Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji was thinking about Wei Wuxian, which, in all honesty, was pretty normal for him, but this time it was for a different reason entirely.

You see, Wei Wuxian had been announced to have gone missing a few days ago, and Lan Wangji was rightfully worried about him.

He knows he shouldn't, but right now, he just wants to find him and ask for his hand in marriage as soon as possible. That is how Wei Wuxian makes him feel. Constantly.

He also knows how unreasonable that is, probably a bit fast, if he was being honest, after all, he didn't even know if Wei Wuxian felt the same way about him.

There had been search parties for him, from multiple sects,mostly Wei Wuxian's own, including the Gusu Lan Sect, and Lan Wangji would be joining this latest one, hoping to find him, make sure he's alright, and then tell him how he feels about him, in his own way of course.

It was about 8 in the morning when they set out in search of Wei Wuxian, every sect participating in the search all had an unspoken rule, when searching, you stay in your own territory, this time was no different.

They searched for hours and hours, mostly without breaks, except for a few, other than Lan Wangji who hadn't taken any. The sun was already setting by the time they ended the search for the day, wanting to have enough time to eat before it was time for bed. Lan Wangji didn't care about that though, he decided to continue after everyone had left.

He was searching for about half an hour before he saw something. It wasn't related to Wei Wuxian he didn't think, but it was still something he just couldn't ignore.

There was a somewhat large bat laying in the grass, it seemed hurt and startled, its breathing going at a very quick pace.

Lan Wangji couldn't help but feel sympathy for the adorable bat and decided to nurse it back to health.

He went back to Cloud Recesses, grabbed some supplies, including blankets and some things to feed it, having noticed what kind of bat it was. The bat was a flying fox bat, one known for eating fruits.

He set up a place on a table he used for studying near his bed, a choice he made in order to keep an eye on it. He made a nest like area for it, placing the bat inside, and put a cover on it just in case it could fly around, after all, that would cause quite the problem if the bat tried to fly off while still injured.

He sat there at his desk,next to the bat in the box, doing research on this particular kind of bat, in order to insure proper care.

He read ways to tell whether it was male or female, and its age, as well as usual diet and basically any information he could find.

He checked the gender and age of the bat, that was thankfully cooperating quite well, and determined that it was a adult male.

The way he did so was by checking its teeth size and wear, and some.....other things.

He decided to use the chance to feed the bat and grabbed some fruit that was pretty common in their diet. He gave the bat some chunks of banana that he had torn off of the rest of it, and fed it to the bat by hand.

While the bat was eating the banana, he thought about somethings, for once, most of it was something other than Wei Wuxian, emphasis on 'most' of the said thoughts, there was still a few, like for instance, what would he think about the bat, if he saw Lan Wangji taking care of the bat, would he feel touched, maybe a sense of adoration or amazement? But the main thoughts he was having, well, what happened to this bat, how had it been hurt, would it be able to be back in nature after a while, If not, then would he keep it?

He decided that the best course of action would be to call his brother Lan Xichen, and tell him about the situation. He asked a guard that was doing a final sweep of the premises before going to bed themselves to retrieve him, to which the guard agreed, and headed to get him.

While waiting, he patched up the bat's wounds, occasionally taking a break from doing so to give the bat some more banana in attempt to keep it calm, as it would get a bit fussy after a while.

When Lan Xichen had finally arrived, Lan Wangji had finished tending to the bat's wounds and set it down on the blankets

" Wangji, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"This"

"Is that a bat? It's hurt..... I'm assuming you're nursing it back to health? Where and when did you find it?"

"Search"

"Oh, the search for Wei Wuxian? Hmmm, I'm sure you'll do well taking care of it, like you do with the bunnies, let me know if you need anything though. I'll let shufu know about it, so get some rest,okay? I'm sure you've had a long day"

"Okay, Thank you."

And with that, Lan Xichen left, leaving Lan Wangji and the bat alone.

When Lan Wangji turned his attention towards the bat again it was practically falling asleep. Bats usually were nocturnal, but he figured that the bat was tired from the stress and injuries, and could use some rest, so he put the box back over the bat, blew out the candles, and went to bed himself, hoping the bat would be feeling better soon.

Chapter Text

At the usual time of 5 in the morning, Lan Wangji had woken up as per usual, going through his usual motions of getting ready.

That was until he got to the part of having breakfast, see normally, he'd eat breakfast soon after getting dressed, but recently, he had added something to his morning routine, checking on the bat that he'd been taking care of.

It had been about a month since he found the bat, and although nobody had found Wei Wuxian, he felt grateful for the bat who acted as a sort of temporary distraction occasionally, as well as, a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

The bat had been progressively getting better, however, when he had an animal professional take a look at it, they decided it'd be best for it to be kept in a sort of sanctuary, as it wasn't fit to be released into the wild ever again. That being said, Lan Wangji had decided to keep it as his own, something he will later come to be very glad about.

The bat was okay, and actively trying to fly to Lan Wangji, having gotten comfortable with him. The bat would now sit on his head or one of his two shoulders whenever it could. However the bay would actively avoid anyone else, clinging to Lan Wangji as much as possible while staring at anyone nearby.

Lan Wangji didn't know why, but he gained a sort of satisfaction from this, feeling like the bat chose him specifically, and not anyone else.

He ate breakfast before heading out for the day, making sure to leave plenty of fruit for the bat as he did so.

He doesn't know why, but whenever he leaves he always feels like the bat is pouting at gum, kinda like a certain person who's always on his mind. That's probably what Lan Wangji likes about the bat the most, just how similar it is to Wei Wuxian.

-------------------------------------------

He was heading to the library when Lan Xichen had stopped him.
"Wangji, there's been a bit of an update on the whole Wei Wuxian situation, I figured you'd like to hear about it. Someone found an empty jar of wine nearby, specifically the one that we've been told is Wei Wuxian's favorite kind."

"I see, thank you for bringing this to my attention."

That made Lan Wangji very happy to heat, although he didn't show it of course, only those who knew him well, like his uncle or brother, would be able to tell.

He was happy because he knew what that could potentially mean, that Wei Wuxian was nearby, and more importantly, doing decently well.

Lan Wangji couldn't stop thinking about the implications of this information during the rest of the day, even by the time he got back home, all he could think about was what it could mean.

After all, Wei Wuxian would be the only one around here that would drink that stuff, not to mention that specific kind. But what did this mean? Why was he over here, and more importantly, did it have anything to do with him?

Lan Wangji was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't even notice when the bat had landed on his head, clearly trying to get his attention.

Eventually he did notice, but not before the bat could start messing with his forehead ribbon.

His (not so) little bat really was too cute, Lan Wangji thought to himself, not thinking much of the action. He decided that it wad enough pondering for the day and decided to sit down and eat dinner, get ready for bed, and attempt to put the bat back in its box.

The said bat refused, doing its best to remain by Lan Wangji's side. Eventually he gave up, letting the bat sleep with him on the bed.

He set the bat down on a pillow and laid down, his head right next to the bat, and soon fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian was out on a night hunt. There was a group of undead creatures lurking around a village, and they were really starting to get a bit 'rowdy' if you will. Wei Wuxian was the one sent out for it due to his almost supernatural ability to deal with them. What those people didn't know is that it was, in fact, supernatural. After all, who would be able to deal with the supernatural better than the supernatural.

Of course,some people wouldn't really consider a shapeshifter supernatural, but it certainly helped in dealing with the undead. When he shapeshifts, he can understand creatures he normally can't, even the undead ones.

It was a pretty useful ability to be sure, but fairly inconvenient at times, like when sick or injured. He would be stuck as his animal form until he got better, which was always quite the headache, with Wei Wuxian having to come up with an excuse for why he was gone or what happened. His jiejie was always understanding with him, even when his excuses didn't make a whole lot of sense, in fact, most of the time she was the only one who wouldn't yell at him about it.

Going back to the night hunt, he was wandering around the forest looking for the creatures, taking care of them when he found some, when he encountered one of the few things that could terrify him, a dog, and not only that, but it was one that was clearly an aggressive one, one that was heading straight for him.

Freaking out, he ran off, not looking where he was going, which just so happened to be a field of grass right near the said forest, but more importantly, it was right outside of Cloud Recesses.

The dog eventually caught up to him and attacked him while knocking him down on the ground. This was honestly the worst possible way for him to get injured, but hey, at least it gives him a genuine reason for disappearing for a little bit while he recovers.

Not wanting to make things worse and having learned better from past experiences, he just laid there, curled up, waiting for it to end. He knew he would end up in his animal form, a bat, and based on the fact that his arms were getting torn up, he probably wouldn't be able to fly for most of his recovery time. That meant that he'd be stuck on the ground, in the same spot, not able to move much, and therefore, not being able to eat.

