Huaisang knows he should let go, that it'd be easier for Xichen to deal with the shade but he can't seem to. It's like his hands are frozen where they've clutched at Xichen's robes. He can barely feel them at all. Huaisang tries not to lose it completely at the sounds that come from the monster that looks like his brother. He chokes back another sob, it sounds just like Mingjue. It's hard not to think that maybe... maybe it really is him.

He's so lost in the ache that he doesn't notice the claws, he can't really think about much of anything but the sound of Mingjue, the sound that only gets worse. The scream that starts even as he's held close to Xichen who covers his ears.

It can't be blocked out completely and... somewhere he's realizing that if the other is covering his ears then Xichen's aren't covered. He reaches blindly to press his own hands over the other's ears and knowing how little it really does.