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Meng Yao was having a bad day. Not an 'I've just been thrown down a flight of stairs by my father' sort of day, nor a 'just got my ass tossed out of my sect for killing my bully in the midst of a crisis' sort of day. No, it was a 'trying to protect an injured Lan sect leader but just got surrounded by a band of bandits' sort of day.
And it was about to get worse.
He was stood above a prone Lan Xichen, who had yet to heal from the broken arm he'd incurred at some point after leaving Cloud Recesses (and refused to say how it had happened, so rude), and he had been attempting to convince the bandits why they were very bad targets seeing as they had no money or possessions, to no avail. He was beginning to think that what he needed was a big distraction.
This wasn't what he'd had in mind.
He watched as a thatch of trees parted behind the bandits to admit a monstrous head full of sharp teeth atop a long, long neck. His jaw dropped – where before he had only suspected he might die today, now he was certain. One of the bandits noticed his reaction and looked behind him, and within moments, all of the bandits had their attention diverted as they looked upon the monster approaching them. Attached to the neck was a huge shell with four legs, a monstrous tortoise... a xuanwu?!
Wait, what was that on its back?
“Meng Yao! Funny meeting you out here!” Oh, it made a strange sort of sense in Meng Yao's mind that the one to find him would be none other than Nie Huaisang, waving his fan happily on the back of a fucking xuanwu. Although...
The beast lowered its head toward the bandits, who quickly decided that no amount of gold was worth fighting a giant monster and took off running down the road. The beast continued to come forward until it was stopped by a gentle pat on its neck, and then Nie Huaisang slid down to the ground. He ran right over and enveloped Meng Yao in a hug, and for a moment he forgot about wandering the roads and trying to keep himself and Lan Xichen alive... for a moment, he felt like he was back home.
“It seems we got here just in time. I hope they didn't hurt you.”
Behind the xuanwu, Meng Yao could now see a small group of Nie disciples, and he spotted another figure in Lan colours on the beast's shell. But something else was nagging at him...
“A-Sang... that's not Ginger.”
“No, it's not,” the young man said casually as he moved past Meng Yao to the man lying behind him. “Lan Xichen! And you're injured too... it seems we have a double reunion now. Here, let me help you up, you can ride with Lan Wangji...”
“A-Sang, where did you get that xuanwu?”
“I found it in a cave.” Nie Huaisang helped Lan Xichen get back onto his feet and began leading him over to the beast. “Poor thing was minding its own business when the Wen threw us in there. We gave it quite a fright, but with a little coaxing, it helped us get back out again.”
Meng Yao sighed. Typical. If it was an injured or abandoned animal, whether it be a bird with a broken wing or an anti-social xuanwu, then Nie Huaisang would find a way to bring it home. “I don't think Ginger's cave has enough room for two, you know. And your brother won't be happy that you've brought home a second xuanwu.”
“Well, considering the Wen think we're supposed to be dead and will likely come attacking the moment they realize we aren't, that will be the least of Da-ge's concerns.”
How did he get into these situations?
He watched as the two Lan brothers were reunited, a sight that was bittersweet as he knew it would mean the end of his companionship with Lan Xichen, and he did his best to ignore the stares of various Nie disciples (all of them would know of what had happened, how he'd killed their captain – there was no way they would see him kindly after that). “You'll have to give him my regards when you get home.” He wouldn't say aloud how much he missed the Unclean Realm, how his days weren't complete without the sounds of warriors training with their sabers, Nie Mingjue's shouts ringing through the halls, and the sight of the second young master flitting around everything and everyone else as if none of the rules of convention applied to him.
“What do you mean?” Nie Huaisang turned to look at him with confusion. “You're coming back with us.”
