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@Lan Wangji Lan Wangji suddenly got all quiet, and Wei Wuxian raised his head to look at the older man again. It was suddenly hard to tell what Lan Wangji was thinking, possibly because of how little time they had been spending together lately that Wei Wuxian forgot how to read his partner's face. He examined Lan Wangji's perfect face for a moment before he caught on to the way Lan Wangji' pressed his lips together ever so slightly. With a sigh, Wei Wuxian set down his brush, wanting to console and bring the other out of his mood even if he was feeling utterly defeated.

"Let me brew some tea," Wei Wuxian, who rarely drank /tea/, said. He rose unsteadily, shaking out the feeling of sleeping legs after sitting on them nearly all afternoon. He took his time gathering the teapot and the leaves, taking his place beside Lan Wangji again. His movements were careful and methodological as he prepared the tea, almost resembling a dutiful wife as he poured a cup out and offered it to Lan Wangji.

Wei Wuxian had nothing else to say to Lan Wangji all of a sudden, which worried him. He took the other as his confidant, his other half, yet he had never felt more distanced. All Wei Wuxian wanted was for things to go back the way they were just mere months ago. He wanted to be held and kissed and touched and /loved/, yet he could not bring himself to initiate any of that. For the first time, the silence between them was deafening.

@Wei Wuxian Wei Wuxian seemed to purposely put some distance between himself and Lan Wangji, thoroughly concerning the older male as his eyes flickered upwards. He felt like the smaller was trying to brush him off, to make it seem like everything was okay even though there was a heavy burden on his chest. Lan Wangji didn't know how to approach him, he'd never seen Wei Wuxian in such a sullen state. It only made him feel worse, as though he had been the cause of Wei Wuxian's unspoken misery. He remembered Wei Wuxian's words, about not remembering much, but from the day that he confessed to Lan Wangji, he would remember everything that the older male did.

Those words were a heavy blow to him, as he realized that the last two months, all he had been doing was refusing Wei Wuxian's requests (not explicitly, but still refusal in a way), distancing Wei Wuxian from the classroom by encouraging him to go outside instead, and only coming back late at night when it was close to rest time. Lan Wangji was treating Wei Wuxian like he was an evening past time. He was treating Wei Wuxian like an outsider, distancing him and isolating the smaller male from the rest of the world. Having come to this realization, a deep shame washed over him. Lan Wangji had never learned how to feel shame in his life, as he was a model disciple that always stood by his beliefs and morals firmly. Yet Wei Wuxian had easily shamed him. Lan Wangji had broken the unspoken promise between them.

He retracted his hand, placing it back on his lap, for the most part unmoving. Even when Wei Wuxian asked him how class was, Lan Wangji could only murmur "Fine." before getting lost in his thoughts again. Lan Wangji suddenly felt a fatigue wash over him, his head starting to hurt slightly and his heart attempting to drop to his stomach pit again. He just felt so /ashamed/ and for once, he had no idea how to resolve an issue.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian watched Lan Wangji warily as the other took a seat beside him. He scooted over to make space on the table for Lan Wangji to do his work, his brows drawing ever closing together in his confusion when the other made no move to begin grading assignments. Wei Wuxian's movements stilled, and he waited patiently for Lan Wangji to speak again first.

"Wei Ying... what's bothering you?" Lan Wangji's voice was so soft and brimming with concern Wei Wuxian tensed up, almost shrinking away from the other. "Are you not feeling well?"

"I'm fine," Wei Wuxian said, his voice clipped. He let his paintbrush drop, holding in his breath. Was he really? Wei Wuxian had tried not to dwell on his wellbeing during his time at Cloud Recesses. He knew if he spent too much time thinking of those thoughts, they would only fester and grow within him, like a poison. He shook his head, pushing the emerging thoughts again. "Nothing's bothering me," he decided in the end, shaking off Lan Wangji's hand, picking up his brush again and dipping it into the inkwell, his movements careful and precise.

"How was class?" Wei Wuxian couldn't help but ask, almost bitterly at the fact that he had been informally chased out of it by Lan Wangji's suggestions that he find something else to do. 'Since I wasn't there, you loved it, didn't you,' Wei Wuxian wanted to add, but he bit down on his tongue. He found his own thought process so petty he almost wanted to raise a hand and slap himself across his face.

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji almost felt like he had interrupted Wei Wuxian, with the way the smaller seemed so shocked to see him. He stood at the doorway, blinking a few times when he realized that Wei Wuxian was expecting him to be back later. Placing Bichen down, he paced over to the desk that Wei Wuxian was at. Setting his large stacks of scroll down, Lan Wangji looked down at the smaller male, "Nothing." he replied, trying to read the look on Wei Wuxian's face.

Wei Wuxian's change in demeanor did not go unnoticed by Lan Wangji. It had been a case of the smaller male looking foward for him to end class everyday, spending each waking moment that was outside the classroom holding onto Lan Wangji and talking to him, smiling at him, teasing him...but that had all dwindled down as the time slipped by. He took a seat beside Wei Wuxian, legs crossed and back straight. However, instead of reaching out for the first scroll at the top of the stack as he usually did, Lan Wangji turned his head slowly, looking at the smaller male. He didn't know what to say, wondering if how he should ask Wei Wuxian what was wrong without sounding too patronizing.

"Wei Ying..." he gently called the smaller's name, "What's bothering you?" Lan Wangji didn't want Wei Wuxian to brush his question off. Hesitantly, he reached a hand out, gently pressing it on Wei Wuxian's, who was still holding onto the paintbrush. "Are you not feeling well?" he tried again.

Althugh it seemed Wei Wuxian was the outgoing type, always willing to speak up for the good of others, it seemed he wouldn't do it for himself. Lan Wangji had no way to force the truth from his cultivation partner, and he didn't have the heart to get aggressive either. Rather, he just knew, deep down, that this was his shortcoming. His half-lidded gaze lowered to the floor, the hand that wasn't holding onto Wei Wuxian's that rested on his lap bunching up the material of the white robe he was wearing. Lan Wangji didn't know what else to do, what else to say.

