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"Look what I found," Luo Binghe says, smug and conceited bearing morphing to pleading as the choking grip on Liu Qingge's lapels finally releases, tossing him forward onto the ground of Shen Qingqiu's courtyard. Liu Qingge, wheezing, grabs at his throat, shooting the demon a glare. The tightness between his brows intensifies as a heavy hand lands on his head, grabbing him by the hair and half-dislodging his hair crown to tilt his face upwards. The tightness and pain on his scalp tingles, distracting, as his eyes land on Shen Qingqiu's elegant green-clad form. "Shizun, he was sniffing around the castle again."
"He's here," Shen Qingqiu says with a sigh, rising from where he's seated in the courtyard, "at my invitation, Binghe." He walks to where Liu Qingge pants, kneeling, on the ground, and offers him a hand. When Luo Binghe still doesn't release his hair, Shen Qingqiu shoots him a meaningful look until those strong fingers finally loosen. Liu Qingge frowns at the familiar sensation of... disconnection that lingers after Luo Binghe's fingers are gone. He grabs Shen Qingqiu's hand firmly to distract himself, levering himself to his feet- then snatches his hand away as soon as he feels the same tingling warmth creep in through Shen Qingqiu's touch.
"Shidi's clothes are a little scuffed," Shen Qingqiu remarks, raising an eyebrow at Luo Binghe. Liu Qingge's cheeks burn with the reminder that he's supposed to be untouchable in battle- and yet here he is, brought down to his knees yet again by Luo Binghe.
"Look at this tear," Luo Binghe says disdainfully, tracing a finger along the waist of Liu Qingge's robes. The unexpected contact makes Liu Qingge jump, and he knocks Luo Binghe's hand away instinctively, neck going hot. When he twists to look down at his side, there's a single thread pulled partway out of place- hardly a tear.
"Oh no," Shen Qingqiu says, also coming over to look. He lays a quelling hand on Liu Qingge's side to hold him in place, snapping his fan open to gently waft back the long, trailing bangs at the sides of his face as he examines him. Liu Qingge holds perfectly still, not even breathing. "This won't do. Shidi, I'll have to lend you some clothes."
"That won't be necessary," Liu Qingge says, voice clipped. Shen Qingqiu's hand is now rubbing, distractingly, at the single loose thread, worrying at it as if he wants to make the problem larger. It tickles against Liu Qingge's side, making him want to twitch away. He doesn't move. "It's barely-"
"Here," Luo Binghe says to Shen Qingqiu, and without any other words he simply jerks Liu Qingge's outer robe open down the front, getting it tangled in his belt. Liu Qingge jerks away in shock, but the quality of the fabric keeps it from ripping where his body pulls at it, Luo Binghe's strong grip not swaying in the slightest.
"Oh, Binghe will mend it?" Shen Qingqiu says, casting a nauseatingly loving gaze on Luo Binghe. Liu Qingge can't see his face, but he would bet anything that Luo Binghe is making an expression like he bit into a lemon. "Here, shidi, come, I'll find you something to wear."
"This one is fine," Liu Qingge grits out, yanking once more at his arms, half-pinned to his sides by the fabric stuck at the elbows. It probably won't be fine, though, if he lets Luo Binghe taunt him into actually ripping it; so he jerks his arms out of the sleeves as best he can. They get caught on the bracers, leaving him half-tied up like some sort of child who can't take his clothes off.
"Here," Luo Binghe says, voice suddenly much closer to Liu Qingge's ear than he expected. "I'll help shishu," and his fingers- uncharacteristically gentle- are dancing along Liu Qingge's wrists where they're covered in the inside out fabric, carefully undoing the metal vambraces. Liu Qingge has never had someone- had someone assist him with undressing. As if he can't do it himself! His ears flush red in embarrassment.
"I don't need help," he protests, flapping his half-captured arm to shake Luo Binghe off. Luo Binghe makes a long-suffering noise and adjusts his grip so that Liu Qingge can't bat him away. He's half behind Liu Qingge, the proximity making the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
"And while you're helping your shishu, I'll find something of yours for him to wear," Shen Qingqiu says, turning to go into the house.
