Work Text:
Lan Zhan has always been methodical, organized, and precise. He loathes wasted effort, and is particular about every aspect of his life. His socks are color-coded in his drawer, and his closet is masterfully arranged by color and level of formality. Every morning, he spends several minutes perfectly making his bed such that there is not a single visible wrinkle.
He works Monday through Friday, and the weekend is meant to be his time to accomplish chores and familial obligations with time for his musical composition if he can spare it.
Being a father has changed some of that.
A’Yuan is a sweet, easy child, but he is a toddler, nonetheless.
On weekdays, A’Yuan attends daycare in the mornings, and then alternates afternoons with Lan Zhan's brother or uncle. Lan Zhan leaves the Annex promptly at 5pm, commutes the ten minutes to the family property, and spends the rest of the evening with his son.
Work and home have always been very carefully distinguished and designed by Lan Zhan to overlap as little as he can manage without outright offending his colleagues.
He has been a cataloging librarian for the MoXiang Public Library System for nearly five years, but he rarely goes into the branch libraries because his brain insists that the library is a place of work and not leisure. E-books have been a good friend to him over the years, regardless of how much he enjoys the feeling of a physical book in his hands.
Now, though, A’Yuan is in his life, and Lan Zhan impressed the importance of literacy on the boy from the early days of their supervised visits and now still that the adoption has gone through.
That is why, twice a month, he takes A’Yuan to the Cloud Recesses Branch nearest their home to return and select a large stack of books. It has become a routine. The librarians there are all familiar, and they offer sweet smiles to him, not knowing that he works for the same system as they do. It is not a secret. Lan Zhan merely has not needed to share such information.
He knew this day was coming, but the break in routine is still grating when it arrives: the Cloud Recesses Branch is closed for renovation. Depending on the contractors hired, the branch will be closed for 9-12 months. Lan Zhan does not grind his teeth, but it is a near thing.
The next closest location for Lan Zhan to bring his son to is the Yiling Branch, one of the newer branches in the greater Yunmeng area. The county had built it after the Lotus Pier Branch began to hit its capacity.
Lan Zhan should, perhaps, know more about the branch. He does not. All he knows is that whomever heads the youth services department always orders the best variety of diverse titles. It is a bold statement in what had been a fairly rural area.
When they reach the Yiling Branch, the parking lot is half full, which is unexpected for opening on a Saturday morning.
Once they approach the building, A’Yuan tilts his head back to admire the tall, arched overhang.
"A’Die! It's bigger than Cloud Recesses!"
"Mn. This branch was built several years ago. It is one of the largest in the county."
Despite his gentle steps, Lan Zhan's oxfords echo loudly in the lobby, accompanied by the equally cacophonous sound of A’Yuan's light-up sneakers squeaking on the tile. Off to a great start.
To his relief the carpeted children's section is on the right hand side just inside the main building.
With his hand newly freed, A’Yuan quickly makes his way into the brightly colored section while Lan Zhan trails behind, taking a moment to observe this branch location. He knows the site had once been a funeral home, oddly enough, but that was before the county bought the land and built a new, eco-friendly library. There is no trace of dreariness in the soft, natural light that filters in through dozens of small, high windows.
It feels peaceful.
And then comes a loud, raucous laugh, and the moment of peace is shattered.
Honestly, who is laughing so loudly in a library? He can tell by the richness of the voice that this is no child. Have they no common courtesy?
Lan Zhan traces the sound to the children's department where A’Yuan is already eagerly perusing the rows of picture books.
Lan Zhan’s eyes land on the culprit of the loud laughter, and for a moment, his irritation evaporates.
There is something familiar about the crinkle of the man’s nose and the scrunch of his half-moon eyes.
More surprisingly, the culprit is wearing the lanyard of a MoXiang Library System employee, and he stands behind the children’s information desk with a cup of coffee in one hand and large, pink bird puppet on the other.
A second employee sits at the children’s desk, offering the laughing man an indulgent, sheepish smile.
“Ah, Wen Ning,” the laughing man says, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his black shirt, “I can’t believe you said that!”
The second employee—Wen Ning— looks pleased with himself. “All I did was politely explain that we uplift all members of our community. And remind her that queer people exist outside of June.”
