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Huang Shaotian liked swimming by the shore, the water was warmer, there were plenty of hot rocks to bask on and he got to watch people or occasionally pop out of the water and scream at them, scaring any humans who were unlucky enough to be around when Huang Shaotian grew bored. The stretch of beach that Huang Shaotian liked to watch wasn’t a large one, just a few metres of sand which meant not many people visited and Huang Shaotian knew most everyone who came regularly.
There was the little old lady who pinched his cheeks and told him he was getting skinnier every time she saw him before pulling snacks out of her bag and feeding him treats. There was the old man who would stare out to sea drinking cola until he’d sigh deeply and walk away, looking as if he had too many regrets. There was a young couple who’d sneak shy glances at one another, hands creeping closer and closer but never quite touching, cheeks bright red every time they got close. It was all very saccharine, and Huang Shaotian was very tempted to yell at them to kiss one another already but he was aware that it was a delicate situation and kept his nose out of it. For now.
But this was a newcomer, sat on one of the rocky outcrops, feet dangling in the water as he sketched, hair slipping in his eyes and Huang Shaotian was smitten at once. He ducked quickly underwater when the man looked up, unwilling to reveal his presence just yet but he let his tail flick up above the water, hoping to entice the other’s curiosity, wanting him to return. For once, he understood the appeal of luring men into the water, if he lacked morals, he’d lure the pretty man into his arms. But Huang Shaotian did have morals, so that meant he’d have to charm him.
Ye Xiu was laughing hysterically at him. Huang Shaotian folded his arms across his chest unhappily as he waited for the laughter to end. It seemed like he’d be waiting a long time as Ye Xiu had been laughing for five minutes with no sign of him losing steam. Zhang Xinjie eventually put an end to it by shooting the other a sharp glare, the noise likely disturbing him and Ye Xiu subsided with some effort.
“You can’t charm anyone! You’re loud and noisy and irritating!” Huang Shaotian decided this was an excellent opportunity to throw something at his friend which he easily dodged. “And you’re violent too.” Huang Shaotian glared at his friend, wanting to refute this and insult Ye Xiu’s charms, however, seeing as the other had managed to get both Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie to fall for him, Huang Shaotian was at a disadvantage.
“Do you have a better plan for me?” Ye Xiu observed his friend for a long moment, humming softly under his breath while Zhang Xinjie braced himself for another explosion of noise.
“You could emotionally prepare yourself to die alone?” Zhang Xinjie nodded to himself, pleased that his prediction was right. He was less pleased by the ear-piercing shriek that Ye Xiu’s quip elicited from Huang Shaotian.
“Ye Xiu you are such a heartless person, I come to you with my problems and hope that you are kind enough to help me out and yet you take the opportunity to be cruel to me and tell me that I will die alone without anyone to love me. Ye Xiu, Ye Xiu how could you be so cold towards me, one of your closest friends, you care about others more than you care about me, I cannot believe you would behave so callously to someone who has been your friend for so long! I listened to you when you pined over Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie for years, why could you not listen to me about this pretty man I saw? He had such soft looking lips, they were pale pink and looked so very soft, and his eyes were dark, dark blue, also his neck was just a lovely elegant line, it would be perfect to kiss, it was long and beautiful and he was so beautiful yet you won’t help me out-“
“Enough!” Zhang Xinjie didn’t often raise his voice, in fact, Huang Shaotian could count on one hand the number of times the other merman lost his temper enough to shout, so when he did, everything went silent. His dark eyes were bright with a warning and Huang Shaotian, always one to listen to his survival instincts, ducked behind Ye Xiu, thinking he could serve as a shield. “Ye Xiu, please just assist Huang Shaotian before he spends the rest of his life pining.”
Ye Xiu opened his mouth to protest but a sharp glare from Zhang Xinjie as his lover swam away, likely to go find Han Wenqing, had him giving in with a sigh.
“Just go talk to him. That’s how I won over Xinjie.” Huang Shaotian raised one eyebrow and Ye Xiu shrugged. “I did.”
“It took you five months and Han Wenqing explaining to Zhang Xinjie that you were in fact flirting and not trying to annoy him to death.”
“But I won him over.” Huang Shaotian realised he couldn’t actually argue with that and he swam off, making sure to flick his tail just so to tell Ye Xiu that his advice sucked. Ye Xiu scoffed, swimming after Zhang Xinjie and finding his two partners curled up around each other and he lingered at the edge of the bed, tail flicking to and fro in anticipation. Han Wenqing waited for a long moment, watching the display of eagerness with fondness in his eyes before he shifted, creating a space for Ye Xiu to curl into and he settled into the bed with a soft huff of contentment.
“Do you believe Huang Shaotian will succeed?” Ye Xiu couldn’t hold back his soft laughter, body shaking with mirth as he answered.
“He will be persistent. If his advances don’t work the first time he’ll try again. He’s determined.” Han Wenqing hummed softly to himself but Ye Xiu’s next words startled the other two. “Care to make a wager?” Zhang Xinjie’s eyes gleamed at the opportunity to pit their minds against one another and the two of them blinked up at Han Wenqing hopefully and he gave in with a groan.
“We are picking the length of time it takes Huang Shaotian to win this one over? We should meet the man first, for an accurate analysis to be made of how long it would take.” Ye Xiu’s smile was fondly exasperated and he tucked his arms more securely around Zhang Xinjie’s waist.
