Work Text:
It was beginning of the academic year, when the accident took place.
Wei Wuxian was on his knees inside the cubicle, the back of his feet peeking from below the door.
“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng was hissing, when someone stepped into the faculty washrooms, “Can you not be gentler!?”
Wei Wuxian mumbled back an answer, then there was a ripping sound followed by something dropping on the floor. The door had opened to them, both similarly wide-eyed in surprise at the intrusion.
It didn’t matter that they had clothes on – the guy only saw Wei Wuxian’s hand holding Jiang Cheng’s hip, the other on his zipper. The nameless person had left them there, a vicious grin curving his lips right before turning back on his heels.
By the end of the day there were sneaky looks sent their way, heads turning slightly and whispering between giggles. Wei Wuxian might’ve been used to be constantly checked out and followed across the rooms by avid eyes, but Jiang Cheng certainly wasn’t.
“Is it just me, or everyone keeps looking at us?”
Wei Wuxian had shrugged it off, dragging Jiang Cheng away to fetch dinner and back to their shared dorm.
Through the week it became unmistakably obvious, and the confirmation came with two senior students during lunch break; they stopped by the lockers, where Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were chatting with Nie Huaisang.
“We were just wondering what the fuss is about,” one of them said, doing a once-over of the two of them. Huaisang almost chocked on his coffee noticing the look of utter confusion on Jiang Cheng’s face, his characteristic frown about to stiff his features.
“Are you two, uh. Brothers, then?”
“Technically, w—”
“Yes, exactly. He’s the best part of my childhood!”
Wei Wuxian talked over Jiang Cheng, leaning on his side to slide an arm around his waist and pulling him close. The senior students hadn’t missed the way Wei Wuxian’s hand kept the hold, possessively.
The one who had spoken simply shook her head, a mild smile on her face as she pulled the other away, wishing them good luck on their year. Huaisang doubted there was any sincerity in that, but refrained to voice his thoughts when he turned back to a Jiang Cheng seemingly as lost as he could be, and a Wei Wuxian with no intention to let go of him.
“There’s a rumour going around, that you two are involved. A guy from their class said he walked in on you two inside the washrooms. Yikes, how unhygienic.”
Realisation dawned on Jiang Cheng.
“No! No—it was, we weren’t! He’d never-”
Wei Wuxian laughed, pulled Jiang Cheng closer against his side to speak as close as he could to him without kissing.
“Oh, I totally would,"
Jiang Cheng felt panic take over. He pulled away and Wei Wuxian let him, though he kept hold of his waist. He felt himself being eyed from all around the corridor, blush rising fervently to his neck and cheeks.
Wei Wuxian kept talking toward Huaisang, a wide grin on his handsome face.
“If they want to talk, let them. I’ll give them something to talk about.”
Jiang Cheng realised in horror that Wei Wuxian was deeply amused by the situation, blatantly basking in the newly gained attentions. And, following that thought – that he intended to fuel them.
Jiang Cheng had been right: Wei Wuxian made it his new hobby to give a public show at any given chance.
While in the corridors, Wei Wuxian would squeeze Jiang Cheng’s ass with an approving hum, or slip a hand in his back pocket, nonchalant as if that’s what he had always been doing (it really wasn’t).
In class he’d lean over Jiang Cheng to talk sweetly at his ear, laughing flirtatiously for the others to hear.
He insisted to regularly have lunch in the canteen, stopping by Jiang Cheng’s class to leave him home-cooked meals when their lectures didn’t match.
Jiang Cheng was both delighted and terrified by the new routine.
The rumours, he could deal with. But Wei Wuxian looked at him as if, for once, he truly didn’t have eyes for anybody else. That he couldn’t handle – he knew it wasn’t real.
But how to resist? The gaze was there, every time Jiang Cheng looked at Wei Wuxian, staring back at him.
Indulging in the fantasy was too tempting.
Which is why, whenever Wei Wuxian asked him out with the others, he accepted.
When WWX joined his study group only to sit next to him, keeping a hand on his leg while pretending to pay attention, Jiang Cheng played along.
When, at night, Wei Wuxian came back to their dorm with dinner to share, Jiang Cheng was one step closer to forget it was just for amusement.
By that moment, the entire college knew and talked about them. Few months had passed from the incident, midterm was merely weeks away and Jiang Cheng repeated like a mantra what he’d say to Wei Wuxian to put an end to the on-going pretence.
He’d been dropping hints here and there – sarcastic, sharp remarks on how easy it is for some people to play with others’ feelings – but when the time came for him to bravely stand up against the situation, to face the undeniable fact that despite common sense, he had been having feelings for Wei Wuxian since as long as he could remember, when the chance to speak up like the mature young man he believed himself to be was right there— Jiang Cheng simply couldn’t help but postpone it, again and again.
"Are we not going to the Nies' party? Literally everyone is going to be there."
Jiang Cheng asked, suspicious that Wei Wuxian hadn't offered yet. It would be the perfect stage, a crowd of hungry observers.
