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bloody-bee-tea · 4 years

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A second chance

ScarletRuby19 over on Twitter commissioned me for a Chengxuan fic where JZX survives and comes to Lotus Pier where JC and JZX bond, first over JL and then JYL, before they fall in love. Cue some angst and doubt, over whether they are allowed this happiness before they decide that, yes. JYL would want them to be happy. Plus a little bonus at the end where WWX finds out and Madam Jin doting on JC. I hope you like it! It’s a little over 5k, so you can also read it here on AO3.

Jiang Cheng is standing in the ruins of his home and he doesn’t know where he should even start. Just yesterday he added a plate for his sister, setting it up next to their parents and just the thought makes Jiang Cheng want to curl up and die. Or maybe just sleep for a very, very long time.

Let someone else shoulder the responsibility for once.

But he doesn’t even get that, because a disciple comes running up to him. It’s always bad news when people run up to him.

“What?” Jiang Cheng snaps out before the disciple even comes to a stop, and when he does, he has to bend over to catch his breath first.

“Sect Leader, Jin Zixuan is here.”

Jiang Cheng blinks, once, twice and then a third time for good measure.

“He is what?” he finally gets out and the disciple points back to where he came from.

“He just landed, a baby strapped to his chest.”

Jin Ling, Jiang Cheng thinks, and it’s that thought that finally gets him to move.

He runs off, the disciple close behind him, and Jiang Cheng comes to a stop when his eyes fall on Jin Zixuan, like his disciple said, chalk white in his face, sweat on his brow, swaying on his feet and a baby strapped to his chest.

“You’re not dead,” is the first thing Jiang Cheng says to him and he’s met with a grimace at that.

“Wishing I were right about now,” Jin Zixuan gives back, panting heavily and when his knees give out on him, Jiang Cheng is there to catch him.

“I don’t understand,” Jiang Cheng admits, one hand under Jin Zixuan’s shoulder to support him, and one hand on Jin Ling’s head.

“Wen Ning killed you,” Jiang Cheng says once he safely guided Jin Zixuan to sit down right where he stood and Jin Zixuan lets out a snort that turns into a pained grunt.

“Wishing he did right about now,” Jin Zixuan says again with a grimace and then he sighs when Jin Ling starts to squirm in the harness. “Help me with this,” Jin Zixuan pants out, getting started on undoing the straps that hold Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng is quick to assist him.

He doesn’t mention how much Jin Zixuan’s hands shake.

What he does mention is the steadily growing patch of blood on his robe.

“What the fuck,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and then turns towards his disciple. “Get Jiang Sushan, right now.”

The disciple runs off without comment and Jiang Cheng turns back around to Jin Zixuan, just in time to have Jin Ling deposited in his arms.

“What is going on?” Jiang Cheng whispers and Jin Zixuan presses his lips together.

“I survived, if only barely. And I can’t stay at Koi Tower. I think—I think Jin Guangyao and Jin Zixun were working together. I can’t—I don’t trust him. I can’t stay there. Jin Ling shouldn’t be around him,” he pants out and Jiang Cheng looks down at the tiny baby in his arms. “My mother sent me away.”

“Why come here?” Jiang Cheng dumbly asks, but it’s all a bit too much right now.

“You’re her brother,” Jin Zixuan presses out. “You’re his uncle. Where else would I go?”

His answer takes Jiang Cheng aback, because it sounds like Jin Zixuan didn’t even consider going anywhere else, and it makes a ball of dread settle in Jiang Cheng’s stomach.

“I have nothing to offer you. Look around,” he says and points at the still slightly smoking ruins of Lotus Pier. “I have no resources, no stable home, nothing. Why come here?”

Jin Zixuan levels him with a look Jiang Cheng didn’t know he could make and repeats “You’re her sister, you’re his uncle. Where else would I go?”

Jiang Cheng opens his mouth to argue, but before he can find the words, Jin Ling lets out a discontented noise and Jiang Cheng’s attention is immediately redirected.

“I don’t know what to do,” Jin Zixuan whispers and he sounds as honest as Jiang Cheng has ever heard him. “She’s gone and I don’t know what to do.”

