Work Text:
When Jiang Cheng finds the unstamped letter in his mailbox, he doesn’t immediately think anything of it. It happens frequently enough that some religious groups or protesters go from house to house to deliver their letters and Jiang Cheng has half a mind simply throwing it away without even reading it.
But then he catches sight of his name on the envelop and that’s when he starts to worry.
He still takes the letter with him into his apartment, unwilling to read it out in the open, but instead of immediately opening it once he’s inside he thumbs the envelope for a while.
Surely it cannot be. This hasn’t happened in a long time and Wen Xu should still be in prison.
Jiang Cheng is probably worrying for nothing.
With that thought in mind he finally opens the letter, scanning it once, before it falls out of his numb fingers.
This cannot be happening again.
Dear Jiang Cheng, the card reads. I really do enjoy seeing you every day and I would want nothing more than to go on a date with you, if you would do me that honour. I’m eagerly awaiting your answer.
It’s not signed.
It’s not signed and Jiang Cheng finds that he has trouble breathing.
Seeing you every day, the card says and Jiang Cheng has to fight the urge to cover all his windows up and never leave his apartment again.
Instead of giving in to that urge though, he fumbles for his phone and dials Wei Wuxian’s number as quickly as his shaking fingers will let him.
“My dearest little brother,” Wei Wuxian greets him with and his antics do make him feel a little bit more grounded, Jiang Cheng has to admit to that.
The underlaying panic is still there, though.
“Please tell me Wen Xu is still in prison,” Jiang Cheng says without greeting him and he refuses to have a panic attack when he’s met with silence.
“I haven’t heard anything else,” Wei Wuxian finally says, and all traces of humour have vanished from his voice. “What’s going on?”
“Can you check?” Jiang Cheng wants to know, because he’s not going to sleep well without absolute certainty that Wen Xu is in prison and can not watch him every single day.
“I can check in with Wen Qing. She keeps close tabs on him. But I’m sure she would have told me if anything changed. What’s happening, Jiang Cheng?”
“It’s probably nothing,” Jiang Cheng mutters, because of course Wei Wuxian is right.
If Wen Xu got released early, Wen Qing would have at least told Wei Wuxian, if not Jiang Cheng himself. Of course there’s no reason to worry like this.
“Tell me about it anyway,” Wei Wuxian coaxes him.
“I got this card,” Jiang Cheng tells him, and reads it out to him.
It doesn’t sound any better out loud, Jiang Cheng has to admit.
“It could be a secret admirer,” Wei Wuxian says after a beat of silence and Jiang Cheng scoffs.
“Yeah, right.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Because normal people fall in love with me.”
“Jiang Cheng, shut up with that bullshit,” Wei Wuxian snaps and he sounds more angry than Jiang Cheng expected. “What happened with Wen Xu is not your fault and it’s perfectly possible that a nice, normal person would fall in love with you.”
Jiang Cheng has a lot to say to that—mostly because clearly it’s not—but he doesn’t feel like fighting with Wei Wuxian today.
“Just make sure to ask Wen Qing?” he asks, trying to distract Wei Wuxian.
“I’ll call her right now,” he promises him and true to his word he promptly hangs up on Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng puts his phone down and he manages five whole minutes without feeling unsafe in his own apartment before the worry settles back in.
He can’t be alone tonight. Jiang Cheng reaches for his phone again, and this time he dials Lan Xichen’s number.
“Wanyin,” Lan Xichen’s warm, soothing voice greets him, and Jiang Cheng immediately feels better.
“Xichen. Listen, do you maybe want to—can you come over?” Jiang Cheng asks him, and he hates that he feels like this again, like he can’t be alone, like he’s not safe.
He thought they were past that.
“Are you okay?” Lan Xichen asks, clearly immediately worried and Jiang Cheng sighs.
“No, I’m not. Can you—please?” he asks again and this time he hears movement from Lan Xichen’s side.
“Of course. I’m on my way,” he promises him and Jiang Cheng has half a mind to ask him to stay on the line until he’s there, but he isn’t quite at that stage yet.
Besides, he needs to know what Wen Qing says.
“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng whispers not long before they hang up and he startles when his phone immediately rings again.
“Did you hear anything?” is what Jiang Cheng greets Wei Wuxian with.
“She says he’s still behind bars. He’s not getting out early and he’s not allowed to have visitors. So it’s unlikely that it’s him. You don’t have to panic.”
“Easier said than done,” Jiang Cheng mumbles, but he does feel a little bit calmer.
