Work Text:
Wei Wuxian remembered the first time he ever saw his face on a billboard. It was a close-up shot, over the shoulder. They didn’t want him to wear a shirt so the soft skin of his neck and shoulder were exposed and his eyes were suggestive. It was an ad for a Calvin Klein perfume and seeing it made Wei Wuxian realize that he could make it. The man on that billboard had the customer in the palm of his hand.
“Are you even listening to me?” Jiang Cheng asked, annoyance clear on his face. Wei Wuxian looked away from the Derek Chan advertisement on the shop window across from him. He had been the main model for the latest campaign though he barely recognized himself with the temporary perm they had forced him to get.
“Of course I am,” Wei Wuxian said, though it was clearly a lie. Jiang Cheng had known him his entire life. His parents had practically helped raise Wei Wuxian after his parents died. He had acted as Wei Wuxian’s manager in the beginning of his career, partly because Wei Wuxian needed one and partly because Jiang Cheng’s father wanted Jiang Cheng to gain some managerial experience. Now Jiang Cheng was the CEO and president of Lotus Pier Models, the modeling agency his parents had founded and the only agency Wei Wuxian had ever worked for. “You were talking about my schedule?”
Jiang Cheng sighed as Wei Wuxian stuffed more chicken in his mouth. They still kept up their childhood tradition of going to the local kebab shop once a week for lunch, unless their schedules had them out of the country. It was comforting for Wei Wuxian even when Jiang Cheng insisted on still talking about work. But Wei Wuxian understood. Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Cheng’s father, had been relentless in his insistence that Jiang Cheng take his future position seriously. So now the guy couldn’t turn it off.
“I don’t manage your schedule anymore. That’s Wen Ning’s job. But I need you to understand how important this is. Lan Wangji hasn’t put out a new clothing line in over a decade and all of sudden he announces a comeback that he wants you to be the only face for. This could be the biggest thing of your career.”
“I hope not. I’m still young.” Jiang Cheng frowned at the carefree expression on his adopted brother’s face. Wei Wuxian didn’t need to mention that he had walked in Paris, Milan, and New York’s Fashion Week every year for almost the past decade. He was at the prime of his career despite being an older model at nearly thirty.
“Wei Wuxian, his company signed a solo contract with us to have you model the new line. A contract worth a lot of money. Please don’t do anything irresponsible.”
“I won’t. Though I have no idea why he wants me.” Wei Wuxian might be world famous, might have made a lasting impression on the modeling and fashion industries, but wanting only him for the new campaign still seemed a weird choice.
“You’ve met before, haven’t you?” Wei Wuxian shrugged.
“Briefly. He’s been to a few fashion weeks over the last few years and he’s been an honored guest at the Carp Tower Gala every year. But we’ve never exchanged more than a few words.” He could tell by the look on Jiang Cheng’s face that they were both thinking about the same thing. When Lan Wangji got up and walked out during Wei Wuxian’s turn on the catwalk during Paris Fashion Week. It was the last time Lan Wangji’s name had been in the magazines, along with photos of him storming out with a cloudy expression. Some suggested he had an emergency, others that he had issues with the show as a whole.
But Wei Wuxian knew better. As he had turned on the end of the runway, wearing a Seeker crop top and joggers, his eyes met Lan Wangji’s. And the look would have made a more inexperienced model stumble. It was the coldest expression that Wei Wuxian had ever encountered. As soon as he had passed by Lan Wangji’s seat, Lan Wangji had gotten up and left. Wei Wuxian knew that the scandalous departure had been because of him .
It made this all the more confusing.
“Look, I don’t know why he asked for you. But it’s been three years since Paris and you’re the hottest model in Asia right now. Maybe he realized how talented you are.” Wei Wuxian gasped and placed his hand dramatically over his heart.
“Jiang Cheng, that’s the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”
“Shut up,” Jiang Cheng said.
---
“Mr. Wei, Mr. Nie wants to schedule a dinner with you.” Wen Ning looked up from his phone. They were both in the back seat of the car on their way to the meeting with Lan Wangji. Since they had never formally met for work, Jiang Cheng had wanted them to have a proper introduction. Wen Ning even had Wei Wuxian’s portfolio beside him, though Wei Wuxian didn’t think a model of his caliber needed the introduction. It would also be an opportunity for Lan Wangji to tell Wei Wuxian about his new line and even test out some fittings.
“Wen Ning, I’ve told you that you don’t have to be so formal with me.” Wei Wuxian smiled at his assistant. Wen Ning seemed uncomfortable with the suggestion. Up until a few months ago, he had been a temporary employee carrying his fashion designs in a manila folder in his bag. But Wei Wuxian had been instantly charmed by him and declared that he wanted Wen Ning to be assigned his assistant. Working for Wei Wuxian ended up working in his favor since he often gave Wen Ning time to work on his own projects.
“Tell Nie Huaisang that he can literally text me if he wants to have dinner. It’s not like we haven’t been friends since college.” Granted, Wei Wuxian had only attended college for six months before he decided to quit to focus on his modeling career, much to the disdain of Jiang Cheng’s mother. But Wei Wuxian couldn’t help making friends and so he and Nie Huaisang had remained close.
“Um…” Wen Ning seemed unwilling to send such a scolding text to the young CEO of an investment firm. Wei Wuxian promised to reach out to Nie Huaisang himself to schedule a dinner.
“So do you know anything about Lan Wangji?”
“Not really. I know his real name is Lan Zhan and that he started his clothing line when he was just seventeen. He gained quite a lot of acclaim before suddenly closing his shop. I know that he’s been in some strange self-imposed isolation the last few years to focus, with only a few rare exceptions.” Wen Ning shrugged. Wei Wuxian had been growing more and more curious since his conversation with Jiang Cheng a few weeks back. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t understand why Lan Wangji wanted him to be the face of his new clothing line. The Paris incident aside, they had never really had any sort of positive interactions.
The first time they had met was at a fashion show for Valentino. Lan Wangji had shown up as an invited guest and Wei Wuxian had worked it. It was still pretty early in his career but he already had the recognition and confidence to work the room at an after party. Lan Wangji had merely been a name on a list of people he wanted to speak with that night.
Lan Wangji had been there with his business partner and brother, Lan Xichen, both looking stunning in white Italian suits. Wei Wuxian approached with a smile on his face and confidence in his steps, still wearing the makeup from the runway. Wei Wuxian had put his hand out for a hand shake.
“Hello, my name is Wei Wuxian. I was one of the model’s in tonight’s show. I wanted to make sure I introduced myself. I’ve been a fan of your work for a while.” Lan Wangji had looked at Wei Wuxian’s extended hand before turning his face away, clearly not willing to shake it. Lan Xichen saved the moment by taking Wei Wuxian’s hand.
“You were quite impressive out there, Mr. Wei. Not everyone can seem so comfortable on the runway.” Wei Wuxian could immediately tell that Lan Xichen was the business half of the partnership. He was much more diplomatic. Which meant that Lan Wangji must be the creative talent.
Wei Wuxian glanced at him. He was definitely a looker. Both brothers were. They both had long black hair, each tied back in an elegant style that showed off their sharp bone structure. But Lan Wangji’s lightly colored eyes were magnetic. With several drinks in his system, he decided to be brave.
He forced himself in front of Lan Wangji’s line of sight and smiled a smile that was just a tad too teasing not to be flirty. “Were you impressed, Lan Wangji?” He gave a small wink that was definitely exaggerated by the fake eyelashes and eye makeup that he was still wearing.
Lan Wangji tightened his jaw. He turned to his brother, whispered something very low in his ear, and then turned and walked away. Wei Wuxian was stunned. No one had ever so blatantly refused his charm before. Lan Xichen smiled briefly at him before turning to follow his brother.
Wei Wuxian had grabbed another flute of wine from a passing waiter before moving on to the next name on his list. Except he never did manage to pull his full wattage smile out for the rest of the party.
He was remembering the look in Lan Wangji’s eyes that night when their car stopped at the address. He had been so into his memories that he hadn’t even noticed that they had left the city. The house they stopped in front of was large, traditional, and immaculately maintained. Clearly Lan Wangji had made enough money before his isolation to live well. The driver stopped the car and got out to open the door for them.
Wei Wuxian hid the expression on his face as the door opened to reveal Lan Wangji, wearing a pressed button down and slacks. He nodded his head briefly. “Come in.” Wei Wuxian walked up the steps to the front door but stopped when Lan Wangji motioned to Wen Ning and their driver. “They can come back for you later.”
“Excuse me?”
“They’ll only be a distraction.” Wei Wuxian glanced over his shoulder at Wen Ning and shrugged. This whole thing was weird but Lan Wangji was a reclusive artist. Weren’t they all kinda odd?
