Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Peeling away from Wei Wuxian the following morning felt all but impossible. 

Mostly because Wei Wuxian was so busy clinging back. 

“You’re so big! And so tall! And so strong! Eat a good breakfast so you can keep beating up Jingyi in your fencing practices. And have lots of oranges, they’re good for your circulation!” Wei Wuxian instructed him, loading up Sizhui’s breakfast bowl with orange slices and kissing his cheek over and over. 

“Wei Ying will be late for work,” Lan Wangji reminded them both, amused. 

“Yes, but I am a parent, Lan Zhan. Parents are sometimes late to work because of their children.” He seemed very thrilled by this inconvenience. 

“You will still be a parent when you come home,” Lan Wangji said. 

At this, Wei Wuxian perked up hopefully. “I can come over tonight?” Wei Wuxian asked, his hands tightening on Sizhui’s arm. He’d been suctioned onto his son’s side all morning like a leech. (Or maybe Sizhui was the one glued to Wei Wuxian. It was hard to tell.) 

Meanwhile, his father looked exasperated. “Every night,” Lan Wangji repeated for surely the hundredth time in their year-long relationship. “You have always been invited every night. Especially now. But also always.” 

Apparently, this was enough to pull Wei Wuxian’s single minded focus off of Sizhui just long enough to fling himself at Lan Wangji for hugs and attention. “Lan Zhan. You are too nice to me! You open your home far too often!” 

“I want my home to be your home,” Lan Wangji insisted.

Wei Wuxian made a sound approximating a tea kettle and batted at Lan Wangji’s chest. “Okay, you don’t have to beg and beg,” he promised, despite his own wide eyes pleading Lan Wangji to stay. “I’ll come, I’ll come.” 

“I am not begging. I am explaining. You refuse to listen.” 

Wei Wuxian straightened and grabbed his workbag. “Regardless! I will be back tonight! A-Yuan, I love you!” 

Sizhui sat up straight, eager but trying to fight the smile creeping up his face. It was very embarrassing to be so loved and tended to, and it was even more embarrassing to be so happy about it. “A-Niang! I love you, too!” 

“I love that you call me that!” 

“I love that you’re here!” 

“I love you!” Wei Wuxian said, half elated and half distraught as he cupped Sizhui’s cheeks and gave them a squish. “My little smush! I will miss you all day today! I always miss you, you know? Except for right now because you’re here!” 

“Here!” Sizhui agreed through squished cheeks. 

Wei Wuxian gave him a very exaggerated pout and kissed his forehead. “I have to go,” he complained. “But I promise I will come tonight. Because I am invited every night,” he said before Lan Wangji could scold him. “I will see you soon.” 

As he left, Sizhui looked to his father, watching him watch Wei Wuxian go with a fond look in his eye. He waited until the front door had closed behind Wei Wuxian to ask, “It’s okay?” 

His father turned to him, his eyes so warm, Sizhui thought he might melt. “It is wonderful,” Lan Wangji said. “I should like to confirm with your records, of course. And I would like to consult a professional family counselor, to ensure both of your well-being as you readjust to each other, but I believe you have been warming up to each other for some time. I am pleased this realization has come when Wei Ying is already such a reliable presence in your life.” 

“You’re not sad?” Sizhui checked. 

At this, his father’s expression slightly faltered. “Sad?” 

“Just because… because you’re still important, too,” Sizhui said. He wasn’t exactly sure how to phrase his concerns, so he skipped to the comforting words he knew he wanted to say instead. “You’re still A-Die.” 

His father hummed and reached across the table to take Sizhui’s hand. “And you are A-Zhui. My son. I have always wanted you to have a full family, and I have always wanted Wei Ying to be part of it. All is well, Sizhui.” 

Sizhui found himself near tears again. Maybe his father was right to consult a counselor. It was all rather overwhelming. 

Unable to speak, Sizhui waited for his father to fill the silence. “... Would you still like to keep your playdate today?” 

“It’s a hang out , not a playdate,” Sizhui squeaked through his clogged nose and throat. Some things were important to distinguish. He dabbed at his face with a napkin. “I would really like my friends to come over, if it’s still okay.” 

“Then shall I prepare some snacks for you before work?” 

“You don’t have to do anything!” Sizhui promised.

His father stood up and kissed his hair. “I would like to.” Because Sizhui had a father who cared for him, still steadfast even with a new mom to take care of Sizhui, too. 

“Okay,” Sizhui said, close to tears again. 

He hoped he could pull himself together before his friends’ arrival. 

Sizhui’s friends arrived in a predictable order: Jingyi, then Zizhen, then Jin Ling. The three were all in various degrees of trouble with their parents for trespassing at Wei Wuxian’s workplace and forcing him to leave his professional development day early to take them all home. However, Lan Wangji had promised to supervise when the boys had requested to see each other, convincing their parents to agree.

“Are you okay?” Jingyi asked upon his arrival, sensing Sizhui’s overwhelm almost immediately. Sizhui was his best friend after all. 

“I’ll tell you when the others get here,” Sizhui promised. 

Later, Zizhen cooed over him while starting a game of cards. “Sizhui… your nose is all pink.”

“I’m fine,” Sizhui promised. “Just… just wait until Jin Ling comes.” 

A half an hour later, Jin Ling stepped through the door with an elaborate gift basket full of shine muscat, watermelon slices, and pineapple rings bundled up in his arms. “Here,” Jin Ling said. “My dad said to give this to Wei Wuxian. He also says he has to call my mom back- Wait, what’s wrong with you?” Jin Ling asked. 

Sizhui couldn’t hold it back any more. 

“Wei Wuxian is my mom!” 

“... What?”

“He’s- Or- I mean-” Suddenly, Sizhui was very embarrassed. “It’s a little confusing, but I promise it’s true!”

“... How?” Jin Ling asked. Meanwhile, Zizhen and Jingyi sat at rapt attention. 

