Work Text:
Jiang Cheng is zen.
Calm. At peace. Content. Fucked into nirvana.
Whatever.
He’s completely naked on the bed. His legs are still shaking and, to be honest, the air conditioning feels a bit cold, but he doesn’t have the energy anywhere in his body to grab the duvet and pull it over himself.
Whatever.
He’s content to die of hypothermia by air conditioning - that’s just how zen he is now.
Jiang Cheng feels the mattress sink to one side as Mingjue-ge (Or at least he assumes it’s Mingjue-ge. He’s too zen to open his eyes and check.) takes a seat next to him.
“Are you going to sleep?” Mingjue-ge asks, running his huge hand through Jiang Cheng’s bangs, lulling him into a further state of zen.
“Mn,” Jiang Cheng grunts in confirmation. It’s only because it’s Mingjue-ge that he bothers to answer at all.
“I’m going to go to the gym,” Mingjue-ge says, “Wait for me if you wake up before I get back. I want to have dinner together.”
Jiang Cheng actually cracks open his eyes at that.
Mingjue-ge is already dressed. He’s wearing those slutty tank-tops he seems to love. The ones that barely cover his nipples.
“How the fuck do you have energy for the gym?” Jiang Cheng asks, his voice coming out in a rough whisper. Fuck. Even his voice has been fucked tired. “I don’t get it. Am I a shit lay? You need more?”
The corner of Mingjue-ge’s mouth rises just the slightest amount and Jiang Cheng feels somewhat pleased by that. That small lift is basically a laugh from Mingjue-ge.
“The better my orgasm, the more energy I get,” Mingjue-ge says, leaning over Jiang Cheng to grab the duvet and pull it over Jiang Cheng’s naked body. He tucks the duvet over Jiang Cheng’s shoulders and leans down to place a kiss on Jiang Cheng’s temple. “You’re a great lay.”
If Jiang Cheng was the sentimental type he might say that the warm ache in his chest was… an emotion or something. But it’s not. It’s probably acid reflux.
Mingjue-ge is just a good person and an even better sex partner.
The only person Jiang Cheng has ever bottomed for and the only person who can hold Jiang Cheng up against the wall and fuck him stupid.
Jiang Cheng isn’t going to risk this kind of mind-blowing sex by developing emotions .
“Good,” Jiang Cheng says, closing his eyes again, fully prepared to fall asleep.
Mingjue-ge runs his fingers through Jiang Cheng’s hair again, quickly bringing Jiang Cheng to the brink of unconsciousness.
Just before Jiang Cheng falls asleep, he thinks he feels Mingjue-ge lean down and kiss him on his temple again.
“It probably helps that I’m in love with you.”
Jiang Cheng is zen.
Calm. At peace. Asleep.
There’s still a bit of light out when Jiang Cheng wakes up.
He takes a shower, because even though Mingjue-ge had wiped him down after he had single-dickedly wrecked Jiang Cheng’s entire body, he still feels sticky.
Also Mingjue-ge has a huge, custom-built shower to accommodate his giant ass. It’s a waste not to use it.
Mingjue-ge is back and in the kitchen when Jiang Cheng finally leaves the room.
Jiang Cheng just takes a moment to… appreciate Mingjue-ge’s figure. He’s still wearing his slutty tank-top, all of the muscles in his chest and arms and back out for display as he stands over the stove and does some magic cooking shit. And Jiang Cheng hadn’t noticed earlier, but Mingjue-ge is also wearing his shortest black gym shorts.
What an absolute whore .
Jiang Cheng suddenly isn’t sure what he’s hungry for. Food… or maybe he wants to lick a stripe up from Mingjue-ge’s ankle bone to the bottom of those scandalous shorts… and maybe he wants to nose those shorts up higher and bury his nose in Mingjue-ge’s balls.
Fuck, fuck, fuck…
He wants Mingjue-ge’s dick in his mouth.
“Stop objectifying my brother, A-Cheng,” a voice breaks him out of his lust-reverie.
Nie Huaisang is laying on the couch, his eyes glued (as always) to that stupid phone of his.
“Shut up,” Jiang Cheng grunts.
Mingjue-ge turns then. “Good. You’re awake,” he says. “Food’s almost ready. Huaisang, set the table.”
“Da-ge!” Huaisang whines, “I haven’t eaten all day. I’m starved and out of energy. I can barely speak, much less set the table!”
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes so hard he sees his brain. It’s no wonder Huaisang gets along so well with Wei Wuxian. They are the same person.
