#“Threads divine” ── * Open Thread | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lustspren · 1 month ago

Text

P.S.T EP. 15 | Master of Puppets ft Noze, Aespa.

length: 19.5k words ✦

Noze, Aespa X Male Reader

genres: orgy (?, anal, love making, bit fluffy, anal creampie, voyeur, multiple blowjob, pussy eating, creampie, multiple facial, rough sex, bi, blowjob, kinda daddy kink (?

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After what was probably one of the most stressful and emotionally exhausting days of your life, sleeping in company was more than necessary therapy for you.

Jihye was the perfect partner for it. She was an excellent cuddler, and she also made sure you were both comfortable throughout the night. Little details that you valued. And the only other person who ever behaved that way was none other than Chaery. That set a very high bar that Jihye was somehow able to almost match.

It was quite early in the morning when your brain started to wake up. You wrinkled your eyes first, thanks to the sunlight filtering through the curtain of your room. You looked away, but then you became aware of your body, and you felt that something was not right.

She wasn't by your side, under your arm like all night. And you felt something... warm, in your crotch and under the blanket. It wasn't until you opened your eyes that you could know what was happening. The blanket was raised between your legs, and now you could hear faint wet sounds; when you lifted it to see underneath it, you found Noh Jihye sucking your cock, carefully and affectionately.

The awakening of your sensory senses ensured that you soon began to feel pleasure. Jihye pulled you out of her mouth as soon as she noticed you were looking at her.

"Morning, baby," she said softly. "I'm sorry to have to wake you up like this... but what happened yesterday didn't let me wake up without being extremely horny."

She took you back inside her mouth, to continue sucking slowly up and down, across the entire length of your cock. You closed your eyes for a moment to let your thoughts and words organize in your head amidst the growing pleasure. In the end you took off the blanket so you could see her better.

"Those two are in serious fucking trouble for interrupting what I've been waiting for so long," you said between gasps.

"Believe me, they're not the only ones who will be in trouble," she said, placing kisses on the back of your cock and around your tip. "I'll have to give the idiots I left them in charge of a good scold."

"Be sure to look for me when you go. I'd like to have a few words with them too."

Jihye looked into your eyes and stopped.

"You'll be in trouble too if you don't shut your mouth and stop interrupting me."

You pretended to close your mouth like it was a zipper. She giggled, and then she took you into her mouth once more.

You knew Jihye's blowjobs were unrivaled, but that morning you only confirmed it. She used her mouth with prodigious skill, and moved with sensual, hypnotic pumps. It was the closest thing you could experience to being sucked off by a divinity, but also to being trapped in the thread of a black widow, because it felt so good that your body felt numb.

She stopped using her hands on your cock, and instead stuck them under your sweater to rub up and down your abdomen and pecs. Her mouth reached the base of your cock a couple of times, and each time she stayed there so that your tip rubbed against her throat.

You remained silent, only letting out small moans that told Jihye what an excellent job she was doing. But as much as Jihye's slow, sensual blowjobs were probably now one of your five favorite things in the world, you needed to really feel her.

"B-Baby..." you gasped, and placed a hand on her forearm. "Ride me, please. I need to be inside you."

Jihye pulled you out of her mouth and masturbated you slowly.

"Fuck, if you ask me like that I could never refuse…" she said, biting her lip.

She let go of your cock and got to work quickly helping you take off your sweater and finish removing your boxers from her legs. Then she straddled you and took off her hoodie. Underneath she was wearing nothing, just a pair of panties, the same ones she wore last night.

You immediately put your hand behind her ribs and pulled her towards you to kiss her. Jihye fell unopposed, your chests now pressed together. She cradled your face in her hands and deepened the kiss, small moans coming from her throat. You couldn't do anything but hold her tightly against you and grope her everywhere, from her pretty back to her tight, firm little ass.

Jihye ground her hips from front to back, rubbing her pussy against your cock over the soft fabric of her panties. You squeezed her ass firmly, and with one hand you pulled her panties to the side of her to grab your cock and press your tip against her entrance.

“Stop there,” she said against your lips, and she looked into your eyes. "I'll do it... and you'll look me in the eyes while I impale myself on your cock."

"Anyway you order, sweetheart," you said, leaving your hands on either side of your head.

Jihye smiled and nudged your lips.

"That's a good boy."

She then straightened her back and raised her hips. Eyes on yours every second. She took your cock in her hand, and after rubbing it a few times against her folds, pressed herself against it. Your cock began to make its way between Jihye's extremely tight walls, who left her mouth half open and let out a charming moan.

"Oh my god..." you moaned, maintaining eye contact with her.

"I know..." she replied, halfway impaled on you, her hands on your abdomen. "It feels so fucking good honey."

You and Jihye didn’t break eye contact at any time, only when finally, after a few seconds, she had completely impaled herself on your cock and it had disappeared inside her. She closed her eyes, with pursed lips and between tender squeals. For your part you were mesmerized for two main reasons: how good her tight pussy felt, and how beautiful, sexy and hot she looked on top of you. Like a wet dream come true.

Once completely inside her you pulled her back towards you. Jihye rested her hands on your chest, and she crashed her lips against yours before starting to move her hips up and down slowly. You held her close, and caressed her back with your fingertips as your cock moved in and out of the tightest pussy you had ever been inside.

“Fuck… you're so big,” Jihye moaned against your lips, moving her hips in slow, deep motions. She gave you a couple of kisses. "And you... you are so..." she looked at you with those beautiful eyes slightly watered with pleasure. "Fucking cute."

"Don't make me tell you everything I think you are, Noh Jihye," you replied, your hands on her waist, fingers pressed against her delicate skin. "I'd get cheesy."

"I don't care," she said immediately. "Tell me everything you think of me... tell me, please."

"For that we will have to do a little twist."

You then hugged her to turn and put her under you. Jihye first spread her legs wide, but then closed them around your body, locking you between them as you pumped your hips with deep thrusts. You instinctively reached for her hands; when you found them, you intertwined your fingers with hers and buried your face in her neck to distribute kisses there.

"Fuck… where do I start," you mumbled, amidst the moans she let out in your ear. "You are strong... admirable..." you moved your kisses to her jaw. “Brilliant like no other…” you passed to the other side of her jaw. "But you're also kind… attentive… stupidly beautiful, and stupidly hot."

Jihye squeezed your hands harder, and sought your lips to kiss you again.

"And...?" she moaned against your lips, and looked into your eyes.

"And you're one of the best people I've ever met in my damn life, Jihye," you kissed her again, and made your thrusts stronger but no faster. "You don't know how captivating it is to watch you work... and give orders... and solve problems like it was nothing. Fuck, I like you, a lot."

She let go of your hands and wrapped both arms around your neck. She kissed you harder, muffling moan after moan against your lips. Her legs also tightened around your body, as if she never wanted to let you go.

“You…” she murmured between pants, looking into your eyes. "I like you too... a lot. Fuck, I hate how much I do."

"You feel weak huh?" You teased with a little smile, and bit your lip. "Don't worry, you're still my big boss."

Jihye pulled the hair at the back of your neck and dug her nails into your back.

"Shut your damn mouth and fuck me, fool," she snapped. "I haven't felt this good since… since… fuck, just keep going."

Before complying with her order you took her legs away from around your torso and got out from inside her. Then you lay down on your side, to the left of her. Jihye immediately got along with you and also lay on her side; she brought her back to your chest, and pressed her ass against your cock. You made her lie on top of your left arm, so that you could be as close to each other as possible. Finally you took your cock with your hand, you rubbed it between her buttocks to find her pussy and you penetrated her again.

Fucking her in that position felt intimate. Special. You didn't feel that it was just sex and that's it. There was a strong feeling involved, a bond, a real reason to do it other than just being horny and that's it. That's how you let each other know with every caress, every touch, every moan, every squeeze.

Jihye stroked the hair on the back of your neck, eyes teary with pleasure fixed on you as she let out adorable moans. You had one hand placed on her waist, pumping your cock all the way in and out of her tight pussy. Your moans overlapped constantly, loud, deep, full of emotion.

With her eyes still on yours you brought your right hand from her waist to hers between her thighs. You reached for her clitoris, which you rubbed in slow circles amidst uninterrupted sensual pumps. Jihye squealed, bitted her lower lip and kissed you, clinging to your hair with her fingers tangled in strands of it.

“That’s it baby…” Jihye moaned against your lips. "Don’t stop, fuck!"

"Cum around my cock, honey..." you bit her lower lip, and placed kisses on her jaw. "Give me that privilege... the one I've been waiting for so long."

"I'll do that as long as you don't fucking stop, mmmgh!"

Jihye closed her eyes and covered her mouth as you increased the pace of both your fingers and your hips just a little. You used your left hand to play with her small tits, squeezing each one and playing with her nipples. Then you kissed her again, and that's when her body started to shake.

"Look at me while you cum..." you murmured. "Look at me, love."

She opened her eyes immediately and stared at you, her mouth slightly open and her brow furrowed in pleasure. Seconds later, she pursed her lips and, not daring to stop looking at you, received her orgasm in a series of hot spasms that you had the joy of feeling with every part of your body.

You removed your fingers from her clit and brought them straight to her mouth. Jihye accepted them gladly, sucking and slurping her own fluids as you slowly fucked her through her orgasm, which lasted for a few long, delicious seconds in which you reveled in the fact that you be the cause of it.

"It's your turn, darling..." she gasped, removing your fingers from her mouth. "I'll help you fill me to the bottom."

She put one hand on your abdomen, and put another on the mattress for support. Then she started fucking herself against your cock, with the most sensual and skillful hip movements you had seen in a long time. You couldn't do anything but moan and cling to her waist, feeling your peak close.

Of all the things that could have brought you to the point of no return, the most significant and pleasurable thing for you wasn't the way she moved, or how good her pussy felt, or the constant rubbing of your bodies. It was those damn eyes on you that after just a few seconds, made you explode inside her.

As you shot spurts of thick cum into her you couldn't help but take control yourself. But this time you just kissed her and hugged her tightly with both arms, enchanted by her scent, her warmth, the light layer of sweat between your bodies. You moaned against her lips, unable to hide your ecstasy. She held you tight, between sighs of satisfaction as she felt every drop of you fill her.

"Have you cummed this much before?" she asked over your lips. "I feel like my pussy is going to explode."

You noticed it when your orgasm passed. Your cock felt more soaked than normal, and when you moved a little away from Jihye you realized that from between her thighs you could already see how your load was already spilling out.

"I'd have to go through my memory archive to confirm it," you said with a chuckle.

You pulled out of her, letting all your cum spill out of her and onto the sheets. It was then that Jihye, in a sudden change of attitude, moved away from you and went to sit on the edge of the bed. You stared at her with a confused frown as she stood up to go to the bathroom. She returned seconds later, already cleaned, with the roll of toilet paper in her hand.

"Here, clean up, honey," she said. "We have to hurry."

"Uh..." you grabbed the toilet paper roll. "Alright."

You cleaned yourself in less than a minute, and you would change the sheet later, when you stood up. But you couldn't stop looking at Jihye, she looked indifferent, with her usual face, while she looked for her clothes and started to get dressed. It was as if she didn't care what had just happened.

"I… don't know if you've noticed, but you're making me feel used," you said.

"Huh?" Jihye turned to you with a frown, "What do you mean?" she asked as she adjusted her bra.

"It's just... fuck, that felt like a lot more than sex. I thought you felt it too."

Jihye put on a T-shirt and looked in her bag for a black and blue hat.

"Of course I felt it," she replied. "It was special, and you know what I told you. But what did you expect?"

You quickly put on your boxers and went to sit on the edge of the bed right in front of her.

"I… I don't know," you looked down. "It's just... damn, I really like you, Jihye. But..."

Jihye grabbed your chin and made you look at her. You were met with compassionate eyes, a hint of sadness in them.

"But you also like Chaery a lot, right? And Ning."

You remained silent as you looked at her, unable to answer her even though you knew perfectly well the answer.

"See?" she said. "Honey, my rule is pretty strict: no relationships with people within the industry. And if that’s not enough, your job prevents you from being mine alone."

Your mouth remained slightly open. That had been a bucket of cold water, with ice like rocks included.

"I..."

She put a finger to your lips.

"Tell me. Could you bear to break Chaery's heart like that?" she asked, with a low tone of voice. "I don’t think so."

Jihye let go of you, leaving you completely speechless. She finished dressing in a few seconds, and then she headed to the door, but she turned around when she put her hand on the handle.

"Look..." she sighed and looked down. "When I told you I liked you, I really meant it. Actually, I don't think that's going to stop for a while, but..." she pursed her lips and shook her head. "There won't be a relationship between us, honey. Sex can happen again, I’m cool with that. But it just won't progress any further from that point," she looked up and looked into your eyes. "I hope you understand, I'm sorry."

She then opened the door and turned her back on you before leaving the room.

You just sat there, feeling like a kick in the balls followed by several hammer blows would have hurt less. The moment of reflection had to come sooner or later, but out of nowhere? You certainly weren't expecting it. Now you were alone, silent and with nothing but your own thoughts.

Many things passed through your mind, like a fierce typhoon that devastated everything in its path and left nothing but rubble. Where was your life going at that moment? What were your future aspirations? What did you hope to achieve? The answers to those questions seemed unclear to you. Opaque like the sun behind the clouds on a rainy day.

But above all that one question predominated, looming and looming: Were you really being fair to Chaery? She had a kind of life that also made relationships a fucked up topic to lead, that was true. However, you couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, she deserved better than you and your career. Someone who would dedicate himself to her, and only her, unconditionally.

Not having emotional ties with your clients was not something that was predetermined in the rules of your work, of course. Besides, Ning and Chaery were still young and carefree, just like you. But the reason for your concern wasn’t that, but what will happen when eventually, for whatever reason, they begin to demand more from you and you will not be able to fulfill it because your job will have you with a noose around your neck.

You loved your job, it would be stupid not to. But you were beginning to realize that being in more than one emotional bond at the same time was unsustainable.

As was fucking logical, for the love of god. You needed to wake up.

No matter how afflicted you were at that moment, you couldn't just stay there paralyzed like an idiot and wait for the grim reaper to come pay you a visit. Today was the last day of the North American tour, and you knew that for that reason alone the day would be hectic. You had to move.

So, still feeling beaten up, spit on, and reduced to pieces, you stood up and made an effort to go to the bathroom and get into the shower. That morning you couldn't afford to take your time under the shower; you had to be quick, since you hadn't seen the time and surely breakfast time was close. Even so, it was inevitable for you to lose track of time a little, since you had put your playlist on shuffle and you were stuck listening to No Surprises by Radiohead and Impossible by Nothing But Thieves. What a fucking combo at the worst possible time.

When you finished showering you hurried to get dressed and check the time. As expected, you were late for breakfast, so after a few small adjustments to your look you rushed out of your room straight to the restaurant.

You knew you were late, but you were still surprised to realize that you were the last one to arrive. That had never happened, not even once. You were always the first, or the second. The girls would surely know something was wrong, but none of them commented on it, only Rina and Ning gave you worried glances.

It was a peaceful breakfast, thank goodness. The only thing different that morning was that Jihye didn't speak to Minjeong or Ning, she only spoke to Rina, Aeri, and you. It was something to be expected, even you didn't share much chatter with Minjeong. She certainly had crossed the line, and she deserved it.

When you finished eating Jihye began to review the agenda for the day with you as usual. You would be mainly focused on solo tasks this time, which you were grateful for given your current mental situation. Space was what you needed. Peace.

Breakfast ended without incident, and each of you went your respective ways. You went straight to your room, to collect all your things and pack them before leaving and picking up the girls' luggage.

However, as you were stuffing your electronics into your backpack, you heard a couple of soft knocks on the door. You expected it to be Ning, since her visits were a regular thing lately, but when you opened it you were surprised to find Rina's calm, gentle face.

"Oh, hi," you said, and stepped aside for her to enter.

"Hi donkey," she said, and she stood in front of you to give you a peck on the cheek. Then went to sit on your bed. "I don't have much time left to go to the arena, so listen to me."

"I'm all ears," you replied, as you closed the door behind you. You then went and stood in front of her.

"Look, I don't know what the fuck happened last night, and I don't care either," she said. "It's pretty clear to me and Aeri that Jihye is upset with those two, and I'm sure they deserve it. But you need to make her forgive them, no matter what."

"You're asking me to calm a choleric dragon with caresses and nice words, Jimin."

"No, I'm asking you to calm her down with logic. Those two can't perform like that tonight, not without first clearing the air a little. They might not give their best, or lose focus and trip!" she paused briefly to take a deep breath. "If you ask me, the money all those people spent to come see us is more important than any personal conflict."

Your mind automatically traveled to your conversation with Jihye earlier that morning. You didn't want to have to deal and live with her as if nothing had happened. It would certainly be a messy task. Having to ask her to stop being upset with the two people who were unpleasant to her would never have been in your plans for that day.

Without realizing it you had remained silent, more than usual. And you were looking at the floor. When you returned to reality, you looked up and met Rina’s concerned face. She then stood up and went straight to hug you. You let out a relieved breath, reciprocating her hug and holding her in your arms.

"Honey... I don't know what's going on with you," she said in a silky, low, soothing voice, her chin resting on your shoulder. "But I know you, and I know you are struggling with something. I can see it in your eyes."

The eyes she spoke of became crystallized by the tears that began to form in them. Only one fell down your cheek, but you controlled yourself not to break. Rina, noticing that the droplet fell on her bare shoulder, moved away and cradled your face with a sad expression.

"Hey, no crying, silly," she wiped the tear from your cheek with her thumb. Then planted a kiss there. "I'll make sure I get my hair and makeup done as quickly as possible so I can be there for you before the show, okay? You'll tell me everything, and I'll listen."

You hugged her again, tightly, not wanting to leave the comfort she gave you.

"You're amazing, Rina..." you murmured, your voice a bit cracked. "Amazingly good person, and amazingly good leader. Thank you."

"It doesn't take any effort to be attentive to the people I love," she replied, caressing your hair. "There is nothing to be thankful for."

Her phone rang in her pocket, so she immediately had to break the hug to check it.

"I must go," she said. "I'll see you there, okay?"

You nodded, and took her forearm to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Have a safe trip, loser," you said, forcing a smirk.

"Same for you," she smiled back, and headed to the door, but before she turned around. "Oh, I'm a better leader than Yeji then?"

This time you really laughed.

"I don't know, she's my bro too," you shrugged.

She nodded slowly and opened the door, eyes narrowed.

"We'll see about that," she said, and then she left your room.

And just like that, you received the perfect boost of energy you needed to be able to fight the rest of the day. Rina was doing her best, she always did. That was both inspiring and relieving for you: to feel like you had a sturdy pillar to stand on. What else did you need to face adversity and do your best for those girls?

You quickly returned to your work. All your luggage was already ready, you only had to put in the cable of your laptop and your power bank before you could leave your room and go pick up the girls' luggage to have them on the bus. By doing so, you were able to join the rest of the staff members to go straight to the arena.

Upon arrival you were greeted by this common chaotic atmosphere that characterized all pre-show hours. You helped the staff unload boxes, look for cables and you also helped as a translator for some specific issues with the arena staff. Only when you were a little freed were you able to detach yourself from them and go in search of Jihye.

You found her near the stage, as always, supervising the work of the sound engineers. You approached her hesitantly, afraid of how she was going to behave towards you. Luckily, upon noticing your presence she gave you a reassuring look. Then you stood in front of her.

"Hey, we need to talk," you said.

Jihye grimaced and tilted her head.

"Honey, I really don't want to be rude, but I think I was pretty clear this morning."

"No, no," you shook your head. "That's not what I want to talk about."

She frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I know you'd rather die than talk to Ning and Minjeong, but I need you to make an effort to forgive them even if it's just for today."

"Huh?" she said, indignant. "No fucking way. Screw them."

"I know, I know," you grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "But baby, just think about it. They must have a black cloud over their heads, and when they get on stage they're going to be noticed. Did you see Ning's face today? That girl is not in a mental state to offer a top performance. We need to use our heads and think like adults. There are things more important than a damn personal fight."

Jihye bit her lower lip and began moving her leg with restless steps to the floor. She looked away, crossed her arms, and finally let out a snort.

"Ugh, I hate when you're damn right," she said, annoyed.

You sighed in relief.

"Thank you," you let go of her shoulders, and shoved your hands into the pockets of your hoodie.

"Were you smart enough to come to that conclusion on your own?" she said with a mocking tone.

A little smile escaped you.

"My bro helped me out."

Jihye let out a small laugh.

"Fair enough," she said, and took your hand. "Come on. We both need to talk to those two."

You and Jihye then went straight to the dressing room. Inside, final preparations were taking place. Both makeup details and small adjustments to the costumes. When you two entered everyone turned to look at Jihye.

"I need you all to come out, please," she said loudly for everyone to hear. "Ning and Minjeong, you stay here."

Everyone obeyed the order without question. The two of you stepped aside, making way for the dressing room to empty. Rina was one of the last to leave, she looked into your eyes, and with a little smile she said 'Thank you' with her lips. You just nodded at her.

Ning and Minjeong stood up and stood in the middle of the room. Ning looked down, hands clasped at the level of her belly, embarrassed. Minjeong on the other hand was crossing her arms, nibbling on the inside of her lips, visibly more disinterested. Jihye had the patience and maturity to step forward between you and the two of them.

"Girls, we need to purify the air a little," she said, looking at them both. "To begin with, you should know that I am not happy at all. What you did last night was crossing all kinds of lines; it was rude, insensitive, and extremely irresponsible," Jihye remained silent for a few seconds, without looking away from the two of them. "You hurt me like you've never hurt me before... and you betrayed my trust."

This time the silence was deep and uncomfortable. But you noticed that Ning had a pout and her face was wrinkled, on the verge of crying.

"I-I..." she muttered, a lump rising in her throat, she didn't dare look Jihye in the eyes. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Tears started running down her cheeks. "It was all my fault, please forgive me."

You knew well that that wasn't true. The fault had not been hers, it was one person's fault.

"Aha, whatever," Minjeong said, looking to the side. "I'm sorry for interrupting your little date last night."

Your blood became a boiling hotbed of bubbling lava. You couldn't believe that Ning was there, broken inside with guilt, and that the fucking whore still wanted to behave like that.

"KIM MINJEONG!" You yelled, gritting your teeth in rage. Ning and Minjeong looked at you, scared. "Can you act like a fucking real person for one damn moment?! This is serious, dammit!"

Minjeong looked clearly affected. She looked at the floor and relaxed her posture, finally lowering her arms to clasp her hands behind her back. She avoided eye contact in general.

“S-…” Minjeong pursed her lips. "... I'm sorry," she said, quietly. This time she sounded like she meant it. "I know it's not a valid excuse... but I've been so fucking stressed lately, it hasn't been easy at all. I..." she fell silent suddenly and sighed. "I'm sorry."

Ning reached out a little and subtly caressed Minjeong's forearm in gratitude. Jihye let out a deep breath and shook her head.

"I forgive you, brat," she said. "But like you already said, stress isn't an excuse for behaving that way. We're all stressed, and you don't see Gigi banging every nasty idiot who walks by. We pay this fool for a reason," Jihye pointed to you.

The four of you burst into laughter. However, you were left with the faint feeling that Minjeong wasn't being completely honest. Something was missing, something she didn't dare say.

"Okay... okay," Minjeong nodded. "I understand. I promise not to fuck anyone else."

"You better," you said, staring at her. She just winked at you.

"And Ning," Jihye said. "You are prohibited from drinking alcohol. Only beer from now on."

Ning opened her mouth ready to protest, but she looked at you and caught herself with a breath.

"Yeah... okay," she nodded. "I understand."

"Thanks, girls," you said. "I appreciate your efforts."

Jihye nodded, returning to your side.

"The show is about to start, so sit down, I'll have the staff come in again," she said.

With things settled, Jihye ushered in the makeup artists and stylists again. As soon as she walked in and noticed the girls' calm faces, Rina hugged you from behind and gave you an affectionate kiss on your shoulder in gratitude.

“The conversation will have to wait, darling,” she said into your ear. "Occupational hazards."

"Just go, don't worry," you nodded.

With the four girls back in their chairs everything continued as normal, and in a matter of minutes they were ready to begin.

You went to the side of the stage as usual. Alone, because Jihye had other matters to take care of regarding the return flight. Then you realized that this was the last show you were going to see, since your contract was valid only until the end of the North American tour. It was something that took a little while to fully digest, but in the end you decided to just enjoy the moment and treasure it.

However, a little bit before the end of the concert you received a message on your phone. When you took it out of your pocket you noticed that it was a number that you hoped to never see again. You didn't want to open the message, not until the concert was over. But you were forced to do it since it was a photo.

The photo in question stirred all your damn insides. Your face wasn't visible in it, but it was clearly the photo Minjeong had taken of you and Ning last night. Now this was serious, very fucking serious and fucked up.

You stayed there paralyzed, shocked, trapped in a stupor. There was no fucking way that was happening, you just couldn't believe it. And if that were not enough, a few seconds later you received another message.

Your hand wouldn't stop shaking. Panic was taking over you. You couldn't think of anything else but to stop watching the concert and rush out in search of Jihye, who you didn't have to look for long since apparently was also looking for you.

But the panicked look on her face didn't make you feel any better. Things were screwed. You took strides towards her, but before you could say anything she roughly grabbed you by the collar of your hoodie.

"What have you done?!" she yelled at you, shaking you. "What the hell have you done, dammit!"

Puzzled, all you managed to do was show her your phone. Jihye's panicked face now transformed into a horrified one. She let go of you and brought her hands to her mouth.

"How could you?! For God's sake!" she screeched. "How could you betray me and the girls like that?! Especially Ning!"

The word 'betray' was the one that made you come back to reality and put your shit together. She wasn't understanding it.

"Hey!" you interrupted her. "How the fuck do you think I'd be able to do something like that?! Don't you remember how fucking committed I've been to you guys this entire tour?! Why the fuck would I do that!"

"It would make sense..." she bluntly said . "After what I told you today you wanted to hurt me, right?"

Those words penetrated you to your bones and almost made you burst into anger, but you could only feel indignant. You looked Jihye in the eyes, shaking your head.

"I can't believe you think I'm capable of doing something like that, Jihye," you said, but then you squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head, not willing to leave her with that idea in her head. "Honey, damn it. Just look at the picture," you showed her your phone. "How could I have taken it from that angle? It's impossible! Plus, I would have a lot more to lose than you if that shit goes public."

Jihye stayed silent as she carefully looked at the photo and realized that what you were saying made sense. At that moment the girls returned to the stage after a brief pause, and both the music and the clamor of the crowd filled your ears. Then your eyes met, and you could tell that she felt small and vulnerable.

"I know who took this photo... you know it too," you said. "But I don't know how that bastard got it."

"No..." she shook her head. "I know where he got it from. Irene sent it to him."

Above all the pain and fear you felt, a deep feeling of anger blossomed and displaced all other emotions. You looked towards the stage, at Minjeong.

“That bitch…” you said, breathing hard. "That damn lying bitch… I can't believe she did this to us."

Jihye looked where you were looking, two dagger-like eyes boring into Minjeong. She clenched her fists, and clouded by anger she began to stride towards the stage, like an unstoppable force of nature. But before she could get much further, you grabbed her forearm.

