Work Text:
Mu Qing stared at the mirror in distain, glaring at his reflection as if every flaw would disappear — to his dismay it didn't and now he wants to punch the mirror.
Stupid curse and stupid, stupid Shi Wudu.
It was fine, Mu Qing didn't mind getting dirty once in a while — he was a martial god! — since it was hard to avoid getting dirty on you while wrestling down nasty curse spirit. Though it wasn't the most delightful experiences in his book, the prayers of thank and relief from his worshippers made it somewhat worth it. He avoided even getting a speck of dirt on his robes, much less his face, but it's unavoidable sometimes.
Like today, when the curse spirit tackles him down in a fresh paddy field out of all the things, leaving him covered in blood, gore and grim. His hair felt matted and patchy everywhere, currently resting roughly against his back as he struggled to get them out of the ponytail.
And Shi Wudu, that damned Water Lord.
Mu Qing had half a mind to drown him in his own water if he wasn't already exhausted to his limit. But the God made it his ever loving business to point it out, make a comment and leave Mu Qing with a taste on his tongue that had nothing to do with the busted lip.
Must take you back to the old times, General.
What was the necessity! Mu Qing wasn't the person to stay hung up about the past (he was) and didn't really care to show how it affected him. There was no point.
He pretends he doesn't care, he pretends it's not the case.
But the always straight posture, refined features, keeping himself extra clean and poised. It was all works of years of torment in the XianLe capital.
Each mistake he made led to a whole set of lash back.
Looking as dirty as he did right now would probably lead to sneers so loud that he wouldn't be able to drown them out.
‘Oh isn't he that kid his highness took under him?’
‘Why is his highness bringing all sorts of people in the palace! It's going to ruin it's reputation, you know how those street folks behave. Always causing trouble and not a shred of class.’
‘Shhh! He's gonna hear what you say.’
‘Let him hear, atleast he'll be aware dirty trashes like him don't belong here.’
Mu Qing shook his head. Yes he had clean his appearance first. Forget about it, it's in the past, forget about it, it doesn't matter, forget, forget, forget.
He can't.
He can't forget it. He can't forget his younger self scrubbing his skin hard enough to draw blood, hoping it would look or feel anything close to those of the palace.
Mu Qing gripped the sink and let out a choked sound.
He was spiralling.
A single line made him into such a mess, it embarrassed him to end. But he was exhausted, his skin was itchy and grim and the tears frustratingly pooled his eyes.
‘Go back to the rice fields and work there, it suits the likes of you.’
‘Ugh the sight of him makes me repulse!’
‘Look at the way he's standing, gods how embarrasing it must be for his highness.’
‘It's not possible for him to earn that position to easily, he probably did some favours like his slutty mother—’
Mu Qing curled over the sink, feeling nausea hit his stomach.
“No, No I didn't. I . . . didn't . . I didn't want it . . I . .”
A knock on the door made him jolt up, he held the knob refusing the person to intrude inside.
“Mu Qing, let me in.”
“Get out Feng Xin, I'm not in the mood of your bullshit.”
“Open up.”
Feng Xin twisted the knob and Mu Qing struggled more and more to keep it locked with his bruised finger. Out of all the times why did this idiot had to come here, he didn't have to come over and laugh in his face more — he knew he looked terrible and dirty and disgusting and all the things they said about him.
He does. And he hates it.
A sigh, voice softened ten fold. “A-Qing . . . please.”
His hold on the knob loosened from the sheer shock he felt, Feng Xin didn't talk to him like that. He didn't say please.
The bastard took the opportunity to barge into the bathroom, knocking Mu Qing back a few steps. Their eyes met.
Mu Qing seethed.
“What do you want?” His words hissed out of his constricted throat. “First Shi Wudu, and now you,
what do you wanna say? What can you say that I haven't heard enough, why are you here. Feng Xin, get out!”
“Mu Qing—”
“GET OUT.”
Feng Xin gave him a frown and took a step forward, reaching forward and slowly brushed Mu Qing's bangs out of his face. He gave a solemn look, before stepping around and going to the bath tub.
