Chapter Text
Upcoming Saturday, Wen Lang ran from one point of the perimeter of his house to another ensuring everything was okay. He had prepared some snacks and soup base for the next day. The butterfly garden was beautifully growing and he had recently installed a gazebo. If Gao Tu permits, he would like to take Lele for a dip.
Unfortunately, by sundown, he received a message (don't pick Lele tomorrow, he would be with Mr. Hua and Mr. Sheng.) Wen Lang, as usual, accepted his fate and went to sleep.
He woke up fresh only to be upset by the thought of not being able to see his son today. He was lounging in his living room when he heard a car pull up in his driveway. Looking out if the window, he was shocked to see it was Hua-Sheng's.
He ran out to receive his guests and hugged all the three kids that the elder accompanied. Hua Yong said "Gao Tu had some urgent work today so we volunteered to bring over the kids." Wen Lang nodded and took kids to his newly installed butterfly garden.
All three of them went wild as Wen Lang explained to them different flowers and showed them the exhibit to different butterflies. They ran from one place to another, exploring different things in that garden house while Hua Yong and Sheng Shao You lounged nearby.
Wen Lang then brought over some fruits to calm down the kids. They sat in a circle with Wen Lang and talked all about their weekday and what they had learnt that day. He then offered "okay so kiddos, do you want to see my new baby pool?" They jumped in excitement.
He asked his own son "Lele, have you ever been to swimming pool? Or something similar?" Lele shook his head "Lele saw bathtub of A-Ming and A-Yu. Papa, problem?" Wen Lang smiled "that's not a problem baby. This is just a larger pool, not deeper, but open. Do you want to try, or you can sit with papa while the twins take a dip?" Lele looked at the encouraging nods of the twins and then nodded too.
Wen Lang helped them undress and picked one pup at a time to dip into the pool. When they were settled, he brought out some water toys and instructed "all set. Now you guys enjoy and if you need anything, call for me, okay? I am right there with other adults." They promised so off he went. He was within hearing and watchful range anyways.
When he was finally freed from the baby duty, Hua Yong asked "you looked surprised to see us? Gao Tu said that he had informed you though." Wen Lang sighed "he said that Lele is with you guys so I shouldn't pick him up. He never clarified that all five of you are coming. Anyways, stay for lunch?" The mates nodded.
Lele chose that moment to cry for his father so Wen Lang ran for him. He picked him out of the tub, wrapping him in a towel, and asked "all okay baby?" Lele shook his head "I scared papa." Wen Lang kept him close to himself without releasing excessive pheromones. He wanted to do the best for his baby without putting his own health at risk every single time.
They talked to each other about many different things while the twins soaked and played in water. When they were finally ready to come out, Wen Lang put Lele down and picked the twins out one by one. Dressing up all the pups, he carried them to an already set picnic mat. Everybody sat down around the food and talked about their past and future.
While the lunch was wrapping up, Wen Lang took Hua Yong aside and said "take the kids back home A-Yong. It's nearing nap time and I can't keep them any longer." Hua Yong frowned, it has never been a problem before, so Wen Lang explained "Gao Tu does not want Lele anywhere near my house. I can't bring him in. It is the sole reason I expanded my garden into this exhibition. I don't want to break his trust just because he is not here."
Hua Yong nodded and called for all the kids "babies, I have urgent meeting so we are all going back home. Daddy Wen needs to attend the meeting as well so baba will look after you guys back at home." They were upset with the new rule but complied after Wen Lang promised to take all three of them to a water park next Sunday.
For two more months this continued when one day Gao Tu got back home to a pile of gifts on his door. He picked the card kept solemnly above all of them and read "Gao Tu, I know you want nothing to do with me but I met you after 4 years and couldn't let go of this opportunity. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAO TU.
PS: These are all the gifts I bought for you throughout the years. I hope they don't repulse you."
Opening the door to his home, Gao Tu pulled all the gifts inside. Since Lele was with QiQi, he sat on the floor near his couch opened the gifts one by one. The gifts consisted of a photo frame with their photos from high school till his last date, a coffee set that Gao Tu used to enjoy, some piece of casual clothes similar to what Wen Lang must have seen him in, a few books on self help and development.
He smiled when he noticed that the coffee was not expired, instead was the latest gift.
