Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

Better The Devil You Know Part 4

Wei Ying transforms back into his original form, a devastating beauty with red skin and black tipped horns, those same beguiling silver eyes appraising his husband carefully.

"Lan Zhan," he says, holding out his hand for him, "I know you don't like crowds and noise, and well, the thing is, my kind are a bit loud. It's a busy place."

"Mn. I can manage." Lan Zhan confidently takes what is offered, and in a move guaranteed to melt his demon's soft gooey heart even further, brings his hand to his mouth, kissing the hard skin softly.

"Lan Zhaaaan!" He says helplessly, staring back at him through his fingers. "I'm trying to be considerate!"

"Wei Ying is always sweet to me." Lan Zhan pulls him in for a hug. "I will tell you if it gets to be too much."

Wei Ying sighs against his neck. "Um, also...maybe I should mention- er, well, actually," he seems to change his mind, "shall we just go?"

Lan Zhan kisses his forehead and nods. His wonderful golden eyes give him away, though, bright with excitement, showing like early morning sunlight glinting off a frozen lake.

Maybe Wei Ying's unusual nervousness is because he's worried about what Lan Zhan thinks of where he comes from. What he doesn't know is that ever since Lan Zhan has met and fallen in love with him, he has learned to be open-minded about anything pertaining to his husband. And also, he really couldn't give two hoots about whatever it is that's making Wei Ying freak out.

Wei Ying squeezes their palms together, and with his free hand, he swipes across the air in front of them with a razor-sharp talon, tearing the Veil that lies between that world and this Mortal plane.

They step into a foreign land. Of course, Lan Zhan knows that, but nothing could have prepared him for it.

Immediately, Lan Zhan's senses are attacked by too much stimuli. It's so hot that sweat breaks out across his skin, beading at his temple and wetting his upper lip as he wipes it away. He turns just in time to see Wei Ying repairing the cut that brought them here. Moisture pools at the base of his spine as Lan Zhan continues looking around.

It's very colourful.

Demons come in a variety of shapes and sizes and colours, each individual a unique being, though the more he looks, the more similarities Lan Zhan can find. Certain demons are taller than others, and it's a straight split down the middle as to those who have horns and those who don't. Some have marbling skin in gorgeous contrasting colours, others have sharp porcupine needles protruding from different body parts, and that's not all. These beings do not conform to usual human standards - something Lan Zhan knew as theory, but it's so much more candid in real life. Just the different types of eyes blinking curiously back at him give him a sense of wonder. Some are the size of coins, some as large as the plates they eat off daily at home, and some have eyes tinier than grains of salt. Even the fantastic variety of their jewel colours is astonishing. Ruby red, forest green, sapphire blue, rich hues of amethyst and pearl, some a bright topaz yellow.

They're in some kind of marketplace, and there's a lot of shouting as demons and trolls and fairies hunt for a bargain. Meat sizzles on skewers turning over open fires while big, burly creatures pay close attention to what they're cooking. Spices permeating the air make his eyes water with their potency, and Lan Zhan quickly blinks away the natural reaction. He has come to mind very much his intolerance towards the fiery vegetables that Wei Ying loves so greatly.

A tall, thin, almost gaunt grey demon stands in front of them now.

"Greetings- oh, I beg forgiveness," he suddenly says, his tone changing from deeply low and forbidding to a much higher pitch as he turns tail (literally) and vanishes.