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Lan Wangji did not go to places like this. He didn’t drink. He didn’t dance. He never listened to this kind of music. If he didn’t have a headache as soon as he stepped out of this place it would astonish him. What appeal could a bar, especially this one, have for him?
The answer to that question was on the other side of the bar pouring amber liquid into a tall glass and placing a bright slice of lemon on the lip.
As the faceless customer took his drink, Lan Wangji grasped his water a little tighter. The condensation coated his palm and pooled underneath the glass, slowly soaking his napkin. The bartender laughed and began mixing another drink.
Wei Wuxian was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. It was more than his long hair always set in a high ponytail. It was more than his laughing, silver eyes and gorgeous smile. It was more than the curve of his soft lips. The man simply shone and the whole world couldn’t deny it. They all knew it. It seemed to be a fact of the universe that he had only recently discovered. People flocked to him long after they had their drinks in hand, they lingered hoping for one more smart word or joke. Even though he wished he was the only one so starstruck by him, Lan Wangji could see at least three women drinking him in. He couldn’t fault them for it, after all he had and would again do the same thing. And the worst, or best, part of it all was that Wei Wuxian didn’t seem to care. That is if he noticed it at all.
Oh, he flirted with them. He would give them endless complements, but his attentions were not any different from those he gave to the next customer. From anyone else it would seem insincere and cheap. But coming from him it was all so believable. He truly found them all to be as beautiful as he said. He was that kind.
Lan Wangji sighed into his glass and tipped it back.
He had originally come here with some classmates. The night had started out with a study session. Finals had been fast approaching and every student found themselves falling into study groups composed mostly of peers they had never spoken to before. Even those that didn’t usually speak to their classmates couldn’t escape the pull. Lan Wangji only knew one of the students in his group and he was not particularly…good at the subject.
At first, everything was just like every other meeting he had been to. The group crowded around a study table in the library, introduced themselves awkwardly and brought out their books and questions. The group was larger than most so it was no surprise it took longer to get through the material. It was far later than Lan Wangji had planned to be here covering nothing of importance, but he was hopeful that they would soon progress into something meaningful.
The first obvious sign that his night was being wasted was when someone mentioned how cold the library was. Several members of the group murmured their agreement. Later they said how hungry they were, repeatedly. Lan Wangji wasn’t sure who said it but the sentiment quickly spread to others in the group. There was nothing on campus still open and no food was allowed in the library.
It didn’t take long for the group to pack their books and notes and head to the nearest place they knew would be open and still serving food. They said things like ‘this won’t take long,’ ‘we can do a bit of studying while we wait,’ and ‘we’ll be back soon.’ All of those promises were nothing but lies.
They dragged him several blocks away. Every so often one of them would vow that this place was so worth the walk. Even though Lan Wangji thought it was far colder than the library. They arrived at a bar that frankly Lan Wanji wouldn’t be able to tell apart from any other. Not that he had an excess of experience. Still his peers were excited.
Within minutes of arriving at the bar, members of the study group were breaking off and heading towards the small dance floor.
Lan Wangji stayed in their booth longer than he should have. He couldn’t say it was because he hoped they would soon return and go back to the library. Those hopes were long dead before the first drink was ordered. No, he stayed more because he couldn’t believe it. He never would have abandoned his studies. He certainly would have never thought to drag his peers along with false promises. And yet here he was, his meticulous notes packed away, his hands folded neatly in his lap because he had already discovered that the table was sticky.
One of his few classmates that actually seemed to be waiting on food was drumming her fingers on the table. The click of her nails was an uneven counterpoint to the thumping music. He could already feel his pending headache rising. He eyed the exit. The pulsing crowd was acting as a living barrier between him and breathable air. He would either need to cut through the dance floor and risk being devoured by the crowds or press himself between the crowds hanging around its edges and likely be crushed. Both options were far less than appealing. It had been at least been tolerable before with his peers acting as an unknowing shield.
