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Lan Xichen was the perfect Lan. Everyone, from the Lan Elders themselves, to the leaders of allied sects, to foreign rogue cultivators, believed this to be true. One of a twin set of jades, sculpted in the image of perfection and refined by 3000 rules, Lan Xichen upheld the model of righteousness and serenity that the Lan sect had spent generations crafting. At 18 years old, he made following the Lan rules look effortless, and unlike his younger brother he did it with an air of kindness and open approachability. Truly one to be admired.
As for Xichen himself, well, he knew there were certainly a lot of expectations on him but he had confidence in his ability to succeed. He would do his best, it is all he could really do. Greeting each morning with an optimistic smile, Lan Xichen took things one day at a time.
Cloud Recesses was teeming with activity as he made his way into the heart of the sect grounds. The lectures were due to begin within the month and everyone was awash with excitement. Like a flock of egrets, white robes fluttered two and fro as preparations were made for the incoming guest disciples. Twittering whispers about the various sects who would be attending, and their eligible young masters and mistresses, could be heard in every corner. Though accompanied by looks infused with meaning, the words themselves remained just factual enough to not toe the line into “gossip.” Xichen let them be, it was normal to be excited, especially for the younger disciples who would be gaining new classmates during the temporary lectures. It was a time to make connections and friendships, he would not fault them for that.
Xichen was excited in his own right. He loved the guest disciple lectures. The vibrancy brought in by those who were not raised under the strict rules of the Lan was a welcome contrast, and watching his fellow clansmen try to navigate interactions was entertaining. This year was going to be especially fun; Wangji was taking part. It had become a sort of secret mission of Xichen, to try and force his younger brother into making some genuine friendships. It would be good for him.
The library hall was where Xichen began most of his days, reading up on any relevant topics to his sect leader training, as well as helping gather resources for the instructors to use in the lectures. This early in the day it should have been mostly empty, many of the disciples still busy at work with their assigned morning chores. He was surprised to find it entirely devoid of people though, as he made his way inside. There were typically at least one or two Lans assigned to the library for their morning duties, meant to make sure everything was properly in order before disciples and guests would arrive in search of knowledge. Perhaps they were in one of the back rooms.
A nostalgic scent of ink and paper soothed Xichen as he glided past the rows of shelves. There was a specific book on non-threatening ghosts he was searching for but he couldn’t quite remember where it had been kept. It was technically a memoir, but contained a lot of valuable information from the author’s personal experience in researching ghosts not fueled by resentment. Perhaps with the collection of Lan clan member histories? He moved into the aisle and began searching.
A noise like a soft sigh alerted Xichen that he was not as alone in the room as he thought. He stilled his movements, listening closely, and realized that there were more noises, all coming from the aisle adjacent from his own. Muffled hums and the occasional wet parting of lips. Xichen’s ears grew hot, surely it wasn't…
He silently peeked through a gap in the books and could see the two figures on the other side, their lips meeting in unhurried kisses. Well, that explains where the library attendant had gone. Xichen shifted away, walking down to the collection of botanical encyclopedias, picked of the largest one, opened it to a random page where he spent a moment admiring an artfully illustrated peony, before snapping the book closed with a rather loud thwak. To his delight, a surprised squeak came from the direction of the library attendant and his partner. He left then, the book he had originally come in for left to be retrieved at a later time, when hopefully the attendant was a bit more focused on his duties.
If Xichen were like his brother, he would be immediately reporting the incident to the elder in charge of the library and offering recommended punishments. Lan Xichen was not his brother though, and he would say nothing and hope that the embarrassment at having been caught would be all the punishment and warning the two needed to prevent future incidents.
His next stop was to retrieve a tray of tea so that he may meet with his Uncle and discuss which of the lectures Wangji was to be attending once the guests had all arrived. The kitchens were empty at this time, the morning meal already finished and cleaned up and preparations for the midday meal had not started. No matter, Xichen did not need someone to prepare his tea for him, he merely enjoyed visiting with the kitchen workers when he got the chance. It wasn’t until he passed by one of the closed storage rooms that he heard a noise, and realized the building was not as entirely empty as he initially thought.
