Meng Yao doesn’t even want to go to the party but Lan Xichen is going and he is determined to make something happen there. He doesn’t know if Lan Xichen is even into guys, he’s too nice and slightly harder to read than his brother but Meng Yao is determined to at least try.

And that’s what he tells himself when what is supposed to be an adult gathering turns into some rowdy drunker party and his stupid cousin goads people into playing party game he saw in some movie. At the end of it Meng Yao finds himself locked in the building storage room with Nie Mingjue as Jin Zixun cackles and points a finger gun at him. “I’ll unlock the door when the alarm goes off or in fifteen minutes, whichever comes first,” he says through the door before his voice drifts away.

It’s awkward, they’re supposed to be playing seven minutes in heaven but of course, Jin Zixun decided it should be fifteen minutes because seven minutes is for children and the pairings were random, which is how Meng Yao finds himself trapped with Nie Mingjue and not Lan Xichen. He hasn’t had a civil conversation with Nie Mingjue since Nie Mingjue caught him sabotaging one of his friends. The asshole had deserved it but there’s no reasoning with the unending black and white morality of the Nies’ so Meng Yao just accepted that that was the end of that weird, tense friendship.

Now they’re both stuck in this room with nothing more than a chair, some cleaning supplies, and each other as his idiot cousin and some of their idiot friends think they’re going to make out or something for the game.

Nie Mingjue plops down on the chair, he’s barely looked at Meng Yao since they got matched up so it feels on-brand and in-character.

“We should be able to sit this out until Jin Zixun gets bored and someone else unlocks the door,” Nie Mingjue says, head tipped back, exposing his long stupid neck. “He’s had his fun so there’s no need to leave us in here.”

Meng Yao snorts. “He left Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in here for twenty minutes,” Meng Yao points out because Jin Zixun is an asshole and there’s no telling when his brand of fun is over.

“Those two idiots have been dancing around each other for three years, they should have been locked in here for an hour.”

Meng Yao laughs and something in him unclenches a little. “They left together right after they got out so I think the twenty was good enough.”

“Damn,” Nie Mingjue says, rubbing his jaw. “That means I lost the pool.”

“You don’t really seem like a betting pool kind of guy,” Meng Yao says with a raised eyebrow. The very idea of Nie Mingjue being that invested in anyone’s relationship feels like it’s from another planet.

“I’m not, this was a special case,” Nie Mingjue says with a shrug. “And Huiasang made me get in on it to even up the numbers.”

Meng Yao tilts his head at him and frowns. “Yeah, I could see that,” Meng Yao says, nodding. “Anyway, I just meant that Jin Zixun isn’t really likely to just let us out early, he likes making people uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable.”

Meng Yao snorts. “This is the most words you’ve said to me in months and you’re not even yelling today.”

“Just because I’m disappointed in you doesn’t mean I’m uncomfortable,” Nie Mingjue says with a grunt. “And I end up yelling because you antagonize me, don’t deny it.”

Meng Yao shrugs. He’s not going to deny it, he leads with an offensive attack where Nie Mingjue is concerned. Besides, there’s no telling when or if he might start disparaging Meng Yao to other people, best to cut him off. “I’d rather get the yelling out of the way earlier so sometimes I goad you into it, sorry,” Meng Yao says, although he’s not remotely sorry; he’ll do whatever is necessary to protect himself.

Nie Mingjue snorts but says, “I accept your apology.”

“Cool,” Meng Yao says, with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes and wouldn’t fool anyone in a well-lit room. “Now I guess we have to just ride this out in peace,” Meng Yao says then laughs to himself. “At least you don’t have to kiss me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nie Mingjue asks, and when Meng Yao looks over at him he’s glaring.

Meng Yao rolls his eyes. “Calm down, I’m not trying to start a fight with you,” he says with a sigh. “I was just joking. Even if you were comfortable with me you’d still be freaked out having to kiss me, that’s all.”

“Who says I’d be freaked out?” Nie Mingjue asks, standing up. “Just because you have a problem with me doesn’t mean you get to project that to me.”

“Oh yeah?” Meng Yao says, letting his mouth run off ahead of his brain. “Fine, then kiss me. No need to waste these fifteen minutes in heaven.” He expects Nie Mingjue to back down, which is the single stupidest thing he could ever think; Nie Mingjue never backs down from anything.

Nie Mingjue takes one step forward, hand coming up to cup Meng Yao’s jaw and then he kisses him. It’s nothing like Meng Yao expects, just a soft sure pressure and the gentle scrape of teeth along his bottom lip, just enough for Meng Yao to part his lips for Nie Mingjue’s tongue.

Meng Yao thinks, in some small dark corner of his mind, that he should put a stop to this. Nie Mingjue has proven his point but then their tongues touch and he finds himself fisting his hands in Nie Mingjue’s shirt and pulling him impossibly closer.

He doesn’t notice that he’s being backed up until his back hits the tiny bit of bare wall in the storage closet and he breaks away with a “oof.”

They stand there looking at each other breathing hard and Meng Yao waits for Nie Mingjue to step away, his point proven.

But he doesn’t. Nie Mingjue reaches for him and Meng Yao reaches back and soon he has a hand buried in Nie Mingjue’s hair while they kiss, has his legs wrapped around Nie Mingjue’s waist with nothing but the wall and Nie Mingjue’s hands holding him up. It’s intense and surprising and so good that Meng Yao is sure he’s going to come in his pants.

Meng Yao has worked his hand up the back of Nie Mingjue’s shirt when he hears the familiar sounds of his worst cousin in the hallway.

“Alright jerks, times up!” Jin Zixun yells from somewhere down the hall causing Meng Yao and Nie Mingjue to jerk away from each other. “A-Yao you better be in there making the family proud.”

Meng Yao is breathing hard, collapsed back against the wall while Nie Mingjue stands and stares at him before he quickly adjusts his clothes, smoothes back his hair, and drops to sit in the chair again, one leg primly crossed over the other. Meng Yao would think he’d been like that the entire time they’ve been in this closet if he didn’t have the phantom feeling of Nie Mingjue’s tongue in his mouth and hands on his ass. But he follows his lead, smoothing out his hair and fixing his clothes before adopting the most bored posture he can, just in time for Jin Zixun to unlock the door.

Jin Zixun looks in the closet, head switching between Meng Yao and Nie Mingjue and laughs. “Oh my god, I knew you were going to be boring about this,” he says with a dismissive snort. “I should lock you in here for another fifteen minutes.”

“If you so much as try it, I’ll make your mother wish you had never been born,” Nie Mingjue says, standing up. “I played along, now move before I move you.”

Meng Yao is horrified by how hot he finds that considering he began his night assuming Nie Mingjue would have to think about pissing on him if he were on fire. It’s not a thought he wants to examine too closely as he watches Jin Zixun briefly stand his ground before scrambling out of the way when Nie Mingjue takes a step forward.

He laughs, following Nie Mingjue out into the hallway, and stepping past the next two idiots to be roped into these silly games. They walk along in silence and Meng Yao starts to think that this will just be one of those things they never mention as they go back to avoiding each other but when they turn the corner in the hallway, back in the corridor where the party is happening Nie Mingjue looks over at him and says, “I’m heading home. My brother is staying on campus, text me if you want to stop by.”

Meng Yao blinks at him. “Stop by,” he says, voice flat. “Are you seriously asking me to stop by? And do what, have hot cocoa?”

Nie Mingjue rolls his eyes and stops, turning to Meng Yao. “Do you actually want me to say it or are you being an asshole for the sake of being an asshole?”

“A little bit of both honestly,” Meng Yao says with a shrug. There is no point in pretending he’s not giving him a hard time for fun; he is.

Nie Mingjue looks up toward the ceiling and sighs and Meng Yao watches him, amusement plain and clear on his face. Then Nie Mingjue looks at him and seems to make a decision, stepping closer and closer until Meng Yao is once again backed up against a wall. He runs a finger along Meng Yao’s ear and drags it down along his jaw. “You should text me if you want to come over to my condo and fuck,” Nie Mingjue says voice low. “Or I can make you come in your pants right here and we can just hope nobody comes along.”

