#if you have ever seen piers have an embarrassing moment he has to kill you now

[snipeheart]

😖 - Does your muse have any embarrassing moments that they still think about? Do they laugh at them, or do they haunt them?

💥 ― 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑆𝑦𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑙 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠.

Finn, starstruck by Captain Redfield, Manliest Hero-iest guy ever: Is he always this awesome? Piers, who has totally never had any similar moments, ever, don't trust anyone that tells you otherwise: [visible cringe of disgust]

Piers is the type to be absolutely haunted by every embarrassing thing he's ever said. No one may ever know.

You wouldn't think this would be the case, with how freely he speaks his mind and talks shit not only to enemies, but even his captain. And it kind of isn't, at least not to extremes. It's only now that he's actually in a position of relative prestige that this sort of thing presents itself--he has a job where he's supposed to represent a global coalition now, so he's way more conscious of his fumbles than when he was a teenager.

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 19, part one

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff) (Previous Post)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Chilling in Yiling

We start off with Wei Wuxian hanging out in a busy area of Yiling, which is a really dumb place to pick for a fugitive rendezvous.  

He's wearing a fashionably distressed brown robe, and a woven disguise hat, that makes him invisible to his enemies until the moment he takes it off, kinda like the mask he wears in his second life. Unfortunately he is a polite boi so he takes off the disguise hat when he goes indoors to get a bite to eat, and promptly gets smacked down by Wen Zhuliu. 

Xiao Zhan's stunt double is really good at this wire-pull+table-smash move; this is the second time Wei Wuxian goes crashing through a table (the first one being when Yu Ziyuan was beating him). This time he clutches his now core-less abdomen, in a move we're going to be seeing a lot of, going forward. Abdominal surgery is a bitch. OP can personally attest to this.

Wen Zhuliu provides some comic relief by looking at his hand in puzzlement; he clearly can tell Wei Wuxian has no golden core, but he isn't going to bother telling Wen Chao that.

Wen Chao gloats and steps on Wei Wuxian's hand while Wei Wuxian stares at his shoe and OP wonders, not for the first time, how they make rubberized zig-zag treads in Ancient Fantasy China.

(more after the cut)

This is all happening in the Yiling Wine house where Wei Wuxian will later share the most important meal of his life, the one in which A-Yuan lays claim to Lan Wangji, ultimately giving LWJ a reason to live long enough for Wei Wuxian to be resurrected. If that doesn’t deserve a good Yelp review, nothing does. 

Dream a Little Dream of Me

While Wei Wuxian gets ready for his big whump scene, Jiang Cheng is dreaming, and looking absolutely breathtaking in this deceptively simple robe, that's made of a really complex fabric, that catches the light all over its surface.  The lighting here is warm and romantic, giving everything a nostalgic glow.

He looks around the courtyard in his dream, and sees Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian come running in the gate carrying kites. 

A child fetching a kite was the first casualty of the Wen attack on Lotus Pier, so this image may already be a little fraught for Jiang Cheng. In this initial image of his family, Jiang Cheng isn't present as a child, but then his junior self comes running up, to be warmly greeted by his mother.

Jiang Cheng's reaction to the scene playing out in front of him is not a simple one. We've seen him externally expressing his trauma at the fate of Lotus Pier and his family - his anger and his despair - and this dream shows us his private, interior trauma. 

His body has been repaired by Wei Wuxian and the Wens, but his psyche has not.

This family interaction can't possibly be one that ever happened. It's too lively, too affectionate, too comfortable. The family he was part of as a young adult was cold, angry, cracked.  Families don't change that much in 10 years, unless there's a major trauma that alters things in a fundamental way.

Even the glimpses we got of his childhood contradict this image. This warm group is not the family of "I sent your dogs away" or "wait in the cold until Jiang Cheng lets you in" or "I won't tell Clan Leader Jiang what happened" or "I'm only 11 but I'm in charge of soup and bedtime already"

Jiang Cheng smiles at the affection he sees enacted in front of him, but quickly moves to grief. When a toxic person dies, you don't just lose the relationship you had with them; you lose the hope for a better relationship. Perhaps Jiang Cheng has always imagined this version of his family; now nothing like it can ever come to be.

The pleasant scene vanishes into nightmare, as his mother starts bleeding from her eyes, ew. This is like Nie Mingjue when he qi deviates, but dream Yu Ziyuan is perfectly chill about it. 

Jiang Cheng is not perfectly chill about it. 

He turns around to see Lotus Pier burning. When he turns back, his family has been replaced with Wen Zhuliu, who is particularly gleeful as he reaches into Jiang Cheng's chest and melts his core.

Jiang Cheng wakes up on the mountain, alone (as far as he knows), and quickly stands and boots up his new golden core.

It's purple, because of course it is. King. The nightmare is gone and he smiles, maybe for the first time since the attack on the pier.

In a moment that is probably going to feel really embarrassing in hindsight, he kneels and bows toward the mountaintops to thank Baoshan Sanren, who is totally not there. 

Wen Ning, on the other hand, is there, although we only see a little bit of his belt and robe as Jiang Cheng walks off to Yiling to meet his brother.  This entire plotline walks a very weird line in which the audience is told just enough about what’s really happening to be confused, but not surprised.

Do the Whumpty Whump

After some initial roughing up, Wen Chao has his dudes stand Wei Wuxian up so he can question him without actually getting any information out of him at all. They take turns calling each other dogs, with Wei Wuxian saying that when Wen Chao talks he just hears a dog barking. (Of course if he really heard a dog barking he'd be terrified) 

Then he says "isn't that right" to Wang Lingjiao, and Wen Chao gets super pissed; don't disrespect me to my woman. 

He has his minions do a Nancy Kerrigan to Wei Wuxian's knee and then kick him for a while.

Then they kick the shit out of the camera operator.

Wen Chao is really not about fighting his own fights.  He also keeps threatening to have Wen Zhuliu melt Wei Wuxian's core, and Wen Zhuliu keeps popping up his hand and then putting it back when Wen Chao changes his mind, which gets more hilarious every time I watch it. Feng Mingjing’s physical embodiment of Wen Zhuliu is endlessly entertaining, even in scenes where he has literally no lines. 

I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost

Wei Wuxian continues to goad Wen Chao, telling him that more torture is good because then he'll die with loads of resentment. He says that after he dies, he will come back as a ferocious ghost, which is...almost exactly what happens, except he stays alive for the ferocious part. 

They go back and forth about the feasibility of this whole haunting plan. Wang Lingjiao is the voice of reason, for once, arguing the "ghosts aren't real and anyway fuck this guy" position.

Wen Chao thinks that he can’t haunt them because of cultivator security hardening procedures soul-calming rituals, but Wei Wuxian wasn't born into a gentry family so didn't have the anti-fierce-ghost treatment that other cultivators get.

This is the only time in the whole of the show when Wei Wuxian says, himself, that he's the son of a servant. He's using his reputation as a commoner to bolster his threats. 

Wei Wuxian is working hard to put on a scary-guy persona, which works pretty well on Wang Lingjiao but not as much on the rest of the group. Three months from this time, however, he will have become the scary, vengeful creature he's currently spitballing about.  He will also become way, way better at torture than the people who are currently mistreating him. 

Wang Lingjiao and Wen Chao go through a whole sequence of ideas about what to do with him. For whatever reason Wang Lingjiao doesn't insist on chopping his arm off even though she's been craving it for ages. 

She does gleefully burn his burn some more, causing it to bleed directly into the giant obvious bag he has hanging from his belt leaking resentful energy. Which the Wens do not take away or search.

Wen Chao, incidentally, starts calling him Wei Ying during this encounter, which is rude of him. Tch.  Finally Wen Chao decides on a plan, which involves sword-flying effects so terrible that no soul can survive them.

Jiang Cheng is looking for Wei Wuxian in town, wearing a woven hat like Wei Wuxian’s.  This...is not a disguise. If you want to be inconspicuous, maybe take that giant piece of silver off of your head.

He hears random people talking about the Wens being in town, and then he apparently looks up at the sky and sees the Wen dudes flying on their swords with Wei Wuxian, but it looks so ridiculous that Jiang Cheng's mind cannot process what he is seeing.

While they "fly," Wen Chao delivers a massive brick of exposition about the burial mounds, while Wei Wuxian looks genuinely frightened. The VFX of random, undifferentiated mountaintops and clouds do nothing to sell this menace, but the exposition is actually pretty good, creating a real sense of disturbance and threat.

Then they toss him in, and we go from the terrible VFX of sword flying to a visual effect that they mercifully did really well throughout the show - the black resentment smoke. This time it catches Wei Wuxian and holds him for a few moments, before dropping him the rest of the way to the ground. It also apparently pulls the turtle sword out of his belt bag, but we don't see that part.

They Say That Every Man Must Fall

Having seen Wei Wuxian at his lowest point (so far) and dream Jiang Cheng also in deep distress, we go to the Dafan Wen sibs, who have also reached a breaking point. Because they helped Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, they are traitors to their clan - unquestionably so - and are being punished for it, with Wen Ning having been tortured in addition to being locked up.

I see my light come shining From the west down to the east Any day now, any day now I shall be released

You know how Lan Xichen successfully argued for Wen-Clan-Member Meng Yao's life and status, because Meng Yao betrayed Wen Ruohan to help them? Even though Meng Yao killed a bunch of Nie guys? Wen Ning and Wen Qing also betrayed Wen Ruohan and helped the Sunshot Campaign, without killing a bunch of guys. They should have been treated as allies by the four other clans, but they got diddly.  

I’ve Been Dead Once

We return to Wei Wuxian in the burial grounds, where he's lying on the ground surrounded by resentful energy and by strained, desperate voices calling his name. This whole sequence is remarkable, since it effectively communicates the horror he's experiencing, through little more than Xiao Zhan's face and good sound design.

I hang around dying to be tortured  You'll never be alone in the bone orchard

The voices call four versions of his name. A variety of voices call him Wei Wuxian, Wei Gongzi, and Shixiong, which (I think) is what the young Jiang disciples would have called him. And in the midst of those voices, Lan Wangji's voice, low and calm, saying "Wei Ying." Upon hearing that Wei Wuxian starts to drag himself up.

For a show with definitely no zombies in it, they sure do use the visual language of zombie films for Wei Wuxian's first motions after hitting the ground. Starting with twitching fingers, then gradually pulling himself halfway up and crawling, lurching across the ground. Wei Wuxian comes slowly back to life, the very first member of his army of the dead.

He makes his way across the ground toward the floating turtle sword. Along the way he accidentally grabs the world's most bowlegged thigh bone; the lack of sunshine in the burial mounds puts the skeletons at risk for rickets.  All of the skeletons in the show are exactly what you would expect from the practical effects team that made the demon hand and the animatronic dog.

The turtle sword is roiling with resentful energy, and is talking to Wei Wuxian as he crawls toward it, asking if he wants revenge. And what a coincidence, he DOES want revenge. 

He grabs the sword and plunges it into the ground in an explosion of resentful energy. (Ground: why you gotta take it out on me?)

The sequence ends with the most compelling, ominous shot of Wei Wuxian's face...a new man. 

Soundtrack: 1. I Shall Be Released by Bob Dylan 2. Beyond Belief by Elvis Costello  

Writing Prompt: The Day Wei Wuxian arrived, from the POV of a Burial Mounds ghost. 

[salandition]

Raihan/Milo/Piers walking in on Reader doing something embarrassing HCs

A/N: I thought of this when I was listening to Matt Watson songs today so if any of you need an idea on where this is going and you know who Matt is, now you know.

Warning: explicit themes for Raihans (but it’s all a joke)

Raihan

By pure chance, he had decided to stop by your apartment

He was bored and he likes to hang out with others when he’s bored, so he spun the little colored wheel of people he knew in his head and it landed on You

Congrats! You’re so lucky

Raihan casually invites himself inside. I imagine he doesn’t really ever knock on doors unless they’re private rooms like a bedroom or bathroom. Otherwise he Spawns In

Right away he heard some music playing. And Raihan immediately thought: oh yes

He creeps quietly forward until he reaches your kitchen, where you’re sweeping. And you don’t see him yet but your body is swaying to the beat as you sweep (sick rhymes). Quickly Raihan takes out his Rotom

And then you sing along to the song- “me and my best friends...” there’s a pause. Long enough that Raihan raises a brow, until- “we love jerkin’ off,”

SpIT spiT sPIT spit SPIT he wants to SPIT but he can’t because he’s HIDING

“But it’s November, so we have to stop,”

It’s July,

“Me and my good pals, love a good bust, but it’s November, so we cannot nut,”

He records it. He records the whole thing as you sing and sway and sweep in your kitchen, but when the next verse comes Raihan can’t hold it in anymore and he bursts out laughing as he falls against your wall to hold him up

Immediately your head SNAPS toward him and your face is easily as red as it could ever get. It makes Raihan laugh more, the music still playing, Rotom still recording. “RAIHAN!!”

He can’t bre a t hee e

Milo

Milo isn’t as shameless as Raihan is. If he walks in on you doing something when you don’t know he’s there, it’s because it’s on accident

He’s the kind of guy that says “behind you!” on command like they do in restaurants because he doesn’t want to surprise anybody

Fun fact Milo is actually very quiet and No One Knows Why. He’s just a quiet guy and so are his footsteps so he learned early on to warn people he’s at least in the room

It’s a bit harder to do that in the fields of Turffield though. You’d been working on the crops for several hours, so Milo thought he’d check in and ask if you need any help or a break! Your work ethic is admirable, but everyone needs a break at some point

It takes a second to find you- you’re crouched next to blueberry bushes. And once Milo gets closer, he can hear you mumbling-

“I was in the third grade.... everybody acted like I was a criminal,” and then, with the blueberries in your hand, you SQUISH them and yell “because I killed somebody!”

You start laughing but the sudden yell had Milo tripping in surprise, right onto the ground

Immediately your eyes snap to him. “Milo!!” You stand up, your hands a blueberry mess. You look around anxiously. “They- they were bad blueberries- I wasn’t wasting them or anything!” And then you realize he’s still on the ground and you quickly skitter over to help him up with your non stained hand

“What was that?” Milo cant help but ask, and he’s giggling as he thinks back to it. Your face burns.

“A- a video. A dumb video. Don’t tell anybody”

Of course not. Milo swears it’ll be between the two of you, and offers his help in the field. You accept and it’s like the moment never even happened

But you hear Milo giggling to himself every so often

Piers

I think Piers just has a bad habit of walking in on things he’s not supposed to see

It happens to him like. Too often

It’s really just bad luck

You’re one of his ‘gym trainers’, and he has to check up on all his trainers and their progress everyday. As loathe as he is to do it, because he trusts everyone is doing their job, but... Team Yell also exists, and he has to sweep up their mess at least once or twice a day

So he begrudgingly starts to make his rounds around Spikemuth

And when he gets to your corner where you usually train with your Pokémon, you’re not there. Which is strange, because you’re usually very on top of things

He decides he’ll look around for two minutes and then move on. Whenever he sees you next he’ll ask you where you were

Unfortunately, he finds you. In the alleyway between some buildings

Going absolutely ham with some obscure dance moves that he’s never seen before

You’re seriously breaking a sweat with how you’re dancing, your Pokémon excitedly jumping along, but there’s no music. Why are you dancing with no music

“Why are you dancing with no music?” He asks, plain as can be, becuase this is weird and Piers wants answers

You startle and almost fall over when he speaks- clearly you didn’t know he was watching. “I- um!” Your eyes are wide as you look at him.

He raises an eyebrow, waiting

“I - just. Um. There was music! Just... in my head. Yknow?” You’re looking at him with an expression like you’re in physical pain, the awkwardness of this moment rolling over you in waves. It’s silent.

“I’ll get back to work.” You lower your head in shame and Piers snorts.

“Please.”

[sincerelystranger]

Author: follow up of my hanahaki short.

---

Wei Wuxian, infuriating as always, slips a blue Forget-me-not into Wangji’s hand and disappears from Wangji’s life.

The whirlwind of laughter and chatter disappears from Wangji’s life so quickly it almost knocks the breath out of him. He doesn’t really know how to feel. Doesn’t know whether to miss Wei Wuxian or hate him or just…

Wangji folds the blue flower between two pages in a book he hasn’t read for years and tries his best to… forget.

He attends dozens of meetings, trading bows and meals with handsome young masters and pretty ladies from respectable clans and families. His uncle is pleased with his efforts and the meetings are… fine. The company is always perfectly tolerable, and his prospective partners never laugh too loudly or ask too many questions or fidget in their seats or call him Lan Zhan.

It’s fine. Wangji is fine. His chest feels like it’s crumbling in on itself all the time but he’s fine. Wei Wuxian would have stayed if he wanted to. He would have loved Wangji back if he wanted to. Wangji will get over Wei Wuxian – he will… he will. If Wei Wuxian does not want him… (But he had kissed, Wangji. He had kissed him and Wangji hadn’t even had the mind enough to kiss him back and it…)

His brother sends him worried smiles when he passes on offers for second meetings and Wangji goes to bed every night convinced that flowers are blooming in his chest again.

(He knows it’s impossible, but he’s strangely disappointed when he coughs and no flowers come out. Would Wei Wuxian come back if he coughed up flowers again?)

Jiang Fengmian comes to visit Cloud Recesses to share tea and conversation with Wangji’s uncle.

Wei Wuxian used to accompany his uncle on these trips, but today it is only Jiang Wanyin.

Jiang Wanyin who doesn’t say a word but glares at Wangji with enough hatred in his gaze that it’s almost commendable.

It’s confusing and annoying. Jiang Wanyin has no reason to hate Wangji but he does, and he puts little to no effort in hiding the fact.

“I see Wei Wuxian has not accompanied you to Cloud Recesses,” his uncle says, “finally dedicating himself to repay you and your sect, I assume?”

If possible, Jiang Wanyin’s brows further deeper. Wangji can see him clench his fists and bite his lips as if to keep from speaking out.

Speak, Wangji wants to say. What irritates you so? What is the cause of all this anger?

Because… what has Wangji done wrong? If anything, shouldn’t Wangji be the one who is angry? Wei Wuxian had torpedoed his way into Wangji’s life and made him…. made Wangji fall in love and… and then he’d left. Left a blue flower with a meaning that just couldn’t be right and he’d… left.

Shouldn’t Wangji be the one who is angry?

Jiang Fengmian smiles politely. “Kind of you to ask about him, Grandmaster, but Wei Wuxian does not have anything to pay back,” he says firmly, “he is not able to accompany me as of late because he is… ill.”

Ill?

Wei Wuxian?

Wangji’s uncle clears his throat in embarrassment.

“Sorry to hear that,” Xichen says quickly, easily smoothing the small bump of tension with a polite smile. “What illness plagues him? Perhaps our healers can be of some help.”

Jiang Wanyin snorts at that, as if Wangji’s brother has said something particularly stupid. “Your healers?” he sneers, not taking his eyes off of Wangji. “Lan-gongzi, for what reason did you visit Lotus Pier all those months ago? Stealing Wei Wuxian away in the quick of night for some urgent request, wasn’t it?”

“Jiang Cheng,” Jiang Fengmian chides gently.

“How long are we going to beat around the bush?” Jiang Cheng snarls, flipping his sleeves out as he moves to stand. “Wei Wuxian is dying and we’re sitting here drinking tea as if everything is just fine.”

Dying?

Wei Wuxian?

Wangji feels his heart stop in his chest.

That can’t be right. Wei Wuxian. Dying?

Dying from some… illness?

Wangji is standing before he realizes it and he follows Jiang Wanyin outside.

“Jiang Wanyin,” he calls. He feels a nervous fluttering in his chest. His throat feels tight. Something about the world feels off.

Jiang Wanyin turns sharply to meet him, his eyes all fire. “What?” he snarls.

Wangji feels… feels momentarily frozen in the heat of all that rage.

Jiang Wanyin seems to take Wangji’s silence… Well, Wangji doesn’t know how Jiang Wanyin takes it, but whatever it is, Jiang Wanyin seems disgusted by it.

“You Lan’s and all of your rules – do any of them teach you how to be a fucking human being?” Jiang Wanyin growls, stepping forward so that he’s almost chest to chest with Wangji. “What’s wrong with Wei Wuxian? He’s a strong cultivator from a strong sect. You seemed to have no problem using him to cure you of your stupid disease but now that he’s drowning, you’re nowhere to be found. Actually, you’re off meeting ladies and young masters, just having the time of your fucking life, aren’t you?”

Wangji blinks.

Jiang Wanyin isn’t making any sense.

Jiang Wanyin rakes his eyes over Wangji’s face and frowns in disgust before turning away in a huff.

“This was a waste of time,” he snarls.

“Wei Wuxian is… drowning?” Wangji asks.

Jiang Wanyin turns his head to glare at him, before his shoulders sag tiredly. He reaches into his sleeve and pulls something out and throws it at Wangji.

Wangji grabs it as it hits his chest.

It’s a blue Forget-me-not.

“True love, do not forget me,” Jiang Wanyin laughs, and it’s a broken, angry thing. “He’s drowning in his love for you till the very end – fucking idiot.”

This can’t be right. It can’t be for Wangji.

(Wei Wuxian had said two-lives. Two. So why is he drowning? Why?)

“Wei Wuxian is not in love with me,” Wangji says, his fingers trembling as he holds up the flower.

“Shut the fuck up,” Jiang Wanyin snarls, and Wangji understands now. Understands where Jiang Wanyin’s hate is coming from. Because he’s in danger of losing his brother and he thinks it’s Wangji’s fault – and it’s infuriating because Wei Wuxian was the one who had left.

He had been the one who rejected Wangji…

“You knew,” Jiang Wanyin continues, his voice breaking into something pained and ragged. “He came all the way to Cloud Recesses for you. How could you not know? And you know what the funny thing is? He was fucking excited. He was excited to go to you.” Jiang Wanyin’s eyes are wet with unshed tears, his face reddening in rage and devastation. “He told me the first thing that fell from your mouth when you saw him was a striped carnation – regret. How could you do that to him?”

Wangji feels light-headed. He’s not sure he’s breathing.

“But he left,” Wangji whispers, looking at the blue Forget-me-not in his hand.

Could Wei Wuxian really be drowning for… him? But they had kissed… They had kissed… Why was Wei Wuxian drowning?

“You told him you regretted loving him,” Jiang Wanyin shouts, “What did you expect him to do? Stay and beg?”

But Wangji hadn’t meant it like that… He hadn’t… right?

He had just been… angry. Angry at himself that he had fallen in love with someone who would never love him back. Angry that he couldn’t be someone that Wei Wuxian would love. Angry at this stupid disease that was killing him by slow degrees. Angry – that was all. Angry.

Wasn’t it?

Wangji remembers Wei Wuxian’s face moments before he had kissed him.

Remembers how heartbroken he had looked.

Remembers that terrible, sad smile that had been on his lips.

Maybe Wangji had been the only one saved.

Nothing makes sense but all Wangji knows is that he has to see Wei Wuxian. Everything will make sense again when he sees Wei Wuxian.

He unsheathes Bichen.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jiang Wanyin asks, but it’s too late. Wangji is already gone.  