He nearly flinched when his classmate’s hair brushed against his arm. It felt like spiders dashing across his skin. Then she moved closer. She laid a hand on his wrist. “So, would you like to…” He pinned her with a look. “Um…Ah…I’ve never been here before.” She dragged her teeth over her lip. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something. He kept staring at her intrusive hand. Her smile faltered. Then she looked at something over his shoulder and forced her smile back. It looked strained and unpleasantly familiar. He looked behind him fast enough to catch another classmate ducking behind the others.
So that’s what this was about. Not slacking off, not food, and possibly it was never about studying either. This was a trap, of sorts, another ploy to get him to agree to spend some time with someone who he had never even spoken to before.
He rose from the table and slipped into the cracks between bodies. He did not look back. He didn’t see the startled, aghast expressions exchanged behind him. He had never bothered to see them before. He had no direction in mind other than away. He went wherever the crowd was thinnest until it spat him out elsewhere.
This new area wasn’t empty, nowhere in the bar was. However, most of the people here didn’t stay for long. They darted in and left as soon as they had drinks in their hand. A few people stayed clustered close together. None of the others tried to interrupt or touch them, the crowd too focused on its goal.
Lan Wangji took the first stool he could. He tired to wedge it and his body as far away from everyone else as possible. His efforts bought little to nothing. It rocked with every shift he made. He tentatively touched the counter before him and moved closer to it when he discovered it had none of the tacky stick to it that the tables had.
He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. The night was wasted. He hadn’t had high hopes for it anyways. He was at the top of the class, as he always was. There was very little he could learn from his classmates, but his brother had pressed him. ‘You never know what insights they might have. Everyone approaches information differently and brings their own experiences with them. The sharing of ideas leads to progress, Wangji.’ Xichen was always saying such things. Almost as though he believed that if he repeated them enough Wangji would believe him. He didn’t and he wouldn’t, but he wanted to make his brother happy.
“What’s your pleasure?”
Lan Wangji’s eyes flew up. His breath rushed out of him all at once. He couldn’t speak. Even if he could, he didn’t know what to say or where to look.
The man before him was hard to look at. His eyes shone like twin moons. No stars. They were a captivating silver. His teeth were a straight line of pearls. He’d never known what kissable lips looked like before now but now he would never forget.
That smile flickered, dimmed. A noise of protest unwillingly slipped past Lan Wangji’s lips. The bartender’s eyes sparked and his smile lite up again. “Oh, you’re the DD? Nice. Let me get you something.” A glass appeared in his hand. Lan Wangji’s eyes caught on his long tan fingers. They were made for music. He could so easily imagine them dancing across strings, caressing an instrument, or something more- he took a breath and ignored how it shuttered.
With a flourish the bartender set a glass of water in front of him. “On the house,” he said with a bright smile. Then he directed that lovely smile at someone else and his hands went flying.
Lan Wangji watched him as he worked. He darted from one end of the bar to the other collecting orders and producing them with a graceful ease. Perhaps Lan Wangji had got it wrong and this man was made for dancing instead of music. The way he moved certainly caught his eye and more than a few others.
He was charming, that’s what you call men that can command the stars to dance in their eyes.
A couple of giggling co-eds down the bar waved the bartender over. They said something Lan Wangji couldn’t hear over the crowd and the man laughed. It was bright and cheerful and made something inside him ache. Then he was in front of him again. He smiled as he reached for his glass and refilled it. Their fingers brushed.
“Thank you,” he began and faltered. He didn’t know what else to say, if he should say anything else.
“Wei Wuxian,” the bartender said after a beat, clearly incorrectly assuming that Lan Wangji was waiting for his name and not too stunned to speak. “And really it’s nothing.”
It was not nothing. Nothing wouldn’t have an effect on Lan Wangji. Losing focus in class was not nothing. It would not make his brother’s eyebrows lift with questions he did not voice. Nothing did not bring Lan Wangji again and again to The Burial Grounds.
Fortunately for him, nobody knew about his infatuation yet. Although he recognized some of his classmates in the crowds, they did not approach him. His teachers were none the wiser. His brother only knew that something had changed. And most importantly, Wei Wuxian did not know that the only reason he came to the bar was to see his smile.