Meng Yao refuses to think about the way his dick responds to that, jumping in his pants as he gets right back on the road to half hard. Meng Yao licks his lips, tongue grazing Nie Mingjue’s thumb where he rested it. “I could text,” Meng Yao says, trying to hold on to whatever tiny speck of power he has left.

“Good,” Nie Mingjue says, stepping back. “Maybe I’ll see you later tonight,” he adds and then walks off down the hallway.

*
Meng Yao heads back into Jin Zixun’s apartment and finds Lan Xichen talking to his brother. They both look up when he comes back and Lan Xichen asks, “How did it go?”

“We talked and didn’t end in a screaming match so I think it was a success,” Meng Yao says, with a smile. “Not quite what my cousin was looking for,” he adds with a laugh.

“Is he still at it?” Jin Zixuan asks with a frown. “I told him he needs to cut it out.”

Meng Yao shrugs. “I think he was taking another few people down to that gross storage closet.”

Jin Zixuan sighs. “I guess I’m going to go put a stop to this,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Are you sticking around for a while?”

“I was thinking about heading out actually,” Meng Yao says, casually; trying not to broadcast the fact that he’s leaving to get laid. “I’ve had my fill of Zixun’s idea of a party.”

Jin Zixuan snorts. “Yeah me too. Do you have money for a DiDi?”

“Yes, A-Xuan I have money for a DiDi,” Meng Yao says rolling his eyes. “You know we’re the same age right? I’m not a little kid.”

Jin Zixuan gives him a flat look and says, “I’m several hours older than you, more if you count the time zone difference, so it’s my job to make sure you’re safe.”

“And that’s very admirable,” Lan Xichen says, laughter evident in his eyes. “It’s our responsibility as big brothers.”

“Is that why you’re still at this party?”

Lan Xichen smiles. “Wangji needed our condo for a few hours so I’m happy to hang out here while he and Wei Wuxian figure things out.”

Meng Yao raises an eyebrow at that but saves his comments, Lan Xichen being a little weird about his brother’s love life is nothing new. “Okay, well don’t let my cousin convince you to do anything, he’s an asshole.”

Lan Xichen nods at him and Meng Yao takes that as his cue to leave. He waits until he’s in the hall to text Nie Mingjue, getting back a building code and an address he hasn’t forgotten.

He considers taking the subway but that feels like too much time to come to his senses so he orders up a DiDi and deals with the consequences. Meng Yao wasn’t exactly lying when he told Jin Zixuan that he had enough money, he does have enough for a one-way trip home from work every day for a week but he doesn’t have quite enough for a Didi to Nie Mingjue’s swank condo and those other trips. But it’s worth it, Meng Yao can’t remember the last time he had sex with something other than his own hand but it’s mostly a blank.

Meng Yao is nearly vibrating with anticipation when the Didi finally stops in front of Nie Mingjue’s building. He pays on the app, briefly lamenting the fact that he’ll have to take the subway home until payday to make up for it. He heads into the complex, unsurprised to find his name already with security and steps onto the elevator, typing in the code from his phone.

It would be a mistake to think of Nie Mingjue’s home as an apartment, the thimble of a place Meng Yao lives in is an apartment. The Nies, like so many of the people Meng Yao knows, are incredibly rich. They have a triplex penthouse that Meng Yao has never forgotten, clearly infused with all the money he’s come to expect but without some of the excesses of his father’s homes.

He arrives on the floor sooner than he expects and he finds himself blinking at the door to the Nie home. Meng Yao takes a deep breath, more nervous than he wants to be, and knocks even though he’s sure security has alerted Nie Mingjue that his guest has arrived.

*
The door swings open almost immediately and he’s faced with Nie Mingjue, dressed in soft lounge pants and a thin t-shirt, and as soon as their eyes meet, Nie Mingjue’s eyes flash hot.

Meng Yao thought things would be awkward, that they’d struggle to get started but between heartbeats, Meng Yao has stepped into the apartment and he’s shoved up against the shut door with Nie Mingjue’s tongue in his mouth and his knee between his legs.

He barely has a chance to take note of the view of the clear night sky through the wall of windows as he sucks on Nie Mingjue’s tongue, fingers gripping tightly on his arms. They kiss until they’re both breathless, breaking away to catch their breath but still pressed together against the door.

Once Meng Yao has a chance to breathe and think he decides to take some control back. He’s fine, more than fine, with Nie Mingjue fucking him until he forgets his own name but Meng Yao isn’t going to let him think he’s the one in control. He runs a hand down Nie Mingjue’s chest, stopping at the elastic of his lounge pants and smiling as Nie Mingjue’s breath hitches against his neck. He slides his hand down past the waistband where he can feel the tip of Nie Mingjue’s dick curving up and runs a finger along the long line of it through the pants.

“Can I blow you, da-ge?” Meng Yao asks, laughing when Nie Mingjue’s hands on his ass tighten, when his lips graze his ear.

“A-Yao,” Nie Mingjue groans against his neck and Meng Yao smiles.

He wraps his hand around Nie Mingjue’s dick in his pants, blinking at how thick he feels and says, “Please, I’ve been thinking about sucking your dick all night.” He’s really been thinking about sucking Nie Mingjue’s dick since he saw him but that’s not something he ever needs to know.

Nie Mingjue chokes out a “yes,” and Meng Yao pushes him away, not too far, before he drops to his knees. He’s still mostly trapped at the door and he wishes for a moment that Nie Mingjue had neighbors on this floor so someone might hear him getting his dick sucked. Meng Yao pulls down Nie Mingjue’s pants, biting his lip as his dick springs forth, thick and hard and long and licks his lips as he wraps his hand around the shaft.

Meng Yao leans forward, looking up to find Nie Mingjue watching him as he lets the tip of his dick graze his lips before he noses along the shaft, going lower to lip at Nie Mingjue’s balls before returning up and finally letting his dick into his mouth.

Nie Mingjue groans above him and Meng Yao smiles around his dick, taking him in deeper as he jerks him off. He closes his eyes and sinks into it, nearly zoning out as he gets caught up in the rhythm of it, in the heavy weight of Nie Mingjue’s dick on his tongue and then, the sharp pain/pleasure of Nie Mingjue’s fingers in his hair.

Meng Yao is so focused that he doesn’t hear Nie Mingjue groaning his name until he’s being pulled up, Nie Mingjue’s dick slipping out of his mouth with an obscene squelch as he’s pressed back against the wall. “Hey, I wasn’t done,” Meng Yao says, right before Nie Mingjue kicks off his pants and kisses him again.

“I was gonna come,” Nie Mingjue says between kisses.

Meng Yao moans as Nie Mingjue flicks the button of his jeans and starts sliding them down, fabric catching on his sensitive erection. “Good,” Meng Yao groans, at the first touch of Nie Mingjue’s naked skin on his. “I wanted you to come.”

“Not if you wanted to get fucked you didn’t,” Nie Mingjue says, voice raspy but amused. He pulls off his shirt, tossing it carelessly behind him and then does the same to Meng Yao’s shirt before he grips Meng Yao’s ass and says, “hold on,” and lifts him up.

Meng Yao yelps before wrapping his legs around Nie Mingjue’s waist, fingers held tight on his shoulders as he’s carried up the stairs to Nie Mingjue’s bedroom that’s bigger than Meng Yao’s entire apartment. He should be annoyed that Nie Mingjue has decided to carry him to bed but all Meng Yao can feel is turned on, imagining that strength, that stamina all focused on him.

Nie Mingjue presses him down onto the bed and kisses him again, running one of his big hands up Meng Yao’s inner thigh and grazing his fingers over Meng Yao’s dick. Meng Yao spreads his legs and pulls Nie Mingjue closer as he tries scooting up further onto the bed. He bumps into something, and pulls away and finds that Nie Mingjue has already let lube and a strip of condoms on the bed.

