Chapter Text
Ten Years Later
“Baba!”
Lan Wangji couldn’t keep the smile off his lips as he crouched, holding his arms out to capture the little body of energy as it crashed into him. His smile pressed into the boy's hair, his lungs filling with the scent of cinnamon, bergamot and sandalwood. It was starting to shift, no doubt his son would have his own scent start to form within a few years.
For now, Lan Wangji would savor this.
“How was your day?” Lan Wangji sat back on his heels, though his arms only loosened enough so he could see his son’s face.
“Mama, tell him!”
Lan Wangji’s smile grew as he followed his son's gaze. Wei Wuxian had a smile on his face as he approached them, a bright green backpack in his hand. He crouched down next to them, his eyes closing with the force of his smile as he ruffled their son’s hair.
“Don’t you want to tell him yourself?”
“Mn,” He shook his head. “Want you to do it.”
“A-Yuan,” Wei Wuxian laughed as he looked at Lan Wangji, a clear request for backup. “You sure you don’t want to tell him yourself?” He arched an eyebrow at A-Yuan.
“I’m sure!” A-Yuan beamed brightly back.
“A-Yuan got in-”
“Not that Mama!” A-Yuan gasped cutting him off. “The other thing!”
“The other thing?” Wei Wuxian blinked. “Oh!” He realized, setting the backpack on the ground. He unzipped it, pulling out a bright construction paper project. “A-Yuan’s teacher told me personally that she loved his story.” He winked.
“One day I’m going to be a writer, just like you two!” A-Yuan beamed up at Lan Wangji.
“Like your baba,” Wei Wuxian corrected with a soft smile. “Your mama just draws the pictures.”
“Your mama is being modest,” Lan Wangji hummed to a confused A-Yuan. “He comes up with all the good ideas. Like cutting your apples into bunnies,” He ran his hand through A-Yuan’s hair.
He watched his son’s bright gold eyes widen, before he was off and running to the table. Lan Wangji watched him with fondness as he stood, only breaking his focus away from him to kiss his husband hello.
“Who knew a son of mine would have a parent conference over how good he is!” Wei Wuxian laughed as he leaned into Lan Wangji.
“Maybe Lihua will take after you,” Lan Wangji felt his lips quirk into a smirk.
“Did she go down for her nap okay?” Wei Wuxian hummed.
“It took some convincing,” Lan Wangji glanced back to A-Yuan, as if he could hide his guilt.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian gasped. “We agreed not to give her treats anymore to get her to do things!”
“Banana is good for her,” Lan Wangji winced. “She probably doesn’t even connect it with napping.”
“She has you wrapped around her little finger,” Wei Wuxian laughed, hiding his face in Lan Wangji’s neck. “Promise me, tomorrow you’ll get her to go down without bribing her.”
“I,” Lan Wangji felt his ears heat. “I will try.” He finally admitted.
“You will,” Wei Wuxian kissed his cheek. “Positive thinking.”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji pleaded. “She has your eyes, how can I say no?”
“The same way you say no to me.” Wei Wuxian hummed.
“I don’t say no to you,” Lan Wangji shot back. “I just creatively redirect you.”
“You do?” Wei Wuxian’s brow furrowed as he thought. “Huh, well then you’ll have to learn.” He shook the furrow away. “You can practice on me.”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji pleaded.
“It’s bananas now,” Wei Wuxian warned him. “What are you going to do when it’s a pony or a purse that costs ten thousand dollars?”
“We have space for a pony,” Lan Wangji muttered. “And the money.”
“Lan Wangji, I’m not letting our children be spoiled rotten rich kids that throw temper tantrums when they don’t get what they want.” Wei Wuxian shot back. “I already have one of those,” He teased, stealing a kiss before darting off. “Careful radish! Don’t want to spill,” He guided their son’s hold on his glass.
With a family like his, who could blame Lan Wangji for wanting to spoil them?
