Chapter Text
The best thing about game day was how everything seemed to go right. Classes went smooth, everyone was a little bit happier, and Wei Wuxian got to shine. Even today, the compliments he got on his new uniform skirt made him want to fly. He felt confident with the pleats grazing his thighs, pleased with the attention from others. However, the thought of Lan Wangji’s intense gaze contrasted with his gentle fingers made him revert to a daydreaming teenager.
It was hard not to get distracted by the lacrosse player’s… everything.
Even lunch with Jiang Cheng was mostly his brother getting annoyed with him for spacing out.
Before the game, intending to get Lan Zhan to come with him to the after-game diner dash, he pushed open the door to the men’s locker rooms. Giving a cursory sweep of the room with his eyes, he hummed, "Not bad."
The lacrosse team were all stunned in various states of redress, padding and jerseys strewn about the benches. Peeking around a wall of lockers, Jiang Cheng shouted, "Wei Wuxian! What are you doing here?!"
"Don’t worry; I’m not here for you," he said, tapping Jiang Cheng's nose as he passed, making sure his skirt swished along with his hips. "I’m here for…" Passing the next row of lockers, he stopped, grinning. "You."
Lan Wangji looked up, his jersey halfway up his arms, preparing to be tugged over his head. His shoulders were broad even under the padding, his back curving elegantly to full hips. His abs twitched like they could feel Wei Wuxian’s eyes on them.
"Oh, don’t hurry on my part," Wuxian said, leaning against the lockers next to him, his original goal forgotten in the face of so much skin. "You can take your time."
"... Shameless," Wangji sighed, pulling his jersey on and covering his beautiful body to Wei Wuxian’s despair.
"I’m not the one without a shirt on here," he countered. "But I could be."
"That’s it," Jiang Cheng huffed, grabbing his brother by the ponytail. "We’ve got a game to be preparing for and you’re bothering Lan Wangji."
"OW OW OW JIANG CHENG LET ME GO OW-" he howled at his brother, feeling his perfect ponytail getting mangled by indelicate hands.
Quicker than quick, Lan Wangji’s hand shot out to grab Jiang Cheng by the wrist, his other hand resting on Wei Wuxian’s waist. "Let him go," he said. "He’s not bothering me."
Wei Wuxian shivered from a combination of the edge to Wangji’s voice and the fingers that slid up the edge of his skirt to his skin. His fingers were deceptively warm and there were calluses on the pads of his fingers that surprised him. He felt Jiang Cheng let go of his hair and heard him grumble after shuffling off.
Wangji’s arm dropped from his waist like Wuxian’s skin burned, letting out a long breath. "Wei Ying," he said softly. "What can I help you with?"
Legs feeling a little shaky, he dropped onto a bench and pouted as he took out the ribbon from his hair. Next came the ponytail holder as he replied, "Well, I was going to ask you a question, but now I have to redo my hair before the game."
Wangji’s long fingers slid into his view and snatched the ponytail holder, moving to stand behind Wei Wuxian. "I will fix your hair," he said. "What’s on your mind?"
Wei Wuxian’s heartbeat drowned out his thoughts as time seemed to move in slow motion. He felt light tugs to his hair and Wangji’s fingers carding through the long locks, making his fingers grasp the bench under him in a white-knuckled grip. His lips and mouth felt dry and his voice stuck in his throat. "I-I…"
"You?" the man behind him urged, fingers brushing his scalp as he pulled the hair together at the base of his neck, making quick work of the ponytail. He smoothed out the strands of his hair once the holder was secure, the ponytail perfectly situated down Wei Wuxian’s back.
"I was wondering if, after the game," Wuxian managed, eyes drooping closed as goosebumps rose up along his neck, "you wanted to join us at the diner downtown? Mianmian says it’s a tradition that after the first game of the season, the squad goes out for dinner together. We can invite others, too, so wanted to invite you."
The ribbon was removed from his hand and promptly tied into his hair.
"If we win," Wangji supplied, hand tapping at his shoulder to show he was finished, "I will attend."
Wei Wuxian spun around, beaming as he slid his knee up onto the bench to push himself closer to Wangji and expose more of his long legs. "Really?"
Wangji nodded, sliding his elbow pads into place. "Yes," he said, "I will go with Wei Ying."