It would’ve been a lie if Jiang Cheng said the situation didn’t have its perks. He enjoyed getting invited everywhere, even if only for the chance to get intel from the most talked couple of the faculty. He had reached the point of not giving a single damn about what other people had to say. Those he cared about could be counted on one hand.
The look on their eyes – that was the cherry on top. Everyone stole glances, and he knew what they wondered all the time: Wei Wuxian could have anybody - no one was immune to his charms - so why him? What did Jiang Cheng have to offer?
"Do you want to go? ..Jiang Cheng?"
Wei Wuxian snapped him back to the present.
"Yeah, sure. Why not."
Maybe he'd even get the chance to dance together, if Wei Wuxian felt particularly dramatic. Maybe a peck, or at worst, many of those lingering hugs where Wei Wuxian clung on him like he had no strength left (or shame, which he never had in the first place).
Wei Wuxian didn’t do any of that.
Jiang Cheng watched him quietly speak to someone on the side - someone outstandingly handsome, not that he wished to indulge on that - almost to the point of ignoring him except for some spare looks which Jiang Cheng interpreted as making sure he hadn't fled without Wei Wuxian.
Not long had passed but Jiang Cheng felt awfully restless, playing with his cup while pretending not to look at Wei Wuxian, not to desperately try to read their lips, dying to know what they were talking about. He’d wanted to approach them and join the conversation, but it felt like it was a private matter, he couldn’t bear to be asked to leave.
That guy looked so annoyingly handsome, fair skin without a trace of imperfection, a playful smirk on his lips. He could see why Wei Wuxian would be attracted to him. The cup in his hand was getting crushed.
“Looking gloomy in a corner won’t keep A-Yu apart from Wei Wuxian,” Huaisang told him, barely audible above the music. “I don’t know about you, but dragging your man away sounds like a good plan to me,”
Huaisang paused, sparing a look their way before turning back to Jiang Cheng with an expression he couldn’t quite read.
“You know, for your little game.”
Jiang Cheng didn’t stop to wonder which game was he referring to: he felt for once Huaisang was totally right, and his mood was dropping so fast there was no need to act for the audience. Jiang Cheng strode rapidly to Wei Wuxian, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him up from the sofa without sparing the handsome face beside him a single look.
“We should go home,” he told Wei Wuxian, heart drumming so loud it drowned out the music and everything else with it. Every atom of his entire existence was praying Wei Wuxian wouldn’t oppose it, wouldn’t put him in the position to explain his reasons or, worse, leave on his own.
Wei Wuxian exchanged a glance with Mo Xuanyu (which Jiang Cheng could swear it lasted forever), then turned back to nod at him.
“We should.” He agreed – which made Jiang Cheng instantly regret it. Wei Wuxian had such a serious tone, it made his insides twist. He stiffened, dragging Wei Wuxian across the room and away from the party.
Neither of them noticed Huaisang's little smile as they left.
Jiang Cheng hadn’t considered the journey home. It was fairly early, so their easiest choice was to get the public transport. Neither of them seemed willing to speak, despite how empty the wagon was. The silence had dragged so long they almost missed their stop.
By the time Wei Wuxian was closing the dorm room behind him, Jiang Cheng had so many words and feelings bottled up that he couldn’t hold it in any second longer, else he'd explode.
“What the hell was that, Wei Wuxian? I might as well just go out on my own, since you are so—” how to put it nicely? “—eager to socialize all by yourself.”
Wei Wuxian had that intense gaze of his, as if assessing the situation. Jiang Cheng didn't like how it made him feel - like he was bound to bend under its pressure. He always did.
“A-Yu is an old acquaintance of mine. He’s made some, uh. Some pretty interesting considerations regarding a situation that has been on my mind lately, so to say.”
Wei Wuxian moved a step closer, dropping keys and jacket on the kitchen counter. Jiang Cheng was looking at him under a deep frown, all but satisfied with the explanation, putting effort in holding his position.
“I bet you'd get along well once—”
“Just because you clearly like him doesn’t mean I will! Go out with him, next time!”
“Jiang Cheng, are you... being jealous?”
Jiang Cheng puffed his cheeks, taking a step back and away from the advancing Wei Wuxian.
“Nonsense! I just want this stupid pretence to stop, I’ve had enough of this game! Go play with—”
“You’re right, Jiang Cheng. No more games.”
Wei Wuxian noticed Jiang Cheng had stopped moving backward, perhaps taken aback by his answer. He locked hands behind his back, watching Jiang Cheng as he took another step closer.
“Just us. You and I, we make a good team. Don’t you think?”
Jiang Cheng nodded. He looked stunned, unable to retreat anymore from Wei Wuxian’s burning gaze.
“We do,” Wei Wuxian confirmed with a warm smile, nodding himself. “I wish I realised this earlier.”
Wei Wuxian leaned forward, brushing his lips against Jiang Cheng’s. He only released an unsteady breath when finally Jiang Cheng pursued him back, pulling him in a tight embrace as he locked their lips again.