吴熙辰

Honestly, he’d had a long few days, filled with Imprints and revelations and magic. He hadn’t used too much magic, no, he’d used much more and much more complicated techniques before, but combined with the situations of the past while, well. He’s feeling pretty drained when his phone alarm wakes him up at eight am. He lets Hellevator play for a few seconds before swiping off the alarm, yawning. 

“Morning, Xi” Erebus yawns, nursing a mug of caffeinated tea, as he hates coffee. “Cream is ready for rolls, ice cream is out and ready, crepe batter is done and we’re good to go. We just need to open the doors. But uhh… can you do your thing on the rink?” he asks, pointing to the metal disk that’s used to make ice cream rolls that Erebus fondly calls the rink of death.

Xi nods, walking over to the rink and adding a thin layer of ice to it, just the right temp for rolling. “Remind me to melt it when we close. Won’t otherwise.” It won’t chip with all the rolling, either, but Erie already knows that. He’s just never been tired enough to forget to melt it before, but he can’t trust himself that much today. 

“Thank you, hun and will do like always” Erebus calls, catching the look and knocking on the counter in a pattern and getting a mug of caffeinated tea perfected on how Xi wants it. He passes by Xi and hands it to him. 

“Mmm,” Xi hums gratefully as he grips the mug in both hands and sits at the stool behind the register, relaxing despite himself at Erebus’ touch, smiling at the woman and child. They were some of their best customers, and they were both very sweet. He didn’t join the conversation too much today, though, just inserting a comment or laugh here and there where it was appropriate. He rung them up and they went to sit at one of the tables, and Xi went back to sipping his tea. 

Erebus snickers and relaxes, leaning against the counter “Well don’t you feel very punny today” he teases, poking him back. “And it’s fine. That’s why they’re on this nice lovely board in the breakroom. And hidden right by the till, pops”

Xichen laughs openly along with the couple as he rings them up as well. “I don’t know, I think you’re right, you guys, I think he’s developed a problem.” As they go to sit down, though, he gives out a tiny sigh. “I feel you on the tired part, though, Erie. Things have been hectic at home lately, you know how dramatic Cyrus gets? Times that by, like, I do not know, so much, and you have my life recently.” He takes a long sip of his tea, draining the last of it as a man he’s never seen before walks in the doors. He stays polite and professional as he orders and while Erebus makes his ice-cream, a rolled thing, and then he’s coming up to pay. He’s smirking, for some reason, and immediately it sets him on edge.

Erebus whines even more when he gets ‘tag-teamed’ by Xichen, but laughs as well. He happily chatters with the bookkeepers and Xichen before making the man his ice cream. He continues to talk to the lovely couple was excusing himself to go hand the man his ice-cream when he hears the double-tap.

His hands covered his face, still hyperventilating, and a silver glow came through the gaps of his fingers.

“Shhhh… it’s okay. I promise it’s okay” he murmurs. “Just breathe, hun” he tries to soothe, tugging Xi’s hands away, not wanting them to obstruct his breathing further.

He stopped short when his hand felt the brand; still breathing too hard, that couldn’t change in such a short time, but his thoughts had absolutely stopped, a huge improvement from spiraling as they were before.

“I’m here” he smiles softly and holds him closer, rocking them both side to side. “Not all of us are branded. Just us triplets because we were… special. Unique and young. ‘Nos and Blue understand what it means, but has never been apart of it. Well… Blue is a dancer by choice. He likes it. Cy doesn’t know… but he kinda picked up on us bonding with our brothers and sisters. He calls it our demon bonding.”

“I - sorry. I’m so sorry.” His arms were around Erebus’ middle still as he tried to get his breathing under control. “It’s - yeah. Just a tattoo. Can’t do anything about the scars. But. Usually am under a glamour anyway. Can’t remove it though, what if I need it again?” He takes a deep breath. He’s fine. Erebus is right, he’s safe here. He kisses Erebus’ cheek in thanks, a common gesture in the houses.

“You’re not the only silver one in this dimension, love” he holds him closer and rubs his back “And you’re not the only killer here. Granted I did it out of self defense and freedom of my brothers, but whatever. Schematics and some other shit”

“I. I did it for my sister. Once I got there. She’s. The general. Tried to get me away from all that. ‘S why I was on the streets in the first place.”

He brushes some of them away and frowns lightly “You are good at so many things outside of bed and death, Xichen. No, don’t you argue, you are” He firmly states. 

Xi sniffles a bit, looking into Erebus’ eyes for any hint of a lie, but he didn’t find any. He threw his arms back around him, burying his face in the crook of his neck again.

Erebus chuckles and falls back on the bed, holding Xi close again. His smile falters at the second bit “I now need to update the list of people I need to brutally murder at one point” he mumbles to himself. 

