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Lan Jingyi has thought about it hard and long, even though no one who knows him would probably expect him to not be impulsive about something.
But in order to get his dads to agree to this—admittedly ludicrous—idea, he needs to have good arguments ready.
Lan Jingyi isn’t too proud to admit, that despite all his efforts, his arguments all boil down to “I love him”, but he figures it has to be enough.
His dads have matching tattoos after all. Should be easy to convince them that he is allowed to get one too.
“There’s something on your mind,” Jiang Cheng says over dinner and points his fork at Lan Jingyi. “Spit it out.”
Lan Jingyi presses his lips together; he wanted to wait until after dinner to talk about this, but of course his dads wouldn’t let him do this the easy way.
“Jingyi, you know you can talk to us about anything, right?” Lan Xichen tells him, resting a reassuring hand on Jiang Cheng’s arm and smiling warmly at Lan Jingyi.
“I didn’t do anything!” Lan Jingyi exclaims and Jiang Cheng huffs out a little laugh.
“But you’re about to. So go on, tell us.”
Lan Jingyi takes a second to lament the fact that they know him so well, before he pushes that thought away and vehemently thinks that he’s so damn grateful that they know him so well, and then he just blurts it out.
“I want to get a tattoo.”
“Are you eighteen yet?” Jiang Cheng immediately asks and when Lan Jingyi shakes his head, Jiang Cheng shrugs. “Then there’s your answer.”
“Dad,” Lan Jingyi whines. “I have reasons.”
“I should hope that you didn’t just wake up this morning and decided to get a tattoo on a whim, but the answer is still no.”
“Jingyi, you know that you’re not allowed to get one until you’re eighteen. You can wait two more years,” Lan Xichen agrees with Jiang Cheng and Lan Jingyi rolls his eyes at them.
“Yeah, right, because turning eighteen will make me an adult all of a sudden,” he grumbles before he leans forward. “What were you up to when you were eighteen? Were you adult enough to make this decision then?” Lan Jingyi asks Jiang Cheng who takes a moment to think that over.
“You’re right,” he says and Lan Jingyi narrows his eyes at him. He knows his dad better than to expect such an easy victory. “No tattoo until you’re thirty.”
Lan Xichen laughs at that before he leans in to press a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s cheek.
“Not over dinner,” Lan Jingyi immediately responds, more habit than anything, because while he might act like the sickening sweet affection between his parents bothers him, he’s actually really happy that they love each other like this, still, after all these years.
“You got a tattoo before you turned eighteen,” Lan Jingyi tries next and Jiang Cheng levels him with a glare.
“I got a tramp stamp, drunk, on a dare from your uncle, by a tattoo artist who didn’t even know which side the ink came out,” Jiang Cheng presses out. “You’re not getting a tattoo.”
“But I’m already better prepared than you were,” Lan Jingyi protests. “I’m not drunk, Uncle Wei is not daring me, you would be the one to give it to me and you know which end of a tattoo gun is the right end, and I have a motive carefully picked.”
Lan Xichen tilts his head in consideration and the action attracts Jiang Cheng’s attention.
“Do not say it,” he threatens. “That is our underage son.”
“And he makes a good argument so far,” Lan Xichen says with a shrug, causing Jiang Cheng to go red in the face.
“Breathe, my heart,” Lan Xichen chuckles and rewards him with another kiss when Jiang Cheng takes a deep breath.
“What motive?” Jiang Cheng asks after a long moment, pinching the bridge of his nose and Lan Jingyi does an internal victory dance.
He never expected to get this far. But he knows, he just knows, that if he gets to explain his reasoning his parents will cave. They might act all though, especially Jiang Cheng, but they are such sappy romantics, there is no way they will deny Lan Jingyi this once they know he’s doing it for Lan Sizhui.
“A rabbit,” Lan Jingyi says and watches the eyes of Jiang Cheng go wide before he goes on, “with a forehead ribbon.”
“For our little bun,” Lan Xichen immediately says and Lan Jingyi can feel himself flush, despite the fact that Lan Xichen is right and he should yell victory now.
“Yes,” Lan Jingyi admits and then he realizes with a start that he might have forgotten to mention the fact that he’s in love with his best friend.
