Chapter Text
“You look lovely, my dear. As I thought, hanfu really suits you.”
Well worth the pretty penny Yingxing had paid to have the midnight black hanfu custom made for Ren, crimson inner layer bringing out the vibrance of his eyes.
“...You look nice too,” Ren returns grudgingly. Yingxing is well pleased by how Ren’s eyes keep straying to his ebony and silver robes with matching crimson accents.
“Would you allow me to put up your hair?”
When Ren’s brow starts to furrow with annoyance, he leans in to kiss it away.
“You’re so bothersome,” Ren grumbles but he goes to sit in front of the vanity, letting Yingxing twist his hair up into a half-bun, securing it with a cherry wood hairpin.
“Perfect.” Yingxing smiles, meeting Ren’s eyes in the mirror.
The crimson gaze slides away from his. “Are we going or not?” Ren asks gruffly.
“All ready now. Shall we?”
~
Aurum Alley is dressed up in festive red, sweeping banners draping between the buildings overhead, lit up brightly with the glowing paper lanterns floating above and adorning every corner and shopfront. The streets clamor with vendors hawking their wares and bustle with all kinds of visitors—families, lovebirds, travelers.
Ren stiffens when Yingxing slips his hand into his, but voices no objection. They stroll through the streets hand in hand, checking out the various stalls, stopping to play a dice game and get a palm reading which he has to drag a sullen Ren into.
Yingxing had been worried about the crowds, which are making Ren tense, pressed tight against Yingxing’s side with a hand at the small of his back, baleful glare deterring anyone eager to greet the Forgemaster. But he is glad he had cajoled Ren into coming, the oppressive bleakness that had hung about him these past weeks has dissipated and his gaze is lively as he looks around.
Several stalls they pass are selling paper lanterns to be released on the river at midnight.
“The stall that has the best lanterns—”
“—the damn old man that runs it only sells it to you if you solve the riddle on it. I remember. I regret to inform you that I have accumulated no literary merit in the seven centuries I have on you, so we’re out of luck.”
Yingxing laughs at Ren’s bone dry statement. “Let’s look around for a bit, I’m sure we can find something we like.”
They do go to have a look at that booth since it always has the most elaborate and intricate paper lanterns, though they are only able to admire them—the riddles Old Baiyi puts on his lanterns have been known to stump even the most illustrious scholars.
They sample some of the mouthwatering foods on offer, but Yingxing’s appetite is lacking.
“...You’re thinking about that lizard, aren’t you?”
Yingxing breaks into a fit of coughs after inhaling his drink.
Ren is the only person who would ever dare call Yinyue-jun a lizard and Yingxing still has not gotten used to it. He has given up on trying to correct Ren’s...habit.
A heavy hand slaps his back helpfully.
“Dan Feng has only ever attended this festival with his mandatory escorts. Can you believe he has never tried the street foods?”
Dan Feng’s attendants would never allow such ‘cheap and unbecoming’ food to sully their revered Yinyue-jun’s lips. Dan Feng himself is open to trying new things, but he has internalized so many of the Preceptors’ values and teachings that it often does not occur to him to do so.
“It’s rather silly, but I was hoping we could take him around for a tasting. A shame he couldn’t come.”
Dan Feng has been noticeably busier since the Preceptors had learned there was another Outworlder their Yinyue-jun had gotten close to.
The Preceptors disapprove of Yingxing, but Ren—they despise Ren. Yingxing at least maintains a guise of politeness while Ren makes no effort to hide his blatant contempt for them. And though Ren is a man of few words, when he says something to the Preceptors he certainly makes it count—ripping apart their excuses and leaving them no face.
If Yingxing has noticed it, then Dan Feng definitely has too but the political scene of the Vidyadhara is complex and not easily handled even for someone of Dan Feng’s ability.
Ren’s hand tightens on his, probably thinking along similar lines. Seeing the forbidding glower on Ren’s face he reminds him, “You can’t kill them.”
“Hmph.”
Ren’s indignation on his and Dan Feng’s behalf paradoxically lightens his mood.
“I’m happy just to have you here with me,” he gives Ren a small, but real smile. “Let’s go have a look at the craft displays—I’m excited to see what foreign work they have brought in.”
He moves forward, but is halted by the tug on their linked hands: Ren is standing stock still.
“Ren?”
Without a word of explanation, Ren hauls him over to a secluded corner bordered by Aurum Alley’s encircling wall.
