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Wei Wuxian makes sure to leave early in the morning. 

He takes with him only the absolute necessities—a money pouch, his cloak, a few snacks made with Jiang Yanli’s loving hands, and his dagger. It’s muscle memory by now to pack everything away into the same thin bag he’s been using every other week for the past year.

“When will you be back?” Jiang Yanli asks as she fastens the clutch of his cloak. Her hands are steady but it’s easy for him to catch the nervous way she looks him over, as if trying to memorize every detail.

He doesn’t comment on it. There’s no need to make her worry more.

“Just a few days.” He kisses her cheek. “Try not to let Jiang Cheng destroy the place in his boredom while I’m gone.”

Jiang Yanli laughs, a quiet but genuine sound that chases some of the tension away, and then he’s stepping out of their cabin and into the fresh spring air. He sets off down the road leading to town, whistling as the sun starts to rise.

~

It doesn’t take long for Wei Wuxian to pass through the marketplace and arrive at Yiling’s entrance. Here the road splits into two directions. One leads down a wide and well traveled path, worn through by thousands of feet and hooves and cart wheels. The other turns to the side and disappears through the dimly lit woods.

Wei Wuxian turns towards the trees and slips into the shadows.

~

There are rules for traveling through the woods of Yiling. 

One, never accept food from a stranger. 

Two, always give a false name. 

Three, do not go off the path. 

The rules are important. Even Wei Wuxian, who was notorious back at Lotus Pier for his rebellious streak, knows the difference between rules that can be bent and those that can’t. And these are the kind of rules that keep people safe, the kind that ensures everyone returns to their families at the end of the day. Breaking them is tempting something irreversible. 

Jiang Yanli had drilled the rules into him endlessly the first time he left. She had worried so much that Jiang Cheng had eventually snapped, telling her that Wei Wuxian was too annoying for any fae to go within fifty feet of him, nevermind getting close enough to kill him.

Wei Wuxian has yet to see a fae in the woods. Most of the townsfolk of Yiling haven’t, either—if they do, they normally don’t live to tell the tale. Fae don’t like humans trespassing on their land. The path is something they can’t touch, but any human who goes astray is fair game. 

As long as Wei Wuxian stays on the path, he will be safe. And so he remains unhurried as he walks, humming with a skip in his step as the trees grow larger and thicker and the early morning sunlight grows dimmer and fainter.

After thirty minutes of walking, Wei Wuxian steps off the path.

~

The hundreds of rabbits lounging in the meadow startle the moment Wei Wuxian emerges from the woods. Some scamper off but others turn to watch him as he strides through the long grass. Wei Wuxian waits until he’s reached the middle of the flat field before plopping down onto the ground. 

“Hey, guys,” he says to the rabbits with a grin. They stay hesitant, keeping their distance from him. “Aw, still scared? Maybe you’ll like me more after I show you the snack I brought.”

He pulls out a bundle of carrots from his bag with a flourish. The rabbits immediately perk up. Within minutes Wei Wuxian is surrounded by white, brown and black mounds of fluffy fur.

He laughs, helpless to stop them from climbing on his legs and nipping at his hands. “Slow down, slow down. I have enough for all of you.” He pauses. “Well, maybe not all of you. I’d have to plant a whole field of carrots for that and I have a feeling you’d chomp at those before they’re even ripe. But I’ll bring more next time, okay? So don’t get mad if everyone can’t eat today.”

Wei Wuxian runs a finger down one of the rabbits’ backs. It stares at the carrot in his hands with hungry red eyes. It’s a strange color to see on such a harmless animal. But these rabbits live on fae inhabited land. Maybe something special is mixed into their genes to make them—

Snap.

Wei Wuxian looks up. Then he startles, letting out a shout loud enough to send a majority of the rabbits running for cover.

A man is standing a few steps away. He watches Wei Wuxian with an unreadable expression, his eyes a hard shade of gold.

Wei Wuxian lets out a shuddering breath. “Aiyah, warn someone before you go sneaking up on them. You scared me! And the rabbits!”

He gestures at the bunnies. They are slowly inching back to his side, too enticed by his carrots to stay away for long.

The stranger doesn’t respond. When Wei Wuxian looks back at him, his gaze is trained on the rabbits.

Wei Wuxian smirks. No one can resist the cuteness of rabbits. Not even strangers appearing out of thin air, apparently.

He holds out a carrot to the man, “Would you like to feed them? I have plenty.”

The man hesitates. Then he steps forward, like a statue coming to life. Just as he is within arm’s reach, Wei Wuxian pulls back.

“Ah, ah, ah! Not so fast. If you want one of these, you’ll have to give me something in exchange.”

The man’s brow furrows. “What do you want?” he asks with a deep voice that matches the handsome features of his face and the broad set of his shoulders.

Wei Wuxian hums in thought, tapping the tip of the carrot to his chin. “How about…your name?”

“My name?”

“Yep, just your name! Then you can feed as many of these fluffy guys as you’d like.”

Wei Wuxian holds up one of the rabbits that had been trying to crawl across his lap with a slight shake. The man stays silent for a moment longer but Wei Wuxian can be patient when necessary. He waits, studying the man as the man studies him. The white robes he wears are pristine with embroidered clouds on the shoulders. A white ribbon is tied around his forehead and falls along the long locks of hair that end at his waist. Wei Wuxian doesn’t recognize his face or choice of clothing, so he must not be from Yiling. 

At last, the man says, “My name is Lan Zhan. Courtesy Wangji.”

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian repeats, feeling the shape of it in his mouth and on his tongue. “Lan Zhan, Lan Wangji. What a nice name! It suits you.”

He holds out the carrot again and Lan Wangji blinks. He doesn’t seem to know how to respond to that and Wei Wuxian‘s grin widens.

“Are you shy, Lan Zhan? I can feed the rabbits myself if you’re not up to the task.”

Lan Wangji grabs the carrots. “I will feed them.”

He sits down a few steps away, his white robes pooling around him as his long curtain of hair hides his expression. Wei Wuxian bites the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. 

~

The afternoon passes pleasantly enough. Wei Wuxian tries chatting with Lan Wangji only to discover the man in question does not enjoy talking as much as he enjoys throwing exasperated glares in Wei Wuxian’s direction. 

That’s fine with Wei Wuxian. He can fill up the quiet all by himself. And so he rambles on about everything and anything from the names he’s given the rabbits to the types of flowers in the meadow he’s identified and even the beautiful warming weather. 

Lan Wangji in turn offers little to no information about himself. All Wei Wuxian is able to learn is that Lan Wangji has never come across anyone else in the meadow before, either. But that’s not surprising. No one travels this far off the path unless they’re willing to risk turning into one of Yiling’s folk tales. 

When the sun starts to brush the tips of the trees lining the field, Wei Wuxian stands with a sigh.

“Well, Lan Zhan, it was nice to meet you! If you ever see me in the woods again don’t be afraid to give me a holler. I’ll give you more carrots to feed the bunnies.”

Lan Wangji simply looks at him. Wei Wuxian’s heart flutters. He’s never seen anyone with such pretty eyes. They’re golden, like honey but lighter. 

He can feel those eyes resting heavily on his back as he leaves. But he doesn’t look back before he slips into the shadowy cover of the forest.

~

“A-Xian!” Jiang Yanli cries a few days later, rushing to greet him as he closes the door. “You’re back!”

Wei Wuxian returns her hug tightly. “I am! Look—I got all the ingredients for your soup. Maybe we can make it for tonight’s dinner?”

“Yes, yes, of course. Anything for my A-Xian.” She pinches Wei Wuxian’s cheek and Wei Wuxian whines good naturedly. “Thank you for making the trip every time. I would ask A-Cheng, but…”

“No worries, jiejie. I’m always happy to run errands for you.”

Jiang Yanli smiles and takes Wei Wuxian’s bag to start putting away the supplies he bought. Wei Wuxian shrugs off his cloak and hangs it on the hook on the wall, ignoring the guilt twisting his stomach into knots.

He hates lying to Jiang Yanli. But it’s better this way. She and Jiang Cheng would never let him leave if they knew what he really got up to on his trips to the neighboring towns.

~

Wei Wuxian brings extra carrots with him the next time he travels through the woods. He isn’t exactly expecting Lan Wangji to appear before him again, but even if he doesn’t the rabbits will appreciate the additional food.

And so he's pleasantly surprised when he turns a bend in the path and spots a figure in white standing a few feet up ahead.

“Ah, Lan Zhan!”

Lan Wangji looks up. Wei Wuxian grins and bounces over, clasping his hands behind his back. “Fancy seeing you here! Were you waiting for me?”

Lan Wangji inclines his head. “I was.”

“O-Oh? Really?” Wei Wuxian had been joking when he said that. But Lan Wangji’s tone is nothing but serious, so he must be telling the truth. “Why?”

“I…do not know your name.”

Wei Wuxian brightens. “Well, that’s easy enough to fix. I’m Wei Ying, courtesy Wuxian. It’s nice to officially meet you, Lan Zhan!”

He holds out his hand. Lan Wangji stares for a moment before taking it. His skin is cold to the touch, a few degrees cooler than Wei Wuxian’s own. His nails are longer and sharper, too. 

“It is nice to meet you as well, Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian beams. He ignores the alarmed whisper in his mind—the one that suspiciously sounds like Jiang Yanli—that he should never give out his true name, especially to a stranger. 

Lan Wangji isn’t a stranger. He’d given Wei Wuxian his name first. And, besides, it’s too late now to have any regrets.

He releases his grip Lan Wangji, asking cheerfully, “Are you headed to the meadow? I can’t hang around as long as last time but I brought more carrots. Maybe you can feed the rest of the rabbits in my place.”

He steps off the path, noting how Lan Wangji had kept a respectful distance from the path himself the entire time they’d been talking. Lan Wangji falls into step with Wei Wuxian as they head towards the meadow together.

Lan Wangji asks, “Why can’t you stay?” 

“I have some friends to visit. And my sister needs me to pick up some stuff from the next town over. You know how it is. Do you have any siblings, Lan Zhan?”

“A brother.”

“I have a brother, too. I hope yours is less annoying than mine. Jiang Wanyin steals the best blanket every winter and nags me nonstop!”

Lan Wangji frowns before quietly confirming that his brother is not, in fact, a blanket stealer nor a nagger in any regard. Wei Wuxian laughs as warmth bubbles in his chest.

He usually makes these trips through the woods alone. It’s nice to have someone to keep him company for a change.

~

Days later, while walking back to Yiling and surrounded by the quiet of the forest, Wei Wuxian wonders.

What is Lan Wangji doing out here in the woods all by himself? Was Lan Wangji’s brother not worried about the danger lurking in the shadows?

Why had Lan Wangji given Wei Wuxian his birth name? Did the rules not apply to him or did he simply not care who Wei Wuxain was?

And—most importantly—will Lan Wangji be waiting for him again the next time he visits the meadow?

~

Wei Wuxian’s next errand run for Jiang Yanli takes place on a slightly overcast day with dark clouds hovering on the horizon. Still, the storm looks far enough away. It should hold off long enough for him to stop by the meadow and say hi to his favorite little critters. 

And also to visit Lan Wangji, of course!

“Lan Zhan!” he chirps as he plops down next to the white figure who is already surrounded by bunnies. “You’re here! Don’t tell me you were waiting for me again?”

Lan Zhan spares him a glance. “Mn.”

Wei Wuxian grins. He reaches over to scratch the rabbit in Lan Wangji’s lap, ignoring the way Lan Wangji stiffens as Wei Wuxian invades his space. 

“They love you so much more than me,” he says with a dramatic sigh. “It’s not fair, I knew them first! Their loyalty is so fickle. You should watch out, Lan Zhan. If someone else comes here, their attention will switch to them instead of you.”

Lan Wangji says, “I was here first.”

“Really? How come I never saw you until recently, then?”

Lan Wangji doesn’t respond, choosing instead to give the bunnies several loving pets. Wei Wuxian pouts. Is Lan Wangji giving him the silent treatment? He’ll just have to try a little harder to get a response, then. 

Leaning in close, Wei Wuxian whispers into a pointed ear, “Were you too shy to approach me, Lan Zhan? You didn’t need to be. I’m not like the rabbits—I don’t bite, promise.”

Lan Wangji recoils with a hiss. “Wei Ying!”

Wei Wuxian pulls back with a cackle. The flustered fury on Lan Wangji’s face sends a thrill down his spine. It’s the first time he’s seen such a strong emotion on the other. What other kinds of reactions can he get Lan Wangji to make?

“No need to be so embarrassed, I was only teasing! You shouldn’t shout though, you’ll scare our little friends and then they’ll only ever come to you for treats.”

To prove his point, Wei Wuxian takes out the carrots he’d bought on his way through Yiling’s marketplace. Lan Wangji glowers at him, not moving an inch. 

Wei Wuxian snickers. He waves the carrots in the air. “C’mon, Lan Zhan. Don’t let the poor rabbits starve just because you can’t handle a bit of shamelessness.”

Lan Wangji snatches the carrots with a glare. Wei Wuxian’s grin widens, reminded of their first meeting, before leaning back in the grass and crossing his arms behind his head. The clouds are getting bigger, he notes as he scans the sky. He’ll have to leave before they come too close.

Still, Wei Wuxian finds himself reluctant to get up. His gaze drops from the incoming storm to Lan Wangji’s straight back. The white ribbon tied around his forehead flutters in the breeze, bringing with it the sweet scent of flowers and a dampness that promises incoming rain. 

Even surrounded by the simpleness of the meadow, Lan Wangji eludes a regal sort of elegance. His moves are graceful as he feeds and pets the rabbits. His previous irritation has drained away to leave behind a serene calm. The sight of him fills Wei Wuxain with warmth. He could watch Lan Wangji all day and never get bored.

As if sensing his stare, Lan Wangji turns. Their eyes meet, the gold of Lan Wangji’s irises warming minutely, and the air catches in Wei Wuxian’s lungs.

Lan Wangji really is beautiful. 

“Lan Zhan,” he says and Lan Wangji hums in question. “Why do you come here? To the meadow, I mean. There’s probably lots of other ways you could spend your time but lately you’re always here when I stop by.”

There’s a slight pause. Lan Wangji doesn’t move—doesn’t even seem to breathe, for a moment. But then he admits quietly, “My mother raised these rabbits.”

“Ah, really? That’s amazing. So these guys are kind of like your siblings, huh? Haha.” Wei Wuxain tickles the chin of the nearest rabbit. “Your mom must be great. Does she not come here anymore?”

“She passed.”

Wei Wuxian’s stomach sinks at the pain in Lan Wangji’s words. He sits up. “Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. When did it happen?”

“A long time ago. I was young.”

“My mom is gone, too. And my dad. I still remember my mom’s laughter but not much else. It’s nice that you have these guys as a memento of her.”

“It is.” Lan Wangji pauses, then adds, “I am sorry for your loss, as well.”

Wei Wuxian gives him a small smile. “Thanks.”

Silence falls. Lan Wangji stares off into the distance. Something in Wei Wuxian’s chest aches. Lan Wangji’s expressions don’t change much, if at all. He must have really loved his mother to look so sad. 

It’s a good thing Wei Wuxian brought something that will cheer him up.

“Hey, Lan Zhan. Want to see something?”

Lan Wangji doesn't have a chance to respond before Wei Wuxian thrusts a flower into his face.

“Tah-dah! It’s a nine petal lotus flower, see? Me and my sister have been growing these in our backyard. They’re still kind of small, since their season is later in the summer and it’s only mid-spring now. But we were so excited when they started blooming and I just couldn’t wait for them to grow to their full size to show it to you. Isn’t it pretty?”

He strokes one of the pink petals, sighing. “The Jiangs and I used to live in a town that had hundreds of these. The air would smell like flowers for months. I really miss it.”

Lan Wangji doesn’t respond. Wei Wuxian glances over to find him already staring back.

Only then does Wei Wuxian realize how close they are. Lan Wangji’s face is mere centimeters from his, with Wei Wuxian’s arm pressing into Lan Wangji’s. Lan Wangji smells like sandalwood and his golden eyes shimmer in the dim sunlight.

Heat rushes to Wei Wuxian’s cheeks. He scrambles to stand, throwing the flower into Lan Wangji’s lap. “A-Anyway! Take good care of the flower, Lan Zhan! I’ll see you next time!”

He all but runs to the edge of the meadow. Just as he’s about to step into the woods, Lan Wangji calls, “Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian stops and turns around. 

Lan Wangji is on his feet, a rabbit in one hand and Wei Wuxian’s flower in the other.

“What do you come here for?” he asks.

Wei Wuxian tilts his head. He first started visiting the meadow to visit the rabbits. 

But now…

“I come here to see you, of course!”

Lan Wangji sputters out a predictable, “Wei Ying!”, and Wei Wuxian runs away with a peal of laughter.

It takes a long time for his heart to calm down.

~

Wei Wuxian has been back on the path for nearly an hour when someone appears in the distance. 

He pauses, taking a moment to groan quietly before walking forward once more. Running into Xue Chengmei just as it’s supposed to rain? What kind of unfortunate coincidence is this? Is he being punished for something in a previous life?

“Wei Wuxian!” Xue Chengmei shouts once he’s within earshot. “We meet again.”

“So we do.” 

They approach each other. Wei Wuxian keeps his face neutral yet bored, hoping it’ll be enough to appease the bad-tempered teen and stop him from striking a conversation.

But Xue Chengmei steps in front of him just when Wei Wuxian is about to pass. He leans forward and Wei Wuxian curls his hands into fists as Xue Chengmei whispers excitedly, “Did you see anything interesting today?”

“Where would I see anything interesting? You walk the same path as me.”

“I meant off the path.”

“Who says I go off the path?”

Xue Chengmei smirks, his dark eyes glinting. “Must we always play this game, Wei Wuxian?”

“Must you always get involved in other people’s business?”

“You’re one to talk! You’re not even a Jiang, yet you saved those two nobodies from the Wens.”

Wei Wuxian sighs. Not this again. “So?”

“So, you should have just grabbed whatever treasure you could find in Lotus Pier and ran off before the attack came! But you’re too soft-hearted. Now you’re stuck here in the middle of nowhere with a guy too injured to walk and some pathetic, weak woman—”

Wei Wuxian slams him against the nearest tree. Xue Chengmei wheezes then goes still at the dagger Wei Wuxian presses to his throat. 

They stare at each other. Thunder rumbles in the distance.

“Say another word about my sister and I’ll cut your tongue out,” Wei Wuxian says quietly. “Got it?”

Xue Chengmei sucks in a sharp breath. “How do you know about that?”

Wei Wuxian tilts his head, asking innocently, “Know about what?”

With a growl, Xue Chengmei shoves him away. “You don’t have proof. You’re just making shit up.”

“Huh. Just like you’re making guesses about me going off the path, right?”

Xue Chengmei’s nostrils flare. “You should watch your step, Wei Wuxian. Someone will come for you one day if you keep up this act of yours.”

“Someone already did, remember? The Wens killed everyone I ever knew. I’m just trying to move on and live the rest of my life in peace. You’re the one poking around things you shouldn’t be. So fuck off before I show you exactly how I survived the massacre at Lotus Pier.”

He shoves his knife back into its sheath and walks off. He doesn’t slow down, doesn’t glance back. He can feel the weight of Xue Chengmei’s gaze with every step he takes.

It’s not nearly as comforting as Lan Wangji’s stare had been.

~

When Wei Wuxian comes to the meadow the following week, someone new is waiting for him.

“Oh, hello.” The man smiles at him pleasantly. “You are Wei Wuxian, correct?”

It takes a moment for Wei Wuxian to get his bearings. The man standing in front of him is oddly similar to Lan Wangji—they have the same elegant bone structure, the same long silky hair, the same pale skin and too-sharp nails and pointed ears. He’s even wearing the same white robes and ribbon with embroidered clouds. 