It's not like he wasn't used to it, he dealt with this sort of thing all the time when he was still on the streets, so it's nothing new, it just sucked because he had heard about a really good restaurant in the village that had a wide variety of both meat dishes and fruits, two of his favorite foods. Not to mention that it was one of the best places to get his favorite wine, emperor's smile. No one knew why he liked it as much as he did, but the main reason was for its flavor, slightly fruity and sour, and its strength.

He was lying there for about three days, and he was getting pretty hungry, not to mention that the dog kept coming back around, almost as if looking for him. He heard a lot of commotion but was too distracted by his hunger and fear to pay any mind to it. Eventually, he noticed it lessen, and he wasn't sure why, but he could swear he could smell that distinct sandalwood scent that Lan Wangji always seemed to carry with him.

Wei Wuxian was only able to be distracted by the sandalwood by a little bit, still focusing on the thought of being in danger. That is, until he felt hands, and realized that he was smelling the sandalwood because Lan Wangji was there. It was also when he realized that he was picking him up off the ground.

Lan Wangji held him close to his chest, with his arms wrapped around Wei Wuxian. He had to admit, he was actually quite happy this happened, at least the part of him being found by someone who had strong morals, and who better than Lan Wangji himself!

------------------------------------------------
Wei Wuxian was in the box thing that Lan Wangji had set up, just enjoying the warmth of the blankets, happy to be off the ground and safe. He was quite curious about what Lan Wangji was reading, figuring that it was likely to have something to do with him. He also hoped to get some food soon, although he figured that meat and emperor's smile was probably off the table for options, all things considered.

Eventually, Lan Wangji put the book down and looked at Wei Wuxian, lifting up the box to grab him. Wei Wuxian didn't quite know what he was doing at first, questioning why he had opened his mouth, but then he started to.....poke and stare at his 'regions'. It was then that he understood what he was doing, however embarrassing it was.

He completely forgot his embarrassment when given a chunk of banana, which he wad quite happy about. Eventually he noticed that Lan Wangji's brother, Lan Xichen, had showed up at some point. He tried to pay attention but was a little distracted by the banana still being handed to him. Most of what he was able to get from the very short conversation is that Lan Wangji would be nursing him back to health, which was such a Lan thing to do, in Wei Wuxian's opinion.

He sat there eating the banana chunks, but after a while he started to feel quite tired, after all, he hadn't slept the past three days, too worried that the dog would come back, so it made sense that he would be now that he was safe.

Lan Wangji seemed to notice, likely understanding why he was tired even at night, when bats are nocturnal. He blew out the candles after setting Wei Wuxian down in the blankets and covering him with a box, that Wei Wuxian honestly liked, and went to bed himself.

-------------------------------------------------
Wei Wuxian lost track of time after a while, however he had overheard that it had been a month. He was sure some people were worried about him, but he couldn't help it! Lan Wangji was just too good to him while he was taking care of him.

He was already fully healed and could fly around pretty easily, which he had already shown to Lan Wangji, but he couldn't help but stay longer, not to mention that he wasn't exactly ready to tell him the truth quite yet, and he couldn't just leave, otherwise Lan Wangji would likely be very concerned and confused as to why and how the bat was gone.

Wei Wuxian would sleep in the day, waking up shortly after Lan Wangji gets home at the end of the day, and being awake all night, going to sleep shortly after Lan Wangji leaves in the mornings. It wasn't like he had to sleep during the day, he wasn't exactly bound to the biology and habits of his bat form, he just did that mostly because that's what was expected of him, not to mention that when everyone was asleep he would sneak out at night and do whatever he wanted, which lately had consisted of him going to the nearby village and getting himself some emperor's smile and some meat skewers, which for the wine, he'd do his best to hide before heading back to Lan Wangji's home.

And apparently he hadn't been doing a very good job at doing so. Wei Wuxian only found out about this after Lan Wangji got home that night after they found it, thanks to Lan Wangji telling him. He knew Lan Wangji didn't suspect anything, because this was the most he had ever heard Lan Wangji talk. Thanks to this he had heard some.....interesting things to say the least, things that made him very happy. Lan Wangji had told the bat about his feelings for Wei Wuxian, something that surprised him quite a bit, it was from that day that he had sworn to tell Lan Wangji the truth about the last month, he just wasn't ready quite yet.

Lan Wangji had gone to bed after doing his usual night time routine, and Wei Wuxian had turned back to his human form, hoping to maybe get some tanghulu in town this time. Making sure he kept an eye on what time it was, he headed off to the town, enjoying himself, after all as long as he was careful, there was no way he would be caught before he was ready.

He ended up not being as careful as he thought he was. He was seen turning back into his bat form, without realizing it.

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji woke up at the usual time, not really expecting much to have happened while he was asleep, but apparently he wad wrong.

What he saw shortly after waking up was certainly something he wasn't expecting, but he wasn't entirely upset about it either. He saw Wei Wuxian, the very person who so many had been looking for and worried about, turn into a bat, or more specifically, the one he had been taking care of for the past month.

He was happy, to say the least, but as his mind processed it all, he realized the implications of everything. He had bathed and gotten undressed in front of him, he had done things to the bat he wouldn't have done to him as a human, without having verbal confirmation that he was okay with it at least, and most damming of it all was the fact that he had confessed his feelings to him without even realizing it.

He wasn't quite sure what to do, but for now, he decided to act like nothing had happened, and go about his day like normal. He was going to think about what to do later, but for now, he'd use this knowledge and situation to his advantage.

He got ready as per usual, making sure everything was in place and proper.

He grabbed some fruit, and he laid it down on the table for Wei Wuxian, and sat down at table to eat.

Wei Wuxian was on the table in his bat form at this point, blissfully unaware of what Lan Wangji knew, and was enjoying his variety of fruits that Lan Wangji had gotten specifically for him.

Lan Wangji left after making sure Wei Wuxian was in his little box, that now had a little door for him to be able to go in and out of it by himself, and headed out for the day, for now at least.

-------------------------------------------------

After finishing certain things that he had to do that day, he headed to the library in hopes of figuring out what to do, thinking that the calm of the library might help.

It did, thankfully. He decided that he'd lure him out with his favorite fruits and a little bit of the emperor's smile that was found in the fields nearby, him likely being the reason for it being there and all, he would wait for him to feel comfortable and then confront him about it, and if all goes well, end up courting him, or even better, end up engaged to him.

He heads back home after a stop to get more fruits, and of course, the wine, and sets everything down next to the box, waiting for Wei Wuxian to wake up.

When he did, he instantly noticed the stuff next to him, and immediately got up to go enjoy his little feast of fruits (and to snag a bit of the wine if possible), not even noticing Lan Wangji who was right there staring at him.

He had finished a little bit of the fruit and was just about to try and get some of the wine when he finally noticed Lan Wangji, and more importantly, noticed that there was something off about the way he was looking at him. He didn't quite understand what was going on, that was until he heard him say something.

"Wei Ying"

This was certainly quite startling for him, he wasn't expecting....wait, did he call him that, Wei Wuxian was quite confused, but then he realized what he meant.

He turned back, understanding that he had been found out.
".....hey, Lan Zhan, how....how are ya?"
He wasn't quite sure what to say to him, he honestly felt quite embarrassed that he had been found out, not really understanding how it happened.

"Ummm....how exactly did you find out about it? I thought I was being pretty stealthy, aside from having the emperor's smile discovered of course...."

"Saw you turn into bat"

"Oh. That makes sense, I'm assuming you saw me this morning then, I did lose track of time last night, so I suppose that'd be why, although I don't really regret it much, I mean, I had fun out on the town, and you don't seem all too upset from what I can tell so......I mean.... you're not upset right....?"

"Mn."

"Okay good, I'm glad! You know, I could've gone back at this point, but y'know, I've really enjoyed being here, and I especially enjoyed the time we've spent together, I was quite nice! Although I'm sure jiejie is worried about me....but I'll figure out an explanation at some point like I always do. Say, I just remembered that I never really finished my night hunt, did I? Hopefully that won't have any effect on anything. Oh, right, I'm sure you have questions, so ask away"

"Why stay so long?"

"Well, I already basically told you, but essentially, let's just say being here was a lot more appealing than being at lotus pier right now, Madam Yu normally doesn't take too kindly to my....'disappearances' much. I usually end up getting punished for it. I was partially trying to avoid that, but I really enjoy being here with you!"

"How can you turn into a bat?"

