Fateful Turn

I do

"I love you, Wei Ying. I always have and always will."

The words echoed in Wei Wuxian's mind like a mantra as he lifted his face up from where it had been buried in the juncture of Lan Wangji's neck and shoulder. The way his heart had fluttered and his stomach had flipped at the same time when Lan Wangji said those words made him feel so light, almost weightless. A sense of calm washed over him and he wanted nothing more than to keep this moment going forever. It might be impulsive of him but he could not care less about it. He just wanted to do it and there was no stopping him. 

"Lan Zhan, there's one place I want to bring you to." he murmured with a smile that reached all the way to his eyes.

"Hm?" Lan Wangji gave him a gentle squeeze around the waist and then pulled away just enough to look into Wei Wuxian's bright silver eyes. He then said, "I'll follow you anywhere ."

Wei Wuxian laughed softly at the sincerity in his tone. "Okay, let's go then!" He exclaimed excitedly, pulling on Lan Wangji's hand as they began their walk towards their destination and Lan Wangji let himself be dragged along without any complaint. They passed by the layers of buildings and arrived at a quiet place in the depths of Lotus Pier, in front of a black eight-cornered palace.

Wei Wuxian gently pushed the doors open and walked inside. Before the palace neatly lay rows and rows of tablets. It was the Yunmeng Jiang Sect's ancestral hall. He turned around to look at Lan Wangji and motioned for him to come closer before he kneeled down on a hassock. Lan Wangji followed suit. Taking three of the incense sticks in the container, he ignited them with the candlelight. Lan Wangji also took three sticks of incense and, sweeping his sleeve to the side, and ignited them using one of the red candles. His movements were proper, and his expression was as stoic as usual. Wei Wuxian tilted his head to look at him, his lips curving upward almost uncontrollably as he said with a smile, "Let's do it together."

Lan Wangji didn't object. And so, each with three sticks of incense, the two of them kneeled among rows of tablets and bowed down to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan's names together.

Once. Twice. The movements were exactly the same. Wei Wuxian turned his entire body to face Lan Wangji, "Lan Zhan..." He called out.

Lan Wangji raised his gaze, meeting Wei Wuxian's. There was a slight quiver in his mouth, "Do you know what you're doing now, Wei Ying?"

With a small smile, Wei Wuxian answered "Yes. I know. We just did two prostrates. Once to the Heavens and the Earth, once to the Father and the Mother. Now, we need to do another one to complete it."

"You mean it?" Lan Wangji asked, his eyes widened slightly at what Wei Wuxian said. His heart hammered heavily in his chest. He was hopeful. Hopeful that what Wei Wuxian had just said was real and not just one of his jokes. Wei Wuxian smiled at him with such happiness and affection that Lan Wangji's breath caught in his throat and he felt like he could cry.

"Of course, I mean it! I won't joke on things like this." The corners of Wei Wuxian's mouth stretched even higher, "Do you not want to?"

Lan Wangji answered in a heartbeat, "I do. More than anything in the world."

"Good," Wei Wuxian nodded, his eyes shining with something brighter than the firelight, urging him, "Come on then. Face me, Lan Zhan."

In a second, Lan Wangji faced him.

Wei Wuxian smiled at him before they both bowed towards each other for a good few second until they rose again and stuck the incense into the bronze tripod in front of the tablets in synchronization.

Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji, who's kneeling as properly as ever beside him. He put his hands together and uttered, "Uncle Jiang, Madam Yu, it's me. I'm here to disturb you two again. But I really did want to bring him here and show him to you. Let the prostrates we just did count as our vows to each other. Please bless our union."

Lan Wangji was still in daze, his gaze fixed upon Wei Wuxian's back, when Wei Wuxian finally stood up straight. He could see that the man was grinning fondly while reaching out a hand for him to take. When he had grabbed hold of the hand, their fingers intertwined automatically before they stepped out of the hall.

The two of them kept a firm grip on each other's hand as they continued through the long hallway until they stopped in front of a room at the end of the corner. Wei Wuxian opened the door quietly before ushering Lan Wangji inside. 

It was a simple chamber with little to no furnishing whatsoever except for bookshelves lining the walls. A writing desk sat at the center of the room in the middle of the floor. There were books piling on top of it and some paper scattered across the surface. 

Wei Wuxian could care less about the mess at the moment. He focused instead on the bed in the room which had a canopy was made of green silk and embroidered with lotus blossoms on its overhead. He pulled Lan Wangji towards it and when they finally sat their butts on the edge of the bed, Wei Wuxian wasted no time and started kissing Lan Wangji all over his face, trying to convey how much he loved him with every kiss he pressed against his skin. Lan Wangji reciprocated the gestures by grabbing onto the back of Wei Wuxian's robes and pulling him close, holding him tightly to his chest. When they eventually parted to catch their breath,  WeiWuxian couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Lan Wangji's breathless face which was dusted with pink. He leaned over to kiss Lan Wangji softly on his forehead, "We are technically married now, why are you still blushing?" Then he laughed again when Lan Wangji's face lit up in realization and then an expression of absolute joy spread across it. 

Lan Wangji tightened his grasp around Wei Wuxian's waist and buried his face in his chest, whispering something inaudible.

"What is that, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian asked as he missed whatever that it was.

"Am I really your husband now, Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji murmured, but this time louder. His voice sounded hoarse and raw as if it hadn't been used in a long time. Even though his heart was hammering against his ribcage, Wei Wuxian could feel the joy emanating from Lan Wangji. That alone was enough to send him bursts of happiness as he nodded, happily declaring, "Yes, yes. You are my husband now, Lan Zhan."