#I just felt super uninspired this week and Wednesday crept up on me

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

WIP Wednesday

[I haven't added anything to the LQR raises Jingyi AU this week (sorry!!), so instead may I humbly offer some soft married Nieyao in the next chapter of the post-fic extra for All Dreams Were Worth Keeping that I'm tapping away at veeeeery slowly in between other things]

-/-

“Are you going to be alright?” Meng Yao asks him quietly one morning roughly a week later. They are, once again, standing in the hallway outside of Lao Nie’s room and Nie Mingjue is glaring a hole through the door. “It’s alright if you need to take your time -“

“This is ridiculous!!” Nie Mingjue snaps. Meng Yao reaches up to rest his hand on his shoulder in silence. “It’s just a room! It’s just stuff! I shouldn’t - I should be able to - it’s just shit and my dad isn’t here!!”

The house is silent around them. Somewhere, a bird titters just loudly enough for the sound to reach them at the end of the hall. Nie Mingjue is breathing heavily as if he’d just finished a sparring session, and he finds himself unable to look Meng Yao in the eye when his husband moves to stand in front of him.

“Mingjue.” He doesn’t raise his gaze until Meng Yao lifts his head with a finger under his chin, and even then he only does so begrudgingly. “Mingjue, listen to me. It is not shit in that room, it’s your father’s memory. It means something to you, and by extension to the rest of us. You’re allowed to be upset and to have a difficult time with this. It’s not ridiculous, it’s grief. Stop trying to act like you shouldn’t feel it.”

Nie Mingjue manages to keep still for roughly five seconds before he gives in to the desire - the need - to drag Meng Yao in for a crushing hug, his arms nearly looping him completely.

“Ow,” Meng Yao pouts, but he pats his back anyway so Nie Mingjue doesn’t loosen his grip. “You Nies and your big emotions. Let go of me, you big lug, we’ve got to get started if we’re going to make decent progress before we have to go get Jingyi.”

Nie Mingjue hums in acknowledgement but doesn’t let go just yet, instead electing to duck his head and cover Meng Yao’s cheek in scratchy kisses until his husband is laughing and trying to squirm out of his grip. Even something so simple as that does wonders to help him feel steadier and more present so he finally releases Meng Yao, who straightens himself out with an indignant huff.

“Do me a favor?”

“I am already doing you several favors, chiefest of which being this project of yours. But yes, what else can this humble husband do for you, da-ge?”

“Stay married to me for as long as humanly possible.” Meng Yao’s expression stills and then melts into something sugary soft. “And then marry me again in our next lives, just to make sure it sticks.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Meng Yao replies with a tart little smirk and a lift of one eyebrow. Nie Mingjue nods as if sealing a deal and then there’s no more delaying the inevitable - he lets Meng Yao lead him into Lao Nie’s room to begin their project anew.