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Li Lun, pissed off and overtired and so aroused that it hurts, angrily tightens the wards around his grove.
"There's no need to be like that," Zhu Yan says from outside- as if his only purpose in his millenia-long existence is to piss Li Lun off. "I was just asking if it would help."
As if he knows what Li Lun needs. As if he knows how impossible it is to prevent a bloom- how horrifically it weakens Li Lun, leaving him physically vulnerable and dangerously prone to giving in to his basest needs. Does he think Li Lun hasn't tried everything, to stop it from happening? Hasn't tried to meditate it away- jerked off in every way imaginable- used all sorts of medicinal plants, fed on whatever qi-strengthening relics he could drain- fought his way through the onset, shedding blood and hoping that would calm the raging inside him? And all for naught. All to be laid low by his own relentless cycles, out of rhythm with the other pagoda trees that used to harmonize with him and attracting foolish, weak yao that want to siphon off his energy. After the indignity of last time- when the pain and desire had burnt too high, and he'd dismantled his own wards to seize lurking yao after yao and use them for their semen- he'd finally given in to his own uselessness and demanded Zhu Yan's presence. But now he can't even keep his fucking mouth shut while they're waiting for the bloom to descend.
"I told you," Li Lun hisses out, tight and infuriated. "It can only be dealt with once it starts."
"I just thought," Zhu Yan says, idly flicking little pieces of broken twig at Li Lun's barrier, one after the other, "that it might make it more comfortable. Less-" and he gestures at where Li Lun sits, so stiff that his muscles hurt with it. "Unpleasant."
"It would be more pleasant if you were silent," Li Lun seethes. Whatever level of fierce arousal he's experiencing now, it will be nothing compared to when the bloom really begins. His heart rate picks up a little, remembering the pain of it; he mercilessly circulates his qi to settle it. How humiliating, to have Zhu Yan barely a few body lengths away, able to hear all the fluctuations of his form. Was the tradeoff- assuming human form, with all its unpleasant needs- really worth the boost to his cultivation? Whenever his bloom resurfaces he bitterly begins to ponder his options again. If he had remained a tree…
"But you'd be bored if I was silent," Zhu Yan says, and the next pebble he throws is imbued with enough yao qi that it snaps a tiny crack into Li Lun's barrier. Li Lun lets out a low growl and rolls his eyes; doesn't do anything when Zhu Yan raises his fingers to his lips and murmurs a quiet break. The barrier crackles and shatters like fine porceline, clinking quietly as it rains to the ground. Zhu Yan's spells have always been powerful. He comes up behind Li Lun, ducking his head toward his shoulder.
"You smell different," he opines. No fucking shit. Li Lun can smell it on himself- the familiar fragrance of his flowers, sweet and underlaid with the heaviness of the yao qi he attracts. He can still absorb it right now, but soon he won't be able to anymore. It still sets his teeth on edge to remember those useless, pathetic yao that were able to leech off of him the last time. At least if it's Zhu Yan he'll be able to take it back, after. Zhu Yan won't refuse him that, probably. If he does Li Lun will have to kill him.
"What are you doing," he says, narrowing his eyes. Zhu Yan is playing with a strand of his hair- he always likes to tug at bits of Li Lun. Or drop things onto him from above; trip him over a thrust out stick; get too close, leaning in until he's breathing on Li Lun and making goosebumps rise on his skin. It's as if he has no goal in his life other than to annoy Li Lun.
There's no response- but a little bit of red energy creeps up the strand of Li Lun's hair, easing its way toward him. Li Lun casts it a glance and huffs; seizes it with his own power and pulls, hard and vicious. The energy makes contact with his yao qi and immediately strikes. Li Lun habitually smothers it with his own, ruthless, twining strands of deep indigo around it to suffocate it until it can't stab into him. He absentmindedly forces it into the flow of his energy, subsumed by his strength. Zhu Yan doesn't even seem to notice; just keeps playing with his hair, leaking that same dangerous power in unsteady spurts. He's so strong. Li Lun should fight him again. He wants…
Zhu Yan is still smelling him. "Why should I bother now, when it will just continue?" Li Lun scoffs. He can tell the prebloom is almost over; the real thing will begin soon. His yao marks always start to sting and itch when it's time, yao qi lancing its way through the thin skin of his forehead while it's repressed everywhere else. Soon he won't be able to use his power at all.
