Chapter Text
A Start on How
by misscam
1.
Lan Wangji is used to Wei Wuxian being all smiles, all laughs, all teasing. He’ll admit that in the beginning, he found it tremendously annoying that someone could smile and laugh so much even in serious situations, but after months of it, he has in a way gotten used to it. He might even enjoy it at times. Not that he’ll ever admit that, of course.
Wei Wuxian is the essence of lightness and smiles, which is why it is unusual and more than a little troubling to find him sitting underneath a tree late at night and looking so morose it might actually cause Lan Wangji’s breath to catch.
For a moment, he considers his options. He could just walk away. Wei Wuxian is a classmate, but they aren’t really friends, though Wei Wuxian has often been persistently friendly to Lan Wangji, trying to engage him in conversation, sitting next to him while they eat, sending him text messages to invite him to all sorts of social engagements. Wei Wuxian even insists on calling him ‘Lan Zhan’ most of the time, which no one else dares to.
It’s honestly made him wonder if Wei Wuxian wants to be friends, which is silly. No one seriously tries to befriend Lan Wangji, Second Jade of Lan. His years at school and college have seen many trying to earn his respect or avoid his displeasure, but that has always been the extent of it. He has never invited something more himself, but Wei Ying seems to invite himself, and Lan Wangji is… not entirely displeased by that.
He should just walk away. Whatever has caused Wei Wuxian grief, he probably doesn’t want Lan Wangji to even know of it. Perhaps he could find Nie Huaisang – they seem to be friends. Or perhaps Jiang Cheng or Jiang Yanli. They’re family. Surely, they would be good choices – Jiang Yanli the preferable one, as Jiang Cheng has a tendency to yell at Wei Wuxian a lot more than Lan Wangji would care for.
He doesn’t walk away. Instead, he awkwardly walks over, hesitating every few steps, but not turning away. Wei Wuxian opens his eyes as Lan Wangji is about to reach him. His eyes are in shadow, but even so, Lan Wangji gets the distinct impression he has been crying.
He has no idea what to say.
Wei Wuxian saves him that.
“Do I look so pitiful that even Lan Wangji is taking pity on me?” Wei Wuxian asks, and the flat, tired voice makes Lan Wangji almost wince. It is so unlike Wei Wuxian.
“Not pity,” Lan Wangji corrects. “Concern.”
“Am I your concern, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asks, and Lan Wangji has no idea what to say. He should probably say no – he is not a friend, not family, but that still feels like the wrong answer. He can’t really say yes either. That feels too presumptuous.
He opts for saying nothing, instead leaning slightly against the tree, and after a moment, Wei Wuxian drops his arms to his knees and hugs himself lightly.
“I just wanted to defend my sister,” Wei Wuxian says after a moment, the words rushing out. “Jin Zixuan has no right to treat her so arrogantly no matter who his family is. No right! Only… Only I think I made it worse. Now sister is even sadder, Jiang Cheng refuses to stop yelling at me and Madame Yu is going to murder me in my sleep.”
“Hn,” Lan Wangji says thoughtfully. Wei Wuxian’s affection for his adoptive sister is well established, as is Madame Yu’s displeasure at Wei Wuxian in general.
“I should probably just stay away for the night, “Wei Wuxian goes on. “Jiang Cheng should calm down and Madame Yu should want to murder me a little less painfully tomorrow, don’t you think?”
“Hn,” Lan Wangji offers. They should, but they are both so irritable he’s not entirely convinced they won’t just work themselves up again in the morning.
Wei Wuxian sighs, as if he agrees. “I’ll go beg Nie Huaisang to let me stay on his miserable, too-short couch, I suppose.”
The thought of Wei Wuxian enduring a miserable night after such a miserable evening makes Lan Wangji’s breath catch a little again.
“My couch is spacious and comfortable,” he says, and Wei Wuxian actually turns around to stare at him.
“What?”
“My couch is spacious and comfortable.”
“Oh-kay,” Wei Wuxian says slowly. “Good for you, Lan Zhan…?”
