AND THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS
Nie Mingjue unlocks his apartment door after work, expecting to hear chaos and raucous laughter from within. He would be mistaken that late afternoon, as all of the lights were off and the apartment stood silent. He wouldn’t complain, as it had been a long day at the firm and dealing with his unscrupulous clientele and his lackadaisical staff had given him quite the headache. Now that he thought about it, he wouldn’t have minded just Huan being home to make him tea and soothe him with the guqin. He shrugs off his coat and hangs it by the door, turning on the kitchen light as he went, getting a bottle of water from the fridge. Wondering where all of his boisterous roommates had mysteriously disappeared to, he flips his phone out to text his brother Huaisang.
Da-Ge: Where are you guys?
A-Sang: I’m with Wuxian and Wanyin picking out records. Wangji is outside on the bench waiting for us. I thought Er-Ge would be home by now.
Mingjue raises his eyebrow slightly at that. Huaisang was correct. It was nearing 6 and Huan was usually home before he was. He started a new text to Huan.
Mingjue: Everything alright? I usually don’t beat you home...
A-Huan: Yes, I’m alright, my love. I stopped at the store to get some groceries and perhaps the video store for a movie night tonight.
Mingjue: You’re an old man trapped in a 28 year old man’s body, you do know that, right?
A-Huan: Both your brother and my brother-in-law have said, yes.
Mingjue decides to take advantage of the unusually quiet home and takes a long, hot, muscle-relaxing shower. He’s pretty used to not taking long showers, as there are six grown men who live in this apartment, but he’s treating himself today. Mingjue, of everyone in the household, deserved it the most. He towels off and changes into far more comfortable clothing before heading back to the living area to tidy up from their morning routines. Wei Wuxian had left his coffee mug and spoon on the table. Huaisang, apparently, had left his briefcase. Idiot. Xichen and Wangji don’t ever leave anything out of place, but this morning had been hectic, and Xichen had left his sweater hanging over the chair he usually frequents at mealtimes. Jiang Cheng had left the album cupboard open, as he was planning on adding more to their vast collection. How six twenty-somethings had managed to collect that many records would never cease to shock or amaze Mingjue. But, as Wangji was a composer, Wanyin worked for a record company and Wuxian was a music teacher, it shouldn’t surprise him that much at all.
Mingue suddenly hears his little brothers overly enthusiastic voice floating down the hall, and Mingue braces himself for the onslaught of sound that will be sure to follow the Fantastic Four as they whirl into the room. Like a typhoon. He was right to do so. As soon as the door slams open, there’s a cacophony of sound that pierces his eardrums.
“Da-Ge!” Huaisang bellows loudly.
Mingjue rolls his eyes. “Why do you sound surprised that I’m here? I texted you not a half hour ago asking where you are.”
“I didn’t know if you left again or not,” is the deadpan answer he receives. “You’re so elusive at the best of times.”
“I am NOT elusive. That would be Liebing and Baxia,” Mingue protests and points to where the two aforementioned cats lay slumbering on their tower.
Wuxian rolls his eyes. “Where do you think they learned that behavior from? Baxia from you, and Liebing from her elusive owner.”
Just then a musically soft voice enters from the hall. “Are you insinuating that I’m as elusive as A-Jue is? Wuxian, I smile at you.” He punctuates this fact by indeed sending the younger man an endearing smile.
Wangji takes a shopping bag from Xichen and hands it to Wanyin. “Help.”
Wanyin splutters. “Why am I always the one that helps put away groceries?”
“Because,” Mingue points out. “You’re the only one of us that doesn’t cook. And we don’t trust Huaisang to put things away correctly.”
A-Sang sends Mingue a dirty look but refrains from commenting. A-Huan sets the other bags on the table. “I bought The Princess Bride for us to all watch tonight.”
Wanyin groans from the pantry. “Do we have to listen to Wuxian quote the whole damn film this time, though?”
“A-Cheng!” Wei Wuxian feigns anger. “You take that back right now!”
“I will not! And myself and Xichen-ge don’t need to watch you and Lan-Er-Gongzi quote Wesley and Buttercup the whole time either.”
