Chapter Text
Lan Zhan spends a grand total of three weeks with Wuxian at Burial Mounds, and it takes less than half that time for Zhenli to get into the habit of calling Lan Zhan Papa.
Of course, three weeks is also the amount of time it takes for Lan Xichen to descend upon Burial Mounds, chasing after his wayward brother.
When the first Jade of Lan alights his sword outside Wuxian's cave, Wuxian is immediately struck with terror.
What if Lan Xichen didn't approve? What if Lan Xichen didn't think he was a good fit for his brother, what if Lan Xichen was here to take Lan Zhan away?
What if he took Zhenli away too?
"Breathe, Wei Ying." Lan Zhan is here, right beside him, a hand on his back in a gesture of protectiveness and comfort. His alpha is here, and he had promised-
Lan Zhan has promised to protect him, protect them , and Wuxian would trust him with his life.
Already has, because Lan Zhan has been visiting him in the Burial Mounds since forever, and has not sold him out even once.
"Lan Zhan ah, Lan Zhan, I am breathing- I can't stop breathing or I'll die!"
"Cannot die," Lan Zhan says, soft and serious, and Wuxian cannot help the way his heart clenches in his chest.
"Okay," he laughs, leaning against Lan Zhan. "Okay, Lan er-gege, whatever you say."
In Lan Zhan's arms, Zhenli pouts very seriously at Wuxian, and reaches out a small hand to grab at his fringe.
"Papa right," he says, in a tone that Wuxian has no doubt that he'd picked up from Lan Zhan. "Cannot die."
Any leftover anxiety Wuxian had felt seeing Lan Xichen descend on Burial Mounds melts away at that, replaced only by sweet affection at the sight of his alpha and their son, at his little baby boy ever so assuredly mimicking his father.
Lan Zhan would never let anyone take Zhenli away from him.
He laughs, and takes Zhenli into his arms when his son reaches for him. “Okay, A-Bao, no dying for me, alright?”
Zhenli nods seriously, and tugs on Wuxian’s fringe. “Good! Mama no die, have A-Li and A-Yuan.”
Wuxian laughs once again, and ruffles Zhenli’s hair. “Yes, yes, I’ll live for A-Li and A-Yuan, okay?”
“Mn!” Zhenli nods, once again, and he sounds so much like Lan Zhan that Wuxian’s heart actually skips a beat, and he cannot help but purr softly, nuzzling into Zhenli’s throat fondly, taking in the combined scent of his and Lan Zhan’s parental scent marks on their son’s skin.
Lan Zhan is watching them with fond eyes, and the look on his face is so unbearably soft. Wuxian has never been gladder that he had finally learnt to read his alpha’s microexpressions, especially when they gave him treasures like the adoration that shone in Lan Zhan’s eyes at this very moment.
It is only a long while later that Lan Zhan rests a gentle hand on the small of his back, and murmurs an almost reluctant, “We should greet Elder Brother.”
"Zewu-Jun," Wuxian greets, inclining his head. "Forgive me for not greeting you properly, it isn't really something I'm capable of at the moment."
He sees the way Lan Xichen's gaze falls on Zhenli, in his arms, sees the way he blinks before smiling gently. "There is nothing to forgive, of course. This young one is?"
"My son, of course!"
Wuxian sees the way Lan Xichen's brow furrows for the barest moment, the confusion in his eyes. "Ah, how do I address this young master?"
In Wuxian's arms, Zhenli grins wide and claps his hands together. "Zhenli!"
"Young Master Zhenli, then," Lan Xichen laughs. "Would it be rude if I asked who h-"
"Rich papa!"
The sudden cry cuts Lan Xichen off even as a little blur of gray and brown crashes into his legs, clinging on tight, and Wuxian can only stare as the blur resolves itself to be A-Yuan, hugging Lan Xichen's leg.
Lan Xichen looks even more stunned than Wuxian has ever seen him, and he can barely hold himself back from bursting into laughter.
"Ah-" Lan Xichen starts, gaze fixed on A-Yuan. "This is…?"
A-Yuan starts as well, the shock obvious in his wide eyes.
"...Not rich papa?" He starts, letting go of Lan Xichen's leg abruptly.
Then his gaze lands on Lan Zhan, and Wuxian sees A-Yuan immediately go hurtling towards him, tiny arms wrapping around Lan Zhan's leg and hiding his face in white robes.
Lan Zhan looks equally as confused as his brother, and Wuxian cannot help the way he begins to laugh. Rich papa, huh? That was a new one- Lan Zhan had always been Rich-gege to A-Yuan before this, although with how much time he spent around A-Li, it was no surprise that he began to pick up a few of his mannerisms as well.
Ah, it was no matter; Lan Zhan didn't look that bothered by it anyway.
