Archive of Our Own

The weather in Yunmeng was a far cry from Gusu.

The mountainous terrain of Gusu and the Cloud Recesses allowed for comfortably warm days accompanied by a cool breeze. Winters grew especially chilly, so far up in the mountains, but the spring blooms were beautiful enough on their own to make up for the cold.

Yunmeng, however, was absolutely sweltering. Summer was humid, especially so at Lotus Pier, surrounded by water that collected in the hot air and clung mercilessly to one’s skin.

Even being cold blooded, as was most of the Lan Clan, even this heat was near unbearable. Lan Wangji may have considered removing one of his layers of robes, were he a lesser person and the rule against altering one’s clothing not in place.

The previous summer had not been so oppressive. The heat made Lan Wangji especially glad to be returning home in just a few hours, once his boat arrived. For now, he could only seek refuge under the shade.

He had come to Yunmeng nearly a year ago. It had been upon his shufu’s recommendation. “Yunmeng may yet have something to teach you, Wangji,” he’d said. “The Jiang Clan is well respected, and it may serve well to ally yourself with the son and daughter of their sect leader.”

And so, Lan Wangji had gone to Lotus Pier. Jiang Fengmian was indeed well respected among his disciples, he’d observed, and Yu Ziyuan - his wife - was feared for her temper. Their children seemed fine enough, the son even expressing interest in studying in Gusu for a short time. He studied their cultivation methods and clan history as any diligent student should.

The boat was due any time now. Sweat was beading along the back of Lan Wangji’s neck. This area was not very populated; someone occasionally raced by in a hurry to get where they were going, but that was the extent of it.

He was just beginning to see the boat along the horizon, slowly trudging through the lotus roots and flowers, when there was a quiet yipping sound. Lan Wangji dismissed it, until it was followed by a quiet whine. He turned his head, scanning along the docks for the source of the sound.

His eyes settled on a streak of black huddled against a building. He crept closer, until he was kneeling five paces from the ball.

The fuzzy thing took notice of his presence quickly. It lifted its head, two oversized ears perched on top, and opened its eyes. Silver met gold, and Lan Wangji came to realize the yipping creature was a fox.

It was rather small, black with gray tipped ears and tail. What it lacked in size, it made up for with expressiveness. Lan Wangji felt as if its eyes could see into his each and every thought.

The fox yipped again, creeping closer to him. It dragged itself along the docks, seeming to be injured.

As far as he knew, foxes were not native to Lotus Pier. The wildlife he’d seen during his stay ranged from pheasants to wild boars, but he had never seen a fox, especially one as exotic looking as this one.

Perhaps he should take it to Jiang Wanyin. He recalled the other boy having an affinity for dogs, keeping several of them in his home. How different was a fox, really? He looked out into the water, spying the quickly approaching boat. He would not have time to take it all the way back. But he couldn’t leave the fox here, either.

As he weighed his options, he failed to notice the fox had closed the distance and was now rubbing its snout over his hand. It made a sound akin to a purr, and after a brief pause, Lan Wangji scooped it into his arms and stowed it away inside his robes.

If he was found out, he would face the punishment head on. He simply couldn’t leave the little fox to suffer alone in this heat, despite the rule against keeping pets.

Lan Wangji boarded the boat when it docked, and went on his way back to Gusu with the little black fox tucked against his cool skin.

Upon arrival and hiding away in the Jingshi, Lan Wangji found that the fox was perfectly healthy.

There was not a scratch on it. It did not cough or sneeze. Its nose was cool and wet to the touch. Aside from its size, the fox was perfectly normal. Needless to say, he’d been tricked by a tiny fox.

Part of him couldn’t blame it. He’d been sweltering in his robes; he couldn’t imagine how the heat felt with a coat of black fur.

Though he held sympathy for the fox, it could not stay. Lan Wangji brought it outside of the Cloud Recesses, crouched down, and attempted to send it off into the wild. Instead of running off as he expected an animal to do, the fox stood and stared at him.

Even when he gently shooed it away with his hand, the fox only held his gaze. Lan Wangji stood from his crouched position and started the walk back to the Cloud Recesses. Little paw pads colliding with the stone path followed him.

He turned, and sure enough, the black fox was standing behind him, tail wagging happily. He faced the fox again, bending at the waist to turn it back in the direction of the forest. “It is prohibited to keep animals,” he said to it, as if a fox could understand his words.

With a light pat to its hindquarter, the fox slinked away into the treeline. Relieved, Lan Wangji returned home and spent his afternoon in the library. As hai time approached, he set off to the Jingshi for bed, only to be met with a horrifying sight.

There sat the little black fox, on his bed with a pheasant gripped tight in its jaws. When it saw Lan Wangji enter the room, its tail wagged furiously. It was clearly proud of the catch it had brought back through the cracked window and presented it at Lan Wangji’s feet.

If his tail had fur, it would have been standing on end. If horns could rattle, they would have been. Lan Wangji swore he’d closed the window that morning.

He had no idea what to do. The pheasant lay dead by the toe of his boot and the fox sat expectantly on his pillow. Like it was waiting for him to get in bed so it could curl up beside him.

Lan Wangji gingerly picked up the pheasant and set it over his study desk for the time being. He stripped to his inner robes and stood at the side of the bed. The fox’s eyes never left him. He plucked the fox from his pillow and set it at the foot of the bed.

“One night,” he told it as he climbed under the covers and rested his head against the feather pillow.

Sure enough, there was soon a cold, wet nose pressing against his cheek and soft fur tickling at his nose. When he cracked his eyes open, the fox was spinning in place and scratching at the bed, making itself a nest. Once it was satisfied, it curled up and plopped down, right beside Lan Wangji’s face, with a sigh.

Lan Wangji picked the fox up and set it at the foot of the bed again. He laid back down, eyes open just enough that he could watch the fox crawl back up the length of the bed. This time, it settled down against the backs of his thighs after repeating the same nesting process, curled up next to his scaly tail.

With a sigh of his own, Lan Wangji conceded to his fate.

This continued for well over a week. In the morning, he’d take the fox back to the same line of trees outside the Cloud Recesses and urge it into the woods. He would go about his daily tasks, and return to the Jingshi to find the fox sitting on his bed, awaiting his return. It would then sleep pressed up against him and the process would repeat over again the next morning.

Sometimes the fox would bring another dead animal. Others it would bring various plants and flowers. Even more rarely it would have nothing at all.

Each and every time, Lan Wangji knew he’d closed his window. He double and triple checked each morning before taking the fox back out to the woods. Once, he even locked it. And yet the fox still returned that evening, and the window was wide open.

He thought maybe he was losing his mind. There was no way a fox was able to open and unlock windows. That just couldn’t be possible. Maybe he was hallucinating having closed the window.

After almost two weeks of this, he finally gave in and sought help. Lan Xichen had only just returned from a night hunt, and Lan Wangji all but cornered him in his own room, the fox shoved inside his robes as proof.

He confessed the whole story, from the moment he’d picked the little menace up in Lotus Pier to that previous night, the fox curled up in his lap. Lan Xichen said nothing during his entire story, only regarding his retelling and watching him work himself up into a tizzy.