Jiang Cheng’s head snaps back up, just in time to watch Jin Zixuan slump back, his injury and the exhaustion clearly getting the better of him, but before Jiang Cheng has time to panic, he catches sight of Jiang Sushan rushing up to them.

“I don’t know, either,” Jiang Cheng whispers and then he makes place for the healer, Jin Ling cradled protectively to his chest.

He doesn’t have a goddamn clue what to do either.

~*~*~

Jiang Sushan forbids Jin Zixuan from standing up until the hole in his stomach has healed. The hole in his stomach. Jiang Cheng feels sick just thinking about it, and he tries very hard not to imagine how it happened.

But with Jin Zixuan forced into bedrest, Jiang Cheng spends more time in the infirmary than he ever cared to do before. But Jin Zixuan wants to see his son, and Jiang Cheng can barely stand the thought of giving the tiny baby out of his hands.

So it’s him who brings Jin Ling to Jin Zixuan on a daily basis.

“If you could just heal up already,” Jiang Cheng grumbles sometimes during the third week, because he has a home to rebuild and a Sect to establish and disciples to train, but instead he’s sitting at his late sister’s husband’s bedside, holding a baby on his knees so Jin Zixuan can reach out and let Jin Ling grab his finger. “I have better things to do than be here every goddamn day.”

“Then just leave,” Jin Zixuan snaps back, clearly as unhappy with his bedrest as Jiang Cheng is.

Plus, neither of them counted on seeing each other every goddamn day when Jin Zixuan married Jiang Yanli and for all that Jiang Yanli clearly loved him, Jiang Cheng still holds a grudge.

Jin Zixuan was an ass to his sister and he’s not sure he’ll ever forgive that.

“Fine,” Jiang Cheng presses out and makes to stand up, absolutely intending to take Jin Ling with him, but Jin Zixuan fists his hand in Jiang Cheng’s robe.

“You’ll leave him here,” he says, eyes narrowed and Jiang Cheng fights the urge to bare his teeth at him.

“Absolutely not. You’re not even allowed to hold him yet,” he gives back and he can see the fury flash over Jin Zixuan’s face.

“And whose fault is that?” he demands to know and if he’s being honest, Jiang Cheng has been itching for this fight ever since Jin Zixuan landed in Lotus Pier.

“Why don’t you tell me,” he says, voice scathing and Jin Zixuan doesn’t even hesitate for a second.

“Your fucking brother did this to me,” he hisses and now Jiang Cheng gives him a smile so sharp Jin Zixuan rears back.

“From what you told me it was your brother who did this, so if I were you, I wouldn’t go around throwing stones,” he gives back without missing a beat and Jin Zixuan goes red in the face. “Now if you would excuse me, I have to take care of your kid, because clearly you’re unable to.”

It’s a low blow, and Jiang Cheng knows it, but he can’t stop himself.

“I wasn’t supposed to do this alone,” Jin Zixuan says, and his voice sounds more watery than Jiang Cheng knows how to deal with. “Yanli was supposed to be here, too.”

“Yeah, well, she’s not, is she,” Jiang Cheng says, and even just the reminder that his sister is dead cuts him open all over again.

A very vindictive part of Jiang Cheng hopes that Jin Zixuan feels the same pain Jiang Cheng does.

“And whose fault is that?” Jin Zixuan yells suddenly at him, startling Jin Ling into crying, but neither of them care right now.

“Certainly not mine,” Jiang Cheng shoots back but Jin Zixuan doesn’t back down.

“No. It was just your brother who killed my wife. Who killed his mother,” Jin Zixuan says with a pointed look at Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng boils with rage.

“She was my sister, too,” he shouts, Jin Ling full on wailing in his arms now, and it’s only the arrival of Jiang Sushan who defuses the situation.

“What the hell,” she says and marches up to Jiang Cheng, to take Jin Ling out of his hands. “I allowed you to bring him because I thought it would help his recovery,” she snaps and rocks Jin Ling in her arms.

“Since clearly you’re both too stupid to appreciate my gift, I’ll have to ask you to leave now, Sect Leader Jiang.”

Jiang Cheng turns burning eyes on her, but Jiang Sushan is not one to back down and Jiang Cheng knows it.

