Lan Wangji was not expecting that the kiss would make him feel as if he had fallen into another world entirely. Everything seemed to stop, and the only sound he heard was the beating of his heart as everything around him came crashing down in a great wave of emotions. For a moment, he didn't even know what he was feeling or doing. All he wanted was to hold Wei Ying close to him and never let go again. He wanted to protect the man from any harm and keep him safe at all costs. He wanted so badly to tell the other that he would never leave his side. He wanted to tell him that he would do anything for him and that he would do whatever it took to keep Wei Ying smiling.
Xiao Zhan was still a little dazed from the kiss. It had felt like an electric shock to his system that left him trembling. It was not his first kiss, yet it felt like it was. In his previous experiences, he had never felt this kind of dizzying and intense aftereffect. He pressed his forehead against Lan Wangji's as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He needed to calm down; he shouldn't be getting this worked up over a kiss. Or kisses. He looked through his eyelashes, meeting the once light-colored eyes that were almost engulfed by the dark pupils, which seemed to be staring at him vacantly. He asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"
It snapped Lan Wangji out of his thoughts and brought him back to the present. He wasn't the kind of person who could show his feelings openly, but somehow this was different. He blinked once and then said, "You."
Xiao Zhan lips set into a smile. "What about me?"
The smile made Lan Wangji smiled too. "It can't be anyone but you." He murmured.
Xiao Zhan's eyes widened for a second, wondering if it was a coincidence or Lan Wangji was repeating a line of his dream. He opened his mouth to respond but the words were stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
Lan Wangji noticed his lack of reply and he frowned slightly, "What's wrong?"
Xiao Zhan didn't want to ruin the moment so he just shook his head lightly. "Nothing."
Lan Wangji pulled back to get a good look at his face, "Wei Ying, those words were yours. Did you mean them?"
Xiao Zhan blinked hard. Although he remembered kissing Lan Wangji in his sleep that night, he did not recall spouting those lines out loud. "What did I say?"
"You saidâ" Lan Wangji closed his eyes, the trace of disappointment was obvious in his expression. His voice was barely audible, but it was clear enough as he recited the words he heard from Xiao Zhan's mouth that night, "I like you. Fancy youâ"
Xiao Zhan gasped and immediately stopped him, covering Lan Wangji's lips with a hand. The line between the creases of Lan Wangji's brows deepened as he pondered the meaning behind Xiao Zhan's reactions.
Xiao Zhan gradually lowered his palm as he looked sheepishly at him. He realized that he had just made a blunder, and he could only mutter a word, "Sorry."
Lan Wangji loosened his embrace and took a step back, deeply bothered by this and a feeling unlike a physical ache settling in his chest. His hands remained on Wei Wuxian's, but they moved to hold him firmly on the hips. He stared at him intensely through his hooded eyes, as he tried to take in the whole picture. "Wei Ying, who do you take me for?"
Xiao Zhan nibbled on his lower lip. He could feel the slight tremors from the long fingers that were gripping his tender flesh. He couldn't say anything. Instead, he reached out a hand and lightly caressed Lan Wangji's cheek with his thumb to alleviate the anxiousness that was apparent on his face as he took a brief moment to find the answer to the question.
When Xiao Zhan first came to this world, he indeed liked him from the moment he laid his eyes on him, but it was because he was comfortable and familiar with him. They had mutual trust, and Lan Wangji was a dependable ally. He never thought that he would be romantically involved with Lan Wangji, but the more time he spent with the second Jade of Lan, he gradually became more and more smitten, and he could no longer think straight. Age was becoming a vague concept that he no longer cared about the longer he lived as an adolescent. At present, he could not deny that the person who was embracing him tightly had taken over his heart and mind. He was utterly gratified, knowing there was someone as perfect as Lan Wangji, who cared about him to an infinite extent and loved him unconditionally. He knew he was acting like a juvenile, but if he was honest with himself, he had already decided when Lan Wangji kissed him the first time that he wanted this to continue forever. As he reached that conclusion, he leaned forward, curled his arms around Lan Wangji's neck, and pulled him into a kiss as an answer.