“Um… Wait, hold on.” Sizhui first took the gift basket and set it in the kitchen. Then, he hurriedly lead his friends all out of the living room and to his bedroom where he could close the door. They all quickly settled into their usual spots: Jingyi and Sizhui on the bed, Jin Ling at the desk, and Zizhen on the floor.

“Okay,” Sizhui said anxiously. “Um… you know how… how I’m adopted?” 

“I still don’t know if I believe that,” Jingyi said. “You and your dad are scarily similar.” 

“... Um… I don’t know how to tell the story if you don’t believe me-”

“Ignore him,” Jin Ling said. “Just keep going.” 

Sizhui took a deep breath. “Okay, well, I mean… I always knew I had a mom. I could kind of remember her, you know? But not a lot. Just a little. A lot of times I’d dream about her, but then I’d wake up, and forget it all over again.” He squirmed where he sat, trying to figure out how to best explain it. “But a-anyway… It turns out, I was missing my mom, and Wei Wuxian was missing a baby! And he was talking about it, and it was really sad, but he was saying all these things, and somehow I realized… he was talking about me. All the pieces and details lined up, and A-Die helped me find some baby photos, and I showed him, and it was- it was really me. My mama isn’t a she, she’s a he. Somehow, it’s Wei Wuxian!”

“What?!” Jin Ling asked in disbelief. 

“Really?” Jingyi asked, surprised. 

“It’s fate!” Zizhen declared, fully on board. 

Sizhui perked up at that. “You think?” 

“Of course!” Zizhen said. “All these years, you’ve both spent missing each other, only to somehow stumble back into each other’s lives? That’s totally fate! It’s destiny!” 

“Okay, but he’s not your mom,” Jin Ling said. “He’s your dad. …And maybe my uncle.” 

“... Oh,” Sizhui worried. 

Zizhen was quick to defend him. “Nuh-uh! If it’s true, if they found each other after years and years, then that’s magical! That’s special! It’s the type of bond that only exists between mother and child!” Zizhen insisted. “They clearly have a strong connection. One that transcends time, space, and distance. Like the red strings of fate!”

Jin Ling stared blankly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I believe Zizhen!” Jingyi decided. 

“Well, what do you know?!” Jin Ling asked. 

Sizhui squirmed again, his cheeks heating up a little. It seemed a silly thing to argue about when it didn’t matter either way. All that really mattered was that Wei Wuxian was his first caretaker, his first parent, the first person to ever love him, and they’d finally found each other again. Still, he couldn’t help but add on, “... He did say I can call him A-Niang.” 

Zizhen clapped his hands together. “See, it’s fate!”

“That part’s not fate,” Jin Ling disagreed. “That’s just Wei Wuxian being a weirdo! Like you!”

The two continued to bicker, but Sizhui felt Jingyi’s eyes still lingering on him. When he turned to face him, Jingyi was analyzing his expression. “... You’re okay?” Jingyi asked. 

Sizhui hugged his knees to his chest. Jingyi knew him too well. He couldn’t help feeling a little exposed. “I think so,” he promised. “It’s a little less scary now. The whole, like, ‘Chen Zhuoxuan’ thing.” He’d been very hesitant that Wei Wuxian would just disappear from his life the way Zizhen’s ex-girlfriend had, but now that Sizhui had his own clear relationship with Wei Wuxian, he was a little less worried. 

Jingyi hummed, thoughtful, while Jin Ling launched from the desk chair to wrestle Zizhen on the floor. “Well, you know,” Jingyi said over the clamor of the two fighting. “There’s still the other thing.” 

“What other thing?” Sizhui asked. 

Jingyi wriggled his ring finger for Sizhui to see. “Maybe your dad will ask your mom to marry him. Now it seems right.” 

Zizhen paused, looking up at Jingyi while smothering Jin Ling with a pillow. “Oh, are you two talking about a proposal?!” 

Jin Ling threw him off. “Can all of you just be normal?!” 

“Jin Ling, you’re the weirdest one out of the four of us,” Jingyi insisted from his spot perched on the bed, hands on his hips as he glared down at their friend. 

Jin Ling grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him onto the floor. 

The three quickly devolved into a play wrestling tournament with Sizhui anxiously hovering above them, until Lan Wangji appeared at the door to tell them to settle down and come have a snack. They all had flushed cheeks from exertion and sweat-dampened hair. Sizhui picked at the fruit platter his father had put out for them, still contemplative about all the major changes happening around him. 

“Hey,” Jin Ling said suddenly during an odd moment of quiet. “I’m really happy for you Sizhui.” 

Sizhui pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. “Thanks.” 

“You found your person,” Zizhen said happily. 

Sizhui flushed and held his face for a moment. “Yeah,” he agreed. Finally, things felt righted. 

“I am back!” Wei Wuxian declared when he entered the apartment later that evening. 

Sizhui’s friends had gone home hours ago. He scrambled to close his laptop and rush to meet Wei Wuxian in the foyer. “You’re home! I was waiting!” 

“Me, too,” Wei Wuxian said. “Do you even know how boring curriculum review meetings are? So boring , Sizhui. The most boring. And they’re even more boring when you have somewhere else you’d rather be.” He said all this while pulling Sizhui in for a hug, snuggling him close in greeting. 

Sizhui knotted his hands in Wei Wuxian’s shirt. “It sounds boring,” he agreed. 

“Humph,” Wei Wuxian said, putting the day behind him. “But what about you?” He smoothed Sizhui’s bangs back off his forehead. “Was your day boring? Was it good? Lan Zhan had mentioned you had plans with your friends today.” 

“It was good,” Sizhui promised. “I told them about you.” 

“About me?” 

“About finding you,” Sizhui clarified. 

Wei Wuxian’s face melted. It was the only warning Sizhui got before his face was positively peppered in kisses. “I’m going to go to the top of Shanghai Tower and scream to all of China that I found you ,” Wei Wuxian decided. “I might even just go stand on your balcony and scream it at random people passing by!” 

