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Wei Wuxian even agrees that this probably wasn’t his best idea. He stares after Lan Wangji’s retreating form, heart ripped out and on display for their classmates to see. Wei Wuxian could have handled confessing to his best friend a little better. Lan Wangji deserved a proper confession, preferably in the comfort of their shared apartment; more intimate and personal than blurting it out on April Fools’ Day for everyone to see.
He realizes with regret as Lan Wangji gets further and further from him how stupid this idea was. He hadn’t said anything. Nothing at all. He simply glared at Wei Wuxian with a look he hadn’t seen from the other since they met. Before he could get a word out, Lan Wangji had leveled him with that cold and distant look before leaving him alone is his regret.
His eyes stung and his heart barely thumped against his tight chest as he gathered what was left of his dignity and quickly walked in the opposite direction. The last thing he ever wanted was for Lan Wangji to be hurt by him and he knew, oh so very well, that his sharp gaze was meant purely and only for Wei Wuxian.
He felt as if they were back where they started.
___
“Jiang Cheng it’s a great idea.”
He received a well deserved eye roll at that.
“Come on trust me for once! If I confess my feelings and Lan Zhan doesn’t feel the same then I’ll just tell him it’s a joke right after,” he says shrugging.
In his mind asking his best friend out on April Fools’ Day was one of the safer options. At least if he were to get rejected he could just play it off. Right?
The sight of a sleep deprived Wen Qing pulled him out of his thoughts.
“QING QING,” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, hopping towards her.
She winced at the volume of his voice.
“I’m going to ask Lan Zhan to be my boyfriend and then tell him it’s a joke,” he happily stated, lips tugged into a blinding smile.
Wen Qing raised an eyebrow at that.
“Haha you know...if he rejects me.”
He probably should have mentioned that first.
Wen Qing let out an audible sigh and turned to Jiang Cheng.
“Did you encourage this,” she questioned.
His brother let out an offended scoff at the accusation.
“No, but once this idiot is set on something it’s hard to stop him.”
Jiang Cheng received a sharp elbow to the ribs at that; resulting in a full out war between the brothers.
Little did Wei Wuxian know that the man in question had stumbled upon the trio right as Wei Wuxian mentioned asking Lan Wangji out as a joke. But before Lan Wangji could hear Wei Wuxian explain it all to the newcomer, he turned, putting distance between him and the man who thought of him as a joke.
___
It took Wei Wuxian almost half a day to find Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian had memorized the others' schedule down to the T. He waited outside of Lan Wangji’s classes, but never managed to catch a glimpse of the other. Wei Wuxian even checked the places he liked to hang out during his down time but there was still no luck.
As the day progressed, Wei Wuxian began to worry. Did he go home early? He couldn’t have. At least not without telling the other before hand. Today had been the first day in a while they hadn’t traveled to campus together.
Wei Wuxian had left the apartment in a rush, tripping over his shoes as he threw a quick, ‘see you later,” over his shoulder before stumbling out the door. Too anxious and excited to wait for Lan Wangji’s response.
He checked his messages to see if he had any responses to the texts he had sent the other.
His stomach dropped as his eyes landed on the small ‘read’ under his messages.
Lan Wangji never ignored his messages.
A wave of panic rushed through him. He had to find him.
It wasn’t but another few minutes until his eyes landed upon Lan Wangji’s broad figure a short distance ahead of him.
Now was his chance.
“Lan Zhan!”
The other’s steps faltered momentarily at the call of his name, but then became even quicker.
Wei Wuxian frowned, wondering if Lan Wangji had even heard him.
When he caught up to the other, he reached out gently grasping Lan Wangji’s shoulder pulling him to a stop.
He hesitantly stopped walking as Wei Wuxian breathed deeply next to him.
His golden gazes flared like the sun as he shifted his eyes down to where Wei Wuxian had his shirt bunched between his fingers.
Wei Wuxian let out a nervous laugh as he released the others shirt, trying to smooth out the wrinkled cloth.
“Ah Lan Zhan I’ve been looking for you everywhere…”
“I know.”
