Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Sometimes, someone comes into your life, so unexpectedly, takes your heart by surprise and changes your life forever.”
Unknown

Wei Wuxian had learned early that survival was a skill, not a gift.

By the time he was sixteen, he had already lost the safety in his life that most people took for granted. Being disinherited by the Jiang family had not come from rebellion or cruelty, but from honesty. His bisexuality had been treated as a flaw, a shame, something incompatible with the image his adoptive parents wanted to uphold. Love had not been enough to protect him, and neither had loyalty.

The years that followed were loud and messy. He clashed with authority figures who expected obedience instead of kindness. Conflicts with the Wen and Jin families followed him from dropping out of college and taking classes at a community university into adulthood, fueled by ideological differences, power struggles, and his refusal to remain silent when something was wrong against the least priviliged. He burned bridges he could not afford to lose, and somehow survived anyway.

At twenty-five, his life was far from stable, but it was his.

He worked as a poorly paid teacher who cared too much and earned too little, the kind of man who stayed late for students who reminded him of himself and often forgot to take care of his own needs. His apartment was small, his finances never enough, and his schedule chaotic.

Still, his life was no longer empty.

Wen Qing hovered in his life like a stern guardian, sharp-eyed and impossible to fool. Wen Ning brought warmth and gentleness, a steady kindness that never asked for repayment. Nie Huaisang drifted in and out, laughing and sharing exhaustion, a friendship built on understanding rather than effort.

Jiang Yanli remained a quiet constant, a thread of sisterly love he refused to let go of. Jiang Cheng was something more complicated. Blood and resentment and history tangled together until neither of them knew how to reach across the distance without hurting each other.

And then there was Lan Wangji.

The second heir of the Lan companies had been Wei Wuxian’s impossible crush since his teenage years. Polished, disciplined, and seemingly untouched by chaos, Lan Wangji should have belonged to a different world other than his. Instead, he loved Wei Wuxian with a patience that felt unreal, accepting every reckless trait on Wei Wuxian without asking him to become someone else.

Wei Wuxian loved him in return, fiercely and without restraint.
That love was the one thing he had never doubted.

Until he got sick for a full week and Wen Qing, acting like the relentless mother hen she was, forced him into a clinic and into tests he had tried very hard to avoid. 
The results had been unexpected and shocking: Wei Wuxian was pregnant.

Wei Wuxian had survived many kinds of pain. But this was different.

He knelt beside the basin on the restroom floor, breathing slowly until the nausea passed down. When it finally eased, it left him weak and hollow, like something inside him had been shaken loose. He rested his forehead against his right hand, eyes closed, one hand slipping to his stomach without conscious thought.

Nothing looked different. His clothes still fit the same. His body showed no obvious change.
That almost made it worse.

Earlier that morning, after another failed attempt at eating and a long moment spent staring at his reflection, he had sent the message he had been delaying until it was almost time for his date with Lan Wangji.
‘Lan Zhan, I do not think I am well. We should cancel today.’

The lie had tasted bitter even as he typed it.

The reply had come quickly.
‘Wei Ying, are you in pain?’

He couldn’t reply back.

Wei Wuxian had laughed softly, breathless and tired, before turning away to be sick again.
He had not told his boyfriend Lan Wangji how food refused to stay down. How certain smells made his stomach twist violently. How his body felt unfamiliar, heavy in ways he could not handle. How fear conquered his mind at the thought of losing him by his pregnancy. 

A soft knock sounded at the door.
Wei Wuxian froze.

No.

It couldn't be him, right?

“Um, hello?” Wei Wuxian was scared by the knock on his front door.

“It’s me,” said Lan Wangji in a calm tone of voice outside of his home.

FUCK. He had definitely not asked Lan Wangji to come and check on him.
What the hell had happened?!?

“Ah! Lan Zhan! Give me just a minute!” said Wei Wuxian, panicking, cleaning everything the best he could. He aggressively brushed his teeth, washed his face, and wore some perfume. He even changed to a new hoodie that was not dirty.

