Forenote:

Focus pair: Shen Jiu | Original Shen Qingqiu / Liu Qingge


Shen Qingqiu snarled and held on tighter, pinning his opponent's flailing arms to his chest and wedging his face into the other's neck to prevent his head turning to bite him in his delirium. Clawed fingers shredded his sleeves viciously, curling and ripping volumes fabric away until the chill of the air touched his arms directly and he shifted his grip to trap those too. The scent of fresh snow and lightning storms filled his senses, thick and heavy with potent threat. It made him shiver with something distinctly not fear, which in turn filled him with a burning rage because it wasn't fair, so he gripped his partner tighter, squeezing, and when his dumb brute roared in defiance, Shen Qingqiu turned his head and bit him.

Sharp eyeteeth easily pierced strong, corded muscle and once they were lodged deep enough (once Liu Qingge's Deviation-induced distraction noticed the sensory input of pain in his major scent glands and recognised it as a potential mating bite to cut through the deadly haze of aggression and shock him into a single moment of stillness), he surged qi directly through his teeth and into Lui Qingge's flesh.

Somewhat delayed (though what more could be expected from the withered hunk of muscle that served as a brain to this moron, it had long since atrophied from lack of use in thinking ), the Bai Zhan brute yowled, the sound echoing through the cave system with a distinctly scandalised intonation. As if Liu Qingge, the Bai Zhan War God was naught but a blushing young miss being bullied by a paramour with romanticised lecherous intentions as dictated in the drivel from Xian Shu. As if Shen Qingqiu was not doing this purely to save his soulmate's life.

Not that Liu Qingge knew that, of course.

His tail lashed behind him, brushing his ankles with every pass, but he didn't allow his agitation to interfere with the Qi transfusion. Any disruption to this delicate process would be catastrophic and it was not his intention to do Liu Qingge harm, no matter the empty threats of the past.

He had known what they were to each other since the eve of the disastrous mission to eliminate ghosts trapped in a well, when they had made camp at nightfall and Liu Qingge had stripped off his upper robes to check the wound dealt by Shen Qingqiu. He had watched from the other side of the campfire with mute, mounting horror as skin patterns were revealed with each progressive removal of cloth and Shen Qingqiu recognised them.

He knew them, as intimately as he knew the patterns of pale flecks and rosettes on his own body, because he was looking at them, displayed upon the body of another in perfect inverse of his own colourations.

He knew that soulmate existed, of course. Everyone had at least one and though different species types had varying methods of recognition, everyone, no matter what their secondary species traits, shared mottle patterns of dual toned skin in patterns perfectly matching and mirroring their Fated Mate in complement.

Xiao-Jiu had grown with arches and rows of pale spots framing his eyes and decorating his forehead, tiny white freckle spots delicately scattered over his cheek bones and clustered in rosettes on his arms, legs and back, matching the shape of the dark patterns set in the black and silver fur of his unusually long tail and weirdly stunted ears. On the rare occasions he had been clean enough on a clear day to see his patterns in the surface of water, he had thought they looked at times like moonlight ink painted on his skin and at other, more scornful moments, like burn scars.

To the bitter and jaded little slave child he had been, the promise of a Fated Mate was just another person waiting to claim ownership of him. The pale white scar marks were as much a brand as the Qiu insignia burned into place at the top of his spine between his shoulder blades.

When he set that cursed manor alight, he had burned with it the little fragment of stupid, childish longing of a saviour to come sweep him away to a better life as a beloved partner, just like the little fleck that still said Qi-ge will come back to save you- just wait . Then Yue Qi turned up alive and that just buried that half-formed hope deeper, because if Qi-ge hadn't thought him worth saving, then why would his soulmate bother with a random escaped slave, sharp and bitter and dishonourable, when someone with their pretty moonlight skin was surely beautiful enough to win the heart of anyone they wanted.

Then, he was sat across the campfire, watching the yellow glow glance off this noble young master's moonlight pale flesh, marred by the taint of rosettes, spots and flecks in the pigment of his own flesh like a bag of wheat kernels.

Commoner's skin, that in the play of light and shadow of the fire between the, looked more like bruises.

