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“Shizun,” Binghe sighed, a mix of exasperation and amusement in his voice as he wound his arms around Shen Qingqiu’s waist from behind. “He’s looking at us again.”
Shen Qingqiu gave the hands clasped in front of his belly a light smack with his fan, but instead of retreating, the arms only tightened around him. Internally, he rolled his eyes. Sticky husband…
“This master is aware,” he answered flatly. “Does Binghe stop to think it is perhaps because of his indecency, being so clingy to this master?”
It was more teasing than truly scolding, but the words still held a slight whine to them. He had an image to maintain and having his Demon Lord husband clinging to him right out in the open for anyone to see did not help maintain it! Luo Binghe just hummed and pressed his chest to Shen Qingqiu’s back, dropping his chin to his shoulder before daring to nuzzle at the side of Shen Qingqiu’s neck.
The fan that had just been swatting Binghe’s hands was flicked open in an instant, hiding the flush rising to Shen Qingqiu’s face.
“Binghe!” he scolded sharply, his pitch wavering embarrassingly on the first syllable. His face was much too thin for this!
“This disciple is merely ensuring Shizun’s safety!” Binghe lied through his teeth, smiling against his husband’s throat. Shen Qingqiu scoffed, incredulous, and Luo Binghe took it as a sign to grow more insistent. “Truly! If Shizun had the chance, he would walk right out onto the training grounds and surely get injured! This disciple could never be so negligent as to allow his Shizun to walk into danger.”
“Danger! What danger!” Shen Qingqiu scoffed again. He snapped his fan shut and lightly swatted the top of Binghe’s head. “Does Binghe think so little of this master to imply he cannot take care of himself? And how improper, a disciple protecting his shizun. Should it not be the other way around? Release me at once!”
“I cannot! Shizun will run away!”
“Luo Binghe!”
They had drawn the attention of more than just Liu Qingge by now. Half of Bai Zhan Peak’s training grounds were looking at the cheeky disciple-slash-demon lord and his flustered shizun-slash-husband. It was mortifying. Not as much as it would have been seven years ago, but still mortifying, nonetheless.
Liu Qingge stared at them with a strange expression, his spar with a younger disciple Shen Qingqiu didn’t know the name of paused. Or, well. Less of a full expression, more of a slight, minute variation in his usual glare Binghe was so well-acquainted with.
A month ago, Shen Qingqiu would have thought it was the exact same glare and nothing has changed. A month ago, he would not have scrutinized his shidi’s stare so intensely.
A month ago, he still had not been aware of the feelings lingering, tightly locked up in his shidi’s heart.
He was aware now, however. Only because Luo Binghe had told him, but still. And they’d talked about it, too. It had taken a very long conversation and a lot of tears from Binghe—a lot of gentle reassurances that Shen Qingqiu knew how much he loved him and flustered reassurances that Shen Qingqiu loved him too—when they came to the realization that they weren’t put off by the stares and well-concealed desire.
In fact, they were quite the opposite.
So, after settling down and thinking about it rationally, they made a plan.
If they both didn’t mind this, if they both felt the same way and Liu Qingge also felt this way…there really was only one option, right? It wasn’t like adding one more person to their relationship that they both found themselves thinking about would turn into a massive harem just like that, right?
And so began Operation Seduce Liu Qingge.
“Oh! Here he comes,” Binghe quietly hummed, lifting his head from Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder. His arms tightened around his waist, one hand trying valiantly to slip under Shen Qingqiu’s robes careless of the fact Liu Qingge was storming their way.
“Stop that.” Shen Qingqiu swatted at him with his fan again.
Despite his protest, he made no move to wriggle out of his husband’s hold.
“Shen Qingqiu!” Liu Qingge greeted, although his eyes were not on the man he greeted. Shen Qingqiu flicked his fan back open—ceasing his assault on Binghe’s shameless hands—and hid the amusement that tugged on his lips.
