It's strange, the way that his muscles ache despite not having fought a battle.
Xiao hasn't conjured his lance in what feels like decades but when he tallies up the years, he realizes that it hasn't been just centuries, it's been nearly an eon.
Time is so strange for an adeptus. It isn't that they don't age or feel the effects of that time, it's that the scale is just different. A blink and the world is different, the people are different, and the stars in the sky aren't the same.
There's a shuffle behind him and Zhongli's arms slip around his middle, his chin dropping to Xiao's shoulder. He never really got taller but he's filled out a little in the years that have passed. Even so, Zhongli has to dip low, leaning over him.
"What are you thinking about," asks Zhongli, his deep baritone seeping with tired sleepiness.
"My hip's bothering me." Xiao sighs. "Nothing too terrible but…" He waves vaguely.
"Hm. I remember when the aches started. It isn't fun and it doesn't get much better."
Xiao sneers. "Fantastic."
Zhongli chuckles and presses a kiss to his neck, his teeth just barely nipping at the skin there. "Come on, it's a nice day. Let's spend it together." Then, he leaves him, slipping back into their room.
They don't get many days like this, quiet ones where the breeze is just right. Despite having all the time in the world, it always feels as though they have none. Xiao still wanders and pays his karmic debt, but the grudges of fallen Gods have weakened. Rarely is his hand needed nowadays.
He still feels it, though, how the weight of that debt tugs at his being. It aches nearly as much as his tired and aging body that twinges. Xiao rubs an elbow idly.
Still, things are good. Exactly what he wants. Sunlit afternoons spent reading books and papers while draped across a couch in the ancient Wangshu Inn. Lazy nights in front of a fire, listening to Zhongli snore. Liyue has changed so much and technology has flourished, but the Inn has hung on stubbornly, its antiquated visage something of pride.
They occupy the topmost floor and are left alone. The Goldet family still feeds him their famous almond tofu, even now.
Once, Xiao thought he'd never find peace. He still wonders if this is what it is. Xiao always has one foot rooted in uncertainty.
"Xiao?" Zhongli's head pops around the corner. He's dressed in a plain cotton shirt and trousers.
Warmth fills Xiao's chest at the sight of him. Perhaps he's closer to peace than he thinks. "Let's stay in," he says softly. "We'll rest and read on the balcony, and share pot after pot of tea. I know it isn't much, but—"
"It sounds perfect." Zhongli's voice is warm with affection. He watches Xiao, his eyes crinkled with fine lines of age. Still so handsome, especially now.
Xiao smiles back.
#
They do exactly that and it's nothing but sweet indulgence that's rooted deeply in each other. Zhongli lays on their porch couch, Xiao's back to his chest.
With the centuries has come innovation. Technology rules an era where there's so little nature left. Xiao misses the bygone ages when he could see clifftops and rolling hills as far as his eyes could manage. Now, his eyes are shit; all he sees are the blurred edges of sparkling highrises.
Zhongli holds open a book with yellowed pages and years of stains. His arms are wrapped around Xiao's waist as they read it together.
It's a collection of dusty old quotes, selected portions of popular stories through the centuries. Zhongli is rather attached to it. "'I wish I knew how to quit you,'" he reads in an ominous tone.
Xiao snorts. "I hate that one. So dreary."
"Still a good book."
"If you like romantic tragedies." Xiao doesn't. If you asked a thousand years ago, he would've spoken positively. In his old age, he's learned something astounding: Xiao rather likes enjoying his life, particularly with this old fool of a man.
"'I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life.'" The next quote that comes is boring. And incorrect.
"Common man," murmurs Xiao, tracing his fingertip along Zhongli's arm. "I think not, Master."
Zhongli chuckles behind him, his chest rumbling. Xiao hasn't called him that sincerely in so long. Now it's nothing but a silver-tongued pet name.
"Which is your favorite?" asks Xiao, already knowing the answer.
Zhongli shifts behind him, reaching around to turn a dog-eared page. Zhongli's favorite, which makes it Xiao's favorite. Zhongli's mouth hovers near his ear. "'You should be kissed often, and by someone who knows how.'"
