The Taste of Rain on Skin

Xiao Xingchen looked glorious. He stood tall amongst the corpses of the monsters he had slain, strong and determined, with none of his usual meek manner about him that he had whenever he was amongst commonfolk. His robes had been a whirlwind of white during the fight, but had settled around him, only fluttering slightly in the breeze, now that he was still. The silk was stained red in multiple places, tainted by hot blood, spattered not only over the fabric but marring the smooth, pale skin of Xiao Xingchen's hands, his face, trickling down the hollow of his throat.

God, Xue Yang loved seeing him like this, could hardly take his eyes off him. He had watched the fight with barely suppressed glee, fists clenched as though wanting to grab hold, tongue darting out of his grinning mouth as if to taste the violence and fury on the air.

Everyone knew that Xiao Xingchen was a beautiful man, but how many had had the privilege of seeing him like this, in this fierce, wild, unrestrained glory?

(Song Lan, presumably, a tiny voice whispered mockingly in his head, before he shoved the thought away roughly. Song Lan hadn't seen him like this – dispatching his enemies left and right with unseeing, ruined eyes, relying only on sound and smell and the shifting energy around him. Wasn't that more impressive, wasn't he better like this? And only Xue Yang had seen him like this!)

This was his favourite Xiao Xingchen, the one whose breath heaved in his chest not only from the effort but from the exhilaration of the hunt, the one whose cheeks were tinted pink with pleasure while his sword ran red with blood.

See, Xue Yang noted to himself with a smirk. He wasn't the only one who could succumb to bloodlust; Xiao Xingchen loved to kill as much as he did, he was just picky about who or what he killed. They weren't really that different after all.

Xiao Xingchen flicked the blood from Shuanghua and deftly sheathed the sword, turning towards Xue Yang. He bowed his head. "My friend, are you there?"

"I'm here," Xue Yang replied in a throaty voice. He gave a small cough and forced his body to relax, though his heart was still racing with the thrill. He picked his way across to Xiao Xingchen and gave a low chuckle as he surveyed the ground around them. "Wow, Daozhang, you were on form tonight!"

Xiao Xingchen smiled and merely said, "There were more of them than usual, it was more of a challenge." He was still breathing heavily, sweat beading on his upper lip causing the skin to glisten. Xue Yang felt a sudden desire to lean forward and lick it off. His breath hitched and he widened his eyes and took a step back.

The air was heavy around them. Suddenly there was a bright flash and a loud clap of thunder. Xiao Xingchen gasped in surprise beside him as Xue Yang felt a large droplet of water hit his cheek and trickle down. He looked up, only now noticing the dark clouds scudding across the night sky. Raindrops began to play a tinny tune on the stones around them, random notes here and there that began to blend as the patter of rain increased.

Xue Yang started in surprise as Xiao Xingchen grabbed his right arm and began leading him quickly back towards Yi City. He didn't let go as they slipped and slid their way along the dark, stony paths, laughing and gasping as the rain grew into heavy sheets that drummed on their backs and rattled in their ears. Xue Yang wasn't sure when Xiao Xingchen's hand had slid down from his forearm to his hand, but as they stumbled their way through the town and he guided Xiao Xingchen through the maze of coffins in their courtyard, he became aware that their fingers had slid together and they were gripping each other so tightly his fingers were becoming numb. He didn't quite know what to make of it, but also didn't want to let go or draw Xiao Xingchen's attention to it, so he kept holding on tightly as he stepped over the high threshold into the house. He immediately turned and placed his left hand gently but firmly against Xiao Xingchen's chest to slow him down.

"Careful," he murmured quietly, "mind the threshold, don't trip."

Xiao Xingchen was panting, his hand in Xue Yang's trembling slightly, but he nodded and stepped carefully over the doorway, and followed Xue Yang's lead when he tugged him further into the room. A moment later there was a loud thud as Xiao Xingchen bumped into the dining table with his hip and a wooden cup tipped onto its side, rolled across the table and fell with a clatter on the floor. They were both silent for a long moment and then Xiao Xingchen burst into helpless giggles, pressing his hand over his mouth and bending over in his mirth.

"Shh! Shut up!" Xue Yang hissed, trying not to laugh himself. He swatted ineffectively at Xiao Xingchen, then leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "Daozhang, be quiet, or you'll wake up Little Blind!"

Xiao Xingchen immediately stifled his laughter, but as Xue Yang pulled him towards his room at the back, he could still hear Xiao Xingchen's occasional hiccoughs as he fought the urge to laugh, his teeth chattering, his cold hand trembling in Xue Yang's.

