Chapter Text
There was noise, movement and light. It was chaotic, painful and Wei WuXian slipped back into unconsciousness almost immediately.
Later the world jolted and shook him awake once more. Eyes feeling too gritty and sore to see much, he peered blearily around. There was straw next to his head and something white. Soft and white, and so very warm. Warm was good. Cold, he was so cold. It was the only thing that registered in Wei WuXian’s mind as shivering, his teeth chattering, he instinctively he curled against it, seeking out the heat.
Somewhere close he heard Jiang Cheng swear, “Stupid, fucking cart!” Somehow it makes him smile.
His world jolted again, a bright burst of pain across his chest stealing his breath. Coughing and wheezing, until his head felt like it was going to burst, Wei WuXian fell into oblivion once more.
Disjointed fragments assailed him. Real or imagined he had no way of knowing. Bitter tea on his lips. Giant, yellowing teeth looming out of the darkness. A cool hand on his forehead. The sun falling from the sky, landing on him and burning through his chest. The scent of lotus flowers. Muffled words. Screaming. A fragment of a song. Cold water closing in over his head.
Finally Wei WuXian woke. Head aching, mouth dry, he wondered for a brief moment how much he had drunk the night before and what it had been. Reality crashed back in like a tidal wave. Being trapped in the cave at Dusk Creek Mountain. The awful Wen Chao and his spiteful girlfriend JaioJaio. The bitter fight with Xuanwu of Slaughter. Lan Zhan singing to him. Lan Zhan. Where was he?
With a groan, Wei Wuxian opened his eyes, as a gentle hand wiped a cool cloth across his forehead. The figure blurred for a moment before coming into focus. “Shijie,” he managed, his voice a parched croak.
“A-Xian! You're awake,” Jiang YanLi said, looking at him as if she wanted to weep tears of joy. She put aside the cloth, petting his hair instead.
“Where...” he started to ask and tried to sit up.
“Home. You're home,” she replied pushing him gently back down. “You need to rest.”
To Wei WuXian's dismay he found he was too weak to resist. He looked pleadingly at the unfailingly kind young woman who was his big sister in every way that mattered since he'd been a child. “Thirsty. Please.”
Carefully, she held a cup to his lips. “Not too fast.”
He drank gratefully, whining when it was empty and the cup was taken away.
“You can have more soon,” Jiang YanLi said, placing the cup down. “Soup to. To help you get your strength back.”
“Your soup?” Wei WuXian felt a giddy wave of relief break over him. He was home and safe, and everything was going to be alright. “Your best rib soup?” he added hopefully.
“Yes. I'll always make it for you.” She wiped his face with the cool cloth again. “You're still a little fevered. You rest and I'll bring it to you.”
“For Lan Zhan too,” he said, eagerly. “He must try it. They never had tasty food at the Cloud Recesses.”
A shadow seemed to pass across Jiang YanLi's sweet face and Wei WuXian felt an uncomfortable twist of panic coiling in his chest. “Where is Lan Zhan? Where...” He tried to push himself up again, to sit and look around, but his felt too weak and dropped back with a groan. “How long was I sick?”
“Days,” she replied as she helped him settle back more comfortably against the pillow. “A-Cheng found you in the cave and brought you home. You've been here two days.”
“Lan Zhan. Where...” Wei WuXian stopped and looked at her in wide eyed fear. “He didn't leave him there?”
“A-Xian! No. You know he wouldn't. Second Young Master Lan is here,” she said, putting a comforting hand on his. “He is still unwell.”
“But I gave him MianMian's herbs!” Wei WuXian said, not able to keep the distress from his voice. “He was getting better.”
“It was a very kind thing you did,” she said, giving his hand a small squeeze. “You saved his life. Certainly you saved his leg. The healer is very hopeful.”
Wei WuXian closed his eyes. “Hopeful,” he repeated. “What does that mean?” It seemed like such an empty word to him. One that was meant to bring comfort, but brought fear all the same. Hopeful didn't mean that Lan Zhan recovering was certain. After everything that they have been through together over the last few days the idea of losing Lan Zhan isn't one that he even wants to consider. Not even for a moment. It brought a lump to his through that threatened to choke him.
“A-Xian, it's alright,” Jiang YanLi said softly, still stroking his hand. “He is strong. With care he will wake soon too.”
Lan Zhan wasn't even conscious. It was so much worse than he'd thought. “See him,” Wei WuXian murmured. “I've got to see him. He...” The sudden memory of Lan Zhan pulling him from the water, of him singing to him softly, the touch of his hand as he passed energy to him. Energy that he could probably ill afford to share. “He saved me,” he choked out, feeling overcome.
“You saved each other.” She reminded him gently. “Even A-Cheng knew that that. He told me how Young Second Master Lan wouldn't let go of your hand when he found you. How it made it difficult for him to get you both out. How hard it was to make him let you go. You know how cross he can get about the silliest things.”
Wei WuXian nodded, but words, which usually came so easily to him refused to come. He looked at her in mute appeal, asking why they'd made Lan Zhan let him go.
“We had to. He was still trying to give you energy, trying to heal you, support you until help arrived.” She looked at his stricken face. “He's recovering now. He's much better than he was when you arrived.”
He nodded again, shaken by Lan Zhan's actions and his obvious depth of friendship and feelings toward him. The rescue from the water, the song, the complete selflessness of choosing to support him until help came, of putting Wei WuXian's health and life above his own overwhelms him. How could anyone, especially Lan Zhan look at him and think he was the one worth saving?
For all that Lan Zhan acted like he was an emotionless, perfect statue of a man, there was, he now realised a kind, even romantic heart buried deep down inside. A heart that few saw, but that for some inexplicable reason he'd decided to show to him. It touched Wei WuXian more than he could say, and certainly more than he could deal with in his current weakened state.
The tears came suddenly, uncontrollably and he covered his face with his hands. The pain from the half healed burn on his chest seemed to pale beside the sharp twist that stabs through his heart. A moment later he was gathered carefully in Jiang YanLi's arms, his big sister comforting him as she'd done since he'd first arrived at Lotus Pier years ago as a young orphaned child.
She held him until the tears stopped falling and he slept, healing once more.