“Again?” Xichen could not help but lament in his mind.
Perhaps it was some sort of misplaced optimism that made Xichen lean closer to the closed door. It could just be an animal, some sort of pest that had infiltrated the food stores that would need to be caught and released elsewhere. He could not, in good conscience, leave the situation be and risk a loss of supplies during their sect’s busiest time. Unless mice had changed dramatically since the last time Xichen had seen them, the breathy moan that came from the locked room was certainly not from any sort of rodent. He sighed, stepping away from the door and setting about retrieving his tea as planned. Unlike the book, Xichen had no choice of leaving without what he came for, not without alerting his uncle to the situation. He was almost tempted to do so, his mood having begun to sour. He didn’t, and left the kitchens with his tea, though not before closing the door with a touch more force than was strictly necessary.
Lan Xichen was the perfect Lan. He would not be swayed into pettiness nor be resentful of his fellow clansmen for their pursuits of happiness. Even if they could at least try to be more discreet about it. Certainly he would be, if he were ever in the position to pursue that sort of thing. He was 18, it would not be out of the ordinary for him to do so.
Tea with his uncle was a balm to his mood, leaving him relaxed and once again eager for the start of lectures. Wangji had joined them as well, which was a pleasant surprise.
“Are there any of the guest disciples you are looking forward to meeting?” Xichen asked his brother as they walked together after having finished the meeting with Lan Qiren.
Lan Wangji shook his head, “No.”
Well that was about what Xichen had expected.
“Try to get to know some of them. It is good to have friends with different perspectives.” Xichen urged, “and, try to go easy on Huaisang? Da-ge is tough enough on him as it is. I don’t think you glaring at him is going to get him to take his studies any more seriously.”
Wangji gave a non-committal hum in acknowledgment.
“Just try.” Xichen laughed before bidding his brother farewell and promising to join him for dinner.
He made his way towards the guest dormitories, intending to ensure that everything was in order and that the few guests who had already begun to arrive were settling in. Actual lectures were a few weeks away, but the arrival of guests was staggered, with some arriving much earlier than others. It was behind one of the dorms that Xichen stumbled across a couple of guest disciples sharing an intimate moment, their foreheads pressed together while their hands trailed low, slipping between the folds of each other's robes to…
Xichen spun on his heel and went the other direction.
What was happening?! Was the blossoming of spring so enticing that not even his sect members could resist? The guest disciples, sure. He did not think poorly of them for it, but he knew other sects were less strict about propriety and expressions of public affection. But his fellow disciples too?
Lan Xichen, mood having plummeted, stormed off. To his dismay, it seemed there was nowhere safe within Cloud Recesses. The gardens sported couples left and right, none being entirely improper but their mere existence was enough to annoy Xichen in his current state. Near the female cultivator wing of the grounds he could hear feminine giggles and faux-whispers of “but Jiejie, i’m shy.” Even the cold springs were not safe. He hadn’t even made it to the waters before spotting sets of robes that had clearly been hastily removed and tossed improperly along the path.
It seemed the only place he could be at peace was his own home, and so he returned and immediately set out to meditate and analyze his own feelings. He was annoyed, that was clear enough, but why? Was it the breaking of Lan rules that bothered him? He did not think so. Even though he himself was touted to be one of the most well behaved disciples the Lan sect had ever seen, he never actually cared that deeply about upholding those rules, not in the way Wangji did. For Xichen it was just that following them was easy. As for his fellow disciples, as long as the rules they were breaking were relatively harmless, and properly punished when done too ostentatiously, he did not actually care that much. The acts themselves did not offend him either. Despite being entirely inexperienced, it wasn’t as though he did not understand the basic urges that guided those actions, and nothing he had seen today appeared to be lacking in the consent of both parties.