“What was the other news?” Lan Wangji hummed. He winced as A-Yuan’s eyes went wide, and his hands let go of the glass. Luckily, Wei Wuxian was faster, saving their son from an early bath.
“I got invited to a birthday party!” A-Yuan beamed. “By my friend!”
“Jingyi’s birthday was two months ago,” Lan Wangji’s brow furrowed as he looked at Wei Ying.
“My other friend!” A-Yuan huffed. “You can have more than one.”
Lan Wangji knew that.
But he didn’t know A-Yuan had more than one friend. The thought warmed Lan Wangji, he had feared his son might have the same lonely childhood he had. When Lan Xichen got pregnant shortly after Wei Wuxian, some of that had lessened. It had mostly vanished when A-Yuan and Jingyi proved to be nearly inseparable. To think he’d make another friend.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Lan Wangji smiled. “Does your new friend have a name?”
“A-Ling!” A-Yuan smiled. “We go on adventures!” His eyes widened. “You should turn them into books! We have the best adventures,” He paused. “They don’t end in hugs and kisses like ours do though.”
“Oh?” Wei Wuxian laughed. “We’ll have to change it up then, no more hugging and kissing treasures from now on.”
“I didn’t say that,” A-Yuan pouted. “It be weird if A-Ling gave me kisses.”
“Just A-Ling? What about Jingyi.”
“Jingyi doesn’t kiss, he bites.”
“Oh?” Wei Wuxian met Lan Wangji’s gaze with an arched eyebrow. “We should talk to Uncle Xichen about that.”
“It’s okay, it’s not hard.” A-Yuan hummed. “It’s like when you and daddy bite each other when you play.”
Lan Wangji swore he felt his own eye twitch, from the way Wei Wuxian started to cackle it no doubt did.
“All done!” A-Yuan made a dramatic show of wiping his hands on a napkin and his empty plate. “Can I go play?”
“Of course,” Wei Wuxian kissed the top of his head. He at least had the decency to wait until A-Yuan was out of earshot before talking. “It would seem we need to be more careful about when we play.” He paused. “And possibly Jingyi.”
“Both Xichen and I had biting phases,” Lan Wangji was forced to admit.
“You, bite?” Wei Wuxian gasped. “Never.”
“Did his teacher have anything else to report?” Lan Wangji changed the subject as his ears flushed a bright red.
“Just that his storytelling was exceptional for a kindergartener.” Wei Wuxian breathed. “He’s also been getting along well with his classmates.”
“Enough to have a new friend.” Lan Wangji hummed. “When is the party?”
“Five weeks,” Wei Wuxian hummed, reaching into A-Yuan’s back pack and producing a card. “It would seem A-Ling’s mother is a planner.” He glanced through the card. “It’s at the Party Palace downtown.”
“Expensive,” Lan Wangji murmured.
“In case someone forgot, you pushed me into entering our boy into that fancy private school.” Wei Wuxian shot back.
“A majority of those children will go to the Cloud Recesses,” Lan Wangji shot back. “I didn’t want him to start there with no friends.”
“I know,” Wei Wuxian’s smile went soft. No doubt remembering their conversation when Lan Wangji admitted his fears of A-Yuan becoming as isolated as he had been. “But it looks like our boy doesn’t have any problems making friends.”
“Good,” Lan Wangji exhaled.
“I was thinking we should reach out to A-Ling’s parents,” Wei Wuxian hummed. “Set up a playdate before the party, just get a vibe for what the kid likes for presents.”
“You don’t trust A-Yuan?” Lan Wangji hummed, the corner of his mouth twitching up. “The last time went so well.”
“I still don’t buy that Lan Xichen kept his fear of frogs a secret from you all these years,” Wei Wuxian shot back.
“It slipped my mind.” Lan Wangji lied. “Must be the mucus.”
“Slipped your mind,” Wei Wuxian snorted. “Just like Xichen forgot to mention the museum was having a live bug exhibit when it was your turn to take the boys.”