“Can I—,” Jin Zixuan asks, arm outstretched for his son but Jiang Sushan gives him the same judgemental look she gave Jiang Cheng.

“Absolutely not,” she declares and then simply storms off, Jin Ling still in her arms.

Jiang Cheng’s fingers itch without Jin Ling’s by now so familiar weight and Jin Zixuan looks like he has half a mind running after her.

But thanks to the interruption all the rage left Jiang Cheng and so he scrubs a tired hand over his face.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. If you leave that bed, she’ll find a reason to send Jin Ling to Meishan or something,” Jiang Cheng whispers without looking at Jin Zixuan who freezes in his movement.

“She wouldn’t,” he gives back but he doesn’t sound as certain as he surely would like to be.

“She would,” Jiang Cheng corrects him and then straightens up. “Just stay in this goddamn bed and heal, would you? I’m tired of doing this alone,” he tells Jin Zixuan, his eyes still carefully avoided, but he still notices the jerky nod from the other man.

It’s only then that Jiang Cheng leaves the infirmary.

~*~*~

It takes Jin Zixuan another two weeks to heal enough for Jiang Sushan to allow him out of bed. He’s still not allowed to hold Jin Ling without help, but at least he can watch him. It doesn’t give Jiang Cheng enough time to deal with his Sect’s business, but it’s better than nothing.

“I can help, you know,” Jin Zixuan says one afternoon as he watches Jin Ling and he startles Jiang Cheng enough that he messes up his letter.

“Fuck,” Jiang Cheng curses, prompting Jin Ling to let out an unhappy noise and when Jin Zixuan shoots him an accusing glare, Jiang Cheng glares right back.

“He’s too young to pick up on this,” Jiang Cheng says as he checks if there’s a way to save the letter.

There is not. He’ll have to start over.

“One day he won’t be,” Jin Zixuan reasons and he reaches out as if he wants to pick Jin Ling up.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Jiang Cheng hisses under his breath and intercepts his movement, taking Jin Ling into his own arms.

“Jiang Wanyin!” Jin Zixuan snaps and Jiang Cheng glares at him over the top of Jin Ling’s very soft baby hair.

“If you pick him up, you’ll rip something and then we’re back at square one, so don’t even think about it.”

“He is my son,” Jin Zixuan presses out and Jiang Cheng shrugs.

“Then maybe hurry up with the healing, so you can hold him, too. It certainly would be a great help,” Jiang Cheng snarks and then clicks his tongue when his eyes fall on the ruined letter.

“I can help,” Jin Zixuan says again, following Jiang Cheng’s gaze and Jiang Cheng bristles.

“I am perfectly capable of writing my own letters, thank you very much.”

“You’re so—,” Jin Zixuan says and then clearly can’t find the right words because he closes his mouth with a click. “Fine. Put him back down again, so you can finish your damn letter.”

“Ah, language,” Jiang Cheng reminds him, rather smug, and he almost has to smile when Jin Zixuan shoots him a glare.

Almost.

~*~*~

When Jin Ling starts running around, Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan have long fallen into a routine. Jin Zixuan was right when he said he could help—he was trained as an heir, too, after all—and Jiang Cheng is loathe to admit that it removes a great weight from his shoulders to pass the less important matters off to Jin Zixuan.

They don’t talk a lot, even after all this time, since too many topics are off limits. They don’t talk about Wei Wuxian or Jin Guangyao at all, and mentions of Jiang Yanli still make both of them bitter and snappish, even though they are getting better at it.

It’s still safest to talk about Jin Ling, so they mostly spend their time doing that.

Even though Jiang Cheng finds himself wishing they could talk about Jiang Yanli more often.

Jin Zixuan is one of the last living people who held his sister dear, and Jiang Cheng itches with the need to find out what details Jin Zixuan remembers about her.

Jiang Cheng is afraid he’s forgetting too much lately, everything getting buried under work and more work.

“My sister told me I would hate this,” Jiang Cheng says apropos of nothing one day, when Jin Zixuan’s gaze follows Jin Ling down the pier.

They have secured this particular pier—erected a barrier so that Jin Ling couldn’t fall into the water even if they looked away for a second—and so Jin Zixuan doesn’t hesitate to snap his head around to him.