Lan Wangji closed the door and led Wei Wuxian to his office. The minute he stepped through the old sliding paper door, he was struck by the neatness. Every bolt of fabric was tightly bound and organized. The papers on the desk were stacked in perfect piles. Even the half made outfit on the mannequin in the back corner didn’t have a pin out of place.
Lan Wangji went to the back wall and opened up a built in door to reveal a large closet. Wei Wuxian let out a small gasp. The clothes were organized by color. Lan Wangji pulled out a red blouse and form-fitting black slacks.
“These are all the pieces from my new collection.”
“You want me to try them on?” Lan Wangji nodded slightly.
“So I can know which pieces to bring.” Wei Wuxian knew what he meant. He wanted to see Wei Wuxian in some of the pieces so that he could curate which pieces to bring to the photographer’s studio. He wouldn’t be wearing every new piece for the campaign. That would spoil the surprise for consumers. It would also help Lan Wangji to know which items he needed to alter to fit Wei Wuxian.
He pulled out several tops, bottoms, outerwear, and even a few androgynous looks for Wei Wuxian to try on. Wei Wuxian couldn’t resist running the soft fabric through his fingers. He looked up and met Lan Wangji’s eyes. Lan Wangji nodded to a door on the left, suggesting that Wei Wuxian could change in there.
Wei Wuxian came out a few seconds later, shocked by the current outfit. It didn’t feel like it needed any alterations at all. He looked over to see Lan Wangji assessing him, his eyes glancing quickly at different points to gauge the fit. Finally he looked up and locked eyes with Wei Wuxian.
And Wei Wuxian was immediately overcome with a feeling of mischief.
He ran his hands over his shoulders, then his waist, and then his thighs. “Wow, Lan Wangji. Did you have my measurements already? Because these fit perfectly.” He glanced at Lan Wangji with a smile, only to find the other man staring down at a sketch on his desk. Lan Wangji made a noncommittal noise and made some notes on his sketch.
“You can change into the next one,” he said after a few seconds of Wei Wuxian just standing there. Wei Wuxian opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. Instead he went into the bathroom to change but he deliberately left the door open a bit.
“So,” he called out while he took off the shirt he was currently wearing to put on another one. “I know that Lan Wangji isn’t your real name. We can drop the formal names.” He finished changing and stepped back in the room in the new outfit. “You can call me Wei Ying if you want.”
Lan Wangji glanced at him without making a comment. He made more notes on his sketches. The rest of the day followed this pattern. Wei Wuxian trying on more and more outfits while making flirty remarks to try and get a reaction from Lan Wangji. In return, Lan Wangji completely ignored him, only glancing in his direction briefly to check the fit of the clothes.
Finally, once Wei Wuxian had tried on everything that Lan Wangji had given him, he changed back into his own clothes and sat down across from Lan Wangji at the desk. After watching him write down some more notes, Wei Wuxian leaned forward.
“Why’d you ask for me?” Lan Wangji’s pen stopped for a nanosecond before continuing its journey across the paper. Seeing this reaction, Wei Wuxian was encouraged. He decided to keep pushing. “Because after Paris, I got the impression that you didn’t really like me.”
Lan Wangji stopped writing, stood up, and looked expectantly at Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian stood up as well. “The photographer is scheduled for Friday.” Wei Wuxian could only nod as Lan Wangji started to move towards the front door of his home. “I’ll have my assistant send the address of the studio.” He opened the front door and Wei Wuxian was shocked to find Wen Ning and his usual driver waiting. Lan Wangji must have called them, or had someone else do it, while he was changing clothes.
“Okay,” he sputtered out. “I’ll see you Friday, then.”
“Mmm,” Lan Wangji said before closing the door.
---
“It was so weird,” Wei Wuxian complained to Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang. They were seated around the table for dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in the city, one bottle of wine already gone between them. Wei Wuxian propped his chin up on his hand. “I mean, I even winked at the guy and he had no reaction.”
“Do you ever think,” Nie Huaisang said with a laugh in his voice, “that maybe not everyone wants you to flirt with them?”
“Never mind that,” Jiang Cheng said. “You shouldn’t be flirting with clients at all. It's highly unprofessional.” Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes before turning to Nie Huaisang.
“I’m an absolute charm. Everyone wants to flirt with me.” He turned to Jiang Cheng. “And it's not like it was serious. He was just too prim and proper. I wanted to see him crack.”
“And what if you made him uncomfortable and he doesn’t want to continue working with you? Or worse, he tells everyone about how poorly behaved you are.”
“He wishes he knew how poorly behaved I am,” Wei Wuxian said into his glass of wine. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. “Besides, he said that he would see me at the photoshoot tomorrow.” Wei Wuxian downed the rest of his glass.
Nie Huaisang’s eyes went wide as he looked over Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. “Actually, you’re about to see him now.”
“Fuck,” Wei Wuxian whispered as he turned around in his seat. Sure enough, coming through the restaurant’s entry doors were Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen. Both were dressed in shirts and slacks that looked perfectly tailored and dry cleaned. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but notice again how handsome he looked.
Nie Huaisang raised his hand to wave. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng both turned back in their seats to look at him like he was crazy. He put his hand down but clearly the brothers had already seen. Lan Xichen smiled that handsome, gentle smile and made his way over. Lan Wangji followed behind.
“Nie Huaisang, it’s been too long. How are you?” Lan Xichen said when he got to their table.
“I’ve been fine. Brother left a lot of important documents and legal stuff that I’m still going through. But it’s been okay.” Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian glanced at each other. It seemed that Lan Xichen knew Nie Huisang and judging from the conversation, they most likely knew each other through Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang’s deceased brother.
“Well let me know if there is anything I can ever do to help.” Here Lan Xichen turned to Wei Wuxian. “Mr. Wei, it's good to see you again. We’re very excited that you’ll be modeling the new line. My brother has spent a long time creating this and it means a lot that you’ll be a part of this process.” Jiang Cheng shot him a panicked look so Wei Wuxian only smiled.
“Honestly, the clothes are beautiful and they fit really well. I think people will really like them.” Lan Xichen smiled. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but look over at Lan Wangji. He was looking away, but seemed to sense Wei Wuxian’s gaze. Lan Wangji’s eyes met his and despite his initial instinct to say something teasing, he kept his mouth shut.
Lan Xichen glanced at his brother and then turned back to the table. “We have to be seated now, but Nie Huaisang please keep in touch.” He nodded at each of them before turning to walk to the table at the other end of the restaurant that had been reserved for them. Lan Wangji glanced once more at Wei Wuxian before following his brother.
When they were out of ear shot, Wei Wuxian said, “See? I can be professional.” Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. Wei Wuxian turned his eyes back to Lan Wangji’s form which was just sitting down at their own table. He didn’t bother to mention that he hadn’t been lying. The clothes really were beautiful and he really did think the new line would be a success.
Wei Wuxian pulled his eyes away from the other table just as Lan Wangji’s eyes were looking up.
---
“Everyone be ready in five.”
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes so the makeup artist could put the last of the setting powder on his face. They went for a natural look for him since the clothes were a combination of dress and casual. The natural tones and light eye makeup would compliment either style. The makeup artist asked him to open his eyes so she could double check his eyeliner. When he looked in the mirror, he saw Lan Wangji standing across the room, speaking with the photographer. They were discussing what kinds of looks they wanted.
Today he was dressed in what looked to be the world’s softest light blue sweater and fitted white pants. Wei Wuxian wished he didn’t look so damn good in everything he wore. Then Wei Wuxian wished he would stop noticing how nice Lan Wangji looked. The makeup artist coughed slightly and Wei Wuxian tore his eyes away with a slight blush.
Once he was dressed in the same red shirt and black pants ensemble from the other day, he made his way to the photography set. There was a circle of lights surrounding a small made up corner in the loft they were currently in. There was a dark wooden chair, plants of different shades of green, one large window, and a plush beige carpet. The photographer directed him to stand beside the large window for their first set of shots.
And then Wei Wuxian did what he did best. He commanded the room.
He ran his hands through his hair when directed. He glanced this way and that depending on how the photographer wanted the light to fall on his face. He moved around the small setting, tugging at the fabric of the clothing in whatever way the photographer thought best. After only about 10 shots, the photographer declared that it was time for him to change for the second round of shots.
Wei Wuxian changed into a beige short sleeved button down with a heron pattern and into cotton white pants. The photographer directed him to sit down on the wooden chair provided. Wei Wuxian slouched down and crossed his legs, ankle over knee, before turning his gaze to the camera.
And there just behind the photographer, with those mesmerizing eyes, was Lan Wangji.
