The Stone King's Lover (石王的愛)

Chapter 49

A/N: content warning for a kiss scene, potential TW?? for teacher/student and age gap (it's only 4 years, but their relationship & context here is that one is innocent and the other is not)

Xie Yi-jun

2004 years after The Long Night

Jingshén

<New Year's Festival>

"Look!"

Sounds of excitement and thrilled laughter echoed across the field as the residents of Jingshén celebrated another New Year. Fireworks and lights exploded over top of the castle from the roof. In the pitch darkness, every burst of color painted the grass and trees and faces of the onlookers with dapples of rainbow light. Only for a few seconds at a time, but the fireworks weren't the only thing going on that late night...

Xie Yi-jun was new to this sort of festival and watched it all with amused fascination from the archway of the front door. All the boys were running around, chasing each other in their elaborate gold and white outfits and hats, playing games and trading coins given to them based on their age by the Three Masters.

Yi-jun saw Reian playing too, though he seemed to be distracted as he carried a little boy in his arms closer to the fireworks, and closer to The King...

Xie Yi-jun greatly enjoyed watching Wen Rei play with his friends and juniors. Not only did it remind him of a simpler time in his own life, but the spark of happiness and love he felt from Wen Reian was so beautiful and stunning, it was almost more brilliant in depth than the colors igniting above the castle.

Lost in thought recalling his city's old traditions, Xie Yi-jun didn't even realize someone was coming towards him until the shadowy figure was standing beneath the archway too.

Boom!

As a firework went off overhead, Yi-jun's heart softened that much more as he saw Reian beside him, gazing up into the dark sky with a look of pure wonder.

Speechless for a few moments, he watched the way the light danced across the boy's skin. Finally when Reian glanced up at him, Yi-jun could only blink.

"Aren't you missing your friends?" The King asked, knowing it must have been difficult for Reian to pry himself away from the little one.

The boy smiled thoughtfully, closing his eyes and seeming to shrug.

"I've spent twenty years worth of New Years with them, I'll probably spend several more. But this is the first one I will ever have with you."

Boom!

As Yi-jun stared in speechless wonder at the person beside him, he felt as if his heart was up there with the fireworks... dancing and twinkling, bursting with love and hope, reflecting in Reian's eyes-

For several blissful moments, Xie Yi-jun forgot all about his past. He forgot about his home, his life. His pain dissolved in an instant, like embers fading in a fire. What he was left with was the overwhelming sense that more than anything, he wanted Wen Reian. To be with him, to love him. To smile and laugh and witness a million more beautiful things together.

Yi-jun wanted to watch the boy's starlit eyes in the darkness forever. Wanted to witness the beauty of his soul, that safe and comforting thing. The thing that held the King's hand through so much, and yet still somehow loved him.