BEFORE/AFTER COLORING CHALLENGE
tagged by @theyilinglaozus & @storge
As I did this challenge not that long ago before (see here), there’s not a lot I have to say. I still enjoy color manipulation through selective coloring, I still enjoy darkening gifs, I still enjoy highlighting certain colors while I’m always trying my best to keep - or sometimes retrieve - skin colors.
For the trope rating meme, maybe coffee shop au's? 😊Hope the week ahead is kinder to you lovely (-theyilinglaozus)
No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |
I don't read a lot of modern AUs for MDZS, but I do like coffee shop AUs when I do, and in general I like it because it's usually a low-angst trope, which you can just read to relax and chill and imagine all the lovely coffee shops.
these warm and moonlit summer nights (we tangle so well together)
tags: established relationship, post canon, hair brushing, fluff
The cool evening breeze feels like gentle caresses on Lan Zhan’s face from where he stands in the balcony. The setting sun peeks out from behind the magnolias and as Lan Zhan stands there admiring the contrast, so focused on the sound of the gentle wind chimes he misses the quiet footsteps sneaking up behind him.
He feels Wei Ying’s slow exhales against his face before he notices unbearably light arms closing around his waist in a firm hold. They stay like that for a while, basking in the warm glow of each other’s presence, the easy lightness of being held, the feel of each breath against his neck, calm and alive.
By the time the sky has turned into a dim purple from the bright orange earlier, Lan Zhan can feel the slow drag of Wei Ying’s kisses against his neck. He feels Wei Ying withdraw a little and gather his hair onto a side which allows him more access to Lan Zhan’s skin. Eventually, the feeling of his firm chest against Lan Zhan’s back returns. He feels his kisses over his robes, under his ears and around his neck. He can feel the tension leave his body bit by bit, lulled by the sense of security and warmth he has allowed himself to have in Wei Ying’s arms.
Wei Ying’s gentle treatment combined with the cool evening breeze eventually has goosebumps rising against his skin. Wei Ying notices and stops in his actions. He removes himself from where he is tangled up against Lan Zhan and Lan Zhan feels something whine in the back of his throat with the need. He does not get too much time to dwell over it though as Wei Ying immediately comes to stand in front of him.
“Aiyah! Who would believe me if I told them the reason why the great Hanguang-jun wears at least seven layers at all times is that he gets cold easily? Huh, Lan Zhan? Look at you! Breaking into shivers because you’re only wearing three layers, huh?”
Wei Ying’s teasing smile and the laughter in his eyes envelop Lan Zhan’s entire being. He is helpless against the tide of affection that rises in him. Lan Zhan caves into the feeling of that warmth, the feeling of the corners of his mouth tilting upwards. Lan Zhan resists an eye roll at the comical gasp that Wei Ying lets out at the sight.
“Lan-er-gege! Hanguang-jun! How many times do I have to remind you to give me a warning? Do you not care at all about this poor husband’s heart?” Wei Ying fake-yells shoving an accusing finger in his face.
“Mn, warning,” Lan Zhan answers back. His voice has a soft hoarseness to it from misuse and Wei Ying lets out another dramatic gasp.
“So cruel! Gege is so mean to me! Not only is he acting unreasonably, but he also uses that voice against his husband! Ah! my woes! What shall this husband do? Who shall he turn to?”
Lan Zhan immediately goes to still his dramatic hand movements. He lowers their joined hands down and steps closer to Wei Ying.
“Mn. How about I make it up to Wei Ying? Let me brush Wei Ying’s hair?”
Wei Ying lets out another soft smile at that as he nuzzles into Lan Zhan’s front nodding. Lan Zhan untangles their joined hands in favour of placing a hand against Wei Ying’s lower back as he leads him inside.
Lan Zhan seats him in front of the mirror close to their bed as he goes to rummage through the drawer where they keep their combs and ribbons. He picks out the red jade comb with Wangxian’s musical score engraved on it that he got Wei Ying for their first anniversary and the white ribbon Wei Ying often wears to bed. Lan Zhan returns to his place on the bed behind Wei Ying and begins his ministrations.