Lan Wangji took a second to register the tender gesture as the response he had hoped to hear, but he did not mind receiving it in this wordless manner. In fact, it felt even better. His eyes fluttered shut as he encircled his strong hands around Xiao Zhan's torso, closing the gap between them once again. He felt warm inside as he finally felt complete, and nothing else mattered more than the person in his arms. He wouldn't trade anything in the world for this moment, and he knew that his soulmate was enough for him.
Xiao Zhan's fingers tangled themselves in Lan Wangji's hair, and he could feel the smile that was creeping onto the soft lips. He chuckled slightly under his breath before deepening the kiss even further. Lan Wangji reciprocated with equal fervor, burying his fingers in the soft hair at the back of Xiao Zhan's head. Xiao Zhan tilted his head, reciprocating the sweet intrusion, and with their bodies pressed closely together, he could feel the body of the once Icy Prince burning up. The fire ignited in his blood and blazed inside him as well. They both got lost in the intoxicating dance of their lips. It seemed as if the entire world ceased to exist, and there was no one else left but the two of them. Neither of them wanted to end it any sooner; both wanted more and were afraid of what would happen next.
The kiss intensified with every passing second, and their bodies moved together. Xiao Zhan inhaled sharply as his back touched the weeping willow, and he was pinned beneath the toned body. Finally remembering that they both needed oxygen to stay alive, he reluctantly broke the kiss. They pulled away, their chests heaving. Their foreheads were still close enough to count individual eyelashes, and their lips were swollen and red. They could hear their hearts still thumping wildly in their chests.
"Wei Ying, are you okay with this?" Lan Wangji asked beneath his heated breaths.
Xiao Zhan gazed at the pair of golden eyes and decided that he had nothing to restrain anymore. He placed both his palms on Lan Wangji's cheeks and placed a kiss on his forehead ribbon.
With that gesture, Lan Wangji tightened his hold on the body of the young man he had fallen in love with. A tear rolled down his face.
Xiao Zhan whispered as he wiped it away with his thumb. "Was the kiss really that bad?" He asked jokingly.
Lan Wangji cracked an amused smile. He answered with all his heart, "No, it was perfect."
Xiao Zhan grinned. "And... we are even again." He declared playfully.
Lan Wangji let out a tiny laugh, to Xiao Zhan's amazement. His eyes gleamed with awe and delight as he engraved this exceptionally rare expression of Lan Wangji in his mind.
Xiao Zhan never expected his life to turn out this way, and even if this was not something he had planned, he no longer cared. If anything, he was thankful that his love life had turned out better than he could have ever imagined, and he would not change any of it. At least this part of his life had gone well, and he had finally gotten the break he deserved. For a while, he forgot about all the chaotic mess that was happening and the upcoming literal war.
Lan Wangji, on the other hand, was more than content knowing that his Wei Ying reciprocated his feelings. For once, he felt what it meant to be loved. He had someone who cared for him deeply and understood him completely and fully by his side. Since the day he realized he was in love with the head disciple of Jiang, he had never once thought his affections would be returned, especially in this way. Now that it had happened, he knew he would give anything in his power to make Wei Ying happy and keep him safe. Anything.
The sky was a deep, rich blue, and filled with stars like diamonds on velvet. The moon rose up over the horizon, its light glinting off of the water and everything seemed to glow. That dusk, in all the beauty of the fall twilight, their eyes locked onto one another as they made a silent promise to stand by each other's side. Their fingers intertwined and joined together as they made up their minds. They knew that this feeling would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
***********
Xiao Zhan woke up the next morning, feeling surreal. Was it a sweet dream, or did the kiss really happen? He touched his lips with his fingers to check if it was real or just a figment of his imagination. He wasn't sure. One thing was for sure, though: his brain was going into overdrive.
He jumped out of bed and got himself ready for his last day in Lotus Pier. When he stepped outside his room, the sun had yet to grace the earth with its light. He took a stroll outside the gates of Lotus Pier to clear his mind. As he passed through the magnificently designed wooden door carved with the Yunmeng Jiang lotus crest, he politely returned the bows from the guards on duty, who had bewildered looks on their faces.