Mingjue-ge pays no mind to Huaisang’s whining. He just says, “Huaisang,” one more time.
Huaisang is looking at Jiang Cheng then, his eyes huge and his bottom lip stuck out so far it looks like it’s trying to leave Huaisang’s face. “A-Cheng… please… as payment for staring at my brother like he’s a two dollar slut walking down main street butt naked…”
“Shut the fuck up you stupid twink,” Jiang Cheng hisses. “I was looking… respectfully.”
“... Right,” Huaisang says, “Also licking your lips respectfully too, huh?”
“I’m hungry,” Jiang Cheng says and walks into the kitchen to grab the placemats and utensils.
Dinner is good. Normal.
Huaisang whines and eats like a baby bird. Mingjue-ge frowns and tells Huaisang to get his life together. And Jiang Cheng leaves with left overs and a promise to return Mingjue-ge’s shirt next time.
Nothing is mentioned of the horrible sentence Jiang Cheng heard before he fell asleep so Jiang Cheng chalks it up to a remnant of a dream he must have had and goes on with his life.
Jiang Cheng is about to die.
“I’m going to die,” he says, his voice breaking off in an embarrassing moan as Mingjue-ge moves slowly out of him. “I’m going to die, I’m going to die. I don’t have any cum left inside me, I’m going to die.”
“Shh,” Mingjue-ge says, placing little soft kisses along Jiang Cheng’s temple and down the side of his face. “You’re alright. I have you right here. Shh.”
And oh god fuck, Mingjue-ge is a fucking liar because how the fuck is Jiang Cheng going to be alright? He’s already cum twice and Mingjue-ge seems hell-bent on fucking him to death. There should be nothing left in his body, but his stupid, traitorous cock is still somehow rock hard and leaking.
Mingjue-ge’s dick slowly - ever so slowly - comes out of Jiang Cheng’s body. Jiang Cheng can feel every millimeter - his entire body hot and oversensitive. The tip of Mingjue-ge’s dick just presses on Jiang Cheng’s hole. Mingjue-ge rubs slowly around Jiang Cheng’s hole, pressing in just that little bit before coming back out. The pressure is ever present but it’s just not enough.
Jiang Cheng is shuddering, his arms around Mingjue-ge’s neck, holding on for dear life.
Mingjue-ge runs his hand down Jiang Cheng’s side and slides it under Jiang Cheng’s lower back, lifting him up just a little.
“I can’t, I can’t,” Jiang Cheng says, hiding his face in Mingjue-ge’s huge chest and trying to find his breath.
Mingjue-ge slides back in.
Jiang Cheng wants to cry.
“Shh,” Mingjue-ge hushes. He’s entering Jiang Cheng as slowly as he left him and it’s torturous .
Mingjue-ge enters him halfway and stops for a moment before he puts both his arms under Jiang Cheng’s back to lift Jiang Cheng up by slow degrees, letting gravity slowly press Jiang Cheng down further onto Mingjue-ge’s dick.
Jiang Cheng is shaking now. Actually shaking. He can’t even feel his legs right now, and even if he could, he doubts he has the strength left to hold himself up. He’s helpless. Impaling himself by slow degrees.
Mingjue-ge presses soft kisses down his neck as he lifts Jiang Cheng straighter and straighter.
Just when Jiang Cheng is almost completely sat, Mingjue-ge lifts his face to capture Jiang Cheng’s lips in his own.
The wet, hot brush of Mingjue-ge’s tongue against his own is distracting enough that Jiang Cheng doesn’t feel Mingjue-ge’s hands leave the small of his back and grab both of his ass cheeks to spread them open.
Mingjue-ge slides up in one fluid motion.
“No, no,” Jiang Cheng sobs. He doesn’t know if he wants to push away from Mingjue-ge or hold him tighter. Mingjue-ge pulls out before he can make a decision.
“Wh—!” Mingjue-ge slides back in before Jiang Cheng can say anything. He sets a brutal pace. It’s all Jiang Cheng can do to hold on. In this position, it feels like maybe Mingjue-ge’s dick is all the way in his stomach and that’s got to be messing up all his insides and he feels so hot and cold and he can’t even close his mouth it’s fucking humiliating and insane. He knows he’s slobbering like a fucking dog but he can’t help it.
“Ge… ge,” Jiang Cheng moans, “I can’t… I—“
Mingjue-ge just lifts Jiang Cheng then and turns him around so that his chest and face are pressed up against the wall.
