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Wei Wuxian could safely say that during his 24 years of life he had never gone on a blind date before, even less so on Valentine’s Day. But when his sister once again had asked him about his plans for the holiday, and he once more told her that he had no plans whatsoever, he had not expected her to set up plans for him herself.
“You need to get out more,” she said. “Meet new people!” She said. “Me and Zixuan can stay home with a-Yuan this year.”
As if he didn’t get out plenty! And met new people every day with his job as a bartender!
But Jiejie had insisted, and he couldn’t really tell her no. So here he was, 10 minutes late to a date that was probably going to end in a disaster. If his track record was anything to show for.
Still, he had dressed up for Jiejie’s sake. Tight black jeans to show off his assets and a red blouse that was half-heartedly tucked into his pants, in honor of the holiday of course. His shoulder-length hair was in a half updo with a knot in the back and the rest was freely flowing down in a stylish mess. He knew exactly the vibe he was giving off. He was hot and he intended to make it everyone's problem.
He had also chosen to forgo any scent suppressant, letting the fragrance of lotus flower surround him.
It was a date, wasn’t this what dates were for? To see if two people were compatible with each other. What faster way to do so than by scent, let’s just take a whiff of each other and get on with the evening.
Honestly, he didn’t care (that) much if his blind date found anything wrong with how he presented himself. Lots of people did, he had given up on making them happy a long time ago.
If things went south faster than expected, he could always just go to the bar he worked at and spend a few hours drinking and shooting the shit with Wen Ning. The poor beta had voluntarily switched shifts with him so he could go on this date.
Normally he didn’t mind working on Valentine’s. The potential drama between couples was always fun to listen in on, and the heartbroken souls sitting at the bar drowning their sorrows always tipped well. Especially if they got the chance to pour their grievances out to a listening ear.
He opened his messages to once more check the details he’d received from his mysterious date.
Caiyi Cuisine, 7 pm, February 14th.
-LWJ
He couldn’t stop another sigh from slipping out. The guy hadn’t even given him his name, just ended his text with his initials. Now, Wei Wuxian wasn’t against the suspense of it all, but he wasn’t entirely sure how he was supposed to find the man when he arrived.
Oh! Would you look at that!
He had a new message from 20 minutes ago (seriously, who arrives 10 minutes early to a date). So apparently his date had gotten a table by the window, and it was booked under the name… Lan.
Wei Wuxian’s feelings about this date was worsening by the minute.
Whatever, just because the guy was a Lan didn’t mean he necessarily was as stuck up as the rest of them. He was going to give this a chance, for Jiejie’s sake!
And it’s not like he’s planning to marry the man after the first date or something.
Walking in through the doors he couldn’t help but immediately feel out of place. The restaurant was a lot fancier than expected. The decor was elegant and tasteful, with motifs of mountains and rivers on the walls.
…this was starting to look a lot more expensive than he had been prepared for. Hopefully the guy was the type of alpha who demanded to pay for omegas. He really didn’t want to dip into the entertainment fund for an evening that was more and more looking like it would end in disappointment.
Walking up to the hostess stand he’s greeted by a woman in a similar matching uniform to the rest of the restaurant. Her hair was pulled up in a neat bun, her shirt buttoned up over her neck, and her make-up was neutral and subdued. The faintest hint of a sweet floral scent could be sensed on her.
The restaurant had known what they were doing when they placed an omega like her at the hostess stand.
Similarly, she seemed to take in his appearance in the few seconds it took him to reach the stand. He could see her subtly inhale before wrinkling her nose, apparently his own scent was less appreciated.
With what must have been the fakest customer service smile he’s ever seen she finally decided to greet him.
“Hello and welcome to Caiyi Cuisine. Unfortunately all of our tables are booked for the evenin-”
“Ah, that’s alright! I’m just meeting someone here for a date.” He smiled his most innocent smile at her souring expression. Check mate, your move next.
He could feel her look him up and down again pointedly before answering. “What is the name booked under?”
“Lan. He should be waiting for me already.”
The pointed look turned into a raised eyebrow as she nodded towards a table for two by the windows. “That should be him over there.”
Turning towards the table he’s greeted by a surprisingly familiar figure. He squinted towards the man as he took him in, trying to figure out where he might have seen him before. He’s dressed in a light blue button up shirt and dark dress pants, a dark jacket hid what seemed to be a well sculpted physique. His hair was shorter on the sides, longer on top and neatly slicked back. He was sitting calmly at the table, looking down at a watch on his wrist.
Was that Lan Wangji??
When Jiang Yanli said that her husband's half-brother's situationship knew someone else who was free on Valentine’s, he hadn't expected it to be HIM!
Really, maybe he should have expected something like this when trusting Jin Zixuan's judgment on anything. Wei Wuxian was not going to forget this slight. He was going to get back at him for this, mark his words!
(But sneakily, and in a way that wouldn’t upset Jiejie too much. Maybe he could rope Jiang Cheng into it too.)
Wei Wuxian momentarily considered just walking out of the restaurant directly to the bar.
He had no interest in spending his evening getting chewed out by Lan fucking Wangji for any number of things the prideful alpha would probably take offence to. He’d heard enough nagging comments and condescending “tips'' back in their youth, thank you very much.
Wei Wuxian paused for a moment before looking back at him again. On the other hand… the night might not be completely lost yet. Lan Wangji had always been easy to annoy back in school, and Wei Wuxian had always found it hilarious how fast he reacted to teasing.
Maybe he could get a good meal and a few jabs in at the alpha’s expense before the man stormed off in a huff. He’d at least have a good story to tell Wen Ning when he joined him later.
While he considered his options, the hostess was observing the rapid change in facial expressions. Her sour face lessened, and what could almost be considered sympathy crossed her face. Good to see there was still some level of camaraderie between omegas!
At the same time, Lan Wangji raised his head and their eyes met across the room, his golden eyes seemingly holding Wei Wuxian’s own gaze hostage.
Well. No reason to drag this out any further.
Walking up to the table, he could see Lan Wangji also rising to his feet to pull out the second chair. Wei Wuxian snorted to himself, of course the alpha was the type to pull out someone's chair. Even so, he let him push in the chair as he sat down. The calming scent of sandalwood momentarily filled his nose.
An awkward silence surrounded the table as the other man sat back down in his seat. Lan Wangji’s face remained as impassive as Wei Wuxian remembered it to be. In return he observed the alpha back, forcing his face into a neutral expression even Jiang Cheng would be impressed by. Their scents remained as stale and unchanging as their expressions, neither giving away what the other was thinking.
A server came by and gave them both a menu, she nervously scented the air between them before walking away faster than she had arrived.
The silence started to turn heavy as the seconds ticked by, but Wei Wuxian refused to give first!
Or he probably wouldn’t, if Lan Wangji would just start talking within the next two minutes. Wei Wuxian had never been particularly good with prolonged moments of silence, and this was getting a bit much.
“You’re late.”
Lan Wangji, can’t you at least wait until they have taken our order before you start, ah?
“Sorry. The road was closed off because of some accident, so I had to take a detour.”
“Mn.” The alpha nodded once before turning away to read the menu.
Was that all? No lecture about arriving on time, or the value of being prepared for the unexpected??
Alright then.
The server returned a few minutes later, looking uneasily between the pair in the still stagnant silence.
