Thread by @undeadbiscuit

a line in a fic chapter i did a quick lookover for gave me an idea for some very-slightly-dark #sangyao where meng yao manipulates nie huaisang just a little bit to find out how genuine his crush is.

he "confronts" nie huaisang about how much of a cuddly touchy-feely person he

is, and while he doesn't outright accuse nie huaisang of taking advantage of the help the way, say, jin guangshan flagrantly does, the implication that that's what people *think* he's doing is there.

for the next several weeks, he observes as nie huaisang, appropriately troubled

by the idea that he's been trampling everyone's boundaries and they've just been putting up with it because they have no other choice, begins drawing back to the point it almost looks like he's isolating himself.

the other fortress staff are confused and concerned by the sudden

distance, since they always found his cheerful affection endearing, while the disciples are pleased that he's finally no longer bothering them when he should be training. (the latter seeming to make him retreat even further.)

satisfied by the results, meng yao decides to

"clarify" their last discussion by gently reassuring nie huaisang that he *does* like him, they just can't be all that close with their differing statuses and the outside opinions that come with them.

once he's been legitimized, meng yao promises, that can change, and he is

further satisfied when nie huaisang agrees to wait.

the murder of the captain, of course, throws a wrench in the gears, but knowing that huaisang tried to plead his case further cements the fact that his feelings are authentic.

now to see if they can survive a war.

when they meet again at the victory celebration and nie huaisang smiles and shyly ducks his head in greeting despite otherwise clearly not wanting to be there, jin guangyao knows he's got him for good.