Work Text:
Unbeknownst to either Lan Wangji or Wei Wuxian, they had evaded their original fate of early separation. Life continued on as usual in the Cloud Recesses. The disciples woke bleary eyes at dawn to drag themselves to breakfast, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian bickered and fought, while Nie Huasiang tittered behind his fan. Lan Qiren continued to lose his temper with Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian continued to get punished with more and more lines. Lan Wangji continued to oversee his punishment, and with all his elegance and dignity continued to glare Wei Wuxian into behaving.
In one such afternoon, Wei Wuxian inevitably and carelessly slumped over his desk and started pestering his stone faced fuddy duddy, as per tradition. Lan Wangji had gotten used to his nonsensical rants about whatever ridiculous thing the disciples had gotten up to; and endless stories of lotus pier. Without looking up from his book, he let out an imperceptible sigh; he had learnt there was no point in trying to stop him, that just encouraged him to talk more. Even the silencing spell couldn't daunt him, he just found different ways to bother him. There was a secret third reason he would admit to no one; despite himself, he rather enjoyed his stories and the wide, energetic way he expressed himself.
Today, the topic seemed to be 'hands' for whatever unfathomable reason. Apparently Nie Huaisang had been insisting that the reason he was so bad at the saber was because his hands were small, slender and feminine, which were not meant for fighting at all, but for painting and calligraphy. Personally Lan Wangji thought this was bullshit since all Lans in the main clan were pretty famous for their slender fingers. Either way, this had apparently sparked a fight between Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng about who had the stronger hands; which had eventually gotten so loud that Wei Ying was assigned even more lines. Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang didn't get lines because they got kneeling punishment instead. Lan Qiren had (correctly) assumed that Wei Ying would run away halfway through the punishment.
Perhaps because he was so lost in Wei Ying's story, Lan Wangji didn't see it coming when he suddenly grabbed his wrist with an excited, "Lan Zhan! Let's compare our hands! I bet mine look stronger than yours!". Lan Wangji's book fell closed on his lap. A flustered "Shameless!" burst from his lips, almost as a reflex. A blush started creeping up Lan Wangji's neck. Yet he didn't pull his hand away. Wei Ying, who had apparently taken that as permission to continue, smiled impossibly wider than he already was and rearranged Lan Wangji's hands till their palms lined up. Wei Ying's fingers were thicker than his own with broader knuckles. His own hands were long and slender, fingers sticking out over Wei Ying's.
Wei Ying's expression had switched to one of awe. He said, "Lan Zhan your hands are so beautiful. They really are a musician's hands." This was of course, a compliment he'd gotten from many instructors. Never before had his heart fluttered at those words like this. Wei Wuxian had gone on to take his hand in his and was now running his fingers over the calluses on his knuckles and palms from all the sword drills; and the ones on his fingertips from his guqin practice.
Lan Wangji was feeling rather faint. His heart was beating dangerously fast. Did friends really do this? This was practically a violation! How on earth was this acceptable to do in polite society! Wei Ying was basically fondling his hands! He realised that he has missed a lot of what Wei Ying was saying because of all the blood roaring in his ears. He was saying now, "-really amazing, your hands are still so slender despite all the sword forms you practice-"
Lan Wangji really was going to die like this. There was no way Wei Ying didn't know the effect he was having on him, he was playing with his feelings on purpose. He would die right here, and everyone would know Lan Wangji had died because Wei Ying had held his hand.
Suddenly, he realised Wei Ying had stopped talking a while ago and was just staring at his hands. The exuberant boy who had been like an open book with all his emotions on his sleeve, now held an expression that Lan Wangji couldn't decipher for the life of him. For a while they stayed like that; each looking at the other like they couldn't bear to look away. And then, slowly, almost shyly, Wei Ying brought his hand up to his mouth. Lan Wangji's heart had climbed into his throat. His ears were radiating heat, he knew they were noticeably red right now. And Wei Ying could see. Slowly he turned his gaze up from their joined hands. Two eyes as black as the night stared at him intensely, burning with something unfathomable. Then, Wei Ying closed his eyes and pressed his lips to his knuckles. The place where his lips touched his hand felt like it was burning red hot. Lan Wangji felt nothing except that spot on his hands. His heartbeat was thundering in his ears. It felt like his whole existence had been concentrated into that one spot of skin. After what was possibly a second, or a whole lifetime, Wei Ying broke the kiss and looked up at him. He has gorgeous eyelashes, Lan Wangji thought somewhat hysterically. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand back from Wei Ying's grasp.
"Shameless" he whispered and looked away; although both of them knew he didn't actually mean it.
And just like that the spell was broken. Unsteadily, Lan Wangji cleared his throat and said, "Wei Ying. Finish your lines"
"Oh- oh, yeah", it was like Wei Wuxian had forgotten why he was here in the first place. After a while, he picked up his brush and continued with his lines, uncharacteristically quiet. And if the redness on his face was from blushing, or from the orange light of the evening sun softly filtering through the window; who was to tell?