#how fucked up is it that artistic swimmers and rhythmic gymnasts need to be female

[bloody-bee-tea]

From the Fluff prompt list #1, for MingCheng? “Could you say that again?” “Were you not listening?” “No I was, I just like hearing your voice.”

Jiang Cheng wouldn’t describe himself as vain, but compared to Nie Mingjue he feels absolutely inadequate.

It’s not like Nie Mingjue ever shows him that he thinks the same—quite the opposite really, with how much Nie Mingjue dotes on him—but sometimes Jiang Cheng can’t help but to notice the difference between them.

Nie Mingjue is an active martial artist who likes to lift some weights, too, and it definitely shows. He’s huge and muscular but also light on his feet and Jiang Cheng feels so, so untrained next to him.

And it’s not even like he doesn’t do anythingsakdjfanything. He used to be a swimmer—right until his parents demanded that the trophies he brings home have to be golden or otherwise he’s a failure—so he still has the wide shoulders, but he doesn’t pack much muscles.

He doesn’t have to—being a rhythmic gymnast and all—but sometimes he can’t help but to think that he’s lacking, especially compared to Nie Mingjue.

“I just wish Huaisang would lift some weights every now and then,” Nie Mingjue sighs, and Jiang Cheng tunes back into their conversation. “It would do him some good. He’s all wobbly with no support and he complaints about backpains all the time.”

“That’s true,” Jiang Cheng gives back and he hopes they can drop this topic soon enough.

If they keep talking about this then it’ll only make Jiang Cheng feel worse and he wanted to have a relaxed Saturday. He doesn’t want to have to worry about the fact that his own boyfriend probably thinks him to be absolutely useless when it comes to physical activity.

Jiang Cheng isn’t quite ashamed of the fact that he enjoys gymnastics, but his parents called it a girlish sport often enough that he got self-conscious of it. Not to mention how strangely it’s still regarded to be a male in that sport. He’s not actively keeping it a secret, but he’s also not talking about it, either, and especially not with people who lift weights for fun.

Nie Mingjue will probably think it stupid, too; he complaints enough about the fact that Nie Huaisang watches dancing for Jiang Cheng to be absolutely certain of that.

“Anyway,” Nie Mingjue says and shoulders his bag and Jiang Cheng tries to make it look like he was paying attention all along. “I’m off to the gym. See you later?” he asks and when Jiang Cheng nods he drops a kiss to his head before he’s out the door.

Jiang Cheng tries to not mind that Nie Mingjue doesn’t even ask him if he wants to come along.

He didn’t think Nie Mingjue would think him so useless and such a hindrance, but Jiang Cheng guesses this is only fair.

~*~*~

“Okay, what’s wrong?” Nie Mingjue asks, sitting back up in bed and switching on the light.

“Nothing?” Jiang Cheng unsurely asks and stops in his tracks. “Why would something be wrong?”

“First of all, you’ve been strange for a few days now. And second; look at you!”

Jiang Cheng does look down at himself, and then back at Nie Mingjue.

“What?” he defensively asks and Nie Mingjue gives him a look.

“You’re wearing a shirt and pants. To bed. When you normally only sleep in your boxers. So please do tell me what’s wrong, because this cannot be comfortable for you,” Nie Mingjue says, waving his hands around and Jiang Cheng fights the urge to simply turn around and run away.

“Nothing is wrong,” Jiang Cheng tries but he knows that it’s futile.

And it’s not even like Nie Mingjue is wrong.

Usually Jiang Cheng can deal with the fact that Nie Mingjue is absolutely jacked—is into it, even—but lately he feels so damn insecure next to him.

He doesn’t have a six-pack and he doesn’t have that many visible muscles and it’s not like he could lift Nie Mingjue. At least he doesn’t think he could, cause he never tried but that’s beside the point.

The point is that Jiang Cheng is a slob compared to Nie Mingjue and surely it must bother him.

“My heart, I love you, but that is absolute bullshit. Something is very wrong and I want you to tell me. We promised to be honest, right? So be honest. Just tell me what has you all worried and we can work on it.”

“There’s nothing to work on,” Jiang Cheng snaps and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “I’m not a—” he cuts himself off but Nie Mingjue raises an eyebrow at him.

“Not a what?” he prompts him when Jiang Cheng doesn’t go on.

“A gym rat,” Jiang Cheng says with a whisper and can’t bear to look at Nie Mingjue. “I’m not even that athletic.”

“So?” Nie Mingjue wants to know and Jiang Cheng throws his hands up.

“You are!”

“Okay, and?” Nie Mingjue asks, because he clearly doesn’t get it.

“Why do you even like me?”

Nie Mingjue looks obviously confused.

“For many things and none of them have to do with how active you are or aren’t,” Nie Mingjue says with a shrug and Jiang Cheng scoffs.

“Yeah, because I’m not active.”

“And I’m not bothered by it,” Nie Mingjue gives back. “And besides, that’s not entirely true, right?” he then asks and Jiang Cheng freezes.

“What?”

