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Mourning Robes

Chapter 3: White for New Beginnings

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“A-Xian, are they treating you well here?” Jiang Yanli asked quietly. It had taken almost two hours before they had been left alone between all the consultations and fittings and people questioning about details for the wedding. In those two hours, he had only seen his brother and sister, along with the Lans that were organizing everything.

“What do you mean Shijie?” Wei Wuxian blinked. He was exhausted, but there was something so soothing about finally being with his sister that made it better.

“I’ve been so worried about you! You didn’t write nearly enough, and your letters were so- so out of character!” She huffed, running the comb through his hair. His normal ponytail had been tugged and pinned and pulled testing headpieces and veils and combs for the ceremony. His head throbbed, but his Shijie’s thin fingers felt nice against his scalp. “I’ve been wanting to come to Gusu for weeks but Mother said I couldn’t…”

Wei Wuxian winced at the mention of Madame Yu. He had yet to see her since the Jiangs had arrived in Cloud Recesses, and honestly he wouldn't be too thrilled to see her whenever he would be unlucky enough to cross paths with her.

“I’m fine Shijie,” He smiled and closed his eyes. He missed his sister so, so much. “It was… rough at first, I guess. I don’t understand how anyone can live with all these rules! It’s so- so suffocating.”

“You’ve always been such a free spirit, A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli hummed affectionately as she skillfully braided her little brother’s hair, as she had done countless times before.

“Though you seem to be getting along quite well now.”

“That’s because of Lan Zhan,” He couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle - one that absolutely did NOT sound like a lovestruck giggle. “He’s been amazing… he’s helped me adjust and has been making me feel so-”

“Loved?” Jiang Yanli covered her mouth with her hand, giggling lightly as the sudden redness of Wei Wuxian’s ears and neck.

“Y-yeah, I guess…” He trailed off, the image of ‘Lan Zhan’ and ‘love’ in the same area of thought being too much for him to handle.

“I’m happy for you,” She sounded genuine. “You deserve someone who loves you as fiercely as you love them.”

“Thanks Shijie.” He turned and rested his cheek on her lap, like he used to as a child. He was going to miss being able to rush to her side when he needed comfort - the last few weeks only highlighting how much he missed her.

“Why don’t you take A-Cheng to the training fields?” She suggested lightly. “He’s been complaining that none of the disciples can spar with him correctly… I think he just misses you but won’t admit it.”

“It’ll be nice to fight with Jiang Cheng again,” He admitted as he stood. “I’ve been working with the disciples, teaching them a mix of the GusuLan and YunmengJiang styles of swordsmanship but it’s been too long since I’ve sparred purely Yunmeng style.”

“Has the Second Young Master not been satisfying you?” Jiang Yanli giggled as Wei Wuxian’s entire body burned.

“Shijie!” He steamed, looking anywhere but at his sister, who only just laughed harder.

“With training! What did you think I meant, A-Xian?”

“I’ll have you know he’s been treating me just fine, thank you!” He huffed, crossing his arms and pouting. “In training and… otherwise.”

“Good, you deserve it.”

“Lan Zhan is an amazing swordsman,” He dropped his arms as a soft smile crossed his face again, leaving him looking lovestruck once more. “He’s so graceful. Even when he’s sweating and covered in dust, he’s so beautiful. He pushes me to train harder, and keeps encouraging me to finally beat him in a match. So far, we always tie.”

“Sounds like Young Master Lan is quite the formidable opponent,” Her smile softened as he looked at her brother with such adoration that it made his heart swell. “Shoo, go find A-Cheng and your Second Young Master. I’m sure they’re missing you - especially A-Cheng. He might not show it, but he’s missed you quite a bit since you left.”

“I will! Thank you Shijie.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek before bounding out of the room, braid swinging behind him as he moved.

“There you are!” Jiang Cheng shouted, his face twisted in a scowl. “And here I thought you ran away before the ceremony.”

“Madame Yu would quite literally kill me if I tried to escape...” Wei Wuxian said playfully, only to trail off when he realized that indeed, Madame Yu would have unleashed the full wrath of Zidian on him if he tried to back out of this arrangement, leaving nothing more than a bloody, twitching mass on the floor where Wei Wuxian had once been. “A-anyway, Shijie suggested a spar! It’s been a while since we’ve gone at it!”

