bakerstreet | For people who hate themselves on Valentine's Day! Requited or unrequited?

The Painful Secret Pining Meme

You've been with them for a long time - years, perhaps, maybe even their whole life. More than that, you served as a true friend and supporter. No one could be as dedicated as you are, and you're content to stay in the shadows and let them shine if it just means you can stay by their side a little longer.

But you're not a perfect saint or a martyr of friendship. There are somewhat selfish undertones to your loyalty. You love them.

You feel like you’ve loved them forever, yet while it’s a great affection - no, “great” is probably not enough - in your heart, these feelings are your secret, kept away from everyone…possibly from the object of your desire themself! After all, you couldn’t burden them with anything like that. So, you’ll allow your own emotions to come in second place.

Of course, you haven’t allowed yourself to figure out how this could come back to haunt you in the end, could you? What about when your love moves on to someone who’s “more than a friend?” They won’t need you as much any more. Can you take into account the moment when you snap and can’t hold back the truth any more? And even if you’re really “together,” others won’t know if you keep your relationship under lock and key, and you’ll have to endure others approaching your lover.

Then again, the shoe could be on the other foot. You could be the side being pined after. Will you ever realize your friend’s feelings; if you do, can you return them? After you are certain that you do, will it be too late? Can one burst of passion lead you both to something that changes your relationship forever?

Basically, it’s a meme about (one-sided) love one friend has for another over a long time. Devotion, angst, all that.
Thread out withheld desires, stoic facades, attempts at leaving this all behind, anger, awkwardness, breaking down, confessions, and all that.
Comment with your character and preferences. You might want to include your smut/no smut status.
Mention if you’d like your character to be the pining or the pined for.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ooc; either]

[ more likely to be pined for, but willing to discuss/plot! ]

[Probably the one pining.]

[Either/or, but probably oblivious if she's the one being pined after.]

[This man is the epitome of pining...]

Edited 2021-02-14 18:11 (UTC)

[Can go either way, though I know this one pines.]

[The most obliviously pined after man in Qing Jing Peak, but role depends.]

[ he was built for pining. ]

[ Probably the one being pined for but am flexible! ]

[ It would take someone knowing Xichen very well paying attention to details to even begin to realize anything might be amiss. Xichen's smile is gentle, his motions steady and graceful - as though nothing is the matter. It's only in the briefest glances, in the minute lingering of gestures that his heart's overwhelming longing leaks out.

For now, his smile is bright as he hands over the qiankun bag of gifts, the excuse for his visit to Qinghe. ]

Happy new year, Mingjue-xiong.

[ If there is one person who pays close attention to Xichen, it's Mingjue. However what he sees confuses him - surely he's mistaken! So he ignores them, even as he wishes it was real. He falls into what is expected, accepting the visit of another Sect Leader with a smile - for Lan Xichen is one of the few who can frequently get a smile from him.

He accepts the bag, curious of what the source of his longing may have brought. But it's Xichen's company that he's more interested in, so while he hands over the box with Xichen's gift in, his attention is on the other man. ]

Happy new year, Xichen. Thank you for choosing to spend the day here.

The desire had always been there, the secret pining and feelings that were more than a little taboo. Huaisang had always pressed them down even when sometimes the way Mingjue looks at him or his touch lingers makes him think that it might be mutual. It must be all in his head.

Huaisang needs to get it out of his mind, out of his heart. It's wrong and he knows it. He fiddles with the fan in hand opening and closing it in a manner that's keeping some of his nervous energy under control.

"So do you approve of my courting her or not?"

He doesn't really want to be courting the girl he's mentioned but he needs to move on or at least look like he's occupied with something other than staring at the other Nie longingly when he thinks no one is looking.

Inappropriate feelings for a relative, much less his younger brother. He does his best to ignore them though - shameful feelings! But sometimes Huaisang goes too far in pushing buttons he knows far too well, and Mingjue's temper flares, either in anger or shameful jealousy.

Courting? Huaisang? He knows the answer he should give. He also knows he really doesn't want to give it, so he searches for another to justify the furious no he wants to shout.

"You can do better," he eventually chooses, voice short and sharp.

Huaisang watches Mingjue carefully and he can see the anger and a part of him wants to goad him, to push at it. It's always a temptation with his older brother. He rolls his eyes at what the other finally decides to say.

"That's what you always say, da ge," Huaisang counters, tilting his head as he looks at Mingjue more intently than he lets on.