"Something of mine?" Luo Binghe says, hands pausing on Liu Qingge's wrists. Liu Qingge seizes the opportunity to shake him off, but fails again; Luo Binghe shakes his arm casually, like he's a misbehaving dog who needs to be scolded but wouldn't even understand words. Liu Qingge's shoulders go stiff with fury, his ears flaming hotter.
"Mine won't fit," Shen Qingqiu says primly. Liu Qingge thinks, sourly, as Luo Binghe finally manages to remove the vambrace from inside the twisted cloth and slide it off over his hand- again, as if he couldn't do it himself!- that Shen Qingqiu is making too much of their minuscule height difference, and not enough of the difference in build between Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe. He's probably just thinking of keeping Liu Qingge from ripping his robes the next time Luo Binghe pisses him off.
Liu Qingge's brow furrows further. He would be swimming in any of those dark, long robes that Luo Binghe tends to favor. The ones that stretch over his offensively powerful muscles. It just doesn't make sense.
"Yes, mine will definitely fit better," Luo Binghe says immediately, as if he has no purpose in this world other than to piss Liu Qingge off. "Which ones was shizun thinking of?"
"The red and gray one?" Shen Qingqiu says, as if all of Luo Binghe's outfits aren't red and gray. And black.
"I think the black one might look better on him," Luo Binghe says, wrestling Liu Qingge's hand back into stillness as he starts to untie the other vambrace. "It's tighter in the- arms-"
"I can do it myself!" Liu Qingge snaps as Shen Qingqiu hums and disappears inside, looking cheerful.
"Undo your belt," Luo Binghe says dismissively, and when Liu Qingge tries to kick him he flits neatly behind him, never releasing his wrist. He tugs Liu Qingge forward by the elbow until he's off balance, smoothly continuing to work at the knots. When he gets the vambrace untied Liu Qingge turns around to shake it off, intending to hit Luo Binghe with it- then he feels the hands on his waist.
"Can't even follow directions," Luo Binghe scoffs, fingers making quick work of the ties of Liu Qingge's belt. It falls to the ground in a hiss of silk as Liu Qingge freezes, skin tingling under the lingering sensation of Luo Binghe's hands.
"I've got it," Shen Qingqiu calls, coming back into the courtyard with a neatly folded square of fabric in his hand. Liu Qingge's fingers clench on the vambrace in his sweaty palm. When Luo Binghe's attention slips to Shen Qingqiu, expression softening, he seizes the chance to slam the metal bracer into the demon's arm, hard. It makes a satisfyingly loud noise, which Luo Binghe ignores completely as they both turn to face Shen Qingqiu, who's shaking out the robe.
"Oh yes, that one will do," Luo Binghe says with great satisfaction, neatly folding Liu Qingge's undamaged robe.
The robe doesn't precisely have Luo Binghe's name emblazoned across the front, but it barely needs it. It's the exact style that he always wears while flaunting himself around the peaks and the demon realm; lordly, too tasteful to be ostentatious. Shen Qingqiu is looking between the robe and Liu Qingge with great satisfaction; Liu Qingge's hair is already standing up, imagining having his arms forcibly slid into the liquid smooth fabric the same way that they were peeled out of the bracers. No thank you.
"I'm not wearing that," he says, stepping back. Luo Binghe raises an eyebrow at the exact same time as Shen Qingqiu; they both trail their eyes slowly down Liu Qingge's body, clad in only his thin inner robe. His face heats and he strides forward, snatching it from Shen Qingqiu's hand. "Give me it!"
"Don't be rough with my things," Luo Binghe says snidely, moving in to adjust the lapels as Liu Qingge swings it around his shoulders and quickly begins to tie it. "Ugh, you're wrinkling it- hold still," he says, slapping Liu Qingge's hands and pulling his just-tied knot undone. Liu Qingge grits his teeth so hard he hears them make a noise; he stays completely still, shaking with annoyance, as Luo Binghe begins rearranging the fall of the fabric. When he smooths it down across Liu Qingge's chest his hateful warm hands leave a trail of goosebumps behind. No one has ever had the nerve to touch Liu Qingge like this- so disrespectful, so familiar, so entitled to his cooperation- so willing to force his compliance.
