Chapter Text
Hua Cheng has a little problem.
(Well…not little , exactly…)
But he’s not complaining. Considering all he’s faced, all he’s lost and fought for, over the past 801 years (but who’s counting anyway), this problem is more of a minor inconvenience—barely even worth mentioning, really.
It’s just that his husband—his adorable, perfect, chaste husband—makes him hard.
Really hard.
Now, this isn’t exactly a new development. Since his very first erection all those centuries ago, Hua Cheng has only ever had eyes for Xie Lian. His god, his beloved, his everything , had replaced the hunger for violence in Honger’s heart with tender purpose.
And now?
Gods, now Hua Cheng is holding his everything in bed, lazily stroking his soft hair, and feeling little puffs of warm breath against his bare chest with each of Xie Lian’s gentle exhales.
In retrospect, Hua Cheng realizes he probably should have put on a robe.
It’s paradise. It’s ecstasy. It’s more than Hua Cheng had ever hoped for, and he dares not move lest his beloved awake—or worse, lest this all fade away like a dream.
But none of his dreams were ever this intense.
And, more to the point, never even in the wettest of his dreams did he get as hard as he is right now.
This evening the problem arose ( ahem ) when a slumbering Xie Lian shifted his body in such a way that wedged Hua Cheng’s thigh right in between Dianxia’s legs. Hua Cheng is fairly certain Xie Lian has never slept this close to anyone—Hua Cheng definitely hasn’t.
And now this rare, delicious contact is doing things to him.
Hua Cheng is currently trying his best to ignore what he can feel, but every so often Xie Lian grinds his hips. It’s just a little, slight movement, but when it happens it feels like fire against Hua Cheng’s leg that burns a line straight to his own neglected and absolutely rigid cock.
And Hua Cheng is really, genuinely trying not to think of that part of Xie Lian, the part that keeps rubbing against him. Since marrying they’d kissed, they’d cuddled, they’d seen a little skin, but they hadn’t done anything below the waist. And that is absolutely fine. Hua Cheng respects his god’s chastity, and would never, ever presume to do anything like that ...
Sure, he’d pleasured himself to thoughts of his Highness hundreds of thousands of times over the centuries. Hua Chang is absolutely shameless, after all—but they were only forbidden fantasies to get him through the dark, lonely nights, nothing he’d ever act on.
The thing is… it’s just that right at this moment it is quite obvious…that Dianxia is…also hard.
It happens, of course, in sleep sometimes, or when there’s the right amount of pressure in the right spot—like when they were in the coffin together (Hua Cheng is fairly certain Xie Lian was also hard then). It’s not like Hua Cheng’s presence specifically is causing Xie Lian’s body to react in such a way—though certainly this lowly one can hope that he…
No.
Hope for that is foolish.
Hua Cheng knows that Xie Lian would be absolutely mortified if he awoke and realized not only that he had an erection, but that he was slightly rutting against his San Lang’s thigh while asleep.
So really, all Hua Cheng can do is keep still so as not to rouse His Highness, and hope that both of them soften before Xie Lian awakens.
In general, it really is the best possible kind of torture Hua Cheng can imagine. But it is still torture nonetheless.
Still, he’d happily endure this every single night for eternity, especially if it meant Xie Lian would be asleep in his arms.
He had endured much, much worse, after all.
Hua Cheng sighs and does his best not to think about how good it would feel to touch himself. With his husband’s bulge pressing against his thigh, it would only take a couple of strokes before he…
Damnit. No.
NO .
Hua Cheng shuts his eye and tries to think of anything else, and soon his mind settles on business he’d need to do over the next day. He mentally goes through his itinerary, the meetings he needs to hold, cashing in gambling debts owed to him. It’s boring but ultimately effective. The pulsing ache lessens and his mind becomes a little clearer.
As he directs his attention to tomorrow’s schedule, Hua Cheng absentmindedly begins to gently drag his blunt fingernails across Xie Lian’s scalp. His movements are slow as he delicately scratches and massages. He has done this before. It’s intimate, certainly, but not inappropriate.
At least, Hua Cheng didn’t think it was inappropriate…until Xie Lian suddenly grinds his hips a little harder than before and lets out an audible, breathy whimper.
It’s a sound Hua Cheng never, even in his wildest dreams, thought he would hear from his god. In fact, until this moment he hadn’t been sure Xie Lian was even capable of making such noises. Not even in the Land of Tenders were Xie Lian’s moans quite like that . It’s a soft noise, needy and raspy, and fuck if Hua Cheng wasn’t already dead, he’s pretty sure that whimper would kill him on the spot.
At the surprise of the sound, Hua Cheng’s eye shoots open and his hand stops massaging Xie Lian’s scalp. The noise sends a jolt of pleasure straight to his cock, and all that work he did to soften himself is suddenly rendered pointless.
