slicings | band au;

band au;

[ yingxing exhales hard.

his ears still ring with the music, his blood thrumming with excitement. for all the years that highcloud has been together now, he never really tires of this work. he loves what he does, loves his bandmates no matter how often they butt heads, loves everything about their music. it's hard work, exhausting even at the best of times, and there are certainly many downsides to fame and celebrity status, but this.. playing together, making music, performing, he's passionate about it. the riches and fame are secondary to doing what he loves.

they're halfway through their rehearsal now, splitting up to take a break and rehydrate, and it's as he's guzzling down some water from a bottle that yingxing spots dan heng, dan feng's quiet, elusive little brother.

they've met before, but only briefly, only in passing. while dan heng is supportive of his brother and the band, he's a bit of a recluse, and he's never really gone out of his way to interact with any of them beyond dan feng - so what's he doing here right now? yingxing can't resist the urge to pester him, not when he knows he might not get the chance to again for some time now.

so, wiping sweat from his brow, yingxing wanders toward the table where dan heng has set up shop, surrounded by books and papers, lit by the glow of his laptop and tablet. ]

Long time no see.

[ entirely uninvited, yingxing pulls up a seat across from dan heng, straddling it backwards, leaning his forearms on the back of the steel chair. his hair is wild and his skin is flushed and dewy with sweat, adrenaline still pumping, his grin broad and easy. ]

Surprised you can concentrate with all this noise.

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[ He nods a "thank you" as Yingxing slides the beer across to him, taking—well, just a small sip for now. Surprisingly, though, the bitter taste contrasts the richness of the curry quite well, and in a way he feels like it only makes him hungrier. Without a word on the subject, he continues to clear his plate, the meaty curry both warming and comforting him as well as restoring his hunger.

To the compliment, he looks up with a wry smile, something amused written into the depths of his eyes. ]

Maybe I'll ask, then.

[ His head tilts, and it's probably obvious to the other man that he already is asking. He quite likes the idea of being comforted by the other's scent constantly around him anyway. ]

[ dan heng plows through his meal at the speed of light, already finished a full serving before yingxing is halfway through his own - and he's hungry, too. but it stands to reason. his heat is burning up all of his calories, yingxing probably should have insisted that he eat earlier than this.. but ah, well. he'll keep on top of it from here on out, however good dan heng is at keeping him in bed.

he keeps spooning his own curry into his mouth, savoring the flavor, enjoying the meat and vegetables and soft rice all at once, with an appreciative hum. it's pretty good, if he does say so himself. ]

Oh? Well.. who am I to deny you?

[ he absolutely wants to see dan heng in one of his shirts. another few bites, and a deep drink of beer. ]

Let me finish up, and I'll grab one for you. Do you want any more to eat?

[ He finishes eating in record time, and... well, it's a little embarrassing, but he also knows why it happened, and so he doesn't let himself get too upset about it. It's also nice in a way, that he can sit back when he's done and just watch, enjoying the sight of Yingxing slowly eating through his own meal as he sips patiently at his own beer.

And, when he's told that he won't be denied, he smiles all the more prettily.

To Yingxing's other question though, he shakes his head, resting a hand at his own stomach. ]

No, thank you. It was delicious, but I just ate so fast I might make myself sick if I keep going.

[ yingxing nods. ]

I figured as much.

[ probably for the best. dan heng can have more later, when yingxing inevitably nags him to eat again after a few more hours of exhausting each other. there's still a good amount of curry left, and the congee he'd prepared as well, but a week is a long time.. he'll need to stock up.

once finished, yingxing downs the rest of his beer and sits back with a sigh. that really hit the spot. ]

So are you going to tell me when you need to eat next, or do I have to set a timer?

[ He's been doing such a good job of not letting himself get too embarrassed—but then Yingxing says that, and his face threatens to light up all over again. Dan Heng huffs, and drops his gaze, picking up his beer and taking a defiant swig of what's left. ]

I obviously didn't forget on purpose, [ he says, and even to his own ears he sounds a little sullen. ] There are just.. there are a lot of things going on with my body right now, and sometimes it's hard to know what to listen to first—

[ And when one of the things he wants is so obviously here, well... ]

[ ah, but he's so cute when he's embarrassed, and even moreso when he's defiant. yingxing can't help the way he smiles. ]

So a timer, is what you're saying. Got it.

