For Wei Ying

[lan_wangji]

Thirty six hours. Lan Wangji has not rested in thirty six hours. He cannot and he will not, no matter how many times the guardians of the City tell him to leave this place or how often his back and shoulders protest. He can feel the badly treated wound trying to reopen but the pain is incidental and he is Hanguan-Jun of Gusu Lan. He has trained for this. He will not fail Wei Ying, again. He will not lose him.

He has heard rumor of another man recently arrived with similar looks to himself. He'd arrived two days prior; Wei Ying had died two days prior. It must be him.

The sun has set again over the park where Lan Zhan sits next to the river, desperate for quiet as his fingers pluck at his guqin. Inquiry rings out over the park, broken up only when he switches to his Wangxian until his heart can no longer stand to hear it.

His Wei Ying has to be here.

Comments

[lan_wangji]

He nods and spends the next few moments carefully regulating his breathing and heartbeat to try and remain as calm as possible. It hurts very much but a reaction will only serve to further upset Wei Ying and deplete his own energy.

"Thank you," he whispers, reaching back to wrap his fingers around the edge of Wei Ying's robe, as if he could disappear if Lan Zhan is not constantly watching. "Glad Wei Ying found me."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian focuses on smearing the paste evenly, covering all the angriest portions of Lan Wangji's wounds in thick salve. It still makes him furious to look upon, but his head throbs behind his eyes, and he can see Lan Wangji trembling as he fights to hold back his body's reaction. It's enough to keep him silent.

Until, at last, "There. Let me put this on again tomorrow, and you should heal nicely."

[lan_wangji]

Lan Zhan nods again, not bothering to replace the ruined inner robes as he carefully turns to look at the strange, large, overly soft bed. He would be scandalized, embarrassed even to be going to bed in such an undressed state but he is simply too tired. He will be scandalized in the morning, he decides.

He glares up at the glowing light affixed to the ceiling and carefully lies down on his stomach, the position unnatural but the blanket under his cheek soft and oddly enticing. "Stay," he implores, eyes finding Wei Ying's where he sits on the bed. "Promised."

[yiling_laozu]

He's tired without being sleepy, his body worn but his mind alive and screaming, as it is almost every night. He blots out the sound of screams occasionally screeching through his mind from the Seal and moves to the chair, but not before dragging one of the blankets up as far as Lan Wangji's waist. He'll be warm, even if he isn't properly covered, for the room holds a sort of artificial chill.

"Should I - " he starts, holding another blanket between his hands before folding it into some semblance of a long, thin pillow. "Will this help?"

[lan_wangji]

Lan Zhan blinks sleepily up at Wei Ying, mind slowing as it takes a moment to register what he is offering.

"Y'need rest," he mumbles, smoothing a hand over the empty side of the bed before tucking it back against his body. The light overhead does not seem to be dimming with time, as a candle ought to and he sends an irritated burst of energy upwards, pleased when a popping noise is followed by darkness, finally.

"Sleep here."

[yiling_laozu]

He won't be doing that without wine, but Wei Wuxian kicks off his boots and gets onto the bed anyway, sitting with his back against the headboard. Here, at least, he can make sure no more harm comes to Lan Wangji as he sleeps - and that no more of the buzzing, energy-fueled items in the apartment like the light did. He will...have to ask Nova about that.

"I'm not leaving," he says. "Rest, Lan Zhan."

[lan_wangji]

A hand darts out once again, grabbing at Wei Ying's robe and clenching tight as he finally lets himself relax. Wei Ying is alive, once more. This place has brought his back to Lan Zhan and Lan Zhan will not fail, this time. He will save Wei Ying.

He will convince him to stay, this time.

[yiling_laozu]

Lan Wangji allows Wei Wuxian to touch him far more than he does others, but his eyes still widen in surprise to see those long boned fingers curled tightly in his robe. He hesitates, fighting his natural impulse - can the stoic Hanguang-Jun truly want comfort in this moment, and from him of all people?

Minutes tick by, but he can't seem to look away from that hand, and so Wei Wuxian reaches out, curling his hand atop Lan Wangji's to chase away the worst of the air's chill.