jikan_rpg | January catch all!

"Yes. Yes, of course. I will be there as soon as I can."

Because, you know...kingdoms and travel and stuff. Cheng brings the things he knows to bring his people some measure of comfort in situations like this and he arrives with a satchel and himself.

It's another few moments of direction before he makes it to where Will is. Everyone was unbalanced because of...whatever happened. What the hell happened? He would find out now that he was knocking on their door and announcing his arrival.

"Come in."

Will's voice was subdued, even through the door. He may as well leave it open so the rest of the family can come and go. Will wasn't going anywhere. No, he was going to live in that chair beside the bed where Riley slept. He hadn't even bothered getting properly dressed: Will's still sitting there in a pair of nondescript grey lounge pants and a white tank top.

His head turned slowly when he heard the door open and he tried (and failed) to smile for Jiang Cheng. Though something that might have been relief flickered over his features.

"Come, sit with me."

Cheng didn't say a word as he looked over the scene, his heart in his throat. Dropping his bag as he kept walking forward, his eyes on Riley and then back to Will. Without any preamble or hesitation, he enfolded Will in his arms, sighing heavily as he kept him in his embrace.

He still doesn't know what happened. But he knew the other Fae breathed, so that was something. That didn't matter right now, only that Will was aware that he was here. He couldn't make it better but he might be able to make it easier to endure.

Oh... okay. Hugs were nice. Unexpected, but oh so very welcome. In fact, Will basically melted in Wanyin's arms. His shoulders slumped even more, he let out a long breath, and reached up to curl his fingers around Jiang Cheng's arms tightly. Desperately.

Oh, he knew he had the support of everyone in their household. He knew they were all worried, too, but they were all also busy dealing with whatever best helped them get through this. Will? He couldn't even muster a distraction. It was like his mind was empty and all that lived there was Riley and worry for him. Somewhere in the distance, he knew Vegas was in the kitchen making food for him. He knew Pete was making sure everyone was fed, he even spent some time here with Will and gently encouraged him to use the bathroom. He knew Kinn and Porsche were worried, too.

He didn't want to burden anyone anymore than they already were.

And yet here was Wanyin, who came because Will asked him, too. Who, he could clearly see, also worried for Riley. But he was here with Will right now, holding him when he needed nothing more than an anchor to keep him from disappearing in his sadness. And having those strong arms around him let Will feel safe enough to fall apart. He let out a shuddering sob and tears spilled over his cheeks as he clung to Jiang Cheng's arms.

"He was fine last night..."

It was bad. Cheng knew it was bad. But what was even worse were these stupid chairs. They were too high. "Here, come here."

He twisted, half lifting Will and sat on the floor with the Fae in his lap and his back against the bed. He could properly hold the man to him and let him pour out his grief. As he felt things start to settle, he started to comb his fingers through Will's hair. "He breathes still." Though it was terrifying. Okay one day and then unresponsive the next? Cheng knew several reasons for that and not many of them were good. "Will you let me check on him? I'm no healer, but I can check his meridians and see if something is amiss there." Would his knowledge of qi and cultivation be helpful here? He doesn't know. But it would be something, and the effort might help Will in this crisis.

It's not hard getting Will out of the chair. The hard part was moving him in such a way that he couldn't see Riley. He twisted and shifted so he could at least see the bed and the vague shape of his boyfriend in it. If Riley sat up, he'd see that, too, so this was okay. That stilled him and he eventually moved to wrap his arms around Jiang Cheng and lay his head against his shoulder to cry. Sorry for the tears and snot on your robes, JC. It's not pretty crying.

Wanyin's presence was a great comfort, even if Will couldn't express it in the moment. He was calm and his voice soothing. Just like a leader should be in a time of crisis. Will nodded slightly against his shoulder at the question, then lifted his head to give a proper answer.

"Would you, please?"

Riley's already been affected by the strange magics of this place once. Could it be something like that happening again? Or maybe their own kind somehow found a way to get to him. Surely Will would recognize the influence of his own people, though... He was at a loss.

He knew well what he needed to do in times of panic. To be a leader, one needed to be calm. Even if his mind raced to figure out what the hell was going on, he kept himself in check. Will didn't need another person freaking out.

He would never complain about the dampness on his robes. He wasn't pretty when he cried either, and had raised his nephew. It was part and parcel of who Jiang Cheng was. Slowly extracting himself from under Will, he moved to sit on the side of the bed, take care not to obstruct Will's view. When Cheng checked Riley over, it was merely some fingers passing from brow to belly, then taking Riley's hand and pressing the fingers to his wrist. He dare not use any of his qi to support or suppress because he simply didn't know what happened.