He was right- his soulmate really was a beauty. More peerless and perfect than anything he had secretly, guiltily dreamt of. Stupid and frustrating too, sure. But at his core he was good and if he wanted to he could win the heart of anyone and in his might win in a duel of strength against anyone that might threaten Shen Jiu- if he wanted to defend him. If he chose to, he would be unbreakably loyal in his duty too. Only death would shake him from his purpose, if he took it up.

What more could the scarred, scared thing in his heart called Xiao-Jiu want in a partner?

But just as Liu Qingge could be everything Shen Jiu craved if he chose to extend that favour, Shen Qingqiu was the inverted mirror to his Fated Mate. Everything he was was what Liu Qingge disdained and there was nothing he could do to change that, for no matter how hard he tried, he never could change what he was inside. Even the mask of a noble Cultivator couldn't stop the poison seeping through the cracks.

He hadn't given though to the Bai Zhan brute's Fated Mate before- why would he? All he had thought was the darker, richer beige of his counterpart's patterns had made the little war lord look fittingly fierce. It was different, now that he had matched the tone to his own, now that he knew his marks were spread across Liu Qingge's skin... he wanted to cross the distance and scrub them off the strong, stupidly noble brute, wash off the stains of dirty sand because he knew in his heart that Liu Qingge deserved so much more than him.

But he couldn't change the cruel humours of Fate. The best he could do was keep quiet and spare Liu Qingge the disappointment.

It could only end badly anyway.

What could he expect of the righteous noble-born Liu than to disdain the Mate who he thought turned a blade to kill him. He'd sneer at the weak, dishonourable scum he'd been shackled too and reject their bond, thoughtlessly publicly and utterly ruthless. He'd turn away with an unbearable disappointment in his eyes that of all people he was cursed with Shen Qingqiu .

Maybe he'd take up a mask afterwards to signify the rejection of his Fated Bond, or those permanent inks. Maybe even a veil like his sister, return to his family's tradition of concealing their marks.

Or maybe he would just continue as he was and it would be up to Shen Qingqiu to conceal himself so as not to seem like he was antagonising Liu Qingge with the marks they shared but the Bond they never would.

Worse, worse, would be that Liu Qingge, stupidly noble righteous Liu Qingge, would seek to take some sort of... responsibility for him. That he would honour the place of a Fated Mate in his life, his household, his Clan and would force himself to do his perceived duty by his wretched Mate. He'd control his behaviour and become a fake of himself because of how one should treat their Fated One and once again Shen Jiu would be the inescapable burden bringing shame and misery in his shadow.

No.

So he kept silent.

And if he had difficulty looking Liu Qingge in the face from then on, then it was just put down to guilt, by the few (if any) that noticed.

He kept his silence.

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Liu Qingge had always dreamed of his Fated Mate.

As a child he had regaled his mother and father endlessly with the adventures they would go on together, the monsters and battles they would win together. Even as he got older and the teasing from his relatives in the Clan led him to keep his imaginings to himself, they never went away. It was always him and them, together against the world and winning.

When he caught sight of rounded ears and long, fluffy tails his attention always sharpened next on their faces- but he was always disappointed. Snow leopard secondaries were rare enough, but none of those his parents arranged a meeting with had ever had the right marks, they were never beautiful enough, perfect enough. Even when whatever young miss or young master was lauded as a world class beauty or prodigy or gracefully elegant, smart or strong, he never noticed because the marks weren't right therefore, they weren't his and he wasn't theirs.

His Mate's marks were like warm honey, but no one he met looked as sweet and warm as their tone. His Mate's marks were reserved but perfectly formed, artfully arranged and masterfully painted, but every Leopard he saw had spots too bold, too splotchy and uneven.

In the Liu Clan, many wore masks or veils, to be able to find their Mate without being known themselves, to be able to test their so called 'Fated' Partners to see if they were worthy of the all-encompassing weight of a Liu's regard. To see if they could stand it without feeling overwhelmed and suffocated.

Liu Qingge, Liu Mingyu when he made the choice, had never put on the mask crafted for him. Even when his parent and Clan members cautioned him about tragedies in their history of Mates who couldn't cope, of Liu who were tricked into thinking an interloper their Mate in order to gain access to the Clan's wealth and powers... it was his Fated Mate.

When he met them, he wanted to be met in return. He wanted to look in their eyes and at the moment he knew, see that they knew too.

They were destined partners. Equals. He wasn't going to start out that by disrespecting them by lying to them.