Xue Yang led him into his bedroom and picked up a spare robe folded neatly on a chair just inside the doorway. Turning to Xiao Xingchen, he finally pulled his hand away, spread out the robe and swirled it around Xiao Xingchen's shoulders and over his head. Xiao Xingchen stuttered in surprise, his hand reaching out in front of him as though to grasp Xue Yang but finding nothing but air. Xue Yang couldn't help letting out a small laugh himself, and he reached up to rub the dry robe over Xiao Xingchen's hair, squeezing the rainwater out and drying the skin over his cheeks and forehead. Xiao Xingchen started laughing again, high-pitched giggles and great wheezes that he hardly seemed able to control, his hands gripping his sides as he leaned forwards towards Xue Yang. His amusement was infectious and Xue Yang soon found himself shaking with laughter too, his hands still caught up in the robe but too distracted to keep patting Xiao Xingchen dry; he just held them there, cradling Xiao Xingchen's face as Xiao Xingchen leaned towards him until his forehead was mere centimetres from Xue Yang's, his laboured breath ghosting over Xue Yang's lips.

Xue Yang's hands slid down Xiao Xingchen's neck to his shoulders and lower, to his chest, and scrunched up the sodden fabric in his fists.

"Fuck, Daozhang, no wonder you're shivering; you're absolutely soaking. You've gotta get outta these, you'll catch your death," he breathed, and immediately started scrabbling at Xiao Xingchen's robes, pushing them apart and exposing the clammy skin over his sharp collarbone. Xiao Xingchen shivered noticeably under his hands and his breath caught in his throat. Xue Yang reached down further and began to fumble and tug at the belt holding Xiao Xingchen's robes closed, his cold, stiff fingers struggling to undo the thick, sodden fabric.

Xiao Xingchen gasped lightly and clutched at Xue Yang's waist. Xue Yang hesitated for a second, his hands stilling as he suddenly wondered if Xiao Xingchen was going to push him away, but he didn't; instead, he slid his hands slowly up the front of Xue Yang's robes and murmured, "You're wet through too."

Xue Yang glanced up at him through damp eyelashes and replied, "So help me get these wet robes off and get dry too then."

Xiao Xingchen didn't respond, didn't move; Xue Yang didn't dare move either, just held his breath as he stared at Xiao Xingchen through the darkness of the room. Then, suddenly, it was like they both had snapped, and their hands grabbed and groped and tugged until both their belts were loose, Xue Yang's outer robe pooled on the floor at their feet and Xiao Xingchen's robes were pushed back over his shoulders, baring the most exquisite pale flesh, arching up his neck and dipping down to his chest.

The robe that Xue Yang had used to dry Xiao Xingchen's hair slipped down and he reached up to catch it; it slipped through his fingers to the floor, but he didn't pay attention, for instead his hand had caught the side of Xiao Xingchen's head and slid into the damp tangles of his lovely, thick hair. And oh, now he had tilted his head towards Xue Yang and Xue Yang could just hold him there, at that perfect angle, so close, his soft, pink lips so close, parted so appealingly, and he couldn't help himself, he had to touch! Holding his breath, he reached out and with just the pads of his index and middle fingers, brushed gently against those lips, tracing their curves. Xiao Xingchen gave a small, strangled moan, and the tip of his tongue darted out to caress Xue Yang's fingers.

Xue Yang's eyes widened and he pounced forward, replacing his fingers on Xiao Xingchen's lips with his mouth and kissing him hungrily. Xiao Xingchen let out an 'oof', but his fingers gripped Xue Yang's side and he almost immediately started kissing him back. He was slightly taller than Xue Yang, but Xue Yang found he didn't really mind it, in fact it felt like they fitted together perfectly.

Suddenly, to his disappointment, Xiao Xingchen yanked back, breaking the kiss and taking a step backwards. "Daozhang?" Xue Yang asked, concerned. He stepped forward, wanting to close the gap between them.

Xiao Xingchen was breathing rapidly, but he looked down and away from Xue Yang's direction. "My friend… Chengmei, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… I don't know what came over me."

Xue Yang's stomach clenched unpleasantly. "Daozhang… I thought you wanted… Look, if you don't want this, we don't have to do anything, we can stop right now."

Xiao Xingchen didn't answer, but after a moment gave a small nod. Xue Yang frowned.

"Is that what you want? You want to stop?" he checked.

"I…" Xiao Xingchen started, then paused. "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I didn't mean to kiss you out of the blue like that, without even asking your permission. I'm truly sorry, Chengmei."

Xue Yang's eyes widened in disbelief. "Daozhang, really? I'm pretty sure I'm the one who kissed you first. Should I apologise? You didn't want me to kiss you?"

"What? Oh, what, no! I mean, that's not right. I mean… I didn't mind…at all…kissing you…" Xiao Xingchen burst out, then tapered off in a small voice.

The knot in Xue Yang's stomach loosened and he grinned. "Well, that's alright then. 'Cos I want to kiss you and I most definitely want you to kiss me back!" he said, laughing.