Meng Yao picks up the lube and raises an eyebrow at Nie Mingjue in question. Nie Mingjue snorts, taking the lube and liberally coating two of his fingers. “Did you want me to have to pull away to go find it?” he asks, stroking one slick finger against Meng Yao’s hole before slowly pushing in. “I could put it back and then we can fumble around looking for it as we go soft,” Nie Mingjue adds, grazing his teeth across Meng Yao's nipple as he works his finger in and out of his ass, nice and slow before adding a second slick finger. “We could make it a game,” he adds, tonguing along Meng Yao’s dick as he adds a third slick finger.

Meng Yao couldn’t work up a response if he tried, his head thrown back and fingers tangled in the sheets as Nie Mingjue slowly works him open with his thick, long fingers. “Da-ge, please,” Meng Yao moans as Nie Mingjue spreads his fingers inside of him as he tongues Meng Yao’s balls. If he doesn’t get fucked soon he’ll come just from this, just from fingers and the tease of a tongue near his dick and that is too much.

“Please what?” Nie Mingjue asks, fingers still working in and twist and out, over and over again as Meng Yao pants.

“Please fuck me you jackass,” Meng Yao snaps, although it doesn’t have much bite as breathless as he feels.

Nie Mingjue laughs against his thigh but he slowly pulls out his fingers and Meng Yao opens his eyes to find him rolling on a condom and slicking himself up.

“How do you wanna?” Nie Mingjue asks, gesturing between them.

Meng Yao almost says, “like this”, spread wide on his back with Nie Mingjue above him and inside of him, but that’s too much. He already feels like a raw nerve, so he says, “hands and knees?”

Nie Mingjue nods and then lightly slaps Meng Yao’s hip to get him to roll over. He grips Meng Yao’s hips and pulls him back onto his knees. Meng Yao’s hands go slack in the sheets as he waits, and then he feels the first press of Nie Mingjue’s dick against his hole as he pushes in oh so slowly until Nie Mingjue’s hips are flush against Meng Yao’s ass.

Nie Mingjue doesn’t move until Meng Yao nods and says, “okay, okay, you can move now,” and then he does, slow for the first few strokes before he’s gripping Meng Yao’s hips tight and fucking him hard. It's loud in the room, filled with nothing but the sound of flesh slapping together and loud moans Meng Yao is horrified to realize are him, unable to pretend at being unaffected.

It’s not better than being on his back; he’s got Nie Mingjue leaning over him, mouth hot on his neck as he fucks him hard and deep, hands so tight on Meng Yao’s hips he’s sure he’ll have bruises in the morning. Nie Mingjue puts a hand on the small of Meng Yao’s back and presses him down into the bed until his face is pressed into the mattress and his dick is rubbing against the sheets with every thrust. He holds him there, a hand tight on Meng Yao’s shoulder and it’s all too much, too much friction, too much pleasure, and he comes, untouched all over the sheets, dick rubbing into his come as Nie Mingjue keeps fucking him.

Nie Mingjue fucks him just to the edge of uncomfortable; Meng Yao is sated, boneless and oversensitive and trying to remember how to speak so he can ask Nie Mingjue to finish on his back or stomach or face, something when Nie Mingjue groans and goes stiff behind him and Meng Yao knows he’s coming when Nie Mingjue drapes himself across Meng Yao’s back, breathing heavily and making tiny, half-thrusts that still skirt the edge of too much and not enough.

Eventually Nie Mingjue pulls out and rolls off of Meng Yao, and off the side of the bed toward the bathroom. Meng Yao laughs there on his stomach, in a puddle of his own come and mumbles, “holy shit,” to himself a few times, smile too big to contain, before he falls asleep to the sound of running water.

*
When Meng Yao stumbles home the next morning, he assumes it’s a one time thing. One night, and morning - though he’s not really counting that - of intensely hot sex and then they go back to the tense, mostly civil relationship they’ve had for months.

He truly believes that right up until he runs into Nie Mingjue a week later while he’s standing in line getting coffee. They don’t really talk while they’re in line, trading familiar nods as they wait to make their orders and Meng Yao assumes that’s it, they're back to normal when Nie Mingjue steps forward to pay and get his coffee, and then stops to wait for Meng Yao before he leaves.

Once Meng Yao has his own coffee in hand, he turns to Nie Mingjue and raises an eyebrow. Nie Mingjue leans into his space, lips brushing Meng Yao’s ear, and says, “You should stop by this weekend,” before he steps away and heads out. Meng Yao is stuck standing there stunned for a few moments before he gathers himself and leaves.

He thinks about it the rest of the day, all the way up to past nine that night when he finds himself back in Nie Mingjue’s bed begging Nie Mingjue to fuck him.

It keeps happening, again and again, for weeks, until it’s part of his routine, work, study, try to prove to his father that he’s worthwhile, flirt with Lan Xichen to no avail and wander back to Nie Mingjue’s to fuck. It’s weird, good - incredibly good, but weird.

It’s another Saturday night and Meng Yao’s in his usual spot, naked in Nie Mingjue’s bed. He’s lazily jerking off as he waits for Nie Mingjue to come back to bed from taking a surprise late weekend work call. Meng Yao isn’t surprised, the Nie family business is as old and rich as the Jins, but it’s still annoying.

Meng Yao gets bored after ten minutes of waiting and reaches for the lube, coating two of his fingers as he spreads his thighs and reaches down to start fingering himself as he jerks off. The angle is bad, he’d get deeper if he rolled over onto his stomach but he can’t be bothered.

He’s just starting to get some traction when Nie Mingjue comes back, pausing to watch as Meng Yao grinds down on his own fingers, moaning as he finally gets his fingers to slide in deeper. He blinks up at Nie Mingjue, where he’s standing at the edge of the bed watching as his dick swells and curves toward his stomach and says, “Are you coming back to bed or do I need to finish myself?” fingers pausing in their work as he watches him.

Nie Mingjue blinks himself out of his stupor and climbs back onto the bed, leaning over Meng Yao to kiss him before shifting back down to settle between his legs. He replaces Meng Yao’s fingers with his own, mouthing at Meng Yao’s balls as he methodically opens him up. It doesn’t take long, between Meng Yao’s work and Nie Mingjue’s thick fingers it’s only a few minutes before Meng Yao is pulling on Nie Mingjue’s hair and mumbling, “enough of that, fuck me already.”

Nie Mingjue is up and off him for a moment to roll on a condom and then he’s back settled heavily between Meng Yao’s legs, and kissing him, tongue plunging into Meng Yao’s mouth like a promise of what’s to come. Meng Yao moans into Nie Mingjue’s mouth when Nie Mingjue’s hands settle on his ass, grip tight, and he squeaks when he rolls them over so he’s on his back with Meng Yao on top.

“Is this okay?” Nie Mingjue asks, rubbing his dick across Meng Yao’s hole.

Meng Yao nods, shifting back against him and hisses out, “yes,” annoyed at himself for how desperate he feels. “Jue-ge, please,” Meng Yao whines and then groans as Nie Mingjue positions the tip of his dick and lets Meng Yao slowly push back on him.

Meng Yao closes his eyes when he can’t push back anymore and rolls his hips, smiling when Nie Mingjue groans under him. It’s nice having a little bit of control even as Nie Mingjue’s hands grip his ass and urge him to move. But he does move, slowly shifting forward and back, on and off of Nie Mingjue’s dick as they kiss, his dick trapped between them and rubbing off against their stomachs. They’re less frantic than usual, Meng Yao slowly fucking himself on Nie Mingjue’s dick as Nie Mingjue grip his ass, urging him on, but it’s still good. Meng Yao can’t remember the last time anyone kissed him this much during sex, the last time he was this close to someone for this long.

He can feel his orgasm building slowly as they fuck, balls going tight as his dick is dragged through the pre-come he’s spilled on Nie Mingjue’s stomach, and when it hits he moans against Nie Mingjue’s mouth, hips moving faster as Meng Yao tries to prolong his orgasm. He doesn’t think he’s succeed until Nie Mingjue has rolled him onto his back and proceeds to fuck him hard. He drags a few more weak spurts out of Meng Yao before Nie Mingjue comes with a groan, hands gone tight on Meng Yao’s ass.

They lay there together, panting as they catch their breath and sweat and come cools between them, Meng Yao rubbing a hand down Nie Mingjue’s back.