Their gazes locked and Wei Wuxian felt time stop. He sucked in a breath and felt an ice water feeling flood his veins. It should be illegal for someone with eyes like that to look at someone with such intensity .
"Relax," the photographer called out. Wei Wuxian seemed to snap out of it with a jolt. He looked at the crew around him, everywhere but at those eyes in the background.
"Sorry," he said with a small shake of his head. He resumed his previous position, a faked air of composure rolling off of him. He just needed to do his job. He was good at this. He just needed to find his focus and everything would be fine. After a few more shots, the photographer ordered him to change clothes once more.
He walked off set with his eyes kept deliberately on the changing area in front of him. When he passed beside Lan Wangji, he could feel the look the other man gave him. It followed him until he was behind the partition and he could breathe regularly again.
What the fuck was happening?
Wei Wuxian was used to people staring at him. Yes, sometimes that definitely included looks of desire. He had modeled underwear for an ad that ended up in Time Square, for heaven's sake. He was attractive and his job was to make people stare.
But this? This somehow was different. Lan Wangji's gaze wasn't inherently sexual, though it definitely made Wei Wuxian feel something . Rather it was so all-encompassing as if the entire world had narrowed down to just Wei Wuxian. In all the situations where people had expressed interest in him, no one had ever looked at him like that.
As Wei Wuxian changed into a navy blue blazer and matching pants, he tried to remind himself that Lan Wangji was just an eccentric hermit. He was notorious for only being passionate about his work. He was just watching to make sure that Wei Wuxian did his clothes justice.
As he walked back onto the set, his gaze stayed firmly on the camera lens in front of him. He was standing back by the window, one hand on his hip and the other against the window sill. He was just getting comfortably back into his zone when the photographer called Lan Wangji over. They discussed a few things, the lighting and the shirt he was wearing under the suit. And with some sort of strange magnetism, Wei Wuxian couldn't stop himself from looking into Lan Wangji's eyes again. The photographer said something but Wei Wuxian couldn't think past the way that gaze was making him feel way too hot .
"Wei Wuxian!" the photographer called.
"Yes!"
"We're gonna have you change to the pink shirt under the blazer." One of the set assistants brought the shirt to him. Wei Wuxian took it and stared at it for a brief second before he realized that the photographer just wanted him to change on set.
Wei Wuxian thought that his brain was short circuiting. He knew without a doubt that he wouldn't be able to keep it together if Lan Wangji watched him change. But the entire crew was staring at him in confusion so he took a deep breath and started to change, praying that his skin wouldn't turn bright red.
And then the most miraculous and confusing thing happened, Lan Wangji looked away. Up until this point, his eyes suggested that he couldn't look at anything other than Wei Wuxian. And now, when Wei Wuxian was literally getting half naked, Lan Wangji chose not to look. Wei Wuxian was baffled.
He finished swapping out the shirts and putting the blazer back on. Lan Wangji's refusal to look at him with his shirt off had to confirm his earlier theory. Lan Wangji wasn't actually interested. He just really wanted to make sure that the photos came out perfect.
Wei Wuxian mentally kicked himself. For assuming that Lan Wangji was interested in him and for caring that Lan Wangji wasn't. Jiang Cheng would have a stroke if he knew about the very unprofessional thoughts that had run through his mind during this photoshoot.
Wei Wuxian was just somehow lonely and unfulfilled at the moment and he was projecting that onto the first attractive person he saw. Granted Lan Wangji was maybe the most attractive person he had ever seen, but Wei Wuxian needed to not let his mind run away from him.
And his mind was running away. Every time a very dangerous thought came into his mind, he had to fight to dampen it. The last thing he needed was to get a hard on on set because he knew that certain magazines would love to spread that story around. So he just forced himself to breathe normally and he thought of every unsexy thing he could anytime his eyes glanced at Lan Wangji.
Somehow, by the grace of some deity, he made it through the photoshoot. He wouldn't be surprised if the pictures didn't turn out great. He was having to do mental gymnastics through the whole thing. Hopefully the photos are passable so he never had to be near Lan Wangji again.
Even if all he wanted in the moment was to maybe be closer.
He changed out of the last of the clothes and back into his own sweater and jeans. He came around the partition that separated the changing area from the rest of the loft to find Lan Wangji waiting for him. He stopped with a jolt.
"Good work today," he said and Wei Wuxian was a little too wired not to notice how deep his voice sounded.
"Thank you," he said in a shaky voice. This was the closest they had stood all day and Wei Wuxian couldn't stop himself from taking in all the details of Lan Wangji's face. That jaw and those lips, that long silky hair, and those eyes. Of course, those fucking eyes.
"Wei Ying?" he asked and Wei Wuxian actually lost it. Sure, he had been the one to jokingly tell Lan Wangji he could call him by his given name, but he had absolutely no idea what it would do to him to hear it. Especially after today, where just having Lan Wangji look at him had been the sexiest thing he had ever experienced.
"Right! Yes! Thank you for the opportunity to model for your collection. I hope the pictures will be to your satisfaction." With that, he bowed quickly and turned away. He briefly stopped to ask one of the shoot's assistants where the closest restroom was. She pointed down a hallway and Wei Wuxian booked it, their opinions of him be damned.
It was one of those small one person restrooms. He pushed the door closed and locked it. Then he briefly leaned against the door and took a deep breath.
"Heaven help me," he whispered. Because he was really going to do this, wasn't he? One look down at the tent in his jeans told him that he was definitely going to have to do this.
And that's how Wei Wuxian ended up jerking off in the bathroom of a photography studio, one hand down his pants and the other over his mouth to muffle the sound of his moans. Wei Wuxian would never have done this in any other situation. It could ruin his career if anyone found out. But every time he closed his eyes he saw Lan Wangji and it set his whole body on fire. He heard Lan Wangji say his name in that elegant but deep voice and he couldn't stop himself from cumming, a whimpered Lan Zhan on his own lips.
Afterwards he couldn't look at his own reflection as he cleaned himself off and left the building on shaky legs.
---
"That man will be the ruin of me," Wei Wuxian lamented. Jiang Cheng set his wine down with a look of alarm.
"Why? What happened?" Wei Wuxian grimaced. He didn't think about the fact that he'd actually have to tell Jiang Cheng about what happened when he opened his mouth. Or about the fact that he had spent all last night doing internet research to dig up anything he could on Lan Wangji. But there was nothing. No girlfriends. No boyfriends. Nothing other than information about his clothes and about the Paris incident. Or, worse, maybe about the fact that he might have touched himself more than once after he got home yesterday.
Yeah, he shouldn't have said anything.
"It's nothing." Jiang Cheng didn't look convinced. He kicked Wei Wuxian's leg under the table.
"Am I going to be getting a call from someone about something?"
"Gods, I hope not." Jiang Cheng looked ready to kill. Wei Wuxian sighed. He opened his mouth and now Jiang Cheng wouldn't let him leave this apartment until he told him what happened.
"I might have jerked off in the bathroom after the shoot was over." Jiang Cheng's face went still and Wei Wuxian instinctively moved his chair further away.
"You did what?" Jiang Cheng said, his voice deathly quiet. Wei Wuxian knew he was in trouble. Jiang Cheng got his temper from his mother and it was like staring in a mirror right now.
"Jiang Cheng, listen. I can explain. And I don't think anyone knew."
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" he shouted. "Did you even think about what would happen to your career if anyone found out? Or what would happen to Lotus Pier?"
"It's not like I had a choice! It was either that or walk out with a massive hard on. And in front of Lan Wangji too!"
"What the fuck does he have to do with anything?" Jiang Cheng was shooting daggers with his eyes.
"You weren't there yesterday. He kept looking at me and...well, I wouldn't say 'undressing me with his eyes' because I don't think he meant anything sexual by it." Wei Wuxian took a deep breath as he remembered the intense look in Lan Wangji's face yesterday. "I never noticed before how intense he is and then he kept staring at me yesterday. It just did things to me." Jiang Cheng exhaled.
"I thought he didn't like you."
"So did I." Wei Wuxian thought about it. "But I'm not sure yesterday proved anything. I think that's just how he is. It had little to do with me." Jiang Cheng seemed incredulous. He stood up to go to the kitchen to pour another glass of wine. After a few moments, Wei Wuxian heard him say, "fuck."
"What?" Wei Wuxian asked when he walked into the kitchen. Jiang Cheng had his head in his hands.
"The contract."
"What about it?"
"The contract is for you to be the face of the line. That means that you have to make an appearance for any promotional events. Photoshoots, runways, press releases. Fuck." Jiang Cheng downed an entire glass of wine before pouring another. "I'll call Lan Xichen in the morning to rework the contract."