When he finished, Lan Wangji held out his arms, presenting his wrists to be smacked for breaking the rules so many days in a row. The blows did not come. Lan Xichen only hummed, his finger pressed to his chin. He glanced at the fox, with its chin propped up on the table, eyes closed and ears relaxed back on its head. It looked as if it were smiling, very content with itself as Lan Wangji’s blue tipped tail swished with all the newly released pent up stress.

“You take responsibility, Wangji?”

“Yes, Xiongzhang.”

“Then it seems you’ll be perfectly capable of housing him,” Lan Xichen said, smiling.

Lan Wangji dropped his arms, staring at his brother in shock. “Housing?”

“You said he tricked you into thinking he was injured?” Lan Wangji nodded. “He’s taken a liking to you, Wangji. He’s a little mischievous, yes, but that’s to be expected of his kind. He keeps coming back, which means he’d like you to take care of him.”

He wasn’t sure what to say. All that came out was: “But- the rules-”

“You don’t need to worry, Wangji,” his brother dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Just try not to let shufu find out.”

The fox turned around in his lap and flopped back down with a huff, nose pressing into Lan Wangji’s stomach. He couldn’t believe his brother was encouraging him to keep the fox. He stared down at the bundle of black fur in his lap.

“Besides,” Lan Xichen continued. “Don’t you think he’s at least a little cute? You look quite happy to hear this, too.”

Lan Wangji didn’t answer. He did have to admit that having the fox share his bed was a little nice. When it was laying in just the right spot, its lithe body was able to shield his bare legs from the cold of his own tail, cold blooded as it is, with its fuzzy warmth.

Lan Xichen moved, shifting over to shuffle through a chest in the corner of the room. When he returned, he presented Lan Wangji with a red ribbon. His brows furrowed momentarily, eying his brother for a hint of what to do with it. His eyes darted to the fox and back to Lan Wangji, and understanding dawned on him.

He lifted the fox’s chin from where it had shoved itself into his abdomen and tied the ribbon around its neck. Lan Xichen looked - honestly - overjoyed. The fox’s silver eyes also seemed to shine with glee.

After tucking the fox back into his robes, Lan Wangji set off to return it to the Jingshi. He couldn’t seem to shake off the sense that his brother knew more about this fox than he was letting on.

When hai time came that night, he didn’t fight the fox off. He only turned onto his back and allowed it to curl up atop his chest, the fur of its tail tickling his nose.

His eyes cracked back open at mao time, and the first thing he registered was a very heavy weight on his chest. The second was a pair of silver eyes staring into his, and the face connected to them grinning down at him.

Lan Wangji’s head jerked back, and he took in the very handsome, very naked, boy around his age lying on his chest, a pair of fox ears on the top of his head and a fluffy tail swishing behind him, and understood immediately just what his brother figured out before him.

He had brought a huli jing home from Yunmeng.

“Lan Zhan!”

Lan Wangji turned in the direction of the voice, bundled up in his furs up to his chin. Wei Wuxian jogged up to his side, smiling wide and similarly bundled in his own furs. He held out a box.

“Happy birthday!”

He took the proffered box, but did not open in. “You did not need to get me a gift.”

Wei Wuxian pouted, his red tipped nose scrunching up. “But it’s not every day you turn fifteen,” he complained. “Plus, Caiyi Town has so many interesting things! How could I not get you a gift?”

If his ears had been displayed, they would have been downturned. Instead, they’d been replaced with a human form, and his tail was similarly hidden away, just as Lan Wangji’s draconic traits were. The Lan Clan made it a habit to not display such features outside of the Cloud Recesses.

After the rude awakening, a meeting had been promptly called. It had seemed to go on and on with no clear direction.

The only things the meeting managed to garner at first was that the huli jing called himself Wei Ying and he was born in the autumn season thirteen years earlier. Other than that, he knew nothing about himself.

Upon his confession of bringing what he presumed to be a normal fox into the Cloud Recesses, Lan Wangji’s wrists were promptly smacked by Lan Qiren himself. Quickly, the direction of the conversation turned to why exactly Wei Wuxian had stuck around.

“Oh, that’s easy,” he’d exclaimed. “He was so nice and even prettier up close than from far away that I decided to court him.” Wei Wuxian had then pointed at Lan Wangji.

Every set of eyes fell on him then. Wei Wuxian only continued to ramble on. “He accepted all my gifts, and he even gave me one in return.” He gestured to the red ribbon that was now being used to tie his hair in a ponytail.

Lan Wangji’s blood had run cold. The dead animals, all the flowers and plants…They had been courtship gifts?

Lan Qiren was absolutely fuming by that point. It was then that Lan Xichen stepped in.

“Shufu, if I may?” he asked. When there was no protest, he continued: “Wangji is clearly reflecting on his actions and mistakes. I’m sure this will never happen again. But, we cannot allow Wei-gongzi to go back onto the streets. Considering the situation with their courtship, however accidental it may have been, would it not be most appropriate to engage them?”

There had been an uproar then (as loud an uproar as you can get from a clan whose rules prohibit excessive noise, that is) and the idea had been rejected almost immediately. Upon Wei Wuxian’s sad expression, Lan Xichen had instructed him to rise from his kneeling position and come join him. Right in front of Lan Qiren, he’d peeled open the front of Wei Wuxian’s borrowed robes.

Opinions changed after the discovery of an omega huli jing. All heads turned to the Twin Jades’ father, who’d been sitting quietly and observing the scene. As the sect leader, the decision remained up to him.

Maybe it was Wei Wuxian’s hopeful expression, or perhaps even Lan Wangji had worn his own. Even if it had just been the prospect of furthering the Lan bloodline, Qingheng-jun approved the engagement. The pair would be married once they both came of age.

That had been nearly two years ago now. Now, strolling through Caiyi Town, he watched his fiancé bounce on the balls of his feet, awaiting Lan Wangji’s next move.

He turned the box in his hands. It was long and thin, mostly unassuming from the outside. He plucked off the top and peeled the velvet lining away.

Inside the box rested a single hairpin. It was pearlescent white, reflecting pinks and blues depending on which way the light hit it.

“Frivolous,” he muttered, replacing the lid of the box and tucking it away carefully in his robes, but his ears were practically on fire. Wei Wuxian’s face lit up.

“That means you like it!” He hooked his arm into Lan Wangji’s and led their path aimlessly. “I knew you would like it as soon as I saw it. It looks just like your horns.”

He glanced at Wei Wuxian from the corner of his eye. “Vanity does not serve-”

“‘Does not serve a purpose for cultivation’, yes, yes, I know, Lan Zhan,” he finished. “This isn’t vanity. It’s a gift. You can still like it even if you don’t wear it.”

Lan Wangji turned his head once he felt Wei Wuxian’s drop to settle against his shoulder. He observed the ribbon in his hair, the very same one he had continued to use every day for nearly two years, and considered his words.

He withdrew his arm from Wei Wuxian’s hold. His disappointed pout didn’t last for long, as Lan Wangji withdrew the box and opened it once again. He produced the hairpin and replaced it in the box with the plain silver one he’d been wearing previously, before securing the gifted hairpin in its place.

Wei Wuxian’s smile was nothing short of ecstatic. He could easily imagine his fluffy tail wagging with alarming speed as it often did. He pressed a kiss to Lan Wangji’s cheek and linked their arms together again.