He shook his head. “A-Sang, I've been exiled. The moment I step back inside-”
“Meng Yao.” Oh, he almost turned to mush at the familiar whining tone. “It hasn't been the same back home since you left. Ginger won't eat her chickens without a lot of coaxing, Da-ge's been inundated with paperwork and is constantly snippy with me, and my braids are droopy. You can't let me live with droopy braids, can you?” The complaints were accompanied by big, pouty lips and nearly watery eyes that severely weakened his resolve.
He groaned.
Nie Huaisang crowed in victory and slid his arm through Meng Yao's to begin pulling him along. “I can't wait till we get home! Now, let me get you up to date on everything that's happened since you left. There was a fight in the kitchens between He Ling and Su Wei, you know how they can be, and...”
Well, if anything, he was about to get a front row seat to Nie Mingjue's reaction to their arrival back in Qinghe – that alone should be worth whatever consequences to him breaking his exile. And if the sect leader had anything to say about it, he'd simply blame Huaisang before hiding behind the xuanwu.
~*~*~*~
The first thing that surprised Meng Yao upon their arrival was the sheer sense of relief shown by Nie Mingjue – apparently, word of the disciples' 'deaths' had spread from the indoctrination camp, and everyone was simply happy to have their clan members back. The second thing was how easily Nie Mingjue accepted the presence of the xuanwu at his gates; perhaps this shouldn't have surprised Meng Yao, considering how often Nie Huaisang brought home stray animals (the kitchens had yet to recover from the feral cats that had been 'rescued' over a year ago).
The third thing that surprised Meng Yao was how quickly Nie Mingjue accepted him back into the sect.
Of course, this was probably because his primary function, now, was to help Huaisang care for not one but two xuanwu.
How was this his life?
“He won't even try to go into Ginger's cave,” Nie Huaisang whined.
“He can probably smell that it's been claimed already.” Reason often worked with the young man – not always, but often. “And I thought he was settling well in his own cave around the mountain.”
“Oh, he is. I don't want him to live there, I just want them to meet.”
“Well, wouldn't it make more sense to try to lure them both out to the same place?”
Nie Huaisang grinned. “I knew I brought you home for a reason! There's a clearing between the two caves that should suffice. You get Ginger, and I'll get Peanut.”
“...Peanut?! You named the other xuanwu Peanut?!”
“He's adorable and he likes to eat peanuts when I bring them to him. It's quite fitting. Besides, peanuts and ginger go well together in many sauces.”
Meng Yao gave him a withering look, but in the end, there was no dissuading the second young master when he had his mind set on something.
An hour later, they both stood to one side of a clearing, cleaning their hands of chicken blood, watching two xuanwu eyeing each other from across the patch of grass and moss.
“They're just standing there.” Nie Huaisang pouted, and Meng Yao thought it was a horrendous crime that the pout was as adorable as it was, particularly accompanied by the chicken blood. “Can't they sniff each other or something?”
“Give them time.” Why, oh why did blood always seem to get into every little crevice in one's hand? “You know you can't just hold their heads together and order them to kiss.”
He heard a chuckle. “I know, it didn't work with Da-ge and Lan Xichen either.”
“Neither of them took it well when you all but ordered your brother to tend to Lan Xichen's wounds... although your other idea to give him a tour when your brother was leading that training session in the heat with his robes half-off, that was genius.”
“I have my moments. And it wasn't that difficult – the disciples are always saying how distracting it is whenever Da-ge trains without his outer robe on, so I figured Lan Xichen couldn't resist if he was into the whole muscles and sweat and moustache thing.”
“And I have it on good authority that he is into that sort of thing, so your instincts were correct.”
There, the blood seemed to finally be coming away from his fingernails after much scrubbing. They really needed to think of something other than chickens to feed the beasts.
“So, Meng Yao... are you into that sort of thing?”
He turned to the other with a raised eyebrow. “If you're thinking about trying to match-make me-”
He received a rapid headshake in response before the other's eyes lowerd. “No, I wouldn't, I promise. I was just trying to make conversation, but... I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
That was strange. Since when did Nie Huaisang back down so easily? Perhaps he'd sounded harsher than he'd intended – damn Huaisang for being such a sensitive soul. “It's all right, I'm not uncomfortable. To answer your question, what I'm into depends less on the person's physical attributes than it does on the person within and how they treat me.”