---

Wei Wuxian looks up at him, wide-eyed and pale when Wangji walks in.

He’s thinner than when Wangji saw him last, and Wangji can’t ever remember him looking so tired, but… infuriatingly enough… he’s still the most beautiful person Wangji has ever seen.

Jiang Yanli is by his side, a white handkerchief stained with bright red spots in her hands. She doesn’t stand when he walks in. Just barely gives him a nod of her head.

It’s obvious she blames him too.  

(Could it really be his fault?)

Wangji steps inside the room so that he’s facing Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian had kissed him months ago. Had said, one kiss to save two lives, but here he was… dying.

If… If Wangji was truly responsible for this, wouldn’t Wei Wuxian have been saved the same day as him? It doesn’t make sense…

“Wei Wuxian…” Wangji says, not really knowing else to say. He feels strangely embarrassed now. He had been so sure that everything would be just make sense if he could see Wei Wuxian… but now that he’s in front of him, sick and real and… Wangji feels more confused than ever.

Wei Wuxian smiles at him, wide and bright and beautiful.

He opens his mouth as if to say something but red chrysanthemums fall out.

Red chrysanthemums.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

This time it’s Wangji who leans down to pick up the flowers from the floor. He thinks he understands now why Wei Wuxian had held it so gently in his hands that day.

Somehow… Somehow… Even though it’s nothing more than death clawing a home for itself in Wei Wuxian’s chest… it’s precious. It’s a truth that cannot be ignored. It’s Wei Wuxian’s heart flooding out of his lips.

Of course it’s precious.

“Why are you… ill?” Wangji asks, moving to take a seat on the foot of Wei Wuxian’s bed.

Blood trickles down the side of Wei Wuxian’s mouth, and he tilts his head to the side, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Jiang Yanli dabs the blood away and Wangji can see that her hands are trembling.

“Has my brother not suffered enough?” she asks, her voice soft and shaking and dangerous. “Have you come here to offer some sort of… condolences? Does it please you to see him like this, Lan er-gongzi?”

They’re the harshest words Wangji has ever heard from Jiang Yanli and something about the way she says it shames Wangji. Cuts him deeper than anything Jiang Wanyin had shouted at him.

Wei Wuxian takes his sister’s hand in his and brings it to his cheek, rubbing it affectionately as if to say, “it’s okay.”

It’s… infuriating.

He’s dying and in some bizarre way, Wangji could be responsible. How is any of that okay?

“But we kissed,” Wangji whispers, his hands in a tight fist.

Wei Wuxian smiles again, this time warm and indulgent. Wangji can’t help but feel like he’s being consoled.

Wei Wuxian pounds weakly at his chest and clears his throat, and opens his mouth again. It’s obvious that he’s trying his best to speak, but… his voice comes out in a rough whisper.

“It’s a strange disease,” he whispers with a shrug, “don’t worry, Lan Zhan. I’ll be fine. Sorry to make you come all this way.”

He says he will be fine but purple heliotropes fall from his mouth.

A sob rips out of Jiang Yanli as she dabs more blood off of Wei Wuxian’s lips.

“A-Xian,” she whispers, fat tears rolling down her sweet face, “My A-Xian.”

Jiang Yanli doesn’t look at Wangji at all, but he can’t help but feel blamed.

Wei Wuxian sends him an apologetic look before swinging his arm around Jiang Yanli’s small frame to hug her close. To pat her back reassuringly.

Jiang Yanli sobs despairingly, her small shoulders shaking. Wei Wuxian is strangely solid beside her. Shushing her gently.

It’s too intimate.

Wangji feels like an intruder.

He leaves to stand outside.

He doesn’t understand.

Why is Wei Wuxian dying? They had kissed. Wei Wuxian had said two lives. Wangji hasn’t coughed up a flower in months.

Why is Wei Wuxian dying?

Heliotropes.

Purple heliotropes.

Wei Wuxian had looked at Wangji and purple heliotropes had fallen from his lips. Eternal love.

But they had kissed.

Wangji is so lost in thought, he doesn’t register a Yunmeng Jiang disciple walking towards him until he is almost right next to Wangji.

“You must be the healer from Gusu,” the disciple says, not even bothering to bow. He sags against the beam and shakes his head tiredly. “I told Jiang-zhongzhu that there’s only so much a healer – even a healer from Gusu – can do for this insidious disease, but…” He looks up at Wangji and shrugs. “You must understand the desperate measures people take when they’re grieving.”

Sect Leader Jiang had come to Cloud Recesses to request healers?

“Why is Wei Wuxian ill?” Wangji asks.

The disciple raises a brow at him and crosses his arms. “It’s Wei-gongzi,” he says, “thought you Lans were all about rules and politeness.”

Wangji just stares at him, waiting for his answer.

The disciple stares back for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head. “Guess you Lans really don’t gossip, huh? Wei-gongzi is in love with your Lan-er-gongzi,” he says, “Supposedly, your Lan-er-gongzi was in love with him too, but he regretted it intensely. So they kissed but only your Lan-er-gongzi was cured. Heard he coughed up a striped carnation upon seeing poor Wei-gongzi.”

The disciple clicks his tongue. “Sure Wei-gongzi may not be as high of status as your Lan-er-gongzi, but is he really someone to regret?”

Wangji is sure he’s not breathing.

The disciple’s words seem to be coming to him through water. Thick and slow.  

“You know the sad thing is that if Wei-gongzi was of higher status, this would probably be enough to declare war over,” the disciple continues, oblivious to Wangji’s inner turmoil, “but poor Wei-gongzi is just going to die and your Lan-er-gongzi will just go on living his life, attending meetings with ladies and masters and just having the time of his life.”

This is wrong. All wrong.

Wangji had only attended those meetings because Wei Wuxian had left.

(Why hadn’t he searched Wei Wuxian out? Why hadn’t he come to Lotus Pier?)

Wangji turns and slams the door open to walk back into Wei Wuxian’s room.

Jiang Yanli turns sharply at the noise.

Wei Wuxian is asleep. His breath shallow and wheezy.

“He’s only just fallen asleep, Lan-er-gongzi,” she chides softly, her eyes all fire as she stares at him. Her body is positioned between Wei Wuxian and Wangji. Her shoulders wide and her hands at her side as if she’s acting as a human shield to protect Wei Wuxian from… Wangji.

Wangji is so ashamed.

He takes a small step forward.

“I didn’t mean to hurt him,” he says, and he’s embarrassed by his words as soon as they come out.

Jiang Yanli’s eyes harden, her lips a thin line.

Wangji is sure that if Jiang Wanyin was in the room, Wangji would have already been physically attacked.

“A shame,” she says lowly.

Wangji looks at Wei Wuxian. Looks at how pale he is. How his brows are furrowed just that tiny bit because he’s in pain. Looks at the sharp lines of his lips and how they’re cracked and red but Wangji still wants to kiss him.

What is a little embarrassment? What does it matter?

He takes another step forward.

“I love him,” he says, trying to sound as honest and desperate as he feels inside.

“But you regret him,” Jiang Yanli says, taking a step forward towards Wangji. Wangji can see her fists clenched. Can see how they shake in rage. “Everyone has heard about your meetings with potential suitors. Everyone!”

Wei Wuxian, she means.

“I was mistaken,” Wangji says desperately, and it comes out a bit ragged because his chest is crumbling in on itself. “Please.”

Wangji doesn’t know what else to say, but he’s prepared to go on his knees and beg if need be.

It’s too late and unfair but he just hadn’t known. Wei Wuxian had left and Wangji could never think of a reason beyond Wei Wuxian not wanting him back.

He hadn’t thought of the horrid flowers that had fallen from his lips like a benediction. Hadn’t realized that they could mean death for anyone other than him.

He had never imagined that he could have any sort of power to hurt Wei Wuxian.

Even now, it feels almost unbelievable that Wei Wuxian might love him to this extent.

Wangji feels the flowers that are still in his hand.

Even on his deathbed, Wei Wuxian is professing his love to Wangji…

He looks at Jiang Yanli, and she looks like a blur. He thinks he might be crying, but what does it matter? He’s prepared to break down as much as needed.

“Please,” he begs again, and he’s not even embarrassed by the way his voice breaks.

Jiang Yanli stares at him, her kind eyes big and determined, scanning his face for… for…

Wangji doesn’t know, but he prays to every god he can think of that she finds it, because he needs her to believe him.

After what seems like hours, Jiang Yanli finally nods and steps out of the way.

Wangji rushes past her and kneels beside Wei Wuxian.

He takes Wei Wuxian’s hand in his, places a gentle palm on Wei Wuxian’s cheek.

“Wei Wuxian,” he whispers, rubbing a thumb underneath his eyes.

Wei Wuxian leans into Wangji’s touch but stays asleep. He coughs and blue Forget-me-nots fall out of his mouth.

Wangji wipes Wei Wuxian’s mouth with his sleeve.

“I love you,” he whispers.

He places soft kisses on Wei Wuxian’s eyelids.

His forehead.

His nose.

And finally, his lips.

Wei Wuxian’s lips are cracked and bleeding and it’s nothing like the kiss Wei Wuxian had gifted him – but… but it’s enough.

It has to be.

(Because Wei Wuxian cannot die. He can’t.)

Wangji kisses a sleeping Wei Wuxian and leans back and waits.

Wangji doesn’t breathe or blink, but after what seems like a lifetime, Wangji watches Wei Wuxian’s breathe even out. Deepen in a way that Wangji can feel in his own chest.

Wangji sighs and leans forward to rest his head on top of their clasped hands.

“I love you,” he says again, hoping that Wei Wuxian can hear it in his dreams.

He hopes that Wei Wuxian dreams sweet dreams. Dreams of love and laughter and a Wangji that never once regretted him.

“I love you,” he whispers, and what he means to say is thank you.

(What he means to say is sorry.)

But he has a lifetime now.

All he has to do is wait for Wei Wuxian to wake up.

[obaewankenope]

The Second Life of Sandu Shengshou

Thanks to a dream I had several nights ago, I ended up writing this. It’s the beginning of a Multi-chaptered fic that can be read on AO3 here. I’m not even remotely sorry for this.

Not in the slightest. 

One

The day Sect Leader Jiang dies is a day that the entire cultivation world remembers. For them, the passing of the Jiang Sect Leader is an event not to be ignored or celebrated. It is a day to remember his amazing deeds; losing his entire Sect to the Wen and then rebuilding it from the ground up; becoming a living legend during the Sunshot Campaign; fighting and killing the Yiling Laozu; raising the son of his beloved A-Jie into a fine young man who took the mantle of Jin Sect Leader well; being part of revealing the truth of Jin Guangyao’s deceit to the entire cultivation world; fighting fierce corpses and holding demonic cultivators to account for their crimes.

The day Sect Leader Jiang dies is one to remember his deeds and those of his brother, the last of his family beside the Sect Leader Jin.

For Sect Leader Jiang, it’s just another day of enduring a tired soul and a damaged heart, pasted back together with anger and grief. He expects the day to end with his finally seeing his family and those of his Sect who died in the Wen attack, again.

He closes his eyes, takes his last breath, and lets go. The heavens greet him and Jiang Cheng sees his family once more.

He doesn’t expect to take another breath until his next reincarnation which will hopefully be happier than his current one has been.

Jiang Cheng does not expect to cough dusty air from his lungs and open his eyes to the sight of a fierce corpse intent on killing him.

Instinct honed by battle and years of training serve him well as Jiang Cheng kicks out at the corpse, sending it careening back with an application of spiritual energy. His hand scrambles for his sword, for Zidian but finds only dirt. He has no weapon but his body and his core.

Jiang Cheng grits his teeth. So be it.

He jumps to his feet, stumbling when the strength of his core seems greater than his body can handle, but recovers well enough to drop into a open-handed stance. The corpse moves toward him at speed and, just as it is close enough for Jiang Cheng to strike, somebody slams into it and away from him.

In the moment it takes Jiang Cheng to register the identity of the person who just barrelled into a fierce corpse, a half-dozen purple-robed cultivators appear from the darkness of what he realises are trees. He’s in a forest. The humidity in the air tells him its a Yunmeng forest, but figuring out where he is suddenly isn’t important anymore when he gets a glimpse of some of the faces of the cultivators.

_He recognises them. _

Shidi’s he’d seen slaughtered by Wen-dogs. His disciples, his responsibility and here they are; coming to his rescue like he was a child again.

Is this his heaven?

Jiang Cheng looks around. He’s in a small clearing, ground recently disturbed by what he assumed had been the fierce corpse rising. A glimmer of silver on the ground reveals Sandu’s location and he immediately picks it up, relieved to have it in his grip again.

Everything is easier with Sandu.

“Drop it Corpse!”

Jiang Cheng looks in the direction of the fierce corpse that had attacked him, expecting it to be holding something, but it was down on the ground, pinned by a very, very familiar blade.

His father’s.

That was his father’s sword. That meant-

“I said, drop it!” Someone shouts. Fifth shidi, Jiang Cheng guesses, judging by the tone.

He looks at the children he’d seen die once, and realises, with a jolt, that fifth shidi is talking to him!

“What? I’m not a corpse!” Jiang Cheng exclaims and then almost let’s out a surprised shout because his voice—his voice.

He sounds like a child! 

Jiang Cheng looks down at his hands gripping Sandu. Those are not the hands of a Sect Leader of one-hundred-and-three years. Those are- those-

“A fierce corpse cannot speak.” His father’s voice, the voice of Jiang Fengmian. “My son is dead, who are you to use his body so?”

Pingheng glows a pale violet in his father’s grip and Jiang stares at his father, open mouthed.

“What?”

Jiang Fengmian’s face looks like it’s carved from ice with no emotion to speak of. He looks more like Hanguang-Jun than the father Jiang Cheng remembers.

It’s incredibly disconcerting.

“I’m not- but- what!”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t understand what is happening. If this is heaven for him until he reincarnates then it sucks.

“Who are you?” Jiang Fengmian’s voice grows as cold as his expression and Jiang Cheng realises that it wasn’t just his mother that he got his temper from. His father’s is colder, but no less intense.

“I’m Jiang Cheng!” He is and he doesn’t understand what is happening but he’s not going to be anyone but himself. But that doesn’t mean he can’t improvise.

A childhood spent growing up with Wei Wuxian and then being the youngest Sect Leader during a war taught Jiang Cheng a lot. Mainly that he can bullshit just as good as his brother is he really, really needs to.

“I have- I’ve been sent back!” He exclaims, holding Sandu and pushing his spiritual energy into it to make the blade glow a deeper purple than his father’s blade. “I have come back from the heavens to protect the Sect! I swear on my sword and my core!”

Wei Wuxian would be proud of his attempt to not get attacked by his own father and shidi’s. Speaking of Wei Wuxian…

“Why should I believe you?”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t splutter in shock but it’s a near thing. He has no idea why his father should believe him be abuse Jiang Cheng doesn’t actually know what’s going on but he doesn’t want to die in the afterlife. That would just be embarrassing.

“I don’t know!” Jiang Cheng exclaims in frustration. “You never paid me any attention when Wei Wuxian was all you ever cared about!” There’s a ripple of surprise in the group of disciples and even his father’s face shows a crack in the stone facade at the jab at his father’s favouritism. “Honestly, I’m over it! But it’s not like you know enough about me for me to give you a reason to believe me in the first place!”

Jiang Cheng snorts. “Whatever,” he mutters. “Believe what you want, I don’t care.”

He has spent literal decades coming to terms with his father’s lack of favour for him and his mother’s general disappointment in him. He’s over it.

“A-Cheng.”

Pingheng drops to the ground and Jiang Cheng finds himself wrapped in an embrace he barely remembers. His father is real and solid and clinging to him with the same kind of desperate relief that Jiang Cheng clung to Wei Wuxian all those months after Lotus Pier was destroyed.

It’s the kind of embrace that is full of emotions that can’t be said aloud.

He doesn’t drop Sandu—he’s not his father and he fought in a war, he won’t drop his weapon—when he wraps his much smaller arms around his father’s chest and clings right back.

Jiang Cheng has no idea what’s going on but his father is weeping silently as he holds him and Jiang Cheng can’t remain emotionally distant from that. He just can’t.

Apparently, this afterlife has him dead as a child and his family and Sect have mourned him. What this means, Jiang Cheng doesn’t know, doesn’t really care, because right now he’s in his father’s arms for the first time since he was a small child and that’s more important than figuring out what the hell is going on.

One thing Jiang Cheng knows is a priority however is to find out where his shixiong is. Wei Wuxian will have some idea of what is happening; he always does.

Although he’s expecting it, the sight of Lotus Pier as he remembers it from his childhood is disorienting enough that Jiang Cheng wobbles on Sandu as they come in to land. His father reaches out to steady him, close enough to do so with ease and he’s been hovering around Jiang Cheng since he accepted his son is somehow alive again.

Jiang Cheng steadies himself and dismounts Sandu smoothly, and looks around his home with a more open expression than he intends to have judging by the look his father is giving him. He would hide it, the emotions he feels looking at Lotus Pier as it was before the Wen attack, but Jiang Cheng doesn’t want to. He’s spent one lifetime hiding his feelings, he refuses to spend another doing the same.

Not when he understands how precious this time is.

Of course, his emotional journey at seeing his home unharmed is ruined by the sound of his mother’s voice, loud and very angry-sounding, rapidly approaching.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t sigh because he loves his mother, he does, but she was such a bitter, angry woman who had taught Jiang Cheng to fear showing his soft-side to those who mattered most to him. The Madam Yu, Jiang Cheng remembers was one consumed by resentment toward her husband for bringing home an orphan that was the son of two people her husband loved. After raising his nephew, Jiang Cheng can’t accept his mother’s behaviour as anything but motivated by spite and hate. Perhaps pain.

Whatever this afterlife is for him, it’s giving Jiang Cheng the chance to right wrongs to his family and his brother then, by the heavens, he’s going to take it!

“What do you think you’re doing, Jiang Fengmian: leaving me with that child! He’s useless!”

Jiang Cheng has no clue what his mother is angry about precisely but he knows exactly who she’s talking about. Wei Wuxian. And where his shixiong is, his A-jie isn’t far behind.

It’s unbecoming of him to break into a run, leaving his father and shidi’s where they landed, but Jiang Cheng’s priorities are his siblings. Seeing his mother would be nice in that distant way seeing someone he once valued the opinion of, but he’s lived so long now without her that Madam Yu is less a priority than his siblings.

That’s probably an uncharitable thing to think about his mother but, well, Jiang Cheng won’t lie about the fact that A-jie definitely did more mothering of him and Wei Wuxian than Madam Yu ever did.

Resenting your children because you resent your husband is definitely not a sound basis upon which to build a family, let alone a Sect. Jiang Cheng can admit that, even if it’s only to himself.

The sight of his mother heading straight toward the landing point is a nice sight nonetheless. The last he saw of his mother, she had been fighting Wen Zhuliu with the fierceness she had shown all Jiang Cheng’s life. Seeing her in her prime is something he wishes he’d treasured when he’d had the chance. He has the chance again.

“Mother!” He exclaims, smiling in a way he hasn’t ever smiled at her before. He loves her still; she’s his mother.

His smile is ripped away when Madam Yu let’s out a cry of what sounds like horror and Zidian arcs out in a crackling purple chord that smashes into Jiang Cheng and sends him crashing into boxes of lotus seeds.

Shaking the dizziness from his head, Jiang Cheng realises that if his father thought him dead then it would stand to reason that his mother would have too. His mother of the Meishan Yu. He’s lucky he still has his head_ attached to his body_.

“Ziyuan! Stop!” His father shouts and Jiang Cheng looks up to see his mother with her blade drawn moving toward him with deadly intent.

Right. The whole ‘dead thing’.

“He’s alive! A-Cheng is alive!”

Madam Yu’s approach falters at those words but there are tears in her eyes and a determined, grief-stricken expression on her face that tells Jiang Cheng that his mother is not going to stop.

She must think he’s a conscious corpse like Wen Ning!

Talking to his mother when she’s like this is about as useful as talking to Wei Wuxian into not abandoning him for the Wen remnants had been. So Jiang Cheng doesn’t bother.

He vaults up from where he’s still sort of kneeling among broken boxes of lotus seeds, drawing Sandu and parrying Zidian as it tries to throw him off his feet again.

Jiang Cheng focuses on his mother to the exclusion of all else, though he doesn’t lose the awareness battle dried into him of his surroundings. He needs to fend his mother off and falling into the lake would not help with that.

Fighting his mother is a little bit like the one time Jiang Cheng spared with Nie Mingjue but without the pressure of not making an utter fool of himself. No, the pressure here is not having his head separated from his body by his mother.

Jilie, his mother’s sword, is as fierce as its master, but Jiang Cheng has more years of battle under his belt than his mother and father both. Sandu was more than a match for Jilie but Zidian was still a problem.

Parrying her attacks, Jiang Cheng focused on defending himself rather than attacking his mother; distantly registering the sound of his father calling for his mother to stop, for Jiang Cheng to stop.

Jiang Cheng will stop when his mother stops.

The problem with fighting his mother is that Jiang Cheng has grown used to fighting with Zidian, not against it, and it makes it difficult to handle both Jilie and Zidian at the same time. Eventually his luck at dodging Zidian will run out, he knows that.

When it does, he’s not surprised. Jilie and Sandu are locked and Jiang Cheng can’t disengage fast enough to avoid Zidian arcing around to slice into his neck. The only thing he can do is let it injure his arm instead.

The spark of pain from Zidian wrapping around his forearm is enough to have Jiang Cheng curse and snap at the spiritual weapon with his own spiritual energy.

He doesn’t expect Zidian to unfurl from his arm and instead settle around his wrist, violet sparking disappearing as the weapon goes inert.

That, more than anything, has both his mother and him stop dead.

Jiang Cheng stares at Zidian wrapped around his wrist. “What the fuck?”

In hindsight, saying anything was probably a bad idea but swearing was the worst idea ever.

Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian both state at him with near identical looks of disapproval at his profanity which is just hilarious, really. Jiang Cheng’s entire political history is cursing, shouting, threats of violence, and profanity.

Still, he is somewhere around twelve and twelve-year-olds do not battle their mothers to a stand still and curse. But, this is Jiang Cheng’s afterlife so he can do what he wants, parental disapproval be damned.

Whether it’s his swearing, his father’s words finally penetrating his mother’s battle focus, or the fact that Zidian has in fact decided Jiang Cheng is fine, Yu Ziyuan pulls away from Jiang Cheng and studies him with a more open expression than he’s ever seen on his mother.

“Jiang Cheng?” Hearing his mother say his name so tentatively, sounding so uncertain, is just another surprise on top of more surprises.

He nods warily, unsure if his mother will start shouting at him for swearing, fighting her, or whatever other reason madam Yu can no doubt think of. Jiang Cheng certainly doesn’t expect his mother to drop her sword and drag him into a hug.

He can literally count on one hand how many times he’s been hugged by his mother. This makes hug number three; and he’s including the hugs from his previous life too.

Madam Yu doesn’t cry like Jiang Fengmian did but there’s a slight shaking to her shoulders that tells Jiang Cheng that she probably would if she ever allowed herself to be that emotionally vulnerable. His father approaches carefully, as mindful of his wife’s temper as ever, and gently joins the embrace; an arm around his wife and Jiang Cheng each.

