Work Text:
Lan Wangji first noticed when they were seventeen.
It was most likely because he spent more time than recommended looking at Wei Wuxian. With all the rule breaking he did and all the disciplining Lan Wangji supervised, they were forced to spend time together. It was only natural that Lan Wangji would notice something different.
Wei Wuxian’s lips were shiny.
The other man had the most perfect lips in existence (no, Lan Wangji was not at all biased, it was just a fact), but they somehow looked even more perfect now, reflecting the light with slight shimmers, as if they were wet. Lan Wangji forced himself to avert his eyes. Staring was improper.
“Lan Zhan!”
“Mm.”
Wei Wuxian stopped a fair distance away. “Are you going to the library after class?” The shine changed from white to pink as he talked, as the light changed, as Lan Wangji stared.
“Mm.”
“So am I! Turns out we have a chemistry test tomorrow. Might as well get some studying in, you think?”
Wei Wuxian was incredibly intelligent – yet, with that intelligence, came the blatant distaste for studying. Lan Wangji blinked, surprised that Wei Wuxian would study.
“How else would I spend time with Lan Zhan? He’s always hidden away in the library,” Wei Wuxian pouted. Lan Wangji felt his ears grow warm – from his words or his lips? Or perhaps just Wei Wuxian in general?
“This way,” he responded.
“I’ve been to the library before!”
Lan Wangji raised an eyebrow. Most of his time not in class was in the library, and he had never seen Wei Wuxian there before.
“Maybe once before! Don’t worry about it!”
As they settled in to study, Wei Wuxian across from Lan Wangji, he realized he had made a grave mistake. Sunlight dappled through the sheer curtains from the opposite window, casting an ethereal glow over Wei Wuxian. He was reading his chemistry textbook, grey eyes focused on the text, long fingers turning the pages ever so often. His mouth formed silent words while he read, lips shimmering in the sun.
Lan Wangji was grateful that the chemistry textbook was so engaging. He tried his best to focus on his own studies, but without his permission, his focus shattered and his eyes were dragged up to Wei Wuxian.
Unfortunately, this was not an uncommon occurrence. As of late, Wei Wuxian was proving to be a somewhat disastrous distraction. Lan Wangji did not quite know what to do with that knowledge, so he acted as normal (if not slightly more indulgent to Wei Wuxian’s schemes. No one needed to know).
However, Lan Wangji was perturbed with the new addition to Wei Wuxian’s mouth. He did not seem to be in any pain – rather, his lips looked…nice. Good.
Wei Wuxian’s were the only lips he paid attention to. This shine was abnormal for him, but maybe it was normal for others?
It did not matter. Wei Wuxian was Wei Wuxian, no matter how he looked.
-
For a few weeks after that, Lan Wangji had looked for any signs of shine on Wei Wuxian’s lips. Seeing nothing, he had let the topic go.
Three years later, they were now both at the same university. Lan Wangji had come to the startling conclusion a while ago that he was hopelessly and impossibly in love with Wei Wuxian, and the equally disorientating yet more expected notion that Wei Wuxian did not and would never love him back.
He was grateful that Wei Wuxian considered them friends and spent time with him, even with his busy schedule as a biochemistry major. The two of them didn’t have many classes together (except for a literature course that Wei Wuxian somehow found himself in), but were in the same circle of friends.
Speaking of their friends, Lan Wangji wondered where Wei Wuxian was. His brother, Jiang Wanyin, was here, along with Wen Ning and Nie Huaisang. They were sitting outside – the university had outdoor square tables with benches on all sides. Wen Ning was sitting with Nie Huiasang directly in front of him, with Jiang Wanyin on his right. Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue were walking over. Lan Wangji noticed that they were walking rather closely – interesting.
As much as he respected Nie Mingjue, their uncle would be displeased.
Wei Wuxian barreled in from the left, dragging his roommate Mo Xuanyu along with him. He offered Lan Wangji a beaming smile, dropping into the empty spot next to him. Mo Xuanyu sat with Jiang Wanyin, leaning his elbows on the table.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian gasped. “When’s the literature assignment due?”
“Friday.”
“Ah, I have time.”
Lan Wangji looked up, and blinked.
Having spent an embarrassingly long time observing Wei Wuxian, he knew there was something different today. His hair was slightly neater than usual, he was in his usual black attire…
His lips.
Lan Wangji peeked out of the corner of his eye. Yes, his lips were slightly darker and pinker than usual. Not enough to be extremely noticeable, but Lan Wangji was nothing if not observant – especially so when it came to Wei Wuxian.
His eyes slid to Mo Xuanyu, who was drumming dark red nails against the table. His mouth matched his nails, an abnormal colour – he must be wearing lipstick.
