Chapter Text
Absolutely no one gets away with hurting Wei Wuxian.
It's an unspoken rule in the Lan sect which might as well be written in stone. Newly recruited men are repeatedly reminded that Wei Wuxian is not to come into any sort of harm whatsoever, lest they wish to incur the wrath of Lan Wangji.
Wei Wuxian is absolutely off limits and should anything happen to him (be it a strand of hair gone), then there's really no saying what sort of torment will befall the unlucky perpetrator. It's even proven that the Second Master Lan doesn't even let his own men off the hook should they fail to protect his best friend.
None of Lan Wangji's men present bat an eyelid when a small-fry drug dealer crumples to the ground in sheer agony, complexion turning steadily paler from the blood loss as he stares in disbelief at his arm that's been severed. There's blood everywhere, along with screaming and shrieking that grates on Wangji's ears, but what's important here is that Wei Ying is safe.
Hurt, but safe.
Wuxian coughs out a feeble ''Lan Zhan'' before he speaks, wincing as he does so. He's still disoriented from being held hostage, a barb wire tightly wound around his neck until it had dug into the flesh. ''Was that really necessary?''
Having been friends (or more than that, Wuxian has no inkling, really), he's no stranger to being in such life-threatening situations. But, there are occasions where his knees turn absolutely weak as soon as the adrenaline is coursing through his body. It's a given that Wangji will always have his back, that the male would set the world ablaze to protect him.
''Absolutely necessary.''
Even if Lan Wangji doesn't kill the scum curled up in a fetal position on the floor, the loss of blood will. Wordlessly, he gestures for his men to deal with the crumpled body. He's not one to get his hands dirty, but exceptions are always made for Wei Wuxian.
Blood drips from the raw wound around Wuxian's neck, staining the collar of his once-pristine cream shirt. There's bruises on his face and scratches on his arms from when he had put up a fight. Pride surges through Wangji, knowing that the other would never go down without one.
Wuxian's expression is that of utter disgust as he stares at the bloody, mangled arm just a metre away from him, ''You could have just shot him dead.'' Not because he wishes for a merciful death for the person who had attempted to kill him, but because...well, excessive blood always makes him feel a little nauseous. As it is, he's already suppressing the urge to hurl.
You'd think that he'd have developed a resistance to this.
It had been a routine goods drop until the idiot had rashly grabbed Wuxian in an attempt to use him as a bargaining chip.
''Not enough.'' Comes Wangji's short reply. ''He touched you.''
Wuxian isn't exactly certain if he's light-headed from the shock, or if it's because of his best friend's words. A sort of affectionate warmth courses through him, and he gingerly allows Wangji to guide him to his feet, immediately leaning his weight against the other. Fuck, he'd kill for one of Wen Qing's painkiller right now.
''You can't kill everyone that touches me, you know. There'll be bodies piled up everywhere.''
It's a weak attempt at humor.
''Watch me.''
//
They're best friends. And more. Perhaps.
The line of friendship has always been blur between them, but it's not that Wuxian minds. He just...wants Lan Zhan near - as simple as that. Then again, even if he ever plans on running away one day, Lan Wangji would hunt him to the very ends of the Earth.
Wen Qing's already waiting when they arrive at one of Wangji's apartments (he's got a couple scattered around the cities). As always, she patches him up efficiently, all the while marveling at the amount of trouble Wuxian manages to get up without fail. She's a tough cookie. He's seen her break the wrist of a muscled man without batting an eyelid, but for some odd reason, Wen Qing's got quite the weak spot for Wei Wuxian.
''Hey!'' He protests weakly. ''I don't go looking for trouble. It comes looking for me.'' It's a price one has to pay to stay by Hanguang Jun's side, but not that he's complaining.
Wen Qing cocks an eyebrow at him, clearly not amused. She snips the bandage and carefully tucks the ends it, informing him that she'll come by in a few days time to change the dressing.
//
A sort of heavy, ominous silence settles over the apartment once Wen Qing leaves (but not before repeatedly reminding Wei Wuxian not to fiddle with the bandages. Wangji, on most occasions, is usually the epitome of stoic composure, but he always falls into one of his 'dark' moods whenever something like this happens.
