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Thirsty?
The sunlight glinted off the muscles on Nie Mingjue’s back as he leaped sideways with more agility than his size would have suggested, laughing in exhilaration as he dodged a sword strike from Lan Xichen. Jin Guangyao almost thought he could see steam rising from the larger man’s shoulders, although maybe that was just wishful imaginings. He certainly thought the sight before him was hot enough.
Lan Xichen whipped around to follow him, long hair unbound and flying behind him, the ends of his forehead ribbon catching the light in contrast against the black strands. He was laughing too, caught up in the euphoria of chasing and of being chased. Where Mingjue was all rippling muscle, raw strength compacted tight with ferocious intent and single-minded combative force, Xichen was a flowing river, the elegant beauty of his body put to its best use in motion, not a muscle exercised without reason.
There was a sudden cry of surprise and a victorious shout of laughter from the sparring ground, and Jin Guangyao shook himself as he realised that he had become somewhat lost in thought. Blinking rapidly, he refocused himself on the duel before him. Lan Xichen was on one knee, his sword lowered as he threw his head back and laughed, carefree and joyful. Nie Mingjue’s own sabre was pointed at Xichen’s throat, and Nie Mingjue was gazing fondly at the man before him, his normally stern expression gone for the time being in favour of a quirked up corner of his lips and eyes wide with exhilaration. Lan Xichen raised a hand to push Nie Mingjue’s sword to the side, and Mingjue took it and hauled him to his feet. Xichen slung an arm around his shoulders in a sloppy hug, and Jin Guangyao could almost sense the moment where both of their sweat-slick skin brushed together as their chests bumped.
Then there was a sudden cry of surprise from the field, and Nie Mingjue threw back his head and roared with laughter. Jin Guangyao could see from a distance the glint of metal at his throat as Xichen held a small dagger under his chin.
“Very sneaky!” Mingjue bellowed. “I surrender.” Xichen grinned at him and lowered the blade once again. “Where did you even get that from?”
“That would be telling, da-ge.” Xichen smirked, and turned to wink at Jin Guangyao. He felt his heartbeat speed up just a little at the acknowledgement.
“Alright. Another round?”
“Of course!” Xichen was already moving, bending down to collect his discarded sword and flitting away on light feet as Nie Mingjue pulled himself into a battle-ready stance. And then, the dance began anew.
It was nothing Jin Guangyao hadn’t seen before a hundred times of course. Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue’s favourite sparring partners were each other. There were few who could challenge either one of them, and they had been fighting together for so long that they had one another’s moves memorised, so it was a constant challenge to make unpredictable choices, test out a new move, try out something they hadn’t tried before. And of course, they were both equally matched visually, though Jin Guangyao supposed that might not have played a huge role in why they chose to duel one another so often. Though they did fight shirtless more often than not, even when there was little call to do so… Well, he certainly wasn’t complaining.
Nie Mingjue won the next round as well, passing his weapon to his other hand for a surprise attack while Xichen’s back was turned in a flamboyant spin. Lan Xichen won the one after that, sweeping Mingjue’s legs out from under him and straddling his hips, keeping Mingjue’s head down with one finger on his sternum.
At that point, Jin Guangyao picked up the water canteen next to him and made his way onto the dueling ground. Xichen saw him coming and crawled off of Mingjue’s hips to sit back on the ground, his sword clattering to his side. Nie Mingjue let his head drop back to the ground and closed his eyes with a grin, breathing heavily.
“Thirsty?” Jin Guangyao asked, coyly, cocking his hip as he held out the canteen for Xichen to take.
“Mmm.” Nie Mingjue grunted, reaching out a hand for the water as Xichen wiped his mouth after taking a long swig.
“Yeah,” Jin Guangyao agreed, nodding his head, “me too.”
Lan Xichen whipped around to follow him, long hair unbound and flying behind him, the ends of his forehead ribbon catching the light in contrast against the black strands. He was laughing too, caught up in the euphoria of chasing and of being chased. Where Mingjue was all rippling muscle, raw strength compacted tight with ferocious intent and single-minded combative force, Xichen was a flowing river, the elegant beauty of his body put to its best use in motion, not a muscle exercised without reason.
There was a sudden cry of surprise and a victorious shout of laughter from the sparring ground, and Jin Guangyao shook himself as he realised that he had become somewhat lost in thought. Blinking rapidly, he refocused himself on the duel before him. Lan Xichen was on one knee, his sword lowered as he threw his head back and laughed, carefree and joyful. Nie Mingjue’s own sabre was pointed at Xichen’s throat, and Nie Mingjue was gazing fondly at the man before him, his normally stern expression gone for the time being in favour of a quirked up corner of his lips and eyes wide with exhilaration. Lan Xichen raised a hand to push Nie Mingjue’s sword to the side, and Mingjue took it and hauled him to his feet. Xichen slung an arm around his shoulders in a sloppy hug, and Jin Guangyao could almost sense the moment where both of their sweat-slick skin brushed together as their chests bumped.
Then there was a sudden cry of surprise from the field, and Nie Mingjue threw back his head and roared with laughter. Jin Guangyao could see from a distance the glint of metal at his throat as Xichen held a small dagger under his chin.
“Very sneaky!” Mingjue bellowed. “I surrender.” Xichen grinned at him and lowered the blade once again. “Where did you even get that from?”
“That would be telling, da-ge.” Xichen smirked, and turned to wink at Jin Guangyao. He felt his heartbeat speed up just a little at the acknowledgement.
“Alright. Another round?”
“Of course!” Xichen was already moving, bending down to collect his discarded sword and flitting away on light feet as Nie Mingjue pulled himself into a battle-ready stance. And then, the dance began anew.
It was nothing Jin Guangyao hadn’t seen before a hundred times of course. Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue’s favourite sparring partners were each other. There were few who could challenge either one of them, and they had been fighting together for so long that they had one another’s moves memorised, so it was a constant challenge to make unpredictable choices, test out a new move, try out something they hadn’t tried before. And of course, they were both equally matched visually, though Jin Guangyao supposed that might not have played a huge role in why they chose to duel one another so often. Though they did fight shirtless more often than not, even when there was little call to do so… Well, he certainly wasn’t complaining.
Nie Mingjue won the next round as well, passing his weapon to his other hand for a surprise attack while Xichen’s back was turned in a flamboyant spin. Lan Xichen won the one after that, sweeping Mingjue’s legs out from under him and straddling his hips, keeping Mingjue’s head down with one finger on his sternum.
At that point, Jin Guangyao picked up the water canteen next to him and made his way onto the dueling ground. Xichen saw him coming and crawled off of Mingjue’s hips to sit back on the ground, his sword clattering to his side. Nie Mingjue let his head drop back to the ground and closed his eyes with a grin, breathing heavily.
“Thirsty?” Jin Guangyao asked, coyly, cocking his hip as he held out the canteen for Xichen to take.
“Mmm.” Nie Mingjue grunted, reaching out a hand for the water as Xichen wiped his mouth after taking a long swig.
“Yeah,” Jin Guangyao agreed, nodding his head, “me too.”