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Wei Wuxian is not always perceptive, but once he understands a person, he can read them flawlessly.
“Lan Zhaaaaaaan…” he slurs happily slumping onto his husband’s arm. “Lovely and good Lan Zhan. What ails you sweetheart?”
The man in question looks down, before murmuring.
“I am not sick.”
Wei Wuxian blinks for a moment, before putting down his Emperor’s Smile, and crawling onto Lan Zhan’s lap to meet his eyes.
“It’s more serious than I thought.”
Lan Zhan kisses him hard.
Wei Wuxian loves his husband’s energy and physicality. He wraps his arms around him, giving as good as his getting until they’re both breathing heavily.
“Lan Zhan, I am so fortunate to have such an amazing husband.” Wei Wuxian whispers between kisses. “You can have me any which way you want.” More kisses. “Later.”, he says with a finality that leaves Lan Zhan shocked. Wei Wuxian cups the other man’s cheeks, meeting his gaze tenderly:
“Right now we need to talk about what is bothering you. It’s been bothering you a while, and I do not enjoy seeing you hurt.”
Lan Zhan looks down.
“…whatever it is, I’m here.”
Lan Zhan pulls him closer, sighing softly. His husband brushes tender fingertips through his long hair, pressing kisses into his chest randomly.
It warms him so much when Wei Ying gives him time to find his words, while reassuring him of his affections.
There is silence between them, but no pressure.
Lan Zhan peppers kisses onto the other’s hair.
“It’s…brother.”
Wei Wuxian hums in response.
“I fear losing him.”
His husband squeezes him hard.
“I talk to him…and he’s not there.”
“Grief can be like that.”
“Mn.”
He is quiet for a moment.
“He has given up.”
“He needs time.”
“Time will not help when he does not wish for it.”
“You mean…”
“I had our A-Yuan. My brother…”
“Has you, and Sizhui, and your uncle, and Jingyi, and everyone else who loves him.”
Lan Zhan is quiet. Wei Ying feels he overstepped:
“We will help him! I’m not letting you lose someone you love, Lan Zhan.”
“He doesn’t want help.”
Wei Ying cocks his head, in question.
“I didn’t want help either.” He confesses, shame painfully visible across his face. “I wanted relief. Freedom…from life.”
Wei Ying’s eyes fill with tears.
“My poor Lan Zhan.”
“I had A-Yuan even when it hurt to breathe. Brother…” has no further reasons to remain.
“I got it.” Wei Ying responds seriously. “One question.”
Lan Zhan nods.
“Will you let me try and help?”
“Wei Ying…”
“I have a lot of experience with surly brothers…men, in general.” He laughs, self-deprecating. Lan Zhan fixes him with an unimpressed stare.
“Remember the cave? How I shocked you into releasing that stale blood making you sick?”
A small nod is his only response.
“Grief is like that. He needs someone to get him to spit it out. You know how persuasive I can be.”
Lan Zhan glares.
“I’m not going to strip for your brother. Aiyah, just, trust me. I will find a way to help him.”
“Wei Ying is always doing the impossible.”
“As a Yunmeng disciple, I guess it’s kinda unavoidable.”
Lan Zhan blinks at him.
“What?”
“Since when?”
“I started writing to Jiang Cheng on a whim. You know I have no good memory, so I don’t know when.”
“But he replied.”
“Well…no…but when I last travelled to see Jin Ling he nodded my way. It’s…I’ll take it.”
“Wei Ying is too kind.”
“Nah, I just know him. He’s my little brother and he sucks at feelings. We both do, especially without shijie.”
Lan Zhan tightens his hold, at the sadness overshadowing his husband’s eyes.
“Wish I could have spoken to her about this.”
Lan Zhan is quiet, rubbing the other’s back.
“Inquiry.”
“What?”
“I could play…?”
Wei Ying tears up.
“I…but…she’s gone, right? If the spirit is gone…at peace, Inquiry can’t work.”
Lan Zhan looks at him:
“It didn’t work with you, for thirteen years.”
“Exactly.”
“Yet your soul was brought back.”
“It was a sacrifice. I didn’t…”
“Miracles happen. Trying is important.”
He curls back into Lan Zhan, trembling.
Shijie…Jin Ling…perhaps he could get Jin Ling to talk to his mother. To reunite them for a few precious moments. To undo his sins for a few moments.
“Yes. Lan Zhan, yes! Please! Let’s do that!”
Lan Zhan kisses him softly.
“The celebration of the ancestors will be a good time for it.”
“Lotus Pier vacation then?”
Lan Zhan blinks slowly, in agreement.
“Lan Zhan, truly the best of men, the best of husbands.”
“Mn. Wei Ying is best.”
“Let me spoil you, you ridiculous man! An absolute paragon of male virtue, and complimenting me!”
“Wei Ying is virtuous.”
“Are you trying to ruin the mood?”
Lan Zhan blinks, then his eyes narrow in amusement.
“Wei Ying wants to be the villain tonight, and corrupt this one.”
The man in question leans forward to steal a few kisses.
“The Yiling Patriarch has no need to corrupt. You will surrender to him of your own will.”
More fervent kisses follow. Lan Zhan lets himself be pushed onto the floor, his wrists bound with a crimson ribbon.
He hides his gaze to the side when the man above him clicks his teeth around his headband and pulls.
“Look at me.” His voice is soft, but his tone is anything but. His grin reveals the cloud headband hanging casually from his mouth.
“I caught one of the precious Jades of the Lan clan.” He preens before removing the headband to swiftly place it around his wrist.
“This says I have your virtue…” He leans in again, pressing suggestively against the trapped man. “And this…” he tugs softly on the red ribbon around Lan Zhan’s wrists. “Says you belong to me.”
Lan Zhan’s soft sigh is all the encouragement needed.
More heated kisses spill between them while Wei Wu Xian does away with their clothes.
“Will you surrender?” he asks between licking and nipping at Lan Zhan’s chest.
The man tries to hide his gaze, so Wei Wu Xian grabs his chin.
“Honourable Hanguang Jun, I thought your creed forbade lying.”
He watches the man’s ear lobes get progressively deeper in colour.
“Oh…come, venerable Master Lan. I have your virtue already. You may as well enjoy it.”
His hand moves over different parts of Lan Zhan until the man is breathless and writhing beneath him.
“You can play this game all you want. We are alone here, and I’ve already sound proofed this place.”
His hand moves insistently over a certain part of Lan Zhan that feels warm and solid. It pulses underneath his finger. The man smiles and steals more kisses.
The night is lost to them.