Beyond Time (WenZhou Modern Day FF)

Love

"You're back? Come, let's have dinner." ZZS jumped to his feet with his head still drowsy when he heard the loud engine from outside. Opening the door, he realized the sky had already turned dark. It was still bright outside when he finished cooking that afternoon. It was his day off and WKX again spent his whole day outside, doing lord-knows-what.

He watched as the man walked towards him with his purple shirt and black pants, causing him to remember that he had actually not seen the guy for almost the entire day. But WKX had a cheerful smile on his face so ZZS decided to hold his disappointment in.

WKX glanced at his watch and then at the soft smile ZZS was giving him while standing beside the door to their temporary home. His husband was wearing a simple striped pajamas set, his delicate unruly hair covered half his face which he didn't seem to care to fix.

If this isn't heaven, then I don't know what is.

WKX took the man's hand and directly headed to the kitchen. His lips parted upon looking at the meals served in mismatched plates and bowls on the dining table. He looked around the kitchen and finally noticed how half of the cabinets were still ajar, the stoves were greasy with bits and pieces of multicolored stuff all around and the sink was no longer visible from where he was standing. He felt the hand in his grip pulled away as ZZS took his seat.

"Sit."

WKX abided, almost hesitant in his movement. He fixed his expression as he took a seat at the end of the long table but a bemused smile slipped on his face. "Did you cook?"

"Mn."

"For me?"

"For my ancestors. What do you think?"

"Ah Xu.." WKX could count the occasion in which ZZS would cook for him. Up on the mountain, cooking was just part of their empty talks and when they were acting as mortals, only WKX would step into the kitchen. A nobleman stays clear of the kitchen, as ZZS would always say whenever WKX asked him to cook.

Truthfully, WKX was expecting the dinner to be just two set of boxed ones, like how ZZS would resort to whenever WKX was too busy to take care of his meals and now that in front of him lies multiple homemade dishes of his favourite, he was lost for words. He didn't care if the colours looked a bit off, if the broth was plated in a shallow plate instead of a bowl or if the chicken was dry and overcooked; only one sentence ran through his mind. Ah Xu cooked for me.

Noticing the nonplussed expression on his husband's face, ZZS swiped his eyes across the ten dishes he cooked before he took a nap just now and realized that they all looked weird. He didn't know if it was because of the antique dinnerware's lack of vibrancy or if it was because of his tired eyes, but he suddenly felt bad to let the man eat. He was about to suggest that they call for food delivery instead when he realized WKX was already stuffing his face.

"Ah Xu~ These are so delicious!" WKX slurred his words with his full mouth, looking at ZZS with a face that defined happiness. The ten dishes ZZS cooked surprisingly tasted basically the same, only with the main ingredient changed. They weren't at all tasty but at that moment, WKX wasn't lying. He did found them all to be delicious, though he believed his stomach might not agree soon.

"Eat slowly." With his back straight ZZS cleared his throat, the curve on his face grew wider everytime WKX added more of his cooking into his mouth, not leaving even a tiny bit of it. He guessed he should cook more in the future seeing the reaction from WKX. However, his smile gradually went stiff as he was reminded of the reason he cooked in the first place. He waited for WKX to finish his first bowl of rice and return with a second one before he asked,

"Where did you go today?"

Still shoving food into his mouth, WKX did not bother to look at the man as he answered, "I went to donate stuff and discuss some stuff with my old friend."

"Yesterday too?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow too. I'll be busy for the next few days."

ZZS looked at the tip of his fingers and fiddled with the chopstick on the table. He doubted that WKX had gone to 'donate' every day for this whole week and what was with the cold attitude he was giving? He initially wanted to give WKX time and waited for WKX to tell him himself. He figured WKX would already tell him if he wanted to but the excuse was too bizarre for him to just keep quiet.

"Why? I mean, what are you donating for?"

"Ah Xu.. I am called Philanthropist Wen for a reason, you know. Why should I have a reason for wanting to make the people happy.."

He extended his hand that was fiddling with the bowl of untouched rice in front of him to grab onto WKX's arm, making the man stop flying his chopstick everwhere, "Are you sure you're not out there stirring trouble? I'm worried that -"

ZZS swallowed his words as a clear clang was made when WKX slammed his chopsticks across the rice ceramic bowl on the table. He withdrew his hand but WKX was faster to grab it, putting in back on his arm.

WKX who seemed to realize he may have startled his husband quickly put on a grin and said, "Worry? Why should my Ah Xu waste his time with such inessential feeling? Rest assured, I will not do anything to make you worry."

He stared at the face he had been missing these past few days, the worries was obviously still there.

"...or are you worrying about someone else?" WKX added, his grin faded but the hand on his arm he held on tighter. He watched as the still beautiful face was betrayed by a frown, making it clear that his hasty question was unfounded.

"What do you mean?"

"Ah Xu.." WKX pitched forward, drawing the other man closer as he pulled his arm towards him. The faint woody scent with aquatic notes from ZZS's neck whirled through his nose as they both locked eyes. His oil stained lips trembled slightly as he cited,

"Even when the mountains loses their peaks,
when the rivers run dry,
when it thunders in the winter,
when it snows in the summer,
even when the sky melds with the earth,
in a union without end, you are mine."

WKX closed his eyes as he leaned in and placed a kiss on ZZS's cheek. It was tender yet melting. It was so deep that when the lips parted from the unblemished surface, a loud smack could be heard. It was as long as the time it took for all the blood to come rushing up on ZZS's face.

The now crimson faced man stood up hastily, barely balancing his two feet by holding on to the back of a dining chair. He bent down and pulled the collar on WKX's shirt and wiped it across his cheek.

"You.. couldn't you wipe your mouth first!?