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Xie Lian hates to admit it, but married life has changed some things. Of course, some other things stay the same but, it is always the small things that he doesn’t expect to change that do. It all begins with something that has never changed, San Lang’s complete willingness to accommodate Xie Lian in whatever he wants to do, whether it be sparing, answering prayers, working with the remaining Heavenly Officials to keep things in order, or to lounge around and spend time with his husband. Most often, San Lang accompanies Xie Lian when he goes out to answer his followers’ prayers, never imposing, simply wanting to be with his husband. However, when Xie Lian left Ghost City a few days ago and Hua Cheng was, unfortunately, unable to accompany him, that was also no big deal, and both were content to spend time together when he returned, they thought, that evening. But another thing that does not change with married life is chaos of people around them. The prayers Xie Lian set out to solve were supposed to be simple and smooth, but ultimately things went awry and he was out in the mortal realm for four days working with his followers.
This ultimately leads him to the realization that something has changed since he has been married! Xie Lian, the Scrap Collector God who lived on his own, working to get by for centuries, thought himself immune to the pains of working. He grew accustomed to the knots and tension roiling through his back; grew numb to the soreness of his muscles as he lifted objects meant to be lifted by groups of people. Sure, Xie Lian was used to feeling sore, but only for a short period of time before the ache settled into the constant numbness of his toiled body. But this pain he felt as he walked back through the doors or Paradise Manor was something he had not felt in a long time. For most of his walk back home, he pondered why his legs felt like lead, his shoulders slouched, and he felt like his back had been rammed by a bull. Nothing he had done while he was out was anything above what he was used to doing, nothing he hadn’t spent years doing before, so why now? The only thing that had changes was that he was married. Although perhaps it was not that he was married, but whom he was married to.
The realization dawned on him as he approached where Hua Cheng was sitting, he obviously knew Xie Lian was home, but was playing coy since Xie Lian had rejected Hua Cheng’s attempts to join him when he had finished the work he needed to do in Ghost City, and Xie Lian was still out working. Neither of them knew how long he would be out, each day saying, “Tomorrow really must be the last and then I will be home.”
Finally, close enough to make out the details of his husband’s face, Xie Lian called out, “San Lang, I’m home!” He watched as Hua Cheng’s features brightened as he looked up before concern washed over his features.
“Welcome home, beloved,” he said as he quickly walked around the table and pulling Xie Lian into an embrace. “What is wrong, gege, why do you look so…”
“Ah, nothing is wrong San Lang, I am just tired. No need to worry. Although, I am beginning to suspect you are spoiling me too much, San Lang.” Xie Lian said as he nuzzled into Hua Cheng’s chest, relaxation rolling through him only to be popped by the pain he felt.
“There is no such thing; gege, come let us take a bath and then retire,” Hua Cheng says, pulling Xie Lian gently, their fingers interlocked.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about, San Lang! Your luxurious baths and pampering, you’re –“ Xie Lian stops himself before he says something truly embarrassing.
But Hua Cheng does not let him back down, “I’m what, gege? Giving you what you deserve? Allowing you to relax and destress? What is so bad about that, beloved?” There is laughter in his voice, but Xie Lian can hear that he is very serious about this.
Xie Lian stops walking, realizing what he needs to say, Hua Cheng stops with him, a curious and slightly worried look on his face. “San Lang. You know… You know I have gone through a lot,” Hua Cheng nods, “and sometimes it has been painful.”
“Dianxia, did someone do something to you?” Hua Cheng cuts off Xie Lian, something he is not prone to doing, but Xie Lian hears the anger and fear building up in Hua Cheng’s voice.
“No! No nothing like that, San Lang, listen. It is quite the opposite, in fact.” Xie Lian takes a breath to steady himself. “After a while, San Lang, I just stopped feeling it. Nothing hurt anymore, nothing was soft anymore. Things just were what they were and I moved on. Feeling was a luxury I did not allow myself to have anymore. But that’s different now. And it’s because of you, San Lang.” Hua Cheng is staring at him with wide eyes and a deep expression in his eyes. Xie Lian carries on quickly before San Lang gets the wrong idea. “You… You allowed me to feel again. To feel joy and laughter, and sadness and loss, and then true fulfillment again! And I, well I guess I thought I had felt it all again, but it wasn’t until today that I learned there was something else you had given back to me. Those things I said, they are all internal, I guess, but you taught me how to feel again. Your soft sheets, these clothes that don’t rub my skin raw, a warm bath, and well… You.