Xi chuckles, and it rumbles low in his throat, sounding more draconic than human at the moment. “You’d have to get in line, I think is the expression. And yeah, hasn’t helped a bit. I’m dead tired.” He tied his Vans off as well, snuggling closer. “I’ve been having…. emotions lately? Good ones.” He pauses, thinks back to this morning. “Well, mostly. But too many of them. It’s tiring.” There’s silence for a few beats, and then,

Erebus tugs an old quilt over them both and tucks Xichen under his chin. He… purrs more than hums while he plays with Xi’s hair. The purring pauses a little bit before it continues “It is fine, pops. I have done it a few times and the guests understands that we are sometimes closed due to personal reasons. The café will be open until it closes, but the ice cream shop will not and it is okay” he murmurs.

Xichen went out to the garden with his thoughts overflowing, heading to where he knows @the-sun-bird will be working. When he arrived next to his friend he fell into a half-roll to end up flat on his back, covering his face with his hands.

Xi is suddenly reminded of his brothers and sisters back in the houses forming these little gossip piles, their always so-overdramatic ‘so there’s this boy,’ they’d start out with, honey in their smile and in their eyes, and he huffs a laugh. 

“I mean, yeah, I am not alone, and I am not dead, I know, I just didn’t think I’d ever get this far.” he huffed and created a snowflake mosaic above them both that rotated gently, something for him to stare at and maybe add to as he spoke. Something to keep his mind and magic occupied as he grasped for words. 

He blinks slowly “So… we’re gonna ignore that for a moment, yeah? Because we’re gonna need you to talk to a therapist for all of that and I’m not qualified for that.” He looks up at the disk “Beautiful" he tells the younger.

He snorted, nodding. “Yeah, fair.”

He side-eyes his friend. “You realize if you take me out there I will freeze the whole lake. That is not even a threat or promise. That is just what will happen.” he scrunches his nose at the taps across his smattering of freckles. “Thaaaanks. It is, how do you say, what you call, my entire current meltdown in ice, so of course Lunar gets a starring role.” he snickered, trying to mask his genuine emotion in the moment, especially at -

He rolls his eyes “So? I like ice-skating so it’s no biggie to me” he shrugs. He then groans, dropping his head on his shoulder, hands flopping to the sides of Xichen’s head. “I wanna know moooooore.” He whines “Like I know you had a crush on him /before/ you found out that he was your soulmate.”

Xi shrugs. “Then we can go out and that’s fine. And you greedy bitch,” he snickers, shoving his head off of his shoulder, “What else do you want to know about it, I’ve already been here, like, baring my soul and stuff but. And how did you know that, I didn’t even know that! I can’t be that obvious. Please tell me I’m not.” he groans.

He squeals and groans when he hits the ground “You mother fucker” he pouts “Just for that, I shain’t tell you how I knew that your gay ass was gay for Lunar” he says, crossing his arms and turning away.

He snorts. “I mean yeah of fuckin’ course you do, but where’s your point, sweetie?” he asks, already heading in the direction of the lake.

He groans and gets up, following him “So you’re admitting that I’m hot?” he asks, trying to resist the puppy eyes by not looking at his face because with that tone in his voice, he knows that Xichen is using the puppy eyes. 

He smiles softly at Cy’s genuine enthusiasm and silently he arranges a soft snowfall, one that didn’t take away from the warmness of the day, one that fell like fluff from a pure-white cloud. 

“Sue me for enjoying the beauty of your work” he breathes out, sitting down and leaning against Xi’s shoulder. He sticks his tongue out, grinning when he caught a snowflake on it.

Cyrus smiles and relaxes next to to Xichen “Well… they say that those that you love and trust the most tend to sneak up on you when you’re least expected. At least, that’s what my auntie said about tia” he shrugs.

“Ugh.” Xi groaned at the weird pulsing feeling in his chest, rising up onto his knees and falling forward into ice that rose up to meet him, creeping up his sides until there was a Xichen-shaped crater for him to mutter dramatically into. 

“It’s not sarcasm.” He pouts. “You’re amazing. Really. And thanks.”

Xi smiled back. “Yeah. Yeah, sounds good.” 

Lunar rolled his shoulder and stretched, looking at himself in the mirror. He tried, really tried, to feel prepared about this, but if he was completely honest, years of training in disguise and deception didn’t come in handy at all right here. He couldn’t look into his Imprint’s eyes and lie to him.

Xi looked up nervously (worriedly?) from his own perch on the counter in the corner of the kitchen. Fluidly, though, as if he weren’t bothered by any of this, he pushed himself off, bringing a cup of the tea to the other silver.