“Wei Ying!” he exclaimed.

“What? Do you not want a kiss from your wife?”

“Y-You are not my wife,” Lan Wangji stuttered.

“Not yet!” he happily corrected. “Just a few more years and I will be.”

As he watched Wei Wuxian skip ahead of him to observe the wares of a stand that caught his interest, Lan Wangji thought to himself that “a few years” seemed too short a time while simultaneously too long.

On the eve of his sixteenth birthday, Wei Wuxian began his first heat.

The day began as it usually would. Lan Wangji took his normal spot in class, legs folded under himself and posture immaculate. Wei Wuxian turned up later than usual, just before class began. He did not greet Lan Wangji, as he normally did, when he took his spot behind him.

Lan Wangji spared him a glance, finding him bent over the table with his head in his hands. Wei Wuxian’s ears twitched and he looked up long enough to give him a strained smile.

Satisfied that perhaps he just slept later than he tended to, Lan Wangji faced the front once again, oblivious to the implication of the sickly sweet scent of lavender and spice permeating the air behind him.

Lan Qiren began his lecture, and Lan Wangji stared ahead with rapt attention. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Wei Wuxian was paying even less attention than he usually did. His shufu’s gaze trailed to the seat behind him more often than it did other days. He could hear little pants and barely contained whines, and that terribly sweet scent was only growing stronger.

Lan Wangji’s head whipped around, along with everyone else’s, at the dull thud. Wei Wuxian was curled in on himself, hands cradling the back of his head as it rested upon the stained wood, as though protecting himself. He whined shamelessly now, and a sheen of sweat coated the back of his neck.

The student sitting to his right started to reach out and grasp his shoulder, only to stop once he met Lan Wangji’s eyes. He jerked his hand back and dropped it to his side without a word.

“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Qiren scolded. “Adjust your posture or get out.”

Wei Wuxian did not respond. His shoulders shook, and Lan Wangji realized it was with the force of his silent sobs. He turned his body to fully face him, placing his hand in the center of his back.

“Wei Ying,” he called. Wei Wuxian’s ear flicked before pressing back against his head. “Wei Ying, you must sit back up.”

He kept his voice hushed, as to try not to embarrass his fiancé any further. Lan Qiren had now risen from his seat at the head of the classroom and was stalking towards them. Wei Wuxian tipped his head up just enough to lock his teary eyes with Lan Wangji.

“It hurts, Lan Zhan,” he cried.

Those few words were enough to have him begin to move to wrestle Wei Wuxian into an upright position, to inspect him for whatever injury had done this. Lan Qiren beat him to it, yanking him upwards by a grip on his elbow.

Lan Wangji was not able to put a stop to the low growl that bubbled in his throat. His shufu regarded his reaction with wide eyes, then took in Wei Wuxian’s disheveled state, before a grim understanding bloomed on his face. Consciously more gentle, with Lan Wangji’s hard gaze still on him, he brought Wei Wuxian to his feet.

They only made it two steps before Wei Wuxian was stumbling, almost face first to the floor, had it not been for Lan Qiren’s grip on his arm. Lan Wangji’s shufu then scooped him up into his arms with a grimace and carried him from the classroom.

“You are dismissed,” he called over his shoulder. “Go and clear your heads.”

He had a feeling that last remark was aimed directly at himself.

Wei Wuxian did not emerge from his room the rest of the day. Every time Lan Wangji passed by, he could hear Wei Wuxian’s sobs through the door and his elevated scent completely engulfed the entire hallway. He felt as if he had missed important information about the situation, and so he consulted his brother.

He listened to the explanation with bated breath and reddened ears, and he left feeling silly that he hadn’t realized the situation on his own, even more so once he realized what his reaction meant.

He made all the proper apologies to his shufu and continued to pass by the door at different points in the day, each time being greeted by more and more debauched sounds. After enduring a full three days of this, Lan Wangji could no longer take it.

He approached Wei Wuxian’s door, finding it - thankfully - silent beyond the wood. He knocked and was given no response.

“Wei Ying?”

The result was immediate. There was audible scrambling behind the door as Wei Wuxian bolted out of his bed and settled on the floor next to the door.

“Lan Zhan?”

“Mn,” he responded, taking his own seat in front of the door.

Wei Wuxian sniffled, and then there was a thunk against the door, presumably his head coming into contact with the wood. “This is awful, Lan Zhan!” he whined. “I hate being locked up in here with nothing to do except-”

His voice caught in his throat. Lan Wangji was glad for the bit of humility he was demonstrating.

“I came to check on you,” he said, diverting the conversation in a different direction. “Are you eating? Staying hydrated?”

Wei Wuxian’s tail thumped against the floor, though the sound seemed amplified, louder than it usually was. He must have been especially excited, as this very well may have been the most contact he’d had with someone else in three days. “Zewu-jun makes sure someone brings food and fresh water,” he confirmed.

“Good,” Lan Wangji breathed a sigh of relief. A sharp gasp followed by very distinctive squelching sounds set his cheeks aflame. “Would you like me to leave-”

“NO!” Wei Wuxian yelped. He gasped again, then whined low in his throat. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it- Please don’t go yet,” he rambled. When Lan Wangji didn’t respond, he called out again, sounding on the brink of tears. “Lan Zhan?”

“I’m still here,” he whispered. He wasn’t sure if Wei Wuxian had heard him, and was beginning to speak up a bit louder when those same wet sounds returned with renewed vigor.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” he chanted. “I need you, need you so much. It hurts so bad, Lan Zhan.”

“Wei Ying, that would not be…appropriate,” Lan Wangji reasoned. “Until we marry, we cannot-”

“If-if we do then they’ll have to marry us now,” Wei Wuxian argued. The speed of the sounds picked up, as if he were trying to entice Lan Wangji into coming in. “If you fill me up and breed me they’ll have to let us get married now.”

“Wei Ying,” he warned.

Wei Wuxian gave a particularly loud moan, causing heat to spread all the way down Lan Wangji’s neck. “Wei Ying,” he pleaded again, voice strained. “Keep your voice down. Someone could hear you.”

“Only for you?” he asked in response.

Shame bloomed in Lan Wangji’s chest as he came to the realization. “Yes,” he agreed. “Only for me.”

Wei Wuxian’s voice indeed lowered, though it sounded like it was with great effort. “Then will you come in?” he attempted again.

After a moment’s thought, he sighed. “Open the door.”

He heard the exact moment Wei Wuxian withdrew his fingers to crack the door open. He stuck his hand out the crack, his palm and middle and ring fingers were all coated in slick, expecting to have fingers laced within his own. Even just cracked, the force of Wei Wuxian’s scent doubled as soon as the door was opened. When Lan Wangji didn’t grasp his hand, he opened and closed his fist in a grabby motion.

Lan Wangji reached into his robes and from inside he pulled a square box. He placed it in the awaiting hand and watched as it withdrew back into the dark room with a confused sound. He then closed the door himself and breathed the clearing air in deep. His each and every nerve was trembling with all the self control in his body.

“Open it,” he requested.

Lan Wangji heard the little clatter against the floorboards as the lid of the box was discarded. Then, Wei Wuxian released a little whine.

