Work Text:
"Shizun, may I hold your hand?"
"Shizun, don't walk so fast, don't leave me behind."
"Shizun."
A faint sigh. "BingHe," Shen QingQiu said, exasperated, but anyone could hear the adoration in his tone.
Liu QingGe's brow twitched as he listened to the conversation behind him. Why did he have to be here, with these lovestruck fools, when they could take care of themselves perfectly fine? The task Yue QingYuan had entrusted them wasn't even that difficult. They should've been able to handle it themselves.
Curse Liu QingGe's luck, maybe. Some time ago, he'd caused a bit of damage that had Shang QingHua distraught about their funds, so maybe he had been sent here, as punishment.
Liu QingGe glanced sideways. Mu QingFang was deeply engrossed in the new herbs they'd just found, so he didn't seem to have heard the exchange behind them.
Well. At least he wasn't alone here. Mu QingFang's attention was mostly elsewhere, and he had barely spoken to Liu QingGe more than five times since the beginning of their shared trip, but he was here.
Would be nice if he'd at least pay Liu QingGe a bit of attention, though.
"Shizun," If Luo BingHe's tone had been playful before, it was evidently more coquettish this time. "Can I have a kiss?"
"BingHe!" Shen QingQiu exclaimed, scandalized, "Not with your Shishu here!"
Liu QingGe could feel his ears getting hot, because he was right there . He could hear everything! Could these people just stop!
"But Shizun," Good heavens, the demon brat was using that voice , "I really want a kiss right now. Please?"
Silence. Liu QingGe prayed to all the gods in the heavens that Shen QingQiu wasn't actually considering it, but his luck seemed especially cursed that day.
"Fine," Shen QingQiu said, almost too soft to hear.
For the nth time that day, Liu QingGe cursed his luck.
There was a soft sound of skin contact, which must be Shen QingQiu giving Luo BingHe his kiss. Liu QingGe resolutely kept his eyes pointed forward, even as Luo BingHe made a happy sound, even as he heard fabric rustling, even as he heard Shen QingQiu gasping for breath.
What did he ever do to deserve this?
"BingHe, that's enough —" Shen QingQiu tried to say, but his words were cut off. Liu QingGe heard some more muffled sounds as they presumably continued making out.
Liu QingGe had had enough. Screw them.
He grabbed Mu QingFang's shoulders to get his attention. Mu QingFang blinked at him, confused. "Shixiong? Is something —"
Liu QingGe pulled Mu QingFang toward himself by the lapels of his robe and crashed their lips together.
Mu QingFang's surprised yelp was lost in between their lips. He almost dropped the herbs he was holding, but managed to gather enough brain power to tuck them in his robe.
Liu QingGe's agitation had caused him to miscalculate his own strength, so the kiss was more like a painful clash of lips and teeth. Liu QingGe thought he'd tasted blood, but he didn't care. There was still some distance in between them, so Liu QingGe pulled Mu QingFang closer and pressed their bodies together.
Mu QingFang looked flustered, face bright red as he responded to the kiss. Liu QingGe could see the question in his eyes, but Mu QingFang didn't seem opposed to his advances, so he pressed on. Questions could wait.
They had never shown any sign of intimacy outside the privacy of their own rooms, so this was something new. But surprisingly, it didn't feel unpleasant. Liu QingGe certainly didn't dislike it. From the look of things, Mu QingFang didn't dislike it either.
Maybe he was beginning to understand why Luo BingHe liked asking for Shen QingQiu's attention in public.
Speaking of which, the pair behind them had fallen dead silent. Triumph swelled in Liu QingGe's chest. He could count this as his win, he supposed.