"Why?" Wei Wuxian asked. Jiang Cheng looked at him like he was stupid.
"You just told me that one look from Lan Wangji turned you into a horny teenager who can't control his hands. You think I'm gonna let you walk down a runway like that? You'll ruin my company."
"No," Wei Wuxian said stubbornly. "You said this contract was worth a lot. You can't change it." Wei Wuxian took the bottle of wine before Jiang Cheng could pour another glass. He drank straight from the mouth. "Look, I think I just got caught by surprise yesterday. I think I got caught up in the fantasy of stoic Lan Wangji maybe wanting me. It won't happen again." Jiang Cheng looked very unconvinced.
"You gonna avoid looking into his eyes?"
"Yeah, I'll look only at his nose. No one has a sexy nose." Jiang Cheng continued to look unconvinced.
---
As he lay in bed that night, Wei Wuxian thought about the second time he met Lan Wangji. It was his first year attending the annual Carp Tower charity gala. More than anything else, it was the who's who event of the year. If you got an invitation, then you were a name in the industry. It had taken him nearly three whole years to get an invitation.
He was wearing a grey Dior suit with silk accents. Despite having been working for three years, even Wei Wuxian was star struck by all the faces he saw. He had just finished his own red carpet walk, basking in all the cameras and fashion magazine reporters, when he turned to see Lan Wangji entering the venue.
The cameras all turned to snatch the best photos of him. He had already closed the doors on his business by this time so he had already become an enigma. He was wearing a white suit with very fine cloud detailing around the wrists, collar, and hem. He refused to tell anyone whether it was one of his own creations or not, but something told Wei Wuxian that the ensemble could only come from Lan Wangji's mind.
Wei Wuxian smiled as Lan Wangji came close to him on the red carpet. "Hello there. I have to say that I'm surprised you're still attending events like these." Lan Wangji made a noncommittal noise.
A photographer called for both of them to pose for a shot. Wei Wuxian turned, his modeling face already on, and rested a hand casually on Lan Wangji's shoulder. Lan Wangji stiffened but didn't move until the photographers had their shots. Then he quickly stepped out of Wei Wuxian's grip.
Wei Wuxian couldn't say that he was discouraged though. Ever since Lan Wangji had snubbed him a few years back, he had treated the other man like a Holy Grail. He would get Lan Wangji's attention.
He followed Lan Wangji into the gala. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked. Lan Wangji ignored him and went to find his designated seat. After grabbing a flute of imported champagne, he went off in the same direction.
Wei Wuxian watched for a few seconds as someone sat down in the seat next to Lan Wangji. The man said a few meaningless introductions but stood quickly after Lan Wangji seemed to ignore him. The man walked towards the bar and Wei Wuxian stopped him.
"Swap seats with me. I'll take your seat and you can sit at whatever seat is labeled 'Wei Wuxian'. Deal?" The guy seemed unsure. Wei Wuxian leaned conspiratorially closer. "Look, you don't want to sit next to Lan Wangji all night. I'm doing you a favor."
After the guy agreed, Wei Wuxian made his way to the table with a wide smile on his face. He sat down and took an immense amount of delight in the brief flash of surprise that lit up Lan Wangji's eyes.
"What a surprise, Lan Wangji! They put me next to you." Lan Wangji glanced at the name tag sitting on the table in front of Wei Wuxian, but Wei Wuxian grabbed it and tossed it on the floor behind him. Lan Wangji's eyes slid to his face. Wei Wuxian took a sip of his champagne to hide his smile.
"So I know you were very mysterious about it on the red carpet, but you made that suit, right?" Wei Wuxian's eyes slid over the details. The lightly sewn cloud motif, the slightly off white buttons, the rich fabric. "I can tell. It looks like your work."
Something flashed in Lan Wangji's eyes and though he couldn't be sure, he thought it might have been delight. It encouraged him to keep talking.
"I told you before, at the Valentino show, that I'm a big fan of your work. I remember reading the article that you and your brother did in Harper's Bazaar after your first collection came out. Young, brilliant, handsome. You were the only thing anyone could talk about." Wei Wuxian downed the rest of his drink.
"So you're working on new things then, huh?" Lan Wangji looked away and was so quiet that Wei Wuxian didn't think he would answer.
"I am," he finally answered. Wei Wuxian was simply delighted to hear his voice. He had triumphed. He was making Lan Wangji talk to him.
"Well, I'd be happy to model it whenever it's complete." Wei Wuxian winked at him and even though the room was dim, he thought he saw a blush creep over Lan Wangji's ears. Wei Wuxian was going to tease him some more when a fellow model called his name and he turned away. When he finished his conversation, Lan Wangji had left and the gala had gotten fully started so he'd been unable to find him.
Was that why Lan Wangji had asked for me? Wei Wuxian wondered. Because I told him I would?
But that had been before the Paris incident when Lan Wangji had made it abundantly clear that he did not like Wei Wuxian. He couldn't figure out what would make Lan Wangji hire only him to model the line.
And he couldn't figure out why Lan Wangji was suddenly able to get under his skin. Of course, Wei Wuxian had always noticed how handsome he was, but over the past week, he'd been unable to think about anything else. When he closed his eyes, it was all pale skin, light eyes, and raven dark hair. Seeing Lan Wangji more than once over the last week had made him obsessed.
He'd told Jiang Cheng that he could handle it. He'd try his damndest, but something had changed, either with Lan Wangji or with him, and it apparently had the power to grind Wei Wuxian's insides to dust.
"I'm so fucked," he whispered to himself.
---
Jiang Cheng called the next day to tell him that Lan Wangji had approved the photos and had agreed to premiere his collection in the next issue of Vogue . They were going to have an official launch party the following Friday night and he would have to make an appearance as the face of the campaign. Before they hung up, Jiang Cheng gave him a very strict warning to behave.
Wei Wuxian was still very much confused and disgruntled by everything so he did the one thing he always did when he needed comfort. He waited until it was a reasonable time in London and then he called his sister.
“A-Xian!” Yanli said as soon as she picked up. Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Ever since Yanli had moved to England with her husband and son, he had missed her fiercely. Not that he had seen her much the last year before she moved. That had been in the very beginning of his career and Jin Ling had just been born. It was a busy time for both of them. Now he only saw her during holidays and when she had come home for an extended period after the death of her parents.
“Hey,” he said, letting the busy household noises on her end of the phone comfort him. He could hear Jin Zixuan yelling at Jin Ling that they were running late, probably for his nephew’s football practice. Jin Ling could be heard calling for his mom in the background. “Everything sounds hectic over there.” Yanli laughed gently.
“Well, unfortunately, he can’t seem to ever remember where he put his cleats.” She seemed to cover the receiver with her hand so she could tell her son where his shoes were. “How is everything going over there? A-Cheng told me about the new line you’re modeling for.” Judging from her tone of voice, Jiang Cheng had left out the embarrassing parts of his life recently.
“It’s all going okay. Work is work. The new line I’m modeling for is gorgeous, but I’m not sure if the creator likes me or not. Do you remember that incident with the designer when I was walking in Paris Fashion week? It’s the same designer. I had always thought he didn’t like me, but he had requested me personally. And things seem different and it’s just got me confused.” He closed his eyes and waited for Yanli’s gentle sisterly advice.
“A-Xian, people can change. It’s been a few years since what happened in Paris, right? Maybe he’s trying to make it up to you. Or maybe he really thinks that you’re the best for this opportunity. You can’t always control people’s motivations and actions, but you can control yours. Just continue to do your best.” There were voices on her end of the phone. “Sorry, A-Xian. I have to go, but please call me again sometime so we can talk more.”
Wei Wuxian thanked her and hung up the phone. Maybe Yanli was right. Wei Wuxian didn’t know why Lan Wangji had walked out of the show during Paris Fashion Week. He was confident that it had something to do with him, but he didn’t know what. Whatever it was could have changed over the last few years. He needed to stop basing his impression of Lan Wangji now off of what happened then.
He went to bed thinking about how much he’d really like it if Lan Wangji no longer disliked him.
---
For the launch party, Lan Wangji had sent over an outfit for Wei Wuxian to wear. It was the blue blazer and pants, with the pink shirt that he had changed into on set at the photoshoot. Just looking at the ensemble made Wei Wuxian blush. The last time he had been in it, he’d been thinking very dirty thoughts about said designer.
Wei Wuxian got dressed and took special care to make sure not a hair was out of place. He needed to make sure that he looked exceptional tonight. There would be industry folks and press executives. He wanted to make sure he made a good impression for the brand. It had nothing to do with Lan Wangji.