Zhu Yan doesn't say anything, just drifts behind him. Li Lun scowls, drumming his fingers on his thigh in an attempt to take his mind off the pulsing ache inside. If he'd been strong enough during the last bloom, he could have just imprisoned all the yao that he attracted after he'd used them- then cut them down for stealing his power afterwards. Gutted the cores out of them and ground them to dust between his teeth to retreive the malicious energy that should have been his; shown the world their place. Instead, they'd skulked away into the wilderness as quickly as they could, no doubt knowing what he'd do to them once he was in his right mind again. He sneers, teeth pressing together so tightly his jaw aches.
A gentle pull on his hair.
"What are you doing," he says dourly. Again. This time Zhu Yan is- he casts an unimpressed look behind himself- doing something to it. Organizing it.
"You don't want it braided?" Zhu Yan says, easy and unbothered. He starts undoing the pattern he'd made- already. He's so annoying. Next he runs his fingers up through the length of Li Lun's hair, all the way until his fingers embed themselves against Li Lun's scalp, slowly pressing against it in smooth, circular motions. Prickling heat washes through Li Lun- he doesn't let Zhu Yan get this close, usually. He should duck away; remind Zhu Yan that Li Lun is not one to be handled.
But Zhu Yan is chattering away above him as if he doesn't even notice what he's doing. It's obviously an act; but Li Lun is in enough discomfort from the oncoming bloom that he doesn't want to bother. Whatever Zhu Yan is doing to him- a healing spell?- is making his body relax minutely, even as the inescapable heat of the bloom tightens in his lower abdomen. Fuck- he hates feeling like this. Wants to get it over with.
"-might as well try," Zhu Yan's voice says, suddenly far too close to Li Lun's ear. His fingers have, dangerously, slid to where Li Lun's forehead stings with the intense pulse of his qi. He rubs slow circles into Li Lun's temples and Li Lun's muscles, for some reason, slowly unclench. That's not right; he should be hyperaware of having another yao this close to his power. Zhu Yan moves to comb his fingers along the yao marks then, gently, through Li Lun's hair, disturbing it and misplacing the bangs. Li Lun can feel the sparking, electric hazard of his malicious energy, barely restrained under his skin; his own yao qi rises toward it like a magnet, wanting to follow its path. Zhu Yan inhales slowly by his neck, as if he can smell Li Lun's desire wafting off his skin. He probably can, with this fucking bloom. Li Lun's throat works. Zhu Yan's power so close to him is instigating him; making the bloom arrive more quickly. The heat in his body is magnifying everything, each sensation overlarge. He can almost feel Zhu Yan's warmth against his skin; taste his breath. He smells like…
"Do you really want to wait?" Zhu Yan says, sounding honestly curious. "It's not pleasant now, right? Your faces looks like when someone's stabbed you."
Someone, indeed- Zhu Yan is the only one who's gotten close enough to land a serious hit on Li Lun in the time they've known each other. Li Lun shoots him a glare- but he has to turn his face to do it, and then Zhu Yan is right next to him. Zhu Yan's eyes immediately drop to his mouth; his lips part very slightly. He's looking at Li Lun's lower face like he wants to eat him, his pupils wide under his long eyelashes. The stupid aphrodisiac must be working. At least he'll be cooperative.
Li Lun snorts, turning his face away. Not that there was any doubt of Zhu Yan's cooperation; he had offered plenty of times, even before Li Lun finally succumbed to his infuriating weakness and approached him. A slow satisfaction rises in him, which he ruthlessly squashes down. He doesn't even know if Zhu Yan will be able to handle what he needs to do. There's no point in being smug over his choice yet. "We'll wait," he says, pushing down the pulsing need inside him.
"Alright," Zhu Yan says, sounding unconvinced. He leans away, and Li Lun immediately feels a surge of irritation at having lost the warmth. Zhu Yan meanders over to mess with some of the moss blooming in Li Lun's grove; he's so annoying. Li Lun glares after him until he wanders back to his side a few minutes later, laying a few tiny white flowers on Li Lun's hair.
"Do you not know how to meditate?" Li Lun demands through gritted teeth. That's what he usually does, when the onset is so imminent: tries to slow his breathing and forget about the clamoring urges of his body. It's almost a relief, to have someone here distracting enough that he doesn't need to bother to try and fail yet again.
"I don't want to meditate," Zhu Yan sighs, flopping down on the stone dias next to Li Lun. "I want to do something interesting." His fingers trace along the hem of Li Lun's sleeve, slow and meandering. The almost imperceptible pull of fabric over Li Lun's sensitive skin sets him prickling with desire. Stupid bloom. Zhu Yan looks at him out of the corner of his eye; tugs on his sleeve. He must see the stupid shiver that tickles its way through Li Lun's body, because he grins and leans in until their noses are almost touching.
