come as you are

The more Xie Lian thought about it, the more everything made sense. How foggy his head had been — his lack of memory. The nesting whilst he slept. How he had felt more insecure and in need of comfort than usual. Feng Xin's lingering touches, perhaps more unconscious than he'd known.

Eyes fluttering, Xie Lian thought of what had started his heat.

His mind drifted back to the hot springs.

To the long, muscled limbs of an alpha; glistening with water, the beads trickling down pale, enticing skin.

Xie Lian thought of wide shoulders, a lazy, feline smile, and a sparkling, grey eye staring at him.

And Xie Lian burned.

«Mu Qing», he whimpered, an intense burst of needy heat enveloping his senses, making his body unbearable warm and uncomfortable.

«Mhm», Mu Qing said, his gaze flickering over Xie Lian, nose flaring as he took in the spike of his scent, «let's go find your alpha.»

He rested a hand against Xie Lian's side, stabilizing the panting omega. Picking up the scent-concealing perfume from the dresser, Mu Qing sprayed a heavy layer of it over him, coating Xie Lian's skin.

The effect of it was mediocre at best — it was created to neutralize people's everyday scent, not the heavy smell of an omega in heat.

«Mu Qing», Xie Lian murmured again, half-lidded eyes struggling to focus, «'m so warm-»

His skin was already starting to gleam with sweat, and he could feel the inside of his thighs turning damp with slick. Xie Lian let out a low groan.

«I know, I know», Mu Qing reassured him with a sharp tone, «let's go look for your mate now. Come over here-»

Slipping his arm around Xie Lian's waist instead, Mu Qing led him over to the door and opened it. Glancing around, he noted that the hallway was empty before walking out of the hotel room.

It seemed like Feng Xin had decided to go elsewhere, which was probably wise. Although Xie Lian trusted his friend greatly, it'd still make it hard for an alpha to stay away from an omega in need — as well as for the omega to keep away from the alpha. Having another omega as a friend was therefore highly practical. Mu Qing's scent was rather comforting than desirable to him, and he managed to stay cool-headed as Xie Lian kept letting out whimpers.

Helping Xie Lian into the elevator, Mu Qing pressed a button before looking at his friend.

«I can't believe how quickly your heat worsened», he pointed out, taking note of the perspiration on Xie Lian's forehead, «although you've been a little out of it recently, it has been nothing like this.»

Breathing hard, Xie Lian leaned his head against the cool elevator walls and groaned.

«I want San Lang», he whined, «I want- I want-»

«San Lang?», Mu Qing's brows furrowed, «I'm taking you to Jun Wu. We don't even know who San Lang is.»

A shiver went down Xie Lian's spine at his friend's words.

«No», he breathed, «I don't- ah, he's not- Mu Qing!»

«A-Lian», Mu Qing said, voice resolute, «Jun Wu is our best hope. You need an alpha to help you through this - won't it be wise to at least talk to him, to see if you feel anything for the man?»

Frustrated tears were rising in Xie Lian's eyes, and he shook his head.

«Want San Lang», he said with a wobbly voice, «help me find San L-»

He was interrupted as the elevator stopped at the desired floor, the doors sliding open—

And Xie Lian found himself looking at Pei Ming.

Pei Ming looked up from his phone, his nostrils flaring as he glanced between a flushed Xie Lian and a tense Mu Qing.

His lips curled.

«O ho ho», his eyes landed on Xie Lian, gaze turning slightly intense as he noticeably inhaled, «what do we have here?»

«Out of the way», Mu Qing snapped, pulling on Xie Lian's arm as they stepped out of the lift, «we don't need you to get involved in this.»

«I think it's a little too late for that», Pei Ming grinned, phone swiftly pocketed as he moved to follow them, «why on earth are you parading an omega in heat around the hotel?»

Mu Qing's jaw clenched.

«It's that obvious?»

Pei Ming's eyes flickered over to Xie Lian again, a tinge of hunger in them.

«It is. His scent isn't too strong, but just by looking at him…», Pei Ming licked his lips, then tilted his head, «Xie Lian, how are you feeling?»

The omega let out a broken moan, hiding his face into Mu Qing's shoulder. Slick were coating the back of his thighs now, making them slippier as he walked, and his heart was beating hard. The cloudiness of his vision made it hard to keep notice of where they were, so he tightly clutched onto his friend's arm.

«Warm», he murmured, still forcing his face away from Pei Ming.

He could sense the alpha's scent reacting to him, turning heavier and musky. Painfully tempting, making him want to stop and bend over for him right then and there.

Xie Lian whined as his pants turned filthier, slick practically dripping from him — he didn't muster the energy to worry about someone seeing him like this, though, too caught up in the hazy need making his blood boil.

The hitch in Pei Ming's breathing was audible as Xie Lian's arousal spiked.

It'd be so, so easy. Xie Lian knew that if he turned around, Pei Ming would help him out with open arms.

Whimpering, he clung onto Mu Qing's sleeve harder.

It'd be so good — Pei Ming was a capable man, he'd know exactly what to do to make Xie Lian cry with pleasure.

Inhaling deeply, Xie Lian felt his mating bite pulsate on the back of his neck, demanding his attention.

But— Pei Ming wasn't his mate. He wasn't Xie Lian's alpha.

He wasn't the one who had touched Xie Lian's skin in the hot springs, leaving him breathless and hot. Who'd sent shivers down his spine just by looking at him, a singular eye making Xie Lian feel more seen than two eyes ever could.

«I want San Lang», Xie Lian muttered into Mu Qing's shirt, «d'nt want Jun Wu… don't take me to him…»

Pei Ming let out a bark of laughter, as Mu Qing stroked Xie Lian's back soothingly.

«You're taking him to Jun Wu?», he asked, completely stunned.

Mouth pinched, Mu Qing shot the alpha an annoyed side-glance.

«Xie Lian needs to be with his mate», Mu Qing said sharply.

Pei Ming arched an eyebrow, then looked down the hallway.

His eyes sparkled.

«Exactly», he said, grin turning wicked as he focused on something in front of them.

Mu Qing's head whipped around to look in the same direction, body stiffening at the sight.

A familiar whiff caught Xie Lian's nose, and he let out a breathy moan as he forced his face away from Mu Qing's shoulder, following the others' gazes.

And found himself looking at Hua Cheng.

The alpha was standing a couple of meters in front of them, seemingly having walked down the other end of the hallway.

His silvery eye was glued to Xie Lian, his stare so piercing that it'd make anyone shy.

Xie Lian choked on a sob, letting go of Mu Qing's arm as he stumbled forwards.

«San Lang!»

Snapping out of his trance, Hua Cheng was by Xie Lian's side in a second.

«Gege», his voice was so guttural that it rumbled, deliciously rough and deep.

Xie Lian melted into Hua Cheng's arms like they were shaped entirely for him, letting out a pathetic whine as Hua Cheng immediately tightened them around him, pressing him flush against a firm, large chest.

«San Lang», Xie Lian's hands were resting against Hua Cheng's pecs but he couldn't keep them still, constantly moving them from his chest to his muscled arms to his abdomen to his neck—

A heavy groan escaped Hua Cheng's lips as Xie Lian palmed his jaw, the latter looking up to stare into an utterly ravenous eye.

Hua Cheng's teeth flashed for a moment, and then Xie Lian was tugging on his jaw, pulling him down, down, down, forcing their mouths together—

The moan that left the both of them at the touch was so desperate, so starved, that a lick of arousal caressed Xie Lian's spine.

Hua Cheng's greedy hands couldn't seem to stop touching him as they kissed eagerly, messily; licking into each other's mouths with the despair of someone who had done nothing but want for so long.

A big palm slid against Xie Lian's lower back, slipping down to pet his ass, squeezing the meaty flesh with passion. The other hand was curled into Xie Lian's nape, possessively covering his mating bite, giving Xie Lian no room to move away from the kiss — as if that was something he'd ever want.

«Oh my god», a strangled voice said behind them, before a chuckle chimed in.

«Jun Wu, my ass», the other, deeper voice said.

The name alone was enough to make Xie Lian feel a pinch of panic. Noticing it, Hua Cheng grumbled into their embrace, tongue licking into Xie Lian's mouth to distract him.

It worked perfectly.

The throbbing heat inside of Xie Lian demanded his attention again and he sucked on Hua Cheng's tongue before pulling half an inch away, whimpering against his lips.

«Inside», he pleaded, «want you inside- want San Lang's knot-»

Hua Cheng's scent was already coating the entire hallway, the leather-like and musky scent so thick that you could taste it on your tongue. As he registered Xie Lian's words, it intensified to such an extent that the entire floor was sure to smell the scent of the aroused, possessive alpha.

Touch turning frenzied, Hua Cheng's tongue swept into Xie Lian's mouth once more, dark brows knitted with the fervency of his lust. Impatient hands slid all over his figure, petting and stroking and squeezing whatever they could reach.

Xie Lian wasn't any better — one hand still resting against Hua Cheng's ridiculously well-defined jaw, his other fingers skidded down the alpha's abdomen, slipping underneath his shirt to rest against warm, firm skin.

A whiny moan slipped out of him as Hua Cheng pressed their bodies impossibly closer, making it painfully obvious how hard both of them were — and how huge Hua Cheng was in an erect state.

After their meeting in the changing room, Xie Lian had been aware of how big it was — now, feeling that stone-hard cock twitching against his own length, fleeting memories from their first tumble together made themselves known.

Because Hua Cheng had been the one who helped Xie Lian through his heat. He had been the one to fuck Xie Lian into the mattress, to breathe into his ear, to kiss and brand his skin, to bite the scent gland on his neck and mark Xie Lian as his—

«S' Lang», Xie Lian mumbled into the kiss, «inside.»

