Chapter Text
The soft chime of his phone pulled Lan Wangji from his workload. His brow furrowed as he looked over at his phone, seeing a text notification lighting up the screen. Who would be texting him? His brother literally worked across the way, he could just walk over to talk with him. He reached out for the phone, his brow only furrowing further as he saw it was an unknown number. He unlocked it, pulling up the text message.
I thought you’d like an update on an old friend.
The short message was followed by an attached video. Lan Wangji’s finger hovered over it, hesitating. Old friend? He barely had friends, much to his older brother’s disappointment. In truth, he was even beginning to find his own social life lacking. He’d hated group projects at school, yet now he missed the required socialization of them. He barely spoke to anyone outside of his brother and his uncle. He gave commands and orders out to coworkers, but it was hardly rewarding socialization. Especially since most of them seemed to be terrified of him.
Which made the text message even more confusing. Who would send it to him? Who would have his phone number? More importantly, how did they know about this ‘old friend’ to begin with?
His phone vibrated as a second text came in from the same phone number.
Look at his neck towards the end.
Lan Wangji’s curiosity won out, his thumb pressing down on the file. Only to have his breath catch as a familiar face filled his screen.
Staring back at Lan Wangji was Wei Wuxian. The boy he’d spent years pining after despite only knowing him for a handful of months. The beaming grin and cheerful laughter that kept him company in his ruts, even now. Although the face was instantly recognizable, it had changed.
The cheeks that so often were stretched by a beaming grin, were now sunken and shallow. Dark bags sat under his light grey eyes, which had seemed to have lost their youthful sparkle. His black hair was messily pushed out of his face and in a desperate need for a trim. From what the video frame showed of his torso, he’d gotten thin. Thinner than a man of his size should probably be.
Lan Wangji’s heart pounded in his ears as he pressed the play button.
“Hey guys ,” Wei Wuxian’s voice sounded. It was far from the loud boisterous tone he’d used in high school, the kind that filled whatever room he entered. Instead it was low, as if he didn’t have enough energy to bring it back up to its full volume.
“I know it’s been a while since I gave you an update.” Wei Wuxian sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “ I just want to say thank you to anyone who’s donated to my gofund me, it’s helped more than I can say. My brother’s officially out of the hospital, his collarbone all healed up.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “ They decided to put my sister in a medically induced coma, they said it'll be less painful that way.” Wei Wuxian’s eyes pressed closed before he shook his head. As if to shake the tears or thoughts out of it.
“ I know a lot of people have been messaging to ask when I’m going to start streaming or producing videos again.” Wei Wuxian looked back up to the camera. “ I’m sad to say right now it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. We’re barely managing to get by with the medical bills, I’m having a hard enough time getting money for food, let alone considering spending a couple grand on a new gaming rig. Even if I did have that money, well it would be going to medical bills, our motel fees and food.”
“Even then,” Wei Wuxian sighed as a hand came up to run through his hair. “ What am I doing?” He huffed as the camera frame shifted, as if he didn’t intend to record this. “ Lotus Pier is going bankrupt and my brother’s going to jail for it and what am I doing? Making a fucking video. Like it’s going to help. A few hundred dollars from gofundme isn’t going to pay off the Wens. Hell it’s barely helping now. I’m not going to be another fucking sob story on the internet.”
“But what the fuck am I supposed to do?” Wei Wuxian hissed, the phone dropping to the floor. A dingy ceiling and a light fixture that looked like it was straight out of the seventies swam into view. “ Fuck.”
Lan Wangji’s phone speakers filled with the sound of shuffling. Wei Wuxian’s head came into view of the camera, a hand held up to staunch the flow of blood from his nose. The sound of toilet paper being rolled was followed by Wei Wuxian shoving it up his nose.
“ Damn cheap suppressants.” Wei Wuxian hissed to himself. Lan Wangji’s eyes widened, the second text flashing through his mind. His eyes darted to Wei Wuxian’s neck.
He nearly dropped his phone as he saw the mating gland there.
The distinctly omega mating gland.
Wei Wuxian was an omega.
Your omega . Lan Wangji’s instincts purred. His eyes fluttered closed, taking a deep breath as he tried to bring his instincts back under control. Instead it only allowed his mind to conjure up images.
The Cloud Recesses Academy Library. Wei Wuxian bent over their table, but this time Lan Wangji didn’t have to work him open with lube or spit. This time his thighs were glistening with his own slick. The way his fingers dug into the soft flesh of his ass as he spread it to watch his own cock disappear. The sweet moans that kept in time with his thrusts. The way the back arched up, a head tilting to give him access as he bared his teeth and sunk in-
“Maybe I could talk the Jins in to reopening the marriage contract .”
Lan Wangji’s eyes flew open. His gaze falling back to the phone he’d dropped on his desk during his rather vivid daydream.
“Being married to that peacock would still be better than Jiang Cheng going to jail .” Wei Wuxian groaned. “Maybe it would work in lieu of a payment to the Wens? Fucking hell the thought of sleeping with any of the Wens makes me sick to my stomach.”