It had been a few minutes, but thankfully, his boyfriend wouldn’t mind since he came unannounced.

“Hello, my dear Lan Zhan!” greeted Wei Wuxian in a soft smile, offering to kiss him on the cheek.
Lan Wangji was surprised by not getting a kiss on the lips, but still accepted the tight hug of his beloved boyfriend. The slightly taller man stepped inside carrying a small wooden box, a bundle of wrapped food, and concern he did not try to hide.

“You should be resting if you are sick,” Lan Wangji said, looking for clues to what exactly Wei Wuxian’s sickness was. He seemed pale and with baggy eyes, although he seemed cheerful.

Wei Wuxian tried to smile, even though that happiness didn’t quite reach his tired eyes. “I was. But you know me, I am not even good at remaining sick for long, haha!”

Lan Wangji denied softly. “You are the smartest and kindest soul I have ever encountered. Don’t speak ill of yourself, Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian blushed and lowered his gaze in remorse. “Aigo! Lan Zhan is complimenting me so early!”

Lan Wangji smiled at the humour of his beloved, and got inside the full room, leaving the food on the kitchen table. “I am sorry for arriving with no previous announcement, but I wanted to see you. And if you allow me to take care of you, Wei Ying.”

Of course. His Lan Zhan was so perfect that he had arrived to take care of him.
He did not scold. He did not question the canceled date.

“You mustn’t have eaten,” he said gently.

“I tried,” Wei Wuxian replied, ashamed of hiding behind lies to the most honest person who trusted him with blind eyes.

“Then, wash your hands, and help me set the food. It can be here, or in your improved bunny burrow,” Lan Wangji looked at the small living room, with his abandoned laptop on the sofa, and the softest blankets and his bedroom pillow, building a soft place to handle his sickness.

“Lan Zhan! I am not as cute as a bunny!” Wei Wuxian blushed at the comparison, but Lan Wangji just nodded.

“You are, and especially today, the way your hair ribbon resembles two rabbit ears,” admitted Lan Wangji, setting the food on the chipped old coffee table, wanting to pamper his boyfriend.

Wei Wuxian gave up at the sight of his boyfriend being kind and patient, setting a date at his home. And he smiled with happiness at how loved he felt.

He had to learn that it was more than enough. Once he cleaned his hands, Wei Wuxian helped to settle everything to share that intimate moment with his beloved Lan Zhan.

Lan Wangji opened the container, releasing the warm scent of ginger and rice. The smell made Wei Wuxian’s stomach flutter, unpleasant but not unbearable. He shifted closer without realizing it, shoulder brushing Lan Wangji’s arm. The simple contact steadied him.

His hand moved again to his stomach, fingers curling lightly.
Lan Wangji noticed. He always noticed each of his movements.

“Is it painful?” Lan Wangji asked quietly.

Wei Wuxian shook his head. “Not pain. Just strange. You know, I might have picked up a bug that is upsetting my tummy, that’s all!”

Lan Wangji nodded as if that answer mattered. He held the bowl patiently, waiting. There was no urgency in him, no demand for explanations.

“I brought ginger soup,” Lan Wangji said. “And medicine. Mild. Safe.”
Safe.
The word settled heavy and tender between them.

Wei Wuxian huffed out a breathy laugh. “You came prepared.”

“I always do if it's related to you,” Lan Wangji replied.

Wei Wuxian looked at him then he really looked. At the worry carefully restrained behind devotion, Lan Wangji never tried to hide from him. His chest ached with it, with the secret pressing gently but insistently beneath his ribs.

“Lan Zhan,” he said softly, voice stripped of humor. “I didn’t cancel because I didn’t want to see you.”

Lan Wangji met his gaze, unwavering. “I know.”

Wei Wuxian swallowed.
His Lan Wangji stayed close, steady, patient; as if he had all the time in the world to hear it. The truth hovered on his tongue, trembling, waiting.

Suddenly, he decided: it was time. He had to stop being a coward, as Wen Qing would call him. He had to tell the truth to Lan Wangji.

