It was December 24th and Wei Wuxian was alone in the office for the second day in a row. To make rent this month, he had elected to work overtime and there was an enormous backlog of paperwork to do - he suspected he'd be here until the new year working through it.
The prospect didn't bother him too much. There wasn't anyone at home to spend Christmas with anyway.
The large office, usually jam-packed and noisy, had been deserted again when he had arrived today. He had spent ten minutes yesterday trying to get the heating to work to no avail and had eventually given up. It was even colder today.
Throughout the morning the only lights had been those around his desk and the little winter sunlight coming in through the windows but, as lunchtime approached, Wei Wuxian noticed a faint light at the other end of the office. Sat at his own desk, he squinted a little to see if he could see any movement, hoping to see someone he knew (or, in fact, someone that could fix the heating). Eventually a distant figure emerged and disappeared into the shared office kitchen. Wei Wuxian got up from his desk and followed them in.
Much to his surprise it was the chief financial officer, Lan Wangji, in the kitchen making tea. While his name was well known, very few people that Wei Wuxian knew had ever spoken to him - as an executive, Lan Wangji had a private corner office from which he rarely emerged.
Wei Wuxian made his way to the coffee machine, privately stealing glances. He was especially surprised to see how young he was - close to his own age. Had he known an executive would be in the office, he might have dressed a little more smartly. Lan Wangji looked immaculate, in a navy suit and tie.
'Cold, isn't it?' Wei Wuxian offered, smiling. Lan Wangji looked at him suddenly, as if he only just realised there was someone else in the room. He didn't return the smile. 'Looks like the heating is broken,' Wei Wuxian explained.
Lan Wangji turned back to his tea. 'Have you reported it?' he asked quietly.
'There's nobody here to report to,' Wei Wuxian replied cheerfully.
'Maybe you should go home', Lan Wangji suggested and left the kitchen.
Wei Wuxian frowned. As he grumpily headed out the kitchen, he inadvertently knocked himself into the doorway, lost his grip and the scalding coffee tipped back onto him.
'Fuck!' he jumped backwards instinctively and slammed the back of his head into the fridge.
Seemingly having heard the noise, Lan Wangji returned and stood at the doorway watching him for a moment. Then he picked the empty coffee cup off the floor and put it in the bin.
'Take your shirt off,' he said. Wei Wuxian looked back incredulously, panicked and a little dizzy from having hit his head. Seeing that he wasn't obeying, Lan Wangji approached him, until he was face to face. He reached out a hand and touched the hem of the shirt, then looked up, waiting for approval.
Wei Wuxian nodded, wincing and holding onto his head.
Slowly, Lan Wangi peeled off the shirt, checking to see that it was not stuck to the skin. He gently pulled it over Wei Wuxian's head and allowed him to take his arms out. Wei Wuxian watched him as he studied the burn.
'It's red but not blistering,' he said. 'You should run it under cold water but there's no shower here.' He straightened up and looked at Wei Wuxian. 'Do you live nearby?'
'No,' Wei Wuxian said, 'but I can always go and stand outside. It's probably below freezing.'
Unexpectedly, Lan Wangji walked off. Wei Wuxian, puzzled for a moment, started to hobble back to his desk, when Lan Wangji reappeared. He had his briefcase and keys.
'I'll take you home.' He paused, took off his suit jacket and handed it to Wei Wuxian. Then walked off. Wei Wuxian followed behind, a little dazed, putting on the jacket.
The cold was refreshing but became biting very quickly. Unsurprisingly, Lan Wangji's car was white and beautifully sleek. Wei Wuxian entered nervously, feeling out of place. He felt like he was the scruffiest thing in the car.
Who keeps their car this clean?! He thought.
Lan Wangji remained silent as he drove. As they entered an unfamiliar neighbourhood, Wei Wuxian realised he hadn't given his address.
'Sorry, I-this is the wrong way,' he began, feeling foolish.
'We're going to my house,' Lan Wangji said. He noticed that Wei Wuxian was still holding his head.
'What happened to your head?' he asked.
'I hit it on the fridge,' Wei Wuxian said.
Lan Wangji entered a driveway and parked up. He switched the engine off and looked at Wei Wuxian.
'You didn't tell me that.' Wei Wuxian didn't answer. He was starting to feel sick.