Ren pushes him to sit at an out of sight table near a teahouse. “Stay. I’ll be back.”
“Wait—”
Ren disappears over the wall before he can ask anything.
He...must have gone to fetch Dan Feng?
Those two are a volatile combination, a spark away from an altercation at any time. Though they care deeply for one another, neither will admit it and Ren...won’t allow himself. Perhaps still nursing the scar left on his heart from before and harboring a few lasting dregs of resentment despite his obvious longing.
Yingxing is about to go order a pot of tea when Ren comes back over the wall, dropping to the ground from a height—
—with an enraged Yinyue-jun hot on his heels. It’s a good thing that Dan Feng has his veiled hat on, obscuring his face so no one can identify which adult Vidyadhara is climbing over the walls like a hatchling.
“I’m back.” Ren greets Yingxing curtly as if he is not one second away from being hit with a water torrent to the back. He does circle around to put the table and Yingxing between him and Dan Feng though before tossing a—a bracer? over the table to Dan Feng.
....That’s how Ren drew Dan Feng here? Did he...steal it right off of Dan Feng’s person and make a run for it?
There is no way Dan Feng would let that bracer be taken without a fight. Yet their clothes are pristine, despite Dan Feng and Ren being very close in strength, most of their matches ending in draws.
Unless...Ren distracted Dan Feng?
If it was the hanfu that was so distracting, Yingxing will be very proud of himself.
“Welcome back,” Yingxing returns reflexively before hurriedly going over to block in front of Dan Feng, laying his hands on his hips.
“Yingxing—” Dan Feng’s growl cuts off abruptly when his eyes land on Yingxing, dragging up and down his person appreciatively before he remembers propriety.
Dan Feng clears his throat, tone softer, “Yingxing, I am sorry I could not join you but there were matters that could not be put off.”
Yingxing lifts aside the veil, ducking under the hat to press a soft kiss to Dan Feng’s lips. “I know, my dear. I would never ask you to lay down your responsibilities. You were missed, but we can always go next time.”
Dan Feng bites the inside of his lip, a small wrinkle between his brows.
“Could not put off? There wasn’t anything those old fogies couldn’t handle themselves on your desk.” Ren slouches in Yingxing’s seat with his cheek propped on his fist, not a single hint of remorse on his face.
“Those were confidential papers.”
“What can I do? My eyes are too good.”
“You—!”
“Yinyue-jun, I know the situation is complicated. You think you have to make concessions from time to time to keep the peace, but don’t forget: they are the ones who need you, not the other way around. You can lead your people, serve them, without letting them shackle you down. They don’t own you. No one does,” Ren asserts, voice deepened with emotion, his gaze blazingly bright.
Dan Feng is silent, the brim of his hat hiding his expression.
“You can spare a few hours to accompany this old man.” Ren points rudely at Yingxing, who is younger than him. “I’ll help you with the paperwork later. I don’t need much sleep.”
Dan Feng straightens. “Do you not understand what confidential means?”
“Is it confidential if I already know it?” Ren retorts with a shrug.
Dan Feng makes a sound of frustration; Ren’s extensive inside knowledge of the Vidyadhara has been a constant headache for him. Add in how Ren swans in and out of the Vidyadhara complex whenever he likes as if it is his own backyard...
Yingxing pats Dan Feng on the back consolingly. He is not unsympathetic to Dan Feng’s plight, but Ren is a force of nature. Best to pick your fights wisely when it comes to this one.
He takes the bracer from Dan Feng’s unresisting hand and helps him buckle it back on. Sliding his thumb under the inner edge of the bracer, he leans down to whisper knowingly in Dan Feng’s ear, too low for Ren to hear, “Ren looks lovely in the hanfu, doesn’t he?”
Yingxing’s bracer pulses with heat, the only thing giving away Dan Feng’s reaction.
Ren cocks his head at them curiously, because his bracer is connected to both of theirs despite being from a different time.
Dan Feng sighs deeply. “A few hours should be fine,” he concedes.
A brilliant smile spreads across Yingxing’s face as he tugs at Dan Feng’s hands. “Let’s go then.”
Ren takes Yingxing’s hand this time as they walk around, Dan Feng on his other side with his hand on Yingxing’s waist.
Dan Feng has a cute frown of concentration when playing the dice game—which is entirely luck based requiring no thought. He has to be dragged away from a rigged game booth for ring tossing, two hands clutching each of his to keep Dan Feng from casting his magic as Yingxing coaxes him to check out the food stalls instead.