To his own mortification, a realization crawled forward in his mind. Envy. He was not angry that others were seeking their own pleasure within cloud recesses, he was angry that he was not. Xichen’s face flushed red as he began to drown in his own embarrassment. Surely that couldn’t be what had bothered him so terribly, right? Xichen tried to convince himself that there must be some other cause. The Nie sect disciples had arrived the day before, perhaps the proximity to Nie Huaisang’s collection of illicit spring books had somehow influenced his thoughts.
The more he contemplated the situation though, the more his opinion shifted. It wouldn’t be that strange for him to be feeling this way. It was normal, natural even, for a man his age to be interested in pursuing these types of relationships and experiences. Why should he be left out? Because he was a Lan? That clearly did not seem to stop his fellow clansmen. Because he was sect heir? There was always a chance that romantic relationships could cause political issues for those in positions of power, but that wasn’t any reason for every leader to live an entirely ascetic lifestyle. Clan family lines would be rather short if that were the case. And really, did he not deserve to feel the same pleasure as others? He had every right to! In fact, he would! It was time for him to finally taste the sugary pleasure everyone else was.
Unable to sit still any longer, he got up and began to make his way towards the training grounds. Some exercise should help cool his blood. As he made his way through the grounds, his face did not betray the inner workings of his mind. Those who passed by greeted him as normal, and he would respond with the proper not or greeting of his own, if only a little distracted.
He had made his decision, but that still left one rather glaring question. Who? He knew his own heart well enough to rule out all the female cultivators, Lan sect or otherwise. That already cut his options by about half. The Lan sect was not small by any means, and he began to narrow them down in his mind. First removing the obvious such as anyone outside of his own generation and those who were already married, betrothed, or courting. A quarter of those remaining could be excluded for being related to him by blood, most of the inner family being some sort of extended cousin. Once he started to think about people he genuinely enjoyed the company of his list grew almost impossibly narrow, and he did not find himself interested in the few that still fit his criteria.
What about the other sects? It could be seen as a blessing that the top bachelors from almost every major sect were going to be at his doorstep within the month, but they were not here now. If he was thinking more clearly, he might have been worried about how low his patience had slipped. Instead he lined them up in his mind. Admittedly, that did not help him much, since many of them he had only met in passing or not at all, and he felt bad sorting them on appearance alone. As eager as he was, this was not something he intended to take lightly.
Xichen drew closer to the training grounds and his shoulders had begun to droop. The excitement that initially filled him waned as the reality of his situation began to dawn on him. Really, it was a silly thing to have thought that he could go and lose his virginity just because he decided he wanted to. The lectures were soon, maybe he could take the time to get to know the guest disciples and see if any interested him, then hope that the interest was shared. He tried not to be too disappointed. After all, how else could he–
“Mingjue wins again!”
…
Mingjue.
The shout had come from the training grounds, where apparently an impromptu sparring competition was taking place. Standing in the center of the ring, dressed only in his boots and pants, with Baxia at his side, was Nie Mingjue.
Well now, wasn’t that a thought?
Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue had been friends for years, introduced as children to strengthen the alliance between their respective sects. The two had gotten along well and remained close as they grew up. Nie Mingjue had taken on an older brother role when they were young, but now they stood on equal footing in social status and cultivation level, despite the 5 year gap in their age.
It would be a lie to say that Xichen had never thought of his dear friend that way. A small fire had been lit in his heart years ago, but he was far too nervous to act on that crush at the time. As years went by he did not let the feelings grow, prioritizing their friendship over anything potentially romantic. Those feelings had never gone away, though.