Over time, Lan Wangji came to learn a few things about The Burial Grounds by listening to Wei Wuxian’s rambling. Sunday and Monday nights people came to brace themselves for the rest of the week. Wednesdays were for mid-week stress relief. Thursdays were when regulars prepared for Fridays. And Fridays and Saturdays were free game for everyone. Although they were in a bit of a pre-finals slow down right now, as soon as exams began a calendar would mean nothing to the crowds.
Tuesdays were the slowest nights and that’s when he came.
There were only a few others at the bar right now. The seats to either side of him were empty.
Wei Wuxian was nearby keeping the bar spotless. He hummed a jaunty tune as he wiped down a glass.
Lan Wangji caught it out of the corner of his eye, Wei Wuxian’s smile flickered into something new. It was still a smile but there was a new edge of mischief to it. Without knowing why, he knew it was trouble. Wei Wuxian came over and leaned his elbows down onto the bar in front of him.
Lan Wangji set down his glass of water and waited. Wei Wuxian smiled as flicked the glass of water. “You’re not DDing tonight,” he all but sang.
Lan Wangji’s hands twitched to his wallet. He hadn’t meant to give the impression that he came for… free water. Did they even charge for water? Did he mean that Lan Wangji was taking up a seat that another customer should have? There was hardly anyone here. Did he know why he was really here? Should he order something?
Wei Wuxian clapped his hands together. “Excellent.” He raised a hand to his mouth as if to hide his words. “Don’t tell anyone but I’ve got a treat for you.” Lan Wangji’s heart thumped in his chest. Wei Wuxian reached below the bar and withdrew another glass.
“Everyone always orders the same things. Margaritas. Margaritas. Margaritas. A shot of tequila if they’ want me to die of boredom.” He let out a much-aggrieved sigh accompanied by a drop to his shoulders. “And sure, we can only put so much on the menu but come one. My skills are practically going to waste.”He poured liquids from several bottles into a metal cup with ice. Then he produced an egg.
Lan Wangji did not know a lot about bars, cocktails, or anything associated with alcohol, but the sight of that egg drove him to take action. This was getting out of control. He couldn’t accept Wei Wuxian’s gift. Yet he couldn’t turn it down once it was done. He had to intervene. Wei Wuxian smoothly cracked the egg. Lan Wangji’s mouth fell open. Wei Wuxian juggled the yoke between each half of the shell, separating it from the rest. Wei Wuxian glanced up and clearly read his distress. “I know they’re not everyone’s thing but trust me on this. I’ll take care of you.” He winked and Lan Wangji couldn’t’ say a word.
All to soon Wei Wuxian was skewering a cherry and setting a cocktail before him. The drink was a pale yellow with a layer of white hovering above the rest. “This one isn’t exactly a challenge either, but it’s something different. Pretty too. It’s called an Amaretto Sour. It tastes like lemonade.” Lan Wangji hesitated. He doesn’t drink. No one in his family does. There’s a very good reason for that. “Don’t worry, it’s not strong.”
He looked up and Wei Wuxian smiled at him.
Lan Wangji has always considered himself to be in control. No one could sway him from his chosen path. Very few even tried. He was disciplined. He applied himself diligently and excelled towards his goals. He held himself to the high standards his family expected, and he hadn’t let them down yet.
He was so weak.
He gripped the glass tightly, took a deep breath, and took a sip.
Wei Wuxian liked to please people. He believed happiness was best shared. He wanted his family, friends, and customers to be happy. It was a belief that had served him well in his career.
(Although he had no qualms about cutting someone off or throwing a punch if it came to that. And that too had been a good thing for working with college students. They could get a little rowdy. The poor things hardly ever knew what they were doing.)
It just so happened that he was working harder than usual for this particular customer. And why shouldn’t he? Lan Wangji never caused problems and tipped well even though he wasn’t buying anything. He was such a gentleman.
