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"San Lang, honey, will you come back home soon? Will you be in time for our festive dinner? The kids miss you, and so do I..."
"Gege, just a sec!"
He would love to be with his cherished family right now, but the presence of three fierce, stinking monsters hurling fiery blades at him, makes it difficult to fulfill his cherished desire."
"Damn it!"
"What's wrong, San Lang?" Xie Lian exclaims in an alarmed voice.
— …
"San Lang, are you okay there? Please answer!.."
"Yeah, gege, it's okay... it's just that one of the bastards burned a hole in my shirt."
"Oh, that one? Made of crimson silk?"
"Yeah... oh, holly shit, and where did you come from?"
"San Lang!.."
San Lang imagines the sweet blush on his dear gege's cheeks right now. Xie Lian always scolds him softly for swearing.
"Sorry, gege, I have an uninvited guest here on the right... just a few more seconds, gege!"
"All right, dear."
Over the years of fighting demons, the end of it turned out to be especially rich in the most diverse creatures. It was as if someone had deliberately opened a portal from the inferno. San Lang hasn't been able to clear one of the city's skyscrapers of them for three hours, and the creatures keep pushing and pushing.
Bam!..
"Gege, what do you have there?" when there is a moment's respite, San Lang scurries around the corner and, sliding down the wall onto the cold floor, takes advantage of a tiny break to continue chatting with his husband via the mental network. It's a handy thing, you know. Especially when all your limbs are busy trying to destroy as many of the most terrible evil demons as possible.
"Oh, San Lang, I think the kids have broken that snow globe you gave them for Christmas... don't be angry, please… E-ming, Ruoye, come here quickly!"
San Lang smiles indulgently and covers his face with the palm, remembering how this snow globe, inside which there was a small house, just like his family's one, was appreciated by his son. That means there are... 3... 2... 1 left before crying…
"Ruoye, stop calling your brother a crybaby and laughing at him! Your job, right?" the stern, but still kind voice of his beloved Xie Lian is heard. Well, he just doesn't know how to get really angry, especially when it comes to him and the kids.
"It's not my fault that he's so crooked!" grumbles Ruoye, their seven-year-old, pretty (she took after her dad in beauty), smart but wayward Ruoye.
"Ruoye! So, which one of you broke your father's gift?"
It's hard for San Lang to keep from smiling. Ten meters away, they are already scratching the floor with iron claws, breathing poisonous flames, and they are about to get to him, but he cannot deny himself a small, cherished weakness - to hear the voices of his loved ones. These may be the last moments of his life, but he will die with a smile on his bloody lips.
But first he'll finish off a couple more of the creatures. No fucking whining! His family is waiting at home!
"So, which one of you broke the gift?"
"He!"
"She!"
Of course, the children point at each other at the same time. And San Lang would be happy to imagine this amusing picture: Ruoye and E-ming pointing fingers at each other and staring their eyes at Xie Lian whos's trying so hard to look stern. But he has to plunge into the flames of reality.
A magical artifact appears behind San Lang's back — a plasma sword capable of withstanding any temperature and the most powerful blows. It adapts to the shape of the enemy's weapon and easily deflects the attack.
"San Lang, what am I supposed to do with them? They won't admit it..."
"Yeah, gege," San Lang counterattacks in a matter of seconds, "I get you, but maybe we can talk when I'm back home? I'm a little busy right now, no offense... you bastard!"
"Oh, San Lang, what is it? Are you hurt?!"
San Lang, gritting his teeth, waits for the first painful shock to recede in order to calm Xie Lian down a little.
"San Lang?.."
"I'm fine, gege. It was too persistent."
"Be careful out there, San Lang. I'm worried."
"No need to worry, gege. And don't worry about... fuck you, get it, you nasty asshole!.. I'm not talking to you, gege, I'm sorry!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, honey," Xie Lian giggles.
And God... how San Lang longs to see a smile on that face he loves with all his heart right now.
"Anyway, gege, forget about the broken snow globe, tell the kids their father will buy a new one. And yes, gege, I seem to be stuck here for a long time tonight, if anything, have dinner without me, put the kids to bed and go to bed yourself."
