Work Text:
“Lan Zhan?”
Wei Wuxian blinked but the image did not shift. It was indeed Lan Wangji who was standing in front of him.
It hadn’t even been a full week since Lan Wangji had visited the Burial Mounds. When he left, it felt like a final thing, like goodbye, like closure.
Not like he’d come back in five days.
“Wei Ying.”
Wei Wuxian thought he was imagining things. Why else would Lan Wangji, of all people, sound surprised?! It’s not like he could teleport himself right to the Burial Mounds by accident! Well, maybe he could, but it was a skill that took time to practice and if Lan Wangji had been practicing it, Wei Wuxian would have definitely known.
Right?
“Why are you here?” Wei Wuxian internally winced at his tone. Too unfriendly.
“I—“ Lan Wangji cut himself, looking around.
Wei Wuxian’s patience was fraying, but that pause caught him off guard. It was unlike Lan Wangji to leave his thoughts unfinished. Could something have happened in a nighthunt? Was he cursed? Hurt?!
Wei Wuxian’s stare turned analytical in an instant.
Lan Wangji didn’t seem outwardly injured. His robes were pristine, unnervingly white among all that dirt. His hairstyle was different, though, more mature.
Now that Wei Wuxian caught onto that detail, it looked a bit like Lan Wangji had aged.
First, there was the way he carried himself. There was an ease in the set of his shoulders, like he wouldn’t blow up even if Wei Wuxian teased him for a full day. Second, there was the way he dressed. The robes he wore, his jade pendant, his guan, the placement of his guqin, all made him look like a senior.
This Lan Wangji… for some reason, he didn’t look like the Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian knew at all, and, for another, more insane reason, it looked exactly like him.
“Were you cursed?” Wei Wuxian asked, uncertain.
If he was, he’d do whatever he could to help. He just didn’t want to put the Wens in more danger.
Lan Wangji pondered the question for a while before replying, “Not exactly. Could we talk in the Demon-Slaughtering Cave?”
Wei Wuxian frowned. That was promising.
☽
In the end, Wei Wuxian allowed him entry and took him to the cave.
He trusted Lan Wangji enough to not put innocents in danger, even if the cultivation world didn’t see them like that. At best, he trusted he wouldn’t harm a child.
They passed by Wen Qing once they entered the settlement, but she kept working, as if nothing was amiss. Wei Wuxian thought she was relapsing. Even if she was still under the incorrect impression that HanguangJun considered him a friend, Lan Wangji was not someone from their home. The polite thing would be to welcome him, not pretending he wasn’t even there!
Lan Wangji stopped him before he could call out to her. “There’s no need.”
Wei Wuxian turned to him. “At least let me ask Wen Ning to make you some tea.”
Lan Wangji shook his head, however. “There’s no need to trouble them. Wei Ying, please.”
In the background, Wen Ning was digging A-Yuan from where Wei Wuxian had buried him. Neither of them seemed to notice HanguangJun had decided to grace them with his illustrious presence.
Forget it. It’s better if A-Yuan doesn’t see his Rich Gege has come back. He was inconsolable after he left the first time. When he leaves a second, he might never recover…
With a curt nod, Wei Wuxian resumed walking.
The Demon Subduing Cave was not that far from the main settlement, but as time passed and Wei Wuxian’s experiments grew in danger, the Wens stayed further and further away from there.
That was to say, long before they could reach it, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were already completely alone.
Lan Wangji, to Wei Wuxian’s surprise, was the first to break the silence and began talking before they reached the cave. “How is A-Yuan?”
So he had seen him…
Wei Wuxian smiled. That kid knew how to make an impression. He was even a bit jealous. “Growing like a radish. Just this morning he was very busy being planted on the ground after he ran off with Chenqing in his mouth. Took me half a day to find out where the two of them were hiding.”
Wei Wuxian entered the cave and Lan Wangji followed behind him, waiting as Wei Wuxian lit the candles around the place. He spoke absentmindedly about his day, forgetting who he was talking to.
It took his brain a while to catch up to his words, but, once it did, he instantly regretted saying he allowed a child unsupervised access to Chenqing, thinking Lan Wangji would scold him for it.
To say he was surprised when Lan Wangji only hummed was an understatement.
“Where was he hiding?”
Something had most definitely happened to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian felt awful for liking it a bit too much. “With Wen Ning, can you believe it? He’s supposed to be my right-hand man, but even a child has more influence than me.” Wei Wuxian finished lighting the last candle and fell unceremoniously onto the bed. “Say, Lan Zhan, am I not fearsome anymore?”
“Wei Ying is still scary,” Lan Wangji said indulgently.
It was so unexpected, Wei Wuxian couldn’t help the guffaw that left his lips. “Lan Zhan, what happened to you?!” This time, there was no heat in this voice.