“Can’t you just ask him out like a normal person?” Jiang Cheng asks, a despairing note to his voice and Lan Jingyi shakes his head.
“What if he doesn’t reciprocate my feelings? He’s my best friend, I can’t risk it.”
Jiang Cheng stares at him and then turns towards Lan Xichen.
“Please tell me we never were this stupid,” he begs and Lan Xichen hums, considering his answer.
“Oh gods,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and Lan Xichen laughs at him.
“To be fair, I think that particular stupidity award goes to our brothers,” he says and Lan Jingyi is actually burning to hear all about that, but he reminds himself that he has a mission.
“So, that’s a yes then?” he boldly asks and promptly shrinks in his chair when Jiang Cheng glares at him.
“No” Jiang Cheng says and Lan Jingyi uses his puppy-dog eyes on him. “That shit won’t always work, you know that, you little pest,” Jiang Cheng tells him, pointing an accusing finger at him.
“Language,” Lan Xichen chides mildly but Jiang Cheng only rolls his eyes.
“He’s sixteen, he hears worse at school,” Jiang Cheng mumbles under his breath but Lan Xichen won’t have it.
“No reason to have this language here at home too, then,” he reasonably says and Lan Jingyi has to bite back a laugh, because Jiang Cheng gets scolded for his language much more often than Lan Jingyi himself.
“Why do you want this tattoo?” Lan Xichen asks Lan Jingyi, as if the reason wasn’t absolutely clear and Lan Jingyi sits up in his chair.
“I love him. I want to get this for him, even if he never knows about it.”
“How long have you been thinking about this?” Jiang Cheng wants to know and Lan Jingyi shrugs.
“A year now, maybe longer?”
“How long have you loved him?” Lan Xichen goes on, and now this feels like a real interrogation.
“Always,” Lan Jingyi immediately says, because it’s true.
For him, it’s always been Lan Sizhui. He doubts that will change in the future.
“He’s a real Lan, isn’t he?” Jiang Cheng groans and Lan Xichen presses his lips together in amusement. “A real goddamn romantic, doomed to only love once.”
“Don’t even pretend that annoys you. You love the fact that it will always only be you for me,” Lan Xichen says and Lan Jingyi wonders if here’s a family tradition or myth he hasn’t heard about yet, because he has no clue what they are talking about.
“Let’s just hope Sizhui feels the same,” Jiang Cheng mutters.
“He will,” Lan Xichen says with confidence, causing Jiang Cheng to raise an eyebrow at him.
“He’s adopted.”
“The Lan genes are strong.”
“Not strong enough to bypass the laws of biology,” Jiang Cheng shoots back but Lan Xichen shakes his head.
“You just wait. You’re going to be the first one to cry at their wedding.”
“Lies and slander. Wei Wuxian will be the first one to cry,” Jiang Cheng gives back.
Lan Jingyi just watches them, mouth dropping open because no one was talking about marriage yet.
“So, uhm, the tattoo?” he dares to ask after a moment and both his dads turn back to him.
“Show me the sketch,” Jiang Cheng demands but Lan Jingyi shakes his head.
“I don’t have one. I wanted you to make it,” he says, and while it’s true, his dad makes the best sketches, he also damn well knows how to cater to Jiang Cheng’s ego.
“Crafty,” Jiang Cheng mutters, clearly looking through Lan Jingyi, but he’s also not saying no again.
Lan Xichen nudges him when he stays quiet for too long and Jiang Cheng sighs.
“Fine,” he groans. “You and your romantic sap of a baba win. Don’t come crying to me when you hate it two years down,” he threatens and while Lan Jingyi knows that he means it, he also knows that if that should happen, if he and Lan Sizhui are no longer friends at one point in their life and the tattoo is nothing more than a painful reminder of a better time, his dad will be the first one to threaten to break some legs, before he pulls him down on the couch with some ice cream. And then offer to cover the tattoo up.
“Thank you, dad!” Lan Jingyi yells and jumps up to run around the table and almost crush his dad in a hug. “You’re the best!”
“Yeah, yeah, and don’t you forget it,” Jiang Cheng says and after he untangles himself from Lan Jingyi he flicks his forehead.
