Jin Ling hurried past the gates of Cloud Recesses, and on his way to the Hanshi, he walked past the stables and saw a familiar figure.

He stopped to watch JingYi, who looked quite upset. He was kicking around the loose soil, keeping his eyes on the ground and sighing every now and then. His shoulders seemed to be hunched into himself...and was that a...tear?

"JingYi?" Jin Ling called, hurrying over.

The boy quickly wiped his face, but he couldn't hide the red, puffy eyes.

"What?" He asked, sullenly.

That was also new, because normal JingYi was happy and carefree, not this stranger who looked like him.

"What's wrong?" Jin Ling knew he would say.

Their friendship had sprouted from a young age, and even now, he felt just as close to him as he did with SiZhui. Of course, that name managed to wipe his face of any joviality, too.

"I...I...don't know." JingYi tried to explain, but it was too much. Nobody asked him that question nowadays. The people who did, weren't here.

He burst into tears.

Jin Ling put an arm around his shoulders and offered him a handkerchief, his own eyes red from the pressure of trying not to cry.

It was much like throwing up, he thought. You saw one person do it, and then it happened to you too, even if you didn't want to.

"There, there." He patted his back. "I miss them too, especially SiZhui."

This made the boy cry even more.

"It's not just SiZhui!" He wailed. "It's Senior Wei. I know he makes me do things I don't want to, and sometimes I don't get any time to myself when he's around, but it feels like he's the only one who cares! And I know Hanguang-Jun doesn't talk, but that's okay...because...because he's here, and I'm not alone...and I miss my babies...and I know everyone is busy with their own lives, but-" He grabbed Jin Ling's robes and with a face full of fury, yanked him closer. "Promise me, Jin Rulan, Jin Ling, my BEST friend with SiZhui, that your relationship with him won't change anything between us!"

His face was red and he was panting from his rant without breathing.

Jin Ling understood.

"I love you too!" He shouted, clamping his arms around his friend, and then suddenly they were laughing as they realised what they looked like, and jumped apart.

"Just as friends, right?" JingYi bent down, clutching his knees, still laughing.

Jin Ling went even redder. "Absolutely, no doubt in my mind, just bros, nothing else...friends..."

"Do you know, I could really do with seeing SiZhui, like right now..." JingYi sobered up at the thought.

"Why don't we?"

"What?"

"Why don't we go?" Excitement grew on Jin Ling's face as the idea formed, took root and became a solid possibility.

"We can't. You can't! You've got that cultivation conference in around ten days. You said your elders wouldn't let you go anywhere..." JingYi was protesting with his mouth but his eyes were saying something else.

Jin Ling knew when to push his advantage.

"But JingYi, what would Uncle Wei say, if he were here?"

"I wouldn't ask him." JingYi groaned. "He'd tell us to do what we want and face the consequences later."

"See?"

"It's a bad idea." He said, grabbing Jin Ling's arm, and walking towards the library. "It's a long way."

"Have to do research..." Jin Ling smiled. His Uncle Wei would be proud.

*******

Jiang Cheng looked at the tiny conch shell in his palm, and sighed wistfully. It was nearly three weeks since he'd seen his brother. Even onions were losing their appeal.

"Wanyin?"

He looked up to see a concerned XiChen. He came up close to him, their eyes nearly level. Jiang Cheng loved that about his partner. They could look into each other's eyes with no bending, kissing was even easier...just a slight tilt of the head and-

"What are you thinking about?" XiChen had a rare look of mischief lurking in those honey eyes.

"You." Jiang Cheng decided to own it. He reached forward and grabbed his husband, satisfied with the look of sudden surprise before his eyes closed when their lips crashed together. This...this was home.

Softest lips, used to smiling more than anything, even if he didn't want to, succumbed to the hot pressure of his own, and Jiang Cheng only pulled away after the answering moan left his husband's mouth.

"What was that for?" XiChen leaned his forehead to touch his.

"I missed you." Jiang Cheng said, simply.

"Breakfast was a half hour ago. We ate together. Which reminds me, have you lost your appetite?" XiChen switched to doctor mode and checked his temperature and then his pulse.

Jiang Cheng repressed a smile. He had seen Lan WangJi do this often enough to Wei WuXian, and rolled his own eyes every time...but it was nice. To be cared for, to have someone he cared about, worry just for him. The Lans were nicely possessive.

"And why is it, I always seem to find you here?"

Well, that wiped the smile straight off his face. He turned and looked at the Jingshi. Even he did not realise the path his feet had chosen, without his consent. His eyes became sad.

XiChen could take anything most of time. He was used to this angry man's mood swings, going from annoyed to terrifyingly furious in the blink of an eye, and he loved everything...but this. There was a depth of sorrow he hid from everyone, and XiChen considered himself as privileged to be allowed to see it. So when it happened, as it was rare, it never failed to weaken him. Jiang Cheng shouldn't ever have to be sad.

