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Anonymous said: short prompt: Someone is bringing lwj delicious handmade lunches during the sunshot campaign. LWJ tests them for poison, but he doesn't know who left them....
For the past two weeks, someone has been leaving handmaid lunches in Lan Wangji’s room.
He tests them for poison before eating them, but there has been nothing harmful so far, and something tells him that they are not trying to harm him (though he won’t stop checking). It is also likely that they are not from GusuLan, considering the assortment of spices that is always present in the food. They seem to have taken care to make them mild in consideration of his tastes, but they are still very present.
Lan Wangji is frankly at a loss on what to do. He always eats them, unwilling to let food go to waste, especially during such times, but should he? And why are they doing this at all? Is it someone he knows? They have to be at least somewhat close as this person seems to know his schedule quite well (and skillfully work around it). There are many questions running through his head and he has answers to none of them, since he can’t seem to catch them.
After another week passes by and he’s still no closer to figuring out who is doing this, he gives up and decides to ask Xiongzhang for help.
It’s as horrible as he expected it would be, as his brother is full of comments about how “It seems like someone has feelings for you, Wangji”, though it does bring a lightness to Lan Xichen’s eyes that had been slowly dimming throughout the course of the sunshot campaign, so he can’t be too mad, especially since he did have some advice after he got the teasing out of his system.
According to him, they were probably just too shy to confront him outwardly, afraid of having their feelings rejected. It’s a feeling he can understand and relate to, so he won’t judge his apparent admirer for their efforts. Xiongzhang had given him the idea to reach out, and since he can’t seem to meet with them, maybe leave a note for them to find when they come to leave the food.
The thing is: while he may agree that this line of thought makes sense, actually writing something is hard.
He spends more time than he’d like to admit thinking about what to say. He wants to be kind, because he understands the struggle of liking someone and not having the courage to reach out and speak to them, but words have never been one of his strengths and he’s self aware enough to know that most people think he is quite… Aloof.
In the end he leaves a simple and straightforward, thanking them and complimenting the food. He debated asking to meet them in person, but decided that if they truly are shy it might be too much to ask at this point, he would wait to see their reaction first.
The next day he found food waiting for him in his room as had become the norm, and his note on the same place he’d left it in. For a moment he wondered if they’d even found it, but then he noticed an addition right under his words. There, in messy handwriting, was a simple “I’m glad Hanguang-jun likes my food! Do you have any favorites?” along with a doodle of a smiling face.
Something about it bothered him, but he couldn’t place what it was, so he decided to come back to the thought later after writing a quick reply.
Like this, more notes follow.
“I can’t believe you don’t have a favorite food! At least tell me if there’s anything I should avoid then? It wouldn’t do to give Hunguang-jun something unpleasant.”
“I am not fond of strong spices. May I ask why you are so invested in feeding me?”
“Excuse me, spices are the best! But I suppose I can keep myself to the baby amounts I’ve been sending, huh?
Aiya, so direct! Though I sort of expected you to have started with that question actually. The truth is: I just want to, is that enough? I started cooking recently at the insistence of a friend and I wanted to share it with Hanguang-jun.”
By the third note he realizes what has been troubling him. The handwriting is familiar. So familiar in fact that his mind had taken in the writing and the little doodles surrounding it and unconsciously began reading it in that particular person’s voice.
But it can’t be, can it?
If anything this increases his need to figure out who this really is. Now that the idea is in his mind he isn’t sure how he’ll be able to live with the combination of these suspicions and Lan Xichen’s words on the matter.
(Surely he wouldn’t? Not for Lan Wangji)
He writes another note in a daze and tries not to look forward to the reply too much.
“If this is your reason, then I am honored you chose to share it with me, your cooking is truly delicious.”
“You’re too earnest, Hanguang-jun, whatever will I do with you? My heart can’t take compliments like this.”
The notes soon stop being about the food. His correspondent is eager to talk now that the possibility has been presented, apparently content telling Lan Wangji about anything that passes their mind at the moment they sit down to write.
