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Luo Binghe had found himself the perfect perch overlooking the hot spring. The early spring air was cool but the steam rising from the water meant that every flower was already in bloom. It was the perfect setting to watch his shizuns. The full moon was high, casting everything in a soft blue glow. Shen Qingqiu sat on the rocks combing oil into his long hair while Shen Qingxia floated in the clear water.
They looked like spirits or fairies come just to bathe in this secluded spot while the moon was high. Luo Binghe sighed, grateful once again to be the only one let close enough to see such a sight.
They'd been traveling together for a long time. Luo Binghe had started off his life in the depths of despair, flitting from place to place, never belonging. Before he met his shizuns the only person who had ever cared for him had died and then he was forced onto the streets again. When he'd gone to Cang Qiong Mountain and been accepted as a disciple of Qing Jing Peak, it had been the happiest day of his life.
Shen Qingqiu was beautiful, exactly how Luo Binghe pictured an immortal would be. But his expression was cold as he asked Luo Binghe why he'd come to Cang Qiong Mountain, why he'd wanted to be a cultivator. That coldness had only sharpened when Luo Binghe spoke of his mother, and for a moment he was sure he'd be cast out.
Then the garden door slid open and someone with the exact same face glided in and wrapped his arms around Shen Qingqiu's shoulder. He pressed their heads together and offered Luo Binghe a warm smile that softened his more severe features.
"Jiu-di, did you accept a disciple?" He asked.
"I did," Shen Qingqiu said. "Though I question his resolve."
"So harsh! I think he looks like he'll do just fine. Isn't that right…. What was your name?"
"This one is Luo Binghe." Luo Binghe bowed his head all the way to the floor and was rewarded with a tinkling laugh.
"Ah, Binghe then, how cute. Jiu-di, I think he'll be a good disciple."
When he looked back up, Shen Qingqiu's face had softened and his head was leaned back against his brother's.
"If you say so, Qingxia," Shen Qingqiu huffed.
Luo Binghe's heart had fluttered and in that moment he felt his whole future align. He would become a great cultivator, just like his mother had wished, and then he'd become the wife of his shizuns.
Shen Qingqiu had accepted nothing less than perfection from the moment they met, and though Shen Qingxia was the more forgiving of thr two, he had a mean streak that could be unpredictable. He was picky about what he ate and where he slept when they were on night hunts. He'd snap over tiny details in their literature lessons, and only Shen Qingqiu could calm him down. Still, Luo Binghe loved them both and his resolve never wavered. He would be the best wife for sure.
Things were going exactly as planned until the Immortal Alliance Conference had revealed his demonic heritage. He remembered standing on the edge of the Abyss while Shen Qingqiu shook him, demanding to know if he knew what he was, if he'd hidden it on purpose. Shen Qingxia had just stared fixedly at the deep blackness of the Endless Abyss. As panic wound through Luo Binghe's bones and real tears curved down his cheeks, his shizuns had exchanged a look. They said nothing for a long time while Luo Binghe's heart threatened to climb out of his throat.
Shen Qingqiu was harsh, but had always been the most rational. He made the decision first.
"We have to go."
"Jiu-di—"
"Be quiet," Shen Qingqiu snapped. "How do you think this looks? Disciples from every sect slaughtered by demons. Our disciple standing here with a zuiyin glowing on his forehead. The Endless Abyss open in the middle of the Immortal Alliance Conference."
"Binghe wouldn't—" Shen Qingxia started.
"I know that." Shen Qingqiu's jaw clenched. "I know that. But no one else will." His gaze pierced into Luo Binghe before turning back to Shen Qingxia. "Ge, no one else will believe us. We have to go."
Shen Qingxia had stared off into the forest, his lips curving down and his face pale, ash smudged high on his cheek. Luo Binghe wrapped his arms around himself as he waited. Then, at last, Shen Qingxia nodded.
They had fled into the night together, each of Luo Binghe's hands held in theirs. They had been traveling ever since. It had not been so bad. He missed some of his shidi and shimei, and the comforts of the Bamboo House. But he was with his shizuns, his shizuns had chosen him over Cang Qiong Mountain. That's what mattered most.
