weiward | (no subject)

[wei wuxian's memory can't be trusted. that's why everyone always laughed when he told them the story - more frequently during his childhood, less and less during his teenage years. until finally, just after his twentieth year, he actually did start to forget. but every now and then, a fragment of a dream brings it all back again.

he was six years old, newly arrived to lotus pier and not the swimmer that the other boys were. but attempt the impossible - wei ying embraced the motto of his new home and his new family wholeheartedly. he ran carelessly along the docks, jumping as far out into the water as he could.

too far. a reckless little boy didn't have to know the meaning of those words to suffer the consequences. the water was deep, and the current strong. drowning felt a lot like falling, with something dark and cold waiting for him at the bottom.

and then he was rising again, and he felt warm sun on his face and fresh air that wouldn't fit in his desperate lungs. wei wuxian remembers opening his eyes for one last look at the world, but instead saw the face of another young boy, too pretty to be human. and he'd pressed his lips against his, and suddenly he could breathe again-]

And that was my first kiss. [he sighs and lifts the jar of alcohol to his lips. beside him, jiang cheng rolls his eyes and stands up.] Ey, where are you going? I thought we were going for a late swim!

"Forget it. I can't listen to you tell that ridiculous story one more time. I thought you'd finally forgotten it! Try remembering to pick up your dirty clothes instead! Or showing up sober for archery training!"

[wei wuxian smirks at his brother's scolding tone and retreating back. he's about to follow him back inside, except-

well, he's already here. and it's still hot. so he finishes off the jar and stands up, stripping off his robes as he stares at the dark surface of the water.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( for us. a desperate wish, intimate, like a world for them alone might exist. he’s heard of merfolk forsaking the ocean before, shunned in turn, never to be allowed back. earth is often a destination of no return, where rogues inevitably meet their demise, a realm of filth, reflecting their nature. but lan wangji looks at him and only sees beauty, in all its intricate forms, a realm of life. )

Wei Ying. ( softly, tentatively, and his name rolls off the tongue and he mouths it again a few times, a privilege, treasured. first a spark, and then his eyes dim a little; there is nowhere, nowhere lan wangji could safely reach without water, only the ocean’s depths, if wei wuxian could…

...breathe…

his gaze lights up, unadulterated in his eyes, aglow, while his overall expression remains more or less stoic. an idea blooms in the confines of his mind, forbidden, both eager and hesitant on his lips. ) If you wish to know my home… I can help you breathe. ( the same way he did so long ago, a temporary solution for stolen time, where he knows how and where to swim undetected. )

[the trust that he asks of him, for wei wuxian to follow him to a place where he'd have to rely on him for the very air that he breathes. he should be more hesitant, he should think of the risks, but instead the human smiles, the glow of it less literal but just as real.]

Lan Zhan, take me there!

[he's ready to go, right now, without protection or preparation. no one will miss him anyway, they'll just assume that he wandered off to a tavern for the night.]

I want to see everything!

( oh, his enthusiasm is a deadly thing, a willingness that doesn’t fall on deaf ears. lan wangji’s lips stretch coy, pleased, subtle lines bending the angles of his face to mirror the hushed frenzy pulsing in his veins. ) As long as you can weather the pressure. ( he concedes, and whether he speaks of the water, its dark immensity, or what he’s about to do next, he doesn’t tell.

there’s a new glint in his eyes, a swirl of his tail to bring him a mere inch away. wei wuxian is all smiles and excitement, and lan wangji’s gaze falls to his mouth, coaxing his own to open. his name was on his tongue just a few minutes ago, and now he feels his breath, his warmth, his skin, tasting the shape of the same plush lips that gave lan zhan a new meaning. his heart splutters. it’s the same fluttery sensation he once felt as a boy, laced with the deeper awareness of a man, and lan wangji’s mouth remains glued to his as he sinks and drags wei wuxian below the surface, tail curling around his lower body. it’s his literal life force he shares with him, lending him the ability to breathe and see, hear him in the back of his skull. it’s a temporary rêverie, but even at the greatest cost, he knows he could spend the rest of his life kissing him.

he slightly withdraws, giving him a few moments to adjust as they slowly drift with the current, his tail a luminescent blue, his eyes much brighter. his arms are loose around wei wuxian’s waist, only there to stabilize him, should he need an anchor. when he speaks, his mouth doesn’t move. ) Until the sun sets, my home is yours.