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At five years old, Wei Ying joins his parents on a trip.
“A’Ying, not that far,” Cangsi Sanren calls but it’s too late. Wei Ying has already darted away through the trees towards the stream cutting along the edge of the white-stone wall. She gives a look to her husband, each wordlessly debating who should follow him. In the end, she loses and Wei Changze passes her the talisman to enter the cloud recess, takes Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng’s hands to resume the walk up the path into the cloud recess as a visiting delegation from Yunmeng to introduce Jiang Cheng to his peers while both his parents are occupied. Cangsi Sanren steps off the path, lifting the hem of her robe to follow her ever disruptive child.
Wei Ying has already darted a distance along the wall, running through the soft grass leaving little dark footsteps behind him. Thrice already he’s been distracted in what exactly he’s pursuing but he was told that this his last chance to burn off his energy and he’s not going to waste it, even if Jiang Cheng wants to act all noble and stay close with the boring grown ups. Behind him he hears his mom calling him but he’s not ready to tied down yet.
A tree is his solution. The child scales it, ascending limb to limb until he’s high enough. Before he can think about it and take in the risk of falling, Wei Ying jumps onto the pristine white wall. The mud on his shoes smear over the wall, leaving proof of his path.
He jumps down and lands on the other side with a thud. Finally he stops to look around, investigating as only a child can. There's a pond here, one with pretty lotuses but only a fraction of the size of the ones at home. If Yanli picked a leaf and set it on his head, it would barely count as a hat. But there are fish in the pond. Wei Ying drops down by the pond to investigate the fish. At least when his mom catches him and brings him back to the delegation to act prim and proper and quiet he can tell her all about them. There's an orange one, and three gold ones, and one black one at the bottom that's really hard to see.
His nose is just above the surface when something hits him hard. Wei Ying shrieks and scrambles for the edge of the pond trying not to fall in while a flash of white circles him. He just manages to roll in the grass only getting the ends of his ponytail wet.
“Get out,” the boy standing over him demands. He doesn't look much taller than Wei Ying. Around the same age for sure. Angry, but anger is always temporary. Prime friend material.
He hops to his feet.
“I'm Wei Ying. I'm here with Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Are you a Lan disciple?”
“Get out,” the boy repeats. “You're not allowed to be here.”
“I would but I don't know the way out…” Wei Ying looks around realizing that he doesn't hear his mom anymore. He frowns. “Do you–”
Before he can ask the boy if he knows the way out the boy's face splits into childish anger and suddenly he's on Wei Ying biting his arm. Wei Ying screams and starts flailing, trying to kick the kid off him. He's definitely not friend material!
Grown ups in pale blue arrive to his screams echoing through the trees. The two are separated. Wei Ying is held onto while the boy stiffly marches ahead, splitting off without a word when they reach the beautiful halls of the Cloud Recess where Wei Ying is handed back to his dad with a promise of future atonement for breaking the rules. Or, rather, Wei Wuxian hides behind Jiang Yanli while his dad tries to smooth things over already.
“Why did you do that?” Jiang Cheng whispers to him and gives Wei Ying a little shove.
“Dunno,” Wei Ying replies and nestles himself under Jiang Yanli's arm.
Jiang Cheng crosses his arms and pouts in obvious upset that he was excluded. Wei Ying wants to argue that he's only four and a baby but he Yanli senses the fight and shushes him.
Above, an old man says something about the other boy visiting his mom and Wei Ying spins around, realizing his own mom isn't back yet only to find her entering and out of breath.
Thus begins a week long stay in the Cloud Recess where Wei Ying is subjected to countless rules and dark looks from the boy who is his age.
It's the first time each meets someone they instantly know they're bond to, even if they're not yet sure how.
At eight years old Wei Ying sits on the pier, his feet kicking through the air. Some of the older kids are tall enough that their toes skim the water like dragonflies. Several are still swimming but Wei Ying has already hauled out. The sun is hot against his back. Already the water dripping down his spine is drying.
In the distance a boat moves quickly through the water, cutting wide to avoid the lotuses. Wei Ying jumps to his feet and shades his eyes peering out at the boat. Jiang Fengmian is supposed to arrive back today and Wei Ying is eager to see if he brought back any prizes of his travels that he can annoy Jiang Cheng into letting him admire or, perhaps, something for him specifically, although it could also be fishermen returning with an interesting catch. Just last week they caught a giant fish, one nearly as big as Yanli is tall.