Li Lun gives him a flat, unimpressed look. After a few moments of standoff Zhu Yan sighs explosively and crashes down onto his back on the dias, sleeves splaying out and brushing Li Lun's sensitive body.
"When will it start, then?" he asks. Li Lun snorts.
"Tell for yourself," he responds. Zhu Yan sits up and his eyes glow that eerie, familiar gold; the one that he wears when he sees right through Li Lun's disguises, through into the heart of him. Li Lun's breath catches in his chest, but he keeps all evidence of his reaction off his face. Zhu Yan leans in close to him, looking up and down his body. More of that dangerous crimson energy prickles against Li Lun's skin. He subsumes it into himself, yanking it away from Zhu Yan's dangerous aura with more effort than it should require. The onset is close; soon he won't have the wherewithal to even do that.
"Your energy is receding," Zhu Yan murmurs in interest. "Closing off inside you…" he lays a curious hand on Li Lun's shoulder, and Li Lun's body tries to flinch. He ruthlessly surpresses it, and the only evidence left of his reaction is the way his skin breaks into goosebumps, his nipples hardening under the gauzy fabric of his robe. He locks eyes with Zhu Yan, who breaths out slowly, red lips parted. His yao marks have darkened on his face: the way they do when it's a blood moon, or when he's been fighting for hours and reeks of blood. His pupils are large and dark. "And what's this?"
Li Lun inadvertently leans back, instinctive and immediate, as Zhu Yan's hand approaches his face; but he's merely twining his fingers through the invisible liqi that's crowding around Li Lun's head: thick, malicious, and cloying. It disappears immediately at the touch of Zhu Yan's fingers, drawn inside him without any evidence of effort. The air lightens around Li Lun; it becomes slightly easier to breathe.
"You can't absorb it?" Zhu Yan asks, cocking his head. A little bit of red is peeking out from under the enchantment he uses to turn his eyes dark.
"I told you that," Li Lun replies stiffly. He doesn't like being reminded of his weaknesses, like this. Zhu Yan hums and leans in closer yet; his robes brush against Li Lun's. "That's why you're here. It draws you in."
"That's why I'm here?" Zhu Yan repeats after him. His voice sounds amused. Li Lun can smell him, he's so close: body heat scented with the wind and rain of the dahuang, the living smell of his hair and skin. Fuck; the arousal is pulsing inside him. He can't deny it anymore: the bloom has started. Has been going on for a while, now. But he hates giving into it. If he can hold out a little more…
"You don't like to kiss?" Zhu Yan murmurs, so close that his breath stirs against Li Lun's mouth. Li Lun feels his forehead furrow; he turns his face away with a low tch.
"There's no point," he answers. His mouth isn't where the pounding need is centered; that's lower inside him.
"What if I want to?" Zhu Yan asks, curious and warm. Li Lun rolls his eyes. Zhu Yan is doing him a favor, though. Maybe he should ensure his cooperation.
"Make me come and you can," he says, and Zhu Yan inhales sharply. The hand on Li Lun's shoulder descends to his side; his waist. Heat diffuses from the touch into Li Lun, worsening his symptoms. He bares his teeth, closing his eyes tightly against the intensity of the need. Zhu Yan's mouth brushes his neck.
"Do you not know how to do it?" Li Lun demands in impatience; the hand on his waist slides to his belt. His robe falls to the dias, then his back meets it. Zhu Yan's hand pushes its way into his pants, sliding against-
Intense pleasure sends Li Lun's body shuddering, the muscles of his abs and thighs seizing. His hands clench around Zhu Yan's sides, fingers digging in like claws. He can hear his own unsteady breath, unexpectedly loud.
"You were like this the whole time?" Zhu Yan says, voice low and marvelling. His fingers do something that makes Li Lun's hips twitch up into his touch; his thighs part. "You're all…
"Are you just going to talk?" Li Lun demands, the pleasure of the touch sending heat up his spine and into his face. He attempts to yank Zhu Yan into place over himself, now that there's no point in pretending that the bloom isn't affecting him- but his power, usually a match for Zhu Yan's, doesn't come. He can't move him; he's too solid. Li Lun makes a noise of extreme frustration and pins him with a cutting glare, and Zhu Yan startles and climbs on top of him. That's more like it. "Or are you going to fuck me?"