It would make sense. Mo Xuanyu and Wei Wuxian lived together, and had a bond that was just as strong as it was strange. The other did almost always have his lips painted – any colour from purple to blue to black, and it did make sense for Wei Wuxian to decide to follow his friend.
The colour Wei Wuxian had on did not seem like something Mo Xuanyu would wear – Lan Wangji was unsure if he ever saw him with any sort of colour on that wasn’t dark or eccentric.
Lan Wangji wondered if, he was to kiss Wei Wuxian, the colour would stain his own lips. He then wondered where the nearest cliff was, so he could toss himself over.
“Lan Zhan! Look at me!”
“Mm,” Lan Wangji forced his eyes back to Wei Wuxian’s grey ones. He was not going to look at his lips. He was not –
…the colour really did suit him.
-
“Lan Wangji? Can we talk?”
“Mm.” Lan Wangji followed his brother to the couches. They lived together, and it was nice to see his brother so often, even if their schedules rarely matched.
“It’s about…Wei Wuxian.” Lan Xichen scratched the top of his head, chuckling lightly. Lan Wangji wondered how impolite it would be to throw himself out the nearest window.
“How has he been?”
“Good,” he answered, cautiously.
“You seem to be getting along better now than in high school.”
“Mm.”
Lan Xichen smiled, “You can tell me anything, Wangji.”
“I am aware.”
“So…is there anything you want to tell me?” His brother had the ability to look kind and threatening at the same time. Lan Wangji sighed.
“About Wei Wuxian?”
“Yes!” Lan Xichen leaned forward.
“And that I am in love with him?”
That was the first time he had said it out loud for anyone else to hear. It felt like everything, felt like nothing.
Lan Xichen’s mouth dropped open. “You’re…what?”
Lan Wangji blinked. “I was under the impression that you were aware.”
“I was not aware that you knew you were in love with him!” Lan Xichen screeched, voice shaking. Lan Wangji tried to keep his expression neutral. This was the highest he had ever heard his brother’s voice go. “I was wondering if it was him who had broken our vase!”
“Ah.” The window was looking more and more appealing. “I do not know. You will have to ask him.”
“Wait – Wangji – don’t walk away! You’re telling me you’re aware of your feelings?”
“Yes.” Lan Wangji felt a headache incoming. Whenever his brother got that specific look on his face, it meant some sort of trouble.
“Interesting.” With that, Lan Xichen pulled out his phone and began to text.
-
Wei Wuxian ran over to Lan Wangji. “Lan Zhan! Let’s have lunch!”
His lips were a soft berry pink. It was a very nice colour, but all colours looked nice on Wei Wuxian.
“Mm.” He let Wei Wuxian lead him over to a sheltered space under a tree. Wei Wuxian chuckled as he unwrapped his food, which was a rather alarming shade of red. Lan Wangji was secretly glad that Wei Wuxian had stopped offering to share food – while he would do just about anything to keep him happy, it was getting difficult to remain calm when he felt like his mouth was set aflame.
The lipstick didn’t smudge as Wei Wuxian ate. Lan Wangji tore his thoughts away from that path (he could kiss him without ruining the perfect application). He was glad that Wei Wuxian already knew that Lan Wangji didn’t talk during meals, and did not seem to take his lack of responses to heart. “Mo Xuanyu was acting really weird…”
Lan Wangji bit his lip. Mo Xuanyu, along with Nie Huaisang and Wen Qing, were all terrifyingly observant and notorious gossips. Something must have happened.
Unlike Nie Huiasang, Mo Xuanyu was not the type to just leave things alone. Lan Wangji made a mental note to be extra careful.
“So, Lan Zhan! Are you coming to Wen Qing’s birthday?”
“Mm.”
Wei Wuxian continued talking about what he was going to buy her, where the party was, and his day. Lan Wangji didn’t answer as he ate, but he watched the way Wei Wuxian spoke; his hand gestures, the rises and falls of his voice, the laughter crinkling the corners of his eyes.
“I’ll walk you to class,” he said, and Lan Wangji allowed himself to be escorted to the other side of the campus. “See you tonight, Lan Zhan!”
“See you,” Lan Wangji whispered, but Wei Wuxian was already darting away.
Carrying Wen Qing’s present (a rather obscure medical novel) and dressed in his best button up (pale blue with white clouds (it was only his best because Wei Wuxian had complimented it one time two years ago)), Lan Wangji entered the bar with a slight wince. He generally would never enter a place like this, preferring to spend his Friday nights at home with his guqin and rabbits, but he likes and respects Wen Qing…
…who was currently upside down and drinking out of a full bottle of liquor.
Well, it was an admirable feat for someone.
