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Wangji has been at Burial Mounds for maybe a week now, before Wen Qing accosts Wei Ying at his door -cave?- with a harsh expression and a money pouch.
She shoves said pouch at Wei Ying and snaps a quick, "We managed to scrounge together a little more money, head into town and see what groceries you can get with that."
"Okay, Wen Qing!"
The moment Wei Ying steps away, down the path that will lead to the town, Wen Qing grabs Wangji by the arm. "Please, go with him. The last time I sent him down to the town unsupervised he brought back potatoes instead of the radishes that I very specifically asked for."
Wangji is fairly certain that his lip twitches a little at that, although the amusement likely does not show obviously, if at all. Still, he nods, and starts off after Wei Ying like he hadn't been planning to follow along anyway.
Wangji catches up to Wei Ying moments later, where he'd been delayed by two clinging children.
Both A-Li and A-Yuan are clinging to Wei Ying's legs, A-Li to his left and A-Yuan to his right, and Wangji feels the amusement that rises in him at the sight.
"Mama leave?" Zhenli asks, eyes wide. "A-Li want go!"
By his side, A-Yuan clearly agrees with the notion, because he clings even tighter to Wei Ying's leg and repeats, "Want go! Want go!"
Then Zhenli sees Wangji, and he lets go of Wei Ying's leg to run over to Wangji instead.
Before the boy can cling to Wangji's leg like he clearly planned to, though, Wangji bends down to heft his son into his arms. He presses a kiss to the top of Zhenli's head, and shifts his grip to allow the child to sit comfortably.
"Papa!" Zhenli says, like the novelty of the title hasn't worn off.
(It really hasn't, not for Wangji, at least.)
"Papa! Want go with Mama! Papa go too?"
Wangji hugs Zhenli closer and hums his agreement.
He would do anything to hear Zhenli call him Papa, really. The boy had taken to calling him that with only the slightest of prompting from Wei Ying, and Wangji had never felt more happiness than he'd had when Zhenli had looked up at him with wide eyes, and murmured a soft, almost hesitant, "Papa?"
Wei Ying has already chided him multiple times for giving into Zhenli's every wish, but who was Wangji to say no to his adorable little son?
As if hearing Wangji's thoughts, Wei Ying turns towards him then, and his expression is fondly exasperated. "Really, Lan Zhan, I thought we've been over this," Wei Ying sighs, eyeing the way Wangji is peppering soft kisses over Zhenli's hair. "You can't just say yes to everything he says, what if he grows up to become like… Jin Zixuan! I couldn't stand it if my little baby became a peacock like him!"
"Will not."
"Aah, what do you mean will not? With the way you spoil him, aih, Lan Zhan, I know he's cute but can you not say no to him?"
Wangji just walks forward to pull Wei Ying into a hug as well. "Cannot say no to Wei Ying."
Wei Ying splutters. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"...Looks like Wei Ying."
Wei Ying splutters once more, and Wangji catches sight of the red that suffuses his cheeks right before he bends to pick up A-Yuan.
"Okay," Wei Ying says, resting A-Yuan on his hip. "Let's all head down to town, then!"
He is pointedly not looking at Wangji, but Wangji is standing downwind of Wei Ying, and the scent of pleased, embarrassed omega is obvious.
Wangji hides a smile in Zhenli's hair, and starts after Wei Ying.
Halfway to town, Wangji hears Wei Ying's stomach growl, and is abruptly reminded that just less than a week ago Wei Ying had been so weakened by a lack of food that he'd fallen unconscious.
"Food first," Wangji says, and watches as Wei Ying turns to face him.
"Ahh, Lan Zhan, it's fine really, we should just get the groceries that Wen Qing sent us for and leave!"
"Wei Ying needs food." Wangji says, and this is something he isn't budging on. No matter that Wei Ying seemed recovered, that he was back to being lively and cheerful. Wei Ying was still too thin for Wangji's liking, all sallow skin and bone and dark eyebags.
"But-"
In Wangji's arms, Zhenli throws his hands up and cheers. "Mama eat!"
Wei Ying's eyes visibly soften, but Wangji knows that Wei Ying isn't one to give in that easily.
Then A-Yuan grins too, and his pudgy hands tug excitedly on Wei Ying's fringe. "Eat! Food!"
What little resistance Wei Ying had crumbles away, and Wangji sees the exact moment he relents.
"Okay, okay," Wei Ying laughs, bouncing A-Yuan's excitable form in his arms. "Let's go get food, huh?"
Both A-Yuan and A-Li begin cheering.