Letting out a shuddering breath, Hua Cheng let one of his hands slip into the back of Xie Lian's pants, fingers instantly turning slippery as they met the extensive amount of slick Xie Lian already had produced.

Hissing, the fist Hua Cheng clutched Xie Lian's hair with turned taut.

«So wet», he moaned, licking and nibbling on Xie Lian's lower lip as his hand caressed the swell of his ass, «you're so fucking wet, gege-»

«Wait!», a strained voice said behind them, «you can't- A-LIAN! You're in the middle of a hallway! Xie Lian, are you listening to me?!»

Another chuckle from the other person.

«Hua Cheng», the voice said, the sound turning a little fainter as it moved away, then the creak of the door, «ten steps behind you there's a room you can use. Save your mate some decency, won't you?»

Hua Cheng didn't react, too busy stroking Xie Lian's behind, fingertips regularly dipping between his ass cheeks. The touch made Xie Lian arch his back, desperately grinding their hips together.

A click of a tongue.

«Or are you planning to fuck your mate in front of another alpha? I wouldn't mind the show, you know.»

Hua Cheng's eye, previously closed in concentration, suddenly snapped open. It narrowed slightly, then took notice of Xie Lian's red-flushed and sweaty face, of swollen lips panting hard.

The pupil flared.

Letting go of Xie Lian's nape, both hands slid down to grasp his thighs, easily tugging the omega up into Hua Cheng's arms.

Inclining his head to kiss Xie Lian deeply again, Hua Cheng swiftly stepped into the other room, the door swinging shut behind them.

Unable to tear his attention away from Hua Cheng, Xie Lian struggled to see what kind of room it was — it wasn't particularly big, just furnished with a sitting group, a desk, and a few bookcases.

Depositing Xie Lian on top of the desk, Hua Cheng's hands flattened against his lover's hips as he started rutting their groins together, throaty moans leaving his lips.

Moving both arms to encircle Hua Cheng's neck, Xie Lian looked up at him with big, wet doe-eyes.

«'m too warm», he whined, «won't you fuck me, San Lang?»

The clinking of Hua Cheng's belt buckle was answer enough as he ripped it open with one hand, the gleam in his eyes downright predatory.

«Of course, gege», he hissed, pulling his length out of his pants and pumping it a few times, eyes fluttering shut at the stimuli.

Greedy hands then moved on to Xie Lian's jeans, eagerly releasing his cock, allowing it to smack up against Hua Cheng's — the sensation made Xie Lian whimper and bite his bottom lip, as Hua Cheng practically growled.

Sliding the fabric down soft, pale legs, Hua Cheng carelessly threw the jeans away, Xie Lian's boxers following almost immediately. The material of the latter was obscene; thoroughly soaked through with hefty amounts of precome and slick.

It was nothing worthy of their attention, though, as Hua Cheng suddenly had prime access to Xie Lian's leaking hole.

His breathing turned uneven as he took in the lewd sight in front of him — Xie Lian sprawled on top of the wooden desk, legs wide open, showing off his almost purplish cock resting against his abdomen, dripping with precome. His chest inflating with heaving gasps of air, the skin flushed and gleaming with sweat, collarbones glistening with perspiration.

Xie Lian's red, sore lips open in a silent plead as his mate's gaze raked over him, his eyebrows high and arched. The topknot his long, brown hair usually was fastened in was but a mess, strands of hair sticking to his temples.

Hua Cheng's focus turned subdued, that icy eye of his positively lethal.

Snarling, he grasped hold of Xie Lian's hips, then tugged them to the edge of the desk — where Hua Cheng himself sunk to his knees, lining his mouth up perfectly with Xie Lian's entrance.

«Oh-», was all Xie Lian managed to utter before Hua Cheng met his dazed stare and opened his mouth—

And licked a broad, drippingly wet stripe from Xie Lian's hole to his twitching length.

Xie Lian arched his back and mewled.

«San Lang!», he hiccupped, «oh, oh, ha-ah!»

Head slightly tilted, Hua Cheng's eye turned half-lidded as he kept delivering thorough laps to Xie Lian's entrance, greedily licking up every single drop of slick.

He was breathing hard, nostrils flaring as he ate his mate out with fervor, letting out pleased hums and groans at the taste.

«AH!», Xie Lian squirmed, breath stuttering as Hua Cheng's grip tightened on his hips, «nnh-ah, so good, San Lang-»

His words only spurred Hua Cheng on, as he properly buried his face between Xie Lian's thighs. Filthy smacking noises filled the room as Xie Lian's skin turned wet with saliva.

Twitching fingers came down to bury themselves in Hua Cheng's hair, tugging at the dark, thick locks when the latter's licks were especially tedious.

A sob escaped Xie Lian's mouth.

«I wanna come», he cried, stray drops of tears adorning his cheeks, «it's so much, too much, ha-ah, too intense-»

Hua Cheng licked his way into Xie Lian's hole, the tip of his tongue sinking deep.

The thighs that had previously been shivering next to his head, now pressed together to hug his face as Xie Lian cried out.

Moving one of his hands from the omega's hips, Hua Cheng grasped Xie Lian's dick and pumped it once - twice - thrice, until the latter gasped and came all over his stomach.

Tongue still moving diligently, Hua Cheng kept stroking Xie Lian through his intense orgasm, his body shuddering and twitching with every spurt of come.

«Hah, ah- oh, ha-ahh!», Xie Lian kept choking on his moans as he came, both of his hands white-knuckled as he clutched onto Hua Cheng's hair. It made the latter hiss with pleasure.

Xie Lian coming prompted new, heavy releases of slick, and the alpha hungrily licked it all up, insatiable for the taste of his mate on his lips.

Yanking on his hair again, Xie Lian whimpered.

«San Lang», his voice was broken with arousal, «a knot, won't you give me a knot, o-oh-, pretty please?»

Grazing Xie Lian's entrance with his tongue one more time, sweeping around the peach-colored hole, Hua Cheng then pulled away and got to his feet, towering over the other.

«How can I resist when you're begging so beautifully», he drawled huskily, bending down to push their mouths together.

Xie Lian eyes fluttered closed as he tasted himself on Hua Cheng's tongue, moaning loudly. He put one of his arms around Hua Cheng's neck again, assisting the other in grinding their bodies together, whilst his other hand slipped between them, grabbing hold of Hua Cheng's cock. It was so thick that he didn't even manage to grasp it all the way around, his fingers refusing to meet as he clumsily stroked it.

Hua Cheng let out a low, rough laugh at the touch, lips brushing against Xie Lian's.

«Is gege trying to make me come before I've even entered you?», he asked, a devilish croon in his voice.

Shaking his head vehemently, making their noses graze, Xie Lian's lower lip wobbled slightly.

«San Lang!»

Stare turning heavy again, Hua Cheng licked his lips before kissing Xie Lian once more, tongue immediately sweeping in. The action itself made Xie Lian moan, and he moaned even louder as Hua Cheng let one hand slide down his body, thumb grazing the soft skin it passed.

Wrapping his fist around Xie Lian's cock, Hua Cheng stroked it a few times, relishing in how it was still so stiff and ready after having just orgasmed. Their hands bumped as they pleasured the other, before Hua Cheng once again released him, making Xie Lian buckle up to gain more stimuli—

And then twitch hard as Hua Cheng rested a long, slender hand against his ass, covering his entrance.

Still sloppily kissing, Xie Lian arched his back at the feeling of a finger gently sliding inside of him, the previous ministrations of Hua Cheng's tongue combined with the overflow of slick making it an easy glide.

A knuckle brushed against the inside of Xie Lian's thigh as Hua Cheng twisted his hand slightly, burying his finger all the way inside, before pulling it halfway out. He then started working it in and out of Xie Lian, an intent grey eye watching every reaction sweeping over the omega's face.

They were all of the utmost pleasure.

Xie Lian panted as Hua Cheng worked him open, keening as a second finger made its way inside, soon followed by a third.

«'s good, 's good», Xie Lian huffed, spreading his legs even further, «sanlangsanlangsanlang-»

Hua Cheng fucked his fingers inside harder, turning Xie Lian into a whimpering, blabbering mess on top of the desk — precise jabs against his prostate had his cock oozing precome, and he sobbed into Hua Cheng's mouth.

«Ha-ah, San Lang! 'm coming, oh, uh-huh, AH-»

Shivering hard, Xie Lian clenched around Hua Cheng's fingers as he came once again, body jolting with the fierceness of his release. Another wave of slick escaped him as Hua Cheng worked him through it, and Xie Lian keened.

That was the moment Hua Cheng chose to pull his fingers out, grasping hold of his own length, coating it with sticky slick and come.

The nudge of Hua Cheng's massive dick against his entrance was all the warning Xie Lian got before Hua Cheng lined up the head of his cock, and thrusted it inside.

Body turning taut and loose at the same time, Xie Lian had no choice but to wrap his arms around Hua Cheng's neck and hold on as the alpha let out the most alluring moan, before slowly working his entire length inside.

It was so big.

Although Hua Cheng had fucked him before, the cloudiness of Xie Lian's heat was even stronger back then than now, making the memories still somewhat faint. As he now was fucked open by the dick inside of him, Xie Lian struggled to comprehend how it even fit inside.

The feeling was so intense that he struggled to even speak.

A choked noise left his lips instead as Hua Cheng slipped in deeper, deeper, and deeper, each thrust of his hips making him reach a little further.

When he was finally buried to the hilt inside of Xie Lian, the alpha was so deep that it felt like he'd entered Xie Lian's stomach.