Wei Ying’s hair is already down as he hadn’t bothered typing it up in favour of joining Lan Zhan in the balcony after his bath. Lan Zhan begins by dividing his hair into two parts. He then raises his comb to gently untangle through the dark tresses. Wei Ying hums and leans back into his touch a little and Lan Zhan is overcome with so much love over the level of familiarity of their positions.
He loses himself in it then. Bit by bit he feels how Wei Ying further relaxes into his touch by the time he gets around to comb through the second divided portion of his hair. Once he’s managed to get through all the tangles, Wei Ying makes the perfect image of a purring cat in his hold. He has to shuffle him away a bit so that he can manage to tie the ribbon in a loose low ponytail. As soon as he lowers his hands after he’s done with the knot, he immediately feels Wei Ying slump back into his hold. Lan Zhan turns back after he’s placed the comb back on the bedside table.
“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan murmurs against his husband's hair from where he’s pressed against him. Wei Ying only hums.
“I am going to move you around a bit so you can lie down properly. Leaning like this will only put pressure on your back.”
Wei Ying only lets out a slight whine when Lan Zhan moves them both around a bit until his back is against the headboard and Wei Ying is comfortably lying in his lap. Wei Ying opens his eyes to look up at him as he adjusts himself a bit. The trust and love in his eyes once again encompass Lan Zhan’s entire being with how much he’s feeling.
Wei Ying rewards him with one of his sleepy smiles and shuts his eyes once again as he nuzzles into his lap. Lan Zhan’s fingers go back to Wei Ying’s head; he alternates between massaging Wei Ying’s temples and slightly dipping into his locks. He loses himself in it as Wei Ying goes completely pliant under him, letting out slight hums and moans under him.
He is struck by how the privilege to hold Wei Ying and shower him with his love has always been so out of reach. His only wish, unattainable. Looking down at him as he gently cradles his zhiji into his lap is all he’s ever desired. To know Wei Ying and be known by him; to be surrounded by such comfortable familiarity is within his reach now. He never has to let go ever again.
For @theyilinglaozus, I hope this fic is everything you wanted from the Hanahaki trope. Thank you for being so open and receptive to my questions, your quick and detailed responses really helped to make this possible. I really hope you enjoy this! Happy Winter Solstice! :)
Read On AO3
*****
Bloom (you grew up so soft when you could have grown cold)
The first time it happened Lan Wangji was fifteen. Too young to fully understand what it was or what it meant. It began with a flutter, innocuous, easy to ignore and pass off as nothing. It was only after spending a substantial amount of time with Wei Wuxian as a direct result of his inability to follow the rules that it became something else. Something much more painful and visceral. It felt as if he’d been stabbed in the chest, like somebody had reached past his ribs and grabbed both his heart and lungs at the same time. Gripping, squeezing, pushing and pulling until he’d succumbed. He woke hours later to Xichen’s concerned face, but brushed it off as nothing in a tone that brokered no room for argument or discussion.
The second time it happened it was much more obvious; it was visceral in its sudden manifestation and the ordinarily collected and calm Lan Wangji regarded a blood-coated lotus petal with absolute horror. He hid it, of course. Ignoring something made it go away, right? Unless you were Wei Wuxian of course and all it seemed to do was encourage him to persist.
Knowledge was power or at least that’s what the Lan disciples had been taught so Lan Wangji locked himself away for hours, reading text after text, desperate for answers that he dared not seek from anybody else. To speak it aloud was to make it a reality and if he could hold his tongue then perhaps it might just go away.
It didn’t.
If anything it got worse, much worse.
The pain persisted as did the petals but, stubborn to a fault, Lan Wangji remained his own confidante. It was his burden to bear and if his affliction had anything to do with whatever he might feel for Wei Wuxian (love though he was loathed to put it to words) then it was better if it remained his secret and his alone. The texts that he’d poured over endlessly from sunrise to sunset told of a physical condition that was born from unrequited love where the victim of unrequited or one-sided love would begin to vomit or cough up the petals and flowers of a blossoming plant growing in their lungs, which would eventually grow large enough to render breathing impossible. There was however no set time for how long it would take to do that so given that he was a strong cultivator Lan Wangji was certain that through the use of his Golden Core he could hold it at bay until a solution could be found.