Hua Cheng is now achingly hard once more.
Once the shock abates, Hua Cheng moves his fingers again—tenderly, lovingly, pressing against his husband’s scalp and—
Oh gods yes, Xie Lian does it once more—the soft desperate whimper, the urgent rubbing against Hua Cheng’s thigh.
Now Hua Cheng is truly at an impasse.
On the one hand, they’d never gone farther than kissing and cuddling, which Hua Cheng is more than fine with, really. Obviously he’d take whatever the god offered, whatever he was comfortable doing, whatever he wanted. But Hua Cheng knew Xie Lian’s cultivation required abstinence and, well, that was that. Hua Cheng didn’t need sex , he just needed his gege.
On the other hand, can a cat ever avoid the temptation of a dangling string? No, felines always pounce, a predator hunting his prey. It's instinctual.
And now Hua Cheng’s fantasies of coaxing Xie Lian into sexual oblivion are suddenly within grasp, and some part of this feels right . Hua Cheng is at his husband’s pleasure, he is made for this. All he has to do is scratch his fingers along His Highness’ scalp aga—
Hua Cheng bites down hard on his inner cheek and stops himself. Clawing out his own eye had been easier than holding back his hand now.
But he does it—he is strong for Xie Lian.
Perhaps in the morning, in the light of day they could discuss this…somehow…
Unfortunately (or, perhaps, very fortunately ) Xie Lian no longer needs any extra encouragement. While Hua Cheng remains perfectly still, Xie Lian begins to grind his hips again—rolling, haphazard movements that lack His Highness’s usual grace.
Hua Cheng now grits his teeth, unable to ignore the swollen shape rutting against his thigh.
Should he stop it?
Should he wake Xie Lian?
If he were to wake him, Xie Lian would be utterly embarrassed and Hua Cheng definitely doesn’t want that, so he tries to weigh his options…
Tries…tries…
But Hua Cheng’s mind grows fuzzy, drunk from the soft grunts that flutter across his chest, the hand that has made its way across Hua Cheng’s stomach and is now digging into his ribs as though clutching for dear life.
Hua Cheng closes his eye once more, resolving to let this happen, let his sleeping husband find pleasure with his body. It isn’t as though he doesn't thoroughly enjoy this (evidenced by his own rock hard length that is almost certainly leaking precum). Hell, Hua Cheng had probably pleasured himself to a fantasy nearly identical to this moment at least a dozen times.
And Xie Lian clearly needs this. Even if he would never do something so lascivious in waking hours, his body, his subconscious demands this kind of release.
And if Hua Cheng could be useful in helping Xie Lian find that release? Well, he would lie still for 800 years if need be.
Xie Lian’s whimpering gasps continue in tandem with his little thrusts, and Hua Cheng wonders what he’s dreaming about. Is it actually sexual, or is it just… soothing?
Hua Cheng’s wet dreams are always of Xie Lian, but there was one that wasn’t exactly erotic. He had dreamed he was a wave slowly crashing against the shore. Xie Lian was there, lying in the sand, letting the waters rush over him, ebbing and flowing. There was no sex, no overtly libidinous desire, just relaxation, warmth, love…
Still, Hua Cheng awoke to find the wetness wasn’t just in his imagination.
That was probably the kind of dream Xie Lian was having now—something pleasurable but still ultimately innocent. They had never spoken about it directly, but Hua Cheng gathered enough to know that Xie Lian was very, very uneducated in this area—Hua Cheng wondered if Xie Lian would even know what to imagine.
Being a shameless ghost king, Hua Cheng had seen his fair share of depravity. Ghosts were always going at it like rabbits in the dark corners of his gambling hall, and he’d visited brothels and hosted plenty of escapades.
It was all for show, of course. No one ever really tempted him, besides Xie Lian.
But he did learn a lot by watching and listening (and sometimes reading). His research was all academic, of course—as was any solitary experimentation. He learned about positions and toys and erogenous zones over the centuries, witnessed sexual fads come and go, but he never took a partner.
In a way, he feels like an expert chef who had never actually eaten any gourmet food. But he knows enough to be confident that he could be a good lover. He has the stamina and strength to keep any pace, any position, any…
Xie Lian’s moans turn louder, and his hips rut against Hua Cheng with increased vigor. Hua Cheng has to bite his tongue, preventing himself from whispering the coaxing words of encouragement that threaten to bubble forth.
That’s it, Gege.
You’re doing so well.
Just a little more, you can do it.
Come for me, Dianxia.
He keeps his mouth shut tight, and clenches his fists, which are now itching to touch Xie Lian all over. He wants to press his hand against Gege’s hips, urge them forward, help them keep rhythm. He wants to kiss Xie Lian deeply, let his tongue thrust roughly into Dianxia’s mouth to match the rough rutting against his thigh.
