New Recruits (A WangXian ff) ✔

10

Lan Zhan shouted and pulled the boy from the edge, where his body was leaning dangerously over. Wei Ying's body seemed to give way as he came back to his senses: his legs buckled and he crumpled to the ground in heart-breaking sobs. Lan Zhan seemed taken aback by Wei Ying's first display of complete vulnerability but tried to comfort the younger by pulling him closer and letting him cry onto his chest.

"Let it out." he said quietly.

And he did. Wei Ying sobbed and screamed and cried and sighed as he let everything out. After all of these years, he thought the memory would fade away. He was so young, so frightened, why did it have to happen? Why?

Almost an hour passed until Wei Ying had cried himself to exhaustion and he leaned entirely on Lan Zhan, who supported him with his own body. He took in shuddery breaths as he tried to ease his shaking body, but soon found out he was shaking from the cold evening air rather than emotional disturbance.

"Here."

Just as he was about to speak up, Lan Zhan placed his jacket over his shoulders to help with the cold. Wei Ying pulled the black material closer to him and leaned into the warm arms that brought him a new sense of safety.

"But you'll be cold."

"I'll be alright."

"So... so righteous." Wei Ying breathed out and Wangji smiled at the glimpse of the Wei Ying he knew.

"What's going on?" he asked in a gentle voice, as he moved them to a more comfortable position.

Wei Ying looked right into Wangji's eyes and saw no trace of judgement or anger. He took a moment and began.

"I.. When I was little my, uh, my..." he tried to keep talking but it was just so hard. He had never shared this with anyone before and it felt difficult to let it out, as if he was living in that moment all over again.

"Take your time. I'm not going to judge you."

"I know." said Wei Ying and gave a small smile to the older.

"Good."

"Okay... When I was younger, I think 6 or 7, something traumatic happened. My parents, well my father mostly, they weren't in... They weren't in good business. Illegal trade, guns, drugs and smuggling. That sort of stuff. I tried to ignore it but, uh, you can't exactly miss boxes of the stuff all over the place..."

He began to get short of breath, so squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists to stop himself falling apart again. He felt Lan Zhan rub circles on his back to ease the tension and leaned into the older's body, the warmth providing more comfort.

"Go on. You can do it."

"Right... We lived in a nice house, a sort of mini mansion. I was an only child- I didn't see my parents much- but my friends were always there to play with..."

"You were an only child?"

"Hm. It's more like only orphan now..."

Lan Zhan's eyes widened in understanding and he let out a sigh before pulling Wei Ying closer. He had also lost his parents, but that was only two years ago due to health conditions; he couldn't imagine losing them so young.

"So one day, my father comes running into the house, screaming that we were in danger. He told my mother to take me upstairs and he began to pack bags. He, he said we would be going away for a while... Of course I had no idea what was really happening but assumed we would be going on holiday and that we were, and that we were playing a game..."

"But you weren't, were you?"

"... No. I ran up the stairs with my mother and collected clothes and toys, as she threw everything she could into small bags. I asked her if I could go and help dad and she nodded, obviously distracted with her thoughts. So I ran downstairs and I, I saw... I-"