Wei Wuxian stayed at Lotus Pier. So did Lan Wangji.

"I won't leave until Wei Ying agrees to return with me."

Lan Wangji had asserted with stabile determination.

"Lan Zhan, you are making it awkward. The chief cultivator shouldn't stoop so low."

He had tried to persuade Wei Wuxian, but his husband was obstinate in his decision.

"Brother will take care of everythig. And I can do the rest from Lotus Pier" Lan Wangji reasoned.

Why couldn't your brother lend you a hand all these years? Wei Wuxian's mind rebuked silently.

Honestly, he needed a break from Lan Wangji. But how should he express this concealed, buried desire? It was not becoming of him to rub this harsh desire on his husband's face who clearly was so devoted to coax him back into his apparently in-laws house.

It was not true that he abhorred Cloud Recess altogether. He sincerely loved the peace and quietude of the place. What he never appreciated was the spiteful atmosphere from the residents of Cloud Recess. Initially, he never cared. But after years of being met with nothing but spurring, he felt rejected.

And once he feels rejected, he never bothers enough to cling to the same line. He cherishes his self-esteem. Forbye, Lan Wangji had also been engaged in official matters most of the time, rendering him alone.

In Yunmeng, he could always play with the Juniors. Teach them new techniques. He was still accepted as one of them by the Yunmeng people, particularly those few old households he grew up playing at since childhood. They even appreciate him for his inventions. Altogether, Yunmeng was less judgemental than Gusu. In Gusu, people are reserved, banal; in Yunmeng, people are amenable.

Mother soil always calls.

He wanted to sleep alone at night but would wake up everyday with a strong arm protectively encircling his waist, eliciting a lovely warmth. His heart throbbed to steal a kiss or two from the soft lips of his husband, but a very sulking part of him would prevent him from doing so.

"Lan Zhan, when did you come inside?" He would ask, and the same reply would come everytime.

"Midnight."

Wei Wuxian could only sigh and reluctantly, and with much exerted efforts, detangle himself, much to his husband's disapproval.

Lan Wangji brings him trinkets and rare objects every now and then from the Yunmeng market and his soul flushes with glee and overwhelming mirth every time his husband extends such tender acts of affection to him.

They always draw a few exasperated eyes.

Jiang Cheng remains busy most of the time but during the joint meals, he indeed, showers some side glances at the couple. His brows most often draw into annoyed creases whenever the cat-and-mouse acts take place between the couple.

They are almost living together, but there remains a palpable distance between them. Wei Wuxian is reluctant to concile with his husband, and Lan Wangji was abstinent to sway him.

Wei Wuxian was getting weary of this.

He felt frustrated at the unsolved misunderstanding between them. On one hand, it hurts him to witness his husband's desperate suit to take him home. On the other hand, he is disinclined to return to a place he doesn't even feel home at.

"Please Wei Ying."

Wei Wuxian sighed. Reluctantly, he nodded. And thus, the two went to the green lushful fields together, even though one of them just begged to be included in the journey.

"Wei Ying...why are you avoiding me? What have I done?" Lan Wangji asked very carefully, maintaining a tender and soft voice.

Wei Wuxian's heart trembled. "No reason. I just want to feel Lotus Pier viscerally."

Lan Wangji pursed his lips. " And I am being a hinder? You want me to go away?" he asked dejectedly.

Wei Wuxian's heart wrenched at the pitiful state of his husband. He doesn't want this. Not after everything. He should be leaving in peace with his husband. Make up the adversities. But for some reason, he didn't feel like doing so this time.

He was feeling strangely apathetic.

Lan Wangji's heart constricted at his husband's silence. The quietude seemed like a silent confirmation from the other party. Now that he reflected the past few months in his mind, he finally realized what his husband must have felt all those times.

The loneliness. The desertion from his family's counterparts...his own carelessness... He could fathom his husband's state of mind; how it felt to be deserted by your only companion, being rendered unaccompanied without any proper communication.

Lack of considerable communication. That was the fault from his counterparts.

Now that he looked at Wei Wuxian, he could feel how lonely the other person must have felt during those days- when he was not in the mood to loiter around the mountains and forests, and no one was there to provide him a company. How cruel of his uncle to shun every communication between his husband and the juniors. He has not been there most of the time either. At night, he returned too late most of the time to lead intimacy or any spare time to spend together.

He tried to settle the sect matters en masse everyday to fish out some time and spend it with his husband the next day. But the work seemed to get heavier every consecutive day.

After he came to Lotus Pier and met Wei Wuxian again, he saw something in the latter's eyes. Something cheerful and free. Alive and fresh. He saw a content and a truly gleeful after a long time. And it made his eyes drop into a penitent gaze.

Lan Wangji, "Wei Ying, I miss you. I am sorry. It is hard for me too. I can't spare much time like before, but I just assumed you would understand. I thought if I work well, nobody will question you. They will stop talking about you."

After a moment of silence Wei Wuxian spoke, " Lan Zhan. I do not care anymore what they think of me. I am not a Lan. To me, others' opinion doesn't matter. And you do not have to worry about it."