“Liu-shidi,” he said lightly, a hint of chiding in his voice to hide the teasing, “this one’s eyes are over here.”
Liu Qingge’s eyes snapped to Shen Qingqiu’s face. There was a very, very light flush on his face that easily could have been written off as exertion from training had not the entirety of the Bai Zhan training grounds known just how high his endurance was. Shen Qingqiu held his fan higher.
“Why is he here?” Liu Qingge asked—or, rather, demanded to know.
“Nice to see you too, Liu-shishu,” Luo Binghe snarked back, his tone half-mocking, half-sincere. Liu Qingge, of course, only heard the mocking half, though.
“You—!” Liu Qingge stepped back into a battle stance and raised Cheng Luan, a fire in his eyes. “Shen Qingqiu! Step out of the away!”
Shen Qingqiu snapped his fan shut and held out his hands in a placating manner. “Now, hold on, surely we can—”
The arms around his waist were retreating and shifting him to the side, out from in front of Luo Binghe, before he could even finish speaking. He let out a very dignified huff and whirled around to look at his husband, who had an eager glint in his eyes and a dangerous grin on his lips.
His conviction faltered. Oh…he couldn’t stop them now.
No one could.
“So eager to lose again, shishu?” Luo Binghe taunted, drawing his own blade.
A strange look flashed in Liu Qingge’s eyes, too quick for Shen Qingqiu to really read, before his expression pulled into a sneer. “Arrogant!”
“Shishu,” Binghe started with a frown, putting on an overly-sympathetic tone. “It’s not arrogant to make an observation. This one means no offence, it’s just that more often than not—”
The sentence was never finished. Liu Qingge lunged before it could be, making Luo Binghe cut off his own words with a sharp, gleeful laugh as he dodged. Shen Qingqiu, noting the feral look growing in his husband’s eyes and the determination in his shidi’s, slowly backed away out of striking range.
He let out a heavy sigh and settled off to the other, safer side of the training field, flicking open his fan to lightly cool himself as he watched the pair go at it across the grounds. Both had ridiculous endurance and incredible stamina (Binghe especially, the dull ache in his lower back from the night before reminded him). Not to mention, they were really going for it… Liu Qingge was really putting his all into those swings, and Binghe was actually focused on the spar and not just screwing around with him!
Of course, neither truly tried to injure the other—aside from the first few irritated swings from Liu Qingge, at least—but that didn’t mean they were any less serious.
It was graceful in its own, strange way.
Like a violent dance.
Shen Qingqiu snorted softly when Binghe narrowly dodged Cheng Luan only to shoot his opponent a wink before lunging again, leaving Liu Qingge flustered, confused, angry, and trying to block all at once.
Right, he got it now.
They were flirting.
This…was going to take a while.
By the time Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe had finished their…weird flirting ritual…Shen Qingqiu was ready to go home and be fed dinner. Liu Qingge, at least, despite his typical ‘I lost to Binghe’ glare, looked much more relaxed now and less likely to demand Luo Binghe be sent away. Binghe, for that matter, looked deeply satisfied as he bounded over to Shen Qingqiu with a bright grin.
“Shizun!” He stopped right in front of his husband, eyes wide and expectant. When Shen Qingqiu did nothing but raise a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, Binghe leaned forward a tad, lowering his head in a manner that made it glaringly obvious what he was looking for. For extra measure, he added a cheery and only slightly gloating, “I won!”
“Alright, alright, fishing for praise again, hm?” Shen Qingqiu snapped his fan shut and raised his free hand to gently pat Binghe’s head despite his chiding words. His hair was soft as ever, curls silky under his fingers and palm and not for the first time he wondered how Binghe managed to maintain his hair so perfectly. Ah, protagonist halo at it again… He cleared his throat and let his hand fall, gracing his husband with a not-so-rare-these-days soft, smile. “Binghe did very well.”
