Work Text:
The inn was the same one in which they’d lost their invitation a few months ago, the one that stupid Jin Zixuan had kicked them all out of as if staring longingly at Jiang Yanli for a moment would make up for his rudeness. Jiang Cheng was getting a little pissed off just being there and remembering the story. At the very least, he thought, there seemed to actually be enough rooms this time around, without that peacock showing up to ruin everything. Bare minimum.
“We have three three-bed rooms and three two-bed rooms,” said Lan Xichen briskly, leading the team through the hallway. “Miss Wen, if you and your brother would take one of the two-bed rooms…”
That made sense, Jiang Cheng thought. Most of the students didn’t trust the Wen siblings; putting another disciple in with them would be bound to cause friction. Plus, they were siblings, so it was only logical. No doubt the other two two-bed rooms would go to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, and himself and Wei Wuxian.
“And Wangji…” Lan Xichen turned his thoughtful gaze on Lan Wangji, whose expression twitched. “How about you and—”
“Xiongzhang,” said Lan Wangji tightly.
“—you and Wei Wuxian take another?”
What?
Lan Xichen was smiling gently. Lan Wangji was avoiding eye contact. When Jiang Cheng turned over his shoulder to look at Wei Wuxian, he found him watching the scene with interest, seeming not at all confused.
“Xiongzhang,” said Lan Wangji again, sounding almost desperate, and he and Lan Xichen had a silent and indecipherable conversation with their eyes for a moment.
Jiang Cheng was thoroughly lost.
Finally, Lan Wangji looked away, and Lan Xichen’s smile widened. “Excellent,” he said approvingly. “The rest of you, divide yourselves as you see fit. Only, Lan Guojian, please take care not to room with Xiao Pengzhi, as I recall you two had a conflict over snoring volume last time…”
And the group dispersed. Jiang Cheng hurried to catch up. “Zewu-jun,” he said, as properly as he could with his confusion. “Why have you put Wei Wuxian and your brother in the same room? Would it not be logical for the two of you to room together?”
Lan Xichen stopped and looked at him thoughtfully. “Wangji likes the boy,” he said. “I’d like them to be friends. It would be good for him to have one.”
Jiang Cheng… had no idea how to respond to any of that. First, the implication that Lan Wangji liked Wei Wuxian—second that they could ever be friends—third that Wei Wuxian was at all a good friend for anyone to have, especially by the standards of the Lan sect? It made no sense. “Zewu-jun,” he said. “Wei Wuxian has done nothing but torment Second Young Master Lan and be scolded for it.” Flirt with him relentlessly, really, despite all his quips bouncing right off of Lan Wangji’s cold jade glare, but Jiang Cheng sure as hell wasn’t going to phrase it that way. “By all accounts Second Young Master Lan is infuriated by him. I find it hard to imagine how they can become friends.”
“I know my brother best,” Lan Xichen gently reminded him. “Wangji is infuriated, yes, but also… intrigued. Among other things. I recognize it in him even if he is reluctant to admit it. Since he will not make any advances on his own, I took matters into my own hands.” A smile. “He sometimes needs that extra push.”
Jiang Cheng was absolutely not convinced that Wei Wuxian wasn’t going to get stabbed to death in the night.
And he’d have deserved it, too. Jiang Cheng wasn’t going to save him, that was for sure.
“Zewu-jun, are you sure—”
“Jiang Cheng!”
At the sound of the familiar voice, Jiang Cheng turned; Wei Wuxian was sticking his head out of the door of his room and waving.
“There’s one room left and it’s the one next to this one,” he said. “Hurry and grab it so we can room next to each other!”
“Who’d want the room next to you?” snapped Jiang Cheng, then realized he was still in the presence of a senior. “Sorry, Zewu-jun.”
“It’s fine,” said Lan Xichen, smiling tolerantly like someone who hadn’t had to put up with Wei Wuxian since childhood. “Shall we take that room, then, Young Master Jiang?”
Jiang Cheng hesitated. The prospect of sharing a room with one of the Twin Jades of Lan—the one who ranked above the disciples, no less—seemed awkward and intimidating. Unlike some people, he knew how to maintain proper boundaries around someone so respected, and getting ready for bed around each other didn’t fit very well into those bounaries. But the hallway was empty by now, the rest of the rooms taken, so there didn’t seem to be any other choice; and at least he knew Lan Xichen would be nice enough about the whole thing. “Yes, Zewu-jun.”
In the end it wasn’t too much of a problem. There was a privacy screen in the room, and Lan Xichen unfolded it and put it up between their two beds—probably in order to not violate the Gusu Lan rules on not appearing underdressed or with your hair down in front of anyone who wasn’t family. Jiang Cheng didn’t have nearly as many rules memorized as some people who had been made to copy them over repeatedly as punishment, but he had after all been there for Lan Qiren’s interminable recitation on the first day. One had to wonder sometimes how Lans even breathed without breaking a rule.
