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Xie Lian leaves the bath after seemingly hours of soaking. He knows it mustn't have been that long, but it feels like he had spent a small eternity there. He’s wearing his most comforting sleeping robe, the one that feels like his skin is surrounded by clouds and nice fluffy things. Wearing it now, he doesn’t even remember why he had argued so insistently that he didn’t need it. Of course, that hadn’t stopped his husband from gifting it to him, but still. It was a really nice robe and Xie Lian was infinitely grateful for his husband’s insistence.
Speaking of his husband, Hua Cheng was quite the sight: laying face down all sprawled on their bed, his long damp hair wild all around his back and upper thighs, looking for all the world like he was attempting to become one with the bedding.
The sight was amusing to say the least. Especially considering his… state of undress.
Unable to hold back an amused smile, Xie Lian sat down in the divan, picking up his favorite comb along the way. Just as he fixed his hair over his shoulder and raised the comb, he heard his husband’s voice.
“Does gege want some help?”
Hua Cheng had tilted his head to the side, looking up to him with lazy attention. It was obvious he would immediately jump to action if Xie Lian said the word, but he also looked quite content where he was. Like a very big, very lazy cat.
Normally, Xie Lian indulged his husband’s constant need to provide even the most minimal comfort or aid. Yet Hua Cheng truly looked like he wanted absolutely nothing more than to lay there and merely exist.
It made sense, after the long day they had.
Not necessarily in a bad way. In fact, Xie Lian doesn’t think he remembers a day being as good as today was. Yes, it was draining, but in all the best ways. The strain that came from dealing with mortals all day and talking about such nerve-wrecking topics was one he was more than used to.
He doesn’t think his husband is. At least, not yet.
So he graciously hid a smile and began combing his own hair, making sure his movements were slow and careful so that his husband wouldn’t feel compelled to intervene. “No, I’d like to do it on my own today.”
Hua Cheng hummed in thought, obviously debating with himself internally but severely respectful of Xie Lian’s choices. He turned and buried his face again against the bedding.
Xie Lian held back a chuckle and only huffed with fondness as he continued with his task. He took his time with it and allowed his mind to wander while his hands fell into a familiar rhythm.
The past few weeks have been interesting, somewhat enlightening. He truly hadn’t expected Mu Qing to accept his offer to help with the Xuan Zhen temples. It had taken him a while, but he had eventually found out about what had been keeping Mu Qing so busy for the past months. After finding out, he immediately knew he wanted to help.
(He doesn’t want to think what he would’ve felt if Mu Qing had refused.)
Then, he began accompanying Fu-daozhang, the wandering cultivator, in his preachings and learnt of the new teachings Mu Qing had been performing. After a while, Mu Qing had allowed him to take over and continue the teachings in other temples, so that they could relieve some of the burden. Of course, Hua Cheng had insisted on accompanying him, so they often did the teachings together.
That meant that Hua Cheng was also subjected to all sorts of questions from the mortals. He had initially worried that talking about such topics would leave his husband feeling exposed or uncomfortable, but Hua Cheng had taken it in stride. He always seemed so serious and dedicated, forgoing his usual animosity towards Mu Qing to properly and honestly answer the mortals’ questions.
The amount of pride Xie Lian felt couldn’t be described with words.
Needless to say, that meant that at the end of the day his husband would often be emotionally drained. Today just seemed to be the peak of that, if his current disposition was anything to go by.
Xie Lian looked over his husband, taking in the sight. In the few decades of their marriage, Xie Lian could count with one hand the amount of times he’d seen his husband like this. The deep exhaustion that settled over him like a blanket was not a common sight on the ghost king.
What was a common sight was his husband’s seemingly fondness for a state of undress when it was just the two of them. There were all sorts of excuses to justify this, but he could guess exactly which one it would be for today if he asked. Hua Cheng would probably complain about how his damp hair would completely drench all his clothes if he didn’t wait for it to dry out. Nevermind the fact he could dry his hair, his clothes and the bedding with a flick of his fingers if he so wanted.
How silly, his San Lang.