Xiao Xingchen turned his head toward him, a look of surprise and almost awe on his face. "Oh," he merely replied, and Xue Yang reached out and grabbed hold of the front of his robes and pulled him against him, hands reaching up to cradle his face once more as he slotted their lips together. This time Xiao Xingchen didn't pull back, but leaned into the kiss, his hands finding their way back to Xue Yang's hips. Xue Yang swept his tongue over Xiao Xingchen's bottom lip and then probed forward, feeling a flicker of satisfaction when Xiao Xingchen parted his lips so Xue Yang could slip his tongue into his hot mouth. Xiao Xingchen moaned and slid his hands around Xue Yang's back, curling his fingers into the soft fabric of his inner robe and pulling him closer until they were pressed flush against each other.

They stood there in the dark of Xiao Xingchen's bedroom for a long time, holding each other close, their kisses growing deeper, wetter, hungrier, until the hunger became too much, their roving hands itching to touch skin, their damp robes frustratingly in the way as they shifted against each other, hunting for friction. Reluctantly, Xue Yang pulled away, Xiao Xingchen whining slightly at the loss of his mouth against his. Xue Yang opened his eyes and looked at him; his lips were swollen and glistening from the kissing, his hair in disarray, his robes bedraggled and hanging off his arms. They had hardly got started and the perfect, pure Daozhang already looked thoroughly debauched. Xiao Xingchen opened his mouth to give another whimper and reached out with trembling hands, his tongue darting out to moisten his tongue. He was absolutely beautiful. Xue Yang felt a jolt of desire in his gut and suddenly could hardly bear to keep his hands off him. Grabbing Xiao Xingchen's robes, he started tugging them off again, focussing now, not allowing Xiao Xingchen's attempts to draw him into another kiss to distract him from his task of getting the Daozhang finally fully naked. His breath was coming in ragged gasps now, and once Xiao Xingchen had realised what he was trying to do, he did his best to help peel the skin-tight, sodden robes from his skin.

Once Xiao Xingchen was naked before him, Xue Yang pressed forward, eager to lay hands, mouth, anything and everything he had on him, but Xiao Xingchen held him back, whispering, "No… your turn now. Get the rest of this off," and pulled at Xue Yang's own clothes. It seemed like it took an age, but finally Xue Yang too was naked, his body shivering in the sudden cold; but then Xiao Xingchen was stepping close, slipping his arms around his waist, and his chest was flush with Xue Yang's, and below, something hard brushed against Xue Yang's thigh, and he was gone, his mind was gone, all he could think about was that his Daozhang was here, naked, in his arms, and he had to be kissing him, had to taste him, had to touch him in every place, in every way possible, had to have him, had to consume him, had to devour him, until there was nothing, no space, not even air between them, he would be his, blended, merged, inseparable forever more.

Xiao Xingchen moaned and shuddered in his arms as Xue Yang kissed him frantically, licking into his mouth, biting at his lips, sucking on his neck and shoulders to leave his mark, but he only pressed forward equally as eagerly, and slowly they stumbled deeper into the room until they hit Xiao Xingchen's bed and Xue Yang pressed him down onto the straw-filled mattress. Xiao Xingchen pulled Xue Yang along with him, his hands roving up and down his back, reaching to cup and squeeze his buttocks as he bucked his hips up and ground against him. Xue Yang licked a long stripe up Xiao Xingchen's neck, his tongue flicking at his earlobe, still damp from the rain. He had a sudden flashback to seeing Xiao Xingchen standing in the field, Shuanghua held out from him dripping blood onto the ground, severed limbs scattered around, streaks of blood spattered across his face. The rain had washed all the blood away, and Xue Yang felt a momentary pang of regret that he hadn't been able to lick the evidence of his Daozhang's bloodlust away and leave him clean himself. But then Xiao Xingchen tilted his head back, baring his throat, and gave a loud, deep moan and Xue Yang snapped back to the present, to his Daozhang writhing beneath him, and he couldn't stop himself from grinding his hips against him.

Xiao Xingchen's legs fell open. Xue Yang sank into the space between and marvelled at the way he fitted perfectly, cradled between Xiao Xingchen's thighs, his cock sliding against his hot skin. He kissed him deeply and then began to move down Xiao Xingchen's body, his tongue laving his skin, leaving it glistening. He wanted to kiss him everywhere, but couldn't fight the impatience this first time, so instead ducked down and swallowed his cock down in one go, bracing his hands against the bed as Xiao Xingchen bucked up, crying out in shock and pleasure. Xue Yang immediately started bobbing his head, sucking hard. Xiao Xingchen writhed and shook underneath him, and he had a vague thought that maybe he should have started off slower, maybe it was too much sensation too soon, but the cock in his mouth was rock hard and he soon tasted the tell-tale saltiness of precum, and Xiao Xingchen wasn't telling him to slow down, but rather his hands were tangled in Xue Yang's hair, alternately gripping and releasing it but never either pulling him up or pushing him down, just allowing him to set the pace.