When he had first seen the Qing Jing Snow Leopard, he was stood across from hi in the Tournament ring, dust still swirling in the air from his previous victory. As habit, he had seen the tail, the ears and looked to his forehead to check the pattern of his marks, maybe with a bit more eagerness than he usually would- this Leopard person was graceful to be part of Qing Jing, beautiful in the face and eyes and strong to be set against Liu Qingge in the ring- but the flush of exertion and dust clinging to sweat hid the true shape and colours of his marks and by the time the match ended, Liu Qingge had walked away from the Leopard boy spitting curses at him and written off the thought entirely, because though that boy (Shen Jiu he heard and the name stuck in his head the way it usually didn't) was surprisingly strong and fierce and (unfortunately, very ) pretty, there was no way his Fated Mate would use such dirty tricks in a display spar definitely wouldn't threaten to kill him just because he lost.

Still, there was always the slightest whisper in the back of his head that drove him over to the Qing Jing forests to just check, but he aways got distracted by wild beauty in those green, green eyes and the cutting words out of honey coloured lip in verbal sparring that no one else bothered with Liu Qingge then they fought and though he won it was always difficult and invigorating every single time, with new moves and tricks that Liu Qingge had never seen before. Afterwards, the buzz of exhilaration of the fight and frustration of the argument meant that Liu Qingge never remembered to atop and just look.

After the Well Mission, he deliberately didn't look because there was no way his Partner was Shen Qingqiu, right? His Fated Mate would never try to stab him in the back (and it hurt that Shen Qingqiu would do that, even though he shouldn't be surprised, because he had promised it from their first meeting hadn't he? They weren't even friends, so there was no reason to feel... betrayed).

The he had Deviated int eh Ling Xi Caves. Partly out of frustration, pushing for a breakthrough he wasn't quite ready for yet, partly out of boredom because everything seemed to have been so, so dull for so long now, maybe with an advancement he'd discover something new in himself or the world around him and partly... partly out of fear.

Because it had been decades now and he still hadn't met them.

He had met so many Snow Leopards and none of them had been his. He was well known in the Cultivation World and had met every prominent Leopard in it, so where was his Partner?

He had grown without them, fought for and achieved his position without them, experienced so any things that they would never know, had never been there for. If he met them now, what place was there for them? What battles could they fight together, when they were so weak he hadn't heard of them? What den could they make, when his home was as much the Sect as the stars of the sky sleeping out in the wilds? Hey couldn't be exceptionally smart, or talented, or strong if he hadn't already seen them.

Were the a Cultivator in Seclusion, who he wouldn't meet unless they both somehow successfully Ascended?

Were they a mortal, who he'd be cursed to watch grow old and could never fully connect to from the difference in their lifestyles and experiences?

Or were they just a mediocre Cultivator from a random Sect. A face among thousands except their face bore his marks but that would be the only link between them. Maybe they would simper for his name and resources and Clan attached to theirs, like his parents warned in hushed murmurs, maybe they knew and wore a mask so he'd never find out because they knew of his brutish reputation and turned away in fear before he even had a chance to show them different. Maybe they were inked with permanent paints because they'd found love in another while he could never get over that childhood dream of his Partner.

Maybe they were already dead.

So it was frustration, fear and despair, that pushed him into Qi Deviation.

Then Shen Qingqiu appeared and through the red tinge to his vision and the muddled pounding in his head, he wondered if he was here to finally make good on that promise from so long ago and the sting of hurt and betrayal mixed with a sweet relief like warm honey skin and a single thought of if it's him.

Now, he stared down at surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his chest and his mind blanked with relief and despair and hysterical, incredulous laughter because there was a honey brown hand wrapped around his with a trio of small, perfectly formed rosettes imprinted in his wrist, the perfect inverted match of the cluster on Liu Qingge's pale skin, a perfect match of shapes and tones.

Qi circulated around his system, cool and refreshing, emanating from the mating bite in his neck from his Soulmate.

Did he know? He must. There's no way he didn't. Shen Qingqiu was any things, but stupid had never, ever been one of them.

But Shen Qingqiu had pulled him out of Qi Deviation, had saved his life- why?! Why try to kill him then save him after years of threats to the opposite?! Had he found out about the in the meantime? But he last threatened Liu Qingge with death just months ago in their last spar.

So when did he find out?! Why didn't he tell Liu Qingge, If only to mock him-

Shen Qingqiu had never mocked him about his Fated Mate. Not once.