[ he teases, then pushes his chair back so that he can stand, gathering up their bowls to let them start soaking in the sink, then tossing his empty bottle into the recycling bin. after that, he'll start packing the leftovers back away again. ]

Let me clean this up, then we'll get you that shirt.

[ Yingxing's timer comment is rewarded with another sullen little huff, another stubborn little swig of his beer—this time catching the dregs of the bottle. With a sigh, he... does the responsible thing and moves over to put his bottle in the recycling as well, and then leans on the kitchen counter, tail swishing idly behind him as he watches the other man pack up the leftovers. ]

Is there anything I can do to help? You've done so much for me in just the last twenty-four hours...

[ The food, the washing... not to mention all the sex... and he—

frowns as he spies his phone lighting up on the counter, on silent for the past whole day.

Oh, he'd completely forgotten about—

52 missed calls

Fuck—

His voice is strained as he answers the phone. ]

Gege, hi—

[ yingxing pauses with one hand in the fridge the moment he hears the word gege. no one can strike fear into his heart quite the way that dan feng can.

hi, dan heng says, to which his brother bites his sentence off immediately, hissing into the receiver.

don't you "gege" me - where are you? what's going on? why haven't you been picking up your phone? do you have any idea how worried i've been, trying to get ahold of you? i nearly contacted the realm-keeping commission-

oh. oh no. yingxing bites down on his lower lip hard to keep in an audible groan of dismay when he hears dan feng's sharp tone, pitched enough that he can hear every word even without straining to listen.

i thought you were dead in a gutter somewhere! you weren't home all night! you had better have a good explanation- ]

[ Fuck. Aeons, he's so fucked—In his sudden panic, Dan Heng very nearly drops his towel, leaving it in the end clutched dangling in front of his breasts as he leans back on the counter, phone held white-knuckled in his other hand. ]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I don't. I...

[ He huffs out. He can't just tell Dan Feng here's come here of all places, he'll kill him, he's always told him not to mess with rock stars, and if he were to find out it were one of his friends surely that would be so much worse...

But at the same time, his brother has been at his place, is maybe still there, and...

Deep breath. ]

I'm with a friend, [ he says, voice low. ] I'm... I'm in the middle of my first heat. I needed to be somewhere safe. I'm sorry, my phone was on silent and I didn't realize—

Edited 2025-05-22 12:49 (UTC)

[ all yingxing can do is stay as still and silent as possible. dan feng is a predator whose vision is based on movement -

a friend? you're - what?

there's a silence on the other end of the line for a few moments, before dan feng exhales a heavy sigh. he'd known that this day would come eventually, and likely soon, considering dan heng's age, and how most vidyadhara would have experienced their first heat or rut years prior. even still..

you could have told me. you didn't need to hide it from me, i could have told you what to do - which friend? not stelle or march, i contacted them, too, i'm surprised you're not with them. is it someone you trust? are you all right? ]

[ Ugh, of course he contacted Stelle and March. He'd hoped against all hope that he wouldn't do that, that telling the truth of his heat would let Dan Feng just make the wrong assumptions and move on, but...

At least his brother isn't yelling anymore—

Another deep, slow breath. ]

I'm not... wasn't trying to hide it from you. When I texted you to cancel, I didn't realize. Since then I just haven't really been thinking right. Honestly, I forgot my phone existed until I saw it just now. I'm so sorry—

[ Is it someone he trusts? Is he alright? ]

Yes, though. Yes, I'm with a friend I can trust. I promise. I'm alright. I'm being cared for.

[ His cheeks heat at the understatement in those words. ]

[ oh. cute. yingxing smiles despite himself, even if his adrenaline is currently spiking in a fight or fight response.

there's a long silence on the other end of the line. dan feng hasn't missed the fact that dan heng in fact failed to specify which friend, and he's quite sure he knows all of dan heng's close friends.. at least, he thought he did. maybe he doesn't know his baby brother as well as he thinks he does.

mm.