“Can’t wait to see how soft you’ve gotten these past few weeks,” Jiang Cheng grinned, punching his brother in the shoulder. “GusuLan technique is so flowy. More like dance than fighting. I could probably win in under a minute.”

“Did you forget who the head disciple is?” Wei Wuxian grinned and pushed his brother back, causing them both to laugh. Wei Wuxian stopped laughing abruptly when he realized what he said. Was. Not who the head disciple IS, but who the head disciple WAS.

“I would say race you to the training fields, but I don’t want to waste the rest of the evening copying rules.”

“It’s not that bad,” Wei Wuxian chuckled as they strolled down to the fields. “Believe it or not, I’ve spent quite a few days practicing my calligraphy.”

“I believe it, actually,” Jiang Cheng deadpanned. “I find it a little hard to believe that you’re even alive at this point. I had a running bet with some of the younger disciples on whether or not the Lans would kill you before the wedding.”

“Well, they tried, I’ll give them that,” Wei Wuxian laughed, not noticing his brother’s steps faltering slightly. “It actually got... really bad for a while, but Lan Zhan helped me out.”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Cheng’s voice wavered a little, but when Wei Wuxian glanced behind him his brother’s face was in its usual, light sneer.

“I kept getting in trouble for the smallest things,” Wei Wuxian recounted, and the pain in his chest made him realize this was the first time he ever talked about this out loud to anyone. He didn’t even speak about it with Lan Zhan, preferring the other boy’s silent comfort. “Walking too quickly, talking too loudly, eating too much… I got in trouble for just wearing my robes normally a few times too.”

“What? Why?” Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow. Wei Wuxian shrugged, trying to ignore the sting in the back of his throat.

“Yeah… it wasn’t fun,” He chuckled awkwardly. He hated how he could feel himself tearing up. “Um, I think the breaking point was when I dropped a book on my head and started cursing. Lan Qiren heard me and made me kneel for six hours. I’m… not exactly sure what happened, if I’m being honest. I went to the courtyard but it almost felt like someone else was moving me, you know? Then I kinda… blacked out until Lan Zhan found me.”

“What the fuck?” Jiang Cheng stopped walking entirely. Wei Wuxian turned and looked at his brother, confused.

“What?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jiang Cheng’s voice took on an edge that Wei Wuxian had never heard before.

“Jiang Cheng-”

“No! How dare they treat you like that!” His face began to turn red as his eyes flashed dangerously. “I’ll kill them. I’ll fucking KILL them-”

“Jiang Cheng, let’s just go spar,” Something about hearing his brother get so protective of him warmed a part of Wei Wuxian’s chest, but he knew if he let the younger boy continue, things would get loud which meant they would be punished and if he was being honest, being punished again might send him right back to where he was before. “Get some of this anger out like old times.”

“I just-” He hissed, starting to walk again. “Why didn’t you tell me? You- why would you let them do that to you? Even when Mother punished you, you tried to fight it!”

“I just… didn’t see any reason to,” The training fields were coming into view. “I didn’t really see any reason to do a lot of things when I first got here.”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Cheng’s eyebrows met in the middle. They were standing, facing each other but not making any more to draw their swords.

“I mean what I said,” He shrugged, not liking how heavy his chest felt. “My first few days here I… wasn’t really hungry. I slept a lot… couldn’t bring myself to train. The only things I really did for the first week was sleep and read, and even then I barely retained anything I read… then I started getting punished all the time, so instead of reading I was copying lines for hours every day. It honestly wasn’t until he showed me the rabbit meadow that things seemed… better.”

“You- If you’re unhappy here, just be honest about it,” Jiang Cheng scowled, drawing Sandu and facing his brother. “Just- Just say the word and I’ll find a way to break this engagement. I can figure something out.”

“Jiang Cheng…” Wei Wuxian stared at his brother, his eyes wide. They don’t always see eye to eye on a lot of things, but it was moments like this that reminded him that Jiang Cheng cared about him just as much as he cared about Jiang Cheng. He was just as loyal to Wei Wuxian as Wei Wuxian was loyal to him.

“Tell me your decision later,” Jiang Cheng huffed. “Draw Suibian and show me how slow you’ve gotten without me.”

“But of course.” Wei Wuxian grinned and began the spar.

It was if they had never parted, never paused their daily training together. They flew around one another, robes and hair free in the air as metal slashed against metal. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but let out breathless laughs as he dodged attack after attack.

