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"San Lang."
The ghost king turned to his husband, a frown on his face and his eyebrows pulled together. They had been married for millennia, maybe more, at this point. Though there wasn't a need to count the years as they passed. The ghost king, Hua Cheng, had fallen in love again and again constantly. What is the purpose of counting days when every day that passes will only increase their love tenfold?
"Yes, Gege?"
The younger man leaned closer to him, seeking out his comfort. The smile held on his face became sympathizing; the god held the king's head against his chest as he held on tightly. The ghost, Hua Cheng, was shaking.
"Dianxia...my Dianxia.."
"Yes San Lang, I'm here."
"I'm sorry, Gege..."
Hua Cheng pressed his hand against Xie Lian's cheek, tears welling in his eyes. His lover pressed his own hand against it, and kissed his palm.
"There is nothing for San Lang to be sorry for. You couldn't have known."
Hua Cheng wanted to cry. Of course he couldn't have known! But that wasn't the point...
"I can't protect you, not from this."
Xie Lian's heart broke for his beloved, his eyebrows stitched together as he held Hua Cheng's face his in hands. Didn't he know? He didn't hsve to protect him, not from something like this. Never from this. Truly, the only person Hua Cheng had to protect was himself. Knly then would Xie Lian be happy.
"Oh Hong-er..You being here with me is more important than any protection. You have died for me before...May I have the pleasure of dying with you?"
Hua Cheng dug his head into Xie Lian's shoulder and cried, his own shaking with the force of his sobs. All the while his husband sat and rubbed his back, whispering sweet nothings into his hair.
"My Hong-er...My sweet Hong Hong-er...you don't have to protect this old man anymore."
The ground shook outside of Qiandeng Temple as the world collapses around them. Despite this a God and his most devoted believer sat and held eachother.
"..Gege?"
"Yes, Hua Cheng?"
The man moved Xie Lian's hands to his eyepatch and leaned foreward so he could reach the strings tied at the back. With soft hands and even softer movements the eyepatch was untied and fell to the floor. When his face was comepletely bare they both sighed and looked at eachother, love and admiration in their eyes.
"Hong-er..Hong Hong-er...Wu Ming...Hua Cheng.."
"Dianxia...Gege...Xie Lian.."
"I love you" wasn't said. It didn't have to be. It was found in their embraces under soft sheets. In hands held while walking through Ghost City. In their routinely cleansing of Puqi Shrine. In their homemade dinners only they could consume. In the lighting of 3000 lanterns. In the years spent waiting until the day they could be together. In the falls and rises, and having eachother to help pick themselved back up. In Hua Cheng's deaths which were for no greater cause than love. In Xie Lian's graces gifted to a boy born with only the gift of being born at all.
In the kiss they shared which sealed their demise, and the end of the world as they knew it. They lived their lives for thousands of years, going through pain and strife, love and loss, and the renewel of joy after years of forgetting said emotion. Two souls had become one far before they had ceased to exist all together.
Yet as the groumd cracked and shattered beneath them and the tides roared and grew. They felt no fear, no anguish.
Only the love that had spent lifetimes cultivating.
They say love trancends all. If that is true then their love would be the sole survivor of this extinction, perhaps as the vines sprouting from the new soil said to come long, long after it was all said and done. Or maybe as the sun and moon, dancing around their countless stars twinkling like gold. Or even in the few and far between stories found etched into stones, statues built from caves. And maybe, just maybe, if thats true then...
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"Hello. Whats your name?" The college student asked, a smilenon his face. Though he was only twenty-four that very smile looked aged beyond his years, as though he had been beaten down by the world a life time ago.
"Gege can call this one..San Lang."
"Ah, then you can call me Xie Lian!"
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Banyue looked at her teacher, the paper in her hands pressed neatly against the coner of the moveable podium she was stood behind.
Professor Xie was stunned. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. A...story of him and his colleague...Just what were these kids up to these days, let alone his favorite student!
"It was ah...a very nice story, Banyue! Truly creative and an excelent show of writng prowess! You truly belong in this class."
The girl gave him a shy smile, the makings of blush dusting her cheeks, and sat down. Before he could continue his lesson, however, a snicker sounded from the back of the classroom.
"Well, Gege, I happened to enjoy that story immensely."
Hua Cheng strutted his way to the front of the classroom, standing next to Xie Lian's desk.
"San Lang ah- what are you doing here?"
"Can't this poor Hong-er visit his colleague?"
"San Lang!"
Hua Cheng laughed with a bright smile on his face and, as much as Xie Lian hated to admit it, he couldn't remain angry for long.
"Sorry, sorry. Really I just came to give you the copies you asked for, but I noticed the story being read and simply couldn't intervene! It would be rude of course."
"Of course..."
Hua Cheng dropped the papers down softly before turning around and walking out the classroom. Of course not before looking back at Xie Lian one more time, but thats neither here nor there.
The teacher shook his head, sighing with his nose bridge pressed together. That Hua Cheng! Truly reveled in his embarasssment. Would it kill him to be more genuine?
If Xie Lian had a feeling he was being genuine, though, well
it was really no one elses business but his.