He willfully chose to ignore the part about how the only known cure was for his love to no longer be unrequited.
Not that the disease ravaging his body listened. If anything it just grew with more ferocity each and every time Lan Wangji beat it back with well aimed spiritual energy as if reminding him that his feelings were real and could not be denied. When Lan Wangji wasn’t focused on keeping everything under control he was meticulously paying attention to the details of his appearance as looking pale and sickly was an easy identifier to anybody who might be watching that the younger Twin Jade was not well.
As painful and inconvenient as the disease was, it was the only way that he knew that Wei Wuxian was alive after falling into Wen hands. This was because for the three months every failed moment was accompanied by the appearance of lotus petals that over time had become more plentiful in number and vivid in the crimson that coated them. The rest of the Sunshot Campaign passed in something of a blur, the ever formidable Hanguang-jun was as resilient as he was succinct in his communication though he was notably more reserved and more careful with who he allowed close especially during a coughing fit. Even his brother was held at arm’s length. There were whispers, rumours even, circulating of the Lan disciple being up at all hours, hacking and wheezing only for him to emerge in the morning as if nothing had happened.
Exhausted, spent, weary and battling the rapidly expanding growth in his lungs Lan Wangji lacked the required strength to be able to throw away all his lifelong beliefs in favour of supporting the man for which his body was literally blossoming for. It might be the reason why for the first time since succumbing to this disease that he finally coughed up more than just petals, practically a whole flower, and it all but choked him.
His inner robe, white as the first fallen snow of a new winter, was now mottled shades of red and black from fresh blood to coagulated masses of what he can only assume were crushed petals that have not survived the journey from lung to throat and eventual expulsion. He would be smart to seek help or at the very least speak to Xichen, but his brother had other pressing matters to deal with and Lan Wangji did not want to add more pressure to his brother’s broad shoulders.
Happening across Wei Wuxian and an unexpected addition in the form of Wen Yuan was as much planned as it was unexpected. He had known that passing through Yiling carried a fifty-fifty chance of encountering either the man himself or at least somebody who knew him. It was in many ways a form of self torture and Lan Wangji had hoped himself smart enough to not inflict that on himself, but apparently he was not as intelligent as he liked to think he was.
Or it was just the Wei Wuxian effect because the man did have an effect especially on Lan Wangji.
Unexpected time spent in the Burial Mounds exacerbated the condition, aggravated the buds, and Wei Wuxian pulling away from him was enough for his chest to tighten with a burning sensation that he had long since come to associate with the oncoming onslaught of petals and flowers. Despite his desire to stay he said his goodbyes and retained his composure until long out of sight and sound of both Wei Wuxian and Wen Yuan he finally succumbed, knee on the ground and hand braced as his entire body shuddered and convulsed for much longer this time. It felt like too long. When it eventually stopped all his spiritual energy was spent, he was pale, and felt like a shell of himself. It took him far longer than he would admit aloud to gather his strength, replenish his spiritual energy, and move on from Yiling.
It all came to an unexpected head at Nightless City in what would be the last time he would ever lay eyes on Wei Wuxian as he was then. At first he ignored the sudden and inexplicable easing of pressure and tightness in his chest in the vain hope that the other man was still alive, had somehow survived the fall, but his body knew better and his arrival at the Burial Mounds again confirmed Lan Wangji’s worst fears.
Wei Wuxian was dead.
Would remain that way for the next sixteen years and for those sixteen years Lan Wangji would know relief from the Lotus petals and flowers that had been plaguing him from a young age. He should have been relieved, should have been pleased, but the truth was that he would happily be consumed by the growth in his lungs if it meant that Wei Wuxian was still alive.
Life was predictable, expected, run of the mill and there was a lack of chaos that Lan Wangji had come to associate with Wei Wuxian though blessedly there was a young Lan disciple by the name of Lan Jingyi who in many ways seemed to embody a spirit that was the least Lan-like and whilst Lan Qiren did everything in his power to discourage it Lan Wangji did the exact opposite. He actively encouraged it and was happy for Lan Jingyi to spend time with Lan Sizhui as he brought out a smile in the child he’d rescued from the Burial Mounds that he had not seen in a very long time.
