Chapter Text
Ao Bing was never the first person anyone would think of when hearing the phrase “insatiable curiosity.” That designation went emphatically to Nezha, whose methods of satisfying said curiosity were often described as “reckless” and usually resulted in property damage. Which meant that Ao Bing’s particular brand of quiet curiosity tended to go unnoticed by casual observers.
But that isn’t to say Ao Bing didn’t burn with it.
In fact, Ao Bing encountered intriguing things on a daily basis. He was, after all, only three and a half years old, and so much of the world was still new to him. But his approach to investigation was more subtle than Nezha’s, so most people never caught on.
Which meant that he was free to reflect in peace and quiet most of the time. This was especially handy when he was mulling over more private topics.
Their newest book of erotica, for example, and several of the positions depicted therein.
They had looked through it together, of course, after they’d gotten home from that first visit to the uncles (and after they’d both caught their breath). It contained...many new and intriguing concepts that they were both eager to put to the test. There were...forms...that looked way more advanced than anything they’d found in their first dual cultivation manual.
There were a few that lodged themselves in Ao Bing’s brain, and he found himself unable to stop thinking about them, even when Nezha was not around. It got to the point that he would surreptitiously pull the book out from under their bed several times throughout the day to page through it and stare at the illustrations that were the hardest to banish from his mind.
Nezha caught him at it one day, but all he did was immediately suggest that they try the position depicted in the illustration that the book was displaying when he walked in. Ao Bing had no objections, and they proceeded to enjoy themselves (and each other) very much.
But here’s the thing. All of their activities thus far were of the type that Ao Bing did to Nezha; Nezha had never done them to him.
At first, Ao Bing, had been very unsure if he was interested in taking the receptive role, and Nezha had been more than enthusiastic about wanting it, and so things had continued in this manner in the weeks since they’d first become intimate.
Nezha loved what they did together, that much was clear. At first, Ao Bing had found it strange to realize that penetration could be a pleasurable experience for a man, but Nezha had asked for it. And then he’d asked for it again, and again, and again. And he clearly had no plans to stop. So Ao Bing couldn’t help but wonder. Could it really be that good?
It had to be, at least for Nezha. Ao Bing knew he couldn’t be faking his reactions, even if he were inclined to do so (and he had never been shy about voicing his opinions). No, it was clear that Nezha enjoyed it immensely.
And here’s the thing. Ao Bing loved pleasing Nezha.
Nezha’s face as he came was always exquisite; his mouth partway open, his eyes halfway closed, his head thrown back or lolling to the side. And the sounds he made when he was pleasured? They were music to Ao Bing. But best of all was the fact that all Nezha’s lovely, irresistible expressions of pleasure were in direct response to how Ao Bing touched him; how Ao Bing fucked him. It made Ao Bing feel more powerful than a god.
He might worry about it going to his head, but the ultimate goal of all this was to make Nezha feel as good as possible, as often as possible, so Ao Bing threw caution to the wind and devoted himself to the cause in a way that would make even the stuffiest scholar feel inadequate.
Ao Bing was, perhaps, a little addicted.
However, as gratifying as it was to bring Nezha to such heights, Ao Bing couldn’t help but wonder.
What was it like?
To be clear, their coupling was also incredibly pleasurable for Ao Bing. But the sight of Nezha losing himself to it, willingly losing control, was more hypnotic than any magic spell. Every day, Ao Bing eagerly anticipated the reactions he would wring from Nezha just as much as he looked forward to the joining of their bodies.
Nezha had never suggested they try it the other way around, which led Ao Bing to two initial conclusions: either Nezha loved it so much he didn’t want to share (rude), or Nezha was only pretending to love it because it was actually not so enjoyable and he wanted to spare Ao Bing the discomfort (annoying). But he was quite sure Nezha wouldn’t lie to him, and he was equally sure that Nezha was not that selfish. So he was a little surprised that Nezha hadn’t offered to let him try it, even once.
Well. Whatever the reason, Ao Bing was becoming ever more curious.
