[Fic] coat me in honey (sing me a fire) (Meet You at the Blossom)
- Fandom: 花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom (TV)
- Pairing: Jin Xiaobao/Zongzheng Huai'en
- Tags: Seduction, Scheming, Cr
- Word-Count: 2123
- Status: Complete
- First Published: 2024-08-11
- Disclaimer: I do not own 花开有时颓靡无声 and make no profit from this—it is solely a hobby for fun, with no financial compensation.
Summary:
In which Zongzheng Huai'en does not know how seduction works. (Or: In which seducing Jin Xiaobao was the plan from the beginning but... ehem. Well, seduction is hard.
Luckily, Jin Xiaobao is on the case!)
Notes:
I'm on ep 6 and i have emotions about it, so here's something lighthearted instead :D
Work Text:
Jin Xiaobao saves Zheng Huaien.
It's a calculated loss but it's still a loss, and the injuries curl through him like a fire, pushing him further into Jin Xiaobao's arms. It's not the worst; Jin Xiaobao smells pleasant, at least, and his grip is careful, his hands warm, and he takes care not to touch Huaien's injuries. In the cart, Huaien lays his head on Xiaobao's shoulder and lets his eyes close, listening to the beating of his heart, cataloging every skip of the beat and change in rhythm, feeling his gaze on him. Huaien doesn't move, even when Jin Xiaobao hesitantly pulls a bit on his sleeve, and then on the tips of his hair; they're exploratory touches, more than anything else, and regardless he can't do anything to jeopardize the mission.
Jin Xiaobao is a well-known womanizer, a playboy, weak to a pretty face. And Zheng Huaien has a very pretty face, and no reason why this should not be taken advantage of when the opportunity so readily presents itself. So he stays still and pretends at unconsciousness, allows Jin Xiaobao to fuss over him, to carry him out of the carriage and to a bed that smells unfamiliar and is far too soft, the cover gentle when Xiaobao draws it up to his chin.
When Jin Xiaobao leaves, Zheng Huaien opens his eyes. The room is well-lit, and the smell of incense is already lingering in the air. He sits, pressing a hand to his chest and gazing around, studying the room. Careless, is his first thought, very little thought paid to defense during the construction. Expensive, is his second. The gauze that lines the bed is the expensive, extravagant kind, the gaudy kind, the kind that screams money and the desire to show off. It's not ugly, precisely; care has still been used to pick the colors and designs, but it's more money than sense.
The doctor is easy to control, and Huaien gets the information he seeks out of him without issue. He can still hear Jin Xiaobao refer to Huaien as his wife outside the door, can still hear him pacing in worry---it's vaguely amusing, in a distant sort of sense. Huaien doesn't understand how Xiaobao could simply look at him and decide then and there to marry him.
Foolish, he thinks.
But even fools have their uses.
Jin Xiaobao rushes in when the doctor leaves, and he wastes no time getting up close with Huaien. "Are you okay?" he asks, brows furrowed and eyes intent, and Huaien knows it's the time to strike.
"Yes," he says, and stares into Xiaobao's eyes. Seductively, he reminds himself. Be seductive. So he leans in closer and maintains eye-contact until Xiaobao starts blinking rapidly, eyes somewhat tearing up as he rubs one of them. Huaien ceases his movement, studying him. Seduction, he thinks.
Huaien has never seduced anyone before. For that matter, he's never been seduced. This line of attack is a strike of opportunity; reconnaissance and research was limited, and Huaien hasn't had time to get familiar with common tactics of seduction. Eye-contact, he thinks, is not enough. Jin Xiaobao clears his throat then, and says, pulling a little on Huaien's sleeve, "I'm glad you're okay, guniang," and he smiles and stands on the tips of his toes, even when Huaien does not move a muscle, merely studying him in turn. Seduction, he thinks, blinking a bit.
"Thank you for saving me," Huaien says, careful to keep his voice under control. He hides his hands in his sleeves, turns to stares out at the room, and Jin Xiaobao instantly latches onto him, catching his sleeve in full and staring at him with sparkling eyes. Huaien calmly gazes back at him, waiting to see what Xiaobao will do next so he can know the best move. He still needs more information about Xiaobao, he thinks; what he enjoys in a woman, what he desires out of companionship. Is it just sex?
