Work Text:
It was a night like any other in the Cloud Recesses. A peaceful silence encompassed the area and the paths were beautifully illuminated by the gentle light of the moon.
Lan Wangji walked along the path closest to the walls lining his home, vigilantly watching for anything that might be amiss.
He had left his secluded meditation less than a shichen ago, not particularly because he wanted to, but because he had to go on a scheduled night patrol.
As it turned out, a nice walk had served as the perfect distraction from the dreadful days that were to come. He thought they were bound to be exhausting, as his xiōng zhǎng had asked their uncle to add him to the classes with the guest disciples.
His official reason was that by having Wangji attend, the students would have someone to reference for the conduct expected of them. However, he knew this was his xiōng zhǎng's way of getting him to interact and socialize with others his age.
Lan Wangji was not exactly thrilled about wasting his time taking lessons of subjects he'd practically mastered, but he was given the option to stop at any point, so he agreed.
He'd never been one to enjoy needless socializing, hence the reason he had entered secluded meditation in the first place, but for his xiōng zhǎng, well, he would at least attend the lectures.
A sound startled him out of his musing and he hurriedly turned towards the wall on his left.
Many believed the walls around the Recesses were to deter thieves, however those were never really a concern for the Gusu Lan Sect, since a Jade token was needed to gain entry in the first place. No, the walls surrounding the Cloud Recesses were tall, so as to not allow easy entry to anyone who failed to enter the grounds on time.
It was a tool used for their disciples to learn to manage their time properly and adapt to an unforeseen situation if they were left out, even if it was by just a few minutes. No consideration was given as to their reasons, with the only exceptions being messengers delivering urgent news and those who were seriously wounded.
The walls successfully discouraged most from attempting to break in but as it appeared, tonight, another fool wanted to try their hand at getting past it.
Lan Wangji was not certain what the sound from before had been but after a few moments of silence, he heard the distinct clanking of ceramic ware. It was foolish enough to climb the wall but doing so while carrying such delicate items was just plain ridiculous.
He gazed up expectantly at the wall's roofing, patiently awaiting whoever it was to come up. It wasn't long before a figure emerged and stood atop the walls of his home.
It was a boy around his age, clad in black robes with red accents. His long hair was tied up with a ribbon that was the same vibrant red hue as his clothing. A silver bell with purple tassels hung from his sash and revealed him to be one of the visiting guest disciples from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect.
The fact that their visitors were already causing trouble might have vexed him, if he weren't so incredibly memorized by the beautiful smile on the boy's face.
It was a dazzling thing that lit up his features in a way Lan Wangji didn't know was possible. It extended up to a pair of lovely silver eyes that shone almost, if not, more brilliantly than the stars lighting the night sky. The boy's smile was buoyant and carefree, but still held an air of mischief on account of his current actions.
Actions Lan Wangji had to correct, yet still couldn't bring himself to even denounce. He tried to gather himself, but any sentence he'd formed slipped out of his mind when the boy's radiant gaze fell on him.
They stared at each other for a moment before the boy beamed at him, mischief swirling in his shimmering eyes. Any and all coherent thoughts in his head were thoroughly melted away by the smile, so Lan Wangji fell back on the one thing that had been carved into his bones instead.
"No one is allowed to enter the Cloud Recesses at night. Get out." he stated, in the steadiest voice he could muster.
Instead of complying however, the boy simply blinked at him. A few more seconds of silence passed before his eyebrows lifted in surprise.
"Oh, you're being serious!" he exclaimed.
Lan Wangji affirmed the loudly spoken statement with a simple hum and watched as the boy's lips lifted into a nervous smile.
"Ah… Well- How about this Lan-gege," the boy started, bringing a hand up as he said, "I'll give you one jar, if you overlook this incident."
Lan Wangji looked at the ceramic jars dangling from the boy's hand, his mouth lowering into a frown once he realized what they contained.
"Alcohol is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses."
The nervous smile became even more strained at the declaration, but the boy didn't seem any more dissuaded than before. If anything, Lan Wangji thought he looked more surprised.
