A few days before the welcoming ceremony...

Jiang Cheng was hastily finishing up paperwork in Lotus Pier, missing Cloud Recesses more than he could ever admit. Not doing what he wanted, and not being where he wanted, was making him lash out more than normal.

But the fact that this was his home, and there was the lamentable fact of no XiChen to see, he felt he could let go of the strings holding his temper in, at least a little bit.

Perhaps it was being in Gusu and being surrounded by too much calmness and peace, almost unnatural surroundings for him really, that it was beginning to have a real effect on his personality.

Unfortunately, the pile of paperwork was more like a mountain. He had barked at a new disciple, and seen them running away and felt the teeniest bit of satisfaction at the sight, before sighing internally and getting on with his work.

He was so immersed in signing, folding, sealing, that he jerked when warm arms came around his neck and a the pressure of lips on his head. The familiar scent of jasmine mixed with incense both soothed and aroused him. That heady combination always like a balm to his soul.

He looked up into warming honey coloured eyes, and a face openly smiling at him.

"My darling, you work too hard..." the deep voice said, lips turned up in a slightly saddened smile.

Jiang Cheng blushed, but put down the papers in his hands, and held the face tenderly, bringing Xichen lower for an upside down kiss. It quickly became awkward, until Jiang Cheng lost patience and somehow managed to seat him in his lap.

"Much better," XiChen moaned into his lips, as they both sighed into another deep kiss.

The soft noises he was making were turning Jiang Cheng on like hot oil to flames; with a single sweep of his hand, he swept the table clean of any hindrance and began kissing his husband with an insatiable appetite, biting where necessary, whilst simultaneously removing the too many clothes.

XiChen was blissfully ignorant of everything, only able to feel each sensation as Jiang Cheng was relentless, turning into a beast of passion. When bare skin lit his own on fire, he blushed in that pleasant Lan way, his ears a wonderful peachy pink, inducing Jiang Cheng to bite and suck the warm skin.

"Wanyin, we're in a very public place..." He tried to say, but ended on another moan.

Purple eyes took in the ravaged form of a helpless man who was anything but on an average day, and yet to see him like this, here, on this table that had previously been used for the most mundane of tasks...Jiang Cheng was beyond turned on.

"Don't worry, no-one is coming here tonight. Be as loud as you like."

The deep ochre eyes melted with warmth as Jiang Cheng showed him what he meant.

Later, when they were getting dressed, Jiang Cheng pulled a tired husband into his arms, kissing him sweetly one more time.

"Li Li?" He asked, in a normal voice.

"Asleep in the Jingshi." XiChen blushed again. "I didn't know how long we would be, and....you're not worried at all, are you?" The last bit was said almost accusingly.

"I would never worry if she's with you." Jiang Cheng kissed the frown away. "However, our brothers are a different matter, especially mine."

"Li Li is asleep...and you know how good she is. I hear complaints from other new parents all the time, and I thank our lucky stars that we have been blessed with an angel." The proud smile on his face earned him another kiss.

"Then...do you want to stay here tonight? We can go home in the morning?" Jiang Cheng asked, another emotion lurking behind his words.

"I don't mind staying at all...what is it?" XiChen held his face tenderly, staring into stormy amethyst eyes. "You can tell me anything."

Jiang Cheng thought about how true those words were, and the fact that he could, if he wanted to. XiChen’s heart was always open to him, and he knew that, just...no one had ever said that to him with such blatant affection, meaning every single word. Tears gathered, and fell one by one, alarming his husband who tried to kiss them away.

Embarrassed, Jiang Cheng pulled away, masking his emotions with his ever present anger. He slashed away at his face with the back of his hand.

"Jiang Wanyin...I cannot help you if you don't tell me what the problem is." XiChen invaded his space again, and held his wrists in one hand and softly wiping his face with a clean handkerchief.

"Do you know? The amount of people who have said that to me...I can count them on one hand." He bit out.

XiChen, a master at telling how his purple jade felt at any time, smiled kindly at him. He pulled the reluctant man into his arms, holding him closer.

"The fact that you can, and there's more than one person there, is more important. A hundred disciples do not compare to two loyal friends."

His warm voice was doing wonders for Jiang Cheng, who found himself relaxing at the soothing voice.

"Friends?" He asked, returning to his teasing manner, a second skin when it came to XiChen.

"I was your friend first." He pointed out, patting his back. "We were extremely lucky that we both figured it out..."

"Yeah, earlier than those two dimwits. No offence, but the second Jade may be excellent in all ways and skills of the Lan Clan, but in matters of love...and my brother might actually surpass him in stupidity." Jiang Cheng found himself laughing softly.

"What matters is that they're both happy now." XiChen replied diplomatically.

"I have something to show you." Jiang Cheng replied, instead.

"What?" XiChen tugged on his hand. "And what about this mess?" Staring pointedly at the floor littered with documents still needing signatures.

"The best thing about work, is that it never goes away." Jiang Cheng smirked, and XiChen melted against him. "Besides, I'll just yell at someone. Come on."

Jiang Cheng led him to his room.

"Was that just a lame attempt to bring me here?"

The blush along his cheeks was so adorable, Jiang Cheng could not help but kiss his beautiful lips again and again, ravishing his mouth. Their tongues danced in a fight of dominance, as teeth clashed, licking and biting until a limp XiChen rested his forehead against Jiang Cheng's shoulder.

"What was lame about that?" Jiang Cheng kissed his hair softly. "You bring out powerful emotions in me." He started saying...but gave up and dragged XiChen inside.

He marched past their bed, surprising XiChen who was fully expecting a round two repeat performance, his eyes widening when Jiang Cheng stopped in front of the back door.

Purple eyes stared solemnly at the deep amber ones, gathering his raging feelings and wanting to turn them into words.

"Do you trust me?" He ended up saying, simply.

"More than myself." XiChen replied, immediately.

Jiang Cheng would have sunk to the ground, his words making his own knees weak. But he strived on.

"Then, please, close your eyes for me, Huan."

XiChen obeyed.

Jiang Cheng kissed his forehead, holding both of his hands, and opened the door.

"Only open them when I say, alright?"

"Yes."

Jiang Cheng manoeuvred him to a single spot, and stood behind him.

"You can look now."

XiChen opened his eyes to see a fabulous moon tree right next to a new looking pond, with lotus flowers. The tree was surrounded on three sides with jasmine blooming in the night, the fragrance tickling his nose. And a ring of gentian flowers grew in a ring around the trunk of the moon tree.

His eyes filled with moisture as he looked at his husband, who had somehow managed to find the time to grow all of this beauty. The significance of the particular blooms was not lost on him and now, XiChen turned around to kiss his man, hard.

"How? When? When did you do this?"

"Wei WuXian showed me his back garden, and then I thought, why not do something similar for you. Do you like it?" Uncertainty plagued his eyes.

"I love it!" XiChen kissed him again, and then impatience won.

He dragged him inside their room and showed him exactly how much he did.

******

A/N

Well, it turned out longer than I thought...hehe. You all probably know how I feel about these two...so I'm just going to leave it at that...

Have a great day, everyone. Eat a piece of chocolate and we shall hopefully meet again in the evening.