And one night, during a night hunt where he'd taken the horn of the Sinister Striped Tiger Drake to his gut, he'd also gotten everything he wanted. As Shen Qingxia had finished slaying the beast, Shen Qingqiu had poured qi into his body trying to knit flesh back together, face contorted as his glassy eyes darted around Luo Binghe's face. When it had been clear Luo Binghe would be alright, his heavenly demon blood helping to stitch his wounds, Shen Qingqiu had spat out a "little beast," slapped him across the face, then crashed their lips together in something that was too clumsy to be a real kiss.
Shen Qingxia had found them like that, hands in each others hair and robes soaked in Luo Binghe's blood and shook his head, then grabbed Luo Binghe's jaw and pressed a kiss to his lips.
So, it really wasn't a bad life as a wandering cultivator. Even if they hadn't done their three bows yet, Luo Binghe knew his shizuns thought of him as more than a disciple and that was good enough for him. And there were some benefits. Like tonight where they'd chanced upon this hot spring and Luo Binghe had made and excuse so he could sneak back around and watch his shizuns together, just the two of them.
He didnt get as many chances for this as he did when they lived on Qing Jing Peak, where he might happen upon them playing music together, or reading, or one very lucky instance where he saw them twined together on their daybed, robes askew and faces flushed.
He didn't know what kind of life they had lived to make them so close, Shen Qingqiu especially did not like to speak of it. But Luo Binghe had seen the scars on his back and he did not really need to know more. It was enough for them to trust him, to let him sleep by their side.
Shen Qingxia drifted back over to Shen Qingqiu, the water curling in eddies around him, then he reached up to tug on his twin's hair. Shen Qingqiu huffed and Luo Binghe knew he was rolling his eyes, even from here. Shen Qingxia tugged on his hair again and Shen Qingqiu batted him away, shifting so his back was turned.
A warm heat began to stir in Luo Binghe's gut. He knew the look on Shen Qingxia's face. This was the exact reason he'd decided to spy. Often when they were all together, his shizuns would focus on him and not each other. Somethings they seemed to save for when they were alone. But Luo Binghe still wanted to see, wanted to know everything about his shizuns.
Shen Qingxia sank lower under the surface of the water, circling to Shen Qingqiu's other side before launching up to pull him down with a splash. Shen Qingqiu broke out of the water sputtering, his skin glistening in the moonlight. Shen Qingxia smirked as he crowded Shen Qingqiu back against the rocks, slamming his hands on either side of his brother's body.
The heat grew in Luo Binghe's gut as he watched Shen Qingqiu's cheeks flush, momentarily too stunned to stop Shen Qingxia from leaning in to capture his lips. Luo Binghe sighed, thinking of the way those lips felt against his own, how he knew exactly what it was like to have Shen Qingxia's hands stroke down his bare side the way he was doing to Shen Qingqiu, how he'd felt the same feeling Shen Qingqiu likely felt now as Shen Qingxia broke away to bite down on the curve of his neck, how Luo Binghe knew the exact feeling of Shen Qingqiu gasping against his mouth as he wrapped his legs around Luo Binghe's hips and—
Something caught Luo Binghe's eye and he whipped his head around to stare into the flowering bushes next to the hot spring. There was someone else here. The twins hadn't noticed, too caught up in each other as Shen Qingqiu's hands wove into Shen Qingxia's hair to pull him closer.
Luo Binghe tore his gaze away, staring into the foliage. Perhaps it was just an animal come to drink from the hot spring, or a trick of the light, or—
No. He caught the glint of eyes where the moonlight pierced the foliage. His zuiyin flared, anger twisting in his gut. How dare anyone intrude on his shizuns. No one else but Luo Binghe should have that right! No one else but Luo Binghe should get to see his shizuns like this, vulnerable and so wrapped up in each other that they hadn't noticed an intruder.
He slowly drew his sword, thinking of the best path to take to get behind this man and take him out quietly so as not to disturb his shizuns. But the blade must have caught the moonlight. The eyes flashed towards him then he was forced to leap from his perch to avoid a blast of qi. He landed next to the hot spring, splashing water and startling his shizuns. They both whipped their heads up to look at him in unison, their faces identical masks of shock.
"Binghe!" Shen Qingxia yelped but Luo Binghe couldn't answer. The intruder flashed out of the foliage with his own sword and Luo Binghe only had time to raise Zheng Yang to parry the strike. His focus narrowed. Breath coming fast as his qi shook through him like a wildfire.
