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guqin-and-flute · 4 years

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How did jgy deal with his migraines when he was at the Unclean Realm? Can nmj recognize when he’s about too have one?

@little-smartass said: a-fu gets jgy sick when they’re at the unclean realm… he cannot possibly travel… but lxc needs to get back to cloud recesses… “you’ll just have to nurse him back to health da-ge” says huaisang very innocently, who wants them to make up almost as much as lxc

[I’m going to smush these two together because you are both brilliant.]

Nie Mingjue doesn’t want to recognize the signs; actually resents a little that he knows the man so well, still. That he still worries at all about him.

The visit was doomed from the start, from the moment that Lan Xichen lands with A-Fu in his arms, hands him to Jin Guangyao and their son promptly sneezes directly into his face. It would have been amusing if it had happened to either of his other fathers, but as it was, the familiar cycle begins to creakingly turn again.

Lan Xichen anxiously eyes Jin Guangyao, running his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and gently asks how he was feeling. Jin Guangyao smiles and shakes his head and passes it off, as he always has; “I’m fine, Er-ge. It was probably from the altitude change or the cold--nothing says he’s sick.”

Nie Mingjue wants to scoff at his naivete, but holds his counsel.

A-Fu begins to cough, to complain of a headache, of being cold and tired and, helplessly, they take care of him as best they can with soup and rest and snuggles, knowing what is coming. Jin Guangyao maintains his smile throughout. When Xichen worries if he should even be taking his turn at A-Fu’s bedside when needed, he simply points out that he has very certainly been infected already. “This is our time to be with him,” he reasons, as if he’s being very logical and placating, expression affectionately patient. “I don’t want to waste it worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet.” Nie Mingjue wants to shake him for purposefully continuing to push his luck in what could only be called idiocy.

The adults are having a private dinner in Nie Mingjue’s rooms when Jin Guangyao coughs for the first time and immediately holds up his hands as 2 eagle eyed gazes swivel to him with intensity. “I swallowed wrong,” he insists with that stupid little apologetic smile that means he is hiding something. “I’m fine.”

He is not.

The next few days, Nie Mingjue watches him--out of annoyance more than concern--as he slowly but surely starts displaying all the signs of ignoring his own limitations and continuing to push. His dark circles deepen, his smile wilts at the corners, and, when he thinks no one is looking, it drops off completely and he closes his eyes and just breathes. Every time he coughs, he winces, stops his hand from going to his head. Idiot. Nothing they say can make him listen because they have both tried in the past. He just widens his eyes in that way he does, smiles and finds a way to squirm out of the conversation. A-Fu trying to run around while still lingeringly ill was as good a distraction as any. He rolls his neck and forgoes meals, claiming he has no appetite. As he always has done when it starts to get bad.

Idiot.

It was the last day of their visit and Lan Xichen had insisted on spending the night with Jin Guangyao, a fact that Nie Mingjue is trying and, for the most part, succeeding in not being disgruntled about--thought it’s not as if the man couldn’t take a damn nap every once in a while and avoid this whole thing. It’s not as if he doesn’t know how sick he gets. He is incredibly unsurprised when Xichen slips from the room and carefully closes the door behind, lips pressed and brow furrowed.

“It’s one of his headaches, isn’t it?”

Lan Xichen sighs and nods, running his thumb over Shouyue’s sheath. “It is. Not as bad as it’s been in the past, but bad enough. He admitted he hasn’t been sleeping well, probably because of what he caught from A-Fu and it’s probably triggered it. So, now it’s both.”

Nie Mingjue vents an unimpressed sound through his nose, arms folded and Lan Xichen shoots him a gently reprimanding look. “Da-ge, he’s in pain.”

“And if he had just taken care of himself like an adult, he wouldn’t have to be.”

With another sigh, Xichen tugs one of Nie Mingjue’s braids and moves down the hall away from the door, wordlessly asking him to follow, which he obliges. “Is A-Fu packed up and ready?”

Nie Mingjue nods, reaching out to take Lan Xichen’s hand as they walk, which makes him smile--which was the whole point. “He is. You know he’ll be alright. He always is.”

