#dragonxian

LWJ blinked, the words filtering through his mind like a stone dropping into mud. "…I am the dragon god's property," he agreed. "But Su Minshan will claim me."

For some reason, the stranger's face darkened at the mention of this obvious fact. LWJ also found that quite charming, though he couldn't quite say why. Everyone knew the ceremony was a farce. Su Minshan wanted Lan Wangji as his own, and the only way he'd a chance of claiming him was under the guise of it being the dragon lord's will.

"How can a priest think of stealing the gift meant for his god?" the man demanded, his brow furrowed in anger.

Lan Wangji stared at him openly. He wouldn't normally consider a disciple of the dragon temple attractive, but this new acolyte really was a handsome fellow. If he wasn't magically compelled to finish the walk to his doom, Lan Wangji might even stall a while to speak with him longer.

As it was, the obedience curse ensured he continued forward along the path set for him, even as he contemplated the merits of breaking away.

Until the man pulled on his sleeve, that is.

"Let's go," he said, trying to tug Lan Wangji away.

LWJ stood rooted to the spot, unable to follow him. "I cannot. The sacrifice-"

"Forget the sacrifice," the disciple said, a low rumble to his voice that LWJ found soothing as the roll of thunder. "You don't have to worry about that. You're mine regardless."

LWJ nodded in agreement, unable to find fault with the man's logic. He was right, after all: he didn't have anything to worry about.

"Mn. Yours."

He nodded a second time, satisfied that if he said something, it must be true. LWJ never lied, not even to himself.

The man grinned at his reply, and pulled LWJ into the circle of his arms in one swift movement.

"Close your eyes," he warned. "It can make you a bit nauseous, the first time."

LWJ blinked up at the disciple, thinking he was very presumptuous indeed to manhandle someone else's property, before he found himself acquiescing to the man's demands.

Closing his eyes, he lowered his head to rest upon the man's firm chest. The arms upon his shoulders snaked around his waist, and he couldn't help but exhale in relief as he was drawn into an even tighter embrace.

The stranger's hold was warm, and from where Lan Wangji's nose rested in the curve of his neck, smelled like the cold spring in June - when the weather was most fair, and you could see the sun reflected up from within its crystalline surface. 

The remaining free piece of his mind panicked at the strange feeling of control that scent evoked in him, before the obedience spell washed his every lingering fear away.

Lan Zhan never thought his quiet, mundane life would be upended by a mysterious egg, but here he is. His searches on the internet yielded nothing and no animal experts could figure out what species the egg belongs to.

All he knows is it's very clearly alive and was abandoned.

How does he know it was abandoned?

He woke up three days prior to the egg wrapped in a blanket and placed in a box on his doorstep. Why him? He has no clue. But Lan Zhan is determined to find out everything he can to best take care of whatever is inside this egg.

Unfortunately, he'd had to travel a number of hours to meet with the most recent specialist which means he has to stay in a hotel rather than his own bed. It is... not ideal, but he cannot risk driving all the way back so late.

Tomorrow he's going to see another "specialist."

He is iffy on this one. Where other professionals study specific genera and are quite scholarly, this person appears a bit eclectic if their shop website is anything to go by. The interest in mythology and the preternatural doesn't give Lan Zhan the highest of hopes.

But Lan Zhan is nothing if not thorough.

~

Yiling Laozu's Wonders and Oddities.

Lan Zhan stares at the sign of the shop before taking in the rest. Various crystals and animal skulls adorn the displays in the windows. He hopes the answers will be in there.

He enters.

The shop, while being filled with all manner of items, surprisingly feels quite cozy to Lan Zhan. He was afraid his senses would be accosted like they had been in other similar shops. He feels quite comfortable here.

It's when he's looking around that someone speaks to him.

"Ah, welcome! Is there anything specific you are looking for?"

Lan Zhan turns and feels as if he were struck by lightning. He is stunned by the beauty of the man smiling at him. It's almost otherworldly. Grey eyes shimmer in the light and he's sure they must be contacts.

