Wen Reian

2019 years after The Long Night

Hêi’àn Palace

Wen Reian watched as A’Jun raced ahead, dashing through the crowded room and into her fathers’ arms. Songcai and Yi-jun were both smiling and exchanging loving words with their daughter, when Reian and Kai-Le also approached. Wen Rei could tell that Lan Kai-Le, who as always was standing very close to him, was uncomfortable, likely due to the amount of people in the great hall. Reian could tell by his body language. Because he knew the man, despite never once having seen his soul…

“Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?!” Songcai huffed and shook his head.

“I’m sorry-”

The fair-haired man quickly took a deep breath and released his daughter, saying, “No apologies. You are safe, that’s all that matters.”

When Reian caught the eye of Xie Yi-jun at last, it was clear that the King was about to step forward and hug Reian too. Wen Rei smiled.

What the-

Before Yi-jun could even come within arms-reach, Lan Kai-Le was moving between them, his whole posture radiating aggression. Reian had seen him do something similar before, but with strangers or people who might be dangerous!

Yi-jun’s eyes widened, “Uhm…”

Reian placed his hand on Kai-Le’s shoulder and peaked out from behind him, smiling shyly while in his head he was cringing.

“Yi-jun, this is Lan Kai-Le. He um… helped me rescue A’Jun.”

And abducted her in the first place-

Xie Yi-jun’s face brightened while behind him, A’Jun explained to Songcai that she didn’t need to be rescued at all and had everything under control.

When the King finally extended his hand out, Reian felt Kai-Le stiffen, and Wen Rei’s cheeks turned pink with embarrassment when the man standing in front of him, practically glaring at Xie Yi-jun, began growling!

Reian tried to pat Kai-Le’s back reassuringly, but it seemed to be nose use. Lan Kai-Le wasn’t even blinking he was so angry…

Why would he be angry at Xie Yi-jun, they’ve never even met?!

Attempting to push past the hunter, Reian only made it a few steps before he was being roughly yanked back. Lan Kai-Le placed him behind him again, never dropping eye contact with Yi-jun. Even when Songcai finally turned to look at what was happening, the hunter growled at him too!

What the hell is going on, this is so embarrassing, I-

Thankfully, Yi-jun wasn’t upset. The King remained smiling as he said; “Well, then I thank you, Lan Kai-Le. You have my gratitude. Wen Rei? Could I speak to you for a moment, please?”

Reian frowned.

Only if I can keep this big puppy from biting at my ankles-

“Of course,” tugging at Kai-Le’s sleeve, Reian hissed softly; “I’ll be quick. Stick close to A’Jun and Songcai, okay? Don’t worry…”

It seemed that Reian’s words or maybe just his voice had calmed the man somewhat. Kai-Le had released a lot of the tension in his shoulders and fists, but was still glaring at the King and his husband as if he were waiting for them to do something absolutely atrocious.

Reian slowly stepped around him, turning his head back to the man to give him what he hoped was a gentle smile. Wen Rei saw the softening of Lan Kai-Le’s eyes in an instant, the tilt of his head and the way he seemed to trust that Reian would be back as soon as possible.

“It’ll be just a-” when Yi-jun reached out and took hold of Reian’s wrist, they all blinked in astonishment as Lan Kai-Le snarled loudly, the exact sound a wolf might make if someone was threatening his pack, or his… mate…

Xie Yi-jun’s hand dropped and Kai-Le ceased at once, blinking innocently at Reian as if his reactions were entirely warranted and normal. The healer frowned, deciding he’d need to discuss this with the man later.

You can’t just go around growling at my closest friends, they’re special to me!

Another part of Reian felt somewhat assured, and oddly… complimented?

Lan Kai-Le truly wants to protect me. Even if he’s a little confused as to what a real threat looks like…

Following at a distance behind Xie Yi-jun, so as not to make Kai-Le any more upset, Wen Reian eventually stopped when the King led him over to one of the pillars by the wall. Here they were away from the volume of the hall, and Reian’s soul warmed in the most familiar, lovely way, at feeling Yi-jun near him once again. He truly did miss the man, and yet knew that wherever he traveled in his life, Xie Yi-jun would always be with him, in one way or another…

“You look well, Reian.” Those were Yi-jun’s first words.

Wen Rei smiled and looked down, though his gaze kept being snared by the man sulking not too far away. Reian had told him it wouldn’t be long, but Lan Kai-Lei had still somehow not taken the hint that this was to be a private conversation. He was lurking just barely out of earshot, arms crossed and face darkening by the second. For some reason, this all just made Reian smile.

“You’ll have to tell me everything that happened,” Yi-jun said. “But for now I only have one question.”

Reian glanced up at him, expecting to hear something about A’Jun, or Xie Xingyue or even the idiots in Xibù Shataar, then suddenly Yi-jun grinned, and it was the kind of grin he had every time he was being sneaky…

“Who is that man, and are you aware that he is in love with you?!”

Wen Reian’s mouth dropped open, while Yi-jun grinned then chuckled softly. Sputtering and turning bright red, it was all Reian could do to try and explain in as few words as possible-

“No, that’s not it! It’s just… Lan Kai-Lei is very protective and even though he might seem a little strange at first, he’s just doing that because-”

Xie Yi-jun was smiling fondly at Wen Reian, as if his rambling was only confirming the King’s suspicions.

No! I don’t, and he doesn’t, I just-

Frowning and blushing, Reian ended up crossing his arms and sighing.

Yi-jun just nodded, “All right. Fair enough, it’s just…” he smiled. “He seems awfully jealous.”

Reian scoffed loudly, “Jealous?!”

Jealous…? What would Lan Kai-Le be jealous of?? Ugh, he wasn’t going to start getting in between Reian and every other person on the planet, was he?! I’ll have to speak to him about this soon. In depth-

At last, Yi-jun dropped it, and their conversation continued mostly uninterrupted, the King wanting every detail of their journey and everything that had happened.

“I still wish we had been able to help,” he frowned.

Reian smiled, reaching out to place his hand on the King’s shoulder. As he did, he heard a soft growling coming from somewhere close by, and upon realizing it was Lan Kai-Le, the man not even looking in their direction just somehow feeling that Reian was touching someone else, the healer let go with another resigned sigh.

Xie Yi-jun laughed, then lowered his voice to whisper; “Will you stay in the palace?”

Wen Rei huffed, “Where else would I stay? Or have you given away my room in the time we’ve been gone…”

The King grinned, quirking his head. “Never. I just wondered ‘cuz of-”

He nodded at Kai-Le, still sulking behind the column. Reian glared at his shoulders, scowling enough to burn a hole in the hunter’s skull. Sometimes he really did get on Wen Rei’s nerves...

“He has nowhere to go either. He has nobody-”

The King startled Reian suddenly by saying with much caring in his voice; “He has you.”

Reian paused. Did Lan Kai-Le have him?? Did Reian even want to give himself away? Was it possible? It was all too confusing. One thing was for sure though, that throughout all of this, Reian had Kai-Le.