He had sneered and lashed dry, cutting comments at every other conceivable aspect of Liu Qingge across the years they'd known each other, but never once that.

How long had he known?!

Surely no before the Well Mission, surely, if he saved Liu Qingge now he wouldn't have tried to kill him then- his mind stalled as a thought occurred, staring unseeingly at the leanly muscular pale almond forearms patterned with freckles and thin scars and Liu Qingge's Marks. His head pounded from the strain of the recent Deviation as he cast his mind back, desperately trying to remember what exactly happened-

The ghosts. Fighting. Shang Qinghua off to the side, fighting the few that strayed away from the well-source. Shen Qingqiu at his back, the two of them fighting together, turning back-to-back and moving together like partners. The fight almost over, they separated to get the last few spread out and hanging back. Liu Qingge dispersed the last ghost in front of him and a sword glare cut his shoulder. He turned and Shen Qingqiu was looking right at him with that sae battle-focus, looking him up and down and then away to scan their surroundings, nothing shocked or, or guilty in his expression, like he hadn't done anything wrong, pretending like he hadn't just tried to kill-

… Had he actually done something wrong?

When Liu Qingge confronted him, he hadn't tried to make excuses. He had seemed surprised at the accusations, then angry, but he hadn't tried to convince Liu Qingge that he had misunderstood the situation. Wouldn't he do that if he was truly planning to kill him? Make him lower his guard?

...Shen Qingqiu was his soulmate.

Shen Qingqiu had saved his life at great risk to himself, approaching him mid-Qi Deviation.

Shen Qingqiu, who was strong and skilled enough to spar with him on more equal footing than anyone else in the Sect barring Zhangmen-shixiong himelf. Shen Qingqiu, Snow Leopard cultivator of the same Sect, who had grown beside Liu Qingge, fought beside him, lived beside him, who knew him beyond any faceless rumours or names and titles. Shen Qingqiu who had never been afraid of the blood-soaked Bai Zhan Warmonger.

Shen Qingqiu, who was his Fated Partner and whether they fulfilled that bond or not, he would give him the respect of asking him outright and judge whatever his answer, then.

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Once Liu Qingge's system was sufficiently calmed, Shen Qingqiu removed his teeth from his flesh, providing a parting flare of qi to seal the worst of the wounds ringing in scent glands.

He released his grip on the other and tried to pull away, but his hand, the one gripping one of Liu Qingge's fists, was caught and held instead.

The brute had been oddly silent throughout the whole ordeal since Shen Qingqiu began treatment and was now holding his hand and staring intently into his eyes with his own ghostly silvery blue pair.

...Was there some sort of effect from the Qi Deviation...? His free hand unobtrusively removed a knockout talisman from one of the hidden pouches on his belt.

Liu Qingge leaned slightly closer, "Shixiong, what-"

Shen Qingqiu lashed out, talisman slapping across Liu Qingge's chest and activating. He caught the brute as he crumpled and lowered him to the floor. He looked down at him, 'Shixiong', really? In what world had Liu Qingge ever used that term of address for Shen Qingqiu? Hopefully Mu Qingfang could mend whatever had been knocked loose in the empty cave of the brute, his soulmate's, skull.

Shen Qingqiu pulled on a spare robe, one unshredded by Snow Leopard claws, and hefted his brute up in his arms. Purely for Liu Qingge's breathing, of course, otherwise he would have simply slung him over his shoulder like a sack of rice. I had nothing to do with cradling his soulmate close in a way he would never be allowed were he conscious, nothing to do with seeing the peaceful expression on the face framed with his marks, resting against his shoulder, warm, alive and present.

No, nothing at all.

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After depositing his shidi into the care of Mu Qingfang, Shen Qingqiu returned to his seclusion. For all the good it did him.

Every time he sank into meditation, Liu Qingge's stupid face appeared before his mind's eye, holding his hand, staring intently and calling him shixiong.

Eventually, he gave up on pure meditation and drew his sword, practicing sword forms in moving meditation like the Bai Zhan brute surely had been before his Deviation.

Though it was a less effective cultivation method for Shen Qingqiu, a spiritual cultivator, it allowed him to physically expel his frustrations and called his spirit, which was better than pushing through still meditation until he succumbed to his own Deviation. By the end of his allotted time within the Caves, he had achieved only a minor breakthrough but smoother than he had managed for the last several years.

