Work Text:
Jiang Cheng stands perfectly still, arms held out at his sides, as Huaisang circles him, inspecting him for damage. He tuts as he notes the torn shoulder of Jiang Cheng’s t-shirt, crusted with blood though the wound itself was easily healed.
“You know,” he begins, “I prefer your songbirds to that—“
“I did not tell you to speak,” Huaisang grits out as he plucks at the shirt.
Jiang Cheng swallows hard and shuts up.
He knows Huaisang isn’t angry. There’s no reason to be. Jiang Cheng and the contingent of junior disciples had taken every possible, practical caution as they rousted the flock of corpse birds that had taken up roosting in the clock tower of the university. They had spiritual nets aplenty, arrows with a new talisman Wei Ying had crafted, even some mundane snares. And Jiang Cheng hadn’t even been attacked by one of the corpse birds but a fucking owl they accidentally scared out of a tree when one of the junior Nie disciples he’d brought along loosed an arrow too soon.
Jiang Cheng smirks as he imagines the absolutely terrifying dressing down the boy will be getting at the hands of the Nie Sect Leader and Chief Cultivator, and then softens because he also knows Xichen will take the kid out for an ice cream when it’s over.
“Move your shoulder,” Huaisang commands.
Jiang Cheng obliges and rotates his shoulder, swings his arm, and stretches without even a hit of pain.
“An owl scratched you?”
“A completely ordinary owl, just startled by all the action.” Jiang Cheng takes hold of Huaisang to stop his pacing. “You know that it’s impossible to hide anything from you. It was a bad scratch, yes, but there was no resentful energy attached to the injury, so I was able to heal it before it even bled that much.”
Huaisang’s shoulders drop as he lets go of some of the tension he’d been holding. “Is the owl alright?”
“I believe so. Jin Ling caught it in one of the nets and Ouyang Zizhen knows one of the biology professors who also works at that birds of prey sanctuary. They’re going to take it out tomorrow to have it checked out.”
Jiang Cheng has half a second to brace himself as Huaisang shoves him against the wall and kisses him breathless.
“Ow! My shoulder!” he complains with an exaggerated whine the moment Huaisang stops for breath.
Huaisang smacks his chest. “You said you weren’t hurt any longer!”
“Not from the bird, but you shoved me against the light switch!”
“Sorry, sorry!” Huaisang tugs on Jiang Cheng’s shirt and pulls him away from the wall. Jiang Cheng takes the opportunity to flip Huaisang around and press him against the wall now.
“Are you upset?” he asks before dipping in to kiss him.
“A little,” Huaisang admits. “Not at you.”
Jiang Cheng runs a hand through Huaisang’s hair and pulls it out of its bun. “Who with?”
“No one.” Huaisang sighs and chases Jiang Cheng’s lips for another kiss, this one with significantly more teeth, and Jiang Cheng groans. “Everyone,” Huaisang says before kissing along Jiang Cheng’s throat, “the world.”
“A-Sang.” Jiang Cheng leans away and lifts a hand to caress Huaisang’s cheek. “I’m here. I’m safe. You’re safe. Everyone is home and safe.” He kisses Huaisang’s forehead.
“I know.” He leans into Jiang Cheng’s touch. “I know. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine if you’re upset.” He takes Huaisang’s hand, and they walk to their bed and sit on the edge. “What can I do?”
Huaisang rubs his eyes. “Nothing, A-Cheng. It’s fine. It’ll pass.” He smiles as Jiang Cheng kisses his hand.
“Can I interest you in some distraction, then?”
“Ah, Jiang Cheng, my sweet husband, my only love,” Huaisang says as his grin turns hungry, “I thought you’d never ask.”