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“He’s pretty.” Ye Xiu’s voice was pitched low and Su Muqiu turned to glance over to where his friend was looking before his eyes landed on the fae in question. He was about Ye Xiu’s height, slim build and as his friend had pointed out, pretty. “His wings look soft don’t you think?” The fae’s wings were reminiscent of a moth’s, dark blue and Ye Xiu was right in pointing out that they looked soft.
“That’s Swoksaar,” His sister’s voice cut in as she returned from browsing the stall, “hardly anyone knows his true Name, I don’t even think the last Swoksaar got it from him.”
“Do you think he’d let me bite him?” Ye Xiu’s lazy smirk flashed a look at his fangs, ivory white and sharp while Su Muqiu laughed, his own teeth glinting in the light as they attracted some attention.
“If he won’t give people his name, what makes you think he’ll let you bite him?” Su Mucheng giggled beside them at the mock offence painted across Ye Xiu’s face.
“Just because the fae have rules that bind us, they have rules that bind them in return.” Ye Xiu tilted his head to the side as he kept his eyes on the fae in question. “I just have to twist them in my favour.” Su Muqiu hummed, sensing a wager in the air and he bumped Ye Xiu’s shoulder, challenge bright in his eyes.
“Would you like to place a wager?” Ye Xiu turned to face his friend, intrigue written in his eyes, “if you manoeuvre that fae into a position where he has to let you bite him, then I’ll lead the coven for a decade. If you lose, then you lead for a decade.”
Ye Xiu wondered if the pretty fae was worth the risk of having to lead the coven for a decade if he lost. He glanced back over to where Swoksaar was stood, noting that the fae’s cheeks were dusted pink, pointed ears flushed as he refused to meet the noisy blond fae’s eyes and Ye Xiu felt the urge to walk over, draw Swoksaar’s attention to him instead and that solidified his decision.
“Very well, loser leads the coven for a decade.” The two shook on their wager, eyes sharply determined as neither enjoyed the politics that came with running their coven
“I lead the coven,” Su Mucheng pointed out dryly but neither Su Muqiu nor Ye Xiu seemed interested in listening to her and she sighed, wondering if Chu Yunxiu was free to entertain her while her brothers took part in this bet. She glanced over to where Swoksaar was busy browsing at a stall and Su Mucheng couldn’t help but feel sorry for him as Ye Xiu was about to descend on his life to cause a specific kind of chaos.
The poor fae had no idea.
“Ye Xiu is watching you.” Huang Shaotian’s tone was faux casual, eyes gleaming with the prospect of some kind of challenge. Yu Wenzhou tilted his head to the side, keeping his eyes on his friend but catching the sight of Ye Xiu in the corner of his gaze.
“Do you know why?” Huang Shaotian cocked his head to the side before he grinned, teeth razor sharp in the light as he guided them to the next stall, pretending that he wasn’t straining to hear what the other two were saying.
“He wants to bite you.” Yu Wenzhou couldn’t quite keep his face calm at that, blinking in surprise and Huang Shaotian watched as his friend flushed red at his words, refusing to meet his eyes and he laughed, sound bright and loud. “You’d let him-!” Yu Wenzhou pressed a hand across Huang Shaotian’s mouth, silencing him before he could say anything else, flush darkening on his cheeks and Huang Shaotian decided he understood why Ye Xiu might want to pursue his friend.
“I wouldn’t let him bite me.” Huang Shaotian managed to convey his disbelief with one raised eyebrow and a muffled sentence around the hand silencing him. “I wouldn’t Shaotian, I’d make him earn the right to bite me.” Yu Wenzhou hummed softly, almost to himself as he turned back to the stall, lost in his own thoughts.
“You want to play a game with him?” Yu Wenzhou hid the smile that stretched across his by keeping his face turned away, fingers trailing over a gleaming silver chain.
