jikan_rpg | BAR HOP

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BAR HOP

⌛ Who: Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian and anyone currently at Pete's
⌛ What: Wuxian wants to go button hunting. ~~But first he needs to learn what a button is!~~
⌛ When: 1/10, post wedding party
⌛ Where: Pete's Bar
⌛ Warnings: Nothing pressing at the moment. Too cold for Thai people to be out and about with unbuttoned shirts.

Cheng didn't realize how much of an undertaking it would be to bring Wuxian to the Eastern Kingdom. Of course, it was modern here with all sorts of strange contraptions for riding and driving that Wuxian had never been exposed to before. It was like herding a cat through a room of feet and trying not to get its tail stepped on.

Finally, they made it to Pete's bar and he opened the door for Wuxian, motioning him to enter. "The place is not what we're used to from back home, just to forwarn you."

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Will's also at the bar. Not because he's drinking -- poor Jiang Cheng's seen how disastrous that is! -- but because he wants to watch people hunt for the missing buttons. And, oh, does he have a few ideas of how they went missing (Vegas and Pete are so naughty!). He's sitting at a table sipping juice when he sees Jiang Cheng come in, friend in tow, and basically sparkles.

Juice forgotten, Will slides out of his seat to make his way over with a playful cry of "Cheeeeeeeeng~" By the time he finishes drawing out his friend's name, he's latched on from behind, arms wrapped firmly around his waist. Yes, Riley told him that they're allowed to call him by his given name now and he's so thrilled. "So~ are you going to be my boyfriend yet?"

He looks at Wuxian with a warm grin, but doesn't make any effort to let go of the other man's brother. "Introduce me to your friend, please."

By the time he had prepared himself for the tackle, he was already leeched. Looking down at hands clutched together before him, Cheng could only smirk and shake his head. And he rested his hands over Will's. "Hello, you."

At the mention of boyfriend, Cheng's ears went a little pink, but he didn't bluster or act dramatically. The concept actually was growing on him more and more by the day. He still wasn't sold on the idea yet, but to have the chance to mull it over and poke at it to his heart's content in his head was refreshing. And they were allowing him that time, so it was even better. "What does your husband say about that?" Cheng couldn't help but smirk, glancing behind him to look at Will.

"Wuxian, this is my...currently good friend, Will. Will, this is my brother Wei Wuxian. He's arrived here recently and on the hunt for free drinks."

What the hell? The only time he's ever seen someone act like that with his brother was when they were kids with Yanli. Even with that, he recognizes immediately this is in a very different tone. Cheng doesn't put on his usual grumpy demeanor but seems perfectly comfortable with this display of affection. Things really are different here, but this can only be good if his brother looks this happy.

"'Good friend' indeed," he teases with a friendly chuckle. "It's nice to meet you, Will."

Will rests his chin on Jiang Cheng's shoulder and lights up at learning the other man is Cheng's brother. When he first met Cheng, he was sad because his brother, among others, had vanished from this world. He nods at Wuxian's teasing, his smile just as bright as ever.

"We are very good friends!

Then he cants his head and his smile softens as he addresses Cheng. "Well, my husband wants you to be his boyfriend, too, so I think it'll be okay."

Then he turns his focus back to Wuxian. "Are you here for buttons? I saw Pete was looking for buttons~ I'd look, too, but I don't drink alcohol so it wouldn't really serve any purpose for me."

It was just that tone and the way Will looked at him that Cheng zoned out for a moment. He sent a prayer to the ancestors that maybe this time...

"Wuxian does many things for a free drink. Usually, it's mooching and not finding lost things." He watched his brother with some amusement, fingers slowly threading a bit with Will's.

If the goal is to make Wuxian uncomfortable then they were succeeding. He can handle shameless just fine, but this conversation right in front of him after how poorly his last interaction with his brother went is awkward.

However, no one would know that's how he's feeling with the easy, humored smile on his face and his tone remaining friendly. "It's as good a motivation as any! And did I not offer to pay at Sakuranbo?" He tosses back. "I also like games and being helpful."

He notices the way his brother's hand curls in Will's. "So how did this all happen? It's been a really long time since I saw Jiang Cheng with that kind of smile on his face. You and your husband must be treating my brother very well." And since that's the case, he will make a point to treat them well too. His brother's happy and that's the most important thing in all of this.

That's certainly not Will's aim. He's just an affectionate little Fae, especially with the people he loves. Even something as small as Cheng's fingers twining with his was enough to make Will's eyes brighten. Even slow progress is progress!

"Games are fun." Will agreed with enthusiasm. Then a realization hit him! He should introduce them to modern board games! They would fight horribly over Monopoly, so maybe not something like that... if they even have Monopoly here. Will can't clearly remember when it was invented. 1920s Japan might not have games like Cluedo or Sorry. What a pity!

Will's smile softened and nuzzled against the side of Cheng's throat. "We treat all our boyfriends like this," he explained. "Cheng hasn't said yes quite yet, but he will. I have faith!"