It still doesn’t explain the card on his table, but Jiang Cheng trusts Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing. If they say it’s not Wen Xu, then it’s not.
“Do you want me to come over?” Wei Wuxian asks him, clearly ready to come by that very second if Jiang Cheng should wish it so, and Jiang Cheng’s eyes sting.
He takes a deep breath to center himself and then he shakes his head, even though Wei Wuxian can’t see him.
“Xichen is coming over,” he tells him and the new silence from Wei Wuxian makes Jiang Cheng uneasy in different ways.
“You know—” Wei Wuxian starts but Jiang Cheng cuts him off.
“No. It’s not—he doesn’t—when will you finally shut up about this?”
“Maybe when you pull your head out of your ass and accept that Xichen-ge has some feelings for you. And you do see him every single day, right?” Wei Wuxian snaps back before they both fall into a tense silence.
Jiang Cheng is kind of glad when his doorbell rings.
“I have to go now,” he bites out.
“I love you, don’t forget that,” Wei Wuxian gives back instead of simply hanging up and it’s enough to make Jiang Cheng soften. “Even though you’re an asshole.”
“I love you, too. Despite you being a pain in my ass. Thank you.”
“Call me if something similar happens again,” Wei Wuxian says and that’s a promise Jiang Cheng easily makes.
He never wants do deal with something like that on his own again.
“Have fun now,” Wei Wuxian finally says and when he hangs up, Jiang Cheng immediately calls Lan Xichen again.
“Is that you at the door?” he wants to know, still more shaken than he wants to admit, and he’s absolutely not going to open the door if he’s not one hundred percent sure who’s behind it.
“Yes,” Lan Xichen says, before Jiang Cheng cuts him off by ending the call and Lan Xichen looks appropriately confused when Jiang Cheng opens the door.
“What’s going on, Wanyin?” he asks, clearly picking up on Jiang Cheng’s nervousness. “You seem tense.”
“It’s—well it’s not nothing, but it’s fine now. I just don’t want to be alone, to be honest.”
“Okay,” Lan Xichen gives back, simply accepting that Jiang Cheng clearly doesn’t want to talk about it right now, and Jiang Cheng could cry he’s so thankful for that.
“I’ll—tell you eventually,” he still promises, because it feels wrong to leave Lan Xichen hanging like that, especially when he came over just because Jiang Cheng is unable to deal with a little uncertainty.
“No rush,” Lan Xichen reassures him and briefly squeezes his shoulder. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, you know I always want to spend time with you,” Lan Xichen says and Jiang Cheng sharply looks away.
There’s no way in hell that there’s a blush on Lan Xichen’s face, that’s just Jiang Cheng’s imagination and he would do well not to forget himself.
Lan Xichen doesn’t feel like that for him.
“How about I’ll get some drinks and you set up a movie?” Lan Xichen asks, already walking away from Jiang Cheng, clearly at home in his apartment and it makes a warm, fluttery feeling spread out in Jiang Cheng’s chest.
“Sure,” Jiang Cheng says, and he means to turn away and go do just that, but then he sees how Lan Xichen freezes, his gaze glued to something on the kitchen table and Jiang Cheng has half a second to panic, before Lan Xichen moves on.
Lan Xichen doesn’t ask about the card, and he doesn’t mention it the entire evening, but Jiang Cheng catches him look over at it several times over the course of the evening but he can’t bring himself to ask.
It’s probably not important anyway.
~*~*~
Jiang Cheng tenses when someone knocks at his door. He’s not expecting anyone, and normally it wouldn’t be a problem, but ever since he received the unsigned card he’s been on edge.
So instead of immediately going over and opening the door, he waits for a good two minutes before he finally makes his way over. He tries to listen for any movement on the other side, but when there’s nothing he cautiously opens it.
No one is there, making relief flood through Jiang Cheng but then his gaze falls to the floor where a bouquet of flowers rests propped up against his doorway.
And just like that the panic is back.
Jiang Cheng slams the door shut and immediately goes for his phone.
“Jiang Cheng, it’s not a good—”
“I got flowers,” Jiang Cheng cuts Wei Wuxian off and he knows Wei Wuxian understands his meaning when he falls silent. “Someone knocked, but when I opened the door there was just this—this bouquet of flowers and I can’t do this again, Wei Wuxian, I can’t.”
