Work Text:
On the one hand, Lan Wangji knew it never truly paid to be optimistic. The moment you focused in on the bright side was the moment you were most likely to be taken by surprise, fooled, bamboozled even--
However….
“And you’re sure you’re alright?” Wei Ying asked him for the umpteenth time that night as they got ready for bed.
“Mn.”
“You’re absolutely sure?”
“Mn.”
“Okay... really?”
“Mn.”
“Because if you're not we can always go back to the healer-!”
Lan Wangji was already aware that lying to his husband would get him nowhere, but surprisingly enough his gentle, “I’m fine, Wei Ying.” was actually the truth .
That morning, while on a solo mission to secure the cursed objects just outside of Gusu, Lan Wangji had only encountered one. It was a bird-shaped trinket, white like a dove, so small and obscurely placed that if he’d been any less attentive he definitely would’ve missed it.
It didn’t seem cursed, but then again, Lan Wangji couldn’t ignore the trace amounts of dark energy coming off of it in waves. He’d picked it up, blacked out for a few moments, and as soon as he came too, barely five seconds had passed, the object was already in shambles at his feet.
He gave his brain a few more seconds to try and comprehend what had just happened, but all that had succeeded in doing was giving him a headache, so Lan Wangji decided to simply let it be.
He’d dutifully reported the incident back to his Sect and his Brother, along with Wei Wuxian, made it explicitly clear that Lan Wangji was to remain under observation for the rest of that morning and afternoon.
“Brother...”
“It’s just to be safe.”
“But-”
“For all we know, you could be cursed.”
“Mn but--”
“Wangji.”
Contrary to the popular belief, Lan Wangji did indeed know when to pick his battles, and he was well aware any battle against Lan Xichen would be a losing one, so he’d just shut his mouth, stifling an internal sigh as he did what he was told.
But from the moment he’d returned from his hunt to the moment he’d uttered his last “I’m fine, Wei Ying. Sleep well.”, not once had Lan Wangji been lying. He had no idea why or how the cursed object had reacted the way it did, but all he did know was that there was no lingering pain or resentful energy in his system, and he truly did feel fine.
Seeing as there was nothing wrong with him, Lan Wangji decided to go about his ensuing week as usual.
He helped his brother with the occasional stack of Sect paperwork...
“Wangji, I always tell you that you don’t have to-- ”
“I want to.”
He continued on teaching with his disciples…
“Well done, Jingyi.”
“….Really?”
“Mn.”
“You mean it?!”
“Father doesn’t praise people often but when he does it’s always sincere.” Lan Sizhui must’ve been attempting to whisper.
“I can die happy now…” Lan Jingyi must’ve been attempting to whisper too.
And he spent time with his husband, just like he always did.
“Lan Zhan, do you want me to cook for you tonight?”
“No.”
“Ah! So blunt-!”
“Wei Ying deserves to be treated, I will cook.”
“Oh! Well in that case, how romantic!”
“Mn.”
In that time, his strange encounter with the cursed object had completely faded to the back of his mind.
~~
Lan Wangji arrived at the entrance of Cloud Recesses with an almost bored expression on his face. As usual, his brother and his husband were preoccupied at the moment so this arduous task had, sadly , been delegated to him.
“You have not grown any taller since your last visit.” Lan Wangji commented, in lieu of a greeting, once he arrived.
“I visited two weeks ago.”
“Is that an excuse?”
Jiang Cheng turned around to sneer at him, but Lan Wangji was already walking ahead of him, leading the way back.
“I do not know why Brother still sends me to get you.” Lan Wangji admitted after a while, dodging a flying spear-finger-- he valued his ribs. “This is not your first visit.”
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, “But you still came. I wonder why that is…” Jiang Cheng momentarily stopped attacking Lan Wangji to pretend to be deep-in-thought. “Hm, could it be that the esteemed Hanguang-jun missed me?”
Jiang Cheng was obviously just messing with him-- pissing off Lan Wangji was one of his many hobbies and talents-- and this was only emphasized by his ensuing snickers.
And Lan Wangji wasn’t dense, so he opened his mouth to say “ Of course I did not” , wanting to stop Jiang Cheng’s joke right in its path and quietly enjoy the scowl or glare-- either would do --that he’d inevitably get from his brother-in-law in return.
However....
