Solstice Souls

Fated Sons

Wei Ying POV

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan both stared at her. She smiled at their innocent faces looking at her for answers. Taking the teapot in her hand, she offered both of them more of the warm liquid.

"Fate is a funny thing, boys. We worship it when it leads us to fortune or love and curse it when bites us in the arse. But Fate continues on its own path, regardless of what we think of it."

She stared at the two young men cautiously. "I believe there is more."

"More than what, grandmother?" Wei Ying asked, leaning forward. The teacup in his hands had stopped halfway up the path to his lips. His eyes were wider than the saucer on the table holding the steamed buns.

"More to the two of you being here. Together." Baoshen Sanren said thoughtfully with a sly smile.

Taking a sip of her own tea, she gave them a knowing look, her eyes falling to where their hands lay entwined under the table. Immediately, the two young men pulled apart. The motion was so obvious that Baoshen Sanren could not stifle her giggles, her voice as warm as the summer breeze blowing outside.

"Grandmother, I....we....it....." Wei Ying stammered, his face warming under a soft pink blush.

"Come, child. Do you think I'm bothered by that?" She winked at them both and the two relaxed again. "Love is love. A heart cannot be controlled. It answers the call of the soul it was destined to love. And, once that soul is found, there is nothing anyone can do to break the bond that forms from that love. Not even you." she said, pointing to the both of them.

Wei Ying gasped. His sharp silver eyes flew to Lan Zhan sitting next to him and noticed the young jade shifting in his seat. He wanted to slide his hand over and reclaim the large hand that had been his just moments ago. But Lan Zhan's hands were tucked deeply into his large flowing sleeves, safe from Wei Ying's needy fingers.

Baoshen Sanren sat up straight and smoothed her immaculate robes. "Now, let's get down to serious business. A-Ying, do you remember the song your mother used to sing to you?"

Wei Ying closed his eyes and nodded slowly. He was afraid if he spoke his voice would betray him. Placing his hands in his lap, he readjusted his bottom to sit squarely on the cushion. The nervousness that was building in his trembling body was making him squirm like a worm on a hook.

"Will you sing it for me?"

The last word was inflected as if his grandmother was asking him a question but Wei Ying knew better. He lifted his head and glanced at Lan Zhan who was staring at him in curious anticipation. Those damn golden eyes sparkled with the wonder of a child and Wei Ying had no defense against them when the handsome jade looked at him like that. His lips upturned in a tiny pressed smile, his dimples deepening on his tanned skin.

"Oh come on, now. I haven't heard you sing since you were.....what, ten years old? And now you're going to be sixteen!" she teased with a smile that drew out Wei Ying's own humorous grin.

"Grandmother, I'm turning eighteen this year! You know that. Or.....is your memory starting to fade? You do seem to have more grey hair than I remember. And is that.....a wrinkle?!"

Wei Ying leaned across the table and reached out his hand trying to touch his grandmother's hair. He was met with a hard slap that sent him back to his seat with a quivering pout which then turned into a contagious belly laugh. His grandmother and him laughed loudly, their voices almost harmonizing as they floated in the humid summer air.

When Wei Ying could no longer see because of the tears in his eyes, he turned his head to look at the silent jade still sitting next to him. Apparently, his laughter was not infecting the cold jade who sat silently waiting for the raucous commotion to end. Which it did quite suddenly when Wei Ying realized Lan Zhan was looking at him in nervous disbelief.