“Ah . . . ” It's more breath than actual verbal response with Sizhui's mouth hanging open, momentarily at a loss for words. Did he actually ask—? He snaps his mouth shut, hoping it isn't forceful enough to be audible, his lips also pursed in his best attempt at not grinning. No, Sizhui thinks, don't question it.
Instead, he outstretches his hand again toward a pretty jade comb this time, plucks it up, gives it an inquisitive once-over then finally says, “Of course. I like spending any time with you that I can, Jin Ling.”
He clears his throat, standing straighter. There's a small smile on his
lips about Sizhui agreeing to spending more time together. Jin Ling offers
his arm to Sizhui.
"Then would you like to explore the rest of the market with me?" he asks.
That's probably the most enthusiastic-sounding thing Sizhui's ever heard Jin Ling say, which instantly draws his attention away from the comb he's holding, widened eyes wholly focused on his friend. After Jin Ling clears his throat, he sets the item aside, turns toward him and brightens a significant amount whenever he offers his arm.
“Absolutely,” comes without hesitation, then he hooks Jin Ling's elbow with his own and continues, “Where shall we go from here?”
“Not yet,” he admits, “but if they are as good as you say, then perhaps we should get some?” It would only be proper, after all, to have actual food before eating any of the sweets he's gotten while wandering through the marketplace by himself earlier.
As they proceed together now, Sizhui does his best to not laugh at the few people who stop them to interact with Jin Ling by pinching his cheeks; it isn't difficult, he's quite used to hiding his laughter and smiles behind his sleeves, but it does prove a bit harder than it may have been if it were anything besides watching his friend get admired by his elders.
Once they've started moving forward again, Jin Ling mentions a lantern and Sizhui's eyes alight with excitement. “It is, yes, something we do after classes have ended.” Also during other festivals and such when they celebrate but those might be one of the most memorable times. “Is there any particular lantern you might like?”
Which has Sizhui's smile somehow widening in turn, his heartbeat stutter-stopping briefly at such a sight; it's exciting, getting to see such a lovely smile on Jin Ling's face, and in particular when he knows he's the one that's caused it.
He faintly tightens his arm around Jin Ling's, nods his head then reaches his other hand to gesture offhandedly while commenting, “There's nothing wrong with being consistent, to be fair, but I would love to help you switch it up and pick something different.”
While Sizhui's initially unsure as to why Jin Ling's leaning even closer, the moment he says what he does, his ears promptly turn a brilliant shade of red. He inclines his head, withdrawing the other hand he'd gestured with just moments ago and pressing his fingertips against his mouth.
Perhaps he hadn't considered how nice he looks sporting his different hairstyle and wearing pale blue robes with silky ribbons hanging off his shoulders instead of oversized sleeves, but now he definitely is.
And if it's something that earns such a compliment from Jin Ling of all people, maybe it isn't so bad that he's branching out a bit in his older years. “Thank you,” Sizhui finally murmurs, having found his manners again, the hand lowering as they grow closer to the salesperson they've been looking for. “Really, you flatter me so, I do hope my face isn't too red...” It wouldn't do for them to be asked too many questions, after all.
As much as he'd love to look at Jin Ling's face, Sizhui cannot, lest he risks seeing him grin like that and ends up turning even redder. Instead, he's focused on the lanterns before them, glancing over the designs, trying to decide which one might suit them best.
“Hahhh,” he sighs, even though there's no real heat behind the complaint and he's smiling. His free hand does reach up to touch the pinkened ear on that same side, feeling its warmth, which makes him both flush harder and smile somewhat wider as he slides his hand down Jin Ling's forearm, drifts his fingertips against the inside of his wrist then pushes them up against his palm and fans their fingers out so he can lace them together. Two can play at that game, after all. “Do you see any you like in particular?”
All of Jin Ling's higher brain functions stop when Sizhui laces his hand
along with his own. Jin Ling clears his throat and looks at the array of
lanterns and blatantly ignores the vendor who's known him since he was a
child. He pretends to look over more lanterns.
Sizhui, however, spares a glance up toward the vendor, his lips faintly quirked at the corners, then he downturns again and hums contemplatively while still considering. At this rate, they'll never pick, so it seems Sizhui'll have to take matters into his own hands (or hand, rather, since he's holding onto Jin Ling's—)
His gaze falls onto a particular one; pale white in color, decorated with golden butterflies and a big purple lotus. He reaches out, gently lifts it from its spot to hold before them, then remarks with another full-on grin, “I like this one.”
"Of course you would pick that one. You were playing with children's toys
even when we were teenagers," Jin Ling scoffs, falling back on being
haughty as he had been in their youth.
Nevertheless, he sets down the payment for the lantern and then some as he
knows this vendor has relatives that struggled in the outskirts of Lanling.
“Of course,” he repeats emphatically, the tone of his voice bordering on teasing. “Are you saying you remember that day? It seems like so long ago...” Sizhui sighs softly, either genuinely unfazed by Jin Ling's patronizing or ignoring it altogether, too distracted by momentarily recalling that time in Tanzhou himself.