He was also beautiful. Like Wei Wuxian saw a lot of beautiful people. The Burial Grounds wasn’t far from campus and many students came to unwind. And where attractive people went to unwind other attractive people came to try their luck. As an added bonus or two, The Burial Grounds wasn’t a dive, had decent music, and enough room to dance. Therefore, it was a pretty good spot for a date. So yeah, there were lots of attractive customers. But this guy, he was something else. He was worlds above them all.
Wei Wuxian was sure he had never seen someone so beautiful before and was almost positive he never would again.
So, he tried to show off just a little. It wasn’t flirting. He always made sure to keep things with the customers strictly professional. Asking for his name was just polite. Making sure his glass was always filled was just good business. And if it looked like he was smiling just a bit brighter at him, well it was a trick of he light. And it was just a coincidence that he started dressing better, he was trying new things. Maybe dressing more professional would get him better tips. Lan Wangji didn’t seem to mind, if he noticed. He couldn’t be sure.
Lan Wangji looked elegant as he lifted the glass to his lips. Honestly, he was like something straight out of an advertisement. Just him being in this club made the place seem a bit more classy. Wei Wuxian knew that he wasn’t the only person to notice. He couldn’t tell you the number of times someone tried to have him make Lan Wangji a drink from them or ask for his name. He always made sure to inform them that he was a designated driver and they would have to ask him themselves. Even though he had never seen Lan Wangji say one word to someone else in the bar.
He had suspicions but couldn’t bring himself to ask. There were only some many reasons why someone would come here. Drinking was the number one. Since Lan Wangji seemed to have no interest in that, there were only some many other reasons he could have for coming. He knew which one he hoped it was.
So maybe he wasn’t just bored and the drink was meant to break the ice. His motives were still deniably just friendly.
Lan Wangji set the glass down delicately. His eyes were locked on his glass. A bit of white foam clung to the side where his lips had touched.
“Well, what do you think?” Wei Wuxian leaned forward with anticipation. Lan Wanji looked up at him. His head tilted gradually to the side like he was carefully considering every word. Wei Wuxian admired the way the lights caught in his eyes. Gold flashed. His heart fluttered in excitement.
Lan Wangji’s head came crashing down.
The glass in Wei Wuxian’s hand shattered on the floor.
What the hell! Wei Wuxian lunged across the bar. One of his hands flew to Wangji’s pulse point, the other hovered over his lips. He was breathing. His pulse was steady. Everything seemed normal. But what the hell. He’s never seen someone just pass out from one sip. He’d rarely even seen someone just abruptly collapse. He should be fine but…should he call an ambulance or something.
A man further down the bar came out of his seat with an offer to help.
Wei Wuxian’s hands hovered over Lan Wangji’s shoulders. “Um…could you? We should move him?”
Before they could so much as touch him Lan Wangji’s head rose up. “Lan Wangji,” Wuxian exclaimed. He blinked. He moved slowly turning his head to look around like he wasn’t sure where he was or why. But he found Wei Wuxian. That was a good sign. Right? Probably.
“Feeling ok?” Wei Wuxian reached out to gently prod at his head. “You kinda hit your head pretty hard.” Wangji caught his hand with surprising ease. Another good sign. Then he leaned his cheek into his hand.
A blush flooded Wei Wuxian’s face. That was cute. So cute. It just wasn’t fair at all. He could not be this beautiful and cute. His heart was going to explode. He swallowed down whatever Lan Wangji had released inside him. There were more important things going on right now. Focus! What if Lan Wangji had a concussion?
“Hey Wangji, you really…could you look at me for a second.” He obeyed. His gaze was steady and intense. How could he be so intoxicated or concussed and still be so focused?
Wei Wuxian really should have learned first aid. This did not help him contain his blush. He swallowed and focused on Lan Wangji’s pupils. Everything looked normal. So, he was concussion free, just drunk from one sip, somehow.
The other customer laughed and tipped his head in a nod. “I think you got this all figured out,” he said as he returned to his seat.
