Wen Reian

2019 years after The Long Night

Hêi’àn Palace

“Don’t be ridiculous, A’Jun…” Wen Reian shook his head at his niece, who was frantically brushing her horse, a suspicious gleam in her eye.

The girl continued rambling in earnest, making Reian glad that her fathers weren’t there to listen to her-

“But all of this has only made me even more sure!” She exclaimed. “I want to travel, explore the world-”

She stopped when she heard Reian snickering. He covered his mouth and shook his head again.

“Good luck convincing your fathers about that. If they weren’t protective before, you can be sure they are now,” then the healer grinned, enjoying teasing the Princess.

“Don’t be surprised if you’re under lockdown for the next two years-”

“Dad would never!”

She was right. Yi-jun would never be able to say no, nor would he really keep her here against her will like he had been at that age. But Jin Songcai could. A’Jun seemed to know this, and her excited brushing ceased, the Princess’s eyes going to Wen Rei’s in a silent plea.

He smiled, “Just be patient. Your time will come to leave, and do your own thing. But have mercy on your poor parents, huh? And me… we couldn’t bear to see you hurt.”

Song-jun pouted, then after a moment seemed to brighten up again.

“What about you, Uncle?”

“What about me?”

The Princess was gleaming now...

“When are you going to do your own thing?”

The words hit home a little too much for him, as Wen Rei had been wondering that exact same thing himself, often over the past few years. Especially the past weeks-

He attempted to play off his anxiety about it casually, but A’Jun was like a bloodhound when it came to things like this.

“I’m doing it right now,” he ended up crossing his arms, feeling a little like he was having to convince her. “Healing, chasing you all over god’s green earth. What more could I want?”

The words felt heavy on his tongue. Even more so when A’Jun narrowed her eyes at him and frowned.

“You don’t ever think of leaving? Going somewhere else…”

Her eyes were like lie-detectors, and besides, Reian trusted A’Jun not to tell anyone. Still, he simply shrugged.

“Then how could I watch you grow up-”

“Uncle! I am grown up,” A’Jun laughed. “Honestly. You know, my fathers wouldn’t be upset at all if you felt like moving away. They just want you to be happy, you know, and if being somewhere else… with someone else, is what makes you happy, then-”

Reian couldn’t keep from laughing loudly, stunned more than anything.

“Someone?! Who? First Yi-jun asks if I’ll be staying in the palace, and now you… what, do you all think I have a secret lover somewhere??”

A’Jun rolled her eyes. “Not so secret-”

“Excuse me miss?”

Reian just got silence as his response, and the idea that his whole family assumed he might actually have something like that without telling them? Well, it kept making him laugh all day, whenever he remembered it. It was at dinner that night when he finally realized what A’Jun might have meant.

“Wen Reian, you have something… there-”

Songcai was trying to be discreet, but of course that was impossible with A’Jun there. The Princess went on to tease him, purposefully putting a crumb on her face and calling out quite proudly;

“Look! Who am I?! Hahaha-” Which only received a gentle smack on the back of the head from Yi-jun.

Reian glared at her, reaching for his napkin and going to wipe it away when next to him, Lan Kai-Le, who had been characteristically silent and uncharacteristically civil with Yi-jun and Songcai all evening, not even growling at all, gently took the healer’s chin in between his thumb and forefinger and turned Reian to face him.

The healer froze. Not only could he feel the intense heat of his blush slowly rising, but he distinctly felt all of his family member’s eyes on him...

Lan Kai-Le acted normally, as if no one else was here; brushing the crumbs from Reian’s lip and tilting his head slightly as he gazed down at the man.

And all Wen Rei could do was sit there blankly, wondering why he felt as if he’d done something horribly embarrassing and intimate in front of everyone, like he’d suddenly bent and kissed him right on the lips. It was that idea that had him pushing Lan Kai-Le away, the healer staring at his lap and wishing more than anything that the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

“Heh,” he heard A’Jun laugh awkwardly. “So when’s the wedding- ow!”

This time it was Wen Reian himself who had silenced her, quickly kicking her under the table in a desperate plea for her to be quiet!

Of course, Songcai saved them all from that awkward moment, going on to talk in length about Xibù Shataar, and how they were trying to salvage their deal with Ling Hai after everything that had gone wrong...

