closed post: luo binghe's bedroom

[peaklordshen]

After Airplane's gone, and Liu Mingyan is presumably gone, and King Arthur is gone, and Jiang Cheng is gone, and the Mansion is filled with just the expected people once more, Shen Yuan feels—exhausted. Every time he sets into some kind of normalcy here, makes some kind of plan, feels some kind of way about why he's here, what he's doing, what he wants, something upends the whole thing and throws everything into question again.

Or—well. It's not like seeing Airplane again and meeting Liu Mingyan actually changed anything. It just made it—kind of more real, the idea of leaving here eventually—possibly a soon eventually, now that Luo Binghe has Xin Mo again—and going to her version of things and not to his. Shen Yuan's, Airplane's—well, it was Airplane's version, actually, but not the one with him in it.

Liu Mingyan had seemed so sad. Not actively, not about what was happening to her in the moment, but passively sad, like it was her normal state of being. And she was Empress!! If she was sad, married to Luo Binghe and with all the riches of the Three Realms, what about the normal nobodies of Proud Immortal Demon Way?? He hadn't thought his world was all that different than the original goods, not in the broad strokes, but he'd spent most of his time, well... goofing off, with the other Peak Lords, when he could, and pretty much all of them were dead at Luo Binghe's hand. Who was he supposed to goof off with, when Luo Binghe was too busy being Emperor to have time for him?

The concept of Luo Binghe being too busy for him at all is displeasing enough, and he's man enough to admit that in the mood he's in, what he really wants is to be held. So he's sitting on Luo Binghe's bed, in Luo Binghe's bedroom, idly flipping through Luo Binghe's copy of Veiled Moon and waiting for him to come back.

Comments

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe burrows back into Shen Yuan's arms, rubbing his shoulders to warm him up—his skin is cool from the air outside the bed. He gazes sleepily into Shen Yuan's eyes. "It bothers you?"

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan bites his lip at the unbearably adorable softness in his eyes. How can you look at someone with a hundred hazy stars in your eyes while asking such a plot-relevant question?? How is he supposed to concentrate enough to answer?? "It--worries me," he confesses. "A little. I know it's your sword, but--"

[protagonisthalo]

"I understand that. Xin Mo is volatile. It's not an easy sword to manage. But..." Luo Binghe cups Shen Yuan's cheek. "I don't like being unarmed. There was someone here today who was more powerful than me, at least without Xin Mo. If he had threatened you..."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan blinks. "Here today? You mean, like, one of the visitors?" He does a mental list, but the idea of any of the ones he met--King Arthur, Jiang Cheng--being stronger than Binghe is laughable. "Who?"

[protagonisthalo]

"A demon looking for Crowley." He makes a face. "I tried to fight him, and he turned into a cloud of maggots. And then regenerated as though I'd done nothing. Luckily, he left on his own—but you don't know what could happen here. I don't want to be vulnerable." He bites his lip. "The only thing that I don't like about having Xin Mo here... is that I want things between us to be for us. Not for my sword." He had no compunctions about using his wives to sate Xin Mo, as long as they were willing, which they always were. But Luo Binghe frequently slept with his wives for practical reasons–curse-breaking, politics, and so on—so appeasing Xin Mo was just one more. Even if Luo Binghe doesn't mind Xin Mo's bite, he doesn't want to feed it Shen Yuan's qi.

[peaklordshen]

"Oh, I don't mind that," says Shen Yuan, immediately, and then goes red. "I mean--obviously I want things to be, um, for us, but if it stops Xin Mo from hurting you, it's worth it, obviously." He hesitates. "And you're right about, like. The unpredictability and potential dangers here. I just--"

How does he say, 'I worry about what Xin Mo may encourage you to do,' five minutes after fiercely reassuring him it doesn't matter if he does everything like he would have back home?? Even though both things are true, they sound totally at odds!! Luo Binghe will go back to thinking Shen Yuan needs him to be different, when really he just wants him to be happy. He shakes his head, and cuddles closer.