Xichen grimaces. “He can’t fly today, he hasn’t the strength.”

Nie Mingjue grimaces right back, but tilts his face to the wall so he doesn’t see. He isn’t exactly surprised, but having the prospect confirmed doesn’t make him any happier. “I figured. Well, it’s not as if I’m going to kick him out, he can stay until he recovers. We have plenty of servants.”

As they reach the main hall where A-Fu is playing some intense game that involves Huaisang’s feet and cascades of shrieking cackles, Lan Xichen looks as if he wants to say something but instead shakes his head with a sad smile, then leans in and kisses his cheek. “Behave?” He murmurs into his ear, the warmth of his breath making Nie Mingjue suppress a shiver.

“I’m not going to harass a sick man, Xichen. I’m not that heartless,” he rolls his eyes and leans his temple against his.

“Mmm,” Lan Xichen hums, setting his chin down on his shoulder briefly. “You’re not heartless at all, A-Jue.”

After Nie Mingjue has gathered the both of them into a hug and pressed kisses to their cheeks and instructed them to fly safe--to which A-Fu had cheerfully reminded him that he had no say in--he reluctantly turns to Huaisang. “Jin Guangyao--”

“Is sick! I know, I heard from a little bird named A-Fu who very much wanted to stay an extra day, apparently,” Huaisang cuts in airly, tapping his closed fan against his lips. “Very distressing.”

“Xichen had a meeting with a Caiyi town official and it couldn’t wait,” Nie Mingjue agrees almost grudgingly. “I was wondering if perhaps you--”

“Oh, I couldn’t, I have sabre practice today!”

Huaisang does a very good job of holding his disbelieving stare, eyes wide and guileless. At least for a little while, after which he begins to waft his fan in distracting little circles, sucking his lips in to keep his smile from spreading across them. “Fine,” Nie Mingjue says, testily. “I’ll ask Zonghui--”

“Oh, he’s the one who is teaching me sabre practice today,” Huaisang blurts hastily, edging sideways for the doorway.

“Huaisang--”

“Ah! I’m late! Farewell, Da-ge!” he calls as he sidles right out the door, leaning back in only to say, “Tell San-ge that I said hello! Hope he feels better!” This last bit is steadily fainter as his footsteps retreat at speed down the hallway.

Though he feels distinctly annoyed by the incredibly transparent lie, he heaves a sigh and sheathes Baxia in her stand by his throne before backtracking through the hallways to Jin Guangyao’s room. It’s probably more decorous for him to not pawn off a host's duties onto someone else, anyhow. And, he has to grudgingly admit, Jin Guangyao is Xichen’s other partner and A-Fu’s other father. And he already knows how to care for such episodes from when he was still Meng Yao, still his vice-general.

His jaw clenches at the memory, grinding his teeth, but he gathers what he needs all the same.

Jin Guangyao stirs groggily at the sound of the door, but he doesn’t open his eyes. “Er-ge...I’m….” his voice his small and hoarse and for all that Nie Mingjue does not like him, is annoyed by his inability to take care of himself, and wants to not pity him, he does have to admit--he sounds absolutely wretched.

He remembers a time when Jin Guangyao had curled into the corner of Nie Mingjue’s bed, years ago, crying silently with the pillow over his head as the Clan Leader hovered anxiously, not knowing what would help and what would hurt. Nie Mingjue grimaces and pushes it away.

At least he knows, now.

“It’s me.” He is sure to pitch his voice low and quiet. “Xichen left.”

Jin Guangyao gives a weak start, his eyes blinking open and then squeezing back shut in obvious pain, his mouth pressing thin. Gods, he’s pale, from his hairline to his lips. Nie Mingjue had forgotten exactly how pitiful he could look when he was sick. At least this was one of the only times he can be sure he is seeing the truth from the man--no one as obsessed with control and saving face as him would ever show such obvious weakness to someone like him.

“Oh. Da-ge...you needn’t…”

Nie Mingjue rolls his eyes because he cannot scoff and quietly makes his way to the bedside, setting down his armful of supplies on the nearby table. “Hush. Talking makes it worse.”

