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 grips the edge of the tub as Lan Wangji's long fingers dig in, the pressure a maddening mix of pleasure and pain. "Of course I did," he exhales, fighting the urge to whine when Lan Wangji's thumb finds a particularly angry knot.

"It was very - " he starts, but he doesn't at all have an understanding of Tiki to explain it properly. "It was of a theme," he says. "Do you remember the fruity drinks I had the night you found me in that dance hall? Everything was thusly appointed. I even had some liquor frozen into ice!"

[lan_wangji]

He thinks that over for a moment while his fingers work, imagining Wei Ying's sheer delight at an entire tavern themed around lurid, fruity alcoholic beverages.

"Would like to come with you. Want to see you enjoy such a place," he decides, knowing it will be completely ridiculous but intrigued at the idea of watching Wei Ying experiencing it.

"Should be brave like Wei Ying, experience more things."

[yiling_laozu]

"Lan Zhan is brave all the time," Wei Wuxian insists. "We will go, but you must let me inspect everything before you eat or drink it. Some of the alcohol is so cleverly hidden you might drink yourself sick in moments."

And then Wei Wuxian will have to somehow affix him to the front of his bike and ride them both home. "Sometimes there is carry okee. It is singing. I want to drink and try that."

[lan_wangji]

"People sing at taverns?" Lan Wangji asks, both horrified and confused at the very thought of it. His hands still entirely as he tries and fails to imagine any reason for such a thing much less a desire to do so.

"They allow patrons to sing as entertainment?"

He tries to right himself, hands picking up where they had paused but the unsettling image of standing in front of strangers and singing will not dissipate. "Do you enjoy singing?"

[yiling_laozu]

"I think so," Wei Wuxian answers, eyes opening to watch Lan Wangji's internal battle of nausea and despair. "Madam Yu didn't care for it, but shijie said I had a nice voice, and Jiang Cheng hated it, which is how i know I was good."

He laughs, reaching forward to squeeze Lan Wangji's hands. "I wouldn't ask you to," he tells him gently. "I'll never wish for you to do anything you don't enjoy. The other patrons seemed quite pleased, though, when they passed around the informative parchment."

[lan_wangji]

"Am sure Wei Ying has a lovely voice," he says, voice as serious and low as it gets as Lan Wangji has utter confidence in Wei Ying's ability to excel at nearly anything.

It still sounds like a horrific thing to want to do.

"I will not sing in public," he vows, moving his hands down to Wei Ying's calves. "But if it is what you desire, I will accompany you." He lifts one of Wei Ying's legs out of the water just enough to kiss his bony knee. "This world is strange."

[yiling_laozu]

"You said you liked how it gave me new things to enjoy," Wei Wuxian reminds him, wincing as Lan Wangji's fingers find what feels like large, angry rocks in his calves. "But it is strange, yes. And surely a good time, even if everyone else is terrible. Perhaps especially if they are terrible," Wei Wuxian laughs.

"Although...I don't know any of their songs, do I?"

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji hesitates for a moment before he opens his mouth to reply, knowing that while he may regret the introduction of a such a thing into their household, that Wei Ying will likely get much joy from it.

"There is a store I know of," he starts, moving his hands down to gently work on one of Wei Ying's feet. "Sells a thing run on the electricity. You can buy magic discs and listen to music. Every kind that exists, I believe. Wei Ying could get one and learn the music of this place."

[yiling_laozu]

"Are there many kinds?" Wei Wuxian asks, perking up in the water. He hears music at times when he is inside shops, usually upbeat and sounding nothing at all like the music of home. "You will have to play Wangji for me after to cleanse my ears if it is all terrible."

He does hope he'll find something he likes. How is he even meant to choose, when he doesn't even know what is etched into these mysterious discs?

[lan_wangji]

"Majority of them sounded wholly unlike music and nothing I have ever heard," he intones, gaze a little distant as the remembers the horrors of some of the sounds.

"Do not know how it is done, placing a voice and instrument into such a disc, but it is remarkable."

It suddenly occurs to him that such recording devices are common and according to Lee-gonxi, exist on the communication device he has never bothered to use. "Want to record your voice. Want to have that," he blurts out, remembering the ache of realization that came with thinking he'd never see nor hear Wei Ying again. "And one of the photographs that can be made."

[yiling_laozu]

"Aiya, let me find a song first," Wei Wuxian chuckles, though of course he'll let Lan Wangji do whatever he wants. "What is a photograph?" he asks. "And how is it made?"

There are so many modern things he doesn't understand, and he hasn't bothered much with learning about them, largely content with his second chance at life. But perhaps he could stand to learn a little more, if it has Lan Wangji so interested.

[lan_wangji]

"I don't know," Lan Wangji admits, chest tightening a little with distress as he realizes that Wei Ying could have disappeared at any moment, as he knows people here do, and he would have yet again had no way to hear or see him ever again.