[protagonisthalo]

"Trust me," Luo Binghe says, dropping a kiss onto his forehead. If Shen Yuan really did read everything about him, then he knows Luo Binghe's neither gives up nor compromises. He will have his sword, and he will not make Shen Yuan use his body to calm it, and he will not lose his mind to it. It's not clear how all these things can be possible at once, but he'll find a way.

Luo Binghe also doesn't want to say it until he has a moment to test it for himself, but Xin Mo might end up helping Shen Yuan. If its ability to travel through worlds is intact, Luo Binghe might really be able to give Shen Yuan his family back. That alone is worth the risk.

[peaklordshen]

"Alright," says Shen Yuan, relenting. "Just--don't use it unnecessarily, okay? Just if it's really necessary, if you really can't win without it." That should pretty much do it--barring another visit by this maggot guy anyway. Which reminds him--he didn't know Binghe and Crowley were close, but it sounds like he really went out of his way to protect him. That's so heroic and sweet! He finds Binghe's hand so he can hold it.

[protagonisthalo]

"Mm," Luo Binghe says, not exactly promising, just in case. Then, to change the subject: "What did you mean when you said you had a lot of practice defending me?"

[peaklordshen]

Don't think I didn't notice that wasn't a yes, Luo Binghe!!! But he doesn't have the heart to dodge this a second time, so he says, "Um. Well--when I read about you. It wasn't just, like, a book I had, or something, it was--there's a thing in my world called the internet, which lets a lot of people read the same thing at once and then talk about it, and--well, I had--um, a lot of thoughts about your story. Like the thoughts I have about Blood at Dusk. And a lot of other people..." He scowls a little. "A lot of other people thought a lot of stupid, wrong trash about you. So I would--you know, correct them."

[protagonisthalo]

The circumstances don't surprise Luo Binghe—he is a frequent topic of public discussion in his own world, so it makes sense that a book of his life would gain popularity in another. And plenty of people slander him all the time. But Shen Yuan defending him—when he didn't even know Luo Binghe, and wasn't doing it to earn favor, merely out of righteous passion—makes his heart so warm it seems it heat him from within. He hides his smile in Shen Yuan's hair, but it comes through his voice when he speaks. "What did you say?"

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan shifts. "Oh, like—sometimes people would say it was unrealistic for all of these women to be into you, when obviously that's the most realistic part of the whole book." He still can't believe Airplane claimed the wives lost interest in Binghe—he's getting mad again just thinking about it. "And I'd—you know. Say that, or call people out because like—if they were transported into your world and faced with, um, your face, and your body and—and bearing and everything, as if they wouldn't fall to their knees about it, regardless of if they're straight. Or—sometimes people would say some revenge you took was too over the top, and I'd tell them they just didn't get the magnitude of the original crime, how much it had hurt you, and how cutting people in half hotdog-style is how you expressed that hurt. You know, basic—basic stuff."

[protagonisthalo]

Obviously there's no response to that except to pull back a little and kiss him, softly but with intent. Luo Binghe still worries about Shen Yuan's friends not liking him—Shen Yuan would respect their opinions more than strangers'—but this does a lot to convince him that Shen Yuan's regard is not easily swayed. When he pulls back he says, "So you've been ready to get on your knees for me long before tonight?"

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan flushes very red. "I—I didn't know it meant anything about me," he protests. "I really thought—I really think—anyone would, especially—especially if they saw it."

[protagonisthalo]

It's good that Shen Yuan put Luo Binghe through so much grief at first, denying his feelings and running from the kiss. Otherwise, he would be too tempted to believe that this was a dream after all, despite everything, and Shen Yuan was spun together by some clever demon to captivate him utterly. "Oh? I like yours too."

