Chapter Text
You Huo entered the bakery. The date was the seventeenth of June, meaning it was a certain bastard’s birthday. Therefore, You Huo was at the local bakery, in line, picking up his preordered cake. The cake was rather simple, a basic vanilla flavour with fruit decorations but that guy really didn’t express his preferences enough, replying with a teasing ‘I’ll eat whatever big invigilator makes me’ when asked. You Huo couldn’t even dig further without giving away his planned surprise so this would have to do. Qin Jiu had left for work in the morning, unaware that You Huo had taken leave today (when he requested it his colleagues sounded strangely relieved but he didn’t dwell on that) to prepare accordingly for when Qin Jiu returned in the evening.
To be honest, You Huo hadn’t celebrated his birthday in many years now but he knew it was customary amongst most people so he made a note in advance for today. Hours had been spent researching on the internet about the most common traditions and methods to celebrate but most were ruled out because despite his demeanor, Qin Jiu also did not have many (any really) friends. So, it would be a quiet evening at home for them both, with cake and longevity noodles. As Qin Jiu was the center of today, You Huo would indulge him by making the noodles himself from scratch.
In terms of presents, the stipulations list grew until even You Huo began to feel a little overwhelmed. Apparently, the current celebration he put effort into should’ve been ‘reserved’ as Qin Jiu did not qualify as young (under sixteen) or an elder (over eighty). Nor could he receive any clocks, shoes, wallets, candles, sharp objects, fish, or anything water related (which fish technically qualified for so it was a bit of a waste to list it out). Initially, You Huo wanted to gift Qin Jiu an ornate knife set but as that fell under the territory of ‘sharp objects’, he felt a little hesitation at the notion now. Human customs were many and finicky, hence why he did not get involved until a certain human invaded his life. Well, Qin Jiu wasn’t really one for traditions or following customs so You Huo could probably gift that.
“H- Hello sir! Welcome to Dough Re Mi bakery, what can I help you with?”
Ah, he reached the register. “I have an order placed under You Huo.”
The girl manning the register’s cheeks warmed over a little hearing his voice. It was crisp and cold but not demeaning in any way. She couldn’t help but be blinded by his face card too, the visuals ranking at SSS. “Oh yes, I see it. We have it ready sir, I’ll get it for you now!”
She scurried towards the coolers where the cakes were all stored and located his. Cradling it carefully (she’d die of mortification if she dropped it in front of him), she returned and handed it over. “Thank you for your patronage, we hope to see you again!” She certainly did. With those looks, that voice and his personality, he belonged in a manhua or novel or as a very unique k-pop idol. Someone like him was a one in a million and as he stepped away towards the door, she couldn’t help herself from staring at his back after him. When he left and turned the corner, she knew it was back to her monotonous (but deliciously smelling) work.
You Huo was steady as he carried the cake in his arms. Manoeuvring around the hustle and bustle of the crowd, he reached their apartment after fifteen or so minutes. He set the cake down on the table and emerged from the living room to the kitchen. Lined up on the counters were all the ingredients he needed to make longevity noodles and the broth. Qin Jiu was not in the house so he had a few hours to get this sorted. Then, he got to work.
As the snow God with a lifespan to prove it, You Huo had mastered many skills. He was extremely proficient in sharpshooting as he’d been an archer for a brief period. Obviously You Huo ventured down several career paths during his stints on Earth but the most memorable instance had been when he was a general. There were other notable periods but You Huo found himself thinking back to that one more often than not when he allowed his mind to wander.
The pot gurgled and he refocused on the current task of not overcooking the noodles so they weren’t mushy and frail. While he had waited for the noodles to rest in between sessions of kneading the dough earlier, he’d made a couple other dishes, which were hard boiled eggs he dyed red and shoutao, peach shaped buns with a red bean paste inside.
The table had just been set and the cake relocated to the kitchen when the door burst open, a tall man crossing the threshold with searching eyes. Upon finding their target (You Huo), they brightened considerably and with a handsome smirk, Qin Jiu said, “My my big invigilator, is this all for me?” Gesturing at the dishes plated on the table, still steaming.
