Brothel meme continued

[lastjinstanding]

Continued from here

Jin Ling had really hoped he'd have A-Yuan at his side for this, but he didn't blame the sweet man for being ill one bit. In fact, he really enjoyed holding him as they finished traveling up to Lotus Pier. He sends servants off the boat to arrange a discreet delivery of his ill and subdued guest to private chambers following Ling's disembark. He instructed only Fu Geming to carry A-Yuan with Liling.

Sadly, after that, he had to leave his pets in his servants care. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped onto the pier. He bowed humbly to all of his relatives and gave them each a proper greeting- or in Wei Wuxian's case, a cheeky one.

He was brought into the main hall and given the seat next to Jiang Cheng's throne. Wei Wuxian was seated beside him with Lan Wangji at the next seat. And yes, Wangji had been offered the throne but had chosen to stay at Wuxian's side. It was Jiang Cheng's wedding, after all.

Jin Ling is happy sitting to a nice cup of tea and some wine after a long day of travel with promise of dinner coming.

~~~

"Jin-Guniang, is the young master Zheng in this room?" A young, unfamiliar male voice asks. "I have some medicine I wish to offer if you'd announce me."

"Of course. Let me ask for you," Liling says in a warm tone. She knocks on Yuan's door and peeks in. She smiles when she sees him awake. She comes in and shuts the door behind her. "Zheng-gongzi? How are you feeling? A friend of Jin-zongzhu from the Lan Clan is here to offer you some medicine. Would you feel up to seeing him?"

Comments

[doesknow]

Huaisang pulls a face at that - trying to trick a teenager like that, when he was already vulnerable thanks to the sudden pressure of leadership and the discovery that one of his beloved uncles was a slimy, murdering traitor (okay maybe he still hasn't worked through all his feelings about Jin Guangyao), was just all kinds of despicable - and that's coming from him, he did some pretty questionable things in his quest for revenge.

His own experience had been a little different - the elders were relentless, yes, but his reputation usually kept most of the suitors at bay. The main type he had to deal with were the overly ambitious fathers looking to further their own agendas by using their child to manipulate him.

He usually just feigned ignorance until they went away.

"Mmm, the Nie elders never shut up," he grumbles, topping up both their drinks "but Nie-zongzhu, you don't have an heeeeeir" he mock-whines "when are you going to get maaarriiiied. "

[jiang_cheng]

Right? Leave that kind of whoring to people who could appreciate getting laid, like lonely sect leaders to the southeast! Wait, he didn't say that. Also Huaisang missed a few adjustives like manipulative bastard who kills babies and threatens children! He'll jump on board that hateful bandwagon with you.

He chuckles at his friend's whining, propping his head on his elbow. "Do they say it in that voice? I believe I've met that Nie-lao before." He picks up his cup again with a thanks and took a sip. "Besides, don't they know you're the wife yet?"

[doesknow]

Huaisang nearly chokes on his drink.

"Wanyin!" He gasps, looking scandalised, flicking open his fan to wave it- more for theatrics than any real offense taken, of course, because it's absolutely true.

"Aiya," he laments, scandalised face shifting to a pout "not that I can find anybody who wants to make me his wife, either."

Maybe he's had a little too much to drink if he's being this blunt with Jiang Cheng, but since the other sect leader doesn't seem to mind, he's happy to play it up a little just to make him laugh.

[jiang_cheng]

After how many bottles of wine, bowls of good food, and hours of great conversation, Huaisang successfully earns, not a chuckle, but a real uncharacteristically hearty laugh out of Wanyin. He knew it! He knew this man who was as pretty as cherry blossoms and as sweet as fresh summer plums was a cut sleeve! Wait till he tells.. well, no one. He doesn't have anyone who would care, but he's pleased to death to know he's right at least.

His laugh dies down after a moment and he shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Huaisang," he says, genuinely, reaching out and giving his free hand a light pat. "He's busy being a wife to someone else. I do hope you find someone else who you admire even half as much."

Remind him to push Wuxian in the river next time he sees him.. just because.

~~~

Whenever Yuan wakes it would be to the steady sound of hoof beats and the rock of the large, modest carriage. One of the older disciples had taken over the reigns, giving Lan Zhan the chance to move back to check on the boys.