Then, before he could even react, Shen Qingqiu turned his gaze to the Peak Lord standing just off to the side with a mildly disgruntled look on his face and smiled at him as well, his eyes crinkling at the corners lightly. “Liu-shidi did good, as well.”
Liu Qingge let out a small, strangled noise from the back of his throat. His eyes widened a fraction at the praise, before he quickly schooled his expression and huffed, looking away.
Ah, once a tsundere, always a tsundere. Shen Qingqiu suppressed a smirk.
“Shizun, don’t forget to ask!” Binghe abruptly reminded him, just as Liu Qingge looked ready to stomp off and yell at a few disciples who were messing around on the training grounds. Or, rather, swing his sword at them in an impromptu spar.
“Ah—!” Shen Qingqiu blinked, startled at himself for nearly forgetting the entire purpose they visited Bai Zhan Peak for. He cleared his throat and raised his voice slightly to catch Liu Qingge’s attention. “Would Shidi be amendable to joining the two of us for dinner?”
Liu Qingge whirled around at the question to face them once more. He looked ready to snap out an answer before he faltered. His eyes flicked to Luo Binghe, whether intentional or not, before his gaze returned to Shen Qingqiu and he clenched his fists tightly at his side.
Ah, poor Shidi…did Cang Qiong have any Peak Lords who were good at communication? Shen Qingqiu flicked open his fan and frowned behind it, before shooting Luo Binghe an encouraging look. He needs to hear it from you, Binghe!
Binghe, thankfully, took the hint and stepped forward. He cleared his throat loudly, drawing Liu Qingge’s eyes back to him by force. A wide, charming smile danced on his lips so bright and beautiful it would surely have even the prettiest of ladies swooning (then again, he didn’t need to smile for that). Shen Qingqiu swore he heard Liu Qingge’s breath hitch. Just barely. The faintest, most softest sound. He knew he wasn’t imagining it, though.
“This one would be most honored to have Liu-shishu for dinner,” Binghe purred, voice low and gravelly as he let his eyes drag over Liu Qingge. Heat flared to Shen Qingqiu’s face behind his fan at the very, very familiar tone of voice and his eyes widened a fraction.
Ah! Binghe! What are you doing? The seduction starts once we’re home, not in the middle of the Bai Zhan training fields!!! Disciples are watching!!!
“Shen Qingqiu! Control your—your—beast!” Liu Qingge pretended not to have stumbled over the words, face flushing red in a way that could either be fuming or flustered and only Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe had the honor of correctly guessing which. For extra measure, he sheathed Cheng Luan with more force than necessary as he snapped, “Shameless!”
“Ah, Shidi, forgive him,” Shen Qingqiu requested lightly, “it’s only that Binghe has prepared a large spread for dinner in hopes you’d join us. It would be a shame to put all that planning to waste, wouldn’t it? And it’s been a while since our last visit, has it not?”
He paused, lowered his voice, and peered over the edge of his fan at Liu Qingge embarrassingly coquettishly (it’s for the plan, he told himself silently even as his face flushed red),
“You and I have some things to…catch up on, don’t we?”
And wow, did that do wonders.
Liu Qingge’s eyes widened, his jaw slackening, as the flush already over his cheeks deepened. Ah, they needed to get him out of there before they all lost anymore face in front of the Bai Zhan disciples with this little show!
Fanning his face a bit quicker and averting his eyes, Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat. “Binghe, come. We will be taking our leave now. Shidi may follow if he wishes to join us, but the choice is ultimately his.”
Luo Binghe gave a short nod.
“Wait.” Both looked over at Liu Qingge, who had sufficiently calmed down. He shifted slightly, glancing back to the disciples who had started sparring on the field—probably bored since their Peak Lord had been pulled away. When he looked back, it was with a determined look in his eyes and a firm nod. “I will join you.”
The smile that spread over Binghe’s face was blinding.
Shen Qingqiu sat pressed right up against him. Shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh.
Binghe sat on his other side. Just like Shen Qingqiu—shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh.
