Telegraphing his movements like Shen Qingqiu is some—some spooked animal, Liu Qingge slowly approaches. Shen Qingqiu doesn’t move. Tension chords through his muscles, making him stiff and knotted.
Liu Qingge sits down next to him, and then reaches out a slow hand. Shen Qingqiu watches, helpless, as Liu Qingge folds a larger hand over Shen Qingqiu’s. A tremor runs through Shen Qingqiu’s arm.
All too quickly, Shen Qingqiu unfurls his fingers. Liu Qingge’s eases the stick out of his palm, brushing flakes of bark off the mounds and lines. His touch is so careful, so slow, that it makes Shen Qingqiu’s arm shake again.
Liu Qingge puts the stick on the ground.
“You won’t treat her poorly if she goes to Qing Jing, will you?” Liu Qingge asks, drawing back to fold his hands in his lap. He looks at Shen Qingqiu, unwavering. “Shen Qingqiu?”
He asks. He’s asking this of Shen Qingqiu. The question is no overture to a threat. Liu Qingge could threaten him. He’s stronger than Shen Qingqiu. The better cultivator.
Yet Liu Qingge is baring his neck, utterly aware of Shen Qingqiu’s cruel bite, and asking him to be kind.
Liu Qingge thinks Shen Qingqiu can be kind.
I don’t know how! Shen Qingqiu doesn’t cry. Don’t ask this of me! I don’t know kindness!
But despite the pulp of hate grown over Shen Qingqiu’s heart—
He doesn’t want to willingly break Liu Qingge’s belief. Not yet. It may be inevitable one day, but for now…
“No, I won’t,” Shen Qingqiu says, voice cracking. He looks away, feeling terribly weak, feeling brilliantly powerful, feeling utterly seen. “Your sister would do too well to bother me anyway.”
- A Cat Beneath the Wintersweet Bush by redketchup Chapter 3
Some Liujiu for @redketchup for their wonderful fic— go read!! Thank you so much for commissioning me!
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