Now he sits quietly with them while all the lads sleeping as he'd encouraged Zizhen to rest. He's watching over them technically, but at the moment, he's staring out the gap in the curtain in the back of the carriage at the sky with a pensive look.

[doesknow]

Oh, isn't Jiang Cheng's laugh a wonderful sound - sorely needed, today, but mostly Huaisang wonders what he has to do to hear that laugh all the time. What he wouldn't give to sit sharing gossip over dinner and trying to find the most amusing stories to draw that sound from him again and again and- wait what did he just say?

Huaisang blinks at him for a long, confused moment. He's busy being a wife to someone else? Who is? What is he talking about?

"Ah, I'm sorry Wanyin, but who are you talking about?" The only person he's had particular interest in for a while is sitting opposite him, and is definitely not playing wife or husband, that's why they're here.

~~~

When Yuan stirs to the movement of the carriage, for a brief moment he thinks, hopes, that perhaps Jin Ling changed his mind and had taken him home anyway. It hurts his heart when he opens his eyes and realises that's not the case.

Some part of him knows there's so many benefits to this, and he is glad to get a chance at family, but he yearns for Jin Ling's presence.

"Hanguang Jun?" He asks softly, groggily, as he sits up a little. At least all the sleep has eased the pain in his throat- the bruising is still there, but it no longer hurts to talk.

[jiang_cheng]

He scoffs at the audacity of Huaisang. What was this act now? They'd been enjoying being so open with one another and now all of a sudden the silly man was getting shy? He rolls his eyes and almost wants to ruffle the pretty one's hair (he won't, that would be terribly inappropriate) but the urge is there.

"Now Huaisang, there's no reason to be coy. You said we were friends. Have I not shared enough embarrassing things with you that you can admit something like this to me? I give you my word, I'm not asking to go tell him. Don't you know me better than that?" Besides, if he ever made the slightest attempt to cause trouble in that marriage, he'd be run through with a thin, icy blade guaranteed.

~~~

Lan Zhan startles, a very rare incident Yuan would eventually learn, and looks around at the three boys before figuring out which one was calling him. When he spots the one needing his attention, he is quick to move to his side. "A-Yuan. How are you feeling?" He asks. He picks up from one of the edges of the carriage a water skin and passes it to him. "If it's too painful you can just nod or shake your head."

[doesknow]

The look of bafflement Huaisang gives him is pure and genuine, although it is hard to tell the difference since he perfected the act so much.

"No, no, Wanyin I trust you absolutely, I simply really don't understand who you're- ah! You're- you're talking about Wei-xiong?" Realisation suddenly dawns and his eyes widen for a moment before he bursts out laughing.

"I- no- Wanyin-" he tries several times to explain through his giggles, but it's taking him some time to get control of himself. Eventually he manages to get them to die down enough to shake his head "Aah, Wanyin, I promise I have no such admiration for your brother. That is, I do admire him a lot, but not in that way, Wei-xiong is not my type at all."

~~~

"I am feeling better," Yuan says politely, it's not really true in any way except physical, and he gratefully accepts the water skin, sipping carefully. The cool water is soothing, and well needed, and he has to force himself not to gulp it down.

"We're... you're taking me to Cloud Recesses, aren't you?" He asks quietly.

[jiang_cheng]

The lightest blush touches Wanyin's cheeks at the utter embarrassment of getting laughed at! How dare he! (Relax Cheng, it's really not that big of a deal). Just before he can actually get angry about it though, the emotion is waylaid by the revelation that Huaisang isn't in love with his brother like he thought. Not only that, but it is really difficult to stay mad at someone who looks that cute giggling. It is far too pretty a sound.

"What? Are you sure?" He asks, surprised. "You've always followed him around whenever I'm there. I could've sworn you were infatuated with him. I thought everyone was." The last words were much quieter and almost covered by another gulp of wine, but not quite.

~~~

Lan Zhan makes sure not to stare at Yuan after he's asked his question. He knows there will be emotions and the answer might not be completely true. His son deserves some privacy, after all, and from the sounds of it, he's had very little in his life. The guilt of what the boy went through will never go away, but he can at least do this much. "If you need more medicine, ask."

The question about Cloud Recesses gets his gaze to lift again and meet Yuan's. His tiny, ghost of a smile returning. "Yes, I'm taking you home."

