[pfsb] sword forms by the lake

[lightamidchaos]

It is late afternoon by the time he makes his way outside.

Lan Wangji is well aware that Wei Ying would probably very much prefer him to be resting again at present, and in truth he likely should be, especially given what had just come to pass in the library not long before.

But. But. It has been three days, and he needs to know how much strength he can regain, how quickly, before he returns to Cold Pond Cave and faces his brother, tomorrow.

(He is fairly certain Shufu did not intend the injuries to be quite as severe this time, either. Fairly certain.)

Bichen flashes into his hand, gleaming along the blade with a faint, icy blue-white shine. Lan Wangji draws a deep breath, and begins to move through each of the Lan sword forms in a slow motion routine, his concentration absolute.

Comments

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

He considers, and reluctantly concludes that Wei Ying has a point.

"Sit still," he orders, and begins to slip his robes back on.

[acrookedpath]

It's a simple enough order to follow, when he already doesn't want to move too far.

As Lan Zhan shrugs each layer of his robes on, Wei Wuxian finds the ties and secures them in place. His hands trace over the fine silk with a gentle reverence, as if he were helping to unbind Lan Zhan rather than cover him again. Soon, he thinks. Lan Zhan has been patient for years; Wei Wuxian can be patient for several more days.

[lightamidchaos]

His breathing is a little ragged by the time they finish securing his outer layer of robes, and his eyes are very dark.

He puts both arms back around Wei Ying and pulls him closer, then kisses him very thoroughly before drawing his head back down to his shoulder.

[acrookedpath]

...all right, in theory, he will be patient for several more days. In practice, if Lan Zhan keeps kissing him like that -- well.

His pulse has quickened considerably, thrumming hard enough that he's certain Lan Zhan can feel it. When Lan Zhan coaxes him to lay his head back onto his shoulder, he moves without complaint, trying to school his desire with a few slow, careful breaths.

What can they talk about? Something that isn't terrible, but also isn't so distracting that they fall straight into bed despite all of Lan Zhan's injuries. It's a fine line. There must be something.

Ah, he thinks as it strikes him, and he chuckles faintly.

"I will not retrieve it now," he murmurs. "But I have one of the photographs from when I visited London Above with Ingress, if you wish to see it."

[lightamidchaos]

As close together as they are, Wei Ying cannot miss the way that he jerks in surprise.

"...mn."

He sounds a little sheepish, for some reason.

[acrookedpath]

That wasn't a reaction he expected. Wei Wuxian lifts his head, puzzled.

"What is it?"

[lightamidchaos]

"I encountered Ingress earlier. While I was practicing."

He can almost see the look that Wei Ying will give him if he mentions offering to spar, and prudently decides to refrain from doing so.

"She gave me a number of pictures to give to you. I have them in my qiankun bag."

[acrookedpath]

"Oh!" He laughs. "So you have seen some of them already. Nothing too embarrassing, I hope? I cannot begin to tell you where we might have gone after -- the fourth or fifth bar, I suppose?"

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn. You were having fun. And you looked--"

He shifts slightly, enough to reach for the bag with one hand, sets it in Wei Ying's lap, and opens it one-handed to retrieve the stack of pictures from inside it.

He hands them over, with the picture of the beaming and waving Wei Ying topmost, the first one that he had seen.

The look on his face is very soft, but his eyes are even darker and more intent than before.

"What are those clothes that you are wearing?"

His tone is low, and very appreciative.

[acrookedpath]

It's the one Ingress took of him while they were on the train to Leicester Square, well before any of the drinking began in earnest. He finds his own expression softening to a smile as he looks down at it -- until he catches the shift to Lan Zhan's tone, and feels his heartbeat kick up a notch again.

"Ah." He affects the sort of light innocence that would not fool anybody, least of all Lan Zhan. He meets his eye. "Do you like them? It's very typical of what they wear in London Above."

[lightamidchaos]

"They fit you very closely," he observes, as his arm tightens around Wei Ying's waist.

[acrookedpath]

"Mm. Don't they?"

He leans closer to Lan Zhan, the better to murmur in his ear.

"The trousers especially. They were so snug I had trouble getting free of them the next morning. I could have used some help."

[lightamidchaos]

A full-body shiver runs through him.

"Wei Ying."

It is warning and promise both.

"So shameless."

[acrookedpath]

He laughs, low, and kisses the shell of Lan Zhan's ear. There's no flush of red there, though he'd been expecting it; perhaps he will have to work harder.

"Lan Zhan," he says, "you have hardly kept your hands away from me since I told you I love you." He presses another kiss just beneath his earlobe. "You have said how you dreamed for years of what you would do to me. You have already marked and bitten me."