"Well, I'm a shapeshifter! We shapeshifters have a sort of clan like thing, similar to those of the cultivation sects and whatnot, but the difference is, our clan determines what animal we can turn into, and since my mother was from the one that can turn into bats, that's the one that I am as well!"

"What happened to you?"

"Ah, that..... I ...got attacked by a dog...."

"I'm sorry to hear that...."

"Ah, it's okay! I'm better now thanks to you, plus I'm used to it by now......Was that your last question?"

"Mn"

"Okay~ my turn then! First of all how did you find me? Or I suppose it's more so what you were doing out there."

"Looking for you."

"Really? Me? Well that explains all the commotion I heard.....anyways next question, I'm sure I know the answer to this but.... are you going to tell anyone about what I am?"

"No, that is something for you to decide on."

"Much appreciated, now... did you mean what you said? About....liking me?"

"Love, not like."

"Well aren't you just the sweetest~ Well then~ for my last question, can I continue staying here for little while longer?"

"Mn, you can stay for as long as you'd like."

"Great! Although I'm probably gonna have to sleep as a bat still...."

"We can share the bed, if you'd like."

"Oh, well in that case~ then yes, I would like that very much."

"Wei Ying."

"Hmm?"

Lan Wangji takes a moment to write something down,folds it, and then hands it to Wei Wuxian.

"What's this?"

"Not good with words, but this I can do."

Wei Wuxian unfolds the note and reads it, and what he sees shocks him.

'Would you marry me?'

Wei Wuxian was quite happy, although he also couldn't help but find it a little funny and sweet at the same time that he felt the need to write this down. He understood that agreeing wouldn't mean immediate marriage, in fact, I'd be quite the opposite, after all it was a member of the main family line of a well know clan, and subsequently the main family of the Gusu Lan Sect, one that was quite serious about formalities. That meant that it would likely take a while for them to wed, mostly due to the planning, after all, nobody would be pleased to know that such a major marriage went without a proper, and quite honestly, grand wedding. Despite this, Wei Wuxian couldn't have been more enthusiastic, so what if he'd have to be paraded around a little, he'd not only be able to marry the person he loved, but he'd also be able to get away from Madame Yu, it was a win-win scenario.

"Of course I will! I would love to be yours, and for you to be mine~"

"I already am yours."

Chapter Text

It was the middle of the day,Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were spending some time together, mostly consisting of Lan Wangji reading while Wei Wuxian kept teasing him or spouting off random things that pop into his head, as he usually does. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Lan Wangji put his book down and went over to the door, meanwhile Wei Wuxian panicked and quickly turned into his bat form and went into his box that had been remodeled again to be see through, still including the little door on it.

Wei Wuxian would never admit that he liked the box, instead insisting it be kept for the sake of keeping up appearances, but Lan Wangji knew better, he could tell that he liked it, which is why he was perfectly understanding of him wanting to keep the box, plus even if it's an excuse, it's a solid reason to keep it around, after all, nobody knee the truth yet, not even that they were engaged or that Lan Wangji knew where Wei Wuxian was.

Lan Wangji opened the door and let the person who was knocking on the door inside, which, who would've guessed, was Lan Xichen. Wei Wuxian had been seeing him quite a bit ever since he got here, not so much with anyone else though, and strangely enough, not even Lan Qiren had made an appearance, he had only heard his name in passing but that's about it, although that would definitely change soon.

Wei Wuxian tried to stop being as distracted by his thoughts and tried to pay attention to what they were talking about.

"Do you think you can go down there and take care of it?"

"Mn, leave it to me."

"Good, I trust that you'll do well, I shall take my leave now, good luck."

Oh. Wei Wuxian ended up missing almost the entire conversation. Oh well, he could just ask Lan Zhan about it. It seemed he would be going somewhere? He hoped he would take him with him, maybe it was something he could help with! With that being said, he turned back into his human form.

"What was that conversation about,I didn't really hear much of it...."

"There was Jiangshi spotted nearby the village."

"Oh! I can help with that! Can I go?"

"Mn, I planned on taking you with me anyways."

They head off, Wei Wuxian in his bat form, and they go to the village to take care of the situation.

Once they arrived in the area where it was reported, it didn't take long for them to find it. Wei Wuxian knew exactly what to do to calm the Jiangshi.

Lan Wangji sat there watching him, unsure of what was happening, but he knew that whatever it was, it would work.

Eventually, the Jiangshi seemed to calm down and walked away, leaving the area for good.

"What did you do?"

"Hm? Oh, well, I can talk to them when in my bat form, so I just kinda talked things out with them."

"I see, that makes sense, I suppose."

"Well, we should probably head back now, huh? Unless there was something else you needed to do?"

"I was going to head into town, stay at an inn."

"With me? What for?"

"Shopping."

"For what? Surely you could just ask some one to get whatever it is for you, no?"

"You'll see."

Lan Wangji leads him into town, eventually arriving at a jewelry shop.

"A jewelry shop? Why here?"

"Wedding."

"Oh. That makes sense, I didn't think we'd be doing that so soon."

They went and picked some ornaments out for themselves, and bought them. They headed out of the store and Lan Wangji grabbed Wei Wuxian's hand again, leading him to somewhere else.

Later, they arrived at a restaurant, where they sat down and ordered some food.

"So, you've basically decided to use this chance for us to go on a date of some sorts?"

"Mn."

"Awww~ you are going to be the best husband ever~"

After saying that Wei Wuxian had noticed something, a slight bit of pink of the tip of Lan Wangji's ears. He would certainly remember that, and use it to his advantage when teasing him next time.

They ate their food, and after paying, Lan Wangji continued to lead Wei Wuxian to different shops and stalls, buying him whatever Interested him. Eventually the sun started setting, and they went to an inn to get a room.

It had a bathtub, which Wei Wuxian used the chance to take a bath, while Lan Wangji did his best to be respectful, which, of course, Wei Wuxian teased him over.

They soon went to bed, sleeping right next to each other.

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had spent three days in the village, taking a breather from Cloud Recesses, before heading back.

When they did, Lan Xichen had come up to them, mostly Lan Wangji seeing as Wei Wuxian was in his bat form once again, and he didn't know the truth about the said bat quite yet.

"Wangji, I trust that the night hunt went well?"

"Mn."

"That's good! Just to let you know, you have someone here to see you, she's in your home currently waiting."

"Okay,thank you for telling me."

And with that the conversation ended. Wei Wuxian knew Lan Wangji wasn't much for conversation, but he figured that he'd at least chat with his brother for a little bit, after all, it had been three days since they last saw each other.

Lan Wangji, holding Wei Wuxian in his arms, went home to greet his visitor and settle back in.

When Wei Wuxian saw who it was, he couldn't help but feel happy, his jiejie was here! He was still very confused as to why she was here, what would she have to talk to Lan Wangji about?

"Ah, hello! Um....I just wanted to talk to you about A-xian...."

"What would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, well....you see... I figured that you'd be able to understand me the most regarding the situation with him....I really miss him and I'm quite worried about his safety, what if he gets attacked by a dog or what if he doesn't have enough food!"

"Mn, I understand quite well."

"I just hope that whenever he is, he's safe. But still, he better have a good explanation this time, he's usually only ever gone for 1 week at most...."

Wei Wuxian couldn't take it anymore, he felt really bad hearing her worrying about him, it hurt seeing her so upset, so he did the only thing he could think of.
He changed back in front of her.

"A-xian!? What are you doing here? Is this where you've been this entire time?"

"Well.....not the entire time? Then again it was only three days that I wasn't....I'm really sorry! I just really enjoyed being here..... Lan Wangji has been treating me very well!"

"That's good to hear at least.....what happened this time?"

"Ah....i...was attacked by a dog.....I um.... don't know if you saw but....I'm kinda a shapeshifter....and when we get injured pretty badly we usually transform into our full animal shift to heal faster, but when we do we're stuck like that until fully healed."

"That make sense, I suppose, but that doesn't change the fact that I was really worried about you, you know?"

"Yeah....I'm really sorry, but on the bright side, things have been going well between me and Lan Zhan!"

"Oh? How so?"

"Me and him are engaged now! Actually we haven't told anyone yet and haven't really started planning it yet, but we plan to soon."

"That's wonderful to hear! I'm so happy for you! I'm sure he will treat you very well, or at least, he better treat you well, otherwise....."

"Yes,yes thank you! He will, don't do anything to him please."

"Well.... have you done anything else for it? I know you said you haven't told anyone and that you haven't started planning yet, but maybe you've done something else?"

"Ah! We actually went shopping a few days ago for our wedding jewelry! We still don't have our robes for it though, we figured we'd wait till the wedding planning started to do all that."

"Yeah, that makes sense. It'd probably be best to do so in order to match the rest of your wedding."