Wei Ying grabs his clothes and skurries down the path back towards the main pier. He wants to know if the boat will merely pass by or not. As he runs, he pulls his clothes back on. As he hops on one leg trying to get his damp foot through it without slowing down all the way, Jiang Cheng emerges onto the path ahead of him.
“Jiang Cheng!” Wei Ying calls and stops abruptly when Fei Fei rounds the turn to follow the young master. The call to his shixiong falls dead in his throat and he dives into the bushes hoping the dog won’t sniff him out. He peers out watching the fluffy tail disappear down the path. Wei Ying waits a long time before slipping back out and running, hoping he can still see if the boat is fishermen or not.
When he gets to the dock a group has gathered telling him that it is indeed the sect leader returned. He and a group of figures clad in white and soft blues stand on the dock while those donning rich purples stand at the shore. Wei Ying surveys the scene for Fei Fei and, seeing she was left on the slope above the dock, runs down to join the group waiting the sect leader and his companions. He slams into Yanli who catches him. She whispers, “Why are you so muddy?”
Jiang Cheng spins around and also asks, “Why are you so muddy??”
“Took a shortcut,” Wei Ying replies. He tries to brush down his hair with his hands and Yanli rubs at some dirt on his cheek from hiding in the grass, making him scrunch his face up. At the same time Jiang Cheng whines “We’re supposed to look good!”
All three children silence when the newly arrived group cease their discussion and walk along the dock towards shore. One by one they pass, Jiang Fengmian stopping to acknowledge his children and Wei Ying. Each of the grown ups whom Wei Ying realizes are from the Lan clan from his visit years before, acknowledge them too.
Second to last, walking with his chin high and back straight, the boy of Wei Ying’s age follows without acknowledging him beyond one sidelong glance. It’s the same amount of acknowledgement he got after the boy, Lan Zhan, bit him. Wei Ying can’t help but give the biter a little wave. The boy huffs and turns his head away.
It’s okay. It’s especially okay because that night in the dining hall, the boy sits alone. His delegation is still in private meeting with Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian. Wei Ying would have thought that he would have stayed with them but it seems he decided to break away to find an early dinner. Following suit, Wei Ying breaks away from the table with his mom and bounces over to where Lan Zhan sits.
“Hi,” Wei Ying says. “What are you doing alone? Can I sit here?” Without waiting for an answer he plops down into the seat across from the Lan boy. Wei Ying takes a big bite of his food and gestures at Lan Zhan’s plate. “Why do you have so little? You can’t survive on just that.”
“Dinner is when the sun sets,” Lan Zhan replies.
“Since when? That’s a bad rule. In the winter you’re eating right after snacks but in the summer you’re eating right before bed.”
All that earns him is a glare.
“So you’re eating dinner now because it’s almost sunset.”
“Mn.”
“What about everyone else?”
“They go to bed later.”
“We don’t have bedtime here,” Wei Ying says. “Have you ever stayed up late?”
Lan Zhan takes a small bite of food and chews with his mouth closed.
“You haven’t stayed up late??” Wei Ying gasps. Even with a thousand rules in the Cloud Recess, how has this boy missed such an important rite of childhood? He’s barely a kid if he hasn’t stayed up all night. He knows nothing more than a baby.
Lan Zhan gives him an even darker look when Wei Ying tells him as much.
“I am not a baby,” he says, his round cheeks puffing in defiance.
“Then stay up with me. It’ll be fun. We have a game where we run around trying to put out lanterns around the gardens while someone else tries to keep them lit. Winner is whoever has the most lit or unlit by the time we’re caught. I’ve won seven whole times.” Wei Ying puffs his chest.
Lan Zhan eats a bite of plain rice without saying a word.
“Why won’t you talk to me?” Wei Ying says. “I’m offering you an adventure.”
“Do not talk while eating.”
Wei Ying groans at the stupid rules he was subjected to when he stayed at the Cloud Recess and that a kid would want to follow them even when he doesn’t need to. He scoops up his plate and returns to his mom. He sits so he can watch Lan Zhan.
“Is that your friend from the Cloud Recess?” she asks.
“No.” Wei Ying pouts. “He doesn’t want friends.”
