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Thick black tendrils of resentment cover all the valley. The white figure at the center stands unmoving, observing the pure chaos that unravels before his eyes. Half-smiling half-crying mask is mocking all these useless lives who dared to hurt his beloved. He'll crush all of them, but before that he'll make them suffer.
- Stop! - this cry he'd know out of thousands. He immediately spots familiar white robes and rushes to his Xianle side.
He lays on the ground, bound and beaten, but the terrified look in his eyes isn't meant for any of his captors who are prostrated and pathetically beg for their lives. Ah, he forgot that Xianle hates this form of his. He'll have to bear with it for a minute, until he is done with some nuisances.
There is another captive beside him, a young cultivator who has nearly passed out from the terror. He is heatedly whispering something along the lines:
- We'll die, we'll definitely die now! Why the fuck did you call it?! This is a supreme demon, one of the calamities no less!
- And my husband.
- And w-what?!
He doesn't let the boy spread more nonsense. With a dramatic eyeroll he passes out, leaving him and Xianle alone.
- Thank you, - says Xianle quietly. No doubt he was irritated too, listening to these high-pitched whines. - Will my husband be so kind and unbind me?
He tries to reach out his hands and makes a quiet ouch when his bruises drag along the ground.
His vision darkens.
How dare they harm his Xianle?
How dare...
How dare!
How dare!
- Stop! A-Jun, please, stop! - a scream pierces through the fog of rage and he stops his claws bare millimetre from someone's throat. - Don't hurt them! Please! Or I'll... I'll... I won't speak to you for a year!!
If he needed to breathe it would catch in his throat. Even resentment halts its swirling. Everything stills and only Xianle is heaving from his cries.
- A-and won't look at you... A-a-and touch you, - he adds quietly as his voice tapers off into silence.
- Oh, - is the only sound he can make.
Hearing it his beloved turns ripe-red and bites his lower lip, undoubtedly wallowing in his embarrassment. Still he looks him in the eye, trying to pour all his honesty and conviction into this gaze.
- Looks like Xianle has learned some lessons, though not the ones I taught him, - he lets out a long sigh and disperses black clouds along with his mask and robes. There is no conscious mortal to see the miracle - Supreme Demon turning into Heaven's Emperor.
- My Lord has taught me a lot of things, seems like he forgot some of them, - says Xianle lightly, too lightly to be anything but nervous. He shouldn't be. He won't ever do anything to disappoint his sweet husband, even when it hurts him not to. His Xianle is stubborn like this.
He doesn't waste another second on the human trash and swiftly cuts immortal binding cables. Xianle doesn't even try to stand up, rubbing at his sore feet and hands with a concentrated look. Seeing his husband in pain he feels a spark of resentment light anew, but quickly stomps it out. He'll have time to turn their lives into a nightmare, for now he is needed here.
He takes Xianle's hands in his and starts pouring his own spiritual energy, guiding and encouraging the healing. There are bruises all over his body, fractured bones in his ankle and shin and two broken ribs, but nothing too serious.
In a few minutes they are done.
He helps Xianle to his feet but doesn't let go. Instead he doubles over and, ignoring squeaked protests and some flaying, picks his beloved up. With some fussing he rearranges him into a more comfortable position against his unmoving chest.
- Striking a bargain with a demon can be dangerous, baobei. You can lose more than you'll gain, - he purrs into a reddened ear. Xianle opens and closes his mouth but stays wisely quiet. - Now that I upheld your end of the deal I want to have mine fulfilled.
- And what does m-... this supreme demon want? - inquires Xianle with a demure look. Too precious.
- How did you say it? "Won't talk, won't look, won't touch?" - he recites with a raised eyebrow. He gets a nod in response and more flushing. - Then I'll say that: how about you talk to, look at and touch only me for a year, hm?
-T-that… that may be difficult, my Lord…
- You know that I'd rather destroy my own ashes than live without you and still proposed that condition. It's only fair, don't you think?
- A-Jun…, - there is surprise in chestnut eyes. Surprise, and wondering, and maybe the same longing he feels whenever he catches a glimpse of white robes. There is saddness too.
Xianle reaches out and lays a gentle hand on his cheek, across one of the hidden scars. He shudders and leans into the touch, briefly closes his eyes.
Warm, so warm.
Fingers stroke his face and he feels Xianle shifting, moving closer. Arms circle his neck, tugging down, and he is helpless to do anything but obey.
The kiss is soft at first, just lips on lips. Then there is tongue prodding at the seam and he lets it slide inside, sucking at it. Xianle moans quietly into his mouth and tugs at his strands, trying to get more. Greedy. He chuckles and nips lightly in chastisement, mindful of his fangs. Xianle retreats with a bashful look, takes a tiny breath and surges forward anew.
- O-oh gods…
He ignores some measly human's wheeze.
It took hundreds of years for his husband to finally learn to act on his desires and he won't waste a second of it.
Unfortunately, Xianle doesn't think the same. He parts with a gasp and looks around wide-eyed.
It's that young cultivator who somehow has already recovered and is now gaping at them as if he has never seen… Oh.
- H-heavenly M-martial E-emperor? - there is something akin to a childish glee in his voice and if he wasn't bound he'd definitely try to prostrate. He mumbles something to himself and wriggles in the cables, but then catches Xianle's gaze and promptly stops. Looks intently at his face, robes and position (still in his husband's arms), turns beef-red and quickly shuts his eyes. - I'm sorry!!
This flusters Xianle even more and he almost falls down in his effort to break free. He tightens his grip and doesn't let go even seeing the pleading look.
- A-Jun, please, - whispers Xianle sweetly and any other day he would've comply. Not today though.
- Baobei, stay still. It's time to go home. You've done enough, - he kisses Xianle's temple to emphasise his point and starts walking.
- But…
- Let your husband take care of everything else, - and this leaves Xianle speechless.
After a few minutes he finally relaxes and rests his head on the broad shoulder. Sighs heavily and then rubs his face all over the cloth like an overgrown cat. Cute. But still he sulks, not being able to conduct the investigation to its completion. Fortunately, he knows a way to lighten his husband's mood.
- So tell me what was the case with cultivators' disappearances. As far as I can see it wasn't a resentful spirit.
- Yes, it truly wasn't! - ah, already working. - You see, my Lord, there was a spirit indeed, but of completely different nature…
As they walk in peace, him listening and Xianle talking, there is a strange feeling blossoming behind his ribs, where his heart was beating once. It is warm, and soft, and pleasant, and familiar in a way that breathing is. What is it?..
- A-Jun?
He remembers.
Happiness.