"Alright!" he cheered, jumping up. "I’ll see you then~ Good luck, Lan Zhan! I’ll be cheering for you."
Wangji’s eyes lowered slowly as he nodded. "Mm."
Wei Wuxian cheered as the team took the field, cheered louder during the 15 minute intermission, and cheered his loudest as his brother scored the winning goal. He grabbed who was nearest to him - Nie Huaisang - and jumped up and down. "Lan Wangji is going to join us at the diner!"
"WHAT?" Huaisang shouted over the cheers.
"I SAID LAN WANGJI IS GOING TO JOIN US-" He stopped as his mouth was covered by Huaisang.
"I heard you; I’m just in shock," Huaisang said. "How did you manage to get Lan Wangji to come with us anywhere?"
"I asked him, of course," Wei Wuxian chuckled.
Huaisang shook his head. "He never agrees to go anywhere," he said. "Brother always tries to get him to join team outings, but he always declines."
Wuxian pondered over this, but was distracted by said topic of conversation walking over. "You won!"
Wangji nodded. "We won," he agreed. "Will we be heading out soon?"
Wei Wuxian nodded. "We’ll have to get a ride, though…"
"I have a car with me," the lacrosse player said. "I can drive."
‘A car’ Wei Wuxian’s finely toned ass. He stared at the vehicle in front of him. This was a Mercedes-Benz G500. A fucking G Wagon . "Goodness," was all he said.
"Is it not to your liking?" he asked, a furrow between his brows.
"No, no," Wei Wuxian said, shaking his head. "Sorry. It’s… wow. I just didn’t know I was dealing with Young Master Lan!" He let out a small laugh, patting Wangji on the shoulder and walking to the passenger side. He went to open the handle, but it was still locked. "Lan Zhan?"
Wangji was frozen in place; the furrow in his brow was more pronounced and his jaw tense. He gripped the door handle so hard his knuckles were white.
"... Lan Zhan?" He made his way back around the car slowly and laid his hand atop Wangji’s. "I’m sorry. I… I didn’t…"
"I don’t want you to see me that way," Wangji cut in, hand twitching. "Like some… rich young master."
"I don’t!" he shouted, then covered his mouth, blushing. "I don’t see you like that. You’re my Lan Zhan, right?" He smiled. "My friend."
"Yes," he said, his eyes losing some of his frustration, "friend."
There was a soft pang in Wei Wuxian’s chest at the word "friend", but he pushed it off. "Let’s go get some food, yeah?"
"Mm."
Wei Wuxian thought about that night at the diner a lot over the next two weeks.
Though Wei Wuxian did most of the talking, Lan Wangji was attentive and engaged throughout the dinner. He asked a couple questions and got him talking about his family (he has a brother), pets (he has two rabbits), and his hobbies (he plays guqin). Plus, he even shared a jalapeño popper appetizer without complaint!
"Did you know Lan Zhan has rabbits?" Wei Wuxian mused, fingers running through his hair before the third game of the season. He sat next to Huaisang who was rustling through his locker.
"Yes, I was literally right there next to you the entire evening," Huaisang sighed. "It was me that told you that everyone had left besides you and Lan Wangji."
"Oh, you’re right," he remembered. "Well, he told me later that they don’t have names. They don’t have names, Huaisang! We should think of names for them."
Huaisang shut his locker with a snap. "Have fun with that," he said, sliding his bow into place before his bun. "While you do that, I am going to go set up the platforms for intermission."
"Ooh, let me help!" Wei Wuxian said, suddenly excited. "The team’s probably warming up on the field!"
"On the condition that you don’t speak to me about Lan Wangji’s ‘fancy hair’, we’ll be fine," Huaisang snorted, leading the way out of the locker room and onto the field. He grabbed one of the platforms and shoved it at Wuxian. "On the opposite side of the band. Go. And don’t get distracted!"
Wei Wuxian stuck out his tongue, marching off to the other side of the wing area of the lacrosse field. He set down the platform and knelt down, raising his eyes to the field.
Though Lan Wangji was a midfielder, playing both offense and defense, he excelled in the intimidating part of both. His cool gaze let attackmen like Jiang Cheng and their captain do their jobs to their best ability, distracting the other players… and Wei Wuxian.