This, this Jiang Cheng has never experienced. Both of his parents embracing him at the same time. The dashed wishes of the child that Jiang Cheng was long ago rise up and have him clinging to his parents with a desperation he doesn’t expect of himself. He’d reconciled his parents memory with his own failings long ago; he doesn’t need this from them but… It’s nice.

Jiang Cheng deserves nice things after all the crap he’s lived through.

The reunion with A-Jie and Wei Wuxian is either going to be wonderful or possibly worse than his mother realising he’s not dead. Jiang Cheng honestly doesn’t know which it’s going to he but he strongly suspects it’s going to involve a lot of shouting and crying at the least.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t pride himself on being right about things like Wei Wuxian always had, but he’s a little proud of himself for guessing rightly about the shouting and tears. He’s less proud when the source of shouting is his sister and tears is his brother.

Mostly because he doesn’t know how to handle either of those things separately, let alone at the same time.

Jiang Cheng feels perfectly justified in mumbling the same excuse he gave his father to A-Jie as she gives him the same look Madam Yu always gave him; expectant. At least, Jiang Yanli expects an explanation whereas his mother expected perfection.

Wei Wuxian is, in comparison to A-Jie near catatonic, clinging to Jiang Cheng the way he used to whenever someone mentioned dogs or he saw one. It’s terror and fear and a desperate, desperate need for comfort. Jiang Cheng, after literal decades spent trying to be less emotionally constipated, complies readily and pulls his shixiong into a hug that buries Wei Wuxian’s head against his chest.

Jiang Cheng used to do that with A-Ling all the time when his nephew was young and needed comfort after a nightmare. The experience comes in handy with his brother.

“I’m sorry, A-Jie, I didn’t plan on dying in the first place, let alone being thrown back by the heavens to protect the Sect,” Jiang Cheng says and there’s more sarcasm to his words than there should be considering the way his sister actually glares at him. “I’m sorry for hurting you all.”

A-Jie’s glare softens at those words. Jiang Cheng means them for a lot more than just being dead in his afterlife here. He means them for failing his sister and her husband, for not being a better uncle, for pushing Wei Wuxian away, for being so ignorant that he didn’t even realise his core was actually his brothers…

Jiang Cheng is sorry for a lot of things.

“You are forgiven A-Cheng,” A-Jie tells him, smiling at last as she joins Wei Wuxian in hugging Jiang Cheng. “Do not do it again.”

“I definitely don’t plan to, no,” Jiang Cheng promises, smiling despite himself because he has his siblings again. They’re alive and safe and though they’ve been grieving him, he knows they’ll be happy again soon enough.

And he’s going to keep them that way. Even if he has to go and kill Wen Ruohan himself at the tender age of twelve. Possibly Jin Guangyao- wait, it’d be Meng Yao still. Su She too, maybe.

Jiang Cheng sighs into his siblings embrace. He’s going to have to write a list.

The years of being a Sect Leader with no family and a newly rebuilt Sect will come in handy now that Jiang Cheng is going to have to single-handedly organise protection of Lotus Pier and possibly kill several cultivators without getting caught. He can do it, he’s of Yunmeng Jiang, but it’s going to be annoying with Sect Heir duties.

Judging by the hair pierce and robes Wei Wuxian wears, Jiang Cheng figures his father made him the Sect Heir after Jiang Cheng’s… Demise. Of course, Wei Wuxian would be a wonderful Sect Heir and Leader for Yunmeng Jiang, Jiang Cheng has come to accept this about his shixiong and not resent him for it. But Jiang Cheng gets the feeling that Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to be Sect Heir instead of Jiang Cheng.

Considering that Wei Wuxian had become Sect Heir thanks to the Wen attack, Jiang Cheng trusts that his brother has been carrying out Sect Heir duties just fine. The admission by Wei Wuxian that he has in fact been completely useless in the week since Jiang Cheng’s death is… Surprising.

But it’s not, not really, when Jiang Cheng thinks about it. Wei Wuxian loves him—he hasn’t shied away from this fact for three decades, he’s not about to start shying away from it now—and Jiang Cheng himself had been pretty useless those first few days after the Wen attack and then Wei Wuxian’s disappearance. He understands.

“You’re meant to be the next Sect Leader, anyway,” Wei Wuxian mumbles into Jiang Cheng’s robes.

“Maybe, but you’ll be my Sect Heir when I do,” Jiang Cheng replies, calmly staring at Wei Wuxian’s shocked expression. “I’m serious. A-Jie will marry and leave Lotus Pier, but you’re Head Disciple and will become Sect Heir when I take over from father.”

Wei Wuxian stares at him. He looks a bit like a koi fish.

Jiang Cheng kindly does not tell him that.

“But- Madam Yu-“ Wei Wuxian splitters and Jiang Cheng cuts him off.

“Mother is not Sect Leader or Sect Heir,” Jiang Cheng says firmly. “It is not her decision who I have as my heir. I love her but you are my brother and I will not allow anyone to treat you like you are unworthy of being treated as my brother. Not even mother.”

It seems that Jiang Cheng can reduce Wei Wuxian to speechless by a) dying and reviving, and b) declaring him his brother and being willing to fight Madam Yu about it.

Considering Jiang Cheng has already fought his mother today, he’s relatively confident he could beat her if it came to that; even if he’s twelve. He’d rather it didn’t but Jiang Cheng has learnt to plan for contingencies as a Sect Leader.

You never knew if you were going to reveal a major plot to undermine the Great Sects and frame your brother for crimes he didn’t commit, after all.

Speaking of contingencies, Jiang Cheng wonders if it would be wise to reach out to Gusu Lan earlier than the Disciple Exchange in three years. The Lan would be able to offer assurances to the other Sects that Jiang Cheng really isn’t dead, and it would afford him the chance to introduce Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian sooner. Whilst he’d much rather gouge his eyes out than witness his brother being so shameless with the Second Jade of Lan, Jiang Cheng remembers how happy his shixiong had been with Hanguang-Jun and Jiang Cheng will do whatever he has to, to make sure his siblings are happy.

Even if he has to endure shameless flirting and truly obnoxious displays of affection.  

He’ll have to figure something out regarding the peacock for A-Jie too. Jiang Cheng sighs. The things he does for those he loves. 

[hyuckssunchip]

Shakespeare Sucks Pt. 2

Pairings: Jaemin x Reader, ft. Jaehyun, Renjun, Mark, Jeno, Taeyong

Words: 1.8K

Warnings: Language (there is almost always language in my writings), angst, mentions of violence/death

Synopsis:

Like Romeo and Juliet... less death though. You and Jaemin are blissfully unaware of the fate the lies ahead of your relationship. That is until Fate unveils the cruel plans that She has for you.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |

“What?!”

You pulled the phone away from your ear in pain as your brother yelled at you through the phone.

“You cannot tell Dad though. He’ll kill me if he finds out.” You hushed the last part out, as if someone was listening. Honestly you wouldn’t put it past your Dad to do that.

“You can’t drop a bombshell like that on me and not expect me to tell!” His end was also hushed, having the same thoughts as you.

“Renjun if you tell him you’re dead! I have so much dirt on you too.” You threatened him, giving up on the pleas that you had originally tried. 

There was a long silence on the other end.

Then a sigh.

“Alright, I won’t say anything... yet. And if he finds out, I definitely didn’t know okay?” You could tell he was biting his nails, a habit he had developed ever since he dropped out of college. 

Renjun was only a year older than you, but if felt like he was ten times more mature and had ten times the burden that you had. Not to mention that now he was around your Dad 24/7.

That’s a burden in itself.

“Why’d you tell me anyways?” He asked, genuinely curious, seeing that you threatening him not to tell anyone.

“You think that I could keep it to myself? I’m freaking out a little bit right now if you couldn’t tell.”

“Oh.”

“Plus I wasn’t sure if I was right. I was kind of hoping you would tell me that I was being stupid and it wasn’t that. But...” You faltered at the end, coming to terms with it.

“Well, if it helps I’m not a hundred percent sure. I just think that you’re probably right. I mean we could ask Dad, but I don’t think that you want that.”

“No. Don’t be stupid, Dad’s the last person that I want to know.”

“Right. Oh! This weekend Dad’s going to the Brink, just a heads up.”

Your eyes widened for a moment then relaxed. 

“Oh, are you going too?”

“Nah, I told him I’d sit this one out.” There was a chuckle on the other end.

You snorted, “Right, you told Dad you were gonna ‘sit this one out’, I’m sure that went down well.”

“Better than I thought it would. You aren’t worried? I thought you would definitely panic.”

“No, I’m going out of town this weekend, so I’m not too worried.” The small frown on your face said otherwise. Even though you were going to be out of town, you still got a bad feeling about it.

There was shuffling on the other end and you perked up hearing voices in the background.

“Y/N Dad’s here. I’ve gotta go.”

“M’kay, I’ll call you later. Stay safe.” 

“I’ll try.” You winced at his reply.

Click.

You let out a breath that you didn’t know that you were holding. You were suddenly brought back to the beginning of your conversation.

Renjun would definitely know more about the emblem than you did, and you didn’t like the fact that he agreed with your idea, not that you were expecting any less, but one can hope.

You fell back on the soft mattress and stared up at the ceiling. Your eyes raked over the bumps of the paint that had seen years of stress. Your eyes fell shut and you imagined that you weren’t here, half grown up, but back in a child’s room staring at the glow in the dark stars that you had always wished you could have. You remember begging to get them, but no was a firm answer that you would soon get used to.

It was around the age of nine that you really began to resent your family. It wasn’t normal, the relationship that you all had, it almost seemed forced. For a while you genuinely thought you were adopted and you lived on that thought. Besides Renjun you rarely had a confidant that you could rely on, most kids your age avoiding you like the plague.

It wasn’t until college that you felt free for the first time. It was a new start, no one knew you, or of you and you felt the need to protect that. Mark was the first friend you had ever made, Freshman year orientation he sat next to you, stern faced and hands scribbling unnecessary notes. At the time you had laughed at him, earning you a flushed embarrassed glance from the boy.

Jeno was rough. He seemed like the typical bad boy that went around scowling at the world, and blinded by prejudices you avoided him. You beat yourself up everyday for doing the same exact thing those young kids once did to you. As you bumped into his leather clad shoulder you remember letting out a gasp and scrambling to pick up both yours and his things. When you heard the string of frantic apologies and looked into his eyes for the first time, you knew you had done him wrong. Jeno wasn’t rough, Jeno was sweet and kind.

And with Jeno came Jaemin. 

Jaemin was like a breath of fresh air that you never had. He knocked the wind out of you and you lived off of him at the same time. He woke up things inside of you that you didn’t know you had hidden away. You owed him who you were.

There weren’t enough words in the world to describe what he meant to you, and right now it broke your heart that you could feel yourself unintentionally closing yourself off from him. As cliche as it was, staying away from him was the best thing you could do for him.

One last time.

You knew you could say that forever, but this time you meant it. 

You could hear the sound of Jaemin’s car pulling up outside of the apartment and your heart clenched.

The soft knocking on the door let you know that you couldn’t wait any longer. You threw your bag over your shoulder and opened the door to find his smiling face. 

Locking the door, you stood under his arm and let him guide you to the car. He took your bag, putting it in the backseat before sliding into the driver’s seat himself.

He rested both hands on the wheel, and sighed, pausing for a second before starting the engine. An unspoken tension had come between the two of you the past few days and you prayed that he didn’t notice the way that you pushed yourself into the side of the door.

The silence wasn’t unbearable, but it wasn’t the comforting one that you had gotten used to. 

Wordlessly he snaked his hand over to your lap, caressing your hand in his own, softly as if it would break if he held on too tight.

You relaxed for a moment, staring out the window, watching the cars speed by and your mind faltered for second.

Would it be so bad to be selfish this one time?

It would. It would be really bad. Over the past few days you had thought hard and long about your situation and came to the conclusion that you couldn’t do that to either of you.

“Y/N? We’re here.” It came out soft, his face worried, like he was scared that he would frighten you.

You hated the way that he tiptoed around you. Where was the cheeky boy you fell for? You couldn’t help but blame yourself for that change.

“Oh.” You slipped your hand from his and you tried to ignore the way that his face fell. 

“Jeno!” You smiled at the familiar face, leaning in for a hug. He squeezed you back in response, giving you his trademark eye smile.

Jaemin came around the back of his car, standing next to you with his hands shoved deep in his pocket. “I hope you don’t mind, I invited him. Also Mark, I figured you’d be okay with them.”

You smiled back at him, normally you would be sad that it wouldn’t be a weekend away for the two of you, but you hated to admit that you felt relief wash over you.

“Of course.”

Jeno gave Jaemin a look that you caught and you didn’t like the feeling it gave you. It was almost a warning and you gulped at the thought.

“Mark!” You grinned, happy for the distraction. The always flustered boy grinned at you, meandering over to the group.

“Dude, I checked out the shore a couple of minutes ago and there’s this awesome pier that goes out like halfway into the lake. We definitely need to go there! We could even do like a little campfire, there’s this whole thing already set up for it.”

You hadn’t seen Mark this excited since he found out that people actually buy notes. You remembered him saying that years of hard work had finally paid off. 

You grinned, grabbing his hand pulling him towards the dock. “Show me.”

He began ranting off everything he had discovered, excited that he could show off everything.

It was only after you were out of earshot that Jeno and Jaemin began to speak.

“Taeyong’s gonna kill you, you know. And me, cause you dragged me into your shit.” Jeno spoke out, watching your form get smaller by the second.

“Don’t remind me.” There was a sour tone in his voice, one Jaemin didn’t use often, at least not around you.

“You blew him off twice. He already is pissed at you for that. The fact that you’re not going to Brinks is gonna tip him over the edge.”

Jaemin still had his eyes trained on you.

“I wasn’t going to have her that close.” He muttered, zeroing in on you.

“She wouldn’t even know. It’s not like it’s that close anyways, nothing is planned either.” Jeno turned to face him, staring at his side profile.

“Still. Why risk it?” He flinched as he saw you slightly stumble over the rocks.

Jeno let out a rough sigh. Putting a hand on Jaemin’s shoulder and giving a small squeeze before brushing past him to join the two of you nonchalantly. 

The warmth of the fire that Jeno had made made you sleepy and Jaemin’s arms wrapped around you didn’t help.

Mark was currently entranced with the horror story that Jeno was telling, hands forgetting the mess of marshmallow that was now a puddle in his hands.

There was a sigh in your ear, and you leaned in closer.

He had no intention of whispering sweet nothings into your ear, but began humming a tune you recognized. Your heart swelled at the fact that he remembered. 

“Y/N?”

“Yeah.”

“This is perfect.”

You smiled, swaying a bit more in his arms.

“Yeah.” You tried to block out the thoughts that were fighting their way into your mind. The wicked temptations that flitted across your mind.

It’s human nature to be selfish.

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[primeemeraldheiress]

Damian always sleeps in Jason's bed when Jason stays at the manor.

Ell, what do you do to me?

Cut because it’s looooong.

——————–

Not a Betting Matter

They didn’t notice it at first. 

Why would they?

There was no need to check on him every single night. He was old enough to get himself to bed and stay there. Mature enough to know the value of a good night’s sleep. 

They only checked on him when they needed to worry. When he had a nightmare. (When they did.) When he might sneak out at night. When he was hurt.

 The first time Dick found them, he assumed it must have been an accident. A fluke.

All of them had had a rough night getting Joker back into his cage at Arkham. But Jason had had it the worst.

Dick couldn’t imagine what was going through his oldest little brother’s head.

The rogue had obviously had an agenda. Every one of his minions had been carrying crowbars. Red numbers flashed on all the walls; counting down to whatever the big showdown had been. The showdown they’d stopped. 

By the end of it, Jason had been savage. 

Dick wasn’t sure what had kept him to his promise not to kill. Even he could see the green leaking under the mask. Leaching into his movements and words. 

He wasn’t certain he’d show the same restraint.

He’d wanted to pull Robin from Hood’s side twenty times that night. Get him away from that acid Lazarus venom. But he didn’t. They needed him where he was at. 

When Alfred insisted that Jason stay at the manor tonight, his brother had only nodded

That alone told the first Robin how bad it must have been. Jason didn’t stay unless the world was ending. Unless he or someone else was hurt.

And now… Well, they must have both been so tired. 

Dick had gone to check on Damian. To reassure him that he was still there. That the Joker hadn’t gotten another Robin. (A common nightmare they all shared.) When he wasn’t in his bed, he nearly panicked. 

Of course, he went to Jason first. 

Jason who, no matter the barbs and taunts and hate, would always protect a child. Jason, who constantly threw himself in front of Robin when there was danger. Who always, no matter how much he tried to pretend he wasn’t, was tuned into Robin’s commlink. 

Jason would go to the ends of the Earth to protect and save Robin.

Which was how he found them. 

It must have been an accident.

There’s no way, with the amount of vitriol between them, no matter the carefully hidden protection, that they would fall asleep in the same bed on purpose.

It was still absolutely adorable and he needed pictures to prove that it happened.

This was going to explode in the morning. Fireworks. He needed to have popcorn ready.

He stepped out of the room and closed the door before sending the photos to Bruce.

But then -

Nothing came of it. There was no shouting. No avoiding each other. No embarrassed looks. If he hadn’t found them cuddled up with each other the night before he wouldn’t even have known it had happened.

Whatever.

He framed one of the pictures. 

But then it happened again. 

Damian had nearly drowned in the bay; knocked off the pier by one of Dent’s men. For a split second Hood had frozen (torn between diving after him and beating the bastard bloody) before throwing his helmet to Batgirl and jumping in the water.

It was Jason that carried the boy to the Batmobile. Jason that drove him to the cave and feed him hot chocolate and wrapped him in warm blankets.

And it was Jason’s body heat he shared as he slept, still shivering ever-so-slightly. Again, Dick only found them after trying to check on Damian in his room.

Dick just didn’t understand.

“I don’t understand.” He voiced, baffled, staring into his coffee the next morning.

“What don’t you understand?” Alfred asked, placing a plate of pancakes next to him.

“Damian… and Jason. This is the second time I’ve found them sharing Jason’s bed after patrol.”

“Is that all?” The older man drawled. 

“What do you mean?”

“Master Dick, Master Damian has been sleeping in Master Jason bed’s every time Master Jason has spent the night in the Manor.”

Dick blinked in surprise. “What? Why?”

“You’d have to ask them, I’m afraid.”

“How do you know that?”

The old butler arched a brow and Dick grinned sheepishly. Right. Alfred knew all. 

“What are we talking about?” Bruce asked wearily as he joined them.

“Damian sleeping in Jason’s bed.”

Bruce blinked slowly, “Again?”

Dick nodded, “Alfred says it happens whenever Jason stays over.”

Bruce looked thoughtful as he poured himself some coffee. 

Footsteps drew everyone’s eyes as the two they were talking about walked into the breakfast room. Dick’s eyes narrowed, watching. Paying attention in a way he never had before.

They stepped apart, moving to opposite ends of the table. Jason sitting diagonally from Bruce and Damian sliding in between Dick and his father. 

But… there was communication he hadn’t noticed before.

A flick of an eyebrow. A grimace. A glare across the table when Damian frowned at his orange juice. A cough and a finger tap. 

Holy shit. 

This whole time.

This whole fucking time. 

“You…” He couldn’t shake the awe in his voice. The audacity. It had been two years. Two whole years since Damian had come to them. “You two knew each other. Before Damian came to Gotham!”

Jason froze while drinking his tea, eyes wide as they darted from Dick to Bruce to Damian.

The boy choked on his orange juice. The orange juice that, through a series of minute facial expressions, Jason had ordered the boy to drink.

“You two hate each other!” Dick continued, bewildered.

Damian, airway now cleared, began to laugh. Genuinely. Sincerely.

Bruce just arched an eyebrow, too tired for this shit.

“I told you!” Damian took a sip of his juice again. “I told you, ahki! Grayson would be the one!”

“You can’t discount Cass. She keeps things to herself.” Jason grumbled, lowering his cup and glowering at the boy.

“Pay up!”

“I don’t have it with me.” 

“Liar!”

“How do you expect me to keep it on me? You know the rule of the Manor.” Jason asked, rolling his eyes.

“You owe me, ahki!” Damian’s eyes glittered in triumph.

“You don’t know that! We gotta check with Cass first.”

“You owe me!” 

“What exactly does Jason owe you. And what for?” Bruce asked, voice tired.

“We bet-” Dick knew, right then, the whole morning was ruined, “on who would be the first to realize that we don’t actually hate each other. It was a training exercise. I won. Jason owes me his best sword.”

Annoyed, Jason snapped, “I don’t owe you crap, habibi. Not until we clarify.”

“Training exercise… bet? What? Who put you up to that?” Dick asked, afraid to know the answer.

“Mom.”

“Mother.”

“Mom?” Bruce asked, incredulous, as he stared at his second eldest.

Jason flushed. He hadn’t meant to say that. “I didn’t say that.”

“Just wait until I tell Mother you finally slipped in front of Father.” Damian gloated.

“You keep your mouth shut, you little shit, or I’m not sharing the next batch of halvah!” Jason shot back.

“You wouldn’t!” The boy gasped, outraged. 

“Try me!” Jason glared.

Bruce rubbed his temples at the two descended into the first bought of the truest sibling squabbles he’d ever seen out of either of them.

Alfred politely coughed.

Silence descended. 

Heads turned to their grandfather figure.

“I think you’ll find, young masters, that you didn’t fool me for a moment.”

“Oh, Alfie. You don’t count.” Jason chirped, “We all know that you know everything.”

[ibijau]

Worst engagement AU // on AO3

The war ends, the boys get married, life is good

final chapter of the story y’all!! I am... more than a little emotional TAT Thanks to everyone who followed this story, and reblogged it, and extra special thanks to those people who chatted in the tags because honestly that made my day each time TAT This fic has been a fucking adventure and I wouldn’t have managed without y’all reading it TAT

Nothing has changed. Nie Huaisang is engaged to Lan Xichen, as he already was. He’s in love with Lan Xichen, as he already was. Lan Xichen loves him which… he wasn’t sure of, but he had strong suspicions about that, so it’s not exactly new either.

Everything is still the same.

Everything is different, because Nie Huaisang wakes up to strong arms holding him, to his face pressed against warm skin, to tangled legs, to a dozen proofs that he didn’t dream, that Lan Xichen is still alive, that they are in love, that they’re going to marry not because they were ordered to, but because they want it. Nie Huaisang grins to himself, giddy with happiness after months of bleakness.

When Lan Xichen too wakes up, Nie Huaisang sees his joy mirrored on his fiancé’s face and he has to kiss him once, and twice, and enough times that he starts losing count, his mind empty of anything but the happiness of knowing Lan Xichen is there with him.

They were good last night, both of them too exhausted to do more than fall in bed and quickly drift to sleep as they clung to each other, but that was last night. This morning Nie Huaisang doesn’t see any reason to be so well behaved. It’s not unwelcome anyway. Lan Xichen doesn’t protest or stop him as his kisses grow more insistent, nor when his hands start wandering and caressing in a way they never got to before, exploring the warm skin hidden by Lan Xichen’s inner clothes. Nie Huaisang starts pressing biting kisses down his fiancé’s throat and playing with the hem of his pants, just as a suggestion for Lan Xichen to take or reject.

