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The flowers bubbled up to his throat. The soft petals rubbed and tore against his poor, bloody throat. It was a relatively normal feeling, in that he had gotten used to after such a long time. Sharp stabs tumbled around inside of his body.
His third ascension…he wish it hadn't happened. It was something that he deeply regretted, for the first few months anyways.
Ling Wen had led him around the Heavens, showing him everything that he had ruined. It wasn’t fair, he had no money, and he had no control over his ascension. Not that he would voice these opinions of his.
The Qi from his ascension had completely ruined Feng Xin’s Palace and almost hurt Mu Qing… It had also damaged a few other things, but these were the worst. It wasn’t a surprise that they hated him for the past, these types of things always happened.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing…how he missed them. He was glad they were doing well. His current circumstance was a fair trade for that.
It came as a surprise to see them offer to help, especially since it was his punishment for hurting them.
The duo offered to help him with the Ghost Bride, in terribly constructed disguises. They did know he would notice right?
They were probably hiding so that he wouldn’t tarnish their reputation. He tried to not let that upset him, the flowers still surged.
The flowers were worse now, blood pooling in his mouth.
They were staying in one of Mu Qing’s temples, in one tightly packed room, nowhere to hide.
Xie Lian coughed, “I’ll- I’ll be right back.” His voice was incredibly hoarse, a slight drop of blood fell from his lips.
The flowers begged for release, cutting off his oxygen. It didn’t matter, he couldn’t die. But he refused to show this terrible sickness of his.
“Why?” they both said, as much as they tried to deny it, they truly were similar. They did not seem to notice the blood.
“I need to go pee.”
“Oh.”
“Ew. Don’t say that out loud.”Mu Qing seemed disgusted, the worry had faded from their contenances.
“Mn.” He waved before exiting the temple.
Xie Lian hid behind a tree and coughed into the bush. The flowers pulled out parts of his body with them. So much blood. A few tears slid down his cheeks. Of all the diseases and wounds he had experienced, this was one of his least favorite.
He eventually sat down, on the cold, wet ground. Xie Lian stayed there for about an incense time, coughing up flower petals.
“Why? Why do I care but you don’t?” he whispered, clutching Rouye close to his chest. “Thank..you. Rouye, for-”
He shouldn’t have spoke, his voice was now completely gone, he couldn’t even finish his sentence.
Eight centuries ago, a prince had pinned for his servant and his guard, not in a sexual way. He wanted to hug them close, protect them. But, in the end, that prince failed.
Xie Lian was a different person now, but they seemed to be the same as all those years ago. It made him long, and that, in turn, made him cry and writhe in pain.
“Xie Lian?” Feng Xin called out, in his palm was a bright fire. Unfortunately, Xie Lian had already passed out.
Behind one of the trees, he noticed something tucked away. The light illuminated the tree, blood seemed to pool behind it. FEng Xin sucked in a breath.
“Qing-er, get out here, now!”
“Why would you use that name?! Xie Lians around?!!” Mu Qing yelled from inside his own temple. His face blushed red.
“It's Xie Lian!” his voice was strained, guilt swimming in his voice.
“Fuck! What did he do now?”
“He's- bleeding!” FEng Xin sobbed, running towards the tree.
“Dammit.. Your Highness, wake up!”
He gently lifted Xie Lian from the bloody clothing. Grimacing at the large amount of blood.
Inside, Mu Qing had already prepared an area to set him.
“Where do I put him?!” Feng Xin yelled.
“Right there,” mu qing said, pointing at a pile of rags.
“We can't just place him on rags!” Feng Xin cried, clutching Xie Lian to his chest.
“And why is that? It's not like he's still our prince.” Mu Qing rolled his eyes.
Feng Xin sputtered but gave in, handing Xie Lian to Mu Qing. Mu Qing carefully held Xie Lian, doing his best not to open any of his wounds. His body was covered in many scars, some of which were bleeding. Where in the world had they come from?
Slowly, Mu Qing cleaned and dressed each wound, using the rags.
Both Mu Qing and Feng Xin seemed to be arguing from what Xie Lian could hear, but it was fuzzy.
“-qing? Fe-in?” Xie Lian mumbled inaudibly.
“Xie Lian? Are you awake?” Feng Xin asked whilst Mu Qing simply brushed his hand against Xie Lian's forehead.
“Mn?”
“I'll take that as a no then.”