"That's exactly what the thought process was! Then again, I learned from the best!"

They sat there talking to each other about their own weddings and engagements, discussing what they wanted for their wedding, and expressing excitement for it.

Eventually, and to Wei Wuxian, unfortunately Jiang Yanli had to head back to Lotus Pier,giving WeiWuxian some of his favorite snacks before doing so, leaving the two alone together.

They two sat there enjoying some time to themselves before Lan Wangji headed out for the day to work on the things he needed to do, while Wei Wuxian stayed behind, working on his talismans.

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji barley had a week to rest before they had another night hunt to go on, this time, it was a lot further away.

A family in the village they'd be going to had reported having problems with an undead creature in the area. It had been causing them to lose sleep and they couldn't take it anymore, asking for help from multiple sects.

When they got there, they met up with the family who had asked for help, they expected the master of the family to take charge in talking, but actually, it was the madame who did so instead.

"I take it you two are the ones helping us with our little 'situation'?"

"That is correct."

"I believe introductions are in order then, I am leader of this household, you can just call me Madam Mo, this is my husband, an this is my wonderful son Mo Ziyuan."

"Um...if I may Madam Mo, what about the other one?"

"Oh, him? Don't waste you're time on him, that's just my disgrace of a nephew."

Wei Wuxian did not like that reply, it reminded him too much of how Madam Yu is with him. He felt like he had to do something.

"Where is the spirit usually spotted?"

"Just over by that wall over there."

"Okay...regarding that, where's his parents?"

"Still asking about him? His father left and his mother died from sickness shortly after."

This made Wei Wuxian even more heart broken, he was essentially an orphan too, even if his father was still alive, he wasn't around so it's wasn't like that counted for much. He would have to research more later.

He turned his attention to the child himself, and only then did he notice something on him. There were multiple wounds on his body. Wei Wuxian was now absolutely furious, this woman had caused this child so much suffering, and Wei Wuxian was almost certain that she wasn't the only one doing so either. He had to get this child out of there.

He needed to know more about him, but he knew asking Madam Mo wasn't the best idea, so instead, he decided to ask the child himself.

"Excuse me, um can I ask you a few things?"

The child seemed confused, looking around before finally speaking.

"Are you....talking to me...?"

"Yes I am! So, can I ask you some questions then?"

"Mhm.....sure go ahead..."

"Well, first of all,how old are you?"

"I'm 6."

"Okay, what's your name?"

"Mo Xuanyu."

"Well it's nice to meet you, now, they don't treat you very well, do they."

"No.......but it's better than having to be on the streets........at least I have somewhere to stay......"

"I used to think that too, but then I met someone who would treat me really well and let me stay with them, instead of hurting me, saying awful things about me, and just generally mistreating me. I'd be willing to be that person for you, if you'd like. "

"Do.....do you mean.....that you'd adopt me....?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. So, how bout it?"

"I'd love to....but.....what about my aunt?"

"I'll take care of that, don't worry about her."

And so, Wei Wuxian went to 'persuade' her, and by that, I mean he used his shapeshifting ability to bring out his claws to scare her. It worked.

"Wei Ying?"

"Sorry~ I just couldn't ignore what they were doing to him!"

"You adopted him?"

"Yes, I did! Why.....are you not okay with that.....?"

"No, it's okay, just that it won't be something that's easy to hide."

"Oh....right. Well, we need to tell people about the engagement anyways, we can just bring him up when doing so. Although that does mean that we'd have to tell them as soon as we get back....."

"Mn. That's fine."

"We need to take care of the little 'problem' first though. I'll take care of it no problem with my bat form!"

He turned into his bat form and tried to go about taking care of the situation as per usual, however, there was a slight issue..... it didn't seem to care, It was refusing to even acknowledge him.

That's not good.

"Well....that didn't work....hmmm, I have something else I could try but....it's not ideal, that's for sure..."

"Do what you need to do. Let me know if you need help."

"Will do......."

Wei Wuxian then pulled out something wrapped in cloth, that he'd been carrying around with him everywhere, and unwrapped it. What was revealed after was.....a flute?

Lan Wangji was confused by that but supportive nonetheless. He watched from afar while Wei Wuxian put his secondary plan into action.

He put the flute up to his mouth and started playing it....and he seemed to be controlling the spirit? Then Lan Wangji realized what he wad doing, he was using the flute to control the resentful energy in the spirit to, in turn, control the spirit itself. This was not good for him, it would likely have negative consequences to his health and mental state I'd he continued to use it.

"Isn't that dangerous....? I don't want anything bad to happen to you...."

"I know it is but.....I'm sure I'll be fine if I don't use it often....although, if talking to them in my bat form isn't working.....I don't know what else to do...."

"It'll be okay, I'm here to help you, just remembered that."

"Awww~ aren't you just the sweetest~ alright I'll try and rely on you a bit more in the future then."

"Mn. We should probably head home soon, now that the spirit is taken care of."

"Ah, right, we probably should! Let's go get our new son first though~ oh, wait, is....is that okay, me referring to him as that?"

"I'm fine with it. I'm sure he is too."

"Well, I still feel the need to make sure. I don't want to just assume.... I know how awful that sort of thing can be...."

"Alright, I'll wait here then."

Wei Wuxian walks over to where Mo Xuanyu had been hiding out at.

"Hey...so we're heading out now...if you're ready. Um....by the way....what exactly would you like me to refer to you as...? I don't want to assume anything,after all."

"Umm...well....can I call you...baba then?"

"Of course! That's perfectly fine, do you have anything you need to grab or want to do before we leave then?"

"No...I don't have anything, and I honestly just want to leave as soon as I possibly can.....I don't like it here at all..."

"That's perfectly understandable, I felt that way about Lotus Pier honestly....."

"Lotus Pier?! As in the main area of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect????"

"Yup! The leader of the sect took me in after my parents died during a night hunt, mainly because my father used to be the head disciple there. The madam of the sect is actually pretty awful, she always was looking for excuses to punish me, even over the smallest thing."

"No wonder you understand me....."

"Yeah....anyways, let's leave this awful town, shall we?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

They walked over to Lan Wangji,hand in hand, both smiling as they did so.

"Lan Zhan! You ready to go now?"

"Mn."

"Alright let's head out then!"

They leave Mo Village, heading home, a place of sanctuary for many.

Once they arrive there, Wei Wuxian turns back into his bat form, not quite ready to deal with all of the drama.

"Wangji, who is this?"

"I'll talk to you about it tomorrow along with some other things."

"Right, of course, I'm sure you must be tired from your trip, we can discuss this all later. Should I find a place for him to stay?"

"Temporarily. I plan on having him stay with me when I have the space."

"Ah, so until renovations are complete then? I'll make sure to put in a request for it then, you'll have to be the one to specify the details of it though."

"Mn, okay."

"Alright, well, I'll leave you to it, I'm sure you'd like yo get some rest. Hey there, how about you come with me so we can get you set up somewhere for now, okay?"

"Alright....."

Lan Xichen leads Mo Xuanyu to the disciple living quarters to set him up there temporarily. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian head back home and get settled back in.

They wash up(separately, as Lan Wangji was insistent on it), get changed, and spend some time doing their own preferred activities before bed.

"Wei Ying, what are you working on?"

"Oh, well, the events of today kind of inspired me for a few talismans, so I was trying to work on some of those. Mostly things that would help with them in the future. What about you?"

"Just some assignments for the disciples."

"Ooo, what about?"

"Talismans."

"Maybe I can help then?"

"Mn, I'd appreciate it."

And so they worked on the assignments together, before eventually heading to bed.

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning and Wei Wuxian was working on his talismans again. He wanted to get them done as soon as he possibly could, hoping to use them for the next night hunt.

"How is it going?"

"Hm? Oh, it's going really well actually, I have one of them ready too! Do you wanna see it?"

"Mn."

Wei Wuxian pulls out a necklace he'd gotten during the last night hunt in the way back, turned it around, and etched into the back of it was a sigil.

"What does it do?"

"It makes it to where I can use the energy without any potential damage! I'm still working on a few others that can help during night hunts too."

"Hm, sounds helpful."

"I'm glad, anyways we should probably talk to your brother soon.....shouldn't we?"

"Mn, we should."

"Oh! By the way, I plan on having my own mini sect of sorts for me and Xuanyu for now, I think that he'd be more comfortable with that than the Lan stuff, no offense."

"None taken. I understand."

"You do? That's good....I was kinda worried on how you'd react....."

"Mn. We should probably go talk to him soon."

"Alright! Just let me finish up here really quick!"