Wei Wuxian got there early so that they could do a photo op for Vogue to accompany the release campaign for the magazine. He entered a small side room to find Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji already speaking with the journalist. They made their introductions and Wei Wuxian smiled and looked pretty for some photos. He took a few solo and a few beside Lan Wangji. A shiver ran through him when Lan Wangji put a hand on his waist at the request of the photographer. A very different change from his reaction when Wei Wuxian had put a hand on his shoulder at the Carp Tower Gala.
He found that he liked it. He liked it a lot .
Once the photographs were done, the Vogue journalist asked them a few more questions. She asked Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji about the new line and Lan Wangji’s isolation. Finally, she turned to ask Wei Wuxian his thoughts on the line.
“I think every piece is beautiful,” he said. “And while I can’t speak for everyone, I think people will feel beautiful in them. At least, I do.” The journalist took down his response and Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Lan Wangji who seemed to be deliberately facing away from him. As he was looking away, he caught Lan Xichen looking at him with a small smile on his face. Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow but Lan Xichen only shook his head.
Finally the interview was over and they were free to enter the part of the venue that would be used for the party. Wei Wuxian stopped and gasped when he walked through the doors. All across the room, were large blown up versions of the photos he took at the photoshoot. There he was in the beige heron shirt seated at the chair. And there in the same blue blazer he was wearing now, turned to face the window on set. For all he worried about how the photos would turn out, they looked fantastic.
And honestly? He didn't know that he'd ever looked sexier.
He’d done nude shoots for cologne and underwear shoots where he was made to look like he’d just been thoroughly fucked. But this? He was wearing modest clothes with little makeup and yet the look in his eyes and the soft pout in his lips was...well, he looked like he was staring at the very object of his desires. He found it hard to breathe when he remembered that that look was born from mere eye contact with Lan Wangji and the dirty thoughts in his head.
Wei Wuxian just stood around in a daze as the guests in the party started arriving. He said hello when he was greeted and smiled as his friends waved at him. Several people congratulated him on the photos and even more people congratulated Lan Wangji on the release of his new line. Wei Wuxian made eye contact with him and it made his cheeks flush. There was no way that Lan Wangji had seen these photos and not paired it with Wei Wuxian’s weird reaction on photoshoot day.
“Wow,” a familiar voice beside him said.
“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian said to his brother. Jiang Cheng’s eyes were wide as he took in the photos around the room.
“And this was before…?”
“Mhmm.”
“And all because he looked at you?” Wei Wuxian ran a hand over his face. “Damn, if he doesn’t realize that you want to have sex with him then he’s an idiot.”
“Oh my god, shut up.” Wei Wuxian smiled as some people walked past them. “I never said I wanted to have sex with him.” Jiang Cheng gestured to the photos.
“You didn’t have to,” he said.
Wei Wuxian walked away to the bar for another drink. Was that what he wanted? To have sex with Lan Wangji? Considering how the last few weeks had gone, it seemed dumb to suggest but he hadn’t really thought about it. He’d written the photoshoot incident off as a one time thing. He’d assumed that it was all in his own head and nothing would ever come from it. He mostly felt embarrassment and confusion whenever he thought about it, rather than actual desire.
But now that he was seeing the photos and now that Jiang Cheng had put the thought in his head, he realized that yes, God yes , he most defintiely wanted to have sex with Lan Wangji.
“You seem overwhelmed,” a smooth voice said. Wei Wuxian almost choked on his wine. He turned to see Lan Wangji looking at him.
“Honestly? A bit, yeah.” Lan Wangji seemed to be waiting for him to elaborate. Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure he wanted to say anything that would reveal his current inner thoughts. So instead he went for returning his own probing questions. “Be honest, are you satisfied with how the photos turned out?”
Lan Wangji looked around the room at the photos. He seemed to be really taking in the question. Finally he turned back to Wei Wuxian and nodded. “Are you unhappy with them?”
“No,” Wei Wuxian rushed to say. “The clothes look fantastic.” He certainly wasn’t going to say that looking at these photos now had put him into a bit of a crisis. But something in Lan Wangji’s eyes told him that he knew there was more to Wei Wuxian’s opinion than he was saying.
Wei Wuxian was just opening his mouth to say something, anything, to fill the silence when a journalist and photographer from L'Officiel came to take their photo. This time Lan Wangji put his hand on Wei Wuxian’s waist without the photographer asking him to. Wei Wuxian decided to be indulgent and lean into Lan Wangji. He worried briefly that it might suggest something but decided he didn’t care when he breathed in Lan Wangji’s sandalwood cologne.
For the most part, the night went smoothly. Wei Wuxian spoke with a bunch of people, some he knew and some he didn’t. He took more photos with Lan Wangji, and he seemed to step a little bit closer in every single one. He snuck away with Jiang Cheng for a few moments to go outside for fresh air.
As the night was winding down, Jiang Cheng had to leave early because of a work related call. Wei Wuxian assured him that he would stay until the end and catch a cab home. As the rest of the guests left, Lan Xichen approached him.
“Do you have a ride home?”
“I’ll call a cab in a bit.”
“No need. We’ll have our driver take you home before us.”
“You don’t have to do that. We live in different directions.”
“We actually do both live in the city. The house you visited before was our father’s home. Lan Wangji made it into his office and studio.” With that, Wei Wuxian didn’t see a reason to say no. Everything was fine until he got in the car next to Lan Wangji and the car almost immediately pulled away from the curb.
“What about your brother?”
“He has to stay to oversee that the venue is closed properly.”
“Oh.” They sat beside each other without speaking for a few blocks. Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure how to react. Because despite the spacious car, he could feel Lan Wangji’s presence as though they were pressed together. While he was currently debating whether to say something, his stomach gave out a quiet growl. Wei Wuxian thought he would die of embarrassment.
“Sorry about that. You know that the catering is never more than hors d’oeuvres at these kinds of events.” Lan Wangji looked at him.
“We can get food if you want.” The abrupt happy feeling in Wei Wuxian’s heart might have momentarily made him speechless.
“Sure,” he said with a smile. Wei Wuxian reminded himself that this was just purely professional. Getting late night dinners after an event could all be attributed to building a stronger business relationship. Despite what Wei Wuxian might have recently realized, he would not unfairly put that on Lan Wangji. He wouldn’t confuse everything the other man did with a cloud of sexual motivation.
They pulled up to what looked like a high end condominium building. Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure what they were doing there but he decided not to question Lan Wanji. Lots of swanky restaurants were on the roofs of condo buildings. As they got in the elevator, Wei Wuxian asked, “Is there a restaurant at the top?”
Lan Wangji was quiet while they rode the elevator towards the top floor. The elevator stopped and Lan Wangji took a left towards a door at the end of the hall. Wei Wuxian didn’t see any signs advertising a restaurant and when Lan Wangji took a key out of his pocket, he finally understood. The door opened to reveal a white tiled, immaculately clean penthouse apartment. The outer walls were almost entirely made up of floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Is this your home?” Wei Wuxian asked. Lan Wangji nodded. He opened a small closet in the foyer to hang up his coat. He reached out to Wei Wuxian and took his coat. Then he led Wei Wuxian to the plush white sofa before he walked into the open kitchen. Wei Wuxian watched as he opened up the cabinets and started pulling out pots and pans.
Oh .
This was definitely not what he imagined when Lan Wangji suggested they get food. He was sitting in Lan Wangji’s perfectly decorated living room while the other man was about to cook food. For both of them? Just him? Gods, he really wasn’t sure and this new development was making it really hard for his mind not to return to how much he might want Lan Wangji. Just as he was starting to cut some vegetables, he looked up and met Wei Wuxian’s eyes. Wei Wuxian was sure that he couldn’t keep the dumb smile off of his face.
In most situations, Wei Wuxian liked to talk, sometimes to fill the void, sometimes to get a reaction out of people. But for maybe the first time in his life, Wei Wuxian just sat in silence and watched Lan Wangji work. His fingers weren’t dainty but they moved with an almost inhuman grace. Wei Wuxian figured that came from years working with needles and thread. But he also wondered what else Lan Wangji could use those hands for.
Lan Wangji finished preparing the food and set it to simmer. He opened his refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine. He poured some out into a wine glass he pulled from a cabinet. Then he walked into the living room and handed the wine to Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian took it with a raised eyebrow.
“Do you do this often then?” Wei Wuxian said. Lan Wangji sat on the other end of the sofa. “Bring handsome men home and cook food for them?” Wei Wuxian was obviously teasing but Lan Wangji got a stricken look in his face and shook his head. Gods, how was Wei Wuxian supposed to interpret that?
“You were hungry,” was all Lan Wangji said.
“So you decided to take me here and cook for me?”