“And it’s because of you that I was able to feel how I do right now. Not the pain of being stabbed or hit, but the pain of living, or working, something that I had lost for all that time. And sure, it’s not the best feeling, and I do wish it would hurt less, but still… I’m feeling it. I’m living it. And it is all thanks to you, San Lang. With your warm baths, and your massages, and your doting, and your love and your devotion that I’m still here and I can feel again, and I can live again.” Tears prick at the corners of Xie Lian’s eyes, and he has to look away from the raw look on Hua Cheng’s face. “And I need you to know how thankful I am for everything. Not just the stuff, not the things, but just you, my husband. You – you care for me like it is so simple, as natural as breathing, but it truly is extravagant to me, these things you have given back to me without even knowing it. San Lang, ah, San Lang, this wasn’t how I meant to come home, but just this, standing here listening to me ramble is more than I ever could have asked for.” Xie Lian stops talking with a sniff and to wipe his tears, but Hua Cheng’s hand beats him to it, cupping his cheeks and rolling his tears away with his thumb.
“Beloved,” San Lang begins, but Xie Lian cuts him off, reaching onto his toes to press a kiss to Hua Cheng’s lips, catching the other off guard, feeling the gasp against his lips.
Xie Lian speaks quickly after he breaks away, “Don’t say anything about it yet San Lang. I don’t know if I can handle your silver tongue right now. That bath you mentioned sounds perfect, San Lang.” Hua Cheng is silent for a moment, a small victory for Xie Lian, but he nods.
“Of course, anything for you, gege.” Hua Cheng whisks them away to their chambers, the smell of a bath already filling the room. Just seeing the expensive bath was enough to release something deep in his muscles, the relaxation immediate. The exhaustion was also immediate as he found himself leaning heavier against Hua Cheng, his head emptying as he was sat down on a stool, Hua Cheng kneeling in front of him, removing his boots with utmost care.
“Ah, San Lang, you don’t have to!” Xie Lian’s protest was weak, with his body aching to be in the warm water and embrace of his husband. He could get out of his clothes much faster on his own, but each reach of his own hands was pushed away by Hua Cheng’s long fingers.
“Just feel it, gege. Allow me this.” If Xie Lian’s brain was foggy before, it was shut off completely as the sensations of Hua Cheng pushing him further into his seat, and kissing down from his shoulder to his fingertips as he pulled Xie Lian’s robes off him leaving him in just his pants. The room was warm and humid from the bath now, the smell of the oils soothing Xie Lian’s tired soul. Once he was naked, Hua Cheng stood to quickly and gracelessly pull his own clothes off.
Xie Lian lifted his arms toward his husband, just wanting a hug and a kiss, but Hua Cheng swooped in, picking him up before slowly lowering them both into the toe-curlingly warm water. Xie Lian shivered and moaned as the heat soaked into every fiber of his being, the perfect temperature. The water melted most of the tension out of him as he leaned back heavily into Hua Cheng’s chest. His eyes drooped under the bliss of it all when Hua Cheng’s arms wrapped around his waist.
“How does it feel, beloved? Tell me.” His voice a heavy blanket against Xie Lian’s hair.
“Ah, it’s perfect, San Lang. You’re perfect.” Xie Lian wanted to say more, but the words weren’t forming in his brain anymore. He tilted his head back and angled for a kiss. The first was sloppy and they both laughed as Xie Lian almost slipped on the floor and fell into the water. Instead, he moved around until he was straddling Hua Cheng’s lap. With his hands holding Hua Cheng’s face, and hands holding him close, Xie Lian dove back in. It was hot and wet. But also, lazy and slow, comforting. Xie Lian groaned as one of Hua Cheng’s hands moved up from his lower back to bunch up in his wet hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him even further in.
Xie Lian basked in the feeling of it. The warmth of hot mouths and tongues. The slow drag of teeth on lips. The feeling of fire burning through his veins as Hua Cheng moans into his mouth when Xie Lian pulls himself up a bit to wrap his arms around Hua Cheng’s shoulders, forcing the other to look up at him, their chest flush against each other. Xie Lian basks in the intimacy of it, the feeling of having all the time in the world with no expectations, just sensations. Xie Lian was wholly lost to Hua Cheng’s mouth, moaning as he rocks gently against him, feeling the rumble of his call returned.
Xie Lian breaks the kiss for a breath, his eyes opening to an equally lost San Lang. A lazy smile spreads across his face before he settles back down, his face nuzzled into Hua Cheng’s neck. San Lang hums, his fingers rubbing soothingly along Xie Lian’s back and thighs, tiny sparks on his skin. Xie Lian closes his eyes again, the heat enveloping him wholly, bliss and contentment rolling off him in waves.
