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Chapter Text

In the sea of Liyue, there is a hill, and in that hill there is a hole, and that hole is so deep that it has no bottom.

Elders would tell the children the story about the creature that lived inside, one so big that could fill that bottomless hole. It had horns and sharp teeth, its body covered in bright scales and eyes of the colors of the sun: a dragon of over six thousand years old: The God of Liyue, Rex Lapis. 

The people of Liyue adored Rex Lapis as the creature nurtured them, kept them safe and shared its wisdow with the people, allowing them to prosper. Children made kites out of his image, ran around the city with dragon masks, though as soon as little girls grew up and became women, the thought of becoming the Dragon’s bride kept them awake at night. 

Once a year, the creature left the hole and crawled to the outside world, claiming a sacrifice from the people in exchange to protect them from any other creature that dared to lay their eyes on that small land. It was an ancient deal that started thousands of years ago, with the first citizens of Liyue who sought for protection as a war started and they felt lost. They made a contract and, as an inmortal creature with little interest in gold or lands, he asked for something priceless: “a fertile young maiden you will provide to me, once a year, and I will guarantee the future of this nation. It’s a contract that you promise to fulfill. Break it and blood will flow through the rivers, bones will pill up on the streets.” 

So the deal was made and every year after holding a party that lasted seven days, they would hand over the “Dragon’s bride”.

Fathers and mothers would weep their daugthers but eventually let go, knowing nobody could go against the mighty God's will. Because what was one person in exchange for the peace of thousands?

However, one year, the unthinkable happened.

“Please don’t take my sister!”

Bursting into the temple as the ritual took place, a young boy approached the dragon in its human form as the elders presented to him the bride they picked. He fell to his knees in front of the creature, his long golden hair cascading over his shoulders as he pleaded: “Please, please don’t take her! The young boy begged, eyes glistening with tears as he lifted his gaze to meet the dragon’s golden eyes.

No human was allowed to meet the dragon’s eyes, not even his bride.

“How dare you to interrupt the ritual?!” the elders made a gesture, asking the militia to take the boy out as he wouldn’t stop talking. “Get him out of here!”

The dragon looked at the bride in front of him; she stayed still, eyes covered, dressed in a white robe, tears rolling down her cheeks after hearing her sibling’s voice. A completely normal human, nothing out of the world. It was the first time someone refused to keep the contract. He had taken one hundred maidens and not a single time someone spoke against the contract, because they were smart enough to not go against his will.

Unlike the young boy crying at his feet.

“I will do anything! Anything you ask me to do!” Soldiers grabbed his arms, trying to pull him away. “Please, no--!”

During the uproar inside the temple where people shouted things at the boy, cursing his family, calling him names, Rex Lapis spoke words that made the temple fall into silence:

“Then, I will take you.”

The soldiers froze on their places, letting go the boy who falled back on his knees. He gathered himself up, cleaning his face and looking up at the God. “I… I will go!” he promised, holding a hand over his chest, then looking at his young sister.” I will go if you let her stay.”

The edges of his lips curved up, a mild smile that no human had ever seen. Rex lapis’s body glowed as he began to change its form, body growing larger and covered in scales, claws and teeth becoming sharper. 

“What is your name?” he asked with a much deeper voice, looking down at the boy’s small body, so small he perfectly fit inside his mouth.

“...Kong.” The boy mouthed, eyes wide open, shoulders shaking as the hot breath of the creature made him feel lightheaded, as if he had drinked baijiu. “My name is Kong.” 

And just like that, as the dragon opened his mouth to swallow Kong's body, a new contract was made: for the first time in Liyue’s history, Rex Lapis took a boy as his bride.

Chapter Text

When Kong woke up he was no longer in Liyue.

He found himself lying over a bed with pristine sheets, his body soaked in a sticky layer of spit. Head spinning, he sat on the bed and looked around the room, spotting foregein ornaments all over the place: golden goblets, old hourglasses and shiny crows. It reminded him of the house of a noble he once worked for, who spent several years traveling across the continent. It came back every time with a different artifact, a token from his adventures. Now surrounded by countless treasures, Kong wondered if that made him just one of them: part of the dragon’s loot.

He left the bed and walked barefoot towards the closest window, legs trembling as he moved; he rested his hands on the frame and leaned over, eyes widening as he couldn’t see anything beside clouds. It looked like the legends were wrong; the dragon didn’t live in hole on the ground but a castle in the skies.

“You woke up.”

Kong turned around, finding an old lady at the door of the room, dressed in traditional clothes of Liyue. Very human looking, not supernatural at all.

“We need to get you clean and change your clothes.” she approached him, “My master will be back in any moment.”

The memory of a wide mouth with pointed fangs swallowing him up made him go weak at the knees, color leaving his face. The old woman grabbed his arm, working as a support for him. “Pull yourself together, you don’t want to make him mad.”

“Who--” he gulped past the knot on his throat, eyes unable to focus at first, “Who are you?”

“One of the master servants, in charge to take care of the bride.” the woman said, pulling him towards the door, “You don’t need a name, if that’s what you’re asking, since I'm just a mere servant of the Dragon.”  

Recovering from the initial shock, a realization hit him: there was another human there, living in the dragon’s castle. A breathing human. 

“...are you--?” he asked, eyes stinging.“Are you one of his brides?”

The woman stopped walking and turned to him, gently holding his hands. “I’m just a servant who is not required to answer your questions.” she said, giving him a squeeze. “Do you understand?”

Anyone could blame her old age for the slight trembling of her hands, but being in the position he was, Kong already knew the answer to his question.

And tears rolled down his cheeks. “Alright.”

The castle got bigger every minute he spent inside, or that was what he thought as the woman took him to a pond, fed by a small waterfall, surrounded by vegetation --silk flowers and glaze lilies--. As the dragon was the God of his nation it made perfect sense he would choose a traditional castle from Liyue as his home, with traditional landscapes to decorate the place.

Taking off his clothes, Kong sank his feet inside the pond, trembling as the water felt a bit cold. The old lady threw a bucket of clear water over his head and helped him clean himself despite Kong insisting he could do it by himself. Once she was done, the old lady pulled him out of the pond to dry his body and spread natural oils over him to make the skin look healthy, finishing the preparations with perfume on his neck and wrists. 

“It’s your wedding night, you must look perfect.” 

Clenching his jaw, Kong did his best to not cry, and remained composed. It wasn't some tragedy he fell into, but the path he chose to follow in order to protect his precious family, and the people of Liyue. The last thing he could do was dare to cry.

The woman brushed his long hair, and even took the time to compliment him for how beautiful and soft it felt against the touch. “He will like it, I’m sure he will.” She made a braided crown, leaving half of the hair down cascading over his back. Just like a doll, Kong stayed still, allowing the woman to do her job. He wanted to ask if she went through the same: the tension, the stress, the fear; as the previous wife, maybe she could even give him a tip or two, or even point the way out. However, deep inside he knew running away was out of question as he would fall into his death, being trapped above the clothes. He didn’t want to put that old woman in a bad position either, being so kind to him.

The dress she picked for him was simple despite how expensive the fabric looked: a see-through piece of clothing, tight at the waistline, that made his figure stand out. Sudden thoughts of what the night got for him assaulted him: Would the dragon play around with his food? Pick a limb of his taste, a leg or an arm? Or would he be compassive enough to swallow him at once? His legs shook at the memory of those fangs: he would easily sink those things on his flesh and pull everything apart.

A final look at his reflection on the mirror and he was dragged back to his room: as he walked back he remembered his own sister talking about the wedding of her dreams: the clothes she would wear and how she would fix her hair. 

At least she would have a chance to do it, to pursue that dream. 

As for him, as long it didn’t hurt, it would be alright.

The room felt cold when he arrived and he blamed the open windows. The old woman rushed to close them and prepare the dorm for her master; candles were lit in very specific places, as if a ritual was about to take place; the woman then put incense that filled the room, leaving the bride feeling drowsy, his eyes closing as he sat on the bed, stimulated by the temperature, the smell and the emotions bubbling inside his core.

The sound of a bell pulled him out of his trance.

“He is already here.” The woman said, standing in front of Kong. She held his chin, made him look to the right and then to the left, pushed a lock of golden hair behind his ear and gave him a final smile. “Be good, and be brave.”

Lips trembling, Kong looked down his feet, giving a hard nod.

The old woman left to greet her master and Kong found himself sitting alone over the bed, all by himself in that big room, just like when he first arrived. 

And waited.

The sound of steps came to his ears, bristling his skin. The doors were pushed open and he mustered the courage to look up to meet the eyes of the God.

Just then he noticed the glowing horns. 

It was the first time he actually looked at him; when he was in the temple his thoughts were all over the place and tears clouded his eyes. That time he rushed inside and fell to his knees, pleading for his sister’s life. But now in front of his new master, his groom, his husband , he took the time to look at him properly.

Rex Lapis could take any form and Kong was thankful he settled for a human-like appearance. His dark ash brown hair faded to amber brown at the tips, and was longer than his own; his skin was pale, like there was no blood running through his veins, very reptile-like; his eyes were amber, with yellow pupils, piercing enough to make a prey fall to his knees. He wore simple clothes, brown and golden, symbolic colors associated with him since ancient times. Through the neckline he noticed patches of scales that reminded him about his true nature. 

“On your feet.”

Kong rushed to stand up with trembling legs as the dragon approached him, stopping right in front of him. He looked at him and through him with his piercing eyes, making his bride hold his breath. Slowly lifting a hand, he caressed his cheek with the back of his fingers, careful not to scratch his skin with his long nails. “That old woman did a good job, as expected.” Rex Lapis said, “She knows what I like in a bride.” 

Color rushed to his cheeks and Kong blamed the strange incense for the reaction of his own body.

Hooking a finger inside the neck of his clothes, Rex Lapis spoke again.

“It’s a shame, such a nice dress about to be ruined.”

It took only a swift movement of his hand to tear the dress apart, leaving Kong’s chest exposed. Tears filled his eyes and he tried to cover himself with his hands as the rest of the dress slid down his body and fell to the floor; the dragon rushed to grab his wrist, pulling the hand covering his chest away.

“Why do you hide yourself?” he asked, furrowing his brow. “I’m doing this to look at you.”

Looking up with glistened eyes, Kong mouthed an apology. 

The dragon sighed and let his wrist go to settle a hand over his flat chest. He squeezed one of his breasts and thumbed a pink nipple, making the bride flush harder. 

“I’ve never brought a male.” he grunted, “You are the first one.”

Kong parted his lips and tried to speak and immediately regretted it, squeezing his lips and looking down at his feet.

“Speak.” Zhongli encouraged, “You spoke a lot in the temple.”

A chill ran down his spine, shoulders trembling as he looked up at his master, trying to speak louder. “Why?” he managed in a choked voice, “Why did you accept?”

The hand groping his chest gently pushed him down the bed, making him fall on his back, hair scattering over the sheets. Rex Lapis sat at the end, his eyes fixed on the naked body over his bed, bathed in the orange light of the candles, “I’ve never had a bride willing to come with me;” he rested a hand on his leg, squeezing until it left a mark “but you... you begged to be my bride.” the God sunk a knee over the bed, leaning over the naked body while his hand creeped up his thigh,  “Don’t forget that.” 

Kong closed his eyes, fisting the sheets with his hands. 

“Y--es.”

He felt those big hands going up and down his legs, finally stopping at his knees to parted them apart, leaving his bride's sensitive parts exposed. Kong gasped and turned his face to the side, tears dampening the sheets as he felt his master moving over him. The God reached his neck where he sniffed, coaxing a sound of surprise from his trembling bride. He ran his tongue down his body and between his small breasts, stopping on his belly. 

Cracking his eyes open, Kong looked down, meeting the God’s eyes as his forked tongue peaked out.

"A-Are you going to eat me?"

The edges of his lips twitched, slightly curving up; the ambar eyes glowed in the dark like the flame of the candles around the room. "I’ll have only a bite tonight." he slurred, parting his lips before taking him on his mouth. 

Kong threw his head back, arching his body at the velvet sensation wrapping around his most sensitive part. He squirmed over the bed as the god took him all at once and sucked, hard enough to make tears roll down his cheeks. 

“M--aster--” he cried out, sinking his nails on the sheets, “Oh-- my lord --!” the incense, the candles, the skilled tongue giving him pleasure, everything made his mind spin and his body burn. “Master--I--!”

The God let him slip from his mouth before Kong reached his climax, legs twitching as his heart pounded loud on his ears; he grabbed his arm and forced his small bride to turn around and press his face against the bed. He settled his hands over his lower back and squeezed the soft flesh of his ass, coaxing a moan from his bride’s lips. He pulled them apart, finding what he was looking for, that tight ring of muscle that made something pulse between his legs.  

“I guess... I can still give good use to a male.” 

Kong looked over his shoulder, his cheeks bright red. “M-Master?”

“I won’t take you the first night, it would kill you..." he lickedhis lips, "I learned that with the first bride.” 

Kong looked away, shoulders trembling as the words resonated inside him. It would kill you. It would kill you. It would kill you.  A moan escaped his lips when he felt his master sinking his face between his cheeks and licking. “M--aster!” he moaned, “W-What?”

“I can’t use my fingers, my nails will tear your insides apart.” he spoke against his soft flesh before playfully thrusting his tongue through the tight, puckered hole, coaxing lewd noises from his virginal bride. The God stretched him leasurely, enjoying the sounds that came from those pink lips and the hectic rhythm of his breathing as he pushed his tongue past the tight ring of muscle, trying to reach deeper, wishing to soon fill that body with his hot seed.