A knock on the door interrupts what otherwise promised to be the best morning Nie Huaisang ever spent in the Cloud Recesses. Even like this it’s tempting to ignore this unwanted visitor, until they hear Lan Qiren’s voice, threatening to enter if they don’t answer.

Lan Xichen throws an arm over his eyes and sighs deeply, as if this exact moment is the very worst thing he’s ever gone through.

“I’ll be here in a moment, uncle!” he announces as loud as he can without breaking even more rules, before dropping his arm to smile weakly at Nie Huaisang. “I’ll probably be leaving the Cloud Recesses after talking with uncle but… I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.”

Just like that, reality creeps back into Nie Huaisang’s perfect little bubble of happiness. There’s still a war out there. The people he loves are all alive for now, but that can change at any moment.

Nie Huaisang curls up on himself as he sits up, unable to so much as look at Lan Xichen now. All of this could end at any moment, the Wens could return to the Cloud Recesses this very instant and slaughter them like they did to Lotus Piers, or they might catch Lan Xichen alone later and kill him then, or he’ll disappear like Wei Wuxian and never be found, or fall in battle, or…

He feels movement on the mattress as Lan Xichen too sits up, his fiancé’s hands on his, trying to catch his attention, thumbs rubbing circles on his skin. Nie Huaisang refuses to look and wants to tear his hands away. Everything felt so good and perfect earlier, but now…

“Give me a second,” Lan Xichen asks, dropping a careful kiss on his forehead before getting off from the bed.

Instead of getting dressed as Nie Huaisang expects, Lan Xichen walks directly to the door, barefoot and in nothing but his inner clothes. Shocked out of his bout of misery, Nie Huaisang looks up as his fiancé exchanges a few words with Lan Qiren, demanding further delay before coming to talk about whatever he’s needed for. Although Lan Qiren is hidden from his eyes Nie Huaisang can tell he’s not happy about this whole situation, and yet Lan Xichen doesn’t back down. Nie Huaisang can’t quite catch what they’re saying, but he can tell when Lan Xichen wins the argument, closing the door again with a satisfied smile. A little puzzled over what happened, Nie Huaisang tries to leave the bed as well (there’s so much to do, there’s always so much to do) but Lan Xichen stops him with a gesture as he starts searching among the clothes he so carefully folded last night.

“Sit down,” Lan Xichen asks, pulling his xiao from its qiankun bag. “I’ll play for you.”

Nie Huaisang quickly obeys. He doesn’t even need to ask what Lan Xichen intends to play, though he feels embarrassed that his mood was so obvious. His only defence is that nobody has really paid attention to that since he arrived in the Cloud Recesses, and so he’s stopped trying to hide… but Lan Xichen isn’t just anybody, of course he noticed.

“Don’t you have important things to do?” Nie Huaisang mumbles as he gets in a meditative position on the bed.

“This is important too,” Lan Xichen replies without hesitation. “Uncle can wait. And when I talk to him, I’ll tell him that you might need that song played to you. I can’t solve everything that’s wrong in our lives at the moment, A-Sang, but this… this I can do, and I will.”

Even the song doesn’t solve everything, no more than it did the times before. But like before, Nie Huaisang at least finds that his terror and distress are a little less sharp after and when Lan Xichen has to go, Nie Huaisang can kiss him and say goodbye and truly hope that they’ll see each other again soon.

-

It surprises Nie Huaisang a little when Lan Qiren does, in fact, start playing that soothing song for him once a week. He doesn’t think his fiancé’s uncle likes him much, partly due to some of the mischief he got up to as a student, partly because his failure to pass at the end of his first year must be a stain on the teacher’s career. And yet Lan Qiren plays that music for him, simply because Lan Xichen asked him to, and slowly Nie Huaisang finds himself dealing with things a little better.

Away from the Cloud Recesses, the war continues. Nie Huaisang starts paying more attention to that. Most of what reaches him is nothing but gossip of course, but whenever Lan Xichen comes home to discuss the situation with his uncle, Nie Huaisang gets to be there and to find out what’s true. So far, it seems that the wildest rumours are usually the ones closest to the truth. 

Like when Wei Wuxian is found alive, refusing to say where he’s spent the last three months or how he’s suddenly a master in a brand new form of cultivation that he might have invented while he was gone. From what Lan Xichen says, and the letters from Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan he passes on to Nie Huaisang, Wei Wuxian’s new powers are nothing short of terrifying, and this alone should shorten the war. They’re all worried about him though. Jiang Cheng in particular, every time he writes, does that thing of his where he gets angry to avoid showing he’s sad. Something happened to Wei Wuxian, and it has changed him.

Another big rumour is about a new Qinghe Nie disciple named Meng Yao. Nie Huaisang never gets the whole story until after the war, but what he hears during it is this: this young man, this boy really since he’s roughly the same age as Nie Huaisang, somehow rose to become Nie Mingjue’s second-in-command for a few weeks, then was welcomed into Lanling Jin because apparently he’s actually one of Jin Guangshan’s many, many bastards, and Jin Zixuan has decided to help out his half-siblings if he can. Only that backfires when this Meng Yao fellow just murders a Jin commander, right in front of Nie Mingjue, and escapes to maybe join Qishan Wen. Only it later turns out that Meng Yao has gone there with Jin Zixuan’s blessing to be a double agent, one who saves Nie Mingjue’s life when he is captured (although the details of how, exactly, he saves his former employer’s life seem to have provoked some argument between them) and he’s the one who kills Wen Ruohan, ending the war, and…

And so, the war is over. 

The sons of a servant and of a prostitute shorten it by months, by years even perhaps. Wei Wuxian is acclaimed for the victories he’s won on the battlefield. Meng Yao, soon given the courtesy name Jin Ziyao by Jin Zixuan, earns his place in the family in which his father apparently never wanted him to join. From what Nie Huaisang hears, Madam Jin is not particularly happy about this development, but cannot object when Jin Zixuan, Lan Xichen and even Nie Mingjue points out all that Jin Ziyao has done for the Sunshot Campaign.

The war is over. 

It is over, and they won. 

-

Because mourning periods must be observed, it is still another few months before Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen can marry. In the meanwhile Nie Huaisang goes back to the Unclean Realm where there is much work to be done. 

It is odd to be back there, knowing when he leaves it again, it will be for good. Without anyone to play music for him Nie Huaisang falls into occasional bouts of melancolia again, but months of Lan Qiren playing for him seemed to have healed him enough that his mood never really got as bad as it used to, or at least never for long. It also helps that there is so much to do. New territories to be assessed, war prisoners to check on, debt to pay, the wounded to heal, the wedding to prepare…

Then suddenly, Lan Xichen’s mourning is over, and the wedding is there.

Nie Huaisang feels nearly dizzy on his last day in the Unclean Realm, as Nie Mingjue and Nie Zonghui help him pack the last of his possessions. His whole life now lies in a dozen wooden chests. His fans, his paintings, his best robes, all his brushes, his books. It feels so little, and it feels so much. It’s terrifying that everything is about to change, and it is just as scary the intensity with which Nie Huaisang craves that change. He has barely seen Lan Xichen since the end of the war but they’ve written to each other as often as they’ve been able to and it only strengthened Nie Huaisang’s conviction that this is what he wants for his future.

He wants this.

He still spends most of that last night cuddling his brother who is just as emotional about seeing him leave. There might be a few tears spilled, although Nie Mingjue firmly denies it. Nie Huaisang teases him about, because Nie Mingjue thinks he’s so tough now that he’s the oldest leader among the Great Sects and he has a title, but really he’s still as much of a brat as Nie Huaisang himself.

Even if things are good with Lan Xichen, it’s a relief of sorts when Nie Mingjue promises his brother that should things go wrong, he’ll always have his place in the Unclean Realm, that it will always be home, even if he’s making a new one in the Cloud Recesses.

“Even if things go bad because I’m the one messing up?” Nie Huaisang.

“Yes, you brat. It’s an unconditional promise. I don’t think you could mess up badly enough to make him give up on you at this point, though. He’s stupidly in love, which shows even the best education can’t give you taste.”

Nie Huaisang pinches his brother for that remark, which soon turns into a playfight like they haven’t done in years. Nie Huaisang is proud of himself for holding his own pretty well, though he still ends up having to yield.

-

It’s a little weird to walk around with that veil on his face, but the Lan elders insisted that it would be a break of tradition for Nie Huaisang not to have it. Lan Xichen negotiated for it to be a more translucent veil than usual so that they both get to enjoy the ceremony. Initially Nie Huaisang was somewhat indifferent on the matter, but now he’s glad both that he can see what’s around him, and that he doesn’t have to bother about hiding his emotions.

He almost cries when Lan Xichen helped him down the sedan. His fiancé looks amazing in red and gold, it accentuates his jade skin, his ink black hair. Lan Xichen is always handsome but like this he is breathtaking. Nie Huaisang is so distracted that he almost falls on the ground as he gets down from the sedan, only to be rescued in time by Lan Xichen.

“It’s becoming a habit,” Lan Xichen chuckles against his ear as he helps him on his feet.

“I guess I just can’t help falling for you,” Nie Huaisang retorts.

There’s no veil on Lan Xichen’s face to hide the way he blushes, how he looks at Nie Huaisang in wonder, as if even now he can’t quite believe this is real, and… Nie Huaisang’s heart speeds up because he loves him so much, they are getting married, and maybe he’s also having trouble realising it’s all real. He just wants all this stupid ceremonial to be over already so they can take those damn bows and just be together already.

Of course, that’s too much to ask. A sect leader’s marriage is too important an event to be rushed, and the Lans love their traditions too much. There’s a dozen steps to follow before they can go to the ancestral hall to take their bows before their guests, and even when they get there, Lan Qiren has to delay everything by starting a long winded lecture about their duties and what marriage means in Gusu Lan.

Nie Huaisang’s attention starts drifting away about ten words in, and hidden by his veil, he takes the chance to look around at the assembly.

The first face he spots, mostly because he’s so stupidly tall, is Nie Mingjue who looks like he’s trying hard not to cry. Of course to anyone who doesn’t know him that might pass as a scowl, but… Nie Huaisang knows better. His brother can act as stern as he likes, he’s a sap. Jin Ziyao, standing next to Nie Mingjue, has the smile of someone who also knows what his former employer’s expression really means, which makes Nie Huaisang grin. Things are a little tense still between those two, but everyone agrees that with a little more time, they might get back to the good relationship they briefly had during the war, when they worked together.

Not far from these two, Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan are standing together, whispering quietly under Wei Wuxian's suspicious gaze and Jiang Cheng's resigned one. Something happened during the war, which Nie Huaisang is still trying to get the full story for. Some business about soup that Jiang Yanli made for her former fiancé, only for an ambitious servant girl to take the credit. If Jiang Cheng hadn't happened to notice that soup during a visit to Jin Zixuan and explained the truth, things might have gone bad. Instead, Jin Zixuan ended up thanking Jiang Yanli for what he apparently called ‘the best part of his days’ (Jiang Cheng reported this to Nie Huaisang with a grimace) and they started chatting whenever they had time for it. It is now almost certain that these two will resume their engagement when their own mourning is over. 

Wei Wuxian is not happy about that. In fairness, he's not happy about much these days. Jiang Cheng is getting pretty anxious about what happened to his adopted brother while he was gone, as is Lan Wangji. Nie Huaisang hasn't been able to do much on that subject, all the way up in Qinghe, but he's determined to get the truth into the light now that he'll be closer. If nothing else, maybe that soothing song which helped Nie Huaisang will do Wei Wuxian some good as well. He'll start throwing the idea around next month, when he goes to Lotus Piers for that brotherhood oath that Jiang Cheng has demanded to take with Nie Huaisang. 

"A-Sang," Lan Xichen whispers, low enough others shouldn't hear. "Pay attention, it's almost time." 

Hunching his shoulders, Nie Huaisang feels grateful for the veil that hides how he blushes at being caught like this. Lan Xichen doesn't seem upset though, clearly knowing the effect his uncle's lecture can have on others. 

When finally Lan Qiren finishes his drawn out speech, Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen step forward. Lan Xichen undoes the white ribbon on his forehead, and together their tie it around their wrists before taking their three bows. When they stand up for the final time, it's done.

They are married. 

Nie Huaisang’s hands start trembling from the shock of that realisation. He has spent nearly half his life waiting for this moment, either with dread or anticipation, and it's over now. They are married. If he could, if it weren't a breach of tradition and decorum, Nie Huaisang would kiss his husband right now. Lan Xichen looks down at him with such wonder on his face that he knows it wouldn't be unwelcome.

There’s still more stupid ceremonies and traditions to go through before that. Nie Huaisang bears with it as patiently as he can until finally, finally it is time for them to retire from the ceremony and go to their new home. Nie Huaisang doesn’t pay attention to anything on the way there, except for the warm sensation of Lan Xichen’s hand in his and the way his husband can’t stop smiling, how gorgeous he is like that.

When the door closes behind them, when they are alone at last, Nie Huaisang feels so nervous and excited that he’s sure he must be vibrating from it. He wants to tear away that stupid veil and just kiss Lan Xichen already, but through an immense effort of self-control, he doesn’t. 

“Won’t my husband uncover me?” he asks, delighting in the way Lan Xichen blushes at the word, the slight gasp he can’t contain, the way he smiles as if this is the best day of his life, as if nothing in the world could be better than this exact moment.

“If my husband wishes,” Lan Xichen replies, which sends Nie Huaisang’s heart racing and his cheeks burn. 

He’ll have to tell Lan Xichen not to call him that too much, because the embarrassment might kill him. He’ll have to tell him to say the word husband over and over again, because he loves the way it sounds in Lan Xichen’s voice.

Before anything else, Lan Xichen undoes the knot on the ribbon that tie their wrists, gently tying it again on Nie Huaisang’s arm in a gesture that feels almost too intimate. Then, with great care, Lan Xichen takes the hem of Nie Huaisang’s veil and slowly lifts it, revealing his face. Nie Huaisang knows he probably doesn’t look like much at the moment, he’s blushing so much, and his eyes must be red as well from trying not to cry, and he’s grinning like a fool. But Lan Xichen must like what he sees because as soon as the veil is out of the way, he lowers his hands to Nie Huaisang’s cheeks and pulls him into a kiss, as if he cannot wait a second more, as if he too has been biding his time all day.

Nie Huaisang half laughs into the kiss, too giddy to contain himself, and throws his arms around his husband’s neck to keep him close, as close as they can be.

They are married, and Nie Huaisang never thought it was possible to feel so happy.

-

It’s still mostly dark when Nie Huaisang opens his eyes again and half panics because he can’t breathe right. He struggles and kicks until he can free himself, only to hear a discontent grunt and be pulled back into a tight embrace.

As his eyes get used to the meagre light and his brain continues waking up, Nie Huaisang realises where he is and relaxes. This unfamiliar room is his own now. That tight embrace is his husband's, who even in sleep can't seem to let him go. Nie Huaisang chuckles quietly at the idea, wondering if anyone else would ever guess how clingy Lan Xichen, the mighty Zewu-Jun, can be in private.

Clingy doesn't even begin to cut it. Last night was… well, Nie Huaisang has no complaints about that. He used to think that his married life would be a cold one, but that clearly won't be the case. Lan Xichen is, to put it mildly, very enthusiastic about marital activities, and Nie Huaisang can't wait to show him some of his more private books to give him a few ideas on how to use all that enthusiasm. Even just like this though, being together was better than Nie Huaisang expected. Of course his only basis for comparison is that afternoon with Jin Zixuan. It's funny how different last night felt. It was mostly the same acts, but with this much pent up emotion behind them, driven by desire rather than just curiosity… 

So far, married life is pretty good. 

If he could, Nie Huaisang would go back to sleep. It’s awfully early, they’ve had a long day yesterday, and today promises to be longer still, with more celebrations they’ll have to take part in. Sleep, however, eludes him. There’s too much to think about, too much novelty. After trying for a while to close his eyes and wait, Nie Huaisang gives up and decides to just leave the bed.

That’s easier said than done. Lan Xichen really is clingy, and he’s stronger than anyone has any reasonable excuse to be, so it’s a struggle to escape him and not be caught back. Nie Huaisang manages in the end, and makes a mental note to tease his husband about it later.

For now, he dresses up and takes a moment to wander a bit around the house. Their house. He hasn’t had a chance to see it before. It used to be Lan Xichen’s father’s house, and since it was left relatively untouched by the fire, it’s theirs now. 

In his letters, Lan Xichen has somewhat hinted that he isn’t too happy with this state of affairs and would have preferred to live nearly anywhere else in the Cloud Recesses. A sect leader must have a house worthy of his rank though, and the circumstances make it difficult to justify building a new one. Maybe in some years, when everything else has stabilised… until then, they’ll make do with this. Nie Huaisang is intent on decorating this place and leaving his mark everywhere. Lan Xichen, so far, hasn’t explained why it upsets him to have anything in common with his father, but it doesn’t matter. If Lan Xichen is upset, then Nie Huaisang will do his best to distract him from it.

As the night gets lighter, Nie Huaisang quickly explores a few rooms. This one will make a great office for Lan Xichen, that one needs to be tidied but could be used by Nie Huaisang to paint because the light in it must be perfect during the day. Here to see guests, there to welcome family and friends… there are even rooms that could be great for children, when they decide how to deal with that.

Dawn is fast approaching when Nie Huaisang gets to the house’s entrance. He’s tempted to go for a walk, even if technically that’s a break of curfew. Hopefully, being the sect leader’s husband gives him a few special rights.

He only makes it through the door of the Hanshi before he has to stop in his tracks. There, in front of the house, there’s an old tree to which he barely paid attention yesterday when he came in. Now, he can’t take his eyes off of it.

On the branch of that tree hangs a bird-feeder.

Not only that, but there’s a few sparrows enjoying breakfast in the first ray of the sun, chattering between themselves and fighting for the best seeds. It’s nothing much, it’s just sparrows, but Nie Huaisang feels himself grinning at the sight. It’s just sparrows, and wild ones at that, but they’re his birds, his husband’s way of making him feel at home and he could almost cry from how emotional that’s making him.

All thoughts of a walk gone, Nie Huaisang sits on the porch of his home, watching his birds.

Then, because life is good, before very long he hears some ruffling behind him. The sparrows freeze for a second at the noise, a few even flying away, but most quickly go back to their feast as Lan Xichen sits down right behind Nie Huaisang, covering both of them with a blanket before wrapping his arms around his husband’s waist.

“You were gone,” Lan Xichen sleepily mutters, just a hint of reproach as he buries his face in the crook of Nie Huaisang’s neck.

“But you found me. Is it okay to stay here a bit?”

In answer Lan Xichen shrugs and vaguely grumbles, already relaxing against Nie Huaisang’s back, as if he’s already falling asleep again. Nie Huaisang bites his lips not to laugh, not wanting to scare the birds or wake his poor tired husband again. He puts his hands on Lan Xichen’s and leans into the embrace, a wide smile on his lips.

Life is good, and he can’t wait to see what awaits the two of them.

[wangxiangiftexchange]

Winter Solstice Gift for cheermione

For @cheermione. You said you liked long hair and swishy robes.This fic will contain a further 3 or 4 chapters, in which there will be more long hair and swishy robes. Also feelings. I hope you enjoy.

Read on AO3

*****

Unsnarl

Jiang Cheng is trying to ignore his brother and their friend, because he needs to complete this essay for Lan Qiren by tomorrow morning, but they are making it difficult.

‘Stay still, Wei-xiong,’ Nie Huaisang says yet again. ‘You can stay still. I know you can.’

Wei Wuxian shrugs and tips his head back far enough to peer up at their friend from where he kneels on the floor. Nie Huaisang makes a sound of annoyance and lifts the section of Wei Wuxian’s hair he’s in the middle of arranging.

‘If you want me to get this done you need to stay still.’

‘Sorry, sorry,’ Wei Wuxian says, but he’s grinning. He continues to smile as he tilts back to his previous position, though it turns into something more mischievous. ‘Who knew you were so serious about hairstyles, Nie-xiong!’

Nie Huaisang sniffs, his fingers already back to working deftly.

‘I will have you know Da-ge values my hairdressing skills.’

‘You mean to say the fierce Sect Leader Nie has his hair done by his little brother?’ Wei Wuxian laughs. ‘But you don’t have to use a sabre in hairdressing! Why would he care about it?’

Wei Wuxian can’t see the expression that crosses Nie Huaisang’s face at that, but Jiang Cheng can. He sets his brush down with a clack and scowls at his brother.

‘How’d you get your hair in such a state, anyway? I thought you were going fishing, not rolling in a bush.’

‘Riverbanks can have bushes,’ Wei Wuxian protests, and by the time the two of them are done bickering about that, Nie Huaisang no longer looks sad.

The hairstyle he’s giving Wei Wuxian has braids and twists and is far neater and far fancier than anything that terror needs in his hair. Nie Huaisang picks through the box Wei Wuxian keeps his hair ornaments in and selects what turns out to be the most elaborate one, the one that has never before made it onto Wei Wuxian’s head.

‘It’s a waste of time having your hair looking that good just to sit around here,’ Jiang Cheng complains. ‘What, do you think a pretty maiden’s going to turn up to gaze at you admiringly?’

Before he’s finished the sentence, he sees he’s given his brother an idea. It’s in the light that sparks in his eyes, in the way his body, never truly still, seems to vibrate.

‘Who needs a pretty maiden?’ he asks. ‘Lan Zhan will think my hair is pretty!’

And he’s gone with a call of thanks to Nie Huaisang over his shoulder, leaving Jiang Cheng with a headache to go with his part-written essay. Well, and Nie Huaisang.

‘Did you get this one done yet?’ Jiang Cheng asks, though even if his friend has completed the assignment already, there’s little point in expecting a useful pointer. ‘I don’t think Wei Wuxian’s even started.’

Nie Huaisang rises from the bed he’s been sitting on and drops down at the table, opposite Jiang Cheng. He wrinkles his nose at the essay.

‘I wrote that one last year already. It’s so boring to have to write it again.’

‘Well, if you’re staying, you can be bored and get writing. I need to concentrate, and I was meant to have the room to myself this afternoon. Unless you want to go after that idiot?’

Nie Huaisang’s shudder has to be exaggerated.

‘No thank-you,’ he says, eyeing Jiang Cheng’s spare brush dubiously, as though it’s not up to his standards, before sighing and reaching for it. ‘I’d rather write this stupid essay than risk making Lan Wangji angry.’

‘I wish Wei Wuxian thought the same way,’ Jiang Cheng grouses, even as he nudges the ink closer to the middle of the table. ‘I swear, one of these days he’s going to end up with a sword through his side.’

Nie Huaisang snickers, but agrees.

That afternoon so many years ago flashes through Jiang Cheng’s mind as he stares at Wei Wuxian now, standing in the middle of a courtyard in the Unclean Realm and drenched in…something.

