Thread by @lanergeges

#dadxianweek day 6 : taking care

a-yuan comes home from school one day to see his baba in bed, which in itself isn't something new, but baba isn't awake, which is. many times, baba lays in bed to work or to watch something or to read. but, he's always awake to welcome him home.

ever since sizhui had come to live with his parents, baba had worked from home as a freelancer so that he could be there whenever a-yuan needed him. so, it's not new to find baba lounging in bed when he gets home, but it's very eerie to come back to a silent home.

worried, a-yuan checks his baba, and sure enough, baba is running a fever. a-yuan knows that he should call diedie in such a situation, but he's old enough to look after baba now, isn't he? he's 16! he can look after baba for a few hours till diedie gets home.

so, he decides to do just that. he's not all that great at cooking, but he can cook some congee, which would be enough for now. a-yuan quickly gets to work and cooks the food for baba, before going in to wake him.

"baba," he murmured softly. "wake up."

baba made some unintelligible voices as a-yuan woke him up, finally doing so a few moments later.

"a-yuan!" baba croaked. "when did you get home? let me..." he started to get up but a-yuan pushed him back, shaking his head.

"you're sick, baba," he said. "let me take care of you for a while."

"i can take care of myself! you don't have to worry," baba replied.

"mn," a-yuan answered, ignoring him. "stay in bed. i'll get you something to eat."

"you cooked?" baba asked, surprised.

a-yuan nodded in response. "just some congee."

"that actually sounds rlly good," baba muttered. "thank you, radish!"

a-yuan got baba his food and even fed it to him, not wanting baba to exert himself.

"aiyahhh! i can eat myself, you know?" baba whined.

"i know."

"this doesn't even have any chili oil, a-yuan! why?" baba croaked.

"you're sick. it's not good for you!" a-yuan answered.

"my son is so cruel to his own baba! you would abandon your baba so in his time of need? so unfeeling! a-yuan doesn't love baba anymore, i see."

"baba... eat your food," a-yuan told him, not getting affected by the theatrics. he'd gotten immune to them years ago.

baba sulked, but thankfully ate all his food, and then didn't even protest when a-yuan gave him medicines on qing-gugu's recommendation.

"do you want to take a shower?" a-yuan asked.

baba thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "not now. maybe later."

"okay. movie?"

"your pick," baba insisted.

a-yuan smiled and started his baba's favourite ghibli movie, spirited away.

"you're so cute," baba commented. "i have the best son."

a-yuan swelled with pride at that. the two of them spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies till diedie got home.

"lan zhan!" baba cried. "you're home! i missed you so much! i've been sick but our radish is taking care of me. such a filial child. we have the best son, don't we?"

"mn," diedie agreed. "we do. wei ying is sick?"

"just a fever. it'll pass! don't worry much, sweetheart!"

"a-yuan?" diedie asked him, knowing baba lied to not worry them.

"baba is fine, diedie," he assured. "qing-gugu said it will pass in a few days. baba took all his medicines!"

"good boy," diedie said, tho a-yuan didn't know if it was for him or baba. they both blushed anyway.

diedie cooked them a light dinner and then joined the two of them for one more movie. they ate dinner in bed that day, before going to sleep.

the next morning, baba was feeling much better. he hugged a-yuan tightly, murmuring how lucky he was to have a son like him.

diedie joined the hug a moment later, taking them both in his arms and agreeing with baba, but really, a-yuan thought... he was the lucky one, to have them both as his parents. ❤