Work Text:
"Lan Er Gongzi~"
It's him again. Lan Wangji stops on his reading but he refuses to look up. He knows who it is. There's only one person in this school who would call him by that name. Lan Wangji's breathe stills for a moment before continuing his reading, choosing to ignore the voice that is incessantly calling him from distant.
Knowing that person, the calling won't stop there. Instead, the calling goes more frequently, insistently calling him either with 'Lan Er Gongzi' or 'Lan Er Gege'.
"... Lan Er~ Lan Wangji?"
…
"Lan Zhan!"
Lan Wangji, who keeps reading on the same sentence ever since his name is called, finally stops his reading. He looks up while still sitting on a newly-fixed chair among the piles of broken school furniture. He looks around to find the owner of the voice. But the hallway is still deserted. Just like how it was a few minutes ago.
There's no one.
"Lan Zhan! Look here!"
Finally realised here the voice comes from, Lan Wangji turns to the window behind him and his eyes widen slightly, showing shocks that usually go unnoticed by many. "Wei Ying!"
Wei Wuxian is currently hanging on a tall shady tree that is located right beside the school building. As to Lan Wangji, who is currently on the first floor of the building, bewildered upon seeing Wei Wuxian is actually on the same eye-level as his, meaning that Wei Wuxian is literally hanging one-storey high from the ground.
The grinning boy who has been bothering Lan Wangji ever since their freshman year of high school grins wider. "Why are you willing to look at me only when I call you Lan Zhan? If it wasn't for your frown everytime I call you that, I'd believe you actually like it whenever I call you by your birth name." Wei Wuxian claims. Lan Wangji feels like his heart is going to jump out at any moment now, seeing how Wei Wuxian carelessly crawls further to lessen their gap.
Lan Wangji wipes off his tiny frown from his face and says, "Climbing up the tree in the ground school is-"
"Is prohibited. I know, Lan Zhan. Stop reciting school's rules on me. It almost sticks to my mind since you've been reminding me all these years." Wei Wuxian whines and rolls his eyes in process.
"Good that it sticks."
Wei Wuxian's eyes show a playful mirth, "I said almost, Lan Zhan." He deadpans. His hands pluck the leaves in front of him unknowingly.
Lan Wangji bookmarks his reading and closes the book. He walks nearer to the window, "Get down, Wei Ying." You'll get hurt.
"Okay." A simple answer by Wei Wuxian. But his next action isn't. Wei Wuxian hops from the branch to the emergency corridor that is built-in on the building. It can barely fit a person. If he slips or takes a wrong step while jumping just now, he could literally plunge down to the ground. Lan Wangji's heart almost jumped out from his rib cage even though his facial expression doesn't show it.
"I said get down." Lan Wangji's voice almost stuck in his throat upon seeing the stunt.
Wei Wuxian who is now safely standing right in front of Lan Wangji exclaims, "I did. Tada!" He opens his arm, as if he just performed a skit.
Lan Wangji's eyebrows twitch, holding a hidden frown. "It's dangerous to do that."
"But I'm safe now, isn't it?" Wei Wuxian wouldn't stop smiling.
Lan Wangji eyes the person in front of him, checking if he actually didn't get hurt in anyway, "Mn." He then turns around, planning to continue reading the passage that he left off before.
"Lan Zhan. Where are you going? Come back here." Lan Wangji feels his uniform blazer got tugged. He stops on his track and turns his eyes to the smiling gremlin that is still hanging around the emergency corridor. His eyes then move to see the hand that is gripping on his blazer. With an awkward chuckle, Wei Wuxian lets his blazer go. "Stay here, Lan Zhan."
Without saying anything, Lan Zhan takes a few steps back, proceed to lean on the wall beside the window where Wei Wuxian is currently occupying. Planning to ignore the boy beside him, he opens his book again to continue his reading.
It is a comfortable silence. But it won't last long with Wei Wuxian's presence.
"What are you doing here, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian looks around the hallway. This is where the laboratories are. Suddenly, his memories as Lan Wangji's lab partner flash before his eyes. He suppresses his laugh when reminiscing about those funny moments. He then continues, "Why won't you join the seniors down there? Seems like they are having a lot of fun." Lan Wangji follows Wei Wuxian's gaze to the field that can be seen from here.
It is the last day of the school days. The last day of their senior year. The final examination ended and graduation ceremony is coming in a few hours. The seniors are having free time while the teachers buzzing around to make sure the ceremony goes well as planned. Some of them helped but there's almost nothing else to help with so the rest of seniors mind their own business. Then, they choose to play soccer while waiting for the graduation ceremony.
