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"I'm sure it's here," Xie Lian said as he rummaged through the storage room. Pei Ming, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing all stood behind him, eyeing the room.
"So, he just shoved all our gifts from last year in here?" Pei Ming finally asked.
Xie Lian sighed. "San Lang has a lot of things and while everyone's gifts were generous, there isn't much need for it until the opportunity arises… Oh! Here is is!" He held up the horn.
The other martial gods were hunting a yao that was weak to this particular spiritual device and were looking to borrow it. Who would've thought that such a rare treasure was sitting under a pile of things Hua Cheng considered junk?
"Speaking of, isn't his birthday coming up again?" Feng Xin asked. "Wow, is that bow made out of fire!?"
"You're welcome to borrow it for your quest, San Lang won't mind! And yes, it is coming up."
"Don't do anything stupid like you did last time," Mu Qing said. He rolled his eyes. "I hope your embroidery has improved somewhat. Stick to that. Even if its ugly, it beats fainting on your husband's birthday and causing everyone trouble."
Xie Lian cringed at the memory of the belt he made Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng still wore that silly belt at least once a week and every time Xie Lian had hid the mortifying object, Hua Cheng would find it again and laugh as Xie Lian covered his face in horror. This time, it had to be something meaningful… and also not cursed… and also not ugly.
"Are these male pregnancy pills?" Pei Ming suddenly asked. He held up the bottle with a smirk that only grew as he noted the expression on Xie Lian's face. "Maybe instead of almost dying this time you can just give your Crimson Rain Sought Flower what every man wants… a son."
"FUCK NO. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!? NO. OH MY FUCKING GOD!" Feng Xin hollered, snatching the offending bottle out of Pei Ming's grasp. "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU EVEN HAVE THIS!?" He was now addressing Xie Lian.
"It's from his birthday last year… I don't even know who gifted it… Hey! Don't look at me like that…" Xie Lian laughed awkwardly, waving his hand. "I'm not sure if San Lang even wants children too and-"
"'TOO!?'" Mu Qing asked, wide eyed. "You want kids with him!?"
"Yes?" Xie Lian responded. He removed the pills from Feng Xin's white-knuckled grip with a sigh. "He's my husband, after all."
"Who would be the pregnant one!?" Feng Xin asked in horror.
Mu Qing rolled his eyes. "Fucking idiot. Who do you think!?"
Xie Lian's blush answered Feng Xin's question more than Mu Qing's outburst.
"Ho-ho," Pei Ming said.
"Alright, you three have what you need. It's time to get going," Xie Lian changed the subject quickly.
"Can I really use that bow?" Feng Xin asked.
"Can I use that sword?" Pei Ming followed up, as if he didn't want to be left out.
"Are you two children!? Why are you grabbing souvenirs?" Mu Qing said, crossing his arms. He was almost out the door when Feng Xin spoke up.
"There's a sabor made of meteorite that's radiating demonic qi." Mu Qing stopped and turned to look at the other man, who held the saber out to him. "You know you want to~"
"Give it here," Mu Qing relented, holding out his hand with a blush.
Xie Lian was grateful they were distracted by weapons and sent them off with a smile, although his insides were stormy.
Does every man truly want a son? Would that be something Hua Cheng would want?
"Not every man wants a son, that would be silly," Shi Qingxuan said, knocking back a cup of wine. "However, I think Hua Cheng would like a child if it's with you. I remember the two of you always seemed to have a litter of children around and you worked well together."
"What if he thinks it's weird?" Xie Lian asked, covering his face. "I don't think I could stand it."
Shi Qingxuan laughed at that. "He wouldn't ever think you're weird, your highness. He loves you. I can't speak for what every man wants but I will say, I think your man would be very delighted in you wearing something pretty for him and then talking to him about that subject."
"What if he doesn't want it? Wouldn't I be without a gift?"
"The backup gift is you in the pretty little outfit, keep up. I know you well enough to know you're never that bold. It'll be a nice surprise for him. I understand you don't want to be the gift, but to him you are his most precious and treasured gift so there's nothing that can outshine you." Shi Qingxuan wagged his eyebrows. "Then if he does want to make babies with you, how steamy would that be?"
Xie Lian considered his words. They did make sense and it wasn't as if he alone was the gift, but the effort and actions to take charge give his husband a night of fun. It wasn't a bad idea. "Where do I get… the sort of outfit you're talking about."
Shi Qingxuan perked up. "They should have plenty in Ghost City! Let's go together! I've always wanted an excuse to dress you up!"
Xie Lian flush was creeping down to his chest as they exited the shop amidst cheering from all the ghosts nearby who had noticed what Xie Lian had purchased. This was absolutely mortifying.