“What?” he asks, voice breathless and Jiang Cheng already regrets opening his mouth.

But the thought that maybe his memory of Jiang Yanli would be matched with one from Jin Zixuan gets him to talk again.

“She always said I’m a doer,” Jiang Cheng says, and keeps his eyes on the pile of letters on the table. “That I was meant to train the disciples and lead them on night-hunts. That I wasn’t made for the bureaucracy of leading a Sect.”

“She was right,” Jin Zixuan says with a scoff, though it’s not as sharp as it could be. “You’re doing a piss-poor job at this.”

“Language,” Jiang Cheng mildly reminds Jin Zixuan and he has to press his lips together when the predictable offended huff comes.

It was quite the surprise to realize that Jin Zixuan cursed almost as much as Jiang Cheng did, and by now Jin Ling starts to babble. One of them will slip up sooner or later, and Jiang Cheng is determined to have it be Jin Zixuan.

He thinks it would greatly amuse him, to see Jin Zixuan flush in outrage and embarrassment.

“You think you could do it better?” Jiang Cheng challenges him and Jin Zixuan sighs.

“I don’t—I don’t know,” he finally admits and Jiang Cheng’s gaze snaps towards him.

He didn’t expect Jin Zixuan to admit that he doesn’t know, that he isn’t sure of his capabilities.

“My father—he never let me do much. Shoved the minor matters off to me, but that was before Jin Guangyao came to Koi Tower. Afterwards, not so much. I guess between the two of us, you’re the only one with real experience.”

“Oh,” Jiang Cheng says, because sometimes he forgets that it wasn’t only his family that was fucked up.

“Oh,” Jin Ling parrots after Jiang Cheng and it’s enough warning for Jin Zixuan to brace for the impact of the toddler.

“You just make sure to repeat the harmless stuff,” Jin Zixuan tells his son as he hoists him into his lap, where Jin Ling settles quite contently.

An ugly spike of jealousy goes through Jiang Cheng, but he shoves it aside. Jin Ling is Jin Zixuan’s son. He’s just the uncle. Of course Jin Ling would be more comfortable with Jin Zixuan.

But then Jin Ling makes grabby hands at Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan shuffles closer with a roll of his eyes.

“I do not understand the fascination with your bell,” Jin Zixuan grumbles under his breath but he watches fondly as Jin Ling excitedly grabs for it.

“I do not understand the fascination with you,” Jiang Cheng shoots back, his eyes already back on his letter, but he still hears the outraged noise Jin Zixuan makes.

Instead of retaliating, like Jiang Cheng expected, Jin Zixuan falls silent and it’s a long time before he speaks again.

“Yanli always said that we needed to find a capable and trustworthy right hand for Jin Ling,” he finally whispers and Jiang Cheng stiffens. “I think she was preparing for the possibility that Jin Ling would turn out like you, too,” Jin Zixuan goes on, and normally Jiang Cheng would be offended at his choice of words, but Jin Zixuan’s voice is soft and Jiang Yanli never thought anything wrong with Jiang Cheng.

“I see,” Jiang Cheng whispers and then busies himself with the letter again.

He doesn’t move away when Jin Zixuan’s knee brushes his.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng is contemplating drowning himself in the waters of Lotus Pier when Jin Ling runs up to him.

“Baba!” he yells excitedly and Jiang Cheng’s heart stumbles with that by now so familiar and dreaded mix of emotions.

They have tried to tell Jin Ling that he should address Jiang Cheng as ‘jiujiu’ and not ‘baba’ but it never seems to stick with Jin Ling and at least Jin Zixuan seems to have given up on it.

Jiang Cheng refuses to acknowledge how that makes him feel, but sometimes, it’s all he can do, drowning in how much he might want this.

It’s not right, and Jiang Cheng knows it.

“A-Ling,” he greets Jin Ling when he crashes into his legs and peers up at him, excitement shining out of his eyes. “What is it?”

“A-die said I could start training with the sword soon!” Jin Ling’s voice is still too loud, too excited, but Jiang Cheng smiles down at him.

“Oh, did he?” he asks, even though he already knows it.