His interest in learning the answer started going beyond just idle curiosity one morning when he woke earlier than normal. He was cocooned in Nezha’s arms, his back against Nezha’s firm chest, with Nezha snoring into his hair. And when he shifted slightly, he found...something rather hard nestled against his ass.
Ao Bing bit his lip and didn’t move.
Nothing else happened. Nezha kept on snoring.
Carefully, slowly, Ao Bing arched his back such that his ass pressed backward just a little, just enough to rub against Nezha’s erect cock.
That got more of a reaction than Ao Bing expected, as Nezha woke with a start. “Ao Bing?” he said muzzily, rubbing his eyes. Then he must have noticed the way in which they were pressed together, and he pulled his hips back. “Ah, sorry, Ao Bing!” he muttered. “Didn’t mean to.”
That gave Ao Bing pause. What was Nezha sorry about? Did he mean…
However, Ao Bing was never able to complete that line of thought, as Nezha slid his hand over Ao Bing’s bare hip and grasped his cock. Which was extremely hard, Ao Bing realized. He gasped and buried his face in the pillow.
“You want…?” Nezha whispered in his ear. He didn’t even need to complete this line of questioning.
“Yes,” Ao Bing groaned, and Nezha’s hand immediately began moving up and down the shaft. It took very little time for Nezha to bring him to his inevitable conclusion, and as soon as he finished, he rolled over and returned the favor.
The second time they woke up in the same position was just days later, Nezha still asleep while Ao Bing drifted into consciousness with a familiar hardness pressed against him. He was just working up the nerve to do something about it, when there was a loud crack of thunder followed by an immediate flash of lightning, and they both flew out of bed.
If lightning was striking that nearby, they needed to safeguard the settlement; Chentang Pass was still a shadow of its former self, and every building they’d managed to raise was precious. If a single one of them was set ablaze by a lightning strike, it would be not only devastating, but especially traumatic for those who’d already seen Chentang Pass burn. Nezha and Ao Bing would be able to control and extinguish any fires that might start, and so they were needed outside.
Thankfully, their talents were not needed that night. But by the time the lightning storm abated and they were free to cease their watch, dawn was already breaking.
The next week or so after that was chaotic. Bandits, driven east by the ongoing conflicts in the west and north, had attempted to take one of the nearby fishing villages, and it fell to Ao Bing and Nezha to defend it. The little fishing villages had always been under the protection of Chentang Pass, and Nezha wanted to do his father proud. Ao Bing also wanted to do General Li proud. After all, the man would someday be his father-in-law.
They managed to successfully defend the village without incurring any casualties, but the task left them little to no private time.
Ao Bing did score a diplomatic victory, though; he convinced seven of the bandits, including their leader, to join their cause and swear allegiance to Chentang Pass. As it turned out, most of them were just desperate people in dire straits, and had no wish to harm anyone. Ao Bing promised them plentiful seafood and mushrooms in return for their labor and loyalty.
Nezha praised him excessively for this accomplishment, though Ao Bing did not mind it as much as he pretended.
But that entire week, he never stopped thinking about it.
It happened a third time, some days later.
Ao Bing woke up slowly, wrapped in Nezha’s six arms, the early morning light filtering through the curtains. Enough birds had returned to Chentang Pass that they once again provided a dawn chorus, and Ao Bing lay still and listened for as long as he could. It was peaceful. Who knew how long their peace would last.
Such dire thoughts were driven from his mind when Nezha shifted in his sleep and his hard dick was suddenly pressed against Ao Bing’s ass.
Ao Bing held his breath, but Nezha had settled and did not move any further. Exhaling slowly, Ao Bing pressed himself backward, tighter against Nezha, just to see what would happen. When nothing did, when Nezha slept on, Ao Bing decided to take matters into his own hands, and he shifted his hips.
That got a reaction. Nezha made a tiny noise in his throat, then pulled Ao Bing even closer to him and ground his hips forward.