“LAN ZHAN!” someone yelled right before they crashed into him. Lan Wangji put his arms out to steady them, swallowing quickly when he could see that it was Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian, in a mesh shirt, wearing red lipstick.
Lan Wangji wondered if he had passed out.
Taking his hand and pulling him through the crowd, Lan Wangji looked Wei Wuxian over. His hair was always messy, but it looked like a more refined mess than usual. His lips were a solid, matte red, curved into a smile. Distantly, Lan Wangji realized the black mesh shirt was a crop top, exposing a few inches of skin above his black jeans.
This was unfair. Absolutely unfair. He had followed all the rules perfectly and was ahead in his studying. Lan Wangji had an unhealthily high level of self control, but it was waning with each blood red curl of Wei Wuxian’s lips.
Wei Wuxian tugged them to a table with Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huiasang. Jiang Wanyin glared at his brother, who grinned back, leaning on Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji looked straight ahead in an effort to look anywhere but at Wei Wuxian.
Nie Huiasang turned to Wei Wuxian, “Wei Ying, where’d you get the lipstick?”
“Mo Xuanyu let me borrow it,” Wei Wuxian said, “I kind of feel bad though, it got all over him.”
Jiang Wanyin choked. “WEI WUXIAN!”
“What?”
All…over him? Wei Wuxian’s lips all over Mo Xuanyu?
Lan Wangji cut that train of thought off, derailing it, letting it crash. “Excuse me. My brother is here.” Extracting himself from Wei Wuxian and ignoring his protests, he made his way towards Lan Xichen.
“Wangji!” Xichen grinned. “You came!”
“Yes.” Lan Wangji nodded to Nie Mingjue, who was accompanying his brother. “There are tables towards the back.”
Determined to stay away from Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji sat near the far back. He didn’t own Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian could stain Mo Xuanyu’s body with his red lipstick if he wanted to. He could leap into his arms and whisper his name and look at him with those soft, grey eyes if he wanted to. Wei Wuxian did not belong to Lan Wangji.
Wei Wuxian did not love Lan Wangji.
It seemed like forever sitting there, imagining Wei Wuxian with someone else. After a while, his brother and Nie Mingjue left, and Wen Qing sat down with him.
“Wen Qing.”
“Lan Wangji.”
Lan Wangji handed her the present, which she nodded at happily, placing it beside her.
“You don’t drink, right?” When Lan Wangji nodded, Wen Qing sighed. “Well, I’m gonna stay here for a bit, then. If I drink any more, I may throw up.”
“Mm.”
“So, how’s everything with you? Your uncle doing okay?”
Lan Wangji liked Wen Qing. She wasn’t perturbed by his silence, content to talk for them both (like Wei Wuxian, but unlike him, as well). She seemed happy to stay, so he didn’t feel bad about taking her attention, until –
“Wangji!”
Lan Wangji turned to his brother, who saw Wen Qing and raised his eyebrows, smiling. “Ah, it’s nothing, Wen Qing. I just need to borrow Wangji for a moment.”
“See you!” she waved him off. “Ah, Mianmian is looking for me. Good timing.”
As soon as she was out of earshot, Lan Xichen hissed, “Wei Wuxian got kicked out.”
Somehow, Lan Wangji could not bring himself to be surprised. “Where?”
“Out the back entrance. I don’t know what happened. Good luck.”
Lan Wangji made his way to the back entrance, slipping out to see Wei Wuxian leaning against a wall outside, teeth gritted, only his outline visible from the lone, flickering streetlights.
“Wei Ying?”
He chuckled humourlessly. “Ah, of course. What are you doing here?”
“My brother sent me.”
“Ha! Even your brother had to send you.”
“Wei Ying, what’s wrong?” Lan Wangji came closer, and Wei Wuxian held a hand out.
“You should go back. Wen Qing will miss you.”
“Why did you get kicked out –” Lan Wangji stopped when he saw the bruise on Wei Wuxian’s face. “Who did that to you?”
Wei Wuxian shivered, looking down. “Doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me.” Lan Wangji curled his fist, uncurled it. He had to stay calm. Never mind that someone had hurt –
“Some guy grabbed me, so I punched him. He punched me back. Since I started the fight, I got kicked out. Good thing you had Wen Qing distracted, she would’ve gotten so mad.”
“I’ll walk you home.”
“Lan Zhan, no –”
“If I go back in there, I will end up in a fight, and it will upset everyone,” Lan Wangji admitted. “Let me walk you home.”
“I – okay.” Wei Wuxian’s eyes fluttered shut, at his admission or his insistence or something wholly unrelated. “Ah, shit, I don’t have keys.”
There was no room for keys in his tight attire. Lan Wangji sighed, “I’ll take you to my apartment.”