“Have the two of you decided on your order, or should I give you a few more minutes?”
“Actually, what would you recommend from your wine list?” Wei Wuxian turned to the waitress and gave her a blinding smile. At the same time, he could feel Lan Wangji’s eyes bore into the side of his head.
“Oh! We have a wide variety of wines, but the emperor’s smile is by far our most popular selection.”
The evening was looking up already! He had been looking for a chance to try the wine for some time.
Now how to get the Lan Wangji to pay the bill…
“Then I’ll be getting that.” She wrote down his answer before glancing nervously at the still staring alpha.
“Just water.” He answered, turning back to his menu.
They both ordered their food, Wei Wuxian finding the spiciest dish on the menu while Lan Wangji chose a mild vegetable dish.
The silence was once more creeping back over the pair, even some of the nearby tables had noticed the uncomfortable energy between them and had started whispering.
Wei Wuxian began to wonder if the whole night was going to be like this.
This simply wouldn’t do!! He was going to force the stubbornly mute alpha into a conversation if it was the last thing he did tonight!
“So… what have you been up to since school?” That should do it. Surely they could fill in the silence with some catching up and reminiscing about the “good old times”.
“I finished my degree in economics. Right now I’m training to take over the family business with my brother.”
“Oh, that’s nice. How is he doing?”
“He's doing well.”
“...”
“...”
“Do you still play the violin?”
“Mn.”
…this was the driest conversation he had had in months. Even the drunkards at the bar could hold a better conversation than this!
Mercifully, Lan Wangji also seemed to pick up on this, because he was the one to ask the next question.
“What… have you been doing since school?”
Wei Wuxian was more than happy to answer, obviously the alpha wasn’t big on talking so he’d just have to fill the silence for the both of them.
“Ah, I work as a bartender at the moment. It’s a pretty good gig, I work mostly evenings and get the days off to study my uni courses. I’m studying part time for a degree in social science. Maybe I should have chosen psychology instead, I get plenty of practice in that area listening to customers while pouring drinks, haha.”
Lan Wangji surprisingly seemed to be nodding along, listening attentively to his rambling.
Huh, so the man wasn’t very good at talking but he was a pretty decent listener. He also hadn’t shown any inclination of wanting to chastise Wei Wuxian for his life choices.
What was even going on?
This was usually the point where his date started giving him condescending smiles, acting like he just needed a good alpha in his life to straighten it back up.
Maybe he had been too fast in judging the man, it had been a few years since they last saw each other.
“You know, I was pretty surprised to see you here. Jin Zixuan didn’t mention that it was you I was meeting up with, and you didn’t give me your name before. So… Well I guess you must have been surprised to see me too, huh.”
Lan Wangji blinked, his scent changed slightly to indicate something like surprise.
“I knew it was you.”
Wei Wuxian was stunned for a moment, Lan Wangji had known he was the omega he’d be meeting? And he still had asked him out?
“Why?”
Now there was a slight tinge of confusion coloring his scent. Wei Wuxian also thought he could see traces of it in the alpha’s expression.
“Ah, don’t get me wrong! I’m flattered that you would ask me out, but why would you? It’s not like we ever really got along back in school. And we haven’t been keeping in contact either.”
Lan Wangji seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking awkwardly to the side before clearing his throat.
“I wanted to see how you were doing nowadays. I know I was a bit… back then.”
“Stuck up?” Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but add with a deadpan expression.
A slight frown appeared on Lan Wangji’s brow before he nodded.
“...yes.”
So the alpha really had changed since the last time they saw each other. Wei Wuxian felt himself relax, letting go of the tight control on his scent in the process to allow his emotions to better color it.
As he felt himself loosen up a surge of mischievous energy also welled up inside him, demanding an outlet. Lucky him, the perfect target sat right in front of him!
“Aiyah, Lan Zhan. Surely you didn’t ask me out just so you could apologize to me,” He gave the man a crooked grin. “Lucky you I have the whole evening free, and no one’s really expecting me back until tomorrow morning~”
“S-shameless.” Lan Wangji’s ears colored an exhilarating deep red that made Wei Wuxian’s stomach swoop. It seemed like some things hadn’t changed from back then.
“I’m not expecting anything from this date. Just the two of us having dinner.” Lan Wangji said it with such sincerity that Wei Wuxian felt momentarily taken aback.
“Alright then. Let’s have dinner!” The smile on Wei Wuxian’s face was open and dazzling, making some of the receding color return to the alpha’s ears.
When the waitress returned with the food, the energy had relaxed considerably between the two. Wei Wuxian took it upon himself to entertain Lan Wangji with stories from his job as a bartender.
This was followed up by complaints about his brother and brother-in-law, both hot-headed alphas with a penchant for starting unnecessary fights (not that Wei Wuxian was one to talk, considering how often he was in the middle fanning the fire between the two).
Although he had to admit that Jin Zixuan had mellowed out considerably in recent years, especially since marrying Jiang Yanli.
Lan Wangji for his part listened intently to all of Wei Wuxian’s stories, nodding along or asking clarifying questions. A few times he even chimed in with his own stories about his brother, or how his violin performances were getting along.
It had been a long time since Wei Wuxian had had such a great time just talking with someone. He’d admit that although he often chatted with the customers at the bar, he rarely had such an enraptured audience to his long-winded tales.
As they ate, Wei Wuxian even successfully managed to bully Lan Wangji into taking a bite of his food. The alpha pretended not to be affected by the spice level, but his grab for the water and the rising heat on his neck gave him away.
The constipated look on the man's face was enough to send Wei Wuxian into a fit of laughter, earning him several angry glares and thick scents of annoyance from the nearby tables.
They were so occupied with each other in fact, that they didn’t notice how the waitress went up besides the hostess. Nor how the two kept looking at them while whispering to each other in amused voices.
Without really noticing, three hours had already gone by and the restaurant was preparing to close down for the night.
Wei Wuxian might have joked about not being needed until tomorrow, but he probably should start heading home so he didn’t needlessly worry his sister.
Preparing to leave, Lan Wangji took care of the bill without any prompting. Wei Wuxian decidedly ignored the curl of satisfaction at being treated like a taken omega.
Standing outside the building, Wei Wuxian’s chatter finally quieted down. Standing under the streetlights, he looked up at the other man. Maybe it was just the lighting, but he could have sworn there was a look of fondness in the alpha’s light eyes.
“Thank you, for tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve been out like this. It was good catching up with you again.” Wei Wuxian let his scent emphasize the happiness he was feeling.
“Mn.” Lan Wangji agreed readily, his own scent also imbued with contentment, how sweet!
They stood together a few more seconds in silence, neither knowing what to say but also not ready to part ways just yet.
“Can I ask you out again?”
“Huh?” This was the second time tonight Lan Wangji had successfully stunned him into speechlessness.
Lan Wangji shifted where he stood before continuing. “I enjoyed tonight, so if you also enjoyed yourself, then maybe we could do this again.”
That was… huh.
Wei Wuxian wasn’t against the idea. The man might have been boresome as a teen, but obviously that didn’t apply anymore. Before they took this further however, there were a few things that needed to be clarified.
“You know I have a kid, right? So before you make any more plans, or get any more ideas, you should know that I have full custody of him and that I’m not giving him up for anything. Even less so for some conceited alpha who can’t handle me not making them my whole world or-”
“I know, my brother told me.”
