Crown Prince and Ghost King

Chapter 8

--Notes:

If you want to skip the explicit scene, I've marked beginning and end with these ^^^^^

You won't miss out on the plot if you skip it.--

Soaking in steaming hot water, a delicate fragrance rising from it in delicate spirals, Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief. The warmth seeped into his body, relaxing tense muscles and washing away dirt and grime, and he felt at peace.

Hua Cheng's nimble hands were at his hair, carefully combing through the strands to clean away stubborn particles of dust, and the gentle touch on his scalp made the Crown Prince melt into his husband's care.

Those simple moments were the ones he treasured most deeply in his heart. As if Xie Lian and Hua Cheng weren't a god fallen from grace and a ghost feared by all, but just two beings in love, happy to stay together and live their long-awaited dream. It gave him peace, thinking that.

The illusion never lasted long, and that time it was E-Ming and RuoYe's turn to break it. In another fit of jealousy, RuoYe had slapped E-Ming right on the gleaming eye in its handle, and the saber came flying to Xie Lian, shaking like an outraged child. Seeing that, Xie Lian couldn't help but laugh: «San Lang, you should compliment E-Ming more, look how sad it is when RuoYe is jealous».

Never stopping his work on His Highness' hair, wetting them with more soapy water, Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow: «Gege should not feel so sympathetic for my sword», he replied, a bit drily. E-Ming liked to steal Xie Lian's attention too much.

The Ghost King would never admit he was envious of his spiritual tool, but at times it was the only description he had for himself. RuoYe was even worse, always allowed to touch his husband's skin!

Xie Lian laughed again, then shook his head: «Oh, San Lang, you're too much».

His touch stilled for a moment, then resumed with even more gentleness to it. Whenever he talked like that to Hua Cheng, in the same teasingly loving tone he was so fond of using, his husband became flustered. Some times so much he either completely froze, or hid his blushing face in his hands. Not that he could really blush, but that faint pink tinge of his cheeks told the tale.

It couldn't be denied how funny was to see the fearsome Crimson Rain Sought Flower reduced to a flustered mess by a handful of honey-coated words.

Humming quietly, Hua Cheng finished his work on Xie Lian's hair and finally moved from behind him. With the same, lovestruck look of adoration on his face, he started scrubbing Xie Lian clean, so carefully he didn't even redden his skin.

Impatient, Xie Lian grabbed the collar of his robes and pulled him down for a kiss, only remotely aware that the movement made him plunge his arms in the bathwater. The kiss was rather chaste, however, and Xie Lian let him go with a chuckle, apologizing for his soaking sleeves. He kinda wanted Hua Cheng to join him in the enveloping warmth of the bath, and maybe take things further, but weariness and fatigue had the upper hand.

So, without making more moves, he let Hua Cheng bathe him.

Xie Lian realized he dozed off only when, wrapped in a soft towel, he found himself in Hua Cheng's arms, steady steps bringing him to their bedroom.

Maybe he was even more tired that he though, because when Hua Cheng put him to bed and tucked him under precious silk covers, he didn't even try to get another kiss from him. Instead, Xie Lian waited for Hua Cheng to undress himself and then clung to him, nuzzling his face in the crook of his neck.

The Ghost King was cold, his skin not warmed by the healthy flow of life under it, but Xie Liang grew accustomed to it long before; they were opposites, warm the one in the airy heavens and cold the one in the fiery hells, and they completed each other.