Chapter Text
Wei Ying winced as the too hot liquid hit his skin, placing the bottle back in the bowl of cool water even as the baby in his arms fussed at the sight of it.
'I know, I know darling,' he said softly, bouncing a little on his toes, 'But it's too hot for you right now. Just a few more minutes I promise.'
'Daddy?' came a little voice beside him, hands tugging on his t-shirt, 'Why aren't you giving Jingyi his milk? He's cranky.'
Wei Ying smiled, feeling the tiredness in his bones but he would not let the little boy beside him see it, 'I know,' he said, 'But it's still too hot for him.'
'He was noisy all night,' said the boy, drawing out the all until it contained far more syllables than it needed.
'His teeth are coming through and they are hurting him,' said Wei Ying, 'Once they're through he'll be happy again, I promise. Have you finished your breakfast?'
The boy hurried over to the table, picking up his empty bowl and handing it to his father, 'Can I have a biscuit?'
'A-Yuan! No, you've just eaten,' he said as Jingyi started up with another pained wail that was all too similar to the one that had kept him awake most of the night.
'But...but...' hiccuped Yuan before tears pooled in his eyes, 'I was a good boy. You said if I was a good boy, I could have a biscuit. I want Daddy back! Why isn't Daddy back?'
'Because the idiots at Heathrow went on strike and turned a seven day trip into almost twenty,' said Wei Ying before he sighed, reaching out and cupping his son's cheek, 'Don't cry, sweetheart. A few more hours and his plane will land and then he'll be home with us.'
'And then Jingyi won't cry any more?' said Yuan.
'Even daddy can't make teeth come any quicker than they want to,' said Wei Ying, 'But I think we could all use a big squeeze with him all the same.'
Yuan wrapped his arms around Wei Ying's waist, 'Big squeeze,' he said, hugging him tight before he looked up at him, 'Can I watch cartoons?'
Wei Ying nodded, 'Cartoons are ok,' he said, ruffling his hair that was desperately in need of a trim before the boy bounced out of sight.
He smiled as he watched him go, knowing how hard his father's absence had affected him. He would never forget the first time he had seen the two of them together. Lan Zhan had been on a dig in the north of the country, some ancient site near to a dormant volcano. The first thing Wei Ying had heard of the earthquake had been the news flash that had appeared on his phone, seconds before the administrator from Lan Zhan's museum had called him to tell him that the dig had been near to the epicentre and his new husband was unaccounted for. Wei Ying could not recall the details of the journey to the site, too panicked and desperately trying to keep up with news and feeding it back to their loved ones.
He had been relieved when he had arrived to find out his husband had finally been located. Selfless as ever, the ridiculous man hadn't paused for the aftershocks to pass before he was marching out with every expensive piece of equipment in his archaeological arsenal and turning their features into something that could search for people rather than age old artefacts. The busy, ever digging hands that had led him to be in charge of half of his museum by the time most people were still trying not to get drunk every single weekend and wake with regret on Monday, were now employed in the search and rescue effort.
Wei Ying's elation at his husband's safety had been squashed by the devastation he had arrived to. Lan Zhan's site had been spared but the nearby town had been almost flattened, body bags lining up in anything that still possessed a roof as the dead and the dying were pulled from the rubble. He had finally found his husband in the makeshift hospital, tending to a tiny child, no more than eighteen months old who shrieked with fear every time anyone else approached him.
Two days. Two long, lonely days the little boy had been trapped beneath the ruins of his home with only the bodies of his parents for company. Lan Zhan had been the one to pull him out and from then on no one else could go near to him. It took another day for him to allow Wei Ying close and only one more for their hearts to begin to wish. Children had been a nebulous idea, something other people did, but with the boy who could at least tell them that his name was Yuan, it seemed the most natural thing in the world. It was three months later that the adoption was made official, no one related to the boy alive or traceable, and they had begun to think of their family as complete.
The baby wailing in Wei Ying's arms quickly reminded him that complete had not come until sometime later. Jingyi had joined his brother through slightly more conventional means of a kindly surrogate and they were four months into getting used to being a foursome. A foursome currently missing one of their number and leaving Wei Ying with a teething baby, several missed deadlines for commissioned artworks, a house in disarray, a four and a half year old missing his other father and a husband in need of fetching from the airport if he hoped to finish a very important exhibit for a mystery benefactor to the museum in time.
He had never been more glad than when he heard the rattle of keys in the door and the soft familiar voice of his saviour letting herself in.
'Shijie!' he called from the kitchen, 'Thank goodness you're here.'