The bride rubbed his own erection against the bed, losing counscious as pleasure washed over him. 

“Finish.”

He rolled his eyes, spurting over the pristine sheets as his legs gave in. Over estimulated, Kong passed out as the God held his hips, keeping his lower half still as he ate him up through and after his orgasm. 

When his jaw got tired, Rex Lapis pulled away, watching the ring of muscle gape at the emptiness. A smile pulled from his lips at the view of his naked bride, covered in a thin layer of sweat, a thin thread of saliva hanging from his mouth as his body twitched, overstimulated.


“You're still too tight.”

Chapter Text

“Are you hurt?”

He threw his head back and ran his fingers through his long hair, getting rid of the excess of foam, turning the clear water of the pond where he bathed become cloudy.

“No.” he mouthed, reaching his own neck, his throat feeling sore. Pieces of the previous night came to him: his body squirming over the sheets, legs shaking as his master leisurely worked him out with his tongue. He couldn’t help the lewd sounds coming from his mouth, bouncing in the walls as he finished over the already stained sheets again and again without having a break. He ended up passing out, too tired to possibly keep his eyes open.

He later woke up to an empty room, just like his first day in that castle. The dragon didn’t spend the night in the same bed, only reminding him he was nothing but part of his loot.

“Thank you, Madame.” Kong smiled at the woman, his cheeks slightly flushed. “You are so very kind to me.”

“You are very lucky he didn’t take you the first night” she said, running a sponge across his back. “… but he won’t like a bride whose body doesn’t endure mating with him.” 

Kong remembered his master’s words, the premise of actually killing his previous bride on the wedding night. His face got warmer, thinking how lucky he had been, Rex Lapis decided to spare his life and instead took him in a more gentle way. 

“Don’t lower your guard.” the woman warned, her voice low. “He doesn’t want you here as a company, you are his bride.” The old lady offered a hand for him to get out of the pond. “And as his bride you got a duty to fulfill as well.” 

Soaking from the top of his head to his feet as he stepped out of the water, Kong stayed in silence as the woman helped him dry his body.

“I will be careful.” he said, trying to smile, “Thanks for worrying about me.”

“I’m just fulfilling my duty.” the woman covered his head with a towel, “You should do the same.” she insisted.

The castle above the clouds seemed to have no end. 

Aside from a single construction made of stone, there were several platforms scattered across the sky, connected by glowing bridges to the traditional castle erected in the middle. The view was breathtaking, painted by the orange light from the sunset, a perfect image to paint on a canvas. He stood outside of the castle and looked around, wondering where the domains started and where they ended. 

Madame called him and he looked for her through the corridors, finding the old woman close to the lake, right beside a small mountain; in the middle of it there was a stone table with a couple of stone seats.

The sound of a bell came to his ears and he turned to find the Dragon descending from the sky and over the mountain, making the ground rumble; his own knees trembled at the view of the imposing creature. His reptilian skin glowed before his figure began to shrink, his form changing back into a human appearance, the same he saw in the room the previous night.

“Welcome back, master.” the old woman saluted, holding out clothes for him as he approached the table. 

Rex Lapis covered his naked body, side eyeing his bride. His eyes glowed, just like the tip of his horns.

Kong flushed and came to his knees, politely vowing towards his master.

“ M--aster .” he greeted, “Good morning.”

“Sit already.” the dragon ordered, pointing one of the stone seats.

Kong did as he was told, sitting in front of him as the old woman filled the table with several dishes, the smell making his mouth water. His eyes studied the food, finding their appearance peculiar but appealing, especially after not being able to eat the day before. He waited for his master to take the first bite before taking his own chopsticks and beginning to eat.

“Make sure to eat properly, I don’t want you to pass out tonight again.”

Kong took a chunk of rice, feeling his face warm up very fast whenever the dragon spoke. “... yes .”

The food tasted good, the food warm but not too hot, the meat juicy and perfectly cooked. Madame explained they cultivated their own food since his master couldn’t eat just anything from the mortal realm, less find it appealing to his taste. They also raised animals on their domain, allowing the old lady the best quality of ingredients. Kong knew he wouldn't be able to taste food as good as that one, especially since he came from a humble family, barely getting money to pass by the day. He thought about his sister and hoped she got something to eat that day.

Once they were done eating, Rex Lapis lifted from his seat and made a gesture for Kong to follow him. He rushed to his side, shyly walking a couple of steps behind, still unsure if it was okay to look at him in the eyes despite being his bride. 

“You can explore my domains as much as you want; take a stroll over the mountains and across the platforms. You won’t ever get bored in this place.” he turned to him, “And before you ask: yes, you can stare at the ponds to your heart's content. But be careful not to drown on those waters.” he warned, making Kong feel confused. “I’ll see you in the room at night.” he lifted a hand to hold Kong’s face with the tip of his finger. “And remember to take off your clothes once I arrive. I don’t want to tear apart any other of your pretty dresses.” 

He gulped, closing his eyes. “Yes, Master.”

The dragon let go and bent over to whisper on his bride’s ear. “We have plenty of time… but I would like to do you properly as soon as I can.” he rested a hand on his back, gently pushing him closer. “You are my bride. Do you understand what it means?”

The smell of ashes reached his nose, making his eyes sting and head spin. Being that close to his master made his body react, remember what was done to him the previous night, the places he touched and reached. Kong was scared of him, scared to death, yet his face warmed up when his master spoke on his ear. “Yes.”

“Very well.” he pulled away, straigthening his back. “I’ll see you at night then.” 

"Who made this place?"

"Cloud Retainer, an associate of Rex Lapis." The old lady gestured the castle. “She built up this place from nothing. They are in charge of the construction of every domain of Rex Lapis.” the old lady explained, “They aren’t fond of humans, you won’t get to see them at all, if it’s up to them.”

He sat on the grass, watching the woman serve a strange looking dessert. “What is that?”

“Almond Tofu, Xiao’s favorite dish.” Madame smiled at him, “He is a deity under the care of our master...He isn’t fond of humans either.” she looked away, pointing a glowing spot that looked like the top of a tree, several metters away from them.  "He lives there, in a secluded place."

Kong tilted his head, half lidded eyes following the woman's movements. “If they don’t like humans that much… why do they agree with Rex Lapis’ wishes of taking a human bride?” 

“If they agree or are against the idea doesn’t matter at all: What Rex Lapis wants, Rex Lapis gets.” she frowned, "You should know that already.”

Kong fixed a lock of hair behind his ear. "You are right." He excused himself and, with his master’s permission, decided to take his word and explor the domains.

Walking and climbing around, he found the exercise fun enough to smile at the views of the strange plants and curious animals. Wondering how far he could reach, he crossed one of the glowing bridges, reaching one of the floating platform. He stopped in one of the ponds, kneeling to look at his reflection. Ripples appeared over the water before his reflection changed, the image proyected not being his own anymore, but the face of his sister, looking right at him with eyes filled with sadness. Tears gathered on his eyes as he realized that wasn’t the work of his imagination, but his breathing sibling somewhere in the earth, watching at her own reflection on a surface of water.

She looked sad, but healthy. Kong wondered, did she think of him? Prayed for his wellness?

“My dear sister…” he cleaned his eyes with the back of his hands, “I hope you are happy.”

Unable to tear his eyes apart, he stared at the image for as long as he could, watching over his precious sister. Only when the sky got darker he realized how long he had been looking into those strange waters. He rushed to get back to the castle, finding Madame waiting for him right outside his room. 

“Is he back already?” he asked. “I didn’t hear the bell.”

“Not yet, but he left something for you inside the room.” she caressed his face with a trembling hand, “Get in and ready, he won’t take too long.”

Kong smiled and watched the woman leave, feeling a bit less nervous than the first night. Somehow, watching his sister ease the ache of his heart, giving a meaning to the sacrifice he was doing. He would do anything to protect her, even if that meant giving his whole life to a Dragon God.

He crossed the doors and looked around, wondering what his master prepared for him. The glisten of something over the bed caught his attention and he approached with slow steps: it was closed chest, settled over the sheets. “...what is this?” Kong sunk a kneel over the bed and gently lifted the lid to take a look at the content. He took one of the figures inside and held it in the air, against the lights of the candles: the powder golden colored wand reflected the light, drawing shadows against the curtains. The texture of it felt smooth and he was only able to hold it thanks to the bulbs along the shaft and the star shaped end of it.

Focused on studying the figures he almost missed the sound of the bell.

Kong stood from the bed and pulled the dress over his head, dropping his clothes on the floor as his master entered the room; Rex lapis’ eyes followed the movement of the fabric as it slid down his body, practically catching him as he undressed.

The edges of his lips trembled. “I’m glad I don’t need to repeat myself.” 

The smell of incense stuck to his skin, making his head spin. Still too shy to look straight into his eyes, Kong ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, trying to make it look smooth while his master approached him. “Welcome back, Master.”

He felt the dragon standing before him and slowly lifted his gaze, meeting his glowing ambar glance; like the burning end of a candle, it blinded his eyes, forcing him to lower his gaze.

“Is your body alright?”

Kong nodded as his master sat on the bed, reaching the chest over the bed.

“Tonight I won’t allow you to fall asleep until I’m done with you. We need to work you out properly.” he said, pulling one of the figures, an egg shaped one. “They are small… you should be able to take them.”

Kong’s face lit up, ears burning as he realized the purpose of those toys. 

“I--”  

Rex Lapis grabbed his wrist and pulled from him, throwing him over the bed. He then moved on the top of him. “Open up.”

Understanding the meaning behind those words, he pushed his legs up, holding them in the air as the dragon licked his lips. Like a predator about to feast on his prey, he bend over, pushing his face between his legs.

It coaxed a high pitched sound from his mouth. Kong trembled, his skin burning as that velvet tongue worked him out like the previous night. Just like last time, he pushed away before he reached his climax, making imposible for him to finish by touching him on the front. You're a bride. he remembered, you only can finish by pleasing your master. Kong blushed at the realization of actually wanting him to keep going.

However, instead of the warm tongue, something cold and slippery penetrated him.

“Relax.”

The wand was thicker than a tongue and his body went rigid as soon as the tip was pushed in; every passing second another inch was pushed inside him, forcing his body to open up. Kong shook his head, parting his lips to speak:“It’s cold .”

Rex lapis pulled out the wand, making the body beneath him squirm, a loud moan escaping from his lips. “I will fix it for you.” 

Reaching the closest candle to the bed, he held the wand over the flame, making the crystal become warmer. He returned to the bed, finding his bride breathing heavily, looking up at him teary-eyed.

“M--aster…” he pleaded, watching the wand gain a reddened color after being exposed to the fire. “I--I'm scared...” 

He arched his back when the tip was pushed through his pluckered hole, a single tear escaping from the corner of his eyes. He clenched on the sheets with his trembling hands as his master restlessly pounded into him with the glass toy, coaxing lewds sounds from his mouth. Before he could finish, his master stopped, giving him a moment to catch his breath as he slid his own rob down his shoulders, revealing bits of his pale skin and then, his own hardened rod. 

His trembling bride forgot how to breath for a moment.

It was massive and slightly curved, with visibly veins climbing up to a dark tip glistening with precum; completely different to his own or to any other he had seen while taking a bath in the thermal waters. 

His eyes filled with tears at the thought of having to take that thing inside him.

It would kill him. 

“I--I can’t.”

“That’s why we are preparing you.” Rex lapis whispered, pressing a finger against his mouth. “You need to learn how to take it.”

“It’s-- too big...” he confessed at the verge of tears. “I can’t-- yet--”

The finger pressing his lips was pushed down, encouraging him to open his mouth.

“If you manage to get it down, I won’t need to put it inside that tight hole of yours.” 

Aware of the options, there was no need to give it a second thought. 

Kong crawled on fours and bent over, pushing his face against his husband’s crotch. His lips parted, tongue peaking out as he closed his eyes.

Salty.

Just looking at the size, he was aware he wouldn’t be able to take it all inside his mouth at once. He closed his eyes, took a sharp breath and wrapped his lips around the tip, trying to swallow past the tip. He inmediatelly gagged, letting it slip from his mouth.

“Do it quickly.” an order came to his ears, making his heart skip a beat.

He had to do it, or else ...

His own hand traveled to his crotch, and stimulating himself he tried again to take his husband into his mouth. He ran his tongue up and down, the texture meaty and warm, before wrapping his lips around the tip again to suck hard. It coaxed a sound from his husband’s mouth, and he could feel it grow thicker. He pushed his mouth down the lenght, slowly but steady, trying to see how much he could handle without choking.

A hand tangled around his hair and he looked up, finding those yellowish pupils fixed on him.

“Let me help.”

His head was roughly pushed down and then up, the tip hitting the back of his throat relentless, making his eyes turn white. He felt it pulsing inside his mouth, like a beating heart, hot and heavy, before it filled his mouth with a thick substance. 

“Swallow.”

Despite doing as he was told, it overflowed his mouth, droplets of cum sliding from the corner of his lips. 

The dragon let him go and Kong fell down the bed, hands coming to his own throat as he desperately gasped for air. He coughed, cried, squirmed over the bed before his husband gently reached his face, thumbing away the tears. That was the closest to a caress he had received from him, like a remnant of humanity in the creature. He needed that. Feeling lightheaded, Kong pressed his face against Rex Lapis' hand, desperately giving into the healing touch. My husband.

“I’m not done with you.” the dragon warned, withdrawing his hand when he noticed Kong was getting too comfortable. He reached the chest and pulled out another figure: an egg shaped one.

And Kong closed his eyes, wishing for the night to end soon.