He twisted to his left, flipping over Sandu and landing gracefully a few feet away. Jiang Cheng glared at him for a moment, panting, and wiped some sweat from his forehead.

“What the fuck kind of fighting style was that?” He asked, his stance relaxing. It was a clear sign that the spar was a draw, seeing how they were both panting and tired.

“Ah, I guess I kind of made it up?” Wei Wuxian shrugged, as if it were something small and meaningless. The look on his brother’s face told him differently.

“You- You created a whole new form of fighting?” His eyes bugged a little. “How- you know what? I’m not even surprised at this point. You could become a traveling cultivator and form your own damn sect by the end of the month.”

“Aw, Jiang Cheng! That means so much, coming from you,” Wei Wuxian grinned, knowing exactly how to get under his brother’s skin. “Regardless, it wasn’t good enough to win the match so I just have to work harder.”

“You created a brand new style within weeks and you’re upset it wasn’t able to beat me with what I’ve been training with my entire life?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “You really are unbelievable.”

“Well-”

“Wei Wuxian.” A voice came from the top of the path and the boy in question felt his blood freeze in his veins. He turned and gave Lan Qiren a low bow, his hands shaking slightly where they clasped in front of his body.

“T-teacher Qiren,” he said, cursing himself for stuttering. “I apologize for my appearance. I will go fix it immediately.”

“What?” Jiang Cheng stared at his brother, never having heard the older boy sound so immediately beaten down.

“That… is not necessary at this moment, though you will need to change soon,” He schooled a sneer away from his mouth as he looked his nephew’s betrothed head to toe. He could see how the boy trembled before him and remembered why he had sought him out in the first place. “I wish to speak with you… in private, if possible.” He glanced at Jiang Cheng, who was angling his body as if to stand between his brother and the older man.

“Whatever you want to say to him, you can say around me.” He held his ground, and Lan Qiren felt the vein on his forehead twitch slightly. It seemed blood wasn’t needed to form such… identical personalities.

“The wedding is to be held in two days time,” Lan Qiren said after a tense moment of silence. He noted how even though Wei Wuxian straightened from his bow, the boy wearing the Lan sect robes had yet to raise his eyes from the ground. “You will be marrying into my sect, which I have given my entire life in order to ensure it thrives and stays safe. Do you understand what sacrifices I’ve given for this family?”

“This one could not begin to imagine all you’ve done for GusuLan.” Wei Wuxian murmured, his trembling hands gripping the robes at his sides in an attempt to steady them. He could hear Jiang Cheng scoff almost silently by his side.

“I’ve given more than I thought I had to give,” Lan Qiren watched the boy carefully. “I’ve given everything, and I have made… mistakes through the years. I wish nothing more than to uphold my sect’s honor, to never stray from the path of righteousness and do good for those around me, but inevitably we all make the wrong choices in life.”

Mistake. The word echoed in his head. Wei Wuxian listened numbly, the blood rushing loudly through his ears. Lan Qiren was there to break the engagement - he knew the man considered the arrangement to be a mistake, and here he was, stopping the wedding just two days before. The completely unrealistic thought of ending this and going home to Yunmeng seemed so unobtainable a few weeks ago - seemed so childish, praying and dreaming to return to his childhood home…

But now, the thought of breaking off the engagement left a hole in Wei Wuxian’s chest that seemed to swallow him whole, leaving nothing behind. He felt unsteady on his feet.

He wondered if Lan Zhan had been the one to ask his Uncle to revoke the betrothal. Lan Zhan… did he not want to marry Wei Wuxian anymore? Did he want to send Wei Wuxian back to Yunmeng as much as Lan Qiren did?

They must have waited until his family came so they could take him back with them. Two days before his marriage, and he was going to be sent home in disgrace. Madame Yu would never let him forget how he ruined the treaty between YunmengJiang and GusuLan, just as his own mother had. She would punish him until he couldn’t walk - would forbid Jiang Cheng or Jiang Yanli from tending to his wounds. Word would spread around the cultivation world that the Great Second Jade’s engagement had been broken, because his betrothed was not fit to be his partner in any sense of the word. Rumors would spread about how incompitent and unruly Wei Wuxian was, and soon the whole world would know what a disappointment he-

“Are you listening to me?” Lan Qiren’s sharp voice broke Wei Wuxian from his frantically spiraling thoughts. He looked up for the first time since the man got his attention and the instant he made eye contact with Lan Qiren, tears began streaming down his face.