'I brought reinforcements too,' she said, sunny face appearing around the more and smiling sadly at the sight Wei Ying knew he must be, 'Are his teeth still giving him hell?'
Wei Ying nodded, 'He's been screaming most of the night.'
'Put some whisky in his milk.'
'Zixuan! Don't say things like that. You need mint and teething gel. I picked both up on the way over.'
'You are an angel and if anyone says otherwise, they can fight me,' said Wei Ying.
Jin Zixuan snorted as he rounded the door as well, 'Fight you? They might as well fight A-Yuan,' he said, 'Yanli, where did you put the card thing? A-Ling wants to show Yuan, yesterday it seems.'
'Pocket of the red bag,' said Jiang Yanli, as he disappeared once more, 'Don't get them too riled up too quickly. Now, what do you need from me?'
'Sixteen more hours, at least ten of those where I can sleep,' said Wei Ying, 'Failing that, can you feed this one. I haven't even looked at the shower and I have to get to the airport. There is so much to do and I don't want to be the reason Lan Zhan was further delayed.'
Jiang Yanli reached out and lifted Jingyi from his father's arms, cooing softly at him as he settled against her. 'You can leave everything to me,' she said, 'Get dressed and get going. We'll meet you at the museum for lunch later on. A-Cheng said he'll meet us there if he can get away from work. I think he's keen to rinse Lan Zhan for information on London. I think he plans to take Mei on a romantic getaway.'
'A-Zhan would be the worst source of information, he has seen the inside of a museum and then an awful hotel at Heathrow. He was excited about the book he collected from the museum at least,' said Wei Ying, 'I've seen pictures but he's been waxing lyrical about it on every video call since he got there. Makes a change from the moaning though. Allegedly the way the British make tea is grossly offensive and he seems intent on reminding me every evening. He also has taken mortal offence to being constantly referred to as 'mate'.'
'What is a 'mate'?' asked Jiang Yanli with a frown as she failed to recognise the word.
'English for friend but it seems to get thrown about too much for my husband's sensibilities,' said Wei Ying, 'Which means I'm going to call him it for the next six months until he punches me or divorces me.'
Jiang Yanli frowned, covering Jingyi's ear, 'Don't say things like that in front of the children,' she scolded gently, 'They don't know you're playing.'
Wei Ying smiled, rubbing at his son's chubby cheek with a finger, 'You know your daddies will always be madly in love with one another, don't you darling,' he said, 'Though daddy won't be in love with me if I am late.'
'Go and shower and dress and get out of here,' said Jiang Yanli, 'We'll manage everything here.'
'Shijie, you are the best in the world,' said Wei Ying, before he raised his voice enough to carry, 'Far too good for that peacock.'
'Peacock me again...' came the familiar start of a threat but it trailed off into the sound of laughter as Ling and Yuan clearly found something more amusing for their uncle to focus on.
'See, all fine,' said Jiang Yanli, 'Go and get ready. Your darling husband will be waiting for you.'
Wei Ying smiled, hurrying from the kitchen in the hope that a shower and clothes that didn't smell of baby sick would render him presentable for the benefactor that had allowed Lan Zhan to retrieve the prize he had been coveting for years.
****
Lan Zhan hated airports and aeroplanes and everything associated with foreign travel with an abject passion. Far too many irksome people acting as if they knew him and far too many hands on his person whenever he passed through any sort of security checkpoint. It had been necessary though, the box stored carefully in his hand luggage containing one of the rarest and most fascinating pieces of his country's ancient history and it was finally back on home soil.
He had spent three years arguing with his colleagues in London about it being returned to it's origins but he'd never succeeded in persuading them, only managing to secure images of several pages so he could better study the contents and match it to the artefacts that already lived happily in the Cultivation Hall of his museum.
He had grown up fascinated by the legends of the great families that had once lived in the land he called home, despite so many people telling him that they were only stories. He knew there was a seed of truth and he had made it his life's work to prove it and now he had a verified written account. Were it not for his upbringing he was certain he would be skipping through the final stages of passport control.
The idea of skipping became slightly more appealing as he heard his name shouted with joyful abandon from the arrivals lounge, looking up to see his husband frantically waving from behind the crowds. He hurried through the final barriers, not pausing until he had an arm around the warm, familiar body and had pressed his face into his shoulder to breathe in the distinct smell of home.
'A-Ying,' he said, pulling back enough to kiss him, 'I've missed you so much. I'm sorry I was away so long.'
'Couldn't be helped,' said Wei Ying, 'I'm sorry the trip was so dreadful.'
'It had its better points,' said Lan Zhan, patting the bag at his side, 'I finally have it.'