There was a sense of incompletion in his sentence. And Lan Wangji's heart squeezed with anticipation.

" What do you mean? Why...would I not worry anymore? It's our shared problem..."

Wei Wuxian sighed. His eyes solemnly fell on Lan Wangji's lips and his own lips bowed down and twisted in a dismayed fashion. That bruise- the sucking mark was still there like petals of reddened blossom. Lan Wangji followed his husband's gaze and panic took over him.

He gently touched his lips and looked at his husband with fraught eyes.

" Wei Y-"

Wei Wuxian began to walk away solemnly, his steps brisk and anxious. Raged. Lan Wangji ran after him and caught his husband in his arms.

"Wei Ying... I... I did not mean to..." His voice shivered, and he tightly held Wei Wuxian, despite the latter's frantic protests to escape.

"Lan Wangji, let me go! You are disgusting." Wei Wuxian almost choked out and Lan Wangji palpably stiffened. There seemed to be an air of confusion and disbelief lingering around Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji, " I am sorry. I did not want to do this. Even though we promised to..."

" Shut up!" Wei Wuxian forcibly parted himself from his husband's body and glared at the apparently pristine man. "You are a liar. Why are you even staying with me? Leave me and let me live my life."

Lan Wangji's eyes widened with shock and dread. His lips opened and closed a few times, searching for words, as if he was a smothered bird desperately craving for air to breathe. "What? Why... Why are you being so harsh Wei Ying?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

Wei Wuxian grimaced. "Harsh? What do you expect from me? That you will come home after slandering with your mistress and lover and I, your husband, will welcome you with a garland and please you in the bed? Sorry to offend you Lan Wangji, but I am not that low. Do you understand?"

He panted heavily, trying hard to relax his lungs that were burning with a surging heat. His eyes were dawned with a light shade of Vermillion and water drops began to gather at the curved rims.

Lan Wangji stared at him in a daze. "You are questioning my loyalty? You think I..."

There was so much pain in Lan Wangji's voice that it was enough to make a stone melt with sympathy. Wei Wuxian almost fell for it, but held himself tightly. "What else? Feeling good after kissing the bitch? Your lips seem to have enjoyed much."

Lan Wangji's stupored eyes stared at Wei Wuxian with disbelief. Every colour from his face seemed to have got drained by a cold downpour. His lips were shut tightly, and he looked down on the soil, a few streaks of tears gathering at the corner of his light, melancholic eyes.

Wei Wuxian's heart trembled heavily.

"If you don't want to live with me... I will respect your decision." Lan Wangji spoke with much difficulties, suppressing the pain of a cold knife piercing his heart.

He continued, "But after all these , don't you dare suspect my loyalty for you. And as for this mark, it was...the soul sucking spirit."

Wei Wuxian's heartbeat stopped for a moment. A grave mortification almost numbed his senses. "W-what did you say? S-soul sucking spirit...?"

Lan Wangji turned his head away and left a breathe of sigh. Wei Wuxian's horrified self strode towards Lan Wangji and held the latter's face. A horoscopic pattern shone on the Jade's face, emanated by a talisman Wei Wuxian had activated.

The heavy boulder that was constricting his breathing just a moment ago, finally melted down along a tear. He took Lan Wangji's torso in his arms and took a shaky breathe.

Wei Wuxian, "You had promised me. You promised that we will fight everything together. How could you!" His breathes were shaky and a sob left his face. Lan Wangji cautiously embraced his husband back and began to caress the shaking head.

Lan Wangji, " I did not want to drag you into further danger. I...thought I could handle it alone. Besides, your golden core is still in a precarious position."

Wei Wuxian, " But how is this possible? You alone took down so many spirits single-handedly, then what happened now Lan Zhan? You... You are the strongest cultivator!"

Wei Wuxian held his husband's ethereal face and gazed deeply into those light, expressive eyes. Lan Wangji tilted down his face and left a soft and warm kiss on Wei Wuxian's wrist.

Lan Wangji, " It was just that..."

He did not continue, but looked down. Wei Wuxian got annoyed and pinched his husband's chin, making the later look at his own face.

Wei Wuxian, "Lan Wangji, if you hide anything else, then I will... I will never return to Yunshen."

Lan Wangji's brows were drawn together with a displeased upheaval of skin and he pulled Wei Wuxian into his arms, squeezing his husband in a tight, punishing embrace.

"I will lock you up." He threatened, but it sounded like a child just not wanting to let go of his favourite toy and hiding it under his bed so that his parents never find it and throw it away.

Wei Wuxian chuckled.

"Okay, sounds great. In that case, you can do some other things too...you know, behind the locked doors?" His hand roamed around Lan Wangji's body impishly.

"Now don't think you can divulge the topic. You have been sick, weren't you?" Wei Wuxian held Lan Wangji's face once again and stared at it with a plethora of guilt and dismay.

Lan Wangji, " A few months ago, I had to take down fifty evil sword spirits together. It consumed much of my energy. I needed to preserve my energy cautiously and meditate properly to replenish it once again. Yes, it indeed made me physically weak for a while."

