It's alright. The sentiment remains, tucked behind Zichen's smile as he watches Xue Yang come. He wraps his hand around his lover's, helping him milk out every last drop.
"A-Yang..." he gathers the other man into his arms, wanting...needing...to hold him.
Xue Yang whines softly as he's stroked into oversensitivity, but he doesn't tell Song Lan to stop, liking the feeling.
Once it's over he collapses against his lover's chest and nuzzles into his shoulder. "Mm... this bath was kind of a waste, huh?" he murmurs with a playful edge to his voice.
The content weight of his lover against him, resting in his arms makes Zichen happy. He kisses lazily along the other man's shoulder, humming at the question.
Um, sir... sir? You can't just say things like that! Xue Yang immediately blushes hard and buries his face against his lover. He lightly pokes him in the chest and gets himself comfortable, half-laying on Song Lan like a very clingy blanket.
"At least we can easily get clean again," he finally says.
Xue Yang has no regrets! He likes seeing a more playful side of Song Lan anyway...
He rubs his head up against Song Lan's hands. "Mm, I like it when you wash it," he says. Being taken care of, especially in such an intimate way is such a novelty and he's wildly greedy for it.
"The plumbing, I assume, but the material the pipes are made out of would be hard to acquire in our world." Zichen murmurs as he lathers the shampoo down to the roots of Xue Yang's hair, "I will take care of you, regardless. You don't need to worry."
Xue Yang's cheeks flush, but he looks more pleased than embarrassed. "Or the Admiral has some magic well at the bottom of the ship." After all, this ship is somehow floating through space so anything seems possible.
He leans even more into his lover's hands, even more like a cat seeking affection than normal. He's practically purring too.
"Possibly." Zichen grins at the open pleasure and drops kisses over Xue Yang's face, "Close your eyes, A-Yang." he advises before he rinses the shampoo out, "I think magic is the answer to most of the questions I have about the Barge."
It's definitely become easier to accept and appreciate the affection that Song Lan so readily showers him with. And to give him affection in return. It really is a strange thing between them, but it's making them both happy, so who cares what it may look like to outsiders? They don't matter at all.
He closes his eyes as asked to let his hair be rinsed out. "Mmm, probably..." he murmurs distractedly, a little lost in his thoughts.
Strange is a good word for it. Zichen has been shocked by how easy it is for him to just...care...for Xue Yang. When he pushes the pain of the past to the back of his mind and watches the other man in the quiet moments, he sees that he is needed. To be needed is one of the blessings Xiao Xingchen had given him effortlessly, but ever since their split, he hasn't felt connected to anyone. Until Xue Yang.
"What are you thinking about?" he asks gently, cleaning Xue Yang's cute face next.
Xue Yang's cheeks color a faint hue of pink when he's brought out of his thoughts. "Ah... I was just wondering, have you told anyone about... well, us?" It feels incredibly strange to talk about the two of them as us, but also... right.
"Mmhm I have." Zichen washes off the soap and cups Xue Yang's face between his hands, "They worry about me and tell me to not get too close to you. I've ignored them." his lips twitch, "I appreciate their concern, but I've watched you for years and this...what we have...is new. I treasure it."
Zichen chuckles deeply and brushes a soft kiss against Xue Yang's lips.
"They don't bother me." he strokes his thumbs over his lover's cheeks, "I understand their caution - they know some of our story - but I'm not under a spell or dim-witted. We both know how this ends if you were tricking me. But you're not."
Xue Yang's pout melts from his lips like magic when Song Lan kisses him, and the pink in his cheeks returns.
He leans and gently headbutts Song Lan's cheek. "I don't want to do that anymore, but I also don't care what they think about me. Most of the people on the Barge aren't worth a damn anyway." The fact that he's saying "most" and not "all" is some kind of progress!
He likes that color and he nuzzles his lips against it, enjoying the soft warmth.
The headbutt makes him laugh again and he gathers Xue Yang against him, embracing him tightly.
"I know." and Xue Yang doesn't have to say anything else on the matter, "Zack is a good man and, oddly, I think I am developing a friendship with Dennis Collins."
The butcher who is quite proud of his murderous deeds.
"He was so angry with me when I was his Warden, but he has opened up more and told me about his interest in music."
Xue Yang frowns a little. "Dennis Collins? Isn't he the guy who killed a bunch of people here? Be careful around someone like that!" Probably a little ironic coming from Xue Yang, but...
