#ANON YOU CAUGHT ONTO A GOOD IDEA WHICH ALREADY HAD AN EXISTING WIP so now ive finished it eheh | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thebiscuiteternal · 3 years

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Different anon but I need more of your YuSangYao AU! Maybe something with a little more about their love for and relationship with NHS? Or just just them being yanderes? Or both?

(I'm not actually doing a writing jam today, but I am procrastinating on working on my WIPs.)

Have a meet cute with underlying tones of ohshit.

_________

Muttering uncharitable things about little brothers that couldn't stay where they were put, Jin Ziyao stalked around the southern gardens of Koi Tower in search of the brother in question. The last thing he wanted or needed was for A-Yu to have been cornered by the other disciples in his age group.

Again.

They both still had bruises from the last time, and from the beating they'd been given for 'provoking their betters'.

He almost passed the pavilion at the furthest corner of the gardens, then froze before immediately backtracking, hoping he had just been imagining things.

But no, the young man in Nie Sect colors was still seated at the table, and A-Yu was still sitting across from him, chattering away on one of his tangents like they weren't in danger of another beating at the very least if they were caught accosting someone from another sect.

"-and I think it would just look more balanced with something in that corner. Maybe some sheep?"

"Sheep?" asked the stranger with a faintly amused smile, and Jin Ziyao bristled, ready to step in and protect his brother from any of the usual incoming mockery. Before he could react, however, the stranger tapped the handle of his brush against his mouth, appearing to actually contemplate the suggestion. "You know, I think you're right."

Wait, what?

As they both watched, A-Yu in stunned joy and he just stunned, the stranger swiped the bristles of the brush against his tongue before dipping it in ink and drawing in a flock of detailed little sheep settled on one of the mountainsides.

"That's much better," the stranger declared brightly. "Good idea, Yu-er."

His brother beamed under the praise, and Jin Ziyao took that moment to approach the pavilion.

"There you are," he said, letting a faintly chiding note into his voice. "I've been looking for you all morning."

A-Yu had the grace to duck his head at the gentle rebuke, but then was right back to grinning so hard it might split his face. "Nie-er-gongzi is letting me help with a painting, come see!"

Jin Ziyao did very well not to let himself feel faint when he looked at the stranger again. He hadn't been paying enough attention before, too focused on his brother, but he did recognize the other man now.

Nie-er-gongzi.

Nie Huaisang.

Of course his brother couldn't just latch onto another sect's disciple. Of course it had to be the sect heir.

Jin-furen was going to kill them both.

"Are you alright?" Nie Huaisang asked, the smile he'd had for A-Yu replaced by concern.

"Just perfect," he said curtly, quickly taking a seat so the table would hide his shaking hands.

A-Yu also looked at him in worry, then picked up the fried bun from the plate in front of him and tore it in half, offering him one.

Still somewhat numb, he accepted and bit in without thinking, and was surprised by how good it was. Rather than the overly-sweet or fancy but tasteless snacks he'd made himself get used to since being brought to Lanling, it had the salt of the frying oil and a little spice heat to balance out the custard filling.

"Where did you get this?" he asked after swallowing the bite.

"Nie-xiong let me have the last of his."

From Nie-er-gongzi to Nie-xiong already? His brother was treading dangerous ground, and at a fast clip.

"If I'd known you were coming, I'd have saved another for you. Da-ge says I need to lay off them anyway, or I'll turn into one," Nie Huaisang said amiably as he twirled the brush in his fingers, not seeming the slightest bit bothered about having already been given a familiar address despite their difference in status.

Jin Ziyao watched the motion, slowly regaining his mental footing. A-Yu leaned into his side and that helped considerably to help him fully settle back into himself.

Okay. This was fine. He was fine. It was casual conversation, that was all. "You were saying something about helping with painting?"

"Nie-xiong was stuck on the design, so I've been giving him ideas."

"Would you like to join in?"

He eyed the other man cautiously, then looked at the painting when it seemed no snide comment was forthcoming.

It was an unfamiliar village nestled among mountains, with birds swooping over the peaks and A-Yu's sheep. It was pretty; not the work of a full-fledged master, but someone who was definitely on their way to becoming one.

But it still needed... something. Nie Huaisang probably wouldn't have asked him to contribute just to be nice, at least Jin Ziyao didn't think he would, so he clearly agreed.

It needed... "Wolves. Watching the sheep from behind the trees."

"Ooh, a hidden danger narrative. Interesting..." Nie Huaisang tilted his head as he considered placement, then he did the same as before, swiping the brush against his tongue before dipping it in the ink. More trees emerged under his hand, their shadows forming a pair of canine shapes that the sheep, had they been real, would have been unlikely to notice in time. "There we go. Anything else?"

Was that a test? He scrutinized the painting, but couldn't think of any additions that wouldn't send it from balanced to cluttered. "No."

"It's done," A-Yu said with an air of finality, and Nie Huaisang smiled at them both.

"I agree. You two have good heads for this," he said as he started cleaning the brush. He said it so casually, too, like it was just simple fact and not the extremely rare scrap of praise it was.

He fought down the rise of heat in his face by focusing on taking another bite of the custard bun. A-Yu, on the other hand, was a bright pink and didn't seem to care, practically wagging his tail as he rested his chin in his hands.

"You mean it?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"We don't hear stuff like that a lot. Usually we're getting yelled at instead."

Jin Ziyao pinched his brother's leg under the table and got a sharp glare for it, which he returned in equal measure.

Even if it was true, A-Yu couldn't just say that sort of thing out loud, especially not in front of someone from another sect!

"That's a shame. You really did help me out here, I've been hating this thing for days," Nie Huaisang said, beginning to pack away his materials. Then he perked up. "Why don't you keep it?"

He and his brother both stared at the man, immediately distracted from the argument that was brewing between them. "Us?" they asked in almost perfect unison.

"It only seems fair, since I probably would have ended up trashing it without your input."

They shouldn't.

They really shouldn't.

The custard bun was one thing, no one would ever know about that. But if someone saw the painting in their shared rooms and got nosy about it- "Thank you," he found himself saying instead of the denial he'd intended to say. "We'll be careful with it."

The sunny smile made him feel a little dizzy. "Great! Da-ge should be getting out of the meetings soon, so I've got to go meet him before they call us all to dinner. I'll bring extra sweets next time!"

Next time.

Again, he said it as if it was just an immutable fact that there would be a next time.

"Yao-ge..." his brother murmured once they were alone in the pavilion. "We have to keep him."

He eyed A-Yu. "No fraternizing with other sects, remember?"

"Too late for that," A-Yu replied with a faint smirk.

"For all you know he'll have forgotten we exist tomorrow."

"But he might mean it. He might actually like us." Even with the stars in his eyes, his brother's gaze was sharp, hungry. The look of someone who'd been given a rare gift and was loathe to give it up for anything.

He'd be lying if he denied the same feeling had started to settle in his stomach. Such positive attention, and from a pretty sect heir, no less... it was enticing. Potentially addicting. "We'll see if he keeps his promise first," he said neutrally, finishing off the last bite of custard bun.

#mdzs #mo xuanyu #jin guangyao #nie huaisang #sangyu #sangyao #fanfic #sharing is caring au

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