“I couldn’t –”
“Wei Ying.”
Wei Wuxian sighed, following Lan Wangji. “So, you and Wen Qing seemed quite close!”
“She is…nice.” Why the sudden interest in Wen Qing?
“Uh, well,” Wei Wuxian chuckled, “I hope – well, um, you might not know, she likes girls, Lan Zhan.”
Obviously. With a sharp breath, Lan Wangji muttered, “And I do not.”
Wei Wuxian stumbled. “You what?”
“I do not like girls.” Lan Wangji said, summoning every shred of his bravery. He had never said it out loud, like that. Most people seemed to assume he didn’t like anyone, with the exception of his brother, who was now painfully aware of his feelings. It never seemed relevant, anyways.
“Ah, well, I’m bisexual! I’m sure you knew that, though. Anyway, thanks for telling me, Lan Zhan!”
“Mm. Likewise.”
As they crossed the street, Wei Wuxian scowled. “Ah, that’s the guy from the bar. In the red jacket.”
There was a group of them, seven people, on the other side of the street. Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around himself, self-conscious.
Someone in the group pointed at them, and the men started yelling obscenities. Lan Wangji felt a shock of electricity go through his body, and moved to step forward –
“It’s not worth it.” Wei Wuxian said, in a firm voice, hand like ice on his arm. “Let’s go, Lan Zhan.”
Do not provoke others. Do not inflict violence on others. Wei Wuxian’s hand on your arm, his safety is in your hands. “Mm.”
It really was quite unlike Wei Wuxian to be level-headed and Lan Wangji to rush into danger, but there was something about Wei Wuxian that made all the sense in Lan Wangji’s brain fly out his ears to be replaced with something hot and molten, something new and irrational, terrifyingly wonderful.
Wei Wuxian shivered, and Lan Wangji took off his jacket. “Cold?”
“Ah, yes, very!” Wei Wuxian chirped, slipping on Lan Wangji’s black jacket.
Lan Wangji cast the moment to memory; Wei Wuxian in his jacket, walking to his home, content and happy despite everything that had happened, despite Lan Wangji’s blood boiling.
As they stepped into his apartment, Lan Wangji took the jacket which Wei Wuxian seemed reluctant to part with. The mark on his cheek was slowly turning purple, and Lan Wangji turned away so Wei Wuxian wouldn’t see a flicker of emotion on his face.
Still, when it came to Wei Wuxian, it seemed like he couldn’t hide anything.
Sitting Wei Wuxian on his kitchen counter, Lan Wangji pulled out an ice pack and gave it to him. Wei Wuxian pressed it to his cheek, wincing.
Lan Wangji froze.
A red handprint was on Wei Wuxian’s waist.
“Ah, don’t worry about that! It’s just where that guy grabbed me! Doesn’t hurt!”
Lan Wangji was not a violent person. Violence was forbidden.
He was grabbed so hard it left a mark.
Lan Wangji stuck his hand in the freezer to get more ice. And to calm down. Both.
“May I?”
“Go ahead,” Wei Wuxian said, voice a little higher than usual. Lan Wangji brushed his fingers over Wei Wuxian’s hip, and he shivered.
“Sorry.” His skin was softer than Lan Wangji had thought it would be. Not that he thought about it. Not at all.
As Lan Wangji pressed the ice to his hip, Wei Wuxian huffed. “Thanks, Lan Zhan.”
“Did he touch you anywhere else?”
“Punched him before he could. Ah, I hope no one notices us missing.” Wei Wuxian frowned. “Sorry for ruining your night.”
“Not ruined.” Lan Wangji shifted the ice slightly to cover the handprint better.
Wei Wuxian looked away. “It was stupid to wear this anyway.”
Lan Wangji snapped his head up. “Doesn’t matter what you wear.”
“You’re right, but if I hadn’t –”
“Wei Ying. He should not have touched you without asking, regardless of what you were wearing.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I know that, it’s just…different.” Wei Wuxian met his eyes, grey meeting gold. “Thank you, Lan Zhan, really. They probably would’ve come after me outside if you weren’t there.”
The idea made him want to break something. Lan Wangji was well aware that Wei Wuxian could take care of himself, but he shouldn’t have to fight all his battles alone. He was not alone, not while Lan Wangji was alive and breathing, not while his heart beat for Wei Wuxian. “You must be tired. Come, you can stay in my room.”
“In your bed, Lan Zhan?”
Lan Wangji felt his ears heat up. “I will sleep on the couch.”
“We can share,” Wei Wuxian hummed, leaning down to put his face right in front of Lan Wangji’s. “Please?”
He really couldn’t deny him anything, could he? “Alright.”
