Work Text:
It was all a coincidence.
There was no way that both him and Mu Qing always ended up working on the same prayer. Every. Single. Damn. Time. They totally weren’t planning it or anything! It was all up to fate. It totally wasn’t a planned date. Today’s prayer for the week was about a ghost who was wreaking havoc in a village on the border between Feng Xin’s and Mu Qing respective domains. So, naturally, they both got prayers regarding the situation. Truly, it was all a simple coincidence.
The pair was sitting inside a small, humble looking teahouse staring holes into each other's eyes. Anyone unfortunate enough to be around them could feel the tension in the air. A girl who looked like she could be the owner's daughter approached the two to ask what they wanted to order.
Feng Xin jumped like a little jumping spider and his face turned a sickly pale as he leaned as far away from the girl as he could. He let out a small, mortified squeak, inaudible to most but to a god it could be heard with clarity.
Mu Qing rolled his eyes for the millionth time that day and started to order some tea for the both of them. Once the lady was finally out of sight Feng Xin finally let out a breath of relief and straightened in his chair.
“Oh no! there’s a girl standing in the same room as me, whatever shall I do?” Mu Qing dramatically put a hand on his forehead and slightly tilted his chin up, pouting his lower lip. Perhaps if he didn’t roll his eyes so hard he could’ve been believed to be a damsel in distress.
“Fuck off, it’s not like you would understand. You see a broom and go absolutely haywire.” Feng Xin mocked. "Oh boy, there’s a broom over there! I have to destroy it before I become even more of an insufferable little shit."
Mu Qing bristled. “Why you-!”
He was rather rudely interrupted by the girl coming back to their table holding a tray of tea, giving Feng Xin the scare of a lifetime. He practically flew up three feet into the air, almost releasing a blast of spiritual power at the poor girl in his shock.
The girl startled, almost dropping the tea she had brought over.
“Forgive him, he’s not exactly okay in the head. He had a rather severe head injury as a child.” Mu Qing quickly covered, the sarcasm so evident in his tone that anyone listening to the conversation could taste it.
“Ah- I see… my sincerest condolences to the young master.” She bowed in apology.
Feng Xin looked like he was about to implode. “I did not! If anything, YOU were the one who had a brain injury as a child. It would explain that constant stupid look on your face, Fu Yao. ”
"Maybe you really shouldn’t be here Nan Feng . If you’re just going to argue with what is undeniably true, you can just go back to your palace and answer your poor excuse for a god’s prayers.” Mu Qing sneered, uncaring for all the stares they were starting to earn from the customers around them.
“Well at least my god has at least some form of respect towards people around me- him. ” Feng Xin retorted, fixing his statement at the last second.
“As long as they’re not women I suppose.” Mu Qing said confidently, as if he knew exactly what kind of reaction to expect.
He did indeed know exactly what to expect from his current - no, once - f-friend.
“Oh my god, just fuck off. Since we’re here to do a mission, let's just get it over with so we can be rid of each other as fast as possible.
Mu Qing rolled his eyes but pulled a scroll out of his sleeve that had all the details of the ghost they would be dealing with today. His eyes kept glazing over the words and looking at Feng Xin instead. Man he looks hot with his hair styled like that today. I wish I could brush it out for him. His hair is probably so soft…
He internally slapped himself. He’s too much of a bad person to deserve those types of things. Maybe that tea has some alcohol or something in it. I definitely don't feel that way towards that bastard. There’s absolutely no fucking way.
After his long period of just staring at Feng Xin, he realized that he was talking.
“So after we capture the ghost we have some different options for punishment. Dispersion, imprisonment, crushing their ashes… although if the ghost isn’t keeping their ashes on them, then it would be too much effort to find the ashes, so maybe dispersion would be a better option actually. Do you understand the plan, Fu Yao ? Or do you need me to repeat it?” Feng Xin asked, a blank stare being leveled his way.
“If you’re so worried about me not understanding the plan, then why don't you repeat it one more time for good measure, hmm?” Mu Qing rolled his eyes. He most certainly could not straight up ask Feng Xin to repeat the plan. It’s not like I can tell him I was too busy daydreaming about his hair. “After all, you may need to clarify some details that you did an absolutely trash job at describing.”