Twice Lan Zhan meets his gaze over dinner but each time he lowers his eyes to his food and avoids looking at Wei Ying. It’s fine, Wei Ying decides. He’ll just grab Jiang Cheng and some friends to play tonight. They can stay up all night together. So, after their evening lessons, the two sneak out of their rooms to run around the sect to place light the lantern.
Tonight it’s Wei Ying’s turn to lead the team of wild children lighting the lanterns while Jiang Cheng’s is trying to put them out. Wei Ying runs through the dark with his small lighter clutched in his palm, darting lantern to lantern that has already been extinguished.
He knows that Jiang Cheng will think himself clever daring to venture close to the guest quarters and that none of the disciples will dare sneak that way. The game is over when the first person is caught and guests always mean more eyes. But Wei Ying isn’t scared of a couple of scary, stuffy Lans, so he runs full tilt in that direction. Sure enough, several lanterns are extinguished upon his approach. Not all of them, but enough to make it clear that the game is being played while also appearing to merely be the wind blowing them out. Wei Ying bounces and hops along, climbing a tree to reach out to the lantern dangling from its branches. Once lit, he hops down and runs to where the next lantern is known to be.
Without the moon out and thick mists rising from the river tonight, the game proves challenging. He can’t see what’s directly in front of him. Still, little Wei Ying has no reason not to be confident in yet another win. At least, not until he slams hard into a warm body and both fall down.
Wei Ying squeaks and rolls away, hunkering close to the ground just off the path hoping the person thinks that they walked into a cat or dog or creature from the depths instead of a child out long past the middle of the night.
The other boy pushes himself up. In the faint ambient light, Wei Ying realizes from his height and white robes who it is. He immediately jumps up.
“Lan Zhan! You came to play!” He whispers running up to him. He grabs Lan Zhan’s hand. His fingers are still warm but the warmth is rapidly leaving him.
“I did not.” Lan Zhan replies.
“Come on, this way!” Wei Ying says pulling him along, ignoring him entirely. Despite his objection Lan Zhan moves with him, their little feet running in sync. “We’re going to stay out all night.”
They run together to the next lantern that Wei Ying knows is out. It’s a high one, one much easier to blow out than to light, but one he knows Jiang Cheng won’t risk blowing out again.
“Help me climb this,” Wei Ying says. To his delight, Lan Zhan debates only a few seconds before bending down, letting Wei Ying climb on his shoulders. The two sway back and forth trying to get close enough as Wei Ying strains and stretches before the oil takes and flame bathes them in a warm glow. Wei Ying jumps down from Lan Zhan’s shoulders.
“Thanks! You’re a really good partner!” Wei Ying says. He grins at Lan Zhan and for a second it looks as if Lan Zhan is about to smile back, but his dark eyes remain unmoved and lips uncurled. His cheeks are pink from the cold though.
“Does Wei Ying want to find another?” he asks.
“Yeah but hold on,” Wei Ying says. He pulls off his cloak and wraps it around Lan Zhan’s shoulders. “There. That way you won’t glow in your white robes.” He pats Lan Zhan on the shoulder before taking his hand and sprinting off into the darkness again as if they’ve always been best friends.
It's the first time Lan Zhan breaks his curfew, following Wei Ying through the dark.
At nine years old Wei Ying writes a letter to Lan Zhan. To his shock, two months later, Lan Zhan writes back. Lan Zhan’s writing is neat and crisp and very short. It only answers the long-winded questions Wei Ying asked in his own messy scribble.
It’s the first letter addressed to Wei Ying and the first of many that he reads curls up in his room with a massive grin.
At ten years old the letters become more frequent. Wei Ying tells Lan Zhan all about watermelons in the summer and Lan Zhan tells him about the library and tomes of music he’s learning. Wei Ying promises to bring him a watermelon next time they see each other as long as Lan Zhan promises not to show him the stuffy library, although Wei Ying would really quite like to know where Lan Zhan spends all his time.
It’s the first promise they share between each other.
At twelve years old, Wei Ying is able to keep his half of the promise when the Balin Ouyang Clan host a small gathering amongst young masters and head disciples of various sects. Wei Ying shows up with an entire watermelon shoved into his bag and little in the name of clothes. But it’s worth it to sit together in summer heat, hidden away from everyone else, and share a watermelon without anyone else knowing.
It’s the first secret just between the two of them.
It’s also the first secret broken, as Wei Ying can’t help but tell others and Lan Zhan later admits it to his mother sitting together on the porch overlooking the pond by her jingshi.