Xie Lian had the light suspicion that his husband prefered to be like this for either of two reasons: one, he was attempting to seduce him (which he honestly didn’t even have to try to do) or two, he was feeling especially striking (which his husband definitively should and Xie Lian would always encourage these bouts of self-confidence).
Then, which one could it be today? Only one way to find out!
In an incredibly casual tone, Xie Lian asked, “Is San Lang feeling up to it tonight?”
Hua Cheng turned his head again, as if it was unthinkable to not look directly at him when he spoke. “Does gege want to?”
Ah, what a mischievous husband! Making it so hard for this poor old god to figure him out! That’s okay, this old god has been practicing reading his husband better!
Xie Lian took in his posture: the lazy stretch of his limbs, the quiet mirth in his eye, the way he hadn’t moved an inch aside from his head, the way his whole body seemed to sag against the bed, molding into one.
“Mmh, not really?” Xie Lian tapped his chin with a finger, “Today has been a long day after all!”
Hua Cheng gifted him with a devastatingly handsome smirk. “Alright.” And then returned to burying his face.
Xie Lian giggled at his husband’s antics. Second option it was then. Good!
He finished combing his hair quietly, enjoying the comfortable silence that fell upon them. Taking advantage of it, he continued to look at his husband.
Hua Cheng was beautiful, handsome, gorgeous. There weren’t enough words to describe all of his beauty. Xie Lian had seen beauty, had grown in a kingdom where beauty was a pillar, had been called beautiful himself. And yet he has never seen a man as striking as his husband. Not back then, not in all of his years wandering, not even now. Hua Cheng was, without a doubt, the most beautiful man in all the three realms.
(He’s confident one day Hua Cheng will realize this too. He’ll make sure of it.)
Sometimes, when they were walking around together, people would tell Xie Lian how lucky he was because he had married such a beautiful man. (San Lang was devastatingly beautiful in all of his forms, of course!) Other times, he had noticed the stares, the sighs and desiring looks that others would give his husband. It was understandable, after all, mortals and gods alike spend so much time chasing after beauty. And Hua Cheng was the definition of such beauty.
There’s something poetic and romantic about falling in love with someone not for their looks, but for their heart. But what happens when someone’s heart is as beautiful as their looks? Hua Cheng was like this. His beauty is only compared to his devoted heart. That’s how beautiful Hua Cheng is. And yet, ironically, it took such a long time for Xie Lian to realize this too.
Unlike what most people assumed, Xie Lian hadn’t truly noticed Hua Cheng’s beauty at first. Yes, he had appreciated his beauty, because how could he not, but in a very objective way. Hua Cheng’s beauty was the same as saying the sun was in the sky or the ocean was deep. It was merely a fact of life, an undeniable truth.
No, what he noticed first was Hua Cheng’s heart. It was that heart that took his breath away. The love, dedication and devotion in every single word and action, something so extremely beautiful that it’d make anyone weep. The way Hua Cheng stayed when no one else did. The way Hua Cheng always listened and seemed content with sharing any moment. That’s what captivated Xie Lian.
And then, well, then he began noticing the beauty. He began raking his eyes over Hua Cheng’s figure, unable to look away. He began feeling a warmth whenever Hua Cheng directed one of his smiles at him. He began fixating on certain features: lips, arms, chest. And then his body began reacting too, in a way it hadn’t done since he had been poisoned when he was still a teenager.
The feeling had come so sudden and unbidden that it had startled Xie Lian into embarrassment. He doesn’t quite remember everything he did and said, but he was sure he made a fool of himself in those moments. It was only natural, wasn’t it? For over eight centuries he had felt nothing like that and suddenly he was struck with such a feeling.
And it wasn’t for lack of trying. This is not something he has ever said to anyone before, but there was a time when Xie Lian wanted to give up his cultivation. Ascending for a third time seemed impossible to him and his own grief wouldn’t let him consider it. Yet, even when he tried to make himself interested in others, it never worked. He had assumed at first that he was just being picky from growing used to beauty in his childhood, but even when faced with some of the most beautiful women and men of the era he felt nothing.
Sometimes, even now, he looks at all of Hua Cheng’s beauty and feels nothing. But then he remembers his husband’s heart and the love they have for each other and it’s like a flame bursts to life within him.
