[ jiang cheng shivers - the movement involuntary as his brother's hand come to rest against his face, his hair, fingers moving over the tightly braided hair at the side of his head. they are still strong - he can feel the strength beneath those thin limbs. he has seen him rend countless lives to dust, to unlife, with a mere breath from his lungs.
strong, yes, but at the same time it feels like that of a stranger; the calluses of his hands are different, the knotted hard flesh against his fingers in places unfamiliar to him - he had held those hands in his own many, many times before, he could not forget it.
it makes him want to clasp the other's hands in his own once more. it remembers trying forever to play catch up with him, following in the shadow of his wake, catching the tail end of a glimpse like a meteor over the horizon, and he wishes -
all I care about is your happiness.
be well, be well, be well.
if he were a better man, maybe, he would be able to say such words. if he were truly his father's son, if he would do something, achieve a thing near impossible - if he had the mind and guts to do it. but jiang cheng still feels the loss keenly - his chest is still an open, bleeding thing, as if the wound of the discipline whip has never closed over. if he were a better man, someone less selfish, he would be able to - might be able to, but jiang cheng knows that he is not.
their sister's happiness rests on them. the fate of yunmeng, its blooming flowers with their lack of luster, the soft pink edges of the petals faded and bleached anemic, is more precarious than ever.
as always, it rests on wei wuxian to come to his rescue once more.
as always, it is he who ends up benefiting, wei wuxian willingly carving flesh and blood to feed these rabid, raving beasts. ]
It is only for a short while, [ he reasons; he voices his hesitation out loud. he tells himself that it is not an excuse. ]
Only for a short while, just until she is settled.
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strong, yes, but at the same time it feels like that of a stranger; the calluses of his hands are different, the knotted hard flesh against his fingers in places unfamiliar to him - he had held those hands in his own many, many times before, he could not forget it.
it makes him want to clasp the other's hands in his own once more. it remembers trying forever to play catch up with him, following in the shadow of his wake, catching the tail end of a glimpse like a meteor over the horizon, and he wishes -
all I care about is your happiness.
be well, be well, be well.
if he were a better man, maybe, he would be able to say such words. if he were truly his father's son, if he would do something, achieve a thing near impossible - if he had the mind and guts to do it. but jiang cheng still feels the loss keenly - his chest is still an open, bleeding thing, as if the wound of the discipline whip has never closed over. if he were a better man, someone less selfish, he would be able to - might be able to, but jiang cheng knows that he is not.
their sister's happiness rests on them. the fate of yunmeng, its blooming flowers with their lack of luster, the soft pink edges of the petals faded and bleached anemic, is more precarious than ever.
as always, it rests on wei wuxian to come to his rescue once more.
as always, it is he who ends up benefiting, wei wuxian willingly carving flesh and blood to feed these rabid, raving beasts. ]
It is only for a short while, [ he reasons; he voices his hesitation out loud. he tells himself that it is not an excuse. ]
Only for a short while, just until she is settled.