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“We could go to the lake this afternoon,” Wei Wuxian suggested as he swiftly stole cabbage from Lan Wangji’s bowl, too quick for Lan Wangji to stop him even if he had wanted to. “Apparently there’s a nice little island where we could eat and rest.”
Though he privately rejoiced in the mischievous light in his husband’s eyes, Lan Wangji said nothing. Instead, he added a few more leaves to Wei Wuxian’s bowl, as well as some meat and chili oil when he noticed his rice was a lighter shade of red than usual. It was a good thing he had taken to carrying his husband’s favourite oil with him.
Seeing the added food in his bowl, Wei Wuxian smiled but he continued speaking without a pause.
Morning were always rough on Wei Wuxian but now that he had fully emerged, he was brimming with energy. He spoke loudly, his hands energetically moving along to his words. Lan Wangji quietly listened as he ate, occasionally nodding and humming along but not breaking his silence otherwise. He didn’t need to anyway. Wei Wuxian could always tell what was on his mind.
“The villagers also told me we can take one of their boats to explore it!” Wei Wuxian added after eating his extra cabbage. He made a happy sound at the taste of chili oil that filled his mouth then continued. “They said it would be nicer than fly on our swords because the lake is beautiful and easy to navigate through and there are even lotus pods we could eat – I asked if we could and they said yes so don’t worry,” he assured him with a wink. “I told them we would take them up on the offer, I know how much you love taking a boat.”
Recalling their last attempt at navigating a boat together, Lan Wangji raised an eyebrow at him and that was enough to send Wei Wuxian laughing, the sound bright and loud in the empty inn. They both knew the likely outcome of them spending any amount of time on a boat.
Lan Wangji looked forward to it.
Before Wei Wuxian could answer him however, a little girl came tumbling into his lap, effectively interrupting him as well as their meal.
“Why hello, little one!” Wei Wuxian greeted happily, putting his bowl down to help her get more comfortable on his lap. His hands carefully hovering behind her back, he grinned at her. “How are you this morning?”
The child was too young to properly answer but she smiled back at him, all gummy and bright, before she reached out to touch his face with grabby hands. Knowing exactly what she wanted, Wei Wuxian obediently leant down until she could grab his cheeks and he started making faces at her, much to her delight.
Soon after they had arrived, the inn keeper’s daughter had taken a liking to them, particularly to Wei Wuxian. She liked Lan Wangji well enough, especially after Wei Wuxian had placed her on his shoulders because she had discovered that she could be so much taller than her parents or Wei Wuxian, but at her young age, Wei Wuxian’s boisterous energy was far more interesting.
Lan Wangji watched the scene in silence, a familiar warmth spreading in his chest.
His husband was naturally gifted with children and every time he watched him interact with them, it was as if someone gently opened a door onto a possible future, one that had been cracked open for some time though neither of them had acknowledged it yet.
“Gege,” Wei Wuxian repeated patiently, pulling Lan Wangji out of his thoughts. His voice was warm and encouraging despite the little hands pressing on his lips and cheeks. “Can you try? Xian-Gege.”
The little girl stared at him for a moment, as if making sense of his request, then she made a sound that vaguely resembled ‘Ge’ and clapped her hands happily when Wei Wuxian beamed, his smile so bright it could rival the sun.
“Look at you, well done! Did you hear that Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asked as he lifted her up in the air victoriously, making her screech with joy. He lifted her a couple of times before putting her back down on his lap to look at Lan Wangji, a blissful expression on his face.
Lan Wangji nodded, watching over them with a fond look while his heart ached.
Once they had settled into their married life, the idea of having children had slowly made its way into their hearts. They had both mentioned it before, often just in passing, just a few thoughtless but hopeful words whispered in the night but swept aside because there was always something to do. Lan Wangji had been careful to ignore it until now but watching Wei Wuxian, seeing how he held the little girl as if she was the most precious thing in the world, he felt that burning desire light up in his chest again, more insistent than before.
“A-Li!” A worried voice called from the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts.
“She’s here!” Wei Wuxian answered, not lifting his gaze from the little girl until her mother had arrived.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, gongzi!” The woman apologised as she came up to them, her expression oscillating between relief and embarrassment. “I just looked away one moment to wash and when I looked up she was gone. I should’ve known she’d be with you! A-Li, come here, let our guests finish.”
The woman held out her hands but the little girl clung to Wei Wuxian’s robe with a stubborn frown.
Wei Wuxian laughed at her reaction then waved a hand with a bright smile. “Not to worry, it’s fine! We can look after her for a little while. I’m done eating anyway and she’s so sweet, it’s a joy to play with her while I wait for my husband to finish.”
The woman visibly hesitated and glanced at Lan Wangji before smiling back at Wei Wuxian after receiving an approving nod from him. “If you’re sure, thank you. But call me when you’ve had enough, all right? I won’t be long.”
With this promise, she returned to the back of the house while Wei Wuxian continued to play with the young girl, their babbling filling the otherwise quiet morning. As he sipped at his tea, Lan Wangji watched his husband pull a toy seemingly out of nowhere to play with her, much to the girl’s delight.
She reached for the bamboo dragonfly a few times, giggling every time it soared into the air, before she finally caught it with a happy shout. The sound reminded him of a faraway memory, both bittersweet and precious, of a now fully grown happy little child. He remembered watching Wei Wuxian playing with A-Yuan, their lively meal, and he felt his gaze soften.
Lan Wangji could picture them travelling with a child, a little boy or a little girl, probably older than her, maybe the same age Lan Sizhui had been all those years ago.
One day on a walk to Caiyi to buy new robes, Wei Wuxian had told him about his parents and what he remembered of them. He had told him about his mother’s smile, his father’s quiet but warm presence, of his memory of travelling on his mother’s lap while his father guided their donkey. Lan Wangji had been reminded of a time Wei Wuxian had let slip his desire for a family but he hadn’t said anything because his husband was talking and it hadn’t been the right time.
Watching husband now however, Lan Wangji thought that perhaps the time for them to recreate such a memory and create new ones had finally come.
As if feeling his gaze on him, Wei Wuxian looked up from the little girl to meet his eyes. There was a beat where his grey eyes seemed to see right through him and read into his very soul, then he brightened up and Lan Wangji felt his heart soar.
They would be home in a few days. It would take some time to prepare their home for a child. They would have to discuss arrangements with his brother and uncle, find a child that would need them, but the day their family would get bigger was coming closer with every passing moment.