Huaisang was about to run out of his cabin half-dressed when Aaron’s message came through. He flings the door open and grabs him, holding onto him tightly with a soft whimper.
"I'm glad you didn't." It was bad enough without having to worry about Aaron. He knows he would have panicked and done something stupid in the moment, and he only just survived.
He lays his head on Aaron's shoulder, his long hair draping down his back. "All I could think about was getting back to you."
He keeps his sleeve over his eyes, leaning against him with a soft, pathetic little protest. "We're not. You're staying in this miserable place because of me."
Huaisang pulls back and gives Aaron a shove. "The last time we talked you were saying Norton invited you to his home. I'm not even close to graduating!" He thinks. "I don't even know if I want to go back yet!"
"I said it was an option in the hopes that you would fucking ask me. We don't have to go to your world." He rubs his shoulder and narrows his eyes at him. "We just have to go somewhere together. But you never even fucking asked."
Well how was he to know that?! "Of course I want you to come back with me!"
Huaisang grabs Aaron by the front of the shirt and yanks him forward to kiss him firmly. When he pulls away he still has that watery look in his eyes, but his mouth is set in a line. "Whatever comes next I want you to be with me. I just need you to know that I don't know what that's going to be yet, and I didn't want to limit your choices."
Aaron kisses him, but pushes back. "There is no other choice except for you," he huffs. "So wherever you go, I go. So that means that you have to figure it out first. I don't have a home. You still do."
This is the exact reason he shouldn't be dragging his feet like this. Kiryu's health is another reason, of course, but that doesn't seem as dire or as immediate as Aaron's future.
"I want to stay on as a warden after I graduate," he tells him quietly. "I want to bring back my brother. That means staying in my world, possibly remaining the Chief Cultivator in my world. Is that...something you'd want?"
"Yeah, no shit," he laughs. "So fine. I'll come with you. Where? To do what? You wanna stay here and get your brother back and not go back with him? You think that your brother would let you leave your duties and shit? No."
He sighs.
"You're gonna go back home, A-Sang. You're gonna rule your people because you love them and you're great at it. That's the only choice."
"But is that what I want?" He squeezes his hand gently, fingers grazing over his wrist and pulse. "Not you, I know I want you. But do I want to be a leader? I should make Da-ge take back the Qinghe Nie, and never mind the chief cultivator role, what am I even doing in that role?"
He's clearly feeling some kind of way about all of this future-talk.
"Fuck that. No. You did some shit to get where you are, but now they're your responsibility. Those people you rule - they're yours to lead. They trust you. And you can't just fuck off on 'em."
He technically did fuck off on them when he died, but Aaron makes for a fairly strong case. He'd worked hard to leave behind the Headshaker persona and gain the trust of the cultivation world. It had taken years of sacrifice and playing politics, but he's proud of himself for what he did before his untimely death.
"Then what do we do about you?" he asks quietly. "You want to leave now, don't you?"
"Then when it's time for me to go, I'll go to your world. Write me a letter to carry with me, tell me what to do. I'll learn your language, learn what to do, and I'll wait for you there."
He knows it won't be easy, but goddamn it will be satisfying.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Immediately post port
Date: 2024-02-03 11:52 pm (UTC)Re: Immediately post port
Date: 2024-02-04 12:39 am (UTC)Re: Immediately post port
Date: 2024-02-04 12:41 am (UTC)"Jesus Christ," he mutters. "I thought you got stuck. Don't you ever fucking scare me like that again."
Re: Immediately post port
Date: 2024-02-04 01:36 am (UTC)Oh, right. Aaron might not know he has his golden core back. Eh. He’s not feeling rational enough for an informative conversation.
“I heard people were left behind. You don’t have to worry about me, I did everything I could to get out of there.”
Re: Immediately post port
Date: 2024-02-04 01:47 am (UTC)He holds him tightly.
"I should have come after you, but I knew I'd end up fucked."
no subject
Date: 2024-02-04 04:57 am (UTC)He lays his head on Aaron's shoulder, his long hair draping down his back. "All I could think about was getting back to you."
no subject
Date: 2024-02-04 04:58 am (UTC)He fiddles with the bracelet, shaking his head.
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Date: 2024-02-05 12:58 am (UTC)He watches Aaron play with the jade bracelet, trying to hide the tears he feels coming. Real tears, which he attempts to rub away with his sleeve.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 01:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 01:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 01:13 am (UTC)"Yeah, so what?" He lets out a sigh. "But only because you're being a fucking idiot and haven't even asked me to come back with you."
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 03:47 am (UTC)Huaisang pulls back and gives Aaron a shove. "The last time we talked you were saying Norton invited you to his home. I'm not even close to graduating!" He thinks. "I don't even know if I want to go back yet!"
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 03:55 am (UTC)Huaisang grabs Aaron by the front of the shirt and yanks him forward to kiss him firmly. When he pulls away he still has that watery look in his eyes, but his mouth is set in a line. "Whatever comes next I want you to be with me. I just need you to know that I don't know what that's going to be yet, and I didn't want to limit your choices."
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 03:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 04:16 pm (UTC)"I want to stay on as a warden after I graduate," he tells him quietly. "I want to bring back my brother. That means staying in my world, possibly remaining the Chief Cultivator in my world. Is that...something you'd want?"
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 04:19 pm (UTC)He doesn't hesitate. "I got a lot of shit to learn, but - I don't need a deal or anything like that. You do. So."
Aaron links his fingers together. "I want to study medicine. And be with you. That's all."
no subject
Date: 2024-02-06 03:31 am (UTC)He looks down at their linked fingers. "Then you should come with me."
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Date: 2024-02-06 03:37 am (UTC)He sighs.
"You're gonna go back home, A-Sang. You're gonna rule your people because you love them and you're great at it. That's the only choice."
no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 01:57 am (UTC)He's clearly feeling some kind of way about all of this future-talk.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 02:00 am (UTC)He is also feeling some type of way.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 03:27 am (UTC)"Then what do we do about you?" he asks quietly. "You want to leave now, don't you?"
no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 03:38 am (UTC)He looks up at him with a soft nod.
“I want you to be happy. The world hasn’t been kind to you, but I want to be.”
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Date: 2024-02-08 03:40 am (UTC)He knows it won't be easy, but goddamn it will be satisfying.
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