“Oh my god Mu- Fu Yao, are you really that stupid!? I even lowered myself to explain it in the most simple terms possible so you could understand it!”
“Well, do a better job then. I’m waiting. I don’t have all day.” Mu Qing leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and lifting his ankle to rest atop his knee.
“Fine.” Feng Xin held up one finger. “First, we’re going to ask around the village to gather more information about the ghost’s targets. Does that make sense to you, or is your brain too small to process even that?”
“Yes. Keep going.”
He held up a second finger. “Second, we are going to track down where the ghost is by spiritual traces and where the attacks have been.”
Mu Qing nodded. As if he wouldn’t know how to track down one measly ghost. Although, if Xie Lian were the example in this situation, even if he wasn’t a ghost, he might as well be one with how it's been trying to find him. It’s been a few hundred years since he saw him last, and even if they left on pretty bad terms, he still wanted to know if the prince was alright.
Feng Xin continued. “Third, we will capture it, then decide how the ghost will be punished for its crimes.”
Mu Qing leaned forward, meaning to ask how they would imprison it for now, but it was as if Feng Xin could read his mind.
“I already have a few clay pots so we don’t need to worry about where to imprison it for now. It’s only a temporary solution but on short notice it’s as good a solution as any.”
“That's a decent plan for what your pea brain can come up with. Let’s go.” Mu Qing stood, pushing in his chair and heading to the counter to pay for their tea.
“Hey! I do not have a pea brain, thank you very much! You’re the one with a pea brain here!” Feng Xin protested.
It seemed that the villagers of the most attacked town did not want anything to do with the two strange men wandering around with perpetually angry looking faces. Luckily Feng Xin and Mu Qing were able to gather enough information about the ghost to be able to predict where it would attack next. Which is how they got in this awkward situation.
In order to take the ghost by surprise and avoid harming civilians, they decided for a surprise attack. Unfortunately, there were only so many places to hide. So they ended up standing together, chest to chest, standing in a closet, waiting for the ghost to make an appearance. Feng Xin’s warm breath kept brushing across his ear, making him tingle.
He didn’t know why he was feeling this way at all! His cultivation was all about a pure body and a pure mind. So why did he keep thinking about how close they were! He’s never been this comfortable standing next to Feng Xin in his entire life! Even when they were both still with Xie Lian, they avoided touching each other like the plague.
He never imagined that he would actually like being this close to the man. Mu Qing was just about to call off the attack when Feng Xin suddenly tensed up.
“Don't move.” He whispered, almost too quiet for him to hear. Mu Qing silently laid a hand on his saber.
The door to the bedroom they were hiding creaked open. It most definitely could not be the old lady who owned the house who opened the door. The footsteps sounded too heavy on the wood floor. The footsteps moved further into the room, and it sounded like whatever was in the room was inspecting the various items of decor on the desks and shelves.
By wordless intuition, the pair who were hiding in the closet met each other's eyes, and nodded.
They burst out of the closet and quickly readied their weapons, Feng Xin pulling his bowstring back, a bow automatically forming in his fingers, and Mu Qing with his saber, ready to strike. Mu Qing quickly lunged forward and held his weapon to the ghosts throat. He looked up and briefly faltered at the intense look of something in Feng Xin’s eyes.
Was it hate, or confusion? Was it determination or was it something more?
He internally shook his head and focused. He couldn’t be distracted by those weirdly pretty eyes. He's not quite that unhinged.
Unfortunately, somehow Feng Xin was also distracted by something, and the ghost managed to cast a spell on the both of them and escape from Mu Qing’s grasp.
By the time Mu Qing felt the curses’ effects take hold, it was already too late.
Feng Xin’s thoughts started flooding his brain, all confused at what was happening. A look of confusion appeared on Feng Xin’s face, so Mu Qing assumed that he could also hear his thoughts.
<Yep, I most definitely can hear your thoughts.>
Shit. He inwardly cursed. Oh, you can hear that can’t you. It was more of a statement than a question.
Feng Xin pursed his lips. <Yep. Your thoughts are more boring than I thought they would be. I was expecting more anger.>
“Well, this is a strange curse." Mu Qing said out loud, ignoring Fen Xin's statement. "I’ve never heard of a curse that lets others read people’s minds before. And it’s also strong enough to affect two upper court gods. How are we going to solve this? It was your fault that this happened anyways. If you hadn't lost focus this wouldn’t have happened!” Mu Qing scolded, rolling his eyes, purposefully avoiding the fact that he was also distracted.