One hand is pressed up against Jiang Cheng’s stomach, keeping him from just sliding back down onto the bed, and the other hand snakes down to press one finger on the tip of Jiang Cheng’s weeping cock.
“Little Jiang Cheng is telling me you can,” Mingjue-ge says, his breath hot against Jiang Cheng’s ear.
“He’s a liar,” Jiang Cheng sobs, “that fucking lying piece of —- mmm!”
“Okay, okay,” Mingjue-ge says placatingly, his hand rubbing small, soothing circles on Jiang Cheng’s stomach. “Let me finish and I’ll let you rest.”
Both Mingjue-ge’s hands come up to play with Jiang Cheng’s nipples and Mingjue-ge’s mouth sucks gently on the side of Jiang Cheng’s neck as the speed of his thrusts increase.
“No! Not there! Ge… Ge!”
Jiang Cheng has no clue when Mingjue-ge finishes because his vision goes white and there’s a strange ringing in his ear and…
Well it turns out Little Jiang Cheng isn’t a liar after all.
Mingjue-ge is wiping down Jiang Cheng’s body with a wet towel when Jiang Cheng comes to.
“I told you I couldn’t take it,” Jiang Cheng says, glaring weakly at Mingjue-ge. His voice is groggy again and it kind of hurts to swallow.
But his throat always hurts when he sucks Mingjue-ge off, so that’s not really a concern. The human throat really isn’t built to deepthroat a cock as big as Mingjue-ge’s but Jiang Cheng can’t help but try.
Mingjue-ge doesn’t say anything, but he opens a water bottle and lifts Jiang Cheng’s head with his giant hand so he can drink.
When Jiang Cheng is finished drinking, Mingjue-ge lays him back down and rubs his fingers soothingly over Jiang Cheng’s forehead.
“You took it just fine,” he says.
“Mm,” Jiang Cheng hums, feeling the comfortable sense of zen blanket over him again. “Who else are you fucking now? Tell me so I can make sure they’re a real person. I refuse to believe that there’s another fucker in the world who can take your entire cock like I can.”
Mingjue-ge is quiet for a long while. Long enough that Jiang Cheng thinks that maybe Mingjue-ge is just going to ignore his post-fuck nonsense.
“You’re the only one I’m sleeping with,” Mingjue-ge says suddenly. His movements steady as he continues to wipe down Jiang Cheng’s body. “The only one that I want to sleep with.”
It’s nothing.
Nothing.
It just means that Mingjue-ge thinks Jiang Cheng is a good lay.
But it still makes Jiang Cheng’s chest go weirdly hot. He feels… satisfied. Like maybe he won first place in a competition he didn’t even enter. Like he ate just the right amount and nothing was left on his plate. Like maybe he was fucked into nirvana.
Jiang Cheng feels Mingjue-ge get off the bed and hears him walk to the bathroom. He hears the water run for a moment and he hears Mingjue-ge come back and feels the mattress sink as he takes a seat once again.
A warm, wet towel runs gently over Jiang Cheng’s face.
He knows he must have dried tears and snot and spit all over his face and it should be embarrassing, but Mingjue-ge is the one responsible for it so it’s only right that he cleans it. So not embarrassing. Jiang Cheng refuses to be embarrassed by it.
Jiang Cheng is zen.
“Are you going to the gym again? Or was this orgasm not good enough,” Jiang Cheng asks, in a good enough mood to be snarky.
“I’m in love with you,” Mingjue-ge replies.
It’s an interesting change of pace from Mingjue-ge.
“Huh,” Jiang Cheng says after a long silence. “So… do you want to stop fucking for a while? How many days will it take you to get over it? A week? A month?” Because as unfortunate as it is that Mingjue-ge is currently in love with him, Jiang Cheng refuses to lose Mingjue-ge’s magic cock.
“I’m going to the gym,” Mingjue-ge says.
Another interesting change of pace.
Mingjue-ge gets ready in silence. Jiang Cheng watches him get ready in silence.
Jiang Cheng wonders if the silence is actually heavy or if he’s the only one who feels that way. He also wonders if his answer pissed Mingjue-ge off.
He feels cold again. Stupid air conditioning.
Mingjue-ge walks back over to him once he’s finished getting dressed. He’s wearing that stupid slutty tank top again (it’s white this time - what a complete slut). At least he’s not wearing his short shorts - even though the shorts he’s currently wearing are pretty short anyway.
Mingjue-ge sits down next to Jiang Cheng and leans over to pull the duvet over Jiang Cheng and tuck him in.
