Chapter Text
The hearing for a full restraining order was held on a mildly warm day in fall. Lan Wangji picked Wei Wuxian up in a car and escorted him to the courthouse where Lan Xichen met them. The young omega looked rather out of place, sitting in the witness waiting room, fiddling with the collar of the sky blue dress shirt that Lan Wangji had purchased for him like it itched. In a dress shirt, slacks, and nice shoes, the omega looked like an entirely new person. Wen Ning had even managed to groom the omega’s hair into something resembling appropriate before they’d all tumbled out of the house that morning.
Other than his hair and the mildly sweet scent of honey, there was no way to tell he was an omega at all.
They’d decided to leave A-Yuan in the care of Wen Ning at the safe house for the day so that Wei Wuxian could focus on giving his full attention to the court proceedings. It was clear the omega was nervous from the way his leg jittered against the floor while Lan Xichen explained what to expect from the proceedings. But when Lan Wangji reached out a hand to try and calm him, Wei Wuxian simply shrugged out of his reach with a kind smile.
It was closed court proceedings attended only by the participants, their lawyers, and other court officials. The judge, Lan Wangji had looked into, was about as impartial as they could have hoped for. A stern beta in his late 50’s whom Lan Qiren thought highly of, Judge Wang Youguang was known for being a strict adherent to the letter of the law.
By the time Lan Wangji got Wei Wuxian settled in his seat at the plaintiff’s table, Wen Chao had still not arrived. Only his lawyer, a tall, built, alpha named Wen Zhuliu presided over that side of the court, his expression unreadable. Wen Zhuliu was infamous in the judicial system for being a political fixer. He specialized in corporate law but doubled as the Wen family’s personal attack dog. He was a very efficient fixer, who went above and beyond for his clients. It was said that Wen Zhuliu made problems disappear before they ever saw the inside of a courtroom.
But despite his rather intimidating reputation, Lan Wangji thought that the Wen family was rather underestimating them. Talented he may be, but Wen Zhuliu did not know the intimacies of omega law like the Lans.
At 10:00 am on the dot, the bailiff announced the arrival of the judge, who swept into the courtroom in trailing black robes and gestured for all to be seated. Judge Wang took a careful look at the court before him through wired spectacles and frowned at the empty chair by Wen Zhuliu’s side. “Attorney Wen,” said the judge. “Where is your client?”
Wen Zhuliu stiffened. “He’s on the way, Your Honor,” he said.
Judge Wang raised a single eyebrow. “He’s late.”
But before the judge could say another word, the double doors of the courtroom burst open and Wen Chao strode in flanked by two bodyguards. The Second Wen heir was dressed in a leather jacket and tight black jeans. As he sauntered down the corridor and took a seat with great pompousness beside Wen Zhuliu, he lifted a pair of gold sunglasses off his face and tucked them atop his head.
By Lan Wangji’s side, the sound of the door slamming open alone had startled Wei Wuxian like a frightened rabbit. The entire time it took Wen Chao to walk from the door to his seat, the young omega did not move an inch as if he desired to become one with the furniture. Lan Wangji had purposefully sat himself between Wei Wuxian and the defendant’s side of the court with Lan Xichen on his right as yet another buffer between the young omega and Wen Chao.
Still, Lan Wangji cast a concerned glance Wei Wuxian’s way. The young omega smiled back, albeit more of a wavering grimace than a smile as if to reassure Lan Wangji instead.
“Wen-xiansheng,” said the judge, his tone displeased. “How nice of you to finally join us.” It was clear that Wang Youguang was irked at Wen Chao’s blatant show of disrespect.
Good, Lan Wangji thought spitefully.
When Wen Chao showed no signs of repentance, the judge’s lip twitched. But he let it go and simply nodded at Lan Xichen to begin the proceedings.
“Your Honor,” Lan Xichen began. “My client, Wei Wuxian, intends to file divorce proceedings against the defendant, Wen Chao, on the grounds of domestic violence. Due to the circumstances and the defendant’s belligerent nature, my client fears for his life. We’re here to obtain a court issued restraining order against the defendant while the divorce proceedings are underway.”
Wang Youguang nodded. “And the defendant’s response?”