Nie Huaisang nodded, seemingly lost in thought. Meng Yao focused on double-checking to see if any of the blood had gotten on his robes – it would be hell to get out – when he was stopped by a gentle hand on his wrist.
“Look,” came a whisper.
He slowly turned in time to see two monstrous heads approach one another, nostrils flaring as they sniffed. Foreheads met in a gentle bump before long necks slid against each other as the beast's heads investigated each other further.
“I think they like each other.” Despite the softness of Nie Huaisang's voice, he sounded more excited than Meng Yao had ever heard him. “I knew this would work out.”
“I'm glad you were right.”
The alternative could have been a disaster.
~*~*~*~
Meng Yao had finally been allowed to work on duties aside from helping care for Nie Huaisang's pets and was in the middle of sorting through a number of official papers when the ground trembled beneath his feet. It wasn't a quick tremble or a lasting one, but a pulsating one that had him truly concerned. He dropped the papers on the desk and took off running down the corridor, watching as many others came out of their rooms, all with similar looks of concern.
It wasn't until he made his way outside that he saw Nie Huaisang running over, a look on his face that was part excited, part sheepish.
“Well, Meng Yao, there's good news and there's bad news.”
The other disciples gathered around them, and he could even see Nie Mingjue approaching silently from behind Nie Huaisang. “Give us the bad news first.”
“Well, I think we'll be experiencing these sorts of tremors for a little while now, off and on.”
He crossed his arms and gave the young man a look. “And why would that be?”
“Well, that's the good news.” Nie Huaisang's overjoyed smile was far, far too charming for any of their goods. “The xuanwu are mating!”
“Nie Huaisang!!!” The disciples parted to allow Nie Mingjue to stalk forward, steps occasionally unsteady with the regular shaking of the ground beneath their feet.
“Ah, sorry Da-ge, but...” Nie Huaisang turned for but a moment, giving his brother a little wave, before backing away toward the nearest door. “I, uh, think I hear my saber calling to me.”
He ran off in a trail of grey and green robes, leaving Meng Yao to face a furious Nie Mingjue. There was only one thing Meng Yao could possibly do in such a situation...
“Well, those papers won't file themselves...”
He turned and ran.
~*~*~*~
For once the day had been quiet for poor Meng Yao; there had been no xuanwu caretaking for the day (nor any mating-induced earthquakes), and Nie Huaisang had gone into town to run a few errands. For once he could get some work done in peace.
Peace was overrated.
He almost missed the distractions and the strange pets and sneaking around to help the second young master do things behind Nie Mingjue's back. Almost. Because he was doing his best to be the proper cultivator he had always wanted to be, the dignified man his mother had longed to see him grow up to be. He didn't have time for frivolous whims and giant but adorable tortoises.
He was almost relieved when his peace was disturbed, though the feeling quickly went away the moment he realized why.
“How the hell did they managed to catch him?!?!?!”
Meng Yao tried not to make his presence known as he approached the raging sect leader who had pulled a disciple up by his lapels.
“The message didn't say. The scouts only stated they saw Nie-er-gongzi being held by Wen Xu's forces and that they were on their way to the Unclean Realm.”
Meng Yao's heart clutched as he thought of poor, harmless Nie Huaisang being threatened by an invading army. All right, Huaisang was far from harmless and it was very likely that Wen Xu would be begging them to take him back before the day was done, but still, he worried.
He stood on the ramparts with Nie Mingjue and his forces when the Wen approached. There were many sounds on the air from nearby disciples muttering curses at the Wen to footfalls from men and horses approaching fully armed. One sound in the air, however, had him listening very carefully.
Oh.
Oh NO.
He began searching around the nearby forests for the telltale movement of trees.
