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Shen Yuan liked a lot of things. He liked bugs. He liked monsters. He liked reading and writing. He liked Jiu-Ge sometimes.
One thing Shen Yuan did not like was storms. He hated the clapping of rain that never seemed to stop, and he hated the way the thunder boomed as if trying to attack him. The winds rattled the walls of bamboo as if it were trying to pick them apart.
How sturdy were ancient bamboo houses anyway? Shen Yuan feared for his life.
The boy curled into himself, his hand clutched tightly into light green robes. The silk fabrics felt nice on his sweat soaked hands, and he was dimly aware that his hair was not as neat as it should’ve been. The long strands stuck out messily and seemed to intertwine with the sheets.
Shen Yuan was a wreck.
As the thunder picked up, so too did his breathing. He shut his eyes tightly and pretended he wasn’t shaking, that there was no thunder or rain, and that he wasn’t there. The grip on his robes seemed so tight it threatened to start hurting. His eyelashes were wet with unshed tears.
Over the sound of the thunder and his own panic, he failed to notice footsteps entering the room. Only when the person's weight dipped the bed did he notice. He slowly opened his eyes to glance up at the perpetrator, too inattentive to comprehend that only one other person ever lived there with him.
There was a long pause.
“…Jiu-Ge?” Shen Yuan mumbled. His shaky, unsteady voice betrayed him.
Shen Jiu stared at the boy next to him for a long minute, a look of heated confusion on his face. Storms wouldn’t hurt him, so why was this kid scared? They were cultivators for god's sake.
He eventually sighed in defeat, letting his hand swoop through the younger’s silky long strands.
“It’s not going to hurt you.” Shen Jiu scoffed, rolling his eyes. He couldn’t understand why the kid was afraid. The house was safe and sturdy, littered with various arrays.
Shen Yuan glared up at Shen Jiu. The man was a horrible teacher. Who comforts a kid like this??
“Get up.” Shen Jiu muttered, arising from his spot on the bed. He glanced agitatedly down at the boy.
Upon seeing Shen Yuan’s poor state, Shen Jiu’s eyes softened. Snapping his fan in front of his face, he turned to leave the room, though not before remarking, “Meet me at the table.”
Shen Yuan glared up at the spot where the older had been standing, agitated at being ordered around. He brought his fisted hands to his face and rubbed the tears from his eyes, unable to stand being seen as disheveled as he had been a few seconds ago. He stood and brushed his robes off, poorly attempting to smoothen the wrinkles.
He quickly ran his fingers through his long hair, striving to make it seem at least presentable. Before it had been frizzy, comparable to as if his hair had dried after being rained on for hours.
After making his appearance more bearable, he slid out of the room. He made his way over to the wooden table. He paused as his gaze flitted down to see a steaming teapot with a cup of tea. The teapot and cup were white, with pale green leaves painted on. It was easy to tell that they were worth good money.
The tea was light colored, and the fragrance was floral and sweet. It was still steaming, he noted. It hadn’t been sitting there for too long.
“Is Yuan-Di going to sit or continue to gawk?” Shen Jiu snapped. His eyes narrowed at the younger.
Shen Yuan’s mind seemed to pause. He pondered quickly if there was something he was supposed to be doing first, and went to pour the tea for the elder. Shen Jiu quickly and harshly gripped his wrist.
“You’ve already proved yourself incompetent. Sit down.” He sneered, snapping his fan closed. He let go of Shen Yuan’s wrist as the younger moved to sit down.
Shen Jiu poured the tea, a look of focus on his face as he did. He pushed the cup gently towards Shen Yuan. He looked at him expectantly.
Shen Yuan gently picked up the cup, as if it would break in his touch. He sipped the tea, noting the taste was oddly sugared.
“It’s a soothing tea. You need rest. I don’t need you to be utterly useless tomorrow.” Shen Jiu explained, a look of fondness in his eyes for the younger.
Shen Yuan absentmindedly sipped the tea. When he looked back down, he noticed that it was already gone. He wasn’t sure how long it had been, but Shen Jiu stayed in front of him. The older watched him mindlessly while messing with his fan.
Shen Yuan set the empty cup back down, already starting to feel slightly drowsy. Shen Jiu clicked his tongue as he took in the disarrayed state of the other. Far from presentable.
“If you’re going to be seen with me, you’d best look the part.” Shen Jiu muttered, motioning for the younger to come over to him. Shen Yuan stood up wobbly, holding onto the edge of the table for support.
Shen Yuan seated himself in front of Shen Jiu, who gently pulled the ornament from his hair. The older brushed through the younger’s hair, the other nodding off in the process. Shen Yuan’s hair was almost identical to his own. He kept brushing it until almost all of the knots were out. As he put the brush down, Shen Yuan fell limply back into him.
He pulled the outer robe off the other, figuring that it couldn’t have been comfortable to sleep that way. He picked him up, grumbling in the process about how the kid should be able to care for himself by now. He will not always be there to pick up the slack.
He slid open the door into Shen Yuan’s room, setting the younger onto the bed and gently tucked him in. As he turned to leave, he added a deafening array to the room for good measure.