A day had already passed, within just a few minutes the reports of missing people grew. It was the same people from the day before, the ones that wanted to kill the ghost groom.
“Sucks to be them.” Mu Qing shrugged.
“This was our fault.” Feng Xin hung his head, then glanced at his Highness.
“Is he going to be okay?” Feng Xin asked for the 12th time.
“The wounds have already healed, yet hes still in pain...” Mu qing looked outside of the shrine, “Does he need food?”
“He's a god too, so probably not. We should take him to the Heavens if he doesn't wake up soon.”
For once, Mu Qing didn't fight against him. He agreed, on this aspect at least. Everything else however…
The light of the day had already faded, it was the best day to capture the Ghost groom.
“Fu Yao? Nan Feng?” Xie Lian called out, flinching at the bandages covering his body.
In fact, he didn't even remember moving into the shrine, just collapsing behind a tree. They didn't see him did they? He hoped not.
Outside, ‘Fu Yao’ and ‘Nan Feng' seemed to be deep in discussion. Their eyes widened when they saw him.
“Your Highness!” both shouted, stopping whatever they had been doing before.
“Your Highness, please forgive me, but you should lie down, “ Feng Xin demanded, going towards Xie Lian to steady him.
“We still have a ghost to find,” Xie Lian interjected, bristling at the arms on his shoulders, “Lets go catch the groom.” Slowly, he picked the hands off his shoulders and moved away.
“Your Highness-” Mu Qing tried to say but was silenced.
He refused to speak a word of the night prior, shutting down each attempt. From here, Xie Lian dressed as a bride. A girl, Xiao Ying, helped with the outfit. Then they set off. Once Feng Xin and Mu Qing left, a red dressed man took Xie Lian and led him through the forest.
“It's you!” Xie Lian gasped.
“It is, Your Highness, long time no see,” Hua Cheng said, staring down at the bride. “Traveler’s Flowers for the Lost.”
“I’m not a ghost, Hong-er,” Xie Lian reprimanded. It was a popular nickname he was given, though they all assumed he was a ghost by how long his legend had been.
The ghost king erupted into butterflies, only leaving a set of dice. Xie Lian nodded at the gift.
Xuan Ji was not difficult to bring back to the heavens, though Xiao Ying did pass. A little boy, Lang Ying, ran off.
He had the disease, how did he have the disease? He was closing in on a panic attack, not good.
Xie Lian sipped his wine, glancing at the stage, the play had not yet started. Then the curtains opened.
It showed him, walking along a path. A small ghost fire followed him through the forest. Xie Lian froze, he really didn’t want to replay that scene.
Xie Lian placed the wine back on the table, and stood up to leave.
“Xianle, are you leaving?” Jun Wu asked, startling him.
“My Lord, please forgive me, I have an important matter I must attend to.”
“Of course! It is a shame you will not be able to see your own theatre.” Jun Wu sighed, waving him off.
He slowly walked away until he was out of the sight of the other gods. He sprinted, taking a giant leap off the heavens in the general direction of Puqi Shrine. He’ll find it eventually. Before he could jump, loud gasps rang out from the halls.
So they had seen it then.
Based on the prior scene, he could assume how they reacted…
A few of the civil gods cringed and looked away from the scene. The room had gone quiet, too awkward to say a word. If what this showed was true, then, the god they all mocked had gone through…
The final person stabbed the sword into Xie Lian, who was now just a mound of flesh and bone. Once the sword was yanked out, he erupted into flames, everyone else disappearing as well. Leaving nothing but a beautiful flower.
“I’m going after Xie Lian,” Feng Xin announced. Silently, Mu Qing followed.
Once they had both left, the hall exploded into murmurs. Some debated Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s relationship with Xie Lian, others about Xie Lian’s identity. A few even discussed the sword, it was Fangxin’s too afterall..
“Wait! Generals! I can he-”Shi Qingxuan shouted, trying to catch up when a hand clamped onto his mouth.
“Let them have their moment, Qingxuan,” He Xuan interrupted.
“Xie Lian!” Feng Xin called out, both of the generals stood outside of the silent Puqi Shrine.
“Did you really think he’d come out on his own?” Mu Qing rolled his eyes, yanking the door open.
The shrine was silent, Xie Lian sat on one of the chairs, facing the wall. The edge of a book could be seen in front of him.
“Your Highness, may we speak to you about the play?” Mu Qing slowly asked.
“I am not a prince anymore, no need for such titles. Sorry, you can- continue,” Xie Lian said, the sulking mood hidden behind a curtain.
