A Ghost of Snow

19. What Just Happened?

When Wei Wuxian woke up, he noticed that he was not in the back hills anymore but in a bed, a very soft one at that. The last thing he remembered was crying in Lan Zhan's arms. Oh the embarrassment! A blush tinted his cheeks when he thought about how Lan Zhan had hugged him back. He knew how uncomfortable his friend was with people touching him, he decided to apologize to him later. For now he needed to figure out where he was. The bed he was in smelt familiar, sandalwood, he smiled at that.

The room barely had anything, a bed that he laid on, a table for tea or maybe work, a privacy screen that was probably used for bathing, the decor was also minimal, mostly white and shades of blue. A single painting of rabbits hung at the center of the wall that he was facing. He stopped to focus on it, he remembered painting this. He had secretly left it in the library for Lan Zhan when he had returned to Lotus Pier after his studies in Cloud Recesses. He had even left his name at the bottom of it, so his friend would know that it was from him. His face flushed again as he thought to himself, "To think that Lan Zhan actually kept it, that fuddy-duddy."

After concluding that this was probably Lan Zhan's home, Wei Wuxian felt that he was really thirsty, so he tried to get up but couldn't, something really heavy was on his leg. His heart hammered against his chest, had Lan Zhan really tied him to the bed so he couldn't run away. No, he wouldn't do that, Wei Wuxian laughed at his own stupid thoughts before he decided to try again. When he still couldn't move, he cursed under his breath and decided to check what it was that was stopping him.

Wei Wuxian's eyes widened and his heart melted at the sight. On his leg was Lan Zhan's head, and he seemed to have fallen asleep. He noticed from the corner of his eye that at the edge of the bed, there was a baby's crib where A-Yuan was tucked in safely. He smiled and felt relieved that he hadn't been wrong about Lan Zhan taking good care of his little radish. He wondered how long he had been sleeping for and for how long had Lan Zhan been there in such an uncomfortable position. His neck hurt even looking at it.

Wei Wuxian didn't want to startle Lan Zhan or wake A-Yuan so he whispered, "Lan Zhan."

It was enough for Lan Wangji to return from his dreamland. He looked up only to see silver eyes staring at him softly, his tears threatened to fall again, Wei Ying was awake, the young lady hadn't lied to him, Wei Ying was really awake. He was fine. Without much thinking, he wrapped his arms around the silver-eyed man, "Wei Ying, you are awake."

Wei Wuxian was stunned when he was cocooned by big arms, it felt like being hugged by a bear. No one had ever hugged him like that, he felt warmth settle in his heart at the soft and concerned voice used to ask him this little question. Was he awake? He didn't know, it certainly felt like a dream.

"Mn.", he was unable to form any other words as he felt his eyes welling up, and the arms around him tightened. He shyly hugged back, "Lan Zhan, I am fine." He could feel, his shoulder getting wet, so he panicked, "Lan Zhan, look at me, I am awake, I am fine."

When there was still no response from the big man hugging him, he reluctantly pulled back and looked at Lan Zhan, right in the eye. The golden orbs glistened in the little light from the candle and the beautiful eyes were red with unshed tears. Wei Wuxian internally sulked at the loss of heat from the other body and how Lan Zhan looked beautiful even when he was crying. He bet he looked like a monkey when his face was all red from crying before he passed out. How long had it been again?

However, to Second Young Master Lan, Wei Ying looked cute, lost in his own thoughts, he liked how Wei Ying unintentionally pouted and scratched his nose whenever he was in deep thought. He answered the younger man's unasked question, "It's been half a day."

Wei Wuxian sighed in relief, so it hadn't been that long then. He took the water that Lan Zhan had so meticulously offered him and drank it in one go before returning the cup to the beautiful man in front of him. Now that he had already cried a river and was well rested, the gremlin inside him itched to create mischief and so that's what he did. He grinned as he pulled on Lan Zhan's sleeve and said in the softest voice he could muster, "Second Brother Lan, I am touched. You even cried for me." Lan Wangji stffened, his ears turned red and heat rose in his body, he stared at Wei Ying in disbelief. This man had been unconscious the entire day and the first thing he did after waking up was flirting? Flirting? With Hanguang-Jun?

Not that he wanted his "friend" to flirt with other people but shouldn't he behave a little more like someone who wasn't well? When he received no response from Lan Zhan, he tried being a little more shameless, "Eh! Hanguang-Jun! Why don't you hug me again? I am cold. Lan-", he couldn't complete his sentence because as soon as the words left his mouth, he was pinned down on the bed, with Lan Zhan's body on top of him, golden eyes somehow looked darker than usual. His eyes widened at the proximity, he could practically feel Lan Zhan's breath on his face and his heart beat quickened.

"Lan Zhan, what are you-", he was cut off again. "Rest! Don't talk anymore.", with that Lan Zhan was beside him hugging him, like his life depended on it and within minutes, he was sound asleep. Asleep? He was sleeping? After leaving a very wide-eyed and puzzled Wei Wuxian.

"What just happened?", was the last thought on the Yiling Patriarch's mind before he was captured by the dreams of a certain white-clothed little angel who was one of the happiest memories of his childhood.