Liu Qingge was the center of a very peculiar sandwich. Demon Lord to one side, Peak Lord to the other.
Everything was going according to plan.
“Is the food not to Liu-shishu’s taste?” Binghe asked, voice low and faux-sad, as he pressed closer to Liu Qingge.
Liu Qingge, who’s face scrunched up strangely at the accusation and pouty voice, hadn’t even touched his food, let alone taken a bite.
Shen Qingqiu had a feeling it was less because it ‘wasn’t to his taste’ and more because he was squished between two married men intent on seducing him. He didn’t say that, though. No, he just hummed and reached over, carefully picking up a dumpling off of Liu Qingge’s plate.
“Shidi should try it.” He held the still-warm jiaozi in front of Liu Qingge’s lips. “Binghe worked very hard on this dinner for you. Come on, open up…”
Almost as if possessed, Liu Qingge’s lips dropped open at the order. Shen Qingqiu blinked, surprised by the quick compliance. That was…unexpected. He figured it would take a little more tempting and goading! Ah, best not look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Shen Qingqiu smiled softly and pushed the jiaozi past Liu Qingge’s lips and into his mouth.
And if the pads of his fingers brushed Liu Qingge’s lips in the process, if they lingered a moment longer than necessary…well, they did bring him home with an ulterior motive, so he could hardly be blamed.
He pulled his hand back and watched the myriad of expressions flit over Liu Qingge’s face as he slowly chewed the dumpling pushed into his mouth. In the end, his face landed on a slightly awed look, cheeks lightly flushed and eyes wide as he stared at the plate in front of himself. Shen Qingqiu smiled to himself, not a small amount of pride welling up in him at the reaction to his husband’s cooking.
“It…is…not bad,” Liu Qingge finally complimented, after a few moments silence. His voice was a little strained, and it was obvious he thought it was more than ‘not bad’ but neither would press right now. Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe shared a smirk behind Liu Qingge’s back as he reached out to grab another.
Liu Qingge was like—though they would never dare say it to his face—a skittish animal. They needed to lure him into this, slowly tempt him and pull him into a sense of security. Drag it out of him. Shen Qingqiu had been similar, in a sense, at the start of his relationship with Luo Binghe, just in a very different way.
Either way, they both had some experience with such behavior thanks to him and his repressive tendencies and deeply internalized shame. Both of which had taken ages to get past—both of which he was still fighting with, just not as much after seven years of Binghe coaxing him into working past through it all.
“Try some sauce,” Luo Binghe suggested, pushing a small dish of his best dipping sauce closer to Liu Qingge. “This one is Shizun’s favorite.”
Liu Qingge faltered only a moment, his eyes flitting to Shen Qingqiu, before he dipped the jiaozi in the light sauce with determination in his gaze. Shen Qingqiu leaned forward against the table slightly, watching curiously as Liu Qingge popped the sauce-coated dumpling past his lips.
Binghe hadn’t been lying when he said that was his favorite sauce.
It was.
It was a tart, but sweet sauce, and the two flavors were balanced perfectly. It wasn’t too sweet, or too tart. It was just the right amount of both, rather than one overwhelming the other. He, himself, had never been able to perfect the balance—in this life, or the last. Not that he was that much of a cook in his last life. At least, not for the last few years of it.
Liu Qingge swallowed, his face doing that thing again where it went through seven different emotions before he schooled his features to something blank. Aw, Shen Qingqiu wanted to see that awed look again…
Just when Shen Qingqiu opened his lips to ask him if he liked it, Liu Qingge picked up another dumping, dipped it again and popped it in his mouth so quickly that if he blinked, he was sure he would have missed it. A grin threatened to tug at Shen Qingqiu’s lips.
Well, that answers that.
“Binghe’s food really is the best there is,” Shen Qingqiu hummed, picking up a dumpling of his own. Almost absentmindedly, Liu Qingge nodded along. “Liu-shidi should try the rest, too.”