“A-Yuan will pick a perfectly suitable present for this A-Ling.”
“That’s not the point,” Wei Wuxian shot back. “Xichen is your brother, setting up playdates with Jingyi is as easy as wanting a date night. If A-Ling is getting incorporated into their little duo, I want to make sure he isn’t going to be left out. Which means, we need to go make friends with his parents so we can make sure he can be included.”
How could Lan Wangji resist kissing Wei Wuxian when he was being so thoughtful?
“Am I being stupid?” Wei Wuxian murmured as they parted.
“Far from it,” Lan Wangji promised.
“I just don’t want anyone to feel excluded, you know?” Wei Wuxian squirmed in Lan Wangji’s arms. I’ve been there , he didn’t have to say it for Lan Wangji to hear it.
“We work hard to give our children the childhoods we did not,” Lan Wangji murmured. “There is nothing wrong with that.” He gave him a gentle squeeze of assurance. “You aren’t being too much,” He pressed when he could still see the nerves on Wei Wuxian’s face.
Only with those words did Wei Wuxian settle.
Still, after all these years, Madam Yu still affected him. The fact that Lan Wangji could help banish her back to her dark corner with a few words was proof of how far Wei Wuxian had come. Their bustling and happy family was a sign at how far they’d both come. There were still days when words were hard, but there were far more where they flowed as easily as music.
“I’ll shoot A-Ling’s mom a text, see if they want to meet up.” Wei Wuxian smiled as he pulled out his phone.
“I’ll start on dinner,” Lan Wangji pressed a kiss to his cheek. Wei Wuxian let out a hum, his eyes darting between the invitation and his phone as he put the number in. He was just finishing pulling the ingredients as Wei Wuxian declared it was sent.
“So what are we making?” Wei Wuxian saddled up next to him.
“I am making tofu for rice paper rolls,” Lan Wangji hummed as he started to dice the tofu. “I will allow you to cut the veggies.”
“Come on, how do you expect our kids to eat spicy if we don’t start them now?” Wei Wuxian pouted.
“I’d like their taste buds to form, not be burnt off.”
“Don’t be so dram-” Wei Wuxian broke off as his phone rang. “Wow, A-Ling’s mom must be a talker.” He eyed the number.
“Answer,” Lan Wangji prodded him.
“Aiyah, I know.” Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes at him as answered. “Hello! This is Wei Wuxian.”
After years of being together, Lan Wangji had learned Wei Wuxian was always in motion. It was the fidgeting with his sleeves when he was nervous, or the tapping of his fingers when he thought, the intoxicating way he squirmed beneath Lan Wangji in bed. Even in sleep he seemed constantly in motion, tossing and turning. It was an energy Lan Wangji was constantly aware of.
Which made Wei Wuxian going still all the more noticeable.
“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji murmured as he moved closer, nearly dropping his knife when he heard the voice crackling through the phone.
“A-Xian? Is that you?”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji murmured, setting his knife down. Wide silver eyes flickered to him. “Do you need me to hang up?”
“I,” Wei Wuxian croaked.
“Oh, you didn’t! I thought-” Jiang Yanli’s voice exhaled through the phone. “I’ll hang up, but A-Xian,” She broke off. “I take A-Ling to the park every Tuesday and Thursday after school and most Saturdays. It’s the one with the Merry Go Round, you remember? If you ever feel ready, well, I’ll be there. If not,” She broke off. “Well I’ll still be there.”
The kitchen fell to silence as the phone went dead.
Lan Wangji’s head spun. The last time they saw any of the Jiangs was during the trial. They’d tried to keep Wei Wuxian’s involvement minimal. Yet, despite the legions of doctors, employees (former and current) and personal witnesses, Wei Wuxian still was called to testify. Only for Madam Yu’s lawyer to badger him into a panic attack. The attempt to get to Wei Wuxian was futile, and sealed Madam Yu’s fate.
