Assessment

      "On your knees."       This is not how Wei Wuxian imagined his meeting with Lan Xichen.       Him and Lan Zhan (his husband!) decided to take a break at Cloud Recesses. Lately they were working really hard to stop some unruly spirits from bothering people, so really, they were due to some vacation.       Imagine his surprise when shortly after arriving at Cloud Recesses he received an invitation from Lan Xichen to join him for some tea. Alone. In his bedroom. Wei Wuxian was truly intrigued.       When he stepped through the threshold of the room, Lan Xichen was already sitting beside the table, his poise elegant and straight as always.       "Welcome, Wei Wuxian," said the Clan leader with a smile. "I'm glad my invitation's been accepted. Come, sit with me." He gestured to the table and then poured some tea for his guest.       "Thank you, Zewu-jun," answered Wei Wuxian politely, and sat down beside the other man.       After some catching up with what they'd been up to lately, Wei Wuxian couldn't restrain his curiosity anymore. "Zewu-jun, I'm happy to chat with you, but why were you so insistent I come alone?"       Lan Xichen looked at him deep in thought. After a while he spoke, "I wanted to make sure you treat Lan Zhan well." His finger tapped the teacup he was holding.       Wei Wuxian grinned. "Ah, Zewu-jun, no need to worry! I always leave Hanguang-jun very satisfied." He chuckled at the end.       Lan Xichen's gaze sharpened. "I'm glad to hear that, but I need to evaluate your performance myself. It's my duty as a Clan leader and a brother." He stood up so that he was now towering over his guest.       "Huh?" Wei Wuxian looked up at the other man. He wasn't expecting this turn of events. "Zewu-jun, are you joki-"       "No, I'm not." Lan Xichen cut him off. "Wangji wouldn't want to talk about it, so I need a more hands-on approach." He smiled. "It would be over quickly if you don't resist."       So that's how Wei Wuxian stumbled into his current predicament: on his knees, naked, with hands tied behind his back, and a blindfold covering his eyes. Anticipation rolled through his body, causing him to tremble. Lan Xichen was somewhere in the room, preparing who-knows-what, and that was driving Weix Wuxian mad.       Unexpectedly, Wei Wuxian felt a hand on his shoulder. He startled so much that he nearly toppled over, but the hand steadied him.       "Easy." He heard Lan Xichen's breath on his ear. "I'm nearly finished with preparations."       Wei Wuxian exhaled slowly, hoping it would calm his racing heart. "Zewu-jun, I-"       A hand clamped down on his mouth.       "Silence," said Lan Xichen sternly. "No more words from you or else I'll have to gag you. Do you understand?"       Wei Wuxian nodded. Really, what other choice did he have?       "Then we begin," Lan Xichen announced.       Wei Wuxian shifted nervously. He flinched as his back was immediately swatted with... a flogger?        "No moving either," Lan Xichen commanded.       Wei Wuxian pouted. This was some torture!       The wooden floor creaked as the Clan leader was walking around Wei Wuxian's bound form. After a few seconds, Lan Xichen broke the silence, "For the first task I need to make sure that Wei Ying can focus on others’ pleasure, not only his own."       Wei Wuxian felt like he was attending a class. But here he will be judged for other skills rather than those concerning his cultivation.       A hand closed around his bicep. "Up." He heard a command. Lan Xichen steadied him as he was getting up, not without a struggle. It was not an easy task with a blindfold on, okay?       Wei Wuxian was guided to some other place in the room. "Kneel." Another command, which he followed without a fuss. Honestly, he was curious where this was going.       "Good boy. I see Wei Ying can follow orders after all," said Lan Xichen with a smile.       A hand petted Wei Wuxian's hair. He blushed. This was embarrassing. "Zewu-jun, is this really necessary?" he asked weakly.       The flogger hit him, this time on the chest. "Ow!" he exclaimed.       "Remember the rules," said Lan Xichen sternly.       "Right, no talk- ow!" The flogger made a reappearance.       "I see that keeping quiet is still a foreign concept to Wei Ying," Lan Xichen commented, amusement coating his words.       A response died in Wei Wuxian's throat. Zewu-jun was coaxing him into breaking the rule again but he won't fall for this!       "Good boy, you are learning." A palm rested on his cheek. He felt a finger pressing down on his lower lip. "Open," said Lan Xichen.       As soon as the finger entered his mouth, Wei Wuxian couldn't resist biting lightly. The hand immediately withdrew and next his cheek was stinging. Zewu-jun had the audacity to slap him!       "I see that I need to take some precautions," said the other man, "since you chose to behave like an animal."       Wei Wuxian felt his jaw being forcibly opened. Something hard clacked against his teeth. He tried to wrench his head back, but the hold on his face was too strong. Some straps went over his cheeks and clasped at the back of his head. His jaw was finally released but he quickly realized he couldn’t close his mouth. He made a noise of complaint.       “Better,” said Lan Xichen. He collected some drool that escaped Wei Wuxian’s mouth and put his fingers in the man’s mouth. Wei Wuxian protested and shook his head but it didn’t stop Lan Xichen’s fingers from exploring. They hit the back of the bound man’s throat and he gagged.       “That’s something we’ll work on,” said Lan Xichen with a smile and withdrew his fingers. He patted Wei Wuxian’s cheek. “But we have a whole night ahead of us, don’t we?”