Sizhui laughed. When he looked over Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, he saw his father waiting to greet him, a very disconcerted expression on his face. “Please no screaming,” Lan Wangji requested, gently pulling Wei Wuxian in for a hug. “There has been too much noise already today.” 

“Oh?” Wei Wuxian asked, pulling back. “I take it the kids were rambunctious?” 

“They were… energetic.” 

Wei Wuxian laughed at that, a clear, happy sound, and looking at him now, Sizhui couldn’t believe how much… brighter he seemed. He hadn’t realized Wei Wuxian was dim before, but now he was blinding. 

Sizhui wondered if he too seemed lighter. 

The trio gathered for dinner, and Wei Wuxian made a big show of swooning and gushing over the fruit basket he’d received, only to swiftly switch to criticizing it once he learned it was from Jin Zixuan. “What? He has all the money in the world and he can’t even afford something more exciting, like a kiwi? Or a dragonfruit? You know, I heard in the U.S., they have white nectarines!” Still, they ate most of the watermelon for dessert while Wei Wuxian pulled out a stack of polaroids he’d brought from home. 

“I didn’t bring all of your things,” Wei Wuxian said. “I have a lot to show you, but I was stopping by my apartment quickly for some fresh clothes, and I thought I’d bring some pictures.” 

Sizhui wriggled to sit a little closer to him on the couch. Their sides pressed together. His father sat on the opposite side of Wei Wuxian. 

“This is your mother,” Wei Wuxian began, showing a picture of Wen Qing. She had her chin raised and a smart expression as she looked at the camera, but her lips were quirked up in a smile, as if amused to have her picture taken. “This picture is from before everything… before everything happened. She was really quick and really funny, and she didn’t let me get away with anything, ” Wei Wuxian said. 

Sizhui looked at her features, and he could find himself in them. The flat bridge of their noses. Their round eyes and double lids. Their fair, porcelain skin. 

“What of her brother?” Lan Wangji asked. 

“Wen Ning?” Wei Wuxian asked back. Lan Wangji nodded, and Wei Wuxian hummed. “I don’t know… maybe we can find him, too, little radish.” He tickled Sizhui’s side. They would find him one day. But there were so many other reunions that needed to happen first. 

Wei Wuxian flipped to the next picture. “Oh… This was your first house. We were getting it ready for when you came home from the hospital. I don’t know why, but I took a lot of pictures… I think I felt so proud of everything. Getting the crib put together and all.” He waved his hand self-deprecatingly.

Wei Wuxian had taken pictures of every corner of the apartment. Some of them featured Wen Qing, heavily pregnant with her feet on the coffee table. She seemed tired, but the house was clean, and there had clearly been many preparations for Sizhui’s arrival. Some featured Wen Ning, earnestly cleaning and helping put up picture frames in the corner of the living room that became Sizhui’s nursery.

Wei Wuxian laughed as he flipped to a picture of the welcome mat. “I dunno why I thought you’d wanna see this one day,” he said. “But this was where I was standing when I unlocked the door to take you into your first house for the first time. I was so sentimental about everything!” 

Sizhui stilled Wei Wuxian’s hand so he couldn’t flip past the photo too soon. “It’s not sentimental,” he promised. “I like it.” 

He liked getting to know. 

Wei Wuxian continued to show him numerous pictures of him as a baby. It seemed like Wei Wuxian had spent all his money on polaroid film, capturing all of Sizhui’s milestones, even silly ones like his first time wearing a hat or his first time rolling onto his tummy by himself.

There were a couple pictures of the ceiling fan. “You were so taken by this!” Wei Wuxian explained. “You’d stare at it for hours, totally enraptured! I thought if I took pictures, I’d understand your fascination!” 

Lan Wangji squeezed his partner's shoulders. 

“Oh, and here you are crawling,” Wei Wuxian gushed. “Oh my goodness, I was waiting so long… I was scared you never would,” Wei Wuxian said. Apparently, Sizhui’s childhood health issues were known even then.

Another picture. 

“Ah, here, you fell asleep on one of the toys in your Pack N’ Play. Look! It left a flower shape on your cheek!” 

Another picture.

“You got jam on your nose. Isn’t that so cute? You were so cute, A-Yuan.” 

Another picture. 

“Hahaha, I was already calling you radish by then, and I made you try on a little leaf headband at the grocery store. That day, you really were my little sprout!” 

There were so many pictures and so many happy memories, despite how difficult Sizhui knew his mama’s life must have been at the time. The pictures slowed some as things surely grew more challenging for Wei Wuxian. The studio apartment he moved into after Wen Qing’s passing was cramped and cluttered, and both Wei Wuxian and Sizhui’s clothing repeated frequently due to their small wardrobes. In many of the selfies, Wei Wuxian looked tired. 

But the way he looked at his baby had always been fond. 

In so many of the photos, Wei Wuxian seemed full of hope. 

If there had ever been a question as to whether or not Wei Wuxian wanted to keep his son, it was answered in these. Wei Wuxian had always loved Sizhui. He’d always planned to keep him. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, is it okay? Is it too much?” Wei Wuxian asked when he turned to find Sizhui crying. 

“N-no, it’s not, but also… but also it is,” Sizhui contradicted, flustered. “I’m just happy it’s you.” 

Wei Wuxian instinctively opened his arms and Sizhui easily fell into them. Wei Wuxian hugged him close. “I’m happy it’s you, too,” he said, voice thick with tears. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Sizhui.” 

“But I do,” Sizhui promised, shaking a little. “I missed you, too.” 

“It’s a terrible thing to miss a loved one,” Lan Wangji said, comforting both of them as he leaned across to place kisses to both of their foreheads. He gently collected the pictures and sat them on the coffee table. “We will continue another night.” 

“It’s late,” Wei Wuxian agreed. He squeezed Sizhui and pulled back a little. “When you were little, I used to have to suck snot from your nose through a straw before you went to sleep. Do I have to do that now?” 

Sizhui sputtered, not expecting to laugh so soon after crying. “A-Niang! No!” 