"Perhaps, but if no one knows then there's no harm done right? If you don't tell, then we can both enjoy a nice drink. I heard 'Emperor's Smile' was the best liquor here in Gusu, so I rushed to buy some down in Caiyi Town. I bought them solely for me but I'll share some with you, if you'll indulge me. Please? I swear it'll only be this one time!"
Lan Wangji stared at the incredibly loquacious boy who was still trying to plead for a hopeless case.
"No." he replied curtly.
"Come on Lan-gege, you don't want to drink with me? I'll have you know that I'm a lot of fun to hang around!" the boy pouted.
He tried not to focus on the pink lips pushing out in displeasure as he stood his ground and recited the Sect's rules in his head.
"You know, you might be really handsome, but girls won't like you if you're this boring Lan-gege. Loosen up a little, I promise you'll have a blast if you drink with me!"
Lan Wangji couldn't believe the sheer gall the boy had, to simply laugh off the rules as if they just didn't apply to him. He showed up late and wouldn't leave, he was too loud, he was trying to bribe him with a substance that was prohibited and he was showing excess emotion. He had never met anyone with such disregard for his Clan's renowned and heavily revered, rules!
And yet, he couldn't bring himself to be angry at the boy's impertinence. Rather, he was full of curiosity for this boy, whose actions had flustered him to the point where all he could do was parrot the rules in his head.
"How about it, gege? It'll be just you, me and these delicious jars of liquor." the boy coaxed again.
He held back an exasperated sigh at how insistent the boy seemed on getting him to break the rules with him. It also disturbed him to realize just how much he wanted to give into the suggestion. For some reason, spending the night carelessly drinking with the charming boy just sounded like such a deplorably delightful idea.
At the moment, the only thing truly holding him back was the knowledge of how many rules he'd be breaking by accepting the boy's alluring proposal. Rules that, if disobeyed, would lead to inevitable punishments, criticism and disrelish.
Lan Wangji was stuck. On one hand, he didn't want his family to dislike or disapprove of someone he'd like to befriend(?), and on the other hand, he vehemently wished to fraternize with the Jiang disciple in front of him.
"We'll be punished." he informed the boy.
"We won't." the boy replied, bringing a finger over his mouth in a shushing gesture.
He remained skeptical at the notion, but set his doubts aside in favor of advancing towards the boy. With a simple yet elegant leap, he too stood atop the walls bordering his home.
A soft chuckle escaped the boy as Lan Wangji reached out to the hand holding the jars, the beautiful mirth on his face, quickly replaced by confusion when he grasped his wrists instead.
Without uttering a single word, he dragged the boy off of the wall and began making his way through one of the Cloud Recesses' paths.
"Lan-gege??? You aren't really going to turn me in are you? You- you better not! I was being very generous by offering to share you know! It's not fair for you to fool me into putting my guard down! If you're going to be so rigid then you should at least make your standing clear before you grab me!" the boy argued.
Lan Wangji turned to look at the boy who had begun furiously struggling against his hold. He stared incredulously at how upset the disciple had become from his very own assumption. He supposed he had yet to give him a reason to believe he wouldn't denounce him for his misbehavior but still.
"It's too conspicuous there. We'll drink elsewhere." he explained, shifting to move again.
"Oh. You should have told me that sooner, gege! I was about to run away!" the boy replied, his tone switching to a much more playful one.
"Hush. Making noise is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses." he informed.
The boy huffed in exasperation but quieted down nonetheless.
"You're Sect is too stern, Lan-gege. Let me guess, having fun is against the rules too?" the boy asked cheekily.
Lan Wangji shook his head earnestly at the sarcastically posed question. Giggles erupted from behind him and he basked in the pleasant warmth they emitted. He figured playing along with the boy's frivolous behavior would be worth it, if he'd get such wonderful reactions in the end.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the serene back hills of the Cloud Recesses. They walked down the stairs and into the dense forest ahead. The foliage obstructed the moonlight from clearly showing them the paths weaving around the trees, but for Lan Wangji, who was intimately familiar with every part of his home, it was hardly any issue.