"Maybe you'll succeed in giving Hua Chengzu a son with that getup!" a ghost called out from the crowd. Xie Lian's blush deepened.
"That's the plan!" Shi Qingxuan called back good-naturedly.
"We weren't supposed to announce that, okay?" Xie Lian sighed, covering his face.
They strolled through Ghost City for a while before opting to get some food from one of the food stalls that Hua Cheng had deemed safe for human consumption. As soon as they took a seat, Hua Cheng seemed to materialize out of nowhere and joined them. "Why are you carrying a bag around? I could've got someone to do that for you, gege. Don't tire yourself out needlessly."
"I can carry a bag, San Lang," Xie Lian said, accepting the quick kiss Hua Cheng leaned in to give him.
Shi Qingxuan giggled and Xie Lian ignored him. "Hua Cheng, one day while I'm still kicking, you need to throw an actual party for your birthday. Invite everyone! I'll even plan it for you."
"At that point is the party for my enjoyment or yours?" Hua Cheng asked him, raising a brow. "Also, I'm not going to invite both you and Blackwater to the same event again. Inviting you both to the wedding was Gege's idea."
"Life is too short for you demon guys to be so grumpy all of the time," Shi Qingxuan shrugged. "Short for me, at least," he added. After a long weighted pause, he laughed. "Next year. I'll throw your party for you next year. And you can't say no because Xie Lian wants you to have a party too."
Hua Cheng gave Xie Lian a look and he shrugged helplessly. Like he could deny Shi Qingxuan's words and leave himself open to Shi Qingxuan retaliating by telling Hua Cheng what's in the bag! Nope! This was humiliating enough without him husband publicly finding out he bought such indecent clothing!
"Alright then. Next year," Hua Cheng agreed. He stood. "I'll be off. Gege, I'll take that bag for you."
"No!" Xie Lian shouted, recoiling so hard he knocking the bag off the table in a panic. It fell on the floor and of course, the contents made themselves known.
Hua Cheng's eye went wide. "…"
"Its um… its for Feng Xin! I picked it up for him as a favor!" He noticed too late that the clothing was clearly too small to fit Feng Xin's broad frame.
"… Feng Xin is going to wear that?"
"He's making Mu Qing wear it!" He could fit it, at least! He's taller than Xie Lian but still slender! Wait! There was no reason for him to wear such a thing for Feng Xin, was there!? "Um- as a prank!" Yeah, Xie Lian in all his 800 years, has never been able to cook up a solid lie.
Shi Qingxuan put his head on the table and covered his face with his fan. His shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. That traitor! He didn't even try to help!
Hua Cheng stooped to scoot the contents back into the bag before handing it directly to Xie Lian. "If gege needs it delivered I'd be happy to help." His grin was smug, his eye glittering. Of course, he had seen straight through Xie Lian's lies.
"No! That's not necessary because um, I have to speak to Ling Wen anyways. It'll be just a quick trip." Xie Lian was in too deep to drop the lie, even if he was doing a terrible job of it.
"Alright, as gege says," Hua Cheng said. He placed his hand on Xie Lian's waist and bent down to give him a lingering kiss, uncaring of the cheers of the ghosts and Shi Qingxuan. He whispered in Xie Lian's ear. "Forgive San Lang's impatience but my birthday does start at midnight, tonight. I'll be back from some business I have to take care of by then." Another kiss, a not-so-subtle squeeze of his waist, and then he was gone.
"I can also plan your baby shower," Shi Qingxuan said in between giggles. "Uncle Shi has it covered!"
Xie Lian crouched, covering his face as the ghosts around them registered what Shi Qingxuan had said.
In a way, he actually preferred the torture of his blood curse last year to what had become some twisted humiliation ritual.
Xie Lian stood in front of the bronze mirror, checking the outfit was on correctly. It was barely anything, just a few scraps of red fabric adorned with embroidered flowers… and a silver butterfly pendant, which caught Xie Lian's eye. It admittedly, did look really good. The sheer fabric hung delicately on his waist and gave him an androgynous figure. Would Hua Cheng like this? He'd seemed excited before, when he realized what Xie Lian had bought.
Midnight was approaching so he set the mood in the room, adjusting the food and wine layout he'd had prepared earlier and then placed the pregnancy pills on the bed for easy access.
After practicing some poses he settled for one to greet Hua Cheng with, as per Shi Qingxuan's earlier suggestions for how to go about this. Thank god for having such a friend! Xie Lian had been tempted to ask Pei Ming but he knew he'd never hear the end of it.