It takes all of Wuxian's willpower to not just sink down onto the plush bedding, knowing just how much getting the 1000-thread count sheets dirty is going to aggravate Wangji. Sluggishly, he forces himself into the en-suite bathroom, grimacing as he strips off the bloodied shirt. There's bruises on his ribs, twinging each time he shifts. Submerging himself in warm water seems to do the trick, but it's a struggle to keep himself awake now that he's swallowed down one of Wen Qing's miracle pill.
A chilled bottle of beer would be heaven-sent right now, he muses to himself.
As Wuxian soaks in the tub, he finds himself vaguely wondering what sort of unfortunate torture would befall on his perpetrator. Sure, his arm had been cut off, but Wangji wouldn't let him off with just that. The last time someone had hurt Wuxian, said person had ended up as food for the fishes in one of the rivers.
It's only when his skin turns all pruney that Wuxian finally decides to leave the warm comfort of the tub. It's not surprising at all to find Wangji waiting in the bedroom when he steps out. There's a pair of joggers and a t-shirt already laid out on the bed for him. On the bedside table, Wuxian notices a glass of water and what seems like congee.
It's fleeting, but Wuxian notices the way his friend's expression hardens when he catches sight of the scrapes and bruises. Something tells him that everyone involved is going to pay for this, including the men that Wangji had specifically instructed to protect Wuxian. Once dressed, he comfortably stretches out on the bed, pillowing his head on Wangji's thigh.
He's absolutely drained.
''Tired.'' He murmurs, pressing his face up against Wangji's clothed stomach, breathing in the crisp cotton-like scent of his detergent. A hand settles on top of his head, and Wuxian finally, finally allows himself to properly relax.
He's safe.
He always is when Lan Zhan is around.
Gun-calloused fingers sift through his damp locks, ''Were you scared?''
Wuxian laughs, just like he usually does when facing danger.
''I was more terrified of him disfiguring my face.'' He turns until he's looking up at Wangji. ''What am I going to do if I lose my title as Lan Wangji's pretty arm candy?''
People gossip about him. About how he's Hanguang Jun's pretty boy. There's nothing wrong with that, because Wuxian is aware that he's attractive. He hangs onto Lan Wangji's arm when they attend family-related functions and business meetings, further adding on to the rumors. They whisper about his shameless, brazen behaviour, assuming the worst of him. Perhaps it's quite a blessing that Wuxian thrives on the attention. Yet, they're all mostly unaware that it's him who's the brains behind most of the Lan's sect operations and projects. Whatever it is, he's content to remain behind the curtains.
It's not acknowledgement that Wei Wuxian seeks.
He thrives, just by being next to Lan Zhan.
Wuxian huffs when he receives no response, ''Am I of no use now that I'm no longer pretty, Lan Zhan?''
''You're more than that, Wei Ying.''
At a complete loss for words, Wuxian gazes up at his best friend. Damn it. Trust Lan Zhan to always know what to say to make him feel all kinds of disoriented. He breaks out into a toothy smile, then asks, ''Is it alright if I crash here for a couple of days? Jiang Cheng and Yanli-jie is going to freak if I come home looking like this.''
''You can stay as long as you want.''
Again, Wuxian nuzzles his face against the soft material of Wangji's shirt, circling his arms around the older male's waist, ''Lan Zhan's the best, as always.''
//
Lan Wangji has long acknowledged that what he feels for Wei Wuxian transcends beyond platonic love. It's a fierce, possessive sort of love that gnaws at him from the inside, and while the mere thought of it had terrified him in the past, he's long past that.
That was when he had tried his very best to keep Wuxian at arm's length, repeatedly pushing the other away in an attempt as to not get him involved in the Lan's (dirty) family business. But Wuxian had been nothing but adamant when it came to what he wanted. Lan Qiren had warned him that Wei Wuxian would serve to be his Achilles' heel, but Wangji begs to differ. If anything, he's capable of so much more with Wuxian by his side.