Wei Wuxian finished the talisman that he was working on and put everything away. They headed out, Wei Wuxian hiding from everyone as a bat, not wanting to attract too much attention quite yet, at least, not until they finish talking to Lan Xichen.

"Wangji, it's good to see you, I assume that this is about the child you brought with you?"

"Mn, other things as well."

"Like what exactly?"

And that was Wei Wuxian's que, he flew out and transformed back into his normal form.

"Ah, I see. So you've been the bat that my brother had been taking care of this entire time then."

It wasn't really a question, Wei Wuxian knew that, however, he still wanted to reply to it.

"Yeah.....I couldn't help it.....Lan Zhan just treated me so well!"

"Well, that's good to hear. Do you intend to stay here for still? Have you told people that you're here?"

"Ah, yes I'll still be staying here for a little if that's alright, as for if people know.....only shijie knows for now but that'll change soon....considering certain discussions that have to happen...."

"Discussions? What do you mean?"

"Ummmm, Lan Zhan....? Do you want to tell him.....?"

"Wedding Planning."

"........he proposed to me.....I agreed, so... it'd be for our wedding that most people don't even know is gonna happen yet."

"That's great to hear, I'm glad you finally made your feelings for him clear Wangji."

"Mn."

Wei Wuxian noticed that Lan Wangji's ears had turned pink when his brother said that, and instantly felt himself fawning over him.

"I suppose there'd be meetings about that here as well. I will handle announcing it to the sect, unless you two would like to do so yourselves?"

"I personally don't want to deal with that.... I don't think people will take too kindly to me being the one to marry him....."

"I'm sure they'd be fine with it but i understand that it might be a bit much. Wangji, do you want to or no?"

To that, Lan Wangji shook his head slightly.

"Alright, no worries then, I'll take care of it. What about shufu?"

"I'll tell him, it's what's proper."

"Alright. Now what about that child, what's the story behind that?"

"Ah! This is a me thing.... so basically, I saw that he was getting mistreated by the residents of the Mo household and it kinda brought back some bad memories for me.... I felt like I needed to rescue him from them.... I just couldn't bring myself to leave someone in that situation.....so I decided to adopt him....."

"I see...that's very honorable of you, I'm sure you two will do well taking care of him."

"Ah, thanks, I'm just glad I could help him in any way....."

"That being said,shall I prepare for him to be a disciple here?"

"Oh....actually.... I was going to have my own little sect of just me and him....he seems kinda off put by the disciples and I figured he'd be more comfortable wearing colors that he already wears......."

"Understood, I'll make sure people are aware of that then. Will this be an official sect? Are you going to be allowing others to join it if so?"

"I....didn't think that far ahead.....if I could, I would definitely allow others....but I don't think that'd be taken well by anyone else and with the fact that I'd likely be living here after marrying Lan Zhan.... I just don't know if that's possible...."

"Hmmmm.....depending on the type of disciples you'd be taking in....maybe you could set up here as well or somewhere nearby. I could maybe convince people to allow that."

"Well... I'd probably mostly take in disciples that either have a rough home life or otherwise wouldn't make it into any sect, to give them a chance, Y'know?"

"That might work....especially if you start off small. I'll see what i can do to help, after all you'll be my brother in law soon."

"Ah, thank you.....I really appreciate it..."

"In the meantime, would you mind helping with classes? I've been told that you're quite good at talismans before, it'd be great if you could share some of your expertise to the disciples."

"Oh, sure I would mind it. I'd love to teach them about talismans!"

"Then would you be okay with doing so today? Our usual teacher for that is currently under the weather."

"Oh, of course, I can do that today!"

"Much appreciated, you've made it to where we won't have to cancel the class then. I'm sure that the teacher would be greatly appreciative of it."

"I'm just glad I can make myself useful."

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji left and went off to work on their individual responsibilities, smiling at each other every time they passed each other.

The students for the talisman class were more than disappointed at first when they heard that the class wasn't canceled and despite that they grew to love it by the end of it, absolutely fascinated by Wei Wuxian's creations and how he talked about them.

As for Lan Wangji, he helped the disciples train their sword skills, writing, and other various different things, helping wherever he was needed.

They both worked hard and did their best to teach the disciples well, however, they were looking forward to the end of the day, when they'd be able to spend time together, just the two of then.

It had been a long day for both of them so far and they were taking a lunch break, just them and Mo Xuanyu, in a quiet area, having a small picnic together.

"So~ Xuanyu, how have you been doing today? You settling in okay?"

"Yeah....the people here don't really pay any mind to me though, it's nice that they aren't being mean but.....it feels like they're ignoring me...."

"Mmm, I'm sure they're just busy and focused on their responsibilities. I'm sure that they'll eventually talk to you!"

"I hope so..... it feels kinda lonely...."

"I understand, by the way, do you want to start learning cultivation? If you do.....do you want to start early or at the normal age?"

"I can learn to be a cultivate? Early please!"

"Alright! I'll have to work on some training stuff for you then! Anyways, Lan Zhan, what about you? Hiw has your day been?"

"Good. What about you?"

"Ah, it been so much fun! They've seemed so invested in my lessons! It makes me feel very happy."

"Mn, that's good."

"Hey....where did Xuanyu go? Did he leave or something...?"

Mo Xuanyu wasn't anywhere to be seen, only....there was something else....
A cat?

"Wait....Xuanyu? Is that you, are you the cat????"

The cat mowed back, seemingly startled quite a bit.

"Huh....I guess you're a shapeshifter too? Or maybe you became one??? I don't know if either of his parents were shapeshifters or not....."

He then suddenly turned back.

"What's happening to me.....? Is it bad?"

"Aww, no it isn't bad, you can shapeshift into a cat it seems, which isn't bad, because if it was then I'd be bad, am I bad to you?"

"No....so you can turn into an animal too?"

"Yup! I can turn into a bat!"

Out of nowhere, Wei Wuxian had bat ears on his head and tiny wings on his back.

"Ah....thus happens sometimes... I'll teach you about being a shapeshifter alongside the cultivation stuff, okay?"

"Alright! Thanks, I can't wait!"

"Of course- Lan Zhan? Are you....petting my ears?"

"Mn."

"Haha, you enjoying doing that?"

"Mn, Wei Ying is soft."

"Are they? I've never had someone pet them before, and I've certainly never done so myself.....so I didn't know that!"

Mo Xuanyu then started petting Wei Wuxian's ears too.

"Ahhh they are soft! Fluffy!"

"You should probably tone the excitement down a little there~ wouldn't want your ears to pop out, would you?"

"No...I don't wanna have them right now!"

They sat there, eating and enjoying some time together before heading back to their individual things that they had to take care of, aside from Mo Xuanyu, who went to try and find someone to play with.

They went through the rest of the day, doing their best, keeping watch of the disciples, and working on things for their individual classes.

Eventually, evening arrived and they headed home, with Mo Xuanyu still having to stay at the disciple quarters.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji sat around working on their own projects while Wei Wuxian made jokes and Lan Wangji tried his best to keep his composure.

They eventually headed to bed, cuddling for a little while before sleeping, holding each other in their arms, peaceful and happy.

Chapter Text

When Wei Wuxian woke up that morning, he instantly felt off and knew something wad wrong. He wasn't quite sure what, but what he did know is that he felt really hot for some reason..... it took him a moment to realize it, but eventually, he realized that it was a fever.

It would seem that he had gotten sick.

Thankfully the usual talisman teacher had already gotten better, having been a week since he had taken over teaching for them while they got better.

Wei Wuxian laid there in bed, not saying anything so as to not worry Lan Wangji. He knew that if he found out about it, he wouldn't allow him to do anything other than lay in bed all day,but he also knew that Lan Wangji would be relentless in taking care of him, likely staying by his side as much as he possibly could, given that he still had things he needed to do.

Unfortunately for him, Lan Wangji knows him very well and instantly realized that something was off.

He made sure Wei Wuxian didn't get out of bed, bringing him breakfast and sitting next to him while they ate. He also did his best to stay by his side while getting ready for the day, in order to keep an eye on him just in case.

Lan Wangji had decided to rely on Mo Xuanyu to look after him while he couldn't, giving Wei Wuxian the excuse of it being for the sake of his learning. Wei Wuxian already figured out the truth behind it.

==================================
When Mo Xuanyu had gotten there, Wei Wuxian was still in bed, but clearly had gotten up at some point. He was working on talismans, no paying much attention to anything else.

That was until Mo Xuanyu knocked something over while walking towards him.

"Ah, Xuanyu, I see that Lan Zhan has recruited you to look after me for today. He said it was so I could teach you some stuff so I suppose I should play along and do so, so what would you like to learn today?"

"Umm....can you tell me why the half form thing happens?"