Wei Wuxian didn’t dare look away from Lan Wanji but he wanted to glare at the man’s back. He really didn’t have anything figured out. Absolutely nothing! He had no idea what to do with him. There wasn’t anywhere to let him sleep it off nor could he just leave him alone.
A cough broke through his increasingly panicked haze. Another customer looked down at their empty glass and back at Wei Wuxian and his dilemma. Wei Wuxian looked from Lan Wangji to the bar to the customer and back to Lan Wangji.
“Could you give me like a second?’ Wei Wuxian laughed nervously. Seriously, what was he supposed to do?
“Ok. I can do this,” Wei Wuxian assured himself. He’s handled drunk guys twice his size, weeping women, wild graduation parties, and all manners of chaos. No light weight was going to be the death of him. Even if this was not at all going how he had thought tonight would go.
“Hey Lan Wangji,” He waited until he was sure his entire focus was solely on him. “Do you have your phone on you? I need…oh thank you.” Lan Wangji had put his phone into his hands and wrapped his fingers around them. His gaze was so intense that Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but think of dramatic confessions and vows upon mountaintops. His heart rate picked up. It was just a phone. He didn’t even need it for himself. And he should probably be more concerned about Lan Wangji’s drunk and blind obedience too.
But first, he tried to ignore the heat of Lan Wangji’s gaze as he went into his contacts. Wei Wuxian scratched his nose self-consciously. It still felt like he was breaking into his house or something even though Lan Wangji evidently had no problem with it. His heart panged as he sorted through the numbers. There were so few and the vast majority of them all had Dr or Professor attached to them. His parents weren’t even in there unless he only had their first names listed and that didn’t seem to be the case.
Locating the best candidate, Wei Wuxian covered his ear and listened to the phone ring.
He began talking as soon as the ringing stopped. “Hi! Hello. Sorry to interrupt your night it’s just- Yes he’s fine. Well actually, he needs a ride home…Um he’s ah not exactly sober, somehow. Yes, of course. I’ll send over the address immediately. You can just call when you arrive and I’ll bring him out. Yes. Okay. Thank you.”
He sent two texts and slipped Lan Wangji’s phone into his own pocket. “Okay. Lan Wangji-“
“En.”
“What?”
“Not Wangji.”
“Not Wangji?” Ok, he was way drunker than he thought. At least it wasn’t the weirdest thing he’d ever heard from a drunken mouth. Wei Wuxian eyed him again. He was still able to sit up straight. That was good. He definitely needed some water.
“Lan Zhan.”
“What…oh you want me to call you Lan Zhan?”
And then, sweet heavens have mercy, Lan Wangji smiled. It struck him like a knife. It struck deep and true and straight into his heart. This was it. He was doomed. Wei Wuxian would never recover from this. His world reeled and moved and realigned on a new axis.
He’d seen beautiful people and they paled next to Lan Zhan. He’d seen lovely smiles and they didn’t compare to his. Physically, it was simply a small upturn of his lips. But it left him breathless. It was soft, sweet, and oh so genuine.
He was speechless. He was in love.
Oblivious to Wei Wuxian’s realization, Lan Zhan stood up. He stumbled slightly as he did so.
“Wait. Wait. Just let me,” Wei Wuxian said as he frantically waved his hands. He was quick, darting down to the bars exit on the far side of the counter. A few customers watched him with smiles on their face. Lan Zhan frowned. He walked towards Wei Wuxian, swaying with every step.
Wei Wuxian hurried to catch him. He slid his arm underneath Lan Zhan’s. It was a light touch at first, only meant to steady his steps, but all of a sudden Lan Zhan’s full weight dropped on to him. Wei Wuxian stumbled and held him tightly trying to keep both of them from falling to the floor.
“Woah, are you ok?” Wei Wuxian looked up to find Lan Zhan staring intensely at him.
Lan Zhan made a low sound that was probably meant to be a yes but also sounded too much like a moan to keep Wei Wuxian from blushing.
A customer, whose face was completely red from all his drinking, cheered. “Good man,” another said clanking his glass against the bar.
“Yeah, not everyone is willing to help their customers like that,” another man in a suit commented.