“What do you—”
“Strip.”
“Huh?” Mu Qing blinked, stunned in his place.
“Fuck . . did that sounds too wrong?” Feng Xin mumbled as he ran the water in the tub, putting his hand under it to make sure it wasn't too hot. Was he blushing?
“I meant, take your clothes off. I'll . . . help you out with that.”
“You? Help .. me? what the fuck, did you hit your head somewhere?”
“Shut up for once and just comply!”
“NO! What are you trying to prove here? What do you want!?” Mu Qing balled his fists, ready to swing them at Feng Xin and take him down; already broken knuckles be damned.
“I'm not proving anything, I'm just, FUCK, I'm just trying to be nice to you, can't you shut up and take it?”
“Nice!? After 800 years of rotting me away you suddenly want to be nice?” Mu Qing laughed, finding nothing humorous about the situation, however it was much easier way to release the tension. Cause fuck is he started crying.
“Wasn't it you who wanted to be f-f-friends?” Feng Xin mocked but his usually bite was missing, it was missing alot lately. It felt like he was finally losing interest in keeping up with Mu Qing, like he simply couldn't bring himself to care anymore. His Highness was finally back and better than ever, why would Feng Xin want to keep Mu Qing around when he had a much better and superior option. He was simply a thread from the past he held onto, not with Xie Lian back in the picture there was no need for him.
He'd be alone again . . . and well, great! Less headaches.
“I can do it myself.” Mu Qing said, suddenly feeling weaker and tired. “I always have.”
Feng Xin sighed and grabbed something from the counter and went behind Mu Qing's back, gently gathering up his hair before tying them up in a bun with a ribbon.
“Let me take care of A-qing.” Feng Xin said. “I won't hold it against you or anything.”
Mu Qing let out a disgruntled noise.
“Let me shower myself, I don't need your nasty hands on me.” He said, wiggling away from Feng Xin and pushed him out of the bathroom. Mu Qing did the best he could to get rid of the clothes and clean his body, watching with mild disgust as the dirty water washed down the marble floor. God he'll have to scrub the whole place down or he won't be able to sleep in peace again.
Spoken like a servant.
He sighed.
His hair were still a matted mess as he lowered himself in the bathroom, relishing the warmth of the clean water against his skin. He dropped his head on the edge and eased down, closing his eyes.
“You're done?” Feng Xin peeped into the bathroom and Mu Qing didn't bother saying anything, already half drowsy.
Feng Xin pulled the ribbon from his hair and carefully put them down, treated it like it was some sort of silk thread. It made Mu Qing want to laugh.
He remained silent though, giving himself the chance of savouring Feng Xin's fingers work through his hair. No wonder Xie Lian loved getting his hair washed, it felt nice.
Feng Xin poured water on top of his head, fingers brushing the back of his neck and it made him shiver.
“Is it too cold?”
“Huh?”
“You're shivering.”
“No— No it's not cause . .” He paused, realising that Feng Xin was messing with him. “Fuck you.”
It earned him a laugh.
Mu Qing pouted a little, but soon forget when Feng skillfully worked his fingers through his scalp, rubbing the spot right enough to make his toes curl.
“Fuck yes.” He breathed out.
“Like that?”
“Mhnn.” Mu Qing mumbled, too pleasured off at the moment to speak. He'd probably kill himself later on to show such vulnerability but fuck he'd never been pampered before, he was willing to give himself a chance this once.
“Feng Xin,” He asked after sometime,“Why are you doing this?”
He heard a heavy sigh above him and opened his eyes to watch Feng Xin working carefully through his hair with furrowed eyebrows.
“What Shi Wudu said, it didn't sit right with me.” He said after sometime. “Plus you looked like a kicked out cat and I thought of giving you a hand.”
Mu Qing rolled his eyes. “How generous, General Nan Yang.”
Feng Xin smirked. “You can thank my generosity any time you want.”
“I'll beat the generosity out of you.”
“You do not get to say that.”
“Yes I do,” Mu Qing snorted. “I'm known to be generous, unlike someone.”
“You are the bitchiest fucks I know, generosity and you don't go in the same fucking sentence!”
