Thread by @aubrey_li

I blame @wwxsAJ1s's baby dragonji and foxxian for making me so feral over how cute they are that I must threadfic. So: baby dragonji and baby foxxian meet as children and then again as young adults:

https://twitter.com/wwxsAJ1s/status/1347829295025188866

WY has already been on his own for a while, when he finds the dragon spirit. At first he thinks it's a silvery blue ribbon that someone had dropped, sprawled on the ground and getting pecked at by crows (WY doesn't like crows; they're almost as mean as dogs).

But then it MOVES.

"Hey!" he yells, puffing up his fur to make himself as big as possible. "Get away! Shoo!"

The crows scatter. WY gets closer, and sees a little silver dragon, no bigger than a garter snake. It's pretty scratched up, but it blinks golden eyes when WY bends down and picks it up.

"It's ok, I'm not gonna hurt you," WY whispers. WY doesn't know much about dragons, but he remembers something about water being good for them. So he brings the dragon to the nearest pond and carefully slips it into the cool water.

Slowly, the dragon's scratches start to heal.

When the dragon is healed, WY fishes it back out of the pond. It immediately curls up against the warmth of his palm, looking cold. WY understands; if he didn't have his tails, he'd be cold too, and this dragon only has a thin strip of fur going down its back! It must be so cold.

So WWX finds a tree branch that's high enough to be safe, and tucks the damp dragon into his nest of tails.

He doesn't remember falling asleep, but when he wakes up, the dragon is gone, and there's a boy blinking golden eyes at him instead.

"Thank you for helping me," the boy says, clasping his hands and bowing formally. He's got antlers sticking out of his dark hair, and a long tail curled primly around his feet. He's also very, very pretty.

"You're welcome," WY says. "I'm A-Ying."

"My name is Lan Zhan," he says.

WY almost asks if LZ is also on his own, but LZ doesn't look like an orphan. WY would know. LZ's clothes are clean, his hands soft and white, and his cheeks are round.

"Are you lost?" he asks.

LZ nods, his tail curling tighter around him like it's trying to give him a hug.

WY frowns, ears drooping. He's heard that dragons live in the clouds, and he can't fly. But he doesn't want LZ to look sad, either. "Are you hungry? I have extra food!" (He doesn't, but he can always try to find food later; LZ probably doesn't know how to scrounge like WY does)

LZ still looks solemn as they share WY's bun, but his tail is swishing gently around his feet, so WY figures he's at least a little happier than he was before.

They spend the next few hours chatting. WY learns that LZ, at least, doesn't live in the clouds at all, but a house.

LZ learns that a lot of people don't like fox spirits bc they think fox spirits are tricksters (that makes LZ frown and scoot a little closer to WY). When it starts to get dark, and LZ starts looking nervous again, WY switches to telling funny stories instead.

Eventually, they hear voices calling for LZ, and WY immediately starts to hide. LWJ frowns again, and looks WY over, sees how thin he is, how dirty, and asks WY if he wants to come home with LZ.

WY...does, especially when LZ says that there's food and a bath, but.

"I will hide you," LZ says, and opens his outer robe. "Can you make yourself small?"

WY bites his lip. "I'll try." He concentrates, and POOFS into a fluffy little fox.

LWJ picks him up and re-wraps his outer robe around WY. WY clings to LZ's inner clothes and tries to be quiet

(It's... not a great cover. Everyone can tell that LWJ is smuggling something under his robes. But he's so cute and his little solemn face is so determined that everyone just deliberately looks away and pretends not to see anything.

LWJ. meanwhile: I am a rule-breaking REBEL)

LZ brings WY to the kitchen first, which is empty because it's well past dinner time (it's wasn't empty; a disciple ran ahead and cleared it, and now everyone is watching from a safe distance and cooing at how cute LZ is, trying to sneak around in his BLINDINGLY WHITE ROBES).

Anyway, LZ is too short to reach the stove and make WY anything, but there is leftover congee in a pot because real Chinese people laugh in the face of e. coli, as well as some fruit. WY is too nervous to eat, at first, but then LZ fills a second bowl and eats with him.

"This is so good," WY says. "I'm sorry all I had to give you was half a stale bun."

LZ shakes his head. "The rules say you should be grateful for the generosity of others." He peers into WY's bowl, sees it getting low, and fetches WY another serving of congee.

A bath is next. WY is distrustful of baths, because they're always so cold, and then his tails get heavy and waterlogged, even after he shakes them and squeezes the water out. But LZ brings him to a big wooden tub, and then fills the tub with bucket after bucket of warm water.

