[pfsb]

[acrookedpath]

Lan Zhan, he writes, I'm swimming in the lake! I love you -- Wei Ying. After a moment's thought, Wei Wuxian adds a smiley face to the bottom like Madam Bar so often does with her napkin notes.

It's unseasonably warm today, more early summer than late fall. The trees have dropped enough of their leaves that Wei Wuxian knows such days will depart for good soon enough. And frankly, if he stares at his latest iteration of the energy-revealing array much longer, his eyes will cross and stick that way. He needs to clear his head.

After leaving one copy of the note in their room and another with Madam Bar, he requests some swimming attire; she provides a black short-sleeved shirt much like the one he wore to London Above, the fabric smooth as silk but much stretchier, and loose red trousers that end just above his knees. A little revealing for a lake shared by many, perhaps, but they'll do.

He changes in the public washroom and walks to the shoreline. Stepping onto one of the larger rocks, he eyes the water with a smile.

Then he backs up, sprints forward to spring off the rock, and cannonballs into the lake with a loud whoop.

Comments

[lightamidchaos]

"If it had been birds, I would think A-Tico gave it to you," he observes.

"How does a fish dangle a lantern?" He cannot quite visualize it.

[acrookedpath]

"He may yet." His grin softens to fondness. "Then you will hear both of us talking about birds for hours."

Especially the cute, flightless ones. Lan Zhan already got an earful about baby penguins some weeks ago.

"It grows it from its forehead like a butterfly's antenna. There is a tiny ball of light on one end, so fish will swim closer to see what it might be, and then -- " He snaps his fingers. "A meal for the lantern fish."

[lightamidchaos]

He slips an arm around Wei Ying's waist.

"Clever. I wonder what makes it glow."

[acrookedpath]

"Somehow it is able to do it on its own." He tips his head against Lan Zhan's. "Like a firefly, I think. Maybe I'll catch one and we'll find out for sure!"

[lightamidchaos]

"Maybe," he agrees.

"Are you cold?"

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian shrugs. "A little," he admits. "Not too terribly."

Maybe that means he should get back into the water. Hmmm. He wraps his ankle more snugly around Lan Zhan's.

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

He takes his arm from around Wei Ying and pulls down the fastener on his outer layer, starting to shrug out of it.

[acrookedpath]

Oh, no, is Lan Zhan going to be romantic and offer him his jacket? That puts a small damper on Wei Wuxian's plans. Oh, well. He can be patient!

...sometimes.

He cocks his head, curious, and only wiggles his eyebrows a little bit as Lan Zhan sheds his outer layer.

[lightamidchaos]

His underlayer is the same sort of black shirt that Wei Ying is wearing-- thin, but still enough to hide his scars.

He ignores Wei Ying's teasing expression, and puts the jacket around his shoulders.

[acrookedpath]

"Mm. Much better." He doesn't tug the jacket more securely around his shoulders, but he does snuggle against Lan Zhan. "Thank you, Lan Zhan."

He wraps his other arm around Lan Zhan's middle in a loose embrace.

[lightamidchaos]

"You are welcome."

He kisses Wei Ying's temple, then leans his head against his.

[acrookedpath]

Does he feel ever so slightly guilty over what he's about to do, considering how kind Lan Zhan is being? Perhaps.

Will that stop him? Absolutely not.

He wiggles his shoulders until the jacket falls behind them onto the rock. "Oh, no," he intones, "oh, no, Lan Zhan, I think we're slipping -- "

That's the only warning Lan Zhan gets before Wei Wuxian heaves both them into the lake, cackling until the moment they hit the water.

[lightamidchaos]

He thrashes his way to the surface, slinging his hair back from his face, and gives Wei Ying an utterly exasperated look as he treads water.

(It is cold, but not as cold as the springs he is used to, or the pond in Cold Pond Cave.)

"Wei Ying."

[acrookedpath]

He beams, all innocence.

"I love you," he says, in the singsong tone that means you can't make me sleep on the floor tonight, you still love me, too. He swims closer to peck Lan Zhan on the lips before paddling backward, just out of reach.

[lightamidchaos]

"Yes. And I love you."

With that, he dives forward and disappears under the water.

[acrookedpath]

It is a shame neither of them have been exposed to modern American movies yet; otherwise, Wei Wuxian would be whistling the Jaws theme right now.

Instead, still laughing, he cuts through the water to try and stay ahead of Lan Zhan, each propelling kick splashing loud.

[lightamidchaos]

Wei Ying is the better swimmer, he is certain. That does not mean he will not try.

The splashing helps. He skims along the bottom of the lake, then plants his feet against the ground and pushes off with as much force as he can, arrowing toward him with the intention of catching him around the waist.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian feels the water ripple as Lan Zhan shoots upward. He could probably dodge if he twisted aside fast enough. Probably. But where is the fun in that?

His laughter veers into a sputtering yelp as Lan Zhan barrels into him and seizes him by the waist. "Ah, no, have mercy!" he shouts, windmilling his arms to spray as much water over them as he can.

[lightamidchaos]

The absurdity of the entire situation is not lost on him. He feels his lips quirk at the corners.

“Mn.”

Holding him tight, he stops treading water and sinks like a stone, bringing Wei Ying with him.

[acrookedpath]

He sucks in a lungful of air right before they go under, struggling not to laugh so he does not immediately lose it all. A few bubbles escape his nose as he squirms in Lan Zhan's grip.

Around them, their hair swirls in a dark, rippling wave as they sink to the bottom of the lake.

[lightamidchaos]

He blinks at the other man, floating beside him, bright-eyed and laughing, and feels quiet amusement well within him.

He cradled Wei Ying’s cheek with one hand, shakes his head at him, then lets go — only to grab him by the wrist and pull him along, back up toward light and air.

[acrookedpath]

They crash through the surface; golden sunlight refracts through the water droplets, throwing a shower of sparks around them. Wei Wuxian is already laughing again the instant he can take a breath.

He sweeps his free hand behind Lan Zhan's neck to drag him into a kiss. "Do I get to catch you, now?" he asks, eyes dancing.

[lightamidchaos]

Here is Wei Ying, shining bright; Wei Ying, playful and laughing. Wei Ying, happy.

Lan Wangji loves him.

He captures the vision before him as memory, storing it safely in his heart, the sight of Wei Ying with sunlit water-stars in his hair, the glowing smile on his face, the pure and uncomplicated joy in his eyes, before he nods.

“Yes. If you can.”

[acrookedpath]

"If?"

Oh, a challenge. His grin slopes toward wicked as he lets go of Lan Zhan.

"I will give you a count of five as a head start," he says. "One. Two..."

[lightamidchaos]

On 'three,' he grabs Wei Ying by the front of his shirt, pulls him into a quick kiss, then shoves him under the water.

By what would have been 'four', he is swimming toward the center of the lake with strong, fast strokes.