Chapter Text
There's something in the air that has Jiang Cheng more agitated than usual. Nothing is clearly wrong - the cultivation world is mostly humming along, Jin Ling is alive and well and under his care more often than not, and while he remains single and thus very heirless, the Jiang Sect is thriving. Without a clear cause, and thus no clear solution, Jiang Cheng finds himself quicker to snap and less forgiving than usual, an annoying attitude to have when he's in Cloud Recesses with Jin Ling in tow. He was supposed to hand off his nephew to his other uncle here, but wherever he is, off with Lan Xichen, he's taking his sweet time. He's two days late. Jiang Cheng had considered just leaving Jin Ling here to fend for himself, even though his nephew had begged him not to, knowing they'd either put him to work or put him in classes; luckily for him, that feeling of something has Jiang Cheng uncomfortable with leaving Jin Ling alone. So he'll wait.
Nervous energy and a desire to get some space from his (sometimes very annoying) nephew has the sect leader wandering the grounds, and he's surprised to find himself coming upon the small colony of rabbits that live outside of Cloud Recesses proper. He's not sure if he expected them to still be here or not, and he's not sure if he's actually happy to see them either, but he finds himself drawn to them just the same. Before he knows it he's sitting amongst them, pulling one into his lap to run his fingers between its soft ears. The rabbit doesn't fight him, apparently well-socialized, and Jiang Cheng can feel its nose working against the fabric of his robes as it investigates this unfamiliar human.
He's conveniently hidden from the path as he indulges this somewhat childish pursuit, and he's glad for it when he hears voices floating up from below. He listens closely, and it only takes him a few moments to pick out who is speaking - Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen. Finally. He shouldn't listen to the other sect leaders, but… well, it's hard not to. He heaves a soft huff, releasing the rabbit he'd been holding as it begins to wriggle, but he's quick to grab another that seems content to be picked up.
"Thank you for spending a few extra days with me, Brother." Jiang Cheng's eyes roll at Jin Guangyao's simpering tone, and maybe the fact that Lan Xichen had apparently humored his request to stay with him longer for whatever reason.
"Of course, I think I needed the time too." A soft sigh punctuates Lan Xichen's words. Jiang Cheng lifts up the rabbit and holds it to his face, nose touching his own, trying to distract himself.
"You need to take better care of yourself. Come stay with me at Carp Tower sometimes, I'll take good care of you." Jiang Cheng makes a face at the rabbit. Lan Xichen laughs, light and airy.
"He never comes to Lotus Pier," Jiang Cheng whispers to his captive companion.
"It's so busy all the time, A-Yao. But I'll try."
"You always say that."
"It doesn't mean I don't mean it. Speaking of busy, I need to take care of something. Go ahead of me, alright? Maybe Jin Ling will be here already."
"Perhaps. They're due tomorrow, but Sect Leader Jiang is always anxious to get here, isn't he?"
Jiang Cheng whispers again, annoyed. "So he lied about when we'd be arriving. Figures. And what is he getting at-"
"I'm not sure, but it'd be a compliment if he is. I'll see you soon, A-Yao."
Though he can't see them, Jiang Cheng is certain they part with a touch of some sort, and he scowls at the rabbit that is clearly getting sick of him. He's about to set it down when he hears a sound at the opening to the clearing, and his head snaps up to behold Lan Xichen.
The other sect leader's cheeks are slightly flushed and his hair is a little windswept. He's clearly returning from a journey, but even so it looks almost intentional, like some dramatic portraiture. It's distracting, but not enough that Jiang Cheng entirely forgets himself. He very quickly puts down the rabbit, which almost immediately hops towards a smiling Lan Xichen.
"Sect Leader Jiang." His voice is bright and happy. It's been a little while since they've seen each other; he's happy to see him, Jiang Cheng supposes, but it's hard to appreciate that right now with how embarrassed he's feeling.
"Zewu-Jun," Jiang Cheng responds, the evenness of his voice belying how mortified he feels. Did Lan Xichen see him making a face at the rabbit? Gods.
"I didn't mean to interrupt," Lan Xichen says with a touch of humor, leaning down to pick up the rabbit that had just fled Jiang Cheng. "I just always like to come see them when I get back from a trip. I didn't realize you knew about them."
"Wei Wuxian," Jiang Cheng offers, and it's strange how easily his brother's name can roll off his tongue now, at least sometimes. He supposes it's only right. It's been a long time.
Lan Xichen moves forward, careful with so many rabbits underfoot, and takes a seat across from Jiang Cheng. The rabbits practically flock to him, biting at the edges of his robes.
"That was a long time ago," Lan Xichen murmurs, thoughtful and gentle. He looks down at the rabbit in his lap, one hand stroking it gently while the other tries to smooth some of his hair. Jiang Cheng watches him, unable to help himself. It's not his fault - others must look at Lan Xichen like this as well.
"How was your trip?" he asks to distract himself from the sight of the other sect leader and the lingering memory of his brother.
"It was very productive. We toured some of the watchtowers and A-Yao forced me to relax for a few days. I have such a hard time convincing myself to take the time." He lifts his eyes, looking entirely unburdened. Normally there's a sort of reservation around him that suggests he feels a little weighted down. Now, however, he looks truly relaxed.
