Chapter Text
Shen Qingqiu breathes out a sigh as he finally returns to the bamboo house after all of that trouble. The small home is silent, as empty as the nest of a bird in winter. Though, he finds the quiet peaceful, a moment that he can be alone in - without the clamour of the other peak lords arguing or a childish husband constantly clinging to his sleeves.
But because this world surely hates him, Shen Qingqiu is cursed to never have the peace last any meaningful amount of time. He lets out a soft groan as his brother approaches the house, standing again from where he had collapsed onto the floor of his home.
“Gege, do you need something?” He smiles at Shen Jiu, casually flicking open his fan with a fluid snap of his wrist.
Don’t let my smile confuse you though, brother! I am not happy at all!
“A-Yuan. How did you enjoy living my life?” The statement is both gentle and biting, somehow at the same time. If only Shen Jiu knew how true that really was. He had not just given up his life and identity to his younger twin so he could live better, but his very body to a man from another world entirely.
“Gege-” Shen Qingqiu doesn’t know what he was going to say, what he wanted to say before he is caught off guard by a familiar pair of arms wrapping around his waist. Why in the world was everyone having such… interesting timing today?! Shen Qingqiu was beginning to be convinced that the world was out to get him in one way or another.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe purrs, breath soft against Shen Qingqiu’s ear, “I’ve missed you so terribly all day. To be deprived of your touch is like a thousand little needles piercing my heart.” Shen Qingqiu blushes, gritting his teeth as he resists the urge to snap the fan he’s holding in two out of embarrassment.
The least you could do is have a little common decency, husband of mine! One, we are in public! And, two! That is my brother standing there! Do you really have to call out ‘Shizun’ like that?!
Shen Qingqiu can feel Shen Jiu’s eyes boring into them as Binghe cuddles even closer. He’s gotten used to the judgement of his relationship with Luo Binghe, all of the questioning stares directed at him whenever the two of them were together (which was most of the time), and all of those who voice their concerns aloud, as if that was going to dissuade Shen Qingqiu from staying with Binghe.
But Shen Jiu’s stare is an entirely different kind of judgement. It feels like knives stabbing into him from every angle. He can’t escape from that judgement, no matter if he tried or not.
So he would have to just run towards it, and face it. Clearing his throat he says, “Gege, this is… this is Luo Binghe, my husband.” Shen Qingqiu still flusters at calling his Luo Binghe his husband , and the very idea of his marriage being open knowledge to his brother .
Shen Jiu’s eyes narrow, darting between Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe with his hands now wrapped around Shen Qingqiu’s thin waist.
Husband, please don’t get handsy! Now is absolutely not the time!
“Your husband.” The tone his brother takes is scalding, like freshly brewed tea, and he seems to stare right through Shen Qingqiu as if he had suddenly lost all of his respect for him.
“Yes… my husband.” Shen Qingqiu flutters his fan casually against his face. He spares a glance towards Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe who looks terribly smug. Husband, why are you still so smug about being called husband by this master?
“Shizun loves me, of course he would be my husband. There is no one else that could be worthy of my heart.” Binghe, how can you always say such things with a straight face?! Are you not embarrassed?! Shen Jiu continues to stare at Luo Binghe, eyes occasionally darting to Shen Qingqiu to question his twin.
“Gege, I do love Luo Binghe, as Luo Binghe loves me.” He understands that he looks smothering, dear brother! But! He’s just affectionate!
“I don’t care,” Shen Qingqiu winces at the way Shen Jiu’s tone shifts as he speaks up again, “I didn’t come here to watch you and this… husband of yours fawn over each other like some sort of pair of wild animals.” Okay, maybe that was a little accurate. But he didn’t have to be quite so rude about it! Shen Qingqiu flusters slightly, smacking Luo Binghe gently with the back of his fan to prevent his husband from glaring daggers into his brother.
“What did you come here for then?” Shen Qingqiu asked, rapping his fan against his chin in thought. He could imagine any number of circumstances that could find Shen Jiu at his doorstep, but he never would have expected what actually came out of his brother’s mouth.
“Qi-ge,” Shen Jiu’s fist curls in… anger? Shen Qingqiu wasn’t quite sure, “I need you to help me win his affections, didi.”
Shen Qingqiu gapes at his brother, opening and closing his mouth uselessly like some sort of fish.
What?! Jiu-ge don’t you know that he’s terribly in love with you?! News flash! You need to win his affections! You already have them!
“Gege, are you serious?!” He holds back the urge to throw his fan at his brother, “Qi-ge… Qi-ge has always…! He missed you more than anything! What the hell do you think that means?!”
“I don’t know, didi . How about you enlighten me?! Scalding! Shen Jiu was so terribly scalding!
“I’m not Zhangmen-shixiong, gege,” He fans himself with a sigh, “I cannot tell you exactly what he feels. This brother may only end up giving you an answer you don’t like.”
You and Zhangmen-shixiong are the ones who need to work out your feelings. I can’t do it for you! Sorry, not sorry!
“I don’t think you understand . I don’t… I don’t know him anymore. You do.” Ah, so that was the real reason. But did Shen Qingqiu even really know Yue Qingyuan? Certainly not in the way that Shen Jiu thought he did.
“I-” He’s about to tell his brother, to tell him that he’s not as close to Zhangmen-shixiong as he thinks, that he doesn’t know his heart the way Shen Jiu thinks he does. But he’s cut off abruptly as he’s suddenly jostled by Luo Binghe.
“If you have feelings for him, why don’t you just tell him that?” Like Binghe could talk, he hadn’t said a word about how he’d felt all along until Shen Qingqiu had already found out the hard way.
Sensing that these two volatile personalities could be about to collide, Shen Qingqiu steps away from his husband - and pushes Binghe back a bit when his sticky spouse tries to follow - moving to stand between Luo Binghe and his brother.
“Fine. I’ll help you, gege. And as for you, husband dear , don’t antagonise him. You know better than that.” Shen Qingqiu opens his fan once again with a sigh.
He was going to have his work cut out for him… wasn’t he?