Title: kill them with cuteness
Summary: Wei Ying accidentally forgot to change his address before ordering something, now he has to go over to his old place and ask for it back. It's a good thing a-yuan is cute, because they will surely give it to him without fuss if he looked sad enough, right?
Tags: Modern AU, Different First Meeting, Fluff, Very Light Angst, Kid A-yuan, No Courtesy Names
“Okay A-yuan,” Wei Ying says, kneeling down to pat the seven-year old on the shoulder,“–just how we practiced, okay?”
A-yuan nodded, then pulled a sad face, peering up at Wei Ying with wobbly lips and teary eyes.
“Make your eyes just a little wider.” Wei Ying instructed, A-yuan did just that, “Yes! There we go, whoever answers the door will definitely give us what we want!” Wei Ying cheered, A-yuan beamed back at him.
Their moment was interrupted by a soft but noticeable clearing of a throat, Wei Ying jumped up and turned to the person behind him.
Or should he say, the absolute god behind him? This man was gorgeous, his soft sweater did nothing to hide his biceps that weren't even straining as he held a huge bag of hay in one arm and at least five different, reusable!, grocery bags in the other.
His eyes were golden and shone brilliantly in the florescent light of the apartment hallway but he bet they were even prettier in the sun.
When the man spoke, Wei Ying was astonished to find he was still able to stand after hearing that deep baritone.
“May I help you?” He glances briefly at A-yuan, his expression softening a little before focusing an intense stare right back on him.
“Ahah,” Wei Ying scratched his nose, “No, no! That's alright. We were just going to play a little prank on our friend who lives here.” Wei Ying waved him off awkwardly, embarrassed at being caught idling in front of someone's door.
The man raised one elegant eyebrow and simply replied, ”I live here.”
Oh. Oh no. Well this was super embarrassing. Even more so than before.
“Really?” He squeaked out, it took him a second to think through his options as he really didn't want to get the police involved, and settle on straightening his shoulders and saying confidently with a cheeky smile, “Prove it then.”
The man stared at him for long enough that Wei Ying was sure his face was as red as a ripe tomato before he stepped up to the door and held up a keyring, it must have been hidden by the grocery bag. Wei Ying stepped out of his way and watched as he calmly unlocked the door.
“Ah.” Was all Wei Ying could say as the man set his groceries down in the hallway beyond the door before turning back to the man and child standing in front of his apartment.
“May I help you?” The man repeated his previous question, just as firmly as before.
“Uhm, well, you see,” Wei Ying looked away, scratching at his nose again, “I, uh, uhm.”
“Gege sent a box here!” A-yuan chimed in, “He needs it back!”
“A-yuan!” Wei Ying chided before turning back with a sheepish smile, “Okay, yeah. He's right. Uhm, you see, I used to live here and I forgot to change my address on the website I used to order a gift for a very important thing that's happening tomorrow and if I don't get it, I'll probably die! Seriously, my brother threatened to break my legs! And you don't want that on your conscience do you? The death of a poor, but very handsome, smart and charming, man who made a simple mistake that anyone could have made! Do you, gege?”
Wei Ying clasped his hands together and looked at the man with a sad expression.
“Please, pretty-gege?” A-yuan quickly followed his lead and put on the puppy dog face that they had practiced earlier specifically for this moment.
“Ah.” The man gave a nod of his head, “You must be Wei Ying then. I am Lan Zhan.”
Lan Zhan. What a beautiful name for a beautiful man.
“It was on the package. I was going to send it back to the post office tomorrow morning but since you are here to receive it, I will go grab it. One moment.”
“Wait!” Wei Ying stopped him before he could turn into the apartment, “You're just going to believe me like that? No asking to see my id? Or if I know where the package is from?"
Lan Zhan shook his head, “I see no reason to ask for the contents of the package.” He paused a second and then added, “Also, I would not need your id to be able to describe you to the police if needed.”
Wei Ying couldn't help it, he laughed.
