Work Text:
Jiang Cheng stood in front of the door for what felt like dozens of minutes before the familiar sound of opened locks made him regret every choice that led to this moment. Because Wei Wuxian always took the chain off before turning the key in the lock. This time, the person beyond the door only took the chain off last before they actioned the handle, which could only mean one thing.
Lan Wangji gauged Jiang Cheng's drenched form from the doorframe with a mild expression. The slight tension on his forehead could be interpreted as a surprised mimic. Jiang Cheng could not tell with certainty because it was only recently that he got the occasion to look at the frigid man up close regularly. Merely three years ago, they barely qualified as acquaintances, having met only a few times in the university hallways and Wei Wuxian's vicinity before.
“What do you need?” Lan Wangji asked with a neutral tone. “A-Ying isn't home yet.”
“Oh,” Jiang Cheng answered, ridiculously disappointed. Of course, Wei Wuxian was still working. It was only six in the evening. “Right. Sorry… For bothering you.”
“I didn't say you were a bother,” Lan Wangji countered and proceeded not to add anything.
“Ah.” There was an awkward silence, stretching between them. Jiang Cheng violently regretted coming.
“Come in,” Wei Wuxian's lover eventually said, stepping aside to allow his pathetic visitor in.
“Ah?” Jiang Cheng repeated with a slight change in tone. “I don't want to impose myself. I'll just, you know, go back home. I can come again another day.”
Lan Wangji stared at him impassively, still standing to the side of his door so that Jiang Cheng could walk past him.
“A-Ying will be back soon. Come in before you catch a cold.”
Facing such insistence, especially from Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng would have been a jerk to walk away, so he dared to enter the warmly lit apartment with a mumbled 'thanks', vigorously stepping onto the doormat to clean his muddy soles before stepping onto the floorboard.
“…”
He took his shoes off.
“…”
“Hm, can I put them…” He gestured at the shoe rack sitting next to the door.
“Yes.”
“Great. Thank you.”
Lan Wangji nodded and strode to the living room as Jiang Cheng put down his shoes next to a pair of baby blue ballerinas on the lower level of the rack. On the superior level, there was an open spot waiting for Wei Wuxian's sports shoes, next to his boyfriend's leather shoes, bought from a renowned, eco-conscious brand.
Lan Wangji came back with white slippers matching his in hand and left them on the ground at the entrance of the living room.
“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng repeated as he stepped into the fluffy clouds of fabric, which instantly warmed his cold feet made numb by the storm outside. Following the sensations coming back to his extremities, an unpleasant tingling shiver went up his legs, urging him to walk around to appease it.
He awkwardly treaded after the tall man and halted next to the coffee table.
“Take a seat.”
Jiang Cheng did as told, watching his host disappear into the kitchen as he started fiddling with his hands. Anxiety crept up and down the walls of his stomach, stirring a nauseating feeling in his insides. Jiang Cheng intended to visit Wei Wuxian to have someone take care of him without expecting anything from him, maybe even listen to him. He had planned to be comforted and have his nervosity gently brought back to manageable level. Not the contrary. Now, in his mediocre clothes assembled with no care for fashion, in the presence of an unwaveringly elegant man who was ten times better than him, all he wanted to do was to escape Lan Wangji's presence, his silent judgement, his aggressive perfection rubbing salt in the wounds of Jiang Cheng's broken ego.
“Coffee or tea?” Lan Wangji's impassive voice came from the kitchen.
Jiang Cheng wanted to rip off his own face. Why did he not realise sooner that his host was waiting for him to state his preference in drinks? It had been nearly a minute since Lan Wangji had gone into the kitchen, of course he was waiting for Jiang Cheng not to act like a clueless fool.
“Water would be perfect,” he answered hurriedly.
Lan Wangji kept silence for a few seconds.
“We have fruit juice,” he offered instead.
“No, it's fine. Water is good,” Jiang Cheng insisted.
“We have beers.”
