Lan Zhan began the long trek up the stairs, simultaneously overjoyed but he was also worried.

Wei Ying had left after their kiss, and Lan Zhan could only hope he was alright. In that instance, he wasn't sure which one of them initiated the kiss, he only knew he felt like he couldn't wait any longer. Not when his headband, the one that only belonged to Wei Ying was tangled up in his hands.

Maybe he should have controlled himself...but he had been waiting for so long already.

Now, as the final notes faded from their song, he heard a child's voice ask a muffled question. A-Yuan was awake...

Lan Zhan ran up the remaining steps, his long legs carrying him faster.

Wei Ying was sitting on his bed, and A-Yuan was sitting in his lap, holding his flute.

They looked so perfect together, like that time so many centuries ago, the picture in his mind like it had happened yesterday. The meal that his Wei Ying was going to treat him to, but they ended up running out of the the restaurant, and Lan Zhan had paid for it anyway. For those few moments, always treasured, was the memory of their son sitting on his father's lap like now.

"Baba...what's wrong?" A-Yuan was saying now.

He jumped out of Wei Ying's lap and ran to him. Lan Zhan crouched down to his height, and his son wiped away his tears. He hadn't even realised he was crying.

"Lan Zhan...are you alright?" Wei Ying came towards him.

XiChen had climbed up the stairs, hurrying after he had heard the child cry out. Now he took him from Lan Zhan.

"Come, A-Yuan, I have something to show you downstairs." He winked at Wei Ying and left.

Now it was just the two of them.

Lan Zhan stood up, wiping his still wet eyes.

Wei Ying was impossibly close now, worry in those bright silver eyes.

"Do you...can I..." He stopped, uncertainly. "Hug you?" He finished. "You might feel better..."

"Mn." Lan Zhan opened his arms.

Wei Ying fit inside them as if he was born to, his arms going around Lan Zhan's waist, clenching his pale blue sweater at his back, and holding on.

Lan Zhan let out a breath he hadn't been aware of keeping. His heart beats calmed as the softest lotus scent drifted over him.

"I'm sorry...for kissing you." He whispered.

"I'm...not." Wei Ying laughed softly. "Do you...do you regret it?"

"Not at all." Lan Zhan replied straight away, firmly.

"That's alright, then." Wei Ying sighed, holding him tighter. "I was worried for a second, there."

"Why?"

"I think...I think I wanted to kiss you too." He laughed awkwardly. "I've only known you for a few days...but Lan Zhan...I really wish I was your Wei Ying."

Lan Zhan sucked in a breath.

"Mn. Wish also...you are my Wei Ying. You are." He led him to the bed and they sat down.

Lan Zhan picked up the bamboo flute A-Yuan had been playing with. He handed it back to Wei Ying, with a sad smile on his face.

"Please...play for me."

Wei Ying blushed.

"I..I'm not very good, and I only know one tune...I think I told you that before."

"Mn."

"But Lan Zhaaan! I only play that when I'm upset...or if I need to calm down." He whined.

It was so reminiscent of times gone by, Lan Zhan's eyes filled with tears again.

"Fine, fine, I'll play." Wei Ying grumbled half-heartedly.

He licked his lips, his eyes widening when he saw the way Lan Zhan followed his every move. Closing his eyes, he began to play.

The notes washed over them, cleansing and deep, filled with hidden meaning. Wei Ying began to feel himself calming, the melody soothing his racing heart.

Lan Zhan could not believe what he was listening to. Of all the things that Wei Ying had forgotten, his mind had chosen to save this song, a message of love that crossed over the invisible barrier of time. It was how he had recognised his love in another body, the song he had written for just the two of them, that only the two of them knew.

Warm hands wiped his eyes again, and when he opened them again, Wei Ying had put down his instrument, choosing to chase away his tears instead.

"Can I kiss you?" Wei Ying asked, a blush creeping along his cheeks.

"Mn."

"Close your eyes. I can't do it if you're watching me." Wei Ying insisted, trying not to smile.

Lan Zhan stifled a laugh, and dutifully obeyed. He held his breath, and then...the softest silky lips pressed against his, in the sweetest kiss. They glided together, a hunger growing stronger as they continued. Bubbles of joy exploded in his chest, and Lan Zhan realised that his core was affected by this close proximity of his love. He briefly wondered if Wei Ying felt any difference, but those thoughts disappeared, lost among the pleasurable feelings tingling all over his body.

When they broke apart, Wei Ying smiled at him.

"Now I know what to do when you're upset. Brings another meaning to "kissing it better"."

"Does Wei Ying promise?"

The smile disappeared then. Lan Zhan was left wondering what he had said wrong.

"But Lan Zhan...what about your Wei Ying? What happens when you find him?"

Lan Zhan didn't quite know what to say.

"We can decide later." He hedged...not looking him in the eye.

Wei Ying pushed him away then.

