To the Moon and Back

13. Good morning and goodnight kisses

Xie Lian kept his promise, and every day kissed Hua Cheng good morning and good night, with some more kissing throughout the day. If Hua Cheng woke up before him, it was never just kissing, and they'd end up in the shower together. They slept in Hua Cheng's bed every night – through a silent agreement, they didn't do anything naughty anywhere else around the station.

Just like before, Hua Cheng liked to startle Xie Lian, only now he didn't jump trying to hide his embarrassment, kissing him dirtily instead – a Hua Cheng's favourite was Gege finishing his workout, his white t-shirt transparent with sweat, his flustered face. He'd always tell Hua Cheng to go away as he was sweaty and stinky, but Hua Cheng didn't: Xie Lian looked too sexy.

But above all they enjoyed spending time together, even if it was just work, and Hua Cheng gladly helped Xie Lian to get the place top notch for the next station manager, He Xuan.

"He's fussy", Xie Lian said with a cute nose wrinkling, "I mean. Of course I maintain the station working in perfect conditions, but he wants this here, this there, the larder in alphabetical order, things like that you know?"

This made Hua Cheng laugh: Xie Lian looked easy-going, but he was obsessively organised when it concerned the station, with everything labelled and logged in. They were wiping the lounge's walls and furniture – even though the 24/7 air filters didn't allow any dust to set in – and chatting.

"Oh I forgot to tell you! They're sending Tiangzhou this time".

"That old cargo spacecraft? Really?", Hua Cheng asked, "Why, do they have machinery?"

"That's right. Besides He Xuan, two other guys are coming up: Shi Wudu and Shi Qingxuan. They're brothers actually", Xie Lian explained, "Environmental scientists. For what I understood, they're going to build a chamber and fill it with sea water, to create a kind of mini-environment".

"Sea water with phytoplankton – that is, microalgae and cyanobacteria, performing photosynthesis and generating oxygen", and pointing at the plants in the lounge, he added, "These were genetically modified to produce more oxygen, but if you have to compare, well phytoplankton is the real deal. Self-feeding too, so ideal for this experiment..."

Hua Cheng was amazed how knowledgeable Xie Lian was, even if – in his own words – he hadn't been to uni therefore not capable of making a decent living on Earth. In Hua Cheng's opinion, Xie Lian knew enough for two or three graduation courses!

But besides spending time together, in and out of bed, they were busy, with Hua Cheng needing to do final experiment observations and data gathering, and Xie Lian writing handover reports and doing final fixes at the station. The last weeks flew by, and the last night they could sleep together came – the night before the relief crew was due to arrive.

They started just cuddling, and Hua Cheng could swear he didn't need any more than this, but Xie Lian's skin was so invitingly beautiful, soft and warm, he couldn't help but hug him closer to take his scent in. And Xie Lian's soft hands sliding hesitantly under his clothes, till the point of them getting too hot to even be wearing anything.

That night, Xie Lian was the sweetest, straddling on Hua Cheng, his body blushing and glistening with sweat, his flushed face with half-opened eyes and parted lips. He was the one rubbing their hard cocks together: on the past weeks he's been getting naughtier, only at times he'd blush and look embarrassed. Hua Cheng loved whatever he did.

Hua Cheng kept talking dirty and Xie Lian never stopped, even looking down at him fluttering his lashes and smiling: he was a dream. They came with loud moans – Hua Cheng got come all over himself – then Xie Lian slid down to lie by his side. He kept looking at Hua Cheng as if asking how it was, and smiling: he knew very well the answer.

"Gege I never knew you'd be like this", Hua Cheng said, touching his face. Xie Lian left himself be caressed, kissing Hua Cheng's hand lightly, then rested his cheek on it.

He felt like he told Xie Lian some time ago: pleasantly drunk, numb, intoxicated by love. He kept touching his face, playing with his hair – Xie Lian didn't get it cut in the end – , unable to take his eyes off him, that warm soft light on his skin, his eyes almost glowing in the dark, like a cat's.

"Gege", he said, his voice almost a whisper, "Come back to Earth with me..."

Xie Lian pffted a laugh and said, "I have to go back to Earth remember! Or Mu Qing will kill me".

Hua Cheng heard that and suddenly tensed, feeling out of breath, breaking into a cold sweat. Gege certainly didn't mean it was all casual, what happens on the Moon stays on the Moon did he? He looked so light-hearted Hua Cheng couldn't question it, his mind buzzing madly.

"I need to go and clean myself", he said in a low controlled voice, "Be right back".

He didn't know how long he stayed in the bathroom, dazedly looking at himself in the mirror, trying to process what had just happened, if he had heard wrongly, or misunderstood. He had just asked Xie Lian to be with him, to be his, right? And it was dismissed with a laugh and a joke...

He then heard a soft knock on the door, "San Lang? Is there anything wrong?"

He didn't want to face Xie Lian, let alone pretend nothing happened, but opened the door hoping Xie Lian would realise what had just happened and say no, I didn't mean it like that... But then, what use was it to make up excuses for Xie Lian's reaction?

"It's just anxiety", he said, "It's my first mission after all..."

Xie Lian caressed his face, then held his hand and said, "Come, let's get some sleep".

Falling in love can hurt too, even without gravity... 💔

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