This was getting more awkward than Jiang Cheng could handle.
“I don't drink anymore.”
Just like before, Lan Wangji's reply did not come right away.
“Do I warm the water up?”
“No, no, I don't want to bother you,” Jiang Cheng repeated, feeling his last shreds of countenance crumble away. Why was Lan Wangji making things so difficult? Jiang Cheng was not even planning on staying before Lan Wangji nearly forced him to step inside the apartment. Was it his way to get revenge on Jiang Cheng for stealing Wei Wuxian?
Jiang Cheng could understand him. Truth be told, given how Wei Wuxian liked to joke about his lover's jealousy and possessiveness, Jiang Cheng was surprised that their weird, crooked, three-legged agreement was still unbroken.
A few months ago, Wei Wuxian offered him to become his boyfriend. His other boyfriend. The one who was not perfect, gorgeous, successful Lan Wangji. Like an idiot, Jiang Cheng accepted, right in front of said boyfriend. He did not even know what crossed his childhood best friend and first crush's mind to come up with that idea, and he understood much less how he could let himself be convinced despite knowing that this pity-filled proposal was going to end badly, dragging not only him but two other souls in its crash. Still, he said 'yes'. Or to be more precise: Okay?
The dumbfounded, stupid reaction was answer enough for Wei Wuxian who kissed him on his cheek the next time they met, when Jiang Cheng came hovering at their doorstep after yet another nervous breakdown in his lonely living room.
It somehow became an habit afterwards as Jiang Cheng came more and more often, seeking a friendly presence and a hearty laugh to soothe his aching being. Sometimes, Wei Wuxian kissed him and, for a short eternity, all of Jiang Cheng's problems disappeared. The temptation was too great to resist.
And there he was, deprived of this sweet elixir, waiting for cold, perfect Lan Wangji to come back with his warmed water – he could hear the kettle whistle – because he did not dare to ask for tea. Glaring at his reflection in the impeccable lustre of the coffee table, he judged himself, cataloguing his missteps and sinking in his shame, unable to stop his spiraling thoughts.
Thinking back to the comforting experience of simply existing near Wei Wuxian, knowing that he knew, knew about the stubborn crush that he had had for him since their childhood as neighbour best friends, knew about his truest feelings and about his most intimate struggles, being hugged and comforted by that man brought warmth to Jiang Cheng's core and made him believe that misfortunes were indeed followed by fortunate events. Only for bad luck to strike and make him pay for it right after.
Jiang Cheng would not dare to come unannounced after this. He never warned Wei Wuxian beforehand as he never planned to meet him; it was always in the heat of the moment, a fleeting "what if" blooming in his chest when he walked past a familiar street, a sudden, sharply aching pull redirecting his steps towards the door and Wei Wuxian's unhooking the chain first before opening the locks.
“Jiang Cheng.”
His gaze shot upwards, unexpectedly plunging into striking amber eyes. Lan Wangji was handing him a fuming mug, holding his own close to his chest. Jiang Cheng hurriedly accepted his mug decorated with little puppies covered in mud and napping in a pile of happy, wagging tails and sleepy, floppy ears. It was unbearably adorable. Lan Wangji's had bunnies in the same style. It looked like those two pieces of tableware were from the same collection. Jiang Cheng wondered what Wei Wuxian's looked like as it was very unlikely he would have chosen the one he was currently holding. Cats maybe? Ferrets if such a design existed, without a doubt. Then he wondered why that mug was in their apartment.
“Thank you. It's very cute. The puppies, I mean,” he stammered.
“A-Ying chose it for you,” Lan Wangji said with an otherworldly calm.
Truly, his serenity was exceptional. Even when his lover invited another man into their relationship with seemingly no prior discussion, when said man obsessively clung to his partner and entered his house to seek comfort. Lan Wangji, whom Jiang Cheng used to believe to be a particularly jealous man, accepted all of this, all of Jiang Cheng's presence and his attachment issues, without so much as batting an eyelash. It made Jiang Cheng feel worse. Nonetheless, he could not stop himself from coming back to borrow some of Wei Wuxian's warmth and comfort. Most probably, he did not see anything remotely threatening in Jiang Cheng because why would he?