Right as midnight approached, he second guess the pregnancy pills and picked them up, intending to hide them away.
"Gege," Hua Cheng greeted from the door.
Xie Lian panicked, dropping the bottle. He moved into his pose, lifting his hair so Hua Cheng got an uninterrupted view of the outfit. "Husband," he greeted.
Hua Cheng stared at him with a wide eye as he approached him but unexpectantly, when he got to the bed his eyes flickered to the bottle Xie Lian had dropped. "Gege, are those…"
Xie Lian quickly stuffed them under a pillow, blushing. "Um, it's nothing!" He faced his husband and crawled to the edge of the bed, raising himself up on his knees as he tugged his husband closer. "San Lang~"
"You want a baby?" Hua Cheng blurted, still clearly distracted. Xie Lian wanted to scream. Why must he focus on the humiliating part and not the sexy part of this!?
"San Lang," he whined, grabbing his husband's face to truly get his attention. "Won't you look at me?"
"I am," Hua Cheng said. He reached down to hook Xie Lian his thighs, flipping him backwards on the bed and landing on top, between his spread legs. "I never stop looking at you, your highness."
Hua Cheng kissed him then. His kiss was brutal, hungry, as if Hua Cheng was set out to absolutely devour him —Not that Xie Lian minded — as his hands were just as desperate, sliding against the fabric of Xie Lian's outfit and even splaying his hands underneath the straps to the bottom, his fingers digging in to Xie Lian's ass with bruising force.
Xie Lian desperately matched Hua Cheng's madness, clinging to him and kissing him back with desperate abandon. He had assumed Hua Cheng had forgotten what he saw until he suddenly pulled back, sitting on his knees between Xie Lian's spread legs. In his hand was the bottle. He'd reached up and grabbed it while Xie Lian was distracted! He hadn't even noticed one of his hands was no longer grabbing his ass!
"Open your mouth," Hua Cheng commanded, opening the bottle.
Oh. They were actually doing this.
Xie Lian obediently opened his mouth and Hua Cheng placed the small pearl-like pill on his tongue. "Swallow." Xie Lian did so, watching as Hua Cheng's expression changed to something so dark, Xie Lian had to avert his eyes.
He was flushed down to his chest. "I don't know how fast they work… or how effective."
"It's no matter," Hua Cheng said, removing his own outer robe. "You'll be with child by this time next year."
He had barely taken off his outer robe before Xie Lian had all but pounced on him to straddle his lap, desperately rubbing himself on the obvious erection in his husband's pants.
Hua Cheng flipped their positions, pulled that flimsy little scrap of cloth that covered Xie Lian's hole to the side, and slipped in two fingers in one smooth motion. "Gege looks so beautiful like this. You make me so happy, showing me you're truly mine." His free hand moved to Xie Lian's abdomen, pressing in as if feeling for something. "Truly mine."
"I'm yours," Xie Lian agreed, cupping his husband's face and leaning upwards to kiss him. "All yours, San Lang!"
Xie Lian had already done all the prep-work, as he had hoped the Hua Cheng would simply get right to business. This choice was vindicated when Hua Cheng paused fingering him. "Gege, you will be the death of me," he breathed. Xie Lian had been pulling at his clothes and had already freed his erection and Hua Cheng sheathed himself inside of Xie Lian with one smooth, familiar motion.
However, he didn't move, just watched Xie Lian with a strange look. "Say it."
Xie Lian stared at him, blushing when he realized what he was being told to do. "San Lang, this is so embarrassing…"
"It's just me, gege," Hua Cheng said, rolling his hips into Xie Lian's a few times, achingly slow as if to tease. "Say it."
"Gege," Xie Lian said, watching as Hua Cheng's eye darkened considerably. "I… This wife wants to have your baby. San Lang, I want- Ah! San Lang!"
Hua Cheng didn't even let him finish before he lifted Xie Lian by his legs for a better angle and began fucking into him as a brutal pace. Xie Lian could only cling to his husband's disheveled inner robes as he was fucked so hard it ached his lower back. Suddenly he was flipped to lay on his stomach, his knees spread against the knees and his back arched. The fabric was torn from his behind with little-to-no fanfare before Hua Cheng was inside him again.
Xie Lian yelped as Hua Cheng gripped his hair, wrenching his head back until he was against Hua Cheng's chest. A large hand gripped his throat and fingers dug into his jaw to make him look up to meet Hua Cheng's lips as he was speared mercilessly deep on his husband's cock. "Say it again," Hua Cheng whispered against his lips.
