Work Text:
Nie Mingjue watched with vary eyes as his sworn brother poured alcohol in their cups. He had already tried to persuade him drinking wasn’t a good idea, but his pleas had fallen on death ears. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t try one last time, though.
”Are you one hundred percent sure about this, Xichen?” The older inquired, and Xichen stopped in his movement. He looked up at his brother and sent him a reassuring smile.
”Don’t worry, Brother Mingjue, everything’ll be all right!” He reassured him once again (to no avail) as he poured Emperor’s Smile in his own cup as well.
”Drinking in Cloud Recesses is prohibited, though?” The third companion spoke up and Lan Xichen’s attention turned towards him immediately.
”Basically yes,” he started with a nod, ”but there were countless cases of breaking that rule,” Xichen said, thinking back of Wei-gongzi bringing alcohol or him drinking with his brother.
”If Er-gege won’t get in trouble then it’s okay,” Meng Yao mumbled, and Nie Mingjue rolled his eyes seeing the pink dust on Xichen’s face. He was too old for that shit.
After Xichen said a toast about them and the deep bond they had with each other, they started drinking – and the inevitable happened. It was after their second cup when Nie Mingjue heard the well-known giggles and saw the both inquired and horrified expression on his youngest brother’s face.
”Da-ge, what on earth-” Meng Yao started, but was interrupted by a loud gasp. They turned towards the sound and saw Xichen watching the youngest with shining eyes. Xichen scooted closer to Meng Yao, and cupped his cheeks.
”A-Yao! So cute!” Xichen cooed while squishing the youngest Zun’s cheeks. Meng Yao let out an ’eeek!’, but stayed still. Nie Mingjue sighed, then spoke up.
”He is a Lan which is equal with zero alcohol tolerance. I am surprised he could manage two cups and didn’t get drunk from only one.” At his words, Lan Xichen looked up at him, pouting.
”I’m the older Lan, so of course I can handle more than one!” He said, offended, then grabbed Meng Yao by the wrist. ”Come on, A-Yao! I have to show you something!”
”Er-gege, wait!” Meng Yao yelped as he was dragged out of the room with Nie Mingjue following the two of his younger brothers.
It was a summer night, so the sun hadn’t set yet. Lan Xichen dragged Meng Yao through Cloud Recesses till they left the place and took their way towards the forest. After a few more minutes of walking they reached a meadow, and both Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao’s breaths were caught in their throats.
”Bunnies!” Meng Yao exclaimed after regaining his composure.
”Aren’t they adorable?” Lan Xichen asked, but didn’t get an answer given that Meng Yao sprinted out to the meadow, and had already sat down to a place free from bunnies. ”So cute!” He breathed, and Nie Mingjue felt the almost irresistible urge to hit some sense in his head to confess already. Though, considering that Lan Xichen was drunk, it wasn’t such a good idea.
”Then go out there, idiot!” He said eventually, and Lan Xichen hurried out to the meadow.
He scooped up some bunnies in his arms and took them to Meng Yao, then put them on his lap. Meng Yao looked up at him with a questioning look. He didn’t fully understand what was going on. Xichen only grinned down at him happily
”I’ll bury you under bunnies, A-Yao!” He announced, then hurried away from more bunnies, leaving Meng Yao totally perplexed. Having no better idea, Meng Yao started to pet one of the bunnies. The white fluff ball rubbed its head to his hand. ”Awe, they love you!” Xichen cooed once again, placing some more bunnies in Meng Yao’s lap, but before he could’ve brought more, Meng Yao pulled him down beside him.
”I think ten bunnies are more than enough,” he said, pointing at the fluff balls trying to climb up on his chest. It made both him and Lan Xichen giggle. He scooped some of them up, then put them in Lan Xichen’s lap. ”Er-gege deserves some bunny-love too!” He said, and Lan Xichen hid his face in the sleeve of his robe.
”So cute!” He said for the third time that day, his robe thankfully muffling his words. Meng Yao tilted his head, but Lan Xichen shook his. ”It’s nothing, A-Yao!” He said quickly, when he felt a wave of fatuge taking over his body all of the sudden. He closed his eyes, and let his head loll onto Meng Yao’s shoulder. As soon as his brother was out, Meng Yao looked up at Nie Mingjue who didn’t hide the grin on his lips.
”He always passes out after drinking. It will take one hour or two till he wakes up.”