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Zhou Zishu sometimes wonders if he really wants to be married to two morning people.
Han Ying was nice about it, quietly slipping away and helping with the disciples rising.
Wen Kexing slips away quietly but then comes back when he determines it’s bright enough for Zhou Zishu to have been awake by now.
He comes through, pulling the shutters open and making sure the room is flooded with light,. Zhou Zishu can’t even hide in the blankets as they’re soon thrown from the bed.
He doesn’t even know why they want to be up this early as he feels he’s finally deserved to be allowed to sleep in a little. To be the lazy manor lord he was never allowed to be for 35 years.
Han Ying is much nicer as he will be quiet, coming through and adjusting the blankets for Zhou Zishu and leaving water or tea behind. The half asleep stupor he’s always in after the two leave doesn’t fully leave but Han Ying will stay, brushing his hands through Zhou Zishu’s hair gently that has him sighing, falling back asleep embarrassingly quickly.
Only he has taken to be lazier now after they finally managed to establish a home in Four Season’s Manor. Only in the mornings will he laze around, sleeping later than the disciples and letting Wen Kexing fill his boots with the meal preparations for the day.
“I don’t mind helping Chenling.” Han Ying had said. He smiled, his eyes soft. “He has promise even if it is harder for him to take things in. Once he is able to grasp concepts, they are executed well but not well enough to be taught to the younger ones. I can be the one to help him there.”
“It’s fine. He’s an idiot but he means well. He won’t step out of line trying to teach them if he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He usually just waits for me to really start anything.” Zhou Zishu replied. He was untying his hair for bed, looking through the mirror at Han Ying as he changed.
“Zishu could sleep in if I helped though. I know that you still don't sleep well after midnight.”
He hums, not answering. Zhou Zishu doesn’t know how he feels that it’s so obvious how little he sleeps. Wen Kexing has taken to making him get up to be with the disciples to tire him out while Han Ying is more likely to let him sleep, helping him fall back under in the mornings.
Wen Kexing sweeps in then. He smells like soap with his hair still slightly dripping. Zhou Zishu can’t help but roll his eyes a little.
“Lao Wen, dry your hair before you slip and I have to clean up your brain matter.”
“Ying’er, do you see how mean he is to me. I’m a dutiful husband to my lord and this is how I’m treated. We should elope without him.”
“I can help you dry your hair. You could catch a cold if you aren’t careful.”
Wen Kexing looks over and sticks his tongue out at Zhou Zishu. “See, that’s how you take care of somebody.”
“You can both elope then. You’re both still married into my family name regardless.”
Wen Kexing sighs, flopping onto the bed. He doesn’t really give the chance for Han Ying to help dry his hair as he worms into his lap, manhandling them both until they’re laying together. Wen Kexing looks over with big eyes, pleading and pouting through the mirror.
“A-Xu, can you join us already. I caught a cold because my weak arms couldn’t dry my hair properly.”
Zhou Zishu ignores them, standing up to take off his outer robes. He does it slower than usual, hearing Wen Kexing sigh dramatically and lament to Han Ying over it.
When he finally rounds the bed, sitting beside the two, Han Ying opens the blankets, smile gentle and waiting with bright eyes. It’s a face he still doesn’t expect to see and he can feel himself softening, seeing Wen Kexing acting spoiled and Han Ying so smitten with them both.
Secretly, the small moments of the three altogether is something he wants to have more. They’re busy running the manor, doing things endlessly. But in the mornings and nights before they’re in bed, that’s when they’re truly alone together without deadlines or people looking for them.
----
There’s only a few times when that happens more often and it’s when Zhou Zishu gets sick. His immune system is severely compromised after going through so much so the minute it turns cold, he gets sick without fail. It’s almost a ritual to have to wrestle him back into bed with a high fever.
Chengling is usually the first to find out as he helps Zhou Zishu throughout the day with things for the sect. He’ll be in and out of the office as Zhou Zishu looks over work and requests for help from locals. Without fail, he will catch Zhou Zishu nodding off, looking pale and clammy at his desk as he tries to read something.
This time, he runs off before he can be heard. It shows how out of it Zhou Zishu was to not hear Chengling and it’s scary as he finds Wen Kexing. Han Ying is not far away, in another corridor watching the forms of the 19 disciples practicing.
“Martial Uncle, um,” Chengling says, stopping and almost feeling nervous.