“The old one is getting worn out,” he explained. “I wanted to give this to you, but-” He cleared his throat. “Happy birthday, Wei Ying.”

“It smells like you,” Wei Wuxian commented quietly.

A week prior, Lan Wangji traveled to Caiyi Town. He’d noticed the edges of Wei Wuxian’s red ribbon beginning to fray and the color had started to fade with repeated use. With his birthday coming up, he decided to purchase a new one. It was much the same, but he’d had it embroidered with white, playful foxes on each end.

Then Wei Wuxian had been thrown into heat the day before the planned receival date, so Lan Wangji decided the best thing he could do was thoroughly scent it and give it to him now.

“I thought that may help.”

As expected, the sounds of Wei Wuxian pleasuring himself returned in full force. His voice edged higher and higher, and soon enough Lan Wangji was listening as he reached his peak, crying out his name. He only dared to speak again when Wei Wuxian’s panting was the only sound to be heard beyond the door, all else silent.

“Is that better?”

“Yes,” he whined. “Thank you, Lan Zhan.”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji stood up.

“Will you come visit again tomorrow?”

“If Wei Ying would like me to.”

Wei Wuxian’s affirming sound was laced with a smile. Lan Wangji made his way down the hall to the Jingshi, grateful his many layers of robes were able to mostly conceal his newfound problem.

Night hunts with Wei Wuxian always ended in one of two ways.

One, the more common of them, it went by without a hitch and wrapped up rather quickly. Despite only having been cultivating since he was thirteen, Wei Wuxian had an exceptionally strong golden core - likely due to his huli jing heritage - and was very talented. Bringing him along on night hunts was an advantage many cultivation clans wished to have as his reputation grew.

Or two, his overconfidence would cost the Lan Clan the prey.

This night hunt was the latter of them. As Lan Wangji pondered over the night’s events, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling, he felt eyes on him. He turned his head, and sure enough, Wei Wuxian was staring at him in the dark from the other inn bed.

He at least had the decency to look guilty.

“Lan Zhan,” he prodded slowly. “I’m sorry I let the yaoguai get away.”

“The Jiang Clan terminated it.”

“That’s not the point,” Wei Wuxian sat up, his loose hair pooling over his shoulder. “Yeah, it was killed anyway but I let it get away.” Lan Wangji directed his eyes back to the ceiling, making a sigh ring out on the other side of the room. “You’re really mad at me, aren’t you?”

“I am not mad at you,” he lied.

The bed creaked as Wei Wuxian stood. He made the few steps to stand next to Lan Wangji’s own bed. He turned his head and met his pleading eyes again. His ears were lowered, and his tail hung limply between his legs. “You’re so mad at me,” Wei Wuxian repeated.

Lan Wangji sighed. Before he was given the chance to look away and ignore his fiancé again, Wei Wuxian climbed onto the bed, settling on top of his hips. “What are you doing?” Lan Wangji spluttered. His hands rose to hold his waist, a weak attempt to pull him up and off. Wei Wuxian stayed firmly in place.

“I want you to tell me you’re mad. I just want you to be honest.”

Lan Wangji heaved another sigh. He closed his eyes, allowing spots of color to bloom behind his eyelids, before opening them again, meeting Wei Wuxian’s head on. “Yes, I am upset with you,” he admitted. Wei Wuxian pouted. “But not because your carelessness allowed the yaoguai to escape. I’m upset because you needlessly put yourself in danger by doing so.”

Wei Wuxian looked to him again, his brows tightly knit together. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled again.

“You cannot be so reckless, Wei Ying,” he scolded. Wei Wuxian looked like he’d just been kicked. “Promise you will not endanger yourself like that ever again.”

“I promise,” he whispered.

Lan Wangji released his waist. He watched his expression contort into the one he’d come to know as the one that was often followed by yet more recklessness.

Wei Wuxian leaned down, chests pressed together, and locked his lips against Lan Wangji’s. He froze in shock, causing him to back away and look down at him, worried. Lan Wangji brought a hand to the back of his head and drew him back down.

They laid like that for a long while, limbs tangled together and pressing fleeting kisses to each other’s lips. Eventually, Wei Wuxian pulled his head back, a bright smile on his lips. His eyes were shining in the dark of the room, reflecting the light of the single candle. Lan Wangji’s hand moved around and tucked loose strands of hair behind his ear before coming to rest on his cheek. At eighteen, a bit of stubborn baby fat was still clinging to his face, allowing for his cheeks to bunch up cutely with the smile.

“Why are you laughing?”

Wei Wuxian shook his head. “I’m not laughing at you,” he claimed. “I’m just thinking that you’ve spent all these years not even wanting to hold my hand and now you’re kissing me.”

Lan Wangji hummed. “I thought I may lose you today.”

Wei Wuxian clicked his tongue. “Aiya, I won’t die so easily. You really think a yaoguai could kill me, Lan Zhan?”

He silenced the teasing with another kiss, more forceful than the previous ones. He dragged his tongue along Wei Wuxian’s lower lip and his mouth opened eagerly. Their tongues danced together, sliding wetly. Wei Wuxian’s hands grasped desperately at Lan Wangji’s shoulders, his nails digging into his skin through his robes.

Wei Wuxian was making quiet sounds in the back of his throat. Lan Wangji’s hands roamed his body, over his shoulders, down his back, encircling his waist, and teasing the base of his tail before finally coming to rest on the ample flesh of his ass.

Wei Wuxian moaned softly into Lan Wangji’s mouth, and his hips started to move of their own accord. He ground down against his crotch, making his cock jump in interest. The faint smell of slick began to float in the air, and it was then that Lan Wangji came back to his senses.

He pulled away from Wei Wuxian’s needy lips. The whine it resulted in was not pleasant to the ears at all.

“Wei Ying, we can’t,” he reasoned.

“It’s just us here,” Wei Wuxian argued. “We can be careful, you can pull out before-”

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji exclaimed, his ears skipping over pink and turning red. “We-we cannot.”

“We’re both eighteen now,” he continued to push. “Why can’t we do these things?”

“We are not set to marry until we are both twenty-”

“That’s still almost two years away!” Wei Wuxian cried, clear disdain in the pout over his lips. He sighed at Lan Wangji’s hard gaze. “Will you at least keep kissing me?”

Lan Wangji sighed, looking at the inn room door as if someone was about to burst through and catch them in the act. He looked back to Wei Wuxian’s begging eyes, his reddened, pouting lips. “Just…just kissing,” he confirmed.

Wei Wuxian nodded eagerly, already leaning back in.

Just then the door really did fling open. Both of their heads jerked around to see who the intruder was.

Lan Xichen stood in the doorway. He regarded them momentarily, confusion in his eyes, before he met Lan Wangji’s eyes.

“Wangji, you need to come home,” he said. His voice was shaking. “Both of you. It’s father.”

Lan Wangji knew in his heart what he meant. Wei Wuxian had scrambled off of him in moments, and the three of them returned to the Cloud Recesses before morning.

Qingheng-jun passed away as many wished to: old and warm in his bed, surrounded by his family. The funeral passed without much ceremony, and Lan Xichen was named the new sect leader in quick succession. Winter came along with it all.