Zhu Yan stares down at him from above, licking his lips. That ominous red energy flares out around him in slow swoops and sparks, drifting down enticingly toward Li Lun. Li Lun has no choice but to let it fall, unused, past him. What a waste. He makes a low noise of frustration and Zhu Yan busies himself ridding them of the rest of their clothing. Good.
A touch right where Li Lun needs it; his head hits the stone of the dias with a loud crack. The pain in his skull is unnoticeable, compared to the promise of relief. The sore, aching emptiness in him pulses in anticipation. Zhu Yan slides in…
It's not enough.
"Get your fingers out of me and put your cock in," Li Lun demands, sitting half up to glare at him. Zhu Yan is staring down at where his fingers dip inside Li Lun, not anywhere near thick enough. His eyes slide up to Li Lun and a little frisson of electricity passes between them as their gazes meet. Zhu Yan readjusts himself, and suddenly Li Lun can see his cock. It's hard and ready to be used, as it should be, with the aphrodisiac leaking so copiously from Li Lun's body. It's also…
Li Lun is still looking at it. He didn't care to look at the cocks of any of the other demons. There's nothing particularly interesting about this one, either- except that it's attached to Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan and his powerful energy; his danger. Li Lun drags his eyes back up to his face and sees the red glow of Zhu Yan's halflidded eyes; the dampness of his parted lips. He presses the head of his cock against Li Lun and Li Lun almost forgets himself enough to gasp as it starts to go in.
"You're-" Zhu Yan gasps, hips twitching. "It's- drawing me in-"
"Then hurry up and put it in!" Li Lun demands, unable to endure any more waiting. He pulls at Zhu Yan with his hands and legs until he finally slides all the way inside- pressing Li Lun open, thick and hot and just right. Fuck. A moan escapes him, open and breathy. Unbearable energy vibrates through him. He needs to get fucked now.
"Can I-" Zhu Yan starts, and Li Lun digs his nails into his back.
"Move," he demands- and finally, Zhu Yan begins to.
Fuck. It's nothing like it was with the other yao. For one thing, Zhu Yan is pulling the malicious energy out of the air as easily as if he's breathing; Li Lun isn't drowning in his own anger and resentment. For another, Zhu Yan can't stop fucking talking.
"Is it good?" he breathes, and "here?" and "oh- wow, you like that?" Li Lun, with no patience for his bullshit- of course he likes it, he's on a hair trigger right now, anything sets him off- tries to ignore him; but everything Zhu Yan says keeps working him up. He can't listen to it without going strangely relaxed, knowing that it's Zhu Yan's voice; Zhu Yan's body; Zhu Yan's power over him. Around him. Filling him. He bites his lip bloody trying to keep his wits around him.
Zhu Yan's crimson energy keeps leaking all over him, making his scalp prickle and his skin crawl pleasantly. He's so powerful. Li Lun may be disabled by the force of his bloom and not able to use magic, but his core- the lurking strength of the yao qi in his body- that hasn't changed. The pathetic little yao that crawled over him before could sense it; knew to cringe away in fear even as they cautiously approached to siphon away the energy around his body.
Zhu Yan doesn't cringe. Zhu Yan doesn't withdraw. He holds Li Lun down and fucks him just right until Li Lun is shaking through an orgasm stronger than he can remember ever having, body shivering and clenching around the hot, relentless cock inside him. It feels so good that he can't even keep his eyes open, no matter how he tries to stay aware of his surroundings. It's all just pleasure, pleasure, pleasure, heat-
He can hear himself gasping. "There," Zhu Yan breathes out, husky, while Li Lun is still trembling. He tries to swallow the noises down into his throat to quiet them, but it's a losing game. "Is that better? Should I keep going?"
"If you stop I'll kill you," Li Lun bites out through clenched teeth. Zhu Yan laughs- as if he's thrilled with this response, the annoyance- and leans in close, until their faces are almost touching. Li Lun bats his eyes open, trying to glare but still half dazed from the force of the orgasm.
"My reward," Zhu Yan says, and Li Lun tilts his chin up; allows Zhu Yan to kiss him. Zhu Yan's lips are soft on his- press against them only briefly before withdrawing. Li Lun is still floating from the aftershocks; but he remembers himself enough to turn away when Zhu Yan leans back in.
"You want it again?" Li Lun breathes out, locking their eyes. "You know what to do."