Jin Guangyao makes a vague, thin sound that might have been agreement and falls silent, eyes slitting open again to watch him arrange things briskly, blinking slowly. This close, his breathing is wet and shallow, his pale lips dry and Nie Mingjue fights the urge to strangle him. He wants to reprimand him, to demand what he thinks ignoring illness would do but this, if he thinks that A-Fu would enjoy his father becoming seriously ill because he wanted to stay up and play pretend with him, whether he thinks at all about how this sort of thing affected the people close to him, but he bites his tongue and thrusts out a cup. “Drink. It’s water.”

Watching him slowly attempt to struggle upright snaps the last little bit of patience and he leans in and, keeping his touch light, carefully sits him up and leans him against Nie Mingjue’s side. He is searingly hot through the single layer of underrobe he wears and he squeezes his eyes shut. “Da-ge….” grinds out of him, worryingly slurred and Nie Mingjue holds the cup to his lips.

“Drink,” he commands quietly, again.

Jin Guangyao does. It is quiet and dark and close and Nie Mingjue is focusing on the far wall so he can pretend that Jin Guangyao isn’t tucked against his side, his heartbeat thrumming through his back like one of Huaisang’s birds against his bicep. Until he begins to cough. Nie Mingjue knows it’s bad the moment it begins. The coughs are like what A-Fu had, but worse, deep and wracking and, from the way the hand that’s not covering his mouth goes up to clutch his head, make the pain all that much more splitting. Nie Mingjue doesn’t move, doesn’t hold him--though he almost feels like he should from the way it feels like he’s shaking apart beside him. He knows that every touch is magnified, every sensation translated to discomfort at best, pain at worst.

It ends with Jin Guangyao stifling gagging, fingers digging into the bed covers, doubled over, before they peter out on panting breaths that huff out on an involuntary half-whine. Nie Mingjue takes in a breath to speak and Jin Guangyao winces at just that--so he doesn’t. He merely carefully sets the cup down and taps his fingers against the pillow. Slowly, Jin Guangyao leans back until he’s sunk back into it, hair spread like inky, tangled clouds across it, his even paler face now shining with sweat--and tears.

Without speaking, Nie Mingjue carefully lays one of the soft cloths over his eyes then wets another in the cool water from the pitcher, slowly wiping down his face and neck. His lips are pursed the entire time and his intent is to glare down at the idiot in his guest bed to convey just how avoidable this whole thing was, but he feels that the effect is a little muted by just how like a corpse he looks, lying there, pale and utterly still. It’s unnerving. If it wasn’t for the fast, labored breaths and his unnaturally hot skin, he would be indistinguishable from one who was freshly dead.

Then, said-idiot swallows and asks in a ragged whisper, “Fufu...left?”

Nie Mingjue nods, murmurs, “A while ago. Xichen worried he would be too loud for you.”

The hand that lies on his chest curled, as if it wants to tighten into a fist but hasn’t the energy and he whispers, “Ah.”

“This was enormously fucking stupid of you,” Nie Mingjue points out grumpily, unable to help himself.

Jin Guangyao is silent for long enough as Nie Mingjue loosens his robe enough to wipe down his whole chest, carefully tugs his damp hair free from behind his neck that he thinks he has fallen asleep, but as he slips the cloth back into the bucket and rises to leave, Jin Guangyao twitches. “Thank….”

“Hush. Drink more water when you wake up.”

#ask #my fic #my stuff #3zun #3zun raise Jingyi #I hesitate to tag this as nieyao because he's literally just like 'THIS ASSHOLE' in his head the whole time but #it is aggressive and grudging care #YAAAY SICK FIC!#Thank you la-belle-et-la-bete for migraine JGY hours #And to Mads for the lovely idea of A-Fu coughing DIRECTLY INTO HIS FATHER'S FACE #As he would #And to all the great sick!JGY anons in my inbox who I will get to momentarily 😈#Anonymous #'i don't like him!' nmj protests angrily as he gently wipes his face and fixes his hair 'i hate his guts!'#3zun raise jingyi au

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thewickling · 3 years

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I had this idea floating around my head and I don't really plan on writing it but I want to release this 3zun into the ether.