“What is it, Little Idiot?”
“Master...I think he’s sick again.”
Han Ying turns, furrowing his brows. “He was fine earlier.”
Wen Kexing sighs, putting the dishes he was cleaning into the basin. “Let’s go check on him. Chengling, keep an eye on the disciples for now.”
Zhou Zishu is much more alert when they go into the office but he can’t hide the way he shakes just slightly. Wen Kexing clicks his tongue disapprovingly, striding over immediately. Han Ying closes the door, frowning at Zhou Zishu.
“A-Xu, you’re sick again why didn’t you say anything?”
“I’m fine. I have to look over some assignments and make sure the meeting with some sects is on track.”
“Have you finished anything today?” Han Ying asks.
There’s a definite silence that is a little too telling between them that has Wen kexing scoffing.
“You’re sweating when it’s almost winter.”
Han Ying comes closer, furrowing his eyebrows. “You’re anemic. You’ve been bleeding?”
Zhou Zishu looks mutinous as he stares at the desk. Wen Kexing sighs. Both move to help Zhou Zishu stand up but he’s quick to stop them, scowling.
“I can walk my damn self. I just need a bath.”
“Zishu, you’re shaking.”
He scowls even deeper, his fists clenching momentarily. Han Ying raises his eyebrow, watching him fight to not lash out before Wen Kexing has had enough with waiting. He surges forward, sweeping Zhou Zishu into his arms easily, making him squawk indignantly, hitting Wen Kexing in the chest.
“Let me down, asshole! They’ll see I’m bleeding!”
Wen Kexing hums, thinking. Han Ying is ahead of them as he takes off his outer robe, tucking it around Zhou Zishu. Wen Kexing adjusts, making sure the backside of Zhou Zishu robes aren’t visible.
“There! Now you can have a bath in our rooms and not have to worry your pretty little head about walking.”
Zhou Zishu grumbles but settles, laying his head against Wen Kexing’s chest.
Han Ying walks ahead, going to get water to boil as Wen Kexing walks slowly. The 19 disciples are all busy but some cross paths and look fearfully at Zhou Zishu. He isn’t really paying much attention to everything going on around him so barely hears what they ask. He remember Wen Kexing’s laugh as its loud, bright and happy in a way that unlocks something in Zhou Zishu’s chest.
Han Ying has finished dumping water in the basin by the time they make it to their room. Zhou Zishu feels awful. He will never admit it but the nails truly wreaked so much havoc on his body years later still. It leaves him so exhausted to fight it sometimes when things like this happen and become so much worse than it was before he had the nails.
Wen Kexing leaves to prepare food for them at some point. Zhou Zishu is maybe a little more delirious from fever than he realized because he only really comes back to when Han Ying is washing his hair. He makes a small noise, wrinkling his nose in distaste.
“Zishu?”
“It’s fine. Didn’t realize I fell asleep.”
“Kexing went to make some things to help with your bloodloss. Did you want help washing?”
Zhou Zishu shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. You probably have stuff to do.”
Han Ying hums, leaning forward to take the soap off of his hands. “It can wait. I can sit with you and Kexing for today.”
Zhou Zishu doesn’t say much to that. He takes extra cloth on the side to start wiping at his skin, the sweat itching and sticking to him uncomfortably. Han Ying stands to give him some privacy.
“Stay.”
Han Ying looks over his shoulder curiously. Zhou Zishu is uncaring but there’s a slight flush over his ears that gives him away.
“Stay here. I’m elderly, don’t want me falling under after falling asleep again.”
“You’re 32.”
Zhou Zishu huffs, smiling slightly. Han Ying sits back down beside the tub. He reaches up, running his hands back through Zhou Zishu’s hair. It leaves him content, his eyes slipping closed as the slight pressure helps with his headache. The hands snake down, rubbing along his spine. One wrong move and Han Ying could kill him. But he wouldn’t. He’d die first before even thinking about it.
Wen Kexing breezes in eventually. He has a tray of things but the first one is bitter and ugly coloured. Zhou Zishu makes a face at it, knowing exactly what it is. It was a powerful aid for fever that would have him nauseous and barely lucid for a full day.
“Don’t make that face at me. We all know how bad these get for you. As a gracious man that I am, I made it for you so you could sleep tonight.”
“I’m not drinking that.”
“Don’t be stubborn. The cramping will just get worse from here along with your anemia.”
