"A-Xian?"

   Wei Wuxian blinked open tired, puffy eyes when he heard Mo Xuanyu calling for him.

He offered a smile to the boy sitting at his bed side. "A-Yu."

Mo Xuanyu offered a little smile of his own, before frowning; fretting over him no doubt. "Are you feeling okay? Any pain? Do you need anything? Anything at all?" The boy rambled anxiously. Wei Wuxian waved away the little worrier. "A-Yu, I'm fine, really." Wei Wuxian pulled himself up into a sitting position with Mo Xuanyu's help. "Ah... sorry to trouble you, A-Yu - it seems I've become a bit of a burden to you." Wei Wuxian's smile dimmed.

 

"Nothing has changed in that regard, has it? Always the same Wei Wuxian." A angry voice interrupted sardonically, Jiang Cheng stomping into the room, looking down on the two of them with a fierce scowl. Wei Wuxian sighed.

"Hey! Thats uncalled for!" Mo Xuanyu snapped back with a glare.

Jiang Cheng arched a brow. "Oh? And did I ask for your opinion, boy?" He sneered at Mo Xuanyu. "Watch yourtone, you brat, and have some respect; your in my home."

 "I know when I am not wanted; if its so bothersome - you shouldn't have brought me here. What are you going to do? Kill me? If so, get on with it then and be done with it!" Wei Wuxian screamed out, suddenly raising his voice. His eyes had become flat and cold, his smile faded into a grimace. Mo Xuanyu had paled and flinched back, away from the two men as they stared each other down.

 

"Kill you? You want to die again, so badly, do you?" Jiang Cheng rumbled, anger spiking. He grabbed Wei Wuxian by the arm and yanked him out of bed to drag him to the ancestral hall. Wei Wuxian stumbled to keep up as he was dragged by Jiang Cheng's unforgiving grip. Mo Xuanyu followed behind, worried and cautious. 

Wei Wuxian let out a frail, bitter laugh; scorning himself and Jiang Cheng. "You haven't changed either, Jiang Cheng. Aren't you tired of it all?"

"Shut up!" Jiang Cheng snapped as the reached the Ancestral Hall, and threw Wei Wuxian to the ground before his parents and Jiang Yanli.

Wei Wuxian flinched. 

"Well? Go on! After you kneel and apologize, I'll end you right here and now." 

Wei Wuxian glanced up at Jiang Cheng. Ah, always so relentless. 

 

Wei Wuxian bowed his head.

Madam Yu, Uncle Jiang, Shijie...

I am sorry , I am so sorry. For everything. 

 

"I am sorry Madam Yu, Uncle Jiang and Jiang Yanli - so, so sorry, for everything. " He repeated out loud, keeping his head bowed.

He turned to Jiang Cheng. "Satisfied?"

Jiang Cheng sneered but didn't answer.

 

Mo Xuanyu watched worriedly from a distance, heart racing in his chest. 

It happened so swiftly, Mo Xuanyu, didn't catch it. A sword swept an arch through the air at Wei Wuxians neck!

"A-Xian!" He cried out, rushing forward. Wei Wuxian had frozen up, Jiang Cheng was really going to kill him.

Mo Xuanyu skidded to a halt, breath coming fast as he stared. Jiang Cheng he had been about to kill Wei Wuxian - or at least they both thought - shoved Wei Wuxian on the floor, onto his back; straddling him and jamming the sword into the ground.

 

Wei Wuxian stared in horror as the lapels of his robes were gripped in tight fists, Jiang Cheng on top of him and  tears falling off his former shidi's face; dripping onto his own as Jiang Cheng openly cried - sobbing.

"You bastard! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I FUCKING HATE YOU! So why... why can't I... I can't..." Jiang cried and whispered, "I can't kill you...I never meant to really...but then I thought... I...why... why..why...do I love you too? And YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU LIED TO ME! My golden core wasn't restored by Baoshan Sanren... you gave me yours! And you died and never fucking told me!"  Jiang Cheng blubbered angrily, tears streaming down his cheeks as he yelled and glared through his tears at Wei Wuxian. "I never wanted you dead! you fucking idiot! I regretted how things happened back then...and I... you..." 

Wei Wuxian bit his lips, trembling and staring at his shidi crying over him. Tears fell from Wei Wuxian's eyes as well, crying together in a mess. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry... I'm sorry..!" Wei Wuxian cried, unashamedly crying.

"You Idiot! You damn, stupid, utter idiotic Self sacrificing Dumbass! Idiot!"

Jiang Cheng ranted on.

He and Wei Wuxian continued to cry and Jiang Cheng continued to curse and call Wei Wuxian names.

 

Mo Xuanyu just sat back, and sagged to the floor with relief. 

 

~~~~~~

 

Wei Wuxian came clean about his core, since Jiang Cheng already knew. 

And then he started coughing up blood again and was once again resigned to bed rest.

Meanwhile, an unexpected visitor showed up, asking to see Wei Wuxian; repeatedly asking to see "Wei Ying". 

Jiang Cheng marched to his idiotic brother. "Why the hell do you have Lan Wangji coming all the way here to just ask to see you?" He demanded, though he had an odd suspicion about the Second Jades feelings for his brother but...he really didn't want to think about it.

Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu looked at him.

"What? Lan Zhan really came? For me?" Wei Wuxians eyes were wide. Then he grinned.

Jiang Cheng did not like the look on his face.

It was the look that always spelled trouble. 

Jiang Cheng sighed, pinching his nose in annoyance. He called for a disciple to let Second Master Lan in. "Go, tell him he can come in."

 

Lan Wangji walked into Wei Wuxians old room, anxious to see him.

 

Mo Xuanyu smiled at both of them an excused himself.

 

Wei Wuxian greeted him with a blinding smile, "Lan Zhan! We meet again!"

Lan Wangji's heart beat fast in his chest. A tiny smile forming on his lips, shocking Wei Wuxian speechless as Lan WangJI only spoke the his name, and yet it held a thousand more meanings, a endless feeling of pure devotion and love, while Wei Wuxian was oblivious, but he sensed more to it and to the look in Lan Wangji's eyes; eyes that only held him within them.

Wei Wuxian's heart raced.

"Wei Ying."

As Wei Wuxian listened, really listened and looked Lan Wangji in the eyes, deep down - maybe subconsciously -a part of him had to admit that he knew. He always knew

He did know.

And he felt the same.

Lan Wangji had successfully taken down the Yiling Patriarch alright, just not how others had ever thought or expected - that Wei Wuxian himself wasn't even aware of until now... and he realized he had felt the same way for a long time....

Since the moment they first met.

~~~~

He had been caught.

A boy dressed in pristine white stood before him and he had been mesmerized under the full moon.

He blinked and brushed it off, grinning a big smile, and holding out a jar of Emperor's Smile.

"Emperor's Smile! I'll give you a Jar!"