At fourteen years old Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji meet again, this time in competition. Wei Wuxian is taken by how much older Lan Zhan looks. No longer does he have round cheeks that turn pink every night. Instead, Lan Zhan looks like all the other Lans except even more upright and rigid. As he walks towards the array of bows and arrows to select from, his hand held at the square of his back, blue robes billowing despite the lack of wind, Wei Wuxian leans over from his position to study him. When Lan Zhan picks his weapons and approaches his position next to Wei Ying, Wei Wuxian gives him a little wave. Those dark eyes flicker to him and Wei Wuxian’s heart jumps in excitement. There’s something about Lan Zhan that makes his heart jump and he doesn’t think it’s the excitement of proper competition.
A light breeze picks up and the tails of Lan Zhan’s ribbon flutters in the wind. Wei Wuxian watches it mesmerized. He reaches out to grab it and twist it in his hands. Just as he reaches out to grab it and pull, his fingers closing around the edge of the ribbon, there’s a whistle from the crowd. Wei Wuxian stops, arm outstretched, to see his dad waving at him. Wei Wuxian waves back and the moment is lost. He turns his attention to his target and raises his bow, steading his aim before releasing.
After the archery competition ends, Wei Wuxian finds Lan Zhan. He waits leaning against the edge of a nearby building as Lan Zhan’s older brother and uncle speak with him in low voices. Lan Zhan is as steely as ever, but his brother has a soft expression of curiosity.
“We’ll deal with this matter then,” Lan Qiren says. Wei Wuxian can’t quite hear what he’s saying. “... be disqualified.”
“Would that feel fair, Wangji?” Lan Xichen asks.
“No,” Lan Zhan replies. He spots Wei Wuxian standing a short ways away. Wei Wuxian gives him a wave and rolls his feet to stand on his toes. The breeze that had caught Lan Zhan’s first arrow to take it off-course catches the ribbons in his hair and tugs at the edges up his robes. “What’s happened has happened.”
“As long as you feel it’s fair,” Lan Xichen says. He lays his hand on Lan Zhan’s shoulder before taking it away.
Lan Zhan walks away without replying. He marches right past Wei Wuxian who jumps into step next to him.
“Wei Ying,” he says calmly but there’s a note of irritation in his voice.
“Don’t be mad at second place,” Wei Wuxian says. “If that breeze hasn’t kicked up, you probably would have won.”
“Mn.”
“You know, I think we should be best friends,” Wei Wuxian announces. They walk together through the throngs of people gathering to watch the next generation’s archery competition. Some Jin is making a display of picking his arrows. “We’ll be best friends for the rest of our lives.”
“Mn.”
They move past the crowd. Lan Zhan walks a step faster than Wei Ying and leads the way towards the forest. Wei Wuxian wouldn’t mind a reprieve from the cold and snatches a jar of emperor’s smile from the basket beside a food vendor.
Like with the watermelon, the two find a secluded spot away from everyone else. They can faintly hear the roar of the crowd that accompanies a sparring competition nearby. Wei Wuxian opens the bottle and sniffs. He hasn't drunk much alcohol in his brief years, but enough to know that this will be fun.
“To our brotherhood,” Wei Wuxian declares and takes a swig. He passes the jar to Lan Zhan who does not reach for it. “You don't want to toast to our friendship?” Wei Wuxian asks.
“Lans do not drink,” Lan Zhan replies.
“Lans don't write secret letters or stay up after curfew, but you do,” Wei Wuxian says. “Just one drink. For our friendship. Otherwise, I dunno. It's probably an ill omen to toast without anyone accompanying you. We'd probably have some awful misunderstanding and grow apart, but if you share the toast we'll only get closer.” Wei Wuxian wiggles closer so his knees bump Lan Zhan’s. “Whatdya say? Which one?”
Lan Zhan snatches the bottle. “Friends,” he toasts and takes a gulp of the wine. He must be a lightweight because already his cheeks turn as pink as a peach and redden even darker when he lowers the jar.
Wei Wuxian reaches out to poke his red cheek, a tease on his lips. Lan Zhan acts quickly, grabbing him by the wrist.
“Wei Ying,” he warns.
“Fine. Fine. But you're so pink and barely even took a sip! If I weren't so clever I'd say you were blushing.”
Something flashes behind Lan Zhan’s eyes. Wei Wuxian catches it but can't understand so he reaches for the jar.