Han Ying shifts, taking the mild broth next to it. It’s basic with a mix of vegetables simmered in it that would help Zhou Zishu’s symptoms. He offers this one first and Zhou Zishu drinks it without much challenge.
Wen Kexing pouts. “Get out of the bath already. It’ll go ice cold if you sit in there too long, then where we be with you sick?”
“Maybe you should get in here since you’re sick in the head.”
Han Ying snorts, helping Zhou Zishu stand and wrapping spare cloth around him to dry him off. Zhou Zishu almost scowls at the treatment out of reflex. It was hard to accept it after so long. Han Ying had only ever been good to him though, a different kind of love than with Wen Kexing’s fierceness that was no less strong.
“I’m tired. Go make me something other than that awful sedative. I have to do stuff tomorrow morning.”
“A-Xu,” Wen Kexing whines. “This will last for almost three days. Let us pamper you for once like the young lordling you are.”
Zhou Zishu doesn’t respond, putting on multiple clean inner robes. Han Ying takes off his boots, watching Wen Kexing take his outer robes off. It feels so similar to them getting ready for bed. Han Ying had already told all the disciples to take the rest of the day off. They all knew something was wrong but it was nothing serious, just thinking Zhou Zishu had gotten a fever again like Chengling had thought.
When Zhou Zishu climbs into bed, Wen Kexing is first to snake behind him, wrapping around Zhou Zishu easily. Han Ying takes longer, settling on the other side of Zhou Zishu. He latches onto Han Ying, burying his face into Han Ying’s chest.
“I feel like I should be offended that you never want to bury your face in my chest like you do Ying’er’s.”
Han Ying looks smugly over Zhou Zishu’s head, leaving Wen Kexing to narrow his eyes.
“No fighting with me inbetween. I’ll kill you both if you try to move me even one bit.” Zhou Zishu says.
“You’re no fun. What’s romance without a fight to the death?”
“Normal.” Han Ying says pensively.
Wen Kexing rolls his eyes, placing his head over Zhou Zishu’s on the bed. “That’s boring I think. We should all fight and see who would win. A-Xu is much more recovered and I wanna see what he does.”
“I’ll kick your ass.”
“Is that a challenge? Ying’er, I think it’s about time we fought. A-Xu never lets us fight.”
“You’d both break through a wall and come to a draw. I don’t want my disciples thinking the only one they listen to fully is as stupidly fight happy as you.”
Han Ying laughs, placing his hand on Zhou Zishu’s throat, cupping his jaw. “If we manage to have a time together, I could try.”
Wen Kexing grins, playful and excited as he places a hand on Han Ying’s waist to bring him closer.
They taper off, making small comments to one another. It’s the most idle they have all been together in a long time. The other two don’t get this bad every few months like Zhou Zishu so it’s always almost a ritual for them. It’s some of the only time that Zhou Zishu is pliable, grouchy and still sharp tongued, but happy to be coddled a little.
Zhou Zishu sleeps all day, sandwiched between the other two for hours. He wakes up periodically to them talking about one thing or another. When they realize he’s awake, they give soft kisses, rubbing along his spine and running hands through his hair to make him sleepy again. It had taken so long for them to be able to do this to Zhou Zishu, him hissing and spitting like a hurt cat was so much more common. But slowly, he got used to people treating him gently. It had been so long since he had he forgot that it wasn’t so bad, that he could let these two help him relax and fall asleep after so long of just gritting his teeth and walking forwards.
The next morning, they stay in bed with Zhou Zishu. It’s bright when he wakes up, giving a small grunt as he feels a head against his chest with another arm over his waist. Both wake up at the noise, blinking sleepily at Zhou Zishu.
Both have the same soft and sleepy smile on their faces that Zhou Zishu still finds hard to look at. He still doesn’t know why they would be looking at him like that. But he doesn’t say that. He just smiles back, limbs heavy with his accumulated exhaustion. Maybe it was just the last few months or something soul deep he hadn’t been able to feel for so long before. But he was content. Content to nap with the two next to him being just as lazy as him.
But it didn’t last long as Wen Kexing slips away, checking the sheets before scowling gently. He disappears and comes back with fresh ones. Without fail, Wen Kexing is pulling and prodding at Zhou Zishu to get up, not even looking at Han Ying as he shakes Zhou Zishu.
He really wishes they both weren’t morning people. He might have to kill them if they tried to move him.
[He won’t]