Wei Ying smiled, 'If your colleagues could see you now,' he said, 'The stoic Professor Lan getting excited over an old book. Is it everything you hoped?'
'Better,' he said, 'It's beautiful. The calligraphy alone is perfect and there are passages that just...I can't even describe it. I can't wait to study it properly.'
'Hopefully your mystery benefactor will be happy with his purchase,' said Wei Ying, 'And if he isn't he can suck it up because I have had to miss you for far longer than I should have done with a teething baby in the house.'
'Have you got any sleep?' said Lan Zhan, brushing away a lock of hair that had escaped from his plait, 'You sounded a little frantic when we last spoke.'
Wei Ying smiled, 'I'm fine,' he said, 'I ended up with both of them in the bed with me last night. Jingyi would only sleep if I was holding him and Yuan got jealous.'
'You can sleep tonight, I'm more than happy to do my share of baby duty,' said Lan Zhan, 'I have missed them, video calls just aren't enough.'
'Yuan has asked for you every hour since day break,' said Wei Ying, 'Shijie and Zixuan brought Ling round to play so he was suitably distracted by his little best friend but he was asking when lunchtime was when I left for here. I didn't get long in the car park so we better get going.'
Lan Zhan frowned, 'You should have put more money in,' he said, 'You can put the receipt on my expense account.'
'Stop fussing, Professor,' said Wei Ying, taking his suitcase and heading towards the exit, 'Let's get your book on display.'
The museum was already busy with school parties and tourists when they arrived, Lan Zhan's clearance bypassing the usual security measures as they headed up to his office, laden down with his suitcase and the box containing the art work he had asked his husband to produce for the exhibit he had been building for nearly six months.
He opened the door with his hip, careful of his bag and its precious cargo as they headed into the office the board had insisted upon him having despite it being almost as large as the staff canteen. He couldn't knock it in that moment though, the adjoining shower room a welcome sight after the flight he had sat through.
'I'm going to clean up,' he said, setting down the bag and opening the large cupboard behind his desk, pulling out a change of clothes and a wash bag.
Wei Ying laughed, 'Only you would have clothes where normal people would have snacks,' he said, 'Is that your best suit in there too? I wondered why I couldn't find it when I was trying to be the dutiful husband this morning.'
'I brought it in before I left for England in case I had any problems that delayed my return.'
'I worry that you are sometimes psychic,' said Wei Ying, sitting up on the desk and grabbing for his hips as he passed him, 'Do you want some help getting changed?'
'Shameless,' muttered Lan Zhan, leaning down to kiss him, 'And tempting as the thought is, we do not have time.'
'You have been gone three weeks. I promise it won't take long,' said Wei Ying, with a grin before he released him, 'Can I read your precious, magical book whilst you're making yourself even more handsome than usual?'
Lan Zhan shook his head, 'Not yet,' he said, 'It's all sealed up and conditions in here aren't optimal to open it. I only got to study the first few pages before it was sealed at the museum and I was so tempted when I was holed up in that dreadful hotel outside Heathrow but I've not touched it. It's proof though, proof that they were real. Hanguang-Jun and the Yiling Patriarch. You share a surname with him by the way. He's mentioned on the third page. Wei Wuxian.'
Wei Ying grinned, 'Did he pull Hanguang-Jun's hair and write naughty words on his school books to get his attention too?' he said.
'I'll know when I study more,' said Lan Zhan, 'I'll be five minutes. If you love me...'
'Yes?'
'Tea? Please. You don't know what I'd do for a cup of proper tea. The stuff they have over there...'
'Is an abomination,' said Wei Ying, hopping of the desk, 'Trust that your husband will fair better than the English.'
Tea was made and ready when Lan Zhan reappeared, looking far fresher and dressed in his usual white shirt with a fitted blue waistcoat, the dark jeans elongating his legs and Wei Ying proved himself as shameless as he was accused of being as he ran an appreciative gaze over him. He smiled as he watched the blush creep along the sharp cheekbones, glad he could still conjure it after so many years of marriage and two children.
It wasn't long until they made their way to the Cultivation Hall, closed to the public but ready to receive them as soon as the evening's reception for their benefactor was over. Wei Ying carried the three large art pieces Lan Zhan had asked him to paint, scenes reconstructed from the archaeological surveys and studies his husband had made of the place he had found the well preserved artefacts that had led him to believe the legends he had loved were true.
Together they hung them in the prearranged places, Cloud Recesses as the legend has called it, sat amongst its looming mountains that seemed to touch the sky. Lan Zhan smiled at the images, certain his husband had pulled them from his own mind as he regarded the detail in them. His eyes fell on the last that depicted a waterfall, squinting at the two wispy figures stood on a rock in the midst of the flow.