[doesknow]

"Oh, I'm sure," Huaisang says firmly. Lan Zhan is actually marginally more his type, though he does prefer his men more expressive, but he decides not to share that little tidbit.

There's sympathy in his gaze at that last muttered comment, but only a little, and he decides not to make a big deal of it, instead he just shrugs casually.

"I thought he was great, I'm impressed by his skill, I respect him as a friend and ally... but I'm not attracted to him." He explains easily - he doesn't intend to sing Wei Wuxian's praises in front of his brother, but he also knows Wanyin will be far more likely to believe him if he's honest about how he feels. "I was never attracted to him."

~~~

Home.

There's a tiny spring of hope, somewhere deep in his chest, a longing ache - home and family, it's what he's always wanted. But can it really be home without Jin Ling? He rubs his fingers idly over the ring he's wearing, a calming reminder that Jin Ling was always going to love him, would always be with him in a way - just not the way he really wants.

He's nervous, too, because it's Cloud Recesses. He knows the Lan clan from what people say about them - upstanding, honourable, kind of prudish...

"But I'm..." he says softly, looking down "I'm not... could I really be welcome in such a place?"

[jiang_cheng]

Jiang Cheng is with Huaisang on the expressive part. Lan Zhan is dull and way too arrogant for his tastes. They briefly bonded during the Sunshot Campaign where he saw the man's true might- it was petrifying to put it mildly- but that respect was shattered when he kept defending Wei Wuxian who was masquerading as Mo Xuanyu and then defended those wretched Wens. Of course, now all this time later, he discovered how wrong he was to support the death of those people. How could he have known? How had Lan Wangji known?

Fortunately that's completely ancient history and those morons are happily married to each other leaving the rest of society alone.

"What sort of man is your type then or are you going to be coy with that as well?" He smirks. "Who is it that makes the sect leader of Nie flap his fan faster and get weak in the knees, hmm?"

~~~

It warms Lan Zhan's heart to see the light, however tiny in Yuan's eyes at the word. He knows it's hard to imagine now, but he can nurture that spark. He will help it grow like so many other young, scared juniors coming to Cloud Recesses for the first time. Sure, they're usually much younger but were they so different? No matter how old someone gets one fears the unknown, being alone, and being rejected all the same.

"You're everything you need to be and more. You're.." How to put this into words? He is so bad at this. He wishes his husband was here. "You're our érzi."

[doesknow]

Huaisang has half a mind to just say you and watch Jiang Cheng's head explode, but he's not quite drunk enough for that. Yet.

Instead he flicks his fan closed and taps it thoughtfully against his chin as he considers the question - he has no intention of being coy, he is drunk enough for that.

"I like my men to be men," he says first "Fierce, protective, strong... but caring, too, I like to be spoiled, to be looked after. Of course it has to be someone who's able to strike the right balance between taking control and understanding I am a sect leader and I am not as helpless as I seem, he would have to appreciate the skills I do have..." he pauses for a moment then laughs ruefully.

"Alright, I suppose it is a long list. If you want to know what really makes me weak at the knees, it's a big strong man who would happily pin me against a wall." he sighs happily at the thought.

~~~

Our érzi. Our. Not just Wei Wuxian's, but both of them. Hanguang Jun himself, his excellency, the chief cultivator, has already accepted him as a son without question, despite knowing his past, despite not having seen him since he was a child.

"You really..." he starts, then looks down, not able to put it into words. After a long moment he says "Thank you."

[jiang_cheng]

Jiang Cheng, for the life of him, doesn't know how this happened. He has been jilted today and yet here he is in the Sword's Hall, laughing his ass off over the unexpected shamelessness of someone he hadn't even realized was a friend. His blush was a little darker but he could blame that on the wine easily enough or just the wonderful audacity of Huaisang's comment. If he'd been completely sober, the remark might have made him angry for anyone to be so vulgar but a drank Wanyin is highly amused.

"That is a delightfully lewd experience!" He agrees, not knowing what possesses him to say that. He remembers the sadly few times he's gotten the chance.. but his ex-fiancé just might be one of them. *Ahem*. There might be a reason he'd agreed to marry her. Unfortunately a spirited night didn't really make up for some of her other faults.. (like not being able to deal with his stupid family's drama).

As he's remembering her though, he can't help but imagine someone much more beautiful and present up against the wall in her place. His eyes slip down a slender body that he bets under all those robes would easily be lifted. If only Huaisang could be convinced to forgo wearing trousers the next few days.