Lan Wangji got out of the car and opened Wei Wuxian's door for him. The both entered the house into a hallway which, much like the car, was white and spotless. It smelled of clean linen.
'Bathroom is down the hall on the right. Run cold water over the burns. There are towels in the cabinet by the sink.'
Wei Wuxian nodded slowly, taking off his shoes. He wasn't sure if cold water would do much good now. He stumbled towards the bathroom still holding his head.
'Be careful,' Lan Wangji added quietly. 'You hit your head so I'll check on you in half an hour.' He disappeared through adoor.
Wei Wuxian entered the bathroom and closed the door. He considered locking it for a moment, but decided against it. He undressed and walked into the ensuite. There were three separate shower heads, which was confusing for anyone, even if they hadn't hit their head.
He was playing around with the controls, trying to keep the water cold and suddenly a jet of icy water sprayed from overhead. He awkwardly manoeuvered himself, trying to avoid it hitting his head and wash over his burnt chest instead.
The relief was instantaneous.
He stood under the jet for a few moments, processing the last hour. He felt embarrassed, standing in the shower of a stranger's house. Lan Wangji was an important man with plenty of responsibilities - what an imposition to drag him out of the office because he was stupid enough to spill coffee. It would probably be best to leave as soon as possible.
He dried himself off and put his jeans back on but realised he didn't have a shirt. It would be silly to put the suit jacket back on. He left the bathroom, suit jacket and towel in hand.
Walking around the giant and unfamiliar house made Wei Wuxian feel like he was breaking and entering. It occurred to him that someone else might be here - maybe even a wife or child. It was Christmas after all. He didn't want to run into anyone so he snuck as quietly as he could down the hall and into the room that Lan Wangji had disappeared into.
The room was large and looked like a study or a library. It was spacious and neat with one wall taken up by a large bookcase carrying what looked like hundreds of books. There was a large white sofa with a small coffee table housing a little green plant. There was also a desk, where Lan Wangji was currently sat writing in a notepad.
'There's a shirt on the couch,' Lan Wangji said. Wei Wuxian picked up a soft while polo from the couch and put it on, feeling like he had recovered an ounce of dignity now with a shirt on.
'Seems much more comfortable here than in the office,' Wei Wuxian said sitting down on the couch. 'Why did you come into the office?'
Lan Wangji ignored the question. 'How are you feeling?' he asked.
'Better. The cold water really helped but my head still hurts.'
Lan Wangji got up from the desk and walked over to where Wei Wuxian was sitting.
'Can I see your head?' He asked, standing over him. Wei Wuxian wasn't sure what exactly he was going to check for.
'Where does it hurt?' Lan Wangji asked. Wei Wuxian put a hand over where he had banged it. He felt gentle fingers move his hair out the way and a few warm breaths on his scalp and neck.
'It didn't bleed but you could have a concussion. You should rest.'
'Thank you doctor,' Wei Wuxian laughed. The word concussion seemed to bring about a sleepy feeling. 'But I need to get back to work.'
'You shouldn't.'
'I have a lot of work to do before the new year,' Wei Wuxian said standing up. His stomach lurched a little with the motion. He was surprised to see Lan Wangji's expression had changed from the calm and indifferent man he had seen all day. He looked a little helpless.
'But you can drive me back,' Wei Wuxian grinned. He cheerfully took a few steps forward, before he abruptly felt a wave of nausea rise up from his stomach.
Oh god, he thought, don't throw up here.
He instinctively wrapped an arm around his stomach and it stung back viciously, reminding him of the burn. He felt the nausea turn to lightness in his head and then everything went black.
When he woke up, it was dark outside. He was lying down on the same couch but the room was lit up with a soft warm glow now and the blinds were drawn. The smell of ginger and lemon wafted up from a cup on the coffee table next to him.
He sat up and picked up the cup of tea from the coffee table. It was lukewarm.
Lan Wangji walked in with a tray. He was now wearing jeans and white t-shirt himself. Wei Wuxian thought to himself that he kind of missed the suit.
'I've caused a lot of trouble for you today,' Wei Wuxian said. 'You've been helping me, a stranger, for no reason. 'You didn't even ask if there was someone else who could take care of me.'