Wei Wuxian gave the alpha a suspicious squint. “So you don’t mind?”
“Mn.”
Wei Wuxian let out his breath. If Lan Wangji really didn’t mind, then maybe…
“Well, I suppose I would be open to another date.” He sniffed haughtily, before his treacherous mouth twitched up into a smile, “I think I’d like to see you again too.”
Wei Wuxian promptly turned around to start walking away, waving his hand behind him. Better make a quick exit before he became all sappy and made a fool of himself.
“It was nice seeing you, text me later would you.”
“Alright.” The answer came from behind him, before he heard another pair of steps walking away in the opposite direction.
Wei Wuxian couldn’t help the broad smile that stretched across his lips as he started skipping along the road in the cold night air. He was actually pretty glad he had decided to stick around for the date. Maybe his Jiejie had been right after all, setting him up on it.
○○○
The next day, Wei Wuxian sat at a table in Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan’s apartment, preparing a-Yuan, Ling’er and himself for lunch. Ever since he had a-Yuan five years ago, his Jiejie had insisted on him living close by so he’d be able to receive help when he needed it.
Even without his family’s help, Wei Wuxian felt he would have done just fine. Although a-Yuan’s sire was an asshat that had left the moment Wei Wuxian became pregnant, he was a rich asshat that paid the child support every month. And while Wei Wuxian couldn’t say he had been in the best headspace at the time, he had still been smart enough to befriend Wen Qing and Wen Ning, as well as a few others on that branch of the Wen family.
His a-Yuan had a never-ending stream of family who cared for his well-being and loved to visit, and Wei Wuxian couldn’t be any happier about it.
When Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan had become pregnant, they had decided that Wei Wuxian should move into an apartment in the same building as them. Here they were almost four years later, with both Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan at work during the day while Wei Wuxian looked after a-Yuan and Ling’er, and studied whenever he had a second to himself (which wasn’t that often, who knew two pups could be such a handful).
In the evening when the pair came back home Wei Wuxian left for work. Leaving a-Yuan in his sister’s caring hands. It was maybe not a typical arrangement, but it worked out just fine for all of them.
Honestly, Wei Wuxian didn’t have the heart to complain even if he wanted to. He was more than happy to be able to spend so much time with a-Yuan, and Ling’er was a very cute kid. Even when he was in a full-blown tantrum like this one.
“I WANT JIUJIU!” “I” gasp “WANT” gasp "JIUJIU!!"
His face was quickly becoming redder than the tomato sauce on his plate. The spaghetti, lovingly cut with a pair of scissors, was flying through the air as Ling’er continued to rage. The milky smell of pup was quickly souring, making Wei Wuxian’s omega instincts activate and round kick him for being a bad mother.
“Wei Jiujiu is BAD. I DON’T WANT HIM. I WANT JIUJIU.”
“MAMA IS NOT BAD!” Now it was apparently a-Yuan’s turn to start shouting and slamming his little palms on the table. “YOU CAN’T SAY THAT!!”
Wei Wuxian sighed deeply. He loved these pups, taking care of them during the day was a great arrangement, there was no reason to spend money on daycare. He loved his pups, this was a great arrangement, they saved so much money on childcare…
“Aiyah, Ling’er. What do you need Jiujiu for, I’m right here am I not? Aren’t I a lot better than your other Jiujiu.”
“NO!! JIUJIU IS BETTER!”
Wei Wuxian grimaced both at the shrill scream and at the stab in his poor heart by his nephew’s cruel words.
Wei Wuxian couldn’t understand how Jiang Cheng (the traitor) had nestled his way into little Ling’er’s heart. He was the one who spent all day together with Ling’er, playing with them and feeding them. Yet somehow Jiang Cheng, with his unfriendly attitude and angry glaring, had become the favorite uncle.
Wei Wuxian could do nothing but nurse his wounded heart and calm down the pup before his hysterics resulted in a pool of tears and snot.
“Jiujiu promised he’d visit later today, but ONLY if you finish your food and behave.”
“really?” Ling’er asked in a pitiful voice, eyes shiny with unshed tears.
“Yes, really! But you have to eat all your veggies too or he’ll be really disappointed.”
Ling’er immediately started to clumsily shovel food into his mouth. At the same time, Wei Wuxian gave a-Yuan a calming smile before rolling his eyes at the youngest boy’s antics, receiving a little giggle in return.
His phone suddenly rang, breaking the newly returned peace. Wei Wuxian picked it up, momentarily feeling a pang of disappointment when checking the caller ID, before answering.
“Jiang Cheng! Great timing, I’ll put you on speaker so you can say hi to the kids!”
“HI JIUJIU!!”
“Hi Jiujiu!”
“Uh, hi you two.” Jiang Cheng’s gruff voice sounded back from the phone.
“So, why are you calling in the middle of the day? Please tell me you’re still visiting later!” Wei Wuxian really didn’t know how he’d console the small child if Jiang Cheng couldn’t come.
“No, I'm still coming. Jiejie mentioned you were on a date yesterday, how did it go? Do I have to kill someone?”
“OH! THAT! Yeah, I was going to tell you later. Anyways, GUESS WHO ZIXUAN SET ME UP WITH!”
“Who did-”
“LAN FUC- FUDGING WANGJI”
“WHAT THE FUCK!”
Wei Wuxian immediately swooped down for the phone, turning off the speaker.
Hissing into the phone, he prepared to start his scolding. “you’re on speaker! Stop swearing, I have the kids in the roo-”
“WHAT THE HELL WAS ZIXUAN THINKING SETTING UP THE TWO OF YOU.”
“I was surprised too! But apparently Lan Wangji already knew-”
“BUT WHY. You two never got along!”
“I know!”
“Didn’t he use to glare at you every time you opened your dumbass mouth.”
“I know!!”
“You gave him a piece of your mind before you left, right?
“...”
“WEI YING” Jiang Cheng’s voice shifted into something closer to a growl.
“Listen, it was a good date!”
A barrage of swears flooded out of the phone, insulting everything from the size of Wei Wuxian’s brain to his lack of dignity. He grimaced while keeping the phone at an arm’s length, protecting his abused eardrums from another one of Jiang Cheng’s tirades.
After a while the insults started to dwindle before Jiang Cheng promptly ended the call. Presumably to go cool off someplace where Wei Wuxian’s idiocy couldn’t reach him.
Wei Wuxian for his part was unapologetic. It HAD been a good date, even Jiang Yanli had seemed happy for him when he returned home last night. Jiang Cheng would simply have to deal with it.
Letting the phone drop back down on the table, he let out a long breath before looking back up at the two pups in his care. Both were eerily staring back at him, the way only small children could manage. A few seconds went by as the impromptu staring match continued, before Ling’er blinked once and opened his mouth.
“What the fuck.” He deadpanned in his high toddler voice.
“what the fuck” Echoed a-Yuan in a soft whisper.
Bang! Sounded Wei Wuxian’s head dropping down on the table.
○○○
No one could accuse Wei Wuxian of being an absent parent. He spent Monday through Friday looking after both a-Yuan and Ling’er, and on the weekend they usually ended up doing something extra fun.
This weekend had been no different. Him, Jiejie and Jin Zixuan had packed up the kids and gone to a nearby park to enjoy the day. It had snowed earlier in the week, so it had ended up being perfect sledding weather.
