The next morning Mochou woke up late and sore. Not in the places he expected. That place was sore as well but not as badly as one would expect given the stories he heard from his gay friends. At least it didn't seem that bad when compared to the rest of his body.
"I feel like I've been in a boxing match." Mochou grumbled as he tried to sit up.
"What's a boxing match? Is it bad?" Yichen suddenly asked from next to Mochou.
Mochou had been so distracted by his sore muscles that he didn't even notice the man holding him in his arms.
Yichen could feel Mochou's body tense the moment he spoke.
"Did I startle him?" He wondered a little disappointed that Mochou hadn't noticed he was there.
"Mochou?"
"Sorry, I'm not used to waking up with someone else in bed." Mochou admitted.
"Hmm. That's fine. Soon it will be the opposite." Yichen said with confidence. He raised his hand and with a light touch turned Mochou face to look at him.
"He's blushing."
Mochou could feel his body heating up as he stared at the handsome naked man laying next to him. His chest was exposed just below the surprisingly cute nipples. Mochou batted his eyes a few times as he tried to pull his gaze away but instead he found it wandering further down.
"The quilt is in the way." Mochou thought as he slowly moved closer. Not because he wanted to cuddle like Yichen assumed but in hopes of exposing more of Yichen's body.
Yichen wasted Mochou's lecherous attempts by hugging him close. So close Mochou found his head resting on the Yichen's chest. At first Mochou was disappointed but soon he realized it wasn't so bad.
"His skin is surprisingly smooth. And his heartbeat is strong." He thought as he closed his eyes to enjoy the moment.
While Mochou's thoughts wandered Yichen also had thoughts of his own.
"His complexion is better than expected. I thought he might be tired or in pain this morning but he looks energetic. How wonderful..."
"Why is he staring at me like that? Does he want something? Oh? He's moving closer. He must want to snuggle. I understand my cute bae. You want to laze around in bed longer. No problem."
...
Mochou was so comfortable he actually fell back asleep. The next time he woke up the sun was a lot higher in the sky.
"What time is it." Mochou mumbled as he looked around. He was surprisingly still firmly held in Yichen's embrace.
"Maybe around nine in the morning. It's difficult to tell with the window closed." Yichen answered.
This time Mochou didn't tense up or act surprised. Instead he looked up at his husband with a loving gaze.
"We should get up. There is a lot to do." Mochou said but failed to move.
"We should... but there is no rush. We can be as lazy as we want today. If you want to sleep a little longer we can." Yichen said.
"Can't." Mochou swiftly said.
"Why not? Is there something you need to do?" Yichen asked a little confused.
Mochou seemed conflicted by Yichen's question.
"Why won't he tell me? Is it a secret? We are married now there shouldn't be any secrets. Then again Mochou is a bundle of secrets and mystery. It's one of the reasons I love him..." Yichen thought.
Despite his thought he couldn't help but feel a little hurt that Mochou didn't want to tell him. He decided to be a little naughty. He raised his hand and lightly pinched Mochou's cheek.
"Don't keep secrets from this husband of yours." He said in a playful tone.
"It's not a secret... it's..."
"What?"
"I need to use the toilet." Mochou finally said.
He was so embarrassed he wanted to stick his head into the ground but his body was beginning to reach its limit. With no other option he used his only good arm and started to push away from Yichen's embrace.
Yichen didn't expect Mochou to say such a thing. Surprised he watched as Mochou tried to sneak out of bed to go to the bathroom. But just as he was about to leave the quilt he was forced to stop.
"Where are my clothes?" Mochou asked.
His question made Yichen laugh. He sat up and unabashedly pulled the quilt away leaving both of them fully exposed.
"It's a shame I won't be able to enjoy this view any longer but you do need to get dress if you are going to the toilet." Yichen commented before heading for the tall wardrobe and pulling out a white night robe.
"Wear this for now but come back quick so you can dress properly." Yichen instructed.
