openmisc | Aaron/Huaisang

"It sounds bureaucratic," he replies. "Every marriage needs that? You can't just...marry?"

"You can, but there's shit that gets in the way. Taxes and government shit, I guess. I don't know. Sometimes they don't get married but they just live together."

He's twenty years old and knows nothing about taxes.

"Sounds complicated." Unnecessarily so. Why not just marry? "Our ceremonies can be ornate as well. There's a tea ceremony, a feast...but there's no reason for any of that for the two of us. There's no one to pour tea for, and we feast practically every night together."

"Yeah, it's just us," he laughs and ducks his head under the water to scrub the last of the dirt from his hair.

He waits for Aaron to resurface, reaching for his face and pressing a kiss to his wet lips. "It's just us, and it's perfect."

Huaisang pulls back with a soft stretch. "I'm going to dress. Should we marry tonight, or do you want to wait until you're less tired?

He happily returns that kiss. "Yeah. Tonight. I don't want to wait any longer. I want to sleep beside you tonight being your fucking husband."

Yes, yes that's exactly what he wants. "Then finish bathing, dress, and I'll meet you back here. I'll set out your robes."

He presses another kiss to Aaron's head and tiptoes off to the adjoining chamber, returning with red robes with gold accents for Aaron. He lays them out with a wink and heads back to his dressing chamber to change, choosing his own blood-red robes with long, bridal sleeves and a gold headpiece. He paints his face - red lips, kohl-lined eyes, and waits for Aaron.

Aaron nods. "I'll see you later," he tells him and finishes scrubbing himself down. He dries his body and his hair, making sure that it lays just right.

He trips a bit over the robes, his fingers trembling too much to tie it properly at first. But he eventually gets it and steps out, going to find Huaisang.

Huaisang is waiting for him by the front door, red, translucent veil resting over his face. When he sees Aaron finally enter the room, all dressed in the fine robes for their wedding, his heart skips a beat. He looks perfect.

"Are you ready?" He holds out a hand to Aaron to take.

He adjusts his own robes, but he's struck silent by the sight of him in that veil, lips lined with color behind it.

"Fuck."

He takes his hand. "Yeah. I'm ready."

Oh, he looks so handsome, just like he'd always imagined his husband to be during his more indulgent daydreams.

Nie Huaisang squeezes his hand and then leads them away, slipping through the lesser-used corridors and paths of the fortress to keep nosy interlopers at bay. This isn't for them, it's for him and Aaron and no one else.

At the foot of the ancestral hall Huaisang pauses and takes in a breath. It's time for Aaron to meet the family.

Aaron follows closely beside him, biting his tongue against any remarks. This is a happy occasion and he's roiling with nervousness, but he's strangely serene here. Now.

He notices the pause and pulls Huaisang close. "Hey," he mutters. "I love you."

Aaron loves him. He's found someone who loves him, ugly parts and all. He turns and pulls the veil back from his face, wanting to bring their foreheads together.

It's all the reassurance he needs.

Hands still entwined, he walks with Aaron into the hall that holds the family tablets, past the line of Nie ancestors to where Nie Mingjue's inky black nameplate stands. "Da-ge," he says softly, then turns to his father's tablet, then his father's first wife, then his mother's, giving each tablet a low bow. When he speaks his voice is soft, almost a little nervous. "Father. Mother. Mingjue. This is Aaron, my husband-to-be, my Nie Furen. We met...somewhere very far from here, both of us in distress and unmoored. We found stability in each other, and then love."

He inhales softly and gets down onto his knees for another low bow. "If you've ever loved your A-Sang, if you've ever accepted my unusual ways and ideas, you'll see my happiness and bless this marriage with prosperity and good-fortune."

Huaisang sits back up and gestures for Aaron to join him on his knees beside him. "We take three bows now, Aaron."

Aaron doesn't know if he believes in all of this. He knows that he doesn't have to, but - he would do this for Huaisang. He stands beside him, nodding in turn to each, then gets on his knees beside his love. He puts his hands together and bows, low, with Huaisang. Once, twice, and a last time.

He sits up, then, raising his head and looking to him. "Your brother would be proud of you," he tells him softly. He knows it's breaking tradition, but his A-Sang deserves to hear it.

It's all breaking tradition, every moment they're together. Huaisang grasps Aaron's robe and pulls him close for a kiss.

"Thank you, baobei. Come."

He takes his hand, glancing once more towards Da-ge's tablet and then back to the door. "My Nie Furen."

He takes his hand with a grin and nods. "Yeah." And Huaisang gets a kiss on the cheek.

"Now do I get you all to myself?"

"You get me all to yourself, now and forever. Whenever you'd like, whatever you need, I have you."

"Good, cuz you look real pretty and I want to kiss your mouth with all that paint on it," he grins. "Can we go do that?"

"I do look real pretty, and I want you to smudge all the makeup off of my face and onto yours."

He grins and then starts an outright run towards their rooms.

He runs with him, cackling the entire way, and then pushes him against the wall when they get back to their rooms. He cups his face, begging him with his kiss.

He whimpers into the newly-wedded Nie Furen's lips (Nie Aaron? Is that silly? It doesn't really matter, but yet it does), groaning back into his mouth as he slides his tongue against his.

He starts with his hair first, reaching up to take the veil down, to undo all of the adornments that Aaron so loves.

"I love you," he mutters. "And I want you to remember that when I'm begging you on my knees."

A few of his golden trinkets jingle in the shuffling, and he laughs softly as he looks up at him through the loose strands of his hair in his face.

"You're going to beg? I'll be generous and gentle with you, Aaron, always."

"But I want to," he laughs, pulling away to start on his robes. "Don't worry."

He laughs softly. "Easy on my robes! This is fine silk, Aaron, very expensive."

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