Work Text:
It was a rare sight for Xie Lian to be alone without his personal guard and attendant, but as everyone settled down for the night on Mount Taicang, the others had their own matters to attend to. Naturally, they would check on their dearest Crown Prince once before the night ended, just to make sure he was okay on his own.
As Xie Lian was putting a chair back in its place in his bedchamber, he heard the door behind him crack open.
“Hey whe-” He turned around. “Oh, it’s you.”
Mu Qing rolled his eyes in the doorway. “Who did you think? Feng Xin?”
Xie Lian scratched at the back of his neck. “Haha, yeah, actually.”
“Oh really?” One of Mu Qing’s eyebrows arched.
Xie Lian smiled nervously, unsure of how to respond without Mu Qing questioning him. Just in the nick of time, another figure walked through the door.
“Your Highness, is everything alright?”
Xie Lian nodded. “Yes, Feng Xin.” He smiled, “Thank you.”
“Alright, well,” Mu Qing cut in. “If you don’t need anything, we’ll leave you be for the night.”
Xie Lian turned to him. “Oh, yes, yes, I don’t need anything. Have a good night.”
Mu Qing was already prepared to leave. “Good night, Xie Lian.”
“Your Highness, you mean.” Feng Xin elbowed him, stopping the other from leaving.
Mu Qing sighed, rolling his eyes again. “Good night, Your Highness.”
More satisfied, Feng Xin allowed Mu Qing to leave. Before leaving himself, he turned to Xie Lian, locking eyes with him.
“See you.” Xie Lian smiled once more.
Suddenly, Feng Xin forgot everything he wanted to say, only awkwardly hiding his gaze before hurriedly leaving the bedchamber. Xie Lian took that as an agreement.
Now that Xie Lian was alone again, he laid down on his bed. He wasn’t going to sleep, really, but he had to pass the time somehow. His only thought was how Feng Xin left the room just a few moments ago, making him think about the last few weeks.
Dating Feng Xin has been a rush, just the kind of excitement he needed in his life. Of course, his life was very exciting as the Crown Prince of Xianle, but he could always use more of it. Affairs between royalty and their guards weren't unheard of, but because he was the most esteemed Crown Prince, they had to be extremely secretive.
That only made it more exciting to Xie Lian, stolen glances and hands brushing against each other, it felt like he was ever so slightly bending the rules. He’s always been a rule follower, he had to be, but there were countless times he daydreamed of doing something he wasn’t supposed to. This was exactly that.
Almost an hour passed as he was lost in thought, thinking of the past and dreaming of what could be in the future, giggling to himself. He hadn’t exactly given Feng Xin a proper time, just “ when everyone else was asleep” . Poking his head out the window, it seemed that that time was now.
Quietly tiptoeing out of his bed, being extra extra careful, he slipped on his white robe, tied his hair back out of his face, and slipped on a pair of shoes before exiting the room. Ever so quietly, he step step step -ed his way through the pavilion, praying that if anyone was here, they hadn’t heard him.
At last, he was out of the Xianle Pavilion. The sound of crickets and swaying trees filled his ears, not too loud, but very apparent. Seeing that Feng Xin was not here yet, he walked over to the pond in the courtyard. The water shined brightly under the moonlight, shimmering and sparkling in a way that could only be described as eye-catching.
Xie Lian bent down slightly, examining his own reflection. He went over his hair with his fingers and fixed the collar to his robe, checking himself out to make sure he looked good. Amidst this, a shadow of someone behind him appeared in the water, prompting him to lose balance and nearly fall in.
The figure's strong hands came around Xie Lian’s waist, steading him. The figure then laughed.
“Feng Xin!” Xie Lian brushed now untidy hair out of his face. “You scared me!”
The words only prompted Feng Xin to laugh harder, sighing as he finally calmed down. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! But that was too good!”
Xie Lian’s face grew serious. “I hate you.”
“Mhmm,” Feng Xin removed his hands from Xie Lian’s waist before putting one arm behind his back and extending the other, bending down slightly. “Your Highness.”
Xie Lian took his hand and gave him a look. “We’re dating. You can call me by my name.”
Feng Xin cleared his throat, “Well then, Xie Lian,” he paused. “To the cherry woods?”
Xie Lian’s eyes twinkled, “To the cherry woods!” he repeated.
Hands interlocked, the two made their way to the woods. It wasn’t long before their vision was filled with green leaves, an abundance of little red dots mixed in. Under the moon, the usual burning red color was softened, even more beautiful. Naturally, it reminded Xie Lian of the one next to him.
They walked in silence for a bit, picking at cherries and snacking on them. Soon enough, the two approached a swing. While most of the swings on Mount Taicang were for fun or training purposes, this one was just to sit on, perfect for two people. Xie Lian sat down first, Feng Xin second, always following after His Highness.