“I'm glad you picked friends, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says lightly. Lan Zhan still holds his wrist, freezing his finger tips mere centimeters away from Lan Zhan’s cheek. Wei Wuxian straightens his fingers as much as he can to graze the tips against his skin. “Does it tickle? I might stop if you let go,” Wei Wuxian teases. Lan Zhan clearly catches the deceit in might because he doesn't let go. Wei Wuxian keeps wiggling his fingers and takes another deep swig of the wine. He feels it in his chest. It makes his heart all wobbly and insides fuzzy.
“What sorts of things do best friends do?” Wei Wuxian asks Lan Zhan. “Have you ever had one before?”
No answer so Wei Wuxian assumes the answer is no which is excellent because Lan Zhan won't be able to correct him or list off ten million rules written in stone about friendship like the Cloud Recess has about merely breathing. He, of course, has had plenty of friends and Jiang Cheng is basically his brother but he's yet to have someone he declares as his person.
That seems like a good place to start.
“Best friends swear to be each other's person. Like spouses but friends,” Wei Wuxian tells Lan Zhan. “Do you swear I'm your person.”
“Mn. Wei Ying is mine.”
“Excellent. And you're mine. Drink.”
They each take another drink. Lan Zhan lets Wei Wuxian lower his hand but doesn't let go. It sits tangled in Lan Zhan’s fingers on his lap. Wei Wuxian doesn't care and only wiggles closer so they're pressed together.
Lan Zhan turns to look at him, study him closely as he cradles the jar close to his lips. Wei Ying grins and links his own lips of the wine he got on them.
Without time to think, suddenly Lan Zhan’s lips are on his and they're kissing. Wei Wuxian flails in shock for a second before parting his lips and kissing Lan Zhan back. He tastes like stolen wine.
Lan Zhan is a really good kisser. His silence must have meant he's had best friends before because he knows what to do. But that doesn't matter because Wei Wuxian is his best friend now. He smiles and laughs against Lan Zhan’s lips but it only earns him a nip.
When they finally break apart, red faced and huffing with dirt over their robes, Wei Ying asks, “You're really good at that, Lan Zhan. How many people have you kissed before?”
“Just Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan replies. Wei Wuxian turns pink and his cheeks heat up.
“I really need to see the type of books in that dusty library then,” Wei Wuxian remarks.
“Mn.”
They both try to dust each other off. The moment they stand Lan Zhan looks much drinker despite only three sips of the wine. It's funny seeing his stagger while only half an hour before he was the peak of poise and grace drawing his bow.
“Ah, here. I pulled this off,” Wei Wuxian says picking up the headribbon fallen to the forest floor. Lan Zhan stares at it in Wei Wuxian’s hand, his eyes widening and narrowing to focus. Then he looks up at Wei Wuxian.
“You…”
“Here. Let me help put it back on,” Wei Wuxian offer. Lan Zhan stands still while Wei Wuxian stands on tip toe to put it back on him. He then spins Lan Zhan around to make sure it's level. As he fusses with the headband Lan Zhan leans forward again. This time he sees the kiss coming and accepts it with a laugh. The second kiss too, this one landing on his neck to tickle him and send a shiver through his whole body that wakes something deep inside him.
They stumble backwards into a tree where Wei Wuxian is pinned. They share the taste of wine until they hear voices calling them, where only then do they stumble out of the woods, leaving the jar of emperor's smile on the forest floor.
It's the first time that they declare their friendship, the first time they kiss, and the first time they each know that friendship with the other means something different than friendship with anyone else.
After the competition ends, Wei Wuxian tells his dad about his feelings for Lan Zhan and the way he made him feel wobbly inside. He smiles knowing and says he felt the same about Wei Wuxian’s mom.
That night he overhears them talking and the word crush is overheard. At first Wei Wuxian denies it, thinking to himself it's not a crush when they're best friends. That's a natural feeling of closeness for best friends. But as he ruminates on the word the more it settles into his gut and denial is impossible. He remembers the feeling of being pinned against the tree, crushed against it with Lan Zhan’s bodyweight and the word feels right.
He's also crushed that he only realizes it now that he's home.
Wei Wuxian jumps up in the dead of night and scribbles a letter to Lan Zhan. He runs through the darkness of the sect to the messengers to send it off before the morning light.