Sighing long through his nose, Cheng gently rested Riley's hand on the bed once more. "I do not detect any damage. No imbalance. His pulse and qi are strong. It is like...how a healer would put a Cultivator into a period of stasis to help their meridians heal after a deviation. But there's no reason for it--not one I could detect.

"He simply seems asleep."

Cheng frowned. Was his information helpful or harmful? He didn't know. "I wish I could help more in this. But I have tea and incense." He figured he would be here for a while. It wasn't a bad idea to just... treat it as some sort of seclusion period.

Will hasn't had to be strong for others for a very, very long time. It's so foreign to him now to rein in his emotions. And even though he knows Wanyin was worried for Riley too, he's grateful that his friend is being strong for him. He never expected that Jiang Cheng would come cry with him -- he didn't seem that type. But he's still just so grateful he came to be with Will at all.

There's a tiny spark of relief when Wanyin confirmed that he couldn't detect anything amiss. Will didn't sense any of the magics he's familiar with at play either. But in his distressed state, it would've been easy for Will to overlook something. Jiang Cheng, at least, had a little more objectivity.

Once Wanyin finished examining Riley, Will -- who was still on the floor -- reached up for his hand. Tea and incense could come later. Will needed his friend with him on the floor so he could lean against him, hold him, something, anything to wring out an iota of comfort.

"Thank you... for helping."

He was back down on the floor again, drawing Will up against his side and keeping a strong arm around him. It felt ... it felt really good to be needed like this, actually. It reminded him of the times when he wanted to help others--the people he was truly close to-and they pushed him away. That didn't happen here. And, of course, Cheng felt a bit guilty for feeling like that when Riley was comatose and Will was beside himself.

"I will be here for as long as you want me," Cheng murmured softly as he ran his nails gently across Will's scalp. He was already pondering how well everyone else was handling this. They were all close to Riley and while he had gotten closer to the Fae, it was logical in his mind that he help take some of the burdens in making certain people ate and took care of themselves while they waited for whatever had happened to pass.

Not to mention this place wasn't on the best side of town and might need some protection. Cheng didn't know and he hadn't asked anyone, yet. His eyes shifted to the window to gauge the time. "We'll sit here for a little bit and then have tea with me."

Hydration was more important than food.

He didn't just want Jiang Cheng there. Will felt like he needed him there. He didn't even want to burden Wanyin with his worried, he just wanted him there, next to him, holding his hand. It could easily have slipped his mind to reach out to Wanyin, but both he and Riley liked the man. And Will suspect Jiang Cheng liked them at least a little bit, too. He can't explain it, but Jiang Cheng has a different sort of presence than their makeshift family.

It felt like they could meet on the common ground of a more romantic love for Riley. It was a different kind of support than he could get from Kinn or Pete.

The feel of Jiang Cheng's fingers against his scalp was soothing. He'd been resisting closing his eyes for too long in case he fell asleep. But now? He couldn't help the way his lashes fluttered and his lids grew heavy. Will leaned heavily against him, just so very grateful to have him there. He couldn't find the words to express it.

"I hope he can hear us," he finally said quietly. "I hope he can hear everyone who loves him coming here to see him."

He felt Will sag against him and continued the soothing motions, pressing his lips to the top of Will's head. If someone asked him directly, Cheng would have declared that someone was in need and as a cultivator, he had a duty to help where he could. Personally...He wanted to be here. He missed having someone need him-truly need him-and it didn't require bedroom activities. Or his power as a sect leader. Hell, he was certain that even being a cultivator wasn't much help in this case; Cheng was no healer and he wasn't certain if he could use his qi to strengthen whatever had weakened in Riley.

"He can," Cheng murmured softly. "He may not remember when he wakes up, but the soul can. A-Will, get some rest. I'll stay awake, alright?" He didn't realize he had given the Fae the soft honorific until it was out of his mouth and decided that it was fine. "I'll wake you if something changes in him." He didn't think that would be any time soon, though. Riley was in a deep enough sleep.

Will absolutely needed him. His calming presence, the comforting touches. It also helped that they shared an emotional attachment. More than friends, but what exactly they didn't have a name for yet. Labels were unnecessary. It was the connection that mattered.

He canted his head to look up at Jiang Cheng with wide, hopeful eyes. "Do you promise?" If he promised, Will would agree to rest a little.