Huaien isn't sure that he can provide a woman's role in sex. He eyes Xiaobao---he's pretty, he supposes, and his sparkling eyes are... kind, he thinks, is maybe the word. Gentle, and when Jin Xiaobao bites his bottom lip and flutters his eyelashes up at Huaien, Huaien flexes his hands. Touch, he thinks then, must logically be the next step after eye-contact.
So he grabs hold of the hand Xiaobao uses to cling onto Huaien's sleeve, and Jin Xiaobao's eyes widen, staring down at where they touch. Huaien's eyes flicker over him; yes, this is better. He holds Xiaobao's hand, now, and his eyebrows briefly draw together, his jaw clenching slightly before his expression smooths out again. He's holding Jin Xiaobao's hand; it's warm, and he can feel the pulsing in his veins, the beating of his heart, and after another moment, Jin Xiaobao squeezes Huaien's hand.
It's not an abominable touch.
Huaien stares down at their hands, and he inhales slowly. "Do you have no shame?" he asks, for what kind of man simply holds a woman's hand when he doesn't even know her? No shame at all, he thinks, when Jin Xiaobao only grins, shaking his head and taking a tiny step closer.
"You can stay here while you heal up," Jin Xiaobao earnestly offers, eyes wide and smiling, excitement bubbling through him. Huaien looks at him and sees no hints of deceit, only a naive kind of ignorance and joy. They're holding hands and Xiaobao is looking at him like he wants something, like he desires something, and seduction, Huaien thinks. He's supposed to be seducing this foolish young man. So he pulls Xiaobao in closer and stares into his eyes and he keeps the hold on his hand, and then he waits, jaw slowly clenching.
Jin Xiaobao's smile widens. "Are you shy, guniang?" he asks, grinning wide, eyes glittering, and he laughs softly at whatever expression Huaien makes. Huaien blinks, then. Xiaobao's smile is nice, but his laughter is---Huaien stops thinking about it. It serves no purpose, and he has a duty, a mission, and there's no time for distractions. Seduction, he thinks again. He's here to seduce Jin Xiaobao, and if Xiaobao is reading more into Huaien's actions and words then he intends, than that only serves him. If Xiaobao somehow is foolish enough to seduce himself for Huaien, than that only makes this easier. And Huaien is not above taking advantage.
"I am not," he informs Xiaobao, and Xiaobao only laughs again, seemingly utterly delighted. Huaien, after another beat, squeezes Xiaobao's hand in the same manner Jin Xiaobao is squeezing his, feeling the fragile bones, the soft flesh, the gentle fingertips. Not much for manual labor, Huaien concludes. Probably not much training with a weapon, either.
Foolish.
But Jin Xiaobao must not consider such things at all, for he doesn't react to the callouses on Huaien's hands, doesn't seem to consider that it might be odd how tall he is or how fortuitous their encounter was. Only smiles at him, pleased with himself for saving a pretty lady from trouble. "You must be a distinguished gentleman," says Huaien, when the thought occurs that neither of them have said a word for a while, simply staring at each other. He offers, "You have my utmost gratitude for saving me. I don't know what I would have done, had you not come along."
"Oh," says Jin Xiaobao, blinking. He wets his lips, and straightens up a little, his bearing getting stronger at the reminder that he saved Huaien. "No thanks are necessary. It is only what a gentleman should do!"
"Most men would disagree," says Huaien, and Xiaobao winces, brows furrowing. Finally, he gives Huaien a soft glare and Huaien isn't sure how he's supposed to read it. He defaults to not minding it, cataloging instead the way Xiaobao is still clinging onto him, despite the fact that minutes have passed and they don't know each other at all. Foolish, he thinks, but Huaien is not a good enough man to step away first, to let Xiaobao get away.
He has a mission to accomplish, and he won't let anything stand in his way.
Not even a foolish shaoye that looks at Huaien as if he bears the secrets of the very universe.