“I did.”
“...”
“...”
“...Eh?!”
What-?
Lan Wangji blinked, very slowly. He cleared his throat. I didn’t mean that. “I meant that.” I didn’t miss you at all. “I missed you.”
At the rapid pace Jiang Cheng’s face was turning red, it would only take a few more seconds until he became completely indistinguishable from a tomato. “Huh?”
On the outside, Lan Wangji’s expression was pale yet mostly unmoved, but on the inside, he was panicking. He tried opening his mouth again, in denial about losing control over his speech, because despite how infrequently he spoke, having autonomy over his voice was actually rather important to him.
Apparently, the universe didn’t hold that same sentiment.
As soon as he started speaking it’s like he couldn’t keep the words in. It was as if something was forcing the words out of his throat, and with each sentence, Lan Wangji wanted the ground to open up and bury him alive.
“You are my closest friend...In fact, my only one...I en-I en-” Lan Wangji tried to cast a silencing spell on himself . It even worked for a couple of moments until it felt like his mouth was on fire and he was forced to speak once more. “I enjoy the time we spend together and I always miss you when you leave.”
“…”
“…”
Mortified could not even begin to describe the way either of them felt at that moment.
Jiang Cheng felt like he was going to faint or combust, whichever came first.
Lan Wangji was hoping for a swift death. He’d never felt so humiliated in his life.
In his embarrassment, he quickened his pace so as to avoid Jiang Cheng at all costs.
It was in those few moments of reprieve that he came to the realization that the cursed object he’d encountered earlier that week had had consequences. It hadn’t killed him or even injured him, but wasn’t this just as bad? If not, worse?
Lan Wangji simply hadn’t noticed the adverse consequences— a compulsion to tell the truth- -because he was quite honest in most facets of his life.
That, and he was a terrible liar.
He had no need to lie to Wei Wuxian because his husband would see through him in mere moments, the same could go for Lan Xichen. There was no need to lie to any of his juniors because sugar-coating his words wouldn’t help them develop their skills or grow.
He wasn’t a masochist-- unlike some people-- so he wouldn’t dare try to lie to Lan Qiren...as an adult at least.
Lan Wangji was honest when confronting greedy Sect Leaders who targeted him under the guise of diplomacy, and he had no problem with speaking his mind, in ten words or less , when the occasion called for it.
So, for the past week, he simply hadn’t noticed the lingering effects of the cursed object because he was already willing to tell people the truth anyways.
Or so he’d thought.
Lan Wangji sped up his pace as he heard his brother-in-law walking even quicker behind him. He could feel his ears burning red.
“Lan Wangji! Get back here! You can’t just say all of that and run away, you asshole!”
Lan Wangji began running.
Unfortunately, when he was determined, Jiang Cheng’s physical prowess could increase from zero to a hundred and then some in seconds. So, the Jiang Sect Leader sprinted at full speed, launching himself onto Lan Wangji’s back, with an unnecessary battle cry, and tackled his brother-in-law to the ground.
He sat in the middle of the, thankfully empty patch of grass , with Lan Wangji’s head locked in a fierce chokehold.
The Lan hadn’t said anything, barely letting out the slightest yelp at Jiang Cheng’s “sneak-attack”, and at the moment, there was only a furious scowl on his face mixed with a deep twinge of embarrassment.
“Are you done running away from me?” Jiang Cheng hissed, sounding a bit out of breath.
Lan Wangji didn’t answer. He was still staring at the ground, hoping to see a few abnormally large cracks or fissures.
Jiang Cheng sighed, removing his arms. He stood up and then lent a hand to pull Lan Wangji up as well, which the Lan reluctantly accepted.
Jiang Cheng mumbled something incomprehensible with his back to Lan Wangji.
“....What?”
“I said--” Jiang Cheng hissed, whipping around to scowl at him. “Obviously I missed you too, dumbass, Lan Huan and Wei Wuxian aren’t the only reasons I visit so often. And do you see me hanging out with anyone else? If we’re talking about friends, you, and Huaisang but only 60% of the time, are all I’ve got…Stupid…”
Oh.
“ Oh .”
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes towards the heavens, and then grabbed his brother-in-law’s wrist, leading the both of them through Cloud Recesses himself.
And Lan Wangji allowed himself to be pulled with a small smile on his face.