Of course, it was when he was exiting seclusion, for once feeling satisfied and somewhat relaxed, that some upstart demon Clan decided to invade the Sect. Which led to him facing down some barely dressed demon brat trying to pass herself off as a Saintess .

Still, the forces mustered (undoubtedly under whomever her rich father was, not her own power) were great enough that Sect losses were guaranteed in full-scale conflict, especially as the majority of disciples gathered were mere juniors and the Rainbow Bridges were shattered- preventing timely reinforcements. So, he played along with the half-naked chit and her proposal of three 'display matches' to buy time.

He defeated his opponent- a tall, one-armed demon wielding a large ghostlike sabre. With the boost in cultivation from his breakthrough, he could afford to draw the match out considerably under the guise of 'teaching' and knocked his opponent unconscious with a talisman instead of killing him outright and potentially provoking retaliation from the... 'Saintess'.

By the narrowed look in the demon girl's eyes, this was not lost on her, thus the next match was announced with the stipulation of giving another participant the 'opportunity'.

Thankfully, Liu Mingyan stepped forth to the challenge of duelling the Saintess... and though she was defeated, her performance was admirable enough that it was not a crushing loss to the Sect face, especially as the Saintess and she were of similar age and, by inference, strength.

However, when the next opponent was announced as a demon Elder wearing lethally poisoned armour, Shen Qingqiu had to object. "Armour, while impressive, which will surely be removed from the Elder's person before the atch begins."

The girl cast him a sly look, "Peak Master Shen did not raise argument against Ling-er's duel with the purple flower~ is this favouritism between the famously unified Peaks? Or... is the Master concerned that his Peak will not be able to maintain it's superiority~?" she giggled with sickly sweet malice.

He looked back at her levelly, "This Master judged that display match to be between peers in age, skill and standing. Quite removed from such an honoured individual set against one untested youth, outclassed in experience, strength, power and standing. Nothing will be learned at all in this display match if my disciple cannot approach to demonstrate the Peak style without fear of falling over dead within the first exchange from entirely unnecessary poisoned armour. "

The brat's mouth pulled down in a mou of displeasure, but before she could rally some undoubtedly witty response, the Elder had already dropped the largest plate of his armour and was undoing the ties to the rest, depositing the poisoned spike plates under the guard of Elder Du Bi, who had apparently awoken. Damn demon resilience.

Elder Tian Chui nodded in his direction brusquely and stepped into the space serving as an arena, waiting for an opponent to face.

Shen Qingqiu looked around the gathered disciples, scanning, before his eyes landed on one Luo Binghe. The young man stood with confidence, flanked by Qing Jing disciples in a standard defensive formation. It seemed there was some hope yet in Shen Qingqiu's initial plan with the boy, now that he was finally displaying some modicum of leadership aptitude.

To support a move to Qiong Ding however... he needed reputation. To which this was certainly a good opportunity to build.

Thus, Luo Binghe fought Elder Tian Chui. Shockingly, the brat actually won.

Less shocking was the bratling 'Saintess' throwing a temper tantrum in line with any other spoiled young noble. Casting out two Elders of her Clan over performance in a restricting situation she orchestrated was the height of stupidity and he did so love taking advantage of the folly of others.

"If the Honoured Elders are amenable," he cut in smoothly, interrupting whatever nonsense order the brat was about to spew to two demons no longer under her command by her own order, "Perhaps they might consider a period of internship within Cang Qiong to share their some of knowledge and skills honed with experience. Consider it an extension of the gesture of cooperation between our Realms extended with these... display matches today."

Listening to the demon brat spluttering was exceedingly satisfying as the demon Elders exchanged a speaking look and as one turned to him with steady eyes and a nod of acceptance each.

He was spared any retaliation from the whiny brat with Liu Qingge's arrival like a falling meteor, though he did have to deflect a few sword glares from the Sect's newest guest lecturers, to the surprise of everyone present. He was not, however, spared interaction with the Bai Zhan idiot's weirdness, seeing as his meatheaded soulmate showed up on his doorstep just as he was about to retire to bed, with a look on his face that he would not be sent away. What a wonderful turn of events. Truly.

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Liu Qingge sat at the low table in the Bamboo House and stared at Shen Qingqiu, ignoring the cup of tea in front of him, matching the one Shen Qingqiu was pointedly drinking from.