"Oh, it suits shidi," Shen Qingqiu says as Luo Binghe begins to tie the other side. Liu Qingge's cheeks are so hot.
"He'll need a different belt," Luo Binghe says, adjusting the collar for Liu Qingge. "There. Oh- thank you, shizun," and he takes the belt that Shen Qingqiu hands him, wrapping it around Liu Qingge's waist. To do it, his arms pass around either side of him, fully encircling him. Liu Qingge wants to scream.
There's a gentle tugging at his hair; Shen Qingqiu is retrieving the tail end of his ponytail from his collar, smoothing it out to lie obediently across Liu Qingge's back. He traces along the lines of embroidery on the robe- black on black- with his fan, all the way from Liu Qingge's back shoulder around to the front, where he taps the fan once, familiarly, on Liu Qingge's chest, right over his heart.
"Black suits you," he says cheerfully. "You look just as handsome as my husband in this."
Luo Binghe begins to whine and protest behind Liu Qingge as the words ring in his ears, rendering him incapable of responding for a few moments. Shen Qingqiu's fan taps, again, against his chest, before gently following the lines of embroidery down along the collar and back up as he cheerfully bickers with his husband. It's as though his fan is dripping needles of heat into Liu Qingge with each slow pass; Luo Binghe is still resting one proprietary hand on the fabric at his hip, even though he's long since finished tying the belt. He's so possessive over his things! The hand is making Liu Qingge's body too warm; he needs to step away. He has to step away.
"Look, it fits so well across the front," Shen Qingqiu says, pressing his hand down the lines where the fabric crosses. Liu Qingge doesn't move, breath hitching at the contact. Shen Qingqiu's hand is just as warm as Luo Binghe's, but it's even more distracting. Both of them have a hand on him now.
There's a sudden groaning of metal as the vambrace in Liu Qingge's hand collapses under his crushing grip.
"Oh no shidi," Shen Qingqiu says, a tiny frown marring his face. He takes his palm back; thankfully he's no longer touching Liu Qingge's chest. But now it's worse, suddenly, because Shen Qingqiu is taking his hand- the skin to skin contact sends Liu Qingge's stomach looping around like it's riding on Cheng Luan without the rest of his body attached. Shen Qingqiu turns Liu Qingge's hand palm up, examining the metal, as Liu Qingge's mind goes all staticky. "Your poor bracer- is it okay? Do you need to borrow one?"
"I'm fine!" Liu Qingge yells as one of Luo Binghe's hands slides around his wrist- as if testing the thickness. His grip is strong; more impenetrable than Liu Qingge's armor, no doubt. Inescapable. "I don't need anything!"
"Surely my bracers wouldn't look as good on him as on me," Luo Binghe says, fake tears coloring his voice. Liu Qingge could gag.
"Yes yes, Binghe," Shen Qingqiu appeases, obvious amusement audible in his voice. Luo Binghe's face melts, and he leans forward towards Shen Qingqiu's face from behind Liu Qingge's shoulder. Liu Qingge stares, shocked, directly ahead of him at the small tree in the courtyard, registering only the gentle buzzing of the bees as a soft smacking sound comes from far too close to his ear. Something strange and violent is happening in his chest, transmitting directly from Shen Qingqiu's hand holding his and Luo Binghe's on his waist and the indescribable act occurring inches from his head. Is this another qi deviation? Is he about to die?
"I'll repair the torn robe for shishu," Luo Binghe says cheerfully, drawing back and lifting Liu Qingge's perfectly fine clothing as if its existence can make Liu Qingge forget the torment he's endured.
"Be more careful with his things next time, Binghe," Shen Qingqiu says, hiding his smile behind the snap of his fan and gently squeezing Liu Qingge's fingers. "Shidi- come inside and have some tea."