As for Lan Wangji, he just finished helping their teacher to keep those extra decorations into the store which is placed beside the laboratories. Not knowing what else to do, he chose to spend his time reading at the hallway since it is quiet, suitable for reading. Then he realizes that probably only him and Wei Wuxian are on that floor since everyone is mostly on the ground floor and the field.
He glances at his classmates who are laughing on the field while chasing the ball for a moment before he turns his gaze to the book again, "Crowded."
Then Lan Wangji suddenly thinks of something. Wei Wuxian, who is still smiling brightly while looking at Lan Wangji, surprises a bit when their eyes met. "What?" His voice stammers a bit. Unplanned eye contact with Lan Wangji somehow triggers a shy feeling in him but he is too proud to show it.
"Using emergency corridor without authorization is forbidden."
Wei Wuxian groans, "I told you to stop reciting those just now. You don't really listen to people, huh?"
"Told you to get down."
The reply from Lan Wangji is short but it manages to make Wei Wuxian gapes. "Did you just- Lan Zhan! You know how to retaliate now!" Wei Wuxian beams as if it is good news to him.
"Get in, Wei Ying." Lan Wangji chooses to ignore Wei Wuxian's statement.
"Nope! This corridor is breezy. I like it." As if on cue, a strong wind blows, making Wei Wuxian's hair and unbuttoned shirt flutter. Plain black shirt he wears underneath the unbuttoned shirt also flutters even though it is not as hard as the outer shirt. The red ribbon; Wei Wuxian’s trademark also dancing through the wind. The sight is enticing, Lan Wangji thinks.
"Lan Zhan, come here. Feel the breeze." Wei Wuxian motions. Seeing that Lan Wangji has no intention to move, he softly but adamantly pulls Lan Wangji to the window.
Even if Lan Wangji is inside the building, he also can feel the strong wind. It's cold. "Button up your shirt. Improper appearance-"
"Yes, yes. I know. Lan Zhan, please stop. My ears are gonna bleed school's rules at this point." Wei Wuxian sighs, "Anyway, even if I want to, I couldn't." A grin is back on his lips. He picks up the front hem of his shirt and flaps it, "See? The button is gone."
Lan Wangji is going to ask but he is cut off, "I know what are you gonna ask. Are you aware that this school has a tradition where seniors take off the buttons of their shirts and give it to their favourite people?"
Now that he mentions it, Lan Wangji remembers he has heard about it before on his first year but he paid no attention to it since he believes that it would be unnecessary for him to do so because he is convinced that he will still has no favourite person at the end of his senior day. Well, he thought wrong.
Lan Wangji nods, eyes still on Wei Wuxian's shirt. There's no button left. He figures since Wei Wuxian is friendly and has a lot of friends.
Wei Wuxian probably sees something on his face that told him that Lan Wangji is curious as to who did he give the buttons as he suddenly say, "I gave it to Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang, Wen Ning, Wen Qing and Mo Xuanyu. Though Wen Qing said she would throw my button away when she's back home." He pouts upon saying what Wen Qing said. "But I am convinced that she wouldn't actually throw it away!" The grin comes back shortly after.
One shirt has six buttons. Thinking that Wei Wuxian only mentioned five names to him makes Lan Wangji heartache. There's one name Wei Wuxian refuses to tell him. Probably his crush, he thinks. He would not rather know who it is but he knows one thing; she's lucky.
"Hey, Lan Zhan. Won't you give this favourite person of yours your button?" Wei Wuxian wiggles his eyebrows. There he is again with his playful smile. He will miss this expression when their school years end.
Lan Wangji ignores him. He turns around, leaning towards the window sill and tries to focus on his reading again but his focus is interrupted with the incessant 'Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan' beside him.
Lan Wangji inhales a deep breath, "No cloth alteration. House rules." Wei Wuxian makes a face, "You are a walking rules dictionary. Who would even create such rules?" He complains.
Lan Wangji simply, "My ancestor."
Wei Wuxian didn't expect that Lan Wangji would even answer, especially with that kind of answer. It leaves Wei Wuxian speechless.
"Fine then." Gone the shock face, replaced by a pout. Wei Wuxian places his arms on the window sill and rests his head over his arms.
It is silent, once again.
Wei Wuxian turns his head to the guy beside him, head still rests on the arms. Lan Wangji stands upright with proper position while resting his back to the window sill. It makes his hair flutter along with the wind and lightly slaps on the face who is still staring at him.