Mochou had a lot he wanted to say. He also wanted to enjoy the view a little longer himself, but nature was calling and it refused to be ignored. He snatched the white robe from Yichen's hands and hastily put it on. He then slipped on some straw slippers and ran out the door.
"Damn it why can't we have indoor plumbing." Mochou thought as he made his way across the yard to the smelly old outhouse at the back.
...
When he came back he was amazed to find Yichen still in the nude. Well not entirely he did have a pair of pants on as he tried to start a fire.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to boil some water so we can wash up. It'll be ready soon so go ahead and lay down a little longer." Yichen said.
"Where are we supposed to bathe?" Mochou wanted to ask but he stayed silent and instead sat at the table to watch his husband as he tended to the fire.
When he sat down he found it a little uncomfortable but nothing unbearable.
"Is this because I'm a GER?" He wondered as he wiggle around in the chair.
"Is something wrong Mochou? Are you feeling uncomfortable. If you are you need to tell me. I can make some medicine to help with the pain." Yichen said when he noticed.
"It's fine. A little strange but not painful." Mochou answered with a light blush.
"That's good. I don't want you to feel pain because of something I did." Yichen eyes held a hint of melancholy as he spoke.
"Yichen, you don't have to worry about that. Last night was better than I imagined. Although I have to admit my muscles are really sore." Mochou said as he flexed his one good arm. He was careful not ti mention the pain from the arm that was broken or the bruising because those were never Yichen's fault to begin with.
"A lot has happened and last night was definitely more intense than intended. I'll prepare some medicine to help." Yichen stated before heading over to his kit.
Mochou found it sweet how Yichen kept offering to make him medicine.
"He's not just my husband but my personal doctor. I'm so lucky."
Yichen rummaged through his things pulling out a few different herbs. Mochou watched impressed by how amazing his husband was.
"Yichen, should we go for a walk through the forest later. With all the herbs you keep using on me you'll run out soon." Mochou said. He was half joking, half serious when he made the suggestion.
"We can. But today I was hoping we could talk about the future." Yichen said.
"The future?"
"Mochou, I know you had a plan on how to improve your life. How you wanted to hunt and start a garden in the yard and slowly buy the things you need to live comfortably. It's a great plan but now that we are married I think we should discuss the specifics together." Yichen said.
He was a little careful with his words because he didn't want to accidentally hurt or come off as too controlling. He wanted Mochou to feel comfortable talking to him.
Mochou looked at Yichen a bit confused.
"Why is he talking so strangely? Is he afraid I will get angry?" Mochou wondered.
"There's nothing wrong with your plan but they don't include me yet. I'd like to be included in your plans for the future." Yichen added when Mochou didn't say anything.
While he waited for Mochou's response, he kept looking at Mochou to check his expression. Mochou smiled to ease his worries.
Seeing him smile really did help ease Yichen's worries. He smiled back and walked up to Mochou. Mochou looked up at him and softly spoke to him.
"Yichen. Our lives are forever intertwined now. I really want to know what you want. Let's spend the day like you say and discuss it." Mochou said.
Yichen placed both hands on either side of Mochou's face. He tilted it up ever so lightly and leaned down to kiss him. The kiss was slow but long. As they kissed Mochou closed his eyes and savoured the soft warm feel of Yichen's lips. Even after the kiss was over Yichen lingered close.
Mochou wanted another seeing how Yichen was still close he tried to reach him but just before he could Yichen pulled away and returned to the stove to deal with the large pot of boiling water.
"Mochou go grab some towels from the wardrobe. I'm going to carry in the tub." Yichen said before slipping outside. Mochou was disappointed but He also didn't mind.
"It won't be as great as yesterday, but it's nice to have a bath two days in a row. And honestly I need it." Mochou thought. He couldn't deny needing one when he remembered all the stuff they had done the night before.