“Mnnn.” Lam Wangji stood and moved to an old style record player across the room. He put on a record and the sound of a traditional Chinese orchestra filled the room. Wei Wuxian was really struggling here. The atmosphere in this room was more romantic than nearly all the dates he’d ever been on. But he still wasn’t sure what Lan Wangji’s motivations were. On anyone else, the gestures would definitely be romantic. But on Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian just couldn’t be sure. Despite his earlier proclamation, he just couldn’t get the look Lan Wangji had given him in Paris out of his head.
Lan Wangji moved back to the kitchen to finish cooking. Wei Wuxian followed him this time. As Lan Wangji seasoned the food, Wei Wuxian leaned against the counter and looked at him.
“Why’d you choose me?” Lan Wangji stopped to look at him. “Because I said I wanted to model for you, all those years ago?”
“That was a part of it.”
“But not all of it?” Lan Wangji shook his head. His eyes suggested that there was so much more to what he wanted to say but Wei Wuxian got the feeling he’d never say them. Not without Wei Wuxian pulling the words out of him.
Oh what the hell , Wei Wuxian thought.
“I want to kiss you,” Wei Wuxian said honestly. He put the wine glass down on the counter and turned to face Lan Wangji completely. Lan Wangji’s eyes widened. He’d wanted to give Lan Wangji the power to make a decision. He wanted to make his intentions clear so that Lan Wangji could act upon them if he desired. But he briefly wondered if maybe he’d read the situation wrong.
And then Lan Wangji leaned forward and kissed him. There was still something hesitant in it so Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck. He pushed himself into Lan Wangji and deepened the kiss. He wanted to make sure that there was no misunderstanding how he felt. Wei Wuxian felt a shiver run through him as both of Lan Wangji’s hands settled on his hips.
They pulled apart when a sizzling sound came from the stovetop beside them. Lan Wangji turned the stovetop off and moved the pan of food to a cooler burner. Wei Wuxian laughed. Lan Wangji glanced at him before he turned to grab a porcelain plate out of a cabinet.
“You’re kidding, right,” Wei Wuxian said.
“You said you were hungry,” Lan Wangji said as he scooped food onto the plate. Wei Wuxian smiled mischievously as he slid his arms around Lan Wangji’s hips.
“Oh, I’m definitely still hungry. Just not for food.” Lan Wangji turned to glance at him and Wei Wuxian smiled even wider. Lan Wangji turned around completely and in a swift motion, he had picked Wei Wuxian up and put him firmly on the counter. Wei Wuxian’s expression could only be considered beaming as Lan Wangji put himself between Wei Wuxian’s legs in order to kiss him again.
Wei Wuxian’s hands wound themselves into Lan Wangji’s hair. It was exactly as silky soft as Wei Wuxian imagined. He couldn’t believe that he’d been meeting Lan Wangji periodically over the last decade and hadn’t ever realized how much he wanted this. One of Lan Wangji’s hands started pulling at Wei Wuxian’s shirt. Wei Wuxian pulled away to strip off the blazer and button down shirt he was wearing. They were part of Lan Wangji’s line and Wei Wuxian didn’t want them to get ruined.
Lan Wangji didn’t seem to care because as soon as the clothes were off, his lips attached themselves onto Wei Wuxian’s collarbone. Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and lost himself in just how wonderful this all felt. Lan Wangji’s hands reached for the buttons on his pants and Wei Wuxian stopped him briefly.
“Show me your bedroom,” he whispered. As hot as it would be to have sex on the kitchen counter, Wei Wuxian found he wanted something a tad more intimate for the first time they hooked up. Lan Wangji nodded and backed up so he could help Wei Wuxian off the counter. Wei Wuxian grabbed his hand and Lan Wangji led them down a hallway to a doorway on the left.
There was a large king sized bed that was perfectly made and Wei Wuxian couldn’t wait to get into it and mess those sheets up. Wei Wuxian moved past him so that he could lead Lan Wangji to it. Once they were close enough he pushed Lan Wangji onto and crawled to straddle him. Lan Wangji looked up at him and Wei Wuxian touched his chin briefly before leaning down to kiss him again.
Wei Wuxian couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his face when he ground his hips against Lan Wangji and felt evidence there of his own desire. Wei Wuxian took that as encouragement and continued to rub himself against Lan Wangji's thigh. Lan Wangji let out a sound deep in his throat when Wei Wuxian bit down on his bottom lip.
"Do you like it?" Wei Wuxian breathlessly whispered against Lan Wangji's ear. "Being able to feel how turned on I am?" The hands Lan Wangji had put on Wei Wuxian's hips tightened enough that Wei Wuxian knew they'd leave bruises.
And it drove him absolutely mad with pleasure.
Wei Wuxian reached down and unclasped the top button on Lan Wangji's pants. Lan Wangji drew in a breath and it was only the logical part of Wei Wuxian's brain that stopped him from barreling forward.
"Do you have condoms? Lube?" Lan Wangji shook his head and Wei Wuxian sighed. "So we're not doing that then." And Gods, Lan Wangji actually looked disappointed. Wei Wuxian smiled. "Don't worry. I'll still show you something nice. "
Wei Wuxian got off of Lan Wangji's lap and stood so he could slip his own trousers off. Lan Wangji's eyes raked over Wei Wuxian's body and it was like being in that photo shoot all over again. Except this time, Wei Wuxian wasn't hiding anything.
So he slipped out of his briefs.
This time when Wei Wuxian moved back to the bed, he dropped to his knees between Lan Wangji's thighs. Wei Wuxian returned to his previous task of unbuttoning Lan Wangji's pants. Lan Wangji looked away as Wei Wuxian pulled the fabric away to reveal Lan Wangji's erection. Wei Wuxian bit his lip and looked up.
"Hey," he whispered. He stretched up so he could lay one of his hands on Lan Wangji's cheek. He turned the other man's face so that Lan Wangji had to look at him. "I want you to look at me."
And then he dropped back down and took Lan Wangji into his mouth. It was everything Wei Wuxian had fantasized about over the last few weeks. The feeling of Lan Wangji in his mouth and the way those fingers gently hooked in his hair. The look in Lan Wangji's eyes when Wei Wuxian looked up at him. It was so unbelievably hot and perfect that Wei Wuxian couldn't stop himself from reaching between his legs with his free hand for his own erection.
Lan Wangji made that sound deep in his throat again and Wei Wuxian hummed in response. Lan Wangji's fingers tightened in Wei Wuxian's hair and Wei Wuxian was beyond satisfied when Lan Wangji bucked his hips into Wei Wuxian's mouth.
"Wei Ying," that voice said and Wei Wuxian felt pleasure down to the tips of his toes at the sound. "I'm--" Wei Wuxian took the hint and dutifully kept going until Lan Wangji finally came, Wei Wuxian's name whispered into the heavy air of the room.
Wei Wuxian sat back and wiped his mouth, a content smile on his face. A really pretty blush had krept up Lan Wangji's neck and covered his ears. Gods, he was beautiful.
Lan Wangji reached down and grabbed both of Wei Wuxian's hands to help him up. Wei Wuxian sat beside him on the bed, still very much turned on. Then Lan Wangji reached up and cupped his face with both hands. Wei Wuxian smiled because it was surprisingly delicate and intimate considering where Wei Wuxian just had his mouth.
Lan Wangji caught his lips in another kiss and Wei Wuxian wound his hands into Lan Wangji’s hair. One of Lan Wangji’s hands ran up his thigh and gently urged him to lie down. Once he was comfortably on his back, Lan Wangji laid down on top of him. The weight of Lan Wangji’s body above him was dizzying. Wei Wuxian let out a whimpering sound when Lan Wangji reached between Wei Wuxian’s thighs.
If sucking Lan Wangji off had been perfect, this was somehow even more perfect. Wei Wuxian wouldn’t consider himself submissive. But there was something about Lan Wangji’s hands that made him feel like clay being molded. He wanted to conform to the shape of Lan Wangji, any shape that would put him on the receiving end of those hands.
Wei Wuxian kept gasping Lan Wangji’s name against the other man’s lips, a chorus of Lan Zhan as the soundtrack to their bodies moving against each other. When Wei Wuxian came, his eyelids fluttered closed and he sank into the sheets below him. Lan Wangji laid down on the bed beside him.
Wei Wuxian rolled over so he could face the other man. Lan Wangji reached up to brush stray hairs out of Wei Wuxian’s face. Wei Wuxian smiled. He didn’t know the last time he had smiled so much. At least not this genuinely.
“There is a bathtub if you want to use it,” Lan Wangji whispered. Wei Wuxian thought he probably should. He still had the night’s makeup on, after all. But instead he just wrapped his arms around Lan Wangji . Lan Wangji returned the gesture and buried his face in Wei Wuxian’s hair.
