It took quite a while before Hua Cheng returned, so Xie Lian had passed the time by skimming through his alpha's bookshelves, and eventually decided on a book to read. It still wasn't about WuYong customs, but it was about its territory, which was as good a start as any to get to know the kingdom better.
When Hua Cheng did come back, he looked rather tired. Thus, Xie Lian put the book away, rose from the divan, and went to greet his alpha with a big hug.
"I hate dealing with people", Hua Cheng muttered, and pulled Xie Lian against himself rather tightly.
"Oh? Should I leave then?", Xie Lian asked teasingly, in an effort to lighten Hua Cheng's mood a bit.
"Absolutely not", Hua Cheng growled, causing Xie Lian to laugh.
He also gave his alpha what was supposed to be a quick kiss, but Hua Cheng wouldn't have it, and quickly deepened it, before Xie Lian could pull away. Therefore, they were just kissing in the middle of the room, when the door suddenly opened, and someone walked in.
"Your Majesty. I'm here to serve dinner", a voice that sounded somewhat familiar said.
Hua Cheng pulled away from Xie Lian with a sigh.
"Thanks, Yin Yu."
Xie Lian belatedly realised who it was now, and felt bad for not having recognised him, but really, he was still a bit distracted from his alpha's kiss, he tried to justify his inattention to himself.
While Yin Yu laid out dinner for them, Xie Lian took a step back from Hua Cheng, and it seemed like his alpha only then noticed the state of Xie Lian's robes. His eyes widened almost comically, before he quickly grabbed the lapels, and attempted to cover Xie Lian's chest properly again.
Xie Lian felt somewhat amused and somewhat insecure by his alpha's actions, however as soon as Yin Yu had bid them good night with a bow and left, Hua Cheng let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry, San Lang. It was too inappropriate after all, wasn't it?", Xie Lian asked, feeling somewhat stunted.
"Don't get me wrong, gege. You can look as dishevelled as you like around me, but Yin Yu is also an alpha, and he has no business seeing you like this", Hua Cheng explained, and gave Xie Lian a kiss on his forehead. Hearing that it was an act of unfounded jealousy, Xie Lian immediately felt his self confidence returning, and he smiled, before he gave Hua Cheng a peck on the lips in return.
Hua Cheng refused to talk about official business during dinner, but he told him afterwards that he had been right, and the boys had indeed attacked Guzi on behalf of Qi Rong, and that a guard was going to visit that baker early tomorrow morning, as well as the fact that the boys would be spending a night in the cell, in order to intimidate them sufficiently, and to give them a glimpse of their future if they didn't cut ties with Qi Rong soon.
However, since Hua Cheng had revealed to him that he had also been a street rat before he'd somehow usurped the throne, Xie Lian had really become incredibly curious about the king's life story.
"San Lang… when you said earlier that you also used to be a street rat, it reminded me that you still haven't told me the story of how you came to be the king", Xie Lian started.
"Right. I promise I will tell you tomorrow, gege", Hua Cheng said, and looked very earnest.
"You've been postponing it for so long, I feel like I should collect interest as well", Xie Lian siad only half jokingly.
"Oh? And what would that interest be?"
"The rest of your story. I want to know all about my San Lang", Xie Lian smiled, fully aware he was using slightly dirty tactics.
Hua Cheng huffed out a laugh, but agreed.
"However, since it seems like tomorrow is going to be a rather painful day for me, gege should make it up to me in advance, and kiss me silly", he teased.
"You're already silly, San Lang", Xie Lian couldn't help but giggle.
Hua Cheng looked at him playfully indignant, before he let out an equally playful growl.
"It seems like I need to teach my omega some manners", he said through his growls, and lunged at Xie Lian.
Xie Lian evaded his sloppy attack, as well as the following, and the ones after that, until he had lured his alpha close enough to the bed, that he could throw him onto the mattress using the momentum of his next playful attack. Of course, he jumped in right after Hua Cheng, making sure to sit on his alpha lap, and in order to prevent him from getting up, pressed his hands down on his shoulders.