While Wei Wuxian strove to keep his distance from the trial, Lan Wangji was ashamed to say he was there for every second. Not to watch Madam Yu, no.
Lan Wangji watched her children. He watched Jiang Yanli grow pale as employees revealed being reprimanded, if not fired, for expressing concern. He watched the muscles in Jiang Cheng’s jaw jump as he saw Lan Wangji’s support payments go straight into Madam Yu’s personal accounts. Their first cracks began to show when pictures of Wei Wuxian’s ‘home’ surfaced, followed by the exorbitant fees.
It made Lan Wangji’s own blood boil when he found out that she didn’t even wait for Wei Wuxian to pay her. She just took whatever she saw as fit, her slapdash reasons noted in Wei Wuxian’s cramped handwriting in his bank book. Where, amongst the entries highlighted for their relevance to the trial, Lan Wangji could see Wei Wuxian budgeting down to the last cent. And then re-budgeting whenever Madam Yu found something else to charge him for.
For what?
The court case poured over her finances. She was swimming in cash, to the point where she was buying luxury toilet paper. Her coffee budget was as large as Wei Wuxian’s food budget.
So Lan Wangji let his rage take it all in, every last drop. He watched Jiang Yanli’s eyes rim red and her nose become chapped. He listened to Jiang Cheng’s teeth grind, and smelt blood as his nails bit into his palms from how hard he was clenching them. He watched in satisfaction as those on the jury and courtroom became more and more disgusted. He read the tabloids.
But even as Madam Yu was sentenced to life and her children abandoned her, Lan Wangji still felt empty. All that rage that had driven him to sit in the uncomfortable wooden chairs for hours, just vanished.
He suddenly knew why Wei Wuxian didn’t want to come. Seeing Madam Yu locked up didn’t take away the years of abuse, it didn’t give them back their baby. If anything, it just made him feel worse. Madam Yu showed no remorse, she’d held her head high even as they delivered the unanimous sentence.
He’d been surprised to find Wei Wuxian waiting for him outside of the courtroom doors. They hardly had to exchange words. All it took was Wei Wuxian offering his arms, and Lan Wangji fell apart.
It was all wrong. He was supposed to be the strong one. He was the one who was supposed to support Wei Wuxian through the verdict. Instead, Wei Wuxian had invited Lan Wangji into his nest, and they’d stayed curled up for days.
Lan Xichen had arrived with a simple apology note from Wei Wuxian’s siblings weeks later. Lan Wangji couldn’t decide if it was cowardice, or a respect of Wei Wuxian’s space. But that was the last they had heard from the Jiangs. Well, almost. They’d been notified of Madam Yu’s appeals, and then attempts at parole over the years.
Lan Xichen made sure they were denied every time.
It didn’t keep Madam Yu from being a ghost in their lives. Over the years, and a good deal of therapy, her presence had faded. Reduced to clouds that occasionally blocked out the sun, but rarely formed a storm. The siblings on the other hand.
Lan Wangji had wanted to hate them with all his being. They’d grown up with Wei Wuxian, they’d had years to pick up on the abuse. They had years to do something to shield Wei Wuxian. That anger had festered, taking the empty void Madam Yu’s had left, despite his therapist's attempts against it.
Only to be cut at the knees by a late night talk with Wei Wuxian. The reminder that while Madam Yu never raised a hand against her own children, she still did her damage to them. She conditioned them, trained them how to see things. Between her and Wei Wuxian’s attempts to hide it, his siblings never stood a chance. Little by little, Lan Wangji had let go of his anger. He wasn’t afraid to admit there were a few sparks left burning, flaring to life with this phone call.
But this wasn’t about him.
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji spoke softly. “What do you need?”