“Nezha,” Ao Bing gasped, reaching around behind to clasp his lover’s waist. There was no answer, only Nezha’s erection rubbing against him. He felt fizzy. Maybe he should—
Nezha suddenly snorted and shook himself, leading Ao Bing to the annoying realization that he had, until just now, been asleep.
“Ah!” Nezha mumbled, stilling his hips. “What…huh. Sorry, I—”
He tried to pull away, but Ao Bing still had a hand on his waist and now he clamped it down and refused to let Nezha pull away. “Wait,” he said.
Nezha made an inquisitive noise, but stopped attempting to move back.
Ao Bing’s heart was beating very fast. “What’s it like?” he whispered.
“What’s what?” Nezha sounded slightly more awake now, but still muddled.
Frustrated with himself, Ao Bing searched for the right words. “What does it feel like?” he asked, haltingly. “When I…you know. To you. Is it…good?”
“Oh,” Nezha whispered, and Ao Bing felt his breathing quicken. “So good, Ao Bing, it’s so good.” Lips were pressed against the back of Ao Bing’s neck, and hands started skimming lightly over his bare chest and waist.
Ao Bing’s breath hitched. “You really like it that much,” he said in wonder. It’s not like he hadn’t already known it. Why was he being so silly?
“I love it,” Nezha assured him. “It’s amazing. Feels like my entire body is lighting up—”
“It does, sometimes,” Ao Bing said, giggling somewhat breathlessly. He was starting to feel unhinged and had no idea why.
Nezha snorted. “Well, there, you see?”
Ao Bing chewed his lip. He still didn’t see, really. He believed Nezha when he said he loved it, but…
“But what’s it like?” he asked. “I can’t light up like you do, so...I can’t really imagine what that’s like, and I...”
Nezha hummed thoughtfully. After a moment, he asked, “You’re really that curious about it?”
Ao Bing nodded once, frustrated at his inability to phrase his question in a way that made sense. “I just...I’ve been wanting to understand what it’s like, for you, and...aiyoh. Never mind, it’s silly.”
“It’s not silly,” Nezha said, sounding mildly offended on his behalf. Then, deliberate and slow, Nezha leaned forward and whispered into his ear. “Ao Bing...do you want to try it?”
He did, Ao Bing realized. He really, really did. He’d been so desperately curious to know what the experience was like for Nezha, but he’d subconsciously fixated on the idea of being told in words. Now he realized—he could just let Nezha show him.
Nezha had gone utterly still behind him, waiting for his answer. Ao Bing, too, had frozen as his mind raced with this new idea; he had, in fact, forgotten to breathe.
“Yes,” he gasped. “I...yes. I want to know.”
Nezha drew in a sharp breath. “All right,” he said. “You...wow. All right. Wow.” Ao Bing noted with some consternation that there was a tinge of nervousness to his voice.
Ao Bing tried to reassure him. “We don’t have to!” he said quickly. “It’s all right if you don’t want to, I don’t mind, if you’re not—”
“Psh!” Nezha cut him off. “What do you take me for? Of course I want to! I was just surprised, is all.”
“Oh,” Ao Bing exhaled, relieved. Now that he’d admitted to both Nezha and himself what he wanted, he was practically vibrating out of his skin in anticipation. If Nezha had shown even the slightest hint of hesitation or doubt, however, he would have backtracked immediately.
Nezha was already worming one of his hands under the pillow, reaching for the little jar of seaweed lubricant he’d stashed between the mattress and the headboard of the bed. He swore quietly as he fumbled for it, but managed to find it and draw it out without an excessive amount of trouble. He then handed it off to Ao Bing.
Ao Bing took the jar. “I suppose I should do this part myself?”
In answer, Nezha tapped his fingernails against Ao Bing’s arm. “Don’t wanna hurt you,” he mumbled sheepishly. “Besides, we already know you’re good at it.”
Ao Bing coated his fingers with the slippery extract, but then he had to pause and assess the situation. He’d done this step plenty of times now, but never on himself, and he realized with some trepidation that the angle would present a challenge.
