Work Text:
He smiled seeing another tiny bouquet of wild flowers and small note on his desk. He was fast to hide the note in a drawer and put the flowers next to the one given to him yesterday in a small jar, before his first students started flooding the classroom. He set up everything and looked at the clock. He still had five minutes before he needed to start the lecture so he took the note from the drawer and walker do the back room of the class where all the art equipment was stored.
I thought that clover flowers are going to suit you today.
He smiled at the note looking back at the white delicate flowers. Yesterday he got some purple and white violets. He pulled himself from his thoughts and walked out to start his lecture about impressionist movement.
He sat at his usual table next to Guangyao taking his lunch out.
“ Where is Mingjue?” He asked his friend. Guangyao swallowed his food locking his phone to look at him.
“ He was talking about an exam today so probably he is letting his students to have some extra time” he said finally and Xichen nodded his head remembering that his friend was talking about preparing an exam for this week so it must be today.
“ What was it today?” Guangyao asked taking Xichen by surprise.
“ What?” He whispered not being sure about what his friend is asking him. Guangyao rolled his eyes and pushed his unfinished sandwich to the side. “ About you secret admirer. What he got you today?” He asked again and Xichen could feel his cheeks warm up.
“We don’t know if this person is a he” he whispered and his friend rolled his eyes.
“ It’s not a woman everyone knows you are a gay disaster” Guangyao said and Xichen made a offended noise. “ So?” He pushed. Xichen sighed.
White gloves” he said finally and Guangyao smiled.
“ And a note?” He pushed again and before Xichen could answer, Mingjue walked into teachers room, hands full of papers.
“ Sorry I’m late” he said falling on the chair next to Xichen.
“ It’s fine. How was the exam, big man?” Guangyao asked and Mingjue shoot him a warning glare and Xichen laughed.
“ I hope those two who took ten minutes of my break didn’t write some bullshit because if so I’m gonna fail them” he said taking his sandwich from his bag. Xichen just smiled, he knew it was empty threat from his friend side.
“ Xichen got gloves today did you know?” Guangyao asked and Xichen just sighed as Mingjue looked at him curious.
“ Yeah? Are they nice?” He asked.
“ Yeah, they are really pretty” Xichen said with a smile and took a sip of his tea. Guangyao took this as a sing that his friend was done talking about it and started talking about a new gossip but Xichen could feel Mingjue eyes linger on him for a little longer before shifting to his other friend.
He didn’t remember when all of it started. One day he walked into his classroom and there were meadow flowers on his desk and a sweet short note. For the first time he thought it was one of his students, but then he thought that not one of them is the type to not say their mind into existence and also they were very busy. He doubted that they were having enough time to go to some mead to pick flowers for him before his classes. So he started to look at university staff. Teachers and people working there but he couldn’t be certain who it was. Sure madam Jane who was the one responsible for keeping safe every key to every room in this university was sweet and fun but she also was almost seventy years old so her Xichen could exclude. She also was a widow and loved to talk about her husband. And also - as Guangyao said before - Xichen is very gay and it shows. Even if he doesn’t mean to. Somehow everyone knows before he could tell them. In the beginning he wasn’t so stuck on finding who was his secret admirer, just enjoying the attention and beautiful flowers. But then the notes could say how pretty Xichen looks while painting, how the person loves how passionate he is about art and his classes or how his laugh brightens his day, and Xichen got curious. He wanted to know who was paying so much attention to him, not used to that. He felt kinda creeped out about some person watching him but if it was a person in the university ground it wasn’t hard to hear him laughing or see him painting so he was just curious. Who was this person, who would wake up rather early to go to meadow - because they are living in the city so he figured out that this person has to drive some time to find a place. He wanted to know but he was not sure how he could do that. Once he left a note on his desk before going home thinking that maybe this person would look and answer him but the note was left with a smiley face and as always the admirer own note and flowers. He wanted to ask for help from his friends. He didn’t ask Mingjue because he somehow thought that the older would not be very useful so he asked Guangyao. The letter on the other hand almost bought a dozen of cameras to set in his classroom but Xichen was fast to cancel the order and saying that he would figure this out on his own. But he was getting frustrated.