~~~

Lan Zhan frowns a little, unsure exactly what kind of reaction he was getting. He reaches out and gently puts his hand over one of Yuan's. "Only if you want it too. Allow us some time to get to know us?"

[doesknow]

Huaisang grins delightedly at being able to make Jiang Cheng laugh like that, flicking his fan open and fanning himself shamelessly as he gives a wistful sigh.

"Ah, it is," he says, amusement sparkling in his eyes "but it's been such a long time since there's been anyone willing to pin me to anything."

Huaisang could very much be convinced to forego wearing trousers beneath his robes. Huaisang could be convinced to forego wearing just about anything Jiang Cheng wanted him to, all the other man had to do was ask.

Not that Huaisang would ever expect him to ask.

~~~

Yuan bites his lip nervously and then looks up.

"I'm... sad, about leaving Jin Ling, and I wish I didn't have to be away from him... but I've wished for family for such a long time, it would be foolish of me to reject what I'm being offered. I'm... I'm scared, though, that I won't turn out to be what you hope... that my past will be a problem, that... that it will have been too long..."

[jiang_cheng]

"There had had been a while for me as well," he admits with a touch of sympathy, though his grin doesn't fade too much. He is still much too amused by what they've been talking about to let it fall away too fast. He gives Huaisang a furtive smirk and leans in a little, like there was someone to hide a secret from in a room full of.. no one? Whatever, he's drunk. "Is it not one of the whole reason to put up with the headache of a wedding after all? If you're lucky they'll give it a little early too."

What was that about protecting his ex-fiancé's honor?

He sits back and laughs. "A-Sang, do not worry, my dear. You're far too pretty to have to wait for long before someone will be happy to sit you on their rod in whatever fashion you wish." He could picture a few ways that would be particularly nice, like having the other man riding him. He shakes his head, trying to get the dastard thoughts from his mind.

~~~

Lan Zhan listens as Yuan speaks. There's some mild satisfaction in knowing he'd predicted the problem. "Being sad about one thing doesn't mean you can't be happy about another. You can be both without being disloyal to either. There's pain and fear in the new. You don't know us. We haven't built your trust yet. The only thing you know is that we both left you, for whatever reason, to this life you've led. I cannot say anything yet that will guarantee something I've yet to earn."

He turns and picks up the basket and hands it to Yuan. "Take some comfort in knowing the person who you do trust, trusts us or he never would've let you come with us."

[doesknow]

It is frankly unfair for Jiang Cheng to sit there so innocently while talking absolute filth and calling him A-Sang, it's doing funny things to his insides and he thinks he's going to have to have some personal time before he can get to sleep tonight.

He snickers slightly at the comment about giving it a little early, quietly filing away that knowledge - of course he doesn't intend to use it, not against Jiang Cheng, but it's still nice to know.

"Such language, A-Cheng," he scolds playfully, fanning himself as though scandalised by those words (rather than incredibly turned on by them) - and of course, if Jiang Cheng was going to start being so familiar, he can return the favour.

"...do you really think I'm pretty?" he asks archly, peering over his fan.

~~~

Yuan frowns a little - it seems strange, to him, the idea that they might have to earn his trust, that they might expect for him to be anything other than grateful for all they're offering him.

Before he can decide how to respond, Hanguang Jun is passing him a familiar basket. He frowns slightly, looking through the things inside. His things - the things that Jin Ling gave him. He brushes his hand over the expensive silk robes and feels the tears well.

They don't start falling, however, until his fingers close around the comb - the comb he wanted to take with him, back to the Golden Hare, something he could use to remember Jin Ling by. He was right, it seems, but wrong about where he'd be taking it.

[jiang_cheng]

If Wanyin was in his right mind at all he'd be horrified at his forwardness. However, right now, it's a ton of fun, especially seeing the cute way Huaisang reacts to it. It was absolutely terrible, but it encourages him in a way it really shouldn't.

At the question, he winks. "If you doubt my word, toss your trousers and climb in my lap to find out just how pretty I find you." He even has the nerve to push back a bit from the table, though even in this state he never expects to be taken up on the offer. That would be absurd! "Otherwise, you might just have to take my word for it, A-Sang."

