A/NÂ from here on out I've changed the names to Liu Qingyuan and Jiang Zhilan. Technically, those are there full names anyways but I've been calling them Qing Yuan and Zhi Lan which in hindsight, doesn't seem 'proper'. Anyways yeah, enjoy, and lemme know if I missed any names(of the other characters as well) :)
"Whoosh." The wooden door frame slid open with a soft sound and Liu Qingyuan turned his head slightly, gaze meeting with the King's own. He bowed his head and greeted, "Your majesty."
"Mm." Jiang Zhilan smiled, taking the lead down the hallway with Eunuch Shuang trailing after the pair of them. "Did you have breakfast yet?"
"Yes, your majesty." Jiang Zhilan nodded in response. Eunuch Shuang squinted, looking between the two of them. Between Liu Qingyuan's stoic face and the King's cheer-y one, there was not a hair out of place. Yet, Eunuch Shuang had the distinct feeling that the atmosphere wasn't quite right. He secretly dabbed at the sweat on his forehead. Perhaps the stress was getting to him. Unfortunately, the day continued on as such, with the king smiling widely at everyone, with his icy bodyguard trailing behind him. It was the picture of perfect harmony and yet to Eunuch Shunag, also a picture of oddity.
"Your majesty, are you in a good mood?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Jiang Zhilan hummed, not looking up as his hands decimated the pile of documents on his desk at lightning speed.
"Ah, that's good, that's good. Happiness brings a long life."
"Of course, wouldn't it?" The king replied absentmindedly as he ate his dinner at lightning speed.
"You must be tired."
"Of course I am" The king said shortly. He tugged the last outer sleeping robe out of Eunuch Shuang's hands and shooed him towards the door, hands waving at lightning speed. "You can retire now."
"Yes, your majesty," Eunuch Shuang mumbled. He felt like his head was spinning rapidly on his shoulders, unable to keep up with the pace of the world. Promptly kicked out, Eunuch Shuang adjusted his hat, wiped the sweat on his forehead and sent a perfunctory nod at Liu Qingyuan before setting down the hall with slightly unsteady steps.
"Guards!" The call came a few seconds later. Liu Qingyuan furrowed his brow slightly, glancing at the other guards posted further down the hall. They didn't seem to have heard it. He turned and knocked gently on the door.
"Your majesty? Is something wrong?" There was no answer. He pushed open the bedroom doors without a second thought.
"Is there-" His words were cut off as his breath was pushed out of his lungs, arms wrapping tightly around his neck as another body collided with his own. "You-"
Jiang Zhilan buried his face in his collar, arms squeezing the life out of the man before him. "Finally! It's been a few days already, I thought I'd go crazy!"
"Your majesty..." Slightly flustered, Liu Qingyuan glanced back, making sure the doors were closed behind him. He touched Jiang Zhilan's waist slightly in an effort to pull him off and realized that the king had discarded his outer robe somewhere within the room. "Aren't you...cold?" He asked faintly. Jiang Zhilan finally let go, only to grasp Liu Qingyuan's arms and pull them towards himself in a sort of half-hug.
"Not with you here." He paused, face flushing red at the realization of his own words. Liu Qingyuan's hands clenched into fists, but nevertheless, he pulled away. After several unsuccessful attempts, the king resorted to clinging to him like an octopus.
"Your majesty-" Liu Qingyuan struggled to free himself. "It's broad dayl-" He stopped himself, remembering with dismay that it was already nighttime.
"It's night time now," Jiang Zhilan said mischievously. "What do men and women do at night?" Any sane person knew the answer to that. Liu Qingyuan couldn't help but let his ears blush. Jiang Zhilan smirked, but he let him off the hook. "I'll let go, if you kiss me."
"You-" Liu Qingyuan's brow furrowed and he frowned down at the king's face.
"Just one?"
"...let me go first."
"No way! You'll run!"
"My arm."
"..." Jiang Zhilan reluctantly let go and waited but all Liu Qingyuan did was turn around and walk away to the table in the middle of the room. He set down his sword. The king followed after him, arms crossed and an eyebrow rising on his face. "Well?"
Liu Qingyuan turned around, an eyebrow raised. "What, your majesty?" The king's expression changed slightly as he approached, arms falling awkwardly to his side.
"What are y-" His words cut off as Liu Qingyuan slid a hand by the side of his face and leaned down, capturing his lips with his own. He kissed him softly, pushing him back step by step until Jiang Zhilan hit a pillar, jolting them both slightly apart. Liu Qingyuan merely breathed faintly, leaning forward to connect their lips again. Jiang Zhilan groaned slightly, hands clutching the lapels of Liu Qingyuan's uniform. In the low lamplight of the room, the two intertwined figures made a striking sight. One figure in pure moonlight white robes and the other in dark black. Jiang Zhilan's slightly flushed cheeks made him look like a fairy, fair too pretty to be the king of a country, in Liu Qingyuan's opinion. Through slitted eyes, Liu Qingyuan found himself thinking that a man like this shouldn't be king. He should be carefree, and they would have enough to travel the world or settle down in some city. He would have the best of everything. Either way, they would live happily ever after. He startled slightly, breaking the kiss. Such thoughts...
"...why did you suddenly stop..." Jiang Zhilan's small, embarrassed voice rang out and Liu Qingyuan blinked, looking down at that fairy face.
"Not satisfied?" He raised a brow. Jiang Zhilan's face turned even redder. Although he wanted to say 'not satisfied', he remembered his octopus behaviour a few minutes prior and decided that that was enough for the day. Or...five years. Anyway, it really was too embarrassing. With a pounding heart and evasive eyes, he minutely nodded his head.