“We’ll watch Shaotian’s first meeting with him, would that be enough information to base a wager on?” Zhang Xinjie mulled the proposal over in his mind for a long moment, lips pursed in thought and Ye Xiu resisted the urge to press a kiss to the pout, knowing his partner wouldn’t appreciate the interruption.
“Typically, no, but seeing as this is a wager for pure enjoyment and because we know Huang Shaotian so well, it should be sufficient.” Ye Xiu gave in at this and pressed a kiss to Zhang Xinjie’s lips, the other startling for a moment before leaning into the affection with a soft sigh.
The next day found Huang Shaotian hidden behind a rock and keeping his eyes on the rocky outcrop where he’d first seen the man. What he didn’t know was that his three friends were hidden behind their own rock, spying on him. Zhang Xinjie protested the subterfuge but he’d been outvoted and so he was also crammed behind a rock, muttering under his breath about how ridiculous the entire thing was.
Ye Xiu had to stifle a laugh when Huang Shaotian’s head perked up at the first sight of the man who’d captured his attention and while he could see the appeal, he’d already captured the hearts of the two he desired. So he was content to watch the disaster that would unfold when Huang Shaotian attempted to woo the young man.
“Hey!” Yu Wenzhou’s head snapped up at the sudden shout, certain that he was alone on the shoreline. When there wasn’t another noise, he returned his attention to his sketchbook before he heard the same voice, louder this time. “HEY! Down here!” Yu Wenzhou leant down to look into the water and saw-
A merman. With a pretty blue tail, translucent fins who was now waving excitedly at him.
“What are you drawing? Can I see? Is it something pretty? Do you like to swim? I like to swim, do you want to swim with me?” Yu Wenzhou blinked in surprise at the rapid-fire questions, unsure of what to say in response.
“I like quiet.” He settled on being direct, even if seeing the bright smile fade away caused guilt to curl in his chest when the merman looked bitterly disappointed.
“Everyone likes quiet,” he muttered under his breath but he didn’t ask any more questions, and the two fell into a strange silence, only broken by the lapping of the waves and the soft scratch of Yu Wenzhou’s pencil against the paper.
Until Huang Shaotian, certain that he’d been silent for long enough, half an hour, broke the ongoing quiet with a hushed whisper.
“Can I know your name?” Yu Wenzhou was ready to refuse, ready to not engage with the other but against his better judgement, he slanted a look at the other man and he struggled with how hopeful he looked, eyes wide and pleading, tentative smile on his lips and Yu Wenzhou didn’t want to wipe away his smile again.
“Yu Wenzhou.”
“I’m Huang Shaotian!” Yu Wenzhou was surprised when the merman went silent again, seemingly content to know his name but not moving from his position beside the rock, happy to remain bobbing in the water, gaze fixed on Yu Wenzhou.
He turned his attention back to his sketch instead of the man in the water, but he couldn’t help the way his gaze flickered over to Huang Shaotian over and over again. He tried to justify it as him not seeing a merman so close before, that it was simply curiosity that drew his eye over and over again, but deep down he knew it was more than that. Huang Shaotian’s eyes were bright and eager, fixed on Yu Wenzhou’s profile as he sketched, mind drifting away on idle daydreams until Yu Wenzhou broke the silence.
“It’s late, I have to go.” Huang Shaotian’s tail thrashed beneath the surface, agitated and unhappy but he kept his face open and his voice lilted when he spoke, soft and hopeful.
“Will you be back tomorrow?” Yu Wenzhou was tempted to stay silent, refuse to answer or leave to find somewhere else to sketch. But Huang Shaotian- Huang Shaotian had caught his attention, with his expressive eyes and hopeful smile, Yu Wenzhou was sufficiently captivated, even if he wasn’t willing to show it.
“I will, before sunset.” The answer was short, nearly cold but Huang Shaotian’s face broke into a wide smile, delight lighting up his face and he couldn’t resist the urge to flip in the water due to his excitement, causing Yu Wenzhou to hide a smile behind his hand, nodding in farewell as he left.
Huang Shaotian dived back below the water, and left the three spying alone, in a peaceful silence as they mulled over what they’d seen and began to calculate how long it would take for Huang Shaotian to win over his human. Han Wenqing was the first to break the silence, voice gruff and hiding a note of regret with the brusque words.
“Never, Huang Shaotian can babble at that man for years and he’ll get nowhere.” Ye Xiu laughed, shaking his head, disagreeing.
“Ahh Old Han, where’s your sense of romance? Shaotian is persistent and surprisingly romantic when he chooses to be. That man will hold out for three months before falling for him, I guarantee it!” The two turned to face the last member of their triad and Zhang Xinjie hummed softly, the reactions of the human, of Yu Wenzhou reminded him of his own, when Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing first started to court him. Surprise but underneath the guarded exterior, curiosity as well as the possibility of seeds of romance. It had taken him a month to fall for his now partners but Yu Wenzhou seemed more captivated by Huang Shaotian than he had been, and his answer reflected this.
“Three weeks, Huang Shaotian will win him over in three weeks.” Ye Xiu scoffed outright, tapping on his head as if to check he still had a brain.
“Xiao Zhang, have you lost your mind? They sat in silence for over two hours, Shaotian will need at least two months!” When Zhang Xinjie simply smiled, unconcerned and not changing his bet, Ye Xiu shrugged, “if you’re willing to lose, I should not complain, after all Xinjie-“ Growing tired of Ye Xiu’s confidence, Zhang Xinjie shut him up by covering his lips with his own and with Han Wenqing at his back, he was content.