But Wei Wuxian has never seen Lan Wangji smile before.

“That’s me,” he says and takes a step forward. The rabbits approach him, already eager for their snack, though most of them stay around the other man. Do they know him? “And you are?”

“I am Lan Xichen. I believe you know my brother.”

“Oh!” The man’s likeness to Lan Wangji as well as the rabbits’ lack of fear suddenly makes sense. “You’re Lan Zhan’s brother! The one that never yells!”

Lan Xichen’s smile turns amused. “Is that what he said?”

“Ah, well, not in so many words. Lan Zhan doesn’t speak much.” Wei Wuxian looks around the meadow but doesn’t see any other sign of white. “Speaking of Lan Zhan, where is he?”

“My brother is being punished. He is in seclusion.”

Wei Wuxian frowns. “What for?”

“Breaking the rules.”

Wei Wuxian waits but Lan Xichen doesn’t elaborate. He simply continues stroking the rabbit in his arms, not appearing bothered by the lull in conversation.

Interesting. This Lan is clearly more talkative than the other, but he gives just as little away.

“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen says suddenly and Wei Wuxian startles. “May I ask how you know Wangji’s birth name?”

“Ah. He introduced himself with it when we met.” He pauses, then adds, “I’m not going to spread it around, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“It is not. But I appreciate the confirmation all the same.” Lan Xichen gently lowers the rabbit he had been holding onto the ground. “I must go. I only came here to tend to the rabbits in Wangji’s place. I trust you know your way back to the path?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Good. Well, then.” He bows. “It was nice to meet you, Wei Wuxian.”

Wei Wuxian returns the bow. He doesn’t take his eyes off Lan Xichen until the brightness of his robes fade into the darkness of the trees.

~

“A-Xian!”

Wei Wuxian looks up, startled to find a teary Jiang Yanli running down the porch steps. He opens his arms just in time for her to crash into him. The force of it causes him to stumble back a few steps.

“Jiejie?” he asks, alarmed. She’s trembling against him. He immediately drops the bags of supplies he’d been carrying to hug her back. “Jiejie, what’s wrong?”

“You mean you haven’t heard? Are you deaf?”

Wei Wuxian raises his gaze to where Jiang Cheng still sits on the porch. His bad leg is resting on an adjacent chair, otherwise Wei Wuxian is sure he would be at his sister’s side to berate him up close and personal.

“Nice to see you missed me, A-Cheng,” he says dryly and Jiang Cheng’s scowl deepens. “And, no, I just got back. What could I have heard in the five minutes I was walking through town?”

“Then you must be blind in addition to deaf! Couldn’t you tell the streets were more empty than usual?”

Wei Wuxain frowns. There had been a lot less people in the marketplace. But he’d been more interested in returning home and reuniting with the Jiangs than making small talk.

“A-Xian.” Jiang Yanli pulls back enough for him to see her watery eyes. “They found Xue Chengmei while you were gone.”

“Found him? You don’t mean—”

“Yes. He was…well, he was…”

“He was dumped on the edge of the woods,” Jiang Cheng says harshly. “His eyes, ears and tongue were all carved out. And his fingers were pulled clean off. Whatever did it to him must have wanted him to suffer before he died.”

Wei Wuxain tightens his grip on Jiang Yanli and she clutches him in return. It’s no wonder she’s so terrified. Xue Chengmei had never been loved in Yiling given how he had a habit of cutting out the tongues of the animals he hunted. But for him to be so brutally murdered and so suddenly could only mean one thing. 

He asks Jiang Cheng, “They think it was the fae?”

“They know it was the fae. The cloud symbol was carved into his forehead.”

“Shit.”

“A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli says desperately, “you can’t go near the woods for the next few weeks. Stay here. Okay?”

Wei Wuxian’s stomach sinks. He thinks of the meadow, of the rabbits, of Lan Wangji.  

“But Jiang Cheng needs his medicine,” he tries to protest. 

“We can go a few weeks without it. Right, A-Cheng?”

Jiang Cheng nods. “I’ll be fine, Wei Wuxian. The most important thing is that everyone in town stays low for now. We don’t need the fae targeting anyone else.”

Wei Wuxian grimaces, knowing both the Jiangs are right despite his reluctance to agree. He would never forgive himself for making Jiang Yanli lose sleep over him—not to mention making Jaing Cheng worry, who is not so subtly looking Wei Wuxian over from his spot on the porch. Had they both been waiting for him every day since Xue Chengmei’s body was discovered?

The thought makes his heart twinge.

“Okay, okay, I promise,” he relents with a sigh. “I won’t leave. But I will have to go back, eventually. We can’t last forever on what’s sold here in Yiling. And Jaing Cheng will need a refill on his medicine before long.”

“Yes, of course. But for a few weeks at least, we can make do.” Jiang Yanli wipes her eyes, then gives him a wobbly smile. “Come, let's go inside! I made soup.”

Wei Wuxian brightens at the news. He can always count on Jiang Yanli’s cooking to cheer him up. 

~

The following month is boring. So unbearably, horribly boring that Jiang Cheng threatens to throw Wei Wuxian into the woods himself if he doesn’t stop ‘whining every other minute like an infant’.  

But Wei Wuxian can’t help it. He’s been on the move for as long as he can remember—first with his parents as they wondered from town to town, then as a personal guard to Jiang Cheng, followed by being on the run with the Jiang siblings when they fled from the Wens, and even now in Yiling as he is the only one strong enough to travel for supplies from neighboring towns.

And he is fine with that. He likes stretching his legs and soaking in the sunlight. He enjoys the change of scenery and meeting new people. He gets too restless staying in one place, doing the same thing day in and day out. It’s partially because of his boredom that he ventured off the path the first time. It led him to the field of rabbits. It brought him to Lan Wangji.

Wei Wuxian misses Lan Wangji more than he expects. The man doesn’t talk much but, when he does, his words always count. He listens to Wei Wuxian’s endless rambling with a seriousness that would have Jiang Cheng scoffing in disbelief.

Does Lan Wangji miss him, too? Or is his punishment so severe that he barely thinks of Wei Wuxain at all?

~

Once enough time has passed and the Yiling townsfolk deems the woods safe enough to travel through, Wei Wuxian is on that familiar dirt path snaking between the trees. 

He walks quickly and stays on course. He promised the Jiang siblings not to be gone too long, which means no visit to the meadow this time. Getting Jiang Cheng’s medicine is the priority so Wei Wuxian will just have to wait a bit longer to reunite with Lan Wangji. Maybe he can convince Jiang Yanli to let him make another trip next week, she’d been wanting a new bowl to make soup in—

Wei Wuxian stops short. A figure in white stands in front of the Wen Qing and Wen Ning’s cabin. 

“Lan Zhan!” he cries and rushes forward. The joy bursting in his chest wars with his shock of coming across Lan Wangji in a place he’s never seen him before. “Lan Zhan, is it really you?”

Lan Wangji’s expression softens minutely as Wei Wuxian skids to a stop in front of him. “Mn. Hello, Wei Ying.”

“I didn’t think I would see you today! What are you doing here?”

“You did not stop by the meadow.”

Wei Wuxian’s smile fades. “Huh?”

“You did not stop by the meadow,” Lan Wangji repeats. “So I followed you here.”

He looks over at the cabin and Wei Wuxian follows his gaze. It doesn’t look much better than the day Wei Wuxian discovered nearly a year ago. The wood is dark with age and grime, the rock path leading to the front door is overgrown with weeds, stray leaves litter the roof. 

But all that has been and continues to be fine. Any place that is quiet and hidden away from the flow of society is exactly what Wen Qing and Wen Ning needs. The last thing they want is for a stray relative of theirs to discover the Wens’ best doctor and her brother are alive and well.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning had helped Wei Wuxian sneak an unconscious Jiang Yanli and heavily injured Jiang Cheng out of Lotus Pier just before Wen Chao slaughtered everyone they’d ever known and loved. In return Wei Wuxian had found this place to keep them out of Wen Ruohan’s reach. Wen Qing even made the monthly supply of medicine for Jiang Cheng’s leg injury. 

Do the Jiang siblings know Wei Wuxian is hiding away the most wanted doctor in all the land from one of the most powerful families alive? No. And they hopefully never would. Jiang Yanli is too kind to truly hate anyone, but Jiang Cheng’s anger runs deep. Any Wen is an enemy in his eyes, no matter if they are making the medicine currently keeping his leg from deteriorating. 

Admittedly, hiding the Wens away in a forest owned by a clan of fae is probably not one of Wei Wuxian’s brightest ideas. But he’s working on that. 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian starts hesitantly and gold eyes turn back to him. “You, uh, didn’t try to go inside the cabin. Right?”

He thinks of Wen Ning with his soft voice and hesitant smile, of Wen Qing with her sharp words but gentle touch. If anything happened to them—

“No, I did not.”

“Oh.” He exhales. “Okay. Good.”

Lan Wangji studies him. “You were worried.”

“Well, yeah. My friends live here. They…”

Wei Wuxian looks back to the cabin. The windows are dark. Wen Qing and Wen Ning must be out since they hadn’t come out to greet them. Even so, the mere sight of this place brings a rush of fondness through him. He remembers fixing the leaking windows with Wen Ning, remembers laughing as he tended to the garden with Wen Qing, remembers clearing the mud off the walkway to the door after every rainstorm.

This cabin, and the people inside, are as much home to him now as Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng.

“They’re important to me,” he says softly. “I owe them my life—and my siblings' lives.”

“I see.”

“See, what?”

“Since they matter so much to you, I will not disturb them.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart gives a sickening lurch. Still, he forces out a laugh. “Disturb them with what? Your good looks? I hate to break it to you, Lan Zhan, but no one would be disturbed by that pretty face of yours.”

Lan Wangji looks away, muttering out, “Ridiculous.”

“I know, I know, it’s just not fair to the rest of us that you were born so handsome! But, alas, here we are.”

Lan Wangji huffs. It’s not a laugh and it’s most definitely not a smile but it’s something. It’s a feeling, an emotion. And Wei Wuxain is happy with whatever part of himself that Lan Wangji is willing to show him. 

~

After convincing Lan Wangji that he will visit the meadow again soon and waving him goodbye, Wei Wuxian goes inside the cabin. It’s quiet and empty. Just as he expected. He makes himself at home by starting a fire and unpacking what he brought from Yiling.

He only waits an hour before Wen Ning and Wen Qing return.

“Wei Wuxian!” Wen Ning cries and Wei Wuxian stands up just quick enough to avoid being plowed over by the younger man. He laughs, patting Wen Ning’s back and grinning over his shoulder at Wen Qing who rolls her eyes.

“A-Ning, let him breathe.”

Wen Ning obediently loosens his hold, looking sheepish. Wei Wuxian throws an arm over his shoulder to stop him from moving too far away. 

“Ah, Qing-jie, how are you? Did you miss me?”

“Don’t act so innocent, Wei Wuxian.” She sets her cloak on the table and turns to give Wei Wuxian a hard stare. “Where have you been? Your last visit was nearly a month ago.”

He winces. “I know, I’m sorry. There was an accident.”

“Of what kind?”

“The fae killed Xue Chengmei and left him on the town’s doorstep for everyone to freak out over. Jiejie was too scared to let me run errands for a bit.”

Wen Qing’s lips thin. Wei Wuxian knows what she’s thinking—they’re lucky it was Xue Chengmei and not her or Wen Ning who had been killed so ruthlessly. This cabin is on fae land, far from Yiling and the path that snakes through the woods. It’s only a matter of time before they’re discovered by the fae. 

“Are we still safe here, Young Master Wei?” Wen Ning asks timidly. 

Wei Wuxian thinks back to gold eyes and calming hums, to white ribbons and delicately embroidered clouds.

“Yeah. I think so.”

~

“I met your brother the last time I came here,” Wei Wuxian says as he braids another flower into his makeshift crown. “He said you were being punished.”

Lan Wangji hums. He’s sitting beside Wei Wuxian today, back straight but expression soft as he reaches around the rabbits to pick flower after flower. There’s a certain warmth about him now that definitely hadn’t existed at the beginning. Seeing him so content makes Wei Wuxian want to lean against him, to bask in the sunlight and fresh air. These visits to the meadow are precious to him. And it’s in part because of Lan Wangji. 

“Were you?” he prods when Lan Wangji doesn’t continue. “Punished, I mean?”

“I was.”

Wei Wuxian’s fingers still. “Were you hurt?”

He quickly looks Lan Wangji up and down. He doesn’t look hurt. And he hadn’t shown any sign of discomfort since Wei Wuxian showed up here a little over an hour ago. But Lan Wangji’s emotions are subtle, minute things. He’s the complete opposite of Wei Wuxian in that way, and normally it’s a difference Wei Wuxian can appreciate. Lan Wangji’s quiet and muted reactions balance out his own loud chatter and bursts of emotion.

Right now though…right now he wishes Lan Wangji were easier to read. Is Lan Wangji really as okay as he appears?

Lan Wangji says softly, “I am fine, Wei Ying.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“And you would tell me if you weren’t fine, right?”

“If that is what you wish.”

“It is what I wish.”

“Then, I will.”

“Good. That’s—good. Very good.” He finishes tying a stem into a knot. “Why were you punished in the first place? You don’t seem the rule breaking type.”

“Some rules are worth breaking.”

“Oh? Like what?”

Lan Wangji holds out a pink flower. “Like straying from the path.”

Wei Wuxian stiffens. He turns to find Lan Wangji already looking back at him, his golden stare steady and calm and piercing. 

Seconds tick away.

Finally, Wei Wuxian grins. “What are you saying, Lan Zhan?” he asks as he takes Lan Wangji’s flower. He keeps his tone light and teasing despite the heavy way his heart thuds against his ribs. “Are you going to punish me for breaking the rules?”

Lan Wangji shakes his head.

“Why not? Aren’t I intruding on property that’s not mine? Others have gotten their eyes and ears and tongues gorged out for that sort of thing.”

Lan Wangji doesn’t outwardly react to Wei Wuxian’s thinly veiled reference to Xue Chengmi’s death. Instead he simply hands over another flower. This one is smaller with delicate blue petals and a long stem.

“You are not an intruder. You are welcome here.”

“Aiyah, Lan Zhan. You’re making me blush with your sweet words.” He waves the blue flower into his crown. “But the rules exist for a reason, right? The people of Yiling wouldn’t make them up for fun.”

“Yiling’s rules were designed for human safety. You willingly broke the rule of the path and thus risk running into a fae. But I am not required to kill you, according to fae law. I am allowed to treat you how I see fit.”

“And you see fit to deal with my rule breaking by handing me flowers?”

“Yes,” Lan Wangji says simply and Wei Wuxian snorts.

“Okay. But what about the name rule? Can’t you use fae magic to bind me to you for all eternity because you know my birth name?”

Lan Wangji huffs. “That is not how bonding works.”

“What?” Wei Wuxian had been mostly joking when he said that. “Wait, so there is a way for you to magically mind me to you?”

“Names hold power not because of magic,” Lan Wangji says, completely ignoring Wei Wuxian’s question, “but because of what they symbolize. You knowing my birth name is proof of our closeness. I trust you with my birth name, meaning I trust you with matters of the heart and soul. It would not be proper for strangers to call me by my birth name when they know nothing of me.”

Wei Wuxian is momentarily struck speechless by both the elegance and practicality of Lan Wangji’s explanation. Back in Lotus Pier, he’d been taught to never give out his birth name to strangers but, even more importantly, never to a fae. He assumed there was some deeper meaning behind the extension of the lesson to include fae. But had it really been just that this entire time—an assumption?

Does the rule about the food follow the same reasoning? If so, it’d be silly to ask Lan Wangji about it now.

Lan Wangji holds out a daisy. 

“Oh. Thanks.” Wei Wuxian takes it automatically. He tucks the daisy between a larger yellow flower and a purple one dotted with flecks of red, then squints thoughtfully. “Hm. This might be done, actually. What do you think, Lan Zhan?” 

He holds up the flower crown for Lan Wangji to see. It’s one of his best works, though he must give Lan Wangji credit for helping him. Each flower is unique with varying shapes and sizes and colors. Wei Wuxian even made sure to add some height at the front to make it a proper crown. 

Lan Wangji says solemnly, “You did very well. Have you done this before?”

“Yeah. My sister taught me how when we were still kids. But we mostly used lotus flowers since there were so many of them by the pier. That’s the flower I gave you before your punishment, remember?”

Lan Wangji hums and Wei Wuxian smiles, turning the crown over in his hands. “Jiejie is much neater than I am with making these. She knows just where to put the flowers so they don’t overlap. I kind of just shove everything in.”

“Your flower crown is lovely, Wei Ying.”

“Why, thank you! I think so, too. But I bet it’ll look even prettier on you, though.”

Before Lan Wangji can protest, Wei Wuxian rises to his knees and places the flower crown on top of Lan Wangji’s perfect hair.

“Ah-hah! I knew it. Lan Zhan—” Wei Wuxian clasps his hands together with a beam, “—you look beautiful! Seriously, you put the rest of us to shame! My poor heart can’t take it.”

Lan Wangji gingerly touches the crown. The tips of his pointed ears are red. Wei Wuxian takes a moment to watch him, to absorb in the sight of the most stunning person he’s ever seen sitting in a field of rabbits wearing a flower crown he himself made. Warmth bubbles in his chest, not unlike the feeling he gets when he takes his first sip of Jiang Yanli’s freshly made soup on a cold winter day.

“Do you like it?” Wei Wuxian asks.

“Yes,” comes the hushed response.

“Good. You can keep it.”

“But you made it. It is yours.”

“And I can make plenty more! But I want you to have this one, okay? Think of it as my thank you for letting me stay here.”

Lan Wangji frowns. “There is no need for thank yous between us, Wei Ying.”

“Then it’ll be a gift. I’ll even teach you how to make a flower crown so you can give me one next time. Deal?”

Lan Wangji looks at him for a moment. Then he reaches out. Wei Wuxian stills as Lan Wangji tucks a lock of hair behind his ear. His gaze never strays from Wei Wuxian’s face and Wei Wuxian struggles to breathe as cool fingers and sharp nails brush the shell of his ear.

“Deal,” Lan Wangji says quietly.

~

Wei Wuxian’s next few trips through the woods fall into a pattern. He says goodbye to the Jiang siblings, stops in the market to buy carrots, walks to the meadow where Lan Wangji is there waiting for him every time without fail, and then he feeds the greedy rabbits their snack while instructing Lan Wangji on the art of flower crowns.

It’s not always crowns. Sometimes they weave necklaces or bracelets. One time Wei Wuxian makes Lan Wangji a ring from a single flower and is delighted to still see it on his finger at their next reunion. He’s even more delighted at the way Lan Wangji’s pointed ears go red after he teases him about it. 

That very day, Lan Wangji makes a flower ring himself. He holds it out to Wei Wuxian. 

“For you.”

Wei Wuxian blinks as his stomach flips. “For me?”

Lan Wangji nods.

And that’s how Wei Wuxian finds a daisy ring slipped onto his finger, the size a perfect fit.

He returns to the Jiang siblings that night with all ten fingers covered in flower rings. Jiang Cheng takes one look at him and almost falls to the floor in his laughing fit, but Wei Wuxian stubbornly wears all the rings until they wilt. When Jiang Yanli asks where he got them, he answers that he has an admirer in one of the neighboring towns he stops by when running errands.

It’s not exactly the truth. But, in hindsight, it’s not really a lie, either. Wei Wuxian can’t say for certain that Lan Wangji admires him, but Wei Wuxian most definitely likes Lan Wangji. Who wouldn’t like Lan Wangji? Everything about him is perfect, from his beautiful face to his silky hair to how his eyes soften as he feeds the rabbits and the way he holds himself with all the grace and elegance of someone regal. Wei Wuxian loves how seriously Lan Wangji listens to his ramblings, loves the earnestness of Lan Wangji’s replies. He likes how being with Lan Wangji is as easy and effortless as breathing. He likes that Lan Wangji lets him walk off the path and visit the meadow without raising a single finger to stop him.