The other’s voice was emotionless as his gazes focuses anywhere but the man beside him.
Wei Wuxians heart drops at the words.
‘So he was avoiding me.’
He lets out another laugh as he scratches at the back of his head.
“Lan Zhan…”
His voice is terribly strained and he hopes the other doesn’t pick up on it.
“I have something I need to tell you.”
And that’s when the flood gates open.
Wei Wuxian screams his confession at Lan Wangji causing the other to tense up.
We Wuxian remembers saying something about loving the other for years and wanting to date him but the rest is mostly a blur.
His eyes are shut and fists clenched; afraid to look at Lan Wangji.
He can feel the rejection coming.
But it never does.
Wei Wuxian peaks one eye open and sees that Lan Wangji’s gaze is now leveled on him.
His eyes were cold and face expressionless as he started at Wei Wuxian’s trembling form.
And then he left.
He walked away, the crowd that had surrounded them at some point parting to let the other through.
If there was one thing Wei Wuxian never wanted to do it was to hurt the man that he loved the absolute most. But that look, he had seen that look before. The look Lan Wangji gave when he…hated him.
A glance at the others retreating form was all it took for Wei Wuxian to break down.
—
He had spent hours wandering the streets.
His mind was focused on the look in Lan Wangji’s eyes after he confessed.
Wei Wuxian never thought that confessing his feelings would lead to this. He thought that it if Lan Wangji were to look slightly uncomfortable at his confession that he could just play it off as a joke, but he wasn’t even given a chance to do that.
That emotionless look was an answer in itself.
Which is why Wei Wuxian is currently hesitating to enter their shared space.
His lips stung as he nervously played with them. He let himself linger only a second longer before he forced himself to enter their shared apartment.
His eyes landed on the other as he entered.
Wei Wuxian’s body screamed at him to run but he just cleared his throat and shut the door behind him.
Lan Wangji’s gaze never left his book as the other entered the room.
Wei Wuxian’s eyes stung.
The air was thick between them. Wei Wuxian felt his throat tighter the longer he stood there.
“Lan Zha—,”
He snapped his book shut at the other’s voice.
Before he could blink, his best friend was up and making his way past a distraught Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian quickly grabbed his arm before he could get any further.
“Lan Zhan, please,” his voice broke.
It was silent between them.
Lan Wangji didn’t move or try to break away from the other, however, his shoulders fell with a deep exhale .
Lan Wangji had never yelled at him before, but Wei Wuxian was afraid he was about to experience it for the first time.
“Wei Ying.”
His voice was tight as he uttered the trembling man’s name.
“L-Lan Zhan...I-.”
“Am I a joke to you?”
Wei Wuxian blinked at that.
How could Lan Zhan ever think...oh…
Wei Wuxian panicked.
“I heard you,” he whispered.
Wei Wuxian stared at the back of his head in confusion. When did Lan Wangji hear him? Wei Wuxian would never think of Lan Wangji as a—
His eyes widened in realization.
A second passed before he spoke.
“I love you,” he blurted out.
He watched as Lan Wangji’s fists clenched at his side.
“Wei Ying I—.”
“I love you. It’s not a joke. You’re not a joke. It never was,” he quickly spoke.
Lan Wangji hesitantly turned to him then.
The sight of his red eyes and small worry between his brow sent a pain through Wei Wuxian’s chest.
Lan Wangji’s eyes fell to the floor, “But you said..”
He glances over the other’s crestfallen face and takes it into his hands before kissing him. Lan Wangji’s mouth froze at the press of lips against his but then soon returned Wei Wuxian’s kiss with fever..
When they reluctantly broke apart, Wei Wuxian sat Lan Wangji down and explained everything.
“I was afraid of being rejected.”
That earned him a soft flick to his skull and a small kiss over the reddened skin right after.
“Ridiculous.”
—
After several kisses and soft touches, Wei Wuxian properly asked Lan Wangji to be his with the moonlight as their witness.
He received a small, “Mn,” before he was guided back to those warm inviting lips.
It turned out they were both fools; fools in love.