Thread by @GuardianofJupi1

"What do you mean, you've lost track of them?" LXC demanded as he abruptly stood up. His heart raced anxiously.

LWJ was equally panic, though it was only obvious to his brother. "Brother, we were in pursuit of the ghouls when WY and JWY chased the second one into the cave."

"While I was preoccupied with the first ghoul, the cave suddenly collapsed and they are both trapped inside. The strangest thing is I can't feel any of their spiritual energy."

LXC gripped the hilt of his sword. How could thing get so wrong in such a split second?

It had taken years before JWY was comfortable enough to go night-hunting with his sworn brother. There were no words enough to heal the deep wound between them - not even the fact that LXC has successfully courted JWY could make them amicable despite them sharing the same family.

JWY had been too hurt and bitter while WWX had been guilt-ridden and eager to sweep everything under rug. Too much hurt and secrets that only time could make it bearable.

And it did. More than five years had passed since the Guanyin Temple incident, and a much gentle persuasion-

-from LXC, JWY had agreed to go a night-hunt with WWX. He had entrusted LWJ to act as a buffer between them, since he himself was tied with urgent sect affairs.

If LWJ couldn't sense them... Oh heavens.. LXC felt his heart go cold. He couldn't lose JWY. He simply COULDN'T.

"Notify YMJ sect," He ordered. "We need as much manpower to dig the cave open."

LWJ bowed in haste before flying away towards LP. LXC broke a Sect rule by running along the hallway, gathering his own manpower.

They were running out of time.

---

WWX coughed through the dusts of debris. Everything happened so fast. One moment they were chasing the ghoul, the next thing he knew there were more than one ghoul, congregating together to form a huge black mass. Realising that they were lured into a trap, WWX tried to warn JWY-

-but it was too late. The ghouls shrieked and writhed, slamming against the cavern wall. The last thing he heard was JWY shouting his name before everything went black.

"Shit..." WWX whispered. His ribs felt tender but he didn't think anything was broken. But first, he needed-

-to find JWY.

"Jiang Cheng..." He rasped. When only echoes of his voice answered him, panic began to fill him. "Jiang Cheng! Answer me!"

There had been no light whatsoever, so WWX took out a flame talisman and ignited it. The talisman couldn't last long but WWX could see JWY.

JWY was lying on his back, motionless. But what made WWX's heart shrivel was the sight of a short branch sticking out of JWY's side.

"Oh no..Oh no..." WWX muttered under his breath before rushing toward JWY. As he knelt beside JWY, his hands hovered in panicky motion, unsure of-

-what he should do. "Jiang Cheng! JIANG CHENG!" His tone was trembling.

It took a few, gentle slaps on his face, before JWY hissed in pain. When a pair of violet eyes appeared, WWX let out a huge, wet sigh of relief. "Oh, thanks heaven. I thought you have-" He swallowed down.

"WWX?" JWY sounded confused. "What.." the question went unasked when the pain on his abdomen demanded his attention. JWY's body tensed, wet with sweat and he unsuccessfully tried to tone down his whimpers of pain.

WWX flailed in panic once again at the sight of tremendous pain.

"A-Cheng.. You're bleeding out," WWX muttered as he grabbed his own robe, ripping it off into strips.

"Pull it out-" JWY whispered hoarsely. Pain clouded his eyes.

"No. You'll bleed out even faster. I need to tie to steady the branch before your jostling cause more damage."

The silence between them as WWX ripped his robe into strips and got to his work, was filled with JWY's whimpers of pain as WWX tried to bind the wound, trying the best that he could to make the branch immobile.

It was difficult, when each move JWY did, amplifying the pain.

"Shit, sorry, I'm sorry," WWX muttered in unshed tears when his clumsy hand accidentally hit the wound, causing JWY to cry out.

"There, there," WWX said as he used another strip to wipe the sweat off JWY's forehead. "It's all done. It's over, A-Cheng."

JWY swallowed hard for a-

-few times before speaking. "What happened? Why did the cave collapse?"

WWX filled JWY in.

With his eyes dulled with pain, JWY looked at his brother. "What now? Are we waiting for Hanguang-Jun?"

WWX looked at the entrance doubtfully. "I don't know if I could get us out."

"Plus, I don't think you should move."

"No shit," JWY scoffed before coughing fit consumed him, making him grip WWX's hand so tightly as another wave of pain racked his body.