Cyrus yawns at the stove, cooking some food for them all. He serves them the food and after washing the dishes, sort of droops on the table.

“Well…” He trailed off, rubbing his hand over his face, “Anyway. Thanks for the tea.” Lu took a sip, feeling the warm liquid travel down to his stomach, feeling slightly less ill. He hesitated a bit, thinking about where to start and sighed.

Something in his chest stopped, and before he could even realize it was his heart, it had started again as if there was nothing wrong, nothing going on. Nothing to see here, not at all. Xi attempted a smile back, heart now hammering yet faster.

Cyrus watches them quietly, munching on the sandwich.

Lunar opened his mouth, wanting to counter Cyrus, but realizing that he really was a dense idiot. The silver phoenix feigned a cough before he replied to Xichen, “no no, I’m the one who should apologize. I wasn’t…at my best behavior that day either.” He clenched at his mug, feeling genuinely awkward at this situation.

Xi winced at the rising emotion, shooting Cy a glare before conjuring a tiny ball of ice just above Cyrus’ shirt collar and dropping it down the other’s back.

“In a way, yes,” He ruffled his hair, finding it hard to explain what Imprint is, “well, our souls are linked, really. Which is why, uh, you can feel my emotions and vice versa.” He smiles a little when they both emphasized that it was no trouble, feeling a bit of a relaxed vibe coming from the Imprint bond. He curled up a little, knowing how much stress he was causing for his Imprint.

Xi stilled. “Huh, that is… that is interesting. I wonder how that even works…” he trailed off. This was a lot to take in, but honestly, he was grateful they were talking about it. It was much easier to deal with when Lunar looked and felt just as nervous as he was, though his own was subsiding for more curiosity, and when he was getting straight answers.

If Lunar could use one word to summarize what in the everloving hell he was feeling, the word would be turmoil. His own nervousness entangled with everything Xichen was feeling and Gods if that didn’t confuse him, the thought of explaining this whole Imprint bond would end up giving him a headache anyway.

Xi pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and just… breathed, for a second; moons. He really needed to get this under control. He reached with one hand back to the counter, grabbing his tea and taking a long drag. It wasn’t as warm by now, but that was fine. He set the mug down and wearily took his hand from his face, unconsciously mirroring and shifting towards Lunar. 

“I get that,” He sighed, “Well, anyway, yes, Imprint is a type of bond, as you already know. It’s…think of it as a Link, but a Link between two, or sometimes more than two, souls.” He struggled to get his words out as he thought of ways to explain this.

“Ah…” he murmurs, daring to glance up at Lunar’s eyes. Eyes that he’d been disgusted at in his own face, but were beautiful as the sacred moons in Lunar’s. 

“It means…anything, really. A guardian, a protector, a companion, a brother…” he trailed off when he thought of the last most common categories, hesitating a bit before he continued, “sometimes even a lover. The Imprint brings both ends a higher understanding of each other, if you will.”

Xichen grinned for having made the other laugh, and nodded along. All of this made sense at this point, at least. “That should all be fine. We live together, anyway, and I can’t see us having such a huge falling out and not speaking…” 

“I can share that sentiment.” He hummed along, thinking about his sister and wondering how things were with her. It had been only a few weeks, but he already missed her loads.

Xi blinked a few times, shaking his own thoughts from his head before Lunar placed a hand on his arm. Almost instantly the thoughts were gone, replaced with - 

He looks to the floor, his cheeks glowing faintly with his cursed silver blush. He cleared his throat, willing his eyes to pretty please not glow with whatever-the-fuck emotion he was being assaulted with now.

A small smile climbed up to his face when he saw the glowing blush, but he knew better to point it out. No need to push it. His inner phoenix chipped with satisfaction as he leaned against the counter.

Lunar stopped midphrases when the magic anon wore off. In a mysterious light he turned back to his usual self. He felt slightly disoriented at first, but then the memories caught up with him and-

xi bolted upright at the shot of pure panic that raced through him as Lu changed back to normal.

He falls off the couch and startled awake when he accidentally hits himself. He sits up and rubs his cheek, looking at them both in confusion.

His breath became more and more rapid as he almost dashed out of the room, unable to look back to either of them. And for the Great Fire he already made his Imprint feel bad! He tried to shut off the bond, to cut off the connection, but his magic wasn’t in his control at all. He stumbled back to his room and locked the door, trying to squash down his panic. The poor Phoenix was hyper aware of everything and anything that was passing through the Imprint bond, making his emotions even messier.

okay. okay. he could do this.

Cyrus gives him a small smile before cleaning up the living room. He puts the blanket with hot chocolate on it in the washing machine and sets the mug in the sink before going upstairs to join Xichen.