He understood though, the boy had lost a lot. Grief was a powerful overwhelming thing that had no rhyme or reason and no expiry date on when the loss stopped hurting and everything went back to the way that it was. It was impossible. Or at least that was how it was for Lan Wangji who had all the memories of lost opportunity and a love he’d felt that might have killed him eventually but it would have been worth it.
At some point, Lan Wangji retreated, focused entirely on existing not living but making sure that he was a better father to Lan Sizhui than his father was to him and his brother. Most would welcome the reprieve, be relieved to be free of the pain and enjoy the serenity that was afforded by the object of your unrequited love being dead and gone, but Lan Wangji was odd in his proclivities after all.
Shortly before the events that transpired at Mo Manor, Lan Wangji felt a familiar stirring in his chest, the prickling sensation of roots long since dormant regrowing, and immediately his hand clutched at his outer robes before a splattering of lotus petals decorated the ground at his feet. “Wei Ying , ” he murmured softly, not quite able to believe it, but desperate to at the same time. It wasn’t until he arrived at Mo Manor that he knew that what this disease had been telling him was true, Wei Wuxian was resurrected, but to another body, and had fled. Not that bit was important, the bit that was important was the fact that Wei Wuxian was alive and that was all that mattered.
It wasn’t until he encountered Wei Wuxian at the foot of Dafan mountain that the pain in his chest showed any sign of abating and it had been long enough without it that Lan Wangji was taken aback by just how agonising it actually was. He had not missed the sharp acrid taste of days old blood in the back of his mouth though he would happily be plagued by that for the years he had left if it meant that Wei Wuxian was alive. The body was different, but the soul was achingly familiar and it gave Lan Wangji cause to hope again, even if the return of the other man was most certainly his doom.
Still, what time he had left he was determined to spend at Wei Wuxian’s side and even if his feelings were not returned then at the very least he knew he’d done right by the man he loved. And true to his unspoken word Lan Wangji was an unmovable presence at Wei Wuxian’s side, defending him in both word and action, with blade ready to react in an instant which in hindsight was a good thing considering how many people attempt to kill and be done with Wei Wuxian, his idiot brother included.
As expected they encountered much resistance and more than a little heartbreak.
The worst, however, came in the form of Yi City where they finally learned the fate of Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan. A truly sad and tragic end to a partnership that in many ways had reminded Lan Wangji of him and Wei Wuxian and it was as they handed what remained of Xiao Xingchen ’s soul to Song Lan that he felt the beginnings of another episode. He hurriedly excused himself and escaped the watchful gaze of Wei Wuxian and Juniors alike to a space behind buildings where he could brace himself against the wall, blood and petals falling from his lips like a confession until he was barely able to stand, the strain evidently clear in his trembling form and pained breaths.
This was by far the worst and the first time he felt as if something was growing in the back of his throat and no amount of swallowing could do away with it.
Still, Lan Wangji picked himself up and ignored the persistent and pervasive pressure building in his chest and throat, there was still much that needed to be done. Admittedly he probably should not have drunk in Yunping City or allowed himself to be that open and vulnerable around Wei Wuxian but thankfully he had not divulged anything about his condition much to his eternal relief.
All the events finally come to a dramatic conclusion at Guanyin Temple where it would seem Jin Guangyao was even deadlier with his back against the wall. Not that they should have expected any less from him given everything that he’d achieved, manufactured and made happen. He had been responsible for the death of so many after all in one horrific manner after another. Of course he would take hostages and of course they would consist of Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian, the latter of which causes the growth in the Lan disciple’s chest to stir unpleasantly until he was certain it was fully in bloom, pollinating what tissue remained unaffected by the disease until it was so overwhelming that his grip on Bichen was shaky at best. Thankfully that was easy enough to explain away by the fact that Jin Guangyao was threatening somebody he cared about.
The stalemate ended with Jin Guangyao and his cohorts dead, Wei Wuxian’s name finally cleared and exonerated though at the cost of his brother who much like their father entered seclusion to deal with the fallout of his faith and trust being placed in a man he thought was good. Perhaps he had been once, but that time had long since passed.
