Hei Xiazi
They manage to came out of the tunnels pretty much in the same way they came in, while climbing up the rope they had left in the entrance of the sewer that leaded to the opening to the outside they had made. They travel in search of any sings of Xie Lian Huan could had leave behind, but found nothing other than the marks they had left to themselves before coming down to the sewers.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he is somewhere safe. We just should keep up and leave this hell behind while we still can." Xiazi said as he try to reassured both Xiao Hua and Pan Zi, so they could keep up walking back to civilization until it was time to rest.
They were all eager to go back in one piece, so they make haste through the forest and only rested when it was necessary, until night came. Xiazi could keep ongoing, giving the fact that he could see perfectly fine in the darkness and far better than in the day, but his companions had only normal night vision and it will be harder for them to keep up the pace in the darkens.
So at the end, they make camp on the woods, quite far from the hellish den of snakes and kindle a campfire to keep them warm and safe during the cold night. Pan Zi had insisted on a watch, so Xiao Hua decided to have some rest close to the tree Xiazi had rested his back, while Mop simply collapsed on the ground and fall asleep instantly.
Of course, unlike Mop or his Master Hua, Xiazi was not going to fall asleep anytime soon, because he also agree that they should keep vigilance for more snakes, so to keep himself awake, he decided to make something special for the young man sleeping by his side. It was not like he could stare at Xiao Hua through the whole night, even if he was tempted to do so, because he was sure that his staring will eventually wake him up. He was a bit sensitive in that aspect, perhaps thanks to his way of life, when he was forced to grow up before his time to take charge of his falling family.
Thus, he took a piece of wood he had collected when looking for something to make a campfire and started to shape it in the form of a long curved knife. It was not made for real defense purpose, but to give his Master Hua something to hold and remember for when he needed to be away to do his jobs, because there was no way he will let Xiao Hua feed him, even if they end up having a more serious relationship as time goes by.
At that thought, Xiazi smiled. He could definitely imagine a life by the Master of the Xie family, even if was never going to be an official one. He was not the kind of man to care for marriage in the first place, giving the fact that his life was always surrounded by danger and every job he take could be his last. So whatever Xiao Hua was willing to give him was just fine.
He keep up his work for most of the night and told Pan Zi to have some rest, as he was going to relieve him in his watch and he gladly accepted the offer, laying down on the ground and falling asleep by Mop, almost instantly. Half an hour lather thought, Xiao Hua stirred on his sleep and moved his hand to stop Xiazi from keep working on his gift, by placing it on his leg.
"Xiazi... please have some sleep." Xiao Hua whisper without opening his eyes.
"Someone has to watch over you." Xiazi whisper back.
"If there were any snakes close by, we should had already know it. They are not exactly shy..."
"Yeah, but they are definitely sneaky..."
"Humor me this once."
"I had humor you before, remember? Safety is not a joke."
"I know, but I'm totally sure nothing will disturb us tonight. We are already halfway out of this basin and out of their territory."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Instinct."
"Ah, my lovely Master Hua... that's not really convincing."
"I will keep watch for you then."
"I rather you rest."
"You need rest too, otherwise you will faint on me as soon as we are back to the desert." Xiao Hua insisted and Xiazi smirked.
"I'm not a weakling like that guy Mop."
"But you are not a super human like Zhang Qiling either."
"Oh well, that's true... I'm still just a little bellow his level."
"It's not only a little... come here Xiazi... I will offer you my chest as pillow only once. Will you reject the offer?" Xiao Hua asked as he open his eyes to look at the man sitting by his side, which smirked back at him.
"No charge for that one?" Xiazi asked, quite pleased.
"No. Take it as a gift for showing me your eyes earlier."
"Ah... then... if I show you something else, will you..."
"Don't push it. Take it or leave it." Xiao Hua persisted and Xiazi smiled happily as he leave his half finish gift at a side to lay down by his Master Hua and put his head over his shoulder, while Xiao Hua wrapped his waist with his left arm.
"Mmm, you are so warm, Master Hua..."
"Sleep."
"And clean..."
"Shut up."
"And hothead..."
"So are you."
"Well, what about a small kiss to be even..."
"Dream on it."
"So heartless."
"You wouldn't want me any other way."
"True, alright, I will shut up now."
"Good."
"If you give me a good night kiss that is." Xiazi keep it up and Xiao Hua sighed, giving Xiazi a kiss on the crown of his head.
"I meant on the lips..."
"A kiss is a kiss no matter the place. Now rest, otherwise I will move away and take back my offer."
"Yeah, yeah... so domineering... good night."
"Night." Xiao Hua repeated and closed his eyes, sensing Xiazi relax his body under his touch.
He keep himself awake and listen carefully until he sense Xiazi relax over him a little further and even his breathing. If Xiazi was truly asleep, he wasn't sure, but he keep making small calming circles on his back to reassure him that he was keeping his word and stay awake for a bit longer... until his still tired body demanded more rest and he fall asleep again, while fully embracing the man with glasses, for the few hours that were left until morning.
Soon, they will reach the cliff and desert and with enough luck, they will find their way back to civilization and a step closer to home.
Wu Xie
They walked around the tunnels guided by the marks that Xiao Hua and Hei Xiazi left for them, so they will find the way out of that nightmare. When they reached the place in which he had last seen Xie Lian Huan, Wu Xie stopped for a moment, finding that what had been left behind showed signs of snakes.
"Snakes were all over this... Pangzi... can my uncle be dead?" Wu Xie asked as he touched the sleeping bag that his uncle had used when he went away.
"Of course not! Don't even think of it. Xiao Hua had sure pass through here and he was with Pan Zi, so I'm sure they had taken away your uncle... well, you know that is Xiao Hua's uncle now..."