Xiao's heart lurches at the fine words curled right into his skin. He plucks the book from Zhongli's fingers and sets it to the side.
Zhongli's legs immediately spread wide, allowing Xiao to slot in between them. He hangs over him, pressing Zhongli back into the sofa, his gaze washing over his face. Worn with age, wrinkled and crinkled, but oh-so-handsome. Xiao loves the crow's feet and soft laugh lines.
There was a time when neither thought they'd make it this far, but those are now fleeting memories of the past, lost almost entirely to time.
"Just like that?" asks Zhongli in amusement, tugging Xiao closer. "With so few words?"
It's words like this that set Xiao's gut burning. He slips down that slope so easily. Perhaps it is even worse now that Xiao is allowed to be familiar, to touch and love Zhongli as he wished for so long ago.
It's still novel, thinks Xiao as his gaze turns hungered and he feels pleasure pooling in his gut. Just like that indeed.
Xiao grasps Zhongli by the chin and tilts his face up. "You should be kissed often," he muses as he looks at him.
Zhongli watches back, eyes affectionate. "You certainly know how."
Xiao kisses him, a sweet and tender thing. Their lips meet languidly, Xiao licking into Zhongli's mouth. It's so familiar, so well-known that Xiao gets lost in it. He loses sight of everything else as he slips entirely into pleasure.
Zhongli lifts a hand, threading fingers through Xiao's hair, tugging gently at his scalp to change the angle. His other hand slips around to grab at Xiao's ass, pulling him closer and—
Xiao practically purrs into Zhongli's mouth, feeling the hardness that fills his trousers. He pulls back from the kiss just long enough to say, "Just like that?"
And Zhongli laughs, kissing him again, this time more fiercely. Xiao nips at his mouth, catching his lip between his teeth. He drags a hand down Zhongli's front to slip into the loose collar of his shirt. Oh, how Xiao wants to lick his way across his entire being.
"I did want to spend time with you," says Zhongli against him, chuckling softly. "But—"
"Don't say that you didn't expect this." Because Zhongli should've. Even now, they can't keep their hands off each other.
Their third kiss is animalistic, teeth clacking as they bite at each other. Zhongli reaches underneath Xiao's shirt, scratching at the skin there. Xiao moans into his mouth, their tongues meeting in a wet embrace.
Xiao loves moments like this, small pockets in time where everything else melts away. Zhongli grinds against him, their cocks dragging with delicious friction, and he moans low and deep.
"Xiao," says Zhongli quietly, "Get up and come here."
He does, shifting until he's kneeling stock straight, fingers curled into the couch. Zhongli shifts slightly until his face is level with his tented cock, nuzzling his nose along the length of it.
"Oh," breathes Xiao, already holding his head there with one hand, just a gentle pressure against the back of Zhongli's scalp.
Zhongli says nothing as he pulls Xiao's trousers down, freeing him. "Out here on the balcony?"
"Don't care," says Zhongli, wrapping a warm hand around Xiao's length and pumping it once. He looks at Xiao's cock like it's a masterpiece, his eyes warm and crinkled around the edges as he smiles softly.
Gods, Xiao loves this man. Never thought he'd have him, but here they are eons later, Zhongli ready to worship his cock. Which he does. Zhongli presses a kiss right where his cock meets his groin, nipping at the skin there. Lifts a hand to cradle Xiao's balls, squeezing them gently. Then, he licks across his length in a teasing little stripe.
Xiao sighs as he watches, brushing Zhongli's hair back from his forehead. "Always so good for me," he murmurs.
"Yes well, it's easy when I love this." Zhongli presses a kiss to the tip of his cock and then swallows him down.
His mouth is hot and wet. He tongues around the underside of Xiao's dick before sucking around him. Xiao melts, moaning as he slips in deeper. Zhongli is dutiful in his attention, working his mouth with enthusiasm.
"Gods." Xiao moans softly, his head tipping forward as he tries not to buck into his throat, but it's hard with how perfect his mouth feels. Xiao distracts himself by tugging at his hair sharply, something that he knows Zhongli loves.