“I'm generous enough to put up with you for 800 years!”
“Fuck you man!” Feng Xin pulled on his hair lightly, making him yelp in pain and glare at him. “Be a good kitty and sit still.”
“good WHAT!?”
“I said,” Feng Xin leaned down, leaving a very narrow space between them. “Be a good kitten, and sit still for me.”
“I will break your fucking nose.” Mu Qing said but didn't move or speak anything more after that, sitting in the bathtub with his arms crossed and glaring at the wall in front of him. Feng Xin noticed the tense expression and rubbed his scalp in slow circle . . . and who was Mu Qing but a simple man who melted right away.
He might have drifted off at some point because when Mu Qing woke up again he was sitting in his bed with back against something sturdy. He squirmed and eased back against it, enjoying the soft sensation of fingers in his hair and the softness of silk robe.
“I just untangled them, don't mess them up asshole.”
“How very kind of you.” He said with no heat whatsoever.
Even if he wanted it was hard to bring it up, not when he was feeling so good. He wishes his thoughts stayed silent, they he didn't mess this moment up and just keep being taken care of you. Maybe it was ones selfish desire, to seek comfort from the very person he abandoned. Simply cause he was too tired and too bitter to keep dealing with it anymore.
“Relax, you'll wrinkle your fucking forehead.” Feng Xin commented as he held Mu Qing's face and smoothened his eyebrows out with his thumb. His fingers felt warm and rough against his skin. “Quit thinking whatever your stupid head is saying.”
“Fuck off.”
“If you insist.” Feng Xin said and then the presence behind his back was gone and Mu Qing seized up, blindly reaching out to grab at the air.
“Feng—!”
“Relax princess, I'm just grabbing a ribbon.” Feng Xin blinked in surprise and Mu Qing flushed all the way down to his neck, turning around to avoid meeting eyes again. Fuck! That was so embarrasing. “If you don't want me to leave, then I won't.”
“Don't call me that again.” Mu Qing said.
“Not call you want?”
“Princess, I'm not a princess!” Mu Qing snapped. “First of all, I'm a man! and Second it feels like a fucking insult instead.”
“Its a nickname Mu Qing, it's not an insult.”
“And when exactly did we get close enough for you to call me nicknames?”
“Just now.”
“You can't be real.” Mu Qing rolled his eyes.
Feng Xin chuckled before gathering up Mu Qing's hair and tied them into a lose braid.
“Do braids more often, you look pretty.” Feng Xin casually commented as if it didn't make Mu Qing's stomach do a summersault.
“If you're so interested then do it yourself.” He said instead and fell back against Feng Xin's chest, making it his problem to keep them both upright. “I don't have time for that.”
“If this your way of asking me to do your hair more often?” Feng Xin leaned down with a conceited smirk. “Maybe if you say please I might.”
“Fuck you!” Mu Qing said because he couldn't think anything else with the lack of space between them. Since he wasn't thinking, he said he most unexpected too. “Can I kiss you?”
Feng Xin gave him a smile. “Of course.”
Mu Qing scrabbled up to his knees before crashing into Feng Xin's embrace, kissing him almost feverishly before the General sighed softly against him.
“Relax.” He said before pulling away for a second, holding Mu Qing's face. “I'm not going anywhere, let me savour you.”
“It took so long.” Mu Qing breathed out, tears finally returning. Feng Xin caught them before they went below his cheekbones.
“I'm sorry A-Qing.” Feng Xin said, voice heavy. “I said the thing I shouldn't have. Forgive me for all I've told you, the things I made you hear.
“Asshole.” Mu Qing stuttered. “I won't leave again.”
“I won't give you a reason to.” Feng Xin sealed his words with a kiss, taking his sweet time as he pulled Mu Qing apart.
“Fuck you, I'll have to shower again.”
”Do I get to join?”
“Over my dead fucking body!”
(Mu Qing lost his argument, however, and took his second shower of the day with his now boyfriend hugging him the entire time. Maybe the rice field wrestling was worth it, but he'd be caught dead saying it out loud.)