Chapter Text
Logically, Wei Ying knows he’s only known Lan Zhan for a day at best. He was only dead for a few hours.
But they fight like they’ve known each other all their lives. They clear the roads of monsters even more efficiently than when he works with Jiang Cheng, and he’s barely breaking a sweat by the time they make it to the ghoul nest. It’s been replenished with necrophages and even more ghouls, but between the two of them it’s short work.
“What the hell,” Wei Ying says, easily dodging a ghoul bite and slicing its torso in half. “You’re so good at this. How has this not been dealt with already?”
Lan Zhan’s movements are graceful and calculated, moving only as much as he needs to. Wei Ying would stare and admire his sword work if necrophages weren’t trying to eat him. “They just keep coming,” Lan Zhan says, flipping neatly over a couple of ghouls and taking them out. “Endlessly.” He’s not even out of breath.
Wei Ying tries to remember the network of lures he’d already destroyed. Had there been a pattern? He doesn’t think so, but if they were part of a larger one…
The pile of dead bodies is getting in the way. Wei Ying sets them on fire with a flick of his wrist, more concerned with the swarm of necrophages ganging up on him.
Between the two of them, the streets are quiet again within minutes.
Wei Ying grabs his new talisman out of his sleeve. “I have an idea.” He activates it, familiar enough with it now to not need words. It reveals a spiderweb of thin red lines, but the strong beam leading to Lan Zhan is distracting. “That’s annoying.”
Lan Zhan looks bemusedly at the red light piercing his chest.
“It doesn’t hurt, right?” Wei Ying contemplates a couple of character changes, but it’s difficult to get it to rule out a particular negative energy.
“No.” He blinks when Wei Ying holds out a hand expectantly. “What is it?”
“It’s supposed to point out negative energies, like curses, monsters, related magic. I guess vampires count too.” He flexes his fingers. “Hold my hand for a sec.”
Lan Zhan’s face is impassive, but Wei Ying doesn’t miss the hesitant pinch of his lips. Nonetheless he puts his hand in Wei Ying’s, much warmer than the last time he’d felt it. Wei Ying sends a little of his magic down his hand, just enough to wrap gently around Lan Zhan’s hand. He gives Lan Zhan a pleased smile when he accepts it, stands there with enough trust to let his magic sink into his skin. The red beam flickers out.
“Ha!” Wei Ying follows the various beams, spotting a couple of lures now that they’re pointed out for him. The bigger beam flickers back into place when Lan Zhan loosens the grip on his hand so Wei Ying holds it firmly, dragging him to each lure so he can destroy it without the massive beam drowning out the thinner ones.
Anyone else would be annoyed with being tugged around, probably. Lan Zhan just watches him with open interest. “Did you design that?”
“Yep! I came here to test it out. Some uh, surprising variables,” he says, gesturing at Lan Zhan, “but it’s worked pretty well!”
Lan Zhan trails behind him, a pensive expression crossing his face. His fingers tighten around his hand a little. “Do you do this a lot?”
“Do what? Hunt, invent, investigate? All of the above!” Wei Ying can’t help a satisfied smile as he destroys another lure network, the connection between them fizzling out. “It’s interesting! I’m not exactly as, ah, conventional as the others. So I tend to work alone. It’s usually not a problem.”
“Unless there are dogs,” Lan Zhan says gravely, letting Wei Ying lead them to the next set of lures.
“Unless there are dogs,” Wei Ying agrees. “I’d be too powerful without a weakness, huh.”
A hand shoots out of the darkness and Lan Zhan doesn’t even reach for his sword; he just lashes out with a clawed hand and severs the monster in two messy halves, never taking his eyes off Wei Ying.
It’s honestly a little hot.
No wonder nobody wants to work with Wei Ying.
“We make a good team,” he says cheerfully, blasting a wall to reveal another lure. “Damn, somebody really went to a lot of trouble here. This hasn’t happened before? How long have you been here?”
“Twenty years,” Lan Zhan answers. His hand squeezes Wei Ying’s again. “Never.”
Wei Ying squints at Lan Zhan. “How old are you?”
Lan Zhan’s eyes dance with mirth. Wei Ying almost drops his hand with the shock of it. “Old enough.”
Wei Ying hums with exaggerated suspicion. “How old are we talking here. A hundred years? A thousand?” He lights up at the thought. “How many magical styles have you seen? Do you know many talismans? Or arrays, or runes? Wait, how many fighting styles do you know? How many weapons can you use?”