[peaklordshen]

"Really?" asks Shen Yuan, cheeks still burning. "But it's just, like—" he waves a hand in a there's really nothing at all special about my dick kind of gesture. "I guess—I mean, if it's the only other one you've seen, I guess you'd have to like it, by default."

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe has much to say to that, and he plans to return to the topic at the earliest convenience, but he should correct the misconception first. He's sure it won't bother Shen Yuan, given what he already knows about Luo Binghe's number of partners—but if he does get a little jealous and possessive, Luo Binghe would like that too. Perhaps he would go to Sagramore and slam him against the wall, and say "Binghe's body is only for me to touch"—but he's getting ahead of himself.

"It's not the only one I've seen. First of all, I have been to the southern demon realm many times, and you must know how indifferent they are about clothing. But if you mean in an intimate setting, I was with Sagramore more than once before you and I came to understand each other. That's how I know that you're special, beyond the fact that I prefer men."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan pulls back a little to look at Luo Binghe's face. "You—you did? You were?" He guesses that makes sense—he'd basically done the same thing, a little scientific test, when he'd gotten stoned, but—"He could have told me," he says, a little put out. "We had a whole conversation about it and his epilepsy, and how your dick might cure it, and he never mentioned you'd already tried." Assuming—assuming they'd actually fucked, which clearly they must have, though more than once might mean—he pictures Luo Binghe's hand in Sagramore's curls, like it had been in his hair not long ago. His whole body feels like it's blushing. "He's—probably better than me, with his mouth, huh."

[protagonisthalo]

"He is practiced, but you are a natural talent," Luo Binghe says, kissing the corner of his mouth. Luckily, they are not currently under the truth spell. "Of course I prefer you. He did say you'd suggested it as a cure—I thought perhaps my blood, instead. But I liked that you thought of it. As if my cock is yours to do with as your wish, for your own pleasure or to share with a friend."

[peaklordshen]

Can--can you not say it like that, Luo Binghe!!! Share it with a friend, like they might both be on their knees for him, kissing around the pillar like--like the fucking Taoist nuns in an orgy chapter!!! Shen Yuan's head is going to pop off and explode like a firework.

"Blood," he says, desperately. "Yes. He--he told me you'd talked about that. Good idea."

[protagonisthalo]

"Mhm." Luo Binghe nuzzles against Shen Yuan's cheek, kissing the ridge of his cheekbone. "But my point is that I've seen more than one, and I particularly like yours. Although I wish I could have seen your first body laid bare. Tell me, Shen Yuan—when you were reading about me pleasuring women, did you ever think it would be you? Did you imagine you would have the Emperor panting for your touch?"

[peaklordshen]

God. Shen Yuan knows the right answer to this--the sexy answer; the one he would give if he were the indolent lordling's son, in an inn somewhere. Oh, yes, my lord, I pleasured myself every night to the thought of it--but even if he had a thick enough face to say anything like that aloud without his soul leaving this pilfered body, it really wasn't true. "No," he admits, a little guilty. "I--sorry. I didn't, um--I never thought it could be? Like I couldn't--imagine you would want me." He'd sometimes thought too hard about what the wives were feeling in certain scenes, probably, but that was as far as he'd gotten.

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe was trying to fluster him, not really asking, but this sincere answer—and apology—is extremely cute. "It's up to me to prove you wrong, then. If I had seen you defending me so spiritedly, I wouldn't have been able to help myself. Maybe I would have fallen to my knees and serviced you while you did—so you were trying to craft your arguments while I took you apart with my tongue."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan lets out a mortifying sound and buries his face in Binghe's chest. "Binghe." He can barely stand to think about Binghe doing--doing that to him now, when he's in the body of an unrealistically hot cultivator; the idea of him doing it to his--his scrawny, absolute nothing of an original body is completely out of the question. "That's--"

[protagonisthalo]

"Oh? You can tell me 'anyone would want it if they saw it,' but I can't imagine thanking my boyfriend for his kind words?"