Work Text:
Yue Qingyuan was walking dejectedly around Qiong Ding after finishing his sword training. He was procrastinating a little on his duties as head disciple, he knew, and would soon have to go to his personal office to resolve such matters, but first, Yue Qingyuan wanted to go to Qing Jing.
Shen Qingqiu left four days ago to do an errand, and had returned the day before. Yue Qingyuan went to see him, worried that he might have been hurt, but then he messed up again and Shen Qingqiu kicked him out.
Perhaps, if he took some sweets that were made at Zui Xian peak, he might be able to chat a little with Xiao Jiu, after all, Xiao Jiu loved sweets…
“Meow!” - A soft meow caught Yue Qingyuan's attention. It was not uncommon for some animals to roam around Cang Qiong, being a bit like pets for all the disciples. But generally, these little creatures stayed closer to Mo Shou Peak, where the disciples took care of the smaller creatures along with their own animals.
Madam Xu didn't forbid these animals from roaming around Qing Jing, but the disciples themselves usually didn't have much time to take care of the small animals, so they weren't often seen around Qing Jing.
(That and also because the cats liked to try and catch the Lord of Qing Jing's beloved fish.)
But the all-white kitten came out of the bushes looking a little suspicious, a little disheveled, looking at Yue Qingyuan with an intensity that reminded him of a certain someone.
“Ah, hello little friend…” - Kneeling down carefully so as not to scare the little animal, Yue Qingyuan felt quite attracted to the kitten.
“Meow…” - The cat looked at him suspiciously, shrinking a little, lowering his ears close to his head, almost on alert.
“It’s getting so cold, what are you doing here little one?”
“Meow…”
“It’s okay… I won’t hurt you…” - Seeing how the cat looked a little dirty, Yue Qingyuan took out a small jade pendant he had with him, looking shiny and new, a green that reminded him of the color of his eyes of Shen Qingqiu and when he looked, also those of the little cat. - “I… I don't know if you'll like it, but look! It’s brilliant!”
The cat looked at him for a few seconds, seeming to consider what he was showing, sitting on the floor, his white fur looking a little less bristly, but he looked at him like he was an absolute idiot.
“Ah…” - Yue Qingyuan scratched his head, a little unsure of what to do. He should be going to Qing Jing, to see Shen Qingqiu, but a part of him was telling him not to leave the kitten. - “Would you like milk? Or… Any sweets? I have some with me… I was going to take them to Xiao Jiu, but I can get more if you want.” - He persuaded, taking out a wooden box with several candied sweets.
The kitten immediately perked up its ears, meowing upon hearing Xiao Jiu's name and appearing interested in the sweets, its pink nose moving as it came closer to look.
"Do you like? I asked Heng-shidi to make them. He makes amazing sweets, so I tried cooking some for Xiao Jiu, but I don't think they taste as good as Heng-shidi's. I think it's better…”
“Meow” - The kitten slapped its paw on Yue Qingyuan's hand, interrupting him, before taking one of the sweets in its mouth, as if trying to eat it, but only managed to take out a small part. Yue Qingyuan let out a low laugh, delighted.
In a hesitant gesture, he brought his hand closer to the cat's head, and when he saw that it wasn't moved away, he stroked the kitten's furry head. The white fur was soft and fluffy, despite the dirt and leaves stuck in the fur. Carefully, Yue Qingyuan began to clean the cat, sitting on the floor next to the cat, feeling inexplicably comfortable with the little cat.
“You are so adorable. Thank you for letting me pet you.” - He thought that the cat looking at him with a sharp and suspicious look, while purring softly from affection, reminded him a lot of a certain person.
That memory brought a sad smile to his face, eliciting a depressed sigh.
“You’re a bit like my Xiao Jiu… I just… I wish I could be close to him again like that too.” - The longing was palpable in his tone, as he stared into space, feeling regret and the claws of failure clinging to his chest. - “But I don’t deserve it…”
“Meow!” - The kitten looked at him, almost offended, hitting his hand with his paw, but without scratching him.
“Ah, I'm sorry I-” - Before he could continue, the kitten jumped directly into his lap, climbing him with its little claws. A little surprised, but not wanting to drop the cat, he helped it, holding the kitten that started to meow as if scolding it, bringing a faint smile to Yue Qingyuan.
“Do you want to come with me, kitten?”
“Meow!” - The kitten responded after a few seconds, seeming to be pondering something. When he responded, he bumped his soft little head against Yue Qingyuan's cheek, as if he was petting her.