Humiliated tears pricked Xie Lian's eyes. "Gege, please put a baby inside me," he whined. He pulled the hand that gripped his waist over to rest on where a womb would be. "I want it. I've wanted this since before Mount Tonglu," he said again. "I'm yours, San Lang. Let me give you this," he whispered. There, it was out there now, how badly he wanted this, even since before they were together in an official capacity.
"I've wanted this for a long time too," Hua Cheng said. He leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. "I apologize, gege. I won't hold back tonight."
"Of course, how else would you put a baby in me?" Xie Lian managed to huff a small laugh. "Don't hold back with me." He pressed that hand covering his wound harder against his abdomen. "I wonder if you could make me pregnant tonight… I don't know when it'll kick in or if it has already…"
"The only way we can see is by trying," Hua Cheng chuckled, the vibrations of it settling to Xie Lian's own chest. "Gege?"
"Hmm?" Xie Lian asked, reaching up to loop his arms around Hua Cheng's neck as he began sliding up and down on the cock that was still hard inside of him.
"I love you."
"I love you too, San Lang," Xie Lian said. He pressed that hand even deeper against his abdomen, pushing inward now. "Do you feel yourself inside me?"
He was abruptly shoved to the bed and whined at the sudden emptiness inside him before he was flipped on his back and filled yet again. "Yes, I can," Hua Cheng said, removing his inner robe as he rolled his hips lazily against Xie Lian's.
Xie Lian shivered as his husband traced along the outline of his top before resting on the butterfly pendant. "You like it?" Xie Lian whispered. "I look like i belong to you, don't I?"
"You always look like you belong to me," Hua Cheng said. He hooked his finger in the center of the top and pulled, ripping the fabric. "You know, most ghosts can sense it when I fill you up… you practically glow with it."
"San Lang," Xie Lian whined, moving to cover his face but Hua Cheng gripped his wrists and pinned them to the bed before latching on to his nipple and biting. "Don't say such things."
"When you carry my child, even the gods will know you belong to me," Hua Cheng murmured against his chest.
Xie Lian laughed at that. "San Lang, I think everyone from the Heavens to the Earth all know that I belong to you."
"Well," Hua Cheng laughed too. "I suppose you'll be walking around with the proof soon."
Hua Cheng captured Xie Lian's lips with his own and began fucking into him once again with merciless force.
For the rest of the night… and the next… and the next… the two of them didn't have much else to say, as their bodies spoke volumes.
Xie Lian felt eyes on him and looked up from where he was speaking with Ling Wen. "Oh, Pei Ming! Do you need something?"
Pei Ming was staring at him strangely and then his eyes drifted down to Xie Lian's stomach before drifting back up again, his smirk growing. "Ho-Ho."
"Ewe, when you say that, it's never anything good," Mu Qing spoke up from where he and Feng Xin approached. "What happened this time?"
"It's not about what happened, but in nine months or less something will be happening," Pei Ming said, smirking at Xie Lian. "I can't believe you actually did it."
"WHAT!?" Feng Xin and Mu Qing screeched in unison.
"Um… yes, that's what I was speaking to Ling Wen about… about the um, logistics."
"Logistics!?" Feng Xin echoed, horrified. "How the fuck did it get in there and how the fuck is it getting out!?"
Xie Lian blushed, waving his hands as he broke out in a sweat. "Feng Xin, you can't just ask people that! It's not appropriate!"
"To answer your question," Pei Ming spoke up. "When a Ghost King and a Martial God love each other very much-"
"Ewe. Shut up. Shut up." Mu Qing covered his ears and walked away.
Feng Xin tailed after him. "Do you know how!?"
"Feng Xin, you have a fucking KID! How the hell do you think it got in there!?"
Familiar arms circled him from behind and he sunk into the embrace.
"He'll be fine," Ling Wen concluded the explanation that had been interrupted earlier by Pei Ming. "This happens more than the two of you think. I'll have some junior officials send some books by the end of next week."
"Congratulations, by the way," Pei Ming said. "Maybe one day, the two of you will catch up to me with the amount of descendants."
"Absolutely not," Xie Lian said.
"Oh, we will," Hua Cheng said at the same time.
The rumors flying on year two of Xie Lian spending a birthday with Hua Cheng was reinforced when on year three, when gods, ghosts, and humans alike gathered for Hua Cheng's birthday celebration that was hosted and thrown by Shi Qingxuan — on the Ghost King's expense, of course —- the two had a little one they passed back and forth and were showing off to all their friends, beaming from ear to ear.
It was becoming an annual thing for Hua Cheng's birthday to be greatly overshadowed by how head over heels in love The Flower Crowned Prince was with Crimson Rain Sought Flower. Just as Crimson Rain Sought Flower was head over heels in love with The Flower Crowned Prince.