What is a little pain if I'm in your arms?

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'When you know how to fight, it's up to you to decide what you become. You could be a killing machine, or you could be a bringer of justice.' Great words of a simple man. My father.

After his death, all I wanted was to make him proud. So I held onto everything that was about him. Mostly memories. I used to write down his words that I could remember, scared that I'll forget them one day. When I felt like I'm losing myself, I looked at my old writings, trying to recall his voice telling them to me.

How to fight, is just one out of many things he has taught me. Those lessons were the favorite part of the week for Wen Ning and me when we were kids. Ever since he left us, we practiced on our own, to show him what he had made. Not that we have tested, but I don't think there's anyone that the two of us can't tackle down together in this college.

The best thing about his lessons was, he taught more than just how to punch. He taught us when to do so. He taught us a difference between a fighter and a person who throws fists around.

Right now, I'm recalling those words, and getting ahold of myself simultaneously, looking for Lan Zhan all around the college.

And I finally do find him, in the empty alley behind the college, cornered in the dead-end by Wen Chao and his spineless punks. Not a good choice...

I silently walk over to them. "Three against one? Isn't that unfair, Wen Chao?" I say and stand in between Lan Zhan and them.

From the way Cao flinched when he saw me, I could say that he wasn't expecting things to turn to this.

Too bad for him. No one can hurt my friends.

"The Jiang's adopted stray dog is here." He scoffs.

I didn't expect him to back off. Even though he earned some good punches last year trying to do the same to Cheng and me. Wen Chao would do anything to keep up his face, especially around the ones he controlled.

"Stay out of this, Wei Wuxian it's none of your business." He says.

Commanding meaningless things: An indication that he's intimidated by me.

"Are you sure that it's not?" I smirk at him. "Should I connect the dots for you?"

I've dealt with these kinds of situations before. I only have to take one down, and the others will run away.

I recall my father's voice. 'Rule one: Don't throw the first punch unless it's absolutely necessary.'

I wait till it starts, till Wen Chao decides that it's 'lame to skip a fight.' As expected, he balls his fist and brings it to my face. I swiftly bring my left hand up to stop it and punch his abdomen with my right.

"You do have some balls, to start this again after what happened last year. But you're being a fool here." I say with a smirk.

That breaks whatever the rage control he had. He yells while running towards my trying to punch me again. I grab his hand and turn it hard enough to make him feel the pain.

'Rule two: Control your anger.'

I pin his arm behind him, restraining his movements. He slams his elbow to my stomach. I unintentionally release his arm to recover from the impact. One of the others tries to sneak his way to Lan Zhan while I was busy with Wen Chao. I stretch my foot in front of him causing him to stumble on it, falling face first.

'Rule three: Never forget about the people you have to protect.'

Another two punches on Wen Chao and a kick on his diaphragm, hard enough to knock his air out and buckle his knees. He falls on his knees and I push him further, pinning his arms behind him. Seeing that their boss was knocked out the other two run away.

'Rule four: Know when to stop.'

I bend down and speak right next to his ear. "If you ever lay a finger on him, I'll make sure that you get a visit to the hospital. Do I make myself clear?"

He nods, whimpering like a scared animal.

"One more thing, you're going to post the real judgment of that case just like you posted the magazine."

"I will, I will! Let me go." He pleads.

I let go of his hands and stand up, dusting my clothes.

"Let's go," I say to Lan Zhan.

We leave him behind knowing that those guys who ran away will come back for him.

After reaching home, I pull Lan Zhan into my room and start checking for any injuries.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" I ask.

"Wei Ying I'm fine." He replies softly. But I continue checking. I roll his sleeves up and that's when I see the bruise on his left wrist. Four red fingerprints.

Fuck those assholes.

"I'm sorry." I sat looking at the bruises. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I really am. I-" I stop abruptly recalling the same words being spoken through the speakers of my phone.

I look up at Lan Zhan. His face said that he remembered the same thing.

I sigh as I move away from him to slide down on my couch.

I put Lan Zhan through the same thing.

"It's not your fault." Lan Zhan says as he sits down on the ground with his back against the couch.

"I shouldn't have posted that comment," I mumble.

He sighs. "I was going to ask you to do it."

I smile. "Don't give me white lies Lan Zhan. You know it doesn't work."

"It's the truth." He says. "I saw it the night before. I was waiting until you wake up to ask you to reply."

I sigh. "So our doom was destined I guess."

Lan Zhan turns to look at me. "Wei Ying, you're not making me go through the same thing." He says, surprising me. "I'll always be by your side to go through it together with you, in the same way you would for me."

I let my hand fall over his shoulder. "What would I do without you?" I ask with a smile.

He takes my hand and runs his thumb over my knuckle making a sharp pain spread on them.

"Ow!" I exclaim, making him look at it.

Oh well, I've ruined my knuckles pretty bad. There were some cuts and a few were bleeding.

"Why didn't you show this to me?" he asks.

"I didn't see it," I reply.

He sighs and takes me to the bathroom. Taking my hand, he carefully washes it, then makes me sit on the counter and gently wipes the cuts with a towel.

"Does it hurt?" he asks.

I shake my head. He was good at this.

"Stay here. I'll bring some ice." He says once my hand was dry.

He leaves my room and comes back with a cloth wrapped around ice cubes. He keeps it over my bruised knuckles. I hiss when it touches the cuts.

"Bear it for a little while." He softly says.

I nod admiring the way he was so focused on the simple task. All his moves were tender and gentle, attended with extreme care.

When he's done he wraps a bandage around my knuckles, finally ties it with a small knot.

"Done." He says and looks at me to find me staring at him.

"Thanks."

"You know that you don't have to thank me." He replies.

I smile at him as I gently pull him down by his neck, kissing his soft lips. I wrap my arms around him and keep my head on his chest.

"I'm glad you're here," I tell him.

He kisses my hair while running his fingers through it. "I'm glad I can be here."

Extra:

Credits: yoto_lamp1111 on Twitter 

Here goes a new side of Wei Wuxian... hope you enjoyed.

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