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Lan Wangji watched the snow fall outside the window, letting his thoughts stray.
He had always appreciated the soft quietness it brought, as if the world was asleep, every sound muffled and reduced to whispers. He loved the landscapes it created, transforming his familial and already mystical home into something even more ethereal.
Right now, however, Lan Wangji longed for a loud voice and the bright smile that accompanied it.
Glancing down at the notes he had been preparing for a class, he decided that it was time for a break. Wei Wuxian would probably be returning soon for lunch but Lan Wangji wanted to take him to Caiyi instead. The flight there would be beautiful at this hour.
Standing up, Lan Wangji walked past the shelves covered with trinkets from their travels. He sidestepped the cluster of brushes, notes and talismans spread on the ground around his husband's side of desk. It should be bothersome but he could only feel his heart growing bigger at the feeling of home the chaotic mess brought. At least, the Jingshi felt lived in nowadays.
Opening their wardrobe, his hand mechanically reached for his coat but his fingers closed on empty air instead.
Lan Wangji paused, confused for a beat, before a fond smile softened his expression as he shook his head minutely and he took his other white coat out. He didn’t need to guess where his coat was, or rather, who had taken it.
Wei Wuxian had left the Jingshi a few hours ago, eager to explore the white grounds of the Cloud Recesses on the first snow of winter. Before his departure, Lan Wangji had received a flourish of kisses, the promise of lunch had been whispered against his lips, distracting him from his work, then Wei Wuxian had escaped his arms with a breathless laugh before they could get side-tracked, again.
It had probably been for the best, Lan Wangji mused as he put on his coat and pushed his hair over his shoulders. He had already been running late from staying in bed with Wei Wuxian past his usual waking time. It had been impossible to resist the warm weight of his husband lying on top of him, peacefully snoring in his neck. The soft smile he had received when Wei Wuxian had finally roused from sleep to find him still in bed had been well worth it.
Lan Wangji glanced at the last pieces of clothing hanging inside the wardrobe before closing the doors.
The two black coats, both lined with white fur and made out of the warmest materials available, had remained mostly untouched even though the weather had been getting colder for a few weeks now. As he should have expected, Wei Wuxian still preferred to steal his coat, on the basis that "yours is just warmer, Lan Zhan!".
Lan Wangji was pretty sure it was not.
In fact, Wei Wuxian's coat was warmer to make up for his strengthening golden core, but Lan Wangji was a weak man. He liked seeing his love in his clothes. So he said nothing and admired Wei Wuxian in white.
Picking up the gloves Wei Wuxian had once again forgotten, he stepped into the cold air, his breath forming puffs of white as he walked through the snow.
On their first winter in Cloud Recesses, he had discovered just how much Wei Wuxian loved playing in the snow. He liked to chase juniors with snowballs and make animals and people out of snow. Today seemed like a good day for both and with Jin Ling staying at Cloud Recesses for a few days, Lan Wangji doubted Wei Wuxian would pass up on an opportunity to spend some time with him.
The falling snow had long since erased Wei Wuxian's footsteps but Lan Wangji knew where he was.
Though Wei Wuxian would attack unsuspecting juniors practically anywhere in Cloud Recesses on the basis that one should always be ready, he had his favourite grounds. One of them was the clearing tucked away between the trees and the mountain, far away from Lan Wangji's uncle.
Just as he had expected, as Lan Wangji approached the clearing, the sound of laughter spilled between the trees, filling his heart with joy.
Lan Wangji stopped under the trees, sheltered from the slow-falling snow, and he took in the scene before his eyes with a fond smile.
What must have once looked like an idyllic snowy landscape had turned into a battle ground, the snow upturned by footsteps and vague shapes where people have undoubtedly slipped and fallen. One corner of the clearing had remained relatively peaceful and safe. There were shapes of various sizes, barely recognisable from where he stood. Lan Wangji would look at them later when Wei Wuxian would tug him along to show him this year’s sculptures.
Right now though, his attention was drawn back to the battle at play before him.
Eyes softening, Lan Wangji watched his husband and Wen Ning chase Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling around. Wei Wuxian was throwing snowballs and hitting them with dead accuracy, his hands never empty when Wen Ning was constantly refilling them. They had successfully backed the teenagers to the foot of the mountain when they suddenly turned around, snowballs in hands and wicked grins on their faces. Wei Wuxian cursed when he realised the tables had turned and he fled with a startled laugh when they launched a coordinated counter attack, their movements made easy by years of training and fighting side by side.
Wei Wuxian was about to jump on a tree to escape when he noticed Lan Wangji watching them. Immediately, he dashed for him with his arms stretched out.
“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! Save your poor husband!” He shouted before jumping into his arms.