“We should go get cleaned up,” Nie Mingjue says, voice muffled from where his mouth is pressed against Meng Yao’s neck.

Meng Yao hums and says, “Probably. But we can lay here for a minute, I don’t want you to pull out yet.”

Nie Mingjue groans. “A-Yao,” Nie Mingjue says, and then he shifts and kisses Meng Yao as he thrusts and Meng Yao wonders, idly, if Nie Mingjue can stay hard long enough for him to come again. They kiss until Nie Mingjue starts to go soft and then he pulls out and rolls off of Meng Yao and off the bed to toss out the condom.

He’s only gone for a minute before he’s back on the bed and poking Meng Yao in the side. “Come on A-Yao, shower and then sleep. We can’t go to bed covered in lube and come.”

Meng Yao groans and tries to roll away only to be stopped as Nie Mingjue laughs at him. “You know you’ll regret it,” Nie Mingjue says, before he slips a hand under Meng Yao’s legs and back and picks him up.

“Nie Mingjue!” Meng Yao says, surprised to find himself being carried into the bathroom. It’s one thing to get carried sexily but this is too much. “Put me down, I don’t need to be carried.”

Nie Mingjue ignores him and only puts him down once they reach the bathroom. Meng Yao’s annoyance fades through the shower and it's gone by the time they’re back in bed, cuddled up under the covers. But Meng Yao still doesn’t need anyone taking care of him, even if Nie Mingjue likes to ignore that fact sometimes.

*
It’s weird being in this whatever it is with Nie Mingjue. They’ve never had a relationship where they run into each other randomly very often, Nie Mingjue is running his family’s company and Meng Yao is preparing to take the National Judicial Exam but when they do see each other he doesn’t treat Meng Yao any differently.

He’s the same gruff, exacting person Meng Yao has always known him to be, but over time Meng Yao notices a few strange things. They’ve been hooking up for two months when Meng Yao finds himself running late for work.

“Ah shit,” Meng Yao says, grabbing his jeans off the floor. He hadn’t intended to sleep over at Nie Mingjue’s the night before, hadn’t really intended to do much more than stop by to grab the headphones he’d left there a few days before. But then they’d ordered dinner and one thing led to another and somehow he’d found himself naked in Nie Mingjue’s lap. He doesn’t know how so much of his ability to think about other things flees when they’re together but it’s becoming a problem.

“What's wrong?” Nie Mingjue says, stepping out of his walk in closet. He’s in a crisp white white button down with black trousers that fit impossibly well and for a moment Meng Yao considers just calling out of work and dragging him back to bed. But then he remembers that his father is only willing to pay for his education, and he’d been bullied into that by Jin Zixuan, and if Meng Yao wants to eat he needs to work.

Meng Yao groans. “I’m running late for work and used up my didi budget two days ago,” Meng Yao says running a hand through his hair. “I really can’t afford to be on probation with this job right now.”

Nie Mingjue frowns at him then pulls out his phone. He taps for a moment and then Meng Yao’s phone vibrates in his pocket. “A car should be waiting for you by the time you get downstairs,” Nie Mingjue says tucking the phone back in his pocket. “And you can just text that number when you need a ride.”

“What?” Meng Yao asks, frowning down at the number on his phone. “I can’t take advantage of your corporate car service.” It’s not that he wouldn’t, he absolutely would but he’s not interested in getting Nie Mingjue in trouble right now.

Nie Mingjue snorts, pressing a quick kiss at Meng Yao’s temple as he walks over to the nightstand and starts putting on his watch and ring. “We don’t have a corporate car service, we have a family car service because Huaisang refuses to learn to drive properly and I’d rather not arrive at events in something too vulgar.”

“So you’re just lending me your car service? Indefinitely?” Meng Yao asks, trying not to let his voice rise with his confusion.

Nie Mingjue looks at him. “Yes? Is there an issue? If you don’t want to use it.”

“No I want to use it,” Meng Yao says, cutting him off and adds, “Thank you,” before running down to meet the driver and head out to work.

It happens again a few weeks later. Meng Yao is in the grocery store trying to figure out how far he can stretch that week's budget to afford some meat when his phone rings. He picks up without looking down at the display, glad that he has his headphones in already.

“Hello?”

“A-Yao,” Nie Mingjue says, voice a quiet rasp. “Is this a bad time?”

“No, of course not,” Meng Yao says, frowning as he looks between several shitty cuts of pork. “I’m trying to figure out my grocery budget so I’ll be glad for a distraction.”

Nie Mingjue coughs and then seems to pull the phone away from himself as the sound gets quieter and Meng Yao frowns harder. “What do you mean?”

“Eh,” Meng Yao says, with a sigh. “I ate out too many times with my roommate this week, so now I get to choose between crappy cuts of meat. It’s not a big deal.”

“Sounds like a big deal to me,” Nie Mingjue says. “Here,” he adds and Meng Yao feels his phone vibrate. “I’ve added you to our grocery account so you can use your phone and just get what you want.”

Meng Yao pauses and slowly puts down both packages of meat. “You what? Mingjue-ge you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Nie Mingjue says, which is exactly what Meng Yao would expect of someone who doesn’t have to weigh what he can and can't afford to eat in any given week. “I’m pretty sure Huaisang put that Wei Wuxian kid on the account when he had that big bust up with the Jiangs. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine actually, that’s a big deal, you have to know that.”

Nie Mingjue sighs. “It’s not a big deal to let people look after you,” Nie Mingjue says. “Besides we both know this is temporary, when you start practicing law you won’t have to risk food poisoning picking out meat.”

Meng Yao tilts his head back and sighs at the ceiling, it’s not that Nie Mingjue is wrong or overstepping or any of the million things that flash through Meng Yao’s head as he tries to think of a reason to say no. It’s that he shouldn't even need to be added to the Nie family grocery account, his father is rich. He shouldn’t have to want for anything but instead he’s about to let his whatever Nie Mingjue is to him add him to his grocery account so he can eat unexpired meat and maybe some fresh fruit.

“Fine, but we’ll talk about this again later,” Meng Yao says, ignoring Nie Mingjue’s snort. “I know that’s not why you called me, so what’s up?”

Nie Mingjue breaks away from his phone again to cough. “Huaisang’s been home the last few days and I think he’s given me whatever is being passed around the undergrads. I was calling to warn you about coming over.”

“Ah,” Meng Yao says, feeling disappointment pool in his stomach. They’re not a thing, exactly, and he’s still mostly into Lan Xichen but it still feels bad to have Nie Mingjue want him to avoid coming over while his brother is home. “I get it, it would be hard to explain why I’m over so much to Huaisang.”

“What?” Nie Mingjue says, sounding confused. “That’s not what I meant, you’re two months out from your legal exam, I just didn't want you to get sick,” Nie Mingjue adds. “I promise you my little brother doesn’t care about my sex life, he mainly pretends I dont have one.”

“Oh,” Meng Yao says, thrown off kilter. “So you wouldn’t mind if I came by tonight? I could pick up dumplings.”

Nie Mingjue laughs, until it turns into a dry cough. “If you brought me dumplings you’d be my favorite person on the planet.”

Meng Yao laughs and a few moments later he’s hanging up and adding the best cut of pork along with chicken and beef to his basket before heading over to grab some fruit.

Later, he finds himself nodding off as he cuddles up next to Nie Mingjue on one of his massive couches while Nie Huaisang barely gives them a second look. He has no idea what they’re doing but it’s nice, it’s still weird though.

*
When the other shoe drops, Meng Yao is completely unprepared. He’s having his usual midweek coffee meet up with Lan Xichen where he flirts and Lan Xichen ignores him. It’s their usual routine except that Meng Yao is just popping a piece of muffin in his mouth when Lan Xichen smiles at him.

“You know you’ve been much happier lately,” Lan Xichen says, that telltale amused sparkle dancing in his eyes. “I’m so glad you and Mingjue-xiong have worked things out.”

Meng Yao pauses, cup halfway to his mouth. He puts the cup down and looks up at Lan Xichen, face calm and blank and asks, “What do you mean?”

Lan Xichen laughs. “I know you two have been very private about your relationship, you’ve been very discreet but not that discreet,” Lan Xichen says with a raised eyebrow.