Possible Tags: Canon Compliant, Arranged Marriage, Post-First Siege of the Burial Mounds, Canon Divergence - Thirteen Years of Wei Wuxian's Death, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Political Drama, Eventual Polyamorous Relationships, MDZS Compliant

Premise: Madam Jin leverages her position to marry Jin Guangyao off to a sect-rate sect to wholly cut him off from Lanling Jin's sect leader position - LXC and NMJ interfer.

NMJ discovers that XY is only imprisoned and not executed. He prepares to march to Jinlingtai and force them to correct this. He runs into Lan Xichen who is very much did you hear?

Lan Xichen informs Nie Mingjue that Madam Jin plans to marry Jin Guangyao. Tradition and everything means they can't interfer directly without some complicated sect politics fall out. Nie Mingjue doesn't really care but Lan Xichen stops him from being rash.

Obviously, the option is if one of them marries JGY. Between LXC and NMJ, marrying a male spouse has a bigger impact on Lan Xichen's reputation than Nie Mingjue's.

Nie Mingjue does the "okay so if you're looking for someone to marry JGY off to, give him to me". JGS is greedy enough to accept the better proposal.

(Why Nieyao first? If I was treating 3zun like 3 sets of equations, Nielan and Xiyao are easier to solve starting off but opening either a semi-established relations to a JGY/NMJ later is harder. Basically solve the harder line of it first and then squishing LXC seemed seem better in the long run).

You know how LXC teaches JGY the Song of Clarity to get Nieyao to bond? Well, now LXC teaches it help faciliate their marriage :3 JGY actually plays it properly because now his life is tied to NMJ's. We get a bonus, less tempermental NMJ.

There's an uneasy peace in the Unclean Realm where NMJ mostly ignores JGY and JGY tries subtly manipulate NMJ while stablizing his position within the Nie Sect.

That peace breaks when NMJ catches wind of the Jin Sect trying to suppress the Chang Clan to avoid executing Xue Yang. JGY is very obviously attempting to balance his position as a Jin as a NMJ's spouse to stop NMJ from storming Lanling. The fakeness sets off NMJ.

"Stop flitting about, Meng Yao. Don't put on an act in front of me," Nie Mingjue says, swatting the air. "Your thing stopped fazing me ages ago."

"[sic JGY's commentary on class and privilige]. Jin Guangshan would rather bring another illegitimate child back than want me to succeed him! Madam Jin would rather marry me off than allow me to remain in her household."

"Why care about their opinions? They've casted you aside," he says, crossing his arms. His gaze is sharp and harsh but Jin Guangyao cannot recall when has it last been kind to him.

He hisses, "A well fed man believes not the man who starves! I admit my face is thin. How can it be thick? No one bothers to turn their head before they remark on my upbringing."

"Become great," Nie Mingjue states so plainly it pierces. "Make it so everyone who speaks Jin Guangshan's name instead thinks it's a shame that he never acknowledged you. That Madam Jin was shortsighted to marry you off. Why must you mind others? Silence them with your ability."

"What can I achieve? The little progress I made has been thrown into disorder. Who dares deals with me? It's clear I have no support in Lanling." Jin Guangyao spits, "It's obvious to everyone that my husband married me out of obligation. That you depise me. That you rather I vanish. May I ask, how can I achieve anything under these circumstances?"

"Lan Huan clearly favors you. And you're mistaken. I wasn't forced into this marriage," he says.

"I don't know how er-ge convinced you, but it's clear. You hate me." That word slides out more of a sob than an accusation. "Da-ge, I've always wanted to asked - why can't I be forgiven? Both our hands are stained so why do you bring up my desperate actions over and over?"

"I have never raised my saber for personal gain." His brusque manner relays how self-assured he is.

"If I understand correctly, then you say all of the people you killed deserved their deaths?" he laughs, "Then you must abhor me. I can never meet your standards. My hands can never be clean. If you find me so unpleasant, why did you marry me? If I am so unforgivable, why did you ever agree to be my sworn brother?"

"Do you believe anyone can force me into a decision? Whether it was brotherhood or marriage, do you believe anyone would?" he asks, turning his chin up. "No one can make me yield. I agreed for..."