“I mean you are kind of fit, so you must be doing something. And you might not be as muscle-y as I am, because you are more the lean type anyway, but you definitely pack some muscles, not even to mention your flexibility. Clearly you are doing some kind of sport. I can’t say I understand why you simply won’t tell me, but I respect it anyways.”

“Oh,” Jiang Cheng breathes out, but it doesn’t really make him feel better.

“You wouldn’t—it’s nothing,” he tries to appease but now that they started talking about this, Nie Mingjue doesn’t seem to want to drop it.

“You can tell me, you know that, right?” he asks and Jiang Cheng doesn’t quite manage to keep back his scoff.

“Yeah, right,” he mutters and Nie Mingjue looks offended.

“I would never shame you for what you do, no matter what it is.”

“I wish I could believe that but you shame Huaisang plenty for liking dancing,” Jiang Cheng bitterly says.

“I’m not—is that what you think of me?” Nie Mingjue wants to know and he sounds hurt. “That I would shame my brother for liking that?”

“Well, you do,” Jiang Cheng defensively says but Nie Mingjue shakes his head.

“I don’t. I shame him for only watching it instead of doing it himself; his health isn’t the best and he’s so interested in that sport, but he can’t be bothered to do it himself. Dancing would be great for him; it would enhance his endurance and he wouldn’t get too many muscles which would ruin his aesthetics or whatever he claims and he would get to wear all of his fancy outfits. I just don’t understand why he won’t give it a try.”

Jiang Cheng is so perplexed by this that he simply blinks at Nie Mingjue.

“What now?” Nie Mingjue snaps after a minute, clearly getting defensive himself. “Anything wrong with what I said?”

“You don’t mind if he would dance?”

“Of course not. Why would I? It’s a sport like any other sport. I just want him to get some workout.”

“I do rhythmic gymnastics,” Jiang Cheng blurts out and then presses his lips together.

“Ah,” Nie Mingjue says in surprise. “I guess that makes sense. You do have the body for it.”

“But I don’t compete,” Jiang Cheng adds, feeling like that might be important, too, even though he’s afraid that Nie Mingjue will find fault in that.

He is a very active martial artist after all and he has more than one gold medal.

“Okay,” Nie Mingjue gives back and then pauses. “Wanyin, is this what you’ve been worried about? That I would shame you for that?”

“I—maybe?” Jiang Cheng hesitantly says but he also finally makes his way towards the bed. “It’s just—you’re so—” he gestures at Nie Mingjue. “And I’m not.”

“Just because I like to lift weights doesn’t mean you have to as well. Even if you would, for my sake, it wouldn’t matter, because there’s no sense in doing something you don’t enjoy. If you hate lifting weights but love rhythmic gymnastics, then that’s perfectly alright.”

“And that I don’t compete?”

“Why should you? Sport is something you do for fun; as long as you do have fun during training that’s enough. Competing is just more pressure. I enjoy that, a lot; the whole atmosphere is amazing during a competition but there are enough people in the studio who stated very clearly that they would never ever compete. Even though I’m pretty sure most of them would kick my ass, but it’s perfectly alright that they don’t want to.”

“Is it really?” Jiang Cheng mutters, and it feels a little like he’s floundering at the moment, but he was so certain that Nie Mingjue would take offense that he doesn’t know what to do now that he doesn’t.

“Yes, my heart,” Nie Mingjue says and drags Jiang Cheng up the bed so he can hug him. “It’s so absolutely, perfectly alright. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” He pauses. “Why did you keep it a secret that you’re doing rhythmic gymnastics?”

“It’s just—I’m a guy,” Jiang Cheng says and Nie Mingjue makes an understanding sound.

“I guess it’s not quite that accepted, right? There aren’t that many male gymnasts, correct?”

“Yes. And my parents—” Jiang Cheng trails off but of course Nie Mingjue can fill in the gaps.

“I see,” he mutters and then presses a lingering kiss to Jiang Cheng’s head. “Well, I don’t mind it at all. I would love to see it, actually, if you are comfortable with that, but no rush. I don’t mean to pressure you. If you don’t want to, that’s perfectly alright, too.”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t even know what to say to that, because no one wanted to see him perform yet, but in the end he gives a short nod.

“Eventually,” he says, because he feels like he’ll need time to prepare for that.

“No problem,” Nie Mingjue reassures him and then kisses him softly. “Now go change out of these clothes, I can’t imagine you’re comfortable.”

Jiang Cheng chuckles, because Nie Mingjue is right and he only gets up to be able to shed the clothes before he’s climbing into bed with Nie Mingjue, who pulls him into his side.

“No more worrying, okay?” Nie Mingjue asks, already sounding sleepy and Jiang Cheng kisses his chest.

“Promise,” he gives back. “I love you.”

“Mh,” Nie Mingjue hums. “Could you say that again?”

“Are you already asleep? Or are you simply not listening to me?”

“No, I am, I just like hearing your voice. Especially saying that,” Nie Mingjue gives back and curls a little bit towards Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng has no retort for that, because his heart is too busy beating out of his chest with how happy he is with Nie Mingjue and he vows to do better in the future.

It should be easy with how supportive and understanding Nie Mingjue is anyway.

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