"Oh," Zhu Yan says, low and amused. "I see," and he trails a warm palm along Li Lun's chest, palming over the rise of his pectoral and making Li Lun clench at the friction against his nipple. "Fine- but let's raise the stakes. I want a kiss when you're about to come, this time."
"Fine," Li Lun manages, breath shuddering. The thrill of his climax is fading; the urgency of the bloom is desending again. He squeezes around Zhu Yan, testing his shape. He needs it again.
"And one while you're coming," Zhu Yan says, breathy and pleased with himself. Li Lun makes an aggravated noise, but nods. He would agree to things much stupider than kissing, at this point, in order to convince Zhu Yan to move again. Zhu Yan makes a pleased noise and slides his fingers between their bodies; slips, wet and gentle, over Li Lun's clit. Li Lun lights up all the way from his core to his scalp, electric heat leaving him shivering. Zhu Yan leans in close and grinds inside him, slow and deliberate, over and over until Li Lun can barely think. He bites the inside of his lip hard so as not to let out the desperate noise that wants to claw its way from his throat. Zhu Yan's mouth on his neck; Zhu Yan's flickering, too-strong energy stinging against his skin; his fingers teasing his clit, his cock inside him. It's only a few minutes before he's about to come again. He barely remembers to tell Zhu Yan, receiving a soft, open-mouthed kiss that he doesn't have the attention to scowl at right before he tips over the edge, hard and full-bodied, hips arching up into it as his thighs shake. Zhu Yan's mouth descends against his again as he's coming; his lips tingle with the sensation of softness, wetness, tongue, teeth. Li Lun is too busy trying not to writhe up into the firm strokes of Zhu Yan's cock to catch himself- only hears the open-mouthed moans once he begins to come down, heavy and panting against Zhu Yan's warm lips.
"Good?" Zhu Yan says, breathless and pleased, above him. Li Lun forces his eyes open to pin him with a lukewarm glare; he came much harder than he usually does, but the bloom isn't receding yet. He needs Zhu Yan to come in him.
"Keep going," he demands, and Zhu Yan kisses the side of his neck, remembering his place. "You need to come too."
"Let me kiss you after I come," Zhu Yan bargains into his throat, sucking on the tender skin and making tingling heat bristle through Li Lun's core. He thinks he can demand things of Li Lun?
Whatever. It doesn't matter. He can do whatever he wants to Li Lun's mouth as long as he quiets the raging desire between his legs that's still making him pulse with need. "Fine," Li Lun agrees, annoyed. He's leaking all around Zhu Yan's cock; the tingling promise of the precome he's leaking isn't nearly enough. He needs more; harder; faster. Needs to feel Zhu Yan pulse it into him. "Hurry up and-"
He snaps his teeth closed. Zhu Yan has started rabbiting his hips forward in short little thrusts, steady and precise, grinding right against where Li Lun needs it. It's so incredibly good that his mouth falls open; his breath goes tight and uneven. Zhu Yan is moaning above him, eyes locked on Li Lun's face. Flashes of deep crimson seep across his cheekbones, there and gone: his yao marks struggling to stay hidden. He's so beautiful. So dangerous. His cock, relentlessly teasing against that slick, shallow place inside Li Lun, suddenly slides in deep, making a sharp pulse of want stop Li Lun's lungs. Zhu Yan does it again- and again- and again. That shallow tease where it feels too good for too long, then the sudden, heady, thick pressure of something all the way inside him-
It's too good. What if Li Lun comes again, and Zhu Yan gets too distracted kissing him to finish? The idea isn't to be borne. "Come!" Li Lun demands, head tilted back and panting hard, and Zhu Yan makes a tight noise and-
Pulls out.
"No!" Li Lun gasps out, trying to sit up. It's too late; Zhu Yan's hand is working on himself, wetness striping across Li Lun's stomach. The loss hits him like a sucker punch; all the air leaves his lungs. "No-"
Zhu Yan moves back, face creased in confusion, and Li Lun sees the come on his stomach. His vision blurs. Ticklish heat drips down the side of his face; his chest heaves. Zhu Yan makes a sound of distress and leans back in, hand carefully stroking Li Lun's hair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he murmurs. "What's wrong? What do you need?"