@Lan Wangji Night hunt theories were the worst thing Wei Wuxian thought could ever be put in a classroom. First of all, you gained experience from actually night hunting, not reading about writing about it. Second, Wei Wuxian still had his very unorthodox ways of hunting. GusuLan's theories and rules were so inflexible. The real world wasn't like /that/. Each and every situation in a night hunt was different, one could not just identify the issue and apply a rule to it. Alas, what could Wei Wuxian do? He was not the teacher and had no place to share his thoughts on the lessons.

Still, he sat through them because what else could he do? If he wasn't in the classroom, he would just be cooped up in the Silent Chamber or hidden in the back mountain of Cloud Recesses, away from the disapproving eyes of the elders. Wei Wuxian had nearly resided at Cloud Recesses for roughly three months now, yet he had not seen a single Elder (and rarely any of the other disciples besides his 'classmates'), and he was beginning to suspect with a heavy heart that Lan Wangji was trying to keep him out of the way of his family. It would be a heavy accusation, so Wei Wuxian never brought it up, obediently keeping to himself instead of looking for Jingyi or Jin Ling to bother. Besides in Orchid Hall, he did not have the opportunity to talk with them.

These days, Wei Wuxian's thoughts weighed even heavier in his heart than usual. During Lan Wangji's lessons, he sat perfectly still, his head bowed as he stared down at his empty desk. Qin Jiahao tried to catch his attention before the start of class, but Wei Wuxian did not even have the heart to converse with the other now. They had struck up a somewhat unlikely friendship even if Wei Wuxian was blunt with him, always teasing or poking fun at the young disciple, yet they only saw each other in the Orchid Hall.

Lan Wangji's insistence that he go do something else other than sit in the classroom wounded Wei Wuxian. As dramatic as he sounded to himself, he wondered if Lan Wangji was already sick of seeing him day in and day out. So on this particular day, Wei Wuxian decided to skip Lan Wangji's class and sleep in, only waking near noon. He cleaned himself up, practiced songs on Chenqing, took another nap, and drew for the duration of his afternoon.

"Wei Ying."

Wei Wuxian looked up from his doodling, laying down his brush. "Oh," he said, genuinely a little surprised to see Lan Wangji return before dark. He tried to compose himself, wanting to seem nonchalant. "Lan Zhan, you're back so early. What's the matter? Did something happen?"

@Wei Wuxian "En." Lan Wangji replied to Wei Wuxian's question, knowing that he was referring to the painting. "Like it." and he lowered his neck, kissing Wei Wuxian again.

Two months later, when the Annual Study had been more than halfway completed, Lan Wangji had worked his way through the most basic scrolls, starting to talk more about Night Hunts and the different types of spirits that the disciples would potentially encountered. The disciples were acquainted with his lecturing style now, even Jin Ling who had a hard time sitting still was now behaving properly beside Lan Jingyi.

Lan Wangji finished the lecture, releasing the disciples for the remainder of the day. Once the classroom had cleared out, he turned around, collecting the stack of scrolls behind him. This was yet another assignment he had to grade, as the disciples were required to recite and dictate certain chapters during class everyday. Lan Wangji, who never liked to procrastinate lest the workload piled up, spent much of his afternoon grading now. Wei Wuxian had been insistent on coming to class with him every day, but it was obvious that the smaller male was much too rowdy to be able to sit in a class for three months straight. Rather, Lan Wangji insisted that the smaller male sleep more, go play with the rabbits, enjoy himself in the back of the Cloud Recesses.

Though, Lan Wangji was well aware, that two months had gone by. Two months of him getting busier and busier each day while Wei Wuxian was getting more and more restless by the moment. The younger male had repeatedly wanted to go to town with Lan Wangji after class, but since the assignments began, Lan Wangji had been much too busy. He sighed softly as he entered the Silent Chamber again, calling, "Wei Ying."

This man! He was impossible. To his words, Wei Wuxian had no response, shocked into silence for once. He bit down hard onto the insides of his cheeks, bright red immediately flushing the pale skin of his face down to his collarbones. "Lan Zhan, you...!" Ducking his head to hide his ridiculously enamoured grin, Wei Wuxian slapped his palm against Lan Wangji's chest a little harder than he intended to before allowing himself to be pulled into Lan Wangji's arms. "You're so shameless! In the future, if you're going to say these kinds of things again, you better warn me beforehand, Lan Wangji!"

Finally, Wei Wuxian allowed himself to sink into Lan Wangji's embrace, which was what he had been trying to lure Lan Wangji into doing all along - hold him, cuddle him, embrace him, love him. Even just being wrapped with Lan Wangji's warmth and scent eased the pain spreading through his muscles and joints. Lifting his head, Wei Wuxian pressed a clumsy kiss to Lan Wangji's chin, much too comfortable to stretch and reach for his lips.

"Did you really like it?" Wei Wuxian asked, referring to his little gift. Once upon a time, so long ago Wei Wuxian was not even sure if it was a dream or a memory, he had drawn Lan Wangji, too, looking every bit youthful and beautiful as he did today. Lan Wangji hated it, he was sure.

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji was amused with this Wei Wuxian, the feistiness in the smaller male reminding him of how Wei Wuxian's sharp tongue was able to get a rile out of everyone - from Wen Chao to Jin Guangyao and even to Xue Yang, all the people who unfortunately got in Wei Wuxian's way. The older male pressed another kiss on Wei Wuxian's forehead when the first one seemed to calm him down He watched as the younger slipped back into his robes, crossing his arms at Lan Wangji.

"Don’t even think of keeping it for too long.” Wei Wuxian warned, referring to his painting.

Lan Wangji nodded his head once, the seriousness returning to his face, "En, but you're my person now." he put the scroll down, reaching out to pull Wei Wuxian into his arms, "Wei Ying shouldn't try to keep yourself away from me for too long either."

@Lan Wangji “Don’t know that,” Lan Wangji simply said before he plucked the scroll from Wei Wuxian. “Thief!” Wei Wuxian accused the older, but he did nothing to take it back, his hands busy with massaging his sore hips and thighs.

Wei Wuxian initially did not notice the way he began to smile as he watched Lan Wangji examine his drawing. His drawing of the other highlighted his sharp and angular features, but he’d added a little flower tucked behind Lan Wangji’s ear for his pretty and delicate soul. It was only when Lan Wangji looked back up at him that he forced the corner of his lips to turn downward into a frown. However endearing Lan Wangji’s reaction was, he couldn’t let himself smile yet. “You better give that back to me. I didn’t say you could have it. You’re a thief. Villain!”