.. all right. as long as you're safe. if you need anything, anything at all, call me, all right? i'll be here. i know what it's like.

which might not be comforting for dan heng to hear, but it's still the truth. dan feng worries. he always worries. ]

Edited 2025-05-22 13:36 (UTC)

I know. I'm safe, gege, I promise. I'll call you soon, okay?

[ It's with a sigh of relief that he hangs up the phone, looking up at Yingxing—and belatedly realizing the towel barely covering him anymore. He's quick to grab it and wrap it around himself again, even as his cheeks flush and he frowns at the older man. ]

You look happy... [ But before he can even settle back on that thought, he confesses: ]

Gege has always told me to stay away from rock stars. He'll kill me, if he knows I came here. I know he's your friend but... [ His expression, now, turns apologetic. ] Please don't tell him I've been here.

[ when dan heng grabs at his towel, yingxing arches a brow. he's seen it all?? hello??

but his smile persists as he moves toward him, resting his hands on dan heng's hips to pull him in nearer, dipping his head to touch their brows together. yeah, he's happy. happy that dan heng trusts him. happy that he feels like he's being taken care of. ]

.. you know he'll figure it out, right?

[ he says softly, then lifts one hand to cradle dan heng's jaw, his roughened thumb smoothing over his cheek. ]

I won't tell him, but he's not stupid. If you want to continue this.. it's only a matter of time.

[ Look, he can still be shy even though Yingxing has seen everything, okay???

Maybe he'd say as much too, correctly interpreting that brow raise for what it is, if it weren't for the elder's arms reaching out to pull him in near. Dan Heng smiles as his own head tips up, as their foreheads come together, and—

He grimaces at Yingxing's words even as that roughened thumb smooths so gently over his skin. ]

I know he's not stupid, I just—

[ "If you want to continue this—"

Aeons, this is not a conversation he should be having in the middle of a heat, is it? ]

I want to continue this, [ he says anyway, voice quiet but strong. Stubborn. ] But... if I tell him now, who knows what he'll do...

[ no, it isn't a conversation they should be having during his heat. dan heng isn't thinking entirely straight, he's more affectionate right now, more needy and wanting, but.. the worst that happens is, after his heat, dan heng changes his mind. and yingxing would respect that. he isn't thinking too hard about this, isn't expecting too much yet. but dan feng's interference does complicate things. ]

.. all right, well, tell him when you're ready, then. I won't say anything.

[ it'll be difficult to avoid dan feng's scrutiny, but. he'll have to manage it somehow. ]

Just keep in mind that if he finds out before you tell him, you know it'll be a hundred times worse. [ nudging their noses together, yingxing hums. ] But you don't need me to tell you that.

[ He is needier right now, more wanting... perhaps that's why, when there's even a hint of doubt in Yingxing's voice, he immediately starts to second-guess himself, to wonder if he should just ask the other what he thinks. But... no, he knows what he's doing, he knows his brother...

He nods slightly, nudges his nose back against Yingxing's. ]

I'm not saying we wait ages. Just... let me get through this heat, first? [ There's something pleading in his tone. ] That's all. You know that the moment I say anything, he'll be here to yell at me, and right now I just... mn.

[ Of course, he hasn't considered what Dan Feng might want to say or do to Yingxing, focused only on his brother's protective nature towards him... ]

Right now I just want to be here with you. If that's alright with you.

[ for all that yingxing is terrified of dan feng's wrath - knowing full well how much dan feng adores his brother, how protective he is - he can't bring himself to feel too concerned right now. not when he's got dan heng right here, warm and soft and pliant against him.

his hand falls again, both smoothing around his sides to the small of his back, scooping him in close. his voice is quiet, private between them. ]

It's definitely all right with me.

[ it makes sense that dan heng would want to wait until his heat passes. just, any longer than that and they're playing with fire. for now, though.. for now, it's just them. just them, and these walls holding them in, this little world all their own. ]

Good. [ It's a murmur, almost a purr, as he's scooped in closer to the older man, his hand reaching up in answer to brush along Yingxing's cheek. ]

Okay, [ he breathes, and then adjusts himself, standing on tiptoes so that he can brush his mouth against the older man's, his smile still hinting at the corners of his own. ] Good.

