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[equivocations]

He soaps up the cloth, taking Huaisang's hand first to start somewhere a little less intimate - though the gentle dedication he gives to each of his fingers makes it difficult to be anything less than intimate.

"What would it take," he asks as he moves up Huaisang's arm, cloth moving in soft, sweeping motions. "To make you happy?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang looks away from Xichen as the other starts to clean him. His jaw is tense as the other works and he wants to pull away.

"I want to be free."

[equivocations]

Lan Xichen had expected that answer, and he considers that as he starts on Huaisang's other arm, sweeping the cloth down it.

"None of us are free, Huaisang." Oh, he's sure Huaisang doesn't see it that way, that he thinks of Lan Xichen as cruel and heartless, who's doing this all for his own amusement - but it isn't true.

He's quiet for a very long moment before he admits, "I would let you go if I could."

[eternalgrief]

"I don't believe you," Huaisang says and he doesn't. He's already been manipulated for what feels like an eternity by Xichen. He doesn't see any sincerity there. He wishes he could have bathed alone that cleaning himself would have maybe been relaxing he could have recovered a little from all that had just happened but instead...

Instead, he's here with him.

[equivocations]

"And there is no way for me to prove it."

He sighs, turning Huaisang's hand over and dropping the soap and the cloth in it, then moves away to lean back against the side of the tub, watching him.

"What would you have me do, Huaisang? Do you think I would not love to give you as much freedom as either of us could have, that I do not want to be able to trust you? I have a duty to the council of elders, to my uncle and my brother and my people, to your brother and the Nie clan, to you. I already went against our customs for you, to try to make this easier on you, and look where we are now. Tell me, then - how am I supposed to reconcile the expectations of so many?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang takes the soap and the cloth and he shifts to get further away as he starts to clean himself. At least there is that. After having so many unwanted hands on him, dirty hands doing awful things it calms him that he has control of this part even if only because Xichen is allowing it. He stays quiet but he listens as he washes himself, there are still some spots that are sore, that are far too sensitive and he's moves gingerly around them.

"You shouldn't have forced someone to marry you in the first place," Huaisang says and he knows he's not the first that the Lans have forced to marry and he is sure he won't be the last but if they went about things differently then the situation wouldn't be like this at all.

[equivocations]

His brows furrow briefly. Yes, yes, he is aware that Huaisang had been forced into this, that he continues to insist that he is little more than a spoil of war - and there is truth in it, of course. Of course Huaisang was a spoil of war, of course this marriage came about because the Lan won and the Nie lost, and it continues to strengthen the alliance between them.

But that it shouldn't have been done in the first place - he's at a loss.

"It is the way things are done. Surely you must have known, you would always have been destined for an arranged marriage? Is this so different, because we were at war? Have we not made a good alliance out of it?"

It feels strange to even ask such questions, and he shakes his head.

"Regardless, it is done, and this is where we are. What would you have me do?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang wouldn't say that things are better for Qinghe because of the alliance. He doubts that they are. They might allow Mingjue to lead there still but he is still under the Lan's thumb and many lives were lost and even Huaisang recognizes that. He works quietly on getting himself clean, still wanting to ask to remove the plug but too proud to do so and he just does his best to ignore it and the reminder of how it had felt when those men were trying to rip out of him.

"It is different," Huaisang says, his jaw tightening and the other had to know it was different. Mingjue would have never forced a marriage Huaisang was against on him... these circumstances were not the same.

He finally sets the soap and washcloth aside and sinks down into the water some, closing his eyes.

"You will do what you want to do so does it matter what I say? You already told me what you are going to do to me tonight."

[equivocations]

His eyes flash at that. "What do you know of what I want? What I wanted was to bring you pleasure, to make you happy, to forge a true partnership. I wanted to be soft with you, and here we are because of it. I should have known better. I should have known that I was never going to be allowed to be soft."