Lan Wangji caught him, his arms naturally wrapping around him while Wei Wuxian buried into him, his messy hair ticking his face.
The teenagers came to a screeching stop, now awkwardly holding their snowballs in the air. They seemed to consider the pros of successfully completing their attack on Wei Wuxian versus the punishment they would receive for attacking Hanguang-Jun and his husband before ultimately deciding against it when they met his eyes.
Dropping the snowballs, they hurried to bow before him in a chorus of “Good morning, Hanguang-Jun!”
“Good morning,” Lan Wangji answered with a nod, amusement twinkling in his eyes.
"Did you see them, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian was looking up at him with a grin. Lan Wangji hummed. "That was a smart move, well done kids! You almost got me!"
"Thank you, Senior Wei."
"We're not kids and we'd have gotten you if you hadn't cheated!"
"Shut up! He's allowed a break to see his husband!"
Their faces were flushed from the cold and the game. Even Wen Ning seemed more lively than usual. Lan Sizhui was wearing a pacifying smile akin to his uncle's while Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling were bickering on either sides of him. There was snow melting in Lan Jingyi's hair, his robes were askew but his ribbon had remained untouched. Jin Ling's usually pristine robes were wet, a sign that hadn't been able to escape Wei Wuxian's sneaky attacks. Lan Sizhui seemed unruffled but upon closer inspection, Lan Wangji could see the hems of his sleeves were wet, probably from using them to shield himself.
“It’s so cold, Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian whined, pushing his cold nose into his neck and making Lan Wangji shiver. As if to support his complaint, he shivered dramatically in his arms and made his teeth click together. Huffing out a soft laugh, Lan Wangji started rubbing his hands up and down his back to try to give him some warmth.
"I almost regret getting out of bed this morning but coming here was totally worth it. I've made some sculptures with the not-kids," he continued happily before his voice took on a slightly sulky note. "Jin Ling's made a dog. I don't think he appreciated being woken up with snow in his face but in my defence it was well into the morning already."
Seeing that Wei Wuxian was seeking his warmth and determined to melt into him to obtain it, Lan Wangji gently moved out of his hold, opened his coat, and wrapped it around him, effectively shielding him from the coldness. That earnt him a happy sigh and a kiss under the ear.
“You're too good to me, sweetheart," Wei Wuxian praised, burrowing even deeper into his warmth with a satisfied sigh before looking up with a grin, his cold hands trapped between them. "Good thing I had this amazing coat to keep me warm until you arrived! Do you like it?” he asked smugly and Lan Wangji didn’t need to see his face to know there was a playful smile on his lips, just like no one would need more than one guess to know who the original owner of Wei Wuxian’s white, too-big coat was. Not that Lan Wangji cared much. Anything that was his was also Wei Ying’s.
“I like it,” Lan Wangji replied, kissing his forehead tenderly. He couldn't help but tease him back a little. “Perhaps I should commission all your robes in white. Although, I’ll make sure to remind the tailor to shorten the sleeves and hems, that coat seems a little big on you, as if it was meant to fit someone else.”
Wei Wuxian sucked in a surprised breathe then laughed, lifting his head to look at him with bright eyes. “Hanguang-Jun, are you calling me small in front of the children? And suggesting I stole that coat!? How mean! How cruel! Making me lose face like this!”
Even though they were long used to his antics, the juniors made sounds that toed the line between snickers and embarrassed groans. Lan Wangji levelled a look at them and received equally chastised expressions before they hurried to give them a semblance of privacy, Lan Sizhui pulling the others away on the pretence of needing help to build a snowman.
“You didn't steal, what's mine is yours. And I think you’re the perfect size,” Lan Wangji added, dropping another kiss on his forehead then one on the tip of his cold nose, making Wei Wuxian go cross-eyed to look at him. “You fit perfectly in my arms."
Wei Wuxian gaped at him in surprise then the dusty pink colour of his face turned a deep shade of red and he hid in his chest, laughing nervously. No matter how many times they had had such exchanges, his reactions never changed, much to Lan Wangji’s delight.
“Lan Zhaaan,” Wei Wuxian whined, as always. “I told you! You can’t just say that!”
And just like every time, Lan Wangji hummed in answer, neither an agreement nor a denial, and kissed the crown of his hair since the rest of his love's face had disappeared into his neck once again. They stayed like that for a moment, Wei Wuxian happily snuggled in his arms while Lan Wangji held him, protecting him from the cold and the snow.
“This is so nice, you're so warm,” Wei Wuxian sighed happily after a moment, his voice slightly muffled by Lan Wangji's fur-lined collar. "Can you believe I forgot my gloves this morning? Again?" Lan Wangji could. For all his bright mind, Wei Wuxian was incredibly forgetful. "My hands are frozen."