Huang Shaotian was waiting at the same rock when Yu Wenzhou came into view and he wondered what it was that had this merman so enchanted by him. Yu Wenzhou settled onto the rock but he didn’t pull out his sketchbook immediately, in fact, he leant over the edge of the rock to meet Huang Shaotian’s eyes, curiosity dancing in the dark blue irises.
“How are you today?” The grin that spread across the merman’s face was brilliant in its brightness and Yu Wenzhou felt his cheeks heat up in the face of it. Fortunately, Huang Shaotian seemed excited enough to miss the flush spreading across Yu Wenzhou’s cheeks as he began chattering away happily.
“I’m good, I’m good, today was a good day Yu Wenzhou, Ye Xiu, he’s my friend, he was being really suspicious today, swimming around like he was watching me for a reaction, I don’t know what he was waiting for but he kept staring at me and then laughing before Zhang Xinjie, that’s his boyfriend, would pull him away, Old Han looked so lovesick, he’s also dating them both, and his eyes were all soft and in love even though they were behaving strangely! I raced some of my other friends as well today, I was supposed to race Ye Xiu but he didn’t want to, he’d changed his mind and decided he was busy, he wasn’t actually busy, he was spending his time staring at his boyfriends as they did useful things. Every five minutes I could hear him sigh, all lovey-dovey and ridiculous, ah but how are you today Yu Wenzhou? Did anything exciting happen with you?”
Yu Wenzhou needed a moment to digest what Huang Shaotian had just said, the speed at which he spoke was something he needed to get used to if he wanted to get to know him. Huang Shaotian, despite the fact he had a tail and fins, looked remarkably like an eager puppy, bobbing next to the rock Yu Wenzhou was sat on expectantly, waiting for an answer. Yu Wenzhou could picture a floppy pair of ears on his head and he found the image both amusing and cute.
“My day was productive. I completed a large potion order for a client and I have another one to fulfil tomorrow. It was a peaceful day.” Huang Shaotian subsided at these words and Yu Wenzhou frowned slightly, unsure of what he’d said or done to elicit his response. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Do you really prefer quiet?” The question is thrown out casually, as if Huang Shaotian doesn’t really care about his answer, as if the question is of no consequence. Yu Wenzhou knows better, he prides himself on his ability to read people and Huang Shaotian’s question came from a place of deep set vulnerability.
“Not necessarily. Sometimes I do prefer the quiet,” when Huang Shaotian looked as if his whole world had been crushed Yu Wenzhou elaborated, “I don’t mind your voice, I find it soothing.”
Huang Shaotian was very glad the human didn’t understand what the jittery flicks of his tail meant, if he did, it would be embarrassingly clear that Huang Shaotian was harbouring a crush on him. Yu Wenzhou wondered briefly if Huang Shaotian understood that he wasn’t human. He thought the mention of potions would have tipped the merman off but apparently not as he didn’t seem to realise that Yu Wenzhou could guess at what his body language meant.
Yu Wenzhou wracked his brains for another way to hint to Huang Shaotian that he wasn’t human but before he could, Huang Shaotian hoisted himself out of the water to peer at his sketchbook, eyes wide and curious as he pointed at Yu Wenzhou’s sketch of Wang Jiexi.
“Who’s that? Your boyfriend?” Huang Shaotian seemed devastated by the possibility but Yu Wenzhou’s laugh soothed his worries and also make his ears tint red. He found the human’s laugh beautiful and hoped he’d be able to draw it out more as he got to know Yu Wenzhou better.
“That’s Wang Jiexi, he works with me, he’s an old friend.” Huang Shaotian hummed, trying to hide his relief that the pretty human wasn’t already taken.
“Do you have favourite things to draw?” Yu Wenzhou had resumed sketching, an image of the rocky shoreline beginning to take shape and the merman seemed fascinated by the process, eyes fixed unwaveringly on his hands.
“I like drawing people, it’s nice to capture their expressions.” Huang Shaotian hummed quietly, seemingly content to watch him as he continued to sketch and the lapping of the waves as well as Huang Shaotian’s steady breathing was soothing background noise as Yu Wenzhou began to add colour.
“That’s me!” Huang Shaotian’s face lit up as he spotted a tail disappearing into the water and Yu Wenzhou smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Mm, it’s the first time I saw you. Then you dove underwater and I wasn’t sure if what I’d seen was real.”
“You’d never come here before, I know everyone who comes to this beach, all the people who visit all the time and you’re not one of them because I’d never seen you before. I thought maybe you were a scientist, there are a lot of people who come here to study our behaviour, they think we might migrate but they think there’s a pattern when it’s only when we’re bored. I move around a lot because I often get bored and there are so many nice people to visit and meet all over the world.”
Yu Wenzhou felt a surge of irrational panic at the thought of Huang Shaotian leaving, realising that even though he’d only met the merman a few days ago, he couldn’t stand the idea of not seeing him anymore. Huang Shaotian didn’t seem to pick up on his worry as he continued to babble, shuffling closer to him as he continued to ramble on. His arms were warm where his skin brushed against Yu Wenzhou’s and he fought the urge to lean back against him.
