bringingdowndisaster

bringingdowndisaster

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

bringingdowndisaster

Xue Yang is going to find out! He's never paid much attention to flowers before, but he will now. For Xingchen. He deserves something nice and familiar, even if he can't see it.

The compliment makes him blush a little. "So are you," he murmurs.

From:

gentledawn

He can smell them! Flowers usually have such a nice scent - earthy and sweet. Xingchen would bury his face in a bouquet without a single hesitation. Just like a deer or a honeybee.

"If my love thinks so, that's all that matters to me." he bows his head, touched.

From:

bringingdowndisaster

"It's the truth," Xue Yang insists. Anyone who disagrees must be blinder than Xingchen! He presses a kiss to his forehead before grabbing their robes from the ground so that they can start getting dressed.

From:

gentledawn

"Ah...thank you." Xingchen reaches for his trousers and robes, getting dressed with a small, happy smile, "And not only for the robes. You are very kind to me."

From:

bringingdowndisaster

"You deserve it," Xue Yang murmurs softly. "You deserve everything." And he'll try his damndest to give it to him.

Once they're both dressed, he takes Xingchen's hand and starts to walk out of the washroom. Time to be confronted with the fact that Song Lan and A-Qing are still here... Selfishly, Xue Yang wishes that it was just the two of them, but he also knows that Xiao Xingchen would probably be a lot unhappier if those two weren't here.

From:

gentledawn

Xingchen shakes his head, amused and touched at Xue Yang's point of view. He kisses the other man's temple before he lets himself be guided back to their companions. His foot hits a board that needs to be nailed down and he accidentally falls forward a few steps, running into Xue Yang's back.

"Ah I'm sorry... That board needs to be nailed down..."

From:

bringingdowndisaster

Xue Yang immediately turns when Xingchen crashes into him and catches him in his arms. He frowns and glances down at the loose board. It had been an issue just before Xingchen's death, one he'd planned on fixing, but then well... he'd completely forgotten about, for obvious reasons.

"I'll fix it," he says as he wraps an arm around Xingchen's waist instead.

From:

gentledawn

Arms steady him - arms he knows and trusts. Xingchen almost doesn't mind tripping if he is going to be held so sweetly after! He turns his head towards Xue Yang's voice and smiles softly.

"Just watch your feet. There's no rush." he rubs over the arm around him.

From:

bringingdowndisaster

"I'll watch daozhang's feet for him," Xue Yang says, managing a slightly playful tone, though any hint of playfulness dies when he sees Song Lan coming towards them, looking like he's trying very hard not to show any emotion.

Ugh. Xue Yang wishes even more that Song Lan wasn't here. Even mute, he somehow manages to say so much with just his eyes. (Xiao Xingchen's eyes, he thinks resentfully. Oh, he'd pluck them right out of Song Lan's skull if he didn't know it'd upset Xingchen).

Edited Date: 2023-08-09 09:00 pm (UTC)

From:

gentledawn

"Mm I might need that." Xingchen laughs softly at himself, sensing the shift in emotion a split second later. His ears twitch and he turns towards Zichen's footsteps.

"Zichen?" he calls gently, "Is that you?"

The silence feels...heavy. And filled with complicated emotions. He would rather talk than bear it.

From:

bringingdowndisaster

I'm here, Song Lan responds through their connection. You should speak to A-Qing. She was worried about you. She, of course, doesn't have the context to why Xingchen and Xue Yang had ran out of the house, and had been very anxious about it.

Xue Yang hates that he can't hear what Song Lan is saying. It just makes him feel anxious and a little insecure, despite all of Xingchen's reassurances.

From:

gentledawn

"You're right. Poor girl." Xingchen nods at Zichen's message and feels his way to the other man, gently squeezing his hand as he walks by, "Play nice, you two." he means for the words to be a tease, but there is too much weight behind them.

He knows it's difficult for them and there isn't much he can do about it. So he goes to A-Qing and gently reassures the girl.

"We're all family, A-Qing. If one of us is upset, I want to help them."