He parried again, then slashed forward, driving the intruder back. This person was fast, but Luo Binghe was faster. They met each other blow for blow, each strike ringing in the silent air. The intruder bounded back, flashing up towards the trees then diving forward in a spiking arc, blade flashing.
Luo Binghe dodged, ducking low the way Shen Qingqiu had taught him once when he was still so much smaller, when Shen Qingqiu told him if he was weaker he had to be faster. He had to live long enough to become strong so no one could touch him. Luo Binghe spun on his heel, his foot came up, smashing into the intruder's gut, then he struck up with Zheng Yang, the hilt slamming into the stranger's jaw and knocking him to the ground.
The intruder spat out a mouthful of blood, tried to push himself up again, then collapsed face first into the grass.
The air stilled around them. The only sounds were Luo Binghe's heavy breathing as he caught his breath and the rippling water of the hot spring.
He turned to find both Shens staring at him, still submerged in the water, their arms around each other. Shen Qingxia had that starry-eyed look he sometimes got when he was about to go on a long lecture about some obscure topic. Shen Qingqiu's gaze was sharp, cheeks flushed and lips parted. Luo Binghe watched his throat bob as he swallowed. The heat in Luo Binghe's gut sparked back to life.
"Shizun!" He crossed over to the water's edge. "This disciple apologizes for disturbing you. But he caught this stranger and had to do something about it."
"Binghe is so brave," Shen Qingxia smiled. "Always such a good boy." Luo Binghe's cheeks flushed and he ducked his head.
"I do wonder why you were here though, little beast," Shen Qingqiu hummed. "Care to explain how long you've been watching?"
Luo Binghe opened his mouth, already conjuring up one of his prepared answers, but he was interrupted as the intruder groaned. Anger flashed through him as he turned to stare at the man who had ruined his good night. A thought came into his head and he turned back to his shizuns. Surely, something should be done about someone who had seen his shizuns naked, who had intruded on their intimate time together.
"Shizun, this person had committed a grave offense against you both. Allow this disciple to punish him properly."
Both Shens looked at each other, then nodded.
"Binghe need not be so concerned," Shen Qingxia said. "But if he wishes to do something, this master won't stop him."
"Of course, Shizun." Luo Binghe smiled, a giddy rush of excitement swirling through him. "Allow me to kill him for you."
Shen Qingqiu continued to nod. "Of course. It's what such a person deserves for doing something as vile as spying on us without our knowledge."
"Mmhmm, of course" Shen Qingxia said. "If you want to kill— Wait! Wait! No!"
Luo Binghe widened his eyes, letting tears well up to cloud his vision. "But Qingxia-shizun, its as Qingqiu-shizun says. He violated your privacy and—"
"No!" Shen Qingxia exclaimed. "Absolutely not! Binghe, you can tie him up, march him back to town in disgrace, but kill him? Really?" He rounded on Shen Qingqiu. "And you! Binghe may not know better but you should."
"Ge," Shen Qingqiu huffed. "Who knows what things he had planned. What if—"
"No! No-no-no. I told you to stop thinking of murder as the default option. What's wrong with you?"
Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes, lips curling into a sneer. "What's wrong with me? Last time I checked, you 'd be injured by some beast or kidnapped by exactly this sort of person if it wasn't for me."
"Shen Qingxia flushed, the sneered right back. Oh yeah? And you'd surely be the most hated person in the Jianghu if it wasn't for me."
"Shizun," Luo Binghe started. Both Shens turned to glare, shushing him.
"You'd be dead if it wasn't for me," Shen Qingqiu snapped.
"You'd be dead if it wasn't for me!" Shen Qingxia spat back.
They're eyes narrowed, bodies tensing, then they were slamming into each other crashing into the water. Luo Binghe stared at the overlapping ripples. Both Shens heads breached the water a moment later, sputtering. They crashed into each other again, the splashing water closing over their heads.
Luo Binghe knew from experience they'd probably fight till they were exhausted and he hurried to strip off his robes so he could try and keep them from drowning each other. A flicker of movement caught his eyes and he turned to see the intruder fleeing into the woods, disappearing from sight as quickly as he'd come.
Luo Binghe sighed. He really had wanted to show that stranger what he'd do to anyone who tried to hurt either of his shizuns, but his shizuns were more important right now. He threw the rest of his robes on the ground and jumped into the water. Even as he caught a stray fist to his face and had his head dunked under the heated water, his heart was still light.
Everyday that he could be with his shizuns was the best day of them all.