“Hmph. Who else?” You Huo replied, feeling a small bud of irritation being planted. Somehow every word that came out of this man’s mouth could be considered a provocation, even if nothing outright annoying was even spoken.
Qin Jiu laughed in response as if You Huo had told a funny joke and shut the door behind him, hanging his bag up soon after. Then, he made his way towards You Huo and embraced him firmly, kissing his forehead. Even though his voice was slightly muffled, the tone of joy was quite clear and You Huo felt the corners of his lips tilt up in response.
“I’m very lucky to come home and see such a beautiful wife cooking dutifully for me,” Qin Jiu teased.
“Who’s your wife? Your wife your mum.” You Huo responded snarkily, pushing Qin Jiu off him, unable to tolerate the remarks. “Sit down and eat before it’s cold already.”
“Isn’t my wife the one who stayed home to cook for my birthday today hmm? And he’s even nagging at me like one should. Tell me, aren’t you also the one who married me? Seems my poor wife has gotten amnesia, let this husband kiss it better,” Qin Jiu resisted, burying his body closer to You Huo’s in response, as if he wanted to merge them together into one. He pressed his lips to You Huo’s forehead again, pecking at it until You Huo felt his ears redden with a slight flush. He really wanted to kick this bastard but it was his birthday and if he wasn’t careful, You Huo might send him flying.
“Stop it and eat. It’ll go cold.”
“If my darling wife has recovered and insists, then this husband can only obey,” he sat down in the chair with the bowl of noodles placed in front of it and motioned for You Huo to sit across from him.
You Huo scoffed but moved to sit down anyways. A comfortable silence blanketed the scene, allowing for a more intimate feel. He simply observed Qin Jiu eating the noodles, a sincere smile that rarely showed on his face. People complained that You Huo never smiled but for all of Qin Jiu’s comments on how ‘beautiful’ You Huo’s smiles were, they were alike in that way. It was just that Qin Jiu would have an insincere smile rather than the cold expression You Huo donned.
As they ate, they made small talk. That is, if small talk were composed of grunts, hmphs, scoffs and the occasional eyeroll from one half of the conversation. This did not deter Qin Jiu at all, who replied to all of them with enthusiasm, already used to deciphering You Huo’s less expressive responses. As he sipped the remaining soup in his bowl, You Huo stood up and left to go to the kitchen, taking the dishes with him and bringing back with him a two layered cake, decorated neatly with white cream and the words ‘Happy 29th Birthday’ in neat, black icing. There were a total of twenty-nine candles to match and the brightness of the flickering flames softened the sharp edges of You Huo’s face to a much gentler gleam in his eyes; one that could be described as love.
Qin Jiu’s heart felt like bursting at its seams, overfilled with contentment and pure domestic bliss. This was something he should have no rights to, didn’t even deserve and yet he had it. He had this perfect man arranging a birthday celebration for him despite saying it was ‘unnecessary’ when asked about his own. He felt so full of love that it could even be translated to pain, gooeyness flowing over the top to fill the crevices that were dry and cracked from years of emptiness, unused to the sudden flood of ecstasy derived from this moment. Qin Jiu could confidently say the past year with his beloved outranked the millenia of carnage and anarchy he used to indulge in. As the god of chaos, Qin Jiu was the embodiment of entropy. He was formed from the lawless nature of the world, the destabilisation of order and control. A moment so decadent and sweet was not meant for him, wasn’t in his being. And yet. Yet this glorious man who acted so stern and austere would too give free reign to disorder without becoming immoral.
Qin Jiu had grown bored very easily after the first century of humans existing, humans being incapable of garnering any further interest. It was all the same, either minor mishaps to avoid an event they were dreading or a morally abhorrent act - a sliding scale to either end. He could influence and change some actions but as he wasn’t formed to answer prayers and more to embody a concept, Qin Jiu left them to their own devices or went down as a mortal in disguise to alter a course of events. As there was no authoritative god governing their choices, he found that he could do whatever he wanted very quickly and rumors spread rapidly. Eventually, Qin Jiu stopped showing up at all in front of the other gods and did as he pleased by himself. An unfathomable amount of time passed and he stayed, still disguising himself as a mortal every now and then but also the frequency of that decreasing, until he remained in his temple more often than not.