He skids to a halt when he sees his own mother passing off a letter too. He skirts around the shadows and listens, hearing her request that the letter be sent to sect leader Lan. Wei Wuxian’s heart races worried that it might be a conspiracy against their friendship. The second she departs he leaps from the shadows.
“Mei-ge, what do I need to give you to see that letter?” he asks without preamble. It takes some negotiations before Wei Wuxian manages to earn himself a two second flash of his mom's letter. It's too quick and he can't read it, but he catches a few sparse words that include cute and watermelon and boyfriends and arrows and family.
It's the first time Wei Wuxian realizes his feelings and the first time he catches people gossiping about his and Lan Zhan’s affairs.
At fifteen Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan walk along a path that Wei Wuxian finds slightly familiar.
“Isn't this where you bit me the first time we met?” He asks, spinning to walk backwards so he can see how Lan Zhan reacts to being reminded of his childish antics a full decade before.
Wei Wuxian is back in the Cloud Recess with its twelve million impossible rules as part of his education. Already he's gotten in trouble more times than he probably should have and Lan Zhan has had no sympathy for his whining, merely saying Wei Ying should follow the rules, but it's not as though Lan followed the rules when he showed Wei Wuxian the locked up library and showed him the dusty tomes. But then, when Wei Wuxian joked that he would have to kneel for breaking in, Lan Zhan did indeed kneel before Wei Wuxian even if what he did after likely broke a dozen or more rules.
“Yes,” Lan Zhan replies, unphased by the memory of biting Wei Wuxian. “Wei Ying broke the rules.”
“I was trying to escape rules, who'd have thought there'd be more rules hopping the fence and a shark of a child waiting to attack me.”
“Don't break rules.”
“Are you going to bite me again?” Wei Wuxian teases. He spins around and falls in step next to Lan Zhan. He catches the ribbon he enjoys twisting in his fingers as they walk.
“Wei Ying is allowed to be here today.”
“And where is here, exactly?”
Lan Zhen keeps walking and Wei Wuxian has to speed up to keep pace. The path narrows as it pitches up a steep slope and the boys have to walk pitched together. They bump shoulders with each step but neither falls in step behind the other.
When they finally break free of the narrow forest trail a beautiful jingshi emerges through the trees. The garden is immaculate, surrounded by blooming flowers laden with butterflies and trees with heavy canopies shading the fish pond before it. Birds chitter announcing their arrival.
The door opens and a tall, beautiful woman steps out looking around. She locks eyes on Lan Zhan and calls, “Wangji?”
Lan Zhan keeps walking and Wei Wuxian follows.
“Who's that?” Wei Wuxian asks craning his neck to see her better.
“Mother,” Lan Zhan replies, combining an answer to Wei Wuxian and her call. Wei Wuxian’s heart skips a beat. Lan Zhan’s mom. He's about to meet Lan Zhan’s mom. What's he supposed to say or do? He didn't bring her a gift. He didn't even know he was coming here. It's entirely unfair that Lan Zhan didn't tell him they were coming here so Wei Wuxian could make a proper first impression. He might have better fixed the fly away hairs from when Lan Zhan ran his fingers through it.
He releases the tail of the head ribbon to try to brush down his hair. Her eyes track the motion and Wei Wuxian feels himself blush, but her eyes shift quickly to her son with a meaningful question that Wei Wuxian has no clue of. Lan Zhan seems to wordlessly answer because she breaks into a warm smile.
There is not much talking inside. They drink tea and eat in total silence. Whenever either Wei Wuxian or Madam Lan open their mouths to speak Lan Zhan chastises them. It's almost funny to see him scold his mom for talking and Wei Wuxian can't help a snicker of a laugh.
The snicker of a laugh earns him a cold glance at his rule breaking which only causes Wei Wuxian to laugh even more.
Once they finish eating and retire outside, Madam Lan says, “Wangji says that you two are very good friends.”
“Oh really? Just very good friends, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian teases. He nudges Lan Zhan expecting him to correct the term very good to best. Lan Zhan turns pink and avoids his mother’s gaze.
“Wangji, it seems Wei Ying thinks a better term would apply. Xichen seems to think so too.”
Wei Wuxian spins his head around to Madam Lan. “What about him? What did he say?”
She raises her eyebrows ever so slightly to imply that he should know what she means. She takes a sip of her tea and lightly says, “Your ribbon is askew, Wangji.”
Lan Zhan’s hands fly up to straighten the ever so slightly offcenter head ribbon. He’s somehow even pinker. Suddenly he jumps to his feet. “Wei Ying and I should go. He’s not allowed here.”