“Did uh, did someone tell you?” Meng Yao asks, trying to keep the slowly rising panic at bay. Xichen was never supposed to know about his thing with Nie Mingjue, he was counting on that in the off chance that Lan Xichen noticed his flirting. “Because you know it’s not like that.”

Lan Xichen just shakes his head. “I was early meeting up with Mingjue -xiong and saw you two kissing goodbye. It didn’t seem like a friend's only kind of kiss, A-Yao,” he says with a laugh. “I didn’t mention it to him but it does explain a few things.”

“I,” Meng Yao starts, viscerally reminded of that morning. It was a rare morning where he and Nie Mingjue headed out together and he remembers that kiss, it was a good kiss and one that Meng Yao had initiated, feeling greedy and knowing he probably wouldn’t see Nie Mingjue for a few days. Now he just feels stupid. “It’s complicated, er-ge,” Meng Yao says, settling on the thing closest to the truth.

Lan Xichen winks at him and says, “I understand, I will say nothing more, you have my word.” He laughs and says, “You know for a minute there I almost thought you were flirting with me,” and then he shakes his head and changes the subject.

Meng Yao floats through the rest of their meet-up on autopilot, annoyed at his own recklessness and stunned that just when Lan Xichen had bought a clue he’d screwed himself over. He didn’t have plans to go to Nie Mingjue’s house that night, but he’s frustrated and feels like venting so he detours away from the subway and calls one of the Nie cars.

The condo is empty when he arrives but there’s fresh groceries in the fridge and there’s no indication that Nie Mingjue is out of town on his calendar so Meng Yao helps himself to a snack and settles in to get some revising done while he waits. It’s a few hours of quiet study time before Meng Yao hears the door click and he once again wishes that he had access to this kind of privacy on a daily basis, he’s farther along than he's gotten in days and might actually be able to cram a few more reviews in before the exam if he got more time like this.

Nie Mingjue steps into the apartment, shoes discarded in the rack by the door and says, “Hey,” voice quiet. “Did I know you were coming over today?”

Meng Yao shakes his head. “No, sorry it was a last minute thing.”

“Oh,” Nie Mingjue says and Meng Yao watches to see if Nie Mingjue is unhappy with his presence in his apartment. “Okay,” he says with a shrug. “Have you eaten?”

“I had a snack,” Meng Yao says, looking at the time on his phone. “Uh, several hours ago. I didn’t realize how late it was.”

Nie Mingjue shakes his head and pulls out his phone. “I’ll order something, is this what you’re usually like when you're studying? Hours on end with no attention to food or water?”

Meng Yao snorts. “I plan on taking the National Judicial Exam and passing the first time around so when I’m focused, I’m focused.”

“Still,” Nie Mingjue says. “You shouldn’t skip meals.”

Meng Yao rolls his eyes but follows him into the kitchen. Every time he steps into the space he feels a little overwhelmed, it’s as big as half of the apartment he shares with his roommates. “It doesn’t happen that often, besides I had a muffin when I met Xichen for coffee earlier, it’s fine.”

Nie Mingjue looks up at him as he scrolls down options on his iPad. “How is Xichen, things in Gusu were good the last time I spoke with him.”

“He’s fine,” Meng Yao says then snorts. “He,” he looks at Nie Mingjue. “You know he knows about us right? A few weeks ago when I kissed you outside of your building? I guess he saw that.”

Nie Mingjue says, “Ah,” with a small frown. “I hadn’t realized he was there, he hasn’t said anything to me.”

“Ugh, it’s so dumb,” Meng Yao says with a huff.

“What’s dumb?”

Meng Yao sighs. “He finally, finally noticed I was flirting with him and then pulled a big oh i must have misunderstood since you have a boyfriend thing,” Meng Yao says, leaning against the counter. “And the worst part is, he cannot comprehend anyone being physical without it being a whole big thing.”

“Right,” Nie Mingjue says, scrolling. He stops and looks over at Meng Yao. “You think that was your shot with him.”

Meng Yao shrugs. “Maybe?” he says with a frown. “But there’s no way for me to know because he thinks we’re serious or something.”

“Okay,” Nie Mingjue says slowly. “You know we don’t have to be an or something. If you’re getting the shot you want with Lan Xichen you should take it, we don’t need to do this anymore.”

*
“What?” Meng Yao asks, stunned. He stands there, frozen.

Nie Mingjue sighs. “If this,” he pauses to gesture between them before continuing on, “is screwing up your chances with the guy you actually like, we can stop.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Meng Yao says, voice quiet. “I was just you know, telling you.”

Nie Mingjue just looks at him, steadily. “You just said that the boy you like, who you’ve told me you like several times, thinks we’re dating. I’m trying to solve your problem for you.”

“I didn’t ask you to solve any problems for me,” Meng Yao says, back icily. He’s drifted past shocked to anger. He doesn’t need Nie Mingjue deciding anything for him. “I’ll handle it.”

Nie Mingjue stares at him. “You’ll handle it,” he says, voice flat.

“Yes.”

“How?” Nie Mingjue asks. “You can’t try to date him when he thinks you’re dating me.”

Meng Yao glares at him. “I’m well aware of that,” he says, anger building. “Why are you so concerned about this? If you don’t want to sleep with me anymore, say so, don’t pull this oh what about Xichen crap.”

“That’s really cute coming from you,” Nie Mingjue says as he brushes past Meng Yao and walks out of the kitchen.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Meng Yao asks, turning to follow Nie Mingjue. “Don’t just walk away, you have little snide comments you want to make, explain them.”

Nie Mingjue pauses at the foot of the stairs and sighs and turns around. “I understand that you’ve been into Xichen for a long while and that this, whatever, is just a distraction for you while you try to get him to notice you,” Nie Mingjue starts and Meng Yao feels like he’s been slapped.

He knows that he’s been clear about things being casual but Meng Yao hadn’t thought he’d been cruel. He likes Nie Mingjue, more than he ever expected, and he hasn’t intended to treat Nie Mingjue like he’s disposable. Meng Yao tunes back in as Nie Mingjue keeps going.

“I know the whole friends with benefits thing implies a certain level of friendship, but we aren’t at yes, please show up at my home talking about that guy you want to be with,” Nie Mingjue says. He’s clearly angry but so calm and that more than anything is what tells Meng Yao he’s screwed up on a level he couldn’t predict. “And I’m not interested in being your convenient hook up now that you know you have a chance with Xichen.”

Meng Yao shakes his head. “I never said that’s what I want,” Meng Yao says, pleading. “It’s not fair to put all that on me. We have fun, why can’t we just keep on having fun?”

Nie Mingjue sighs. “I’m not interested in being your fun, whatever. I want something real,” Nie Mingjue says, crossing his arms over his chest. “What do you want here A-Yao? I mean really, what do you really want?”

“I want both,” Meng Yao blurts, barely holding back from yelling. “Why can’t I have you and Xichen? I shouldn’t need to choose.”

Nie Mingjue blinks at him, arms dropping. “So what, you want to date both of us? At the same time?”

“Yes,” Meng Yao says with a nod. Now that he thinks about it it’s the perfect solution. He likes Nie Mingjue’s gruff, no-nonsense honesty and Lan Xichen’s sweet sincerity. He shouldn’t need to decide between one or the other; he wants it all.

“Do you really think that if you tell Xichen it’s fine I’m dating another guy but he’s okay with me seeing you,” Nie Mingjue says, looking incredulous. “Which to be clear, I’m not okay with that, and he’s just going to smile and nod?”

Meng Yao gives him a hard look. “He would if he was also dating you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Meng Yao sighs. “I don’t want to date him and date you, I want all of us to date each other,” Meng Yao says with a shrug. “We’d all be together, and no one would get left behind.”

Nie Mingjue gapes at him and Meng Yao can’t think of a time he ever saw him struck speechless. “Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about fucking Lan Xichen, you’re not that good of a liar.”

Meng Yao watches as Nie Mingjue sputters and he laughs, delighted. He wasn’t sure if Nie Mingjue did want to fuck Lan Xichen, it was just a guess because who wouldn’t? But he’s glad to see his gambit pay off.