Keeping everything aside, Gao Tu called Wen Lang. When Wen Lang picked up, he was rattled "hello Gao Tu, all okay? Is Lele okay?" Gao Tu giggled "everything is okay Wen Lang, you don't have to be worried every time I call. I thought I might call you to thank you for your such thoughtful gifts. I will use them judiciously."
Wen Lang smiled "it's not an issue Gao Tu. I am happy you liked them." Gao Tu struggled with what he wanted to say next but finally uttered "do you...uhm...do you want to have dinner tonight? Not outside I mean, at my home. I will cook."
Wen Lang sat shocked then asked "but Lele?" Gao Tu laughed "oh my. Yes you will meet your son at his home. You are more excited to meet him than your old friend. Should I be jealous?" Wen Lang stuttered "friends? We are friends now?"
Gao Tu nodded, then confirmed. Wen Lang smiled and thanked him whole heartedly.
That evening Wen Lang rang the doorbell with flowers in one hand and cake in another. Gao Tu was shocked when he opened the door "I though I received all the gifts?" Wen Lang came in while handing over the flowers "I couldn't come empty handed to my friend's birthday in a long time now, could I?" Lele joined them the moment Wen Lang kept the cake on dining table and he immediately picked up the little one.
Lele excitedly told "papa, it's mama's birthday today. I made him a card. You wanna see?" Wen Lang nodded as he smiled, Lele's excitement bouncing off him as well.
They had a peaceful dinner after which Lele played with Wen Lang. When he was asked to go to sleep, he whined "but mama, I don't see papa every day. Please some more time?" Wen Lang interfered as he pacified "baby, papa will see you soon okay? But you have to go to sleep so that you can grow up to be strong like your mama." Lele gave him a dim smile and went to bed. Of course, Wen Lang had to scent him thoroughly before he could fall asleep.
Gao Tu offered him a stem of wine after Lele went to sleep which Wen Lang accepted gingerly. They sat side by side, speaking about mundane things. Suddenly Gao Tu said "Mr. Hua told me that you sent kids back early that day because you didn't want to break my rule. Thank you for keeping your words."
Wen Lang smiled "if that's all it takes to keep my connection with Lele, I would do it in a heartbeat Gao Tu."
Gao Tu smiled, then frowned "when we talked last, you said you didn't want to feel the presence of my alpha that's why you never raised your eyes. Well, the truth is...I had no alpha. It has always been you. Mr. Hua used to get me your clothes every month, for my nest and pheromone disorder. Thanks to them, it actually cured my hormonal and pheromonal disorder."
Wen Lang sat quietly for so long that Gao Tu started feeling agitated. But before he could apologise, Wen Lang said "Hua Yong never told me that it was my pheromones, he just mentioned that you had an Alpha. I am...I am glad that my pheromones helped you get back on your feet. I hope you are staying away from your inhibitors now."
Gao Tu nodded. He was perplexed seeing this reaction. He couldn't control himself and asked "why are you not angry? I did nothing but lie to you, deceive you, and hide from you, everything that you have always hated."
Wen Lang smiled but his eyes were so dim a well lit room could loose its light. He said "yes I hated all of those things Gao Tu. I still do. But I could never hate you Gao Tu. My love for you is much stronger than my hatred for those things. And I understand. You hid because of my hatred for Omegas, you went away because I said I would make them drop my baby, you hid because you wanted to safeguard Lele. All the more reasons I could never hate you."
Gao Tu had tears in his eyes "thank you. Thank you for accepting me, and Lele. He has been happier ever since he interacted with you. He looks forward to Sunday thinking its his and his papa's days. You have made my somber child a lively toddler. I could....I could never repay you for all those things."
Keeping his empty stem on the table, Wen Lang said "please. You have nothing to repay for Gao Tu. In fact I am grateful that you allowed me to have a relationship with Lele. It's your birthday today yet you gave me the best gift of being friends again. I couldn't ask anymore of you Gao Tu. Please don't think you owe me anything, ever."
Gao Tu cried in his arms for a while after hearing it. When he quieted down, Wen Lang said "rest Gao Tu, its late. I also have to go back now. I will see you on Sunday okay?" Gao Tu nodded in his arms as they wished each other good night.
