Work Text:
Gusu Lan Inc. has a lot of rules and Wei Wuxian is almost certain he's going to get in trouble for this. The delivery girl looks apologetic about it, but won't take the absolutely massive bouquet back with her. "I'm sorry, you can throw them away, but I'm really not allowed to take returns. You're going to have to call our customer service."
Wei Wuxian stares at her. "But I didn't order them! I don't want a refund, I just want them gone." He's maybe panicking a little because he actually likes this job, despite his personal dislike for any kind of rules and regulations. He's a free spirit, yet somehow he's found a fit here. It probably helps that GL has amazing benefits, a corporate responsibility office and a stern refusal to be traded on the stock market. A good 70% of the company is still family owned and the vice-president is, frankly, both an absolute stud and a genuinely good person.
They're making shit-loads of money, but they're making most of it with a conscience, which is rare enough that it makes people take note. There are a thousand people salivating for his job and Wei Wuxian is maybe one or two mistakes away from getting kicked out. He's a genius when it comes to developing new projects, but he's shit with PR or customer outreach. And the CFO, who also happens to be the CEO's uncle, absolutely loathes him.
Wei Wuxian stares at the flowers dwarfing his desk, shedding pollen all over his work space. He's in so much trouble. GL is a minimalist office and he's been fine with that, keeping personal items to a minimum. There's a picture of better times, when he was still talking to his adoptive family, him and his brother and sister all smiley and hopeful. Those were different times. But GL has been good to him and he does not want to risk the best thing that's happened to him in years.
Especially because Lan Zhan is just so... good. And pretty. And such an awkward example of a human being. He talks like a robot when he talks at all, and as kind as he is to those in need, he's always somehow cold and aloof, except when Wei Wuxian manages to coax a smile out of him. Wei Wuxian lives for those smiles.
Lan Zhan is going to hate this. He's going to look at this terrible array of flowers and judge him. Maybe even worse, he's going to think Wei Wuxian has someone who is romantically interested in him. Which is ridiculous, because Wei Wuxian hasn't actually had any time for dating since, oh, first year of college? Not that that ever went anywhere! He's so perpetually single, he could probably write a book about it. And he'd call it: Me, my hand and I.
"Wei Ying." Oh no. Oh no! Lan Zhan has come out of his office for their usual lunch meeting (it's not like a date, but they do go to the cafeteria together more often than not) and he's clearly seen the offending floral arrangement. It's not like he could not see it, it's so big it's visible from space.
"Uh, hey, Lan Zhan!" He's draping himself over his desk to block the flowers from view as much as possible. "I didn't realize it was noon already, huh, how the time passes when you're... having... work! I have so much work to do!" He's flailing and it makes him stupid, this is not a new problem.
Lan Zhan frowns at him. Lan Zhan frowns a lot and Wei Wuxian has become very good at reading the underlying emotion. This one is one part nervous anticipation and two parts confusion, which is one part more confusion than normal when he's dealing with Wei Wuxian. Lan Zhan looks behind him. "The flowers-"
"Ah, yes, uh, I'll get rid of them right away. I don't even like flowers, I have no idea why they're here. I think I might be allergic." He's sneezing theatrically and almost misses the slight downturn of Lan Zhan's mouth. Almost. Oh no. "Lan Zhan, hey, hey, let's go down for lunch, okay? I'll buy you a chocolate bar."
Lan Zhan doesn't usually eat candy, but he's a glutton for this health bar they have downstairs and Wei Wuxian gets it for him on special occasions and when he's trying to butter him up for a particularly crazy idea, like investing in a sustainable tiny house startup. Lan Zhan always goes for the chocolate bar.
Except, he straightens his already straight back and looks a thousand miles away. "That won't be necessary." There's the tiniest pause but it speaks volumes. Lan Zhan can barely keep himself together and Wei Wuxian has no idea why. "I have already eaten." He's not looking at Wei Wuxian at all and that's... really not okay. Also, that's a blatant fucking lie, made obvious by the timely growling of his stomach. They're both looking at Lan Zhan's stomach for a moment, silence like a curtain between them, falling shut.
Wei Wuxian nods, at a loss for words. He's done it, he's fucked it all up, and he blames those fucking flowers. "Yeah, sure, I guess I'll head downstairs later."
Lan Zhan nods curtly and goes back to his office, posture so stiff it made Wei Wuxian's muscles ache in sympathy.
Wei Wuxian parks the flowers in the corner of his cubicle and doesn't look at them for the rest of the day. He doesn't go downstairs to eat either, which is something that he remembers from before. Turns out, Lan Zhan has been taking him to lunch every single day for the past six months or so, every since the Xuanwu project went live. Wei Wuxian is frantically drowning himself in work, unable to think about the fact that Lan Zhan's face had never looked that sad and he can't figure out what the problem is.
Around nine, Wei Wuxian realizes that he has missed both lunch and dinner and he's alone in the office. It's dark and quiet, echoing with the clacking of his keyboard. He stretches, aware that Lan Zhan must have left without saying goodbye. Lan Zhan never leaves without saying goodbye. Oh no. Those damn flowers.
