For Wei Ying

[lan_wangji]

It is still a little strange, Wei Ying having the independence of coming and going as he pleases. It is not an independence that Lan Wangji resents, rather he knows Wei Ying is far happier with it and such a spirit should not be confined to the quiet countryside.

But it is still a little strange. The house is extremely silent without him. The cat seems suspicious, as if Lan Wangji has done something nefarious with Wei Ying but that may simply be how the cat appears. Lan Wangji enjoys its presence but has yet to fully discern its expressions and moods. Wei Ying commented once that very conundrum applied equally to Lan Wangji and he cannot help but see the similarity.

He knows Wei Ying will be cold when he returns, snow blanketing the ground and the winds picking up. He needs to find Wei Ying better covering against the cold, he notes as he leaves the spicy chicken stew to simmer. Enough vegetables have been hidden inside to appease his own worries about Wei Ying's eating habits and sets to finishing his own tofu and greens, adding bit of citrus juice to it in what he hopes is only a minor indulgence. Their table is set with wine and tea and the fire in the hearth lit when he hears a soft ruckus outside and smiles, heading back to the kitchen to prepare their bowls.

Comments

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian bursts through the front door, bringing half the snow outside in with him as he shoves off his boots and new, heavy outer robe. He's overwarm after riding for so long, even as his face and ears are bright red with the cold, and he shrieks a little as a bit of melting snow makes its way down the back of his neck.

He swallows the sound rather quickly as Jin Rulan swishes his tail at him. "Aiya, I could not take you," Wei Wuxian explains as he makes his way into the kitchen. "It's snowing and you would not have been protected enough in your basket. Lan Zhan! What have you made that smells so good?"

[lan_wangji]

He knows that Wei Ying does not expect an answer to be yelled from across the room but enjoys the whirlwind of sound and movement that always heralds Wei Ying's arrival. He carefully ladles Wei Ying's stew into the largest bowl they have before setting and waiting for him to get close enough for a kiss.

"Spicy stew," he murmurs, taking in Wei Ying's red ears with an assessing eye, vowing to buy some sort of covering like he has seen the locals wear around the city. "Hello."

[yiling_laozu]

Spicy stew! Wei Wuxian groans, coming around the table to press a windchapped kiss to Lan Wangji's cheek. "How did I not know I loved you for so long. Madam Yu was right, I was dropped on my head too many times!"

He grins as he collects their bowls, helping to carry them to the table that is already laden with wine. "Far too many times," he murmurs, wondering how he had lived without so many small kindnesses for so long.

[lan_wangji]

"Ridiculous," Lan Wangji murmurs fondly as he follows, carefully forbidding himself to think rabidly violent thoughts toward the dead.

He sets a small, covered dish concealing a dessert to the side to wait until Wei Ying has eaten a sufficient amount of food and sits neatly.

"Did you enjoy yourself in town?" he asks, eager to hear any tale Wei Ying would like to spin of his adventures, having had more than enough of peace and silence for the day.

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian nods, pulling his bowl to him to take a large, chicken-laden bite. "So good, Lan Zhan. Mm, I returned to that little tea shop Lee-gonxi favors, with the little cassava balls? I find them quite good for sustaining me after a long ride." He hums. "I'm always so hungry after, you know?"

He slurps down another large spoonful. "I found some new tools for my workshop, and I brought you some parchment, too." Wei Wuxian reaches for the wine. "What did you do?"

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji nods his thanks for the parchment even as he notes Wei Ying's comments about hunger. He ought to prepare more easily transportable foods that Wei Ying can carry with him when he leaves to sustain him between meals. It is a task he is determined to start as soon as he can.

"Cleaned," he says after setting his spoon down, the compromise Lan Wangji had settled on for his 'no speaking while eating' rule. He is simply not willing to not take any opportunity presented to talk with Wei Ying, not anymore. "Found two missing socks and a hair ribbon underneath our bed." He leaves off any specific accusation as he is genuinely unsure whether he ought to blame Wei Ying or the cat. "Changed water in the outdoor bath. Fortified Bunny's home. Studied."

