Chapter Text
Uncle Jiang and Yanli always said that Wei Wuxian must have been born with a smile on his face to have it come so naturally to him. Even as he grew and lost his parents in the process, he had a smile that brought happiness to those around him. Whether it was his godfather, Yanli, or even grumpy Jiang Cheng, he could smooth every face into a smile.
Well, almost every face. Madame Yu was a different beast that not a soul could tame, nor would they want to.
In any case, it came as no surprise to anyone when Wei Wuxian signed up for cheer in his first year of high school. He even made it to captain in his senior year, known as a fair and kind person who always made people laugh or pumped people up before a big game. He finished up his senior year with an offer to join his dream school’s cheer team in university and acceptance into the philosophy program.
Cheer practice was something familiar, yet it was brand new with his university squad, and his first semester went off without a hitch. Minus the incident where he almost dropped Mianmian, but that’s beside the point.
In his second semester, he laid eyes on Lan Wangji for the first time.
He thought his intro philosophy course would just be a stepping stone to his greater philosophical endeavors, but it seemed that fate had a different idea. Never one to back down from a challenge, Wei Wuxian would rise to the occasion and woo the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on.
Dropping his bag down onto the table and settling into the chair next to the handsome stranger, he greeted, "Hey."
The stranger’s amber eyes slid from Wuxian’s face to the chair he was sitting in. His perfect mouth opened and the first words he spoke were, "You are sitting on my jacket."
He immediately jumped up, noticing the white sleeve that he had previously been sitting on. "Oh! I’m sorry!"
"Lan Wangji," his new seat neighbor said, pulling the sleeve out of the seat to free it up.
"What?"
"My name," he said carefully, "is Lan Wangji. Your name is-"
"Ooh, Wangji, huh?" Wei Wuxian hummed, scooting closer and resting his arm on the table, closing into his space. "What a strong name. Sounds very down to earth."
Wangji gave him a strange look. "When meeting someone for the first time, introduce yourself properly. Now, what is-"
"You sound like you’re reciting from a rule book," he said instinctively, never one to resist teasing when confronted with the opportunity.
"I suppose."
Glad he had remembered mascara that morning, he blinked his long lashes. "I’m a philosophy major. And you?"
"I study education," Wangji replied. "Your name, however-"
"Got any hobbies?" he hummed.
"I’m on the-"
"Alright, alright, settle down," came a booming voice as the door swung open. "Class has begun and I’d like to get this activity started. Take one paper and pass it down. Fill out the questions and they’ll be turned in at the start of next class on Thursday. It’s all questions about you so that I know what you want to get out of this class and about your lives outside of this classroom in case things come up during the semester and for the end of semester potluck. Make sure to write allergies under the health section."
His eyes found the instructor as a stack of books hit the desk, the man in question having dark hair and a thin face. He took the stack of papers as it was passed to him, picking up one and passing it on down the line.
"Also," the instructor continued, "for projects, I have you use pseudonyms for privacy purposes. Put your pseudonym by your name at the top of the paper. After that, we will go over the syllabus and hopefully finish the class with any questions. Get started on this and then I’ll call attention back once the clock has reached 11:10, give this spiel for the latecomers, and then we can continue with today’s lesson. Oh, this is Intro Philosophy with Professor Navtsi, just in case you’re in the wrong place."
Wuxian spun his pen between his fingers, staring at the empty space by where he had put his name. "Lan Wangji~" he sing-songed, looking to his classmate.
Lan Wangji gave no sign of having heard him besides a slight raise to his brow.
"I'll decide your pseudonym if you decide mine," he proposed, brandishing his pen grandly. The grin on his face was wide, but held no mischief. If he had been saying this to Jiang Cheng, it definitely would have been a nefarious suggestion.
Wangji paused and set his pen down with a soft click against the table. There were a few silent moments before he spoke. "Why?"
He responded with a small shrug. "I think it’d be fun."
Another pause as the dark-haired man raised his other brow to meet the first, the tilt of his head increasing by a degree.
"Your thoughtful silence betrays your interest in my proposal!" Wei Wuxian cheered, quieting down after a look from a girl across the table. "Alright, I’ll go first!" He focused closely on the amber-eyed man across from him, lips in a thoughtful pout. "Zhan. Like this."
Wangji studied the word that had been scrawled at the top of his paper. "Interesting. Why this character?"
There was no way he could tell him that it was because Lan Wangji reminded him of the daytime sky: vast, deceptive in its hiding of the stars just beyond perception, and endlessly fascinating. That would be super lame and probably chase him off, which was out of the question! "Your hair tie is blue," he said instead, "and so is your backpack and that keychain and your pen and your journal for this class." He pointed at it, resting next to the information paper. "Paired with Lan - azure blue. See?"
The newly anointed "Lan Zhan" did not smile, but it seemed to Wei Wuxian that there were stars hidden behind his eyes.
"My turn, my turn!" he chanted, handing his red pen over. "Give me a pseudonym!"
Lan Wangji’s hand was elegant both still and in motion, his writing flawless. "Ying."
Wei Wuxian snorted. "Infant? What, do I look like a baby?"
"Youthful," he defended swiftly. "You seem lively. It reminded me of an infant’s curiosity and cheerfulness."
His eyes widened as he stared at Lan Wangji, warmth spreading across his cheeks. How can he say that with such a straight face? What thick skin! he thought, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Well, guess I really am suited for cheerleading if even you say such things."