It took him some maneuvering to find a position that would allow him to reach...adequately...to put his fingers inside himself. They were still lying on their sides, and so he ended up finding a good use for Nezha’s extra hands when he finally pulled one knee up to his chest. Nezha needed no encouragement to hold it in place for him as he tentatively pressed a finger into himself for the first time.
It was...weird. He knew he had tensed up, because Nezha immediately began running reassuring hands over him, stroking his back and side and legs. “Breathe,” he whispered into the back of Ao Bing’s neck.
Ao Bing did.
After several deep, slow breaths, his tension began to ebb and he was able to continue his exploration. He went as slowly as possible, and all the while Nezha never stopped petting him and whispering. It was calming; exactly what Ao Bing needed.
He could not yet truthfully have said he was enjoying the feeling, but he was nothing if not stubborn. So he kept going, slower than he always did with Nezha, but following the same steps, and it seemed to be working. In this way, he was able to work up to three fingers without any off-putting discomfort. Maybe Nezha’s cock would be more enjoyable than his own fingers. It really was one of the stranger experiences he’d had.
Finally, he pulled his fingers out and said, “I’m ready. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” Nezha murmured, fingers tight on his waist. “How do you want it?”
Ao Bing thought for a brief moment. “Just like this,” he decided. “On our sides. I love being held by you.” This was actually something of an understatement. Lying here in their bed, in Nezha’s arms, made him feel safer than anything ever had. The thought of being taken just like this suffused Ao Bing with a unique warmth.
An arm reached past Ao Bing, groping blindly for something. “Hey,” came Nezha’s voice. “Where’s the stuff?”
“Oh, right.” The stuff. Ao Bing grabbed the little jar from where he’d set it next to the pillow and pressed it into Nezha’s searching hand. He heard a soft clink as the lid was removed, then a moment later there were slick noises and a soft groan as Nezha coated his cock with the gel.
“Bing’er.” Nezha’s breath was hot on the back of Ao Bing’s neck. “Bing’er, can I...now?”
Ao Bing grabbed one of Nezha’s arms and tugged him closer in answer. Nezha, who had wriggled backward to give himself just enough room to coat his cock with the gel, slithered back into place with palpable enthusiasm. He was now pressing against Ao Bing’s back, lifting Ao Bing’s leg to make room for himself, and...and…
There was gentle pressure; a firm feeling as Nezha pressed the head of his cock against Ao Bing’s ass. For a slightly frantic second, Ao Bing worried it wouldn’t fit, but then it slipped in...startling a soft grunt out of him.
“Bing’er,” Nezha groaned. He then took several harsh breaths and Ao Bing could feel his attempt to physically rein himself in. “Bing’er, ah…how is it?”
“Zha’er,” Ao Bing croaked, then he shuddered as Nezha’s cock slid incrementally further into him.
“What’s the matter?” Nezha asked, alarm evident in his voice. He held utterly still. “Are you okay?”
“I’m—” Ao Bing had been about to say that yes, he was okay, but he stopped himself. He wasn’t...in pain, or anything like that, but the sensation had suddenly become almost more than he could bear.
He inhaled slowly. “Can we just...wait for a moment?” he asked.
“Of course, of course,” Nezha told him, in what was probably meant to be a reassuring tone.
“Are you sure? You don’t mind?” Ao Bing asked, then cringed at himself as his voice went a little higher-pitched than he intended.
“Ao Bing.” All of a sudden, Nezha sounded less undone and much more serious. “If you’re not having fun, then I’m not having fun. You have to tell me, okay? I mean it!”
“Okay. I’ll tell you” Ao Bing replied, his voice small. “I just don’t want to disappoint you.”
Nezha made a derisive noise. “Idiot! I won’t be disappointed. Even if we stop right now and never try this again, I won’t be disappointed. So just...cut it out, okay?” He rapped on Ao Bing’s head with his knuckles, just to really drive the point home.
