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Xiaoshi looks stunning as he sits on the lush grass under the evening sun. The gentle rays of light makes his curly black hair look silky smooth, makes his chocolate eyes shimmer even as it's shadowed by long lashes.
He looks like an artwork come to life, like the painter themselves fell in love with their muse.
He looks like Lu Guang's muse, if he were trained to pick up a brush instead of a sword.
He looks…
'Stressed.'
The albino furrows his thick brows.
'That's not right.'
Xiaoshi shouldn't look so stressed, the hooded eyes and nervous fidgeting of his fingers do not suit the kind of person he usually is.
Now, Lu Guang isn't saying his king has no right to look anything less than calm, the title and responsibility coming with it is more than enough reason. It's just…
The royal would typically only show his negative reactions in the comfort of his own room–and even that is rare–, not outside in the garden for all to see and stumble upon. Xiaoshi is more careful than that. He knows he has enemies, whether of his own making or his predecessors, he is well aware of the fact that his life is in constant danger so long as he wears the crown.
Even so, he would never look anything less than perfect in front of his citizens. Xiaoshi cherishes them, and would rather eat soil than show vulnerability in the face of his loyal subjects. Not even Princess Qiao Ling, his Majesty's own sister, could get him to open up about his feelings. It was like pulling teeth.
So, you can imagine Lu Guang’s perplexity when faced with a clearly distressed Cheng Xiaoshi out in the open.
The head guard tightens the hand gripping the hilt of his sword. Whoever was responsible for making his beloved king appear so visibly despondent will be at the end of his blade. Whether they live long enough to report him–disregarding the fact that he'll most likely be pardoned anyway, what with the princess and both the king and queen themselves being obviously fond of him–, is something that remains to be seen.
Lu Guang heaves out an inaudible sigh. He has a gnawing feeling in the back of his mind that indicates he knows just exactly who caused this.
“Your Majesty…” He begins slowly.
The raven haired man jolted at the sound of his voice, interrupting the previously tranquil–if you could even call it that–atmosphere.
Microscopic as the action was, Lu Guang noticed it anyway. His obsidian eyes narrow and twitch, unseeing from the king with his back turned towards his favoured guard.
Cheng Xiaoshi turns to peek at Lu Guang over his shoulder.
His smile is soft and welcoming. His midnight hair curls over his face and collarbone just so, like every strand is meant to make him look like an angel. His eyes are warm, almost enough to make the albino’s heart beat out of his chest.
Only ’almost’ because…
…his smile is strained at the edges, he's seen him tug at his hair in frustration at least 7 times in less the amount of minutes, his eyes have a prominent undercurrent of fatigue.
“Ah, yes Lu Guang? Is something bothering you?”
Lu Guang feels his eye twitch once.
Calling him his given name instead of the usual, cutesy nickname while they’re alone is one strike.
Asking if there’s anything bothering him is another. As if Xiaoshi himself doesn’t seem restless with worry.
Lu Guang feels violence fuelling his ever silent rage. He needs to make some people swallow their severed tongue, not metaphorically.
Though he feels like his insides are boiling in a fury, outwardly, he merely looks concerned for his lovely king.
“…Forgive me for overstepping,“ he snorts internally, the boundaries of a king and his knight have long since been broken and stomped on the moment he started calling his king ‘Xiaoshi’ in his head. “but I am more than sure that there is something bothering you.”
Xiaoshi doesn’t bother to hide the wince and sheepish smile directed at him. Lu Guang hums and continues.
“Tell me what is occupying your mind.” He’s well aware it sounds like a command, but his Xiaoshi wouldn’t listen otherwise. He’s stubborn like that, the idiot. He says that with overflowing affection mind you.
True to Lu Guang’s thoughts, Cheng Xiaoshi slumps with a sigh, and turns around to fully face his precious friend.
“You know how, in order to continue our ‘legacy’,“ he visibly cringes as he curls two of his fingers up and down, “a royal needs to have an heir?”
Xiaoshi’s embarrassed smile is adorable, if not for the context freezing Lu Guang in place.
“So, to summarise… my advisors have been pestering me to bear a child, preferably more than one they said.” Xiaoshi averts his gaze and rubs his thighs together, his words turning into a whisper at the end of his sentence. From where he's sitting on the ground, Lu Guang can clearly see the blush adorning his cheeks, making the mole under the corner of his eye stand out.
To say Lu Guang is shocked would be a lie.
He knows that for a monarchy to be carried on, the ruler must have an heir apparent. Unfortunately for the Xiàngjī Kingdom, the royal family only consists of the king, his princess older sister, their happily retired parents and Xiaoshi’s estranged biological bearers.
The head guard refuses to call them Cheng Xiaoshi’s ‘parents’, verbally or otherwise, not when they left such a sweet child behind without any remorse.
Anyways, Lu Guang’s thoughts aren't currently on that topic. Well, it is, but not in the way Cheng Xiaoshi probably thinks it.
Xiaoshi bites his bottom lip, another tell of his nerves.
Lu Guang wants to bite those lips too, and kiss it, preferably.
Now, he's still not quite sure what possessed him to do what he's about to do, but Lu Guang can't find it in him to regret anything.
With confident and determined strides, Lu Guang kneels down in front of Cheng Xiaoshi's sitting form. His confused face morphs into one of surprise when Lu Guang gently grabs his right hand with both of his, then placing their interlaced hands over his lips.
“Be mine, Xiaoshi.” At this, at his possessive but obviously smitten tone, at his warm breath on–
“I’d love you for as long as you’d let me, I already do.”
'Is he trying to kill me??'
Is what a red faced Cheng Xiaoshi thinks as Lu Guang looks at him with dark, hooded eyes.
“Uhh–” The poor, flustered king is barely able to get a word out before Lu Guang continues his mission of putting Cheng Xiaoshi through a heart attack.
“Our children would be so loved, Her Highness– Ling-jie already approves of me anyway.” Both their cheeks are ruddy with embarrassment and affection, the king more so.
“You–y–you…” If it were physically possible, steam would have poured out of Cheng Xiaoshi's ears in an unhealthy amount. Lu Guang stares imploringly.
The white knight looks pathetic, like a sopping, wet cat begging for approval. Cheng Xiaoshi isn't quite sure how to handle himself in this situation.
“You want to marry me? And–and have a child with me?” His voice borders on sounding like a squeak by the end with how high pitched his volume gets.
“I would love for us to grow old together and to get you pregnant with my children, yes.” Lu Guang appears more daring and redder the more this scenario goes on.
“...plural…” Is the last thing Cheng Xiaoshi whispers out before the heat gets to him and he passes out in Lu Guang’s awaiting arms.