“Wangji,” Lan Xichen had called after him one day. “If you wish to lay with Wei-gongzi, I will not stop you. I will not let the elders find out your current intimacy with him. I cannot change father’s wishes, but I can grant you some leniency.”

With each passing word, Lan Wangji grew more red, possibly even up to his horns. “I will not,” he affirmed. “I will wait until we are married.”

Around the same time, Wei Wuxian took to slipping into the Jingshi in the night, as he had so many years ago, and curling up in Lan Wangji’s bed. Often times, he did so just before he drifted off to sleep, allowing himself to be cradled gently in Lan Wangji’s arms. Other times, he came well before he’d set off to bed, and his mischievous influence would result in the pair of them staying awake well past hai time, talking the night away.

On one such occurrence, Wei Wuxian had been quiet for some time. Lan Wangji had begun to think he’d fallen asleep when he lifted his head, resting his chin on his chest.

“Lan Zhan?” he asked. “Are you still awake?”

“Mn.”

“Why won’t you touch me?”

Lan Wangji cracked open his eyes with great effort. “I do touch you.”

Wei Wuxian huffed a laugh. “No, not like that. Why won’t you touch me? You’ll sit outside my door during my heats and talk me through it but you won’t touch me. Why?”

“It would be improper to before we are married,” he replied, as though it were the most obvious answer in the world. “Why does Wei Ying wish to be sullied so before his wedding?”

He laughed again, this time the sound seeming a bit embarrassed. He turned his head until he had his ear flat against Lan Wangji’s chest. His tail swished back and forth slowly under the blanket, as it did whenever he was feeling particularly shy under Lan Wangji’s gaze.

“Because I want to be yours,” he confessed. “I’ve wanted to be yours for years now, and to be able to call you mine.”

“We do not need to…do that in order for you to be mine.” His arms circled around Wei Wuxian’s waist. “Wei Ying is already mine.”

“It’s not the same, Lan Zhan,” he sighed. “My kind mate for life, you know.”

“Mn. I do know.”

“And I chose you,” Wei Wuxian continued. “And I’ve been waiting for over five years now. It hurts, knowing I can have you, but still not for two more years. I feel like I’ll die with how much I want it sometimes, I swear I do!”

“I understand,” Lan Wangji agreed, and he did. Those days he spent sitting outside Wei Wuxian’s door, unable to touch him, were some of the greatest tests he put himself through. Listening to Wei Wuxian moan his pleasure and call his name made it near impossible not to pull himself from his pants and jerk himself over the door, or even break down the offending piece of wood and claim the huli jing for himself.

He wanted nothing more than to claim Wei Wuxian and continue to exchange birthday gifts with him, and share late night talks for the rest of their lives.

“But we have already waited this long. Two years will pass like they are nothing.”

Wei Wuxian pouted, but he said nothing more, so Lan Wangji assumed he’d been placated for the time being.

Then he rolled off Lan Wangji and spread himself out on the other half of the bed. He pried open the front of his robes, leaving himself bare and on display. Lan Wangji had to fight every cell in his body to turn his head the other direction, only to have it guided back by fingers under his chin.

“You don’t need to fuck me, Lan Zhan,” he said, even as he spread his legs suggestively. “But please touch me. You aren’t technically taking my virtue if you don’t fuck me, and I know Zewu-jun gave you permission; I heard him tell you.”

Lan Wangji sat up and crawled over him, settling between his legs. He leaned down until their lips just barely brushed together, their breaths mingling in the minute space between them. “We should not,” he whispered.

Wei Wuxian reached up, and with nimble fingers, he loosened Lan Wangji’s forehead ribbon. His hand shot up to catch his wrist in the action. “Wei Ying,” he pressed, but he only continued to pull until the ribbon came away and both their hands rested back against the bed.

“Please,” Wei Wuxian pleaded.

Lan Wangji sucked in a sharp breath before surging down to claim Wei Wuxian’s lips, his infamous Lan restraint gone with the ribbon.

The elders would never know if Lan Wangji made him cry through orgasm after orgasm with three fingers buried deep in his pussy, or that he rutted himself against Wei Wuxian’s thigh to completion in his own pants afterwards.

Wei Wuxian had snuck in through the window, as he did more often than he did not. It was one of those nights where, rather than writhe through barely contained intimacy, he was content with just sitting and rambling about this and that, and Lan Wangji was glad to listen.

He was seated on Lan Wangji’s lap, having run out of things to talk about for once, and letting him braid his hair and pin it up in various styles, each one making use of the prized hairpin Wei Wuxian had gifted him for his fifteenth birthday.

Wei Wuxian scrutinized each style in a mirror before he beamed and praised Lan Wangji for his good work.

Lan Wangji had just taken down his latest creation and was combing his fingers through Wei Wuxian’s hair when voices approached from down the hallway.

“-unbelievable, Xichen! You cannot delay this conversation.”

“I’m not trying to delay it- Shufu, please,” Lan Xichen pleaded. The footsteps stopped just outside the Jingshi’s door. “Please, listen to me.”

“Wangji-”

“Wangji is surely asleep by now, I promise. He will not hear.” Lan Qiren’s arguments stopped for the time being. “We cannot delay this any longer, Shufu. It wouldn’t serve well for either of them-”

“You cannot truly want to have a marriage ceremony, and thusly consummate the marriage two days after Jiang Fengmian and his wife have been murdered and by their own disciples, no less,” he started right back up again. Lan Wangji’s blood ran cold. “That is, if it has not already been consummated. This is a bad omen, Xichen. We must wait another year.”

“You know Wangji would not-”

“It is not Wangji I’m concerned about!” Lan Qiren snapped. “It is that…vixen he calls his fiancé! The elders have all seen it; the way he sneaks around at night. Who’s to say he hasn’t been going down the mountain and-”

“Shufu,” Lan Xichen interrupted, sounding more stern than Lan Wangji had ever heard him. “Wei-gongzi is more dedicated to Wangji than any of us can imagine. What you are implying will never come to pass.”

Lan Qiren gave a huff. “Jiang Fengmian’s son is studying here, is he not?” An affirming sound. “We must wake him, then. Inform him of his parents’ passing. If he wishes to continue his studies, he may. If he returns to Lotus Pier, we will give him a proper escort. But we cannot continue to delay the marriage any longer if we wish for Wangji to reproduce.”

“What are you implying, Xichen?”

“I have long been in charge of Wei-gongzi’s tonics,” he sighed. The footsteps resumed, fading away. “He has been coming for them less with each heat that passes. He’s confided in me that they’re irregular, shorter each time. If we wait any longer, I fear-”

The voices disappeared down the hall. Lan Wangji tore his eyes away from the door, and found Wei Wuxian with his knees pulled to his chest, ears flat against his head in shame. He rubbed a hand along his spine. “Wei Ying-”

“I can’t give you what you need from me anymore,” he said, muffled by his own knees. “I want to give you children, Lan Zhan, but Zewu-jun says I probably can’t anymore. We waited too long.”

With some effort, Lan Wangji managed to pull him out of his fetal position and rest Wei Wuxian’s back against his chest. The kiss he placed on the back of his neck made the huli jing shiver and squirm in his arms.

“Wei Ying has already given me everything I need,” he assured. Nose pressed right against his scent glands, Lan Wangji breathed in deep. “Wei Ying is in preheat. If he would like, we may try once we are married.”

