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There haven’t been a lot of things that Xiao needed in his long life. Warmth, comfort, rest. All of them are nice but were never necessary for him to stay alive. Xiao wasn’t made to be comfortable, wasn’t made to bask in the sun or enjoy the deliciousness of a three course meal.
Xiao was made to fight, and to obey, and to drown.
(And drown he did.)
But as he watches the early morning sun make a halo on top of Aether’s hair, Xiao finds himself wanting. For the first time in his eternity. Xiao wants.
It’s nothing new. It’s been there, simmering in the back of his mind, ever since this golden boy showed up at the inn and demanded Xiao’s attention. But oh he’s kind, and good, and is made out of starglitter and sunshine. And Xiao wanted, and wants, even now, lying in the same bed with him, observing the moles dotting the nape of his neck.
They are a constellation. Ursa minor. Little bear.
Xiao wants, even as he presses his lips on warm skin, tasting sunlight straight from the source. Xiao wants to bottle it up if he could. That essence of warmth, that star-glitter-shine. Keep it with him and carry it everywhere, so that it might keep the darkness inside him company.
The body below him rouses, awakens, shifts.
Aether’s waking up is inevitable, but Xiao wants to stay here a little longer, with an arm slung over Aether’s bare stomach and the other pillowed under his head, their legs tangled together. Xiao buries his face in Aether’s hair. Inhales. Exhales. Aether always smells like the sun, like dried linen and grass. He smells a little sweet, like the flowers they like to ground into sugar, and qingxin blooms.
Aether makes a little noise, of surprise, of laziness. And then “ Xiao ,” is whispered. Sofly, fondly. A plea, a comfortable acknowledgment, a request .
Xiao is more than compelled to answer.
“Yes, my love?” He whispers, right into the skin of his lover’s neck.
He relishes the way Aether shivers, the way he tries to turn around in Xiao’s arms. Aether is endearing when he’s half asleep, the way he’s mindless of anything and everything that’s happening in the world, trusting Xiao to protect him, the way he will seek and burrow into Xiao’s warmth, clutching Xiao’s clothing like he’s afraid Xiao will leave him.
As if Xiao ever will; as if Xiao ever wants to.
“ Mm ,” Aether hums, and that in itself sends warmth rolling through the entirety of Xiao’s body, from his stomach to his fingertips. Aether succeeds in turning around, and he looks at Xiao’s mouth with half-closed eyes. He puckers his lips expectantly. “Kiss?”
Xiao is helpless to comply.
He surges forward, presses the first kiss onto Aether’s lips. Good morning , it says. A second and third ones on the apples of his cheeks. I love you , it says.
Xiao gets on his arms, and Aether sinks back onto the bedding, letting Xiao turn them over so he can hover over him. Aether sighs, a delighted, content sound, looping his hands lazily around Xiao’s neck.
Xiao continues kissing him, the lids of his eyes, his temples, the tip of his nose, his chin.
Aether giggles, nudges Xiao’s cheek with his nose. “No, silly, here,” he says, and slots their mouths together.
Xiao closes his eyes at the contact, lets Aether pry his mouth open with his tongue. Aether is insistent when he wants to be, and this morning he is. Xiao enjoys him like this, possessive and demanding all at once. He pulls Xiao closer to him, tilts his head so he can push his warm tongue into Xiao’s mouth, licks behind his teeth and his palate.
Xiao shivers.
They pull apart with a wet sound, Xiao exhaling into the scant space between them. and Aether looks drunk-dazed already.
He glances at Xiao’s lips, and back up into his eyes. His pupils are blown wide, near-shadowing all of his irises. Xiao knows where this is headed, knows Aether gets excited especially when he wakes up with Xiao beside him. Something about feeling safe, Aether once said, and something about how much he likes Xiao.
Xiao lets his own gaze drop to Aether’s mouth. Red and slightly swollen from kissing, and thinks about roses. It’s Aether who tilts his head, though, pulls Xiao closer and nuzzles his cheek.
Aether hums. “Want you,” he murmurs. Easy, simply.
Xiao shivers.
It’s not everyday Xiao gets Aether all to himself like this; pliant and docile underneath him. Often Aether is dashing off to danger, helping and saving God knows who from whatever evil who dares to darken his path. Xiao often tells him he doesn’t need to, Aether often kisses him to shut him out. Moments like these get rarer with each passing day, and Xiao would gladly cherish each one.
“Please?” Aether smiles, like has to ask again.
Xiao wants him, Xiao will always want him.
Aether is still naked and loose from the night before, and it’s easy for Xiao to settle between his legs and slick himself up with lubricant. Xiao pushes inside, where Aether is still warm and wet. Heat envelopes him as he presses deeper, scorching and burning and all-encompassing.
Xiao takes a moment to pause. Inhales. Exhales.
“Xiao,” Aether strangles out, his mouth open in a pant, an attractive flush extending from the apples of his cheeks to his chest. He’s exquisite; Xiao can look at him all day.
Xiao understands him, though. Understands Aether seeks friction, heat, cock. Wishes to be unraveled, to have his strings plucked into snapping, until he’s clinging to Xiao and sobbing into the meat of his shoulder.
“Xiao, please .”
Xiao gives it to him. A hesitant, stuttered roll of his hips against Aether, but it’s enough to have Aether’s breath hitching, enough to have his thighs tightening around Xiao.
Xiao can’t help it, the corner of his mouth ticking up minutely. Aether is so responsive, all the damn time.
“Good?” He asks, sliding his cock out halfway before fucking back in hard, snapping his hips up with, making his balls slap against Aether’s ass.
Aether nods, tosses his head to the side to reveal the long column of his neck.