His eyes flitted over the array of dishes spread out before them. Both Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe’s eyes latched onto the way Liu Qingge’s tongue darted out to lick off the excess sauce as he looked over the mini-feast.
It wasn’t long until he was filling his plate and trying every last thing Binghe served. His face grew softer and softer the more he ate, growing more open and relaxed.
Ah, food truly is the way to a man’s heart! He knew this would work! By the time they got to dessert, he’d be putty in their hands!
Shen Qingqiu let himself focus on eating a bit, satisfied with the progress they were making. If all went well, he would need the energy. Plus, he couldn’t ever miss out on Binghe’s food—even if he did get to eat it all the time.
He didn’t move away from Liu Qingge, however, and neither did Binghe. Not, at least, until he was getting up to grab and serve dessert.
“There’s more?” Liu Qingge asked, audibly surprised when Luo Binghe left them alone.
Shen Qingqiu laughed softly. “What is a feast without dessert?”
Liu Qingge thought about it for a moment before he frowned. Stumped. Another laugh threatened to break out of Shen Qingqiu’s throat, but he held it back. It had been a rhetorical question, but it was sweet to see him thinking so hard on it. Endearing, even. It was evident he wanted to answer Shen Qingqiu, but he wasn’t quite sure how.
Luckily, Binghe came back quickly with dessert and just like that, all focus turned back to the food. Which, to be honest, was totally fair because Luo Binghe’s dessert was otherworldly.
No, literally.
Shen Qingqiu swore he saw a few things that resembled some desserts from his past life hidden in the spread.
By the time they finished with the dessert, Liu Qingge was—just as expected—a tired sort of calm. Everything was going perfectly. Shen Qingqiu grinned at the way Liu Qingge was very obviously trying to hide how satisfied he was, even as he glared down at the empty dish in front of himself on the table.
“Did Liu-shishu enjoy dessert?” Luo Binghe asked after letting him sit for a moment, leaning in just a little too close.
The sides of their arms almost touched, just ghosting each other. The tension between them was almost palpable. Shen Qingqiu found himself biting his lip to suppress a grin, an eager glint in his eyes that he couldn’t hide.
“I…suppose it was alright,” Liu Qingge coughed.
Huh, high praise for Liu Qingge. Shen Qingqiu bit his lip harder, the smile growing more and more difficult to hold back. The smile faded quick, though, when Liu Qingge pushed himself to his feet and cleared his throat, eyes flicking in the direction of the exit.
“Shidi’s leaving so soon?” Shen Qingqiu frowned, standing next to him.
Liu Qingge blinked. “We finished eating, it’s getting late.”
Shen Qingqiu shared a brief, slightly panicked look with Luo Binghe, who was damn near teary-eyed and pouting on the other side of Liu Qingge, before tossing his dignity out the window and ducking his head. He looked at Liu Qingge, head still tilted downward so he could peer up through his lashes, and placed a hand lightly on his upper arm. It was the gentlest touch—only his fingertips, but it did the job.
He swore he must have looked ridiculous, acting like some flirtatious, shy maiden, but Liu Qingge’s breath hitched.
“I was hoping you would stay a little longer,” he murmured, like the words were meant to be a secret just between him and the Bai Zhan Peak Lord. He watched the way Liu Qingge’s eyes widened almost comically, and his face flushed.
In his chest, a deep pride blossomed. Alright, maybe Binghe had been right about actively flirting.
“Maybe…a little longer,” Liu Qingge slowly acquiesced.
Shen Qingqiu immediately perked up, before he quickly cleared his throat and composed himself. He schooled his expression and sat back down, subtly nodding to Binghe as he pulled Liu Qingge down with him.
“Good,” Shen Qingqiu hummed once they were settled, sitting close enough for his shoulder to brush against Liu Qingge’s just enough to leave him wanting. “Binghe and I had something we have been wanting to discuss with you…”
Liu Qingge frowned and looked from Shen Qingqiu to Luo Binghe. He shifted slightly. Poor guy didn’t even realize he sat between two lions looking like a wounded gazelle… Luo Binghe slid closer to him on the opposite side of Liu Qingge to Shen Qingqiu, so close their sides pressed together.
