Work Text:
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: hey bun
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: quick question
BunRun: Yes?
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: WHAT DEMON DID YOU SELL YOUR SOUL TO??
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: BECAUSE I POSTED THAT FIC LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO
BunRun: Oh! I was inspired. ^-^
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: inspired. inspired he says.
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: inspired even though I KNOW ART TAKES LONGER THAN THIRTY MINUTES
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: what file was it, which file did I download that let you see everything on my computer.
BunRun: If you don’t like it, I can always take it down and make adjustments.
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: NO. NO NO. THIS IS MY DESKTOP BACKGROUND NOW AND IM GOING TO GET IT TATTOOED ON MY BACK. DON’T MAKE A SINGLE CHANGE
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: THANK YOU BY THE WAY.
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: EVEN THOUGH IM 96% SURE YOU STILL BUGGED MY COMPUTER
BunRun: I’m glad you like it!
BunRun: I promise I didn’t bug your computer.
BunRun: You showed me a draft a few days ago.
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: oh my god.
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: i DID didnt i?
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: i’m a FOOL! forgive me for my foolishness. BUN I DIDN’T MEAN TO INSULT YOU.
BunRun: Ha! You’ll have to do a lot more than accuse me of bugging your computer for me to be insulted, chicken.
chickencrunchcrunchmunch: good! because i don’t know what’d id do without you. you’re the only sane one you know
chickencrunhcrunchmunch : LIKE
chickencrunchcrunchmunch : i saw that someone started discourse AGAIN saying that wei wuxian annoying lan wangji in the cr arc was actually a sign of –
Lan Sizhui watches as Chicken goes on a long tirade, filling his screen with messages, defending Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s relationship like he was being paid to do it. It was entertaining to watch and Lan Sizhui was quietly vindicated, knowing that he and chicken held the same beliefs when it came to their two favorite characters. It was part of the reason they got along so well, that and the fact that chicken is easily the most relaxed and chill person Lan Sizhui had ever had the pleasure of meeting online.
Their friendship had started as most do, quietly. Lan Sizhui had found chicken’s work across his dash and from the very first work, he was hooked. He spent days working his way through chicken’s collection, dozens upon dozens of fics all written for WangXian, modern aus, canon divergence, coffee shops and high fantasy, chicken had it all and each one was a joy to read. He found himself immediately going to Chicken’s page when he received the email that there had been a new work posted, cancelling any plans that weren’t dire, to read instead. Perhaps it wasn’t the healthiest thing to do, however it brought him joy. What was life without a little treat? At least that’s what his best friend told him anyways.
He went from reading, fic after fic, leaving kudos and bookmarking, to commenting, saying how much he loved each fic, his favorite parts and which moments destroyed him. For the first time in years, he felt inspired to pick up his pencil again, to draw and create. Yes, he loved the ship, WangXian was a joy to explore and read about, but canon would only give so much, Chicken though, Chicken gave them the world, he built them and Lan Sizhui could watch over and over again how they fell in love. Late one night, far past his self-imposed curfew, he posted, gifting Chicken a piece, a scene from Lan Sizhui’s favorite fic, his favorite scene. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian sat in an amber field, the stars high above them, huddled close despite the heat in the air. They had made it through the twists and turns of a fanfiction, a misunderstanding that almost separated them entirely, Wei Wuxian wore a bright smile as he pointed up at the stars and Lan Wangji gazed lovingly at him. It had been the perfect ending on Chicken’s end and Lan Sizhui just had to draw it.
The rest had been history, the two of them began messaging one another, sharing theories and recommendations, other art and fics. They hardly went a day without talking to one another, not just about fandom, but life as well, checking in on each other day in and day out. Even without knowing Chicken’s real name, he considers them friends.
Lan Jingyi comes bursting through the door without even a knock to warn Lan Sizhui, his backpack already sliding down to the ground with a quiet thud. Lan Sizhui pulled his gaze away from the textbook he had spread across his small dining room table, twirling a pen in his hand. “You’re early!” He says it like it’s a pleasant surprise, rather a complete and utter shock to the both of them. Lan Jingyi is never early, to anything. His whole schtick is being a lovable, charming, disaster of a human being that doesn’t quite have his life together, yet. He will, eventually.
“Am I?” Jingyi spins in a circle for a moment to try and find a clock, eventually landing on the oven timer. “Huh.” Then, with a shrug, he trudges forward to go and throw himself on Sizhui’s well worn couch. “Consider it your Jingyi miracle of the week!” He says with a nod, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. Lan Sizhui laughs, quietly into his hand as he shakes his head, turning back to the table. He had plenty of studying to do and Lan Jingyi had promised to study alongside him, yet his friend was busy making himself comfortable on his couch, fussing with his phone, his books long forgotten in the bag by the door. He’d get to studying, eventually.
Sure enough, he did. Within ten minutes, Lan Jingyi had abandoned his phone in favor of pushing up from the couch and digging through his bag, determinedly, a frown on his face.
“How can I -?” Lan Sizhui pulled his gaze up from the paragraph he’d been reviewing, curious as to what his friend was muttering about. “Seriously it was like one of the only things I was supposed to bring!” The muttering continued, not quite as low as he’s sure Jlan Jingyi would have hoped it would be, and feeling some concern for his friend Lan Sizhui spoke up.
“Did you forget something?”
Lan Jingyi spun around in place, eyes wild and frustration clear on his face, frown tugging at his lips. “I brought the wrong notebook!” He lamented, waving a teal notebook instead. Lan Sizhui nodded in understanding, lips pursed. He too liked to keep his notes organized by subject and wouldn’t dare combine unless absolutely necessary. However, this situation wasn’t the end of the world, Lan Sizhui, just by nature of who he is, had some extras that Lan Jingyi could use.