"Got you", he exclaimed triumphantly, to which Hua Cheng's face turned incredibly soft.
"You do. It seems like I'm fully at my omega's mercy. What is gege going to do with me now?"
Xie Lian hadn't actually thought that far ahead, but suddenly very indecent thoughts flooded his mind, and he blushed. Still, he was in a relaxed mood after playing around with his alpha like that, and thus, decided to kick his shyness away from him just a little bit.
Xie Lian ground his hips down, effectively making his groin push against Hua Cheng's.
The change in his alpha was immediate, his eye darkened, and his hands flew up to hold Xie Lian's waist.
"I like that idea", he mumbled, before Xie Lian's world went out of focus, and he found himself on his back just a second later, with Hua Cheng hovering over him. He swallowed dryly.
To have Hua Cheng hovering so closely above him, and their hips still pressed together, Xie Lian's stomach did one flip after another, and he figured his own pupils were probably as wide as his alpha's was. He'd never felt this sort of desire before he met his San Lang, but thinking back on it now, the attraction had been instant and strong, and while Xie Lian had never experienced something like this before, if Hua Cheng was with him, everything that was happening between them just felt natural somehow. Just how breathing was such an obvious, non-conscious thing to do, being with Hua Cheng was an equally obvious thing to do, something he didn't need to think of the necessity of, but something vital nevertheless.
Xie Lian slowly lifted his hand towards his alpha's face, stroking his cheek gently before he slowly and carefully pulled the eyepatch off.
Whatever Hua Cheng was going to do with him next, Xie Lian felt that, from the bottom of his heart, he was ready for it. He didn't know how his mindset had changed in such a short amount of time, but maybe it was just the sheer feeling of rightness and being so completely at ease around the alpha that caused it. But either way, Xie Lian wanted them to be on the same page; he was ready not to hide from Hua Cheng anymore, and willing to do whatever he desired with him, but he also wanted Hua Cheng to be just as comfortable around him. And if they were going to go further in their relationship, he couldn't have his alpha hide away any part from him either.
Luckily, Hua Cheng didn't react negatively to having his eyepatch taken off from him at all, and he didn't even hesitate to open his right eye this time either.
So, feeling brave, Xie Lian caressed the area around that eye, until his alpha leaned his head further into his palm.
Xie Lian used his thumb to stroke his alpha's cheek a bit more, before Hua Cheng eventually started kissing his palm. He hadn't thought having his hand of all things kissed like this could feel so nice, but he was proven entirely wrong. And when Hua Cheng started moving his kisses along the inside of his forearm, Xie Lian could already feel himself starting to tremble. How had he never noticed how sensitive his skin could be there?
Sadly however, the sleeves of the robes prevented Hua Cheng from continuing his journey along Xie Lian's arms, and his alpha pulled away from him, looking a little disgruntled.
"Gege, your robes have to go", his alpha told him solemnly, before he made quick process of untying them, and pulling Xie Lian's arms out of those sleeves.
When Xie Lian's upper body was sufficiently bare, Hua Cheng continued by pressing a kiss into the crook of his elbow, before he proceeded to move to his upper arm.
Xie Lian could only watch in fascination how the hairs on his arms stood up under Hua Cheng's attention, and it didn't take long before he felt like his whole body was covered in goosebumps, making him shiver.
"Is gege cold?", Hua Cheng asked him after pressing a kiss onto the outermost end of his collar bone.
"No… just enjoying this", Xie Lian whispered, and wished he couldn't feel the colour of his face darkening.
Hua Cheng smiled at him softly and happily, and rewarded his honesty with a quick kiss to his lips, before he put his attention back on his shoulder. From there, he proceeded to kiss and lick along his collar bone, even biting him once along the way, and although it hadn't hurt, it caused Xie Lian's whole body to jerk in surprise, which in turn caused Hua Cheng to chuckle, before he continued up along Xie Lian's neck.