They laid like that for a while, just taking in the meaning of the other’s presence, until Lan Wangji insisted they bathe. Wei Wuxian then insisted Lan Wangji bathe with him. It was no surprise to either of them that bathing ended with their hands between each other’s legs and Lan Wangji’s fingers becoming familiar with Wei Wuxian’s backside.
Afterwards, Wei Wuxian was sprawled out on the bed like he owned it, wearing nothing but his briefs and one of Lan Wangji’s old shirts. Lan Wangji would never say it but Wei Wuxian could tell from the look in his eyes that he was immensely pleased by the sight. Lan Wangji’s eyes seemed to say a lot of things without him actually having to speak.
Lan Wangji turned off the lights and crawled into bed beside Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian didn’t hesitate to wrap himself around the other man. They hadn’t even explicitly spoken about anything that happened tonight. It was all just instinct and feeling and desire. Even this, snuggling into each other’s arms, was them just doing what they wanted. Their desires just somehow seemed to match up perfectly.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Wei Wuxian whispered into the dark. He heard Lan Wangji make a noise of confirmation. “I’ve been thinking about doing this since the photoshoot.”
“I know,” Lan Wangji whispered. Wei Wuxian couldn’t see Lan Wangji in the dark but he could feel his eyes on him.
“What gave it away?” Wei Wuxian said, jokingly.
“I heard you,” Lan Wangji whispered. “In the bathroom.”
“You did?” Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop himself from laughing. All this time Wei Wuxian had been mortified by his actions and confused about what they meant. And now he was discovering that Lan Wangji had known immediately and hadn’t been disturbed. “You should have said something. We could have started doing this weeks ago.”
Lan Wangji ran a gentle hand through Wei Wuxian’s hair and he practically purred in delight. Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop himself from thinking about how much he might actually like Lan Wangji. He certainly liked touching him and being touched by him, but he thought he might like all of this too. Lan Wangji had decided to cook him food, that neither of them ate, with no other prompting than knowing Wei Wuxian was hungry. Wei Wuxian had never had a romantic interest ever do something like that before.
Something occurred to him. “Did you ask me to be the model for your line because you liked me?” Lan Wangji didn’t need to respond for Wei Wuxian to know that it was true. Wei Wuxian tilted his head up so he could place a light kiss to Lan Wangji’s jaw. He could have complained that Lan Wangji should have said something years ago, but he knew that Lan Wangji would never have said anything without the prompting from Wei Wuxian.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Yes.”
“Why’d you close your shop?” Lan Wangji tilted Wei Wuxian’s face up so he could kiss him. It was incredibly gentle and Wei Wuxian felt himself melt.
“My father died,” Lan Wangji said. His voice was so low and vulnerable and Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop the way his arms tightened protectively. Wei Wuxian could tell that Lan Wangji didn’t want his pity or for him to give the usual condolences. But even so, he hoped that his arms conveyed how much he understood.
When Jiang Cheng and Yanli’s parents died, everything in their household came to an abrupt stop. Jiang Cheng had to get their business and personal affairs in order and Yanli took on the task of packing up their belongings, to be distributed between the three of them. And Wei Wuxian had tried to support them both whenever needed. It was not business as usual, maybe the only time in his career that Wei Wuxian wasn’t booking back to back gigs.
They didn’t talk much after that. Instead Lan Wangji continued to run his hands through Wei Wuxian’s hair and Wei Wuxian periodically whispered things he found handsome about Lan Wangji. It was comfortable and intimate and unlike anything Wei Wuxian had ever done with anyone else ever before.
Wei Wuxian fell asleep with the sound of Lan Wangji’s heart beating a steady rhythm in his ear.
---
Lan Wangji was already awake when Wei Wuxian woke up. A glance at the clock on the wall told him that it was still much earlier than he woke up on days that he didn’t have work. He crawled out of bed but didn’t bother to change. He found Lan Wangji in the living room, sketching some designs into a notebook. Wei Wuxian noticed that the kitchen had been thoroughly cleaned.
He came up behind Lan Wangji and looped his arms around his shoulders. Lan Wangji turned his head and Wei Wuxian kissed him. “Good morning,” Wei Wuxian whispered.
“There is food from last night if you’re hungry. Or I can make you something else.” Wei Wuxian kissed his cheek.
“I appreciate the offer but I should probably head home. I have a meeting in a few hours and I still only have last night’s clothes.” Lan Wangji nodded. He untangled himself from Wei Wuxian’s arms and stood up. He took one look at Wei Wuxian in his rumpled shirt and nothing more and Wei Wuxian saw the thoughts that ran through his head.
“Listen,” Wei Wuxian said. He reached out and took Lan Wangji’s hand in his. “I don’t want you to have the wrong impression of me. I don’t do things like this normally. I don’t hook up with people and then bail after the deed is done.” That intense look was in Lan Wangji’s eyes again. “I would really like to maybe do this again. And more if you want.”
“I would also like that.” Wei Wuxian smiled for the hundredth time in twelve hours.
“Perfect. I can’t cook but maybe you can come over to my place and I can order us some takeout.” He stepped closer and put his lips to Lan Wangji’s ear. “And I have condoms and lube at my place.” He smiled mischievously as he pulled away and walked back to the bedroom to change clothes. He could feel Lan Wangji’s gaze on him as he walked away.
---
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Cheng asked immediately upon picking up the phone.
“Why does something have to be wrong?”
“Because you’re calling me before noon.” Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes. He’d just made it back to his own apartment and, in a fit of teenage giddiness, called Jiang Cheng.
“I’m calling so early because I just left Lan Wangji’s place.”
“No fucking way,” Jiang Cheng said. Wei Wuxian could tell that he was really listening now.
“Gods, Jiang Cheng, it was perfect. I think I might actually like him.”
“As your boss, I am very disappointed at your unprofessionalism.” Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes. “But as your brother, I am kinda stupidly happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Wei Wuxian said with a laugh.
“So are you gonna meet up again?”
“Yeah, he’s gonna come over to my place tonight.”
“That’s awesome.”
“Thank you.”
“But don’t forget that you have a meeting at 2 this afternoon,” Jiang Cheng said, back in boss mode.
---
After his meeting he laid around in this bed, anticipating the next few hours when Lan Wangji would be in it. He imagined how it would feel to have Lan Wangji’s sandalwood scent settled into his sheets. How it would feel to see Lan Wangji existing within his own private space. How it was going to feel when Lan Wangji was buried completely inside of him.
Then his mind drifted to think about the third time he’d met Lan Wangji. It was two years after his first time attending the Carp Tower gala. He hadn't gone the previous year because they'd had to bury Mr. and Mrs. Jiang only months prior. Every member of their family was still grieving.
Wei Wuxian hadn't even been planning on attending the gala but Jiang Cheng had insisted. He felt like the gala was the perfect opportunity for them to get back to work, to the business his parents had dedicated their lives too.
It wasn't until he was reflecting on the moment in the present that Wei Wuxian realized that he couldn't remember what designer he was wearing.
He'd walked the carpet and taken the photos but it was all a blur. He'd seen all the faces and said hi to all the people, but the only thing he could think about was his adopted family. Grief had been the only thing he'd thought about, the only thing he'd seen over the last year.
"Are you okay?" a gentle voice asked him. Wei Wuxian turned to see Lan Wangji looking at him. Wei Wuxian shrugged and gave a small smile.
"I've been better." Lan Wangji nodded but didn't say anything else. Wei Wuxian was thankful. He didn't have the energy or false positivity to entertain today.
Wei Wuxian looked over and took in Lan Wangji's outfit. It was a lace blazer, over a blue shirt and blue trousers. Wei Wuxian smiled. "New design?"
"Yes." It made Wei Wuxian happy. Even though Lan Wangji wasn't selling his clothing or releasing new designs, he was still creating pieces. It pleased Wei Wuxian to know that Lan Wangji hadn't lost his creativity or passion.
"You know," Wei Wuxian said. "You were the only person I really cared about seeing here tonight." He turned to smile at Lan Wangji. "I'm glad you came."
Wei Wuxian laughed to think about it now. Maybe he'd had a crush on Lan Wangji all those years ago as well. He should have asked Lan Wangji to come home with him.
But then he realized that in his cloud of grief, it would have only been a distraction. Lan Wangji didn't deserve that. Wei Wuxian didn't want him to just be a distraction.
As it got closer to the time Lan Wangji was supposed to come over, Wei Wuxian straightened up his apartment and went through several outfits before realizing that what he wore wouldn't matter. It was all going to end up on the floor anyway. So he settled on a comfortable grey sweater and black jeans.
