8 YEARS AGO

"Who cares about the crowded, broad road? I’ll walk the single-plank bridge into the night…"

Lan Wangji's heart dropped as Wei Wuxian and Wen Yuan walked away from him, hand in hand, while Wei Wuxian hummed to himself, skipping down the small trampled road into the burial mounds. Looking at their backs, the two of them looked perfect together, like father and son. Lan Wangji ached to be with them. Just then his internal instincts overtook his restraint and something in him just snapped.

Suddenly, before he could realise or even stop it, he was running towards them, taking only a few strides to catch up to them. Before his constraints could kick back in, he already had grabbed onto Wei Wuxian's other hand, palms clammy, falling into step with them. Even though it was only a short distance and running didn't require him much strength, he now was miraculously out of breath, adrenaline rushing straight to his head.

"Short of money. May I stay the night?"

Wei Wuxian was momentarily stunned, he looked at Lan Wangji, mouth wide open, then at their intertwined hands. But after just a few moments of surprise and wonder his face broke out into a brilliant smile. "Of course. We would love it if you did."

And so they went back to the Burial Mounds, together. Yes, Lan Wangji would have to leave at some point, he knew that, he knew his responsibilities. But he could and would not abandon Wei Wuxian, not now, when the whole world hated him. 

"Wei Ying."

"Yes, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian didn't even move his head, just watching the road ahead. 

"I'm here."

Wei Wuxian needed to know that he wasn't alone. He would never be alone again, as long as Lan Wangji lived. Even if Wei Wuxian hated him, Lan Wangji would still love the man with the ferocity of a thousand suns.

Wei Wuxian simply nodded without an answer or reaction, but he had a skip in his step for the rest of their way. 

As they came closer and closer a small problem arose when Wei Wuxian returned with Lan Wangji in tow. There was no place in the Burial Mounds good enough to host a Clan Heir, much less for him to spend the night.

"Ah, Lan Zhan… do you mind sharing the Demon Subdue Palace with me? It's shabby, but we can clean it up!"

"Mn. I'll help." He did not care about a fancy room or other amenities, as long as he could stay close to Wei Wuxian. 

And so the two men got to work, fixing up the cave. While Wei Wuxian picked up all his inventions and talismans strewn everywhere, Lan Wangji helped by sweeping and cleaning everything. Then he started placing a bed on the ground (Wei Wuxian wanted to ask why Lan Wangji carried a bed in his Qiankun bag, but he suspected it had something to do with the Lan bedtime). 

"Aiyoh, I don't intend to make my guest work so hard. Lan Zhan, we'll drag the bed together, no need to hurt yourse-..."

Wei Wuxian shut up as he saw Lan Wangji lift the bed with the ease of lifting a child, carrying it over into a corner. 

Wei Wuxian's eyes became bigger while he exclaimed jokingly, "My, what arm strength! You could probably lift both me and A- Yuan in those strong arms."

"Mn. I can." Lan Wangji responded, completely serious.

"I'm joking of course! Come, let's put up a partition here so no one can peek in."

After successfully cleaning up the room, they lay down on the bed after shedding down to their night robes.

"Lan Zhan."

"Mn?"

Wei Wuxian turned on his back and moved his head, to stare at Lan Wangji’s side profile. The moonlight illuminated the man, making him look like an ice sculpture.

"Thank you. For standing by me and scolding me, for being honest, for being you. I know it's hard for you too, but after living with the Wens in the Burial Mounds I really can't go back to Yunmeng. They're my charge now. I will protect them with my life."

"And I will protect you, Wei Ying. If you let me."

“You can’t. Lans don’t side with evil and unrighteousness.”

“Right? Wrong? Who decides these? I need to follow my heart.”

Wei Wuxian felt his pulse quicken.

“Then where does your heart lie, Lan Zhan?” he asked, the tremble in his voice almost too small to hear. 

“With you.” came the answer as honest and stern, as the one before. 

Wei Wuxian felt the blood flow to his face and almost had to hide under the blanket, but Lan Wangji wasn’t done.

“I believe in your cause. I will support you.”

Oh, that way. Of course, the kind Hanguang Jun wouldn’t want to see innocents die. Nothing more. Why was he feeling so disappointed?

“Wei Ying?”

“Mhm?”

“Promise me. Don’t push me away." At the end of his plea Lan Wangji wanted to say 'again'. But to not hurt Wei Wuxian by bringing it up, he left it stuck in his throat and mind.

Again with the ambiguous wording? Lan Wangji, aren't there rules against such things? Why does he make my heart stop like that every time? He needs to stop doing that! 

Regaining his thoughts, he tried to answer Lan Wangji honestly, “I - I won't." He hoped his voice cracking wasn't audible to the other. 