Both the boys had sat together going down the little snow hill a few times before Wei Wuxian decided he also wanted in on the fun.
The following turns ended up with Wei Wuxian sitting on the sled with either a-Yuan, Ling’er or both of them in his lap. To Jiang Yanli’s horror and the pups’ exhilaration, he even managed to get some airtime at one point.
After that, Jiang Yanli decided that Wei Wuxian had had enough fun and asked him to let the pups ride a few more times on their own before they ended their outing. She stood watch at the bottom of the hill while Wei Wuxian walked away. He wasn’t pouting, but it was a close thing.
If only his Jiejie would learn never to turn her back on him! As she watched the kids ride down, Wei Wuxian gathered some snow in his hand and slowly started sneaking towards another unsuspecting figure.
Jin Zixuan had, in his opinion, not received enough payback for not warning him about the Lan Wangji situation, and thus action still needed to be taken.
With a handful of snow, he pulled down the collar on the alpha’s jacket and watched with glee as he shrieked and writhed where he stood. The retaliation was immediate and ruthless as Jin Zixuan picked him up and threw him into a pile of snow, shocking him with the sudden coldness.
Alas, Wei Wuxian still had a secret weapon up his sleeve.
“Jiejie! Your husband is bullying me!” A bit of tremble in his voice, a pouting lip, aaaand there, perfection.
While he only received a look of fond exasperation from Jiang Yanli, multiple other parents were now glaring at the despicable alpha who had pushed down a poor defenceless omega in the snow.
Wei Wuxian smirked victoriously at said sputtering alpha.
“YOU-” Jin Zixuan pointed at him while his face colored red from humiliation and cold.
Wei Wuxian stuck his tongue out, standing up to brush off the snow. Jiang Yanli successfully ended any further bickering by joining them with the two kids, a-Yuan at her side and Jing’er in her arms. The smaller child’s eyelids were slowly drooping down.
Wei Wuxian chuckled, “Well, good to see someone is getting tired from all the fun. What about you a-Yuan, are you tired too, hmm?”
His little pup nodded slowly while rubbing his eye with a gloved hand. It seemed like everyone was in need of a nap.
They decided to split up, Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli leaving with Ling’er for the monthly Jin family dinner. Wei Wuxian and a-Yuan left for the park entrance they originally came in through.
They had just stepped outside the park when someone walked up to him. The smell of sandalwood reaching his nose moments before he recognized the figure.
“Wei Ying.”
Lan Wangji was dressed in a thick winter jacket and a blue hat with snowflake pattern and a pom-pom on top. His cheeks were flushed from the cold nipping at them.
The sight was so unexpectedly endearing that Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but smile broadly at the alpha.
“Lan Zhan! What are you doing here?” Did he perhaps live nearby?
“I had to go in to work to take care of an urgent meeting. The weather is nice so I decided to walk back home.” His face stayed neutral the entire time he talked, the only hint at his thoughts on said meeting was a slightly burned addition to his scent.
“What! A meeting on a Saturday, well that sucks. I hope they aren’t working you to the bones over there Lan Zhan. It’s important to have a healthy work-life balance!”
The two had been texting on and off for the past week and a half. The family business had apparently required Lan Wangji’s immediate attention, so no second date had yet been decided. Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop from feeling a little disappointed at this. Though it was a bit embarrassing to be honest.
They had ONE date, and here he was pining away after an alpha that obviously was too busy with work to actually date seriously.
Wei Wuxian couldn’t fault him for that, he was just happy Lan Wangji had enjoyed their one date enough to keep in contact with him.
He DID have the alpha in front of him right now though. Lan Wangji wouldn’t fault him for taking his chance to tease a little, right? He felt his smile twist at the corners.
The alpha squinted slightly at him, did he let his intentions show in his scent? Ooops.
“Say, Lan Zhan. You’ve worked so hard all week, but isn’t there anyone to tell you to relax a little. No omega in your life to pull you away from your work for some unwinding, hmm?”
“Wei Ying”
Wei Wuxian tried (and failed) to hold in a grin at the slight exasperation in the alpha’s voice.
“Mama, who is that?”
Oh, rigth! He still had a-Yuan with him, not the time for teasing. He was supposed to be a sensible adult and role model for the next generation!
“a-Yuan this is a friend of mine, Lan Wangji. Lan Zhan this is my son, a-Yuan.”
He glanced up at the alpha to try and catch his reaction to the little pup.
The designations might have different abilities and positions in society, but there was one consensus across all three of them. Mistreatment of a pup was unacceptable.
Even so, alphas didn’t technically need to accept a pup that didn’t belong to them. Some even going as far as sending them away if they bonded with an omega with pups.
Wei Wuxian was well aware of the condescending looks and belittling remarks others made about him for being an unbonded omega with a pup. How he would be lucky if any alpha gave him the time of day.
Wei Wuxian had long ago sworn that any alpha demanding he send a-Yuan away would never be worthy of his time.
He still felt a little nervous about how Lan Wangji would react to a-Yuan. Hearing about children and seeing it for yourself were completely different things.
Things seemed to be going… Well? Neither Lan Wangji’s expression nor scent gave away any sign of the alpha holding any negative emotions towards the pup.
Did that mean he didn’t actually mind? Or maybe it was just proof that he actually wasn’t interested in Wei Wuxian in that way.
“Oh. Mama can we go now. It’s cold.”
Aiyah, this pup of his. But it was rather cold outside, and he had promised a-Yuan a cup of hot cocoa once they got back home.
As Wei Wuxian looked back towards the other man, his gaze was caught by a small café on the other side of the street.
Hmmm.
“It is cold today, you’re right. Wouldn’t it be nice with something hot to drink right about now. What do you say, Lan Zhan, want to join us for a cup of hot cocoa?”
Lan Wangji blinked down at him in surprise. He thought for a moment before nodding.
As they walked towards the café, a-Yuan was clinging to Wei Wuxian’s hand while shyly watching the alpha walking next to them. His eyes climbed up to the hat on Lan Wangji’s head.
“Do you like blue?”
The question was blurted out like a-Yuan was dying to know the answer. Wei Wuxian had to press his lips together to not chuckle at the pup.
“Mn, I do”
“Oh, good! I also like blue! But I like red as well, do you like red?! I have a hat at home that’s red. Do you like snow? I like snow!”
a-Yuan was usually a rather shy kid towards strangers. But if you successfully got him talking, he could chatter away faster than people could answer him.
Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng always said a-Yuan had inherited this feature from him. Wei Wuxian always answered that he had no idea what they were talking about.
a-Yuan continued to talk while they walked inside the café, ordered (Lan Wangji graciously paying again) and sat down.
“-and dogs are really cute too. AND cats! Wen Ning has a cat that is grey and loves pets. OH! And bunnies!!”
“I have two bunnies.”
Wei Wuxian looked up at Lan Wangji in surprise. a-Yuan lifted himself up to stand on his chair, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“You have BUNNIES?!!”
a-Yuan! Sit back down!” Wei Wuxian could no longer hold in his laughter as he gripped the shirt on a-Yuan’s back and pulled him back down. a-Yuan, for his part, barely seemed to notice.
“Do you have pictures? Can I see them?? Pleeease!”