"Right... Pan Zi would not leave him behind either..."
"Yep... let's just get out of here. I'm sick of all this darkness... I want to see the sun shining upon me once more." Pangzi said and Wu Xie once again took Xiaoge on his back to keep carrying him toward the exit.
At some point, they stopped for a bit of rest and Pangzi insisted in catching some shrimps for them to feed, even if they tasted disgusting. It was better to keep themselves alive by the protein they will provide to their bodies to have enough energy to keep walking as fast as they could under the circumstances.
While they walked, Wu Xie will tell Xiaoge some things... even when he was not conscious, so even if he had lost his memories, at least he will know that they mean him no harm and that they were people he could rely on. Perhaps it was all his talking about their adventures together, that Xiaoge never push him away, nor try to distance himself from them. He simply listen when he was conscious and when Wu Xie carry him, he seem to lean on him more relaxed that when Pangzi carry him to give Wu Xie a little rest from his lovers weight.
They eat what they could find in their way and drink when encountering a creek, then keep moving forward. At some point Xiaoge was strong enough to walk on his own and climb the cliff, while Wu Xie keep a close watch on him as they go up.
Once back in the desert, they walked by instinct, because there were no more marks left behind by Xiao Hua, giving the fact it was all sand and nothing else. However, Xiaoge instinct were quite sharp, as it always were before losing his memories and he pointed a direction when he was not strong enough to guide them and walk ahead to lead them when he had enough energy to walk ahead of their tired group.
As they walked under the scorching sun, Wu Xie try his best not to think in Xiaoge's memory loss and if he should or not tell him about their relationship. He had make a promise, yes, but that was to another Xiaoge, to a Xiaoge that loved him back as much as him. Although at times, he had caught Xiaoge staring at him, almost in the same way he did before.
However, whatever was in his heart, Xiaoge keep it to himself, but at least he seem to trust Wu Xie and when he swayed in his walk out of exhaustion, Xiaoge always caught him and pull him up without fail, despite Xiaoge too was almost at his limit of both body and mental exhaustion. He still suffer from some headaches... specially when he try to remember the things they had tell him that happen during their journeys together, but they went away when he give up on it.
After who knows how long. Wu Xie finally succumbed into the sand, no longer with any once of energy to keep up the walk under the hot sun, with no water or food to sustain him anymore. Pangzi then carry him for a few miles, but after that he too fainted under the heat and Xiaoge was left alone to care for a couple of strangers that had treat him like family, but having a fever, he end up fainting too by Wu Xie's side, while holding his hand.
Stranger or not, there was an internal pull that make Xiaoge unable to stay away from Wu Xie, as if protecting him was the reason of his very existence. As if this Wu Xie was and meant everything to him, as if it was engraved on his soul that he have deeper feeling for the young Wu heir that his mind had failed to keep.
It was like that that the grandson of Madam Dolma had finally found them, as Pan Zi had been looking for them after he had part ways with Xiao Hua and Xiazi and they were taking to their camp. By nightfall, after some good hours of rest, Wu Xie finally regain consciousness to open his eyes and meet Pan Zi.
"Pan Zi..." Wu Xie manage to whisper out of his still dry throat.
"Master Xiao San... you had finally come around." Pan Zi whisper back with a smile.
"Where is Xiaoge?" Was Wu Xie's first question, which was pretty much expected by Pan Zi.
"By your side. He was holding your hand when we found you and we had a bit of troubles to take yours out of his." Pan Zi said and Wu Xie looked at his other side to see the man he loved, sleeping by his side, still with his hand slightly grabbing the blanket covering him over Wu Xie's leg.
Perhaps it was an unconscious act to seek him even when unconscious, so Wu Xie try his best not to give himself high hopes to have him back as a lover anytime soon. Still, he loved Xiaoge despite the loss of memories, so he turned on his sleeping bag and put the wet towel that Pan Zi had use on him over Xiaoge's forehead instead.
There was no reaction at first, but when Pangzi showed up to call Wu Xie to go with him to have something to drink, Xiaoge's hold on his blanket deepen, making Wu Xie look back at him.
"I think he doesn't want you to leave." Pan Zi stated the obvious.
"It's an unconscious reaction, I guess..." Wu Xie whisper as he watched his lover sleep, while strongly holding his blanket.
"Unconscious or not, it's still a good sign, Master Xiao San... at least he still remembers that he don't want to part with you." Pan Zi said with honesty.
"If only he could remember a bit more..." Wu Xie whisper.
"With do time, I'm sure he will. You should rest a little more. It's early in the night and you can meet Madam Dolma a bit later. I will bring you both something to drink." Pan Zi said and Wu Xie lay back on his bag once more, this time putting his hand over Xiaoge's.
Instantly, Zhang Qiling let go of the blanket and hold it back, while he faintly whisper an barely audible 'Wu Xie, don't go' in his sleep.
Wu Xie smiled for the first time in who knows how many days. Yeah, Zhang Qiling had forget about their relationship and how they had fall in love with one another while raiding tombs... but at least, not everything was gone, because just like Pan Zi had pointed out before... he was clearly unwilling to part with him, even if he was now a stranger... and it was not that a man could only fall in love once with the same person. If Wu Xie were to be on his place, he certainly would fall for Xiaoge ten times over.
"Don't worry... I will not leave you..." Wu Xie whisper into Xiaoge's ear and then saw how the words make the magic work, as Xiaoge's body seem to relax and his breathing ease into a deep sleep.
AN: Aww, so cute. Thanks for reading, another fast update. Next there will be a bit more Heihua and of course, of Wu Xie taking care of his Xiaoge. Until next time, please take care.