“This is the perfect solution,” Meng Yao says, stepping closer to Nie Mingjue. “I get you and Xichen and you get each other.”

Nie Mingjue snorts. “That’s a very tidy situation for you with a very big problem,” Nie Mingjue says, voice gruff. “Lan Xichen isn’t interested in me, never has been and I seriously doubt he ever would be.”

“How would you even know?” Meng Yao asks, head tilted to the side. “I’ve been flirting with him for two years and he didn’t notice until he saw me kissing you.”

Nie Mingjue frowns, but he doesn’t dispute that Lan Xichen isn’t always the quickest when it comes to these types of things. Now that it’s taken shape in Meng Yao’s mind, he knows it’s the perfect solution and he can already imagine how good the three of them would be together.

“We’d be good together, gege,” Meng Yao says, stepping further into Nie Mingjue’s space. “And I bet it’d be really hot, watching you fuck him, making him beg,” Meng Yao adds, smiling as he watches Nie Mingjue swallow.

“Don’t you want that? Or maybe you’d prefer him watching you make me beg?” Meng Yao asks, taking the final step so that he’s pressed up against Nie Mingjue. He runs his hands up Nie Mingjue’s chest and noses along his jawline. “I bet you’d like that right? Me begging you to fuck me while Xichen watches. Maybe we’d let him touch, maybe not.”

Nie Mingjue groans. “You’re the worst person I know,” he says, hands slipping down to Meng Yao’s ass. Meng Yao doesn’t quite avoid yelping when Nie Mingjue squeezes and then lifts, but he wraps his legs around Nie Mingjue’s waist, fingers gripped tight on his shoulder.

“I know you mean that as a compliment,” Meng Yao says as Nie Mingjue carries him into the bedroom. “But if you want to punish me for being bad, I won’t mind.”

Nie Mingjue laughs. “I bet you won’t,” he says, pressing Meng Yao down onto the bed. And then Meng Yao isn’t really thinking about anything at all.

*
Meng Yao isn’t sure if his plan is going to work. But he’s done the work to convince Nie Mingjue that the three of them could work, so he can’t chicken out now.

They’ve invited Lan Xichen over to order take out and watch a movie so Meng Yao heads over to Nie Mingjue’s condo to get things ready. He drapes a blanket over the back of the giant chaise sofa in the media room, tucks a small tube of lube under the cushions along with a slip of condoms. There’s still a strong chance they’ll get turned down, but he’s trying to be prepared.

He putters around the penthouse for a couple hours after that, carving out some time to study for his National Judicial Exams, and then crashes out in the center of Nie Mingjue’s massive, freshly made bed. As he settles in and starts to drift off, he thinks about the groundwork he and Nie Mingjue have laid to set the stage for this seduction.

They’re laying in bed and Meng Yao is pretty sure he won’t be able to walk for at least a few hours when Nie Mingjue rolls over on his side to face him.

“So how exactly do you think we’re going to get Lan Xichen to date both of us?” Nie Mingjue asks, eyebrow raised. “Him noticing you flirting doesn’t really mean much.”

Meng Yao looks over at him. “What did you do?” he asks, returning Nie Mingjue’s eyebrow raise with one of his own. “You said he was never interested in you, how did you know.”

“I flirted, you know,” Nie Mingjue says waving his hand in a broad gesture. “Like people flirt, I paid a lot of attention to him and somehow that ended in us being good friends.”

Meng Yao snorts. “Okay but what else?” he asks, with a frown. “Did you touch him a lot? Or make suggestive comments, or any of that stuff?”

Nie Mingjue gives him a look. “No, Xichen isn’t. He doesn’t really seem like the type to invite that stuff,” Nie Mingjue says. He looks over at Meng Yao. “What exactly have you been doing?”

“I touched him more, nothing gross just. Casual, when it seemed like a good opening,” Meng Yao said with a shrug. “And I gave him a lot of really easy chances to touch me,” he added with a smile.

Nie Mingjue frowned. “Okay, I’m not really seeing how that’s better.”

Meng Yao rolled his eyes and pushed Nie Mingjue until he flopped back down onto his back. He swings a leg over Nie Mingjue’s waist and settles in on top of him.

Nie Mingjue raises an eyebrow at Meng Yao even as he runs his hands up his thighs. “Is this casual touching, A-Yao?”

Meng Yao snorts. “It could be,” he says, dancing his fingers up Nie Mingjue’s side. “You don’t know my intent yet,” he adds, reaching back and palming Nie Mingjue’s dick. He’s still slick with lube and come, they haven’t even cleaned up yet, and Meng Yao is still stretched so he keeps a hand on Nie Mingjue and shifts back until he’s easing Nie Mingjue back inside of him.

“We just have to be nice and easy,” Meng Yao says, rolling his hips. “You have to ease into it,” he adds, gasping when Nie Mingjue’s fingers grip his hips and he thrusts up. “A hand on his back when you pass him, a tap,” Meng Yao starts, running his hands up Nie Mingjue’s chest as their pace speeds up.

Meng Yao is just on the edge of oversensitive, but Nie Mingjust is thrusting up everytime he rolls his hips and he’s mostly lost the plot, riding the edge for a few more minutes before he’s coming, spurting across Nie Mingjue’s stomach. He feels Nie Mingjue’s thighs clench beneath him and he groans as he comes, fingers pressing what Meng Yao is sure will be bruises into the skin at his hips.

He eases off of Nie Mingjue, grimacing as Nie Mingjue’s dick slips out and thinks definitely going to be sore as he flops back onto the bed.

“So,” Nie Mingjue says, a few minutes later, after they’ve both caught their breath. “The opposite of that then? A slow-moving seduction sort of thing?”

“Exactly,” Meng Yao says with a laugh. “Can you handle it?”

“I can handle it,” Nie Mingjue says confidently. “And now we both need to handle a shower, we’re disgusting.”

And over the next few weeks Nie Mingjue did handle it. Meng Yao had watched as he slowly started touching Lan Xichen, started inviting him over to join them for dinner or a movie or just to hang out and peppered him with a thousand tiny touches. Meng Yao had followed his lead, dowling out brief brushes of his fingers across Lan Xichen’s back, his hand, anywhere he could and as he drifts off to sleep Meng Yao thinks that it’s finally time for them to make a move.

He wakes up several hours later to the sound of voices and follows it out into the kitchen where he finds Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue unloading bags of food.

“Hey,” Meng Yao says around a yawn. “You could have woken me up.”

Lan Xichen looks over his shoulder and smiles at him. “Mingjue-ge thought you needed the sleep.”

“He did need the sleep,” Nie Mingjue says, not looking up. “He’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

Meng Yao snorts as he makes his way around the table, lightly dragging his hand along Lan Xichen’s back as he tucks himself against Nie Mingjue’s side, smiling when Nie Mingjue pauses unpacking the bags to press a quick kiss against his forehead.

Dinner is a lively affair with them all catching up on the last week of work and Meng Yao describing the latest nonsense from his father. He doesn’t like to complain often, his father has paid for his education and Meng Yao is eternally grateful but he’s been frustrated by his father's demands for years and it feels good to vent every so often, even if he has no plans to cut ties.

After dinner they move to the media room to watch a movie. Every time Meng Yao takes a step into this room he’s struck anew by the very existence of a room in the house that’s just for viewing media. He settles down onto the red couch positioned in the middle of the room and urges Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue to sit on either side of him.

“I could sit on one of the other couches,” Lan Xichen says, after they’re all sat together, snug but not uncomfortable. “I don’t want to crowd you,” he adds looking at Meng Yao and Nie Mingjue.

Nie Mingjue snorts. “We invited you over to hang out with us, not sit in the corner while we’re together. Stay where you are Xichen.”

“If you’re sure,” Lan Xichen says, with a slight laugh as he inclines his head to them.

“We’re sure,” Meng Yao says, patting Lan Xichen’s leg and just leaves it there, smiling when he hears the air conditioning kick on. Nie Mingjue queues up the drama they’ve been slowly watching and they settle in; Meng Yao’s hand settled on Lan Xichen’s thigh as Nie Mingjue drapes his arm across the back of the couch.

