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Lan Xichen has seen his brother drunk once before and that time... well, that time is best forgotten.
This time, however, seems to be taking an entirely different turn. https://twitter.com/adspexi/status/1321183444198694915
This time, however, seems to be taking an entirely different turn. https://twitter.com/adspexi/status/1321183444198694915
"Wangji? Is everything okay?"
"No," says his brother, wearing a pout LXC hasn't seen since they were children.
"Everything is not okay? What's wrong, Wangji?"
"Not Wangji. A-Zhan."
LXC's breath catches.
"No," says his brother, wearing a pout LXC hasn't seen since they were children.
"Everything is not okay? What's wrong, Wangji?"
"Not Wangji. A-Zhan."
LXC's breath catches.
His brother had insisted on using his courtesy name exclusively since the day it was given to him. LXC has regretted the increased formality between them almost as long.
"Of course, A-Zhan," he said, voice shaking. "How do you feel, didi?"
"A-Zhan is three. A-Zhan is... dizzy."
"Of course, A-Zhan," he said, voice shaking. "How do you feel, didi?"
"A-Zhan is three. A-Zhan is... dizzy."
Maybe it's pushing his luck, but Wang- *A-Zhan* hasn't asked for this in so long, LXC can't help but offer.
"Would you like me to hold you?"
"Mn." A tiny, wondering smile. A-Zhan, more graceful than he had really been at three, crumples beside him and puts his head in his lap.
"Would you like me to hold you?"
"Mn." A tiny, wondering smile. A-Zhan, more graceful than he had really been at three, crumples beside him and puts his head in his lap.
Carefully, carefully, LXC brushes his fingers through his baby brother's hair. A-Zhan rolls his neck like a cat, butting up against his hand and snuggling in closer.
"Gege, feels good," he murmurs.
"Gege, feels good," he murmurs.
LWJ had given up "gege" even before he'd given up "A-Zhan," "Xiongzhang" rolling formally off his tongue around missing teeth and through his voice changing.
LXC hadn't realized how much he'd missed it. The Twin Jades were close, of course, but their closeness was proper, formal
LXC hadn't realized how much he'd missed it. The Twin Jades were close, of course, but their closeness was proper, formal
... always entirely becoming of the Sect Heir and First Disciple of Gusu Lan. A-Zhan was never one to present a different face to the world than he wore in private, and so he became Lan Wangji, Second Jade of Lan everywhere.
"I'm glad you came to find me, A-Zhan," LXC says. "I always like spending time with my didi."
He's braiding LWJ's hair now, not in any of the formal styles, but loosely in one large plait, sheerly for the pleasure of combing it out with his fingers and doing it again.
He's braiding LWJ's hair now, not in any of the formal styles, but loosely in one large plait, sheerly for the pleasure of combing it out with his fingers and doing it again.
"Gege so comfy," A-Zhan says sleepily, slurring a little. It reminds LXC of how he sounded when he first started talking, before any tutoring in enunciation or elegant diction, before he'd learned to choose his words for beauty and precision.
How he sounded with their mother.
How he sounded with their mother.
"A-Zhan will never be too big for gege's lap," he promises and hears a happy little sigh.
LWJ will likely not remember this after the alcohol has worn off. He might be embarrassed if he does. But for right now, LXC holds his little brother close as he falls asleep. <3
LWJ will likely not remember this after the alcohol has worn off. He might be embarrassed if he does. But for right now, LXC holds his little brother close as he falls asleep. <3
A little while later, there's a soft knock on the door of the Hanshi. LXC frowns - he doesn't want to get up - but it slides open a moment later.
"I was just outside," Wei Wuxian says quietly. "I figured he might fall asleep on you at hai shi."
"I was just outside," Wei Wuxian says quietly. "I figured he might fall asleep on you at hai shi."
"You knew he was here then," says LXC. He can't quite figure out how to ask the rest of the question, but WWX, apparently, has become adept at interpreting Lan understatement.
"We were talking about you, before," he says. "There was a cup mixup - my fault - then he was out."
"We were talking about you, before," he says. "There was a cup mixup - my fault - then he was out."
"I thought he'd stay in the jingshi if I put him to bed, but he slipped out on me while I was cleaning up. I figured he'd gone to find you... when I got here it sounded like you were doing just fine."
His brother-in-law fixes him with a piercing look. "He misses you, you know."
His brother-in-law fixes him with a piercing look. "He misses you, you know."
LXC thinks about the responsibilities he's left on his brother's shoulders, the duties to the Sect he set aside to enter seclusion, the weight he ought to be carrying with him, but WWX waves that aside.
"No, not that," he says. "You. He misses his gege, so he came to find you."
"No, not that," he says. "You. He misses his gege, so he came to find you."
"You gave me some advice once," WWX continues, "and I'm going to offer it back to you. Don't make him kneel outside the door for you forever, Lan Xichen."
LXC's breath catches in his throat.
WWX gives him a wry smile. "Heavens know I already made him wait long enough."
LXC's breath catches in his throat.
WWX gives him a wry smile. "Heavens know I already made him wait long enough."
There was a time LXC hated this man for that, and the look in WWX's eyes now tells him he knows, and understands.
WWX breaks the moment. He rubs the back of his neck, and looks down at LWJ. "He's sure cute like that, isn't he? I hate to wake him to walk him home."
WWX breaks the moment. He rubs the back of his neck, and looks down at LWJ. "He's sure cute like that, isn't he? I hate to wake him to walk him home."
"Don't," LXC says, more quickly than he meant to. He pushes on, "He can sleep here, I mean. If... if that's okay? I have a second bed here you can have." This is his brother's husband he's talking to, it occurs to him belatedly, whether they've made their bows or not.
WWX's smile now is a soft, warm thing. "I think he'd like that," he says.
WWX helps him move LWJ to the bed then gives him a little bow. "Thank you for your hospitality, Zewu-jun."
"Dà bǎi zi," he corrects, and WWX looks surprised and delighted.
"Dà bǎi zi," he agrees.
WWX helps him move LWJ to the bed then gives him a little bow. "Thank you for your hospitality, Zewu-jun."
"Dà bǎi zi," he corrects, and WWX looks surprised and delighted.
"Dà bǎi zi," he agrees.
In the morning, LWJ is confused to wake up in the hanshi, but there is his brother, tea and breakfast already at the table, and a hopeful look on his face. "Good morning, A-Zhan," LXC says. "Did you sleep well?"
LWJ will have to hear the story later, but for now - "I did, gege."
LWJ will have to hear the story later, but for now - "I did, gege."
~ fin ~
// And that's how drunk toddler-mode LWJ coaxed LXC out of seclusion!
((I really hope I grabbed the right "brother-in-law" there; feel free to correct me if I didn't.
))
// And that's how drunk toddler-mode LWJ coaxed LXC out of seclusion!
((I really hope I grabbed the right "brother-in-law" there; feel free to correct me if I didn't.
))