Annoyed, Ao Bing turned his head and caught Nezha’s hand between his teeth, hissing as he did so. He didn’t bite hard enough to break skin, just applied enough pressure to make a point. Nezha merely laughed. “How is it now?” he asked after a moment.
Ao Bing closed his eyes and forced himself to notice how his body was reacting. Their brief squabble had served to distract him from his sudden discomfort, and now he realized his muscles had relaxed enough that the feeling wasn’t making him anxious anymore.
“It’s...still a bit weird, but it’s okay now,” he muttered. “I think if you just go really slow...and I promise I’ll tell you if I really don’t like it,” he added.
“You better,” Nezha grumbled. But he pushed himself a tiny bit further in.
Ao Bing let out a strained groan. Nezha immediately stilled. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” Ao Bing said in a rush. “It’s just...it’s just so much.”
“Hmmmmm.” Nezha was quiet for a moment, then he said, “I have an idea. Can I try something?”
Ao Bing nodded, focusing on his breathing and refusing to let himself be overwhelmed by the strange sensations in his body. Thank goodness for his cultivation training; otherwise, he didn’t know what he’d have done. Why was this so much easier for Nezha?
Nezha, for his part, was busy executing his plan. Ao Bing heard the clink of a jar lid again, then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a hand reach over his hip, down toward his—
“Tian ah!” he cried, as a cool, slick hand wrapped around his cock and stroked. “Ah, what the—cāo—Nezha!”
He could feel Nezha’s smug grin where his face was pressed into the crook of Ao Bing’s neck, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Nezha’s grip was firm, just the way he liked it, and his palm was so slippery, he must have used up most of that jar, Ao Bing was going to have to go harvest more seaweed as soon as possible so they wouldn’t have to go without…
The pace of Nezha’s strokes gradually increased, and Ao Bing was losing himself, babbling nonsense into the sheets, burying his face in the pillow as his breathing grew more and more erratic. He was making the most embarrassing array of noises, from guttural groans to mousy squeaks but oh, he’d stopped caring, for Nezha was whispering praise and encouragement against the back of his head, and soon his whole body was lighting up like a fireworks display.
He choked out one last “Nezha!” as his muscles convulsed and he thrashed like an eel on a hook. He heard Nezha make a shocked-sounding hnng noise, but the hand didn’t stop stroking Ao Bing’s cock, so Ao Bing’s perception was focused on the electricity of his body as his climax roared through him.
He was still panting like an overworked cart horse as awareness trickled back in, however much time later. It wasn’t until his breathing finally slowed and he was able to take stock of his situation, and he realized that Nezha’s hips were pressed tight against his ass. Nezha’s cock was all the way inside him.
He shook his head gently to help clear his mind. There was no discomfort; his body was totally relaxed, and the pressure inside him was no longer overwhelming. In fact, it felt...warm, somehow. He was beginning to see how this could be a pleasurable experience.
Experimentally, he tilted his hips just enough to make Nezha’s cock shift inside him, and he could feel it pressing against...ohh, that must be the thing that always made Nezha scream.
“It’s good now,” he gasped. “Do you want to…?”
“Ahh, Bing’er,” Nezha said, and he sounded rather abashed. “I came when you did.”
“Oh, I. Sorry?” Ao Bing said, somewhat muddled. He was a bit disappointed that they hadn’t managed to do it exactly like he’d envisioned it would go, but then again...well, he was very languorous at the moment.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Nezha was mumbling. “It was really great!” Then he yawned, a huge, cavernous sound that soon had Ao Bing following suit.
“Pass me a rag before you start snoring,” Nezha slurred, and Ao Bing reached for one. It was an awkward maneuver, as they were still connected. Nezha pulled out slowly, mopping them both up with the rag, which he then incinerated with a wave of his hand.
“It was nice,” Ao Bing started to say, “I think I…”
He was interrupted by a loud snore. Sighing, he rolled over and closed his eyes.