“I’ve been all over the world but I like warm water the best, it’s always boring in cold water because no one comes to visit because it’s far too cold to come swimming or stand in the water which means I have to rely on merpeople for company and they can be so boring, they won’t race with me or come searching for treasures, I found some really pretty things while exploring, it’s always fun to explore old ships, even if they’re not supposed to be there-“ Huang Shaotian continued to ramble on, providing relaxing background noise as Yu Wenzhou continued to let his pencil move against the page until the sun touched the water and he shifted slightly.
“It’s getting late again,” Huang Shaotian made a soft noise of protest as he slipped back into the water. Before Yu Wenzhou could go, the merman caught his ankle, drawing his attention as he briefly wondered if Huang Shaotian planned to drown him.
“Will you be back tomorrow?” Yu Wenzhou thought about how it was nice to sit by the sea and sketch with Huang Shaotian beside him, thought about the strange panic at the idea of the merman leaving and he smiled, reassuring him.
“I’ll be back, the same time as today unless Jiexi needs help with an order.” Relief flickered across Huang Shaotian’s face and he ducked under the surface to hide the delight that was painted across his face.
Yu Wenzhou knew he’d been acting differently since he’d met Huang Shaotian, and he also knew that Wang Jiexi would likely comment on it, and if not him, his husband would. What he wasn’t expecting was for a bucket of water to dumped over his head while he was washing his instruments. Yu Wenzhou whipped around, frustration dancing in his eyes, only to see Fang Shiqian glaring suspiciously at him. Yu Wenzhou opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but before he could speak, Wang Jiexi walked in and he sighed at the scene.
“I asked you to talk to him peacefully.” Fang Shiqian rolled his eyes, gesturing at Yu Wenzhou as if that made his point.
“This was less time-consuming, look!” He gestured more vigorously at the soaked warlock, “now we know he’s not possessed.” Yu Wenzhou felt his frustration get derailed by these words, head tilting to the side in confusion.
“You thought I was possessed?” Wang Jiexi shot a sharp glare at his husband who didn’t seem at all phased. The witch sighed as he turned to face his friend, an apology clear in his eyes.
“You were acting differently, as if there was something on your mind or something was controlling you.”
“So I dumped holy water on you.” Yu Wenzhou raised one eyebrow as he plucked ineffectually at his soaked clothes.
“Are you aware that you don’t need soak someone if you think they’re possessed?” Fang Shiqian grinned from where he was leaning against a workbench.
“I am.” Yu Wenzhou’s eyes narrowed, and Wang Jiexi stepped in before his friend tried to lay a curse on his husband, something Wang Jiexi would prefer to avoid.
“We were worried.” Yu Wenzhou’s ire subsided at Wang Jiexi’s words and Fang Shiqian muttering in reluctant agreement when he looked over.
“I met someone, a merman. I’ve been visiting him after work, it’s- he’s enjoyable company.”
“Oh.” The ever-so-slight guilty tint to Fang Shiqian’s voice had Yu Wenzhou huffing out a laugh as he finished washing his equipment.
“Now we have that cleared up, I will be going, I’ll see you tomorrow Jiexi.” His friend nodded as Yu Wenzhou left before he turned and levelled a glare at Fang Shiqian.
“You know your glares are less effective because they’re lopsided,” Fang Shiqian offered but when Wang Jiexi continued to glower at him his gaze dropped and he grabbed the mop, muttering about time saving initiatives as he began to clean up his mess.
“-and then the cargo began to tip over and I nearly got crushed but I’m used to that happening and that’s how I got the cut, but I managed to get this which is what I wanted in the first place!” Huang Shaotian stuck out his hand to show off a large sapphire, glinting in the low light but Yu Wenzhou was more distracted by the large gash running between the merman’s shoulder blades.
“It’s very pretty Huang Shaotian but-“ He was interrupted as something suddenly came to mind.
“You should call me Shaotian, all my friends do!” The next expression that flickered across Huang Shaotian’s face was apprehensive as he worried he’d crossed a line, “if you think we’re friends-“
Yu Wenzhou blinked at the offer but he soon smiled, easing the bundle of nerves in Huang Shaotian’s chest.
“Of course we’re friends Shaotian, you should call me Wenzhou.” A bright smile stretched across Huang Shaotian’s face at his friend’s permission, tail flicking up a spray of water in his excitement.
“Ah! I’m sorry Wenzhou-“ but Yu Wenzhou just shook the water out of his hair with a soft laugh.
“It’s okay, but has anyone looked at the cut on your back?” Yu Wenzhou frowned when the merman shrugged casually, brushing off the concern in his voice as he craned to look at it, to no avail.
“It’s okay, it’s stopped bleeding, I’ll be fine…” Huang Shaotian trailed off when Yu Wenzhou pulled a small jar out of his bag and turned back to him, worry in his eyes. He’d made the cream for the merman, knowing he often got into scrapes, but he hadn’t expected to have to use it so soon.
“Would you let me-“ he paused for a moment, gathering his words, “it’s a disinfectant, it looks painful and I’d like you to be safe.” At the blatant care for his well-being, Huang Shaotian found himself pulling himself out of the water to lie flat against the rock while Yu Wenzhou knelt beside him.
“Thank you Shaotian, this should only sting a little-“
The moment Yu Wenzhou’s hands touched his skin, Huang Shaotian felt a tremor beneath his skin and he hoped his friend would put it down to the disinfectant or the slight breeze. In reality, Yu Wenzhou’s hands were warm against his skin and gentle as they spread the cream across the wound, achingly gentle and Huang Shaotian wished he could lean up and pull him into a kiss but his friend had never given any indication that he harboured any feelings for him.