Lunar couldn’t make up anything that Xichen tried to send through the bond, but he could tell the other was trying to calm him down. He leaned his head against the doorframe, trying to regulate his breathing pattern. It was okay. If his sister could go through this, he could do that too. 

xi nodded to himself, heading over to the kitchen. he wanted something... green, maybe. not so floral, though.

xichen yawned, propping himself up onto one elbow. curiously, he looked at the sweater he was wearing– did he go to bed in this…?

Lunar was confused on where exactly he was and what was going on. Honestly, What was going on??

xi froze, lucky to have not dropped his teacup as he was ambushed.

Cyrus runs down the stairs in his pjs, eyes bright and literal wings out in excitement “Lily-Ann? Jamie?” He asks, coming in to look for his nephew and cousin, pouting a bit when they’re not there.

“…We don’t name ourselves after our gods…sir…” The excitement slowly drain out from him when he saw the wings.

xichen sighed for a second, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay. Cy, I maybe should have mentioned this before I told you there was a child, but my energy is screaming and there is absolutely no way that this is not Lunar. I have no idea how or why, however. Also,” he turned to the child, “I know this is scary, I am very sorry. Firstly, I pledge to you that no harm will come to you through myself or Cyrus over there, okay? Furthermore, if anything is to happen, we will protect you.” 

“Xichen, I swear to hecking Apollo almighty…” he sighs and pinches his nose, sitting on the ground, wings gone. “Sol is a god, aight. Sol god, sun god. God of sun.” he babbles to himself, mildly freaking out.

xichen catches Cyrus’ hand for just a moment, rubbing a gentle circle on the back with his thumb. “It’s alright, okay, just a name, just a coincidence. Different dimensions, too, moons sake.” 

Lunar looked at Cyrus rather curiously as he walked out. He looked golden…like his sister! He wondered if his sister was here too.

imprint… Imprint.

“You feel nice. Your energy.” He beamed as he looped his arms around Xichen’s. Xichen’s magic felt cool. Like a stream of icy water.

xichen was feeling slightly faint, at this point. gently, he led the child to the kitchen table, softly picking him up and placing him in his usual chair.

Lunar nodded at Xichen and sat quietly, observing his surroundings. He wondered where his parents and his sister were. He already missed them.

“Sorry, sorry; just overwhelmed. How are you doing?” he crossed his legs. “And… thanks, I knew you needed something to do, but thank you for doing this, I appreciate it.”

He nods and brings a hot chocolate to Lunar before going back to the not hot chocolate mug, drinking it and relaxing a bit.

“Thank you.” Lunar smiled and sipped from the mug. He felt the soothing waves coming through the bond. The tiny boy flashed his Imprint a cute beam. 

xi sighed and took a long sip of his own drink. “We haven’t met any of your family yet, no. Last I heard, your sister was… doing well, I believe. You haven’t spoken of your parents to us.” 

“Yes! I love flying!” The hatchling exclaimed excitedly after talking a gulp of his hot chocolate. His wings appeared behind his back as he revoked the seal temporarily.

xi blinked, but then grinned. 

He smiles at them both “Honey… you have the eyes, but it’s a great first try” 

Lunar nodded before he practically sprinted out to the garden area. He spreaded out his wings and took off instantly, but not before steadying himself just a little bit.

xichen blinked before looking to Cy with vague horror written on his face. 

xi smiled faintly to himself, feeling Lunar’s excitement mix with his own. he kept pace with the child, ready to dive if the kid dropped, but his worries were overwhelmingly overshadowed by his joy to be in the air again. it’d been years since then – and for once, he didn’t have to worry about his wings flashing with the sun. 

He startles and flushes brightly, literally, dropping a bit in shock before regaining his balance. He shakes his head and assumes it’s a friend thing before deciding to drop down and meet in the middle with Lunar and Xichen.

under any other circumstances, the boy would already be panicking over what he had just done, but for now, he was just caught up in the moment, feeling the slight breeze running through his hair, and the excitement and happiness coming not just from him but also from the kid – well damn, he’d probably have to freak out about that later, too, but all of that was set aside for now. 

He smiles and beckons the small child closer “I’m going to pick you up, so don’t use your wings, okay? And then I’m going to throw you up in the air and you balance yourself. Or get caught by me if you want to” he smiles “I won’t let you fall, okay sweetheart?”

yep, okay, nope.

“Sorry, instincts, I panicked.” he said, adjusting the kid in his arms so he could run a hand through his hair shakily. after all this emotion, he was just twitchy, running on fumes at this point. today and yesterday had just been a rollercoaster at this point, but he pulled up a tired smile.

Lunar stayed in Cyrus’ arms until he was finally on the ground again. Flying took away most of his energy, but he felt really happy. He pulled Cyrus by his cuff and pulled him inside to the house.