A faint trace of a smile showed on Lan Wangji’s lips and stayed there for a few beats before disappearing. Wei Wuxian, who was still laughing, breathed wrong for an instant and suddenly began coughing.
Lan Wangji appeared completely unruffled by the damage he had caused. “I appear to have traveled back in time.”
It took Wei Wuxian frankly an embarrassing amount of time to realize Lan Wangji was serious, even though Lan Wangji had never joked for a moment in his life. Well, hadn’t. Until that day.
“What? Really?! From when?”
Lan Wangji must have already done the math because he didn’t even think before replying, “Approximately twenty years.”
Twenty—?! But that was almost as much time as Wei Wuxian had on this earth!
That meant that the Lan Zhan he was seeing right now was double his age! This was—
For the first time in his life, Wei Wuxian didn’t know what to say.
“Congratulations” felt too shallow. Wei Wuxian should have known Lan Wangji’s cultivation was too great, he wouldn’t age a day.
However, if this Lan Wangji was truly from twenty years in the future, there would be no way he hadn’t realized Wei Wuxian wasn’t like them. It wasn’t like his core wasn’t as strong as Lan Wangji’s. By any right, he shouldn’t have aged a day either.
If Wei Wuxian hadn’t died nor secluded himself in “cultivation”, hiding away from the secular world, it was about time HanguangJun found out he didn’t have a core.
It was better if he found that out sooner rather than later. “And… How am I?”
Wei Wuxian thought he saw something flash in Lan Wangji’s eyes. Made him almost regret asking. The feeling only intensified when Lan Wangji didn’t respond at once, as certain as he had the previous question.
Before Wei Wuxian could retract his words, however, Lan Wangji said, “Well. We married.”
That effectively shut Wei Wuxian’s brain down for a long time.
Married?!
MARRIED?!?!?!
Wei Wuxian’s lips twitched. He was going to smile. He was going to laugh it off. He still couldn’t process the words, but Lan Wangji had to be joking!
Right?!
He had to be joking because this, unlike the traveling back in time thing, this was really preposterous.
There was no way they were married.
Wei Wuxian married to Lan Wangji?!
In what world?! Much less in the future!!
First of all, Wei Wuxian wasn’t a girl. Second of all, even if he died and came back in the body of a girl, he wasn’t even sure if Lan Wangji would want to marry him!
Besides, if you ignored how Lan Wangji couldn’t stand him, what would marriage with Lan Wangji even entail?!
Twenty years into the future and supposedly married to Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji still looked as virgin as the day Wei Wuxian had shown him that spring book.
And you meant to tell him that future Wei Wuxian would settle for a life in celibacy?! Even for a guy like Lan Wangji, it would be asking for too much.
Also, that was right! How could they be married if Wei Wuxian didn’t even like guys?!
Wei Wuxian decided to tell Lan Wangji that. “That can’t be right, Lan Zhan. How can we be married if I don’t even like guys?!”
Lan Wangji responded to him with a smile.
A smile!!!
What was this?! Forget the future, if this was even truly Lan Wangji, he had to have come from a separate dimension entirely. What the hell!
“I’m serious, Lan Zhan. Besides, there are things that are needed in a marriage,” Wei Wuxian continued talking, warming up to the topic.
It was fine if Lan Wangji suddenly decided that he wanted to do some mischief and lie about things, but he shouldn’t make his lies so obvious. Wei Wuxian could concede to almost getting fooled himself, but it was not because Lan Wangji’s lie was believable, instead, it was because of his reputation and straight face.
Wei Wuxian would give him these pointers for free in the hopes that next time, Lan Wangji wouldn’t come off so obvious, allowing anyone to see right through him.
“If I married, I would have definitely married a girl. But even if I didn’t,” which was a big “if”, “I would still like to do things that married people do. And I’m sorry for saying it like that, Lan Zhan, but it doesn’t look like we do those things, so I can’t be married to you.”
“Oh,” Lan Wangji said.
“Yes, I’m sorry. Your lie wasn’t bad, with your reputation people are likely to believe anything you say, no matter how nonsensical. You were just unlucky with this one.”
As Wei Wuxian talked, Lan Wangji maintained a serious expression, and Wei Wuxian naively thought he had finally understood his lie had been unmasked.
However, after he had explained all of this, Lan Wangji said, “You do not believe me.”
“Like I said, it’s not your—What are you doing?!” Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji’s hand which had just pushed him down on the bed, making his back hit the makeshift mattress with a painful thud.
“Showing Wei Ying, if he doesn’t believe me.”
It really looked like Lan Wangji has committed to this lie… “Listen, Lan Zhan, you don’t need—Hey, hey! Where are you putting your hand—“ Wei Wuxian suddenly found himself unable to speak.
