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“Please tell me you’re awake.”
Nie Huaisang groans into the phone receiver. He checks the time on the bedside clock. 2:18 in the morning. He hears Jiang Cheng release a shuddering breath from the other side of the call.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m awake,” Nie Huaisang mumbles. “Where are you? What’s going on?”
“At the bus stop near—nearest my house.” The wobble in Jiang Cheng’s voice makes Nie Huaisang sit up. “Can you, I don’t know—can you pick me up? I-I didn’t take my car keys. I just stuffed a bunch of things in my backpack, I don’t even know if I grabbed my toothbrush, I—”
“I’m on my way, Jiang Cheng,” Nie Huaisang promises as he hurries out of bed and slips on a winter coat. “Don’t hang up and stay where you are, I’ll be there soon.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Jiang Cheng whispers as Nie Huaisang leads him into the house. “I woke you up for nothing, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not nothing,” Nie Huaisang promises while he slips off his shoes. “You needed help. I’m glad you woke me.” He idly plays with the hair at Jiang Cheng’s neck as he watches his friend remove his own shoes. The bright red glitter on white faux leather betray that they belong to Wei Wuxian. “Want to tell me what happened?”
Jiang Cheng bites his lip and shakes his head. There’s a pink mark against his cheek and bruising on his knuckles. True to his word, Jiang Cheng is only carrying his stuffed purple backpack. He isn’t at all dressed for the winter weather outside. Nie Huaisang can easily guess what happened tonight.
“That’s fine,” Nie Huaisang promises. His hand moves from Jiang Cheng’s neck to the middle of his back, pushing him into the foyer and then up the stairs. “I won’t pry. You can stay as long as you need.”
“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng mumbles. Notably, he doesn’t argue when Nie Huaisang leads him into his bedroom. Even more notably, he doesn’t relax until he’s curled up under Nie Huaisang’s sheets, encased in his friend’s scent.
Nie Huaisang doesn’t say anything. He swallows down his own fluster, his own bursting feelings for Jiang Cheng, and settles into bed next to his long-time friend.
“Is Jiang Cheng with you?”
Nie Huaisang squints at the alarm clock. 11:31 in the morning. Then he turns his head to check on his bed partner. “Yeah,” Nie Huaisang answers, “he’s sleeping next to me.”
“You better not have taken advantage!” Wei Wuxian threatens from the other end of the call.
Nie Huaisang sighs. “Who the fuck do you think I am, Wuxian? I wouldn’t do that to anyone, let alone your brother.”
“Right. Sorry.” Wei Wuxian doesn’t sound sorry at all. “Keep him at your place for a few days, okay? A-jie and I will figure things out.”
“Good luck,” Nie Huaisang replies, meaning it. “Hey, before you go, answer me a question.”
“Shoot.”
“Which parent hit him?”
Wei Wuxian goes tellingly quiet. Then, in a strained whisper, “Uncle.”
Nie Huaisang hums into the receiver. “Don’t forget you have the Nies on your side. We’ll be here when you need us.”
“…Thank you, Huaisang,” Wei Wuxian replies in a tight, broken voice.
“Stay strong, Wuxian. I’ll keep your brother safe.”
Jiang Cheng sleeps most of the first day. When he finally comes downstairs, the sun has already begun to make way for night. He eats breakfast/dinner and only responds to Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue in short, conversation-ending sentences. Neither brother bothers him about it. When his food is done, he returns to Nie Huaisang’s bed, curled up but unable to sleep. Nie Huaisang watches My Neighbor Totoro with him that night.
Jiang Cheng spends most of the second morning in Nie Mingjue’s training room. He screams as he pummels training dummies and sandbags and very nearly breaks a wooden sword after using it like a bat. When he finally tires himself out, Nie Huaisang treats his injured knuckles and cleans sweat from his face. Jiang Cheng cries quietly into Nie Huaisang’s shoulder before dragging himself to take his first bath in three days.
That second night, Jiang Cheng finds himself under a blanket and sandwich between the Nie brothers as they watch Ponyo. He falls asleep with his head in Nie Huaisang’s lap and his legs sprawled over Nie Mingjue’s.
On the third day, Jiang Cheng finally tells the story. A little over a week ago, Jiang Cheng defended Jiang Yanli’s decision to pursue a same-sex relationship in spite of their mother’s judgment. Jiang Cheng’s argument was that their parents had approved of Wei Wuxian’s relationship with Lan Wangji. Plus, with modern technology, Jiang Yanli could still carry on biological children if she eventually married Wen Qing. Between the arguments of both her children, Yu Ziyuan eventually agreed to Jiang Yanli’s relationship.
They thought the issue was over with. But then Jiang Fengmian said, “You two are not Wei Wuxian.”
The implication was clear. Wei Wuxian, despite being legally adopted and cared for by the Jiangs, was, somehow, not beholden to the same rules as Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. That two decades of living as a Jiang son and brother did not grant him the same status as his adopted siblings. That his freedom to love who he wanted was no different than an ostracization from his only family.