“All done,” the whisper of breath against his skin had Huang Shaotian slipping back into the water at once, removing himself from the temptation in the hopes the desire would disappear. It didn’t and he tried to distract himself instead.
“Ahah, it feels better already, where did you get the cream, is it from a witch, if it is, could you talk to them for me and ask if I can trade for some because-“
“I made it.” Huang Shaotian startled, eyes wide as he looked up at Yu Wenzhou.
“You’re a witch?!”
“A warlock, I thought you knew this, I mentioned I made potions the first time we met.” Yu Wenzhou watched, amusement sparkling in his eyes as he watched his friend mentally run through their interactions over the last week, before he let his head thump against his hands in defeat.
“I didn’t make the connection,” he muttered quietly under his breath, embarrassment heating his cheeks but Yu Wenzhou’s soft laugh and gentle smile made up for the momentary realisation of how scatter-brained he could be.
“Here,” the small jar of cream was pressed into his hands and Huang Shaotian startled at the brush of skin before he tried to push the gift back into Yu Wenzhou’s hands, shaking his head as he did so.
“Wenzhou-“
“Take it Shaotian,” there was a different look in Yu Wenzhou’s eyes, one Huang Shaotian hadn’t seen before but he recognised the hard edge of worry in his eyes and the plea written across the lines of his body but he still opened his mouth to protest but Yu Wenzhou’s next words stopped him in his tracks.
“Please Shaotian, I’d like you to be safe.” And Huang Shaotian knew he’d fallen hard for the human- the warlock, knew he wanted to give the man before him everything in the world, everything he could offer, but he knew without a doubt that whenever Yu Wenzhou looked at him like that, eyes soft with unvoiced worry, he’d cave. He placed the jar carefully into his bag before he caught sight of the sapphire again, the fading light catching on the facets and he pulled on Yu Wenzhou’s wrist as he went to leave.
“Wait!” Yu Wenzhou knelt down again but his eyes went wide when Huang Shaotian pressed the jewel into his hands, forcing his fingers to curl around it and pressing it to his chest.
“Shaotian- no- I can’t accept this- I-“ Huang Shaotian’s face was calm and serious as he refused to accept the sapphire back, shaking his head vehemently. “Shaotian I can’t let you give this to me!”
“It’s for you,” when Yu Wenzhou looked like he was going to argue some more, the merman cut him off easily, “I found it for you, it matches your pretty eyes. It’s for you.” Yu Wenzhou couldn’t control the sudden rush of blood to his face, staining his cheeks red at the compliment.
“But- I-“
“Please Wenzhou? It’s for you, always for you.” In the face of Huang Shaotian’s earnestness, there was nothing Yu Wenzhou could do but nod helplessly and accept the gift, walking away in a daze.
The moment Huang Shaotian was certain other was out of earshot, he let out a truly impressive wail as he dove back underwater, searching out Ye Xiu so he could offload his troubles. To his surprise, both Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie were also present, listening in as he dramatically draped himself across Ye Xiu’s lap, his tail flicking back and forth, agitated.
“I gave him my first courting gift but I don’t know if he understood that it was a courting gift! But he’s a warlock so-“ Three heads turned to stare at him with this new information and both Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu silently cursed their bets. If the man Huang Shaotian was trying to court was a warlock, he likely understood the subtle body language, and if he was still spending time with him, he likely harboured similar feelings.
Both turned to see Zhang Xinjie with the tiniest smirk gracing his lips, body language radiating smugness as he continued to keep his gaze on his book, deliberately revelling in his imminent victory while Ye Xiu tried to be a good friend and continue listening to Huang Shaotian instead of dumping him on the floor in favour of kissing the smirk off Zhang Xinjie’s lips. As Han Wenqing had decided to do, pulling the book out of his hands in favour of a kiss.
“HEY! You guys are too shameless, flaunting your affection when I’m lonely and single and likely going to die alone without anyone to love me while you three have each other and are always being disgustingly sappy and lying on top of each other and kissing even while I’m suffering over here and how could you be so cruel-“
“Shaotian what’s on your back?” The loud rant was cut off with surprise and Huang Shaotian hummed dismissively.
“I had a tiny accident getting the right sapphire to match Yu Wenzhou’s eyes, it was in a weird spot and then everything started falling down around me which wasn’t great and don’t look at me like that Ye Xiu! Not when you challenged a sea dragon for those rubies you needed for Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie!”
“I didn’t get myself injured challenging the sea dragon!” For all his shamelessness, Ye Xiu couldn’t quite hold back the flush when both his boyfriends turned their heads to stare at him, not knowing where he’d found the perfect jewels to match their tails.
“Besides, Wenzhou gave me this cream to help it heal, look!” Huang Shaotian tugged the jar out of his bag before unceremoniously dumping himself back over Ye Xiu’s lap. “Could you help me with the application?”
“Will you leave me in peace and stop moaning about how pretty your warlock is?” Huang Shaotian hummed, mulling the offer over in his mind.