"Wow...I was not expecting that from you." Wei Ying stood up and began pacing. "Do you mean to stay with me only until you find him? Tell me the truth!"

"No, that is not what was meant." Lan Zhan floundered, feeling overwhelmed by everything. "I would stop looking. Other Wei Ying would not...be important." He finished.

"What? WHAT?" Wei Ying stuck his hands into hair, his pacing becoming more frantic. "So that means I would be coming in between the two of you? This centuries old love...and me coming here has ruined everything!"

Lan Zhan went up to him and put his hand on his mouth.

That single point of contact had the power to stop all movement.

Chest heaving, turmoil swirling in those chaotic silver eyes, but Wei Ying was still, watching him.

"Come with me." Lan Zhan waited for him to nod, before taking his hand.

He marched straight downstairs, walking with a single minded purpose to the library. Just outside the door, he paused and turned to stare at Wei Ying for a moment. Then as if he had made up his mind, he opened the door and walked in.

Wei Ying's eyes were big and round as he took in the huge shelves which stretched all the way from the ceiling to the floor, overflowing with scripts and texts, hardback books, paperbacks, photocopies and bamboo scrolls; there was an infinite supply of written words.

But right now, Lan Zhan didn't seem to care about any of those. He made his way to a glass case, unlocking it from a key that hung around his neck. He carefully took out the book and opened it on a particular page, one where a certain group of characters were circled in red. He thrust the obviously valuable book into Wei Ying's hands.

Wei Ying looked at the words, barely able to get his head around the ancient Chinese. There was mostly stuff about things being forbidden...but the circled characters...they were to do with the headband being sacred. Only a person's immediate family was supposed to touch the headband...wait...was that referring to the headband, the white ribbon thing Wei Ying had found that morning?

He looked up to find himself pinned with an intense stare. Those golden eyes looked unforgiving...

And then he understood.

"Oh my God, Lan Zhan, I'm so sorry...I didn't know I wasn't supposed to touch that ribbon thing. I swear I didn't know it was sacred..."

There was only the teeniest flicker of disappointment on Lan Zhan's face.

The book was taken away and restored within the glass cabinet again. His long fingers touched upon a faded red ribbon, its once vibrant colour now only a shadow of what it once must have looked like.

Then Lan Zhan locked it away. He pulled Wei Ying towards another glass cabinet. This one was also locked, and Lan Zhan performed the same procedure. This time, he pulled out a heavy black flute made out of metal. It had a red tassel hanging off the edge.

"This is Chenqing." Lan Zhan said mysteriously.

He gave it to Wei Ying to hold.

Nothing happened.

Wei Ying was mystified at whatever had happened to Lan Zhan. Why was he giving all these things to Wei Ying? And each time after, that lost look in his eyes was getting worse...

Lan Zhan was beyond disappointed. He had really hoped that Chenqing out of everything, would have helped trigger those lost memories, but....nothing.

His heart was breaking into a thousand pieces.

Why was nothing working? It wasn't fair...this was his Wei Ying! He could feel it inside his core but apparently,  Wei Ying could not...

Was it just a matter of time? Like soaking a sponge, would he have to immerse Wei Ying in the waters of his memory just to evoke some hidden part, the possible trigger that would open the door on their past experiences.

Maybe XiChen would know more about this? He had spent the best part of the morning holed up in the library; had he found anything?

Lan Zhan was desperate to do something...anything to help him remember. He wiped  his eyes again, mumbling something before he left.

Wei Ying felt unsettled.

Lan Zhan was upset, had been from the morning and Wei Ying couldn't help wondering if it was his fault. The noodles he had for breakfast were not sitting well in his stomach, or maybe it was something else, but there was a rising pressure in his chest. He bent over to try and relieve it, and for a few seconds his mind was lighter. He could feel something reaching out to him, as if drawing him closer.

Wei Ying closed his eyes and realised it was much better. He could see a tiny ball of golden light steadily growing brighter, and with that was the understanding that it was deep inside of him, resting within his Dantien. His palm hovered at just above his belly, and he felt a surge of power. His feet started walking, the light inside him guiding him, until he felt an urge to open his eyes.

He was standing in front of the fireplace, and above it there were two crossed swords suspended on the wall. He had seen this before, in a miniature version on Lan Zhan's lapel, in the form of a brooch. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to touch them, but he had a feeling, no...it was more a yearning to hold one of them. The pale ivory and white jade sword was beautiful, probably worth a lot of money in today's wealth...but it was the plainer of the two that held his interest.

The scabbard was made from wood, which was already an unusual choice, and there was something engraved near the hilt. There was a brick perimeter surrounding the fireplace, and Wei Ying used this to step up and remove this second sword. He could feel a build up of energy rising in his own core and before he could question it at all, his hands were unsealing the blade.

He heard a gasp behind him, but all of his attention was consumed by this lethal blade, its cold metal ever thirsty for the taste of blood, the shrill nature when hot liquid quenched its cold desire. His thumb rested upon its name.

