"Bound by Destiny"

Chapter 21: Rebuilding Trust

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji spent the next several days in a fragile, tentative rhythm, as if trying to find their footing on unsteady ground. The incident had cast a shadow over their usually harmonious relationship, leaving them both grappling with unspoken fears and lingering doubts. The Lan Clan elders had conducted a discreet investigation, and the guilty elder had been swiftly dealt with, banished from Cloud Recesses in shame. However, the damage left behind was not so easily mended.

**Lingering Tension**

The atmosphere between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji was thick with unspoken words. They moved around each other carefully, as if afraid of reigniting the trauma of that day. Lan Wangji, who had always been steady and composed, now found himself doubting his own self-control. The drug’s effects had shaken him deeply, and he was terrified of the possibility that he could lose control again, hurting the one person he had sworn to protect.

Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, was caught between wanting to reassure Lan Wangji and dealing with his own feelings of vulnerability. The memory of Lan Wangji’s intense gaze, the way his touch had gone from gentle to desperate, haunted Wei Wuxian in quiet moments. He knew it wasn’t Lan Wangji’s fault — that it was the drug that had pushed him beyond his limits — but the fear lingered nonetheless, a shadow that refused to lift.

One morning, as they trained together in the sparring grounds, the tension between them became painfully evident. Their movements were no longer in sync, their usual fluidity replaced by hesitation. Wei Wuxian found himself flinching whenever Lan Wangji moved too close, and Lan Wangji, in turn, held back, afraid of pushing too far.

After a particularly stilted session, Wei Wuxian let out a frustrated sigh, tossing his sword aside. “This isn’t working, Lan Zhan,” he said, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and sadness. “We can’t keep avoiding it.”

Lan Wangji stopped mid-strike, lowering his sword slowly. He looked at Wei Wuxian, his usually serene eyes clouded with regret. “I know,” he admitted softly. “But I do not know how to make it right.”

Wei Wuxian ran a hand through his hair, his gaze dropping to the ground. “Maybe we need to talk about it,” he suggested, though his voice wavered. “I don’t want this thing hanging over us forever.”

Lan Wangji nodded, though the prospect of revisiting that painful moment clearly troubled him. “You are right, Wei Ying. We should not let this fester.”

Opening Old Wounds

That evening, they sat together in their quarters, the air heavy with the weight of what needed to be said. Wei Wuxian fidgeted with the edge of his robe, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for the right words. Lan Wangji sat across from him, his posture tense, his hands resting in his lap as he waited for Wei Wuxian to speak.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian began hesitantly, his voice quiet. “I know it wasn’t your fault. I know that. But… it was still really scary. I’ve never seen you like that, and it felt like… like I didn’t know you.”

Lan Wangji’s expression tightened, pain flickering in his eyes. “I did not know myself in that moment,” he confessed, his voice low. “The drug clouded my mind, twisted my thoughts. I… I could not control it.”

Wei Wuxian nodded, his gaze softening slightly. “I understand that. But it’s hard to forget, you know? I keep thinking about what might have happened if you hadn’t stopped yourself.”

Lan Wangji’s breath hitched, and he looked away, unable to meet Wei Wuxian’s eyes. “I would never want to hurt you, Wei Ying. That moment… it haunts me. I have always strived to protect you, to be your shield, and yet I almost became the very thing you needed protection from.”