One of Many Days | MDZS

『0.2 』

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Qianjie's crimson irises gazed down upon the calm visage of the sleeping beauty. They trailed the faint dark circles that swept across the lower eyelids of the young adult, down the sunken cheeks that had long lost their baby fat, to the dark locks of hair that strewn across his chest. Lifting a pale hand, Qianjie ran his slender fingers through the dark strands, gingerly combing and smoothening any imperfections. 

Taking a seat on the floor, Qianjie rested his elbow on the edge of the bed and leaned his chin into his palm, gaze lingering on Lan Wangji's features. "I'm worried about you," he whispered. Whether it was intended to be heard by Lan Wangji, or intended to remain as his own unspoken thoughts, Qianjie wasn't entirely sure.

His heart ached when he laid eyes on Lan Wangji's—what was once flawless and smooth, but now—bandaged fingers. He gently held them in his free hand, letting his own fingers skim over the smooth fabric and brush the calloused reliefs of his fingers.

He remembered when they were once as smooth as pebbles, running through his fur and gently stroking his ears. He remembered the warmth they carried, caressing his animal body like the warm rays of the sun when it illuminated the land from the distant mountains.

Qianjie didn't like when they turned cold—as if life was sucked out of them. It was chilling, the thought that those hands that gave him such comforting affection would one day lose their warmth and freeze; and no matter how much he would nudge or bite them, they would remain unresponsive.

Just like the cold bodies of his parents.

Qianjie loathed it, with all his heart.

He didn't want to lose Lan Wangji. Not when he had already lost another, who held a special place in both their hearts.

One loss was enough.

The second was barely bearable.

But if there was a third...

That would mean the end of the world for him.

Qianjie rested the hand in his hold on his head, nestling into the warmth that he had desperately been trying to bring back for the past hour. If it had failed––

Qianjie pressed his nose deeper into Lan Wangji's palm, letting the scent of his treasured human fog over the hanging thought. There was no need to think about it. Lan Wangji was alive and well. That's all Qianjie needed to know.

When a groan left Lan Wangji, Qianjie almost forgot how to breathe. He immediately shot up onto his knees and tightened his hold on the hand in his grasp, frantically searching for any signs of discomfort.

Despite being unconscious, Lan Wangji retained his 'frozen' facial features, only showing the subtlest signs of change: a faint crease between his brows, a slight wrinkle on the bridge of his nose, and a shadow of a tensed muscle along his jawline. He must be having a nightmare, Qianjie realised.

The rabbit spirit attempted to climb into bed with Lan Wangji, hoping to comfort and ease him by pulling him into a soothing embrace. To assure him that Qianjie was right beside him.

But Qianjie caught himself before he could lift Lan Wangji's blanket.

The bed was too small, meant only for one person to lay on. It would not have space to handle two people, let alone two men that reached around 190cm in height.

Qianjie's nose twitched in dissatisfaction.

Then, an idea popped into his head.

Without a second thought, Qianjie dropped his human form and turned back into a white bunny, his clothes loosening and falling into a heap on the floor. Effortlessly, he leaped onto the bed and nuzzled into Lan Wangji's cheeks. Qianjie licked a drop of sweat that trailed down Lan Wangji's temple and brushed his soft fluffy snout against the human's icy cheek. He pressed his body against the curve where Lan Wangji's neck and collarbone met, nuzzling as close to him as possible.

The crease between Lan Wangji's eyebrows slowly softened and the tension in his body gradually dissolved. Letting out an—what seemed like a relieved—exhale, Lan Wangji slightly shifted his head, leaning into the soft form beside him.

Sensing the easing of Lan Wangji's emotions, Qianjie finally dropped his guard and relaxed into the man. Basking in the intertwining scents of both his and Lan Wangji's, Qianjie soon drifted off into deep sleep.

White rays of moonlight brushed over the blue-grey tiles of the roof.

And silence, once again, enveloped Jingshi.

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