“Gege, you're so funny! Please, go get the box, I truly do need it before tomorrow.” Still laughing a little, Wei Ying waved towards the darkness beyond the doorway.
Lan Zhan left to retrieve the mis-addressed mail, grabbing his groceries along the way. Wei Ying watched as he slipped into the room he knew to be the kitchen, leaving a few moments later without any grocery bags, but the hay still tucked under one arm. He then headed further down the hall, out of Wei Ying's eye sight.
He returned a few minutes later, no hay but a medium sized box now in his hands, there was a slight furrow to his brow as he held it out. Near the bottom of the box was a small hole, as if something had nibbled on it.
“I apologize, it seems I did not put it high enough to completely avoid my bunnies while they were out yesterday.”
Oh my God, he had bunnies.
“You have bunnies!?” A-yuan let out an unholy shriek of excitement, “Can I see? Can I see? Please, please, please?” He used his powerful puppy eyes on both of them, “I promise to be gentle! Please Wei-gege, pretty-gege??”
Wei Ying, who had grabbed the box and was about to comment that a little nibble was fine as long as the object inside was intact, jumped and fumbled with the box at the sudden noise. Lan Zhan grabbed it, and by default his hands, to help him stabilize it.
“Ah, thank you.” Wei Ying said flustered, his hands were so smooth yet callused (he wondered what Lan Zhan does for work), then turned to A-yuan, “I'm sorry, Baobei, we only care for the box, we don't want to bother Lan-gege more than necessary, hmm?”
“It is alright.” Lan Zhan said, “They have just gotten up from their nap, I am sure they would love to play, if that is alright with your father.” He added, locking eyes with Wei Ying.
Wei Ying was so captive by that gaze he almost didn't register what Lan Zhan called him.
“What? Oh, no! I'm not his father, more like an honorary uncle! I'm friends with his cousins and I watch him when they are busy with work or school! Since I'm single and work from home, it's a pretty regular thing.”
He hoped he wasn't misinterpreting the way Lan Zhan seemed to relax a little after he said the word single.
A-yuan tugged at his shirt, “Auntie said that I have to tell people gege is in denial whenever you say that.”
Wei Ying nearly dropped the box again, “What? When did she say that!?”
“When she came back from that party with her friends at the hospital.” A-yuan told him.
Ah, he meant the party that was hosted by the hospital she worked at a few days ago, she had gotten pretty drunk. It took both Wei Ying and Wen Ning to get her into bed. Obviously she ran into A-yuan while Wei Ying wasn't looking.
“She said you just needed to work out your family issues.” He adds innocently, looking slightly confused, “Is there something wrong with our family, gege?”
“Ok! Who wants to see some bunnies!? Huh, A-yuan, let's go follow Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying pushed them all through the door, so not ready for that conversation right now.
Lan Zhan merely shot him a look before easily guiding them through the apartment to the guest bedroom door after they took off their shoes in the front hallway.
“They are beyond this door, remember to keep your voice low and stay calm, bunnies are very sensitive creatures.”
A-yuan nodded seriously, “I have tons of books on them! I wanted one as a pet for forever but auntie always said we didn't have enough time or space for them.”
Wei Ying set a hand on his little shoulder, “One day, Baobei. Let's go see Lan Zhan’s bunnies for now.”
A-yuan nearly ran into the room immediately but he managed to collect himself at the last moment, walking quietly and slowly into the room as if he was in a spy movie. It was absolutely adorable to see his eyes brighten and hear the little gasp he let out as soon as he locked his gaze on the two buns lounging near a massive white bunny hutch.
It took up nearly the whole room, separated from the door with a little indoor picket fence with its own tiny gate entrance.
There was a clear space between the hutch and the fence where toys lay spread out, there were a few blankets and pillows off to the side and a couple of water bottles strung around the area so the buns never got thirsty.
It was both over the top and clearly well thought out. Lan Zhan obviously loved his bunnies and went all out for them.
Wei Ying smiled as he watched Lan Zhan teach A-yuan how to pet and hold the bunnies, unconsciously pulling out his phone to take photos, he only stopped when Lan Zhan glanced his way a few minutes later.