Dan Feng looks so appalled at the prospect of eating while walking that Yingxing goes to get them a table at a teahouse after gathering their spoils.
“You’re enabling that attitude of his,” Ren admonishes Yingxing while Dan Feng pretends to be deaf to Ren’s complaints.
“Wasn’t there a drink you wanted to try here anyways?”
“...Hmph.”
Dan Feng stares at the aptly name Flaming Potent Tea that Ren places in front of him.
“...I can heal any poison you subject me to.”
“Ha, I didn’t think the Vidyadhara’s esteemed Elder would be scared to try some tea. Even kids drink this.”
The childish provocation, which wouldn’t work on Dan Feng coming from anyone else, works as intended coming from Ren.
Dan Feng downs the cup in one gulp.
He blinks slowly and then darts a telling (longing) glance at Ren’s flaming cup.
Ren is unbearably smug. “I knew this lizard would like it. It warms you up from the inside,” he explains to Yingxing.
Dan Feng’s fingers twitch violently at the...derogatory moniker. Yingxing quickly reaches over to grab Dan Feng’s hand as Ren unconcernedly saunters off to go talk to the proprietor.
Yingxing strokes his thumb soothingly over Dan Feng’s skin. “Ren is just embarrassed to admit he was thinking of you.”
“...Hmph. Insolent.”
Their attention is pulled to where Ren is talking to the proprietor who has gone from cordial to gesticulating wildly, eyes sparkling with excitement. Ren nods and jots something down, handing it to the shop owner before coming back to their table with a tray holding a full pot of tea, a bowl of egg whites and a bottle of fruit juice.
He pours a new cup for Dan Feng and lines up their three cups, mixing a small portion of egg whites, fruit juice, and some...spice or herbs from a pouch that he takes from his sleeve.
“Try this.” He pushes the cups back in front of them.
Oh.
“That tastes divine,” Yingxing praises.
Light and fragrant with a bright tang from the fruit, a dash of creaminess from the egg whites, and a cozy heat that warms him down to his toes.
Ren acknowledges the compliment with a dip of his head.
“Here. It’ll go well with this, Yinyue-jun.” Ren puts the small-sausage-in-big-sausage—a flavorful pork sausage wrapped in a larger ‘sausage’ of chargrilled sticky rice—in Dan Feng’s hands.
Dan Feng holds it gingerly between his fingertips. “How is this...eaten?”
The confusion and mild repulsion on Dan Feng’s face as he looks at the fat sausage, shiny with oil has Yingxing bursting into laughter.
Yingxing accepts the tail that smacks into his legs with equanimity.
Worth it.
“Just shove it into your mouth,” Ren replies blandly.
The thick, long sausage does look rather...suggestive.
Yingxing is too old to be laughing at such crude innuendo but it sets him off again. Dan Feng glares at them both as Yingxing slaps the table, tears of mirth at the corners of his eyes.
There is an uptick at the side of Ren’s mouth.
“You’re such a princess.” With a put upon sigh, Ren takes the rice-wrapped-sausage from Dan Feng and cuts it up into bite sized segments with a knife that he pulls from—somewhere.
The sausage wrap is going to fall apart like that. Well, it’ll still taste the same if it’s in pieces...should Yingxing go get some utensils for them?
Yingxing is about to get up when Ren picks up a section pinched between his fingers, pushes aside the veil, and holds it up to Dan Feng’s mouth.
“...”
“...”
“...Are you going to eat it or not?”
Dan Feng leans forward and takes it from Ren’s fingers.
The next segment gets shoved into Yingxing’s gaping mouth. He slaps Ren’s shoulder and gets an elbow in his side in return.
Mm. It really is delicious though. Nothing beats unhealthy street food.
Yingxing has some feelings, watching Dan Feng’s mouth wrap daintily around Ren’s fingers as Ren feeds the rest of the sausage wrap to him.
Cloudhymn magic swirls around Ren’s fingers afterwards, cleaning off the grease.
Ren pushes a pan-fried meat pastry over to Yingxing. “You do this one. He’s your husband.”
As Yingxing cuts up the meat pastry, he feels Dan Feng’s gaze boring into him and glances up, puzzled.
Dan Feng’s eyes move slowly down to where Ren is idly spinning a black metal fan with a red spider lily pattern between his fingers. And then jerk back up to narrow at Yingxing accusingly.
Er.