"Oh,right I said I'd do that didn't I? Alright just let me finish these talismans first."

It took him all but a minute to finish up with the talismans, before turning towards his adopted son.

"Alright! So...the half forms huh? Let's see....right. So the best way I could explain it, it's generally based on emotion, any intense emotions negative or positive can trigger it, if you want to not have that happen as often then you'd have to control your emotions a but better. If you wanted I could help you do so, but do keep in mind that the effectiveness of it varies, not to mention that you don't need to do so if you don't want."

"Um, can you teach me more about being a shapeshifter when you're better?"

"Of course, just let me know what you want to learn alright?"

"Mn, sure! I can do that, no problem!"

For hours, the two sat there keeping each others company, Mo Xuanyu occasionally getting up to get water for Wei Wuxian, but otherwise, they talked about whatever they thought of,Wei Wuxian teaching Mo Xuanyu some stuff during it.

Eventually,lunchtime rolled around, and Lan Wangji had returned. He had brought a bowl of soup with him on his way there. It was a mildly bland soup with a great deal of vegetables, however, Lan Wangji knowing Wei Wuxian's tastes, had snuck some chili oil into it on his way home for him.

Wei Wuxian was of course very grateful for this act of thoughtfulness, making easier for him to absolutely destroy the soup, effectively eating it within a matter of minutes.

They spent the remaining time together, while Lan Wangji and Mo Xuanyu finished up their lunches, having yet to finish theirs.

Lan Wangji held Wei Wuxian in his arms when he could, while Wei Wuxian being his usual self talked about anything he could think of, as well as teasing him when he found a way to sneak it in.

All in all, they enjoyed their food and time together, savoring it as if it wouldn't last beyond this moment.

Lan Wangji had to get back to his duties, much to Wei Wuxian's upset, having gotten quite comfortable in his arms. Leaving him and Mo Xuanyu alone again to continue with their conversations and lessons.

To both Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, the day seemed to stretch on forever, no end in sight, but soon enough, the sun had started setting, ending Lan Wangji's work for the day, letting him return to where he wanted to be the most.

He had made sure to stop by the healer's office before heading back in order to get Wei Wuxian some medicine, already trying to figure out how to convince him to take it. He eventually decided on promises of cuddles and kisses afterwards.

We he had finally gotten back home, he made the mistake of not hiding the medicine from view, causing Wei Wuxian to instantly notice it and start ranting on about not wanting to take it, that was until he heard Lan Wangji's little promise for if he did take it, and suddenly he was downing the said medicine like a shot. He of course regretted that decision immediately, complaining about the bitter taste, but Lan Wangji quickly quieted him down with kisses, as promised, if not a little more urgent than what was promised.

Wei Wuxian tried his best to sleep through the night, which as it turns out, didn't end up being as difficult of a thing as he thought it'd be, instead, he passed out almost immediately, even quicker than Lan Wangji himself.

================================

It had been about five days since he'd gotten sick, but Wei Wuxian was starting to feel a little better, if not for still having a sore throat and a headache. By the time the sun set the sixth day Wei Wuxian was officially feeling better, ready to continue helping out around the sect and with wedding planning.

Chapter Text

It was pretty early in the morning, even for Lan standards, but here Wei Wuxian was, awake, working on talismans, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. Since he was sick, they got quite behind on wedding planning, due to not wanting to leave him out of it.

He appreciated it, sure, but that did mean that they'd have to spend an entire day just to catch up on it all, which is exactly what was happening.

Wei Wuxian didn't quite know what they'd be doing today and he was sure he'd enjoy it in the moment, but right now, he was absolutely dreading the thought of it.

He knew it'd be similar to their date during that first night hunt they went on together, however, the problem was is that it wouldn't be. Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren were both going to be there for it to supervise them. Not exactly what one would call date, not to mention that he was almost certain that Lan Qiren despised him even more now that he was going to be married to his nephew.

Lan Wangji had tried to reassure him that this wasn't the case, that he was just like that, but Wei Wuxian wasn't convinced whatsoever. He also reassured him that even if that was the case, he would do whatever ha had to do to marry him, which made Wei Wuxian feel a little bit better about it all.

Lan Wangji had woken up from the sound of the paper rustling and got up to hold him and spend some time with him before their busy day ahead of them.

Hours passed, the two enjoying the peace and quiet for while they can, but soon enough, it was time for them to get ready and head out. Of course, they did this together not once leaving each others side.

Once they were ready, they left to meet up with Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren for discussing the plan for the day before departure.

"Wangji, I hope you two are well?"

"Mn."

"I certainly am feeling a lot better, so, what's on the list of things to do today?"

"Well we can discuss it further later, but for now, we'll be picking out floral arrangements and a few other decoration options."

"Hmm, sounds fun. Is there any sort of restrictions or requirements for it that I need to be aware of?"

"None, however it would be in your best interest to either stick with red or the sect colors. "

"Got it! I'm sure that won't be problem then, right Lan Zhan?"

"Mn, no problem."

"Good, glad to hear it then, aside from that, there was talk about having some sort of animal as part of it? If that's the case then it'd be best to go with something small."

"Hm, I certainly have a few ideas....some very cute ones at that!"

"Sounds interesting. That shall be all, now, shall we head out then?"

"Mn. Let's go."

And they did, making their way to the nearest town.

The first stop was the florist, in order to pick out some flowers for the wedding. There were a lot of options, some Wei Wuxian had never even heard of, but they were all quite pretty. There were few that caught his eye in particular though, the people around him taking note of them all.

Next on the list was some ornaments for where they'd be standing, that being, some candlesticks, a backdrop and some other things of the sort, mostly things to make it all seem nice.

It was a great deal easier, having already decided on using the stuff they had stored away at the sect, however there was still some stuff they had to get in regards to that, namely the backdrop for it.

They decided to take a break from it all, resting in a nearby field. There were some animals grazing nearby and a few trees to rest under for shade, however, the most note worthy thing in Wei Wuxian's mind was neither of those things, but the small bunnies huddling together, eating some vegetables people had clearly left specifically for them.

They had instantly caught his eyes, with how fluffy they were, to how pure their fur was, everything about them, he adored.

It was right there and then that he knew that he wanted them as part of the wedding somehow, he just wasn't exactly sure how.

"Hey, Lan Zhan! What do think about bunnies for our wedding?"

"Mn,okay."

"Yay! They're gonna look so cute!"

They then sat there playing with the bunnies for awhile, hand feeding them, petting them, and chasing them around the field, although that last one was entirely Wei Wuxian alone.

They eventually had to continue planning, going to the different shops, making decisions, and questioning if it was all worth it, the answer always being that it was.

It was already the afternoon by the time they were finished with it all, heading home after a long day our and about. The day wasn't exactly over for Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian as they still had their individual projects they'd been working on.

Once it got darker our they headed to bed for the night, sleeping through the entire night next to each other, holding themselves close together.

By the time morning had rolled around, Wei Wuxian was laying on top of Lan Wangji, something neither of them minded.

They sat down, discussing what to do that day, seeing as they had the next few days off.

"Maybe we could go on another date? Or maybe just go exploring a little bit?"

"Both is good."

"Ooo? Even better! You're so smart Lan Zhan~ hmm where should we go then?"

"Anywhere is fine."

"Hmm, maybe we can figure it out along the way then. I definitely am going to want to get a souvenir from each place though, for memory's sake!"

"Mn. Okay."

"Maybe we can stop by Lotus Pier too? Let them know about the situation....?"

"Mn, we should do that."

"Ah, good I'm glad you agree! Although not too soon, i could use some time to prepare for it mentally....."

"Of course, your decision."

"Thanks....I know it might seem silly but....."

"Not silly, perfectly understandable."

"Really....? Thanks for saying so, I really appreciate it.....umm as for Xuanyu....I feel bad about leaving him here and would want to introduce him to shijie but.....at the same time ...... I kinda want it to be just us, considering this will be one of the rare chances we'll get for some alone time for a good minute, especially once he moves into here too."

"Up to you."

"Well....I'm sure he'll be alright for a few days..... hopefully....."

"He'll be okay, we can make sure of that."

"Ah...okay, right! Can't let anything ruining this for us! So are we gonna head out today then? If so then when?"

"Mn, after breakfast we can say out goodbyes and head out."

"Got it! Although we should probably pack first...."

"Already taken care of."

" Oh, wow, okay great! Let's finish eating and get dressed then!"

They quickly finished breakfast and got ready, although, not before play fighting first, of course.

Heading out, they made their way over to where people were waiting for them to see them off, evidently, Lan Wangji had already prepared every thing the day before.

