Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

Come Back To Gusu With Me Part 8

For a moment in the tense silence that follows, no one does anything. The three men stare at each other, and of the two that are standing, both wearing masks of horror, it is Lan Zhan who steps away first.

"I'm going to kill him." His tone is one that brooks no argument, definite and concise.

Wei Ying lunges for him, grabbing his arm with both of his hands and Lan Zhan freezes. "Healer Fei, no offence but get out. I need to talk to him. Now." He keeps his eyes trained on Lan Zhan and out of the corner of his eye, he sees a blurry shadow of the doctor leaving. "Lan Zhan, I-"

"NO!" Lan Zhan whirls on him, grabbing his upper arms, his golden eyes spitting with fire. "Wei Ying! There is nothing you can tell me that is going to make this better! This is one problem you can't fix! I'm going to take it out of Jiang WanYin and make them put it back inside you! If they can take it out, they can put it back in!" Lan Zhan's chest is heaving, his eyes wet.

They're chest to chest, and Wei Ying can feel both of their hearts beating in tandem, frantic drums that echo in his ears. He's never heard Lan Zhan say so much in one go.

"JIANG CHENG DOESN'T KNOW!" Wei Ying shouts.

"What? How can he not know-you did something..." Lan Zhan's shout turns into a whisper of disbelief. "He can't be that stupid."

"He's not," Wei Ying admits slowly. "There's no point in me hiding anything any more." He looks away, shoulders sagging under the weight of this, his deepest, darkest secret and having to hold it up to the light. He never thought he would ever talk about it...and yet, here they are. "If I have to tell you, then I want you to promise me that you won't hurt him. He doesn't know, and you can't tell him. It'll be the one thing that'll kill him, I'm sure." Wei Ying leans forward suddenly, losing the energy that made him sit up and move to catch Lan Zhan. He rests his forehead against the base of Lan Zhan's neck, under his chin. He feels Lan Zhan letting go of his arms, and he's about to protest because he needs Lan Zhan now, more than ever, when Lan Zhan holds him even closer. His strong arms wrap entirely around Wei Ying's body, and it makes him feel safe. Protected.

But Lan Zhan is in two minds.

On the one hand, he wants to rip Jiang WanYin limb from limb, and the way he's feeling now leaves him with no doubt that he could do it. Easily.

But with Wei Ying in his arms like this, and the moisture on his upper chest, he knows Wei Ying is silently crying and how can he stand to leave him now? Of course Lan Zhan is shocked. That feeling of this happening to somebody else hovers over him, and he chases it away like a spectre in daylight. Trying to pretend that this isn't real won't help anyone. And Lan Zhan is done with taking a back seat when it comes to his Zhiji.

If he himself is this devastated at finding out about Wei Ying's core, how much harder must it be for him? Wei Ying is suffering from not only losing it, but giving it away freely. It is a tragedy the likes of which leaves Lan Zhan wanting to weep himself.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone." Wei Ying's voice is muffled, but Lan Zhan hears him clearly. "Least of all, you."

Oh. That hurts.

Lan Zhan must have stiffened, because Wei Ying leans back to look at him and immediately, he cries out, "No! It's not what you think, Lan Zhan! I didn't want to tell you because before-well, I used to think we were equals. You were my match in every way...and now, I can't be. I'm just a shell of who I used to be. Sometimes, I think all it will take is a strong gust of wind and I'll just be carried away by it."

"Wei Ying is wrong." Lan Zhan's throat is thick with emotion. But he must get these words out. He's not going to lose this chance. "Wei Ying. You have always been my match, but now you surpass me. You have done something that is unfathomable to me. I can't-I do not think I could do the same. Even for Xiongzhang." His arms tighten further. "Please stay with me. I don't want to let you go."