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A couple lay on the grassy hill side-by-side, their fingers laced together between them. It was the perfect night for stargazing; the moon was in its crescent phase, allowing the surrounding stars to shine just a little brighter. The pair of lovers purposely faced northeast as most of the constellations could be seen in that part of the sky.
Ursas Major and Minor had been the easiest to pinpoint first. Polaris, the brightest star at the tip of Ursa Minor's tail, was located exactly north, while the other slightly larger constellation resided a little to the northwest. In between those two formations was a lengthier chain of stars, its curvatures representing that of a dragon.
"That's Draco. One of my favorites," Meng Yao asserted, extending his free hand to point it out to the man beside him.
Lan Xichen nodded, beaming at A-Yao's excited proclamation but keeping his eyes on the sky. "Yes, it is."
The Lan sect leader continued his search for more stellar configurations, looking for two in specific. As he drifted his gaze downward and to the right, that's when he spotted them. "Cepheus and Cassiopeia," he stated simply, mimicking Meng Yao's movement from earlier as he motioned from one formation to the next.
"The King and Queen," Meng Yao echoed as he gave Xichen's hand a gentle squeeze, eyes now focused on said handsome man.
Zewu-jun looked absolutely stunning basking in the moonlight, under the glow of the stars. It all accentuated his features quite nicely. That defined jawline, cheekbones set high, his profile perfectly suited for someone of a princely stature. In fact, that's exactly what he looked like. A Crown Prince. Meng Yao smiled at the thought, only to be met with a smile in return.
It took him completely by surprise, causing him to blush and jolt back a little in embarrassment at having been caught staring.
At some point the noble man had shifted position, propping himself up on an elbow. Meng Yao had been so distracted, he hardly noticed that they were no longer holding hands.
"Like what you see, A-Yao?" He teased before leaning in to steal a kiss.
Meng Yao hummed in reply as their lips melded perfectly together. The kiss was slow, deliberately so, but that didn't take away from it being fervent, passionate. His skin felt like it was set aflame amidst the cool night air, his body longing for so much more… But instead, Meng Yao reeled back from Xichen's lips, unable to handle it anymore. "Xichen," He exclaimed with a pout. "You promised me we could stargaze tonight."
Zewu-jun couldn't help chuckling at the smaller man's cute pout. "I did," he conceded with a nod of his head, "but I couldn't just leave those lips unattended, now could I?" In a concluding gesture, he lightly tapped his finger against the tip of Meng Yao's nose.
Dark brows furrowed just the slightest. "As if you were the one staring. I should have been the one to steal a kiss from you."
"Ahhh, so that's what this is about," Xichen observed before lying back against the grass again. "Well, you have plenty chances to surprise me then. For now, we keep stargazing."
The couple was snuggled closer together now, legs intertwining. Meng Yao rested his head on the broad chest, while Lan Xichen had an arm wrapped around that delicate waist. The two gazed upward, determined to find more constellations.
"There's Cygnus," Xichen pointed out the swan formation.
"And Lyra right next to it," Meng Yao piped up.
"And Aquila!" The pair exclaimed in unison, laughing soon after as they had found it at the same time. It was quite amusing indeed.
After they collected themselves, Meng Yao raised up a hand, drawing an air triangle with his finger.
"The Summer Triangle," Xichen voiced his beloved's thoughts aloud.
"Mm-hm," the shorter man lightly nodded. "Altair… Deneb… and Vega." At each name, his finger pointed to a different, vibrant star, subconsciously tracing a triangle once again.
"The lovers connected via the bridge on the Evening of Sevens," Lan Xichen condensed the story. "The tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl."
The story had quite a few different versions, but Meng Yao's favorite by far was the simpler adaptation. The one where the weaver girl goes to bathe in the Milky Way stream and comes across the herd boy. The pair had enjoyed each other's company so much that the weaver girl ended up returning home way past curfew. Her father, the King, was very displeased and forbade her from seeing the boy ever again. He then turned the stream into a river, making certain that the two had no way of reuniting. The girl became heavily distraught, so much so that her father acceded to a deal with her. She was allowed to see him once a year if she promised to work hard all year round. And so, every year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, magpies would form a bridge across the Milky Way River so the couple could reunite.
As Meng Yao lost himself in thought, he began to wonder what it would be like to suffer such a cruel fate. He'd much rather die than have to live for so long without getting to see his Xichen. But at the same time, the story made one reflect on their own life. To cherish the time they spent with loved ones and not take things for granted. And even when those moments of separation had to happen, --namely, Xichen having to go off on night-hunts or one of those sect leader conferences-- one could be assured that the reunion would be well worth the wait. It's like the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
"Will you take me night-hunting with you sometime?" The words slipped out of his mouth before he could even stop them. Nonetheless, Meng Yao still had the courage to look up at the sect leader after his bold little statement. Dark brown eyes soon locked with his, holding his gaze for a brief moment in time.
Xichen wasn't saying anything, and it made Meng Yao worry that he had said something wrong. Disheartened, he darted his eyes away. Just as he was about to apologize, he felt fingers delicately grasping his chin and tilting it upward. Lips soon claimed his own again in a loving, tender kiss. His heart melted on the spot as he reciprocated the sweet gesture.
Pulling back, Zewu-jun offered his A-Yao a gentle smile, hand cupping a porcelain cheek as he stroked at it with his thumb. "I want you to go everywhere with me, so yes, it can be arranged."
Meng Yao's face lit up at the favorable confirmation. "Really?"
Lan Xichen nodded. "Yes, really."
The young man practically pounced on the sect leader as he stole a kiss this time. It was a 2 to 1 count now, but Meng Yao intended to win at this little game, one way or another.