The man who could not come out of a meeting without feeling like a human mop, who struggled to understand how his body worked and who would be on the verge of tears after doing a simple mistake, that poor excuse of a man was nothing compared to a successful guqin master teaching kids from rich families and travelling all year to give performances across the world.
“Ah… It must have cost you some money. There is no way this was cheap, you shouldn't have bothered. I could repay you,” Jiang Cheng argued to look a little less pathetic.
Lan Wangji's usually perfectly composed face strained in an almost-a-scowl and how bad could Jiang Cheng be to manage such a feat? Wei Wuxian was the one who could cause his boyfriend to display multiple expressions: mirth, jealousy, smugness, tenderness and so on. But never the cold, disapproving frown that he was currently sporting.
“It is out of question, Jiang Cheng. It is an insult to our hospitality.”
Jiang Cheng grimaced, cursing his ill-timed offer, but his host continued without giving him the time to apologise.
“As I said, you are not a bother. This is only natural since you are my boyfriend.”
“What?”
Jiang Cheng blinked a few times, stupidly, dumb like a carp as blood rushed to his head, drowning out all other sounds for a few seconds. However, Lan Wangji did not show any crack in his composure.
“You are my boyfriend. A-Ying asked you to be our boyfriend. Logically, this means that you are mine too,” the man insisted, uttering the most words in a row since the beginning of this odd evening. “Are you not?”
Lan Wangji's tone sounded almost defiant which was… particularly uncharacteristic of him.
“I… I don't know! I didn't know that! I thought-, I don't know,” Jiang Cheng stuttered, putting his long-forgotten mug onto the coffee table with trembling hands.
“You are my boyfriend,” the man repeated stubbornly.
“Why would you even want that? It doesn't make any sense.”
Jiang Cheng knew himself to be quite unapproachable due to his harsh attitude around his family and friends, and his perpetual scowl at work. He was impeccably aware of the lack of consideration he showed to Lan Wangji at the start of his relationship with Wei Wuxian, blinded by envy as he was. Envious of Lan Wangji or Wei Wuxian, it was not even clear back then and still was not because Jiang Cheng's mind was always a mess of too many thoughts and worries plaguing each passing second.
“Do you question my honesty? Lan do not lie,” Lan Wangji stated as though it solved everything.
Jiang Cheng groaned and covered his face.
“Are you tricking me? Is it Wuxian's idea?”
“A-Ying wants us to get along.”
Of course his unbearably positive best friend would ask his boyfriend to extend some of his perfection to the poor wreck who came crying and snorting on his shoulder once evry two months; he was considerate like that, a fucking philanthropist.
Nothing of this awkward situation, immensely uncomfortable for all parties involved, would have happened if Jiang Cheng had learnt somewhere during his emotionally chaotic childhood to regulate his feelings and reflect on his bad thoughts instead of ignoring them and dumping them onto Wei Wuxian's lap every so often when they got too cumbersome.
People advised him to get a pet to take care of so that he could get out of his own head. Was it not a good idea since he loved dogs so very dearly? But how could he adopt a living being when he could not even take care of himself? He never slept enough, struggled to eat correctly and headaches were the only way for him to remember to drink water.
So, the next best option was Wei Wuxian who would open his door to the strained figure of Jiang Cheng, sometimes after a week without texts, and lead him inside to talk or take him to a restaurant. For some reason, Jiang Cheng felt entitled to his time. Maybe it was because they used to be inseparable despite his mother's disapproval. At least, he tried to target Wei Wuxian's days off. He knew that his best friend liked to have his Wednesdays and Saturdays for himself.