Wei Wuxian did, however, settle down when Lan Wangji’s soft mouth kissed his forehead.

"Whatever belongs to the owner, will eventually find its way back."

“You’re right,” Wei Wuxian shot back cheekily, slipping his outer robe back over himself. “It’s mine, so it’ll find itself back to me. Don’t even think of keeping it for too long.” He harrumphed softly, crossing his arms in his pretended-tantrum.

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji would let Wei Wuxian rest tonight, since it was obvious that the male was still pouty from the unwarranted treatment on his waist. Lan Wangji have never been so rough before, and the amount of complaining Wei Wuxian was doing afterwards made him wonder just how big of a difference he must have been in all the previous nights. It seemed, thus far, that Wei Wuxian was always up and about the next morning, walking and bouncing around as though nothing happened.

When Lan Wangji had finished cleaning the smaller male, he smiled softly again, setting the cloth to a side. He eyed the scroll that Wei Wuxian was holding against his chest, the smaller male still pursing his lips adorably at him. "Don't know that." Lan Wangji replied, reaching out and easily removing the scroll from Wei Wuxian's grasp. He gently unraveled the paper, curious as to what Wei Wuxian had done. To his content, it was another portrait that Wei Wuxian had drawn of him, similar to the one he had done during the days of being confined to the Hidden Library Chamber to copy the 3000 rules. Lan Wangji's eyes seemed to gleam at the sight, his ears pinkening slightly as he quickly held the scroll away from Wei Wuxian, refusing to give it back to the smaller male.

Lan Wangji looked back at Wei Wuxian, still holding the paintings far away, but leaning in again so he could press a kiss on the other's forehead, "Much thanks." he muttered softly, then adding softly, "Whatever belongs to the owner, will eventually find its way back." he said, since Wei Wuxian still seemed to want to get it back from him. Afterall, it was a gift meant for Lan Wangji. It did find its way into his possession, didn't it?

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian did not /ask/ to be abused like this. He sulked as Lan Wangji ran the damp cloth over him, shivering and shrinking when his robe was removed again. At this point, the sky was still rather light, and Wei Wuxian feared that they might have been overheard. However, no Gusu Elder (read: Lan Qiren) was bursting into the Silent Chamber with accusatory remarks and pointing fingers, so Wei Wuxian allowed himself to relax for the time being. Besides, tensing up did nothing to help his sore waist as a result of Lan Wangji's /very/ ill treatment of his delicate and sensitive backside.

The way just one corner of Lan Wanji's mouth pulled up picked up Wei Wuxian's heart beat again. He swallowed hard, barely hearing what Lan Wangji said since he was too focused on staring at those beautiful pillow lips. "Huh?" Wei Wuxian grunted, looking down at how the scrolls were exposed after Lan Wangji took his robes off. He picked up the pieces of paper, holding them carefully in his hands as if they could just tear from an invisible force.

Of course, he still very much wanted to give them to Lan Wangji, but Wei Wuxian would rather be caught dead than contradicting his words right away instead of playing coy. He hugged the scrolls to his stomach when Lan Wangji finished cleaning him, forcing his lower lip to jut out into an exaggerated pout. The drawings rested in his gentle hold, easy for Lan Wangji to pluck from his grasp. "Just because you say it's yours doesn't mean it's yours," he retorted, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "Hanguang Jun, I expect you to know that already."

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji was met with great resistance as he administered Wei Wuxian's punishment. The smaller male had already insisted on it before, and being the very attentive person that Lan Wangji was, he was simply giving Wei Wuxian what he had asked for. "You said you wanted it yourself." he had husked into the smaller's ear when they were in the confines of the Silent Chamber. He ignored the smaller's waves of complaints and protests, simply carrying out the punishment exactly as Wei Wuxian had described it last night. At one point, Lan Wangji did question though, was Wei Wuxian's memory so bad that he had asked for this himself?

Once it was over, Lan Wangji nonchalantly redressed himself, getting up to get the washcloth again. The smaller male was panting, obviously still trying to collect himself from the incident. Lan Wangji was careful to wring the cloth dry before bringing it over again, wanting to help Wei Wuxian clean up as he usually did. As he approached Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji's glace darted to the floor, noticing that there were a few scrolls beside the smaller's robe. Wei Wuxian was indeed giving off his maiden image again, covering himself with his black robes, leaving the image of his body to Lan Wangji's imagination. As the younger male hastily shoved something into his sleeve and claimed, "I had a gift for you. Had! I don't want to give it to you anymore." Lan Wangji raised a brow, taking another few steps closer as Wei Wuxian continued, "I can't believe you, Hanguang Jun. Treating an innocent man so roughly!"

The bigger male sat down on the side of the bed, leaning in such that their faces would be so close, Wei Wuxian didn't have much room to back away even if he wanted to. A little smirk appeared on his face, which would be one of the first times Lan Wangji had ever made this expression in his life as he reached his hand into the same sleeve Wei Wuxian tried to hide the scrolls in a moment ago. It wasn't as though the scroll could be hidden that deeply, especially not the way the smaller male was loosely covering himself with his garments. "It's still mine." he replied, then pulling the rest of Wei Wuxian's robe down so he could wipe the smaller male clean.

@Lan Wangji Rolling up his drawings and fastening them into a scroll, Wei Wuxian was about to head off with his new friend when Lan Wangji caught him by his wrist, holding him back as the class trickled out of Orchid Hall. "What? Shouldn't I copy, too?" Wei Wuxian protested, feeling rather uneasy when he saw the wicked gleam in Lan Wangji's usually kind eyes. "I was talking to him, too, Lan Zhan. He will feel wronged by Hanguang Jun if you let me off the hook and not him."

It turned out Lan Wangji had no intention of letting Wei Wuxian go unpunished. He was taken straight back to the Silent Chamber where Lan Wangji pressed him into the bed and began to tear at his clothes despite Wei Wuxian's protests. "Lan Zhan! Stop it! Are you out of your mind? There are still people outside!" Lan Wangji seemed to give no indication that he heard We Wuxian's pleading. "I want to copy textbooks, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian begged as he was flipped over onto his front, pressed down by Lan Wangji's weight. "I said I want to copy them!"