To his credit, he did order take out though he didn't intend to eat any of it. Not for a few hours at least. But he didn't want Lan Wangji to feel like he was just being used for sex. Wei Wuxian wanted to romance him too.
A knock sounded precisely at the appointed time. Wei Wuxian smiled as he opened the door. Lan Wangji was wearing chinos and a pressed button down.
"Do you own a pair of jeans?" Wei Wuxian asked with a smile. Lan Wangji didn't answer and it made Wei Wuxian chuckle. He reached out to grab Lan Wangji's hand and pull him inside the apartment.
Lan Wangji's eyes took in the furniture and the brightly colored pieces and the family photos. His eyes looked all over the room before settling on Wei Wuxian. The look made Wei Wuxian smile wider.
"I like seeing you standing in my apartment," he whispered. He took a step back to assess Lan Wangji existed in his personal space before stepping close again. This time he wrapped his arms around Lan Wangji's neck. "I like it a lot."
Wei Wuxian leaned forward to kiss Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji's hands slipped around Wei Wuxian's hips and Wei Wuxian moaned into the kiss. Wei Wuxian's fingers slid down to the top button on Lan Wangji's shirt and Lan Wangji broke from the kiss briefly.
"Thank you for having me over."
"Oh, you can save the gratitude for later," Wei Wuxian said with a wink. Lan Wangji shook his head and Wei Wuxian laughed as he took Lan Wangji's hand to lead him to the bedroom.
Then Wei Wuxian stripped them both out of their clothes and pulled Lan Wangji over to the bed. He sank onto his back and pulled Lan Wangji on top of him. His lips immediately caught Lan Wangji's and Wei Wuxian melted him against him. They moved against each other, just friction and arousal. When the waiting got to be too much, Wei Wuxian reached behind him to open the top drawer on the bedside table. Lan Wangji’s eyes glanced over the things inside. Condoms and lube, and even some other things, just like Wei Wuxian promised.
It was all heat and pleasure after that. Lan Wangji’s fingers caressing the most intimate part of him while Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms and legs around him like a lifeline. And then Lan Wangji was inside him and Wei Wuxian’s whole body was electrified. It was good. No, it was perfect. It was mind-numbing the way Lan Wangji felt on top of him, and around him, and inside of him. Wei Wuxian didn’t know anything could feel like this.
When Wei Wuxian came, his fingers dug into Lan Wangji’s shoulders and he whispered his new lover’s name like a prayer. Lan Wangji just continued his movements and his kisses to Wei Wuxian’s jaw until he came too. Afterwards Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji’s cheeks and kissed him, with the most tenderness he had maybe done anything in his life.
“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji asked after they had untangled themselves and changed positions so Wei Wuxian could comfortably cuddle.
“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian smiled. Lan Wangji looked into his eyes.
“Thank you for having me over.” Wei Wuxian laughed so hard he had to sit up to keep from choking. When he rolled over to lay back down, he could see the delight in Lan Wangji’s eyes.
---
They had sex many more times that night, in whatever position they felt like in the moment. Wei Wuxian in Lan Wangji’s lap. Lan Wangji pressing him into the tile in his shower. Slowly, all wrapped up in each other. Wei Wuxian still didn’t understand how Lan Wangji seemed to always be one step ahead, understanding what Wei Wuxian wanted without needing to be told.
Though Wei Wuxian definitely still told him. Wei Wuxian enjoyed talking dirty and Lan Wangji seemed to have a very specific reaction to hearing Wei Wuxian’s voice in his ear, saying unspeakably filthy things. He seemed to always get slightly more aggressive and made Wei Wuxian’s toes curl with pleasure.
Wei Wuxian enjoyed it all when it was with Lan Wangji.
He was currently bent over the armrest of the sofa, face turned to the window so he could watch the reflection of Lan Wangji taking him from behind. They moved into the living room to eat the takeout Wei Wuxian had ordered but as with the rest of the night, it seemed like they were trying to make up for the years they weren’t going at each other like rabbits.
With the lights from the city shining through the window and Wei Wuxian completely wrapped up in the pleasure of the moment, he felt like he was on top of the world.
---
“What happened in Paris?” Wei Wuxian asked. He was sitting between Lan Wangji’s legs, resting his back against the other man’s chest. He was scrolling through his phone while Lan Wangji sketched into his notebook, both arms curled comfortably around Wei Wuxian. He didn’t seem to mind that Wei Wuxian was also looking at all of his sketches. Wei Wuxian turned so he could look into Lan Wangji’s eyes.
Lan Wangji closed his notebook and put it on the table. One of his hands found Wei Wuxian’s and twined their fingers together. “Before the show started, one of the photographers said some things about you.”
“Like what?”
“That you would go home with anyone.” Lan Wangji looked away. “That you had gone home with him.” Wei Wuxian didn’t need to ask. He could tell from Lan Wangji’s expression that this person had apparently made up a very graphic lie.
“Did you believe it?” Lan Wangji shook his head immediately. “Okay, because it's a lie. I can promise you that I’ve never just gone home with anyone.” He smirked. “Present company aside.”
“I didn’t defend you,” Lan Wangji whispered. “I wanted to but my brother stopped me.”
“He didn’t want you to make a scene,” Wei Wuxian guessed. Lan Wangji nodded. “That was the smart move.” Lan Wangji still looked apologetic so Wei Wuxian kissed him. “It's okay. But why did you walk out?”
And why did you look at me like that?
“I saw you on the runway and was disappointed in myself for not doing more. I had let you down.” Wei Wuxian bit down on his lip so he didn’t burst into a smile. Wei Wuxian kissed him before turning back so he could settle comfortably between Lan Wangji’s thighs.
“That is the most Lan Zhan explanation for what happened.” Lan Wangji kissed Wei Wuxian’s scalp. “But really we should have done this years ago. We could have already been married with adopted children by now.” Lan Wangji made a noise deep in his throat and Wei Wuxian laughed. And when Lan Wangji leaned forward to kiss him, Wei Wuxian wanted nothing more than to just be with him.
---
“So,” Jiang Cheng said after he had finished his kabobs. “Is there a reason that I haven't heard from you in like three weeks.” Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes. He’d at least spoken to Jiang Cheng everyday for work related calls. But he also couldn’t stop the smile from creeping onto his face when he thought about the fact that he had practically moved into Lan Wangji’s condo over the last couple of weeks. Jiang Cheng made a disgusted face. “Nevermind. I already know.”
“You’re just jealous that I’m seeing a handsome, successful, sweet man--”
“Please stop talking.”
“--who is wonderful in bed--”
“I will unadopt you from my family.” Wei Wuxian laughed and Jiang Cheng couldn’t stop himself from chuckling too.
“Seriously, Jiang Cheng. I’ve never felt anything like how I feel when I’m with him.” Wei Wuxian’s face was positively beaming and Jiang Cheng hoped that one of them would just say ‘I love you’ before another decade passed. He didn’t think he could continue to watch the overly sappy honeymoon phase of their relationship much longer.
Wei Wuxian’s phone buzzed and he smiled as he read the text message. Jiang Cheng could only assume it was from Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian quickly ate the rest of the food on his plate.
“Lan Zhan is on his way to pick me up. We’re going to work on some new designs for the line.” Wei Wuxian contributing in any way to Lan Wangji’s designs was new information to Jiang Cheng. But he thought it made sense. Artists often liked to get approval from the people they cared about and Wei Wuxian was always willing to give his opinion.
“Well don’t forget that you’re walking in the Givenchy show this weekend.”
“I won’t. I like modeling and just because I’m in a relationship doesn’t mean that’s changing.” Jiang Cheng nodded. Wei Wuxian watched as a black car pulled up at the curb and Lan Wangji stepped out. Wei Wuxian jumped up and practically skipped over to his boyfriend. Jiang Cheng had to stop himself from being sick at the sight.
“You ready?” Lan Wangji asked. Wei Wuxian tossed his arms around him and pulled him in for a brief kiss.
“Yep.” He looked at the magazine in Lan Wangji’s hand. “Is this the Vogue issue?” Lan Wangji nodded. He opened it up to the first page of Lan Wangji’s line announcement. The first photo was of Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen. But the second one was of Lan Wangji with his arm around Wei Wuxian’s waist. He turned the magazine up to show the photo to Lan Wangji. “Lan Zhan, who is this handsome man you have your arm around? Is that your boyfriend?”
Lan Wangji shook his head as he put his arm around Wei Wuxian to lead them to the car. Wei Wuxian laughed with delight and felt the warmest wave of happiness move through him when he caught sight of the small smile on Lan Wangji’s face.