Wei Wuxian always had such sweet words for him and even though Jiang Cheng would react with embarrassed anger, it would soothe him. If Wei Wuxian asked for details, Jiang Cheng would spill them in a furious rant before breaking down and whining as though he suffered every misery in the world. It was not good memories. But during these episods, Wei Wuxian would try anything to lighten his mood up, joking and messing around in a way that reminded Jiang Cheng so much of the old days spent chasing after each other in their apartment complex stairs that, for a moment, it felt like it was really not that serious. Then Wei Wuxian would do something like steal his watch and he would run after him, all his issues forgotten.
Of course, it had to be tiring for Wei Wuxian, listening to Jiang Cheng's rants about his colleagues, the customers and sometimes his family.
Silence stretched between the two men as Jiang Cheng racked his mind for a response. But Lan Wangji was the first to talk.
“Drink your water before it goes cold.”
“Right. Thank you,” Jiang Cheng agreed, gingerly taking a sip of his mostly lukewarm drink.
Sitting across him, Lan Wangji mirrored his action.
“Did something happen for you to come here?” The host asked suddenly. “A-Ying might come back quite late tonight. He had a couple of important projects to wrap up.”
“I don't really want to talk about it,” Jiang Cheng grumbled, fiddling with the edge of his shirt. “It's just work stuff. I don't really get along with my manager. Or my colleagues for that matters.”
“I heard from A-Ying that you got a better job prospect recently. How about it?” Lan Wangji then asked.
Having been reminded of one of his current objects of anxiety, Jiang Cheng chewed on his lips.
“I really don't know… They said they would call me back before the end of the month but I still haven't heard anything from them…”
“It's not the end of the month. There is still time,” Lan Wangji replied.
“I didn't know you were such an optimistic,” Jiang Cheng said dryly, taking another sip of water.
“I am not,” his host simply stated.
He did not look particularly impressed by Jiang Cheng's sneer nor did he seem offended by it. With his usual composure, Lan Wangji drank his water without another word.
“Do you meant the boyfriend bit?” Jiang Cheng eventually asked when the uncertainty gnawing on his bones reached the most tender parts of his being.
“Yes.”
“Just like that? Because Wuxian asked you to do it?”
“A-Ying did not ask me to do anything. It was a common decision that had been discussed many times before. I had to know you better before making up my mind.”
This explained the sudden increase in Wei Wuxian's invitations to go to movie theatres and art exhibitions together that happened a year ago. When Jiang Cheng was not weeping about his mediocre life, he went out with him regularly be it to try out the cream puffs of a new bakery or to take a look at temporary photograph exhibitions at the city library. Recently, Lan Wangji had been more and more present to those outings, creating quite an odd atmosphere at first until Jiang Cheng gradually grew accustomed to Wei Wuxian's very-obvious-crush and soon-to-be boyfriend.
“So did I pass the test?”
“What do you think?”
“I don't think anything tonight. I am exhausted,” Jiang Cheng retorted, feeling the start of a headache grow at the front of his head. He dutifully gulped down some water in an attempt to limit the damage.
“Have you eaten?”
“I am not hungry,” he answered instinctively even though it was a little more complicated than that. He was hungry but he did not feel like eating at all. His mind was too much of a mess for that.
Lan Wangji frowned at his words.
“When did you last eat?”
“Yesterday evening. But actually I ate a few cookies this afternoon so I'm alright,” Jiang Cheng blabbered idiotically.
“Do you like beef dumplings soup?”
“You really don't have to, I am so sorry for this. I'll eat when I get home,” Jiang Cheng fumbled with his words, alarmed.
“It's still raining and you don't have an umbrella nor a raincoat. A-Ying won't be back before a couple of hours. As your host and second boyfriend, I cannot let you go like that. If you're going back home under the downpour, you should be at least full lest you catch a cold,” Lan Wangji argued with a definitive tone, standing up.
“It's not a downpour,” Jiang Cheng replied weakly.
Lan Wangji stared at him from the top of his full height.