It should have been the happy ending they’d been hoping for but life was always more complicated than that. For all those involved there were a lot of emotions, unresolved issues, and a lot of history that didn’t immediately go away just because there had been a viper at the centre of the heart of everything. And as much as Lan Wangji had hoped and had desperately wanted Wei Wuxian to remain at Cloud Recesses he understood that the other man needed time to come to terms with everything that had happened and that couldn’t happen while being surrounded by the ghosts of his past.
He was no fool, he had enough sense to know just how far along the growth was in his lungs, it was likely he would be dead before he saw Wei Wuxian again, but he’d long ago accepted that this disease would claim his life and he’d bear it if it meant that he sent Wei Wuxian back into the world free and without guilt for the first time in what he was sure felt like an eternity.
Lan Wangji lasted less than a day after seeing Wei Wuxian off before he finally collapsed in a flurry of blood, petals, and full flowers accompanied by explosive coughing breaths that sound as though they do not belong to the otherwise indomitable Hanguang-jun who at this precise moment looks small, too small. It was Lan Jingyi who found him and immediately raised the alarm after it became clear that Lan Wangji could not breathe and there was very little that spare spiritual energy could do to ease his suffering. At most, it stopped him from choking but certainly did nothing to prevent him from slipping into unconsciousness.
Rushed to the Healer’s Pavilion the concern was first for the considerable strain on his body followed by the exhaustion felt in his Golden Core before a further examination which confirmed the growth of… something in the Twin Jade’s lungs, the nature of which was confirmed by the blood covered lotus petals presented to them by Lan Jingyi. The healers tasked him and the other young disciples with searching the library, for any text that might help them understand what had laid siege to Lan Wangji, hopeful that if they knew the root cause then they would be able to reverse the effects.
It wasn’t until Lan Qiren was called that it became frighteningly clear and apparent that there was no known cure for the disease that had ravaged Lan Wangji’s body. The only cure was for his feelings to be returned and even if it happened there was still no guarantee that it would be enough to reverse the damage done given how advanced the growth actually was. So advanced that it had begun to creep up the back of Lan Wangji’s throat and it was only through the use of the healers' energy that he was still able to breathe, but that was only a temporary solution.
The news of Lan Wangji’s poor health soon spread throughout Cloud Recesses, reaching even his brother in seclusion, who immediately rushed to his brother’s side. Perhaps Lan Xichen had always taken the robust nature of his younger brother for granted because seeing him so pale, so frail, so unresponsive shook him to his absolute core. And then to find out how long he’d been suffering, alone, and the nature of the disease was enough to bring tears to his eyes.
“You should have told me,” he said to his younger brother who remained unconscious and completely unresponsive which he supposed was a blessing as he didn’t think that he would be able to cope with seeing Wangji in pain, again. It had happened far too many times for Lan Xichen’s liking and in many ways he felt as if he had failed as the eldest, not protecting his brother from all the evils of the world. Still, there was still too much dried blood around his Wangji’s mouth so he busied himself with cleaning him up as there wasn’t much more he could do except to try and seek out the location of Wei Wuxian. Even if the other man didn’t return his brother’s feelings (which he severely doubted) there was a chance he could do something that others had not thought of.
He asked the hard question of “how long does he have?” to which the healers were unable to give him an answer and their response did nothing to assuage Xichen’s fears that Wangji would slip away at any second. Unlike Sizhui it would seem that Wei Wuxian had done a very good job of covering his tracks and being completely uncontactable so the only alternative the Lans had was to allow message and rumour to spread of Lan Wangji’s poor health in the hopes that eventually it might reach Wei Wuxian.
It was a slim chance, but a slim chance was better than no chance at all.
At some point over the next week Lan Wangji roused but was barely able to open his eyes or take a breath without his entire body shuddering and not even the touch of his brother’s hand seemed sufficient to settle him, pained gasping breaths escaped him every other second, eyes filled with a pain and confusion that Xichen had not seen in a very long time. The growth had spread, it was now in his throat, wrapping and curling around his windpipe like a serpent and it was becoming resistant to spiritual energy and all the healers could do was make him as comfortable as possible given his infliction.