“If he wants to play a game, then I’m happy to take part.” Huang Shaotian huffed out a laugh at his friend’s words, knowing that if Ye Xiu expected an easy meal then Yu Wenzhou was not the one he should pursue.
Ye Xiu caught sight of the pretty fae across the room, the other leaning against the bar and he smiled at the other, golden eyes bright with excitement at the prospect of the game beginning. He could feel Su Muqiu’s eyes burning on the back of his neck and the pretty fae glanced up at him, up close Ye Xiu could see how his eyes were a shade of dark blue, lashes fanning across his cheeks when he blinked and he had to pull his attention back to what the other was saying.
“Did you need something?” Ye Xiu smiled, making sure to flash his teeth, a quick glimpse of fang, something that made Swoksaar’s head tilt to the side, amused smile playing across his lips.
“Your attention, if you’ll give it to me.”
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” Swoksaar’s smile widened as he spoke and Ye Xiu matched the smile, eyes gleaming with an edge of danger.
Yu Wenzhou could sense the danger radiating off the vampire, could see the challenge, bright and clear in his eyes and he couldn’t resist the urge to take the bait, to pit his mind against the other. Neither one of them were free of ancient rules, written into the very air they breathed, and Yu Wenzhou couldn’t help but want to see which of them would lose, which of them would be forced to bend under the laws that governed their species.
“What are you looking at? Are you looking over there at those two? Can you sense their game beginning as well? Is that why you’re watching? Because you think it’s interesting? Or do you want to join in?” Su Muqiu’s concentration was dragged away from watching Swoksaar and Ye Xiu interact by the sudden barrage of words. He glanced to the side to see the fae he’d seen beside Swoksaar in the market, golden brown eyes sharp with curiosity as the fae bounced on the balls of his feet.
Su Muqiu didn’t answer in favour of scrutinising the other, his own curiosity ignited by the way the other seemed unable to keep still, gaze flickering all over the room, seemingly needing to take in everything and anything within sight. The other fae he’d met had been endlessly calm, tranquil, as if they fancied themselves above the worries of other species, hidden away in their forests, unbothered by the world passing them by.
This fae seemed to fly in the face of all of that. He was warm, Su Muqiu could sense the heat radiating off him even as they stood apart, he was brimming with life, so full of warmth and life that he could imagine it overflowing, spilling out, perhaps if he were allowed to sink his teeth into him, skin breaking under his fangs, the other warm in his arms-
Su Muqiu jolted out of his thoughts by the fae waving an impatient hand in front of his face and he found himself glad that it was difficult for him to flush.
“Are you even listening to me? Are you that interested in watching the other two play their game? Their game is boring, letting the ancient rules decide who gets the be the winner, that’s boring, I could come up with a much better game, I know the best games to play to decide who gets to be the winner.” The fae grinned at him, wings fluttering slightly, raising the fae a little off the ground as he waited, bait clearly laid out before him and Su Muqiu tilted his head to the side, forgetting about his wager with Ye Xiu in favour of giving his full attention to the fae.
“What kind of game?”
“A chase!” The fae’s eyes were sharper now, still that same warm shade of golden brown, but now they were sharp with heat, gleaming with anticipation. “Have you ever chased a fae, well you could, if you played this game with me, I’ll let you play a game with me because I’m so generous, so kind to let you try, even if I know you’ll lose.”
“And if I win?” The fae scoffed and Su Muqiu took a step closer in response, crowding the other slightly against the wall, fangs on full display. “You think I can’t but what if I do? What do I win?” The other opened his mouth, ready to reply but Su Muqiu didn’t give him the chance, taking another step forward, towering slightly over the other. “If you’re so confident, why not let me set the prize?”
“You’re so confident, so arrogant and confident, just like Old Ye always is, you’re clearly his friend if you think you can win against me, he thinks he can win against Swoksaar, you think you can beat me in a chase, if you’re so sure of yourself then you can name your prize, just so you know what you can never win, never ever- you’ll never win it.”