“I’ll take good care of you, okay? I will also introduce you to a very important person. Xiao Jiu is the most important person in the entire mountain, even more than the sect leader, so you can't scratch him, okay? Be kind. He is a little sharp, but he actually has a very good heart, so don't be upset if he is a little tough. I'm sure he'll like you a lot.” - Yue Qingyuan began to speak, actually feeling much better about talking about Shen Qingqiu. The cat was silent, as if it was really listening to him, snuggled in Yue Qingyuan's arms and receiving disciple Qiong Ding's affection.
Yue Qingyuan was determined to adopt the cat, he could keep it in Qiong Ding and take good care of it. And if Shen Qingqiu liked the kitten too, they could be like co-parents to the cat!
Maybe this way Xiao Jiu would want to spend a little more time with him, and not think he was so useless, he could show how good he was by helping take care of the kitten...
However, Yue Qingyuan's plans went down the drain when he discovered that Shen Qingqiu was not at Qing Jing Peak, but had gone out to practice his talismans.
Some of the disciples he spoke to tried to ask to pet the cat, but neither Yue Qingyuan wanted to let him nor the cat itself allowed it, which to be honest, made Yue Qingyuan quite happy.
Leaving Qing Jing, Yue Qingyuan sighed, feeling unhappy.
“I won’t be able to see Xiao Jiu….”
“Meow?” - The cat looked at him curiously, gently tapping his paw on his face, eliciting a slight smile from Yue Qingyuan. He smiled a lot around the kitten, and it wasn't the diplomatic smiles he usually gave people. And it's only been a few hours since he caught it.
“I’m sorry, but this one won’t be able to introduce you to Xiao Jiu today.” - With a sigh, Yue Qingyuan got on his sword and flew back to his dormitory in Qiong Ding.
“You need to clean yourself up, okay? I’ll use a cleansing talisman so you don’t have to get wet.”
“Meow…” - The kitten was very well-behaved in Yue Qingyuan’s arms, running his paws over the disciple’s chest. Yue Qingyuan's heart felt warm, as if the kitten's paws were stroking his own heart, making him happy and cozy.
“Winter is coming, and it will snow soon, so you need to stay warm and protected.” - With a light sigh, Yue Qingyuan felt worried. - “I hope Xiao Jiu is well dressed, he has always been more sensitive to the cold…”
After cleaning the kitten, Yue Qingyuan sat in front of the desk, starting to see all the duties that his shizun had given his, while the kitten remained in his arms, now entering inside his cloak and snuggled against his chest.
To be honest, Yue Qingyuan was a little embarrassed about this, but the kitten seemed so comfortable that he couldn't try to change his mind.
After what seemed like a very pleasant nap, the cat's fluffy head popped out of his collar, with a low, tired meow.
“Did you sleep well, little one?” - Yue Qingyuan asked gently, his voice low as he stroked one of the soft ears, the kitten was completely relaxed in his hands.
“Meow…” - Looking at Yue Qingyuan with those beautiful green eyes, the kitten approached and gave Yue Qingyuan a light lick on the face, then moved away, hiding its snout between its cute paws.
Yue Qingyuan found it extremely cute, delighted, holding the kitten and leaning over to give it a tender kiss as well.
“I really like you too.” - The kitten let out a hoarse meow as it pulled its head out of Yue Qingyuan's collar again, giving his face another lick, repeating the action several times, eliciting a light laugh from Yue Qingyuan, who put aside the scrolls he was reading. .
“You are so adorable…”
“Meow!” - the mischievous kitten returned inside Yue Qingyuan's cloak, kneading his paws on his chest, eliciting a soft laugh from the disciple.
“You really like resting there, don't you? Maybe I should ask Jia-shidi to make me more comfortable clothes so I can carry you, what do you think?”
“Meow.” - The kitten seemed quite interested in kneading buns on his chest, causing a light and soft sensation with its fluffy paws, making Yue Qingyuan quite relaxed.
Adopting the kitten was a really good decision.
PUFF!!
An explosion of white smoke filled Yue Qingyuan's office. Immediately he also heard the sound of tearing fabric and felt the weight on his lap getting heavier. Confused and worried about the kitten, he reached out to try and hold it as if by instinct, but ended up holding something very different.
Instead of a small body full of fluffy fur, his hands found a slender waist with soft and smooth skin, feeling a little warm under his fingers, strands of hair brushing his fingers with a light movement, which greatly surprised Yue Qingyuan.