Reian did catch, however, a glance from Xie Yi-jun. After knowing the man for so long Wen Reian might as well have been able to read his mind. In that look, the King was both hugely happy, and distinctly worried for him. Reian felt his throat tie itself in knots over the man’s obvious caring, and how he hoped that this didn’t feel like a betrayal to him in any way.

If I ever tell him the truth, Reian frowned to himself... that I’ve not felt at home here for a while, and that I’m wondering if I should leave, would he forgive me? I don’t want to abandon my family, but more than that, I don’t want to disappoint them-

It was Lan Kai-Le’s hand on top of Reian’s that finally brought him back. Wen Rei stared down at that point of contact, how Kai-Le was stroking his fingers gently over his skin, the subtle reassurance from it and how it was obvious he had done it because he could tell Reian was upset for some reason.

The healer risked a glance up at the man. In his eyes he saw what he always did, a reflection of himself. Lan Kai-Le’s innate ability to not only listen to Reian, but to hear him, and his protective nature. Also, the innocence in the hunter’s gaze was unmistakable in that moment. Reian wondered how he’d never noticed it before, or at least, not at this intensity. It practically overflowed, and despite the man’s aura being sealed, he was easily the most empathetic, expressive person Wen Rei had ever met.

After everything he’s done for me, after I’ve treated him poorly, with assumptions and biases and selfish thoughts, Lan Kai-Le still wants to be beside me. He… he really grows on you, doesn’t he? I’m not even sure I could forget him now if I tried-

Reian didn’t want to forget. He’d done enough forgetting for a lifetime. What he wanted now was not to waste the rest of his life, staying in one place because it felt like he owed someone something.

The truth is, I can’t even say I’m staying for Yi-jun or Songcai anymore. I must have been so caught up, trying to honor the wishes of the man I used to be; the person who sacrificed everything for them, that I didn’t realize I had become someone entirely different. I want different things, maybe I even want to see how long Lan Kai-Le is willing to stick around? What an interesting, terrifying thought...

After saying good night to everyone, Reian caught Yi-jun and Songcai’s curious gazes again as he walked up the stairs with Lan Kai-Le. Wen Rei knew in his heart, what A’Jun had said was true, that they wanted his happiness. But he just couldn’t bring himself to imagine telling the two Kings of Hêi’àn City he wanted to leave. Maybe someday he could, maybe soon?

“You’re distracted,” Lan Kai-Le observed the second they closed the door to their room.

Wen Reian was exhausted, not even able to try and explain it all to him, he simply undressed, prepared for bed, and invited Kai-Le into his arms, the hunter eagerly sliding inside beside Reian and hugging him close.

Already drifting off to sleep, the sound of Kai-Le’s breathing like the strongest sedative, Reian kissed the top of the man’s head lazily and breathed in…

He still wished he could sense what Lan Kai-Le was feeling. Without being able to, how could he be sure he wanted to stay with him like this?

“Hmm,” Reian hummed softly, causing Kai-Le to raise his eyes.

Easing his fingers through the man’s soft hair, everything about him comforting Wen Rei to the point that he was almost purring in contentment, the healer frowned.

“If you could have anything in the world, Lan Kai-Le? What would it be?”

Unlike usual, the man didn’t seem to have to search for an answer, replying with the softest nod; “Wen Reian…”

Tucking his face into the curve by Kai-Le’s shoulder, Reian took several moments, just enjoying the man’s arms around him, the sound of his heartbeat and breathing, his familiar scent. Mumbling nonsensically, fading in and out of sleep, Wen Rei sighed.

“Not to start over? Not to go back in time and save your parents? Or get your revenge earlier, you wouldn’t want that instead?”

This time Kai-Le paused. Reian snuggled closer, afraid he had upset him, when the hunter finally said softly into his ear-

“No. The past brought me here. I don’t want to start over. I just want Wen Reian.”

At last, dreams overtaking him, all lovely things of being wrapped tightly in warmth, Reian made a note that he promised himself he wouldn’t forget in the morning.

Whatever happens, I must remember; Lan Kai-Le deserves everything he never got. I want to let him have it… want to let him have me.