Xie Yi-jun

2004 years after The Long Night

Jingshén

He watched Wen Reian yawn, the boy covering his mouth and closing his eyes tightly as his nose wrinkled. To Yi-jun it was quite adorable, so he couldn't help but smile. Apparently he'd also laughed because Reian turned to him and pouted, stretching his arms.

"Am I bothering you? I could just study in the library..."

Xie Yi-jun laid the book down on his chest that he'd been reading and shook his head.

"Everyone is in the library. You couldn't concentrate there,"

Reian paused, lowering his eyes again.

Yi-jun seemed to be noticing a lot of the boy's habits recently. Like the way he could never meet his eyes when he smiled, and covered his mouth when he laughed, how he scrunched up his shoulders when he was trying to stay awake... even the way he tied his hair up high on his head when he was doing chores and playing with the younger boys, chasing them through the forest while they giggled.

Yi-jun thought perhaps that he envied Wen Reian the most for that. His ease with children. Or perhaps just people in general-

"Well, thank you again for letting me study here. We aren't allowed to have lights on in our rooms past ten PM and my final tests are soon."

Reian and the others his age, Xie De and maybe one or two more, had been working diligently the past week to complete their requirements.

Apparently it was a series of three tests, all administered individually by the Masters. Afterwards, Reian would be free to do whatever he pleased. If he decided to leave here, it wouldn't be difficult to find work wherever he wanted, as disciples from Jingshén were known to be trustworthy and kind.

Xie Yi-jun had learned a lot about their customs here, mostly from Wen Rei. It fascinated him, hearing about how they lived. Master Hao and those who came before him, the ones who built Jingshén from the ground up, they really did save the futures and lives of more people that they realised...

"It is my honor to assist such a talented future cultivator," Yi-jun hid his smile behind his book.

When he peaked over it, he saw Wen Reian blushing.

"Will you leave here after you are finished?"

The boy shrugged, going back to his work after a moment of contemplation.

"I'm not sure. Before, I thought I'd just do what a lot of people do and work alongside the Masters, being dispatched wherever we are needed..."

"Before?"

The King was pleased when he watched Reian blink and sit up, clearly reviewing what he'd said. When the boy turned scarlet, Yi-jun just chuckled.

"You mean before you woke me up."

"No! I mean... before I started healing-"

"Before you met me."

Wen Reian was glaring at him, but a soft smile curved his lips.

Before Yi-jun could continue teasing him, the boy's eyes suddenly closed again. Yawning once more, Yi-jun ended up sighing, setting his book down and standing up from the bed.

"W-where are you going?"

"I know you'll miss me greatly, but it seems I must venture to the kitchen."

"For what?"

The King shook his head, amused by Wen Reian's innocent tone. Something about the boy made him want to hold him close, and laugh all at the same time. He made Yi-jun's heart beat... faster. Something he continued to swallow more and more guilt over.

"You're exhausted," Yi-jun said. "I'm getting you a snack. Maybe some bloody alcohol for myself. Watching you work this hard while I lie around is depressing..."

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Wen Reian blinked, and Yi-jun watched the way a strand of the boy's hair fell from behind his ear when he glanced down.

"There's no alcohol here."

Yi-jun scoffed. "I find that very hard to believe with the amount of shenanigans going on everyday-"

When Reian smiled, the King felt something inside his heart bloom. It was an overwhelming sensation. One that both caused him great happiness, and great fear.

Finally opening the door, every step down the stairs, Xie Yi-jun was aware of the distance that grew between him and Reian. His heart had wrapped itself around something of the boy and didn't seem to want to let go. There were two sides of the young King, currently at war over this fact.

Of course, everything was more painful when he thought of Songcai, which he never stopped doing.

The word; betrayer kept ringing through his head, everytime Reian made him laugh. Which was often...

Yet it was impossible for Yi-jun not to know that if Jin Songcai were aware of how he felt for the boy, his lover's only possible response would be gratitude. Jin-cai would be pleased that Yi-jun wasn't sad and alone.

The King somehow felt it was his duty to be sad and alone. That if he was too happy, too okay, it was some kind of insult to his lover's memory, and everything they'd shared.

He remembered what Reian had told him that day, as the morning sun shone down and lit his eyes into amber fires;

"Don't force yourself to heal too fast..."