"You didn't do it inside," Li Lun gasps accusingly, glaring as best he can through the haze of his vision. Zhu Yan lets out a tight little noise and kisses him, and Li Lun angrily kisses back, biting his lower lip in revenge. Zhu Yan's tongue licks, slow and pacifying, over his lips- but better yet, his fingers, which were just touching Li Lun's stomach, slide to where he's wet and aching. Li Lun can feel it as he presses them inside- he's dipped them in his come. The way it spreads inside him feels so good that Li Lun goes lightheaded with it, his mouth slack. Zhu Yan's tongue rubs against his- soothing; intimate. Li Lun shivers with the warmth of it being fingered into him. That's what he needs- why wouldn't Zhu Yan give it to him?
"Don't cry. I'm sorry," Zhu Yan apologizes, sweet and contrite, moving up to kiss the corner of Li Lun's eye. Sorry? He'd better be. Li Lun angrily shakes him off, attempting to wipe at his own face; but his limbs are still uncoordinated, so he settles for turning his face into the pillow briefly to absorb the ticklish drip.
"I'll do it better, okay?" Zhu Yan cajoles, low and coaxing. "I'll-" he clears his throat- "I'll come inside you, alright?" Good. Good. That's what Li Lun needs. He needs it so badly he can barely breathe with it. His brow furrows as his body clenches, a deep ache, his hands finding Zhu Yan's sides. When? Does he have to wait?
"Do you want it now?" Zhu Yan murmurs, soft and careful. Why's he asking? Just to waste Li Lun's time?
"Yes," Li Lun grits out, batting his eyes open to glare again. He must look a poor sight; Zhu Yan makes a hungry noise and switches to biting at his neck. Li Lun tries to look between his legs to see if his cock is hard and ready, but he can't make anything out- just the red haze of Zhu Yan's power shimmering over his back, his long hair draping over the two of them in a fine curtain. Heat pulses inside him at the reminder of the danger.
But then- he feels it. The head, broad and slick and sloppy, on the edge of pushing back into him. His arms seize Zhu Yan's body, pulling him in tight against his chest without any input from Li Lun. His legs flex, urging Zhu Yan inside. "Oh," Li Lun breathes, pleasure thudding through him like his own heartbeat. "Hurry up- in-"
"You're so wet," Zhu Yan gasps out, and it slips in like it belongs in Li Lun, the head pressing up tight right against where he needs it and carrying the little bit of come that Zhu Yan deigned to give him deeper. Despite Zhu Yan's failure- the aching need still driving Li Lun wild- it's still never felt this good before. Something about it being Zhu Yan is making him lose his senses. That sharp, stinging energy flickers and bites against his skin, working him up higher with each shock of mild pain; the smell of his hair, his skin, the pressure of his hands on Li Lun's waist… It's all too much. It's all just right. He wants to get fucked like this forever; wants Zhu Yan to never stop. To push it in for that first incredible breach over and over and pump come into Li Lun until it's spilling out of him, too much to hold, cooling the heat of the bloom and making Li Lun remember the complete, languid satisfaction he once experienced when the air was so full of pollen that he never had to worry about having what he needed.
"You sound so good," Zhu Yan moans- and he fills Li Lun over and over, the stretch and the warmth and the weight of it inside him so distracting, so intense that Li Lun can't think, can barely remember to urge him on with hard pulls of his thighs. Time blurs into itself and finally Zhu Yan is locking up, the muscles of his back going hard and his hips pushing him as deep as possible as he-
The first pulse of it feels so good that Li Lun wants to cry. "Zhu Yan," he gasps, and "yes," and he works himself on it until he's crying out with each stroke and Zhu Yan is moaning into his neck. Li Lun comes too from the rush of it, too heady to ignore, rocking his hips up into each thrust of Zhu Yan's cock to chase that sweet, bright euphoria, arms clinging tightly enough that Zhu Yan can't let him go- will have to keep holding him forever. A flood of deep red yao qi spreads over him him like a wave, settling on top of him heavy and thick, pressing him down with exquisite pressure until he can barely think, can only clutch at Zhu Yan and moan and come, long and luxurious, feeling Zhu Yan pushing it all inside.
It must be minutes later- perhaps hours- perhaps seconds- when Li Lun's eyes finally flutter open. Zhu Yan is pressing soft, hot kisses against his neck, teeth scraping needily. His mouth slides to the front of Li Lun's vulnerable throat and Li Lun breathes out shakily, tilting his chin up. Zhu Yan kisses all the way along the underside of it and to his mouth, holding him firmly by the jaw to lick his way inside. Li Lun should bite him for the insolence, but his tongue is steady and slick and grounding- and he did make Li Lun come. Li Lun forgot to tell him when he was about to, too. And he did it inside, finally…
Li Lun sucks on Zhu Yan's tongue as reward for his efforts. Zhu Yan makes a filthy little noise and kisses him deeper, long and slow. By the time that Li Lun pushes him off- he'll have to earn the next ones, surely that was all the ones that Li Lun missed- Zhu Yan is panting, his eyes halflidded.
