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The golden hoop circles around Lan Ge's left ankle several times before one end digs into his flesh, leaving red, almost black scars as it disappears under his skin. Fa Hua traces kisses along the brilliant gold, light as the feathers of Lan Ge's wings, and his chest delights when Lan Ge tried to retract his leg, trembling slightly.
“Does it hurt?” Fa Hua murmurs against the meat of Lan Ge's calf, placing another tender kiss right where gold meets skin.
This entices a yip from Lan Ge, who couldn't help but kick out helplessly despite not exactly doing anything to wriggle out of Fa Hua's grip.
His normally blue-ish skin is tinted a soft lilac, delicately brushed over the perfect curve of his cheeks, and the white of his eyes nearly gone as his pupils dilate, showing more of his lovely indigo irises. Fa Hua watches with rapt eyes as Lan Ge ran his tongue over his teeth, where most of them were blunt human teeth with the exception of his tiny canines (which honestly gave him a short yet intense burst of cute aggression when he first saw them). No doubt this form has been cultivated to ensure a place among humans when needed.
“I wonder,” Fa Hua pushes Lan Ge's knee against the bedsheets, effectively pinning him there, “if the songs of the Tianyu Fox clan are truly as enchanting as they say.”
He hooks a finger under the string of beads cinching Lan Ge's unimaginably slender waist, adorned with some pretty feathers and leaves, and pulls on it hard, while his other hand goes caress the sensitive skin of Lan Ge's hip. Soon, his body glows in the same soft lilac all over, particularly in places Fa Hua's hands had brushed over, and Lan Ge struggles to keep his whines in his throat as Fa Hua kisses and fondles with his chest.
“No, not there.. They, they never healed correctly..” Lan Ge's voice is soft and high, like a bullied maiden holding back tears, a far cry from the lascivious and provocative front he uses to rile Fa Hua up.
“Shh.”
At some point, Lan Ge's nipples had been pierced— To Fa Hua, it seemed strangely perverse. But he can imagine a pair of pretty jewels and a delicate gold chain that connects them, swaying with every step and spin. Fa Hua's not a pixiu, but if he ever gets his hands on any precious treasures or gold that's been on Lan Ge's body before, he'd (gladly) put it in his mouth.
Fa Hua couldn't suppress a smile. At core, Lan Ge is still a little fox who can't resist pampering. Why else would he be content masquerading as a girl's pet fox? Fa Hua wasn't stupid enough to believe that no one knew of Lan Ge's true identity back in the Blue Domain, especially when he's able to cultivate to Peak Tier 11 in total secrecy.
Fa Hua helps himself to a mouthful of doughy flesh, delighted by the expected softness, and swirls his tongue around the blushing bud.
Reaching downwards, Fa Hua realize the back entrance is already slick, because that's how long they've been tethering on the edge with each other, playing their little game of cat and mouse. Lan Ge provokes and taunts and teases, but his bratty attitude turned soft as soon as Fa Hua had him in an iron grip. Not only that, the half-hearted struggle when Fa Hua all but manhandles him into the closest room available and locks the door behind them just proved how much Lan Ge wanted him too.
Fa Hua rubs the slick all over the soft rim, feeling the muscles there tremble in anticipation, savouring his sweet revenge for the neverending teasing before as Lan Ge could only fist the bedsheets beneath him. His attempts to push back against Fa Hua's fingers were thwarted by the possessive weight on his hip, and he almost sobs when the tip of Fa Hua's finger dips beyond the swollen rim just to be pulled out again.
However, despite the cruel tease, Lan Ge doesn't beg just yet. Because once he does, he might never leave the room ever again.
With one last kiss on Lan Ge's shivering heartbeat, Fa Hua goes lower, pressing his hands on each of Lan Ge's thighs to keep his legs open, savouring the delicious sight of Lan Ge's sex, half hard and weeping at the tip. Lan Ge's voice breaks as Fa Hua drags his lips down the silky underside of his cock before giving his scrotum a gentle suck, and when their eyes meet, Fa Hua's lips curl in a smug, laughing way.
— How cute, he says directly into Lan Ge's mind.