Wei Wuxian sighed one more time, long and steady. Then, he rested his free hand fully against his stomach.
“Lan Zhan,” he said softly. “There is something I have not told you.”

Lan Wangji met his gaze, steady and unafraid. “I am listening.”

Wei Wuxian’s grey eyes locked into the golden ones. And he became lost for words. He drowned in fear that he would lose Lan Wangji.
Just like his parents, like Jiang Cheng, uncle Jiang Fengmian, his home in Lotus Pier… he wasn’t destined to find love, not peace.
And now, his future kid would hate him for making his dad abandon them.

Lan Wangji was panicked when he saw Wei Wuxian's tears and terrified face at whatever thought had crossed that smart mind he deeply  loved.

“Wei Ying?” he stood up, scaring Wei Wuxian, and making him escape. He went back to the single bathroom in his house, placing the lock before falling to the floor. “Wei Ying!”

“I-I can’t, Lan Zhan! I am sorry for being such a coward,” apologized Wei Wuxian, bringing his legs to his chest, to have some comfort, yet he was careful not to hurt the baby in his belly.

“What are you talking about? Wei Ying, you won’t lose me. What’s going on?” Lan Wangji panicked that he might have hurt his beloved.

“I, uh-”

“Do you love me?”

Wei Wuxian sniffed. “What? Yes! Of course I do!”

“I love you, too, Wei Ying. Please trust me. If it’s difficult for you to tell me, start from the beginning," sighed Lan Wangji, trying to think of what his brother would say to make it better. He almost lost his Wei Ying once he was rejected by the Jiang family.
Lan Wangji would not risk losing his beloved due to a clear misunderstanding.

“Alright,” Wei Wuxian agreed and took some toilet paper to clean his nose.

Lan Wangji sat in front of the door in a relaxed posture, despite his urgency to break the door, and reached for Wei Wuxian, only to hug him for hours. He couldn’t stand that his boyfriend’s sickness, or secret, was so problematic that he had panicked.

“Do you remember Wen Chao’s reunion two months ago?” asked Wei Wuxian, trying to set the perfect way to confess everything.

“Yes, I do,” admitted Lan Wangji, blinking in confusion if Wen Chao had hurt his beloved. Or, what was the reason to mention Wen Ruohan’s narcissistic younger son?

“Then, I will start from the beginning,” Wei Wuxian took a long breath before he started to explain his story.

It had started as a big party between important families that neither of them wanted to attend. Wen Chao had been the host of such an important reunion, which became a mandatory invitation. He was there, smiling too much and watching too closely. So, when he saw Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian arrive, he managed to distract both boyfriends.

Wen Chao wanted to disgrace Lan Wangji’s reputation in favor of his family’s businesses. So, he had made Lan Wangji drugged without his knowledge, his awareness slipping away long before anyone realized what was wrong.
Wei Wuxian noticed. He always noticed.

What followed was chaos. A confrontation that turned violent. Wen Chao and his group pushed too far, and Wei Wuxian fought back with everything he had. The night ended with them fleeing toward the coast, injured and exhausted, trapped in a cave near the beach with no way out.

Lan Wangji had broken an ankle and drifted in and out of consciousness, feverish and disoriented. Wei Wuxian stayed awake, cleaned his wounds, kept him warm, and held him together when the world felt away from them. There was no taking advantage, no blurred lines crossed in desperation. They could be there for days if they weren't found nor they rescued themselves from that place.In the quiet hours before dawn, fear gave way to honesty. Confessions surfaced naturally, making their relationship stronger than ever. So they became one that night. It was gentle, mutual, and filled with trust rather than urgency.

They were rescued the next morning by their friends, pulled back into daylight's reality.
Even though they had been dating for quite some time, that night had been intimate in more than one way.

Lan Wangji never remembered that night fully. The drug had stolen it from him. Wei Wuxian chose not to bring it up, knowing Lan Wangji’s strict principles and unwilling to burden him with something he could not recall.
Love, Wei Wuxian decided, did not always need every truth spoken immediately.

