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The Lan clan is renowned for its strength, physically, mentally, and in cultivation. Lan Zhan is the pride of the Lan clan.
Even his strength was insufficient to save Wei Ying from dying.
He has never felt so weak.
Lan Zhan can’t get his breathing under control. His breath catches in his throat as his diaphragm spasms. His back lights up with each jerk of his lungs, the wounds tearing open in places and bleeding sluggishly down his side.
A warm hand cups the back of his head.
“Slow down,” Lan Xichen says. Lan Zhan focuses his eyes on a point on the wall and forces his body back under control. It takes longer than it used to. It seems like he overestimated his own power, his own control and now he is paying for it at every turn.
He wasn’t strong enough to save Wei Ying. Lan Zhan vows to never be so weak again.
*****
He knows how to get stronger. It’s one of the few things that he knows how to do in this post-Wei Ying world.
Lan Zhan is to be locked away in seclusion for three years. He doesn’t feel any fear thinking about it. Now that Wei Ying is gone, the only two people that matter are Lan Xichen and Wen Yuan. The former will visit him and the later is safely hidden away amongst the Lan youth.
Three years does not seem long enough to mourn Wei Ying, but it's a start. It's also plenty of time to get stronger.
Lan Xichen catches him ten days into his punishment, doing a handstand while blood drips down his neck. He has never been on the receiving end of Lan Xichen’s anger before.
He doesn’t understand why Lan Xichen feels so strongly about it. His wounds will scar regardless, what does it matter if the scars are thicker and uglier than they would be if he stayed still?
He cares about his brother though and reorganizes his training regime to allow his back to fully heal. Lan Xichen is right when he says that Lan Zhan will be stronger faster if he allows his back to heal. He recommends Lan Zhan practice his zither instead, but Lan Zhan cannot bring himself to touch the strings. He cannot play Wangxian.
Lan Zhan spends hours meditating, circulating his qi in a pattern that maximizes healing.
When he can move without bleeding, he throws himself into his training. He trains his body to increase his endurance, strength, and speed. He trains his swordcraft, hacking apart imaginary opponents that take the form of every cultivator that ever harmed Wei Ying.
*****
He hears Wangxian again for the first time in sixteen years, played on a terrible bamboo flute. Wei Ying is back and this time Lan Zhan is strong enough to protect him.
He has to be. They have no shortage of enemies and Wei Ying can no longer fight with a sword. He cannot identify the emotion he feels when Wei Ying relies on him for protection.
He is strong enough this time. Their enemies fall under his blade. Peace settles upon Lan Zhan for the first time in a very long time. Wei Ying invites Lan Zhan to travel with him as rogue cultivators, or as close to rogue as they can get when Lan Zhan is one of the Twin Jades of Lan.
Then Wei Ying kisses Lan Zhan and for all of Lan Zhan’s strength, he is helpless against Wei Ying. They tumble into the grass and from then on they are insatiable in their need for each other.
It is a blessing, to finally be able to touch Wei Ying, to kiss Wei Ying, to give pleasure to Wei Ying. He is almost as shameless as Wei Ying, who seems to have no regard for their privacy and touches Lan Zhan whenever possible. He leans against Lan Zhan while Lan Zhan plays Wangxian on the zither, holds hands with Lan Zhan while they visit the bunnies, and pulls Lan Zhan into deep kisses in places where anyone could walk in on them.
The last is the most concerning, and even then it is only an issue because of the soft, dazed look Wei Ying gets when they kiss. Lan Zhan would kill anyone else who saw that look on him. That look is for Lan Zhan alone.
Wei Ying knows Lan Zhan’s feelings on this but it doesn’t deter him in the slightest.
Wei Ying tugs Lan Zhan down an alley and pushes him towards the wall. Lan Zhan doesn’t budge, instead letting Wei Ying crash against him in an effort to move him. He wraps his arms around Wei Ying, who pouts up at him. Lan Zhan kisses him.
Wei Ying is slender and pliable in his arms, back arching as Lan Zhan leans over him. The soft slide of their mouths is intoxicating. Lan Zhan grips him tighter, pulling Wei Ying up onto his toes. Wei Ying grips his biceps, balancing himself while his gasp puffs across Lan Zhan’s lips.
This new body of Wei Ying’s is so much smaller than his original, weaker too. Lan Zhan towers over him now, and their strength is barely comparable. The original Wei Wuxian was Lan Zhan’s constant competitor in cultivation and while Wei Wuxian is currently doing his best to catch up, he still lags far behind. Mo Xuanyu really did nothing to help Wei Wuxian along in terms of cultivation.
Lan Zhan owes Mo Xuanyu for making it possible to hold Wei Wuxian at all, so he tries to think of him more charitably.