A growl ripped from Lan Wangji’s chest as he grabbed his phone off the table. He stalked over to his brother’s office.
“Wangji?” Lan Xichen’s eyes went wide as Lan Wangji entered without even a knock.
“I want a marriage contract with the Jiangs.”
A silence settled over his brother’s office as Lan Xichen’s eyes grew even wider.
“I didn’t realize you were so fond of Jiang Yanli,” Lan Xichen finally spoke.
“Not with Jiang Yanli,” Lan Wangji instantly rebutted.
“Wangji, for a marriage contract to work it needs-”
“He’s an omega.”
Another silence settled over the office.
“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen started slowly.
“Is an omega,” Lan Wangji finished for him with a nod.
“Are you sure?” Lan Xichen questioned. “Male omegas are extremely rare.”
“I’m sure,” Lan Wangji held out the paused video, showing off the mating gland.
“Wangji where did you get this?”
“Not important,” Lan Wangji replied, withdrawing his phone. “I want a marriage contract.”
“Well, his brother is scheduled to meet with us this afternoon,” Lan Xichen murmured to himself as his hand went to his calendar. “We could bring the topic up then.”
“Good,” Lan Wangji nodded as he turned to leave.
“Wangji, are you sure about this?” Lan Xichen stopped him.
“I am,” Lan Wangji nodded as he continued on his way out.
There was no way the Wens or the Jins were getting his Wei Ying.
Α-Ω-Α-Ω-Α-Ω-Α-Ω
“You smell disgusting.”
“Good evening to you too Jerry,” Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes at the night clerk at the front desk. The pot bellied balding middle aged man merely grunted back, his attention returning to the magazine he was ogling.
Wei Wuxian hoisted his bag a bit higher on his shoulder, hoping the pungent smell of pickles wasn’t going to rub off on it. It would be a miracle if he would be able to save the sweatshirt he was wearing. His hand came up to rub at his temple, the squeezing pressure of his headache only made worse by the pungent smell and the flickering lights of the motel hallway. He dug in his pocket as he shuffled down it.
At least the smell of the pickles was enough to drown out the motel’s usual smell of weed, mold and years of cigarette smoke. He jammed his key into the lock, doing the complicated series of jiggles to get the door to actually open. All while trying to be quite on the off chance that Jiang Cheng was actually asleep.
He prayed he wasn’t.
He prayed his brother finally had good news after these few months of hell.
The door finally swung open, the soft light in the room telling him what he needed to know. He put a big smile on his face, loading up a teasing remark as he stepped over the threshold to the room.
“Before you say anything, be thankful I wasn’t in the World Food Isle! We just got a load of kimchi and sauerkra-” Wei Wuxian’s words died on his tongue as the scent of alcohol hit him like a wall. His bag slid from his grasp, landing with a small thud on the stained paisley carpet of the motel room.
Anger and frustration went rolling through Wei Wuxian’s system as he took in the sight of his brother before him. Jiang Cheng was barely staying upright in the chair, his body slumped as he stared off through the window at god knows what. Dangling loosely in his fingers was an empty bottle of Old Crow. Not only did he spend money they didn’t have on booze, but he didn’t even have the courtesy to save him some!
He fumed as he stalked across the room, rounding around the bed.
“What the hell do you think you-”
Wei Wuxian broke off as he saw his brother’s face. The thousand yard stare was red eyed. The slack face was tear stained, dried dribbles of alcohol accompanying them. All his anger bled away, replaced with exhaustion.
“Let’s get you to bed,” Wei Wuxian murmured as he leaned down. His hand gently tugged the empty bottle out of Jiang Cheng’s grasp. His brother startled, his eyes locking onto Wei Wuxian.
“Wuxian?” He croaked. A hand reaching up to scrub at the tear tracks on his face. “Is it that late?” His eyes darted to the clock on the nightstand.
“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian sighed, glancing up to see the clock tell him it was three thirty. He had to be up in three hours. “Come on,” He lightly tugged on Jiang Cheng’s arm.
“Aren’t you going to ask how it went?” Jiang Cheng stumbled to his feet.
“I can guess A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian sighed. His nose wrinkled from the smell of the alcohol on his little brother’s breath as he moved to support his weight.
“You were right,” Jiang Cheng huffed. “The Lans are all assholes.”
“I called them fuddy duddies,” Wei Wuxian found himself protesting as he struggled to get Jiang Cheng over to the bed. He gave up all thoughts of getting him into pajamas as his brother went boneless against him. He groaned as he heaved Jiang Cheng towards the bed, the whole thing jumping from the force of his landing weight.
“They found out,” Jiang Cheng murmured.
“Found out what?” Wei Wuxian questioned as he moved away, moving to pull his pickle scented pull over off.
“About you.”
Wei Wuxian froze, his arms pausing mid motion. His eyes fluttered closed within the safety of the pullover as he waited for Jiang Cheng’s next words.
“Said they couldn’t make a deal without a marriage contract.”
