openmisc | Aaron/Huaisang

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

creeksidealtarboy

He holds out his hand for the opened bottle. "Yeah," he says softly. "Yeah, because you weren't supposed to lead."

Thank fuck they only have a few days or so here.

From:

threedontknows

He hands the bottle over. "The burden's too high for the people born into my clan. I don't want them to live only to die."

From:

creeksidealtarboy

He takes the bottle and drinks from it, though he doesn't throw it back like the high school parties at home. He savors it, actually trying to enjoy the taste of it.

Aaron pauses, staring at him a moment.

"Yeah? Well, when you get back for real, then you can make it that way." He gives him a nudge. "You promised the roof, man."

From:

threedontknows

He failed pretty miserably the first time around, hence the whole 'dying and coming to the Barge' thing, but when he gets back, gets himself redeemed, he's going to fix things for good. No more cursed swords eating away at their souls and qi.

"That's right, the roof! This'll be a little strange, but I'll need to hold onto me." Huaisang holds out his arm to him.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Oh Jesus..."

He steps closer to him, sliding his arm around his waist and holding him tightly.

From:

threedontknows

Who or what is a 'Jesus'?

Never mind, there's drinking to be done! He slings his arm back around Aaron's and takes a simple hop up onto the roof with him, settling down carefully on the tiles. He doesn't let go yet, just in case Aaron was left disoriented by the jump.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Aaron tightens his grip on him, cursing softly as they hop up onto the roof.

"Fuck..." he mutters, not letting go either. He needs the grounding. "That's - yeah, that's the first time I've seen you do something cool like that."

From:

threedontknows

"Don't get used to it," Huaisang sighs, very carefully lowering the both of them down onto the roof. As soon as they're sitting he takes his arm off of him and passes back the bottle of wine. "I don't do a lot of martial arts."

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"That ain't no martial arts I've ever seen," he says once they're sitting. He takes a very long drink. "But I've only seen the white guys in real bad pants and no shirt being all sweaty on tv."

From:

threedontknows

He doesn’t look surprised to hear that. Martial arts are probably fairly simple without a golden core.

“You saw people flying on their swords, so what‘s a hop to the roof?” He smiles and unwraps the second pot of wine.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Guess you're right."

He reaches for the wine, stomach fluttering a little as he turns the movement into a kiss.

From:

threedontknows

His eyebrows raise as Aaron’s lips meet his, but then he quickly presses back. Chastely though, nothing too overwhelming.

Aaron isn’t like him, which means he has to be patient if he wants more. And Huaisang can be very, very, very patient. He does, however, reach out to touch his hand.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Fortunately, Aaron has been completely and utterly charmed by him. The wine doesnt hurt, either. So the touch to his hand turns into clasped fingers and Aaron presses the kiss, closing his eyes to bask in it a while.

From:

threedontknows

Huaisang feels himself melt slightly into the kiss. It’s not that he hasn’t had kisses recently, but those had been transactional. This, clearly, was not. It was real affection, plain and simple.

He very carefully takes Aaron’s clasped hand and places it on the back of his head.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Careful of the braids, he threads his fingers in Huaisang's hair, letting the kiss itself linger.

He doesn't push for anything more, just enjoys his gentle kiss.

When he does pull away, it's without a word and he finally reaches for the wine.

From:

threedontknows

He'd let Aaron unweave his braids, gladly. If he grew his hair he would braid a crown into his golden head. He sighs softly when Aaron pulls back, grabbing a pot of wine for himself and lying back against the tiles, one leg crossed over the other.

From:

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.

From:

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."

From:

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.

From:

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.”

From:

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?"

From:

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.”