Wei Ying’s grip on his arms tightens as Lan Zhan slides his arms down scandalously low on Wei Ying’s back.
“Shameless,” Wei Ying says and he has to pull back to laugh. Lan Zhan’s ears turn red but he keeps his grip on Wei Ying. Lan Zhan has found that he too is utterly shameless when it comes to being around Wei Ying. On the long list of things that Lan Zhan has sacrificed for Wei Ying, a little dignity barely even counts.
Lan Zhan moves one hand up between Wei Ying’s shoulder blades and presses him closer to kiss his smiling mouth.
Wei Ying reaches up to wrap his arms tight around Lan Zhan’s neck. Even when he hangs most of his weight on Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan doesn’t sway. Wei Ying makes a pleased noise into their kiss and moans as Lan Zhan lifts him up. They move two steps to crash into the wall.
For a moment they pull apart, just to breathe and stare at each other. Wei Ying has that soft, dazed look he gets when they kiss and Lan Zhan abruptly backs up.
Wei Ying clings to him and Lan Zhan has to settle his hands on Wei Ying’s hips to hold them apart.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying pouts. Lan Zhan doesn’t know why Wei Ying is always trying to escalate them past kissing while in public but he’s too possessive of that look on his face to ever let anyone else see it.
“Not here,” Lan Zhan says and it's a very good thing they’re so close to their inn.
*****
If anyone finds it strange that they’ve returned to the inn midday, Lan Zhan’s status prevents any odd looks or questions. The Lan clan’s reputation has been a boon lately.
Wei Ying has been talking the whole way about a strange rumor a vendor told him about this morning. Lan Zhan tries to care because he always cares about what his husband has to say, but he knows Wei Ying is doing this to bother him. Wei Ying knows exactly what Lan Zhan is focused on right now. Later he will tease Lan Zhan for his single-minded focus but for now, Lan Zhan is on a mission and something as petty as a fierce corpse is not enough to distract him.
No one mentions a thing as Lan Zhan sweeps Wei Ying into his arms to carry him upstairs. Not even Wei Ying, who goes suddenly quiet.
Lan Zhan looks down at his husband and nearly trips on the stairs when he sees Wei Ying’s cheeks are bright pink. He tears his eyes away and focuses on getting to their room faster. He knows that look on Wei Ying.
Wei Ying has a long list of things he wants to try with Lan Zhan in bed and occasionally Lan Zhan will stumble onto one of them by accident. It’s one of the only times Wei Ying blushes.
Lan Zhan tries to determine what he’s done so right as he kicks open the door to their room. Wei Ying makes a small noise and hides his face in the crook of Lan Zhan’s neck. Lan Zhan can feel the heat of his blush.
Even when his husband won’t talk, Lan Zhan knows him extremely well. He forms a hypothesis.
Transferring Wei Ying’s weight to one arm, Lan Zhan slides their door shut with a loud crack. Wei Ying’s fingers dig hard into his shoulders and Lan Zhan knows he will wear the bruises of Wei Ying’s affection later. He carefully circulates his qi in such a way that he will not heal.
He loves wearing Wei Ying’s marks.
Lan Zhan approaches the bed and Wei Ying makes a tiny noise of discontent. Turning at the last moment, Lan Zhan carries him to the back wall of their room instead.
Pausing to consider his options, Lan Zhan notices Wei Ying’s fingers are wrinkling the collars of his robes. He hides a small smile against the top of Wei Ying’s head. Then he uses his free hand to hike up Wei Ying’s robes.
Wei Ying yelps and then moans as Lan Zhan turns him and presses him against the wall, wrapping one of Wei Ying’s legs around his waist. The other leg is hurriedly raised up to lock ankles behind Lan Zhan’s back. Lan Zhan slides his hands down to support Wei Ying fully and Wei Ying hides his face against Lan Zhan’s chest again, breath coming fast. Lan Zhan gently squeezes his handfuls of Wei Ying’s ass.
Wei Ying jerks in his arms and looks up to stare at Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan presses him back against the wall, forcing him to straighten enough for Lan Zhan to kiss him again.
This time their kiss is deep and filthy, tongues sliding together.
When Wei Ying sucks on his tongue, Lan Zhan can’t help but grind his hips forward. Wei Ying moans happily and tugs him closer until they’re flush against each other.
It’s almost as close as they can get and Lan Zhan wants closer. He was raised to do everything in moderation but Wei Ying makes him gluttonous. Lan Zhan frees one hand to slide between them and undo the ties on Wei Ying’s pants. Shoving them as far down as he can in their position, he finally gets his hand on Wei Ying’s pretty cock.