Chapter Text

More often than not, Kong would find a seat in front of a pond in one of the platforms floating around the castle. He rested his hands on the floor and bent over to look at the images the water projected: his dear Ying, slowly recovering that bright smile he adored. It took several weeks for her to stop mourning his brother’s death --because to her eyes, he was done for--, but eventually came to accept the gift of life he stole for her. After a month she seemed to enjoy the little things that brought joy to her heart; after two months she fell in love with an honest man, and after three months she decided to marry said person. Kong couldn’t help to smile at the view of Ying spinning around in a white dress, looking like the happiest bride ever. That was exactly what he hoped for, his sister living the rest of her days with a smile on her face without a worry in the world; he sincerely hoped there wouldn’t be any dark clouds on the sky the day of her wedding, and for a chance to witness the event from his little corner in the sky. 

Time ran differently in the domains of the Dragon, and what felt like hours for Kong, could be days in the human world; Kong figured out that was what allowed the brides to live over 100 human years. And he couldn't help to wonder… would he be able to live that long? Or would the dragon get rid of him before he reached an old age? 

A chill ran down his spine when he remembered the caress on his body from the previous night; those long nails running down his stomach could easily open him up like a fish and scatter his guts across the floor. 

After several nights sharing the bed with his master, he still couldn’t take him. Kong broke down to tears every single time, pleaded for his life and offered to give him pleasure in any other way. The dragon would give him an amused look before making him part his lips. Kong would choke with his own tears yet, despite his inexperience, he would manage to coax a series of gutural sounds from the dragon’s mouth before he finished. Kong couldn’t tell for how long his master would allow him to refuse before forcing on him, or worse, throwing him away.

The image of his precious sister picking qingxin flowers made his eyes sting. “I’m such a useless bride.” Kong told himself, as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

He cleaned his face with his sleeves before trying to get up; but because he spent too much time kneeling in front of the pond his knees gave him and he fell into the dark waters. Too late he found out the pond was a bottomless mirror of the earth and his heart sank as he fell through the clouds; he instinctively closed his eyes, waiting for the impact to come.

But it never came. A couple of arms held him in the air and stopped his falling, and when he opened his eyes again he met a masked face. “ Ah !” The demon face startled him and he moved on the arms of his savior, causing his falling when the stranger let him go. Back in the ground, Kong rubbed his head and looked up teary-eyed at the stranger, who took off his mask to speak:

“Get away from the ponds.” 

That was not the face he was expecting to see: a boy that looked not older than him, with pale skin and green eyes. His clothes were nothing like he had seen before, revealing too much skin from his chest, only a couple of ropes wrapped around his torso. There were green marks winding up his right arm like a poisonous snake, giving him a dangerous air, but his young human face softened his rough clothes. Because he hadn’t seen a human face in a while, he couldn’t help to stare until he realized how rude he was with that person.

“T-Thank you!” he rushed to say, a wave of gratitude washing over him. Kong stood up with a bit of difficulty after he fell into the water, which left his clothes wet, hair sticking to his face. "Uh, what's your name?"

Despite looking human, Kong could tell that person --if it was a person to begin with-- despised his kind because of the way he looked down on him, with eyes colder than Rex Lapis’ himself.

"Get away from the ponds." He put on the mask and forbade Kong from looking at his face any longer. "My master would get mad if you hurt yourself.”

Kong gaped at the way his savior effortlessly jumped in the air, as if impulsed by the wind, gracefully landing in one of the platforms. He held his hands over his chest as his heart pounded loud on his ears. “N-Next time tell me your name!" he shouted, face flushing. “Thank you!”

The cooked vegetables floated on the surface as the big chunks of meat sank to the bottom of the pot. Mouth watering, Kong introduced a wooden spoon to mix the stew before trying it. He hummed in pleasure, proud of his work as it was his first time cooking. As the dragon’s bride he had to properly take care of his husband, feed him and nurture him; he already had problems to satisfy him in bed, it would be bad if he couldn’t satisfy him outside either. He had to become a proper wife that could cook, clean, and give pleasure to his husband. Not being able to fulfill his duty as a bride could endanger his sister's hapiness, and the rest of Liyue’s people as well. 

“What is that smell?”

Kong flinched at the sound of his master’s voice and stood up from the floor to greet him with a vow. “Good evening, master.”

The dragon ran a hand through his long hair, the dark color making his glowing horns stand out. He fixed his clothes and took a seat in front of the stone table, eyes fixed on his bride as he served a spoonful of the stew in a plate. Kong turned to his master and settled the food in front of him, his cheeks slightly flushed. “Is something wrong, master?”

“You aren’t trembling anymore.” he pointed out, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “You used to tremble just by hearing my voice.”

Kong embraced himself, abashed by the intensity of his master’s eyes, “I wasn’t used to… the way you looked at me.” Kong confessed, squeezing the wooden spoon with a hand as he looked at his feet. “I’m still getting used to it.” 

Rex Lapis arched his eyebrows and made a beckoning gesture with his fingers, “Come here.”

Kong did as he was told and took a seat over his master’s lap. He picked the chopsticks next to the plate and took a piece of meat, bringing it to his Master’s mouth. Rex Lapis opened his mouth, the view of his fangs making the hair of Kong's arms stand on end. His master slid a hand under his clothes to grope around as Kong watched him eat; he panted heavily, letting fo the chopsticks as the dragon licked his neck before wrapping his lips around the lump on his throat. Kong flinched as a hand big hand squeezed the warm flesh between his legs. “M-Master…”

“It smells good…” he whispered in his ear. “The food you made…”

The bride was pushed down the table and his clothes teared apart, leaving his skin at sight. The dragon took the plate and spilled the content over his chest, burning Kong’s skin. He cried out, closing his eyes as his master bent over to run his tongue down his naked body; he squeezed a thight and prompted him to lift his legs, holding them i the air before sinking his face between his asscheeks, making Kong’s face light up. “D-Don’t eat me…” he begged, “ Please …”

Rex Lapis pulled out his tongue and licked his lips.

“I won’t.”

Legs still trembling, Kong laid down on the table, unable to move a single muscle, looking the clouds pass by. After his master was done festing with his body, the dragon left the table, morphing into a winged creature to fly away from the castle. Drained to the bones Kong fell asleep, shamesly exposed to anyone who passed by. Luckily for him, the old lady appeared a while after he woke up, finding him sitting on the table, staring at the empty space. Their eyes met and he didn’t need to say another word. 

“We need to bath you.” the old woman said, and Kong jerked his head before getting off the table to follow her towards the bath.

“I met someone today.” 

The old lady spilled the clear water over his head and Kong held his breath until she was done.

“Someone?”

“One of Rex Lapi’s servants.” he looked at his own reflection on the water, “He wasn’t human but he looked human.”

“That must be Xiao.” Madame said, carefully untangling his hair, “from the deities living here, he is the only one who looks human. Most of brides who met him confused him with one but you must know, he isn’t.”

“He saved me.” Kong lifted from the water and allowed the old lady to wrap a towel around his body, “I wish I could have thanked him.”

“He doesn’t like humans. I just I told you.” 

“I think you said you cook for the deities living here as well, don’t you?” Kong clapped his hands together, “May I help you next time? So I can thank him.”

The old lady sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “He likes almond tofu, I will teach you how to do it.”

“Thank you.” Kong wrapped his arms around madame, happy to have someone he could ask certain stuff.

Despite being there for a couple of weeks already, the only times he met his master was to eat and mate. They barely talked in those moments and after finishing, his master would inmediately leave, not giving him enough time to even say something.

He did know little about marriages, much less about the ones outside of his human world.

He outstretched a hand, allowing a dragonfly to perch on his finger. Xiao tilted his head, observing the tiny insect with interest; he wasn’t used to interacting with small things, always afraid of hurting them. That didn’t change the fact that he might find them amusing.

“ Xiao!”

Talking about small things...

Xiao left his comfortable spot up in a branch of the Moonlit tree where he rested and came down to the ground, startling the dragon’s bride who almost dropped the plate he carried with him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised about the fact he already knew his name, and that managed to find him. What Xiao loved the most about the domains of his master was how vaste they were, allowing him to hide to his heart’s content. That worked perfectly considering the dragon always brought humans to their world, keeping them with him for years. 

The bride smiled at him holding the plate in front of his face. “I made this for you!”

The smell and texture were familiar, making his mouth water. He looked at the plate and then at the bride. “Who told you--?”

“Madame told me you like this!” Kong got closer to him. “I hope it is okay, it’s my first time doing it.”

 Xiao slowly took the plate from his hands, “Thank you.” he blinked and then looked up at the human, who kept looking at him with a smile on his face. “You…”

“My name is Kong.” he introduced himself, “Ah, the reason I made this is to thank you for saving me.” he vowed respectfully towards him, “I hope we can get along.”

So far, the brides he met were women who spent the first year weeping around the domains, or locked inside his master’s room. He met them once they grew older and got used to their lives there, working as servants of the dragon. Only a few of them interacted with Xiao, Madame Ping being the kindest he had known in the several years serving Rex Lapis. She made Almond tofu for him once and after he admitted he liked the texture, she kept cooking for him as well. That was enough for Xiao to open a little bit to her, but not enough to allow her to share his name with a stranger.

The bride with golden hair approached the tree, resting a hand against the crust. He looked up at the strange branches that glowed with clear, cold moonlight. Somehow it reminded him of the Dragon’s horns; it was almost as if everything in the domains was connected to him --which made sense, considering everything belonged to him--. “For a moment I thought I would get lost…this place is huge.” 

“It’s on purpose. I live here so I can avoid humans.”  Xiao confessed, expecting the bride to understand the message.

But all that Kong did was let out a giggle, a dimple appearing on his face as he did. He quickly returned next to Xiao, watching him try the food. “If it bothers you, I promise I won’t come here often.”

Tasting the sotf texture inside his mouth, Xiao wondered if there was a particular reason for the food to taste different.

“How is it?”

Xiao furrowed his brow, giving a hard look to the bride. “It’s fine.”

“Eh? Just fine?” Kong took the spoon from him, invading his personal space, and took a piece of the dessert to try it himself, “It’s good for me…”

“You--” Xiao growled, snatching back the spoon from his hands. “You make food for me and then you eat it?”

“I can make more!” Kong promised with a smile on his face, making Xiao look away. That was the brigthest human he had met in the domains of rex Lapis. Why would it smile so much?

The bride looked up at the sky, realizing it was getting late. “I have to go now, but I will make more for tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to come here!” Xiao told him as Kong ran back towards the castle, “Did you hear me?!”

“I will be back!” the bride repeated, completely ignoring the deity’s words.

Xiao pressed his lips on a thin line, watching his long hair bounce as he trotted away. 

He didn’t get humans at all.

Kong lifted his gown, revealing his pale ankles.

And somehow, Xiao couldn’t look away.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Hair tied up in a high ponytail, Kong carefully walked through the water from the pond in front of the moonlight tree. “Should I be?” Unlike the tiny ponds around the platforms, the waters on that one didn’t reflect images of the human world, but were perfect to swim around. After Kong started to cook for Xiao, Kong allowed himself to pay a visit to him everytime he could. At the beginning Xiao told him to go away, trying to sound as menacing as possible, even using his mask as he ordered him. However, the simple minded bride didn’t seem to catch a clue, saying he could use some company since he was doing nothing at all.

“Just because I’m not doing anything in particular right now you should assume I got time to waste with you.” he explained as he watched Kong trying to catch a fish with his hands. “What are you doing now?”

Kong let out a high pitched scream as he lifted a fish in the air, the animal aggresively wiggling between his hands. “I caugh it!” he celebrated, showing it to Xiao, “Xiao, look! I caught it!” because he was so focused on bragging about his very humble victory, the fish got to free himself. Kong tried to catch it in the air but it managed to slip from his hands a couple of times before falling back into the water; Kong lost his balance and stumble back, following the fish into the water, splashing water everywhere.

After a moment with his head inside the water, Kong stuck his head out to gasp for air. He pulled his hair back and looked around, “Xiao! Did you see it? I got it! For a second I got--!”  

Kong shut, gaping at the view of a small smile on Xiao’s face.

“You are a complete buffoon.”

So focused on the show Kong suddenly set for him, Xiao completely missed the precense of someone else behind the moonlight tree. A familiar prescence he knew perfectly, since it was the one who took him in several years ago. 

The ambar’s eyes of the dragon looked from his servant to his bride, watching the edges of his lips curved up.

It was the first time he saw him smile.

The dancing flames caught his attention as he entered the room; he approached the windows and ran the curtains, wanting to keep the room as warm as possible for his master’s comfort. Kong knew very well Rex Lapis liked warm temperatures and the smell of incense filling the room, so he did his best to prepare everything before his arrival. Madame used to do it at the beginning, but he began to feel embarrassed to ask for her help despite knowing his role at that point. He was the dragon’s bride and he had to properly take care of his master's needs instead of asking for the previous bride for help. He didn’t want to become a useless bride, he didn’t want to be thrown away.

The sound of the bell reached his ears, making a chill run down his spine; Kong rushed to pull the gown down his shoulders, standing nude in the middle of the room. The doors opened and he turned to them, his eyes widening as he realized his master wasn’t alone.

Looking pale, Xiao stood next to his master, looking down at his feet. Rex Lapis settled a hand on Xiao’s shoulder, giving him a squeeze.

Kong covered his body with his hands, feeling his face warm, “Master… what--?” Kong paled as he noticed the lack of emotion of his master’s face, and the coldness of his gaze.

“Tonight,” Rex Lapis began, “I requested some help from a loyal servant.” he bent over, whispering in Xiao’s ear, “Isn’t that right?”