“I’ll leave you alone for the rest of today. But you can’t expect me to not talk about how beautiful Wenzhou is, have you even seen him Ye Xiu? His eyes are so gorgeous, they’re dark dark blue, like the deep sea colour, and when he smiles his eyes light up, like mini sapphires, of course I had to get him something that matched his eyes, he doesn’t have a tail but it had to match some part of him and of course there’s always the colour of his magic but I’ve never actually seen what colour that is and his eyes are so endlessly beautiful that it was easy to decide that I should find something to match his eyes and-“
“Enough!” Huang Shaotian looked at Ye Xiu’s face, a slight hint of murder in his eyes and Huang Shaotian took the opportunity to bolt away as fast as he could before Ye Xiu actually wounded him.
Ye Xiu crumpled between his boyfriends, adopting a woebegone look in his eyes, stretching out like a particularly spoiled pet.
“Ah Xiao Zhang, Old Han, after that torment you have to comfort me, I suffered so greatly to get that information out of Shaotian.”
“The information that proves I will be the victor?” The tiny smug smile crept across Zhang Xinjie’s face and there was nothing for Ye Xiu to do but sweep him into a kiss, his boyfriend arching into the kiss willingly, all thoughts of Huang Shaotian and his love life fading away.
“What is that?” Yu Wenzhou was startled out of his trance when Fang Shiqian’s voice cut through the air, staring at the sapphire he was holding.
“A sapphire.” The matter of fact answer has a scowl forming on the other’s face, his voice loud enough to catch Wang Jiexi’s attention.
“Why do you have the sapphire?”
“Shaotian found it for me, he said it matches my eyes.” The other two froze at the words, and their eyes met before they had a silent argument over who would be the unfortunate one to point out how blind Yu Wenzhou was being. Wang Jiexi lost the battle of the wills but he glared at his husband nonetheless.
“Wenzhou, don’t you remember how merpeople court?”
“Yes, they find gemstones that match their intended, often the stone should match the other’s tail but sometimes it’s picked due to personality.”
“And Huang Shaotian has given you a gemstone?”
“Mn, but it can’t be a courtship.”
“What?” Fang Shiqian’s voice dripped with disbelief as Yu Wenzhou elaborated.
“It’s a gift from my friend, I don’t have a tail therefore this cannot be intended as a courtship gift.”
Wang Jiexi couldn’t begrudge his husband leaving the room, waving his hands up in the air as if he were praying for patience, or wisdom or perhaps a large rock to fall from the heavens and knock some sense into the warlock.
“Wenzhou-“
“It can’t be a courtship Jiexi, Shaotian…” Yu Wenzhou couldn’t quite find the right words, trailing off before he could finish, offering nothing but a gentle shrug before leaving, likely going to meet his merman again.
“He’s stupid.” Wang Jiexi leant into his husband’s embrace, closing his eyes contently even as he could sense the other’s mind whirring.
“No.”
“I didn’t-“
“Whatever you are planning, no. It will end with Yu Wenzhou laying a curse on you.”
“Fine.” While Fang Shiqian held his pout (it’s not a pout Jiexi, I’m glaring at you) for as long as he could, the soft kiss his husband pressed against his lips soon distracted him from whatever he’d been planning. At least for now.
Yu Wenzhou was shivering. Huang Shaotian wasn’t blind, he could see the way his friend was shuddering as the breeze rolled across the sea even though he was bundled up in as many layers as he could wear. The sketching had stopped when it got colder, Yu Wenzhou’s hands bundled up in gloves while Huang Shaotian bobbed in the water frowning that his friend was so cold because he wanted to come and visit him.
“It’s autumn now and you shouldn’t be out in the cold like this Wenzhou, I know you have your warlock warming powers but you’re still shivering and it’s not even winter yet. So, I was thinking I should go travelling for a few months, then you don’t have to sit out in the cold with me but you know that I’m not lonely because I’m talking to others!” Yu Wenzhou felt a stab of ice that had nothing to do with the wind as he struggled to keep his unhappiness off his face as his friend had learnt to read him well.
“How long would you be gone for?” Huang Shaotian ducked under the water for a moment, to run the question over in his mind before he looked up with wide excited eyes.
“I thought I’d come back in late spring, when it gets warmer again.”
“Oh.” Huang Shaotian didn’t recognise Yu Wenzhou’s expression, the emotion flickering across his face too quickly for him to be able to figure out what it meant but it was clear enough that his friend wasn’t happy and he curled a hand around his friend’s wrist, worry dancing in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Yu Wenzhou pulled himself out of his thoughts, shoving down the pain of not seeing Huang Shaotian for months, not seeing his wide smile, bright eyes, not hearing him chattering about his latest adventure- He’d only known the merman for a couple of weeks and yet- the thought of losing him- it nearly overwhelmed him. He stood suddenly, only exacerbating Huang Shaotian’s worry.
“Wenzhou- what-“
“I just remembered, I promised to assist Jiexi with something, I’ll- I’ll-“ Yu Wenzhou spared Huang Shaotian one last glance before he gave up on trying explain the tangled bundle of emotions in his chest, rushing back to the potion shop and far away from the hurt look in his friend’s eyes.
Both Wang Jiexi and Fang Shiqian startled when Yu Wenzhou burst through the doors, hair in disarray and eyes that looked red-rimmed from tears and not the wind. Fang Shiqian stood, slipping into the kitchen after pressing a kiss to his husband’s forehead, promising some tea as Yu Wenzhou slumped in his chair, silent for a long while.