[yiling_laozu]

The bath. The tips of Wei Wuxian's ears flare suddenly from more than cold, and he drowns himself in spicy stew lest Klaus' words echo so forcefully between his ears that they come out of his mouth. "We should bathe later," he says. "For a while. Thoroughly. It will help my tired legs."

Coughing a little from the chili at the back of his throat, he swallows more wine, along with the suggestion that Bunny might like a more personalized named like Jin Rulan. "What did Bunny's home need?"

[lan_wangji]

He carefully clears his throat before taking a sip of his tea, thinking he ought to have poured something cold as he flushes at the thought of Wei Ying in the bath. It is not appropriate to make such assumptions when Wei Ying clearly desires it to soothe his legs but Lan Wangji finds his immaculate control is often rendered useless when it comes to Wei Ying.

"Mm, after we eat. Will heat it for you."

He takes a careful sip of his own, lighter soup, finding the citrus stimulating and not at all helpful to regaining his balance. "More warmth, for Bunny. Seems lower energy. Thought I could make it more comfortable for her."

[yiling_laozu]

"Lower energy?" Wei Wuxian asks, brow furrowed. He sets down his wine. "She's not ill from the cold, is she? Should we move her inside?" he asks, even as he feels Jin Rulan winding lazily between his legs.

Ah, that wouldn't work. If Jin Rulan touched even one hair on Bunny, Lan Wangji might throw him into the river. "I'm sure I have more blankets somewhere."

[lan_wangji]

The suggestion, as unworkable as it is, makes him smile and he extends one hand across the table to squeeze Wei Ying's.

"Wei Ying is very kind to offer but it is not necessary," he says, chest tight with fondness and gratitude for his lovely Wei Ying. "Added more straw and cloth already. Bunny would be unhappy indoors, I think. She seems to enjoy the freedom."

[yiling_laozu]

At the touch of that hand, Wei Wuxian's mind rapidly clears of the charms he might think up to protect Bunny from Jin Rulan. "We are the same in that," he says, smiling back at him. "And you are quite a bit like Jin Rulan, though it took you far longer to climb into my lap," he teases.

[lan_wangji]

"Wei Ying needs to eat more dinner," he murmurs, pulling his hand back while he bites back a smile. He wonders if it will always feel this way, overcome with giddy fondness constantly.

"I find that it is usually Wei Ying who climbs into my lap," he says before taking taking another spoonful of his own soup. He cannot allow Wei Ying into the hot bath if he is not properly fed and he still has a dessert to give him.

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian snickers as he complies, swallowing down another large bite and following it with more wine. "Lan Zhan isn't as skinny as I am," he says. "You are far more comfortable to sit on. And I like your thighs very much," he says, a little dreamy as he spoons up another bite. "They're very shapely, Lan Zhan. And strong."

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji does not know why he even tries to tease Wei Ying when Lan Wangji is so hopelessly outmatched. He can feel his ears heat up and ducks his head to take another bite before reaching over for the small dish.

"Purchased this at the market yesterday for you," he says, lifting off the cover keeping it fresh and nudging it towards Wei Ying. "Baker says it is called baklava and tastes of honey and spice. Thought you might enjoy."

[yiling_laozu]

"Shenme? Wei Wuxian hums, reaching for it. His fingers stick to it at once, and he licks them curiously, brows climbing as the honey bursts on his tongue. "So sweet, Lan Zhan," he says, pulling it closer to tear off a piece with his chopsticks. A proper bite is even sweeter, and he grins wickedly.

"Oh, I will have so much energy after this, Lan Zhan," he says, finding he needs more wine to cut the sweetness before his next bite. "You'll wear me out, won't you?"

[lan_wangji]

He does not dignify that with an answer but decides he has eaten enough and stands to move around to Wei Ying's side of their small table and sits next to him, pressing their legs together.