Lan Wangji walked over and put the tray down, which had two cups of tea. He picked one up and sat down on the couch by Wei Wuxian.
'I needed some time away from the office to think,' he began. 'I want to trust you with something. Because you're concussed and because,' he paused, 'I need to talk it through with someone.'
Wei Wuxian picked up a cup of tea. 'Ginger is good for nausea,' he said. Lan Wangji ignored this.
'Do you have many friends in the office?' he asked. It wasn't a question Wei Wuxian was expecting. He shrugged.
'Everyone gets along. Some more than others,' he replied.
'I received a message,' Lan Wangji said, looking straight ahead. 'It was from an unknown colleague.'
'What did it say?' Wei Wuxian asked. Lan Wangji didn't ignore him this time, but seemed to struggle to verbalise what he wanted.
'Someone wants money. In exchange for hiding some secrets about me.'
This seemed very dramatic to Wei Wuxian. He wasn't sure how to respond.
'Can you help me find out who sent it?' Lan Wangji asked.
'With respect, I probably can't,' Wei Wuxian said, putting the cup of tea down on the table, 'you're a senior exec, it's more likely to be someone on your level than someone I know.'
Lan Wangji thought this over. 'Yes,' he said quietly. They sat silently for a minute, sipping tea.
'Hey, it's Christmas eve,' Wei Wuxian said brightly. 'Let's have a drink!'
Lan Wangji considered this and got up from the couch and left the room. He returned carrying another tray with a bottle of wine and two glasses that he put down on the coffee table.
He uncorked the wine and poured a glass which he handed to Wei Wuxian. He then poured one for himself.
'Do you live alone?' Wei Wuxian asked.
Lan Wangji nodded.
'Me too. I was going to go to a bar tonight to celebrate Christmas eve but,' he raised his glass, 'this is nicer.'
For the first time, he saw a tiny smile emerge on Lan Wangji's lips. Wei Wuxian felt gleeful.
'You shouldn't drink too much,' Lan Wangji said. 'You'll feel sick again.'
Wei Wuxian was used to being told not to drink too much.
They sat together drinking wine quietly. It felt comfortable and warm to Wei Wuxian, a rare and private moment that he was sharing with someone. He felt an urge to lean over and rest his head on Lan Wangji's shoulder. He looked up at Lan Wangji's face hoping to find a clue that the urge might be reciprocated, but Lan Wangji looked deep in thought.
'If you want, I can help you investigate the message you received,' Wei Wuxian said. 'I'm not sure how much help I can be but two heads are better than one right?'
Mostly, he just wanted a reason for Lan Wangji to talk to him again when this night was over. Unexpectedly, Lan Wangji gave a little laugh and then swayed towards Wei Wuxian.
'Are you drunk?' Wei Wuxian asked incredulously. Lan Wangji nodded and smiled at him. Wei Wuxian had been half hoping Lan Wangji would drive him home later.
'Lan Wangji you-'
'Call me Lan Zhan,' Lan Wangi mumbled.
Wei Wuxian took a deep breath, 'Lan Zhan, you should have told me you were a lightweight. I don't know how I'm going to get home.'
'Stay here,' Lan Zhan said. 'Stay with me.'
Wei Wuxian was speechless.
'Someone needs to look after you,' Lan Zhan said, nodding to himself. 'Because of your concussion.'
'Who's going to be looking after who,' Wei Wuxian mumbled.
Lan Wangji was still swaying, but then stopped and put his head on Wei Wuxian's shoulder. He shuffled around, trying to get comfortable. Wei Wuxian froze.
'What's your name?' Lan Wangji asked.
It hadn't occurred to Wei Wuxian that he hadn't told him his name. What a strange series of events to have gone through without knowing someone's name. He considered for a moment.
'Wei Ying,' he said.
'Wei Ying,' Lan Wangji mumbled into Wei Wuxian's shoulder, 'let's go to sleep.'
Wei Wuxian gently helped Lan Wangji manoeuvre so that he was lying down on the couch. He watched him for a few moments, then laid down next to him, careful not to let him touch his sore torso. He felt Lan Wangji's hand on his shoulder moving down clumsily until it reached his hand. Wei Wuxian nervously intertwined his fingers.
'Goodnight Wei Ying.'
Wei Wuxian's throat was dry, 'sleep well Lan Zhan.'