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He sighed. Breathing, a bit uneven as he slumped his shoulders back against the seat of his car. His hands dropping from its shelters on the steering wheel.
Flashes of light stretched across the 8PM sky, muddled by thick blankets of what he could only assume was dark-gray clouds. His head hung backwards, resting on the back rest of the driver's seat. Lan Wangji closed his eyes, remembering the words of the weatherman this morning about a supposed thunderstorm that will envelop the city around this time of the night.
He held his head up from its rest, looking out on his tinted windows. Taking in the sights of the place his aimless driving brought him to. Only the warm, orange light of a nearby lightpost, illuminating his vision. The smallest hint of confusion on his face as the place dawned onto him. A small rundowned park built on a tiny crook by a cliff that overlooks the entire downtown of Gusu.
Once every few while, Lan Wangji takes 30 minutes off of his usual routine, to get in his car and drive willfully without a destination in mind. Often times, he would just end up on his brother's house, or in Xiao Xingchen's cabin in the woods. But tonight, something brought him to the humble place he had only been to, for what he could recall, once in his entire life.
His eyes scanned the small land the park occupies. Suddenly, his shoulders tensed. His eyebrows twitched upon recognizing the image his trained eyes caught. A silhouette sat on a rock bench under an old tree. His curiousity picking up, bit by bit. But before he could process the sight further in the gears of his head, his phone rang. Breaking the silence sheltered in the confinements of his car.
"Wangji? Where are you?" Lan Xichen's voice echoed in his ears. He breathed. "Out."
"Were you taking a drive?"
"Mn."
"Okay. I just called in to check on you." Silence. Lan Wangji felt his eyes drifting back to the figure of a person far off in the distance. "Morale check?"
His grip on his phone tightened, knuckles almost white as he did. An odd urge to disrespectfully just end the call, suddenly hanging on his thoughts. He resisted. "I am fine, brother."
"Mn. Well if you're getting too crowded or feeling out of it, just let me know okay?"
"..."
"Sizhui fell asleep already." Lan Wangji almost heaved a sigh after hearing Lan Xichen continued. Blinking, as he felt somewhat... impatient.
But he was never impatient.
"Mn. Did he take a bath?" He asked. Mostly out of courtesy.
"Yes, he did. He's reading a book now. I was telling him he should go to sleep but he insisted on waiting for you." Lan Xichen paused. "He said he has to give you a good night's kiss."
Lan Wangji would be lying if he were to say that what he heard didn't made his heart feel warm. His love for the child, although sometimes inconspicuous, had been the only thing keeping him afloat lately. He blinked.
"Mn."
"I won't be taking anymore of your time. Just be sure to stay safe. Okay, Wangji?"
"Yes, brother. Thank you for taking care of Sizhui while I'm away."
"Anytime, Wangji. He's my nephew, afterall."
"Mn." And after an exchange of farewells, the call ended. Lan Wangji dropped his hand down to his lap as he looked outside.
Rather unwittingly, he found himself walking under the heavy sky and across the empty park. His eyes glued on the silhouette that's starting to take shape of a man.
Lan Wangji was never a fan of actions done without rationality. But the strange yet warm tug on his chest was beyond sufficient enough to overtake his rational mind. He walked, no holds barred. His chest tightening with every passing step. A small voice in his head rushing him to fill the empty spot beside the man.
His steps stopped, a few feet from the rock bench. Only then did he realize that the bench was placed right by the cliff that overlooks the majority of Gusu. He breathed. And for a split second, he felt warmth envelop his entire body as his eyes bore upon the back of a slender stranger clad in a soft blue shirt.
His breathing was enough for him to announce his presence to the stranger. Goosebumps crossed his skin as he notice the stranger's shoulders tensing. And in another moment, their eyes met.
"Oh!" The stranger exclaimed. Shock apparent in his eyes. Yet before anything else could settle in, a warm smile conquered the throne to his face. "Hello!"
Lan Wangji's a very reserved and quiet man. Often being called out for his utter seriousness and silence, something that had made his intimidating aura rather explosive for other people.
But the reason for his silence at that moment wasn't because he didn't want to talk. Nor that he doesn't want to entertain the stranger. But that because, he simply couldn't.