"What do you mean, 'without you'?"
San Lang's heart sinks, because he knows that his beloved will never close his eyes until he sees him safe and sound and feels San Lang's lips on his lips...
"Okay, gege, a little later!.."
San Lang disconnects from the mental network for a while. The crimson silk, which was so easily ignited, turned into withered scraps on his chest.
But San Lang doesn't give up. He'll fight again.
"San Lang?.."
His strength is running out. He reached the monsters' den where in the center, in the form of a huge earthworm, there's their leader.
That's what I need, you bastard scum!
San Lang knows that if he neutralizes the main demon — it will take no time to destroy the rest.
"San Lang…"
"I love you, gege!"
That's the last thing San Lang has time to whisper, and then blocks the channel of mental communication. There was no need for his gege to listen to the creature's frantic screams before death.
°••°••°••°
Xie Lian doesn't even have time to answer that he also loves his San Lang very much and is waiting for him. He puts the last washed plate on the dryer and looks wistfully at Ruoye and E-ming standing in two different corners. The little prankster manages to turn around several times and stick her tongue out at her brother.
"Dad, how long are we going to stand here?My legs are tired!"
"Will Father be back soon?"
Xie Lian doesn't know how to answer the last question. And although he never shows it, every time Xie Lian waits with a sinking heart for the key in the door to turn and his invincible San Lang, the strongest and bravest demon hunter, the most loving and caring husband and father, will stand on the threshold.
In the end, after waiting for another hour, Xie Lian feeds the kids and sends them to bed, not forgetting to kiss them both goodnight and tuck them in.
And he sits down at the table set for dinner and, with his head in his hands, begins to wait. That's his destiny. But Xie Lian doesn't complain, as long as his beloved returns to him alive. And he could tell him with a smile,
"Welcome home, San Lang!"
°••°••°••°
His body is tired. And his soul is exhausted. But San Lang brings a smile to the surface of his lips by pressing the doorbell button — his hands are still shaking, he won't get the key into the keyhole for the tenth time.
Silence. No one goes to open the door for him.
What's up?..
San Lang starts to panic. He pushes the door, and it opens by itself… Didn't Gege lock it? Is he okay? And what about the kids? What if some of the creatures had unwittingly gotten to his family in revenge for the murdered brothers?!
All sorts of things flash through San Lang's mind as he hobbles to the kitchen, where his Xie Lian is dozing by candlelight at a round table with untouched festive dishes and a bottle of wine, resting his head on a red and green tablecloth.
Gege…
San Lang, covered in blood, sweat, and filth, does not dare to touch him. He just stands and admires across the table. He extinguishes the candle flame with his breath.
Obviously, a puff of warm air touches Xie Lian's cheek. He slowly raises his head, discerning the figure of his husband in the blue twilight.
"Welcome home, San Lang!.."
San Lang doesn't have time to object — Xie Lian is at his side in an instant. He flicks the switch.
Xie Lian allows himself only one "ah", seeing how dirty blood has dried to his husband's naked torso. He touches his tired, soot-covered face with his clean and gentle palm.
"My poor husband…"
"Don't, gege, you'll get dirty," San Lan warns in a hoarse voice.
But...
Xie Lian hugs him. In his clean, warm-smelling, homely clothes, he carefully wraps his arms around his beloved husband. He touches chapped lips with the lightest and most gentle kiss.
"Come on. We need to wash your wounds and treat them. Then I'll heat up dinner."
"Kids..."
"They are fast asleep. You'll kiss them tomorrow morning. And tonight we need to take care of you."
His gege. His sweet, wise and understanding gege. What would he do without him? How would he have endured all these sleeps of unholy creatures, for what and for whom would he have fought them, if the most precious man in the world had not been waiting for him at home? The brightest and purest soul, his golden jasper branch, his outlandish treasure. His forever adored Xie Lian.
But it always happens that way. Light remains light. Darkness remains darkness. And there is no such thing as one without the other.