They stared at each other, noses grazing as heavy breaths grazed the other's lips.

Hua Cheng's eye wandered over Xie Lian's face, taking in his heavy blush, stretching all the way to his ears, and his red-rimmed eyes, slightly unfocused yet refusing to miss a single second of what was going on.

The alpha's gaze dropped to Xie Lian's mouth, looking at the swollen, sore lips. His jaw clenched as those lips opened to let out a single, pleading sentence.

«Do it hard», Xie Lian murmured throatily.

Grabbing hold of Xie Lian's hips, Hua Cheng pulled back until only the tip of his cock was resting inside.

Then, with a deliciously harsh shove of his hips, he pushed all the way back inside, both of them groaning at the sensation.

«Yes», Hua Cheng hissed, Xie Lian too out of it to speak, «fuck, that's- fuck!»

Snapping his hips rapidly, Hua Cheng then proceeded to fuck the living daylight out of Xie Lian. Tugging on his hips, he managed to pull Xie Lian forward to meet every thrust of his, the depth he was able to reach enough to make Xie Lian mewl.

«YESYESYES, HAA-AH, SAN LANG!», Xie Lian was sobbing against Hua Cheng's throat, finally getting fucked the way he wished for, the way his body longed to be touched, «THERE, TH- ohh, yes, right there, ahh-»

«Gege», Hua Cheng moaned, their bodies slapping together, sweat dripping beneath them, «so tight, so good-»

The frantic movements of their fucking made the desk beneath Xie Lian groan, the wooden surface getting destroyed with the amount of slick and precome that was dripping down on it.

Neither of them could care less.

Rolling his hips roughly, Hua Cheng fucked Xie Lian even faster, the omega beneath him reduced to nothing but wails, moans and desperate cries.

«I'm coming again», Xie Lian sobbed, eyes fluttering shut in the face of such fierce pleasure as his nails scratched up Hua Cheng's back, «'m coming, 'm coming-»

Ramming into his lover, Hua Cheng fucked Xie Lian through his third orgasm, a deep-throated groan escaping him as Xie Lian tightened oh-so-deliciously around him.

As Xie Lian kept spilling warm, viscous come between their bodies, Hua Cheng moved his face to whisper into his ear.

«Gege wanted to be knotted?», he asked, voice dropping into a caressing murmur, lazy and husky.

Throat hoarse from all the screaming, Xie Lian nodded desperately, tears of oversensitivity streaking his cheeks.

Satisfaction made Hua Cheng's lips curl.

Tilting his head, he grazed Xie Lian's jaw with the tip of his nose, before opening his mouth — sharp canines gleaming — and sinking them into the side of Xie Lian's throat.

If not for how firmly Hua Cheng was holding onto his lover, the wild buckle of Xie Lian's body would've been enough to jolt him off. Instead, Hua Cheng angled his hips and fucked into the omega ruthlessly, teeth still grabbing hold of his mate.

Crying out hoarsely, Xie Lian felt himself losing grasp of reality — all he could feel was the onslaught of pleasure from every corner. Getting railed by his lover, getting marked by his lover, feeling their scents tinging the air in the room, merging together.

Letting go of Xie Lian's neck, Hua Cheng buried his face against the freshly marked skin, his hips reaching a new level of pounding — heavy smacking and ragged breaths filled the air as the alpha chased his own release, his movements frenetic and animalistic.

The desk beneath Xie Lian let out a dangerous creak as Hua Cheng's cock started to flare at the bottom, turning impossibly thicker as his knot kept growing. Whining, Xie Lian tried to roll his hips to meet the slam of Hua Cheng's thrusts, the expanding knot forcing them to take it slower.

Hua Cheng was breathing heavily against Xie Lian's skin, brows furrowed as he finally reached that exquisite edge he had been working towards—

«Hahh», the moan Hua Cheng let out as he came was so deep and guttural that goosebumps surfaced on Xie Lian's skin, «yes, yes, fuck, yes-»

Hissing, Hua Cheng forced himself inside one last time, then threw his head backwards as he pumped spurt after spurt of come inside of Xie Lian.

Xie Lian could feel his insides heating up with the warmth of Hua Cheng's spend, mewling happily as the alpha kept coming — a ridiculous amount of come, considering how this was their first tangle of the day.

«San Lang», Xie Lian mumbled lazily, body finally relaxing somewhat as it received the knot it was desiring, «kiss.»

Hua Cheng's eye danced with feline amusement as he looked down at Xie Lian, obediently pressing their warm, soft lips together. Nestling into Hua Cheng's warmth, Xie Lian closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss as he kept getting filled with come, Hua Cheng's knot fat and safe inside of him.

Clenching around it, Hua Cheng's lips twitched slightly against Xie Lian's.

«You fiend», he murmured teasingly, «already looking for more, are you?»

Xie Lian fluttered his eyes open and looked at the man in front of him, brown eyes thoughtful as they wandered over his face.

Then, Xie Lian smiled and rested his palm against Hua Cheng's cheek.

«I don't think I could ever get enough of you», he answered truthfully.

That earned him a sharp intake of breath from Hua Cheng, before the latter once again was kissing Xie Lian, this time licking into his mouth, eager to explore. Both of them were still wearing their shirts, so Hua Cheng let one hand slip up under Xie Lian's, swiftly settling on top of his chest, rubbing a stiff nipple.

Squirming, Xie Lian gasped at the sensation, the teasing movement combined with the pulsating knot inside of him and Hua Cheng's sloppy kisses making it even more intense.

Breathing harshly, he closed his eyes and tilted his head backwards, moving softly as his lover kept stroking his skin. Clever fingers switched between thumbing and pinching his nipple, the sensitive nub sending shivers down Xie Lian's spine.

«Feels so good», Xie Lian whimpered through clenched teeth, squeezing around Hua Cheng's knot once more, «San Lang-ah!»

The air in the room was heavy and thick, completely permeated with Hua Cheng's flaring scent, the sweet, honeyed smell of an omega in heat, and—

«Oh», Xie Lian writhed against Hua Cheng as a new, utterly bewitching scent reached his nose, «oh, you- you're-»

Chuckling darkly against Xie Lian's lips, Hua Cheng let his tongue lick a broad, lazy line against his mouth, before pulling away. His pupil was so flared that his eye came across as black.

«Having you underneath me like this», Hua Cheng drawled, thrusting his hips forward to emphasize their bodily connection, prompting a gasp out of Xie Lian, «…begging me so sweetly», he inclined his head and inhaled deeply from the scent gland on Xie Lian's neck, «…smelling so needy and lush. Lesser things have sent alphas into rut.»

Whimpering, Xie Lian felt a new wave of arousal hit him.

«Alpha», he murmured needily, «want more.»

Exhaling heavily, Hua Cheng kissed his sore lips again, starting to slowly move his hips to test the size of his knot.

«You'll get more», he breathed, still roughly pinching Xie Lian's nipple, «I'll give you everything you want.»

Staring at the other man, Xie Lian couldn't help the burst of fondness running through him. Slipping his fingers into Hua Cheng's hair, he tugged their mouths together and kissed the alpha with as much passion as he could muster.

It was messy, it was impatient, it was insatiable, and as soon as Hua Cheng's knot deflated, they were back to frantically fucking.

«Nnh-ah, that's good», Hua Cheng moaned as strong hands lifted Xie Lian's thighs, pushing them against the omega's chest, «fuck, that's so fucking good-»

The new position allowed him to fuck Xie Lian impossibly deeper, and the latter screamed as his prostate was pounded into, choking on a combination of sobs and whines.

«There, ri-AH! Right there, Sanlangsanlang, ha-ah!», Xie Lian wailed as Hua Cheng's fierce thrusts reddened his thighs, leaving his skin flushed and aching, «oh, oh, OH, hah!»

Too caught up in their frenzied rutting, neither of them heard the way the desk beneath Xie Lian was dangerously creaking, until a loud crack interrupted their moans.

Hua Cheng easily picked Xie Lian up as the furniture cracked, a jagged line splitting the desk in the middle.

Neither of them minded.

Instead, Hua Cheng pulled out and bent Xie Lian over the couch, clutching his waist bruisingly hard as he slipped back inside with a sharp snap of his hips.

Sobbing, Xie Lian had to hold on to the sofa for dear life as Hua Cheng railed into him, as not to fall onto it. The new angle allowed Hua Cheng to reach a new, delicate part of Xie Lian's insides, and the latter choked as a new orgasm hit him suddenly and hard.

Coming all over the rough fabric of the couch, Hua Cheng diligently fucked him through it, prompting new bursts of spend to leave Xie Lian's body.

«AHH, San Lang!», Xie Lian was standing on his tiptoes as Hua Cheng slammed inside at a furious rate, «nnh, ah, uh-huh, so, haa-ah, so deep, ohh-»

Letting out a sound that was similar to a growl, Hua Cheng let a possessive hand slip to Xie Lian's nape, pushing his sweaty hair aside. Still fucking hard, he then bent down and bit the skin around Xie Lian's scent gland, teeth matching the imprint of the mating bite perfectly.

A silent scream left Xie Lian's red lips open and drooling, body turning taut as his alpha finally acknowledged the bite again, marking Xie Lian once more.

A new orgasm shuddered through the omega's body, and if not for the way Hua Cheng was biting and holding him, he'd be sure to collapse on weak knees.

Releasing the gland, Hua Cheng lazily licked over the freshly marked skin once more, bone-deep satisfaction rumbling through him. The alpha's knot was still deflated, something Hua Cheng took advantage of to the fullest as he kept ramming into Xie Lian, lifting one of his legs to reach the delicious, deepest part of him.

