Flavors of You

Wei Wuxian stares at the bowl of plain porridge in front of him, looking absolutely betrayed. “Lan Zhan… this looks so boring. No color, no life!”

Lan Wangji, who had woken up early just to cook for the love of his life, raises an eyebrow. “It is nutritious.”

Wei Wuxian pouts dramatically. “Nutritious? Where’s the flavor? The excitement? The soul? Here, let me fix it.” He grabs a jar of chili oil and dumps a generous spoonful into his bowl.

Lan Wangji watches with clear disapproval. “Wei Ying, excessive spice is harmful.”

Wei Wuxian takes a big, confident bite and instantly starts coughing. Tears form in his eyes as he struggles to breathe. “P-perfect! Just the right amount of spice!” he chokes out between coughs.

Lan Wangji, completely unsurprised, silently pushes a cup of tea toward him and pats his back.

After finally recovering, Wei Wuxian grins mischievously. “Lan Zhan, next time, I’ll teach you how to cook! I promise it’ll be fun.”

Lan Wangji looks at him, unreadable as always. Then, after a long pause “Mn.”

Wei Wuxian beams. He’s already planning tonight’s dinner.

As evening settles in, the taller, white-robed man watches as the shorter one ties an apron snugly around his waist.

“There! Perfect! You look like a real chef now, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian beams, stepping back to admire his work.

Lan Wangji, standing stiffly in front of the cutting board, remains silent.

Wei Wuxian claps his hands. “Alright! Today, we’re making spicy stir-fried noodles! First, chop these vegetables.” He places a carrot in front of Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji picks up the knife and, with perfect precision, slices the carrot into uniform, thin pieces... so flawless they could be used for decoration or even calligraphy practice.

Wei Wuxian whistles. “Wow, impressive. But cooking isn’t just about being neat, you know? You gotta put love into it!”

Lan Wangji pauses. “Love?”

Wei Wuxian nods enthusiastically. “Yes! Like this” He grabs the knife and starts chopping wildly, bits of carrot flying everywhere. “See? It’s all about feeling it, Lan Zhan!”

Lan Wangji immediately takes the knife back. “No.”

Wei Wuxian pouts. “You don’t trust my skills?”

Lan Wangji eyes the uneven, tragic pile of vegetables. “No.”

Wei Wuxian gasps, clutching his chest like he’s been mortally wounded. “Lan Zhan, you wound me!”

Ignoring Wei Wuxian’s dramatics, Lan Wangji moves on to the next step. “What next?”

Wei Wuxian, never one to sulk for long, immediately perks up. “Time to fry everything! Here, pour some oil into the pan-”

Before he can even finish, Lan Wangji carefully measures the exact amount and pours it in with precision.

Wei Wuxian sighs. “You’re too precise! Just let loose a little!” He reaches for the chili flakes, and in his excitement, accidentally dumps half the jar into the pan.

A burst of flames flares up from the wok.

Lan Wangji reacts instantly, grabbing Wei Wuxian’s wrist and pulling him back. “Reckless.”

Wei Wuxian blinks, then bursts into laughter. “Okay, okay! Maybe I overdid it.” He looks up, only to realize their hands are still touching. A teasing glint flickers in his eyes. “Lan Zhan… are you holding my hand just to keep me safe, or do you just like holding my hand?”

Lan Wangji doesn’t let go immediately. His ears turn the faintest shade of pink.

“…both.”

Wei Wuxian stares at him for a second before breaking into a wide grin. “Cooking lessons are the best.”

After a while, they finally finish cooking- though, to be fair, it was mostly Lan Wangji fixing everything Wei Wuxian messed up.

Wei Wuxian leans against the counter, twirling a chopstick between his fingers as he watches Lan Wangji plate the noodles with almost absurd precision. Every strand is arranged neatly, garnished with the perfect amount of green onions.

“Lan Zhan,” he drawls, “you do realize we’re going to eat that, right? Not put it on display.”

Lan Wangji ignores him, carefully placing the last piece of tofu before stepping back. “Done.”

Wei Wuxian peeks at his own plate-noodles messily piled, chili flakes scattered like an accident. He holds both plates up and squints at them. “Yours looks like a high-class restaurant dish. Mine looks like a hungry ghost’s last meal.” He grins and nudges Lan Wangji. “Let’s trade!”

Lan Wangji gives him a deadpan look. “No.”

Wei Wuxian gasps, clutching his chest dramatically. “How heartless! We made this together, shouldn’t we share the fruits of our labor?”

Lan Wangji considers for a moment. Then, before Wei Wuxian can react, he picks up his chopsticks and takes a bite from Wei Wuxian’s messy plate.

Wei Wuxian stares. “You... you actually-”

Lan Wangji chews, swallows, then nods. “It’s good.”

Wei Wuxian blinks, then breaks into a laugh. “Lan Zhan! Are you saying my cooking is good? You must really like me.” He waggles his eyebrows. “Or did you just want to share a plate with me? Very romantic of you.”

Unfazed, Lan Wangji calmly lifts another bite to Wei Wuxian’s lips. “Eat.”

Wei Wuxian stops teasing for a second, lips parting instinctively as Lan Wangji feeds him. The spicy, savory noodles melt on his tongue- surprisingly, they turned out pretty good.

But his mind is too busy short-circuiting over the fact that Lan Wangji just fed him.

“... Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian swallows, eyes locked on his. “You can’t just do things like this and expect me not to fall harder for you.”

Lan Wangji tilts his head slightly, golden eyes warm. “Then fall.”

Wei Wuxian stills, his heart skipping a beat.

For the rest of the meal, he eats in dazed silence while Lan Wangji continues to steal bites from his plate, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And maybe it is.

“Lan Zhan, I’ve made an important discovery today.”

Lan Wangji looks at him calmly. “Mn?”

Wei Wuxian grins. “Food tastes better when you make it with someone you love.”

Lan Wangji doesn’t react immediately, but Wei Wuxian catches the way his fingers pause slightly around the chopsticks. Then, setting them down, Lan Wangji reaches forward, his fingers brushing against Wei Wuxian’s wrist... gentle, deliberate.

“Then,” he says, voice soft but certain, “we will cook together. Always.”

Wei Wuxian stares at him, warmth blooming in his chest. Then he laughs, bright and free, and leans in close. “Lan Zhan, you’re too cute.”

Without thinking, he presses a quick kiss to Lan Wangji’s cheek.

Lan Wangji exhales, slow and steady. Then, to Wei Wuxian’s absolute delight, he reaches out, tilts Wei Wuxian’s chin up, and presses a soft kiss to his lips in return.

Wei Wuxian goes still, breath catching, his mind a little too busy processing what just happened.

Lan Wangji pulls back, expression calm as ever, though the tips of his ears are pink. “Balance.”

Wei Wuxian blinks, then bursts into laughter, throwing himself into Lan Wangji’s arms. “Lan Zhan! You’re too much!”

He holds him close, as if they’ve always belonged in each other’s arms.

Outside, a soft breeze sweeps through the open window, filling the space with the scent of warm spices and blooming lotus flowers.