Xichen watched as Mingjue accepted a cloth to wipe the sweat from his face, barking a laugh at whatever it was the younger cultivator that handed it to him had said. It was still early spring, the air in cloud recesses carrying a leftover chill from winter, so Xichen could only imagine how many spars Mingjue had taken part in for him to have felt the need to strip out of his shirt and sweat the way he did. “I wonder how it tastes?” Xichen’s brain supplied the thought without his permission. He flushed a deep crimson and had to take a moment to recompose himself before entering the sparring ring.
“Da-ge!” Lan Xichen called out from behind his friend.
“A-Huan!” Mingjue spun around and tossed the cloth to the side and walked to greet Xichen with long strides. “Where have you been all day? I was hoping to spar with you. You know I’m only here for a few days to make sure Huaisang doesn’t run off before the lectures start.”
His face looked pinched, as though a low anger was boiling just beneath the surface, but Lan Xichen had long since learned that Mingjue’s face just looked like that. Maybe it was due to his learned skill of reading Wangji’s minute expressions, but he had also learned to discern the real anger from Mingjue’s mask of ire. Right now Mingjue’s anger could be equated as a pouting child who wanted to play with his friend, but that friend had been busy with chores.
“I apologize.” Xichen smiled, “Perhaps we could do so another time.”
“Not now?” Mingjue asked, “Or are they still making you do all the work for the lectures.”
Xichen laughed, “Da-ge, they don’t make me do anything. I want to help.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, he was not explicitly told to do many of the things he did, though the implied expectation that he would naturally choose to do them was there. “And no, I have completed my duties for the day, but I was wondering if you might accompany me this afternoon? There is a part of Cloud Recesses I’d like to show you.
“Eh?” Mingjue tilted his head and shrugged, “Sure, whatever you want. I’ll still expect that spar later.”
“Perfect!” Xichen winced a little at the volume of his voice, he wasn’t trying to sound too eager but the control over his emotions was slipping.
“I'll meet you back here in an hour then?” Xichen asked, desperately clinging to his composure.
“Sure. I should go clean up anyway.” Mingjue sheathed Baxia and rolled his shoulders a few times. “Bring Shuoyue, maybe we can spar wherever you are taking me.” The words were called out over his shoulder as Mingjue casually waved goodbye.
Xichen would not be bringing Shuoyue. He would not risk missing his chance because they get distracted sparring. Xichen was the perfect Lan, but right now he was planning not to be.
*
“So, where are we going exactly?” Mingjue asked as he followed behind Xichen.
The two had met back at the training grounds as promised and began a long trek up the mountains past the deepest part of Cloud Recesses. Soft dappled light filtered through the trees, creating ever-shifting patterns over the ground. This entire mountain was technically within the bounds of Cloud Recesses, but had been left to nature to provide Lan cultivators with a place to meditate and bathe in the natural energy within the old growth of trees. With the sect being as preoccupied with preparations as it was, they were likely the only ones this deep into the woods. Exactly what Xichen had planned for.
“You’ll see! Hurry up!”
Xichen was not running, but it was a near enough thing. There was a voice in his head telling him not to be over-eager, Mingjue had not even agreed yet and this whole thing could end up going terribly, but Xichen was too caught up in the thrill of his decision to worry about things like that.
After the two had parted earlier, Xichen had hurried back to his home to bathe, scrubbing his skin pink in his haste. He then pulled out the chest of personal items he kept under his bed in search of a specific item. A proper Lan was not supposed to be too sentimental, but Xichen could never really follow that rule. The best he could do was at least hide away the items under his bed, even though he wished to keep some of them out. Children’s artwork, both Wangji’s and his own made up the bulk of the collection, as well as a few old toys, some knick-knacks he’s bought over the years, and his parent’s forehead ribbons. Deep in the bottom of the box he found what he was looking for, a book confiscated from Nie Huaisang last year. It wasn’t the best research material in the world, but it was all he had.
As the two neared the destination Xichen had in mind, the mix of emotions fluttered in the Lan’s chest like butterflies, or maybe bees. His hand, tucked inside his sleeve, fiddled with the small vial of oil he had brought. The illicit book had featured the item repeatedly, so Xichen felt it was important enough that he should have it.