“I know, I know, but I bet it’s not what you think. Listen, I inquired after Wen Xu myself,” Wei Wuxian tells him. “I trust Wen Qing, but you know, I thought you’d feel better if I did a check-up as well.”
Jiang Cheng lets out a shuddering breath because Wei Wuxian is right. He does feel better knowing that Wei Wuxian looked into this himself.
“He is still in prison and he’s not allowed to see visitors yet. And Wen Chao is still outside the country, you know he’s not allowed to come back. I don’t think it’s them.”
“But it’s someone,” Jiang Cheng stresses, because the card and the flowers are very real. “Fuck, I have to move again, don’t I?” he whispers and he can feel his eyes burning.
He just started to feel like home here, he doesn’t want to move away again.
“No, don’t rush anything, Jiang Cheng, maybe it’s harmless. Maybe it’s just someone with a crush on you.”
“Like Wen Xu?”
“He was insane,” Wei Wuxian shoots back. “Maybe this is someone normal.”
“And maybe it’s not. I’m not taking that chance,” Jiang Cheng decides and his chest aches with phantom pains from injuries that have long since healed. “Can I stay with you for a few days? Just over the weekend. I can’t stay here while I go apartment hunting.”
“A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian starts and Jiang Cheng already knows he’s going to tell him no. “We have A-Yuan over this weekend. A first trial, remember?”
Fuck, Wei Wuxian is right. It’s the first weekend A-Yuan is going to spend with them and of course that’s something Jiang Cheng can’t ruin for them.
“Call Xichen-ge or Huaisang. They will let you stay, I’m sure of it. And then come Monday you can come here, no problem. Just please don’t panic, we’ll figure it out, okay?” Wei Wuxian says and Jiang Cheng let’s out a wet laugh.
There’s nothing to figure out. Jiang Cheng knows exactly what’s happening.
“I’ll try Xichen,” he decides, warily eying the door. “Have fun with A-Yuan.”
“I will,” Wei Wuxian gives back. “But if something else happens, you’re going to call me. You’re not going through this alone again,” he promises him and Jiang Cheng has to bite his lips or he’s going to start crying on the spot.
“Okay,” he whispers and then hangs up before his voice can break completely.
Jiang Cheng briefly debates if he should throw away the flowers in front of his door, but he can’t bring himself to touch them, so they’ll have to stay for now.
He quickly dials Lan Xichen’s number, pacing in his apartment, not feeling safe at all alone in here and he prays to all the gods he doesn’t believe in that Lan Xichen will let him stay, at least for a little while.
Jiang Cheng can’t sleep here anymore.
“Wanyin,” Lan Xichen says when he picks up and Jiang Cheng is too stressed out to bother with niceties.
“Xichen, can I—I need a favour,” he says and Lan Xichen goes quiet.
“What’s wrong?”
“Can you—come here? I’ll explain, but please just come here,” Jiang Cheng pleads, but of course he shouldn’t have worried.
“I’m on my way,” Lan Xichen promises him. “I’ll text you when I’m at your door, alright?” he asks, clearly remembering the last time he came over and Jiang Cheng feels like crying again.
“Thank you,” he gives back, his voice wobbling dangerously and then it’s just a matter of killing some time.
Jiang Cheng didn’t ask where Lan Xichen was or what he was doing, but it should take him at least half an hour to arrive at his door and Jiang Cheng desperately looks for something to distract himself with until then.
He’s still pacing the living room, when his phone chimes with an incoming text message not even ten minutes later.
I’m here, the text message says and Jiang Cheng cautiously makes his way over to the door.
He trusts Lan Xichen, so he doesn’t really think that he’d joke with him like that, but he still only opens the door wide enough to peer outside. He’s met with Lan Xichen’s smile though, so Jiang Cheng opens it fully and turns away.
“You got some flowers,” Lan Xichen says as he closes the door behind him and Jiang Cheng whirls around to him.
“Don’t touch them!” he yells out, but of course it’s too late.
Lan Xichen has the bouquet in his hands and he carried it inside as well.
“What’s wrong with these flowers?” Lan Xichen asks, but he’s not able to meet Jiang Cheng’s eyes.
“I don’t know, but something has to be,” Jiang Cheng whispers, eying the flowers with distrust.
“Wanyin, what’s going on? You’ve been strange, these past couple of days,” Lan Xichen mildly says as he puts the flowers down on the floor, right next to the door and Jiang Cheng supposes that’s as safe as anything.