Wei Wuxian's throat hurt by the end of it from trying to suppress the screams that wear tearing out of him after being /railed/ from behind by Lan Wangji. He lay in a crumpled heap after, taking deep, quavering breaths. "How could you do that to me?" Wei Wuxian moaned when he finally caught his breath, pulling only his outer robe back on to cover himself up. "I had a gift for you. Had! I don't want to give it to you anymore." Taking the scrolls he'd left on the floor, Wei Wuxian jammed them into the sleeve of his robe, scowling at Lan Wangji. "I can't believe you, Hanguang Jun. Treating an innocent man so roughly!"

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji began to lecture again, the difference in his style from his Uncle's very apparent. Even though there was a great deal of information to be covered, Lan Wangji did not spend too long on each point, only emphasizing what was necessary and important to what he thought was the disciples' overall understanding. Since the youth had nothing to compare his style of lecturing to, and it also really didn't matter to Lan Wangji what they would complain about behind his back, he figured that there would be the usual bouts of sleepiness and lack of attention through the long morning lecture.

In the back of his mind though, he knew that it would mostly begin with Wei Wuxian. However, for the first incense stick's worth of time, every time Lan Wangji glanced over in the smaller male's direction, it was a genuine surprise that Wei Wuxian had not nodded off at his desk yet. In fact, the smaller male was even putting pen to paper, making little markings which Lan Wangji mistook to be notes. He had remembered Wei Wuxian trying to persuade him this morning, claiming that he'd take notes if he had to. To this, Lan Wangji felt like smiling from the inside, but his calm expression was maintained nonetheless.

After a while though, once they had gone through a good section of the scroll, Lan Wangji noticed that there was yet another disciple who found interest in talking to Wei Wuxian. It was just in the corner of his eye, but he heard the slight shuffling and murmuring nonetheless. "No talking is allowed." he said, his voice aimed at the disciple who was sitting right beside Wei Wuxian. "After class, copy the Book of Elegance three times." he said, then turning his attention back to the lecture.

Indeed, once class was over, the disciple he chastised scurried off to copy the texts as he was instructed to. On the other hand, once all the disciples filed out of the Orchid Classroom, Lan Wangji went up to Wei Wuxian, taking the smaller male by the wrist. "Let's go." he said. Wei Wuxian would have to do his equivalent of copying scrolls too, since he was also talking during Lan Wangji's lecture.

@Lan Wangji Elated that he would be allowed to come along, Wei Wuxian finished tying up his clothes and snatched Chenqing up, tucking the flute into his side. Their walk down to the main pavilion was filled with a comfortable silence, their arms brushing up against each others on the way. He still did not dare push his the limits of the conservative Gusu guidelines by hanging off Lan Wangji every waking moment.

He just didn't want to be apart from Lan Zhan anymore.

Wei Wuxian turned back to Lan Wangji when he noticed the older man gone from his side, his heart skipping a beat when his eyes met Lan Wangji's pale ones. They looked like pools of molten gold, ever shifting with the change in light. Reflexively, he smiled, fondness filling his gaze. and waved to Lan Wangji before making his way into Orchid Hall. Wei Wuxian found his spot from the previous day empty, probably reserved for him by the looks of how the disciples' eyes followed him to his seat. He offered a smile to the boy to his left as he folded his legs beneath him before turning his gaze to the front of the room.

Wei Wuxian did well pretending to be a diligent student for the better half of the first hour, something he gave himself a literal pat over the shoulder for. Once his attention began to waver, however, there was no getting it back. He began to doodle over his paper, glad to see that even if there was nothing else he retained from his past life, he had his exceptional drawing skills. Once his first sheet had been filled with nonsense abstract drawings, he pushed it aside and began to start fresh on another. His gaze flicked up once in a while to capture the angular lines of Lan Wangji's face onto his paper, the other man's voice becoming a low drone in the background when Wei Wuxian focused on his art.

"Psst."

Wei Wuxian looked up, right, then to his left. It was the boy he waved to when he sat down. The young disciple held out his first sheet of paper that had fallen off Wei Wuxian's desk and floated over into his space. "Aren't you paying attention?" he whispered, repeating it louder when Wei Wuxian gave no indication of hearing it at first.

"... of course I am!" Wei Wuxian snatched his paper back, covering his drawing of Lan Wangji with it. "This is interpretive, you know. My notes are in my..." He glanced down at the demonic rabbit taking up the centre of the paper. "Bunnies."

The disciple huffed, rolling his eyes. "Aren't you scared of Hanguang Jun?" he asked, a little more loudly than when he initially tried to catch Wei Wuxian's attention.

Wei Wuxian shrugged. "Only sometimes."

The young disciple's scepticism turned into a face of awe. "Wow," he whispered. "My father would kill me if he knew I was like you during classes."

"Who's your father?"

"Qin Canye. I'm Qin Jiahao of LaolingQin."

"Never heard of them," Wei Wuxian said bluntly, without pausing to rack his brain for LaolingQin members. "Pay attention to L- Hanguang Jun or I'll tell your father."

@Wei Wuxian Despite Lan Wangji's gentle urging, it seemed Wei Wuxian had other plans. He watched as the smaller male fumbled around the room, trying to dress as quickly as he could so he would be able to follow Lan Wangji to class. The older male sighed softly, not trying again as he noted that his Wei Ying could be rather stubborn at times too, so it made no sense in trying to deter the other from doing as he wanted to. Lan Wangji just hoped it wouldn't be too much of a hassle for Wei Wuxian to be up and about so early in the morning.

Even during their Annual Study years back, in the few times that Lan Wangji did remember looking behind him while sitting in his Uncle's Class, Wei Wuxian had been restless the majority of the time. If he wasn't doodling or fumbling around, then he was nodding off in class. Lan Wangji used to glare at him for being so disrespectful, but he never really understood that it was because Wei Wuxian was not an early riser. The Lan Wangji at that time was too uncultured, thinking everyone had grown up to rules similar to the Gusu Lan's family rules.

"Take me with you. I'll even take notes if you want me to. I just want to go." Wei Wuxian demanded, to which Lan Wangji gave a soft smile, his eyes seeming to crinkle a little more than usual out of amusement.