"Zack is okay I guess..." he concedes, somewhat reluctantly before asking, "Have you ever talked to Xie Lian? You'd like him. He's... he's kinda like Xiao Xingchen."
Zichen traces over that frown with his finger. "He is proud of his murders. We have argued extensively about it and, strangely, he has never threatened me." he frowns himself and gives a little sigh, "I'm not here to judge anyone. I'm here to help." he softens, "Of course that was more difficult where you are concerned. Until you reached out for me...and needed me."
He smiles at the concession and kisses Xue Yang's brow.
"Is he? I..." his heart clenches, "I'm not sure I'm ready."
"Yeah. He's one of the first people I met here. I... thought he was Xiao Xingchen at first. They dress the same." White Daoist robes. He remembers the way his heart had jumped in his chest until he had realized that the face was different. "He's... nice. Sincere. He knows the shit I've done, but he's never been judgemental about it." A nice change of pace.
He leans up and gives Song Lan a soft kiss. "Mm. I get it." Trying to lighten the mood a little, he playfully adds, "And don't get jealous either. He apparently has a husband back home."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
"A-Yang..." he gathers the other man into his arms, wanting...needing...to hold him.
no subject
Once it's over he collapses against his lover's chest and nuzzles into his shoulder. "Mm... this bath was kind of a waste, huh?" he murmurs with a playful edge to his voice.
no subject
"I don't think being with you is ever a waste."
no subject
"At least we can easily get clean again," he finally says.
no subject
"Shall I scrub you clean?" he leans back against the edge of the tub and caresses his fingertips over Xue Yang's scalp.
no subject
"Yes, please!" He grins playfully. "Please scrub me all over, Song-daozhang!"
no subject
"Where shall I start?" he kisses the top of Xue Yang's head and grabs the shampoo, "You know I love your hair."
no subject
He rubs his head up against Song Lan's hands. "Mm, I like it when you wash it," he says. Being taken care of, especially in such an intimate way is such a novelty and he's wildly greedy for it.
no subject
"Be good and stay still." he wets Xue Yang's hair with clean water from the faucet. Then he begins to massage in the shampoo.
no subject
"Mmm, I might miss the baths here when we go back home. They're so convenient! Water just appears when you want it. I wonder where it comes from..."
no subject
no subject
He leans even more into his lover's hands, even more like a cat seeking affection than normal. He's practically purring too.
no subject
Including them being on it.
no subject
He closes his eyes as asked to let his hair be rinsed out. "Mmm, probably..." he murmurs distractedly, a little lost in his thoughts.
no subject
"What are you thinking about?" he asks gently, cleaning Xue Yang's cute face next.
no subject
no subject
no subject
"It's none of their fucking business anyway," he says with a small pout, "Tell them to fuck off if they bother you about it."
no subject
"They don't bother me." he strokes his thumbs over his lover's cheeks, "I understand their caution - they know some of our story - but I'm not under a spell or dim-witted. We both know how this ends if you were tricking me. But you're not."
no subject
He leans and gently headbutts Song Lan's cheek. "I don't want to do that anymore, but I also don't care what they think about me. Most of the people on the Barge aren't worth a damn anyway." The fact that he's saying "most" and not "all" is some kind of progress!
no subject
The headbutt makes him laugh again and he gathers Xue Yang against him, embracing him tightly.
"I know." and Xue Yang doesn't have to say anything else on the matter, "Zack is a good man and, oddly, I think I am developing a friendship with Dennis Collins."
The butcher who is quite proud of his murderous deeds.
"He was so angry with me when I was his Warden, but he has opened up more and told me about his interest in music."
no subject
"Zack is okay I guess..." he concedes, somewhat reluctantly before asking, "Have you ever talked to Xie Lian? You'd like him. He's... he's kinda like Xiao Xingchen."
no subject
He smiles at the concession and kisses Xue Yang's brow.
"Is he? I..." his heart clenches, "I'm not sure I'm ready."
no subject
He leans up and gives Song Lan a soft kiss. "Mm. I get it." Trying to lighten the mood a little, he playfully adds, "And don't get jealous either. He apparently has a husband back home."
no subject
"Friends like that are very precious." he strokes back Xue Yang's wet hair and kisses his neck. Then he finds himself being kissed and he sighs.
"Why would I be jealous?" Zichen tilts his head to the left, "I have you, don't I?"
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)