He leans down and presses a soft kiss to Jiang Cheng’s temple. “I don’t want to stop sleeping with you,” he says, “And I’m never going to get over it.”
Jiang Cheng looks up at Mingjue-ge, wide-eyed, as he straightens up.
His face must look funny because the corner of Mingjue-ge’s lip lifts up again.
Huge fingers run over his forehead.
“I’m a little more in love with you than you think, so hurry up and fall in love with me too.”
Mingjue-ge just… leaves Jiang Cheng like that. Too tired to leave the bed and too shocked to fall asleep.
Jiang Cheng doesn’t know what to do with Mingjue-ge’s sudden confession so he does what he does best - ignores it.
It’s a great plan and it works out perfectly for him.
He still sleeps with Mingjue-ge at least three times a week (Fucking at least two of those three times). He still eats dinner with Mingjue-ge, sometimes breakfast, sometimes lunch. Sometimes they go to the gym together, and… and everything is perfect.
Mingjue-ge never brings up that he’s in love with Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng just goes on with his life, thinking that maybe Mingjue-ge’s confession was a hallucination of his.
Months go peacefully by.
And everything is perfect until…
“What’re you going to get Da-ge for Valentine’s Day?” Stupid Wei Wuxian asks, stupidly.
“Why would I get anything for Mingjue-ge for Valentine’s Day?” Jiang Cheng asks, shoving Wei Wuxian’s stupid long legs off of his chair irritably.
“Uh… cause you guys are dating?” Wei Wuxian replies stupidly.
“Who am I dating?” Jiang Cheng snorts. “We’re just fucking.”
Wei Wuxian stares at him with his huge, judge-y eyes.
“We’re not dating!” Jiang Cheng says emphatically.
“Why not?” Wei Wuxian asks.
Of all the things Wei Wuxian could have said in that moment, the ‘why not’ hits Jiang Cheng strangely. A strange ache in his chest that he chalks up to heartburn.
“None of your business,” Jiang Cheng says, his voice sounding weak even in his own ears. “Shut the fuck up before I beat you to death.”
“I mean is it Da-ge?” Wei Wuxian asks, his eyebrows scrunching up worriedly. “Is he just stringing you along? Does he refuse to settle down with just you? I mean I know he dresses like a floozy but I always thought he was a one-man type of guy.”
Jiang Cheng grabs whatever is nearest to him and throws it at Wei Wuxian. It turns out to be a book.
“He doesn’t dress like a floozy,” Jiang Cheng growls out, feeling strangely offended on Mingjue-ge’s behalf. “You dress like a floozy.”
Wei Wuxian, annoying as always, opens the book Jiang Cheng had thrown at him and flips through the pages, unbothered. “I dress like a floozy but I am a one-man type of guy so it cancels out.”
Stupid logic. Stupid Wei Wuxian logic that makes stupid fucking sense when it shouldn’t.
“Shut up,” Jiang Cheng sighs, “You’re so fucking annoying. Nobody in the world can stand your voice.”
“Lan Zhan loves the sound of my voice,” Wei Wuxian says, smiling beautifically at him.
“Your ‘Lan Zhan’, is also a certified grade-one weirdo,” Jiang Cheng replies bitingly.
“At least Lan Zhan’s not the type of trash to string me along!” Wei Wuxian snarls back, throwing the book back at Jiang Cheng. “We only fucked once we were official. He’s a complete gentleman!”
Wei Wuxian’s reply surprises a snort out of Jiang Cheng so he fails at catching the book - which is fucking embarrassing and annoying.
“Fine, fine,” Jiang Cheng acquiesces with a roll of his eyes. “Your weirdo is a gentleman. Big deal. I bet he can’t fuck half as well as Mingjue-ge can.”
“I’d bet he fucks way better,” Wei Wuxian says. “Word on the street is that Da-ge is huge all over. I bet he just relies on that and has no technique.”
Jiang Cheng doesn’t know why it makes him so irrationally mad to hear that anyone on any street is talking about Mingjue-ge’s dick and how he is in bed.
“Shut the fuck up,” he growls, grasping around to see if there’s anything else he can throw at Wei Wuxian. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
Wei Wuxian just looks at him with his stupid, huge, eyes, and they’re all sad and worried and ugh… Jiang Cheng wants to throw up.
“I can introduce you to someone nice, A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian says earnestly. “It’s awful that Da-ge is stringing you along like that and, you know what they say, the best way to get over someone is meeting someone new, so…”
It’s too much.