He knows himself. Nie Mingjue accepted the rites to gain some influence over Jin Guangyao. If Lan Xichen were right, there was still room to correct Jin Guangyao's course. But why did he give Jin Guangyao that second chance? Why did he offer him a third? This isn't like him.

Why are you my exception? Nie Mingjue wonders, but says, "I didn't do this to spite you."

Jin Guangyao stills. This is the most ground he's seen Chifeng-zun give to anyone. His mind re-awakens and be pounces.

He questions, "So if I follow your path and risk my ties with the Jin Sect, can we agree to put our pasts behind us and try?"

"I haven't forgiven you."

Jin Guangyao's smile stiffens. "I know. I suspect you never will, but you won't ever convince me on the merits of justice and righteousness for its own sake..."

He slows at the firm set of Nie Mingjue's jaw. He redirects. No, he disarms himself. "Merit and justice won't move me when that seems as prone to temptation as my ambition."

"Meng Yao," Nie Mingjue hisses.

"You ask me to not lie," he grasps Nie Mingjue's hand. "Abstract concepts like that... They can't convince me of anything. If I said otherwise, I'd painting my words in the way you despise."

He inhales sharply. Somehow speaking plainly tastes strange on his tongue. He struggles to arrange his thoughts. He sighs, "I will never be the marriage partner you wished for. We've both done things the other can't accept... Don't forgive me but put it in our past... We understood each other once."

"Can try?" Jin Guangyao flattens his thoughts. "Can we try? I will do my part. Promise to try to understand me?"

And accept me, he thinks, but that never leaves his throat.

Nie Mingjue steps away and it's like he's been thrown down a thousand steps again.

Over his shoulder, he states, "I'll tell Zhonghui to put the conference organization in your hands."

This is their turning point. The first time they've both faced each other and listened in years. Nieyao obviously butt heads a lot but their communication gradually improves. JGY convinces NMJ not to storm Lanling and instead let him try to convince the other sects to pressure JGS.

NMJ gives JGY until the martial conference before he'll do something himself.

LXC visits throughout this period but his force is mainly on rebuilding parts of his sect. He does help JGY convince the other sects to pressure JGS into executing XY.

LXC watches JGY and NMJ get along and at first he's happy but he quickly feels left out. When he realizes that, he becomes ashamed of himself.

Before the trio can confront JGS, he announces at the conference that XY will be executed X time and anyone he doubts his word can witness it themselves.

XY is executed. People see his face. Something about how performative it, how XY moves plans a seed of doubt in JGY but he can't figure out what is off - other than JGS wants the Tiger seal too much to give XY up so easily.

JGY is side-tracked trying to get NMJ to support his watchtower plans. When NMJ finally agrees, JGY focuses on the logistics and getting other sects on board.

We get Nieyao's relationship improving and NMJ realizes his desires first. Unlike LXC, NMJ realizes his feelings, accepts them, and then acts on them nearly instantenously.

JGY does the logical thing when finding out the da-ge that once wanted you dead is like join me in bed - he runs and visits (hides) in the Cloud Recesses for a few days under the guise of watchtower discussions.

LXC notices JGY is distracted and they talk. Upon learning NMJ cares for JGY, LXC feels a pain in his chest. He encourages JGY to act on his heart and points out how NMJ and JGY balance each other out. He obviously wishes them happiness.

JGY decides to give the relationship a chance. As NMJ and JGY's relationship becomes more sincere, LXC pulls away from them.

When LXC realizes his feelings, he struggles. He obviously can't be so terrible as break up their marriage and he can't so shameless to impose on their time insincerely. He thinks of his mother and his father and just sort of falls into a bad spiral.

Okay so while running around trying to convince other sects, JGY notices that the number of missing people has gone up. He goes to the Cloud Recesses and notices something is up with LXC. When LXC doesn't share, he becomes worried and tags in NMJ. As they both invite LXC over more and try to provide help JGY figures out why LXC is like this.

He thinks about it and decides he hasn't fallen for NMJ yet (he's fond of NMJ of course but he wouldn't call it love) and he is no more opposed to LXC than he is to NMJ. He considers his way forward.