Wen Zhuliu stood up with a respectful bow. “Your Honor,” he said, his voice deep and melodious. “My client wasn’t even aware of the plaintiff’s concerns with their marriage before he received the summons to court. He was out of the country on business and the plaintiff took this chance to run away from home and has even kidnapped my client’s son.”
Judge Wang sighed. “The divorce proceedings are out of my purview, Attorney Wen” he said simply. “We’re merely here to discuss grounds for a restraining order.” To Lan Xichen he said, “Do you have evidence that the defendant is a danger to your client’s well-being?”
Lan Xichen nodded. “We’ve submitted all the physical evidence of abuse, Your Honor. Signed off by a licensed physician. We also have a signed affidavit from a witness that this behavior has been going on for many years.” At a gesture from the judge, Lan Xichen brought the medical files that Wen Qing had supplied towards the judge’s bench along with Wen Ning’s statement.
By the defendant’s bench, Wen Chao’s lips peeled back in a snarl and he shot a dark glare towards Wei Wuxian, but the omega steadfastly did not look his way. This only seemed to irk the alpha further who was only stopped from launching to his feet in rage by Wen Zhuliu’s pointed stare.
Judge Wang flipped through the documents before him for a long time. “I see,” he said at last. “Attorney Wen?”
“It’s all a misunderstanding, Your Honor,” Wen Zhuliu responded. “My client has made mistakes, but he’s willing to repent and work through their problems together.” Wen Chao snorted and picked at his teeth with his tongue in an image dripping with unrepentance. If it were a different circumstance, Lan Wangji might even have felt pity for his opponent to have such a clearly difficult client. Maybe.
“Is that how he shows it?” Judge Wang asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Finally, the judge gave a great sigh and said gently to Wei Wuxian. “Wei-xiansheng, how old were you when you bonded?”
“17, Your Honor,” said Wei Wuxian slowly.
“It was against his will, Your Honor,” said Lan Xichen pointedly.
Wang Youguang sighed again, the kind of bottomless sigh that seemed to come from deep within his chest and he suddenly looked old and tired. “I have a daughter about that age,” he confessed. “What kind of world has it come to that we treat children like this?” He asked into the empty air before carefully reaching for the gavel by his side. “I’ll approve the restraining order,” the judge said with a bang of his gavel. “Court is dismissed.”
“What!” Wen Chao snapped. “Your Honor…”
“Dismissed!” Snapped Wang Youguang and without another word he swept from the courtroom without a backward glance.
Wen Chao snarled and looked like he was about to say something to Wei Wuxian, but Lan Wangji put himself firmly between the two of them and stared pointedly until Wen Zhuliu forcefully ushered his client out the door.
Lan Wangji waited until he and his brother had guided their client back to the safety of the witness waiting room before breathing a small sigh of relief.
It was only when the door had closed on the room that Wei Wuxian finally managed to relax. The relief alone made his knees wobbly and it was only Lan Wangji’s quick action that kept the omega from collapsing onto the floor. Instead the alpha attorney guided the omega to the couch with a reassuring hand.
“Wei-xiansheng,” said Lan Xichen with a small smile. “Congratulations.”
Wei Wuxian laughed nervously. “You don’t need to sugar coat things for me, Attorney Lan,” he rasped. “I know this is just the beginning.”
“It is a small victory,” Lan Xichen conceded, “but it is still a victory. You should be proud of yourself.”
“I hardly did anything,” said Wei Wuxian. “It’s you and your brother I should thank.”
“You handled yourself with poise and grace,” Lan Xichen complimented with a kind smile. “Don’t sell yourself short.”
“Would you like some water?” Lan Wangji asked anxiously when Wei Wuxian laid his head back against the couch.
“Please,” the young omega responded bashfully.
“I’ll be right back,” Lan Wangji said, quietly slipping out the door.
“Is there a restroom?” Wei Wuxian asked suddenly, feeling faint.
“Down the hall on the left,” Lan Xichen said. “Shall I accompany you?” He offered.
“I’ll just ask Lan Wangji,” Wei Wuxian said politely, rushing to catch up with the alpha lawyer.