He stopped right above his mating gland, and nuzzled into it, before he took his time to scent him a bit as well, before he eventually nipped on Xie Lian's jaw, kissing along his jawline until he finally made his way to Xie Lian's lips and kissed him deeply.
At this point, Xie Lian was already so aroused, he could do nothing but put his arms around his alpha's neck, clinging to him, and pressing him to himself as closely as humanly possibly, even feeling desperate to deepen the kiss even more. Xie Lian recognised the feeling as pure and unadulterated lust, but was a bit helpless when it came to dealing with the feeling. Thus, he could do nothing but spread his legs, and wrap them around Hua Cheng's narrow hips.
His alpha paused in surprise at his sudden forwardness, but Xie Lian wouldn't have it, and pulled him right back into their kiss, even going so far as to clutching the back of Hua Cheng's head with one of his hands. After a while, he even gave in to the urge to push his hips against Hua Cheng's.
When his alpha pulled his head away from him this time, he couldn't stop him.
"Gege… what do you want me to do tonight?" Hua Cheng asked, though his breath also wasn't entirely even.
Hearing the question, Xie Lian couldn't even be mad that his alpha had interrupted their kiss.
"I'm ready for whatever San Lang has in mind", he said, and truly meant it.
Hua Cheng must've seen his sincerity and conviction behind those words, because his eyes widened, before he started trembling with what Xie Lian thought could be unadulterated lust as well.
"Are you truly ready for everything?", Hua Cheng asked again, and Xie Lian couldn't help but feel a little amused, as well as emboldened.
"I truly am. If it's up to me, I'd like to feel San Lang as- as thoroughly as possible" he admitted, though saying something like this out loud did make him feel just a little bit shy again.
Hua Cheng let out a stuttering breath, before he nodded.
"If dianxia is sure, I'll naturally worship him as thoroughly as he deserves", his alpha said, and finally went back to kissing him. However, when Xie Lian thrust his hips upwards again, Hua Cheng reacted in kind, and started to slowly grind against him. It caused several shivers to run through his whole body, but Xie Lian also felt very pleased at having his alpha reciprocate even that sort of advancement.
They were kissing and grinding against each other for quite a while, before Hua Cheng eventually pulled back again.
"Gege, if I do anything at all that you don't like… tell me immediately, okay?", his alpha demanded gently, and looked at him with big, guileless eyes.
Xie Lian could only nod while stroking through his wild hair.
"I promise I will", he whispered, to which his alpha nodded, before he pressed a short, sweet kiss on Xie Lian's by now rather swollen lips, before he moved his kisses downwards, over his throat, until he reached the middle of his chest.
Hua Cheng pressed a big, wet, sloppy kiss between his pecs, before he moved to kiss closer to one of his nipples. He teased him by putting a lot of attention on his pecs, but never where Xie Lian really wanted to be kissed by now, until he eventually cracked, and whined.
"San Lang… please", he mewled, and tried to push his chest up against his alpha's face.
Hua Cheng chuckled, but he was merciful and listened, putting his lips right around the already incredibly hard nub. As soon as he did, Xie Lian jumped at the foreign feeling of having something hot and wet play with such a private part of him, but it also felt incredibly delightful.
After Xie Lian had gotten somewhat used to the sensation, Hua Cheng flicked his tongue against his nipple, and this time Xie Lian cried out at the sheer pleasure that action had caused him.
"A-again", he demanded breathlessly, and moaned when his alpha complied without hesitation.
Xie Lian felt like he was already a proper mess by the time Hua Cheng let go of his nipple, though when his alpha blew a long breath against the wet nub, he felt like he'd completely underestimated the sensations his body was capable of. A small wail had left his throat and he had the intense urge to push Hua Cheng's mouth right up to it again, but he also wanted to enjoy whatever else would follow, so he managed to only clamp his hands onto his alpha's shoulders.