Xiao looked up, looking back at Kong with eyes as cold as Rex Lapis’.

“Yes, my master.”

Chapter Text

Only when the sound of the door closing reached his ears, Kong mustered the courage to open his mouth.

“I-I don’t understand.”

Rex Lapis gently pushed Xiao, encouraging to approach his bride while he stayed behind. Xiao stumbled towards Kong and stood up right in front of him, their eyes locked on each other. At that moment, they both looked at each other as strangers.

“I’m done waiting.” his master’s expression remained calm as he spoke, yet the words made Kong’s knee tremble. “I brought Xiao to prepare you for me.” 

“ Uhm …” Kong looked away from Xiao’s eyes, feeling his own stinging, heart pounding loudly on his ears. He was confused despite the explanation his master gave him but too afraid to ask again. “I…”

“Xiao.” Rex Lapis called, “Go on.”

No trace of the same kindness he met before, Kong was pushed down the bed and forced to open his legs, leaving him completely exposed. His face burned and he closed his eyes when Xiao sank his head between his legs, his breathing hitting that place he wasn’t supposed to show to anyone except his husband. “M-Master…!”

The dragon walked towards the bed, dragging his long reptilian tail as he approached the bed to have a better view of the spectacle he decided to set by himself. “My jaw hurts everytime I have to do it.” he sat on the bed, amused by Kong’s surprised expression, “He can do it for me.”

The timid bride grabbed fistfull of the sheets when he felt something wet lapping over his entrance; he squeezed his eyes as he felt Xiao’s tongue leisurely opening him up with a kindness strange to him, who got used to his master’s long forked tongue. “M-Master!” he called, feeling uneasy.

“What is it?” The dragon asked, lying on his side, right next to him.

He can’t hardly speak, eyes glistening with tears. “I...I do-n’t understand.” he hiccuped, the mix of pleasure and fear making his mind spin; he wanted Rex Lapis to stop everything, to stop that man to touch him so intimately. “Master…”

“Use your fingers now.” Rex Lapis ordered, “I don’t think you can reach deep with only your tongue.”

Xiao pulled his face away. “Yes, Master.” he introduced a couple of fingers inside his mouth to suck on them, pulling them out once he left them covered in a thick coat of spit. He reached between Kong’s legs to push his fingers inside, the body beneath him going rigid; he opened and closed his fingers in a scissoring motion as Kong arched his back, panting heavily as he dug his soles on the bed, trying to move away from the source of the stimulus. 

Completely ashamed by his own reactions, Kong tried to hide his face on the sheets, wanting nothing to do with what was done to his body. He cracked an eye open and realized Rex Lapis’ golden irises were fixed on him, studying his reaction as another person played with his body. Crippled by fear of being caught up he tried to close his legs, “Master, please--” 

“Is he dilated enough?” The dragon asked Xiao as he settled a hand over Kong’s chest, playing with his nipple with the tip of his finger, careful not to hurt him with his nails..

“...yes.” Xiao said, trying to get a third finger inside him. “But not enough for you.”

“Try putting it inside then.” The dragon ordered, pinching Kong’s nipple with his fingertips, careful enough not to hurt him with his nails, “Or use your fist, since I can’t do it.”

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he realized what his master was ordering, “No…” Kong slurred, then looking at the man between his legs, “No!” he stuck out a leg, pushing Xiao away from him. “I don’t want this, I don’t want this!” the human cried out, “I only want my master!”

Xiao froze on his place, realizing Kong was refusing one of the dragon’s orders. The brides could cry as much as they wanted but they never went against his orders. Not even once. The consequences of disobeying him were unspeakable since the dragon could read them both so easily: his brides and his servants. 

Rex Lapis stared at his weeping bride, the edges of his lips twitching, something close to a smile appearing on his face. To Xiao, one of his most ancient servants, he looked satisfied. “That’s a good answer.” his hand went up to cup Kong’s small face. “I would have teared off the head of that precious sister of yours if you allowed my servant to take you.” he added, looking at Xiao from the corner of his eye, “And his head as well.”

Xiao pressed his lips together, nodding at his master’s words. He already knew how things would have ended for him if he continued, even when it was his master the one ordering him around. He tentatively lifted his eyes, meeting his master’s; the dragon then mouthed a single word at him: move . He rushed to do as he was told, leaving the bed and allowing Rex Lapis to take his rightful place between his bride’s legs. 

Only after Xiao moved, Kong’s crying slowly ceased, relief washing over him as he realized his master changed his mind. He cleaned his face with his hands as the dragon kneeled between his legs and pushed his robe down his shoulders, revealing his bare skin; he supported his weight on his forearms and swallowed past the knot on his throat at the view of his husband’s massive erection pulsing on his hand; the warning thrown at him the first night came to him, It would kill you. His face got warmer and he laid back on the bed, looking away to focus his attention on the dancing flames around the bed as his husband pressed the tip of his cock against his dilated entrance. 

When it happened, it was fast enough to knock the air out of his lungs.

He gasped for air, throwing his head back when he felt his insides being teared apart. “It… h--urts…” Kong babbled, hands clenching on the sheets, the tips of his feet curling.“--It hurts, M--aster...”

The dragon bent over, pressing his cheek against Kong’s; he pulled out slowly, leaving only the tip inside, “Quiet.” he licked his ear, “I can’t focus.” he thrusted his hips, getting inside at once and coaxing a whimper from his Kong’s lips. He pressed his nose on the curvature of his neck and inhaled, the smell traveling up his spine: delicious . He opened his mouth and fought the urge to sink his teeth on his tender flesh, aware of the fragility of the small body of his bride. He would bleed to death if he bit down . Knowing how easy it would be to give into temptation he pulled away to grab one of Kong’s legs, pushing it up to change the angle in an attempt to reach deeper. It worked and Kong rolled his eyes, panting heavily as he pressed his face against the bed.

As he was never allowed to leave, Xiao was forced to see everything: those two bodies bathed in candle light moving at the same obscene rhythm, wrapped by fog of incense filling the room. 

The dragon’s skin looked pale, patches of scales jumping to the sight as he was unable to keep his human form when he felt such an immense pleasure. His horns glistened, eyes glowed, his body giving off warnings; he licked the tip of his fangs, trying to remember not to bite down, as tempting as that body beneath him was: covered in droplets of sweat, small and fragile. The dragon pressed a hand against his belly, tracing the imprint of his own cock inside him. A small hand was settled over his, and he lifted his eyes, meeting Kong’s tearful expression. Ah, ah, ah. he panted, his whole body squirming over the sheets as his husband thrusted his hips.

Rex Lapis clicked his tongue and pulled out before forcing his bride to turn around, pressing his face against the pillows. He couldn’t keep looking at that feverish expression or he would lose it. Ah , he wanted to enjoy that body for a longer time, better to keep him alive. He used his hands to grab handfuls of his ass, parting his cheeks to look at his gaping hole, wet because of the blood.

That didn’t keep him from finishing what he started.

Kong’s eyes went blank as his master pounded into him from behind, filling him to the limit; he was left breathless with every sharp movement, panting heavily as the dragon chased his own climax. Kong finished first against the sheets, spit hanging from his parted lips.

His master wouldn’t finish until much later; and would continue even after Kong passed out.

He woke up to wet sheets. 

Kong weakly straightened his back to reach the sheets covering his body and pulled them away. He looked at the mess between his legs and tears filled his eyes; he wondered if Madame would be able to clean the stains of blood. At least he didn’t bleed that much, he thought, as for a moment he thought he wouldn’t be able to wake up.

He lay back on the bed as he couldn’t feel his legs, less moved out from the bed. And then he cried, silently, as if he was afraid to be heard, until there were no more tears to shed.

After a while, the door opened and Kong didn’t bother to look at who it was; only the old lady interacted with him during the day.

“Good morning, my dear.” Madame greeted with the same cheerful voice. She approached the bed and stood next to him, waiting for him to open his eyes. 

Kong cleaned the dry trace of tears on his cheeks before looking up at her with pleading eyes. 

“I stained the sheets.”

“It’s alright.” the old lady said, “I will clean them.” 

“Thank you.” Kong mouthed, eyes glistening with tears. “Can you help me wash?”

The old lady picked a bucket from the floor, holding a sponge in other hand. “That’s why I came here, my dear.”

Without making any question, Madame ran a clean sponge over his voice to clean every nook of it, even the places that made him clench his teeth; her touch was gentle, so different to what Kong experienced the previous night. After cleaning him she used a soft towel to dry him and then helped him to reach the bathroom. She had to hold his hand all the time as Kong feared his knees would give in.

As embarrassing as it was the whole process, Kong felt thankful for having that woman with him to guide him through the whole process. He wondered if she went through the same thing when she was the bride. That only thought managed to make him tear up.

“He was mad at me.” he whispered while she brushed his hair, “Very mad.”

“My master doesn’t like to share,” the old lady explained, “You belong entirely to him; from your cries to your smiles.” she continued, “Does it ring any bell for you?”

Kong stared at the empty space, remembering his meetings with Xiao; he also remembered his cold expression as he tried to take him by the orders of his master.

“We did nothing…” he explained, looking at her over his shoulder. “We only talked for a bit--”

Madame stopped brushing his hair to give him a serious look. “You were intimate.” the old lady said, “Even I noticed that.” she shook her head, “It was a matter of time before you crossed a line.”

Kong furrowed his brow, “I would never betray my husband.” he looked away from the lady, looking at his own hands. “I would never do that…”

They stayed in silence for a moment as Madame brushed his long hair, soothing his nerves. 

“Is he okay?” Kong asked after a moment.

A hand clamped on his shoulder and he was forced to turn around. “Stop already!” the old woman urged him, “Haven’t you learned a thing? Why would you ask about him?!” 

He looked at the lady, his eyes filling with tears, “I--m sorry.” he looked down, “It is my fault, I won’t do it again.”

Madame let him go, realizing how rude she was being with him. She sighed and put down the brush, “He is okay.” she then rested a hand over Kong’s head, “But… you must not meet him anymore.” 

“Alright.” Kong said in a tiny voice. “I won’t.”

The old lady grabbed back the brush and continued fixing his hair. “...marriages are hard,” she explained, “You will get used to it.”

The rest of the day Kong spent it on bed, unable to leave the room. The old lady brought food for him, and also medicine to soothe his pain; she even cleaned his wounds several times as she feared the wound would open. Kong wouldn’t be able to thank her enough for the kindness that woman showed towards him that day. Thanks to that, he was able to properly rest and not think about what happened to him.

Until the night arrived again.

The sound of the bell made his heart skipt a beat and eyes tear up.

Kong rushed to leave the bed despite the pain, and took off his clothes; he hugged himself, feeling the room cold as he forgot to light up the candles. Oh, no. He lifted his eyes as the door opened, his heart pounding loud on his ears when he met his husband’s eyes.

“Good night, my master…” he said almost mechanically, then lowering his glance. “Forgive me, I forgot to prepare the room.”

Rex Lapis stepped inside, not caring about locking the door that time. He approached his bride and stopped in front of him, his hand reaching his chin, forcing him to lift his face and meet his eyes. 

“What are you doing out of the bed?”

Kong blinked slowly, his knees shaking as he spoke. “I… I have to receive you.”

The dragon tilted his head, half lidded eyes reading Kong’s expression. After a moment, the edges of his lips curved up ever so slightly.

“Stop shaking, I won’t take you tonight.”

Color rose to his cheeks as he realized how notorious it was the trembling of his body. Kong closed his eyes, trying to keep his composure. “Forgive me.”

The dragon withdrew his hand and spoke again: “Eat enough and have plenty of rest.” he ordered, “So you can heal properly.” he then bent over to whisper on his bride’s ear: “But don’t look so relieved… because once you have healed, I plan to take you every night.”

Chapter Text

“Shall we cut your hair?”

Only after Kong ran his fingers through his hair, he realized how long it took to reach the end of it. He looked for his reflection on the mirror, noticing his hair already reached past his knees. The image spoke louder than a clock, one that he had been lacking since his first day in the domains of the Dragon God. 

He had been there for quite a long time, yet he couldn’t tell exactly if it was weeks or months.

“My master hasn’t complained about it.” he twirled a finger around a lock of hair, looking up, trying to remember if he spoke a word about it. Rex Lapis barely spoke to him when they were alone and most of his comments regarding his appearance addressed the lower half of his body (how tight his hole was, how meaty his buttocks were) as if that was all he cared about. “How about the previous brides? Did they let their hair grow?”

Madame took a seat behind him, careful of her knees, “I can’t remember.” she said gently, “I did have long hair.” 

“Well, then it is settled.” Kong teared his eyes away from his reflection to look properly at the old woman. “I will let mine grow long as well.” he said in an upbeat tone. “After all, you’re the former bride here. I look up to you.”

Madame smiled softly at him, “That's good.” The old lady patted her lap, encouraging Kong to rest his head there. “Come here, my child.”

A smile pulled from Kong’s lips and he approached the old woman, kneeling in front of her to allow the pampering. They have been together for a while already, growing closer as she was the only other person Kong had to interact with there. He missed the warmth of a family, and the old lady was the closest thing Kong had to a mother, as he never knew his own when he lived among the humans. 

If Kong had to be honest, he didn’t miss his sister as much as before anymore… not because he didn’t care about her, but because he was beginning to forget her. Even when he could peek into the mortal’s world through those magical ponds across the domain, it only made him feel even more distant from her. Watching her grow up as he still looked the same started to drive him mad, so he decided to stick with the memories he had from his sister. He would treasure his memories with her for as long as he could remember.   