Lan Zhan’s lips twitch like he’s trying not to laugh. Wei Ying would be offended if he wasn’t so excited. “I’m fifty-eight. Many magical styles, talismans. Several arrays and runes. I’ve seen more than I know how to use. I have lost count of fighting styles. I can use many weapons. I prefer the sword.”
Wei Ying hums as he takes this in. “In comparison to a thousand you’re like, a baby,” Wei Ying muses. Lan Zhan makes a noise that is almost a laugh. Wei Ying grins, delighted. “I’m twenty-six. We have got to share notes.”
He’s so distracted he forgets the thread of conversation. It’s only when he destroys the last lure his talisman has found that Lan Zhan speaks. “My brother left to help a friend a few months ago. He may be the true target.”
Wei Ying can see the tension in the corner of his eyes. “You’re worried.”
“Mm.” Lan Zhan casts his eyes over their surroundings, probably seeking out monsters or more hidden lures. Wei Ying wonders how much better his senses are. “I would search for him, but I didn’t want to leave the town unprotected.”
Wei Ying had teased him, but he can see Lan Zhan truly does care about the townspeople. He’s probably being too dismissive about the whole murder thing, but it honestly feels like an unfortunate accident. “We can start by finding out who left these.”
Lan Zhan eyes him curiously. “What do you propose?”
Wei Ying can feel his cheeks heat with excitement. “A trap.”
He waits, used to being interrupted before he can go on a tangent, but Lan Zhan merely watches him with silent yet focused attention. His eyes flash gold in the late afternoon sun. “Continue.”
“Whoever’s doing this has been setting lures over and over, right? You would’ve caught them if they did all this at once. Besides, you’ve mentioned you take care of the monsters but then more come back.”
“Mn.” Lan Zhan’s eyes track to the side as if he meant to survey the area, but his gaze is drawn back to Wei Ying without fail. “Some lures were more recent than others.” His mouth tips into a slight frown. Wei Ying is tempted to poke at it. “They have been careful. I did not realise humans were involved.”
“We’ll just be more careful,” Wei Ying grins, growing jittery with the excitement of impending chaos. “If they come to reset it tonight, or over the few nights… actually. How often can you go in the sun?”
“After consuming blood, it is painless. I have taken daily hunts.” Lan Zhan’s gaze drops to Wei Ying’s robes.
Wei Ying’s eyes narrow. “Have you been out in daylight anyway? You said it’s been ages.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t move or speak, but his silence is a resounding yes.
“Lan Zhan! You should take care of yourself.” Wei Ying frowns, leaning in to inspect Lan Zhan’s skin for injuries. Lan Zhan’s hand tenses in his, and Wei Ying realises with a start they’re still holding hands. He lifts it to his face for examination. “You’ve been destroying monsters day and night then?” At Lan Zhan’s single nod, he sighs. “That must have been exhausting. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard, Lan Zhan.”
Wei Ying can’t pinpoint a change in Lan Zhan’s expression but he can sense a stubborn shift anyway. “People would have been hurt.”
Wei Ying heaves a gusty sigh and pats Lan Zhan’s hand. “You’re so good, Lan Zhan. But who’s going to take care of you?”
Lan Zhan stares at him. Wei Ying can’t decide if he’s offended, or bewildered by the concept of being cared for.
“It’s okay,” Wei Ying gives him a small smile. “I’ll help. We’ll catch them, whether it takes a week or a month! I’m very stubborn, you know. I’ll set up some spatial traps and even if they don’t come tonight, it should catch them. It’s getting late, so we can stake it out.”
He releases Lan Zhan’s hand to map the area. Lan Zhan is still silent, but he follows Wei Ying with a quietly thoughtful look in his eyes. The weight of it makes Wei Ying’s heart flutter.
It probably takes as long as it usually does to set up his network of trapping spells, but with Lan Zhan accompanying him, the time flies. He carefully sinks the circles beneath the dirt, well hidden even from himself.
“Okay!” He claps his hands with a grin. “Now we hide.”
Lan Zhan tilts his head a little, hands folded beneath his sleeves. Part of Wei Ying wonders if he feels colder now that they’re not touching. “Where?”
Wei Ying turns in a slow spin. “We need… somewhere with a good vantage point, but where we can attack from.”
Lan Zhan smirks. Wei Ying inhales sharply in surprise at the expression – it’s a devastating look on him, and Wei Ying was not prepared for it – and then the world blurs. When his head stops spinning, he realises they’re in one of the surrounding building’s upper levels. The broken window offers a clear view of the trap zone, and Wei Ying has plenty of options for a fight. “Will this do?” Lan Zhan asks, his lips still crooked.