"Am glad Wei Ying likes it," he murmurs, wrapping an arm low around Wei Ying's back and pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "This place, this world contains so many things Wei Ying might like. Brings me happiness to watch you find them."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian smiles down at his lap, hearing the words Lan Wangji doesn't say. He has access to many new things here, it's true, but far better are the things he now lacks. He isn't hated, isn't hunted, isn't sheltering the lives of dozens beneath his power alone. He can enjoy himself again, for the simple sake of doing so.

It's that last thought that steels his nerves, and Wei Wuxian looks up. "I like our bath, too," he says. "Warm it up for us?"

[lan_wangji]

That gets a proper kiss from Lan Wangji, heated at how focused Wei Ying's mind is on the bath, tonight. Wei Ying is always an enthusiastic lover, but having that usually scattered attention focused on Lan Wangji will never be anything other than a revelation, every time.

"Bring towels when you come," he murmurs, putting his hair up in a swift top knot before rising to head down to the bath. "Take your time and finish desert."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian nods, twisting to watch him go. Any more of this sweet and he will be overly energetic indeed, but perhaps that's what he needs to overcome his nerves. He's practiced as best he can, limited as he is in both privacy and resources, but he'd still very much like to show Lan Wangji an excellent time tonight. He pops the rest of the baklava into his mouth and rises, twisting his own hair up and shedding all but his inner robes.

By the time he's fed Jin Rulan and looked in on Bunny, the tub must be warmed, and Wei Wuxian heads outside with several indulgent, fluffy towels in his arms. "Is it ready?" he calls, waggling his brows. "Drop your robes if it is!"

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji twists around just enough to shoot Wei Ying a flat look before he toes his boots off and undoes his top layer, folding it neatly on the small bench he has set up just for such a purpose.

"Wei Ying should wear his hair like that more often, at home," he murmurs as he starts on the second layer. "Like the way you look." As fond as he is of the tangles and waves of Wei Ying's hair, there is something startling about the pale column of his neck and the soft skin just at the top. "You are lovely."

[yiling_laozu]

Not prepared for his teasing to be returned with such earnest praise, Wei Wuxian flushes, stripping off his remaining robes with more care than usual, though he only flings them onto the bench. "Who knew that a Jade of Lan would be so romantic," he mutters. "It isn't fair at all. Aren't you ashamed, Lan Zhan, to be handsome, wise, capable, and romantic?"

He shoves down his pants. "It isn't fair at all."

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji pauses entirely in his own disrobing to watch Wei Ying fling his own clothes off chatter and abandon. "Wei Ying is ridiculous," he mutters, staring at all of the pale skin suddenly on display. "Also handsome and wise and capable and romantic."

He quickly and efficiently strips off his remaining clothing and steps up into the bath, holding out a hand to help Wei Ying in. "Legs still aching?"

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian opens his mouth to say that if he is romantic, it's quite escaped him, but he quiets at the sight of Lan Wangji's naked body beckoning to him from the steam. He takes his hand, wincing as his thighs bunch to lift him up and over the lip of the tub.

"Yes," he says, for once not jesting. "The tops and the bottoms and my actual bottom. It's not as bad as when I first began, but I still feel like I am in knots all the time."

[lan_wangji]

"Sit and put your legs in my lap," he commands, settling himself along the narrow bench, easing himself down until the hot water in level with his chest. He wonders that powering the bicycle would leave such discomfort and is again struck with the desire to try and gauge the status of Wei Ying's core knowing he cannot do so without permission.

"Wei Ying should tell me more of his adventures in town while I help. Missed you when you were gone."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian sinks into the water with a grateful sigh, simply soaking for a moment before he turns and puts his legs in Lan Wangji's lap. Propping himself up with his hands on the bench behind him, he closes his eyes, humming. "It was only a few hours," he reminds him, smiling all the same.

"Actually, I did find a hidden tavern. It can't be found unless you can use magic. I suppose cultivating must qualify."