Baixue Temple Massacre happens. JGY understands why the execution seems strange to him. XY resisted too well. XY's cultivation is even poorer than JGY - he relies entirely on yin energy. It also clicks that the missing people are because of JGS.

Extremely obviously, everyone but LLJ do an impromptu conference. JGY leverages everything that occurred to get everyone to agree to his tower plans once this over.

JGS has been hermorraging support from the other sects for a while and since JGY has been negiogating with Jiang, Lan, Yu, and other sects for awhile they all support giving Jin Sect and ultimumun and then taking him down.

Before Jin Sect push forward a scapegoat and all publically chase off and kill XY [make it unclear whether XY lives or dies].

Political manuevours make it so that Sects joint ventures will be organized by commitee instead lead by a Chief Cultivator. Jin Sect is forced to pay up for the towers.

You know how there's a limited number of bachelors? All parents with daughters realize "hey so the only big shot sect leaders left are JC and LXC" and then throw their daughters and LXC.

LXC is very very very distressed. It would be insincere of himself to marry when his heart so clearly belongs to others but it is his responsibility to secure an heir for his sect. The sooner he marries, the quicker at ease Lan QIren and the other elders would be. Perhaps he should marry to restrain the shameless desires he has in his heart. Yet he does so, that would be justice to his future wife.

Okay this is where I got stuck (again) because honestly getting LXC to realize his feelings is straightforward, getting him to act on them is hard. He will just suffer silently.

You know what [inserts the author gets to make a forceful step forward]. NMJ is annoyed by all the women surrounding LXC. JGY sees this and after much thought and consideraton decides he wants both NMJ and LXC. He does his best to guide NMJ around to the same thoughts as him.

While all the romance plotty stuff is going on and the trying to get LXC married, like literally everyone - everyone finds JGS sus. Gusu Lan, Qinghe Nie, Yunmeng Jiang, and Meishan Yu under the guise of organizing the watch towers investigate Lanling Jin. They quickly realize that even if XY isn't there that LLJ obviously still has the tiger seal so they start planning a mission to steal the tiger seal.

Their plans work out. The tiger seal is in Qinghe Nie's hands. The Jin Sect is more or less dropping out of power. The four most powerful sects shift to be Gusu Lan, Qinghe Nie, Yunmeng Jiang, and Meishan Yu.

Extremely outraged, Jin Guangshan basically is an idiot and instead of waiting for time to pass so he can regain the LLJ's reputation, he very much targets JGY and tries kill him while he's traveling to supervise the watch tower construction.

JGY goes missing.

LXC feels guilty because he was supposed join JGY but shrugged it off because he was being an angsty bean about his feelings.

Because no one else can stop, LXC is grabbed to stop NMJ from straight up going into LLJ and beheading JGS immediately. NMJ very angry and pissed questions LXC and reveals that JGY likes him and that he thought he did too but LXC like this hurts his eyes.

Cue much higher levels of angst for LXC - but since JGY is gone LXC has to play Clarity for NMJ so they have to spend time together. NMJ refuses to let LXC act he doesn't know about everyone's feelings.

Because I'm terrible planning up to the ending skips. JGS is dead. JGY has been found (but like NMJ & LXC more or less believe JGY caused JGY to die). LLJ sect is in ruins but headed by Madam Jin as regent for Jin Ling.

JC, JGY, and Meishan Yu head basically make it clear that the only reason the Jin Sect still exists is because of their mercy. The only reason they are merciful is because JL. If she dares stirs the waters, they can change things.

LXC tells their elders he doesn't plan to marry any time soon. He's still young. He's young enough that they can't really force him to marry yet. He is very much in a relationship with Nieyao - a budding one and they're still ironing things out.

So this is very choppy and not ironed out because rough outline and thinking things up as I go. Maybe this fic does exist out there somewhere.

I think one of the other reasons I don't think I'd write this is I'd want to figure out a way to leave it open for Wangxian to still happen which unless MXY is driven to summon WWX doesn't work.

#1 #2 #3 #4 #sarahyyy #technically #wick wips #but fics I'm not writing #P: 3zun #Long Post #Mostly because I don't trust Readmores on mobile

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