“Your hair leaked water all over the couch,” he stated laconically, causing Jiang Cheng to raise a hand to feel his hair as he twisted his upper body to check the very much present darker spot on the couch where the fabric had absorbed rain water. It was not 'all over the couch' but it definitely was soaked even though his hair had already started to dry up.
“I'm sorry-,” Jiang Cheng interrupted himself when he noticed that Lan Wangji had taken advantage of his facing away to go back to the kitchen. Soon, there was the sound of a plate being microwaved.
Restless, Jiang Cheng followed the noises to the kitchen, taking in the immaculate chrome appliances and fake marble counters that were already familiar to him after drinking so many cups of coffee at the large, wooden table while Wei Wuxian chugged down his hot pepper and chocolate milk. Lan Wangji was standing in front of an open cabinet, taking out a wooden bowl. Well aware of the fact that it was meaningless to protest by now, Jiang Cheng retrieved a pair of chopsticks and a wooden spoon from the cutlery drawer before sitting at his seat, where Lan Wangji put down the bowl while the dumplings heated up.
Lan Wangji stayed next to the microwave until it rang. He came back with a round plastic box that he emptied into Jiang Cheng's plate. A heavy cloud of steam rose from the soup, spreading its delicious smell in the room.
Lan Wangji took place on a chair across Jiang Cheng, his hands crossed onto his lap.
“What about you?” Jiang Cheng asked, refraining from squirming under the weight of that golden gaze.
“I already ate.”
Jiang Cheng checked the time with a quick glance towards the mechanic clock nailed to the wall. Seven o'clock. It would be Lan Wangji's bedtime soon.
“Thank you for the meal,” Jiang Cheng awkwardly said picking up his chopsticks and biting into a dumpling.
“It's very good, thank you,” he complimented with a bit of hesitation to his voice. What if Lan Wangji was not the one who prepared it?
Lan Wangji simply nodded
“You're welcome.”
Anxiety was tightly knotting his guts under his host's amber stare. Jiang Cheng did not like eating and much less eating in front of people. It made him feel stupidly conscious about each of his movements, the way he held the spoon, the quantity of food in his mouth, the noises he made as he chewed… He could not help but worry that Lan Wangji might find him disgusting and ill-mannered. Suddenly, he could not tell what was admitted by food etiquette and what was not. With nothing to occupy his brain, all he could do was think about the bowl in front of him, the ten dumplings floating in the soup, thinking about how many spoonful it would take to finish this meal. He had to put down his chopsticks after the second dumpling. He was not hungry anymore.
“Is something wrong with it?” Lan Wangji frowned.
“Oh, no,” Jiang Cheng hurriedly corrected him. “It's good. I just… don't really like eating? If I focus too much on it, it can be complicated for me.”
The other man stared at him for a few seconds before getting up with an unreadable face.
“I'll be back. Don't force yourself.”
Having said that he exited the kitchen and Jiang Cheng heard him climb up the stairs to the second floor. He was left alone for a couple of minutes before his host came back with two fluffy, round, wriggling heaps of fur in his arms. Two other bunnies hopped after him, eyeing Jiang Cheng cautiously. Lan Wangji put down the curious animals on the floor. One of the bunnies, all black with a large white spot on his stomach, rushed to hide under a stool. A white rabbit with brown patches carefully approached Jiang Cheng to sniff his slippers while the other two stayed around their owner.
Jiang Cheng was dumbfounded.
“This one is Chenqing,” Lan Wangji informed him, showing the fearless little animal climbing up Jiang Cheng slippers to sit on his feet. “It is our third rabbit. We adopted him from a shelter that is near my brother's studio. He likes people.”
He then pointed at the two balls of fluff sitting next to him.
“These are Bichen and Suibian, which Wei Wuxian named. We found these together in a box on the street. They are inseparable. Bichen is the one with white flakes. They are female bunnies. They are very loud at night.”
Jiang Cheng resumed eating, listening to Lan Wangji's words with rapt attention. He loved animals. He loved those bunnies.