The hallway, however, was empty when he slipped outside and Lan Wangji was nowhere to be seen. Oh well, the omega thought. He was an adult. He could use the restroom without a chaperone, they were easy enough to find. The inside of the bathroom was brightly lit, the tiles simple and slightly chipped gave away the age of the building.
Wei Wuxian splashed some cold water on his face and studied his reflection in the mirror. His own pale face stared back. “Chin up, A-Xian,” Wei Wuxian whispered, pumping his fists at his own reflection. “Jia you!” (*加油 – usually means “good luck” but in this context more like “fighting!” or “you can do it!”)
He was just drying his hands on a paper towel when the door to the bathroom swung open and a cloying, familiar, smoky scent filled his nostrils. “A-Xian,” said the voice that had so often haunted his worst nightmares. “Do you realize how much trouble you’ve caused me?”
Lan Wangji finally found a water cooler in the staff room and filled a small paper cup with lukewarm water before making his way back through the halls towards the witness room. He was surprised to find only his brother inside.
“Where is Wei Wuxian?” Lan Wangji asked.
Lan Xichen’s expression became alarmed. “He said he was just going to the bathroom, I thought you’d gone with him.”
Trying to stifle the emerging panic in his chest, Lan Wangji turned quickly back the way he had come and almost ran to the restroom. The sight before him when he slammed the door open filled the young lawyer with dread.
Wei Wuxian was backed up against the wall of the bathroom, his face hidden by the bangs of his long hair and his entire body as rigid as a frightened rabbit caught in the gaze of a predator. Wen Chao, flanked by two bodyguards, was looming over him, face twisted in a sadistic snarl. The alpha looked up when Lan Wangji entered, Lan Xichen following close behind, and smirked victoriously. No, thought Lan Wangji, mind racing in panic.
“Wen-xiansheng!” Lan Wangji shouted frantically. “This is a clear violation of the restraining order! You’re not permitted to speak to my client without his lawyer present.”
“I only wanted to ask why,” Wen Chao replied with saccharine innocence. “I thought we were so happy together...I don’t understand why A-Xian would do this.”
“Wen-xiansheng,” repeated Lan Wangji more forcefully. His hands clenched into fists so tightly he could feel the sharps of his nails digging into flesh. “Not another word!” But Wen Chao was beyond caring now and turned back to the trembling omega before him with complete disregard. The entire bathroom reeked of alpha scent so thick and cloying that Lan Wangji felt his instincts stir. He stamped down on the feral urge viciously. The last thing anybody needed right now was a full on spat between two grown alphas. “Wei Wuxian,” said Lan Wangji carefully, gently.
The young omega sucked in a sudden sharp intake of breath at the sound of his name and his whole body began shaking like a leaf in the wind but he did not lift his head an inch.
“Come here,” Lan Zhan said, praying he hadn’t been too late. “Please.”
Wei Wuxian did not move.
Lan Zhan’s heart sank to the pits of his ankles as Wen Chao smirked and marched towards the door of the bathroom. “I don’t know what you said to my omega to poison him against me, Attorney Lan, but this circus is over. Wei Wuxian will be coming home with me, won’t you?” The last question he directed at the young omega, his tone pointed.
“A-Xian,” said Lan Wangji pleadingly.
For the longest time, the young omega did not breathe until at last his head began to move. First in twitches and then in the slightest of movements that formed a shake, no.
Wen Chao’s eyes narrowed in anger. “Wei Wuxian,” he bellowed, “Come with me, now.” The command was laced with so much alpha pheromones that even Lan Wangji felt it reverberate and settle like an oppressive weight in the atmosphere. In fact, the young omega’s shoulders seemed to curl in on themselves as if the burden of Wen Chao’s Order had actual physical weight, his whole body trembling with the effort of withstanding it.
“I won’t,” Wei Wuxian gasped, like the words had been tortured out of him. But once the first of his conviction left his lips, the rest flowed like an unstoppable river—like a prayer. “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t…”
“Why you little…”
“Enough,” commanded Lan Xichen. Quickly inserting himself between Wen Chao and their client. Lan Wangji, when his feet became unfrozen from their shock, followed suit, wrapping the trembling young omega in his arms like he could shield him from the world with his body. “Wen-xiansheng, you’ve heard it yourself. Our client has made his wishes on the matter clear. It is time for you to leave. If you utter another word, you can be sure that a judge will be informed about this behavior.” To Wen Zhuliu, who had likely been drawn here by all the commotion, Lan Xichen said simply. “I expect you to reign in your client.”
