WangXian Untamed - One Shots

Only With You Am I Me

5:00 AM.

Lan WangJi awoke as usual, slipped carefully from his bed and tucked his pillow, still warm from his body, into Wei WuXian's seeking arms. He bestowed a kiss to his husband's forehead before gently tucking the bedclothes about his still slumbering form.

Every morning was much the same. An early rise, a quick tidy, personal ablutions then meditation. After about a full shichen Lan WangJi would obtain a tray for the morning meal at the kitchens and return to the Jingshi to wake Wei WuXian. Never a morning person, Wei WuXian would linger as long as possible in the comfort of their bed before reluctantly dragging himself to the table to eat, still cocooned in the bed quilt. Often enough Lan WangJi would be forced to start the process himself, pouring chili oil on bland rice congee and spooning the first few mouthfuls into Wei WuXian's petulant mouth until he woke sufficiently to feed himself. It had started as a bit of a jest, this spoon-feeding, but evolved into a token of their mutual fondness. The men kept it up largely because it truly was silly and without need, and that was the very reason they enjoyed it. They valued the nonsensical moments shared in this way, prior to the weight of the day descending upon them.

A full day was always in the cards for Lan WangJi - from responsibilities as Chief Cultivator to those due the Clan, to teaching, to research, to his own efforts of personal improvement on the Training Grounds or practicing the guqin, duty dictated morning, noon and night, day after day.

Truthfully, Lan WangJi didn't mind his regimented schedule. From childhood he had been habituated to rising at 5:00 AM and retiring at 9:00 PM. His daily activities had been thoroughly planned and progressed as he aged, gradually improving his stamina and concentration until he could meet his obligations without strain.

Day after day followed its course - proper, balanced nutrition (flavour being a disregarded non-essential), healthy physical exertion in adequate quantity, thought exercises in guided pathways of proven results. The days never seemed monotonous, despite their measured pace. The ceaseless demands for his time and attention came addressed in many ways - to the Chief Cultivator, to HanGuang-Jun, Lan-Er-Laoshi, Lan WangJi - no matter the form of salutation, Lan WangJi was only one man to respond to them all.

As Chief Cultivator, Lan WangJi's responsibilities within the Clan - whether business or educational - had been reduced to allow for his greater responsibilities to the Cultivation world at large. He was frequently in meetings with other Clans to hear grievances within the Cultivation world that could not be properly decided by those of the civilian world outside their gates. Lan WangJi would gravely listen to all sides of every argument, then calmly find the middle ground where the greatest benefit would be received by the greatest number. Although none would credit it had they known, he found his conversations with Wei WuXian often provided the unallied viewpoint he needed to better understand the consequences of certain actions and decision. Wei WuXian's time on the streets as a young child and his raising (admittedly a mixed blessing) with the Yunmeng Jiang meant he perceived things where Lan WangJi's personal history had left him blind. In all, it was an unforeseen advantage to the Cultivation world that their Chief Cultivator had a spouse with such a mixed heritage and perspective. Undoubtedly, any such benefit would have been denied in an instant, hands raised in genteel horror at the idea such an avowedly aberrant Cultivator could have anything of value to offer their refined world.

In his role as HanGuang-Jun, Lan WangJi dealt with periodic visits by outsiders, petitions received from civilians requesting assistance with hauntings or other needs only a Cultivator could fulfill. Whether to address a ghost, persistent supernatural beasts or suspicious, possibly unnatural disasters - everything seemed to be brought for his considered opinion and possible intervention.

As Lan-Er-Laoshi, Lan WangJi enjoyed most, perhaps, the teaching of the younger disciples. Their eager questions that he had chosen to encourage, rather than follow Lan QiRen's example of learning by rote, often inspired thoughtful conversations. Several times Lan WangJi had been sufficiently intrigued to follow up on a line of research sparked by the curiosity of a young and restless mind. The thoughts of youngsters not yet fully trained to fall into line and hide their divergent thoughts reminded him time and again of his husband, Wei WuXian. How different so many lives would have been, could have been, had he ever once been granted a listening ear and a heart open to receive him.