“Your Name.” Su Muqiu watched as golden brown eyes narrowed, clearly wary and he smiled at the calculation he could see whirring in the other’s eyes, weighing up the costs, his own abilities, before his face broke into a wide grin.
“You’ll never come close to catching me so why not, that can be your prize, what if you lose, what will I get when I win, when I beat you so soundly all you can do is cry?”
“You can have my Name.” The fae’s eyes brightened at that, eagerness clear in the way he took his own step forward, crowding into Su Muqiu’s space, warm breath fanning across his skin.
“I accept. The terms, you have three days to catch me, it will be between you and I alone, no one else, if the sun sets on the third day I win, agree?” Su Muqiu grasped the outstretched hand, feeling the agreement settle itself in the air, binding them together and his blood sang with the anticipation of a hunt. From the way the fae was grinning, the same excitement was running through his veins. “I’ll see you tomorrow on the western edge of the forest.”
“What shall I call you?”
“Troubling Rain!” The way his lips stretched into a smirk made Su Muqiu even more determined to win their wager, “and that’s the only thing you’ll ever call me!” The fae- Troubling Rain- vanished and Su Muqiu followed soon after, already planning his strategy, determined to win the wager set, his first one completely forgotten.
Even if Su Muqiu was no longer watching, Ye Xiu was still leaning into Swoksaar’s space, noting smugly that the fae wasn’t leaning out of reach, in fact, seemed willing to stay near to him, dark blue eyes fixed on his own, curiosity and a challenge in equal measure.
“Is this where you spend your time?” Swoksaar’s head tilted back, laughter bubbling out of his chest, the long line of his neck emphasised by the flickering firelight and making Ye Xiu long to reach out and touch.
“I come here with Troubling Rain, he was over there earlier-“ Ye Xiu watched as Swoksaar’s lips thinned and he shook his head. “I think he found someone to play a game with.”
“Does he often win?” Swoksaar smiled, warning bright in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side, as if he were confused, even as his smile was knowing.
“We’re fae, we like to win all our games.” Ye Xiu watched as a row of needle-sharp teeth were revealed, just for a moment, the fae letting his glamour slip, even just briefly. It was bait, bait and warning in equal measure, Swoksaar giving him a chance to walk away, offering the chance to admit uncertainty, admit defeat.
Ye Xiu wasn’t one to admit defeat easily.
“Would you say vampires like to lose?”
“I’d say they aren’t as good at winning their games.” Swoksaar’s grin was sly as he watched Ye Xiu’s eyes narrow, waiting to see how the other would react but the vampire merely hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
“Did you come here searching for anything in particular?”
“No, I’d like to know your name, if you wished for my attention and I gave it, should you not give me something in return?” The fae’s smile was so sweet, any guile, any ulterior motive hidden behind a pleasant smile and even tone.
“Ye Qiu, and yours? It’s only polite to give one back if one is offered.”
“Swoksaar.” Both knew they’d not been given the other’s true Name, knew that the game would be over too quickly if the other conceded this so quickly.
“That smells like one of Big-Eyed Wang’s teas, does he let you mix your own flavours?” Yu Wenzhou knew he shouldn’t be surprised by the fact that Ye Xiu knew Wang Jiexi but he couldn’t imagine the calm, collected herbalist to be so close to the quip-filled vampire.
“I simply drink whatever he chooses to send me, I trust in his taste.” Ye Xiu frowned, even if his eyes were gleaming with amusement, reflecting the light of the fire, making them seem warmer than they really were.
“Ahh he’s never been so kind to me, always making me pay full price for anything I want.” Ye Xiu’s smile shifts into something a little more sly, something that suggested that he had a plan, a plan that would end in Ye Xiu’s victory at Yu Wenzhou’s expense. “Perhaps you’d be so kind to me and let me try one of the blends he sends to your home.” From anyone else, said in any other tone, it’d be an innocent inquiry, another tea enthusiast. And Ye Xiu could be a tea enthusiast. But their game was governed by the rules that permeated every part of Yu Wenzhou’s life and Ye Xiu was aiming to win their game by manipulating the rules that affected guests in his home.