Muffled sounds of talking filtered in from the room next door; lively in pitch, so definitely Wei Wuxian, but the walls weren’t thin enough to make out any words. Jiang Cheng went to bed listening to Lan Xichen’s even breathing—out like a light as soon as 9 pm hit, it seemed—and wondering how the hell anyone, even a brother, could interpret Lan Wangji’s constant glares and dismissals as a desire to be closer to Wei Wuxian.
He was abruptly woken in the night by a loud thud and clatter from next door. Oh fuck, he thought groggily, it’s begun, and sat up on his elbows, glaring at the wall. An incensed “Wei Ying!”, loud enough for the words to be heard from the other room; muffled bright laughter and thudding footsteps.
Lan Xichen was peering at the same wall from around the privacy screen; Jiang Cheng met his eyes, trying not to look as cranky as he felt. It wouldn’t do to seem like he was glaring at one of the Jades of Lan. “Zewu-jun,” he said, punctuated by a yawn that he covered with his hand. “I hope this is the result you were aiming for.”
Lan Xichen gave a quiet little laugh. “Not exactly this,” he said, “but I was expecting some disruptions.”
“Forgive my asking—” Another yawn. He was going to kick Wei Wuxian’s ass for waking him up in the middle of the night, on top of whatever ass-kicking Lan Wangji was already administering. “—but how is this… good? For them to be fighting like this, how is this supposed to be something Second Young Master Lan appreciates?”
“Wei Wuxian is lively,” said Lan Xichen, unperturbed. “Wangji could do with some stimulation. After so long sticking to monotonous habits, it has been doing him good to meet someone who can bring him outside of his comfort zone.”
Oh, Wei Wuxian sure wants to give him stimulation, all right. “If Zewu-jun is sure they aren’t going to kill each other.”
“Oh, no,” said Lan Xichen serenely. “They like each other far too much for that.”
With all due respect towards one of the Twin Jades, et cetera, et cetera… there was no fucking way. Jiang Cheng flopped back onto the mattress and pulled the covers over his head. The noises from next door had stopped, at least. The situation seemed to have resolved itself. Maybe even in a way that wouldn’t result in Jiang Cheng having to clean up his shixiong’s blood tomorrow morning.
They like each other. Bullshit. Wei Wuxian was flirting nonstop, it was true, but he did that all the time, as much as a way of teasing as out of genuine liking. The way he always seemed to deliberately provoke Lan Wangji heavily suggested the former. As for Lan Wangji, the way he looked at Wei Wuxian with murder in his eyes was pretty hard to misinterpret.
Although the way Wei Wuxian was so thoroughly fixated on Lan Wangji, when usually he flitted from one person to the next, was unusual… but it didn’t change that the Second Jade almost certainly had daydreams of dropkicking Wei Wuxian off a cliff to somewhere he’d stop being a nuisance.
Jiang Cheng could relate. He’d had those daydreams many a time himself.
It didn’t take him long to fall asleep again. When he woke up the next morning, stirred by the noises of Lan Xichen and his Lan-precise body clock moving around, he got ready as quickly as possible, then hurried into the room next door to see if anyone had died during the night.
The sight that met him was Lan Wangji, immaculately dressed and coiffed as usual, attempting to pull Wei Wuxian out of bed, while Wei Wuxian made a passable impersonation of a slug.
Jiang Cheng groaned. He recognized the situation; he’d been in Lan Wangji’s position many times in the past few months. Yes, the Gusu Lan sleeping schedule was very different from what they were used to at Yunmeng, but he’d adjusted to it like a sensible person. Wei Wuxian never had. Lan Wangji’s arms were wrapped around Wei Wuxian’s torso, Wei Wuxian’s legs still on the bed, while the rest of him just sort of… sagged. His head lolled.
“Don’t want to get up,” he mumbled, not opening his eyes.
Lan Wangji, looking almost helpless, gave a mighty tug. The indomitable force of nature that glued Wei Wuxian to any surface he found comfortable meant his efforts amounted to Wei Wuxian sliding forward about an inch.
“Five more minutes,” protested the sleepy nuisance.
“You already had five more minutes,” said Lan Wangji, stoic as ever. Jiang Cheng blinked. Lan Wangji, making allowances? For Wei Wuxian? That was new.
“Ten more minutes.”
“No.”
“Come onnnn…” A whine and a yawn.
“You will delay the group.”
“Pfffthh.” Wei Wuxian blew air out through his lips to indicate his opinion of that, then leaned his head against Lan Wangji’s chest. “Comfortable,” he insisted. “Warm…”
Lan Wangji’s expression did something unreadable and probably dangerous. Jiang Cheng decided that was enough. “Second Young Master Lan,” he said, stepping forward. “Do you need my help with this idiot?”
