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"MingJue, please," XiChen whimpers, sending both the Nie brothers into helpless giggles. "I don't want to."
With beseeching eyes, he gazes between the two of them, but there is no mercy to be found. Nie Huaisang titters, waving his phone near his face like a fan. "C'mon, XiChen-ge. Show your support!"
"I am supportive," XiChen insists, posture instinctively straightening.
"You are," Nie MingJue rumbles, absently patting his hand, and gives Nie Huaisang an amused shrug. "You heard him. He doesn't want to."
Frowning, XiChen watches him with narrowed eyes; the words are right, but that tone…
"It's obviously too much to ask, even for my life partner, my greatest and only love, the man I would happily kill or die for-"
"Cruel," Nie Huaisang gasps as XiChen flops to the table, hiding his face in his folded arms.
"I can't believe you two."
He sneaks a peek over his arm, and Nie Huaisang is nudging the box closer. "One picture," he cajoles, and XiChen cringes.
"XiChen," Nie MingJue murmurs, leaning down until his eyes, corners crinkled with laugh lines, are all XiChen can see. "You don't have to. I just thought it would be fun. I don't want you to be miserable."
God, of course. This is why XiChen can never, ever tell this man 'no'. Because as much as Nie MingJue teases him, he also LOVES him, with his whole heart, and never pushes XiChen when it really matters. I guess I'm doing this, then. My uncle is going to kill me.
"One picture," XiChen allows, voice unsteady, and does his best not to flinch at their hoots of glee. Nie Huaisang immediately digs into the box, popping up moments later with triumph glossing his features and a t-shirt held tight in his fist.
Soon, XiChen is being herded out the front doors and arranged on the sidewalk like a doll. "Get closer to the sign," Nie Huaisang instructs, and XiChen shuffles over, shooting Nie MingJue a wobbly smile.
"Like this?"
"You look beautiful," Nie MingJue husks, nodding his approval, but then his eyebrows drop. "Huaisang. Should we get a fan?"
Nie Huaisang hums in surprise, darting along the sidewalk to find the perfect angle. "Why?"
"Well," Nie MingJue begins, striding to XiChen and holding up a handful of XiChen's long, silky hair. "It would be a shame to hide his hair behind his shoulders in the picture," he explains, "but if we arrange it in front, it covers the shirt."
"Ah," Nie Huaisang sighs, phone a-flutter. "Windblown tresses. Brother, you're a genius."
"You guys," XiChen whispers, covering his blush with his hands.
A fan is procured while XiChen stands gamely in front of the store, scrunching his eyes shut at the giggling passers-by. "I feel like an idiot," he mumbles once his hair is waving in the manufactured wind, but the Nie brothers are too busy 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing and patting themselves on the back to notice.
"Okay, XiChen-ge!" Nie Huaisang sings, waving his hand above his head. "A big smile!"
Well. XiChen said he would do this, and he isn't about to give it less than his all. With a deep, calming breath, XiChen imagines the way his MingJue looks in the light of early morning, sleepy and sweet, and lets his face stretch into a smile.
"UGH, you're gorgeous!" Nie Huaisang screeches, Nie MingJue emphatically nodding along, and FINALLY, the picture is taken. "Hnnng, brother, look at this!"
The two stand in the middle of the sidewalk, cooing over the photo, and XiChen takes the opportunity to strip out of the t-shirt and head back inside. He's had enough embarrassment for the day, for crying out loud. Of course, he should have known things wouldn't end so easily.
"Brother made it the header for the store's twitter!" Nie Huaisang giggles as he runs to the back room, grabbing and squeezing XiChen's hand even as XiChen gasps in horror.
"NO! Tell him to-"
But then Nie MingJue comes in, looking ecstatic, and flashes him an enormous grin. "God, it's perfect, XiChen. Thank you, seriously. So much." XiChen melts into the arms that wrap around his back, a soft sound of surprise catching in his throat when gentle lips meet his own. "Thank you," Nie MingJue whispers in his ear.
"It's a picture," XiChen does his best to grumble through his smile. "It isn't that big of a deal."
"The BEST picture," Nie MingJue insists, holding it out for XiChen to see.
And it is a good picture, XiChen can admit; Nie Huaisang has always had a gift for such things. His hair somehow does look blown by a natural breeze, and he managed a genuine smile, and the store always looks fantastic… The sign, hand-painted by Huaisang and XiChen both, is striking, 'MingJue's Charcuterie and Meat Market' glimmering in bold, capital letters of gold and green.
That ridiculous t-shirt, though. "You realize my uncle is going to bleed from his eyes when he sees this."
"Hmm," Nie Huaisang lilts, then holds up his phone. "WangJi likes it."
XiChen snags the phone so fast neither of the Nies actually sees it happen. "YOU SENT IT TO MY BROTHER?!"
A pained groan squeaks from his throat when he discovers WangJi has sent a zoomed and cropped version of the photo in response, the screen-printed 'I Love MingJue's Meat!' taking up the entire width of the phone.
Lan WangJi: [photo sent: dc302.png]
Lan WangJi: Shameless.
Lan WangJi: :)
Lan WangJi: Jiang Cheng and I would like a t-shirt, too.
"Oh my god," XiChen mutters, sinking to a chair. "You are all the WORST."
Already packing three shirts into a bag, Nie Huaisang shrugs. "It's funny! Don't be so-"
"Put one in there for Uncle Lan," Nie MingJue interjects, finger hovering over the bag.
"MINGJUE!"
"We support each other's businesses," he intones, and XiChen can't help laughing. "He'll wear it. I wore that 'fart-mart' t-shirt for years."
"Gusu Cloud," XiChen gasps, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, and then none of them can stop laughing.