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“San Lang! Your calligraphy is still like this!” Xie Lian could not keep his sigh to himself. “You really need to work on your discipline.” He mumbled, not intending the man sitting next to him to hear.
“Gege has enough discipline for the both of us!” Hua Cheng quipped. “Besides, doesn’t gege always say he likes my style?” He quirked his eyebrow at Xie Lian.
“That is still no excuse, it is obvious you aren’t even trying to learn what I’m teaching.”
Hua Cheng draped himself over Xie Lian’s lap, “Gege.” He tucked a stand of hair behind Xie Lian’s ear. Xie Lian look down at the man stretched out across him, his maple red robes fanned out like the leaf they mimicked, his ghostly white skin stark against the color. An idea dawned on Xie Lian as Hua Cheng took the brush out of his hand and contented himself to playing with Xie Lian’s hand.
“San Lang…”
“Does gege want something?” Hua Cheng asked without looking up, his eye still staring intently at where their hands were now linked.
“Mn. San Lang, will you make a bet with me?”
Hua Cheng’s eye quickly snapped to his face, twinkling. “A bet? Where did gege learn something as frivolous as gambling?” A smile played at the corners of his lip. Of course, there was only one place he had ever gambled – in San Lang’s own gambling den! Now that his cursed shackles had been removed, Xie Lian’s luck had returned, and yet he still seemed to be no match against Hua Cheng’s knowledge of gambling, and could never get past his teachings about not gambling. This truly was quite the occasion for him to mention a bet. He had to hold his face still as he thought about the kind of bet.
Xie Lian simply shrugged, feigning nonchalance. He could see San Lang couldn’t let this bait go, his eye burning. “Is San Lang up for learning some discipline?” Hua Cheng’s brow twitched but he sat up all the same.
“Anything you want, Dianxia.” Xie Lian nodded before standing and gentle pulling Hua Cheng into the bed room. Hua Cheng followed willingly, but looked at Xie Lian quizzically. “Gege, what could we be betting on in here?”
“Sit.” Hua Cheng sat on the edge of the bed. “San Lang, how can you expect to get better at calligraphy if all you do is sit and stare at me or stop your practicing to lay on me?”
“Gege, how long did it take you to master calligraphy? I think you are not being patient enough with me.” San Lang pouted. “But if your bet was about the calligraphy, then why are we here? Unless gege, is not actually worried about my writing.” Hua Cheng grinned smugly at him.
“San Lang, you lack discipline. I propose a bet that you could not make it through the night without touching me.”
San Lang’s face darkened. “Gege, if you do not like me touching you, then you should say so.”
Xie Lian glared at Hua Cheng. “You know that is a baseless claim.”
“Dianxia, I have waited eight hundred years to hold you, and now you are saying I need to wait more?”
“San Lang, it is because you are so devoted that I know you can.” Hua Cheng perked up at that.
“What do I get when I win, gege?”
“What does my San Lang want?” Hua Cheng sat back for a moment, his hand resting on his chin as he thought.
“I want gege to create a poem about me, about our love, write it in his nicest calligraphy and frame it for the temple.” Xie Lian was not expecting that. “Hehe, pretty nice don’t you think, gege?” Hua Cheng still spoke in the same lazy manner as always, but Xie Lian could see the excitement sparking in his eye. “Let’s get going, what are the rules, gege?”
“You haven’t even asked what will happen if I win.” Xie Lian chided softly.
“Gege…” Hua Cheng looked at him with a knowing smirk, already anticipating the outcome.
“You will spend the day in the temple working on your calligraphy in all seriousness, no jokes, no loitering, just practicing.”
“Yes, yes, fine gege, anything you want.” If Xie Lian was not as capable of reading Hua Cheng, he would have thought he was as cool and collected as ever, but Hua Cheng could not hide that twinkling set in his eye, and the way his fingers twitched in anticipation.
“The rules then. I can do whatever I want, touch however and where ever I want, say whatever I want.” As he spoke, he slowly climbed onto the bed, straddling Hua Cheng’s hips.
“But gege can always do that.”
“And San Lang must only lay there and take it. Absolutely zero touching allowed, no butterflies, no e-ming, no mouth, no tongue, and especially no hands. You can talk all you want, but no running away.” Xie Lian was now seated fully on San Lang’s lap, his head tilted slightly to look down on San Lang’s face only a hand’s breadth away. His breath caught as his eyes were caught by San Lang’s, his blood running hot as the look of unbridled, uncontrolled devotion and love washed over his whole being. He cleared his throat before continuing, “San Lang, do you accept?”
