6Author Notes: Hello, everyone! Enjoy the final chapter :)
- Chapter Start -
"XiChen-ge! XiChen-ge, please wait a moment!"
XiChen had a suspicion as to why HuaiSang was rushing after him and imploring him to wait, and why he sounded upset. He didn't want to wait for him. He didn't want to hear what HuaiSang had to say. He just wanted to seclude himself in the Hanshi and forget that two brothers were in love with him, and had been for some time.
But that wasn't fair to young HuaiSang, was it?
With a sigh, XiChen made his way to a clump of bamboo a few feet away and turned around. HuaiSang was hurrying towards him, hair loose over his shoulders and eyes huge in his pale face.
"HuaiSang, it's close to curfew," XiChen chided as sternly as he could, relieved to find his voice steady. "Please go back to your room."
"But I saw you and Da-ge earlier!"
"I escorted him back to his room, that's all," XiChen explained.
HuaiSang shook his head, gripping the folded fan in his hands.
"That's not all!"
"What do you mean?" XiChen asked in a careful voice.
"He kissed you!"
"Ah. Only on the cheek," XiChen was quick to clarify, but HuaiSang pouted.
"He still kissed you!"
XiChen sighed.
"Let me guess - you want to do the same?" He asked in a dry voice.
"Yes!"
Despite his exasperation, XiChen had to fight the urge to smile. And blush.
"Very well if it would make you feel better," he replied before freezing in shock. Wait - had he said that aloud?
"Oh, it would!" HuaiSang's eyes lit up like he had been given an unexpected gift.
"Ah. But you're only fifteen." XiChen's attempt at physically and mentally backpedaling failed as HuaiSang took an eager step closer.
"But you said I could!"
Pressing his lips together, XiChen gave into the inevitable.
"Very well." He bent forward and turned his head a little to the side, proffering his other cheek.
HuaiSang beamed and hurriedly tucked his fan into his belt, fumbling a bit. Then he reached up, cold fingertips grazing XiChen's cheek before grasping his chin and turning his face back.
XiChen's heart lurched as a soft pair of lips pressed against his. Eyes widening in shock, he stared into equally wide and desperate ones. They stood there without moving or breathing until his brain kicked in, and he realised they were kissing.
Actually kissing. On the lips kissing.
Oh dear. He should put a stop to this right now. He shouldn't have even agreed in the first - his thoughts splintered into a million tiny pieces when the tip of a tongue slid across the seam of his lips, making him gasp in renewed shock. Then that tongue pushed inside his mouth, staying there for a shocking, scandalising second before it withdrew and his lips were free again.
They stared at each other, mouths open, for once at a perfect eye level because XiChen was still bending forward a little. HuaiSang's eyes were huge, cheeks flushed bright pink and hair falling over his shoulders. He looked like a maiden who had just had her first kiss stolen from her instead of the other way around.
"HuaiSang!" XiChen straightened up and glared at him.
"I-I don't know what happened! D-don't ask me!"
"HuaiSang, why?" This time it was XiChen who advanced and HuaiSang who retreated, waving his hands in denial.
"I don't know why! Don't ask me!"
XiChen stopped.
"XiChen-ge, please don't be angry," HuaiSang pleaded. He ducked his head, long hair falling forward to frame his face as he peeped up from beneath his eyelashes.
It wasn't the first time he had tried to feign innocence.
"Then why did you do it?" XiChen demanded, trying to keep his voice even. His heart was racing inside his chest, he could still feel the imprint of those soft lips on his own, and he didn't know why there was this tight feeling of... regret... that he hadn't responded while he could.
"I don't know," HuaiSang muttered, looking away.
"Then let me tell you."
HuaiSang looked back at him in alarm.
"You didn't want to lose out to Da-ge," XiChen began.
"N-no, I..." HuaiSang swallowed, teeth digging into his lower lip.
"You didn't want to wait despite what we had agreed on this afternoon."
"No! I just wanted..." HuaiSang shook his head again, blinking hard.
"You didn't believe you had a chance despite what we promised." XiChen didn't raise his voice, but HuaiSang's lips wobbled. "Am I right?"
HuaiSang sniffled, a single tear running down a pink flushed cheek and then another down the other one. He shook his head.
"Why would you want me when you have Da-ge?" He burst out. "Why would you wait for me? Why would you even give me a chance when I have nothing to offer you?"
He dashed his hands across his cheeks and took a shaky breath.
"Why shouldn't I grab your first kiss before you gave it to Da-ge?!"
XiChen froze.
"I never promised I'd kiss him first," he protested.
"Even if you did, do you think he wouldn't have tried his hardest to persuade you? He's not the Red Blade Master for nothing! And if he insisted, would you still have said no?"
HuaiSang gulped for breath.
"HuaiSang, Da-ge would never insist on such a thing," XiChen scolded. He wouldn't allow anyone to say anything against Nie MingJue, not even his younger brother. "You're not being fair."
