@dreams-of-fate: The young boy climbed into his jiujiu's lap, head burying into his chest as he clutched one of his toys. Comfortable, he snuggled in further until he was particularly stuffed into his armpit.
it's difficult for jiang wanyin to find a moment of peace as yunmeng jiang's sect leader- every so often he would find his hand leaving imprints on his forehead with the way it'd be pressed there, he would find the space between his brows wrinkled and creased from irritation or even exhaustion. these were times where jiang wanyin would allow his mind to drift and where he would reminisce about the past, about when times were easier and he would be training, where he'd be sitting beside his father just listening to stories of here and there.
today is one of those days, his chest pinching with emotions he had once locked away; the brush falls from his hand, the sleeve of his robe falling down, and he slumps over the table instead of sitting up straight. jiang wanyin is unfathomably tired. jin rulan has been staying at the lotus pier for quite some time now, spending time with the disciples and skirting around the edges of the pier to sit by the water with jiang wanyin himself. however, this doesn't make it any less tiresome on the sect leader's soul; along with the load of letters to sort through, meetings to attend, and general sect leader duties to attend to ... jiang wanyin finds even sitting in the ponds with jin rulan tiresome. his fingers curl into a fist on his knee at the thought- it should not be like that, jin rulan is his cherished nephew and he loves the child dearly.
chased away from his thoughts on work and jin rulan, jiang wanyin did not even realize the presence that had climbed into his lap with a toy clutched in tiny fists. it's only until he feels a shove up against his armpit that he snaps his head downwards in muted surprise, wide eyes peering at the crown of the child's head before they soften. he feels himself melt positively so with jin rulan snuggling himself up to his body, feels all his troubles and exhaustion melt away just because of his nephew. his heart swells with fondness for the boy, a gentle hand smoothing over the back of his lavender robes to ease him into a deeper state of sleep. he stares at jin rulan for a moment longer, his nose and eyes burning with a silent plea to cry; the boy will never feel and understand the warmth of his mother nor will he have the chance to learn his father's prowess.
it is up to jiang wanyin, it is up to him.
so he holds jin rulan close to his chest with both arms now, attempting to shift the boy just so he's able to breathe, aligning his head so the cheek rests on jiang wanyin's shoulder; then he sits a little away from his table, reclining onto the floor and holding the child even closer to him. for a while, his eyes are peering past the doors on the other end of his residence, wide open to allow the breeze and give him a view of yunmeng's rivers. for a while, he's laying and staring, fingers running through jin rulan's hair gently, humming a soft tune his jiě would hum to him. for a while he's awake and then when the warmth's temptations become unbearable, he falls asleep with his nephew curled in his arms.