[ And there's a part of him that still wants a shirt to wear, yes, but with their renewed proximity, the more insistent part of him is content to stay like this, to slip one of his legs between Yingxing's just a little, allowing him to draw in that litte closer to the older man. ]

Then... why don't we pick up where we left off? [ His voice is low, sweetened with an onset of his heat he hasn't even noticed physically yet, driven too perhaps by the leftover spike of adrenaline from the ringing of his phone. ]

[ oh, he likes this newfound confidence he's seeing, dan heng finding his footing beneath him, chasing what he wants even if it's driven by his heat a little. yingxing likes dan heng in all ways, thinks it's cute when he's shy and sweet, but he likes this too, likes him suggesting at what he desires.

humming low in his throat, yingxing leans in, their lips brushing together as he breathes in the scent of his own soap on dan heng's skin. ]

Mm.. I think you're right.

[ he murmurs, then kisses him with assurance, and just a little force - less than what he'd used upstairs in bed, but enough to feel like burning need. his hands travel down, over the soft towel to dan heng's thighs, cupping behind them to lift him easily up onto the countertop to sit. ]

[ It may be confidence that he's wearing, but it's still a little new, Dan Heng yelping softly as he's lifted onto the countertop, the sound followed by a soft laugh as his arms wrap around the other's shoulders, pulling him close even as his legs hook around his waist too. ]

Is this hygienic? [ he wonders, voice low, though it should be clear from the smile on his face that honestly, he's not altogether too worried.

(He might be, normally. But it's just the two of them, and he's in heat.)

He proves it with a stroke of his ankle along the back of Yingxing's leg, a lazy smile on his lips as he leans in to kiss him once more. ]

[ yingxing chuckles, shaking his head. ]

The counter will survive. Your ass will, too.

[ he teases, tipping his chin up into the kiss, eager to taste him again. resting both hands on dan heng's thighs, yingxing murmurs, pleased, as they slide upward, gently slipping beneath the towel to follow the warmth of his skin. heat kindles in his belly, a small flame for now, but growing quickly as they kiss, as his palms smooth higher over soft, delicate skin. maybe it helps that he's an alpha, that he reacts naturally to dan heng's heat, spurred by it in a way a full human might not be. ]

You're so beautiful..

[ he whispers, kissing a path down dan heng's throat to where it meets his collar. ]

[ A huff in response—totally not what he meant—but there's no protest, Dan Heng humming into the kiss as Yingxing's hands slide up under the towel, his own fingers splaying along the other's back as he kisses, slow and exploring, until the other breaks it so that his mouth can make a new path instead. And in response, Dan Heng's head tilts back, a soft catch of breath and shudder down his spine, a bite of his lip as his eyes close. ]

You think so? [ he mumbles. This time, he doesn't fight it, although there is a smile on his face as one of his hands moves to his side to brace on the counter, something playful glinting behind the glow. ] I don't know, I think you might be a little biased...

[ dan heng will surely feel the way that yingxing's smile curves against his skin. ]

Maybe a little.. but it's still true.

[ even in his less eye-catching skin, dan heng is lovely to look at, handsome and cute, sweet, tempting to take home. yingxing isn't picky, he likes dan heng no matter what he looks like. finds him beautiful either way. his kisses continue, pressing downward over the soft, small swell of dan heng's breasts while his hands slide up to his hips now, thumbs pressing into the hollows. ]

I'm glad you came here. [ he says, nuzzling soft skin. ] That you trust me.

[ He chuckles softly when he's told that it's true, bias or not, his smile sweet and a little shy now in answer to that which curves against his skin. His lips part, and he wants to tell Yingxing how handsome he is too, how he can see that smile, but it feels almost silly to do so right after the other has said something so nice. He wants Yingxing to know that he feels these things not only in reciprocation, but on his own.

He's still somewhere lost in the middle of all that when the other's kisses trail down over his breasts, making his breath catch as hands cup his hips, and those soft words continue. ]

I'm glad I came here too. I din't even... it was like instinct. [ His cheeks redden. ] I thought of you, and I just... had to be here.

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