"Then they're idiots," Jin Xiaobao declares at last, nodding. He grins and pulls on Huaien's sleeve, "Come, sit down. You still need to rest," he says, and his expression twists in worry. That, too, is foolish. Zheng Huaien is a stranger; what use is worry? But he says nothing, merely follows Xiaobao's lead and sits down on the bed, and Xiaobao sits beside him, still staring at him with glittering eyes. After a moment, he clears his throat gently and scoots a little closer, the mattress shifting under his weight. He looks at Huaien with a smile, studying Huaien just as much as he is studied in turn, Huaien thinks.
"I'll call for food," Jin Xiaobao says after while, seemingly content to simply be in Huaien's presence, and Huaien---will take advantage of this, too, he decides. He lowers his gaze and looks at Xiaobao, and Xiaobao huffs a laugh, delighted at the attention.
What a fool, Huaien thinks.
But he is a fool that is of use, and Huaien is here for a reason, and so he nods gently and smiles, and he hears Xiaobao's breath hitching in his throat, sees his eyes widen and his smile fading in his obvious daze. Xiaobao sways a bit even though he's sitting, and Huaien catches him, rests a hand on his waist and holds him close, and he can see the rapid beating of Xiaobao's pulse.
Jin Xiaobao wets his lips, tongue pink and soft, lips plush, and Huaien's eyes follow the motion, his breath rasping in his own ears. Eyelashes fluttering, Xiaobao inhales deeply and tilts his head back, hair sliding over his shoulder, displaying his throat, and he says, fingers fiddling with Huaien's clothes, "Are you really alright?" His eyes flick over Huaien's body, brows furrowing. "You were really hurt."
"I'm fine," Huaien says, and he squeezes Xiaobao's waist like he squeezed his hand, and Xiaobao shivers in his arms. Jin Xiaobao nods, and licks his lips again, his gaze flickering over Huaien and the room and back to Huaien again. Ducking his head somewhat, he pulls on his jewelry, clears his throat but then doesn't say anything, glancing up at Huaien from below his eyelashes. Huaien sighs. "I really am fine. I heal quick."
"Okay," says Jin Xiaobao, and his tone clearly conveys he's not finished with the topic, but is willing to move on for now. Huaien will take it; he's not sure what to do with this strange, illogical worry.
He doesn't think anybody has ever worried about him.
After another glance, Jin Xiaobao purses her lips and decisively rests his head on Zheng Huaien's shoulder, his hair spilling down over Huaien's back. He grabs Huaien's hand, holds onto it on his lap, and his exhale is loud in Huaien's ears. Staring down at his head, Huaien forces his breathing to remain steady, even as his grip on Xiaobao tightens.
He's warm.
Xiaobao's breathing is loud, and when he licks his lips once more they glisten in the light. Huaien's eyes track every motion of his; the flutter of his pulse in his throat, the flicker of his gaze, the way his eyelashes tremble in time with his unsteady breathing, the tight grip he has on Huaien's hand. Zheng Huaien does not miss a thing; does not allow himself such a luxury.
He turns his head, and rests it on top of Xiaobao's. Feels Jin Xiaobao freeze in his arms, than relax almost instantly, sinking into him. Huaien carries his weight effortlessly, stares down at him, feels the warm body in his arms. Xiaobao sighs, smiling at Huaien and burrowing closer to him, and Huaien's grip tightens once more. But all Xiaobao does is shiver; he does not try to get away, or push Huaien off, or force something onto Huaien.
Does not hurt him.
Huaien's inhale is a slow, shuddering thing, and it both rattles his chest and is loud in his ears, and he shuts his eyes. Holds Jin Xiaobao close to him, and listens to the sound of his breathing, feels the rise and fall of his chest against him. Breathes, and inhales smell.
He wants, he thinks, to swallow it down. Wants to bite down on the supple flesh of Jin Xiaobao's lips, and feel them part under his touch. Wants to consume his sounds, his voice, wants to devour his soft touches.
Zheng Huaien exhales, body shuddering, and holds on.