The guards had never seen this young man wake up earlier than nine in the morning before, let alone take a walk at the crack of dawn. Their eyes followed his trail as they were not sure if they had just met the right person. The Wei Wuxian they knew did not have an ounce of grace in his gait, and the person in their vision was nothing short of elegant in his dark, nuanced clothing.
Xiao Zhan watched as the fragments of remaining moonlight flowed along the crystalline water. He admired the dozens of large lanterns in the shape of nine-petaled lotuses that floated by the dock. Their lights burned brightly, reflecting against the water to form pieces of gold. He continued to walk aimlessly away from the residence while humming a song. His eyes darted around, exploring the spacious plot of land that seemed too big to cover in a short span of time. It was still dark, but he could still make out the features with the occasional dim lanterns lit along the way. There were places that felt nostalgic to him as he walked by. He knew the places like the back of his hand. It felt almost like he had grown up there, like he was the one who had played, fooled around, had fights, caught pheasants, and stirred up trouble in those places.
His feet stopped in front of a tree that looked like it was a few decades old. The trunk stood straight, and the branches fanned out. Memories of Wei Wuxian flooded his mind. It was the tree that Wei Wuxian climbed after he came to Yunmeng Jiang's residence in the middle of the night and jumped down from, breaking one of his legs, as Jiang Yanli prepared to catch him. Xiao Zhan clutched at his chest tightly as he felt uneasy experiencing the raw emotions that he could no longer tell whether they were his or the original Wei Wuxian's. It took him a couple of minutes to regain his composure, and he decided not to think too much about it.
Slipping Suibian into his waistband, he leaped up the trunk of the tree with ease until he reached an area near the top. Looking down, it was not too high for him. The thick cluster of leaves provided him with the perfect camouflage spot, and the thick branch allowed him to sit and lean against the broad trunk. He put his feet up and took a moment to chill out with his hands behind his head. It was tranquil, and he found himself slowly relaxing.
Xiao Zhan was snoozing, comfortably hidden among the branches, when he heard the voice that carried a concerned note.
"Wei Ying."
He could feel his heart accelerating again. It felt like it was going to burst, and it was a miracle that he managed to control himself. "Lan Zhan." He uttered while trying to calm himself down.
Lan Wangji was standing directly beneath the tree, looking up at him. The first ray of the sun shone down on his body, making him appear as if he were enveloped in a halo. His eyes were filled with devotion as he spoke up, "What are you doing up there?"
Xiao Zhan rose to his feet, and just before he could steady himself on the uneven surface, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew and caused him to lose his footing. He cursed his luck. "Crap."
"Wei Ying?!" His low voice rang in Xiao Zhan's ears. Lan Wangji's eyes widened as Xiao Zhan slipped, and he shot forward to catch him just in time. Thankfully for both of them, his arm and lower body strength were nothing to scoff at.
Xiao Zhan clung to his neck firmly as he held on for dear life. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and he was too shocked to move a muscle. For a second, he felt as if his heart had flown out of the safety of his rib cage. The cold sandalwood aroma that filled his nose eventually calmed him down. He wasn't afraid of falling down; he had just been caught off guard by Mother Nature's sudden prank.
"Are you all right?" Lan Wangji said after Xiao Zhan loosened his grip.
Xiao Zhan mumbled his apology. "I'm sorry. You can put me down now."
Lan Wangji shot a sharp glance at him but still obliged without a word.
Xiao Zhan stood up with his back straight before his eyes landed on the slightly messy white attire. His hand automatically went to adjust the collars and tidy up the clothing that was out of place because of him. Satisfied with his handiwork, he placed his palm onto the broad chest and raised his chin to meet the gaze that had been observing each of his movements since his feet touched the ground. Xiao Zhan felt his heart go into arrhythmia once again, and he was certain that, one day, he might suffer a heart attack at this point. He cleared his throat. "Lan Zhan, thâ"
Lan Wangji cut him off. "No, don't say it."