And it's... not cold at all. It's actually really nice, especially when LZ ties up his sleeves and helps him wash.

LZ, meanwhile, sees the way WY's tails fill up the entire tub and even spilling over the edge, and makes a mental reminder to get more towels. Lots more towels.

Getting out of the bath becomes an unforeseen challenge. Wet!WY has lost 80% of his volume but possibly doubled his weight, and he can't... get out of the tub. LZ tries to help, but he's not strong enough and ends up tipping the tub over instead, splashing water everywhere.

LZ is horrified, until he sees WY frantically trying to mop up the water with his own sopping wet tails, and then he rushes to help WY, reassuring him softly until WY stops looking so panicked. Then LZ gets even MORE towels, and they sit together and dry off WWX's tails.

When he's fluffy again, if still a little damp, they sneak into LZ's bedroom to sleep. WY is perfectly content to curl up in his nest of tails, but LZ insists that as a guest, WY sleep on the bed. There isn't quite enough space for LZ and WY and WY's tails, but they make do.

LZ is almost too warm. Even the rare times when a nightmare would drive him to change forms and seek comfort in his brother's bed, Lan Huan's hand was as cool as river stone on his scales. But WY is soft, clean-smelling from his bath, and LZ falls asleep pillowed on his tails.

(LXC finds them the next morning, WY nearly falling off the bed, LZ so buried under WY's tails that only the tips of his antlers are visible.

"Is my uncle still in seclusion?" he asks.

The disciple who brought him there nods.

"All right. Let's not disturb them, then.")

LZ manages to hide WY in his room with no one the wiser (so he thinks) for a solid week. Then LQR leaves seclusion, and uh.

WWX loudly claims that he snuck in, that LZ didn't know anything, until LZ stuffs one of WY's tails into his mouth and tells LQR that he'd invited WY home.

WY is escorted out of the Cloud Recesses, but not before LZ whispers, "Don't leave. I'll come find you" as LZ is taken away for punishment. WY stays just outside the border, hidden in the bushes, fidgeting with his tails in his hands.

He doesn't see LZ until the next morning.

LZ looks tired and is walking a little stiffly. He'd been made to copy the family rules while doing handstands, for hours. But he looks pleased to see WY, and hands him two steamed vegetable buns.

"In case you're hungry," he says.

WY doesn't cry, but it's a close thing.

WY expects this to be their farewell, especially since LZ got punished for it. But LZ keeps coming back, always with food, sometimes a brush when WY's tails start to get scraggly. He's not punished for it every time, but.

"You don't have to keep coming back, you know," WY says.

"I want to," LZ says. "Uncle and I are just having a difference of opinion."

(The 'difference of opinion' goes like this:

LQR: Fox spirits are creatures that delight in cruelty! We do not consort with evildoers!

LZ: A-Ying has committed no evil deeds! He has done nothing wrong

LQR: Youth and inexperience blind you to many things in this world. That is why you learn from your elders. Do not be arrogant and disregard their wisdom!

LZ: But A-Ying was kind to me. Should I not repay that kindness with gratitude?

LQR: You fed and housed him for a week! Whatever gratitude you owe him has long since been repaid. Continuing to see this boy is excessive behaviour!

LZ: Lan An says even a trickle of kindness should be repaid in waterfalls of gratitude

LQR: JFAKSD GO TO YOUR ROOM!

LZ: *goes*

LQR: It's all that boy's fault. A-Zhan was always a good and obedient child before that boy barged into our lives.

LXC, remembering LZ kneeling for months in front of their mother's house after her death, shivering and small but utterly implacable: ....of course, Uncle.)

(LWJ's line is inspired by something Consort Yu says to Wei Yingluo in an episode of Yanxi Palace. I do not remember the episode number and it's going to haunt me. Anyone? It's right after Consort Yu sacrifices herself to take down one of her rivals.)

WY hates the fact that he's getting LZ punished, but LZ is stubborn. If LQR can't convince him to stop seeing WY, WY himself certainly won't do it.

And then one day, WY goes to wait in their usual spot, and someone different shows up.

"Hello," the person says. "I'm Lan Xichen."

LXC, LZ's brother(!!!) explains that LZ's punishment this time was a week of secluded meditation (aka sulking in the corner), but he didn't want to abandon WY, and so he begged his brother to go give WY food in his stead.

"I'm really sorry," WY says quietly. "I've tried asking-"

"I understand that your... situation is difficult," LXC says. "A-Zhan cares about you a great deal, you know. And when he cares about someone, he's steadfast and loyal to them. I hope, despite the difficulty, that you'll continue being his good friend."

