Work Text:
Wenren È couldn't find the outer robe he had laid out the previous night. It was the third one that disappeared in less than a month.
He shook his head, smiling to himself. What was happening to his clothes was no mystery. He wasn't sure why Yin Hanjiang didn't simply say so if he wanted to keep them, but he didn't really mind, either. It was harmless. Wenren È could indulge him.
He grabbed a different robe and finished getting ready. Yin Hanjiang was still sleeping, he noticed, as he turned to look at him one last time before he left the room. He'd probably be annoyed later if Wenren È didn't wake him up, but that was a risk Wenren È was willing to take. He decided to let him rest a little longer.
The day was uneventful, aside from Yin Hanjiang's predicted grumpiness — and even that didn't last long once Wenren È took it upon himself to distract him. Whatever Shu Yanyan was doing to manage the rest of their sect, it seemed to be efficient enough that Wenren È didn't have anything to worry about. He could spend his time focusing on his own cultivation, on Yin Hanjiang's company, and on concocting a plan.
That night, Wenren È made sure to be the first one of the two who got into their room. He stripped down to his trousers, as he always did, but then he draped one of Yin Hanjiang's robes over his shoulders. He looked at his own reflection in the mirror. As it turned out, Yin Hanjiang's clothes were a little too narrow for him. He looked ridiculous when he tried to close them, so in the end he didn't bother to do so.
Satisfied with his look, he simply lounged on the bed and waited. It wasn't long until Yin Hanjiang also arrived.
"Have you seen—"
Yin Hanjiang didn't finish whatever question he was about to ask. As soon as he stepped into the room, his sight was drawn to Wenren È, and it was as if all of a sudden he had lost the ability to speak. His face was as red as the robes Wenren È had borrowed.
"Sect Leader Yin seems to like exchanging clothes," said Wenren È, even though Yin Hanjiang hadn't even managed to ask anything yet. "I thought I might give it a try myself to see what it's like."
Never mind speaking: right now Yin Hanjiang seemed to be having problems forming any kind of coherent thought at all. He stood there, frozen in place, staring — not exactly at Wenren È's face. Well, it wasn't his fault that Yin Hanjiang's robes didn't fit him. He grinned.
"I believe I'm starting to understand the appeal."
Yin Hanjiang looked at him in silence for another long moment.
"Wait here," he said at last. His voice was suspiciously hoarse. Then he turned around and left the room again.
Wenren È didn't follow him. Curious about what Yin Hanjiang would do next, he didn't want to interrupt him or influence him to change his plans in any way. He reclined on their bed once more, facing the door so he wouldn't miss anything.
When Yin Hanjiang returned after a while, he had changed his demeanor completely. His blush had disappeared, and he was now standing tall and full of confidence. He was also wearing one of Wenren È's black and gold outer robes. Wenren È raised his eyebrows, his interest piqued, but even now he didn't say anything. He waited to see what happened instead.
"This Venerable is ready now," Yin Hanjiang said.
So this was how it was going to be, then. Wenren È could play along. He stifled a laugh and sat up to a more proper position. Then he cupped his hands together.
"In that case, this subordinate will do his best."
It was nothing but a bit of improvisation. He hadn't been sure about how Yin Hanjiang would react to it, but he had not expected him to scrunch up his nose and drop the act entirely.
"... no. Don't do that, it's weird." Yin Hanjiang crossed his arms in frustration. "This was a bad idea."
Wenren È finally let out that laugh that had been threatening to interrupt them.
"It was your idea," he pointed out.
"Well, it was a bad one."
Yin Hanjiang looked dejected as he spoke. At least he wasn't trying to hide how upset he was — Wenren È couldn't help but feel proud. He knew better than to say that out loud, however.
"You don't need to play at being someone else," he did tell him. That part was important. Still, he leaned forward and rested his chin on his own hand, giving Yin Hanjiang an appreciative look. "But you should keep the robe."
This time, Yin Hanjiang grinned too. He finally approached their bed, but he didn't sit next to Wenren È yet, instead remaining only a few steps away.
"Do you like it?"
As his only answer, Wenren È grabbed him by the waist and pulled him onto the bed with him. After some rolling around and their usual play wrestling, Wenren È managed to pin Yin Hanjiang underneath him. Right before he was about to open Yin Hanjiang's robes — no, his own robes on Yin Hanjiang — he paused. There was still something he needed to say.
"If you wanted to keep these, you only had to ask," he told him. "Why did you hide them?"
"I wanted to see if you would say something."
Wenren È almost laughed. Why wouldn't he say anything about it? But then, before he could voice that thought, he realized that he hadn't. Not for a while, at least. Even if he considered this little game of his as 'saying something', the truth was that he had let several days — and several robes — pass by without comment. It hadn't been purposeful, but it was the truth. Perhaps Yin Hanjiang was onto something after all.
He must have taken too long to answer, because after a few moments, Yin Hanjiang frowned in concern. He placed a hand on Wenren È's cheek.
"Ah-Wu...?"
"It's alright. I was only thinking." He grabbed Yin Hanjiang's hand, but didn't move it away from his face. "I know why it took so long to bring it up."
Yin Hanjiang only looked at him, expectant. As much as Wenren È enjoyed building up the anticipation, it was probably for the better to get this out in the open.
"I don't want to tell you what to do anymore," he said.
"So you would let me steal all your clothes?"
"I didn't do that, either." Wenren È pointed out. His smile slowly turned into a mischievous smirk. "In fact, I'm about to get my robes back right now."
Yin Hanjiang laughed out loud. That felt new, still. Something Wenren È was only just getting used to — something he wanted to happen more and more often, if he had any say in it. And that he did. He had no small amount of plans to ensure that Yin Hanjiang would always be happy and comfortable and laughing.
But most of those could wait. For now, another round of wrestling would suffice.