“A-Huan, are you going to murder me or what? Why are we so far out here?” Mingjue huffed, trying to catch his breath in the thin high altitude air, “I hate that you don’t even look tired.”
“Sorry, Da-ge.” Xichen smiled, “We’re here now.” Xichen gestured towards the expanse that had opened up before them.
The trees cleared away to form a small field, though it looked more like an ocean, that was completely full of blossoming gentians. The variety was one that grew short, providing ground cover along with rich green grass. It was the kind of natural wonder that Mingjue only expected to see in paintings.
“Beautiful…” Mingjue whispered, taking in the sight before him.
Most would assume that the subtlety of nature, or anything other than a well crafted blade for that matter, would be beyond the Nie sect leader. They would be wrong though, he could appreciate beauty when he saw it, even if he did not seek it out the way the younger Nie did.
“You like it?” Xichen asked hopefully. “I wanted you to see it.”
A large blanket was pulled from his qiankun sleeve and spread over the ground, giving them a clean place to sit and rest, something Mingjue did not hesitate to do. A thin mist filled the air, keeping them cool and creating an intimate atmosphere. Mingjue lay back onto the blanket, threading his fingers behind his head, while Xichen remained sitting up.
Xichen looked at the flowers for a moment, building his courage. “Da-ge… Do you have someone you like?”
Mingjue snorted. “Is that what this is? We needed to get this far away so you don’t get caught gossiping?”
“Da-ge…” Xichen pouted.
“Sorry,” Mingjue apologized, though somewhat insincerely, “I’m a sect leader though, I don’t really have the time for that kind of thing. Besides, have you met me? I think the only reason my advisors have not arranged a marriage is because no one would be willing to agree. Fine by me though.”
Xichen said nothing for a while, suddenly feeling like this whole thing had been a big mistake.
“Why?” Mingjue asked, his eyes contently closed as he relaxed further.
The silence stretched on between them, until Mingjue peeked open one eye to look up at his friend, who was resolutely looking away.
“A-Huan?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Xichen muttered, “I had got an idea in my head but it was a very stupid thing to think.”
“I doubt that,” Mingjue sat up, bumping his shoulder against his friend, “I don’t think you are capable of being stupid.”
“Hah,” Xichen rolled his eyes, something he only did in Mingjue’s presence (and once in front of Uncle that went rather poorly), “Stupid enough to try and lose my virginity in the gentian field.”
Oh no. Xichen slapped his hands over his mouth. That was not what he was planning to say, curse his loose tongue. Against his better judgment, he dared to peek over at his friend. Mingjue was staring at him with silent shock, eyes wide and mouth stuck partially open. Yep, well, Xichen was going to go drown himself in Caiyi town, he leaves his collection of teacups to Wangji and that one painting of a duck to Uncle. If he has anything else of value it can be donated to whomever would like it. Wangji already knows where the chest under his bed is, and will surely retrieve it.
“A-Huan… you wanted to… in this place…” Mingjue’s words were spoken as though he were solving arithmetic, trying to piece together the knowledge until it made a rational answer. “With me?”
“Now you know how stupid I can be.” Xichen stated, standing to his feet. “I’m sorry for wasting your time and dragging you all the way up here.”
This whole thing was a disaster, what was he thinking? His life wasn’t one of the stories in Huaisang’s books, things don’t progress into intimacy just because you try to set the mood for it. There needs to be interest on both sides. Xichen was sure of his own feelings, he wouldn’t trust anyone else with this, but he should not have made assumptions about his friend’s heart. He’ll go, and by tomorrow they can pretend this never happened.
As he made to leave a strong hand gripped his wrist. A sharp tug and his back was being pulled against a solid chest, Mingjue having stood to follow him. He did not dare speak, nor turn around. Mingjue’s grip on his wrist eased but did not release him, only slipping down to thread their fingers together.
