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Hua Cheng had been watching Xie Lian pace in the garden for quite some time. Their presence wasn’t a secret to either of them as Xie Lian would occasionally turn to look at Hua Cheng and Hua Cheng would continue to openly admire his husband from the entryway of the garden. He didn’t know what His Highness was so conflicted about but Hua Cheng wasn’t too worried. The way Xie Lian would puff out his cheeks every so often and straighten with determination before immediately turning as red as a tomato and deflating told Hua Cheng that Xie Lian was just working up the nerve to do something scandalously daring. He couldn’t wait!
Perhaps he should give Xie Lian some privacy to build up his courage but Hua Cheng very much enjoyed being witness to these moods. They were adorable and the love that radiated off his husband was overwhelming to an intoxicating degree. He loved getting sick off of the fumes of His Highness’ passion and usually these little moments proved to be quite beneficial for him. Maybe it was a selfish way of thinking but Hua Cheng couldn’t help himself.
When Xie Lian finally turned to him and marched forward, Hua Cheng perked up. If he had a tail it would’ve been wagging but he really felt no shame when it came to his husband.
“San Lang, I’ve decided.” Xie Lian paused and fixed Hua Cheng with a serious stare. “I want to redo our first kiss.” Hua Cheng’s eye widened and he gave a quick nod.
“I’ll prepare a bath.” Xie Lian caught his arm and shook his head.
“No, San Lang. I meant–ah…” He bowed his head to tame the blush creeping across his face. “I want to do dry, um, well, you know.”
“Dry…”
“Yes…”
“Humping…?”
“S-San Lang! No!” Hua Cheng winced.
“Your Highness, I apologise. I assumed you were trying to communicate something sensitive.” Xie Lian put his head in his hands and Hua Cheng held his breath. “What was the dry part you mentioned?” Xie Lian still didn’t look up and Hua Cheng shifted from foot to foot. “Your Highness…?” Xie Lian looked up with a sigh and finally spoke.
“Maybe we could try that other thing later but I simply meant dry kissing.”
“Why…why did you phrase your question like that?”
“I was nervous and I wanted to get started but I thought you’d be offended that I wanted to redo our first kiss!”
“I could never be offended by such a request, Gege.” Hua Cheng spoke slowly as he began to register that Xie Lian was willing to try dry humping. He blinked a few times to focus on the current proposition. “Did you find our first time…lackluster?” He really shouldn’t find this to be so disappointing, afterall, Hua Cheng had really taken it upon himself during that time. A bold move but perhaps not the most romantic.
“Please never imply that I disliked any of our, ahem, intimate moments. I cherish each interaction with all my heart.” Xie Lian spoke with such certainty that it made Hua Cheng’s dead heart start beating again.
“So you wish to experience the kiss again for the thrill of it all?” Hua Cheng couldn’t help but tease. Xie Lian let out a light laugh.
“I suppose we could put it that way, yes.” He gently brushed the front of his robes as if he had to tidy himself up for their “non-wet, completely dry” kiss. “I just feel that we both wanted more from each other at the time and we chose the situation where I had gotten myself entangled in with the fetus spirit to explore it.”
“We did, Gege?” Hua Cheng chuckled and stepped forward to take his hand. “And here I thought I had taken advantage of the opportunity.”
“Well, that’s what I mean.” Xie Lian gently coughed and squeezed Hua Cheng’s hand. “The kiss started under the pretense of…providing me with…air…” He took a moment to fight off the smile over the silliness of it all. Hua Cheng didn’t bother to hide his smile.
“You needed air, Gege. What was I to do?”
“Hush, San Lang.” Xie Lian said, clearly trying not to laugh. “The kiss started with you giving me air and I was pushing you away and we both felt a bit…out of sorts after.” Xie Lian paused as if he expected Hua Cheng to mention something about Xie Lian’s after kiss panic but he remained silent. Even though Xie Lian was flustered and flitting about, Hua Cheng was a mess inside. He hadn’t known if he had ruined their relationship or not by making such an attempt and at the time he felt horribly breathless. Seeing as Hua Cheng wasn’t objecting to anything, Xie Lian continued. “I think about the moment and I feel so happy.”
