An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Title: the sleeper’s gift 🖤 🌹 🤍
Universe: Fairy Tale AU - Sleeping Beauty
“When you were a baby, I claimed your life and your death,” says Wei Ying. “Before your nineteenth birthday, you’ll prick your finger on something sharp and fall into a sleep like death. No mortal man or woman will be able to wake you. I’m sorry.”
Or: The fairytale retelling where Wei Wuxian is Maleficent and Lan Wangji is Sleeping Beauty.
Recommended by: @shamelesswngxian (mod)
“Look at yourself in the water,” Wei Ying whispers.
His reflection is perfect, undistorted by the rippling water or the lotus flowers. But he does not look eighteen. He looks like a man grown and strangely, agelessly beautiful. His eyes are an inhuman gold. His skin is warm ivory. At his reflection’s back are two huge wings, graceful as a white crane’s, edged with a soft shadow of black feathers.
Lan Wangji touches his own back. No wings. He is still himself - still human, twisted leg and all.
“That is who you were, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying says, voice empty. “That’s who you were before you made the mistake of trying to protect me. Before you were punished - cursed to reincarnate and die badly, over and over again - for defending a dark thing like me from justice.”
Lan Wangji can’t look away from his own reflection. Memories are rolling over him. He remembers flying across pale, cloud-swept mountains. Remembers lifting Wei Ying up, as Wei Ying laughed in his arms. Remembers a flock of his own kind, and dark flowers growing through rock; remembers a sword in his hand, his arm bloody, shaking-
“You’re loved, Lan Zhan,” says Wei Ying. “You’ve always been loved. I’m just sorry that my love keeps killing you.”
This is an absolutely beautiful and captivating Sleeping Beauty AU with Maleficent!WWX and Sleeping Beauty!LWJ. Even though this fic takes a creative and unique twist on the original story, the ending is the same: There is no curse that cannot be broken by true love’s kiss.