Clawing at the couch, Xie Lian's upper body reclined to rest against it, blubbering pathetically as orgasms kept rolling through him, his sore and spent cock weeping continuously.

«Gah, uh, huh, uh-huh», broken moans left his throat for every slap of their bodies, Hua Cheng's deeper grunts getting louder behind him.

«Gonna come again», the latter hissed through clenched teeth, thrusts threatening to stutter as his grip on Xie Lian tightened, «fuck-»

The bliss Xie Lian felt as he once again was filled with Hua Cheng's warm come, this time not accompanied by a knot, was so overwhelming that his eyes slipped shut. Hua Cheng kept fucking him throughout it, pushing his come deeper and deeper and deeper inside of the omega, completely taking ownership of his body.

Xie Lian adored it.

Minutes later, when Hua Cheng eventually stopped coming, the omega was expecting the alpha to pause for a few minutes, just to get their breaths back.

An electrifying thrill slid through his veins as Hua Cheng slid out of him and, instead of taking a breather, then used his hold on Xie Lian's waist to urge him down on top of the floor carpet. On all fours, Xie Lian barely managed to glance back at Hua Cheng, before the alpha clutched his hips and thrusted back inside.

A whine left Xie Lian's hips as the onslaught of Hua Cheng's hips continued, his cock still unbelievably hard after coming twice.

«Oh», he gasped, fingernails burrowing into the carpet as the feverish thrusts of his mate sent him scrambling against the fabric, his knees turning sore and red from the coarse material.

Hua Cheng was fucking like a man possessed.

Holding onto Xie Lian with a proprietary grip, he kept railing his lover until the omega was a drooling, sobbing mess in front of him; fingers clutching weakly onto the carpet as Hua Cheng kept forcing orgasm after orgasm out of him.

Keening, Xie Lian let out a wail.

«Too much», he cried, overstimulation leaving his body weak and sensitive, «San Lang, it's too much, it's- it's- oOOHhh-»

Hua Cheng was panting hard, his thrusts into Xie Lian now obscenely wet-sounding after the alpha had come twice more.

«If gege wants me to stop», Hua Cheng murmured darkly, grey eye staring at the disheveled state of his mate, «he only needs to say so.»

Crying, Xie Lian shook his head with fervor, not willing to miss a single second of Hua Cheng's greedy touch.

His body, though, exceedingly oversensitive and tender, couldn't help but to try to escape the situation.

Clawing at the carpet in front of him, Xie Lian managed to crawl half a meter forward, exhausted limbs getting a break from the hungry alpha for the first time in hours.

For a duration of four seconds.

Clasping Xie Lian's thighs, Hua Cheng effortlessly pulled him right back, smoothly burying himself inside Xie Lian once more. This time, he held Xie Lian in an iron-tight grip as he fucked him, leaving him no room to squirm away.

Sobbing into the carpet, Xie Lian kept writhing and twisting, his hypersensitive prostate once again pounded into, forcing another dry orgasm to tear through his body.

Filthening the carpet beneath him with a lewd mixture of slick, come, sweat and tears, Xie Lian felt the telltale sign of Hua Cheng's knot inflating, and whimpered as the thickening cock kept working its way inside of him.

The knot popped ten minutes later, Hua Cheng roaring as he shoved it inside Xie Lian, a fresh batch of come accompanying it. As the alpha kept filling him up with his seed, Xie Lian felt his eyes fluttering shut.

Both of them stayed silent for a moment, heaving bodies trying to gain their breaths again.

Careful about the knot inside of Xie Lian, Hua Cheng covered the omega's body with his own and leaned forward to peck his cheek.

«Gege», he murmured huskily, silver eye taking in the thoroughly messy state of his mate, lingering on wet cheeks, «how are you doing?»

Glimpsing at Hua Cheng through a half-lidded eye, Xie Lian let out a low croak.

«'m good», he rasped, then cleared his throat and whined quietly, «ah, San Lang, you're really- your stamina is very good.»

Amusement tugged at the corners of the alpha's lips.

«Perhaps gege doesn't have much knowledge of an alpha's rut?», stroking a strong hand down Xie Lian's back, Hua Cheng's voice dropped into a soothing murmur.

«Your gege has no knowledge or experience with alphas at all», Xie Lian mumbled, his body so loose and relaxed that he felt inclined to take a nap right there on the floor, «San Lang better teach me a little.»

A pause as Hua Cheng absorbed his words.

Then—

«This San Lang would be honored to teach gege everything he knows», Hua Cheng murmured, pressing another kiss to Xie Lian's skin, this time on his neck, «gege just needs to say the word.»

Shifting slightly, Hua Cheng's knot tugged a little on Xie Lian's sore rim, prompting a whine out of the omega.

«How long does your ruts usually last?», Xie Lian inquired, squinting up at the broad shape covering his back.

Hua Cheng's lips twitched.

«Between 3 to 5 days», he said, then kissed Xie Lian greedily, «now that I'm with gege and you're in heat… It's difficult to say.»

A shuddering breath left his mouth as Hua Cheng's touch turned more intent, his fingers wandering all over Xie Lian's skin.

«It might be hard for me to stop», he murmured apologetically, nose buried into Xie Lian's neck to soak up his scent, «if you need to take a break, I could take care of myself for a while.»

Xie Lian's eyes popped open in panic.

«No», he breathed, the thought of Hua Cheng coming somewhere that was not inside of him already deeply upsetting, «with me. I want San Lang to only come with me, okay?»

Hua Cheng licked his lips, his gaze turning heavy once more.

«Okay.»

They kept touching and kissing for almost half an hour, Xie Lian still sprawled on top of the carpet with Hua Cheng leaning over his back. The alpha kept licking his throat, reveling in his scent, as well as admiring the freshly revived mating bite.

When his knot finally deflated, Hua Cheng helped Xie Lian back up on weak legs, where he gathered the omega into his arms. Hugging him tightly, the man emitted something that sounded like a low-pitched purr, burying his nose once again into Xie Lian's scent glands.

«Gege smells so delicious», he murmured roughly, pressing his still hard dick against Xie Lian's abdomen, «mmm.»

Resting his hand on the swell of Xie Lian's behind, Hua Cheng met the omega's eyes.

«Gege», Hua Cheng's eye were twinkling, «won't you indulge your mate a little more?»

Xie Lian felt his mouth turn dry.

Swallowing audibly, he lifted a hand to palm Hua Cheng's jaw, stroking a thumb against a flushed cheek.

«Can we do it in my room, then?», he asked earnestly, his finger grazing the corner of Hua Cheng's mouth, «I want you in my bed.»

A flash of Hua Cheng's teeth.

«Why, of course, gege», Hua Cheng crooned, a pleased smile playing on his lips, then a teasing nibble on Xie Lian's finger, «we'll do it wherever you want us to.»

Eyes crinkling with contentment, Xie Lian barely managed to glance towards his discharged jeans before Hua Cheng clicked his tongue.

«Don't worry about it», he said, zipping up his own pants.

It suddenly hit Xie Lian how the alpha had been fully dressed the entire time — he'd only pulled his cock out of his fly before ravishing Xie Lian. They were both wearing their shirts, as well, so it left Xie Lian as the most undressed one, with only his pants missing.

Before Xie Lian could question what Hua Cheng meant, the man snatched a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around the omega's lower body, before lifting him into his arms. Grinning, Hua Cheng pressed a kiss to Xie Lian's neck.

«Let's go», he drawled, «I want to be inside you again.»

The way his cock was straining his pants was evidence enough.

Inhaling sharply, Xie Lian quickly wrapped his arms around Hua Cheng's neck, resting his head against that warm, muscled chest as the alpha walked towards the door.

Shoving it open, a wall of fresh air hit them, accentuating how thick and heavy the air inside the room had been.

Leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway, Pei Ming glanced towards them.

His eyes did a quick once-over of them, a smile tugging on his lips, before he looked away — presumably to put Hua Cheng at ease, who had already tensed up at the sight of another alpha looking at his mate.

«There's a hidden stairway down the hall», Pei Ming said, leading the way towards it, «it'll be the most discreet way to get back to your room.»

He chuckled.

«Not that you haven't already managed to cause quite the ruckus.»

Xie Lian barely noticed that Pei Ming was talking, too preoccupied with rubbing his face against Hua Cheng's neck. Letting out low, keening sounds, the comforting sensation of skin-to-skin contact with his mate was too enjoyable, making everything else less important.

Hua Cheng seemed unwilling to pay anything else attention, as well, switching between kissing and mouthing against Xie Lian's jaw.

Sighing, Pei Ming opened a door, gesturing for Hua Cheng to pass through.

As they walked up the stairs, Hua Cheng's clothed erection kept pushing against Xie Lian's behind, its stiffness very much evident through the fabric. It prompted a low whine out of Xie Lian, his body already filling with heat once more, ready for his alpha to take him again.

Pei Ming must've noticed the added scent, because as they reached the correct floor, he stiffened and swore.

«Don't-»

But it was already too late.

Hua Cheng, groaning deeply, was pushing Xie Lian against the wall, tugging the omega's legs around his waist. Impatient hands then disappeared inside the blanket, pulling on a zipper, yanking his fly open—

Xie Lian mewled as Hua Cheng entered him again, desperate hips quickly fucking into him, sinking that massive cock inside once more.

Hua Cheng licked into Xie Lian's mouth, the kiss feverish and urgent, pressing him gently against the wall to fuck him deeper.

Cursing, Pei Ming opened the door to the hallway and glanced around.

«It's clear», he said, voice unusually rough, «come on, get out here before somebody shows up.»

He might as well not have spoken, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian too caught up in each other to notice anything else.