“Happy?” Hua Cheng blinked. He felt the same way but seeing how startled Xie Lian was at the time, Hua Cheng assumed he would think back at that fondly but with overwhelming embarrassment.
“En. Very happy.” Xie Lian said with a smile. He cupped Hua Cheng’s cheek with his free hand and Hua Cheng couldn’t help but nuzzle his god’s hand. “I just wish we hadn’t wasted so much time. Feeling embarrassed or holding ourselves back out of fear of losing the other.”
“Neither of us are fearful now.” Hua Cheng said softly, smiling into Xie Lian’s hand.
“This is certainly true. We don’t need to exchange spiritual energy or provide the other with air.”
“I don’t know, I may need mouth-to-mouth at some point.”
“San Lang!” Xie Lian finally laughed but he pulled back to briefly cover his face once again with embarrassment.
“I apologize, Gege.” Hua Cheng said, not feeling sorry in the slightest. Xie Lian wiped a hand down his face and sighed.
“I want to be the bold one.”
“You’re already bold.” And it was true. Once they married, Xie Lian wasn’t one to waste time. If he wanted to kiss Hua Cheng, he simply would. If he wanted to express his love for him, he’d express it. It was clear to Hua Cheng that after 800 years of loneliness, Xie Lian was excited to fill his long life with their ever blooming love. Of course there were times where he was still shy and unsure but it was far and few between.
“I’m glad you feel that way, San Lang, but I also want to see myself as boldly as I see you.” Hua Cheng tilted his head at that but relented. There was no arguing. He saw Xie Lian’s thoughtfulness in their relationship but if he wanted to have a wonderful makeout session to feel a bit better about their partnership, who was Hua Cheng to deny such a request?
“Very well, Gege.” Hua Cheng straightened and moved closer with his hands behind his back. “How would you like to–?” At once, Xie Lian took Hua Cheng by the waist and yanked him forward. He stumbled into Xie Lian and before he could right himself, Xie Lian put a firm hand on the back of his neck to keep his head down. Hua Cheng’s eye was blown wide in surprise and he could only owlishly blink at Xie Lian as he stared back with burning determination. “Oh! I had thought–!” Once again he was cut off but this time it was by Xie Lian’s soft lips pressing themselves against his.
It was overwhelmingly pleasant but he couldn’t help but wonder how this was the same as their first kiss. Was this how Xie Lian felt when Hua Cheng had dived in to “give him air”? Was he taken off guard and filled with love at the same time? Perhaps love would be too much to consider at that time but Xie Lian had said he was happy when thinking about it. Maybe he was thinking too much about it because he just noticed that Xie Lian had paused in his kissing. They hadn’t separated but Hua Cheng realized that they were both smiling too hard to properly kiss as deeply as either of them wanted.
“San Lang…” Xie Lian whispered against his lips. Hua Cheng hummed. “Is something funny?”
“No.” He didn’t sound convincing. He peeked open his eye. “I was just wondering...”
“Hmmm?”
“Is this what you wanted me to do for our first kiss?” Xie Lian’s lips were now in a full smile and he opened one eye to match Hua Cheng.
“I, um, well I had a lot on my mind at the time, you see? I wasn’t necessarily thinking about this kiss in that way…” Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Yes, San Lang.” Xie Lian finally said so flatly that Hua Cheng couldn’t help but snort out a laugh. Xie Lian playfully recoiled. “San Lang, are you trying to give me air again when I specifically emphasized the importance of this kiss?”
“Yes, yes, you’ve scolded me for this but how about I make it up for you?” Hua Cheng laughed.
“Oh?”
“How about we truly remake the kiss? In the lake, holding you tight,” Xie Lian blushed but started nodding. “Except I kiss you the way we really should’ve kissed?”
“I would really like that.” Xie Lian chuckled, gently pulling him in for a hug. “Thank you for indulging this, San Lang.”
“I promise you, Gege, this is something I’m willing to do ten times over for you.”