~~~

Lan Zhan moves to sit on the bedroll beside him and offers, though doesn't push, if he wants an embrace. He's quiet for a long time, just letting Yuan feel his emotions however he needs to. Eventually though, he decides it's time to redirect the boy's focus.

"You have an uncle, my brother, Lan Xichen, and a great uncle, Lan Qiren. My brother is the sect leader of the Lan Clan though I've been serving in his place for he last couple years. He's been in seclusion having lost someone he loved. Besides those two, myself, and my husband, you may have one other relative alive though I don't know for certain. He's a Wen. Wen Ning. Wei Wuxian will be able to tell you more about him." With luck, he might be able to call the wandering Ghost General back to Cloud Recesses to meet their lost boy.

[doesknow]

Huaisang feels a thrill run through his body at those words, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't imagined some iteration of them on more than one occasion, he can hardly believe it's actually happening. Jiang Cheng recently broke off his engagement and he is drunk, Huaisang's drunk, but by the gods he is not a good enough man to resist the temptation being laid out before him however much he probably ought to.

He tilts his head curiously, eyeing Jiang Cheng over his fan for a moment as he decides the best way to handle this - continue the flirtation? Make sure he's serious?

No. To hell with it. He closes the fan with a decisive snap and stands, drawing aside the skirts of his robes so he can slide the silk trousers from beneath them - slow and seductive, the fall of fabric only allowing Jiang Cheng teasing glimpses of skin.

He watches the other sect leader as he does it, waits for him to tell him to stop, to brush it off as a joke, but to his utter delight he's allowed to continue until he is, as instructed, tossing his trousers aside and moving round the table, dropping down to straddle Jiang Cheng's lap with an arch little smile.

"How pretty do you find me, A-Cheng?"

~~~

Yuan finds himself leaning into that comforting presence without even thinking about it, holding the comb close as he cries.

Once the tears have dried, he's grateful for the change in subject, would actually like to think about the good things rather than how much his heart is broken being away from Jin Ling.

An uncle, a great-uncle, even a surviving Wen relative - it's more family than he ever thought he'd find in his whole life.

"What will you tell them?" He asks quietly "My- your brother, and your uncle, about me? About where I've been?"

[jiang_cheng]

Wanyin was expecting more flirtation and maybe to be delightfully scolded again. He'd enjoyed that! He never would've thought Huaisang to take it as a challenge! His jaw drops open as the man proves like he did in the temple that underneath all that ditsy exterior was someone with some balls.

His gaze is just steady enough to follow skirts being lifted and brushed provocatively aside. He takes a sharp audible breath as silk bunches down pale legs that he aches to touch. Why isn't Huaisang closer?? He runs a pink tongue along suddenly dry lips, his breath abruptly feeling more labored. His eyes follow the unbelievably sexy sight of the Nie sect leader dropping his pants.

He hardly waits for Huaisang to be fully seated before his hands are running up along smooth porcelain legs. He bunches the robes up to just above A-Sang's knees before gripping him tight. Holding the other man steady, he bucks his hips upward, firmly showing off how achingly hard the 'rod' he had been describing earlier was. He watches his face shamelessly with a smirk. "Dazzling, A-Sang. I always have."

~~~

Lan Zhan knows this is hard and his heart is breaking for his son. In a way, he hopes he does forget about Jin Ling. They were both children. He knew he loved Wei Wuxian at this age, but they both had a lot of growing up to do too.

"I have a son," Lan Zhan says, with another proud little smile. Alright fine, he'll say more than that. Sort of. "That's all they need to know. You are our son. The rest is none of their business. If they harass you tell them to talk to me." And then he won't tell them either. He draws Yuan a little closer to his side. "If it doesn't matter to me, your a-die, or Wei Ying, your baba, what you've done then who are they to judge you."

[doesknow]

Being held in place by firm strong hands is one thing, but that thrust of his hips, being able to feel how he's affecting Jiang Cheng, it's enough to draw a gasp from Huaisang's throat, and the compliment that follows just earns Jiang Cheng a wide-eyed stare for a long moment.