“The one who hid is Wangxian. Wei Wuxian also named him. He is a little wary of people he doesn't know, but he is also very curious so he will probably come out soon. We have another one but I left her upstairs as she is very much scared of strangers and needs a long period of adaptation to feel confident around them. Her name is Caramel.”
“'Caramel'?” Jiang Cheng repeated with a raised eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because her fur is brown. Also my brother chose her name,” Lan Wangji explained with a slightly crinkled nose.
Jiang Cheng chuckled, feeling an unexpected wave of fondness and empathy for Lan Wangji.
He continued to eat his meal as Lan Wangji went on describing each of his bunnies' habits, from their favourite snacks to their favourite napping spots. Jiang Cheng had never heard so many words come out of Lan Wangji and never thought that he would get to witness it, much less that he would enjoy it.
The dumpling filling was delicious and perfectly cooked, juicy and full of flavours that pleased Jiang Cheng's tongue. He would not know how to identify half of the ingredients aside from the beef meat but it tasted familiar, bringing back memories of his grandparents whom he would visit during summer breaks, flying all the way to China with Jiang Yanli. More than anything, it was the warmth spreading to his whole body that made the whole experience exactly what he needed. Lan Wangji's voice was soft but clear like crystal and immensely soothing. Jiang Cheng felt tension bleed out of him progressively as he finished his meal. He eventually put down his bowl after drinking the soup left at the bottom.
“It was delicious, thank you,” he said warmly, smiling a little.
Lan Wangji nodded.
“Leave the bowl on the table. I will take care of it but let me bring back the bunnies to their room first.”
“Wait, I'll do the dishes. It is the least I can do,” Jiang Cheng protested as Lan Wangji gathered his bunnies.
“No, you are my guest. Your hair is still wet. There is a purple towel in the bathroom for you, please use it. It's the first door on the left at the top of the stairs,” the man indicated kindly.
He then proceeded to take the bunnies back upstairs, followed by little hopping Bichen and Suibian.
Jiang Cheng went after him, following his directions to the bathroom where, indeed, a purple towel had been folded next to the sink. There was also a set of lilac pajamas. He blinked slowly. He knew that Lan Wangji loved blue – it was impossible not to notice – but he did not know that it extended to the redder hues of blues. That explained why there was a purple towel at all. For some reason, seeing the other man's – his boyfriend's? – pajamas felt like a terrible intrusion in his intimacy and Jiang Cheng quickly looked away.
He picked up the towel and eagerly ruffled his hair with it, draining the last drops of rain. He felt revigorated, so much better than earlier. His thoughts were at peace and adrenaline was not pumping in his veins and fighting off exhaustion with anxious mania. No, he actually felt tired, nicely drowsy, safe enough to consider sleeping.
He heard a lock click shut farther in the hallway before Lan Wangji knocked onto the open door of the bathroom to announce his presence.
“Hi,” Jiang Cheng greeted him, feeling inexplicably shy.
Then he realised that something was off. Lan Wangji had changed into pajamas. Baby blue pajamas. His host looked ready to slip into bed and deep, restful slumber.
“It's eight o'clock,” Lan Wangji stated. “I will go to bed soon. You should change, too.”
“Huh?”
“You are not going back home under this rain by night,” Lan Wangji insisted. “You can sleep in the guest room if you want but I must warn you, the bunnies might disturb your sleep whereas the master bedroom is soundproofed.”
“Are you serious?” Jiang Cheng stammered, uncertain for a second that he was not hallucinating.
“Yes. I do not lie. A-Ying would want you safe,” Lan Wangji argued, his face as neutral as ever.
“You would let me sleep in your bedroom?” Jiang Cheng repeated.
“Yes. I don't want you to be alone right now. It is either me or the bunnies.”
The man in blue pajamas had an expression of absolute seriousness.
“Okay.”
Lan Wangji nodded.
“Great. You can leave your clothes in the laundry basket,” he added before leaving for his bedroom – theirs?
