Lotus Amidst Clouds

Will you marry me?

They reached the pavilion, and Wangji got off, offering a hand to Wei Wuxian. As he grabbed onto Wangji's hand, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but notice how calloused his fingers were. Sword fighting and playing the guqin had done a number on Wangji's palms. Wei Wuxian made a mental note to get Wangji a lotus petal ointment later.

"Wei Xiong, do you intend to hold onto his hand the whole time? I'm hurt, you know. Do you remember the time when we were kids and you promised to marry me?"

Wei Wuxian felt the grip on his hand get tighter. "Huaisang! Stop teasing!"

The gremlin giggled. "Just a little bit of fun. Say, Second Young Master Lan, how do you tolerate this dummy? He must be quite the nuisance to you, no?"

"No. Wei Ying is perfect."

Wei Wuxian could feel his heart skip a beat. He was half glad that Wangji spoke sentences few and far between, otherwise Wei Wuxian's heart would just give out. Every time Wangji opened his mouth, Wei Wuxian's stomach would fill with a field of fluttering butterflies.

"Lan Zhan! My heart can't take all the flattery."

"Not flattery. Lans do not flatter."

Wangji squeezed Wei Wuxian's hand tight, and let go. Oh. They were still holding hands. Their palms fit with each other so perfectly that Wei Wuxian forgot. He wished Wangji had, too. Now his hand felt empty.

"Wei Xiong! Look! Our drawings are still here!"

Wei Wuxian smiled. Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian used that pavilion just to spite Jiang Cheng, who could never find it. They got bored there one day, so they brought some scroll and ink with them. There was a huge pile of their art there.

"May I see?" Lan Wangji asked.

No. No! No way! He didn't draw very well, and didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Wangji, but he watched in horror as Nie Huaisang passed Wei Wuxian's drawings to Wangji before Wei Wuxian could even get a word in.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, wouldn't you rather swim with me? The art isn't all that good, just some things I made to pass the time."

"Later. I want to see first."

Amazing. His crush (Wei Wuxian had decided that to- be fiancé was a terrible way of referring to a person he liked so much) was seeing his embarrassing art. Wei Wuxian wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it, or the ground would swallow him up. Or maybe his father would bury him in the flowerbed, like he had when Wei Wuxian was a kid.

Lan Wangji was silent as usual, looking at each work carefully. His expressions showed no change, and Wei Wuxian was losing patience and confidence with every passing second. He glared at Nie Huaisang, who grinned and winked back at him.

Just wait till you get married, thought Wei Wuxian. I'll show your partner your whole porn book collection.

"Wei Ying." Wangji finally spoke.

"Yes, Lan Zhan?"

"Would you draw me?"

Wait, what? He didn't expect that. Nie Huaisang was smiling, the stupid gremlin.

"I wouldn't dare. What if I mess up?"

"It's okay. You draw well."

The compliment warmed Wei Wuxian right up. If Lan Zhan said he drew well, he truly must draw well. Lans don't lie.

"What will Huaisang do while I draw you?"

"No worries! I'll draw the both of you! I'm a great artist, so it won't be hard."