"What the hell are you doing?!" WWX snapped. "Don't move! You're gonna bleed to death before Lan Zhan-

-can get us out and what the hell am I supposed to say to Zewu-Jun?!"

WWX raised his free hand to cover his face as he wailed. "Zewu-Jun is never gonna let me take you anywhere after this! He is gonna flay me alive for getting you hurt and Lan Zhan is gonna stand by and watch!"

JWY rolled his eyes. Five years gone by and WWX's theatrical bullshit hadn't lessened one bit. As much as he wanted to smack his head, JWY was in so much pain.

"I don't think I can stay awake until Hanguang-Jun rescues us..." JWY rasped. "I think I'm gonna sleep for a while."

Alarmed, WWX looked down at JWY. "Don't sleep, JC. You need to stay awake!"

"Hmm..." JWY replied. Because how was he supposed to fight this drowsiness?

"A-Cheng! Jiang Cheng!!" WWX panicked once again when the violet eyes began to shut down.

"I used to write you letters and-

-then burned them all down because I couldn't find the courage to send them!" WWX blurted out.

JWY slitted his eyes opened. "What...?

"I also used to buy you stuffs that I know you would love when I wandered the world but never find the courage to give it to you."

Encouraged to see JWY open his once again, WWX continued. "I wrote about my journey, people I met, ghosts and demons. I wrote pages and pages of it. I also bought paper kites like the one we played as children, wooden swords and I bought lotus-shaped jewelry because I know you-

-loved them. I once bought a whole set of tanghulus because I remembered how you used to gorge them until you're sick. I made Lan Zhan sick too." WWX confessed like flood through broken dam because the fear of losing JWY was so strong.

"Why...?" JWY whispered through pale lips.

WWX was openly crying now, because there was so much blood bleeding through the strips of clothes. He was a useless healer, and he couldn't even spare his qi to JWY.

He was losing JWY.

"Because I..." WWX leaned down to press his lips on JWY's forehead. Tears dropped onto the-

-clammy skin. WWX ran his fingers through JWY's hair, tightening his hold onto the person who had been with him his while life.

"Wei Wuxian...?" JWY was barely audible.

WWX sobbed. "Because I miss you, didi. I just miss you so much..."

JWY sighed as he turned his head slightly

-towards WWX. Years of bitterness vanished in the face of WWX's vulnerability and honesty. Because JWY had only wanted his family to love him back.

"...ge..." JWY whispered back. His sight was getting dimmer. "Xian-Ge.. I miss you too."

When JWY opened his eyes, he saw LXC sitting beside him with a rare frown. Oh... Hanguang-Jun must have been able to get them out in time.

LXC snapped his head towards JWY when he heard a soft gasp. He instantly crowded into his lover, both of his hands cradling his jaw.

"Jiang Wanyin," LXC said exasperatedly. "I will never let you out of my sight ever again! I will tie you to my hand for the rest of our lives!"

JWY crooked a half-form smile. "but Xichen-ge... We're already married..." He tiredly teased his harried husband. He wanted to see LXC-

- smile and not looking worried.

LXC huffed before leaning down to kiss those dried lips. And then one more, just because. "I will find a way to put tracking and binding spell on you if you don't cease worrying me."

The way LXC gripped onto JWY told the smaller man how much-

-he had scared his husband. JWY could feel the slight tremor underneath his skin.

"I'm sorry..." JWY whispered.

LXC shook his head. "Don't be sorry. Just try to stay with me."

JWY raised his head slightly to kiss LXC. "I promise."

--

When JWY was able to get out of his bed, a week later, he walked out of the room to look for WWX. WWX had been tirelessly looking after him, almost struggling with LXC, to see who could pamper him the most. Something had happened in the cave that miraculously caused the rift-

-between them to close.

JWY hadn't had the heart to tell WWX off, so he had been content watching WWX snatching food tray from LXC.

The look on LWJ's face had been so hilariously satisfying.

As he walked slowly along the CR's corridor, he stopped to ask one of the disciples-

-on WWX's whereabout.

The disciple showed him a room that WWX had commandeered as his work room.

JWY knocked softly but received no answer. So, he silently opened the door and was stood still to see WWX sleeping facedown on the floor, shivering slightly.

JWY's face softened.

So, he walked towards his brother, kneeling beside him, before he used his robe (just as WWX had used his in the cave), to cover his brother from the cold air that he had unintentionally let in.

And then he waited. They had all the time in the world.