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Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang are trash talking their favourite TV show when Nie Mingjue comes home. He’s late today, later than he usually is, and while Nie Huaisang had reassured Jiang Cheng that it was just because of some minor problem at work, Jiang Cheng can’t help but to worry.
“Finally,” Nie Huaisang breathes out when he hears the key in the door and Jiang Cheng smiles slightly.
Nie Mingjue never believes Jiang Cheng when he tells him but Nie Huaisang has complained about Nie Mingjue missing the entire evening.
Movie night is just not the same when not all three of them are present and even though Nie Mingjue likes to pretend as if his presence doesn’t matter, he’s so clearly wrong about that.
“Da-ge, where have you been,” Nie Huaisang whines out when Nie Mingjue steps into the living-room and he twists around to lean over the backrest of the couch. “I’m hungry.”
“You could have made something yourself,” Nie Mingjue says, sounding more tired than Jiang Cheng has heard him in a long while and it makes Jiang Cheng frown. “Or ordered something. I’m not going to cook today.”
“But da-ge,” Nie Huaisang gasps out, clearly about to argue with Nie Mingjue because of that and Jiang Cheng knows how it will end.
Nie Mingjue will say he’s not going to cook for them, Nie Huaisang uses puppy eyes, it’s super effective. He has seen this enough times to know exactly how it’s going to turn out and normally Jiang Cheng lets it happen—Nie Mingjue’s food is superb after all—but something about Nie Mingjue rubs him the wrong way today.
“Huaisang, let’s just order something,” Jiang Cheng chimes in, poking Nie Huaisang’s side until he’s screeching and trying to scramble away from Jiang Cheng.
It gives Nie Mingjue enough time to flee the living-room without him having to tell Nie Huaisang no and that’s really all Jiang Cheng wanted so he stops as soon as he hears Nie Mingjue’s bedroom door close.
“What was that for?” Nie Huaisang gasps out, still trying to catch his breath and Jiang Cheng levels him with a look.
“He seemed tired, don’t you think? We should probably leave him be tonight,” Jiang Cheng thoughtfully says but Nie Huaisang only shakes his head.
“Nonsense, it’s just work. You know how that can get.”
“Yeah, and I know that I want to not be bothered most days when I come home. Now I live alone, which gives me an unfair advantage, but Mingjue doesn’t have that luxury because he comes home to a little pest.” Jiang Cheng flicks Nie Huaisang’s forehead as he says it and Nie Huaisang blinks up at him with huge, betrayed eyes.
“Are you saying I’m bothering my da-ge?” he whines out and even though he’s playing it up Jiang Cheng knows him well enough to know that just the thought makes him slightly panic.
“I’m saying that maybe sometimes you don’t think enough about his own needs and wishes,” Jiang Cheng carefully gives back, because he doesn’t want to truly upset Nie Huaisang.
“And now you’re calling me selfish,” Nie Huaisang gasps out, clasping his hands over his heart. “Truly, you have wounded me!”
“I’ll let you tend to your wounds in peace then, and go check up on Mingjue,” Jiang Cheng decides, patting Nie Huaisang on the head as he walks past him.
Nie Huaisang continues to wail and lament on the couch but Jiang Cheng only shakes his head at his antics and tries to tune him out as best as he can.
“Mingjue,” he carefully asks, knocking at Nie Mingjue’s door when he reaches it. “You okay?”
Jiang Cheng is prepared to simply barge into the room, no matter if he gets an answer from Nie Mingjue or not but just a short moment later Nie Mingjue opens the door.
There’s a pinched look on his face and Jiang Cheng is concerned when he sees the small furrow in his brow.
“Are you alright?” he asks and Nie Mingjue smiles at him.
“Perfect. Just—give me a moment, alright?” Nie Mingjue says and even his voice sounds slightly off. “I’ll be out to cook in just a minute.”
“Nah, that’s alright, we decided on take-out,” Jiang Cheng says smoothly, even though they have not decided on anything.
But Nie Mingjue seems ready to keel over at any moment now and Jiang Cheng refuses to add to his stress any more than he really has to.
“So you just take your time,” Jiang Cheng says and reaches out to close the bedroom door again.
