Blood on the Altar (HuaLian TGCF)

Chapter 17

"Don't be afraid, gege. I'm here." Hua Cheng whispers the words onto Xie Lian's lips and the god breath catches at the unfamiliar feeling that the words and tone send rushing through him. Then the ghost king's mouth is on his and Xie Lian stops thinking about anything at all.

The kiss is gentle at first growing more intense as Xie Lian's body leans into it seemingly of its own accord. Distantly he notices that his eye lids are fluttering shut, that his whole body is trembling but those are remote things compared to the sensation of being kissed, of Hua Cheng's mouth on his, slow at first, then more insistent, hungry and passionate and hot somehow despite the cool of the ghost's skin. Hua Cheng's arms are tight around him, holding him close, one hand tangling in his hair, tilting his head back to deepen the kiss. Xie Lian feels a soft gasp fall from between his parted lips, his own hands rising to cling to the ghost king's robes, desperate for stability among the heat of new sensation.

Somehow he ends up on his back, Hua Cheng kneeling over him, the kiss finally breaking as Xie Lian gasps for air, his breath coming quick and shaky as he looks up into Hua Cheng's eye and sees the desire burning there, so hot that Xie Lian feels like he might drown in it. Some part of him still can't quite understand it, still can't quite wrap his head around the ghost king loving him, Wu Ming loving him, wanting him, not after everything he's done, not after every way he's failed, and yet... And yet, as Hua Cheng's eyes fix on him and one of the ghost king's hands moves to gently slide open the front of Xie Lian's robe it becomes more and more impossible to doubt what every one of his senses is telling him. That Hua Cheng, that San Lang, that Wu Ming really does desire him.

Hua Cheng's hand brushes across Xie Lian's chest and the god gasps softly, that simple contact enough to send sparks racing across his skin.

"Beloved..." Xie Lian whispers the word almost without meaning to and is unprepared for the way Hua Cheng stills at the sound of it, his eye widening, his lips parting in a silent gasp.

For a moment they stay like that, just staring at each other, and then Hua Cheng surges forward, his mouth finding Xie Lian's and this time there's no more holding back, no more uncertainty. Hua Cheng kisses him deep and desperate and claiming and for once the act of being claimed by another doesn't terrify Xie Lian. For once he welcomes it, welcomes the man he trusts completely, loves completely because yes that's what this is isn't it?

Love.

Xie Lian raises his arms and wraps them around Hua Cheng, pulling the ghost close, clinging to him with a desperation to match the desperation of the kiss as he feels raw need of a sort he's never known before rising in him, pouring over his heart and pooling in his stomach and suddenly he knows that he wants nothing more than this, nothing more than the feel of Hua Cheng's hands, Hua Cheng's lips, Hua Cheng's everything.

The ghost king's hand moves on Xie Lian's chest and then sparks of shocking pleasure roll through Xie Lian, the startled moan they draw from him muffled against Hua Cheng's lips. It's so sudden and he was so deep in the kiss that it actually takes the god a moment to realize what happened but then he does and fresh shock and heat rush through him. His nipple. Hua Cheng's fingers are on his nipple twisting it experimentally between his fingers.

Hua Cheng breaks the kiss, pulling back to gage Xie Lian's expression and the god sees mischief flicker in his eye. His fingers move on Xie Lian's nipple again and the god gasps, feeling heat burning his cheeks. "San Lang that feels..."

"Good?" The ghost king asks, his eye fixed on Xie Lian for a moment as though to memorize every detail of his expression.

Xie Lian doesn't have the words to express how it feels, how forbidden, how wrong ...and yes, how good, so he just nods jerkily, the heat climbing higher in his cheeks.