"Oh?" Curiosity. "You are on the cheerleading squad? Do you happen to know-"
"Eyes up," the Natsiv called. "Let’s get this party started, shall we? You can continue chatting after class. Syllabi are coming around; take one and pass it down."
Natsiv called the end of class a few minutes early with a reminder of their readings for the next class over the first theory being covered.
Wei Wuxian picked up his things quick, but Lan Wangji was quicker still. He disappeared out the door before he got a chance to stop his classmate. Rushing after him, he threw open the door and called out, "Lan-"
"Wei Wuxian!" shouted a familiar voice as Lan Wangji disappeared around the corner. The owner of the voice had one hand on his hip and the other holding out a brown paper bag. "Lunch."
He let out a long-suffering sigh. "Jiang Cheng." He cast a forlorn glance over his shoulder, seeing the hallway vacant of long-haired, amber-eyed men. "Lunch sounds great."
Once they found a table in a shaded courtyard, Wuxian settled next to his brother and munched on the food in his lunch pack. "Did jiejie make this?"
"Of course she did," Jiang Cheng scoffed. "Do you think I made it for you?"
"You’re right," he grumbled, poking at the noodles with a fork. "You couldn’t make something this good."
"Wei Wuxian, you-"
"Yeah, yeah, settle down," he soothed, pushing the dish closer to Jiang Cheng. "Eat the food Yanli so thoughtfully made for us."
His brother’s fork stabbed with a bit more vigor, but he complied. "You should come by more," he chided instead. "A-Ling’s not getting any younger."
"He’s just a couple months old! Ah, ah, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll give in," Wei Wuxian sighed, head rolling back on his shoulders. "I’ll come by your lacrosse practice tonight after cheer and we can go visit together, yeah?"
"Coming by my practice and putting yourself in the path of my mother? You’ve never even gone to one practice before," he laughed. "You really are in a good mood. Any special reason why?"
"Why come to practice when I’m going to all your official games starting next month? Anyways…" Wuxian gave a dreamy sigh, twirling one end of his hair around his finger. "I met a boy~! Nay, a man!"
"Hah? I don’t want to talk about your love life," was the immediate reply. "I’m done with the conversation. Eat."
Indeed, they discussed no more of Wei Wuxian’s new obsession, but that was fine with him. Lunch finished with him insisting on them both meeting up after Jiang Cheng’s practice to visit their sister and nephew, even if it meant incurring the judgement of Madame Yu. It would be okay. He would spend time with his family and it would be fun.
Cheer practice was held in the usual gym and Wuxian tried not to be distracted; he really did try! Even Huaisang got onto him, which made him take a few drinks of water, cool his head, and get back into peak performance. This proved a good move, as even Mianmian clapped at a particularly good catch.
When practice finished up, Wei Wuxian left with the usual crowd: Nie Huaisang and Mianmian and her girlfriend, Wen Qing.
"You’re not heading back to your place?" Wen Qing noticed as he didn’t turn off after the chemistry building.
"No, I’m going to my brother’s lacrosse practice," he replied. "We’re going to visit our sister and her new baby."
"Oh, I’m heading that way too!" Nie Huaisang said brightly. "My brother’s the team captain!"
Wei Wuxian grinned. "Your scary older brother?"
Huaisang gulped, laughing awkwardly. "Mingjue is very strict," he amended, "but he’s a very good player!"
"I have no doubt." He clapped his squadmate on the shoulder. "You’re welcome to join me!"
After waving goodbye to Mianmian and Qing, they made their way to the lacrosse field, the sounds of practice making their way to the pair before they even caught sight of a single player.
As they wound their way around the stands to the edge of the field, Huaisang pondered, "I hope cheering for their games starting next month will go okay. If I fall in front of my brother, I don’t know what I’ll do…"
Wei Wuxian let out a laugh that echoed a bit more than he would have liked. Oh well. “It’ll at least be entertaining for the rest of us!”
"WANGJI!!"
Wei Wuxian froze, eyes tearing from the art major next to him to the field before him.
No way, he thought. This can’t be real life.
Indeed, it was. To his left stood Lan Wangji in a bright white vest, his hair in a braid down his back like a splatter of ink across the fabric. And he was staring right at Wei Wuxian, frozen in the middle of the field, lacrosse stick raise mid-swing. Next to him, Jiang Cheng’s hand smacked into the middle of his own forehead.
"PAY ATTENTION!" barked a tall man on the other side of the field, somewhat reminiscent of Wangji. "Resume play!" He blew the whistle around his neck and made his way around the field, headed straight for Wei Wuxian.
Huaisang let out a whimper. "I’m sorry, Coach Lan; he didn’t mean to interrupt-"
"Nie Huaisang," the coach said, stroking his goatee, "you know the rules. Spectators are quiet during practice."
"Only light applause is permitted," Huaisang continued as if this rule was particularly familiar to him.
"I’m so sorry, sir," Wei Wuxian cut in, grabbing hold of Huaisang’s shoulders and pushing him towards the stands. "I will sit and reflect deeply on my actions! We’ll be perfectly quiet!"
Coach Lan’s eyebrows furrowed like he didn’t believe him, but he turned back to the players to continue practice.
Watching from the stands, Wei Wuxian’s mind was buzzing as Lan Wangji moved about the pitch. The smack of his lacrosse stick against a teammate’s echoed in his head, he played and replayed the midair twirl to pass the ball, and he daydreamed about how Wangji’s arms moved when he tossed the ball into the goal.
"Huaisang," Wei Wuxian muttered as the team members with white vests like Wangji cheered. "I’m in trouble."