“If you want,” Lan Wangji says softly, “you can sleep on my couch.”
II
“Are you sure?” Wei Wuxian asks for the fifth time, glancing around the apartment with a certain amount of awe.
“Hn,” Lan Wangji says, holding out a pillow and several blankets. Wei Wuxian accepts them gratefully, plopping down on the couch and making a happy face as he wriggles experimentally on it.
“When you said comfortable and spacious, you weren’t kidding,” Wei Wuxian observes. He glances up at Lan Wangji. “There’s even room for two!”
Lan Wangji doesn’t comment on that. “The bathroom is down the hall.”
Wei Wuxian nods. “You’re sharing with your brother, right?”
“Hn. Lan Xichen will not mind.”
Wei Wuxian nods slowly. “Lan Zhan? Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to do this,” Lan Wangji says. “Good night, Wei Wuxian.”
“Good night, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says, and his smile is strangely warming, Lan Wangji finds.
II
The kitchen smells of tea and toast when Lan Wangji pads into it in the morning to find his brother there, already making the customary breakfast. He’s even set three plates and three mugs at the counter, and Lan Wangji feels a flush to his ears.
“Wangji,” Lan Xichen greets him. “I did not hear you and Young Master Wei coming in last night.”
Lan Wangji glances into the living room. Wei Wuxian is still asleep on the couch, face buried into a pillow, the blankets twisted around him. Lan Wangji has to fight an urge to walk over and tuck him in properly. Instead, he accepts a mug of tea from his brother, who is smiling pleasantly.
“It was late,” Lan Wangji offers as way of explanation. He feels awkward, as if he’s been caught at something, when really, all he’s done is lend a couch to his classmate. Others probably do that all the time. (Others, not Lan Wangji, which is probably why it feels this awkward.)
Lan Xichen nods.
“You have mentioned Young Master Wei before,” Lan Xichen says in a tone of voice that would probably pass for casual with anyone who didn’t know Lan Xichen as well as Lan Wangji does. There is also something knowing in his eyes that makes Lan Wangji look away.
“He is…” Lan Wangji says, and trails off. Wei Wuxian is… What?
“Awake,” Lan Xichen says, and Lan Wangji looks up to see Wei Wuxian untangling himself from the blankets and look up at them both. He looks slightly nervous, but manages a slight smile as he walks towards them, brushing his fingers through his hair and grimacing when it won’t quite settle.
Lan Wangji finds his unkempt hair rather charming, actually, but fights that thought off sternly.
“Good morning, Wei Ying,” he says after a rather awkward, silent moment. After letting him sleep on the couch for a night, it feels somehow wrong to call him Wei Wuxian. It will have to be Wei Ying now.
Lan Xichen hums. Wei Ying blinks, then smiles more broadly.
“Good morning, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying replies. He then turns, adopting a more formal tone. “Lan Xichen. I am sorry to intrude on your morning.”
“Not at all,” Lan Xichen says. “Anyone invited by Wangji is welcome by me too. Good morning, Young Master Wei. Coffee or tea?”
Wei Wuxian looks over at Lan Wangji, his expression slightly hesitant, as if trying to figure out if Lan Wangji is all right with it.
“Coffee,” Lan Wangji answers for him. “Or spiced tea.”
Lan Xichen nods, as if he is making a note of that.
“Huh,” Wei Ying says. “How did you know that, Lan Zhan?”
“I noticed,” Lan Wangji says, which is the truth. Wei Ying has sat down to eat many meals next to him. Of course he has noticed what Wei Ying likes.
“Huh,” Wei Ying says again. “Er, I don’t want to intrude any further. I should probably just go…”
“Young Master Wei, please stay for breakfast,” Lan Xichen insists, and Wei Ying gives Lan Wangji another hesitant look. Lan Wangji gives a slight nod, and then Wei Ying smiles brightly, so very brightly.
He stays for breakfast; it is the most pleasant one Wangji can remember having in a long, long time.