“There’s some empty notebooks on my shelf, above my desk. You can have one of those.” He tilted his head, in the direction of his closed bedroom door. Lan Jingyi’s eyes lit up and the despair on his face melted away.
“Wait- Really?” He looks disbelievingly at Lan Sizhui, which rude. When had Lan Sizhui ever offered something and didn’t follow through? Instead, he nods and uncaps his pen again.
“Really, go get it and start studying. You’re lucky I didn’t make you start when you first got here.” His words hold no heat and he’s fighting a smile. It would have been useless anyways, trying to get Lan Jingyi to do any kind of work he wasn’t interested in, he was the king of distractions after all. Even if there were no obvious distractions around, he would find one, whether it was counting the tiles on Lan Sizhui’s dining room floor, or tracking how many times his neighbors came and went, listening to the slams of the hallway doors.
“I owe you my life!” Lan Jingyi drops his notebook back into his bag, straightening up to beeline towards Lan Sizhui’s door, letting himself in. If it were anyone else, Lan Sizhui would’ve gotten up to fetch the notebook himself, but he and Lan Jingyi had been friends since childhood, before they could even walk there was little he had to hide from him, besides he trusts him not to snoop.
Apparently he was wrong to do so.
It’s quiet for a few moments, the rustling that Lan Sizhui had heard was no more, instead it sounds like there’s a sharp intake of breath and then there’s the scrambling of feet as Lan Jingyi comes rushing back to the room.
“A-Yuan!”
When Lan Sizhui looks up, he’s met with Lan Jingyi holding his sketchbook out. The sketchbook that was very much open, showing a scene of his two favorite characters embraced in a heartfelt embrace. His heart fell into the pit of his stomach and his eyes widened.
“This is Bun’s art.” Lan Jingyi said, coming closer, flipping through the pages of Lan Sizhui’s sketchbook like it was his own. Page after page, filled with sketches and finished pieces, concept art for scrapped ideas that he’d discussed with Chicken. How does Lan Jingyi know BunRun’s art?
“It’s just-“ Lan Sizhui’s words die in his throat as Lan Jingyi finally moves again, coming to his side. Just what? How can he explain this? He doesn’t think he can!
“I know this art, I’ve stared at it more than I should have!” Lan Jingyi is rambling and then he stops, as if he just put it – something together. He turns on Lan Sizhui and he bends in close, giving him no choice but to look into his eyes. “A-Yuan, how do you have Bun’s pieces? Are you BunRun?”
Oh. There it was. Lan Jingyi was asking and Lan Sizhui, who had never lied to his friend, had no choice but to answer. He asked so seriously, as if this was something that could break their friendship. Anxiety twists in his gut, his heart races in his chest and he wants nothing more than run and hide. It’s embarrassing and strangely vulnerable, and yet despite it all he nods trying his very best to keep his composure.
Lan Jingyi is silent, something that he never is. Oh, that’s not good, isn’t it. Lan Sizhui watches as his face rotates through a myriad of expressions, surprise then confusion, hesitation and uncertainty before finally settling on a wide, almost manic grin; excitement.
“Of course you’re Bun! I should have known!” Lan Jingyi crows and he’s standing straight again, flipping through the pages of Lan Sizhui’s sketchbook once more. “Seriously, with how easy it was to talk to you I should have guessed. You have all the right opinions and your art,” He pauses to press a kiss to his fingertips. “Delicious, beautiful.”
Lan Sizhui’s cheeks color and now he really does have to look away this time otherwise he’s going to implode right then and there. Lan Jingyi continues his ramblings, he’s talking about his favorite works that Lan Sizhui put out, about how each piece had been his desktop wallpaper only to be replaced by the newest one. It's touching, even though Lan Sizhui still feels like he’s going to keel over at any moment.
“I almost cried when you posted for the first time. I mean, what writer doesn’t like fanart?!” All Lan Jingyi has is praise and he doesn’t sound upset in the slightest. It’s only then when Lan Sizhui’s brain kicks back into gear. Writer?
Oh.
Oh.
“Jingyi, are you Chickenmunchmunchcrunch?”
Lan Jingyi has the gall to look unabashed, smile widening as he nods eagerly, as if he’d been waiting for Lan Sizhui to put the pieces together. It’s not often that Lan Jingyi has the upper hand. He’s clearly reveling in it.
“The one and only!”
“You couldn’t have chosen a shorter name?!”
Let Me, Let Me Trash Your Love
Chickenmunchmunchcrunch
Summary:
"As if everything else that had gone wrong that day wasn't enough, the plane began to dip and turn enough to feel. The swoop in Lan Wangji's stomach felt nauseating, and more than once he held his breath, staring straight ahead at the back of the seat in front of him. There was no reason to panic, it was only turbulence, but it was the worst he'd ever encountered before.
In the middle of holding another breath, he suddenly felt a hand grab his own. He looked at the person sitting next to him, who had emerged from the gigantic jacket he'd been sleeping under, and who was now gripping his arm forcefully enough to bruise.
"Sorry," said the man, offering a sheepish smile. He did not let go. "I hate flying when I'm not the one doing it." "
---
Meet ugly at 12,000 feet
Notes:
guess who’s back!! me!! sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth. who knew moving would drain the life out of you? BUT BUT BUT I now live with my beautiful, gorgeous, incredibly talented partner @BunRun who so GRACIOUSLY made this fic art . please please please if you care about me at all, go look at it. honestly its better than the fic itself. Bun also gave me the idea for it so, really all credit goes to him.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)