They spent much of the next day in training, as they did most of the time these days when they weren’t called away from Chentang Pass. Better to be ready for anything, they’d told themselves, although it was frustrating not to have any idea what they might need to be ready for. News of the Chan sect had been worryingly nonexistent ever since the battle over the East Sea.
“There’s no way they’ve just gone quiet for no reason,” Nezha grumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time. “What could those stupid eggs possibly be planning?”
Ao Bing shook his head and dispelled his melon hammers. He’d been learning the hard way that when Nezha went down this road, he wasn’t fully focused on their sparring sessions. Once, Ao Bing had accidentally hit him square in the face with one of his hammers, which had promptly exploded. Now he was more careful; he’d decided that when Nezha started in with the cynicism like this, it meant they needed to take a breather.
“Hopefully we’ll hear something soon,” he said. He agreed with Nezha that no news might as well be bad news, since the entire Chan sect couldn’t be this quiet unless they were intentionally concealing something. Something big. Otherwise, why would they go to such trouble?
Nezha broke his bamboo training staff over his knee and threw the pieces into the ocean. “We’ve been waiting around for so long!” he yelled at the horizon. “Next time my master gets back, I’ll—”
“What are you really angry about?” Ao Bing asked. Usually he just let Nezha tire himself out when he was in a mood like this, but this time Ao Bing had been getting the sense that there was more to Nezha’s ire than he was letting on.
“Ah? What do you mean, what am I really angry about? I just said, didn’t I?” Nezha looked confused. He’d ceased his diatribe for the moment, though, which gave Ao Bing an opening.
“Well, we’re all doing what we can to be ready for whatever happens, and I know you know that,” Ao Bing told him. “You get grumpy a lot, and I don’t mind, but you seem more upset than usual.”
Nezha shoved his hands in his pants and kicked at the sand. “I don’t get grumpy a lot,” he muttered.
Ao Bing hid his smile behind his sleeve. Nezha was so cute. Unfortunately, Nezha was also perceptive.
“Are you laughing at me?” Nezha squawked, pointing an accusatory finger at him and glaring.
Ao Bing waved his hands in mock contrition, biting back the rest of his smile. “No, no, of course not!” he said in a placating tone.
Nezha dropped the finger and the glare. “Humph.” He sat down on the sand, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knees.
Ao Bing settled down beside him and gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders. A little bit of the tension began to bleed out of Nezha’s body as they sat in silence.
Finally, Ao Bing tried again. “What….what else are you upset about, then? Besides the stupid Chan sect, who are all a bunch of bad eggs?”
In spite of himself, Nezha snickered, as he always did when Ao Bing said a rude word. It was a trick Ao Bing used sparingly, preferring to save it for when he really needed to make Nezha laugh.
Finally, Nezha let out a huge gusty breath. “Sorry about last night,” he mumbled into his knees.
That threw Ao Bing for a loop. “What?” he asked, blinking in surprise. “Last night? What happened last night?”
“See? You don’t even remember! How can I apologize if you don’t even remember?” Nezha threw himself backward into the sand and slung both his arms over his face.
“I remember what we did last night...” Ao Bing said slowly, “...but I don’t remember anything that you need to apologize for.”
Nezha made a frustrated noise. “I disappointed you. I was disappointing.”
“What?” Ao Bing asked again. He was seriously losing the thread of this conversation. “No you didn’t. Weren’t. I wasn’t disappointed…did you really think that? Maybe you’re the egg.”
“Maybe I am an egg! You wanted to try it and I didn’t even do it right,” Nezha said morosely, face still hidden.
“Oh,” Ao Bing breathed in sudden understanding. He was torn between relief and annoyance. “I thought I was the one who didn’t do it right.”
Nezha sat up in a spray of sand. “You weren’t even the one doing anything! Stupid!”
“You’re stupid,” Ao Bing replied. He had the inexplicable urge to laugh again, but could tell it would not be appreciated.
Nezha stared at him, mouth hanging open, as if Ao Bing had just made a clever comeback instead of an inane retort. It was clear that this argument wasn’t going anywhere, but Ao Bing had a sudden flash of inspiration.
