#wangjiweek2020

They are playing in the living-room, Wei Wuxian pretending to chase Lan Sizhui around and Lan Wangji’s heart is so full when he hears Lan Sizhui squeal and laugh like this.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji says to get his husband’s attention, and Wei Wuxian beams at him.

“Lan Zhan, you’re back,” he says and the happiness at having Lan Wangji back is written in every line on his face.

“I’m home,” Lan Wangji agrees as Wei Wuxian bounds over to get his kiss.

“Die-die!” Lan Sizhui calls and when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji turn towards him he makes grabby hands at Wei Wuxian who smiles indulgently at Lan Sizhui.

“Up you go, baby,” Wei Wuxian agrees and lifts Lan Sizhui up to perch him on his hip.

Once settled Lan Sizhui immediately makes grabby hands at Lan Wangji who is more than happy to take him from Wei Wuxian.

“Did you miss me, my little bun?” Lan Wangji asks and nuzzles Lan Sizhui’s cheek.

“Yes,” Lan Sizhui enthusiastically says and throws his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck.

Lan Wangji finds it hard to remember what he was even worried about on his trip when he is being greeted back home like this.

“Do you want to show baba what you learned?” Wei Wuxian asks Lan Sizhui and Lan Wangji can tell that these two have been up to some mischief.

“Mn,” Lan Sizhui says with a very pronounced nod and Wei Wuxian turns sparkling eyes on Lan Wangji.

“That is all you,” he tells him and Lan Wangji has to agree that some of Lan Sizhui’s mannerisms are clearly coming from Lan Wangji.

“What did you learn?” Lan Wangji asks and Lan Sizhui turns around in his arms to look at Wei Wuxian.

“High-five?” Wei Wuxian asks and Lan Sizhui immediately reaches out to slap his hand against Wei Wuxian’s waiting one.

“Very good,” Wei Wuxian says with a laugh and Lan Wangji hides his smile in Lan Sizhui’s hair.

“This is what you’ve been teaching our son?” Lan Wangji then asks and Wei Wuxian puffs up his cheeks.

“It’s a very valuable skill and everyone should know it,” he declares and then holds out his hand again. “Lan Zhan, high-five!”

Lan Wangji sighs but he is still helpless against his husband, so he obediently slaps his hand against Wei Wuxian’s.

“See,” Wei Wuxian says with a laugh and then he goes serious again. “You want to see what else we learned?” he then asks and Lan Wangji frowns slightly at him.”

“I was gone two days,” he says and Wei Wuxian shrugs as Lan Sizhui starts playing with the trailing ends of the forehead ribbon.

“We are very diligent learners,” Wei Wuxian tells him, which Lan Wangji doubts, but he nods anyway.

“Alright,” he gives back and Wei Wuxian turns towards Lan Sizhui again.

“Who is that?” he then asks and points at Lan Wangji.

Lan Sizhui turns his huge eyes on him and then very clearly says “Baba.”

“That’s right, my precious bun, that’s your baba.”

“My baba,” Lan Sizhui repeats and then throws his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck again. “Missed baba,” he mutters as he cuddles close and Lan Wangji has to blink against the tears that threaten to spill over.

“I know it’s been bothering you,” Wei Wuxian softly says as he steps close to hug Lan Wangji from the side. “It barely took any prompting, I don’t know why he didn’t say it before.”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji mutters as he turns his head to lay kiss after kiss on Wei Wuxian’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“Nah,” Wei Wuxian disagrees. “Say thank you to our amazing son!”

“Thank you,” Lan Wangji does, again unable—and unwilling—to deny his husband anything.

“Welcome,” Lan Sizhui gives back and then smacks Lan Wangji right in the face. “A-Yuan thirsty,” he declares and Lan Wangji can’t help but to chuckle at that.

“We should better get you something to drink then,” Lan Wangji says, which is met with an enthusiastic nod from Lan Sizhui.