“Darn right we do!” the laughing man says, and something goes warm behind Lan Zhan’s ribs.
A few children skirt around Lan Zhan and skip over to the laughing man.
“Mr. Wei! Mr. Wei! When is storytime starting?” a little girl asks, almost stepping behind the desk to reach the man. Lan Zhan suspects she very much wants to pet the bird puppet.
Mr. Wei, for that seems to be his name, squats down so he’s level with the gaggle of small children. “Aiyah, please forgive Mr. Wei! I lost track of time. Storytime is starting in two minutes. A’Qing, go grab your adults and I’ll let you in soon, okay?”
The little girl nods, her pigtails bouncing. Mr. Wei smiles again as the children scurry off.
A’Yuan nudges at his thigh, and Lan Zhan looks down. “A’Die! Can we go to storytime?”
It’s an innocent question. The Cloud Recesses Branch does not offer a Saturday morning storytime, and so A’Yuan has never attended one.
Lan Zhan shifts several things in his mental calendar for the day and suppresses a sigh. They will likely not make it to the park today, but maybe this will get his uncle off his back about letting A’Yuan socialize outside of daycare.
“Mn,” he hums at last, watching his son burst into a wide grin. “Let us check out your books first, and then we can go in.”
“Yay!” A’Yuan cheers quietly, cognizant of their surroundings. He speed-walks to the self-checkout counter and wiggles eagerly while Lan Zhan joins him and hands him the blue and white patterned children’s card.
A’Yuan scans the barcode and then begins putting his books on the pad, handing them to Lan Zhan as he finishes checking out each title. Lan Zhan tucks each book into the tote bag on his arm, feeling the weight grow. He is pleased to sate his son’s voracious literary appetite anytime, and these Saturday morning trips have always felt like a kind of magic.
He remembers the feeling well from his own childhood and the trips he took to the library with his mother and brother.
“Alright, my friends,” Mr. Wei calls, opening the story time room door, “Story time is starting now! Join us for books, music, and games.”
“Games?” A’Yuan gasps. “I want to play!”
“You will,” Lan Zhan says, helping him down from the step-stool. A’Yuan holds his fingers and tugs him towards the door, incandescent with excitement.
Mr. Wei stands as the threshold, greeting regulars and asking how their week has been. He greets newcomers with equal warmth, waving the puppet’s wing to each passing child. Some bury their faces in their adult’s shoulders or hide behind their legs. Others eagerly reach out to pet the puppet, stroking it with gentle fingers when Mr. Wei demonstrates.
Lan Zhan takes great joy and satisfaction in being a parent, but he also knows that he has no desire to work with children. He commends those who do, and Mr. Wei seems a wonderful example.
At last, he and A’Yuan reach the door. “Newcomers! Good morning, and welcome to our Saturday Story Hour. I’m Mr. Wei, and I hope you have fun reading with us today.”
A’Yuan shyly steps forward, still holding Lan Zhan’s hand. “Good morning.”
Lan Zhan squeezes his son’s hand and then looks up to greet Mr. Wei. The words catch on his tongue. Mr Wei is even more handsome up close than he had been from afar. “Morning,” he finally croaks.
Mr. Wei’s eyes crinkle with gentle amusement. “Welcome,” he says. “I never expected to see you outside of the Annex. Lan Zhan, right?” Lan Zhan is shocked to be recognized.
And then Lan Zhan places Mr. Wei’s familiar face. “Three years ago. You were on the new-hire tour. Wei Ying.”
“Guilty!” Wei Ying agrees. His hair is longer with red streaks now, and the glasses are new. Almost everyone in the library system gets glasses eventually. Lan Zhan supposes it is a kind of occupational hazard.
“You are the head of children’s services here?”
“That’s me.”
Lan Zhan’s lips quirk as he follows A’Yuan into the colorful story time room. “Your taste in children’s literature is exceptional.”
Wei Ying laughs. “I didn’t peg you for a flatterer.”
Lan Zhan gives him a long look over his shoulder. He watches Wei Ying’s cheeks go pink. “I am no such thing.”
Wei Ying flusters, and Lan Zhan settles in behind the carpet square that A’Yuan has picked out.
Perhaps it will be no hardship coming to the Yiling Branch, after all.