“I didn’t say no.” Mingjue’s voice rumbled against Xichen’s ear.
“Da-ge…” Xichen’s breath hitched.
“You brought me here and now you want to leave?” Mingjue tightened their joined fingers, while his other hand trailed down to squeeze Xichen’s hip. “Had I known what you were offering I would not have been so wasteful of our time.”
Mingjue spun Xichen around so that they were face-to-face. The two said nothing, each giving the other a chance to back out, to say no, but neither did. When Mingjue softly brushed his knuckles over Xichen's cheek, the Lan could not wait any longer and leaned in to press their mouths together.
It was a gentle kiss, far more gentle than Xichen expected from his friend who was known by most to be tough as a bull. As the intensity grew, Xichen began to feel as though he were losing strength in his legs, leaning heavily against Mingjue’s chest and trusting the older man to hold him up, should his knees fail. They nearly did give out, when Mingjue let out a pleasured rumble that reverberated within Xichen.
“We should… on the blanket…” Xichen gasped between kisses.
Mingjue gave a grunt in acknowledgement, leaving one last lingering kiss before pulling away to walk the two steps back to the spread out blanket. It only took a moment for him to sit down and pull his boots off, yet when he looked back over to Xichen he was left reeling.
“A-Huan what?!”
“Huh?” Xichen’s head snapped up from where he had bent over to place a gently folded inner robe on top of a stack of other neatly folded robes.
Xichen had stripped himself out of almost every layer, each perfectly folded and placed on top of the other. The younger man stood only in his innermost pants.
Suddenly nervous, Xichen's hands clasped together over his chest, “Am I doing it wrong?” He glanced down at his nearly naked state, “The illustrations all had… well I should have considered that it may not be the best source but it made sense at the time.”
Mingjue laughed lightly, but not cruelly. He held out a hand, beckoning Xichen over to join him on the blanket. Xichen intended to take a seat next to Mingjue, but found himself being tugged down, landing in the older man’s lap, knees straddling either side of his hips. Large hands gripped Xichen’s naked waist, causing gooseflesh to bloom over his skin.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Mingjue assures, his voice low and reassuring, “it is just that sometimes getting to undress your partner is part of the fun.”
As he said this, the tips of his fingers just barely dipped under Xichen’s waistband, teasingly soft. Xichen’s breath caught, barely managing to suppress the whine that tried to claw out of his throat. His pants stayed in place, for now, but Mingjue was relentless in teasing the sensitive flesh along the seam. One hand briefly traveled up to release Xichen’s hair, the headpiece tossed aside but the forehead ribbon left untouched.
Mingjue leaned in to kiss along Xichen’s neck and collarbone, “as repayment, you can be in charge of undressing me.”
Xichen, unable to think of any reply, nodded and did as he was told. Mingjue’s robes were easily pushed from his wide shoulders, revealing well built muscle mottled with old scars. Long, pale fingers traced over the healed edges of flesh, as though to feel the stories each one carried. The Nie sect wore far fewer layers than the Lan, speeding up the process considerably and before long Mingjue was also left in only his pants. Here, Xichen hesitated, his fingers resting on the dark fabric.
A glance up at Mingjue’s face told him that it would be more than welcome for him to continue. There was something, one of the acts that had been illustrated in Huaisang’s book, that intrigued Xichen, but he was not sure how to ask…
Well, words had mostly failed Xichen so far, but actions had seemed to be more successful. Might as well just go for it; if Mingjue was not interested he did not doubt that the older man would let him know.
The dark pants slid off, a little shimmy from Mingjue helped to remove them entirely. The older man was half hard from their kissing and touches alone, a fact which helped to boost Xichen’s confidence. He could not help but try to compare it to his own, and thought that he and Mingjue might be fairly close in length, but the older man far surpassed him in girth.