Jiang Cheng closed the door behind him and took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. However, there was nothing to collect as his mind was still full of that buzzing peace that had settled in during his meal. He did not want to think about the implications or the consequences of his actions. He did not want to think about anything at all. He just wanted warmth and also kind words.
He changed into the purple set of pajamas, marvelling at the softness of the fabric embracing his body like a chrysalis.
When he walked into the bedroom, Lan Wangji was sitting on a large bed that occupied a third of the immense space, looking at something on his phone.
“A-Ying sleeps on the right side,” he said upon Jiang Cheng's entrance, putting down his phone on a nightstand.
Then Lan Wangji logically slept on the left side, Jiang Cheng thought. Did it mean that he had to sleep in the middle? No matter how big the bed was, it would still be a tight fit to put three grown men in it.
“Would you rather I lie ontop or underneath you?” Lan Wangji asked, having obviously figured out the best way to make it possible.
“I-, what?”
His boyfriend only stared at him until Jiang Cheng made up his mind.
“I would rather not have someone on top of me,” he eventually answered even though the whole situation felt surreal.
Lan Wangji nodded and lifted the cover to take place onto the mattress, lying on his back with a perfect posture. Still unbelieving, Jiang Cheng hesitated until a long arm reached for him. He stepped forward to grab the strong but delicate musician's hand. Lan Wangji pulled him slightly toward himself, not applying much tension but making his intention very clear. Jiang Cheng awkwardly lifted his leg, half-crouching over Lan Wangji's chest to reach the space beyond him.
Lan Wangji did not say anything to press Jiang Cheng as he figured out a way to lie down without making things too weird. But really, he had been encouraged by his boyfriend's boyfriend, who also happened to be his boyfriend now, to sleep on top of him. The situation was already well beyond unusual. Lan Wangji did not seem bothered by it. His eyes were closed almost as if he had drifted into sleep in the meantime. Breathing in a sharp inhale for bravery, Jiang Cheng eventually lowered his body onto Lan Wangji's, leaving all the space Wei Wuxian would need once he returned from work beside them.
As soon as he was comfortably installed, Lan Wangji's strong arms hugged his waist, causing Jiang Cheng to blush. Placing his head on Lan Wangji's shoulder felt strange but he was also pretty sure that this was the position in which two people in the same bed usually slept as depicted in movies.
“It feels weird,” he commented distractedly.
Lan Wangji did not answer right away but he turned his head slightly to press his lips onto Jiang Cheng's forehead in a very short peck.
“It is alright.”
“Um. 'Night,” he muttered, Lan Wangji's body temperature and the incredibly soft cover dragging him successfully into sleep.
“Good night.”
***
Jiang Cheng briefly woke in the middle of the night when a second warm mass pressed against him.
“I can't believe you actually did it.”
“Um.”
“That's amazing, Zhanzhan!”
“Um.”
“Can't you give me a little of him? You're keeping him all to yourself!”
“No.”
“What do you mean 'no'? He is our boyfriend. Can't I have him too?”
“No.”
“Huh? What? Are you serious? You even gave him my dinner! Can't I have this at least? I feel terribly unappreciated right now…”
“Nonsense… You ate outside. I gave him dinner. I have him.”
“You can't just buy people with food, Lan Wangji!”
“Um…”
“… Can I have his arm at least?”
“Um.”
“How generous of you.”
“Um.”
Jiang Cheng distantly felt himself being moved, Lan Wangji's left arm dropping from his waist. Instantly, his right side was covered by the very warm mass of his best friend turned his boyfriend. The other one. The noisy one. He grumbled in his half-asleep state, displeased by the ruckus.
“Sorry, sorry,” a soft voice whispered to his ear.
There were more movements. The sound of a kiss right next to him.
“Good night, Love!”
“Um.”
Then everything became peaceful again and he sank back into slumber, more comfortable than he had ever been, having finally reached a shelter for his aching being.