As soon as the smoke cleared, he found himself staring into a pair of very familiar green eyes, which looked at him with a surprise that mirrored his own.
Shen Qingqiu was right there… In his arms… And…
Yue Qingyuan's face immediately turned vibrant red as he cast a glance downwards, seeing the other disciple's pale, flat chest, his hands almost unconsciously tightening his grip on Shen Qingqiu's waist, drawing a soft sigh from him.
Yue Qingyuan didn't know what to do with himself, stuttering incoherent words that didn't make any sense at all.
Shen Qingqiu meanwhile, did not expect that his transformation talisman had directly transformed him into a cat, and all the events that happened afterwards were equally surprising but no less pleasant for him.
Except he forgot that the talisman's duration wasn't very long and that he had no clothes on.
And now he was totally naked, sitting on his lap. Yue Qingyuan , while being held by the future cult leader as if he were a naughty mistress.
Shen Qingqiu seriously considered that it would be a great time for his heart to stop beating and for him to die of a heart attack. It would be absolutely excellent, because he definitely really wanted to cease to exist at that moment.
His face was equally bright red, even more so after realizing that, having transformed inside Yue Qingyuan's clothes, he ended up tearing them, leaving the eldest disciple with his clothes completely torn and his strong, muscular chest exposed.
He was quite shameless while he was a cat, and did not hesitate to indulge his greedy desires to touch the other disciple, even more so after hearing all those sweet words about how much Yue Qingyuan still cared about him. This really made his heart very happy…
“X-xiao Jiu I…” - Yue Qingyuan stuttered, his face very red, not wanting to embarrass the other disciple. - “Y-you can have u-one of my cloaks.. Ah..”
Shen Qingqiu let out a low 'en', too embarrassed to say more, despite being quite satisfied with where he was, he couldn't feel more embarrassed.
“You must go to Qing Jing Peak tomorrow.” - Shen Qingqiu declared, not looking directly at Yue Qingyuan's face, but unable to resist stealing a few glances at that firm, muscular chest, so comfortable for a nap.
“Y-yes!” - Being invited to visit Shen Qingqiu was definitely the best thing Yue Qingyuan could receive, turning to look at the younger boy, hugging him. - “I’ll bring sweets to Xiao Jiu.”
“S-shameless!” – Shen Qingqiu squeaked, embarrassed, a beautiful blush spreading to his chest.
At the same time, Yue Qingyuan froze, realizing his actions, but when he tried to move away, he realized that he was being firmly held in place by Shen Qingqiu's hands.
“You… can’t look.” - Shen Qingqiu said softly, ending up returning the hug. - “Shameless.”
“Sorry, Xiao Jiu….”
Shen Qingqiu would probably implode in place if he had to feel Yue Qingyuan's dark gaze on his naked body at that moment, so the best thing to do was to hold him tightly so he wouldn't see.
“Give me some clothes.” - He commanded after a long time hugging. It really felt good to hug Qi-ge, and he missed that hug, that fearless affection with the older boy.
Even though they were no longer children now, and Shen Qingqiu had to control his not-so-innocent impulses a lot.
“En.” - Not wanting to let go of Shen Qingqiu, Yue Qingyuan held the other disciple's waist more firmly, standing up with him in his arms, easily walking to the wardrobe to get some of his robes for Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu turned even redder upon being lifted like this by Yue Qingyuan, being carried so easily, as if he weighed nothing. What would be the limit to Yue Qingyuan's strength?
It was no wonder that this was the future sect leader. The prodigy of his generation.
Who has always accompanied Shen Qingqiu… And…
Who said he liked Shen Qingqiu…
“Qi-ge…” - Shen Qingqiu whispered, his words making the eldest disciple immediately freeze upon hearing the affectionate address. - “Those words, were you sincere?”
He didn't know where he got the courage to ask such a question, scratching Yue Qingyuan's muscular back while his heart beat wildly, absently looking at those strange scars against his skin.
Hm…
Shen Qingqiu's train of thought was interrupted when Yue Qingyuan adjusted his support on disciple Qing Jing's waist, untangling the two a little to hold Shen Qingqiu's face with a calloused hand.
Yue Qingyuan's dark, warm eyes looked at him with unknown intensity, a blush still covering the older boy's cheeks.
“I like Xiao Jiu, and I always will.” - With each word, the blush deepens, becoming more vivid in that intense red.