Soon they found themselves in a small clearing surrounded by tall trees and numerous bushes. They swiftly moved to settle in the lushly verdant area.
"How marvelous.. You sure know how to pick a spot, Lan-gege." the boy lauded, grinning cheerily as he glanced around.
Lan Wangji hummed as he reluctantly released the wrist he was holding. The warm joint was then briskly replaced by a cool ceramic jar.
"Drinking with company is always better than drinking alone. Toast with me Lan-gege!"
He gingerly raised the still sealed jar in his hand and brought it closer to the other boy's.
"To a fun night unfettered by the stuffy Lan rules!" the boy exclaimed merrily before clanking their jars and taking a swig.
Lan Wangji watched as the liquor dripped from the edge of the boy's mouth and slowly made its way down his neck. It made for a rather indecent sight but he was incapable of willing his gaze away. He only averted his eyes once the boy lowered the jar from his lips.
"Tell me gege, what do you do for fun here in the Cloud Recesses? In the Lotus Pier, we gather lotus pods and swim in the lakes for hours! The people there are really nice too. Sometimes they give us free treats and they are always very pleased to see us. They are a joy to talk to as well! One of them taught me how to-"
Lan Wangji remained silent and benignantly allowed the boy to ramble on about his home. He found it endearing how he would ask him questions in an attempt to engage him, before proceeding to babble on about another topic without giving any time to respond.
Nevertheless, he was more than content in listening to the mellifluous sound of the boy's voice as it changed between a multitude of different tones. He watched as the beautiful features on his face turned and lifted into a variety of different expressions as he was absorbed by the feelings of the stories he was recounting. The boy's hands also moved, shifting around to mimic different crafts and actions.
He quickly noted the disciples inability to sit still or keep his voice down as he spoke. Being overly expressive was against the rules, but the boy seemed more than elated to express himself with every fiber of his being, so who was Lan Wangji to tell him to stop. Instead, he observed the boy's unbridled movements and took note of every expression that crossed his face as he continued to talk his ear off about anything and everything that came to mind.
Lan Wangji was unsure of how much time had passed before the chattering stopped.
"Ah.. No more alcohol. Well, it was enjoyable while it lasted! What did you think, gege? I think it definitely lives up to its status as the finest in Gusu!" the boy declared.
He turned a keen gaze towards the jar in his hands, his features contorting with surprise as he found it was still closed.
"You haven't drank any? Lan-gege, I thought you said you were going to drink with me!" the boy grumbled petulantly.
"The Lan have a low alcohol tolerance." he replied appeasingly.
His friend(?) blinked at him as his words began to sink in, the confusion in the boy’s eyes only growing stronger as the realization slowly dawned on him.
"Why'd you agree to join me if you knew you weren't going to drink in the first place?" he asked.
Lan Wangji fell pensive as he pondered the question in his head. His ears reddened as his mind habitually provided him with the most simple and straightforward answer there was.
The inquisitive look on his friend's face told him he wouldn't be getting out of this without responding, so although hesitant, he replied honestly.
"I.. simply wanted to spend the night with you."
A few moments later, laughter filled the air between them.
"Now, now gege, if someone heard you they might get the wrong idea! Or perhaps you take everyone you want to talk to, to a secluded place in the forest?" the boy teased.
Lan Wangji looked away, flustered at what the boy was suggesting.
"Well, you can't give me your opinion if you don't try it, so why don't you take a sip. Just a little bit so that you can give it a proper ranking. Surely you can handle that much right?" the boy inquired.
At his friend's insistence, he gingerly lifted the jar up. The lid gave away easily and he slowly brought the edge to rest on his lips. After a moment of hesitation, he tilted his head up, allowing the liquid to trickle into his mouth.
The liquor felt smooth on his tongue, its fragrant taste easily coating the muscle as he swallowed. He supposed it was good, but then again, Lan Wangji didn't have a suitable comparison to properly judge the substance. He carefully lowered the jar before turning to glance over at his friend.
