Shisu’s cheeks flushed gold, peeking out from under his tan arms covering his face. He shuddered and twitched as Xxx lightly ran his fingers across his chest and down his sides. “My brilliant sun, do not hide from me.” Xxx cooed, pressing a kiss to Shisu’s forearm.

Panting, Shisu moved his arms just enough to look up at Xxx with half-lidded eyes. Xxx smiled, “there you are.” With one hand pushing Shisu’s arms even more out of the way, Xxx leaned down to capture his lips in a kiss.

*

The home of the sun should be warm and yet Xxx was suppressing shivers as he sat across from Shisu, two cups of wine on the table between them. Shisu glared with his arms crossed, face as cold as his white marble halls despite the warm, golden glow about him.

After a long minute of silence, Shisu narrowed his eyes and said, “are you going to speak, or what?”

Xxx’s eyebrows shot up and he started blinking rapidly, casting his gaze around the room before letting it settle back on Shisu’s face, “I-uh... I was waiting for you to talk.”

Shisu closed his eyes, his whole body going tense for a moment before he opened them again, “why do you keep trying to take away my new bride? Does it kill you that much to see me have a possibility of happiness?”

Xxx rolled his eyes, mirroring Shisu’s pose with his arms crossed over his chest, “not everything is about you, oh great and powerful God of the Sun!”

Shisu stood abruptly, his chair clattering to the ground. He walked around the table to Xxx, who was starting to rise from his own chair. Shisu put his hands on Xxx’s shoulders, forcing him back into his seat. He swung a leg over Xxx and settled into his lap, facing him. Xxx’s ale skin blushed bright red and he pressed back against his chair. Shisu leaned in until their foreheads nearly touched. Xxx’s eyes wandered down to Shisu’s lips, struggling to bring them back up to his eyes that blazed a molten gold.

Shisu grabbed Xxx’s curled horns. Xxx narrowed his eyes at the sensation, the ache in his scalp familiar and good. Shisu’s voice dropped deeper, “I don’t believe for one second that this isn’t because you’re still lusting after me and my power.”

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Xxx’s horns started growing, fast enough that the skin of Shisu’s palms tore from trying to hold on. Xxx slammed his hands down on the table, stone cracking under his large, black claws. Coarse black hair grew along his body, his face changed to something less than human, his pupils flattened into horizontal slits. Now towering over Shisu, he boxed in the Sun God and growled, “I don’t need your power.”

Shisu cocked his eyebrow. Unamused and unimpressed. His arm glowing with the heat of the sun, he knocked aside one of Xxx’s arms, the smell of burnt fur filling the room. Shisu slid out of the cage of Xxx’s arms, “nothing but bluster and lies, just admit it.”

Xxx’s snake tail whipped out and hissed, harmonizing with the low growl rumbling in his chest. “Get it through your heat-baked skull. This is not about you. I saw him first and he’s too good to be saddled with an arrogant little shit like y-”

Shisu waved his hand, instantly banishing Xxx from his home. His shoulders sagged. He looked at the cracked stone table. One of the wine cups had tipped over, slowly dripping dark red liquid onto the floor, the other was completely undisturbed.

*

It was quite difficult to startle the Goddess of Fate, but her lover screaming in fear rather than pleasure when she was between her legs was certainly one way to get the job done. She whirled around just in time to catch a glimpse of Xxx’s true form before he shrank back down to his humanoid body. Edia glanced back at Imoha who was frozen in terror, still staring at Xxx even though he was back to how she normally saw him. Edia bit the inside of her bottom lip and waved her hand in front of Imoha’s face. Imoha flopped back onto the bed, unconscious. “What are you doing back here, Xxx?” she asked, covering Imoha with a blanket before getting up to approach him.

Xxx’s face was small when he answered, “I didn’t choose to come here. It’s just where I was sent when Shisu banished me.”

“Shisu had to banish you?” As Edia padded closer, across the cold stone floor, she looked Xxx over, her eyes catching on a horrible burn on his left arm.

“No, he just decided he was done talking to me... Sorry to interrupt you.” With his gaze downcast, Xxx turned and stepped away.

Edia reached out toward him without thinking, “wait, Xxx, your arm.”

“I’ll take care of it myself.” He stepped into the shadows and was gone.