Nie Mingjue doesn’t protest and he doesn’t come out again and that alone tells Jiang Cheng just how exhausted he must really be.
“Where’s da-ge?” Nie Huaisang asks when Jiang Cheng comes back into the living-room, and now Jiang Cheng detects a hint of worry in his tone.
“Taking a break. I think we should let him rest today. Let’s just order some take-out and leave him be, alright?”
“Fine,” Nie Huaisang sniffs and Jiang Cheng smiles at him when he worries his lower lip with his teeth.
“He’s gonna be fine,” Jiang Cheng promises him and then takes on a fake-stern expression. “As long as you don’t bother him unnecessarily.”
He even wags his finger in Nie Huaisang’s face so that he knows Jiang Cheng doesn’t mean it. At least not entirely.
“Nothing I ever do is unnecessary,” Nie Huaisang huffs out and then falls into a small rant when Jiang Cheng’s face clearly calls him a liar.
Jiang Cheng lets Nie Huaisang rant, even as he orders take-out for all three of them and surprisingly enough Nie Huaisang keeps going until it rings at the door.
“Who is that?” Nie Huaisang asks and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at him.
“Dinner, you idiot, what else,” he mutters, leaving a gaping Nie Huaisang on the couch to collect their food.
“Here, I ordered your favourite,” Jiang Cheng says as he dumps a few containers into Nie Huaisang’s lap. “Let me get this to Mingjue and then we can continue our show, alright?”
“Fine,” Nie Huaisang says, successfully distracted by the food and Jiang Cheng makes a detour through the kitchen and the bathroom before he knocks on Nie Mingjue’s bedroom door again.
“I bring food,” Jiang Cheng says, this time not waiting for Nie Mingjue to open the door but simply barging in.
It could be considered rude, but Jiang Cheng couldn’t care less at the moment, especially not when he finds Nie Mingjue on his bed, one arm over his eyes.
“And I have this as well,” he adds, his voice noticeably lower this time and that finally prompts Nie Mingjue to blink up at him.
“What?” he asks and Jiang Cheng smiles slightly at him.
“Painkillers and an ice-pack. Migraine?” he then asks, even though he damn well knows the answer.
“Yeah,” Nie Mingjue sighs out, still pushing himself up.
“Thought so,” Jiang Cheng nods as he hands Nie Mingjue the painkiller and a glass of water. “Take this, eat at least a little bit and then rest some more. I have Huaisang handled.”
“You’re a godsent,” Nie Mingjue breathes out, knocking back the painkiller as if he never does anything else but he eyes the food with disgust.
“Just a little bit,” Jiang Cheng urges him and Nie Mingjue does reach for a slice of pizza, even though it’s more than reluctant.
“Good,” Jiang Cheng declares as soon as Nie Mingjue finishes one slice. “And now some more rest,” Jiang Cheng decides, pushing Nie Mingjue back down in his bed and putting the icepack over his eyes. “How is this?” he asks and Nie Mingjue’s groan in response is answer enough.
“Alright, if you need anything, just say so,” Jiang Cheng tells him and then leaves him be, hoping that any one of the things he just did helped at least a little bit.
“How is he?” Nie Huaisang asks when Jiang Cheng comes back, and Jiang Cheng notices how he’s pushing his own food around rather than eating it himself.
So he’s more worried than he let on.
“He has a migraine, but it will pass,” Jiang Cheng says, speaking from experience and Nie Huaisang nods.
“We should keep it down a little bit then, right?”
“Yeah,” Jiang Cheng agrees, finally getting his own food. “Just a little bit.”
They both dig into their food, keeping their voices just a bit more hushed than they normally would and Jiang Cheng wonders if he has done enough for Nie Mingjue or if he should go check on him again.
By the time Jiang Cheng is about to leave himself, he still hasn’t made his mind up about it, but by then it doesn’t matter anymore because just as he’s putting on his shoes, Nie Huaisang snoring away on the couch, Nie Mingjue shows up.
He does seem marginally more relaxed and Jiang Cheng breathes a sigh of relief.
“Doing better?” he asks and Nie Mingjue nods.
“Thank you.”
“Sure thing,” Jiang Cheng gives back, uncomfortable with the thanks, because really, it’s the least he could have done. “Just—tell Huaisang if you’re not feeling well. He’s going to whine either way, but he’ll be a bit more conscious about it.”
