For Wei Ying - Courting Take 3

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji would be the first to admit that he knows little of courtship or marriage, not the details at least. It had not been a subject he'd received any instruction or advice on so he must rely on what little he has witnessed in his youth outside of Cloud Recesses. The hair pin and comb had been the obvious choice but the second is less so. He provides Wei Ying with food and drink daily so there would be no great gesture in such gifts.

The idea had finally come to him as he had flown home one evening and array of animals in the countryside.

It had not been hard to conceal the building of a small structure by Bunny's own hutch as Wei Ying rarely noticed such things or took part in the maintenance of the home. He had smuggled them home under the cover of night when he'd known Wei Ying would be in the city, fraternizing with Klaus and likely speaking of all manner of subjects Lan Wangji would rather not know of. The four chicks, two yellow and two black had seemed cozy when he had left them that night and again when he'd checked as the sun rose the next morning.

He opens the door to their room and smiles softly at the still sleeping bundle of blankets now in the middle of their large bed. He kneels onto the bed, pushing his fingers through the mess of black hair half buried by blankets. "Wei Ying. Wake up."

Comments

[yiling_laozu]

Lan Wangji really does so much for him. Not for the first time, Wei Wuxian wonders if they shouldn't be courting each other. After all, they already can't agree on who between them is the true prize. Lan Wangji has given him so many wonderful things, and all Wei Wuxian does for him is bake him vegetable loafs sometimes and accidentally forget his birthday...

"I will court you also," he blurts, mortified by that last realization. "I don't give you enough at all. And your being trained to never want anything is no excuse." If anything, Wei Wuxian should see that as a challenge.

[lan_wangji]

His eyes widen at the sudden, violent outburst, wondering how on earth Wei Ying has arrived at such a conclusion.

"Wei Ying gives me far more than mere gifts every day. I want for nothing," he insists, wondering if his chickens are really so excessive to cause such a reaction in Wei Ying. He had been certain multiple gifts were custom.

"Are the gifts making you uncomfortable? Should I not have included them?"

[yiling_laozu]

"No," Wei Wuxian insists, turning towards him. He hasn't any real mind towards what is customary - he knows what Jiang Chang had intended, and what his shijie wanted, but that isn't any real inventory of the truth. And even if he did understand what is proper, Wei Wuxian would not care. That isn't at all the reason he suddenly feels so remiss.

"I love your gifts. That is why I feel bad to have given you so few, and denied you the happiness you so often make me feel," he answers. "Lan Zhan is worthy of the same gifts you give to me."

[lan_wangji]

"Brings me same happiness to give them," he insists, reaching out to grab Wei Ying's hand. "You deserve to be courted. Deserve to be cherished and treated with respect. You have lacked them, cruely. Like to give them to you in this way."

He knows that does not explain, exactly, why he wants to do this the proper way, but it is as close as he can manage. "You make me happy every day."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian squeezes his hand, searching Lan Wangji's eyes for any sign of falsehood. Of course, he finds none - Lan Wangji does lie, but only to himself. "Lan Zhan was not gifted before he met me, either," Wei Wuxian notes, but he pulls his hand up to kiss his knuckles.

He was cherished by his brother, and by his uncle in his emotionless way, but not gifted. Wei Wuxian can do better than them. He lets the matter drop for now. "Then I am glad to be here everyday. What will you show me now, Lan Zhan?"

[lan_wangji]

He nods, relieved that he will not have to stop the process unless there is some further proof that they are making Wei Ying uncomfortable. Also, he does not know how one returns chickens.

"Come with me," he states, face softening at Wei Ying's kiss as he tugs on his hand. The weather is still cool enough to be comfortable, at least for Lan Wangji who despises the heat, and he has carefully tucked the cage in the shade alongside Bunny's hutch. He has been contemplating cooling solutions for the animals, certain that if he is uncomfortable in the heat, Bunny must be as well. The cool mountain air is one of the things he misses most of Cloud Recesses.