Madame understood the feeling perfectly as she never spoke of her previous life; she became focused on serving her master, a loyal bride after one hundred years. Despite not loving him, at some point she stopped fearing him and started to care deeply about him.

“I wonder… if I will be able to care about him like you do.” Kong wondered, feeling her hands leisurely stroke his golden locks. Her touch became clumsy with the time since, just as Kong’s hair grew longer, the woman got older. She began to forget things and to doze off in random places; Kong would find her and rest next to her, filling the silences with idle talk, telling her about his homeland, trying to keep alive the memories of his old life. 

Someday that would happen to him, when he grew older, he would begin to forget: there won’t be any sister or home to miss, because he wouldn’t be able to remember it.

Is it ok to look forward to it? Kong wondered, Or is it selfish wanting to forget?

When the petting stopped, Kong looked up at her, finding the old woman already asleep. He giggled and reached her hand to give it a squeeze. “Madame? Should we get you to bed?”

Kong waited for her to wake up, but she didn’t.

After a while, he realized she wouldn’t wake up anymore.

Rex Lapis always cremated the bodies, and the fire was lit by his own hand: A snap of his fingers was all that it took and the flames would begin to consume the flesh of a woman he took over a hundred of years ago. It wasn’t anything special, only a ritual he got used to after centuries of taking brides to his domains.

 The unusual part was to have the new bride with him, weeping inconsolably as the body began to burn. He couldn’t remember the exact reaction each of his previous brides had when he cremated the previous one, most of them weren’t around when he did. But Kong asked to be there, begged him to allow him to say goodbye .

He observed Kong’s body shake as he cried, his long hair covering his expression; he had been crying from the moment he found him next to the woman’s dead body until now. He cried more than on his nights together, he cried for so long he could fill every single pond in his domain. 

“Why are you even mourning her death?” he ended up asking, unable to understand what caused him so much pain. 

Kong pushed his hair off his face with trembling hands, lifting his gaze to meet his master’s eyes. The expression on his face was miserable, eyes swollen after crying for so long, “W-Why aren’t you?” he asked, “Won’t- you miss her?” he cleaned his running nose with the back of his hand, “She… she was your bride.”

The dragon tilted his head, “Brides don’t last long. That’s why you are here now.”

Kong hiccuped, grimacing at his words, “Then... when I’m gone...” he held his hands over his chest, lips trembling: “Won’t you miss me, Master?” 

The weeping bride saw himself reflected in his Master’s yellow pupils, hoping for an honest answer, as if there was one that could soothe his pain. The God kneeled in front of him and pushed his small body to the floor. He tore apart his clothes and Kong closed his eyes, wondering if that was the answer he was looking for, if, at least, he would miss the warmth of his body, and the sounds he let out for him.

His master took him roughly as the body of the previous bride burned next to them, the smell reaching his nose, making Kong’s eyes sting. He began to cry at the thought of the old woman but at least he could blame his Master’s swollen rod stretching him out with every thrust of his hips. Oh, Madame... he thought, sinking his nails on his Master’s back to hold onto him, Am I taking good care of him? 

When he was done, Rex lapis pulled out, his flaccid member slipping out of Aether’s flushed hole: his seed poured out from him, mixing with traces of his blood. Even after spending many nights together, his bride still bleed after mating. 

“Get rid of the bones.” The Dragon God ordered, fixing his robe as he left the small body lying naked over the ground, “I expect you to be in the room at night.”

Kong blinked slowly, his gaze lost on the sky where lazy clouds passed by. Sometimes, that place could be easily mistaken as heaven.

 “Yes, master.”

The bride heard his master’s steps walking away and once he found himself alone, he finally gathered himself up. He could feel his master’s seed slip down his legs and wondered if he should clean himself first before doing what he was asked to do. 

For what? We will continue later...

He looked over the table where the body had been left and found only bones and ashes, the flames already gone. It was his first time seeing human bones, yet it didn’t distress him as much as the fact that they belonged to the old lady who used to brush his hair every morning. 

He shyly outstretched a hand to reach the skull and his eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t help but to hold it between his hands and press his forehead against it.

“What am I going to do without you?”

Carefully picking up the bones, using his clothes to carry them, he walked around the domains, looking for a place to leave them. He just couldn’t throw them away.

Eventually he reached a place he hadn’t seen in a while, where the Moonlit tree stood. 

Kong kneeled on the ground and began to dig with his hands, making a hole big enough to bury the bones. He gently put the remains of the old woman inside, careful not to pile the bones one over another, and then covered the hole up. After finishing, he stared at his work for a moment, ignoring the ache on his fingertips. 

He wanted to cry but couldn’t bring himself to do it anymore.

“Goodbye, Madame.”

He stayed there until the night arrived, and it was only the ring of the bell that pulled him out of his trance.

Too late he realized he wouldn’t make it to his Master’s chambers on time.

He had never arrived after his master, the old lady always reminding him of how important it was to be on time for him. Kong had a sole purpose and it was to please his master, and he couldn’t make him wait for even a minute. It happened to be on the day the old lady wasn’t around to help him that he arrived late, so late he didn’t even have time to prepare himself and stormed inside the room, pulse hammering on his ears, his face pale and hands trembling.

“Master-- I--”

A hand was wrapped around his neck and his body pushed against a wall. Kong winced and looked up, meeting those yellowish pupils that made him go weak at the knees. 

“Where were you?” His master asked in a raspy voice, his expression serious; he didn’t need to wrap his hand around his neck to pin him on his place, his half lidded eyes sharp enough to make the bride’s eyes fill with tears.

“Forgive me!” Kong sobbed, wrapping his hands around his Master’ wrist, not trying to make him release his grip, but wanting to cling on him. “Please, forgive me.” Kong closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I… I had to bury her.”

“I told you to get rid of the remains, not to bury them.”

“Forgive me, forgive me…” he pleaded, “I just couldn’t… I couldn’t bring myself to do that to her…”

Rex Lapis let him go after a moment, and Kong fell to his knees, coughing and sobbing. The dragon opened his robe, offering his flaccid cock for him.

“Get me hard.”

“Y-Yes, Master.” Kong pushed his long hair behind his back, his trembling hands wrapping around the length. He licked the tip and then wrapped his lips around it; the familiar taste filled his mouth, salty as his tears. 

That night his movements were clumsy, yet he managed to get his master hard. 

Just like the many nights that already passed, and the many that would come in the future, he was forced to open his legs; he wasn’t even given time to properly mourn the death of a loved one. 

Because he didn’t have time to clean himself, his master used his own cum as lubricant, pushing his cock past the puckered hole with little preparation. Kong panted heavily, clinging on the sheets; no matter how many times they had done it, the pain always made him cry, still unused to his size. 

At least it didn’t draw blood that time. 

His master bent over and licked the trace of tears on his cheeks. “You are crying again.”

“F-orgive m-e.” Kong apologized, cleaning his face with his hands. “I… couldn’t help it.”

“No.” The dragon pushed a leg up and shook his hips, coaxing a moan from Kong’s lips. “I don’t mind hearing your whining in bed.”

Kong pressed the side of his face against the pillow as he was pounded against the bed, still sensitive after the mating season they had earlier in the afternoon, while cremating Madame’s body.

Just then, it hit him.

His master would take him, fill him with his seed, leaving marks all across his body, and then he would leave. Kong would wake up to an empty bed, and there wouldn’t be no one around for him anymore.

He trembled and whimpered, grimacing at the idea. “I don’t want to… I don’t want to...”

A hand touched the Dragon’s face and he opened his eyes, meeting the miserable expression of his bride.

“What is it?”

Through the tears Kong couldn’t tell the expression his master was making, if he was curious, or bothered by his touch.

“I don’t want to be alone…” Kong whispered, venturing to touch him without asking for permission, “Don’t leave, Master…” he pleaded, holding his face, pushing his thumb down his lips, “Don’t leave me… don’t leave me alone.”

The dragon allowed those little hands to touch his face, a fluttering touch as the wings of butterflies against his skin. 

“You don’t?”

Kong shook his head. “No… I--don’t want to…  so please-- don’t leave me--” he shut his eyes, throwing his head back, feeling his Master’s cock become thicker inside him. “Master?” he let go his face, hands clenching on his broad shoulders. “Master… you’re getting bigger--”

The following trusts coaxed louder moans from his mouth, making him turn his eyes white; Kong’s body twitched as he felt stuffed to the limit, his mind going blank; it felt different from before: the heat, the size, and even the climax that washed over his body.

His eyelashes trembled, mouth gasping for air as he felt his master hiding his face on the curvature of his neck and biting . Kong moaned, feeling his teeth sinking on his flesh and his hot seed filling him up, thicker than ever. 

The dragon kept shaking his hips, even after finishing inside him, teeth drawing blood from his bride. Eventually he let go to lick the blood from the wound and to pull out his flaccid cock.

Kong’s legs twitched, his gaping hole missing the heat of his master’s rod. He shyly closed his legs, feeling unusually empty, but full at the same time.

“Master?” Kong asked once he could catch his breath. “What… what did you do?”

Rex Lapis licked his lips, getting rid of the trace of his own blood.

“You said ‘I don’t want to be alone’.”

The bride stared at him, looking right into his yellowish pupils, amber eyes glowing as the tips of the horns that rose from his head. Just like the first time they mated. 

And Kong felt it again.

“You won’t be alone anymore.” 

His eyes widening as he rested a hand on his belly.

He almost could feel them moving inside of him.

Chapter Text

By the corner of his eye he caught the fluttering of the curtains, blew by the wind, like the wings of a butterfly caught in a spiderweb. Kong found the movement unusually familiar, that very same desesperation those winged creatures felt after getting stuck, willing to tear apart their bodies in order to escape. He shifted back his eyes to the face of his husband, who remained asleep next to him: after a week, he finally got used to waking up to his calm expression, just like he got used to mating twice a day.  

Kong left the bed as quietly as he could, walking barefoot towards the only window of the room. He climbed over and stood over the frame, a gentle breeze caressing his face as he took in the view: The light of the sun leaking out through puffy clouds painted the heavenly sky with a golden light. 

Heaven , the bride looked down, realizing how far he was from the land where he grew up; it would only take one step forward to go back where he belonged. If he was lucky, the fall would cease the ache of his heart in an instant.

As he contemplated a sweet escape, Kong pressed a shivering hand against his bulging belly; he took a deep breath, eyes filling with tears as he felt something moving.

The edges of his lips curved up, a sincere smile blooming on his lips.

“Kong.”

The bride lifted his face, turning on his soles, meeting the eyes of his master. “Good morning, Master.” 

The dragon stood in front of him, almost as tall as him, intimidating as ever. 

The wind blew the bride’s golden hair, wavy after keeping it braided for too long. Rex Lapis took in the image of Kong’s slim body bathed by the sunlight, the mild lump on his belly standing out: unwillingly, his body had become more curvy.

"Come." the Dragon mouthed.

Kong nodded, carefully getting off the frame of the window. As soon as his feet touched the floor, Rex Lapis dragged him back to the bed.

“Good morning, madame.”

Qingxin flowers were placed over the makeshift grave, followed by a prayer for the peaceful rest of the former bride.

“These flowers are quite difficult to get.” Kong said, pushing a lock of hair behind his ear, “But I don’t mind doing the effort to get them, while I still can...” he looked down, pressing a hand over his belly. “I won’t be able to do it later…”, a sad smile pulled from his lips. “You know, Madame? I... don’t understand what is happening...” tears gathered in his eyes, “..I don’t understand at all.”

A sound coming from behind him made the end of his hair stand. Kong paled and looked over his shoulder, eyes widening as he met a familiar face.

Holding the same flowers he brought, Xiao met his eyes, a pained expression on his face. He lowered his gaze, pressing the flowers against his chest. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Quickly standing on his feet, Kong cleaned the tears with the hem of his clothes, “No, it’s my fault.” he walked past Xiao, unable to properly look at him. “I should leave… if my master finds out we met--”

A hand flew and grabbed his arm, “It’s fine--!” 

Kong looked over his shoulder, realizing Xiao got a hand clenching on his clothes. 

“He knows I’m here… ” Xiao insisted, “Don’t be afraid,” he shyly offered the flowers to Kong, looking for his eyes, “he won’t get mad.”

The bride bit his bottom lip as the tears began to roll down his cheeks. Dropping the flowers to the floor, he threw his arms around Xiao’s neck, finally getting the hug he had longed for so long.

Hands trembling, Xiao fisted his hands before hugging him back.

They both needed.

Resting his head on Xiao’s shoulder, Kong pulled from the petals of one of the Qingxin flowers he decided to keep for himself.

“I’m expecting.”

 Xiao’s face flushed, “...I noticed.” he looked away, “Your scent is much stronger, you even smell like him.”

Kong sniffed his own clothes and pulled a face, “Do I smell? I didn’t notice.”

“You sleep with him, of course you couldn’t tell apart his scent.” Xiao shruged, “But, you definitely got his children inside you.”

A hand came to rest to his neck, where the dragon bit the night he impregnated. At the beginning he thought it had been an unplanned act during the euphoria of the moment, but later came to realize Rex Lapis was marking him. Now, he wasn’t only his bride, his partner in bed, but he would give birth to his heirs as well. Kong could feel them all the time, moving inside him, those fragil eggs. He sighed; not even once he considered that could happen, as he wasn’t a woman.

“The previous brides…” he said out loud, “Did they…?”

“I don’t know.” Xiao confessed, “I didn’t even know a human could carry a god’s child.” he looked at Kong from the corner of his eye, “It sounds dangerous.”

