Thread by @Firebrd86

#kaeys5k

Pairing: WY and LQR becoming besties through baby A-Yuan
Tag: LQR realizes his judgement was wrong and he wants to mend their bond and show WY how much he cares and supports him

(this thread might be slightly different to the prompt!)

WY shows up on LQR's front porch one day, looking like he's one step away from a new parent meltdown. Baby A-Yuan is cradled gently in his arms, crying with everything in him

Despite everything, LQR deftly scoops A-Yuan from WY's arms and invites them inside

The whole neighbourhood knows of WY and LQR's animosity toward each other. Honestly, what else would happen when a young and bright and cheeky young man moves next door to the world's stodgiest, most rule-bound middle aged retired professor of ethics?

It quickly went from WY showing up with cookies to make friends and LQR cooly refusing them (he has a thing about cookies with spots on them, okay?!) to WY intentionally blasting The Greatest 80s Playlist at 3am when he can't sleep and LQR somehow disconnecting WY's power

(LQR has friends at the power company and isn't afraid to use them)

But then WY adopted A-Yuan. LQR didn't even know HOW that was possible, but now he had a chaotic neighbour with a 6mo child... and they struggled

As the uncle of two wonderful men that he'd raised himself, LQR wasn't unfamiliar to the struggles of parenthood. But this seems like another level

And now, WY is on his doorstep, his tired eyes begging for help

LQR knows how to help

The moment he has the pair inside, WY slumps on the couch and A-Yuan fusses in LQR's arms

LQR rocks the small baby. He's not so much worried about A-Yuan as he is WY. He recognises that fierce, protective look in WY's eyes, and something softens inside of him

LQR remembers the fear of failing his nephews. The fear of doing something wrong. That same fear is in WY's eyes as he stares at A-Yuan, ready to jump up and take care of him at a moment's notice

Hm, maybe LQR has... misunderstood WY?

"He won't sleep," WY whispers. "I've watched a million videos on how to care for your child, I've read so many books, visited so many paediatricians... he struggles so much with sleeping." WY looks like he's ready to cry from exhaustion

The fact that WY has gone to so much effort to care for his child hits LQR in the heart. Had he ever expected WY to become a parent? No. Had he ever expected WY to be such an attentive parent? Never

In a split second, he knows what to do

WY needs his help

And LQR will give it

"You lie down and I will look after this small one," he tells WY. "You are both overtired, and now your bodies are getting nervous about sleeping." A-Zhan had been the same when he was A-Yuan's age

WY stares up at LQR pathetically. Gods, he looks awful

LQR points at the cushions on the couch. "Sleep. I have A-Yuan. I will get him to sleep. When you wake up, we will work on what to do next."

Although he looks skeptical, WY lies down. LQR doesn't move until he sees WY's eyes close

Hmph. This stinky boy!

He shakes his head and takes a fussy A-Yuan out of the room, already humming a tune under his breath

The tune is the same one he hummed to A-Zhan, the one he hummed to A-Huan. It never failed to relax his nephews

And now, it seems to be working on A-Yuan too

The infant's cries have lessened, and he's hiccupping. LQR sways a little as he walks, using the motion to further soothe the little boy.

He's always been a sucker for people in need, regardless of who they were. Everyone deserved to be able to live their best life after all

It's not long before A-Yuan is sleeping peacefully in his arms. He smiles smugly to himself. Ah, he's still got it. People used to call him the baby whisperer for being able to put any child to sleep. It looks like he still IS the baby whisperer

Cradling A-Yuan against his chest so the baby can feel his heartbeat, LQR puts together a quick meal of warming and nutritious vegetable soup for WY. And for A-Yuan, he takes a portion of that soup and blends it to a puree

By the time WY wakes up, it's to the smell of savoury soup and buttered toast. Groggy and not-quite-awake, he stumbles into the kitchen

The moment he sees his baby sleeping in LQR's arms, he cries

Silent, gut-wrenching tears

He'd tried SO HARD, but his baby wouldn't sleep

And now... now A-Yuan was finally asleep. He was so happy and sad and anxious and relieved

Seeing him in the doorway, LQR points at a chair at the kitchen table, and the moment WY is seated, brings over a bowl of soup and toast

Having subsisted on crackers and energy drinks for days, this was a feast for WY. Once he started eating, he didn't stop until he was mopping up the last of the soup with his toast

Then he hung his head. "Thank you," he whispers. "Thank you."

LQR hears the heartfelt emotion in that voice and nods. "No thanks are necessary. You were doing your best, but children are children."

WY huffs a soft laugh. "And I'm... not a great dad, obviously."

This makes LQR snort. "You didn't hear me. Children are children."

WY frowns, confused

"Children do not conform to the rules adults do," LQR tells him. "You cannot tell a child to stop crying and expect to be obeyed. You cannot tell a child to sleep and have it do so right away. There is nothing wrong with that. Because children are children."

Rubbing the back of his neck, WY says, "I clearly still have a lot to learn."

"We all do," LQR agrees. "Every day we discover something new. As for myself? I realise I have been... incredibly rude to you. It was unjustified. I apologise."

WY gapes at him

"You could not know that I don't like cookies with spots on them. And I could have declined them in a much more polite way. I was at fault."

WY looks like he's trying to solve particle physics with a grain of sand and a hope

"I will be better from now on," LQR tells him

And... he is. He invites WY over for dinner every few nights, and offers to babysit A-Yuan when WY has an important coding deadline

A-Yuan learns to sleep. And WY learns to not dread sleep

LQR acquires a friend. And maybe, a new nephew and grand nephew?

Thank you @Carly63494560 for such a cute prompt! I'm always here for WY and LQR friendship!