"They are not two pairs as the man at the store said two males would fight," he explains as he lifts the covering.

[yiling_laozu]

"Shenme?" Wei Wuxian murmurs, standing on his tiptoes as the cover is lifted despite being more than tall enough to see inside. From their proximity to the hutch, he wonders if Lan Wangji has not gotten him a bunny of his own, but all his worries about how it will fare with Jin Rulan are removed in an instant when he sees -

"Chickens? Or chicks, rather..." Smiling, Wei Wuxian carefully sticks his hand into the cage, laughing when some of their downy feathers brush against his wrist. "Two males would not give us eggs, either," he can't help noting, lifting his eyes to Lan Wangji. "Or are they strictly companions?"

[lan_wangji]

"Eggs and companionship both," he answers, reaching in to scoop up one of the tiny, yellow chicks and holding it out to Wei Ying to take. Bunny sits on the ground next to the hutch, the peeps having attracted her attention as well as the cat he can see peering out the window.

"When they are older, they can roam the grass as Bunny does. Can be yours to name, if you desire."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian holds the chick carefully, hand cupped to keep it from falling as he strokes its feathers with a fingertip. It regards him with curiosity rather than fear, no doubt a product of being raised comfortably. "This one is rather plump," he notes. "I think I'll call it Pàngzi. Hmm?" he hums, grinning at the chick.

"Would you like that, little fatty?"

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji nods his approval, smiling as the chick peeps and pecks gently at Wei Ying's hands before Lan Wangji reaches in for one of the brown and tan chicks. It proves far more feisty than Pàngzi, pecking furiously at Lan Wangji's hands as he holds it out for Wei Ying's inspection as it peeps up at Wei Ying's with tiny fury.

"And this one?"

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian gazes at it, eyes widening as the tiny, delicate looking chick all but attempts to devour Lan Wangji's hands, eyes burning with fury. "Wen Qing," he pronounces at once, for nothing else so small as ever provoked such a fear in him.

"Aiya, Lan Zhan, will they fight, too?" He looks back at the careless chick in his own hands. "They are so different."

[lan_wangji]

"They will learn, as we did," he assures, settling the angry little chick back in the cage and smiling as it immediately runs back to the other brown chick, burrowing against it.

"That one is very calm, less lively than Wen Qing," he murmurs, managing to say the ridiculous names with a placid face. He points to the smaller brown and tan chick comforting her feisty sister.

"Then this one. Was the smallest they had. No one wanted her." He holds up a tiny ball of yellow fluff, one he knows Wei Ying would also not be able to leave behind.

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian's mouth parts in surprise, and he reaches forward, scooping the tiny chick into his own hands. The creature had been so small and silent he hadn't noticed it at all. "Poor little darling. No one wanted you, hmm?" Wei Wuxian does know something about that, and he holds the tiny creature to his chest.

"It is so small, Lan Zhan. Will it be alright out here in the elements?"

[lan_wangji]

"Mm, will install a cooling system when it grows too warm and they have shade," he murmurs, leaning in to watch the little check burrow against Wei Ying's dark robes. "Sisters keep her warm at night." The property is already warded against Bunny's natural predators and he will extend that protection to ones who could harm the chicks.

"And what of her name?"

[yiling_laozu]

"Mèimèi," Wei Wuxian murmurs, a warmth in his chest blossoming already where the little chick is burrowing. If not for Jin Rulan watching with marked interest from the kitchen window, he would take the little thing into his office to watch him work.

"We must build them a proper coop," he says. "One with lots of room where they will be comfortable and happy."

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji scoops up Bunny to give Mèimèi a curious sniff, feet kicking against Lan Wangji's hands in excitement.

"Certain Wei Ying could design a very good home for them," Lan Wangji says, kissing Wei Ying's cheek. "Do you want breakfast? I can bring something out here to you. Would be a good day to swim."