Wei Wuxian’s interactions with Lan Wangji are different from all the other relationships in his life. Lan Wangji doesn’t depend on Wei Wuxian like the Jiang siblings, doesn’t need his protection like the Wen siblings. Lan Wangji doesn’t ask Wei Wuxian for anything at all. He just lets him be himself and enjoy the peacefulness of the meadow and the warmth of the late spring sun above their heads. 

And Wei Wuxian likes that about him, too. 

~

Wei Wuxian doesn’t wince at the familiar feeling of a knife sliding across his skin, but Wen Ning certainly does.

Wen Qing frowns. “You don’t have to cut yourself so deeply every time.”

“It’s fine,” Wei Wuxian says evenly and holds his arm above the pile of rocks they’ve laid across in the dirt. “The more blood there is, the better the protection.”

Wen Ning protests, “B-But that’s why we’re here, t-too. You’ll h-hurt yourself unnecessarily by doing that.”

“Don’t worry, the wound isn’t deep enough to hurt. And you guys need my blood more than me, anyway.”

The Wens exchange doubtful looks but don’t bother protesting again. They wordlessly cut themselves with their own knives and follow behind Wei Wuxain, careful in ensuring each and every rock is covered with a layer of fresh blood. 

Enforcing the protection barrier around the Wens’ cabin takes several days. New rocks have to be gathered, blood has to be spilled then dried. Only afterwards can the rocks be buried in a perfect circle around the cabin. If the rocks are left above ground, wind and rain might wash away the blood and with it all their hard work. Burying them ensured that both nature and the fae would have a hard time breaking the spell.

Fae cannot not cross what humans claim as their own. It’s for this reason that towns like Yiling and its path through the woods path are free from fae control despite being in close proximity to them. The blood, sweat and tears spilled by the humans who cut down the trees and flattened the land and built the homes of Yiling created a barrier from which the fae are forever barred from entering. 

But to this day fresh blood remains the best guard against fae. And so every few months Wei Wuxian makes up an excuse to give the Jiangs just so he can stay with the Wens long enough to reinforce the barrier. 

It’s not perfect but it’s something. It’ll have to be enough until Wei Wuxian secures a better, more permanent way to ensure the Wens’ safety here in the woods. 

~

It’s only later that evening, after they all have their cuts wrapped in clean cloth they’d torn just for the occasion, that Wen Qing asks, “How are things going, by the way?”

Wei Wuxain does not move from his spot on the floor by the fireplace. “What sort of things?” 

“You know what sort of things, Wei Wuxian. You were the one who came up with this plan in the first place.”

Wei Wuxian sighs. He doesn’t want to think right now, not when the world is still spinning from the amount of blood he spilled. But he’d already been thinking of how the flames from the fire kind of match the shade of gold in Lan Wangji’s eyes, so he might as well talk about the guy aloud.

“It’s going well. I think he likes me.”

“You think?”

“Well, yeah? It’s kind of hard to get a read on him, he’s so serious. But I’ve almost caught him smiling at me once or twice so…progress.”

“So you don’t think he’ll kill you?”

“I’m too lovable to be killed!”

Wen Qing groans and Wen Ning gives him a wobbly smile.

“J-Just be careful, Wei Wuxian. I d-don’t know what we would do w-without you.”

Wei Wuxian gives Wen Ning his best, most dazzling smile. “You know me, when am I ever not careful?”

That earns him another eye roll from Wen Qing and he laughs.

~

“You’re hurt,” Lan Wangji says the moment Wei Wuxian steps into the meadow.

Wei Wuxian pouts. “Lan Zhan, is that any way to greet a friend?”

Lan Wangji doesn’t respond. Instead he takes Wei Wuxian’s arm, tugging him close. Gold eyes narrow as they study the bandage Wen Qing had wrapped around his wrist. Wei Wuxian does his best not to squirm, even as Lan Wangji’s cool touch causes goosebumps to rise on his skin. Seriously, how is Lan Wangji so cold even with summer fast approaching?

“I’m fine, Lan Zhan,” he says when Lan Wangji stays quiet. “Really. This is nothing.”

“Injuries are never nothing. You must take care of yourself, Wei Ying.”

“Or what? You’ll take care of me instead?”

“If you wish.”

Heat rushes to Wei Wuxian’s face. “L-Lan Zhan! What are you saying?”

“That you should be more careful.” He lets go only to take Wei Wuxian’s other, injury free hand. “I have something I’d like to show you.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

Wei Wuxian grins, heart fluttering with a mix of anticipation and excitement. “Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan. What are you thinking, whisking me away so suddenly? What if I have somewhere to be?”

“Do you have somewhere to be?”

“Well…no.”

“Then, let's go.”

He tugs Wei Wuxian across the meadow, in a direction Wei Wuxian has never been, and yet Wei Wuxian doesn’t resist. Instead he trails behind and revels in the cool press of Lan Wangji’s palm against his own.

~

They walk for a long time. Long enough to leave the meadow far behind and for the trees to blur together into a kaleidoscope of green and brown. They go far enough that Wei Wuxian loses all sense of direction and finds no recognition in the landscape they pass by.

But, despite all that, Wei Wuxian can’t bring himself to worry. Because he trusts Lan Wangji to bring him back to the meadow when all is said and done. Because Lan Wangji’s hand is firm in his, grounding and guiding him forward without hesitation. 

Eventually, the shadows start to thin. The sound of rushing water reaches Wei Wuxian’s ears and the trees part to reveal a small cottage overlooking a valley.

Wei Wuxain’s jaw drops at the breathtaking sight. The cottage is small but well taken care of, with a blooming garden and charming stone path leading up to the door. A small brook bends around it before careening down into the valley. And everything is painted in a golden glow of the setting sun.

“Lan Zhan!” He turns to Lan Wangji, who is watching him. “This is beautiful! Is this your home?”

“It is now. But it used to be my mother’s.”

Wei Wuxian stills. “Your mother’s?”

Lan Wangji nods and the weight of the situation hits Wei Wuxian like a bag of bricks. This place must mean a lot to Lan Wangji—not only did he love his mother enough to care for the rabbits in the meadow, but he also moved here after her passing. Lan Wangji is under no obligation to bring Wei Wuxian here and yet he went out of his way to do just that. 

“Are…Are you sure you want to show me this?”

“Yes.” 

Lan Wangji pulls him towards the porch. Wei Wuxian follows without another word, something fragile and breathless blooming in his chest. 

An instrument sits on the porch. It is long and thin, made of glossy dark wood with seven strings pulled tight across the top. The surface is etched with delicate clouds that shimmer in the light. Lan Wangji gestures for Wei Wuxian to sit in front of it and Wei Wuxian does.

“What is this?” he asks curiously as Lan Wangji lifts the instrument onto his lap. “I’ve never seen an instrument like this before.”

“It is a guqin.”

“Was it your mother’s too?”

“No, this is mine.” Lan Wangji pauses, before adding, “I would like to play something for you, if you would not mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind! Lan Zhan, you could do anything and I would like it.”

Lan Wangji’s eyes darken. “Don’t say things you don’t mean, Wei Ying.”

“I don’t.”

Lan Wangji studies him a moment longer. The intensity of his gaze makes Wei Wuxian’s skin prickle, filling him with a restless energy. He’s learned by now that Lan Wangji is an intense person by nature. He never does anything halfway. And right now…

Right now, Lan Wangji is looking at him like he wants to devour him.

“Are you going to play me something, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asks, voice low and rough. “Don’t leave me hanging.”

Without another word, Lan Wangji lays his long fingers on the strings. Then he starts to play. 

It’s beautiful. Because of course it is, because it’s Lan Wangji, who is beauty and grace personified, because he couldn’t make anything ugly even if he tried. Each string is plucked with confident precision, his posture is straight and tall while the notes are left to float through the air like butterflies on a breeze. 

Lan Wangji’s music didn’t sound like anything Wei Wuxian has ever heard before. The Jiangs hired people to perform at special events back at Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian himself had learned how to play a flute on a dare. But Lan Wangji plays with real feeling, real emotion. The sincerity of it catches in Wei Wuxian’s throat and steals the air from his lungs. 

In this moment, with the sunlight painting him in a warm glow, Lan Wangji is as captivating as Wei Wuxain has ever seen him. Are all fae from Lan Wangji’s clan this amazing? Or is this just Lan Wangji being his natural yet impossibly perfect self? 

All too soon the music fades away. Lan Wangji withdraws his hands, golden eyes lifting to meet Wei Wuxian’s. 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian whispers, in awe. 

“Did you like it?”

“Like it? Lan Zhan, I’ve never heard anything so lovely in all my life! What was the piece called?”

“I wrote it.”

Wei Wuxian’s mouth falls open. “You wrote that? Like composed it and tested it and everything?”

Lan Wangji nods. A giddy laugh breaks past Wei Wuxian’s lips. 

“You really are incredible. I should have known that only the most wonderful person ever could write such a thing.”

The tips of Lan Wangji’s pointed ears turn red. “I am glad you enjoyed it. It is for you.”

“F-For me?” Heat rushes to Wei Wuxian’s cheeks. “Why?”

“You often bring me gifts from the market in Yiling. It is only right to return the favor.”

“What, you mean—the carrots? For the rabbits? Those are nothing, Lan Zhan! You can’t honestly believe they're worth a whole song!”

“Everything you have given me is precious, Wei Ying.”

“Aiyah, Lan Zhan. Let’s agree to disagree. My poor heart can’t take your honest words!”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji hums, something like amusement lighting his eyes. He carefully places the instrument to the side before rising to his feet. “Please wait here for a moment.”

He vanishes inside the cottage. Wei Wuxain links and unlinks his hands in his lap. His heart beats out of sync. How long has Lan Wangji been writing that song for? Did he really think of Wei Wuxian so much in their time apart? 

The soft sound of Lan Wangji’s steps announce his return. He sets down a tray of fruit in front of Wei Wuxian along with a jar for drinking. 

“More gifts, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asks as he picks up an apple and tosses it into the air. 

“Food is not a gift. It is a necessity. Eat.”

Wei Wuxian studies his reflection in the apple’s red skin. Jiang Yanli’s hushed warnings echo back to him—never stray from the path, always give a false name, don’t accept food from a stranger. 

Would he break the last of Yiling’s three rules today?

“Wei Ying?”

“Tell me, Lan Zhan. Is there anything special about this fruit? If I have a bite, will it keep me here forever enslaved by your side?”

Lan Wangji raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by Wei Wuxian’s questioning. “Did you not offer me food the first time we met as well?”

“Well, yeah, but the carrots were technically for the rabbits.”

“Wei Ying, sometimes food is just food.”

“Is this one of those times?”

Lan Wangji inclines his head.

That’s all Wei Wuxian needs to hear. 

“Great!” he chirps and takes a bite of the apple. The sweetness of it blooms on his tongue, ripe and juicy. He hums with delight before reaching for a grape and then a berry. Everything he tries is as fresh as if it had just been picked. The alcohol in the jug, too, is smooth. It burns as it goes down his throat, spreading a tingling warmth through him along the way. 

“Lan Zhan, this is delicious!” he cries, voice muffled around the food in his mouth. “Where did you get all of this?”

“From Cloud Recesses. There is a portion of the land dedicated to farming but it cannot be seen from here.”

Wei Wuxian looks out across the valley. Did all of this belong to the fae? He’s never heard of the woods or anything beyond it referred to as ‘Cloud Recesses’ but of course the fae would have their own names for their home. Regardless, this cottage seems pretty detached from wherever the rest of Lan Wangji’s clan lives. Had Lan Wangji’s mother been lonely living out here all by herself? Or did she choose this place for that very reason?

“Tell me about your mother, Lan Zhan,” he says, leaning sideways across the porch.

Lan Wangji‘s gaze follows the line of his body. “What do you wish to know?”

“Everything! Anything. You seem to care for her a great deal.”

“Mn. She was very warm. Like you.”

Wei Wuxian grins. To have Lan Wangji compare him to his mother is a high honor. It must mean Lan Wangji likes him. “Was she as charming as me, too?”

“She was. She liked to sing and read and cook. She taught me how to play many instruments.”

Lan Wangji’s long fingers gently run over the strings of his gukin, as if he could feel the ghost of his mother through them. Something in Wei Wuxian’s chest aches as he takes in the longing in Lan Wangji’s handsome face. 

Cupping his chin in his hand, he suggests, “You should play me some of the songs she taught you.”

Lan Wangji blinks. “You…would not mind?”

“Why would I? I’m literally asking you to, Lan Zhan.”

The edges of Lan Wangji’s mouth curves ever so slightly and Wei Wuxian can’t help but stare—it’s his first time seeing Lan Wangji smile, his first time taking in the way Lan Wangji’s face softens and his golden eyes turn warm like honey.

Wei Wuxian quickly takes a swig from the jug, focusing on the burn of it as it moves down throat, and ignores the unsteady beat of his heart. 

~

It’s dark when Wei Wuxain wakes up. He blinks up at the unfamiliar ceiling, wondering why it doesn’t look like the slightly sunken one from the Wens cabin or the wooden one from his room with Jiang Cheng. The bed he’s currently laying on is too stiff to be his and the scent of sandalwood hangs in the air.  

Then he remembers—Lan Wangji’s cottage, the song, the wine—

“…bring him here? Outsiders are forbidden.”

“Wei Ying is not an outsider.”

“I know you think so, but not not everyone agrees. The elders are very upset.”

Wei Wuxian turns his head. He can see the outline of two people standing on the porch in front of the door, both tall and with long hair cascading down their backs. If Wei Wuxian hadn’t heard them both speak, he might have assumed he was seeing double.

“I did not bring him into Cloud Recesses,” Lan Wangji says, voice calm despite arguing with his brother. “They have nothing to be upset over.”

“Just because you view it this way does not mean others agree with you.”

“I do not care what they have to say.”

“And what of uncle? He is concerned about your intentions with Wei Wuxian.”

Silence. Wei Wuxian doesn’t dare move from his spot on the bed, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.

Lan Xichen sighs. “Wangji. Are you sure about this?”

“Why do you ask what you already know?”

“Because I want to make sure you are prepared. Your future will be difficult, should you choose to continue like this. There will be repercussions.”

“I am not afraid.”

“And if I am? I do not wish to see you ostracized from our clan, from our home. Would it not be better to let this go?”

Lan Wangji’s response is cold and firm. “No. It would not.”

Another pause. Wei Wuxian curls his hands into fists. He’s not under any illusions as to what the Lans are discussing—or rather who they are discussing. And while Wei Wuxian understands Lan Xichen’s concerns, Lan Wangji had and continues to make his opinion abundantly clear. 

Even now, Lan Wangji’s words echo back to him:

Some rules are worth breaking.

Isn’t that what Wei Wuxian, too, had decided when he walked off the path in the woods that first time? Just as Wei Wuxain is disregarding everything he knows to be with Lan Wangji, Lan Wangji is doing the same. Lan Wangji is facing off against both his clan and his brother all because he wants to spend time with Wei Wuxian. 

The realization really shouldn’t make Wei Wuxian as happy, as giddy, as it does.

“You should go, Brother,” Lan Wangji says, breaking the quiet. “Uncle will wonder where you are.”

“And if he asks me of you? What should I tell him, then?”

“The truth.”

“I cannot see him being happy about that.”

“His feelings cannot change reality.”

Lan Xichen tucks his hands behind his back. His tone is resigned as he says, “Alright. In that case, I’ll take my leave. Don’t hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”

Lan Wangji inclines his head. Wei Wuxian watches as Lan Xichen’s silhouette vanishes from the door. He waits a full minute before pulling back the covers and rising to his feet.

When Wei Wuxian pushes the door open, Lan Wangji is facing the valley with his hands tucked behind his back. They are curled into fists. 

He steps forward to stand side by side with Lan Wangji. For a moment, neither of them speak. The sound of the summer night flows around them with the distant chirping of crickets and the bubbling of the creek. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says at last. 

“Lan Zhan,” he parrots back. 

“What did you hear?”

He shrugs. “Enough. Your brother and uncle are worried. They want to know about your…intentions with me.”

“Mn.”

Wei Wuxian slides closer. “What are your intentions, Lan Zhan?”

A pause. Lan Wangji faces him, golden gaze unwavering. It should be unnerving to be the center of that intensity but Wei Wuxian isn’t scared. Instead a shiver of excitement spreads down his spine. He doesn’t want Lan Wangji looking at anyone else like this. He wants to be the only one Lan Wanji defies the rules for, wants to know just how far Lan Wangji is willing to go for him. 

“Are you going to eat me?” he whispers, smirking. “Boil me in a pot and chomp on my bones for breakfast?”

Lan Wangji huffs. “Wei Ying.”

“Yes, my dear Lan Zhan?”

Lan Wangji’s breath catches. There's a swooping feeling in Wei Wuxian’s stomach. 

“Do you like it when I call you that? Should I greet you that way from now on, my dearest Lan Zhan? My most wonderful, most perfect, most amazing Lan Zhan?”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji chokes out. “Don’t tease.”

“Why not? Your face may be as impassive as a piece of jade but your ears….” He reaches out to brush Lan Wangji’s pointed and red tipped ears, only for Lan Wangji to catch his wrist in a bruising grip. 

“Don’t say things you do not mean.”

Wei Wuxian tilts his head. “Didn’t I tell you before? I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

Lan Wangji’s sharp nails dig into his skin. Still, Wei Wuxian doesn’t pull back. 

“You might mean them,” Lan Wangji says, “but do you understand their implications?”

“Explain them to me and I’ll let you know.”

Lan Wangji’s eyes drop down to his mouth. Wei Wuxian’s heart thuds heavy against his ribs. 

“Y’know,” he murmurs, leaning in. “It's rude to stare, Lan Zhan. I might get the wrong idea. Are you sure you don’t want to eat me?”

Lan Wangji yanks Wei Wuxian towards him. Wei Wuxian stumbles over his own two feet, tripping into Lan Wangji’s chest. He gasps and then Lan Wangji is cupping his cheek and hot lips are on his and all thought in Wei Wuxian’s mind melts away until the only thing that remains is—

Lan Zhan Lan Zhan Lan Zhan. 

~

Wei Wuxian spends the night in Lan Wangji’s cottage, being smothered in kisses and hugs and bites and all sorts of things that leave his body aching and tingling in the best of ways.

When he finally says goodbye to Lan Wangji the next morning, he carries with him a light blue flute engraved with clouds and a strange heaviness in his heart. 

The flute had been a gift from Lan Wangji. He had pressed it into Wei Wuxian’s hands after Wei Wuxain told him of his experience with playing one and refused to take it back no matter how much Wei Wuxain protested. 

The melancholy feeling is…different. Wei Wuxian has gotten sad leaving Lan Wangji behind before, but never like this. He’s never had to fight the urge to run back to the meadow, to force himself to take step after step away from Lan Wangji. He’s never left already looking forward to the next time they reunite. 

The magnitude of his emotions catch him by surprise. Had kissing the night away left his brain fogged and confused? Or had Lan Wangji’s willingness to bring him into his home and defend him against his clan endeared Lan Wangji to Wei Wuxain more than he ever thought possible? 

~

“You seem happier these days, A-Xian! Did something happen with your admirer?”

Wei Wuxian pauses mid hum. “Uh…why would you think that?”

Jiang Cheng grumbles, “You’re smiling way too much. It’s nauseating.”