Xichen rid himself of his own pants before trailing hands up Mingjue’s thighs, the pale fingers a stark contrast to tanned skin. With little hesitation, Xichen leaned down to place a kiss on the tip of Mingjue’s cock, following it with a few kitten licks.
“Fuck, A-Huan.” Mingjue’s head fell back, exposing a tanned neck that Xichen would like to bite if his mouth was not otherwise occupied.
Encouraged by the reaction, Xichen slipped the head into his mouth. He could not take more if he wanted to, the combination of Mingjue’s size and Xichen’s inexperience making it impossible, but Xichen was already intrigued by the possibility of working up to taking the whole thing. His hand grasped the length that did not fit in his mouth, squeezing it gently and working up and down with the subtle bobbing of his head. The cock hardened completely in his mouth, beginning to ooze drops that were licked away.
“A-Huan– ah– stop.” Mingjue slid one of his hands into Xichen’s hair, urging the younger man up and off of his arousal.
“Gege?” Xichen questioned, cocking his head to the side.
Mingjue hissed in a breath, his hand tightening in Xichen’s hair. The muscles in his abdomen contracted, tightening as though to hold something back.
“Are you sure that the Lan’s are not actually hulijing?” Mingjue sounded breathless. “I need to know what exactly you want.” Mingjue released the hold on his hair, sliding the palm forward to cup his face instead.
“I want you.” Xichen replied.
Mingjue laughed, pulling Xichen up to once again be straddling his lap. “I get that, but what do you want from me? From this.” He gestured to the two of them. “You said you wanted to lose your virginity. Was this what you had in mind, or something else?” As he spoke, one hand trailed along Xichen’s spine from neck to base.
“Something else. More.” Xichen admitted, tucking his face into Mingjue’s neck as though that could hide the blush creeping down his whole body, “I want you inside me.”
Mingjue sucked in a breath, squeezing Xichen a little tighter in his arms. “I want that too but… A-Huan, there’s some supplies we would need for me to-”
Before he could even finish, Xichen was popping his head back up with a bright, “Oh!” before turning to dive off to the side, landing belly first against the blanket. He tucked a hand into the stack of folded clothing, his tongue peeking out as he focused on trying to find the item in question by feel alone. After a moment he pulled out the little vial, holding it up over his head for Mingjue to see.
“Do we need this?” he asked with a smile, not yet looking back towards his friend.
Just as Xichen was about to glance over his shoulder, a warm, heavy weight settled against his back.
“You don’t have any idea what you do to me, do you?” Mingjue growled into his ear.
Mingjue’s cock pressed along the cleft of Xichen’s ass, the heat of it alone causing Xichen to moan. He didn’t notice the vial being removed from his hand, but a large slicked finger found its way to his entrance, rubbing over it in gentle circles.
“Relax.” Mingjue purred.
The digit slipped inside and Xichen had to press his own palm over his mouth to muffle the cry. Mingjue was still draped over him, a warm comforting heat, only shifted to the side enough to allow room for the hand beginning to stretch him open. The first finger became two, the digits working in and out to loosen the entrance, occasionally tugging at the rim in a way that had Xichen squirming.
“That’s it,” Mingjue crooned, “open up for me. I need to get at least four in before I can even think about taking you.”
“Gege,” Xichen whined, “Please.”
“I know, Baobei.” Mingjue soothed.
Warm kisses were peppered along the back of Xichen’s neck and shoulder, working to relax him further and distract from the slow pace of his stretching. To Mingjue’s credit, the man never once faltered in his control, despite being desperately hard. He kept his focus entirely on Xichen’s comfort. Once the third finger was in, the fourth followed closely. When Mingjue slicked his own cock and prepared to line himself up, he was surprised to find Xichen moving beneath him. The Lan rolled onto his back, loose hair splaying around him in a beautiful display.
“Like this.” Xichen whispered, doe eyes looking up at the man above him, “I want to be able to see you.”
