omg that was the wrong list, I found the actual list. How about nielan 35? "You heard me. Take. It. Off."
Nie Mingjue is torn. His people need help rebuilding a wall, and while Nie Mingjue knows that there is no way he’s going to deny their cry for help, he can’t help but worry.
Helping his people would mean leaving Lan Xichen alone. Nie Mingjue isn’t worried about leaving Lan Xichen unsupervised, but he could get bored. Could decide that the Unclean Realm isn’t for him, and Nie Mingjue really doesn’t want that.
They have only recently gotten together and Nie Mingjue is in no way ready to let Lan Xichen go again.
The second thing Nie Mingjue is worried about is the fact that he’d have to work outside, where the sun can kiss him and make his tan darker and bring out all his freckles.
Nie Mingjue looks more like a farmer at the end of a work day than a Sect Leader, and he certainly doesn’t have the immaculate skin Lan Xichen--and all of the Lans--have.
Nie Mingjue scoffs at himself, but he can’t help but be worried that Lan Xichen will take one look at his freckle dusted face and turn around.
Nie Mingjue tries to tell himself that if Lan Xichen is being turned off by such a small feature he definitely isn’t worth it, but it doesn’t help much.
Nie Mingjue has been in love with Lan Xichen for so long, it would really crush him to see him walk out on him.
“Sect Leader?” his people ask, probably not for the first time, and Nie Mingjue stands up.
“I’ll be right there,” he tells them, because there could never be another answer, and then turns towards Lan Xichen. “I’m sorry about this,” he says but Lan Xichen shakes his head.
“Don’t be, Mingjue. Your people need help. I can occupy myself, I’m a big boy,” Lan Xichen gives back with a serene smile and Nie Mingjue sighs at that before he darts in for a quick kiss.
“If you get too bored, you can always come out and watch us work.”
“The idea might be tempting,” Lan Xichen says, and tugs Nie Mingjue closer for another kiss. “Now go be a Sect Leader.”
“As you demand, Sect Leader Lan,” Nie Mingjue says with a smile and bows playfully to Lan Xichen.
“Good, Sect Leader Nie,” Lan Xicheng gives back and then shoos Nie Mingjue out of his own throne room.
The audacity.
Nie Mingjue is quick to join his people, and soon enough it does get rather hot, with the physical work and the sun burning down on them.
Nie Mingjue hesitates for a second before he takes off his outer robe, but he figures his face must already be covered in freckles, so what are a few more on his shoulders? Those, at least, Lan Xichen won’t see.
So he takes off his outer robe, leaving him only in his sleeveless under robe and he goes right back to work.
He knows if Lan Xichen were to come by now, it would strike him as indecent, seeing Nie Mingjue like this, but in the Unclean Realm they don’t care much for this. They have work to do. It doesn’t matter what robes you’re wearing as long as you are able to move and don’t overheat.
Rebuilding the wall takes almost all day, and when it’s finally done, Nie Mingjue is feeling the strain of the work. He has kept his eyes peeled for Lan Xichen, but he didn’t drop by, which either means he found something to be occupied with, or he got bored and left altogether.
Nie Mingjue desperately hopes it’s the first option.
When Nie Mingjue comes back from the bath he took, he finds Lan Xichen waiting in his room, because of course Lan Xichen wouldn’t just leave like that.
Nie Mingjue really should know better, but there is still this doubt in his mind, that he got this lucky by mistake and that the ancestors will rectify that mistake.
“How was your day?” Nie Mingjue asks as he puts his back to Lan Xichen, occupies himself with shuffling things around on his table, because he’s not yet ready for Lan Xichen to see the freckles dusting his face.
“Good,” Lan Xichen easily gives back as he comes up behind Nie Mingjue. “Huaisang showed me around. He is very knowledgeable about the history of your Sect.”
Nie Mingjue lets out a sight, because this means that Nie Huaisang skipped his sabre practice yet again, but every thought leaves his head when Lan Xichen wraps his arms around his middle and rests his chin on Nie Mingjue’s shoulder.
“I have missed you today,” Lan Xichen lowly confesses and Nie Mingjue turns his head to press a kiss to Lan Xichen’s temple.
“I’m sorry I had to leave you,” he says, but Lan Xichen shakes his head.
“It’s your duty,” he says. “I love that you are such a hands-on leader. Not everyone would have gone out there themselves to help.”
Nie Mingjue supposes that it’s true enough, even though he never saw it like that. It’s his duty to help his people, no matter in what regard.
He’s about to tell that to Lan Xichen, when he suddenly gasps and pulls away, to turn Nie Mingjue around.
“Mingjue, are those freckles?” Lan Xichen asks, and he reaches out as if he wants to touch his face, but Nie Mingjue takes a step back.
“Yes,” he courtly says and hopes that Lan Xichen will let it just lie, but Lan Xichen’s whole face seems to light up at that.
“Get over here,” he demands and pulls Nie Mingjue towards the bed and the window, so the light reaches Nie Mingjue more easily.