The soft lilac burns into an intense violet as Lan Ge hmphs quietly, something like a wronged huff, and twists his torso away from Fa Hua, trying to bury his face into the bedsheets.
Despite them both technically being the Peerless Bead's guardians, they didn't share the same connection like what Xiao Bao has with Yongxian. Which was a shame, but maybe for the best. If Fa Hua had access to Lan Ge all the time— had the power to summon his little fox anytime he wanted— he would probably go crazy from the power trip.
Fa Hua punishes Lan Ge with another suck, then moves just a little bit lower to nudge at his perineum with the tip of his tongue, feeling the thighs under his hands flinch and tremble. From the way Lan Ge sniffles and choke back moans, he's very well near his limit, and so is Fa Hua, who would do anything to please his mate. But he resists for now— the longer he drags this on, the harder he could ruin Lan Ge. Of course, then it would be an even sweeter, more satisfying treat for himself too.
Finally, he generously gives Lan Ge a small taste of what's to come, his tongue pressing flat against the wet hole. Lan Ge clenches down on nothing, a desperate cry ripped out of his throat, and there's a gush of slick Fa Hua drinks down almost too eagerly, thrilled by the shameful whine Lan Ge makes next.
“Your voice is beautiful,” Fa Hua sighs, running his tongue over and over the spasming rim until Lan Ge's cries become the only thing he hears.
He froze when Lan Ge's hands brush against the crown of his head, fingers threading through his hair in a careful manner even when their owner shakes all over in ecstasy. The tender gesture makes Fa Hua absolutely melt, and he doesn't think he could get anymore fonder of his little fox. Smiling softly, he lets a small drop of control over his human form loose, revealing his grand horn before bumping it against Lan Ge's palms.
It was Lan Ge's turn to freeze, not knowing what Fa Hua meant by showing his horns. His hands hover before the single curved horn on Fa Hua's forehead, before Fa Hua bumps against his hands again, this time nuzzling in with affection. There's ridges all over the surface, but between the jagged edges were something strangely velvety, the texture making Lan Ge's fingers twitch. He musters up the courage to curl a finger around one of the horns and tug. And Fa Hua moans.
They stare at each other for a second, before a feral grin nearly splits Fa Hua's face in two.
--
“E..enough, you in..insatiable fella..!”
Lan Ge keens as Fa Hua grabs ahold of his waist beads and yanks on them, using it to make their hips meet halfway. The beads wrap around his abdomen tight, constricting the already small space within Lan Ge's body, causing Fa Hua's cock to have nowhere else to go but deeper inside. Lan Ge's arms had lost their strength a long time ago, and he could only pitifully take Fa Hua on his knees with his back arched, crying out in a heated daze.
Fa Hua had shed parts of his human form— his tail wraps around Lan Ge's leg tightly, keeping the plush thighs open for him, and there's bite marks all over Lan Ge's nape and shoulders, where Fa Hua had went crazy over the display of submission— one where Lan Ge exposed his nape, and with his eyes, practically begged Fa Hua to mark him.
Lan Ge wasn't in any better condition, with his adorably large ears twitching and tails curled all around Fa Hua, as if to keep him inside. The fur is delightfully dense and soft, and Fa Hua traces his other hand down Lan Ge's spine before pinching the sensitive spot where the spine and tail meets. The tails seem to shudder all at once, tightening their hold on Fa Hua as Lan Ge rides out another orgasm.
Feeling the tender walls tighten untill it knocks the literal breath out of him, Fa Hua lets go of the waist beads to twist his hand in Lan Ge's hair, pulling and pulling untill Lan Ge bends all the way backwards to kiss Fa Hua upside down.
He knew Lan Ge is impossibly flexible as a fox demon, but he'll stash the risque ideas away for the future, letting Lan Ge to sink back down into the bedsheets as Fa Hua himself comes closer and closer to the edge.
Their bodies flush together as Fa Hua hugs Lan Ge close, his thrusts turning more into grinding, effectively pinning his mate down. The intimacy allowed Lan Ge to reach up shakily and close his fist over Fa Hua's horn, yanking on it to bring Fa Hua down to his nape. “Fuck!” Fa Hua's jaw practically unhinged to sink deep into the vulnerable skin of Lan Ge's nape, and Lan Ge screams as something scorching begins to fill him up inside, the pain-tinted pleasure painting his vision white.