For all that Jin Zixuan is Jin Ling’s father, they have fallen into the habit of making decisions together. It’s a dangerous territory, like Jiang Cheng’s heart likes to remind him.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Jin Ling babbles, and Jiang Cheng knows Jin Ling is getting too big for this now, but he still bows down to pick him up and settle him at his hip.

“But I’m not allowed to use Suihua yet,” Jin Ling then adds with a sad little tilt of his mouth and rests his head on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder. “A-die says I’m still too small for that.”

“And he’s right,” Jiang Cheng says and flicks Jin Ling’s nose. “Plus Suihua is too sharp for practice. You don’t want to cut yourself, do you?”

“No, baba,” Jin Ling agrees immediately, because for all that he tries to play tough—even at his tender age of five—Jin Ling cries easily.

Not to mention that neither Jin Zixuan nor Jiang Cheng like to see him hurt.

Jiang Cheng turns away from the water, thoughts of drowning himself and his stupid feelings forgotten, and when his eyes fall on Jin Zixuan he turns his head slightly away from Jin Ling on instinct.

It’s also a good reason not to focus on how his heart skips a beat.

“A-die!” Jin Ling predictably yells and throws himself out of Jiang Cheng’s arms, straight into Jin Zixuan’s, secure in the knowledge that neither will let him fall.

Jiang Cheng maintains his grip on Jin Ling until he’s sure that Jin Zixuan has him, but he sharply turns his head away when Jin Zixuan’s hands linger on his own longer than is strictly necessary.

Jiang Cheng’s mouth gives an unhappy twist when he reminds himself yet again that Jin Zixuan is his dead sister’s husband, but it does nothing to calm these feelings inside of him.

“Did you tell your baba already?” Jin Zixuan asks Jin Ling, but his eyes don’t leave Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng has to turn around when the look becomes too much.

“I did,” Jin Ling nods. “He says Suihua is too sharp for me, so I won’t use it yet,” he then tacks on and Jin Zixuan chuckles.

“Didn’t I tell you the same? Why do you only listen when it’s your baba saying that?” Jin Zixuan wants to know and Jiang Cheng can’t take it anymore.

“Zixuan!” he snaps and he only remembers himself when Jin Ling stares at him with watery eyes.

“A-Ling, why don’t you go to your room, I found you a training sword,” Jin Zixuan says as he puts Jin Ling down and Jin Ling runs off just as excitedly as he ran up to Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng’s outburst clearly already forgotten.

Jiang Cheng stares after him, not out of worry because he knows Jin Ling is safe in Lotus Pier, but to avoid Jin Zixuan’s look.

He can feel his eyes on him and Jiang Cheng doesn’t know if he’s strong enough to take it.

“Why are you still objecting to being called baba?” Jin Zixuan wants to know as he steps up to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng tenses.

“I’m his jiujiu,” he gives back, even though there’s a sharp pain in his chest at the possibility of being addressed as such from Jin Ling.

“No, you’re not,” Jin Zixuan softly says and then turns Jiang Cheng around with a firm hand to his shoulder.

Jiang Cheng can’t meet his eyes, but when his gaze falls to Jin Zixuan’s lips instead he jerks his head away from that sight too.

He’s still trying to forget that night, the one where they both got drunk, the night where Jiang Cheng allowed Jin Zixuan to lean in and kiss him, and it’s so much harder than it should be. But Jin Zixuan isn’t his to touch or to kiss and Jiang Cheng hates himself a little bit for the fact that he wasn’t strong enough to push him away.

That he kissed him back instead.

“Wanyin,” Jin Zixuan whispers, and Jiang Cheng jerks with the familiarity in that name.

“Don’t,” he presses out and tries to take a step away from Jin Zixuan, but he follows him.

“Tell me why,” Jin Zixuan says, matching Jiang Cheng step for step, relentless in his movements, until Jiang Cheng is pressed against the railing of the pier.

“You’re my sister’s husband,” Jiang Cheng bites out, the words so ingrained in him already, because he has to remind himself of that several times a day.

“I’m a widower,” Jin Zixuan says, and he sounds exactly as pained by that as he should, before he shakes his head. “And the mourning period is over.”

“That doesn’t change anything,” Jiang Cheng gives back and startles when Jin Zixuan puts his hand on his arm.