"Hey, hey!" you grabbed her. "Don't do something stupid. Tell me, how do you know that it was Irene who sent the photo to the reporter?"

Reluctantly, Jihye turned her back on the stage and searched for a chat on her phone. When she showed it to you, she saw messages from Irene, who told her that she had already put things in motion and that she should be more careful with the recently hired staff. Then you saw a quick succession of messages that Jihye had sent her, and that Irene had been bold enough to respond.

"This has to be a fucking joke..." you said, not being able to believe it. "Fuck, I'm sorry, honey... that woman is the… worst fucking kind."

"Yes she is," Jihye nodded. "She's an inconsiderate, selfish, petty bitch."

"Look, these people want something," you said. "They haven't done anything with the photo yet."

Before you knew it, the girls were already almost halfway through the encore while the two of you were talking.

"Call him," Jihye said, crossing her arms, uneasily. "We have to know what the hell he wants."

You nodded, and with your hand still shaking you called the fucking bastard, but the tone rang only once before the call was rejected. Seconds later, however, you started receiving new messages from him.

"Fuck, a damn private hangar will require a damn private jet," Jihye complained, after seeing the messages with you. "On top of that we'll have to change the damn flights."

Jihye stepped aside and activated big boss mode. The reason for her rush was that you had originally planned to stop in Los Angeles that night, and then leave for Korea the next day. Unfortunately there was no choice but to let that remain the case, but awkward last-minute adjustments had to be made.

She worked with the efficiency that characterized her. Call after call, with concise words, quick negotiations and quick document management. Even in the current state you were in, you couldn't help but be once again surprised by how she worked. What a woman.

By the time the encore ended, Jihye already had everything perfectly coordinated and resolved. Then your next objective was to hurry to the dressing room. When you arrived, you two stood in front of the door to make sure that no one else entered, only the girls.

They didn't take long to arrive, but those minutes felt like tense hours of uncertainty. You watched them walk down the hallway straight toward you, laughing and chattering. Minjeong noticed yours and Jihye's faces, and combined with the rumors that were probably already running through the halls, it made her already know what was going on. She took a deep breath and looked away, acting strong. But it wouldn't be easy for her; she had the guillotine caressing the back of her neck.

"Get their asses in here! Now!" Jihye yelled at Rina as soon as they were four meters away.

The smiles between them faded. Jimin looked at Jihye confused. But she had no choice but to obey and go in with the girls. The two of you followed them inside, while they all sat on the couch right at the back. But Jimin, fidgeting and still standing, crossed her arms and looked at Jihye.

"What happened now?" she asked, tired. "Everything went wonderfully up there, why do you have that face?"

“Babe, tell them what happened or I swear I will kill that bitch right now,” Jihye told you without looking at you. She had her eyes fixed on Minjeong, who began to look more nervous with each passing second.

You licked your lips and opened your phone to look for the photo. You shook your head, undecided whether to show them the photo or not.

"Ugh.." you sighed, taking slow steps towards them. "This is so fucked up. I'm sorry girls."

You showed them the screen so they could see the photo. At first they thought it was a joke and that you were just bragging about your last night with Ning and Minjeong, but when you provided the context and showed who had sent the photo, the mocking smiles turned into horrified expressions.

"Minjeong-ah!" Rina screamed, her fists clenched and her cheeks burning red. "You fucking crazy whore! What have you done?! Have you gone crazy?!"

Aeri stood next to Rina and faced Minjeong, who had her head down still sitting on the couch.

"Of all the damn people you could screw up, you do it with your fucking sisters?!" Aeri asked, indignant, and gave her a rough shove with her knuckles on her forehead. "How can you fucking think of it! Damn bitch!"

The screams of Aeri, Jihye and Rina took over the room. You stood there, wanting to join the round of insults as well, but there was no need. She needed nothing more than the scolding and contempt of those closest to her. But everything went completely silent when Ning's heartbroken sobs could be heard.

"H-how..." she muttered thinly, her hands in her lap. "How could you...? I-... I trusted you… but you're so awful..."

Ning then stood up, and without giving Minjeong a single glance, nor removing her makeup, nor changing a single article of clothing, rushed out of the room in tears. Jihye looked at her with a frown, and let out a frustrated growl.

"You handle the situation here," Jihye told you. "I'll go after her to make sure she's okay."

You nodded, and Jihye hurriedly grabbed Ning's duffle bag before running out of the dressing room to catch up with her.

Alone with the other girls again, the smell of betrayal tainted the air around you and burdened you with nothing but hatred and disappointment for that girl. You approached them, and stood right in front of Minjeong, who had tears in her eyes.

"Why?" you asked quietly, breaking the silence. "Why would you do this to Ning? You're supposed to protect the people you care about, Minjeong, not… stab them in the fucking back..." you swallowed and gritted your teeth. "Ning is right... you are awful."

Minjeong looked like she wanted to disappear at that moment. Her gaze screamed, imploring for the earth to swallow her forever. She pulled her legs up onto the couch, and curled up against the corner of it while she hugged them. Tears began to run down her cheeks.

"I… I did it to protect them..." she said, her voice cracking with shame. "I did it because I care about them."

You, Aeri and Jimin remained completely silent, dumbfounded. Of all the possible answers you were expecting, that one wasn't even among them, and that's why it sounded fucking shameless.

Jimin made a face of rage, and without thinking twice she launched into hitting Minjeong on her shoulders and legs with the palm of her hand. Aeri didn't even bother to stop her, but you quickly wrapped your arms around her waist to pull her away from Minjeong between punches in the air.

"No, fuck, wait!" you screamed. "I want to see where she goes with this, let her fucking talk."

Minjeong, who had been covering herself from Rina's blows with her arms, finally showed her tear-filled face and she looked at the three of you, scared.

"I know it seems crazy..." she started, and looked at Jimin and Aeri. "But isn't it annoying what the industry constantly does to us?" she asked, holding on tightly to her legs. "How they take in little girls from the time they are young, make them train in inhumane conditions... make them follow extreme diets that only a crazy person would dream of! Damn! They even want to control every aspect of their damn lives as if they were puppets!"

Rina still seemed furious and wanted to beat the crap out of her, but she patted your forearm as a sign that you could let her go. Aeri just stood there with a frown, receptive to what she said but still with unconcealable disappointment.

"Just look at what they did to Jihye and Irene!" she protested, more tears falling down her cheeks. "They ended Jihye's career just because she fell in love! Because she had a human feeling! Fuck! They're monsters! And if that weren't enough, when you don't do well on the charts and your sales drop, it doesn't matter how successful you are and no matter how much you have given them, they throw you away like a damn toy," she began to shake with anger and frustration. "It's unfair, girls, it's a fucking rubbish life!"

The three of you exchanged glances, surprised. You couldn't help but resonate with what she said, all true that were always overlooked. It was a side of Minjeong that you never expected to know. Her... human side. The one who had been absent since the very beginning of the tour.

"But... Minjeong," you said, still a little bewildered because things still didn't add up. "How could feeling that way, even if justified, have led you to do such a horrible thing?"

Minjeong looked into your eyes for a few brief seconds and then looked between her own knees.

"Before the tour... Irene approached me after hearing from Seulgi that they were looking for someone to play your role," she shook her head, lower lip trembling. "She talked to me about how fucking cruel the industry could be... How you were very lucky if you reached 30 without children and without relationships, and how if you were not lucky you were discarded in your 20s, without skills and in debt for life for the cost of training."

As soon as you heard Irene's name all the pieces started to fall into place for you. Aeri's face softened, and Rina's too, now the two of them only seemed to be able to feel pity. Sadness.

"She… she told me that she had a plan for all of this, but she told me that she couldn't do it alone," Minjeong continued, and looked at the girls. "I'm so sorry, girls, I swear things weren't supposed to turn out this way," she held up her hands to let her explain.

»"Everything went wrong at that dinner when Ning got sick. I was supposed to be the one who was going to get sick and have to leave. Then the reporter would catch me and the donkey in the alley, and that would start the rumors. Then at another point I was supposed to send a photo of me and him having sex. Ning was never supposed to be caught up in this."

»"Irene's initial plan was to cause a scandal so big with a group so popular that both the media and netizens would have no choice but to make a... chip change. The following months would be fucking rude, yeah, but given the connections of my family with the company bosses... there was simply no way they could terminate my contract."

»"All of this would force the industry to go in a different direction. Dating scandals would no longer be big news... and idols maybe, just maybe, might be able to get their lives back."

Every word she said did nothing but make the three of you sympathize with her. Fuck, she was just another damn victim. Irene was a miserable fucking bitch for wanting to take advantage of the naivety of a girl who only wanted the best for the people she loved.

"After the reporter caught you and Ning in the alley, I tried to cancel everything, but Irene... Irene didn't give in. She said that it didn't change anything, that it was more in our favor because of the fact that Ning was a Chinese idol."

»"Then when we were on the way to Mexico she called me and told me that this was my last chance to get her what she needed," she put her hands up to her face and dug her nails into her scalp. "And… she threatened me. She told me that if she didn't get it, then she would make public the meeting SM had with your clients. Hell, she even sent me the damn recording."

She removed her hands from her face and wiped the tears from her eyes with her forearms.

"I had no choice, guys... if I didn't do what she told me, a lot more people were going to get hurt. I didn't want that…"

With that, for you Minjeong became the villain of a poorly told story. Your anger towards her completely disappeared, and you were sure the girls' did too. Instead it turned to one damn person. That fucking bitch who must have been having such a great time in Korea.

You had mixed feelings. Part of you was angry for Irene, but the other knew that no matter how wrong and unconscionable her path was, her hatred for the system was more than justified. Still, what Irene had done with that poor girl was beyond forgiveness.

Guided by what your heart demanded of you at that moment, you went and sat next to Minjeong to surround her with your arms, with a tight hug that she accepted by snuggling against your chest and clinging to your waist.

She burst into tears again. That's when the girls joined in the hug, Aeri behind you and Rina on the armrest of the couch.

"Honey… why didn't you talk to us?" you asked softly, caressing her hair. "We're supposed to be a family… we could have helped."

"I was afraid you wouldn't feel that way after knowing I agreed to Irene's plan in the first place," she managed to say between uncontrolled sobs. "I was afraid you would hate me from the beginning."

"Baby, don't be silly," Rina said, her hand on her back. "We are sisters. We always have each other's backs."

Aeri behind you nodded.

"You just had to... I don't know, be honest," she said. "That bitch was blackmailing you! Ugh, how could Jihye be with a person like that!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Minjeong repeated over and over, gradually calming her sobbing. "I love all of you girls, and you too, even if you don't believe it" she gave you an affectionate pat on the chest. "I never wanted to do this."

"It's ok... breathe, calm down," you said. "We believe you, and we forgive you. But next time, talk to us, please."

Minjeong could only nod repeatedly, the side of her face still buried in your chest. You just let her be. She needed a moment for herself to let it all go, and given the circumstances, it was better for her to do it now and for her to prepare for everything that was coming.

After a couple of minutes of comforting and pampering Minjeong, she moved away from your chest and looked embarrassed at how she had left your hoodie soaked with tears.

"Fuck, I'm sorry," she said in a small voice, trying to use her hand to blot the stain.

You giggled and grabbed her wrist to make her lower her hand.

"It doesn't matter," you said. "Go pick up your things, we have to hurry."

"Why?" Rina asked. "I thought the flight would be later."

"That bastard called me to a meeting in Seoul for tomorrow, so we're against the clock."

"Fuck, yes we are," she huffed. "Aeri-chan, come on. Grab Minjeong's things."

Aeri nodded and quickly stood up to go collect both her and Minjeong's belongings. You also stood up to go help Rina.

"By the way," Aeri said as she put things into a bag. "If you're going to beat up someone, count me in as a fucking juggernaut. I want to kill those two."

"Believe me, you'll have to fight for that spot with Jihye," you replied from across the room, helping Rina do a quick top change.

"And with me," Rina said.

"And with me..." Minjeong also said, softer.

With all the girls' things packed away, the four of you rushed out of the dressing room. You were halfway down the hallway when you received messages from Jihye.

With that known, the baton of that passed to you and Rina. The two of you moved quickly, talking to several members of the staff to get a ride to the airport as soon as possible. A couple of forced calls had to be made, but finally you were able to leave the arena without any further complications.

The ride in the van was quiet and peaceful. An extraordinary situation if you thought about everything that had happened in less than two hours. The girls were relaxing, looking at their phones and listening to music. But you couldn't do one thing or the other, you were all the way looking out the window and biting your lips.

There was another thing that didn't let you stay calm. For this you went to Minjeong, who was right next to you.

"Hey," you poked her thigh a few times. She took off her headphones and looked at you. "If you were supposed to be the one who was going to get sick at the restaurant... how the hell did Ning end up getting sick?"

"Ah, that's easy," she said. "I had put a couple of eye drops in my drink that night, but the dumbass girl mistook her glass for mine and well..." she shrugged. "By the time I realized it was too late."

Your poker face could have been framed at that moment and gone directly into the annals of history. All that trouble thanks to Ning acting like Ning. It seemed like a stand up comedy routine, but you didn't like it at all.

Aeri laughed in front of you. She turned to look at you.

"Is that why you were so mad at her?" she asked, between small giggles. "The men we met must have thought you were an alcoholic, I'm sure."

Butterfly effect at its best. A thing as tiny, as insignificant as a confusion of glasses caused all that. A fucking cataclysm of biblical proportions in which you were directly involved. Fucking awesome.

When you arrived at the airport you had the fastest check-in so far. The staff tried to detain you longer than they should for stupid unnecessary protocols, but after a frantic tug-of-war between you and the woman who was checking the passports, she let you out to the runway where your jet was waiting for you.

Jihye was waiting for you outside, on the side of the boarding stairs. Ning was not with her; surely she was already settled inside the cabin. She seemed impatient, arms crossed as she looked to her sides. When she noticed you, however, you saw the anger on her face again.

"Are those two involved in all this shit too or what?!" she shouted over the turbines, seeing how Rina and Aeri were arms linked with Minjeong.

You only managed to make a face of discomfort and make a gesture with your hands for her to calm down. She obeyed you and didn't say anything, she just ordered the girls to get on the jet.

"I hope for a good explanation," she said as you stood in front of her.

“Irene blackmailed Minjeong,” you said, a lump in your throat from the rage that saying that made you. "She took advantage of a girl who thought was doing the right thing. I… I'll tell you the details when we're on the air."

You expected Jihye to burst out cursing, but she simply closed her eyes and lowered her head, shaking it slowly. You didn't need to ask her to know that she carried a great disappointment in who was once the woman she loved.

“Get on the plane…” she told you, nodding toward the stairs.

You rarely disobeyed an order from her, but this time you did so to wrap your arms around her and snuggle her against your chest. She made no complaints, she just held onto you tightly. You kissed her head, and then her forehead, and then her cheek.

"Everything will be okay, honey," you told her, and she looked up at you with glassy eyes. "Don't think about that bitch. We'll get through this together."

"Thank you..." she said. "Fuck, I want to kiss you, but then I'd be a fucking walking contradiction."

"One more time won't hurt anyone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Jihye wrapped her arms around your neck, and without thinking twice she connected her lips to yours in a subtle, loving kiss. You hugged her waist, gently pressing her against you. After a few seconds you were forced to separate.

"Now, get on the damn plane," she said against your lips. "We have to get out of here."

"At your service, your grace," you smiled, and gave her one last quick kiss before stepping away from her and boarding the jet.

When you went up you found a more than moving scene. Minjeong and Ning were crying in their arms. Apparently Minjeong had already explained everything to her and apologized. Ning forgave her, but those two stood with rivers of tears in their eyes for a long time until they were forced to sit down by the pilot's orders.

You and Jihye went to settle in the cabin at the back of the jet, separated from the girls, as you had been doing for a while. You settled into the seats in front of the sofa. It was when the jet took off that you began to tell the whole story to Jihye.

"Fuck... I can't help but feel a little sorry for that harpy," Jihye said once you finished speaking, her gaze fixed on the table between the two of you. "But that would have destroyed the girls... it would never have changed the industry. Minjeong was naïve enough to believe that, but Irene took advantage of her innocence. It was a very screwed up thing for her to do."

After a brief conversation on the topic, you and Jihye focused on independently sending messages to both Irene and the reporter, letting them know that you would be at the place they had indicated at the indicated time.

Jihye then started sending emails to her superiors at SM. Her main reason was a request for logistical help at the same time that she recounted the entire situation in great detail, as much as she could.

When she finished, you invited the girls to come to the cabin to discuss with them all the options you had to deal with the situation. This debate lasted throughout the 4-hour flight.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles you made a stop of just 45 minutes to refuel the jet, so in a short time you were on your way to Seoul.

The girls had returned to their cabin, and now you and Jihye were alone again. About half an hour after takeoff, she stood up and went to sit next to you on the couch, then she hugged you tightly. It was a sudden display of affection, so you looked at her confused.

"What's going on?" you asked, kinda worried.

"I'm sorry for all those horrible things I said in Mexico City..." she said under her breath. "I was very rude to you, and you didn't deserve that.”

"Honey… you have nothing to apologize for," you replied, reaching an arm behind her back to rub it. "I know you didn't really mean what you said, you were just… scared."

"It doesn't matter, I know I made you feel really bad," she looked into your eyes, her chin against your chest. "And I'm awful for that."

"Jihye, I know awful people, and you're not one of them," you kissed her forehead. "Don't you dare say that again."

"Just fucking forgive me," she said again. "I would never believe those things about you, and you know it."

"I know you wouldn't. It’s okay," you nodded. "I forgive you, silly. If we could forgive Minjeong, I don't see why not you."

Jihye gave a small smile and let out a relieved breath.

"Thank you, dear," she said. "I was going to cry until you did it if you refused."

You both laughed. Then Jihye stood up.

"I'm going to tell the girls to come here," she told you. "I need to use the TV for the conference."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" you asked.

"No. If someone else is there things will only be worse, and I need to argue with the old men while all their attention is on me."

You sighed and sank into the couch, arms crossed with your phone face down on top of your chest.

"If you say so."

Jihye slid the cabin door open and called out to the girls. The four entered in a disorganized single file. Rina and Ning quickly sat on the couch with you, one on your left and the other on your right. Aeri and Minjeong took the seats in front.

"Make yourselves comfortable," Jihye said from under the door frame. "I know you hate leaving me alone in the snake pit, but if we want our plan to work we need the support of the big guys. See you later."

Before anyone could say anything she left the cabin and closed the door. The next thing you heard was the sound of a conversation in the distance, but you couldn't understand a word of what was being said. You were basically five teenagers waiting for her mother to finish talking to the principal to get you out of detention.

"Fuck, what now?" Aeri asked, sinking into her seat. "I hate feeling useless."

"We have no choice but to wait," you said. "Jihye must have everything under control, let's just trust."

"Yeah but we have to do something in the meantime," Minjeong said, looking out the jet window. "I'm going to die of fucking boredom."

"We could play something," Rina said from beside you, her legs raised on top of yours. She had her head resting on the armband.

"Play what?" you asked. "We didn't even bring board games."

"I have cards," she shrugged.

"Don't you have games on your phones?" Ning asked. "Among Us?"

"Are you going to make me reinstall that shit again?" Minjeong asked. "No one ever believes me! You make my life impossible."

"Because you're terrible at killing passengers, dumbass," Rina said. "Literally everyone sees you."

"Hurry up and install the game, then," you said with a sigh, knowing you had no choice.

An hour of play passed when you finally got bored and quit. The next thing you tried was various card games. Some were more entertaining than others, but none of them ended up achieving their goal, which was to make you try to ignore what was happening in the next cabin. You also tried to tell funny personal anecdotes, but there was no way you could concentrate.

Aeri suddenly stood up, already desperate.

"Ok, none of this shit is working," she then, in a quick move that left you dumbfounded, removed the tank top she was wearing to reveal her black lace bra. "I remember that the trip to the USA had been much more fun."

Well, here you went again. You sighed, knowing you couldn't control what was about to happen.

"Oh yeah... I think I know what Gigi means," Rina said from beside you, and then she pulled one leg up to bring her foot to your cock, rubbing it over your sweatpants. "Let's spice things up a bit."

"Anything's better than waiting around doing nothing..." Ning said from your right, joining Rina's foot with her hand. Both of them made your cock start to wake up.

Ning snuggled up against the side of your body and sought out your lips to kiss you. You accepted her advances, in a kiss that started slow and grew in passion and desire as the seconds passed. Rina had removed her foot from your cock, which left Ning's hand alone to continue squeezing and massaging your now hard bulge.

You heard movement to your left. Rina was undressing, judging by the sound of her skirt zipping down and then the article of clothing falling to the floor. You confirmed your suspicions when you felt her mouth on your neck and her hand under your sweater, rubbing your abdomen.

"Guys, do you really want to fuck at a time like this?" Minjeong asked. The question caused you and Ning to stop kissing and turn to look at her with frowns. Rina also stopped to look at her. And Aeri, who was just undressing, made a confused face.

"Girl, are you feeling okay?" Aeri asked, and put the back of her hand on her neck to check if she had a fever. "You never turn down sex, no matter the circumstances."

Minjeong was silent for a moment, staring at her. Then, after a few seconds she stood up and took off the baggy hockey jersey she was wearing. Underneath she was wearing nothing, just a tiny white thong that did little to hide any skin. She then bent over the table between the two seats with a mischievous little smile, so that Aeri could admire her ass.

"I'm just kidding, silly," she said. "Now come and eat my ass, will you?"

From that moment on everything followed its natural course. Aeri was on equal terms with Minjeong, now only in a pair of black lace panties as she knelt behind her and kissed her pale buttocks, hands on her thighs.

On your side, before Ning could kiss you, Rina got ahead of her and grabbed your chin so that you could now kiss her. Ning took advantage of that moment to completely undress herself just like Rina had a moment ago. Then you put your hands to the action, an arm around both of their waists to grope their asses and legs.

Ning took over undressing you. First she took off your sweater, then she pulled down your sweatpants and boxers in one go. You lifted your hips to make it easier for her, and soon you were naked just like the two of them.

Rina's hand went straight to your cock, already completely hard and throbbing. She slowly masturbated you, in the middle of a torrid kiss with tongue included. On the other hand, Ning was now the one kissing both your neck and shoulders, but she also brought her hand to your balls to massage them gently.

Soon you heard moans. Minjeong's moans.

"Why don't you two suck my cock?" you asked Rina in the middle of the kiss. "I'd also like to see the little show in front of us."

Ning had heard what you said to Rina, so she instantly settled face down next to you. Rina did the same to your left. Ning took your cock in one hand, and with Rina also taking position near it, began to fill the side of it with wet kisses and licks. Rina joined Ning's mouth, imitating her on the other side of your shaft.

With your vision clear you could finally see what was happening less than two meters in front of you. Aeri was kneeling behind Minjeong; she had pushed her panties aside, and had her face buried between her buttocks, eating both her ass and her pussy. Her hand also played an important role, rubbing her clit in increasingly faster circles.

Minjeong's gaze, who was looking over her shoulder at Aeri, met yours. Both of you stared at each other, while Ning and Rina licked and kissed the sides of your cock and also each sucked on your balls. Minjeong bit her lip and let out a louder moan, hungry for you as well.

“You’re eager to have daddy’s cock in your mouth too huh?” you teased between gasps. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn, but you’ll have to cum for me first.”

“Then I wanna watch you cum too daddy,” she said, her hips bucking into Aeri’s face.

“You heard Minjeongie, girls,” you told Rina and Ning, reaching out with both arms to grope both of their asses, squeezing and caressing. "Fill daddy's cock with saliva and drain it."

Rina mostly took that as a call to a challenge, because she was the first to grab your cock by the base and guide it into her mouth. She started with just the tip, swirling her tongue around it and then sucking on those few inches. Ning took advantage of that to continue licking up and down your entire shaft, but now she did it in a sloppy way just on purpose, spilling saliva everywhere.

You brought both of your hands between the cheeks of both of them, to reach their pussies and rub their wet folds up and down. After a few seconds, you sucked on your two pairs of middle and ring fingers to bring them inside their pussies. Rina moaned around your tip, and then took in more inches of your cock. Now she pumped her head up and down, about a little more than half of your shaft.

Minjeong became a quivering mess of moans at the scene and thanks to the arduous efforts of Aeri, who was now pumping her fingers in and out of Minjeong's tight pussy while eating her ass out. Her gaze was nowhere else but your cock and your eyes.

Rina stopped after a few seconds, now giving way to Ning, who now took your cock into her mouth and began to devour it hungrily. She got straight to the point from the start, spitting on your shaft to give you a fast and messy blowjob that would set the pace for Rina from then on.

Not wanting to be left behind you moved your wrists faster by the second, to the point where Minjeong's moans were joined by the sounds of your fingers going in and out of wet flesh, the moans of Rina and Ning, and the sounds of your cock being slurped non-stop.

The two mouths on your cock were doing wonders. Rina and Ning had coordinated to each take your cock every few seconds, and in the moments when one sucked you, the other licked you in every possible part. At one point they even met at your tip to swirl both tongues and have a brief make out session with your cock in the middle.

The first to cum thanks to your finger pumping was Ning, who despite having your cock in her mouth didn't stop and remained faithful to the order you had given her. With Rina you had to try a little harder, but just a minute later she came too, and in response she gave you a deep throat worthy of rolling your eyes back and curling your toes.

"Make him cum for god's sake!" Minjeong squealed between moans. "I want to see his delicious cum shoot out everywhere..."

Rina pulled you out of her mouth and used her hand to masturbate you at an almost inhuman speed. Ning then did her part by licking your tip in every way possible, both with swirls, concentrating on your urethra, and also using the tip of her tongue for the sides.

You pulled your fingers out of their pussies and grabbed onto their buttocks. Your breathing became labored, a warning that you were about to explode. Your moans overlapped with Minjeong's, whom you met eyes with seconds before reaching your peak with a grunt.

With the first drop of your semen shot out, Ning left your tip and together with Rina began to kiss and lick up and down the sides of your shaft, while the jets of cum ran like rivers down your cock. Drops fell on both of their faces, but that didn't stop them from stimulating your cock with their tongues.

The longed-for scene from Minjeong made her cum too, in a maelstrom of moans and intense spasms that Aeri managed with two strong hands planted on her small waist. Minjeong pushed her ass against Aeri's face, grinding desperately.

"That's a good fucking girl," you panted, still being drained by Ning and Rina, who shared your load in the process of cleaning every inch of your cock.

"Now, are you going to fuck my mouth or not, daddy?" she asked, already impatient.

"On your knees then," you said, and patted Rina and Ning on the back to get them to move away, which they did without complaint.

Aeri pulled away from Minjeong's ass and stood up the moment you approached the two of them. Minjeong got on her knees in front of you and immediately took your cock into her mouth without even using her hands. You wrapped your arm around Aeri's waist, pulling her towards you to press her body against the side of your torso and kiss her.

You used your skills to unclasp Aeri's bra with one hand, and with that same hand you also pulled her panties down to at least mid-thigh. Aeri just had to finish the job, and now you were all officially naked.

You and Aeri kissed for a few long seconds as Minjeong sucked your cock like it was her first meal in years, while Aeri groped your body all over. Hands on your chest, back, abdomen and even your ass.