"Okay." he said, grabbing Bichen from its spot at the side of his desk, "You can come." he agreed.

Lan Wangji neared the Orchid classroom just on time, watching as the last of the disciples filed inside. As the teacher, he was supposed to enter last, but punctually. He looked at Wei Wuxian, his eyes indicating that the smaller male should enter the class before him. Lan Wangji stood behind, an arm behind his back as he gazed at the backside of his partner fondly.

Once Lan Wangji entered the classroom, the last murmur died down. Scanning the room, he found Wei Wuxian again, making note where to look at for today. He placed his scroll down on the desk at the front center of the room, turning around to receive everyone's greeting, "En. Be seated." he replied, then beginning his lecture on the Basics of Cultivation.

@Lan Wangji Filled with an incomprehensible sense of joy, Wei Wuxian let go of Lan Wangji to step into the tub.

Wei Wuxian felt like a child, with the way Lan Wangji was scrubbing him, turning him over, and then scrubbing again. He moved whenever Lan Wangji made a move to touch the cloth to his skin, enjoying watching Lan Wangji struggle with a supposedly simple task. He only settled down when Lan Wangji finished with him, taking his turn to clean the other. Their steamy surroundings created the perfect sleepy environment for Wei Wuxian, but he gritted his teeth and forced his eyes to open as he washed Lan Wangji.

He tried to dress quickly before Lan Wangji shooed him to bed again, but alas, he was not quick enough. With his trousers and undershirt pulled on, he was reaching for his outer layers when Lan Wangji spoke.

"No," Wei Wuxian protested stubbornly, knowing full well he would hate it in the classroom. "I want to go, too," he said without further explanation. Too vividly, he remembered his days during his own Annual Study. Lan Qiren was the teacher at the time, and the material, techniques, and philosophy covered at Cloud Recesses Wei Wuxian all disagreed with. To have to listen to such atrocity again would most definitely not be music to Wei Wuxian's ears, but Lan Wangji's voice was, so Wei Wuxian was willing to put up with it.

Without waiting for Lan Wangji's approval or refusal, Wei Wuxian slipped into clean robes, wrapping a bright red sash tightly around his already narrow waist. Snatching up Lan Wangji's hair accessory, Wei Wuxian carefully pinned it back into Lan Wangji's bun, only backing off when it was perfectly straight. "Take me with you," he demanded, crossing his arms. "I'll even take notes if you want me to. I just want to go."

@Wei Wuxian Where it was usually the younger disciples who would bring the hot water to fill the basin for Lan Wangji in the evenings, the two of them took it upon themselves in filling it in the morning. The chilly morning air seemed to be perfect for a steamy hot shower bath too. As they finished preparing the bathwater, Lan Wangji easily let his undone robes slide off his body, placing them neatly aside. He was about to get into the tub first, situating himself so that Wei Wuxian's smaller frame would be able to settle on top of him after. However, the smaller male stopped him in his tracks, reaching a hand out to fix Lan Wangji's forehead ribbon.

There was a depth in Lan Wangji's gaze, one that contained a wholehearted affection for Wei Wuxian as the other so tenderly fixed the ribbon onto his forehead, caring for it as Lan Wangji had always been taught to, treating it for the value that it was worth. Indeed, this was the destined person in his life. Just as much as Lan Wangji was lost in this image of Wei Wuxian, the smaller male seemed to be touched by something too. As Wei Wuxian pressed his body against Lan Wangji's one, the older male returned the hug naturally, pulling the other close and tight.

These words of affection, Lan Wangji wanted to get comfortable saying them aloud. He felt equally about Wei Wuxian as the other did for him, so it was only right that Lan Wangji learn this basic phrase - for necessity's sake. "I...love you." he repeated the smaller male's words, a small smile on his face as he tightened his hold around Wei Wuxian's body, "Let's be like this forever." he hummed in agreement.

As they didn't have enough time to take a leisure shower, Lan Wangji helped Wei Wuxian into the tub, then starting to help the smaller male wash his body. They would leave washing the hair to the evening, as it would quite some time for their long locks of hair to dry. Lan Wangji was meticulous in cleaning Wei Wuxian, scrubbing every inch and nook of the smaller's body with the washcloth. Silently, he admired Wei Wuxian throughout the process, at the end pressing another soft kiss to the back of the other's shoulder when he finished.

Lan Wangji had intended to help Wei Wuxian shower and then put him back to bed, since the smaller male did have the tendency to sleep in later than him. "Wei Ying...go back to bed." he urged softly once they had finished showering. Lan Wangji was already dressing in his robes again, smoothing down the material neatly and adjusting his head ornament so that it sat upright on his head. Even though Lan Wangji would like to bring the smaller male to class again, it was obvious that Wei Wuxian would be much more comfortable sleeping in their room, without the other disciples trying to disturb him either.

@Lan Wangji Why was Lan Wangji so hard to rouse all of a sudden? He was the one who usually followed the strict Gusu guideline of sleeping hours. All of a sudden, Wei Wuxian keeps him up an hour or two and Lan Wangji can't wake up in time for his classes? "Wake up," he tried to prompt Lan Wangji, scowling as he thumped the other's chest lightly, taking care to avoid slamming his fist into the brand mark scar. "Why are you sleeping so much all of a sudden? Even I woke before you!"

When Wei Wuxian felt arms tighten around his waist, he dropped his chin onto Lan Wangji's chest in defeat, knowing he would not be able to escape. It didn't stop him from wriggling and writhing against Lan Wangji, though. He figured the other might be needing more rest than usual, but the selfish side of him just wanted Lan Wangji awake so they could have those extra few moments together.

However, as soon as Lan Wangji brought up the bath, Wei Wuxian perked up. Bath time meant more time with a waking Lan Zhan, even if he didn't want to spend the time doing something as boring as bathing. "Then I'll help you," Wei Wuxian responded without thinking too hard, clearly too exhausted to start flirting with Lan Wangji over the bathtub issue. Ever since in Yunping when Lan Wangji broke that bathtub, Wei Wuxian had not been able to associate baths with anything else. They ambled to prepare hot water together, filling the tub slowly. Wei Wuxian stopped Lan Wangji from climbing into the tub to fix his hasty job of tying Wangji's forehead ribbon on.