"None of this is fair!" HuaiSang burst out. "I don't want to wait!"
"You must!" XiChen all but shouted in his frustration only to wince. He hadn't meant to raise his voice like that, but it was too late.
HuaiSang's face crumpled at once and he fell to his knees.
"HuaiSang, no, I didn't mean... I'm sorry!"
XiChen was on his knees before he realised it, hands reaching out to grab HuaiSang's shoulders. With a sob, HuaiSang burrowed into his chest and XiChen found himself hugging him instead, arms going around the trembling form as two hands clutched at the front of his robes.
Confused and frustrated and remorseful, XiChen pressed his lips to the sweet smelling hair, as fine as a child's.
"I'm sorry," he said after a while. "This is all too sudden for me."
Sniffling, HuaiSang drew back and looked up at him, heedless of the tears streaking his face.
"Not for me," he said and gave a sad smile. "I've loved you for years, XiChen-ge."
XiChen sighed and gently thumbed away the moisture on those flushed cheeks.
"It's just a crush. You'll get over it," he said.
HuaiSang shook his head, lips quivering.
"You think I haven't tried? Each time I left Cloud Recesses after the lectures - and you know how many I've attended - I told myself to give up. I couldn't. Each year when I came back... or... or whenever you visited QingHe to see Da-ge... "
He shook his head.
"I love you, XiChen-ge. I really do."
XiChen stared at him for the space of two heartbeats... and found himself kissing him. He didn't know why either. HuaiSang just made a surprised and pleased sound in his throat and kissed him back, mouth opening under his as he rose onto his knees and looped his arms around XiChen's neck.
The kiss turned into a few more, one of XiChen's hands tangling in HuaiSang's hair, his other arm going around the small waist to pull him closer.
Neither of them were conscious of anything or anyone else. They didn't see the tall figure standing in the distance, watching them with an unreadable expression on his face. Then the broad shoulders slumped and Nie MingJue turned around to return to the VIP guestroom.
- o -
Three months later...
The Gusu Lan lectures ended yesterday. It was time for the guest disciples to return home. They gathered in the main courtyard under the watchful eyes of the Twin Jades of Lan to speak in low voices, exchanging addresses, promising to write and meet up for night hunts in the near future.
Halfway through, WangJi excused himself and strode towards the Jiang siblings. With a nod to Jiang WanYin and Jiang YanLi, he took hold of a tearful Wei WuXian's hand and pulled him towards the back of the Library Pavilion. XiChen could hear the rather audible 'I'll miss you, Lan Zhan! I'll miss you so much! Will you miss me too?" from where he stood and shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips.
Then he saw Jiang WanYin nodding to his sister before making his way to Wen Qing. Taking a leaf from WangJi's book, he pulled her by the hand and went behind the Orchid Hall, no doubt to wish her a private goodbye as well.
XiChen didn't bother to check on each couple to make sure they weren't breaking any rules. They were all leaving in a few minutes anyway, and he had his own farewell to say.
"I'll miss you, XiChen-ge."
Smiling, XiChen turned to HuaiSang standing beside him, face half hidden behind his fan.
"I'll miss you too, HuaiSang," he said quietly. WangJi wasn't the only one who had gotten swept up in an unexpected romance.
Nie MingJue had returned home the next morning after his visit to Cloud Recesses. After a brief discussion with Lan QiRen on organising a further investigation of the ghost puppet issue, he had asked XiChen to go with him to look for HuaiSang.
Once the three of them were together, Nie MingJue had repeated his apologies to XiChen for burdening him with his feelings, and told HuaiSang he had no issues with the two of them getting together... if his younger brother worked hard at improving his cultivation and sword skills for the next two years.
HuaiSang's initial look of utter delight soon morphed into a dramatic wail of 'I have to wait two more years?!' which made XiChen smile. He didn't mind the wait as much, knowing that HuaiSang was still very young.
Unfortunately, as reluctant as HuaiSang was to develop his cultivation, he was very determined when it came to matters of the heart. It resulted in many delightful stolen kisses which didn't get out of hand only because of XiChen's iron discipline... and the sobering thought of what Da-ge would do if they went too far.
"When will you come to Qinghe? Next week?"
XiChen smiled at the hopeful look in those large eyes and wished he could steal a final kiss from those pink lips.
"As soon as uncle allows it," he replied. "In the meantime, promise me you'll meditate for at least two hours and practise your sword skills for the same amount of time every day."
HuaiSang pouted.
"Only if you promise to visit us next week," he wheedled, "and bring half a dozen jars of Emperor Smile with you."
Smile widening, XiChen took a quick look around. No one seemed to be watching them at the moment so he took a step closer and bent his head, touching his forehead to HuaiSang's.
"I promise."
- Story End -
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it and stay safe :)
