Work Text:
Cui Buqu walked into the living room while sleep still clung to him like a blanket. He had technically washed up, but the rain outside, the cooling weather, and his chronic illness having taken him out of commission for all of last week had left him feeling less charitable towards being human this morning.
As expected, Feng Xiao was sitting in his corner on the sofa, sipping tea and reading, what in Cui Buqu’s opinion, was a decidedly trash novel. Why would anyone begin with that the first thing in the morning was beyond him. He had read the thing and well, there was better porn to be found elsewhere.
A second teacup sat next to the teapot on the table, with some shortbread on a plate nearby. A simple wake-up ritual, that Cui Buqu recognised as Feng Xiao’s go-to whenever he was recovering from his illness. He smiled to himself. He had such a dutiful wife.
“Feng-er.” Cui Buqu exhaled as he stepped closer and sat next to Feng Xiao.
“Morning.” Feng Xiao kept to his book, turning a page.
Odd. Feng Xiao was rarely taciturn. If anything shutting him up was a sport to Cui Buqu, that often ended in either a pit or sex. This was not common behaviour, but this was behaviour that Cui Buqu had witnessed a handful of times before.
Feng Xiao turned a page. It made a slight scratching sound.
Cut Buqu narrowed his eyes. That page turn was intentional. His Feng-er was sulking.
He picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. The aroma was familiar and comforting, one of his favourites. He smiled slightly, and took a gentle sip.
Face immediately souring, he stared at the teacup in his hand in silence and then slowly turned, full-body, towards the man next to him.
“Did A-Xiao burn the tea?” He asked in a coddling tone. Face severe, intention anything but coddling, Cui Buqu took his morning tea seriously. And Feng Xiao in his unprecedented (and he was sure, unnecessary) sulk had ruined this thing.
“No. This is how I make tea.” Came the forcibly light reply. This time Feng Xiao held down his book and turned to look at his husband. Bright blinding smile and all.
“You don’t. I know how you make tea. This is not it. And I also know that you are unhappy about something. So now would be a good time to tell me before—“ Cui Buqu halted. Boring holes into Feng Xiao’s face he watched for any changes and noticed only one. Increasing rage on Feng Xiao’s face.
Oh. Interesting.
“Why would my husband think that I am unhappy?” Feng Xiao gritted out.
He did not know what this was. But whatever it was, it was big enough. Bold enough. And currently taking time out of their morning. Feng Xiao was actually affected and not just throwing a tantrum as he was prone to do with almost everything.
“Feng-er. What is happening?” Cui Buqu asked in what he considered a placating tone.
“Nothing. Is A-Cui not enjoying the tea?” He was unhappy, gritting his teeth slightly, yet keeping up a fake smile.
This was exhausting Cui Buqu already.
“No, I am not enjoying the tea.” He answered. If anyone was going to outdo Feng Xiao’s stubbornness, it would be Cui Buqu.
“And you keep calling me — “
This time Cui Buqu caught himself mid-sentence. So many emotions were slipping through his lips, it was abhorrent.
But that slip made Feng Xiao’s eyes sparkle a little. He latched on, setting aside whatever was making him miserable for a short minute. He smirked. “A-Cui. What have I been calling you?”
“Nevermind. Why are you upset?”
“I have been calling you “A-Cui” - isn’t that what I always call you?”
“Why did you burn the tea? You are better than this.”
“Or is it that you miss hearing “Ququ”? Hmm?” Feng Xiao practically purred at that and leaned in a little closer. His smile seemed a little more honest now, but whatever was bothering him was still there.
Cui Buqu did not respond, remaining stone-faced, he only stared down his nose at his husband who had very happily invaded any personal space and was looking up at him now.
With a finger he pushed Feng Xiao back by his nose. Feng Xiao went.
A stalemate.
Cui Buqu turned bodily away towards the table, a little further in the other direction even and picked up his teacup again. But before his lips could touch the rim, Feng Xiao’s hand came up to take the cup away and set it back down on the table.
Feng Xiao moved in closer, hugging Cui Buqu from behind, and gently whispered in his ear, “Isn’t everyone addressing my husband as “Ququ” - should I do the same?”
Ah. That’s what this was about.
Cui Buqu turned slightly in his embrace to face him.
“No one is calling me that except you. If you are going to eavesdrop on my conversations, then do your due diligence and stay for the entirety of it. I shut Xiao Lü down as soon as he called me that.”
This was it. That was all he was going to say on the subject. And that beautiful, infuriating, jealous, possessive demon of a man could either take it or leave it. What the fuck. Why did so many intimate thoughts need to be shared so early in the morning.
Cui Buqu steadied his breathing and extracted himself to leave. Only for Feng Xiao to pull him back down into his lap, turning him fully so that he was facing Feng Xiao as he came down.
Feng Xiao looked serene. He closed the distance between them and rubbed their noses together, closing his eyes. Cui Buqu couldn’t help but stare. So beautiful. Always so beautiful.
Feng Xiao breathed in deeply, like he had been unable to for a long long time. And then pressed his face into the crook of Cui Buqu’s neck. And he smiled, burrowing further into the soft skin of his husband’s neck.
Cui Buqu felt the smile and felt himself automatically embrace Feng Xiao back, pulling him further into a hug.
A few long moments and he couldn’t help but ask, “Has my A-Xiao been sitting with this for the whole week I was unwell? You never said.”
Feng Xiao placed a gentle kiss on the exposed skin he could reach and mumbled softly, “You are mine to care for. Now that you are well, I can ask.”
And at that Cui Buqu had to laugh, “Feng-er. You did not ask. You burnt my tea and you tried to pick a fight.”
Feng Xiao pulled back, looked at Cui Buqu and smiled like he always did - happily and freely.
“I will make tea for Ququ now.”
Cui Buqu leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips three times before letting go.