“Please,” He whispered, unsure if he could have spoken up even if he wanted to. “I’m s-sorry. Please don’t send me b-back… I’ll d-do better. Please don’t- don’t- don’t take me away from Lan Zhan. Don’t b-break the engagement. I-I- I can’t-”

“Breathe.” Jiang Cheng ordered, rubbing his back as he sobbed, pleas tumbling from chapped lips as his head became more and more muddled.

“What?” Lan Qiren barked, but Wei Wuxian could barely hear him.

“I kn-know I’m no good,” He dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the cold ground. Jiang Cheng tried to get him to stand, but he refused. “I know you disapprove of me but-but please give me one m-more chance to prove myself. I-I swear I’ll be someone worthy of marrying Lan Zhan… P-please don’t send me away from him-” He broke down again, his shoulders trembling as his tears immediately soaked into the packed dirt.

It was silent for a moment, the only sounds coming from Wei Wuxian’s weak cries and whispered begging. Lan Qiren stared at the boy with wide eyes.

“Wei Wuxian, raise your head.” He said sternly, only to realize his mistake when the boy instantly tensed and started crying harder.

He remembered meeting Wei Wuxian, the year before when they brought the younger disciples to Lotus Pier for a short visit. He thought the boy had been loud, and disrespectful, and borderline boarish…

But at the same time, he commanded the room. The younger disciples of YunmengJiang looked up to him with wide, sparkling eyes, hanging on his every word. He was kind to everyone, even the servants and the merchants. He was smart, coming up with solutions no one would have even humored, and had the gumption to speak his mind when others would have held their tongue.

The boy Lan Qiren met all those months ago was now trembling at his feet, sobbing and begging for- for what? A second chance?

“Wei Wuxian, I will not tell you again. Stand,” He waited until the boy was on his feet again before speaking. “I have not come here to break the engagement. I do not know where you would have gotten that assumption from either.”

“Teacher Qiren does not approve of me,” Wei Wuxian sniffed sadly, his chest still stuttering with dry sobs. “Not as a cultivator, and especially not as a match for Lan Zhan. I know you think this arrangement is a- a mistake.”

“I did,” Lan Qiren saw no point in lying. He watched as Jiang Cheng tensed and Wei Wuxian’s tears began flowing again. He was being honest - at first, he believed this engagement to be the biggest mistake since his own brother’s wedding - but seeing how distraught the boy became at the mere idea of being sent away… he realized he truly had been wrong. “I did believe this was a mistake, but I’ve been doing some… thinking recently. The reason I sought you out this evening was because I… because I wanted to apologize.”

“Wh-what?” Wei Wuxian blinked at him, his eyes betraying the hope shining in him.

“The way I treated you when you first came to Cloud Recesses was abhorrent, and I apologize that I allowed my own bias to affect how I treated you,” He took a calming breath before continuing. “Wangji is my precious nephew, one of the only family members I have left. I was wary of you, because I did not want him to be hurt, but if I wasn’t aware of how much you cared for each other before, this… this would have only solidified that. So once again, I apologize Wei Wuxian, for treating you the way I did. I hope… I hope that we may try to mend our relationship eventually.”

“I…” Wei Wuxian was speechless. He just stared at the man with wide, disbelieving eyes that prickled with the tell tale sign of tears. Lan Qiren seemed to lean away from them, folding his arms behind his back.

“That is all I wished to say,” He nodded, almost distractedly. “I shall inform someone to draw a bath for you. Wangji is looking forward to having dinner with you and your family tonight.”

He nodded again, a short silence falling over them before he turned on his heel, his robes swishing behind him. Wei Wuxian watched as Lan Qiren walked away, not entirely sure what had just happened.

“Hey, are you alright?” Jiang Cheng asked, putting a hand on his brother’s arm. Wei Wuxian jumped, not having expected being touched so suddenly.

“Y-yeah, I think so,” He sounded breathless. “I just… wasn’t expecting that.”

“Do you… do you really like Lan Wangji that much?” His brother asked, letting his hand fall from his shoulder.

“Huh?”

“Lan Wangji. Do you really like him so much that you wouldn’t- you wouldn’t want to come back to Lotus Pier?”