Xiao can’t help it, bends down to sink his teeth on Aether’s jugular, soothes the smart of it with his tongue, hips picking up pace, fucking steadily into Aether’s loose, warm hole.
Aether keens against it, gasps and clutches Xiao’s hair between his fingers, tugging slightly. Xiao groans at the pain, makes him bite in retaliation and feels Aether’s cock twitch where it’s trapped between their bodies.
“ Fuck ,” Xiao spits out, sits up so he can fuck better, thrusts hard and deep into his beloved, watches Aether’s rim smooth out with every slide of his cock inside. He holds Aether’s legs open by the knees, watches Aether’s cock slap gently against his belly every time Xiao fucks in, hard and red at the tip.
And even like this, with his hair in disarray around him, his back arching and hips lifting off the bed to meet Xiao’s thrust, he’s greedy, whining high in his throat. “Xiao, more-- more --”
Xiao grits his teeth. “Yes, love.”
Xiao’s arousal burns through him, makes his cock twitch where it’s sheathed inside Aether. He hoists aether’s legs over his shoulders, kisses one bare knee, and fucks in with renewed vigor.
Aether moans loudly, scrunching his eyes shut against the onslaught. Xiao fucks him deep, knocking against his prostate with every other thrust. His ass is warm and slutty as Xiao fucks into him, clinging around Xiao’s cock every time Xiao pulls out, as if reluctant to let him go.
“Shit, fuck,” Xiao curses, cock throbbing and spitting precum inside Aether’s ass, making the slide of it smoother, slicker.
Aether wails at the feeling, his asshole clenching around Xiao’s cock. It’s so fucking good, has the coil in Xiao’s belly tightening, pleasure tripping up his spine, to his toes. Xiao moans, fucks deep and erratically into Aether.
And it’s never been like this, before Aether. Xiao never cared much for bodily pleasures. But Aether makes it so good, makes fucking him so delectabe, the clutch of his ass so tight, so soft and so fucking warm that Xiao gets addicted to it, chases after it as much as he fights demons.
“Xiao--ha-- ah--” Aether wails, drool escaping his lips as he pants, his toes curling every time Xiao hits his sweet spot.
Xiao can tell Aether is close from the mess he’s making of himself. He’s so wet, precum rolling off the slit of his cock and pooling in his belly button. His hands flex weaky beside his head, and he’s so helpless, surrendered completely for Xiao to take and to unravel.
Xiao leans forward, pushing Aether’s legs up his chest. He slows his pace, opts to grind dirty inside Aether instead, putting his weight behind it. It makes the head of his cock press directly on Aether’s prostate, and Aether fucking sobs for it, clenching tight, tight, tight around Xiao’s dick.
“Ah! Xiao--I’m--I’m--”
“ Yes, ” Xiao hisses, sneaking a hand around to grab Aether’s neglected cock.
One touch and that’s all it takes, Xiao watches a supernova explode underneath him. Aether cums with a wail, spilling and spurting messily over Xiao’s fingers. Aether’s orgasm takes the breath out of him, makes his ass loosen and tighten around him. Xiao continues to milk Aether’s cock for what it’s worth, feels it kick and twitch in his grip as Aether empties himself, gasping and whining.
Xiao’s hip stutters, it only takes half a dozen more thrusts before the pressure inside him snaps, and then he’s shoving his cock deep inside Aether, cumming into his tight, wet heat, filling him up full of warm cum.
Xiao closes his eyes as he orgasms, shuddering as the pleasure threatens to drown him whole. Aether reaches for his clean hand, even though he must still be woozy. He tangles their fingers together, and it’s only their contact that keeps Xiao grounded.
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The aftermath is always too sleepy for Xiao’s liking. He doesn’t like feeling drowsy, and his first instinct is to curl up around his sun-boy and sleep. Aether doesn’t like it, though. Whines something about being sticky and forces Xiao to bathe. Xiao complains less, especially because he can see all of Aether’s golden skin, and wash his golden hair.
They lie in bed afterwards, Aether sated and affectionate, snuggling into Xiao like he’s a cat instead of a whole human. Aether likes to be close, likes to touch, and in this, Xiao will also indulge him. He tires eventually, feeling overly warm in the heat of summer. He sighs, lies side by side with Xiao and stares at him with an unreadable gaze.
“Do you like me, Xiao?” Aether asks, smiling at him.
Xiao narrows his eyes at his lover. What a stupid question. Xiao is an adeptus, and does not simply spend his time with just anyone. Does not devote himself to someone who is not worth his affections. Though Xiao doesn’t understand, Aether likes the repetition, the constant reassurance that he is wanted. He doesn’t ask often, knowing Xiao’s aversion to it and if he asks at all there is a reason. But Xiao doesn’t pry. His beloved likes his secrets, and Xiao will let him keep them.
Aether chuckles. A handsome, musical thing, and grins. “Not feeling like answering today?” He teases.
“Most ardently, my beloved,” Xiao answers quickly, and delights in the surprised widening of Aether’s eyes.
“Well, um,” he stammers awkwardly, so shy after such a question. “That’s nice to know,” he mumbles, “I like you too.”
Xiao can’t help the small smile that tugs at the corner at his lips, he scoots closer, until they’re a hair’s breadth away, until he could count every single lash adorning Aether’s eyelids.
Xiao cradles Aether’s jaw with his fingers, and doesn’t miss the slight hitching of breath, Aether’s fixation on his face.
“I cherish you most ardently, my beloved,” Xiao murmurs, means every single word. Adepti do not lie. “Until the end of time.”
Heat creeps up Aether’s neck and cheeks, coloring his whole face red. Xiao laughs amusedly, and kisses his sun-god on the mouth.
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