Too Far Apart

15. Something New

Lan Xichen looked shocked and agitated as a woman fretted over Jiang Cheng and he simply looked at her go about. He wasn't growling, wasn't looking away, wasn't embarrassed, wasn't asking her to leave, wasn't even telling her off. To say Lan Xichen with was agitated with Jiang Cheng was an understatement.

The only solace which kept him in place was when the woman tried to reach out and touch Wanyin, he would pull back, away from her. Though it wasn't much use as his eyes kept following her around. She didn't seem to mind and continued but Lan Xichen did see the expression of hurt on her face.

Once she had set the table for the two of them in his room, prepared his robes, his bath, the food and any other thing she could find to do in the room did she take a break and stand still.

"Are you done Lady Zhou?" the woman nodded in answer.

"Please leave." Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, straining not to frown. Lan Xichen was extremely curious about their relationship but dare not ask. He questioned himself if they were close enough for him to be able to expect an answer to such a question.

Instead, he redirected his irritation into something, "You shouldn't be so careless as to put yourself in danger Wanyin." Before he realized, he was already raising his voice, "You are already hurt as it is," he swiped a hand at his leg, "what if the injury was worse. This is your sword arm too."

The person before him flared his tiny nose, pulled together his brows, sucked his lips in and his cheeks filled with restrained laughter, making Lan Xichen pause.

He forgot everything. The night hunt, the danger, the woman, the injury, everything. His heart melted as he looked back almost blankly at the amused tears filling in Wanyin's eyes. Wanyin's cheeks puffed up and finally let go in an unbridled laughter. The deep sound came back from the walls at him in all directions. He was surrounded by the sound and enchanted by the sight before him. The rare softness of the man before him was all to himself. Without meaning to, he cracked a smile and the others seemed to calm down at that.

Lan Xichen watched mesmerized as the thin lips, used to being quirked in a smirk or challenge stretched straight in a bright smile, lips parted as he caught his breath between words, "It's like... like that time... when.. When.. when you first scolded me at the night hunt."

"Such a long time ago." Lan Xichen whispered at the far away memory. He had not realzsed back then, what had begun, it seemed like he had been stuck in the middle forever and there was never a chance to begin an ending. Too long, he had waited too long. He pushed to his knees, determined, placed his hands on the table, ignoring the food between them and leaned towards a pair of purple streaked lake eyes that were thrown wide.

Then, he captured the thin softness into his own lips and lost his senses to the faint scent of lotus that surrounding him... them.

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One moment, he was laughing and remembering a good old time, the next he was being kissed. The kiss was soft yet hard. A pair of full lips pressed into his with firmness but moved around his in slow gentle motions. His cloudy eyes were closed and a small frown was placed between his brows. He longed to pull it straight with his fingers but his body had gone limp. It felt like he was water and Lan Huan was drinking him slowly, savoring, as if he were wine.

He dared not move for he was afraid that the other could hear his heart pounding. After what seemed like a slow torture of desperation and need being poured into him, he saw the eyes open. Peaceful clouds were a storm now. He staggered a breath into his lungs and let go. The distance between them was so little that it allowed him to see with clarity as the pair of grey eyes lowered to his lips and released a breath of their own fanning the wetness on his lips left behind after the act.