Rolling his eyes, Pei Ming shoved two fingers between his lips and whistled loudly.

That finally prompted Hua Cheng to send a glare towards him.

Pei Ming held his stare.

«You're really gonna give me a front-row seat to Xie Lian's orgasm?», a challenging smirk accompanied the sentence.

Hua Cheng's teeth flashed, his eye turning dark and cold. His scent, still tinging the air wherever they moved, made it clear how much Pei Ming's presence displeased him.

«C'mere, gege», he murmured gruffly, pulling the omega away from the wall and into his arms again, still buried deep inside of him.

Xie Lian mewled as Hua Cheng carried him out to the hallway, every step making him bounce on that luscious length.

Pei Ming opened the door to Xie Lian's room, somehow having gotten hold of his keycard. He looked away as they entered, evidently polite enough to grant them some privacy.

«There's food and water on the desk», he pointed out, before closing the door, «remember to take some breaks.»

Finally in Xie Lian's hotel room, Hua Cheng wasted no time laying him down on the bed.

Moaning, Xie Lian immediately started pulling on his clothes, desperate to feel his alpha's skin against him, to be able to relish in that strong body of his. Hua Cheng indulged him with amusement on his face, swiftly tugging off his jeans and his shirt, making a move to throw them off the bed.

Lifting a hand, Xie Lian stopped him.

«Want them here», he mumbled, grabbing hold of the shirt and putting it right next to his pillow.

A delighted expression took shape on Hua Cheng's face, before his eye darkened visibly; hungrily.

«Of course», he drawled, helping Xie Lian out of his shirt before looming over him, his stance positively predatory, «everything gege wants, he'll get.»

Bending down, he brushed their lips together, surprisingly gentle.

«So please tell me», Hua Cheng murmured; smoothly, coaxingly, «what does gege want?»

Meeting his heavy stare, Xie Lian pressed their lips together once more, before shooting Hua Cheng a tempting, half-lidded gaze, arching his neck for the alpha.

«Gege wants San Lang», he breathed, swallowing hard as Hua Cheng's focus narrowed on the male underneath him.

Hua Cheng leaned forward to brush his mouth against a delicate, sleek neck.

Sinking slowly back inside of Xie Lian, the omega groaned, legs encircling Hua Cheng's strong waist.

A breathless chuckle warmed Xie Lian's skin, skillful hips thrusting deeper.

«Then I would be happy to comply.»

3 to 5 days.

3 to 5 days, Hua Cheng had said, when Xie Lian had asked him about his rut.

Maybe, considering the intensity and passion of their entanglement, considering how neither of them could endure letting go of the other for longer than a minute, it wasn't too remarkable that Hua Cheng's rut ended up lasting seven days instead.

For seven days, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng did nothing but fuck, kiss, eat and sleep — preferably at the same time.

🍑

Once, riding Hua Cheng on top of one of the chairs in the hotel room, Xie Lian diligently rolled his hips as they shared a single mantou, his fingers busy pulling pieces of the bun to hand-feed his lover. Between low groans and greedy, fleeting kisses, Hua Cheng used those sharp teeth of his to nibble on the omega's fingers as they grazed his mouth, eagerly accepting every offering of food. When the mantou was eaten, the alpha shot his mate a sly smile before grasping his ass, thrusting into Xie Lian hard and fast, leaving the man gasping and floundering on top of his lap.

Another time, Xie Lian found himself waking up inside the warm clutch of Hua Cheng's arms, as he did every morning, this time accompanied with the steady slap of hips against his ass and a cock pushing its way deep inside of him. The alpha's rut had Hua Cheng continuously hard and eager, leaving him unable to resist the temptation of the omega's soft, naked body. Not that Xie Lian would mind — the omega was perfectly happy waking up or falling asleep to Hua Cheng between his legs, rutting and grinding to his heart's content.

Glancing over his shoulder, Xie Lian met Hua Cheng's glazed-over eye, the alpha's expression a combination of rueful shame and a needy, burning desperation, hips thrusting frantically into his lover. Smiling, Xie Lian reacted by arching his back, offering his body up for Hua Cheng, freely allowing his mate to take whatever pleasure he needed from him, quickly falling into breathy whines and moans himself.

Bent over in the shower a late morning, Xie Lian was clawing at the slippery glass wall with weak fingers, struggling to stand upright as Hua Cheng pounded into him from behind. Their wet thighs slapping against each other echoed throughout the bath, made even lewder by wanton moans and low growls. It didn't matter how short or quick they planned out their showers to be, whenever they needed to get rid of the excessive come and slick covering their bodies — the second Hua Cheng had a wet, naked Xie Lian in front of him, body adorned with bites, hickeys and bruises, his eye would darken noticeably, and Xie Lian would eagerly spread his legs.

🍑

What surprised Xie Lian the most, as Hua Cheng lifted him and pressed him against the wall, urging Xie Lian's legs to encircle his waist as the alpha fucked him silly, was how quickly they had gotten comfortable with each other.

As Hua Cheng buried his face against his mate's neck, hungrily relishing in the scent of a horny, happy omega, Xie Lian let his own slender fingers slide into the alpha's mussed hair, gently tugging on the strands.

Although they spent most of their time fucking, they also spent a fair amount of time talking and laughing quietly, discussing everything from Xie Lian's culinary mishaps, to the old lady next door he helped gardening in the summer, or the family of kittens that lived beneath his porch, or Hua Cheng's fondness of painting, or the janitor in his building who was scared of him and hid every time he spotted the alpha in the stairway.

And not only their conversations, but the sex went so smoothly as well — words were redundant as a heavy stare or a particularly eager kiss was enough for Hua Cheng to nudge Xie Lian down into the sheets again, or for Xie Lian to crawl into Hua Cheng's lap, mouths already pressed together.

It was the easy, innate way they interacted. The way Xie Lian never had to worry about what he said, never had to defend his opinions, never had to repeat himself — because Hua Cheng listened. He looked at Xie Lian and he listened, a faint smile on his lips as he nodded, asked questions, and simply paid attention to Xie Lian's words.

It was the way silent murmurs could fill the air between them until the early morning, Xie Lian's head resting on Hua Cheng's chest as they whispered and chuckled beneath the sheets — before lazy, greedy touches had them distracted again, quiet chatter shifting into loud moans and heavy whimpers.

Now, letting his hand slip from Hua Cheng's hair down to his jaw, Xie Lian looked at the alpha with half-lidded eyes, his throat sore and rough from needy whines. Removing his face from the crook of Xie Lian's neck, the alpha glanced up and met his mate's stare, a grey eye looking between both of Xie Lian's.

Hua Cheng's lips, red and bruised from hours of kissing, shaped a lazy half-smile.

«Gege», he murmured, still fervently thrusting into Xie Lian, «you have that look on your face again.»

Hua Cheng had pointed it out for the first time a few days earlier, when he and Xie Lian had laid panting after a particularly frantic round — Xie Lian had ridden both of them to multiple climaxes, and as the last one shook throughout his body, he had no choice but to recline down to rest against Hua Cheng's shoulder, the alpha's cock still buried deep inside of him. As they breathed and shared soft caresses, Xie Lian found himself gazing at his lover's face.

At those sharp lips of his, usually with a snide comment prepared on his tongue, yet so exceedingly soft and sweet towards Xie Lian.

At his grey eye, capable of being calculative and cold — and still, so fond and attentive towards his mate.

At the discreet, dark eyepatch hiding away his right eye, its band often finding itself tugged by Xie Lian's fingers.

At his devastatingly handsome face, now with a slight flush bringing life to the pale skin, as well as an amused expression, as Xie Lian realized that he was caught staring.

Blushing, Xie Lian had glanced away, sheepishly rubbing his chin.

«Gege», Hua Cheng had said back then, a tinge of laughter in his voice, «do I have something on my face?»

Xie Lian had shot him a rueful smile.

«I was just thinking about something», he murmured, hiding his face against the soft skin of Hua Cheng's throat, «you shouldn't tease your gege like this.»

Hua Cheng had chuckled, the sound deep and languid. Slipping a hand down to squeeze Xie Lian's ass, Hua Cheng's still hard cock twitched where it was resting inside of the omega, and he inclined his head to whisper into his lover's ear.

«Well, if gege is still able to think», he had drawled lazily, «it must surely mean that this San Lang didn't do his job good enough.»

That was the last words they spoke for the next two hours, as Hua Cheng rolled them over and blew Xie Lian's thoughts completely away.

Now, Hua Cheng was still fucking Xie Lian, though this time against one of the hotel room's walls. The pictures hanging next to them shook with the force of his thrusts, threatening to fall at any moment.

Hua Cheng was too busy teasing Xie Lian to notice, though.

«Mm», Hua Cheng let out a deep moan as he angled his hips a little differently, this time aiming directly at Xie Lian's sweet spot, «is gege just thinking this time as well?»

Overwhelmed by the sudden attention towards his prostate, Xie Lian tightened his hold around Hua Cheng's body, the hand resting against the alpha's jaw shivering slightly.

«Ha-ah, San Lang-», he complained mid-moan, «you're- ahh, oh, you're being-, ah!, unfair!»

Pressing warm lips against Xie Lian's cheek, Hua Cheng let out a quiet laugh, then a heavier moan as Xie Lian clenched around him.

«Your San Lang, mmh, is just curious about what is stealing gege's precious attention from him», he murmured huskily, lowering his head to suck a new, red mark into the skin beneath Xie Lian's ear.

The omega whimpered, the feeling of Hua Cheng's teeth against his throat stinging, yet pleasant at the same time.