As Madame never talked about the previous brides, Kong knew as much as Xiao about them. At the beginning he assumed the woman didn’t want to talk about her past, maybe too embarrassed to reminisce about her past life as a bride. However, as he got to know her, Kong realized she couldn’t remember. Over a hundred years she spent living in the domains of the dragon, going from being his bride to becoming a mere servant after the new bride arrived: of course that would hurt her psyche. 

But madame did mention the previous bride that came before her felt happy after meeting her, as she never met her predecessor. 

That only meant one thing: Not all brides lived long.

“Maybe they died giving birth.” Kong mouthed, “Maybe he is trying to kill me.”

“Don’t--” Xiao breaths, “Don’t say that.” he shakes his head, “He wants you alive…”

Kong pressed his lips together, slowly realizing the meaning behind those words. “...That’s why he asked you to take care of me? So you can keep an eye on me?” he smiled, “Do I look that desesperate?”

The words came out in an accusatory voice, even when it wasn’t his intention, making the guardian grimaced. “I…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t end my life.” Kong promised, “They must need a warm place to grow up, right?” he smiled, looking down at the lump on his belly, “I won’t put them in danger, I promise.”

From all the expressions he had seen on Kong’s face, from the moment they met until that very moment, that was one he couldn’t remember seeing before. As a being that lacked a family, and mother, he couldn’t tell if it was part of their nature, but the way Kong’s face lit up while thinking about his children made his stomach do somersaults. Xiao was glad his master wasn’t around to catch him getting flustered about his bride: he didn’t want Kong to be punished because of his own selfish feelings.

“Thank you.” he blurted out of sudden.

Kong chuckled, “And why are you thanking me now?”

Xiao hugged his own legs, his eyes on the grave. “You buried madame here so I could say goodbye to her, didn’t you?”

The wind’s whisper in that side of the domain was too gentle, barely able to shake the branches of the moonlight tree. Carried by the wind, some leaves landed over Xiao’s head, and Kong gently picked one out of his head.

That touch was enough to make Xiao blush.

The bride went back to rest his head on Xiao’s shoulder, knowing they didn’t have too much time left: soon, the sky would get darker, and he would have to go back to his nest to welcome his Master. 

“I will make almond tofu for you.”

The temperature inside the room was high enough to make him feel light-headed, but was perfect for his master. Kong walked through the steam, approaching the tub where the dragon waited for him, naked and wet, already inside the warm water. The God lifted his face, long brown hair sticking to his face, his elbows resting in the hem of the tub. As their eyes met, he parted his knees to make space for him to sit between his legs, a silent order for the bride to follow. Get in .

Kong pushed the robe down his shoulders and left his clothes outside before introducing a leg inside the tub, then the other; the water overflowed as the number of bodies inside the tub doubled. He sat between the legs of his master, resting his back against his chest. The size diference between them was quite surprising, making the bride feel incredibly small. After getting used to the temperature, he shyly began to scrub his arms and chest, feeling the intense gaze of the dragon on his nape.

A finger tapped the back of his neck and Kong flinched. 

“May… May I ask a question?”

The dragon traced his bare shoulders with his fingers, letting out an affirmative sound.

“How many did you lay?”

Rex Lapis let his hand travel to the front, resting over Kong’s chest, pulling him closer to his body. When he opened his mouth to speak, his breath came out as a white plume of breath. “Around three eggs.” 

Kong blinked slowly and looked up, trying to meet his master's eyes, “Only three?”

The God tilted his head, "Do you wish for more?”

Color rushed to his cheeks and he quickly lowered his gaze, “It’s not that--!” Kong bit his tongue, “It” he touched his belly, “… it feels like more.”

After his master laid the eggs, his flat belly began to grow in size, the lump getting more prominent with the passing of days. He knew little about dragon eggs, less about how breeding between a God and a human worked, but all that mattered to him was that they were already there, inside him: The Dragon's children… his children.

The hand that initially rested on his chest, traveled to the south, finding its place over Kong's. 

"It will get bigger."

Kong sighed, feeling his eyes stinging: he had been weeping more lately than during his whole time there. 

Something hard was pressed against his rear and Kong flushed. He closed his legs, ashamed of the honest reaction of his own body. So far he had sucesfully filled the role of the dragon’s bride, a tight hole for him with the only purpose of pleasing him; but now, the soft eggs inside him filled every nook, leaving him over sensitive as they pressed against sensitive spots. When the dragon took him from behind, he felt stuffed full every time he shook his hips, the pleasure too much for him to handle. His master insisted on taking him twice a day, before going to bed and as soon as they woke up. The bride realized too late that it had been a silent condition to spend the night with him.

You won’t be alone anymore.

Kong closed his eyes as his master forced him to open his legs, his own pulsing erection rising. 

“I will bring a human slave for you.”

“Ah?” Kong threw his head back, his small body shaking with every thrust of Rex lapi’s hips; he was getting tired of doing it while standing, his hands barely able to prevent him to hit his face against the wall, but the water seemed to help his master put it in easily and he wouldn’t let him go until he was done. “W-Why?” he babbled, spit hanging from his bottom lip.

A hand pulled from his hair and Rex Lapis bent over, pressing a cheek against his ear. “I need someone to keep an eye on you aside from Xiao. Someone who bathes you, changes your clothes, do the things you won’t be able to do by yourself later.” he jerked his hips, making Kong moan, “Moving won’t be easy in the last weeks.”

The dragon let go and Kong rested his forehead against the wall, crying out as his master jerked his hips roughly. “No…” he moaned, “No, no, don’t--” 

“You don’t?” he lifted one of Kong’s legs, changing the angle, reaching deeper that way, “Now, didn’t you say you felt lonely?”

As his master messed up his body, Kong pictured the previous brides: young, curvy, fertile, more suited to fill the task he was forced to do every morning and night. 

“N-ot a woman.” he pleaded, his eyes turning white as his master grew bigger inside him, restlessly hitting a swet spot, “Don’t… don’t bring a woman.”

Sinking his face in the curvature of his neck, the dragon bit down and right over the mark, leaving a new scar over healed skin. He growled, jerking his hips a couple of times before finishing, filling that small body between his arms with his warm seed. Kong’s legs trembled, and the dragon had to hold him to prevent him from falling and hurting himself.

“What a fickle bride.” he accused, pulling out and licking his neck.

After finishing their bath, the God carried the limp body of his bride to bed, no the slightlest intention of letting him rest. They did it again and again, in a room filled with candles, in a warm bed that Kong started to call a “nest.”

“Good morning, Master Kong.”

The bride blinked, staring at the unknown face, and then looking up. The horns gave her away immediately, and kong’s surprise barely lasted. 

For a fleeting moment he thought his master had brought another bride.

“My name is Ganyu.” the half human said, bowing respectfully towards him. “I will be at your service from now and on.”

“Are you…” Kong stuttered, fixing his open robe, “Are you a…?”

“I’m one of Rex Lapis servants.” she answered with a smile on her face, the pretty purple robe she wore tight enough for Kong to confirm that it was a female. “My master said you required a servant that wasn’t a human, is it right?”

Kong nodded slowly, feeling his cheeks warm. “...yes.” he hugged himself, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to ask for a servant at all.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Master Kong.” Ganyu approched him, hands behind her body. “You do need a servant.”

He looked down, resting a hand over his belly. It had been three months now, his body getting bigger and his movements slower. Even his Master wouldn’t touch him as much as before, and Kong wondered if the reason was he did not find him attractive anymore --he deeply appreciated that, as he wasn’t sure his body could handle the mating at that stage of the pregnancy--. Kong looked up, studying the creature in front of him: bright purple eyes, her figure curvy and balanced. 

I should… give birth soon. Kong thought.

During the rest of his pregnancy, Ganyu would be in charge of taking care of him the same way Madame did. It felt less organic, and more staged, but Kong rather had her than forcing a human to be his companion; after all, no woman in her right mind would agree to live there and serve the Dragon God on her own will. That’s why the contract existed. Kong expected the Dragon to keep it, only one bride every 100 years. Nothing less, nothing else.

He rubbed his belly as Ganyu combed his hair, wishing for the time to pass faster, to finally be able to meet his children. 

“Is she kind to you?”

Kong held his belly, looking up at the moonlight tree.  

“She is!” he said out loud, enough for anyone around to be able to hear him; his master ordered Xiao to take care of him, however, they knew better. It wasn’t a good idea to look for him, risking to anger his master. “She is kind to me, the half human.”

Kong looked around, spotting the flowers over the grave. Even when he couldn't, Xiao would never forget to bring flowers for the former bride. A smile pulled from his lips as he approached and carefully kneeled in front of the grave to offer a respectful prayer. He clapped his hands and closed his eyes; a second after, he opened them, just as he realized:

“...I can’t.” 

Xiao descended from the tree, landing lightly right behind him.

“Kong?” he asked, wondering why he stopped his prayer. He would always pray loud for him to hear, almost as if they were having a conversation.

The bride looked over his shoulder, his face slightly pale, “I can’t remember her face.”

Xiao kneeled next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder, giving him a squeeze. “It’s fine.” he smiled softly, “It’s been a while.”

Heavy breathing, Kong held his own face, “... but… it hasn’t even been that long” he looked for Xiao’s eyes, his pupils trembling. “How long has it been?”

The guardian pressed his lips on a thin line, shifting his eyes away. “I don’t know how long it’s been in human years.”

His hand fell, eyes widening, “Am I… forgetting someone else?”

Xiao grimaced at Kong’s confused expression, “I...” he tried to reach his hand, but the bride turned around, crawling towards the grave.

“I want to be alone…” Kong muttered, “Let me be with her.”

The guardian fisted his hands, wanting nothing but to hold him closer, yet understanding his embrace wouldn’t cease his pain in the slightest. No matter how much he loved him, there wasn’t a single thing he could do for him. Xiao got on his feet and walked away, giving space for Kong to grieve his own memories.

The bride laid next to the grave, closing his eyes and quickly falling asleep, the smell of the flowers filling his dreams. There, he met the former bride whose face he couldn’t remember, and they held hands as they walked down a familiar road. In his dreams he hummed a lullaby for his babies, one he used to sing for someone else. Someone he couldn’t remember anymore.

Carrying a basket with dry flowers, the servant kneeled in front of the pond where her master wet his feet. She threw the flowers, a rain of petals floating over Kong’s face. His face lit up, a bright smile blooming on his face. 

“That’s a nice melody.” Ganyu commented, “Where is it from?”

“I don’t know.” Kong moved his feet inside the water, scarying the fishes swimming around, “But I like it.” He rested a hand over his belly, humming the melody for his babies to hear it. “I hope you enjoy it.”

So lost in the moment he was that the sound of his master’s steps didn’t reach his ears. Kong kept singing the lullaby for his babies as the dragon stood behind him, his eyes fixed on his small body of his bride.

“What are you doing?” 

Kong looked up, realizing he got an audience; he flushed, the edges of his lips tremblign.

“Good evening, master.” he said.

The dragon pushed his clothes down his shoulders and Ganyu turned on her soles, quickly leaving the space. 

Kong held his breath, face bright red as he observed his husband undress and get inside the water, “Master--?”

He walked through the water, pushing apart the flowers floating over the surface in order to reach his bride’s side. He rested his big hands over those fragile knees, “It’s been a while.” the hands traveled towards the north, lifting his robe, leaving at sight his milky thighs. “Get inside.”

Kong gulped, face burning, “Master…” he uncounsciously rubbed his belly, “I can’t--”

The hands around his thighs pressed with enough strength to almost leave a mark, golden pupils fixed on his face, “You can’t…?” 

Unable to meet his master’s eyes anymore, Kong pulled down his robe, looking away. “...I can’t sleep with you.” he said in a low voice, “The eggs… it could hurt them--”

“And what about that?”

Kong raised his face, meeting the cold gaze of his master: he had always found dificult to read his expressions, his slit pupils making his blood run cold. 

“I can lay more inside you.” the dragon offered, “If these ones break.”

Kong pulled his legs out of the water, loudly splashing everywhere, crawling away from the dragon, “NO--!” he shrieked, his voice louder than ever, “No, no, you can’t--” he shook his face, holding his belly as he closed his eyes, “I won’t let you--”

In the blink of an eye he found himself pinned against the floor by the body of his master. The dragon held his bride’s arms over his head, his big clawed hands around his wrists. 

“They belong to me,” Rex Lapis reminded him, his hot breath hitting Kong’s face, “and so do you.” 

Eyes glistening with tears, Kong shook his face, “...no.” he insisted. “Master, please--”

“Don’t test my patient.” he growled, his voice low, eyes fierce, “Or I will tear your body apart.”

“THEN KILL ME!” Kong cried out, “KILL ME, KILL ME, KILL ME!” he kicked and tossed around, trying to free himself. “If you are going to hurt them I don’t care about anything else! Just kill me alre--!” 

One of the dragon’s hands flew to his face, closing around his jaw and almost crushing it due his strong grip; Kong weeped, running his nails down his arm, leaving reddened marks as he desperately tried to make the dragon release his grip. 

“Have you lost your mind?” the next time the dragon spoke, he did it softly, “I don’t feast on my brides… But I can't assure you they won't.”

The body beneath him stopped moving, the hands falling limp next to his body. Kong’s eyes widened as he realized who he was refering to. 

I didn’t even know a human could carry a god’s child.

“Do you think you are the first I have impregnated?” The dragon continued, releasing his grip. “Of course, the first time, it didn’t work out” He let out a sound, the closest to a chuckle Kong had ever heard from him. “... neither the second.” He bent over, his long dark hair casading over his face, “Don’t look at me like that, I didn’t have a choice… they would have eaten their mothers alive.”