He's abruptly drawn from his thoughts, attention downcasting to where Jin Ling has already paid for the lantern he's holding, his eyebrows lifted with interest. Seems as if his friend isn't too bothered by him playing with children's toys after all, huh? A faint smile curves his mouth at the edges, though he's quick to stifle it, clearing his throat and briefly extricating his hand from Jin Ling's to gesture, “And that umbrella, please?” Then he passes the lantern to Jin Ling for a moment, this way he can dig up his own purse to collect money for that as well, commenting offhandedly, “I still have those butterflies.”
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houseofsushi2020-05-22 10:34 pm
no subject
Instead, he outstretches his hand again toward a pretty jade comb this time, plucks it up, gives it an inquisitive once-over then finally says, “Of course. I like spending any time with you that I can, Jin Ling.”
no subject
"Great!"
He clears his throat, standing straighter. There's a small smile on his lips about Sizhui agreeing to spending more time together. Jin Ling offers his arm to Sizhui.
"Then would you like to explore the rest of the market with me?" he asks.
no subject
“Absolutely,” comes without hesitation, then he hooks Jin Ling's elbow with his own and continues, “Where shall we go from here?”
no subject
“Have you tried the lotus buns here? They’re a delicacy that I enjoy whenever I visit jiujiu.”
He greets a few vendors that he’s known since childhood. Jin Ling tries not to be too embarrassed when a few of them stop them and pinch his cheek.
“Perhaps later, we could get a lantern to send up to the heavens. That’s something you do in Gusu, right?”
no subject
As they proceed together now, Sizhui does his best to not laugh at the few people who stop them to interact with Jin Ling by pinching his cheeks; it isn't difficult, he's quite used to hiding his laughter and smiles behind his sleeves, but it does prove a bit harder than it may have been if it were anything besides watching his friend get admired by his elders.
Once they've started moving forward again, Jin Ling mentions a lantern and Sizhui's eyes alight with excitement. “It is, yes, something we do after classes have ended.” Also during other festivals and such when they celebrate but those might be one of the most memorable times. “Is there any particular lantern you might like?”
no subject
The light in his eyes is worth everything and Jin Ling can't help but smile back.
"Well," he drawls, "I thought perhaps you would accompany me in picking one out. I pick the same thing every year."
no subject
He faintly tightens his arm around Jin Ling's, nods his head then reaches his other hand to gesture offhandedly while commenting, “There's nothing wrong with being consistent, to be fair, but I would love to help you switch it up and pick something different.”
no subject
The grip on his arm has a warmth bloom in his chest. He takes his risk and leans to whisper quietly in Sizhui's ear:
"You look very lovely tonight."
Just as quickly, he pulls away and leads them through the throng of people until they see the lantern vendor.
no subject
Perhaps he hadn't considered how nice he looks sporting his different hairstyle and wearing pale blue robes with silky ribbons hanging off his shoulders instead of oversized sleeves, but now he definitely is.
And if it's something that earns such a compliment from Jin Ling of all people, maybe it isn't so bad that he's branching out a bit in his older years. “Thank you,” Sizhui finally murmurs, having found his manners again, the hand lowering as they grow closer to the salesperson they've been looking for. “Really, you flatter me so, I do hope my face isn't too red...” It wouldn't do for them to be asked too many questions, after all.
no subject
The red has Jin Ling grinning a little to himself. For how often Sizhui flusters him, it's nice to see that he could do the same in return.
"Not your face," he begins, nonchalantly looking over the different lanterns as they approach the vendor. "But your ears certainly are a red color."
no subject
“Hahhh,” he sighs, even though there's no real heat behind the complaint and he's smiling. His free hand does reach up to touch the pinkened ear on that same side, feeling its warmth, which makes him both flush harder and smile somewhat wider as he slides his hand down Jin Ling's forearm, drifts his fingertips against the inside of his wrist then pushes them up against his palm and fans their fingers out so he can lace them together. Two can play at that game, after all. “Do you see any you like in particular?”
no subject
All of Jin Ling's higher brain functions stop when Sizhui laces his hand along with his own. Jin Ling clears his throat and looks at the array of lanterns and blatantly ignores the vendor who's known him since he was a child. He pretends to look over more lanterns.
"What sort of lantern would you even want?"
no subject
His gaze falls onto a particular one; pale white in color, decorated with golden butterflies and a big purple lotus. He reaches out, gently lifts it from its spot to hold before them, then remarks with another full-on grin, “I like this one.”
no subject
"Of course you would pick that one. You were playing with children's toys even when we were teenagers," Jin Ling scoffs, falling back on being haughty as he had been in their youth.
Nevertheless, he sets down the payment for the lantern and then some as he knows this vendor has relatives that struggled in the outskirts of Lanling.
no subject
He's abruptly drawn from his thoughts, attention downcasting to where Jin Ling has already paid for the lantern he's holding, his eyebrows lifted with interest. Seems as if his friend isn't too bothered by him playing with children's toys after all, huh? A faint smile curves his mouth at the edges, though he's quick to stifle it, clearing his throat and briefly extricating his hand from Jin Ling's to gesture, “And that umbrella, please?” Then he passes the lantern to Jin Ling for a moment, this way he can dig up his own purse to collect money for that as well, commenting offhandedly, “I still have those butterflies.”