'You decided to draw them?' he asked, the pair of them having debated whether to include to two characters that had been the whispered part of the legends.
Wei Ying shrugged, 'Felt right to do so,' he said, 'Do you like them?'
'They're beautiful,' said Lan Zhan, 'Even better than when I left and I am amazed you managed to pull it off especially with dealing with the children on your own.'
'A-Yuan took pity on me and didn't pester when Jingyi was napping,' said Wei Ying, 'He's been such a good boy for me. Definitely earned that trip to the zoo next week. Now come on, I'm dying to see this book at last.'
Lan Zhan took his hand, leading him over to the cabinet he had left the box beside. It was one of Wei Ying's favourites in the collection, a collection of ancient musical scores and two beautifully preserved instruments. The black dizi with its red tassel looked as though it had only been played days before and the guqin gleamed under the lighting Lan Zhan had spent nearly eight weeks tinkering with until it had hit strings just right. At the lowest level of the case stood an empty plinth, ready for the book Lan Zhan was yet to reveal, certain the instruments that had been the prize of his collection were the same the legend mentioned.
Wei Ying took a step back as Lan Zhan tapped a code into the keypad as the side of the display case, the faint hiss echoing out as the atmospheric controls were turned off for a moment as the glass slid open. He knelt down in front of the box, carefully breaking the seal that had protected it from London and lifting the lid.
'You can come closer,' he said, pulling on a pair of white, cotton gloves and reaching inside for the book.
Wei Ying knelt beside him, fingers itching to touch the almost perfect cover, the brushwork on the front elegant and almost familiar.
Lan Zhan ran a gentle finger over the binding, a soft smile on his face. 'All my life I've wanted to bring this home,' he said, 'Now it will be where it should be forever.'
Wei Ying smiled, 'And people say you're not romantic,' he said, 'I'm happy for you. I know what this means to you.'
Lan Zhan turned the pages, moving towards the back of the book and finding a page that showed an elegant sketch of a boat with the name Little Cloud etched upon the side. With a reverence he set it on the plinth inside the case, knowing he would be taking it out again to make a better study of it and finally discover all the secrets of the past.
He froze as he heard the sound of strings, fearing he had knocked the precious guqin but, as he looked up, he realised the notes had played alone. He blinked, memories warring with the ones he knew of his life until others became as real and vivid alongside them. He turned, seeing the same wonder on the face of the man beside him before Wei Ying reached out and took hold of his face in his hands.
'Lan Zhan, do you...'
'Remember?' he said, 'We were...you were...'
Wei Ying smiled, 'My Hanguang-Jun,' he said, 'In every life, my soul mate. You've fought across the world to bring home our story and now it's back.'
'I've always felt close to them,' said Lan Zhan, 'Knew their story was important and now I know why. A-Yuan...'
'Your wish,' said Wei Ying, 'Your wish that we could raise him together. Our Sizhui. Our Yuan and Jingyi... I always thought he wanted to be ours and now he is.'
Lan Zhan smiled. 'I got my wish,' he said before the inelegant beep of the cabinet caught them, a warning that the atmosphere was not good for the artefacts.
With a practised hand, Lan Zhan closed the cabinet, the atmospheric controls reinstating themselves automatically as he turned and captured his husband's lips in a kiss. The touch was electric but he felt something fading, like his mind grabbing for a dream before he finally pulled away from the man beside him.
'Never seen you so excited about an artefact before,' said Wei Ying, with a grin, 'You really love this old legend of yours don't you.'
'Mn,' murmured Lan Zhan with a frown, 'Feel like I'm forgetting something.'
'That'll be the jet lag,' said Wei Ying, 'Book is away, paintings are up. Your benefactor will be happy with you.'
Lan Zhan looked down at the book in the cabinet, already at home it seemed and he could not wait to study it further before the sound of running feet and a familiar shout caught his attention.
'Daddy!'
He turned just in time to receive an armful of his son, wet kisses pressed to his cheek with abandon as three weeks of missing him brought the sweet tinge of tears to his eyes.
'A-Yuan, my sweet boy,' he said happily, 'Have you been good?'
'Super good,' said the boy.
'I'm sorry you two,' said Jiang Yanli as she appeared, one hand holding onto her son as the other manoeuvred the pram, 'He got away from me. Zixuan went ahead to get a table for lunch.'
'No harm done,' said Lan Zhan, picking Yuan up in his arms as Wei Ying reached into the pram to lift out their youngest, Jingyi snuggling happily into his familiar warmth and grabbing onto his jacket with his tiny hands, 'Thank you for your help today.'