The woman at his side giggled. “Yeah, great work ethic.”
“No ulterior motives here,” a regular said as she typed something frantically on her phone.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
Wei Wuxian tried desperately to avoid their knowing eyes. He tried to convince himself there was nothing to see. He was absolutely failing. He had thought he was shameless, but he’d never blushed so much in one night before. And for what? Nothing was happening!
This was harassment! Work place harassment from customers. Was that a real thing? Did it matter when your job didn’t have a HR and instead had just one chronically sleep deprived med student who always told him to stop whining and hogging the coffee? Maybe not! But he still deserved a safe workplace where all his cruel customers didn’t mock him. He always knew he couldn’t trust them. At least one of them was live blogging his trial.
He managed to gently guide Lan Zhan back behind the bar. There’s nothing else to do with him.
And as soon he had Lan Zhan safely behind the bar his grace period ended. A new customer leaned over and shouted their order much louder than they needed to. Then they all fell upon him like a pack of wild dogs.
Wei Wuxian moved to fill an order and missed a step. He fumbled and almost dropped a glass. It was weird to have someone else behind the bar with him. Well, someone that was not also dashing around serving drinks. He could already hear the lectures the boss lady was going to give him over this.
He kept glancing over at Lan Zhan. He told himself and the few customers that were nosy enough to say something that he was just checking on him. He’s not sure if he managed to convince any of them. He doesn’t even believe himself. The truth was that every glance he stole was a new opportunity to notice some new small detail.
He’s trying to memorize the way the lights are shinning on his hair when another customer mistakes Lan Zhan for another bartender. Lan Zhan just blinks at them. He doesn’t look confused just apathetic about everything they’re saying. And the customer just looks so confused, kind of like a laboratory mouse that’s pushed the lever and doesn’t understand why food isn’t falling down. And yeah, Wei Wuxian definitely feels everything about that.
He manages to just barely hold back his laughter and smiles at them both. “Sorry, I can take your order now.”
They frown at him then point a finger not quite at Lan Zhan. “What about him?”
“He’s not,” he begins.
“Is he your boyfriend? They let you bring your boyfriend to work. Oh man, I need a job like that. My office won’t even let us bring our dogs in. The office next door does. Why can’t we have at least one day like that? It’s not fair. I need a dog in my life. I need a new job. I …I need...”
“A drink,” Wei Wuxian finishes when they start to trail off. They nod happily and point at he nearest bottle. He’s not sure they have any idea what they’re pointing at but he gives it to them anyways.
That taken care of, Wei Wuxian examines Lan Zhan. Speaking of not fair… He’s still drop dead gorgeous. Honestly, he puts up with way too any drunks to still find him attractive after this and yet here he is practically drooling. Maybe some people are just gorgeous no matter what they do. Even though he’s got a small sample size here, Wei Wuxian feels like he’s collected some pretty undeniable evidence.
Anyway, so far his plan has been working, more or less. Lan Zhan is still safe and a ride’s on the way. But obviously there are a few flaws. So, he plants his hands on Lan Zhan’s shoulders and pushes downwards. He folds easily underneath his hands. He goes down with far more grace than he expected a man who can’t walk straight would be capable of.
“How about you just sit here and I…”
Oh, he did not think this through. In fact, he may have just made a huge mistake. Lan Zhan is looking up at him through some of the longest eyelashes he’s ever seen. And his eyes are still catching the lights and they’re dancing. And that…that does something to Wei Wuxian. It feels like a kick to his gut and his mouth has gone dry. He was going to say something, it was on the tip of his tongue, but now it’s all withered away. Instead he helplessly he pats the top of Lan Zhan’s head, like he was some kind of dog, except that dogs were slobbery monsters and Lan Zhan could never be the slightest bit like those vile creatures.
Someone at the bar was laughing, almost falling out of their seat with every heaving sound. Wei Wuxian tugged at the collar of his shirt. He desperately needed to cool down. He looked back down to find Lan Zhan on his knees with shards of glass between his fingers.
