Work Text:
Baby A-Yuan cries when Wei Wuxian touches his toes to the sand, so Lan Wangji takes their child and places him on the blanket next to him. They are both shaded by the big white parasol they’ve brought. Lan Wangji grades papers while A-Yuan babbles and plays with his toys: a plush bunny and some fake carrots. He leaves the shovel and bucket to the side, afraid to look at them.
Wei Wuxian rises to his feet, doffs his shirt, and stretches, his back muscles prominent in the sunlight. His husband watches over his sunglasses. With a yawn, Wei Wuxian asks, “Lan Zhan, I’m going to swim, okay?”
“Mn,” he says, placing his papers down and scooting over to watch A-Yuan. Wei Wuxian runs towards the waves and disappears under the seafoam, laughing.
To his child, Lan Wangji murmurs, “Baobao, you don’t want to touch the sand?”
It's low and sweet, but A-Yuan's ears are attuned to it. He pouts and shakes his head. "Dirty," he says, by way of explanation. He looks like he is going to sob.
"Dirty," Lan Wangji repeats, trying to understand. "And what else, Baobao?"
The child stares out into the waves, where he can't see his other father. With a trembling lip, he says, "And disappear."
Lan Wangji blinks, his facial expression softening. He moves closer to his kid and picks up the toy shovel. "We won't disappear," he says to A-Yuan, in that simple way he has.
"You won't?" A-Yuan says. His eyes brim with tears as he watches Wei Wuxian's ponytail duck under another wave.
Lan Wangji notices this microexpression and understands. "Neither your Baba nor your A-Die will disappear." Wei Wuxian, like a buoy, hops back up over the seafoam, his ponytail wet and clinging to his shoulder. He turns around and sees his son and husband watching. He laughs and waves a hand.
"See?" Lan Wangji says to A-Yuan, lifting his hand up and waving back.
After assessing, A-Yuan nods and says "Mn" in the way he's learned from his Baba. Lan Wangji takes his child's hand and they both raise their arms, waving at the other member of their small family.
Indeed, Wei Wuxian comes back after his swim. As he walks over, Lan Wangji whispers, "Baobao, your A-Die has a way of returning."
"Like a puppy?" A-Yuan asks.
Lan Wangji huffs in quiet laughter. It's true: even though his husband is afraid of dogs, he is more like a puppy than any other animal. And indeed, Wei Wuxian shakes the water off of himself just as a puppy would. Lan Wangji wordlessly hands him a towel. As Wei Wuxian dries off, he says cheerfully, "How are my two favorite ppl doing?"
Lan Wangji doesn't answer, only asks his son, "A-Yuan?"
Their son rubs his eyes and says, "I want to touch the sand!"
Wei Wuxian laughs joyously, a sound that rises above the ocean's in its clarity. "Is that right? Wow, what's gotten into you? Did you watch your brave A-Die swim and realize you want to be like him?"
Lan Wangji doesn't say anything, doesn't take credit. Wei Wuxian holds A-Yuan's hand and leads him slowly off the blanket. They giggle and soon A-Yuan is burying his A-Die's legs in the sand.
"Is okay, A-Die," A-Yuan says, patting sand around Wei Wuxian's knees. "Don't worry, you will still be here."
Over their son's shoulder, Wei Wuxian looks at Lan Wangji with meaning. Their exchanged look says it all. Wei Wuxian ruffles A-Yuan's tuft of hair, a gentleness in his eyes. "Of course I will. Always."
A few feet away, Lan Wangji sits serenely in the shade of the parasol, placing the papers back on his lap, returning to his task. If anyone looked closely, they would be able to see the faintest hint of a smile--content, safe, assured--on the edge of his lips.