Pressing against his open lips, was a pair of equally opened lips and an insistent tongue.
Wei Wuxian forgot the hands that were fumbling with his belt and robes, momentarily stuck on those wet lips that forcefully pried his own open after he had instinctively managed to close them.
He was biting.
In a bout of clarity, Wei Wuxian remembered he had hands, and began pushing Lan Wangji away. However, no matter his strength, Lan Wangji was stronger.
Besides, not to mention his golden core, this Lan Wangji was twenty years older than him. If he truly decided to go until the end with this, it would be better if Wei Wuxian just opened his legs and let Lan Wangji have his fill, peacefully surrendering instead of pointlessly struggling.
So that’s what he did.
Once Lan Wangji seemed satisfied with mauling Wei Wuxian’s lips, he moved to his chest. Wei Wuxian winced when Lan Wangji began sucking his nipple and fought down a whimper. “Alright, Lan Zhan, you’ve proven your point. Now let me go. Anytime now Wen Qing will come to check on me and we—Ah, ah, don’t bite there! What are you, a dog?!”
Wei Wuxian tried pushing Lan Wangji’s head away but to no avail. He also found out that his hands were tied together so his efforts—Wait. Was it Lan Wangji’s forehead ribbon tying Wei Wuxian’s hands together?!
Fine, Wei Wuxian could admit. Perhaps he had miscalculated a bit.
Not to mention Lan Wangji was surprisingly a good kisser! Who could have predicted this?!
Whether or not this was his first kiss, the thing was that he knew far too well how to kiss, which made Wei Wuxian forget just whose pair of lips those were, kissing back in earnest.
And, perhaps, he had forgotten himself a bit there.
He couldn’t tell when Lan Wangji had tied him up. By the time he remembered he had a body, Lan Wangji had managed to pry his robes open, and Wei Wuxian wasn’t even given the chance to grow alarmed by all of this and shout for Wen Qing, consequences be damned, before Lan Wangji’s lips found his again and he forgot all about his planned course of action.
His hands absentmindedly wrapped around Lan Wangji’s head and began undoing his hair. Wei Wuxian’s legs also seemed to have a mind of their own, as they wrapped around Lan Wangji’s waist, bringing his body even closer.
He paused only when he felt probing fingers exploring places Wei Wuxian felt fingers ought not to go. “What are you—“
“Relax,” Lan Wangji ordered.
Wei Wuxian laughed, but there was no humor and he tensed even further as the fingers pushed against him. “How can I relax?! Have you even done this before?!”
Lan Wangji was unimpressed as he stared into Wei Wuxian’s eyes. “Yes.”
Right, Wei Wuxian had forgotten, they were supposed to be married. “Then I can’t believe I never complained about this either.”
Something in Lan Wangji’s gaze seemed to soften at that. “Mn. You did.”
This, of all the things they had done, made Wei Wuxian blush. “W-Well?! Aren’t you gonna—continue?!”
Lan Wangji breathed in Wei Wuxian’s scent and pressed a kiss on cheek. It felt like he was smiling. “Mn.”
This time, Lan Wangji went further in, and seemed to find somewhere that made the most obscene moan to ever reach Wei Wuxian’s ears escape from his lips. He kept touching that place without fail even after adding a second and third finger.
“Be quiet,” Lan Wangji said, but it sounded more of a habit than a serious complaint.
Wei Wuxian was beginning to suspect Lan Wangji might have actually spoken the truth.
“I can’t. You must know this, Lan Zhan, aren’t we married?”
Wei Wuxian thought he saw Lan Wangji’s red ear beneath his unbound hair.
A giddy feeling overtook him. He had done that.
He kissed Lan Wangji this time, not as good a kiss as it had been when Lan Wangji had initiated the act, considering he had a smile stretching his lips wide, mouth only parted so he could moan directly into Lan Wangji’s mouth.
“Tell me, Lan Zhan,” he whispered. “How do I like being fucked?”
He heard Lan Wangji’s breath stutter and saw from half-lidded eyes his expression morph into what he had believed, until that day, was anger.
“Like this,” Lan Wangji said and pulled Wei Wuxian’s hips flushed to his, sheathing himself to the hilt inside him in a single fluid movement.
One of Lan Wangji’s hands snaked around Wei Wuxian’s back and pulled him up as if he weighed nothing, sitting him on Lan Wangji’s lap.
Wei Wuxian might not have known men could fuck like that before that very day, however, he didn’t need to be told what to do now.
He had felt pains way worse than the stretch of Lan Wangji’s member inside him, so, after the initial discomfort, he began moving in earnest on Lan Wangji’s dick.
