An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Title: drawn to the blood 💜
Author: darkredloveknot
Universe: Post Canon
Status: Complete
Rating: Teen
Length: Long (5+K)
Summary:
Jiang Cheng pondered for a moment if he felt worse about having to save Lan Wangji, or if Lan Wangji felt worse about having to be saved by him.
Recommended by: @shamelesswngxian
Comments:
He had realized something last night, and it had pissed him off: the similarity of their hatred.
Jiang Cheng hated Wei Wuxian for causing his sister’s death, while Lan Wangji hated Jiang Cheng for causing Wei Wuxian’s. It was a circle, a cycle of cause and effect, of misunderstandings and accidents, guilt and blame and anger.
Looking at it from a distance, it seemed so pointless. He knew why he’d done what he did; had walked those familiar paths of emotion many a time. Losing a sibling was a pain that had driven him forward on that path, towards that cliff, unavoidable and horrible.
But his revenge had cost him his only other sibling.
He spoke into the wind as they rode towards the mountains.
“Sometimes… I wish I had stood with him. It might’ve made for a different story.”
He hadn’t expected an answer, lost to fever and hurt as he was. But Lan Wangji spoke in a whisper from where his head slumped against Jiang Cheng’s shoulder.
“I have my regrets, too.”
“You tried.”
A slow sigh.
“We both failed to save someone that night.”
“But you got yours back,” he couldn’t help but breathe, the wind stinging in his eyes.
“I am sorry.”
Jiang Cheng nodded, tightening his grip when the other seemed close to slipping. Lan Wangji licked his dry lips, struggling around a question.
“…Jiang Wanyin. Do you wish he had not returned?”
Closing his eyes for a moment, Jiang Cheng felt something inside of him give in.
“I’ve never wished that.”
Thic fic is absolutely amazing and while the focus of it is not Wangxian, read it anyway. It's an introspective fic told from JC's POV where he reflects on his complicated relationship with LWJ and WWX and it's SO very worth reading. You’ll get whump with a hurt!LWJ and a grudging reconcilliation between him and JC. WWX makes an appearance at the end of the fic too, worried out of his mind for his husband and eternally grateful to his brother for saving him.