Work Text:
A young boy sat sniffling on a secluded park bench. It had become a habit for Jiang Cheng to come here to be alone after classes were done. The park was safe and close to his house and school, and more importantly Wei Wuxian didn't know about it so he couldn't come bother him. While he did kind of like him sometimes, it seemed like most of Jiang Cheng's problems were because of Wei Wuxian ever since his father had brought him home.
He had to give up his puppies because Wei Wuxian was afraid of dogs. He had to smile and bear it when his father fawned over the other boy and didn't spare more than a shred of attention for Jiang Cheng. He had to fight back tears when he heard his father and mother fighting behind closed doors. He had to pretend it didn't bother him when all his school friends flocked around Wei Wuxian and worst of all, he had to share his sister's love now too.
Jiang Cheng wiped away another round of tears. He wouldn't be able to stay out here much longer before it would be too late and he'd risk getting in trouble when he went home, that is if his father looked away from his precious Wei Wuxian for a moment to even notice his absence. His mother was overseas right now so he didn't need to worry about disappointing her right now. At most his sister would be worried if he wasn't home before it got dark.
"Did you have another bad day at school, Jiang Cheng?" a kind voice asked. The boy looked up to see a tall man smiling down at him with warm eyes. Xichen-ge always seemed to show up whenever he was feeling sad and hiding in the park. Naturally Jiang Cheng was wary at first, but soon it had become clear that Xichen-ge didn't fall into the 'stranger danger' category.
He was just very kind and he never felt threatening to Jiang Cheng. He listened to his problems and actually cared, a nice change from the lack of attention from his father. Xichen-ge treated him like an equal, didn't talk down to him, and he didn't seem to mind Jiang Cheng's occasional temper or bad mood. Plus he would buy him ice cream or candy sometimes which always made the day a little better.
"Oh, it's you again, old man," he grumbled, wiping his face again to get rid of any evidence of how he'd been crying.
Xichen-ge playfully mocked offense at the remark. "I don't look that old, do I?"
Jiang Cheng didn't let himself smile, but he frowned less. "You're ancient. Soon you're going to need two canes to walk."
A strange smile, with a hint of what could be sadness, passed over Xichen-ge's face for a short moment before it settled into the usual bright and friendly one Jiang Cheng was used to seeing. "Ah, well" Xichen-ge said, "I hope you'll take care of me if it comes to that."
"Pfft, no way! You're on you're own!" Jiang Cheng snorted. This was normal. This was nice. He wasn't feeling as sad anymore.
"Not even for candy every day?" Xichen-ge asked, sitting down next to him and holding out a chocolate bar.
Jiang Cheng took it. "Nope!" He started to unwrap it while Xichen-ge laughed. Finally, a small smile appeared on the boy's face.
Many years later on the very same park bench, they would sit and reminisce together and talk about how their first meeting compared to all the previous times Lan Xichen first met Jiang Cheng, yet how each time the immortal man met and fell in love with Jiang Cheng's incarnation, despite sharing the same soul, each version of him was unique and special and just as loved by Xichen-ge.