Letting go of self-restraint 5 - Great happiness in a small package

Chapter 39

Lan Xichen was watching as Nie Huisang went around the room and exaggeratedly looked everywhere, under the furniture, behind the curtains, he had even asked the Gusu Lan sect leader to stand up from his chair in his searching. He was looking everywhere but where A-Yuan was hiding and enjoying this game of hide and seek. The toddler was in clear view, only squatting behind a chest containing change of clothes, but Nie Huisang was playing along and indulging him.

The child giggled when the Qinghe Nie sect heir once again went to the bed and lifted the sheets off of it. He shook his head in disbelief and sighed for show: "Oh, where could A-Yuan only be? He had not gotten lost, had he? What should I do if I cannot find him?"

At those words, Lan Xichen saw that A-Yuan scrunched his face a little, the happy smile disappearing instantly. His heart clenched as he watched him quickly scramble to his legs and run to hug Nie Huisang's leg from behind. His happy and carefree smile reappeared only when the Qinghe Nie sect heir acted surprised and praised the child for hiding so well. Lan Xichen could however tell that he regretted saying those words, he must not have realized how the toddler would be affected by them. After all, had there been standing Wei Wuxian, he would have been out of his mind if he could not find his son.

"Oh A-Yuan, you are such a good boy. You cannot stand seeing or hearing anyone being worried for you, not even when it is a game. But I suppose he is still too young to understand that. He just wants to reassure the person who is unhappy that he is there. I am sure this had done wonders for the stability of Wuxian's mind lately. But it is still too pitiful. I am happy that Wuxian is now making huge progress, hopefully this behaviour will not develop into anything stronger or more worrisome."

Lan Xichen watched as Nie Huisang picked the boy up and started spinning him around, causing the room to be filled with delighter laughter. But then, A-Yuan yawned and his eyes were visibly dropping. The evening must have gotten too long for him, he was tired. Nie Huisang cradled him closer to his chest and started patting his back soothingly. The toddler responded by letting his head fall onto his chest with another wide yawn.

"It is so adorable how Huisang can handle him. He would be such a good father... And he looks so happy too, he is enjoying playing with A-Yuan just as much as if he was a toddler himself. I wish I could see him with our own child one day, playing with them like this and keeping them happy and comfortable... We have still not decided when we are going to talk to Nie Mingjue, or Uncle for that matter, for their blessing but at least we have cleared all doubts between us.

It is only a pity that we will not be able to have any children of our own. The probability of pregnancy in a bond between a Beta and an Omega is really low, almost unheard of. We would need a miracle to make it happen. However, I have been thinking for some time already, there is that boy in the toddler's class, the one that recently lost his parents due to an accident on a night hunt..."

A-Yuan yawned again and closed his eyes this time. He was truly spent for the evening. Lan Xichen shook his head indulgently and stood from his chair. Thinking about his own future by Nie Huisang's side can wait, they had a child to take care of.

He walked up towards the others and suggested: "This should be enough playing for today. A-Yuan is tired, we need to get him to bed." When the child opened his eyes and clearly wanted to object despite barely keeping himself awake, the Gusu Lan sect leader patted his head and reassured: "Do not worry A-Yuan. Go to sleep today so we can continue playing tomorrow."

That seemed to have placated the child and he closed his eyes for good. It did not even take five second and his breathing was evening out, he was sleeping. Nie Huisang leaned down and kissed his head how he had seen Wei Wuxian doing, the toddler snuggled closer to him and gave out a soft exhale, his lips turning into a smile. The picture was so adorable Lan Xichen wanted to paint it and keep it on display in his room for eternity.

Nie Huisang looked at him and smiled as well, his cheeks slightly flushed and his eyes full of expectation and hidden want. If the Gusu Lan sect leader did not know that his heat was not due for another two days, he would have thought it had already started. He felt a twitch inside of his inner pants and he blushed in response. Nie Huisang's eyes flipped that way and he chuckled quietly, making Lan Xichen even more self-conscious and hot.

"Let us put A-Yuan to bed and then we can see what to do about this." The Qinghe Nie sect heir teased good-naturedly. At that very moment, all the Gusu Lan sect leader wanted to do was run away and hide somewhere.

"What am I thinking," he scolded himself internally and started putting all of his Lan self-restraint to work. "We are here to look after A-Yuan, not to make out. Even though the occasion is clearly a good one. I can tell that Nie Huisang wants it the same way I do. We should not be doing anything before marriage, but if no one finds out... It is not like we would need to hurry because of expecting a child..."

While Lan Xichen was fighting with his conscience, Nie Huisang went away and apparently put A-Yuan to bed in the adjacent room. When he came back, Lan Xichen realized that the door to the room was closed and there was a silencing talisman plastered to it. After all, if anything should happen, they still had Nie Huisang's baby-sitting talisman which was now activated, glowing a pale light as it was set in plain view on the bedside table. Soft breaths could be heard from that side of the room.

The silencing talisman was of course not for them not to hear A-Yuan calling for them if he needed anything, it was one to protect the child from any noises coming from their room, one that was giving them a piece of privacy. Lan Xichen had to swallow hard at the implication of this whole situation. Was perhaps Nie Huisang just as eager as him to reaffirm their feelings in a material way?

With one last desperate attempt, Lan Xichen tried to convince his lover with reason: "Huisang, we should not. Not here and not now. What if something happened to A-Yuan? Or what if Wuxian and Wangji were very efficient in their night hunt and came back earlier than expected? We still had not told even them about us..."

Suddenly, his lips were silenced by Nie Huisang closing the distance between them and pulling him into a deep kiss. He for sure stood on his toes as he grabbed a handful of Lan Xichen's hair from the back of his head and efficiently imprisoned the mighty and respected Gusu Lan sect leader under his command. Lan Xichen was not such a strong man to be able to resist under such circumstances. All that more when his lover came even closer and he could feel his hardness on his thigh.

After several seconds of heated kissing, Nie Huisang pulled back slightly and looked at Lan Xichen with calculating and begging eyes. How he could manage such combination was a mystery. That look should however be banned, if not because the Gusu Lan sect leader did not want his lover to give it to anyone else but him, then because of what it was doing to him personally.

"Xichen, why are you so nervous? A-Yuan's room is secured, I made sure of it. And he is sleeping soundly, we also have the talisman to let us know if anything should happen." A short pause followed those words, then the tone of Nie Huisang's voice changed into lustful and seducing one: "We have not seen each other for so long... Do you not want to have me? I have been looking forward to this trip so much. I had to beg Da-Ge to let me come, so close to my heat too, do I not deserve a reward? We do not have to go all the way; I just want to feel your hands and lips on me while we have a little drink..."

Lan Xichen closed his eyes and tried to fight his inner urges. He knew however that he lost the battle before it had even begun. With one last look at the door to A-Yuan's room and a silent apology to his brother and brother-in-law, Lan Xichen let himself be pulled into another heated kiss. His worries were put to rest, he knew his lover would never let anything happen to the baby, and he let himself fall.