As Wei Wuxian spoke, Lan Wangji could feel said cold hands moving under the coat, unsuccessfully searching for an opening that would allow him to slide his hands under his robes and share just how cold his hands were. Given how many layers Lan Wangji was wearing, it was almost impossible for Wei Wuxian to sneak his hands under his clothes so easily but that had never stopped him from trying.
"You're wearing too many clothes again!" He accused with a whine as he dropped his hands, looking up at him with a pout.
"It's winter, Wei Ying," Lan Wangji replied calmly. "Wearing less clothes would be unreasonable."
Wei Wuxian laughed at the jab. He was perfectly aware of how much Lan Wangji despaired to see him in less than three layers of clothing even in the dead of winter. Wei Wuxian also knew the only thing keeping his doting husband from fretting over him right now was the fact that his coat was keeping him warm. Lan Wangji had not forgotten about his cold hands though and while Wei Wuxian continued speaking, he silently reached for the gloves he had picked up before leaving the Jingshi and put them over his hands.
"I don't hear you - thank you, sweetheart - complain when you take me in the library," Wei Wuxian pointed out, a playful smile on his lips. "Aren't I a thoughtful husband, to think of you even when I dress up in the morning?"
"The most thoughtful, except when it comes to gloves apparently," Lan Wangji replied before he silenced any potential next arguments with a kiss.
Wei Wuxian laughed into his kiss then melted when Lan Wangji bit down on his bottom lip, his mouth falling open as his eyes fluttering closed. Humming happily, Lan Wangji pulled him even closer, earning a soft moan. Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around his neck, trying to get as close to him as possible despite their many layers of clothes.
Just as Lan Wangji was starting to consider dragging Wei Wuxian back to the library to demonstrate just how grateful he was for his husband's thoughtfulness, his trailing thoughts were cut short by a disturbance in the air on their left. Instinctively, he turned on his side to shield Wei Wuxian, holding him protectively against his chest.
"OH FUCK!!"
"Hanguang-Jun! Senior Wei!!"
The snowball hit the back of Lan Wangji's head.
Silence followed.
He knew without looking that the three teenagers were sharing various looks of horror but he didn't mind. Nor did he mind about the drops of ice now dripping into his collar. He couldn't feel any coldness when Wei Wuxian was laughing so happily in his arms, to the point that he was tearing up. Wei Wuxian would have fallen to the ground if he wasn't held securely in Lan Wangji's arms.
"Lan Zhan! Oh, my Lan Zhan, my sweetheart, my beloved husband, you're too good to your husband! It was just a snowball," he said in-between laughter as he reached up to brush the snow away from his hair. "I could've handled that you know."
Lan Wangji hummed in agreement but said nothing. He didn't need to, they both knew he would always stand between Wei Wuxian and danger, even if it came in the meek form of a snowball.
"Say Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian's voice was hushed and amused. "How do you think we should punish these juniors for sneaking an attack on their elders?"
The boys were back to bickering behind them but Lan Wangji was only looking at his husband, at the familiar glint of mischief in his eyes and the curve of his smile.
Smiling back at him, he nodded imperceptibly.
Wei Wuxian beamed, as bright as the first ray of sun after the rain, then they both moved, their movements perfectly synchronised. They bent to grab some snow, rapidly forming balls in their hands, then turned to the juniors who had frozen, eyes wide and ready to bolt.
"Which one of you attacked my husband!!" Wei Wuxian called out in mock-threatening voice before he launched his first attack on Jin Ling when he sucked in a breath.
The teen shouted when the snowball caught him square in the face but he didn't have time to counter attack because Wei Wuxian was already running towards them, Lan Wangji by his side. Shouting, they all but tripped over themselves in their haste to escape their attack and reform, though their grins and laughter betrayed their excitement.
Wei Wuxian on his own was a force to be reckon with but with Hanguang-Jun, the game had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.
.
.
.
(Later, Lan Wangji would lay half-awake in bed, patiently waiting for his husband to return because Wei Wuxian enjoyed the snow too much to resist one last stroll in the quiet of the night.
His husband would tip-toe his way back into their home, nose, feet and hands almost frozen by the cold.
Lan Wangji would keep his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep but perfectly aware of Wei Wuxian's plan. This was one of their many little games. Wei Wuxian would wriggle under the covers carefully and wait, his smile almost audible in the silence of their home, then he would suddenly press his freezing toes under Lan Wangji's warm calves and his hands would slip under his thicker winter sleeping robes to press into his warm skin while his nose would bury in his neck.
Lan Wangji would have no other choice but to kiss his laughing face and remove their clothes in retaliation.
After all, that was the easiest way to share body heat.)