Always have? Did he mean that, or is that the alcohol talking? More importantly, does Huaisang even care?

No, he decides, he does not. He grips Jiang Cheng's face between his hands and kisses him hungrily.

~~~

"Oh," Yuan says softly, overwhelmed. He turns his face so he can press it into Lan Zhan's shoulder. His father's shoulder. He doesn't quite start crying again, but he takes a shaky breath, clearly needing a minute to process it. That kind of solid love and acceptance is something that's been missing in his life for a long, long time.

"Thank you." he whispers.

[jiang_cheng]

The gasp rings in Wanyin's soul like a fire bell, waking up every instinct he has to this delectable treat in his lap. He doesn't even remember he had a wedding or a bride-to-be with this much much better prize dangling in front of him.

He greedily kisses back moving a hand to hold the other sect leader's back. With a sweep of his other arm behind Huaisang, Jiang Cheng sends everything on the table flying. It wasn't a wall, but they could always do that later. Hopefully being taken on the master's table in middle of the throne room would be something else Huaisang could think about later behind his fan.

He didn't bother undressing the Headshake as he shoved him down onto the table and lifted his robes without breaking their kiss. His hands went back to his silky legs sliding his hands up calves to thighs. He groans, rolling his hips again not wanting either of them to be able to think about what a bad decision this likely was.

~~~

Far down the river two Jiang clan disciples are dragging themselves out of the water. They'd been caught in an undercurrent for the last mile and for part of the way, their hands were tied. If people from Lotus Pier weren't such good swimmers, they would've drowned for sure!

Jiang Mentao shivers from the shock and cold as he urges his friend to keep moving. They had to get back to Wei Wuxian to warn him!

~~~

Lan Zhan held Yuan for a while, quietly humming to him. He doesn't know quite how long it's been but the peace is shattered by a pained groan from the center of the carriage. Jingyi was waking!

Lan Zhan quickly gives Yuan a kiss on the top of his head, the rest of his water, and pulls away so he can crouch down near the other clan member.

[doesknow]

Being taken on the master's table in the middle of the throne room is absolutely something he will think about later, at great length, and in fact might even be better than being pinned to a wall. Maybe. Perhaps he'll get Jiang Cheng drunk again and test that theory.

Right now he's grinning delightedly against Jiang Cheng's lips as he's pushed back against that table - shoved, actually, and that has no right to be as thrilling as it is and yet - moaning into his mouth at that roll of his hips. He slides his arms around Jiang Cheng's shoulders, legs curling around his waist and pulling him in even closer and gods he wants this so badly.

~~~

Wei Wuxian himself is currently en-route back to Lotus Pier with the intention of confirming that everything seemed fine with Jin Ling and the missing Jiang disciples were nowhere to be found amongst his entourage.

(Which is his way of saying 'Jin Ling told me to mind my own business and chased me away with Fairy' - which was unnecessary, he thinks, the ungrateful little brat, he was just trying to help)

He is very surprised to stumble across those very Jiang disciples on his way back, dripping wet and obviously in some distress.

"What happened to you two?"

~~~

Yuan nods in understanding and shifts a little to give him room, sipping at the water and watching with worried eyes - Jingyi had been so kind and friendly to him, and he still feels like it's his fault he was injured in the first place.

"Is he okay?" he murmurs, biting his lip.

[jiang_cheng]

Jiang Cheng reaches between them and pulls Huaisang's belt loosening his robes. His hands couldn't get enough of this butterfly. His skin was so soft, unmarred by scar or callous. The color was creamy like blended almonds and milk. His delicate hands, also void of any sign of actual hard labor, were gripping at his own body with just enough eagerness to be sexy while not so much to shift into dominance.

He continued to unwrap A-Sang like a flower, peeling back silky petal after brilliant petal. He breaks their kiss finally when he can draw back and gaze down at a sinfully beautiful, nude body. Huaisang was the right blend between feminine and masculine without the overly strong features like broad shoulders or chest but slender, slightly rounder hips, a slimmer cock.

"You're perfect," he purrs like a pleased tiger.

~~~

Mentae looks as though he may faint when he realizes who has found them. The relief mixes with guilt and he almost sways on his feet.

