BAR HOP

[jc_superstar]

⌛ 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."

Comments

[jc_superstar]

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.'

[floralias]

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?"

[jc_superstar]

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."

[floralias]

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."

[jc_superstar]

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.

[floralias]

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."