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Xichen took a deep breath, probably the hundredth one since he woke up. Even before he got out of bed, still buried in their blanket cocoon with Mingjue, anticipation already curled in his stomach. He had been looking forward to this day for weeks, ever since Mingjue proposed they do something new, and particularly exciting.
It had been a while since Xichen realized his back was a very sensitive part of his body, but he never thought it was a big deal until that day a few weeks ago.
He laid in bed, face down, naked and sweaty and trying to catch his breath, when Mingjue lightly grazed his fingers down his spine. It was like an electric shock of good and no and too much , and Xichen moaned at the sensations, but still it made him jerk and turn over, almost falling off the bed in his haste to get away.
Mingjue immediately retreated his hand, a look of alarm on his face.
Xichen felt the same. "Sorry! I have no idea what that was," he said, settling back on the bed with a confused look.
"Are you okay?" Mingjue asked and Xichen nodded. "Is this a boundary thing?"
"No, I... Maybe." Xichen paused. He cast his eyes away from Mingjue's patient gaze, trying to understand what happened and how he felt. "I think... I don't mind having my back touched, just not without warning first."
Mingjue hummed. "But do you just not mind it, or do you enjoy it? That moan was pretty loud," he finished.
"I- I don't know. Maybe you could... do it again?" Xichen asked, flush high on his cheeks.
It didn't take much for them to settle the question after that.
Admitting he liked things was something Xichen was learning to do more often. It was still difficult, but as Xichen watched Mingjue's face get taken over by a knowing grin, he knew whatever was to come would be worth it.
A few days after that, the subject came up again. Xichen was running out of black paint, which gave him a perfect excuse to spend a few hours at the huge art supply store downtown. It was one of his favorite places in the city, with its multiple levels and what seemed like an infinite variety of materials and tools. Painting had been Xichen's hobby ever since he was young. He'd tried many variations and techniques, but every time he went by the store, he was inspired to try something different.
Mingjue went with him, though Xichen suspected he just liked to watch him be excited and babble about brushes and ink types. To his credit, Mingjue also seemed to be bewildered by the variety of supplies available, sometimes stopping to try and figure out what something or other was used for. Seeing Mingjue take interest in something so important to Xichen... They hadn't been dating that long, but Xichen was falling so fast.
They got to the brushes section first, as Xichen couldn't keep himself from stopping by and inspecting a few of them, enjoying the feeling of running the soft brush heads over his own palms. He grabbed a few different styles, testing them against his skin, when Mingjue approached and took one out of his hand.
Xichen didn't look away as Mingjue reached out for his free hand, turning it palm up, and ran the brush from the tip of his middle finger to the inside of his elbow, the touch light enough to be almost imperceptible. But Xichen felt it, and it made him shiver.
"Gege..." he whispered, feeling his ears heat up.
Mingjue didn't reply beyond a stunning smirk, just gave the brush back to Xichen and went back to casually browsing the shelves. Xichen took a couple of moments to recover from the stupor the strange interaction had left him in, but Mingjue's touch didn't leave his mind.
When they were ready to leave, Mingjue told Xichen he would meet him at the cashier, and vanished back in the direction of the paint section. Xichen frowned but let him go, holding his curiosity back until Mingjue joined him at the line, a small set of six colors of body paint and two soft brushes in hand.
"What's that for?"
"I have an idea. We can talk about it over dinner." Mingjue licked his lips, appearing uncertain but excited, the way he got when he wanted to try something new.
Xichen's breath hitched and he nodded, anticipation already simmering in his belly.
--
They made the arrangements to try it as soon as they both had free time. Just two days later, two days that felt like an eternity, there they were.
Xichen sat on the couch, pretending to pick some music to calm his nerves but actually just scrolling down his playlists without paying attention to any of it. The living room was ready, with a plastic sheet covering the floor and a few throw pillows he didn't mind getting paint on resting on it. He eyed the brushes, set inconspicuously next to the pillows, and a nervous thrill went down his spine.
"Xichen?"
His head snapped up to meet Mingjue's eyes, standing in front of him with the rest of the supplies in his hands and a slightly concerned expression on his face.
"Are you okay?" he asked, coming closer as Xichen got up from the seat.
"Yes, I... Yes." He smiled, but Mingjue didn't look very reassured.
"Are you sure? You know if you aren't, you can just say it and we'll--"
Xichen lowered his head, but his smile stayed in place. "I know. I'm a little nervous, but I want to do it. I trust you."
That seemed to do the trick. Mingjue nodded, worries soothed, and leaned in, putting his arms around Xichen's shoulders in a comforting hug. He kissed his cheek once, sweetly, and then whispered, "Strip, then."