Lan Wangji’s hand gripped his hips, grounding him and moving him in the way that was probably more pleasurable to Lan Wangji. Once Wei Wuxian had understood the pace and cadence, Lan Wangji was happy enough to just let his hands rest there as Wei Wuxian worked up and down him.
Lan Wangji was right. This position was incredible.
Like this, not only Wei Wuxian could feel Lan Wangji deep within him, but he could also watch as Lan Wangji sucked his nipple purple red.
Could watch as white beads of come dripped from his cock onto Lan Wangji’s ripped abdomen, curved slightly inwards as Wei Wuxian fucked himself on him.
“I thought cutsleeves could only suck each other,” Wei Wuxian said as his movements became shallower, not only from exhaustion but also from the coiling heat on his stomach.
Lan Wangji seemed to have forgotten his words altogether, as he watched the place where they joined with those beautiful yellow eyes. Watched Wei Wuxian move up and down his cock, as it disappeared inside him.
They had probably been married for so long and Lan Wangji could still gaze at him with such intensity…
It made the feeling inside Wei Wuxian grow tenfold. He couldn’t help wanting to show himself off a little bit more.
Propping his hand on Lan Wangji’s knee, Wei Wuxian inclined his body backwards, arching his back as he exposed his chest fully, still moving on Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji’s eyes were immediately drawn to the Wen brand mark, his gaze heated.
With an urgency that he hadn’t had before, Lan Wangji removed from his shoulders the last layer of his robes that had remained despite their earlier activities.
What Wei Wuxian found was a mark mirroring his own.
He gasped, hips moving faster and deeper.
“You—“
Lan Wangji pulled Wei Wuxian from his nape, crashing their mouths together.
Even after Wei Wuxian could no longer breathe and started heaving for breath against Lan Wangji’s mouth, Lan Wangji kept kissing him and biting him, refusing to part.
The despair from lack of oxygen made something click in Wei Wuxian’s mind and he let off a whimper that finally had Lan Wangji letting him go, even if not too far.
“You—You were the one—“ he tried to say as he gasped for air. In the end, he felt no need, Lan Wangji probably already knew what he was going to say.
They really would be married in the future…
Wei Wuxian was brought back to the present when he felt now familiar fingers tracing the most vulnerable place in his body.
Lan Wangji’s eyes told him everything he needed to know.
“Who told you?” Wei Wuxian was certain that he wouldn’t have, no matter what relationship they shared in the future.
Lan Wangji shook his head. “Unimportant.”
Wei Wuxian thought it was very well damn important. However, now that Lan Wangji knew, could this mean— “Does he know?!”
Throughout this, Wei Wuxian hadn’t stopped working his hips, and, despite the topic of conversation, his erection hadn’t flagged in the slightest. If Lan Wangji merely brushed his fingers against that area of Wei Wuxian’s body, he knew he would reach his climax immediately, and forget whatever conversation they were having no matter how serious.
If Lan Wangji wanted to avoid answering, he could do this. But he didn’t. “Yes.”
Wei Wuxian took a deep breath. Held it in for a bit and then slowly released it. “He mustn’t have reacted well.”
Wei Wuxian felt he had heard Lan Wangji snort but that couldn’t be right. “Do not speak of Jiang Wanyin now.”
Wei Wuxian looked between them and then back at Lan Wangji’s face.
Fine, he could let go, at least for now.
“Kiss me.”
Lan Wangji quickly complied.
In the end, he didn’t need to put a hand between Wei Wuxian’s legs. After some deep thrusts from Lan Wangji’s side, Wei Wuxian felt him spill inside his body and that knowledge alone tipped him along the edge, painting both their bodies with white streaks.
After Wei Wuxian was already lying on top of Lan Wangji in the bed, almost drifting off to sleep, he asked in a quiet voice, half hoping Lan Wangji had already fallen asleep, “Say, Lan Zhan, when you came here a few days ago, did you want to have me like this too?”
Lan Wangji wasn’t asleep. “Yes.”
Something in Wei Wuxian’s heart shattered. He had never been remorseful of the choices he made in this life, but now, he was starting to doubt the path he had chosen. “When you asked me to go to Gusu with you, did you also want me like this?”
“Yes.” Lan Wangji’s voice was firm. Not a shadow of a doubt it seemed.
Wei Wuxian didn’t know why he kept asking. Would he ask until the answer made him cry? Until it haunted him in his sleep? “If I went to Gusu right now and asked you to marry me, would you?”
This time, Lan Wangji paused to kiss Wei Wuxian’s forehead, then his nose, and then his lips. Their kiss lingered and simmered for a long time, never deepening, until Wei Wuxian had all but forgotten his previous question. Only then, Lan Wangji answered again, “Yes.”
And Wei Wuxian woke up with a start.