And his smile said that Yu Wenzhou could refuse, deny the vampire what he wanted, refuse to grant him access to his home. A way out was offered, letting him have the choice of avoiding the risk of getting tangled in the web of his species’ law. But it was also another piece of bait, another opportunity for one or the other to admit defeat, to back down and admit they reused to push the limits any further.
And Yu Wenzhou wasn’t one to admit defeat this easily.
“If you’re free tomorrow,” Yu Wenzhou smiled, letting his iron control on his glamour loosen, just a little, just to reinforce that he wasn’t willing to concede this game so easily. “Then you could come to my home, I have a new blend from Jiexi.” He slid his address over to the vampire, finishing the rest of his drink, knowing the challenge had been set and that it was time to regroup.
“Then I shall see you then.”
“Tomorrow, Ye Qiu.” The name felt clumsy on his lips, solidifying his certainty that the vampire hadn’t offered him his true Name.
Ye Xiu’s gaze followed the fae as he exited the noisy room, vanishing into the night. His wings were tucked up tightly against his back, kept away from the masses and Ye Xiu couldn’t help but think once again that Swoksaar’s wings looked soft to the touch, as if they’d be smooth and comforting to trail fingers against.
He shook the thought out of his head, determined to keep his focus on the wager he’d made, on manoeuvring the fae into a position where the other would have to let him bite him while avoiding any traps the fae planned to lay out for him.
Swoksaar looked different in his home, was the first thing Ye Xiu thought as he entered the fae’s home. His glamour had been stripped from him, leaving him with pointed ears, sharp teeth and, most strikingly of all, pale pink markings on his face, circle in the center of his forehead with short lines leading away from the centre.
He was barefoot as well, shirt oversized and slipping down one shoulder, revealing a hint of shoulder and a swathe of collarbone. If Swoksaar hadn’t written the time himself just yesterday, script neat and clear, Ye Xiu would assume the other had forgotten their appointment.
As that was unlikely, the only other possibility was that Swoksaar planned to test his control, stretch him to the breaking point, have him trip up on one of the many rules that came with being a fae’s guest.
“This is one of Jiexi’s newest blends, he mentioned that it should be available for sale in just a few weeks.” Yu Wenzhou let his hands glow with his power, pushing the pot to boiling point in just a few moments, reaching up for the box and steeping the tea to the exact instructions he’d been given.
He let his fingers brush against Ye Xiu’s as he handed him the cup, watching the vampire’s eyes narrow and he let his wings flick out briefly, displaying himself to Ye Xiu, just for a moment, hiding his smile in his cup.
“He’s changed the way he steeps his tea.” Ye Xiu’s voice was soft, as if he were lost in thought, “the flavour is lighter, as if he wants to make you think of Spring.” Yu Wenzhou tilted his head to the side, savouring the delicate flavours, the slight hint of citrus making him smile.
“Perhaps you were simply not following his instructions correctly? Fang Shiqian swears by the exact instructions.” Ye Xiu’s lips twitched up into a smile as he took another sip.
“You’d trust anything he says immediately? With his violent streak?” Ye Xiu shuddered at the memory of the last time he’d visited Wang Jiexi, remembering how he’d suggested, just as a joke, that the witch should let him feed from him. The result explosion of holy energy had blasted him out of a window and kept any and all vampires unable to come near him for a week. And to think people feared Fang Shiqian’s battle-ax.
“From the way they tell the story, you’d provoked him.” Ye Xiu found himself with nothing to say in response to that and the resulting smile from Swoksaar had him tempted to concede defeat and simply try and coax that smile from the fae again.
