Chapter Text
"There he is! Just the man I've been looking for," Nie Huaisang spun around on his bar stool to face Lan Xichen as he strode across the hotel lobby.
"Hello, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Lan Xichen smiled, but his eyes held a touch of apprehension, Huaisang noted.
"Much too long. I've been languishing here without you, ge-ge." Huaisang knocked back the last of his drink and waved, or rather, dramatically flapped his hand at Piáo Chóng, the bartender.
They rolled their multifaceted eyes at him."You want the tab transferred to your room?"
"Only if you're doing room service, darling."
"Unfortunately, yes, I'm here all night." They tsked, whisking away Huaisang's glass with one set of hands while their second set replaced it with a small tray bearing ceramic cups and a jar of wine.
"Thank you, Piáo Chóng, we'll be sure to ask for you if we need anything," Lan Xichen said, leaving a sizable tip and taking the tray.
Huaisang led the way past the bar to lifts. Lan Xichen followed close behind, but silent. Their elbows bumped, and the taller man half began to apologize before Huaisang purposefully wrapped an arm around his waist.
How many years had they been doing exactly this? Did Lan Xichen not understand that Huaisang would always, always find his way back to him?
The lift doors slid open revealing their sky-suite. Stars, endlessly layered atop the deep blues and violets of space, stretched from floor to ceiling.
Beside him, Lan Xichen let out a soft exhale of air. "I never get tired of this view."
Nie Huaisang took the tray from Lan Xichen's hands knowing he would want to stand right up against the observation glass, to stare out at the vast sky with his back to Cloud Recesses and Gusu and all the responsibilities awaiting his return.
Personally, all of Nie Huaisang's responsibilities lay in the direction of those stars-- but not tonight. He kicked off his shoes and settled into the recessed seating area, placing the tray on a low table inlaid with glittering moonstones.
"Dare I ask how the discussion conference went, Xichen-ge?"
Lan Xichen shrugged, not bothering to turn around. "I'm sure you already heard about the commotion Chairman Jin caused during A-Zhan's research presentation with her partners."
Huaisang snorted. "Uh huh, and I told A-Yao he better handle it himself and not keep you late cleaning up his father's political shit show."
"Mn, I may have told him something similar." Xichen finally turned around; the first genuine smile on his face.
Damn. No matter how long he'd spent angling for one, that smile still tripped him up.
"Zhan-mei is alright, though?"
That made Lan Xichen laugh, "yes, better than alright I'd wager." He turned away from the window, letting his fingers trail along the smudge proof glass. "A-Zhan got to look very dashing while defending the academic honor of Wei Ying and Wen Ning."
"Those three find the weirdest things romantic."
"I don't think you're one to talk, Nie Huaisang," Lan Xichen said, swinging his long legs over the back of the sofa and sinking down beside him. "Not when this is your idea of an anniversary date." He turned over the ceramic cups to reveal the vials hidden beneath.
"This is a very important anniversary, ge-ge!" Huaisang stuck his tongue out at the other man.
"Fifteen years since I caught you smoking behind the guest dormitories at your first Cloud Recesses discussion conference." He put his arm around Huaisang's shoulders.
"I think you mean, fifteen years since I got you high for the first time."
"Fifteen years since our first kiss," Xichen said, pressing one to the top of Huaisang's head. "Do you remember what you said to me then?"
"Ha, I remember being very, very intoxicated."
Xichen leaned down and whispered into Huaisang's ear, "You said, 'wow, I really must be ace if I don't like tongue kissing Lan Xichen!'"
Huaisang popped a kiss against Xichen's cheek. "I stand by sixteen-year-old me's assessment." He held one of the vials up to the light, admiring the swirling, shimmering, indigo liquid inside.
"What's it called?" Xichen asked.
"Blueberry Mary," Huaisang answered. "I think you'd like it. It's very relaxing. But we can always just watch the stars and have Piáo Chóng send us mixed drinks."
"I like trying things with you," Xichen said, picking up the other vial to examine it. "Except for that zero gravity sensory deprivation chamber."
"Yeah, that was less fun than I thought it would be," he agreed, "but I've done this before, and it feels dreamy."
"Alright then, how do we do this?"
"It's an aerosol. I'm going to snort it in one, but you should try just a puff or two first." Huaisang demonstrated with the first vial, his nose wrinkling. Likewise, Lan Xichen put it to his lips and took a slow drag.