“But… You… are not allowed to take back your words!” – Shen Qingqiu threatened. - “You will only be mine, and you will not be allowed to get close to anyone else! For the rest of your life, is this what you want, Yue Qingyuan?”
“That’s all I want most.” - After saying so many shameful things, Shen Qingqiu's cheeks were the same as Yue Qingyuan's, and the two boys looked at each other a little stunned by what they seemed to be promising each other.
Shen Qingqiu was the first to look away, his dark hair falling temptingly over his pale chest that was splashed with a lovely pink blush.
Like a deity born directly to drive Yue Qingyuan crazy. And he would happily embrace insanity.
Shen Qingqiu was placed on the ground gently, and Yue Qingyuan turned around, letting him put on an inner layer to cover himself with some privacy.
That was until Shen Qingqiu felt a courage that probably stemmed from euphoria and made him turn to his shixiong to taunt him.
“Qi-ge, your clothes are too big. Help me put them on.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Qingqiu turned incredibly red, and so did Yue Qingyuan. He thought he might be reprimanded for his shamelessness, but instead, Yue Qingyuan obediently picked up a grayish robe, holding it up so that Shen Qingqiu could get closer.
With his face as hot as a furnace, Shen Qingqiu wrapped his arms around his robe, letting Yue Qingyuan gently tie it, feeling the eldest disciple's warm fingers running along his sides to straighten his clothes.
The process repeated with two more cloaks, each carrying Yue Qingyuan's heavy scent, making Shen Qingqiu feel like he was in a big hug from her Qi-ge.
As if it belonged completely to him, claimed for anyone who wanted to see.
Displaying to anyone that he was the only one in Qiong Ding's head disciple's heart.
When Shen Qingqiu was fully dressed, he pulled at the torn pieces of Yue Qingyuan's clothing, bringing the other disciple closer to him.
“It's so cold and Qi-ge is so indecent. Qi-ge also needs to look presentable, or what will shizun think we did?” - Probably being a cat affected his brain, Shen Qingqiu doesn't remember when he was so shameless!!
“If Xu-shibo wishes, I will be happy to take the responsibility.” – Yue Qingyuan retorted, his ears red as he hugged Shen Qingqiu. His torn clothes displaying much of his torso, while enveloping Shen Qingqiu fully dressed in his own clothes, made the atmosphere quite ambiguous.
Shen Qingqiu leaned forward, leaning on Yue Qingyuan's larger body, feeling that warm and caring embrace. Yue Qingyuan didn't know if he was interpreting Shen Qingqiu's signals wrong, but Xiao Jiu could always slap him for his boldness.
In a bold move, Yue Qingyuan gently brushed his lips, electrified by the softness and perfection of that touch. When no slaps or furious reprimands came, he did as he wished, stealing a kiss from his Xiao Jiu.
Shen Qingqiu couldn't be more satisfied, his heart happy for his Qi-ge's actions, returning the kiss awkwardly, seeking to be closer to the other disciple, feeling Yue Qingyuan's almost desperate need as he devoured his mouth as if it were your last meal.
Shen Qingqiu's nimble hands soon got rid of the tattered remains of Yue Qingyuan's clothes, which even with the arrival of the snow, was still warm and firm against his hands.
When the two finally broke away in search of air, Shen Qingqiu felt dizzy from both not breathing and the sudden turn that the last few hours had made in his life.
Looking outside, Shen Qingqiu could see snow falling. Feeling a gentle kiss on his temple, he looked at Yue Qingyuan absentmindedly.
“You need to get dressed too. What would zhangmen-shibo think if he knew that his disciple got sick from not dressing properly? Tsk, silly Qi-ge.”
“Qi-ge is really very foolish without Xiao Jiu to take care of him.”
Shen Qingqiu gave him a look full of reprimand, but still filled with not-so-well-concealed satisfaction.
“Xiao Jiu should stay here, we can watch the first snow together. And then have dinner together.” - Yue Qingyuan suggested timidly, not wanting to say goodbye yet.
“Mn. Could it be. I will send a message to Shizun.”
As a child, he always hated winter and snow. It always meant a much more difficult period in your life, lack of food and the possibility of freezing to death or losing your most precious person to the merciless season.
Now, as he was embraced by Yue Qingyuan's strong arms, seeing the first snowflakes falling across the sky, the season became much warmer.
Winters are always warmer when you are with the ones you love.