“Well, I would ask for forgiveness, but I don’t need your forgiveness!” Feng Xin replied, but what he was actually thinking caught Mu Qing off guard. <Well it’s not my fucking fault that you looked so fine standing like that!>
Mu Qing was so shocked after hearing that thought that he dropped his saber to the ground. His cheeks turned a slightly more colored shade than usual.
Was that what he thinks regularly?!
“Fuck-! I promise that that wasn’t what I was thinking, you’re just hearing things!” Feng Xin quickly tried to explain, but his thoughts betrayed him once more. <Fuck fuck fuck I can’t let him know I think those things!>
“Oh.” Feng Xin lamely said, once again appearing to have forgotten that someone can hear his thoughts now.
“‘Oh’ is right. Do you actually think that?” Mu Qing asked in disbelief. Maybe I’m not a total nutjob if someone can think like that about me? Am I actually likable?
Feng Xin’s expression changed after hearing that thought. <Oh my god does he actually think that he’s totally unlikeable? Pfff, as if . He’s gotta be the hottest guy I know. I really wish that I had the courage to officially ask him out, not just play this game of charades.>
Feng Xin seemed too lost in his thoughts to realize that Mu Qing could hear every one of them. And truthfully, Mu Qing was also getting lost in his thoughts.
He wants to ask me out? I don’t deserve that. If he knew what I actually thought he wouldn't want to be around me anymore. He wouldn’t want to share a territory with me. He would rather cast himself out of heaven than ask some low life like me on a date. I don’t deserve that. Even if the idea of going on a date with Feng Xin sounded absolutely fucking amazing. Someone with a criminal as a father doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment.
Images of his past started filling his mind. He pushed them away like he would bat away flies.
Even if I want to ask him out too, at least we’re f-f-friends, maybe? That’s all I’ve ever really wanted, was a friend. Someone to talk to. Maybe that’s why I can’t seem to get away from this infuriatingly attractive man.
Perhaps he had been stuck in his thoughts for too long, but when he finally came back to himself, Feng Xin was looking at him with a strange expression. His eyes looked misty for some reason.
“What? Is there something wrong with my robes?” Mu Qing found himself asking. He looked down at himself to check. Nope, everything looks just as perfect as it always does. His attention is pulled away from his robes by a pair of boots entering his field of vision. He looks up just in time to see the look on Feng Xin's face right before Mu Qing gets pulled into a chaste kiss.
His eyes grow wide, unshed tears starting to blur his vision. He couldn’t explain why he suddenly started crying even if his life were on the line.
Feng Xin’s lips felt soft, just as he imagined they would be. If his lips had to be compared to anything, the only thing that Mu Qing could compare them to was a cloud with how soft they are. Then Feng Xin pulled away, his face gone completely red. Mu Qing stood frozen in shock as he processed what just happened.
“I-i-i-, uh- uhmm, wha-what? Why? Huh? You…?” Mu Qing was reduced to a babbling mess, not unlike a baby learning their first words.
“You little piece of shit. Why didn’t you tell me that you wanted to go out? I would’ve asked you out a long time ago! I always thought that you just weren’t interested in me, so I never asked.
Do you want to go out with me then? We don’t have to use answering prayer as an excuse anymore, but we can still do that if you want! But if you want someone to talk to, and you choose me, I make no guarantees that you won’t be bullied about it in the future. In fact, I'm gonna be teasing you about this for the rest of time.”
Feng Xin put on his puppy dog eyes, a rare sight to see - if it’s ever been seen before. “Or maybe do you wanna be f-f-friends?”
Mu Qing finally snapped out of his daze at that, and his face reddened slightly. “Don’t mock me! If you actually wanna take me out then stop mocking me like that! It’s creepy! He folded his arms and cast his gaze to the side, as if considering something. Then he seemed to hype himself up before walking up to Feng Xin and pulling him in for another kiss.
After they parted, they looked into each other's eyes. “We should probably find out where that ghost went. C’mon, let's go, we don’t have all day.” Mu Qing quickly strode away in the other direction and Feng Xin smiled after him before following.