“We woul-” Feng Xin began.
“You’re the Flower Bringing Forth Retribution,” Mu Qing stated.
“I am, that is true, what would you like to know about it?” Xie Lian asked, a hint of a laugh in his words.
"Are you a ghost?" Mu Qing asked. Fear coating his eyes.
Xie Lian stood from his seat, facing them now.
"No, they simply assumed I was." His tone was simple and relaxed.
"Oh." Feng Xin released a breath he must have been holding for quite a while.
It almost seemed like they cared about him. They didn’t, no matter how much he wished. Still it took him a second to convince himself of this. It got harder the longer they stayed. He didn’t want to tarnish their hard earned reputation.
“Is it true?” Mu Qing said, sticking out his hand to hold Xie Lian but bringing it back.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing stood in the doorway, both so very tempted to cling onto their dear friend and let their tears flow.
“Hm? Is what true?” Xie Lia asked.
“Were- were you stabbed by one hundred people?” Feng Xin’s voice was shaky but he didn't cry- not yet anyway.
Xie Lian’s smile froze. “Why bring up the past?”
“Why hide that?” Feng Xin and Mu Qing asked at the same time.
“Ah.” Rouye seemed to squeeze his hand from where he stood.
“Come sit, I’ll prepare you all some food,” Xie Lian said, inviting them to the table.
“Why didn’t you come to us?! We could have—”
“Mu Qing. It's in the past, it does not matter.”
“Yes it does! Pain matters Xie Lian!”
Xie Lian simply smiled, “How about I tell you both a story?”
Neither objected, so he told them the story of his traveling, leaving out some parts. The back of his throat itched with the need to cough, urging him to release the petals.
“When were you stabbed?” Feng Xin suddenly asked, as he stared straight at him.
Xie Lian was silent for a long while,”Feng Xin… do you-remember when I was-” his voice broke, a sad tune in it.
“When I was gone for two months? Before you left?”
“...please tell me thats not reall when it…Why didn’t you tell me?” Feng Xin pleaded.
“I'm sorry.”
“You- Don't apologize!”Mu Qing berated.
Xie Lian gazed downwards. Truly at loss for what to do.
“Feng Xin! Can't you see him?!” Mu Qing pointed at the red eyes that Xie Lian tried to hide.
“We're hurting him! We-we've already hurt him enough. Dianxia, Dianxia, I'm so sorry.”
It was unexpected. The two people who should hate him the most were apologizing with genuine emotion. They shouldn't have cared, he was useless. To everyone he had tried to save. Every single one.
He's lived for eight centuries and saved no one. If only he could just-
“Dianxia!” Mu Qing shouted. He held Xie Lian tightly, when did he get there?
“Mu Qing?” he asked, breathless.
“Your Highness, can you breathe?” Feng Xin gushed, pulling his arms around Mu Qing and Xie Lian.
“Mn.” He didn’t think he would be able to create words.
“Okay, Dianxia I’m gonna need you to look at me and focus on our voices,” Feng Xin nodded.
“Dianxia, do you want to see my palace?”
“He can't go to your palace! We’re going to mine!” Mu Qing snarled. Odd, he didn’t fight Feng Xin over the touch. Xie Lian didn't understand.
Why were they here? Why did they come for him if they didn’t care? The flowers yearned for sweet release, they wanted out, they wanted care.
They say that hanahaki is caused by unrequited love, but maybe it is formed to gain the patients’ love. To make the ones they love, care for them. If this is true, hanahaki almost always fails. The flowers long for love. So did he.
He could be cured with just a few words, but he wouldn't submit to it.
Xie Lian’s eyes widened. His vision dimmed, blacking at the edges. His body went limp in the generals’ hold.
“Dianxia?” Mu Qing’s visage revealed his emotions, he clutched Xie Lian closer to his chest.
“Let’s go Qing-er, take him to your palace.” Feng Xin whispered.
Mu Qing nodded, completely scooping Xie Lian off his feet, “You’ll be okay, Lian,” he breathed into Xie Lian’s ear.
They settled him down into the smooth bed sheets of a guest room. They dressed him into fine silks, yet he whined when they attempted to depart.
Both shared a short look and decided to stay. The two gods undressed themselves(BED CLOTHING) and snuggled into the bed with his highness.
When Xie Lian awoke he was snuggled in between them. His face had turned a bright, cherry reddish color. The flowers in his chest seemed to still, slightly going away until there wasn’t a heavy weight holding down his lungs.