After pushing the stabilization pins into the ground without much care, he stood and moved to the edge of the field to watch Lan Wangji as he guarded Nie Mingjue from a pursuer. "Go, Lan Zhan!"
Wangji’s ears turned red as he nodded at Wei Wuxian, keeping his eyes on the field.
"HUAISANG!"
"Why me?" Huaisang whispered, looking up at the sky. He turned his attention back to the field. "Yes, brother?"
Nie Mingjue was a tree of a man, his hands gripping his lacrosse stick, the word BAXIA in bronze down the handle. "Keep an eye on your teammates. I’ve had enough distractions with this team lately." He shot Wei Wuxian a pointed look.
"Yes, brother," Huaisang grumbled. He grabbed Wei Wuxian by his ear and dragged him away, ignoring the whining. He kept a tight leash on his squadmate throughout the game, keeping his mind on the cheers and off of Lan Wangji. Thankfully, the wind kept Wei Wuxian’s hair flipping into his face enough to get his mind off of the field.
When it was time for intermission, the cheer squad took their places. Huaisang and Wuxian were atop the platforms, red and silver pom poms flickering in the stadium lights. The wind gusted through the field as the two went into toe-touches, launching themselves off the platforms.
The platform below Wei Wuxian jostled at the launch, the pins in the ground coming loose and allowing the wind to catch the underside and flip it over.
The crowd shouted, some rising from their seats on instinct as the cheerleader came back down towards the up-ended metal legs of the platform.
Wei Wuxian closes his eyes, tucking his knees in to protect his organs and hoping for the best. However, when he came to a stop, he felt no pain. He only felt strong arms tuck under his knees and wrap around his back and then…
"Wei Ying."
"L-Lan Zhan," he stammered, hands shaking so hard he had to grab onto Wangji’s #33 jersey. He swallowed thickly let himself breathe again. "I know I say this a lot, but… Thank you." He opened his eyes to look at his savior, the platform a few inches below his body. Nodding, Wangji rose up, making no move to set Wei Wuxian down.
"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan," he urged, hand pushing at his shoulder. "Put me down; I’m okay."
"Lan Wangji," Huaisang called, stepping down from his own platform. "You got him in time... Really-"
Ignoring the protests, he walked to the sidelines and set Wei Wuxian down on a bench.
Coach Sisi blew her whistle, calling attention back to her. "Wei, sit this one out," she said. "Squad, places!" Three whistles and the team went back to their places, getting the crowd back as they saw Wei Wuxian was unhurt.
Wangji grabbed a water bottle nearby and handed it to Wei Wuxian. "Drink."
"I’m fine-!"
"You can barely hold the water bottle," Wangji noted, hands coming up to cover Wuxian’s shaking hands, warmth radiating from his palms.
Determined, the cheerleader held the bottle tight and took a long drink. "There. Happy?"
Wangji nodded as the crowd cheered, signaling the end of intermission. "Mm," he hummed. "I have to head back to the game. Will you be alright?"
Wei Wuxian nodded. "I will," he said. "Win this, okay?"
"Of course," Wangji said.
As if there was any other option.
Midterms came and went and ushered in warmer weather and the most anticipated game of the lacrosse season: CRU vs. NCU.
As it was an away game, everyone loaded into busses to drive to NCU. The cheerleaders were spread throughout the different buses, keeping the energy up.
Wei Wuxian was paired with Mianmian this time around, which had nothing to do with how the last away game had him and Huaisang "accidentally" setting off sparklers out the windows.
Once they arrived at NCU’s campus, the parking lot became a flurry of movement as equipment was unloaded from the buses and brought to the field.
Mianmian frowned, looking through the cheer equipment. "Yuandao," she called. "I think we forgot the mat."
"What??" Wei Wuxian gasped, dashing over. "I guess we did… Maybe NCU’s squad has one we can borrow?"
"Maybe," she sighed. "I’ll try to go find someone to ask." She walked off towards the other side of the stadium.
Wei Wuxian let himself take charge, getting everything else set up in her absence. After about 10 minutes of her being gone, he got a bad feeling. "I’ll be right back," he told Nie Huaisang, walking in the direction Mianmian had taken off in.
