[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]

The tension flows out of him as Lan Zhan anchors them together. He manages a nod, small enough not to disturb Lan Zhan's touch, and leans until their foreheads meet.

"And you are my Lan Zhan." He quirks a smile. "Who is welcome to comb my hair in the morning, when we are forced to be presentable to the world again."

[lightamidchaos]

"I would enjoy that," he admits.

He slides his other hand up Wei Ying's back and twines a lock of hair around his fingers.

"Your hair is beautiful. You are beautiful."

[acrookedpath]

The compliment catches him in a soft, startled laugh. "Shameless," he teases, leaning into another brief kiss. "I've told you, Lan Zhan, if you give me no warning before saying such things, I will be helpless."

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

Apparently, he is not bothered by that at all.

He coaxes Wei Ying a little closer, returning kiss for kiss.

[acrookedpath]

The unpleasant moment has long passed; he is content to settle more comfortably atop Lan Zhan, weaving his fingers deeper into his hair, and continue to kiss him, gentle and unhurried.

"What were you singing before?" he whispers at last, when their lips part.

[lightamidchaos]

He blinks in confusion.

"You know."

[acrookedpath]

"Yes, but there were words," he insists with a grin. "Those I do not know."

[lightamidchaos]

Lan Wangji stares at him.

His ears flush bright red.

[acrookedpath]

"Lan Zhan!" He isn't quite cackling, but he is near enough to it. "You're blushing! What could you have written to make you turn so red?"

He would not have marked Lan Zhan for the type to write a bawdy song, but before today, he also would not have marked Lan Zhan as the type to bodily haul Wei Wuxian into bed and pin him down by his wrists. Who knows what the rest of those lyrics might be!

[lightamidchaos]

With Wei Ying sprawled on top of him, the only possible way for him to escape, to hide, is to either twist out from under him or to close his eyes.

He chooses the latter, and struggles to find words.

"You know," he says again. "That song."

He had even, in one of the most daring moments of his life, confessed the name of the song to Wei Ying in the Xuanwu's cave. Wei Ying had never said anything about it, and Lan Wangji had silently concluded that Wei Ying was being kind, choosing to not embarrass him, and had never mentioned it again.

He had not even realized the other man remembered the song at all until Wei Ying had started to play the melody, here at the inn.

"It -- has words, yes. I--"

[acrookedpath]

Eagerly: "Well? What are they?"

And half an instant later: "Ah, no, if you are too embarrassed to say, you do not have to tell me now. But someday!" He kisses one of Lan Zhan's bright red ears. "Someday I hope you will. If I have been playing something fit for a tavern this whole time -- "

[lightamidchaos]

His eyes snap open, at that, and he fixes Wei Ying with a flat glare before shaking his head, resigned.

He draws a deep breath, and begins to sing, soft but clear:

wén dí sheng dú chóu chàng
yún shēn yè wèi yāng
shì yǔ fēi dōu guò wǎng
xǐng lái le zěn néng dāng mèng yī cháng...

(Listen for the melody of a flute, alone in sorrow)
The nights in the clouds are long
Once together, now it’s all in the past
In wakefulness, how can I brush everything away as a dream?)

[acrookedpath]

He beams when Lan Zhan glares at him, cheerfully unrepentant... which lasts until the moment Lan Zhan begins to sing.

He lowers his chin to Lan Zhan's chest, watching him, and listens in quiet astonishment. This is what he has been playing the whole time? Every time Lan Zhan hummed that melody to soothe Wei Wuxian, this is what he was thinking -- and this is what Wei Wuxian echoed back to him, unrealizing.

He can feel his cheeks heating up the more Lan Zhan sings, as if this truly were the most bawdy tavern song imaginable.

[lightamidchaos]

hóng chén zhōng huǐ yù dé shī rú hé qù liáng
(In this world, the good and evil done, how does one remember?)

Wei Ying's eyes go wide and startled, and color begins to rise in his cheeks. Lan Wangji can feel his own expression softening as he watches, and as he continues to sing, laying his heart open in front of the other man.

...yòu wén qín xiǎng
chén qíng wèi jué...

(...the qin sounds once again
Echoes, feelings yet to disappear...)

It had taken years, for him to settle on the final version. Years, thinking of Wei Ying's smile and laughter, his untamed spirit and unblighted heart, trying to capture the memory of it all in words.

[acrookedpath]

Lan Zhan, what did he just say about springing romantic notions like this on him?

He wants to bury his face against Lan Zhan's chest, but he is too transfixed to move. His heart feels too big for him, radiant, overwhelming, and he does not know what to do with any of it. Will it wink out if he looks away? He does not dare.

And still Lan Zhan sings.

zhǔ yī hú shēng sǐ bēi huān jì shào nián láng
míng yuè yī jiù hé lái chàng wǎng...

(Teach these young ones life and death’s joy and grief
As constant as the bright moon waxes and wanes...)

[lightamidchaos]

...bù ruò tǎn tǎn dàng dàng lì biàn fēng hé làng
tiān yá yī qǔ gòng yōu yang.

(...so spread your wings and flutter with the winds and waves
And sing this one song to the world.)

He brings the song to a close and reaches up to brush Wei Ying's hair back from his face, very gently.

A small smile curves his lips.

[acrookedpath]

"Lan Zhan," he wails, and finally does bury his face in his chest. "No warning! Again! How can I survive this? You must be gentler with me, I have only had a few days to process everything!"

[lightamidchaos]

"You asked."

He sounds perfectly reasonable about it all, now, as he puts one arm around Wei Ying to hold him closer and returns to stroking his hair with his free hand.

[acrookedpath]

"I did," he grumbles. (It would be a more effective grumble if he could stop smiling.) "I brought it upon myself, I know. This whole time, Lan Zhan. Every time you sang this. I cannot believe it."

[lightamidchaos]

"You remembered the song," he points out. "I thought you would have realized, even if you did not know all the words."

[acrookedpath]

"It was a good song."

He pulls Lan Zhan's free hand closer so he can lay a kiss on his fingertips. By now, he is slightly less red than he was at the end of the melody.

"And a comfort. Perhaps I should have realized when I noticed how comforting."

[lightamidchaos]

"Perhaps. But I am very glad," he murmurs, as he turns his hand to cup Wei Ying's face, brushing his thumb over his cheekbone.

"That you did realize. Eventually."

[acrookedpath]

His smile is small, and warm, and could light the entire sky.

"So am I," he whispers, before he draws Lan Zhan into another gentle kiss.

[lightamidchaos]

He kisses him back, just as sweetly, then curves his hand around the back of Wei Ying's neck again, rubbing back and forth in a gentle massage.

[acrookedpath]

And as before, that is all it takes for Wei Wuxian to melt against him with a pleased sigh. He shifts a little so he does not pin Lan Zhan with his full weight; they are back where they were before, Wei Wuxian half draped over him, his head tucked against Lan Zhan's shoulder.

We are here, he thinks to himself. We are here.

You do not have to be afraid of this.

Gradually, his eyelids droop closed. He rouses himself when he realizes he's begun to doze off; moments later, though, his eyes have shut again. The cycle continues several times more, and each time Wei Wuxian takes a little longer to open his eyes.

Soon enough, he is fast asleep.