There was gleeful expectancy ingrained in the boy's face as he waited to hear his conjecture. He’d never enjoyed being at the end of such a steadfast gaze, but having the boy’s attention settle on him in such an ardent way made him feel oddly pleased with himself. Minutes passed by but Lan Wangji remained silent, too lost in the pair of lustrous silver eyes to remember why it was that they encapsulated such eagerness.
"So? How is it? Did you like it? You did, right?" the boy asked, his smile morphing into an impish grin.
The questions snapped him out of his trance but just as he was about to answer, his eyes began to droop. His body swayed in place and he became increasingly dizzier as time passed by. He could vaguely hear his friend calling out to him before he blacked out.
________________________________
Wei Wuxian was incredibly confused and concerned.
He'd encouraged the boy to take a sip because he figured nothing would happen, but to think he'd immediately pass out after putting down the jar, was absurd!
"Lan-gege? Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
The boy was still sitting down, however his form was a slumped version of his once perfect posture. Wei Wuxian reached a hand up to tap the boy's shoulder but no response came.
"Oh, gege. What am I gonna do now? You're the only one who knows the way back, you know." he muttered nervously.
His eyes fell on the open jar of liquor in his friend's hand and he decided it was best to remove it before it fell over and stained the latter's pristine robes. With how austere the boy was, Wei Wuxian couldn’t imagine he would appreciate waking up to wet clothes.
As it turned out, getting the jar was a far more difficult endeavor than he’d been expecting.
A little while ago, Wei Wuxian had learned that his friend had an unusually strong grip, but the detail had completely slipped his mind once he began downing the liquor. Now, he is once more reminded of that very prominent characteristic, as he struggles to pull the jar free from the boy's grasp.
Golden eyes shoot open as he grabs the boy’s hand instead, hoping that perhaps his fingers would be easier to pry away.
"Oh! You're awake! You scared me for a moment there, gege. I thought you were going to be out cold the entire night!" he exclaimed in relief.
Wei Wuxian looked cheerfully upon the golden gaze directed at him, his countenance contorting in surprise as he noted the boy’s dilated pupils. It was a curious thing really. He had never met anyone who passed out and woke up drunk, and after a single sip of liquor no less!
"Are you alright?" he inquired again.
Most of his worries were quickly dissipated by a serious, if somewhat clumsy, nod.
"Maybe you shouldn't have drank after all, huh? And I suppose that silly rule of yours makes a little more sense now, Lan-gege. You really can't hold your liquor." he teased.
A few giggles escaped him as his friend huffed at him for doing so. But he really couldn't help it! How else was he supposed to react when the boy was trying so hard to hold a proper posture while also remaining so helplessly fixated on him?
Before he could say anything more, his friend stood up, his body slightly swaying in place but his gaze never leaving his form. Wei Wuxian tilted his head curiously, but the boy only stared at him with what he assumed might be expectancy, swirling in his eyes. He happily arose from his seat, casually moving closer into his friend’s space.
The boy only blinked at him before hurriedly striding away towards the tree line. Wei Wuxian laughed, only too happy to give chase. He ran to where the boy stood, seemingly waiting for him to catch up.
Once he arrived at his side again, his friend took his wrist, his grasp just as gentle and firm as it had been the first time. Then, with Wei Wuxian secure in his hold, the boy began to silently lead him through the thicket again.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
His inquiry going unanswered.
"Come on, won't you please tell this humble one where you're taking him? I don't think this was the way we came after all."
At the continued disregard of his question, Wei Wuxian decided to tease the boy.
He let out a dramatic gasp before exclaiming, "You wouldn't be planning to do something nefarious now, would you?!"
The boy in front of him came to a grounding halt at the implications of his ludicrous statement. He could hardly see him underneath the foliage but from his tone alone, he knew the boy was probably dawning a rather serious expression.
"No." was the only reply he got before they continued on their way.
He laughed, allowing himself to be pulled along to wherever his friend had decided to take him. Eventually they get past the forest and enter another clearing, this one much larger than the cozy one they had been drinking in.
He stared in awe as the moon's shine revealed the various flowers blooming across the field. A gentle pull at his hand brought him back to reality and he unknowingly gave his friend the most radiant, joyful and vivacious smile the boy had ever seen.