It sounds dangerous.

Kong did not weep, allowing his master to tear apart his robe, exposing his body. The dragon pushed his legs up and bent over, sticking his tongue out and pushing it past his pink ring of muscle. 

“...it's fine by me.”

The dragon licked his lips and looked up, waiting for him to continue speaking.

“I will happily give myself to them…” Kong continued, a smile pulling from his lips, his gaze dull. “My precious children…”

The dragon stared at him for a moment before dropping his legs. He hooked his arms under his body, lifting him from the floor to take him back to the room. 

Kong laid on his side, holding a hand over his belly, tears streaming down his cheeks and damping the sheets; his master pushed one leg up, startling his bride whose body became tense. Kong pressed his face against the pillow, taking a sharp breath as he felt the dragon pressing his hardened shaft against his tiny hole. He jerked his hips, getting the whole thing inside in a single trust, coaxing a muffled sound from Kong’s lips.

“If you are gonna give yourself to someone… that should be me.

Kong closed his eyes, a hand clenching on the sheets, the other over his swollen belly.

His eyes flew open in the middle of the night, when the temperature in the room reached its lowest point, despite the candles around it.

The bride sat on the bed, his body aching, bite marks all over his skin: thighs, arms, breast. How will you feed them, if you can’t produce milk? the dragon asked him, wrapping his lips around his breast to suck hard, leaving a mark around it. If they can not feed on milk, they will feed on blood. 

Blood. Kong clenched a hand over the sheets and pulled them out to see the mess between his legs, releasing a heavy sigh when he found no trace of blood. Kong rested a hand over his belly, just to make sure the eggs were okay: despite ache and pain, he realized nothing happened to them despite the rough mating sesion with his master.

He couldn’t help to smile. 

Next to him, the dragon slept deeply, with an unusual harmless expression. Not as tired as him, but calm after satisfying his craving; Kong thought that for a creature with no heir, he did enjoy mating and breeding, and definitely wouldn’t stop, even if that meant putting his own heirs in danger. He also wondered if the previous brides, the ones he impregnated, ever regret carrying his children. 

He didn’t.

Kong reached under the mattress, pulling a shiny dagger he found in the stack of golden goblets, old hourglasses and shiny crows that were piled up around the room. He saw his reflection on the knife, unable to recognize his own gaze and realizing how much he had changed in the past days, months, probably years he spent there. He then turned to his master, finding him still asleep, his breathing calm, almost silent. Kong bent over, and held the dagger over the dragon’s throat, the tip only inches away from the skin. He clenched on the handle...

And stayed still.

“Why are you hesitating?” the dragon mouthed, his lips moving despite having his eyes closed.

Kong didn’t move a muscle, not a bit surprised at finding him awake. He clenched on the knife, his hands slightly trembling.

A flutter of eyelashes revealed his golden eyes, and Kong sniffed when he saw himself reflected on the eyes of his master. 

“Why don’t you do it?” 

The bride who knew nothing but to weep stayed still, breathing through his mouth, his chest moving up and down. After a moment that seemed to last forever, he threw the knife away and sunk his face on his hands.

“I… can’t…”

The dragon sat on the bed, “Why?” he insisted, curious by the sudden change of heart; from the very beginning he knew about the knife and about the intention. But as Kong was the first bride who actually plotted to kill him and went as far as to hide a weapon, he wanted to test how far he would go. 

Lowering his hands, Kong looked at him with the most pathetic expression he had pulled. 

“… I can’t hurt my husband…” A chuckle came out of his lips,  his hands reaching the dragon’s face, “I can’t hurt the one I pine for...”

Rex Lapis parted his lips just as Kong moved closer, pressing a kiss on his mouth. It was both the first kiss for the bride, and for the dragon, as not a single bride in the past had loved him, and not a single one would in the future.

 

The end.

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Epilogue

In the sea of Liyue, there is a hill, and in that hill there is a hole, and that hole is so deep that it has no bottom.

Once a year, the creature left the hole and crawled to the outside world, claiming a sacrifice from the people in exchange to protect them from any other creature that dared to lie their eyes on that small land.  

During the ritual, he swallowed the woman and took it back to his domain; one that didn’t exist in a hole in the earth but a castle in the heaven. 

The woman would wake up in a completely strange world, just to find herself living over the clouds. 

But she wasn’t be alone.

After wandering around, she ran into one of them: Hair golden as the wheat, and eyes big and bright, just like the sun. Dressed in white hanfus embroidered with colorful flowers, there were three beautiful children playing around, with flushed cheeks and big smiles on their faces. 

The woman paled, fearing the God broke their contract: it wasn’t supossed to be more than one wife once a year. 

But just as soon as she ran into the kids, she would run into the mother.

“There you are!” as breathtaking as the children, a young man with fair skin and long golden hair, dressed in a crimson hanfu, would enter the room. He would walk bare foot towards the children, who approached him as bees atracted to honey. He bent over to pick one of the children, whose face lit up just by meeting his eyes. “You should wait for me…”

Only then, the woman could tell they were all family.

“A human…” the woman gasped, “He took more than one bride?” she gripped her head, eyes filling with tears, “… why did he take me then?!” 

The children’s eyes shifted towards her, the smile leaving their faces. Then, their bodies would glow before morphing into winged creatures, with fangs and scales. Exact copies of the dragon.

“Don’t get confused… you are not a bride”.

The woman fell back and crawled towards one of the walls, shaking her head as she realized the creatures creeped towards her direction.

“You… who are you all?!”

A smile pulled from the mother’s lips as the children jumped towards their prey.

“I am the dragon’s bride.”

Chapter Text

Kong clenched a hand around Xiao’s with enough strength to make him pull a face.

And cried out.

“Deep breaths.” a voice said, one he recognized as Ganyu’s; it was hard for him to tell voices apart from the loud beating of his own heart, pounding on his ears. “I can see the shell.” 

That was enough to make him crack his eyes open, tears rolling down his flushed cheeks; he turned his face, meeting Xiao’s eyes as he stood behind him, holding his waist. 

“Hold on.” Xiao mouthed, “Only one left.”

The soon-to-be-mother was unable to keep his voice down as the egg pressed against his most sensitive spot, making him roll his eyes. He arched his back as the egg shifted lower, the widest part of it opening up the rim of his flushed hole, forcing his way out of his body. 

It took a last push and it was done.

The egg slipped out of his body, being received by the skilled hands of Ganyu.

Kong’s head rolled back as he parted his lips in an attempt to catch his breath; his legs finally gave in and Xiao caught his body before he would hit the floor. He gently carried him to the bed where Kong finally could rest his legs; Xiao pressed a gentle hand against Kong’s forehead, pushing the hair out of his face.

The edges of Xiao’s lips curved up. “It’s done.” 

His chest moved up and down, matching the rhythm of his quickened heartbeat. After the last egg left his small body, Kong felt hollow and empty, as if he missed a part of him; the thought brought tears to his eyes as he had been carrying the eggs inside of him for a long time, keeping them close, safe and sound. 

Through the ringing on his ears he caught a cracking sound and his heart seized. Kong straightened his head, supporting his weight on his forearms to look for the source of the sound. At that point, he couldn’t help to meet the glowing eyes of his master across the room.

Kong smiled softly, looking proud.

The figure that had been keeping his distance from the bed came out of the shadows. Xiao immediately left his spot and away from the bride, knowing that wasn’t his place to be. 

The smile on Kong’s face faded away as his Master passed by the eggs, eyes fixed on him; he sunk a knee on the bed and pulled from Kong’s legs, bringing him to the edge, pushing his legs up. 

Color rushed to the bride’s cheeks as he felt his master openly looking at his gaping hole. 

“Leave.”

The order came loud and clear and Ganyu hurried to grab the eggs, followed by Xiao, who carried the last one. They both left the room as his master pushed his robe down his shoulders and his bride threw his limp arms around his neck.

The eggs were placed over thick layers of sheets, one next to each other. 

Xiao rested a hand over the last one, the first one that began to crack as soon as it left its mother’s body; it felt warm against his hand and the texture soft despite the rough appearance; to his surprise, the scales didn’t hurt at all. The eggs glowed, pulsed like a beating heart, making Xiao’s eyes sting at the view of his Master and Kong’s heirs. He had longed for them as much as the mother, as he loved her very deeply, and couldn’t wait to meet them properly once they hatched.    

After a moment, the doors of the room opened. Xiao rushed to his feet, expecting to meet his master; how big was his surprise to find the mother there. 

The bride leaned against the frame of the door with a feverish look on his face, cum dripping down his shaky legs. 

“Did they…?” he managed in a choking voice, “D--id they hatch?”

“Not yet.” Ganyu said, reaching Kong’s size to hold him, fearing he would fall to his knees. “Let me help you.”

She brought the mother next to the little nest they prepared; the moment Kong saw the eggs, his face lit up, eyes sparkling at the view of his eggs. He reached one of the eggs with trembling hands to cuddle it against his chest, eyes filling with tears. 

“ My love .”

As if recognizing the voice of their mother, the other eggs shifted on their place. A crack cut across the surface of one as the other began to crack as well, tiny limbs breaking through the shell. 

And the smile on Kong’s face only got wider.

Ripples formed across the surface of the pond, the transparent water changing its color and projecting images of foregein landscapes. 

Qiao settled his hands on the floor, bending over the pond to sneak a peek of the world it projected: through the images he could tell apart strange creatures moving around those lands, and despite resembling him and his family a little, they were in essence completely different.

One of his hands reached the horns that sprouted from his head, “They don’t look like mother at all.”

“Because they aren’t me.”

The boy froze on his place and looked over his shoulder, meeting the tired gaze of Kong.

“Mother…”

Kong approached his son and kneeled in front of him to pinch one of his cheeks.

“I told you not to come here!” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he apologized, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. “I just wanted to see…”

Kong pursed his lips and let go his face. “There is nothing for you there.” he got on his feet and cleaned his clothes, “And if you are curious you can always ask me.” he pulled a lock of hair behind his ear, “After all, I’m human too.” he smiled at his son, holding his face, “Or used to be...”

Qiao pressed his face against his mother’s hand. “I will… thank you.”

Kong pressed a chaste kiss over his son’s forehead. His children grew up so fast and soon he would have to stand on the tip of his feet to pamper them. “Let’s go back with your brother.” 

“Alright!” Qiao said with a smile before and ran down the glowing bridge and back to their home.

Kong stayed behind for a moment to look at the pond, grimacing at the images.

He wished he could get rid of them. 

“What are you reading?” 

Sitting over a patch of grass, the eldest of the children continued his reading without bothering to lift his eyes from the book. He found it more interesting than looking back at his noisy brother, who disappeared very early in the morning and left him behind.

“Cloud retained is expanding the west area of the domain and I offered to help with the design.” he frowned, holding the book closer to his face. “I’m not versed in these… mechanics she likes to play around.”

“You will do it great, you learn so fast.”

Only after hearing his precious mother’s voice, Zheng put down the book to greet her. His mother always came first before anything, even his own responsibilities.

“If there is anything you would like please let me now.” he offered, pushing his dark long hair behind his back. “Being flowers, or another pond.”

Kong approached his children, sitting next to Qiao. “I’m fine with whatever you decided to do.” he smiled, “I’m glad my master allowed you to participate in this little project. Please, do your best.”

“I will.” Zheng promised, getting back to his lecture. “Oh, Yu said she wanted to collect some qingxin flowers.”

“She must be bothering Xiao again.” the other brother clicked his tongue, scratching the back of his head, “Uh, I better look for her.”

After kissing his mother’s cheek, Qiao lifted from the floor and walked away to look for his sister. 

Watching his brother walk away, Zheng wondered if he should have spoken at all. His sister definitely would have preferred to have some time alone with the object of her adoration instead of sharing it with her brother.  

But, that wasn’t his problem.

He felt his mother’s eyes on him and looked to the other side, finding him staring with a goofy smile on his face. “Mother?”

Kong held his own face, his cheeks slightly flushed. “Everyday you look more like your father.”

The edges of his lips curved up. From the three of them, Zheng was the one who took the most after his father; from the form of his eyes to the color of his hair. His mother told him they were all blonde when they were smaller, only as Zheng grew his hair, it began to darken at the roots. Now he looked like a young version of his own father, one that Kong could openly pamper to his heart’s content.

 “I’m glad you like my face.” he shifted his eyes back to the book, passing the pages. “Qiao was staring at the ponds again, wasn’t he?”

“I don’t get why he finds so interesting about them.” Kong complained, puffing his cheeks, “Neither you or your sister spend as much time as him watching them.”  he brought his legs against his chest and hugged then. “It makes me uneasy.”

Closing the book and leaving it over the grass, Zheng turned to his mother. “I will talk to him.” he promised, reaching his mother’s hands. “Don’t worry.” 

Kong smiled and patted his head before bringing him close to him. Zheng pressed his face against his mother’s chest, closing his eyes and allowing Kong to caress his hair.

“You are so sweet.” Kong closed his eyes, running his fingers through Zheng’s long hair. “I wish you could stay just like this… easy to cuddle.” he held his cheeks and dropped kisses over his face, “Don’t ever get tired of your mother.”

Through his amber slit pupils, Zheng looked right into his mother’s eyes; “I won’t, ever.” he held a hand over Kong’s, watching his face light up. “I belong entirely to you, mother.”

Kong chuckled and pushed thin hairs off his face, “And I belong to you, my dear.” 

That is not true. Zheng thought, sinking his face against his mother’s chest. I wish it was.

“Xiao!”