“That’s still two days away,” Wei Wuxian whined.

“It will be perfect timing, then.”

Wei Wuxian conceded with a huff. He stilled in his arms for so long that Lan Wangji thought he may have fallen asleep. When he began to tuck him into the bed, Wei Wuxian stirred and pulled himself from his grasp.

“I’m going to check on Jiang Cheng,” he declared.

Lan Wangji couldn’t help the pang of jealousy in his chest, even though he was glad his fiancé had made a close friend. It must have shown on his face as well, because Wei Wuxian cradled his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “I’ll be back when you wake up,” he promised.

He stood from the bed and stood in front of the window. Then, his robes fell to the ground and out from under them crawled a little black fox. He hopped onto the desk, then the dresser, and finally slipped out the crack left open and disappeared into the dark.

Sure enough, when Lan Wangji awoke the next morning, there was a pleasant weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and found Wei Wuxian’s head resting right over his heart and his arm haphazardly dangling over his waist.

He brushed his hair away from his forehead and found his skin warmed by his preheat fever. Lan Wangji untangled himself from his sleeping form and set about dressing for the day. Before he left, he placed a small vial with a tonic to ease the warmth under his skin beside the pillow.

He did not see Wei Wuxian during the day, but that was to be expected. Even if the elders didn’t always approve of him, marriage was still mostly about the bride, and Lan Wangji was sure there were enough people fussing over Wei Wuxian without him there to add to the controlled chaos.

He had his own tasks for the day, of course, namely a final fitting of his robes. Lan Xichen attended, his eyes ever watchful as the clan jiejies he’d known since he was born pinned this and that in the correct places.

Lan Wangji caught his brother’s gaze in the mirror, and he was met with a warm smile once he’d been noticed. “Are you excited, Wangji?”

“Mn.”

Lan Xichen rose from his seat as the jiejies finished up their work. They left the pair alone, scattering from the room as his brother came to stand in front of him. He adjusted the front of his robes, so they sat just so.

“Mother would be happy,” he said suddenly. “I think she would have liked Wei-gongzi very much.”

Lan Wangji did not remember much of their mother. He’d only been young when she passed. The only thing that stuck in his mind was that she particularly enjoyed teasing him. That in mind, Lan Xichen was probably right.

With a sigh that could only be described as dreamy, he dropped his hands from Lan Wangji’s robes. “Sometimes I find it hard to believe how much you’ve grown, Wangji.”

“Xiongzhang?”

“Don’t mind me,” he waved him off. “I’m just thinking aloud.”

“Xiongzhang, is it true?” Lan Wangji asked. “What Wei Ying said. That he isn’t able to conceive?”

Lan Xichen drew his bottom lip between his teeth, but he didn’t seem to exactly be surprised by the question. “He told you, then?” Lan Wangji nodded. He didn’t have the heart to admit he’d eavesdropped. “It will be very difficult for him, yes.”

“But not impossible?”

“No,” his brother answered, quickly and firmly. “No, as long as he continues to have a cycle, he is fertile. But huli jings are very temperamental when it comes to their mates and bodies. I knew this, and yet I continued to follow father’s set path. If they choose a mate and it takes too much time to have their affections reciprocated, they begin to deteriorate. That is partly why they are so rare, and for that I must apologize to you, Wangji.”

“You must not,” Lan Wangji said. “You thought it was right to wait.”

Lan Xichen’s smile was small but there nonetheless. “Rest, now. Tomorrow will be a very busy day.”

He retired to the Jingshi well before hai time. He spent his evening reading, and when the sun set and it was not practical to read by candlelight, Lan Wangji began to prepare for bed. He was just settling on the edge of the bed when the window creaked, and through it hopped a little black fox with a set of robes clasped between its jaws.

Wei Wuxian hopped to the floor and the young man appeared before him, covering himself with the robes he’d brought along before curling up on the bed beside him.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji scolded, scandalized. “You should not be here tonight. It is bad luck.”

“I was too fidgety to sleep,” he explained. He stretched his limbs, making his intentions on staying as long as he pleased very clear. Lan Wangji laid beside him with a sigh.

“How is Jiang Wanyin?”

Wei Wuxian hummed. “Well, how would you be if people you thought were your friends murdered your family?”

He figured as much. “That is not what I meant. How is he coping? Will he return to Lotus Pier?”

The sigh his questions resulted with was almost enough to tell him everything he needed to know. “I had to scratch at his door for what felt like hours, Lan Zhan. I don’t think he could hear me that whole time. Then when he finally let me in he crushed me in cuddles and didn’t let go until he fell asleep,” Wei Wuxian complained. “I don’t think he’s handling it well at all but when I saw him this morning he said he would leave tomorrow night.”

Lan Wangji raised a brow, just enough to have him squirming under his gaze. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful he wants to stay for my wedding,” he defended. “I just think he should be home right now. I know I would want to.”

“Mn. I agree,” he said. He combed his fingers through Wei Wuxian’s hair. “What did Wei Ying do today?”

Wei Wuxian gave another, exaggerated sigh. “Lan Zhan, the jiejies have lost their minds! They made me take three baths today!” he exclaimed. “Three! Look at my skin; it’s all red and raw!”

Drilling his point home, he wiggled out of his robes and held out his bare arm. It was indeed pinkened from the scrubbing of his three baths. “They shaved my whole body, too. I’m surprised my tails aren’t bald.”

“‘Tails’?” Lan Wangji repeated.

“Mhm, didn’t Lan Zhan know?” Wei Wuxian looked at him like he’d grown three extra heads. “Huli jings have nine.”

“I have only ever seen one.”

“That’s because we aren’t supposed to show them to anyone until our mates claim us,” he explained.

“Then tomorrow will be a good day,” Lan Wangji claimed, a small smile pulling at his lips. Wei Wuxian mirrored with his own, bright and wide. “That is, if Wei Ying returns to his room and goes to bed. If the jiejies come to give you your fourth bath in the morning and you are not there, they will be cross with you.”

Wei Wuxian darted from the bed without a second thought. He pressed a quick, wet kiss to Lan Wangji’s cheek before disappearing out the window.

The excited fidgeting definitely rubbed off on him that night.

The ceremony went by without a hitch. They made their bows and poured their tea. Wei Wuxian’s rapidly flicking tail caused some distraction, but he seemed not to notice, unable to control his excitement in his most honest appendage.

Rather than attending the banquet afterwards, as was Lan tradition, they were instead ushered off to the marriage chambers. Likely after the paranoia caused by the hushed conversation outside the Jingshi, Lan Qiren had ordered the newlyweds to be escorted as soon as possible.

Wei Wuxian did not seem to mind at all. He was practically buzzing the whole way, his fingers laced tightly with Lan Wangji’s own.

Wei Wuxian looked stunning. There was no other word available for Lan Wangji to use to describe him - just stunning. The crimson robes suited him well, better than the white Lan robes ever had. His hair was loose, cascading down his back in inky black waves. His golden headdress was adorned with rubies and a single sapphire hung in the center of his forehead. Although his face had been covered by his veil all morning, Lan Wangji could easily imagine the happy flush on his cheeks and the tip of his nose.