Wei Wuxian’s cheeks grow hot and Jaing Yanli wacks Jiang Cheng’s shoulder with her towel. “No, A-Cheng, it’s not! Ignore him, A-Xian. Your admirer must be lovely to make you look like that.”

“They are.” Wei Wuxian’s whole chest aches with longing at the mere thought of Lan Wangji. “I would spend all my time with them, if I could.”

Jiang Cheng says bitterly, “Why don’t you go live with them then if you’re so smitten?”

“If I do, would you finally admit I’m your favorite brother?”

“You’re my only brother, idiot.”

“So why is it so hard for you to admit I’m your favorite, then?”

“Boys,” Jiang Yanli chides, stepping between them. “No fighting, please. Let’s focus on cleaning up.”

Wei Wuxian smirks at Jiang Cheng from behind her back, delighting at the death glare Jiang Cheng gives him in return. Jiang Cheng might not be as mobile after the Wens’ attack on Lotus Pier but his fierce stubbornness and rapid fire anger remains as strong as ever. His injury doesn’t make him any less of the foster brother Wei Wuxian had grown up with, so Wei Wuxain treats him the same way he always has and shows him no mercy during their bickering. 

He will always put off fighting for Jiang Yanli’s sake, though. And so he grabs the broom from the corner of the kitchen and starts sweeping the crumbs from their meal into a pile. 

He doesn’t turn as Jiang Yanli asks, “What is your admirer’s name, A-Xian? You haven’t said much about them.”

Wei Wuxian hesitates. There’s a reason why he hasn’t told the Jiangs much about Lan Wangji. It’s not as if they’d be thrilled to hear how Wei Wuxian met him or the truth of what Lan Wangji is. And the last thing he wants is for them to stop his trips through the woods. 

He couldn’t not respond, though. That would only make them suspicious. 

“His name is Lan Wangji,” Wei Wuxian settles on answering, figuring not much harm could come from revealing that much. 

“Lan Wangji?” Jiang Cheng repeats. “I’ve never heard of him.”

“You’d be surprised by the amount of things you’ve never heard of, Jiang Cheng.”

Jaing Yanli says loudly over Jiang Cheng’s furious hiss, “Lan Wangji is his courtesy name? I’m surprised he hasn’t told you his birth name considering how taken you are with each other.”

“He has. He knows mine, too.”

Silence falls between them. Too late, Wei Wuxian realizes what he’s said. He spins around to find the Jiang siblings staring at him with barely concealed alarm. 

Wei Wuxain mentally curses. 

“Ah, hey, don’t worry,” he says quickly. “Lan Wangji is a good person! I gave him my birth name because I trust him.”

Jiang Yanli wrings her hands together. “A-Xian, I’m sure that’s what you believe, but we all know the stories of those who give their names out carelessly. What if the fae learned your birth name?”

“But aren’t those just rumors? We’ve never actually seen proof of what the fae do with people’s birth names. What if there’s nothing to it?”

Jiang Cheng cries, “Do you even hear yourself? How could you be so stupid to put your life at risk just because a rumor may or not be true?!”

Wei Wuxian tightens his grip on the broom until his knuckles turn white. He can’t tell them the truth—that he had shared his birth name with Lan Wangji because he is a fae, because befriending him might give Wei Wuxian a chance to fight for Wen Ning and Wen Qing’s safety while they reside on fae land, because keeping the Wen siblings alive and well in turn means Jiang Cheng will always have the medicine he needs. 

And if he can’t tell them all of that, he most definitely can’t tell them that somewhere along the way he’s ended up liking Lan Wangji more than he ever planned. 

“A-Xian, don’t be upset,” Jiang Yanli says as she rushes over to him. “A-Cheng and I are just surprised. We didn’t know your relationship with your admirer had progressed so much. So, please, let us know before it gets more serious. We wouldn’t want you coming home with courting gifts without warning.”

“Uh.” The gifts Wei Wuxian has given Lan Wangji flashes across his mind—the carrots, the lotus flower, the flower crown. And then there are Lan Wangji’s gifts—the flower rings, the song, the flute. “What kind of courting gifts?”

Jiang Yanli pales. 

“Don’t tell me,” Jiang Cheng says, fury lacing through his every word, “did you really start courting this guy without telling us?”

“What, no! I’m just asking what could be considered a courting gift.”

“If you have to ask then you’ve already done it! Spit it out, Wei Wuxian—did you or did you not give Lan Wangji gifts? Did he give you anything in return?”

“I…I didn’t intend anything with it,” Wei Wuxian protests weakly. 

But then he thinks of how his heart had fluttered every time he’d given Lan Wangji something, of how breathless he’d been after Lan Wangji played the song he wrote for him.

Jiang Cheng must see the truth in his face for he hisses, “You idiot. You can’t go fooling around with some random person from another town! What would A-jie and I do if you left? What could we do? I can’t travel long distances and A-jie isn’t strong enough for manual labor! Are you really going to abandon us so soon after what happened to our parents?! After everything our father did for you?”

“A-Cheng!” Jaing Yanli gasps. “Stop that, A-Xian isn’t indebted to us because of our parents!”

Jiang Cheng folds his arms, his jaw clenched. His rage runs hot and fierce and Wei Wuxian can do nothing but stand there and take it. Because Jiang Cheng isn’t wrong. Every word he said is true. But it’s also true that Wei Wuxain cares too much about the Jiang family as a whole, owes them too much, to not do everything he can to take care of them. What might Jiang Cheng say if he knew what lengths Wei Wuxian is currently going through for him and his sister?

It doesn’t matter. Because Jiang Cheng would sooner die than accept help from a Wen, no matter how good the doctor behind the name. So Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli can never learn that the medicine for treating Jiang Cheng’s injury came from Wen Qing, and they will never understand Wei Wuxian’s willingness to trust Lan Wangji. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he says at last. “I’m not abandoning you.”

He doesn’t flinch as Jiang Yanli places her hand over his, but it’s a near thing. 

“Of course, A-Xian. A-Cheng is just worried. We…We just don’t know what we would do without you. So you need to be more careful with strangers. Don’t let this develop any further without talking to us first. Okay?”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t respond. After a long pause, Jiang Yanli sighs and turns away to finish cleaning the kitchen. Wei Wuxian goes back to sweeping the floor, a sour taste in his mouth. 

Somehow, Jiang Yanli’s words sting more than Jiang Cheng’s ever could. 

~

“Wei Ying.”

“Hm?”

“You are quiet today.”

“Oh? Are you saying you miss the lovely sound of my voice? My brother would be happy to have me shut up for one day in my life, you know.”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji repeats patiently and Wei Wuxian exhales long and slow. 

He doesn’t want to think about his argument with the Jiangs. Not when the summer sun is warm on his face, the grass is soft under his back and Lan Wangji’s touch is unbearably gentle as he runs his fingers through Wei Wuxian’s hair. He could lay here forever, with his head in Lan Wangji’s lap just like this, and be content for the rest of his days. 

But Lan Wangji is watching him with clear concern and Wei Wuxian doesn’t like the line of tension between his brows. 

So he relents, saying, “It’s nothing, really. My siblings are just worried about me. Well, about us.”

Lan Wangji’s hands still and Wei Wuxian whines. 

“They know you come here?” Lan Wangji asks. 

“No, not that. They just think there’s someone in the neighboring town who I’m getting too close with.”

Lan Wangji’s frown deepens, something dark flashing across his eyes. Wei Wuxian snorts and pulls Lan Wangji down to press a quick kiss to his lips. 

“No need to be jealous, Lan Zhan,” he whispers. “I only have eyes for you.”

“But your family is concerned?”

“They’re afraid my mysterious lover will steal me away from them.”

Lan Wangji hums but doesn’t deny it. Wei Wuxian’s jaw drops. 

“Lan Zhan! How shameless of you! Have you really thought of doing such a thing?”

“I would take care of you, Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says seriously.

Wei Wuxian sputters out a laugh before throwing his arms around Lan Wangji and hugging him close. “I have no doubt about it, Lan Zhan. And in another life, I might have taken you up on that offer. But in this life…”

Lan Wangji places his hands on Wei Wuxian’s waist, echoing, “In this life?”

“In this life, I have responsibilities. Both the Jiangs and Wens rely on me. I can’t leave them to fend for themselves. And there’s your family to think about, too! Don’t think I forgot about your conversation with your brother.”

“Brother would understand.”

“And your uncle? The rest of your clan?”

“They are not as important as Wei Ying.”

“Aiyah, Lan Zhan. How can you say that with such a straight face?”

“I know myself. My family does, too.”

“That doesn’t mean they would be happy.”

Lan Wangji studies him. “Would you?”

“Would I, what?”

“Be happy.” Lan Wangji threads his fingers through Wei Wuxian’s and squeezes gently. “With me.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart skips a beat. He holds Lan Wangji’s gaze, unable to look away from that piercing golden stare. Lan Wangji is always looking at him like this lately. As if there’s nothing else in the world worth watching besides Wei Wuxian.

“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji asks.

“I think—” Wei Wuxian breathes in deep, feeling the truth of his next words down to his bones, “—I know as long as I’m with you, I will be happy. I’m happiest when I’m with you, Lan Zhan.”

Lan Wangji smiles, a real smile that brightens his entire face, and Wei Wuxian is struck speechless by the beauty of it. 

Oh. 

Oh. 

Oh, no. 

He’s in love. 

~

“You’re screwed,” Wen Qing tells him. 

“I’m screwed,” Wei Wuxian agrees miserably. 

“You were never supposed to fall in love with him.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you do it? Now you’ve given your heart away and you haven’t gotten what you wanted!”

Wei Wuxian rubs his nose. “It’s not like I planned on liking Lan Wangji so much. It just sort of…happened. But it doesn’t change anything. I’m still sticking with the plan—I will figure out a way for you two to safely live here. Lan Wangji already knows you’re staying in this cabin, I just need to convince him to protect you from the rest of his clan.”

Wen Ning looks concerned. “Y-You don’t have to, Wei Wuxian. My s-sister and I can fend for ourselves.”

“A-Ning, please,” Wen Qing sighs. “We all know the blood barrier is only a temporary measure. Everyday we’re here is another chance the fae discovers us. If Wei Wuxian doesn’t get the fae’s support, then we can’t stay in this cabin. If we can’t stay here, we’ll have to leave. If we leave, uncle will find us. If uncle finds us…”

Her voice trails off. She doesn’t have to finish her sentence, not when they all know how it ends. 

“I’ll think of something,” Wei Wuxian repeats into the tense silence. “Don’t worry. Jiang Wanyin’s parents used to negotiate deals with the fae living in Lotus Pier’s waters all the time.”

Wen Qing crosses her arms. “That only works if you have something the fae want. Do you know what Lan Wangji wants?”

“I’ll find out,” Wei Wuxian says with a confidence he doesn’t entirely feel. 

Fae are known for being greedy creatures, not afraid of tricking humans into obeying their will or stealing them away as slaves or even food for their meals. But Lan Wangji has never asked Wei Wuxian for anything. He’s never raised a hand to him or forced him to act against his will. 

It’s strange. And a little nerve wracking. What can Wei Wuxian possibly offer Lan Wangji if he never wanted anything from him in the first place? 

~

Wei Wuxian’s stomach is a mess of knots the next time he enters the woods. He fully intends to see his goal through, to get Wen Qing and Wen Ning the help they so desperately need. But at the same time he desperately hopes Lan Wangji won’t hate him for discovering the real reason why he’s been going off the path for the last year. 

Because, despite everything, Wei Wuxian has never faked liking Lan Wangji. The warmth that bubbles in his chest every time Lan Wangji says his name isn’t imaginary. The way his thoughts constantly circle back to Lan Wangji has never been forced. His feelings for Lan Wangji developed as easily and naturally as a flower blooming under the sun—

A figure in gold steps out from behind a tree. 

“A human walking off the path…must be my lucky day.”

Wei Wuxian stops short, his heart leaping into his throat. Most people might mistake the person before him for another human but, after spending so much time with Lan Wangji, it’s easy for Wei Wuxian to spot the slight signs that mark him as otherworldly. The pointed ears, the sharp nails, the skin as pale as the moon. Even his pupils are slitted, like a cat’s. 

“Who are you?” Wei Wuxian asks. This fae isn’t not wearing the pale blue robes of Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen. He must belong to another fae clan. But then why is he in Yiling’s woods? 

The fae smirks. “Do you really think that matters when you’ll be dead in a few minutes?”

He advances, a sword sliding out from his sleeve. Wei Wuxian quickly steps back. The path is too far from here. Even if he ran, the fae would strike him down before ever laid eyes on it. He isn’t afraid to fight but now he has Lan Wangji to think of. How would he react to discovering Wei Wuxian cut down one of his kin? 

No, fighting is a last resort. Wei Wuxian will try to outwit the fae first. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Wei Wuxian says, reaching into his cloak to grab the hilt of his dagger, “If you kill me, it’ll be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.”

“I’ve killed plenty of humans. I won’t regret getting rid of one more.”

“Of course, of course. But have you ever killed a human belonging to another fae?”

The fae pauses. Wei Wuxian doesn’t dare relax. His heart beats rapid fire against his ribs. 

“Don’t make me laugh,” the fae growls, but there’s a new wariness in his glare. “Why would a fae bond with you? You’re just lying to put off your death.”

Wei Wuxian shrugs. “Fine. Don’t believe me. But don’t go cursing my grave when Lan Wangji comes for you.”

The color drains out of the fae’s face. “What did you just say?”

“Oh, are you reconsidering? I said I belong to Lan Wangji.”

“No, that’s—that’s impossible. Lan Wangji is the heir to the Lans. He would never choose to be with some dirty mortal for the rest of his life!”

Wei Wuxian is quick to hide his surprise. He’d gotten the impression Lan Wangji was in high standing based on the argument with Lan Xichen at the cottage but, really? An heir? No wonder the rest of the Lan clan is furious with his and Lan Wangji’s relationship! 

But this is a good thing. Maybe Lan Wangji’s social standing will be enough to save Wei Wuxian’s life.

“Maybe you should double check before you start chopping me to bits,” Wei Wuxain says airily. “I can’t imagine the Lans would be too pleased if you ran your sword through me. Lan Wangji and I have already exchanged courting gifts, you see.”

The fae hisses, “I don’t believe you.” 

Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes. He reaches into his bag and holds up the flute Lan Wangji gifted him. It most definitely looks expensive enough to be a courting gift, considering the fine quality of the flute’s material and the detailed clouds etched into its surface. Hopefully this fae agrees.

“Believe me now?” Wei Wuxian asks as the fae gawks.

“You…that’s not…you must have stolen that!”

“You can’t honestly think a dirty mortal such as me could have taken this without Lan Wangji noticing.”

“I won’t waste my breath arguing with a human,” the fae says, crouching into a fighting stance, and Wei Wuxain tenses. “Your kind is full of lies. I don’t care what tricks you pulled to get that flute, but I’ll take great pleasure in punishing you for it.”

He lunges. Wei Wuxian whips his dagger in front of him, refusing to back down—

WHAM!

The fae is flung away from Wei Wuxain before he’s even able to touch him. He flies through the air and crashes into a tree nearly ten feet away, a loud CRACK echoing through the woods. He crumples to the ground and doesn’t get up.

Wei Wuxian stares, frozen in the same defensive position. 

What…just happened? 

A shadow falls over Wei Wuxian. The scent of sandalwood fills his nose as a deep voice asks, “Wei Ying, are you unharmed?”

Wei Wuxian spins around. 

Lan Wangji stands before him, tall and regal with his hands tucked behind his back and not a single hair out of place. He looks over Wei Wuxian with a furrowed brow and slight frown tugging down the corner of his lips. Sheer, overwhelming relief rushes through Wei Wuxian. 

“Lan Zhan,” he whispers. Lan Wangji is here. Lan Wangji will protect him. “Yeah, I—I’m okay. Was that, I mean, did you do that?”

He gestures to the fae. Lan Wangji hums, “Mn.”

Wow. That’s… wow. Wei Wuxian lets out a shuddering breath, heat rising to his cheeks. Just how strong is Lan Wangji?

“Thank you. I might’ve been filled with holes if you got here any later.”

Lan Wangji’s eyes darken and his jaw clenches. Whatever response he might have given is cut off by a low groan. 

Wei Wuxian turns to find the golden-robed fae staggering to his feet. Blood trickles down the side of his face and his clothes are covered with dirt and leaves. The snarl on his lips falls away when he catches sight of who is standing at Wei Wuxian’s side.

“Lan…Lan Wangji?” he stammers.

“Jin Zixun,” Lan Wangji responds, voice tight.

Jin Zixun quickly recovers from his shock. He limps over to them, pointing at Wei Wuxian and spitting out, “Lan Wangji, why did you stop me? This human was trespassing on your land. Even worse, he claims to be courting you! To be bonded to you! And he has a stolen flute with your insignia on it.”

Lan Wangji steps in front of Wei Wuxian. “Not stolen. Gifted.”

“D-Don’t tell me he was telling the truth!”

“He was,” Lan Wangji says, immediately and without a single sign of hesitation. “I understand your confusion, given my clan’s history. But make no mistake—this human is mine. If you threaten him again, I will respond in kind.”

Jin Zixun gapes. The mix of disbelief-mortification-rage flashing across his eyes fills Wei Wuxian with glee. He doesn’t bother trying to hide his impish grin as Lan Wangji stands protectively between him and the fae. 

Lan Wangji says to Jin Zixun coldly, “Please return to Cloud Recessess. I will provide an explanation to you and your family then.”

Jin Zixun scowls, his gaze flickering to Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian sticks out his tongue and Jin Zixun turns a blotchy red. 

“You—!”

Lan Wangji cuts him off, “Jin Zixun. Leave. Now. I will follow shortly.”

Jin Zixun grits his teeth but, after giving Wei Wuxian a final murderous glare, goes. Wei Wuxian watches his retreating back with bated breath. The second he vanishes from view, Lan Wangji faces him. 

“Wei Ying,” he says, tone urgent as Wei Wxuain puts away his dagger and flute. “You should also go.”

“What?” Why would he go anywhere now that Lan Wangji is here? “No way, I haven’t even been to the meadow, yet! Besides, I’ll be fine now that that guy is gone.”

“It is not just him. There is an unexpected envoy from the Jins visiting my clan. It is not safe for any human to stray from the path right now.”

Fear seizes Wei Wuxian. He grabs Lan Wangji’s sleeve. “Lan Zhan, I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“Leave. My friends, the ones who live in the woods, they…they’re on the run from their uncle. I brought them to the woods because I thought they would be safer here, away from town.”

Lan Wangji gently removes Wei Wuxian’s hands from his sleeves, linking their fingers together. “That might be the case under normal circumstances, but not now. With the Jin here, the chance of discovery is much higher. You should take them back to Yiling with you.”

“No, the uncle they’re hiding from also killed my siblings’ parents. My brother would sooner let the fae skin them alive than be within five feet of them. And he would hate me for hiding them all this time.”

Lan Wangji frowns at that. His grip on Wei Wuxian tightens and Wei Wuxian squeezes back. He knows the concern shining in Lan Wangji’s eyes are for him, not the Wens. He is the only one who cares enough about Wen Ning and Wen Qing to protect them. If they are going to be safe from the Jins, he has to be the one to do something and he needs to do it now. 

Well. He had been planning to ask Lan Wangji about protecting the Wens anyway, right? Now is as good of a time as any to ask. 

“Lan Zhan,” he asks, widening his eyes to make them large and pleading, “can’t you do something? Can’t you, I dunno, ask your clansmen to stay away from the area? Have the Jin swear not to touch the Wens even if they’re not on the path or in their cabin?”

“Fae law cannot be changed. This land belongs to us, any human trespassing is to be treated how the fae sees fit.”

Wei Wuxian steps closer to Lan Wangji. Now they are chest to chest, nose to nose, eye to eye. 