"Hm?" Lan Wangji felt his heart thumped, as the beautiful stranger tilted his head. Looking at him with a hint of confusion. A soft yet beaming smile on his lips. "Not much of a talker, I see."
"Mn." He hummed. Somewhat... anxious.
But he was never anxious.
"You wanna sit?"
"..."
"Come on, don't be shy. You might end up getting cramps if you just continued standing there."
Lan Wangji carefully threaded the short distance, unsure yet certain at the same time. Silent, after hearing the rather over exaggerated remark. He sat on the empty spot on the rock bench, beside the stranger. Blinking away the sudden calm he felt in the presence of the man. His heart, beating as if wanting to jump out of his chest.
He was confused out of his own wit. Starting to get frustrated over the feelings in his head he can't quite put a name to. Yet as he looked, his muddled thoughts cleared out.
The stranger's smile grew into a beaming grin. And Lan Wangji couldn't help but to find its resemblance to the sun. Warm. Sweet. Beautiful. Blinding.
No. He thought. The sun would shrink in comparison to that smile.
The two bathed in the comfort of the silence they shared. Looking over the shimmering lights of the city at the foot of the mountain, beneath their feet. Calm as they both could ever be.
Lan Wangji wanted to stress out. To feel confused. To wonder. To start questioning, why? For the calmness and comfort he felt was beyond anything. And there's the voice inside his head, screaming at him with tiniest of voices. He shrugged it off.
Home. It said.
Lan Wangji turned his head. Discovering that he was now looking at the side profile of the gorgeous stranger. A sudden urge took over him.
"It is about to rain." He spoke out of nowhere. Breaking the silence.
"Huh?" The stranger exclaimed at the sudden sound. "Ah, you're right." He smiled.
Never in Lan Wangji's life had he ever felt the need to look for a response to give to someone. But right now, he just felt desperate. He needed to keep the conversation going. He knew, he needed to. But he just couldn't. And he breathed. A shadow of disappointment in his eyes.
"Wei Ying."
Lan Wangji's ears perked up. "That's my name! And you?" Wei Ying added.
And only after a couple of seconds of nothing but utter silence, did he reply. "... Lan Zhan."
The gleam on Wei Ying's eyes illuminated his face, decorated with a smile that could put the sun and the stars to shame. And not a single detail on Wei Ying's look did manage to escape Lan Wangji's gaze. He felt as if his breath was slowly being taken away, with every passing moment he knew those smiles were for him and only him.
And then he felt.... weird.
Like a sudden sense of... unease. Yes. Unease. That's what he felt. Uneased over the knowledge that Wei Ying smiles like this.
Wei Ying smiles beautifully like this. And not just to him, but to everyone else as well.
And the thought of that just made him feel... even more uneased.
"Nice to meet you Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying chimed. "Mn." He replied.
Silence. The atmosphere was soft, and cozy, and comforting, yet fragile. As if one were to be careless, everything would shatter in pieces. And that's the last thing Lan Wangji wanted. For whatever it is that they have right now, break and disappear.
"So, what made you come here tonight?" A question slipped through Wei Ying's lips. Taking Lan Wangji's eyes away from the view of the city, back to him. He wanted to respond. Wanted to answer.
But he couldn't. Couldn't find the answer to the question. And he couldn't help but to feel even more disappointed as he realized, he didn't have an answer.
But he always had an answer.
"Hm?" Wei Ying pouted. "Come on, what can make a pretty boy like you come here tonight when it's all dark and cold, with rain just waiting to pour down at any moment?"
Lan Wangji was silent. He didn't know.
"You don't know?"
Lan Wangji's breath hitched. Blinking a couple of times before deciding to lay his heart down and reply. But not before looking away from Wei Ying's eyes. The ground looking more interesting by the second. "...Mn."
"Hmm." Wei Ying nodded, seemingly understanding. "Me too." He added.
And just at that, Lan Wangji's look snapped back up. Meeting the soft gaze on Wei Ying's captivating eyes.
Wei Ying giggled. "What?" He paused. "Do I have to have an answer to everything?" He added.
