Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

The Voice of the Soul Part 10

Lan Zhan wakes up with a pounding headache and feeling disorientated. His eyes are crusty, and the first thing he misses is the warm weight of another person sleeping by his side. His whole body aches as he tries to rise, and then he forces himself to look around.

He's back in his old room, in the house that he lived in with his uncle and XiChen.

First of all, why is he here?

Yesterday night is a blur, and when he tries to remember, his head hurts more, and now that he's awake, his body is crying out for attention. He checks his phone, which XiChen must have placed on the bedside cabinet but it's dead, and his charger is back at the apartment he's sharing with Wei Ying, so that'll have to wait.

The familiarity of his surroundings does nothing to comfort him. There's an inexplicable itch under his skin as Lan Zhan takes care of daily business and prepares to shower. That's when his eyes catch on the bone necklace, and his fingers wrap around it. It's silver and warms under the heat of his touch, bringing a faint smile to his reflection.

Even if his memories are hazy from last night, he clearly remembers how Wei Ying confessed to him. And how they are handfasted now. In Lan Zhan's mind, that's as good as them being married. He knows that it doesn't count, not if Wei Ying is unaware of the tradition, and he basically has no idea what the meaning is behind the seven love knots Lan Zhan tied on his wrist.

But Lan Zhan knows, and it makes him feel all kinds of warmth inside that Wei Ying has a part of Lan Zhan with him always. Feeling the shapes of the two hearts in his hand now, Lan Zhan feels better that this is a sign of their promise, something permanent, of Wei Ying's love and devotion to him that he will treasure forever.

*************

The house is silent as Lan Zhan makes his way downstairs. He wants to get back to his apartment, see Wei Ying, and .... And what? He must admit it, he hasn't thought that far ahead. Wei Ying must be wondering where Lan Zhan is, and he has often told Lan Zhan that he probably won't be able to sleep alone again, not after all these years of sleeping next to him. There's a smug satisfaction in Lan Zhan about that, even if he's feeling guilty about leaving Wei Ying to fend for himself last night.

He will give Wei Ying an extra hug to make up for his absence. And kisses. He can kiss Wei Ying whenever he wants to now.

"You missed breakfast, WangJi," Uncle Qiren says, startling Lan Zhan out of his thoughts. He's just coming out from the living room. "It's lunchtime now," he says, and walks past with the air of someone expecting to be followed, so Lan Zhan must do it.

He really wants to leave, but it would be rude and if he wasted food, that would be another rule broken.

In the kitchen, XiChen is serving steaming vegetable dumplings onto three separate plates and bringing them over to the dining table. His dark honey coloured eyes are worried when he catches Lan Zhan in a glance, as if he wants to say something, but that would be another rule broken.

Lunch is eaten in silence.

It is doubly hard for Lan Zhan because his head is only marginally better, the dull ache of his hangover - he briefly retained an image of coloured water in a glass and realised his mistake from the previous evening - moving from his temples to the back of his eyes, and now he's missing Wei Ying too much. Ever since he began sharing meals with him, Lan Zhan hasn't ever spent one in silence after that, only these boring, staid affairs back home. He can't wait to leave.

But XiChen keeps staring at him and Lan Zhan isn't sure why. Is it concern over Lan Zhan's health and how he's feeling unrested and achy? Or something else? His instincts are telling him it's the latter, but Lan Zhan will not give in to speculation.