«Hnn-ah, n-nothing is stealing, oh!, stealing my attention from Sa-ahh Lang», Xie Lian hissed as Hua Cheng's bite deepened, head falling back to bare more of his neck, «uh-huh, mm, oh, that's good-»

Hua Cheng released his skin, licking proprietary over the reddened area.

A keen, grey eye snapped up to examine Xie Lian's face, taking in red-rimmed eyes and flushed skin.

Satisfaction tugged on Hua Cheng's lips.

«Then pray tell», he breathed into Xie Lian's ear, letting out a low moan, «what gege is thinking about as his, ah, San Lang fucks him?»

Grabbing hold of Xie Lian's thighs, Hua Cheng started tugging on them to make him meet the alpha's thrust, effectively railing into the omega.

Xie Lian's head fell backwards and a long, broken moan escaped his lips, a constant stream of breathy whines and whimpers leaving his mouth.

«S-S' Lang, uh-huh, ohh, nnh-», wrapping both arms around Hua Cheng's neck, Xie Lian could barely hold on, a sob shuddering through his body, «ohh, haa-ah, mhmm, 'm coming, 'm com- OHH!»

Like the attentive mate he was, Hua Cheng diligently fucked Xie Lian through his orgasm, his sparkling eye taking in every single second of it as Xie Lian squirmed and wailed, come spilling between their bodies.

He didn't stop, of course.

By now, they'd both realized just how much Xie Lian enjoyed that sweet edge of overstimulation, no matter how much he cried and tossed around — and it was blatantly obvious how much Hua Cheng reveled in watching a teary-eyed, moaning Xie Lian, so deliciously conflicted between begging for more and begging for it to stop.

Moving away from the wall, Hua Cheng reclined against the bed, strong palms against Xie Lian's thighs urging the omega to roll his hips.

It was another favorite position of his, especially when Xie Lian was sensitive and weak — watching his lover work towards a second orgasm, still reeling from the last one, made a special sense of pride warm his chest.

Clicking his tongue, Hua Cheng thrusted his hips upwards, making Xie Lian yelp and shudder.

«Gege didn't answer the question», he crooned breathily, planting his feet against the mattress to properly push into the omega.

Goosebumps covering his skin, Xie Lian couldn't help the mewls escaping his lips at the continuous, thorough grinds against his prostate.

«Oh, San Lang», he whined miserably, «how-, ha-ah, how am I-, mmh, hnn-ah, supposed to-», a shaky whine interrupted his speech, «-when you're acting- ah, like this!»

Chuckling, Hua Cheng finally took pity of his lover, sitting upright so they were face to face.

Grasping Xie Lian's chin between two fingertips, he pulled his lover into a messy, heated kiss, leaving the man completely unable to speak.

Hours later, Xie Lian rested safely inside Hua Cheng's arms, tears drying on those soft, red-mussed cheeks of his. With their faces tilted towards each other, so close that their noses bumped, they laid in silence and just gazed at the other. Half-lidded eyes blinking languidly, wandering over sweaty brows, swollen lips, and heavily marked necks.

Slowly, Xie Lian lifted one of his hands and placed it against Hua Cheng's cheek, resting right beneath his eyepatch. Thumbing the edge of the soft, dark fabric, Xie Lian glanced over at the visible, grey eye with a silent question.

Hua Cheng, who had been watching him in silence, met his lover's gaze with a twitch of his lips and a slight nod.

Inhaling deeply, Xie Lian let his thumb nudge under the corner of the patch, gently stroking the smooth skin. Slowly, he lifted his thumb along with the fabric, revealing more and more of Hua Cheng's skin, until—

Until it was completely off.

Revealing an utterly magnificent, crimson-colored eye.

Although the light in the room was dimmed, the eye still squinted slightly, sensitive after having been hidden underneath an eyepatch for so long.

For so long — Xie Lian had never seen Hua Cheng without it, even when they slept or showered.

As Xie Lian kept staring at it, it opened fully and blinked back at him.

Tinted a deep red, it was a rare and incomparable feature, fitting perfectly on its owner's face.

Xie Lian blinked as well.

Then he shot Hua Cheng the widest, most genuine smile.

«Oh, San Lang», he beamed, «did you know? Every single part of you is so handsome that it hurts!»

He could feel Hua Cheng shiver beneath him as his eyes — eyes! — widened in shock, silently taking in Xie Lian's words.

Then—

«Pff», Hua Cheng chuckled, both eyes crinkling a little with the motion, and bumped their noses together, «gege already has me naked in his bed. What is he trying to achieve by saying such sweet words?»

Although his words were teasing, there was no way for Hua Cheng to hide the sparkle in his eyes, the way his lips widened into a full-on, genuine smile.

Xie Lian's heart fluttered.

«San Lang», he murmured, stroking his thumb against a sharp cheekbone, «you really are handsome, though.»

Hua Cheng smiled at him.

«And so is gege. The most beautiful man in the world, to be precise.»

Blushing sweetly, Xie Lian couldn't help but to brush their lips together, the gentlest of kisses exchanged. The extraordinary sensation of having someone else's mouth against his hit him; of feeling lips, soft and plush, slightly wet from saliva, so heavenly warm and silky, skim against his own.

His heart did another swoop.

Pulling back, Xie Lian's brown eyes wandered over Hua Cheng's face again, a sudden thought appearing in his head.

He took another shuddering breath.

Oh.

«San Lang», Xie Lian mumbled, glancing up to meet his lover's perceptive, yet relaxed stare, «I…»

Hua Cheng held his gaze, patient and calm.

Xie Lian swallowed as he stroked the alpha's cheek one more time.

«Ah, I think… I think I may have…»

Voice trailing off, he instead looked intently into a grey and a red eye, hoping that Hua Cheng heard what went by unsaid.

Smiling, Hua Cheng lifted his own hand and covered Xie Lian's fingers, squeezing them gently; lovingly.

A wonderful, calming scent of musky agarwood and teak, with a hint of warm, slightly bitter coffee and dark chocolate, filled the air around them.

Soothing, pleasant, enticing, but most of all — home.

«I know», Hua Cheng murmured softly, «so have I.»

_______________________

Xie Lian did not expect to be greeted with cheering and whistles when he entered the office again, a few days after Hua Cheng's rut had ended.

The rest of the conference had gone by without them, and as wide grins and wiggling eyebrows met Xie Lian, he started to suspect that his colleagues might have an idea why neither Xie Lian, nor Hua Cheng was present.

As the latter entered the building a few seconds after Xie Lian, all of the cheers immediately cut short, the room turning eerily silent as everyone suddenly found themselves busy with something to do.

Already slightly flushed, Xie Lian glanced up at Hua Cheng, the alpha's lips twitching with amusement.

Meeting his gaze, Hua Cheng let his hand find its usual spot around Xie Lian's waist as he bent down to place a kiss against his cheek.

«Do you mind?», he asked, as if Xie Lian wasn't wearing a brand new necklace around his neck; a chain with a white and silvery ring at the end at it; the promise of a future together.

Xie Lian shot his mate a wide, eye-crinkled smile.

«I don't», he said, then stood on his toes to kiss Hua Cheng on his mouth, «they'd find out soon enough, anyway.»

Hua Cheng returned the smile, his eye shifting to rest at Xie Lian's lips.

It darkened slightly.

Biting his lower lip, Xie Lian moved to kiss his lover once more, this one longer and deeper than the previous one.

Whistling sounded from behind them again.

«I thought you had enough of that last week», a chuckling, deep voice said, «and yet, here you are, making out again.»

Hua Cheng's scent, which had been light and happy for days, immediately got tinged with annoyance as Pei Ming stepped closer.

Pulling away from Hua Cheng, Xie Lian cleared his throat and shot the other alpha a sheepish smile.

«Executive Pei», he said politely, «we didn't see you there.»

Pei Ming laughed, the sound loud and easygoing.

«Executive Pei?», he asked, a wide grin on his lips, «I had to listen to you fuck for three hours, and that's what you call me?»

Blushing furiously, Xie Lian hid his face behind both hands.

A smug, satisfied kind of scent joined Hua Cheng's previously annoyed one. Resting a hand around Xie Lian's waist, he tilted his head languidly.

«Are you going to tell us why you were enjoying the free show?», Hua Cheng asked, a slight edge in his voice.

Crossing his arms, Pei Ming shot him an amused smile, his stance wide and relaxed.

It was easy to see why the two alphas were among the most powerful people in H-VEN. Big, strong, assertive men with some sort of underlying domineering energy.

Their scents, both heavy and musky, were filling the air around them.

Xie Lian shivered.

«'Course I'll tell you», Pei Ming glanced towards Xie Lian, who was peeking through his fingers, and arched a brow, «… is Xie Lian aware how wild an omega's scent, whilst in heat, makes an alpha?»

Xie Lian stiffened, and Hua Cheng's hand tightened.

Pei Ming grinned.

«Do you wanna know how many alphas I had to chase away while you were banging?», he crooned, then winked, «23. 23 alphas showed up and wanted to seek out that delicious scent you had spread around the hotel.»

Mouth forming a silent 'o', Xie Lian looked up at Hua Cheng who was staring at Pei Ming with a clenched jaw.

«So, I'm not sure what you or Mu Qing were thinking», Pei Ming chuckled, «but parading you around a hotel filled with alphas, while smelling all needy and sweet», he met Xie Lian's flustered stare, «… not your smartest move.»

Rubbing his chin sheepishly, Xie Lian glanced at his feet before looking at Pei Ming again, a question forming in his head.

«But you… you weren't…», trailing off, Xie Lian hoped that the alpha would know what he was asking.

Pei Ming's grin turned sharp.