“I’m human,” he says quietly. 

Lan Wangji says just as softly, “Yes.”

“You haven’t killed me yet. You even saved me from Jin Zixun. So exceptions can be made.”

“Wei Ying. What are you trying to say?”

Wei Wuxian breathes in deep. It’s now or never. 

“The town I used to live in was called Lotus Pier. The mayor used to barter and trade with the local fae so that humans could live in the area. Everyone got a little of what they wanted and everyone was happy.”

Lan Wangji stays silent, watching him with piercing golden eyes. 

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian reaches up to cup Lan Wangji’s face. “My dear, wonderful Lan Zhan. Won’t you make a trade with me?”

Lan Wangji places his hand over Wei Wuxian’s. “What do you want?”

“For the Wens to be protected from fae as long as they are in the woods.”

“And what are you willing to give me in return?”

Ah. That was the question, wasn’t it?

“I, uh, hadn’t thought that far. Is there anything you want?”

Lan Wangji just stares at him. The silence stretches on and on, long enough for Wei Wuxian to crack an awkward smile. 

“C’mon, Lan Zhan. Just tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll give it to you. I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?”

Wei Wuxian pauses. Something like alarm bells ring in the back of his mind. 

“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji presses. There’s an uncharacteristic urgency in his tone. 

Well, whatever. Wei Wuxian mentally shrugs. He knew what he’d been getting into when he made this plan. There’s really nothing he wouldn’t do to save his friends—and by extension, his family. And that included befriending fae and offering them whatever necessary to protect the ones he loves. 

“Anything,” he agrees and Lan Wangji sucks in a sharp breath. “If you keep the Wens safe, I’ll do anything, I’ll give you anything. Just name the price and it’s yours.”

Lan Wangji’s lips curve upwards. That’s all the warning Wei Wuxian gets before he’s being yanked forward and a hot mouth is on his. The kiss is insistent, forceful, demanding. Wei Wuxian loses himself in the push and pull of it, more than content to let Lan Wangji crush him in his embrace and hold onto him like he never wants to let go. Because Wei Wuxian never wants to let go, either. 

This burning want is something he never experienced before meeting Lan Wangji. Flirting has always been fun but actual desire wasn’t something he could afford when he’s just trying to get by day by day. And yet there’s no escaping the effect Lan Wangji has on him. The moment their lips touch, Wei Wuxian is on fire. He wants to always be with Lan Wangji, to always have those golden eyes on him, wants his cool hands on his skin and his hard body pressed against his and—

Wei Wuxian gasps as Lan Wangji pushes him against a tree, stars exploding against his vision. Sharp teeth and rough lips bite and kiss a path down his throat. 

Wei Wuxian chokes, “L-Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan! At ease! Aren’t you going to tell me what you want?”

Lan Wangji pauses, his mouth hovering over Wei Wuxian’s flushed skin. “I will tell you when you return.”

“Oh? And when will that be?”

“A month.”

Wei Wuxian pouts. It’s not ideal. Jiang Cheng got cranky without his medicine and he hadn’t even picked up the ingredients Jiang Yanli had wanted. The Wen siblings knew to expect long periods between his visits but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t worry.

Plus that meant no Lan Wangji for four weeks…

“Aiyah, a whole month without any kisses from my Lan Zhan!“ Wei Wuxian whines, burying his face into the crook of Lan Wangji’s neck. “I’ll surely waste away! You must revive me when we meet up again and make up for lost time.”

Lan Wangji’s arms tighten around him. “Mark your words, Wei Ying.” 

Wei Wuxian grins, knowing Lan Wangji won’t forget, knowing he accomplished what he’s been aiming to do since the moment he set foot off the path all those months ago. 

The Wens are finally safe. Forever. 

~

The next month is awful. 

It’s even worse than the time Lan Wangji had spent in isolation because this time Wei Wuxian knows Lan Wangji out there in the woods, somewhere, but he’s not allowed to see him. Everyday he has to fight off the temptation to drop everything and fling himself into Lan Wangji’s arms, having to instead resign himself to missing Lan Wangji with a ferocity that leaves his heart heavy and hurting. 

It doesn’t help that the Jiangs keep shooting him worried looks when they don’t think he’s paying attention. Jiang Cheng doesn’t snap at him nearly as often as usual and Jiang Yanli hovers around him like a mother hen. Their concern is nice but also suffocating, especially since he can’t tell them the reason behind his melancholy. 

He does his best to avoid their questions by keeping busy. He works odd jobs around town, trades goods at the market, tends to their backyard garden and the small pond overflowing with pink flowers. Sometimes when he’s alone he plays the song Lan Wangji wrote for him on the cloud decorated flute. It’s not enough to fill the Lan Wangji shaped hole in his chest but it’s enough to make their separation sting just a little bit less. 

~

“What are you making, A-Xian?” Jiang Yanli asks him one evening after the sun has set and dinner has been cleared away. 

“A rabbit, see?” Wei Wuxian holds up the carving with a grin. It’s not finished yet but the general shape is there. He’ll start adding details soon. 

“How cute! Are you planning on just carving one or will you be making more? You might be able to sell them, I’m sure the children in town would love them.”

Wei Wuxian hadn’t thought that far ahead. He’d only just gotten the idea to make a rabbit for Lan Wangji earlier when chopping wood for their fire. 

But Jiang Yanli isn’t wrong—the children of Yiling love any and all toys they can get their hands on. And while Wei Wuxian’s carvings might not be anything too extravagant, the kids would most likely overlook that in favor of cuteness. And making more than one carving might keep Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli from realizing he is keeping some of them to give to Lan Wangji. 

Jiang Cheng huffs from where he rests in his bed. “Why are you carving rabbits? Those bastards would eat everything in our garden if we let them.”

Wei Wuxian tsk-s. “Now, A-Cheng, don’t be jealous just because the bunnies are more adorable than you will ever be.” 

“You—!”

Wei Wuxian ducks just in time to avoid being smacked in the face with Jiang Cheng’s pillow. He spends the rest of the evening smirking at a glowering Jiang Cheng as Jiang Yanli gently but firmly scolds him for picking fights he can’t win. 

~

Jiang Yanli is right. Not just about Jiang Cheng’s poor temper getting the best of him, but also about the wood carvings. The children delight in Wei Wuxian’s figurines from the second he shows them off at the market. Soon enough he’s taking requests for pets and favorite animals and even some magical creatures only heard of in fables. He’s so overwhelmed by demands that he only just manages to finish two rabbit carvings for Lan Wangji. 

They turned out pretty good, if he says so himself. Not only are they the most realistic carving he’s done to date, but he also added little details to make them unique—one of the rabbits has a ribbon etched on its forehead, little clouds decorating it throughout. The other has a lotus flower perched between its ears.

Wei Wuxian gently caresses the tip of the ribbon wearing rabbit’s nose. Tomorrow he will get to see Lan Wangji again. The mere thought is enough to cause a burst of butterflies to swarm in his chest. 

~

Wei Wuxian leaves just before dawn the next day, only pausing to press a kiss to a sleeping Jiang Yanli’s cheek on his way out the door. It’s so early that only a few shops are setting up their stands and Yiling’s entrance is completely deserted. Even the woods are quiet, the trees alight with an early morning glow as Wei Wuxian speed-walks down the familiar path that he hasn’t seen in so very long. 

And when he finally arrives at the meadow, Lan Wangji is already waiting for him in all his white-robed glory. 

Wei Wuxian’s heart skips a beat at the sight of him. He’s even more beautiful than he remembers.

“Lan Zhan!” he shouts before taking off at a run. 

Lan Wangji turns just as Wei Wuxian leaps into the air. Lan Wangji catches him easily, spinning them both in a circle. Wei Wuxian holds onto Lan Wangji’s shoulders and laughs delightedly. He’s no small man, but Lan Wangji supports his weight with an ease that is thrilling. 

Lan Wangji is careful as he sets Wei Wuxian down again. Wei Wuxian squeezes his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck, refusing to loosen his embrace. 

“Lan Zhan!” he cries.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji echoes, his voice fond in a way that causes Wei Wuxian to smile even wider. 

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!”

“Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian laughs again. He breathes in the scent of sandalwood before leaning back. He finds his own bursting joy reflected in the deep gold of Lan Wangji’s gaze, one that is unwavering as he watches Wei Wuxian as if he’s the only thing that matters. 

Adoration bubbles inside of Wei Wuxian’s chest. “Ah, Lan Zhan.” He cups Lan Wangji’s face, smoothing his thumbs over his cheekbones. “I missed you. Did you miss me?”

Lan Wangji surges forward to kiss him and Wei Wuxian returns it with equal enthusiasm. He wants to melt into Lan Wangji’s arms and never resurface. 

“Ah, ah, ah!” He shudders as those hot lips and sharp teeth move along the edge of his jaw. “Lan Zhan, not so high up! What will the Wens think?”

The huff Lan Wangji lets out tells Wei Wuxian everything he needs to know about how much Lan Wangji cares about the Wens’ opinions. 

Giggling, Wei Wuxian kisses both of Lan Wangji’s cheeks then the tip of his nose. “Tell me, how have you been this past month? Did your clan react very poorly to Jin Zixun’s discovery of me?”

“They did not find out.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” His impression of Jin Zixun had been that he didn’t play things close to his chest. 

“I removed him from the equation.”

Wei Wuxian frowns at Lan Wangji’s calm expression. “What do you—oh. Oh.”

He shouldn’t be surprised. This isn’t the first time Lan Wangji has killed for him, if he’s counting Xue Chengmei, and Wei Wuxian himself is far from innocent. 

This is a good thing, actually. The less Lan Wangji’s clan knows about Wei Wuxian’s trespassing in the woods, the better. The only time they’d been aware of and tolerated Wei Wuxian’s presence on their land was when Lan Wangji brought him to his mother’s cottage. It’s doubtful they would be as understanding in any other circumstance. 

“Did you get punished for killing an ally?” Wei Wuxian asks, quickly looking Lan Wangji over for any sign of pain or injury. 

Lan Wangji shakes his head. “Jin Zixun was always one for taking unnecessary risks. It is unfortunate that no one knows exactly how he met his fate.”

Wei Wuxian stares blankly for a moment. Then he throws his head back with a bark of laughter. 

“Hahaha! You are incredible, Lan Zhan! You really went so far for our agreement?”

“I would go so far for anything you asked of me.”

“Aiyah, you.” He pinches Lan Wangji’s cheek. “Such a smooth talker, you are. I should give you a reward for being so sweet.”

Lan Wangji looks at his mouth and Wei Wuxian snorts. “Okay, don’t get too excited. C’mon—”

He tugs Lan Wangji down and Lan Wangji sits beside him without complaint. It only takes a moment longer for Wei Wuxian to search through his bag and pull out the rabbit carvings. 

“Tah-dah! I made a pair of rabbits!” Wei Wuxian proudly thrusts them into Lan Wangji’s face. “See, the one with the ribbon around the forehead is you, the one with the flower is me. Aren’t they cute?”

Lan Wangji’s lips part in awe. Wei Wuxian beams, satisfied with his reaction, and places the carvings into Lan Wangji’s waiting hands. “You know, you should be grateful I’m giving these guys to you. All the kids in town were begging me for them but I said nope, this is for my very special friend and they’re not for sale!”

Lan Wangji tears his gaze away from the gift to give Wei Wuxian an incredulous glare. “Friend?”

“Of course! I can’t go blabbing to everyone that I’m kissing the heir of the fae Lan clan, now can I?”

A huff escapes Lan Wangji’s lips, something that is almost a laugh but not quite. The sound makes Wei Wuxian’s grin grow larger. 

He bumps his shoulder against Lan Wangji’s. “You should have told me you were so important, er-gege. If I had known I was talking to someone of such high rank I would have been more polite.”

“Doubtful.”

Wei Wuxian gasps dramatically. “How cruel!” He falls sideways, draping himself across Lan Wangji’s lap. “Do you really think so poorly of me, Lan Zhan? Are these your true feelings?”

Lan Wangji makes no move to push him away. Instead he carefully tucks the rabbit carvings into his robes, brushing a few locks of hair out of Wei Wuxian’s face with his free hand. Wei Wuxian’s eyes flutter shut at the touch. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says softly. “I did not tell you because it is not important. There is no need for formalities between us.”

Wei Wuxian cracks open an eye. “Hm? Why not? Aren’t you used to being treated a certain way? You’ll be the clan leader one day.”

“No. My brother is the leader. It will not be necessary for me to assume the role once he has children of his own.”

Wei Wuxian thinks back to the night at Lan Wangji’s cottage, reframing the situation with the context that it had been Lan Wangji’s clan leader that came to reprimand him and not just a concerned brother. 

Guilt rises within him but it falls away just as quickly. There’s nothing he can do about the argument now. It wouldn’t have been right for him to get in between the brothers while it had been happening anyway, even if he had been the cause of it. Lan Wangji can fight his own battles and make his own decisions. 

But…

“Even so! You must hold an important position in your clan. Is it really alright for you to be spending so much time with me?”

Lan Wangji says simply, “This is where I am happiest. My clan’s opinion does not hold weight here.”

Heat rushes to Wei Wuxian’s cheeks. He covers his face with his hands, unable to take Lan Wangji’s sincereness without melting into a puddle. 

“Ahhhh, Lan Zhan,” he groans and turns to bury his face in Lan Wangji’s stomach. “Warn me before you say something like that! How can you speak so seriously…”

Lan Wangji lays a hand on Wei Wuxian’s back and starts to rub comforting circles. “It is simply the truth. Is it not the same for you? You said you would be happy as long as you were with me.”

Wei Wuxian pulls away just enough to see Lan Wangji’s expression, to take in the quiet fondness in it. This Lan Wangji is so different from the icy statue he’d first met so many months ago. This version of him is warmer. Softer. 

Or, at least he is with Wei Wuxian. He certainly hadn’t regarded Jin Zixun with any level of affection. 

“Lan Zhan,” he asks quietly, stomach twisting with dread. “It’s been a month. Can you tell me now what you want for your end of our deal?”

Lan Wangji tilts his head. “You.” 

“Yes, yes, I know you want something from me. But what is it, exactly? I can’t give it to you if you don’t tell me.”

“You misunderstand. For my payment, I only want you. I don’t want anything else.”

Wei Wuxian blinks. Then blinks again. 

“Wait. Are you—Are you being serious? You want me?”

Lan Wangji’s piercing stare does not waver. “I am very serious. I want to be with you every day, Wei Ying. I do not care where we go as long as we are never separated. I want to be bound together as all fae partners are bound. That is my wish.”

“Oh.” It takes a moment for Wei Wuxian’s brain to register Lan Wangji’s words. Once, he’d jokingly asked if Lan Wangji had the ability to magically tie them together. Lan Wangji hadn’t responded then. But now, all these months later, Wei Wuxian finally has his answer. “So, you mean, like—like together, together. Forever. Like marriage.”

Lan Wangji nods. 

Wei Wuxian sits up. Lan Wangji withdraws his arms but takes one of Wei Wuxian’s hands in both of his. He doesn’t speak, allowing Wei Wuxian time to sort through his jumbled thoughts. And jumbled, they are. Wei Wuxian’s mind spins with the seriousness of Lan Wangji’s request, of what it means for his future as well as his family’s. 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian starts hesitantly, “how could we share a life together? We’re human and fae. You can’t enter human towns and there’s no way I’ll be welcomed into your clan.”

“We can build a new home for ourselves. Like my mother did.”

“But you’d be an outcast, separated from your family and your entire way of life. I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You are not asking. I am saying this is what I want.”

Wei Wuxian laughs helplessly. “How stubborn you are! Even if this is something you want now, you have to think of the future. I can’t give you children. I doubt I’ll be able to participate in all of your customs and traditions. Wouldn’t it be better for you to wait for some lovely fae lady to sweep you off your feet?”

“We can adopt.” Lan Wangji caresses Wei Wuxian’s knuckles. “If any other problems arise, we will face them together. But I know myself. And I know for me, there will be no one else. There will only be Wei Ying.”

It’s somewhat of a comfort to realize Lan Wangji isn’t making this decision in the heat of the moment. But, it makes Wei Wuxian wonder, just how long has Lan Wangji been planning this? Since their agreement? Since he brought Wei Wuxian to his cottage? Maybe even longer than that?

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says, tone firm. “You asked me to protect your friends. I have. And I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. In exchange, you promised me anything.” 

“But are you sure this is what you want? I don’t know what this binding thing involves but it sounds pretty serious. I don’t want you to regret it afterwards when you could have asked for something less permanent.”

“I will never regret this. There is nothing else I desire.”

“But why?” Wei Wuxian pleads, needing Lan Wangji to explain himself. “Why me, Lan Zhan? I don’t understand why you would want this when it only makes your life harder.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Huh?”

“You are mistaken,” Lan Wangji repeats. “Wei Ying, you…you do not make my life harder. Before meeting you, I spent most of my time alone. I find it difficult to connect with others but never with you. You are friendly, brave and compassionate. You are beautiful. When I said I am happiest with you, I meant it. I want you because I cannot imagine my future without you in it.

“Trust me, Wei Ying. I promise to take care of you for as long as we both live. You will want for nothing. You— we —will be happy. Together. I promise I will not regret this. You are the only thing I have ever wanted.”

Wei Wuxian lets out a shuddering breath. Well. He did say he would give Lan Wangji anything. He can’t force Lan Wangji to change his mind and it’s not as if he has much else to offer someone as wonderful and perfect as Lan Wangji. 

Besides, who wouldn’t swoon over such a sincere speech? Wei Wuxian has never doubted his own feelings for Lan Wangji but it makes his heart soar to learn Lan Wangji is the same. Their future won’t be easy but won’t it be worth it if it means he gets to wake up to Lan Wangji’s handsome face every day?

“My siblings are going to kill me,” Wei Wuxian sighs, leaning into Lan Wangji’s side. 

Lan Wangji frowns at him. “You…aren’t going to protest?”

“Why would I? You’re right—about all of it. I promised you anything you wanted in exchange for the Wens’ safety. And I really meant that, I would have given you anything. You could ask to eat me for dinner and I wouldn’t say no.”

An disturbed look comes over Lan Wangji’s face at the mere suggestion. Wei Wuxian kisses him to make it disappear, amused at the way Lan Wangji’s pout instantly vanishes under his lips. 

“No need to look so serious, Lan Zhan. I know you would never ask for such a thing, not when you enjoy my kisses so much.”

“You are too careless with yourself,” Lan Wangji says unhappily. “Never make such a promise again.”

“I won’t need to. From now on I’ll have a handsome fae husband to take care of all my worries.”

The tips of Lan Wangji’s pointed ears turn pink. Wei Wuxian smiles, reaching out to lightly trace the shape. 

“So, my dearest Lan Zhan. How do we create this magical bond I’ve heard about? How do we make me yours?”

~

Wei Wuxain watches with interest as Lan Wangji’s teeth sharpen to points. He knows he should be afraid—Lan Wangji could easily rip out his throat with those things—but all he feels is a whisper of excited anticipation racing down his spine. 

“Are you ready?” Lan Wangji asks. 

“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian breathes. “Yeah, how should I—uh, I mean…”

“Lean against me.”

Wei Wuxain settles in Lan Wangji’s lap with his back pressed against Lan Wangji’s chest. His heart skips a beat as Lan Wangji’s mouth hovers over his neck, causing goosebumps to rise across his skin. 

“Relax, Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says, voice low and deep. 

“Easy for you to say! You’re the one doing the biting.”

Lan Wangji wraps an arm around Wei Wuxian’s torso, pinning his arms to his side. “You will bite me, too.”

“Well, yeah, but my teeth are laughable compared to yours. Yours are sharp and pointy and—”

“Wei Ying.”

“Okay, okay, shutting up now.”

