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Frost made delicate, crystalline patterns on the double pane windows. Xie Lian, snug in his large chunky sweater, leaned back into San Lang who adjusted the heated blanket over their laps. Xie Lian used that excuse to kiss the corner of San Lang’s strong jaw.
San Lang looked shocked, just like he always did for the past 2 millenia. Xie Lian settled down against his husband with a smile into his cup of spiked hot chocolate and chuckled sweetly. “San Lang is too cute, Gege couldn’t help it”
Hua Cheng smiled through a blush and kissed Xie Lian back before settling back, feet raised on the coffee table.
It had been a long hard road at the beginning, but the past 1200 years have continued bliss. Xie Lian was the heavenly martial emperor and had held that respected title for over a thousand years with no content. The heavens were an efficient machine, requiring his time less and less so they could take time off to spend together, but valued his input and thoughts on projects.
He was a loving and fair ruler, just as he would have been as a king, and now his people love him and will love him forever.
Their home was a modern construction built on the foundations where Puqi shrine used to be, as both a homage, and respectful monument to the place they called home for so many years before the building simply rotted away. Xie Lian was crushed when it finally fell, but by then he had a billion shrines all over the continent and a few hundred on the others.
He was beloved by his people, but demanded that they all pay respects and homage to his husband too. Every statue lovingly crafted by his husband turned up at the new shrine’s door, sculpted beautifully with a corresponding shadow in red.
Xie Lian sipped the last of his cocoa and felt the once foreign feeling of alcohol buzzing under his skin and bringing a flush to his cheeks. He sighed and felt so happy and loved and content in this moment.
“What are we doing for christmas?” He asked.
They didn’t really celebrate christmas, but it was expected for them to put up a show for the villagers in town who sometimes stopped by to give love to the strange queer couple down the lane.
San Lang ‘hmm’ed. “We could get a tree to put in front of the window. Maybe some lights, then spend the day itself elsewhere so no one comes charoling again, or asks us what we’re doing to invite us anywhere.”
Xie Lian smiles. “We could stay in heaven that week. I know you love riling up the upper court.”
Hua Cheng laughs, “Is that my christmas present, Gege?”
Xie Lian smiles at him, “What does my San Lang want for christmas?”
Hua Cheng looks down to see a beautiful flush and glazed eye of his love, his god. “You.”
Hua Cheng kisses Xie Lian’s nose gently, “I just want the joy and privilege of being around you. To love you. To tell you I love you. To be near you. However you wish to use me.”
Xie Lian leans in to kiss his beloved, “I think I can work with that.”
The kiss is gentle. Soft presses of lips and tongue that all say “I love you”.
They hold each other gently before the warm fire and make love on the white soft fur rug. Each moment a gift, each sigh of pleasure a treasure.
They, now, have done and will always love each other until the end of time. This is but one moment in the beautiful tapestry of fate which held their hands, clasped together, in a simple red string. Forever.