As the scholar was making no move to talk, he thought he'd better start off. "So we're soulmates then."

Shen Qingqiu chocked.

He looked up, green eyes wide with startlement, with... fear. Fear. He knew and he was afraid of Liu Qingge knowing too.

...Why?

Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat and smoothed his expression into a mask of vaguely derogatory disinterest, even as his eyes shone with fear. "Why ever would shidi think so? Was he not examined by Mu Qingfang? Surely he should be made aware that our War God is suffering from delusion."

He was lying to him. Hot anger kindled in his chest, expression darkening and a warning growl rumbling up his throat and curling around every word, "Don't lie to me Shen Qingqiu."

The mask dropped, the blankness remained, the fear shining in jade green depths joined by something heavy and tired. Like resignation. Or maybe guilt.

Maybe Liu Qingge was just hoping it was guilt.

What could have made Shen Qingqiu so afraid of him knowing that he resorted to lying to his face about it. About them.

He had had a lot of time to think, between waking at Qian Cao and Shen Qingqiu finally exiting seclusion. He had thought about Shen Qingqiu a lot, and about himself. About them and what that might look like.

It looked...nice. Sparring, without the frustration of arguments before and after. Going on hunts together for things Shen Qingqiu knew about and gave Liu Qingge a purpose, a challenge . Spending evening together in quiet companionship, content in their own tasks but together. Being allowed to run a comb through his hair and see if it was a silky as it always looked. To be groomed in return. To sleep curled up together, honey warmth intertwined with snow pale limbs, marks camouflaging them against each other indistinguishably, another heart beating beside his own, framed with the mirror to the marks on his chest.

But first, he needed to know. Because he wanted that and he wanted it with Shen Qingqiu, wanted it because it was Shen Qingqiu, but he needed the truth. He needed to be able to trust him.

He pressed onwards. "We are soulmates. You are my Fated Mate. I am yours." He held up his hand, showing his soulmate the back of his wrist. The marks. Their marks. "You wear my marks, and I yours. They match."

Shen Qingqiu set down his cup and looked at his own wrist, undoubtedly seeing the answering marks on the skin there through the material of the ling, snugly fitted sleeve of the robe the always wore beneath the more loose and volumous ones.

Liu Qingge had never noticed before, but the only skin Shen Qingqiu showed was his face and hands below the wrist. He was always fully covered. Had always been.

How long has he been hiding?

A sigh sharpened his attention to the present. Shen Qingqiu was staring down at his hand, shoulders soft and curved in a way completely foreign to the proud, fierce Qing Jing Lord. It looked unsettlingly like defeat .

"So now you know..." it was said quietly, as if it wasn't meant for Liu Qingge at all. "What will you do next, Liu Qingge?"

Well that was-

What was he supposed to-

Shen Qingqiu was the strategist, why was he talking like Liu Qingge had some intricate plan he was following? He jut wanted some answers. The truth.

Because until then, until he knew why... everything , he couldn't start thinking about anything else, anything next.

He just couldn't.

But- answers. He could start with answer.

"Did you try to kill me on the Well Mission. Don't lie."

Dark green eyes bored into his own. "No, I did not." His eyes were steady, as flat as his expression and tone, he continued speaking over Liu Qingge's surprised inhale at the informal, humble self address. "There was a final ghost behind you, diving for your back. My attack dissipated it, but the glare was not fully negated and struck you as well. I put too much qi into it."

Truth.

Nothing about him hinted he was playing an angle with misdirection or half-lies. With the qi circulated in his ears, he knew Shen Qingqiu's heart had remained steady.

It was the truth.

Okay.

"Okay."

Next question.

"Why did you hide?"

Soft honey lips pulled back from sharp white teeth, "Why would I not?"

He snarled back at that challenging tone by reflex, habit, then huffed in frustration, yanking off the vambraces on his forearms and shoving back his sleeves, laying both arms down on the table. Presenting his marks. Their marks.

"Why didn't you tell me when you found out? When did you find out?"

