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.

Comments

[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.

[threedontknows]

Huaisang doesn’t practice having boundaries, not in his own bed. He turns and drapes himself over Aaron, very quickly falling back asleep with a soft snore.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron sleeps sounder than he has in ages thanks to their new little arrangement. He threads fingers through Huaisang's hair and sleeps, right through until morning.

[threedontknows]

When morning does come Huaisang can be found laying just right on top of Aaron, happily sprawled and staying right there, even when the servants set breakfast onto the table in the next room.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron opens his eyes, spotting breakfast, then takes on the herculean task of trying to dislodge himself from Huaisang.

[threedontknows]

Huaisang is absolutely not going to make it easy on him. He feels his pillow shift below him and clings tighter, refusing to let his heating pad go.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"How are you so heavy?" he mutters with a laugh. "Breakfast is here and you're the one who was bitching at me about eating."

[threedontknows]

"Mmnnrrrrgh," replies Huaisang, holding on tighter. "Too early."

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron sighs. "Get the fuck off me, man," he laughs. "I'll pull your hair."

[threedontknows]

“Careful,” Hauisang purrs. “I might like it.”

But he does let him up, sprawling out on the bed with a leisurely stretch.

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron shoves him off and slides to the edge of the bed so he can inspect what came for breakfast.

[threedontknows]

Huaisang props himself up to watch Aaron, his robe slipping off his shoulder. "See anything good?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron glances back and tries not to stare. "Yeah," he mutters, then clears his throat and picks at some of the fruit.

[threedontknows]

"Mn, a quince. My favorite."

He smiles softly and finally pulls himself up, wanting to inspect the good-smelling food on the table for himself.

[creeksidealtarboy]

He holds it up.

"This thing? That's what it's called? Huh."

[threedontknows]

“Mmhm. They’re in season now. Delicious.” He leans over and steals a sneaky bite right from the palm of Aaron’s hand.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Hey what the fuck?" he laughs, not actually upset about it. He holds out the rest for him.

[threedontknows]

Huaisang takes the quince from him and sits down in front of the table. "Come sit with me, Aaron. Tell me how you slept."

[creeksidealtarboy]

He finds some sweet dates and sits down beside him. "I slept find. Could probably go back to sleep, honestly. Someone decided to take up the whole fucking bed.

[threedontknows]

"That sounds rough," Huaisang says, taking a bowl of rice for himself. "Sounds like you shouldn't have been so cuddly."

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron snorts. "It wasn't cuddling. You left me alone in this fucking place. I could have been kidnapped."

[threedontknows]

Huaisang’s expression grows serious. “You’re safe here, in my home.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

He huffs. "Let me have my flimsy fucking excuse, man. Don't look too deeply into it."

[threedontknows]

He’s fine with the teasing, so long as he isn’t really frightened about something happening. No one would dare.

And as for the other reason - Huaisang hides a frown behind a bite of vegetables. Even if he was the one to initiate it, Aaron still needed a rational reason other than ‘wanted to spoon another man’. Well. Fine. He could work with this.

“Today we can go to the aviary — oh! Or the city. I can buy you something pretty.”

“