A small nip in demonstration.

"And you call me shameless?"

[lightamidchaos]

A low, wordless growl escapes him, and both the pictures and the qiankun bag go flying as he surges to his feet, lifting Wei Ying in his arms.

He takes the few steps across the room swiftly, and tumbles them both onto the bed. He stretches his body over Wei Ying's, pinning him, then drags both his hands upward and pulls his wrists together over his head, grasping them tightly, with one hand.

He twists his other hand in Wei Ying's hair and uses it to hold him still for a searing, passionate kiss.

[acrookedpath]

He yelps in surprise as Lan Zhan hauls him to the bed -- so much for thinking the photographs would not be distracting! -- and starts to cackle unrepentantly as they topple onto the mattress.

"Lan Zhan -- " He's having a hard time catching his breath again, and all his senses slip entirely when the other man yanks his arms over his head. "Ah. Lan Zhan, how am I more patient than you right n -- "

That's as far as he gets before Lan Zhan kisses him so hard he sees spots behind his eyes.

[lightamidchaos]

He tightens his grip on Wei Ying's hair as he breaks the kiss, making absolutely sure that he cannot move, and holds himself steady above him. He lets his full weight settle against Wei Ying, keeping him pressed to the bed, and just breathes for a moment. His breath is warm on Wei Ying's lips, his own nearly touching them, but he carefully ensures that he is just out of reach of a kiss.

"We will see. Who is more patient."

It is a promise, low and heated.

[acrookedpath]

He tries to squirm, straining upward toward Lan Zhan, but cannot close the maddeningly narrow space between their mouths. He is held too tightly; that alone, he realizes in a rush of euphoria so intense his limbs weaken, makes him want to succumb to whatever Lan Zhan wishes, yield to the heat flooding through them. He pants for air.

Lan Zhan, he thinks he says, but cannot be sure.

[lightamidchaos]

He sees Wei Ying's lips move, shaping his name, and a thrill rushes through him.

Deliberately, steadily, he tugs on Wei Ying's hair, tipping his head slowly back.

"Yes? Did you say something?"

[acrookedpath]

"Lan Zhan." A little stronger, but so hoarse he may as well whisper it. "Lan Zhan."

He wets his lips.

And cracking the most obnoxious grin he can manage under the circumstances, he rasps, "I have nowhere else to be."

[lightamidchaos]

He is delighted, utterly and absolutely, that even here, even now, Wei Ying remains his irrepressible self.

"Good," Lan Wangji tells him, and pulls his head the rest of the way back so that he can begin to trail a slow, languorous line of kisses down his throat.

[acrookedpath]

He shivers, and even in his trembling he hardly stirs in Lan Zhan's grip. He wants to touch him and cannot; wants to kiss him again, and again, and cannot.

Wei Wuxian did not expect to enjoy this as much as he is.

(And he is enjoying it quite a lot, if the noises he's begun to make are any indication.)

[lightamidchaos]

Each small sound stokes the desire raging within him to new heights, and at the same time makes him want even more desperately to show Wei Ying how much he cherishes him.

He laves kisses into the hollow of his throat, then nips sharply at his collarbone, licks over the bite to calm the sting, and kisses the same spot before looking up at him, considering.

He loosens his hold on Wei Ying's hair, rubbing with strong fingers at his head and the back of his neck to soothe the lingering sensation, then slowly strokes his cheek, watching him.

[acrookedpath]

His eyes flutter closed, a deep, wordless hum caught in his throat. He presses his head back into Lan Zhan's hand as he runs his fingers down to the base of his skull; exhales, shakily, when he moves on to stroke his cheek, turning his face into Lan Zhan's palm to keep as much contact with him as long as possible. He is finally close enough -- and free enough -- to kiss the heart of the other man's palm. It is so little. It is so much.

When Lan Zhan makes no further move to release him, or capture him further, he finally opens his eyes: breathless, wondering.

"More of that?" he whispers. "If you -- "

He has come back to himself just enough to remember: Lan Zhan should not be pushing himself so hard.

[lightamidchaos]

He places his hand over Wei Ying's mouth to stop him from speaking.

"Yes," he murmurs. "Wei Ying. Yes."

He shifts, then, maintaining his grasp on Wei Ying's wrists as he does, and moves to straddle Wei Ying's hips, so that he can both keep him pinned and be able to touch him.

Slowly, very slowly, he draws his fingers down over Wei Ying's chin, along his throat, to his chest, where he slips his hand inside his robes and lays it flat against his skin.