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The spell must have worked!
Xie Lian thinks as he suddenly finds himself in the middle of a loud crowd. It takes a few moments to orient himself but he relaxes as soon as he feels the weight of familiar hands on his waist.
“Gege, it looks like we’re here.”
“What San Lang?”
Xie Lian couldn’t hear him at all over the sounds all around.
Hua Cheng smiles and bends down to lean close to his ears, as he whispers,
“I said we’re here Gege, the time travel spell worked.”
And Xie Lian smiles in return, finding Hua Cheng’s hand as they tangle their fingers together in a tight hold.
He turns around, taking in the scenes around them, completely mesmerized. His eyes sparkling and a wide grin spreading on his face.
Bright colours, lights and structures all around, making all sorts of loud sounds that were not entirely unpleasant. And is that…some sort of colourful-cloud??
Then he sees the child holding it, taking a large bite out of it. It was food ?? Xie Lian doesn’t know where to look because he wants to see everything all at once! He turns from one thing to the next, tugging Hua Cheng’s sleeves as he bounces on his toes excitedly.
“San Lang look there! Did you see that?? It’s moving! What is that? And those people there, are dressed in such strange clothes San Lang! haha do you think we could try?”
He looks up to Hua Cheng then, and blushes as he realises he talked so fast just now that he barely gave time for his husband to answer.
What he sees though, stops him in his tracks; because this is one of the rare times when Hua Cheng isn’t looking at him already when he catches his eye.
Because Hua Cheng it seems, is staring in the direction of…is that some sort of snake-monster? And there are screams coming from mortals that are riding it. But something is odd…
They appear to be screaming in…joy? Or at least, they aren’t being harmed by the demon, only spun around aggressively, upside down and then back and forth, in all sorts of directions.
He turns back to look at his husband and smiles softly.
Hua Cheng is grinning to himself, his eye wide and twinkling. He seems to be enjoying that a lot, and Xie Lian chuckles because he’s fairly certain that the aspect his husband is extremely fascinated and entertained by is the screams.
To strangers, one look at Hua Cheng right now and they might think it best to run away, shivering in terror, as if they would be seeing evil incarnate! But to Xie Lian, this is the cutest face his husband is capable of making.
Because no one else would know, that this was his husband’s side, that had that childish spark. And Xie Lian is utterly endeared to this particular facet. He wants to do nothing more than to squish his cheeks and kiss him all over his face but seeing as they were around so many people, he flushes, considering.
So he settles to jump up slightly on his toes by Hua Cheng’s side, placing a quick firm kiss on his cheek instead.
Hua Cheng instantly looks to Xie Lian, surprised.
“Gege! I’m so sorry-“ Hua Cheng cups his cheeks as he places a placating kiss on his forehead and then another on his nose,
“-I was just…uhm I was just surveying our surroundings for danger gege.”
Xie Lian locks his arms around Hua Cheng’s waist and throws his head back in a laugh.
His husband is seriously the cutest!
“San Lang don’t worry I am also very excited to see everything! I can’t wait to do it all together with you! it’ll be so much fun don’t you think?”
His husband blushes at that, but locks his own arms around Xie Lian’s waist as well, smiling so brightly Xie Lian feels his heart dance.
“That’s true. Doing anything with gege is always fun.”
Hua Cheng smirks looking into his eyes, and places another quick and gentle kiss on his other cheek. Probably noticing the blush on Xie Lian’s face and how slightly conscious he seems to be of the many people around.
“So what do you want to do first gege?”
Xie Lian considers seriously. Then, looking around, he spots the vendor selling those strange cloud-looking food he saw earlier. Hua Cheng follows his line of sight this time and together they make their way to the stall hand in hand.
After finishing their deliciously sweet treat, the so called “cotton candy”, they decide to walk around and do anything that catches their attention.
From riding on wooden horses to a game played with a strange bow. This is held horizontally and instead of shooting arrows it shoots rocks! Xie Lian hits all the targets on the first try and Hua Cheng claps on the side, singing praise. Just as they’re about to leave though, the vendor calls them back. Apparently he gets a “winning prize”?
