Hello Readers! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that life has been kind to you! I hope you are enjoying my little story and that you will vote or comment your thoughts before you leave. I greatly appreciate any feedback from you as I value all of your opinions! Thank you so much!!!!
The two fated soulmates made love for hours before falling into a blissful deep sleep. The next morning Lan Zhan was the first to wake but was unable to move from under Wei Ying's arm and leg draped over him. So, he simply laid there in the early morning light and gazed upon the face of the man who had stolen his heart. He lightly touched his beloved's long thick lashes that rested on his cheek before running his fingers down Wei Ying's face and chin. He marveled at how beautiful this amazing man was and how lucky he was to have captured his love.
As Lan Zhan attempted to get up again, Wei Ying stirred quietly against his chest forcing Wangji to freeze in place. After a few steady breaths, Lan Zhan was able to slide out from under Wei Ying's gentle grip and prepare a bath for them. Carrying a still sleeping Wei Ying to the tub, Lan Zhan placed the poor man's exhausted body into the warm water and began to methodically wash him with a soft cloth. He looked at Wei Ying's thin frame and swore that never again would his beloved suffer because of him. He would learn to cook all of Wei Ying's favorite dishes and pamper him with affection, something he knew he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
He still could not understand how Wei Ying's memories were intact but, at least for now, he was willing to accept the gift he had been blessed with. After finishing their bath, Lan Zhan dried both of them and dressed himself in his robes, but he couldn't bring himself to dress Wei Ying so he simply wrapped him in the blanket and let him sleep a little longer.
He diligently folded Wei Ying's black and red robes and garments and put them on the table, placing Chengqing on top and making sure that every strand of the deep red tassel was perfectly combed and smooth. Satisfied, he walked outside to meditate and cultivate his golden core for the long trip home. He needed to be strong enough for them both in case there was any trouble on their return trip to Cloud Recesses.
Lan Zhan was very much afraid of Wei Ying pushing himself too hard again and causing more harm to his body and mind. Standing firm on his promise to not allow Wei Ying to suffer any more, Lan Zhan swore to himself that he would not allow his partner to use demonic energy to protect them, especially in his weakened state.
Inside the small house, Wei Ying awoke and felt blindly for his precious Hanguang-jun, only to be disappointed at the empty space next to him. He sighed and buried his face in the pillow letting out a small frustrated moan.
'Why does he always have to wake up at 5am?! Can't he just be lazy for one day in his life?'
Wei sat up slowly, his body complaining at even the smallest movement. Not having a strong golden core made it more difficult for him to heal quickly and his muscles and joints felt like they belonged to an old man.
He looked up and saw his clothes and his demonic flute sitting perfectly on the table and a smile crept onto his lips. He dressed quickly and looked for Lan Zhan knowing that he would not have gone far. When Wei Ying saw him outside sitting in the dew laden grass in his meditative state, his breath was stolen from his lungs and a single tear threatened to fall.
Lan Zhan's flawless jade-like skin glowed as the morning sunlight fell on it, his posture so perfect he looked like the finest carved statue. His peaceful expression was like that of a benevolent god. His long black hair rustled in the light breeze making Wei Ying's fingers ache to run his fingers through it and pull Lan Zhan in for a deep kiss.
A contented smile stretched across his lips and he quietly walked over to Lan Zhan, tenderly sitting next to him. Together, they meditated for the next few hours, enjoying the presence of the other and strengthening their bond even more.
"How did you do it?" Lan Zhan finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Hmph." Wei Ying replied knowing exactly to what Lan Zhan was referring to. "I'm not exactly sure." he said with a small grin and scratching his nose with his forefinger three times.
Lan Zhan turned to him in shock, his eyes questioning.
"I knew what I wanted to do but I wasn't sure it would actually work." Wei Ying said smiling in disbelief and shrugging his shoulders.
"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan reprimanded. "You made the deal without knowing if you would be able to keep your memories?" His voice boomed like thunder and lightening flashed in his eyes.
"Ah-haha, Lan Zhan! Please don't be mad." Wei Ying said as he snuggled into Lan Zhan's lap, wrapping his arms around Wangji's tense neck. "To be truthful, I don't exactly have ALL my memories." he confessed shyly, his head lowered as he glanced at Lan Zhan from under his eyelashes.
"Explain." Lan Zhan said flatly, trying to control his raging emotions, his fists clenching and unclenching at this sides.
"Well, during my travels I had heard about this trick where one can learn to lock up individual memories away from a person's consciousness." Wei Ying's eyes grew bigger with excitement and his words started racing faster. "It's like putting them in a box, locking it, then throwing away the key. I had been trying to do this for many years now but didn't quite have it mastered."
Lan Zhan's heart dropped in his chest. Wei Ying had risked everything yet again before thinking things through, putting himself and them in danger of losing each other forever. His emotions raged inside him but his face remained calm. He needed Wei Ying to finish his story without being afraid of punishment. He lovingly touched Wei Ying's cheek to reassure him that everything was okay.
"That's why I had to stay awake while she took my memories. I had......"
"You were awake?!" Lan Zhan yelled angrily as he stood up abruptly, throwing Wei Ying off his lap.
Wei Ying fearfully crawled a few feet away as Wangji glared down at him. "You heard what she said!" Lan Zhan roared. "You KNEW it would be painful! Why Wei Ying?" Lan Zhan's voice broke, not knowing if he should hit or hug Wei Ying for what he had done and suffered through.
"I-I-I had to, Lan Zhan! It was the only way to keep the good ones safe!" Wei Ying shrieked, raising his arms in front of his face in fear of Lan Zhan's anger.
Lan Zhan could not contain his confusion or his anger any longer. He strode swiftly over to the tree he had been meditating under and slammed his fist into the rough bark, breaking the tree in half. Afterwards, he took a few deep breaths and regained his composure, once again looking like the Second Brother of Lan.
Wei Ying blurted out, "I locked the good ones away and only let her take the bad ones! I needed to be conscious to control what she stole or else I would have lost everything! I would have lost you....... lost US! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you angry with me!" His words turned into painful sobs and his body shook with every ragged breath he tried to breathe.
Lan Zhan ran over to him and lifted him effortlessly into his arms. Wei Ying buried his tear streaked face into his beloved's white robes not wanting to see Lan Zhan's disappointment in him.
"Oh, my Wei Ying. My precious. Why would you risk your life for me?" Lan Zhan questioned as he carried Wei Ying back to the house, kissing the top of his head the entire way.
Wei Ying looked up into Lan Zhan's loving gaze and answered, "Because you're my everything. I am nothing without you."
He grabbed the nape of Lan Zhan's neck and forcibly pulled his head down, kissing him with abandon. Lan Zhan barely made it back inside the house before Wei Ying removed his upper robes and was ravishing his chest with scorching kisses. Practically throwing Wei Ying on the bed, Lan Zhan ripped the rest of his clothes off and then stripped Wei Ying of his garments.
Their lips joined and their tongues danced together leaving them both breathless and heated. Lan Zhan pushed his upper half off of Wei Ying and looked into his deep grey eyes, searching them for permission to ask the one question he had wanted to ask him for years and never had the courage to.
"Wei Ying?"
"Yes, Lan Zhan."
"Be my soulmate in EVERY lifetime."
"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." - Sam Keen