“This isn’t over,” spluttered Wen Chao furiously. With one last glance in their direction, he and his retinue stormed out.
In the sudden silence afterwards, Wei Wuxian stumbled slowly towards the sink and was violently sick.
It took a few minutes before the trembling stopped and the young omega was calm enough to move. Safely ensconced in the witness room once more though, he simply put his head between his knees and gasped one raspy breath after another.
“Maybe we should call Wen Qing,” Lan Xichen said fretfully. “Or I can get the car and we can drive him back immediately.”
“It’s fine,” interrupted Wei Wuxian. “I’m fine.”
He didn’t smell fine. The normally sweet honey smell of the young omega’s scent was soured now by fear and anxiety. It made Lan Wangji’s own stomach twist in displeasure.
“Would you like to go home?” Lan Xichen asked again. “There’s nothing else we need from you today.”
Lan Wangji thought about the first time he’d ever met Wei Wuxian, sitting in a darkened room with the curtains pulled closed, too afraid to let even a sliver of light inside for fear of being found, too afraid to let his child out of his sight for fear of losing him. In the days and weeks since then, the omega had made leaps and bounds of progress. For some reason, the thought of bringing Wei Wuxian back to that dark apartment felt like undoing all the progress they’d made. He thought about how much courage it must have taken for Wei Wuxian to finally step into a courtroom today, to stand his ground to Wen Chao, and how that moment of courage was probably going to be colored by everything that had happened afterwards.
His mind was made up. “Wei Wuxian,” Lan Wangji began hesitantly. “If you want to go back, I can get the car right now. But if you feel up to it…there’s something that I want to show you.”
When Wei Wuxian simply cocked his head questioningly, the alpha continued softly. “I don’t want you to remember your first trip outside in a long time like this.”
The amusement park was considerably sparse on a weekday afternoon. There were a few families with children too young to be in school, a few couples in their early twenties, but otherwise the park was relatively free. It was the perfect afternoon for a trip out—the fall sunshine just warm enough so as to offset the crisp day.
Lan Wangji purchased two tickets and ushered Wei Wuxian carefully through the turnstile and into the park. The young omega’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he took in the sight before him—children laughing, munching on ice cream and bunches of cotton candy, roller coasters rushing through the air followed by the sound of delighted screams, and upbeat music wafting from every direction.
“This is what you wanted to show me, Attorney Lan?” Wei Wuxian asked, confused.
“You told me you never had the chance to go out much. I thought this might be fun.” The tips of Lan Wangji’s ears were beginning to turn red. Was I mistaken? The young alpha thought. Perhaps this was a terrible idea.
But suddenly Wei Wuxian was laughing. The kind of full body laugh that left a person bent over, clutching their stomach with tears watering their eyes. “Ah, Lan Zhan is too cute!” The omega said. “Really too cute.” The sound of that laughter made Lan Wangji feel fondly warm.
Wei Wuxian however, Lan Wangji soon realized, was not cute. The man was an absolute menace.
Despite his mild manner inside the courtroom, the young omega was a complete adrenaline junkie. He wanted to ride the most gut-wrenching rollercoasters in the park including the ones that dropped so fast they made Lan Wangji’s stomach flutter and the ones that flipped you upside down or spun you so fast you felt pressed into your seat. He was furthermore incredibly delighted by the haunted houses and not at all phased by the staff dressed up as zombies screaming in his face.
Wei Wuxian was apparently the kind of omega that laughed in the zombie’s face and complimented him on his makeup.
For the first time in his life, Lan Wangji thanked his ancestors for gifting him with a bland, expressionless, face that was difficult to read. It meant that nobody else realized the slight widening of his eyes when a zombie leapt out from a corner at him was the most startled he’d ever been in his life.
The alpha attorney let out the breath he’d been holding when they finally stepped out into the light again and slowly relaxed his fingers from the fist that they had made. The imprint of his nails digging into his own palm was still evident and Lan Wangji quickly hid them in his pockets.
