Chapter Text
They first meet when Wei Wuxian is fourteen.
Why he is being sent to this private high school in the first place is beyond him. He can only imagine that Madam Yu didn’t want to go through the trouble of even more paperwork, to sign him up to a different school than her two other children. By sending him to the same school as Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, she can ensure that the siblings always have an eye on him. That way, they can report back to their mother whenever Wei Wuxian misbehaves.
Not that Jiang Cheng is above misbehaving, but hey, Wei Wuxian might be a bit of an enabler in that department.
It’s far enough from home that Wei Wuxian doesn’t think twice about letting loose. He just has to be careful not to overdo it too much, otherwise, he’d be stuck with being punished way too often — and that would kill the fun, now, wouldn’t it? Also, it would upset his favourite jiejie, and that’s something he wants to avoid at all cost.
So. First day of high school. If he’s going to spend the next four years of his life here, he can at least try to make it fun. There are approximately two dozen other pupils in the room, side-eyeing each other deciding on where to sit. Some reluctantly try to start conversations, the first step toward getting to know one another. Others have already jumped over that particular threshold, and mingle rambunctiously. Perhaps they already knew each other before?
Then, there are those who just—sit there. Diligently waiting for the teacher to arrive. Pen in hand, a sheet of paper in front of them, ready for whatever kind of notes they might need to take.
Wei Wuxian has nothing in his backpack, except for a bottle of tea, and a small snack. On the very first day, teachers will introduce themselves, establish a seating order, and hand out the list with the books that weren’t on the required readings syllabus. No need to take notes. At least, that’s what jiejie told them.
Still, he is intrigued by the very few people around him who do look like they’re prepared for battle, rather than for school. One such individual sits primly by the teacher’s desk at the very front of the classroom. Back straight, eyes trained forward, and hands folded stiffly onto the desk. He uses the hook attached to the desk for its intended purpose, unlike Wei Wuxian, who’s backpack slings haphazardly over the curve of his chair. A pencil, sharpener, eraser and ruler sit meticulously organised on the work surface in front of him. The boy looks out of the window into the courtyard, where an ancient walnut tree stands and dapples the sunlit ground with playful shadows. He doesn’t seem to be interested in mingling with others and only snaps to attention when the bell rings, signifying the beginning of the school day.
What an odd character, Wei Wuxian thinks, and plops down next to his brother.
The boy’s name is Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian learns, and he’s always like that. Unsettlingly quiet, unless he’s answering a question, which he always does with the least amount of human intonation and textbook-like precision. He always sits as if he had swallowed a broom, always uber punctual, always super organised—and he never seems to socialise with the other people in the class.
It’s driving Wei Wuxian mad.
He’s not even sure why. The guy has done nothing to bother him—except for turning the coldest of shoulders in his direction the moment Wei Wuxian had walked up to him to say ‘hi’, and to ask to borrow a pencil. Lan Wangji had pointedly looked at Wei Wuxian’s own pencil case, full of colourful markers and pens and, as it turns out, one chewed-on pencil, his expression as icy as can be, and had turned back to his book.
“What a stuck-up ass,” he mutters, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Jiang Cheng.
“Oi. Careful how you speak. His family’s old money, you don’t want to get in trouble with them. Better to just stay out of his hair.”
“Pffft, as if old money was a reason to be impolite to people who just wanted to say hello. I bet if he would take his head out of his butt, we’d actually become good friends real fast.”
Jiang Cheng’s eyebrow pays a visit to his hairline. “…yeah sure. And cows can fly. You said one single sentence to him, and I’m already convinced how much he obviously dislikes you. Could be felt way across the country border.”
Wei Wuxian huffs. As if anyone could dislike him. He’s adorable, and fun, and utterly loveable.… okay, maybe, just maybe, he can be a bit annoying at times. But he’s sure that the fact that he’s so loveable, outshines it all. Jiejie and Madam Yu may disagree on this, but he trusts his Jiejie, she has never lied to him before.
