Aaron/Huaisang

[creeksidealtarboy]

It's nightfall by the time Aaron finally sees this "Impure Realm" that they took him to. He's hungry. He's filthy. He's thirsty. And there's nothing around him that's familiar. He has cigarettes in the pocket of his jeans and nothing else of his own. No note. No information.

Only the vaguely unsettling feeling that he's been deposited somewhere...wrong.

These people look like Huaisang. The robes, the way they move...it's familiar enough that, before they could unsheath their swords, he's throwing his hands out, asking for Nie Huaisang to their complete bafflement. But they loaded him up and took him. Goddamn.

Hopefully they sent someone ahead.

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[creeksidealtarboy]

He's content to stay quiet for a while, lying back on the roof beside him.

He does take his hand.

"Don't think these are the same stars," he remarks idly.

[threedontknows]

His heart leaps right into his throat as Aaron touches his hand.

"No? Maybe not," he says, nose scrunching. "They're beautiful though, aren't they? And so clear."

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Yeah. We ain't got views like this, even at home. The lights make it hard to see anything," he explains, his other arm thrown behind his head.

[threedontknows]

It’s a kind of thing that Huaisang knows happens in big cities — he recalls that all the lights of Qinghe blocks some of the views of the star.

He slides his fingers across Aaron’s knuckles.

“One of the benefits being stuck high up on a mountain.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

He turns, propping himself up on his elbow. "It's so fucking dark. How do you know some goddamn monster isn't going to sneak up on us here?"

[threedontknows]

“Arrays,” he answers, still looking out at the stars. “Complex arrays and tailsmans. There are some that have been in place since before my father was sect leader, but I’ve strengthened a fair amount.”

He turns and places his chin on his hand, grinning, “And I can safely say that I know what I’m doing.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Well, that is certainly a relief."

He rolls his eyes, mostly playful. "Invisible fences and barriers for invisible monsters."

[threedontknows]

“I could take you on a night hunt, but I wouldn’t want you getting frightened and running off.”

Also, ew. Night hunts. Not his scene.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron shakes his head. "I just walked up a mountain on a fucking donkey, man. All I want to do is take a long fucking nap."

[threedontknows]

“Then you shouldn’t sound so eager to see a monster or a ghost,” Huaisang huffs teasingly.

He studies Aaron’s tired, but still youthful and very handsome face, and reaches out to run the tips of his fingers down his cheek.

“If you’ve finished I’ll walk you back to your rooms.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

He closes his eyes at the touch. "Yeah. Let's do that. Tomorrow we can talk."

[threedontknows]

Huaisang brushes his fingers along his chin and then gently across his lower lip. He waits just a beat before sitting up and finishing off his bottle of wine.

“Back down I suppose. Ready?”

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Guess so."

He lets the butterflies in his stomach settle before he stands up and holds fast to him.

[threedontknows]

He repeats the very graceful motion of a solid leap, this time going down and landing softly onto the paved stones below of the courtyard. He lets Aaron go with a gentle smile, quickly retrieving his fan from his sash as he leads them back towards the quest quarters.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron follows behind, still holding the wine in one hand. He drinks it as they cross into the guest quarters, and he sets it on a table.

"Guess we don't have an early wake up?"

[threedontknows]

Huaisang shakes his head. “Hell no, this isn’t Cloud Recesses,” he laughs, because it’s a very funny joke to anyone who isn’t Aaron.

He steps into the threshold, but not beyond it. “Sleep as long as you’d like. The servants will deliver breakfast in the morning. When you feel like having company, ask them to send you to me.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

"I remember how to find you," he says with a laugh, waving him off. He stares at the room a moment, just taking it in.

[threedontknows]

He leaves him with a somewhat cheeky, though still sincerely-meant bow, fan fluttering as he casually strolls through the corridors of the Impure Realm.

It feel less oppressive today.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron finds himself tossing and turning in the middle of the night.It was easy to fall asleep, but near impossible to stay that way. He eventually gives up and heads out of the guest rooms, making his way to Huaisang's quarters.

His mind is spinning a thousand different directions, but he knows what will settle him. Support. Grounding. Something familiar. Someone familiar.

[threedontknows]

The Impure Realm is vast, though thankfully there are still people milling about at all hours of the day, even in the middle of the night. They're around to guide Aaron if he needs it, though for the most part they leave him be to wander. The Nie family quarters are fairly distinct from the rest of the castle, after all. Far more ornate, far more lived-in.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron is good with directions and charming to anyone he meets. The place is quiet and he uses that time to actually explore a bit. Until he finds himself at Huaisang's rooms and lets himself in silently.

[threedontknows]

Surprising perhaps no one, Huaisang’s bedroom is as well-decorated as the rest of his family’s chambers. He’s fast asleep when Aaron creeps in, curled up on his side and with his hair down for the night, wearing a fairly lovely and delicate-looking robe.

No jewelry though, no ornate hair accessories, not even a braid. Just simple, and quiet, as he sometimes likes to exist.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron paused, not really sure what his plan is now that he's here. But he looks serene. He looks safe.

So he pads into the room and quietly places a hand on his shoulder, not wanting to startle him.

[threedontknows]

Huaisang isn’t a frightened sleeper; he knows whoever’s made their way into his room is there for a reason. He wakes with a soft, drowsy smile to see Aaron, then wordlessly grabs onto his sleep to pull him into the bed.

[creeksidealtarboy]

It's exactly what he wanted. He turns on his side, wrapping an arm around him.

It's safe, he tells himself. Nothing here will hurt him as long as he's here.

He repeats that to himself as he finally falls into a deep sleep.