Sizhui returned to Cloud Recesses a few days later and was immediately at his father’s side, asking the same question that everybody else had been asking: “Where is Senior Wei?” and Xichen to his ever-growing shame had not been able to give an answer.
Every new day was a new torture, for the youngest Jade and those who cared for him, healers were forcibly clearing his throat and pulling large bloody masses of petal and flower buds to clear his airways so he could actually breathe, but the look on their faces told Xichen that there was only so much more they could do before Wangji was lost to them.
If Wei Wuxian did not arrive soon then there would really be no hope.
Of course in true Wei Wuxian fashion he didn’t turn up for a further week but to his credit he looked as though he hadn’t rested in days and had a distinctly crazed look to his appearance as if driven to the brink of sanity by the journey he had obviously made to be stood at the foothill of Cloud Recesses. At first, he was denied access, to which he argued vehemently, even going so far as to wave the jade token gifted to him by Hanguang-Jun in the faces of those that guarded the gate and prohibited him access, and now with their acceptance that he was a welcomed visitor he gave a satisfied smirk and with signature swagger in place rushed into Cloud Recesses.
Sizhui was the first to find him and the look of relief on the young Lan’s face was unmistakable and he was once again taken aback by the sheer ferocity in the other’s hug as Sizhui flung himself at Wei Wuxian. He was dumbfounded for a moment, completely unable to move but eventually he lifted his arms and curled around him. “It’s okay, Sizhui. I’m here now.”
“Follow me,” Sizhui said as he leaned back before remembering himself and adding a gentle, “please” to his previous demand. And with that his hand took Wei Wuxian’s wrist in his and dragged him to where his father was being kept comfortable. Now, Wei Wuxian, had seen a lot of things in his short life, too many things, many things that would haunt him for the rest of his life, but he was not prepared for what he saw next.
Lan Wangji pale, unmoving, barely breathing, hair in complete disarray with sweat beading across his forehead and causing the white silk robes to cling to him which if the situation was any different would be very distracting but at this moment they just called attention to the strain of his condition on his body from the sharp lines of his collarbone to the hollow gaunt cut to his face and the unhealthy pallor of his skin. Wei Wuxian swallowed hard and hurried to kneel beside Lan Wangji, hand seeking out and curling around his wrist where he was aghast to discover just how very weak Lan Wangji actually was.
“Lan Zhan,” he murmured softly as he leaned over him to brush his thumb over the other’s hair. “Can you hear me?” He’d been warned by the healers not to expect any reaction from Lan Wangji, but what they failed to account for was that he was Wei Ying and it would take death itself to stop Lan Wangji from responding to him. Evident with how his eyes fluttered open and the smallest of smiles broke over his face. He was trying to speak but he couldn’t and all Wei Wuxian could do in response was give his best bright grin though it lacked the normal warmth and sincerity. “Yes, Lan Zhan, it’s me, your Wei Ying. I came back, like I promised I would.”
He tutted softly and shook his head, voice soft and betraying his worry. “Look at this, this is a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into. I never would have thought that the great Hanguang-Jun would need little old me to save him.” He was rambling, something he was very aware of, and yet he couldn’t stop. “I mean, honestly, if this becomes a regular occurrence I’m not sure what I will do with myself. I might have to go out looking for trouble on purpose just so I can feel special again. I much prefer it the other way around, Lan Zhan, you’re supposed to be the one that pulls me out of trouble.”
Oh, look, an eye roll, perfect. Wei Wuxian clung onto that as a sign that there was still some fight left in Lan Wangji. He was well-read enough to know what was causing such distress and the information shared by the healers had just confirmed his theory. When this was over and Lan Wangji was feeling better he was going to have some serious words with him about keeping such an important thing a secret from everybody, but mostly about keeping such an important secret from him .