Shen Qingqiu snarled again and tossed back his head, ears tellingly flat against his hair. "Oh yes, shidi, because you would have been so very receptive to your scum villain shixiong claiming a predestined bond between us while you tended a wound I dealt you with apparent murderous intent. Ha! Perhaps you would have accused me of lechery then too! Of leering at your body and lying out of some covetous desire. " He laughed again, hard and humourless. "What would you have done, Liu Qingge? If I had told you then, or sometime in the years that followed? Would you have accused me of some underhanded trick to shackle you to me for some foul and hateful reason? Would you have been ashamed and demanded I paint myself in inks or wear a mask? Or would you do that yourself and proclaim to all the Sect and sundry that you refuse to bond with a mistake because surely you would not be cursed with one so lowly as I by the fate's designs. Honoured Liu Qingge must excuse his one's presumption in not wishing to hear throughout the whole of Jianghu that Liu Qingge's Fated Mate makes him sick. "

He fell silent, chest heaving wit loud, panting breaths. His claws were out, sharp crescent moons digging into the surface of the table. Those green eyes were wide and wild, pupil contracted to a slit so fine it nearly disappeared against the faceted sea churning within the two pools set in his face.

But what he had said- he had known since the Well Mission, but found out too late to mend the break between them. He was right- Liu Qingge probably wouldn't have believed him then, sat at the campfire and feeling hurt and betrayed.

And he had been too afraid to say ever since.

Years. He must have thought about it- had thought about it to have so many scenarios mapped within a single moment of thought. But in every horrible scenario he listed, out of everything he snarled with anger and fear, not once did he point out the things Liu Qingge knew would drive away most people. Things he had quietly dreaded for decades, things he knew Shen Qingqiu knew, with all the time they'd known each other.

That thought floated up directly from is heart and slipped out to hang in the air between them before he realised he was even making sound, "So you didn't reject me then."

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Shen Qingqiu stared at the slightly vacant expression of the absolute imbecile sat across from him. He gaped as he tried to wrap his mind around that string of softly spoken words, breathed out like a prayer, trying to work out how in all of the Three Realms Liu Qingge had come up with that.

Why had such a thing caused even an instant of concern when he had just discovered his Fated Mate was Shen Qingqiu.

Something truly bizarre and irregular was evidently occurring within the empty cavern of Liu Qingge's skull and was continuing to do it damage, judging by the constipated twist to his stupidly pretty face. Then he was standing and marching around the low table until he stood above Shen Qingqiu, where he remained for all of a breath before sitting directly within his personal space with a dull thunk of his dense barbarian meathead body hitting the floor. Before Shen Qingqiu could respond, a set of arms were wrapped around his waist and a face was smudging scent from its cheek glands over Shen Qingqiu's neck and shoulder, nuzzling insistently.

"Not cursed." was murmured into his shoulder, low and gruff but achingly sincere.

"Don't hate you."

The embrace was warm and strong, the scent of fresh snow and thunderstorms mixing with his own mossy petrichor and crisp icewater like they belonged entwined.

"Shen Qingqiu. Soulmate. My Fated Partner. Been waiting."

A soft weight of a long, fluffy tail brushed over his own, hooking together at the tips.

"My Fated. Strong. Smart. I know you. Could know you. Could trust you. Glad it's you."

There was a hesitation, then he was squeezed tight for a moment, an astonishingly pleasant sensation, as a low voice dropped to a bare whisper. "Missed you."

He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but it had been a very eventful day and it was disarmingly soothing, being wrapped up in warm, gentle protection, with the soft rumble of a foreign purr in his ears like distant thunder. He didn't know what this meant for the future... but surely it would not be too bad if it started out like this.

If he stayed there, in a quiet embrace with his Fated Mate, then who could really blame him?

If a second purr, rough and stuttered from disuse, joined the first within the peace of the Bamboo House, then who was going to tell?


Notes:

Whew, this went on longer than I anticipated- they should have been done in the cave! Curse their inability to communicate! Also- singular difference to cannon- LBH was never given a fake manual. So his cultivation progressed at a rate reflective of the work he was putting into it and SQQ didn't hate him for laziness and squandering his opportunities (at least. Still doesn't like him though).

Be assured that LiuJiu went on many hunting dates to figure each other out as potential mates and spend a lot of time together, bickering and aggressively snuggling. It takes work and the're some stumbling points, but not nearly as many as you might expect. They're alright. ;)

Any cannon charactes you'd like to see paired up? Drop me a line and I'll extend the planned chapter count, as long as they're cannon, the more vague the better! Opinions & criticisms welcome :)
~Xx~