“Mn” Lan Wangji pulled his phone out of his pocket before bringing up pictures of two fluffy bunnies munching on vegetables, one black and one white.
“Mama, look! They are so cute! And the one in black has a bow! Can I have bunnies too?”
“Ah, a-Yuan, you know we can’t have any pets right now. Maybe when you’re older.”
Before a-Yuan could get too upset, the hot cocoa and a few pastries finally arrived at the table. Lan Wangji shot him an apologetic look as he placed his phone back in his pocket.
Wei Wuxian just smiled back and shook his head.
“Since when did you have bunnies?” Wei Wuxian would never have guessed that someone like Lan Wangji would keep bunnies as pets.
He tried to imagine the inexpressive alpha sitting crisscrossed on the floor with two bunnies in his lap.
Okay, he now needed this in his life. How likely was it that Lan Xichen would sneak a picture to him if he asked nicely?
“Mm, since I was fifteen. I didn’t know the first pair was male and female, so they ended up having children.”
A new image conjured up in his mind of a helpless Lan Wangji holding multiple small baby bunnies in his lap. He laughed softly at the picture.
They drank their hot cocoa and chatted some more. When a-Yuan finished the last of his drink he slumped back in his chair and let out a big yawn. His milky scent became heavy with sleep, forcing Wei Wuxian to suppress a yawn of his own. On the other side of the table, he could see Lan Wangji hiding a small yawn behind his hand.
Right, they had already had a long day. He fussed a bit guiltily with a-Yuan’s hair before deciding to end the day.
“We should probably start heading home now. a-Yuan, say thank you for the cocoa.”
a-Yuan let out another yawn while rubbing his face.
“Thank you, Baba” He mumbled sleepily.
Wei Wuxian choked on air before his face tinted red in mortification, his scent changing with it. Glancing over the table, he could see Lan Wangji widen his eyes in surprise.
Damn children and their big mouths, someone please release him from this torment.
“a-Yuan! You can’t just say that! I’m really sorry about that Lan Zhan.”
“No worries” Lan Wangji seemed to have regained control over his expression, but his ears had gained a soft pink blush instead. His scent also seemed to hold something in it. Something like… amusement? No, that wasn’t quite it…
Before he could examine it more a-Yuan interrupted his thoughts.
“Why can’t I?!” a-Yuan pouted grumpily down at the table. “Lan Baba is nice and has bunnies! He should be my Baba.”
“…”
Wei Wuxian looked helplessly down at his pup, he could hear Lan Wangji lightly couch into his fist on the other side of the table.
a-Yuan perked up and looked up innocently at the both of them.
“So, does that mean he can be my Baba?”
“Aiyah! Enough of this, let's go home.”
Quickly, before something else embarrassing plops out of your mouth.
Wei Wuxian gave another apologetic grimace to Lan Wangji, preparing to power walk his son out of the café.
“See you later, Lan Zhan.” Unless my pup’s clinginess has managed to scare you away.
“Alright,” He seemed to hesitate momentarily before calling after them.
“Wei Ying.”
“Yes?” The alpha looked surprisingly awkward where he stood. They were too far apart for Wei Wuxian to confidently pick up any of the small changes in the alphas scent.
“Next Friday, I should be done with the extra work by then. Could we meet again?”
“Okay! YES! See you next Friday!”. He answered before he could think too hard about what the alpha had just said. Smiling back, he and a-Yuan waved goodbye before walking out the door.
○○○
Wei Wuxian had had a very stressful day. Why might you ask? Well, the answer was quite simple. In fact, it only contained two words.
Lan. Wangji.
For their first (only) date, he had dressed up expecting to charm alphas and crush hearts. For their second meeting however, he wasn’t sure what to wear.
He wasn’t even sure this was meant to be a date!
Sure, Lan Wangji had said he wanted to meet up again. But that’s all he said. Meet. For the past two weeks they had talked, he had made no other indication of actually wanting to date him.
A second meet up could be a date, but what if it wasn’t? Would Lan Wangji think he was acting too desperate if he dressed up and it wasn’t a date.
But maybe it was. Then he definitely needed to dress up, or Lan Wangji would start thinking he was a complete slob.
The solution, he considered to be the pinnacle of his 24 years of ingenuity.
Lan Wangji invited him to a place last time, so this time he’d choose the location!
He already had a plan in mind. They’d meet up at a bar, eat some low-quality food, have some drinks, and maybe move on to the next bar if things went well.
Friends went out to drink. Dates went out to drink! Perfect plan!
And Wei Wuxian could choose an outfit with the location in mind! He honestly felt like patting himself on the back for his brilliance.
So that’s how he ended up waiting outside a bar (that was not his job! He was not giving his coworkers that entertainment) for Lan Wangji to arrive.
Actually being on time this time around, he could happily greet Lan Wangji with a wave and a sunny smile. The alpha in turn softened his eyes at the happy omega in front of him.
“So, Lan Zhan. Ready to finally relax after your busy week, eh?”
He seemed to hesitate for just a second, glancing at the entrance, before giving a nod.
“Alright! Then why don’t we start by going inside to get something to eat.”
Grabbing the alpha’s arm, he was prepared to start walking inside when he sensed a hint of uncertainty in his scent. It was weak, but still there. Wei Wuxian looked curiously up at the usually impassive face.
“You all right there Lan Zhan?”
“...Mn… I. Usually don’t do this sort of thing.”
Wei Wuxian blinked up at him, prompting him to continue with a look.
“Bars. I usually spend my time home or with my brother, so this is my first time going to one.”
“OH! Well then, my dear Lan Zhan. Why don't I be your guide for the evening.”
A feeling of giddiness spread in his chest. Ideas buzzing in his mind about where the evening (or Wei Wuxian) might take them.
Grabbing the arm more securely, he once more walked towards the door. This time the alpha readily followed, his body relaxing in the omegas grip.
They walked in and sat down at a table. Removing his jacket, the humid air in the bar hit his shoulders, bared by the wide neck of his shirt. From the corner of his eyes he could see Lan Wangji glance up at him, his gaze lingered on the exposed skin before quickly averting them. Wei Wuxian suppressed the pleased smirk trying to force its way onto his lips.
Sitting down, he took in the alpha sitting opposite to him. He wore a light button up shirt, this time foregoing the jacket in an attempt at a more casual look. He still looked too overdressed for the location, or perhaps that was just him being Lan Wangji.
The only thing offsetting the effect was the slightly mussed hair from him pulling his hat off. Making him look younger and less like a businessman out for lunch.
And those arms. Wei Wuxian had guessed already that he must work out, and looking at him now~. Well, Wei Wuxian could certainly get used to the view.
Gods, he really wished he had felt them up more while pulling the man inside.
They finally got to order some deliciously greasy food, Wei Wuxian could already feel the drool collecting in his mouth. He also ordered his first beer for the evening, deciding to get things rolling. The alpha on the other hand, stuck to water once again.
That’s just fine, they have the whole evening in front of them! If Lan Wangji wasn’t a seasoned bar goer, then he might not be used to drinking a lot either. The Lan family did have some pretty puritanical (more like tyrannical) rules on what was acceptable behavior.
When the food finally arrived he had already finished his first drink and immediately ordered his next. Lan Wangji was too busy giving the slobbery mess on their plates a sceptical look to order anything for himself.