Keep still, he commands himself, Hua Cheng has to remain still, even though his mind is whirling.
Comeformecomeformecomeforme —
“San Lang!”
Hua Cheng’s eye shoots open at the sound of Xie Lian groaning his name like that . Xie Lian’s hips cant forward in one solid jerk, then Hua Cheng feels his beloved tremble all over, his breathing uneven and desperate and it almost sounds like he’s choking.
Xie Lian will very much be the death of him.
Once it’s over, Hua Cheng swallows thickly, trying to sew together the pieces of his mind that were blown apart by what just happened. He steals a glance down to Xie Lian to find that his eyes are open but unfocused, staring blearily forward while he pants.
Xie Lian then blinks up and meets Hua Cheng’s gaze, and for a moment Hua Cheng thinks it’s going to be alright. Xie Lian smiles at him and murmurs his name dreamily—but then his eyes suddenly open wide, as though awareness slapped him in the face.
“San Lang!” Xie Lian yelps, his voice raspy but panicked.
Hua Cheng keeps his reaction measured.
“Gege?”
Xie Lian immediately pushes off of Hua Cheng, scrambling to disentangle their legs as though he were an animal freeing itself from a trap.
Hua Cheng’s heart breaks just a little at that, but he keeps his composure. “Is everything alright?”
“Oh, uh, I, yes, hahaha, I just had a dream, and uh—“
One moment Hua Cheng can see him flailing around on the mattress beside him, the next Xie Lian tumbles out of bed, his robes flying about, and there’s a thud as he hits the floor.
“Gege!”
Hua Cheng, his mind still a little fuzzy from lust, had been too slow to react. He should have anticipated this and prevented Xie Lian from falling. He mentally chides himself for this as he bolts forward.
But before Hua Cheng makes it to the other side of the mattress Xie Lian shoots up, his hair a tangled mess flying every which way, his robes all askew and slipping rather indelicately from his shoulders.
“Oops, hahaha, a moment, please just, just stay there!”
Xie Lian then makes a fast dash behind the dressing screen.
“Gege?!” Hua Cheng calls after him, a little sharper this time.
“JUST STAY THERE!” Xie Lian barks back, and Hua Cheng grumbles to himself as he hears the swishing of fabric.
After what feels like ages, Xie Lian slowly tiptoes back out from behind the screen wearing a different robe, his hair still unkempt though a little less tangled, and his face hung down. Silently he makes his way to the bed and slips in next to Hua Cheng, who is now laying on his side, silently watching Xie Lian.
“Did Gege have a bad dream?” Hua Cheng asks once Xie Lian rests his head upon a pillow, his eyes staring up at the ceiling (probably to avoid Hua Cheng’s gaze). It’s dark, but Hua Cheng can just make out a flush over Xie Lian’s cheeks.
Xie Lian shakes his head. “No…I mean yes I had a dream but…it wasn’t a bad one…”
“It wasn’t? So Gege didn’t dream that San Lang was a monster?”
Xie Lian furrows his brow in confusion and glances over to Hua Cheng, who breathes a sigh of relief when his husband finally looks at him again.
“No…?”
Hua Cheng nods, and idly plays with the lock of Xie Lian’s hair that was closest to him, rubbing up and down the soft length. “I ask because it seemed like Gege couldn’t get away from San Lang fast enough just now, like he was afraid.”
They look at another for a heartbeat before Xie Lian’s face crumbles and he covers it with his hands.
“I don’t know what happened,” Xie Lian admits into his palms, his voice sounding just a little broken. Hua Cheng can’t stand that tone so he wraps his arms around Xie Lian’s waist and pulls him close. Xie Lian then buries his face against Hua Cheng’s chest.
“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Hua Cheng murmurs, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “It was only a dream.
Xie Lian makes a little whimpering huff.
After a moment Hua Cheng asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” Xie Lian answers immediately, almost too quickly.
Hua Cheng nods with a little sigh, inwardly batting away the pang of disappointment. He really wanted to hear about the dream. “Alright.”
“…”
Awkward silence then falls over the pair.
Hua Cheng holds Xie Lian.
Xie Lian continues to bury himself against Hua Cheng.
Shadows creep along the walls.
The floral scent of Xie Lian (coupled with a faint musky scent) fills Hua Cheng’s nose.
“It was a good dream,” Xie Lian eventually murmurs into Hua Cheng’s chest.
Hua Cheng can’t stop the corners of his mouth curling into a smile.
“Oh?” He asks, feigning ignorance.
There’s a curt, jerky nod, then another pause. Hua Cheng waits.
“It was about you,” Xie Lian finally confesses, his voice quiet and cracking, but now Hua Cheng is beaming, his grin so damn wide it hurts.
“Then I’m glad it was a good dream.”