He turns to look at them and now, without distraction, he notices that these are all his favorites. They're a bunch of weeds, artfully draped into the perfect impression of a summer meadow in a vase. He'd love these flowers, if they hadn't just ruined his life. He's going to get fired and he's going to lose this weird friendship he's built with Lan Zhan. That's really the worst of it. Fuck the job, but losing Lan Zhan-
A bag of takeout is unceremoniously dumped on his desk, attached to Lan Zhan, who has never looked this distraught. Wei Wuxian is so unbelievably happy to see him, he almost throws himself at the man. The only thing that stops him is the way Lan Zhan still won't meet his eyes.
"Did... did you bring me food?"
Lan Zhan sighs, some of the tension bleeding out of him. "You haven't eaten all day."
This is certainly true. Wei Wuxian does not believe in breakfast, so he's currently running on fumes and anxiety. He looks at the bag and notes how it's definitely two boxes. "Did you bring enough for both of us?"
Lan Zhan nods. "I wish to apologize."
Wei Wuxian stares, his fingers stilling on the knot that keeps the bag closed and the food away from him. "Huh? You what now?"
"I wish to apologize, I did not wish to make you uncomfortable."
Wei Wuxian keeps staring. What in the fresh hell? "Lan Zhan, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Lan Zhan looks behind him, then looks back at Wei Wuxian. "The flowers."
The flowers. The flowers from some anonymous person who knows him well enough to know his very specific preferences. The flowers that look like a love letter.
Oh.
Oh shit.
"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, did you send me those flowers?" He can't believe he's asking that. He can't believe he's letting himself think... but what if?
Lan Zhan looks tormented. "I crossed a boundary. I am sorry. I wish to remain your friend, if you can forgive me."
Wei Wuxian's eyes widen. "Wait, no, wait! That's not... we're being stupid. I mean, maybe it's just me, but maybe it's you, too, just give me a minute. You sent me these flowers, right?" Lan Zhan nods. Wei Wuxian swallows. "You sent me these flowers and you take me to lunch every day and you smile at my stupid jokes." Another nod. "I'm going to say something really stupid next and you're going to have to cut me some slack and not punch me or anything, but, uh, these things kind of look like you like me. Like. Like. You know?"
Lan Zhan looks adorably confused. "I do like Wei Ying."
Wei Wuxian shakes his head. "I mean, when you put it all together, it looks like you want to kiss me."
Lan Zhan narrows his eyes, he suddenly looks like a large cat on the prowl. "Wei Ying," he says, all deep and honeyed, "I do want to kiss you."
Wei Wuxian would very much like to remember this moment as a romantic triumph and not the way it actually happens, which is this: he yelps, flinches, and falls of his chair in an impressive arc that lands him right in the flower arrangement. He smashes into it, flowers flying everywhere, and slams his elbow into the ground, the rest of him following right after. He's lucky he hasn't broken anything other than the vase.
"Wei Ying!"
Suddenly, hands are all over his face, lovely hands, hands he's been watching, and damn, he really should have clocked to the fact that Lan Zhan was courting him about five months ago. Or the fact that he was all the way into it from the very beginning. Lan Zhan's hands are framing his face and if there ever was a pretense that he's doing it to check for injuries, that flimsy excuse is long gone. They're staring into each other's eyes like there's nothing else to see in the world.
"Can I kiss you?"
Wei Wuxian nods. "Yes, yes, please. Kiss me already!" Then he takes advantage of the fact that his own hands are not currently occupied and pulls Lan Zhan close by his tie. Their mouths collide in an awkward kiss that turns gentle and unbearably romantic the moment Wei Wuxian loosens his grip. It's soft and sweet and before it can turn into something more hungry, Wei Wuxian remembers that he's still absolutely starving, and not for touch. Though that, too.
"Hey," he whispers on a breath shared between them, "maybe we can continue this over dinner. Let's go to mine, it's closer." He really does only want to eat and maybe make out a little more, but the way Lan Zhan's eyes blaze suggest that there might be more on the table. Wei Wuxian grins. "You should send me flowers more often."
Lan Zhan tugs at him to get him to stand up and grabs their food. "I will," Lan Zhan says, and it sounds like a promise. "Wei Ying will have flowers every day."
God, Lan Zhan is a weird guy, and Wei Wuxian apparently loves him? Like a lot. Like so much. He really can't believe he was that stupid. "Okay, sure, flowers every day, but maybe not at the office. People might start to talk."
Lan Zhan nods as he takes Wei Wuxian's hand. "Whatever you want." Wei Wuxian has a feeling that this is about more than just the flowers and he couldn't be happier. If Lan Zhan wants to spoil him rotten, who is he to say no?
"You, too," he says and means it. Whatever Lan Zhan wants or needs, Wei Wuxian is going to do his very best to make sure he gets it. He plucks a flower out of his hair and hands it to Lan Zhan.
"A flower, for my love."
The blush on Lan Zhan's ears makes Wei Wuxian so happy he could burst. He tugs the flower behind Lan Zhan's ear and then they leave, hands entwined between them.