Lan Wangji dips his head. Wei Wuxain’s breath hitches and then Lan Wangji is biting down onto the curve where his shoulder meets his neck. Pain sparks in firework bursts under Lan Wangji’s mouth. Something wet rolls down his back. Lan Wangji holds him tighter, not allowing him to squirm even an inch away. 

The pain fades. Something rises in its place, a tingling sensation that fills his chest with warmth, and his thoughts turn hazy. 

“Lan Zhan,” he says and his words come out slurred. “Lan Zhan. Is that the bond you were talking about?”

He shudders as Lan Wangji hums against his skin. There’s a strange throbbing in his chest, acting like a second heartbeat. 

“Oh. It’s…it’s nice. Really nice.”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji’s lips leave Wei Wuxian’s skin. He licks the bite, his tongue rough against the cut. “It will be stronger after you return the bite.”

Wei Wuxian lets his head roll to the side so he can look up at Lan Wangji. His golden stare is filled with a fondness that has Wei Wuxian’s toes curling. 

“Should I do it now?” he asks and Lan Wangji nods. 

The shift to change positions. Wei Wuxian ends up straddling Lan Wangji’s hips, bracing his hands on Lan Wangji’s shoulders. 

Wei Wuxian smirks as Lan Wangji gazes at him with dilated eyes. “See something you like, Lan Zhan?” he purrs and Lan Wangji squeezes his waist. 

“Don’t tease, Wei Ying.”

“When do I ever do that?” he asks, pushing Lan Wangji’s robes to the side to reveal an expanse of pale, unmarked, lovely skin. 

“Is here okay?” He lightly touches Lan Wangji’s neck, feeling the muscles flex as Lan Wangji nods. “Okay.”

He leans forward, careful to line his teeth up perfectly with where he showed Lan Wangji, and bites down. 

Colors explode behind Wei Wuxian’s closed eyes. Heat surges through him, the epicenter being the warmth in his chest. There’s a whooshing sound in his ears and Lan Wangji’s low rumble—

“We are bonded now, Wei Ying. Tied together, body and soul.”

~

Wei Wuxian spends the night with Lan Wangji, allowing the bond to settle and adjusting to its effects.  

It’s fascinating to be so…so aware of someone else’s presence. Wei Wuxian thought he was aware of Lan Wangji before, but it’s nothing compared to what he’s experiencing now—like there’s a compass in his chest turning to wherever Lan Wangji is. Even more interesting is the unsettled uncomfortableness that builds in his stomach with every step between him and Lan Wangji. While not painful, it is sort of like an itch that won’t fade away. 

All of this is normal according to Lan Wangji. The fae bond is meant to physically link a pair. Wei Wuxian will live as long as Lan Wangji lives, share all his injuries and always know where he is at all times. Their bodies act as one. 

It also means Wei Wuxian will never be able to run away from Lan Wangji. The fae heir will be able to track him to any corner of the world, to find him in a blizzard or a sandstorm or in the darkness of night. 

The realization doesn’t bother Wei Wuxain. If anything, he finds it comforting. It means he will always be a part of Lan Wangji and Lan Wangji will always be a part of him. He cannot escape Lan Wangji but Lan Wangji will never be able to leave him, either.

~

Wen Qing’s eyes nearly pop out of her head when she sees the mark on his neck. 

“You did what?”

Wei Wuxian winces. “Ah, Qing-jie! Not so loud!” The whole forest probably heard her shout just now. 

“I wouldn’t be so loud if you weren’t so stupid!” She runs up to where he stands on the path, pushing his head to the side so she can examine Lan Wangji’s bite. After a tense pause she releases him with a scoff. “I can’t believe you. Why did you have to go and magically bind yourself to a fae for all eternity? He could have been lying to you about its purpose but you just rolled over and let him do it!”

“What was I supposed to do? I already promised him anything in return for your safety. Even if he wanted my life, I would have to give it to him. If anything, this is a much lighter request than I thought he would make.”

Wen Qing shakes her head. “Only you would come up with reasoning as insane as that.”

“D-Does that mean we w-won’t be seeing you anymore?” Wen Ning asks as he peaks around his sister’s shoulder, looking distressed. 

“What? No, of course not! The whole point of this was to protect you guys, not abandon you.”

“You didn’t need to go to this extent,” Wen Qing snaps and Wei Wuxian looks at her. Her shoulders are hunched, her lips pressed into a thin line. Guilt twists his stomach into knots—not for his actions, but for making a person who is like a second sister to him worry over his sake. 

“I know,” he says gently. “But I was happy too. You’re my friends.”

“You’re crazy. You would burn yourself to keep others warm.”

“Hey, I’m not that generous! If your uncle was the one freezing, I would throw him into the fire before alighting myself. Besides, I don't think Lan Wangji will let me get into too much trouble. We share injuries and lifespans now. If I get hurt, he does too.”

Wen Ning asks curiously, “So if I p-pinch you, he would feel i

“I guess? I haven’t exactly tested it out.”

Wen Qing snaps, “Why did Lan Wangji let you go, anyway? If you’re such a liability to him, he should be keeping you close rather than let you skip through the woods unsupervised.”

“I only skip occasionally, Qing-jie. And it’s because he would rather me not be present when he breaks the news to his clan.”

“Does he think they’ll have a bad reaction?”

“Not sure. Apparently fae and human matches have been made in the past but never in the Lan clan. They have rules against that sort of thing.” 

“Rules that Lan Wangji broke…for you.”

Wei Wuxain chirps, “Yep! Guess I’m just that charming, huh?”

Wen Ning smiles softly and Wen Qing sighs. 

“Fine,” she relents. “It’s not like I can stop you when you’ve already done the most insane thing possible. And you seem…happy.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart flutters. The connection between him and Lan Wangji pulses warmly in kind. 

“I am. I really am.”

“Then I’m happy for you, too. But your Lan Wangji better treat you right, otherwise I’ll be having some choice words with him.”

Wei Wuxain laughs. Some of the weight in his chest lightens. Two of the people out of the four he considers family know about him and Lan Wangji. They’ve accepted it, more or less. 

“What are you g-going to tell the Jiangs?” Wen Ning asks, as if reading his mind. 

“Um. Nothing. Not yet, at least. I told them I wouldn’t go further with Lan Wangji until I talked it over with them and I kind of completely disregarded that.”

Wen Qing eyes his neck. “You’ll have to cover that up in the meantime, then. Come with me.”

She grabs Wei Wuxian’s arm and drags him into the cabin, with halfhearted whining on Wei Wuxain's part, while Wen Ning follows from behind. 

~

The Jiang siblings don’t notice the covering on Wei Wuxian’s neck when he returns to Yiling. He’s not sure if he’s relieved or not by that revelation. 

Logically he knows he will have to tell them the truth sooner rather than later. They will be upset and it will take time for them to understand that his deal with Lan Wangji is a good thing for all of them. The Wens can continue living in peace in the woods, Jiang Cheng can continue to receive his medicine, and Wei Wuxain…Wei Wuxian will be with Lan Wangji. He’ll be happy. He’ll be free, in a sense. 

It’s a strange concept. The only time he’s ever really had the space to breathe and just exist were those stolen moments in the meadow. To live without having the Jiang and Wen siblings rely on him is something completely foreign to him. It means he’s hurtling into the unknown. 

He’s not scared, though. Because Lan Wangji will be by his side. And as long as Lan Wangji is with him, everything will be fine. 

~

Wei Wuxian has plans to stay in Yiling until the next errand run sometime in the following week or two. But that very night of his return, he wakes to an agonizing pain in his back. 

“Wha—”

Wei Wuxian gasps, squeezing his eyes shut as his back throbs. Something wet rolls down the side of his ribs. The skin across and between his shoulder blades burn as if on fire. 

Pressing his lips tightly together to keep himself from waking Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, he stretches to touch where the pain is the strongest. When he brings his hand to the front of his face, his fingers are covered with something dark and sticky. 

Blood. 

Terror seizes Wei Wuxian. Because these wounds aren’t his. He hasn’t done anything during the day to cause them. So these must be from Lan Wangji. 

Lan Wangji is in danger. 

Wei Wuxian stumbles to a stand. He doesn’t bother changing, just grabs his cloak and bag he’d yet to unpack when he arrived home that afternoon, and pushes himself out the door. 

~

The night is cool and quiet. The height of the summer has long passed and autumn is rushing in with surprising urgency. But for now the chill of the air is soothing. It dries the sweat beading on Wei Wuxian’s forehead as he races down the empty streets. 

Another stab of pain, this time down his spine, leaves Wei Wuxian tripping over his feet. He leans heavily against the wall of a closed shop and tries to breathe. His vision swims. 

What is going on? Why is Lan Wangji being hurt? Lan Wangji hasn’t suffered from any injury since the moment they met. And the encounter with Jin Zixun told Wei Wuxian that Lan Wangji could hold his own in a fight. 

So, why? What changed? Lan Wangji had only been returning home to tell his clan that—

Ah. 

Wei Wuxain grits his teeth. Is Lan Wangji being punished because of their bond? Lan Xichen had warned there would be consequences to being together but Lan Wangji hadn’t listened. 

Some rules are worth breaking. 

Wei Wuxian takes off again. If that’s what Lan Wangji really thinks, then he needs to be there with him. Lan Wangji wanted them to be together forever so Wei Wuxian will shoulder this burden with him as well as anything else that comes their way. 

~

The woods, thankfully, aren’t as dark as he feared. Tonight’s full moon allows pale light to stream through the branches of the trees and illuminate the forest ground. Once he travels deeper, where the trunks get thicker and the coverage from above gets more dense, it’ll be harder to see. But Wei Wuxian doesn’t let that deter him. He simply sets a brisk pace as he heads down the path.

His bond with Lan Wangji will tell him when to turn off the path. Wei Wuxian can feel it pulling at him, directing him towards wherever Lan Wangji is. And for now it's telling him to walk ahead.

Less than ten minutes have passed when something white flashes across the corner of his vision.

Wei Wuxian spins to face the threat, pulling his dagger out of its sheath.

A figure in pale blue robes stands just a few steps off the path. Wei Wuxian takes in the clouds embroidered on the long sleeves, the pointed ears and slitted pupils. 

“Wei Wuxian,” says the fae, his tone distasteful.

Wei Wuxian tilts his head. The fae isn’t moving aggressively, not that he has much of a choice with Wei Wuxian still standing on the path. But it’s strange that he knows his name. 

Wei Wuxain says conversationally, “You’re part of the Lan clan. But you’re not related to Lan Wangji. So, who are you and what do you want?”

The fae scowls. “How would you know whether or not I’m related to Lan Wangji?”

“Because,” Wei Wuxian smirks, “you’re not pretty enough.”

“Y-You—you human! How dare you?!”

“Aiyah, don’t get upset. No one’s prettier than Lan Wangji. Where is he, by the way? He’s never sent a stranger to greet me before.”

The fae’s gaze shifts to Wei Wuxian’s mark. His nose wrinkles as he asks, “Shouldn’t you be able to find him by yourself?”

“I could, but it would be easier for both of us if you just told me.”

“Don’t tell me you’re stupid enough to threaten a fae. You can’t defeat me, you’re nothing but a human.”

Wei Wuxian clutches his dagger tighter. This is the same conversation he had with that Jin fae. Are they all this obnoxious in their supposed superiority over humans? Or had he just happened to meet two idiot fae and a single perfect one?

“I am a human. But I’m a human that’s bonded with a fae. That means I share half of Lan Wangji’s abilities. So if you think you can beat me with those odds, please go right ahead and prove me wrong.”

He gestures, an open invitation for the fae to decide what to do next. A series of emotions cross his face—annoyance, disbelief, doubt. He’s so unlike Lan Wangji, who had been little more than a brick wall the first time Wei Wuxian met him. Reading this fae’s thoughts is as easy as knowing Jiang Cheng’s.

“I’m not here to fight you,” the fae says at last through gritted teeth and Wei Wuxian scoffs.

“Then what—” 

Wei Wuxian chokes on his words as his legs go weak. This wave of pain is more of an ache, an echo rather than a new cut on his skin. Has the immediate injury to Lan Wangji stopped? Even if the beating reached an end, the aftermath of getting treated would not be any easier.

The fae’s eyes widen as he takes in whatever expression Wei Wuxian is making. Wei Wuxian sucks in a shuddering breath, forcing himself to stand again at full height. He can’t show weakness. This fae can easily hurt Wei Wuxian as handicapped as he is. And anything done to Wei Wuxian will rebound upon Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian refuses to put him in that situation. 

“It’s true, then?” the fae asks, voice hushed. “You and him—You’re really bonded?”

Wei Wuxian glares. Is his reaction just now not proof enough? “Just tell me why you’re here. If it’s not to take me to Lan Wangji, then fuck off.”

“D-Don’t act so confident! I don’t know how you bewitched Lan Wangji but the elders will never approve of you two. It’s your fault he’s in so much pain right now!”

Fury bubbles under Wei Wuxian’s skin. As if he doesn’t already know that. But— “I didn’t bewitch anyone. Lan Wangji was the one who wanted us to be bonded. I didn’t even know something like this was possible until he told me.”

“Impossible! Lan Wangji has never wanted to bond with anyone, much less a human.”

Okay, this fae clearly is as much of a fool as Jin Zixun. But, unlike that time, Lan Wangji isn’t here to save him. Lan Wangji is suffering. It’s a fact that is literally carved into Wei Wuxian’s back. And Wei Wuxian needs to get to him, even if only to comfort him. He doesn’t know exactly where Lan Wangji is but standing here won’t bring them any closer to reuniting.

Wei Wuxian turns his back on the bristling fae. He starts walking down the path again, not pausing even when he hears an indignant sputter. 

“Wait! Stop right there!”

“Why should I?” Wei Wuxian calls without turning around.

“I—I’m here to take you to our elders.”

Wei Wuxian stops. The elders, the fae said. Not Lan Wangji. But, surely, Lan Wangji would be closer to them? And following the fae should be a more direct path than Wei Wuxian stumbling around in the dark.

It could also be a trap. But Wei Wuxian’s bond with Lan Wangji will let him know if that is the case pretty quickly.

He spins around, a sharp smile on his face. “Why didn’t you say so sooner? Lead the way, mystery fae.”

The fae’s nose wrinkles. “It’s Su Minshan, to you. And I will. But she can’t come with you.”

“She? Who are you talking about?”

“You’re bonded to Lan Wangji and can’t even tell when someone is trailing you?” Su Minshan scoffs. “Pathetic.”

He points. Wei Wuxian follows Su Minshan’s finger to find a small figure in purple robes standing a few feet away.

Wei Wuxian’s blood runs cold.

“Jiejie?” he whispers as Jiang Yanli pulls back her hood. Her face is pale, even more so than usual in the moonlight. “What are you doing here?”“I woke up to the sound of the cabin door opening. And when I saw your bed was empty, I…” She looks over to Su Minshan, who bares his teeth at her. Teeth that are sharp, pointed and deadly enough to rip out her neck.

Wei Wuxian darts forward and shoves her behind him. “Don’t look at her,” he snarls and Su Minshan narrows his eyes.

“I have no interest in your woman. But I’m sure Lan Wangji will be interested to learn you’re unfaithful to him.”

“She’s my sister.”

“Do you really think he’ll believe that?”

Anger flares inside Wei Wuxian, hot and bright. As if Lan Wangji would believe this tool before his bondmate—

Jiang Yanli’s trembling hand grasps his wrist. “A-Xian? Isn’t Lan Wangji your admirer from the next town over? Why does a fae know him?”

Ah. Shit.

“He’s…”

Su Shue cuts him off, “Lan Wangji is the heir to the fae clan of Lan who have ruled these woods for centuries. You are not worthy to know his name, much less speak it.”

“If we’re not worthy, what does that make you?” Wei Wuxian asks snidely, causing Su Minshan to bristle. He turns to Jiang Yanli and clutches her shoulders. “Jiejie, don’t worry about this. Go back home.”

“He said you and Lan Wangji were bonded together. What does that mean?”

Wei Wuxian clenches his jaw. He’d wanted to have this conversation with both Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng present and calm and, most importantly, sitting down. Having Jiang Yanli throw herself into danger by chasing him through the woods in the middle of the night is not the ideal scenario he came up with in his mind. Especially not when he needs to find Lan Wangji right now. 

“It means a lot of things,” he says placatingly. “Things I can’t explain at the moment. So, please. Return to Yiling. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

“A-Xian, that’s a fae. If you go with him, you’ll never come back! How can I leave you?”

“Because you have to. I know what he is, I know what this looks like, but you have to trust me. I’ll be back. I’ll be careful, I swear. But you can’t come with me any further. You’ll be killed the second you take a step off this path.”

“And you won’t be? I can’t—” Jiang Yanli shakes her head, tears pooling in her eyes, “—please, don’t go. I trust you, but my brother and I have lost too much. We can’t lose you, too.”

Wei Wuxian opens his mouth, about to retort when his knees buckle. Jiang Yanli gasps and grabs him in time to stop him from landing face-first in the dirt.

“A-Xian?! A-Xian, what’s wrong?”

Breathing heavy through his nose, Wei Wuxian barely hears her. His ears ring. Blood drips down the back of his legs.

Lan Wangji. He needs to get to him.

“Jiejie,” he mumbles as he stands on shaking legs. “If—If you won’t go to Yiling, wait here until I come back. But don’t step off the path. Don’t try to follow me. Just stay, okay?”

Jiang Yanli makes a protesting sound in the back of her throat. Wei Wuxian doesn’t give her the chance to say anything more before he’s hitting the pack of her head with the hilt of his dagger. She slumps over and Wei Wuxian quickly catches her. His back screams in protest but he doesn’t let her fall. 

Su Minshan mutters behind him, “You really aren’t worthy of Lan Wangji.”

“I think the bond mark Lan Wangji gave me proves otherwise,” Wei Wuxian says evenly as he lowers Jiang Yanli to the ground. He tucks his dagger into her limp hand as a final precaution, then steps off the path and faces Su Minshan. “Are you going to complain or lead the way? I’ll go on my own if you’re just going to stand there and be useless.”

Su Minshan gives him the most withering scowl he can manage—which, unfortunately for him, is really not that impressive—before turning on his heel and stalking off into the darkness. Wei Wuxian follows just a step behind and does not look back.

~

They walk for nearly an hour in mostly terse silence. Mostly, because Su Minshan can’t seem to stop himself from making very pointed comments about Wei Wuxian’s general un-suitableness for Lan Wangji and because Wei Wuxian definitely can’t stop from shutting him down with increasingly creative insults every single time. 

At least the warmth in his chest grows stronger with each step. It’s a clear sign that Su Minshan is at least an adequate guide, even if he is horrible company.

Eventually Su Minshan stops. He shoves a strip of thick cloth in Wei Wuxian’s direction, the permanent frown etched onto his face growing even deeper.

“What is this?” Wei Wuxian asks without moving to take it.

“A blindfold. Lan Wangji might trust you, but the elders don’t. You can take it off once you’re in front of them.”

That’s…fair. Wei Wuxian takes the blindfold. It’s a pale, shimmery silver color with engraved clouds. Just like the flute Lan Wangji gifted him. 

His heart twinges at the thought. He wants Lan Wangji here. He wants to hold him, to have his deep voice calm the terror raging inside Wei Wuxian. He just wants him near. 

But they will be reunited soon. So Wei Wuxian wordlessly wraps the cloth around his head to cover his eyes.

~

When Wei Wuxian is finally allowed to take off the blindfold, he finds himself standing in a large courtyard bathed in moonlight. Buildings tower around him on all four sides, large and intimidating and regal in their architecture. The air is fresh with the scent of flowers and a faint sound of rushing water rumbles in the distance.

He’s also surrounded by fae.