“Well, I would,” Wei Wuxian said. “It doesn’t actually suck up through the straw, you just have to use a little suction to get the boogers out, and then-” 

“Ew!” 

Still, it was a relief to have something cut through the tension. 

Wei Wuxian smiled at him, seemingly pleased by the way Sizhui had settled some with the teasing. “Okay, okay, fine! Still, let’s get you ready for bed. We can see each other in the morning.” 

“You’ll stay?” Sizhui checked, even if he knew Wei Wuxian was spending the night. 

“I’ll stay,” Wei Wuxian promised, kissing his temple. 

Sizhui settled even further. He really, really didn’t want Wei Wuxian to go home.

“A-die,” Sizhui said a few days later, slipping into his father’s study. 

Wei Wuxian had stayed the weekend. He’d bought a waffle maker, and they’d spent all of Saturday morning adding different mix-ins and toppings to create new flavor combinations, all while Lan Wangji stayed close and ensured they didn’t burn the house down. In the afternoon, they put together a jigsaw puzzle, which Wei Wuxian had no patience for. He ended up sketching and shoving his drawings in Lan Wangji’s eye line whenever he wanted attention. The sketches were all really silly, designed to make Sizhui laugh and his father snort.

Earlier that day, they took a walk in the park as a family, and Wei Wuxian taunted them both into foot races. Sizhui laughed at the shock on Wei Wuxian’s face when Sizhui and his father left him in the dust. Afterwards, they bought scallion pancakes and burned their mouths trying to eat them straight off the griddle, sitting on a little bridge overlooking the stream. 

And now, the night before Sizhui’s first week back at school, he could only think about all of the weekends he had left this year, and how he hoped Wei Wuxian would be part of each of them.

Fortunately, despite the late hour, his father didn’t chide him for wandering out of bed. “Sizhui.” 

“Can I… Can I talk to you?” 

“Sit,” his father said, gesturing to one of the armchairs by the window. He got up to join his son, settling into the chair across from him. “You may always tell me your concerns.” 

“It’s not… it’s not so much a concern,” Sizhui said. “It’s just… you love A-Niang right?” 

Lan Wangji nodded. “Very much so.” 

“You kiss a lot,” Sizhui recalled, wrinkling his nose. 

“We can be more private if it upsets you." 

“Oh! No, it’s just… I mean it seems like you really love him. Don’t you?” Sizhui asked. 

“Wei Ying is my soulmate,” his father said easily. 

“Then… I was thinking… maybe… Because! You know? He’s already my mom. Kind of! And- you’re definitely my dad.” He shrunk into his seat, suddenly losing his confidence. He didn’t know why he was suggesting this; it was almost certainly overstepping. “I was just thinking it’d make more sense if… if Wei Wuxian was my mom and also your… your husband.” 

His father looked at him curiously, and Sizhui tried to elaborate. 

“Like maybe… you could get married? And then… and then everything would be… set. You know?” 

“Ah,” Lan Wangji said. 

Sizhui couldn’t help but backtrack. “You don’t have to!” he promised. “I think… I mean… it’s okay! If you don’t want to. Or don’t want to yet. I don’t know why- I mean- it’s weird. But I was thinking- Maybe it’d be nice if… if A-Niang didn’t have to go home at night, and if things were more… um… sure? And… solid.” He was flustered. “I dunno.” 

“Sizhui. You misunderstand,” his father said, standing up.

He walked to his desk and pulled something out of the top drawer: a small box lined with black velvet. When opened, Lan Wangji revealed a dazzling diamond ring with an inset gemstone and a thick silver band. It was beautiful, but masculine. Spectacular but unobtrusive. Smart but casual. Something that wouldn’t look out of place with a ripped up band t-shirt, but would also pair nicely with a blazer and slacks. Something that wouldn’t get snagged or ruined during an elementary school art project, but still worth showing off to family and friends. 

Something clearly for Wei Wuxian. 

“I was already planning on asking,” his father explained. 

“You were?” Sizhui asked. Then, more excited, “You were?! How long?!” 

“I have had the ring since your birthday.” 

“My birthday?!” That had been ages ago! 

“Mn. I was eager, but… Wei Ying has taken many childhood development classes. When I initially introduced the idea of getting married, he suggested that it’d be best if he were to spend more time with you. So that you could be part of the process. I was waiting.” 

“You were waiting for me?” Sizhui asked. 

“I am your father,” Lan Wangji said. “My son’s feelings come first.” 

Sizhui’s face crumbled. “Oh.” He’d been so worried for so long and for no reason. Even without knowing he was A-Yuan, his A-Niang and A-Die had been planning a family with him in the center. He took a shaky breath. “So you’re going to ask him?” 

“Indeed.” 

Sizhui wrung his hands, pulling himself together. He was sick of happy tears. And besides! Now he was on a mission. “Then… then we need to make a plan!”

This seemed to surprise his father. “We do?” 

“Yes! A-Niang deserves something really nice, A-Die!” 

At this, his father smiled. “That he does.”

Wei Wuxian was there to see Sizhui off for his first day back to school. “So handsome!” Wei Wuxian said as Lan Wangji adjusted Sizhui’s tie. “Don’t forget your lunch!” He passed Sizhui his bento.

Sizhui took the lunchbox eagerly, knowing that if Wei Wuxian made it, there were probably happy surprises inside. “Thank you!” 

Wei Wuxian smiled at him, gaze growing misty-eyed suddenly. “You’re so grown up,” he said. 

“But not all the way!” 

Wei Wuxian laughed a little. He had to nudge his glasses out of the way to wipe his tears. “No, not all the way,” he agreed, fixing the lenses back into place. He’d have to get ready quickly to make it to his own classes. “I just love you. I’ll miss you today.” 

“I’ll see you later!” Sizhui promised. “Remember? A-Die says you’re invited every night!” 

Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together, grinning. “Is that right? I used to think that, but then last night, your father told me he hates me and never wants me around.” 

Lan Wangji frowned. “That is not what I said."

“Oh? Then what did you say?” 

