Chapter Text
Two years, and Song Lan was whole again.
He had always felt half-detached from reality, like everything that happened was from a story someone wrote, and not the story of his life. Now he guesses that he didn't want to face the fact that- family massacred, blinded and sacrificed for, isolated from his closest friend, and confronted with the murderer of his family, the ruiner of his life- he had suffered through so much. Turning a blind eye to how it affected him had kept him from slipping and toppling into the chasm that enveloped his mind, but it ate away at his heart.
Of course, living with Xue Yang for so many years had forced him to confront what the latter playfully called "main character trauma".
It'd taken many tears, many arguments, and- to everyone's chagrin and heartbreak- many runaway attempts from Xue Yang. But, Song Lan supposed, they were doing as well as they possibly could now, given the circumstances they had lived through thus far.
He brushed a lock of hair behind Xue Yang's ear, eliciting the familiar blush that Song Lan had long secretly promised himself he would never tire of seeing. Xue Yang was so affection-starved that the slightest gesture made him incredibly flustered, which A-Qing teased him for, Xiao Xingchen found equally endearing and concerning, and Song Lan used to his advantage daily. Like so.
"Gege," Xue Yang mumbled, his cheeks red and his eyes on the floor.
Song Lan grinned. His fingers played with the lock of hair he had touched, and he leaned closer to Xue Yang.
"G-gege!" Xue Yang gasped, his hands coming up to cover his face.
The corners of Song Lan's mouth spread even wider. "You're so cute, A-Yang," he said, his voice taking on a playful lilt. He purposefully brushed the thumb of the hand he was using to play with Xue Yang's hair against the latter's cheek, revelling in the flustered squeak he got in response.
"I am not cute," Xue Yang protested, trying and failing to enunciate every word with the venom he used to always have in large supply. He had softened too, no matter how much he denied it.
Song Lan drew even closer and kissed Xue Yang's nose, and gods, he squeaked again. Song Lan huffed out a laugh. "You so are."
"I- I-" Both Xue Yang's breath and words came out in stutters. "Gege! You're teasing again!"
"What?" Song Lan felt his smile turn into a smirk. "I'm not teasing. I'm just stating facts, A-Yang."
"Y-you..." Xue Yang's lips trembled with embarrassment, his demeanor shifting from indignant to defeated. "You're so mean, ge..."
Song Lan kissed Xue Yang's forehead. "I could be a lot meaner, sweetheart. You know I just like seeing you flustered. You're so small and pretty."
Xue Yang wailed and hid his face in Song Lan's chest. "You're doing it again...!" His cries were so loud that they called footsteps, and A-Qing paused in the doorway at the sight of them.
"Oh my god," she muttered. "What the hell, you're just being gay again. Xue-ge, don't yell like that, I thought you were in trouble."
"This one is trouble!" Xue Yang wailed, hitting Song Lan's arm- rather pointlessly, as Song Lan could break his arm if he wanted (he wouldn’t).
A-Qing's expression was full of mock disgust. "I'm gonna go see if daozhang needs help with groceries. Bye."
"No!" Xue Yang cried after her. "Don't leave me here with him! I'm gonna die!" Followed by a rather dramatic but nonetheless endearing sob.
A-Qing disappeared back through the door.
Even though Xue Yang couldn't see his face, Song Lan knew he still felt his smile.