“Yes.”
The word was barely a breath between them before Xie Lian had cupped the others cheeks and pressed their lips together, sealing the deal.
The kiss was hot. Of course it was, as Xie Lian used his taller position to tilt Hua Cheng’s head further and further back, pressing deeper into the kiss. San Lang grunted but accepted Xie Lian’s tongue without much contest. As Xie Lian held Hua Cheng in place with one hand, he slid the other down the smooth column of his neck, reaching the edge of his clothes. Xie Lian breathed heavily in the kiss, desperately trying to keep his mind on how much he missed the hands that usually help him tight. He broke away, resting his forehead on the San Lang’s, using both hands to gently work the clothes.
“San Lang – ah. It is not the same when you don’t hold me”
“And whose fault is that, gege? You can call this bet off anytime, and we can proceed as normal.” Xie Lian chuckled, of course it was his fault, but things were already going according to plan. Hua Cheng would never suggest calling off a bet if he was not already feeling the pressure.
“Ah, but we have already kissed so much, and look your clothes are already off, now is definitely not the time to back down!” Looking down to admire his own handiwork, Xie Lian was almost taken aback by the sight. Just below him sat Hua Cheng, his snow-white skin on display in stark contrast to the flaming red cloth pooled around him. His chest was heaving even though he had no need to breathe, but his hands lay relaxed at his sides, carefully avoiding Xie Lian’s legs. Hua Cheng refused to look down, only stubbornly staring Xie Lian in the eye. He was not enjoying this, or maybe he was, and he was mad about it. The twinkling was still in his eye, his competitive nature not letting him back down, but his face was dark, certainly not enjoying his limitations.
Xie Lian’s skin tingled at the thought of his freedom to explore Hua Cheng. He swooped in to kiss San Lang’s jaw before speaking again, “Hua Chengzhu, would you be so gracious as to assist me by moving fully onto the bed.” Xie Lian cooed as he tongued along the pale expanse of his neck.
“No,” his voice was cold, the vibrations tickling Xie Lian’s mouth.
“Mn. So be it.” Xie Lian hummed cheerfully before climbing off San Lang’s lap to stand next to the bed. He schooled his face to not react when he saw the fear flash in San Lang’s eye before settling to disappointment and amusement. He simply turned around so his back faced the bed and began working on removing his own Taoist robes. He worked slowly and deliberately, occasionally allowing the fabric to slip haphazardly, giving only a glimpse of his strong shoulder before it was gone again. He felt San Lang’s gaze burning into this back as he finally let the top slip to the floor, leaving his back fully exposed. He knew his back was smooth as freshly fallen snow, but he also knew Hua Cheng was haunted by the invisible scars that he knew once marred Xie Lian’s skin. He often spent long periods of time simply tracing his fingers along imaginary paths on Xie Lian’s back as if remembering each and every sword that had pierced him.
As he pulled his body clear from his remaining clothes, he heard San Lang stand up behind him. Xie Lian straightened, peering over his shoulder as Hua Cheng stood immediately behind him, but oh so carefully not touching him. Xie Lian took that initiative for him, gently placing both of his hands on San Lang’s chest.
He looked like he wanted to say something, but Xie Lian beat him to the punch, “Getting a little impatient are we, San Lang?” he hummed. Hua Cheng squinted at him briefly, his brows knitted together. Now that he was standing, San Lang was once again taller than Xie Lian, but that had never bothered him before, and it certainly did not bother him now. Instead, Xie Lian ran his hands up Hua Cheng’s chest before wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling himself slightly on his toes. Their bodies bumping into each other. Xie Lian praised himself in his head, knowing San Lang loved to place his hands on Xie Lian’s hips to stead him at times like these. Xie Lian wanted to laugh at the expression on San Lang’s face. If anyone had walked in they would have seen a face full of serene calm, but Xie Lian was not just anyone and could see the tiny differences in the way Hua Cheng’s jaw was clenched, his brows knitted together, but most of all the way his eye burned so bright it might light Xie Lian and the whole world on fire. His silence was also particularly telling.