“It’s—I need to stay with you for a few days,” Jiang Cheng says as he scrubs a hand over his face. “Juts until Monday. Please,” he begs, and he startles when Lan Xichen puts a hand to his shoulder.
“What is going on, Wanyin?” he asks again and it’s only then that Jiang Cheng realizes he’s shaking all over.
“It’s happening again,” he whispers and he can’t help himself, he let’s his head drop forwards until he can rest his forehead against Lan Xichen’s shoulder. “I got an unsigned card and now these flowers and it’s happening again. My ex—he’s in prison, but it seems like he found a way to do this all over again anyway and I can’t, I just can’t, please, Xichen,” he begs him and it takes Jiang Cheng a long moment to realizes that Lan Xichen has gone completely still against him.
“Wanyin, that was me,” Lan Xichen says after along silence and Jiang Cheng jerks away as if he was burned.
“What?” he presses out, because this cannot be real.
Lan Xichen would not do that to him.
“No, no, listen, you don’t understand, Wen Xu—he’s not—you can’t—“Jiang Cheng rambles, but his panic is choking him and Lan Xichen quickly steps forward to run his hands soothingly up and down Jiang Cheng’s arms.
“I don’t know who Wen Xu is, but the card and flowers, that was me. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I didn’t think it would put you in such a panic.”
“What do you mean, it was you?” Jiang Cheng asks, forcing himself to keep his breath as even as he can, and Lan Xichen blushes.
“The card, it’s from me. I was so nervous when I wrote it that I seem to have forgotten to sign it. And the flowers, too; I promised myself, I would give them to you in person this time, but I chickened out after I knocked at your door. I’m so sorry, Wanyin, if I had known I would have done this completely different.”
“The card,” Jiang Cheng whispers and his eyes fall to the card that’s still on his table. “You’re asking me for a date. And the flowers—I don’t—what are you saying, Xichen?”
“I’m saying that I’m in love with you and that I’m clearly fucking it up already,” he says with a self-deprecating chuckle. “I’m sorry I put you into this position.”
“You—you didn’t know,” Jiang Cheng whispers, because he’s very careful to never talk about Wen Xu or what happened with him, so there’s no way Lan Xichen could have known about this.
And if he thinks about it that way, if he removes the feeling of panic these incidents sparked in him, then Lan Xichen’s explanations is perfectly plausible.
“You were so nervous you forgot to sign your name?” Jiang Cheng asks after a moment and Lan Xichen goes bright red in the face, which startles a laugh out of Jiang Cheng.
“It’s not funny,” Lan Xichen pouts, but now that Jiang Cheng has started once, he can’t stop.
“It kind of is,” he wheezes, though very distantly he’s aware that he’s over-reacting.
Well, it’s not like he cares, now that the stress is finally falling of him.
“Yeah, you just laugh,” Lan Xichen grumbles, but the corner of his mouth twitches up as well. “I’m just sorry it caused you such distress. Is there any way I can make up for it?” Lan Xichen wants to know and Jiang Cheng steps close to him again.
He slings his arms around Lan Xichen’s middle as he buries his face in Lan Xichen’s neck and only then does it really hit him what Lan Xichen has been saying.
“You’re in love with me.” It feels strange to say it, and it feels even stranger when Lan Xichen nods but when Lan Xichen puts his arms around Jiang Cheng, that doesn’t feel strange at all.
“I am. I’m sorry I’ not good at courting you.”
“No, it’s—it is a stupid, ridiculous coincident that I have some fucked up history with cards and flowers and shit like that,” Jiang Cheng mutters. “I wouldn’t mind being courted by you,” he then admits and he’s glad he’s already hiding his face away, because he’s sure he’s blushing when Lan Xichen presses a kiss to his head.
“Let me make it up to you somehow.”
“You can take me on that date, for starters,” Jiang Cheng says and dares to kiss Lan Xichen’s throat. “And then we’ll see.”
“I would like that,” Lan Xichen whispers and Jiang Cheng cannot believe that Lan Xichen would really feel that way about him, but it seems like Wei Wuxian was right all along.
“I have to tell Wei Wuxian that it was all just a false alarm,” Jiang Cheng mutters, but he doesn’t move away from Lan Xichen.
He’s not done hugging him yet.
“Later,” Lan Xichen whispers, clearly thinking the same as Jiang Cheng and so they keep hugging each other for a while.
Jiang Cheng knows that he probably has to explain a bit more what happened with Wen Xu but for now it can wait.
For now Jiang Cheng is perfectly happy and safe in Lan Xichen’s arms.