[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.

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[lightamidchaos]

The sky slowly brightens as night gives way to the encroaching dawn. Star after star vanishes into a field of blue.

Mao hour approaches, and as it does, Lan Wangji shifts. His arms tighten around Wei Ying.

He blinks slowly, once, twice -- and then smiles down at him.

"You are awake," he marvels.

[acrookedpath]

He breaks into a grin, nose scrunching up. "I am," he says. "I hope you enjoy it, for I will never wake this early again."

He presses a light kiss to the underside of Lan Zhan's jaw.

"Good morning."

[lightamidchaos]

"Good morning."

He holds him a little closer, just for a moment.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian hums, softly pleased, and snuggles deeper into the embrace without complaint.

"Did you rest well?"

[lightamidchaos]

"Yes."

He tilts his head to look down at Wei Ying.

"Did you?"

[acrookedpath]

"I think so."

He sounds a bit awed by such a simple thing: a full night's sleep, with no nightmares rising to haunt him.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

[lightamidchaos]

“You did not.”

He is glad, very glad, that Wei Ying’s sleep was undisturbed.

[acrookedpath]

"Good," he sighs. "Then I did sleep well."

Gently, he squeezes Lan Zhan.

"It is almost as if I was so worn out and happy that I could not dream at all. Who knows why?"

[lightamidchaos]

“It is a mystery,” he says, perfectly bland, and leans down to kiss him.

[acrookedpath]

"Mm."

He stretches up into the kiss, slow and sleepy; reaches to tangle his fingers in Lan Zhan's hair. They will both need time with a comb, he thinks with another inward laugh. He can only imagine how his own hair looks after their exertions the night before.

They break apart, Wei Wuxian with a reluctant sigh. "I do not want to ask this," he murmurs. "But how early will Zewu-jun be visiting you?"

[lightamidchaos]

“He will come during wǔ hour.”

He says it with certainty, without hesitation.

“At the usual time, he said. I suspect it was a warning.”

[acrookedpath]

A warning. Because he suspected Lan Zhan would sneak away again, or because they plan to dole out more punishment?

He makes himself nod, but cannot stop from tightening his hold on Lan Zhan. "We have time, then," he says. "Good."

[lightamidchaos]

“We do.”

A moment’s silence, as he strokes his hand down Wei Ying’s back, trying to soothe.

“I expect that they will have placed at least one guard outside, to see if I would try to leave. I do not think Shufu truly thinks I would, after this, but this way everything will seem above reproach.”

“Xichen... knows me better.”

[acrookedpath]

He huffs out a humorless breath. "Then it was kind of him to warn you, I suppose."

Lan Xichen is not as terrible as Lan Qiren. He knows this. Zewu-jun guides firmly when needed, but is not as rigid and unbending in everything as their uncle; he was even capable of tolerant amusement toward Wei Wuxian's antics, at times.

Still.

"I cannot imagine he suspects the full truth of -- all this." He tips his head to indicate the room, the inn, the two of them curled up together in bed. "But do you think he believes you found another way out of Cold Pond Cave?"

[lightamidchaos]

“He will have questions.”

Lan Wangji says this very quietly.

[acrookedpath]

He swallows.

Quieter: "Will you be punished again if you do not answer?"

[lightamidchaos]

“I do not think so.”

He looks down at Wei Ying.

“Requiring me to answer was not part of it. My uncle took my silence as an admission of guilt. It is why the punishment was so harsh.”

“Xichen will want to know why.”

[acrookedpath]

In the circle of Lan Zhan's arms, he feels the press of his chest expanding, falling. Secure. Held.

"Will you stay silent? Or will you tell him?"

He can't imagine Lan Zhan would tell him; they would believe he'd gone mad. But --

[lightamidchaos]

“I cannot see how to explain the inn,” he says, very simply.

“He will be worried. I am sorry for that. If I can find a way to reassure him, I will. Otherwise...”

He shrugs, and stops there.

[acrookedpath]

He nods against Lan Zhan's shoulder, and lets out a small sigh.

"I would not know how to explain the inn either, if I was in your place." Quietly. "I hope he will not pry too much. And that he will accept your reassurances without causing any more difficulty."

[lightamidchaos]

"He will be worried," he says, again, this time more carefully.

"I have -- hurt him, before."

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian makes a tiny questioning noise, lifting his head a fraction to look at Lan Zhan.

[lightamidchaos]

He takes a moment to steady himself, drawing a slow, careful breath, then another, reminding himself that Wei Ying is safe, sheltered in the circle of his arms.

"Xichen knows -- me," he starts. "We have always, always been close. More than most."

He finds he cannot speak of why, of their childhood, not here, not now. Not yet.

But he does not want Wei Ying to hate his brother. He has to try, somehow, to explain; to help him understand.

"He has always trusted me. Even when he did not understand. He would-- would have helped, if he could have. After--"

He cannot stop himself. His arms tighten around Wei Ying, as if afraid he will be snatched away, as he remembers those long months, that first awful year.

"-- he tried, and I - I would not let him near. He feared... I would do something, something rash--"

[acrookedpath]

A slow dread creeps through him, leaching the warmth from his blood.

Something rash.

"Lan Zhan," he says, voice thin.

[lightamidchaos]

He presses a kiss to Wei Ying's hair, and is quiet for a few beats of time, just holding him.

"It is not that I meant to do anything," he says, finally. "But I also did not ... especially care, for a while, what happened to me. After I was whipped, I was not... well. For some time."

It is an understatement, he knows, but it is hard enough for him to speak of it at all. And Wei Ying has seen his scars, and will draw his own conclusions in any case.

"But Xichen -- he never stopped trying to reach me, throughout everything. And eventually, I -- I let him -- I stopped trying to drive him away, when he came to spend time with me."