It wasn’t the teasing brush like on Shen Qingqiu’s side, either, but a full press. A bold, shameless press. He knew what he was doing, and it was intentional—after all, there was no way it could be unnoticed.
“I see the way you look at Shizun, Shishu,” Luo Binghe whispered, just barely loud enough for Shen Qingqiu to hear.
Liu Qingge tensed.
A defensive look flickered on his face, and he moved to stand. Shen Qingqiu was quicker, though, slipping a hand to rest on Liu Qingge’s thigh, holding him frozen in place despite how light his touch was. It wasn’t any indecent sort of touch—his hand wasn’t even that high on his thigh, closer to his knee, but still Liu Qingge looked ready to explode he was so red.
“Now, now, Shidi,” Shen Qingqiu chided, clicking his tongue. “Why don’t you let him finish speaking before trying to run off? Binghe didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. Did you, Binghe?”
“This disciple did not, Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu slid his hand just an inch higher, still nowhere indecent but certainly reaching improper. His thumb lightly stroked his leg through the layers of his clothes.
It almost felt cruel to tease him like this, but the startled, shocked, scandalized expressions he made were just so pretty.
“See?” he smiled faintly. “He was only making an observation.”
They were torturing him, surely.
These soft voices, teasing words, light touches just dancing on the edges of indecency… Liu Qingge kept himself in control, however.
Sure, he was flushed deeper than Shen Qingqiu had ever seen before, and he was so fidgety he could rival an anxious Shang Qinghua, but he stayed quiet with a clenched jaw and didn’t make to move or run away.
He wanted this too, after all. Shen Qingqiu grinned inwardly. He wanted this so bad, he just never thought he’d get it, and the poor Bai Zhan God of War had no idea what to do with himself now that his not-so-hidden desire was coming to fruition.
“And what of it?” Liu Qingge asked when he finally found his voice.
Luo Binghe hummed and leaned in closer, letting his voice fall to that low pitch that sends shivers down Shen Qingqiu’s spine every time without fail, his lips dangerously close to Liu Qingge’s ears. Shen Qingqiu had to strain his own to hear the murmur as it fell from the shameless mouth of his husband, his own breath hitching in time with Liu Qingge’s.
“I see the way you look at me, too.”
Right, and that was it. There was no going back now.
Shen Qingqiu squeezed Liu Qingge’s thigh lightly, drawing his attention. He was wide eyed, caught between frozen and ready to flee.
Ah, but maybe… He bit his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth.
“You can leave if you don’t want this,” he said quietly, giving him an out. He heard Binghe whine slightly from the other side, but he ignored it, staring firmly at Liu Qingge. “Leave and we’ll never bring this night up again. Or you can stay and find out…what other things Binghe excels at.”
He paused, letting the silence sit between the three of them for a moment. He pulled his hand off of Liu Qingge’s thigh in favor of brushing the loose hair left down back out of his face and behind his ear.
“It’s your choice,” he murmured.
For a moment, Shen Qingqiu held his breath. Liu Qingge could leave. He could get up now and just…walk out. That was the risk of giving him the choice. He had to give it to him, though. He had to. His eyes flitted back, past Liu Qingge, to look at his husband. His face was blank, but his eyes gave away his nerves. Shen Qingqiu knew he was thinking the same thing that he was in that moment.
If Liu Qingge left…
The thought never had the chance to fully form.
Shen Qingqiu gasped sharply as hesitant lips suddenly pressed against his, his eyes snapping open wide. It was the briefest, quickest kiss—barely a kiss. It was shy and nervous and totally unlike Liu Qingge, but it somehow exactly like him at the same time. Liu Qingge refused to meet Shen Qingqiu’s eyes, his face flushed.