He couldn't resist that face. Those eyes pleaded for reassurance. It made his heart clench and leaned down to press a kiss to Will's forehead. "Yes. Get up for a moment."

It was quick work to put the incense on the table and light it. Then he returned to Will's side, already pulling his outer robe off to encircle the Fae's shoulders with it. Cheng promptly sat back down on the floor with his back to the bed and urged Will to lay his head in his lap. "I promise to watch over both of you while you sleep," he murmured softly, threading his fingers in the Fae's hair once more.

He could meditate while they slept and while meditating, he was more than confident he would be aware of any changes in Riley should it happen.

Will does as asked, watching Jiang Cheng carefully as he moved through the room. It was like he was Will's anchor and if he blinked too long the other man might vanish. So his red-rimmed eyes were fixed on Wanyin until he sat back down and wrapped Will in his outer robe. The Fae nestled into it, inhaling Jiang Cheng's unique scent. In other circumstances he might've teased, but for now? For now, he just enjoyed the added warmth of the robe and Wanyin's company.

He wasn't able to sleep for long. It was a fitful nap for maybe a little more than an hour before Will bolted up. Those dark eyes blinked and it took seconds for him to remember why he was on the floor in the first place and not in his bed. Blinking a few more times, he turned to look to Jiang Cheng and something that might have been a ghost of a smile passed over his lips.

"I thought I just imagined you, but here you are."

To Jiang Cheng's credit, he didn't completely resort to reaction mode. When Will jolted, he twitched from his meditation but deep down knew that if the place hadn't been safe, he never would have worked on his cultivation. He allowed Will to sit up and Cheng opened his eyes to look at the other. With only two layers of his robes on, he could feel the pleats not quite pressing close to his neck and collarbones, but he wasn't concerned about that. What he was concerned was about Will and Riley.

"I'm no imagination," he confirmed softly, taking a moment to brush a bit of hair out of Will's face. "How are you feeling?"

"Hollow," he answered honestly. Not empty, just... cavernous. Like everything inside him had been scooped out and placed elsewhere. "But you help," he added quickly. Yes, Jiang Cheng's presence was something warm, a spark that added to his hope and brought even a tiny bit of comfort. He wouldn't deny that.

"I think... Vegas is cooking if you get hungry. Pete's been bringing food to me. I can ask him for some for you, too."

Cheng smiled slightly at that. "When I'm hungry. Right now, I'm taking care of you, not the other way around. So don't worry. What do you need to be done here?"

More importantly, what does Will want outside of the obvious.

"I've had Vegas' cooking. It's excellent."

What did he need? He looked around vaguely until his eyes fell on the pile of pets curled up together near the couch. They knew something was wrong, too. He could tell.

"Can you take care of the babies? Do you know how to walk dogs?"

He'd seen the animals earlier, but his attention had been all on Will and Riley. He looks over to the group and smiles softly. "Of course. They must need to go out, anyway."

Cheng rests his lips on Will's temple, then starts to get up, looking over to the group. "Come on, let's go out."

"The cat, too," he added. "George feels left out if he doesn't get to walk with them." And yes, they had a leash for that tuxedo cat, too.

"The cat?"

That was surprising. So surprising that Cheng had to give Will a look. "You can walk the cat."

Well, this was Nippon and Nippon was weird. Cheng can work with it. "I just need their leashes, then."

Will nodded slowly. It's weird, he knows, but George likes to act like one of the dogs some of the time. George is a weird little guy. At least their dogs behave like normal dogs.

"Over there," he nodded toward the small table by the door. On it is a dish for keys and all four leashes for all four pets.

Everyone seemed eager for a walk (even the cat!) and it was a couple of minutes before he had all the wiggly butts leashed up. Before he left with them, Cheng walked over to where Will still sat and with a finger moved to tilt Will's chin up. There was a gentle kiss placed on his lips, something to further show that he was here and not going to let the Fae flounder.

"I will have the device on me if you need me."

Who knew how long it had been since the dogs were out.

Will made a soft, whimpering sound against Jiang Cheng's lips, then sighed with some measure of contentment.

"Thank you," he murmured, peering up at Wanyin from under his lashes. It was kind of him to help out. Even kinder to leave himself available to Will. Truly, if he hadn't already loved the guy, he'd be hopeless about it now.

The pets missed their morning walk, but they could sense that things were off and decided not to make a fuss about it. But now that someone's leashing them? They're basically dancing in place in excitement.

January catch all!

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