By the time they make it through one episode, the temperature on the room has dropped enough to need a blanket and Meng Yao tries not to make a production of draping it across all of their laps. He settles back between Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue, and lets his hand settle even higher up Xichen’s thigh. He’s thinking about leaning his head on Xichen’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the way Nie Mingjue is playing with the hair at the nape of Xichen’s neck when Lan Xichen looks over at both of them and frowns.

“Are you,” Lan Xichen starts then pauses and smiles, almost to himself. “I’m sorry this is going to be a bit indelicate,” he adds with a soft laugh. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

Meng Yao freezes; he’s run a dozen different scenarios for how this could go but this wasn’t on his list. Beside him Nie Mingjue laughs, and Meng Yao feels the rumble all along his side.

“Yes,” Nie Mingjue says, voice low and free of artifice. “We’ve been trying to go slow, you know be subtle.”

Lan Xichen raises an eyebrow at them. “A-Yao’s fingers are on the verge of grazing my dick.”

“Sorry,” Meng Yao says, and feels a rush of affection as Lan Xichen laughs.

“Are you, truly?” Lan Xichen asks with a smile.

Meng Yao shrugs, leaning back into Nie Mingjue’s broad chest. “It depends, did you mind?”

“No.”

“Then no, I’m not sorry.”

He feels Nie Mingjue laugh again, a rumble down his back and shivers at the feel of it.

“You still haven’t said if you’re willing,” Nie Mingjue says, shifting and pulling Meng Yao into his lap, breathe hot on his neck. “Will you come to bed with us?” Nie Mingjue asks, palming Meng Yao in his sweats, he’s well on his way to fully hard and can feel Nie Mingjue against his ass. “Or are we going to bed alone?”

*

Meng Yao watches as Lan Xichen’s eyes go dark, he’s never seen him look like this - especially directed at him, and Meng Yao bites his lip and raises an eyebrow at him.

“I’ll come,” Lan Xichen says, voice low as his eyes go dark and intent, leaning closer.

“Good,” Nie Mingjue says and Meng Yao doesn’t wait for another signal, he closes the small space between them and kisses Lan Xichen. He feels Nie Mingjue’s hands tighten where they’ve fallen to grip his hips, and between the tight grip, the hard press of Nie Mingjue’s erection against his ass, and the gentle brush of Lan Xichen’s lips, Meng Yao feels like his control is on a knife's edge. He’s relieved when Lan Xichen breaks their kiss to kiss Nie Mingjue over Meng Yao’s shoulder, he needs a moment to regain control.

“We should go to the bedroom,” Meng Yao says, head tipping back onto Nie Mingjue’s shoulder as Lan Xichen’s hand creeps up under his shirt. “There’s more space.”

“This is more than enough space,” Nie Mingjue says, teeth grazing Meng Yao’s ear as Lan Xichen’s lips brush against his neck. “Here is fine.”

Meng Yao moans as Nie Mingjue palms his dick just as he bites down on Meng Yao’s neck, in a way that’s sure to leave a mark. He sinks his fingers into Lan Xichen’s hair and pulls, tilting his head back to kiss him again before he remembers that he wanted them to move, so they could have space and he could remember how to think.

“There’s lube and condoms in the bedroom,” Meng Yao pants, as he remembers and refuses to acknowledge the lube and strip of condoms he hid in this sofa hours earlier.

That stops Nie Mingjue, who freezes for a moment and then moves, very quickly and efficiently. Meng Yao isn’t sure how they all move so quickly, but it feels like a blink before they’re in Nie Mingjue’s bedroom with his giant bed and they’re stripping each other of their clothes. By some stroke of luck Meng Yao and Nie Mingjue end up flanking Lan Xichen, Meng Yao at his front carefully unbuttoning his pants while Nie Mingjue is at his back helping him out of his shirt. When Meng Yao finally lowers Lan Xichen’s zipper, he drops his hands to his hips and slowly pulls down his pants and underwear, sinking to his knees as he goes.

He wraps his hand around Lan Xichen’s dick, unsurprised to find it’s as beautiful as the rest of him and looks up at him and asks, “Can I?”

Lan Xichen nods and says, “Yes, please,” the first hint of a break in his voice coming through as Meng Yao licks the head of his dick. He hears Nie Mingjue say, “He’s good at that, you’re gonna love it,” before he loses himself in sucking Lan Xichen’s dick. It shouldn’t feel like a revelation, having the hot heavy weight of Lan Xichen in his mouth, but it does and the sound of him slurping as he works his dick sounds obscene even to Meng Yao’s ears but he never wants to stop.

He doesn’t get a choice as a few minutes later he’s being urged up off his knees, Lan Xichen’s dick falling out of his mouth with a sound that has Meng Yao’s mouth watering. He stands up to find Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue watching him, eyes blown wide as Nie Mingjue says, “bed, A-Yao.”

Meng Yao groans as Lan Xichen kisses him before flopping back onto the bed.

“A-Yao,” Nie Mingjue says, stalking forward. “Bed, now,” he adds and Meng Yao ignores him waiting until Nie Mingjue is in his space, tongue in his mouth and lets him back them up until his knees hit the bed and he’s scooting back across the bed to join Lan Xichen.

Meng Yao feels much more clear headed as he feels Lan Xichen’s fingers in his hair, tipping his head back to kiss him. He feels in control of himself when he feels the familiar heat of Nie Mingjue’s breath on his dick and the blunt pressure of his thick fingers, slick with lube pressing into him, just feels like relief. Meng Yao arches his back as Nie Mingjue’s fingers graze his prostate, groaning into Lan Xichen’s shoulder.

“Could I try?” Lan Xichen asks, voice muffled against the side of Meng Yao’s head. “I haven’t really had a chance to touch either of you.”

Nie Mingjue lifts his head from where it’s been mostly buried in Meng Yao’s lap. “Well I haven’t really had a chance to touch you, now that you mention it,” he says, fingers still working in and out of Meng Yao.

“We should change that,” Lan Xichen says, with a laugh. “What do you think, A-Yao?”

Meng Yao nods, sinking down on Nie Mingjue’s fingers and groaning when he slowly pulls them out and climbs over him to kiss Lan Xichen. He catches his breath as he watches Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue make out, Nie Mingjue's big hand wrapped around Lan Xichen’s dick and shifts back into their space. “I’m not going to be ignored here,” Meng Yao says, grazing Lan Xichen’s nipple with his teeth while dragging his nails down Nie Mingjue’s back.

Lan Xichen turns his head and kisses Meng Yao, hand snaking out to grab his neck and drag him in closer. Meng Yao gets caught up in it, even as he buries his own fingers in Nie Mingjue’s hair, too distracted to notice as he kisses his way down Lan Xichen’s body until Lan Xichen gasps against his mouth.

Meng Yao finally looks down to see Nie Mingjue swallowing down Lan Xichen’s dick as his thick fingers disappear between his thighs. He smiles, fingers carding through his hair as Lan Xichen’s hand on his neck goes tight as he arches up into Nie Mingjue’s mouth.

“He says I’m good at that,” Meng Yao whispers, teeth grazing Lan Xichen’s ear. “But he’s even better,” he adds, biting down. “Aren’t you, gege?” Meng Yao asks, fingers tightening in Nie Mingjue’s hair.

Nie Mingjue looks up at him and lets Lan Xichen’s dick slip out of his mouth with a sound that makes Meng Yao feel impossibly harder.

“Don’t flirt with me when I’m busy sucking dick, A-Yao,” Nie Mingjue says, licking a drop of pre-come that’s landed on his lip. “You had your turn.”

Meng Yao smirks at him, sitting up so he can lean down and kiss him. “Did I?” he asks, licking the taste of Lan Xichen out of Nie Mingjue’s mouth. He pulls away when he feels Lan Xichen’s dick poking at his chest where he’s leaned over him, and laughs into Nie Mingjue’s mouth. “Someone’s impatient.”