Lan Wangji looked back at him with confusion. And as if Wei Ying could read his mind, the stranger continued. "I asked because only by asking, can someone know if there is an answer or none."
Lan Wangji blinked. Wei Ying's words settling down in his head.
"It's okay to not always have the answers." Wei Ying paused. Looking off into the distance. "And it's up to you whether you want to look for the answer, or let yourself hang onto the question."
"But looking and finding for the answer is two different things. Looking is for the answer that you want. Finding is the answer that you need."
Lan Wangji was held back, speechless. He was so gravely taken after realizing that the most beautiful soul resides in the most beautiful face as well.
He watched. Silence taking over as Wei Ying gave the distance a tender look. Lan Wangji felt his heart swole as time ticked by.
"Maybe... Maybe it's you."
"..."
"Maybe you're the reason why I'm here tonight."
Lan Wangji's brows twitched at what he heard from Wei Ying's lips. His breathing, suddenly caught stuck in his throat.
"And maybe, I'm the reason why you're here tonight!" Wei Ying laughed. And it was the most beautiful Lan Wangji ever saw.
Lan Wangji's ears suddenly felt warm.
His chest, tight.
His eyes, hazed.
His heart, calm.
As if telling him that Wei Ying was right. Maybe.
Lan Wangji didn't reply.
"Oh, c'mon! You don't find it a tiny bit strange that we just somehow ended up being right here at the same place and at the same time?" Wei Ying exclaimed. "Maybe the universe wanted us to meet each other tonight!" He added.
Then, Wei Ying's eyes brightened even further. His smile grew bigger. And Lan Wangji's heart fell deeper.
"Maybe... Maybe we're soulmates, you know?"
Eyebrows wiggling with a huge playful grin on his lips, Wei Ying uttered.
"... Shameless."
Wei Ying laughed.
"Well, something must've made us both come here at the same time." He continued as he laughed. Lan Wangji blinked. Watching him as his shoulder bobbed up and down simultaneously. His chest, warm and... happy.
And yet another moment of comfortable silence passed. Lan Wangji saw Wei Ying opened his mouth, about to speak again. When something grabbed both of their attentions from above. Looking up, Lan Wangji registered the feeling of thin and light droplets of water falling on his skin.
It's raining.
"Oh." Wei Ying exclaimed, and Lan Wangji couldn't help but to take note of the slight disappointment in his tone.
Lan Wangji stood up, grace and elegance following him regardless of his sudden movements.
"You're leaving?" Wei Ying asked as he looked up to meet Lan Wangji's eyes.
"Mn. We both should."
"Oh. Well then, you can go ahead."
Lan Wangji was rendered silent after hearing his words. Eyebrows twitching for a fraction of a motion. He looked straight at Wei Ying's eyes. As if sending him his thoughts telepathically.
"Hm? Lan Zhan, you should get going! You'll get drenched if you don't leave now!"
"I can drive you home."
His words were more of an outburst than anything. Like a sudden puff of breath done without thought. There wasn't a single bit of hesitation in his voice as he offered to take Wei Ying home. In fact, he looked rather determined.
"Huh?"
Lan Wangji watched as confusion drew on Wei Ying's face. Then, was later flushed out with a smile as he shook his head, no.
"Thank you, but." He paused. A soft and genuine smile reflecting off his lips. "I live just a couple blocks away. And I promise I'll shower once I got home, dont worry!"
"I just want to stay a little longer." Wei Ying added after hearing nothing from Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji almost wanted to click his tongue, but simply settled to clenching his jaws. He blinked, and then breathed as he started ridding himself of his dress coat. Placing it atop Wei Ying's head, he watched as the garment protected the boy from the pouring rain.
"Get home safe."
"... Mn! Thank you, Lan Zhan!"
Then he turned his back, taking one painful step away. Then another. Lan Wangji couldn't help but recognize the jarring ache in his chest as the pull tugged stronger the more he stepped away from Wei Ying.
And then, he stopped. Turning himself back to face Wei Ying once more. Feeling his breathing hitched after realizing that Wei Wuxian too, was looking back at him. A huge smile on the beautiful stranger's lips.
"Nice to meet you too, Wei Ying."
And Lan Wangji left.
And he never saw him again.