Lan Xichen sits Nie Mingjue down on the bed and then climbs on his lap, eyes never leaving Nie Mingjue’s face.
“They are everywhere,” Lan Xichen breathes out in wonder, and this time he does put the tips of his fingers to Nie Mingjue’s skin.
“I’m sorry,” Nie Mingjue whispers, not really knowing what he is apologizing for, because he can’t change his skin after all and Lan Xichen pulls back, just enough that he is able to fully look Nie Mingjue in the eyes.
“Whatever for?” he asks, and Nie Mingjue helplessly shrugs, because he doesn’t want to admit that he’s insecure about his imperfect skin.
“These are adorable,” Lan Xichen tells him, because of course he knows exactly what has Nie Mingjue this worried and he leans in to brush a kiss over one freckle dusted cheek. “I wonder how many there are,” Lan Xichen then muses and taps his finger to Nie Mingjue’s cheek, again and again, and Nie Mingjue guesses he’s counting his freckles.
“Xichen,” he whispers, voice rough with emotions, but Lan Xichen levels him with a glare.
“Now I lost count,” he complains. “I’ll have to start again,” he decides and this time when he counts them, he touches his lips to every freckle he sees.
Nie Mingjue is actually glad for his tanner skin right now, because his face is burning and he would be an ugly shade of red, if it wasn’t for the colour the sun brought out.
“Xichen, what are you doing?” Nie Mingjue asks again, can’t help the laugh that accompanies his words, because the brief brushes of Lan Xichen’s lips against his cheeks actually tickle a bit.
“Shhh, I’m counting,” Lan Xichen reprimands him and he clearly intents to just go on with his quest, so Nie Mingjue leans his head back to look at Lan Xichen.
“Xichen, seriously, what are you doing?” Nie Mingjue asks again, but Lan Xichen is staring at his exposed neck.
“Nie Mingjue,” Lan Xichen seriously says and his tone immediately has Nie Mingjue worried.
“What?” he carefully asks and he is not prepared for the heat in Lan Xichen’s gaze when he catches his eyes again.
“There are freckles on your throat,” he says as if it’s a most serious matter and Nie Mingjue frowns, wondering if this might be finally too much for Lan Xichen.
“Yes?” he unsurely says and is surprised when Lan Xichen puts his hands on his shoulders and squeezes them.
“I need you to be honest with me now,” Lan Xichen demands and Nie Mingjue finds himself nodding before he’s even done speaking.
“Always,” he promises, because he can’t even imagine ever lying to Lan Xichen.
“How far down do they go?” Lan Xichen wants to know and it takes Nie Mingjue a few seconds to remember that they are talking about his freckles.
“I’m not sure,” he tries, but Lan Xichen narrows his eyes at him and Nie Mingjue sighs. “All the way down to my upper arms,” he finally admits and he is not prepared for how fast Lan Xichen gets up and off him.
He immediately misses his warmth but if Lan Xichen doesn’t want to be in his lap anymore, then Nie Mingjue is not going to force him.
“Take it off,” Lan Xichen says and he tugs on Nie Mingjue’s outer robe.
“What?” Nie Mingjue dumbfoundedly asks, because he cannot have heard Lan Xichen right.
“You heard me. Take. It. Off,” he demands again and when Nie Mingjue is still too slow to comply, Lan Xichen reaches out to undo his sash by himself.
“Xichen,” Nie Mingjue almost yelps and Lan Xichen huffs impatiently.
“Mingjue, I swear to the gods, if you don’t get out of your robe in the next five seconds, I will cut it off you,” he says and he’s already reaching for Shuoyue, so Nie Mingjue is quick to comply.
He sheds his outer robe, leaving him in a similar under robe than when he was outside, his shoulders and arms exposed.
“Beautiful,” Lan Xichen breathes out and smoothes his hands over Nie Mingjue’s shoulders and down his arms.
“A-Jue, you’re sun kissed everywhere,” he mutters and there is nothing but awe in Lan Xichen’s voice, so Nie Mingjue relaxes.
“They are permanent in summer,” he tells Lan Xichen who positively lights up at hearing that and then he bends down to press quick kisses to Nie Mingjue’s shoulders.
“A-Huan, you can’t count them all,” Nie Mingjue huffs out, but Lan Xichen seems determined.
“I can’t if you keep distracting me,” he decides and then pushes on Nie Mingjue’s shoulder until he falls backwards on the bed. “Now hush,” he orders him and Nie Mingjue slides his hand in Lan Xichen’s hair to tug him away from his shoulder and up.
“Make me,” Nie Mingjue dares him and Lan Xichen seems torn between taking him up on that dare and continuing his newfound mission of counting all the freckles on Nie Mingjue.
In the end Nie Mingjue decides for him, when he leans up and captures Lan Xichen’s lip in a kiss.
It’s enough to distract him for now, but it doesn’t keep Lan Xichen occupied for long. There are many more attempts to count Nie Mingjue’s freckles that night, not that he is ever going to complain about that. He can’t wait for summer.
[Prompt taken from this list, but please don’t send in more]