Nie Mingjue snorts and leans down, taking Lan Xichen into his mouth again as Meng Yao is dragged backwards by Lan Xichen and pulled nearly on top of him for a kiss. Lan Xichen slides his hands down Meng Yao’s back before squeezing his ass and urging him forward. Meng Yao goes along with it, shifting forward until he’s nearly straddling Lan Xichen’s head and has to look down at him as he braces his hands against the headboard.

“A little farther, A-Yao,” Lan Xichen pants, urging Meng Yao forward until he’s fully straddling Lan Xichen’s head and his dick is brushing against Lan Xichen’s lips. Lan Xichen opens his mouth and licks the head of Meng Yao’s dick before he brushes a brief, almost chaste kiss against it before he takes A-Yao in his mouth, hands gripping Meng Yao’s ass as he starts to suck his dick.

Meng Yao’s world narrows down to Lan Xichen’s hands on his ass and the swirl of his tongue on his dick. Meng Yao braces his hands on the headboard and gives in as Lan Xichen urges his hips forward and he begins to slowly begins to fuck his mouth. He loses track of time, moaning as Lan Xichen lets him fuck further and further into throat and starts to wonder if Lan Xichen will let him come on his face when he hears, “Xichen,” and looks over his shoulder to see Nie Mingjue on his knees between Lan Xichen’s spread thighs.

Meng Yao lets his dick slip out of Lan Xichen’s mouth, climbing off of him so he can see what’s waiting for him.

“Where are you go-” Lan Xichen starts, before he stops at the sight of Nie Mingjue between his thighs.

Nie Mingjue runs his hands up Lan Xichen’s thighs and quirks an eyebrow at him. “Can I fuck you Xichen?” Nie Mingjue asks, dragging his hands up the inside of Lan Xichen’s thighs and smiling when he spreads his legs. “Would you like that?”

Meng Yao bites his lip. He’d like that and he’s not sure if he’d like to watch it more or get fucked, but either one sounds good.

Lan Xichen nods, eyes wide and says, “Yes, yes please.”

Nie Mingjue laughs, low and gruff, and reaches down to pick up a condom Meng Yao didn’t notice before and makes quick work of opening it and rolling it down his dick. He runs his hands up Lan Xichen’s legs again, pushing them up as he lines himself up. Meng Yao wraps his fingers around his dick as he watches Nie Mingjue push into Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen arches his back as Nie Mingjue bottoms out, groaning.

“God,” Lan Xichen says, hands scrambling to grip Nie Mingjue’s shoulders as he pulls him down and kisses him. It shouldn’t be so hot watching his maybe boyfriend as he slowly starts fucking his long time crush but it is, Meng Yao knows how good Nie Mingjue feels and he starts jerking off as he watches them.

Lan Xichen moans and Meng Yao grunts out, “Fuck,” and Nie Mingjue jerks his head up, locking eyes with him without losing his rhythm as he fucks Lan Xichen.

“Xichen,” Nie Mingjue says, not looking away from Meng Yao as his hips snap forward over and over again. “I think A-Yao is feeling left out.”

Lan Xichen says, “mmm,” hands clenched in the sheets, before he slowly opens his eyes and turns his head to find Meng Yao.

“That’s,” he pants, stopping for a moment to bare down on Nie Mingjue’s dick. “That’s not good, A-Yao.”

“It’s okay,” Meng Yao says, squeezing his dick to avoid coming from the combined high of all that attention and seeing how much Lan Xichen is enjoying getting fucked. He wouldn’t think this alone would do it for him like this but he’s pretty sure he could come in a few short pulls if they keep this up. “I’m fine.”

“It’s not fine,” Nie Mingjue says, voice a near growl. “Come here.”

Meng Yao does, scooting over on his knees and moaning as Nie Mingjue lets go of one of Lan Xichen’s thighs to pull Meng Yao in for a kiss that leaves him feeling like he’s about to be devoured. “What do you want, baby?”

“I wanna get fucked,” Meng Yao blurts, feeling needy and selfish as Nie Mingjue squeezes his ass. He’s stopped moving and Lan Xichen is nearly whining under him but Meng Yao wants. He doesn’t want to come without having something a little more.

Nie Mingjue smiles and looks down at Lan Xichen and rubs his thigh. “Be patient,” Nie Mingjue says, as Lan Xichen breaks into a full whine and tries to fuck himself on Nie Mingjue’s dick. “A-Yao is gonna ride you, be still for a second.”

“You want that don’t you A-Yao?” Nie Mingjue asks, voice low.

Meng Yao looks at him and looks down at Lan Xichen flushed all the way down his chest with his hands clenched in the sheets with his dick, hard leaking pre-cum on his stomach and licks his lips. “Yeah I want it, Jue-ge. I want it.”

Nie Mingjue squeezes his ass again and says, “Get a condom,’ and from there Meng Yao moves like he’s in a dream. He doesn’t remember getting out of bed to get a condom, but he knows he rolls it onto Lan Xichen’s dick and swings a leg over his waist to straddle him. He knows he leans down to kiss him before reaching back to slowly guide Lan Xichen’s dick into his ass. Meng Yao doesn’t come back to himself until the moment he feels the tops of Lan Xichen’s thighs on back of his own, and he knows he’s fully sunk down on his dick.

Lan Xichen groans under him and Meng Yao sits up, hands braced on Lan Xichen’s chest and leans right back into Nie Mingjue and tilts his head back onto his shoulder. Nie Mingjue presses a quick kiss to Meng Yao’s cheek and then thrusts into Lan Xichen who thrusts up into Meng Yao, and from there they start to build a rhythm, the three of them moving together. Meng Yao looks down when Lan Xichen’s hands shift from the sheets to his hips gripping them hard as Meng Yao rolls his hips.

Meng Yao knows he’s close, he was already nearly there just from jerking off and watching, but the feeling of the phantom of each of Nie Mingjue’s thrusts and rolling down to meet each rise of Lan Xichen’s hips is driving him higher and higher. When Nie Mingjue wraps a hand around Meng Yao’s dick and squeezes, in just the way Meng Yao likes as his teeth scrap Meng Yao’s collar he starts coming in thick strings all across Lan Xichen’s chest. He groans and flops forward, moaning through it as Nie Mingjue keeps fucking Lan Xichen and Lan Xichen keeps fucking him until he feels Lan Xichen go stiff beneath him and hears Nie Mingjue mumble, “fuck, I’m coming.”

After, when they’re all as cleaned up as they’re willing to get without having to shower and Meng Yao is comfortably settled with his head on Lan Xichen’s chest with Nie Mingjue’s chest against his back and arm around his waist he wonders, as he’s starting to drift off to sleep, if he’s going to get the chance to get used to this.

“So,” Lan Xichen asks, into the quiet of the room. He’s got a hand on Meng Yao’s thigh and he’s absently running it up and down as Meng Yao’s dick tries to get interested again. “Was this a one-time thing? This was really, really great but I need to know how things stand.”

Meng Yao lifts his head and squints at him. “Did you want this to be a one time thing?” he asks, then turns to look at Nie Mingjue. “Did you? I don’t.”

“Me either,” Nie Mingjue says, pressing a quick kiss to Meng Yao’s shoulder. “My bed is big enough for all of us and it’s better with three.”

Lan Xichen smiles at them. “Are you sure? You had a great thing going here.”

“Xichen,” Nie Mingjue says, before he climbs over both of them until he’s on Lan Xichen’s other side and close enough to lean in and kiss him. “We both wanted you and each other.”

“It’s true, Xichen-ge,” Meng Yao says, leaning his chin on Xichen’s chest. “All of our problems boiled down to, we both want to date Xichen.”

Lan Xichen smiles again and this time it’s like the sun has come out, like the stars have decided to shine just for them. “I’d really like that,” Lan Xichen says, pulling Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao closer, somehow. “It was very confusing being jealous of both of you at the same time.”

“Now you get both of us, all of the time,” Nie Mingjue says, mouth against Lan Xichen’s ear and causing him to shiver.

Meng Yao laughs and shakes his head and then drags a finger up Lan Xichen’s dick, smiling when it twitches. “I hope you’re ready for it.”

“Oh I’m ready for it,” Lan Xichen says with a laugh. And he is.

THE END