Great another kick to his guts, this time a very not pleasant one. “Oh shit, Lan Zhan! What are you doing?”
“Glass.”
“Yes that’s some very sharp glass. How about you put it down and let me…” Where did this even come from? Surely he’s not so distracted he almost sat Lan Zhan in glass and didn’t notice. He swears he’s not normally this… he’s not normally this kind of disaster. He’s babysat little kids and drunk girls before without an issue.
“Dangerous.”
“Yes?” Wei Wuxian feels the urge to laugh with worry. Lan Zhan said it so seriously it was like he believed that there was nothing more dangerous than a shard of glass and only he would be able to stop it from harming anyone and everyone within its range. What deadly range a piece of broken glass had, well that seemed to be a question only Lan Zhan knows the answer to.
“It must be cleaned.”
Wei Wuxian nodded in agreement, as seriously as he could appear while all he wanted to do was lunge at Lan Zhan. “Of course, Lan Zhan let me clean it up.”
“No,” he said as he moved away. He cupped he glass between his hands and held it even farther from Wei Wuxian.
“What? Lan Zhan! Give it here. You could get hurt.”
“And you?” Wei Wuxian’s heart fluttered. Lan Zhan was so adamant. It was adorable. It was not helping.
“I’ll be careful.”
“Promise.”
“Yes, I promise. I’ll be very careful.”
Lan Zhan still looked suspicious. So, he smiled as confidently and as charmingly as he ever had in his entire life. “Come on Lan Zhan, you can trust me. I don’t want to see either of us get hurt.”
Carefully Wei Wuxian reached out and held Lan Zhan’s wrist. Lan Zhan looked down. His hair slipped forward and covered his face, but he still peered up from under his lashes at Wei Wuxian’s smile. His ears were exposed, revealing just how red they turned. The shard of glass slipped from his fingers.
Wei Wuxian tugged on Lan Zhan’s arm. He stood obediently. He did not take his eyes off Wei Wuxian as he cleaned up the glass with practiced ease. When the last of the glass shards fell into the garbage with a tinkling crash Wei Wuxian stood, dusted off his hands, and got back to work.
As he continued to serve drinks Lan Zhan gradually began to lean more and more on Wei Wuxian’s leg. It was a ridiculous sight. Any man clinging to another adult’s leg like they were a child would be, but a man like Lan Zhan... Well, Wei Wuxian wouldn’t believe that could be attractive but he felt the warmth pressed against him right now and it was.
And well, it wasn’t like he wanted Lan Zhan on his knees for him, it was much too soon for that, but he did like having him so close. Maybe if Lan Zhan ever wanted to see him again they could get drinks together. Something nonalcoholic.
Getting a call from his brother’s phone wasn’t unheard of, but it was not normal. Wangji was not any more talkative on a phone than he was in person and Xichen read more in his brother’s eyes than had ever heard from his mouth. So they often found time between classes and study sessions for family meals and time to talk face to face.
He had not been expecting a call to arrange such an event. He had certainly not been expecting to hear an unfamiliar voice on the other end. To hear that Wangji needed a ride home from a bar was unthinkable.
It’s not that he hadn’t realized that something was going on with his brother. He had seemed busier than usual, less available in the evenings, and a little evasive. He had written it down to an increased workload and frustration with his peers. He knew Wangji was trying to be more social, trying to address the worries he had always had for his younger brother. He just hadn’t imagined that he would turn to drinking of all things to deal the pressure.
They both knew very well that no one in their family could hold their drinks and those that had tried to learn how often ended up in a very troubled relationship with alcohol. To think that Xichen had forced his brother to such a length, it left burning acid running down his throat.
The first thing he needed to do was get Lan Wangji home and make sure he was comfortable. Then in the morning, he would apologize and ensure that he knew there was nothing to be ashamed of and that he would never breath a word of it to Uncle if he didn’t want him to. Then they could start to fix whatever it was that had pushed him to such lengths. Whatever those steps had to be, he would find out. He knew he had friends he could turn to for help if he needed them and he very well might. He had no idea where to start.