Xie Lian swooped in, planting a butterfly soft kiss on his cheek before stepping back. He admired Hua Cheng’s self-control as he fought himself back from chasing Xie Lian. Instead, Xie Lian straightened out his back, gently rolling his shoulders before planting his palms firmly on Hua Cheng’s chest and pushed!
With a hmpfh- Hua Cheng flew back in the air before flopping down perfectly in the center of the bed, his head resting softly on a pillow. Xie Lian knew if San Lang could blush, he probably would be. As much as it didn’t happen often, San Lang had a soft spot in his heart for knowing the only person who could ever match him in strength was the gentle Xie Lian. So, when Xie Lian ever exerted his strength, particularly in bed, Hua Cheng was always a fan.
In that moment, Xie Lian considered simply forgoing the bet and tying Hua Cheng to the bed, but he decided to store that idea away for another time. Instead, he hummed to himself before following Hua Cheng onto the bed, noting how San Lang’s cold demeanor was betrayed by the harsh twitch of his exposed member. Hua Cheng lay perfectly still in the center of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest. Xie Lian moved his legs apart before sitting himself in between them. He pulled the leg to his left up at the knee, bending it, before he bent over and placed feather soft kisses along the inside of it.
Humming as he went, Xie Lian said, “San Lang, I must admit something to you.” Hua Cheng hummed his acknowledgement from above him. “It used to disappoint me so how no matter how I bit or sucked, because there is no blood in your body, you would never receive marks from me.” He punctuated this statement with a fierce bite to the soft muscle of Hua Cheng’s inner thigh, reveling in the hiss from above him. “But I think differently now. Now, I can relax and know no matter what I do to you, no one will ever have the evidence to know. No one except you. And. Me.” Xie Lian said with a harsh pop of his lips on San Lang’s skin after each word. There was a deep rumble of a moan from the man underneath him as Xie Lian gave the same treatment to the other leg, moving briskly across Hua Cheng’s pelvis. “Mn. That’s good San Lang, tell your gege how it feels.”
“Gege. Don’t.” Hua Cheng’s voice was dark, but held no weight as Xie Lian blew a soft breath over Hua Cheng’s cock.
“’Don’t’ what, San Lang? Are you really going to complain at a time like this?” Xie Lian asked before taking the head into his mouth. It was heady and heavy on his tongue, already leaking. Hua Cheng’s leg twitched next to him, bumping into Xie Lian’s side. He pushed further down the shaft before popping back up, basking in the ripped groan from Hua Cheng. “Be careful not to bump into gege. No touching. Besides you don’t want me to accidentally choke, do you?” Hua Cheng, who had previously refused to look at Xie Lian, stared aggressively at him while Xie Lian sat up to pull his hair into a pony tail, something he never had to do before because that job of holding his hair out of the way was usually delegated to San Lang’s hands. Xie Lian could see him cursing the tie as he leaned back over Hua Cheng’s hips. But now that Xie Lian’s hair was out of the way he knew Hua Cheng had a clear view of what he was doing, but Xie Lian also had a clear view of Hua Cheng.
As he took Hua Cheng back into his mouth, Xie Lian used his hands to massage the places where he had tried to make marks on San Lang’s thighs. He pressed and he dug as he pushed his head further down, trying to relax his throat. In all honesty this was not something too hard for him as he had been practicing sword swallowing for much longer than he had been blowing San Lang.
The grunts and moans were getting more frequent above him as once Hua Cheng finally had to break their extended eye contact to push his head back against the pillow, a long string of moans breaking through his lips. Xie Lian smirked around him, with San Lang’s eye focused solely on Xie Lian’s face, he was able to maneuver one of his hands to gently cup and massage Hua Cheng’s balls.
Xie Lian could feel the miniscule twitches and movements of San Lang’s hips and thighs even as he tried to force them back, to hold them under his control. But the pleasure Xie Lian was giving him was too much, and Xie Lian knew he was getting close to his edge.
Instead of giving him that satisfaction, Xie Lian pulled off Hua Cheng completely. San Lang groaned in protest, but seemed to have expected something like this, “Gege~” he whined. Xie Lian hummed in response, pride swelling in him at a job well done, Hua Cheng looked thoroughly boneless beneath him. Xie Lian reached out, grabbing one of San Lang’s hands that was gripping the sheets below him and brought it up to his face, kissing the palm. He watched San Lang open his eye, connecting their eyes. Once he was sure Hua Cheng was watching him, he grabbed the other hand and pulled them both so they were resting over Hua Cheng’s head on the pillow. He watched as Hua Cheng’s eyelashes fluttered at the feeling of being positioned like a pawn.