And now as they’re walking around again, Xie Lian holds his “teddy bear”. Gleefully stroking the soft fur of its pointy ears, he lifts it up to look into its beady eyes, incredibly amused.
“San Lang, do you think it can hear us?”
“Hmm I don’t sense any spiritual power from it gege. It’s probably just a toy.”
“It’s cute! Don’t you think?”
He hugs it close to his chest again and turns to his husband, not surprised to find him pouting adorably.
“Gege is the cutest” he mumbles.
Xie Lian lets out a hearty laugh. Only his San Lang would be jealous of a toy bear, but hide it behind praise for his God instead to avoid getting caught.
He leaps into Hua Cheng’s arms, crushing the bear between them as he hugs him around the waist and declares loudly, “But my San Lang, is the best teddy bear!!”
And before he knows it, he’s being lifted and spun around, both breaking into laughter.
As the evening starts to darken into the night, they opt to try more interesting food items instead of those weird demon-like structures mortals are choosing to “fight” willingly. Screaming and then leaving with laughter. It’s very strange indeed. Hua Cheng suggests to avoid those for now, after he had seen a woman throw up after going up against one of those.
Just as the sun starts to fully dip beyond the horizon, they come to stand near a giant circular being. With several arms extended from the middle point and ending with smaller parts on each arm. Something about this other-worldly being seems different than the others they have seen.
It appears to be…more friendly? Not as fast, in fact, it moves very slowly. And no one is screaming…
“San Lang what do you think it is?” Xie Lian asks curiously as he tilts his head back as far as he can to see it all.
“Hmm…”
Hua Cheng wonders, sounding just as reluctant to call it a monster.
Because just then, they observe the mortals leaving those hanging structures. They’re not only leaving happier, some even kiss their partners in joy! Holding each other closer than they had been when they stepped in.
Xie Lian watches them intently, feeling the warmth radiating from their happiness. He smiles, thinking this might not be so bad after all, when Hua Cheng speaks up.
“Gege want to try this one?”
Hua Cheng gently squeezes their joined hands. Once again, he had probably been paying close attention to Xie Lian’s reactions. And seeing him watch those couples longingly, at their laughs and smiles, Hua Cheng knew immediately he wanted to feel that too.
His husband is so lovely in so many ways, in his most grandest of gestures to the attention he pays to subtlest of things. Xie Lian can’t help but feel a sudden rush of immeasurable affection for the man in red standing next to him.
He looks up, his eyes feeling a little moist and warm, and squeezes his hand in return.
“I can feel the spell start to fade, there may not be much time left. So do you want to try the first thing you saw? The snake-like monster, instead?”
“No it’s okay. It didn’t look as fun as this.”
Xie Lian grimaces slightly at that.
“San Lang don’t lie…I saw you looking at it and you seemed to really like it. You know I don’t mind doing anything as long as it’s with you-”
Hua Cheng looks down at him, strands of inky black hair swaying gently behind his frame. Shadows of a dozen colourful lights dancing across his face, with an expression so tender, Xie Lian can hardly breathe.
“Gege, it’s the same for me.” He brings their joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back of Xie Lian’s knuckles.
“No matter what it is, as long as it is with you, I will enjoy it. So let’s go on this one gege.”
They smile at each other for a few moments, and how can Xie Lian possibly say no to that face?
As they make their way closer, to a line of people waiting, Xie Lian notices more details. All the mortals give the owner of this being a payment in return for going up. They sit inside a carriage resembling a step litter of some sort.
“Gege it looks like it’s not a creature after all.”
“Yes. It’s not alive and…it’s not harming anyone. It’s more like…a big step litter with smaller step litters attached?”
Hua Cheng laughs and looks up the circular structure once again, bringing an index finger to caress his chin. Squinting his eye in genuine bewilderment.
“You’re right! It’s fascinating…although why mortals would create such a thing that doesn’t take them anywhere except right back where they started…I don’t understand.”
Xie Lian looks up as well, then at his husband, the mortals just leaving and then back at Hua Cheng.
Slowly, a smile forms on his face,
“San Lang…I think they do this for fun.”
“For fun?”