Wei Wuxian expected himself to feel more about those words. He expected anger, righteous fury that the Lans would resort to such an old tradition. Instead, all he felt was resignation; acceptance. Hadn’t he just thought about it the other night? He felt a flash of worry, he’d accidentally uploaded the unedited version of his video. He thought he’d caught it in time, had someone seen it?
“I told them to go fuck themselves.”
“What!?” Wei Wuxian ripped his pullover the rest of the way off.
“I’m not going to sell you to save Lotus Pier!”
“This isn't just about Lotus Pier!” Wei Wuxian snapped as he threw his pullover. “This is about keeping you from going to jail! Or did you forget that’s what the Wens will do for defaulting on the loan?”
“I can live with going to jail,” Jiang Cheng snapped back.
“You don’t have to!”
“This conversation is over,” Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth. Wei Wuxian let a frustrated huff out as his brother turned over, tucking a pillow over his head like a fucking child.
Wei Wuxian stomped to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He paced, letting out a frustrated shriek as he planted his hands on the bathroom counter top. He looked up at the crooked motel mirror, his gaze drifting down his reflection.
The past four months had been far from kind. His ribs were clearly defined from under his skin, which sported red welts and rashes from the cheap suppressants and cheap work uniforms. The bags under his eyes and sunken cheeks only made him look haunted, like the cracked out prostitutes he passed every day on his way to work. He’d considered it, selling his own body a few nights a week so that he could actually get a break from his three jobs. Looking at it now, he couldn’t imagine anyone would take him up on the offer.
But the Lans were offering.
Not just some sleazy one night stand, but a marriage contract. His hands flexed where they were resting on the counter. He could live with Jiang Cheng hating him forever, but he wouldn’t survive his brother going to jail. Maybe if Jiang Yanli wasn’t in a medically induced coma for her burns, maybe then he might have had a chance.
But he couldn’t survive without a pack.
“A-Cheng, A-Li this is A-Ying,” Jiang Fengmian’s voice drifted through his mind. “Your new brother.”
“Why does he smell like that?”
Wei Wuxian could still remember the sense of shame that had flooded through him at the words. He’d noticed it the moment he’d stepped into the Jiang family home, his lungs filling with the soft scent of maple wood and violets. He could smell the scents coming off of the two infront of him. The social worker had made him bathe, robbing him of his attempts to create the sweetened dough and campfire scents he barely remembered. Now all he smelled like was soap.
“A-Cheng!” Jiang Fengmian’s hand reached out, pulling Jiang Cheng away. Wei Wuxian's eyes widened as he overheard the soft scolding. “Mind your manners, not everyone is as lucky as you are.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Jiang Yanli had smiled as she stepped forward, pulling his attention away from the scolding. “Can I call you A-Ying?” Wei Wuxian nodded slowly, his body warming as a large smile grew on Jiang Yanli’s face. “Would you like a hug?”
He knew Jiang Yanli had felt his body tremble as he hugged her, the first physical affection he’d felt in years. His head had gravitated towards her neck, where her own soft scent of lotus was beginning to form. He knew she understood when she held him tighter. As if she alone could fill the void that living on the streets without a pack.
Wei Wuxian choked back tears at the memory. He opened his eyes to find his arms shaking, he swore. The last thing they needed was him breaking down right now. He brought the shower to life, praying the few minutes of hot water would be enough. He crouched in the spray, wrapping his arms around himself as he closed his eyes and tried to pretend it was someone else holding him.
Pack Deprivation, that’s the fancy name the doctors had told him. When children have a complete lack of exposure to scents and physical affection in their formative years, it has mental and physical ramifications when they present as adults. It manifests in two ways. Either complete revulsion by scents and physical contact, or they become dependent on it. Their system becoming more and more stressed until they either received contact, or broke.
Wei Wuxian had noticed the signs occurring more frequently now. He loved Jiang Cheng, but the alpha was far from affectionate. He’d hoped sharing a bed would be enough. If they had insurance he could just go to an Omega Center, cuddle a random stranger until he was good. But now?
Wei Wuxian sighed as he straightened, closing his eyes and tilting his head back so the spray ran down his face. Maybe a marriage contract would be better for all of them. Jiang Cheng would get to keep Lotus Pier and Wei Wuxian wouldn’t have to worry about falling apart at the seams. Maybe whoever he was marrying would be willing to help pay for Jiang Yanli’s medical bills. If not, maybe Wei Wuxian could convince them.
It would be worth it.
Jiang Cheng would get over his anger. He’d have Lotus Pier to distract him. Jiang Yanli would understand when she woke up, she probably even understood now. The Jiangs and the Jins had a marriage contract since she was born. Lotus Pier Industries' struggling financials was probably why it was made in the first place. Only for the Jins to back out of it the moment they heard ninety percent of Jiang Yanli’s body was covered in burns and she was in a medically induced coma.
And Wei Wuxian?
He’d get over it. As much as he disliked the idea of handing someone else a blank check to his reproductive system, he had always wanted kids. They’d make it bearable, even if he was marrying Old Man Lan.
His resolve set in with the last of the hot water.
The rest of his shower was spent trying to figure out where he’d find the time to tell the Lans he’d accept their contract. No negotiations needed.