The home side of the stadium was decked out in red, white, and gold banners. Off to the right, in a corridor leading to the stadium, he heard a voice that was awfully familiar.
"-ease," came the feminine voice. "I-I don’t want any trouble…! I just want to find the cheer captain… We just need a mat, you see-"
"No trouble?" a sneering voice replied. A sound like someone falling echoed as footsteps advanced. "Then why come alone, hmm?"
"She’s not alone," Wei Wuxian called, stepping out. Just as he had thought, Mianmian was on the ground, a man in the white, red, and gold of NCU’s lacrosse uniform towering over her, a grin frozen on his face. "How about you help the lady up, huh?"
The man’s face twisted and Wei Wuxian recognized him. Wen Chao: sophomore, lacrosse team attackman, and professional douchebag. Also, Wen Qing’s distant cousin. He’s seen a few photos of him and that nasty demeanor hadn’t seemed to die down during university.
"Hmph! I don’t have to do anything! She’s just a-"
"I suggest you stop talking," Wei Wuxian said, voice dark as he pushed past Wen Chao to help Mianmian up.
"Chaochao!" a woman called, her body appearing around the corner. "Where are you?" She stopped, taking in the scene before her.
"Jiaojiao!" Wen Chao squeaked, running to the woman in the cheerleading uniform. "Aha… Um, they were just, um… Yes, looking for a mat as they forgot theirs! For cheer! For intermission!"
"Oh," ‘Jiaojiao’ said, nose wrinkling. "I guess we have extras. I’m Wang Lingjiao. You can come with me." She grabbed Wen Chao by his arm and began to walk out of the tunnel.
When Mianmian moved to follow along with Wei Wuxian, Lingjiao gave her a pointed look. "You don’t have to come," he said, making it plainly clear that she was not welcome.
"It’s okay," Wuxian assured the co-captain. "I’ll be back. Go tell everyone I’ll be back, okay?"
Mianmian seemed hesitant, but she acquiesced, dashing off back to the visitor’s side.
Lingjiao walked deeper into the home side, pointing to an open doorway down a hall. She kept her grip on Wen Chao tight as she said, "Extra mats and stuff are in there. Take what you like, but make sure you bring it back."
"Of course," Wei Wuxian said, sending a glare to Wen Chao. "Thanks." He did not bid them farewell, walking down the hallway and standing in front of the open doorway.
Without any light, the darkness seemed to go on forever. Dark shapes were just beyond his vision and feeling the wall next to the door didn’t reveal a light switch. Sliding his feet along the floor to make sure he didn’t step on anything he didn’t want to, he suddenly felt something tap him on his face. He let his hand come up to grab the thing and found a string; pulling on the string made a little bulb above him turn on.
It was enough light to see the platforms, different sized mats, extra uniforms and pompoms, and other miscellaneous objects on shelves. It went on for a while, shelves on shelves going back at least 4 deep.
Enough with the inspection , Wei Wuxian thought, shaking his head. He turned towards the mats and sifted through them until he found the size they needed. He stopped as he heard voices coming from down the hallway.
"-round here, maybe…" That sounded like Wen Chao, his nasally tone grating in Wei Wuxian’s ears.
"Are you sure?" Another voice said that soothed the previous sensation in an instant.
Wei Wuxian knew that voice. He stood, turning to see Lan Wangji in the doorway. "Lan Zhan!"
"Wei Ying-" Wangji suddenly staggered forward as a shadow loomed behind him.
Wen Chao stood in the doorway. "No mats, no star rookie… What ever will Cloud Recesses do without you?" He slammed the door shut, a lock clicking on the other side, Wen Chao’s laugh echoing.
Lan Wangji turned, trying to force the door open before the lock clicked in vain. His fist hit the door, eyes stormy in the dim light of the fluorescent bulb overhead.
Wei Wuxian dropped the mat, running over to the door and jiggling the handle. "Dammit!" he hissed. "Fucking Wen Chao! Bastard!" He gave a kick to the door.
"Wei Ying." Wangji’s voice was surprisingly steady as he placed a hand on the cheerleader’s shoulder. "Be careful."
Wei Wuxian huffed, crossing his arms. "Oh no," he growled. "I left my phone in my bag. What about you?"