«If I was affected?», his teeth flashed as his eyes slightly narrowed and twinkled, «oh, you bet I was. I'll have you know that your scent is absolutely mouthwatering, Xie Lian.»

Hua Cheng's scent spiked threateningly, and his arm tightened its grasp around Xie Lian as the latter flushed even deeper.

Watching the possessive reaction, Pei Ming snorted.

«But, I've experienced enough omegas in heat to be able to somewhat control myself in proximity to them», another sly smile, «I handled it a lot better than your omega friend, anyways. He did not stomach all of the sounds you were making.»

Xie Lian hid his face again.

Mu Qing.

They had—

The things they had done in front of his friend.

Embarrassment turned Xie Lian's entire chest red-flushed and warm.

The things he had said.

A memory of him begging Hua Cheng to knot him drifted into his mind.

Of Hua Cheng's fingers slipping inside the back of his pants.

Xie Lian felt slightly faint from the shameful memories.

Mu Qing would never meet his eyes again.

«So you helped us», Hua Cheng murmured, stroking Xie Lian's back soothingly, «…why?»

Pei Ming's smile turned somewhat genuine.

«Why wouldn't I?», he winked again, «maybe I'm just a sucker for love stories? The alpha getting their omega, and all that.»

He chuckled.

«Did you know? Mu Qing was originally gonna bring him to Jun Wu.»

Stiffening, Xie Lian looked up again as Hua Cheng's scent drifted into seriously displeased territory.

«I am aware.»

Gently touching the alpha's hand, Xie Lian tried to shoot his mate some sort of reassuring look. Hua Cheng met his gaze and smiled softly, then bent down to offer him a swift kiss.

«Cute», Pei Ming drawled, still watching them lazily.

Xie Lian looked away, then blinked.

«Wait-», he frowned slightly, «you knew that it wasn't Jun Wu?»

A rumble of a laugh left the alpha.

«I can't believe your friends thought it was», Pei Ming grinned, «just the ten minutes you and Feng Xin joined us for lunch were enough. Actually - the fact that Hua Cheng was nice towards you was enough. All the sneaky glances you shared were just the icing on the top.»

Another laugh.

«You even scented all of us», Pei Ming's smile turned devilish as Xie Lian looked away, going all red again, «what d'ya think? Did I smell good, Xie Lian?»

Hua Cheng clicked his tongue, visibly done with the conversation.

«So the one you were wishing good luck was me, not gege», he said, the sentence more of a statement than a question.

Pei Ming met his stare and winked.

«Correct.»

Xie Lian couldn't help but think that if Pei Ming had been his closest friend, and if he had asked him instead of Mu Qing and Feng Xin…

It would've saved him a lot of time and effort.

However, one thing was still puzzling him.

Xie Lian frowned.

«…How did you get the keycard to my room, though?»

«I gave it to him», a sharp voice answered, and Xie Lian's head turned to the side.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin was walking towards them, both of them looking slightly uncomfortable.

It might be because of the way Hua Cheng was giving off a thoroughly annoyed scent at the sight of them, his face cold and unimpressed.

Pei Ming chuckled.

«I'll let you guys talk things out», he said with a wave, walking off.

«Thank you for- ah, thank you!», Xie Lian exclaimed after him.

The alpha shot him a smile and a wink over his shoulder.

Xie Lian looked at Mu Qing.

«You gave it to him?»

«En», he nodded curtly, «in the hallway when- …», a slight pause, «he said that he could take it from there.»

Looking slightly awkward, presumably because of the topic of conversation, Feng Xin coughed and grabbed something from his pocket.

Handing it over to Xie Lian, it turned out to be a folded piece of paper.

«This is for you», he said, refusing to meet Xie Lian's gaze.

«Oh?», Xie Lian flipped it open with his thumb, «what is it?»

A huge amount of rows made up the sheet, all of them filled with numbers and text.

«It's a bill», Feng Xin muttered.

«From who?», Xie Lian was perplexed.

Mu Qing shot him a razor-sharp smile.

«From the hotel director», a slight pause, «… after you destroyed his office.»

Xie Lian blinked.

Then, he remembered.

The room Pei Ming had ushered them into… The desk they broke… The couch and the carpet which they…

Oh.

Oh — the director!

Xie Lian let out a pitiful sound, turning around to hide his face against Hua Cheng's chest.

«San Lang», he moaned, «that's so—»

«NO!», Mu Qing snapped, «no, no, no! No more of those sounds!»

He stomped on the ground.

Mu Qing, who usually was so calm and poised, stomped on the ground.

«I do not want to hear you make noises like that ever again! Not now, not ever!», a hint of despair was audible in his voice as he vented, «no whining, no moaning, no— no! Am I making myself clear, Xie Lian!?»

Hua Cheng's body vibrated as he laughed silently.

A mischievous smirk danced on his lips as he slowly slid his hand down to rest against Xie Lian's ass.

«San Lang», Xie Lian gasped, just as Mu Qing snapped at them.

«Stop it! We're at work, for fuck's sa-»

Feng Xin looked painfully uncomfortable, getting caught in the middle of the bickering.

«So-», he scratched his head, «uh, you're together now?»

Mu Qing halted.

His eyes narrowed.

Looking up at Hua Cheng, Xie Lian smiled happily as his lover bumped their noses.

«En», the omega murmured softly, «we are.»

«Even though he kept you in the dark for so long?», Mu Qing said with disdain, «he didn't make a move to speak to you, either, after all.»

The room turned quiet.

Then, the heavy smell of leathery, warm musk.

Hua Cheng's scent turned livid.

Lifting his hand, Xie Lian gently stroked his cheek, calming the alpha down.

«We've talked about it», he said soothingly, «it's okay. I know why he did it. Everything's okay now.»

_______________________

They'd talked about it during one of the quiet, serene moments between frenzied fucking.

How their first time had happened — meeting in the hot springs, Hua Cheng's languid touches turning Xie Lian all hot and bothered.

«I couldn't help myself», Hua Cheng had disclosed during muffled whispers, «having you so close to me… I would've taken any excuse to touch you.»

Xie Lian had snuggled deeper inside his arms, slightly flushed nose grazing the alpha's collarbones.

«Ah, San Lang…», Xie Lian let out a huff, «I can't believe you managed to send me into heat.»

A dark, silent laugh had caressed his ear.

«Neither can I», Hua Cheng drawled, his voice dropping lower, «I was so hard in the pool, gege. I've never been happier seeing Lang Qianqiu, than I was in that moment.»

Xie Lian's eyes crinkled with amusement.

«San Lang got happy seeing Lang Qianqiu there, when he had his gege half-naked and hot for him?»

The tone between them shifted; turned heavier, honeyed.

Lifting his head, Hua Cheng gazed down at Xie Lian with a hungry look on his face.

«San Lang regrets his words», Hua Cheng crooned, «maybe I should curse Lang Qianqiu instead, for hindering me from fucking gege right there and then in the hot springs?»

Biting his lower lip, Xie Lian met Hua Cheng's heavy stare with a coy look on his face.

«Would San Lang mind giving a demonstration of said fucking?»

The more they talked, the more of Xie Lian's memories returned.

How he had stumbled into his hotel room after leaving the hot springs, slick coating his legs and heart beating fast, touching himself frantically over the next few hours without ever getting that particular itch of his soothed.

How he had been rolling around in his sheets, sweaty, panting, whining, yet painfully unable to relieve himself.

How he had messily pulled on his clothes, then wobbled out into the hallway.

Into the elevator.

From which Hua Cheng was about to emerge, some of Xie Lian's bathing items clutched in his hands, a determined look on his face.

That determination quickly slipping into greedy lust and hunger, as Xie Lian pulled on his sleeve and mewled pitifully, begging him to help him, to take pity on him.

Hua Cheng bringing Xie Lian back to his room, fucking him oh-so-gently for their first time, then decisively ravishing the omega for the rest of the night. Leaving bruises, hickeys, bitemarks.

Even a mating bite, when Xie Lian arched his neck and begged him pathetically enough, crying with delight as he finally got his wish fulfilled.

Hua Cheng going absolutely wild over the sight, taking apart Xie Lian for hours more.

During another peaceful moment, Xie Lian was stroking Hua Cheng's bottom lip with his thumb.

«So the reason why San Lang left…», he murmured quietly.

Hua Cheng's expression turned agonized, and he covered Xie Lian's hand with his palm as he took a shuddering breath.

«I… I couldn't fathom what I had done to you», he said quietly, eye resting on their hands, «gege… Xie Lian.»

Another deep inhale.

«I took advantage of you when you were at your most vulnerable. There is nothing that can change that.»

Xie Lian's brows furrowed and he lifted his head.

«But you didn't take advantage of me! Hua Ch- San Lang», Xie Lian was frustrated, «I wanted you back then!»

Hua Cheng seemed to choke slightly.

«But you were in heat-», the alpha's voice was strained, «your judgment was clouded, you couldn't possibly be thinking clearly-»

Xie Lian's eyes narrowed, and he shifted their hands so he was cupping Hua Cheng's jaw.

«I know it might not appear that way, but my willpower is stronger than it seems», his tone softened, «San Lang. Why do you think I got my heat in my first place?»

Hua Cheng finally met his gaze.

«Because you stumbled upon a naked alph-»

«No», Xie Lian said gently, interrupting him, «because I stumbled upon you.»

Hua Cheng's eye widened.

Xie Lian continued speaking.

«What I'm the most upset about is the fact that you thought I wouldn't want you as my mate», he muttered, still caressing Hua Cheng's cheek with his thumb.

The alpha shuddered.

