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Xie Lian pretended to keep his focus on polishing E'ming, ignoring the way his husband's hands ran through his hair to get his attention. Well, pretending to ignore it at least.
His mouth twitched, keeping down a smile as Hua Cheng sectioned both of their hair into two sections and began to braid half his own hair together with Xie Lian's. It was hard to ignore such a thing and near painful trying to hold back laughter. His husband looked so serious doing such a childish thing! If he laughed then he couldn't pretend he wasn't aware anymore and Hua Cheng would undoubtedly win and soon Xie Lian would be completely distracted.
Deft hands tied off their new shared braid in what was no doubt an extremely silly end result. Xie Lian couldn’t examine it closely or he knew he’d lose all composure.
"Gege, gege," Hua Cheng called, begging for attention.
Xie Lian bit his cheek, waiting until he was sure he could school his face before he spoke. "You look so shiny now E'ming. Perhaps I should wash Ruoye next."
E’ming preened, it’s eye a happy crescent at Xie Lian’s praise as Ruoye poked its head curiously out from his sleeve.
"Gege, are you really going to ignore me?"
"Ruoye, will you go get the wash bucket?"
Ruoye zipped out, coming back with the bucket twirling in the air excitedly.
Xie Lian took a risk, standing up to go fill the bucket and holding back another delighted laugh as, just as he expected, Hua Cheng stood to follow, not wanting to force Xie Lian to experience any discomfort from their joined state. Even trying so hard to get his attention and pester him, Hua Cheng couldn’t bear to actually make him experience anything unpleasant.
"Gege," he pouted, his voice such a childish whine and Xie Lian would never have believed that this was the same man who just yesterday had turned a group of raiding ghosts on their tail running with just a few short words and aura alone if he didn't know his husband so well.
Xie Lian felt a light tug as Hua Cheng moved behind him instead of at his side, but there was enough slack in the braid for it not to be painful. Mere moments later he was attacked as Hua Cheng launched himself onto Xie Lian's back, latching on like Xie Lian's scrap basket, their silly braid between them. It wasn’t terribly inconvenient though. He’d let Hua Cheng hang off him while he did chores before.
"Gege," Hua Cheng pleaded.
Xie Lian thought he should get an award for his poker face. He filled the bucket and brought out the soap, watching Ruoye swirl around and doing his best to help clean it sparkling white.
"Gege, don't you care about this lowly one?" Hua Cheng asked, voice quiet.
And Xie Lian knew it was a trick, he was quite sure of it in fact, but he really couldn't bear the thought that it was genuine.
"San Lang knows I love him," Xie Lian gave in, caring much much more about reassuring his husband than winning the silly bet.
"Will gege give his husband a kiss to prove it?"
Well, Xie Lian had already given up the ruse, he might as well get a kiss out of it. "San Lang has to let go of me so I can reach him."
Appeased, Hua Cheng set his feet back on the ground and moved back to Xie Lian's side, leaning forward expectantly for his kiss.
"What was this?" Xie Lian asked, withholding the kiss for just a moment to tug at their shared braid.
"I did gege's hair." He replied oh so innocently, almost as if he expected praise.
Xie Lian snorted, leaning in to get the kiss.
“So it’s true that gege can’t resist me,” Hua Cheng teased when they pulled apart.
Xie Lian rolled his eyes. “Yes yes. Now it’s San Lang’s turn to try to resist me.”
“Alright, I’m ready.”
“San Lang.”
“Yes gege?” Hua Cheng answered immediately, gaze fixed on Xie Lian.
He couldn’t help but laugh. “San Lang you didn’t even try!”
“How mean gege, I tried very hard. Gege is simply too irresistible.”
Xie Lian’s lips quirked up in amusement as he unbraided their joined hair. “I didn’t even have to try begging.”
“Gege was going to beg?” If he had had fox’s ears they surely would’ve perked up, the intrigue clear in his tone.
“San Lang will never know.”
“Wait gege I want to try again.”
Xie Lian chuckled, finishing undoing the braid before looking up. “Are you ready?”
“En.” Hua Cheng turned away from him.
Xie Lian instantly pulled him into a hug from behind.
As if on instinct, Hua Cheng rested his hands over Xie Lian’s to show his love back before realizing. “That didn’t count.”
Xie Lian shook with laughter. “San Lang, kiss me.”
“Gege you aren’t playing fair,” Hua Cheng turned, pressing a sweet burst of kisses to his lips.
Xie Lian’s laughter spilled out between them. “San Lang is barely trying.”
“I’m telling you gege, I’m trying very hard. How can I ignore you when you seduce me like that?”
“I’m not seducing you. San Lang knows what it looks like when I seduce him.” Not that Xie Lian was especially good at it. But then, as this activity was proving, he really didn’t need to be.
“I’d have to be a monster to deny you.”
“Isn’t San Lang the evil, vicious Ghost King?” He teased.
“En. Which is why I very much want to know how Gege was going to beg me.” Hua Cheng leaned in, trying to steal another kiss.
Xie Lian put a finger to his husband’s lips, gently pushing him back. “Then San Lang will have to resist me for longer than that.”
“Can’t you go easy on this lowly one?”
“One more try,” Xie Lian relented, because he too was weak to Hua Cheng’s pull.
Hua Cheng stepped back and turned away from Xie Lian, moving to sweep the floors if only to have something keeping him busy.
Xie Lian walked up to him, smiling when Hua Cheng promptly turned away.
“San Lang?”
No response this time, though he could tell how closely Hua Cheng was listening to him still.
“San Lang, kiss me?”
Hua Cheng noticeably twitched with effort to keep ignoring him. To be fair, Xie Lian really didn’t make such bold requests verbally so it probably was genuinely hard for him to resist.
“You would deny your god?” It wasn’t said accusingly, but like honey, sweet and sticky, designed to trapped him.
“Gege, that's cheating!” Hua Cheng whined, practically knocking him down to shower him with kisses. “This one is beginning to think there never was going to be begging,” He accused as if terribly affronted.
“Not with how quickly San Lang gives in,” He teased.
“Can’t I see it anyways?”
Xie Lian caught a few more kisses before stepping back making an exaggerated fumble, knocking the water bucket he’d used to clean Ruoye onto himself and falling to his ass on the ground.
Hua Cheng already started rushing forward, truly terrible at the game that he had been the one to come up with.
“San Lang, save me!” Xie Lian called with exaggerated distress.
Hua Cheng had already been reaching over to help him and burst out laughing as he realized the poorly executed feint for what it was.
“That’s not begging.” He pulled Xie Lian up.
“San Lang can’t handle anything more than that,” he grinned.
“I’ve withstood gege’s begging before.” He stole kisses.
“That doesn’t count. San Lang was already giving me his attention those times.”
Hua Cheng sighed with mock resignation. “Fine, we’ve confirmed it. Gege is irresistible.”
“San Lang is too,” Xie Lian whispered, just to see the way his husband lit up.
What did it matter if they lost the silly game for being unable to resist giving in to each other? Xie Lian never wanted to stop giving in.