“Papa here,” Zhenli insists, wriggling out of Wuxian’s hold to scramble for A-Yuan, at the same time reaching out to tug at the hem of Lan Zhan’s robes. “A-Yuan, this one is papa!”
A-Yuan just looks confused, however, scrunching up his tiny button nose. “Looks like rich papa,” the child insists, pointing at Lan Xichen, no matter that he is still hiding behind Lan Zhan’s leg.
There is a long moment of silence before Wen Yuan blinks, then his mouth falls open in a silent gasp, his hand falling back down to his side. “Wait- A-Yuan rude- sorry- Qing-jie will scold-”
Wuxian laughs then, far too amused for how confused everyone else looks, and he cannot help but add more fuel to the flame. “A-Yuan, you haven’t even introduced yourself- What would Wen Qing say, huh?”
An audible gasp, this time, and Wen Yuan peeks out from behind Lan Zhan’s leg again. “...Gege, A-Yuan is Wen Yuan...”
“He’s Wen Qing’s and Wen Ning’s cousin’s son,” Wuxian offers, and prays that Zewu-Jun is not the kind that would discriminate against someone for their family name alone. He does not think he would- the GusuLan sect is known for their righteousness and refusal to judge someone without evidence, and Wuxian prays this holds true for all of them.
And it does, Wuxian thinks, as he watches the way Lan Xichen smiles at Wen Yuan, gentle and kind.
It settles something within him, to know that Lan Xichen did not judge Wen Yuan for who his parents were, who his family was. Perhaps Lan Xichen was truly as virtuous and good as his reputation suggested. That was… that was good, then. He probably wouldn’t judge Zhenli, wouldn’t try to take him away.
That was good.
Lan Zhan is the one to break the silence, a soft, “Would Elder Brother care to join us for some tea?”
Lan Xichen blinks, and then nods. “Of course, Wangji, lead the way.”
Wuxian does not bother to ask when Lan Zhan became comfortable enough with Burial Mounds to act as a host.
”Have a seat, then, Zewu-Jun, we can talk about what you came for!”
Lan Xichen inclines his head, and sinks down to sit elegantly on the ground. “I actually came to ensure that Wangji was doing alright- it has been almost a month since Wangji left the Cloud Recesses, and I wanted to make sure nothing bad befell him.”
“Ah, that’s fine, then, as Zewu-Jun can clearly see, Lan Zhan is perfectly alright! Did Zewu-Jun have anything else to ask?”
You aren’t going to force him to go back to Gusu with you, are you? Is what Wuxian doesn’t say.
“I did want to know… it is clear that Wangji has already adopted your son as his own, but… would it be rude to ask who the child’s other parent is?”
Wuxian cannot contain his breath of relief. He had thought, for a long moment, that Lan Xichen would disapprove, would take Lan Zhan away from him, would take Zhenli’s father away-
In Lan Zhan’s lap, Zhenli blinks, and smiles. “Papa is Papa!”
Lan Xichen blinks again, and offers Zhenli a smile. “Well, yes, but- I meant his other blood parent?”
Wuxian laughs, the relief still running heady through his veins. He hefts Zhenli into his arms, mindful of A-Yuan still perched in his lap. “Perhaps Zewu-Jun would like to hold his nephew for a while?”
A deleted scene that didn't make it into the final cut because it was too crackish for the tone of the scene:
They are already seated at the low table in the Demon Slaughtering Cave when Wuxian realises the biggest problem.
They do not have tea.
He says as much to Lan Zhan, tugs at his sleeve and whispers it in as furious a tone he can manage without being ridiculously loud, and watches as Lan Zhan blinks.
“...We have potatoes, though,” Wuxian says, frowning. “Would Zewu-Jun want potato water?”
Lan Zhan is silent for the longest time, and the expression on his face is one of utter befuddlement. “Wei Ying.”
Wuxian pouts, and offers up a token protest. “It’s nutritious!”
“Wei Ying. No.”
“But- Lan Zhan-”
“...Water would be fine, thank you,” Lan Xichen says from where he is standing beside them. The man looks vaguely discomfited, and Wuxian wonders if the prospect of potato water is truly that off-putting. It isn’t that bad, is it?
Still…
“Are you sure, Zewu-Jun?” Wuxian needles. “I can get Wen Ning to go down to the town to get some tea leaves-”
‘Water is really fine, Young Master Wei.”
Wuxian blinks, and then actually thinks about it. “I’m… not actually sure if we even have water.”
“Wei Ying.” And that’s Lan Zhan, already setting out what is probably the only set of intact teacups on the entire Burial Mounds. There is a sloshing sound from inside the teapot that Lan Zhan holds, and Wuxian huffs a breath.
“Well, I guess we do have water, then!"