He’d like to say he finds it annoying instead of endearing, but lying is forbidden.
૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა
“I want to get to know you better. You don’t mind questions, do you, Hanguang-jun? First let’s see… Do you have a favorite color? I don’t think I’ve asked this yet. Is it blue? I know it’s a little unimaginative considering your sect colors, but that’s my best guess. If anything it does suit you!”
“I had never thought about this before, but I would say my favorite is red. What about yours? And what should I call you if we are to keep talking to each other?”
“Red is my favorite too! It reminds me of my mother, so I like to have some on me. Are you sad you’re always surrounded by white and blue then?”
“I do not mind. I like my sect’s colors, but red reminds me of someone I admire. Were you and your mother close?”
“Getting personal, aren’t we? I didn’t know her well at all, she died when I was little. The color is one of the few things I do remember actually. As for a name, can’t HanGuang-Jun come up with a nickname for me?”
“Forgive me if it was too personal. I do not have many memories of my mother as well, I am aware of how hard that can be. It is commendable that you keep those memories close.”
“What did I tell you about those earnest comments? It’s very rude to attack me like this! We got into such a serious subject too.. Tell me something else about yourself! What do you-”
♡︎
"I had a dream today where I lived a peaceful life as a farmer, it was quite nice. Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you weren’t a cultivator? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately…
Maybe I’d be some kind of craftsman, that sounds good too. I can see myself building things.“
“I’ll admit that that is not something I have thought about. A peaceful life does sound good. I believe I’d have liked to be a scholar or an artisan.”
♡︎
"How have you been? I hope you haven’t been suffering much with only all that bland Lan food in my absence.
Or maybe it’s a good thing, we wouldn’t want you to get spoiled after all.
I don’t have much to say about my trip, since I’d rather not talk about the war, but I happened to have the honor of being invited to play a game with some children on my last travels. They were so cute! I miss spending time around baby disciples, they would always follow me like little ducklings. Do you like kids?”
“I am happy you have returned safely. I have been well, though I will admit I did miss these interactions.
I do like children, though I tend not to interact much with them outside of the Lan sect, as I believe they find me intimidating. It was not one of my main duties, but I have assisted as a teacher to the young disciples before and it was something I enjoyed. I think I’d like to take a more permanent teaching position in the future. Is that something you have thought about doing?”
૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა
Wei Ying starts acting differently around him.
It’s subtle at first, but he seems less… On edge. Their latest interactions have been full of tension and misunderstandings and Lan Wangji does not know how to communicate his worries when he doesn’t even know if he has the right to call Wei Ying a friend for all that he wants to.
He spent so long pushing him away that he can’t blame anyone but himself that the moment he decided to try to reach out Wei Ying did not believe him to be on his side.
But lately… He hasn’t been less suspicious of his intentions, but the twinkle in his eyes that used to be there when he would tease Lan Wangji at cloud recesses seems to have come back.
In turn he starts acting differently around Wei Ying
It’s slow, but he finds himself relaxing more around him. The overwhelm he used to feel when being around him is still there, but talking to him has become less daunting when it’s something he suspects to have already begun doing. So he calms himself and his words come easier even if they’re still few and far between.
૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა
It is a little reckless, as there’s always the chance he is wrong about the identity of his new acquaintance, but he starts telling them things he would like to tell Wei Ying.
Over the course of the month, he confesses he kept the bunnies a certain troublemaking guest disciple gifted him and they have made a home at the hills of cloud recesses and catches Wei Ying staring at him for a whole day. In response to the surprise on the next note he confesses his wish to be friends and how he’d been at conflict with himself at the time.
Some days after that conversation he vaguely mentions his current worry for Wei Ying and asks for advice, as they are clearly someone who is quite good with people. Wei Ying’s gaze stays on him for a while after that too.