“I’m doing this before you’re eighteen because you’re all a goddamn clan of romantics, but if you even think of going to someone else after you turn eighteen, I’ll disown you,” Jiang Cheng tells him and Lan Jingyi nods earnestly.
Why should he ever go to someone else to get a tattoo when he has his dad, who makes the most beautiful tattoos of them all?
“How big do you want it?” Jiang Cheng wants to know and Lan Jingyi points to his hip-bone.
“Just a small one here,” he tells him and Jiang Cheng nods.
“Come by the shop Friday after school,” Jiang Cheng instructs him and Lan Jingyi can see that he’s already drawing the sketch in his head.
He really does have the best dads.
~*~*~
“Last chance to bail out,” Jiang Cheng says, tattoo gun already at the ready, and Lan Jingyi shakes his head.
He wants this. He’s been planning it for so long and he knew it was right the second he laid eyes on the rabbit Jiang Cheng drew for him.
“I’m ready if you are,” Lan Jingyi says and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at him.
“Brat,” he mumbles and then, louder says, “it shouldn’t take too long, but tell me when you need a break.”
“Will do,” Lan Jingyi agrees and then his dad gets started.
Lan Jingyi grew up hearing the buzz of the tattoo gun, so that’s not really a new experience, but he wasn’t expecting the pain.
Logically he knows it hurts, has seen grown people cry under his dad’s gun, but that still didn’t prepare him for it. The first few seconds are the worst, Lan Jingyi finds, and then it just tapers off to an intense burning feeling, but it’s nothing Lan Jingyi can’t take.
Especially for Lan Sizhui.
‘I’m doing this for you,’ Lan Jingyi thinks as he watches the rabbit take shape on his skin. ‘I hope one day I can tell you about it.’
It’ over faster than Lan Jingyi expected and even though the skin is red and irritated, he already loves it.
“The next one you’ll get after you reach the appropriate age,” Jiang Cheng tells him as he puts the gun away.
“Who says I’m gonna get another one?”
“Oh, please,” Jiang Cheng scoffs. “It’s an addiction and I know that look on your face. I see it on my regulars all the time. Very few people can walk away with just one tattoo.”
“Baba only has one,” Lan Jingyi protests and isn’t at all prepared for the sly look on Jiang Cheng’s face.
“Oh, really? And when was the last time you saw your baba naked?” he asks and Lan Jingyi immediately covers his ears.
“No, nope, not going there, that’s disgusting,” he chants under his breath and yelps when Jiang Cheng leans down to whisper directly into his ears.
“Your baba lets me mark him up real good,” he says and Lan Jingyi mimes gagging.
That is disgusting.
“I never want to hear about that again,” he yells over his shoulders as he rushes to get his back. “Never, ever again, you’re old, and my parents, and you’re just going to bed to sleep next to each other.”
“You’re adorable,” Jiang Cheng laughs. “It’s not always in the bed.”
“Ewwww,” Lan Jingyi chokes out and vows to take his cleaning duties more seriously.
Maybe he can sanitize the whole apartment. Lan Sizhui probably knows a way.
“Thanks, I love you, bye,” Lan Jingyi screams into the room, not meeting Jiang Cheng’s eyes and then he dashes away.
He really doesn’t need to know what his parents get up to. He’s still shaking with just the implication of it.
He rushes home and in his haste he bangs the door louder than he meant to, immediately alerting Lan Xichen to his return.
“You’re back, how did it turn out?” he asks, but Lan Jingyi storms past him.
“I’m not talking to you, I can’t even look you in the eye, don’t you know that’s gross?” Lan Jingyi rambles and promptly hides in the sanctuary of his own room.
“Oh dear, what did Jiang Cheng say?” Lan Xichen asks through the closed door and Lan Jingyi pulls it open again.
“I hope you do clean the apartment afterwards,” he tells his baba, who promptly blushes a bright red.
It would be endearing if it wasn’t so goddamn gross.
“We do,” Lan Xichen eventually stutters out and Lan Jingyi covers his ears again.
“Too much information, go away now,” he says and slams the door in his baba’s face.
Lan Jingyi rests his head against the door, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down and then turns towards the mirror.
He lifts his shirt to look at his tattoo again, and even though it’s covered in wrap and even redder than before, Lan Jingyi loves it with everything that he is.
Just like he loves Lan Sizhui.