“Stand up,” he said. He got up and brushed the sand off his robes. “Come here.”
Frowning slightly, Nezha complied. Ao Bing stretched out his hands and recalled his hammers, then he flipped them both around and presented them, handle-first, to Nezha.
Nezha took them. “What do you want me to do with these?” he asked, leery.
Ao Bing cast about for a makeshift weapon. The bamboo staff was gone, and the stretch of beach they were on was pure sand, no rocks he could throw. He settled for conjuring balls of ice and hurling them at Nezha’s face.
Nezha deflected each one effortlessly with the hammers. Ao Bing kept pitching ice boulders of different sizes and shapes, and from different angles. When none of this posed any difficulty for Nezha, Ao Bing started sidestepping around him, forcing Nezha to twirl and dodge if he wanted to keep defending. As always, though, his movements were instinctive and nimble.
Satisfied, Ao Bing stopped lobbing ice balls. Nezha tossed one of the hammers up in the air and caught it by the handle, saying, “You know, if you wanted to hit me in the face, you could have just used one of these.”
Ao Bing stuck out his tongue. “I wanted to see how you handled those,” he said. “Not bad.”
“What can I say? I can master any weapon!” Nezha boasted, preening.
Ao Bing smiled. “Would you use them again?” he asked.
“I guess, but only if I had to,” Nezha admitted. “They were fine, but I like my spear better. I miss my spear,” he said wistfully.
Ao Bing sobered. He did feel bad for leading the conversation in that direction, but he hadn’t had any other ideas. “Yeah, well. Is the spear better than my hammers, do you think?”
Nezha’s mouth twisted. “No...I just like it better. I like the way it handles, I guess. It just feels more natural to fight with.”
“Well, I feel the same way, but about my hammers,” Ao Bing pointed out. “Anyway, just because you prefer the spear doesn’t mean you’re bad at the hammers, right?”
Nezha opened his mouth to reply, then narrowed his eyes. Ao Bing saw the moment it sank in.
“You tricked me,” Nezha conceded peevishly.
Ao Bing gave him a cheerful smile. “I don’t know what you mean!”
Nezha rolled his eyes. “Fine. I get it. Okay?”
“Good.”
They stared at each other for a drawn-out moment.
Then Nezha stalked up to Ao Bing, wrapped his arms around him, and kissed him soundly. Ao Bing leaned into it, kissing back with enthusiasm. The kissing soon led to fumbling and Nezha pawing at Ao Bing’s robes; Ao Bing responded by removing his outermost layer and spreading it out on the sand like a blanket. A quick glance around confirmed that they were all by themselves on this lonely stretch of beach and, thus reassured, they lay down and finished undressing each other.
Nezha had somehow managed to lose the little vial of oil he’d long ago stashed in his pocket (“I only have one pair of pants! Where the hell could it have gone?”), so they settled for using their hands on each other. This was far from a disappointing turn of events, though. There was something thrilling and sweet about touching each other on the beach like this. Almost like their very first time, except now they were on the exact same page and both of them knew exactly what they liked. So they easily brought each other to completion, whispering each other’s names under the open sky.
After they finished, Ao Bing wrinkled his nose at the sticky mess, but Nezha laughed at him and said, “The water’s right there, isn’t it?” And he wasn’t wrong. Ao Bing clasped his hand and together they ran into the waves. Laughing, they splashed and chased each other through the surf, more carefree than they’d felt in months.
It was good.
Hours later, they sat together on the shore, watching the evening sunlight play over the waves as the shadows lengthened.
“Whatever happens, we’ll face it together,” Ao Bing said quietly, turning to Nezha. “And we’ll win. We have to. We’re too young, remember? We don’t know the height of Heaven nor the depths of the Earth.”
Nezha grasped Ao Bing’s hand and interlaced their fingers. A smile played over his lips. “Yeah. Together,” he said. “Anyway, who cares how high or how deep? We’ll just bring Heaven down to Earth.”