Lan Wangji tried and failed not to melt at the sight of Wei Wuxian in one of his shirts, too large, slipping off his shoulders and falling to mid-thigh.
“You don’t have makeup remover, do you?”
“No.”
Wei Wuxian smirked, coming over to Lan Wangji. Before he could ask any questions, Wei Wuxian rose on his toes and pressed a kiss to Lan Wangji’s cheek. “Ah, I guess it isn’t transfer-proof, after all!”
As he darted off, laughing to himself, Lan Wangji distantly wondered whether it would be inappropriate to pass out right there.
Walking into the bathroom, his double in the mirror had a red lipstick mark on his cheek. Smiling softly, he touched the kiss (Wei Wuxian had kissed him!).
Ah. These kiss marks were all over –
“Mo Xuanyu!”
These kiss marks were all over Mo Xuanyu.
“I’m at Lan Zhan’s!” Lan Wangji peeked out the door. Wei Wuxian had scrubbed the red paint off his lip, pacing back and forth on his phone. “Yeah, you can bring Wen Ning over! Don’t have too much fun!”
Putting the phone down, Wei Wuxian laughed. “Ah, Mo Xuanyu is finally getting some courage!”
“Hm?”
“Well, you won’t tell anyone. I trust you, Lan Zhan!” Lan Wangji tried to pretend there wasn’t a flutter that went through his chest. “Mo Xuanyu likes Wen Ning! Who would have thought, am I right?”
Lan Wangji blinked. “You and him aren’t – together?”
“No!” Wei Wuxian squeaked, as if reading his mind. “We’re not…no! Roommates!”
Far more confused, Lan Wangji squinted. “The lipstick – Jiang Wanyin said –”
Wei Wuxian’s tone reached a fever pitch. “I dropped it on him! Lan Zhan! Jiang Cheng is an idiot! You really thought – no!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Come on, I’m tired!” Wei Wuxian jumped onto his bed with a thump, emerging from the covers to look at Lan Wangji with big eyes. “Your bed is so nice! I should stay over more often.” He lowered his eyelashes in the way that he did, looking up from underneath them, ridding Lan Wangji of the majority of his higher brain functions.
“Mm.”
He laid down normally, trying to ignore the alluring presence beside him. Wei Wuxian settled down, pressing himself into Lan Wangji’s left side, resting his head on his shoulder. He smelled like lemons, pressing his nose into Lan Wangji’s neck. Lan Wangji’s right hand curled into the blankets.
This would be a long night.
–
They had woken up, and it was surprisingly uneventful. Lan Wangji had made breakfast, and Wei Wuxian had gone home.
The lipstick did not return for several weeks, until Lan Wangji had received a text from Wei Wuxian asking him to get coffee.
Sitting across from him, Wei Wuxian was wearing a red-brown lipstick. Happy with its reappearance and with the smile on Wei Wuxian’s face, Lan Wangji fought down a smile of his own as he sat.
“Got you green tea, Lan Zhan!”
“Thank you.” Lan Wangji pulled out his wallet, but Wei Wuxian shooed him away.
“Don’t worry about it!”
Lan Wangji could not help but worry, recalling the time where Jiang Wanyin had berated Wei Wuxian for buying coffee for two dollars when he had a total of three dollars to his name.
Wei Wuxian continued drinking his enormous coffee, talking between sips. Lan Wangji listened, taking in every word.
“Hey, you want to go for a walk?”
“Mm.”
They stood up, Lan Wangji following Wei Wuxian out of the store to a park. It was nearing sundown, with few people outside. The sunset looked good on Wei Wuxian (but what didn’t?). The oranges and pinks of the sky reflecting on Wei Wuxian made Lan Wangji want to do stupid things, like hold his hand and press kisses to his knuckles. His fingers clutched his empty cup a little tighter.
They walked for a bit, Lan Wangji’s fingers trading his empty cup for the sleeve of his jacket. Wei Wuxian asked Lan Wangji to throw out his cup too, and the residual warmth from the coffee clung to his palms. Did Wei Wuxian feel that warmth inside? Was it amplified or dulled by Lan Wangji, by his cold hands and cold heart?
(Oh, but his heart was not cold, no matter what people thought. It pumped sunlight through his bloodstream, just for Wei Wuxian.)
“Ah, Lan Zhan? Can we stop here?”
“Mm.”
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together and looked off to the side. He kicked the toe of his black boot into the dirt, not quite meeting Lan Wangji’s eyes.
He was nervous.
Lan Wangji’s mind raced. Did he not want to be friends anymore? What had happened?
“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian offered him a small smile. “You’re…you’re beautiful, you know?”
“As is Wei Ying.”
“Ah, don’t say things like that. You’ll give me hope.”