From:

bringingdowndisaster

Song Lan gives a gentle squeeze back as he watches Xingchen leave. He can feel Xue Yang's eyes on him and turns his head to look at him. They share a tense look, and the only reason Xue Yang doesn't say something derisive is because he'd promised Xiao Xingchen to try.

With a small huff, he decides that he may as well fix that stupid loose floorboard and as he sets about doing so, Song Lan ends up assisting - just to have something to do other than standing around in awkward silence.

From:

gentledawn

Xingchen hears the work and smiles at A-Qing. After getting the poor girl something hot to drink - a nice tea to calm her nerves - he seeks out the other two men.

"Working together?" he asks hopefully not bothering to hide the hope in his voice.

From:

bringingdowndisaster

"Mhm," Xue Yang confirms, "We're fixing the loose floorboard. I don't want you stumbling over it again."

Song Lan gives a hum in response as they finish up. How is A-Qing?

From:

gentledawn

"You're both very sweet." Xingchen praises them, touched at the thoughtfulness, "She's doing alright. I'm sure adjusting to...everything...is difficult." and he knows it is doubly hard for her since she can't see too.

From:

bringingdowndisaster

"Mm," Xue Yang hums non-committaly. He's definitely got mixed feelings where A-Qing is concerned. He's mad at her for bringing Song Lan here in the first place, but he'd also come to care for her, like an annoying little sister he'd never asked for.

Yes. It must be, Song Lan responds through their connection.

From:

gentledawn

"A-Yang, be nice." Xingchen can hear the slight difference in the other man's hum. A-Qing has always been on Xue Yang's bad side - or, at least, his grumpy side. He can't imagine that has improved with...everything.

He smiles at Zichen's sweet voice.

"She's strong."

From:

bringingdowndisaster

"I didn't say anything!" Xue Yang huffs. Is Xiao Xingchen some sort of mind reader now?

Song Lan just gives Xue Yang an unimpressed stare before his attention returns to Xingchen. Perhaps we should consider leaving this place, he says through their connection, I don't think it's good for... any of us to stay here. He's including Xue Yang in that.

From:

gentledawn

Xingchen winces and sways faintly, feeling tired. He reaches out for Xue Yang and hugs his arm to his chest.

"I agree. We should go." he frowns and shakes his head, "I just don't know where. Away from the sects would be best."

Maybe to a small town. Somewhere that doesn't ask a lot of questions or...judge.

From:

bringingdowndisaster

Xue Yang frowns and immediately wraps an arm around Xiao Xingchen's middle, steadying him. "Daozhang! Are you okay?" Anxiety is clear in his voice.

"Going where?" He realizes that Song Lan must've said something that only Xingchen could hear, and it annoys him a little. At this rate he'll find a way for Song Lan to communicate verbally just so he'll stop having these private conversations with Xiao Xingchen. Ah, the jealousy rearing its ugly head again.

From:

gentledawn

Xingchen leans into Xue Yang and rubs over his arms. His head is aching and he feels weak. Both symptoms are probably a product of him having been dead for so long.

"Anywhere. Away from here." he smiles a little, "There are so many bad memories in this town. We should leave the dead to rest."

From:

bringingdowndisaster

"Daozhang... you need rest. We can talk about leaving later, okay?" Xue Yang murmurs gently and strokes over Xingchen's cheek before bending down to lift him into his arms.

It's still so strange to see Xue Yang being so tender and gentle with Xingchen. How he cares for him while seeming to loathe everyone else. Song Lan isn't sure he'll ever understand him. Heaving a sigh, he follows the two.

From:

gentledawn

There is good in Xue Yang; he is just defensive about it. Xingchen slips his arms around his lover's neck and rests against him, soaking in his warmth. It's good to be alive again - even if he worries for his loves.

"We can go North." he murmurs, "And find a place that is near a town. A-Yang and I can make sure we have what we need."

From:

bringingdowndisaster

It's also strange to see Xingchen so readily return the affection. Song Lan tries not to let the jealousy consume him.

Xue Yang is not paying attention to Song Lan at all - his focus firmly on Xiao Xingchen. "Yeah... we'll find a good place," he murmurs as he carries Xingchen into the bedroom and gently puts him on their bed.