Hei Xiazi
The place had proven to be more dangerous than anticipated, so they took a lot longer to explore it, to a point they needed to rest and sleep for at least a few hours to keep ongoing. They choose a room that they had cleared of traps and lie down by each other side. Xiazi had waited for Xiao Hua to fall asleep to stand vigil for a few more hours, before exhaustion had sink in and closed his eyes to have his deserved rest.
He try to stay still by his companion side, knowing full well that Xiao Hua disliked unwanted touches on him, specially his, but when he wake up several hours later, he found that his Master Hua was not as unwilling to get a hold on him instead. He smiled as he felt Xiao Hua's arm across his chest, while his head rested over his shoulder. He was probably unconsciously looking for comfort while he slept, but even if that was the case, it showed that Xiao Hua trusted and cared for him more than he let know.
It was a shame he didn't have a camera on him to immortalize the moment, because he was sure if he moved to grab his phone in his jacket pocket, he will wake up the man and ruin the moment while making him moody for the rest of the day. So he closed his eyes and waited for Xiao Hua to wake up on his own and realize he had let himself open in a moment of tiredness, which was unfortunately too soon to his taste.
Shortly after, Xiao Hua stirred over Xiazi and after noticing he had seek the other man warmth while he was sleeping, he moved away from him without a word. He looked down to his watch to see he had sleep for longer than he had intended, perhaps because of Hei Xiazi presence has make him take his guard down for long enough to feel safe to completely give in to exhaustion. Yet... it was time to keep moving.
"Get up, we had lose a lot of time already." Xiao Hua said, knowing that Xiazi was fully awake.
"You are so heartless, I watched over you for most of those hours." Xiazi protested.
"Then stay there and rest all you want. I'm moving ahead with or without you anyways." Hua said as he took his backpack.
"Alright, alright... don't be so impatient, Master Hua. This is dangerous place after all." Xiazi said as he stood.
"No need to tell me, still I'm still in the lead of our little contest. Five to four so far, right?" Hua asked turning to look at Xiazi briefly before he led the way of their resting place. Behind him, Xiazi smiled. Yes, they had encounter that numbers of traps so far, which was the reason they had advanced so slowly, but what Xiao Hua didn't know was that he had carefully lead him away from a few others traps that were far more dangerous to them than arrows, spikes or boomerangs.
Those ones he has avoided to trigger could cause the ground to give in or the hall to be destroyed, which only meant, he had let Xiao Hua win for his own sake. That too was the reason he keep watch for a few hours after Xiao Hua had fall asleep. Only after he was one hundred percent sure there was nothing dangerous around, he let himself rest.
"Damn, I'm too soft with him." Xiazi whisper to himself, as he followed his Master Hua closely.
Zhang Qiling
They had walked far enough from that doomed road and Pangzi had asked for some rest, they take under the shade of a tree. Xiaoge sat by Wu Xie, opening his canteen to offer it to him, which Wu Xie took gladly giving Xiaoge a devastating smile. Qiling loved when Wu Xie smiled at him like that, it was a pure smile that seems to shine as brightly as the sun and dispel his own darkness.
He had been attracted to that side of him for a long time now, watching him grow even more appealing to a point he could no longer hold back his feelings. When they had kissed, he had felt more alive than probably in his entire life. Thus during their trip, he had make sure to clean the path for Wu Xie to walk more easier, help him steady when there was a more rocky terrain and keep his senses into full capacity to be alerted of any kind of new threat they could encounter, specially involving snakes, he knew were out there.
"Here, eat something, we had been walking for a while now." Wu Xie offer him a pack of military rations and he take it gladly, staring at Wu Xie for a few seconds before he slightly smiled. At their little exchange, Pangzi had almost role his eyes. They looked like love birds recently marry, but he had failed to be at the wedding.
"Hey Tianzhen, tell me the true. Is there something else between the two of you? I have been with you both the whole time, just when did you two wed?" When the question was been asked, Wu Xie was in the process of drinking from Xiaoge's canteen, so he choke with the water, coughing some out, as Xiaoge gently rubbed his back in amusement.
"Stupid Pangzi, what kind of question is that? Who would wed in such a place? Stop the nonsense." Wu Xie said.
"But you didn't deny there is something more going on. Before you were all over Xiaoge and he is getting sweet with you, clearing your path, holding you while crossing rocks or creeks. Just like newlywed couple." Wu Xie felt the heat rise to his face and was going to get at Pangzi remarks, when a thunder resonate over their heads, making them all to look up and forget the little exchange.
"It's going to rain." Xiaoge whisper.
"Yes, the air pressure is getting lower. It seems it's going to rain heavily soon." Pan Zi confirmed, seen dark clouds forming in the sky as more thunders flashed in the distance.
"We should find a better place to shelter before it rains. Let's go." Ah Ning said, as she stood and not really waiting for any of them to agree, she walked away with her backpack secured on her hand.
"Ruthless women are really something. We just barely sit to rest and I carry her for most of it." Pangzi protested, yet Wu Xie stood too.
"Let's go, we can always rest later." Wu Xie said, giving his hand to Xiaoge to help him up.
"If I didn't knew about your Pingxie relationship, I would had thought you like her. Always making excuses for her." And yes, Xiaoge stare at him was the coldest yet. Then the rain started falling and they ran away until reaching a set of trees thick enough to halt some of the falling cold water on them.
Pan Zi cut some long leaf and Wu Xie was by his side to do the same, cutting two, one for him and the other for Xiaoge.
"Pangzi, come here and cut one for you too. I'm not making you the favor after all the teasing you had done on me lately." Wu Xie said.
"Don't be heartless Tianzhen, I'm all itchy in here." Pangzi protested.
"I'm not falling for that."