“Ah, sorry. It was too cute.”
Lan Zhan watched carefully as A-yuan grabbed a toy and started to play with the bunnies, Wei Ying stepped over the fence to sit next to him.
“What are their names?” He asked, softly.
Was it just Wei Ying or did Lan Zhan’s ear redden up a little?
Steamed bun and thousand-year egg?
“That is so cute.” Wei Ying informed him, “I'm guessing Pídàn is the black one jumping around with A-yuan?” He said, the white one was laying calmly in a little hammock, watching the two run around.
“Mn.” Lan Zhan's face was soft, “He is very excitable. Bǎo is more calm.”
“Last year. They were rescued from a breeder as babies. They were the only two left, I did not want to seperate them.”
“Aw. You are so sweet, Lan Zhan.”
Okay, Lan Zhan definitely blushes through his ears. That is so cute. Wei Ying wanted to know more about this man but he wasn't sure how. Could you just ask someone you met five minutes ago for his number?
“Uhm,” He caught Lan Zhan's gaze again, “I really am thankful you hadn't thrown the box out or sent it back already.”
“I know! It's just,” Wei Ying turned back to watch Pídàn jump onto Bǎo on the hammock, it swung a little before slowing to a stop, A-yuan sat down next to them and started petting them, speaking quietly with a little smile on his face, “–It’s a gift for my sister. I haven't seen her in almost two years.” he found himself revealing.
Lan Zhan focused on him completely and Wei Ying felt a surge of warmth settling in his bones, he continued on, knowing Lan Zhan was listening.
“I was adopted, you see, but I didn't get along very well with my adoptive mother. She never wanted to adopt me. Her husband was friends with my parents. When he heard about what happened, he took me in without letting her know.” Wei Ying breathed in, “She believes uncle was in love with my mother and that's why he took me in. Nothing anyone says, even uncle can change her mind. She all but kicked me out a few years back.”
“That is unkind of her.” Lan Zhan said, expression gentle, a hint of anger at the blatant disrespect in his gaze.
“Yeah. Well, long story short, I missed my sister's wedding and the birth of her son because I didn't want to cause any problems with her mom. But she invited me to his first birthday and insisted I had to come or she'll drag me there herself. She said,” Wei Ying paused, still in slight disbelief of the information, “She said she banned her mother from the party. That if she couldn't get over her grudge on a dead woman or stop blaming a literal child, then she has no place in her grandson's life. Her words, not mine.”
Wei Ying huffed a laugh, “I can just imagine Madam Yu’s expression! She must have been furious. Even Jiang Cheng, my brother, threatened her not to bother me! Jiang Cheng! He adores his mother! I don't–” Wei Ying choked, and was mortified to find he was crying, “I don't know how to react. Wen Qing says they were finally being the siblings they should have been. But I don't blame them for never going against their mother.”
“They love you.” Lan Zhan said, “I am glad Wei Ying gets to see his nephew.”
“Yeah,” Wei Ying wiped at his eyes, “Me too “
“Wei-gege okay?” A-yuan asked worriedly as he looked over, fingers frozen in soft fur.
“Yeah, Gege is okay! Just overwhelmed by how cute you look next to the buns!” Wei Ying covered, taking a few more photos, “We should probably be leaving soon though, Wen Ning has a doctor's appointment at 3 and we need to stop by the store as well on the way home.”
A-yuan nodded, obviously sad at leaving so soon but being the great kid he is, started saying his goodbyes to the bunnies. Lan Zhan said nothing as he walked them to the door, only when they were getting their shoes back on did he call for Wei Ying’s attention again.
“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, holding his phone out, “Please send me the pictures you took. And call whenever you want. I enjoyed our conversation.”
Wei Ying smiled widely as he took the phone and added his number, sending himself a bunny emoji to save the number, added his name in the contact info.
“Yeah, I did too. Talk to you later, Lan Zhan.”
“Mn. See you later, Wei Ying, A-yuan.”
