[Fic] to hurl oneself up a mountain (Yīn Yáng Shī)
- Fandom: 阴阳师 | Yīn Yáng Shī | The Yin-yang Master (Movies - Guo Jingming)
- Pairing: Bo Ya/Qing Ming (Yin Yang Shi)
- Tags: First Kiss, Different First Meeting
- Word-Count: 1035
- Status: Complete
- First Published: 2024-06-08
- Disclaimer: I do not own 阴阳师 | Yīn Yáng Shī | The Yin-yang Master (Movies - Guo Jingming) and make no profit from this—it is solely a hobby for fun, with no financial compensation.
Summary:
Finally, he says, "It's our first meeting. Have some propriety," and Qingming smiles.
Notes:
- For Tarlan.
i wasn't sure if Boya and Qingming knew who each other were upon that first fight in Dream of Eternity (which is the only one I've seen), so in this one they don't know each other at all and things go differently accordingly. if they do know each other in canon, let's just hide under the cover of the 'canon-divergence' tag, lol.
Work Text:
Boya doesn't understand, but that doesn't mean he won't respect his opponents desire to fight. He pushes, sword flashing through the air, and the more time passes without a solid hit the more impatient he grows, the more he loses the ability to think it through logically. This stranger is protecting a demon, is using that which should only be used to protect the common people to protect a filthy demon.
Boya doesn't understand, but then he doesn't need to.
He only needs to fight.
So he does.
All the way up until the pipa blocks his sword and he doesn't manage to stop it in time, is forced to change his hands direction to stop the blow from connecting. But his body doesn't catch up with the movement in time, and momentum carries him forward anyway, right into this stranger and he can't stop himself and the stranger doesn't step back, already too confident in Boya's skills.
They kiss.
It's awkward and messy and Boya's eyes widen when he realizes that they really, really are kissing; their lips press together and the stranger soon enough grabs hold of his cheek and Boya isn't moving away. This stranger is warm, he thinks, and parts his lips slightly; it's a mistake and he knows it as soon as he does it, but it's done and the stranger doesn't hesitate. Boya is annoyed to realize he's not the one to break the kiss.
"Well," the stranger says. "That's certainly a way to offer greetings."
"Shut up," Boya grumbles, brushing the back of his hand over his lips, and pretending they aren't still tingling. He clears his throat, rolling his shoulders a little, and picks his sword up from where he dropped it. Sheathes it, because he's not about to attack somebody he just kissed. That'd be---impolite, surely.
"They got away," the man says, and Boya's mouth tightens, but he only nods. They got away. He's sure he'll find them again, though, as soon as they reappear. Demons always do, and Boya is always ready. It's no trouble.
Clicking his tongue, he levels the stranger with a hard look, and finally acknowledges what his brain has been telling him that he's been ignoring. This man, this stranger who fights for demons, is a master. It's obvious, and he hopes he doesn't blush at the realization that he got so caught up int he battle he didn't stop to think about what that means. A master as good as Boya that he doesn't know can only be here for one reason; the same reason he is. "It's good it didn't escalate," the strange master adds.
Furrowing his brows, Boya glances at him. "You don't think that was an escalation?" he can't help but ask.
"A pleasant one, if so," and the man smiles, tilting his head, looking him over from top to bottom in a rather obvious manner. "Don't you agree?"
Boya pretends he isn't just stalling for time when he licks his lips, and then he pretends he doesn't notice his fellow master watching the movement of his tongue, small and almost unnoticeable in the dark of the heavy night though it is. He turns his gaze away; clears his throat and says, "It was not unpleasant," he admits, some notion that a man probably doesn't want to doubt his kissing skills, accidental a kiss though it might have been. And it was not unpleasant, he admits to himself as well; the man is a good kisser, and he needs to stop following that train of thought. It won't lead him anywhere good, he thinks, and licks his lips again.
The man hums. "I assume you're here for the same reason as I. Might I also presume you to be Master Boya?" He waves his fan and Boya's eyes follow the motion a moment too long.
"Yes," he says at last, and narrows his eyes. Tries not to look at the man's lips. "Master..." Boya doesn't finish the sentence, and it's only partly his fault. The man smiles at him, which makes Boya look at his lips again, which makes him remember how they felt against his own, which draws him out of his thoughts, which means he coughs and licks his lips again and he really must stop doing that or it will only reveal where his mind keeps going. And that's not going to end well---can't possibly, he thinks.
He clears his throat, coughs, and the stranger interrupts his thoughts. "Qingming," he offers, bending his head a little. And then he, surely on purpose, licks his lips as well.
Eyes widening, Boya clears his throat again. His next cough is far more real; he's been clearing his throat too much, and he grimaces a little. "We will see each other soon again, I suppose," is all Boya offers in the end, and Qingming laughs a little.
"We will," he agrees, and he sounds amused. Boya furrows his brows and glances at him, but can't discern his thoughts, and so doesn't bother trying much more. He merely nods, in stilted agreement, and then just barely manages to stop himself before he clears his throat again. It won't end well, that either, but he keeps the urge at bay and instead ends up just kind of frowning at this Qingming.
"I don't suppose I could trouble you for a goodbye kiss?" Qingming asks, and Boya has already drawn up, ready to fight again, when he recognizes Qingming's tone as serious. That was. A serious question. And he slumps a bit, his eyebrows heavily furrowed, staring at Qingming in a silent question.
Finally, he says, "It's our first meeting. Have some propriety," and Qingming smiles.
That wasn't a no.
Clearing his throat and coughing almost instantly, Boya does the wise thing and retreats before he says anything else compromising. He moves fluidly over the rooftops toward his destination and it's only when he is almost there and can no longer sense Qingming's gaze upon him that he realizes he entirely forgot about the demon that started this whole meeting.
He frowns, but continues onward.
He'll see Qingming again soon enough, and he can settle their score then.