Everyone that was there gave them well wishes and some recommendations on places to go. They reassured them that Mo Xuanyu would be alright while they were gone, saying that they'd watch out for him and take care of him for them, which lifted Wei Wuxian's mood quite a bit.

They headed off towards their first destination, right next to each other, ready to face the world and whatever it had in store for them.

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had been traveling around together for about six days, when they had finally arrived at Lotus Pier, which, of course, made Wei Wuxian very nervous, but he kept a brave face thanks to Lan Wangji being there, supporting him and providing comfort and protection to him.

They were noticed immediately by some disciples who were practicing sword skills nearby, whom of which ran off to notify the people they were there to see.

Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng showed up soon after, Jiang Yanli looking quite pleased and happy to see them, whereas Jiang Cheng looked like he was about to burst a vein from how angry he was, something Wei Wuxian had seen coming.

"A-xian! How have you been doing?"

"Ah! Shijie! I've been doing great! I actually have quite a bit to tell you about!"

"Can't wait to hear all about it then."

And that was when Jiang Cheng had decided to but in, filled with rage.

"Where have you been!? What do you think happens when you're gone like that? Guess what, other people have to take over your responsibilities! Why were you gone for multiple months?? And why is he with you????"

"That a lot of questions there.......I've been at Cloud Recesses actually, I was recovering from some really bad injuries and just kinda got caught up in everything there, I'm aware that I have responsibilities here, but I now have responsibilities there too. Listen, I have a lot to discuss with you all, so let's just go somewhere more private for now, we can continue the conversation then."

"Fine, I suppose that makes sense but you better explain what these 'responsibilities' you have there are and why you have them, understand?"

"Yeah,yeah, whatever, Madam Yu is probably gonna be very upset when she hears what I have to say......"

They made their way over to a meeting room in order to further discuss the recent events.

"So, A-xian what is it that you have to say?"

"Well, firstly, I will likely not be returning to Lotus Pier, as I am now engaged to Lan Zhan here!"

"You're what?! Since when?? Is this why you supposedly have responsibilities there."

"That's part of, yes, but I've also been helping with classes there too. They found out about my talisman work and asked me to help teach the disciples there about them."

"Whatever, makes sense, I guess, that was always your strongest point there. By the way...jiejie why didn't you seem surprised when he said that?"

"Ah.. that's because I already knew. I actually saw him there the day I went to talk to Lan Wangji about him. When I did he told me about it and we talked about how he had been doing and wedding planning."

"You already knew?? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"He had asked me not to, he promised that he'd be telling everyone soon anyways and asked me to keep quite about it."

"Oh....well, you said you had something to tell her as well?"

"Ah! Yes, about that, I actually adopted a child during a night hunt not too long after I saw you, his situation was so similar to mine that I just couldn't stand leaving him there, his aunt and her son and some of the staff there treated him terribly, his mother had passed away two years prior to us seeing him and his father was nowhere to be found..... apparently some sort a Jin of some sort."

"Wow, that poor thing.....I'm sure you'll do well taking care of him A-xian, I'm glad that you have someone to help you as well."

"Ah, yes, it's been a lot easier with Lan Zhan helping me, plus everyone at the Cloud Recesses have also been looking out for him in their own way. His name is Mo Xuanyu, his aunt was the madam of the village that the night hunt was at. I was actually setting up a mini sect for the two of us, mostly for him so he could feel more comfortable and at ease, plus it let's him learn whatever he wants to."

"That's very sweet of you A-xian, will you be accepting others into it?"

"Maybe one day but honestly, I'm not sure how I would all things considered. Not to mention that it seems like a lot of work to set up, not to mention that I probably wouldn't be taken seriously by anyone. I do really want to one day though..... that way I can give someone a chance when they otherwise wouldn't have one....."

"I'm sure that there's many people who'd support you, I know I would. What you plan on doing is amazing, don't let anyone stop you from doing what you feel is right, okay?"

"Right, thanks shijie, you always know exactly what I need to hear! That being said, I'm wondering if my wedding will be before yours, we've already gotten a good chunk of planning done, meanwhile, it seems to be a little delayed for you, what's going on with that?"

"Ah, well mother wasn't quite pleased about some of their demands for the wedding.....something about it not being grand enough for me...."

"Let's be honest, she means that it's not grand enough for her, she probably only sees this as publicity for the sect."

"That's.....probably true.... but I can't really defy her wishes, plus I don't really have any preferences for it."

"That's fair, but still, you should have at least a little bit of say in your own wedding......"

"Well, I don't mind it. Hey....A-xian how were you able to come over? Surely you'd both be pretty busy."

"Oh, well we did a ton of planning and work and ended up not having any obligations and so we decided to take some time away from Cloud Recesses to travel a little together and have some fun before getting back into it all, considering it'll probably be our last chance to do so before we're officially married!"

"Ah, I see, I take it that this is only a temporary stop then?"

"Yup! I plan on showing Lan Zhan around the nearest town, I'm also probably gonna take him to you know where...."

"Hm, well I hope things go well for you then, maybe once your back you can send me a letter? I'd love to hear how things went for you!"

"Of course! I can send letters occasionally too! Keep you updated on how I'm doing!"

"I'd love that! When will you two be heading to the town then?"

"Hmm, honestly, probably as soon as we can.... I really don't feel like dealing with Madam Yu more than I have to....."

"Don't worry about it then you idiot, we can take care of it."

"Aww, thanks shidi!"

"Shut it! Maybe I just wanna get rid of you."

"We both know that isn't true. Anyways, I'll be taking you up on that offer then. More time to spend with my future husband!"

"Yeah, well, whatever, have fun I guess."

"We will~ hope you two have a good day! We should probably head out now if we wanna do more than one or two things, bye!"

"It was great to see you A-Xian, I hope you enjoy your time together."

And so they headed off to the town. Wei Wuxian spent the day showing Lan Wangji all if his favorite places to go to, his favorite snacks, and his favorite scenery.

They ended up staying at an inn before leaving then next day.
==================================

A few days after going to Lotus Pier, they had arrived at Yiling, with multiple stops on the way at any village they crossed during their journey over.

"So....this is where I spent my days in the streets... it might not make sense but.... I have a pretty strong connection to this place, it kinds feels like another home to me almost....I suppose it's probably just nostalgia taking though....."

"I understand,it was all you knew for a while."

"Yeah.... but I had a lot of bad memories here, so let's change that and make some good ones today, alright?"

"Mn, let's."

They wandered around, Wei Wuxian showing Lan Wangji all of the places he'd sleep or try to get food at, all with a bittersweet tone to his voice.

Eventually they came across a play happening in thr street, it told a story of a dragon who fell deeply in love with a mischievous fox, it ended with them happily together, never to be without each other again.

"That was a pretty cute story wasn't it Lan Zhan? I hope we are just as lucky as them~"

"We already are."

"Aww, you're so sweet~ speaking of sweet....there's this dessert shop I always wanted to go to! Let's go!"

Wei Wuxian had started dragging Lan Wangji in the middle of speaking, taking him to the aforementioned dessert shoo. They got their individual desserts but ended up sharing them.

"These are so good~ it's exactly what I thought it would be and more! What do you think Lan Zhan?"

"Mn, Wei Ying is better though."

"Goodness~ whatever do you mean by that~ you're so sweet to me~ anyways, anything you want to do?"

"Mn."

"Alright, lead the way then!"

Where Lan Wangji had brought him was a shop with little trinkets and tassels, all of which carefully crafted to be unique, each one different from the last. Wei Wuxian instantly saw exactly why Lan Wangji had brought him there, two matching tassels,each with a bunny on it.

"Ah, these are so pretty~ is this why you brought me here?"

"Mn. Figured Wei Ying would like them."

"Well I do like them quite a bit! Ahhh and there's a bat one too! I wanna get that one for my flute!"

"Mn. We can get both."

"Yay! I'm so happy right now! I'm glad you brought me here, thanks!"

Lan Wangji didn't reply this time, only nodding slightly with his ears having a slight pink tint to them at the tips.

"Ooo! I saw a shop selling flute care stuff, I was hoping to stop by there to get some stuff if that's okay."

"It's fine."

"Great! Let's go then!"

They made their way to various different stalls and shops, getting anything that caught their eyes, and watched some more street plays.

It got later and later in the day until they eventually headed towards an inn.

"Hey, I'm gonna go bathe okay Lan Zhan?"

"Mn."

"I'll be back soon,k? Love ya!"

He turned to kiss Lan Wangji on the cheek just before leaving, making him happy and slightly flustered.

Wei Wuxian enjoyed his bath in peace, eventually being joined by Lan Wangji. This of course didn't bother him one bit, however, he did flirt with him a whole lot, causing him to leave quickly after.