“Hope?” Butterflies erupted in Lan Wangji’s chest, thudding against his ribs, struggling to break through skin and bone and burst free, rushed to smother and choke him. What did he mean?
“Lan Wangji – Lan Zhan.” Colour was filling up Wei Wuxian’s face as he murmured his name; softly, slowly. “I – like you.”
“We are friends,” Lan Wangji said, measuring each word, weighing it against his heart.
“No, Lan Zhan, I like you. More than friends like you. I want to spend my life with you – it can only be you. I only want it to be you.”
The world stopped spinning. Lan Wangji was thrown off orbit, thrown amongst the stars, waiting to fall. He was looking at him with those grey, expectant eyes – pinning Lan Wangji in place. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He was falling.
Wei Wuxian would catch him if he fell.
“You…” This was everything he wanted, everything he thought he could never have, offered to him by a man who smiled like the sun. “Me too. I like you too.” While ‘like’ didn’t quite cover it, it made Wei Wuxian’s hesitant smile bloom full force.
“LAN ZHAN!” Overcome with an armful of an exuberant Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji took several steps back to regain his balance. Wei Wuxian seemed content to stay in his arms, and Lan Wangji didn’t let go. He couldn’t even if he tried.
After what could have been minutes or hours, when the sun dipped below the horizon and the moonlight made Wei Wuxian’s hair glow, they made their way to Wei Wuxian’s apartment. Wei Wuxian didn’t let go of Lan Wangji’s hand, all the way to his door.
“Can I kiss you, Lan Zhan?”
Lan Wangji was fairly sure his heart had stopped beating at that point. He nodded.
The kiss was gentle, over before he knew it, engraved into his memory, perfect. Wei Wuxian’s lips were soft, and his hand trembled in Lan Wangji’s, even after he pulled away. Lan Wangji opened his eyes at the same time Wei Wuxian did, and his ears warmed abnormally quickly.
“Ah, you’ve got –” Wei Wuxian gestured to Lan Wangji’s mouth. In a move of boldness, Lan Wangji dipped to kiss Wei Wuxian’s cheek, leaving whatever lipstick residue that was on his mouth there (shamelessly, he hoped there was still some left on his lips, a reminder that he had kissed Wei Wuxian and survived).
Wei Wuxian squeaked. “Bye, Lan Zhan! I’ll message you!”
“Goodbye, Wei Ying.”
–
Lan Wangji picked up his phone from the counter. “Hello?”
“Ah, Lan Wangji? It’s Mo Xuanyu. Are you busy?”
“No.”
“Well, it’s Wei Wuxian. He’s…upset. Could you come over?”
A chill ran through Lan Wangji’s blood. “I will be there in five minutes.”
“Wen Ning will let you in,” Mo Xuanyu trailed off as Lan Wangji grabbed his keys.
Technically, it was a five-minute drive to the apartment where Wei Wuxian lived (and Lan Wangji preferred to walk anyways), but Lan Wangji somehow made it in three, taking the stairs two at a time as he knocked on the door.
Wen Ning shyly opened the door as promised. “Wei Wuxian is in his room. He won’t come out.”
“Thank you.” Striding to Wei Wuxian’s door, Lan Wangji forced the blind worry down his throat to settle in at the bottom of his lungs, not letting it spread through his body with every hesitant breath. “Wei Ying?”
“Lan Zhan?” He winced at the painful crashing that came from the other side of the door. Throwing it open, Wei Wuxian squinted. “What are you doing here?”
“May I come in?”
“Yeah, but…yeah, come in.”
Orange light streams in from Wei Wuxian’s window, crawling over the wooden floors and up the white walls, settling in the shadows of his face and the arch of his back. He collapses back onto his bed, eyes fluttering shut. There were tear tracks glistening on his cheeks.
“You were crying.”
“Mm.”
How could Wei Wuxian do it? Lan Wangji was struggling to piece what happened together from the few words Wei Wuxian had said. What had happened? What should he do?
Wei Wuxian broke the silence first. “Ah, it’s stupid.”
“Not stupid if it made you upset.”
“Lan Zhan! You’re too good for me!”
Lan Wangji took a careful seat next to his boyfriend. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Wei Wuxian looked away. “In a minute. Could I have a hug?”
Lan Wangji wrapped his arms around Wei Wuxian, who pressed himself as close to Lan Wangji as he could get. Lan Wangji breathed in, out, in, out – deep and slow; Wei Wuxian followed his breaths.
“I was out with Wen Ning at the mall, and some girls said stuff about my lipstick,” Wei Wuxian said, slow and small, hesitant.
Lan Wangji frowned. On a closer look, there was some slightly orange smudging around Wei Wuxian’s mouth. “What did they say?”