“Yes.” Xie Lian is sure as he watches more and more people leaving, holding hands or laughing together.
“Well…if gege is with me, I’m sure it’ll be exciting!”
Hua Cheng claims boldly. And though Xie Lian swats his arm playfully, he truly hopes his husband does have fun. Maybe he would have had more fun, facing the more challenging creatures with the screams and the speedy motions. But he chose this for Xie Lian’s sake, so he doesn’t want it to go to waste.
Just as they get closer to the payment counter, it’s as if the mortals don’t notice them at all. Simply allowing them to pass through ahead as if everything was normal. Xie Lian feels a little guilty, so he retreats a few steps back to the counter. Leaving a couple of gold leaves to the side, he hopes it’s enough.
Hua Cheng steps into the carriage first and extends a hand out to Xie Lian, helping him in. They settle on opposite sides of the carriage and Xie Lian is surprised to see that it’s just seats inside. Nothing demonic or spiritual waiting inside. He wishes instantly to sit next to Hua Cheng but the seat seems a little too small for that.
Suddenly, the entire carriage rattles to a start and both of them flinch in alarm inside. Grabbing each other’s one hand tightly, they stay alert and ready to fight.
But then they’re moving up, so slowly that the tension eventually leaves their bodies and they smile at each other for assurance.
“Gege look.”
Hua Cheng places his free hand on the side window, as he turns to look outside, and Xie Lian imitates his actions.
And Xie Lian is spell bound.
As they rise slowly in height, he can’t seem to take his eyes off of the view outside.
It’s simply…beautiful.
Lights and sounds outside their carriage slowly fading to a low echo, a pleasant buzz in the background of the night. A peaceful quiet settling inside.
Then they come to a stop, higher than ever above the ground, and now they both stare in wonder. One of their hands on the window with the other held in a tight grip.
They look out to see the landscape, and it’s just like a field of constellations. With sparkling pinpoints of colour and lights in every direction, as far as their eyes can see.
Xie Lian has never seen something quite so breathtaking.
Sure, he has gone on multiple adventures with Hua Cheng in the decades that he’s had to spend by his beloved’s side. Traveling to distant lands, camping under the skies, disguising themselves as mortals to attend festivals and even spending months away building houses in remote grassy plains. From fighting battles next to each other to loving embraces and soft promises whispered sleeping under the stars.
They had experienced countless moments together. Each one etched into their memory as yet another precious treasure. The love and laughter growing unbounded each time.
And it’s never enough.
Every moment spent with Hua Cheng, made Xie Lian only want more. To hold his hand in his, just like this, and experience everything this world and beyond had to offer.
And this…this is nothing short of yet another moment Xie Lian is sure he would remember for eternity.
He can’t describe the weight of what he feels, so naturally he turns to that familiar face next to him. And finds a single eye gleaming like a precious jewel, His precious jewel, looking at him. The smile on that charming face only widening as they lock gazes.
And Xie Lian is as sure as his own existence, that Hua Cheng must be feeling the same way he does.
In the silence of the night breeze and above a world full of stars, Xie Lian wants to make this moment as magical as it can be.
Without another word, he leans forward at the same time Hua Cheng does, and their lips find each other in a heartbeat.
Xie Lian cups Hua Cheng’s cheeks gently as Hua Cheng pulls him in just a little closer. Hands settle around his waist and trace patterns in loving gestures.
And he wants to love him in return. Now and forevermore.
He drops his hands to clutch the front of Hua Cheng’s robes, as Hua Cheng trails one of his to caress his jaw, his cheek, and finally settles it at the back of his neck.
Tilting Xie Lian’s head slightly to the side to deepen the kiss and all Xie Lian can do is sigh in pleasure.
He tries to match Hua Cheng’s passion and pace with his own, pulling back slightly only to capture those lips again and again. Hua Cheng’s own soft pants hot against his cheeks, falling deeper into his desire, stealing Xie Lian’s every breath.
And just as the spell starts to fade, the carriage moves once again, starting its descent.
However, it passes unnoticed by the God and Ghost inside.
Under the moonlight of a different time and a different place…they fall deeper in love as they fade into their own eternity, locked in an embrace.