A folding fan is the perfect last touch to complete a hanfu ensemble, but as Yingxing was picking one out for Ren he had a realization. Ren takes good care of anything Yingxing gives him, but he wouldn’t use a fan.
But if it had ah, utility...
So...Yingxing may have made a metal fan for Ren.
With edges. That cut. Very well.
It may or may not be a top tier weapon, but Yingxing has a standard of quality to maintain, okay?
Anyways, Dan Feng has no room to criticize. He has been spoiling Ren too, he just doesn't own up to it. In the past two months, two luxurious hairpins and an earring had 'mysteriously' appeared on Ren's nightstand. Ren had scowled fiercely each time on finding them, but every gift had been carefully wrapped and stored away. The cherry wood hairpin with a delicate golden lotus motif—very subtle, Dan Feng—that Yingxing had used to put up Ren’s hair today had been one of the gifts.
(Yingxing is going to ignore the more relevant problem that he just gave Ren a top tier concealed weapon that he can carry everywhere.)
Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor, he holds up a piece of meat pastry for Dan Feng appeasingly. Sharp fangs prick his fingers as Dan Feng takes it but no more is said about the...immoderation.
The piece de resistance of the Yingxing-Ren sampling menu is a large bowl of shaved ice dessert that they share between the three of them, condensed milk drizzled over fruit, jellies, and sweet red beans. Yingxing gracefully withdraws when he has had his fill and is a bystander for the vicious spoon war that occurs for the last few bites.
Dan Feng emerges victorious, but Ren pettily steals the last bite directly from Dan Feng’s mouth.
Yingxing makes a low appreciative sound when Ren turns to share it with him, tongue licking into his mouth as he passes over the icy treat.
~
Literary talent acquired, they go to pick out lanterns at Old Baiyi’s stall.
Dan Feng looks at Yingxing when they arrive, but he gives him a small shake of his head out of Ren’s line of sight. He had paid close attention to Ren when they had first visited the stall, but had not seen him favor any of them.
“Just get me whatever,” Ren says when Dan Feng asks which one he would like and wanders off.
Dan Feng gets a lotus lantern for himself and a star shaped one for Yingxing.
Yingxing hands his star lantern over for Ren to admire when he drifts back over. Dan Feng walks around, examining the lanterns, occasionally glancing over at Ren before getting a rabbit lantern.
It is the most adorable lantern Yingxing has ever seen and also the most exquisite one here but...Ren’s tastes are mostly the same as Yingxing’s.
Dan Feng would not tease Ren about this...Yingxing is befuddled.
“For you.”
An expressionless Dan Feng hands over the cute rabbit lantern to an expressionless Ren.
Ren slowly turns it over in his hands.
“...Thank you, Yinyue-jun,” he says quietly, head lowered with a slight hunch to his shoulders.
Yingxing locks his knees to keep from staggering at the surge of emotion coming through the bracer; he cannot separate out the roiling mix—it just feels sweet and pained.
A bittersweet happiness that hurts.
Dan Feng moves forward, cupping Ren’s face in his hands and kissing him, slow and tender. Yingxing plucks the lantern from Ren’s hands so Dan Feng can pull him into a tight hug. Setting the lanterns down, Yingxing goes up and holds Ren from behind, embracing him snug between them, not caring who might see.
~
Ren is the last to float his lantern onto the river, hesitating by the shore.
Dan Feng crouches down beside Ren and turns his face gently for a lingering kiss. “Let us come again next year. All of us together,” he says softly.
They release the rabbit lantern together, watching it join the sea of lanterns illuminating the night.
[End.]
~
Small extra in case that felt sad(?), was supposed to be 100% fluff when I started this:
“Not here, I know a better place,” Ren says when they head over for the fireworks display.
“Lead the way.” Yingxing and Dan Feng have Ren between them, each holding one of his hands as he takes them up to a grassy knoll.
It is a beautiful vantage point that overlooks the city.
Ren lets their hands go to shrug off his outer coat, spreading it on the ground for Yingxing and Dan Feng to sit on. There is not enough space for him so he goes to sit on the grass but is suddenly lifted into Dan Feng’s lap.
Ren clutches Dan Feng’s arms, startled. “D-Dan Feng?”
Yingxing settles against them, leaning into their sides as Dan Feng’s tail wraps around Yingxing, holding him close. Strong arms wrap around Ren’s waist as Yingxing takes his hand.
“Is this alright?”
“Mn.”
They watch as the fireworks burst radiantly across the sky, hands entwined.
[End Snippet.]