“The water bill is higher. You take long showers.” 

“See?! You hate me! You never want me around!” 

“A-Niang!” Sizhui complained, not finding this teasing funny when it could possibly mean Wei Wuxian might spend the night at his tiny studio apartment rather than here. “I’ll see you after school!” He was supposed to be reassuring Wei Wuxian, but he was also seeking his A-Niang’s confirmation as a comfort to himself. 

Wei Wuxian softened at the sight of him. “Yes, you will,” he promised. He flapped his hands. “Now go have fun at school. Don’t fret over your poor despondent mother, desperately awaiting your return. Sure, I’ll be mourning the loss of my Sizhui all day, writhing and moaning in agony, but your education is important, and I will just have to suffer!” 

“You won’t be suffering, you’ll be at work,” Sizhui said as Wei Wuxian frog-walked him to the door. 

“Same thing.” 

Sizhui snorted a little and waved to both of his parents as he left the apartment, old enough to prefer walking to school on his own. He clutched his bento as he walked. Sure, it would be scary to find his new classroom and meet new peers, but Sizhui knew he’d have a safe place to come home to at the end of the day. 

His home only felt safer with Wei Wuxian in it - hopefully permanently.

“A-Niang,” Sizhui said later that evening, settling into their typical afterschool routine. Sizhui arrived home first, then Wei Wuxian arrived a few hours later. He peppered Sizhui with questions about his day before settling in the living room to relax while Lan Wangji cooked dinner. (They’d both do the dishes later.) “You’re not too busy this weekend, are you?” Sizhui asked.

Wei Wuxian looked up from his students’ projects, glasses low on his nose. He seemed very at home on the living room couch, a woven blanket over his skinny legs and a oversized t-shirt swamping his shoulders. “We have dinner with my brother and sister on Sunday,” he said. “Your A-Die and I planned to go as a family.” 

Sizhui’s heart warmed. As a family. “Right,” he said. His father had put the outing on their family calendar in the kitchen. Sizhui was prepared. “But you’re free on Saturday night?” 

“Why, yes, I suppose so. Why?” 

“Just checking,” Sizhui said, hiding his face in his book a moment later. He wasn’t very good at being sneaky, but he would try for his father’s sake. 

“You should bring some more of your clothes over,” Sizhui said, watching Wei Wuxian search through his tiny portion of Lan Wangji’s walk-in closet for something to wear to work that morning. “You need more nice things here.” 

Wei Wuxian was half buried in clothes, digging for something in the laundry hamper. “I don’t have any nice things,” he said absently.

“I just mean… I mean… you should have options," Sizhui said.

Wei Wuxian straightened up and arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think the six-year-olds at work care very much about my outfits.” 

“Well, maybe we could go shopping,” Sizhui suggested. He tactfully ignored Wei Wuxian choosing to wear a shirt from the dirty laundry. “It’s the first week of school, so I don’t have much homework! And- and I’m free after school today. We could get you some nice things to wear to… to, I dunno, your family dinner or something?” He was suddenly worried he was acting terribly transparent. Wei Wuxian was eying him knowingly.

“Sizhui… If you want to go to the shopping mall, you can just say so,” Wei Wuxian promised. “I like spending time with you.” 

Sizhui’s shoulders relaxed. Ah. Yes. But no. “R-right,” he agreed. “So we can go? Today? We can buy some nice things?” 

“We can definitely go and buy things, but I’m not sure how ‘nice’ they’ll be. Maybe if your dad donates his credit card…” 

“He will!” 

“Then okay!” Wei Wuxian agreed. “I’ll talk to your father about it. Maybe he can come, too.” 

“Or, I mean... I mean, it could be just me and you," Sizhui said. He wanted Wei Wuxian’s new clothes to be a surprise. "Maybe it would be fun for just us two."

“Oh? Okay," Wei Wuxian said easily. It was touching that he would so willingly do anything Sizhui asked. He hadn't put up any argument to the impromptu shopping trip at all. "Still, we should check in with your dad. He’ll be missing us if we don’t come home on time.” 

“Okay,” Sizhui agreed. "I can tell him." 

"As long as he's okay with it, we can go," Wei Wuxian promised before ducking into the bathroom to change for the day. Sizhui relaxed. That part had gone easier than expected.

Wei Wuxian balked at the bill when all was said and done. “Sizhui! Surely your father didn’t approve for us to put this much money on his debit card,” he said as they left the department store. They had a ticket slip to pick up a fully tailored Dolce and Gabbana suit later that week. Sizhui frowned. He’d tried very hard to hide the price from Wei Wuxian, but it had been included on the receipt. 

“He said to spend however much it cost," Sizhui promised.

“He couldn’t possibly have meant spending thousands of dollars on a suit.” 

Sizhui's frown only deepened. “That’s how much A-Die’s suits usually cost… He said we should come here.” His father had suggested the exact location and  had given them the name for his usual tailor. 

Wei Wuxian froze. “Your dad is that rich?” 

“We’re comfortable,” Sizhui said, parroting what his father had taught him to say in the face of such questions. 

Wei Wuxian seemed to read between the lines. “Comfortable,” he repeated and then laughed very hard. Sizhui hoped it was a good laugh, even if the sound was twinged with panic. Wei Wuxian deserved a happy life without financial stress, and Sizhui was trying very hard to make that happen. 

Couples joined bank accounts once they were married, didn't they?

Sizhui sat in the barber’s chair, scissors snipping around his ears. Next to him, Wei Wuxian was getting his hair brushed. The comb kept getting caught in his curls. “Ow. Ow. See, Sizhui, this is how much I love you. I’d even go through torture for you.” 

Sizhui giggled. “It’s just a haircut, A-Niang. You’ll look so nice after!” 

“You are suddenly very worried about my appearance,” Wei Wuxian noted. “Does my own son think I’m ugly?” 

“N-no!” Sizhui said earnestly. “It's just… Maybe you’ll take lots of pictures this weekend. With your family!” 