“You’ll see, Jiang Cheng. I will convince him that I’m fun to be around, and one day, we’ll be fucking inseparable. Mark my words!”
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes but doesn’t reply. Wei Wuxian sits back in his chair, his hands crossed behind his head and smiles at Lan Wangji’s back.
He has no idea whether or not he will succeed in winning Lan Wangji’s affection, but he’s adamant about making the guy like him at least a bit. He has to try. Lan Wangji seems to be quite a tough challenge, but Wei Wuxian has never been one to back down from a challenge before.
It’s not that he’s unused to people disliking him, it’s just, the way in which Lan Wangji’s reactions feel so openly hostile toward him. It rubs him the wrong way. He wants to know why; wants to crack open his shell and take a peek inside. If he finds a friend hiding in there? Fantastic! If not? He’ll deal with that when the time comes.
Their first group project is, surprisingly, not a disaster.
The result is spectacularly good. They receive excellent marks and feedback on it, both on presentation and research.
The book they’re required to work on is one the teacher picked for them, but Wei Wuxian can’t say that he’s thrilled about it. The topics of all of the books are pretty meh by his standards, and some of his fellow pupils groaned at how serious and difficult they seemed to be. Just another challenge for him, no biggie.
“Why on Earth are they making us read a book about a society in which people are being cloned? Just for them to be used as human spare parts warehouses...of course someone’s gonna riot. That seems like such a tedious concept to me; I’ve read better dystopias than this.”
Lan Wangji doesn’t look up from his book, highlighter in hand, and writing pad sitting next to him.
“We are to extrapolate the different ethical questions that are being addressed throughout the novel and discuss them in the context of today’s ethical standpoints. I do not think that the enjoyment we experienced while reading is of any consequence.”
Wei Wuxian all but stares at him.
“Whoa. Calm down there for a moment, Mister Thesaurus. First of all, I’ve never heard you talk that much before. Second of all—who in the heck still uses ‘extrapolate’? I know you’re insanely smart, you don’t need to prove it to me by being so…verbose.”
Lan Wangji hesitates for a split second before taking another note, his lips being pressed into a thin line. More than they usually are, that is.
“I think it’s important to have fun while studying. I believe it’s easier to actually remember the stuff we’re being taught if we associate good memories with it.”
“Per analogy —” he grins widely at Lan Wangji, who looks as if he wants to roll his eyes at him but keeps his face impassive. “I think with a novel like this one, it’s very important to note whether we enjoyed reading it or not. Since we’re to discuss the ethics within it, the feelings we experience while reading might reflect on our individual moral compass, and lead us to reevaluate our own ethical points of view. It would make for a nice conclusion to our book presentation, come to think of it.”
This causes Lan Wangji to pause and consider. A quick nod of the head, an almost inaudible ‘Mn’, and he’s writing down a note concerning the closing paragraph.
Wei Wuxian’s grin grows wider. Has Lan Wangji just agreed with him? He catalogues this moment as a small victory on the way to becoming his friend. Which should be fairly easy, considering how well they work together as a team on a project like this.
Wei Wuxian’s desk is the textbook definition of ‘messy’ – he’s not exactly silent, either. Their nook in the library is one they’re allowed to talk in if they keep their voices at a relatively low level. The librarian shows up multiple times to shush them. Lan Wangji is the perfect picture of organisation. Both are meticulous and precise with their work. And if Lan Wangji looks surprised at the fact that Wei Wuxian respects deadlines, accepts criticism where it is due, is willing to discuss alterations if the reasoning is sound, and hands in his part of the project neatly typed out for him to compile with his own? He doesn’t let it show.
Likewise, Wei Wuxian is surprised at how much he actually likes working with Lan Wangji. He still doesn’t talk much, and resembles a breathing iceberg. The way in which he works and seems to respect Wei Wuxian’s sometimes questionable work ethics (and messiness), however? It makes him believe that the guy really isn’t as cold as he pretends to be. Equally, Lan Wangji doesn’t bust out the Big Words as often anymore. His way of speaking still reflects the fruits of a good and thorough education, but it becomes apparent to him that Lan Wangji only used a different language register to keep him at a distance.
