For days Lan Zhan sat by Wei Ying as he remained unconscious in the JingShi. He hardly allowed himself to sleep for fear that Wei Ying would wake up, take one look at him and leave without giving him a chance to explain. Instead he spent his time applying the soothing lotion the healers had made to the burns on Wei Ying's hands, face and chest…..spent the time playing the zither to try and calm both their minds…...and spend the time mentally rehearsing what he would actually say when Wei Ying finally woke up. He was to preoccupied to realise that every time the healer came to give Wei Ying his daily check-ups his brother would magically appear at the same time. Far to preoccupied to give a thought to WHY the healer felt he always had to have the backup of Lan XiChen in the room whenever he entered. For Lan Zhan only two things occupied his whole mind. One. What would he say when Wei Ying awoke. Two. The healer had said that Wei Ying should have woken up in 24 hours, it had been nearly a week, so why was he still not waking up?

All he could feel was heat…..heat surrounding him…...engulfing him…...his head pounded and he couldn't think…..there was something or someone outside, someone calling him...….but he couldn't focus, his mind didn't want to work…...someone was calling him….trying to help him and get him out…..but he couldn't reach.

'Wei Ying'

Lan Zhan sat gently at the side of the sleeping man, taking his wrist in his own hand while making sure to avoid his burns. Whispering calmly despite his rising worry at the lack of response after so many days.

'Wei Ying…...Wei Ying its safe now you can wake up!….Wei Ying you can shout at me and hate me all you want just wake up!' The tears where sliding gently down each cheek but for once he didn't care.

He hoped his pleas and gentle soothing movements would give Wei Ying the reassurance he needed to wake up. The healer had once again visited that morning and, at Lan Zhan's insistence, checked Wei Ying over once more. There didn't seem any physical reason for Wei Ying to still be unconscious so the healer had said the only reason left was mental. Wei Ying was choosing to remain asleep as it was easier for him to face than reality. Lan Zhan had nodded his thanks as the healer left and then pushed down his self hatred in order to actually touch and speak to the man who he knew once woken would never want to see him again.

The almost unbearable heat slowly faded, little by little, before vanishing completely. A gentle chill swept over him, soothing the pain from a moment before. He didn't know how long it had been since he had moved, taken a breath, without that searing heat rushing into him as if it was cooking him from the inside out.

Lan Zhan felt rather than saw the long weak fingers twitch, before he could comprehend what the movement meant the fingers moved once again and the eyelids fluttered. Wei Ying's breathing was still laboured as if he couldn't get enough oxygen in one breath, in fact even more so since he seemed to be coming around. The eyelids twitched once more and opened. Those honest, trusting eyes staring straight into his as all he could do was stare back in shock as the man he loved awoke.

Lan Zhan took his hand away from Wei Ying's wrist and almost as if he couldn't remain there a moment longer moved to the other side of the room to sit beside his zither. Keeping his hands busy he focused on playing a tune, but it was disconnected and messy even to his own ears.

'Lan Zhan….'Wei Ying's voice had come out hoarse as if he was trying to speak over the noise.

Lan Zhan pointedly ignored him, wanting to put off the coming argument until the last possible moment. If he could convince himself that they were just two people sharing a room for a little while he would be happy.

'Lan Zhan!' Wei Ying's voice was a little louder, harsher now from trying to get his attention. Followed by a massive coughing fit. The words Lan Zhan could pretend to ignore but hearing the cough he almost ran over to the bed and offered up a small cup of water to allow him to soothe his throat. When Wei Ying tried to take it from him to drink himself Lan Zhan lowered his eyes and released the cup, did Wei Ying not even want to touch him any more? Was he that awful in his eyes?

Having sipped from the cup Wei Ying didn't offer it back but rather laid where he was glancing over at Lan Zhan's figure. There was something not quite right about it but he couldn't figure out what. His head still felt like his brain was two sizes to big to fit in his skull and his whole body ached. He hadn't expected for the first person he saw when he awoke to be Lan Zhan, especially a Lan Zhan acting so odd.

