Chapter 49 - 49 - Hot Springs

Ren dragged Fang to the hot spring in the villa as soon as they made up. Fang watched his excitement like that of a child with a new toy, and decided to play along. Their argument right now had given him quite a fright. It also made him realise that usually it was Ren who was always pandering to him...what harm was there in letting Ren pamper him to his heart's content? Clearly Ren enjoyed spoiling people...and wouldn't Fang himself feel much worse if Ren started indulging other people instead of him?

Also, Ren's words about giving Fang everything he had, whether it was ten bucks or a billion...it made Fang incredibly happy.

"Isn't this pretty good?" Ren asked happily, waving his arm at the open-air hot spring. It was about half the size of their swimming pool at home. The water was clean and steamy, and the edges were lined with smooth rocks. Someone had already placed towels and accessories on the nearby bench.

Fang stared at the hot spring in confusion; he really had no idea what he was supposed to do. He hadn't imagined they'd have much free time in Dragon Nation - let alone Ren buying a villa out of the blue. He hadn't done any research. He wouldn't make this mistake again. Next time Ren took him for a business trip, Fang would look up the place properly anyway. With Ren, it was always better to be prepared.

"We'll take a quick shower, and then we'll soak in the hot spring for a while," Ren told Fang, grinning from ear to ear. "And I'll tell you a special secret once we're soaking in."

Fang simply followed Ren's instructions, and a few minutes later, the two of them were soaking comfortably in the hot spring.

"This is nice and warm and refreshing," Fang muttered.

Ren laughed and pulled Fang into his arms. Fang flushed as their skin touched. They wore nothing, after all, and Fang was still a little shy.

Ren kissed Fang's ear and whispered, "Close your eyes and try the magic circulation spell I taught you."

Fang was slightly disappointed, which surprised even himself, but he obediently did as told by Ren. Then his eyes flew open, wide with shock.

"Ren! What was that?!" he cried.

Ren laughed, practically radiating satisfaction and smugness, and hugged Fang tighter. "Isn't it awesome? The magic here is at least ten times more powerful than Cosmopolis. If you practice here for a day, your magic power will increase at least as much as ten days of practice back home!" Ren sounded like an adventurer who had just found a precious treasure.

"Wow," Fang was in awe.

Ren kissed his ear again. "You're awesome, Fang. Even though your magic isn't high enough yet to perceive the natural magic around you, you instinctively reacted to it. That must be why you liked Dragon Nation so much in less than a day of being here!"

Fang bit his lip, feeling a bit awkward. He liked Dragon Nation simply because he and Ren were able to do photoshoots together for most of the day and everyone kept telling them what a beautiful couple they made. Even better, those pictures were going to spread all over the world and everyone would know that CEO Ren belonged to Fang. And the pictures themselves were amazing, too. You could see the love and affection and indulgence spilling from Ren's eyes as he gazed at Fang. That tenderness showed on Ren's face without any instructions from the director.

It pleased Fang to no end. Also, a little part of him was quite pleased that for once, he was the one teaching Ren how to do something!

With his heart warmed, his possessive streak satisfied and his vanity stroked - wasn't it natural that Fang would love the Dragon Nation? He hadn't even given a single thought to magic.

But should he tell Ren all this...?

Fang turned his head back and looked at Ren's proud expression and decided to hold his tongue for now. He loved it when Ren was proud of him, after all.

"Come now, don't get distracted by your handsome boyfriend and concentrate on the magic," Ren teased, but showed no inclination to let Fang go.

Fang quickly kissed Ren's cheek and turned back to the front, closed his eyes and focussed on the magic.

Ren froze for a moment, and then chuckled. Fang felt the vibration of Ren's chest on his back and was distracted for a moment.

Then he felt Ren move back half a step and say, "Concentrate. I'll clear your meridians while you practice."

Fang nodded wordlessly and focused again.

Ren's nimble fingers danced all over Fang's skin, and Fang could feel his magic flowing much more smoothly wherever Ren touched. Half an hour later, Ren announced that he was done and hugged Fang again.

"How are you feeling?" Ren asked excitedly.

"Brimming with magic," Fang murmured. He looked at Fang enquiringly. "Will I be able to learn higher level spells now?" he asked.

"Of course," Ren replied with a smile. He nuzzled Fang's neck. "Aren't you happy that I bought you this villa now?" he asked mischievously.

Fang sighed. "I am," he murmured softly. "I was wrong before. I'm sorry."

Ren shook his head. "You weren't really wrong," he said quietly. "I wasn't fully wrong either!" he added quickly. "We just had different opinions - which is fine. We'll figure out a middle path sooner or later which will satisfy both of us."

"All right," Fang said.

They hugged silently for a while, drawing comfort from each other's presence. It was always rough when one had a disagreement with the most important person of their life.

Then Fang asked softly, with a flushed face, "What is the legal age of adulthood in Dragon Nation?"

"Sixteen," Ren replied absently and then realised Fang's intention.

Ren grinned and spread out his arms. "All right, my love, I'm yours to deal with as you please!" he declared.

Fang pounced.