They hadn’t gone away, but they had temporarily been subdued.
It left a melancholy sensation in his heart, of course, he yearned for the one thing he couldn’t allow himself.
He squeezed himself out of the crevice he found himself in. The heartache reawakened the flowers. The sudden spurts of pain shocked him, his knees giving out. His knees hit the cold, marble flooring. Bruises already beginning.
Luckily, neither general awoke. The rubbish god panicked. Patting over his outfit, he couldn’t find his dice! Just as he was about to search for them, a disturbance zipped through the air.
“Dianxia?” Feng Xin mumbled, now half awake.
Eyes half open, all he could see was a blurry Mu Qing, no Xie Lian. His eyes snapped wide.
Xie Lian stared at the bed, limbs frozen.
Feng Xin jolted upwards, not caring for the Mu Qing he startled. Springing from the bed, he landed next to Xie Lian’s sitting form.
“Hey! What the hell?!” Mu Qing mumble-yelled.
“Dianxia? What are you doing out of bed?” Feng asked, kneeling in front of him.
“I- I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Feng Xin gently pried, holding Xie Lian’s face.
“I-I keep bothering you both..” he cried, only half awake.
“How would you be bothering us? You're not the one who's been looking for us for centuries.” Mu Qing said.
“You-what?!Y-you were…” Hope grew in his chest, those terrible thoughts screaming, getting louder.
Feng Xin’s face flushed red. Mu Qing covered his mouth. And Xie Lian went into a coughing fit.
Tears gushed down from his eyes, blood and petals hurled from his mouth.
“I’m s-sorry,” he said again. He repeated it thousands of times in his own head like a mantra ‘Im so sorry…’.
“Dianxia! Whats-what's going on?!” Feng Xin yelled, trying to lift Xie Lian.
Mu Qing stared. “Xie Lian, is this hanahaki?” His face managed to be even more serious than normal.
“I-” he nodded, voice too scratchy to speak.
Feng Xin paused, “For who?”
The room was silent in anticipation.
“For who?! Goddamnit!” Feng Xin repeated.
Xie Lian shrunk, laying down on the floor as blood dripped from his lips. His white garments stained red.
He whispered something but neither god caught it.
“What was that?”Mu Qing asked. If you looked closely he seemed tense.
“...”Xie Lian blushed red, and then white.
Feng Xin's frustration grew, and he clenched his fists. "Xie Lian, for whom? You can tell us!"he insisted.
Mu Qing, though usually composed, had an edge of urgency in his voice and hissed "If you don’t answer we can’t help you idiot!"
Xie Lian suddenly yelled, “What do you guys want me to fucking say?! ‘Hey yeah sorry for worrying you guys but I’ve been in love with you both for centuries and didn't think you’d like me back!’ IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!”
“...What.” Mu Qing’s face had turned a sort of scarlet color and he was hiding his face in his hands.
“It's us?!”Feng Xin looked down at his hands, and then at the blood and flowers trailing down Xie Lian’s robes.
As for Xie Lian, “Fuck. I- uh didn’t mean it s-sorry I shouldn-”He was cut off by someone pressing a finger to his lip.
“You are an actual idiot.”
“Qing-er!” Feng Xin turned to Xie Lian, eyes glimmering, “Is that true?”
Slowly, Xie Lian nodded.
Feng Xin looked down and groaned “Mu Qing! He thought we didn’t love him!” Feng Xin pulled Xie Lian back onto the bed, “Well clean you up in a minute.”
Mu Qing carefully took Xie Lian and gave him a kiss on the forehead, “We were waiting on you.”
Feng Xin jumped onto the bed and hugged both of them tight. Xi eLian stared in shock.
“What?”
Feng Xin looked at Xie Lian, “Me and this asshole were waiting for you, we love you, Lian.”
The flowers in his throat seemed pleased by this and gradually softened. Maybe…maybe this would be alright.
So, under the bright moon of the heavens, Xie Lian snuggled deeper into their embrace.
“I-l love you guys too.”
Xie Lian sobbed, letting out the emotions of eight centuries finally. He curled into their embrace as they gently soothed him until he fell asleep.
“We’re going to have a large amount to discuss tomorrow, aren't we, ass?” Mu Qing asked.
“We will, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I finally have both of my loves!”
Tomorrow, they will make those decisions. Tonight, they would rest in each other's arms, tangled together.