Xiao Zhan fidgeted. "I'm sorry. I'm making you worry again."
"You should be." Lan Wangji chided.
Xiao Zhan pursed his lips as he could tell Lan Wangji was a little angry from his stern tone. He grabbed hold of Lan Wangji's hand and squeezed it gently. Tilting his head to one side, he spoke in a kittenish tone, batting his eyelashes, "It's my fault, it's my fault. Can you forgive me?"
"..." Lan Wangji's expression remained unyielding.
Xiao Zhan pouted. He then instinctively leaned forward and captured Lan Wangji in a quick kiss. After he pulled away, Lan Wangji looked like he needed some time to process what had just happened, which made Xiao Zhan realize what he had just done. He blushed and averted his gaze. "Sorry."
"Apologies accepted," Lan Wangji voiced as he circled his arm around Wei Ying's waist and pulled him close. He gently placed his lips on Xiao Zhan's, and they slowly melted into another make-out session without a single care in the world. Feeling at ease, Xiao Zhan was now certain that he hadn't just dreamed about their sweet escapades.
"Ahem." Jiang Yanli coughed loudly. She was searching for them after Lan Wangji came up to ask her if she had any idea where his martial brother had gone off to, as Lan Wangji had found Xiao Zhan's room empty when he looked for him that morning, and he was not in Xue Yang's room either. She listed down some places his brother might be. At the same time, she was concerned too, so she began her own search as well. She did not expect to find them in this manner. She froze when she witnessed Xiao Zhan make the daring move, and she stood there unable to move or speak for a while.
The pair immediately separated and turned to look at her. Xiao Zhan's face lit up with embarrassment. "Shijie."
"You are here, A-Xian." Jiang Yanli tried to sound as normal as possible, though she was sure that her bright pink face still gave it all away. "You two might want to resume whatever you were doing somewhere more private."
Xiao Zhan eyed his surroundings; the day was already bright. He didn't realize how long he had napped on the tree, and he was fortunate enough that he hadn't ended up kissing the ground when he dozed off. As luck would have it, the area was desolate, and Jiang Yanli was the only one who happened to be there and caught them red-handed. He buried his face in his palms while Lan Wangji pretended like he had done nothing wrong.
"I made some breakfast. Come over to the dining hall when you two are done." With a wave of her hand, she rushed off, leaving the two alone.
Xiao Zhan watched her disappear and sighed, "That was... awkward."
Lan Wangji fixed his gaze on him. "You disappeared without giving any notice."
Xiao Zhan understood that he was culpable for this whole incident. He explained himself while feeling remorseful, "I took a walk to clear my head. I didn't expect to fall asleep, okay?"
Lan Wangji looked at him with disbelief. "Sleep up there? How?"
Xiao Zhan attempted to justify himself. "It was an ideal spot to relax. The air was fresher, and coupled with the curvy branch, it was cozy enough that I got sleepy."
Lan Wangji sighed. "Impetuous."
Xiao Zhan made a remark, "That's a new one. Better than ridiculous."
Lan Wangji stared at him with a look that screamed exactly 'ridiculous'. "..."
Xiao Zhan's bright laugh filled the area. He then hung his hands around his shoulders and said with a remaining grin on his face, "Aiya, Lan Er Gege, I won't do it again. You've accepted my apologies, right? Can you let me off now?"
Lan Wangji was fully aware that he could never win against his significant other, so he gave up and lightly nodded, "Mn."
With that, they headed in the direction of Lotus Pier. Xiao Zhan said in his singsong voice, "Lan Zhan, are you really going to keep things even with us every time?"
Lan Wangji replied with his face set into a deadpan, "It is only fair."
Xiao Zhan doubled over in a loud cackle. Once his laughter died down, he gave Lan Wangji a thumbs-up. He flashed a big grin. "You are the exemplary model of justice. Very admirable, Lan Er Gege."
Lan Wangji smiled as he listened to the chattering that came like a waterfall from the lips he had just kissed.