Just as he was about to try and speak again a knock came at the door. If Wei Ying had been capable of laughing he would have chuckled at the speed Lan Zhan got up from the bed and ran to the door. Shaking his head gently, and realising it was a bad idea when the room began to spin, he placed the cup on a nearby table and waited for Lan Zhan to return. However when a figure appeared from behind the privacy screen that separated Lan Zhan's bed from the rest of the JingShi he was surprised not to see Lan Zhan but rather Lan XiChen, Lan Zhan's elder brother. The older of the Twin Jades was just as good looking as his younger brother but instead of the youngers almost carved frown his face held a worried look he couldn't quite hide.

'ZeWu Jun' Wei Ying nodded his head slightly, enough to greet the senior man but not enough to send the world in circles again. 'My apologies for not getting up to greet you properly'

Lan XiChen smiled slightly 'No apology needed Young Master Wei you were badly injured and have been unconscious several days. You can forgo the formalities until a healer says you are well.'

'Badly injured?' Wei Ying replied almost to himself. Lan XiChen's gaze moved to something to his right and he looked down to get his first view of the bandage covering his chest. 'What happened?'

Lan XiChen moved a few steps closer, lowering his voice. 'You don't remember?'

Wei Ying wanted to say that if he remembered he wouldn't be asking, but he was speaking to a Sect leader so he had to be a bit more well behaved than that. Instead he just replied 'no'

The worried look reappeared on Lan XiChen's face as he gloomily responded. 'What did Wanji tell you'

Wei Ying's mind wasn't up to doing the complex task of thinking right now and he was beginning to feel both tired and annoyed with the hedged answers.

'Nothing, but from the look on your face I have a feeling it has something to do with why he is acting so strange..' Wei Ying paused, his voice was getting progressively gravely thanks to his dry throat. As he reached out to get the water jug he winced and Lan XiChen moved forwards to fill the cup himself.

'Remain still Young Master Wei, if you need something it can be fetched for you.'

Wei Ying sipped the water again before his voice was strong enough to ask the next question, but at all times kept his eyes on his visitor. Even so ill he refused to back down. 'Where is Lan Zhan?'

Lan XiChen bit his bottom lip subconsciously. Wei Ying nearly laughed, he had seen Lan Zhan do that before when he was trying to think up something to tell him without actually lying, it seemed it was a family trait. He waited while XiChen decided just what and how much to tell him. In the end Lan XiChen let out a long, loud sigh and began to speak.

'Wanji blames himself for not getting you out of the flames soon enough to not get injured. You were in that cave for a lot longer than planned and you got hurt because of it, Wanji blames himself for that. Even though he couldn't have possibly gotten to you any sooner without attacking all the other cultivators surrounding you.'

'That's silly' Wei Ying said said suddenly 'I would never expect him to go against other cultivators….I….'

Another fit of coughing forced him to break off what he was saying. Lan XiChen refilled his cup with water and waited for him soothe his throat with the drink before starting to speak again.

'Young Master Wei. I hesitate to speak of something so private but I feel I must. My brother has never felt about any one else the way he does about you. Maybe you can't see it but as his elder brother it is extremely clear to me.' Lan XiChen leant forward slightly and straightened the cup where it had tilted in Wei Ying's hands and was creating a small puddle on the sheets. That along with the utter dumbstruck look on the man's face made him unsure of how much Wei Ying would actually hear, yet it needed to be said. 'You had already been betrayed by others and Wanji feels he let you down himself by not keeping his word'

Wei Ying continued to stare into space, the cup of water was untouched but at least it hadn't tilted again.

'Young Master Wei?' Lan XiChen tried to put more bite in his voice in order to snap the other man out of his stupor.

Wei Ying blinked and lowered his eyes to look Lan XiChen in the eyes. XiChen almost wanted to back off at the look deep in that gaze, it was full of emotion so deep that XiChen wasn't sure what to call it. Wei Ying moved the sheets back and swing his legs out from the bed, wincing with each movement. XiChen moved forwards again and motioned him back into bed.

'You need to rest Young Master Wei….You can't get out of the bed yet!'

'Where is Lan Zhan?' Wei Ying's voice came out strong although he remained where he was.

'I will go and find him if you will get back in bed!'

In all honesty XiChen had no idea how he was going to get his brother back in the room, however he needed to get Wei Ying to rest. Nodding Wei Ying settled back and pulled up the covers around him. XiChen rose from his seat and walked out the room. Those two men belonged together, both were as stubborn as the other and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.