Eventually they headed to bed, or at least, Wei Wuxian did, Lan Wangji couldn't bring himself to, too focused on certain thoughts.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Wei Wuxian had been asleep for a few hours, but he had suddenly woken up due to hearing something. When he looked to see what it was, he saw Lan Wangji pacing back and forth across the room.

"Hmmm...? Lan Zhan? What are you doing up? Why are you pacing like that?"

Saying nothing Lan Wangji walked over to Wei Wuxian, pining him back down to the bed.

"Wow, so forward~ what you gonna do something~? By all means dear husband, do as you please~"

He did. Lan Wangji went in for a kiss, and, unlike their usual gentle kisses, this one was way more intense, almost as if he was starving and kissing him was the only sustenance that would change that.

When the kiss finally broke Wei Wuxian took a moment to breathe before speaking, still breathless from the kiss.

"Well then...I wasn't expecting that....not complaining but....wow....I certainly wouldn't mind that again....what spurred this on exactly.....?"

"Can't help it anymore."

"Aww~ having trouble keeping your composure there? Go ahead then, I'm not sure why you waited this long honestly. So, kiss me again please~"

Lan Wangji did kiss him again, this time, his hands were also wandering around Wei Wuxian's body, touching every inch of him like he was trying to memorize every part of him.

He soon made quick work of his robes, leaving him in just his pants alone.

"Hey... no fair~ why am I the only one undressed here~ come on, you too!"

Lan Wangji complied, taking off his robes until he too only had his pants on. The two continued kissing,Lan Wangji's hands continuing to roam Wei Wuxian's body while Wei Wuxian had one hand in Lan Wangji's hair and the other on one of his two well defined shoulders as if holding on to the last bit of sanity.

They eventually broke from the kiss,out of breath but still holding onto each other.

"This feels....oddly familiar.....wait....were you the one who kissed me on that tree?!"

"....mn. I was."

"Wow...well congrats, you stole my first kiss then~"

"I...did? But you said...."

"I say a lot of things Lan Zhan, doesn't mean that they're always true, silly~"

That caused something inside Lan Wangji to snap. He immediately fully undressed both him and Wei Wuxian, quickly doing some prep work.

"Ah- wait! Don't just suddenly pounce on me out of nowhere like that~ you- you caught me off guard....."

Soon, he finished the prepping and moved to line himself up with Wei Wuxian, thrusting himself in, causing Wei Wuxian to start spouting nonsense when he could, which wasn't very often.

They continued throughout the rest of the night, lost in the passion of the love they feel for each other.

"Mercy~ no more....I need rest, we can do more some other time.....please~"

"Mn. More later."

Wei Wuxian did not catch the undertone to him saying that.

"Much appreciated......I....am kinda tired....maybe we stay another day here? ...or two...or more..."

"Mn. We can stay longer."

They spent multiple days at Yiling, multiple nights filled with passion and love, none of which they ended up regretting. They would soon have to return, but for now, it was just the two of them.

Chapter Text

Returning to Cloud Recesses, they weren't expecting much and they certainly weren't expecting a welcome back party from the everyone either, although that certainly isn't what Wei Wuxian would call it.

It had been about a week since they had left Yiling, making their way back. It took them a while to get back into the flow of it all being gone for at least two weeks, but they managed to do so after a fee days, settling back into a routine of obligations and personal time.

Wei Wuxian had continued to help with the talisman classes, taking turns with the other teacher for it. Lan Wangji on the other hand had gone back to handling the punishments, helping with sword skills, music, and anything else he was needed for.

It was by the third day they got back into the flow of it all and by then, their home had finished renovating to have enough room for Mo Xuanyu to join them there, something both him and Wei Wuxian was eternally greatful for.

Mo Xuanyu had made some friends while they were gone, finally feeling comfortable enough to talk to the others. He found that he had somethings in common with a few of them and bonded with them over that.

"So~ Xuanyu, hiw have you and your friends been doing?"

"Really good, we've made up a new game together too!"

"Really? Sounds fun, I'm glad you made some friends while we were away!"

"Yeah....I'm glad I did too....hey, can we go see those bunnies later, the ones in the field nearby?"

"Sure! I was wanting to as well! You gonna join us Lan Zhan?"

"...okay."

"Yay! We can have a picnic again too! With plenty of fruits and stuff!"

"Can we have some watermelon then?"

"Of course we can silly! We can do that for dinner tonight then. Now we should probably get back to work, I have to help prep for the next few classes. You should go train some more."

"Okay, I will!"

They went about their day, doing what they needed to do, looking forward to their picnic latet that day.

Soon enough, dinner time had rolled around and while everyone else was inside, they were having their little picnic.

"Hey! There's some new fruits here! When did these get brought here anyways?"

"Yesterday, had them brought here for Wei Ying."

"That's too sweet of you~ I really appreciate it, they're so good!"

"Yeah! Really good!"

"So, how was you two's days?"

"Good."

"I had a lot of fun today! I made a lot if progress in my training too!"

"Oh yeah? I guess I'll have to be the judge of that later on, huh?"

"...do you?"

"Yes, I do. Why got something to hide? I'm sure you're doing well with it I just need to make sure you're on the right track with it and that things are going well, to see if there's anything you're struggling with."

"...alright then....tomorrow?"

"Yup! I have the day off from talisman class tomorrow, so I can put my full focus on you!"

".....yay....."

"Hey,You don't seem all that enthusiastic there...."

"What about you, baba?"

"Hmmm, well, there was a little problem with the work sheets for them, but it didn't take too long to fix and the disciples had fun in class today, so all in all, I'd say things went great today!"

"Mn. That's good."

"I'm just glad we don't really have to do much more for the wedding planning on our part....it's just a matter of waiting now."

"Mn."

"Hmm, well, I just remembered that I haven't really been teaching Xuanyu here any instruments yet, maybe I should remedy that...if you were to do one which one would you want to learn?"

"The dizi!"

"Aww~ just like me, huh? Alright, I can do that then, we can get you one of your own next time we're in town, okay?"

"Okay, can't wait!"

They sat there talking, enjoying some much needed family time after quite a few busy days and so much time apart from each other. They headed home once it was dark out, heading to bed after their new usual bedtime routine.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

As soon as they had finished eating breakfast, Wei Wuxian had dragged Mo Xuanyu to test his progress on his training, both for his shapeshifting and the usual disciple training.

Mo Xuanyu, for his part was doing quite well at controlling his abilities now, able to keep from transforming when he doesn't want to now.

However the problems came when they got to everything else....some of it could be excused by his age or certain other various factors...however, Wei Wuxian felt honestly appalled by the fact that Mo Xuanyu had failed at even the most basic of talismans.

"How....what did I do wrong...?"

"Ummm, it's not you're fault baba. I honestly wasn't paying attention to that part....."

"..........you...what....?"

"....uhh, I wasn't paying attention?"

".............Xuanyu......? What do you mean you weren't paying attention??? I was very clear about what I was saying, not to mention that I asked you multiple times if you were paying attention and you said that you were, do you mean to tell me that you lied to me about that????"

"........yes?"

At this Wei Wuxian sighed, a long, drawn out, sigh.

"Okay....I take it that you don't have any interest in talismans....but can you at least promise me to try and learn some of the more important ones? I just want to make sure that you're going to be okay if you get into any sort of situations."

"....okay, I understand! If I do...would we have more time to play?"

"Maybe? I can't really make any promises though....."

"Good enough! What's next then?"

"Right, so.....time for you to show me how you're doing with you're shapeshifting training."

And so Mo Xuanyu showed Wei Wuxian his progress on it, proving that, he was, indeed,doing well on it.

Once he finished showing Wei Wuxian how he'd been doing in all of his training, they moved onto the learning materials for that day.

Mo Xuanyu still struggled to pay attention to it all, unless he found something that interested him, then he would be very invested and ask multiple questions on the given topic.

All in all, the day was peaceful and they had a good day together. They headed home for the day where Lan Wangji was already waiting for them.

⊹ ⁺ 𐔌 ᩧ ຼ ͡ ৯ ♡ ໒⁀ ᩧຼ ꒱ིྀ ⁺ ⊹

They had now been back home for about a month, the wedding planning was almost finished at this point, it likely being within the next few months and both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were quite happy, enthusiastic about their wedding soon to come. Mo Xuanyu didn't quite understand, but he knew it made them happy, so he was happy right along side them.

They had arranged for two rabbits to be part of the wedding, one black one and one white one, representing them both. This is something that Wei Wuxian was quite happy with.

They of course, had been acting like rabbits whenever they could, taking advantage of any alone time they got.

**********