“I don’t know,” Wei Wuxian breathed. His body pitched forward, nestling into Lan Wangji’s hold. “It’s so strange.” He murmured, his lips brushing against Lan Wangji’s neck. “I always thought if I ever ran into them I’d break down, or get angry or I don’t know. Instead, I almost feel,” He broke off with a laugh. His arms tightened as if he was trying to burrow into Lan Wangji’s body.
“Feel what,” Lan Wangji nudged when he stayed quiet.
“It felt good to hear her voice,” Wei Wuxian muttered. “After everything, I still missed her. After everything she did, what she asked of us. I’m so sorry Lan Zhan,” Lan Wangji felt something wet and hot slip past his collar. “I’m sorry.”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji murmured, moving a hand to gently rub Wei Wuxian’s back. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“But she, she supported her! She asked us to drop our charges.”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji spoke slowly. “You grew up with her, she’s your sister.”
“So I should just forgive her?” Wei Wuxian jerked away from Lan Wangji. His tear stained face now blotching red in anger. “After what they did to our baby?”
“I am not suggesting that,” Lan Wangji shook his head. He cupped Wei Wuxian’s face, his thumb shifting to wipe some of the tears away. “Meeting her,” He swallowed down his anger, his instinct to protest such a thing. “Not meeting her is up to you. You’re in control.”
“Now A-Yuan is friends with her son,” Wei Wuxian exhaled, a hand coming up to rub the bridge of his nose. “I should do it for him.”
“No,” Lan Wangji’s anger boiled up. “No you don’t.”
“But they’re friends, it’ll make him sad if he can’t play with him.” Wei Wuxian shook his head. “It’s just pleasantries, our relationship doesn’t have to be what it was. I can do it for them.”
“How many times did you say that when you lived with them?” Lan Wangji murmured. He hated the way Wei Wuxian flinched. “You are just as important as our children, you shouldn’t have to suffer so they can be happy. I can take them, or Xichen can. If you go, I want it to be because you are ready.” He leaned in, pressing a kiss to Wei Wuxian’s forehead. “You don’t have to decide now.”
The kitchen remained silent as Lan Wangji moved back to his tofu. Slowly, the sound of his knife chopping began to find a duet with the tapping of Wei Wuxian’s fingers. It wasn’t until he was ready to set the table that Wei Wuxian moved, slinking off to find the children. He trailed after him, pausing in the doorway as he watched Wei Wuxian crouched next to A-Yuan.
“Hey radish,” Wei Wuxian murmured. “How would you like to go to the park after school next week?”
“Which one?”
“The one with the Merry-Go-Round.”
“Can I ride the bunny?!”
“Of course you can,” Wei Ying chuckled. “Go wash up for dinner.” He nudged A-Yuan. His eyes rose to meet Lan Wangji’s as A-Yuan ran off. “Will you come?”
“Of course,” Lan Wangji nodded.
“What about Xichen and Qiren?” Wei Wuxian shifted. “Make it a pack outing?” His head ducked.
“Without a doubt,” Lan Wangji hummed.
“You haven’t even asked them.” Wei Wuxian huffed.
"I don't have to," Lan Wangji hummed. "We're your pack, we'll always be there when you need us."
"I might not even talk to her," Wei Wuxian squirmed. The nervous energy not just from the prospect of meeting Jiang Yanli.
"We'll still be there," Lan Wangji pressed. "As your pack."
"My pack," Wei Wuxian smiled wistfully. His head turned as A-Yuan called for them. "My pack." He repeated. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it."
"You've got pleanty of time," Lan Wangji hummed. "We're not going anywhere."
"Promise?'
"Promise."
It took three weeks for Wei Wuxian ask Lan Wangji to sit down next to Jiang Yanli and ask what A-Ling would want for his birthday. Jiang Yanli would tell him A-Ling was obsessed with story books, specifically the ones written by Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. A-Ling would open his present to a brand new work, about a magic soup. The dedication would read: I miss your soup.
The next week, a tub of soup would be waiting for Wei Wuxian at the park. A short note would be on top, I miss you too. But like all good soups, take your time.