Moreover, Jiang Fengmian was aware of Jiang Cheng’s sexuality, even though the man in question had yet to come out to parents. What was worse, Jiang Fengmian would not accept Jiang Cheng’s orientation, because he was ‘not Wei Wuxian’. Angered, frustrated, but frozen, Jiang Cheng dropped the subject. But the slight boiled under his skin, festering as Yu Ziyuan argued on her children’s behalf.
It all came to a head when Jiang Cheng snapped and demanded his father’s approval. Only reprimands left Jiang Fengmian’s lips. Jiang Cheng got up in his father’s face, demanding recognition for Wei Wuxian, approval for Jiang Yanli, apologies for Yu Ziyuan. Jiang Fengmian slapped his son.
Broken, confused, exhausted—Jiang Cheng left his fist on Jiang Fengmian’s jaw and on the wall. He left that night, ignoring his siblings’ desperate pleas for him to stay. He couldn’t remain in that home. Not anymore.
When Jiang Cheng finishes his story, Nie Huaisang holds him close while Nie Mingjue storms off to the training room.
“I won’t let him near you again,” Nie Huaisang promises. Jiang Cheng is too tired to argue.
They manage to enjoy a relatively normal fourth day. They agree to go shopping to make up for whatever Jiang Cheng didn’t grab. Jiang Cheng borrows clothes from Nie Mingjue and a coat from Nie Huaisang. Even in oversized clothes and an unflattering peacoat, he looks better than he has in years.
They travel to a shopping center one city over. At one point, Nie Huaisang spots one of his favorite stores and grabs Jiang Cheng’s hand to drag him in. Nie Huaisang tries not to freak out when he realizes, nearly an hour later, that Jiang Cheng has not let go.
On the fifth night, Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng are making s’mores over the stove.
“Okay,” Jiang Cheng suddenly says, “You have to pick one. Wonder Woman or Deadpool?”
“So between my dominatrix mommy or my friend with benefits?” Nie Huaisang snarks.
Around a bite of s’more, Jiang Cheng says, “Absolutely.”
“Probably Wonder Woman, then,” Nie Huaisang answers as he grabs a handful of marshmallows and pops two in his mouth. “Gal Godot looks like she would give the best kisses after sex. I wouldn’t trust Ryan Reynolds to take me to dinner afterwards.”
Jiang Cheng snorts. “Okay. How about Ponyo versus Totoro?”
“For?”
“In general. Who would you pick?”
Nie Huaisang laughs and makes a s’more. “Totoro, duh. Best cuddler.”
“I can cuddle better than him,” Jiang Cheng grumbles.
Nie Huaisang does his best not to think about cuddling Jiang Cheng. It’s been hard enough sharing a bed with his friend the past four nights. If he was given cuddling privileges, he might just skip right to kissing Jiang Cheng breathless. “I’m sure you can,” Nie Huaisang says instead of begging for Jiang Cheng’s affection. “You’ve got good arm muscles.”
Jiang Cheng goes quiet. Stares at Nie Huaisang with an unreadable face. Soon Jiang Cheng suddenly affixes his arm to Nie Huaisang’s waist and pulls him close, Nie shoulder colliding with Jiang chest.
“G-good?” Jiang Cheng asks, a noticeable squeak to his voice.
Nie Huaisang looks up at him. He slips his arm around Jiang Cheng’s waist as well and tries, probably fails, to smile confidently up at him. “It’s good. Really good.”
Jiang Cheng stammers some more, unable to form any words, before he gives up and squeezes his eyes shut. He doesn’t move an inch. Eventually, Nie Huaisang realizes it’s an invitation. He gladly accepts.
Kissing Jiang Cheng nearly makes his heart burst. But he powers on, pushing Jiang Cheng against the counter, stealing one, two, more kisses from the most perfect boy to ever exist. Jiang Cheng pushes on, as well, meeting every kiss with clumsy but determined lips. Soon the nervousness turns into unbridled joy, lighting up every pore in Nie Huaisang’s skin as he acts on so many bottled-up desires all at once.
When they finally break apart, Nie Huaisang bursts into laughter. He hugs Jiang Cheng, rubbing his head against Jiang Cheng’s chest. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that!”
He hears Jiang Cheng swallow. “Me too. For a really, really long time, Huaisang.”
Nie Huaisang meets his eyes, drinks in the cherry red on Jiang Cheng’s cheeks. “Well, now we’ll have plenty of time for this, huh?”
Jiang Cheng chuckles lightly and kisses him again. “I guess so.”
Wei Wuxian calls again a week later. Things back home still aren’t looking good. Jiang Fengmian wants to know where Jiang Cheng went, but nobody will tell him. At this rate, Jiang Yanli might move out, as well. Wei Wuxian himself already has arrangements to stay with Lan Wangji.
Curled up against the sleeping form of his boyfriend, Nie Huaisang promises Wei Wuxian that he and his sister will always have a place with the Nies. When the call ends, Nie Huaisang rolls over and watches Jiang Cheng’s face. He is peaceful like this. Happy. Nie Huaisang will not soon let that end.
“I love you,” he whispers, a promise of safety etched into every word.