Leng Jin Yu wanted to retort but he stayed silent in the end. He didn't know much about the dragons. Saying things like 'they would have accepted it' or 'you were thinking too much' … Those were just empty words coming from him. He could only lean his head against Jinde's and show him that he was there for him.
"I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry you had to go through this alone."
"It's alright." Jinde patted his lover's back and hummed. "Actually, it's not so bad if I think about it now. If that hadn't happened, I might still be in the dragon realm and who knew if we would have ever seen each other then?"
Leng Jin Yu gently kissed his cheek. "I'm sure we would always have found a way. That is how love is, isn't it? I mean meeting here wasn't easy either. Doesn't this mean that whatever would have happened, we would have been able to meet again?"
Jinde encircled his neck and smiled seductively. "Who knew you could be such a romantic?" He leaned upward and their lips met in a short kiss.
Leng Jin Yu smiled back. "You came here after that, didn't you?"
"Mn. I staged my death and had Xin Lan burn what he thought to be my body. After that … I was lucky to meet Grandmaster Zhangsun. If it had been somebody else, maybe one of the demon hunters … I probably would have died. And that part of your soul …" He rubbed Leng Jin Yu's chest and sighed. "Jin Yu. I'm sorry. Even though you think it's not my fault, I still did many things wrong."
"Didn't I do the same? We all make mistakes."
Jinde smiled self-deprecatingly. Yes, everyone made mistakes. But the mistakes he had made … He was afraid they couldn't even be compared to what Chun Yin had done. Trusting the wrong person … Chun Yin had done so because he was an honorable man. What was his excuse? He should have known better.
"It's long in the past. Whatever happened … Let's not think about it anymore." Leng Jin Yu kissed his temple and pulled the blanket up a little higher to make sure his lover wouldn't feel cold. "Tell me some more. I don't know much about the immortal realms or either of the races. Even if I can't get my memories back, we should at least work on that, shouldn't we?"
"Mn. What do you want to know?"
"Whatever you want to tell me." He grabbed Jinde's hand and interlaced their fingers.
Jinde pondered. "Something about the dragons? Or the gods? You do count as one of them since your ascension, don't you? Ah, speaking of that … Did I finish talking about the fallen gods before?"
"I don't think so. You told me about the curse though."
"Ah, right." Jinde nodded. "Well, about the fallen gods … That matter is a little … delicate. People are afraid they might anger Tian with it again if they aren't careful."
"Is that why you said there was nothing even Xin Lan could do?"
"More or less. Well, for one, the fallen gods are strong. They have all the magic of the gods but they can also use the same dark energy as the demons. Their only weakness is that their bodies are still fragile but that is hardly of importance. There is almost nobody who could get close enough to kill them and even if, nobody would try to do so if he can help it. Injuring a fallen god is forbidden. Whoever breaks this taboo will have the honor of gaining an exclusive curse by Tian's hand."
"So he's still rather protective of his lover?"
Jinde smiled. "You really are a romantic. I don't think it's quite that. His lover probably isn't even alive anymore. I think it's rather that he thinks that the three immortal races are at fault in regard to that. He'd rather torture us than let us die fast. What else are those curses for?"
"Maybe Tian is as much of a hopeless romantic as I and that is why he cursed the three races. Only loving one person doesn't sound too bad."
Jinde harrumphed. "You'd better keep that in mind. By the way …" He trailed the curve of Leng Jin Yu's shoulder and looked up at him suggestively. "I seem to remember you promised me something yesterday."
"Finding a witness to make us an official couple?"
"That too. But I was rather talking about the other thing …" His hand trailed further down. "I feel like I've rested enough. What about you?"
Leng Jin Yu looked at that pale hand and it began to dawn on him what Jinde was talking about. He cleared his throat and grabbed him around the waist, his hands slipping below the blanket. "I guess it is the next day already."
"Mn."
"And it's still dark so we aren't even doing anything against human customs."
"Precisely."
"In that case …" He leaned down and kissed him while his hands pushed the blanket aside. "Mn, Jinde … Say … Even if we hadn't had anyone witness yet, we should still count as married already, shouldn't we?" As a married couple, this was normal … He lifted his head and smiled.
Jinde sighed, his fingers sliding into his lover's hair. "That's right. As long as we both admit to it, it counts. Although …" His fingers slid to the back of Leng Jin Yu's head, down his neck and finally to the scratches he had left yesterday. "The reason I contacted Xin Lan before was to have a witness. I can't just let you get away again, can I?"
Leng Jin Yu shook his head. "I won't deny it. Not in front of anyone. You're mine now. If you want to, I'll go and tell my Master right now."
"Ah, I wouldn't want you to go anywhere else now." Jinde rubbed his lover's back while pushing the last bit of the blanket off. They hadn't gotten dressed again yesterday so there was no reason to waste any time today. Although … "Jin Yu, you know … today, I don't mind regardless of how much time you take with this. Even if you say you want to take a good look at me from head to toe first, I won't complain. I'll just lie here for you and let you do it."
Leng Jin Yu chuckled. "From head to toe? That sounds enticing. I didn't really have time to admire you yesterday with how impatient you were." He sat up and indeed took a look.
As soon as he did, his smile froze and his hands shook. His eyes turned red but whether it was with rage or sadness, he couldn't say himself. He just knew … it shouldn't be like this.