Oh well, he’d get his next chance when Wei Wuxian was ready for his third drink.
The conversation flowed easily between them with Wei Wuxian readily filling in any pauses with entertaining tales of his and a-Yuan’s adventures during the week. a-Yuan had not been able to stop talking about Lan Baba’s fluffy bunnies, the nickname bringing a blush to the alpha’s ears and sandalwood scent becoming light with amusement.
In his wild and chaotic storytelling, the omega flung his hands wildly around. With the alpha thoroughly distracted, he took his chance to swoop down for a fry on Lan Wangji’s plate, letting his wrist lightly rub against the alpha’s hand on the way.
He quickly tossed the fry into his own mouth, blinking innocently up at the stunned man. Wei Wuxian didn’t hesitate to resume his prattle, acting like nothing had happened and only receiving a bemused look in return.
The next time he saw his chance, he let his arm touch just a little bit longer as he grabbed another fry. The touch was still faint enough for there to be plausible deniability in case the alpha took offense.
The alpha however, didn’t seem to have time getting upset by the contact. His gaze too busy following the fry’s journey from the plate into the omegas expecting mouth.
The following thefts of goldenly fried crispness were accompanied by prolonged and firmer touches to the alpha’s hand and forearm, the omega angling his scent gland more directly onto the alpha with every turn.
By the end of this little game of oblivious chicken, Wei Wuxian had managed to eat a third of the alpha’s fries, and Lan Wangji had turned his wrist up so his own scent gland rubbed against the omega’s arm.
Any outsider looking in on the pair had to quickly avert their eyes at what could only be described as a truly shameless act of public scenting. They could only lament at the youth of today, blatantly showing off their necks and rubbing up on their partners.
Their savior finally arrived in the form of a server passive aggressively asking if there was anything else the couple wanted, making them turn red in embarrassment. Many silently swore to give her a giant tip at the end of the night.
Another order was quickly made, and to everyone else’s relief, they kept their hands to themselves afterward.
They were both still looking away from each other, faces tinted with a light blush, when the server came back with two shots. Wei Wuxian had already gotten a few drinks in himself and felt pleasantly buzzed, but Lan Wangji had yet to order more than a refill of water.
He decided that it was time to take matters into his own hands. And frankly, not even he was shameless enough to continue acting like this while knowing that the other man was still stone cold sober.
“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! Drink with me! It’s no fun if I’m the only one drinking tonight.”
The alpha looked down at the small glass in front of him before looking back up. Even if his face didn’t hold a new tension compared to moments earlier, the sharp change to apprehension in his scent was enough to clue Wei Wuxian in that he had missed something vital.
“Wei Ying. I don’t drink.”
“You don’t drink? Like ever?”
“The Lan family’s principles emphasize on a balance of mind and body,” He shook his head. “Eating cleanly, meditating and avoiding excess stress is encouraged in your day-to-day life.”
“Oh. Oh Gods. I’m so sorry Lan Zhan. I didn’t even think that you might not enjoy a night out like this.”
Wei Wuxian felt uncertainty wash over him and immediately dampening his mood. Of course Lan Zhan didn’t drink, he already said he didn’t go to bars.
Now Wei Wuxian was starting to feel like shit. He hadn’t even thought to ask if Lan Wangji wanted to go out like this.
“I still enjoy the evening.”
“It’s nice of you to say that, but you really don’t have to pretend for my sake, Lan Zhan. I was being selfish by not checking with you first.”
“You’re not being selfish,” Lan Wangji let out a huff, his scent shifting into clear annoyance. “I wanted to go out with you, I don’t care where we go.”
“But I am!” He could feel his own annoyance flare up. “You’ve been working hard all week and deserve to unwind, and here I am dragging you to some place that’s probably the complete opposite of that! All because I was too cowardly to ask if this was a date or not.”
He could almost cry over his own inconsideration, how was he always able to mess up things like this?
“Why wouldn’t this be a date?” The alpha slightly furrowed his brow at the rant.
“Let’s be honest here. I’m not exactly someone’s first choice for an omega, I don’t take it personally. It’s fine! I’m more than happy to be just friends!”
“I’m not.” The furrow increased. “I asked you out because I want to date you.”
“But why!”
“Because I like you.” The alpha looked almost surprised by his own confession.
Stunned, Wei Wuxian had to take a moment to figure out what to say to that. He liked him? Did he realize how little that made sense? Wei Wuxian needed to find a way to make him realize that.
“I have a kid! That doesn’t bother you at all?”
The alpha gave him a look, it was the first time since their childhood that Wei Wuxian felt like the man was actually judging him.
“I know, I’ve met him. He’s a good kid.”
Wei Wuxian felt himself momentarily preen at the acknowledgement of his pup. He really did try his best with a-Yuan, and he was glad that others could see it too.
Wait! Wei Wuxian, don’t let yourself get sidetracked. You still need to convince Lan Wangji that he’s making a mistake here!
“But you really don’t care that you wouldn’t even be my first partner?”
“I don’t care about that.”
“But why? Really! You are amazing Lan Zhan! You work so hard, and you’re so smart and kind. You could have anyone!”
“You are the only one I want.”
The alpha’s ears were bright red at the sudden eruption of compliments, but his gaze was unrelenting, meeting Wei Wuxian’s own head on.
“Aiyah, Lan Zhan. You can’t just say something like that.” Wei Wuxian felt the fight leave him as he watched the man in front of him. He really, deeply, wanted all of this to be true.
Lan Wangji looked down again at the shot still sitting on the table.
“If I drink with you, will you be convinced then?”
“Oh, Lan Zhan. You really don’t have to!” He waved his arms in front of him. “I believe you! I really do! So you don’t have to-”
Too late. The alpha had taken a deep breath of courage before taking the shot, barely grimacing at the strong taste.
Wei Wuxian held his breath, waiting for something to happen. Lan Wangji was unmoving, still holding his gaze with a burning intensity.
Then he blinked, closed his eyes, and laid his head on the table.
“...”
“Lan Zhan. Hey! Are you alright?” He gently poked the man, only receiving a deep sigh in answer.
Wei Wuxian felt warmth spreading in his chest, looking at the apparently sleeping alpha. He chuckled softly.
No way could he have ever been prepared for this. Lan Wangji was the one-shot-and-done type!
“Alright, Lan Zhan. I believe you.”
Smiling affectionately down at the alpha, he felt a sudden impulse come over him, urging him to reach out and brush some errant hairs away from the sleeping face. If he let himself lose to it for a moment, no one needed to know.
With Lan Wangji like this, it didn't seem like the night would continue. Preparing to lug the sleeping alpha back home, he fished out the other’s wallet from his pockets to pay for the food and drinks. Quickly downing his own shot, he used his phone to order a taxi for the two of them.
Pulling the jacket onto the man was out of the question, with how limp his body was. So instead he took it in his hand as he tried to support the alpha’s weight, flinging a muscled arm over his own shoulder.
They managed their way outside, tilting dangerously to one side as Lan Wangji’s head rested against his neck.
The cold air seemed to momentarily wake the alpha up, as he starts to move around in the omegas increasingly desperate grip.
Wei Wuxian felt a warm nose nuzzle into his neck, and hot, damp breath hit right on top of his scent gland. He swallows harshly, biting his lip to prevent a whimper from escaping as a shudder coursed through his body.