The doors of the marriage chambers were opened for them and closed behind them. Once the footsteps receded, Lan Wangji brushed aside Wei Wuxian’s veil and cupped his cheek. It was hardly a second later that he was flinging his arms around Lan Wangji’s shoulders and kissing him like a dying man. Peals of giggles were breathed between them, and eventually grew so out of control Lan Wangji had to pull away. Wei Wuxian’s happiness was infectious, causing his own smile to spread across his lips.

“Is Wei Ying happy?”

“Yes,” he cried, planting his forehead against Lan Wangji’s chest. “Yes, I’m so happy.”

Lan Wangji could feel, even through his clothing, the feverish haze that had settled over Wei Wuxian’s body. Warm would have been an understatement - he was hot, and it brought to mind their conversation only a few nights ago and served as a reminder of the exact purpose of such marriage chambers.

His hands traveled downwards until he was grasping the backs of Wei Wuxian’s thighs and hoisted him into his hold. Wei Wuxian squeaked, the arms around his neck tightening to steady himself as Lan Wangji carried him across the room to deposit on the bed.

With all the care in the world, he pulled the headdress from Wei Wuxian’s head and set it aside. He strategically untied each knot holding his robes together until he was left in only his under layers, a white top and his pants. Each article was folded neatly and set aside with the headdress.

Wei Wuxian gave him the same amount of care, despite the fact he was already panting from the sheer anticipation. He pulled the strings of gems that adorned his horns away and set them in a small tray that looked as if it were meant for jewelry. He pulled at Lan Wangji’s robes and folded them to the best of his ability - not the best Lan Wangji had ever seen but still acceptable - before they too were set aside and they were both left in the bare minimum.

Suddenly, as if a switch had been hit, Wei Wuxian’s eyes were brimming with tears. Lan Wangji cradled his face, his thumbs wiping away the streaks as they fell. “What’s wrong?”

Wei Wuxian shook his head, sniffling and smiling wetly. “Nothing,” he said, his own hands coming up to wrap around Lan Wangji’s wrists. “I just can’t believe we’re finally here.”

He leaned in, placing a kiss to his forehead before moving down to claim his lips. Wei Wuxian made a soft sound against him, going willingly as Lan Wangji pressed his back against the bed and crawled over him.

His fingers eased him out of his final layers of clothing. Wei Wuxian was left completely bare underneath him, and he couldn’t help back back away and admire the sight, commit it to memory. Lan Wangji had seen him naked before, but had not taken the time to observe him.

His viewing was interrupted when the world suddenly spun and he found himself the one now on his back with his husband hovering over him. Lan Wangji felt his ears heat up as Wei Wuxian stared down at him with a look that could only be described as hungry.

He leaned down, his lips attaching to Lan Wangji’s neck and sucking small marks into his skin. His low groan was amplified by the fingers prying open his top and trailing along his abdomen until they reached his waistband. Wei Wuxian sat back and the tips of his fingers hooked underneath and pulled down.

Lan Wangji’s pants made it halfway down his thighs before Wei Wuxian froze. His eyebrows furrowed. The expression was enough to have self consciousness creeping up the back of his spine.

“Wei Ying?”

“There’s two?”

It was then that he realized, even with as many activities they engaged in, he’d never taken his clothes off in front of Wei Wuxian. His tone was not judgemental as he was expecting. Instead, it was that same hunger he could still see in Wei Wuxian’s eyes. Lan Wangji nodded, and he whined high in his throat. “Fuck, that’s hot.”

Wei Wuxian crawled down his legs, his lips hovering over his cocks. Warm breath fanned over his skin. Lan Wangji set a hand on the back of his head, fingers gripping soft strands of hair. It seemed that was all the encouragement he needed to wrap his lips around the head of one, and his hand around the base of the other.

He licked over the underside, tracing along a bulging vein with the tip of his tongue, and sucked experimentally. His eyes flicked up constantly, gauging Lan Wangji’s reactions to find what he liked most. His thumb pressed into the slit, smearing the collecting precum over his length, as he pressed down further, taking more into his mouth.

Lan Wangji personally thought he would never feel anything that could compare to this bliss. His head tipped back against the pillows, chest heaving. “Wei Ying is so good,” he praised. “So perfect for me.”

Wei Wuxian nodded around his mouthful. Lan Wangji hissed, his hold on his hair tightening. “Do that again.”

Wei Wuxian bobbed his head once more, listening to the responding groan before he began to pick up a rhythm. The hand jerking his second cock followed in time. Lan Wangji couldn’t tell where his efforts ended and where his own hand pushing and pulling his head began.

Wetness was pooling against his leg, staining his pants. Wei Wuxian was working his own hips against him, muffled moans spilling past his lips. Tightness pooled in Lan Wangji’s abdomen, and with a single thrust up into the warm wetness of Wei Wuxian’s mouth, he came with a cry of his name, into his mouth and over his hand.

Wei Wuxian pulled away, visibly holding down a cough as he swallowed. “Wei Ying, you don’t have to-” He ignored Lan Wangji, drawing his sticky fingers to his lips and licking them clean before he opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, clearly proud.

Lan Wangji grasped his hands, pulling him up and down for a kiss. He could taste himself on his tongue, and swallowed all the little moans that slipped out as Wei Wuxian continued to grind against his thigh, chasing his own release.

He bent his knee, changing the angle just enough that it had Wei Wuxian crying out and dropping his head to his chest. He was panting with the effort but refused to slow down, thighs shaking as he barreled towards his orgasm. Lan Wangji held his hips, guiding him.

“Lan Zhan,” he sobbed. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, er-gege.”

Wei Wuxian trembled in his hold, the wet spot against his bare thigh growing as he gasped and whined. Lan Wangji held him through the aftershocks, then he collapsed against him with a heavy sigh.

He pulled the sheets over their spent bodies. The sun was still shining in through the windows, hardly even midday. Lan Wangji rubbed his hand over the back of Wei Wuxian’s head and down his back. He did not stir, sleep already weighing heavy on his eyelids. His own eyes struggled to stay open soon after.

A small nap wouldn’t hurt.

When he opened his eyes again, the light outside streamed through the windows in hues of orange and purple. Wei Wuxian was still snoozing away, limbs tangled in the sheets and Lan Wangji’s own.

He peeled himself away as gently as he could without disturbing him, and observed the room. There was not much to see, as the drapes around the bed had been drawn at some point. Lan Wangji couldn’t remember doing so.

He stepped out of bed, tucked Wei Wuxian back in, and walked out into the marriage chambers. He was able to take the room in easier now.

In one corner was a privacy screen that must be concealing a bathtub. In the other was a divan, and in front of it was a low seated table. A tray of fruits and vegetables had been laid out on the table. Someone must have come in while they were asleep, dropped off the food and drawn the curtains to give them privacy.

“Lan Zhan?”

The sleepy call from the bed had him turning around and climbing right back in. Wei Wuxian’s eyes were half lidded, but entirely focused on Lan Wangji. A sleepy smile graced his lips. Lan Wangji petted his hair, before tilting his head up to eye a large lump under the sheets.

Wei Wuxian followed his gaze. His smile widened to a grin. The sheets were pulled away and out popped nine, fluffy tails.