Never really having many moments to themselves, their love was often quiet. Sitting together in silence may seem boring to anyone else, but for them, it was enough. Xie Lian rested his head on Feng Xin’s shoulder, hugging his arm and continuing to eat some cherries. Hearing Feng Xin sigh, he looked up.
“What’s wrong?” Xie Lian straightened himself to look the other in the eye. “Is something on your mind?”
Feng Xin looked at him before turning away. “...Nothing, it’s dumb.”
Xie Lian tilted his head and leaned in a bit closer. “Come on, tell me. Nothing’s dumb if it comes from you. I like listening to whatever you have to say.”
Hearing the words, a smile played on Feng Xin’s lips. He sighed again, “I just… I can’t stop thinking about how Mu Qing called you by your name earlier.”
Xie Lian squinted slightly, staying silent, allowing the other to continue.
Feng Xin fiddled with his fingers. “I mean, you’re the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince! And he’s just a servant, why can’t he respect you?”
Xie Lian watched the other’s expression change as he spoke, then said, “Mu Qing isn’t just a servant, he’s also my friend. He does respect me; it’s just a name. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Feng Xin turned to him. “Your Highness, names are important. If he can’t understand that… I just really don’t see why you think so highly of him, even when he’s like this.”
Xie Lian smiled. “I think highly of you both for the same reason. You’re both very important to me, him calling me by name won’t change that. Things like that just… don’t matter to me that much, I guess?”
After hearing that, Feng Xin looked disappointed. Xie Lian saw and took the opportunity to tease him, “What? Are you jealous?”
Feng Xin piped up. “No! No, no!” He sighed, looking down. “...Maybe.”
Xie Lian reached out a hand, guiding Feng Xin’s face so he would look at him, then lowered his hand. “I like you, stupid. Not him.”
Having been reassured, Feng Xin smiled, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “What a coincidence, I don’t care for anything other than you.”
Xie Lian laughed, bringing one last cherry to his lips. Now that Feng Xin was looking at him, he was weirdly focused on it, watching the other carefully devour the tiny fruit.
For the first time ever, in this moment, Feng Xin thought of disrespecting Xie Lian.
In a voice barely above a whisper, “Your Highness,” he breathed. “Can I kiss you?”
It was clear that Xie Lian was taken aback, but he didn’t say anything, and slowly nodded.
Almost reluctantly, Feng Xin brought out a hand to cup Xie Lian’s face. Ever so slowly, he leaned in. He gently placed a kiss right on the prince's lips, because being gentle is the only thing he will ever be towards Xie Lian.
Kissing Xie Lian was sweet, the essence of cherries left over, leaving him wanting for more.
Once Feng Xin pulled back, Xie Lian slowly fluttered his eyes open, a hopeless red rising across his face. He quietly asked, “…Can you do that again?”
Feng Xin obviously obliged, kissing him a second time. This time, more passionate, Feng Xin tilted his head to come as close to Xie Lian as he could. Every minute of everyday, he craves this boy, constantly having to remind himself to keep his hands off when others were around. But now, in the middle of the night under the cherry trees, the world was theirs. His hands acted on their own, starting as the base of Xie Lian’s neck, slowly moving up to rub under his jaw, before making their way into his hair. At first they were gentle, cradling his head, but soon they became rougher, bunching Xie Lian’s long hair in his fists.
Before he could control himself, he paid the price for his carelessness. The two of them had fallen off of the swing, Feng Xin ending up on top of Xie Lian. Instantly, they started laughing, far too loud for their own good.
Xie Lian brought his hands to Feng Xin’s face. “Shh! Not too loud!!”
However, his efforts failed. The words held no meaning, the two still laughing away. Xie Lian figured that if everyone was asleep, they would be too far away to hear any of this, so it was fine. Nothing could get in the way of young love.
Feng Xin rolled over, off of Xie Lian, meeting him at his side.
Xie Lian looked up into the sky. “The stars are pretty, huh?”
He turned his head to look at Feng Xin, but Feng Xin was already looking at him.
“Yeah, like you.” Feng Xin replied. Xie Lian knows the other didn’t look at the sky, not even once.
“Oh my god, shut up.” He smiled brighter than the sun, his tone contradicting his words.
Feng Xin brushed a hair out of Xie Lian’s face, admiring him. He couldn’t believe that someone could actually be so beautiful. Xie Lian exhaled and climbed on top of Feng Xin, pinning his wrists down.
Being caught off guard, Feng Xin chuckled. “How forward, Your Highness. I like it.”
Xie Lian smirked and leaned down, only centimeters away from the other’s face. “I despise you.”
“You’re so bad at lying.” Feng Xin whispered back.
Just as he finished his words, Xie Lian stole him in a kiss, shutting him up as if he couldn’t stand to listen to him anymore. But even Feng Xin knows that’s a lie, no one likes listening to him talk more than Xie Lian.