It sent Xichen's heart racing all over again. He made quick work of his shirt and sweatpants, leaving his boxers on for the time being, and knelt down in one swift motion. Mingjue smiled down at him, dimples and all, and Xichen basked in it for a few moments, already feeling lighter than before. They settled on the floor, Xichen lying on his stomach with his back completely exposed, head pressed to his forearms. Mingjue sat cross-legged beside him.
"Okay, you know the rules," Mingjue began. "All you need to do is keep still. If you need to stop, just say 'bunny' or snap your fingers. Can you do it once for me?"
Xichen obeyed, and the "good boy" Mingjue murmured at him sent heat shooting down his spine.
Mingjue didn't start with the paint right away. Instead, he placed his palms on Xichen's shoulder blades and slid them down his sides, slow but firm. Xichen's breath hitched and he felt his ears heat up, but he managed to hold back a slight twitch. Then Mingjue's touch turned lighter, going straight up his spine, goosebumps appearing on its trail.
"Beautiful..." Mingjue whispered and Xichen felt the flush travel down, his whole torso turning red.
Soon after came the cold feeling of the paint on his heated skin. Xichen's hands tightened on his own forearms and he let out a low whimper at the sensation, focusing really hard on not moving. Another light stroke, lower on his ribcage and going up, and he couldn't help twitching slightly and whimpering again. He felt himself sinking in his own mind, but not enough, unable to relax completely into the sensations, body still and tense.
His twitching didn't go unnoticed, though.
"You can make as much noise as you want, but try to keep still," Mingjue said.
Xichen didn't lift his head but nodded slightly with it still pressed to his forearms, holding on tight. He felt like if he looked at Mingjue, if he so much as opened his eyes, it would be more than he could handle, so he kept them closed.
Mingjue kept going, but it seemed like the lighter the touch, the more Xichen tensed up, and the more strongly he reacted. When Mingjue stroked a cold strip from the middle of his back up to his nape, Xichen shivered and jerked so hard it definitely got some paint on his hair.
"Xichen!" Mingjue exclaimed and Xichen grimaced, ready to apologize, but Mingjue kept talking. "Do I have to tie you up?!"
" Yes ," he moaned without thinking.
There was a heavy pause where Xichen knew Mingjue must have been assessing him, but... that might be exactly what he needed.
"Sweetheart, really? We can, if you want to..."
Xichen turned his head to face Mingjue with a pleading look. " Please ."
He watched as Mingjue's eyes filled with warmth and he nodded. He ran a hand through his hair and Xichen almost forgot what they were talking about, closing his eyes in pleasure at the feeling of a strong hand on his scalp.
"We have to move to the bed, then. I'm not tying you to the TV stand," Mingjue said after a moment of consideration.
Xichen agreed and moved to get up from the floor. The movement made him even more aware of the still wet paint on his back, making his legs wobble when he felt the chill of the air moving over it. Mingjue was quick to catch him, though, both hands grabbing his arms to steady him.
Xichen lifted his head to thank him, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the awed expression on Mingjue's face.
"What?" Xichen asked, a little embarrassed.
"Nothing, it's just-- I didn't think it would affect you this much. We barely did anything, and you look... wrecked," Mingjue said as he looked him up and down, gaze dark and hungry.
Xichen's ears would catch on fire if they heated up any more. "I didn't know it either. But I told you, my back is sensitive ."
Mingjue nodded. "You did. And are you enjoying it?" He looked down meaningfully and Xichen followed his gaze straight to his crotch. He hadn't even noticed, but he was half-hard already.
"I am, yeah." It had been good so far, but he was excited to see how much better it could be, if he could properly sink into it.
It was easy to move things to the bedroom after that, and soon enough Xichen found himself stomach-down on the bed, arms and legs spread and tied to each of the four corners of it by Mingjue's experienced hands. There was a little give to the ropes, just enough to keep it comfortable, but not to move and risk ruining Mingjue's hard work.
Mingjue sat by his side, more of less in the same position as before, and started the strokes back up again. This time, Xichen let go, sinking into the sensations that were quick to overwhelm him with their intensity and unpredictability. Now that he was aware of it, though, he couldn't help but feel how his half-hard dick rubbed on the mattress with every slight twitch of his hips, and how the shivers and bolts of heat elicited by the hands working on his back also went straight to it.