"Let me make it up to you," he says. Li Lun is so dazed with pleasure- with the temporary relief from the ache of his bloom- that he just raises an eyebrow, not even bothering to glare. "The first one," Zhu Yan prompts. "When I pulled out."
Oh. Well if he wants to atone for his mistake, Li Lun won't stop him. "Fine," he says magnanimously, and Zhu Yan groans and moves down his body, kissing hungrily along his muscles. His hands squeeze at all parts of Li Lun, making his breath catch when he glances across a nipple; palms the breadth of Li Lun's thighs, firm and savoring, sending pleasure buzz up Li Lun's skin. Zhu Yan keeps moving down, still kissing open and wet, until his lips meet-
Fuck. Li Lun instinctively spreads his legs for a better angle, biting his lips as Zhu Yan tongues at him. His mouth is slow and wet and languid, unhurried as he licks and sucks and laps at him. Each stroke of his tongue encourages Li Lun's body to push back, too light and too easy until Li Lun has no choice but to rock into it for more pressure; when Zhu Yan pokes it inside Li Lun is already so worked up that he shudders with it, abs going tight as his hands clutch Zhu Yan's hair. Zhu Yan slides his tongue languidly in and out, over and over, while his cool hands glide across Li Lun's overheated body, rubbing and massaging at his chest and stomach. Soon his tongue isn't enough; Li Lun pushes at his head until he withdraws to make space for his fingers, dipping inside to press tight against the place that drives Li Lun out of his mind. His free hand squeezes and caresses the muscle of Li Lun's pec, sending little jolts of electricity down his spine to his clit every time it drags against the nipple. Like this, he might-
Zhu Yan sucks on his clit so nicely that Li Lun drops straight into another orgasm. He can hear his own voice moaning, open and loud; as soon as Zhu Yan pulls off him he's kissing Li Lun, mouth wet and floral and fervent. He must have swallowed the aphrodisiac directly, the idiot. At least it will keep him willing-
"Can I do it again?" Zhu Yan asks, yanking Li Lun so hard that he moves up the bed, their hips meeting in a shock of pleasure. Li Lun tries to glare at him, but his indignation barely comes; his legs are still shaking a little.
"That's what you're here for, isn't it," he barely has time to say- and then Zhu Yan is pushing inside him, that big, swollen cock leaking enough precome that Li Lun goes pleasantly dizzy with it, warmth dissolving into him. He moans by accident, and then Zhu Yan is sucking on his neck, and then-
Li Lun comes so many times that he fails to warn Zhu Yan of the majority of them and has to succumb to his relentless kisses, assuming that Zhu Yan has kept track of what he's owed. He gets what he needs: Zhu Yan comes inside him- on top of him, from behind, lying on their sides- and each time he deliberately tilts Li Lun's head toward himself to kiss him long and slow and deep while Li Lun is still shaking with it, body clenching in ectasy on the wet slide and helpless moans escaping his lips. It does something strange to his brain; even when the bloom finally breaks, the wretched heat dissolving into pleasant warmth and the liqi lightening around them, feeling Zhu Yan's tongue in his mouth still has pleasure tightening inside him. But the danger has passed; Li Lun's power will return now, if slowly. He lets Zhu Yan lick inside his mouth for only a few minutes more before he turns his head away impatiently, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.
"It's done?" Zhu Yan asks from close to his face: cheeks and neck flushed, hair mussed and yao marks vivid on his cheekbones. His irises glow that bright blood-red that Li Lun usually only gets to see when they've dueled to the point of heavy injury; that spiking, dangerous red yao qi is still spilling all over Li Lun. He can absorb it now, a little bit; he languidly draws a looping curl of it in and Zhu Yan hums, leaning down to kiss his neck right under the point of his jaw. Li Lun allows it with a flutter of his eyelashes, luxuriating in the thick pulse of crimson power. His yao qi is unblocking; he loosens his control on it a bit and Zhu Yan's magnetic nature tugs on it, a steady pull like gravity. He allows Zhu Yan to suck a bit of it inside himself and feels him groan against Li Lun's neck. A hand comes to rest on Li Lun's chest; a harsh pulse of energy presses into him. Li Lun wrestles the fierce crimson yao qi into obedience inside himself, forcing it into a shape that his meridians can endure, and floods an equally violent wave of energy back into Zhu Yan with a low snarl. Zhu Yan sighs shakily, hungrily accepting it and folding it inside himself. They push back and forth against each other, each new pulse growing easier- less rushed, less overwhelming- gentler. After a long while it smooths out, and Li Lun blinks his eyes open to find Zhu Yan watching him with his lips parted. The energy circulating between them is moving smoothly and automatically- like the flow of a calm, powerful river, only occassional ripples belying the true depth of its currents.