Not really holding onto him, but seeking contact nonetheless and Jiang Cheng is helpless against it. He sways into the contact, a move Jin Zixuan clearly notices because a small smile grazes his lips.

Jiang Cheng itches to kiss it off.

“Doesn’t it?” Jin Zixuan asks and Jiang Cheng raises his head as he pushes his shoulders back.

“No,” he bites out but Jin Zixuan doesn’t let go of him.

“Do you really think Yanli would begrudge us this? Do you really think she wouldn’t want us to be happy?” he asks and Jiang Cheng jerks with his words.

“Who says you make me happy?” he shoots back and his stomach falls when pain flashes over Jin Zixuan’s face.

He hesitates for a moment, but when Jiang Cheng doesn’t move or say anything else, he slowly pulls back.

And Jiang Cheng, he can’t let that happen.

His hands shoot up on instinct, fisting in Jin Zixuan’s robes, which are more purple than gold at this point, and he stops Jin Zixuan in his movement.

Jiang Cheng can’t quite meet Jin Zixuan’s eyes, but he has wondered the same lately. If Jiang Yanli would really be mad at them for finding happiness again. For finding happiness with each other.

Jiang Cheng can’t be sure, but he likes to think that she would want this for them. That she would be happy. And if Jin Zixuan thinks the same—

Before Jiang Cheng can overthink this, he leans forward, pressing his lips to Jin Zixuan’s, who meets him without hesitation.

Jiang Cheng was drunk the last—only—time they did this, but he isn’t now. Now, he gets to enjoy this.

“You make me very happy, Wanyin,” Jin Zixuan mumbles against his lips when they finally part, and Jiang Cheng wonders when Jin Zixuan turned into the more brave, into the more suave of the two of them, but then he tilts his head again and all thoughts flee his head.

Jin Zixuan makes him very happy, too.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng hasn’t even entered their rooms completely yet when Jin Zixuan slams a letter down on the table.

“My father died,” Jin Zixuan announces and the good mood leaves Jiang Cheng just as quickly as his stomach drops to the floor.

They didn’t even get two years, is all Jiang Cheng can think, as he sinks to the floor opposite of Jin Zixuan.

“I see,” Jiang Cheng whispers, and pushes the letter away from him.

He can guess what it says. Jin Zixuan is the heir after all.

He will leave, and he will take Jin Ling with him, and he might as well reach into Jiang Cheng’s chest and take his heart, too. It’s not like there will be much left of it, after all.

“You don’t,” Jin Zixuan says with a little shake of his head, and then leans over the table to drag Jiang Cheng into a biting kiss.

Jiang Cheng imagines this is what goodbye tastes like and he has to blink furiously so that the tears won’t cloud his gaze.

“I’m not going back,” Jin Zixuan says when they finally part and Jiang Cheng’s breath hitches at that, his hands coming up to frame Jin Zixuan’s face.

“Do not lie to me, only to leave in the end,” he demands, but Jin Zixuan shakes his head and then presses a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s palm for good measure too.

“I’m not,” he reassures him. “Did you forget that my mother likes you? Maybe even more than I do,” Jin Zixuan teases him, and it’s familiar enough to bring a small smile to Jiang Cheng’s face. “She’s going to be acting Sect Leader,” Jin Zixuan tells him as he leans close again to brush his nose against Jiang Cheng’s cheek. “And she wants us to marry.”

Jiang Cheng freezes in surprise at those words.

“She what?” he dumbly asks, because this is something Jiang Cheng never allowed himself to think of, to hope for.

Jin Zixuan wore red once already, and surely Jiang Cheng couldn’t get so lucky as to see him in it again.

“The date is set,” Jin Zixuan says with a shrug. “She doesn’t give us much choice. Really, it was more a statement of facts than her voicing a wish. You know she adores you, I wonder how you can still have doubts about that.”

“Zixuan,” Jiang Cheng says, because he doesn’t appreciate it if Jin Zixuan is just joking around right now.

“If you would have read the letter you knew,” Jin Zixuan says, his amusement clear in his voice and Jiang Cheng can’t help himself, he simply has to lean in and capture Jin Zixuan’s lips again.

His fiance’s lips, if Jin Zixuan is speaking the truth.

