It's been thirteen years since Lan Zhan was last in a room with Wei Wuxian, but its been five minutes since he saw Wei Ying teaching art online. Devising a complex plan to save Wei Ying from being framed from murder, Lan Zhan throws his life and he...
It was simply too much to cherish for one heart. He found himself sitting at the little table in the kitchen smiling at the warm, rumpled, adorable man in front of him.
Sizhui rose from bed at a good time for his age and would come into the kitchen yawning but happy. He had hugged Lan Zhan's good leg every single time, calling out "Jiaofu!" and would kiss his Baba's cheek in greeting, reaching up to him in the kitchen chair.
"Baba's not really awake." He'd say warmly, with the honesty of a four year old. "He'll be awake in a little while. Gumo says good things take time."
His Baba, who on Lan Zhan's second morning had designed an array on the table with spilled tea, eyes barely open so only a hint of silver could be seen. His Baba, who thunked his head beside his creation and nodded off for ten minutes. Lan Zhan had panicked as he fell forward and caught his head in his hands, cradling his precious skull, rooted to the spot as if he had been welded in place.. .
His Baba, who would suddenly snap to as if slapped and launch from the table. Like a athlete or modernist dancer, he would whirl from room to room, somehow managing to shower, dress, gather relevant supplies, down his captured mug of tea and reappear as if summoned, looking half-crazed. In twenty minutes.
Sizhui clearly used to this, would just look from his congee and say sweetly, "Breakfast time Baba."
Then, Wei Ying would smile and the entire world could burn and Lan Zhan would miss it.
"Lan Zhan! You cooked! Have you been standing on your leg too much?"
"Aiya Lan Zhan this is supposed to be a vacation!"
"You must rest that leg! Sit down, sit down!"
"Lan Zhan this is amazing!"
"A-Yuan, what are we going to do when he leaves us?"
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Only once had Wei Ying seemed unhappy, the anniversary of his adoptive parents' murder hanging close. The answer he'd found was to distract him, and just hover near.
Wei Ying would drop Sizhui off at his nursery on the days he went to Yunmeng's Furong office. On his 'free' days and most of his nights, he was running Lotus Pier as Jiang Cheng's second. Training the disciples, advancing his own cultivation and... spending time with Lan Zhan.
If Lan Zhan was not already in love with him, he would have fallen by now.
And within two days, his love for A-Yuan expanded even more. This precious little boy was in his heart as a son and Lan Zhan would do anything for him.
For an outsider's perspective, he was here in Lotus Pier as a guest, to recuperate from his injuries and to take this time to visit his old friend, to get to know his godson. While true, for Lan Zhan he was also here to prevent the destruction of the Jiang family and the self-destruction of Wei Ying.