Honestly.
“It’s not Mingjue-ge!” Jiang Cheng roars. And then in an awful, ashamed whisper he says, “It’s me. I’m the one… stringing him along…”
Wei Wuxian stares at him.
And stares at him.
And stares at him.
And his eyes are huge and judge-y and Jiang Cheng just wants to melt in shame.
Finally - finally - he opens his mouth. “That’s not a nice thing to do, A-Cheng.”
No. Fucking. Duh!!!!!!
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Jiang Cheng hisses. “Not everyone can have these fairytale romances like you and jie, okay? I’m a good fuck buddy - I’m not a good… I’m not a good boyfriend! You know this! Look how badly I fucked it up with Wen Qing. I’m… I’m just not…” The words die at his lips. He feels angry and ashamed and guilty and angry and fucking angry and fucking stupid Wei Wuxian with his stupid judge-y eyes and his stupid questions and… Fuck!
He buries his face in his hands. Annoyed that he can’t even leave because this is his fucking room and why the fuck should he be the one running out with his tail between his legs?
They sit in silence a long while. Wei Wuxian probably just staring at him with his huge judge-y eyes and Jiang Cheng just… stewing.
Finally, Wei Wuxian gets a clue and Jiang Cheng hears him get off of Jiang Cheng’s bed - to hopefully leave Jiang Cheng’s room and let Jiang Cheng die of embarrassment and rage in peace.
But… of course, it’s Wei Wuxian so that doesn’t happen.
Jiang Cheng feels Wei Wuxian’s arms go around his neck in a loose hug and feels Wei Wuxian rest his huge head on his.
“You’re not who you were at sixteen, A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian says, rubbing his head on Jiang Cheng’s like a cat. A poor attempt at soothing, Jiang Cheng is sure.
“Yeah, I know,” Jiang Cheng says sullenly. He knows. He knows. He knows.
“You were never a bad guy. You just met Wen Qing at the… wrong time. It was… difficult for everyone.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Wen Qing doesn’t hold it against you.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Da-ge is hot as fuck and there’s a line of twinks waiting for your to fuck off out of the picture.”
“Yeah — wait!” Jiang Cheng breaks out of Wei Wuxian’s weird hug and turns to look at him. “Are you serious?”
Wei Wuxian looks down at him and nods solemnly. “Supposedly Da-ge hasn’t so much as looked at another person since you and him started… hooking up. The gays are furious with you for keeping him to yourself.”
Jiang Cheng isn’t sure how he feels about that… it feels like a strange mix of pleasure and rage and he kind of feels nauseous.
He stands up then and pushes Wei Wuxian towards the door.
“Okay, you’ve said enough. Leave.”
Wei Wuxian is relatively compliant. Only digging his heels in a little. “I think I’m going to make some homemade chocolates for Lan Zhan this year,” he says conversationally, as if he isn’t currently being manhandled out of the room. “Let me know if you want to make some with me. I’m buying the ingredients and supplies tomorrow.”
“You just never shut the fuck up, huh?” Jiang Cheng asks. And before Wei Wuxian can answer, he shuts the door.
Jiang Cheng ends up making chocolates.
He almost walks out when he sees the molds Wei Wuxian bought - little thumb sized penises, exaggerated kissy-lips, childish hearts - but he ends up staying because Wei Wuxian makes that stupid sad face of his and says, “I was looking forward to making these with you…”
Jiang Cheng is a fucking sucker and he hates himself.
Yanli-jie ends up joining them too, so all-in-all it ends up not too terrible of a time.
She giggles delightedly at Wei Wuxian’s stupid molds. “A-Xuan is going to be so mortified by these,” she laughs. “I can’t wait to see his face when I give these to him.”
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng laugh along with Yanli.
“I bet he’ll make that constipated face that he makes whenever he has to be nice to us,” Wei Wuxian says, knocking Jiang Cheng’s shoulder with his own. “You know the one where he pretends to love spending time with us but he just looks super pained?”
“Oh this one?” Jiang Cheng asks, and spreads his mouth in a horrific fake smile and tightens his eyebrows strangely - the exact face that stupid peacock makes whenever Yanli makes him spend even one minute alone with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng.
The entire table falls into laughter.
“Yes! That’s the one!” Wei Wuxian crows.
“Oh, come on,” Yanli says, giggling so hard her shoulders shake, “You’re exaggerating. It’s not that bad.”
“Love has blinded you, jie,” Jiang Cheng says with a shake of his head.