To hell with everything and most especially the sense of proprietary as Lan Wangji’s life was at stake, he could be lectured later, Wei Wuxian immediately straddled the taller man’s hips and cradled his face in his hands, ignoring the gasps of shock from those in the room. “How could you think I didn’t feel the same way, Lan Zhan?” He shook his head. “If I wasn’t so worried I’d be telling you what a huge fool you are and how you really need to pay better attention. You’d think somebody who prides himself on having such attention to detail you would have seen all the signs, but-”
Wei Wuxian stopped talking when Lan Wangji began to wheeze, entire body seizing and eyes fluttering. “No, no, no,” he begged softly with a shake of his head. “Don’t you dare leave me, Lan Zhan.” The worst and most heartbreaking thing was the look in Lan Wangji’s eyes, an apology and a goodbye, and that sealed it for Wei Wuxian; he closed what little distance separated them and covered Lan Wangji’s mouth with his, hoping and praying it wasn’t too late.
Lan Wangji was still, unresponsive, and for several horrifying minutes or seconds (aren’t they one and the same?) Wei Wuxian feared he was too late, had taken too long, and he was going to lose his soulmate. “Not like this,” he murmured with a shake of his head as he pressed a further kiss to Lan Wangji’s mouth. “Please, Lan Zhan. Don’t leave me. Please just open your eyes and tell me what an idiot I am. Scold me, punish me, I don’t care, just don’t leave me in this world without you. I’m not as strong as you are, I can’t live without you.”
At some point Wei Wuxian couldn’t remember when exactly but he’d leaned down and pressed his forehead against Lan Wangji’s, fingers enveloped in the dark strands of the other man’s hair, cradling his head while still pleading for him to be okay. The other was still not moving, still not responding, and Wei Wuxian felt the familiar stirrings of guilt and self loathing, but when there was a familiar rumble of a warm honey rich voice speaking his name he was certain that if not for the firm grip of strong Lan hands he would have passed out right there and then.
It took Wei Wuxian a further moment to finally lean back as he’d been so afraid that perhaps he was having some sort of break from reality, imagining hearing Lan Wangji’s voice and feeling his hands on him, that he hadn’t wanted to. All of those concerns, however, melted away the moment he looked deep into Lan Wangji’s tired but very open eyes and a relieved burst of laughter escaped his chest.
He would have started to talk, babble probably, but Lan Wangji had other ideas as he with hands fastened tightly in Wei Wuxian’s robes pulled him down and into a much deeper kiss, one that was fire and electricity and it literally took all of Wei Wuxian’s self-control (ha, self-control, him? Hilarious) not to make a rather obscene sound into Lan Wangji’s mouth.
Eventually they were forced to part when air rather ironically became an issue.
“Lan Zhan, so mean, so cruel . Making me worry like this,” he admonished quietly. “If you missed me so much you could have just told me rather than making such a big scene.”
Whilst Lan Wangji was not saying much Wei Wuxian could tell that he was amused and a weight that had been sitting on Wei Wuxian’s chest since the moment he’d heard that the other man was gravely ill finally felt like it had lifted. Still, there had not been enough kissing for his liking and yes Lan Wangji needed to recover, but, still, much more kissing needed to be done.
It honestly didn’t even matter that they were in the Healers Pavilion surrounded by people when it came to the two of them the world just seemed to melt away and all that mattered was that Lan Wangji was alive and Wei Wuxian was right there with him, the feelings he’d had since he was fifteen returned and in full force.
Love might have very nearly been the death of Lan Wangji, but it was also the very thing that saved his life.
Five songs you've been listening on repeat: just took first 5 from my On Repeat spotify playlist lmao:
Brighter Than the Sun - Brick + Mortar (sp)
Repeat After Me - KONGOS (sp)
In Over My Head - Grandson (sp)
Me, Myself, and I - Vinyl Theatre (sp)
We Have A Map Of The Piano - múm (sp) 💚 ah nostalgia
Bonus: Corrupt World II (Trapped) - Aurora B.Polaris (sp) because I’ve been listening to a lot of chillstep while coding and this one apparently made it on my On Repeat playlist
Last Movie: venom 2, good stuff
Currently Reading (book(s)): qi ye, on hiatus tho because I’m too busy and tired with work, uni and life
Currently Watching: most recent stuff are The Untamed (somewhere in the middle) and Buzzfeed Unsolved (in the middle of s6 of true crime and before the last season of supernatural) among all of Watcher Entertainment vids (because I’m watching everything with shane and ryan chronologically lmao, I’m not obsessed what do you mean). Also Legion s1. But yeah, everything put on hold as well