For the longest time he felt misunderstood. He felt that these feelings were abnormal. Then he began meeting people in his travels that felt the same. And then he met Hua Cheng.
His lovely, wonderful Hua Cheng, who even followed him in this. His husband just couldn’t be more perfect, could he?
Xie Lian couldn’t stop the smile even if he wanted to. Not that he wanted to, of course! He finished combing his hair and stood, going to the bed and laying down beside his husband. He propped up with a hand so that he could use the comb to brush his husband’s hair.
It wasn’t really combing, not with the position they were in, but none of them said anything. It was more like Xie Lian was using the comb to play with Hua Cheng’s hair, teasing his skin with the light scratching. As he continued to play, he felt the strain on his arms and laid down half on top of the ghost king. Hua Cheng didn’t move or complain, rather, he let out soft content noises that may have been purring if he were an actual cat.
Xie Lian continued with this for a long time, just enjoying the warmth of each other’s presence and the feel of his husband’s skin close to him. The exhaustion of his mind settled over his body and he only sagged further into his husband, yet he never stopped combing.
It was nice, just being like this. Existing with each other. Knowing the other was there.
He adored every conversation with Hua Cheng, but these were the moments he truly treasured in his heart. For a very long time, everything he had ever wanted was for someone to be there . Now, he had much more than he could have ever hoped for, and yet these were the moments that filled him the most with emotion.
If he weren’t so emotionally exhausted, he thinks he would’ve begun to cry.
Instead he chooses to smile.
His heart was so full of affection that he couldn't help but to lay soft kisses into Hua Cheng’s back. He never stops smiling as he leaves those fleeting kisses.
Hua Cheng’s body seems to turn to complete mush under the ministrations. The sounds leaving him so incredibly pleased and soft that no one would believe they came from the ghost king.
Xie Lian doesn’t want to stop, he really doesn’t. But his body decides then that he’s too comfortable and it stops obeying him. His limbs flop uselessly over his husband’s back and his face is completely buried in his neck.
Xie Lian doesn’t whine, but it’s a near thing.
“Gege?” Hua Cheng’s voice is muffled, but he can’t move without pushing Xie Lian away, so he doesn’t.
Xie Lian lets out a soft noise and buries himself deeper into his husband’s neck. “I don’t want to move.”
Hua Cheng chuckles. “Then gege doesn’t have to.”
“But I want San Lang to hold me.”
Hua Cheng remains silent. He’s obviously debating what course of action to take: not moving or moving, staying like this or holding Xie Lian. Really tough decisions.
Xie Lian shamelessly makes the choice for him. “San Lang, hold me.”
And then Hua Cheng is shifting, but his movements are so small that it takes a ridiculous amount of time for them to get into a comfortable position. All tangled arms and legs, with Xie Lian’s face still buried against Hua Cheng’s neck and Hua Cheng’s face in Xie Lian’s hair.
Xie Lian breathes deeply and takes in his husband’s smell. He’s never felt more safe and protected than in these arms. One of his hands is lying lazily over the other’s waist. Hua Cheng is still undressed.
“Is San Lang going to stay like this all night?”
Hua Cheng humms, as if he just remembered his state of undress. He only curls further into Xie Lian. “En.”
Xie Lian chuckles, amused and endeared and completely in love.
Hua Cheng smiles at this and delivers a kiss to Xie Lian’s crown. He brushes Xie Lian’s hair with a hand. “I’ll comb Dianxia’s hair in the morning. To make up for tonight?”
Oh, how silly! How could San Lang be this adorable? Worrying about such a thing when Xie Lian had already combed his hair!
“Alright. But let me do San Lang’s too?” He murmurs against his husband’s skin. It probably would’ve tickled, if Hua Cheng had wanted to.
“It would be an honor.” Hua Cheng replies earnestly, like it truly was a blessing to have Xie Lian do his hair. Despite the fact that Xie Lian had never done any hairstyle that wasn’t crooked.
Xie Lian humms contentedly, enjoying the closeness.
For over 800 years, Xie Lian wondered why everyone was so keen on being held by another.
Now, almost 900 years later and in the arms of his beloved, Xie Lian can’t imagine being in another place.