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[decencies]

tfln prompts // meme overflows // psl prompts

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[declinations]

[When Seren's text buzzes Zhou Fei's phone, a pang of anxiety pulses through him. He needs to make up for the past several months of insecurity and arguments, for dragging his balii through the deadly desert, for giving reason after reason to give up on him. Taking in a breath, he double-checks the place settings and just as he's about to step toward the door, Seren enters.

Wow.

For a moment, Zhou Fei's mind completely blanks as he absorbs the sight before him. This suit sets his body on fire, the way it cuts along the lines of muscle of Seren's chest awakens something primal in him. And this is all his, despite his stupidity and arrogance.]

Thank you for coming. [He murmurs, reaching up to at least run his fingers along the lapels of Seren's suit.] Balii.

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[ The first thing that Seren notices when the door opens is a familiar setting, one that he had just been thinking about recently. Where despite the situation they were in at the time, it still felt right. Everything that had happened, despite being all out of order and jumbled up. It was everything and it was good.

The next thing he notices is the suit that Zhou Fei is wearing, and how the cut of it not only accentuates his body in a way that makes him go dry at the mouth, but also exposes the bitemarks that he made back at the safehouse - his claim. It causes a deep pang of want to register, and stars, he's tempted to just take him right then and there just from the visual -

And then there's the word that causes him to freeze. While he had taken the time to educate Zhou Fei a little on some of the aspects of lamnii culture, that wasn't one of them. His eyes widen, swallowing and trying to find the words as his brain short-circuits. ]

I-

How'd you-

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[Zhou Fei watches Seren, a slow smirk inching up his face the longer it takes his balii to say anything. Even then, Seren's first words are aborted sentences and Zhou Fei knows that he rarely renders the other completely speechless. A good start, he hopes, a proper start to repairing the damage he's caused.]

I studied.

[And, more importantly,] I... I know what these truly mean now.

[He draws his hands back to run his fingers over the raised scars on his shoulders, where Seren wrote his loyalty and love into his skin. Why had Zhou Fei doubted and questioned and confronted for so long? Why did he keep falling back into the same attitudes as a boy from Raksa?] Balii, let me make it up to you.

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[ It's certainly a start. Just give him a few moments to reboot his brain first. He doesn't say anything just yet, only to shake his head lightly while he lays a hand on top of Zhou Fei's. ]

You don't have to do this, you know. But ... the fact that you looked up our word for mate, I don't know what to say.

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[Zhou Fei's smile widens as Seren's hand covers his. Yes, these marks show undeniably that he belongs to Seren and Seren to him. He's sorry it took him so damn long and so many books to realize their importance.]

I want to. [He hums, shifting closer to his partner, so they're practically breathing each other's air.] Let me?

[Let him repair the broken planks in the bridge connecting them, let him apply salve to the wounds he's caused.]

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[ Seren lets out something akin to a whine, dipping his head to kiss the top of their hands while they rest on top of each other. He can't help but shut his eyes for a few moments, taking a deep breath. ]

Yeah... yeah. Show me.

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[Zhou Fei can't help but chuckle at Seren's whine. He leans in to briefly kiss his partner's cheek before entwining their fingers and pulling both of them toward the table nestled beneath the tree. Restraining himself to not immediately trying to rile Seren into fucking him is new, but Zhou Fei wants to show what he's learned, how much he's realized.]

Surprised we're back here?

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A little. But I can't blame you for doing it, either.

[ Once again, mostly due to the good memories that were here. It's odd, when you really stop to think about it, but at the same time, at least to him, it actually seems right.

And Seren will admit it's surprising that Zhou Fei isn't immediately jumping to try and seduce him. Not that he would mind most of the time considering how effective it could be, but it's still a welcome change in a sense. He easily goes along with Zhou Fei further inside, letting out an appreciative hum at their current surroundings. ]

Seems a little fucked that some of our best memories were when we were locked away together. Or maybe that's why?