Wangji has never been the type to derive much pleasure from food, no matter that he enjoyed the occasional sweet.
Still, he hadn't thought that being here, seated at a restaurant with Wei Ying opposite him and a child to either side, could ever be possible. The contentment that he feels, both the primal satisfaction that stems from being capable of feeding his omega as well as the simple happiness that came from just seeing Wei Ying enjoy himself, is almost unprecedented.
Wei Ying is laughing, a bowl of unnaturally red spicy noodles in front of him, a spoonful of red broth in his hand that he's trying unsuccessfully to feed to Zhenli.
Clearly, this is something that Wei Ying has tried before, because their son just shies away, looking diligently down at his own bowl of soup and studiously ignoring the red that intrudes into his line of sight.
Wangji is abruptly reminded of the times when they were younger, back in the Library Pavillion when Wangji himself had done all he could to ignore Wei Ying.
It takes maybe a minute or so of Wei Ying waving the spoon in front of Zhenli for him to give up.
Then Wei Ying turns his sights on A-Yuan, and Wangji can only watch in bemusement as the child scrambles backwards to avoid the spoon.
"No!" A-Yuan cries, and Zhenli's head snaps up, eyes wide.
"Bad!" He yells too, and Wangji blinks as his son rushes over to grab A-Yuan. "Mama no!"
"Mama no!" A-Yuan echoes.
What?
Did- was A-Yuan Wei Ying's as well? Could he have had twins? Was that-
Wangji shakes his head, and looks beseechingly across the table to Wei Ying. "This child…"
Wei Ying blinks, and his gaze darts to A-Yuan, who is now clutching tight to Zhenli and looking up at them with wide eyes.
They do look like brothers.
Wei Ying laughs, and puts his spoon back down in his bowl. He pulls the two children into his lap, and they go easily now that the spicy threat has been avoided.
Ruffling both children's fringes, Wei Ying grins up at Wangji, laughing. He presses a kiss to Zhenli's, then to A-Yuan's head. "I birthed him, of course!"
Wangji freezes.
So he had-
Wei Ying is laughing. He's laughing so hard that if it weren't for the two children in his lap, Wangji is fairly certain that he would have fallen to the ground in mirth.
"Ahh, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, you should see your face-" Wei Ying chokes out between laughs, and there are actual tears streaming down his cheeks now. "Lan Zhan, you-"
Wei Ying trails off into even more laughter now, and Wangji is getting the very distinct feeling that Wei Ying is once again making fun of him-
Ah. A-Yuan was Wen Yuan, how could that have slipped his mind?
Wangji shakes his head. Why did Wei Ying take amusement in the strangest things?
Still, the indignance that simmers low in his heart is almost completely doused by the soft affection that floods him at the sight of Wei Ying so joyful, so happy, of the two children laughing along and clapping their hands for no reason other than seeing Wei Ying laugh. (They are adorable, and a part of Wangji feels a little like it's melting. Of course, any child raised by Wei Ying would be so perpetually joyful.)
Wangji finds himself smiling too, against the odds, and he watches as Wei Ying's laughter peters out, replaced instead by a softly awed look.
"Lan Zhan-" he begins, and his eyes are almost adoring. "Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, you have to smile more, okay, please, smile more for me-"
Wangji blinks. "...Okay. For Wei Ying."
Wei Ying buries his face in Wen Yuan's hair and lets out what can only be classified as a squeal. "Aah, Lan Zhan, you can't keep saying things like that, I can't- my heart can't take it, Lan Zhan-"
"Will be okay," Wangji says, reaching over to clasp Wei Ying's hand between his own. He presses a soft kiss to Wei Ying's knuckles, and purposefully lets his lips curve into a small smile, aimed at Wei Ying alone.
Wei Ying eeps and ducks his head.
In Wei Ying’s arms, Wen Yuan smiles widely at Wangji, and claps his hands together happily. "Gege pretty!"
Zhenli follows quickly with an excited, "Papa pretty!" and Wangji's ears feel hot, even as Wei Ying seems to simultaneously giggle and flush redder.
"Papa is very pretty, isn't he, A-Li, A-Yuan?"
Both children nod enthusiastically, and it is Wangji's turn to duck his head.
Then Wei Ying offers Wangji a bright smile, mirroring the ones on Zhenli's and Wen Yuan's faces, and says, "But Lan Zhan shouldn't smile at other omegas on the street, okay, I'd never be able to fend off all your admirers if you did!"
Wangji tightens his grip around Wei Ying's hand, and nuzzles soothingly into it.
"Only Wei Ying," he promises. "Don't need anyone else. Don't want anyone else."