“I… You know Lotus Pier will always be my favorite place,” Wei Wuxian said carefully as they began their walk back towards the guest rooms. “But… I think Cloud Recesses is becoming special to me as well. The thought of… of being taken away from Lan Zhan makes my chest hurt so badly that I feel like I need to cough up blood…”

“You love him.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah, I think I might.” He let a soft smile grace his face as he heard a soft scoff from his side.

“God, you’re disgusting,” Jiang Cheng snapped, no real fire behind his words. “I never want to see you make that face again. That’s the same look A-Jie gives the damn Peacock.”

“Hmm I guess I get it now,” He let out a watery chuckle. “I get why Shijie still likes him so much, even though he’s made her cry. I think I would like Lan Zhan no matter what he did.”

“Disgusting,” Jiang Cheng said again, but this time it sounded even more hollow. “I swear if you start acting like some lovesick idiot around me, I’m going to smack some sense back into you.”

“You’re just jealous,” Wei Wuxian grinned, turning to his brother. Jiang Cheng fought a smile of his own before settling into his usual scowl. “Don’t worry A-Cheng, you’ll find someone soon enough.”

“I’m going to break your entire body-” Jiang Cheng growled, lunging towards his brother just as two voices cried out.

“Senior Wei!” The two disciples came rushing up to them, their faces clearly showing the admiration they had for the older boy.

“Sizhui! Jingyi!’ Wei Wuxian pulled them into a brief hug, which would have seemed awkward were they not grinning so happily. “What’re you up to? Nothing good, I hope.”

“Some of the others were talking about going into town tonight, and we need a chaperone to go with us,” Jingyi said excitedly. “And we all agreed you’d be the most fun!”

“If it were literally any other day, you know I would agree in an instant,” He gave the younger boys an apologetic smile. “But tonight we’re having dinner with Lan Zhan and my family.”

“Oh right, I remember Hanguang-Jun mentioning that.” Sizhui frowned a little.

“How old are you? Shouldn’t you be allowed into town on your own?” Jiang Cheng asked, eyeing the two disciples.

“We’re in the eldest disciple class, but rules dictate that we must have a chaperone accompany us until we become fully acknowledged cultivators,” Sizhui said, polite as ever. “I just turned sixteen, and Jingyi is only two months younger than me.”

“I see,” Jiang Cheng nodded, looking at the two closely, his eyes lingering on Jingyi’s face. “You look older.”

“That’s because I’m taller than Sizhui,” He snickered a little, his face lighting up in amusement. “I’m the tallest out of our class.”

“Hm,” Jiang Cheng raised his eyebrow for a moment before nodding. “Well, we have to get going. It was… nice meeting you two.”

“The pleasure was all ours, Senior Jiang.” Sizhui bowed formally. Wei Wuxian almost laughed out loud when he had to tug Jingyi’s sleeve to get the other boy to bow too.

“We’ll see you at training tomorrow, right Senior Wei?” Jingyi asked, his golden eyes sparkling.

“Of course,” Wei Wuxian grinned and ruffled his bangs. “Though it might be a day or two after the wedding before I can come back.”

“Huh? Why?” Jiang Cheng turned to his brother, confusion written clearly on his face.

“Hanguang-Jun is quite relentless,” Sizhui said calmly despite the small smirk tugging at his lips. “His… training can be a little tiring.”

“Poor Senior Wei,” Jingyi was trying to fight back laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes. “He’s going to be so sore-”

“Shouldn’t you be doing something?” Wei Wuxian cut him off, trying and failing to keep his face neutral. The boys bows and scurried off, bursting into laughter as soon as they were out of eyesight. Wei Wuxian didn’t miss how Jingyi kept glancing behind them as they went, his eyes glued to a certain shade of purple.

“What were they talking about?” Jiang Cheng asked as they continued their walk.

“Well, when two people love each other veeeeeery much- '' He grinned, only to get an elbow in his side.

“UGH I GET IT!” Jiang Cheng covered his reddening face. “They’re too young to be joking like that!”

“We’ve been making jokes like that for years now.” Wei Wuxian pointed out. Jiang Cheng, not liking to be corrected, just huffed and stalked off, forcing Wei Wuxian to follow behind, laughing all the way.


“You look beautiful.” Lan Zhan whispered as they knelt next to each other. After five hours of his sister and the servants fussing over him, Wei Wuxian felt exhausted but it was all worth it to see the look of wonder on Lan Zhan’s face when he saw his betrothed in the red robes for the first time.

