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It’s loud. An utterly rude sound untouched by shame or sadness.
The laugh that comes from his husband’s mouth is something Binghe had never thought the man knew how to make. At this moment, Binghe has completely forgotten what he’d even said to gain the response as he makes to pull the glasses of fruit wine he’d gotten from Mobei-jun and Shang-shibo away from Shizun’s vibrating hands before he tossed them across the freshly laundered sheets of their bed.
It’s complete and pure unfettered joy and delight on his husband's face convinces Binghe that he never understood love before this moment. No happiness had come close to the expression on his Shizun and the new look unlocked an entire new world for him to unravel. Everyday he had found a new reason to fall in love with Shen Qingqiu all over again, and this one was no different.
Though as soon as the sound came, Shizun’s fan had unfurled just as quickly. Where he had those damned things hidden, even in their bedroom, Binghe would never know. However, even hiding behind the sheer fabric of the fan’s folds could not veil the entire new world Binghe had been hidden from.
“A-ah. I didn’t mean to make that sound aloud-“
Binghe’s hand wrapped around Shizun’s wrist, pulling the peak where the fan hid his eyes down. He was greeted with the reveal of wet, furiously blinking eyes still trying to rid themselves of the loud laughter just moments before. The slopes of Shizun’s cheeks were red with an embarrassment that had begun to travel up his ears and down his neck. Pulling the man closer to him, Binghe lounged back into the pillows on their bed, sitting against their headboard.
“Shizun, I want to hear it again.”
His husband spluttered with an uncharacteristic inelegance as his shamelessness delighted Binghe even more. There was a dawning horror on Shizun’s face that was so utterly endearing that Binghe couldn’t help himself from leaning forward to push his nose against his husband’s warm, flushed cheek.
“Binghe, I believe I’ve had a little too much of this wine. Perhaps we should send the rest back to your Shang-shibo and his-“
Binghe ignored Shizun’s not too subtle attempts at retreat and instead slowly began pressing small kisses to the exposed skin of his neck that the collars of his out layers, loose with drunken leisure, did not hide. Like a hound to blood, Binghe zoned in on the spot he knew was certain to illicit Shizun’s usual small and hidden laughter. Only now, it seemed even Shizun’s body knew a dam had been opened, one that couldn’t quite be closed again.
Another giggle escaped Shizun’s lips and this time, he abandoned his signature fan to stifle the sound in his hand, sending it clattering off the bed to the floor as he raised his arm. Or, well, he tried to until Binghe stopped him halfway, taking the other wrist in hand. With both of Shen Qingqiu’s wrists in Binghe’s palms, nothing stopped the man from seeing his face. Without his hands to stabilize him, Shen QIngqiu was sent careening into him, his knees bracketing over Binghe’s hips to remain upright.
“Husband!” Shizun practically shrieked and Binghe reveled in the uncontrolled squirming the man did under his palms. Everything Shen Qingqiu did now seemed to have a life of its own, like every interaction before this moment, although wholehearted and genuine, had been eclipsed by some veil his Shizun never seemed to let anyone see him under. Binghe never wanted to let him go back. He’d thought he’d seen everything there was to see when it came to his husband but he supposed one never stopped learning.
“Motherfuck-” A loud gasp of laughter blurted from his mouth again, sharply cut with a litany of foul curses Binghe had never imagined would be uttered by Shen Qingqiu. “I mean- shit, what was in that fucking wine-”
Binghe could barely contain his eagerness and buried his face into Shizun’s neck, a barrage of small kisses eliciting another round of snorts and choked, barking laughter. Switching his grip from Shizun’s wrists, he instead began to wrap his arms around Shizun’s waist tightly. He attempted to pull his husband closer, his hands gripping his hip bones as he shifted upwards to sit at the edge of their bed instead.
“Stop hiding.” Binghe demanded through Shizun’s attempts to escape. “You’re always hiding things from me…”
“Binghe!” The man chided- yet Binghe pressed on.
“Married you… want all of you.” Binghe mumbled, feeling a spot low in his gut warm up. He wasn’t sure if the comfortable toasty buzz came from the wine gift they’d both had a helping to or if was simply having Shizun so close to him. He felt dizzy and it wasn’t the wine that was the drug.
At that, he felt the exasperated sigh that went through Shen Qingqiu’s entire body. Shizun’s hands ran through the curls down his back, lacing together at the nape of his neck. Shen Qingqiu’s thumbs pressed lightly behind his ear as leverage for the man to lean closer. He quietly hummed into the shell of Binghe’s ear, warm and lax. “And you have me, husband.”
Binghe tried not to shiver at that, but then again, he did have his dashing husband cradle loosely in his arms, practically sitting on his lap like a throne. He shook away the blatant attempts at distraction and gave Shizun his best stern look. Through the hazy adoration and warmth of Shizun and the gift wine, a small sort of fear remained from the early days of their courtship. He had never quite known Shizun completely like he’d wanted to until it was too late.
Binghe thinks this may have shown on his face because it takes less than a moment for Shizun to lose the teasing tone in his voice. With an earnestness that unravels Binghe more than his laughter could, Shizun holds Binghe’s face in his hands like gold. His eyes are molten heat in the candlelight of the bamboo house. “I will try. To share more. Be more open, honest to you. It’s not that I do not want to share myself with you. I suppose it just makes me feel… exposed.”
Binghe’s fears take little time to dissipate at that. He knows how difficult it is for Shizun to say these things, even in the confidence of their home. He knows that some parts of Shen QIngqiu are so hidden that Binghe doesn’t even believe his husband truly recalls those parts of himself.
“Shizun doesn't need to be afraid.” Binghe pushes his face from Shizun’s hands into his chest. Binghe would wait forever for those deeply hidden piece of Shizun, the only Shen Qingqiu that mattered to him now was the one who held him softly and giggled when he had a little too much wine. “I can take good care of this part of you, Shizun. You can trust your Binghe with yourself. Binghe will love all of you.”
The sureness on his husband's face was better than any kiss or secret. “I know he will.”
And truly, that was all Binghe needed to know.
Slumping back from his small bout of soberness, he slid from the warm arms of his sweet husband to settle back into the quiet buzz. He shifted around so that Shizun remained on the edge of the bed where he had been while Binghe looked up at him from where he had slumped lazily on the floor.
“You know… you haven’t kissed this one in a long, long while, Shizun.” Binghe pouted, burying his face into Shen Qingqiu’s stomach. Two hands tilted him from the place against the warm center of heat to face up. Shizun’s exasperated look and his finger cradling his cheeks, squishing them together was all it took for Shizun to start giggling again. The true watery eyed, wheezing snorting sort of laughter Binghe had never been privy to before. God, Binghe loved the sound of it more than he’d loved the last time he heard it. He thinks he’d love every new laugh more than the last, every new part of Shizun was a new second Binghe had to love him more. He couldn’t help but let a smile that matched Shen Qingqiu’s make its way onto his face.
“Binghe, I last kissed you five minutes ago.”
“Yes, Shizun. A long, long while.”
Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes but his expression was soft and light. Binghe sank into the hands that brushed his bangs from his forehead with reverence- it would never fail to amaze him how lucky he was.
“You ridiculous husband. What am I to do with you?”
And so, Binghe answered back with the most obvious answer, of course.
The kiss Shen Qingqiu returned was sweet and honest.