Yichen carried in something that looked more like a washbasin than a bathtub. As expected it wasn't the best option but it was still better than the little bucket he used before. He held the towels in his hand as he watched Yichen pour the boiling water into the tub. Yichen then poured in a bucket of cold water.
"I wonder if Yichen would mind staying shirtless for the whole day?" Mochou wondered as he watched Yichen's muscles as he worked.
"Mochou, sorry it'll take a little longer before the bath is ready." Yichen said as he placed another pot to boil.
"It's fine. About what we were talking about earlier..."
"Earlier?"
"Our plans. To be honest there is something I wanted to ask your opinion about." Mochou said.
"What is it?"
"I was thinking we need to build a new house?" Mochou said.
He wasn't sure how Yichen would react. He knew Yichen's family had money but he had no idea how much Yichen had personally. He also wasn't sure if Yichen would get angry at him for wanting a new house after convincing him to live in the little hut instead of his parent's place.
"I was thinking the same thing. We don't have to move in to the village but maybe we could build it close to here? Where it is quiet and we can enjoy our privacy." Yichen said.
He was glad Mochou was thinking along the same lines as him.
"I don't know how it works but could we buy the land next to this place? That way we can slowly build it while we live here. Then once it's build we could join the two plots together for a bigger yard." Mochou suggested.
"That sounds like a wonderful plan. Do you have any ideas about the house itself? Do you want something big? Small? If we are going to build a house we should do it right."
Mochou actually had a lot of ideas, but he wanted to hear Yichen's suggestions first. He wanted the home to be something they both wanted and loved not just him. Mochou had an inkling that if he said what he wanted first Yichen would agree with it all. Even if deep down he would have preferred something different.
"I'm not sure what can be done. Why don't you tell me what you want and I'll listen first." Mochou said.
"I don't think we need anything too big. My parent's home is nice but it can also feel empty when we aren't all in the same room together. Aside from the size though I like the idea of having our home made of sturdy wood and a proper bath would be nice as well." Yichen said.
"That's exactly what I was thinking? We are definitely in sync." Mochou thought as he listened to Yichen talk.
"Our bedroom should have two outer walls with large windows so in the summer we can open them both and have a nice cool breeze running through it."
"I didn't even think of that." Mochou thought as he continued to listen.
"I decent size kitchen and a bathroom that is easier to access would also be useful... As for the yard it'll be nice to raise some chickens for their eggs but they can be smelly so it's best to have them further away. Maybe we could leave their pen in this yard away from the main house? We also need a tall wall. It will be safer and if you need to sneak out to the bathroom in your nightgown again I won't have to worry about strangers stealing a peek." Yichen finally concluded.
Mochou agreed with everything Yichen said. Although he did wish the bathroom could be indoors he knew it wouldn't be possible considering the smell. Unless Yichen was willing to try making a rudimentary septic system. Mochou had built a few in the more rural villages he work in as a teenager.
"Mochou, what do you think?" Yichen asked.
"I love it. But I think we should add a few things." Mochou said.
"What?"
"First, I love the idea of a small house but you practice medicine so I think we need to add an office for you. It can be attached to the house or separate but either way it should be close by." Mochou said. He then stopped to see what Yichen thought.
"Although I'll only be an apprentice if would be nice to have somewhere to dry my herbs and mix the medicine." Yichen said seemingly agreeing with Mochou's suggestion.
"I also want to add a winter bedroom."
"What do you mean?"
"The room with the windows is perfect for summer but it will be cold in winter. So I think we should have a second room with a kang bed. This way we can sleep in the room with a breeze when the nights are hot and on the kang when they are cold." Mochou explained.
"A kang bed? I've heard of them but I wouldn't know how to make one." Yichen said. He liked the idea but he wasn't sure if it was possible to have one built.
"I know how to make it. It's actually easy if you have the right stones. The stones... might be hard to get but we have until winter to find them." Mochou said.
"You know how to make them?" Yichen asked surprised by the revelation.
