Won't you believe me? (Servant no more - book 2)

Chapter 68

When Lan Wangji heard his brother suggesting that Wei Ying should be put back to bed, he wholeheartedly agreed with him and immediately got a better hold of the boy and stood up, not waiting for Lan Xichen to come or not come with them. He wanted to have Wei Ying safely in bed and resting. After the previous breakdown and his recent fever, it would be no good to let him uncared for.

He barely registered that Lan Xichen actually came with them, he only silently thanked him when he opened the door for them and kept the way clear for them. Lan Wangji could not pay attention to anything around him. His eyes were fully focused on the face of the boy in his arms, he hoped that Wei Ying would not wake up, he clearly needed a good rest. He was walking very carefully in order not to jostle the boy too much; he did not want to risk making him even slightly uncomfortable. Wei Ying deserved only the best care.

Luckily, the boy's face remained calm and his eyes were closed. His features were fair and relaxed which Lan Wangji decided to take as a good sign. The only evidence of Wei Ying's previous distress was a little redness to his cheeks and the fact that his eyes were still swollen from all the crying. Despite everything, there was a kind of pure serenity to the boy's face that Lan Wangji had never seen anywhere else, not in real life or on any illustration in books. He was completely charmed and enchanted and could not take his eyes away from the sleeping boy.

Lan Wangji only noticed that they have already arrived to Wei Ying's room when Lan Xichen stopped and opened the door for him. He only acknowledged his brother with a small nod of his head and hurried inside. He needed the boy to be in his bed as soon as possible.

The bed was still fully made, as if no one had ever laid in it and it was somehow making Lan Wangji worry that Wei Ying did not feel comfortable with leaving any marks of his presence around the Cloud Recesses Manor. Even his small suitcase which was still sitting close to the door had not been touched, at least from what Lan Wangji could determine at a first glace.

Never mind right now, he thought, he would make sure that Wei Ying would believe he was welcomed eventually. Lan Wangji would just have to persevere until he would succeed.

He gently laid the boy down and pulled the covers from under him with the utmost care to not wake the other up. He stopped for a second in his motions, the blanket in his hands ready to cover Wei Ying up to his neck, and he wondered. He was asking himself if he should perhaps remove the boy's outer layers of clothes so he would sleep more comfortably.

After that one second though, he did not deem it a good idea. It would not be too pleasant for Wei Ying if someone changed him without his knowledge. Moreover, Lan Wangji could not be sure he would not wake him up in the process. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. He decided that it would just have to be fine like this.

He covered Wei Ying with care and looked down at him. The boy's face was still calm and relaxed and Lan Wangji breathed out a small sigh of relief that he had not even realized he had been holding in. He had not disturbed Wei Ying's sleep.

Since he wanted to stay in the room and make sure that the boy would not disappear again immediately after he would wake up, Lan Wangji willed himself to stop looking at that sleeping face and turn around. It was hard, he wanted to continue watching over the other and make sure that nothing, not even any bad dreams or nightmares, would disturb Wei Ying's rest. If anything like that should happen, he wanted to be there right then and chase any danger away in an instant.

He quickly went to the table pressed to one of the walls and took a chair from there. It was a study table, the same one as was in Lan Wangji's own room. It was a piece of a luxury furniture and he was now glad it was in Wei Ying's room as well. Not because he wanted the boy to spend all his days sitting at it and studying – he would be perfectly fine with it if it was Wei Ying's wish though –, but because there was a chair to go with it. A chair that Lan Wangji would use just now to stay by the boy's side.

He pulled the chair over and positioned it in a way that he would be able to sit down and watch over Wei Ying. He wanted to make sure that he would be the first person the boy would see upon waking up. Having previous experience with Wei Ying clearly not daring to believe their words, Lan Wangji was determined to repeat to him that he was safe as soon as the other opened his eyes. Hopefully this way, the words would finally manage to make it into Wei Ying's heart and he would be able to believe them.

Lan Wangji sat down, his eyes never leaving the boy's face. He felt like mesmerized but he did not mind at all. He was so worried about Wei Ying that he wanted to be as close as possible to him. If he could, he would never leave his side again.

It did not even take a second – but to Lan Wangji this single second felt like a lifetime and perhaps even longer – and he could not stand it anymore. He was suddenly afraid that if he did not let Wei Ying know that he was there, the boy would forget that fact and feel all alone in the world again. He could not allow that, not anymore.

So Lan Wangji did the only thing he could under the circumstances. He reached out and took one of Wei Ying's hands between his own. He held it carefully and ceremoniously, as it if was the most precious of treasures, one that could break with the smallest of touches or sounds. He was afraid that Wei Ying would suddenly wake up and not like him this close. However, this fear was quickly put away when Lan Wangji confirmed that the boy did not mind at all.

On the contrary really. Not long after their hands touched, Wei Ying actually stirred under the covers, almost making Lan Wangji's heart jump out of his chest at first. But the boy only turned his face to the side and snuggled closer to their joined hands. It was the sweetest thing Lan Wangji had ever experienced, the most incredible and awe-inspiring as well.

Or so he thought until Wei Ying shifted even more, now laying on his side, and his whole body curled around the axis of their hands. Lan Wangji left his hand be tugged closer to the boy's face still. It was not too different from how cats would sometimes snuggle against each other or their owner and sleep peacefully without a care on the world.

A smile bloomed on Lan Wangji's lips while seeing this. It looked like the boy was actually so at ease around him that he did not watch his actions so closely anymore. Or was even acting unconsciously, seeing that he was fast asleep while acting this way. That was good, great even, they were finally making some real progress.

Lan Wangji almost wanted to cheer loudly, he knew though that he should not, unless he wanted to wake Wei Ying up after all. Instead, he only gently whispered: "Wei Ying, sleep well. I will be here to protect you, nothing will hurt you and no one will mistreat anymore. Never again." He caressed the boy's head feather-light to prove the fact that he was truly by his side.

After taking this wow, Lan Wangji closed his mouth once more and the room fell into silence. The only sounds left was his own breathing and Wei Ying's, reaching a perfect unison. Lan Wangji was relaxing, still holding the boy's hand and waiting for the other to wake up so he could repeat those words again and again until Wei Ying would be able to believe him.