As he was centring the metal cloud plate, Wei Wuxian's hands faltered. The scene brought about a sense of familiarity to him. His brows drew together in his deep though. Lan Wangji in his muddled memory looked younger, more dazed. He was lying down, Wei Wuxian hovering over him, wanting to fix his crooked ribbon only to have his hand slapped hardly away. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips, and he drew Lan Wangji into a hug. "Lan Zhan," he mumbled with his mouth against the skin of Lan Wangji's shoulder. "I love you. Let's be like this forever."

@Wei Wuxian For the second night in a row, Lan Wangji had fallen asleep with Wei Wuxian in his arms, deviant from the normal sleeping pose that he had been doing all his life. He had woken up to shifting beside him, his perception returning to him before his vision did. He felt Wei Wuxian's body shifting beside him, then he heard the gentle call of his name. Opening his eyes and blinking the last bit of fatigue out of them, Lan Wangji's pale gaze came to meet with Wei Wuxian's half-lidded, drowsy eyes. The smaller male, though obviously tired, was making the attempt to play with his cheeks. Lan Wangji sighed softly, murmuring, "En." before taking Wei Wuxian's wandering hand in his own again, shoving them back under the warm covers that he had pulled over them last night. He pulled the smaller male close, closing his eyes just so he could orient himself better, "Don't fool around." he said, his voice husky and lower than usual in the morning.

There was no way that Wei Wuxian could possibly wake up before Lan Wangji and somehow get through the rest of the day without feeling tired or going back to sleep. Having the smaller male in his arms was all Lan Wangji needed, and since he had a little while left before it was time to get up, he hugged Wei Wuxian against him, refusing to budge no matter what the smaller did to try and push him away or protest.

Lan Wangji had noticed the ribbon missing around Wei Wuxian's neck earlier, the a the feeling that it had been tied around his head loosely becoming more prominent to him as he shifted his head on the bed, feeling the metal plating on his skin. He sighed softly, keeping the smaller male captive in his embrace until he finally felt fully awake, then looking down at Wei Wuxian, asking, "Do you want to bathe now?" he asked, "I'll help you."

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian's bare arms slid across Lan Wangji's torso when the other laid down beside him, immediately latching on to his lover. He felt like a disgusting mess with release smeared all over his abdomen and leaking out between his bottom. Wei Wuxian wasn't always clean (he could often be found covered head to toe in dirt), but /stickiness/ was another sensation altogether. Of course, if it meant Lan Wangji was not leaving his side even for a second, he would gladly put up with it.

"I'm not going anywhere," Lan Wangji said. Wei Wuxian's heart pounded violently in his chest when he felt plush lips against his warm forehead.

"Good," Wei Wuxian murmured in response, pressing his heated cheat against Lan Wangji's chest as he pulled himself closer, not leaving even the tiniest of gaps between their bodies. "Because you are not allowed to go anywhere, anyway, so there would be no point for you to try." With that final warning for Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian promptly fell asleep, half of his face hidden from his curtain of long, black hair falling over his eyes.

For the second day in a row, Wei Wuxian woke earlier than the sun and Lan Wangji. He lifted his head off Lan Wangji chest, the world spinning before him. Wei Wuxian laid his head back down, his eyes fluttering open and close as he struggled to stay awake. Lan Wangji was going to begin teaching properly today, and if Wei Wuxian fell asleep, he would miss out on the hour he had with Wangji. Feeling relatively dryer (but not any cleaner) than the previous night, Wei Wuxian carefully undid the bow around his neck and began to try and fumble it back onto Lan Wangji. It proved difficult with the other being deep in his slumber, however. Reluctantly, Wei Wuxian brushed his fingers over Lan Wangji's lips and cheek to rouse him. "Wangji," he called softly, pinching and playing with Lan Wangji's cheek. "Lan Zhan?"

@Wei Wuxian Once more, Lan Wangji was frozen in place. His heart raced when he saw Wei Wuxian turning his face away from him, then he almost felt his heart drop to bottom of stomach when he heard the sniffling sounds coming from other, mixed noises coming between panting for breath. Lan Wangji thought he had taken it to far, tightening his hold around Wei Wuxian's hand and bringing it to his lips, pressing apologetic kisses along the back of it. His brows were still furrowed, genuinely concerned and wondering where he had gone wrong, only letting go of the breath he didn't know he had been holding when the smaller reached his other hand up, caressing Lan Wangji's hot cheek.

"Wei Ying." the older male responded quickly when the other called his name, verbally as well as physically demonstrating that Wei Wuxian commanded his full attention.

"That was good, wasn't it? You should trust me more when...When it comes to things like these..." Wei Wuxian murmured to him, the words coming out between a yawn.

Lan Wangji sighed softly, realizing that Wei Wuxian seemed to have enjoyed everything. Though he wasn't sure what those tears meant exactly, at least Wei Wuxian wasn't disgusted by his loss of control. The older male nodded his head once, a little uncertainly, but willing to oblige to whatever his partner wanted. When the other gave him another little push on the chest, Lan Wangji remembered that he was still buried deep within Wei Wuxian, and he swiftly removed himself, making the motion of getting up to do their clean routine.

"Don't clean up," Wei Wuxian whined faintly from the bed, his eyes seeming to roll back as he was losing himself to sleep. Lan Wangji paused in his actions, looking down at the smaller male. "Come hug me. I love you, Lan Zhan. Don't go anywhere, don't even think about getting off this bed. Or...I won't give you back your ribbon!"

Lan Wangji didn't need to be threatened to comply out from his own will. Just those first six words alone were enough to compel him. Rolling to the other side of the bed so he wouldn't crush the smaller male under his weight, Lan Wangji replied, "En." and pulled Wei Wuxian's limp body against him, enveloping his arms tightly around the other as requested and tucking Wei Wuxian's head under his chin. He placed a soft kiss on the smaller's forehead, rasping against the other, "I'm not going anywhere."

Wei Wuxian was quick to lose himself to sleep, but Lan Wangji didn't move even after he heard the other's breathing calm down, finding its steady pace that indicated he was asleep. He laid there in the dark, not cleaning up as Wei Wuxian had wanted, and not removing the ribbon. He wanted Wei Wuxian to give it back to him in the morning. If he didn't get off his bed until then, it would mean that Wei Wuxian would give his ribbon back on his own accord. It would also mean Lan Wangji upheld his words.