Xue Yang's jaw was starting to get tired, but it didn't occur to him to stop until Xiao Xingchen's moans started to get desperate and his hips twitched and spasmed, and that wasn't how Xue Yang wanted it to end, he wasn't finished with him yet. He pulled off Xiao Xingchen's cock, a trail of saliva dripping from his lips onto the swollen, throbbing head, and looked up with lust-hazed eyes to assess his Daozhang. Xiao Xingchen looked positively wrecked; his chest was flushed and heaving, his left arm was flung across his eyes while his right hand clutched tightly at the bedsheet. His legs were spread wide, hips still twitching and bucking slightly, seeking out the pleasure that had been denied him. Soft moans tumbled one after the other from his swollen lips, while dark bruises were flowering on his pale neck where Xue Yang had marked him.

He was beautiful and perfect, and Xue Yang was going to die if he didn't take him now.

Leaning forward, he shoved his hand, palm turned upwards, in front of Xiao Xingchen's mouth. "Spit," he demanded, his voice a growl.

"Wh-what?" Xiao Xingchen asked, confused, his mind still lost in pleasure and struggling to catch up.

"I said spit! Come on, Daozhang, give me all you've got!"

Xiao Xingchen hesitated, then spat out a little saliva, frowning when Xue Yang's hand swiped across his mouth, determined not to miss any. Xue Yang reached down and wiped the spit against Xiao Xingchen's asshole, making him jerk in surprise. "It's not enough. More," he demanded, raising his hand again to Xiao Xingchen's lips. Xiao Xingchen spat again, and Xue Yang added his own to it, rubbed his fingers in the moisture and began to circle and probe at the ring of muscle. Xiao Xingchen twitched, his breathing speeding up. "Ch-Chengmei," he gasped.

"Try to relax, Daozhang," Xue Yang panted, feeling his cock twitch in anticipation. He forced himself to be as careful and patient as possible as he opened his Daozhang up, but he was on the edge himself and only could hold out so long. Getting Xiao Xingchen to spit again, he slicked up his cock as much as possible and then lined himself up. Pressing forward, he eased himself slowly inside Xiao Xingchen, feeling him clenching around him. Xiao Xingchen's hands gripped his arms tightly, almost painfully, and he panted heavily. "Relax!" Xue Yang ground out, forcing himself to pause while Xiao Xingchen adjusted. He leaned forward and suckled on Xiao Xingchen's nipple, distracting him from the strange feeling between his legs and causing a wave of pleasure to wash over him. Nuzzling his way back up his chest and neck, Xue Yang captured Xiao Xingchen's lips in a deep kiss and felt his cock slide deeper into his body as he settled flush against him. Xiao Xingchen moaned as they kissed, and slid his arms around Xue Yang's neck, his legs lifting to wrap around his waist. Xue Yang had the sudden thought that this was probably as close as it was possible for them to get to each other, and yet it wasn't enough; he leaned down, trying to press even closer, scraping their teeth together as he thrust his tongue into Xiao Xingchen's mouth and began to move his hips, small movements at first, but then sharper, harder, Xiao Xingchen taking everything he had and only squeezing his legs around him tighter, holding him closer, raising his hips to meet Xue Yang's thrusts. The bed groaned ominously beneath them, but they paid it no mind, not aware of anything except the glide of flesh against flesh, the delicious heat, the desperation they both felt to be together, to share everything from the breath in their lungs to the heat building in their bellies and finally bursting out in a simultaneous explosion of pleasure. Xue Yang heard Xiao Xingchen cry out as though from a distance, his own brain shorting out as all of his awareness zeroed in on the pleasure in his groin as Xiao Xingchen squeezed and twitched around him and Xue Yang emptied himself as deep as he could inside his Daozhang.

The body underneath him slumped loosely and Xue Yang felt himself follow suit, sagging down and pressing his face to the sweat-damp neck. He could hear Xiao Xingchen's pulse racing and brushed his lips gently against the throbbing vein, but couldn't bring himself to move at all beyond that. Xiao Xingchen raised one hand to Xue Yang's head and gently began to stroke his hair.

Eventually, Xue Yang felt able to move. He reluctantly slid from the Daozhang's body and shifted to the side. He didn't get far though; Xiao Xingchen reached out and slid an arm around him, tucking him against his side and pulling his head down onto his shoulder. Neither one spoke, but Xue Yang curled his hand on Xiao Xingchen's hip, turned his face into his neck and let himself slip into sleep.