Your dreams

Chapter 16

"Wei Ying, I.." Lan Wangji tried to find his words.

Now that he was no longer being kept prisoner of the visions, he could finally think clearly. And he realized that he had no idea how to respond to Wei Wuxian's sudden coldness. It felt like going from basking in warm afternoon sun to being submerged in ice cold water. The change really was too big and too quick for him to follow properly.

He more felt than saw that the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple glared at him and straightened his posture even more. The atmosphere got even more icy, if that was possible. Lan Wangji must have offended him somehow. He thought back to what it could have been but came out emptyhanded.

Wei Wuxian did not leave him in the dark for long though: "Second Young Master Lan, please do not be so familiar with me."

Lan Wangji was confused. He had no idea what Wei Wuxian was talking about. Had he not just dreamed about him? Had he not just been friends and more with him in those visions? Why was he suddenly acting like he did not know Lan Wangji at all? Or perhaps there was something more to this? It was very confusing indeed.

"Wei Ying, what..." Lan Wangji tried again only to have his voice disappear into nothingness before he even formed a full sentence. He could feel a cold stare on his person and he had forgotten what he had wanted to say. He shivered under the unseen gaze.

Wei Wuxian's tone had become several degrees colder and more displeased when Lan Wangji did not continue with his explanation. He sounded annoyed and tired: "Second Young Master Lan, we barely know each other, so please refrain from addressing me in such improper manner. Otherwise, I may start thinking that the esteemed Gusu Lan sect cannot educate their own disciples properly. I offered you respect and it is only polite to return it, do you not think so? Now, if that was everything you wanted, please leave."

It took Lan Wangji a moment to gather himself. He was shocked that he had been called out for being impolite, by Wei Wuxian of all people. He still could not understand how it was possible for the Yunmeng Jiang sect disciple to dream about being in love with him one second and then be rejecting him like this the next one. It was almost as if they were two people different people altogether. Two different people with two different sets of memories, there was no other explanation.

He straightened his spine and stubbornly refused to leave despite being directly told so. At least not until he made sure that when Wei Wuxian would go back to sleep, he would not have any more night terrors. He could not bear the thought of leaving the other here to suffer all alone. If only those dreams were of a nice kind, Lan Wangji would not have minded. But what he had seen in his visions, those were truly terrifying scenes which would keep one cowering under their blanket in pitch darkness with their nerves all around the place.

He was actually amazed that the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple was as composed as he was right now. Lan Wangji doubted that he would have been able to keep himself this untouched and under control. Not with dreaming about a war and being injured and in pain so many times.

He swallowed down his nervousness and the urge to grab the other's shoulders and shake him until that cold demeanour would crumble and Wei Wuxian would display at least some emotions. Well, other than his clear distaste for Lan Wangji, that was. There was enough of that at the moment.

"Wei Yin..." he started but when the air around him got colder still, he quickly corrected himself, "Wei Wuxian, you were having a nightmare."

His heart was hurting for no particular reason when he had to forgo the more familiar birth name in favour of the courtesy one. However, if he was going to get somewhere this way and would accomplish lowering Wei Wuxian's defences the tiniest bit, it would still be worth it. All he wanted was to help the other, nothing more.

He heard a quiet groan from the bed and only barely stopped himself from reaching out. He was cursing the darkness of the infirmary as he could not see what Wei Wuxian's reaction was and why he sounded like he was in pain. All he could tell was that the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple put his head into his palms – he could no longer see the white of his eyes shining through the omnipresent darkness – and hear how his breathing had become somewhat ragged.

"Nightmares...?" he whispered in a tone which was betraying confusion. Or disbelief perhaps, Lan Wangji could not tell with certainty.

Then, the vulnerable moment was over and Wei Wuxian picked himself up. The bed sheets rustled as he moved to sit straight again. His eyes pierced Lan Wangji's very soul when he went back to glaring at him.

"Second Young Master Lan," he said, putting accent on every word so as to there would be no room for misunderstanding. "I do not know what you are talking about. It truly is inappropriate of you to come into my room during the night. Leave."

Lan Wangji had tears in his eyes. He hated seeing Wei Ying, his Wei Ying, like this. It was not him. He still did not get how it had happened, or what had happened for that matter, for the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple to behave like this with him. He had seen him, he knew him, this was not Wei Ying.

With such a clear rejection though, there was only little he could do. Heartbroken, he turned around and headed out of the infirmary. It felt as if everything had just gotten stripped away from him. The light of his days, his reason for living, his future... his whole life was gone with just one word from Wei Wuxian.

'Leave', the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple had told him. Lan Wangji could only obey.