“I want…this.”
Shen Qingqiu stared, dumbstruck. Silent.
He hadn’t expected Liu Qingge to agree so quickly, so easily… He thought it would at least take a little more coaxing and embarrassing flirting. Shen Qingqiu wondered, briefly, just how long he’d been wanting this to agree and give in so quickly and so easily. Even he still needed coaxing from time to time!
Liu Qingge glanced back at Luo Binghe, before he finally met Shen Qingqiu’s eyes and steeled himself. Then, firmer, with more confidence and surety, “I want this.”
Relief sparked inside Shen Qingqiu, and he saw it reflected in Luo Binghe’s eyes on the other side of Liu Qingge.
“Shishu will let us court him?” Luo Binghe asked, voice softer than it usually was when he addressed the other. “Both of us?”
Liu Qingge turned to face him. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t see his face anymore, but he could see the way Binghe’s lit up and knew it had to be something good.
“Yes,” Liu Qingge said, nodding once. “I…would like that. Both of you. I want…both of you.”
Shen Qingqiu shifted closer, a smile dancing at his lips.
“This shixiong is most glad to hear that,” he murmured. He let his hand fall to rest back on Liu Qingge’s thigh, just lying there innocently. His thumb brushed back and forth in that soothing motion, just like minutes earlier, but now with the crystal-clear admission, his touch was something more charged. Like he was just waiting to pounce.
Which, okay. He supposed, in a way, he was. Shen Qingqiu would never make the first move on his own, even with how far he’s come in openly admitting and indulging in his own desires since he first married Luo Binghe. This was too fresh, too new. He wouldn’t dare risk scaring Liu Qingge off by being too forward or moving too fast, not when they just confessed their intentions and had them accepted in that very moment.
Luo Binghe, however, seemed to have no such qualms.
Shen Qingqiu watched with slowly widening eyes as his husband shifted closer to Liu Qingge and reached up to grab his chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“With that settled,” he began, voice low and lips pulled into that pout Shen Qingqiu could never deny. Liu Qingge stiffened, and that was all Shen Qingqiu needed to see to know that pout had the exact same effect on him. Binghe kept leaning in closer, until his lips ghosted Liu Qingge’s—not quite touching, yet, but teasing. “It’s unfair to this Lord that Shizun’s received a kiss and I have not… Won’t Shishu remedy this?”
Liu Qingge let out a small, strangled noise, but didn’t recoil. Luo Binghe took this as the acquiescence, that for Liu Qingge, it was and closed the distance between them. Shen Qingqiu heard more than felt his own breath hitch as he watched.
It wasn’t a quick, fleeting, innocent kiss like what he received from Liu Qingge. It was deep and hungry but slow and Shen Qingqiu couldn’t look away from the way Binghe’s lips moved against Liu Qingge’s, guiding him in the kiss and pressing closer and closer until he was half on his lap, caught partially between the table’s edge and Liu Qingge.
It was a weird feeling, watching his husband kiss another man.
Jealousy didn’t twist inside him like he thought it would when the idea of this first floated between them. Instead, a familiar heat bubbled low in his belly and his heartrate quickened, pupils dilating when his eyes caught Luo Binghe’s tongue slipping into Liu Qingge’s mouth, drawing a startled groan from his throat.
Almost unconsciously, Shen Qingqiu gripped Liu Qingge’s thigh tightly, unable to look away from where his husband was licking into his shidi’s mouth, one hand gripping the front of Liu Qingge’s robes while the other cradled the back of his neck as wet, breathless sounds filled the quiet space around them.
When they finally parted, Liu Qingge gasping almost desperately (something he would definitely deny when later teased), a low, broken, wrecked whimper fell from Shen Qingqiu’s lips. Two pairs of wide, shocked eyes snapped to him, and Shen Qingqiu froze. A hot flush spread over his face, all the way to his ears as he processed the fact that he was the one who just made that sound and just how undone he had already become from watching his husband kiss another man.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe breathed, almost awestruck. He almost fell over as he scrambled to stand up and hurry to Shen Qingqiu’s side, kneeling in front of where he sat. It was only then Shen Qingqiu processed they were still at the table.