Zhongli groans around him, the sound of it just as addicting as the way his throat vibrates. He grasps Xiao by the ass and pulls at him, encouraging him to move. So he does, sinking his cock into his mouth that last inch or so, until Zhongli's nose is nestled into the coarse hair at the base of it.
It's nearly enough to tip him right over, and Xiao would relish in it, losing himself right into Zhongli's throat, but—
"Zhongli," murmurs Xiao, smoothing his thumb over the high arch of his cheekbones, and then down to feel the swell of his cock in his throat. Xiao swallows thickly when Zhongli looks back at him through wet eyes.
"I want to take care of you, I want—"
Zhongli's eyes darken at that and he pulls off of his cock, swirling his tongue around the tip."You want to fuck me," he says, rather crudely, and all it does is cause pleasure to pool deep into Xiao's gut.
He does. He wants to pick Zhongli apart and lose himself entirely to the feel of him. "When do I never want to fuck you?"
"Hm." Zhongli looks amused as his hand still slides along his cock. He pauses to lean forward and lap up the precome that drips from the tip, and Xiao feels the pleasure in his core nearly snap once more. It's sinful, the way that he looks when Zhongli does something so simple, so inelegant.
Xiao wants to see him utterly ruined by his cock instead.
"I know that look," says Zhongli, not unkindly.
"Gods, I want you." Xiao's hand tightens against the back of the couch, his nails digging in. Zhongli watches him back with glittering, golden eyes. He might not be an Archon anymore, but neither of them is mortal, and Zhongli knows when to indulge.
It's less than a minute to the bed, which is far more comfortable than fucking outdoors. Zhongli has already pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the side, his fingers curled into the waistband of his trousers. Xiao's shirt is open and unbuttoned, his fingers making quick work of it on his way inside. Zhongli slides into the bed and settles on his back, waiting for him, naked and legs spread.
"So handsome," says Xiao, soaking up the sight of him, lingering as he leans against the doorframe, his trousers still slung low on his hips.
"No, you," says Zhongli, watching him with a dragon-like gaze.
It's natural, falling into the sheets with him. Their bed is warmth and comfort. Xiao hangs over him, palming down his front and across the sharpness of his hips, and Zhongli arches into the touch.
Xiao presses a kiss to Zhongli's throat. "All mine," he says, his tongue snaking out to lick against his skin, tasting it. And the sounds that Zhongli makes—all of them curl right at the base of Xiao's cock where it's hard and leaking.
Zhongli too. Xiao swipes his hand across his length, smiling against Zhongli's neck when he moans.
"So slow," he murmurs, squirming in the sheets as he shuffles around to reach underneath a pillow.
Xiao snorts when he produces a bottle of oil. "That eager?"
"When am I not?" Zhongli throws his earlier words right back at him, and Xiao's mouth curls into a real, rare smile. Zhongli takes a moment and grabs Xiao's hand, pulling it to his mouth. Kisses the ring that sits there, his mouth lingering as he nuzzles it. "Husband," he says so lovingly, "please indulge me."
Xiao sighs softly as his heart tightens. "All right," he says, slicking his fingers up and pressing them to the crease of Zhongli's ass. He circles the tight entrance there, easing the way for his finger.
Zhongli moans the moment the first one slips in, his thighs spreading slightly. Xiao laughs against his collarbone, pressing a kiss there. He teases him, sure, but he loves that Zhongli is so ready and responsive.
Xiao is quick in his work, pulling at his rim and pressing the finger in deep. A second joins the first and Zhongli keens, hips lifting off the bed slightly as his head falls back. Xiao nuzzles the inside of his thigh, biting at the skin there, curling his fingers fervently as he tries to find—
"Ah—" His mouth curls into a feral grin against Zhongli's thigh, and he presses his fingers deep against his prostate. "Oh, oh—"
Xiao pulls his fingers out because he's feeling a little cruel, and Zhongli whines as his hips chase his hand.
