Second Time Around

29. Guilt and Healing, Part II

"XiongZhang, please let me have my own tent."

"WangJi," Lan XiChen sighed. "Just because Wei WuXian's new cultivation is unorthodox, you really can't share a tent with him? You need to have friends. He's willing to be one if you'll just give him a chance. Please. Go. I have work to do."

Lan WangJi inwardly sulked as he strode through the camp back to his tent. He objected to Wei WuXian's cultivation, of course he did. But that wasn't why he objected to sharing a tent with the boy. The moaning coming from his tent was the reason. Throwing back the flap, he was subjected to the sight of Wei WuXian hurriedly pulling blankets up over his naked lap and shoving a book under his hip.

"Lan WangJi! Don't you know common courtesy? I hung my sock on the pole so you'd know to stay away. I was... busy."

"I heard you being... busy," Lan WangJi deadpanned. "What does a sock have to do with it?"

"It's a sign. Everybody knows what it means."

"Well, I'm tired. So, get busy elsewhere, or do it quietly." He removed his guan, and outer robes and folded them neatly. Blowing out the candle, he hoped Wei WuXian would leave or sleep. The slightly slick sound of flesh rubbing wet flesh let him know which option his tentmate picked. He'd know that sound anywhere; he'd heard it often enough when the sight and sound and proximity of his tentmate became too much and he needed to relieve the stress of wanting before he died. "Wei WuXian!" he ground out, feeling himself growing hard from the sounds.

"I'm trying to be quiet! But you blew out the light, so I have to remember what was going on in the story...."

"It's porn! There is no plot!"

"Of course there is!" Wei WuXian insisted and relit the candle. Lan WangJi, lying on his side and facing away from his annoying tentmate, heard a rustle from the other bedroll and oohmphed as he was pulled onto his back. "Look!" Wei WuXian shoved the picture book right at Lan WangJi's head. "See? Words and pictures! A whole story in fact. She's a princess who's been kidnapped into a harem. The prince is about to take her virginity. Look where his fingers are. Can you imagine what it feels like? Soft and warm.... He calls that her 'pearl'; do you think it's like a real pearl? I can hardly wait to get married, so I know exactly what that feels like. And see the look on her face! She's scared, right? But here," he pointed to the text on the next page. "It says here that she's scared of what's going to happen, but the prince is so handsome and charming, she can't wait to feel him inside her. Just his fingers make her feel so nice, his.... Oh! And here! Look, she's holding his rod! Look how big it is.... It completely dwarfs her hand! I wonder if there are men who are that big in real life."

Forced to look, Lan WangJi snorted. "I'm bigger than he is."

Wei WuXian looked down at his own naked lap. "I'm bigger than most of the guys I've seen. No way that's a real size."

"You look at naked men?" Lan WangJi knew he sounded like a strangled cat. It was just slightly embarrassing.

"Not deliberately," Wei WuXian scoffed. "Sometimes on night hunts everyone just piles into a river to clean up. Not everyone wears trousers in the water. I don't look on purpose, but sometimes you just see things, you know?"

"No."

"Are you really that big?" Wei WuXian's hand pulled the blankets down and wolf whistled at the tented trousers. "You weren't joking! You are huge!" Placing his wrist at the base of the tented fabric, he whistled again. "You're almost my full hand and a half! I've never seen one so big before!"

"Wei WuXian!"

"You are truly a prince among men! I salute you!" Wei WuXian burst into giggles. "Are you saluting me back, Lan Zhan?"