"Satisfied, satisfied," He said hurriedly.
"En." Jiang Zhilan let go of his(LQY) lapels as Liu Qingyuan turned away, heading back to the round table. He checked the lamp oil on the table and turned around to see that Jiang Zhilan had not moved an inch. "Sit." He gestured to the seat. Jiang Zhilan walked towards him, obediently sitting down.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Zhilan called after him, but Liu Qingyuan had already disappeared into the darkness of his chambers. Unbeknownst to him, the young man paused in the dark, closing his eyes to calm his racing heart, but only serving to replay those last few minutes in his head. His appearance, the touch, the moment; everything was carefully ingrained into his memory. Still sitting at the table, Jiang Zhilan touched his lips, an unconscious smile curling around his mouth. He startled slightly at a warm touch on his shoulders and turned to find that Liu Qingyuan had returned with his discarded outer robe.
"The days are getting colder. You should wear more." Liu Qingyuan sat beside him, pouring himself a cup of still warm water from the exquisite jade teapot in the tea tray. In all honesty, it was just a cursory action, one to allow his hands to do something. Seeing the king still silent, Liu Qingyuan looked seriously at him, his expression grim but the tips of his ears red. "...was it so bad?"
"No..." A few more beats of silence. "...actually...it's a little difficult to assess with just one sample..."
"...Your majesty, didn't you say you were satisfied?" Jiang Zhilan went red but he stubbornly continued.
"No."
Liu Qingyuan, "..."
Jiang Zhilan, "..."
"Just one more, don't waste it. Pay attention." Liu Qingyuan's sword-calloused hand cupped the back of his neck and Jiang Zhilan gulped slightly. With a centimeter separating their lips, Liu Qingyuan smiled slightly before he closed the rest of the distance. The kiss was soft like before and gradually they pulled apart. But just as Jiang Zhilan was about to cry tears of blood, those lips pressed back down on his own and something pushed into his mouth. Jiang Zhilan jolted slightly as Liu Qingyuan's tongue swept through his mouth. His eyelashes trembled, hands clenching in his lap. His shoulders tensed as a heat rose in his belly. Liu Qingyuan pulled away, licking slightly at his lips. "Uncomfortable?"
"N-no..." Jiang Zhilan panted slightly. Liu Qingyuan hummed, kissing him deeply and thoroughly. When they pulled apart, Jiang Zhilan was breathless, cheeks dyed red and eyes misty. "You...I don't believe that you haven't kissed anyone before." Liu Qingyuan smiled.
"But I have. I've kissed you, your majesty."
"That's not what I meant!"
"Mm." Liu Qingyuan leaned forward, pausing slightly before daring to steal another kiss from the king. Jiang Zhilan chased after his departing lips, silently cursing his delusion of this man. Who knew that when he was resolute, he really became a different person.
The two sat side by side in relative silence, just enjoying each other's company. Liu Qingyuan stared at the patterned tablecloth, suddenly letting out a smile. Jiang Zhilan had just glanced over randomly and saw it. His breath caught slightly. 'You...what's making you so happy?" He reached over to the other's forehead. "You're feeling well, ba?" Liu Qingyuan caught his hand, bringing their hands down together. He squeezed Jiang Zhilan's palm and hesitated for a beat of a second. Was he well? His heart felt like it was on fire and a mixture of something comfortable and uncomfortable rose in his belly. It was unfamiliar but welcome.
"Mm. I'm well."
"That's good then." Jiang Zhilan's hand was resting in Liu Qingyuan's lap. His fingers twitched, feeling something beneath the cloth. In a bold movement, he reached out, pressing his hand against his abdomen and feeling around. Liu Qingyuan grabbed his hand.
"What are you doing?"
"What is that?" Liu Qingyuan didn't answer. He knew what he was referring to. It was that Yulan Magnolia hairpin he'd kept from last time. He'd stored it inside his robes all this time, not entirely sure about why he still kept it.
"..." Jiang Zhilan took his silence for acceptance and directly reached into his robes, pulling out the simple jade hairpin. The flower carved at its head was graceful and smooth, the jade transparent like water. As a king, Jiang Zhilan had access to anything, but even a simple hairpin like this was exquisite.
"It's beautiful."
"Do you like it?" Liu Qingyuan took it back, using his sleeve to wipe the hairpin. Jiang Zhilan sent him a questioning look. "It's dirty," he said simply before handing it back. If the king wanted it, he would give it, but it had been touched by the blood-stained hands of his organization. It was dirty.
"En. I like it." Jiang Zhilan hesitated, glancing up slightly but Liu Qingyuan caught his gaze.
"Do you want me to put it on for you?"
"Forget it." Jiang Zhilan tugged at his loose hair. "I've already taken my hair down." But he gazed deeply at the hairpin and rubbed the smooth petals between his fingers. Looking up, he suddenly smiled. "I'll consider this a gift from you to me."
"...En."
Jiang Zhilan felt reluctant to part, but his eyes were beginning to feel like they were filled with sand. Liu Qingyuan noticed his tiredness and got up. "You should rest, your majesty. It's late." Jiang Zhilan grudgingly agreed, standing up as well.
"You...you rest well then." Liu Qingyuan inclined his head. Jiang Zhilan's downcast gaze jumped up as he felt a soft sensation against his forehead. His hand jumped up. "You-" Liu Qingyuan merely bowed once more and left the room with quiet steps. Underneath the hand on his chest, his heart fought to tear free from his ribs.