“Lan Zhan, stop stirring! I don’t want to accidentally drop you.”
He barely managed to get the words out before the alpha shifted his weight even further onto him, letting his lips softly brush against his neck.
Wei Wuxian felt his mind completely blank out at the sudden stimulus. Losing focus of both their balance, they tumbled into an alleyway to the side of the bar.
He felt his back hitting the brick wall, knocking the breath out of him. Lan Wangji fell against him, trying in vain to support himself against the wall next to Wei Wuxian’s head.
Once the alpha regained some of his balance, he lifted his head up far enough to hover in front of Wei Wuxian’s, their warm breaths mingling and creating white puffs of air between them.
Looking up at the alpha, his eyes met an intense gaze. Just a moment ago the man was completely unconscious, but now he’s not so sure if the alcohol had affected him at all.
Wei Wuxian stared back up into the man’s eyes, completely captivated by how the faint light from the streetlamps played with the golden color.
Swallowing thickly, he let his gaze wander down over the straight nose and high cheekbones, falling finally onto his lips.
His head should be shouting right now, but the only thought he could manage was how handsome Lan Wangji looked up close.
“Wei Ying”
A warm hand gently brushed away a strand of hair from his face. He closed his eyes as they both leaned forward over the last distance between them.
A soft press of lips touched his own. Feather light and hesitant, as if Lan Wangji wasn’t sure he’d be welcome. When Wei Wuxian instead pressed back against him, he stepped forward to push the omega up against the brick wall.
His hand shot up to support the shorter man’s head and nudge it up for a better angle.
Wei Wuxian felt his already hard-fought breath escape his lips as he was pressed up against the wall. The warm body shielding him from the cool winter air.
As the warm hand enveloped the back of his neck and pushed it up, he parted his lips to deepen the kiss.
Wei Wuxian felt like the very air in his lungs was stolen from him as Lan Wangji tried to devour him whole.
Through the haze in his kiss-addled mind he could feel the searing tracks of Lan Wangji’s other hand, as he stuck it inside his open jacket and moved it down to his lower back, pressing their bodies flush together.
The lack of oxygen finally became too much to withstand, and he had to move his head to the side, breaking their contact. The alpha, not discouraged in the slightest, continued to trail kisses against his jaw, disrupting Wei Wuxian’s focus on recovering his breath.
As the alpha reached his neck, he harshly nipped at the skin with his teeth, knocking a whimper out of the omega. The sound only seemed to encourage the alpha more as he redoubled his effort to mark the skin in front of him.
Having finally regained some oxygen flow to his brain, Wei Wuxian realized how uncomfortable the angle must be to the taller man.
“Lan Zhan, lift me up.” His voice was a breathless sound, but it seemed to be enough to catch his attention.
With a simple motion, proving his muscles weren’t just for show, Lan Wangji lifted him up. Wei Wuxian wrapped his legs around his hips and threw his arms around his shoulders for support.
The new position gave the alpha direct access to the scent gland on his neck. The jacket, having been pushed down from his shoulders, now exposed Wei Wuxian’s naked skin to the cold air.
The alpha softly kissed and nipped his way towards the omegas neck again, making him shiver and tighten his legs around the alpha. Despite the earlier rough treatment of his neck, once the alpha reached the scent gland he only let his lips gently brush against the skin.
It was enough for Wei Wuxian. He let out a breathless sound as he caught the back of the alpha’s head and wrenching it back up to catch his mouth in a harsh kiss.
Wei Wuxian bit at his lower lip, prying a gasp out of the man, who ground their hips together in return.
The friction between their lower halves finally made Wei Wuxian aware of the increasing dampness between his legs. He could feel himself leak slick down his thighs, undoubtedly staining the alpha’s pants with it as well.
Having finally regained some awareness, he could now notice how thick the air was with their mixed scents of lotus and sandalwood, stained with need and excitement.
As Lan Wangji ground into him once more, a gasp escaped him as he felt another shiver rush down his body.
Before he could be dragged under again by Lan Wangji’s intoxicating scent and warm body, he heard laughing voices walking past the entrance of the alleyway. With a surge of awareness, he remembered exactly where they were.
Oh gods, they weren’t even that far into the alley, were they? What if someone he knew walked past and saw them!
He didn’t normally have anything against sucking face with a good-looking alpha. But grinding away like this barely out of sight was a little much even for him. He (should have) standards too, you know?
“Lan Zhan. Hey, Lan Zhan. Could you let me down for a bit.”
Standing partly inside the shadows of the alleyway, they both caught their breath without saying a word. Lan Wangji’s forehead leaned heavily against his own. Looking back up at the man, he could see that his eyes were closed once again.
So maybe still a bit drunk then.
“Lan Zhan, the taxi should be here by now,” he unconsciously softened his voice at the alpha. “Do you think you can walk on your own?”
Receiving a nod, he fished up Lan Wangji’s jacket that had been dropped onto the snow during their tumble. They slowly made their way out of the alleyway, Wei Wuxian still holding onto Lan Wangji’s arm just in case.
Thankfully they quickly found their taxi, it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable for Wei Wuxian to walk normally with the rapidly cooling slick permeating his pants.
Sitting down in the car, Wei Wuxian pointedly ignored the amused look from the driver as he took in their dishevelled states and excited scents.
Wei Wuxian gave the driver Lan Wangji’s address and they started their way back in silence. Halfway there, he felt a head drop down on his shoulder. He quietly observed the face, soft and relaxed with sleep. Something fluttered in his chest at the sight, and he slowly leaned his head against the alpha’s in turn.
Arriving at their destination, he softly shook Lan Wangji awake before helping him through the building up to his apartment door. After some maneuvering to unlock the door, they were finally inside. A calming atmosphere immediately washing over them.
Wei Wuxian tried to move further inside to find someplace to unload the still heavily leaning alpha, but Lan Wangji didn’t budge.
“Shoes” came a muffled demand from the man.
With mostly closed eyes, he wavered in place as he reached down and removed his shoes. Having succeeded with his first goal, he then stumbled inside on his own accord before moving out of Wei Wuxian’s sight.
Chuckling softly to himself, Wei Wuxian removed his own shoes before walking in, admiring the tasteful decor.
Walking into a living room, he was met by a pair of feet sticking out over the edge of a sofa. Wei Wuxian silently walked up and peered over the backrest, finding Lan Wangji already passed out again while clutching a cushion to his chest.
Huffing softly, Wei Wuxian poked the man’s cheek. “Lan Zhan, don’t you have a bed here somewhere? I bet it would be a lot more comfortable to lay in instead, don’t you think?”
Lan Wangji only opened his eyes far enough to send a glare in Wei Wuxian’s direction before he burrowed his face into the cushion.
Aiyah, just like having a child. The sight reminded Wei Wuxian of the many times a-Yuan had fallen asleep on their sofa and didn’t want to move to his own bed.
Well, his pup was probably easier to coax to bed compared to the alpha in front of him.
Giving up on this losing endeavor, he instead spread a blanket over the curled-up man and fetched a glass of water for the inevitable hangover he’d have the next morning.
Having put the alpha to bed (well almost, but a success is a success) he pondered on what to do next. He should probably head home himself, but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to leave Lan Wangji alone like this.
No, he’d stay here for the night. Lan Wangji probably wouldn’t fault him for borrowing the bed, right? Seeing as he’d already occupied the sofa.