It is not different, not matter how much Huaisang insists. It is a marriage of convenience, and perhaps he was foolish to think he could make it more by going against the Lan customs. If he wanted what Wangji and Wei Wuxian have, he should have followed their traditions.

And yet he is still here, still asking Huaisang how he can make him happy, what Huaisang expects him to do.

"Do you think there are not rumblings around how much I have allowed you to get away with? That our people do not question why I haven't claimed you as I should? We have two heirs to produce now, since I promised Mingjue, and you still do not carry one. What I must do is not what I want."

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang's jaw tightens and he hates this. He hates Xichen and that the other has been manipulating him for so long now that he almost believes the other is being truthful even though he knows better. it's just another layer of manipulation isn't it?

"So you won't enjoy breeding me in front of my brother tonight?"

Huaisang retorts and he gets up to get out of the bath to get away from Xichen, although, the other would surely just follow him.

"Stop acting like this is hard for you."

[equivocations]

He stays in the tub, at least for the moment, resting one arm along the edge. "Of course I will enjoy it, Huaisang, we both will. If this were only about physical enjoyment, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

And Mingjue will enjoy it as well, when he joins - he wonders how Huaisang reconciles that. That Lan Xichen corrupted him, probably.

"This is not an act! I have never, not once, put on a pretense with you - how long can you insist that our every interaction is a lie when I have been nothing but honest with my intentions?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang doesn’t look at him. He knows with no small amount of shame that the other will force more pleasure on him, it made things harder. And he knew that Xichen wanted to break him.

“Maybe you are fooling yourself better than anyone else.”

[equivocations]

He shakes his head, pushing his hand through his hair as he wrings it out.

"And perhaps you are refusing any offer of happiness because you want to continue to believe this life could bring you nothing but misery."

He stands, stepping out of the bath and reaching for a pair of towels. He offers one to Huaisang, though he doesn't stand any closer than necessary.

"Is this it, then? Are we at a standstill for the moment?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang doesn’t say anything to that. It’s a tired argument. He couldn’t stop feeling trapped and caged because he was trapped and caged and he didn’t know how he could really be happy if he wasn’t free. Today has seemed to only prove more that he’s just property.

He does take the towel and carefully dries himself off, avoiding the nipple piercings and the other jeweled areas almost completely.

“Yes.”

[equivocations]

There they are, then. He's quiet as he dries himself off, contemplative - but in the end, he cannot let it deter him. The council is expecting a fully claimed consort before the night is through, and Mingjue will be ready to join them before long.

All he can do is continue, and hope he can make up the ground he lost with his softness.

"Then do you want to be restrained, before I continue?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang finished drying off and he almost laughs at the question. He’s already restrained by the other in so many ways. He’d made it abundantly clear.

“You can restrain me with barely a thought on a whim. Even if I say no... you could so does it matter?”

It doesn’t matter to Huaisang. He already feels the weight of the others control of his body.

[equivocations]

Lan Xichen shakes his head as he folds up his towel, placing it neatly away.

"We have limited choices, Huaisang, I am trying to give you one. If you say no, if you choose to continue, then I will not restrain you."

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang looks away from him and it's hard to believe that he really has a choice. The other had marked his body today and others had assaulted him and now ... He feels like crying but he can't allow himself that luxury.

"Restrain me."

He finally says because at least what he feels will be a reality.

[equivocations]

"If that's what you wish."

He doesn't waste time before moving in close, pulling Huaisang's hands behind his back. Lan Xichen briefly considered using regular restraints, but - no, he wants this to be special, and instead he traces a talisman over Huaisang's arms. The silk rope that winds itself around his wrists, his elbows, his upper biceps is impossibly soft - and yet equally as strong as it pulls his arms together behind his back. It causes his chest to arch out a little as a result, as though his nipple rings were on display, and he gives a hum of satisfaction.

