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Nezha did not care to admit it, but the perception of the other Gods, those living in the Jade Palace, mattered a great deal to him. For centuries he was treated like a youngling by the others, his masters especially. It was hard work to wiggle out from under the image the older gods had of him. A brazen child god with the powers of the Demon Orb. Nezha had changed since then. He took his duties seriously. Honed his skills in combat. Spoke with authority. His demeanor took a sharp turn after the incident in Chengtang Pass.
Since their union the other gods had come to observe how peculiarly the prince acted around his newfound partner, the exiled Dragon Prince, Aobing. To be polite they never discussed or acknowledged it, but had all come to more or less the same conclusion, independently. Nezha was deeply in love with Aobing and the dragon prince felt the same.
To be fair one would have to be blind not to see how enamored they were with one another. Aobing was more reserved, having grown up in a court setting and still hesitant to act in front of the Jade palace court. Nezha, however, was more inclined to wear his heart on his metaphorical sleeves. He’d willingly surrender his weapons around Aobing, previously something only done in the presence of the Great Bodhisattva Guanyin upon suggestion.
When the two walked together one would look ahead and Nezha would gaze at Aobing, almost floating on his feet. A few unfortunate vases and a particularly pugnacious wall tapestry had fallen victim to that particular habit. Nezha would hang off of everyone of Aobing’s words all the same.
Private meals and walks in the palace gardens would result in heart wrenching moments of tenderness. Hand made flower crowns, exchanges of handpicked blooms, the sharing of fruit from the stone trees of the palace. Once Aobing had leant his head on Nezha’s shoulder. The prince peered down at Aobing as if the dragon had offered him all the stars in the Heavens.
The garden staff would even purposefully allow water to form puddles in the middle of walkways to see Nezha lay down his robes and carefully guide Aobing over it (for fear of slipping of course). A dragon needing protection from a puddle of water. It was all almost disgustingly romantic.
The reunion of the two halves of the Primordial Chaos Sphere had created an air of energy that seemed to permeate the Jade Palace and its residents. The Heavenly realm itself felt brighter and more at peace than ever before. The gardens themselves now blossomed in perpetuity, the vines and bamboo groves grew with a gusto not seen on the Flower Fruit Mountains. The residents of the court seemed less inclined to petty banter or characteristic gossip. Aside from flittering over Nezha and Aobing, of course.
The court had collectively decided to endorse the couple, whatever they were. Any naysayers were quickly threatened with bodily harm or encouraged to take rest from the Jade Palaces whenever the pair were present. The Jade Emperor, his nephew and Bodhisattva Guanyin had agreed that the two would be under their protection; it was not their place to meddle in the personal affairs of the dragon clans although it was unfortunate that East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang had been forced to banish his own son, but they would do what they could to keep them together.
Guanyin was especially glad to see her former student find a friend in the dragon prince; she had often worried that the pressures of his powers were making Nezha choose between his duties and a personal life outside of them. Aobing had brought out an old side of Nezha. A more carefree and relaxed temperament from his youth, lacking the brashness and arrogance she remembered along with it. She felt at peace for the first time in centuries.