“Meng Yao, that's not where the Wen are coming from,” Nie Mingjue chastised.
“Nie-zongzhu, I suggest you have your men on the ground retreat through the gate.”
“...and why would they do that?” The voice wasn't skeptical, per se, but still requiring an explanation.
“You hear that tune whistled on the breeze?”
“...Yes?”
“That's how Nie-er-gongzi calls out Ginger and Peanut.”
The disciples were called back within the fortress walls just in time as the tell-tale sound of monstrous beings moving through the forest preceded the entrance of the two xuanwu. Ginger immediately sought out Meng Yao on the ramparts, and her long neck allowed her to bring her nose up for a pet and a scratch behind the jaw.
“Hello, baobei, your young master should be here soon. Please try not to stomp on him.”
As the xuanwu pulled away, Meng Yao saw the glare Nie Mingjue sent his way. He tried to whistle nonchalantly even as he flushed in embarrassment.
Finally, the Wen army approached. As they saw the two beasts that awaited them, nearly half the army turned tail and ran. They were the smart ones. Apparently, Wen Xu was not one of the smart ones as he decided to approach the beasts with a bound up Nie Huaisang on the back of his horse, who suddenly let out a shriek of terror that belied the mirth in his eyes.
Wen Xu was the first to become a meal as Peanut attacked the man threatening his benefactor.
The rest of the forces made a valiant effort, but only those who chose to run at the last minute survived the day.
~*~*~*~
News came of the attack on Lotus Pier – it nearly fell to the Wen, but held out thanks to the preparations of one Wei Wuxian and the death of Wen Chao. Meng Yao could only imagine what would have happened to the sect had the boy not arrived home in time from the indoctrination camp. Even a week or two might have made all the difference.
With both of his sons dead, Wen Ruohan fell in short order when faced with the combined might of the Nie, the Jiang, and the remaining Lan forces (and there were even a couple of Jin who joined the fray – once victory was practically assured, of course).
And it didn't hurt that when they marched on Nightless City, they were led by two xuanwu ridden by himself and Nie Huaisang.
It was a good day for the cultivation world.
~*~*~*~
Meng Yao returned to the Nie camp after a meeting with Jin Guanghsan. He was still in a bit of a daze and greeted those he passed by rote. The opinions of those in the sect had improved greatly since his return and he was now counted as one of them – it had even been weeks since he'd heard a disparaging remark about his birth status - but there were still times when he needed to be somewhere else to seek out a little solace.
It was a small field in a valley that had been claimed for the Nie Sect's 'mega-cavalry'. The two great xuanwu lay upon the ground, sleeping with their necks curled together, and Nie Huaisang lay with them with his hand petting the nearest tortoise head. The moment he saw Meng Yao, his eyes widened in concern.
“What happened?”
He sat down next to the second young master – his friend who had been at his side every step of the war – and leaned back against a hard shell. “He said that my role in the war has earned me a place among the Jin, if I want it. If I go to Lanling, he will give me the name Jin Guangyao.”
The young man next to him snorted. “If he really meant it, he'd make it ZiYao.” Nie Huaisang looked away. “Sorry, you know how I feel about him... So, when are you leaving?”
He sighed. He knew that Huaisang was right, but he'd spent so much of his life with the ultimate goal of being recognized by his father. And now that it was within reach... “I haven't said yes yet. I told him I needed to think about it.”
“I'd have thought you'd jump at the chance.” The words came out of a pair of pouty lips. “I wouldn't blame you. I know we're a little... weird in Qinghe.”
Weird wasn't the half of it. “Maybe I like weird a little more than I thought I would,” he countered. “Perhaps I'm even wishing for a reason to stay.”
“Do you need one?”
He nodded. “Even knowing my father only wants to use my efforts during the war to boost his own position, even knowing he's secretly hoping I'll bring Ginger with me when I go... you know where I come from, A-Sang. I can't say no without a really good reason.”