Long awake, Wangji leans against the headboard while Wuxian continues to doze, occasionally letting out adorable snuffling sounds in his sleep.
There's much that needs to be done today; e-mails to be replied to, people to kill, and proposals to sift through. For now, he'll allow himself ten more minutes of watching Wuxian.
Is Lan Wangji smitten?
Very much so.
Xichen had pointed it out one too many times, but Wangji is determined that there's no sense in putting a label towards what they have. He adores Wei Wuxian, and he believes that the younger male is on the same wavelength as well.
Wuxian, or Wei Ying as Wangji affectionely addresses him, has stuck by his side through it all; the bloodshed, violence, and the very worst of Lan Wangji,
The sleeping figure begins to rouse, nuzzling his face against Wangji's hip just like a cat would. It takes a while for him to fully stir and when he does, he blearily smiles up at Wangji.
Wei Wuxian is ridiculously adorable, bed hair and all.
It's quite bad for his heart.
//
Giving Wangji his best impressed of a puppy-eyed look hasn't stopped the other from going into work. He stands in the doorway with the most pitiful pout ever.
''Lan Zhan, you're so cruel. Leaving me all alone here while I'm injured.''
''I'll see you later, Wei Ying.''
It's not that Wangji is completely immune to the pouting. He's just cultivated lots of self-discipline over the years.
Left to his own devices, Wuxian finally gets around to replying the text messages from Jiang Cheng and Yanli-jie, assuring his siblings that he's fine and that he'd be spending the next few days at Wangji's place. There's nothing suspicious in that, considering that he's always away from home most of the time. With too much time on his hands and nothing to do, he soaks in the tub until he's all wrinkled, later on shivering from the slight chill as he stands in front of Wangji's wardrobe in just his briefs.
His best friend has a strict 'no-entrance' policy when it comes to his personal space, but Wangji has more or less resigned himself to it after finding Wuxian wearing his clothes on more than one occasion.
Comfortably clad in one of Wangji's dress shirt, Wuxian makes a mental note that he should really start buying more colored items for his friend. There was just...too much white in there. He goes about searching for breakfast, emitting a loud sigh when he realizes that Wangji only has healthy options in his kitchen cabinet.
Distractedly, he pours a helping of low-sugar cereal into a bowl while typing out a text to Wangji.
wwx: It's cruel enough that you left me alone :(
wwx: But you left me to starve to? How could you, Lan Zhan :(
He's being dramatic, but only because he's still huffy about the fact that he hadn't managed to convince Wangji to stay.
Wuxian wanders into the living room and switches on the television to put on some background noise, aimlessly scrolling through the rest of the unread texts while he spoons gross-tasting cereal into his mouth. How does Wangji even swallow this?''
''...it's been reported that the man was found hanging from the rafters with what seems like a wire looped around his neck. In this vicious act of murder, it was also noted that his right arm-''
Wait.
What.
Wuxian increases the volume, completely transfixed by the news on the television.
He takes a 15 second video of what he's watching and sends it in the chat that he has with Wangji.
wwx: Did you ask them to do this?
The reply comes a few seconds later:
lwj: Don't ask questions you already know the answer to.
A laugh bubbles past Wuxian's lips, warmth blooming in the pit of his stomach at the response. He's...touched. He always is whenever Wangji does something like this. The older male doesn't say much, but he definitely shows it in his actions.
Fifteen minutes later, there's a knock on the door and Wuxian opens it to find the security personnel from the lobby informing him that someone's ordered food delivery for him.
''Huh...but I didn't-''
His gaze falls to the bag in the man's hands, immediately recognizing the logo of his favorite takeout place. Knowing full well who it's from, he thanks the security and accepts the bags, unable to stop the corners of his lips from curving up into a smile.
''Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. You really do spoil me.'' He takes out the containers, even more delighted when he realizes that it's all of his favorite dishes.
Wuxian snaps a photo of the food and sends it along with a message.
wwx: You do love me after all :')
wwx: Thank you <3
He wasn't sure if he was thanking Wangji for killing someone for him, or taking pity and buying food for him.
Definitely both.
//