He blushed hard at this. They were willing for him to make the next move. It was refreshing considering people made the decisions for him or just assumed this was what he wanted because why wouldn't he? That's what everyone wanted, right? Why should Jiang Cheng be any different?

But he was, and he blushed even harder at the nuzzle. "When we are from, it's not so open here. Relationships. It... takes some time getting used to."

Who Cheng was speaking to was anyone's guess. His statement could easily be meant for either man.

Wuxian frowns a little, but he's torn. It's clear his brother is happy and enjoying this, but he didn't like how that sounded. By 'all our boyfriends' it seemed like Will was saying Jiang Cheng was one of many. His brother deserved to be special, not just part of some harem. He was worth so much more than that, even if the man has doubted himself his whole life.

However, Cheng had said he doesn't want an advisor and he doesn't want anyone making decisions for him, least of all his brother. So Wuxian just sends a tiny prayer out to the universe that his brother really is being valued.

"Well, if you're happy then I'm happy for you." He gives his shidi a smile. "I should let you two talk and see if I can find one of these buttons. It was nice to meet you, Will." He gives his brother a pat on the back. "Be good to him."

Will blinked. In a small voice he said, "O-okay. Bye."

Once Cheng's brother wandered off, he loosened his hold so he could turn the man in his arms to face him. Faint lines of worry were there, nothing like what had been there while Riley was comatose. It was a very different flavor of worry.

"Did I say something wrong?" He still didn't know a lot of Cheng's customs and he had to wonder with the man's brother excusing himself so abruptly if he'd made some social misstep.

Cheng was still in a daze, only this time trying to frantically figure out what the hell had just happened. Why was it that every time he wanted to show someone he was supposed to be close to something good in his life, they ran off? Yes, there were many different customs here, but how many times had Wuxian practically draped himself over Lan Wangji? How shameless had his brother been with smuggling erotic things into Gusu? Smuggling wine into Gusu? Cheng hadn't thought that what they were doing, talking, standing close, holding hands--that wasn't terrible a thing! Was it because he had been here so long and been acclimated to the strange habits other people had? The whole affair smarted of how he had been rejected time and again and left to fend for himself.

"I don't know," Cheng said quietly, his shoulders very squared and prepared like a defensive wall even though his eyes were downcast, hoping that the one tear in the corner of his eye wasn't going to fall. "We... didn't have a good reunion when I found him here again. We fought. And he noticed--those stupid ears were back and I didn't know and everyone just loves those things and I don't." He's rambling. He knows it. The heel of his hand mashes into his eye to try and keep the water from falling. "Every time I try to have control over my life and just...nobody else likes it. My family... is not a good one." They were as dysfunctional as they came and he knew it even though he didn't really know the feelings and actions would be termed 'dysfunctional.'

Will exhaled heavily -- not because of anything Cheng did or said, but the situation that brought him to this. What could he do other than pull Jiang Cheng close and hold on tight. If he needed to cry, so be it. Will couldn't muster complicated illusions like Riley could, so instead he started leading Cheng toward a booth in the corner where it would be harder to see them.

Once he ushered the man into the seat, he sat beside him, to better hide him from prying eyes. One arm around his shoulder, the other reaching to clasp his hand, Will peered at him with deep sympathy in his dark eyes. "What do you need from me right now?"

Hell, not even his advisors back home asked that. It was always what did the sect leader want done, or who did he want whipped. There was never such a question as to what he needed from someone else.

"I don't know."

He didn't. He never had people just do this for him--well, he had Yanli, but she wasn't here and had her own life to run. He wasn't going to go running all the way back home to tell her what happened! What, two brothers got into another tiff? That was like saying the tea was brewed every day!

Cheng looked broken and defeated. He didn't know what he wanted. He didn't know if he should run out and try and fix it again even though he knew full well it wouldn't work. If it worked, they wouldn't be here like this. Again. A horrible, nightmarish...fucking time loop in Cheng's head.

"I wish I did. I want to stop this but it keeps happening and every time I try to change it, it just...fucking crumbles like a rock slide."

Will tightened his arm around Jiang Cheng's shoulders. He wanted to give this man all the support he needed in whatever way he needed it.

"That's okay if you don't know. I'll be here for you. Right here, just like this. You do whatever you feel is best for you right now in this moment. I'm not here to judge you for anything, Cheng. All I care about is taking care of you."

Not trusting his voice to work, he swallowed hard and nodded. No one else needed to judge him because in his head, he's doing plenty of it himself!

And slowly, while he was still aware that there were other people in the bar, just shifts over to rest his head on Will's shoulder. It seemed every time he was around family, he was mentally wrung out. It was exhausting.

It hurts to see him this way. Will wished there was some way he could make whatever hurt Cheng felt stop immediately. But he also knew that's not how pain worked. Heartache was a peculiar thing and he knew Cheng well enough to know that's what he was feeling over his brother.

What on earth had gone so wrong?

Holding Cheng tighter, he just breathed out a sigh at all of this.

"Why don't you come stay with me and Riley for tonight? We can just snuggle up with the pets and listen to music. I can even play for you if you like."

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BAR HOP

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