That Sunday, Wen Lang picked up all of them and was astonished to see Gao Qing accompanying them. He heaved a sigh as he got out of the car to remove the car seats from the back seat. He placed two seats in the trunk and the third one on the passenger seat. Gao Tu stood shocked at that decision.
Wen Lang shrugged seeing his expression as he buckled up his son in the passenger seat. Lele was excited when he learnt that he was going to accompany his father that day. Siblings sat themselves at the back seat while Lele babbled to his father. That day they were going for a movie, lunch and a play store. Dinner if Gao Tu agreed.
Lele absolutely denied to be put down or be in any one else's arms. Gao Tu let them be and enjoyed his day with his sister. When they were coming back, after dropping Gao Qing, Gao Tu said "Wen Lang, I have picked a few schools for Lele, would you like to help me finalise?"
Wen Lang was shocked "you want me to help? I mean I thought I was just there for Sunday." Gao Tu looked at him "you have proven to be much more than visiting parent Wen Lang. If you want, you can even be the emergency contact at his school."
It took Wen Lang all of his efforts to not jump in excitement as he was still driving. Once they reached the complex, Wen Lang immediately stepped down and opened the door for Gao Tu before he could. When he stepped out, Wen Lang asked if he can hug him. It made Gao Tu laugh as he engulfed his friend.
That night, after putting Lele to bed, they went through schools and Wen Lang fought to put Lele in the best private school of JiangHu. When Gao Tu said that he couldn't afford it, Wen Lang immediately offered to help. He said "I am his parent too right? So allow me to bear the cost alongside you. I am not over riding your decision, I just want the best for him."
Gao Tu gulped as he agreed.
For next few months, Wen Lang could see how, whenever he suggested something outside of Sunday trips for Lele, Gao Tu would ponder over it like it was a life or death decision. He observed how Gao Tu tried his best to deny him basic opportunities of being a parent like accompanying to parent-teacher meeting and show-and-tell. He tried to keep his mouth shut but when, one afternoon he received a call from the school saying that Lele was crying for him and his other emergency contacts were not reachable, his dam broke.
He went to the school to pick his son and asked the receptionist to confirm how many people were on the list. She informed that he was the third one, following Mr. Gao and Mr. Hua. He nodded politely, collected his child after fulfilling all the formalities and took him to his office. Well, the houses were still off limit for him. He couldn't take Lele to his own house and he didn't want to invade Gao Tu's space, not like he knew the passcode anyway.
Lele had a minor scratch and just wanted to be pampered. He treated the wound and gave him a fruit snack as he wrapped his work for the day.
When Gao Tu called him to inform that he would be home in ten minutes, Wen Lang confirmed that they would be there in twenty too. Dropping Lele off, and putting him to sleep after scenting him, Wen Lang turned to Gao Tu and said "if you don't want me to be a parent to my own kid but be a Sunday to Sunday babysitter, tell me Gao Tu. My feelings are not a jump rope for you to be playing around with. You questioned my advise for him, I didn't say anything. You didn't pay any heed to my plans for his future, I ignored it. But being told that I myself am the third emergency contact for my own son, for whatever fucking reason you thought is valid, is more than enough to tell me what my place should be in his life. Do me a favour Gao Tu, and tell our son why he won't be seeing his papa randomly anymore. And this time, for the love of God and your own dignity, own upto yourself and tell him the truth. Tell him that you couldn't bear to let his papa enter his life. That you couldn't see him having a beautiful, positive relationship with his father. Tell him that you were the roadblock why I could never take my own son to his second house. Fucking co-parents have better rules for each other than you do for me Gao Tu."
He panted "I know I made mistakes. Its not like I deny them or ignore them. And I am trying my best to ensure that I don't repeat them. But you are making it very difficult for me to not lash out at you again Gao Tu. You wanted whatever privacy or freedom, I never interfered in it. I never asked what you did, how you did, never even questioned how you are raising our child. You maybe the mother Gao Tu, but this is JiangHu. If I went to court I would have gotten mandatory 50% custody. It is my respect for you and your struggles with him that I never went with it. Don't take it as a threat that I would ever go. I won't, but I will also ensure that this time when we lose contact, he blames the right person. Goodbye Gao Tu."
Wen Lang left, the door squeaked of his absence as Gao Tu was rattled with the consequences of his actions.