It takes a while to come back to his body, but when he does, Lan Ge found he's been shifted onto his back, his tails and wings carefully positioned so his weight wasn't directly on them. The sensation of a cool washcloth against his hot skin felt like heaven, and he sighs, letting Fa Hua cleans him carefully. When he's done, Lan Ge watches Fa Hua stare at his thigh for a minute, and yips when he leans in to take a chomp.
“What!” Lan Ge kicked his legs around, feeling giggly as Fa Hua also chuckles, climbing back into the bed and letting Lan Ge snuggle up to him.
Lan Ge's tails tickle Fa Hua's legs as they swish side to side slowly, his ears perked yet relaxed, showing his content. Lan Ge has five tails currently, with three being noticeably fluffier than the other two. In most fox clans, their tails determine their tier— and when the many tails become too much to handle, they condense three tails into one— ultimately, a fox's life long goal is to get four fluffy, powerful tails. When Lan Ge inevitably breaks through, Fa Hua would have another pillar of fluff to admire and play with, and he really can't wait.
Little pinpricks of pain bloomed along Fa Hua's collarbone, and his hearts soars because that's Lan Ge's own little way of claiming Fa Hua as his mate, not needing to exchange any words.
It isn't long before Lan Ge lets out a big yawn, little canines on display and all, dozing off in Fa Hua's arms.
Fa Hua doesn't sleep, instead opting to run his hands all over Lan Ge's body again— combing through his hair, scratching the base of his ears, smoothing the ruffles of his feathers— and he entertains himself with Lan Ge's twitchy tails, watching the dense fluff puff up and twitch when he tickles them with his fingertips.
It wasn't until Lan Ge's leg brushed against his, that he's reminded of the anklet. He hesitantly lets go of Lan Ge, sitting up to inspect the golden hoops closer.
Fa Hua knew that it is the remnants of imprisonment— one that Fa Hua had heard stories about. The anklets were made to keep the Tianyu Fox clan on their feet and force them to dance. If they refused to do so, the anklets would tighten further and further around their bones untill it crushes their ankles. And the people said, a Tianyu fox crippled for life is one better off dead. This also revealed a miniscule hint of Lan Ge's otherwise ambiguous age, that he was just as ancient as Fa Hua himself.
While he didn't know if the slavery curse was still active or not, Fa Hua sees how Lan Ge stands with his left leg perched against his right calf, how he prefers to be in his fox form more— where his legs are more slender and the gold doesn't seem to be digging into his flesh at every moment.
If he could remove it for Lan Ge.. Making up his mind, he gingerly places one hand on Lan Ge's knee, and the other closes around one of the anklet's hoops.
Lan Ge blinked blearily, jolted awake by the sudden pressure on his ankle. “Fa Hua, what are you—”
His words cut off into a pure scream of pain when Fa Hua all but yanks on the hoop, like he was trying to seperate it from Lan Ge's leg. Biting his lip, Fa Hua steeled himself to pull again, but Lan Ge's other leg darts out to kick him straight right in the thigh, somehow successful in knocking Fa Hua off the bed. The fox scrambles back and away from the man he considered his mate just moments ago, eyes round with terror.
It hurts. It hurts, it hurts! The anklet doesn't just dig into his flesh— it's made to become a part of him, like he's never expected to ever escape from the hands of his slavers. And he remembers how the last of his kind held him down as they pulled on the one around his right leg, how his mother shoved her hand down his throat to keep him muffled. And before the pain could even being to go away, they shoved him out of the cage that held them and screamed for him to run.
“The other one, there's no time—” “—Go Lian'ge! Leave this place—!” “—the Tianyu bloodline—” “—will always love you, Xiao Ge—”
And the rain of fire keeps falling.
He didn't notice he's curled up on himself untill Fa Hua is all over him, whispering apologies and pressing kisses all over his face and ears. Whimpering, he tries to pull away, but Fa Hua holds him tighter than ever, not letting go even after Lan Ge sags against his chest. He sobs, “Why— why did you..”
