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I remember that night,
I just might regret that night for the rest of my days.
Lan Wangji can never get the memory of their first meeting out of his head, no matter how hard he tries. He remembers soldiers scattered around the hall, clamouring for him and Xichen's attention - but most of all, he remembers the dream-like candlelight that made it seem like a scene right out of a dream.
Because for the rest of his life, he will never forget that face. The General swept in with a smile, his grey eyes simmering with an intensity that Wangji knew well, one he'd never seen before, except in the mirror. There was an odd carelessness in the way he carried himself, languid but poised, like a tiger waiting to snap. Unlike the rest of the courtiers, there was something to him, a frenetic energy that drew Wangji, and attraction he couldn't quite shake off. As the General scanned the room, his eyes caught Wangji's, setting something within him aflame as he held his breath. Seeing Wangji, the General's keen grey eyes seemed to glow, and he grinned, bounding towards Wangji.
"Hi," he greeted, and for the first time, the Second Jade of Lan forgot his name. Unruly of him, Lan Qiren would chide, but Lan Wangji had never met someone quite the same. The younger man smiled at the advisor, eyes alight.
“You strike me as someone who's never been satisfied,” the General quipped, leaning down to kiss Wangji's hand, as if he were merely a lady he'd been courting. The brush of his lips against Wangji's own skin was enough to set his heart aflame, but the statement unsettled him. This was the Emperor’s Court, after all - even in the throes of a ball, there were prying ears - waiting ears that were ready to pounce at the slightest misstep. Even a minor slip-up could cost someone their lives. A dance Wangji was trained for, but the General brought about a challenge that even the advisor wasn't prepared for.
“I'm sure I don't know what you mean, you forget yourself.” Hastily, Wangji withdrew his hand, ignoring the heat behind his ears. But the General’s smile only widened at the sight, and for the first time in a long while, Lan Wangji knew what it was like to be unsettled.
“You're like me, I'm never satisfied,” the words stir something within the advisor. In this court, these were dangerous words, not to be muttered carelessly, not when the Emperor held their lives within his hands, like puppet strings- easily cut. Yet, the General spoke of them with ease, speaking directly to the egoistic part of Wangji he often kept hidden away. The part of him that clamoured to want more, that clamoured to be more.
“Is that right?” There was a hunger within Wangji that he knew would never be satiated, a yearning that would never be fulfilled. And yet, face to face with this stranger, perhaps he'd found a worthy adversary.
“I’ve never been satisfied,” The General didn't disappoint, and in an instant Lan Wangji was certain of the flame mirrored within him, a dark twin to his own. He'd heard tales of the General long before he met him, many involving battles that grew into massacres, brutal not in their aftermath, but in the cold calculation of the maestro. Wei Wuxian was one of the top strategists, second only to Wangji himself. He was fairly certain the General knew who he was, but it was polite, so he introduced himself anyway.
“My name is Lan Wangji,” he could see a ghost of satisfaction in the younger man’s smile. He's been waiting for this, though Wangji wasn't foolish enough to believe he'd been waiting for him. The name Lan was enough to enthrall most people, these days due to their close proximity to the throne. Wangji had no illusions that the General was here merely to greet him - in a big likelihood, he was simply part of a larger plan,none of Wei Wuxian’s strategies.
“Wei Wuxian,” despite knowing this, Wei Wuxian's voice still manages to send a jolt up Wangji's spine, as if he were a maiden waiting to be courted. He wasn't, but there was an undeniable thrill, standing face to face with the infamous Wei Wuxian. The General must have mistaken the look on his face for something else, though, because in the very next moment, he stepped closer, leaning in to whisper into Wangji's ear.
“Or you can call me Wei Ying, if you'd like. I've never been one for honorifics. Are you, Advisor Lan Wangji? Or should I call you Lan Zhan ?” the younger man's lips brush against the Advisor's cheek, chaste and hot. Though the touch is brief, Wangji pulls away as if he's been scorched. He should probably be scared crapless, but there's something oddly tantalizing in the way the younger man says his name, then sends heat further down his torso.
“Improper,” is all Wangji manages out.
“That doesn't answer my question,” but luckily for him Wei Ying doesn't press further.
Unfortunately for him, the General does not seem to understand the concept of being too close , and immediately pulls him towards the dance floor. There's a collective gasp as they step towards the dance floor, but for the first time, Lan Zhan finds that he doesn't quite mind, doesn't quite care .
About the judging eyes affixed on them as Wei Wuxian drags him across the room - male lovers weren't that uncommon, if seen languishing on the emperor’s arms, but in a ball in front of other courtiers? My, that was yet to be seen. “Dance with me?” The General asked, extending an arm towards Wangji. Some logical part of his mind screamed at him to refuse, to scorn him for being overly forward and impetuous, but another part of him simply wanted to oblige, pulling him closer to the other man.
Without a word, he took the General’s proffered hand. This time, the room seemed to pause, but the look of delight in Wei Ying’s eyes was more than enough to make up for it, sending a thrill of energy down Wangji’s spine.
“I lead, you follow,” the words are simple, and Wei Wuxian follows them perfectly. He allows himself to be led by Wangji - it's a bit of a posture, it's a bit of a stance- but their bodies move in perfect synchrony, like puzzle pieces falling back into place. Or perhaps like a Newton’s cradle - colliding and pulling apart on beat, as if they'd danced like this a million times before.
Only it was the first time they'd ever met, and yet the General seemed to know all the right moves for the female part, his feet gliding across the floor as if he were trained for this, nothing like the heavyset General he was rumoured to be. Instead, he moved with grace, a nimbleness that Wangji had never seen mirrored, a perfect match. The rest of the world seems to melt away in an instant, until they turn, and Wangji catches his brother’s eye.
It’s Ben Franklin with a key and a kite, you see it right?
But Lan Huan seems less than thrilled about this, his eyes darkening in the passing moment, a caution before his features school over again, right as Wei Wuxian turns back to face Wangji. The older man can feel his heart drop as his eyes trace back to that of the General before him, still smiling up at him, his eyes glittering in the dim glow of candlelight. He looks ethereal, but Lan Huan’s warnings are never wrong, and Lan Zhan has always heeded. This is the first time he hasn’t wanted to. Reflexively, he leads Wei Ying away from him, letting him twirl a second time before the music comes to a close.
They end on the final note, before bowing to one another. There’s a moment where everything seems to pause, and Wangji wonders if he should ask for another dance or simply take his leave - the court has probably seen enough of him for today. Before he can speak, though - he hears another voice.
“I hope to see you again,” Wei Wuxian whispers, before straightening his suit and standing back up. Without waiting for Wangji's reply, the other man takes his leave, leaving a stunned Lan Zhan alone on the dance floor. But as the General and an Advisor to the Emperor, their paths were bound to pass again, weren't they?
It's only a matter of time, and Lan Wangji couldn't wait to meet him again.