@Lan Wangji Lan Wangji's release inside him was so warm, hot enough to send shivers up and down Wei Wuxian's spine. For the first time, Wei Wuxian was so overwhelmed coming down from a release he just turned his face away from Lan Wangji and cried silently, tears streaming down the side of his face. His chest would heave once in a while when he sniffled. It was damn embarrassing, a grown man crying and everything, but between choking, suffocating, and Lan Wangji just losing all his self-restraint on him, Wei Wuxian's senses were just overloaded with way too many sensory inputs at once. Despite his body's betrayal (the damn tears), Wei Wuxian /loved/ every moment of it.

With the hand Lan Wangji wasn't holding, Wei Wuxian rubbed at his eyes to clear them up. He turned back to Lan Wangji, offering him a teary smile as he caressed the older man's cheek with his now tear-dampened fingers. "Lan Zhan," he mumbled, squeezing Lan Wangji's hand and bringing it close to his chest. The cramp in the side of his abdomen (coincidentally near where Jin Ling had once stabbed him) lessened in its throbbing when Lan Wangji stopped. "That was good, wasn't it? You should trust me more when..." Wei Wuxian paused to yawn, blinking blearily. "When it comes to things like these..."

With a content sigh, Wei Wuxian pushed his free hand into Lan Wangji's abdomen, wincing when he felt Lan Wangji's length slide out of him, brushing up against his sensitive insides as he did so. "Don't clean up," Wei Wuxian vaguely heard himself pleading. "Come hug me. I love you, Lan Zhan. Don't go anywhere, don't even think about getting off this bed. Or..." Something gold glinted in the hollow base of his neck. "I won't give you back your ribbon!"

@Wei Wuxian Wei Wuxian's arm strength, even at its best, was weak to Lan Wangji. He thought the male underneath him was doing as he usually did, fooling around and thrashing like he was playing again. However, when he felt the pinching against his thigh, Lan Wangji quickly released his grip, eyes widening as he realized that in that one moment of letting himself go, he may have gone too far. Watching as Wei Wuxian's body heaved under him, the smaller trying to gasp for breath quickly made the smaller male mutter out in apology, retracting his hand.

However, Lan Wangji couldn't control his ing, continuing them erratically. Even without being choked, he was also catching his breath, the kiss with the smaller male having taken his breath away. Wei Wuxian was calling his name to the point that the words getting jumbled together, but the older male still did not stop.After a while, he felt the smaller male wriggling underneath him again. Lan Wangji did minimal to adjust to this new movement, continuing to force the smaller's hips down, ing animalistically. Some of the other's release had flew to Lan Wangji's chest, coating his abdomen in white.

He felt Wei Wuxian press his palm flat against his chest again, and Lan Wangji couldn't help himself, taking the other's hand in his own and giving it a light squeeze. He held them there in that position, continuing his ministrations until he eventually released deep into Wei Wuxian as well, his fluids filling the other's tight entrance. It seemed Wei Wuxian had gotten Lan Wangji particularly riled up tonight, as it took him longer than usual to calm down from his high.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian was already struggling to breathe with Lan Wangji getting comfortable with choking the life of him. On top of that, Lan Wangji's mouth had to cover his. Wei Wuxian kissed him back, wet and sloppy, the sounds of their lips smacking against each other filling the Silent Chamber. Wei Wuxian almost forgot to breathe, lost in the euphoria of having his lips massaged by Lan Wangji's extremely soft and plush ones. He pushed Lan Wangji away by his chest, gasping for breath. His fingers scrabbled against Lan Wangji's forearm and wrist, wrenching desperately at at the hand suffocating him.

It was only after a desperation filled moment had passed that Wei Wuxian remembered what he'd said. He slapped Lan Wangji's thigh before pinching the skin hard. "Lan Zhan!" he cried when he caught his breath, choking on air with his next breath. There was a cramp developing in his abdomen with the way he had been tensed up the entire time, but Wei Wuxian was /so/ close, so close to the edge. Lan Wangji's movements were becoming rougher and more frantic, less restrained, less controlled. The tip rammed against that one sensitive spot inside of him over and over again, forcing screams and sobs out of Wei Wuxian's swelling throat.

Wei Wuxian came without warning, untouched. The tip of of his bounced against his stomach, painting his skin with his release. "Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan." He chanted his lover's name like a mantra, his legs seizing up, toes curling tightly as he reached the peak of his . His palms flattened over the older's chest in a silent plea for him to stop, his expression a morphing into a mix of ecstasy and anguish.

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji's brows creased once more, upon hearing the way his name rolled off the other's tongue so meekly. Meek was only how it sounded, but matched with Wei Wuxian's little pleading noises made the shaft inside the other's body pulse, hardening even more if that was possible. Lan Wangji took a deep breath, one that was rather audible as Wei Wuxian grappled at his wrist, wanting him to apply even more pressure. There was still a limit of strength that he allowed himself to use, but Lan Wangji slowly increased the amount of time between each round, only giving the smaller male brief pauses to gasp for air before closing off his airways again.

All the meanwhile, Lan Wangji was still ing constantly into Wei Wuxian, feeling those tight muscles clenching onto him tightly every time he was about to pull out, then stretching around him again as he slammed himself inside. The breathy moans that the smaller male did manage to get out, were fueling Lan Wangji's desires to draw out more. At one point, in the process of asphyxiation, Lan Wangji leaned down, pressing their lips together again. Wei Wuxian's lips were still so soft, so delectable, and so malleable. In this compromised position, there was minimal that the smaller could do in retaliation to Lan Wangji's kisses, thus leaving much room for the older to explore the smaller's warm cavern.

Not that he was keeping track, but his sense of time suggested that Wei Wuxian had been under his manipulation for quite a while, the both of them still showing no signs of slowing down. Lan Wangji felt the put of his stomach churning again, ready to release into Wei Wuxian and fill the smaller male up.

@Lan Wangji Finally, Wei Wuxian was beginning to feel a little something happening to his neck. His anticipating grin widened, and he nodded to the best of his ability. He spread his legs a little wider so he could grind himself on Lan Wangji's length inside, him, reminding the other to start moving again. Slowly but surely, Wei Wuxian could feel the force pressing down on his neck. His breaths were becoming more and more shallow as he struggled to breathe through his narrowing windpipe. There was a subtle heat spreading over Wei Wuxian's face, and he tried to convince himself it was from the asphyxiation, not just how arousing the act was.