Xichen's pants and whimpers soon turned into moans as the combined sensations came over him, and all he could do was lay there, pliant, floating in the space where everything was soft and safe in Mingjue's hands. He felt the cool of the paint and the eventual steadying hand at his arms or legs, but for a while everything else was muted, which is why he thought Mingjue must have called his name a couple of times already when he came back to himself enough to answer.
"Xichen, Xichen ."
"Hmm?"
"I'm gonna fuck you now, okay?"
That made him a little more alert. Xichen opened his eyes, finding he was facing the bedside table, where the bottles of paint and the brushes had already been set down. He tried to ask if Mingjue had run out of space already, but his vocal chords failed him when Mingjue squeezed a hand on his hip and asked the question again.
"I need you to answer me, sweetheart."
Xichen tried to speak again but could only whine, needy. He nodded instead, and snapped his fingers twice for good measure -- one of their agreed signs for "yes".
He couldn't see it, but he could feel Mingjue where he knelt between his spread legs, skin hot where they touched contrasting with the drying liquid on his back. Mingjue leaned over him, careful not to touch the paint, and kissed his cheek affectionately, another contrast with the hardness Xichen could feel pressed against his covered ass.
"Okay, I hear you." He kissed his cheek again before continuing with an awed voice. "You look beautiful like this. I wish you could see it."
Me too , Xichen thought, dying to see what his boyfriend had painted on him. He must have made some kind of sound or face expressing it, because the next moment saw Mingjue reaching for his phone at the bedside table. Before he could ask, Xichen nodded his consent for the picture. Mingjue smiled at him, got back into position and took a few pictures while Xichen watched over his shoulder. The look on Mingjue's face as he checked over the photos made Xichen's blood run hot, hotter even when he saw Mingjue bite his lip unconsciously. Xichen arched his back, or tried to with his limbs still tied, but it was enough to grind his ass lightly on Mingjue's dick, snapping his attention back to him.
Xichen barely noticed Mingjue untying his legs so he could get rid of his boxers, focusing only on the feel of his hands running down his thigh. For a brief moment, the hands were gone, but they returned to spread Xichen's cheeks in a not-so-delicate motion. Prep work was fast – Xichen was so relaxed and worked up on Mingjue's hands already – and soon he felt Mingjue enter him, bottoming out in a fluid motion. He felt the air leave his lungs as Mingjue grunted over him, hands flexing on the soft ropes like he was holding on for dear life. Distantly, he could hear his name coming out of Mingjue's lips, but all he really felt was the slow drag of Mingjue's dick on his insides, making his already overwhelmed skin sing.
"You look amazing like this, Xichen. You are a work of art," Mingjue murmured right in Xichen's ear, the change in position taking him all the way in again, and Xichen grinded against the mattress with a whimper.
Mingjue took the advantage to grab and place a pillow under Xichen's hips, so it was easier to thrust into his sweet spot. Xichen felt every movement right at his core, felt every word Mingjue said dance over his skin until he was overwhelmed by it all. The paint, still wet in certain points, made his head swim and his breath catch in an unending moan. Mingjue braced his hands on Xichen's forearms and thrusted into him again and again, his controlled force a sweet contrast with the delicate strokes of the brush only a few moments ago.
Xichen felt himself getting close, the combination of Mingjue pressing inside and making his dick grind into the pillow even harder made his back arch. He was sure the noises coming out of his mouth were obscene enough already, but he couldn't help the pleased cry he let out as he felt Mingjue's hand press him back down, right on the middle of his shoulder blades, surely ruining the painting.
Xichen came with another cry, pulling on the ropes and still trying to lift his head up, feeling Mingjue pin him in place. Mingjue came on the next thrust, putting even more of his weight on the pliant body under him, making sure he was as close as possible to Xichen without ruining the work in his back even more. Xichen let out another whimper, flooded with sensation.
When he managed to open his eyes again, it was to Mingjue's warm dark eyes staring at him, stroking his cheek with paint-stained fingers. It was a beautiful sight.
"I love you," Passed Xichen's lips, on instinct, but he found he meant it.
He watched as Mingjue's eyes watered, but the man's smile only grew. He closed his eyes, letting a tear run down his cheek, and kissed Xichen once, sweet and full of meaning. "I love you too. You are perfect."
Xichen knew it wasn't all that he meant, but his eyes lit up again and he threw a glance at the bedside table, where he assumed the phone had been dropped a while ago. "Show me."
Mingjue smiled back, but only stroked Xichen's cheek again, the still wet paint surely leaving a trail. "In a bit."
That was okay. Xichen signed and closed his eyes again, enjoying the feeling of Mingjue's fingers on his face. He was sure whatever Mingjue had done, it was perfect too.