“I’ll try,” Nie Mingjue promises him and that’s all Jiang Cheng can really ask for at the moment.
“Have a good night, then,” Jiang Cheng says, already outside and he refuses to acknowledge the way his heart beats faster when Nie Mingjue smiles at him.
“Thank you, Wanyin. Sleep well.”
~*~*~
Jiang Cheng is trying not to overthink things even as he purchases lunch for two, one meal his favourite and the other one Nie Mingjue’s. The incident last week had left Jiang Cheng a little bit rattled, wondering if maybe everyone is just relying too much on Nie Mingjue, who never really learned to say no.
He’s everyone’s da-ge—even to people who are da-ge’s themselves—and last week made Jiang Cheng realise just how taxing that must be on him.
And now all he really wants to do is help, if only just a little bit.
But he doesn’t know if Nie Mingjue will accept being fussed over and Jiang Cheng figures this has to be an acceptable compromise.
With the freshly acquired food Jiang Cheng leaves for Nie Mingjue’s company. As the CEO he is probably still working and most likely not taking any breaks and Jiang Cheng is here to help with that.
“I’m here to see Nie Mingjue,” he says to the nice guy at the entrance and gets a judging look for his trouble. “My name is Jiang Cheng.”
“If you do not have a prior appointment, I am afraid that Mr. Nie is busy,” the guy tells him and Jiang Cheng sighs inwardly.
“Yes, just tell him my name and that I bring food. If he truly does not have time, he’ll at least want that,” Jiang Cheng tells him much more confidently than he feels and finally the guy reaches for a phone.
Jiang Cheng is aware that he is being unfair; of course no one can simply request to see the CEO but it hinders him in his mission and so he’s just a little bit disgruntled.
Enough so that he doesn’t even follow the conversation along.
“Mr. Jiang, I am terribly sorry,” the guy apologizes to him as soon as he hangs up.
“No need,” Jiang Cheng waves him off. “So does he want company or will he only be taking the food?” he asks, lifting the bag for the other guy to see.
“He asked for you to come up.”
“Alright then,” Jiang Cheng says. “Thank you.”
He leaves for the elevator and pushes the button for Nie Mingjue’s floor. Now the nerves set back in because what if he overstepped horribly? Jiang Cheng shakes his head at those thought because even if he did, Nie Mingjue will tell him to leave and then that will be that.
At least Jiang Cheng tried.
Nie Mingjue is waiting for him at the door to his office and Jiang Cheng makes his way over as quickly as he can.
“What are you doing here?” Nie Mingjue asks, clearly surprised though not angry.
And again, Jiang Cheng notices the little furrow between his brows.
“Have you been drinking enough? Did you take a break today?” Jiang Cheng immediately asks and ushers Nie Mingjue back into his office.
“I brought food. It’s time for you to eat—I’m assuming you haven’t yet—and you definitely need to drink something. Those are the two most effective ways to counter a migraine. Together with no stress of course but I know better than to aim for the impossible.”
“You’re—here for food?”
“Lunch,” Jiang Cheng says and again, he lifts the bag. “We should dig in, it’s getting cold.” Jiang Cheng briefly hesitates. “Or I can leave this with you and leave again, but then you’d have to promise to eat this. You should at least spare ten minutes for this, even if you are busy.”
“I—have time,” Nie Mingjue says, clearly somewhat overwhelmed and he sits down when Jiang Cheng points for him to do so.
“Do you have a kitchen here? Some tea maybe?”
“My secretary can bring us some,” Nie Mingjue mutters, clearly still a bit shocked and Jiang Cheng scoffs.
“Please, Mingjue, let the poor woman work. Just tell me where to go.”
Nie Mingjue mutely points into the direction of what Jiang Cheng assumes to be the kitchen.
“Alright, you deal with this, I’ll make some tea for you.”
Jiang Cheng leaves before Nie Mingjue can protest and not even five minutes later he’s back with a pot of tea. He of course made Nie Mingjue’s favourite.
“What is going on?” Nie Mingjue asks when he brings the pot to Nie Mingjue’s desk and Jiang Cheng blinks at him.
“What do you mean?”