“Jin Ling is going to love this,” Jiang Cheng says when they part and Jin Zixuan makes an unhappy face at him.

“I would prefer it if you loved it,” he pouts and Jiang Cheng gives him a brilliant smile.

“Isn’t it enough that I love you?” he asks and when Jin Zixuan splutters like he always does when Jiang Cheng so freely expresses his affection, Jiang Cheng knows that they will be alright.

More than that even.

~*~*~

Wei Wuxian has to admit that he kind of enjoys showing the little brat just what his talismans can do. It’s fun to see him on the floor and struggling to get free.

“You just wait until my a-die and baba show up,” the brat says, once he exhausted himself and Wei Wuxian frowns at that.

“Your a-die and baba?” he parrots but before the brat can answer him, there’s a rustling in the underbrush next to them and Wei Wuxian takes a cautious step back.

“Jin Ling,” a new voice says and Wei Wuxian watches as the sour face on the brat’s face is overtaken with a smile.

Wait a minute, Jin Ling? Jin Rulan? Could it really be, Wei Wuxian wonders, but then Jin Zixuan is already stepping forwards and it’s really him.

Even though Wei Wuxian has to do a double take when he sees him dressed in all purple.

“Jin Zixuan?” Wei Wuxian blurts out, and then—because he can’t help himself—he adds, “Didn’t Wen Ning kill you?”

As soon as the words leave his mouth he slaps a hand over his mouth, but it’s already too late and the damage is done, Wei Wuxian can see that in the narrowing of Jin Zixuan’s eyes.

“Wei Wuxian?” he asks, suspicion clear in his voice and Wei Wuxian winces.

To think that he would blow his cover this soon.

“Haha, in the flesh,” he says with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head, and he totally doesn’t squirm under Jin Zixuan’s searching gaze.

“Not quite in the flesh, huh,” Jin Zixuan mumbles and then destroys the talisman on Jin Ling’s back. “You know, I didn’t appreciate it when your Ghost General put a hole through my stomach,” Jin Zixuan then says conversationally and before Wei Wuxian can say anything to that, purple lightning fills the forest.

Wei Wuxian shivers, phantom pains already running down his back, and he takes a step back.

“You know, I didn’t appreciate it either when your Ghost General put a hole through my husband’s stomach,” a new voice says and when Jiang Cheng steps up next to Jin Zixuan Wei Wuxian’s mind goes blank.

He blinks in confusion several times, but the picture still doesn’t make any more sense than before.

“I think you broke him,” Jin Zixuan whispers to Jiang Cheng who gives Jin Zixuan a sweet smile—and that is something Wei Wuxian can’t even begin to process—and then he holds his hand out for Jin Ling.

“A-Ling, come here,” Jiang Cheng says and Jin Ling is up and next to Jiang Cheng in an instant.

“A-die and baba?” Wei Wuxian whispers, his mind still reeling with the new revelations, and he’s almost relieved when someone else interrupts the scene.

“Zixuan, are you angering my A-Cheng again?” a woman’s voice suddenly calls out and Wei Wuxian can do nothing but stare in helpless confusion as Jin Zixuan groans while Jin Ling snickers.

“A-niang, seriously, you could think Wanyin is your son,” Jin Zixuan complaints just as Madam Jin comes to a halt next to them.

“Thankfully he is now,” Madam Jin gives back with a smile as she pats Jiang Cheng’s cheek, and Wei Wuxian has to watch as his brother just lets it happen.

Without blushing even, which means this must be a regular occurrence.

“It’s not him who made me angry,” Jiang Cheng reassures her and Madam Jin’s eyes fall on Wei Wuxian.

“Oh?” she says and Wei Wuxian falls into a sloppy bow.

“Madam Jin,” he greets her only to startle when Zidian crackles again.

“That’s Sect Leader Jin to you,” Jiang Cheng snaps, just as Jin Ling chuckles.

“What. The fuck,” Wei Wuxian whispers and when three voices snap “Language” at him, he wonders just what the hell he stumbled into this time.

{Buy me a kofi}

#bt writes #the untamed #mdzs #commission #chengxuan #canon divergence #jyl dies like she does in canon #but jc and jzx find happiness again #hurt/comfort #fluff #angst

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