"Wei-qianbei! I'm so sorry! I tried! We tried doing what you asked! They got suspicious of us. The next thing we knew they gagged us and tied us up. They put us in their boats until just after they left shore. They waited until we were far enough away they could see an undercurrent and threw us in the river! I'm sorry we failed you!"

[doesknow]

It's intoxicating to be undressed like that, almost more so than the alcohol, and Huaisang thinks this is a dangerous, dangerous game he's playing, because once he's had a taste of this he isn't sure he'll ever want to let go.

The problem, more often than not, with enjoying manly men, was that if he managed to lure one into his bed they had a tendency to be a little crass, they never took their time and tended towards the rough - which was fine, sometimes, but it wasn't his preferred style. Jiang Cheng managed, even while drunk, to somehow have the perfect balance of dominance and care - he made Huaisang feel desired, yes, but he made him feel like he was something precious, too.

Call him a romantic but he liked that feeling. Even if it happened on a table in the middle of the main hall.

A pleased smile spreads across his face at the compliment, though he feels a blush heat his cheeks at the same time - beyond simple lust, how had he longed to hear someone like Jiang Cheng say such things to him?

"Flattery, A-Cheng, will get you everywhere." he murmurs seductively.

~~~

"No, no," Wei Wuxian dismisses quickly "You didn't fail me at all. I failed you. I should have realised sooner that you hadn't come back, caught the boats before they left."

Told Jiang Cheng, or one of the other disciples, told Jin Ling before he left - a dozen things he could have done differently are all running through his head at this point. None of them are useful, though, so he pushes them aside.

One thing's for sure - Jin Ling is absolutely still in danger.

"Did you hear anything, before they threw you overboard? Any of their plans or anything?"

[jiang_cheng]

He lifts a hand with a smirk and one of the spilled oils from their dinner floats back to his hand. It is more crude than a proper oil for this purpose and will make A-Sang smell a bit like sesame but Jiang Cheng for one, damn sure didn't care. He just didn't want to hurt the man. He tends to be impatient so he certainly didn't want to add dryness to the list of complaints. If he'd been thinking properly he would've simply used Huaisang's mouth for moisture.

He tugs on the cord around his waist and gives him a cocky grin. "I very much plan on taking advantage of that, Little Nightingale. I want to make you feel good enough to for me." He pushed back his robes, letting them fall one by one from his shoulders to a pool of fabric around his legs. When he has just his trousers, he leans down and kisses along Huaisang's stomach and up his chest.

"Lovely, lovely, A-Sang, sing to me,
or tell me where I've gone wrong.
I want you to feel high
As far as the sky,
All of your days long."

~~~

Mentao doesn't seem sure, still a little too distressed and wrapped up in what just happened to answer properly. Fortunately his friend turns out to be somewhat useful.

"Wei-qianbei, there seems to be two groups. There's one loyal to Jin Yatsen, the older guardsman and they have been following Jin-zongzhu's orders to the best of their abilities. They have said sometimes it's confusing though because their captain Jin Xiaowen will tell them different things. However there's another group loyal to the captain who follows him without question. They're plotting a mutiny on the way home as they are the large group and hope to kill him when he rests!"

[doesknow]

Poetry, kisses, sweet endearments - Huaisang was ruined already.

"A-Cheng," he moans, "tell you where you've gone wrong? As if I could! I've never heard such sweetness. Or seen it, either," he adds, letting his gaze roam over Jiang Cheng's exposed chest, lingering on the trousers that cover the parts he most wants to see. He licks his lips hungrily and lifts his eyes back to his lover's face.

"Poetry I would give you in return, but you've robbed me of coherent thought," it's not strictly true, as evidenced by his words, but who could concentrate on poetry in such circumstances? Other than Jiang Cheng, apparently.

"I could try, though..." he smiles wickedly "what rhymes with 'fuck me'?"

~~~

"Shit." Wei Wuxian swears. They have to get moving and do something. Only... he looks at the two sodden disciples, considering the spiritual energy it must have taken them just to survive, there's no way he's putting them back in danger, and if he showed up again Jin Ling would sic Fairy on him before he had chance to explain. No, as much as he wants to turn around and go straight back to his nephew, he's going to have to do this differently.

"Right, back to Lotus Pier as quickly as we can, we'll get Jiang Cheng and whatever men are ready and get back out there, and let's all just pray we can make it in time."