"My, my Lan-gege, your home contains some truly beautiful sights!"
His friend simply hummed in agreement before tugging him along into the field. The boy clumsily sunk into the grass, using his eyes to prompt Wei Wuxian to do the same. He easily complied, settling down in a rather unceremonious manner, right besides his friend.
Wei Wuxian was instantly delighted when he was cordially handed the, still basically full, jar of liquor.
"For me? Well don't mind if I do!" he cheered.
He happily takes a swig from the jar as his companion turns his gaze to the field around them.
"So, what are we-" Wei Wuxian starts before he is completely cut off by a strange power.
He hurriedly reaches a hand up to his mouth, only to find it has been utterly closed shut by something. He urgently grabbed his friend's arm to get his attention, his pleas for help turning into muffled noise since he couldn't open his mouth.
His friend glanced at him before nonchalantly stating, "Your talking will scare them away."
Wei Wuxian stilled, his face going carefully blank as he tried to process the statement. The pout forming on his face goes unnoticed as his friend turns away from him.
He can’t believe it! To think the boy would act so- so shamelessly! And after sealing his voice no less! Wei Wuxian doesn’t know who said the Lans were aloof and disciplined but they clearly haven’t met a drunk Lan.
All of his huffing and puffing goes utterly ignored by his friend, whose gaze remained steadily on the field while he tried his best to express his indignation. After a while of speaking muffled complaints, he turns his attention to the jar in his hands. On account of his current state, Wei Wuxian finds himself very mournfully casting the jar aside.
Perhaps he’d be able to drink it once his friend undid the spell he’d cast on him, but for now he really couldn’t do much. Seeing as his friend was now fixated on their surroundings, he decided to mess with him.
He quietly picked a handful of petals, gently holding them in his hand while he shifted to move as close as he could without alerting his friend of his mischief. Once there were mere inches between them, he slowly lifted his hands above the boy’s head. It was just as he was about to drop the petals that his friend turned to him.
Golden eyes froze him in place, just as they had when he first saw them from the roof. Wei Wuxian hastily lowered his hands once he noticed the curious gaze directed at them. He tried to play it off with a smile, relaxing when his friend said nothing at his sudden action.
The boy only stared at him for a bit before raising his hands up to him. A fluffy little thing was caught in his grasp but the creature remained calm as it was rather eagerly presented to Wei Wuxian. He could feel his smile grow as he let go of the petals and took the bunny from his friend’s hands.
All of his joy came out as muffled squeals but he was too distracted to pay attention to that, only too happy to be handed something so adorable. He gently brought it to rest against his chest, its warmth seeping through his robes as he gingerly squeezed the bunny. In his preoccupation, Wei Wuxian was oblivious to the adoring and pleased look his friend was dawning.
When he finally willed his gaze away from the fluffy creature, he was met with an even more endearing sight. His friend sat still, languidly petting a dark fur ball that had somehow ended up resting on his lap. The bunny seemed more than enthusiastic to be doted on, while his friend was at the very least amused by its strangely bold demeanor.
A small laugh escaped him at the sight, the sound easily capturing his friend’s attention. The boy tilted his head at him and Wei Wuxian could only point to his lips to remind him of his previous actions. With a flustered look, his friend removed the spell.
“Lan-gege,” he started, minding his tone in front of their new companions, “it’s so mean of you to silence me like that! People won’t like you if you shut them up like that.”
His smile grew at the slight worry growing on his friend’s face. Of course, most people would be angry at such actions, but Wei Wuxian could only be intrigued by the tactless manner in which the boy went about being friendly. If anything, he thought it was insufferably adorable how the boy became flustered when he was reminded of his bold actions.
“Still, I suppose I can forgive you… but only because you showed me such wonderful sights and indulged my little venture tonight.” he assured, winking at the boy.
His friend gave him a small nod, the worry leaving his shimmering eyes as his attention was once more arrested by the rabbit on his lap. The more he thought about the night, the more enthralling a character his friend became.