“Wait- What? Since when am I not allowed here?” Wei Wuxian says. Lan Zhan grabs him and pulls him to his feet.
“Thank you, mother,” Lan Zhan says. “Next week.”
“Next week, Wangji,” she says with a soft, wry smile. “Bring Wei Ying again if he’s still visiting.”
Wei Wuxian barely has the chance to say goodbye before he’s dragged away.
This is the first time their family openly predicts where they relationship is going rather than dancing around the matter.
At seventeen years old, after two years of exerting themselves and creating ample excuses to travel from one sect to the other or meet anywhere in between, Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan meet in Gusu the day before a massive nighthunt is set to begin. Wei Wuxian is late to arrive and half expects Lan Zhan to have gone to bed, but as he approaches the arching bridge, a lone figure stands at its peak staring out at the dark waters. Awestruck, Wei Wuxian can only stand in the street staring up at Lan Zhan. He’s a great man now, but in the future he will only be greater. Wei Wuxian can see it. He can feel it and it excites him.
Lan Zhan senses that he’s being watched and turns to look down at Wei Wuxian.
Everything in Wei Wuxian lights up. He lights up even more to watch Lan Zhan descend the arch of the bridge to meet him at its base.
“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan greets. The simple words carries an entire song of their long awaited reunion.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian teases Lan Zhan’s minimal vocabulary. He reaches out and grasps Lan Zhan’s hand, catching his fingers in his own to swing their arms back and forth. “I’m surprised you stayed up.”
“Mn. For Wei Ying.”
“Just for me,” Wei Ying gives Lan Zhan a little tug and he stumbles closer, close enough that they’re nose to nose. They’re very matched in height now. There’s still a chance of another growth spurt and either will gain an advantage on the other, but for now they are equals. Wei Ying finds himself hoping one of them grows in these final years of teenhood. It would be fun if one were taller than the other, although he cannot decide who it would be better to be taller. Probably Lan Zhan, then he can see any dogs approaching their path sooner. But then, it doesn’t really matter that much anyways. It’ll be up for nature to decide. What does matter though, is that they walk together down the same path, whatever that path might be.
Wei Wuxian grins and tilts into Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan doesn’t stagger at all of Wei Wuxian’s weight leaned against him.
“What does Wei Ying want to do?” Lan Zhan asks. A hand lands on his lip.
“Food,” Wei Wuxian replies.
“There’s food in the Cloud Recess.”
“Not that food,” Wei Wuxian makes an ugly face thinking of endless broths with scant few greens pretending to fill it out. He wants rich and hearty foods. Foods that will make him feel full after breaking away from Yungmen Clan’s delegation to get here early just to meet with Lan Zhan before Gusu fills with throngs of people.
“Mn.” Lan Zhan hums accepting Wei Wuxian’s insult. “I made food.”
“You made food?”
“You talked about your favorite foods last time.”
“You remembered what I said?”
“Mn.”
“Oh Lan Zhan I could kiss you!” Wei Wuxian exclaims.
Immediately Lan Zhan replies, “Okay.” It’s so fast that it’s as if Lan Zhan has been waiting for Wei Wuxian to say such a thing. Wei Wuxian blushes and throws himself into the kiss. His arms wrap around Lan Zhan’s shoulders while Lan Zhan’s hands close around his waist to pull him in and hold him trapped against him, not that Wei Wuxian had any plans to break away. At least, not until he hears a gaggle of people approaching the bridge.
“Let’s go,” Wei Wuxian says. Lan Zhan steals one more quick kiss before letting Wei Wuxian step away. Their hands close together and they begin their walk back to the Cloud Recess. As they walk, Wei Wuxian toys with the ribbons that fall down Lan Zhan’s dark hair. Lan Zhan stops and buys a skewer of tanghulu for Wei Wuxian to gnaw on while they walk to appease his hunger and earn him ample praise. Something warm buds in Wei Wuxian’s chest, a feeling that he wants to be more than just best friends. Something more intimate. Something named.
Boyfriend.
Wei Wuxian almost chokes on the sugared grape. Lan Zhan stops and studies him turning red.
It’s the first time Wei Wuxian realizes that he wants to be Lan Zhan’s boyfriend and to be by his side until the end of time. From the way Lan Zhan looks at him, he knows the feelings are returned.