“Don’t you want some cock in your mouth too, cutie?” you asked Aeri, with a whisper.

She giggled and bit your lip playfully.

“I’d love to, daddy,” she whispered back. “Only if you promise to let me ride you so you can fuck my ass later.”

“I don’t even have to promise,” you said with a sly grin. “The best ass in the group can ride me whenever she wants.”

“We have a deal then,” she said, and licked your mouth from bottom to top before kneeling beside Minjeong.

“Stop and stick your tongue out for daddy, little slut,” you said, watching as Minjeong slurped on your cock.

She complied after a few seconds, her hands on her own thighs and her tongue now out for you. You wasted no time. You took your cock in one hand and flicked it a few times against her tongue, then guided it into her mouth and pushed until you reached her throat.

"Make her choke on your cock daddy," Aeri said from beside Minjeong, watching the scene. "It'll be her little punishment for what she did."

You agreed to Aeri's idea, and put both of your hands on the sides of Minjeong's head to bury your cock even deeper, without any mercy. Her nose was pressed against your pubis, and your balls against her chin. Minjeong scrunched up her face, and looked at you with watery eyes as she gagged against your cock. You'd think she was struggling, but within seconds she moaned in pleasure. She clung to your thighs and dug her nails into your flesh, before motioning for you to stop.

"Holy mother of god..." she said with a sharp gasp of air as you pulled your cock out of her mouth, strings of saliva everywhere. "I don't know how I could have wanted any other cock than this... what a fucking wonder."

She slurped up all the saliva on your cock between sucks and licks, then spit it back onto your shaft and stroked it quickly. Aeri watched everything with hungry eyes, so before you moved on to fucking Minjeong's mouth, you took your cock inside Aeri's mouth.

Aeri welcomed you into her mouth with a moan. She then wrapped two fingers around your base and gave you a sloppy, messy, frantic blowjob as well. You put a hand on her head, as she pumped her lips along the length of your cock. Meanwhile, so as not to leave Minjeong with nothing in her mouth, you gave her your fingers still wet with Rina's fluids for her to suck on.

After letting Aeri have her turn with your cock, you pulled it out and replaced the fingers you had in Minjeong's mouth with yours. This time instead of making her hold you down her throat you started moving your hips, slow at first to get her comfortable and then in a frenzy of thrusts against her throat.

The dynamic for the next couple of minutes was fucking Minjeong's mouth for a little while and then letting Aeri suck your cock for another while. In the process they had been groping each other, each with their hand between the other's thighs. Minjeong's mouth was a mess, smeared with saliva that was spilling from everywhere and falling straight onto her thighs and small tits. Soon she couldn't contain how horny she felt and made you stop.

"I need you to fuck me daddy... right now," Minjeong said, looking at you with tears running down her cheeks. "Rail me, make me yours, use me, anything as long as I have your cock inside me."

That particular day you had a soft spot for Minjeong. Maybe it was because of what had happened, or maybe it was just how stupidly gorgeous she was at that moment. Whatever the case, your carnal impulses drove you to do nothing but comply with her pleas.

You fell to your knees with the two of them, and your first instinct was to pull them both together to share a three-way kiss. In the midst of exchanging saliva you brought your hands between their thighs, to rub those already extremely wet folds. Aeri stroked your cock in the process, then rubbed it between Minjeong's folds.

"How do you think I should fuck Minjeongie, Aeri-chan?" you asked.

"Missionary..." she replied. "That way I can sit on her face so she can eat me out and you can spank me."

"I couldn't agree more."

You grabbed Minjeong by the waist and with a subtle push made her sit on the floor. She then lay on her back, and spread her legs wide for you. You settled between them, and rested your cock on her belly for a moment to admire what you noticed out of the corner of your eye.

Ning and Rina were still on the couch. Ning on top of Rina, in a sensual 69 in which they ate each other's pussies between sensual moans. You had heard a series of squeals from Ning just a moment ago, so you deduced that she had already cum and that now only Rina was missing.

As much as you wanted to keep watching the hot scene, Minjeong was already writhing her hips beneath you in desperation for you to fuck her. And why make her wait? You turned your gaze forward, finding that Aeri had already sat on top of Minjeong's face, her perfect round ass facing you. So, without much further ado, you grabbed your cock and took it inside Minjeong's tight wet pussy.

"Fuck her hard daddy... mmmgh," Aeri moaned, grinding herself sensually against Minjeong's face. "It benefits all three of us."

Once your cock was all the way inside Minjeong's pussy, you placed your hands on her perfect little waist and began pumping in and out quickly, not giving her time to get used to your thickness as Aeri had been preparing her for it before. The reaction soon came, as Minjeong squealed again and again against Aeri's pussy.

Aeri's ass looked too fucking tempting just a few feet away from you. You didn't even have to lean too far in order to give her the first spank, to which she responded with a moan.

"Mmmgh! You like the view huh?" she asked, biting her lip, looking over her shoulder at you. "Spank me hard daddy, don't you dare hold back!"

You placed your left hand on Minjeong's thigh and held onto it, while with the other hand you spanked each of Aeri's cheeks over and over, making her ass jiggle over Minjeong's face, who had her gripped by her meaty, strong thighs. Within seconds Aeri's ass was on fire, both cheeks bright red.

Once you were momentarily sated with Aeri's ass you could focus entirely on Minjeong. You brought your right hand back and placed it on her other thigh, and now you pulled both of them back, to leave them as far back and close to her torso as possible. Then you started fucking her as hard and as fast as she loved, with the never-failing enticing sight of your cock bulging her belly.

"Would you like some company?" Rina's voice said to your left.

She suddenly appeared in your line of vision, kneeling in front of Aeri to make her suck on her tits. You felt Ning behind you; she wrapped her arms around your waist, and you felt her tits press against your back as she kissed your neck and shoulder blades.

"You're gonna fill Minjeongie's pussy with your load, daddy?" Ning asked in your ear. "You shouldn't be long from cumming... those two sucked your cock almost as well as me and Jiminie."

Ning reached out a hand and as you hammered Minjeong's pussy, she began rubbing her clit in a way that made her scream in pleasure immediately. Within seconds, thanks to your combined efforts, Minjeong came for the second time, crushing your cock with her tight, throbbing walls.

This didn't stop you, as you felt very close to your own orgasm. Minjeong screamed non-stop, overstimulated by your cock, her nails digging into Aeri's thighs, who within seconds also came in a torrent of spasms all over Minjeong's face, moaning against Rina's tits.

Next, as it could not be otherwise among so much visual and auditory stimuli, was you. A few frantic pumps were enough for you to bury yourself deep inside Minjeong's pussy, shooting your load inside her between loud grunts. Ning moaned behind you, turned on by the sounds you were making, and then grabbed your chin to turn your head and kiss her.

"I don't care what any of you say," you heard Aeri say. "I'm going to be the next one to have that cock inside me."

"Such a capricious whore," Rina complained with a snort. "Whatever."

After a few seconds of pumping and making out with Ning, you broke the kiss and looked down as you pulled your cock out of Minjeong. Your cum seeped like a waterfall between her folds, and Ning gently nudged you away to get on her hands and knees and scoop it all up with her tongue.

"I need a fucking break, you know?" you said to Aeri and Rina, as you sat down next to Minjeong. "I'm not made of steel. So bring those delicious tits over here so I can eat them."

Rina and Aeri looked at each other with a little smile and nodded. Aeri got up from Minjeong's face, who was finally able to take a proper and well-deserved breath. Then they both crawled towards you, Rina sat on your left thigh, and Aeri on the right. You wrapped your arms around both of their waists, and without being able to stop looking at that pair of perfect breasts, you began to eat them.

You started with Rina's first. You gave kisses, licks and sucks, both on and around her nipples, while with your hands you grabbed their asses. You only squeezed Rina's buttocks, but you started playing with Aeri's butthole, preparing it for what was about to happen.

By the time you moved on to Aeri's tits, they had both started grinding against your thighs. You felt their soft, wet pussies rub against your skin, which slowly brought your cock back to life, but Rina, knowing that you needed a little help, used her hand to stroke you with the proper gentleness that you needed until you were hard again.

To your right you could see Minjeong and Ning wrapped in each other's arms, writhing on the floor in the middle of a passionate kiss with hands reaching into every possible corner of their bodies. Who knew that until a few hours ago you thought that these two would hate each other to death for life. Or well, Ning to her.

"Too bad my lube is in my damn suitcase," Aeri panted, clinging to your neck as she rubbed herself hard against your thigh.

"Nuh-uh," you heard Minjeong say in the middle of her kiss with Ning. "I always have my little bottle in my bag."

"And where's your fucking bag?" Aeri asked.

"On the fucking table!" Minjeong replied, annoyed that she kept interrupting her kiss with Ning. "Are you a blind bitch or what?"

"I'll look for it," Rina said. "So you don't say I'm not a good leader later."

Rina gave Aeri a hard spank and stood up, leaving you alone with her. Aeri soon took your entire lap to herself, adjusting her thighs on either side of your hips to wrap her arms around your neck. You continued to suck on her tits, round, firm and soft, until she raised her hips and, in an action that took you by surprise, grabbed your cock in one hand and impaled herself on it.

You both let out a long moan in unison as your cock was swallowed deep by that silky, wet pussy. You took your mouth off her tits to look at her with a frown.

"I thought I would fuck your ass," you said, wrapping your arms around her waist to squeeze both of her ass cheeks tightly.

"You said I could ride you whenever I wanted, right?" She raised an eyebrow, both hands cupping your face as she began to move up and down. "That's exactly what I do."

A few seconds later Rina came back, lube in hand. She saw what was happening and frowned, arms crossed.

"Now what do I do with this?" she said, referring to the lube.

"Well, use it, don't you think?" you asked between gasps, delighted with the way Aeri made your cock go in and out completely, with deep and constant movements.

Luckily Rina was smart, that allowed her to know exactly what you wanted her to do. She knelt behind Aeri and used the lube to spread it first on Aeri's buttocks and butthole, then on her thighs, and finally on your cock as it went in and out of Aeri's pussy. That made the friction practically nonexistent, which drove you both crazy with pleasure.

"Just destroy his pelvis, fuck," Rina said, with another spank to Aeri. "I didn't get up to get the damn lube for nothing."

Hearing this Aeri put a hand on your chest and pushed you back to lay down. Beside you, Minjeong was eating Ning's pussy while fingering herself. Aeri then stood up from your cock and turned around, planting her feet on either side of your waist and raising her hips in a squat position.

"Will you do me the honors daddy?" Aeri asked, shaking her shiny, oily ass for you.

You bit your lip and grabbed your cock to hold it upright, rubbing it between her buttocks and pressing it against Aeri's butthole, so that she only had to lower her hips and find your manhood sliding easily into her ass. Again you and she moaned in unison.

"Oh fuck..." Aeri moaned, holding onto your thighs. "You don't know how much I'm going to enjoy this."

When her big round ass was resting against your pelvis, Aeri began to move slowly up and down. The scene that was created for you was hypnotic: your cock appearing and disappearing between that pair of beautiful and shiny buttocks, with such ease that it felt like a tight but well lubricated pussy.

Rina then positioned herself to your left, on her hands and knees. Her tits floating above your face. She looked down at you.

"You didn't expect me to just stare, did you?" she asked, and without giving you time to answer, she put one of her tits in your mouth.

You accepted the spongy breast with relish, sucking and licking it amidst the moans Aeri drew from you. You then got an arm under Rina's body, to reach her pussy and began fingering it again. This time you focused on her clit first, making quick circles, before inserting your fingers.

Aeri began to move up and down faster and faster, with bounces that could be heard throughout the cabin and reflected how hard her ass was colliding against your pelvis. By instinct your free hand went straight to one of her buttocks, to form wide circles with it and then squeeze it. Then you gave her the hardest spank you could from that position, which resonated so loudly that you were sure Jihye could have probably heard it from the next booth.

The next couple of minutes felt heavenly to you. You heard moans from every possible direction; Rina's were the closest, since her chest was still on you while you feasted on her tits and fingered her fiercely. Aeri was moaning like crazy too, jumping with such force that you felt like your body would break as easily as a fragile twig thanks to that huge ass of hers.

You couldn't tell what Ning and Minjeong were doing since your view was obstructed by black hair and a pair of heavy tits, but what you could tell thanks to their hurricane of uncontrolled moans, was that they were having a blast.

At a certain point Aeri made a hole change, now taking you inside her pussy. She continued jumping like that for a few long seconds in which you felt all kinds of sanity leave your body, and then she changed holes again. Again and again, until with one hard push against your pelvis, she came in a series of squeals and spasms.

"Mmmmghh! Fuck fuck fuuuuck!! Yes!!" she squealed, digging her nails near her knees, grinding her hips back and forth on your cock. "Fill my ass daddy pleaseee!!"

"Oh my god give me a second sweetheart," you told Rina with a moan, patting her arm to get her to move away from you.

Rina knew you were about to cum, so she didn't object and she knelt up so you had a clear view. Aeri continued bouncing on top of your cock, frantic and noisy. She removed her hands from your knees and brought them to her own buttocks, to spread them wide so that you could see in great detail how your cock entered and left her butthole. And that was it for you.

You pushed yourself forward and grabbed Aeri by her waist to push her forward. She fell to her hands and knees on the floor, and you knelt behind her to fuck her in that same position, thrusting hard and aggressively until you exploded inside her with a moan that resembled a scream on your part.

"Fuck!! Mmmgh!!" you growled, clinging tightly to Aeri's waist as you shot spurt after spurt of hot cum into her. She looked at you as best she could through her now disheveled hair, one side of her face pressed against the floor as you filled her.

"Yeah daddy..." she moaned. "That feels so good… so fucking hot and thick."

She fucked herself against you, moving her ass back and forth to finish getting those last drops of cum that you had left. When your orgasm passed, you gave one last hard spank to one of her butt cheeks—which at this point looked like two tomatoes—and pulled out of her.

You pulled back, letting Rina collect your cum from Aeri's butthole. She had gotten on all fours while she did so; you took advantage of this to get behind her, lower your head and bury your face in her pussy.

"Mmmgh!" Rina moaned against Aeri's ass before turning to look at you. "At least let me know, damn it."

You ignored her and continued with your task, which was to eat her pussy from behind her for as long as possible, while you groped her ass and her tits. When she had swallowed all your cum and left Aeri's butthole clean, she made you move away.

"Stop it, I need you to fuck me before I go crazy," she said, arching her back and spreading her knees to lift her ass up for you, supported by her forearms.

"I don't think that's the way to ask me, loser," you said, a hand on her lower back.

Rina slowly shook her ass from side to side, and also pushed it back to rub it against your cock.

"Fuck me daddy… please," she requested in a sensual slutty voice. "Your cumslut needs you to fill her… destroy her pussy and show no mercy."

You smiled and stroked her hair. So adorable.

"My cumslut huh?" you teased. "That never gets old."

Ning and Minjeong had finished their task and now set their target on Aeri. Each one took one side of the Japanese girl, and the three of them began to kiss while they fondled each other's pussies. Minjeong then buried her face in her neck, and Ning took one of Aeri's tits into her mouth to suck on it.

Back to Rina, you prepared to take your cock inside her. First you rubbed yourself between her folds. But when you were ready to enter her, the cabin door opened. Jihye showed herself under the frame with a poker face. She wasn't surprised, but she couldn't believe it anyway.

You all stopped what you were doing and turned to look at her, expecting a scolding or worse: bad news. She just sighed, shook her head and walked in with you.

"I can't leave you alone for a damn moment because you're already fucking like rabbits," she said, and walked straight over to you to kneel on your side. "You don't even wait for me!"

You turned to look at her and leaned in for a peck that she accepted.

"You still have time to join, baby," you told her after a wink.

"I'll have to wait my turn, unfortunately," she said, and took off her hat and then took off her shirt. You then put your arm around her waist, and Jihye brought a hand to your cock to rub it slowly. "I see you're ready to fuck the possessive whore."

Jihye spanked Rina hard, drawing a squeal from her that made her turn towards the two of you. She frowned at seeing you so close and confident with each other.

"Since when do you two touch each other like that?" she asked, and raised an eyebrow. "Damn it! That's what I get for leaving the damn places early, I missed your engagement ceremony!"

"Shut up and focus on taking his cock, cumslut," Jihye responded, and guided your cock into Rina's pussy, who was ready to retort before her own moan interrupted her.

With your cock already inside Rina's pussy you were able to also focus on Jihye, who to save you a lot of work undressed completely in less than a minute to return to one side of you and kiss you. She ran her hands all over your body, especially your abdomen and your back, in a kiss that, compared to the one that morning, lacked affection and overflowed with desire.

"This time I want you to fuck me hard and raw..." she said between kisses, while you pumped your hips back and forth, little by little hammering Rina's pussy harder. "You can make love to me every time we fuck alone later…"

"Why don't you get on all fours next to Rina and we'll speed up your turn a little then?" you asked, biting her lip carefully as you were in constant agitation from your thrusts into Rina's pussy.

"Don't even think I'm going to call you daddy," she gave you more kisses, and then she bit your chin lovingly. "I'd rather have my tongue cut out."

"Aha, I get it," you replied. "Go... my love."

Jihye pulled away from your lips and looked into your eyes for a few long seconds. Her cheeks were flushed, but she was forced to leave when she noticed that you had noticed. She went to Rina's side, just as you had asked, and she got into the exact same position. Rina immediately sought her out to kiss her, and Jihye gladly accepted her kiss.

A few meters to your right, Ning, Aeri and Minjeong had returned to focusing on their work. Aeri was on her back with her legs spread wide open, Ning sitting on her face while Minjeong used her tongue on her clit and her fingers to fuck her. It seemed like a scene from a perfectly rehearsed and pre-established lesbian porn scene, but you were sure that it had occurred to them spontaneously. And damn, how stupidly hot that was.

You continued hammering Rina's pussy for about a minute, with one hand on her waist and the other extended to the left, fingering Jihye's pussy and preparing it for your cock. You wanted to continue fucking Rina for a few more seconds, but in one of those, Jihye opened her eyes in the middle of the kiss with Rina and gave you a suggestive look. The translation was simple: 'Fuck me right now or deal with the consequences later.'

Then you left Rina's pussy, and now moved into Jihye's. You had to be patient with her at first, as she was still stupidly tight and wasn't as lubricated as the rest of the girls. Almost a minute passed when you were finally able to take your entire cock inside her.

"Oh fuck, girls!" you heard Minjeong say. "Look! He's fucking her for the first time! This is a milestone!"

Everyone turned to look, even Rina, who didn't seem surprised at all.

"Naive of you to think it's the first time, slut," Jihye managed to say, more focused on you than the others, as you had begun to pump your cock slowly. "Now mind your own fucking business before I get up and beat the crap out of you!"

Minjeong, Ning and Aeri laughed together.

"Enjoy daddy's cock, boss," Aeri said. "You won't find a better one anywhere."

Jihye looked into your eyes between adorable little moans. Soon you were able to start pumping faster and faster, with greater freedom of movement thanks to her pussy adapting to you and getting wet.

"I have no time or intention to find a better one..." she said, biting her lower lip. "He can rest easy about that."

And damn yes you could rest easy. Just thinking about another man or woman putting their hands on her was... damn, you'd rather poke your eyes out with a fork than have to see that or let it happen. That girl was yours. You didn't accept anything else.

But Jihye knew that. And you knew that she knew it, because she let you know it with every look she gave you. She loved making eye contact with you, admiring the faces you made, watching how you moaned, how you grunted, watching how you fucked her. You loved doing exactly the same things.

Soon you were able to fulfill what she had asked of you a second ago: fuck her fast, hard, and without any kind of mercy. It felt kind of strange doing it that way, but not necessarily bad. It was like a way to release and appease every single argument you two ever had, all the differences, all the shouting, transformed into pure pleasure.

She then began to moan non-stop, not caring about showing herself that way in front of the other girls. You didn't know how far to go with the raw part, so you didn't dare hit her, but what you did do was grab a handful of her pretty, straight, shiny hair and pull it back, while hammering her pussy.

In the process you didn't leave Rina unattended, you took your fingers inside her pussy, to pump them in and out as fast as you could. She was already beginning to demand your cock back, both with the looks she gave you and with her moans. And unfortunately for Jihye, you had to be fair, so you went back to Rina's pussy.

But Jihye didn't seem angry or annoyed, instead she put one hand under Rina's body and in an act of pure trickery, she began to quickly rub her clitoris to greatly accelerate her orgasm.

Rina couldn't complain, she was so caught up in her moans and the thrusts of your hips that she couldn't formulate a single word. You did spank her, over and over again, including strong hair pulls that you knew fascinated her.

"Fuck, what a loud bitch, right?" Minjeong said, suddenly stepping in front of Rina and spreading her legs to force her to eat her pussy. "Problem solved."

Aeri and Ning soon joined the action as well. Aeri knelt next to you, behind Jihye, she spit on her fingers and started fingering her quickly.

"Finish Rina, I'll take care of your fiancée for a bit," she teased with a giggle.

"She's not my fucking... ugh" You completely stopped getting into her jokes, you just focused on doing what she told you.

Ning had done exactly the same thing as Minjeong, only in front of Jihye so she could eat her pussy. She looked at you, eyes weak and mouth slightly open.

“Make her cum, fast,” Ning told you, her tone of voice strangely stern and commanding. "The boss and I want you to ourselves."

Shit, you really had to hurry.

Luckily for you Rina wasn't too far from her orgasm. A quick series of aggressive pumps was enough for the next pull of her hair to cause her to explode into moans and screams.

"Mmmghh!!!" she screeched, hitting the floor and grunting in pleasure, writhing her hips in pleasure. "Damn cheating whores!!"

"Bro had two full days of him fucking her non-stop and she still gets upset when she doesn't have him to herself," Aeri said with a laugh from beside you.

You pulled your cock out of Rina, and she let her belly fall downward. She remained face down, still in trembling spasms. Ning then knelt up, as did Jihye. They both fixed their gaze on you.

"All yours, champion," Aeri said from beside you. "Minjeong and I will have fun with the greedy whore."

You stood up and went directly to sit on the couch, with your legs extended to the sides and your arms on the backrest.

"Come here, cuties," you said, looking at them both as you bit your lip.

They both obeyed you immediately, going with you to the couch. Ning took your left side, and Jihye the right. Ning went straight to kiss your lips, and Jihye began to shower absolutely every part of your body with wet kisses.

“I'm going to take his cock first, boss,” Ning said over your lips, jerking you off quickly. "He hasn't fucked me today yet."

"Go ahead," Jihye said, kissing your abdomen and pubes. "But his loads are mine."

"Will you share one with me, at least?" Ning asked.

"I'm fine with that, aha," Jihye nodded.

Ning then kissed you again and turned around with her back to you. She then moved a foot over you, planting both on the couch and then grabbing her hands on the backrest. Jihye was in charge of taking your cock and aligning it with Ning's pussy, so that she only had to go down and impale herself on your cock.

"I can't believe you left Ning last," Jihye said next to you in a mocking tone, as you and Ning moaned. "All those bitches deserve it less than her."

"I don't like arguing, you know that," Ning gasped, stepping forward. She then began to move up and down, with your hands on her waist. "I don't care if those selfish whores take him first, all I care about is that he gives me the time I deserve."

Jihye knelt up and leaned towards her to kiss and suck on her tits. You also noticed that she began to touch her pussy subtly as she went up and down on your cock.

"And roughly how long is that?" Jihye asked.

"More than the time he spends with all of them, of course," Ning managed to say between moans, one hand clinging to your neck. "In fact, after this he and I will sleep alone on the couch, right?"

You laughed, and showered her back with affectionate kisses. Very surreptitiously she was marking territory. But Jihye didn't fall for her games, she just stayed silent and let you respond.

"I don't see why not," you said, reaching up with one hand to grab Ning's breast while Jihye sucked on the other.

"Jump faster, precious," Jihye said, patting Ning's inner thigh. "I want his cock too, remember?"

Ning began to jump faster on top of your cock, but surely not to please Jihye, but because her body was already demanding it that way. You continued kissing her from behind; on her neck, on the back of her neck, on her shoulders and mainly, on her beautiful back with which you had been obsessed for a long time.

After spending a few long seconds sucking on Ning's tits, Jihye got off the couch and knelt between your legs. Ning moaned louder, a sign that Jihye had intervened with her mouth on her pussy, but then you also moaned as you felt her licking you and sucking your balls.

Ning increased her speed, shifting into the fastest gear she could manage without losing consistency. You squeezed her ass with one hand, and with the other you began to rub her clit quickly. Jihye helped you as you felt her tongue over your fingers as well.

Soon Ning went crazy with pleasure and started squealing in that adorable way that only she could do. She tangled her fingers in the hair at the nape of your neck, clinging to it tightly. You wanted to take a step forward too and make her not have to work so hard, so you put your arms behind her knees, sank into the couch and lifted her legs to pull them towards you. Now, in that kind of full nelson position, you firmly planted your feet and began to fuck her hard, pumping up and down.

Jihye returned to the couch with the two of you, to get on her knees again and use her fingers to rub Ning's pussy, who after a few seconds, between both pleasure inputs, ended up cumming between sensual moans and an explosion of unbridled spasms.

Her back, pressed against your chest, twisted from side to side without stopping. You were only able to keep her still by using all the strength in your arms to grab her legs and prevent her from falling to one of her sides. When her orgasm finally passed, Jihye herself grabbed your cock and pulled it out of Ning's pussy.

"Come and let's share his load, cutie," Jihye said. "I'm sure he's crazy to see that."

"You're not wrong," you said between tired gasps.

Ning got off you, and then fell from the couch to the floor. She positioned herself between your legs, and Jihye soon joined her. Both of their pretty angelic faces were now in front of your cock. Jihye put her hand to Ning's mouth, who, understanding the message, spat out a large amount of saliva on it. Jihye then returned that hand to your cock to spread the saliva and begin to masturbate you furiously, with Ning sucking you and licking your balls.

They both stared into your eyes, and with those two pairs of beautiful sea pearls looking at you that way, while making you feel that way, they brought you embarrassingly fast to another orgasm.

When the first spurt of your cum shot out of your cock Ning and Jihye put their faces together, so that now every drop of thick hot semen painted both of their pretty faces all over.

“Oh fuck…” you moaned, writhing your hips. "I'm sure that's how you're welcomed into damn heaven."

Ning and Jihye laughed together, and their pretty smiles, still with their faces full of your cum, did nothing but make you melt with love, so you smiled like an idiot too.

"Do you still have something for me?" Jihye asked.

"Sure thing," you nodded. "But I need another rest or I'll die."

"Do you want us to snuggle with you?" Ning asked.

"Fuck, nothing would make me happier," you sighed.

Ning and Jihye first went to the right cabin, which corresponded to the bathroom. They returned shortly after, with their faces already clean, then they climbed on the couch with you and each one clung to your side while you watched the other three make a mess.

About ten minutes passed when Jihye pulled away from you and made you look at her.

"Are you ready for me or do I have to give you a whole hour?" She said with a sly smile, giving you pecks on the lips.

"We could certainly try," you replied, kissing her back. "But we'll have to use the floor."

You gestured towards Ning hugging you, she had fallen asleep a couple of minutes ago.

"I don't care where, I just want you to fuck me hard and make me cum around that big, perfect cock," she brought a hand to your shaft, rubbing it with the palm of her hand slowly.

"Then let's get to it," you gestured to the floor.

Jihye stood up immediately, and you had to move away from Ning as gently as possible so she wouldn't wake up. In the end you left her lying on the couch, peacefully asleep. Thank goodness she was a heavy sleeper.

Jihye was waiting for you standing, so you went straight to her and wrapped your arms around her waist before kissing her. You wrapped each other in a torrid and disastrous kiss, while you groped each other. You grabbed her ass, and she began to rub your cock until it regained its hardness.

When your cock was hard and throbbing again Jihye wrapped both arms around your neck, and with one jump she made you pick her up. You held her tightly, and she clung to your torso with her legs.

"Carry fuck huh?" you asked with a little smile, and buried your face in her neck to fill it with kisses.

"I don't see a better way to make me feel completely dominated by you..." she leaned closer to your ear. "And yours," she whispered.

Those last two words put your machine into overdrive. You spit into your hand, and brought it to your cock to lube it up and take it directly to Jihye's pussy. The previous advances had restarted, so you again had to be slow about taking your entire cock inside her. But it was worth every damn second of waiting when you were finally buried to the bottom.

Jihye moaned in your ear and held onto your head tightly. You grabbed onto her ass, to start pumping fast and hard from the beginning. She instinctively put a hand on your back, and with her nails she scratched it in a painfully pleasurable way.

“Oh my god,” you heard Minjeong say. "Why do the two of them look so stupidly hot fucking?"

"It's called chemistry, Minjeong-ah," Rina replied. "I don't know if you've ever experienced that with a guy."

"Nah, for what?"

You were forced to turn a deaf ear to what any of those crazy women said, and turn all ears to the woman you were fucking at that moment. You let her moans guide you, adjusting your pace and angles to make her enjoy it even more.

"God babe that feels so good... fuck fuck fuck!" Jihye moaned in your ear, and you pulled away from her neck to kiss her again. "Don't stop! I love it, I love it, I love it! Mmmgh!"

You moaned with her, and untangled her legs from your torso to now hold them in the air, hands gripping behind her knees. Jihye now, to avoid falling, was forced to hold onto your neck more tightly. But that way you could fuck her even faster at a better angle, which was noticeable in her moans and how her body responded.

A whole minute and a half passed, just fucking her in that position, until Jihye was finally able to cum. She shook in the air like an unbeatable force of nature—typical of her personality—her legs trembling as if they had been subjected to electric shocks. She pushed herself forward to kiss you again, moaning against your lips as you fucked her through her orgasm.

"Don't you dare stop, honey," Jihye managed to say between moans. "Use me however you want and cum inside me!"

With that said you walked over to the table between the two seats by the windows of the jet and sat her up there. She looked at you with eyes teary with pleasure, and you grabbed her thighs to press them back so that she could rest her head on the wall of the cabin. Then you continued fucking her with all your might.

"When I told you to fuck me raw... I meant really fucking raw, honey," she said, looking into your eyes as you shook her body so hard you were afraid you'd break the table. "Don't fucking hold back!"

In response you brought your hand to her neck, fingers gripping there to squeeze tightly. You left your other hand on her abdomen, and only then did you realize that her abdomen was also bulging with your cock. You hadn't realized it before, probably because during the entire sex you had spent only seeing her eyes.

A couple of minutes after fucking her without any mercy on that table, and after slapping, spitting and pulling her hair, you felt your last orgasm around the corner. For this you looked her in the eyes intently again, and leaned forward to do it from a very short distance. She didn't break eye contact with you, she just had her mouth half open between moans and tears falling from her eyes as she watched you growl and clench your jaw.

"Cum... my love," she just managed to say in a small voice. "Cum for me."

And as if they were magic words, just a few seconds later you sank to the bottom of her pussy and began to fill her with your load. You groaned in pleasure, and you both held each other as you shot spurt after spurt of warm cum into her tight pussy.

A few seconds passed and you, between heavy and labored breaths, moved away from her slightly to fill her entire face with kisses, stopping at her lips and sharing a slow and loving kiss with her.

"What the fuck..." you heard Aeri say. "That was the hottest shit I've ever seen in my entire life."

You and Jihye were forced to break the kiss to hide it, both of you with red-hot cheeks.

"We basically watched the best erotic movie ever," Rina said.

"Free," Minjeong added.

"You're wrong," Jihye said, tired, her eyes closed. "The price is that you will have to shut the fuck up for the rest of the trip so you don't bother me."

"Fair enough, if you ask me," Aeri said.

The conversation was interrupted when the pilot of the plane spoke, informing that you would be landing in Seoul in about an hour.

"You heard already, sluts," Jihye said. "Get dressed and rest, the damn endgame is almost there."

————————————-

Spren Notes: SHIT'S GETTING WICKED BOY. As always. Thanks for reading! MASTERLIST HERE!

#noze smut #wayb noze smut #aespa smut #karina smut #ningning smut #giselle smut #winter smut #smut fanfic #kpop smut #smut #x male reader smut #male reader smut #male reader insert

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that-sarcastic-writer · 3 months ago

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Imagine reader putting on pheromone perfume before going on a date with bf!Logan but they never made it out the door bc he got his freak on 💋💋

Godddddddd the thoughts this gave me. Explicit content under the thread. Minors dni. F!reader, P in v, unprotected sex, Logan is feral asf for his girl

He could never say not to you, no matter how much he disliked it. You could make him do anything by just batting your eyelashes at him and smiling. He had such a weak spot for you. So here he was, a nice black button-shirt replacing his usual flannel-undershirt combo. He was sighing, glancing at his watch every two minutes. You had been so adamant about going to this new restaurant that opened in town, and yet you were taking your sweet ass time.

“Darlin’, cmon you’ve been in there for like three hours.” He called out to you, impatiently tapping his fingers on his arms as he crossed them over his chest.

“You can wait two minutes Logan!” You shouted back from the bathroom as you applied the finishing touches. Your hair looked so soft and bouncy, your lips were the perfect shade of your favorite lipstick. Just one more thing.

You had bought this new perfume after your friend had told you about it, she swore it was like magic. You didn’t truly believe the pheromones in the formula would do a whole lot, but at least it smelled divine. You gave your neck two, three and four sprays, followed by your pressure points on your wrists. And with one final look of yourself in the mirror, you were happily leaving the bathroom to join your man.

Logan instantly whipped his head in the direction of the bathroom, a strange, unknown yet pleasant smell suddenly filling his nose. He scrunched up his nose in confusion as he tried to figure out just what the fuck this sudden aroma was. And then you came out of the bathroom, as pretty as ever—he thought. And then it dawned on him. That unknown smell was you. Blood rushed to his face and his heart raced as more and more of that sweet smelled filled his nose as you oh so unbothered walked up to him, a sweet smile on your face. By the time you were in front of him, his pupils were completely dilated, teeth digging into his bottom lip as he tried his best to control his primal urges.

“I’m ready.” You smiled, completely unaware of just how mad he was going over this new perfume of yours. The sweet scent mixing oh so deliciously with yours. He said nothing as he leaned down, his cheek pressing against your jaw as he took in the scent closer, straight from the source. The growl that rumbled in his throat was animalistic at best.

“Fuck dinner.” Was all he murmured into your soft skin before he was pressing you against the nearest flat surface—a wall.

You had little time to protest, with his mouth claiming yours and all. His hand reached under your dress, scrunching it up to your waist. He tugged at your panties and it took little force for the flimsy fabric to rip at the hip. Logan was unbothered by this as he ran his fingers through your slit. You were breathless, panting as you protested but you were ultimately giving into his plush lips and the delicious feeling of his fingers.

One of your legs was thrown over his shoulder, the other barely touching the floor due to his tall height as he held your by your hips. Your sweet moans were in his ear as he pressed his face into your neck, sharp canines leaving marks on the skin as he split you open with his cock. You still didn’t know what caused him to completely lose control like this. You’d expected him to end the night this way, but not before you even left out the door.

The mess of your mixed releases was dripping down your thighs, heels long forgotten somewhere on the floor. You wished you had taken pictures of your pretty makeup before it was ruined. Black residue of mascara and eyeliner stained your cheeks, your perfect lipstick stained your face, and Logan’s. And don’t even mention your hair. What a mess.

“Was it the dress?” You eventually asked in a quiet voice, your chest still heaving as you looked at him with blurry eyes. He chucked, glancing down to look at your pretty dress. It was a new one. He ultimately shook his head lightly as he gently set you down on your feet.

“It was your perfume actually.” He chuckled, pressing his nose to your jaw to give your soft skin one more inhale as he held you against him. “Is it new?”

You snorted. Well guess the pheromones did work after all. “Yeah, it has like pheromones or some shit.”

Logan pulled his face back to look at you and his eyebrows were pulled into a frown, “what now?”

“Yeah, like you know, pheromones. It’s supposed to be sexy or something.” You shrugged, pursing your lips into an innocent expression. Logan groaned.

“Fuck.” He laughed, pressing a kiss to your forehead before he was hoisting you up around his waste to take you to the bathroom. “I’ll take you to that dumb restaurant tomorrow, yeah? Just couldn’t help myself.”

“You better.” You huffed playfully as you rested your head on his shoulder.

“Just don’t wear that shit again. Unless you want me bend you over the nearest surface.”

You smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

#logan howlett x reader #Logan Howlett smut #logan howlett x you #logan howlett #wolverine x reader #wolverine smut #wolverine x you #the Wolverine

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necromancyandtendrils · 2 months ago

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Open starter; "A False Siren's call"

[ This is a starter call! Any mutuals is welcome! CRK only! ]

Note: Feel free to make any changes in the starter in your response! that include setting, or even your characters [if you are rping more than one, and so on! just do not control my own character thanks!].

Today was oddly dark, you had decided to go out on a brisk walk until you began to hear a voice that had travelled through the wind, it was singing, and oddly enough, it had power behind it, the voice seemed to be becoming you over as you could not help but to curiously make your way over to the sound,

That was when you saw it. A cookie singing to herself, alone. Did you recognize her? Regardless, the voice sounded like something that a loving mother would sing to their child if they needed to calm down...

"ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ

ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀɴᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ-

ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴄʀᴀꜱʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴋɴᴇᴇꜱ, ᴏʜʜ-

ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ?

ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀᴜᴍʙʟᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄʜᴇʀɪꜱʜᴇᴅ?

ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɢᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴛᴀᴋᴇ?

ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴀɴɪɴɢʟᴇꜱꜱ ʀᴀᴄᴇ?"

The singing died off quickly the moment she looked over and saw you staring at her, she could only see a pair of eyes from the shaded spot you were hiding in.

There was an awkward silence as she looked rather startled that you found her, her expression changed again, realizing what she must of done, it looked like she felt a bit guilty for luring you in unintentionally.

"Oh... I thought I was alone. I didn't mean to bother you."

She then looked back up to get a better look at who it was

"I know you're hiding, please show yourself, I won't hurt you."

#[ ft. candyeyecookie ]#[ main verse ]#“Musicals of the False Siren” ── * Inspirational music #“A Mother's Music” ── * [ Music/Lyrics made by the Mun ]#[ My lyrics ]#[ CRK related music ]#[ A song that relates to a few cookies. MF DC and Herself ]#“Threads divine” ── * Open Thread #[ PSPSPSPSPS- ]

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abyssalthreads · 6 months ago

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"... Augh. Stupid-Eugh. No, that won't do... "

Grumble grumble

"I gotta make this right"

He seems to be fiddling away with some files. Paperwork, none-the-less. And he seems to be tired and a tad grouchy today...

#“Shadow Slayer of Man”── [ ft. Yavaltol ]#“Threads divine” ── * Open Thread #[ I'm feeling pretty down today. I wouldn't mind some casual dribble today ]

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persicipen · 1 month ago

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emotionally charged sex ノ zhongli

₊ ˙ ⊹ . morax fakes his death to escape the erosion that would otherwise eat his soul and spirit. to have his plan succeed, he had to keep it secret even from you, his beloved of many years. now that it’s revealed to you, you approach zhongli after he unexpectedly shows up in liyue harbour after days you spent on mourning him.

ৎ୭ — · · 4.6k ノ afab gn reader — sponsored through @ficsforgaza project ノ reader is a long-living adeptus loyal to geo archon ノ zhongli shapeshifts into a half-dragon because reader is into it lol ノ size kink . big dragon dick ofc ノ lots of biting and marking ノ teasing and playful zhongli ノ unprotected sex . cumming inside ノ emotional confessions etc.

This felt like a betrayal. The worst kind.

The afternoon sun was the witness of your meltdown as it seeped through the intricate timberwork of the windows, liquid gold pouring on the floors and turning dust into diamonds dancing in the stuffy air moved only by your screams and wails. A heartbreaking serenade to the one and only you thought dead — standing before you like a pillar of stone, accepting the tantrum and tears thrown at him.

To see his extended cobalt hands, now, of all times, feels more like a curse, a violent reminder that you cannot compare to his longevity, to his wisdom. If he’s not willing to share his plans with you, you’re no different from any of his servants, any of the people of Liyue. A little fickle of life along the shining thread of history, nothing more than a name that appears and disappears when the time comes.

If this is the treatment you get after being told you’re the most precious gem laid upon his open palms, his one and only, the other half he’s been missing for centuries before he has finally found you, then what’s the point of feeling these heavy sobs inside your lungs? What’s the point of moving, of looking, of trying when it can all be gone in an instant?

To be together with him.

Zhongli, Morax, Rex Lapis, Geo Archon… No matter the title, no matter the name, you know him for who he is.

For he’s someone you love.

He draws his touch down your body, his carbon fingers leaving a golden dust along their path as they sink into the soft side you so willingly arch to get the most out of the fleeting contact. Such apology will not work on you, but he’s aware. He’s not trying to make you forgive him, no. What is stirring within his cunning mind is to make you submit once again to his rule and deem him as godlike, as you won’t focus any more on the commotion caused by his faked death. Oh, he may listen later in delight to your complaints that he should not use his divinity against you this way. To prove you still love him beneath the disappointed visage.

Unavoidable sensation that blooms from his bones whenever he sees you like that — frustrated and on the verge of tears — still clinging to the might and the faint glow of his geo powers like a lost soul towards the light. He’s a little unserious about it, a tiny guilty pleasure he excuses whenever he has the time to annoy you, as if you two weren’t bound by the contract older than some riverbeds cutting through the plains.

Seems like you also forget about it in such heated moments as this one.

The hollowness left after he draws his touch away has you pursue him with your hips, chasing the bittersweet heat of his palms pressed flat against your chest, close to the steaming heart that lives inside your ribcage.

“Ah, so I was right, in the end?” He smiles faintly, eyes shining softly, no strong emotions found in his voice. “Missing me dearly these past few days, were you? A loyal thing you are, maybe even the most loyal.”

“My Archon, you cannot simply— no, this is exactly what is hurting me the most. That you can fool everyone into believing you are gone. Even me…” How can you maintain the discussion when your voice breaks down at the selfish thought of what he may think of you?

Are you not overstepping, claiming that you are more important than the precious people of Liyue? Or is this exactly where you should hold your ground, reminding your Archon, your dear man in this life, that he should love you more?

“I wish you had told me about it first… I want to help you. But all I’ve been doing these past few days is trying to digest the news you have given me… too late.”

“Love,” His voice wraps around you like a dark silk, strong yet so gentle with you as if you’re his beloved vase made of paper-thin glass.

How tacky of him to consider such endearment out of nowhere will work on you instead of stirring your anger further into a frenzy.

Silent, giving him the benefit of doubt, you let him continue.

“Don’t cry, my love. I should have thought better before withholding this burden from you. I needed to do it in order to keep you all safe.”

The very next moment, his hold is on your face, soft enough not to leave marks, but also steady enough to sink into the swell of your cheeks. A careful thumb sweeps the skin under your eye, his gaze a blazing gold melting the glossy surface, bringing out the scent of salt — the forevermore bittersweet memory of one of the gods you two used to invite to sit by the same table, no longer here — and thin wet trails that form even when you squeeze your eyelids shut.

“I know you must’ve been worried.” His voice is silky as always, as if speaking through layers of fine fibre he himself weaved with his obsidian hands. “I firmly believe you trust me enough to understand that I did what was necessary. And that I intend to repay each hour you’ve spent fretting for my life.”

The intention is pure, yes. With the last breath uttered with the finished sentence, he leans in to kiss you. A chaste gesture, like a greeting, rather than a confession of centuries old desire. No teeth, no tongue — the undying devotion lingers in the press of lips on yours. It’s an intimate promise to correct the misjudged solitude he’s mistakenly given you.

At first you’re taken aback by his behaviour, your gaze following him, along with your body when he leans back and into the cushions behind him, a river pulling you with the current.

His silken touch dances over your skin, setting sparks as they go down to your jawline and towards your neck, palm slowly settling around the curve of your throat.

“Is this my punishment? To endure your kind caresses with a heart that is still furious?” You whisper in a tame voice, asking for more.

Though you wish to appear unbothered, it still hurts. The golden serpent you are, slithering to make your way into his arms, contradicting the words hanging in the stuffy air between your mouths.

You crave him.

Even if you want to make him feel guilty, you still have been missing him too much to pass up on this opportunity to have him closer, to feel his skin on yours again.

“That’s exactly what I had in mind.” Zhongli nods in a short move, observing your reactions.

When you don’t push him away, his smile grows warmer, stretching lips and taking away the focus from those smouldering golden eyes you often fall into like a rabbit in a trap.

“Will you let me make it up to you? To be reminded how much you mean to me, so that we can share in happiness once more.”

“Yes. You better…”

The touch of his kiss lingers there, though you’re no longer aware of it as he prolongs the contact with your cheek — rough like granite despite his gentle nature — and you cannot but laugh a little at the idea of an ancient dragon trying to seduce you into forgiveness.

How do you not notice his scaly hands undoing the ribbons holding your robes in place, piece by piece, until he has access to your naked skin?

Your nervous laughter stirs an emotion in him, pulling him out of this feigned playfulness, and he exhales.

Amidst the desperate breaths losing rhythm, escape words you two shared twice, maybe thrice in the past millennium. They ring within your mind, pleasured moans like prayers for him, mixed with your faint hisses and mutters of his titles. It’s a perfect calligraphy written on the wall of your hearts that separates you from others, because you’re no one but his — whether you live as his servant or his lover.

Always marked with his name, carved into your flesh.

With the growing desire and your fingers running up and down his sides, catching on the growing scales from beneath the tunic, swelling his slender body into a dominant entity, you grab onto his marbled muscles, suddenly aware of the difference that he assesses between your silhouettes. That is he who’s given an ability to shapeshift, to mould his visage into whatever he desires; you remain the same, forever easy to spot for his aureate irises.

“Oh? Do I sense a preference for roughness this time?” He says in a mirthful tone, placing his hand over yours when you try to adjust your touch. “Why the rush?”

“Your arrogance— no, I will not indulge your humours.” You sigh with a pout as you shift closer, thighs snug around his waist, fists riding up his shoulders, opening up the tunic in the process. “First you must satisfy me before I consider remission.”

There’s a fond laugh that comes from his throat, pushing a tiny puff of warm air on your face. “Ah, so we’ve come to terms. Does it mean I have your permission to please you however I want?”

You freeze at the notion he presents, because it could be both your favourite game and a way to completely break your mind and body when he inevitably slips into his lustful fantasy. Of course, you don’t oppose such ideas when your own vision for the upcoming events is based on similar principles, but the doubt makes you narrow your eyes at him.

“I allow it.”

“My my…” His lips touch your earlobe, a chuckle stirring deep in his chest when he hears you whine and feels you squirm in his lap, “You really do desire for something out of the ordinary, don’t you?”

As soon as you open your mouth, Zhongli kisses you, over and over again, down the neck, nibbling on your collarbone while his teeth shape into fangs and his tongue lengthens as it traces a damp trail down your jugular. Soon the sharpness starts to graze your skin, along with the clawed fingers brushing over the front of your body, hard enough to leave vivid lines and slight scratch marks where they got tangled under the flimsy silk of your garment. Yet you only exhale, heated, temperature rising.

The light chafe from his touches sends shivers down your spine as the next follows.

“F-feels nice…” You whisper into the thick air, relaxing, gradually growing needier with every drag of his fingers along your sides, hugging you so tightly that he may as well become one. “More, I want more of you.”

But no matter how sweetly you plead, there’s no rush to his movement. As if he’s calculating every next step in advance, he brings you into a proper embrace, two living beings pressed together — oh how you can feel his heartbeat on your own, matching the rhythm, powerful enough to echo through your ribcage.

When you lay your head on his shoulder, there’s a faint scent of sandalwood emanating from his collarbones. Or maybe it’s the pungent fragrance of the osmanthus wine you’d found him earlier sipping on? Either way, it wraps you up in comfort, enough to dull your senses and not notice a curious touch sneaking between your legs, playfully groping any curve and any angle along the way, squeezing the softness like to measure if you’re still relaxed in his arms.

“You’ve made me worried I would have to take hours to prepare you…” Zhongli says as he hears you exhale heavily, followed by a tiny whine from you when his fingers slowly rub the wetness sticking to the delicate folds. “But you’re wet like never before.”

“Oh, it is—!” You move your hips closer, instinctively seeking out more friction — more of anything he’s willing to give.

Just a little. Please…

Maybe then he’ll slide his hand further in, though instead of listening to your silent request, he whispers about your pussy getting so excited when he’s not around for a while and then back for you to touch him.

The amused voice causes a fire to engulf your face, making you feel how a fresh wave of embarrassment stirs your heart and muddles your mind even more than his palm cupping your mound.

You clutch onto his shoulders and bury your head deeper into his collarbone, letting him lift your hips up and drag a long finger down your slit — something so insignificant to him, yet it has you clenching your thighs and grab tighter, desperate for more, more, more. Enough of that teasing, the fleeting caresses. What you need is to feel him as real and might like stone, pressing on your body with all his weight. But the good and loyal servant you are, you wantonly yelp as he pokes at your entrance, coaxing out of it another rush of wetness.

He shushes you and brings his free hand over your mouth, placing the heel of his palm under your chin, then tilts your head up to watch you. He’s excited to see you squirming and thrashing about in his arms as soon as he plays around your hole, pulls your folds apart and together again.

You inhale harshly through your nose, drooling on the elegant fist that smells faintly of tea leaves as he stops — bringing you down to sit on the growing erection under the half-undressed robes you tried to tear off his fragrant body. There’s nothing to hide from him, no need to disguise the obvious lust dwelling in the quivering breaths when you assess the hefty girth rising underneath your needy cunt. You’re one motion away from making him take his clothes off completely, reveal all the darkness and amber-coloured scales along with the striking yellow irises gazing into your eyes.

But what about you?

You shudder and arch your back when he pulls you closer, almost dropping onto the hard bulge beneath. It’s so difficult to control the desperate jerks of your hips. Delirious before he even takes care of you properly, you use all your strength to bring him down to his knees, messily roll down on the floor together. And he laughs! Laughs at the way you cross your legs behind his back, at how wet you’re making his clothes — eager and loud, almost hissing at him to make up for everything.

The throbbing in your abdomen becomes unbearable. The tension is growing as soon as you feel something coiling around your calf — one of the ribbons holding his robe, now untied and playfully wrapped to squeeze you there. That’s not all of it, no, not with the lustful god who has nothing else but time to waste. He gets comfortable enough to pull out his cock and leave it hanging just above your tense stomach whilst his eyes are busy taking in the visage of yours; mouth hanging open, frenzied, and burning with impatience.

He smiles, and you laugh when you finally, finally get what you want — he pushes himself inside. The feeling of being stretched to the fullest is like no other; it feels almost like the first time you two laid together. It’s a strange kind of happiness to look at his face and see him equally satisfied with the way your warm insides fit his girth.

A pleasure beyond any comparison, unified and shared, because you’re always getting too easily and too wet for him in no time, as if always ready to expect him to change into a dragon of Cor Lapis. He’s still human, though, and you whine to spur him to change, at least partially.

Zhongli takes you fast and hard, desperate even, sliding back and forth until his forehead touches yours. His mouth finds yours once again, teeth tugging at your lower lip, but it doesn’t last long before he has to break the kiss, throwing his head back, grunting. The more he moves his hips, the louder his breaths turn into growls, slow and deep. He’s way too impatient, despite all the games and pleasantries from earlier, grinding his pelvis against yours, missing you just as much as you have missed him.

Soon enough he finds a rhythm that suits him the most — needy, to say it the simplest way. His hand is under your nape, another one reaching down to massage your thigh, just for a few seconds until he allows the pleasure to consume him whole and—

It is pure bliss to hear him moan your name into your neck, and the gold in his veins shimmers brightly.

Then it comes, the best part of your shared intimacy; that strange and unique sensation when the black emblems of his geo powers spiral up his arms, marking the insides of his wrists, clavicles, fanning out on the sides of his neck. The intensity of the sensation varies, from an intense ache when he decides to pull out and ram back inside you in one swift motion to the sharp pain when he clutches your waist, shifting you lower onto his pulsating cock.

Dizzy from pleasure, but instead of relishing in it, you think how easily you could’ve lost it…

“No, please, don’t leave me!” You sob, stricken again with the image of his lifeless body, the always springy serpent body limp against the stone courtyard. An icy blade of a vision amidst the waves of intimate warmth.

“I’m deep inside you. Can’t you feel it well enough?”

“Closer. Deeper, please…”

He forces a kiss on your lips and then does exactly as you wish, pushing himself fiercely into your slick flesh. Balls snugly pressed, taut and heavy, to your skin, just as his girth carves your insides to its form. Throbbing fullness swirls into the all-consuming sensation that throbs down to your toes and tips of fingers, melting in the touch of his sharpened nails.

Like molten gold enveloping whatever it’s poured onto, you cling to him with an incessant longing drawing from your heart. Enough to ignore the subtle abrasions covering your inner thighs when they repeatedly brush the chocolate carbon scales of his waist.

As you see stars and the landscape of Liyue bathed in the hues of red and orange from beyond the terrace, a waning moon, your skin burning with love marks where he nibbled and sucked.

Like a serpentine shadow of a dragon, Zhongli looms over you with his broad shoulders and rich features as you lay spent on the floor, among the dishevelled garments and cushions, leaning to the railing of the seating to gain some composure back, adjusting to having his cock sheathed wholly.

A coy smile peeks from behind the silk fan of your lashes, peering up at him. He holds your cheek tenderly, praising you with a soft hum of satisfaction for having taken him well.

But, of course, you ask him if he thinks this is enough to make up for your temporary separation. To have his soothing voice narrate that the few days felt like forever. You listen with closed eyes and trembling fingers, awed by how this man could have stayed silent about his plan — now a string of compliments weeping down his elegant lips to heal your worries with a honey layer of love.

The thorns still dig into your soul when you realise the permanence of the pain he’s caused you.

But that doesn’t matter right now.

What matters is the bond you share as the burning gaze from beneath the mahogany silk of hair rakes over your body and the shallow gasps you take to soothe the invasion in your lower belly.

“A struggle is what I see. Such a sweetling you are, brave in words yet shaking like a leaf as you try to act as if my cock doesn’t ravage your insides.” Zhongli remarks with a mocking tone, though his eyes twinkle with kindness when you roll yours at him. “Need I remind you, my love, that it’s you who has called upon me deeper?”

But now, with him having grown significantly in size, you’re still considering how much of a challenge this could become. Still, his affection makes your heart throb with want. And, again, you find yourself following the dangerous path leading to the eternity he offers you, with eyes wide open.

You ask him to thrust deeper, pulling his shoulders closer until your fingers sink into the tough substance that is his muscle. A mellow yelp comes from your throat as you feel the heat he radiates overpower your whole body, eclipsing the autumn wind and bringing the smell of dry leaves and bark — reminding you that it was him who shaped the entirety of your shared homeland.

And even if Liyue changes over time, the sight you’re granted tonight is one for your memories only, because no matter how long you may live, no mortal has seen their beloved god like this. Lustful, glimmering like a star from the sheen of sweat covering his proud chest. For years, he’s held back from not turning into this form in your company, to keep the essence of Rex Lapis still here for you to admire in awe. A feat which you praise with your uncertain kisses that grow messy as soon as his hand wraps around your waist and pulls you back on his shaft. The warm stretch you feel once more between your thighs makes you tilt your head; see how he disappears inside you.

You wail and take the best of this position, arms wrapped around his neck, giving him full control over the speed and force behind the push. You guide him with your heels pressing to his lower back, rubbing the smooth scales as if they were his clothes. But it seems like this gesture spurs him to repeat the movements even faster and deeper, pushing you onto the hard floor — body rocking to the rhythm he dictates.

“Take it as my token of gratitude for having allowed me this chance to relish you anew,” Zhongli mutters in a hoarse voice as his tongue flicks between your parted lips.

Promising words mingle with the filthy sounds of arousal. And when the images of a few hours ago become blurry and fade away, you notice the ancient dragon gazing down at you from the embrace of his ruddy horns. It’s those beady golden eyes that shift into bright crimson from time to time, overrun with passion, as they observe your body with greed. How your own skin is now a canvas for his letters drawn by his fangs and talons, decorating every curve, every sensitive spot — each causing you to flutter and clench around his cock, hungry to claim your being.

And all this time he would laugh at your obvious attempts to catch his eyes, sending a shiver up your spine, kissing you in between praises, from time to time mumbling against your plump lips, “I could spend the eternity like this. In you.”

“You say this now, but what I need to hear is that you will respect me when it comes down to another serious decision.” You hum out in a tired voice, brushing your fingers through his mane.

Though he seems to have not listened, or at least chose not to react, he instead growls and makes you open up for him again, biting into your flesh like a beast. The physical confessions of love he leaves all over your shoulders, where you can easily hide them under the robes, may look like simple bruises from far away, yet there’s an intricate pattern to them, written in his own ancient tongue — no one will be able to read them but him.

That you are to be his alone and stay forever by his side.

Such a greedy dragon, taking whatever he desires in hope you will forgive him, making you whine as the flames of arousal start to lick at your ankles once more. But it’s not something that needs to be asked about now, when you two are just about to reach your highs.

Zhongli keeps you close, pounding your soppy pussy with reserve and intent, at times holding onto your waist to feel the swell of his cock stretching you. And just like this, he whispers, giving you orders — to meet his thrusts halfway, to pull him in deeper, and to let him listen to your heated moans when he curls his hips to conquer your core.

A semblance of hunger itself, always calling out for you while chasing the blissful finish with single-minded determination, so different from the usual languid pace.

Each word spoken is followed by a stinging kiss, the dampness on his chin dripping down his neck, making you feel how primal of an instinct that is to come together.

Your insides tremble with lust, quaking under the building pressure of his release, squeezing him tightly as your pleasure erupts in a wave of puffy breaths and slick heat gushing out around his girth. He chokes on his own saliva, husky moans spilling between his parted lips. The grand finale is right there, somewhere beyond the horizon of your sweaty bodies, so close yet not in reach — each drag of his erection becoming a slow torture to endure.

And that’s when he clenches his jaws and rolls his eyes, hands wrapping around your ankles to keep them wide apart as his thrusts grow erratic and quick, pounding you into the floor. Every sound he makes, like a deep rumble coming from the centre of the earth. A huff here and a broken call for your name there — along with praises of your heavenly body — while the searing liquid pours into your cunt, filling your womb until it starts to drip out with every movement.

It feels like a seal is carved on your souls, deepened by each ragged thrust as he lets himself succumb to this mortal desire, bucking into you and groaning out for you to stay. With his heated weight leaning on you, trapping you in his powerful arms, he stays for a while inside you, thrusting just a bit to spur the overstimulated nerves and force a few more whimpers from you.

Finally, he laughs in relief and rubs your nose with his, pulling away with a wink. “Would you be so kind to remind me of what happened before we got carried away?”

“How rude!” You exclaim, puffing your cheeks out as you push him off you, gently though. “You might have explained yourself well, but I’m still upset with you for tricking me like that.”

Zhongli looks at you from the corner of his eye, fully aware of your sudden change in demeanour, and shakes his head with an amused sigh. A gentle roll of his body brings out a still wanton moan from your throat, awakened with the rub of his cock inside you.

“Now, now, darling, I see your mood has changed finally to a brighter one.” He grins and brushes his finger over your bottom lip. “Or are you just unwilling to admit that you cannot stay mad at me for long?”

You bite your tongue so as not to give him the satisfaction of correcting his statement. Instead, you mutter, rolling your eyes at his arrogant expression.

“How can I say no to such an endearing face?”

The moment those words leave your lips, Zhongli withdraws from your warm body, nibbling at your jawline with his usual gentleness. You see how your mingled cum and essence drip down his legs, how it paints the floorboards with pearly marks, though soon the crispy wind brings your attention back to your own state. It is an oddly pleasant sensation of the fresh breeze playing with your soaked petals and aching thighs — sore from clasping hard ‘round the wide stature of your lover.

Like you never plan to let go of him. And that is true.

₊ ˙ ⊹ . AUTHOR’S NOTE — hewwo! happy kinktober! something that was supposed to be a first part of this year’s kinktober, but i decided to post it individually and not bother with making an entirely new masterlist just for five stories. it would make sense if i were prepared better but as we all know, life can be weird, and i could not make it. regardless, i hope this was enjoyable, and that i didn’t mess up with the new labelling — if i should turn it back into basic fem reader, please let me know :3

#—writing.#genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin impact smut #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin smut #zhongli x reader #zhongli x you #zhongli smut

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soulcaretherapist · 2 months ago

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Divine Talent

In the Matrix Destiny chart, I will be sharing a thread about the talent arcana energies, which is the position you most frequently ask about. The spot marked with X on the map is what we call divine talent, which represents the talents your soul is inherently born with in this life.

1 - You have many ideas and can generate ideas easily. When activated positively, you have the potential to succeed in whatever you touch.

2 - You can understand other people's motivations, that is, you can grasp why they do what they do at a glance. This gives you esoteric abilities.

3 - You have a good taste and a high sense of aesthetics. You have the ability to expand; you can turn a small task into big projects.

4 - You excel in team management and establishing authority. You have a strong talent for attracting money. If money isn’t coming to you, it means you are activating this area negatively.

5 - You have a talent for learning and teaching. You can master anything and explain everything you know in a way the other side can understand.

6 - Your communication skills and sincerity stand out. You are someone people come to for advice, trust what you say, and listen to your words.

7 - You have the ability to progress quickly in any job, reach your desired goals, and inspire change in both yourself and those around you.

8 - It's hard, if not impossible, for others to lie to you. You can approach everything objectively. You can achieve balance and harmony.

9 - You are more mature than your age, and this grants you wisdom. You have the ability to achieve your inner goals (knowing yourself, realizing your dreams and desires) on your own.

10 - This is a placement that brings luck. You have the talent to manage finances easily and spot profitable opportunities. You can easily attract people to yourself.

11 - Your physical and spiritual endurance is strong. You can do everything at once. You know your strengths and can use them in the most accurate way.

12 - Spiritual practices (like meditation, breathing, reiki) work well for you and have healing effects when applied to others. You have a different perspective and can solve seemingly unsolvable problems.

13 - You can make the necessary changes in every area of life and are not afraid to take risks. You can learn multiple things at once. You have the ability to easily absorb deep and detailed information.

14 - You have diplomacy and mediation skills. You can calm conflicts and maintain your composure during these processes.

15 - By opening yourself to others, you can show them what they cannot see in themselves. You can easily identify others' weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and talents.

16 - You are talented in directing people, organizing, and creating strategies. You can foresee events and chart your course accordingly.

17 - Your ability to express yourself is unique and creative. You can be the center of attention in any field you wish, shine, and stand out from the crowd.

18 - Your subconscious is very powerful. You may receive information through dreams, and your dreams may come true. Your manifesting ability is strong; everything you visualize can come into your life.

19 - You have leadership qualities and can inspire/give strength to others for success. You have the ability to not give up no matter what.

20 - You have good speaking skills and can influence masses. You can create systems from nothing and have excellent analytical skills. It's hard to confuse you.

21 - You have an aptitude for foreign languages and cultures. You can adapt to any environment. You can produce knowledge and content for a wide audience or listener base.

22 - Your decisions and thoughts may be unpredictable by those around you. You influence people with your positive energy. You can turn every tough task into fun and achieve results that will surprise everyone.

#matrix of destiny chart #matrix destiny #destiny matrix #astro community #astro notes #astrology

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lorelune · 11 months ago

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cicatrix

|| jing yuan x reader || E/18+ || hurt/comfort, cathartic smut || wc: 21.5k || ao3 ||

Both you and Jing Yuan are known to put well-being aside for the sake of others. You reckon with it.

minors, antis and ageless blogs dni

notes: i've been COOKING!!!! please enjoy this very cathartic, gooey oneshot 😩💕!!!!! jing yuan is so beloved and getting to chew on him and his character makes me wanna roll around and scream (positive). thank you so much to bee (@suguwu) for talking this piece out w me each step of the way and andy (@andypantsx3) for a so helpful final read through 🥺🩷 read and enjoy loves!!!

CW: reader is referred to with they/them pronouns and afab anatomy, author-created lore & worldbuilding, reader visibly loses weight due to bodily stress, general talk of weight and bodies, reference to pain during intimacy, a single pregnancy joke made entirely in jest

“You should go see him.”

This is not the first time Diviner Fu has told you this. It’s actually the third time. It’s her third time attempting to have this particular conversation with you, one which you are becoming increasingly adept at parrying around.

“Who?” You lie. You already know who.

“The General?” Fu Xuan sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “He’s awake, you know. Barely. But he has asked for you. Both while he was mostly unconscious and since he’s regained his lucidity. Go see him.”

“I’ll pass.” You shift on your knees with a heavy thump. Bone on metal. “Besides, can’t you, of all people, see I am hard at work here? I don’t exactly have the time for personal visits at the moment.”

That is not a lie. That is a steadfast truth. One both you and Fu Xuan, as the Master Calibrator and the Master Diviner respectively, fully understand.

Fu Xuan has sought you out deep within the Luofu’s inner structure. Far below the sprawl of metal-plated cities and neighborhoods, are the catacomb intestines you’ve been toiling in for... sometime now. Since whenever the Lord Ravager harnessed the Arbor, and the roots of a dead tree powered by an Aeon mutilated the Luofu’s most delicate innards. Innards you need to fix, rather than having frustrating conversations with Lady Fu.

You tap around on the interface on your wrist-bound jade abacus and curse. Your fingers are newly calloused, irritated at the tips from all of the poking and prodding you’ve had to do. You dip your hands into one of the opened buckets fastened to your belt, pulling forth when you’re sticky with iridescent sludge that slowly drips down your wrist like thick syrup.

Returning to the utility panel you were previously working on before being interrupted, you tinker with a few of its delicate dials. All thrown off by the overabundance of... Abundance and the physical impact of the roots growth, deeper in the Luofu’s structure. You concentrate and thread quantum with the sap on your hands, trying to coax the machines into a more stable stasis.

“At least consider it.” Fu Xuan says. Technically, she could order you, as she is on some administrative level, your superior and (from what you last heard) the acting General of the Luofu while the Divine Foresight has been indisposed. And yet, she does not force you.

“Fine. I’ll consider it— if and when the Luofu is running diagnostic assessments with an average above fourty.”

“That’s— somewhat agreeable. But, I do think you’re being entirely—”

“Foolish?” You interrupt her with a laugh.

“Childish.” Fu Xuan taps her foot. The sound bounces around the narrow passageway, rattling into your skull. “Can the two of you not talk like adults and settle things?”

“I’m not sure what there is to ‘settle’ with him, Lady Fu.” You twitch your index and pinky finger at the same time. The internals sing, a hymn you know, the chord is a step or two too low— fucker. “He did something supremely stupid, and I am working.”

“That’s an obtuse way to look at things, and you know it.”

“In what way?” You crack open your eyes. You hadn’t realized you’d shut them. You’re sure they’re bloodshot. “What do you think about the General’s actions in subduing the Lord Ravager, Lady Fu?”

“I do believe he was reckless— as reckless as that man allows himself to be.” Fu Xuan has clearly thought about this before. Frustration pinches in her voice. “But it was not without the results.”

“So calculated recklessness is fine if, in the worst case, you end up as the Luofu’s next Arbiter General?”

“You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“I am.” You say, sighing. Anger prickles under your skin. This is all easier to deal with (read: ignore) if you focus on the ship and its internals. Its stupid, destroyed, obliterated internals. “I apologize.”

“When was the last time you slept?” Fu Xuan asks.

“... Yesterday? Probably?” There’s no daylight. You conserve battery life on your various devices by keeping screens dim, so you don’t know the hour. Time has felt liquid for some time now.

“I could take over.” Fu Xuan suggests.

“You still have a ship to run, I assume. Unless the Divine Foresight was so eager to get back to work already.”

“... Tasks can be delegated accordingly.”

“It’s not necessary.” You shake your head. “I mean this as no slight, but the rate at which you would be able to complete repairs and calibrations would be at the same rate at which the ship’s fail-safes and functions are degrading. It isn’t worth it.”

Perhaps, under different circumstances, Fu Xuan would squawk at you for discounting her skills as a calibrator so quickly. She is trained, not to your degree or expertise, but in a pinch, she can complete repairs, hear the chords, see the quantum maps required to keep the Luofu and its many delicate parts and pieces functioning accordingly.

However, the Luofu’s current circumstances do not constitute a ‘pinch’ and rather a ‘once-in-an-era disaster that nearly killed the long-lived, beloved General, destroyed the longstanding Creation Furnace, revealed the previous disgraced High Elder of the Vidhaydara, nearly reawoke the Ambrosial Arbor’. And, as Jing Yuan had told you in confidence— “It’s a Stellaron.”

And hence, you and your expertise are best-suited for the task of repairing the insides of the Luofu.

“... Even still.” She says somewhat gravely. “This is unsustainable.”

“I recognize that.” And you do, childish avoidance of the General aside. “Once the ship’s up to forty percent attuned, the diagnostic algorithms attached to the internal citrine abaci should stabilize and begin to re-establish a self-healing cycle. At which point, my manual diagnostics and repairs will no longer be necessary at the level at which I’m completing them now.”

“What percentage attuned is the Luofu at, as of now?”

“... Twenty-seven.” This is, technically, the truth.

(However, you have little confidence in that number, as it fluctuates heavily based on time of day and your own location within the tunnels and mechanical catacombs. You imagine this may be due to any number of things— there may be a gamma leak down deeper, where the radiation sponges are not as effective. There could still be creatures and roots of Abundance, alive in the passageways, wreaking havoc on the systems in real time. The diagnostic systems themselves could be failing, or at the very least damaged, which means that prescribing a number at all to the Luofu’s condition is a stupid idea to begin with—)

Fu Xuan says your name sharply.

“Yes?”

“... I’m worried.”

“That’s probably for the best.” You wish there was more sympathy in your voice, but it sounds cold and outside of your body.

(You’re so tired.)

Fu Xuan sighs, and drops to her knees next to you, peering in one the copper box you’ve been wrist deep in for the better part of ten minutes. Distractions slow down the process so immensely.

“Your reasoning is sound, and I understand that this isn’t entirely some ploy to skirt around the General’s requests to see you.” Fu Xuan hands you a small pendant, cut of purple stone and lit from the inside out. “Please, wear this. It will transmit your vital signs and location to a monitor on the surface.”

You blanch, “Is this for you, or the General?”

“For the Divination Commission on paper.” Fu Xuan loops it around your neck. “You’re the only Master Calibrator on the Luofu. To lose track of you, or lose you, would be dire. It will also assuage some of the General’s anxieties and keep him from pestering me about you.

“The general, anxious?” You throw back your head with a laugh and withdraw your hands from the paneling. The sludge has liquified further, more mucus-y now as it drips down your forearms. You wipe away what remains with a well-used rag from your belt. “I’ve never known Jing Yuan to be anxious.”

“He is now.” Fu Xuan says simply. “Or, as much as he allows himself to be. I am not interested in delving into the General’s psychology, but I am interested in keeping you in decent condition. That pendant has an emergency function. If you tap it three times, it’ll send a distress signal with your location.”

You want to say that that’s ‘unnecessary’, but you know that’s your bad mood. There’s a reason why Fu Xuan made this journey, alone, and is speaking to you so frankly. There are bags under her eyes too.

“Thank you, Fu Xuan.” You say, softly, kinder than you have been.

Despite your grime, perhaps mutual, you wrap your arms around her shoulders and squeeze. She hugs you back and deflates, if only for a moment.

...

The Luofu’s utility organs are built downwards, filling what would be considered the ‘hull’ of the ship, until you hit the Hall of Karma. There’s insulation between the ship’s most vital part and the weary souls of the departed, which provides you some comfort as you must descend deeper and deeper.

The Luofu is as much a ship as it is a planet— a live ecosystem, adapted to fit the various immortals who call it home. The bowels of the Luofu are truthfully a combination of metal and plant matter— dirt and mechanical roots meant to hold the ground in one piece around you. Much of the organic matter of the ship is covered behind metal plating, lest risking a collapse.

Most of the damage you must tinker to fix occurs in the small, delicate panels that are placed in the walls every ten meters or so. They’re nondescript, mostly. Surrounded by a few various dials— a few circular meters are faded and out of use (relics from when the Luofu left its parent civilization, millenia ago), and a port to sync up a jade abacus to for more detailed readings.

Most of the data is slop to someone without training.

Even with training, your exhaustion is making the various numbers, symbols, and graphs feel like slop.

The panel can be disconnected with a small, quill-looking tool (there’s only a small amount left on the Luofu, maybe twenty in total. The head of the tool is carved from an old, red stone, burnt in an old fire by a forgemaster long dead. You keep track of your handful diligently, lest you lose them without another smith to make them.) Once the utility panel is pried off, it reveals a suspended layer of liquid, far deeper than it looks. If you really tried, you probably could fit your entire arm in and still have depth.

Suspended in the liquid are the mechanisms that truly run the Luofu. It’s hard to describe how they fit together. It takes an affinity for quantum, a century (or three) of training, to make sense of how to parse together the ship's parts. The parts are various small machines, crystals, living ecosystems bound into balls and sustained by astrosynthesis beyond this world.

You’re used to the awe of it.

Along your waist, you carry several pots of stellar lubricant. The grease provides... some amount of slip when poking around in it yourself. It resonates with the quantum and allows you to see the stretches of energy that allow the ship to run as it does. Tender leylines, woven threads, songs and hymns that are of many familiar beats and melodies.

Everything slips together as you pull yet another panel from a wall. The mechanisms sing out of tune, in dissonant chords, off-beat in the wrong time signature.

You dunk your hands into the lubricant, ignoring the slowly erupting burns on your forearms from over-exposure.

You shove your hands into the wall. You work. You fix.

...

Not so long ago, you and Fu Xuan were not the only two Calibrator on the Xianzhou Alliance’s Luofu. There had been an apprentice in the Divination Commission who was studying, seeking mastery, just as you yourself had. They were more skilled than Lady Fu in the arts of calibration. You think they hailed from the Yaoqing. They were soft, gentle-hearted and young by the standards of Xianzhou natives.

So perhaps, this is why they became Marastruck in the mouth of one of the utility tunnels after seeing footage of the Divine Foresight being dragged unconscious and limp into the apothecary. Gingko leaves tearing their skin, an unholy sob turning to a shriek to cut the air. You were lucky the transformation occurred while you were above ground, and a patrol of Cloud Knights was nearby.

You’re probably lucky that you hadn’t (haven’t) succumbed to Mara. If you were a few centuries younger and less trained in the arts of meditation, you might have been swallowed up like the apprentice had been.

Jing Yuan, for all of his many games and schemes and tricks, radiates the air of someone almost infallible. He is not perfect; he has never been one for edges that are too manicured. He’s far more content dozing the afternoon away or taking a stroll through one of his gardens than hosting war-meetings. He prefers to wear plain clothes to the market in hopes he will not be recognized (though, he always is).

But, he is strong and remarkably difficult to phase or bother in any setting. On more than one occasion, you’ve spent the evening trying to rile him up and get him to pounce, but the General is always content to watch your attempts with a lazy smile on his face. Content to sweetly watch you struggle in getting under his skin. He may be affected, but he is hard to break. If he does, it is with such grace that you wouldn’t have any idea he did break, and it feels as if you’ve somehow slipped, rather than him. He is cunning and sure-footed in a way that you can’t help but admire.

You’re not the only one to feel that way.

(Though, you’re the only one who shares a bed with him. So.)

The Xianzhou has little place for legends, yet Jing Yuan is old enough and well-thought of enough to have become one. So, you cannot blame the apprentice for falling to Mara. Not when they, and the rest of the Luofu, saw a legend buckle at the knees.

...

You were right about diagnostics being inaccurate. However, the reason was a mix of your two initial hypotheses.

Parts of the diagnostic system, deep and low within the Luofu’s internal organs, had been damaged. Radiation leaks from the core of the ship, usually held back by sponges and filters, was drifting upward to damage any number of sensors and organic processes keeping the Luofu operational.

(All useless details really, none of it makes sense anymore. The ship is fucked. You must fix it.)

And you have been fixing it.

You reek of stellar lubricant, skin stained pearly and glittery under the fluorescent lights that dot the tunnels. Your eyes ache; it’s gotten quite difficult to focus them. You’re lucky that there’s occasional spigots tapped into the walls, with some type of freshwater flowing from them, even if it does take awhile for any liquid to run. They probably haven’t been used in decades— maybe centuries. Most of the internals of the Luofu heal and repair on their own.

A calibrator would only need to step-in in the case of a calamity.

Time has gotten slippery. Though you send up status reports (of varying quality) through your wrist-bound jade abacus, you can’t say it’s on a schedule. You do them when you have the mental fortitude to craft something acceptable for the Divination Commission to scoff at.

You’re tired, maybe.

There are some mediary chambers between levels. Old, dust-covered rooms with a cot and some rations. Though you raid the ones you come across for emergency food stores, you don’t stay to sleep. You usually keel over on the metal flooring with your outermost robe thrown over you like a blanket. Your pillow is your own folded hands.

It’s viciously uncomfortable, but you find sleeping difficult regardless. The offensively bright grow lights are sensitive to flesh life, and will not turn off in your presence. The floor is sometimes searingly warm, sometimes ice cold. If you stop working, your own thoughts threaten to swallow you whole. You only achieve sleep in brief moments, perhaps a few hours at a time, when you’re entirely spent.

It is unpleasant sleep. A mix of recent horrors and faraway comforts.

(You initially heard from Fu Xuan what Jing Yuan had done.)

(Shortly after, footage was posted of the Divine Foresight, unconscious and being dragged across the Luofu for medical attention. Jing Yuan was entirely unresponsive and cradled in the arms of the Vidharayda’s... reawoken? Returned? (You stay out of Lizard Politics.) (Regardless, it still burns.))

(There’s chaos in the sounds captured on the video, the shocked, disbelieving voices.)

(You had turned off your phone (you have still yet to turn it back on) and dragged the apprentice to the tunnels. You ignored their crumbled expression and all of their disbelief. It would not serve either of you— anyone— in that moment. This was foolish of you.)

(You remember your apprentice and how their panic grew to Mara so quickly. How they looked sick to their stomach, braced against one of the entrances to the tunnels of the catacombs, clutching their skull. You urged them forward, begged them to hurry— that the diagnostics were grave. You could see the gnarled roots of the arbor already having penetrated some of the ancillary walls.)

(They looked so scared as they were swallowed by Mara. Eyes flashing scarlet, gingko leaves spilling from their mouth as they screamed. Flesh tearing to be healed wrong seconds later. Beautiful silk robes torn to shreds, body mutilated from the inside out.)

(They’d lunged at you, howling, and you’d barely side-stepped them. You ran to a patrol of Cloud Knights, overworked and clearly battleworn themselves and exhausted. Regardless, they took down your apprentice. Cut them at the back of the knees, called a Judge, dragged them off to the Hall of Karma.)

You dream of Jing Yuan often.

Sometimes, these dreams are awful.

Lady Fu had told you to visit him, prior to your initial descent into the catacombs. She said he was unconscious and battered. He would certainly recover; the General is particularly hearty. She urged you to see him in the Alchemy Commission. She said this as if Jing Yuan hadn’t just thrown himself in front of a being that rivaled some Aeons. She said this as if the Luofu wasn’t a few mechanical failures away from ceasing function and you were the only one aboard the Luofu able to stop it with any efficiency.

You dream of Jing Yuan being lanced through with his own guandao. You dream of him falling to the stone of Scalegorge Waterscape, eyes blooming red, and ginkgo leaves erupting from his shoulders. You dream of him mutilated beyond belief by beings so much more powerful than either of you. You dream of having to watch a patrol of Cloud Knights pin him to the ground as Mara consumes him.

Sometimes, the dreams are pleasant.

The worst are those where you think you have woken up in bed with him. Mimi purrs at the foot of his stupid, indulgently large bed. Your cheek is pressed to his chest, warm and alive and okay, and he rumbles some laugh when you seem confused. He asks if you’d like breakfast. A bath. You should go to the markets together, shouldn’t you?

You dream of his body next to yours. Well and whole and intertwined.

You prefer to be awake; it allows you to feel like you have some semblance of control over your own mind.

Horrors crop up into the forefront of your mind without warning often. Staying focused on your repairs helps you. Grounding yourself in the sting of the lubricant over your skin keeps your thoughts closer to the material, rather than the intangible fears that threaten to swallow you whole.

Leaving only you to your work. Fixing.

You wipe sweat from your brow, uncaring of the grease that smears across your skin and clumps in your hair. The panel in front of you is being particularly fuzzy. The parts are old. The impact from the Arbors sudden growth had damaged the delicate nature of the mechanisms.

So, you tinker away.

Quantum threading, weaving, unraveling, trying again. And again, and again.

Your head pounds.

...

At some point, when checking your jade abacus, the diagnostic percentages have stopped going down. They’re actually going up, steadily and on their own.

You don’t believe it at first, but after... a while of keeping an eye on it, it doesn’t appear to be a fluke. Functionality is hovering around thirty-three percent, unfailingly, and rising a percentage every day or so. The panels you check appear to be healing themselves as well, albeit slowly. Thin, vermillion tendrils snake around in the oil to poke and prod as you have. Albeit, it’s not enough, but it provides a kernel of respite nonetheless.

Coincidentally, you run out of stellar lubricant around this same time as well.

The only option (as you’ve already pilfered the stores you’ve come across) is to ascend back to the surface of the Luofu and fetch more from the Artisanship Commission.

You feel delirious when you rise fully and stretch your arms above your head. Your hands knock into the metal ceiling as your back cracks in at least four different places. Your knees ache. Your legs have long since cramped up. You feel stiff down to your bones, but you separate from the feeling. You must, there’s more important things to worry about.

Ascending the catacombs is difficult. You hadn’t... realized quite how deep you’d gone for repairs. It takes quite some time to climb the thin utility ladders and weave the correct path upwards. You’re slowed by gravity and your own lethargy. The exertion takes its toll quickly, but you ignore it. You have a task to complete.

(Your body's slick with sweat. Your vision threatens to tunnel.)

Perhaps you’ll pick up some proper rations as well. The nutritional power you had pilfered from the tunnel’s stores probably isn’t meant to be consumed in the long term.

You come to surface through a shrouded doorway in a residential neighborhood. It’s warm, temperate as the Luofu usually is. There’s a pleasant breeze and the smell of grass and water in the air. It’s a sharp contrast to the metallic tang of oil and lubricant that you’re slicked with.

You try to think little of it. Artisanship Commission.

On your way, you get the occasional odd stare. A child points at you. You, perhaps, are covered in grime and attribute any gawking to that. Maybe? You’re due for a bath. Though with all the errands it appears you need to run, do you really have time for one?

There’s a shop on the edge of the Artisanship Commission you duck into. The shopkeeper is speaking to another customer at the counter, but goes silent when you give him a friendly wave. You’re a regular here, after all.

You grab as much of the lubricant as you can carry in your arms and place it on the counter, poking around in your pocket for your... phone. It’s probably out of battery.

“Could you put this on the Divination Commission’s tab?” You ask him. “It’s being used for official business.”

The shopkeeper is still looking at you, wide-eyed. Mouth hanging open. He stiffly nods and rings you up.

Odd.

You think little of it. He slowly loads your jars into an old crate and hands it to you.

“Be well.” You say on the way out. The shopkeeper does not reply.

The interaction leaves you with a vague sense of unease.

That feeling mounts the more you realize that people are looking at you, as you make your way to Aurum Alley for rations. One woman even tries to stop you, but you wave her off. You need to—

Get rations. Maybe take a shower. Descend again because there’s no way the systems can be sustained and heal fast enough on their own. You must work, you must toil.

And you mustn’t visit Jing Yuan.

Not yet. Not until you can forget how he looked, slack and half-dead in the arms of his men. Perhaps you should forget the face of the returned High Elder as well. You’ve— you’ve put together that he and Jing Yuan have some type of history. You know from the whisperings that the man saved Jing Yuan.

(You can’t ever save him. You are not a fighter. You’re a well-paid mechanic.)

Rations.

You’re stopped before you ever are three steps into Aurum Alley by a group of Cloud Knights.

“Halt.” One of them says, raising her weapon.

“... Pardon?” You ask, raising an eyebrow. The crate in your arms is too heavy for this. “Can I help you?”

“Please wait,” the tip of her guandao shines, “you are the Divination Commission’s Master Calibrator, correct?”

“... Yes?” You sigh. “I apologize, but I must get past you. I’m on official business. Supply run.”

The Knight rotates her blade to the butt of it against your chest, applying light pressure. Holding you there, tucked between several buildings and fairly out of sight. Your stomach drops.

“I can’t allow that.”

“... Excuse me?”

You’re about ready to snap at the nervous-looking knight once more, but you’re interrupted. The sound of quick feet over stone stops behind you and frigid air begins to spill down your neck. You turn your head painfully over your shoulder.

Yanqing, the fierce little thing, is poised behind you, spitting steam and frost. His gold eyes are angry, teeth bared. He looks exhausted.

“You are being detained,” he says, angry and sharp.

“What?” You snap, turning to face him. He looks ready to raise his blade against you, hand twitching at his waist. That’s not your concern at this moment. “Yanqing— what are you—”

Yanqing’s eyes are shiny and wet.

Oh.

“You’re being detained by order of the Divine Foresight.” He says, voice unwavering despite the tears beading against his lower lashes.

...

Yanqing seems like he’s seething as he leads you to one of Jing Yuan’s personal gardens. It’s on a terrace, high above most of the Luofu, far-away from any of the Commission's that may bother him when he is attempting to relax.

You know this garden well; it’s your favorite spot to relax in with Jing Yuan.

He leads you directly to Jing Yuan who is standing on an overlook, hand behind his back as he stares out over a roiling sea. The waves crash far below, the sound a mere echo. His shoulders are slack. He hardly looks angry. It’s rare that he ever does.

“General.” Yanqing says— he is angry. “I’ve brought them.”

“Oh?” Jing Yuan turns, a pleasant smile stretching across his face. “You found them?”

“Yes, in Aurum Alley.” Yanqing salutes and steps to the side.

You cross your arms and try not to cry.

Jing Yuan looks fine. He’s clearly in one piece. Whole. Whole. No visible injury, no new limp as he steps closer to you, examining you just as intently as you examine him.

It’s a horrible relief to see him fine— even if you should scold him. If you had the energy, you would. You would rake him over the damn coals for endangering himself as he did. You will, later. Maybe. But for now—

“Am I done being detained?” You ask, malice in your voice. “I have work to do.”

“No hello?”

“Fine. Hello.”

“Hi,” Jing Yuan says more gently, beckoning you to a lovely looking pile of silk pillows and a thick mat. The perfect spot for a midday catnap. “I’m afraid I do intend to keep you for a bit longer. Sit, please.”

You don’t budge.

“Jing Yuan,” You say his name. Your voice doesn’t wobble, and you’re grateful for it. “I do not have time for this.”

He hums, “You do.”

“You must know the Luofu’s internals are shot.” He must, right? You need to get back. You need to keep fixing. “I do not have time for tea and a chat. Be forward with me, please.”

Jing Yuan, who has already sat down on the silks, looks up at you. He’s perfectly poised, relaxed like a big cat, but with sharp, watchful eyes. He’s choosing his words carefully, albeit quickly.

“Did you know the Matrix of Prescience resumed function earlier today?” He tells you. “Early this morning, it awoke. Diviner Fu says the function is still minimal, but improving by the hour.”

There’s a wave of relief hearing that— at least the Divination Commission can resume somewhat normal activity. Fu Xuan is probably overjoyed. Maybe. You should check— you need to check. There may be calibrations to reconfigure on the surface. Aeons, there probably is and you’re foolish for not addressing those yet. You should.

Jing Yuan says your name, gentle but unyielding, “Stay with me.”

“I’m— I’m glad the Matrix is working. But, there’s still much that needs to be addressed Jing Yuan. The Luofu’s fail safes— the vitality transmitters— the gamma diffusers—”

You feel overwhelmed and nauseous. You want to lay down and cry. You want to run away to the nearest hidden entrance to the tunnels and work. So badly do you want to flee, hide, and toil and fix this stupid ship.

(Because, you can’t look Jing Yuan in the eye for too long. He’s safe, but the memory of him half-dead is still living in your mind. It’s murky, but there. You need it to die. You need it to stop. You need—)

Jing Yuan takes your hands in his own. It shocks you out of your spiral as his thumbs graze your knuckles. It hurts. You wince without thinking to muffle it. Chemical abrasions and hives litter the skin of your hands. It tracks up your arms to your elbows, you see now.

You flinch and try to pull away, but Jing Yuan keeps you there. Suspended.

“I had a meeting with the other Arbiter-Generals, just the other day.” Jing Yuan sounds wistful. “I was surprised to find out that every other ship in the Xianzhou Alliance’s fleet has at least four Master Calibrators. They were shocked to find the Luofu only having one.”

“That sounds embarrassing.”

“It was, perhaps,” Jing Yuan laughs in a good-natured way. “The other Generals were quite kind, and have sent a handful of Master Calibrators to the Luofu to assist with repairs. They’ll be here in the next day or so.”

“... Really?”

“Yes.” Jing Yuan sighs. “I’ll owe a favor or two, but it’s more than worth it.”

You don’t know what to think.

“I have to—”

“You’re actually being placed on a somewhat indefinite leave.” Jing Yuan then yanks you down into the pillows, to the thick mat, and into his arms. “I’m afraid I’ve missed you terribly. You’ve been incredibly difficult to track down.”

“I was just in the tunnels.” You try to push away from him. “Fu Xuan gave me this little tracker.”

You tap the pendant on your chest.

“You went deep enough into the Luofu that this pendant only pinged your location every few days.” Jing Yuan raises you up, so you’re perched in his lap. You steady yourself on his chest. His living, breathing chest. “At one point, it didn’t register your vitals for a week.”

Jing Yuan says this quietly. It’s admission, given the tone of his voice. He sounds a bit stricken, almost pained. His brow is scrunched as he rubs up and down your shoulders.

“... A week?”

“Indeed. You scared me quite badly, you know.”

Something in you aches. Guilt rises up your throat, but you don’t give yourself much time to examine it. Not yet.

“You’re one to talk.” You murmur, hitting a fist against his chest angrily. “You threw yourself in front of a Lord Ravager?”

“A necessary blow that ensured victory.” Jing Yuan says simply. As if he is speaking about a feint during a sparring match, or a risky move in a star chess game. “A worthwhile opportunity, really—”

“You could have died.” You snap at him, finally looking at him down your nose, baring your teeth. You are tired and angry. It feels like you could swallow the sun and you would be fine with exploding.

“I could have.” He hums. There’s more that he wants to say, you can tell. You can imagine what he could wax on about—

(“It would have been worth it if it guaranteed the Luofu’s safety.”

(“Am I not going to die already? I would think it be better to give my life for the safety of the people, rather than be decimated by Mara.”)

(“There are worse ways to die.”)

“You’re so foolish.” You want to cry. Maybe you are. Your head is pounding and your eyes hurt. “You can’t do that.”

“Ideally, I wouldn’t—”

“No, stop, just—” You grab his cheeks in your hands and bring your nose to press against his. You meet his eyes, gold and molten. “You cannot sacrifice yourself in such a way. I beg you to be selfish. If for no other reason than to give me a proper goodbye.”

(Jing Yuan had been distant in the days leading up to the Arbor’s reawakening. He’d been dodging your calls, ignoring pre-scheduled outings, and skimping on sleeping in your bed. When you’d seen the videos of his limp body and heard from Lady Fu that he was still unconscious, there was, perhaps, a moment where you believed that that was it. You wouldn’t get a goodbye. You’d only see a ragdolled corpse to mourn.)

What you’re asking of Jing Yuan is a siren song of Mara. You know this. To yearn is to suffer. To be attached is to suffer. To cling is to suffer. And suffering is to mara. You both know this. You dance with the stars and their weavings often enough to be suspended somewhat above other immortals— such things seem small in avenues of Aeons and destiny.

Jing Yuan, however, is a master of separation. Meditation. He is quiet about the skills he’s cultivated. You notice them though— the way he measures his breathing, the conscious effort he makes to keep himself loose and slack. The way his memory is diced up, not from incensed Mara sprouts, but from missing pieces. Tragedies that have either been removed or blotted out from his own practice.

To save him from being swallowed by Mara.

And yet, you beg him to remember you.

You almost retract, recoil, and run. This is too real. You have been in the General’s bed for who knows how long. It doesn’t matter that you have been his partner for the last several decades. You’ve never asked him to keep you in his thoughts— keep you like this. It has always felt too unfair of a thing to ask.

“You,” You spit through tears, “Cannot leave me so cruelly. Not like that. Let me be precious to you, Jing Yuan, if only for a short time.”

There is no such thing as being endless without consequence, but perhaps the General can spare you his affections, truly, for a brief moment. Maybe it’s a pipedream. Maybe you’re delirious from lack of sleep and hunger and the high of feeling Jing Yuan solid and whole beneath you is simply too much.

Jing Yuan coaxes you to keep your head up when you try to duck into his neck. He buries a hand in your hand that quickly slides down to your nape. He holds a wide, warm palm there to steady you.

“Dear,” Jing Yuan strokes down your cheeks, rubbing away tears you can’t stop from falling. His smile is melancholy, his eyes crinkled at the corners with a broken smile. “I’m quite remissed. Have I not made it clear that I already think of you in such a way?”

You swallow.

“Probably not.”

“I apologize.”

“Don’t apologize— just— say it.” Not on his deathbed, or Mara-struck in chains and gnarled with Ginkgo leaves.

Jing Yuan pauses, rubbing away tears from under your eyes and squeezing his hand that lingers on the back of your neck. He opens his mouth, flounders, then closes it. Then speaks.

“Beloved,” He begins and you’re already breaking. “I am sorry that I haven’t made it clear to you that you are dear to me. There are certain things that I cannot promise you as they are outside of my control as well as yours. But what I can assure you is that you are so incredibly dear to me. If I must continue to live as I do now, I would like to do so by your side. I apologize for not being forthright.”

“... So, no throwing yourself in front of Lord Ravagers?”

“... Sacrifices must be made.” Jing Yuan says, though his voice is, perhaps, more mournful.

“You are not a sacrifice.” You swallow, the words burning you as well. “You are much more than just foder. You are— you’re dear to people. Dear to me. You are not to throw yourself in the line of fire as part of a convenient plan.”

“I will not make you a promise that I cannot keep.” He is too duty-bound; it’s a practiced thing. You’ve heard he was once laze-about oaf who could barely handle a sword. You try to appeal to any remnants of that man.

“Then at least tell me.” You urge, beg. “Maybe there are other options you haven’t thought of. You get stuck in your head, you know.”

“Do I?” His smile turns mischievous and teasing.

“You—!” You headbutt him lightly and he rolls you into the silken blankets.

The moment your back touches the softness below you, skull cushioned in the palm of Jing Yuan’s hand, you can feel exhaustion catching up with you.

“You must heed your own rules, love,” Jing Yuan tells you, covering your body with his. Silver hair falls in a veil around you. It’s like starlight. The memories of oil and machine parts feel far away. “No more running yourself ragged. Or hiding in the utility tunnels for a month.”

“... A month?” Your words slur. There’s no way you were down there for a month.

“Actually, a month and a week.” Jing Yuan says. His hand smooths over your front with a front. “You’ve lost weight. And as effortlessly radiant as you are, you do look quite poorly. I’m sure it’s nothing an indefinite, relaxing, extended, paid-leave can’t fix, hm?”

“Thas’ so long,” You say, your eyes rolling back into your head. You’re slipping.

“I know.” Jing Yuan kisses your forehead and remains there. “I missed you terribly.”

You want to say more. How desperately do you want to tell him, “I missed you too. I couldn’t stop thinking of you dying. I dreamed of your bed and warmth and wanted nothing more.” But your body is simply too tired. The... month of exhaustion catches up with you within the silks and you have to fight to keep your eyes open.

Jing Yuan hushes you when you whine, grabbing at him to drag him closer.

“Rest now.” He tells you. “You need it. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Jing Yuan holds you in the soft blankets, flush against downy pillows and the plush of his chest. One of his hands finds home around your waist, the other over the crown of your head.

You are tugged down— not in the bowels of Xianzhou’s Luofu, but into the arms of a lover and the hold of a deep and inexorable sleep.

The next time you’re awake, you’re swathed in buttery linens and pleasantly warm. Your world is fuzzy and unfocused, and at first you think you are dreaming.

It’s simply too pleasant.

Your cheek is pressed against Jing Yuan’s bare chest. You can tell from the softness of your cheek squished against the softness of his pectoral, along with the bit of silver fuzz that tickles your nose. He smells like you remember— notes of cedar oils and herbs, mixing with the scent of his own stale sweat from whatever training he completes with Yanqing.

It’s comforting and familiar. This is why it must be a dream.

So you cling to Jing Yuan. The arm thrown over his chest constricts. The leg you have loosely thrown over his own tangles and hooks him closer. You shimmy higher to press your nose to the underside of his jaw and inhale.

Jing Yuan chuckles, a rumbling thing that’s hoarse with sleep, “Good morning to you too.”

You do not open your eyes. Rather, you squeeze them shut, and cling to the dream.

His hand glides up your back, finding home on your waist once more before giving you a squeeze, “You can sleep more, you have quite the deficit to make up for.”

You grumble. You’re practically on top of him, like it would prolong the pleasant illusion your mind is creating.

Your own palm rests over his chest, and you pause. There’s a texture that’s new. Scar tissue beneath your finger tips that runs little rivers over his flesh. Jing Yuan’s breath hitches as you trace them. You pull away from the safety of his throat to peer down at his chest. New scars litter his chest, all connected webs of damage. The skin is puckered and freshly healed.

This is not a dream.

“Oh,” you say, softly.

“I apologize. Your favorite canvas has been a bit marked up.” Jing Yuan sighs.

“Jing Yuan.” You squeak and bat at his chest. “Don’t speak of your body and condition in such a way.”

“Why not? I so have missed your marks on me, you know. It’s been a lonely recovery period—”

“Jing. Yuan.” You tug at his hair playfully. “It is too early for you to be teasing me.”

“I don’t think it’s ever ‘too early’ for such things.” Jing Yuan laughs. “Besides, I think you quite like it.”

“Cruel man.”

“You wound me.” There’s no bite to either of your voices. Just something warm and underused.

You press a kiss to his cheek and nudge your nose into the pudge of it, “Truly?”

“No.” Jing Yuan pulls you up by your waist, holding you flush to him as he turns to face you. You are chest to chest, nose to nose. “There’s no need to worry about the nips of a kitten, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You awful, awful man—” You say with a burgeoning smile that you can’t help but wear.

Jing Yuan cups a large, warm palm against your jaw and presses his lips to yours.

It’s indulgent, just like the ridiculously-sized bed you’re entangled in and the silken sleep pants you can feel him wearing. Your smile into it— you missed this.

Why did you miss it—?

Oh.

You pull away, eyes widening, “Jing Yuan, the ship. I have— repairs. I have to—”

He silences you with a quick kiss, racking his nails down your back and you gasp.

“The repairs are being taken care of by a few honored guests from the Xuling and Yuque. Diviner Fu is their point of contact and guide for the duration of their stay. They will be completing the remaining restoration while you enjoy your leave.”

“I mean—” You flounder, panic is bursting in your chest. “They can contact me— I know what needs to be fixed, I can at least make a list—?”

Jing Yuan hums, grip getting tighter around your hips. It’s a shadow of something you’ve seen in him before— it’s a bit possessive.

“Once again, dear, you are on indefinite leave by order of the Seat of Divine Foresight by the Arbiter General himself.” He reminds you with a glint in his eye. “You needn’t make any lists or instructions for our guests. Diviner Fu is more than capable of directing them as necessary. Actually, I believe she’ll quite like it.”

“You’re pulling rank on me?”

“As I have every right to do.” Jing Yuan doesn’t relent. More sweetly, he continues. “As your lover, I would also be much happier to see you recovering in bed than anywhere else.”

“… Are the gardens off limits?”

“No, though I’d recommend giving yourself a few days of minimal activity.” Jing Yuan frowns then. “I don’t believe you realize it, but you are quite weak at the moment.”

“... Really?”

“Lady Bailu’s cloudhymns are quite advanced these days.” He rubs a thumb below your eyes, over what must be a dark circle. “But, her skills mostly lie in healing flesh wounds and disease. You are malnourished, dehydrated, and... overall rundown.”

“... The Dragon Lady is going to give me an earful, isn’t she?”

“In time.” Jing Yuan laughs. He brings one of your hands up to his face to press his lips to your knuckles. No longer covered in burns and irritated hives, but still bearing light scarring.

Neither you nor Jing Yuan escaped unscathed.

“Do I need to prepare?”

“Perhaps not as much as you think.” Jing Yuan hums, pulling the sheets over your heads. “She examined you while you were asleep a few times. She has already scolded you plenty, even if you don’t remember it.”

“Did I wake up at all?”

“Barely. It was almost concerning.” Jing Yuan tugs you closer and tucks your head under his chin. “I did manage to have you sip some water and give you a wipe down though. Admittedly, you do need a proper bath.”

You nearly moan.

The idea of a bath is downright erotic. Though you don’t feel as greasy and as sticky as you could, given Jing Yuan had kindly gotten the worst of it off of you, the idea of being truly clean sounded pornographic.

Especially, given you were at Jing Yuan’s residence, and in addition to his indulgently large and comfortable bed, he also had an indulgently large and opulent self-heating bath. The idea of having a long soak and scrub has you burying your face into Jing Yuan chest and squeezing around his middle.

“I want it.”

“A bath?”

“Yes. And you. And a meal. Lots of things, actually.” Enough to make your head spin. It feels like your slowly waking mind is all out of sorts.

“Let’s start with a meal and a bath, then.” Jing Yuan offers. “Perhaps after a nap?”

You don’t need to be persuaded.

It’s a kinder sleep you sink into. Less bottomless and far warmer. Jing Yuan kisses you breathless and a bit stupid as you drift off, chuckling against your lips as you grumble and grouse at him, before being tugged down into sleep once more.

...

“How are you feeling?”

You ask Jing Yuan this as you give yourself a pre-bath rinse behind an ornate screen. The wet cloth clutched in your hands drips fat droplets of water onto the polished, glass tile beneath your feet. Soap clings to your body, falling into little rivulets, taking the worst of your grime down the nearby drain. Watching the iridescent bubbles distracts you from the weight of your own words.

You’ve been wanting to ask Jing Yuan this for—

(Weeks, probably, actually, in the time of the Xianzhou Alliance’s calendar. At least you since you saw him nearly lifeless in the grainy cell phone footage.)

Since you have woken and were sleepily led to Jing Yuan’s opulent, resplendent private baths, at least.

From the other side of the screen, Jing Yuan answers, “I feel fine, dear.”

“Physically?”

“I’ve had more than enough time to recover.”

“... Mentally? All over, Jing Yuan.”

You hate asking this, but you know it’s necessary. You’re sure Jing Yuan is being monitored for Mara-onset symptoms; there’s no way he couldn’t be. You don’t see any obvious ones. But, Mara is the most extreme of afflictions.

He laughs again, and you can feel him shaking his head like it can shake off your concern, “I assure you, I’m more than fine. Having to be responsible for so much paperwork again is painful, but doable.”

He’s dodging your question, albeit with less finesse than he normally would.

“Would you blame me if I doubted that answer?”

“No, not at all.”

You sigh and rinse the last of the suds from your body. It’s tedious, this roundabout game with Jing Yuan, but he is rarely forthcoming with personal information. Whether that’s memories of his life before you entered it, political stratagem, or his own mental state— it’sall veiled. You’ve gotten more adept at playing his games, but you truthfully don’t know if you have the energy to try.

You rub your hand over your face. One thing at a time.

You pluck the robe Jing Yuan had supplied from the top of the screen and wrap yourself in the (thin, wispy, objectively indecent) garment. It’s not doing much to cover you at all, as the light, silken fabric clings to the wet curves of your body. You appreciate the attempt at modesty in the same way you appreciate Jing Yuan idling on the other side of the screen.

You feel like a doe on uneven ground still. Jing Yuan probably expects this.

He guides you to the bath, steering into more light-hearted chatter. He tells you what Yanqing has been up to since he has resumed his office, once again asking for swords and seemingly training with a new vigor and intensity. He has been begging the General to spar with him all hours of the day. Or, call back his newfound friends from the Astral Express for a round or two. Qingzu will be taking a much-needed vacation in the coming weeks. Jing Yuan’s carmelias and bluebell astrums have begun to bloom.

You nod along, only half-there.

Jing Yuan eases your robe off your shoulder as he speaks. His voice is low and a bit rough from his own nap. The broad planes of his palms and fingers smooth over your shoulders and peel the fabric down. His thumb worries the marred skin of your forearms.

“We’ll make sure your next meals are particularly hearty. These should heal up quickly, wouldn’t you say?” He coaxes.

You nod, staring at the burns. They’ll be nothing but worn-looking scars in a matter of weeks.

Your robe is slung over a cart, filled with a collection of luxurious bath oils and soaps. Jing Yuan only has a few indulgences— his sprawling, soft bed, his many gardens, and his opulent, resplendent private bath laid with emerald green glass tiles and a sunken tub that could’ve been counted as a pool given its size. You’re grateful for it— though you’ve only used it a handful of times. The General has a habit of taking quick showers, unless he has the better part of the day to lounge in the perfectly-warmed water.

You try not to linger on your own nakedness, though you can feel Jing Yuan surveying you. There must be bruises on your waist from the heavy belt you were wearing. Visible weight loss too. You busy yourself by untying the sash of Jing Yuan’s robe and pulling it from his shoulders. It had already been somewhat open, revealing the marred expanse of his chest. Thin, spidery scars that clearly stretched over most of his body.

Typically, Xianzhou Native bodies heal with little scarring. But, these wounds were carved by a Lord Ravager. You’re unsure if they will follow the same logic.

You will love Jing Yuan, obviously, regardless of any lasting marks. But the thought still makes you sad— something in you aches. You trace the scars leading down from his chest to his softened tummy to the v of his hips. His cock is soft between his legs. It’s too dark in the bath to tell if the scars extend there as well.

“You look troubled.” He says, pausing his stories.

“I worry for you, so much.” You tell him.

Meeting his eyes is difficult. The honey-stone color of them looks darker in the dimly-lit chamber, but you can easily see the crease between his brow. There’s clear concern, perhaps a bit overwritten by his need to conceal his hand.

Perhaps he is too tired himself to be as careful as he usually is.

(Good. If there’s anyone who he can let his guard down around, Aeons, let it be you.)

Jing Yuan helps you into the tub. First, he enters, sliding into the steaming water with a shudder. He extends his hand to you as you take unsure steps onto the slick tiling. The water is the perfect temperature— not too hot, but pleasantly warm in a way that won’t lead to overheating. You hide your body under the water and sink up to your chin and sigh.

It feels heavenly.

Jing Yuan chuckles as you do and smoothes a hand over the top of your head. He’s already reaching for a few bottles on the nearby cart, pouring a few under the steady gurgle of water that flows from a wide tap. It’s entrancing to watch— equally as entrancing is the breadth of Jing Yuan’s shoulder, marred by the scarring. He’s beautiful in a way that makes your stomach knot.

You end up settled with your back pressed to his front, laid in his lap, almost dozing as he massages shampoo into your hair.

“I’m filthy, aren’t I?” You ask.

Jing Yuan hums, “I’ve never seen you this unkempt, no.”

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He kisses the back of your soapy skull. “You needn’t apologize for anything. I’m not upset with you.”

“... Okay.” You concede. He goes back to dutifully washing your hair, then follows it with conditioner and securing your hair up and out of the water as necessary. His idle talk has stopped, the space filled by the running water and your own breath.

“May I wash yours?” You ask.

“You still have your body, love.”

“I know,” You reply sheepishly. “At least let me get your conditioner in?”

Jing Yuan laughs, and coaxes you to turn with his big hands wrapped around your waist under the waist. You spin his lap, straddling him. It’s a precarious position, but you... missed it. Nudging yourself closer, you lean into him, chest to chest, and deflate.

He laughs, something rich and warm that radiates from his body into your own, “It really is hard work, bathing, isn’t it?”

“No,” You muffle your words into his collarbones. “Just give me a minute.”

“Of course,” His arms wrap firmly around your waist, locking you together. He’s hot— he runs like a furnace even when not in a toasty bath. There’s a bit of sweat dripping down his neck and you’re tempted to lick it away.

Maybe later, for now you bask.

You bask in the fact that Jing Yuan is here, warm and alive. You want to commit him to memory— better than you have. If it forsakes you to Mara in a few decades, you do not care. You had forgotten the softness of his chest, the curve of his waist and the point of his nose. The details of Jing Yuan had become so fuzzy in such a short time. You’re sure Lady Bailu would assert it had something to do with your ‘chronic sleep deprivation’, but you’re not sure if you agree with that potential diagnosis.

Spending too much time attuned to immaterial quantum fields erodes your psyche, probably.

“So deep in thought.” Jing Yuan runs a head down your back. “Take a break to rinse, hm?”

“I haven’t gotten yours in yet, though?”

“We can take our time. Besides, I bathed this morning. This is all for pleasure.”

“... Pleasure, huh?”

Jing Yuan flashes you a grin burgeoning on mischievous, “Yes, pleasure, in whatever form that may come. Is that what’s plaguing you, dear?”

“No, not at all.” You sigh and lean back from him, cupping his cheeks. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Jing Yuan says. His cards are showing— his voice is straining, pitched in a way that indicates he’s sad in his chest. The thing between your ribs aches.

“I was worried.”

“So you have said.” Jing Yuan cajoles you down, slipping your head half in the water to rinse away your conditioner. He suspends you with a single arm. His musculature is obscene.

“How could I not be?” You clench your jaw. “I saw videos of you being taken to the Alchemy Commission— you— you looked—”

Half-dead.

Corpse-like.

Steps from death’s door.

On your way to the grave.

Dead.

Jing Yuan calls your name, rubbing soothing little circles over the small of your waist, “I’m well now, dear.”

“But you almost weren’t.” Your voice breaks. You don’t mean for it to. You tuck yourself into his neck and hide.

You don’t want to cry, but you can feel something welling up from within your guts. It’s the thing you pushed down relentlessly in the bowels of the Luofu. As you tinkered and toiled in the depths of the ship, you never let this ache spill over, lest you drown. Whether that’s in Mara or a less permanent type of suffering, you do not know.

“But I am.” Jing Yuan assures you. “I am here now, aren’t I? Whole and in one piece.”

You know this. You know this. But— You drag your fingernails over his shoulder blades. Jing Yuan shudders as you do.

“It’s hard.”

“I know.”

The hands around you squeeze hard enough to bruise.

“I thought you were going to keel over in the gardens when Yanqing first brought you to me.” Jing Yuan confesses. “I’d been pestering Lady Fu on the hour for any updates about your whereabouts and communications.”

“... I wasn’t communicating with anyone, though.”

“I know.” Jing Yuan has a thread of... contempt to it. “I wish you would have.”

“What could I have said?”

“I’m not sure,” Jing Yuan tangles a hand in your washed hair and tilts your face to meet his. “But, I’m sure you would’ve found the right words.”

He kisses you. Or you kiss him. Who’s to say.

You don’t have the right words— you may never. Certainly not in your mind or on your tongue now. The thing that rises in your throat is carnal and old and writhing— want. Verging on need. You struggle to keep the kiss chaste, closed lips pressed together after so long apart

Perhaps Jing Yuan has a similar depth that’s clawing at his insides.

He tilts his head, dragging you closer. Close as can be. He kisses you in a silently desperate way. You accept his advances and tangle your hands in his hair. Tug him closer and closer and closer.

(Don’t go. Please don’t go. Not yet.)

(Not until we’re both split apart by gingko roots and dappled in noontime sunlight.)

You gasp his name as you break apart for breath, smoothing your thumbs down his cheekbones and jaw. His pupils are blown and desperate.

“Can I touch you?” He asks, always so polite.

“Please—”

Jing Yuan kisses you again, deeper and pulling you into the depths of the bath. His hands trail down to your thighs, squeezing along the way. Calloused and wide, familiar. The feel of them is coming home, you hadn’t realized how much you missed this.

You keen against his lips and Jing Yuan laughs— the gall of that man.

His flips you easily, caging you against the edge of the pool. This way, he has height over you. He looms, casting a flickering shadow in the amber light of the beeswax candles scattered about. You swallow as you watch droplets of water slide down his throat, chest, tummy. His forearms make you feel dizzy.

“May I have you?” He asks, once again. “Not yet— but I don’t want to progress if you’re not feeling fit for it.”

“N-No,” You feel desperate, you sound desperate. Sensitive and clawing, the beast that you buried in the depths of the Luofu crawls out of your throat and wraps itself around you. Tears spring to your eyes. “Please? Just— be slow—”

Jing Yuan must see your eyes water. He softens.

He thumbs over the fragile skin beneath your eyes, as if wiping the stray tear could wipe away the dark circles punched there as well.

“Of course.” He assures you and presses his lips to your forehead.

...

Jing Yuan takes ‘slow’ both seriously and literally. You are both grateful and horribly frustrated by this. You almost regret not telling Jing Yuan to simply bend you over the lip of the bath and fuck you senseless, though Jing Yuan probably would not have granted you that even if you had asked. He loves to savor when he can. Bedding you is no exception— even under more typical circumstances.

And these aren’t typical circumstances.

Perhaps you should’ve known Jing Yuan intended to break you apart and stitch you back together.

He doesn’t escalate things much further in the bath, despite petting down your sides and seeming to always have his lips on you. You wash his hair as you’d ask to, scratching at his scalp and relishing the almost-purr he lets out as he wraps himself around you. When you start to just barely grind in his lap (squirm, more than anything), he is quick to still you with an iron-like hold on your hips, pinning you down and over his thighs.

“Not yet,” He tells you, nipping at your jaw. “Be patient.”

You huff.

Jing Yuan takes charge of finishing washing you, using gentle touch and a soft cloth from your ankles to the crown of your head. His touch lingers, starting some low burning flame low in your gut that you have a feeling won’t be quenched for quite some time.

It’s tortuous. It’s wonderful.

After you towel each other off, he leads you back to his rooms, only in the damp robes and undergarments he’d dutifully remembered to bring along. The silk clings to Jing Yuan’s bulk as he walks beside you. His hand is on your lower back. Little bugs chirp in the courtyard gardens you pass. There’s the gurgle of a fountain. The soft breeze that Luofu always keeps, even on the most temperate days of summer. It’s all so different from the acrid smell of lubricant and the ambient machine hum you had become so used to.

“I’m only on leave, not house arrest, correct?” You ask as you enter his wing, to his bedroom.

He locks the door behind you as you step inside.

“No, no house arrest.” Jing Yuan hums as he strips off his robe. You want to bite him. “You’re free to roam within reason.”

“Does ‘within reason’ include the nursery that outlander keeps in the Exalting Sanctum?”

“Of course. Though I may assign you a chaperone.”

“Really? Would you send Yanqing with me for a quick run to grab a new shrub or two.”

Jing Yuan laughs, something rich and full that rolls over you like a fleeced quilt, “I figured that I would be your chaperone, dear. If you’d allow.”

“... You’re making this sound like a date, General.”

“Am I?” Jing Yuan smiles so honeyed, it makes something in your chest begin to crack. You lay your hands on his bare chest and hold your ear to his chest. He laughs when you do. “I’d like it if it was. If you’d have me.”

“Of course I would.”

You say it so simply.

You want to crawl into his body and live there, and break any spindly seedlings of Mara away with your own two hands.

Jing Yuan kisses you, walking you back into the door. His lips are soft, a bit chapped in a way that’s familiar and comforting. You run a hand up and down his chest, stopping to squish one of his ample pecs. You muffle a laugh into Jing Yuan’s lips as he stutters out a groan. Sweet, sweet man.

“I missed you,” You tell him once more, hoping your words seep past the seam of his lips, down his throat and sink into his guts.

Jing Yuan responds by pressing you into the door, using the warm line of his body to flatten you to the wood. His kiss verges on desperate, tongue insistent at the seam of your lips, hands tugging you close, close, closer. You yield to him, whining as his tongue licks into your mouth, the taste of him so familiar it makes you ache.

You tug at his hair and urge him closer, if that is possible.

His touch is searing as he breaks away, panting, eyes hot. Scalding. His hair is down, drying to a fluffy, untamed mane around his cheeks and shoulders. It’s charming. You thumb over his cheeks with a smile. He leans into your touch while giving you a soft smile.

“The reign you have over me.” He sighs. You don’t get a chance to question him— his thigh slots between your own and your breath catches with the contact.

You haven’t been touched in so long.

You cling to his shoulders and just barely grind on his thigh— as much as his hold on your waist will allow. Jing Yuan’s kisses trail from your lips to over your cheeks and down your throat. He stops at the juncture of your neck and shoulders, nosing into the spot.

“Such a lovely scent,” He hums.

“I-I bet I smelled horrible before, h-huh?” You laugh as he begins to worry a patch of skin. Tender and fragile, perfect for bruising.

“Hm, I wouldn’t say that.” His teeth graze your throat and your head falls back into the door with thud. Jing Yuan shields your skull with his hands a beat later. “You’d be surprised how many times we’ve shared a bed and you’ve reeked of your favorite brand of astral lubricant.”

“Jing Yuan!” You shriek with a laugh and bat at his shoulders. “You’re so cruel.”

“What, do you not like when I tease you?”

“Scoundrel.”

“I think you do like it.”

You missed bantering with him.

“I love you.” You tell him. He knows— you know this. Declarations of love are rare for the long-lived. At least so directly— to care so deeply is to damn yourself to a faster descent into Mara. Though, to live and deprive yourself of companionship and love is to be dead while living. There’s a tender balance between connection and detachment. Both you and Jing Yuan are intimately familiar with it and indulge together.

Jing Yuan bites down on your neck.

It hurts, enough that you jolt and squirm against his body. Jing Yuan holds you into place, sucking on the skin he’d sunk his teeth into. It’s higher on his neck than he’d usually mark you.

(He’s leaving it to be seen. You are Jing Yuan’s, loved and held.)

(What a wretched man.)

By the time he pulls away, you’re panting. Tears have welled up on your lash line. It hurts and it hurts even more when Jing Yuan runs a high thumb over the quickly rising skin. You gasp and Jing Yuan catches your chin in the wide palm of his hand.

You meet his gaze, intense and lighting-vibrant. You’re panting with an open mouth.

“How lovely.” And he presses a kiss to a corner of your mouth.

Jing Yuan guides you to his ridiculously large bed (that could surely fit up to five bodies and a fully grown, white lion.) The sheets have been changed, though you have a feeling they’ll be dirtied again by the morning.

It’s gentle, the way he hastens you higher up the mattress before giving you a light shove into a mound of pillows. You hook your legs around his waist, drawing him as close as he’ll allow.

He massages the meat of your thighs. His gaze goes long, and a bit unfocused, though it's trained on you.

(You wonder what he’s thinking. Jing Yuan is so careful, always so ginger and measured in his steps. Still, there’s a fire in him that you often overlook. It’s the part of him that keeps a lion as a housemate, raised a young boy into a champion, and... you suppose urged him to become the Luofu’s sacrificial lamb in the face of the Destruction.)

You gulp, throat bobbing. Perhaps, you know your General to be a docile, indolent man who prefers naps and board games too much else. Perhaps you have overlooked, or rather forgotten, that you once saw the Divine Foresight as a warlord, given what you’d read about him in the data banks during your studies on the Yuque.

Jing Yuan’s hand drifts down your front. You’re still wearing your robe. Gentle touch peels it away, leaving you in just a pair of thin panties. They’re a soft, breathable fabric— the kind that will surely show your interest in the General. (You have a feeling Jing Yuan picked them out for that reason expressly.)

Jing Yuan presses the pad of his thumb over your clit through the fabric.

You aren’t expecting it, and arch your back with a squeak. His hand lays hot at the innermost part of your thigh, at the fragile skin where it meets your more sensitive parts.

“I-I thought you said you’d go slow.” You squirm.

“Of course.” Jing Yuan remains unmoving, applying just enough pressure to be maddening. “I intend to.”

With how sensitive you are, you need him to be slow. Your body feels tender out of the bath— cooked and raw all at once. Your muscles still ache from your time in the tunnels and you feel... atrophied, if anything.

Jing Yuan must know this, and you trust him to keep his word.

He makes his way home between your thighs, laying over your front to kiss you once more. This is slow, every lick and nip thoughtful, every barely-there roll of his hips is intentional. You’re not sure where he finds the restraint.

You pet through his hair, softening incrementally with each soft touch he gives you.

He pulls away, lips kiss-bruised and cheeks flushed. It’s cute to see the General so disheveled. He’d never look this out of it and starry-eyed outside of this shared bedroom. It makes you giddy. You smother his cheeks with kisses and let him muffle laughter into your skin.

It’s all soul-splitting.

It’s good. The proximity is warm and inviting. You missed the richness of his bed, the scent of incense and the candles you stock the room with. You missed the roll of his muscles underneath your fingertips and the mirthful glint that flashes in his eyes whenever he thinks he has you on the ropes.

You were so scared of losing this.

It hits you in the chest, caving you in, breaking rib and bone. You were so scared— terrified that this dance you’ve become so adept at sharing with Jing Yuan would end before you were ready for it too. You know that you’ll both fall to Mara, it’s inevitable— but you don’t want it to happen yet. You’re not ready for the final flourish. You weren’t ready for Jing Yuan’s cradled, near lifeless body to be the dying gasp of the partnership you had.

You know it's foolish to think this way. Things— all things, are bigger than mortal minds. Paths cut by the stars, brushstrokes by Gods and Aeons that dictate the lives and destiny of all. You are one mind, one body, one tender spirit. You cannot fight against such forces. You will be crushed.

But, for now, you savor. Take each moment and be grateful even as it slips, honey-warm and molten, between your fingers to be replaced by another in the next instant, equally as lovely. Piled on each other. It is enough.

You crush Jing Yuan to you, hard and fast enough that the wind is knocked out of him, “Please be more careful with yourself.”

I can’t lose you just yet.

“I will try.” His voice is a comforting curl over you. He strokes over your temples and forehead.

“N-No, you must.”

You don’t know the words yet for what you want to tell him. The feelings are too large, too unmanageable. Maybe attuning to the Luofu’s quantum fields has rotted your brain. You’ve lost your words.

With some cajoling, you flip Jing Yuan onto his back.

Sitting up over his hips, you set upon his neck. First with soft kisses, just as he gave you, then with nips and stronger bites. Then a chomp below his jaw. His hips crest upwards, his hands spasming around your waist as he holds you steady. The sounds that leak from him make you want to crawl down his throat.

You suck and bite at the mark until you’re satisfied, pulling away to see his pale skin bruising darker by the moment. You admire the popped blood vessels with what must be a dreamy expression on your face.

“Leaving your mark on me?” Jing Yuan asks, breathless and light.

“It’s only fair.” You kiss his smile, sharing it, “Just as you did to me.”

Running your hands down his chest, you frown at the scars.

“What if I joined the Cloud Knights?” You ask him.

Jing Yuan looks a bit... surprised, “Why would you do that? Though, perhaps, giving up your position as Master Calibrator would be reasonable, given recent events.”

“No, no, it’s not that.” You watch the rise and fall of Jing Yuan’s chest with an ache in your own. “If I was stronger, I could protect you, couldn’t I?”

Tears well up in your eyes.

Jing Yuan opens his mouth to speak, you hear his inhale, but you cut him off, “I-If I was a fighter, or just a Diviner, couldn’t I help more? Could I— could I have stopped this? Or stop something horrible from happening in the future? I don’t want to see you hurt like this.”

It should be a bit funny, maybe, that you’re sitting on the waist of the half-hard Divine Foresight, in tears, asking him if you could protect him. A man treated as nearly infallible, a legend amongst people who so rarely have them. He has an eternal spirit gifted by an Aeon tied to his very being.

And yet you, something of a mechanic and professional tinkerer, beg to protect him.

“Oh, [Name].” He says, mournful.

You swallow down a sob and tears drip from your eyes to splatter on his chest. Your vision blurs and you rake your nails down his chest. More raised marks— yours struck on him this time. Jing Yuan winds a hand in your hair, strokes down your neck, tries to calm you but it's hard. You can’t catch yourself.

“I’m s-sorry—” You tell him between gulps of air. You’re supposed to be being bed right now, fucked stupid and more brainless than you already are, but you’re crying and the panic welling up in your chest feels bottomless and vast.

“No apologies,” Jing Yuan hushes you, rubbing away tears. “You’re alright. I understand.”

“You do?” You snort. It’s blotted out by a proper sob that you hide in Jing Yuan’s chest.

“How could I not?” He rubs over your dark circles under your eyes, then the bruising around your hips. The softness around your waist that’s not as plump as it was a month ago. “Do you think I didn’t contend with traversing the tunnels myself and pulling you out by your scruff?”

“... You did?”

He pauses.

“Everyday.” Jing Yuan admits after a moment. Any admission from him is hard earned.

“Oh.”

You blink, and cry all over again because you feel silly and foolish all over. He hushes you, petting over your cheeks, back, hips— anywhere he can reach. He’s good at soothing, knowing what strokes to provide and where.

“Did you think I didn’t worry?”

“I—I don’t know,” You shake your head. “You had more important things to worry about, right? And— and you were recovering.”

“I asked to see you, you know.”

“... I was told.”

“What did you think that meant?”

“... I don’t know.” You don’t. “I just— I was being a coward. I was scared to see the extent of your injuries before the ship was repaired fully. I wanted— I wanted things to be okay. I didn’t want to go to the surface and see that Vidyadhara who saved you.”

“... Dan Heng?”

“Sure.” Lizard. Fucker.

“... You’re jealous?”

“No.” Oh, yes. Entirely. “I just— he got to carry you. I have to join the Cloud Knights and get strong enough to do so myself. It’s only fair. You’re mine, not some lizard’s.”

Jing Yuan looks startled, then his expression softens.

You besmirch the not-quite outlander easily. You do not know him— you’ve heard whispers. Nothing from Jing Yuan, and you do not pry at his past (and he doesn’t pry at yours.) You know they have a connection from before your time on the Luofu. You don’t fully know its nature, but judging by the passing... grief that Jing Yuan wears, if only for a moment, you can guess. Infer.

(Something of lovers. Almost lovers. If nothing else, Jing Yuan cared for him very much.)

“You needn’t worry about Dan Heng, dear,” he gently. says. “Such things are in the past now. He has moved onto a different shore, and is quite happy on the Astral Express.”

“... He’s not coming to steal you?”

“No,” he laughs, looking mournful again. “I’m certain he has no interest in such things.”

He speaks so sadly. Not heartbroken, it’s not that fresh. He speaks through a wound with a type of melancholy that resonates in your chest like a minor chord. You resist the urge to say, ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

“Do you wish he would?”

Jing Yuan pauses.

“No.” He shakes his head, “Not anymore. We have both grown.”

And he pets over your cheek before kissing you. You know he’s telling you the truth.

...

Jing Yuan does not allow haste, and neither do you. Perhaps, you both are feeling fragile. You keep breaking each other open, only to help the other reassemble their pieces a moment later.

Jing Yuan enjoys savoring physical contact, regardless of circumstance or propriety. He steals touches in public in a way that’s indulgent, but never overt. He licks into your mouth with the pace like cooling honey. Each does is meant to brand. You’re meant to feel it, feel him, for as long as the moment will allow. He savors you with hitches of his own breath, a desperation of his own bubbling under his surface.

You can be a bit shy when he truly gluts himself this way. It’s so overt. It tears something in you, and reveals a squishy, softer center that you’re anxious to show anyone. Even a lover like Jing Yuan who has shown you time and time again there is nothing to fear, other than his own foolhardy decisions.

Jing Yuan probably likes it when he gets to be this slow. Peeling back layer after layer of you, forcing you to luxuriate in the unfamiliar warmth, and be reminded that he is there and sturdy.

Jing Yuan is laid between your thighs, your legs over his shoulder. His thick forearm is braced across your navel, your hand held in his. Your fingers are intertwined. His other hand pets at the back of your thighs as you shudder.

You’re sensitive.

Jing Yuan eats your cunt with the pace of a man who has nothing to lose, no phases of the moon to observe, and something to prove. He laps at your center, squeezing your hand with each jolt of your hips against his mouth.

The stroke of his tongue is slow and unhurried. He’s enjoying himself, savoring your taste, humming and groaning when you inadvertently grind against his mouth. During a more routine fuck, Jing Yuan enjoys when you anchor yourself with a grip in his hair and fuck his face. Any impulse you could have to indulge in such a way tonight is quelled. His grip is unyielding on your hand. Your free hand is tangled in the sheets, occasionally shakily pushing Jing Yuan’s mane away from his forehead so you can watch him tongue fuck you with the pace of the lazy, sunbathing cat.

You drop your head to the nest of pillows behind you with a groan and throw your arm over your eyes.

Jing Yuan chuckles against your cunt and flicks his tongue over your clit. He sucks and you want to sob. He hasn’t let you built up to any release— it’s long form teasing, it’s torture. You can feel how wet you are between your thighs, sticky from your own slick and his saliva. You’re messy.

(This is how Jing Yuan prefers it anyways.)

Jing Yuan had made a point to tease you in your thin panties before putting his mouth on you at all. Stroking over the fabric, barely dipping his fingers under the thin, lace waistband. He kissed your covered pussy until you were almost tearing the sheets in your balled up fists.

Jing Yuan still hasn’t put anything inside of you. You know it will be— tight. Jing Yuan has large hands and a proportionally large cock (that most Xianzhou Alliance gossip forums still undersize). Part of his slowness is necessary.

The tip of a finger teases your hole and you kick at his back in surprise.

“F-Finally giving in?”

“I’m not giving in at all,” Jing Yuan pulls away from your cunt to speak, wet and sloppy around his mouth. Eyes half-lidded and so, so content. “I’ve never had anything other than the intention to open you on my tongue and my fingers. What gave you any other impression?”

“Bastard.”

He nips the apex of your thigh and you yip.

“Yours.”

You smile, stupid and a little love drunk, and stroke his hair, “Mine.”

Jing Yuan’s gaze darkens for a moment— something passes there. A thought you can’t read from him or glean anything from. The headiness of the moment temporarily breaks, and for an instant you think that something is wrong. You almost push yourself off the bed in a fit of concern—

But Jing Yuan begins the slow press of his finger into your cunt.

You gasp and squirm, flinching almost. Jing Yuan bears his weight on your waist and keeps you in place as you do, intently watching your expression and parted, wet lips. You’re flayed. It’s just a finger, but it feels big. His fingers are big— a bit calloused, but softer than you’d think.

As he sinks the digit into you, you pant. He kisses your clit, encouraging you to open up for him, murmuring little words of praise that sit in your brain pleasantly but are hard to make distinct. You go slack into the mound of pillows as his mouth returns to your cunt, the single finger fully inside you, resting as you tremble.

With a suck to your clit, he crooks the finger up.

It feels good. The spot is tender. Jing Yuan knows just where to apply pressure, the pace and angle are so, so good. He’s memorized this part of you. A month apart isn’t going to remove that knowledge.

He teases you like this— never letting you rise too close to release. The roiling tendrils of arousal in your gut stay there, like stoked embers without tinder to light anew. You take it— you take what he gives you. You relish each touch, lick, and kiss.

“Jing Yuan—” You gasp his name as he removes the single finger to begin to stretch you with two.

Two is— it’s a lot. Normally, it wouldn’t be. Maybe, you’d beg for more, and beg for more faster. But now, two stings and aches on your insides. You claw at his hair and whine in the back of your throat. Jing Yuan hushes you and spits on his fingers, the extra bit of lubrication helping somewhat, but you’re tight and wound.

“Are you alright?” Jing Yuan asks as he massages the most sensitive spot in your cunt. He asks genuinely, not as a tease.

“‘S tight,” You squeeze out, wiggling your hips.

“Am I being gentle enough?”

“Uh-huh,” You pet over his forehead. “Thank you?”

“Of course.” Jing Yuan chuckles. “Does it feel good?’

“Y-Yeah,” You whine as Jing Yuan curls his fingers, thumb pressed against your clit and rolling the pearl of itl. “I-It’s unfair.”

“What’s unfair?”

“That you make me feel s-so good,” You don’t know how else to articulate it. The feral thing in your chest crawls over your body once more, and jerks your hips for more of his touch. You urge his fingers deep, wordlessly beg for more pressure against your cunt.

“You’re so sweet,” Jing Yuan coos, rising to his knees and taking one of your legs with him. Your middle falls open. It feels... vulnerable. You feel exposed and sliced. Your stomach churns for a moment. You nearly ask Jing Yuan to stop.

(Except, Jing Yuan has fucked you enough times to know that you don’t enjoy the physical vulnerability of your sensitive core. It sets you off. He knows that you prefer to cuddle with his massive hand against your belly. He knows you even wear clothes that provide some protection, billowing fabrics and belts. You’re a sensitive thing.)

He slides his broad hand over your belly, and presses down as he leisurely pumps his fingers in and out of your core. The pressure of it burns— scalds you and your arousal feels white hot. He’s prodding you from the inside and the outside, and you feel something bubbling up.

“You’re close,” Jing Yuan says with a catlike smile. “Would you like to come?”

“P-Please—”

Jing Yuan hums, slowing, almost ruining the impending crest, but clicks his tongue and continues. It’s a farce, a little game he’s playing, and much to your (enjoyed) frustration, you’re his other player.

“I would love to hear you beg,” Jing Yuan croons, leaning over your form, bending your leg at an angle that is unfair in all regards. “But, I’d also like to be kind tonight. I think you deserve it— you need it, don’t you?”

“I—” You do. His hand quickens and with his other, he braces behind one of your knees. He ducks down to retake his place between your thighs, eating your cunt with a persistence and vigor that has your eyes roll back in your head. He drills your insides with a deep, steady rhythm that. Maybe could get you pregnant.

Who's to say.

“I’m—” You gasp, ready to beg regardless of what Jing Yuan wants or expects from you. You want to give him everything.

“That’s it. Let go.” He beckons you and you break.

Your orgasm slams into you. The teasing and playful edging made you sensitive and like a livewire. When you finally cum, you choke on your own breath, eyes rolling back into your head, and you shove your face into a pillow to muffle the half-sobbed moans that spill from your lips out of your control.

Jing Yuan continues his ministrations through it. Dutifully. Unyielding, even as you twitch with oversensitivity and wisps of exhaustion.

He gently lowers your trembling leg with a sweet smile. He pets you like a cat.

“You’re beautiful.” He says, softened in a way you only get to see.

“Thank you.” Your words slur as he settles beside you, tucking next to you.

He’s hard— so hard that there’s a wet patch on his bottoms from pooling pre. You can feel the length of him against your thigh, and you reach for him. You should really grab some oil—

Jing Yuan stops you with a gentle hand on your wrist.

“Slow, remember?” He reminds you with a grin that is mischievous. “Let’s take a break, just for a moment.”

“Are you sure?” You look down.

The bulge of him makes your mouth water.

“Entirely.” He brings your hand to his lips, pressing a reverent kiss to your wrist. “How about a quick snack, hm? I can fetch some fruit to cut.”