What LXC means: I hope you won't let A-Zhan's reticence and my uncle's vociferous disapproval interfere with your friendship. I know it's a lot to ask, but A-Zhan really likes you.

What WY hears: LZ is too good and loyal of a person to see the fact that you're ruining his life.

WY accepts the food, thanks LXC, and leaves the mountain. As he's wandering through Caiyi, ears and tails low, he bumps into a richly dressed carp spirit in deep purple robes. The man looks down at him, startled at first, then shocked, and finally, almost radiantly relieved.

Going to Lotus Pier with this kind man who knew WY's parents is like something out of a dream. But WY remembers LZ, and rushes back up the mountain. LZ isn't there, of course. WY doesn't want to make JFM wait (what if he changes his mind?), and he doesn't know how to write yet.

So he finds a patch of dry mud, and uses a stick to scratch a little happy fox waving farewell to a little dragon. Underneath that, he draws the same fox in a lotus pond, surrounded by carp. And then he runs back down the mountain, where JFM is waiting.

That night, it rains.

By the time LZ is allowed to leave seclusion, there is no trace of WY or WY's drawing. LZ waits all day, but WY doesn't come. He returns the next day, and the next, searching the woods. Afterwards, he's inconsolable for months, scales grey, tail dragging on the ground behind him.

LXC is upset, both for A-Zhan's sadness and for the fact that he clearly erred in judgement where WY was concerned. LQR is furious, and loudly proclaims that fox spirits are the worst kind of creature (while also urging the kitchen staff to make more of LZ's favourite meals).

10 years pass. LZ becomes LWJ: beautiful, already one of the strongest cultivators of his generation, and about as friendly as giant icicles falling on your face. WY becomes WWX: sun-bright and brimming with talent, with a dazzling smile and even more dazzling mind.

However, because MDZS has no social media, neither of them know that the other is Gusu Lan's illustrious second young master or Yunmeng Jiang's prized first disciple. In LWJ's defense, when he last saw WY, he was a grubby little fox spirit. In WWX's defense, he's bad with names.

(Though sometimes WWX wonders whatever became of the little dragon who was his first friend... probably grateful that he wouldn't have to be punished anymore, after WY left.)

Anyway, 10 years later, Yunmeng Jiang is hosting this year's Discussion Conference. Everyone attends.

As part of the welcoming ceremony, Yunmeng Jiang has prepared a demonstration. The visiting sects brought out onto the lake in barges. High up in the sky, there are dozens of kites with long talisman tails. As they watch, intrigued, 10 Yunmeng disciples fly out on their swords.

Each disciple is carrying a bow, and they each take a turn shooting at the talismans on the kites. Each talisman, once struck, explodes into a shower of flowers, or fireworks, or a flock of paper birds, until there is only one disciple left, and one intact kite.

A murmur rises in the crowd. Surely the kite is too far away; surely no one could even hit the kite, much less the talismans on its tail. But the disciple just laughs, head tilted back, face upturned into the golden sunlight, and--

LWJ's breath catches in his throat.

It's Wei Ying. Wei Wuxian now, he supposes (of course he is, how could he be anything other than the cleverest, most brilliant cultivator of their generation). For a moment, LWJ forgets all the heartache of the last 10 years and just watches WWX, hair streaming in the wind,

robes flapping like wings as flies into position, nocks THREE arrows onto his bowstring, draws the bow, then CLOSES HIS EYES and releases.

All 3 arrows hit their targets.

The assembled cultivators cheer. LWJ does not, gaze fixed on WWX as he flies down to JFM and YZY,

dismounts to sheathe his sword, bow deeply to them both, and return to the disciple ranks.

Beside him, LXC leans close and murmurs, "Wangji, is that--?"

LWJ nods. Though there is little left of the dirty, scrawny fox he remembers. WWX stands tall and proud and so handsome,

with his hair sleek, clothes neat, and tail (just one) swishing gently around his ankles. If he hadn't smiled, hadn't laughed, LWJ wouldn't have recognized him at all.

He probably wouldn't recognize LWJ, either.

LWJ looks away.

(Meanwhile LXC goes to chat with JFM, and finds out that WY's father had been part of Yunmeng Jiang, and that JFM had spent years after the death of WY's parents looking for WY, and that WY possibly did NOT cruelly abandon LZ all those years ago; he just got adopted.

Hmmm, LXC thinks, and considers how sad LWJ had been for months after WY's disappearance... but also how LWJ had looked when he'd found WY again.

And then he goes and does some reshuffling of names for the upcoming night hunt.)

