When he woke up again, he was no longer on the cold hard floor. Instead, soft pillows cushioned his head, along with a feather-like mattress that made him feel like he was floating on clouds. This...this isn't my apartment, is it? His vision blurred before him, and his head felt like it had been cleaved open. Unfamiliar bluish-white walls filled his vision, and he felt his brain scatter over, a familiar scent sweeping over him. Hints of cream and wood infiltrated his senses, filling up the empty bits of his heart with some cotton, like water trickling through a sieve, that warmed his insides.

A vaguely familiar face appeared before the periphery of his vision, pale and drawn. For some reason, the face sent his heart racing, the blue ribbon tied around his forehead, almost like a god in old Wuxia novels he read. If he was a god, Wei Wuxian thought, he'd be the God of Light or the God of the Ocean.

Wei Wuxian ah, Wei Wuxian. Shouldn't you remember who he is? A voice in his mind taunted, sending shivers up his spine. He jerked up reflexively, almost forgetting that there was someone leaning above him. Luckily, the figure moved back quickly enough that Wei Wuxian's forehead barely grazed his, and there wasn't a scratch, instead of the nasty bruise that would have most likely occurred.

As his vision cleared, he saw a pair of familiar gilt eyes looking at him intently, brimming with concern and worry. Lan..." Lan Zhan," the words tumbled out of his lips instinctively, and the sudden realisation hit him.

Shit. His eyes widened, and he clapped his hand over this mouth, too afraid to speak, especially not to his estranged boyfriend. Guilt bubbled within him, overflowing him and drowning him. Dread pooled in his stomach and he barely dared to raise his head. Deliberately avoiding the other's eyes. He hadn't talked to him in a week, not since...their fight.

Memories flooded Wei Wuxian's already riddled mind, and he could see himself again. Rain thumped to the floor in small waves, soft whimpers in the background as he narrowed his eyes at Wangji, his heart throbbing. The tears in his eyes didn't help either, the salty taste intermingling with the sour taste of rainwater on his lips. I don't want to talk about it, Wangji. Please stop. But the determined look in his lover's eyes told him otherwise, the silent fury in his eyes speaking volumes. Please...I know what you're going to ask me to do. Please don't do it. I don't want to do it. I can't. You know that. He swallowed harshly, looking up at Lan Zhan from under drenched lashes. For some reason, Wangji looked ethereal, at odds with the bleak situation they were standing in. His silk shirt clung onto every dip and curve of his body, his long ebony hair damp. Hanging down the sides of his face like silk sheets. It framed his beautiful face, accentuating the molten gold of his eyes, along with the silent fury that raged on inside them, directed at a certain purple lotus."I want you to leave him, Wei Ying. He's not good for you."

Every word thudded into Wei Ying's heart like a dull arrow, putting into words the thoughts he'd had for a very long time, but never dared to voice out. He hated the way Jiang Cheng clung onto him like yellow dodder, draining the life out of him. His love for his brother was bittersweet and sweetly sickening, the same way a cage was a home and a prison to a bird. It sickened and infuriated him, the same way it brought him closer and further from his brother. He felt suffocated by it, but the voices in his head only grew louder as he protested. But you're worse, aren't you? A devious voice hissed harshly in the back of his mind. It's your fault he became like this. He's your responsibility. The voice brushed against his memories, sounding oddly like one Wei Wuxian hadn't heard in ages. One that belonged to a fierce woman, long gone and long-buried, six-feet under. You're worthless, the voices bristled, hissing and taunting. Pain shot through his mind, causing him to spasm and shake. Fear pounded through his veins the same way cold spread through his stomach. I want out, he thought. I want this to stop. As the voices grew louder, a scar on his back started throbbing, engraved with the motif of a serpent.

"I can't! " the words tore out of his mouth. But they seemed oddly foreign now as if he was there. Though not truly. His hands moved of their own accord, splayed out in despair. "Why don't you get it, Wangji! I can't leave him like this!"

The formal name slapped Lan Zhan, and he paused for a moment, before continuing in a hurried tone. "You can, Wei Ying. Please? Come with me. It'll be better for you. Can't you see he's destroying you?"