Lan Wangji starts walking towards the kitchen, but not without pulling Wei Wuxian into a kiss first.

“Baba, die-die, kissies too,” Lan Sizhui says as he tugs on Lan Wangji’s collar, and immediately Lan Sizhui is showered in kisses until he’s laughing loudly.

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian sneak in a few kisses to each other, but since Lan Sizhui is also blowing kisses at them, it clearly doesn’t upset him too much.

“Drinking now?” Wei Wuxian eventually asks and Lan Sizhui throws himself out of Lan Wangji’s arms and into Wei Wuxian’s in a move that speaks of absolute trust that his die-die will catch him.

“Drinking now,” Lan Sizhui agrees and then struggles to be put on the ground.

Once his feet are secure on the floor, he immediately starts running towards the kitchen.

“Careful,” Wei Wuxian calls after him but he’s shaking his head fondly.

“I love you,” Lan Wangji tells him, because he does, and he hasn’t said it yet today.

“I love you, too, my Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian gives back with a soft smile.

“I love you,” Lan Sizhui yells from the kitchen and then giggles to himself.

“We are so blessed,” Wei Wuxian quietly tells Lan Wangji, who wholeheartedly agrees.

Emperor’s Smile...perhaps it’s better to save it for you to drink, after all.

He’s about to get out of bed when a little hand grabs onto his sleeve. Lan Yuan is blinking awake, rubbing at his eyes.

“Gege...Hanguang-jun...”

“A-Yuan, why are you here?”

He doesn’t mean it as a reprimand and purposefully lightens his tone but A-Yuan lowers his head all the same, afraid of his disapproval.

“A-Yuan...couldn’t sleep last night so I came out to find... And then I saw Hanguang-jun and Zewu-jun... Ah!”

Easily changeable as children are, Lan Yuan’s trepidation is quickly swapped for concern as he seems to remember something.

“Ge—Hanguang-jun! Does it still hurt?”

Before Lan Wangji can reply, the little bundle of energy has climbed onto his lap, staring up at him with wide eyes. He wants to say no. He wants that to be true. But Gusu Lan Sect’s rigid rules dictate that he must not tell lies.

And so he says, “Yes.”

It does. It hurts a lot. It feels like so much time has passed already yet it hasn’t stopped hurting, clawing away at his heart. He thought, by now, he would have learned to be better at living with it but perhaps that is not true either. Not yet.

“You...” Lan Wangji pauses. “You do not need to address me by my title when we are alone.”

Little Lan Yuan’s eyes light up.

“Gege!”

“Mn.”

“Then,” Lan Yuan bites his lip, “Should A-Yuan blow on it for gege? Auntie Qing and Xian-gege did it before and then it really stopped hurting!”

“All right. If A-Yuan doesn’t mind.”

“Mn!”

Over the bandages, Lan Wangji barely feels a thing but somehow it does hurt a little less. For a while, there’s nothing but the sounds of little breaths and the rustling of cloth. But when Lan Yuan speaks again, he sounds much less lively.

“Gege...” He says and Lan Wangji notices with a pang that his eyes are a little watery. “Is Xian-gege really not coming back? Did A-Yuan make him mad? Can...can gege tell Xian-gege that A-Yuan will be really good? A-Yuan promises to be a good boy, so...”

A few seconds pass before Lan Wangji dares to speak and his voice still comes out slightly rough.

“Your Xian-gege knows that. It’s not A-Yuan’s fault. He’s just...”

In the end, he doesn’t know how to finish the sentence. He retreats.

“Is A-Yuan missing Granny and the others? I will take you to see them tomorrow. Mn?”

“Okay...”

Lan Wangji gathers the child into his arms and pulls the blanket over them both, disregarding the dull throb when cloth rubs against his chest. The sun-crested brand will remain forever just as he will never forget. But...

He will learn to live with the pain. He has to.

... ... ...

It’s not the 23rd yet so I’m allowing myself to post a sad one before a nicer thing.