“Isn’t that cheating, gege?” His voice was rough, his throat dry.
“Of course not. I said I could touch you however I wanted to, didn’t I?” Xie Lian’s voice was also rough around the edges, he coughed to clear his throat. Hua Chen rolled his eye but still grunted his agreement.
“San Lang, don’t look so grumpy at a time like this!” Xie Lian teased as he climbed up from where he was sitting and straddled San Lang’s waist, his erection on full display and Hua Cheng’s poking his behind. As he rested his hands back on San Lang’s chest, he felt the aggressive intake of breath as the man under him whipped his head to the side, refusing to look. “Ah- San Lang don’t act like that toward your gege who just made you feel so good!” Xie Lian whined before laying fully on top of Hua Cheng’s broad chest, his fingers slipping to play with the hair at the base of his neck.
“Gege, this isn’t fair.” Hua Cheng choked out as Xie Lian nestled his head between the raised muscle of Hua Cheng’s pecs.
“San Lang, San Lang, so impatient!” Xie Lian chastised lightly but still moved one hand to grab the vial of oil from the small table next to the bed. He spread some on his fingers before reaching behind him to his hole. “Mn. San Lang usually has this warm before we use it. Trying something new, hm?” Those words tore through Hua Cheng with a start, he jolted his head up to look over Xie Lian’s shoulder at what was going on behind him.
He groaned deep in his throat but was unable to look away. “Gege, let me.”
“San Lang, are you trying to keep me from doing something I -ah – want to do?” San Lang looked like he had been doused in cold water.
“No.”
“Good boy.” Xie Lian sighed before wiggling up slightly so he could lay comfortably with his head tucked in between San Lang’s shoulder and neck, his breath fanning along his collar bones. He knew this also gave San Lang a clearer view of the movement of Xie Lian’s hand as it moved in and out of him, his hips raised up. They both let out quiet sighs and moans, San Lang’s were always in response to when Xie Lian was particularly loud or when his hip would move on their own, bumping into his own burning erection.
By the time the third finger was fully accustomed within him, Xie Lian was getting lost to the pleasure – he was starting to gasp and sob with every movement, his hips rocking almost disconnected from his mind, chasing closer, closer, deeper, but it wasn’t quite enough.
“Ah, San Lang, it’s not enough – ah, your fingers seem to be longer than mine. They fit perfectly. Ah- please.”
“Gege, don’t beg me. You’re the one in control.” His voice was wrecked, he struggled to just get the words out. Xie Lian slowly realized this had gone on for far longer than Hua Cheng usually took in prepping him, he really was teasing him, wasn’t he? Good.
“Ah- that’s right isn’t it? Have you been good, just watching, San Lang?”
“Yes.” He choked out.
Xie Lian hummed, mouthing at the neck next to him. “You want gege to take care of you? Hm, San Lang?”
“Please… Dianxia.” San Lang sobbed out. Xie Lian nodded once, as if convinced before he sat up slightly to look down at San Lang. He was a bit taken back by the face he was met with. San Lang’s face was dark, almost like he was angry, but in Xie Lian’s movements he grinded against San Lang, his face broke as a wanton moan ripped through his mouth, his eye squeezed shut. He wasn’t angry, he was just really turned on – and maybe a bit angry he couldn’t do anything about it – but Xie Lian was pleased to see he had controlled himself enough to let Xie Lian do as he wanted.
Xie Lian swooped to kiss him hard on the mouth as he pulled his fingers out of himself. Hua Cheng actively tried to dominate the kiss this time, taking his frustration out on Xie Lian, and he was feeling too good to care much. With Hua Cheng distracted, and with the small part of his brain that wasn’t yet swimming in ecstasy, Xie Lian grabbed the oil again, splashing a generous amount onto his hand and San Lang’s cock before spreading it around. Hua Cheng moaned heavily against his mouth. Xie Lian pulled away slightly, leaving their foreheads touching as he took a few deep, steadying breaths before leaning back to sit on Hua Cheng.