Most memorable is the day where Lan Wangji decides to tease them back, since they flirt with him frequently, and Wei Ying actually blushes when they cross paths.
Part of him is worried he’s seeing reactions where he wants to see them, but at this point he feels almost certain that he has it right. He won’t think about the implications until he is completely sure, however that seems more and more unlikely to happen. For all that they’re forward in their words, the one sending the notes is dedicated to evading all questions that could reveal their identity and he does not know how to breach the topic himself.
His worrying turns out to be unnecessary a few days later when Wei Ying approaches him first.
He looks nervous as he says he needs to speak with him and Lan Wangji doesn’t have to think much before agreeing. Even if he had other things to do at the time, there aren’t many things he wouldn’t reschedule for Wei Ying’s peace of mind.
They walk in silence until they reach a secluded space away from camp and he’s barely sat down before Wei Ying exclaims, “I owe you an apology.”
He stills in surprise.
“I’m the one who has been giving you lunch recently. I never meant to deceive you, I promise this wasn’t some joke, I’m not even sure what I meant by it at the beginning and then we started passing notes and then, well,” he looks a mix of sheepish and regretful. “I just, I know you probably thought it was some shy maiden and we have been…” Wei Ying grimances, “I never meant to play with your feelings or do anything that could hurt you, I didn’t even realize it was a possibility at first, but I couldn’t just keep this up knowing you wouldn’t ever feel the same way I do if you knew.”
There are… Many things for him to address in that speech, and he will, still there’s one sentence running over his mind on repeat.
you wouldn’t ever feel the same way I do
After what feels like hours, but it’s probably only a few seconds, Lan Wangji blinks, “I am not disappointed, there is no need for Wei Ying to apologize if he never intended this as a joke.”
The confusion is clear in Wei Ying’s face. “You’re not? But…”
“I had suspected it was you.”
“What? How? Lan Zhan!”
“Part of supervising Wei Ying’s punishment was to check if all the rules were written properly and you have… Distinct handwriting.”
“So you knew from the start?”
“Mn.”
“So all of the things you told me..?”
He had decided somewhere during their correspondence to give this a try if it was really Wei Ying, to be honest with his feelings if it was possible in any way that he was reading this correctly, yet words still escape him. He’s afraid that anything he says in reply might get misunderstood in some way, so he reaches out for Wei Ying’s hand before he says. “I had hoped they were reaching you.”
Wei Ying’s eyes widen and his face flushes. He’s beautiful, Lan Wangji doesn’t ever want to look away. Nevertheless when the silence stretches, he moves to take his hand away, thinking he read this wrongly and unwilling to make this uncomfortable, but before he can move Wei Ying’s hand closes around his and he sighs.
“What have I told you about those heartfelt lines? You should be more careful with my heart, Hanguang-jun.”
“Mn.”
“I’m not reading this wrong, am I? I… Lan Zhan, you’re really great. I like you, I want to be with you all the time, I want to kiss you and night hunt with you and I know it’s really early for this but I don’t think it can be anyone but you.“
"Wei Ying…” Lan Wangji swallows. His heart is beating faster than it ever has before, he’s so happy it’s overwhelming. He repeats back the words in a daze, “I like you, want to be with you always, it can’t be anyone else.”
The reaction is instant. One moment he is sitting in the grass looking at the man he loves as his face progressively reddens, the next he is laying down, arms full of Wei Ying.
“Lan Zhan!”
He doesn’t want to ever let him go.
૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა
The notes don’t stop, but they change. Now that they’re not their primary method of communication, they become a way to show affection, to remind the other that they’re loved.
The cooking doesn’t stop either, but they begin to take their meals together whenever they can. Sometimes Wei Ying talks enough for the both to make up for Lan Wangji’s silence, sometimes he doesn’t. To him, it matters little, as any time with Wei Ying is time he cherishes.
There are still many things left unsaid between them. They are in the middle of a war. Things are far from perfect. Still, in spite of it all, they hold onto each other and their love.