"The pictures people have on walls and the communication device. Pictures more lifelike than drawings. Want one. Need one, in case."

He resolves to find Lee-gonxi the very next day and learn how to make one or purchase one. They seem incredibly common in the city, nearly every establishment having something like it.

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian hums. He does not even know where the communication device he'd been given even is anymore. The last time he had touched it, it had remained black and silent, and he'd not thought about it since. Is it yet in the burial grounds?

"I'm sure you will figure it out," he says, for Lan Wangji looks upset. "You're very clever, Lan Zhan. You already figured out how to give us a home, and this magnificent bathing tub."

[lan_wangji]

He lets out a disgruntled huff before he scoots close enough to Wei Ying to kiss him, irritated at his own negligence but determined to set it right. He keeps one arm wrapped around Wei Ying's thighs to keep him steady on the bench, the other wrapping around his lower back to pull him closer.

"Like Wei Ying in this bathing tub," he says, wanting him close. "Like Wei Ying, always."

[yiling_laozu]

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian murmurs, helpless as ever to resist pressing their bare bodies even closer, enchanted by the feeling of Lan Wangji's smooth skin against his own. "I want to kiss you so much, but we must get clean. Let us do so, and then retire to the bedroom?" he asks, teeth finding his own bottom lip as he recalls again what he means to do there.

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji mutters something unintelligible against Wei Ying's neck before releasing him and handing over the his bar of soap before he starts to clean himself. He means to make it as efficient as possible if Wei Ying insists on waiting until the bedroom before they can touch.

"Wei Ying has intentions," he murmurs as he washes, still pressed close. "Because of my birthday? I've thought of it, often."

[yiling_laozu]

"I have also," Wei Wuxian admits, cheeks rosy at being caught. He washes himself swiftly and thoroughly, and then even more thoroughly when he realizes Lan Wangji might suddenly turn around and visit the same upon him.

"There is something I wish to try. I learned about it at that tavern."

[lan_wangji]

He is distracted enough by the flush of Wei Ying's cheeks that he does not piece that statement together for a moment.

"You learned about pleasurable acts at the tavern? With the fruit drinks and singing?" he asks, frozen as he tries to make sense of it. He has heard of lewd places, brothels he supposes, but he cannot imagine Wei Ying visiting such a place. "Do not understand."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian nods. "I cannot seem to find anything in books," he says, "Nor do I even know what to search for. So I asked someone who is very experienced for any knowledge he could share with me."

He glances away from his own soapy body, remembering who he is talking to. "In words, of course."

[lan_wangji]

He nods, still frozen as he tries to discern the cause of his agitation. He knows Wei Ying has not and would not do anything to betray Lan Wangji or his confidences but he also knows that they have very different ideas of privacy.

"Wei Ying spoke to someone about sexual acts," he states, trying to reason this out and calm his initial horror. "Does this person know me?"

If it was Obi-Wan Laoshi, that Lan Wangji will never be able to face him again.

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian nods, then shakes his head, eying Lan Wangji warily. "I suppose he could infer who you are, soon enough," he says, clutching the soap to his chest. "Is that very awful, Lan Zhan?" Lan Wangji's face is particularly blank, which could either be very bad or entirely neutral. "I wanted to know how to be better for you, and I know of no other way to find out."

[lan_wangji]

"No, not awful," he says, face softening as soon as he sees the furrow in Wei Ying's brow. It might have been, had it been one of the few people Lan Wangji has found a friendship in, but regardless his discomfort is not worth making Wei Ying upset.

"Do not know how I feel. Would never occur to me to discuss such a thing with another. Does not mean Wei Ying cannot. I simply - I did not consider the possibility."

He leans over to kiss Wei Ying's flushed cheek. "Wei Ying is always good for me."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian's tense shoulders relax. They get along so well these days that at times it's difficult to remember how different they are. Lan Wangji is no coward, but he is private, and Wei Wuxian is bold in areas that he is not. And though Lan Wangji is good at concealing many things, Wei Wuxian knows him too well not to detect true distress, and he sees none now. He smiles, managing to flush deeper in the heavy steam as he adds, "Then be good for me also, Lan Zhan, and clean yourself with particular thoroughness."

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji's lips part in surprise at Wei Ying's boldness, realizing the exact nature of what Wei Ying must have discussed.

He nods and reaches for the soap before pausing. "Don't watch," he murmurs, feeling bizarrely shy as he reaches in between his legs.

[yiling_laozu]

He'll soon do far more than watch, but Wei Wuxian turns around, sinking up to his chin in the water to enjoy the heat of it, sinking past his skin and into sore muscles to soothe away the last of his aches. "I hate the part when we get out," he murmurs. The cold air is so shocking - he wants to run straight from the tub and into their room, but he would surely slip in mud.