“"Mine is in the locker room," he replied. He looked around, moving to the mats and arranging them. "Sit. All we can do is wait. We are too far from the crowds for someone to hear any shouting."
Tapping his foot, Wei Wuxian realized Lan Wangji was right and plopped down on the mats. "Fucking Wen Chao."
"So you’ve said," Wangji replied. "Though I don’t think that would be a very enjoyable experience."
Did he just make a joke? Wei Wuxian thought, mouth falling open. He covered his mouth and snorted, letting his laughter out. "Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, I didn’t know you were so funny!" He dropped his hand, letting his smile brighten up the room. "You always continue to surprise me."
Wangji’s ears shifted from pink to crimson as his eyes averted to the platforms on the other side of the room. "Then maybe I shouldn’t tell you what I named my rabbits," he said. "I don't know how many surprises you can take today."
Scrambling nearer to his classmate, he demanded, "Tell me!! I want to know, I want to know!"
A small smile rested on Lan Wangji’s face. "The white one," he began, "is named Salt and the black one is Pepper."
Wei Wuxian blinked. "Are you serious?"
"No," Wangji said, "but you thought I was."
The guffaw that left Wei Wuxian’s mouth surprised even him, smacking Lan Wangji’s shoulder in retaliation. "Fine, then! Don’t tell me!"
"What do you think should be their names?" Wangji asked.
"Hmmm…" He thought over the question. "Any family names that you can play off of?"
Wangji froze at the question. "I don’t think so," he said.
Noticing the hitch in the conversation, Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop his knee-jerk urge to question. " I don’t mean to pry, but…" Wei Wuxian moves a little closer. "Your uncle… he raised you, right?"
Wangji nodded. "Yes," he said. "My mother died when I was… very young. My father died back in high school, but we weren’t very close. He was always working out of the country or secluded in his office. Uncle and Brother were the only ones that were always there." He looked to Wei Wuxian next to him. "You call Jiang Cheng your brother, but you said you aren’t related by blood?"
Wei Wuxian nodded. "Yeah, he’s my godfather’s son," he said. "My parents died in an accident when I was small. I don’t remember much, but… We lived out in the countryside and our house caught on fire. I had snuck out that night to feed an apple to our donkey who was making a ruckus outside. I ran out to the field and once I turned back… Everything after that is a blur." He shrugged. "The social workers had me with Uncle Fengmian that next week. This was before he and Madame Yu divorced, so a family of four became five."
"It’s not easy to lose family, no matter the age," Wangji said. "You always try to find something to hold on to. My mother… she taught me to play the guqin. It’s one of the things that I still hold close to me. My uncle continued my training, but… it reminds me of her."
Wei Wuxian smiled, resting his cheek on his knee. "I want to hear you play sometime," he said. "Your guqin."
Wangji’s eyes widened. "You do?"
Wei Wuxian nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Maybe I can play my dizi and we can do a duet."
"I would like that," the lacrosse player said. "Especially if it means that we get out of here sometime soon. The game has already started."
"Yeah…" Wei Wuxian sighed. Glancing over, he closed the gap between them and rested his head on Wangji’s shoulder. "Sing something for me."
"What would you like to hear?" Wangji asked, shoulder a little stiff with surprise but slowly relaxing.
"Whatever comes into your head," he said, closing his eyes.
There was a pause before Wei Wuxian felt vibrations under him, the sound rising into the air from Lan Wangji’s chest. It was a lilting tune that rose and fell like the emotions of those in love. His humming was steady and echoed through the shelves, drowning out the dull roar of cheers from the field beyond. Wangji’s voice faded out as he came to the end of the song.
"That was beautiful, Lan Zhan." He smiled, letting out a breath. "I’ve never heard it before. Who is the composer?"
"Me," he replied simply.
"What?!" Wei Wuxian gasped, raising his head from Wangji’s shoulder. "Lan Zhan, that’s amazing!! It was so beautiful and made me feel-" Raising his eyes to think of a word to describe the ache in his heart, he saw something odd on the shelf to their right by the door. "Lan Zhan," he whispered, "why is there a ceramic Xuanwu on that shelf?"