"Yes," he wheezed softly. His fingers wrapped feebly around Lan Wangji's powerful forearm, under the pretence of struggle but more so to hold Lan Wangji's hand in place. "Gege. Lan Er Gege-"

With the extra stimuli, Wei Wuxian was suddenly very aware of how his body was reacting to Lan Wangji. He could hear blood pounding in his ears and feel the way each individual muscle tightened and tensed as Lan Wangji began to into him at a steady pace again. He felt Lan Wangji's member run over every little bump or sensitive spot in his soft opening. Most importantly, he felt the way Lan Wangji's large hand was wrapped snugly around his throat now, leaving no opening. He loved the way he felt /trapped/ beneath Lan Wangji, being used with no mercy (or so Wuxian likes to think). "Ge," he choked out, his fingers tightening around Lan Wangji's wrist. "Harder," he pleaded weakly, referring to both the rolling of Lan Wangji's hips and his hold over Wei Wuxian's throat. "Please-"

@Wei Wuxian "You're so silly. That's the point, Lan Zhan."

Lan Wangji was still very confused, and that was an expression clearly written across his face this time. He didn’t understand the purpose behind it, almost taking the time to sit on the think until Wei Wuxian finally exclaimed, “/Choke me!/”

When he was not inebriated, Lan Wangji was well aware of his own arm strength, therefore always careful with how and where he used it. When Wei Wuxian tried to induce the movement of his fingers, Lan Wangji blinked a few more times, as if still needing some more persuasion. It was only until the smaller male promised that he really wouldn’t be hurt that Lan Wangji relented. “You always want me to be quiet, now I'm giving you the chance to make me-" Wei Wuxian had also reminded him, earning a little scoff from the older.

He squeezed the tip of his thumb and middle finger in an upwards direction, slowly adding more pressure until he had sealed off Wei Wuxian’s airways. Lan Wangji wasn’t sure if this was the type of action that was supposed to happen on its own, but it felt weird to do so, thus he coupled it with a few more s, trying to find his pacing again. His eyes scanned Wei Wuxian’s face up and down, seeing if he was finally doing what the smaller male wanted. His fingers slackened after a few moments, letting Wei Wuxian catch his breath. “…Like this?” he asked once more, really wondering where the pleasure was to be found from this. He would much rather kiss Wei Wuxian to quiet the smaller down, but his fingers remained at the other’s neck, the second time around adding a little more pressure for a longer period of time. It seemed Wei Wuxian’s face was reddening, a sight Lan Wangji did not anticipate to be so .

Maybe he could understand why Wei Wuxian suddenly found this appealing now.

@Lan Wangji At Lan Wangji's hesitance, Wei Wuxian opened his hooding eyes, looking up at the older with not lust, but curiosity now. 'What's the matter?' he wanted to ask, before he noticed Lan Wangji's slight frown and tense arms.

"What if...you choke?"

Wei Wuxian blanched, his hand covering Lan Wangji's hand that rested gently over his neck without any sort of pressure at all. "Yes," he finally breathed out, a dreamy expression taking over his usually sharp features. "You're so silly. That's the point, Lan Zhan." He held Lan Wangji's hand tighter against his neck, trying to force him to apply just a bit of force in those lifeless fingers. "/Choke me!/" He suddenly shouted, hoping the shock factor would trigger Lan Wangji's fingers to move, and slapped the older's wrist. Their hips had stopped moving in the midst of the conversation, and Wei Wuxian was beginning to become very demanding when his patience began to run out.

"...Like this?"

Lan Wangji's first attempt was, as kindly as Wei Wuxian could put it, pathetic.

His Lan Wangji was so sweet, so caring, worrying that Wei Wuxian would choke even in a time like this. Wei Wuxian swallowed his impatience, resting his palm against Lan Wangji's cheek again and stroking the fair skin lightly. "I'm sorry for raising my voice, Lan Zhan," he said as sweetly as he could muster. "You're not going to hurt me. You could never hurt me. I promise if I really can't breathe I will... I'll do this." Wei Wuxian pinched his fingernails into Lan Wangji's well built thigh, not hard enough to break skin, but enough to hopefully send a little jolt up his leg. "See? Now just squeeze my throat here. Wouldn't you like that? You always want me to be quiet, now I'm giving you the chance to make me-"

@Wei Wuxian "Yes, its yours, I'm just borrowing it for a moment, Lan Zhan, I'll give it back to you-"

"No." Lan Wangji replied very strictly, his eyes narrowing as he realized that Wei Wuxian had misconstrued his words. Such was his problem of never using his words as accurately as the smaller male did. "You're mine."

Wei Wuxian seemed to enjoy being defiant in times like this, always doing the opposite of what Lan Wangji said. He was only digging a deeper hole for himself though, as those images burned themselves into Lan Wangji's mind. The older seemed to have a renewed sense of vigor, with Wei Wuxian described that crude things that would happen to him in bed, but the underlying effect made Lan Wangji even more determined to stake his sole claim over the other.

He hesitated, wondering what Wei Wuxian was trying to about him when the smaller male took his hand, adjusting it over his neck, right along the forehead ribbon linings. "You know what you should- ah- what you should do? Choke me, Lan Zhan, I bet it's going to feel so good. Just wrap your hand here..." Wei Wuxian encouraged him, drawing a frown on Lan Wangji's face.

"Hng...Wei Ying," he started out carefully, not sure if the smaller male was hearing himself with these rather extraneous requests he was making tonight, "What if...you choke?" It seemed like a rather silly question, but Lan Wangji was still hesitant. His fingers around Wei Wuxian's neck didn't make a movement.

"And squeeze... Good boy, Lan Zhan, you can do it-" the other male continued. It seemed Wei Wuxian really did understand what he wanted, thus in between his s, Lan Wangji applied a light pressure around the smaller's neck, just for a few seconds. Quite frankly, he had never choked anyone before, so the older male was hesitant to take it any further.

"...Like this?" he asked, quickly releasing Wei Wuxian's throat, not wanting the smaller male to actually pass out.