“Slurs, generally being rude. I don’t really want to think about it. Wen Ning brought me home, but I didn’t really want to be around anyone. I must have worried them a lot.”
“Mm. It is okay.”
Seeing Wei Wuxian upset made Lan Wangji want to break something, terrifyingly enough. The other man was usually so unapologetically himself, and this was such a stark contrast.
Of course, one could not always be strong. You could defend yourself against slashing swords and raging fires, but sometimes it was the small knife that killed you; sometimes, it was the exhaustion of fighting for so long that brought you to your knees. Sometimes, it got to be too much.
Lan Wangji stood up, abruptly. There was a glass bottle with an octagon base and a long silver top on Wei Wuxian’s counter, the colour inside the glass matching the colour faintly around his mouth. Picking up the bottle, Lan Wangji came back to bed.
“Hold still.”
“You don’t have to –”
Lan Wangji gently put his hand on Wei Wuxian’s cheek, meeting his eyes. “May I put this on you?”
Wei Wuxian’s entire face filled with red, and he nodded slowly. Opening the bottle, Lan Wangji was confronted with some sort of sponge applicator. Balancing the bottle on his knee (which Wei Wuxian quickly grabbed hold of), he cradled his boyfriend’s jaw with one hand and started painting his lips with the other.
It was more difficult than it seemed. It did not take a lot of product to cover Wei Wuxian’s lip, but making sure it didn’t go over the edge was tricky. After squinting and being as careful as possible, Lan Wangji hummed and moved back.
“Ooh!” Wei Wuxian smiled as he looked at himself in his phone camera. Lan Wangji came in to give him a kiss, and Wei Wuxian shrieked. “Lan Zhan! Insatiable! Let it dry down first!” Lowering his eyelashes, he looked at Lan Wangji up from under them. “You know, this lipstick doesn’t leave marks when it dries.”
“Shameless!”
(Wei Wuxian didn’t have the patience to let the lipstick dry. Lan Xichen had a lot of questions when Lan Wangji got home.)
–
Lan Wangji adjusted his collar and waited.
It was uncommon for Wei Wuxian to be late when he was accompanied by Jiang Wanyin. It was also uncommon for Lan Wangji to be this anxious, but Wei Wuxian had said to specifically look at him tonight (as if Lan Wangji wasn’t always looking at him).
Their entire friend group was gathered around the table. Lan Xichen was close enough to Nie Mingjue to give their uncle a heart attack if he was present. Nie Huiasang was giving them odd looks as he talked to Wen Ning and Mo Xuanyu. Jiang Yanli was talking to Wen Qing and her girlfriend Mianmian, holding Jin Zixuan’s hand. It was just Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian left…
“Jiang Cheng! We aren’t that late!”
“Shut up!”
Lan Wangji looked for his boyfriend, freezing up.
Wei Wuxian was in a mesh shirt similar to the one from Wen Qing’s birthday, except this one was white, and tighter. He was wearing short black shorts and boots. There was a black choker around his neck, and no less than four rings across his fingers.
His lips were painted black.
What self control? Lan Wangji was only human.
He bounded over to Lan Wangji. “Hi, Lan Zhan! You like it?”
An entire chill went over the area. Lan Wangji wondered if it was a test, and wondered if he would make it through the night.
“You look very nice,” he managed to choke out. “Um, is your lipstick –”
“It’s dry now!” Wei Wuxian chirped, kissing Lan Wangji on the nose. “You look nice, too!”
Lan Wangji hummed, wondering how brightly his ears were glowing. He wanted nothing more than to bury his face in his boyfriend’s neck and hide from everyone else, but he restrained.
“Hm, Lan Zhan? What are you thinking about?” Wei Wuxian said after a few minutes, tone low. His hand settled on Lan Wangji’s thigh.
He had a reputation. “Wei Ying.”
“Very sweet!” Wei Wuxian kissed his cheek, daringly close to his mouth. “Come on, what do you want to eat? I saw some vegetarian options…”
Lan Wangji was very grateful that there was no talking during eating, because there was nothing he could say. Wei Wuxian was always beautiful, always radiant and wonderful, but there was something about this Wei Wuxian, brimming with confidence, which made Lan Wangji’s knees weak and his palms sweaty. And he thought Wei Wuxian couldn’t surprise him.
The black lipstick also looked good. Very…good.
Somehow, he made it through dinner, despite the flirtatious waiter (who wholly ignored Lan Wangji’s arm draped around Wei Wuxian’s waist), and Wei Wuxian tugged him into his car. “Drive me home, Lan Zhan? Mo Xuanyu disappeared on me,” he pouted.
“Mm.”
Wei Wuxian curled a knee to his chest, leaning back on the seat as Lan Wangji pulled out of the parking space. “You really did look at me all night.”
