Past and Present

Chapter 32- Confession

Xingchen laid down on the bed and let his hair scatter behind him. He raised his arms and pulled Xue Yang down to him, "I've missed you a-Yang."
"So have I," Xue Yang murmured and kissed down the man's neck. He sucked on the skin and left a few bite marks, earning soft moans. Xue Yang noticed Xingchen staring at him and chuckled, "What is it?"
"Nothing, you just look very handsome," Xingchen murmured shyly, he leaned up and kissed his now husband deeply. The man kissed back and heard the door open, the two jumped away from each other.
"Uh, should I come back later?" It was Yue.
"No! No, it's fine," Xingchen said, rearranging his clothes and hair. "Come in angel, what do you need?"
"I had a few questions. One, how did Mama come back?" Yue said.
The couple looked at each other before Xue Yang answered, "We don't know for sure, but we think it has something to do with me using the Yin Iron."
"Alright, and also, is him coming back related to the puppets at Cloud Recesses?" Yue asked.
"What puppets?" Xingchen asked, turning to his husband.
"I'll tell you later," Xue Yang whispered. He turned to Yue, "I don't think so, but there is a possibility."
Yue nodded, "Alright, thanks Baba." He walked away and closed the door.
Xingchen looked at Xue Yang with a serious gaze, "What puppets, a-Yang?"
Xue Yang sighed, "When we went to Gusu, we were talking and then some puppets appeared. We took care of them, and the other clans said they had some puppets bother them before."
"And you used the Yin Iron?" Xingchen asked.
"Yes."
Xingchen nodded, "Then, maybe someone else has a piece of the Yin Iron and is using it."
"That's what we thought," Xue Yang said, "but who could it be?"
"I don't know," Xingchen admitted, he looked down at his lap and pondered over everything.
"Don't worry too much," Xue Yang murmured, taking Xingchen's hands in his own. He smiled playfully, "You still owe me years of time."
Xingchen chuckled, "Fine, be gentle alright?"
"No promises," Xue Yang said before attacking Xingchen's neck again.

Chenxing woke up with a hand around his waist. He looked behind him and saw Shanghai hugging his waist tightly, How...?
  He wiggled out of the boy's tight grips and sat up, looking around his room. His eyes widened when he saw Yue sitting at his table, staring at him, with a smirk plastered on his face.
   "It's not what you think!" Chenxing whisper yelled.
  "Is it?" Yue challenged.
  "You know I haven't gotten over Chengzhu," Chenxing sighed.
  "I know, but that doesn't mean you can't try again," Yue said. He stood up and walked over to his brother, who's head was low, "Try to talk to Shanghai more, he seems to like you."
   "I don't want the same thing to happen again," Chenxing whispered, shaking his head. He glared a hole into the ground, "No. I'm not risking it, not anymore. You can if you want but I'm not."
   Without another word he picked up his fan and stalked off, to the garden. He sat down on the bench and pressed his face into his palms, with a loud sigh.
  He didn't want to risk the same thing happening again. He opened his fan and slowly fanned himself, trying to calm down.  
What am I going to do now? He wondered.
  "Hey," a voice said from behind him. He turned around and saw Shanghai.
  Chenxing held back a sigh, "Hello, Young Master Jin. Do you need anything?"
  "I already said not to call me that," Shanghai laughed, "I feel old." He sat down next to Chenxing and looked at the trees ahead, "You can call me Shanghai and I can call you Chenxing."
   "No, it is improper," Chenxing said.
   "Then I'll call you doveling," Shanghai snickered.
   Chenxing felt a warm feeling fill his chest and something flutter in his stomach. He frowned behind his fan, "No, you can't call me anything but Young Master Xue."
  "Too bad," Shanghai smiled, "doveling." Chenxing stood up abruptly causing Shanghai to gasp, "No wait! I'll stop!" He grabbed onto Chenxing's hand.
   "Let me go," Chenxing said, his voice dark and frightening.
   "S-sorry," Shanghai's face flushed with red and he looked down. Chenxing sighed dramatically and sat down again.
   "Call me doveling one more time and you won't live to see another day," Chenxing said.
   "Okay! I'll just call you Chenxing then!" Shanghai smiled widely, forgetting everything. The corners of Chenxing's lips lifted but immediately went down a moment after.
   He sat down and fanned himself slowly, then looked at the flowers on the ground. Shanghai seemed to be very childlike and naive. Not caring about what you say unless it's a good thing.
No doubt the young man was very interesting, and Chenxing was curious about him and his life. Were his parents still alive? Did he ever have a bad experience? Any siblings?
"Hey! Are you listening to me?" Shanghai asked, a pout forming on his face.
"Hmm? Oh, I apologize," Chenxing said, "I seem to have dozed off."
"It's fine," Shanghai smiled, "I was just asking if you wanted to come over to Lanling sometime."
"I would have to ask Mama and Baba," Chenxing said, covering half his face with his fan.
Shanghai clicked his tongue and snatched the fan, "Stop covering your face!"
Chenxing glared at him, "What did you just say?"
"N-nothing," Shanghai stammered. His eyes full of fear and regret.
"Really? Because I think you just invaded my privacy," Chenxing said, his voice low and dark. His eyes blazing with anger, he took his fan back and stood up.
"Wait! I'm sorry alright! I just...like seeing your face," Shanghai mumbled the last part under his breath, but Chenxing caught it.
"You...you what?" Chenxing turned around, "Is that why you came over? Just because you like the way I look?"
"No! I came over because I like you in general!" The two froze, "Shit."