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“I don’t know who I’m attracted to.”
It’s a sunny autumn afternoon when Jiang Cheng says this. Crowded in Wei Wuxian’s one-bedroom apartment and its dying A/C, Jiang Cheng is laying down on the bargain bin couch with a porn magazine laying flat and unopened on his stomach.
Wei Wuxian, sitting a good ten feet away with his boyfriend and burger covered in hot sauce, asks through a full mouth, “What makes you say that?”
“Yeah, what brings this up?” Nie Huaisang asks from where he’s laying on the floor, exposing his belly to a fan.
Jiang Cheng waves the porn magazine. It’s one of Wei Wuxian’s, filled to the brim with naked and barely-clothed women. Lan Wangji is the jealous type, so these magazines need to go, thus why Jiang Cheng has been asked to peruse them to determine which ones he’ll take. On the floor next to the couch is a sizeable stack of magazines with men, women, and one fantastically queer collection of all body-types, presentations, and genitalia. Jiang Cheng, though, has only just picked up the first of the stack. “I don’t get off to any of this!”
“Then go to the next one!” Wei Wuxian exclaims. He expertly dodges when Jiang Cheng throws the magazine at him.
“I don’t like any of this!” Jiang Cheng retorts as he sits up. His trademark scowl curls into his face as he hunches over and plays with his spinner ring. “It’s stupid!”
“Are you trying to tell us that you’re ace?” Nie Huaisang asks. He’s sat up, as well, and gathers his long hair into a bun.
“I—I don’t know,” Jiang Cheng answers honestly. The fidgeting with his spinner ring turns into tight gripping of his hands, the sight of it painful even from a distance.
Wei Wuxian moves from Lan Wangji’s lap to sit beside Jiang Cheng, leaving the offending burger just shy of finished. He throws an arm over his brother’s shoulders and pulls him near. Jiang Cheng relaxes infinitesimally into the touch. “It’s fine if you are!” He throws his legs over Jiang Cheng’s thighs. In the awkward position, he tries to lay down and take Jiang Cheng with him, but his brother refuses. “It’d explain a lot.”
Jiang Cheng gives Wei Wuxian an indiscernible look, then meets eyes with Lan Wangji. Whatever silent conversation the two have, it prompts Lan Wangji to get up from the couch and sit on the floor with Wei Wuxian in his lap again. Jiang Cheng turns his attention to Nie Huaisang, completely ignoring the couple beside him. “How did you know?” he asks.
“That I’m pan?” Nie Huaisang responds. He thinks for a short while before answering, “I didn’t find anyone that I wouldn’t want to be with sexually minus, like, their personality.” He shrugs. “I think I always knew, though, like how I’m trans. I got lucky, I didn’t have to go through a novel’s worth of angst like somebody.”
“Shut up!” Wei Wuxian protests. “You know why I had trouble!”
Lan Wangji hums and hugs Wei Wuxian’s waist. “I would’ve waited longer.”
“Aww, babe!”
Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang share a look and scurry out of the apartment. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji notably do not follow them.
“I’m glad he figured out he’s bi, but…” Nie Huaisang makes a face at Jiang Cheng to portray his displeasure at the couple’s activities and how easily they’ll drop right to sex, regardless of who’s nearby.
Jiang Cheng only sighs as he and Nie Huaisang hurry down the steps. When they reach the first floor from the fifth, Jiang Cheng says, “I do actually want to… I don’t know… Have sex? With somebody?”
Nie Huaisang is quick to catch the tells that Jiang Cheng is about to bolt and grabs his friend’s arm, anchoring him to this conversation and the discomfort undeniably coursing through his body. “It’s not a bad thing, you know. It’s called the asexuality spectrum for a reason.” When Jiang Cheng doesn’t respond, Nie Huaisang restrains a sigh and pulls him in, sandwiching Jiang Cheng’s arm against his stomach as he drags the other man outside. The street is blissfully empty, as it should be on any weekday afternoon. It gives Nie Huaisang the courage to move his grip from Jiang Cheng’s arm to simply his hand. To his joy, Jiang Cheng returns the hold and they move to take a walk around the apartment block.
“Okay, so run me through your feelings. Is it, like, nobody sparks your interest? Like a general horny? Or are we ‘Anyone who’s seen my dick and met my parents needs to die’?”
Jiang Cheng actually laughs at the last joke, so good progress so far. “Just... I want somebody, I guess? I really don’t know, Huaisang.”
Nie Huaisang makes a hum to let him know he’s thinking. Knowing Jiang Cheng, the man is at significant disadvantage when it comes to learning about himself. So as they turn a corner, Nie Huaisang asks, “If you had to choose someone to experiment with so you could figure it out, who would it be?”
“…You, probably,” Jiang Cheng mutters.
Nie Huaisang knows his cheeks are burning the instant he hears Jiang Cheng’s response. In truth, he’s definitely considered Jiang Cheng for a potential partner more than a few times, but he’s kept his distance for the sake of maintaining a friendship. And while Nie Huaisang has always considered himself a coward, he’s also never been the type to miss a chance. So he stops walking and faces Jiang Cheng. With a smile he says, “Then kiss me.”
Jiang Cheng looks hesitant, at first. But before Nie Huaisang can lose his nerve, Jiang Cheng leans down and presses their lips together. It’s short. Sweet. Soft. When Jiang Cheng pulls back, Nie Huaisang has to fight back the urge to bring him back in. Instead he forces on a smile and asks, “How was that?”
Jiang Cheng is completely red as he answers, “Good. I think I liked it.”
“Great! Then you can consider me your partner as, um… Ah, hold on.” Nie Huaisang turns around, hiding his burning face in his hands.
“A-Are you okay?” Jiang Cheng inquires, his hand finding Nie Huaisang’s shoulder and tugging, encouraging him to turn back around.
“I’m fine!” Nie Huaisang promises. “It’s just so warm out, you know?”
There’s humored disbelief in Jiang Cheng’s tone as he says, “It’s the middle of autumn. C’mon, look at me, Huaisang.”
“Noooo! I’m embarrassed!” Despite his words, Nie Huaisang does turn back around and removes his hands, though he doesn’t look up.
Jiang Cheng laughs and throws his arm over Nie Huaisang’s shoulders. “It’s just me.”
Nie Huaisang puts his arm around Jiang Cheng’s waist. “Yeah, a super cute boy. I thought I’d be fine, but you’re too powerful.”
Jiang Cheng doesn’t say anything. When Nie Huaisang finally looks up at him, he leans in to kiss him again. This time, the kiss lingers, and Nie Huaisang eagerly moves with Jiang Cheng, inviting both his hesitation and his courage. When they break apart, Jiang Cheng stumbles over his words a few times before ultimately shoving out, “Boyfriends?”
Nie Huaisang laughs. “Sure. Something like that.”