Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

Come Back To Gusu With Me Part 10

It's been an incredibly long day as they leave the sanctuary, and Wei Ying keeps yawning in between marvelling at what he's seeing.

The night is deep and far from silent; whispering winds rustle the branches and remaining leaves in the trees above them, an owl hoots melancholic and haunting far away, and there are chittering squirrels making a last-minute dash for supplies before settling down to sleep. The scent of pine is light and fresh, the air full of magic and hope, though Wei Ying suspects that last part might just be himself.

Lan Zhan is quiet as he usually is next to him, their hands clasped tightly as they walk back to the guest quarters.

“What are you thinking about?” Wei Ying asks him, leaning into his side.

“You. Always, you.” Lan Zhan isn't embarrassed about that.

A beautiful blush makes Wei Ying’s face warmer, visible even in the dim light of the moon. He coughs, choking on nothing.

“Er…I suppose neither of us have had a chance to write our letters,” he muses.

“This is better,” Lan Zhan assures him. “Getting time with you pales in comparison to writing, though the value of putting thoughts to paper should not be taken lightly.”

“Lan Zhaaaaan!” Wei Ying, scandalised, hides his now flaming face in Lan Zhan’s shoulder. “You are determined to make me combust tonight!”

Lan Zhan’s fingers gently trace the shape of his cheek, pausing on the path. Wei Ying shivers at his touch, and his reaction makes Lan Zhan walk them faster.

“Wei Ying is cold,” he observes, before taking off his own cloak to wrap around Wei Ying’s shoulders, carefully fastening the ties around his neck. His hands linger lovingly, smoothing down the folds so it hangs closer to his body.

“I don't usually notice it much back home,” Wei Ying admits. “Yunmeng is much more humid and warmer.” He loves the way Lan Zhan’s cloak smells like him, rich with spicy-sweet sandalwood. He buries his cold nose in the soft white fur, relishing the fragrance and wishing to be surrounded by it all the time. He thinks he will never get tired of how lovely it is.

“Which do you prefer?”

“Like anywhere, if you're asking me to compare, there are good and bad points about both. Nothing I can't overcome,” he adds.

“Such as?” Lan Zhan really wants to know. He likes chatting with Wei Ying, and he realises that they haven't done much of that in the time they've known each other. That is mostly his fault, too caught up in the hugeness of his own feelings and then understanding what they were and still are, and having to cope with Wei Ying’s seeming obliviousness…but in actual fact, he wonders if that wasn't a gut reaction of wanting to protect himself from rejection. But the joke's on him: there isn't a time or place that Lan Zhan would willingly reject Wei Ying ever. But it IS something to think about in the context of Wei Ying’s upbringing in Lotus Pier and the horrendous treatment he's suffered, whether he acknowledges that or not because of some kind of misplaced loyalty.

“Okay, the great thing about Lotus Pier is obviously the temperature, and the lotus flowers, the seeds make great snacks.” Wei Ying taps his nose, thinking. “And of course, my ShiJie. Though she probably won't stay there for much longer. She'll get married and move away, though her taste in men leaves a lot to be desired.” He wrinkles his nose in distaste.

Lan Zhan thinks he's too cute.

“It's hard for me to say anything bad about it.” Wei Ying’s voice is so much softer now, hard to hear.

“Why?”

“Because it's my home. Well, it was.”

“Meaning?” Lan Zhan doesn't mean for it to come out as sharp as it does, but he regrets his tone when Wei Ying flinches.