His words triggered something in the younger man, setting a spiral of fear spiralling put. His breaths grew laboured and his heart felt like it had been sprinting a marathon. He shook his head slightly, grey eyes filled with hope. But tendrils and shards of hope lay in his eyes. But.." I can't...It's not possible, Lan Zhan."

"Why not?"

"It just...can't." but the words sounded weak, even to Wei Ying's ears. For a movement, the possibility of being away from Jiang Cheng, being free, danced in the periphery of his vision. No vomit staining his clothes, no late nights spent staying awake, waiting for a drunken body to stumble through the door. Nights spent worrying, cleaning messes. Instead, he thought of nights he could spend drawing, sketching or watching dumb movies. The possibility of going on dates with his boyfriend didn't elude him either, and he missed the feeling of warm arms around his waist, pulling him closer. Or soft kisses, heated kisses that caused minor explosions of pleasure on his skin. But the closer he stepped to it, the deeper the claws of gear, splitting the sinews of his already wasted legs open, watching in wild delight as crimson blood trickled down the pale white of his skin. Somehow, the other's intense gaze sent him panicking. "I really can't, Lan Zhan! He'll kill me!"

Shit, Shit. Panic engulfed him as gilt eyes narrowed, filling with concern. I've said too much, haven't I?

Then, he remembered the liquid trickling down his face, sneaking into the crevices of his skin. Warily, he raised a shaky hand up, brushing the side of his face. Foundation came away onto his skin, intermingled with blood. Fuck, he thought: he found out. Jiang Cheng is going to murder me. Tears streamed past his face twice as quickly., and his breathing quickly shallowed out. He started hyperventilating, the rise and fall of his chest growing even more rapid.

Suddenly, a pair of warm arms wrapped themselves around him, the familiar smell of sandalwood and pomegranate soap flooding his senses. Instinctively, his shoulders relaxed, leaning back onto the warm, firm chest. Shoot- he started, only to be pulled back again. "Shh," a low voice whispered. "Wei Ying is safe. M' never going to hurt Wei Ying. Not leaving Wei Ying."

The words were said like a soft prayer, but they sounded like a string of promises to Wei Ying. He shifted in his grasp, small bouts of anxiety still spurting in his blood. Warm arms re-adjusted themselves on his skin, making him feel safe and comfortable. A warm hand made its way up to stroke his hair, massaging his scalp. Wei Ying surrendered to his touch, letting himself relax. He looked up at his boyfriend with questions in his eyes.

Finally, Lan Zhan answered the unasked questions in his beloved's eyes. "Jiang Wanyin brought you here. Told me to take care of Wei Ying, and tell him not to worry. I agreed, but only if Wei Ying is comfortable." Wei Wuxian blinked in shock, struggling to process what had happened. Gilt eyes glanced at him hopefully, brimming with love and affection, almost as if they were begging him to agree. But he also knew that Lan Zhan would leave it up to him, that it was solely up to him. The answer came almost immediately. "Yes," he replied breathily," I want you with me."

To Wei Ying's surprise, the corners of Wangji's lips quirked up, and he grinned, letting out a sigh of content. "Then Wei Ying will stay with me?"

Wei Wuxian felt a huge grin spreading over his own face. "Yes, Lan Zhan. I'll stay with you."

He couldn't help himself. "I love you."

The back of his boyfriend's ears turned a vibrant crimson, eliciting chuckles out of him. "Lan Zhan! Your ears are as red as my ribbon!" he teased.

Somehow, they grew even redder, making Wei Ying laugh more. Slowly, his fears seemed to fade away, one by one. Until nothing but a feeling of warmth lingered. He felt oddly relaxed as if he'd been doing this his whole life. It was so comfortable. He beamed goofily up at his soulmate, who could only smile fondly at him. Swiftly, Lan Zhan leaned down, whispering huskily into his ear, painting his cheeks a rosy red. "I love you too."

As time trickled past, Wei Wuxian realised something. It felt like home. It was home. After so long, he was finally home again.

Because Lan Zhan was his home. 

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A/N: 1590 words! _nayrani_ -xiaohyun. Here's the update both of you wanted! Hopefully you guys will enjoy this- same to the rest of my dear readers, I hope you're enjoying the updates so far!
Feel free to comment, I look forward to reading them! ❤️
Oh, and- to Manu Jie and Charlie Jie-, here's your happy ending-( might be the first, probably not the last) ;)