Shooting Star [Never Let You Go, Again Book 2]

2: Out Of Reach

"A-Ying..."

Lan Zhan had known this wasn't his Wei Ying but this... Those eyes... Where was that fantastic silver? 

What was this bleeding red?

Wei Wuxian's eyes had taken on a complete blackness, which in the sunlight occasionally gleamed a fluorescent red. It was the fury again, the demonic core — though Lan Zhan didn't know how any core could possibly be this aggressive... He tried talking to Wei Ying's soul again.

Wei Ying, can you hear me? A-Ying, I'm right here, A-Ying!

A-Zhan! A-Zhan, I can hear you but why can't you hear me? A-Zhan!

Though Wei Wuxian heard the words echoing into his soul, he simply couldn't respond. Lan Zhan didn't hear him at all. The one thing Lan Zhan did hear him saying was whatever it was that reddish-black-eyed Wei Wuxian was saying — which wasn't really something Lan Zhan wished to hear.

Wei Ying was shaking. Faster and faster. Ink-black smoke pouring out of him in rivers of evil. His hands writhed and his head tossed from left to right. He was unconscious. He appeared to be possessed again, and was running more and more out of control: the convulsions were increasing in rapidity and force. Lan Zhan had to wake him up.

Ignoring the words the dark Wei Wuxian was saying to him, he leant in and kissed his husband. Sucking the upper lip, teasing the tongue, biting the lower lip, just the way Wei Ying liked it. The furious Wei Wuxian attacked him, kicking and punching with incredible strength, but not once did Lan Wangji wince. And in a few seconds, Lan Zhan could feel the thrashing man slowing down. When five minutes had passed, Lan Zhan was delighted to realise the younger was reciprocating the kiss. He pulled back to look into the eyes.

Scintillating silver. Just right for the Xingguang Xian.

"A-Ying, you're back."

"A-Zhan..." Wei Ying was feeble to a whole new extreme. He slumped onto Lan Zhan's chest, his fingers hooked around the white robes' hem. Lan Zhan hugged him, patting his back, fingering his hair, calming the other's sobs of pain down.

"A-Zhan, you didn't hear me?"

Lan Zhan eyes widened. "Well... You did say something..." His voice was low and sorrowful. "But I know that wasn't A-Ying."

Wei Ying could sense the discomfort. "A-Zhan... What's wrong? All I said was... I called out for you. Is that not what you heard?"

"No, A-Ying, I didn't hear A-Ying calling. A-Ying was angry."

"What? But I was crying!" Wei Ying's grip on his robes tightened. "What did A-Zhan hear?"

Lan Zhan gulped because he couldn't even bring himself to say such words... "Bugger off."

"WHAT!" Wei Wuxian looked up at his face and stumbled back.

"A-Ying!" Lan Zhan caught him before he fell. "A-Ying–"

"No, no-no-no, A-Zhan, I'm so sorry! I–"

"It wasn't A-Ying, I know it. Not my Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said, the certainty and resolve in his eyes calming the other down wonderfully quick.

"Still... A-Zhan, I'm sorry, I don't know what happened," Wei Ying shook his head furiously, sweat flying everywhere. He was shivering again, but more out of fear this time.

"A-Ying," Lan Zhan pulled him into his chest again. 

Wei Ying's skin felt cold as ice to the touch; Lan Zhan sent in his own warmth to wrap him up. Wei Ying whimpered again, snuggling tight to his cosy husband.