“Wei Ying is beautiful.”
Wei Wuxian leaned forward, closer. Lan Wangji tried not to crash the car. “Every day?”
“Every day.”
“Even when I’m in bed all day?”
“Yes.”
“Even…like this?”
“Yes.”
Wei Wuxian, luckily enough, left him in silence for the rest of the drive. When they reached, he clambered over the gearstick to plant himself firmly in Lan Wangji’s lap.
“Wei Ying –”
“Xuanyu is home, or I’d take you upstairs with me,” he said, voice low. Lan Wangji could feel his heartbeat in his ears. “You really like this, don’t you? I’ll keep it mind for better circumstances.”
Wei Wuxian kissed him once, warm and breathless, before sliding off his lap and checking the mirror. “It really doesn’t transfer,” he said, winking, before slipping out of the car with a wave.
It would have been unsafe for Lan Wangji to drive for a good ten minutes after that.
–
Lan Wangji was passing by when he saw it.
15% OFF! TODAY ONLY!
He had never been inside the Sephora, but he had been there when Wei Wuxian had gone in and exited after half an hour, triumphantly clutching a tiny lipstick tube (it was brown-pink and left several stains on Lan Wangji’s neck).
He had some spare time.
There was a model in one of the advertisements wearing a deep red lipstick that would look good on Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji was distantly aware that he was sowing the seeds of his own destruction, but he accepted his fate.
“Hello, sir, are you looking for something?” a lady in red and black asked him, eyes widening when he turned to look at her.
“This lipstick,” he pointed to the model. “Do you have it?”
“Ah, right this way!” She started talking about formulas and pigmentations, which Lan Wangji found far less interesting coming out of someone who wasn’t Wei Wuxian. She seemed impressed with his taste, however, and commended the product quality. Checking out as quickly as he could (because she seemed inclined to offer him more products, and he knew next to nothing about what other makeup Wei Wuxian wore, if he wore any).
Was this overstepping?
Wei Wuxian rarely wore colours this dark, aside from the black. Lan Wangji really didn’t care about the lipstick he wore – he looked good in all of it; red, pink, brown, peach, or none at all.
It was a bad idea, but Lan Wangji was already at his door.
“Ah, Lan Zhan –”
“For you,” he said, thrusting the black and white striped bag to his boyfriend before he could lose his nerve.
“Sephora?” Wei Wuxian furrowed his brow slightly. “You went into a Sephora?”
Lan Wangji shrugged, and Wei Wuxian beamed. “Well, everyone’s here!” He opened the door fully to reveal Jiang Wanyin, Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan, Lan Xichen, the Nie brothers, and Mo Xuanyu. Lan Wangji’s eyes widened in horror.
“Xuanyu! Look what my boyfriend brought me!” Wei Wuxian leaped onto the couch. “Sit, Lan Zhan! Sit, sit.”
Not meeting anyone’s eyes, Lan Wangji sat beside a gleeful Wei Wuxian. Opening the packaging seemed to take years, before Wei Wuxian gasped.
“Pat McGrath! Lan Zhan!”
Mo Xuanyu whistled, “Damn. What colour is it?”
“I’ll go put it on, give me a second.” Wei Wuxian wriggled out, all but running to the bathroom.
All eyes swiveled to Lan Wangji. He sat up straight, back rigid. He was allowed to buy presents for his boyfriend.
“Wangji, you know what Sephora is?” his brother asked.
“Wei Ying went inside once.”
“How’d you know to buy that one?” Mo Xuanyu squinted.
“The colour was nice.”
“That’s very nice of you to do for him,” Jiang Yanli said, smiling softly. “He likes it already, I can tell.”
“He hasn’t even put it on,” Jiang Wanyin scoffed.
Yanli tapped his head lightly. “A-Xian likes all presents. Besides, if anyone knows what colour he would like, it would be –”
“LAN ZHAN!”
Wei Wuxian leaped over the couch and landed in Lan Wangji’s arms. “It’s so pretty! I love it!”
The dark red lipstick was as beautiful on him as Lan Wangji imagined. “Mm. Beautiful.”
“Don’t just say things like that!” Wei Wuxian pressed his face into Lan Wangji’s neck, “Ah, shit! I got it on you! I’m sorry!”
“It is fine.” Lan Wangji tipped up Wei Wuxian’s head, studying his lips. There didn’t appear to be any smudging or breaks in the colour. “Still beautiful.”
“Lan Zhan!”
Everyone in the room was looking at him like he had grown a second head, but Wei Wuxian was happy – blushing and smiling, looking at Lan Wangji like he was the only thing worth looking at.
Lan Wangji was happy, too.