When he walked to his classroom he stopped in his track while he saw what was lying on his desk. There were some blue flowers but what made him stop were the green leafs that accompanied the blue flowers. Xichen was sure it was nettle. He looked around and found a dirty cloth that he wrapped his hand with and took the three springs of nettle and throw them into bin. He looked at the note, saying that the flowers reminded the person of Xichen blue pendant he always wore. It was his family pendant with could motifs in the same shade of blue like the flowers but Xichen was concerned. Because he was sure that the person was stung by the nettle. But he couldn’t think more about it as the first pupil walked into the classroom.
On his lunch he didn’t talk about the nettle because he knew Guangyao would laugh at this and he was really worried about that person. It must hurt a lot. Mingjue was already next to Guangyao when he walked in and at first glance Xichen didn’t notice it. When they were talking about something he looked at Mingjue and he was covering his right hand. Xichen wanted to ask about it but then the headmaster called for his friend to go to his office and he was gone. Xichen could almost see the red of his skin on his palm.
The next day when he walked into his classroom there were yellow flowers and an envelope. He took the envelope first because it was put on the flowers and quickly read the letter. Once again he could feel his cheeks heat up but also his nerves were soothed because his admirer admitted that he stung himself on the nettle but is alright now. Xichen let a little chuckle at this note and folded the letter. And there were the flowers. Sow-thistle were laying on his desk, their cut stems staining a little one of his papers. He smiled down thinking that maybe now he can confirm his suspicions.
He walked slowly. Today is Friday which means that Guangyao has to leave early their lunch break to get to one of laboratories in the city center for his biology studies, so Mingjue and Xichen would go to the nearby park to eat their lunch together. He was just going to turn a corner when he saw his friend run to his car, he waved in his direction. Guangyao just nodded his head when he was throwing all his stuff in the backseat of his car. Xichen smiled and started walking faster to the park.
was already sitting at the bench when Xichen entered the park. He was rubbing his right hand and even from the distance Xichen could see a yellow stain on the same hand and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. This brought Mingjue attention to him and he looked at him lost. Xichen sat next to him and took a deep breath to stop himself from laughing.
“ Guangyao already left?” Mingjue asked and Xichen just nodded.
“ A hand cream is not going to help with nettle sting you know? You should use lemon” Xichen said taking out his lunch. Mingjue opened his mouth but no words left them and also Xichen was not looking at him still amused smile on his face. “ And a stain from sow-thistle will fade soon as to your pants I think a good wash will do the job” he finished and when he looked at his friend Mingjue face was red and his mouth still hanging open. Xichen laughed again.
“ Xichen I’m sorry” he finally said and the other looked at him surprised.
“ What for?” He asked and Mingjue let out a long sigh.
“ I wanted to tell you earlier but then I just thought that us being friends is gonna be better so I just started to leave those notes because I would get so overwhelmed and I was- I don’t know I thought that maybe thanks to this couring you would like me like I like you” he said and Xichen smiles.
“ You were courting me? I thought that courting was done in a way that both people were aware of it” Xichen said and Mingjue just hang his head hiding his face from Xichen. “ Hey… I accepted your courting… I guess? That’s what I am supposed to say? You are the history teacher here, help me?” Xichen said and Mingjue looked at him shocked. “ What?” He asked.
“ Are you joking?” Mingjue asked and Xichen shook his head taking Mingjue injured and stained hand in his.
“ I do like you very much too Mingjue, and your courting technic as very strange, it was also very successful “ he said and kissed Mingjue hand.
“ I hate you” Mingjue whispered embarrassed and Xichen laughed.
“ I thought that you like me!” He said and the older smiled at him, a slight blush still present on his freckled face and Xichen was very happy. He kissed his cheek and made fun of him a little more for picking a nettle for him. Mingjue pinched his cheek for that but for the rest of their lunch they were holding hands.
The next day at university when Guangyao walked into teachers room and saw Xichen almost sitting on Mingjue lap with the older one face red as tomato he could only sigh tired and whisper “finally” before walking up to them.