Wangji followed his gaze and frowned. Lifting himself off of the mats, he took Wei Wuxian by the hand and pulled him to the shelf. He took the ceramic figure off the shelf and it… jingled.
Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened. He leaned down to look at the bottom. "Lan Zhan, there’s a hole. Hold it up to the light."
Wangji followed his directions and turned it over, letting light enter the hole.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian whispered. "There’s a key in there." They locked eyes and he grinned, holding out his hands as Lan Wangji held the Xuanwu by the neck and shook it, the key dropping out into Wei Wuxian’s palm.
The sound of the key fitting perfectly into the lock was the second most beautiful sound in the world, behind Lan Wangji’s voice. He grabbed the mat and ran, Wangji hot on his heels. He paused and his free hand grabbed Lan Wangji’s, bursting through the tunnel and into the stadium. He felt warm from the steady presence next to him and the solid grip in his hand.
The end of the season felt like it came in the blink of an eye.
CRU was at an all time high, their winning streak making everyone anxious for the final game. Even the team’s manager, Jin Guangyao, was on edge as he watched the team practice, Nie Mingjue towering next to him.
"The win against NCU was big," Mingjue was saying. "Lan Wangji got a lot of attention, especially."
"Of course he did," Jin Guangyao said dismissively. "He went missing for the first quarter and then came running onto the field hand in hand with a cheerleader."
"And then played his best game this season. Some scouts from other schools are coming tonight, Yao," Mingjue said in a warning tone. "They might make offers. I heard even Coach Wen might come."
Now this caught the shorter man’s attention. "Wen Ruohan? Whose son locked Wangji in a supply room? He did seem too interested in that game…" He waved it off. "I don’t think he’ll be able to get him away from Coach Lan."
"You never know," Mingjue said, crossing his arms. "He may be a Lan, but the offer might be good enough to get Wangji to transfer schools and make his own way, like Xichen."
" What ?"
The two turned, unaware they had an audience.
Wei Wuxian stood behind them, hands clenched into fists. "Lan Zhan might transfer schools?"
"Now, look," Mingjue sighed. "It’s hypothetical-"
"And if he does?" Jin Guangyao stepped in, raising a brow. "What does it have to do with you?"
Wei Wuxian’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he hung his head. He turned on his heel and ran off around the bleachers.
It hurt . That question seemed to cut into his chest and pull out his heart only to smash it back in so that he could feel the pain of the ill-fitting organ sitting tight in his rib cage.
What was he to Lan Wangji? A friend? A confidant? A troublesome presence? Was Jiang Cheng right when he said Wei Wuxian was bothering Wangji? What did anything Lan Wangji decides to do have to do with how WeiWuxian felt about it?
He was so consumed by his own thoughts that he barely registered Lan Wangji’s presence until: "Wei Ying."
His head jerked up, eyes wide and rimmed in red. "L-Lan-" He shut his mouth, turning around.
"Wei Ying?" Concern. Pity, to Wei Wuxian’s ears.
"Lan Wangji!" Wei Wuxian turned back around, squaring his shoulders. "You should always do what you need to do! Okay?"
Lan Wangji was frowning, reaching out towards the man before him. "I… don’t understand…"
It took all of Wuxian’s control to step back. "You need to do what’s best for you, right? To make sure you succeed? The offers that come your way, the sacrifices you need to make… You need to do them! Okay?"
"I-"
"Okay, Lan Wangji?!"
A pause.
"Okay… Wei Wuxian."
Sucking in a quick breath, Wei Wuxian turned away and marched off. He found Huaisang and pleaded a nauseous stomach - not a complete lie - and said he would be there for the halftime routine. Finding a place along the gate timing the field, far from the crowds but still able to see the field, he finally took a break.
He sighed as he watched the first quarter game, GY Tech taking the win. Movement caught his eye from the stands as a handsome stranger left the stands and made his way around the field towards him. He looked like...
"Excuse me," said the man. "I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but are you Wei Ying- Wei Wuxian?"
"You must be Lan Xichen," Wei Wuxian said. "You look a lot like your brother. I’m… Wei Wuxian, yeah."
"I was surprised to not see you with your squad," Xichen said, eyes turning back to the field. "You’re usually right up front."