The chocolates come out better than expected.
Jiang Cheng chooses to put them in a tupperware instead of one of the fancy boxes Wei Wuxian had prepared for them because… because he feels a bit stupid.
They’re not even dating and Jiang Cheng is making chocolates.
Who knows if Mingjue-ge even likes him anymore?
It’s been months and Mingjue-ge hasn’t said anything since that nonchalant confession.
Maybe Mingjue-ge’s changed his mind and Jiang Cheng is going to look like an idiot tomorrow giving chocolates to his fuck buddy.
Maybe.
Still. Jiang Cheng goes to sleep that night, wondering what Mingjue-ge’s face will look like when Jiang Cheng gives him chocolates.
Jiang Cheng takes the chocolates out and puts them back into his bag about a thousand times before he leaves his house to go to Mingjue-ge’s.
They didn’t make any plans to meet today but…
Well… Mingjue-ge wouldn’t refuse him, right?
Right?
He shoves the chocolates into the bottom of his back and quickly runs out of his house before he can change his mind.
He walks to Mingjue-ge’s house. It’s a forty-minute walk normally, but Jiang Cheng takes the long way today. Winding around to pass by the gym he and Mingjue-ge frequent in hopes of running into Mingjue-ge there.
It’s just a chance, but if he ran into Mingjue-ge there that would make his plan go by so much more smoothly. He could pretend that he just saw Mingjue-ge by chance. Talk to Mingjue-ge a little. Feel him out. Maybe get invited to back to Mingjue-ge’s place instead of just showing up there like a fucking loser.
He’s busy imagining his perfect scenario when he reaches the gym.
A miracle of miracle happens and Mingjue-ge actually is standing in front of the fucking gym.
Jiang Cheng stops in his tracks and blinks rapidly. He’s not hallucinating this right?
Mingjue-ge is actually standing there…
It’s winter so he’s not wearing his slut shorts… No… He’s wearing something much worse.
He’s in fucking leggings.
His thin ass jacket (that is unzipped far enough down that Jiang Cheng can see his chest) barely covers his ass, and the leggings are so fucking tight that Jiang Cheng can see the crease of Mingjue-ge’s ass right above his perfect hamstring.
And to make matters worse, Wei Wuxian’s weird ass boyfriend’s perfect brother is talking to Mingjue-ge.
Jiang Cheng is too far away to hear exactly what they’re talking about. All he knows is that Lan Huan is fucking beaming up at Mingjue-ge. Laughing like Mingjue-ge said something funny - and Jiang Cheng knows for a fact that nothing Mingjue-ge has ever said in his life could be considered funny.
The final nail on the coffin is the way Mingjue-ge looks away like he’s fucking embarrassed . Like he’s fucking shy .
Jiang Cheng watches in slow motion as Lan Huan hands Mingjue-ge a… a box…
A fucking box…
On fucking Valentine’s Day.
He’s there before he’s conscious of it. Taking Mingjue-ge’s huge hand in his and forcibly dragging him away from the slutty, no-good, pretty faced motherfucker, Lan Huan.
He hears Mingjue-ge call out his name in confusion but it’s too late for talking to explaining or whatever the fuck rational people do.
He drags Mingjue-ge all the back… to Mingjue-ge’s apartment…
“What’s going on?” Mingjue-ge asks when they enter the apartment.
Jiang Cheng just paces back and forth - like a crazy person. Mingjue-ge is such a nice person, he thinks wildly. He just let Jiang Cheng drag him like that for ten minutes. He could have stopped Jiang Cheng at any time but he just let himself be dragged away like that and then dragged all the way back to his apartment with no questions or answers or what the fuck. He probably thinks Jiang Cheng is so weird. He’s probably regretting ever telling Jiang Cheng that he loved him - hell, he’s probably regretting ever sticking his dick in someone as insane as Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng just keeps pacing back and forth, his thoughts getting increasingly more crazy before he feels two hands grab him by his shoulders and hold him still.
He looks up dazedly at Mingjue-ge’s perfect face.
“Jiang Cheng,” Mingjue-ge says slowly, “What’s wrong?”
“You said you wouldn’t stop loving me,” Jiang Cheng says (like an insane person).
Mingjue-ge just blinks down at Jiang Cheng in obvious confusion.
His silence just riles up Jiang Cheng more.