‘Is that mud?’ he demands. ‘Tell me that’s mud. Did you fall in a river? What’s that in your hair?’

‘Um. So, here’s the thing…’ Wei Wuxian starts, and stops again when a glob of the substance slips from the hair plastered to the side of his face and drops heavily onto the ground.

‘There is a tooth in that,’ Jiang Cheng points out.

For several wonderful moments, the irritation he feels is the old, familiar exasperation at his brother. Only Wei Wuxian could get himself in this state with under two hours to go to the opening banquet of a cultivation conference, the first one to which Wei Wuxian has been invited since returning from the dead.

Dead. Right. The awful mix of rage and guilt and grief rushes in and Jiang Cheng remembers this is also only the second time he’s seen Wei Wuxian since that damn temple where that bastard Jin almost got them all killed.

The second, because a few months later Wei Wuxian passed through Yunmeng and Jiang Cheng ran across him whilst on his way back from a nighthunt. Wei Wuxian looked like he wanted to bolt, but instead they exchanged a few stilted words, before it became too much and Jiang Cheng took to his sword to get home. He didn’t ask Wei Wuxian to come with him. If he’d wanted to visit Lotus Pier, he wouldn’t have been sneaking through Yunmeng.

It’s painfully obvious he’s only in front of Jiang Cheng now because of his appalling sense of direction. He arrived with his precious Hanguang-Jun’s name on his lips, clearly expecting the man to greet him.

‘You don’t even care about embarrassing Hanguang-Jun?’ he snaps. ‘You’ll truly cause insult to Qinghe Nie by turning up like that when you’re here with Gusu Lan? Why does he put up with you?’

‘Ah, Jiang Cheng,’ Wei Wuxian says, rubbing at the back of his neck and moving some of the sludge around. That much is obvious from the way some of it is pushed to the sides of his neck, where it moves slowly down towards the neck of his robes. ‘I’m not here with Gusu Lan. Lan Zhan just agreed it would be less trouble for everyone if I stayed in his room, that’s all.’

‘And you don’t think your appearance is going to reflect on him? On his sect?’

He sees Wei Wuxian absorb that hit and sees the realisation in his brother’s eyes that he doesn’t have to stand there and take more. Wei Wuxian said it himself: leave it all in the past. They aren’t what they were to each other. And Wei Wuxian has a new family now.

‘Your Hanguang-Jun will love helping get all that out of your hair.’ He knows he sounds sullen, bitter. ‘You’d better hurry.’

Wei Wuxian turns and takes to steps away before he stops and looks back. He looks wary.

‘Lan Zhan is in a meeting with some sect leader or other,’ he says. ‘And Sizhui and Jingyi aren’t here. I don’t think anyone will be sorting my hair out for me.’

Jiang Cheng almost tells him to go and ask Nie Huaisang, then, since he did it that time at the Cloud Recesses. But he resents the idea of Sect Leader Nie being closer with Wei Wuxian than Jiang Cheng is. And no matter what they are or are not to each other, the cultivation world will always connect Wei Wuxian with Yunmeng Jiang. If he arrives at the banquet with slime in his hair, and he will if left to himself, it will reflect badly on Jiang Cheng, as well.

‘I have to do everything,’ he grumbles, but it’s easier than he expected it to be, getting Wei Wuxian to follow him back into the rooms set aside for Sect Leader Jiang.

Nie Huaisang put Wei Wuxian’s hair into something like a fancy Nie style that time, despite the fact Wei Wuxian was still of Yunmeng Jiang. Well, this time, Jiang Cheng will put his…will put Wei Wuxian’s hair in an even fancier Jiang style.

And these days, he isn’t scared of Lan Wangji in the slightest. Hasn’t been for years. Jiang Cheng will march Wei Wuxian up to that icy, dismissive Jade and demand he acknowledges that Jiang Cheng’s done a better job on his ex-brother’s hair than any Nie ever managed.

Wei Wuxian can spend the banquet looking like he’s still Jiang Cheng’s brother. Whether he likes it or not.

TBC on AO3!

[spikemuth-post]

Impromptu Karaoke Night!

Piers x Reader 

Warning, Real world music included that may break immersion for some.

The streets still seemed to be bustling, despite the time of the night and the state of the weather. The rain had let up, leaving a glossy sheen on the streets of Wyndon as you and your friends sloshed through the water. Dinner was sitting on your stomach like a rock and you were almost praying that this night was going to end soon. How much longer could it go on for? Then again, the Gym leaders didn’t get time away very often and wanted to enjoy themselves. Dinner and a movie were nice, it was fun to spend time with the gym leaders but also so discouraging. They were all so close. They were joking and laughing with one another as they walked down the streets, the remaining few that weren’t in a conversation were smiling as they overheard the others. You were just an awkward puzzle piece, shoved in the center the moment you defeated Leon. Heck, they liked Leon’s presence so much that even though he was no longer champion he was invited to come along. At least you weren’t the only one in this situation. Marnie was walking to your left, her arms folded and her eyes staring at the ground. Bede was to your right, his hands in his pockets. They weren’t quite sure where they fit either, also new to this group. Luckily for Marnie, she had Piers. Piers was invited to hang out with the gym leaders, despite his retirement. He decided to use that time to try and integrate his sister into these little outings. Bede had Opal. Every so often, Opal would pass the conversational torch, giving Bede a chance to meld in and shine. You were hoping Leon would be that buffer for you but he wasn’t. If you asked him to be he would help you without a doubt but you felt too embarrassed to ask. “GUYS!” Your little group stopped dead in their tracks, Nessa stopping and blocking the sidewalk and making everyone behind her bump into each other. Piers even tripped, clinging to Raihan on the way down to keep from falling, which Milo found a little funny. “Kram’s is still open!” Nessa cheered, pointing to a neon sign that’s definitely seen better days. The Neon microphone made Piers groan and he dusted himself off. “Karaoke? Nessa, come on-” “What are you complaining about rockstar? You’d smoke all of us.” “...Did you just talk like Karaoke is a competition?” “Oh! That’s a fun idea!” Gordie grinned, “A Karaoke competition! Nice one Piers!” “I did not suggest this, Don’t credit me-” “I’m on board. It sounds like a fun thing to try.” Kabu added. “That does sound pretty fun,” Milo admitted, “Of course, Piers competing might be a little unfair-” “Piers, you have to pick a song out of your genre.” Raihan laid the rule out expecting some kind of reaction but Piers was still giving his sleepy stoic look. It seemed like this was what you were going with. Hopefully, everything would be okay.  “It sounds fun.” Marnie finally said. That was all the convincing Piers needed. He sighed, gesturing everyone to follow as he headed for the double doors. “Well, let’s get this show on the road, come on.”

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Piers waited outside of the circular booth as everyone piled in one after another. You kept your distance, examining the dimly lit karaoke bar and letting everyone go ahead of you. There were a few patrons in here, some whispering to each other in excitement to see the gym leaders and of course the champion.  The only light was above the bar, above the stage and the tea lights in the middle of every table. You didn’t even notice Piers looking at you. He rolled his eyes and decided to get your attention the old fashion way. “Hey champ,  You coming?”  “What?” Turning around you saw everyone was already sitting. Piers was on the end with Marnie on his other side, gesturing you to sit beside him. “Oh, Sorry.” “Oh, dear, it’s fine. Never been to a Karaoke bar before, huh?” Opal began. You were afraid to have any more gaffs, opting to shake your head instead. Marnie seemed a little worried about your standoffishness. You were an incredible pokemon trainer, you were the champion after all, but it seemed like you didn’t know how to interact with people. She could sympathize with that. “I put all our names on the list.” Nessa clapped her hands happily, glancing over at the bar cheerfully. “I can’t wait to see how badly some of you sing.” “Come on Ness, don’t call me out like that,” Raihan joked, “also put away your glasses because when I get up there they WILL break.” The table shared a laugh but you just smiled. Bede raised a brow at you, beginning to catch on to what Marnie did. Unfortunately, he voiced his thoughts. “Not having fun, Champion?” That made almost everyone turn to you. Marnie didn’t look over, shooting Bede a look you couldn’t see from your angle and Leon was looking at the song list. You opened your mouth but thankfully didn’t get a word out. “They have 6 pages of duet songs!” Leon marveled, “Raihan, You have to duet with me!” “Ha, if you want your ears to bleed off then I’d love to.” Raihan started, enthusiastic as all hell.  “After the competition, we can duet.” “Why can’t we double up for the competition?” Marnie suggested, “It’s all fun anyway.” “That’s a good idea.”Gordie complimented, “If our singing isn’t strong we can team up with someone. Hey, Milo, join me on my song.” “Why me? You think I can save your performance?” As they all continued to joke among each other you accepted the moment of reprieve. This was going to be a long stressful night.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Nessa and Opal hugged each other before they left the stage, Raihan playfully plugging his ears as they returned to the table. Opal tapped his head with her parasol, telling him lovingly to shut the hell up. You were a little more comfortable, laughing at jokes and sometimes adding to conversations. Overall, you were still a lot more reserved than everyone else. Unbeknownst to you, Marnie voiced her concerns to her brother. Piers was looking over at you through most of the night and would even pass the conversation over to you if he thought you’d be comfortable talking. He was about to do that right this minute but then he heard it. “Ladies and Gentleman, a special treat. Next to the stage is the one and only Piers!” “Shit, right now?” Piers mumbled. Raihan, Gordie and Leon were pounding on the table, encouraging him to go up. You got out of the booth to let him get up and as he passed you he got an idea. A risky idea, but it was all he had. He made his way to the stage, grabbing a songbook off an empty table and skimming through it on his way to the stage. He really should have planned this out better. When he found his song he just threw the book over his shoulder. A woman at a nearby table grabbed it and held it close to her. Hell, it wasn’t even signed, calm down lady. He punched the number in the karaoke machine before cracking his neck to the left then to the right. His friends were cheering and you were giving a pretty polite clap but that wasn’t enough for him. He was going to break that shell around you even if he had to do it by force. He picked up the microphone, speaking into it with the kind of oozing charisma you’d expect from a rockstar. “This song goes to the cutie sharing a booth with me, sittin’ right on the end.” You instinctively looked to the other end of the booth and were confused. Kabu is on the other end- “He means you, idiot.” Bede pointed out. That made Raihan give off an ugly laugh and Nessa seemed to be bursting with excitement. You, however, were just confused. Piers was always really nice to you but you didn’t think that there was any romantic reason behind that. You tried not to blush but your face was heating uncomfortably. The smooth guitar started to play and the DJ introduced the song seconds later. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Piers will be performing Treasure by Bruno Mars.” “Go, Piers!” “Shut up Raihan.” Piers quickly added into the mic, trying not to let this performance get the best of him. This seemed like a huge mistake but now we’re this far so he was doing this shit. The words on the screen appeared. Now or never.  “ Give me your, give me your, give me your attention baby,” Pier’s voice alone was alluring but that eye contact was downright manslaughter. You had to keep breaking eye contact to avoid exploding. ”You're wonderful, flawless, oh you're a sexy lady “ He pushed his chest forward as he slid his jacket off. The move made some women in the crowd go crazy and making Raihan give off a spirited woo, to which Piers promptly shot him his middle finger. You were so enamored with his stage presence that sometimes you’d just completely ignore the words he was singing. Some of them would come through, though. Girls in the bar were squealing and hell ever some of his friends at the table. Marnie pursed her lips, trying not to laugh at Pier’s attempt to get you to open up. “  Treasure, that is what you are, Honey, you're my golden star “ Just the way he’d flex his eyebrow to emphasize certain words was killing you. You wanted to put your head on the table but you couldn’t take your eyes off him. “ You know you can make my wish come true, If you let me treasure you “ “Holy shit, PIERS WORK IT!” Gordie egged him on, making Raihan and Leon crack up. Piers tried to ignore them but he was clearly laughing through his performing.   “ Pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl you should be smiling, A girl like you should never look so blue.” “I didn’t even know Piers liked you like that.” Nessa breathed, “Oh this is so CUTE!” “Piers is a master at hiding what he’s thinking.” Raihan defended. “.... Still, I ALSO HAD NO IDEA.” While Ness and Raihan Marvelled on that, Bede and Leon were just rocking out to the song, bobbing along and even mouthing the words. Raihan started filming on his phone, complaining that he missed a lot of the song because he was distracted. “ I know that you don't know it, but you're fine, so fine, Oh girl, I'm gonna show you when you're mine, oh, mine .” Piers got back most of his control, continuing to sing to you. He could see by the look on your face that he was breaking you. He kind of liked it. You looked cute flustered like that. It made him smirk. He was nearing the end of the song and thought he was doing pretty well. “ You know you can make my wish come true, If you let me pleasure yo- Wait, No, TREASURE. FUCK-” “TOO LATE, YOU ALREADY SAID IT!” Gordie yelled. Piers couldn’t take it, pulling away from the microphone to laugh it off. The song just continued but everyone was just laughing and having a good time. He returned to the mic, speaking over the music. “I mean, we can do that too if you’re up for it. the night is young!” “BOO!” “SHUT UP, RAIHAN”! “Give it up for Piers, Everybody!” Despite him messing up the final line of the song, the place roared with cheers. Probably just because it was a fun karaoke night. He got a few high fives as he returned to the table. You got up to let him back into the booth, avoiding eye contact with him. Since you were looking down at the ground when he passed he got access to the top of your head, allowing him to kiss the top of your head before he sat down, making everyone at the table laugh.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

You had to leave when the bar closed. Everyone left the door laughing, complementing each other’s mad singing skills. After Piers calling you out like that on stage, you were much more open with everyone. He spent the rest of the night flirting shamelessly as well. It gave you all a lot to talk about. Upon leaving the bar Piers was oddly silent, a little smile on his face as he left the building. You were the same, hanging off to the side to wait until you could get a moment to talk to Piers alone. Sensing this, the crowd dispersed quickly. All your friends excused themselves and made separate plans to get home, either choosing to walk with each other or call a taxi. You didn’t need to do any of that though, currently staying in a hotel in Wyndon for a match you had tomorrow. That was perfect. Piers walked over to you, clearing his throat as nonchalantly as possible. “Can I walk you home?” “You don’t have to,” You mumbled. You really wanted him to but Marnie was behind him calling a taxi already. “It’s a long taxi flight to Spikemuth.” “Actually I’m gonna check in the hotel for tonight.” He looked off to the side nervously, “I’m uh... gonna be in town for your match tomorrow.” “Well... having company on the walk would be great.” He didn’t need anything more than that, linking arms with you immediately. You tried to hide your flustered face but Leon and Marnie caught it, both of them staying behind to catch a taxi. You both headed down the street towards the hotel, talking the entire way. You did have a place among these gym leaders and in Piers’s arms.

[thgfanficinspo]

Fear of the Water - Ch. 7

AO3 LINK

Annie + Finnick Origin Story set during/after 70th Hunger Games

masterlist

(ANNIE)

It’s almost impossible to sleep. Not that I normally sleep well anyway. Still.

I have one of those dreams that’s only two minutes long but actually lasts for an hour or two in real life. Finnick’s in it. He doesn’t do anything. Doesn’t even look at me. He’s just there. And it’s nice in the dream but it’s sad when I wake up.

I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do now. Keep moving? Stay put? I unpack my things and lay them out again. I get one deep sip of water cause I have to be careful about saving it until I find a source (maybe that’s what I’ll do today) and I eat one slice of dried apple. And then I notice the dirt and the blood under my fingernails and my hands start shaking.

My mother, she butchered me . . .

Shut my eyes. Don’t want to see the blood, see the boy exploding, feel hot drops of blood splatter against my face. Take deep breaths through my mouth to keep from gagging.

It’s a long time before I feel okay again. I’m just opening my eyes when a cannon goes off. I clamp my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming.

I count the bricks in my little cave to calm down again but I keep losing my place and have to start over.

I don’t think I’ll finish counting before the sun goes down. I’ll have to wait to look for food and water tomorrow.

(FINNICK)

My patron last night bought me and Cashmere as a set; I think it’s easier to deal with when there’s another victor with you. Misery loves company, as they say. But it’s also fucking awkward. Plus, it’s ridiculously expensive to buy a night with one victor, so buying two on the same night practically never happens.

We stay in the lady’s apartment long enough to see our tributes onscreen and make sure they’re still alive before making our way back toward the training center. Shine, Cash, and Piers are sorting out supplies and making a plan of attack. Annie is nibbling at some dried fruit.

We stop off at a coffee place on the way.

“That lady was disgusting,” Cashmere says as we wait for our orders. She pulls two blackberry-flavored cigarettes and some matches out of a pocket I didn’t know she had and lights them.

“Mm,” I hum in acknowledgement. She really was gross but I don’t waste my time thinking about her and what she wanted. I never do. When it’s over, it’s over, and there’s no point in reflecting on the experience.

Cashmere hands me one of the cigarettes. “Thanks,” I say. We smoke silently for a little while, watching all the Capitol citizens walk by. Girls giggle when they see me; men wink at Cashmere. It’s nothing new. “Who’s your favorite to win?”

She taps the excess ash from her cigarette on the ground. “I like my girl’s chances. But that pretty one from District Nine is one to watch. You?”

I shrug. “Don’t know.”

This is what conversations are like the day after you see a patron together. You’re too embarrassed about everything we did to look each other in the eye but we can’t ignore each other without being crushed by the silence. Plus, we have to look fun and flirty for the people that walk by.

My awful attempt at small talk is interrupted when a female tribute gets stuck under falling bricks from a decrepit building nearby. Her lower leg breaks with a loud snap as a particularly jagged stone lands on her shin. She barely has a chance to scream before a larger rock rolls onto her stomach and starts to crush her. It takes about a minute for her to die.

“That’s thirteen gone,” Cashmere says absently. “Eleven to go.”

The Avoxes are the only ones in the common area when I get back to the training center. They’re cleaning puke up off the rug; I assume it’s Broadsea’s.

“Did I miss anything important?” I ask, nodding at the television. There’s nothing interesting going on right now, so Caesar Flickerman is interviewing a Gamemaker named Seneca Crane about the inspiration behind the arena’s design.

It’s more elaborate than usual this year: it looks like an abandoned city that nature has reclaimed. It rains perpetually, and no place is completely dry. There are a handful of high dams, but in heavy rain they overflow somewhat. There’s nowhere to swim, so Annie and Piers don’t have any advantage there.

Somes points at the chalkboard; Girl 10 has been crossed off the list. Greer makes a few gestures to let me know that both Annie and Piers are still alive.

“Thanks.”

I sit down on the shower floor like I always do and lean my head back against the wall.

My arena was a heavy forest dotted with swamps.

There was this endless chorus of crickets and cicadas – it never stopped. Not to mention all the other damn bugs that would fly right into my eye or buzz around in my ear. All the bugs bit, but some of them carried diseases. Tributes bitten by the disease-bugs got sick and a few of them died.

There were these mutts in some of the swamps – gators, I think they’re called – that would come out of the water at night and attack. One of them killed Tethys, my district partner. It took her foot first. I couldn’t get to her in time to stop the bleeding or distract the mutt before it circled back for her. It took a while for the gator to kill her, but I doubt she could feel anything except the cold, dry sensation of losing blood.

Most of the water was unsafe to drink, and a good amount of the tributes died from dehydration or infections they got from drinking the bad water. The Careers and I were sure to boil our water to kill any germs. We didn’t have to worry about whether or not someone would see our fire – no one in their right mind would attack the Career pack.

And then one day at breakfast this enormous parachute came floating down from the sky and landed in front of me. A trident.

I knew in that moment that I would survive. I could use spears and knives as well as anybody, but I grew up with a trident in my hand. I knew I had lots of sponsors – they sent medicine when I was injured, fresh bread when I was hungry, even a sliver of soap to wash myself off – but this told me just how many there really were. But a trident?! Weapons of any kind were unheard of, but this?

It took two days for my allies to turn on me. They didn’t consider me much of a threat at first, since I was only fourteen and no one under sixteen, no matter how skilled or sponsored, had ever won. I defeated them allies fairly easily; I’d been expecting an attack and I knew what their fighting styles were. It only took another two days to find the remaining tributes and kill them.

I had it easy compared to some of the others. Most of the others, actually. I considered myself lucky for the first few days after I won. Thank God I didn’t have to deal with some of the shit the others had to. It evened out in the end, more or less.

Caesar Flickerman is talking as I exit the bathroom. Something menial. “Is she counting?”

“It looks like it,” Claudius Templesmith replies. “But I’m not sure why.”

I start rifling through the clothes in my closet.

“She’s most likely in shock,” Caesar says. “It happens from time to time.”

I don’t really pay attention – why should I? – until I catch a glimpse of Annie Cresta from the corner of my eye. It’s only for a millisecond; the feed switches to more entertaining footage of the boy from District 6 climbing to the top of a massive barebones building at least eight stories high.

“Shit,” I hiss under my breath.

Tributes go into shock pretty regularly; someone cracks up at least once every other year. I’m not surprised that it happened. But it bothers me that it happened to Annie. She was a bit weird to begin with, so I shouldn’t be shocked, but it’s still unpleasant.

Shit.

Piers probably should have killed her at the bloodbath – or at the very least, let the boy from 3 finish the job. The Games have barely started and I’m already so tired; I don’t know if I have it in me to watch Annie get herself killed in some awful way.

I avoid Mags for most of the day because I just don’t want to face her right now.

I eat dinner with Blight and Gloss at a popular restaurant, which we pretty much shut down for the night because so many of my adoring fans would otherwise flood the place. They cluster outside instead; Peacekeepers have to come in to keep them all in line. I’d really rather eat alone in my room but the president likes for his victors to be seen enjoying all the pleasures that the Capitol has to offer. And I hate to admit it but the food is actually good.

Blight brings the new kid with him. Timothy Something-or-other of District 6, victor of the 69th Hunger Games. I feel obligated to make a lot of sex jokes because it’s 69 and I’m the Finnick Odair.

Timothy doesn’t talk very much, nor does he make much eye contact. Blight and Gloss start filling him in on things he doesn’t ask about – the annoying victors, the protocols for being out in public, the politicians and socialites who get handsy when they drink.

“Brutus sucks, Gaius sucks,” Blight says as he pours us each a fresh glass of wine. “They’re both from Two. Actually most of those guys are awful.”

“Broadsea and Eefa fucking suck,” I add.

“And Leetha. Leetha is the goddamn worst,” Gloss says, shaking his head.

Timothy’s voice is scratchy. “Which one is she?”

“The redheaded lady from District Five,” I answer. “Thinks she’s the smartest person in the world. Don’t ever have a conversation alone with her. You’ll try to pull your ears off.”

Timothy swallows hard. He looks twitchy and hungry and tired. Bet he’s already addicted to something – alcohol maybe, or more likely morphling, since that’s the drug of choice for his fellow victors from 6.

The rest of dinner passes without anybody saying anything interesting. I trudge back to the training center and pray Mags has gone to bed already. I just don’t want to see her.

No such luck. She’s sitting on the couch facing the television when I come in. She smiles. “I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy,” I mutter. She pats the seat beside her, silently asking me to sit with her. But I don’t want to I stand by the couch with my arms crossed over my chest and my eyes pointed straight ahead.

