@anaphoricae: omg wait what ifit's April Fo...

omg wait what if
it's April Fools day, but LWJ doesn't know or care about it

He decides to confess his love for his friend WWX, and it just so happens to be April 1st

It also just so happens to be the worst possible day to confess.

LWJ isn't aware, so he plans a whole thing

He's so nervous about it. He plans it for weeks. What he'll wear, what they'll do, what he'll say. He can take WWX to all of his favorite places, things they don't usually do together because WWX always says "nah Lan Zhan, I know you don't like that! Let's just sit and hang out!"

He decides to go all in on it. Show everything. Every tiny smile and reaction he usually keeps hidden. No having a mean attitude towards WWX this time so he doesn't notice his feelings. This time he's gonna GO for it.

So he calls WWX the day before and asks if he wants to go out tomorrow.
He knows his voice sounds uncharacteristically shaky, and WWX notices it too, because he laughs a little before saying

"... Yeah. Sure. Okay. Let's go out tomorrow."

(Please don't ask me why I'm having April Fool's thoughts in November. I don't know either. Time isn't real, we're in a pandemic, etc)

When April 1st comes, LWJ brings WWX flowers. He never gave him flowers before, and WWX eyes them suspiciously before taking them. He does it carefully, with the tips of his fingers, before shoving them in LWJ's face and saying "You smell first."

LWJ doesn't understand why, but he does as asked.

"Hmm," WWX says. And then, mysteriously, "I guess it wouldn't be that easy, huh?"

LWJ blinks at him. He has no idea what he means. WWX finally smells the flowers and smiles, so LWJ thinks everything is okay again.

So he does everything he knows WWX loves. They have lunch at his favorite restaurant, with all the spicy food LWJ only endures.

WWX also eyes the food suspisciously, but his eyes go all wide and excited as soon as he eats it.
"It isn't the food either! This tastes delicious."

LWJ doesn't agree that the food tastes delicious. But seeing WWX's smile is worth a little burn.

When they enter the amusement park, WWX stops him at the gates.

"You know doing it here would be dangerous, right?" he asks. "You wouldn't do it here."

LWJ freezes.

He searches WWX's face. Has he found out about his feelings? Is he... expecting a confession, somehow? His eyes are hesitant, but not exactly in a bad way. Maybe...

"Do what?" LWJ says, because of course, he panics.

WWX laughs at him.
"Right. Do what indeed? I have no idea."

They have an amazing day. At some point, WWX stops glancing sideways at him, and just starts being himself and enjoying their time there.

LWJ finally relaxes.

LWJ is surprised to find out he doesn't actually hate the rides. He wouldn't go by himself, but the rush of them, paired with WWX's loud laughter...
He could do with having this regularly. It wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

He buys WWX all the plushies he asks for, even when they lose the game. WWX leans into him, and hugs his arm, and playfully dabs icecream on his nose.

It's perfect.

Except.

At some point during their date - because that's what it is, isn't it? a date - LWJ tries taking WWXs hand.

He does this because
1-he doesn't want the confession to happen so suddenly. He thinks he should hint at it, just in case
2-he really, REALLY wants to

It doesn't go well.

LWJ laces their fingers together, and WWX's entire body goes rigid. His face changes.

"Lan Zhan," he gives him a fake laugh, and gently pries his hand away. "That's... I mean. I'm up for all of this, but... Not that. Just not this, okay?"

LWJ's heart aches in his chest, but he tries to understand. WWX doesn't have to be comfortable with the idea of showing anything in public. They can be as they always were, and just... not have this. Not hold hands.

"I understand," he says, and curls his hands into tight fists.

LWJ still has two stops planned on his "charm Wei Ying" date, so he tries not to let is discourage him.

He takes WWX to a cat cafe. It's one of his favorite places in the world. But even though he laughs, and pets the cats happily, his smile seems... strained. Hesitant.

He excuses himself to the bathroom and calls his brother.
"Ge. It's not going well."
"What is?"
"Confession," he says simply. Then he remembers he didn't actually tell his brother about it. "I'm on a date. To confess."
"To Wei Ying?"

Good. His brother already knows.

"Mn."

"Why isn't it going well?"
"I don't know" LWJ feels his eyes burn. "I think I'm going to call it off."
"Don't do that!" LXC says. "Listen, I bet he's just as nervous as you are. Don't worry. One of you should take the first step, right?"

LWJ swallows his tears down. "Right."

"I'm rooting for you," LXC says. "It's definitely gonna work."

LWJ hangs up and takes a deep breath. His brother is right. He can't give up now. Wei Ying deserves to know. And he can't keep it inside much longer.

He gets out of the bathroon, and sees WWX is already by the door, waiting for him.