“Ah, Lan Zhan, that was fun!” Wei Wuxian laughed. The omega didn’t even look out of breath and his eyes were sparkling. In the late afternoon light, he seemed to glow in a way that would make anyone’s heart skip a beat. Like Lan Wangji had said…a total menace.
“Where to next?” The omega asked.
Lan Wangji took a quick look at the nearest map and made the executive decision to direct them away from the twirling ride in case Wei Wuxian got any bright ideas and wanted to ride it again. “There are games down this way,” he suggested calmly.
So the two of them meandered their way down the games corridor, bombarded on both sides by merchants calling for them to participate in everything from basketball to shooting games. They must have been a strange pair—the young omega still dressed formally for court, with his unruly hair in a loose ponytail down his back, tugging along an even more formally dressed young alpha who would likely look more at home in a museum than an amusement park.
Wei Wuxian tried his hand at a few games and came back empty handed, but the young omega didn’t seem to mind. There was a bounce in his step as he skipped down the walkway, eyes eagerly alighting between the stalls.
There was one stall in particular that caught his eye, Lan Wangji noticed, because Wei Wuxian paused the longest in front of it to stare. It was one of those games where you threw a plastic hoop and wanted it to land around the neck of a beer bottle. The farther away the bottle, the more points, Lan Wangji supposed. The prize that had caught the young omega’s eye was a stuffed bunny rabbit. It was the kind of plushie that had a large head and small body. The rabbit was a light gray color with pink felt in its ears and a single white pom-pom for a tail.
The stall owner caught Wei Wuxian’s eager look and smiled. “Would you sirs like to try your hand?” He asked.
Wei Wuxian shook his head politely, his feet already moving on, but his eyes remained locked on that rabbit.
“I’ll try,” said Lan Wangji decisively.
“Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asked, surprised.
Lan Wangji held his phone out to scan for the payment for five rings.
“Can you even aim?” The omega asked curiously.
“Mn,” Lan Wangji said, lifting the first ring in his hands. Their uncle had trained both Lan brothers in martial arts from the time they were young so Lan Wangji was confident in his abilities. The first ring missed, hitting the edge of the furthest bottle and tipping in between.
Wei Wuxian clucked his tongue. “So close,” he said.
Lan Wangji frowned at the rings in his hands as if they had personally offended him. “I’ll make the next one,” he promised, already mentally calculating the adjustments he would need to make.
True to his word, the next three all landed on various bottles. But in order to win the rabbit, he’d have to make one in the furthest row, Lan Wangji realized. Wei Wuxian was excited now, crowding up closer to the alpha attorney so that Lan Wangji could feel the warmth of the omega’s body pressed up against his back. It was distracting in the best way.
The last ring soared through the air and wobbled onto the neck of a bottle in the furthest row and Wei Wuxian cheered like they’d won the lottery. Feeling pleased with himself, Lan Wangji pointed a finger at the gray bunny plushie that the young omega had been eyeing. “I want that one,” he said.
Once they were on their way again, he carefully held out the rabbit towards Wei Wuxian. “For you,” said Lan Wangji quietly.
“Really? For me?” asked Wei Wuxian, his entire face lighting up with fond delight.
“Mn.” The tips of the alpha attorney’s ears turned slightly red and he looked away, offering up the gray stuffed rabbit between them like a barrier.
“Ah! Thank you, Attorney Lan,” Wei Wuxian chimed. “I’ll give this to A-Yuan, he loves bunnies! Ah! A-Yuan will be so jealous that we went and had fun without him,” continued the omega happily, hugging the stuffed rabbit to his chest and burrowing his nose in between its pink ears.
There was a soft smile on the omega’s face that seemed to light up the whole world. Lan Wangji found he would do anything just to keep that fleeting smile on Wei Wuxian’s face for even a second longer.
“We can take him here next time,” Lan Wangji promised before he realized that a comment like that could be misconstrued, could be considered crossing a line he didn’t mean to cross. Oh dear. Well it was too late to take it back now…
“Next time?” asked Wei Wuxian, that smile as bright as the sun lighting up his face. “…I would like that very much.”