Lan Zhan blinks. “I don’t quote anyone, Jiang Wanyin.”
“But you don’t stop your idiot husband from doing so.” Wanyin goes back into the pantry as he says this.
Wangji all but growls, but before he has the time to say anything, Xichen intervenes. “Jiang Wanyin, don’t call your brother an idiot.”
Wanyin comes back out exasperated. “You always tell me that I shouldn’t lie, but then contradict that by saying I can’t call my brother an idiot. I can’t do both!”
Wuxian sends him a dry look. “If you’d just man up and ask Wen Qing out, and get a good lay, you wouldn’t be wound this tightly.”
Jiang Cheng actively ignores that entire sentence as he finishes putting the last of the canned goods away. Huaisang laughs. “Are you going to do what your big brother suggested, Jiang Cheng?”
“I’m not talking to any of you until tomorrow morning.” And he stalks into his room.
Huaisang giggles. “He’s the idiot now. He shares a room with me. He can’t resist my charms.”
“What charms, A-Sang?” Mingjue asks, eyebrow raised.
“I can’t show you, you’re my brother. It wouldn’t work. And I’m not demonstrating on Wuxian, Lan-Er-Gongzi would murder me in my sleep—“ “Wouldn’t have to be asleep,” Wangji adds in, and Huaisang goes on as if Wangji never spoke, “and you’d murder me if I tried on Xichen-Ge.” Huaisang points to Mingjue as he says this.
Xichen smiles softly on his way to the fridge. “The boy has a point, A-Jue.”
He and Wangji start preparing dinner, effectively ending the playful banter for the time being. Huaisang goes to the shared office with Wuxian, presumably to do after work things, but knowing those two they would gossip and giggle for the next half an hour. Mingjue opened his case files on the kitchen table to finish up his paperwork. A mug full of steaming hot tea appeared by his elbow a few moments later along with a quick kiss to his cheek from A-Huan.
The Lan brothers were both like this. Not saying much with words, preferring to show their affections through their deeds over flowery declarations of love. Mingjue, at first, was put off by this fact, when he began to see A-Huan in a different way, when they were juniors in high school. Mingjue couldn’t decipher if Xichen wanted just friendship or if he, too, was interested in a more romantic turn to their relationship. It wasn’t until Xichen boldly, and in front of Lan Qiren at a family holiday dinner, kissed him soundly on the mouth; blushing furiously from his neck to his hairline. That was 12 years ago, and Xichen still blushed the same exact way.
The smells of home cooking soon filled the small kitchen and the Wuxian and Huaisang, being the bottomless pits they are, couldn’t stand to stay away any longer. When Wuxian tried to sample some of the dinner, Xichen actually slapped his hand away, much to Mingjue and Wuxian’s surprise. “You won’t starve if you wait another ten minutes, Wei Wuxian,” A-Huan says, giving him a soft eye roll when Wuxian actually pouts. “You’re acting like A-Yuan. Do you want to sit in a highchair like he does, too?”
Wuxian stops pouting at that question and goes to stand next to his husband. “Lan Zhan, your brother is being mean to me.”
Xichen lightly laughs and Wangji gives Wuxian a look. “He wasn’t wrong.”
Wuxian pouts again. “Not even my own husband stands up for me anymore! Huaisang, you’re my only friend left!”
A-Sang smiles lightly. “S-Sure, Wuxian. I’ll be your best friend.”
“A-Sang,” Mingjue starts. “Why don’t you and your best friend set the table?”
“WE’RE 25 YEARS OLD DA-GE!”
“WE STILL HAVE TO EAT OUR FOOD, A-SANG!”
“STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD!”
“Both of you, shut up!” Wanyin had decided to join them for dinner, after all.
Wuxian actually does set the table, after a heated discussion with Mingjue about please move your paperwork off the table so we can eat now, thank you! that ended with Mingjue’s paperwork scattered on the floor and Mingjue chasing Wuxian down the hallway in retaliation.