"I already paid," he smiles, and it's not the right smile at all. LWJ doesn't know how to fix it. "Let's go home?"

"One more stop," LWJ says, then walks outside, hoping WWX will follow.

He does.

LWJ takes him to the park.

They walk side by side, and come to their favorite place under the trees. WWX, who usually walks fast and excitedly, walks slower and slower by his side. When they get to their usual bench, he doesn't sit.

"You're actually doing this," WWX says.

LWJ's throat goes dry.

He's pretty sure, at this point, there is no hope for him. No hope for their friendship, even. He turns around to look at WWX, and finds he can't meet his eyes.

"Wei Ying," he says. His hands are sweaty. He knows exactly how this is going to end.

He finds, now that he's here, that he can't possibly go back.

If he's not to see WWX ever again. If their friendship is doomed to end, because LWJ ruined it by wanting too much..

At least, he thinks he can say it. He can let WWX know. He can take this weight off from his chest.

LWJ takes a deep breath. He can't see WWX's face, but he can see how tense the rest of his body is, facing him.

"I've always been... a still person. I am one way, and I belong to one place. Nothing changes," he starts, saying all the lines he memorized for days.

"Don't," WWX whispers. LWJ digs his nails into his palms, the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Wei Ying, I-" he says. "Please. Let me finish. This is all I will ever ask."

Wei Ying laughs. It sounds awful.

LWJ closes his eyes, and continues.

"You... changed everything," he says. "You changed how still my world was. You changed the places I belong to. I don't..." he pauses.

WWX takes in a shaky breath. LWJ doesn't dare look.

"You have uprooted me," LWJ continues. He lowers his head further, so that his hair hides how red his eyes must be. "I don't belong to a place anymore. I belong to wherever you are."

He waits. WWX doesn't answer.

"Wei Ying," he calls. He has to say it. He has to finish. The words threaten to choke him up.

He looks up, selfishly, stupidly. He wants to see Wei Ying's face when he hears it.

WWX has a dreadful, bitter smile on his lips. His eyes are just as teary as Lan Zhan's.

"I love you," LWJ says, because he can't /not/ say it, not when he's already here. Not when it's the deepest truth of his being. "I don't expect anything. I merely wanted you to know."

WWXs sarcastic laugh is the most terrible sound he has ever heard.

He loves it just the same.

"You did it, Lan Zhan. It worked" WWX says. "Are you proud?"

Finally, his mask drops.

"You know.." WWX starts, but his voice breaks. He clears his throat and keeps going. "I've thought you were a lot of bad things, in our years together."

LWJ steps towards him. WWX steps back.

"I've thought of you as rude," he spits. "Uptight. Petty. Proud. Snobby."

LWJ blinks his tears back.

"But I never, ever, thought of you as cruel," WWX's lips tremble. "I guess I was wrong."

LWJ's eyes go wide. He can't possibly think that.

"Wei Ying," he reaches out, then thinks better of it and lowers his hand. "I'm saying that I love you. How is that cruel?"

"This whole act you're doing?" WWX gestures around them. "Did you really think this was a good idea? You're that insensitive to other people's feelings that you didn't think for a single second this would ruin our entire friendship?" he's screaming by the end of it.

LWJ lowers his gaze again. Ruin their friendship.

Of course. He shouldn't have confessed at all.

WWX can't be his friend if he knows how he feels.

"You're not even gonna say anything?" WWX yells.

(ok help me!!! where should we go from here)

LWJ startles at his tone. He has never heard WWX this hurt.

"It is not cruel to love," he says. "I apologize for-"

"Stop!" WWX closes the distance between them and shoves him back. "Stop talking! Haven't you said enough?"

"Wei Ying-"

"Shut up! You're always quiet, so why can't you just shut up now?"

WWX shoves him again, but there's no strength in it. LWJ still steps back, because even though his hands don't hurt, his words do.

"I didn't think you would ever hurt me like this," WWX says.

"I would never hurt you," LWJ tries, desperately. He doesn't understand why WWX is reacting like this. Surely, even if he doesn't love LWJ back, they could still...

"How can you-" WWX's hands curl on his shirt. His tone is threatening, but there are tears slipping down his face.

"How... How dare you take me on a perfect-" he sobs. LWJ grabs his elbows, and for a single, heartwarming second, WWX leans into his touch. Like he always does.

Like he will probably never do again.

LWJ grabs him harder.

He's crying, too, and he doesn't know how to stop it.

"Was this your idea?" WWX whispers. "Tell me it wasn't," he tightens his hands on LWJ's shirt. "Tell me you didn't actually-"

"I've thought about confessing for years," LWJ says. He is honest, even now. He won't lie to Wei Ying again.

WWX yanks his arms away from his graps.