“You look even more beautiful.” Wei Wuxian whispered back, grinning at how the other boy’s ears began to match his robes.

“No talking.” He turned away, but not before Wei Wuxian saw the small smile on his face.

They completed their bows, constantly glancing at each other and fighting back a smile. Once the wedding was complete, and their union official, Lan Zhan wasted no time scooping his husband into his arms and kissing him deeply, in front of everyone.

“Lan Zhan! Now who’s the shameless one?” He giggled, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Lan Zhan’s mouth.

He didn’t respond verbally, letting his lips against Wei Ying’s reflect all the things he was feeling inside.

“Hey! Stop sticking your tongue down his throat and come on!” Jiang Cheng snapped, breaking them from their personal little bubble. “The feast is about to start.”

 

 

The celebration seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Wei Wuxian didn’t drink, but he felt intoxicated on the knowledge that Lan Zhan was his HUSBAND. Absolutely drunk on the feeling of Lan Zhan’s fingers laced through his own. He laughed loudly as his Shijie forced her own betrothed out to dance, which opened the gates for everyone else to join them. Lan Zhan stood and helped him up before whisking him off to the beat of the music. His face hurt from how hard he was smiling.

He made a point to memorize the look of absolute shock and embarrassment on his brother’s face when Lan Jingyi asked him to dance. There wasn’t much that ruffled Jiang Cheng’s feathers, but it seemed a certain Lan disciple was one of those few things.

“Lan Zhan?” He whispered, just loud enough for his husband to hear.

“Mm?”

“I love you,” He grinned at how Lan Zhan's eyes widened. “Really, I do. You’ve done more than I think you’ll ever know. Without you, I don’t think… I really don’t think I’d be here anymore. You brought me out of a really scary place.” He pressed a chaste kiss to his husband’s lips before Lan Zhan captured his breath in a deeper one. When they parted, Wei Wuxian felt a little breathless.

“Love you more,” Lan Zhan sounded as breathless as he felt. “I would do anything for you… All I ever wanted was to make you smile… That’s why I asked Brother to suggest you for the arrangement.”

“What?” Wei Wuxian blinked.

“I remember you, from when we visited Lotus Pier,” Lan Zhan looked away, his ears and the back of his neck burning. “You smiled so brightly. You were like the sun, and you made me feel warm for the first time in years.”

“Lan Zhan…”

“I did not… I did not think Brother would get Uncle to agree,” He admitted, looking away from his husband. “I almost convinced myself that I would be fine with whoever I was assigned to marry, but when I was told it was you…” He cupped Wei Wuxian’s cheek, brushing a thumb - so impossibly gentle - over his cheekbone. “When I was told it was you, I could not stop smiling. I was so happy… Then you arrived and you seemed so dim. Like a caged bird… All I wanted to do was make you smile again, but I did not know how.”

“Thank you,” Wei Wuxian rested his head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder as they swayed together, in time with one another’s heartbeats but off time with the music. “For loving me, and making me feel at home here.”

“Anything for you.” Lan Zhan pressed a kiss to the crown of Wei Ying’s head, holding his husband a little closer.

 

 

“Lan Zhan, do you think we’ve been too obvious?” Wei Wuxian gasped as his husband bit up his inner thigh. They had bolted from the feast as soon as they were allowed and made a beeline for the Jinghshi, where Wei Wuxian had been moving his things into over the last week or two, making it the perfect blend of their personalities.

“Mm?” Lan Zhan just hummed a question rather than taking his mouth from his husband’s skin.

“Sizhui and Jingyi were teasing me and Jiang Cheng-” He threw his head back as Lan Zhan bit a particularly harsh mark into his thigh. “I th-think they know we’ve b-been-”

“We are not subtle,” Lan Zhan admitted, sitting up and running large hands over Wei Wuxian’s bare chest, which was covered in both new and healing bruises. “You do not exactly try your hardest to cover the marks.”

“Mm, they’re like a badge of honor,” Wei Wuxian grinned cheekily, reaching over and pressing his thumb into one of the marks his own teeth had made on Lan Zhan’s shoulder, making his husband - his HUSBAND - hiss and shiver. When Lan Zhan’s eyes met his, he saw the lust burning dangerously in them. “I want the whole world to see how well Hanguang-Jun treats his husband.”

“Wei Ying-” His voice sounded strangled as he surged upwards, pinning the smaller boy under him on the bed.