There’s precome smeared across Wei Ying’s stomach and dripping down his cock. Lan Zhan uses it to slick the slide of his hand down Wei Ying’s cock and Wei Ying begins to shake in his arms, as he does right before he comes. Lan Zhan jerks Wei Ying slowly then grips him firmly at the base of his cock.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying shouts, outraged. Lan Zhan just stares at him while Wei Ying struggles to cope with the sudden loss of his impending orgasm. He’s furiously red and the hands on Lan Zhan’s shoulders are gripping tighter than ever.
“Tell me,” Lan Zhan says as Wei Ying’s breathing starts to slow down.
“Tell you what?” Wei Ying says as if he doesn’t know what Lan Zhan is asking.
“Tell me,” Lan Zhan repeats. He grinds against Wei Ying again and Wei Ying groans as the grip on his cock prevents him from enjoying it.
“Fine!” Wei Ying says. “I like it when you pick me up.”
His flush is reaching down his neck now, disappearing under his robes. Lan Zhan watches it spread with interest.
“I like how strong you are,” Wei Ying admits and Lan Zhan loosens his grip on his cock. He hoists Wei Ying up higher until he has to tilt his head back to kiss him. Then he slides his hand down the back of Wei Ying’s pants.
He’s still wet and loose from their activities this morning. Lan Zhan’s fingers sink home easily into that soft heat. He pushes as deep as he can reach, rubbing against Wei Ying’s prostate as he goes. Wei Ying is trembling in his arms again but it's still too soon for Lan Zhan to help him.
He works Wei Ying open quickly, faster than he usually would. Wei Ying’s breathing is rough and Lan Zhan knows it can’t be comfortable but Wei Ying is leaking profusely between them and he’s tugging Lan Zhan even closer.
Lan Zhan pulls his fingers free and quickly undoes his own belt, shoving his robes apart and his pants down.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Wei Ying hisses, digging his nails into Lan Zhan’s back.
Lan Zhan lines himself up and presses in deep in one long slide. Wei Ying’s nails would be ripping into his back if it wasn’t for his robes and Lan Zhan resolves to do this again naked. Later though. Right now he’s deep inside Wei Ying and nothing else in the world matters.
He takes a small step back from the wall and Wei Ying yells as he slides even farther down Lan Zhan’s cock, Lan Zhan’s hips pressed hard against his ass. Except for where Wei Ying’s shoulders touch the wall, he’s supporting his weight entirely. A shudder works its way from Wei Ying’s neck down to his toes and he squeezes hard around Lan Zhan. In return, Lan Zhan grips his hips tight and lifts him up until only the head of Lan Zhan’s cock is still inside. Then he drops Wei Ying down.
Wei Ying shouts and Lan Zhan is jealous of anyone else who might hear his husband’s noises. He leans forward to kiss Wei Ying and muffle the noises he makes. Wei Ying can barely focus enough to kiss him back.
Lan Zhan lifts him up again and pulls him close. He establishes a steady rhythm chosen to drive Wei Ying crazy. Wei Ying pants against his lips and kicks his heels against Lan Zhan’s ass but Lan Zhan continues his slow, endless slide in and out of Wei Ying.
He wants to go faster, to crush Wei Ying in half and wreck him the way he usually does but he’s enchanted by Wei Ying’s reactions. Getting Wei Ying hard and leaking has always been easy for Lan Zhan but its never been this easy. He barely has to move and Wei Ying is moments away from sobbing. Tears cling to Wei Ying’s lashes and he’s blushing so fiercely Lan Zhan can feel the heat radiating off his face.
He speeds up, marginally.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying complains, trying to sound impatient but he sounds wrecked instead. Lan Zhan lowers his head to bite sharp kisses down Wei Ying’s neck. “Lan Zhan!”
Lan Zhan gives in to his husband’s pleas.
He shoves Wei Ying back against the wall to get the leverage he needs to wreck him properly. Wei Ying’s hands fall from Lan Zhan’s shoulders to cling to his biceps which flex beneath his grip as Lan Zhan moves Wei Ying’s hips to meet his thrusts.
It takes barely a minute for Wei Ying’s whole body to seize up, clenching down around Lan Zhan and dragging him over the edge with him.
Lan Zhan blinks the stars from his eyes as Wei Ying continues to shake apart in his arms. He waits patiently for relaxation to wash over Wei Ying before he moves them to the bed. Wei Ying hangs off him, boneless.
It’s too early to sleep but Wei Ying is exhausted and he pulls Lan Zhan into bed with him.
“Love you,” Wei Ying whispers before he drops off. Lan Zhan kisses the top of his head and wraps him up tight in his arms, protecting him while he sleeps.