“I mean, I don’t even get why you would say that to me,” Jiang Cheng says rapidly, “Were you just fucking with me? Did you find out that I liked you and felt bad or something? I mean I know I’m insane but you didn’t - I mean everyone says you're such a good guy. And, I mean, you are. You felt bad for me, right? I just looked really pathetic, huh? And you… you like taking care of people and —“
Mingjue-ge pulls Jiang Cheng into his arms then and forcibly shuts him up by squishing Jiang Cheng’s face into his chest.
“Shh,” Mingjue-ge says, patting Jiang Cheng’s back soothingly. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Just take a breath. It’s okay.”
Jiang Cheng listens to Mingjue-ge’s orders and takes a breath. Mingjue-ge smells like sweat and cologne and it’s so familiar that it does… calm Jiang Cheng a bit.
Mingjue-ge lets Jiang Cheng go after a few breaths. He kind of squats down to look at Jiang Cheng face to face.
“Hey,” he says softly, “What’s wrong? This isn’t like you.”
Jiang Cheng stares back. He takes in Mingjue-ge’s scowly eyebrows. His intense eyes. The perfect line of his nose. The stern set of his mouth. The sharp line of his jaw.
“This is me,” he says finally, feeling cut open and horrible.
Mingjue-ge just looks at him. His eyes impossibly kind and gentle and warm.
It feels like a knife in Jiang Cheng’s chest.
“I’m a horrible boyfriend,” he says, taking a shaky step back from Mingjue-ge. “Like… the absolute worst. I’ll probably get jealous of the way you treat your brother - okay? I already hate the way you dress. I hate that anyone else in the world can see your chest, and I want to burn those short shorts that you like.” Jiang Cheng takes another shaky step back, and this time he brings up his arms to cover his face. He knows he sounds crazy. He knows this is probably the end of him and Mingjue-ge. Covering his face will do nothing to protect him from that but he feels a little safer. “I’ve been sleeping with you all this time… pretending that I didn’t have… feelings for you because… because I wanted to protect you from me.”
Mingjue-ge is quiet and Jiang Cheng isn’t quite brave enough to lower his arms to look at him.
“But I did a shit job. I still… I mean, I’ve been aware of your feelings all this time and I’ve been pretending they didn’t exist. I was hoping that you’d just forget too - that you’d get over it. But now that you’re really over it I’m acting like… I’m sorry,” he admits quietly. “I know what I did to you - what I’m doing to you - is… wrong. I’m… sorry.”
Wei Wuxian was right. What he did to Mingjue-ge was just… mean.
People like Jiang Cheng deserved to be strung along but people like Mingjue-ge? Mingjue-ge didn’t deserve that.
He didn’t deserve Jiang Cheng ignoring his feelings - pretending that they didn’t happen. Pretending like they didn’t exist.
Because the truth was Jiang Cheng had known. He had always known. Even before Mingjue-ge had said it out loud. He’d known.
Because what kind of fuck buddy tucks you in? What kind of fuck buddy kisses your temple and makes you dinner and holds you while you sleep? What kind of fuck buddy invites you over just to make you dinner?
Mingjue-ge had been loving him all this time and Jiang Cheng had just closed his eyes to it. Pretended like it didn’t happen and now he was going to lose it. Because he was a fucking idiot.
He feels Mingjue-ge’s hands on his arm, dragging them down from where they’re covering his face. He closes his eyes and prepares to be… punched or whatever. Whatever Mingjue-ge feels he deserves.
He waits for it. Waits for pain. Waits for cruel words. Waits for the “Get out of my apartment, you psycho.”
Instead…
Strong fingers curve along his jaw. A hot palm rests on the side of Jiang Cheng’s cheek.
Jiang Cheng opens his eyes slowly.
“No one’s ever protected me before,” Mingjue-ge says, a small smile on his lips. “Thank you for your concern, but I don’t need it. I want you. I still want you. Jealousy, crazy, and all.”
“But Lan Huan gave you chocolates and you looked so happy talking to him,” Jiang Cheng says, blinking his eyes hard to try to rid them of the burning. He’s not going to cry in front of Mingjue-ge. He’s not. “And Lan Huan is so… pretty… and he’s probably not as crazy as I am.”
Mingjue-ge looks to the side… shyly… again!
“Well,” Mingjue-ge steps back and clears his throat. He puts his hand in his jacket pocket and pulls the box out awkwardly. He thrusts the box towards Jiang Cheng and after an awkward moment, Jiang Cheng takes it.
“I’m shit at stuff like this,” Mingjue-ge says, still not making eye-contact with Jiang Cheng. “Lan Huan’s good at… making stuff… so I asked him to make something for me… But… uh… It’s for you.”
