Time Reversal

9. A Punishment that Works, Part 2

They settled into a sort of routine without ever properly discussing anything. The mornings were devoted to the official lectures. After lunch they went with everyone to practice archery or sword fighting or run agility tests. And then....

And then it was just the two of them. They holed up in the library, researching. Or they went back to the rabbits to talk. (Wei Wuxian talked; he just listened.) They spent days in the building housing the main array and discussed how it was powered and what it did. Or they walked the boundaries, Wei Wuxian paying attention to how the ward dug itself deep into the ground, preventing tunnels into Yunshen Buzhichu or how it arched high overhead preventing people from flying in. And how it was permeable, allowing plant and animal life to pass through as if it wasn't even there.

A few weeks after the fight, they stood on a covered walkway outside the dining hall, Wei Wuxian holding out a palm to catch raindrops. "The afternoon activities are canceled. How disappointing. Although..." he smirked, "it's nice to not have to wash mud out of my student robes. Where shall we go today? The library?"

He shook his head. "Too crowded." More than half the students leaving the dining hall had been headed towards the library.

Wei Wuxian sighed. "Lan Zhan... I do not want to go sit in a classroom." He shuddered in fake horror. "We, I mean you, you should build a pavilion in the bunny field. Not today, obviously, but someday. Wouldn't you like that? A nice place to visit and play with the bunnies? You could even place a brazier there so you can go when it's cold. Or snowy!" He turned, all excited, silver eyes shining in the afternoon's gloom. "Just think Lan Zhan.... You could bring some warm furs to cuddle up in and a book to read and watch the bunnies play in the snow! How exciting!"

He lowered his eyes to watch the raindrops splashing in the mud so Wei Wuxian wouldn't see his thoughts on the matter. We could hang heavy drapes to keep out some of the cold. Or have removable walls? So it would be open to the elements when it was warm outside, but we could enclose the space when it was cold or rainy? He could so easily picture it: they would be sitting with the brazier warming their backs, sharing a fur or heavy blanket to keep their fronts warm. While bunnies hopped around in the snow. Hidden by the blanket, they could hold hands. And maybe above the blanket... they could kiss until they couldn't breathe. Until they needed to touch each other, learn each other's skin, learn how to become one body....

I want. His fingers twitched, yearning to brush against Wei Wuxian's fingers. What would it feel like to hold hands? Or even to just curl their pinky fingers together? He rubbed the pads of his fingers against his thumbs, against his palms, feeling the harsh callouses from his sword and guqin. Wei Ying must have similar callouses, too. He thrilled at using the other's birth name, even if it was only in his head.

"Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian whined. "If we can't go to the library and I won't go to the classrooms.... I'm going to have to study in my room!" he stomped his feet in frustration. "Jiang Cheng is so loud! And a distraction. I know he's going to ask me if I want to go down to Caiyi with him and Nie Huaisang and play for a while."

"Wei Ying can come to the Jingshi with me." The offer came out of his mouth as natural as if he was as adept at talking as Wei Ying. "Should save visiting Caiyi for a more pleasant day."

"The Jingshi?" Wei Wuxian visibly reoriented himself. "Isn't that your home?" He nodded shyly, eyes still firmly fixed on the mud. "You're inviting me into your home." It sounded like Wei Ying needed a second confirmation, so he nodded again. "You're inviting me. Into your home."

The self doubt was obvious even to his untrained ear. "Mmm." He forced himself to look up at Wei Ying's face, trying to avoid looking into his eyes and ended up focusing on the other's mouth instead. "Yes. Wei Ying is invited to the Jingshi." Plump lips, slightly parted in surprise, made him wonder, yet again, what they would feel like pressed against his own. To stop his ears from betraying him, he opened his umbrella and stepped out onto the path, pretending that he didn't care if Wei Ying followed or not.