He must have dozed off because he wakes to San Lang’s voice in his ear and a kiss to his hair. “Let’s get you cleaned up and move to the bed, gege.” Xie Lian hums sleepily, leaning back to extricate himself from Hua Cheng’s tangled limbs, grimacing slightly at the pull in his back. Hua Cheng sighs at him, smoothing his expression with a warm finger to Xie Lian’s brow before he leans back to grab the cloth, using it to gently, reverently, scrub along Xie Lian’s skin. Having sat in the water for so long, most of the sweat and grime had already washed off, but what was left came away under Hua Cheng’s attentions. Xie Lian desperately wanted to return the favor, but Hua Cheng beat him to it by quickly scrubbing himself clean and lifted them out of the magically warm water. He toweled them dry efficiently before carrying Xie Lian into their bedroom, moving the covers aside to lay Xie Lian down onto his stomach.
“Let me take care of you, beloved.”
Xie Lian hummed, “You already have, San Lang.” Anything else Xie Lian wanted to say was cut off as Hua Cheng pushed his thumbs into a knot at the base of Xie Lian’s spine, pushing a moan out of him. Xie Lian shivered as he felt the knot release, loosened under the heat of the bath and Hua Cheng who now knelt over him, his movements smoothed by the oil still clinging to Xie Lian’s skin.
“Does this feel ok, gege?” Hua Cheng’s voice was smooth, a balm over his heart. Xie Lian lay his head over his arms, nodding as he tried to hold back his moans and whimpers as Hua Cheng moves expertly across his back; his fingers digging into Xie Lian’s skin and muscles, working out deep-set kinks and knots with slow attention. Under his ministrations, Xie Lian melts further into the bed, the pain a gateway into paradise.
After a while, Hua Cheng’s hands are followed by his clever mouth and tongue, lavishing attention on the newly relaxed flesh as his hands set out on the mountain of knots in Xie Lian’s shoulders. But with the muscles below them loose, the knots above them flow freely under Hua Cheng until Xie Lian is a moaning, melted mess. When Xie Lian was suitable putty below his fingers, Hua Cheng gently flipped him over and began working on his front, starting with his pectorals and moving down his arms until even his fingertips were tingling with renewed blood-flow and sensation, nipped by Hua Cheng’s sharp teeth. He kissed his way briefly down the plains of Xie Lian’s abdomen but ultimately breezed by Xie Lian’s erection to his feet. Xie Lian’s body feebly jumped at the feeling of fingers digging into the sore tension of the soles of his feet, but succumbed back to the feeling of euphoria as the pain was chased away.
Having worked his way back up, Hua Cheng settled himself lazily between Xie Lian’s legs. “San Lang, you don’t have to… You have already done so much, let’s just sleep,” Xie Lian said as he reached down for his husband. Hua Cheng caught his hand, intertwining their fingers before laying them across Xie Lian’s stomach and dragging the breadth of his tongue up Xie Lian’s shaft. Xie Lian’s other hand shoots down to feel Hua Cheng’s silky hair bunch in between his fingers, his body trembling.
Hua Cheng blows him slow and steadily, overwhelming Xie Lian into a gasping puddle; pushing him deeper and deeper into overload. Xie Lian comes with a deep moan, his legs twitching, toes curling as his stomach jumps, the feeling of Hua Cheng’s heat pushing him over the edge. He gasps for air, feeling the weight of everything settle over his spent muscles, his brain blank as he stares at the ceiling. Xie Lian floats for a few moments before he reaches down, saying, “San Lang, come here, let me.” His hand finds wetness on Hua Cheng’s stomach where it brushes against his own knee, which he feels is also coated in a cooling wetness.
“Gege, I, uh.” Hua Cheng’s voice is wrecked and shaking. He trembles and flinches slightly when Xie Lian manages to brush a finger against his relaxing erection.
Xie Lian moans again, “You’re perfect, San Lang, beloved, husband.” He feels Hua Cheng shiver against him at the praise. Xie Lian cracks an eye open, unsure of when they fell closed, when Hua Cheng got off the bed to grab a cloth and wipe them both clean. When he satisfied with the job, he tossed it to the side and climbed up the bed to lay spread across Xie Lian; the weight a welcome comfort as Xie Lian lugs noodle-feeling arms up and around his husband. Hua Cheng hums happily above him, nestling deeper against Xie Lian and covering them with the bedding.
“I missed you, beloved.” The words are warm as the dance across Xie Lian’s chest, making his head spin.
“I missed you too, San Lang. Let’s sleep now. It is my turn to spoil you tomorrow.” Xie Lian’s consciousness was fading, but he heard Hua Cheng’s laughter nonetheless, nothing in this world could stop that sound from brightening his world.
“I will wait in anticipation for it, gege.” Hua Cheng yawns against him, and the two fall asleep wrapped up.