Still, Wei Wuxian knew how truths waited.
But now, his time was over before his belly would start showing his baby. And Lan Wangji deserved to know that they would have a kid soon. If Lan Wangji decided to stay away, he would understand. But he would keep the baby, that wasn't a choice.

“Wei Ying, that night, did I hurt you?” asked Lan Wangji in such a broken tone of voice that Wei Wuxian was whiplash at how fast he turned his head to deny it.

“No! You were nothing but a gentleman, as you always are,” Wei Wuxian had calmed in his words, and no more tears were shed.

He stood up, looking for a picture in the pocket of his jeans, taking his wallet and kissing it. “Please, look what I am passing you below the door.”

Lan Wangji blinked in anxiousness, thinking that Wei Wuxian should share the medical results. Did his bunny have cancer? Or an immunology sickness?

But then a black and white picture was shown below the door.

Lan Wangji was speechless; he understood immediately what it was. He took the ultrasound picture with care in his hands. “Wei Ying, are you-?

“This is my baby, Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian unlocked the door, connecting his eyes with Lan Wangji’s golden ones. “Our baby. That night, we made love, and we will be parents in a few months.”

Lan Wangji opened his golden eyes, and then his gaze went back to the ultrasound.

“Lan Zhan?” asked Wei Wuxian in a small tone, worried.

Lan Wangji took air in his lungs before closing the distance between them, hugging his boyfriend with warmth. “Thank you, Wei Ying. I might not have many words to say, since this is unexpected. But I want to take care of you, and our bunny.”

Wei Wuxian felt tears in his eyes once again, but this time they were of pure joy. “Are you sure?”

Lan Wangji smirked. “I am scared of being a first-time dad. But, with you as the dad of our baby, he would be smart and so beautiful.”

Wei Wuxian laughed, melting at the words of his boyfriend. “Are you kidding me? If he has your gorgeous eyes and kind nature? I would chase anyone who is not worthy of our baby until he is thirty!”

Lan Wangji took Wei Wuxian’s hands and did not let go.

“We need to see a doctor,” he said. “Together. I need to know everything. Your symptoms. What you crave. What hurts and what does not.”

Wei Wuxian blinked. “Lan Zhan, that sounds very intense.”

“It is necessary,” Lan Wangji replied calmly. “This is our child and your health what we are talking about.”

The words made Wei Wuxian’s breath hitch.

“And,” Lan Wangji continued, unwavering, “we need to marry.”

Wei Wuxian laughed nervously, then hesitated. “Your family might not accept me. They never have and they never will.”

Lan Wangji’s grip tightened, steady and warm. “This is my life. Not theirs.”

Wei Wuxian looked up at him.

“If my family disagrees,” Lan Wangji said, voice firm, “I will leave them. I can find another job. I will plan the wedding since I'll be paying for it. I will take care of you from now on, Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian stared at him for a long second, then laughed, bright and shaky all at once.

“Lan Zhan,” he said softly, leaning in. “You are terrifying.”

He kissed him before Lan Wangji could respond.

Lan Wangji kissed him back without hesitation.

And there it was.
Wei Wuxian thinks that truth feels different when it is finally spoken.

It no longer sat heavy in his chest or curled in his stomach like fear.

It settled. It became something warm and real between them. He had spent so long believing that honesty would cost him love that once the truth was known, it would take his beloved away.

Instead, it gave something back.
Lan Wangji’s hands had always been steady. His love did not waver now that everything was out in the open. Wei Wuxian realized that this is what safety feels like. Not perfection. Not certainty. Just being held without conditions.
He had carried so much alone for so long. 
Now he does not have to, not anymore.

The future was still unknown, even fragile, but it was no longer frightening. Wei Wuxian understood how it was never about hiding the truth, but finding someone who would stay once the truth was known.
And Lan Wangji stayed. He would remain by his side.

Therefore, it was more than enough for a happily ever after for them as a family.

THE END.