“Lan-gege is so odd.” he stated, nearly absentmindedly.
At the inquisitive glance the boy gave him, Wei Wuxian decided to elaborate on that point.
“First you reprimand me for breaking your Sect’s rules, but then you decide to join me. You drag me to drink with you in a forest of all places and proceed to drunkenly take me to pet bunnies. How could you be anything but delightfully strange?” he stated joyfully.
“You know, I’m sure we’ll make the best of friends, you and I! Although perhaps we shouldn’t drink too often.” he chuckled.
A few moments passed before his friend nodded at him, but he assumed it was the alcohol getting to him again. The two remained in the field for a long time, sitting in a comfortable silence as they petted the bunnies.
It was only when a yawn escaped his friend, that Wei Wuxian remembered how late it was. He looked up at the boy, noting his droopy eyes and wobbling form.
“Are you tired Lan-gege?” he asked.
The boy didn’t reply, but he thought the slow blinks were confirmation enough. He carefully lowered the bunny in his arms, reaching his hands to steady the boy in front of him instead.
“Come on, let’s go back. I’ll help you make your way back to your quarters, okay? So please don’t fall asleep here, gege.” he pleaded.
With some effort, Wei Wuxian managed to lift them up to their feet again. He brought one of his friend’s arms to rest around his neck while he wrapped one of his own hands around the boy’s waist to support him. His friend leaned into him as they began to make their way to the forest again, the warmth put his nerves on edge but the feeling was quick to leave.
It took them a while to get through the forest but they eventually made it back up the stairs they had taken to get to the back hills.
“Alright, where to now, Lan-gege?”
The boy looked around them for a moment, seemingly associating himself with their surroundings before speaking.
“The leftmost path, the second largest house.” the boy stated.
Wei Wuxian nodded, hurriedly walking in the direction given while still being mindful of his friend’s unfit state. He arrived at an isolated place containing a number of plain, white houses. He walked up to the one that best fit the vague description the boy gave and he slightly shook him to confirm.
His friend reached out to slide the door open, the action prompting him to confidently march into the house. He made sure to close the door behind them before moving to settle his friend on the bed. He contemplated removing the boy’s outer robes but figured he might not be comfortable with that, so he simply lifted the sheets to cover him.
“Okay now sleep tight Lan-gege!” he whispered, a cheeky smile forming on his lips as he added, “Ah, and don’t worry, tonight is a secret between just you and I.”
Wei Wuxian turned to leave but was held back by something. He looked down to see what had caught his robes, only to find a hand clutched onto his clothes. Laughter threatened to spill out of his mouth at the situation and he had to cover his mouth so as to not disturb his friend.
He quickly reached to grab the boy’s hand, lifting it in an attempt to pry the finger’s away from his clothes. To his astonishment, he couldn’t open his hand at all! He tried a few more times before demeaning it to be a hopeless endeavor.
“Lan-gege.. Hey, wake up! You need to let go now gege. I have to get back to the dormitories, you know!” he stated, slightly shaking the boy.
The boy did wake up but instead of letting him go, like he asked, the boy pulled him into bed with him. He yelped at the brazen action, before realizing that he was even more stuck than he had been. A ridiculously strong pair of arms securely wrapped themselves around his form, utterly preventing him from thrashing around to break free.
“Gege! Hey, let go!” he yelled, helplessly squirming in the boy’s hold.
“Lan-gege, I have to go ba-” he started, before his mouth was sealed shut by the same power from earlier that night.
Wei Wuxian had never been so astounded in his life. No one had ever had the gall to treat him like this! Sure, he’d never met anyone capable of shutting him up and holding him down like he was nothing before, but still!
He spent some more time struggling to escape until he once more deemed it to be impossible to do so. With a sigh of defeat, Wei Wuxian shifted to make himself as comfortable as he could in the boy’s restricting hold.
When they awoke in the morning, he would make sure the boy would never hear the end of this. Never, ever in his life! Because they would know each other their entire lives, Wei Wuxian is sure of it.
With that thought in mind, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep within the Lan’s warm embrace.