It was only out of a mild curiosity this decade that he even ventured to the mortal realm at all. Thankfully he did otherwise he would have missed You Huo, the intriguing paradox that he was. His actions did not match his words but he remained self assured and even dared hmph at him when they met by nearly crashing (quite literally) into each other. He even dared to call him ‘reckless’ and ‘blind’ but in that cold tone despite his burning words. Qin Jiu continued to follow after him, bugging and pestering until You Huo relented and he had no chance to escape.
You Huo lowered the cake down onto the table, the flames bringing him back to the present. “Make your wish.”
“What can I even wish for? I already have you in my arms, what more can the heavens grant me? Hey, big invigilator, what do you think of me wishing we had an eternity together hmm? That way, you’d be stuck with me for the rest of time itself,” A teasing lilt to his voice emerged even more apparent in the final sentence.
“Not possible, you said it outloud.” was You Huo’s tease back, the undertone of amusement evident.
“Ehh, are you so against it? That breaks my poor fragile heart you know? Now you’ll have to take responsibility and kiss me better. They did say in our vows ‘through sickness and health’ and my current heartbreak is from hearing your cruel words…” Qin Jiu let an almost pout form on his face, looking straight into You Huo’s eyes as he said that with full seriousness.
You Huo scoffed in response and tilted his face away, “I didn’t think you were so weak.”
Qin Jiu smirked and leant in closer to You Huo’s face, “Aren’t I just caring and sensitive to my dear wife’s harsh words? The internet says that empathetic men are preferred in today's society,”
You Huo sighed, and acquiesced, reminding himself Qin Jiu could act however he wanted for today. He brushed his lips against Qin Jiu’s and softly said, “Happy Birthday,” and revelled in the faint shock in Qin Jiu’s expression. He nudged Qin Jiu back towards the cake and beckoned for him to blow out the candles already.
Qin Jiu recovered quickly, smiling again as he lightheartedly complained that You Huo was ‘teasing’ him and ‘how could I be satisfied after just one?’. You Huo told him ‘you’ll live’ and urged him to get a move on with the candles as the wax was dripping dangerously close to the cake.
Qin Jiu finally complied and took a breath in, the flames writhing in the reflection of his dark eyes. In that moment, You Huo felt unbelievably warm, not suffocated by his own frost and ice for once. He thought that, if this moment were to be frozen in time, he could live out the rest of his godhood here. In the next second, Qin Jiu blew out all twenty-nine candles in one go and he stared right at You Huo with a smug grin, one that said ‘did you expect anything else of me’ and You Huo felt his expression relaxing into a small but genuine smile. How lucky he was to be able to be here in this infinitesimal period of history that would be but a blip in the timespan of all existence, with Qin Jiu. Everything changed with time, civilisations vanished and monuments eroded but the memory of this instance would be etched into his bones and Qin Jiu’s existence a mark on his soul.
You Huo felt the small curve of his lips flatten again, looking closer to a frown now. Qin Jiu was already twenty-nine. He was only mortal, how many twenty-nine years did he have left? The sour feeling in his chest intensified and in that moment, he was certain. He’d figure out a way to prolong Qin Jiu’s lifespan, no matter what.
Unbeknownst to You Huo, Qin Jiu was thinking the same thing. It didn’t matter if mortals were never meant to reach the stars, wasn’t Qin Jiu the natural defiance of such things? He’d commit to this, refusing to let You Huo slip away from him like sand in an hourglass. Such things were nonsense and Qin Jiu would not allow such a thing to happen, not while he was a god and had the ability to prevent it.
They shared the cake, mood inexplicably dimmer but still full, keeping an eye on the time as they both had work the next day. You Huo sealed up the leftover cake and relocated it to the fridge while Qin Jiu washed their utensils. When their tasks were done, they headed off to the shower together, determined to spend as much time as possible in each other’s presence.
Post shower, You Huo felt very sleepy and dozed off nearly immediately. Qin Jiu laid next to him, watching the gentle rise and fall of You Huo’s chest, taking in his serene sleeping face. He fell asleep to thoughts of placid kisses and a tranquil future.