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[It's where the five years of guesing and chasing finally came to an end, where five years of running slowed to a stop, where the two met across a table and confessed to wanting the same thing despite the chasm of time separating them. Despite attempting to escape in the early days, Zhou Fei eventually found himself grateful for his capture.

Here they stood again, albeit under different circumstances, beneath the winding branches of the tree Zhou Fei spent many nights curled in. With the spread of candles and the choice in dinner, Zhou Fei purposely meant to call back to that last night before the escape, when they confessed to each other, when Seren told him of the meaning of the marks on his shoulders, but Zhou Fei had no real comprehension of the depth of that loyalty.

Leading Seren toward his seat, Zhou Fei responds,] Wasn't anyone to interrupt or heckle. 's where we became partners again.

[No longer enemy combatants, facing off on opposite ends of the field.]

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[ It's odd to know that the main place where their relationship really seemed to actually go anywhere was a safehouse with Zhou Fei under house arrest, but really, the two of them weren't exactly a conventional pair by any means. The kid from Raksa with a chip on his shoulder the size of a mountain and the Lamnii runaway with something to prove.

The setting before them give Seren a sense of calm, if nothing else. And he's grateful for it. Just as he nods while he moves to his seat, he lets out a soft huff. ]

Fair point.

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[Zhou Fei tugs Seren’s chair out, same as he did on their first date on the night before the escape, when he thought he was going to the feds the next day. Strangely, he can remember the odd peace that settled over him at the conclusion of the night, when he finally got that dance he always wanted, when he confessed after five years too long. Now they’re here, with an unknown clock overhead, and Zhou Fei knows he’s spoiled too much of it already with needless arguments.]

Look, I know I’ve not been the best balii since we came aboard.

[Possibly a contender for the worst.]

But I know what these mean now, what they really, really mean. You chose me. Somehow. Out of everyone else in the galaxy.

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[ Admittedly he's still a little flustered at Zhou Fei acting like a gentleman in this case, even if it's far from the first time that he's done it. Seren's gaze dips to his hands for a moment before he looks up, forcing his focus to be on his mate's eyes.

Even if it is tempting to stare at the marks again. And he lets out a huff of a laugh, dry and with a small, wry smile. ]

I did. And I've said as much before.

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I know. [Zhou Fei glances away for a moment before returning Seren’s gaze.] You’ve told me again and again and I didn’t—

[It didn’t click. It still somehow felt like he was a consolation, especially after joining the crew, after seeing Janus and the mass of hot bodies walking around. Maybe it was insecurity, a deep- seeded sense of worthlessness that he never shook. But here and now, after everything he’s read? Now he understands.

Zhou Fei at least sighs at himself as he reaches for the bottle of wine and opens it with a small pop.] Am I the dumbest terran you’ve ever met? Or at least in the top ten?

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Top ten, maybe. [ Seren gives a small shrug. It should've been explained more when he first came to tell Zhou Fei about the mars, but they were on a timer and he wasn't sure how much he would actually be able to say beforehand. But now that he's pulled off their escape... ]

But now you know. I'm not the type to go back on my word, you know that. Never mind that balii marks aren't exactly easily taken back, either.

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[Zhou Fei pours each of them a glass as he listens. He knows, more than anything, how much Seren has stayed true to his word, despite everything Zhou Fei has put him through. Stars, Seren followed him to a literal desert, to the jaws of death itself, because of love.

Holding out Seren's glass to him,] I know. Stars do I know now. I shouldn't've ever doubted you in the first place.

[He could make excuses of being a kid from Raksa, a kid who grew up with literally nothing, but he's tired of hearing the same words falling out of his mouth again and again.] I'm gonna be better. Promise.

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[ Seren swirls the wine in his glass for a few moments with a hum once he takes it, before he smiles. ]

I get it. Really. It's hard to get over some things that we've grown up with.

[ Seren's own upbringing wasn't exactly all fun and games either, though in different regards than what Zhou Fei had gone through.]