They split up the presentation part. Lan Wangji presents his parts to the class in a clear and unwavering voice, radiating confidence. Wei Wuxian is naturally livelier, and he would have loved to add one or two more jokes into it all, but he finds himself adapting the way he speaks more to Lan Wangji’s way of presenting, even if he never loses his own style.
They have three more group projects throughout the year; none of the teachers pair them up together again.
The most surprising development of all is that Wei Wuxian is now allowed at the same table with Lan Wangji during lunch. Jiang Cheng is mad at him for whatever reason one day, and he doesn’t want to let his lunchtime be ruined by his brother’s perpetually scrunched up sour grape face. So when he sees Lan Wangji sitting a few tables away from him, he tries his luck.
“Ah Lan Wangji, hi! Is this seat still free?”
“It is indeed, please, take a seat!” a voice that is not Lan Wangji responds, although they do look distinctively like him. Lan Xichen, as Wei Wuxian learns, is Lan Wangji’s older brother. Where Lan Wangji appears cold, Lan Xichen is friendly and warm. Wei Wuxian likes him instantly. He learns that jiejie and Lan Xichen attend the same cooking club, and to his surprise; that Lan Wangji has apparently complimented Wei Wuxian’s work on their group project.
“Ah, Lan Wangji! I knew you cared,” he pipes up, happily bumping their shoulders together.
Lan Wangji shoots a glance full of daggers at his brother. Lan Xichen smiles.
Wei Wuxian proceeds to invite himself over to what he has secretly named, ‘The Lan Table’, every other day. Sometimes, jiejie even joins them. Wei Wuxian beams when he spots her sitting with them. Lan Xichen looks between the two of them, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Yanli complained that she hardly sees you two with how busy you both seem to be, so I invited her over,” Lan Xichen explains happily. Lan Wangji says nothing, but his behaviour towards Yanli is always polite, so he doesn’t say anything about not wanting to talk to his sister. Jiang Cheng just looks over at them from his table, displeased.
“Oh come on, you could join us too!” Wei Wuxian suggests after he saunters back over to him and lazily swings an arm over his shoulder. “You know jiejie would love that, and Lan Xichen is really nice! I’m sure you’ll get on very well with him.”
“No thank you,” Jiang Cheng replies. “I’d rather look at you swooning over Baby Lan at a safe distance.”
Wei Wuxian shakes his head.
“Alright then. Why don’t you ask Huaisang if he wants to spend his lunch period with you? You seemed to get on pretty well with him during your art group project. I think he likes you. I always see him sitting there alo—HEY! HUAISANG!”
Jiang Cheng flinches. A boy with shoulder-length hair looks up from the book he’s reading while eating.
“Come over and have lunch with us!”
Huaisang smiles, closes his book, takes his tray, and scuttles over.
The rest of the school year is a repetition of those very moments. Huaisang is chatty and gossipy and much fun to be around; Wei Wuxian greatly enjoys his lunch breaks with both him and Jiang Cheng.
Lan Wangji is boring, and ordinate, and intelligent, but always slightly cold. A stark contrast to his openly welcoming brother, but nonetheless, Wei Wuxian equally enjoys the lunch breaks he spends with the Lans and his sister. Sometimes both older siblings are busy, leaving just the two younger ones alone. Lan Wangji is always silent during meals, but the nods and head inclinations he makes do prove that he is indeed listening to whatever Wei Wuxian is rambling on about. He comments sparsely on it, only after he has finished his plate.
It’s not much, but it’s a start, Wei Wuxian thinks. On one of the last days of the school year, he looks at Lan Wangji’s neat plait, the sunlight painting dark brownish specs onto his black hair. A smile tugs at his cheeks: he’s going to miss him during summer break.