Mochou was about to say it was easy because he had made some rudimentary ones before from the ruins of old houses but then he remembered how that was from his past life.
Yichen saw Mochou's expression change from shock to fear and finally guilt. He didn't understand why his question would result in that kind of reaction.
"Mochou, if you don't want to tell me it's fine. You're allowed to have secrets." Yichen said despite his earlier words in bed.
Mochou looked at Yichen trying to decide what he should say.
"Should I tell him the truth? We are married and maybe... maybe Yichen won't care or maybe he'll even think it's interesting. But then again it's a ridiculous story. The kind that could get me labelled as insane."
While he mulled over what to do Yichen watched him closely. He watched as Mochou's expression flipped back and forth between hopeful to pained. Yichen debated speaking again but was worried he might make things worse so instead he silently waited for Mochou.
The wait was long. Long enough that the water had started to boil and Yichen was able to add it to the tub.
"Mochou' it's not much but you can start to wash up now." Yichen said.
"Huh? What?" Mochou exclaimed when Yichen touched his shoulder.
"The bath, it's ready." Yichen briefly repeated.
"Oh... sorry I..."
"It's fine. Whatever it is. It's fine." Yichen said as he headed over to the shelf to grab some soap nuts for Mochou.
"Yichen, do you believe that people have souls that remain even after death?" Mochou asked.
"Like ghosts? Hmm... I've never seen any but I also have no way to prove that they don't exist." Yichen said.
"What about reincarnation?" Mochou then asked.
"Is that the one where people are reborn after death?"
"It is. Do you believe in it? Mochou asked.
"I'm not sure. But I f it's true then I pray I get to meet you in my next life. On the other hand If it isn't then I should enjoy the time we have together to the fullest." Yichen said. His response was easygoing but internally he was a bit confused.
"Why is he asking me these questions?" Yichen wondered. They seemed completely obscure and out of the blue.
However for Mochou they made perfect sense. They made sense because he had decided to tell Yichen the truth about himself. Not right away but after a few weeks. He would tell him the truth after he exposed Yichen to the idea that such things were possible.
"I like the way you think." Mochou commented before moving the conversation along.
"Yichen, if we plan to build our home we'll need money. I don't know how much but it certainly won't be cheap."
"I have some savings. I also plan to start selling herbs and apprenticing as a doctor. You don't have to worry about money." Yichen said.
"I also want to help." Mochou stated with a firm resolve. Yichen expected him to say something along those lines so he already had his answer prepared.
"I don't mind if you want to keep trapping rabbits and birds. But... I think money earned from that should be used to buy you the things you need."
" I know selling rabbits won't be enough to build a house, that why I was hoping to get some wood so I can make a bow and some arrows." Mochou said.
"You want to make a bow and arrows? How..."
Yichen was tempted to ask about how Mochou knew how to make a bow and arrows but stopped himself when he realized he was about to ask the same question as earlier.
"I know it's a strange request, and it might be hard to believe but I'm really good at hunting with a bow and arrow." Mochou said. He also realized the conversation was similar to the previous one.
"This is difficult. I don't want to have to tip toe and be careful when I talk to Yichen." Mochou thought as he once again debated on how to tell Yichen the truth.
Yichen noticed Mochou drifting off again.
"Mochou, if you want to hunt with a bow and arrow that's fine, but I have to insist on going with you. I'll worry myself to death if you wander deep in the forest alone." Yichen said. He was a little worried Mochou might not like his assertive stance but he had to say it."
Contrary to Yichen's worries Mochou was actually touched by his concern.
"That sounds nice. We could go and while I hunt you can gather the medicinal herbs you need as a doctor." Mochou said with a smile.
Yichen leaned in again and gave Mochou another slow and sensual kiss.
"Every time he kisses me it feels better than the last." Mochou mused as he stole one last peck before Yichen completely pulled away.
"This time I caught you!" Mochou triumphantly exclaimed to himself.
...