Wei Ying's entire face goes bright red, and he buries his face in Zhenli's hair.
"Lan Zhann," he mumbles. "I just told you my heart can't take it-"
"Love Wei Ying. Only Wei Ying," Wangji continues, stubborn, and there is a bubble of affection that is expanding constantly just behind his ribs. Wei Ying is… adorable. As adorable, if not more so, than their children.
Wei Ying sinks lower in his chair, and the scent of embarrassed, pleased omega fills the air.
It is only a long moment later, after both Zhenli and Wen Yuan have been released back to their seats and are happily eating their meals, that Wei Ying finally replies.
"...I love you too, Lan Zhan."
"What adorable children," the whisper comes, almost inaudible.
It would have been inaudible to almost anyone else, really, but cultivation was good for some things, and one of those things was enhancing the senses.
It is a harmless compliment, really, just the whispers of a pair of maidens seated to the side of the restaurant. The pair are sending periodic glances their direction, obviously aimed at A-Yuan and A-Li, and Wangji cannot help the low pride that swells in his chest.
Of course they're adorable, part of him wants to say. They're Wei Ying's children, of course they are!
"Such a beautiful family too," the women continue. "And such a handsome alpha!"
"Did you see the way they were acting earlier?" One of them asks, and Wangji begins to stiffen. If they dared insult Wei Ying-
"A little shameless," her companion agrees, and Wangji feels his shoulders tense. "But adorable-"
Oh. That was… fine, then.
"-and look how old the children are, they must not be newly bonded, and still their love is alive, how miraculous, really…"
Across the table from him, Wei Ying snickers softly, and Wangji knows that he's paying attention to the whispers too.
"Ah, little do they know, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whispers. "We aren't actually bonded yet-"
"Soon," Wangji promises lowly, and watches the beautiful flush that paints itself across Wei Ying's cheeks.
"O- Okay," Wei Ying says, and his eyes are wide and shining.
Wangji feels his heart speed up in his chest.
"They are cute," a voice says wistfully. "I do wish I had an alpha like that-"
Wei Ying spins to face the speaker at that sentence, grin wide and mischievous, and Wangji braces himself for Wei Ying's signature ridiculous remarks.
“Ahh, sister!” Wei Ying calls, and Wangji is considering silencing him before he says something inappropriate. But he doesn’t, and just watches as the maiden turns toward them, a little shocked, a little embarrassed.
“Sorry, but Lan Zhan is mine, and mine alone, okay? I won’t share him with anyone else, I’m afraid!”
Wangji’s ears feel hot, but he ducks his head even as he makes a small sound of agreement. “Mn. Wei Ying’s.”
The maiden is blushing now, cheeks as red as Wangji’s ears feel, but Wangji only has eyes for Wei Ying.
He is smiling, cheeks pink, and looking back at Wangji with a softly affectionate gaze, and Wangji’s lips are parting without his volition. “...Would not want to share Wei Ying too.”
That is when Wei Ying lunges toward him, wrapping his arms around Wangji’s neck and burying his face in the crook of his shoulder. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, you always… ahh, Lan Zhan, the things you say…”
Out of the corner of his eye, Wangji catches the maiden in the corner turn away abruptly, sees the flare of red that paints her cheeks, but then his attention is caught by the way Wei Ying nuzzles into the scent glands on his throat, the way Wei Ying paints himself in Wangji’s scent.
He turns back to the omega in his arms, and presses his lips to the top of Wei Ying’s head. Wei Ying’s soft, sweet scent surrounds him, almost like a veil to shut them away from the rest of the world, and for a long moment Wangji can pretend that they’re in private, that they aren’t in a restaurant where everyone can see them.
It is a while before Wei Ying pulls away, and Wangji cannot resist tugging him back in to press a light kiss to his lips before releasing him once again.
Wei Ying doesn’t go far, opting to take a seat right beside Wangji, leaning against his shoulder even as he hefts A-Li into his lap. Wangji does the same for A-Yuan on his left, and then loops a gentle arm around Wei Ying’s shoulder, watching contentedly as Wei Ying lifts the spoon in A-Li’s soup to feed him.
After a moment’s consideration, Wangji does the same for A-Yuan, and lets the corners of his lips quirk slightly when A-Yuan claps happily and chirps a pleased, “Thank you, gege!”
Wangji can feel Wei Ying’s gaze on him, but he continues feeding Wen Yuan anyway, and revels in the soft domesticity of the scene.
It’s a good feeling, and it only makes Wangji happier to know that there are many more days like this to come.