So he cupped his husband's face and placed a chaste kiss on those red lips, just to get his attention.

"I was thinking...we haven't had a vacation...ever." XiChen smiled, a wonderful thought occurring.

"What kind of vacation?" Jiang Cheng came back to him, his eyes full of interest now, instead of that debilitating sadness.

"I've never been to the seaside. Have you?" He asked, innocently, smiling when Jiang Cheng caught on.

"No, I haven't. What's it like?"

"Well, I've heard it's hot most of the time, and there's sand and of course the sea, which is supposed to be vast, like nothing we've seen before." XiChen took his hand and gently manoeuvred him towards the library. "We should probably check our facts before we tell Uncle. After all, there's not much going on right now-"

"And we can be back in time for Jin Ling's conference!" Jiang Cheng kissed XiChen enthusiastically, excitement replacing his previous melancholy.

"It's going to be so much fun, and our brothers will be so surprised. Imagine waking up on the beach!" XiChen enthused, but he quickly became serious and dropped Jiang Cheng's hand.

Jiang Cheng sighed, knowing that Uncle Qiren was out of his cave. He smirked, thinking of the comparison between the old man and a bear coming out at the most inopportune moments.

Although  Uncle Qiren was becoming...mellower of late. Not so serious, well, whenever Wei WuXian was around. Lately, Uncle Qiren had been cranky, and it suddenly dawned on him why: Uncle Qiren missed Wei WuXian.

That was a revelation, to be sure. Jiang Cheng would have sat down if he could.

Not one to waste an opportunity, he smiled and bowed at him.

"We're going to bring them back." He stated confidently, his voice toned to deny any arguments.

"I was just coming to see you about that." Uncle Qiren stroked his beard. He thought hard about what he wanted to say. "It's not safe!" He finally mumbled.

"Yes! Exactly!" XiChen beamed, catching on immediately. "We must make sure they're all right."

"Yes!" Jiang Cheng wanted to fist pump the air, but he controlled himself.

"Then don't worry, Uncle, we will take care of everything." XiChen dragged Jiang Cheng to the library.

"Gods, that was easy!" Jiang Cheng found himself laughing in jubilation. The old man was intimidating to say the least, and he had been marginally worried. Who'd have thought it would be his suggestion?

They got to the library doors just as Jin Ling and JingYi got there.

All four people avoided eye contact, so no one saw this.

The awkward silence remained for a few seconds, before Jiang Cheng had a thought.

"Wait a minute, why are you here?" He scowled at Jin Ling.

JingYi hid behind his friend.

"Why can't I be?" Jin Ling folded his arms across his chest, the happiness of rebellion quickly dying as he realised that he'd made an awful mistake...

"Why, you-"

XiChen took the chameleon's arm, and just that small action tamed the beast.

"We're going to the seaside!"

This was said simultaneously by XiChen and JingYi, who was trying to defuse the situation.

"No, we are!"

This was said by Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling, who ended up glaring at each other.

"You can't. You've got that conference." Jiang Cheng said, with satisfaction that he was right.

"I'm going anyway. You can't stop me!" Jin Ling wanted to smack himself. Just what was wrong with his mouth today?

"We need bodyguards!" XiChen blurted out.

Jiang Cheng full body turned at him. "What?"

The idea was just...ridiculous.

One of the Twin Jades, an accomplished warrior by himself, coupled with the Zidian carrying, formidable and furious Jiang Cheng...needed bodyguards?

It wiped his mind completely.

"Yes," XiChen faltered, but then it was the only thing he came up with, so he was going with it.

He had noticed JingYi wandering around Cloud Recesses aimlessly, with such a look of sadness about him, and he'd been meaning to reach out and talk to the boy, but with one thing and another, there just hadn't been the opportunity.

And one look at Jin Ling told them both why he was acting out of character today. The reason for his behaviour was lounging on a beach far away, and XiChen knew too well, the pain of being separated from the one you loved.

Even if this one was too stupid to know what he was feeling.

"Let's go together. We should reach them faster if we travel by sword, and we can be back in no time. It will be fun." XiChen finished.

"Fun?" Jiang Cheng echoed, uncertainly.

"Fun!" Cried Jin Ling and JingYi in unison.

*****

A/N

My apologies to all of you who thought yesterday's chapters were too short/hurried and especially those of you who hate cliffhangers.

Ha! What is life without a few of those? Hehe

This is a fun chapter and a gift. Really, for everyone and myself because it was fun to write too, but especially for RovenaNatasha see? No cliffhangers here

And ashleyhall232 this one is longer and I hope you feel better about it.

And edzooc8r because who doesn't like the beach?

When I started writing, I had no idea of the responsibility an author has to have towards their readers - even that word, "author" makes me giddy with excitement- and in a completely oblivious way, I wrote.

Now, I understand that it's not really me, but you, lovely readers, who make the story better and better. It's because I want to do my best for you, and I try my best to fit your suggestions in, that we can have a lot of fun together.

Thank you.