Wei Ying realises he’s being teased. “Lan Zhan, you know it’s perfect.” He grins, bumping his shoulder. “You’d think we’ve been doing this for years.”
Lan Zhan’s eyes lower to the spot he’d bitten. “It’s nice to have company,” he admits quietly. “But after what I did to you…”
Wei Ying takes Lan Zhan’s hand and runs a finger over the palmar creases. They’re pink with his blood, and the more he thinks about it, the more it makes him… oddly satisfied. “I’ve forgiven people for worse, even without apology,” he says. “This… I don’t know, feels different. You wouldn’t kill me again, right? If you needed lots of blood, you’d go slower?”
Lan Zhan shakes his head, confusion and guilt warring in his gaze. “I would not. Even if I starved for years.”
Wei Ying can feel a flush heating his cheeks at the intensity of his eyes. “I knew that without asking. You feel safe, somehow.”
Lan Zhan stares at him for a long while, then looks to their joined hands. “I know very little about you, or what you are…” He swaps their hands, strokes his fingers lightly along the pulse at Wei Ying’s wrist. “Your blood is powerful. I did not know it until I came to my senses, but there is ancient magic in it. Separate to the magic you use.”
“Weird compliment but I’ll take it.” Wei Ying tries to grin, but Lan Zhan doesn’t rise to the bait.
“It is alright if you do not know what you are either,” Lan Zhan says, and Wei Ying has the abrupt urge to cry. “I know, now, how dangerous it is to go without feeding for so long. It will not happen again. If we catch the one behind this, the town will be safe. I will go searching for my brother and be out of your way.”
His hands are still warm. Wei Ying feels possessive at the thought and cannot fathom why. “You’re right, I don’t know what’s going on with me,” he admits. Even after the brief magical exertion, he still feels power thrumming through his veins. “I feel stronger than before I died. I think that’s from you. Don’t ask me how,” he says when Lan Zhan’s eyes widen, “I don’t get it either. I just know that I want to hang around for a bit longer. If that’s okay. Not just for the power thing!”
Lan Zhan looks at him like he’s sprouted tentacles. After a day like this, he wouldn’t even be that surprised. “You... want me around.”
Wei Ying can’t even find it in himself to joke. “Yeah. I just… yeah. I can come with you, if you want. If that’s okay.”
Lan Zhan stares at him wordlessly.
“Or I can go,” Wei Ying says quickly, “I’m probably imposing anyway.” He goes to pull his hands back but Lan Zhan’s grip is suddenly strong as iron.
“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan says. “I would also like you to be around.”
Hope flares bright and hot in his chest. “Really? I haven’t annoyed you yet? I’m very annoying, I know. I get that all the time,” he says with a low chuckle.
Lan Zhan gets another stubborn look on his face. Wei Ying is struck with the impulse to introduce him to Jiang Cheng, just to see what he’d do. “You do not annoy me,” he says pointedly.
“I don’t know if you held back a bit, or if I’m immortal, or whatever. But I’m not taking death threats to shut me up seriously anymore,” Wei Ying laughs awkwardly. “It wouldn’t work. And I hadn’t even annoyed you yet when you killed me. Probably.”
Lan Zhan’s grip tightens, eyes entirely serious despite Wei Ying’s deflections. “No death threats,” he says firmly. “I will not allow it.”
He’s… definitely blushing. Lan Zhan’s gaze is intense, amber flaring in the setting sun. “Are you my bodyguard now, Lan Zhan?” he tries, but the joke is off-centre. It’s like having two conversations at once and while part of Wei Ying is thrilled at being understood so well, the rest of him is terrified.
Lan Zhan nods sharply. “Yes.”
Wei Ying doesn’t know what to do with that. He closes his eyes so he doesn’t do something stupid, like throw himself at Lan Zhan. “If it was going to happen, I’m glad it was you,” he murmurs.
He can feel Lan Zhan’s gaze upon him, heavy on his skin. “I am glad it was Wei Ying.”
He really will throw himself at him if Lan Zhan keeps talking like that. “So much for stranger danger.”
He can hear a gentle huff of laughter. “We are more dangerous than most strangers.”
The air outside shifts as the sky darkens. Wei Ying shifts to lean against the wall, a little sleepy with the loss of adrenaline even though he’s still pretty sure he could lift that ox if he wanted to. Lan Zhan mirrors him but keeps their hands clasped together.
For once Wei Ying is content to sit in silence, Lan Zhan’s words running through his mind. Such abrupt dedication and faith are hard to accept, but with warm hands holding his, it’s also hard to deny or dismiss. He’s not used to someone neatly sidestepping his charisma and jokes to get to the delicate core of him.