'They've been a dream,' said Jiang Yanli, 'But anxious to see you so I thought we'd come in and find you. Xichen rang the house earlier by the way, to wish you luck. I said I would pass it on.'
Wei Ying grinned, 'I'm surprised he remembered,' he said, 'With him and Mingjue on their honeymoon I was expecting our social events to be forgotten.'
'Brother knows what today means to me,' said Lan Zhan before he smiled, 'But I am surprised too.'
'Enough,' said Jiang Yanli, 'Before you start reminiscing about your own. A-Cheng won't have long for lunch so we'd best get a move on.'
With a glance back to the cabinet and making a note to return and retrieve the storage box before the evening began, Lan Zhan followed his family from the hall, Yuan and Ling already talking a mile a minute about the adventures they had had that day.
If he had looked back again, he would have seen the faint glimmer on the painting he had admired before two figures appeared beside the cabinet, one dressed in black and red and another in light blue, a fine ribbon with a cloud charm across his forehead.
'Home at last,' said Wei Wuxian, 'I'll miss the old place but it is good to have our feet on home soil again. Explain something to me though, how are we here and also those two. Not that they remembered for long.'
'I suppose we are the fragments of our spirits that I wove into the book,' said Lan Wangji, 'I had hoped it would merely bring Sizhui some comfort when we were gone. I didn't realise it would retain us quite so well.'
'And them?'
Lan Wangji smiled as he watched the retreating backs of the small, happy family. 'If people remembered all their past lives their minds would get awfully crowded,' he said, 'What happened to them a moment ago was probably just a spark of spiritual energy with the book suddenly so close to Wangji and Chenqing.'
Wei Wuxian frowned, 'You mean they won't remember us?'
'They're happy,' said Lan Wangji taking hold of his hand, 'They have their own lives to lead with their children.'
'The new you in very handsome,' said Wei Wuxian with a grin, 'The new me must be very happy and there is something to be said for the tightness of the new fashion.'
'Shameless,' muttered Lan Wangji before he turned his head to the door as it opened to admit a man in a dark suit, his long hair fastened in a tail behind him to reveal the familiar black tracks on his neck.
'Master Wei. Hanguang-Jun,' he said with a bow, 'It is a pleasure to see you again after all this time.'
'Wen Ning?' said Wei Wuxian, 'Did you get woven into a book too?'
Wen Ning shook his head, 'No. I am me as you knew me,' he said, 'I have watched over so many generations and, when I discovered Professor Lan had found the book, I made sure his trip was funded.'
'You are his benefactor?' said Lan Wangji, 'You brought us home?'
Wen Ning nodded, 'It was the least I could do,' he said, 'It's what the Yuan I knew would have wanted. Luckily the last clan leader made sure I was well provided for before the sect finally disbanded and I have looked after many investments since. Immortality means a great deal of investments can bear fruit.'
'Wait,' said Wei Wuxian, 'You've been alive all this time? Alone?'
Wen Ning shook his head, 'Not alone,' he said, 'I found a friend and we have looked after ever generation that followed you since. There's no one here, only those who know you.'
'Song Lan?' said Lan Wangji as another man walked in, made different from all the others they had scene by the two swords still strapped across his back.
The man smiled and bowed.
'We have taken care of the world and all the many incarnations of the people we once loved,' said Wen Ning, 'I hope that we will continue to do so for many generations to come.'
Song Lan reached out a hand and tapped his arm, the pattern clearly meaning something to Wen Ning as he nodded.
'Security will make a sweep through soon,' he said, 'But I will be back this evening for the reception. The others will not see you, so I hope you will be there.'
Lan Wangji nodded and bowed, 'We will see you then,' he said, 'And thank you, both of you, for your services to us and our descendants.'
Wen Ning smiled, turning from them as footsteps echoed around the corner and disappearing with Song Lan back the way they came.
'I always wondered what would happen to him,' said Wei Wuxian, 'Before I died he said he would live to serve the Lan clan as long as they needed him.'
'Seems he has fulfilled that oath many times,' said Lan Wangji, 'We should be sure to be here tonight and then...'
'Then...' said Wei Wuxian.
'Let us see where the wind takes us,' he said.
'My Hanguang-Jun is so smart,' said Wei Wuxian before his gaze fell on the instruments inside the cabinet, 'While we wait though, play me a song?'
'Any requests?'
'Oh I think you know,' said Wei Wuxian as they faded from view.
As the security guard passed through the empty hall, he smiled at the cleverness of their famed Professor Lan and whatever he had done to make the guqin in the cabinet play a poignant little melody. It continued to play even as he left, the song a story that had finally come home.