Hanguang Jun is a man of walking power. But here is his limit- he is a man. Not a God. Man has his limits. Evil sword spirits are not easy to subdue for any cultivator. And if he was able to take down fifty at once he is nothing short of a God, at least in the eyes of the common people who were saved by him.

He needed to replenish energy, to sustain his golden core and mana, and thus his life as well. He had to meditate day and night and restore his power back. Naturally there was barely any spare time to spend with his husband. He has been guilty too, but he couldn't help it. He swore not to be so selfish to drag Wei Wuxian into problems and turmoil all the time. He wanted his husband to relax in the comfort of his home and stay away from possible dangers.

Who knew there was actually no home for Wei Wuxian in his absence?

Wei Wuxian's silent tears fell on Lan Wangji's chest and he landed a light punch on the sturdy sheet of muscle. "You were literally protecting the dwindling fire of your life, slowly fueling it. You were saving yourself from dying and there I was...bullshitting about my husband. Tell me Lan Zhan, do I even deserve you?"

Lan Wangji made Wei Wuxian look at him and spoke very softly- " I am sorry."

Wei Wuxian, " What are you apologizing for? It should be me, silly."

Lan Wangji shook his head. "No. I never knew my uncle would be so strict. It's almost inhumane, Wei Ying. I never wanted any of these. I wanted to build a house for you. I thought time would mend uncle's attitude towards you, but I was wrong."

Wei Wuxian pursed his lips in. " No Lan Zhan. Your uncle is an old schooled person. He just dreads me. He dreads the fact that his nephew is living with someone who used to cultivate negative energy. Whereas Lans are practically monks, who only know of pure white Yang. It's all new, and he strictly follows the path of morality and..."

Lan Wangji cut him off.

Lan Wangji, "No. Uncle and I had a conversation after we came back to Gusu. He clearly had no hostility towards your actions regarding Yin Hu fu, or everything around the Wens. I don't understand why he is still doing this to you."

Wei Wuxian smiled softly. " The old man is very stubborn, just like his younger nephew. He just couldn't accept the fact that his nephew is dating a man, a prominent former villain, a Yin cultivator, an unruly rule-breaker who doesn't give a shit to the clan rules. Tell me Lan Zhan, aren't these qualities enough to spoil a beautiful cabbage like you hmm?"

He eyed Lan Wangji like a pervert stalker and two fingers walked across the Lan's white chest with evil intentions.

Lan Wangji, " No. Not enough."

He pulled Wei Wuxian near and deeply kissed his husband. Wei Wuxian melted into the kiss. The warmth brought along a plethora relief, joy and pleasure. The kiss turned desperate and Wei Wuxian buried his fingers inside Lan Wangji's distinctly combed and tied hair. Soft and clear sandalwood essence from his husband's body relaxed his aggravated heart and the loneliness dissipated from his soul.

"Wei Wuxian lowered his voice and spoke on Lan Wangji's chasing lips, " So...you have been avoiding me to conceal your weakness? You don't think I am worth enough to share your worries along?"

Lan Wangji took a faltering breathe. "Wei Ying, you have suffered enough, in both the lifetimes. You are supposed to live a peaceful life. I didn't want to engage you in every trouble I get into. As a cultivator, I will have to deal with such dangers. But I could not jeopardize with your life."

Wei Wuxian frowned and landed a flick on Lan Wangji's forehead, leaving a red mark that appeared immediately on the fair skin. "Hanguang Jun, do you think I am that weak? How dare you!"

Shameful. Unbelievable. Utterly intolerable!

Wei Wuxian's self esteem was hurt to some extend and he bit Lan Wangji's lips with force of an ant, short and sharp. But before he could part, his husband caught his lips and devoured his mouth. Lan Wangji hugged him tightly, lifted him up from the ground and twirled around, making Wei Wuxian laugh with glee.

Wei Wuxian, " Ah Lan Zhan, what are you doing!" He giggled and laughed loudly. His laughter echoing like the joyful evensong of a flinging thrush. Fresh, and beautiful like the youthful spring.

Lan Wangji's heart skipped a beat. No matter how many times he listens to this soulful laughter, his heart will never get enough.

Wei Wuxian was pushed against a tree and kissed hard.

Lan Wangji, " You are one of the strongest person I know, Wei Ying." He said softly and kissed his husband again, leaving the latter almost breatheless.

"From now on, you will share everything with me. Everything, unless it's too private to share with another person in your discretion. We will go through everything together, together Lan Zhan. Do you hear?" Wei Wuxian's sincere words made Lan Wangji's heart relax with warmth and love.

The jade took his husband's hand and kissed it lightly. No words were spoken and yet Wei Wuxian could pick up the silent 'yes Wei Ying, together' from Lan Wangji's intent and deep gaze.

Lan Wangji, " And from now on, I promise Wei Ying, you will never feel lonely in Cloud Recess."

Wei Wuxian smiled. "As long as you are there to care about me, I will never feel lonely, Lan Zhan."

Lan Wangji smiled.

The two lips met and their hearts waltzed with mirth, for they found their home again- in each other's arms.

This was the Final one!

Any prompts for a new storyline?