[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

[acrookedpath]

"It was a terrible idea," he complains, strained. "Ah. Lan Zhan -- "

That smile ignites another fire that sets every nerve alight as it rolls over him. He digs his nails into his palms; tries, and fails, to tangle one leg around Lan Zhan to force him closer.

"I've never seen you smile like that. Is that how you have smiled in private all those years you thought about us?"

[lightamidchaos]

He shakes his head.

"Only now. Only with you."

The words are still hanging in the air between them as he runs his hand along Wei Ying's chest, his touch light and sure and deliberately teasing, down to the fastening of his robes.

[acrookedpath]

It's where he has hoped Lan Zhan would move all along, and still, his eyes widen fractionally as he watches. Finally, he thinks, lightheaded. He never should have teased Lan Zhan about his lack of patience -- even now he moves so slow, so deliberate, that his whole body aches with want.

"Please," he rasps. "Yes. Let me help you. Let me touch you, please -- "

[lightamidchaos]

"Patience," he murmurs again, drinking in the sight of Wei Ying before him as he unfastens his robes, one after the other, and lays them open.

"So beautiful."

He leans forward, a lock of his hair falling over his shoulder to brush against Wei Ying's skin, and kisses the center of his chest.

"My Wei Ying."

Slowly, he stretches out against him again as he kisses his way upward once more. He slides his free hand along Wei Ying's arm to his wrist, then to one of Wei Ying's hands, twining their fingers together.

Lan Wangji raises his head and looks down at him, then finally takes his mouth in another heated, passion-filled kiss, and relaxes his hold on Wei Ying's wrists.

[acrookedpath]

Oh thank the gods.

It actually hurts a little to move his shoulders after being pinned for so long -- but it is a good pain, a clean pain that only builds on the desire burning hot in his belly. He seizes the front of Lan Zhan's robes and hauls him deeper into the kiss. Another frisson jolts up his spine as the silk caresses his bare skin.

You know what would feel even better, though? Lan Zhan's bare skin.

Wei Wuxian fumbles for the ties of his robes with none of the languid care Lan Zhan displayed with him. "Why," he mumbles against Lan Zhan's mouth, "do you wear so many layers -- " and finally his delving fingers reach Lan Zhan's chest, wrenching the robes wider.

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

He neither knows nor at this moment cares about the reasons for Gusu Lan's long-ago attire choices, instead being much more interested in the taste of Wei Ying's mouth, the warmth of his skin, the feel of his body against his own.

As Wei Ying pulls his robes open, however, he wraps his arms around him and rolls them both over, so that Wei Ying is lying on top of him, now, and kisses him again.

(And if doing so means that his back is hidden by the mattress, well... he would rather they not be reminded of his scars right now. He does not think that Wei Ying will truly mind.)

[acrookedpath]

Ah. Much better. Much easier.

This abrupt shift, from being so thoroughly restrained to being able to move all he wants, do whatever he wants, to grab Lan Zhan by the hair and insinuate his legs around him and run his teeth along the edge of his jaw -- it hits him like the strongest wine, making his head spin anew. When the next kiss ends, he sits up long enough to yank his robes the rest of the way off. In his haste, one arm gets stuck in the sleeve of his inner robes, and he breaks down in giddy laughter as he shakes it free.

"There," he breathes one he's finally shoved his clothes to the floor, and moves on to dragging Lan Zhan's robes off his shoulders too.

[lightamidchaos]

The room is spinning around them, and he cannot get enough air, dizzy and intoxicated with with Wei Ying's touch as he now is.

He sits up, giving Wei Ying better access to slide his robes off, and runs both his hands up Wei Ying's back to pull him close as soon as he has.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian retains just enough of his mind to steer clear of the worst parts of Lan Zhan's injuries. His lower back wasn't as badly bruised as his shoulders; he wraps both arms around him there as snug as he dares, urging them even closer.

(The scars are another matter. Even this low, he can feel every narrow ridge pressed against his arms.

But if it does not hurt him --

Lan Zhan is still lovely.)

"I love you." He kisses the curve of his neck where it meets his shoulder. "My Lan Zhan."

[lightamidchaos]

He shivers, and turns his face into the other man's hair, holding him tightly.

"My Wei Ying. I love you, too."

He pulls back just enough to smile at him, heartstopping tenderness clear in his eyes, in the softness of his expression, then leans further back still in a controlled fall down to the bed, drawing Wei Ying after him.

[acrookedpath]

Well, thinks Wei Wuxian hazily, some indeterminate time later. I cannot complain about doing away with patience.

