the golden fish and the red eyed crow (tgcf au)

[13] (apologies for the long wait)

[im sorry for taking so long I've been busy with school sports etc but I'm trying to update more often as I see more people read this fan fic btw thanks for reading this it means a lot. Also thank you for your patience]

xie lian lays in his bed inside him room as he shoves his face into a pillow out of embarrassment. he kicks his feet up and down as his hair gets messy and slightly tangled. he keeps having memories of his interaction with hua cheng, the memories were vivid and very unforgettable. he could remember the perfume hua cheng had probbably used, the feeling of hua chengs robes, the feeling of his hands stroking xie lians long hair and the gentle sound of his voice that seeped into xie lians ear like honey. xie lian really didn't want to admit it but he wished for hua cheng to hold him again and whisper sweet words to hims. xie lian continued to attempt to shoo away the thoughts that found ways to sneak into the back of his mind.

xie lian hears a knocking on his door soon after and hears feng xins voice.

"hey your highness are you ok? you've been in there for quite a while" feng xin said as he leaned on the door.

"oh im okay feng xin just a little uh unwell sorta tired i guess heh" xie lian nervously chuckles since he would never EVER admit the real reason he locked himself up, especially not to feng xin of all people.

"oh ok then your highness but that f--cker crimson rain said we've almost arrived" feng xin says as xie lian can sense him rolling his eyes to the back of his skull like mu qing.

"oh really! ok then one minute feng xin" xie lian said as he sat on his bed normally as he swept away the thoughts of hua chengs tounch and smell. he fixed his robes and went outside, the moment he stept foot out of the door feng xin was staring daggers into xie lians face. "so feng xin want to take a walk with me while we arrive?" xie lian asked with a gentle smile and soft voice despite the obvious annoyance feng xin had towards him.

"sure your highness, i think it'll be a great way for us to catch up since we haven't been able to find any time for it now have we" feng xin said with a sigh

they begin walking around the ship mindlessly side by side as the sound of the sea is the only noise besides footsteps that xie lian could hear.

"so how did you meet crimson rain?" feng xin said with a surprisingly calm and slightly gentle tone. xie lian is caught off guard by the sudden question but quickly recovers.

"oh i met him after his ship sunk, it was very interesting circumstances that connected the both of us but we ultimately worked out" xie lian said smiling as he remembered his and hua chengs first meeting.

"oh well thats cool i guess" feng xin said in an attempt to add commentary to the conversation he started, "so um are you two um close " feng xin asked curiously with an emphasis on close.

"i think we're quite close, i would even go as far as to say we're best friends but im unsure if he thinks the same hehe" xie lian chuckles "but aside from san lang how have you and mu qing been hm? has the heavenly capital treated you two nicely?" xie lian asked with a tiny chuckle as he looked slighty up at feng xin.

"well its been nice, can't say its the best honestly with that menace sweeper but its good nothing bad much aside from of few ghosts here an evil which there etc etc life goes on" feng xin says with a bored sigh and a bland face of boredom as xie lian chucles at the response " but it doesn't feel the same without you" feng xin mumbled silently as if to avoid out right telling xie lian, but unfortunately for him xie lian had developed a very good sense of hearing
"I'm sorry you feel that way feng xin but I was banished twice!" Xie lian chuckled thinking it was slightly funny that he'd not only been banished TWICE but ascended TWICE, as chuckled he slowly came to realize that feng xin didn't find it funny, "umm well you seem to be doing fairly well I would say hm" Xie lian said trying to brush over the distasteful joke he made.

The rest of their walk was mostly silent with feng xin making some small talk here and there. They walked and reached the edge of the ship as they both leaned onto the edge of the fence blocking them from falling into the deep dark trenches of the blue unpredictable sea "so your highness do you like hua cheng" feng xin suddenly asked, he looked away from Xie lian as if to hide his face from something or someone.
"I like hua cheng like I like everyone" Xie lian chuckled knowing that was a half-lie but was harmless nonetheless.
"Um why do you like him exactly? He's a pirate the exact opposite of you, you know that right? you haven't gone completely off the rails" feng xin asked as he turned his head towards the see and looked at Xie lian from his side, a trace of blush could be seen on feng xin face for a split second but then dispersed as quickly as it came as he went back to staring at the sea.
"I mean I understand we're from completely different worlds ya know" Xie lian chuckled "but he's very sweet and caring, he's kind and funny I dunno I just feel connected with him like I know him" Xie lian continued as he too stared at the wide and vast sea before them. Xie lian looked over at feng xin and saw That he had a confusing expression, something with a mix of worry and disappointment as if he were about to start crying right then and there "you good feng xin?" Xie lian said as he nudged him lightly, feng xin snapped his neck to look over at Xie lian, feng xins was face flushed red with his brows furrowed and his eyes glossy from tears that were waiting to fall.