Thankfully, Hua Cheng didn't waste any more time before he moved towards his other nipple, though he wasn't quite as gentle with it as he had been previously, and bit it in greeting, while simultaneously flicking his finger against the other one. He could only make a choked sound while he felt his whole body tensing up at the action.
It didn't help at all when Hua Cheng started licking the previously bitten nipple, almost as if in apology, because the action had him flicking his tongue against the nub repeatedly, and with no small amount of strength behind it. His hand was also still playing with his other chest rather intently. Thus, when Hua Cheng sucked on it with just the right amount of force, while squeezing the other one at the same time, Xie Lian felt a white hot sensation wash over him, accompanied by multiple full body shivers, and he blanked out for just a moment.
When he came to, his alpha was staring at him in amazement.
"I didn't realise it's possible to climax like that just by having your chest played with", he murmured to himself. "You're so sensitive and responsive… Gege is truly incredible", his alpha praised, and gave him a soft kiss.
Xie Lian was still feeling a bit dazed, and missed the opportunity to hug Hua Cheng to him closely before he pulled back again.
"If gege is feeling this intensely, I can't torment him any longer", his alpha decided, and moved his whole body further down, until his head was on the same height as Xie Lian's crotch.
"San Lang…?", Xie Lian asked, still out of it, and a little confused.
"Does gege want to stop?", his alpha asked, with his hands already on the waistband of Xie Lian's underpants.
"Heavens, no", Xie Lian gasped. He definitely didn't want to stop before his alpha was satisfied as well.
Hua Cheng smiled, and kissed the skin just above the hem of the pants, before he pulled them down carefully, revealing how hard Xie Lian still was. Then, he pulled them further down, and off completely, before getting back in position, with his elbows in between Xie Lian's knees.
Having his alpha lay in between his spread legs like this, Xie Lian couldn't help but feel a bit exposed, but… somehow this was also… nice. Hua Cheng wasn't even really touching him right now, but somehow this felt even more intimate.
His alpha then began to stroke along Xie Lian's dick a few times, though there didn't seem to be a real intention to stimulate behind the touch; it was too light for that. However, after a few moments, Hua Cheng moved his fingers away, and still further down, until he stroked over his folds. It was an area of Xie Lian he'd never even touched himself, at least not with the intention to pleasure himself, so the sensation was completely new to him, and it felt much more intense than he could have imagined.
After stroking the outside for a while, Hua Cheng eventually slipped one of his fingers inside Xie Lian, and he felt like he was just about to burst with all those new sensations he was feeling. His legs were already trembling from Hua Cheng's actions as well.
His alpha was perceptive as always, and kissed the inside of his thigh, which didn't exactly help the intensity with which Xie Lian was feeling everything, but it did help him relax. He hadn't even realised he'd tensed up somewhere along the way.
"Gege is doing so well", his alpha praised him, which, in this moment, really made Xie Lian feel especially good about himself. "Do you like this?", he then proceeded to interrupt his quiet preening.
Xie Lian didn't think himself capable of speech at that moment, so he just moved his hips against his alpha's hand in affirmation.
His alpha chuckled fondly, and kissed his hip bone, before he inserted another finger.
Xie Lian definitely felt a bit of a stretch this time, and couldn't help the whine that escaped him.
"Shh, gege relax… you're doing so well. It will feel better again soon", his alpha promised him, even though he kept moving his fingers inside him, but how could he not believe him? He grunted, and closed his eyes, leaning his head back and trying to enjoy what his alpha was letting him feel.
After a while, it did feel more comfortable again, and Xie Lian's hips started moving in time with his alpha's fingers, as if they had a mind of their own.
Xie Lian was already a panting mess at this point, so he only barely realised Hua Cheng moving above him, which was why his eyes flew open in surprise when his alpha was suddenly back to kissing his lips.
