in closer in his arms.
“I hope you forgive me,” Wei Wuxian whispers resting his forehead lightly on Lan Wangji's head. The rabbit snuggles in further and Wei Wuxian likes to think he means, “No sorrys between us.”
Lunch arrives quickly. The servant leaves the basket at the door. There is soft rice with stir-fried vegetables in a clear broth, a collection of fresh lettuce and cabbage, and an entire bunch of well-scrubbed carrots. Wei Wuxian unpacks the basket at the table and Lan Wangji eyes the vegetables with interest.
“Hungry, are you?” Wei Wuxian chuckles, holding out a lettuce leaf. Lan Wangji delicately takes it between his teeth. He hopes over to an empty serving plate on the table before he takes a polite nibble. He chews thoughtfully, his jaw working.
“My little gentleman.” Wei Wuxian is immensely pleased to see parts of his prim and proper husband make themselves known. It allows him to hope even more fervently, “I’m glad you approve.”
Wei Wuxian serves him a collection of carrots and the juiciest-looking leaves before settling down and serving himself. Lan Wangji waits for him to take his first bite before he resumes eating. Wei Wuxian grins at him, putting as much love as he is able in the flash of teeth and gum. Lan Wangji watches him, as mesmerized by his smile as much as a rabbit can be. Wei Wuxian loves him in every way and every form.
Halfway through the meal, Lan Wangji drags a succulent lettuce leaf over to Wei Wuxian's bowl.
“For me?” he breathes, “Aiyah. You’ll kill me, my love. Thank you.”
Under his husband's watchful gaze and twitching nose, he wraps it around a portion of rice and takes a bite, making appreciative sounds as he chews. He strokes Lan Wangji’s long ears in thanks and Lan Wangji nuzzles into his palm. He pulls back to continue munching on his little bowl of green and orange, looking smugly satisfied. Willing to take care of him no matter what. Eager to in whichever form. Wei Wuxian's heart aches with guilt and love.
The no-talking rule is easy to uphold this time, considering. He would prefer not to talk anyway, content to watch his husband solemnly eat his vegetables with as much Lan dignity as his furry body can muster. After the meal, he clears the table. Lan Wangji looks relaxed, he thinks.
The sun is beginning to sink but is still far from setting and Wei Wuxian starts thinking of what to do to pass the time. He very briefly considers taking Lan Wangji to see the rabbits but the irony is almost fatal and he immediately discards the idea. Besides, the very idea of birds of prey has him suppressing a violent shudder.
So, he plays for him instead: snatches of the jaunty jingles he hears in the markets of Caiyi Town, melodies that he has composed himself, some he makes up on the fly. He plays Wangxian, refusing to admit that he hopes the tune would wake Lan Wangji, would bring him back to him as surely as it did when they found each other again. He does not entertain the idea of playing Empathy. His husband is not lost. He is right there with him. He is simply preoccupied with things more important to rabbits at the moment.
The warmth of Wei Wuxian's palms and the tops of carrots for example.
*****
Evening comes and dinner arrives, they eat in companionable silence. Wei Wuxian attempts to feed Lan Wangji a spoonful of broth, he sniffs at it and turns away. Wei Wuxian laughs at that, “Don’t be like that. Human you loves this stuff.”
After dinner, Wei Wuxian reads to him from a book of Lan Poetry until he catches the rabbit dozing in his lap. Wei Wuxian has never been more grateful for bedtime. He carries his husband gently past the privacy screen that separates their sleeping quarters from the rest of the jingshi and places him on their bed. He indulges himself in one last scratch behind his droopy ear. He would not sleep on the bed tonight, reluctant to toss and turn next to such a fragile creature. Lan Wangji startles beside him when Wei Wuxian makes to move to the floor, his protest as clear as if he had said it out loud.
“Aiyah. Lan Zhan, I don’t want to either but you see the way I sleep. What if I roll over and…”
Lan Wangji bumps him with his nose, hard. You will not.
“You don’t know that,” Lan Wangji bumps him again and the last of his reservations crumble.
“Alright, alright.” he lays back down and Lan Wangji hops up to him. He tugs at Wei Wuxian's sleeve with his teeth, dragging it off his shoulder. Wei Wuxian realizes what he wants quickly.
“You want me naked? Lan Wangji, insatiable even in this state?” he teases.
Lan Wangji regards him, an ear droops over one little eye as he tugs on his sleeve impatiently. “Okay. Okay. I’m joking my love. Off the clothes go.”
He strips quickly and crawls back under the covers. Lan Wangji immediately snuggles into the warmth of his neck, his wet nose twitching softly. The sheets smell like sandalwood and lotus flower, a combination of their scents that Wei Wuxian realizes now for the first time in the course of this strangely hectic day that he has missed. Lan Wangi smells almost exactly the same -sandalwood and warmth and love and now soft fur and a hint of earth.
He is everything. Absolutely everything.
When all is quiet Wei Wuxian can almost hear the slow rhythmic thump of his little rabbit heart. Lan Wangji falls asleep first, Wei Wuxian feels him relax with rest. He does not dare lift his head to check for fear of rousing him. He instead focuses on how reassuring his presence is, his scent. He focuses on how much he loves him. He focuses on waking up tomorrow in the arms of his Lan Zhan.
Sleep is slow in coming but it comes.
*****
Wei Wuxian blinks awake and stirs. The arms around his waist tighten. Arms. His breath catches and he looks up.
Lan Wangji’s sharp jaw greets his gaze, his eyes are closed but Wei Wuxian knows beneath those impossibly long lashes they are golden and so very human.
His features are moonlight-pale in the darkened Jingshi.
They had rearranged themselves in their sleep. Or perhaps Lan Wangji had rearranged him.
His husband sleeps deeply in his usual Lan fashion, Wei Wuxian draped over him, his head over his chest. Right over his heart. Where he belongs.
Wei Wuxian breathes out loud through his nose, relief washing over him so intensely he could weep. Lan Wangji needs his rest so he reigns in the desire to rouse him, to have him hold him and say Wei Ying to him in words he can understand.
There is time enough for that tomorrow.
He settles in and allows himself to be lulled to sleep by the beat of Lan Wangji's heart.