"You’ve come to games before?" he asked, eyes wide. Like Wangji had said, his brother was indeed a refined beauty with a gentle smile and welcoming demeanor; he set his frayed nerves at ease with just his casual conversation.
"Most local games I make time for," Xichen explained. "I like to come support Wangji. He is my little brother, after all, and he’s a bit sensitive."
Wei Wuxian let out a snort. "Sensitive? Lan Zhan? Right."
Xichen nodded earnestly. "He is," he insisted. "He may not show it often, but I’ve noticed he’s been a lot happier lately. He and Uncle have gotten on each other’s nerves less, he’s playing better than ever… He’s enjoying his classes, too."
Wei Wuxian frowned, kicking at the ground. "Yeah," he said. "Lacrosse is going well for him. It’s good it’s making him so happy."
There was a noise like someone choking as Lan Xichen covered his mouth. "I wasn’t talking about lacrosse," he said. "I was talking about the cheerleader that’s been by his side for the past semester."
Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened as he pointed to himself. "Me? You think… I’m the one making him happy?"
"I know it," Xichen said, completely sure of himself. "Whatever he does, whether it’s his classes or lacrosse, what makes him happy is being around you. He may not say it, but you can see how he looks at you, right?"
Lan Xichen pointed to the field where the teams were breaking for intermission, one member pausing and turned in their direction. Seeing he was caught, Wangji turned back around.
Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Wei Wuxian said, "I’ve made a huge mistake," before jumping the gate and running onto the field as the cheer squad was taking the field.
Commandeering a megaphone from Coach Sisi, he hopped onto a platform amid his stunned squad members.
"Wei, what are you-" Coach Sisi began.
"GIVE ME AN L!" he shouted into the megaphone.
Unaware something was off, the crowd shouted, "L!"
"GIVE ME AN O!"
"O!" the crowd roared.
"GIVE ME A V!"
Confusion settling in, but enthusiastic nonetheless, the crowd repeated, "V!"
"One last time! Give me an E!"
"E!"
"What’s that spell, CRU?!" he shouted as he turned toward the players on the sidelines, singling one out with his gaze as the crowd screamed, "LOVE!"
Coach Sisi rolled her eyes, flopping down into a bench and covering her eyes. "Of course we’re doing this now."
"Lan Zhan!" The megaphone carried his voice like an arrow, parting the players until nothing was in the way between him and Lan Wangji. "Lan Zhan, I’m sorry! I was being an idiot and not talking to you about what you really want!" He gripped the handle of the megaphone harder as he felt his hands shake. "I let things go to my head and instead of talking with you, I hurt you in the process! I don’t want that to happen again, so I’m being honest with you right now!"
Lan Wangji nodded, hands twitching at his sides as Wei Wuxian continued, "Lan Zhan, you’re really great! I like you! I fancy you! I want you, I can’t live without you, I will never leave you… In other words, I love you, Lan Wangji!"
Wangji took a step toward the cheerleader with every word he spoke, looking like he’d already been handed the trophy for this season, or something even more precious. "Like you," he repeated, voice carrying. "Fancy you. Want you, can’t live without you, will never leave you."
Wuxian dropped the megaphone to speak solely to Lan Wangji. "I want to cheer you up for the rest of my life- Oh!" He gasped as his feet left the platform, skirt rising as he settled in Wangji’s arms.
"It cannot be anyone but you," Wangji replied.
His senses were in overdrive. Lights flashed, the crowd cheered, the smell of the turf was kicked up by the cheer team jumping up and down around them, and confetti caressed his cheeks and landed in his hair. Yet Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but focus on the other sensations filtering through. Wangji’s amber eyes seemed to shine, the sound of his heart rattling around in his chest was almost deafening, the smell of sweat and sandalwood was so close as he held Wei Wuxian in the air, and the touch of his lips felt like a wish being granted.
In either case, there was victory on the tip of his tongue and nothing had ever tasted sweeter.
"Lan Wangji, my Lan Zhan," he murmured, cupping his cheeks and looking into those captivating eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too, Wei Ying," Wangji said, setting him back down on the ground but not letting go of his waist. "My Wei Ying."
"Wait for me after the game, alright?" Wei Wuxian pleaded, grasping the front of his jersey.
"For you," Wangji replied, leaning in to kiss him again, "I would wait forever."