He was extremely grateful that the bar was near campus and that he had such good directions. He wasn’t familiar with any of the bars around here, or anywhere for that matter, but he did know the roads. Additionally, the large red and black sign for the Burial Mounds was easy to see when he was looking for it. The truly wonderful thing was that there were no police around. He had definitely broken a few traffic laws in his worry.
Lan Xichen would feel guilty about that later. Probably. It was for his brother after all and Xichen had always done whatever was best for his brother before, sometimes regardless of consequences.
He found a parking space and threw his car into it. He exited his car far with less grace than he had ever shown in his life. It was more like he tumbled out like loose papers than stepped.
He hesitated once inside. He had agreed to call but he couldn’t bear to wait another moment to see his brother. In his mind, he assumed that he would open the door and Wangji would be there in a state of disarray. Maybe he would be sobbing, slumped onto a table, or he would fling himself messily into his brother’s arms. None of those were normal, but nothing about this was. Regardless, Xichen would instantly see him and go to him.
But he didn’t even see his brother anywhere in the bar.
He clenched his phone in his fist and tentatively started towards the bar. The caller had said they were a bartender here and there was a young man smiling behind the bar who could possibly the one he spoke to. He was assured of his assumption when the man saw him and lit up even more. It was a feat that he dimly realized should be impossible given the strength of his grin just moments before.
The man signaled for Xichen to wait and ducked down behind the bar. When he emerged Wangji was carefully held in his arms.
Xichen moved forward quickly, taking in every detail of his brother. He was swaying slightly in his spot. His hands were firmly holding the young man’s arms, practically clinging. And more than anything else, what made Xichen slow down to a halt was the smile on his brother’s face.
It would be vastly untrue to say that Lan Wangji didn’t smile. He did. He wasn’t even shy about them. But they were very special things only shared on occasions when Wangji truly felt that no words, no other expression of his joy would suffice. And they were exclusively for people his brother truly cared for. He could count the amount of people that Wangji smiled at on one hand and have fingers left over.
Now, Lan Xichen knew that alcohol could alter a person’s behavior. He himself was normally reserved but had been told he was quite an affectionate drunk. That didn’t seem like what this was. No, if Xichen didn’t know better he would say that his brother must care for this person. But relationships don’t happen overnight and Wangji had been so busy lately…
As the man brought Wangji to Xichen, his thoughts spun. His mind rearranged facts and chewed on ideas, all of which began to paint a different picture of tonight and Wangji’s recent behavior. He had been evasive and it was likely that he didn’t want to worry Xichen, but maybe that wasn’t due to his own worries. Maybe there was a secret here.
There had been that time when Wangji was little and tried to raise a rabbit in his room. That was certainly a much happier secret. And Wangji would never drink willing unless he had no other choice, such as feeling utterly helpless in a situation or perhaps helpless to a smile.
“Wei Ying,” his brother said with a desperation that not at all appropriate for an acquaintance. That was all he needed to here. Wei Wuxian was Wei Ying to his brother. Well, if that was how it was then Wnagji had been very careful with his secret. Until tonight that is.
Wei Wuxian glanced at Xichen quickly, then looked back at Wangji. Xichen kept his expression carefully controlled. He needed to catch every one of Wei Wuxian’s reactions. They could very well be vital information in the future.
Wei Wuxian deposited Wangji into his arms with an expertise one got only by doing this on the regular with all sorts of body types. But he did it with a fond expression and with such care that Xichen had a hard time picturing it being given to every customer. He could swear that Wei Wuxian gently tucked a lock of his brother’s hair behind his ear.
“Goodnight Lan Zhan.” Oh, Lan Zhan was it.
Wei Wuxian got the door for them on their way out.
Xichen folded his brother into the passenger seat with great care. He took a deep breath as he shut the door and let the smile he had been fighting down, break across his face. Chances were his brother wouldn’t remember much tomorrow. But there were several things about this night that Lan Xichen would not be forgetting.
And maybe in time his memories would prove to be useful for ensuring his brother’s happiness.