«Gege deserves only the best-»

«And is that not my choice to make?», Xie Lian murmured, «is it not up to me to decide what is the best for me?»

Hua Cheng stared at him for a moment.

Then the cheek beneath Xie Lian's palm got stretched into a deep, genuine smile.

«Yes», Hua Cheng murmured, «it has always been your choice.»

Mirroring his lover's smile, Xie Lian bent down to press their lips together.

It was a long kiss, soft and warm, silently sharing all of the affection they'd grown for the other.

Sometime later, Xie Lian pulled away, their noses grazing as they looked at each other.

«I think that I figured out that it was you a long time ago», he whispered, «but I was so scared that you didn't want me back, because you never told me, you never—»

Removing his hand from Xie Lian's, Hua Cheng abruptly sat up and tugged Xie Lian into his arms, hugging him with fervor.

«Gege», he breathed, «I've been such a fucking idiot-»

Xie Lian held him back, burying his face into the spot between Hua Cheng's shoulder and neck.

«So have I, San Lang», he murmured, then let out a quiet laugh, «yet you still like me.»

Tilting their faces together with a strong hand, Hua Cheng couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips.

«Like is too weak of a word for what I feel for you», a soft kiss, «gege, I worship the ground you stand on. I adore everything that you do. I'll devote my life to make you happy.»

Xie Lian's eyes sparkled with delight as he watched Hua Cheng shoot him a wide, shit-eating grin.

«And gege, I really fucking like you.»

_______________________

«That reminds me», Xie Lian slipped out of Hua Cheng's embrace and walked over to his friends, as he lifted his hand—

And flicked both of their foreheads with a finger.

«Aiya!»

«Ouch!», grimacing, Feng Xin rubbed the tender area, «why did you do that?!»

Xie Lian arched a brow, shooting the both of them a bemused look.

«I told you time and time again that I wanted to talk to San Lang», he said sternly, arms crossing over his chest, «and you kept hindering me from doing so! If I could've spoken to San Lang back when I first wanted to, we'd save a lot of time and energy!»

Both of his friends looked slightly apologetic.

«It just didn't make sense», Mu Qing said, somewhat irked, «when has he ever been nice to someone!»

Hua Cheng smirked, a sly expression on his face.

«I'll always be nice towards gege», he drawled, «just like I was last night. You should've heard how happy he was-»

«San Lang!», Xie Lian exclaimed, just as Mu Qing's face scrunched up.

«Ew!»

Feng Xin rubbed a hand over his face.

«A-Lian is right, though», he said, shooting Xie Lian a remorseful glance, «we should've listened to you back then. I'm sorry, A-Lian.»

Xie Lian met Feng Xin's eyes and smiled.

«Thank you.»

«Yeah, the next time this happens we'll-», a burning glare from both Hua Cheng and Xie Lian was enough to make Mu Qing hold his tongue, «fine.»

The omega let out a quiet sigh as he looked into Xie Lian's eyes.

«I'm sorry. We shouldn't have spoken over you, and…», a slight pause as Mu Qing grimaced, «I shouldn't have tried to make you talk to Jun Wu. I knew it made you uncomfortable, so», he cleared his throat, «…that was kinda shitty of me.»

An amused smile tugged on Xie Lian's lips.

«It kinda was», he agreed, making Mu Qing shoot him a sharp glare, «but you did it because you wanted to help me. Thank you, Mu Qing.»

The latter nodded, shoulders tense as he quickly looked away again.

«Besides, it couldn't have been Jun Wu», Xie Lian added thoughtfully, «later on, I remembered one of the, ah, dreams I had… Jun Wu would never call me gege.»

Silence filled the room.

Then Mu Qing snapped.

«I asked you! I asked you multiple times, Xie Lian, if there was anything else you remembered! Anything helpful at all!»

Xie Lian's cheeks flushed a sweet pink.

«The dream was distracting», he said sheepishly, and Mu Qing made another face.

«Fine, we don't need to hear about it!», sighing heavily, he threw his ponytail over his shoulder and looked between Hua Cheng and Xie Lian, «so now you've gotten yourself a mate.»

«En», Xie Lian hummed, walking back to stand next to Hua Cheng, «I couldn't very well be the only one among us without a partner, could I?»

Hua Cheng chuckled and wrapped a hand around Xie Lian, as Mu Qing and Feng Xin stiffened.

«What?», Mu Qing inquired sharply.

Xie Lian smiled.

«You're not as discreet as you guys think you are. How long have you been dating?»

«We're not-»

«Two months», Feng Xin interrupted Mu Qing, the latter shooting his boyfriend a furious glare.

Feng Xin smiled at him, and one could visibly see Mu Qing cool down slightly.

«It's been two months since I confessed», the alpha murmured, a soft look in his eyes, «we planned to tell you on this trip, but then the other things happened.»

Xie Lian's brows lifted in astonishment.

«Two months without saying anything?», he asked.

Humming, Feng Xin patted Mu Qing's back.

«Someone was a little nervous about telling you», he chuckled.

Mu Qing scowled at them.

«I was not», he snapped, «besides, who even needs to know about other people's relationships! I've learnt more about Xie Lian's than I'd need to know for an entire lifetime.»

«Hey-»

«Also, we're not the only ones hiding feelings here», Mu Qing continued, glancing over at Hua Cheng, «the interview you did for that magazine back then, about a special someone. That's Xie Lian, isn't it?»

Pausing, Xie Lian peeked up at Hua Cheng.

The latter looked somewhat abashed.

«Gege», Hua Cheng murmured ruefully, «I have some things to tell you.»

Smiling, Xie Lian stood on his toes and kissed his lover's lips, ignoring the sounds of discontent coming from Mu Qing.

«We have all the time in the world», Xie Lian said softly, «I can't wait to learn more about you.»

_______________________

Epilogue

Precisely three years later, Xie Lian stepped out of a bakery next to the office with a paper bag of baked goods in his arms.

Squinting up at the building, he could catch a glimpse of the CEO's office from the sidewalk. It was easy enough — the office had floor-to-ceiling windows covering half of the walls, allowing sunlight to shine in most of the day.

He would know, given how much time he had spent bent over against those windows, Hua Cheng pounding into him from behind, pointing out how visible they'd be if anyone bothered to look up.

Xie Lian was also thoroughly familiar with the mahogany desk in the CEO's office. They sometimes sat there for lunch — whether Xie Lian himself was the lunch, or the food that they'd brought, it didn't really matter.

The restroom attached to the office, perfect for cleaning up after a filthy round of lewd, messy sex.

Or the wooden door, thankfully with a lock, which separated the CEO's office from the rest of the offices.

Xie Lian was also exceedingly familiar with that door.

Aside from having been fucked against it a few times, it was also the door that Hua Cheng knocked on multiple times a day, a sly expression on his face as he came looking for Xie Lian.

«CEO Xie», he often crooned with a lazy smile, «your husband has been missing you tremendously. Won't gege take a little pity on him?»

Those visits usually ended up with Xie Lian bent over his desk, a fat knot in his ass as Hua Cheng kissed and marked his neck, the alpha's pleased, warm scent tinging the air in the room.

Jun Wu ended up leaving the firm a few weeks after Xie Lian and Hua Cheng officially became a couple. It had been a surprise for most of the employees, and Xie Lian found the timing especially strange.

That left H-VEN with no CEO for a few days, until an offer appeared on Xie Lian's desk.

Evidently, the group of executives had decided to look at a combination of seniority, customer feedback, and suitability when scouting for a new CEO. And evidently, no one scored better at those than Xie Lian.

Having worked in the firm for years, Xie Lian had not only gained himself an impressive number of positive feedback from satisfied customers, all of them delighted with how pleasant, thorough and calm the man was — he was also well-known and generally respected among his co-workers.

Therefore, everyone was pleased when Xie Lian ended up getting the position as CEO.

Even the people who had been cooler towards Xie Lian, such as Shi Wudu, congratulated him on his promotion. It seemed as if Shi Wudu tolerated Xie Lian more now that Ling Wen didn't go around feeding him anymore.

Xie Lian couldn't really get his head around that.

Pei Ming had also congratulated him, a wide grin on his face as he slapped Xie Lian's back.

«CEO and everything», he had chuckled, then winked, «I've heard that the office is soundproof!»

No one had been more pleased than Hua Cheng, though.

Xie Lian's mate had been applauding louder than anyone else when the news dropped, the intent stare of a reverent, silvery eye making Xie Lian's stomach grow warm as he held his first speech.

A gentle hand nudged Xie Lian.

«Are you standing here daydreaming, gege?», a warm, deep voice asked teasingly.

Shaking his thoughts away, Xie Lian turned around and looked at Hua Cheng, the latter as strikingly handsome as usual.

«I might have been», Xie Lian said sheepishly, eyes crinkling as he smiled up at his husband, «San Lang shouldn't tease his husband too much, though. Your husband might not share any pastries with you, then.»

The corners of Hua Cheng's lips tugged into a wide, genuine smile as his eye flickered over Xie Lian.

Hua Cheng had been smiling a lot over the past three years; especially during the last few months.

It suited him — the happiness left him so beautiful and charming that Xie Lian often found himself struggling to look away from his husband.

«Did gege get all of the baked goods he wanted?», Hua Cheng murmured, stepping closer as he slipped his arm around Xie Lian's waist.

«En», Xie Lian said happily, «they even gave me a discount because I've been here so often recently!»

Hua Cheng chuckled.

Then, he lifted his other hand and rested it against Xie Lian's soft, swollen stomach.

«What about everything this one wanted?», he inquired softly, thumb gently stroking the bump.

Xie Lian met Hua Cheng's grey eye and smiled at him.

«We have everything we want right here.»