Part of it still feels like a dream to him, too, but one Huaisang never wants to wake up from. The cold brutality of his new reality is too much for him to bear, just as the battle he'd fought for far too long on his own had been too much. He cranes his neck to give Ziyao more access, soft, moans spilling from his own lips.

None of his usual dirty banter comes out. Right now, he's determined to accept and feel his feelings down to his core as he picks up his pace. Tears of his own are spilling out as he thrusts deep into his lover, hands returning to grip his hips. Some emotions are too complicated, too intense to put into words and he's weary after the shock of the monster attack on the island, call to the sea, and the days he'd spent alone here trying to cope with his grief.

After a bit, his lips seek Ziyao's again in a softer, bittersweet kiss.