What Yi-jun was struggling with was the part of him that feared, if he truly loved Songcai, which he did and would never stop doing, then surely that pain would never heal. If it healed, would that mean he stopped loving the man?

These sort of thoughts were what followed Yi-jun when he was alone. Even when he slept... he'd have dreams of chasing after Jin Songcai, calling his name only for the sound to be lost to the wind.

Shaking his head of these painful things, he searched through the darkened kitchen, hearing the voices and footsteps of the others as they "studied" in the library.

A sense of pride for whatever reason struck him then, as Yi-jun entertained the very real possibility that his Reian was the best student here!

My Reian...?

Thrilled to find a half-empty bottle of rum under the sink, right where he figured it would be if all was still right with the world, Xie Yi-jun snagged some food for Reian and then began making his way back upstairs.

After opening the door to his room slowly, Yi-jun was about to show the boy what he'd snagged, when low and behold, Wen Reian was asleep, all curled up like a kitten in his bed! What struck Yi-jun first was how small the boy seemed. His arms around his knees as if he was trying to take up the least amount of room.

After the initial shock wore off, Yi-jun closed the door behind him, setting down the items in his hands and then proceeding to decide rather nervously what to do.

It would be... inappropriate to go to sleep beside him. Right?

But Yi-jun didn't want to wake the boy, and he didn't like his chances of carrying him back to his own bed unseen.

All the children here are prolific when it comes to rumors. If I escape here with my tattered legacy intact I will be amazed-

Xie Yi-jun took probably more moments than he should have, staring at Wen Reian. He must have been awake for more than sixteen hours, and the thought of that made Yi-jun very uncomfortable.

Well, he has to rest. It's just sleeping. Besides, if he climbed into my bed it's not like he'd be against the idea. Right?

Blowing out the candles, it was then that Yi-jun realised, Wen Rei would be uncomfortable wearing all his clothes, with his hair still tied. At the very idea of undressing him while he slept, the King's heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

No, no! Very bad idea! Very rude and not at all something you should do!

But the truth was, as much as Reian seemed to want Yi-jun to be happy and safe, Yi-jun wanted that for the boy as well.

He's been so kind to me. He's saved me so many times, I owe it to take care of him... not just owe, I want to take care of him. He makes me want to be so, so gentle.

Moving to the side that Reian slept on, Xie Yi-jun was careful not to disturb the boy too much as he untied the purple ribbon holding his hair in place.

In the darkness Xie Yi-jun could still see, but he felt as if with no one watching, not even his conscience, he was free to take care of Wen Rei how he wanted. Taking his hair down, Yi-jun ran his fingers through it, the softness reminding the King of freshly fallen snow.

Wen Reian was breathing deeply, fast asleep as Yi-jun carefully rolled him onto his back and went about taking off his outer robe. The fastening on his belt slid off, and then Yi-jun pulled his sleeves off one at a time, making sure Reian was still asleep and comfortable.

He took the boy's shoes and socks off next, tucking him under the blankets and then spending a while with no thoughts in his head, only brushing Reian's hair from his forehead and staring at his features in the dark...

Not scowling, not smiling, not blushing or whatever else the boy did, Xie Yi-jun took in the details of his face one by one.

The first face I saw when I opened my eyes to this new world. The face of the boy who saved me. Who asks me for nothing. Who only gives. The boy who I know keeps secrets so people don't get hurt. And who never fails to impress me. Every day...

Being comforted by Reian's mere presence, Xie Yi-jun quickly felt his own eyelids closing. Without a thought as to what he would do in the morning, the King took his own outer robes off, then laid down on the other side of the bed.

The flower in his heart that had bloomed for Wen Rei, fluttered at the warmth of his skin this close. It called to Yi-jun and begged him to reach out and pull Reian against his body, but he didn't. As much as he was drawing the lines, albeit blurry lines, between Reian and himself, Yi-jun knew that Reian had drawn them too.

He's keeping his distance in order to protect me. And I'm struggling to keep mine because of that...

For once, falling asleep came as easily to the King as falling in love. Falling in love with Jincai, and the way I'm falling for Wen Rei.

He dreamed of nothing, which was a blessing, and after sleeping through the night, Xie Yi-jun awoke gradually the next day, to a sound that would stay embedded in his heart for the rest of the days he lived.

And that sound was Wen Reian snoring.