The Rise of the Divine Oracle

Chapter 1 - Home

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"Wei Ying"

With a simple word, the breath within Wei Wuxian ceases with longing. His song stuck mid note and his fingers froze mid stroke. Could it be? Was his heart beating so hard that his ears are playing tricks. He smiles and paces himself as he turns around to face reality.
His breath halts half way into his body as he looks back. Tears streak down the light bearer's face and with a smile from Wuxian, Wangji rushes and crashes into him.

The force of Wangji's emotions are so great that words forsake him. He envelopes Wei Wuxian in his arms and breaths in his scent to calm his racing heart. Arms around Wuxian's waist keeps him in place as shock settles in. He can feel Wangji's tears land on his neck and hears him struggle with his emotions as he breathes heavily.

Wuxian starts to panic: "Lan Zhan! What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
He places his hand on Wangji's nape and feels him shudder with a silent sob.

Wuxian: "Lan Zhan. Please calm down. It's only been a few hours. W.. What's wrong? Did something happen? Did I forget something? Did.. Did I do something wrong?"

As words start to stutter their way out of Wuxian, Wangji tightens his hold on him. The simple pressure silences the one being held into waiting for the other to compose himself. A few minutes pass as Wangji keeps holding his Wei Ying and breathing him in slowly. His warmth.. His scent.. His hair.. His gentle hand as he caresses Wangji's back.. His heartbeat.. It comforts him, sustains him, nourishes his soul and balances his existence.

At that moment, the truth reveals itself. Wangji tried to convince himself that Wei Wuxian is a free spirit. That his true calling is to roam the earth to unleash his wild temperament. He believed that his love can only be expressed by letting him go.

It took a few hours and a melody played on top of a mountain to wash all his beliefs away. Never again, he vowed. Not in this lifetime or the ones that will follow.

Wangji took a deep breath, steadied his heart and slowly loosened his hold. He moves back, enough to face Wuxian while still holding his arms. He opens his eyes, fills his heart with determination and looks into the eyes of his future and says: "Come with me."

Wuxian was so confused: "Where are we going?"
Wangji: "Home."

Wuxian looks down, smiles with sad eyes and whispers: "I don't have a home."
Wangji tightens his hold on his arms: "I will be your home.. and you will be mine."

Of all the things that Wuxian imagined Wangji could ever say, this was not one of them. He stares into Wangji's tearful eyes and waits for some kind of clue as to what he said could actually mean. Nothing reasonable came to mind. So he tried to step back but Wangji's hold on his arm only moved enough to grab his wrists. He holds on long enough for Wuxian to start mentally freaking out and demand an explanation: "What does that mean?"

Slowly, Wangji lets go of Wuxian's left hand, yanks his Lan Clan headband and places it in Wuxian's right palm. A small smile graces his face as he gently closes Wuxian's fingers around the headband and encloses it with both his hands.

Wuxian stares at his gesture, fist engulfed in Wangji's warm hands. His heart is racing so fast, his face pales and he starts to shake. His thoughts run wild as memories of a drunk Wangji resurfaces: 'The headband is sacred. No one can touch it except parents and significant others.'

Wei Wuxian is speechless. Utterly and wholeheartedly speechless.
His mouth opens, waiting for something to come out as a response but nothing comes to mind and he ends up just staring back.

Wangji sees how shocked Wuxian is and his smile widens. He brings the closed hand to his lips and kisses the shocked man's knuckles tenderly. Looking back at Wuxian with determined eyes, he decides: "I will be your friend, brother, partner and confident. Your soul will forever be imprinted with mine. We will be remembered as one, mentioned as a single name and never be apart. I will forsake my pride, my principles, my blood and my clan to be with you now and forever. I will protect you, comfort you, support you, believe in you and never leave you. You are my light, my savior and my destiny. I am your home.. and you will be mine."

With each declaration he utters, Wangji gets closer and closer to Wuxian until he rests his forehead on his. The last part whispered as a promise between their lips and he can sense silent tears making their way down Wuxian's cheeks.

More tears follow as Wuxian slowly recognizes what Wangji just promised him. He whispers back: "I don't deserve this. My sins will forever taint my name. I will bring shame upon you and drag your reputation to the bottom of the evil's dark abyss. I have created enough damage and chaos that it will take centuries for my deeds to be forgotten. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve your devotion and I don't.. I don't.." A painful sob finds its way out of Wuxian as he silently cries. Self-deprecation and loathing hinders his thoughts of accepting Wangji's request until he feels soft lips brushing his. A feather light kiss, filled with unrestrained devotion.

It lasted a few seconds and was followed by Wangji's solid reply: "I will shelter you until you're brave enough to face the sun. I will guide you until you're confident enough in your steps. I will shield you from harm until you're strong enough to withstand the winds. No words will ever wound you as long as I'm near. Never apart. Never alone. I am your home.. and you are mine".

After a few seconds of silence, Wuxian starts laughing as Wangji moves to stare at him. He looks at Wuxian wondering what's so funny. Wuxian looks at him and says: "Your uncle is going to be sooooo mad when he finds out that I'm his new nephew-in-bond." Wangji smiles back and says: "Let's go."

Wuxian nods, wipes his face, steps close and stands on his toes to tie the headband around Wangji's head. Once he's done, he steps back and looks lovingly at his new soul bond and graces him with the warmest smile. Wangji returns the smile and extends his hand and laces his fingers with Wuxian's. He grabs the reins of Apple with his other hand and starts dragging both to their new destination.

After a few minutes of silence, Wuxian's curiosity gets the best of him and he tugs the hand holding his: "So.. where are we going exactly? This is not the direction to Cloud Recesses."

Wangji keeps walking but replies: "One stop to do some errands and then we will be heading home to settle in."

Wuxian's heart warms up at the use of the word 'we' and replies: "Alright then, errands and then home it is."

With one hand intertwined with Wangji, the other playing with his ChenQing.. he thinks: 'Life could not get better than this'.

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