Work Text:
He wasn't sure what came over him - Xie Lian wasn't much of an artist, he was the first to admit. But there had been a fox sitting on the stones across the field in the morning autumn mist, and it was such a lovely moment that he wanted to paint it so he could share it with others.
San Lang was still asleep, but Xie Lian was sure he wouldn't mind if he borrowed some of his painting supplies. He settled at the altar-table, unfurled a bit of paper that he had found in his recent collection, and got to work. To keep it simple, he decided to work in black and white, but surprisingly the ink was harder to maintain than in calligraphy, especially when he tried to water it down and blend it. He had originally expected it to be much like calligraphy, but the further he went on with it the more he realized how very different the two are - calligraphy is like martial arts, he decided, all form and practice and crisp lines. Art is more like… like dance, he settled on. Still with form and substance of course, but more intuitive, more fluid. He forged on however, tilting his head this way and that, as he struggled to make his picture take shape.
About the time he was pretty sure he was done, he leaned back on his seat to view it better, and his head promptly made contact with San Lang's stomach. The man stood behind him, hands folded behind his back, his smile warm and playful as always.
"What is gege up to so early?" he asked.
"Oh! San Lang, my apologies, I didn't hear you get up!" Xie Lian shifted, embarrassed to have been so absorbed that he didn't notice him at all - he leaned aside to gesture at the paper, even though San Lang had obviously been watching him paint. "I saw a beautiful scenic thing this morning, so I decided to paint it! What do you think?"
San Lang gave an appreciative sound. "Gege is incredibly talented. It is quite scenic indeed." His tone was sincere, but Xie Lian couldn't shake the feeling that San Lang was teasing him. "I like it very much."
"Oh? You're not just saying that, are you?" He pressed, fidgeting a little.
"I am not, gege. It is an excellent red panda," he replied.
Xie Lian's fidgeting stopped. "Um. It is a fox."
San Lang blinked once. "A fox, of course. I apologize, gege, I had some sleep in my eye. One can easily tell it's a fox."
Xie Lian blushed deeply and reached for the paper, but not before San Lang's hand shot out to snatch it from the table. "San Lang! No, it's terrible, let me use it as a firestarter and make you some breakfast instead!"
The mirth and sincerity never left San Lang's face. "A crime to burn something so lovely! I will keep it and put it in my bedchambers back home. So I can always look upon it and remember this lovely morning."
Xie Lian protested, but he couldn't well snatch it back - trying to hide his furiously blushing face, he turned quickly and reached for his bamboo hat. "You're impossible San Lang! I'm going to get firewood then!" He hurried from the shrine, ignoring the bright laughter from San Lang at his ridiculous behavior. At least it brought him joy, Xie Lian thought.