"Yes," Li Lun finally remembers himself enough to say. "It's over."
"When will it happen again?" Zhu Yan immediately asks; Li Lun rolls his eyes. He doesn't want to think about that. The pulsing need that plagued him is finally gone- he just feels relaxed now, even pinned under Zhu Yan like this.
He looks up at Zhu Yan's beautiful face; he's still watching him. His dark hair falls in a curtain around them; his lips are swollen with the biting kisses they exchanged. Those yao marks are so dark on his skin they're almost black. Zhu Yan, regal and handsome and annoying and so powerful that he can't conceal the way yao qi leaks from his eyes.
And as he stares at Li Lun- the weirdo- he's circulating the power that he absorbed during the bloom. Returning it to Li Lun. Like this, as intimately connected as they are, he wouldn't be able to hurt Li Lun if he tried: Li Lun would flood his meridians with poison and kill him. They're both at each others' mercy, here, even as their power surges and mixes, driving their cultivation closer to a breakthrough. Li Lun feels strangely calm despite it.
"Well?" he says at last. He doesn't bother to push Zhu Yan off himself; the energy transfer is oddly relaxing. "I let you do it. Aren't you grateful?"
"Extremely," Zhu Yan says, eyes flashing with humor. Humor- does he think Li Lun is joking? Li Lun scoffs, and Zhu Yan leans down and- slow, deliberate- presses his lips against Li Lun's.
"What was that?" Li Lun asks, raising an eyebrow as Zhu Yan draws back. Zhu Yan smiles; raises his hand and slowly strokes his fingers through Li Lun's hair. The touch glances over the sensitive, tingling yao marks on his forehead, sending a shiver down Li Lun's neck right to the ends of his fingers. Zhu Yan rubs his thumb against the lobe of Li Lun's ear, gentle and firm. The well-used space between Li Lun's legs tingles in interest.
"Didn't I say I wanted to do something interesting?" Zhu Yan says, soft and cheerful. "That was interesting. Very, very interesting."
"And you think I'll let you do it again," Li Lun surmises, watching Zhu Yan's grin broaden. Annoying, confident bastard.
"Won't you?" Zhu Yan says, batting his eyelashes at him obviously. He thinks he's so fucking smooth. Li Lun scoffs, and Zhu Yan leans in and kisses his cheekbone, slow and lingering. He must have known that Li Lun would push him off if he went for the mouth. Li Lun scowls as best he can through the relaxtion, and Zhu Yan moves back just far enough to meet his eyes again. Li Lun can feel his breath on his face.
"Li Lun," Zhu Yan says, kissing him lightly once- twice- too many times. Li Lun's face is going to have little flickers of yao qi all over it. Li Lun rolls his eyes and lies there and lets him do it, concentrating on allowing the slow roil of the energy exchange to mellow him out. "Didn't I do a good job?"
"Barely acceptable," Li Lun breathes. His eyes have fallen closed. He feels Zhu Yan's face approaching and he grabs his chin, holding him fast in place before he can dart in for the kiss. He tilts his head up and kisses Zhu Yan, once, firm, on the mouth. Pushes him off just as Zhu Yan's lips part in surprise, letting his eyes slowly open.
"Maybe I'll let you do it again," he allows. "If you do it properly next time."
"I'll do it properly any time you want," Zhu Yan says, expression fond. Li Lun slowly focuses on him, the languid feeling in him clearing in favor of low-burning anticipation.
Zhu Yan meets his gaze; something changes in his expression. The qi is still flowing between them, deep and steady.
"I mean it," he says, quiet and serious. "Whenever you want. Whenever you need it."
"You promise?" Li Lun asks. He needs to know if Zhu Yan…
"I promise," Zhu Yan says. "Any time you ask." Something in Li Lun shifts.
"…Alright," he says, not letting anything show on his face. But Zhu Yan must see something anyway, becase he moves in again; and this time, when Zhu Yan's lips meet his, Li Lun doesn't push him away.