The back of Wei Wuxian’s neck prickles. He’s not uncomfortable with being in the center of attention but never has he been the focus of so many who are not human. The Lan fae are all pale with long dark hair and stern, pinched faces. Most of them appear to be decades older than Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen. These fae must be the ‘elders’ Su Minshan mentioned.

“Wei Wuxian,” someone calls and Wei Wuxian turns. Sitting on a raised platform is another fae with a goatee and familiar golden eyes. He has the same regal elegance as Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen—is he a close relative of theirs? “You’ve arrived.”

“I have,” he says. He gestures behind him. “Sorry about the blood. I swear I wasn’t planning on bleeding out across your courtyard today.”

Low whispers break out all around him. Wei Wuxian keeps a neutral expression. Let them be uncomfortable. These fae are the reason why blood is dripping down his back and leaving a trail with every step he takes. They are the reason for Lan Wangji’s pointless suffering.

The fae sniffs. “Given your…situation with my nephew, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Ah. So this must be the uncle Lan Xichen mentioned. He might not be the clan's leader, but as Wei Wuxian doesn't spot Lan Xichen in the crowd, he's the best person to give Wei Wuxian the answers he seeks. 

Wei Wuxian demands, “Where is Lan Wangji? Can you take me to him?”

“No.”

“Fine. I’ll just find him myself, then.”

The uncle stands. “You have no right to see him.”

“Based on what? Your rules?” Wei Wuxian snaps. He’s sure Lan Wangji wouldn’t appreciate him going off on someone so close to him, but Wei Wuxian isn’t patient enough to just go along with what the old man says. “It can’t be because of Lan Wangji. He would never turn me away. He marked me with the bond first, you know.”

“How dare you! How could you, a human, presume to know what a fae thinks? How he feels? You know nothing of our way of life, our culture, our values. Your relationship with Wangji is a mockery of our entire history and everything that makes us fae. I refuse to acknowledge it.”

Well. It’s a relief to hear Lan Wangji’s uncle considers his and Lan Wangji’s bond to be a relationship of some kind. But Wei Wuxian isn't planning to beg for forgiveness or ask for approval. Lan Wangji’s is the only opinion that matters. And Lan Wangji has already chosen him.

“Is that why you hurt him?” Wei Wuxian asks tightly. “Because you disapprove of me?”

“Wangji was punished in accordance with our rules for fraternizing with a human. Though, if at all possible, I would have removed your claim on him regardless of the consequences. You are not a fitting match considering his position in our clan.”

Wei Wuxian curls his hands into fists. How cruel is Lan Wangji’s uncle, to admit he would have gone against Lan Wangji’s wishes no matter the cost to his own flesh and blood? Did Lan Wangji’s stature mean more than his happiness? If so, it’s a good thing Wei Wuxian is here to take Lan Wangji away from this place.

Wei Wuxian gives Lan Wangji’s uncle a smile that is all teeth. “That’s nice of you to say. But I’d really like to see Lan Wangji now.”

“You cannot,” comes the curt dismissal.

“I can, I’m his bondmate!”

Angry mutters roll through the crowd like thunder. Wei Wuxian forces himself to take a calming breath. These Lan fae like their rules. They like logic. He can appeal to that to get what he needs. 

“You’re right. I don’t know much about the fae, not by a long shot. I’ve grown up human my whole life. But I’m here now, whether you like it or not. I’ll do whatever I can for as long as I live to make up for what I’m lacking in your eyes.”

“But,” he adds, voice hardening, “I’m only here, standing in a puddle of my own blood in your courtyard, because of Lan Wangji. You said so yourself that our bond is not something you can ignore or erase. According to your culture and your rules…I’m his. And he is mine. We are one body, one soul. What right do you have to keep us separated? So take me to him or I will find him myself, even if it hurts us both and everyone who gets in my way.”

Silence falls.

Wei Wuxian keeps his gaze on the uncle. He doesn’t waver, doesn’t flinch. He stares the fae down and lets the intent behind his words hang heavy in the tension between them.

At long last, Lan Wangji’s uncle squares his shoulders. “Su Minshan!” he barks and the fae scrambles out from the crowd.

“Y-Yes, Grandmaster?”

“Show Wei Wuxian to the infirmary. Wangji should still be there.” 

Relief rushes through Wei Wuxian. He gives a shallow bow even as the wounds in his back shriek. “Thank you, sir.”

As he turns, Lan Wangji’s uncle calls out, “Wei Wuxian.”

Wei Wuxian looks over his shoulder. The uncle watches him through narrowed eyes.

“This is not over. We will speak again.”

Wei Wuxian snorts. “I don’t doubt it, sir.”

~

Wei Wuxian doesn’t really need Su Minshan to lead him to where Lan Wangji is, not when the warmth in his chest pulses with each step they take in the right direction. But he behaves and trails obediently behind him all the same. He doesn’t want to give anyone an excuse to punish Lan Wangji again. 

When they finally turn a corner to see Lan Xichen standing in front of one of the larger, more-official looking buildings, Wei Wuxian knows they’ve come to the right place. 

“Zewu-jun—” Su Minshan begins, mid bow, and Wei Wuxian rushes past him and Lan Xichen to throw open the doors. 

Lan Wangji sits cross legged on the floor. His chest is bare except for several strips of blood stained bandages a fae woman is in the process of wrapping around his chest. His golden eyes are already looking his way as Wei Wuxian stands on the threshold of the room, panting. 

“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Wangji chokes out and Wei Wuxian’s vision goes blurry. 

“Lan Wangji!” he cries, just barely remembering to use his courtesy name. 

He collapses in front of Lan Wangji, taking his face in his hands and kissing him fiercely. Lan Wangji’s mouth is rough but familiar. The warmth from their bond burns bright and hot, like the sun, and the wetness in Wei Wuxian’s eyes overflows and spills down his cheeks. Mortified gasps and angry hisses echo around the room but Wei Wuxian barely hears him. He just keeps kissing Lan Wangji, basking in the sheer relief that Lan Wangji is here and alive.

Only the familiar clang of swords being drawn is enough to make Wei Wuxian pull back. The fae healers advance towards him with murder written across their faces. 

Wei Wuxian doesn’t have more than a second to panic—he left his best dagger with Jiang Yanli—before Lan Wangji pushes Wei Wuxian behind him, protectively positioning himself between Wei Wuxian and his clan.

“Stand down,” Lan Wangji orders coldly. 

Wei Wuxain grabs his arm. “Lan Wangji, don’t move—”

One of the women cut off his protest, “Hanguang-jun, the Grandmaster demanded that no one besides Zewu-jun is to disturb you.”

Wei Wuxian frowns at the unfamiliar titles. Lan Wangji doesn’t flinch, however. 

“He is not disturbing me. He is my bondmate.”

Silence. The women look at Wei Wuxian with varying degrees of surprise, dismay and disgust. Wei Wuxian holds back a sigh. Really, are all these Lan the same? How is it that Lan Wangji could even stand to look at him considering this is how he was raised?

Lan Xichen steps into the open doorway. “Wangji. Wei Wuxian.”

“Zewu-jun!” The fae women turn to him desperately. “Grandmaster said—”

“I am aware. But seeing as both my brother and his bondmate are in considerable pain right now, I must ask that you don’t give either of them any reason to move unnecessarily.”

Lan Wangji looks over his shoulder at Wei Wuxian. There’s a mix of guilt and sadness shining in his golden eyes. Wei Wuxian shakes his head and takes his hand, hoping that Lan Wangji interprets it as the reassurance it is. 

Lan Xichen continues, “In fact, I would appreciate it if you would all leave to give them some privacy.”

There are immediate protests. Lan Xichen raises his voice slightly so that he can be heard over the commotion, “Wei Wuxian’s injuries must be treated. I thought it would be best to dismiss you so that you would not have to take care of him yourselves. However, if you disagree, then please stay.”

That shuts the fae women up immediately. They exit the infirmary in a hurried fashion, bobbing in low bows to the Lan brothers and shooting Wei Wuxian glares on their way out. When the last of them have gone and the door shut behind them, Lan Wangji sags. 

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian scrambles around to face him, placing a hand to his cheek. His usually cool skin is warm and clammy. 

“Oh, Lan Zhan,” he whispers, his heart breaking. “What did they do to you?”

Lan Xichen makes his way over to them. “I tried telling him there would be a punishment. He deemed you worth the risk.”

“It is worth it,” Lan Wangji mumbles stubbornly and Lan Xichen sighs. 

“Even if the consequence brings pain to your bondmate? Wangji, considering the lashings you took, it’s a miracle Wei Wuxian managed to get here at all.”

“Of course I got here,” Wei Wuxian snaps. “I would never let him suffer alone. Tell me, Lan Zhan. What exactly did they do to you?”

Lan Wangji shakes his head. “It is unimportant.”

“Like hell it is! Can you even walk right now? Were they trying to kill you?”

“It was a fair punishment. I broke the rules.”

Wei Wuxain groans. They don’t have time to debate whether or not Lan Wangji deserved to be beaten into submission. What’s done is done. What matters now is what to do next. 

“Seriously, though. Can you walk?”

Lan Wangji frowns minutely. “What happened?”

“My sister followed me when I left Yiling.”

Lan Wangji’s eyes widen. Lan Xichen sucks in a quiet breath before asking, “Wei Wuxian, is your sister a human?”

“Yes. I left her on the path but the longer it takes for me to return, the greater the chance that she’s already left it to find me. So—how badly are you hurt? Are you okay to move?”

Lan Wangji hesitates. Lan Xichen kneels besides them, his face full of concern. 

“Wangji, Uncle said you were to enter seclusion immediately after your wounds were treated.”

“What?” Wei Wuxian looks at Lan Wangji sharply. “The punishment isn’t over? Why are you still being hurt?”

“Seclusion will not result in more pain. It is simply time away from others.”

“Others…as in fae?”

Lan Wangji takes in Wei Wuxian’s expression. “What are you thinking?”

“Your rules, they only apply to those of your kind. Right? I’m sure your uncle didn’t have humans in mind when he came up with that punishment. So that means you can come with me as long as you don’t talk to anyone from your clan.”

Lan Wangji turns to Lan Xichen for confirmation. Lan Xichen looks conflicted but admits, “I…suppose that might be true.”

“Good. Then we can leave.”

“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Wangji says quietly. “I do not know how far I can travel.”

Wei Wuxain hums, rubbing his nose. He knows nothing about how quickly fae heal compared to humans but it’s probably not too outlandish to assume Lan Wangji’s punishment was given with the intention to leave a mark. It isn’t something Lan Wangji will be able to bounce back from within the next hour, day or week. 

But Lan Wangji’s body isn’t just his, anymore. Wei Wuxian is currently sharing part of his injury through their bond. And if Wei Wuxian could take on a portion of Lan Wangji’s wounds…why shouldn’t he be able to take on all of them? 

Wei Wuxian asks Lan Xichen, “How much do you know about bonds? How closely are Lan Zhan and my bodies connected?”

“Very little is known about the bonds, I’m afraid. The magic it stems from is ancient and part of each fae from the day they are born. But your back is hurting because your soul is tied to Wangji’s. Together they are trying to balance out the damage he took.”

“So the bond acts like a sort of scale, allowing for an even distribution of our bodies’ conditions?”

“In a way, yes.”

“Can the scale be tipped?”

Lan Wangji stiffens beside him. “Wei Wuxian, no.”

“We don’t have a choice, Lan Zhan! I promised my sister I would return to her but I won’t leave you behind, either. You know the woods better than I and you’re stronger, too. If one of us has to be responsible for getting us out of Cloud Recesses, it needs to be you. Besides, aren’t you already manipulating the distribution? My back doesn’t feel nearly half as bad as yours looks.”

Lan Wangji doesn’t meet his gaze. That gives Wei Wuxian all the answers he needs. 

“Lan Zhan.” He grasps Lan Wangji’s chin, turning his bondmate’s face to him. “Please.”

“I cannot do that to you. I won’t let you suffer for my choices.” 

“Bonding yourself to me was your choice, but offering you anything so that my family could be safe was mine. So don’t try to shoulder the fallout of our deal alone. ”

Lan Wangji presses his lips into a thin line. His fingers curl into fists. Wei Wuxain faces Lan Xichen, who had been watching the exchange warily. 

“Tell me how to take on Lan Zhan’s injuries and I’ll take your brother away from all those who have hurt him. He’ll be safe with me.”

“How can you promise such a thing when being with you is what landed him here in the first place?”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t flinch at Lan Xichen’s accusing tone, though Lan Wangji growls, “Brother!”

Instead, he just says calmly, “If you don’t think I would do anything in my power to help Lan Zhan, you’re wrong. I left the safety of the human town I live in and my sister to reunite with him. But you? You stood to the side and let your family whip your own brother despite having the power as clan leader to stop it. I can’t change what has happened. But at least I can ease some of the suffering you allowed to be inflicted. So do all of us a favor and tell me what I have to do to take on Lan Zhan’s wounds—it’s the least you can do after letting them be inflicted on him in the first place.”

~

Wei Wuxian doesn’t remember the trek out of Cloud Recesses. He couldn’t even if he wanted to. Not when the pain is all-consuming. He drowns in it, suffocating in his own suffering and more than happy to let darkness creep across his vision and pull him under. 

Eventually he hears Jiang Yanli’s cry of his name. He wants to open his mouth, to reassure her, but his head is too heavy. His back is on fire. His eyes won’t open. Lan Wangji murmurs something and then Wei Wuxian is slipping out of consciousness once more and everything is quiet.

~

When Wei Wuxian comes to, he’s laying on his stomach on a thin yet familiar bed. He blinks blearily and takes in the sight of the Wens’ cabin before him. A strong fire crackling away in the hearth, chasing away the early autumn chill. Wen Qing’s medical supplies are strewn across the table. Nothing looks out of place or unordinary. 

But how did he get here? 

“Don’t move.”

Wei Wuxian turns his head, then hisses when pain flashes through him like a strike of lightning. 

Wen Qing is scowling as she enters his field of vision. “I just told you not to move.”

“Qing-jie,” Wei Wuxian groans. There’s no one else in the cabin besides them, from what he can tell. “What happened? Where’s Lan Wangji?”

“He’s nearby, don’t worry. He left with A-Ning and your sister to collect more firewood.”

Panic floods him. “Jiejie’s here? Why?”

“Because that’s what happens when you keep secrets from the people who love you and then return to them unconscious and dripping blood.”

Wei Wuxian winces. Wen Qing’s tone is harsh, which is, unfortunately, fair. He’s not going to argue the truth of what happened. But he doesn’t regret it, either. Even if his plan hinged on putting himself on the line, he’d managed to save not only the Jiangs and Wens but also Lan Wangji. Everything he’d done was worth it in the end.

Wen Qing walks over. She’s mixing something together in a bowl and Wei Wuxain wrinkles his nose at the sour scent coming from it.

“Drink,” she orders and holds the bowl up to his lips.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes. You did what you wanted but now that your plans come to bite you in the ass, you have no choice but to lay down and listen to your doctor. So take it.”

Wei Wuxian takes it. Wen Qing is careful to hold the bowl at just the right angle so he doesn’t strain his neck or choke from too much liquid. She puts it to the side after he’s done and picks up a pile of cloth that has been partially pulled into strips.

“Are those all for me?” he asks jokingly. Wen Qing gives him a look that makes him smile sheepishly. “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough that you won’t be able to move for at least a week. I would say longer, but I’m not sure how the healing process works now that you are physically linked to a fae. Your injury is already much better than when Lan Wangji carried you in here yesterday.”

“It’s been a day already?”

“Yes.” Wen Qing stops pulling apart the cloth, staring down at her lap. Her voice is rough as she says, “Wei Wuxian. Never do something so reckless ever again. A-Ning was terrified when he saw you.”

“I…I didn’t mean to scare anyone. I just did what was right.”

She glares at him. “I understand. I would have done the same, had A-Ning been the one in danger. But don’t do it again.”

Wei Wuxian is touched at the brightness of her eyes. He nods and she breathes in deep. 

“Good. I know your sister has some things to say too, but I wanted to make sure I got that across to you.”

“Ah.” Wei Wuxian grimaces. “Did you tell jiejie everything? Was she mad?”

“You can ask her that yourself when she returns. For now—rest.”

Wei Wuxian isn’t sure he can. He just slept for a whole day, after all. But in no time at all his eyes grow heavy and he finds his consciousness slipping away from him.

~

When he awakes again, the cabin is full of people. Wen Ning and Wen Qing sit at the table, talking quietly. Lan Wangji is doing something with the fire. Jiang Yanli is at his bedside and holding his hand, her thumb brushing across his knuckles.

Wei Wuxian croaks, “Jiejie.”

Jiang Yanli startles. She gasps when their eyes meet. “A-Xian! You’re awake!”

There’s a clattering sound and then Lan Wangji is kneeling beside his bed. “Wei Wuxian.”

Warmth blossoms in Wei Wuxian’s chest. He smiles, unable to stop himself. “Lan Wangji. You’re still here.”

“I would not go anywhere without you.”

Jiang Yanli squeezes Wei Wuxian’s fingers. “How are you feeling, A-Xian? Are you in pain?”

Wei Wuxian takes a second to feel his body out. The pain is very much there but it’s muted now that it’s been treated with time and medicine. Still, he won’t be moving anytime soon.

Wen Qing snorts when he says as much. “Good, you shouldn’t be moving. You are on the mend but you’ll need more time than a day and a half to recover.”

“And Lan Wangji?” he asks, eyes darting to his bondmate. “Did any of the injuries transfer back to you while I was out?”

Lan Wangji tucks a lock of hair behind Wei Wuxian’s ear. “I am unharmed. You must focus on yourself.”

Jiang Yanli nods. “Yes, we’ve all been so worried, A-Xian. When I—When I saw Lan Wangji carrying you that night, I thought you were…”

Her voice trails off and her eyes grow shiny with tears. Guilt stabs Wei Wuxian through the chest, more agonizing than any of the lashes on his back.

“Jiejie, don’t cry! I promised I would come back, didn’t I? I came back!”

“You also promised you would be careful.”

“I was!” Wei Wuxain protests. He had made every effort while facing off with the Lan clan not to ruffle more feathers than absolutely necessary. The injuries on his back had already existed before he stepped into the woods that night, they just hadn’t been visible because they were on Lan Wangji. 

Jiang Yanli says pointedly, “You said you would tell my brother and I if your courtship with Lan Wangji developed any further, too.”

“Well, technically I never agreed to that.”

“But you knew we would have wanted to hear about this! And to only learn about it after it has already happened, to see what you’ve done for the Wens, to realize what they’ve done for us without being none the wiser is…”

She lets go of his hand, looking away from him and pressing her trembling lips together. Wei Wuxian watches on helplessly. He would do just about anything to wash away Jiang Yanli’s shocked disappointment. 

But, even so, he doesn’t regret a single thing. 

“Jiejie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you by keeping all of this a secret. But you and Jiang Wanyin weren’t doing so good after—after everything. I couldn’t tell you about the Wens I was hiding in the woods. Jiang Wanyin wouldn’t have taken the medicine if he knew who was preparing it for him.”

“I know, I know. We can’t change the past. But from now on I want you to confide in us, no matter what trouble you’re facing. We want to help you, A-Xian. And not just my brother and I. All of us.” She gestures around the room, to Wen Ning who nods eagerly, to Wen Qing whose expression is tight with worry, to Lan Wangji who has yet to look away from Wei Wuxian once since he woke up.

Then it hits Wei Wuxian—Lan Wangji is inside the cabin.

“How are you here?” he asks Lan Wangji blankly. “How did you get past the blood barrier?”

Wen Ning shuffles forward. “W-We had to dismantle it.”

“What?”

He starts to move— 

“Stay down!” Wen Qing barks at him and he freezes on instinct. “What are you panicking for? We have a fae here! One who is sworn to protect us because of you!”

