Work Text:
What rouses Xie Lian from dreamless sleep isn’t urgent summons from a spiritual communication array or the faint hustle and bustle of noise arising from Ghost City the wind brings or indeed whispers of prayers from the common people. No, it’s a pair of familiar arms encircling the small of his back under the heavy blankets of their shared bed, a nuzzle against his neck, their legs entwined as his most devout worshipper clings to him.
In other words, one very needy, clingy ghost king was to blame.
In other words, his dearest San Lang.
“San Lang…” Xie Lian murmurs, turning over on his side the best he could as Hua Cheng ‘mmms’ in response. Every night Hua Cheng’s hands and arms have red indents from how Xie Lian inadvertently lies on them as he shifts in his sleep. Hua Cheng shares the blame from the way he refuses to relinquish cuddling Xie Lian even if the other flattens him but the crown prince can’t help feeling guilty either way.
Blinking the sleep away from his eyes, from the sunlight streaming through the beaded curtains Xie Lian deducts its well past dawn and that’s as far as his thoughts grasp before Hua Cheng’s head dips down, burying into the hollow between his shoulder blades, clinging to his husband’s back all the more.
“Gege…morning.” Came the muffled greeting.
Xie Lian’s smile widens.
“Good morning, San Lang.”
Xie Lian feels Hua Cheng’s smile against the crook of his back, upturned lips nipping gently at the scattered blooms left from their latest tryst. It tickles and Xie Lian shifts, flipping over fully to face his beloved properly, wiggling his way down against the curl of Hua Cheng’s body and blankets till their faces are aligned. Hua Cheng leans forward, planting a kiss on the tip of Xie Lian’s nose, eye warm with affection and Xie Lian is quick to return the favour, bequeathing a tender kiss on his husband’s cheek, the delicate skin below the hollow of his eye socket, before casting his attention downwards, dipping down to capture his husband’s lips. It’s a leisurely chaste kiss, a different taste of intimacy apart from their nightly acts yet sharing the same passion rooted in their hearts. Nipping playfully at the now reddened lips, Xie Lian pulls away, just far enough so he can focus on Hua Cheng’s expression without going cross-eyed.
“We should get up,” Xie Lian says, with no further follow up action upon his words. Recently, he’s been getting up later into the day, San Lang never tiring of ways to prolong their time together and Xie Lian is weak when it comes to indulging Hua Cheng besides feeble protests.
“Soon, Gege.” Hua Cheng wheedles, sneaky hands moving to interlink around Xie Lian’s waist.
Ah, this ghost king is at it again.
“San Lang, we can’t stay in bed all day.” Xie Lian can already hear the excuses from that wily mouth, the innocuous reasoning of Gege surely a little more time wouldn’t hurt, you overwork yourself every day answering all sorts of prayers, Gege should take it easier, this way your believers will be doubly blessed by the both of us, San Lang is awfully lonely whenever Gege goes away...
“I don’t want to get up.” Hua Cheng plaintively says, as if he were a mere child of six and not one of the most feared Supremes renowned throughout the three realms.
Heavens…
Xie Lian inches backward, knowing that he can’t win Hua Cheng over by words alone, but Hua Cheng refuses to let go, innocence painted across his handsome features, gaze beseeching before a familiar glint sparks in their depths.
Xie Lian pauses his escape, wary of that intoxicating look he’s been snared in countless times.
“Ah Gege is so cruel…even if Gege isn’t tired from last night, this San Lang is. If Gege insists on getting up, San Lang would be much obliged if Gege could carry him to the baths. Or I could be persuaded to carry Gege. Or we can just stay in bed.” Were the diplomatic options his husband helpfully offered up and Xie Lian strangles back a retort at those needling sly words, pushing away waves of embarrassment through sheer mental strength.
Xie Lian fixes San Lang with a very, very serious stare, refusing to show any signs of weakness.
San Lang beams back at him, contentment suffusing his features as the ghost king tugs their bodies closer together.