"I'm going to insert one more finger. Can you take it?", his alpha asked seriously, to which Xie Lian nodded.
"Plea-... please do it", he panted, which earned him another kiss.
Sure enough, only a short moment later, Xie Lian felt yet another finger entering him, and he couldn't help the slight wince.
His alpha noticed, and went back to coddling him with words as well as his lips, trying his best to keep Xie Lian relaxed through the slight stinging. Hua Cheng even nuzzled and scented him through the worst of it, so really, Xie Lian felt the pleasure again in no time at all. However, he also realised that Hua Cheng was purposefully trying to stretch him from the inside, and he grew a bit worried when he remembered his alpha's size.
"Is… is it really going to fit?", he asked dumbly. Obviously his rational side knew that it shouldn't be an issue, however fear had the habit of pushing rationality out of people, and while Xie Lian was far away from being scared, he couldn't help but feel a bit concerned.
"It will fit, gege. Don't worry. It might hurt a bit in the beginning, but I know you'll do just as well with it as you're doing right now", his alpha managed to calm his nerves at least somewhat.
And true to Hua Cheng's word, even though it had been stinging earlier, Xie Lian was already thrusting his hips in time with Hua Cheng moving his fingers inside of him. Only when his alpha was completely convinced that Xie Lian didn't have the slightest discomfort at all anymore, did he pull his fingers out of him. Xie Lian immediately had an inexplicable feeling of loss, but he tried to shake that off, and focus on what was about to come.
His alpha did indeed waste no time to get in between Xie Lian's legs again, before he proceeded to take his robes off. It only occured to Xie Lian then that, for all the attention his alpha had showered him in, he'd received pitifully little in return, and he vowed to be a better, and much less selfish lover next time.
Once Hua Cheng had thrown his robes off the bed, and pulled down his own pants, he leaned forward, until he was hovering over Xie Lian with his now naked body. They weren't quite touching yet, but Xie Lian could still feel the body heat coming off of his alpha, and he could do nothing but arch his back, to finally feel his alpha's skin against his. It was such an incredibly nice feeling; Xie Lian was already moaning from just that touch.
Hua Cheng kissed his cheek, and then his mouth, while slowly lowering himself onto Xie Lian, until he could finally feel some of his alpha's body weight pressing him into the mattress.
"San Lang", Xie Lian mewled, and tried to buck his hips up against Hua Cheng's.
"Are you ready, gege?", his alpha asked against his lips.
Xie Lian nodded, feeling somewhat desperate now that he had been thoroughly riled up.
Hua Cheng lifted himself up again, just a little bit, and then Xie Lian felt something press against his now slightly widened opening, before it slipped in, and he gasped.
It felt completely different than his alpha's fingers had! Much bigger, and much more solid, and Xie Lian had a short bound of panic, before he felt Hua Cheng pressing his lips against his overly sensitive mating gland, successfully distracting him.
"It's only the tip, gege. Are you sure you're ready for the rest of it?", his alpha asked when Xie Lian still hadn't relaxed again after a few moments had passed.
"Yes. J-just… can you-..." Xie Lian couldn't bear to say it, but he grabbed one of Hua Cheng's hands, and put it back onto his chest, his palm right above his nipple. "Please", he whimpered, hoping his message was clear enough.
"Of course, gege", his alpha whispered straight into his ear, and immediately started playing with his chest again, rubbing his thumb over the slowly hardening nub, until Xie Lian was mewling under him again. Only then, when Xie Lian was truly lax and pliant again, did Hua Cheng push himself deeper into him, and while it did still cause some discomfort, at least Xie Lian's nerves didn't make it out to be worse than it actually was, and he managed to stay relaxed this time. It also helped a lot that, not only was Hua Cheng still playing with his nipple, he'd also started licking his mating gland. And before Xie Lian had fully realised it, his alpha was fully sheathed inside him.