Then she asks the question I’ve been dreading all afternoon. “Have you seen Annie?”

“Yeah.

We watch the Games in silence for a long time. There’s nothing going on this late; most of the tributes have gone to sleep. But I keep watching.

“What do you think?” Mags finally asks.

“I don’t think anything.” I try not to be snappy but it still comes out with some aggression. She must know I don’t want to talk about this. “I’m going to bed.” I give her a kiss on the cheek as I leave to show her that I’m not really mad at her. But she knows that already.

“Good night, Finnick.”

“Good night, Mags.”

I don’t have any dreams tonight.

[grandmasterofwangxiancultivation]

MDZS ch.110

the coffin. TELL US ABOUT THE COFFIN.

EDIT: jgy’s mother, okay, i thought about it. and wwx is just too much, i love his mind

EDIT 2: wait, if nhs doesn’t confess and there are no proofs, this thing won’t be confirmed?!?!!??! NoOoOoOoOoOoOo

EDIT 3:

Veins suddenly lined the back of the hand in which Lan XiChen placed on his forehead. His voice sounded muffled, “… Just what does he want to do? I once thought I knew him well, and then I realized I did not. Before tonight, I thought I knew him well once more, but now I do not.” Nobody could give him an answer. Lan XiChen repeated in frustration, “Just what does he want to do?”

okay but, like, he lost a sworn brother and cared so much for the one he still had, only to find out he was a diabolic murderer and now he is suffering so much and i can’t live with lxc look so dejected and resigned i can’t CAN SOMEONE HUG HIM RIGHT FUCKING NOW PLS

EDIT 4:

Before he could finish, a loud, clear bark came from afar.

Wei WuXian’s face changed at once, while Jin Ling managed to gain some energy, “Fairy!”

[...] Sprinting, the soaking-wet dog flew in like a black wind, throwing itself at Jin Ling. Its round eyes were damp as it stood up on its hind legs, clinging to Jin Ling’s lap and whimpering. Wei WuXian watched as its crimson tongue extended from its white, sharp teeth and licked Jin Ling’s hand. His face paled and his eyes glazed over. As he opened his lips, he felt that his soul was about to become a wisp of green smoke and fly to the Heavens through his mouth. Quietly, Lan WangJi placed himself in front of him, blocking the line of sight between him and Fairy.

BEST REUNION EVER, FAIRY AND JIN LING ARE SO CUTE OMG MY HEART IS SO WARM AND HAPPY AND COSY RN + LWJ SHIELDING HIS TREMBLING HUSBAND EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS FAIRY WON’T DO ANYTHING TO WWX, GOD, WILL THEY EVER STOP BEING SO EPRFECT

EDIT 5:

Lan QiRen still had on a face full of shock and doubt. Before he even opened his mouth to ask, the first thing he saw was Lan WangJi, so close to Wei WuXian that they were practically one person. Within the blink of an eye, he’d forgotten everything he wanted to ask. Rage surged onto his face.

well, same ol’ same ol’, right? though, pls lqr, accept wwx. he makes lwj happy and that’s what really matters pls pls

EDIT 6:

The chief manager immediately went forth to help Jiang Cheng up, “Sect Leader, are you alright…”

While Lan QiRen raised his sword and shouted, “Wei…”

Before he even finished a few white-clothed figures rushed out from behind his back, all of them shouting, “HanGuang-Jun!”

“Senior Wei!”

“Senior Patriarch!”

LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL DISCIPLES RUNNING TO REACH THEIR PARENTS AND BE SURE NOTHING BAD HAPPENED TO THEM 

THIS IS HAPPINESS AND WHAT BEING ALIVE SHOULD MEAN 

EDIT 7: lsx and ljy my beautiful sons bichering on who was more worried and who wasn’t and “lwj is too cool to have problems with anything” and lsz going toward wen ning and taking pulling him between them and is this family time? ARE YOU DONE MAKING MY HEART SWELL AND SING? PLS DON’T STOP

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I LOVE DISCIPLES’ TIME. I LOVE WHEN THEY ARE ALL SO PURE AND SPARKLY AND PERFECT AND I NEED THEM TO ALWAYS REMAIN LIKE THIS AND SHOWER WWX AND LWJ IN LOVE AND AFFECTION

EDIT 8: in the end the Fairy is the best of the best, GOOD JOB BRINGING THE BOYS THERE

EDIT 9:

But no matter how spiritual, how magical it was, it was still a dog, the scariest creature in this world, to Wei WuXian. Even with Lan WangJi in front of him, he still shivered from his head to his toes. Ever since the Lan Sect juniors came, Jin Ling kept on sneaking glances at them, watching how they surrounded Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi in chatter.

Seeing Wei WuXian’s complexion grow even paler, he slapped Fairy’s butt and whispered, “Fairy, you go outside first.”

OKAY BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT JIN LING SEEING WWX’S PALE FACE OVER FAIRY’S PRESENCE AND SENDING HIS PRECIOUS DOG AWAY?

ISN’T THIS LOVE? AAAAAAAH I NEED THIS FAMILY TO SAIL LIKE A SHIP

EDIT 10:

Jin Ling wanted to go over, but he felt somewhat embarrassed. Just as he was hesitating, Lan SiZhui suddenly saw what was at Wei WuXian’s waist. He paused for a moment, “… Senior Wei?”

cute jin ling eieofjiwejfipw

but

is what i think it’s gonna happen REALLY GONNA HAPPEN? LSZ EYEING THE FLUTE MAKES ME THINK ABOUT BABY LSZ PLAYING WITH IT

IS IT TIME FOR ME TO CRY AGAIN

EDIT 11:

Lan SiZhui received the flute with both hands and frowned a bit, some confusion on his face. Lan WangJi looked at him, while Wei WuXian looked at Lan WangJi, “What’s wrong with your SiZhui? He likes my flute?”

I AM FUCKING SCREAMING OH MY GOD

PLS WAIT I AM NOT EMOTIONALLY READ FOR THIS, TOO

EDIT 12:

Lan JingYi exclaimed, “What? You finally lost that bad, out-of-tune flute of yours? This new one seems quite good!”

But he didn’t know that this new, ‘quite good’ flute was the spiritual tool he’d always wanted to take a look at—the legendary ghost flute ‘Chenqing’. He only beamed in his heart, Great! Now at least he will not lose face for HanGuang-Jun when he plays a duet with HanGuang-Jun. Heavens! The flute he had was ugly to both the eye and the ear!

when you think you can’t love jingyi more than you already love him, he does this. i love how he thinks about lwj and wwx playing together with that clever, romantic mind of his and how he had apparently always been curious about cheng qing. JINGYI, MY BEAUTIFUL SON, MOM IS SO PROUD OF YOU-

EDIT 13: when is sizhui going to remember eveything uuuuugh. also, wwx and jc speaking to each other makes my heart clench so hard

EDIT 14: poor lqr, what can he do when his now grown up boys keep facing hardiships and take decisions in a way that frustrates him? i think “losing” lxc was probably the last thing he thought and hoped would happen, i feel a bit sorry for him

EDIT 15:

Jin GuangYao’s mother was seen as the lowest prostitutes, so he decided to carve a Guanyin statue with his mother’s appearance, receiving the worship of tens of thousands.

But there was no use in saying all that. Nobody knew with more clarity than Wei WuXian that nobody would care and nobody would believe him. Anything related to Jin GuangYao would be given the most malicious conjectures and passed through the mouths of the crowd.

i can’t stop admiring wwx for being so sensitive and sensible about jgy, it seems to me like wwx is thinking back to the time when the same thing happened to him, and this makes me so emotional i can’t eve-

EDIT 16:

All of a sudden, tears fell from his eyes again.

Jin Ling had always thought crying was a sign of weakness, treating such an act with contempt. Yet, apart from a flood of tears, there was no other way to release the pain and anger in his heart.

IS THIS CHAPTER TRYING TO KILL ME WITH PEOPLE BEING EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED/CRYING/FEELING DESPAIR???

JIN LING BABY PLS DON’T CRY OMG I CAN’T READ ABOUT HIM CRYING I’M GONNA FEEL SICK

here is another beautiful character with a beautiful heart, who has been denied of a family but can’t totally held responsible those who were directly involved because of the affection he feels for them. one can feel the anguish in his heart, so strong that he has to cry it all out and it totally breaks my heart to see him like this

EDIT 17: IF THEY SPEAK LIKE THAT TO MY JIN LING AGAIN, I’M GONNA CRUSH THEM ALL AND THEY’LL ALL WISH THEY HAD DIED LIKE JGY

EDIT 18:

He walked around a bit, raising his voice, “Where is WangJi?!”

Lan JingYi, “Just now I said we brought Lil’ Apple and kept it right outside the temple. And HanGuang-Jun, along with… along with… went to greet Lil’ Apple.”

Lan QiRen, “And then?”

It was needless to say what happened afterwards. Not a sliver of Wei WuXian’s, Lan WangJi’s, and Wen Ning’s shadows remained outside the Guanyin temple.

[...] Lan JingYi looked around, yelling in surprise, “SiZhui? What happened? When did SiZhui disappear too?”

FAMILY ELOPING TOGETHER

EDIT 19: 

When Jin Ling heard that Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi were gone, he rushed outside, almost tripping on the threshold of the Guanyin Temple. But no matter how anxious, he was no longer able to find their figures.

BABY 

EDIT 20:

Jin Ling, “Just now! I saw it. You wanted to say something to Wei WuXian, and then you didn’t.”

After a moment of silence, Jiang Cheng shook his head, “There’s nothing to say.”

What could he say?

That, back then, I wasn’t caught by the Wen Sect because I wanted to go back to Lotus Pier to retrieve my parents’ corpses. That, at the town we passed on our way, when you were buying food, a group of Wen Sect cultivators caught up. That, I discovered them early and left where I sat, hiding at the corner of the street and didn’t get caught, but they were patrolling the streets and would soon run into you outside.

That this was why I ran out and distracted them.

THIS

I-

WHAT-

EXCUSE ME HOW-

why

my heart literally broke into pieces after reading this i didn’t know why what how this makes me reevaluate so many things and yet i just feel incredibly sad that these two brothers love each other so much and they can’t do anything and i love you jiang cheng and CAN YOU ALL PLS STOP

I AM DYING HERE

[pardonmymannerssir]

happiness throws a shower of sparks (Part Two)

Part two (AO3 Link)

(Can find part one here: AO3 Link)

Warnings: Mention of past abuse; PTSD symptoms

Rating: Mature

Sansa takes to sleeping in his bed every night, curled into his side with her hand pressed against his chest, but little else changes.

No, everything is the same despite Jon’s entire world turning upside down.

Mornings are always a bit awkward, as he angles her ass away from his crotch, having succumbed to the weakness of his desires in his sleep. She’s so soft and warm and sweet that it’s impossible to keep his body from reacting to hers, and some nights he can’t sleep, trying to master the animal inside him that’s dying to taste her, touch her, anything.

He doesn’t want to frighten her. Would rather die than scare her or make her uncomfortable. So he drinks more coffee and accepts the ribbing the guys give him at work for his new ‘girl’ keeping him up at night. It would be much worse if they knew the truth, the bastards.

He is constantly reminding himself not to stare at her, but honest to God he can’t help it. She’s so fucking pretty it might kill him as she wanders barefoot through his apartment in a simple summer dress, humming to herself as she sweeps. Her hair is tied back into a haphazard tail, pieces escaping and sticking to the damp curves of her neck. He’d like to kiss her there, where the graceful arch of her neck meets her slender shoulder, and taste the salt of her sweat, follow a trail down- he squeezes his eyes shut, sinking lower into the couch, and drives the images away before they have a chance to overwhelm him.

It’s nearly summer in the city and the humidity is already bordering on insufferable.

“Let’s go to the pier,” he says before consciously deciding to speak. He needs to get out of the apartment before he combusts. She turns, wiping her hand across her brow and beams at him, making his knees turn to jelly.

“Okay, let me get my shoes.”

Navy Pier is a tourist trap but Sansa, who has seen very little of the city despite living with him for half a year, is clearly thrilled. She drags him to almost every both and onto every ride. He can’t even feign reluctance, content to follow her wherever she might lead him and trying to ignore the implications of the sentiment. He’s never seen her so happy. There’s new life in her eyes and her skin glows in the carnival lights. He can’t take his eyes off her as she leads him by the hand.

The sun is setting when they board the Ferris wheel and he’s getting hungry but thinks he’d probably be willing to starve if it meant a few more moments in her presence. Fuck, he’s in so deep he can’t even see the surface anymore.

She’s quiet as the ride begins to move. She’d been rather chatty all afternoon, more so than she had been since she’d shown up at his door what feels like a lifetime ago, but there’s a contemplative look on her face now as they sway above the glittering waters of the bay. The setting sun sets her hair on fire and not even the cheesiness of the sentiment can ruin the reality of it. His chest burns looking at her and he has to clench his hands on his knees to stop himself from reaching out and doing something stupid like tucking fluttering strands of hair behind her ear, or taking her small hand in his, or drawing her to his side where he can try and shield her from all the world-

She catches his eye and he blushes, but she smiles and it’s a soft, intimate thing that does all sorts of things to his stomach. He has to look away, feeling very much like teenage-Jon as opposed to lived-through-a-war-and-risks-his-life-at-least-once-a-week-Jon.

The ride stops and they dangle there, caught in amber and fire above the water, the city alive and ever moving beyond their warm little bubble.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she says at last, a cool breeze nearly snatching the words away from him.

He shakes his head. “It’s fine. It’s been fun-“

She silences him with hand on his and he turns to find she’s crying, tears catching the light and gleaming brightly. “No, Jon. Thank you, for everything. I don’t-I can’t express how much it means to me.”

He reaches out and grips the handle of their little cart, trying to master his frenzied emotions. He wants to kiss her so badly in that moment it’s a physical pain.

“Please,” he half begs. “Don’t. I wish-I would do anything-If I could I would-” he can’t find the right words to tell her he’d set the world on fire to punish everyone who’s ever hurt her.

She chuckles a little, tears still dancing in her eyes, and he has to huff out a laugh.

“I’m sorry, I’ve never known the right thing to say, but you know that,” he gives a self-deprecating laugh, embarrassed. She must remember how awkward he was in high school, how he’d stuttered and stumbled every time she’d spoken to him or even looked his way.

He’s surprised to see her face fall and she looks ashamed as she turns to stare out across the water blindly.

“You were always wonderful, Jon. Always kind and thoughtful, helping Robb get out of trouble or babysitting Rickon and Bran when the rest of us were too busy,” her gaze darts back to his, an almost endless sea of regret clear in her eyes. “You’ve always been the best of us, I was just too stupid to see it. I’ve always been so goddamn stupid.”

“Sansa, you’re not stupid-” he reaches for her hand, resting near his on the restraining bar, but she slides it away and she won’t meet his eye.

“Yes I am Jon, I am so, so stupid.” She draws in a trembling breath, blinking back tears as the breeze tosses their hair. “Joffrey hit me the first time on our wedding night,” she says, voice hard and brittle like shards of glass, “but the worst part is, he was terrible to me long before that. It’s easier to see now, all the subtle ways he tore me down, but I knew it then too. The things he wanted me to do... The way he spoke to me in front of his friends when no adults were around…it was all there, and I just ignored them. Some of it was shame, having to admit that our marriage was a mistake, but most of it was weakness and stupidity. I kept thinking it would get better… that I would get better, or be better somehow so he would stop hurting me… but it only ever got worse.”

Jon’s heart is loud in his ears, a furious terrible roar. He’s only felt this way once before in his life; when he’d found Ygritte’s body inside a burning building, unresponsive and lifeless.

It’s like a dam has been broken and Sansa can’t seem to stop herself, the horrible truth spilling from her lips, tearing at his soul. He had known something was wrong with Joffrey. He’d heard rumors about the way he liked to talk to and treat girls and he’d ignored them. They had all ignored them. God, he’d been such a coward.

“T-The night I came to your door, we’d flown to LA for some charity ball and we met a m-man, some prospective business partner,” tears well in her eyes at the memory and slip down her colorless cheeks. “His name is Ramsey Bolton, and he came to our hotel room after the party. Joffrey made me… he made me do things,” her voice hitches and she’s breathing hard, “A-And when I tried to stop it he let Ramsey hurt me… he hurt me so much I thought I would die. I wanted to die, but I couldn’t… I thought of Arya, of Robb, and mom and dad, a-and when they finally left me alone to go get drunk at the hotel bar I-I ran. I drew out enough money for a plane ticket and I ran.” She looks up and she’s trembling so hard the cart is swaying. “I ran to you because… I used to think of you, Jon. I thought of you all the time really. The way you’d once looked at me before I understood what it meant and how you were always so kind to me and I’ve never regretted anything as much as I regret not being with you when I had the chance.”

His heart is a tattered ruin in his chest, his mind a mess of violence, fury, and tenderness. He chooses tenderness as he reaches for her, taking her face in both his hands and brushing the tears away, drawing her toward him till her forehead touches his. He chooses tenderness for her, because its what she needs from him in that moment, but someday... someday he might choose violence.

“Sansa…” he murmurs. There are no words for how sorry he is, for how much her pain stabs through him like a physical wound, throbbing in his gut, making him sick. “Sansa, I would do anything for you,” he says at last, distantly aware the ride has started moving again. “Anything.”

She draws in a harsh breath that seems to rattle through her and into him and something delicate and fragile blooms between them. “Then kiss me, Jon, please kiss me.”

He’s never been more willing to fulfill a request.

He catches her mouth with his, leashing his turbulent emotions and brushing her lips gently, once, twice, before sinking into the temptation of her warmth. She sighs and melts into him, the tension leaving her in physical waves as she presses her hands to his where they hold her gently prisoner, sliding shyly down his arms and gripping his shoulders. She tastes like home, like humid summers and frozen winters, like Christmas mornings with everyone laughing and smiling, like cool summer nights when the fireflies first come out and the moon is full. Kissing her makes him feel absolved. Absolved from the horror of a war he’d been stupid to fight and of the loss of the only other woman he’s ever loved or cared for.

He pulls away before he loses all control and she studies him in the breathless aftermath, flushed pink, lips moist and slightly swollen. Her slow smile, like warm summer honey, draws an answering one from him and then they’re both chuckling at the improbability of it all.

They exit the Ferris wheel hand in hand and it feels like being reborn.

-

More memories float to the surface, unbidden.

Sansa and Arya fighting over the best blanket for movie night, dissolving into laughter and a one sided wrestling match. Sansa laughing so hard she’s crying as Arya pins her down with a triumphant shout before Robb tackles her to the ground.

Sansa baking a friend a cake in the kitchen his senior year, covered in flour and chocolate, a mixing bowl balanced on her hip as she frowns over a cook book. There’s a smear of chocolate near the corner of her mouth and Jon has to leave the room, the house actually, before he does something stupid like lick it away.

Sansa furious with Arya over something he doesn’t remember, both of them shouting, her face alive with fury, cheeks bright and eyes flashing.

Robb mussing her hair and her indignant squeak. They all laugh when she dumps her glass of ice water over his head and laugh harder as he chases her around the yard as she squeals.

Thirteen year old Sansa taking his hand at his mother’s funeral, her small fingers, tight on his, the only thing grounding him to reality as part of his heart is lowered forever into the cold, frozen ground.

-

Later that night they assess each other in the darkness of his apartment, laying side by side in his bed, both ragged shades of the children they’d been. They are face to face, noses inches apart. Her breath is sweet and gentle, her lips a constant temptation, but her eyes hold him fast, bright as polished silver in the dark. They’d eaten a quiet dinner on the pier, not uncomfortable, exactly, just new and frail, a fresh brightness between them that could be snuffed out with a single wrong word, a single look, a clumsy touch.  

But cocooned in darkness, the insecurities and uncertainties dissolve into nothing. To Jon, it seems if they are the only two people left in all the world.

“I’ll kill him,” he says at last, a secret in the dark, one he means with every fiber of his being. He’s killed people before, more than he’d ever like to think of, more than he’d ever like to admit to her, and he’d found no joy in it, only darkness and self-loathing, but this… this he is sure he’d enjoy. He knows how to hurt people, he could make it last. “I’ll kill them both.”

Steel, sharp and deadly, flashes in her eyes and her pupils dilate and her breathing grows ragged. Her fingers clench, sharp as daggers into his shoulders.

“No, Jon,” she breathes, tilting toward him like a tower crumbling. “No… if he ever touches me again. I will kill him.”

He groans, electricity clawing through his veins, and kisses her the way he’s dreamed of kissing her nearly half his life; first as a boy with almost no experience and then as a broken, desperate man with little to offer but himself and whatever comfort he can provide.

There is comfort in the way she draws herself to him, the way she presses her hands into his hair, but there is also want, a desperate, almost mindless desire, as if he’s not the only one who’s dreamed of something more. He hadn’t realized how alone he was, how cold he’d become, until Sansa had shown up at his door.

She tugs on his hair and he nips at her full lower lip with a growl he can’t suppress and suddenly it’s a mess of limbs and hands and the rough melody of their irregular breathing. She so damn sweet he can’t taste her enough, can’t touch her enough, and it feels like he’ll never be close enough to her. It’s a kind of madness, kissing Sansa Stark, like death by slow, delicious degrees.

He reaches for her breast, close to being consumed with need, and she stiffens a little, breath catching sharply in her throat, and he swallows, reigning himself in, and moves his hand away. He gentles their kiss, guides her back from the precipice, and tries to tell her with lips and hands that he’ll never hurt her. Never take from her anything she isn’t willing to give.  

Slowly. He has to go slowly.

He smooths down her hair and kisses her forehead, each eye, and the tip of her nose. He can feel her heart racing against his chest and he draws her to him.

“Shh,” he murmurs, almost mindlessly, “I’ve got you.”

She wraps her arms around him and squeezes him tight, pressing tentative kisses along his jaw and throat. They fall asleep like that, entangled and warm with the promise of the future.

-

He wakes to her lips on his and it’s easily the sweetest thing he’s ever experienced, he keeps his eyes closed, wanting to make the moment last. She’s all warmth and softness as his hand smooths down the curve of her side, up the ridges of her spine, and tangles in the fragrant fall of her hair. It’s like a baptism, caught in dazzling sunlight, washing away the darkness of the night before and turning it into something sweet. She smiles against his mouth and he responds in kind, chuckling in the back of his throat. God, he’s never felt like this before.

He expects the specter of Ygritte to diminish his fledgling joy, to remind him of all he’s lost, instead he only feels an endless well of warmth and… encouragement. She would have wanted him to be happy, would have wanted him to find joy and comfort where he could.

“You have to go to work,” Sansa reminds him, trailing fire along his jaw with the moist heat of her parted lips, “and so do I.” He shivers, fingers digging into her hip. He’s already painfully hard beneath the blankets.

He groans, half in want and half in reluctance. “I’ll call in,” he says, voice rough with sleep, and cracks an eye open only to be half blinded by the sun gleaming offer her tousled hair. She nips at his chin.

