-+-
when they met for the first time, they haven't even reached their final hight yet. this meant that for a year and half xiao xingchen was two centimetres taller than him; and he would boast about it every day.
xingchen didn't talk much about himself or the mountain and master he had abandoned in the name of common good. song lan didn't pry for more than xingchen couldn't afford. after all, family secrets were family secrets. song lan only knew xiao xingchen grew up healthy and curious of the world.
so once he finally stepped his foot out, he was overwhelmed by the sensation. down the mountain, the air seemed warmer. people passing him by had rosy cheeks and tanned, often wrinkled face. song lan remembered xingchen's fascinated expression when he saw farmers working in the fields, and insisted that he wanted to try his strength at growing plants, too.
and so they bought seeds and a little box, filled it with soil and ever since then xiao xingchen would carry it around every day and tend to this little growing life with the entirety of his heart. he was thrilled when a tiny green peck broke through the soil, then came leaves and a bud. one day xingchen woke up and saw it bloomed.
he didn't care about anything else that day but staring and admiring this little pink swirl of nature. he referred to it per liao-er with utmost affection. and the day it withered away was the worst day of his life.
song lan didn't have heart to tell him it was not liao-er that was supposed to grow. it was supposed to be a pretty and expensive red lily used for medical purposes, but the soil didn't accept the seed. what it did accept, though, was a random flying puff from the simplest weed flowers they passed by one day; xingchen carried his box with soil around, even for hunting. instead of a precious lily, a tiny weed flower grew and captivated xingchen beyond imagination.
song lan thought that was exactly what happened in their relationship, too. xingchen was supposed to get the most beautiful and precious of flowers in the world, but he still chose this beaten-up common and pale face. song lan didn't understand why it was his hand xingchen was holding, but he held him back. always.
xingchen was a pure soul. he was good. in the world that underestimates the value of good due to the drilling presence of evil, xiao xingchen was a treasure. a white doe among the swarm of ravens, a little kiss on the wound.
-+-
it was a lantern festival and they decided to take a break from travelling, and for once enjoy the act of doing nothing.
they both felt uneasy in big crowds, and neither of them wanted to drink any alcohol. as for feasts, xingchen was a picky eater. he would do with rice and vegetables, and really didn't need any fancy dishes. song lan? song lan would follow whatever the other decided. it was their natural pace.
so they rented a boat and swam onto a lonely lake. xingchen, who never experienced anything like this before, couldn't take his eyes off the surrounding.
he leaned over, glading the water surface with his fingers. as they swam closer to the colony of white lotus, xingchen delicately touched its glistening petals.
"it's so beautiful...," he whispered.
song lan agreed without hesitation. but he wasn't staring at the lotus flowers. he was staring at xingchen. at the hair that fell off his shoulder loosely, at his slightly opened mouth. his cheeks looked soft under the gentle moonlight, and song lan didn't realise how badly he wanted to touch him.