“I was ignorant and caused you pain. Please, forgive me.” Fa Hua desperately nuzzles and soothes Lan Ge, angry at himself for acting irrationally. He believed that by redirecting the flow of Lan Ge's blood for a few seconds with his powers, he could remove the anklet with the least amount of pain. He believed the curse was simply put on the anklet, and was not the anklet itself.
Fa Hua keeps apologizing, wanting to prove his regret but didn't know how to, and he could only kiss away Lan Ge's tears, letting the bitterness teach him the most difficult lesson in his life.
--
“One day, you'll find people who would stand with you no matter what, and untill that day..”
--
Lan Ge wakes up to fur tickling his skin. It's comfortable, he thought, the fur is soft and smells like the sea. For a moment he thinks of going back to sleep, his mind fuzzy with a sense of serenity, before his body flinches and a rush of dread came to his head in an instance. The whiplash confused him greatly, and his legs slip as he falls from the bed, ending up in a heap of tails and distress on the ground.
The great beast on the bed stirs, a hoof as large as Lan Ge's head patting the empty space Lan Ge had just been in moment prior, and there's a huff when it realized its mate wasn't in bed.
Despite knowing it's Fa Hua, Lan Ge felt his mouth twist in unease, and soon, a little fox scurries out of the room, searching for his close friend. He comes across Beiyue Sangchen— a direct cousin of Xiao Bao's, and the master of another heavenly bead Lan Ge didn't know about— but skillfully avoids his attempts to pet him, hearing the man chuckle as Lan Ge disappears down the stairs leading to the deck.
“Xiao Ge! There you are,” Xiao Bao immediately picks him up when Lan Ge trots up to her with a happy yip, a lifetime of knowing the fox meaning she knows exactly what he wants from just a glance. Although hesitant, Lan Ge allows Yongxian to scratch him between the ears, playfully whipping some tails at him when he tried to pet them.
The sun shines down just right today, and when Xiao Bao and Yongxian is called for breakfast, Lan Ge requests to be put down on a crate with a chirp, where Xiao Bao had set up a pillow from her room for him. He carefully tucks his paws underneath his body and closes his eyes, feeling the sun warm up his puffed up fur.
A huff comes from behind him, follow by the light taps of hooves on the wooden floors of the ship, but Lan Ge was simply too comfortable to care. Something heavy settled beside the crate, and a firm tail gently wraps around Lan Ge's body to lift him up, settling him onto luxurious long fur that also feels like wool. Cracking an eye open, he sees Fa Hua— more technically, Fa Hua in his xiezhi form, holding something between his massive jaws.
To answer Lan Ge's questioning whine, Fa Hua drops what he's carrying in front of Lan Ge and goes to lick his snout, silently asking if he's okay.
— This item can be used to completely heal any injury. Please take it as my sincerest apology to you.
“Silly Huahua, you didn't actually injure me,” Lan Ge barns, kneading Fa Hua's fur with his front paws, “The one on my right leg was removed when my bones were still soft with young age. I don't think I could take it if.. Wait, did you sneak into the Shuhai clan's territory?”
Fa Hua huffs again. — The underground was my territory in the first place. I never did anything to intentionally harm them anyways.
“Besides harvesting the island's life energy and trying to breakthrough to tier 12, that is.” The fox let out a squeaky snicker when Fa Hua taps him on the head with the fluffy end of his tail. He climbs further up Fa Hua's back, choosing to sprawl out on the literal field of fur and nuzzle into the warmth. Fa Hua's dark fur meant he was a heat attractor, and it definitely wouldn't be long untill he has to go inside or else he'll get a heatstroke— but for now, they bask in each other's presence, feeling the most at ease than they have in many years.
— Let's breakthrough to tier 12 together. I'll help you.
Fa Hua's eyes are clear. It's an ice cold blue that reflected calm waters, reflected his loyal nature as xiezhi, reflected his rekindled faith in this world that's brought them both pain and solitude. Face to face with this sort of reflection, Lan Ge could only raise one paw and place it on Fa Hua's grand horn.
No words needed to be said under the ever brilliant sun. One day, the rain of fire will stop falling when Lan Ge closes his eyes.
--
“..You'll realize you're no longer alone.”
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