Destined || Xicheng Oneshots

The Art of Being Loved (Fin~)

After that incident at the mayor's house, Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng had grown closer. Jiang Cheng thought they might be friends as they depended on each other quite a lot but that was dismissed one day when he overheard, Lan Xichen talking about him with his friend, Nie MingJue.

- - - - 

"Xic---" Jiang Cheng gently pushed open Lan Xichen's office but stopped immediately when he heard his name being called by the Nie. 

"Jiang Wanyin is your friend. That's an improvement." 

Jiang Cheng watched as Lan Xichen sighed. "But I don't want to be his friend---" 

Jiang Cheng slowly moved away from the door. So he was just crazy, and Lan Xichen really didn't want to be his friend. Everything was just his own illusion. Jiang Cheng felt hurt, but he didn't know why. Lan Xichen was his boss, there was no need to be friends with him. All they had was a pure, boss and employee relationship. 

He waited a moment before knocking on the door. As soon as he heard the come in, Jiang Cheng rushed to set the papers on the desk, while not bothering to make eye contact with Lan Xichen. He flashed Nie MingJue a quick smile and a hello and rushed back out the door. 

God! What was he even thinking? 

- - - - 

Lan Xichen though, didn't fail to notice how Jiang Cheng was avoiding him for quite a while now. All his invites for a dinner were declined and the younger barely looked him in the eye anymore. 

Lan Xichen pulled his hairs out, trying to figure out what he did wrong, but he couldn't get anything. He knew the best option was to ask Jiang Cheng, but the younger wouldn't even talk to him. 

Gosh! It was so frustrating. 

But he couldn't just wait around and do nothing about it. By the time he finally get's Jiang Cheng to open up to him, even Nie Mingjue would have gotten grey and old, with a wife and grandkids! Lan Xichen didn't even think that was possible. 

"Well, someone's got grey hair already. Oh, but your only thirty Xichen." 

Lan Xichen sighed as he lifted his head to see Mingjue walk in the room with a folder. His friend used every chance he got to enhance his age. 

"It's about that secretary isn't it?" 

"He's been ignoring me, since your last visit, and I can't fucking figure out why!" 

"Dude, your dumber than a rock. The twig overheard you saying "I don't want be his friend--" from our conversation that day." 

"But - that's not what I - " 

"I know dumbass. But he left before he heard you say the rest. But you also could have added a 'just' in there, you know." 

"Fucking hell." 

- - - - 

"Damn papers." Jiang Cheng cursed as he rummaged through the office supply closet for blank white papers because they ran out of them back int he meeting room. How do you run out of papers during a meeting?

"What did the papers do A-Cheng?" A voice mumbled beside him, scaring the shit out of Jiang Cheng. 

"Fucking hell, Lan Xichen. You scared the life out of me." 

"So now you talk to me." 

Jiang Cheng swallowed a ball of saliva. Their current position was not best for body nor mind. He was backed up against a wall, with Lan Xichen inches away from him. Clearly not the best situation. His heart was beating abnormally fast and he was so sure you could hear it. 

"I-I  - " 

"That day, with Mingjue. I did not mean I don't want to be your friend." 

Jiang Cheng frowned. He hated thinking about that day. He hated it, with a passion. 

"Let go of me." 

"Listen to me. 

"No- I--" 

Lan Xichen grabbed Jiang Cheng's wrist pinning it to the wall behind him.

"Jiang Wanyin. If you could listen instead of leaving halfway, there wouldn't even be a misunderstanding." 

The older man took a deep breath, letting go of the younger's wrist.

"I don't want to be his friend....I want to be his lover, his boyfriend - I want to be his." 

"That's what you should've heard, that's what I wished you would've heard when you heard that conversation." 

Jiang Cheng simply stared at him with wide eyes, his heart pumping blood faster and faster. 

"I like you A-Cheng. We met recently. A couple months ago. We're only getting to know each other and I don't think I see you much outside of work either. You don't have to like me now, you probably don't anyway, but I think it's a good idea to get to know each other more...you know outside of work. How does that sound?" 

Jiang Cheng smiled. I do like you now.

"I think that sounds wonderful." 

Lan Xichen gave Jiang Cheng a huge smile and a rub crushing hug before whispering in his ear. 

"How does Sunday at that cafe near Caiyi sound?"

"Perfect," 

"It's a date then." Jiang Cheng smiled as he felt Lan Xichen giggle against his body.

"But if you don't stop crushing my ribs I don't think I'll be alive enough to make it there." 

Lan Xichen made a fake crying noise as he pulled away and grasped Jiang Cheng by his hand, leading him out the closet door. Jiang Cheng smiled as he felt his world lighten. 

Love is nice. 

~THE END~