Second Time Around

5. Fatherhood

Wei WuXian was in heaven. Even though Wei Yuan (his parents, like Wen Qing and Wen Ning changed their last names to Wei when they moved out of Qishan) cried more often than he didn't, Wei WuXian was happy. He had this little boy back from the dead and this time he was determined to see XiaoYuan grow to adulthood and have children and grandchildren and become a cultivator and do and have everything that they both missed the last time. They'd spent nearly three weeks playing and (re)learning about each other.

There was nothing that could alter his mood. Not crying spells or complaints as to why his Mama wasn't coming back, not even Wei Qing's glares could cut through his good mood.

Not even a seven hour horse ride back to Lotus Pier because short legs couldn't sit on a horse for longer than an hour at a time. (He really should have hired a carriage, but didn't think of it until hour five).

Nothing could change his mood.

They stopped at a bun vendor in the village outside Lotus Pier because Wei Yuan was hungry, again, and would absolutely die of starvation if he didn't have a meat bun right away.

"A'Yuan hungry!" the tyke insisted. "Want Mama give me meat bun!"

"Mama's dead, Baobao. Look! The gates are just over there. Your new home is so close. YanLi Jiejie will give you lots of good food. Just wait a little bit more, okay?"

"No. Baobao hungry now. Want Mama." Tears slipped down chubby cheeks. "Want my mama."

"A'Die knows, Baobao. A'Die wishes your mama was here, too. Look. There's a stall with meat buns. Can A'Die feed you one?"

The toddler nodded, and wiped his tears away. "A'Yuan misses Mama."

Wei WuXian knew the vendor from when he first arrived in Lotus Pier all those years ago. They were happily chatting about his impending fatherhood and commiserating over the deaths of the child's parents when Wei Yuan tugged on Wei WuXian's skirt. "A'Die? Scary man."

Wei WuXian looked around for a 'scary' man, and only saw Lan WangJi glaring at him. With a huge smile, he waved and called out, "Hey! Lan Zhan! Come meet A'Yuan!" The glare intensified; Lan Zhan twirled on one foot and walked towards Lotus Pier's entrance gates. "Lan Zhan! Wait up!" Wei WuXian yelled, after checking to see that A'Yuan could stay and eat more buns. "Lan Zhan! What's wrong?" he asked after running and grabbing onto one of the ribbons trailing down the other's robe.

"Don't touch me," Lan WangJi growled.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Wei WuXian offered, not really sorry in the least bit. "Is something wrong? Why didn't you come over?"

"I have things to do," Lan Wang Ji glared even harder. "The sect leaders have been meeting for several days now, and you were..." He looked over his shoulder at the toddler munching on yet another bun.

"I was visiting a friend," Wei WuXian explained. "A'Yuan's mother just died, so it would have been irresponsible for me to take him away from everything familiar so soon after her passing."

"I see," Lan WangJi stated. "I will see you later, then." He bowed stiffly, and entered Lotus Pier.

Wei WuXian returned to his son, mood completely altered. Something was wrong, he was sure of it. Lan Zhan's mood was icy and perhaps it was because of the kiss and perhaps.... Perhaps it was because of the child.

Did he think A'Yuan's my child? My biological child? He sank to his haunches next to Wei Yuan. "Boabao, did the scary man hear me say I was your father?"

Wei Yuan nodded. "Right there A'Die," he pointed to a spot only a few steps away. "He so scary."

Wei WuXian cuddled his son close. "Lan Zhan is a friend. He's not scary. You'll see once you meet him properly. But you must call him Lan WangJi or HanGuang-Jun not Lan Zhan. Maybe he'll let you call him JiGege." Wei WuXian's mood lifted slightly thinking of the tall jade being called JiGege by an urchin with crumbs all over his mouth and shirt. "Oi! You are such a messy eater, Baobao. Let me clean you up so you look presentable when I show you off to ShiJie and Jiang Cheng."