Work Text:
A-Yuan ambled comfortably through the pathways of Cloud Recesses. His chores and lessons for the day completed, he decided he would like to spend his evening practicing a rather complex song he was composing on his guqin. Seeing as he had yet to master the instrument, he preferred to ask that Hanguang-Jun join him so that he might offer his expertise.
A-Yuan knocked politely at the jingshi only to receive no answer. This was not unusual, as there were many places that Lan Wangji could be. One thing that A-Yuan could be certain of, however, was that no matter where the man was, he was unquestionably in the company of Wei Wuxian. This narrowed A-Yuan’s searching grounds considerably, and he set off to the most likely places.
The bunnies hopped around his feet enthusiastically when A-Yuan approached them. He leaned down and lovingly stroked the ones that were closest to him. The men were not here, but a few gnawed remnants of carrots and lettuce lay scattered around, revealing that they had been here recently to feed the colony. He continued his search, making his way along the grassy banks of the river that flowed adjacent to Cloud Recesses, knowing that their evening routine frequently had them by the water after spending time with the rabbits.
A-Yuan was correct.
They were standing on the boulders that cut into the river, gazing at one another profoundly without speaking. There was an unmistakable tenderness in their eyes, the slight curve of each of their mouths spoke of a contentedness that could only be achieved from an unconditional sense of security from the one you were with. Wei Wuxian’s hand was placed at the side of Lan Wangji’s neck, his thumb brushing back and forth against his skin.
Had anyone else seen them like this, they would have had the feeling that they should look away; that they were intruding on something very private. Not A-Yuan. Their closeness never bothered him and he never worried that his presence made them feel uncomfortable or that they could not act as they pleased with him there. On the contrary, when A-Yuan saw the two of them with their guards down, unafraid of exchanging physical contact or sentimental words, it filled him with a warm affection that spread outwards from his heart.
He knew it would be a strange notion to anyone he confided in, but he considered both of these men to be his fathers.
Hanguang-Jun had raised him from the time he was small. He was always kind to him and took the time to be sure of his wellbeing. When A-Yuan was first being taught at Cloud Recesses, his past put him at a disadvantage compared to the other students. But Lan Wangji would tutor him patiently, making certain that he not only caught up with the rest of his class but excelled beyond them.
Lan Wangji personally helped teach him how to handle a sword, and he was the one to bestow A-Yuan’s sword upon him after it had been made. He taught him how to play the guqin as well. Though A-Yuan had more talent in music than he did in other aspects of his training, Lan Wangji would still sit with him for hours, teaching him each chord and note and harmony repeatedly until even Lan Qiren was impressed with his progress.
Aside from his studies, Lan Wangji was also very vigilant in making sure that A-Yuan never did anything that could lead to corporeal punishment, and he made sure punishments for the few wrongdoings A-Yuan had committed in his youth were lenient and fair. Even then, Lan Wangji would periodically join A-Yuan while he was transcribing and sit with him in silence to keep him company while he worked. It always made the punishments far more bearable knowing that, even though he had done wrong, Lan Wangji still supported him.
He showed A-Yuan the bunnies. Even as a child A-Yuan could see how important the little creatures were to Hanguang-Jun, how he respected and cared for each of them. When one of the bunnies had a litter, he allowed A-Yuan to claim one of the babies as his own. Lan Wangji granted only him the trust to visit and tend to them as he liked, and A-Yuan never underestimated what that trust meant, keeping them fed and groomed when Lan Wangji could not do it himself.
Whenever he was away, Lan Wangji’s letters contained several lines inquiring about A-Yuan: his studies or his health or his musical abilities. Sometimes he would write instructing the Clan Leader to remind A-Yuan to practice daily or about a book he should read for informational purposes. Lan Xichen would deliver the messages to A-Yuan with a fond smile and a request that he show Lan Wangji his progress upon his return.
Even though Lan Wangji was not one for physical affection, except for a few sparse times when A-Yuan was very small, he never felt as if he was deprived without it. The ways in which Lan Wangji cared for him made him feel loved and secure, and that had always been enough.
But Wei Wuxian had also raised him. Even if it had not been for as long of a time, his contributions were no less important. A-Yuan had to spend some time with Wei Wuxian before he could recall many of the memories from his early childhood, but once the first few were brought back, more and more arose from the depths of his mind, and he cherished each one.
He remembered how Wei Wuxian told him jokes, how he would chase him around and tickle him when he was caught, lifting him up into the air and spinning him around. He played with A-Yuan’s toys when he was asked to and gave them funny voices and personalities that A-Yuan tried to mimic. The times that he took A-Yuan with him when he left the Burial Mounds to go to Yiling, he would create fantastical stories about the adventures they were on and who they would meet along the way.
Some evenings, A-Yuan would sit in his lap, fascinated as he watched Wei Wuxian sketch out the faces of people they knew. Wei Wuxian would laugh at his wonder and then show him the beginning steps of how he could do the same. He played the flute for him and taught him a few simple notes he could replicate easily enough. He explained to A-Yuan how to grow different crops and plants, whether they would be used for food or medicine and what conditions they needed to thrive.
When he was hurt, Wei Wuxian would hold his hand as Wen Qing put medicine on a scraped knee, or he would do it himself if Wen Qing was busy, distracting A-Yuan from his tears by making silly faces. There were some nights Wei Wuxian would hear A-Yuan complain about being hungry, and he would never hesitate to transfer what food he had left on his plate over to A-Yuan’s. He was the person A-Yuan could give any secret to and not have to worry that Wei Wuxian would tell on him, even if the secret was that he misbehaved.
On the nights he had a nightmare about the camp they were in with the mean guards, it was always Wei Wuxian’s bed that A-Yuan would run to for comfort, and Wei Wuxian would never refuse him. He would only chuckle, or playfully whine at A-Yuan for waking him, and then scoop him up, tucking a blanket tightly around them and letting A-Yuan fall back to sleep in his arms.
Years later, when they reunited again, A-Yuan felt a hole in his heart that he could not even tell was there before finally close. Wei Wuxian told him how sorry he was for missing so much of his life. Then he picked up right where he left off, as if they had never been parted.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji each gave him a home when he had none, gave him a family when the world wanted to rid itself of the Wens and all who associated with them. They both stood by him, willing to put themselves in harm’s way to protect him from the fate of his clansmen. These men were the only parental figures he had ever remembered having in his life, and A-Yuan never felt as though he needed any more than them.
He smiled and continued his walk towards them, garnering their attention. They turned their heads to his approach, but the contentment and tenderness were still there as they gazed upon him, each keeping the slight upward curve of their lips. He bowed respectfully before stepping up and joining them on the rocks.
Wei Wuxian had not taken his hand back from caressing the side of Lan Wangji’s neck. Rather, he raised his other hand to A-Yuan, gently tugging on his forehead ribbon, causing it to become tilted, before straightening it out again with an impish smile at the disapproving noise Lan Wangji made. He moved his hand away from the ribbon and placed it on A-Yuan’s neck, his thumb immediately picking up the same, soothing, back and forth motion that the other was making on Lan Wangji.
Though his early life had not been easy or conventional, A-Yuan knew he received the best life he could have ever hoped for. He considered himself blessed to have had the two greatest men he has ever known raise him. It did not matter to him if others considered it a strange notion; he had all the family he needed right here, smiling down at him.