"Cruel," says Zhongli with a huff, wriggling underneath Xiao's firm grasp.
Xiao settles between Zhongli's legs properly. He smooths his hands along Zhongli's sides, taking in his slim form. Not much has changed over the centuries, aside from wrinkles here and there, and deep-seated tiredness that sags his bones.
Zhongli is still the most handsome man he's ever known, and Xiao tells him this as he slides his cock right in. Zhongli sighs as he fills him, head falling back, his eyes fluttering closed.
He looks so good, taking him like this. Xiao presses in eagerly until his hips meet Zhongli's ass. "So good for me," moans Xiao softly, sweeping his hand down hardened muscles. "You always take me so well."
Zhongli opens his eyes and they meet gazes. He's flushed pink from his cheeks down to his collarbone, eyes half-lidded with lust. "I do believe that I said to indulge me," he drawls, his voice low and husky.
Xiao can't help the curl of his lips as he looks down at him. And, oh, he will. It isn't often that Zhongli prefers to be underneath him, but when he does, Xiao makes the most of it.
He pulls out to the tip and thrusts back in, and Zhongli keens below him, responding so perfectly. Xiao won't last long, not with the way that Zhongli clings tight around his cock.
Zhongli's legs are a little too long to be easily manhandled, but Xiao presses his thighs back nonetheless. When he fucks into him, Zhongli pushes back, meeting every movement with the rise of his hips.
It's delicious, the way they watch each other. Zhongli's gaze is utterly ruined, his red liner smeared around the corners of his eyes. Xiao knows he's a mess too, looking entirely gone as his cock slides into Zhongli over and over with an effortless glide.
Wet, warm, and tight, and oh-so perfect. Xiao can already feel the pressure churning in his gut as he ruts into Zhongli with a little more force. Zhongli looks too good below him and he just loves him too much.
He doesn't go fast; Xiao opts for fervent, long strokes that strike deep. The angle is good enough for Zhongli to fist at the sheets. He moans low in his throat, the sound so debauched that Xiao nearly loses it right then.
Instead, he distracts himself, scratching his fingers through the coarse hair at the base of Zhongli's cock. Then, he wraps his hand around the length, pumping it gently, a far cry from the way that he fucks into him with measured, heavy movements.
"Xiao, Xiao—" It's a whimper that dissolves as Xiao's hand curls around the head of Zhongli's cock, spreading the precome there. He groans as Zhongli tightens around him, the squeeze nearly suffocating.
Zhongli comes first, his come flooding Xiao's hand. Xiao soaks up the sight—how overstimulated and sensitive Zhongli is; the way that he writhes underneath him, riding out the high of his orgasm; the feeling of his ass and the vice grip it has around Xiao's cock.
Xiao ruts into him with several aborted thrusts before he tips over the edge too, that fiery pleasure in his gut snapping entirely. He collapses against Zhongli, pressing his nose into the juncture of his neck, pressing soft kisses there as he spills everything that he has deep into him.
"Fuck," he murmurs against sweat-slick skin. "Gods, I love you."
Zhongli presses a hand into his hair, combing through it. Sighs contently as he relishes the way that Xiao's plastered himself against his front. They stay like that far too long, growing sticky with their mess.
Clean-up is quick and efficient. When Xiao slips back into the sheets again, Zhongli is on his back, his arm open and waiting. Xiao rests his face against his chest and Zhongli resumes tangling his fingers into his soft hair, scratching lightly at his scalp.
"We're old," says Xiao finally. "I'm sore and I ache. I am often tired." He doesn't mean just physically, he means his mind too. Time passes and erosion tugs at his seams, whether he wants it to or not.
Zhongli hums softly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Might I suggest retirement?"
Xiao snorts. Then he falls quiet, thinking, just for a moment. And then he says, "This, I won't tire of, though. What we share. It's everlasting."
Zhongli shifts slightly, grasping at Xiao's left hand and thumbing over that beloved ring that sits there. "I love you," he says, kissing the knuckles of his fingers gently. "Forever."
Xiao never thought he'd have forever, but it's nice that time has proven him wrong.