“Come on Lan Zhan,” He wrigged teasingly, lifting his knee to press against Lan Zhan’s bare cock. Lan Zhan sucked in a sharp breath before pinning Wei Wuxian more firmly beneath him. “Didn’t you promise to wreck me? I warned all the disciples that I wouldn’t be able to train them for at least two days. You don’t want to make a liar out of me, do you?”

“Mark your words,” Lan Zhan growled, biting his shoulder. Wei Wuxian’s eyes rolled back a little as his body arched up against his husband's chest. “You won’t be able to walk for three days. Minimum.”

“Promise?” Wei Wuxian shot him a flirtatious wink, only for his face to twist in pleasure. Lan Zhan really was dangerous.



“Come on Senior Wei, we don’t want to fall behind.” Lan Sizhui prompted gently as the older boy fought through the underbrush.

True to his word, Wei Wuxian took the eldest disciples on a night hunt in the forest right next to a nearby town. So far it had gone well, other than the consistent teasing that had started the second they were out of hearing distance from Cloud Recesses. Lan Zhan had to stay behind to deal with a problem in the curriculum, leaving Wei Wuxian the sole adviser on the trip.

“Don’t be too pushy Sizhui,” Jingyi grinned as he fell back in step with his friend and favorite senior. “He’s probably still too sore. That’s what happens when you get old, I guess-”

“Should I tell Jiang Cheng you said that?” Wei Wuxian grinned back as Jingyi’s face blossomed bright red. “I’m sure he’d be thrilled to know you think we’re OLD-”

“Senior Wei you wouldn’t-” He gasped, tugging on the older boy’s sleeve desperately. It was no secret that he had a bit of a crush on Jiang Wanyin, and even though the chances of anything coming from it were low, it didn’t stop Wei Wuxian from teasing the younger boy relentlessly.

‘It’s what an older brother does,’ He had said in his defense, noting how Jingyi instantly stopped complaining and blushed. ‘Jiang Cheng has to deal with the same thing.’
Jingyi seemed to like the idea of being treated like a little brother, even if it meant being teased within an inch of his life.

“There!” Another disciple shouted, pointing to a tree that was now shaking. Wei Wuxian could see the shadow of the monster they were hunting hidden within the leaves.

“Alright everyone, remember your training,” He called, casually twirling Suibian in its sheath as the disciples dropped into position. “Keep in mind that even though this is a low level monster, it still has claws and teeth and can injure you if you are not careful. Swords and talismans ready! Now go make me proud!”

 

 

“Welcome home.” Lan Zhan was waiting at the gates for them to return and instantly pulled his husband into a kiss.

“If this is welcome I get every time I leave, I’ll be going on more night hunts starting tomorrow.” He giggled into the second kiss.

“I’ll wait for Wei Ying, every time.”

“Ah Lan Zhan! That’s so soft!” Wei Wuxian wriggled but his husband was holding onto his hips firmly. “How am I supposed to think right if you keep making my heart flutter like that?”

“I will do the thinking for us both.” Lan Zhan smirked faintly, swooping in and cutting off any protests with a deeper kiss. The disciples were pretending not to watch, but they all loved seeing their Hanguang-Jun and Senior Wei happy - and neither were happier than when they were with the other.

“Boys, go- go have fun! Take the rest of the day off,” He pulled away just enough to shout towards the disciples, who instantly scattered in various directions. “Now, how about you show your dear husband just how much you missed him?” He gave Lan Zhan his most flirtatious smirk, which turned into a shocked squeak as familiar hands gripped his ass tightly.

“Be careful what you wish for.” Lan Zhan said before stealing off with Wei Wuxian in his arms.

If he was limping the next day, the disciples knew better than to mention it. In front of Senior Wei, at least.

And if Hanguang-Jun was the one limping? Well, the disciples owed Jingyi quite a bit of money.

Notes:

I love turning a short prompt into an entire story :D With the semester nearing its end, I'll probably be busy with finals and papers, but as soon as testing is over I'll lit rally have all the time in the world to write because I won't have any homework to bother with and I won't be able to get a job until quarantine is over!

If anyone has any prompts they want to see, let me know! I'll add them to my list with your username to make sure you have credit XD

Notes:

The moment I found this prompt, I've desperately been wanting to write it. I have so much schoolwork piled up, but I needed something to calm my anxiety and ironically enough, this helped XD

Series this work belongs to: