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Jing Yuan closed the door.
The light from the hallway shrunk and disappeared, cloaking his room in darkness except for the one flickering candle on the dresser.
He walked over and lightly blew it out.
"I do not understand your need to be so overdramatic." A voice came from the balcony, the curtains rustling in the wind.
"How else am I to prepare for your arrival, Blade?" Jing Yuan pulled the drapes around his bed from its gathers, letting the silk envelop two sides of the bed.
"By taking me into your loving arms," Blade closed the balcony doors behind him and drew the curtains shut. "Or, by apprehending me immediately, oh so revered general."
"Keep the door open. Dan Heng is coming later tonight."
Blade scoffed. "He can manage. He's only visiting us now that the Express is here. But for now…" His boots clicked on the floor, only slightly muffled by the carpet. "It's just us two."
"And what do you suggest we do then?" Jing Yuan sat down on the side of the bed, unbuckling his boots.
Blade knelt down in front of him, taking one of Jing Yuan's boots in his hands and lightly tugging it off.
"You are strangely compliant today. Normally, you would be pointing your sword to my neck." Jing Yuan leaned down to rub a strand of Blade's hair between his fingers.
"Don't tempt me. I'm in a good mood today. Is it that hard to believe that I wouldn't like to… serve my husband, as the traditionalists say?" Blade looked up at Jing Yuan with one visible unnerving red eye, unmoving.
Jing Yuan shivered. "I refuse to believe that came out of your mouth. Never say that again."
Blade smiled, showing his teeth. "As you wish, fujun.1"
He finished tugging off Jing Yuan's boots, placing them aside. "Get up. You're sitting on your cape."
Blade stood up to reach over Jing Yuan to unbutton his cape from his shoulders as well as the armour plates beneath, hanging them up on a chair.
"You're going to ruin my cape if you keep it like that."
"And do I look like I care? You have more pressing things to worry about, such as letting a known criminal escape from the dungeons and into your room instead." Blade moved onto the belts, unbuckling them and tossing them onto the couch with growing reckless abandon. "Imagine what the Marshal would say. Imagine what your disciple would think."
"What they don't know can't hurt them." Jing Yuan winced as Blade tugged off the faulds around his hips. "Could you be any gentler on my ageing body?"
"Bullshit, we're around the same age. You can handle a little pain and bruising." Blade narrowed his eyes on the garters around Jing Yuan's legs. "What are those even for?"
"They are for keeping my clothes in position. Do you and Dan Heng not do the same?"
"My bandages are for wounds. Dan Heng's is merely to seduce unsuspecting Luofu generals into fraternising with known fugitives."
"If so, are mine not meant to seduce unsuspecting fugitives into marriage with a high profile official?" Jing Yuan let out a low chuckle as he watched Blade's face contort into one of barely concealed exasperation.
"Hmph. Take off your shirt."
"Oh? How bold. It would be more proper to treat me to dinner at Petrichor Inn first." Jing Yuan laughed.
"Your shirt is covered in grime. I refuse to share a bed with a man with dirty clothes." Blade reached around Jing Yuan and pulled down the zipper, tugging his shirt off and tossing a nightgown at his face.
"You're not very clean yourself either." Jing Yuan caught the gown easily and shrugged it on. "Are you sure you don't need me to help you take them off?" He moved towards Blade, encapsulating him in his arms to start untying the ribbons laced up his back.
"Hands off, scoundrel." Blade snarled, swatting away Jing Yuan's hands.
"Fine, fine." Jing Yuan backed away, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Would it really hurt you to be a bit more flexible?"
"You and I both know you just can't keep your hands to yourself." Blade scowled, untying the ribbon keeping Jing Yuan's hair up, letting the silver waves cascade onto his shoulders. "And they extol your virtues day in, day out. If only the people of the Xianzhou Luofu knew how their esteemed general was consorting with the enemy."
"A bit rude of you to say I'm the one consorting. I'm the leader of the Xianzhou Luofu." Jing Yuan heaved a sigh of relief as Blade ran his fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp.
"Are you pulling rank on me?" Blade's hands running through his hair paused. "Are you saying that I'm the poor hapless consort to the Luofu's big, strong general?" He grabbed Jing Yuan's hair and pulled, hard.
"I apologise, I apologise." Jing Yuan laughed, letting Blade pull his head back. "You're more akin to a mistress than anything."
Blade's derisive laugh echoed throughout the dark room. "Then what is Dan Heng? The favoured second concubine, or the mistress's mistress?"
"I don't favour any of you." Jing Yuan held his hands up placatingly.
"Hah. Sure you don't. I'm the spouse you throw in jail while you let Dan Heng off with exile."
"He served his sentence. You never did."
"He's supposed to be in exile, and yet you let him waltz on board the Xianzhou Luofu. I merely stepped one foot into Luofu airspace and you had your men arrest me." Blade let go of his grip on Jing Yuan's hair, reaching down to loosen the leather garters on his legs.
"Who's getting handsy now?" Jing Yuan said, raising his eyebrows.
Blade pinned him with a glare. "Absolutely insufferable."
"You married me anyway." The leather straps got tossed over Blade's shoulder with more force than necessary.
"And I should have divorced you three centuries ago."
They fell silent. The topic of divorce was still a sore one, after Dan Heng had left.
"Where is he, anyway." Blade glanced at the balcony doors, shut with curtains still.
"He texted me to say he was coming over as fast as he could, but a Cloud Knight and a merchant picked him up along the way."
"A Cloud Knight, hah. If any of them saw me, I would have been forced onto the ground with my arms behind my back immediately." Blade's lips curled upwards into a grin. "Such preferential treatment, general."
"As you said, we both know I can't keep my hands to myself." Jing Yuan grabbed Blade's wrists. "Would you like a reenactment?"
Blade let out a scoff. "A righteous, virtuous man, they say. You are the most improper, dishonourable man I've ever had the displeasure of meeting."
Jing Yuan smiled innocently instead of responding.
"You are lucky Diviner Fu or Yanqing didn't catch you sneaking down to the dungeons. If they knew how you wanted to have your wicked way with me, your reputation would be tarnished beyond repair." Despite his words, Blade didn't resist Jing Yuan pulling him closer, tugging off his glove in the process.
"Would you believe me if I said you are worth ruining my reputation for?"
"You are normally a more adept liar, Jing Yuan."
In response, Jing Yuan let go of Blade's wrists and grabbed his collar instead, undoing the topmost button and pulling him right against his chest.
"...Scoundrel." Blade muttered into Jing Yuan's ear.
Jing Yuan turned Blade's head slightly with a finger, leaning in to capture his lips in a kiss. Blade grabbed Jing Yuan's hair in a tight fistful, his other hand behind Jing Yuan's throat, his fingernails digging into skin. Jing Yuan's hand on Blade's waist crept lower until Blade bit down on his lips, drawing blood.
Jing Yuan smirked, his lips torn and bloody.
Blade rolled his eyes and stepped on his foot, digging his heel into Jing Yuan's unsuspecting toes, only shielded by his socks.
Then Jing Yuan's phone pinged, interrupting further acts of violence.
Jing Yuan glanced at the screen. "Hm. Dan Heng is just around the corner."
"He blocked me and not you. Hah." Blade buttoned his shirt back up and put his glove back on, looking more much less dishevelled than Jing Yuan.
"I wasn't the one who threatened him at swordpoint and swore revenge upon his soul." Jing Yuan wiped the blood off with the sleeve of his previously pristine white robe. Blade grimaced at the sight of red blossoming on the cotton.
The curtains rustled.
"You're awfully late for the party, A-Heng." Blade said, glancing at the now ajar balcony doors.
Dan Heng stood in the doorway, hair tousled by the wind. He looked at Blade, then at Jing Yuan, taking in Jing Yuan's bloody mouth and the crescent moon marks on his neck.
Dan Heng blinked twice, slowly. "... Goodbye." He turned around to leave.
"Since you came all this way already, why not stay a bit?" Jing Yuan offered. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Missed us, dear husband?" Blade's eye almost glowed in the shadows, his smile eerily wide.
"I am not your husband." Dan Heng frowned, pulling out his spear. "What evil are you up to on the Luofu now?" He pointed it at Blade, the tip gleaming in the soft moonlight.
Blade pulled out his sword in response. "Just like last time, huh?"
"Calm down, calm down, he's not here to cause trouble this time." Jing Yuan stepped between their raised weapons. "You know I would never jeopardise the safety of the Xianzhou Luofu."
Dan Heng faltered for a second before lowering his weapon.
"Hmph. Finally, someone understands the Stellaron Hunters' motives." Blade sheathed his own sword. "But was it really necessary to throw me in jail when you could have just nicely asked what we were doing here, please and thank you?"
Jing Yuan smiled. "Hehe."
Dan Heng's responding sigh spoke volumes about what he thought of that response. He looked around the room, taking in Jing Yuan's various articles of clothing haphazardly scattered around the room and the lack of lighting.
"What happened to you when I was away, Jing Yuan?" Dan Heng narrowed his eyes at the mess. "And why do you still have a bed that large when…" He glared at Blade. "Him and I haven't been anywhere near the Luofu in centuries?"
"I am not a strong, independent man. Of course I want to return to a room with a bed that I once shared with my husbands after a long, hard day at work." Jing Yuan shrugged. "And you can't talk, your fellow Nameless told me about your mattress in the Express Archives with your blanket as a heap in the corner. Tea?"
"Ugh…March…" Dan Heng sighed. He accepted the cup that Jing Yuan passed to him. "It's… Cold."
"Apologies, I can't alert anyone to serve a fresh pot with you two in my room."
The room descended into a tense, awkward silence. Dan Heng took a sip of the tea and set it down, pushing it as far away from himself as possible.
"Is there…anything else we have to settle today? If not, I shall take my leave." Dan Heng stood up, brushing off his pants.
He turned and walked towards the balcony door, only to pause at the blade pressed against his throat.
"Didn't you forget something, Dan Heng?" Blade whispered into his ear, the ends of his hair tickling Dan Heng's neck. "Three must pay the price."
The sword pressed into his neck, drawing a thin line of blood.
Dan Heng grabbed Blade by the wrists and slammed him against the nearest wall, the wound on his neck still dripping.
"Finally, Yinyue-jun." Blade smiled, a drop of blood falling onto his bandages, staining the cotton crimson red.
Dan Heng only stared into his eyes, his face not betraying a single emotion.
Jing Yuan sighed, fishing out a roll of fresh bandages from a drawer. "You two, sit down. No more fighting in my room."
Both Blade and Dan Heng ignored him.
Jing Yuan walked to them anyways, wiping away the blood on Dan Heng's neck and wrapping the bandages around.
Blade leaned back against the wall, flexing his wrists. Dan Heng tightened his grip in response. "This is the second time tonight that someone has grabbed me like this."
Dan Heng tilted his head, ignoring how the bandages pulled taut from his movement. "Are you complaining?"
"Hah. Far from it."
Dan Heng stared at him for a second, before lunging in and pressing his lips against Blade's. His grasp on Blade loosened, allowing Blade to dig his hands in his hair.
"Hm. I miss your long hair." Blade muttered after they broke apart.
Jing Yuan finished dressing Dan Heng's wound. "I miss when you two didn't try to kill each other."
Dan Heng brushed his hand across his now bandaged neck. "... Ah."
Blade laughed at that statement. "He's actually killed me several times over. It's just that I always come back."
"Hm." Jing Yuan said. "So that's why you two never seem to visit. You're going on dates without me."
Blade and Dan Heng stared at him, then at each other.
"I get lonely too, you know." Jing Yuan wrapped his arms around Dan Heng's shoulders, resting his weight on Dan Heng's slender frame. "You two will have to make up for leaving me to my boring nine to five job…"
Dan Heng winced at the extra weight on his back. "Jing Yuan, you're heavy."
"You're strong and capable, you can handle it." Jing Yuan huffed, burying his face in the crook of Dan Heng's neck.
Sighing, Dan Heng lifted Jing Yuan's fringe to press a feather light kiss to his forehead.
Blade watched in amusement as Jing Yuan practically melted at the small gesture of affection, nuzzling more into Dan Heng's neck. "You really are a giant, spoiled cat."
"Being a spoiled cat seems like quite the comfortable life." Jing Yuan's reply was muffled through the layers of Dan Heng's clothes. "I think I quite enjoy being one." He started fiddling with the ends of Dan Heng's bandages.
"Stop it." Dan Heng pried Jing Yuan's hands off the cloth. "It's getting late. I should go back to the Express."
Jing Yuan stiffened, then leaned more on Dan Heng. "Would you look at the time! Surely, it's too late for you to head out. The Xianzhou Luofu is currently in lockdown, it would be horrendously negligent for me to let you, a civilian, return to your abode alone. It would be much wiser to stay for the night."
Dan Heng sighed again. "... Fine."
Jing Yuan brightened up, relinquishing his hold on Dan Heng, taking Blade and Dan Heng's hands in his own and pulling them towards the bed.
"Hey, let us change out of these clothes first," Dan Heng stopped mid sentence, frowning at the way Jing Yuan was incessantly tugging on his hand. "... Alright."
"You're just going to let him have his way? Yinyue-jun, I thought you had more of a spine." Blade said, extracting his hand from Jing Yuan's grasp to change into a clean nightgown.
By the time they settled into the old bed, Jing Yuan in the middle as a barricade between Blade and Dan Heng, it was close to dawn. Blade ran a finger through the silver strands of Jing Yuan's hair, staring past him at the now slumbering Dan Heng on the other side of the bed.
For the first time in centuries, he drifted off to sleep peacefully.
~
Jing Yuan woke up much later than he usually did, surrounded by warmth on both sides.
He rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes, his eyes focusing to see Blade and Dan Heng had moved closer in the night, gently holding him and each other within the blankets.
Jing Yuan smiled. What a rare sight—and indeed, a lovely one.
"General, why aren't you awake yet? You promised to practise with me in five minutes!" Yanqing's voice echoed into the room through the door.
"Ah." Jing Yuan said before shoving his husbands off the bed, waking them up to get out of his room.
It wouldn't do for Yanqing to discover that he had been, quite literally, sleeping with the enemy.
- Fujun (夫君) is a respectful way of referring to one's husband. It also is used to refer to a friend or a king, albeit less commonly. [ ▲ ]