“He still overreacted.” Swoksaar offered him another cup of tea and he found himself easily drawn into a debate on the various merits of each blend of tea that Wang Jiexi had designed. Ye Xiu was adamant that Wang Jiexi’s fruit teas should be less popular than his other blends, that it was cheating while Swoksaar apparently favoured the hot juice blends masquerading as tea-! So the debate got a little heated.
When Ye Xiu paused in his vehement defending of Wang Jiexi’s blends that were far more bitter than the others, he realised that he’d been sat at Swoksaar’s kitchen table for hours and that it was long past lunch time. Part of him seized on the opportunity, eyes flicking up to meet Swoksaar’s, challenge sharp in his eyes, but the fae spoke before he had a chance too.
“I’ve kept you here far too long, you should stay for lunch, it’s my fault you’ve missed your meal, I have some blood if you’d prefer that?” Ye Xiu cursed the missed opportunity to suggest that it was on the host to provide nourishment, but from the smug smile that Swoksaar hid by turning towards the fridge, his disappointment hadn’t gone by unnoticed.
“Would you like for me to help?” When his attempt to be a polite houseguest was thoroughly rejected, Ye Xiu settled for watching Swoksaar flit around the kitchen. Unlike Troubling Rain, Swoksaar’s wings remained still as he moved, not twitching or fluttering enough to lift him off the ground. The most obvious difference was that Troubling Rain’s wings were iridescent, very similar to dragonfly wings while Swoksaar’s were a dark blue and moth-like.
The way the fae’s wings folded back together had Ye Xiu resisting the urge to touch, the wings were only inches away from his hands, he only wanted to know if they were as soft as they looked. Fortunately, Swoksaar moved before he could forget himself, knowing that losing a game so early would simply be embarrassing.
As the day drew to a close, Yu Wenzhou couldn’t help but think the day had been a success. He’d managed to dodge every attempt from the vampire to back him into getting trapped by his own laws and from the way Ye Xiu’s eyes kept straying to his wings, he had another strategy other than exposing his neck to provide pressure on the other.
“I enjoyed myself today,” Ye Xiu’s smile was slow at his words, but Yu Wenzhou continued before he spoke, “if you’re willing you could visit each week and taste the new blends from Jiexi.” Yu Wenzhou was pleased by the way the vampire blinked in surprise, glad that his plans were not easily predicted.
“I’d like that, I shall see you next week.” Yu Wenzhou waved the other away, letting his shirt slide a little further down his shoulder, smugness settling in his chest when Ye Xi’s gaze flicked briefly to the exposed skin and away again.
“Until next time Ye Qiu.”
Things between them fell into a regular rhythm, with Ye Xiu visiting every week, staying for a meal before bidding his farewell. They’d discuss things that were happening within their shared social circle such as Troubling Rain somehow ensnaring Su Muqiu into a courtship, how Fang Shiqian was still holding a grudge against Ye Xiu and how Wang Jiexi seemed to making only fruit teas specifically to irritate Ye Xiu.
Swoksaar seemed far too amused by the suggestion but the boxes of different fruit teas appearing on his doorstep suggested that Ye Xiu’s belief was not as far-fetched as it seemed at first. The fae didn’t seem particularly sympathetic but at the very least he was willing to listen to Ye Xiu’s complaints while Su Muqiu and Su Mucheng simply walked away when he brought up the fruit teas.
“If Jiexi wants to make fruit teas then he can, you can simply not drink them if they offend you so badly.” Ye Xiu waved his suggestion away with one hand as he took another long sip, rolling the flavour around for a few moments, seemingly deciding what his verdict should be.
“The fruit teas are fine, but this one is too tart, he’s put in too much lemon.” Yu Wenzhou shook his head, taking a long sip himself, eyelids fluttering closed as he savoured the taste, letting his lips curl up into a satisfied smile before he opened his eyes to meet Ye Xiu’s once more.