“First last week and now this? What are you doing?”
“Taking care of you?” Jiang Cheng gives back, deciding that the honest approach is going to work the best here.
Probably. Hopefully.
“But—that’s my job!” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng levels him with a look that makes him fall silent almost immediately.
“Please, we all know you are a perfect da-ge, caring for everyone. But who is caring for you? Who notices when you have a headache and when you haven’t eaten? Who notices all the things about you that you normally notice about everyone else?”
Nie Mingjue stares at him for so long after his outburst that it almost makes Jiang Cheng uncomfortable.
“You do,” Nie Mingjue finally says and Jiang Cheng was not prepared for the butterflies that erupt in his stomach.
Maybe he even blushes but he resolutely refuses to think about that.
“Yeah, because someone should.” Jiang Cheng decidedly tells him and then nudges the pot of tea. “Come on, drink something and then eat.”
“I didn’t know being taken care of would feel like that,” Nie Mingjue mutters even as he does what Jiang Cheng told him and it makes Jiang Cheng’s blood boil to think that no one cared enough to do this for Nie Mingjue yet.
“Well, you better get used to it then,” he declares, a plan already forming in his head.
He can totally make this a weekly thing, if not more, and he’s over at the Nies house often enough so that he can even take care of Nie Mingjue after work.
At least he doesn’t seem to be as opposed to Jiang Cheng fussing as Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli do. They always cite that he is the youngest, so clearly he should be taken care of first but then they totally neglect themselves and Jiang Cheng is not tolerating that with them and he’s most certainly not going to tolerate the same behaviour from Nie Mingjue.
“I already agreed to being taken care of,” Nie Mingjue says, jolting Jiang Cheng out of his thoughts. “No need to continue glaring at me,” he says with a little smile, taking a sip of his tea.
“Good then,” Jiang Cheng says, pretending as if he was just glaring for fun and Nie Mingjue laughs at him, though it’s not unkind and doesn’t sting in the slightest.
“You know I don’t really need to be taken care of, though?” Nie Mingjue then asks and ruins everything with just those few words..
Jiang Cheng is back to glaring.
“I am just reminding you, I am not refusing.”
“Well, duly noted, but I don’t care. Someone should care for you.”
Nie Mingjue seems to be mulling over something at that and Jiang Cheng digs into his own food while he waits him out.
“Wanyin, you know you can just ask me out on a date, right?” Nie Mingjue then says and it’s so surprising that Jiang Cheng almost chokes on his food.
“Excuse me what?”
Nie Mingjue winces at that.
“I mean, if I was wrong you can just ignore it, I just thought—I had hoped, really.”
Jiang Cheng opens and closes his mouth several times, struggling to find the right words for this but in the end he slumps.
“You know, this is not why I’m doing this,” he then quietly admits, though he rushes to go on when Nie Mingjue looks dejectedly at him. “I just mean, everyone deserves to be taken care of, no matter who they are. And especially if they are an older sibling, because those usually get forgotten. So I was just trying to be nice.”
“You are being a mother hen,” Nie Mingjue fondly says and Jiang Cheng shrugs.
“Fine, that too. It’s just—a date would also be nice,” he then adds though he points his chopsticks at Nie Mingjue. “But that is not the only reason I am trying to take care of you, just making that clear.”
“Duly noted,” Nie Mingjue says as he smiles into his food. “And I do have to admit that it’s nice.”
“Good. Because you better get used to this” Jiang Cheng threatens him, even as he reaches for Nie Mingjue’s hand who willingly offers it to him.
“This really was not my intention,” Jiang Cheng can’t help but to grumble and Nie Mingjue laughs, the small furrow long forgotten.
Jiang Cheng almost feels as if he’s glowing when he notices it.
“But hopefully a nice surprise,” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng immediately nods.
“Of course,” he reassures him and squeezes his hand. “A very nice one, even.”
“I’m looking forward to many more lunches then,” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng decides to simply fuck it.
Nie Mingjue asked him out, so he must clearly want this.
“Look forward to more of this,” he says and then leans over the table to quickly steal a kiss.
It leaves Nie Mingjue frozen in surprise before his entire face melts into a huge smile and Jiang Cheng decides that today was totally worth it.
And every lunch date will be too.