Seemingly satisfied, Lan Wangji turned around to face Wei Wuxian. The latter gasped quietly, seeing the man’s features so close to him, his eyes glinting in low candle light. He truly was a peerless beauty, second to none in the Cultivation World.

“Good night, Wei Ying.”

“Good night to you too, Lan Zhan.”

*** (EDITED BECAUSE I FORGOT A PART)

“Wei Gege! Wake up! We have eggs!”

Wei Wuxian woke up to a three year old jumping onto him. The weight propelled him backwards, straight into the mattress.

“Aiyah, A-Yuan! Man down! Ouch! Stop!”

The three year old started jumping around on the bed, not allowing Wei Wuxian to catch him and hold him still. Wei Wuxians eyes adjusting to the light were relieved shortly after by the shadow of Lan Wangji, who had walked into the room after A-Yuan, holding a tray with plates and small bowls.

“Breakfast, ” he stated calmly. 

Wei Wuxian sat up, caught hold of the flailing little boy, pulling him into his lap and tickling his belly deftly, causing him to burst into laughter.

“So active, so early in the morning, huh? Let this Gege teach you a lesson!”

A-Yuan giggled happily. “Gege, eggs!”

True enough, the plates had some fried eggs and rice on them, there was soup and fried vegetables as well. It was quite the sumptuous meal, something Wei Wuxian could only dream of in their current state in the burial mounds. He frowned in suspicion.

“Lan Wangji, did you buy these for us? There’s no need to be so charitable. We can manage on our own. Especially considering that you're short of money.”

“Didn't buy. Traded.”

“Huh?”

Lan Wangji sat down, putting the tray with the dishes on the bed. A-Yaun jumped off of Wei Wuxian’s lap and ran to sit next to Lan Wangji, obediently staring at him.

“Wash up. I’ll tell you then.”

Wei Wuxian looked at him questioningly for a short moment, but when there was no sign of Lan Wangji changing his mind, he got up and left the cave. On the way, he saw the Wens laughing and eating. Everyone looked less haggard and more energetic than they usually did. Wen Qing walked up to Wei Wuxian with a small smirk on her lips.

“Wei Wuxian, you slept in today? Good. With how much sleep and food you were getting, you were one foot in the grave, and this is the Burial Mounds too. It seems having Second Young Master Lan stay wasn’t such a bad idea.”

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian realised the height of the sun and therefore the already advanced time of day. Had he slept for more than ten hours? This was unprecedented. Usually, Wei Wuxian slept for a couple of hours at night, spending the rest of his time tending to Wen Ning or tinkering with some new inventions.

Oh right, just then he remembered that Wen Ning had woken up just yesterday. The exhaustion and excitement from that event, combined with Lan Wangji’s close presence, had apparently made him  sleep like a dead man. Or something similar. 

“Where’s Wen Ning?”

“Gone to Yiling. Why don’t you go back and ask the Young Master in your bed?” She winked at him, not so subtly.

“Hey! So what?” His face was turning red, but he refused to let Wen Qing misunderstand.

“He's just a guest! And my good friend!”

“Sure. Have fun fooling around!”

She skipped off, to do who knows what. Wei Wuxian scoffed at her back, but then returned to the matter at hand, washing up and going back, to find A-Yuan being fed by Lan Wangji. The scene was so homely that Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but sigh loudly.

“Ah, Lan Zhan, look at you, you would make an amazing father.”

He sat next to the man, and opened his mouth. Puffing his cheeks out like a baby, he pouted.

“Feed me too!”

Unexpectedly, he found a spoon of rice and eggs in his mouth. Lan Wangji, having fed his big baby focused on the three year old again. Wei Wuxian ate his food, smiling. 

Since Lan Wangji had come back with him, he felt like he was happier, more carefree. He knew he could rely on the man, so he unwittingly let his guard down.

“Now tell me how we got eggs.”

“From hens, Wei Gege!”

Wei Wuxian resisted the urge to laugh as he put on his stern face.

“Very good, A-Yuan." Lan Wangji lightly petted the little boy on the shoulder, then lifted his eyes back to Wei Wuxian, adding, "Wei Ying, the Wens grow radish. They traded it.”

“With whom? Last I checked, no one wanted to trade with us. They even tried to chase us out of Yiling the first time. ”

“A Lan Disciple who lives here. He’s opened an inn. If you trade vegetables with him, he’ll give you money or produce.”

“Are you sure you aren't coercing him?”

“He needs the vegetables. Wen Ning and Uncle Four went to make a deal.”

Wei Wuxian was silent for a while, as Lan Wangji looked at him, expecting a response.

“Thank you. We owe you.”

“You owe me nothing.”