Chapter Text
As Jiang Cheng stared at the paper in his hands, the one legally recognizing him as Jin Ling’s only guardian, the first few tears slipped out of his eyes. After months of finalizing these papers, months of staying strong for his nephew who had suddenly become an orphan, he could finally process everything that had happened now that he knew his nephew would be in safe hands.
And process he did, as he set the paper down and took Jin Ling out of his crib. As he cradled the little body towards him and tried to seek warmth from his only living relative, or the only one he knew the whereabouts of after his brother had gone missing months earlier. Finally, he took in the idea that at nineteen he would have to raise his nephew all by himself because his parents, his sister, and his brother-in-law were all dead as can be, never to breathe again.
His shoulders shook as broken sobs came out of him, and little Jin Ling, noticing the distress, also began to cry. Jin Ling was louder, of course he was, but Jiang Cheng wasn’t far behind. What was he to worry about? In the comfort of his tiny apartment, no one would hear him. Besides, it was only this once when he would allow himself to cry, because he knew that after this he would have to get his act together and raise his nephew as he knew his sister would’ve raised him.
So, with this promise in mind, the sobs continued well into the night, he kept trying to cradle Jin Ling. Trying to rock the poor baby to stop his wailing but nothing was working. So he did what he remembered his sister doing when he would cry as a child: he sang. He sang wonderful lullabies of birds and oceans and sleeping babies. And yet, Jin Ling wouldn’t stop crying.
“Why- why won’t you stop crying?” He choked out as another onslaught of coughs arrived. Jin Ling, the angel, couldn’t understand the pain that he was putting his uncle through and so the tears continued, the wailing cries. “Can’t you see I’m doing my best?” He spoke and was interrupted by hics three times during the one phrase.
Though he was irritated, he never took it out on Jin Ling. Instead he cradled Jin Ling closer as his shoulders shook with each sob. Jin Ling’s little fists came up to entangle themselves in Jiang Cheng’s hair and Jiang Cheng couldn’t find it in himself to care. He was too engulfed by other emotions and the knowing that after this, he would never be the same again. That this was the last time where he could indulge in his old emotions because now he had to put Jin Ling first. Because Jin Ling would always be far more important to him than himself.
So he started bouncing Jin Ling in his arms, but Jin Ling continued to cry.
“Please stop crying,” Jiang Cheng repeated under his breath as he hurriedly bounced Jin Ling, making sure that the tiny human’s head was always well supported. There, in that room, you wouldn’t think this was an uncle comforting his nephew. No, if you saw this image you’d see two kids seeking comfort from each other. One being an actual kid, and another who was forced to grow up too fast. Two kids, who only had each other in this harsh world.