I know you will be. You took the time to research. That's a good start already.

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Should've done that when I first met you, not... [Zhou Fei begins before the gap in time really starts to hit him. He had years to learn, to get, to really get to know Seren, to come to grips with his feelings before Tritan. Even after Tritan, he had a burner contact for so long, wondered if Seren would even listen if he reached out.

If he would care.

And then Zhou Fei stopped thinking about trying, gave up on the thought of the two of them, not just as partners, but as friends. Until the warehouse job, that is, when he met Seren again face-to-face across a concrete floor. He can still remember that just the sight of Seren alone stole his breath away, re-kindled feelings he thought he'd buried away forever.

Now he's here, bearing the marks of Seren's love and loyalty, and he's still fucking up.] I...

Sorry. Just... thinking about all the time I wasted when I could've been at your side.

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I wouldn't blame you for not. Most didn't even bother, thought I wouldn't last a year at the station.

[ He'd be lying if a good part of why he stuck around was out of sheer spite for everyone else thinking he wouldn't be able to make the cut. Something that he's pretty sure that Zhou Fei would understand.

Even if he wavered after Tritan, maybe ever so slightly.

But everything came crashing back with a vengeance when they confronted each other in that warehouse, and only grew afterward.

Seren shuts his eyes, before shaking his head. ]

You're just going to disappoint yourself thinking of the past like that. We have each other now. And I'm not losing you again, remember? I promised you that. [ His free hand reaches across the table to try and hold Zhou Fei's hand in his. ]

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[Zhou Fei curls his fingers into Seren's as he gazes at him over the collection of candles. What a beautiful being. A gorgeous, stunning gift he doesn't deserve and yet here he sits with him, loving him despite the culmination of errors that composes his life.]

I know. [Zhou Fei murmurs, squeezing Seren's hand tight.] Just wished I realized earlier.

[Then maybe it wouldn've have taken so long to end up at this point, when Zhou Fei can truly appreciate Seren.]

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[ Seren's expression is soft, softer than one would expect even coming from him. But something about Zhou Fei brings this out of him. Regardless of everything he's done to try and prove to the contrary.

Seren's hopelessly stubborn like that. ]

The important thing is that you realize it now. So let's just enjoy this.

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[Zhou Fei can't help but smile in return at Seren's expression. No one else gets to see his balii like this, not even others who have slept with him, and no one ever will.

Just Zhou Fei. For as long as Seren will have him.

With his smile widening into a grin, Zhou Fei tugs their intertwined hands toward his lips so he can kiss Seren's fingers.]

You know I will, balii.

[And after a moment of relishing the mere sight of his partner, Zhou Fei wonders if he'll last through dinner.] You still want to eat food or can I have a little dessert first?

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[ The gesture is enough for Seren to blush a little, swallowing so he doesn't end up sputtering and choking on his spit. Still, though. This is what he meant. This is what he had waited for.

He looks back down at their food, letting out a soft hum. ]

I'd hate for all this to go to waste, honestly. It'll make the dessert more worth it if we get through this first, though I'll admit it's a little difficult for me to focus.

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Mmm. I suppose you're right. [Zhou Fei doesn't surrender Seren's fingers just yet. Instead, he keeps them pressed to his lips, gently bestowing one kiss after another. As if one more kiss will change his partner's mind.]

What's making it difficult for you to focus, partner?

[The question is far from innocent, though, especially as his sweet kisses turn to open-mouthed presses of not only lips but tongue, too.]

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Don't act as if you're not aware.

[ Seren gives him a knowing look, a stuttered breath escaping as Zhou Fei continues to caress and kiss his hand, fingers twitching when he starts using tongue on them as well. ]

Or that you're not the exact reason.

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Oh am I the reason? [Zhou Fei grins as he draws one of Seren's fingers into his mouth and begins to suck, hollowing his cheeks, as if to say this could be your dicks right now if you only ask.

Subtlety has never been Zhou Fei's strongest skill.]