For WWX, the night hunt is going great, until the Jins show up. It's bad enough that they're pompous, arrogant pig spirits who think that a little bit of gold means they're better than everybody; they could at least have the decency to also be competent cultivators. AND YET.

(The Jins are pig spirits because: 1) I think it's funny, and 2) pigs represent fertility and wealth. A lot of Chinese brides wear gold pig necklaces that range from cute to eye-searingly tacky. See below for photo reference of a pig wedding necklace)

And thus, WWX is left running for his life from a very angry yao (because of the Jins), with barely half his spiritual energy (having expended it protecting those Jins), and all alone (because the aforementioned Jins RAN AWAY as soon as they saw the yao fixate on a new target).

Seriously, WWX hates them so much. If not for the fact that his beloved, perfect, wonderful shijie is engaged to one of them (Ew ew and also EW), WWX would have let them all be monster food.

Ok, no, he wouldn't have. But he'd have THOUGHT about it.

He COULD change shape and run faster, or use his fox spirit powers, but there are RULES against that kind of thing for night hunts, and WWX already has a hard enough time proving to people that his accolades are earned and deserved and not because he worked his wiles. Ugh.

He misses a root in the dark and trips, and just like that he's cornered, exhausted, and seriously wondering if he's going to have to use his fox magic after all or worse, SEND UP A FLARE AND BE DISQUALIFIED--when
a silver-blue light comes piercing through the darkness.

In an eyeblink, the monster's hand (which was a breath away from clawing WWX to ribbons) is flopped at its feet, severed neatly at the wrist. The light then embeds itself into a nearby tree, and WWX sees that it's actually a sword, beautiful, well-made and beautifully carved.

He doesn't have long to admire it though, because the monster rears back, roaring in pain and fury. WWX is just about to consider grabbing the sword and hurling it at the yao to buy himself some time, when the air suddenly swells with pressure that builds into a thunderous crack.

In its wake, shimmering silver and smelling like the aftermath of a lightning strike, is a full-size DRAGON. It's enormous; just its head is bigger than WWX's whole body, and its claws are the size of WWX's entire arm. It growls at the yao, a sound like crumbling mountains,

and then it lunges at it, claws out and RIPS IT OPEN from shoulder to hip. A lot of blood and other gross monster bits get on WWX, but he doesn't even care because that was, unquestionably, the sexiest thing he's ever seen in his LIFE.

He drops to his knees and gapes.

The dragon eyes the monster corpse for a moment, then dips down to the creek and daintily cleans its claws. It's... strangely cute? At least, until the dragon rears its giant head and fixes its golden gaze on WWX.

Fuck, WWX thinks, feeling... scared, definitely. Yup.

Suddenly, there's another swell of pressure, another ozone-scented crack, and the dragon vanishes into a man: tall, straight-backed, stunningly beautiful, and... kind of familiar?

"Lan," he starts, looking at the white ribbon on the man's flawless, moonlit brow...

and then puts together gold eyes + dragon + strange sense of familiarity + a young child's prettiness aged up 10 years and sharpened into strong, masculine beauty = "Lan Zhan?!"

Lan Zhan(!!!!!!!!!) inclines his head. "Wei Ying," he says, in a low, smooth, gorgeous voice.

FUCK, WWX thinks again, and just... sits down. On the ground.

Lan Zhan, his adorable friend Lan Zhan -- who is HOT now, and somehow NO ONE TOLD HIM? Which should be ILLEGAL?? Was he supposed to just FIND OUT LIKE THIS? UNPREPARED? While looking like a complete mess???

F U C K.

"Are you all right?" LWJ asks, coming closer, his hotness somehow INCREASING with every step he takes.

"Transformation is against the rules of night hunts," WWX says, and claps his hands over his mouth because -- really? THIS is the first thing he says to LWJ after a decade??

(The thing is, he'd thought about what it'd be like to see LWJ again, after it was announced that Lan sect would be attending this year's Discussion Conference. He'd even had some fantasies about a dashing hero who rescues a beauty from peril, before saying some cool, witty line.

It's just:

1) HE was always the dashing hero in those fantasies, and

2) adult!LWJ had looked like a bigger version of his adorable baby self, not this broad-shouldered god with an intoxicating scent and unfairly voice.

WWX was, in short, NOT READY FOR THIS.)

"Exceptions are made for extenuating circumstances," LWJ says, like he doesn't care at all that he might be disqualified from the hunt for this, might bring shame to his sect. Then his expression hardens. "Fleeing danger and abandoning one's comrades is equally dishonourable."

Oh, WWX realizes, remembering the Jins. That explains how LWJ found him. "Well, thank YOU for not abandoning your comrade."