“I think this is one of his best yet.” He smiled as he spoke, picking up the teapot once more, watching as Ye Xiu stopped himself from declining, wary of the rules that bound him as a house guest. Over time, Yu Wenzhou had watched as Ye Xiu’s fingers had twitched when he’d brushed up against him, eyes fixed on his neck and his wings.
Over the months that they’d been meeting with each other, Yu Wenzhou had noted how Ye Xiu’s control was slowly fraying, the constant touch, calculated to be unintentional, moving away the moment he realised, letting his wings brush tantalisingly close- their game was nearing it’s breaking point, just a little more and victory would be within his grasp.
Ye Xiu moved automatically to help clear away the cups and snacks, insisting that he should help out with the mess, seemingly convinced that Yu Wenzhou was still trying to catch him out with the rules that bound him as a house guest. If he wasn’t so committed to his victory, Yu Wenzhou would nearly feel sorry for him.
Nearly.
Yu Wenzhou moved to put away the clean plates, carefully angling himself so his wings were mere millimetres away from Ye Xiu’s hands. He kept his focus on putting away the dishes, seemingly distracted by his task, wings settled comfortably against his back, held carefully still, working hard to sell the illusion until-
There!
Yu Wenzhou felt a touch on his wings, a featherlight touch, there for a few moments, stroking over one wing but it was enough to secure his victory.
Ye Xiu’s smile was smug but his eyes clearly spelled out his defeat and Yu Wenzhou let his smile shift into a smirk, triumph written clearly across his face.
“You were a bad guest.” And he knows he doesn’t have to say it, knows that there’s no need for him to give voice to his victory, that they can both sense the shift in power, but the defeat in Ye Xiu’s eyes feeds into his glee, victory rushing hot and sweet through his veins.
“What will you claim as your prize?” Yu Wenzhou hummed to himself, letting one wing brush against Ye Xiu’s wrist softly and something clicks into place and Yu Wenzhou found himself pressed against a wall, Ye Xiu pinning him in place. “Your plan was to get me to touch your wings-“
“What will you give me as my prize?” Yu Wenzhou watched as Ye Xiu’s eyes settled into admiration and he took a step back, mulling it over.
“My Name?”
“Ye Xiu.” In all the months he’s known Ye Xiu, Yu Wenzhou had never seen him this shocked, surprise written clearly across his face for a few long moments before he recovered.
“But how-“ his eyes close as he realised, “Troubling Rain. What can I offer you as your prize?”
“Your courtship.” Ye Xiu startled but Yu Wenzhou didn’t give him a chance to speak, pressing on, “if you’re willing, I’d like to court you.” The silence stretched out for a few long moments, long enough that Yu Wenzhou wondered if he’d misjudged their interactions, misjudged the vampire’s reaction-
He gasped in surprise when Ye Xiu stepped in closer, tilting his head up with one elegant hand, breath cool against his skin.
“Let me kiss you.” The moment Yu Wenzhou nodded he was swept into a deep kiss, Ye Xiu wrapping one arm tightly around his waist as he stole the breath from his lungs. When they broke apart, Yu Wenzhou was flushed pink while Ye Xiu was frustratingly unflustered and before Yu Wenzhou could pull himself together, Ye Xiu leant in to murmur his next words against the sensitive skin of his neck.
“My goal was to convince you to let me bite you, that means that while you may have won this game, I never truly lost.” Ye Xiu’s smile was so smug, eyes so bright with mirth that Yu Wenzhou tangled one hand in the vampire’s hair and tugged him down into another long kiss, trying to distract the other from speaking for a while.
The tactic, like the rest of them had been, was very effective and the two remained lost in one another for a long time, content to remain wrapped up in the taste of the other’s mouth, both pleased by the outcome of their unspoken game.
Even if there had been a winner and loser, Ye Xiu was pleased enough by his prize to concede defeat, just this once.