Jiang Cheng looks at the box in his hand. It looks… pretty. Dainty. If he hadn’t just seen Mingjue-ge hand it to him, he would never believe that this box could come from Mingjue-ge.
He opens it carefully.
Inside is one heart.
The size of his palm.
Made of chocolate.
It’s trimmed with what looks like gold foil and in the heart, white frosting writes: “Love You Forever”.
Jiang Cheng looks up at Mingjue-ge.
Mingjue-ge is… still looking away.
“Look, I wasn’t going to give it to you like this,” Mingjue-ge explains in a rapid whisper. “I planned a dinner… I was going to invite you over later… It was going to be more… I have flowers.”
Jiang Cheng quickly runs his arm across his eyes. Quietly wiping away the stupid, stupid tears that might have threatened to fall.
He turns and digs through his bag to find his tupperware. He regrets not using Wei Wuxian’s fancy boxes now. Mingjue-ge deserves so much better than stupid Jiang Cheng with his not-fancy tupperware full of stupid shaped chocolates.
He brings them out and turns to thrust them towards Mingjue-ge anyway.
“I made these for you,” he says. “They’re stupid shapes because Wei Wuxian picked out the molds, but… but I made them… myself… for… you.”
The tupperware fits in one of Mingjue-ge’s hands. It looks oddly small and Jiang Cheng feels even smaller.
Mingjue-ge opens the tupperware and takes one of the chocolates out.
It’s a penis.
A fucking penis.
Mingjue-ge looks at it and looks at Jiang Cheng. The corner of his lip is quirked up and he looks… cute.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” Mingjue-ge asks pointedly.
Oh fuck. Holy fuck. Goddammit to all hell.
“I love you,” Jiang Cheng says, launching himself recklessly into Mingjue-ge’s chest. “I love you and I want your dick in my mouth for the rest of my life - that’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
Mingjue-ge wraps his arms around Jiang Cheng.
“Took you long enough.”
Wei Wuxian, infuriatingly enough, turns out to be right.
Jiang Cheng is not who he was at sixteen. His jealousy isn’t as dark and twisted and uncontrollable as he remembers it being. And he’s not as bad of a boyfriend as he had thought he would be.
Or maybe Mingjue-ge is just easy to please.
Whatever.
He’s laying on Mingjue— no, their bed, and watching Mingjue-ge get dressed for the gym.
He’s wearing his slutty ass tank-top, as usual, but he’s taken to wearing biker shorts under his short shorts today.
“Why are you wearing those?” Jiang Cheng asks, lazily. Luxuriating in his post-coital zen and also enjoying the way his naked body feels on the sheets.
Mingjue-ge looks down at his biker shorts and looks back up at Jiang Cheng, a small smirk on his lips.
“Well whenever I wear these shorts, I end up not being able to go to the gym because you suddenly want to suck my soul out of my dick. So I thought I’d add a layer of protection. For my dick.”
Jiang Cheng puts his thumb down in a thumbs down. “Boo, bad decision,” he says, “Besides, who was the one who said they didn’t need any protection?”
Mingjue-ge walks over to the bed and sits down next to Jiang Cheng. He ruffles Jiang Cheng’s hair fondly and runs his hand down Jiang Cheng’s back gently. “I don’t need protection,” he says, “Just my dick.”
Jiang Cheng squirms his head onto Mingjue-ge’s lap and nuzzles his nose against his dick.
“Mmm, I’ll protect it,” Jiang Cheng mumbles, mouthing along where he knows Mingjue-ge’s sac is.
Mingjue-ge’s huge hand traitorously blocks his advances.
“I need to get to the gym,” Mingjue-ge says, tempering his words with another hair ruffle.
“The bed is so cold without you,” Jiang Cheng whimpers pitifully. He tries to channel Wei Wuxian and look at Mingjue-ge with huge, sad eyes.
They don’t seem to work at all on Mingjue-ge, who just lifts Jiang Cheng’s head off of his lap and moves him so that he’s laid straight on the bed again. He covers Jiang Cheng with the duvet and kisses Jiang Cheng on his forehead.
Then on his temple.
Then on each of his eyelids.
Then his nose.
And finally…
A soft kiss on Jiang Cheng’s lips.
“Be good, I’ll be back soon.”
Jiang Cheng slips into sleep quickly as Mingjue-ge leaves.
He dreams good dreams.
Softness, kindness, light.
Afterall, Jiang Cheng is zen.