The stars have just begun to emerge outside. The bedclothes are rumpled, the coverlet slewed halfway off the bed to pool next to their robes. Who even has any idea where their trousers are underneath everything; certainly not Wei Wuxian.

(He also thinks Madam Bar may have secretly exchanged the two pushed-together beds for a single large one when she added Lan Zhan's name to the door. He can't feel the little depression up the length of the mattress anymore.

Of course, he has also been... very preoccupied.)

One arm slung around Lan Zhan, he turns his face into his bare chest and sighs in quiet contentment.

[lightamidchaos]

He makes an incomprehensible sound in response and pulls Wei Ying a little closer, without opening his eyes.

One arm is around Wei Ying's back, keeping him near. The fingers of his other hand are loosely wrapped around Wei Ying's wrist, over the Gusu Lan forehead ribbon, which he had pointedly retied there at some time previously.

Otherwise, Lan Wangji does not move.

[acrookedpath]

He breathes out the smallest laugh over his skin.

"It is not even hai hour yet, is it," he murmurs, so quiet he can barely be heard. "Poor Lan Zhan. But I do not regret it if you don't. We will rest well before you return."

The only thoughts he can shape are the ones he speaks aloud, drifting slow and soft as clouds across the stilled expanse of his mind. All is calm. All is -- peaceful inside his head, he realizes with distant wonder.

"Lan Zhan. My Lan Zhan. I can hardly think at all." Another breath of laughter. "I love you. How did I not know sooner? We could have done this so long ago."

[lightamidchaos]

He is drifting, somewhere between asleep and awake, lulled by the sound of Wei Ying's voice without comprehending what he is saying.

Laughter whispers over his skin, and without realizing it, his lips curve in a small, warm smile.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian breaks into a radiant grin when he sees Lan Zhan's smile. He lifts his head just enough to tuck his chin onto Lan Zhan's chest, studying his face.

"Ah, maybe you can hear me after all," he whispers. "Sleep, Lan Zhan. I am only talking nonsense. I should sing instead so you do not think you have to pay attention to me."

[lightamidchaos]

He is not really aware of what Wei Ying is saying to him, only the rhythm of his voice, interspersed with recognizing an occasional word.

He hears his name: Lan Zhan.

He hears another word as well: sing.

Softly, without opening his eyes, he begins to hum their song.

[acrookedpath]

Oh.

He grows quiet. The familiar melody stirs the softest vibration where he rests against Lan Zhan, a hum that wraps around his heart, and he closes his eyes as he listens.

On the ascending line midway through the first verse, he begins a quiet, thoughtless harmony.

[lightamidchaos]

The harmony seeps into him, the music so natural and so right that at first he thinks he is dreaming it.

Slowly, he floats closer to full awareness, and as he does he realizes that Wei Ying is still curled in his arms, and is humming along with him.

As they reach the end of the song together, he opens his eyes and turns his head slightly to smile down at Wei Ying.

[acrookedpath]

He beams up at him in return.

"Don't mind me," he murmurs, stretching just enough to plant a kiss on Lan Zhan's cheek. "Keep sleeping. I will keep singing."

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

It comes out a little husky with sleep.

"But then I would not hear you."

[acrookedpath]

"I will sing when you are awake as well."

He returns his head to Lan Zhan's chest, idly sweeping his thumb back and forth above his heart.

"And whenever else you wish."

[lightamidchaos]

A slight shiver runs through him at the gentle caress.

"Mark your words."

He turns his face into Wei Ying's hair and lets himself relax.

[acrookedpath]

"Always."

He settles more comfortably against Lan Zhan. While he cannot really draw him any closer, he tightens his hold a fraction as if he could.

Softly, he picks up the melody of their song again.

[lightamidchaos]

Despite his unwillingness to truly sleep, after -- well, everything that this day has seen -- he is just exhausted enough not to be able to fend it off entirely.

He starts to drift again, listening to the familiar melody, which he himself had composed for them years before and sung for Wei Ying the first time in the Xuanwu's cave in Muxi Mountain.

As the last verse begins, he doesn't realize that he's started to murmur the words under his breath.

[acrookedpath]

...what is Lan Zhan saying? His voice is so muddled by sleep that Wei Wuxian can't make it out. Only a few words emerge here and there: something about a flute, and perhaps mountains and seas as well.

But they perfectly follow the melody Lan Zhan first sang to him so many years ago.

He wrote lyrics, too.

Much more awake than he was a moment ago, Wei Wuxian draws the song to a close, then gently prods Lan Zhan in the chest. "Lan Zhan. Are those lyrics? You wrote even more?"