“I happen to know you don’t have any more time off,” she tells him, pulling back and stealing his breath away with a brilliant, unabashed smile that holds so much pure joy in it he can hardly breathe. He’s certain no one has ever looked at him the way Sansa is looking at him now, as if the sun rises and sets with him. Her t-shirt is slipping down one shoulder, revealing the curve of one pert breast and the sunlight has turned her skin into honey and cream, he’d do anything to taste her, touch her, anything to make her moan and whimper-

“You’re killing me,” he tells her honestly, his hands spanning her slight waist and he rubs his thumbs along the tantalizing strip of bare skin above her pajama pants, watching as her eyes darken and she bites her lip. “I hope you know that.”

She rubs her nose along the side of his and steals another quick kiss before rolling out of his grasp with a devious laugh. “The sooner you leave the sooner you can come home,” she says in an almost sing-song, bouncing out of bed, and gliding into the kitchen to get coffee started. Jon sits up, content to watch her, but she gives him a meaningful look and he dutifully gets up and heads for the shower.

She’s dressed when he gets out of the shower, towel drying his hair, still shirtless. A calculated move on his part that is entirely worth any sense of embarrassment he might have had as Sansa stops mid stir, hand hovering over her coffee cup, and stares at him with wide eyes. He’d carefully avoided going shirtless since she’d taken up residence on his couch and doubly so when she’d crept into his bed. He’s thinking now that that might have been a mistake.

She reads his expression and laughs, color rising high in her cheeks.

“You’re such a tease, Jon Snow,” she says and it’s his turn to blush. She steps forward, and slides a tentative hand down his chest and there’s no suppressing the shiver of pleasure that sweeps over him. “I like it…” she whispers, eyes half lidded and Jon drops his towel and sweeps her into a deep kiss.

He makes it to work… eventually.

-

Sansa’s smiles, the real ones, always start in her eyes. This one is no different. “Why, Jon Snow, are you asking me on a date?”

It’s ridiculous that this makes him blush, but it does, it definitely does. He’s holding flowers out to her in an awkward half bow, still dressed in his uniform, and he can tell she’s enjoying his embarrassment. He doesn’t mind looking stupid, not if it makes her smile like that.

“Uh, yes?”

She laughs and takes pity on him, sweeping up the flowers he’d bought at the corner store near the station –the guys had given him a lot of shit about it too- and pressing her face into them, inhaling deeply.

“Well, in that case, yes,” she tells him, that devious twinkle back in her eyes. It’s contagious, her playfulness, and he tries to catch her in his arms, but she dances away.

“No, nope! You’ll only distract me and I need to get ready. I have a date, after all.”

He huffs and it only makes her laugh again.

Sansa snatches something out of her closet and disappears into the bathroom, flowers still in hand and bare feet flashing on the faded linoleum. Jon pulls himself together and quickly changes into his best pair of jeans, shoving his feet into his favorite black boots, and tugs a faded V-neck t-shirt over his head, one that Tormund always gave him shit for. Tormund thought wearing a shirt without a half-naked woman or some obscure beer company on it was dressing up so Jon usually ignored his fashion advice.

Jon tends to keep his hair long, partially out of laziness, and partially because Ygritte had once told him it made him look dashing, and he runs a quick comb through the curls with a bit of product. He considers shaving, studying his reflection in the mirror over his dresser, and decides against it just as Sansa exits the bathroom. His heart nearly stops, as he watches her move toward him through the mirror.

She’s wearing a vintage looking red dress that presses her breasts upward enticingly, and it hugs her waist and flares out prettily at her hips to create a full skirt effect. She’s still barefoot, but her long legs gleam in the yellow bathroom light, the dress swaying as she walks with a natural grace that’d hypnotized him as a teenager and is no less mesmerizing as a man. She’s left her hair down mostly, tying back the top half into something messy and casual that makes him want to run his fingers through it. There’s a bit of makeup around her eyes and her lips gleam with something, maybe lip gloss –Jon is hardly an expert with it comes to cosmetics- but she looks wonderful and that’s really all that matters.

She bites her lip again, studying him through the mirror in turn, and her eyes tell him she likes what she sees, which does all kinds of ridiculous things to his stomach. She giggles and wraps her arms around him, pressing her forehead to his back.

“This is crazy,” she murmurs, warming a spot on his spine through his shirt and he turns to pull her to him. Christ, she smells like heaven and feels like sin.

“Yeah, insane.” He agrees and she pulls back to study his face. “But I don’t mind if you don’t.”

She shakes her head and bites her lip, “No, I don’t think I mind at all.”

-

Sansa moans loudly as she takes an impressive bite of chocolate cheesecake and Jon chuckles, trying to ignore how the sound plays havoc with the more carnally focused parts of his brain.  

“Good?”

Sansa only moans again around a mouth full of cake. Jon grabs a bite for himself, well aware of how great Nettie’s cheesecake is –best in Chicago, in his humble opinion- but nearly moans himself as flavor explodes on his tongue. Then he nearly moans for an entirely different reason as Sansa dips her finger into a bit of chocolate and sucks it thoroughly off her finger.

She feels his stare and opens her eyes with a smirk, slowly sliding her finger out of her mouth. Jon has to grip the edge of the table for support.

“Killing me,” he murmurs, making her giggle, “You’re definitely trying to kill me.”

She hums at him and brushes her foot along his calf beneath the checkered table cloth. Jon reaches down and grabs her ankle gently, startling her a little, and props her foot on his knee. Maintaining eye contact, he slides his hand along the smooth curve of her calf and up the back of her knee. He feels her tremble and watches with deeps satisfaction as her eyelashes flutter and she swallows thickly.

“Anything else dears?” Nettie asks, appearing at the side of their table and nearly making Jon jump out of his skin. There’s a knowing look in her wise eyes as Jon’s knees slam up against the table and Sansa’s foot slides to the floor.

Sansa laughs brightly, but her cheeks are nearly as red as her dress.

Jon clears his throat, “Uh, no, I uh, think we’re ready for our check.”

Nettie puts a wrinkled hand on one wide hip and gives him a stern scowl. “You know very well you don’t pay when you eat here, Jon Snow. I wouldn’t have a restaurant if it wasn’t for you and you insult me by asking.”

Jon rubs at the back of his neck, embarrassed, but there’s a fond warmth in Sansa’s eyes that tempers his pride.

“I-uh, I’m sorry?”

“Damn right you are,” Nettie says, but gives him a wink and a smile to let him know he’s forgiven.

Moments later they step into the humid night air and Sansa takes his hand. It’s ridiculous how such a simple thing can make his heart race.

“That was delicious,” she tells him with a satisfied sigh. “Now where?”

Jon considers for a moment, glancing about him for inspiration.

“We could… walk around the lake a bit, there’s a pretty path around the block,” he feels stupid, not thinking past dinner, but she gives him a knowing and affectionate look.

“Sounds perfect to me,” she says and leans into his side.

Fuck it, he thinks, tossing aside all pretense, and wraps an arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head for good measure.

They’re halfway down the street when Sansa stops and drifts toward the open door of a little country bar. Music and the smell of cigarettes and beer wafts out onto the sidewalk. “I love this song!” she tells him with a backward glance and a small smile, “I haven’t heard it in years.” There’s a wistful, sad sot of longing in her voice that brings him quickly to her side. She wraps her arms around herself and sways a little as a country song he vaguely recognizes -country isn't really his thing- plays.

Jon girds his metaphorical loins, takes her hand, and pulls her inside.

“Jon, what-”

He quickly positions them out on the dance floor, attempting to remember the steps Ygritte had barely managed to teach him the few times they’d gone dancing -and he'd definitely been drunk- and pulls her into his arms.

Such pure joy is glittering in her eyes when he finally dares to look at her that he falters, feeling foolish. “I’m a terrible dancer,” he warns.

Her smile is blinding, buoying his wavering confidence as he eyes the couples around them. “Don’t worry, I’ll lead.”

And she does, guiding him through the steps as she sings along in a clear, bell like voice that warms him to his toes. He’s certain he’ll never forget the way she looks right now; spinning away from him in a twirl of crimson skirts, hair fanning out around her, and the promise of a brighter future in her smile.

The song fades into something slower and the lights on the dance floor dim as the couples either drift into the bar or draw closer together. Jon clears his throat and, with as much confidence as he can muster, drags Sansa up against his chest. She smiles knowingly and reaches up, latching her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder, breath warm on his neck. He smooths his hands down her back, overwhelmed by her suddenly, by the intensity of his feelings for her, and settles his hands on her hips. He wonders absently what Robb would think of them, and chuckles at the certainty he would have hated it… before eventually coming around.

“What?” Sansa asks, pulling away just enough to look at him.

He shakes his head feeling foolish, but her eyes implore him so he says, “Just thinking of Robb, what he would have said about me and you… you know, uh-”

“Jon,” she says, gaze lowering, darting away to look out across the dance floor. “I… this isn’t some kind of… rebound for me. This isn’t what I wanted o-or expected coming to you the way I did… but,” she inhales deeply and forces her eyes back to his. “But whatever this is between us… it’s real… maybe the only real thing in my fucked up life. A-And I don’t know how you feel but-”

Jon shakes his head, heart in his throat, “Sansa, I’ve been half in love with you since I was twelve years old, you know that, don’t you?”

Tears well and she bites down a smile and nods. “Yes… yes I do know that. I don’t deserve it, I don’t-“

He silences her with a kiss, swaying with her on the dance floor, holding her safe in his arms. She pulls away, but doesn’t go far, pressing her forehead to his.

“Take me home, Jon.”

-

They’re both laughing as Sansa drags him into the apartment, stumbling as she fuses her lips to his and Jon only barely manages to catch them on the edge of the table.

He kicks the door shut behind them and, on impulse, lifts her off her feet and sets her on the tabletop, smoothing his hands up her legs and pressing his tongue past her parted lips. She squeaks and then sighs into his mouth as he settles between her thighs. He can feel the warmth of her through his jeans and he can’t help but press the growing length of his dick against her in a languid grind.

Sansa moans and her head falls back, the long line of her throat exposed to his eager lips. Her skin is salty and sweet on his tongue as he follows the line of one tendon and then bites at her pulse point, sending a shockwave of sensation down her body that reverberates through him. She clutches at him desperately, and he knows she’s inexperienced, that she’s unsure and insecure. That there are demons and devils lingering in the shadows of her heart, just like his. So he forces himself to slow, to pull back and take her face in his hands, waiting for her hazy eyes to focus on his.

He doesn’t want her to be afraid.

“Nothing you don’t want, Sansa,” he tells her. “Tell me to stop and I’ll stop, no matter what. I swear. Do you trust me?”

She’s teary eyed again but she nods and drags him back to her, answering with a kiss, with the slide of her tongue into his mouth, and the arch of her back as he presses into her like a man in search of air.

The world goes hazy on him. Everything takes on a dream like quality as he helps her out of her dress. Tracing each new patch of skin with a reverence that he can't seem to help as he tugs the zipper down, and she’s trembling and whimpering between his hands, a living flame as he palms her breasts and tugs gently at her nipples. She makes him feel weak, like he should kneel at her feet and kiss the ground she walks on… but strong too, like he could take on the world so long as she’s with him. It’s heady and intoxicating and he’s as lost as she is when they make it to the bed, half falling into the sheets, laughing and smiling... then moaning and sighing.

She takes her time exploring him. Tracing his scars and kissing the ones she finds. She uses mouth and hands, sweetly bold and innocent until he has to drag her up and kiss her before she undoes him completely. When he finally –finally- slips a hand between her legs and feels the damp heat there he moans into her mouth.

“Trust me?” he asks, voice an utter ruin. He can see the uncertainty in her eyes as he explores her folds with gentle fingers.

“Yes, Jon, I trust you,” she murmurs, clutching his shoulders, and Jon slowly slides first one then two fingers inside her, going slack jawed as her eyes roll back and she arches on a keening moan. He groans in response, head falling to her shoulder as he tries to reign himself in, fucking her gently with his hand as she writhes against him, feet tangling in the sheets.

He’s nearly mad with desire when she comes around his fingers, her cunt fluttering and clenching and he could swear he’s dying as she pants his name with desperate little mewls. He whispers all kinds of filthy nonsense into her ear as she rides her orgasm and holds onto him so hard he’s certain he'll have little half moon bruises on his back and shoulders.

She comes back to herself slowly, eyelids fluttering as he draws his fingers from her, making her tremble.

"Okay?" he asks and her smile is radiant.

"More than okay," she whispers back, and he groans in surprise and acute pleasure as she grabs his dick and pumps once, twice, three times experimentally.

"Sansa," he moans, arching helplessly into her touch, "We don't- you don't."

"Shhh," she says against his lips. "Trust me."

She presses him onto his back and straddles his hips. She's framed in moonlight and the warmth of the kitchen light; swathed in silver and gold, and she's the loveliest thing he's ever seen, flushed with her orgasm, hair a mess, trembling as she settles and slowly begins to lower herself onto him. Jon hisses as the wet heat of her draws him to the brink of madness, but he forces his eyes open, watching through his lashes as she bites her lip and arches. Watches as his dick disappears inside her slow inch by inch, whispering her name like a benediction; or a plea for mercy, maybe. When he's filled her completely she falls to his chest, trembling, and he draws her close.

"Tell me, Jon," she begs as he holds himself utterly still, using every ounce of his self control. God, she's so tight and wet, so fucking perfect. "Tell me."

"I love you, Sansa," he says, nudging her face to his, and kisses her with everything he wishes he knew how to say. Every stupid romantic thing she deserves to hear and which he's completely incapable of articulating.

She moves against him, unpracticed, but eager, driven by sensation. Jon catches her hips and helps her find her rhythm. She's a fast learner, and soon he's utterly at her mercy. He's not going to last long. He wants to make her come again, feel her tighten around him, but it's been too long and he's wanted her so much...he can feel his hold slipping with every grinding roll of her hips.

"Sansa," he grounds out, clutching at her like a dying man, "I won't last, I-"

She kisses him into silence and it's sloppy and filthy and she's so perfect- "Come for me, Jon, please, come for me."

That's all it takes.

Jon grabs her hips, driving into her hard as the tension in his balls tightens and coils in on itself before it bursts in a shower of sparks and he's all but chanting her name.

She's kissing his chest and running a hand through his hair as he comes down, breathing hard, certain he's had a heart attack. When he can move, he helps her roll to his side and draws her in close.

"Okay?" he asks as their breathing slows, smoothing her hair away from her damp face.

She hums in sleepy contentment, snuggling into his chest. "Perfect," she tells him, echoing his thoughts, and presses another kiss where his heartbeat has begun to steady. Jon doesn't think he's ever felt so content... so right in his life. He squeezes her tightly and, before he knows it, he drifts to sleep.

-

Jon has a nightmare that night for the first time since Sansa came back into his life. Gunfire rains down, buildings explode in the distance, and there are screams tearing through the night. A child cries, wailing like the world is ending, and Jon thinks it is. Wishes it would. There’s blood on his hands, so much blood on his hands.

He wakes sweating and gasping and knows down to the marrow of his bones that he’s alone.

There’s a note on her pillow and he grasps it in fingers that tremble.

Jon,

I haven’t loved you as long, maybe, but I should have. I should have.

But I can’t keep running from my problems and I certainly can’t drag them into your life. You’ve suffered enough. I need to sort some things out for myself, I have to or I will never be free of it all. This isn’t good bye… I don’t expect anything from you, I hope you can believe me. Trust me, like I trust you. I’ll come back, once everything is settled, once I have my life back, and I’ll be yours if you want me. Body and soul.

I love you, Jon.

S

[rarestereocats]

rundown of the impromptu session!

for awhile,  we’re without the charisma of this team (Industria),  so the rest of us head off to the monastery to have a chat with Xaren.  we need details if we’re gonna be fighting a goddess,  especially a very nasty one,  so after our discussion;  we decide we need Industria’s dad’s help.  problem is,  Tacitus lives in heaven and you know,  you can’t just go to heaven.  unless you die of course,  but the bad news there is even that’s not a guarantee.

Xaren is still adamant that he doesn’t want us chasing him into the Underdark cuz it’s pretty fucking dangerous and before Rikius can agree with that,  i make sure to let Xaren know that i am not leaving his ass down there.  and like a good pussy whipped boyfriend,  Rikius can’t say shit.  he could,  but like i said,  #whipped.

Elathera says her grandpa has a very powerful staff (please calm yourselves) he used to carry around that could help us.  a staff that when broken,  will give us one way into heaven,  but no way out;  but whatever.  we’ll find a way.  problem is,  she doesn’t know where the staff is,  but her family might know so we go and pick up Elliot and head out.  he’s pretty excited about meeting his new girlfriend’s family,  so like the absolute sweetheart he is,  he bakes them cookies.

upon arrival and being ushered inside,  Elathera gets to tell the news that she’s finally off the market.  her mom can stop trying to bribe random men to sweep her off her feet and her mother is absolutely enamored with Elliot.  his is,  after all,  the Perfect Boyfriend.  kind,  does charity work,  bakes;  he’s the whole package.  talks of marriage and grandkids are had and Elathera was dying on the inside the entire time,  but manages to grin and bear it.

after dinner,  Elathera searches the house and her grandpa’s shed for the staff,  but all she finds is a ring of keys.  she pulls her mother aside to talk about it in her room and finds out that her mother had the staff buried alongside her grandpa in their old town.  wanting to know why we need it,  Elathera explains it and while her mother’s concerned,  she understands.  after,  she rushes down to alert Elliot that his girlfriend’s ready for him while the rest of us laugh our asses off.

he gets to see the blindingly pink bedroom and points out how her summoning circle looks super out of place.  Elathera summons up a bunny to show him and he just showers that bunny in affection.  another Good Boyfriend point to him.  He mentions how nice her family is and then pulls her in for a kiss.  with the power of mage hand on her side,  Elathera has it... lock the door and fade to black cuz they totally got it on.  you guys thought i was gonna say she did something dirty with that mage hand,  didn’t you?

by night,  i head out onto the pier for some fresh air and Xaren joins me.  we have a nice heart-to-heart and i tell him that i’d die for him.  apparently not the right words to say when he absolutely does not want us dying for him.  i pull back the layers of Xaren’s Tragic Backstory like an onion (there’s a lot of onion unraveling lately) and learn that his mother killed his brothers and stuck him in a sensory deprivation chamber as punishment,  also pinning their deaths on him.

it’s there that he met Miss McNasty,  Velevana,  and after giving so much of himself to her;  she took notice and gave him a wish.  so he wished to get out of the Underdark and Velevana was pissed,  but also impressed.  Rikius walks up on this all,  but quickly excuses himself when he realizes this is a private moment.  i decide to lighten the mood and boop Xaren’s nose and he boops mine back and we decide to gossip about our relationships.

we talk about our men and then Xaren says Samuel is his first boyfriend ever.  Rikius is also my first boyfriend ever cuz i used to be all about the ladies,  so now he’s wondering why i’d pick Rikius of all people.  and insert me saying something embarrassing about how he looks like he was chiseled out of marble by the gods and boy,  can’t wait for somebody to use that against me.

next morning,  Elathera goes and helps her little brother in his eidolon pursuit.  she takes him to their grandpa’s shed and walks him through the process,  summoning a very confused Tenin.  knowing what’s going on though,  he hops in to coach Altaura through this and this kid is fucking pumped.  he does the ritual and for a few seconds,  an angelic woman who looks vaguely like Elathera is staring back at them before she flickers out.  progress!  so now he’s even more excited.

we have a nice breakfast and then head back to Florence to pick up Industria and Ilyana and head out to Elathera’s old hometown to do a little grave robbing.  it takes some convincing for Industria to be okay with what’s a little morally questionable and before we head out,  she communes with Sabella to ask if it’s alright if we decide to show up in heaven,  which Sabella is totally cool with.  she also finds out that Tacitus is forbidden from coming back to the material plane cuz the dude just loves mortals too much.

we head out and reach the old town!  because of a street vendor who has just invented corndogs and set Tenin off,  we have to think of a new codeword.  again.  we settle on “Dungeon Master”.  sounds pretty kinky,  right?  shouldn’t be a problem so long as we keep Tenin out of certain clubs.  we make it to Elathera’s old house which is surprisingly occupied.  we ask the current owner for entry and she says it’s fine,  but be careful,  the place is haunted.

Industria goes on ghost hunter on us and leads us up to a locked door.  Elathera and her cool new set of keys gets the door open and it’s her grandpa’s old room.  the room’s cold as shit and Industria calls out and immediately a voice calls out to Elathera.  we’re shocked and in fear,  i take shelter behind Rikius cuz hey,  he’s like...two feet taller than me.  nobody will see me.

Elathera gets to catch up with her grandpa and he gets to see Tenin again too.  apparently his memories are on the fritz though because he’s pretty sure his soul is incomplete and scattered across the planes.  Elathera explains our current situation and asks if it’s okay to dig up his staff and he gives her permission.  he also gives our greedy asses permission to loot his room,  to which we do.  the most notable things being a book of enchantments,  a sweet ass ice crown,  and some summoning salts.

with Rikius watching over Ilyana in the carriage,  the rest of us hit the graveyard and dig up Elathera’s grandpa.  inside the casket with him is his big,  black staff (seriously,  calm yourselves) and we put everything back in place before making haste out of there.  thankfully,  Industria distracted the guards long enough for us to struggle with grave robbing.  the staff is beautiful.  obsidian and twinkles like the night sky.  shame we have to break it.

we quickly find a spot to open the portal and with the staff and Elathera’s dreams shattered,  we go to heaven.  at the gate,  two archons guard it and basically look us over to make sure we’re right and fit to be walking around literal fucking heaven.  Xaren and Rikius garner some attention though and are to be escorted by angels as a just in case.  we’re pointed to where we can find Tacitus and also get to learn where some of our departed loved ones are.

heaven is a very beautiful place.  maybe too beautiful to have our walking disasters parading through the streets,  but we make it to Tacitus’s tower and are brought up to his office.  Tenin gets to have another existential crisis as an angel refers to him as Little Tenin,  meaning there is indeed another Tenin,  so unfortunately,  Elathera has to desummon him.  introductions are had and Tacitus and Industria are both nervous and awkward as fuck.  understandable as that is literally the first time she’s seen her dad in person.

we ask for his aid in the Velevana situation and he tells us he’ll see what he can do.  unfortunately,  there isn’t much he can do after he gave us “the mythic” and realizing some of us don’t have it,  he corrects that.  so now Rikius,  Ilyana,  and even Elliot have it.  poor Elliot who is probably confused as fuck,  but he’s handling it well.  we also learn that our material plane isn’t the only one and apparently the folks up here have a problem and were constantly resetting it until now.  we’re allegedly the last material plane to exist and will be the longest thriving one.

with Tacitus eager to answer questions cuz he’s so excited to have mortals visiting,  i ask about Asri and Lucky and he says he’ll ask Sabella about it and get back to me.  Elathera asks what the fuck happened to her grandpa’s soul and he tells her that his soul has been dispersed between planes because someone up here deemed him too powerful to keep in one place.  She also asks if she can meet OG Tenin and Tacitus says he can arrange that.