Wei Wuxian's eyes catch the sight of the fluttering blue ribbon dancing with the winds, following the hair. He grins again, something on his mind.
"Lan Zhan. Instead of giving me your button, what about you give me this ribbon?" Wei Wuxian's hand catches the ribbon who is currently slapping his face. With a slight tug, he doesn't expect the ribbon to loosen. Lan Wangji's hair is now sways loosely as there is nothing that is holding them.
Lan Wangji, who is actually focused on the reading, freezes. He immediately turns around to see dumbfounded Wei Wuxian that is still staring at his ribbon on his hand. "Wei Ying!" He almost shouts, shocks at the tug but he doesn't know why he isn't even mad at it. Or maybe he actually knows but he refuses to accept the truth.
Wei Wuxian snaps out from his shock when he heard his name. He didn't mean to actually pull the ribbon off. "Lan Zhan. You tied your hair loosely. I didn't even try hard to pull it." Wei Wuxian plays around the tiny cloud motives at the center of the ribbon. "I guess the ribbon wants me to be his new owner, isn't it?"
Even if Lan Wangji's eyes still stick on his ribbon, he knows if he looks up, he'll see a glint of playfulness on Wei Wuxian's eyes. So he doesn't. Aside from the reason that he doesn't want Wei Wuxian to notice that he actually doesn't mind letting Wei Wuxian take the ribbon.
"Nonsense." That's the only word he can think of right now.
Wei Wuxian's grin goes wider, "You didn't say no. Thanks!" Immediately he wraps the ribbon around his wrist.
Lan Wangji huffs as he watches his ribbon get tied and turns around again, backfacing Wei Wuxian because he feels like he couldn't hide his micro expression of joy.
Then suddenly, he feels two hands creep around his hair. He jerks, in shock. He then can hear Wei Wuxian's voice right behind his head. Almost like Wei Wuxian is talking right beside his ear, "Stay still, Lan Zhan. I'm trying to tie your hair so it wouldn't look so messy for your graduation after this. The wind made a mess of your hair."
Lan Wangji usually would've moved already but he is too short-circuited to move over the unexpected touch. He can feel Wei Wuxian combing his hair using his fingers to untangle some of his hair and it is… relaxing.
He almost let out a 'Aren't you taking my ribbon? What do you use to tie my hair then?' until he sees a swaying red ribbon in the corner of his eyes. It's Wei Ying's own ribbon, he states in his mind. "You know what, I actually planned to give you this ribbon to be honest. But I didn't expect that this is how I am giving it to you." Wei Wuxian chuckles after he finishes his sentence. Upon knowing this, he feels like something warms up in his chest.
And ears apparently.
"Lan Zhan, you like being touched like this? Your ears are really red." Wei Wuxian laughs as the ears reddened as if it wasn't red enough already. Lan Wangji doesn't want to answer even if the answer is already obvious.
Wei Wuxian struggles to tie his self-proclaimed best friend's hair like how Lan Wangji usually does but it keeps falling for some reason. Even so, Lan Wangji doesn't say anything and keeps reading as his hair is being played with. After a few trial and errors, all Wei Wuxian got is error so he gives up styling Lan Wangji's hair with his usual style and proceeds to tie it half-up-half-down style. The style that Wei Wuxian usually used.
Feeling that his hair is also now a mess thanks to the wind, he quickly ties his hair using Lan Wangji's (which is now his!) ribbon just like Lan Wangji's current hairstyle. His own hairstyle.
"Now, we are twinning!" Wei Wuxian beams happily.
Lan Wangji turns around to see Wei Wuxian's hair and Wei Wuxian notices that Lan Wangji's ears that are almost back to its original colour rushes to red again. Probably redder than before, he thinks.
"What do you think?" Wei Wuxian asks, expectantly.
However, Lan Wangji chooses to avoid the question by saying, "It's almost the time. Better go early." He shuts his book and immediately left the scene, with still red ears in tow.
He left Wei Wuxian behind who is still smiling, looking so satisfied.
The graduation ceremony ended and Lan Wangji is finally home. Reluctantly, he unties his hair that has been stared at by many during the ceremony due to the bright red colour that stayed on his hair and because it was once Wei Wuxian's.
Just when Lan Wangji folds the ribbon neatly to put it in his memory box, he notices there is a button sewn to the one of the end of the red ribbon. He recognizes the button. It is their uniform shirt's button.
Wei Ying’s sixth button.