"You're still joking! And with that face, like you actually-" he stops. Breathes. "Do you even care about me? You're seeing me like this, and yet, for this prank, you're still-"

"Prank?" LWJ asks, his own voice rising in tone, hopeless. "Wei Ying, what are you saying?"

WWX scoffs, and turns away. "Enough is enough, Lan Zhan. Who told you?" he glances in his direction, then promptly looks away again. "Who told you I had feelings for you?"

LWJ's heart stops beating.

"... What?"

His voice sounds low, even for him. It's a surprise that WWX still hears it.

"I wanna know which friend I have to cut from my life," he glances at LWJ again, eyes still watery. "Besides you."

"You... have feelings for me?"

Something about his tone makes WWX turn to him again.

"Wow," WWX raises an eyebrow, back to his defensive sarcastic self. "I had no idea the Lans were such good actors."

LWJ isn't listening. He grabs WWX's arm.

"You like me back?" he asks. "Wei Ying. Really?"

Something. Something.... changes in WWX's eyes. One of his walls comes down. The venon dripping from him gives way to a cautious frown.

"It's a prank," WWX says. "You don't love me."

"I love you," LWJ pulls him a little closer. WWX still doesn't budge.

"You don't," he says. "You couldn't."

LWJ takes his other arm, and suddenly, they're face to face, inches apart.
"Why not?"

"It's April 1st," WWX says, maddeningly, like it makes any sense at all.

"So?"

"You can't love me. You're too good for that."

"Wei Ying," LWJ wants to scream in frustration. "I've loved you from the day we met."

"Don't say that," WWX looks at him with something like fear in his eyes. "You don't mean it, Lan Zhan."

"Do you love me?" LWJ asks. He has no idea what's happening, or the pathways WWX is taking inside his mind. But if he knows this one thing... If he has this one truth, he can go from there.

"You know I do," WWX narrows his eyes. "That's why you pranked me. Because you know-"

LWJ takes WWXs face in his hand and kisses him hard, not waiting for him to finish. It's the simplest thing in the world.
WWX startles, drawing back for a single second to stare at him, wide-eyed.

LWJ pulls him back in.

It seems to break the bitter, terrible spell WWX is under. He pulls LWJ closer by the waist, drawing their bodies together, and LWJ deepens the kiss.

He wants to cry from how good it feels. He think he already is.

WWX against him feels like every good dream he ever had. His lips are soft, perfect, and his tongue tastes like coffee - and tears. LWJ doesn't mind. He loves every bit of him.

WWX draws back, eyes glazy.

"But today is April 1st."

LWJ holds him closer. He has no idea what WWX means, and he doesn't know if he wants to. "And tomorrow is April 2nd."

"You will love me on April 2nd?"

"Yes. And April 3rd," LWJ kisses him. "And April 4th," he kisses him again. "And 5th, and 6th-"

"Wait, wait-" WWX pulls back.

"Do you love me?" LWJ moves down to press tiny kisses on his neck. "Wei Ying. Tell me you love me."

"Stop," WWX laughs, shoving him away. "Lan Zhan. Look at me."

WWX grabs his face and forces him to stare. LWJ is more than happy to.

"I love you. I love you so much. But-" he gives him a nervous laugh. "Do you... not know what April Fool's is?"

It's LWJ's time to frown. He remembers hearing about it, vaguely, while he was in school.

"Oh my god," WWX gapes. "You actually don't know-"

Something clicks in LWJ's head.

"Oh," LWJ says, sudden understanding dawning on him. "Wei Ying, I would never-"

"It's okay!" WWX smiles at him, and this time, it's a real one. LWJ's entire body warms with the light in it. "I'm never gonna celebrate this awful day ever again."

"We... could," LWJ says. He doesn't really understand the fun in it. "I would. For you."

WWX's entire face blushes at once.

"You really weren't lying," he says. He still seems shocked. "You said I.. uprooted you."

LWJ burries his face on his shoulder to hide his embarrassment.

"That wasn't a lie, either," he murmurs.

"Well, if it's worth anything," WWX pulls him back, making him face him again. "I was always too floaty for my own good. You ground me," he smiles, and kisses LWJ again, so sweetly he could melt into it. "Guess we match."

LWJ feels like his heart could sore.

"Wei Ying. We should celebrate it anyway."

"Why?"

LWJ smiles at him. "I think... it's my favorite date, now."

WWX brushes his thumb against his lips, and smiles back. "You know what? I agree."

- END -

AAAAND WE'RE DONE 😭😭😭 Sorry for all the angst, lovelies. But a happy ending promised is a happy ending DELIVERED.

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ALSO. PLS IGNORE THE TYPOS. PLEASE PLEASE. I MEANT LWJ'S HEART COULD SOAR**** GOD THIS IS MAKING ME CRAZY 😭😭😭