[花怜 | HuaLian]: L.A. Stage Fright [TGCF Modern AU]

[The Battle For Your Soul]

The Prince snuggled into him with a deep sigh. In the darkness it was so easy to imagine things were different. He murmured, lost in his love, in his longing:

- I miss you so terribly much, beloved... I have waited for so long, and we have had so little time together... I miss your gentle hands, my love, I miss your touch... When will you be with me? When will I have your tenderness all to myself? When will my happiness be complete? Come back to me, husband, come find me again. It is... it is so heartbreaking to wait, Hua Cheng! My love, my heart, come fill my soul with light and joy again! Beloved husband, I am craving for you, it is a torture without you... The world is grey and without meaning... My light, my joy, return to me...

Charlie didn't dare breathe  –  it was so intimate, so soft that it lulled his mind into an enchanted haze. He whispered, missing Liam terribly much too  –  even more so because he was, technically speaking, in his arms right now:

- I miss you... I love you... Husband... My love...

Xie Lian looked up at him, despite the darkness, and whispered eagerly:

- Charlie... We are one... You are one... One... One and the same... Many lifetimes over... You have always found your Liam, and San Lang has always found me... Over and over again... This time is no different... Why are you resisting so much? Give in. Be free. Let us make love, let us enjoy each other, let us belong again... Let go... Surrender to your God... The one God you love with all your heart... It is easy, Charlie, it is really simple... What are you afraid of, my love?

- I am so afraid of losing him...  -  he murmured, now holding him tighter, pressing him to his body again, painfully so.  –  I cannot lose him... I am finally happy... I cannot give this up... And he... He... he seems to like Hua Cheng so much... More than me... maybe...

- Charlie, Hua Cheng is you. You are him. You were born for this. You have no choice.   –  Xie Lian whispered gently in his ear, craving terribly to kiss him, to undress him, to make love to him.

- No... No. I am me. I belong to myself. And I belong to Liam. He is to be my husband soon... He is... He is my happiness. I am not giving this up.  –  he was muttering the feverish words, stubbornly, too convinced that he was right.

- Let go... Husband, let go... Return to me...  -   Xie Lian was murmuring gently, impatient to be finally happy, to finally meet his loved one fully.

He got on top of Charlie, leaning in and kissing his lips thirstily, letting his long hair to fall over them and envelop them, his hands sliding and caressing the gentle skin underneath the shirt.

- Liam... My baby... My pet... I miss you, baby... My love... My loved one...  –  Charlie was panting between bites and kisses.

Yes, it was Liam's body. Yes, those were his lips. Oh yes, he had missed him so terribly, so miserably... 

He was craving for his kisses so much... And they were kissing, kissing away, finally happy, finally fulfilled, finally so close, touching, hugging, eating each other, drinking each other.

But no, no. 

This was not Liam.

 It was a thief. 

A thief who had stolen Liam's lips, and Liam's fingertips. The kisses were forced, his knees were pinning him to the bed too hard, his hands were pinching on his nipples too painfully, those were not Liam's moans.

This was not Liam. 

It was an impostor.

- Get off! Get off me!  –  Charlie hissed, coming to his senses.

- Charlie...  -  Xie Lian panted, too aroused, wanting, needing to go on.

- Give me back my love!!!  –  Charlie whimpered, desperate, fearing that his Liam would never come back again, that it would be just this pompous, self-righteous god.

Xie Lian pressed down on him harder and hissed in his face:

- No. You should be the one to give me back my love!!! I have given you two enough time! I have never done this before, in no other lifetime before! The Ghost King has been patient with you two only because I asked him to! Do you understand, little boy?!   –   he growled, leaning down so close that Charlie felt his hot breath on his face, even though he never saw him.

- No! I will not sacrifice my love, my life only because of your plan for this lifetime! I'd rather kill myself!   –  Charlie cried out, helpless to escape his grip, but still feeling him gasp and sit back now.

- You are scared, aren't you?   –  he mocked.  –  If anything happens to your precious Hua Cheng  –  you will be left here all alone, to live the life you stole from Liam!  Asshole!

Xie Lian bit his lip.

- I am not finished with you yet! Insolent disobedient brat!   –  he hissed through clenched teeth.