Lan Wangji was distracted as he tried to get A-Yuan and Nuan-er settled for the night. He wanted to give them his full attention. Tucking them in carefully and settling down to play music for them until they fell asleep. He had asked Jiang Yanli and Luo Qingyang to watch them for the night. Nuan-er liked them both. More importantly, she trusted them.

Nuan-er had made it very clear that if she could not have Lan Wangji or Wei Wuxian with her, then the only acceptable alternative was to be in the company of multiple adults that she liked and trusted. Nuan-er considered Luo Qingyang and Jiang Yanli to both be powerful, and therefore, begrudgingly, accepted them in the place of one of her preferred protectors.

Lan Wangji was not entirely happy about having them so far away. Not that it was all that far. It would take Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian no more than a few minutes to reach them if they were in danger. Lan Wangji played through the score twice more once it appeared both children were asleep. Jiang Yanli stood in the doorway, smiling fondly. She ushered Lan Wangji out into the hallway.

"Thank you for taking them for the night." Lan Wangji said with a small bow. Jiang Yanli smiled.

"My Niece and Nephew are always welcome company. Qingyang has some plans for tomorrow that should be good entertainment for them. So there's no rush if you need to take the day." Jiang Yanli was still smiling, but Lan Wangji could see the faint concern leaking into her expression.

Lan Wangji wished that the night would be spent on the sort of intimate alone time that could not happen in front of children. It was certainly something Lan Wangji wanted, but not as much as what this evening was planned for. He needed to talk to Wei Wuxian. He expected the conversation would be emotional, and distressing. He wanted Nuan-er and A-Yuan to be safe from such painful discussions. Safe from the sorts of adult concerns that they had not been able to be protected from earlier in their lives.

Jiang Yanli's concerned gaze made it clear that she understood what this evening was for. Lan Wangji was not the only one worried about Wei Wuxian. He was not the only one who had seen Wei Wuxian tense when another cultivator stood too close. The way Wei Wuxian avoided crowded rooms, and found any excuse to skip a banquet or flee at the earliest moment.

It reminded Lan Wangji of the early days in their relationship. Wei Wuxian had only recently returned from the future. His heart wounded and raw with the memory of cultivators gathered together to call for his death. Wei Wuxian had improved bit by bit. Then the war came.

Lan Wangji had been impressed with how well Wei Wuxian coped with the war. When the war ended Wei Wuxian had a few rough days. Lan Wangji had expected that. Wei Wuxian had been forced to use the Yin Hufu repeatedly. The strain and been visible and Lan Wangji fully expected that strain to make Wei Wuxian more vulnerable. Lan Wangji had expected things to improve steadily.

It did not. Wei Wuxian's nightmares were almost daily. He wasn't getting enough sleep. The last meeting he had attended with all the sect leaders in attendance had triggered a panic attack that Wei Wuxian barely concealed long enough to get back to their room. Wei Wuxian had started out making anxious excuses to not discuss returning to Cloud Recesses. Now Wei Wuxian avoided any discussion of the future. He did not wish to talk about returning to the Cloud Recesses, or visiting Lotus Pier. His expression would become anxious and pained if their marriage was brought up.

A different Lan Wangji might have worried that Wei Wuxian did not wish to marry him. Lan Wangji could feel that quiet fearful voice in his own mind. The one that looked back through his memories and watched his mother's captivity slowly kill her. The voice that was terrified that he was somehow coercing Wei Wuxian. Afraid of being to forceful, afraid of selfishly trapping his love in a cage that would slowly kill him.

Lan Wangji breathed through the small spike of panic. That was not what this was. Lan Wangji did not know exactly what was going on with Wei Wuxian, but he knew enough. Lan Wangji knew Wei Wuxian loved him. He knew Wei Wuxian did not crave freedom nearly as strongly as he pretended to. Wei Wuxian craved the stability his life had lacked. Wei Wuxian craved love and affection that did not come with restrictions or conditions. What Wei Wuxian most wanted was a home. He wanted a place to belong where he could feel safe and loved.

Wei Wuxian had struggled since the beginning to believe that was something he could have. Every step Lan Wangji took to show Wei Wuxian that he belonged was met with a breathless wonder in Wei Wuxian's eyes. Lan Wangji hoped one day to have such things met with contented joy, but knew that was a long way off. That seemed especially true now.

Lan Wangji desperately wished to choose a date for their wedding. Even if it would still be months away due to the need for things to settle and recover following the war. Lan Wangji wanted Wei Wuxian to be his. Clearly and permanently. So Wei Wuxian could not anxiously wonder about being left behind. He wanted to get Wei Wuxian home. Where they could be away from people who made disparaging comments about Wei Wuxian, or veiled threats.

Lan Wangji didn't understand why Wei Wuxian seemed to be afraid of returning to Cloud Recesses, when he had treated it as a refuge before. Lan Wangji did not believe it was an aversion to the many complaints Wei Wuxian had previously voiced. It was not about the rules or food. It was not the weather, or the quiet. Lan Wangji didn't think this fear had been there before. It seemed to be something that came with the end of the war.

Lan Wangji returned to the room he shared with Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian had been staying away later and later. Throwing himself into the never ending labour of categorizing items. Volunteering to deal with dispelling those carrying particularly dangerous curses. Lan Wangji was not especially happy that Wei Wuxian was working on dangerous curses while consistently missing sleep. Wei Wuxian had already had mishaps with two curses. Thankfully there was no lasting harm in either case, but it was creating a worrying pattern.

Lan Wangji brewed a fresh pot of tea and prepared to wait up the entire night until Wei Wuxian came back to their rooms. Lan Wangji had put this off for long enough, too fearful of cornering Wei Wuxian unfairly. Wen Qing, Wei Qing, had finally pushed Lan Wangji into taking action. The DafanWei's would be travelling to Gusu soon. It would be good for A-Yuan and Nuan-er to be able to settle into their new home with their entire family.

It didn't seem fair to separate them from their extended relatives so soon, and Wei Qing seemed to think that Wei Wuxian's refusal to even discuss returning was a self-destructive spiral. She was giving Lan Wangji a chance to talk with Wei Wuxian first. She made it clear that if he didn't manage to have a productive conversation with Wei Wuxian about this, then she was going to take over. She made it sound like a threat. Lan Wangji was not certain why this was a threat, but he was certain he did not wish to find out.

Lan Wangji had finished two pots of tea and was brewing a third before the door to their room quietly opened.  Grey eyes blinked in confusion upon finding Lan Wangji sitting at the table with the lamps still burning.  Lan Wangji braced himself internally for the coming conversation, but refused to make this any more distressing than it had to be.

Lan Wangji stood and crossed the room to Wei Wuxian.  Lan Wangji gently tucked a stray hair behind Wei Wuxian's ear before closing the distance and greeting Wei Wuxian with a soft kiss.  The slow and affectionate kiss seemed to ease some of Wei Wuxian's tension.  His breath slid out in a sigh as he swayed forward into Lan Wangji's space.

"Lan Zhan.  You waited up." Wei Wuxian said Lan Wangji's name in a soft exhale.

"Wei Ying.  I don't want to go to bed without you here another night." Lan Wangji said softly.