𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖〖𝐌𝐃𝐙𝐒〗

𝟏𝟏〖𝐐𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐆-𝐉𝐔𝐍 & 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘'𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍〗

         it was hard to decipher whether the atmosphere inside the cave was tense or just emotional.

the lan brothers were glued to their place, their eyes staring at their father whom they had last seen twelve years ago.

❛…fuqin.❜ lan xichen's voice trembled. lan wangji stood in silence but for the first time, one could see how hard he was trying to not let his stoic facade fall apart like that.

lan ruo smiled at his sons, stepping forward and facing the two.

❛a-huan, a-zhan…❜ he called in a soft voice. lan wangji shut his eyes tightly upon hearing the familiar address of his by his father after so many years. he was trying his best to hold his tears in that started to well up in his eyes.

lan xichen’s face was the first to soften, his lips trembling as he takes a shaky step forward. his usually composed facade wavers, and before anyone can fully grasp what’s happening, he pulls his father into a fierce embrace.

❛a-die!❜ lan xichen's cry made lan wangji to snap open his eyes as well as he looks at his brother breaking down like that in their father's embrace.

at the moment, it wasn't lan xichen—the first jade of the gusu lan clan and the sect leader. but it was lan huan—a nineteen year old kid who finally met his father after a whole decade.

lan ruo held his elder son close to his chest before looking at lan wangji whose eyes were bloodshot and mist-fog. he forwarded a hand toward him, an invitation to join the two.

lan wangji follows, hesitantly at first, and then all at once, stepping forward to wrap his arms around them both.

❛…f-fuqin.❜ and for the first time in twelve years, lan wangji let his emotions free. a single tear escapes his closed eyelids and rolls down his fair cheek.

for a moment, they cling to each other as if the years apart were merely a dream, the weight of longing and unspoken words wrapped into this one touch.

lan ruo chuckles lightly, holding the two close to his chest—to his heart. his own eyes filled up with tears as he placed a fond kiss on the crown of both of his sons’ heads.

❛you both have grown up so well.❜ lan ruo says as both lan wangji and lan xichen tightened their holds around him, afraid to let go.

the cultivators surrounding them feel the shift in the air. even the usually reserved disciples and elders watch with softened eyes, the weight of this reunion stirring something within them.

the lotus brothers, jiang cheng and wei wuxian, share a silent look. jiang cheng, ever vigilant and always holding his own emotions back, finds himself averting his gaze, as if unable to react to the raw emotions being lay bare in front of him.

wei wuxian, however, watches with a bittersweet smile, understanding the pain of separation from one's parents all too well and feeling glad, for once, that his lan zhan has a piece of his past restored to him.

the juniors look on, feeling both admiration and awe at witnessing their idols—men they’ve always seen as untouchable—revealing such vulnerability.

lan sizhui watches his father, feeling his own heart swell with pride and sympathy for both his father and uncle he respects deeply.

jin ling stands beside him, arms crossed as he glances away, but even he can’t fully hide the mist gathering in his eyes.

lan jingyi and ouyang zizhen look on at the jade twins—at their wavering facades as the two slowly let on their true emotions. both jingyi and zizhen smile, feeling both warmth and pride for the jade twins.