“I- and he- and I just-“ the silence was broken for a moment before Yu Wenzhou bowed his head once more, in all the years they’d known each other, Wang Jiexi had never seen his friend so distressed. He waited for the tea to appear before he spoke, pouring a cup as he did so.
“Is this about Huang Shaotian?” The warlock stiffened, his magic crackling around him, defensive and protective, indicative of the mess of emotions Yu Wenzhou was experiencing.
“He’s leaving. Until late spring, months, I- I won’t see him for months, and I’m not- he’s too good- I won’t- I’ll lose him.” Yu Wenzhou’s true fear spilt out into the air, the most vulnerable parts of him exposed and Wang Jiexi and his husband were lost on what to say.
Wang Jiexi remembered the early days of his friend’s training. How Yu Wenzhou had consistently ranked bottom in every class, dismissed, brushed aside, every idea he’d had, every suggestion he’d offered, brushed away because he wasn’t as quick, wasn’t as innately talented. How everyone had been waiting for him to fail, to leave, to be forced out- to stop tainting their school’s name.
It was the past now. Yu Wenzhou had proven everyone wrong, revolutionised his magic, upturned centuries of tradition in his young life, opening the doors for those who didn’t have the innate talent but had sharp minds and willing hands. He’d changed the world for so many, was respected, revered and looked upon with admiration for his accomplishments, for his steady effort.
But his childhood hadn’t been kind. And it stuck with him. The fear. The rejection. The endless taunts and cruel words. The harsh truth that the world could be bitterly empty had Yu Wenzhou holding onto light, like Huang Shaotian.
Wang Jiexi pressed the cup into his hands, the warmth of the cup soothing him and all three sat in silence while Wang Jiexi searched for the right words, searched for the right advice.
Meanwhile Huang Shaotian was once again in Ye Xiu’s home, once again his problem led back to Yu Wenzhou but Ye Xiu wasn’t teasing because his friend was tucked up on his sofa, clutching at his tail for comfort, clinging to the familiar sensation.
“He left because of me, because of what I said, he was fine until I talked about travelling- it’s always because I said something because I let myself talk too much, he said he likes it when I talk but he was clearly lying, hoping to spare my feelings even as he wanted me to shut up and not speak to him every again. He was probably excited I was leaving and didn’t want to hurt my feelings because he’s kind but I annoyed him into hating me and-“ Huang Shaotian sucked in a sharp breath, looking over at his friend, eyes watery. “I don’t know what to do.”
Ye Xiu curled himself up beside his friend letting him lean against him, tears wetting his shoulder as his friend clung to him for comfort.
“We’ll talk to him. You’ll talk to him, it will be alright.”
It’d been three days since their- Huang Shaotian didn’t have a name for it. Fight? Disagreement? Falling out? In any case, it had been three days since Huang Shaotian had seen Yu Wenzhou and he was convinced he’d driven the warlock away, that he’d said something unredeemable since he’d bobbed in the water beside their rock all day, every day since they’d last spoken to no avail.
“You really should go speak to him.” Wang Jiexi’s words were achingly casual, as he leant around his friend to grab a bottle, pointedly ignoring the way Yu Wenzhou stiffened before fixing his gaze on his cauldron stubbornly.
“There isn’t any need.”
“Not even to say goodbye?” Yu Wenzhou flinched at the implication, Wang Jiexi knew he was pushing it but it’d been three days. Three days with Yu Wenzhou shuffling around their shop with a dark cloud hanging over his head, literally as well. The warlock’s magic was still crackling around him, agitated and this manifested itself with a gloomy cloud hanging over his head non-stop.
“Enough!” Both startled when Fang Shiqian bodily picked Yu Wenzhou up, despite his protests, Fang Shiqian held him in place and marched out of the shop, heading towards the stretch of coast that Yu Wenzhou was avoiding. Wang Jiexi stood in place for a long moment, confusion causing his brain to stall before he realised his husband was still carrying his friend in broad daylight.
Yu Wenzhou levelled a truly impressive glare at Wang Jiexi as he continued to wriggle, protesting being carried like a sack of unruly potatoes. He knew it was unfair to blame his friend for his husband’s actions but as he was the one being hauled along, Yu Wenzhou thought it was fully justified to glare at Wang Jiexi if he couldn’t glare at Fang Shiqian.
Huang Shaotian was startled out of his morose thoughts by the sound of Yu Wenzhou’s voice, the usually calm and good-natured tone stripped away as the man spat out demands to be put down, to be left to his own devices. He was slung over someone’s shoulder, a man Huang Shaotian had never seen before, while the witch- Wang Jiexi ran after them, concern written across his face.
“Hey, merman! If you love him- don’t let him drown.” Contrary to what Wang Jiexi was likely thinking, Fang Shiqian was well aware that this was one of his stupider plans and would likely result in a curse coming down on his head once Yu Wenzhou was capable of magic once more.
Huang Shaotian was trying to figure out what was meant by those words, don’t let him drown, surely he didn’t plan to-
Huang Shaotian let out a sharp squawk of panic when Yu Wenzhou was unceremoniously tossed into the water. He dove towards his friend immediately, Yu Wenzhou gasping at the frigid temperature of the water, swallowing more than he should have before Huang Shaotian’s arms were wrapped around him and lifting his head above the water.