“But Ginger and Peanut will miss you.”
“And I'll miss them too.”
“Da-ge and the other advisors will miss you.”
“Of course they will, I do most of their paperwork faster than they ever could.”
A beat, then a soft voice. “I'll miss you.”
“I'll miss you too.” But it wasn't enough, not quite. He sighed and reached out for Nie Huaisang's hand, squeezing it tightly. “But we'll still see each other often enough, if we make the effort.”
The other man looked up and their eyes met, and he knew they were both feeling a terrible melancholy at the prospect of being parted. As had happened a handful of times before, he felt the desire to reach forward and pull Nie Huaisang into his arms... but he was well practised at setting his innermost desires aside. Feelings could be ignored, particularly affections that were unrequited, so that his ambitions could be achieved.
He felt something pushing at his shoulder. He looked back and it was Peanut, using his nose to nudge Meng Yao forward in a shove that felt aggressive but for the tortoise was quite gentle. Across from him, he spotted Ginger doing the same thing to Nie Huaisang.
“Peanut, what are you doing?”
“Ginger? Stop that!”
The next thing he knew, he had a lap full of Nie Huaisang, and two self-satisfied tortoises looking down at them. Meng Yao's fingers unconsciously clutched at the other's waist to keep him still, and both of their faces flushed bright red.
Then Nie Huaisang gave him a terribly sly smile, and Meng Yao knew he was in trouble.
Tender lips met his with more enthusiasm than skill, but it still had the effect of drowning out every doubt in Meng Yao's mind as he pulled Nie Huaisang in closer. He breathed in the other as their lips became acquainted, finally pulling apart as their foreheads rested against one another.
“What was that for?”
“I was just doing as I was told.”
“By whom?”
“The xuanwu, of course. They practically put our heads together and ordered us to kiss. I had no choice, you know.”
He couldn't help but laugh. It was freeing, and something he did far too rarely – but almost always with Nie Huaisang. “That's our A-Sang, running away from responsibility.”
“Well, a man must do what he does best.” And that gaze full of affection took on a hint of steel. “And what you do best is what you've been doing with us. Name one thing Lanling has to offer that Qinghe doesn't?”
He sighed. “Well, under the right circumstances, if several people are unfortunate enough to meet an early end, I might have the very small possibility of taking over as sect heir or even sect leader.” The thought had occurred to him, many times, enough that he had plans in the back of his mind of just how he would arrange for a few 'accidents'. However, for some reason, the thoughts now left a bad taste in his mouth.
Nie Huaisang took several moments to look at him like he was an idiot.
“Well, it could happen.”
“Or...” Nie Huaisang slid his hands over Meng Yao's shoulders and gave him a look that could only be described as seductive. “You could stay in Qinghe, actually have your work appreciated and judged on your own merits and not who your father is, and as a bonus, you get to enjoy the privileges of being the sect heir's beloved, and eventually intended once the proper period of courtship has been observed.”
“That does sound interesting- wait, intended? How did we jump from a kiss to a betrothal?!”
Nie Huaisang waved away his concern. “Not to worry, it won't happen until you've fallen madly in love with me, which you will because I'm amazing and very lovable, so in the end, it's all a formality, is it not? And besides, this is long overdue.”
“In what way?”
“Well, I had planned on asking to court you upon my return from Cloud Recesses – you know, make things proper – but then things happened.”
“And what makes you think I'd say yes?” He would, he knew himself well enough to know he would the moment the question was asked, but one of the things he loved about his rapport with Nie Huaisang was how neither of them really made things easier on the other. They challenged each other, and it was something he didn't realize he would need as much as he did.
“Because... you haven't pushed me off your lap yet.”
He couldn't deny that even if he wanted to.
“Well, I really think I need to be certain before I make any sort of permanent decision.”
“And how will you do that?”
“Perhaps I'll start with this.” Meng Yao pressed a finger under Nie Huaisang's chin and used it to pull the other's face near. He waited several moments simply hovering his lips over Nie Huaisang's, waiting until a tiny impatient whine was heard before finally bringing their lips together.