"I really am itchy Wu Xie and it's getting worse... it's spreading all over..."
"You can bathe later..." But in that moment, he felt something biting him on his neck. He was going to scratch it, but found a kind of bug instead. He took it on his fingers and then have a look at it. As soon as Xiaoge saw the bluish thing, he immediately grabbed Pangzi and pull him away from the tree, then have a better look at the trunk.
It was then, that they all could see it cover with insects, not only the trunk, but also the ground close to it.
"Get away." Xiaoge said, taking Wu Xie's hand on him and dash away, then the others follow him until he found another set of trees with no bugs.
"This will do." Xiaoge said and they stumble into the ground, tired from all the running.
"We need to get rid of this bugs." Ah Ning said as she took out one on her arm.
"Are they poisonous?" Wu Xie asked.
"Regardless of that, you should take off your pants." Wu Xie immediately got away from her and closer to Pangzi, who held him protectively in turn.
"Ning, seriously, you are too bold, I give you that, but you will never win Tianzhen from Xiaoge. He is even there, for if you haven't notice." Pangzi said in his friend defense.
"Last time a fungus grow on his stomach because he didn't do as I said and check himself in time. Zhang Qiling, will you let Wu Xie take the chance a second time to later find out he had tick bugs on his crotch causing him permanent damage, just because he is shy?" Ah Ning asked the man directly and Xiaoge offer Wu Xie his hand.
"I will take care of it. Come." Xiaoge said and Wu Xie took the offered hand instantly. Better Xiaoge than her a hundred times. Xioage took out the medicinal herbs he had collected earlier and throw them to Pan Zi.
"Please help Pangzi for me." Xiaoge said.
"Oh finally he cares about me too. Thank you brother, the herbs will do, just take Tianzhen away and protect his innocence for a while longer." Pangzi said and Xiaoge assented in agreement.
"Hey, don't agree with him. Serious I'm not..." But Xiaoge took his hand again.
"Let's go." He said seriously and Wu Xie role his eyes before Xiaoge took him away to have some privacy.
The rain was still falling hard, but Xiaoge found a place with less rain dripping down. He put his backpack on the ground and help Wu Xie take off his, then his jacket and shirt.
"Turn around." Xiaoge said as he took his knife out to cut his hand once more, but Wu Xie stop him.
"Xiaoge, I told you before, no more blood for healing me." Wu Xie said and Qiling smiled slightly.
"It's just a little and I do this for my sake too. You mean everything to me now." How he could not melt to that? Just hearing that coming from his stoic boyfriend make his body regain some heat against the cold of the rain. Wu Xie swallowed hard as they stare at each other.
"Turn around Wu Xie. I will extract them before using my blood on you." And thus he did, trying not to wince when a bug was been extracted from his flesh, then Wu Xie's face was on fire when Xiaoge worked his way lower and lower, to a point he undo his pants and slide it down to have a look, as Ah Ning had suggested.
"Xiaoge... this is..."
"No need to be embarrass or shy." Xiaoge whisper. Yet that only make his heat show even more.
"Just do it quickly and... be careful with the knife there." Xiaoge smiled, as if he will hurt Wu Xie anywhere up, so even less down. When he was done with all the bugs in Wu Xie's body it was already dark.
"Damn it. Why the hell there were so many? Isn't the dragon blood pill you gave me a kind of repellent from this things?" Wu Xie asked.
"You don't had enough Qilin blood. Still, I will give you mine anytime." Xiaoge insisted and Wu Xie sighed.
"I told you I don't want it. Now come here and give me something to forget the pain all over me." Xiaoge was at lost for a second, then Wu Xie pull him close.
"A kiss, yes? For all the previous torture?" Wu Xie demanded with a wide smile as he passed his arms over Xiaoge shoulders.
"Closer." Xiaoge whisper, gently putting his hands on both sides of Wu Xie's tights, closing the distance of their faces to kiss him with as much feelings as he could. He wanted for Wu Xie to felt loved the same way he had make him feel he was an important part of his life.
"Mmm, this is much better... one more before heading back?" Wu Xie asked and Qiling smiled faintly before once again kissing his lover. Perhaps Pangzi had not been so far from the true when saying they were like newlywed couple, because deep down that was how he felt and he didn't mind it. He had been alone and lost for so long that now he welcome becoming part of something greater.
It was thanks to Wu Xie's kindness and pure heart that had open new doors for him to walk in, befriending others, like Wang Pangzy in a way he didn't thought he would ever do. It was because of the man he was so wonderfully kissing that he was no longer a loner. He had gained love, brothers and friends all thanks to that special man that had so selflessly open to him when he was in need of the warmth, of a place in such a cruel world.
"Wu Xie..." He whisper as Wu Xie parted from him.
"Yeah, let's go back. I'm beginning to fear what Pangzi will said next about us if we stay here for much longer. I won't take another Pingxie priority from him. It's embarrassing." Qiling smirked.
"He means well." Qiling said softly.
"Of course he does, he is our brother, yet... oh well, let's go back." Wu Xie said taking his backpack, which Qiling silently grab for him.
"You are in pain. I will carry it." Xiaoge offer and Wu Xie smiled.
"You are indeed becoming sweet. At this rate we may as well get marry next, like Pangzi suggested." Wu Xie teased, as Xiaoge assented. Marriage was not important for a man with no past or future, but he didn't mind for a man in the present.
"Alright, you agree to a lot of things lately... maybe Pangzi is rubbing too much on you." Wu Xie said merrily and then they walked back to the others that had already make a camp fire for settling there for the rest of the night.
AN: Thanks for reading, this way sweet. I wanted to be funny, but then again, I have no control over this at all, it just go the way it wanted without caring for my wishes. Does that even make sense? LOL. Until next time, take care my very dear readers. 😘💖💖💖