Xichen had eased Mingjue off of his brother-in-law gently and without shouting. While Wangji had pulled Wuxian back and brushed off the dust from laying on the floor, being mercilessly tickled by Mingjue. They walked back to the table, where Wanyin was placing dishes out for everyone and Huaisang was pouring the tea. Xichen and Wangji were, per usual, silent during the meal, but Wanyin seemed to have forgotten the earlier spat and spoke animatedly with Huaisang about maybe submitting artwork for an album cover. And Wuxian being upset that his own brother didn’t ask him to use his art skills for that. Wanyin just ignored his whining. Mingjue shook his head at the younger boys antics.
Mingjue and Huaisang did the dishes, as Wanyin and Wuxian put away the leftovers and cleaned the table. It was part of the ritual. Two would cook, two would do the dishes and two would clean up the kitchen and food. Xichen got the movie set up as the other four did their parts, and Wangji had retrieved pillows and blankets from the hall closet to make the movie watching experience more cozy; the six of them couldn’t all fit in the room at one time, you see.
When they had all agreed to live together, they moved in from smaller apartments across the city. And each had brought their own furniture, but it wouldn’t all fit into the smaller living space, and have room for a full dining table. So they were left with the Jiang brothers’ leather sofa, a chair from Mingjue and Huaisang’s place and a ottoman storage bench and coffee table from the Twin Jades’ old place. It was eclectic, to say the least. But they liked it. The TV was a purchase they all went in on, as the smaller sets were in the couples’ bedrooms.
Mingjue dried his hands and went back to change into his pajama bottoms, as did the other three; Wangji and A-Huan had already done this. Mingjue sat on the floor cushion with his back against the sofa, drawing A-Huan into his arms silently. Wangji curled up on the chair with Wuxian and threw a blanket over their legs. Huaisang and A-Cheng sat on opposite ends of the couch, each clutching a pillow and sharing the long fuzzy blanket. Mingjue kissed A-Huan’s temple. “Do you need a blanket, love?”
He hears more than sees Xichen’s smile when he answers. “No, A-Jue. You keep me warm enough in your arms. But thank you for asking.”
Mingjue hears A-Sang fake vomit behind him. “Don’t make me come up there and sit on you, Huaisang.”
A-Sang makes no further comments or noises and Xichen begins the film with the remote. As the movie goes for awhile, he feels Xichen’s head fall into his shoulder, and notices the steady rise and fall of his chest. “You four finish this. I’m taking this old man to bed.” Mingjue carefully maneuvers himself from behind Xichen and carries him bridal style to their room, closing the door behind him with his foot.
He lays Xichen down onto their bed and removes the other man’s socks before bending his legs and sliding them under the comforter. A-Huan stirs softly, his voice soft with sleep. “Mingjue?”
“Shhh, go back to sleep, A-Huan.” He kisses Xichen’s temple softly, but Xichen had already drifted back to sleep before Mingjue could answer. Mingjue readies himself for bed in their en suite bathroom. They had snagged the room with the en suite stating that they had been together the longest and were older than the other four. Let them squabble over the shared bath. He turns the light off and crawls into bed next to Xichen, who subconsciously snuggles closer to him.
Mingjue can hear the Fantastic Four already at each other’s throats, more so Wuxian and Wanyin, with interjections from A-Sang than Wangji. After a half hour of that ruckus, Wangji could be heard carrying Wuxian to bed under protest from the latter and the noise died down considerably. Just as Mingjue was glad they got the en suite, he was also glad that the honeymooners got the room that didn’t share a wall with anyone else’s room. He had made the mistake of coming home early from the office to otherworldly sounds coming from Wangji and Wuxian’s bedroom. Never again would that occur. Jiang Cheng and A-Sang must’ve stayed up pretty late, as Mingjue woke at about three in the morning and the living room light was still on.
Mingjue slid out of Xichen’s grip and he crept to the door. Peering out into the shared space he saw both boys in the couch, fast asleep, and they were holding hands. Mingjue turned to go back to bed when a realization hit him. OH MY GOD THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS!
So, this is my first foray into writing fanfic in this fandom. Please leave me constructive criticism!! I want to get better!!