Yu Wenzhou felt the temperature of the water rise until it reached a comfortable warmth, likely Huang Shaotian exerting his influence over the water to ensure he didn’t freeze. He turned furious eyes on Fang Shiqian who shrugged, completely unrepentant even as he began to inch closer and closer to Wang Jiexi who seemed genuinely concerned for his husband’s safety.
Huang Shaotian noticed in delight that Yu Wenzhou’s magic was dark violet as it flickered around him, haloing the warlock in with purple lighting, tinting his dark hair and highlighting the long line of his throat, that was so close to his lips that Huang Shaotian was exercising a great deal of control to stop himself from pressing a kiss to the exposed skin. He forced his attention back onto the conversation Yu Wenzhou was having.
“What were you hoping to accomplish?” Yu Wenzhou’s voice was clipped and restrained; anger still clear in the tensed lines of his body as his friend ducked behind the witch.
“I solved your problem! He didn’t let you drown, he clearly loves you!” Fang Shiqian noted around the slight fear that Yu Wenzhou was about to curse him that three more merpeople had appeared, clearly interested in the scene.
“He doesn’t love me! He just won’t let me drown because we’re friends-“
“That’s not true!” Huang Shaotian nearly regretted his outburst when Yu Wenzhou twisted in his hold to look at him, violet magic still sparking in his eyes, lips pressed in a hard line.
“Oh that’s really hot.” Was Huang Shaotian’s first thought but then he forced his brain back on track, “time for ogling later if I get this part right.” He reassured himself as he began to ramble, intimidated by the power leashed within Yu Wenzhou.
“Well, not that we aren’t friends, because we are friends, of course we’re friends Wenzhou but I meant that we aren’t only friends, at least I hope that we’re more than friends because I’d really like for us to be more than friends.” When Yu Wenzhou only stared at him in shock and slight confusion, Huang Shaotian powered on, hoping to clear it up. “I’d like for us to date and kiss, in fact, if you’d like to kiss me right now I wouldn’t say no because your eyes are both very intimidating but also really pretty and now I realise that my courting gift should have been blue and purple to match your eyes and magic but I can make up for that later if you’d like to court me and-“
Huang Shaotian was cut off by soft lips pressing against his own and he arched into the kiss happily, cupping the back of Yu Wenzhou’s head, fingers tangling in his hair. The warlock tasted of salt and a strange metallic aftertaste, likely something to do with the magic still crackling around them but that meant nothing as Yu Wenzhou’s legs slipped around his waist as he tilted his head back, allowing Huang Shaotian access to his throat.
Always one to take advantage of opportunities that presented themselves Huang Shaotian eagerly pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the long, pale neck he’d wanted to kiss since he’d first met the warlock, less than three weeks ago. He felt a surge of possessiveness when he saw the sapphire he’d gifted to Yu Wenzhou on a chain around his neck.
“Mine,” he murmured hotly against Yu Wenzhou’s neck, smiling as the warlock shuddered at the words.
“We get it you’re in love!” The moment was broken by Ye Xiu’s shout, though Zhang Xinjie was quick to elbow him, a strangely smug expression in his eyes that had Ye Xiu folding his arms, as if he’d lost. “Fine! You were right, three weeks.” Huang Shaotian twisted to turn and glare at the trio.
“Were you betting on us?!” Yu Wenzhou flushed at the revelation and although the switch from intimidating warlock to embarrassed boyfriend was very endearing, and the pink creeping down his neck was tempting, he kept his glare on his friends.
“It was just a fun wager.” Ye Xiu offered before he grabbed his boyfriends’ hands and dove underwater, escaping the accusing glare.
“I really do love you Shaotian,” Yu Wenzhou pulled his merman's attention away from his friends and back to him, bright smile distracting Huang Shaotian. Both are so wrapped up in one another that they didn’t notice Wang Jiexi grab his husband and subtly shuffle out of range of any of Yu Wenzhou’s curses.
“I really do love you too Wenzhou,” Huang Shaotian tugged Yu Wenzhou closer to him and pressed another kiss to his lips, willing to drown in each other. It may have taken them a while to get there but they’d made it in the end.
Epilogue
"I don't see why I'm still in this stupid room!" Fang Shiqian yelled unhappily from where he was sat on his bed, every inch of the walls plastered in talismans and protective wards. Wang Jiexi rolled his eyes from where he was sat sipping his tea peacefully, watching as his husband seemed five seconds away from clawing at the walls.
"Wenzhou is still upset with you and the last time this happened, his curse had you trying to eat bugs for weeks, I refuse to put myself through that again." Fang Shiqian scowled as he collapsed back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling blankly.
"You shouldn't be friends with someone who threatens your husband so openly." His husband merely took another drink, his silence pointed enough without him speaking. "It wasn't that bad."
"You provoke Wenzhou, you always have and it's your own fault you are stuck in here with nothing to do." Wang Jiexi refocused on the book he was reading and therefore missed the gleam of an idea in his husband's eyes. He startled when his book was plucked out of his hands and Fang Shiqian deposited himself into the now empty lap with a sharp grin.
"I could always do you." Wang Jiexi felt a frisson of heat in his stomach but he attempted to keep his face smooth. From the smug smirk, he'd failed and Fang Shiqian leaned in to whisper hotly against his ear. "If you feel the need to lock me up in here, you should be the one to entertain me Jiexi." Wang Jiexi's groan was swallowed down when his husband pulled him into a scorching kiss and any concerns about Yu Wenzhou and his curses were forgotten in the heat sparking between them.