Work Text:
Jiang Fengmian didn’t know quite what to make of the scene in front of him.
Jiang Cheng certainly had quite a temper. Jiang Fengmian already knew this about his son but normally Jiang Cheng had enough self control not to lash out at others physically. He’d say awful things but Jiang Fengmian had never seen him get violent.
Yet, here was his son next to another child who was bleeding and crying and the other child’s parents were talking about a lawsuit and the teachers also had quite a bit to say and despite it all, Jiang Fengmian could not help but fixate on how tightly Jiang Cheng was gripping the fabric of his shirt.
He wasn’t injured but he was standing so stiff that it worried him quite a bit.
It reminded him of how his wife got sometimes when she was struggling with another migraine. That thought worried him even more.
Jiang Fengmian scooped up Jiang Cheng gently, much to the surprise of his son, and went about discussing the situation with the adults.
Jiang Cheng had apparently nearly broken the other child’s nose. He could understand why the child’s parents were so distressed. It took quite a bit of time to de-escalate the situation but Jiang Fengmian had the patience and time.
He certainly wasn’t planning to go back to work and leave Jiang Cheng alone like this.
It was worrying him just how stiff Jiang Cheng was in his arms. In only a few minutes, Jiang Cheng buried his face against his fathers chest but didn’t seem to fall asleep or relax at all.
Perhaps it would be better if he rushed this conversation along, just a tiny bit.
Jiang Fengmian provided them with his contact information, informed the school staff that he was taking Jiang Cheng home for the day, and left the room feeling quite a few years older.
Jiang Cheng hadn’t so much as twitched in the time it took. Jiang Fengmian hugged him gently.
“A-Cheng?” He asked, keeping his voice low and quiet the way that his wife preferred when her head hurt. “Are you okay?”
A terrible little sniffle met Jiang Fengmian’s ears and his heart just broke. The child was crying so quietly, as though he was trying not to cause more trouble.
Lord, what would he do with this prideful but dear child?
“...sorry…” Jiang Cheng said, his voice so watery and small that Jiang Fengmian nearly missed the word.
Jiang Fengmian pet his head gently and started carrying him towards the car. “It’s okay, a-Cheng.”
“It’s not.” Jiang Cheng replied sullenly and Jiang Fengmian had to repress an amused huff. Jiang Cheng would surely take it wrong but lord was his child so cute when he was pouting.
“Okay, it’s not.” Jiang Fengmian said. “But why isn’t it okay?”
Jiang Cheng was silent for a long while after that and they’d nearly made it back to the car before he spoke again, his voice so small that Jiang Fengmian nearly didn’t hear it.
“He was bullying a-Ying.” Jiang Cheng said, his little hands shaking as they clung to his father’s shirt. “I couldn’t make him stop and he said–he…” Jiang Cheng’s voice trailed off with another sniffle and it was all of Jiang Fengmian’s self control not to turn around and confront the others about it.
He had assumed that Jiang Cheng had a reason for his uncharacteristic violence but the reality that Jiang Cheng was just trying to protect his adopted brother added quite a bit of nuance to the situation.
Jiang Fengmian would definitely be calling those parents and having a long conversation about acceptable behavior.
“Should I bring a-Ying home too?” Jiang Fengmian asked and Jiang Cheng shook his head.
“No, he’s playing with a-Zhan today.” Jiang Cheng said, a pout in his voice. Wei Ying’s new best friend was something of a sore spot between the brothers. So far as Jiang Fengmian could parse out the situation, Jiang Cheng was jealous that his older brother didn’t want to spend time with him as much anymore and Wei Ying was too busy with his first crush to notice.
Still, the fact that Jiang Cheng was willing to sacrifice time with his brother so that Wei Ying could spend more time with Lan Zhan showed the worrying maturity he had come to expect from his son.
Jiang Cheng always did what he felt he should do and he felt he was supposed to do. Sometimes Jiang Fengmian just wanted the child to be a bit bratty and needy.
Although, Jiang Cheng was probably right that it was for the best to check on Wei Ying later today. If Jiang Cheng had a migraine, as Jiang Fengmian suspected, than having the loud and rambunctious boy running around the house complaining about how much he wanted to play with Lan Zhan was certainly not ideal.
They got to the car but it wasn’t easy to put Jiang Cheng down in his seat. The boy hadn’t wanted to let go and if it wasn’t so dangerous, Jiang Fengmian would have just let the boy stay in his lap on the drive home.
Jiang Cheng’s face was lowered as Jiang Fengmian buckled him in and he asked the question that was clearly plaguing him terribly. “...are you mad at me?”
Oh, this sweet child.
Jiang Fengmian pulled his son into another hug and held him there for a long while.
“No, a-Cheng. I’m not mad at you.” He pulled away and finally got a good look at his boy’s face. Jiang Cheng’s face was blotchy with tears and Jiang Fengmian wiped a few away gently. “Would you like to get ice-cream on the way home?”
Ice-cream often helped Yu Ziyuan when she was at her wits end with a migraine. Jiang Fengmian wasn’t sure if the science exactly held up but his beloved wife would get whatever she wanted when she was struggling.
Jiang Cheng sniffled and nodded before reaching out and hugging tightly around his fathers neck.
“I want sprinkles.”
Well, that was certainly a good step in the direction of being a bit spoiled. Jiang Fengmian smiled softly and held his son.