The guardian turned to the source of the voice, finding Kong holding a bunch of flowers towards him. A second after, he noticed the slit pupils and the tiny horns sprouting from the sides of her head, realizing it wasn't Kong, but his daughter.

Lately, Yu had definitely begun to look like the younger version of Kong that arrived several centuries ago. Even her voice, it was slightly higher pitched than his.

“For you!” she insists, pressing the flowers against his chest.

From the three of them, Yuyang was the closest to Xiao. She would follow him everywhere when her mother wasn’t around, and because she looked a lot like Kong, Xiao couldn’t help to have a soft spot for her. Not like he didn’t have one for her brothers, but Yuyang was definitely something else. 

Since the children weren’t his, he had the right to have a favorite.

That was Yu.

“Thank you.” he said, accepting the flowers, “You shouldn’t go pick flowers by yourself, though. I know these grow up in high places.” 

Tilting her head, Yuyang blinked at his words. “And what is wrong with that?”

“It’s dangerous.”

The girl chuckled, “Nothing is as dangerous as father.”

Xiao looked up, realizing just how bold that girl had become.

Yuyang stood next to him, watching him feed the fishes of the pond in front of the moonlight tree. The beautiful orange fishes swam in circles, attracted by the rice, making the water splash and coaxing a laugh from her. After a moment she stopped paying attention to the fishes, shifting her eyes towards her companion. She studied Xiao’s perfect outline, his small nose and his golden slit eyes that stood out because of the red makeup around them. To Yu, there wasn’t anyone as pretty as Xiao, not even his mother. And he was kind to her, much more than her own father. 

“Xiao!”

Xiao hummed, “What is it?”

“I love you.”

Xiao side-eyed the girl, arching his eyebrows. “I’m fond of you as well.”

At first the words didn’t come out as she expected, so she tried again. She reached his sleeve and pulled, getting his full attention. “Yuyang wants to be special for you!” she insists, “Yuyang loves you the most!” her cheeks flushed, “As mother loves father.” 

One of the fishes inside the pond jumped high enough to leave the water for the split of a second. The splash that came after it returned to the water wasn’t loud enough to get Yu’s attention, who held onto Xiao’s clothes, looking up at him, expecting an answer.

But the eyes that looked back at her were unusually cold.

“I know.” 

The smile faded off and Yu looked down her feet, still clinging to Xiao. “You don’t love me?”

“I’m not saying that.” he rushed to say, “You are very important to me, just like your brothers.”

“Is it because of my mother?” she asked, “Because you love him?”

Xiao clenched his jaw, shifting his eyes away. “It has nothing to do with--”

“Because, mother loves father!” Yu reminded him, looking up at him with glistened eyes, “He belongs to father, and he loves him very deeply!” 

“I know.” Xiao held a hand in the air, “You don’t need to repeat it--”

“Then why can’t you love Yuyang?” she insisted, sinking her long nails on his clothes, “Mother won’t ever love you back!” Yu nodded, “That’s why, you should belong to Yuyang, right?”

A hand was settled over her, gently moving it away. 

“I’m sorry, Yu.” he apologized, “I can not reciprocate your feelings.”

Not a single tear came after those words. Not like Xiao expected it, since Yuyang didn’t cry; from the moment she was born she never shed a tear. All the girl did was clench her jaw and look down, her shoulders slightly trembling.

“She won’t ever love you.” she said, promised, and turned on her heels to walk away.

Once he found himself alone, Xiao allowed himself to sit on the ground, forgetting for a moment about his meaningless task. 

“You don’t need to hide anymore.” Xiao spoke, throwing a glance at the person hiding behind the moonlight tree. 

Coming out of the shadows, Qiao lowered his gaze, hands behind his body. “I didn’t mean to hear.”

Xiao smiled, “I know you didn’t.”

He approached the guardian and sat next to him, finding the silence comfortable. Xiao took good care of him when he was a baby; his mother wouldn’t stop sharing that story of how Xiao was the only one able to calm him down when he cried as a baby. He looked up at him, wanted to become like him when he grew up: a loyal being, devoted to his role. “Are you okay?”

A rumbling laugh came from him. “I thought you would be more worried about your sister.”

“I’m afraid your negative answer won’t stop her.” he admitted, pursing his lips, “She has loved you since ever. You do know that.”

“I do.” he admits, looking at the fishes fighting for the remains of rice over the surface. “But I’m afraid I hurt her anyway.”

Qiao rested his head on Xiao’s shoulder, closing his eyes. “It’s not your fault… you love mother.”

“Don’t.” Xiao warned him, “Stop saying that, I don’t want my master to get angry at Kong.”

“He knows that, we all know that already.” Qiao shrugged, “Mother is the only one who ignores it.” he pressed his lips on a thin line. “Or, maybe he pretends not to notice.”

“Probably.” Xiao ran a hand over his face, “He is so kind all the time.”

Kind wasn’t enough to describe his mother. Kong was the source of life in the domain, figuratively and literally speaking. He was a creature capable of a deep and unconditional love like he had never seen. Qiao felt it in his voice, in his touch, in every single thing he did; from dawn to dusk, Kong’s whole existence was to make his children smile.

Only after they were tucked up on their nests, his mother would disappear from sight.

Once, when he was smaller, Qiao left his nest to follow his mother’s steps, finding him entering a room he was forbidden to go into during the day. Curious as any child, he approached the door and looked through the opening, since Kong forgot to close it.

He could perfectly remember the loud crying, the choked voice and the rattle of the bed. Every night his precious, kind mother was abused by that heartless dragon: his father. He didn't care that his children could hear them and made his ever sweet, gentle mother cry, moan, beg loud enough for anyone outside the room to hear them. 

That time his big brother covered his mouth and pulled him away from the door, taking him back to bed. Qiao couldn’t sleep at all, remembering his mother’s weeping.

The next day his mother would wake them up with a kiss on the forehead and a tired smile on his face, shyly covering the marks over his body. On bad days, Kong wouldn’t be able to even leave the bed, recovering from the aggressive mating.

“You would be kind to him, wouldn’t you?”

Color rushed to Xiao’s cheeks. “Why are you asking--”

Ah, ah, ah, ah.

The young master hid his face on his arms, “I wish you were my father.” he bitterly confessed.

Xiao closed his eyes, his hand moving on his own: he reached the head of the boy next to him, where he rested a hand.

“I know.”

When Kong found his daughter asleep over a patch of flowers, he knew something had happened. When his master lost his temper --which had happened just a few times-- his children would run away and hide over the hills. He would find them curled up together, their bodies sunk in a bed of silk flowers. 

This time Yu was alone, by herself, which wasn’t unusual as they grew further apart as they got older: he still could remember his precious children pulling from his clothes, wanting to hold them.

“Yu?” Kong asked, resting a hand over her shoulder.

A flutter of eyelashes revealed the glowing amber eyes.

Kong couldn’t help to smile; he adored those eyes, it reminded them of the eyes of his master. Bless heaven for allowing his children to look his his master that much.

The girl sat over the flowers, rubbing her face. 

“Are you okay?” Kong asked.

 Yu looked at her mother with those piercing eyes, cold as ice.

“Xiao said he doesn’t love me.”

The smile faded off Kong’s face, “I see.” he didn’t need to ask more. He was aware of his daughter's feelings, and of Xiao’s as well. “I’m so sorry, dear.”

“It’s because of you.”

Kong lowered his gaze, rubbing his arm over his clothes. “Try giving Xiao some time, I’m sure he will come to love you in the future.” he looked up and smiled at his daughter. “I would never--”

He choked on the words, feeling a hand wrapped around his neck.

“It’s your fault.” Yu continued, her voice calm despite the trembling grip of his hand around his mother’s neck. Her eyes, ever so beautiful, looked right into Kong’s. “If I… get rid of you...” 

Pale, the bride tried to reach Yu’s arm with his hands, very gently wrapping his fingers around it. The edges of his lips curved up as he mouthed:

“G--o ahead.” 

Kong already told his master once he would gladly give his life away for his children. That was a decision he made a long time ago and never completely left him, living in the back of his head, pulsing against his hindbrain. He knew someday they could turn to him and tear his body apart, and Kong would happily leave this world with a smile on his face. 

The grip around his neck loosened as Yu’s bottom limp trembled, her eyes filling with tears. She let go of his mother to wrap his arms around his body, pressing his face against his chest. 

“I’m sorry!” she sobbed, her tears dampening Kong’s clothes. “Mother, I’m sorry!”

Kong blinked, a couple of tears rolling down his cheeks. He hugged Yu back, closing his eyes, pressing his lips against her head.

“It’s fine, dear.” he patted her back, thinking he would have be thankful for someone saying the exact same word he would say to his daughter: “I know love hurts.”

He did know very well.

On his way back into his room, Qiao ran into his father.

He froze in the middle of the hallway, staring at the empty space, not daring to meet his eyes. Even during their meals, he would look at his own plate or meet the soft gaze of his mother. 

To be quite honest, they didn’t really meet his father frequently.

When you were smaller, once, you cuddled with him, his mother told him in the past, I found you on his nest, curled around his body as he rested, the sincere smile on his mother’s face was something he would never forget. That made me really happy.  

Qiao felt his eyes on him when he passed by and he politely vowed towards him. It barely lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to send a chill down his spine, his hands getting colder.

When his father turned around the corner, he released the air on his lungs. 

He couldn’t recall holding his breath.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from his siblings room and he rushed to see the source of the sound.

“Yu, Zheng--?

Pulling from his sister’s long hair, Zheng picked her from the floor to grab her by the neck.

“Zheng!” Qiao called, approaching his brother, trying to get him to release his sister. “Zheng, what are you doing?”

His brother turned to him, looking down at him with something close to disgust.

“She attacked mother.”

Color left Qiao’s face. “I…” he turned to Yu, watching her desperately trying to free herself, scratching down his brother’s arm and shaking her legs in the air. “You two…” he turned back to Zheng, clenching from his brother’s clothes, trying to stop him from hurting his sister anymore. “Zheng, please stop!”

Zheng let out a deep laugh, eyes fixed on the pitiful expression on his sister’s face. “She dares to hurt your mother and you want me to stop?” his grip got tighter, his nail sinking on her skin.  

“You will make mother sad!”

His eyes widened and he loosened his grip, making the body of his sister hit the ground with a loud thud . Qiao kneeled next to her, resting a hand on her back as she gasped for air, making sure she was okay.

“Yu…” Qiao called, pulling a face, “Did you… really hurt mother?”

The girl coughed, holding her own neck, and shook her head. “...no.”

 Dropping to his knees to pull from the neck of her dress, Zheng murmured to his little sister’s face: “If you ever dare to lay a finger on mother again, I will kill you.” he promised, and then added: “And I will kill that guardian as well.”  

Yu closed her eyes, unable to look back at his brother.

He eventually let her go and lift from the floor, walking away from his siblings.

Qiao looked at him and then at his sister, and released a heavy sigh. Once he made sure his sister was in good state, he rose from the floor and approached the door to close it, as he looked for some privacy.

“I… need to talk to you both.”

Zheng and Yu glanced at their brother as he locked the door.

Qiao turned to them, hands behind his body, his expression calm and composed. “We should leave.”

It wasn’t a suggestion, neither an order: it was said as a matter of fact. Qiao wasn’t sure of what reaction to expect, but it was worth trying to bring it up as the idea had been fluttering on his head for as long as he remember.

“Liyue?” Zheng mumbled.

“Yes.” Qiao nodded, “Mother, Yuyang, Xiao, me and you.” he named, “I’m not including Ganyu as she is completely loyal to our father.” he scratched the back of his head, “but Xiao… maybe we could talk to him and--”

“Are you out of your mind?” Zheng cut him off, dropping on his nest. “Don’t come up with nonsense. I already had enough for today.”

“I’m serious!” Qiao insisted, fisting his hands, “Why do we need to stay here?! We could perfectly hide in the land! We can look after our mother and live away from him !”

None of his siblings met his eyes, Yu looking lost and his brother studying his own nails.

Qiao pressed his lips on a thin line, “Do you guys want to stay here?

“Aside from ignoring the fact our father would look across the whole earth to find us… Have you actually considered our mother in your little plan?” Zheng teased, arching his eyebrows.

“Of course I’m thinking about him!” Qiao insisted, “He isn’t safe here at all!”

“I’m asking if you think he is willing to go.”

“I--” Qiao squinted his eyes, “Why wouldn’t he? If the three of us decide to do it, he will go with us.” he held a hand over his chest. “Why would he decide to stay here away from us?”

“Because he loves father.”

Yu’s voice came as a curse, her light voice bouncing on the walls of the room. Qiao side eyed her, surprised by how calm she looked despite what just happened to her. “Mother loves father more than anything in the world.” Yu continued, “Do you really want to make her choose?” she smiled, very softly, “Do you want to find out who she would choose?”

The thought itself was scary enough to keep him awake at night.

Qiao rested his back on the door, lowering his gaze. Suddenly all his determination faded away, all his plan of freeing his mother came down as the heavy rain in winter.

“Do not fear, my brother.”

Qiao perked up at Zheng's voice, finding him on his feet already; he got that imposing stance he inherited from their father that made him feel uneasy.

“You aren’t the only one who cares about mother.” Zheng reminded him, “And I promised you… when the time comes, I will behead that dragon” the edges of his lips curved up, “...but I'm afraid it won’t be soon.”

Zheng looked up at one of the windows, finding the moon hanging on a wall of stars. Soon, it would be time for his father to descend to the earth, and bring another bride.

“Until then, all we can do is make our mother happy.” 

And again, as every one hundred human years, they would have to soothe the ache on his mother’s heart in the only way they knew.