He means it as a joke, more or less, but something in LWJ's expression shutters, like WWX just pressed against a forgotten bruise.

"No need," LWJ says.

WWX is suddenly filled with that 'one more step on a staircase than you were expecting' feeling, where he knows he said something wrong but he doesn't know what. "Lan Zhan--"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence, because LWJ just bends down and picks him up, bridal style.

WWX.exe stops working. He's almost as tall as LWJ, almost as broad, but LWJ just picked him up like it was nothing. "I-Lan Zhan!" he says, face flaming. "I can walk!"

(The more shameless parts of his brain are like, 'SHUT UP SHUT UP STOP RUINING THIS FOR THE REST OF US')

"You are injured," LWJ says, continuing to carry him.

"Just barely!" WWX protests, trying to squirm - unsuccessfully; wow, LWJ is STRONG - in LWJ's arms. "Seriously, put me down, this is embarrassing."

"You carried me once."

WWX blinks. "What? When?"

"When we met."

"When we-OH." WWX remembers. "That was different! You were tiny! A tiny dragon!"

LWJ is silent for a moment. "So you do remember."

There's something in his voice that gives WWX the missed-step feeling again. "Of course...did you think I wouldn't?"

LWJ looks away.

In the darkness, it's hard to discern what expression is on his face, but he's pointedly not looking at WWX, and that's... he doesn't like that. "Lan Zhan? You didn't really think--Lan Zhan you were my first friend."

"You left," LWJ said, still so quiet. "You didn't come back."

WWX's heart thumps in his chest, hard, like a fist. "Lan Zhan. Please, put me down."

This time, LWJ stops and lowers him to the ground. He starts to step back, but WWX grabs his hand, clasps it to his chest.

"Lan Zhan, I swear I only left because Uncle Jiang found me.

Otherwise--I was so selfish, you know. I was going to keep staying there, even though I was getting you punished. I never wanted to make you sad. Before I left, I made a drawing for you--"

At that, LWJ lifts his head. "A drawing?"

"In the mud! Um, because I couldn't write yet."

"There was no drawing," LWJ says, then pauses, brows drawing together. "It rained that week, storm after storm--but why didn't you write once you'd arrived at Lotus Pier?"

WWX ducks his head. "Um. I thought. You wouldn't want me to. All I did was cause you trouble."

LWJ pulls on their clasped hands, drawing WWX closer. "You were my first friend too. I missed you."

And even WWX, addled as he is, can recognize when someone is hoping for a hug. Naturally, he flings himself at LWJ and lets LWJ enfold him into his arms. Maybe he cries a little.

He definitely promises that he'll write LWJ every day from now on, so much that LWJ will get tired of him, and the letters will fill up LWJ's entire room. And in every letter he'll tell LWJ how much he likes him, so he'll never think WWX doesn't like him ever again.

And then they finish the night hunt together and LWJ does get disqualified but so do the Jins who ran away (hah!), and that night WWX sneaks LWJ into his room so they can cuddle. At some point, LWJ asks why WWX only has one visible tail now, and WWX says that it's because it's...

less bothersome that way. People don't notice as much, and besides, he kept knocking things over with his tails and who likes that, right? Hahaha.

"I like your tails," LWJ says, quietly.

Which makes WWX.exe crash YET AGAIN (it already happened earlier, when LWJ smiled at him

and again after that, when LWJ used his dragon magic to pull the waterlogged mud out of WWX's tail and clothes so that he'd be more presentable (WWX did NOT squeak, he did NOT), and AGAIN after that, when LWJ started cleaning WWX's wounds instead of just letting WWX lick them.

WWX.exe is having a rough day).

In any case, basically given permission, WWX's tails POOF back out, nearly engulfing them both in fur, and they sleep that night cuddled together in the nest of tails, just as they'd done as children. WWX falls asleep happy. LWJ falls asleep warm.

Anyway, they do spend another few months writing incessantly to each other, and this is an AU where the Wens chill the fuck out so nothing bad happens, and eventually they fall in love (LOL they're already in love) and court, and even LQR can't criticize THAT much.

Since. Wangji is. Clearly. Happy. And that Wei Wuxian is. *grits teeth* A Credit To His Sect.

And they definitely break the rules by banging before they get married but in their defense, LWJ is hot and WWX is easy

and possibly there's this thing where LWJ is in Yunmeng for one of its blistering summer thunderstorms, and that's when they learn that thunderstorms make dragons incredibly horny. LWJ is embarrassed, but unashamed. WWX proudly struts around with a limp and a HUGE grin.

THE END!