Xie Lian then makes a frustrated little huff, and Hua Cheng allows himself a silent laugh. Xie Lian clearly wants to tell Hua Cheng about what happened, but knows not how to do it, and Hua Cheng…
Hua Cheng was a smug bastard. He was enjoying this way too much, a cat playing with his mouse.
But, no matter how much pleasure Hua Cheng finds in Xie Lian’s adorable frustration, he cannot let his husband suffer for long.
“Gege,” Hua Cheng eventually purrs and presses another kiss to Xie Lian’s head. He was going to have to be the one to make the leap. “Did Gege have a wet dream?”
As predicted Xie Lian stiffens, but Hua Cheng holds him tight.
“What’s that?” Xie Lian asks, his voice little more than a high pitched squeak.
Hua Cheng steels himself. “It’s what it’s called when someone ejacualtes while asleep.”
At this Xie Lian cringes and begins to pull away, but Hua Cheng immediately holds him close with one arm. Hua Cheng then places two fingers underneath Xie Lian’s chin and lifts his face so that they can make eye contact.
Xie Lian’s eyes are wide, his brows raised, but Hua Chang smiles at him.
“It happens to everyone, Gege. It’s perfectly normal. It’s happened to me more times than I can count.”
“Really?”
Hua Cheng nods. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. It’s only a dream, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“…”
Xie Lian holds his gaze for a moment, but then exhales and buries his face into Hua Cheng once more, only now Hua Cheng can feel his body begin to relax.
“Yes,” Xie Lian murmurs. “It was one of those.”
Hua Cheng says nothing, just gently rubs Xie Lian’s back in slow, comforting drags.
“You’ve had them too?” Xie Lian then asks, tilting his head up slightly and peeking out from thick lashes.
“I have,” Hua Cheng confirms.
“Were they…um…good dreams?”
Hua Cheng smiles. “ Very good dreams.”
“Oh…”
Hua Cheng debates not saying anything else, letting Xie Lian ask questions if he wants, but now that this door is open he figures he might as well see where it will lead.
“They were always about Gege, how could they not be good dreams?”
Xie Lian makes a little hiccuping noise, and Hua Cheng feels him shiver.
“They…were?”
“Yes. I would tell you about them but…such dreams might be offensive to Gege.”
“Oh…”
“But,” Hua Cheng continues, unable to stop himself, “if it would be helpful to hear a little about them—“
“Yes!” Xie Lian interrupts. “I mean,” Xie Lian coughs a little, “if you don’t mind sharing…”
“San Lang doesn’t mind,” Hua Cheng assures.
He then describes the dream about the wave crashing over Xie Lian, deciding that it would be the least offensive.
Xie Lian listens silently, nodding his head but saying nothing.
“Is…is that all?” Xie Lian asks when Hua Cheng finishes, and he almost sounds disappointed.
“Of that dream,” Hua Cheng replies. “But there were many, many more.”
“And were they all…similar?”
Hua Cheng swallows. “Not…all of them…”
“Oh?”
Hua Cheng sighs and shifts their positions so that he can look into Xie Lian’s eyes. “The truth is, Dianxia, most of the dreams are more…intimate.”
Xie Lian’s eyes grow wider.
“Intimate?”
“Yes, I…” Hua Cheng suddenly grows nervous and he feels…ashamed. It’s not a common feeling for him to have—the last time he felt this way was when Xie Lian saw the 10,000 statues and the depth of his devotion (and his desire) was on full display.
The shame he felt now wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been then, and logically he knows it makes no sense in this scenario. After all—hadn’t he just told Xie Lian that dreams didn’t mean anything.
Only his dreams of Xie Lian always had meant something to him. Dreams in which he could touch Dianxia, hold him, be held by him…Hua Cheng cherished those dreams as small gifts, sweet, tender rewards for his devotion, encouraging him to keep on going.
So even if they hadn’t exactly been in his control, he couldn’t…he couldn’t stand the thought of vocalizing them to Xie Lian only to have the god react as he should…
…with disgust.
For what right did Hua Cheng even have to dream of such things?
Xie Lian must have noticed Hua Cheng’s inner turmoil, as his brow furrowed.
“San Lang?”
“Apologies, Dianxia, I fear that you may consider many of my wet dreams to have been profane. Even though they were only dreams I…I don’t want to offend.”
Xie Lian nods and looks down to Hua Cheng’s chest. “I see.”
If Hua Cheng had a heart it would be beating thunderously.
Xie Lian then drags a finger along Hua Cheng’s pectorals, and it makes Hua Cheng shiver. His cock, now only half-hard, begins to stiffen once again at this contact, and Hua Cheng swallows nervously.
“Perhaps…perhaps I might share my dream?” Xie Lian then offers, and Hua Cheng is once again that evening thankful he’s already dead.
“If Gege wishes to share then this San Lang wants nothing more than to listen