[MDZS] The Dragon and the Fox

Cold

Wei Ying was nice and warm for a while, but then the warmth disappeared and left him with a cold, damp feeling which reached deep into his bones. Then the warmth returned, and he fell into a restful slumber again. He didn't know why the warmth kept leaving and returning. All he knew was he longed for it when it was gone and yearned for it to stay when it was there. It finally did stay. It stayed through the night, in fact, and Wei Ying felt better the following morning.

The fox boy's eyes slowly opened to the sound of an instrument playing softly in the room. He noticed it was Lan Zhan sitting at the small table in the center, playing a melody on his guqin, Wangji. "Lan Zhan..." The music abruptly stopped. Lan Zhan glanced up to see Wei Ying was awake. His eyes widened just the minutest. He immediately stood and went to the fox boy.

Lan Zhan: "Wei Ying!" A small smile graced his face as he took the other's hand in his own and sat on the edge of the bed. Wei Ying was baffled for a moment, seeing the smile. "How is Wei Ying feeling?"

Wei Ying: "Tired...and a bit cold..." Lan Zhan helped the boy to sit upright in the bed. Wei Ying glanced around the room, searching for something. "Lan Zhan? Where is A-Yuan?"

Lan Zhan: "With Brother." He tightened a blanket around the other and stood. "Will fetch food."

Wei Ying pouted. He wanted Lan Zhan to keep him warm, not some dumb blanket. He shivered a little. The afternoon sun was shining through the window, even onto the bed, but, even despite its warmth, the fox boy still felt an immense chill deep down into his very bones. It hurt. His entire body ached. He tried not to show his pain, even as Lan Zhan returned with the food.

Wei Ying was curled up, trying to keep warm. Lan Zhan sat on the bed and proceeded to transfer some of his qi to the other. Wei Ying gradually stopped shivering. The pain he felt gradually dissipated. He cuddled Lan Zhan, laying his head on the dragon's lap. Lan Zhan caressed the fox's hair. "Wei Ying. Food. Eat." The fox boy whined. He didn't want to move. He only wished for the comfortable feeling to stay, but Lan Zhan had stopped a few minutes before - just after Wei Ying cuddled him.

Wei Ying: "Cold...My body hurts..."

Lan Zhan was very concerned. "Wei Ying. Will return shortly. Stay in bed."

Wei Ying scoffed to himself in his head. His whole body ached, and he was feeling extremely cold despite the warm weather. How - why - would he go anywhere? After Lan Zhan left, Wei Ying tried to keep warm, even shifting himself under the blanket more, eventually having it pulled over himself completely.

Lan Zhan returned as he said he would to find a pile of blankets on the bed, but no Wei Ying. He gracefully walked to the bed and sat down. He touched the giant lump in the center of the pile. "Wei Ying." The lump stirred beneath the blankets.

Wei Ying: "Lan Zhan...it's so cold out there...and my body hurts..." Lan Zhan couldn't figure out how it was cold when he, himself, was warm. Not only that, the sun was shining. There was no breeze, and it was the Summer season. Lan Zhan tore away the blankets. "Lan Zhan! Give them back!" Lan Zhan refused. Wei Ying hugged himself, shivering uncontrollably. "Please...? Give it back...? I'm so cold..." He was begging the other.

Lan Zhan held out a bowl to him. "Drink this. It will help." Wei Ying drank it, though Lan Zhan had to help him. The poor fox was shaking so badly, the dragon had to hold the bowl for him. Lan Zhan wrapped the blankets around Wei Ying once more. A few minutes passed, and Wei Ying stopped shivering completely and fell asleep.

Lan Zhan caressed the fox boy's hair, being certain not to awaken him. Wei Ying needed to eat, otherwise the medicine's effect would wear off sooner. "Wei Ying. Wake up," he spoke softly and gently. He tenderly caressed the other's cheek.

Wei Ying's eyes fluttered open. He looked at the other and smiled. "Hey, Lan Zhan~"

Lan Zhan: "How does Wei Ying feel?"

Wei Ying: "Better. I actually feel warm for the first time in forever."

Lan Zhan: "Come. Eat. The medicine's effect will wear off soon."

Wei Ying pouted. "I'm not hungry." Lan Zhan disappeared into the other room, only to return with a plate piled with meat buns. Wei Ying immediately sat upright. "Are those for me? Give me! Give me! Give me! Give me!" He made grabby hands at Lan Zhan for the plate like a gluttonous child. Lan Zhan stayed just shy of the other's reach. "Why are you just standing there? Aren't those for me?"

Lan Zhan: "Thought Wei Ying wasn't hungry?" He stood firm in his place. Wei Ying looked as if he were about to cry - his meat buns sitting just inches away from his reach. "Wei Ying. Behave." Wei Ying pouted but immediately stopped with the grabby hands. His stomach growled. Lan Zhan sat on the bed and fed the meat buns to him. Wei Ying scarfed them all down, nearly choking at one point. "Wei Ying. Slow down."

Lan Zhan smiled at the fox boy's child-like behavior. "Wei Ying." The boy stopped eating midway through a meat bun. "We need to talk." The poor fox's heart raced. "Dark magic. Where did Wei Ying learn it?"

The meat bun fell from Wei Ying's mouth onto the blanket. He shivered in fear. He knows! He knows! He knows everything! What am I going to do? I can't lie my way out! What to do? What do I do?!

"Wei Ying!" The other looked up, his vision clearing, only to see Lan Zhan staring at him with concern. "Wei Ying. It's alright. This one will not punish you. Only want to know where you learned it."

Wei Ying: "Lan Zhan. It's a very long story. I never learned it. I was born with it."

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Here you are kiddos! The next chapter is here❤️ Sorry for the long wait. Work was hectic lately. Thanks for your patience with me❤️