“A-Huan, I understand but the other way might be more-”
“No.” Xichen shook his head, “Like this, please Gege?” Xichen’s legs wrapped around Mingjue’s back, preventing the older man from moving away even if he wanted to.
Mingjue groaned, his hand tightening around the base of his cock where he had been holding it. “Fuck, you’re doing that on purpose.”
Unable to resist any longer, Mingjue began to feed his cock into the warm heat before him. With just the tip in, he felt as though he were melting. His eyes closed and head dipped down to press their foreheads together as he continued working himself in. Short, shallow thrusts carved a place for himself inside of Xichen until he was fully sheathed to the hilt. Mingjue lifted his head, blinking his eyes open to see a debauched Lan Xichen below him. Everything about the younger man looked wrecked, from his flushed skin to his crooked ribbon.
“Shit, your ribbon.” Mingjue realized he had just been pressing his own forehead into it, rubbing against the item he has been told to never touch.
Something impossibly soft took over Xichen’s eyes. “Take it off. You can touch it.”
Mingjue searched the man below him for any sign of hesitation, but found none. A kiss was placed over the ribbon before it was carefully untied, slipping free to dangle in Mingjue’s hold. Xichen’s own hands covered Mingjue’s, curling larger fingers in to wrap tight around the ribbon. The younger man then kissed along the knuckles that held his ribbon so reverently.
There was no holding back after that. Xichen wrapped his arms around Mingjue’s broad back as the man began a steady pace of thrusts, slow enough that Xichen could feel the drag of every inch of Mingjue’s cock, and yet powerful enough that his whole body was rocked with the force. The sensation was almost too much for Xichen to handle. He could not take it for a moment longer. He never wanted it to end.
Mingjue pressed their mouths together again, and it took everything Xichen had to keep up with the kiss. His moans were swallowed by Mingjue as their pace began to border on frantic. Xichen had yet to touch his own hard cock, but the way it pressed between their bodies had him leaking. A particularly hard thrust sent him over the edge, releasing between their bodies as pleasured waved wracked his body
“Baobei,” Mingjue groaned as Xichen pulsed and tightened, “I’m close. Is it alright if I…?”
“Yes” Xichen breathily replied, trying to use what little strength that remained in his arms and legs to hold Mingjue tighter, trying to convey his desire.
Mingjue rocked his hips a few more times before spilling inside of Xichen, nearly collapsing on top of the Lan as his climax ebbed.
“Da-ge, you’re heavy.” Xichen whined, though it came out more as a laugh.
Mingjue answered with a groan, rolling off to the side as his softening cock slipped free. They stayed like that for some time, neither willing to untangle the mess of limbs. Xichen seemed to finally catch his breath first and began to wiggle his way closer to cuddle against the taller man’s side.Mingjue responded in kind, wrapping large arms around the Lan like he were a beloved plush toy.
“A-Huan, you should not be close to me, I’m all gross right now.” Mingjue lamented, but made no move to actually release the man in his hold.
“Mmm.” Xichen hummed, “I like it though.”
“So much for the ‘perfect jade,’ my image of you will be forever changed. How am I supposed to go on living with this knowledge?” The faux despair in Mingjue’s voice made them both laugh.
“I think Gege will manage.”
Mingjue groaned, burying his face into Xichen’s neck. “Stop it, I can’t go again that fast, A-Huan, I’m only human.”
Two lovers broke into an uncontrollable laugh that echoed across the misty field of flowers. The sun had begun to dip towards the horizon casting the whole of Cloud Recesses in a golden glow, Illuminating the intertwined figures. Xichen was supposed to meet Wangji for dinner, his younger brother would certainly look for him if he wasn’t there, but the idea of separating from Mingjue for even a moment felt like breaking 1000 rules. And so he stayed, content and satiated amongst a sea of gentians.
The world would eventually make its demands of Lan Xichen, but for these moments he could selfishly cling to the pleasant warmth of a man he held in his heart. Inseparable halves of a perfect whole.