Work Text:
“Take a break.” Jiang Cheng orders as he walks into Xichen’s workroom.
“Ah, just let me finish this flower-” Xichen mumbles, hunched over his project.
“Take a break now so I can touch you.”
Xichen places the little chisels down immediately. He raises his empty hands up for good measure, turning to an extremely bemused Jiang Cheng expectantly.
“Ridiculous.” The man says fondly, before dropping a chaste kiss on his lips and maneuvering onto Xichen’s lap like an overgrown cat.
“You can touch me without me having to rest.” Xichen laughs, “in fact, I petition for you to never stop touch- ah!”
Jiang Cheng looks up from where he bit punishingly over Xichen’s collarbones. “Don’t be obscene. And don’t be stupid. I am not distracting you when you are handling blades.”
“They are- oh-” Xichen gasps as Jiang Cheng immediately tries to win the argument by biting at the sensitive point behind his ear. It’s a very effective strategy. “-they are chisels. And obscene? You’re the one that putters around my office naked all the - oh that feels good-”
Jiang Cheng has both his palms under his sweater now, soothingly gliding warm and pressing over his back, indulging in the act of touching in counterpoint with where his teeth are lovingly painting purple in blossoms down his throat.
Jiang Cheng likes to be pampered in love - Huaisang had laughingly called him a ‘pillow princess’, which prompted Jiang Cheng to threaten some very creative methods of mutilation on second young master Nie, and is the reason “what is a pillow princess” being part of Xichen’s search history.
When Jiang Cheng takes charge, however, he likes to bite.
At length, Jiang Cheng removes his mouth from Xichen’s skin to kiss him again, and whispers against his lips “Chisels used for architecture and art developed at similar time periods as metal tipped weapons began to dominate in several ancient cultures.”
“I love it when you talk dirty to me.” Xichen breathes and laughs when that earns him another reproachful nip, this time on his nose.
With his own smirk firmly in place, Jiang Cheng continues “the chisel is also explicitly named as a equippable weapon in many games, including Mortal Sh-”
“Nevermind!” Xichen makes as if to get up and dump his lapful of boyfriend right onto the ground “Mood ruined!”
Jiang Cheng clings on, huffing a laugh that rapidly turns into a yelp when Xichen really does stand, taking Jiang Cheng with him with an arm supporting his back and and one under his knees and marching out of his work room.
“Down, Romeo.” Jiang Cheng deadpans, even though Xichen can see him eyeing his neck thoughtfully - as if deciding if he wants another taste. “Did my sweet whisperings of art history turn you on?”
“You truly know the way to my heart.” Xichen laughs as he dumps Jiang Cheng onto the couch and crowds in to steal his own kiss. “Tell me about Michelangelo next.”
“Mm” Jiang Cheng hums as he scrapes his teeth slow and sweet against the bruises already forming against Xichen’s neck. “‘I flee from evil deeds, and wish to flee them, for I cannot make love to anyone but you.’”
Xichen had been joking about the art history - mostly - but Jiang Cheng has a habit of pulling out emotions Xichen wasn’t aware he is even able to feel. He would be embarrassed about how immediately he begins to free Jiang Cheng of his loose T-shirt, if the man below him didn’t look so enchanting, quoting millennium old love letters at him in a hushed whisper.
“How is the wood sculpture going.” Jiang Cheng asks later, basking in the filtered glow of a setting sun and stretching out his bare body for Xichen’s eyes.
“Not so bad for my second attempt. Still trying to get used to different tools, I think - my hands are much more accustomed to handling a brush.”
Humming a soft noise of understanding, Jiang Cheng picks up one of his hands that had been caressing Jiang Cheng’s waist, and begins to massage away the aches accumulating on Xichen’s knuckles.
“You can still just buy me dinner, you know?”
“Who says I’m not doing that too?” Xichen grins.
“I say. You’re not allowed to give me a handmade gift and a dinner - how am I supposed to compete next year?”
“Jiang Cheng, you gave me an actual panda, a camera set, and a cake baked by a professional pastry chef for my birthday. I’m the one trying to catch up.”
“I adopted a panda in your name- and the ‘professional pastry chef’ is my sister. That doesn’t count!” Jiang Cheng argues, even as his fingers are still gently massaging away at Xichen’s wrist. “The cameras are cool though, pretty proud of myself for that one.”
Before Xichen can say his piece on why it actually is his duty to make sure he makes Jiang Cheng’s birthday The Greatest Day of His Life though, the younger drops Xichen’s much more relaxed hand and deftly steps away from the couch - and out of Xichen’s embrace.
“Clothes on.” He says, grabbing a tshirt off the ground and tossing it at Xichen’s bemused expressions, “We need to make dinner.”
“Oh, Lan Huan, they are beautiful.” Jiang Cheng says, turning over the product of Xichen’s month of hand cramps and trying not to breathe in wood chips. “They really are! Exquisite. Really.”
“But?” Xichen prompts, not bothering to hide his grin at Jiang Cheng’s adorably confused expression.
“But...what are these, exactly?”
“These,” Xichen says proudly with a dramatic sweep of an arm over the two paddle shaped wooden objects Jiang Cheng just unwrapped, “are mooncake molds. Today, my love, we are going to make mooncakes together like a cute douyin couple.”
“Your big birthday present idea is for me to make you sweets, eh?” Jiang Cheng says, even though he is already striding purposefully towards their kitchen with his new molds.
Following tightly behind and slipping his arms around Jiang Cheng’s waist as soon as he is able, Xichen murmurs into his ear “I did promise you a gift and a dinner.”
“Hm, so you did.” Jiang Cheng says, and to Xichen’s delight, leans into his embrace as he runs soft touches against the lotuses Xichen painstakingly carved to the mooncake top. “I think we have ingredients for sugar-pan dessert cakes that would look nice in these molds. It seems that I will be the one responsible for dinner, though.” he adds, with a smirk.
“I also ordered roasted duck and tofu skin from the Aunty down the street.”
That smirk is still in place as Jiang Cheng turns in his arms to face him, arms snaking over his neck and the wooden molds hitting Xichen’ back. “Oh, you do love me.”
“With everything I have.”
Perhaps Xichen will never tire at the way Jiang Cheng’s casual mirth is entirely overtaken by such open wonder and devotion at such a simple declaration. Perhaps he will always chase the small tick of the brow as Jiang Cheng’s lips open in a muted gasp. Perhaps he will always carve that incredible warmth as Jiang Cheng’s fire roars to meet his affections.
“Good.” Jiang Cheng decides, and leans in to seal their love with a kiss.