"Now, do you want your pretty clit free?" He rolls the little cock cage between thumb and forefinger. "Or is being bred the only pleasure you need tonight?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang inhales deeply as his hands are pulled back, feeling what the other is doing and then the rope that is moving around his arms. There's practically no give to it and the way he's bound leaves him in a position that is basically presenting himself to anyone that sees him. He hates it but there's a relief in feeling like there's little he could do to fight that the reality of his situation is reflected in the restraints.

The other continues the humiliation, referring to his cock as a clit once more, he arches away from his touch as best as he could. He instinctively wants to say no. But his body is aching from the length of time it's been locked away and how much the other has pushed him since it had been put on.

"Yes," he mumbles, reluctant but the idea of being free of that cage some relief from the torture of it is too tempting.

[equivocations]

There's a small twinge of hurt, every time Huaisang draws away from his touch, and he considers - he knows they have other methods. He knows he could hum Huaisang to sleep every night, could twist his way into his mind and lower his defenses, soften him up to help him believe what Lan Xichen says, to help him accept the truth. He knows he could draw another talisman onto him tonight, aside from the tracking and contraceptive ones that are tradition, one that would slowly make him addicted to Lan Xichen's touch, make him feel nothing but pleasure from it, make him crave it when he is not there -

But he hasn't decided on those, not yet. For now, he smiles gently when Huaisang says he wants it free.

"That's my good wife," he murmurs approvingly.

He traces a talisman on the little cage, to undo the way he'd broken the lock, and gently removes it - only to coo over the reveal of his little cock.

"Look how cute you are. I wish you were better behaved, so I could give your lovely little clit as much pleasure as it deserves." He rubs his thumb gently over it, teasingly light. "It seems unfair, doesn't it, when this sweet little part of you is so honest. Look how well it responds."

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang bristles at the words, his jaw tensing but he tries not to react further than that. But as the cage is removed there's a whimper that escapes him. It's relief but there's also a strange overwhelming sort of feeling that comes with being freed from it. He presses his legs together though that really does little to hide his cock or to draw away ffrom the other's fingers teasing it. There's another choked sound as the little cock hardens almost immediately.

He bows his head in shame, cheeks red and keeps his eyes shut as he tries to stay quiet, tries to keep still. Before too long he's trying to take a step back to pull away from the other's hand on him.

[equivocations]

Lan Xichen drinks in the whimpers and choked noises, the little sounds of pleasure that Huaisang can't keep himself from making - any more than he can keep himself from hardening under his touch.

He doesn't follow Huaisang when he takes a step back, instead allowing his little cock to fall from his hand. He looks back up at Huaisang, humming thoughtfully.

"You don't want to come?" he asks. "Why ask for your cage to be removed if you didn't want to enjoy it?"

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang is a little surprised that he's allowed to pull away that Xichen doesn't keep a hold of his cock. He keeps his head bowed so he can't accidentally look the other in the eye. He knows that it doesn't make sense logically. He doesn't care though, he doesn't want to come at Xichen's hand even though he knows without the cage on it will likely be forced by the end of the night. For a brief moment he allows himself to think of coming at his brother's hand instead but he pushes it away. It hurts to think of Mingjue after his betrayal even if his body aches at just the idea of his touch even still.

"I don't like your touch," Huaisang says and even if his body responds to it it doesn't mean he wants it.

[equivocations]

"Hmmm." He steps in again, running his fingers through Huaisang's damp hair. "You've lied to me, Huaisang. I can't trust a thing you say. But I can trust this."

He cups Huaisang's little cock and balls, rolling them in his palm. "Your body is honest with me, even when your words are not. I think it's time you listened to it."

Perhaps he will start humming Huaisang to sleep. For now -

"As long as your cage is off, you're going to come." He starts rubbing his cock again. "And come. And come. And come. When you don't want to any more, you can ask for your cage back. When it's on, it will stay until you tell me you want to come again."

He backs Huaisang up, hand relentless, until they reach a padded bench and he can push him back to sit on it.