“San Lang, have some restraint.”
“When it comes to Gege, it’s very hard to do so...”
Xie Lian opens his mouth and promptly shuts it.
He should have grasped the situation and snuck away from the start, this ghost king is already spoilt to the core and by Xie Lian’s own hand nonetheless.
“Gege.” Hua Cheng’s tone was sombre and Xie Lian starts, gaze cautious as he fixes the other with a questioning look. This close up, Xie Lian observes that beloved face, immortalised into memory and heart.
“Lianlian.”
No prior warning was given for the affectionate endearment and Xie Lian’s eyes widen incredulously, heart thumping loud enough for the both of them that he’s confident Hua Cheng can feel it from how their chests are pressed flushed together.
“San Lang?! All of a sudden, that term, why!”
Hua Cheng laughs, pure joy radiating from the ghost king as he flips Xie Lian over, lips brushing teasingly over the pink shell of Xie Lian’s inner ear. If Xie Lian’s face wasn’t flushed before it certainly is now.
“Lianlian, my Lianlian. I wanted to see Gege’s charming reaction and regardless you could never disappoint me. Does Gege mind being addressed so?” Hua Cheng’s smug tone reverberates against him and Xie Lian is mortified, even as shy happiness mingles amidst the sea of embarrassment welling up in him.
“It was a shock, I haven’t been called that for so long. Since I was a child in fact…” Xie Lian’s face is still unbearably hot, and he pushes himself up, Hua Cheng likewise following, leaning against each other.
It’s been well over 800 years since Xie Lian was last called by that endearment. The treasured memories have hazed over due to time, but the crown prince recalls when he was small, young enough for delicate arms decorated with finery to enfold his body fully, embracing the prince tight as he squirmed in his esteemed mother’s lap, kicking up a fuss. A dear voice and a comforting hand petting his hair, soothing his sorrows when Xie Lian’s latest gold foil palace collapsed into a heap after mere hours. His mother kneeling on the rug besides him, holding one hand in hers whilst they gathered up the foils to try again. Lianlian, darling, be good, don’t cry anymore. Mother will help you, she won’t rest until you have an even grander palace than before, one built together.
Xie Lian smiles softly in nostalgia, aware of Hua Cheng’s silent concern over his sudden quietness. Gazing into that clear eye, Xie Lian embraces him tighter, holding on to that reassuring weight, before resting his head against Hua Cheng’s shoulder.
“No.” Xie Lian repeats, voice dropping to a soothing hum. “No, of course not. Why would I? Only my loved ones could address me so.”
“Gege...”
“But San Lang, maybe only say it when it’s the two of us together. Privately.” Xie Lian spoke, voice muffled against fabric. Lianlian! The more Xie Lian poured over being called so by his San Lang, the more his dignity cracked like glass splintering. Despite their increasingly blatant displays of affection in public, if San Lang were to address him outside as such…it was exceedingly embarrassing. Possibly even more than the unforgettable event of Hua Cheng insisting on wearing the ruinous belt Xie Lian had crafted.
There were limits.
Though, Xie Lian considered miserably, from Mu Qing’s and Feng Xin’s mutual perspectives, the crown prince’s face was already irreparably in shambles, scant common ground his dear friends unanimously conceded on.
Hua Cheng shares none of Xie Lian’s concerns, the ghost king’s one-track mind when it came to his beloved persistently moving onward to test dangerous waters.
“Privately? Does this mean Lianlian wishes for San Lang to call him so during -” Xie Lian pounces forward, curling his fingers around maple red fabric as he shushes his husband with a kiss, the sleek purr of amusement edging Hua Cheng’s tone warning Xie Lian ominously of the danger ahead, if he didn’t act swiftly to stop this line of thought.
Hua Cheng is all too glad to admit defeat to the insistent press of his god’s lips, slumping downward so Xie Lian is on top of him as their fervent kiss deepens, a flower basking in radiant harmony.