"Hm. This isn't a complaint, A-Sang, just an observation, but this tastes nothing like a blueberry."
"Nope! That flavor is a hundred percent industrial grade artificial blue raspberry," Huaisang settled himself back into the cushions. His eyes drifted to the pale band of space gas pointing in the direction of Qinghe.
Following his gaze, Lan Xichen squeezed his shoulder. "Da-ge told me you would be heading home for a while after this?"
Huaisang nodded. "You remember, ge-ge when the hike up the back mountain seemed impossibly far? And the whole time I swore I'd never make it? Going home feels like that."
"I could come with you, if that would help?"
"Nah, da-ge and I need to hash things out ourselves." On the list of things to hash: the illness Nie Mingjue had kept secret from his brother, Huaisang's unsanctioned support of Wei Ying and the residents of Yilling Station, relinquishing his title as sect heir… the whole thing with A-Yao.
Lan Xichen drew a curlicue line in the air leading from the band of light in the sky to the tip of Huaisang's nose. "See, not so far."
"Ge-ge are you feeling it already?"
He turned another one of those heart stopping smiles at Huaisang. "A little bit,” he admitted, a tiny giggle escaping him, “but mostly I am just happy you are here, A-Sang."
"Wouldn't miss it."
They sat quietly, sinking down into one another, cradled by the low, soft seat and dim lights and starlit darkness above. Lan Xichen settled his head in Huaisang's lap and slowly inhaled the last of his vial. Huaisang’s limbs got that delicious tingly feeling, like carbonation under his skin. The sensation spread up his neck and face and scalp. He could--he was pretty sure-- feel his hair growing.
“Oop, it just hit me too,” Huaisaing wiggled his eyebrows. He didn’t want those to grow out too quickly. He’d just gotten them done.
Lan Xichen reached up and patted at his face. “Your eyes are so very round,” he said wondrously. “You should call A-Yao. He’d give you anything you wanted with those eyes.”
“Naaahh. I mean yes, my eyes would definitely mesmerize him. I can see into the souls of mortals and all space-time. But then A-Yao would just tell da-ge we were doing drugs.”
“Oh, true. I forgot they were doing that radical honesty thing together now.” Lan Xichen absentmindedly kept stroking Huaisang’s cheek. But it felt nice so Huaisang allowed it. “Should we do that?”
“Tell da-ge we’re doing drugs? Why the fuck would we do that?”
“No, A-Sang,” Xichen poked his nose, or tried to but missed. “Honesty. Should we be more honest with each other?”
“Sure, ge-ge, get me while my inhibitions are lowered.” Huaisang let his head fall onto the back of the sofa, looking up into space instead of Lan Xichen. “What do you want to be honest about?”
The other man hummed. “Alright here’s one: I’m glad you didn’t marry me last year when I proposed.”
His words seemed to hang in the air. Huaisang could almost see them shimmering like vapor in Xichen’s flowing script. It made Huaisang feel weightless, as though the man resting in his lap was the only thing keeping him from floating to the ceiling.
“Really?”
“Really.” Xichen threaded his fingers through Huaisang’s. “I didn’t get it then, but we’re -- like the opposite of this hotel you know? How it's always right here above Caiyi City? That’s never been us.”
“We’re in, what's it called, non-synchronous orbit?”
“Mn, I can’t see your path, but you always come back around.”
Oh. Huaisang thought. Oh, he does know.
“I got one for you.” Huaisang said, lifting his head after a long moment. “An honesty.” He waited while Lan Xichen wriggled around trying to face him without actually getting up. “I’m thinking about killing A-Yao.”
Lan Xichen tilted his head and considered. “That’s wild,” he pronounced. “But I can see it.”
"I haven't made up my mind. But he really shouldn't have tried to cover up that assassination attempt!"
"Mn, probably best to talk to Da-ge first."
"I know. Ugh. Can we be done with honesty now, Xichen-ge? It doesn't suit me."
That made Lan Xichen laugh and poke him in the ribs where he knew Nie Huaisang was most ticklish.
And, yeah, maybe Huaisang didn't understand romance or honesty, but he knew Lan Xichen was the best thing in his whole universe. So they lay there together circling the planet below, laughing, watching the lights above, feeling the transits between them.