one more night // peishui

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pei ming let his hands land softly on shi wudu's hips as he pulled him up on his lap and leaned against the wall.

it was pitch dark outside with nothing but a crescent moon. it was so thin and weak it seemed it would disappear the very next second, plunging the world into abyssal darkness. ever since heavens turned around, the right and wrong overlapped, the night crawled even under divine wings.

but it brought about more realisations and new realms of things pei ming couldn't have imagined.

shi wudu's hands landed against his shoulders as he stabilised his position straddling pei ming's legs. he was wearing a light white robe with tinges of red seeping through the thin material a little above his elbows. pei ming sucked in breath, knowing exactly what hid underneath.

shi wudu placed his finger at the side of his face and forced his head back ahead, his icy blue eyes piercing right through.

pei ming wanted to keep staring at this face as much as he wished to tear his gaze away. there were two reasons.

one, shi wudu's beauty was otherworldly and pei ming still couldn't believe that the man in his arms used to be a human once. this sort of finesse features accompanied by gentle slope of nose and permanently furrowed eyebrows could belong only to an immortal. how could this being ever grace the mortal realm?

then, there was the second one, way more gruesome of what it implied.

the thick burning crimson collar encircled shi wudu's neck where hair couldn't hide it away.

shi wudu's finger once again dragged pei ming's chin up, "my eyes are here."

pei ming didn't smile in return as his hands rose up and clutched tighter at shi wudu's waist, bringing him closer until their noses brushed. he closed his eyes and slowly breathed in the faint scent of morning breeze overlapped with moonlight.

was it even a fragrance? did it exist, could it be reproduced in perfume bottles? pei ming doubted so. it was more likely that his helplessly romantic side took over as it did every time he tried to describe this man.

brushing their noses, he whispered against his lips, "shui-xiong."

"hmm?"

it's been a mess, a total unbearable mess. the heavenly realm didn't even begin to build itself up from the bloody pulp left by the defeated heavenly emperor. the shock and confusion caused by the revelation kept many heavenly officials awake tonight.

and all of it happened in a few months' time from the perilous encounter with black water sinking ships. the failed heavenly calamity with thunders striking around them was nothing, fighting against skeletal dragons was nothing, even running through the forest perked up with shadowy surprises was nothing.

it didn't compare to this absolute silence that fell upon the room when pei ming slowly knelt down at the beheaded bloody mess left out of shi wudu. the man who's been proud all his life, climbing up towards his glory regardless of the price, protecting no one but his only brother regardless of the price, finally coming face to face with peril.

the peril that was this exact price.

pei ming felt his shoulders sink and shrink pitifully as the memories washed over. the sweet taste of reality came back with shi wudu's fingers lacing through his hair and planting a significantly gentle kiss on his lips, "you think too much. this is so much unlike you, general pei."

"do you have any idea," pei ming spoke through tightened throat, "what if felt like to find you like this?"

pei ming's forehead landed against shi wudu's shoulder as the weight of recent months finally settled in. the general who battled hundreds of battles, the leading martial god of the heavens, the ever so quirky cocky man reduced to these trembling shoulders and raspy breath.