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“Come on,” Huaisang hisses, gesturing for Jiang Cheng to follow. The stodgy Lan disciple on curfew duty rounds the corner of the building at the far end of the courtyard and ducks out of sight. Jiang Cheng peeks over the shrub behind which he’d flattened himself when he heard footsteps, and Huaisang grins at him.
Heat rises in his cheeks, and he chastises himself. He should not be doing this. He should not be out after curfew, He should not be sneaking around with half a jar of Emperor’s Smile stolen from Wei Ying. And he most definitely should not be sneaking around with Huaisang. Aside from his mother, the only other person in the world who truly terrifies Jiang Cheng is Chifeng-Zun, who is somewhere in Cloud Recesses at this very moment, having arrived that afternoon to confer with Zewu-Jun.
Which is why Huaisang missed dinner with the other visiting students, to dine with his brother. Which led to Jiang Cheng missing Huaisang more than he thought possible, which led to—
A hand falls on his shoulder, and Jiang Cheng startles badly.
“Jiang Cheng, come on,” Huaisang says, his voice gentle. He strokes Jiang Cheng’s shoulder briefly, then reaches for his hand.
“Won’t your brother be staying with you?” Jiang Cheng asks as he allows Huaisang to pull him along, much like he had just two short weeks ago.
Huaisang snorts. “No, A-Cheng, my brother has an...arrangement with Zewu-Jun. I’m sure they’ll be occupied with, um, sect matters until morning.”
Jiang Cheng swallows. “I hope I don’t become sect leader for a long time. There’s so much work involved! So many meetings and alliances! I’m not ready for that!”
Huaisang has an odd expression when they reach his rooms, but it’s swiftly replaced by the sweet smile Jiang Cheng has come to recognize as the one reserved for him. He holds out the jar.
“I stole this from my brother’s stash,” he says.
Huaisang smiles again, a host’s smile, as he takes the jar with a slight bow. “Thank you, that’s very kind. But I thought we could have some tea instead?”
“Oh. Yes, alright.” Jiang Cheng kneels on one side of the low table as Huaisang busies himself with the tea. Soon enough, they warm their hands on the smooth ceramic bowls of the tea set Huaisang had brought from home.
He makes pleasant small talk with Jiang Cheng until Jiang Cheng feels the last of the tension flow from his body. Huaisang clears the tea set away and returns to the table, though this time, he sits right beside Jiang Cheng.
“A-Cheng,” he says, “I confess, I had ulterior motives for inviting you here.”
“You didn’t want to spend time with me?” A shiver of doubt works through him now, and it must show on his face, because Huaisang hastens to continue.
“I very much want to spend time with you,” he says, squeezing Jiang Cheng’s arm, “but I did not want to just have tea.” He meets Jiang Cheng’s gaze directly, then lets it drop to Jiang Cheng’s lips when he’s sure he has his attention.
“Oh. Really?”
“Yes. Really.” Huaisang inches closer. “That night. You said that night that we would have tomorrow, but then …”
Jiang Cheng looks away.
“Did you change your mind? Because it’s okay if you did,” he rushes out over Jiang Cheng’s stutter of surprise. “We can be friends still. I hope we’ll be friends still. But I was also hoping we could maybe be more?”
“I want that too!” Jiang Cheng interjects before Huaisang even finishes his sentence. “I do! I just, I’ve never done that, or liked someone, or someone liked me, so I didn’t know, I just—“
Huaisang raises himself up and plants a firm kiss on Jiang Cheng’s cheek. “It’s okay,” he says, once Jiang Cheng drags his focus back.
“Sorry,” Jiang Cheng mumbles again.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Huaisang replies. He stands and offers a hand to Jiang Cheng. “I should have asked sooner, then we’d both feel a lot better.” He takes a tentative step towards the bed and pauses, now shy himself. “I’m not asking for anything, you know, like my books, not tonight,” he says, “but I thought maybe you’d like to stay with me?”
Jiang Cheng doesn’t trust his voice, so he nods.
“In my bed?” Huaisang prompts. “With me?”
“Yes, please,” Jiang Cheng says.
Huaisang’s brilliant smile returns. He takes another chaste kiss from Jiang Cheng, and then, they fall.
“But Huaisang’s alright?”
Lan Xichen plants a hand on Nie Mingjue’s chest and takes a moment to process what he’s just heard.
“You’re asking me about your brother? Right now?” He leans back, and the change in angle sends a shudder through them both. “This moment?” He grins and shifts his hips, and Mingjue groans.
“I’m worried about him,” Mingjue says doggedly.
“He’s fine, Mingjue, my love. I, however, am feeling a little less than fine.” Lans do not pout, but Xichen comes perilously close. Laughter rumbles through Mingjue, and he seizes Xichen’s hips, and for a time, all talk of brothers is forgotten.
But Mingjue cannot set the worry aside completely, though he waits until Xichen dozes contentedly in his arms.
“Did he seem alright to you at dinner?”
Xichen laughs now, a sound like calming bells to Mingjue. “He’s fine. I saw him sneaking off to Jiang Wanyin’s quarters as I finished my last patrol of the evening. I’m sure they’re very pleasantly occupied.”
Mingjue grumbles. “I knew I should have had a talk with that Jiang boy this evening.”
Xichen tucks a stray lock of Mingjue’s hair behind his ear. “Talk about what?”
Mingjue mutters something indistinct and gestures vaguely at the bed, drawing another laugh from Xichen.
“I’m certain he doesn’t need a talk about that, Mingjue. Your brother brought quite the little reference library with him. I’m told it’s been a very informative summer for the visiting disciples.”
“He didn’t!”
“Mmm, he did,” Xichen says, silencing Mingjue with a kiss. “And don’t you complain. I found them useful myself.” He rolls until he’s straddling Mingjue again. “You seemed to enjoy putting to practice the things I learned.”
“Oh, no no no, you did not have a talk with my brother, Xichen, tell me you didn’t!”
“Of course not,” he replies, leaning down to kiss Mingjue. “Wangji confiscated one of the manuals.” Xichen laughs. “I did have a talk with him. Ye gods, if anyone needs to worry about a little brother around here…”
“You don’t approve of Wei Wuxian?”
“I heartily approve,” Xichen says, “but poor Wangji.” He sighs. “The pining, Mingjue, the pining! It’s unbearable!”
“You poor thing,” Mingjue teases.
“It has been very difficult on me.”
Mingjue reaches around Xichen and pulls him down so they are flush. He kisses along the side of Xichen’s neck until he’s gasping. “I appreciate your sacrifice,” he says, dragging his hands along Xichen’s sides, over the broad planes of his back, and further down. “I suppose we’ll just have to put your new knowledge to work. So your sacrifice will not have been in vain.”
“I accept your proposal, Sect Leader Nie,” Xichen says.
They can worry about their brothers tomorrow.