Wei Wuxian sighed. “I suppose I ought to make a good impression…” 

“You will,” Sizhui promised. “I think this weekend will go really well.” 

Sizhui sat in front of Wei Wuxian on the bathroom floor on Saturday, spraying shaving cream into a bowl of slime. 

They had gotten terribly off track. 

He was supposed to be convincing Wei Wuxian to trim his nails and push back his cuticles. (His hands needed to look nice in photos!) However, somehow, Wei Wuxian had stumbled upon a canister of shaving cream under the sink when looking for nail clippers, and then he’d realized he had a tub of glue with his school supplies, and then he'd found some contact solution, and suddenly, they were busy having fun instead of preparing for the night ahead. 

Lan Wangji found them wrist deep in glue and shaving foam a few moments later. 

“Wei Ying,” he said.

Wei Wuxian looked up. “Oh! Lan Zhan! Don’t worry, it looks messy now, but it’ll all come together.” 

“... Mn.” His father did not look convinced. However, he was not lead offtrack very easily. He pursued his original line of questioning. “I was wondering… I know you and Sizhui have been busy reuniting, but perhaps you may spare a few hours this evening to have dinner with me.”

“Lan Zhan, I haven’t had dinner without you in months,” Wei Wuxian said, confused. 

This caught his father’s attention. His eyes narrowed. “... You are not here every night.” 

“Whoops?” 

Lan Wangji looked long suffering in this moment. However, as he stared at Wei Wuxian, his expression melted, and he knelt down on the bathroom tile, despite the overflowed bowl of glue and contact solution dirtying the floor. “Wei Ying,” he said, taking his hand. “I would like to take you to dinner.” 

Wei Wuxian flushed. “O-oh,” he said. “Okay, Lan Zhan.” 

“Wear something new,” Lan Wangji told him, leaning forward to kiss his temple.

Wei Wuxian’s eyes were very wide. “I have something new!”

“Good,” Lan Wangji said. “Could I trouble you to be ready by 6:30?” 

“Trouble me?” Wei Wuxian asked. “You’re taking me to dinner! I’ll be ready any time you want,” Wei Wuxian promised. 

Lan Wangji smiled and gave him a real kiss. “Then I will leave you to finish your project, and we will leave at 6:30,” he decided. 

“Okay!” Wei Wuxian agreed. He turned to Sizhui when Lan Wangji left the room. “Your father gets these romantic notions sometimes, Sizhui. He likes to wine and dine me.” 

“You deserve to be wined and dined,” Sizhui said very firmly. 

Wei Wuxian snorted. “A hot mess like me?” He let slime dribble from his fingers in ribbons. “I doubt it.” 

“You deserve it!” Sizhui insisted, and then - “I love you very much, mama.” 

Wei Wuxian looked up suddenly, slime forgotten to focus only on Sizhui. “I love you, too,” he said, voice much more gentle in response to Sizhui’s sudden desperation. “It’s okay.” 

“It’s just… When you go to dinner with A-Die, you should know that… that I love you, too.” 

Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows pinched together. “I do know that,” he said. He lifted his hands and found them coated in glue. “Ah, Sizhui, what a terrible time to be in the middle of making slime! Imagine I’m hugging you!” 

“We can hug later,” Sizhui promised. “I just wanted you to know.” 

Wei Ying cooed and leaned forward to kiss between Sizhui’s eyebrows. “I know, sweetheart. I promise, I know.” 

Sizhui lingered around his parents as they got ready for the evening. 

“Wow,” Wei Wuxian said, looking at himself in the entryway mirror while Lan Wangji readied himself in the bedroom. “I think I clean up nice.” He seemed shocked by this. 

“You do,” Sizhui promised. 

“Sizhui… You’re so nice to me. How did my son end up so sweet? Clearly, you don’t take after me at all.” 

“A-Niang is very nice.” 

“A-Yuan is the nicest.” 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji suddenly said, appearing in entryway behind him. Wei Ying turned, and they both seemed to share a breathless moment as they looked at each other. Sizhui noted proudly that his father had dressed himself very nicely for the occasion, hair slicked back with a light gray suit that flattered his pale skin. Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian was a mess of curls in all black. 

And yet, he didn’t look out of place next to Lan Wangji. Rather, they looked like the perfect couple. 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian said, going from Sizhui’s side to Lan Wangji’s. “This really is a nice dinner, huh?” His hands were already on Lan Wangji’s ribcage. 

“I like to treat you nicely,” his father said. He gave Wei Wuxian a kiss and then turned to Sizhui. “We will be back soon. Your dinner is keeping warm in the microwave.” 

“Yes, A-Die,” Sizhui said. 

“Goodbye, radish!” Wei Wuxian cooed, squeezing him goodbye. “You are the most precious sprout!” 

“Thank you!” 

“Be good,” his father said, putting a hand on his head. Sizhui preened under his touch and watched his parents leave, waving goodbye as they both slipped out the door. 

The second the deadbolt locked, he sprung into action. 

Hurrying to the kitchen, he wolfed down the dinner his father had left him before quickly going to get changed into clothes suitable for pictures. His father had hung a new, linen suit in his closet with a light blue shirt, and Sizhui dressed and combed his hair in a flurry of activity.

He called Jingyi as he left the house. “Do you have everything?” he checked as soon as his friend picked up. 

“Yep,” Jingyi agreed. “Zizhen isn’t letting anyone touch the flowers.” 

“Good.” 

“Jin Ling is busy setting up the camera… Hey, we were confused, are you bringing ice cream, or are we going to get it later?” 

“A-Die said he’d take us all out to celebrate after.” 

“ Yes.” 

Sizhui was relieved everything seemed to be working out. “Anyway! I was just checking in! I’ll see you soon!” 

“See you soon!” 

Sizhui headed down to the subway. He wouldn’t have to travel very far, and this time instead of sneaking away, his father had approved the trip. He rode two stops and headed to a very pretty portion of his father’s university. Here, there was a fountain garden currently turned off due to the college students still enjoying their summer break, but there was an empty viewing platform to view the garden from a higher vantage point when they were turned on. 