He thought he could be forgiven for using insulting speech in front a Lan, when it was obvious said Lan shared his insulting feelings.
“No need,” said Lan Wangji curtly.
“I know how to handle him. He’s always like this.”
“No need,” repeated Lan Wangji, hoisting Wei Wuxian a little further up into his arms. “I can handle this.”
He pretty clearly was not handling it. Jiang Cheng hesitated.
Wei Wuxian chose that moment to give a mighty yawn. “Fifteen more minutes, Lan Zhan,” he murmured sleepily, and nuzzled his face into Lan Wangji’s neck.
Lan Wangji’s eyes went wide. His breathing stilled.
Jiang Cheng turned on his heel and fled the scene before the bloodshed could commence.
***
It was later while they were walking to the lake that Jiang Cheng remembered he still owed Wei Wuxian an ass-kicking for waking him up.
Especially since Wei Wuxian’s ass somehow appeared remarkably unkicked from the night before, despite Lan Wangji’s obvious ire. That just meant Jiang Cheng didn’t have to go easy on him.
“Hey,” he said, keeping pace with his wayward shixiong. “Last night. You made a bunch of noise and woke me up. What was that about?”
“Hmm?” Wei Wuxian had, apparently, been staring at Lan Wangji. He blinked, then gave a dazzling smile. “Oh, that! I tried to climb into his bed and he got angry with me.”
Jiang Cheng breathed in, counting to ten. Either Wei Wuxian's common sense had died tragically in his quest to hit on Lan Wangji, or he just had a death wish. “Why the hell would you do that.”
Wei Wuxian pouted. “My bed was closest to the window! There was a draft, and it was cold! I thought for sure Lan Zhan’s bed would be warmer, especially with two people. So I tried to climb in next to him. But he didn’t like that.”
No shit. “Yeah? What did he do?”
“Kicked me out of the bed,” sulked Wei Wuxian. “Literally. I have a bruise from hitting the floor, Jiang Cheng, look—” And he pointed to his shoulder.
Jiang Cheng thought about the laughter he’d heard last night and decided it must not have been that bad. He looked anyway—nothing visible through two layers of robes, of course—and then hit the spot hard with the side of his hand.
Wei Wuxian yelped in pain and reflexively hit him back with Suibian. “Jiang Cheng! What the hell!”
“That’s for waking me up last night,” said Jiang Cheng, and then strode ahead, while Wei Wuxian made noises of protest and indignation.
He found himself walking behind the Twin Jades, and slowed to hear their conversation. The topic certainly sounded familiar.
“—tried to climb into my bed,” said Lan Wangji. His voice was quiet, probably in an attempt to keep the conversation from reaching any other ears, but his tone was as impassive as ever. “He said his was too cold.”
Jiang Cheng could only see them from behind, but the outline of Lan Xichen’s cheek pushed up as though he were smiling. “Is that so.”
Lan Wangji’s head shifted minutely, as though looking away.
“Certainly a sign of goodwill,” offered Lan Xichen. “One would not attempt to share the bed of a person one did not like.”
Unless they wanted to annoy the hell out of them, maybe. In that moment, Jiang Cheng noticed that Lan Wangji’s grip on Bichen had become white-knuckle tight. Lan Xichen seemed to notice too; he turned his head a little, and his eyelashes fluttered as though looking down.
“Wangji,” he said softly, and put a hand on Lan Wangji’s shoulder. “It is all right to want things.”
Lan Wangji’s grip on Bichen shifted; his knuckles remained white. “Not… improper things.”
So Lan Wangji… thought Wei Wuxian wanted improper things from him, and was pissed about it? Hardly surprising, considering the flirting. Jiang Cheng should probably tell Wei Wuxian to knock it off at this point.
Lan Xichen tutted. “Companionship is hardly improper.”
“Xiongzhang knows my meaning.”
“Xiongzhang does indeed. Nothing Wangji wants is improper.”
Lan Wangji did not reply, merely squeezed his sword a little more. Lan Xichen’s hand on his shoulder rubbed comfortingly, then let go.
Jiang Cheng increasingly had the feeling of intruding on something deeply personal, and also had lost track of what the conversation meant at this point. Slowing his pace, he allowed himself to fall back just as Wei Wuxian barreled past him. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan—”
More of this again! Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes as Wei Wuxian took up position beside Lan Wangji and started up a stream of commentary on the monster in the lake and speculative questions as to its nature, all of which went unanswered. As if he didn’t have a perfectly good shidi right here to bounce theories off of. Lan Xichen looked back at him and caught his eye, giving Jiang Cheng a small smile, and looking as though everything was going perfectly the way he wanted.
Fucking Lans. Jiang Cheng would never understand them.