“We…we should go somewhere, ah…more comfortable,” he suggested quietly, clearing his throat. He averted his eyes from both men staring at him, unable to cope with the weight of their reverent gazes. His fan, ah, where was his fan? He’d like it back now, please!! “Shouldn’t we?”
The words had barely left his mouth before Luo Binghe was hauling him to his feet and dragging Shen Qingqiu across the house. He let out a squeaking sound he would never confess making and heard rather than saw Liu Qingge quickly following after them.
It was almost too fast for him to even react. One moment Shen Qingqiu was sitting at the table watching his husband and boyfriend (??) make-out, the next he was being pushed back onto his mattress with said husband straddling him and said boyfriend—oh. Shen Qingqiu blinked, staring up at Luo Binghe with a small frown. Where was Liu Qingge? Didn’t he follow them?
A small, uncertain noise from the doorway drew the married couple’s attention and both looked over. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile at the almost cute sight of Liu Qingge standing anxiously in the doorway of the bedroom. Like he didn’t know if he was really welcome.
“Qingge.” Liu Qingge’s eyes snapped to his face at the familiar address, and Shen Qingqiu bit his lip to keep his smile from widening. “My husband got such a warm thank you for bringing you into our relationship…won’t Qingge give this shixiong the same?”
Liu Qingge slowly stepped over the threshold and approached the bed. He stopped right at the edge, eyes flitting from Luo Binghe to Shen Qingqiu then back again. Binghe, never the subtle one, grabbed Liu Qingge by the wrist and tugged him onto the bed abruptly so he fell directly beside Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu took the chance for what it was and turned his head, ignoring the way Luo Binghe slid off his lap to stand in front of the bed and stare at the pair. Liu Qingge’s chest rose and fell with fast, heavy breaths.
He leaned in close, brushed stray hairs out of his face gently, and then…their lips brushed. Light, gentle, ghosting… Liu Qingge held his breath, Shen Qingqiu heard the way he stopped breathing as he rolled onto his side and pulled Qingge—also on his side—flush against his chest. He pressed their lips together firmer, keeping his eyes open just long enough to watch Liu Qingge’s flutter shut with long lashes casting shadows over his cheeks. Then, he let his own slip shut, parting his lips against Liu Qingge’s mouth and prodding curiously at his lips with his tongue.
They fell open immediately, obedient and pliant under his touch. Something new stirred deep within Shen Qingqiu at this, something he ignored for the moment—something he could examine later.
Kissing Liu Qingge was unlike kissing his husband in many ways.
Luo Binghe was needy, passionate, hungry and he took control when he kissed. Kissing Liu Qingge, though… Shen Qingqiu found himself leading the kiss, guiding Liu Qingge through it, moving his tongue one way only to have Liu Qingge mirror him. It was softer, slower, lazier. There was an underlying lust, of course, but it wasn’t the desperate, starving kiss he was so accustomed to when he would take Luo Binghe to bed.
When he finally pulled back, head spinning and brain foggy, he decided firmly he loved both kisses.
Just like he loved both men.
Shen Qingqiu took a long, deep breath, his tongue darting out to wet his reddened lips. He looked from Liu Qingge to Luo Binghe, eyes lidded and heavy. Both looked just as wrecked, even though Liu Qingge had been the only one actually kissed.
A thrill ran down Shen Qingqiu’s spine.
Binghe loved watching just as much as he did.
It was such an exciting thought. There was so much they could do with that knowledge… He wondered, briefly, if Liu Qingge would like it too.
Shen Qingqiu swallowed hard.
Well, he supposed, looking back to Liu Qingge breathing heavily in bed beside him with clouded, hazy eyes. They had plenty time to find out.