Fannish Fifty 2023: Rec #44

[the_other_sandy]

Title: Minding Series
Author: WithBroomBefore
Fandom: The Untamed
Category: M/M
Pairing: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian


REC

This is another of WithBroomBefore's warm hugs in fic form. It starts when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji accidentally discover they can keep each other's nightmares at bay if they sleep in the same bed. Over the course of the series, they deal with their respective traumas while softly falling in love. There is just a whole bunch of hurt/comfort, angst, and Wangxian being ridiculously soft for each other.

I love the whole series, but the story I re-read most is Swordless. I love Lan Qiren here with his philosophy discussions (boy, I wish we'd had classes like this in school) and being all gruffly supportive.


TEASER

He does not move, though, and Wei Wuxian stops after a step and turns in question. Lan Wangji is looking at the ground, jaw set. "Wei Ying," he says. "I will stop anyone who tries to hurt you." His grip on Bichen makes stop sound like a different word.

Comments

[bibliofran]

Oh, this is a lovely series! It definitely has some sniffly bits though, especially the scene between Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen at the end of chapter 10 of Shield. (Aaaaaahhh!!)

[the_other_sandy]

Yeah, but it also has bits like Lan Wangji's friends (he gets to have friends!) stopping Jin Guangshan from misgendering him by spreading the rumor that Jin Guangshan is going senile. And building the village with the Wen hits one of my favorite tropes of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji together building something important and lasting that gives them purpose. Plus, there's also hugging and hair brushing and A-Yuan helping to paint rabbits around their doorframe.

[bibliofran]

Oh, yes -- I didn't mean to imply that it's all sad; that bit just really stuck out for me. There's plenty of humor, and Lan Wangji figuring out this "friend" thing that people keep talking about, and different family bits adopting one another, and Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang applying all of their skills in logistics, tactics, and hedonism to plan the best weddings ever (while falling into a QPR).

[the_other_sandy]

I know you didn't. I just meant that the non-sniffly bits made the sniffly bits worth it.