The man tilts his head and Lan Zhan realizes he hasn't responded. He clears his throat. "Yes. I am here to speak with the owner over an egg that has recently come into my possession."

"You're talkin' to him!" The man winks, smile widening.

"Oh, my apologies, I hadn't realized—"

"Because I'm so young and handsome while most people in my field are old and withered?"

Lan Zhan feels his ears heat. While that is objectively true, that wasn't what he was going to say. "Shameless," he grits out.

That only makes the man laugh. "I'm Wei Ying."

"Lan Zhan."

Wei Ying's smile softens. "Lan Zhan... Beautiful name for a beautiful man." Before Lan Zhan can respond (by saying 'shameless' again) Wei Ying begins walking to the back of the store. "Come along!"

Lan Zhan does.

They enter a messy office where Wei Ying plops down on a chair.

Lan Zhan glances around the room before gently sitting on the couch across from Wei Ying.

"An egg, you say? Do you have it with you?"

"I do," Lan Zhan replies. He pulls the egg out of his bag and carefully unwraps it before holding it out to Wei Ying.

Wei Ying's eyes are wide.

Slowly, he reaches out. The moment his hand touches the egg he gasps. "Where did you get this?" Wei Ying asks, breathless, as he takes the egg into both hands and holds it close to his face.

"It was left on my doorstep four days ago. I do not know why or what it is."

"Dragon."

Lan Zhan blinks, sure he misheard. "Pardon?"

Wei Ying's grey eyes meet his. "This is a dragon egg." He laughs, the sound somewhat manic. He returns his gaze to the egg and brushes a hand over it. "I thought... I thought I was alone."

Confused and unmoored, Lan Zhan only stares.

He watches as Wei Ying rests his forehead against the egg and breathes shakily. "I thought I was the only one left," he whispers. "But here you are."

Lan Zhan feels something tighten in his chest. "Dragons are real?"

Wei Ying looks at him with wet eyes. "Yep."

"And you are..." he trails off.

Wei Ying nods. "A dragon, yeah. I never knew there were more than me, I thought I was the last one."

Lan Zhan's mind reels. "Can you prove it?" he blurts out suddenly.

Wei Ying blinks owlishly. "I don't have to prove anything to you."

"No. No, I apologize. I didn't mean to—"

"I'm teasing, sort of. If it were anyone else I wouldn't do this," Wei Ying says, standing up and handing the egg back.

"Why me?" Lan Zhan finds himself wondering.

Wei Ying shrugs. "Not sure, just feels right. You know?"

Lan Zhan nods. He does know.

Tenderly, he holds the egg to his chest as he watches Wei Ying closely.

"I can't change into my full form in here, but—" he closes his eyes and scrunches his nose until suddenly there's stunning red antlers on his head and a long tail behind him.

"Ta-da!" Wei Ying exclaims with a lopsided smile when he opens his eyes.

Lan Zhan is stunned. Not only has he met the most beautiful man today, but said man is also a dragon which means that dragons are actually real. Plus he has a dragon egg.

Big day.

Wei Ying shifts back to full human with ease and plops back into the chair. "So... you've got a dragon egg."

Lan Zhan nods. "I do."

"You don't know how to care for a dragon." It's not a question.

"I do not."

"And you were trusted with the care of the egg."

"I was."

Wei Ying stares at Lan Zhan silently for a beat. "Move in with me."

"Okay," Lan Zhan replies without thinking.

His shock must show because Wei Ying laughs lightly. "Are you sure? You don't have to."

Lan Zhan thinks it over carefully before deciding that yes, he is sure.

"I am," he replies. "It would be most wise for the dragon baby to be around another dragon, and I wish to learn how to care for a dragon as it is essentially my child now."

"We'll be co-parents," Wei Ying says with a smirk.

"Mn."

Lan Zhan secretly hopes to drop the 'co' someday.

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That's right y'all, A-Yuan is matchmaking before even being a true part of this world 😌