“But—But that doesn’t mean you should destroy the safeguards we already have in place! Why would you—?”

Jiang Yanli says softly, “Lan Wangji wouldn’t let you go, A-Xian. How else were we supposed to bring you inside for treatment?”

Wei Wuxian blinks at Lan Wangji. He just looks calmly back, not saying a single word, but he doesn’t need to. Because Wei Wuxian understands. He would have acted the same had their positions been reversed. He had acted the same, back in Cloud Recesses. 

But…

“Lan Wangji won’t be here forever,” he points out. “We’ll still have to rebuild the barrier. Did you keep the used cloth scraps from my back? We can probably smear those on the rocks if we have to.”

Lan Wangji’s jaw clenches and Wen Ning says quickly, “That won’t b-be necessary.”

“The Wens are going to live with us, A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli explains with a beam. “We talked it over while you were unconscious and realized it makes the most sense for everyone. Wen Qing can continue to make medicine for Jiang Wanyin, Wen Qionglin can find work around town, and you won’t have to travel through the woods anymore! Once you’re recovered enough to move, we’ll return to Yiling—”

“No.”

Jiang Yanli’s smile falters. Silence falls with only the crackle of the fire to break the tension. Everyone, including Wei Wuxian, stares at Lan Wangji who in turn glares at the rest of them.

“Wei Wuxian stays,” Lan Wangji says. The warmth in Wei Wuxian’s chest burns, a reminder of the bond that ties them.

“Ah.” Jiang Yanli bites her bottom lip. “Lan Wangji, I understand your…hesitance. But A-Xian will heal best with a doctor nearby.”

“Then the doctor must stay here until he is fully healed.”

“But—But he needs to come home. He lives with us.”

“Wei Wuxian and I are bonded,” Lan Wangji says, unmoving. “I cannot go into a human town, so Wei Wuxian cannot go, either. His home is with me, now. He is mine.”

Jiang Yanli looks lost for words. She sends Wei Wuxain a pleading look.

But Wei Wuxain doesn’t know what to say any more than she does. Lan Wangji is right. The two of them are tied together now for better and for worse, as Lan Wangji’s punishment proved. And he’s okay with that. He’s good with that, in fact.

There had been a time when he wished he could spend the rest of his life in the meadow, feeding the rabbits and finding all the different ways to make Lan Wangji smile. He had been happiest, then. Bonding with Lan Wangji hadn’t changed that but rather had made that dream a reality. And now that the Wens are going to be staying with the Jiangs, Wei Wuxian won’t have to make as many trips to take care of both their needs. He can spend all of his time with Lan Wangji without worry.

But how to tell his sister that?

Wen Qing’s sigh pulls him out of his thoughts. “You’re staying with him, aren’t you?”

Lan Wangji’s stare is heavy on his face as Wei Wuxain stammers out, “I, uh…yeah. Yeah, I am.”

“But, A-Xian—” Jiang Yanli looks panicked now, “—don’t you want to come home? Do you not like living with us anymore?”

“Of course I like living with you! Why wouldn’t I? You, Jiang Wanyin and the Wens are family to me.”

“But you still want to leave?”

Wei Wuxian aches at her heartbroken tone. “I’ll still be close by! I’m not leaving forever. But I belong with Lan Wangji, now. We are literally tied together—physically and spiritually.”

“But is that what you truly want? Based on what I’ve heard, it sounds like…like you were forced to accept this bond. It wasn’t an offer made to you, you didn’t have a choice in whether or not to accept it. I just don’t think it’s fair for you to be taken from your family if this connection was never your decision.”

Lan Wangji’s golden eyes narrow and Wei Wuxian groans internally. Jiang Yanli isn’t necessarily wrong in her misgivings, but she didn’t have all the information. She didn’t know that Wei Wuxian had started straying off the path specifically to make a trade with the fae, to ensure the Wens would be safe living here on land not carved out by humans. He’s the one who started this. Not Lan Wangji.

“Aiyah, it’s not like that. If anything, I was the one who forced Lan Wangji’s hand, ahaha.”

Jiang Yanli does not look reassured. But before she can protest again, Wen Qing steps forward. In her hands is a bowl that smells unfortunately and horribly familiar.

“You can discuss this more later. Right now Wei Wuxian needs medicine and rest. Here, drink.”

Wei Wuxian tries not to gag as she thrusts the medicine into his face. Seriously, what did Wen Qing put in that stuff? “Do I really have to?”

“Yes, you really have to. Remember this the next time you do something stupid— both of you.”

She shoots Lan Wangji a glare. Wei Wuxian barks out a laugh at the small pout Lan Wangji gives in kind.

~

Jiang Yanli returns to Yiling the next morning. She had written Jiang Cheng a note before dashing after Wei Wuxian in the middle of the night but he had already been left alone longer than either she or Wei Wuxian intended. 

Before departing, she speaks to Wei Wuxian in private, begging him to reconsider coming home after he heals. Wei Wuxian does his best to reassure her without lying. He won’t promise something that won’t happen and the distress on her face tells him she knows what he is doing. But he does swear to visit soon so he can make amends with Jiang Cheng in person. Hopefully Jiang Chen will have cooled down enough by then to hear him out. 

Still, he watches her slip out of the cabin with Wen Ning with a heavy heart. Arguing with Jiang Cheng might be as easy as breathing, but fighting with Jiang Yanli is like sticking a dagger in his chest. 

He asks Wen Qing, “Are you sure you’re okay that Wen Ning is going ahead without you?”

She nods. “It will be good for him to get used to living in a town again. And he can help your sister explain to your brother what happened. I’ll follow after them as soon as you’ve recovered, so we won’t be apart for long.” 

The healing itself turns out to be both a slow and fast process. It’s slow, because Wei Wuxian has never in his life been bedridden for longer than a few days. It’s faster, supposingly, because Wen Qing tells him so.

“Your connection to Lan Wangji must be speeding things up,” she says as she writes down page after page of notes. “I’ve never seen human skin mend itself so quickly. So be grateful and don’t complain.”

Wei Wuxain does his best to do that. He forces down the medicine with minimal whining and walks just a little further every day than yesterday. Wen Qing brews Wei Wuxain’s medicine and packs up what little belongings she and Wen Ning have managed to collect over the past year. Lan Wangji does whatever Wen Qing asks of him and spends the rest of his time listening to Wei Wuxain’s endless chatter, answering any and all questions Wei Wuxian can think of. 

Wei Wuxain loves hearing Lan Wangji talk. The low rumble of his voice soothes the restless impatience that crawls under his skin. But he still can’t help but gape when Lan Wangji tells him about Cloud Recesses’ rules.

“Over four thousand rules?!” he repeats incredulously. “It’s impossible to follow all of those! How is it that bonding with me was your first offense?”

“It wasn’t.” Lan Wangji is brushing Wei Wuxian’s hair, sitting beside his bed on the seat Jiang Yanli was occupying when Wei Wuxain first woke up. Wei Wuxian is sitting cross legged on the mattress with his back to him. 

“Oh? What rule did you break before that one?”

“I killed Jin Zixun. And the human who threatened you.”

“Right, I’d forgotten about Xue Chengmei.” He pauses, thinking back. Lan Wangji had been punished then, too. “Were you whipped then? I don’t remember you being in pain.”

“No. Only seclusion.”

“Why?”

“No one discovered the cause of Jin Zixun’s death, so I was not punished. I killed Xue Chengmei myself instead of bringing him to my clan first but killing humans is not forbidden, especially when they come into our territory. So the consequence was not as severe.”

Wei Wuxain sighs. “I don’t know, seclusion for a whole month would be hell for me. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with all your rules. If I break them, you’ll get punished alongside me and then you’ll regret all of this. “

Lan Wangji says seriously, “I will never regret this.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart gives a helpless flutter. Lan Wangji had gone through so much to be with Wei Wuxian. And yet whenever Wei Wuxian presses him, his answers remain the same. He never wavers, never shows any sign of remorse. 

It’s nice. Really, really nice. Wei Wuxian has loved and been loved before but never by someone who just wanted to be with him for him, who would go to the ends of the world to ensure they were together. Lan Wangji is just wonderful like that. 

Lan Wangji asks, “Will you?”

“Will I, what?”

“Regret this?”

Wei Wuxian beams at Lan Wangji over his shoulder. “How could I? I told you—I’m happiest when I’m with you, Lan Zhan. That hasn’t changed.”

Something unspeakably soft shines in Lan Wangji’s eyes. He sets aside the comb and circles the bed. Wei Wuxian squirms in anticipation, unable to keep himself still as Lan Wangji leans over and tilts his face up into a kiss. Wei Wuxian’s toes curl and he hums happily. Lan Wangji’s hands are gentle and his mouth firm. His kisses are softer than Wei Wuxian prefers, but unfortunately his injuries can’t afford much movement than this and Wen Qing is just outside collecting herbs from the garden, anyway. There would be time for more once they’re properly alone. 

Speaking of which. 

“Lan Zhan,” he murmurs against insistent lips. “Lan Zhan, you said your seclusion lasts for a year?”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji presses kiss after kiss to Wei Wuxian’s nose, his cheeks, his forehead, his ears—

Wei Wuxian laughs and shakes his head. “Lan Zhan! That tickles! How am I supposed to fight off such a vicious attack?”

“Don’t resist. Admit defeat.”

That makes Wei Wuxian laugh even harder. He topples sideways, cheeks hurting and sides aching in the best way. Lan Wangji watches on with a quiet adoration. 

“Wei Ying, be careful. Don’t roll onto your back.”

He takes Wei Wuxian’s hands and pulls him upright. Wei Wuxian threads their fingers together, delighted when Lan Wangji shows no signs of letting go. 

“So—So we have to stay away from your clan for a year?” Wei Wuxian asks, still breathless from his laughing fit, and Lan Wangji nods. “Hm. Okay, that’s not horrible, actually. You should teach me as much about fae as possible before then, I don’t want to make a worse second impression on your family than my first. But we’ll need a place to live until your seclusion is over. Yiling is obviously off the table, so maybe we could stay here? With the Wens moving out, no one will be in this cabin anymore. We could make it ours.”

Lan Wangji’s thumbs caress the back of Wei Wuxian’s fingers. “I thought it would be nice to build a home in the meadow.”

“The meadow? You mean, your mother’s rabbits’ meadow?”

“Mn.”

“Oh. That…” Wei Wuxian pictures the flowers and the long grass swaying in the breeze, the blue sky stretched above them and the rabbits hopping on the ground. The place where he met Lan Wangji, the place he fell in love. “That would be really nice. But won’t the rabbits get scared?”

“We would work around them. If they run away, we can bribe them to return with carrots.”

“Ha, yeah, but we might have to start growing carrots ourselves. I used to buy them from Yiling’s market and I’m not going back there anytime soon.”

“We can build a garden next to the house.”

“Hm.” Wei Wuxian hums, swinging their hands back and forth. “A house, a garden, the rabbits…all we need now is a little one and the picture is perfect! Say, tell me, can bondmates make little fae even if both of them are male? Is that something your magic can do? Or do we really have to adopt— mnph!”

Wei Wuxian laughs as Lan Wangji descends upon him. He laughs considerably less when Wen Qing walks in on them and banishes Lan Wangji to the other side of the cabin for the rest of the day. 

~

It’s bittersweet waving goodbye to Wen Qing as she walks through Yiling’s entrance. Part of Wei Wuxian wishes he could be at her side to introduce her to Jiang Cheng and soothe whatever remaining tension exists that Jiang Yanli hasn’t already gotten rid of through the power of soup and compassion alone. But the remaining and larger part of Wei Wuxian knows there’s no need for his presence. 

Wen Qing had been brave and strong enough to get Wei Wuxian and the Jiang siblings out of Lotus Pier before her uncle found them. She then escaped herself with her brother in tow and found Wei Wuxain in Yiling. She’s more than capable of handling Jiang Cheng’s unresolved anger issues on her own. 

Wei Wuxian drops his hand with a sigh. He’ll miss her. And Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning. But he missed Lan Wangji while he lived in Yiling, too. And now he’ll never have to miss him again. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says and Wei Wuxian turns to him. His face is cast in shadows from the tree branches above. “I’d like to ask you something.”

Wei Wuxian frowns. Lan Wangji had never prefaced his questions before. “Yeah? What is it?”

“The day after we left Cloud Recesses, you told your sister that you were the one who had trapped me with our agreement. What did you mean?”

Oh. 

“Oh,” Wei Wuxian says aloud, stupidly. He should have prepared for this. He should have come up with an explanation that didn’t sound so obviously manipulative while he’d been lying in bed the last couple of weeks. “That. Um. I meant…exactly what I said?”

Lan Wangji doesn’t speak. He just watches Wei Wuxain, waiting. 

Wei Wuxian internally groans. He’s really going to have to explain everything to Lan Wangji, isn’t he?

Maybe it’s better this way, to have it all out in the open. Lan Wangji might get mad but it’s not like he can undo their bond or lash out. And Wei Wuxian had been planning on telling him the truth eventually, even if he hadn’t been ready to do so right this second. 

“Look,” Wei Wuxian starts, “I’m not sorry. So I won’t apologize. But the truth is that I didn’t go off the path just for the rabbits—though they are very cute and I was more than happy to visit them and feed them treats!”

Lan Wangji’s expression doesn’t change with Wei Wuxian’s confession. “Why did you go off the path, then?”

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. You should already know. I did it to make a trade with a fae and ensure the Wens’ safety as long as they continued to live on fae claimed land.”

“Similar to the trade you made with me.”

“Yes, yes! Exactly.”

“So you would have made such an agreement with any fae if given the chance?” Lan Wangj asks, stepping closer, and Wei Wuxian tenses. “The fae in question did not matter as long as you got what you wanted?”

“Ah, well, I wouldn’t have traded with any fae. Do you really think I would’ve made it past two sentences with that Jin fae? Or Su Minshan?”

“But you do not deny that making a trade was your intention when befriending me. And if you had met another agreeable fae, you would have done your best to make a trade with them instead.”

Wei Wuxian squints suspiciously at Lan Wangji. Why is Lan Wangji so focused on who he would have made the trade with? Isn’t the more egregious part of all this that he had intended on using his friendship with Lan Wangji to get the deal he wanted? 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji presses, his tone one of warning. “Answer me.”

“I…I would have done whatever necessary to save the Wens, yes. I wouldn’t have tried to make a trade with someone who wasn’t open to it, but you were the first fae I met in Yiling’s woods and you…”

Wei Wuxian’s voice trails off. Lan Wangji’s golden stare bores into him, causing goosebumps to rise across his skin and his heart to beat unsteadily. Once more he’s struck by the beauty of those eyes. They’re the color of honey, of the setting sun, of a crackling fire and newly bloomed sunflowers.

Lan Wangji asks softly, “What about me, Wei Ying?”

“You were interesting,” Wei Wuxian admits. “You weren’t what I was expecting for a fae. You didn’t attack me or try to hurt me. You listened to everything I said no matter how ridiculous. I would forget about everything else when we were together. I was glad you were the first fae I met. I’m glad you were the one I traded with.”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji sounds pleased. He cups Wei Wuxian’s face and presses their foreheads together. “You were interesting to me, too.”

“Yeah? How interesting?”

“Very.”

Wei Wuxain snickers. “How very descriptive of you, Lan Zhan. But answer me honestly—are you angry with me for lying to you? I won’t be upset, I promise.”

“You did not lie.”

“I did, though? I told you I came to the meadow for the rabbits. I wasn’t fully honest about my reason for leaving the path.”

“You were under no obligation to tell me all the matters of your heart at our initial meeting. I did not tell you I was heir to my clan, either. What matters is that you sought my help when you needed it the most. You accepted the offer to become my bondmate. You are and will forever be mine.”

“I dunno how much of an offer it was,” Wei Wuxian teases. A pleasant heat curls in his stomach at Lan Wangji’s possessive speech. Despite everything, he’s still something Lan Wangji wants. The realization is somehow both relieving and electrifying. “Could I really have rejected you?”

Lan Wangji’s eyes narrow. “You could not. You offered me anything I desired for payment and I accepted.”

“Well, yeah, of course. I wasn’t going to go back on that. But humor me, dear Lan Zhan.” He lowers his voice, watching Lan Wangji through his eyelashes. “What would you have done if I said no?”

“Bonded you. I would have taken what was owed to me, willing or unwillingly.”

Wei Wuxian’s pulse starts to race. Why is it so delightfully thrilling to hear Lan Wangji confess such a thing? “You wouldn’t have let this poor, innocent human go with just a warning? You didn’t give me much time to think about what to repay you with. I made the decision in the heat of the moment.”

Lan Wangji places his hands on Wei Wuxian’s waist, pulling him close. “Wei Ying is not innocent.”

“No?”

“No. You knew what you wanted from the moment we met.”

“Aiyah, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says with a sharp grin. “So perceptive. But do you know what I want now?”

Lan Wangji tilts his head. He’s kind enough to play along with Wei Wuxian’s game, leaning in as he murmurs, “What?”

“I want you,” Wei Wuxian whispers and closes the gap between their wanting mouths. 

~

~

~

~

~

Wei Wuxian steps back to admire the scene in front of him. The house is far from being done—the framework and roof are in place, but the walls have to be thickened to keep out the cold and the planters need fresh dirt. They’ll need to keep living in the Wens’ cabin for at least a few more weeks until more substantial progress is made.

Even so, the sight of their hard work is satisfying. Seeing their new home take shape in the exact way he and Lan Wangji want it is a true joy. 

“What do you think?” he asks as Lan Wangji steps beside him. “Not too bad, hm?”

“Mn.” 

Lan Wangji wraps an arm around his waist and Wei Wuxian leans into him. No pain flares up from the movement, his back having healed over properly long ago and only leaving behind a myriad of silvery scars that Lan Wangji enjoys pressing loving kisses to every night before they fall asleep. 

Wei Wuxian points to the side of the house. “We should make a pond over there. Jiejie said she wants to bring some of the seeds from the nine petal lotus flower for us to grow on our own, but it’s pointless if there’s nowhere to plant them.”

“House first. Pond later.”

Wei Wuxian pouts. “But jiejie is visiting in a week! What will we do if she comes and we can’t do anything with the seeds?”

“We can eat them. Or she can bring them back to the others. They enjoy them as much as you do.”

“Almost as much as I do. Then Wens have ten plus years of living with the Jiangs before they can catch up on all the love I have for lotus seeds. I could eat a whole pot of them for dinner just by myself.”

“I do not doubt you.” Lan Wangji takes Wei Wuxian’s hand. “It is late. We should make our own dinner.”

“Hm. We could just make a fire here and grab one of the rabbits. They’re getting pretty fat on the carrots we feed them.”

Lan Wangji gives him an exasperated glare before pulling him towards the edge of the meadow. 

Wei Wuxian snickers as the bunnies scramble out of their way. “What? You don’t like my suggestion?”

“No rabbits.”

“No rabbits, no lotus seeds…what am I to do, Lan Zhan? I’ll wither away at this point!”

“I will not let you.”

“Oh? What are you going to do about it, then?”

Lan Wangji’s grip on his hand tightens. “I will take care of you.”

The bond pulses in Wei Wuxian’s chest, strong and warm and comforting all at the same time. 

“Yeah?” Wei Wuxian asks softly, his heart fluttering. “You’ll take care of me, Lan Zhan? Forever and ever?”

“Mn. Forever.”

The warmth in Wei Wuxian spills over, spreading down his spine and traveling to the tips of his fingers and toes. He feels light enough to fly.

“Good. Lan Zhan, I…I’m happy. I’m really, really happy.”

Lan Wangji looks at him. Just as they’re about to cross into the woods, the corners of his lips curl up into a smile. Wei Wuxian’s own smile widens in kind and then they step together into the shadowy cover of the trees.