Work Text:
...There was someone in his bed. Jing Yuan blinked slowly to make sure his tired mind hadn't created a hallucination.
Nope, the human-shaped lump was still there, only now it was moving.
Yanqing sat up slowly rubbing his eyes, the blanket falling to the bed around him.
"General?"
"Yanqing." Jing Yuan sighed, muscles relaxing; he stepped forward practically falling onto the bed, exhaustion once again taking over his mind.
"General?!" Yanqing jumped.
Jing Yuan let out a muffled groan, "Go to sleep."
Yanqing didn't move, instead staring down at the general in shock.
In a show of tremendous effort, Jing Yuan raised his arm to press his hand over Yanqing's chest and push the boy down, "Sleep."
And then Jing Yuan was asleep his arm still laid across Yanqing, who was now trapped next to him.
"General?" Yanqing whispered turning his head so he could see Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan was silent his chest rising and falling evenly. Yanqing waited a moment before moving closer and pressing his face into Jing Yuan's chest, "Welcome back General." he whispered closing his eyes.
***
Jing Yuan awoke to an unfamiliar warmth pressed against his side, he raised a hand to rub at his eyes as the previous night's memories came flooding back. He let out a large yawn and turned his head to the side.
Yanqing was curled up besides him, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Jing Yuan smiled softly at the sight bringing a hand down to gently comb through his hair. He had missed Yanqing during his time away. The lieutenant had become a constant presence in his life, always nearby to ask questions, or pestering the general into doing something for him.
The boy stirred drawing away from Jing Yuan,
"Good morning." Jing Yuan said softly
"Good mornin'" Yanqing murmured, and then his eyes flew open becoming comically wide.
Jing Yuan bit his lower lip to hold in a laugh at Yanqing's shocked expression.
"General!" Yanqing practically jumped to sit up, Jing Yuan could practically see the memories flowing back into Yanqing's brain as his eyes grew even larger and a wide smile broke over his face. "You're back!"
"Mhmm."
"When did you get back? How was your trip? Did you find what you were looking for? Ooh, did anything cool happen?"
Jing Yuan laughed, how he had missed this. Yanqing's excitement was always so brightening, "I got back yesterday, yes we accomplished what we went for, I'm not entirely sure what you would consider cool, but if it's about swords, no I didn't find any."
Yanqing visibly deflated at the last part.
"Now I have a question for you," Jing Yuan continued "what are you doing in my bed?"
Yanqing stiffened drawing his shoulders up, "Umm..."
Jing Yuan narrowed his eyes at the boy as he stubbornly turned away refusing to look the general in the eye.
"Yanqing."
"I went to Central Starskiff Haven to pick up a new sword." Yanqing took a deep breath "I was waiting for the shop keeper to bring it out but then this Foxian lady asked me if I was waiting for my parents."
Jing Yuan's heart stuttered in his chest. He remembered the first few years he had had Yanqing, how he had worried then, that Yanqing might want to know about his parents. But he had let the topic go as the years passed and Yanqing never even mentioned it. He should have known, of course a child as curious as Yanqing would ask-
"I said I didn't have any, but she just smiled and said everyone has someone."
-what was he going to say to the boy, that he had no idea? That he could very well be the person who made Yanqing an orphan, that- wait what?
Jing Yuan's frantic thoughts screeched to a halt as his brain processed Yanqing's words.
"I asked her what she meant, and she said a parent is someone who cares for you, the person who raises you and teaches you about the world, the person who holds your hand and guides you and is always there to catch you. But most importantly, a parent is the person who loves you no matter what." Yanqing paused taking a deep breath, then he slowly he turns back to meet Jing Yuan's gaze "You've taught me everything I know, General. My earliest memories are of trailing behind you throughout the Luofu. You take care of me all the time, I mean, I live in your house. The only thing I don't know..." his gaze darts away for a brief second and then resolutely turns back to Jing Yuan, "I don't know, if you love me?" the sentence left his lips as a soft, almost whispered question.
Jing Yuan wasn't sure what kind of expression he was making his brain having gone completely blank, in an uncharacteristic absolutely stunned moment of nothing. but his expression must not have been good because Yanqing's face crumpled, his eyes went wide watering with hurt.
Yanqing turned quickly, raising a hand to wipe at his face as the tears fell. "I'm sorry." He said quickly pushing himself off the bed, but his voice shook and he couldn't hold back the trembles the shook his body.
Something almost instinctual took over Jing Yuan at the sight of Yanqing trembling as he stepped away from him. In less than a second Jing Yuan was out of bed his arms falling around the boy's shoulders pressing his back to his chest.
"I love you Yanqing." Jing Yuan said lowering his forehead to the top of Yanqing's head.
Yanqing squirmed in his grasp turning around to face around Jing Yuan. "You're-" he breaks off sniffing, "-you're not just saying that are you?" He looks up at the general with glistening eyes.
Jing Yuan's heart breaks at his expression "I missed you when I was away. I worry for you when you go on missions, and I am always so proud of you."
Yanqing keeps his gaze fixed on Jing Yuan's face, Jing Yuan can practically see his thoughts fighting in his eyes, until finally he pitches forward burying his face in Jing Yuan's clothes. A loud sob tears out of his throat.
Jing Yuan rubs a hand up and down Yanqing's back as the boy cries into his shirt.
"I'm sorry, that I made you think I didn't love you even if only for a minute." He says softly.
Slowly, Yanqing pulls away wiping at his face. He looks up and his lips spread into a wide smile,
"I love you, dad!"
Jing Yuan's eyes widen in surprise, and he finds a smile creeping onto his face too. A strange warmth blossoms in his chest, "I love you too, Qing-er."