Hua Cheng moved to hover over him again, but now that Xie Lian had gotten somewhat used to the feeling, he was growing a bit impatient, and tried to thrust his hips up. It caused his alpha to smile indulgently.
"It seems like my omega is ready for action, hm?", he said languidly, his voice deeper than usual.
Words were once again beyond Xie Lian, so he just moved his already quivering legs to wrap around his alpha's hips and tried to cling to his shoulders.
"Hold on tight, love", his alpha murmured, before he pulled out, just a bit, and pushed himself inside again.
Xie Lian gasped at the sensation, but his alpha didn't give him the time to get used it, before he repeated it, over and over again, at a steady, slow pace and Xie Lian only noticed in the back of his mind that his alpha had been sweating and trembling for quite a while already, and that he'd probably only been able to hold himself back like this with immense effort.
Xie Lian also noticed on some level, that Hua Cheng had been very careful with his thrusts at first, but over time, he let himself go more and more.
He didn't know for how long they had been doing it, but at some point their sweet love making had turned into something much more passionate, and Xie Lian was even meeting Hua Cheng thrust for powerful thrust, and any form of communication between them had turned into primal sounds.
While Hua Cheng's chest was rumbling in pleasure, Xie Lian was mewling underneath him, his arms refusing to let go of his alpha's neck, despite how weak they felt. Both of them were covered in a sheen of sweat, their bodies trembling and shaking, and Xie Lian was sure he was also crying from the sheer amount of stimulation. After all, he was sure he'd climaxed at least two or three more times since Hua Cheng had first entered him, and he was slowly growing exhausted.
He was in the middle of a rather long drawn out mewl, when his alpha suddenly picked his pace up again, and started thrusting into him with abandon, his movements growing erratic and wild. This completely raw and unrestrained rutting into him, stirred something within Xie Lian he couldn't even think to put a name on in this moment, but it was intense and primal and all of it combined made him climax rather intensely for yet another time, his insides clenching around his alpha's remarkable size.
However when it happened this time his alpha stilled above him, and Xie Lian could feel something shooting even deeper inside of him than his alpha already was. It made him shiver in pleasure all over again.
Just a moment later, Hua Cheng's knot popped, and it started stretching Xie Lian much more intensely than he'd experienced before. It caused another, unexpected orgasm to ripple through him, and it left him spent enough to pass out.
When Xie Lian came back to consciousness again, he didn't think much time had passed. After all, his alpha was still inside him, and still trembling and sweating.
"Alpha…", he mumbled somewhat incoherently, but it had the immediate effect of Hua Cheng kissing his whole face; his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, his temples, everywhere. Xie Lian rather enjoyed it. However, he deemed it more important to properly hug his alpha in this moment, so that's what he did. As tightly as he possibly could.
"Are you alright, gege?", he asked, and sounded a bit worried.
"More than alright", Xie Lian whispered. "I've never felt this good in my entire life."
Hua Cheng let out a sigh of relief, and slumped down right on top of him.
"I got scared when you suddenly passed out", his alpha admitted quietly, and pressed another kiss to Xie Lian's head.
"That's just how good you are", Xie Lian said cheekily, and pressed a kiss against his alpha's throat, making Hua Cheng chuckle.
"Well, since it caused my omega to turn into a flatterer, it must be true", he agreed readily, and started stroking whatever part of Xie Lian's upper body he could reach.
"H-how long does-... how long does your knot usually last?", Xie Lian asked, because he was honestly very sleepy now, and didn't think he could stay awake for very much longer.
"A while. At least an hour. If gege is tired he can go to sleep. There's no need to stay awake until it deflates", his alpha encouraged him, however Xie Lian was curious to know how it would feel deflating inside of him.
Though no matter how curious he was, he couldn't keep his eyes open, and fell asleep long before the knot went down, feeling incredibly warm and safe, as well as very secure and loved in his alpha's arms.