💖💙If One for you, then One for us
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Wei Wuxian was dead. He's been for a while now and he was content with the fact. He even enjoyed it for the most part. Being dead is not like people imagine it. It's just... peace.
Once these assholes stop insisting on him coming back.
Of course their bad luck struck when they were the most vulnerable.
Of course Wei Ying would accept a deal with the enemy to save them.
And now the man was dying again. Something was devouring him alive from the inside out. Draining him. Killing him. And with him, it was killing Lan WangJi too. Because he can’t, no, refuses to live through Wei Ying’s death again. He will do anything in his power to save him. And if he can’t…
They’ll need to put another coffin in that pavilion at Burial Mounds.
When Lan WangJi ripped the door open, the disciple’s head was buried in his Master’s chest.
And he was wailing in grief.
He felt his legs give away under him, but at the same time, he refused to fall.
Rather he approached the two with an aching throat and a hollow heart.
When the disciple noticed his presence, the young man pressed his face into his hands.
“Two minutes!” He screamed. “You were late by two minutes!”
The Lan’s Second Young Master collapsed next to the bed.
Shaking porcelain white hands found an equally white face. He was still warm. Burning up even.
Lan Zhan… it’s not over yet…”
No. No, not now, please not now! What more could be taken from them? What more could they lose? His embrace growing in force, Lan WangJi buried his face into the man’s shoulder, fighting down a sob.
“It must be done. But it will be quick. Now that you’re here… it will be quick.”
“How quick?” He muttered, voice muffled by the fabric.
Wei Ying let out a huff that could be considered a laugh.
“Not twelve years. Based on how much energy you gave me, I’d say a few hours. A day at most.”
A day. A single day never sounded more terrifying before.
Wei Ying sounded fainter by each passing moment and Lan WangJi found himself unable to let go just yet. Why can’t these moments last forever? Why can’t they just lay here for eternity, warmed by each other’s presence? Why must they pay the highest price for every single drop of happiness, unable to savor it completely, tainted by the achingly bitter taste of grief?
“… Kiss me?”
“En.”
The kiss tasted like salt and happiness. Grief and hope. It tasted like all those bitter times, wrapped around in the veil of desperation and misery, hope splattered all over them like crimson drops of two bleeding hearts. Cherished moments, so few with so many pain in between, shadowed oases in the Sun scorched desert of a life without each other. In that single kiss, the world had come alive, stars were born and then died out again, all of it flowering bright in a single moment. It felt like coming home.
It was a promise.
Lan WangJi promised to remain by his side until he wakes up.
And that is exactly what he’ll do.
A thought formed in Mo XuanYu’s head.
Wei WuXian was the key to ascension.
He was one of the necessary obstacles that cultivators needed to overcome in order to achieve true calm and serenity. If one could keep their temper in the same room with him for more than an hour, then they were due the deepest congratulations, they’d passed the test.
Do you have anything to add, Wei WuXian?”
Is it just him, or did the temperature really fall at least ten degrees in the room?
“Nothing.” Wei WuXian answered with a radiant smile. “At least, nothing child friendly.”
The Elder’s eyebrow twitched again.
It’s over.
They are all going to die.
Slowly.
Horribly.
"Wei WuXian, are you making trouble again?” The new voice startled everyone out of their trance.
Wei WuXian took on a mischievous, but still approachable smile and inclined his head slightly to the man.
“Of course not, Elder Lan! We were just reminiscing about the old days with Sect Leader Jin.”
Lan QiRen took his sweet time to answer with a small but slow bow of his head, as if giving his approval. Then he turned to Jin GuangYao and said something that shocked every single person to the core.
“I hope you weren’t offended by my nephew-in-law, Sect Leader Jin. You have to understand, he is exhausted and still recovering. I’m sure you’re aware, but we’ve been attacked recently.”
…Dead silence.
For a few seconds there were no sounds, no movement.
Then, slowly, everyone processed what the Lan Elder had just said.
Behind Jin Ling, a cultivator let out a high-pitched whine.
Jin Ling couldn’t fault him for that.
Since…when.
When did Wei WuXian, The Yiling Patriarch, the Grandmaster, no, The Founder of Demonic Cultivation marry into the Lan clan? It wasn’t hard to figure out who his…uh… husband is, HanGuang-Jun was relentless when he tried to save the man’s life. But marriage?
Jin Ling saw the disbelief morph into mischief on the Yiling Patriarch’s face and he instinctively knew that this wasn’t the first time they’ve heard this question. The man bit his lower lip as if trying to suppress his laugh
“… that I can call you uncle-in-law now? Uncle Lan?”
“I forbid you to be that shameless!” Hissed the older man. “And I expect you to be on your best behavior…”
That was all Jin Ling was able to pick up before the nervous chatter drowned out their words. He could still see Mo XuanYu, who had his back turned to his two elders as he pressed both hands to his mouth and laughing silently. Jin Ling scoffed. Of course the two trouble makers would enjoy a catastrophe like this.
He didn’t look forward to telling this news to his Uncle Jiang though.
He had a feeling that furnitures will break…
Maybe even walls.
The Jin Sect certainly wasn’t above using any methods necessary to obtain such knowledge.
“That is why you’ll only speak about the technical side of the matter.” Lan QiRen ordered. “You’ll sit beside me and won’t make a single jab at the Jin sect.”
“My dear uncle-in-law, you’re asking for a miracle.”
The Elder shot him a fierce glare.
“Make it happen!” He hissed as they stepped through the doorway.
Just as he was finishing his explanation, he felt the familiar presence in his chest grew stronger and knew that Lan Zhan was about to knock right about… now.
And, alas, he was right.
Lan XiChen only took a single glance at his smiling face and immediately knew who was on the other side of the door, thus allowing entrance.
Lan Zhan didn’t seem surprised by the presence of the Jin Sect, bowing to them without missing a beat. Of course, he wouldn’t show his surprise even if he hadn’t been warned by Wei WuXian about their guests. Once he finished his greetings, his eyes immediately found Wei WuXian who greeted him with a beaming smile. Reaching out with his hand, Wei WuXian made it clear for everyone where he wants his cultivation partner to sit.
Freedom.
He knew that Lan Zhan knew. The man could without a doubt feel his longing.
In turn, he felt his fear. His terror of going out there, into the dangerous and the uncertain, where threats lurked in every corner, waiting with bated breath for the chance to rip them apart. HanGuang-Jun, the Lan Clan’s Second Young Master is a brave and selfless man. Lan WangJi, is a terrified and protective husband. The two personas clashed every day, and so far, Lan WangJi came out on top again and again and again.
His love gave him power. His sense of duty tortured him for it.