[yiling_laozu]

"Breakfast!" Wei Wuxian lights up at once. Breakfast and swimming and his Lan Zhan and now these tiny babies to care for - if he'd known the day was going to be so wonderful he would never have hesitated to wake. "If you prepare it, I will bring my papers out here and sketch, and then after we swim perhaps we can go to town and fetch supplies!"

[lan_wangji]

"Mm," he agrees, giving Bunny a few soft pets before setting her down and Wei Ying another kiss on the cheek. "Take your time with the chicks and I will start food."

He leaves Wei Ying surrounded by their animals after watching for several long moments. Times like these he does not understand how his heart could hold anymore fondness and then it simply must make room, regardless of the ache it causes.

It does not take long to prepare tea and to re-steam red bean zongzi he had prepared the day before and it gives him time to contemplate wearing the ridiculous swim short pants Wei Ying had purchased him. He is feeling truly hopeless for Wei Ying, today.

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian hurries to grab his papers and a brush, spreading them out on the ground before the cage. He makes it only one moment before reaching in and taking Meimei, allowing her to flit clumsily across his body until she settles on his shoulder. Only then does Wei Wuxian dip his brush into the ink, setting it to the papers at once until a rough sketch of their future coop is outlined.

"It's rather large," he calls to Lan Wangji when he hears the door opening, a wide smile on his face as he looks up. "But we have plenty of room here."

[lan_wangji]

"I will build whatever you wish," he answers, carrying out the plate of sticky rice dumplings and fruit and tea for both of them. "I think you have found your favorite," he says as he settles, watching the tiny chick burrow into Wei Ying's wild hair. "As has she."

He pulls a piece of apple off of his own serving and gives it to Bunny who happily settles in Lan Wangji's lap as she often does during his morning meditations. "Your structure looks very good."

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian beams. "We ought to carve it nicely, also. Some clouds and swirls on the beams, perhaps some lotus blossoms as well." He pauses in shoving half a dumpling into his mouth to quickly sketch a few with his brush.

In his ear, Meimei peeps. "Ah, this one is wisely more concerned with her own breakfast," says Wei Wuxian, lifting a sticky finger to brush her tiny beak. "I wonder if there is a charm to summon grubs as if they were malevolent spirits..."

[lan_wangji]

"If there is, think it is best practiced outside of our property," he counsels, easily imagining the ways in which such a thing could go wrong. He holds a piece of orange up to Wei Ying's lips and studies the coop with its multiple levels and tunnels.

"Thank you for accepting my second gift," he murmurs, a little flushed with the pleasure of having both gifts accepted and appreciated. He was uncertain he would be good at this part of it.

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian accepts the orange, experiencing the burst of sweet juice over his tongue with the same wonder that often follows simple acts from Lan Wangji. "Of course I did, the chickens are wonderful," he says, remembering despite his good mood Lan Wangji's first attempt to court him that he'd soured so spectacularly. His only comfort is that Lan Wangji knows all of him now, and the things that had bothered him that day can never be worse than what they once were.

"Even if it were baffling instead of wonderful, I would be glad to have it if it came from you." Wei Wuxian reaches for his hand. "But Lan Zhan, this can't be only the second gift. Have you been courting me since you purchased this house?"

[lan_wangji]

"That was not formal," he protests, squeezing Wei Ying's hand before kissing his sharp knuckles.

"But intention has long been the same. Since I first saw you in the park, the first night I arrived. Longed for you, wanted you with me, intend to marry you now that we have a home."

[yiling_laozu]

"Even then," Wei Wuxian murmurs. "I don't remember that night very well," he admits. He remembers the spirits leading him towards the river. He remembers fear and longing and anger and remorse, and he knows these must be from when they spoke, but the Seal had such a grip on him then. He can't be sure what feelings belonged to the Seal and which to him. How had Lan Wangji wanted to marry him in such a state?

"I don't think I was very kind to you."