Sizhui met his friends beneath the platform. “Wow,” he said when he saw the massive bouquet in Zizhen’s arms. “Those are gorgeous!” The bouquet was overloaded with red and pink carnations, roses, and peonies. 

“My father’s florist designed it,” Jin Ling said proudly. “Peonies are a symbol of wealth, honor, and fortune.” 

“That’s not very romantic,” Zizhen said. 

“Well, what would you get? They’re flowers for good fortune! Should I have asked for poverty flowers instead?! Should I wish for my uncle’s financial distress?!” 

“I just meant you could have found ones that mean ‘love’ or something,” Zizhen pouted. 

“That’s what the roses are for!” 

“It’s really nice, Jin Ling,” Sizhui promised honestly. The colors were bright and vivid, and each stem seemed healthy and at the peak of it's bloom. Zizhen was holding it very carefully, so as not to knock a single flower out of place. 

Jin Ling huffed. “Anyone in my family deserves the best.” 

“That’s an interesting point,” Jingyi said. “You two are cousins now.” 

“I wanna be cousins with Jin Ling,” Zizhen cooed, reaching out to pinch the other boy's cheek. Jin Ling batted his hand away and looked ready to fight him, until he realized who was holding the bouquet. 

Jingyi ignored them. “I can’t wait for Lunar New Year. You’re going to get so much money from Jin Ling’s parents. We can go to the arcade and you can pay for everything.” 

“Okay,” Sizhui said eagerly. 

Jin Ling pushed him. “Don’t just agree to that!"

The four continued to talk (and bicker) while they waited for Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian’s arrival. However, when Sizhui received a text telling him his father and Wei Wuxian were only a few minutes away, they quickly silenced and slunk a little further into the shadows. 

Zizhen passed the flowers off to Sizhui and knelt by the fountain switches. Jingyi stayed by the power outlet for the fairy lights. Jin Ling pressed record on the camera. 

Wei Wuxian’s voice was heard a few moments later. 

“You’re being so strange tonight, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian complained. “You’re smiley. Imagine that! My Lan Zhan! Smiley! Either I am truly dazzling this evening, more so than usual, or you’re keeping secrets.” 

“Wei Ying is always charming.” 

“Charming, hm? Is that why you got me all dressed up and dragged me to your campus in the dark?” 

“I would like to drag you a little further,” Lan Wangji said, dodging the question. Sizhui peaked out from his hiding spot and saw his father leading Wei Wuxian towards the staircase leading up to the viewing platform. Wei Wuxian, for all his talk, was very obedient as he was moved along.

“What a secluded corner, Lan Zhan. What are you planning to do to me? Something no one can see?” 

“I’d like to show you something."

They’d moved to the center of the balcony, where the camera was set up perfectly to capture the moment. 

“Show me what?” 

“Lights,” Lan Wangji answered. 

That was the cue. Jingyi plugged in the fairy lights. The trees and shrubs all lit up instantly, glittering in the still fountain water.

“And the fountains,” Lan Wangi said. 

Zizhen hurriedly pressed the switch for the water pump to turn on. It took a moment, but the fountains eventually bubbled to life. Like this, the garden looked magical. It was a sight viewed by thousands of students every school year, but right now, it was only for Wei Wuxian.

“Lan Zhan,” he said, marveling. “Why are you making things so special? You’re doing all of this for me?” 

“Sizhui wanted our proposal to be romantic," Lan Wangji answered.

Wei Wuxian froze. “Our-our proposal?” he asked, voice already wet, and Lan Wangji knelt down on one knee. 

He opened the ring box for Wei Wuxian to see.

“It is a proposal long overdue. Wei Ying, I have loved you as long as I have known you. Before your loss and now. My son has loved you his whole life long, through every up and down, as my partner and as his mother. In your absence, we were both waiting. There has always been a hole in our family you were meant to fill. You have always been entrenched in our lives. It was always-” he paused and looked up at Wei Wuxian, gaze full of meaning, “ always  you.” 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian worried as Lan Wangji took his hand, sliding on the wedding ring. He kissed Wei Wuxian's knuckles.

“Marry me, Wei Ying.” 

Wei Wuxian’s cheeks shone with tears. “You’re sure? It’s not just because of Sizhui? You really want me with you?” 

“Yes.” 

“Even though I elbow you in your sleep?” 

“Yes.” 

“Even though I drive up the water bill?” 

“Yes.” 

“Even though I almost burned down the kitchen?” 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, interrupting. “I love you. Say yes.” 

“ Yes,” Wei Wuxian agreed and bodily crashed their lips together. Sizhui snuck forward with the flowers as they kissed, his parents too caught up in each other to notice him. He waited awkwardly, trying not to stare or draw attention to himself until they were ready, but like he had a sixth sense for his son's presence, Wei Wuxian suddenly broke away from Lan Wangji and turned to him. “Sizhui!” 

“It's me," he said, shy. And then, he held out the flowers excitedly. "You said yes!” 

“You knew!” Wei Wuxian realized. “All your sneaking around this week… You were planning and plotting! Such schemes! You really are my son!" He took the flowers and kissed Sizhui’s cheek, grinning despite his tears. 

“It was just a little plotting,” Sizhui promised. “Also my friends helped. They’re gonna take pictures!” 

“I would love some pictures,” Wei Wuxian said. He waved at the boys as they all stepped into the light, waiting at the foot of the stairs. He turned back to his fiancé soon after and thunked his head against Lan Wangji’s chest. “Lan Zhan,” he said weakly. 

Seemingly reading his mind, Lan Wangji promised, “Wei Ying deserves nice things."

“Everyone went to all this trouble…” 

“It is not trouble when it is for Wei Ying.”

“We’re engaged ,” Wei Wuxian realized. 

“My fiancé,” Lan Wangji agreed fondly, bringing him into one last kiss. 

Wei Wuxian smiled into it happily. 