Oh. He could get used to this.
When they finally came up for air, Nie Huaisang grinned at him. “So, did that make your decision any easier?”
“I'm still not quite certain,” he teased. “And I need to be very, very certain.”
So they continued kissing until he was.
By the end of the day, he'd sent a letter to Sect Leader Jin, thanking him for the offer but saying that sadly he could not accept. He was happy with the name Meng Yao, and he had found many opportunities among the Nie that he could not give up. He thanked him, and said that he looked forward to excellent relations between their two sects in the future.
He never regretted his decision, even if occasionally he wondered what his life would have been like had he chosen differently.
~*~*~*~
Meng Yao had been following Nie Huaisang through the brush in search of a particular finch when a loud roar echoed through the forest. Together they rushed to the mountain that housed the xuanwu caves and headed to the door to Peanut's lair.
Inside, they found the xuanwu thrashing, coughing and wheezing, and making strange hacking sounds. They both tried to get closer to try and comfort the beast but instead had to keep ducking the beast's long neck.
“It's okay, baobei,” Nie Huaisang said in as comforting a voice as he could manage. “It'll be all right.”
“Do xuanwu get sick?”
“I have no idea.”
The beast looked straight in their direction and began roaring before snapping at them. The xuanwu's maw opened again and Meng Yao had to leap, pulling Nie Huaisang out of the way before he could be hurt accidentally.
“He looks more angry than anything,” Meng Yao offered.
“I don't know why he'd be angry – we feed him, we house him, we give him cuddles and pets.”
“A-Sang, he's as spoiled as you are – maybe he's just throwing a tantrum.”
“You like spoiling me too, don't deny it.”
“I wouldn't dare.”
Finally, the great beast let out a few coughing gags, once, twice, and upon the third, something came flying out of its mouth to land at their feet. Meng Yao was the one brave enough to reach into the disgusting pile of flesh and bones until he found something completely different.
“It's... a sword. A very old one, from the looks of it.”
“Why didn't it come out like the others? We were finding swords in piles of dung for weeks after he ate the Wen army.”
“I don't know, but I get a bad feeling from it. It's almost like it doesn't want me to let go of it... Perhaps we should bring it to Lan Xichen to be checked out.”
“All right, A-Yao, but I want to be there to see his face when you tell him where we got it.”
“We definitely need to clean this first. Peanut, what have you been eating?”
The xuanwu gave them a long look, then opened its mouth and let out a resounding burp.
“Da-ge's going to be pissed when I tell him Peanut burps louder than he does!”
“Please, A-Sang, don't. Just... don't. You k now what happened last time.”
“He was determined to take back his record.”
“Exactly, and I for one am tired of hearing that over my evening dinner.”
“But A-Yao...”
Carrying the sword, they argued all the way back to the Unclean Realm.
~*~*~*~
“A-Yao, you have to come now!”
“I'm in the middle of an important letter, A-Sang. Can't this wait?”
“No, and it's not so important that you can't take half an hour. Now come on, this is far more important.”
Meng Yao had known he would lose the moment he heard his lover's voice, but he still had to make the effort. He sighed and set his letter aside, then allowed his hand to be grasped as he was led away. A few minutes later, they had reached Ginger's cave.
“A-Sang, it's not feeding time yet-”
“It's not about that, just look.”
Meng Yao followed Nie Huaisang's finger to look where he was pointing, off to the side where Ginger had made herself a nice little nest. Ginger was out hunting at the moment – he assumed – but... was there something in the nest?
He approached with a bouncing Nie Huaisang at his side and looked over the edge of the mess of branches and hay and cloth that had been gathered together, and in the center of it all were three eggs.
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes!” Nie Huaisang gave him an excited smooch on the cheek. “We're going to be grandparents!”
And the Jianghu would never be the same again.
The End