"Suibian."

The moment he spoke its name like a spell, the blade began trembling and Wei Ying could not tell if it was the sword or himself, but they were both vibrating with a gold energy. The headache came back a hundredfold, the pounding in his head louder and louder, drum beats in time with his heart until nothing else remained.

White hot heat engulfed his mind, becoming the screen upon which he saw everything. His life flashed by, first in Lotus Pier and growing up with Jiang Cheng and his Shijie, but then all of a sudden, he was standing at the white pillar gates of Cloud Recesses, and Lan Zhan came and met them.

His silence spell cast, the missing invitation, the return to Caiyi Town, and return to Cloud Recesses, disabling the wards, climbing over that roof and meeting Lan WangJi...their epic fight, and the realisation that they were equals, had met their match in more ways than one.

From there on, it was one memory after another, an onslaught of time forgotten events as they happened to him.

*******

Lan Zhan was just returning to the library when he had seen Wei Ying open his sword, and that alone was a miracle. The sword had sealed itself as it did every time Wei Ying died, but now it opened for him, and did they really need any more proof that this was Wei Ying? His Wei Ying?

But the sword was doing something to his beloved, because Wei Ying's eyes rolled back and he would have crashed to the ground if Lan Zhan hadn't gotten there in time.

Wei Ying's whole body was shaking and trembling, his eyes closed but moving rapidly behind his eyelids. Lan Zhan picked him up and took him upstairs to his room, to lay him down on something soft. Wei Ying had not let go of his sword, clutching it with both hands.

Lan Zhan did not know what to do for him, so he lay down next to him, holding him closer. He wondered if he could pass any spiritual energy to Wei Ying in this state, and decided he had nothing to lose.

XiChen had followed him up. He came close to the bed and checked Wei Ying's temperature.

"Didi, he's burning up." He said, softly.

Desperate golden eyes stared back at him.

"I don't know why we didn't think of it sooner..." XiChen continued.

"Mn?"

"In that first life, when Young Master Wei had his core, it was far too strong, and he had cultivated his sword skills with it. It's a real possibility that Suibian retained his memory through their core connection, so when he claimed his sword right now, it responded to his call. I believe Young Master Wei is being "updated"." He smiled sadly and left.

Lan Zhan held onto Wei Ying for the rest of the day and the whole night, taking as short of a break as he could in between. He must have fallen asleep, because the lightest of kisses on his face made him stir awake.

"Wei Ying!" Worry had him flipping their positions, as Lan Zhan checked him out for any injury.

The sword lay next to them, but Lan Zhan could only focus on his love, who was staring at him with silver eyes shining with love.

"Lan Zhan, my Lan Zhan, my love..." Tears of happiness escaped from the corners of his eyes.

Lan Zhan kissed them away as Wei Ying held his face.

"I'm alright my love. Lan Zhan...I remember. I remember everything now."

Lan Zhan looked at him in wonder, hardly daring to believe him.

"Really?"

"Really." Wei Ying confirmed, a smile dancing on his beautiful lips.

Lan Zhan really wanted to kiss him.

"Go on, then." Wei Ying encouraged, blushing.

Lan Zhan didn't need anything more.

This...this was their first real kiss.

He slanted his lips over those softer, pinker ones, his core rejoicing in the return of his soulmate at last. Warmth grew in their chests as their cores expanded, light flooding their minds through their connection. The intensity of their kiss spread through both of them, this exquisite taste, finally theirs to enjoy.

At last, they separated, but Lan Zhan buried his nose in Wei Ying's neck, needing to touch him still.

Wei Ying breathed in the slightly sweet, slightly spicy sandalwood scent, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Lan Zhan...I feel whole again. Isn't that weird?"

Lan Zhan turned whilst still holding him close, so now Wei Ying rested upon his chest. The weight was comforting, after having not had it for so long.

"Xiongzhang thinks it happened because Suibian retained your memory."

"Really?" Wei Ying slid up his body so his lips could touch Lan Zhan's neck, also needing their connection.

"Mn. This body has a golden core. A strong one." He paused as if weighing his next words.

"What is it?" Wei Ying whispered.

"If you agree, we can practice dual cultivation, and I can guide your journey to immortality."

Wei Ying kissed his throat.

"I will do anything for us. Anything you want."

"What does Wei Ying want?" He sounded a little afraid.

"I wish to love you and love you and love you forever. But right now, I'm so tired, Lan Zhan. I can't stay awake..."

"Then, sleep. We can talk later." Lan Zhan kissed the top of his head and covered them both with the blanket.

Together, they both fell asleep.

Later, when little A-Yuan came to say good night to his Baba, he kissed both their sleeping cheeks, happy that their family was whole again.

THE END

A/N

So what do you guys think? Did you like it? Any improvements? All suggestions are welcome, and I will do my best to make it better.

Happy Sunday everyone!

It's freezing here in London so I hope wherever you are in the world, you are safe and happy, and in peace.