"Your head will probably be fine. You have always had a thick skull." he quipped against him leaning into the embrace. "Still, is it greedy of me to say I'm happy you're here?"

He looked up through thick lashes, gauging the odd look that Mingjue was giving him. He was so incredibly handsome when he was focused like that, with a sheer intensity that few people had. When he was a younger man he was swept by it and then ran from it. As he was now, he could meet it, with both of his feet planted on the ground. He leaned forward, to brush away a bit of sand-encrusted hair from his face.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck. He wanted to kiss him so badly. Had he always admired him so much? He had. There was a time before everything he could do nothing but admire him. Even recently he had told a friend about how the man was a force of nature.

He bit his lower lip, his eyes still fixed on him as intensely. His voice a soft whisper.

"Da-ge..."

His gaze was fixed on that lovely mouth of his.