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It never snowed much in the demon realm. It was always mildly warm with the influxes of sweltering heat during the later months of the year. Cang Qiong had some snow and it has had a few storms while Shen Qingqiu has been there but never anything major. This was the first time he had seen it more than over his boot.
He couldn’t help the childish glee that threatened to swell outside of his chest at the sight. He never really played in snow as a child. He wanted to read or play video games more than play outside so the meagre snow he saw outside his window just meant a day he got to spend doing nothing with an excuse.
Now though, he kicks at the snow a little as he walks to his bamboo cottage. Binghe is waiting for him with dinner more than likely, ready to push him inside in a flurry of robes and dump blankets on him to warm him unnecessarily. Shen Qingqiu thinks it’s very endearing where it might have come off suffocating at first.
Binghe liked taking care of him, making sure Shen Qingqiu never went without in any way possible, no matter how little Shen Qingqiu might have thought it. He liked knowing how invested Binghe was and tried his very best to replicate in his own ways. He tries very hard to initiate physical intimacy outside of the bedroom now as it’s the easiest way for Binghe to be told nonverbally, in Shen Qingqiu’s own ways, that he cares and wants him safe.
Like he expects, there’s a blur of black and red coming towards him in the snow. The wind makes everything stir. It settles against trees only to be shaken off with another breeze. Shen Qingqiu can’t help shiver a little as some snow ends up going down and under his cloak from the wind whipping it around himself.
Binghe reaches him as he shivers, furrowing his eyebrows in worry as he bundles Shen Qingqiu up.
“Shizun shouldn’t walk around like this, it’s cold.” Binghe says. He pouts, pulling his own cloak off easily.
It makes Shen Qingqiu squawk, pulling the collars around Binghe hurriedly. “Don’t give this master that while unfastening your cloak. It isn’t very cold, I promise. I just haven’t experienced this weather in a long time.”
Binghe looks close to sprinting the two back inside when suddenly, a clump of snow from a branch above them falls. It plops right onto Binghe’s mass of hair, bright white against black. Some falls onto his face, dripping down onto his nose. The sight makes Shen Qingqiu snorts, laughing crudely at the almost pathetic droop of Binghe’s hair.
“Sizun,” Binghe whines, his pout deepening.
“Binghe, please, let’s-,” Shen Qingqiu starts. He’s laughing the entire time, almost doubled over when he feels snow pushed down his cloak. He let’s out an undignified shriek at the cold, shooting upright and flapping his robes to get the show away.
Binghe’s grin is downright menacing as he laughs. Shen Qingqiu is fast to tackle Binghe, pushing a clump of snow into his face, replacing what had already melted into water again.
It’s so childish, the way both fall into the snow, rolling around and trying to push and throw snow successfully at the other. It most of the time doesn’t work as they’re so giddy as they laugh, giggling with triumph before ducking hurriedly or cutting off from snow getting in their mouth or landing somewhere. Binghe ends up picking Shen Qingqiu up to hear him yelling again before jumping into a pile of snow pushed to the side to allow a walking path. Both of them buried to their waists and soaked, laying there breathless and red faced.
Binghe takes Shen Qingqiu’s hands in his own to warm them as they lay there in the pile, Shen Qingqiu leaning closer as he shivers through his soaked robes and cloak.
“Let’s go home, Binghe.” He says quietly. His breath mists and makes a haze over each other’s face. He feels the nod though and both sit up.
“I would like to give Shizun one more thing.” Binghe says. Shen Qingqiu is already starting to scramble away with another laugh when he’s pulled close, kissed firmly on his mouth.
He can’t help but sigh into the kiss, threading a hand through Binghe’s dishevelled and wet hair.
He also can’t help the last ball of snow being pushed into Binghe’s inner robes as he breaks off the kiss, rushing back to their home in a hast.