i want that can't sleep love

[loong]

[ truth be told, dan feng is a little bit nervous.

they've been waiting to try this for quite a long time, after all, and with the kemmering finally approaching, well.. what better opportunity could there be? his mate's heat will stimulate dan feng's own rut, they'll both be at their most fertile, there's no reason not to at least give it a chance. no reason to be pessimistic, however low the chances might be. if they don't try, the chances will always be zero.

dan feng has made everything as comfortable for them as possible. their shared sprawling penthouse is clean, dinner is prepared, and anything they could possibly need or want is laid out. he's cleared out a space in their sunken common area, and lined it with thick blankets, pillows and cushions, like a nest, so they can be close to the kitchen and bathroom if necessary, and they can enjoy the view of the city together. there's even a bottle of white wine chilling in a silver bucket on a low table, beside two glasses.

he's dressed lightly, in simple hanfu, one pale green robe with a sash, his feet bare and his hair loose, all ornaments and jewelry removed and laid aside.

when aphelios arrives home, he will find dan feng sitting comfortably in the nest in the half lotus position, eyes closed as he meditates, eyes closed, and in his lap.. are several soft, beautiful, pearlescent eggs wrapped in silk, and kept close to absorb his warmth. he breathes deeply, calming and centering himself as he waits. ]


texting

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[loong]

[ even the luofu's greatest poets could not find the words to describe these moments, the beauty of their children, the momentousness of this occasion. not only are these the first vidyadhara children born in an incalculable amount of time, they are theirs, the sweet, beautiful babies that they made together, that aphelios dutifully carried for him for nine long months.

they wail and squirm, their voices strong for how delicate their chubby little bodies are, eyes squeezed tightly shut against the brightness of the world. do they even know how extraordinary they are? ]

Mm.. you're right.

[ it's difficult to look away from their babies even for a moment, and dan feng keeps his opposite hand on the bassinet while he does, his eyes settling on aphelios' beautiful, exhausted face with a smile. ]

I have a few ideas.

[ he's been considering for some time now, but settling on names for these perfect little bundles seems a difficult task. how could anything measure up? but he's spent some time thinking. glancing toward their daughter, he places his hand gently against her. ]

What do you think of Dan Qiuyue? Red autumn moon.

[heartsteel]

[ they're so tiny, is what phel keeps thinking as he looks down at their babies. he had felt huge, particularly for the last few weeks of his pregnancy, but now that he sees their babies out in the world, they seem impossibly small. it's hard for him to draw his gaze away from them, too, except for sneaking glances at dan feng to watch the absolute, unfettered love in his gaze as he looks at their children. ]

I think that's beautiful. [ something about the size of dan feng's hand in comparison to their daughter's body makes aphelios well up with tears again, and he laughs, lifting his free hand to wipe the tears away. ] Oh, gods. I thought I was going to get a break from crying over everything.

[ jokes on him! it's going to take at least three weeks before that part wears off.

rubbing his thumb idly back and forth against dan feng's, phel's gaze slips over to their son, who makes a soft little newborn noise and shifts in his swaddle. phel's face softens immediately, utterly adoring. ]

What do you think about Ruilin, for him? [ after ten years together, aphelios is at least proficient in the language of the luofu, although obviously not as fluent as dan feng is—he'd put real thought into the name, but isn't sure it'll pass muster for a proper vidyadhara. ] He really would be his father's son, then.

[loong]

[ she is quite small beneath dan feng's long fingers. twins, as he has come to understand it, tend to be on the smaller side than single birth babies, and their children are no exception. aeons, they're the most beautiful things that he has ever seen.. it's still unbelievable. from the day they first attempted conception to this very moment, this entire journey has felt almost surreal. he had been so sure that he would never be a father, that the eggs would not take, that their children would not arrive..

.. but here they are, healthy and fat, full of milk and happy to sleep in their swaddles. there is so much life ahead of them now, so much wonder, so much to learn. ]

Ruilin.. [ he turns the name over on his tongue, then looks back to his sweet, crying husband with a smile. ] Auspicious forest?

[ it works well, he thinks, pairing with dan feng's own name. ]

I love it.

[ ruilin, and qiuyue.. perfect names, for perfect little babies. dan feng gives phel's hand a little squeeze before releasing it, so he can have both hands for the children, carefully lifting up their little boy into his arms. he knows full well that he should let sleeping babies lie (they're like to not get much sleep themselves in the coming months), but he can't help but want to hold them as much as possible. still, he turns, and gently places ruilin into aphelios' arms so he can scoop their daughter into his own. ]