The rest of the evening was spent celebrating. The family took dozens of pictures, Zizhen providing a surprising amount of couple shot suggestions for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian's hands were slightly blue in the ring pictures, having been stained during their slime-making activities in the morning. Regardless, they turned out beautifully.

Afterwards, they went to ice cream, the boys sharing a massive cookie sunday at their own table while Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji occupied their own booth, taking a moment to themselves. Sizhui couldn't help but feel warm and happy, despite the cold ice cream chilling the roof of his mouth.

Jingyi elbowed him between bites of ice cream. “See?” he said. “I knew it would all work out.” 

Sizhui couldn't stop smiling. “I don’t think anyone could have guessed it would work out this well," he said, getting a spoonful of whipped cream and sprinkles. 

Jingyi hummed and stabbed at a scoop of mint chocolate chip. “No, I knew,” he said. “You’re a good person, Sizhui. Of course good things should happen to you.”

Wei Wuxian looked terribly nervous as Sizhui rang the bell to Jin Ling's apartment. He'd been to his city home dozens of times (and his country estate a every summer), but this was his first time visiting as Jin Ling's cousin. A valet had parked their car, and an express elevator had taken them straight to a small reception area with a grand front door.

As soon as Jiang Yanli appeared, it became clear he had no reason to worry. 

“ A-Xian,” she said, pulling her brother into a fierce hug. 

Wei Wuxian seemed startled at first, but then hugged her back just as tightly. “Shijie.”

They had barely separated when suddenly, Jiang Wanyin appeared in the doorway with a stern expression and a gruff voice. “ Idiot ,” he said, and then pulled Wei Wuxian into a hug of his own. Jiang Wanyin’s hands knotted into the back of his brother’s shirt. It had been over a decade since the two saw each other. 

Their hug bled relief.

“I’m sorry,” Wei Wuxian said. 

“You’re home,” was Jiang Wanyin’s response, squeezing him harder. They stayed locked together for several long moments until eventually Jiang Wanyin pulled back a little. “So what?” he asked, voice suspiciously scratchy. “I had to learn from my dumbass brother-in-law that you might have gotten engaged last night. Is that true?”

Wordlessly, Wei Wuxian held up his ring finger, where his diamond glinted even in the foyer's dim light.

“Oh, A-Xian! It is beautiful!” his sister promised. She turned her attention to Lan Wangji and Lan Sizhui, who had been waiting patiently during the family’s reunion. “Your future husband has wonderful taste.”

“Yes!” Wei Wuxian agreed, seemingly more comfortable talking to his family with his engagement as the topic. “Lan Zhan and Sizhui planned a lovely evening. There were lights, and fountains, and teenagers everywhere. I’ll tell you the whole story,” he promised. He moved to stand next to Sizhui. “But first… I have bigger news.”

“Bigger new than an engagement?” Jiang Yanli asked. 

“Yes,” Wei Wuxian said. “Shijie… Jiang Cheng… This is my son. Wen Yuan. Now named Lan Sizhui.” 

Sizhui blushed, stepping a little closer to his A-Niang. He couldn't help but worry, knowing the story was rather too good to be true. 

Both of Wei Wuxian’s siblings turned to Lan Wangji in confusion. “It is a long, painful story,” Lan Wangji said. “But Sizhui is Wei Ying’s son.” 

“This is A-Yuan?” Jiang Yanli said, stepping forward. She looked at him closer. “Oh! That nose! Of course!” 

“Isn’t he perfect?” Wei Wuxian said, finding his voice. “Lan Zhan says he’s tall for his age! And he’s a phenomenal fencer, you’ll have to come to one of his meets sometime, he’s really amazing. And he can play guqin, he has traditional music recitals every quarter. He can paint, and his grades are phenomenal, and he is the kindest boy you will ever meet, and he is my son. He is lovely. He is my radish!” 

Sizhui’s blush grew warmer, but inside, he was preening. He loved being someone Wei Wuxian was proud of. 

“Well, you didn’t get those brains from this one,” Jiang Wanyin told Sizhui, gesturing to Wei Wuxian. “But I suppose I should introduce myself as your uncle.” 

“A-Niang said to call you ‘jiujiu,’” Sizhui told him, a little shy. 

Jiang Wanyin seemed surprised, but did not deny him. “I see. That would be fine.” 

“And I’m your auntie!” Jiang Yanli said delightedly. “We were best friends when you were little, you and I. We used to watch dramas while your A-Niang was working.” She slipped into Sizhui’s preferred terminology rather quickly. “I’d always hoped you’d be close friends with A-Ling. Oh, this is lovely!” 

Sizhui straightened up, happy to be remembered. He’d always liked Jin Ling’s mom, and now they were related. Sizhui’s family was growing more and more by the day. 

“Shall we move inside?” Lan Wangji asked. 

Jiang Yanli seemed startled, like she had forgotten their dinner, her home, or the entire world existed in the face of their reunion. “Oh, yes, the table is all set for dinner… It’s our first meal as a family,” she gushed. “Please come inside, my husband will love to greet you. Let me call A-Ling down…” She hurried off, and Jiang Wanyin helped lead everyone to the dining room. 

“My shijie is perfect,” Wei Wuxian told Sizhui. “We are very lucky to know her.” 

“She seems perfect,” Sizhui agreed. 

“And Jiang Cheng is… Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian decided, earning himself an eye roll. “You will love him, too.” 

“Okay,” Sizhui agreed. He paused as they were walking, and then asked, “... You’ll tell people I’m your son? From now on?” 

“Sizhui,” Wei Wuxian said, pausing with him. “You are my son.” 

Sizhui felt something warm and happy stir in his heart at the confirmation. “Right," he said, a little flushed. "It’s just taking some getting used to.” 

“Happy getting used to?” his A-Niang checked. 

Sizhui nodded. “Happy getting used to.” 

“Good.” Wei Wuxian let the others go on so they could share a private moment between just the two of them. He kissed Sizhui’s forehead. “Because I’m going to take such great care of you.”