Looking around the apartment, he found an office space, a bathroom, the bedroom, and behind the final closed door a fenced off area on the floor.
Bunnies! Right! Lan Wangji had said he had bunnies. And apparently they had a whole room to themselves, such spoiled bunnies.
Wei Wuxian found the two bunnies snoozing on a soft blanket, their sleep only disturbed by small twitches in their noses and legs.
He cooed softly down at them. So cute! a-Yuan was going to become completely smitten when he sees them.
Deciding to wash away the uncomfortably dried slick on his legs before crawling down between Lan Wangji’s clean bed sheets, he walked back to the bathroom to take a shower.
Standing in front of the mirror, his eyes were caught on a few dark splotches on his neck. Looking closer, he finally recognized them as the product of Lan Wangji’s efforts outside the bar.
Oh. Oh fuck. How was he going to explain these to Jiang Yanli when he picked up a-Yuan tomorrow. What if Jin Zixuan saw them? He’d never hear the end of it!
Sighing deeply and accepting his fate, he leaned in to inspect them closer. The worst offender sat bright on the junction between his jaw and neck. But there were also smaller marks trailing all the way down onto his shoulder.
He’d have to find a turtleneck to hide all of these…
The only area not peppered with marks was, ironically, the skin above his scent gland. Wei Wuxian pouted at the mirror. What was the point of marking the neck if you didn’t mark the scent gland as well? It was not like you could create a bond just by leaving a hickey anyways.
An image popped into his mind of his neck marred with the scars of a teeth imprint. An imprint that would perfectly match Lan Wangji’s white, sharp teeth. Lan Wangji who could kiss his way down Wei Wuxian’s neck, marking it up before putting his mouth over his gland and bitin-.
Wei Wuxian slapped his hand over his neck and spun away from the mirror. No. Nope. Not even going to continue thinking about that.
His eyes fell on a neatly folded shirt on the bathroom counter. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about putting his bar clothes back on again. The pants were completely out of the question, but his own shirt wasn’t comfortable sleeping in either…
Lan Wangji surely wouldn’t mind, right? Not when Wei Wuxian had already done such a good job bringing him back home and putting him to sleep. Surely he wouldn’t be offended if Wei Wuxian borrowed his shirt for one night.
Picking up the shirt, he slowly lifted it to his nose to breathe in the scent of sandalwood. Pulling it over his head, he walked back to the bedroom and laid down in the bed. He nuzzled the pillow and felt his eyelids slowly sink down as the comforting scent of sandalwood lulled him to sleep.
○○○
When Wei Wuxian woke up again, the light shining in through the curtains indicated that the sun had barely started rising. Grumbling silently to himself for waking up so early, he turned around to fall back asleep when he saw Lan Wangji standing in the doorway.
The alpha’s hair was damp, like he had just taken a shower, and he was now standing frozen with a hand on the handle and a dazed expression on his face.
“G’mornin” Wei Wuxian mumbled sheepishly while sitting up and trying to rub the sleep from his face.
“You stayed the night.”
“Mmm. I figured I should make sure you were alright considering how quickly you keeled over last night.” A teasing smile tugged at his lips.
While Lan Wangji looked away in embarrassment, Wei Wuxian took the chance to observe him.
The man had changed out of his button-up shirt and dress pants into a plain t-shirt and sweatpants, it suited him well. Wei Wuxian got the sudden impression that he might be the only one to have ever seen the alpha this undone.
“Why are you getting up so early Lan Zhan? The sun is barely shining.” Wei Wuxian for his part wanted nothing more than burrowing back down under the warm duvet.
“I like to start my day early.”
Complete madness, that’s what it is. Not even a-Yuan woke up this early!
“Aren’t you still tired? You know, there’s no shame in sleeping in sometimes.”
Lan Wangji looked down at the bed he was laying in before looking back up at him, raising a pointed eyebrow.
Wei Wuxian felt an idea take form, smiling coyly at the alpha he leaned pack on the pillows, supporting his head with his hand. “It’s your bed Lan Zhan. Don’t let me keep you out of it.”
Lan Wangji took a step back through the door, a blush spreading onto his cheekbones. “Shameless!”
Wei Wuxian snickered and quickly jumped out of the bed, deciding to catch the alpha before he could flee out the door. He grabbed Lan Wangji’s arm and calmly drags him back towards the bed.
Lan Wangji made no move to pull himself free, instead staring wide-eyed at the omega pulling him along.
Wei Wuxian pulled up the duvet and threw it over them when they’d both laid down. Lan Wangji was still keeping a distance between them as they laid face-to-face on the pillows. Wetting his lips, he could see Lan Wangji’s gaze follow the movement, before raising again with a lot more effort.
“Why don’t you kiss me again Lan Zhan? You were being so forward last night~”
“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji looked like he didn’t know what he should do with the omega propositioning him in his own bed. The look made it hard for Wei Wuxian to keep his face straight.
“Mm? Lan Zhan.”
Huffing in indignation, Lan Wangji moved up on his elbow to look down at him. Watching his face closely, he tentatively placed his hand on Wei Wuxian’s jaw.
Wei Wuxian felt the air get stuck in his lungs as the other man slowly leaned down and let their lips touch.
He pulled back slightly to watch his expression again, seeing no objection, Lan Wangji leaned down and kissed him more firmly. Wei Wuxian leaned up to answer the kiss, letting his hand fall down on Lan Wangji’s shoulder.
The kiss didn’t grow heated and frantic like that of last night, instead it stayed slow and soft. Lan Wangji broke away to brush soft kisses across his cheek and down his neck. He moved slowly from one bruise to the next, making a shudder run down Wei Wuxian’s body.
Lan Wangji drew back to quietly observe him. His eyes were soft with fondness and his scent light with joy. Wei Wuxian felt himself melt into the touch as a hand gently caressed his cheek.
Looking back up at the alpha (his alpha) he wondered what he had done in an earlier life to deserve meeting someone like this. He thought back to Lan Wangji’s confession from last night, you are the only one I want.
Gods, how romantic. Jiang Cheng was going to retch at the sappiness of it all. “Say, Lan Zhan. When did you realize you liked me?”
Lan Wangji looked away, Wei Wuxian could almost sense the embarrassment in his scent.
“Since we were fifteen.”
He blinked, once more stunned by the alpha’s words, then a smile slowly bloomed across his face.
“Lan Zhan, Lan-er-gege. Are you telling me that all that glaring you did as a teen was because you liked me?”
Wei Wuxian laughed brightly at the annoyed scowl that crossed the alpha’s face suggesting that, yes, that was indeed the case.
In retaliation, Lan Wangji bent down to take a bite at Wei Wuxian’s upper arm, making him shout at the ticklish sensation.
“Aah, Lan Zhan! Stop! Mercy! Hahaha. I promise I won’t tease you again, haha”
He wrapped his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck to pull him down towards himself until they lay nose-to-nose, stopping any further attacks.
The alpha still held his feigned scowl a moment longer, before his face relaxes into a soft smile. Wei Wuxian smiles warmly up at him in return.
“Lan Zhan. When my next heat comes, won’t you make an honest omega out of me?”
Pressing closer together, Wei Wuxian could feel a low “Alright” against his lips before they met in another kiss.