Xaren asks if he can see his brothers,  so Tacitus takes him over to his telescope,  aiming it at Elysium and Xaren breaks down as he watches his brothers talking and laughing with other souls.  they’re watching the sunrise together over there and unable to move himself,  Samuel stays back to comfort him as the rest of us leave to do our thing.

we head to the library first,  but Industria decides to check out (library pun) early to go find Ilyana’s parents and ask them if it’s cool that she adopts their daughter.  they’re surprisingly okay with it cuz they know they’re dead and gone and Ilyana needs a better life.  they have plans to go join the void at some point,  so they won’t be around heaven much longer.  Elathera also decides to peace out cuz she’s taking Elliot,  Ilyana,  Xaren,  and Samuel to meet OG Tenin.  which leaves Rikius,  an absolute nerd,  in a library of vast knowledge.  and me,  passed out on his lap cuz everything is too much in this moment.

Elathera is fucking excited to meet OG Tenin.  his office is a gym,  guys.  if that is not the most Tenin thing ever,  then i don’t know what is.  OG Tenin is super fucking tall with six wings,  fiery hair,  and is all about that sleeveless game (relatable).  he is also a fucking nerd apparently and loves music and reading.  he’s very proud of Elathera and her spirit that died when she broke that staff is resurrected and before she can ask,  he reads her mind and says that he’s more than happy to train her.

come next day,  we get a whole lots of answers from Tacitus.  including how the world and the gods came to be.  so Little Tenin is not the only one here having an existential crisis.  our minds are blown six ways fucking sideways as he talks about how the Teme-rasadar are the void and everything came from them.  deities also need constant worship otherwise they just...fade away.  

we learn that Velevan’s paired herself with a god of undeath,  so her weakness will be anything anti-undead,  but as for breaking the claim she has on Xaren’s soul,  it unfortunately can’t be done.  so i guess it’s confirmed that we’ll be literally punching her in the face.  he also drops the bomb on us that Lucky is a fucking lich,  which explains their fascination with the temple of the dead,  and right now;  they’re out there.  he says they’re not harming anyone currently,  but they’re very powerful.

he tells me that Asri is in the country,  but can’t give me exact deets.  he knows that she visited the Underdark awhile ago and also that Xaren’s dad is on the surface now.  literal goddess Sabella shows up in elven form to come speak with us and our minds are fucking blown again.

i ask her if my blood’s tainted cuz the whole lich thing and she says there’s nothing...lichy (loud booing)...in my blood,  but the Kociak bloodline is cursed.  prone to insatiable wanderlust and something more,  though she can’t say what.  the curse was a trade-off for Lucky’s lichdom,  so thanks,  asshole.  i ask her why Asri was in the Underdark and she says it’s a part of the curse.  she was seeking someone out,  though she can’t say who.  possible drow/catfolk combo striking again??  just a Game Theory.  

i’m worried that the curse is the reason Asri was a piece of shit,  but Sabella reassures me that it has nothing to do with the curse as i’m cursed too,  but a decent person.  we ask of Remy’s fate and learn that Lucky used them as a sacrifice and the reason Remy is reaching out to Xaren is to tell him something important or perhaps to even tell him that Lucky is near.

after that ominous shit,  Sabella allows Xaren to see his brothers and he gets a touching reunion.  he catches them up on some things and slowly realizes that he desperately doesn’t wanna accept whatever Velevana has for him now.  as we all watch,  i think about hugging Sabella,  but restrain myself cuz hey,  that’s a goddess.  much to my surprise,  she turns around and hugs me and my soul has transcended every possible plane and i may be in love.  Sabella hands out some more hugs to everyone like a goddamn pez dispenser and once we’re back in Tacitus’s office,  she’s gone.

we say our farewells to heaven and he kindly teleports us back to the material plane.

[theuntamednarrator]

Shenanigans on the High Seas

from @trensu​, the blog that brought you WangXiantics, and from that other blog that just, like, screams a lot in the tags, comes the AU that we all desperately need because, frankly, we’re a little dehydrated from crying over the Nie Bros (drumroll please)

PIRATE AU!!!

You know you want it

the Zidian is Jiang Cheng’s ship. he inherited it from his mother, who was known as the Violet Spider, Scourge of the Seven Seas

before she retired, Captain Yu had two first mates she’d trained since childhood, Wen Qing and Luo Qingyang

after Captain Yu retired they got married and are now Pirate Wives with an-all female crew aboard the Yiling Matriarch

her bright red sails are just as feared as the purple sails of Zidian or the sable sails of Ghost General

any man who sets foot on the Matriarch best be prepared to lose it, and the leg it’s attached to

rumour has it that every carpenter from beijing to budapest pays the Matriarch a commission, for keeping them in work making peg legs, but that’s just a rumour

JC captains the Zidian alongside his first mate Jiang Yanli

the rumours about her say that she’s the reason there’s so little murdering done by those aboard the Zidian

but the crew know she once ordered a captive tied to a chunk of bait and thrown overboard near Shark Reef Bay

granted, she let the crew fish him back out after the first bite, and Jin Zixun never said another word about Captain Wei Wuxian until he was ransomed

but still

speaking of WWX, he captains the Ghost General, though far from doing any actual captaining he’s usually to be found up in the crow’s nest with a bottle of rum and his flute

luckily, his trusted first mate Wen Ning is more than capable of handling the General

his very favourite targets are the Jin Company’s slave traders, and most of his crew are former captives who chose to stay with him after their rescue

regardless of how drunk he might be, no one can fight like Captain WWX, except perhaps JC and JYL, they did grow up together after all!

because WWX was a foundling fished from the wreckage of a vanquished merchant ship by the Violet Spider at age 6 and taken to the island hideaway where her lover, former merchant sailor turned stay-at-home-dad Jiang Fengmian, is raising their two children

because this is a HAPPY AU DANGIT, and we deserve ONE AU where these two don’t traumatise their children

Captain Yu and JFM are in fact very, very happy together and raise little WWX together alongside JYL and JC

Captain Yu and JFM met when she raided his ship

he offered himself and all the gold aboard in return for his crew’s lives

she thought him rather striking and went about setting him up on a little island she knew, very out of the way, where she can visit as often as she likes

JFM is DELIGHTED by this turn of events, which he loudly denies has anything to do with Captain Yu’s famed skill with a whip

while JFM was settling into his sugar baby life, his crew were returning back to their home port to report to JFM’s business partner, Lan Qiren, that the Violet Spider had killed JFM and taken all their gold

LQR, who had secretly been in love with his best friend and business partner for years, declares the Violet Spider his ARCH NEMESIS and sets about trying to destroy her

when his brother and sister-in-law die and leave his two nephews in his care he ropes them into the feud

the Lan Brothers both join the merchant navy and are the very most eligible bachelors polite society has to offer

they hate all pirates of course but especially the unholy trio of Zidian, Ghost General, and the Yiling Matriarch

this makes it VERY awkward when Lan Wangji finds himself THROWN OVERBOARD during a terrible storm, rescued by WWX, and dragged aboard the General

at first, recognising the uniform, WWX keeps LWJ under his eye by tying their wrists together with a length of rope for absolutely no other reason definitely not cause he’s cute, nope, no sir

later, LWJ manages to snatch a sword and an EPIC DUEL ENSUES *cue he’s a pirate (main theme) from PotC here*

they’re in the rigging, they're sliding down the sails, they’re fighting up and down the deck

LWJ is HORRIFIED to realise at one point that WWX is laughing

even worse, he, LWJ, is having fun??? wtf he’s never had fun in his life how dare

after the fight ends in a draw LWJ and WWX come to an Understanding and have many deep and meaningful conversations as they sail back towards port

both of them fall madly in love of course, but Pirate!WWX and Midshipman!LWJ are just as emotionally dense as the OG varieties so there’s A LOT of pining

Seriously- so. much. pining

they probably battle a sea monster at some point because that’d be sick

finally, they arrive back at the port and WWX asks (sadly, because pining) where he should leave him and LWJ says (sadly, because pining) that any of the Gusu Cloud piers is fine

and WWX laughs because how funny! my dad used to be a merchant sailor for the Gusu Cloud Company

which is how LWJ discovers that the ‘dad’ WWX has been telling stories about for literal WEEKS is actually his uncle's now not-so-long-lost-love!because they are both Disaster Drama Gays™ they decide they simply MUST do this Right. After all, it’s an Epic Reunion™!!!

LWJ convinces his uncle to come out sailing with him (even though LQR has not boarded a ship since JFM was lost, cue sweeping nostalgic music and distant stare into montage of the two of them in their Youth)

they row him blindfolded out to the island where JFM and Captain Yu live and the moment LQR sees JFM it’s jaws to the floor.

there are tears

JFM puts his hands on LQR’s shoulders and says ‘my old friend. you never said’

they hug

it’s adorable

don’t roll your eyes it’s adorable and you know it

Captain Yu and LQR still Do Not Get Along

their Epic Rivalry™ continues but now it’s just morphed into them trying to outdo each other in displays of affection

JFM’s little island house soon holds more jewels, gold, fine silk, and artwork than half the royal coffers of europe

family dinners are a DELIGHT

JC freaking runs whenever his father hosts Captain Yu and LQR for dinner

because 1) god dad, you're so embarrassing, and 2) HE DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING THEY GET UP TO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THANKS

JYL thinks it's sweet and loves seeing her dad so happy

WWX does the pirate-time equivalent of a bro fistbump with JFM, like, NICE.

LWJ is very quiet but secretly loves it because he, as we all know, is That Bitch

‘A wedding! I love it! drinks all round!’ – WWX, probably, when the three finally announce they’re getting married

the wedding is WILD

there’s a whole lot of dancing, WWX is in the thick of it of course

LWJ wants so badly to ask him to dance but he still hasn’t told him how he feels (because emotionally dense disaster gays, remember?)

he finally has to go outside after WWX somehow convinces LQR to dance a jig with him which means WWX has officially asked everyone to dance except him

he goes and sits in the tidal rockpool, and his billowy white shirt is all wet and see through when WWX comes stumbling out of the party calling for him

WWX sees LWJ silhouetted by an endless horizon of ocean and stars and dies. he's quiet for the first time in his whole life

then LWJ turns and sees him so of course WWX has to go down and talk to him. he may be a pirate but he’s not a barbarian (unlike some certain nies we could name but won’t he’s definitely not still salty about the arm wrestle incident with Captain Nie’s ‘little brother’ eh he’s not much of a fighter but he’s great with languages yeah right his wrist still hurts sometimes bloody barbarians)

‘ah lan zhan lan zhan! you aren’t allowed to run away; we haven’t had a dance yet. even your uncle danced with me surely you can’t say no!’ *pouts*

lwj.exe has stopped working

but of course he can’t deny WWX anything so he makes to head back inside

now wwx.exe has stopped working

because to HELL if he’s sharing wet LWJ in a see though white shirt with the rest of those imbeciles

‘ah, um lan zhan lan zhan we can hear the music from here just fine can’t we? let’s just dance right here?’

and of course LWJ says yes

so the two of them just dance together on the edge of the ocean, waves lapping over their bare feet

until a particularly big one knocks them flat (listen, it’s a trope for a REASON dagnabbit)

WWX ends up sprawled over LWJ’s chest and he’s laughing and apologizing

but LWJ is just looking at him, wreathed in stars, eyelashes so wet and glittering, the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen

WWX notices how still he is and they just pause for a moment and stare at each other

doesn’t really matter who kisses who but they are kissing and it’s wet and salty, there is sand in their teeth, and they absolutely do not give a flying dutchman

they don’t even register the cheers and catcalling until JC runs up and dumps a bucket of water over their heads

because dammit he hasn’t spent months running out of every room his parents and LQR are in just to watch his big brother pop his cherry get it on on the beach

the rest of the gang are all watching from the porch

WN and LXC look very awkward and embarrassed

JYL looks fond and is shaking her head

JC meanwhile is having a heated argument with WQ because there were bets on you see

WQ ‘pouring a bucket of water over them is cheating I’m not paying you one penny JC’

JC ‘I’m a pirate why on earth would you expect me to play by the rules pay up Captain’

WWX and LWJ sneak away while they’re all arguing

The General has one new crew member when she next sails out

ANYWAY married gay pirates wangxian having adventures AU is what we’re saying

Also for your consideration other delightful Pirate!AU options include:

naval officer!lwj chasing down pirate!wwx (think norrington/sparrow if Disney weren’t COWARDS);

high society!lwj in love with blacksmith-turned-pirate!wwx (the Elizabeth Swann/Will Turner dynamic, except with Swann in the forge fight because we said so);

davy jones!lwj pining for calypso!wwx (carving your heart out = chest brand anyone? seriously, just imagine LWJ setting foot on dry land for the first time in 13, 16, 10 YEARS, playing the song he’s composed for his love and WWX IS NOT THERE!!!!) 

[xbarrjallenx]

Busted

Pairing: Jeff Atkins x Reader

Request: “OMG of I only could say how much I love your Jeff imagine, but I can’t find the right words. Saying that it is perfect isn’t enough. But I want you to know that I really love this one and, I have to ask, is to soon for asking for a part 2? About the morning after, maybe Clay finding they two lol Thank you for writing my request <3″

“hi, i loved ‘Sharing is Caring’ and i wondered if you could maybe do a part 2? maaaybe where they wake up and they’re cuddled up and when clay comes into the room to wake jeff he smiles and quietly calls his parents (he secretly shipped them because jeff never shuts up about her and he wants someone good for his sister). so when jeff and the reader wake up her whole family stands there and it gets a little awkward but it’s still cute? 😂”

“OMG please do a part 2“

Word Count: 2.063

Posted: 08th of May 2017

A/N: Here’s “Sharing Is Caring”’s second part, link is down below if you haven’t read it yet. I am sorry if I took so long to write this. I hope you like it, although it didn’t convince me so much. I think it has a lot of flaws. I really don’t know. It would be great if you send some feedbacks. Thank you so much! Enjoy.

- G. x

Link: Part 1

Warning: Light swearing

“Hmm…” You stretched your bones with your eyes closed as you felt fully rested, waking your still-sleeping soul slowly. Although you still had your eyes closed, the sunlight that penetrated your window pane blinded you.

You were so calm and thoughtless as you felt a strong arm around your waist and you quickly opened your eyes, rubbing them carefully to focalize your vision. You were facing your wall full of posters and Jeff was hugging you from behind, you were being the little spoon of your innocent cuddling session.

You were shocked and shy, of course, but it felt so nice to be cuddled up with your ultimate crush. You wanted to wake him up, but also to stay in that position at the same time. Because who wouldn’t love to cuddle with Jeff Atkins? We all know right.

His touch made you feel warm and relaxed, although you felt uncomfortable for his morning erection. Yes, the thought of his boner made you feel the heat in your cheeks and you knew how red you became at the same time.

“Jeff!” You murmured as you nudged him carefully, trying to wake him up. “Atkins.”

“Hmm?” He mumbled, you hinted that he was still sleeping and still had his eyes closed because of his response.

“Wake up, sleepy head.” You softly giggled as you drew small circles on his arm. You didn’t want for this moment to end, but you knew that your family would freak out if they ever saw you in that position with Jeff. “Hey, Atkins.”

You heard him yawning softly as he tightened his grip and your bodies touched even more. You felt his hot breath on your skin and it made you shiver.

“Good morning, (Y/N).” He whispered and his morning hoarse voice made you smile. You found it sexy and you surely wanted to sleep with him one more time.

“Did you sleep well?” You asked as you lingered the warmth of his body and the blankets. You loved cuddling and it was really a moment that you would always do with Jeff.

“I did.” He giggled softly, surely pointing out your position at that exact moment. “Did you?”

“I honestly did.” You smiled and there was a little bit of silence between the two of you. You were astonished, because it wasn’t one of those awkward silences. In the contrary! It was honestly comfortable and sweet.

You both continued cuddling and thinking of how amazing it was to sleep with each other. There was a dead silence in the room, but you didn’t mind it for the thoughts that kept running through your mind.

Yup, there was a dead silence in the room until you heard your brother Clay coughing like there was no tomorrow. He almost spat his lungs out, but you knew that he was doing it to have your attention.

“Good morning, cuddle buddies.” Clay happily exclaimed and, in a fast-swift movement, you and Jeff broke the hug and faced the door, revealing a Clay with a smirk on his face and your parents, Lainie and Matt, behind him. You sat on the other part of the bed to set some space between you and Jeff.

“What the fuck?” Your eyes were widely opened and you knew that you had a crimson red coloured face for the embarrassing moment.

“Words, (Y/N)!” Your mother pointed out and you rolled your eyes. It vexed you how those people stood there with a smirk on their faces, obviously teasing you.

“Did you sleep well?” Clay teased as he laughed hard, together with Matt. You despised your brother for telling your parents that you had a crush on Jeff.

“I personally did.” Jeff answered and you nodded in response. It was awkward to be busted by your parents in that way. C’mon!

“It seems like you don’t need my help anymore, Jeff!” Clay winked at his friend and you shot a glance to Jeff. He was blushing and shocked too. “You already confessed your feelings to your crush.”

“What!?” Your eyes grew wide for what your brother has told you. You saw Jeff face palming himself as your talkative brother revealed his secret. Your heart beat faster and you felt uncomfortable for that. You looked at your family and then at Jeff once again. You wanted to burry yourself alive for the embarrassment.

“Alright, breakfast downstairs.” Your father shouted as he killed the awkward silence in the room. “This is a little bit awkward.”

Clay flashed an apologetic smile to Jeff and they started to go downstairs. You looked at Jeff and he flashed you a shy smile, to which you smiled back.

“You can use the bathroom in Clay’s room.” Your words weren’t too understandable because you talked quickly, trying to avoid his presence now.

You ran through the bathroom and you did your daily morning routines. You took more than the usual time, since you wanted some time to think about the things. How did they even happen that fast?

You liked Jeff too, but it was awkward. Jeff was your brother’s best friend and you’ve never thought that he would like someone like you. You thought that he was more into cheerleaders, the popular girls.

“Clay!” You groaned as you combed your hair in front of the mirror. You bit your lip as your cuddling session came into your mind and you suddenly found yourself smiling widely.

You then changed your clothes and you quickly went out of the bathroom. The bed was already fixed and Jeff was nowhere to be seen.

You went downstairs and you noticed that the awkward silence before has already packed its baggage and left. Your family and Jeff was talking some stuffs about school and they were even laughing. What the hell happened?

“(Y/N), sit down here and have some breakfast.” Lainie called you as she patted your usual chair. You nodded silently as you took your place and got some food to eat.

“How did it go with Hannah?” Clay curiously asked. You rolled your eyes as he was trying to fix the things between you. You loved your brother, nevertheless he has always teased you. He was your best friend and he was your Superman, because he would always be there for you. He knew how to save the day and you loved him for that.

“We had to cancel the sleepover, because her parents fought.” You answered as you chewed your food quietly. “She felt uncomfortable.”

“Ow.” Jeff and Clay reacted and you nodded sadly. You felt sad for Hannah, because she was already going through something at home and those assholes at school kept on bullying her. Luckily, you always had the guts to stand up for her.

“Oh,” Your eyes widen as you remembered something. “why don’t you ask Hannah out?” You asked with a smirk on your face.

“I am asking him the same thing, believe it or not.” Jeff answered and you smiled at him. Clay got the looks from your parents and he became red, obviously embarrassed and shy.

“Mind your own love life, instead of minding mine.” You teased him and you laughed, together with Matt and Jeff. Lainie was so happy because you were close with your brother and you knew each other’s secrets. She really taught you well when you were both young.

“Shut up!” Clay rolled his eyes and you started to feel comfortable around Jeff. Your father teased Clay and your mother just laughed.

“Should I train you how to ask a girl out?” Your dad teased and you all laughed. Clay was hating you, but you got your revenge and you felt a little better.

“You maybe should, dad!” You giggled and winked at Clay. “Hannah’s a great girl, she's beautiful and she deserves happiness.”

“I second this.” Jeff agreed and your dad kept on teasing Clay.

You spent the rest of your breakfast teasing your beloved brother. You and Jeff are always having the point and you loved the complicity that you had.

“Wait for me upstairs, I’m helping this freak to clean this mess.” Clay said to Jeff whilst looking at him. Your parents went to work as they were already running late.

“Hmm…” Jeff mumbled as if he was thinking. You started to clean the table as you pretended that you weren’t listening to them. “Let me do that, go upstairs.”

“Oh, alright.” Clay replied and you heard his footsteps vanishing. You then felt Jeff’s presence as you started to wash the dishes.

“Hey.” Jeff shyly greeted you as he helped you with the dishes. You looked at him and you noticed the nervousness in his eyes.

“Hey.” You smiled at him and stopped what you were doing, turning the faucet off. “I can do this alone, go to Clay.”

“Uhm,” He looked at you and grabbed your hands to stop you from what you were doing. “don’t you think we should talk about it?”

“About what?” You played fool and he just smiled at you. You aren’t feeling awkward around him anymore, luckily.

“Oh, shut up!” He laughed and you faced him as you decided to talk about everything. You couldn’t pretend that nothing has happened, mostly when you like him too.

You leant on the kitchen counter and you waited for him to start his explanations. You took the moment to admire Jeff’s flawless face and body. You admired his soft brown quiff and his blue mesmerizing eyes. His pierced ears made him look sexier and you wondered how toned his body was.

“Hmm…” He started as he fiddled with his hands, waking you up from your deep thoughts. “I know that it was a shame that you discovered my feelings for you because of your brother, but I want to tell you that I really really really like you.”

You felt the heat of your cheeks and you blushed, although you already knew it. It was surely different to hear it from him and you felt so satisfied and reassured.

“That’s plagiarism for Carly Rae Jepsen’s song.” You winked at him and he just laughed at you. “But I really really really like you too.” You confessed, taking the courage out and covering it with by singing the song. His gaze lightened and he let a alleviated laugh out.

“Really?” He asked because he wanted to be sure of what you were really feeling.

“What? Is it strange that someone liked Jeff Atkins?” You playfully asked him and he rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you one of the campus’ crushes?”

“Well, (Y/N) Jensen likes me. That’s an honour.” He winked at you and you punched his arm playfully.

“Flatterer!” You exclaimed as you shook your head. You couldn’t believe him that he was praising you. Well, he was Jeff Atkins.

“I was just telling the truth.” He smiled at you and you giggled softly. “Can I hug you?” He asked and you found him cute with that.

“You already hugged me the whole night, why do you have to ask?” You winked at him and his face became bright red. You threw your arms wide open and he ran to you to hug you tightly.

You relaxed as you felt his arms around you again. Even though you slept hugging each other, you still longed for his hugs. You felt safe and warm once again.

“Are we having a sleepover again?” He flirtatiously asked and you slapped his toned chest. “Hey, didn’t you say that sharing is caring?”

“Dork!” You shook your head as you smiled widely. You saw Clay smirking as he was standing behind the kitchen’s doorway. You rolled your eyes as he took some pictures of his favourite ship. Of course, he has always shipped you with Jeff, because he already knew everything since the very start. Was he or wasn’t he the most supportive brother ever?

You knew that it was a start of something new for you. It was one of your desires to have him by your side and you would treasure this moment forever. You would keep on longing for him, for his hugs, for the warmth of his body and he would always take care of you, no matter what.

He would do everything to let you feel that you were the most important girl in his life, nevertheless his uncountable admirers.