The fit was usually tight, but with the extra time Xie Lian had spent on himself, and the copious amounts of lube, Hua Cheng slipped into him in a snug shove. They let out deep sighs on completion, Xie Lian’s breath coming in quick pants at the feeling.
“Dianxia, relax. You’re safe. I got you.” San Lang’s voice washed over him like a salve.
He moaned as he sat up, Hua Cheng sinking impossibly deeper, his hands planting themselves on Hua Cheng’s chest, unapologetic of the smear of oil. They would have to take a bath later anyways.
“San Lang.” Xie Lian found himself moaning as he raised himself up before siting back down with force. He could barely keep his eyes open under the waves of pleasure, the stimulation building deep in the pit of his stomach. He kept his fast and aggressive rhythm, choking out sobs when Hua Cheng would hit his prostate and electricity would shoot up his back.
He was sure he was blubbering nonsense now, but he couldn’t stop the words pouring out of his mouth as he rode Hua Cheng with all he had. He vaguely recognized himself spilling line after line of obscene praise for San Lang, his most devoted and beloved follower, Hua Chengzhu.
He barely cracked an eye open as he spoke his praise for his beloved and basked in the sight of the man below him completely wrecked, his arms twitching and shaking as he gripped the pillow below him until his knuckles were white.
He wasn’t sure what came over him, but he found himself raising his left hand, presenting his long fingers, one of which was decorated with a delicate red bow, to San Lang and simply saying, “San Lang.” His voice was crystal clear as if it was completely ignorant and separate from the active bouncing of the rest of his body.
Hua Cheng’s eye snapped open at the summon, his eye immediately locking onto the hand, and without hesitation, he reached out his own hand with a red bow on it. San Lang grasped Xie Lian’s hand before pulling it to his face and kissing his palm. Xie Lian couldn’t keep the smile from breaking out across his face. He pulled his hand back, bringing Hua Cheng’s with it and brought it to his own chest, to where Hua Cheng’s ring sat against his heated skin right over his heart. With a deep press down, Xie Lian paused right as San Lang’s hand rested on its own, covering his chest and the ring.
Xie Lian felt like his heart could burst he was so full. His heart was racing and his breath was quick, but it felt like it all stopped when San Lang finally shook himself out of his stupor to look Xie Lian in the eye.
Xie Lian could barely choke out a sob before Hua Cheng had flipped them over, forcefully slamming Xie Lian against the bed. He nearly screamed as San Lang firmly grasped his cock in his hand as he started pumping in and out of him at the same pace. Xie Lian’s hands shot out to grab anything, his right hand closed around Hua Cheng’s arm that was supporting his weight as his left hand moved to grab Hua Cheng’s leg as it moved back and forth against him.
“It’s good, gege. So good.” Hua Cheng moaned in his ear.
“Ah- San Lang, San Lang!” Xie Lian felt himself gripping tighter.
“Relax, Dianxia, almost there.” True to his word, Xie Lian felt San Lang push in deep before he felt his member twitching deep inside him, the warmth spreading through the rest of his body. They stayed still for a moment, Hua Cheng still rubbing along the head of Xie Lian’s cock, pushing the limit of his stimulation.
Xie Lian was sure this would be how he came, but as his hips started twitching, San Lang swooped in to cover his head with his mouth, sucking hard, practically ripping the orgasm from Xie Lian’s body.
The two lay there boneless, fulfilled for a time before the smell of flowers filled the room, the door quietly clicking closed. Someone had brought them a bath. San Lang groaned as he pulled himself up from where he had squashed Xie Lian, he pulled the other man into his arms before stepping into the bath and sitting them down.
Xie Lian’s hiss turned into a hum of appreciation as the heat sunk deep into his tired muscles. He leaned into Hua Cheng’s sturdy frame behind him, his head leaning back to rest on his shoulder, he gracefully kissed the underside of Hua Cheng’s jaw.
“I win.” He whispered.
“Mm. I think I won the long game.” San Lang’s voice wrapped around Xie Lian like another bucket of warm water.
“Don’t try to spin things in your favor. I won the bet.” Xie Lian teased.
“Yes, gege. Anything for you.” Xie Lian looked up just in time to see the smile set fully on San Lang’s face. He reached a hand up to pull him down for a soft kiss.
Hua Cheng’s arms solidly wrapped around his waist.