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 wraps his arms weakly around Huaisang and presses a kiss to the top of his head.

From:

threedontknows

Huaisang groans quietly and drapes himself over him, hair falling every which way like a blanket.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

After a moment, once he's able to recover, he sighs. "There still water in that tub?"

From:

threedontknows

“There is,” he says, voice slightly muffled. He raises his head up and makes a half-hearted motion in the air, sending a spell towards the tub.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Aaron untangles himself from Huaisang and stumbles towards the tub, stepping in and sinking down into it.

From:

threedontknows

Huaisang flops over onto his back, turning his head ever-so-slightly to watch Aaron lower himself into the tub. He smiles.

Oh. He wants to take care of him until the end of time.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"I know you're staring at me," he drawls, closing his eyes as he leans his head back against the edge of the tub. He just wants a good soak.

From:

threedontknows

“Of course I am. You’re beautiful, like a walking poem.”

He huffs and flicks his hair back from his face, turning onto his back to relax into the bed.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"'O, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem, By that sweet ornament which truth doth give! The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem, For that sweet odour which doth in it live,'" he recites idly, rubbing at his face.

From:

threedontknows

Actual poetry. Huaisang feels himself melt into the bed.

“Anxiously chirps the cicada.
Restlessly skips the grasshopper:
Before I saw my lord
My heart was ill at ease.
But now that I have seen him,
Now that I have met him,
My heart is at rest.”

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"I haven't heard that one before," he comments lightly. "I like it."

From:

threedontknows

“Of course you haven’t, it’s from my country,” Huaisang tells him with a yawn. “Do you only read poetry, or do you write it?”

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"I read stuff from other countries!" he protests.

"But no. I haven't written any in years. Used to have notebooks full of em."

From:

threedontknows

He smiles a little to himself and pulls a blanket up over his chest. Aaron can crawl into bed with him when he's done -- hopefully naked.

"Write me a poem."

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Yeah," he laughs. "I'll write you a poem. Tomorrow." He crawls out of the tub, dries off, and does indeed join him back in bed with no clothes on. He just needed to soak a while. Soothe his sore muscles.

From:

threedontknows

Huaisang unabashedly tucks himself against him, laying his head in joy his chest with a soft, contented sigh.

“This is where you belong, in bed with me.”

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"I could get used to it," he admits, draping an arm over him. "But now I want to sleep forever."

From:

threedontknows

“Then sleep,” Huaisang says, leaning over to brush a kiss across Aaron’s temple. “As long as you’d like.”

And he’ll be there when he wakes.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

He holds him tighter, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. He mumbles a bit of a laugh, then pulls back.

"In shadows cast, a man with hair of night,
His locks, a silken tapestry unfurled,
In every strand, a tale of love's delight,
A muse for poets, envy of the world."

From:

threedontknows

Huaisang freezes, his heart leaping up into his throat.

A poem. A poem, just for him.

No one has ever shared his love of poetry, never mind actually cared to write something so lovely for him. He’s lovely — no, he’s beautiful. He’s the most beautiful creature he’s ever had in his bed.

“Pretty words from a pretty man. Go to sleep, pretty man.”

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Aaron laughs, resting his head on a pillow. He thought he might feel foolish about it, but no. It feels warm.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll finish it tomorrow. Remember it for me, okay?"

And he closes his eyes.

From:

threedontknows

“As though I could forget.”

He doesn’t fall asleep right away, thinking about Aaron with a smile on his face, running his fingers up and down his arm and chest in appreciation. When he does sleep it’s light, only for a few hours, and he wakes up excitedly to wash and spend a little time at his vanity.

He plays with his makeup, kohl and rouge and paint on his lips. He braids his hair. He thinks about the man sleeping in his bed.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Aaron's exhausted.

He sleeps far longer than he wanted to, stirring only slightly when Huaisang leaves him.

It takes him a full hour to finally wake up, turning and pulling the blankets up around him.

From:

threedontknows

Huaisang has spent a while tarting himself up, and he feels silly when he has to step out to speak to some of the servants and his disciples. When he returns it’s with a tray of tea and a simple breakfast, and he sits at the table to do a little work for a while.