"Did you just get in today?" Lan Xichen asks.
"...something like that," Jiang Cheng responds after a moment, awkward, immediately realizing it's a strange answer but not wanting to tell Lan Xichen that they'd been waiting while he'd been taking his apparently much-needed time off. He shakes his head, adding, "It was late last night when we got it, probably actually today, is all."
There's the slightest tilt of Lan Xichen's head, a suggestion of disbelief, but he doesn't press.
"And the trip here was alright?"
"Uneventful. I wouldn't let Jin Ling bring Fairy, though, so he's irritated with me."
If Lan Xichen were someone else, the smile he gives Jiang Cheng would be infuriating. Instead, it's just a little nice. Jiang Cheng busies himself with finding another rabbit, and is forced to settle on the only one next to him now.
"Well, Fairy is always welcome here if that's a concern."
"Thank you, Zewu-Jun. Don't tell Jin Ling, though."
The laugh this elicits is bright and warms something inside Jiang Cheng's chest, the sensation not unfamiliar even though it's been a while since he's felt it. Lan Xichen carefully lies back, rabbit held to his chest, and Jiang Cheng allows himself to look at him for a little while again. If things were different, if they were different, maybe he'd move to him and kiss him. Maybe he'd try to get him to laugh again with light, quick kisses across his cheeks and eyelids and nose. Despite their time apart and the lull in their companionship, Jiang Cheng is still drawn magnetically to Lan Xichen. He's everything he's not. Jiang Cheng releases the rabbit in his hands because it's now twisting. Of course, Lan Xichen's rabbit is happy to rest on his chest.
"My lips are sealed. What sort of a friend would I be if I let that slip?"
"Still a pretty decent one," Jiang Cheng sighs, trying to tamp down the flutter of feelings in him to the point where they morph into something slightly uncomfortable. Lan Xichen twists his head to the side to see Jiang Cheng around the rabbit on his chest, and Jiang Cheng, lying to himself that he's just doing it so the other man can see him more easily, moves to lie down alongside him. There's space between them, of course, but he's much closer now than he was. He looks towards the sky to make the gap feel a little larger.
"I owe you more than pretty decent. You've been a wonderful friend," Lan Xichen murmurs.
At that, Jiang Cheng can't help but scoff. He's never been much of a friend to anyone - Wei Wuxian, maybe, but look how that had turned out. He certainly hasn't been a good friend to Lan Xichen, and especially not recently. They hadn't been speaking much. Both were busy with the usual business of being sect leaders, and there wasn't much to discuss anyway, outside of any formal meetings they had. Jiang Cheng wasn't about to send a casual letter. Clearly Lan Xichen wasn't, either.
He drops his head to the side to look at the other sect leader.
"When was the last time we even spoke?"
"A month and a half ago," Lan Xichen supplies easily, and the fact that he can conjure it up so easily startles Jiang Cheng. He watches Lan Xichen for a moment more before turning his head to look up into the canopy of trees again. A rabbit noses his hand and he sets it on its head, though it quickly wriggles away.
"Just a month and a half?"
Lan Xichen hums softly.
"Just a month and a half. But the time between speaking doesn't matter. I know you're there for me, if I need you. And I'm always here for you."
Is Lan Xichen right? Would Jiang Cheng really be there for him if he needed him? He was before, maybe. He's still not sure if everything he'd done after Nie Mingjue's death was right; he doesn't really know how to be there for someone, and he's pretty sure it shows. At the very least he wants to be there for Lan Xichen, and maybe that, too, is obvious. Maybe that's where Lan Xichen's confidence in him comes from.
After a long silence, Jiang Cheng shifts, carelessly but not actually carelessly moving his hand close to where Lan Xichen's is. Close enough to touch. But it doesn't have a chance to make contact - Lan Xichen moves his hand, pulls it close to himself, before sitting up. Jiang Cheng feels suddenly deeply ashamed, but stubbornness and a desire to not look like he'd just intentionally tried to touch the other man keeps his hand where it had fallen.
Lan Xichen remains quiet for a moment more, and Jiang Cheng finally looks at him. His expression is difficult to read, distant and a little closed off. Abruptly, their moment together is over. Jiang Cheng had ruined it; the look on Lan Xichen's face is enough to tell him that he suspects what he was actually doing.
"We'll always be friends, even if we don't talk for a long while. I promise. And unfortunately, I should get back, but I'll see you for dinner, right? I hope you'll at least stay tonight."
"There's no reason for me to travel before the morning, so I'll see you tonight," Jiang Cheng replies, a little flat. He feels so stupid and tight all over. Lan Xichen smiles and the feeling, unfortunately, intensifies.
"See you soon, Sect Leader Jiang."
Lan Xichen leaves and Jiang Cheng remains where he is on the ground, staring up into the trees as some of the rabbits start to pay him mind now that the other man is gone. The feeling of something being wrong, while it hadn't ever left him, creeps back up to the front of his mind with an added heaviness. He very much wants to leave tonight, but he won't. Pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, Jiang Cheng tries to let go of the twisting feelings in his gut with little success.