Lan Wangji was awed. He reached out, brushed his fingers along the soft fur, then settled at the base where fur and skin met. The reaction it earned shocked him, a shaky moan falling from Wei Wuxian’s lips.

Intrigued, he repeated the action. Wei Wuxian clung to his shoulders, gasping. Lan Wangji rubbed at the base of the tails until he began to whine in protest, gently swatting his hand away. “No-” he gasped. “No, want to cum on you.”

“Mn?”

“Lan Zhan,” he pleaded. “Lan Zhan, I want you. I want- want both.”

“Both?” Lan Wangji raised a questioning brow.

“Both,” Wei Wuxian stuttered. He refused to meet his eyes. “Both cocks.”

With gentle hands, he moved Wei Wuxian onto his back and settled between his legs. His ankles hooked together around his hips, trapping him. As he had so many times before now, Lan Wangji trailed two of his fingers along Wei Wuxian’s slit and brushed over his clit.

He pinched and rubbed at the sensitive bud of nerves until Wei Wuxian was all but thrashing, needing to be held down with a firm hand on his hip. Once he was dripping, Lan Wangji dragged his fingers through the slick, coating his fingers with it.

He moved down, gently pressed his fingers against Wei Wuxian’s asshole, rubbing the tight muscle until it relaxed and allowed for one finger to slip in to the first knuckle, soaked with his own fluids. Once he had his entire finger pressed inside, he looked to check Wei Wuxian’s reaction.

He was biting his lip, hands fisted in the sheets, but once he noticed Lan Wangji watching him, he nodded. He thrust the finger once, a sound deep in Wei Wuxian’s chest bubbling up, then pressed in a second with it.

“Feels weird,” he confessed. Yet he was still dripping, the slick pooling against Lan Wangji’s hand.

He spread his fingers apart in a scissoring motion. He kept up until his hole was loose enough for a third finger, Wei Wuxian moaning and writhing again. “I’m ready,” he blabbered. “Er-gege, please, I’m ready now. Fuck me, I want it so bad.”

Lan Wangji pulled his fingers away, earning a displeased whine, then dragged his cocks through Wei Wuxian’s folds, slicking them up. He gripped his ankles, propped them up on his shoulders and pushed his knees almost to his shoulders.

The whole time, Wei Wuxian was smiling like a giddy child at him. He reached up, caressed Lan Wangji’s horns, one of his tails curling around his thigh. As his hand dropped, his fingers slipped into the knot tying his forehead ribbon together. Lan Wangji didn’t hesitate for a moment to assist him in untying it and letting it drop to the bed.

He pressed against Wei Wuxian’s slit, sinking into the wet heat easily. Nails sank into the flesh of his shoulders, dragging down his back and leaving red welts in their wake. Even just this was enough to begin overwhelming Lan Wangji, completely engulfed in Wei Wuxian’s heat.

“I’m- I’m going to put the other one in now,” he breathed.

Wei Wuxian nodded. The head of his second cock caught on his hole before pressing inside the tight ring of muscle. The shaky cry that was pulled from his husband’s throat had him moving to retreat, only to be stopped by multiple tails snaking around his waist.

“Don’t,” Wei Wuxian demanded. “Keep going. I’m fine.”

Lan Wangji pushed forward until his hips were flush against Wei Wuxian, both panting with the effort and new sensation. He set his forehead against Wei Wuxian’s, their breaths mingling. Their eyes met and Wei Wuxian was sent into a giggling fit.

His giddy happiness was infectious. Lan Wangji showered his face in kisses, only serving to fuel the laughter. Once he managed to settle him down, he stroked his thumbs over his slim waist. “Does it hurt?”

Wei Wuxian shook his head. “It’s not bad. Just a lot. You’re so big, Lan Zhan.”

“Wei Ying is tight,” he groaned. “Everywhere, Wei Ying squeezes so tight everywhere.”

Lan Wangji drew his hips back and sank back in slowly, experimentally. Wei Wuxian’s head tilted back, his throat exposed. He took advantage of it, lips finding their way to the expanse of skin to lick and suck every bit of free space he could reach.

He set a slow rhythm, hands gripping at his waist tight. Little moans were punched from between Wei Wuxian’s lips with each thrust. The tails that weren’t stubbornly clinging to his thighs and waist thrashed under his body, his toes curling in pleasure.

Lan Wangji’s teeth nibbled along his scent glands. Wei Wuxian had not smelled like himself the entire day, having been smothered with scented oils to cover the sweetness that overtook his lavender and spice scent as he approached his heat. Now, skin coated in sweat and slick pooling between his legs, the oils had begun to wear off.

His pace picked up with the revelation, a sound akin to a growl creeping from his throat. Wei Wuxian was babbling, a mix of words of encouragement and his name. He began to tighten around Lan Wangji, the telltale sign he was approaching his orgasm.

He wasn’t far behind. That heat was building up in his navel once again, only spurred on by the cries under him.

“Lan Zhan, claim me. Mark me, breed me. Want it so bad, please.”

Lan Wangji pressed a hand between his legs, thumbing at his clit, and sent Wei Wuxian over the edge with a scream. He sank his teeth into his scent gland, copper blooming over his tongue, and tipped over as well, his spend filling both of Wei Wuxian’s holes.

A tangled mess of limbs and tails, they laid together, panting in the hot air. Shaky fingers raked through Lan Wangji’s hair. He lifted his head from where it had dropped in the juncture of Wei Wuxian’s neck and shoulder and met his eyes.

He gave Lan Wangji a sated smile. “Thank you, Lan Zhan.”

“Why is Wei Ying thanking me?”

“For trying,” he said simply. “It probably won’t work but-”

“Being with Wei Ying like this is enough,” Lan Wangji interrupted. “I don’t need you to give me a child to be happy. Wei Ying already makes me happy.”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes shone with unshed tears. He kissed the tip of his nose, then his forehead and each of his cheeks. His cocks slipped out and his release began to trickle down his thighs. “So happy,” he whispered, finally pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

A quiet sob escaped from between them. Lan Wangji regarded his expression again, but he found a smile. “Thank you, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian repeated.

The sun was beginning to set. Blue and purple poured in from the window. Wei Wuxian wiped at his eyes, then settled further against the pillows. “Want Lan Zhan to eat me out now,” he declared.

Not much sleep was had that night.

Three weeks later, Lan Wangji was jerked awake by the body cradled against his jerking and darting out of the Jingshi. Bleary eyed, he followed Wei Wuxian’s quickly retreating footsteps outside, tying his robes closed as he went.

When he found him, Wei Wuxian was on his knees and bent over at the waist on the bank of the nearest stream, vomiting. Lan Wangji knelt beside him, soothing his hand over his heaving back. He coughed and spit one last time before leaning back against his chest.

“What did you eat today?” Lan Wangji asked.

“Nothing unusual,” he mused, voice scratchy with sleep and the force of his retches. “Maybe your vegan diet is finally eating my stomach,” Wei Wuxian joked.

“We will ask in the morning.” With linked hands, he led them back to bed.

In the morning, Wei Wuxian was given a full body check up. After many questions and much looking over, it was determined that he was pregnant.

Lan Wangji decided that morning that sneaking a huli jing home from Yunmeng was the best idea he’d ever had.