[曦澄 | XiCheng]: The Fear Of Falling In Love [~PART 1~]

[175.] Two blank days.

Zewu-Jun kissed his sleeping husband's forehead, smiling a little, and leaving him to rest. Today was the day in which he had to set out to check on the more remote training grounds; the Elders and the disciples were expecting him with impatience. 

Typically, those checks would be weekly, but now they rather had to be done on a monthly basis. He sighed, hoping that his loved one would spend the day in bed  –  he had to be absent for two days, as he planned to also pick Sandu Shengshou's anniversary present in person, the order was ready, to his pleasure, and to carpenter's utter embarrassment.  

***

Jiang Cheng woke up around noon, too tired to even move. He knew that he would find the bed empty, but still hoped... Maybe something happened and he would find Zewu-Jun next to him? No. His hand groped and searched, but no. He finally emerged from the bed covers, sulking. 

Empty.

The day was dull and empty indeed. There was heavy rain falling outside and he wondered if Lan Xichen was warm today. His husband was strong, true, but also reckless far too often. He frowned. He was behaving like a clingy wife, and hated it. 

But then... Did Zewu-Jun like it?  He wasn't sure, but he suspected so. His brain reeled his memories back, to a year ago, to the day of their spring wedding. It had been the perfect, lovely day, not like now  –  mud and torrential rain almost all the time.

He was leaning against multiple pillows in the soft bed, sipping on tea, thinking how much, how extraordinarily his life had changed in this last year. Regardless, was he worried? Nervous? Anxious? The baby seemed to sense it and was kicking in all directions, too eager to finds its way out. He would sometimes joke that that baby would jump its way out of his body like a bunny. Lan Xichen would laugh heartily, replying that  this was not how bunnies were born,  and he would kiss his perfect mouth and bite him thirstily.

He fell asleep without noticing it, and slept through the day so deeply that his only memory until next morning were two strong hands that took his clothes off and pulled the covers, tucking him in. He mumbled "Zewu-Jun...?",  but remembered nothing more. 

The next morning the bed was still empty and he refused breakfast, sobbing, missing his husband too much by now.