Snow flakes - ft. Wangxian
The world outside was hushed under a thick blanket of white, the snowfall muffling sound, softening the edges of everything beyond the window panes. Delicate flakes drifted down like scattered petals, slow and aimless, painting the courtyard in quiet stillness. The Jingshi had always been a sanctuary, but in winter, it seemed to hold its breath even moreâsuspended in serene timelessness.
Inside, the brazier crackled gently, casting a slow, amber warmth through the room.
Lan Wangji moved in silence, as he always did, his robes flowing with practiced grace as he set the table. The teapot was already warm, steam curling lazily from the spout. A modest mealâcongee, preserved vegetables, and the little sesame buns Wei Ying liked more than Wangjiâsat neatly arranged on the low table, everything in its proper place.
His movements were precise but unhurried. There was a kind of ritual in it now. A quiet joy. Every morning, whether Wei Ying rose early or slept in until noon, Lan Wangji prepared breakfast the same way. Not out of habit, but because it grounded him. Because it reminded him that this lifeâtheir lifeâwas no longer a fleeting dream.
He turned toward the bedroom and paused. The silken curtains had been pulled slightly aside by the restless shifting of the one still buried in their bed. A tuft of dark, tousled hair peeked out from beneath the thick layers of quilt. Wei Ying had curled in on himself, cocooned in warmth, one arm flung carelessly over the pillow where Lan Wangji had once lain. His face was mostly hidden, but his mouth was relaxed, lips slightly parted in the softness of sleep.
Lan Wangji allowed himself a rare, lingering glance.
Wei Ying slept without defenses. Without the mask of laughter or mischief or teasing bravado. There was something achingly tender in the way his brow was smooth, untroubled, in how his lashes brushed against his cheeks, in the way his breathing was slow and evenâsafe. Peaceful.
The sight never failed to stir something deep in Lan Wangjiâs chest, a quiet warmth that bloomed slowly and settled there like the snow outsideâgentle, certain, unmoving.
He turned back toward the table and poured the tea.
Wei Ying would grumble when he finally woke up, no doubt. He always did, especially when Lan Wangji rose before him and slipped away. âWhy didnât you stay?â heâd ask, voice scratchy with sleep, half-accusing, half-pleading. âItâs freezing without you. Donât you know Iâll freeze to death without my Lan Zhanâs warmth?â
Lan Wangji would never say it, but that was exactly why he woke earlier on cold mornings like this. He would rather Wei Ying stay nestled under the covers, hoarding warmth like a dragon curled over its hoard, instead of padding barefoot across the icy floors. He would rather endure the slight ache of absence than disturb that rare look of perfect, undisturbed rest.
Outside, a sudden gust stirred the wind chimes in the corridor. The faint melody danced through the room, delicate and fleeting.
Behind him, the sound of sheets shifting. A groggy groan. Then: âLan Zhan?â
Lan Wangji turned, and sure enough, Wei Ying was blinking blearily from the bed, hair an unholy mess, a line pressed into his cheek from the pillow. He looked every bit like someone who had fought valiantly to sleep through the morning and lost.
âYouâre awake,â Lan Wangji said softly.
Wei Ying squinted. âItâs still snowing?â
Lan Wangji nodded once. âHeavily.â
Wei Ying flopped onto his back and groaned. âUgh. I was dreaming of warm things. You were there. And so were sesame buns.â
Lan Wangjiâs lips curved, barely. âCoincidence. Both are here.â
Wei Ying perked up slightly at that, but then frowned as he looked to the empty space beside him. He patted the sheets with an exaggerated pout. âYou left me. I was all alone. Cold. Abandoned.â
Lan Wangji walked over, kneeling beside the bed, hand reaching to brush a lock of hair from Wei Yingâs face. His fingers lingered there, just a moment longer than necessary. âYou were warm,â he said. âI didnât want to wake you.â
Wei Ying leaned into the touch with a soft hum, eyes fluttering shut again for a moment before he cracked one open. âBut I like it best when I wake up to you. Warmthâs better when itâs shared, Lan Zhan.â
A beat passed in silence, before Lan Wangji quietly replied, âNext time, Iâll stay.â
Wei Ying smiled. Sleep still clung to him, but the smile was realâsoft, content, a little lopsided. He sat up slowly, letting the blanket fall from his shoulders, and reached out, catching Lan Wangjiâs hand.
Their fingers threaded together without thought.
âIâm glad I woke up to this,â he murmured, glancing at the table. âSnow outside, tea ready, you kneeling beside me like something out of a dream.â
Lan Wangji shook his head lightly. âNot a dream. Reality.â
Wei Yingâs smile widened.
They stayed like that for a few momentsâhand in hand, snow falling in slow silence, the warmth between them more than just physical.
Then Wei Ying leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, âDid you make two extra sesame buns? Because I had a dream I ate four, and Iâm pretty sure that counts as prophetic.â
Lan Wangji gave him a look. Wei Ying grinned.
âFine, fine,â he laughed, throwing off the blanket and crawling to the edge of the bed. âBut only because you looked unfairly good kneeling beside me just now. You know I canât say no to that.â
Lan Wangji helped him up with a quiet patience, guiding him to the table, where the tea had cooled just enough to drink.
Outside, the snow continued to fall. But inside, time slowed. There was only this moment, this warmth, this shared quiet. And in that stillness, love spoke its truest languageânot in grand declarations, but in the gentle way one waited, and the other woke.
If you have any prompts, fill this or Dm me: https://forms.gle/Far9qPjF446mgAWSA
Follow this for additional chapters: https://riavolkov.stck.me/