“... That would be nice.”

“Would you like peaches?”

“P-Please.” Your voice is watery and small. Jing Yuan looks smitten to hear the tone. “... Meldberries too? And apples?”

“Of course,” Jing Yuan looks happy. Relieved. Deflated in a way that makes you realize that he had been so tense before. Since you met him in the gardens, haggard and exhausted.

(You’re in his bed, sated and watery and being taken care of.)

“Can I come to the kitchen with you?”

“Are you sure you can walk?” Jing Yuan teases, thumbing at your trembling inner thigh, littered with fresh bruises.

“I can now—” you huff, playfully indignant. “We should bring some back. For... later. When I can’t walk. Hopefully.”

“Hopefully?” Jing Yuan tilts his head, eyes half-lidded and amused.

“Oh, don’t act so innocent!” You laugh and headbutt him lightly. If you had more energy, you’d play fight with him and ruffle the sheets up more than they already are. “I’m sure you’d like me immobile by the time you and your ridiculous cock are through with me.”

“... Ridiculous cock?” Jing Yuan can’t hide the laughter in his voice, or the flush on his cheeks. “So cruel.”

“I— I forgot how big it is.”

“I’m still covered, dearest.”

You gesture, panicked, below the covers to the bulge and still growing wet spot, “Your dick is close to the size of my forearm, Jing Yuan. I can see it without... seeing it.”

“You’re so complimentary.” He practically giggles. “So sweet. I had forgotten how sweet orgasm makes you. Or, is this your fatigue talking?”

“... Both? I missed you.” You say, using your un-held hand to pat Jing Yuan’s covered cock with a smile. “Missed this too.”

Jing Yuan almost squeaks at the unexpected contact. He apparently is just as sensitive as you. He hides his light blush in your neck, and you can’t help but laugh, and think about how sweet the peaches will be when cut by your lover’s hands and shared from the same plate.

...

Jing Yuan keeps his word. The early evening stretches into late evening, every touch and sensation coaxed and unhurried. Slow-stretched sugar, lest it shatters.

In the kitchen, Jing Yuan cuts you a plate of peaches while you rest on his lap, watching the hypnotic carving of his knife with half-lidded eyes. He feeds you slices on a small fruit fork while sending off a message or two from his jade abacus. He carries half a dozen other fruits back to his bedroom and prods you for a more substantial meal order at some point.

You finish off the last few slices while draped in his robe, dazed from your previous high. You feel— out of it. Raw and scraped out. Not much different from how you felt during your time in the utility tunnels, but instead of feverishly working, you’re in the warmly light room of your lover. His warm hand is splayed on the small of your back, rubbing little circles.

You want to ask him:

“How do you do this?”

And Jing Yuan, mirthful, would say:

“Do what?”

And you would say:

“This.”

This:

The way your mind resists fullness, empty by familiar nature. You’ve been cored, like the apple Jing Yuan dutifully cut and fed to you. Your thighs continue to shake. You’re bruised, marked, all his, in a way that cows and strokes the feral part of your mind still half-convinced this is all an elaborate illusion.

How could any of this be a fabrication? When Jing Yuan is so warm behind you, happy to bask in your presence while you bask in his. Jing Yuan’s contentment is infectious, it always is— but so quickly, he has stripped you of your ability to parry it. You can’t hold concern. You can barely hold your body upright. You want to fall into him, ask to take more, and hold him until you simply can’t anymore.

You do not ask Jing Yuan how he undoes you. Predicting the conversation seems— easy. Too easy. (Probably because calibrating a machine meant to sustain a civilization for weeks on end does damage that’s yet to be fully healed. Prediction is a symptom of overuse, divination a side effect. A cumbersome one.) You can imagine the way Jing Yuan would dance with his words, effortlessly sparring in a way that you simply couldn’t keep up with. You are already disarmed. You need his candor, and nothing is more honest than the General’s body.

“Come here.” Jing Yuan beckons you into the sheets to lay with him properly.

(It’s uncanny how he can predict your needs like a diviner himself.)

You follow his direction and let him tug you into his side. Your cheek rests over his chest, soft and a little rounder than it was when you first met him. He’s gained weight since then— which is good. He’s always been bulky under his uniform and regalia, toned muscle from centuries of training and sparring. But there wasn’t much else to him— he used to skip meals if it was too inconvenient to eat. If you were sharing a plate, he’d offer you a larger portion.

It was something so slightly self-deprecating. At first, you hadn’t noticed it. Jing Yuan is not a proud man, he is keen and clever in all regards— but his ego has stayed in check for as long as he’s been Arbiter-General. He commits this quiet act of self-harm, so miniscule that most wouldn’t bat an eye. His lack of appetite was a manifestation of some burden— as he will continue to live and slowly waste away, why should his body not as well?

You’d like to think you’d broken him of his destructive eating habits. Or, at least contributed. Warm meals, arm-in-arm snacking on street foods at night. Vendors are always happy to give the Divine Foresight a free treat, even if he offers them strales every time. He eats well around you, and you know it extends farther. He takes lunches with Yanqing at least once a week. There’s a stash of homemade honey oats and dried apricots stowed in his desk.

You are glad he eats. That he is full.

You appreciate the feel of him under your fingertips, how he has softened and grown a bit less worn during his own leave. He deserves a vacation. Maybe, you’ll sit on his cock and beg him to fucking retire with the promise you’ll be happy to stay that way for as long as he pleases if he does. Anything to keep him this lax and soft. You want to commit it to memory, but you still feel fuzzy.

“Enjoying yourself?” He laughs as he speaks, busying himself with the tacky skin on the nape of your neck. He pets you there.

“Yes.” You grab his chest, thumbing dangerously close to his nipple. “You feel nice.”

“I’m glad.” Jing Yuan says, tone curling and smitten. You feel drunk with it. He hums. “You seem a bit lost. May I guide you back here?”

“I don’t think I am.” You pout. “I’m here.”

“Are you sure?”

“... Fairly sure.”

“May I try anyway?” Jing Yuan asks. “It would make me very happy too.”

There’s no harm to it, really.

“I’ll be good.” He adds and holds your wrist so tenderly in his palm. “I’ll be gentle with you.”

Jing Yuan drags the thin skin of your wrist over his lips, kissing the flesh as he does. It’s reverent, slow as he promised. He peeks up at you as he does, a curtain of his silver hair almost obscuring the warm gold of his eyes. There’s want there, so caramelized that it makes you ache.

Jing Yuan rolls you, so that he’s above you, sitting over your hips. It’s— not too heavy. The weight of him is comforting if nothing else. The heat of him is grounding as he hovers over you, nosing at your jaw, nipping bruised skin. He licks the brutal bite he left earlier and you yip. You don’t have it in you to chastise him for it— you— you maybe like it too much to do so.

Like this, it’s easier to notice how Jing Yuan wants. How his hand is sliding between over your sternum, between your breasts, down the soft line of your belly and navel, and back up again. It’s slow, radiating a yearning that sinks down into your organs heat from a hearth. He thumbs over the line of your throat and kisses you.

He’s more insistent now, licking into your mouth immediately, keeping his rhythm slow and actions drawn out.

Jing Yuan pulls back just enough to speak, warm breath over your lips, “You’re doing so well.”

You feel warm in your cheeks and tug him closer. If only you burrow in his flesh bones, flush the marrow out to replace it with yourself. You’d do it if it meant keeping him upright for longer.

“I’m right here.” Jing Yuan hushes you, gathering your wrists in one hand. You hadn’t realized desperate little keens were leaking from your throat, soaking the room. Jing Yuan doesn’t seem to mind. “No need to fuss. You’re alright.”

“You’re sure?” You ask, you feel out of your body.

Jing Yuan knows this and he tethers you to him with a kiss and firm touch, “I’m sure. You trust me, don’t you?”

“So much,” you admit.

Jing Yuan looks down at your softly, expression beginning to shatter. He is a difficult man to work with— he wears many faces, several hats, and speaks in riddles more often than not. To receive his honesty is— a fucking gift. You want to hold it in your hands and swallow it. His hair falls over his face as he peers down at you, thumbing over the lines of your throat.

“You’re so good.” He says gently, quiet. Like it’s a secret for the two of you. “You’d do anything I’d ask you to right now, wouldn’t you?”

You nod, then think about what he asked. You still would. Probably. Maybe give him some grief along the way, “As long as you’re not too mean about it.”

“Oh?” He teases. He teases, even now. Even when your core is exposed and you’re bare and he’s stalling despite being hard against your thigh. “You’re still so sweet when I’m a bit mean. I think you enjoy it.”

A broken, nearly-pathetic noise drips from your lips. You clutch at his arms and try to bury your face in the sheets. Your face feels so warm, it's making you dizzy.

“No need to be shy,” he sounds smitten, a smile bleeding into his tone. He kisses you with it, again and again until you’re breathless and stupid once more. He pulls back until you’re nose to nose, hand drifting to the apex of your thighs.

You squirm, bucking your hips, urging him closer.

“Patience, love, I’ll give you what you need.” He tells you and kisses the corner of your mouth. You believe him.

Jing Yuan settles himself between your thighs, holding them open with his own. He is not a small man, and it leaves you very exposed. More exposed than you would like, and it makes something in you writhe. Jing Yuan hushes you, soothes you as he’s so good at doing as he drenches his fingers in oil.

(The first time you fucked, you did not do this step. Oil and any type of lubricant was skipped, and you paid the price the next morning with a bit of light bleeding and an ache that would send Jing Yuan to the Alchemy Commission to fetch some specialty painkillers. He was very apologetic the morning after, guilt-ridden even. At some point, he started carrying little vials on his person and insisting lubricant be used regardless of how impromptu of a lay it was.)

(That is all to say that Jing Yuan’s cock is huge and has the capability to break you.)

He presses a finger into you— it goes in easily, slides with the aid of lubricant and your own slick.

“Oh,” Jing Yuan breathes, gaze drifting from your parted lips to the finger he sinks into you. “You’re so wet.”

You want to be snarky. Of course you are, he’s already had you on his tongue earlier in the day— now, he’s been teasing you, playing with you, and being sweet with you. How could you not be? It’s the only natural response to your lover treating you in such a way.

However, you do not get a chance to show him any sass as he crooks his finger upwards and rubs the pad of his thumb in a familiar pattern, little circles over your clit. A gasping moan spills from your lips and Jing Yuan holds you down with his free hand on your hips. He pets you when you shake and yearn for more too quickly.

“‘S okay?” You ask.

“Very.” Jing Yuan smiles, beaming, almost purring. “I’ll tell you if it isn’t.”

“Okay.” You nod, feeling wrung out already. Beads of sweat rise between your breasts and drip down your skin.

Jing Yuan must notice too, as he ducks forward to lick a firm strip over your tacky skin, groaning as he does before moving to one of your nipples. He kisses around the bud, nips just enough to make you fuss, before wrapping his lips around it. He bites, sucks, and groans into you as he does.

You pet through his hair, scrapping your nails down his neck and back. Marking him however you can.

Jing Yuan pulls away from you, panting, and kisses you hard on the mouth. It’s a clash, really. Harsher and more desperate than he usually would give you. He’s usually not this messy, but your teeth clack together awkwardly and you swallow around the discomfort. Jing Yuan is quick to correct himself, deepening the kiss more sweetly as if to apologize.

He slips a second finger inside your cunt, next to the first, drenching your hole in slick and lube. It’s— messy. It is wet. The sound is obscene, even if Jing Yuan is being slow and gentle with your most delicate parts. Arousal pools in your gut, and want makes you feel like a sinking puddle, spreading out over the sheets like you’re going to absorb into Jing Yuan’s lavish mattress.

You open up for him, relax with the contact and let him take care of you as he wishes.

He presses another finger into you— this one stings, despite the preparation and slick drenching you down your thighs and the sheets below you. He moves slowly, kissing your cheeks and hushing you when you whine.

“I’ve got you,” He smiles, and drags his lips over your cheeks. It’s reassuring, and something blooms from the base of your spine up to your throat. He gives you playfully chomp over the apple of one and you let out a little laugh. It bubbles up out of you and Jing Yuan shares it with his own deeper one.

He fans out his fingers inside you, slowly, with each thrust. It’s measured, practiced. Despite the time apart.

Jing Yuan is hard against your leg. You can feel him, though Jing Yuan is still wearing his own robe and silks which simply will not do. Tugging, you drag it off him, and push yourself half up. You attempt to reach for his cock, you want it— him. But Jing Yuan stills his fingers inside you, clicks his tongue, and knocks you back into the mattress with a gentle (albeit firm) shove.

“Not yet.” He scolds, though there’s no bark behind it.

You frown. “But I want you.”

“And what if I want you too?” Jing Yuan asks.

It’s something he’s never raised directly before.

He’s made such a fact known, however. You know he wants you. Jing Yuan was happy to complete a number of courting gestures, prior to becoming something of an official couple. He keeps you close, he is kind to you, he even tells you a secret or two. He fucks you like he loves you and wants you close. He leaves marks all of you, from your neck, all the way down to even your ankles and calves on occasion. He shares drinks with you in his gardens, offers you a place in his bed and somewhere in his heart, even if you’re still (after decades) understanding where that is.

But, so rarely does he state that he wants you so plainly.

Want is dangerous. Yearning and all. Yearning must be a passing emotion if one is to resist Mara. If anything, Mara is accumulated and rotting yearning.

Jing Yuan has lived a long life due to how he copes with yearning.

To admit to it— it is an act of vulnerability. To admit a weakness, a thing that could tear him full of undying roots and strike him down. It is the danger of the Divine Foresight finding a partner and becoming coupled. It invites such feelings.

You had assumed Jing Yuan hadn’t entertained such notions directly. To give them time in his mind could bring rumination. Which— could easily go sour.

“... You want me?”

Jing Yuan tilts his head cutely, “Yes, of course. Was that not obvious?”

“I inferred,” You feel sticky and sloppy as Jing Yuan withdraws his fingers.

He climbs off the bed, only for a moment. He shucks off the last of his clothing, leaving him bare. Candle light casts shadows over the contours of him. His cock looks— painfully hard. As he climbs back into bed, it bobs, swollen and dark red at the head. Almost purpling. It’s slick with pre that is still beading from his slit.

“... Can I suck you off?” You ask, a bit entranced. “Please?”

“Not now,” He tells you with a laugh. “Later, if you ask me nicely again.”

“Okay.” You can do that.

Jing Yuan huffs out another laugh with a shake of his head, “Insatiable thing.”

“I missed you.” You tell him. Your voice is watery. Your own admission.

Jing Yuan flips you by your midsection, coaxing you to raise your hips enough to sandwich a few silk pillows between your hips and the bed. His hands linger over the bruises on your hips, then slide down the swell of your ass to the backs of your thighs. He pets you until you’re relaxed, boneless.

He parts from you over for a moment, rummaging through a nearby cupboard for oil. You hear him slick his cock. The sound makes you squeeze your thighs together and bury your face in the sheets.

Jing Yuan surprises you by pressing a finger into you from behind. A sound rips from your throat as he finds your sweet spots, adding another finger quickly, then a third. You’re drenched between your thighs, so slick you feel drunk. Jing Yuan positions your legs a little wider and settles between them.

“D-Don’t aggravate your injury,” You remember, beginning to push yourself up. A moment of lucidity as you can sense Jing Yuan lining him up. “Not on my account.”

“I won’t.” He promises, running a hand down your back from tailbone to nape to coax you back against the mattress. He presses a kiss to the base of your spine. “Always so caring and diligent.”

“I—” You cut yourself off as the head of his cock teases your folds. Rubbing. “Jing Yuan—”

“I want you.” Jing Yuan tells you, doubling back, bumping against your clit as you moan.

“Y-You can have me,” You want to see his face, rub his cheeks. “You do have me. You’re mine and I’m yours.”

Damning yourselves.

Can’t the General be selfish in lieu of his looming retirement? Can’t the Master Calibrator enjoy the company of others, and not the mechanical hum of a God Ship?

“I have you?” Jing Yuan asks, beginning to push into you.

You can’t reply— you can’t. Despite the prep, and oil, and arousal all together, it’s still tight. Jing Yuan is thick enough that it’s outlandish, and you’re feeling every inch of that girth as he enters you. You clutch your balled-up hands in the soft sheets near your head. You try to keep your breathing even but it’s hard. Jing Yuan pets down your sides, leaning over your back, whispering little words of praise and encouragement as you take him.

“You’re so lovely. Look how well you’re doing.”

“You’re going to take all of me.”

“I’ll be gentle. I’ll be good to you.”

He is, and you don’t mean to cry, you don’t, but you do when he bottoms out, and you can feel him so, so deep, it’s in your throat. The heat of him inside you is searing. You’re changed. You’re being carved out by him anew, and he wants you.

“You h-have me,” You tell him. You scrambled a hand behind you, shaking as you brace yourself against the bed. You manage to get a handful of his head and drag him down over your back. “Jing Yuan, please have me.”

You’ll beg for it; shame has been lost.

You want to stay here. In his bed. By his side. You want him to want the same with you. Not with old flames. You don’t want Jing Yuan to deny himself pleasure in the face of duty, as if the two cannot exist. As if rules cannot be bent or changed by the hand that rules them or the Calibrator who tweaks the vessel that you both live on. Things change. It is the nature of life and starshine.

Even with the Xianzhou Natives' lifetime, they are bound to grow, endlessly.

Jing Yuan pauses above you, stills so deep in you. You’re worried for a moment you’ve crossed a line. That your desperation has spurred him away, rather than closer. It terrifies you. It grips you so hard that it feels like your heart could shatter to pieces.

(Your worry is misplaced.)

Jing Yuan lets out a shuddering sigh, pulling out almost completely. You panic (“no, no, no, don’t, ‘M sorry”) and nearly flip over to try and recover the situation. However— you’re mistaken.

He groans as he slams back into you, curling over your back, gathering you up in his arms, and rolling his hips. He’s scraping the insides of you. You’re raw.

“N-No apologies,” His voice breaks. “You’ve done nothing wrong. Y—You offer me yourself so sweetly. I only feel guilty that—”

He cuts himself off with another deep thrust that punches a broken sound out of you. Tears begin to drip down your cheeks.

“No guilt—”

“I feel guilty,” Jing Yuan punctuates his words with a cant of his hips that has you going slack in his arms, ragdolled by pleasure, “that you think you must beg to be had. I feel immensely guilty that you could have any doubt toward me as a lover.”

He guides you back down to the bed, steadying himself with a searing palm on the back of your neck and a hand leveraged on your lower back.

You really won’t be able to walk tomorrow.

“I don’t doubt y-you like that.”

(It’s less about some nebulous insecurity you keep as his lover, and more about the solid knowledge that Jing Yuan is so careful with his connections. You cannot believe yourself to be the exception.)

(Sometimes, you doubt that he has any tether to anyone. Like he’s waiting to die. No matter how fond he is of you, that this will supersede it. It damns his well being. It damns the future. But, how steadfast does it make the present? You’d like to think its enough for him to keep you as company due to legitimate desire and care, rather than balming of some wound as your insecurities tell you it could be.)

In retrospect, you’ll feel foolish for thinking so little of Jing Yuan’s feelings toward you.

He grabs you by your cheeks in one hand, craning your neck back to face him the best you can on your tummy. He levels his face with yours, nose to nose. Eyes alight. He looks... almost angry. Jaw tight, seated and still inside you to the hilt. You’re full— bursting at the seams, but you have enough lucidity to focus your vision and see how pained he looks. Pained and enraptured, loving and loved. He’s bound up with it, the same way that you are.

“If I could, I would keep you in this bed. If not this bed, then the gardens I would follow you into your tunnels and learn the harmonies and chords you know, even if I couldn’t keep a tune. I would keep you full like this. I would cut you stone fruit whenever you’d like something sweet.”

It’s a declaration. It might as well be a proposal.

You don’t get a chance to reply. Your breath is knocked out of you, like every thought and fear and insecurity that you’ve been shouldering. Jing Yuan fucks you with the full force of his hips, thighs bracketed with your own. It hurts— barely. Enough that you’ll feel it for days and carry a limp for just as long.

His pace is quick and deep. He’s not chasing— he’s creating. Marking a spot inside you that’s just for him. Only him. It makes you feel giddy and stupid and you laugh through the tears streaming down your cheeks. It’s— all a lot. Jing Yuan keeps you tucked so close, pressing you into the silks sheets. He breathes through his mouth, panting against the back of your neck , sucking more marks into the skin, darkening the preexisting ones. Claiming, in a way that feels different from the hickeys he had given you in the past.

You sob as he tilts your hips up. He drills downward, hitting your sweet spot with each thrust. You’re— you’re going to explode. The friction of the pillows below your hips isn’t enough to come,but Jing Yuan drilling your insides is getting you close to something. It feels like a peak you’re not meant to climb, and you sob at the sensation. Like you’re free falling.

Jing Yuan holds you closer, wrapping an arm around your midsection, and the feeling disappears.

He sneaks a hand to your cunt. First he feels where you’re joined. The sticky, sloppy mess of pre, slick and lube that you’ve made. You’ll need another bath. Maybe two. He runs gentle fingers along the seam of your cunt, where he’s slowed his thrusts so he can feel where you’re practically tethered together.

“Taking me so well,” Jing Yuan is breathless. He rubs your clit, bracing himself over your front, and fucks you so wonderfully that your vision begins to darken at the edges.

It’s unfair how quickly he gets you to your peak, touching you like this. He knows your body, and you squeeze down around him with a cry as you crest. Your cunt clamps down as the knots in your gut unfurl. You jolt back with the sensation, overwhelming and all consuming. Jing Yuan moans behind you, a beautiful sound you want to have so committed to memory so that even when you’re riddled with mara, you’ll remember the sound.

Jing Yuan doesn’t chase his relief, he lays over your back like a blanket as you shake through the aftershocks of your orgasm and fucks you slow and deep. He only hastens when you let out a warbling little sound, something hurt from your bruised insides making themselves known.

He quiets you with a soft, dragged out whisper of praise. He thrusts harder— faster— and moments later there’s a gush of warmth in your guts that makes your eyes roll back into your head. You want to come again, and you can’t help the temptation to reach down and get off, just once— more.

Jing Yuan nearly growls as you do. He bats your hand away, flips you so you’re belly up. Your hips are raised on the mound of pillows and it hits you what he intends to do.

To have both of you.

He throws your legs over his shoulders. Your thighs shake around his cheeks as he gives them a quick kiss, before diving into his meal. He moans and groans into your cunt, out of breath from fucking you still, but no-less diligent. He fucks his cum back into your with a thick finger for a few thrust, just barely— you’ll be too sore and he knows it.

He eats his release from your cunt. It’s— debauched. It’s so, so much and you can’t do anything other than writhe and tug at his hair. Your hips hurt, but you still find it in you to grind against his mouth. It’s— one of his favorite things. He likes to be used sometimes. This is one of his favorite flavors, when his tongue is inside of you and you drag him closer by his hair and let the friction bring you to orgasm, however long it takes.

You, truthfully, do not have much left in your body to chase this.

Jing Yuan must know this, or he is feeling similarly— or both. Probably both. You’re too floaty and gone to tell. You’re still crying as he moves to your clit, licks and sucks until you fall apart on his tongue once more, full and sated with him.

Both had by each other.

You fall into the bed sheets as you finish, dragging a sweaty Jing Yuan closer. So close. He keeps you closer still, over his chest, cheek pillows on the swell of his pec (breast) and a dusting of silver hair. You’re shaking from the high— so is he. You feel like you’re going to fall into a million pieces.

(It reminds you, briefly, of how it felt when you first dropped into the utility tunnels, after the calibration apprentice went Mara-Struck. How you felt so— alone— gone. How fragile you felt sprinting through the tunnels with the knowledge that your world was being torn apart by forces beyond your control.)

(You felt small and helpless.)

The feeling is quickly extinguished— or maybe made to feel pleasurable. Jing Yuan practically purrs underneath you, petting you, stroking over your new bruises and marks. You keep a hand buried in his hair, petting over his cheeks. Staying lucid— is hard. The last thing you clearly remember was hopelessly fond, adoring, gold eyes, gazing back at you so lovingly, that they could remake you.

Perhaps, they already have.

It’s sometime later, in one of Jing Yuan’s gardens. This one is nestled, lush, in the large courtyard in the center of his home. A pond gurgles with the bubble of fat fish that swim near the surface of the water. You fed them earlier and they’re still looping, searching for an extra snack.

You lay some distance away from the pond on a blanket that Jing Yuan has designated as your ‘outside blanket’ as it is particularly large (tall enough for him to sprawl out on and more than wide enough to fit the both of you) and thick. Your head is pillowed on Jing Yuan’s arm as he is curled toward you, legs tangled with your own. It’s late afternoon, and the General is taking one of his beloved naps. You’ve taken to combing a hand through his hair, scratching along his scalp and behind his ear and contenting yourself with the little sighs and almost-purrs he lets you.

It is good to rest.

Your leave has, overall, been quite restful. Mostly. Aside from the times that Jing Yuan cannot keep his hands of you and you end up fucking whereever is convenient before retiring to your (now shared) bedroom. The bouts leave you tired and worn, but in a satisfying way. Jing Yuan has been particularly dutiful and attentive post-fuck, always handing you chilled water to sip and offering a treat. Sometimes a fruit or a candy he has apparently been stashing away. He gives you as many kisses as you can bear, and you return the gesture as much as you’re able.

Jing Yuan has become... handiser. Needier. You’d say clingier, but as much as he tends to cling when he’s around his estate with you, it never feels overbearing. He indulges in closeness with you in a way that feels shameless in the best way.

It’s the same in public. You’ve gone to the night markets, once or twice to indulge in street foods, and Jing Yuan is equally as touchy, albeit it’s more subtle. A hand on your lower back, standing behind you while he orders with an arm wrapped around your waist. You hold hands when you walk, or you loop an arm through his elbow if it's particularly crowded. He did these things before, but they seem more... necessary. Like he has to keep you close. The contact he shares with you is firmer. Richer, even. He’s always been intentional with you, it's his nature, but now his actions have taken on a different shape. Intentionally showing want, rather than showing closeness.

It creates both a softness and an edge to him that you are thoroughly enjoying.

There’s softness in how lax he is next to you, dozing the afternoon away after completing the bare minimum of work for the day. His cheeks are rounder, and a bit rosy. It’s warm today. It’s the softness of skinship, how you’re both seeking out each other’s barest parts, even if it's only for a moment or two of skin-to-skin contact. It’s how his care is so explicit these days.

The edge of it is how the General is anxious, perhaps. It’s a possessive flavor that Jing Yuan has, perhaps, always has, but is simply more apparent now. His touches in public flaunt the fact that you’re clearly a couple, nevermind what gossip magazines and street whisperers will say. It’s the consistent marks he leaves on you— those visible hickeys on your neck, down to the dark, sore ones he leaves on your inner thighs and the softness of your stomach. It’s the way he commissioned a set of earrings, one for each of you to wear.

(He had looked a bit melancholy, just for a moment, when he first presented you with them. Like a memory had surfaced but then was quickly let go and set adrift in favor of the present.)

The set is crafted with gold connected with a flat, rectangle of stone that dangles down from it. The stone is red, inlaid with gold veins. Some alloy that was probably mined on an asteroid— a rarity. They’re beautiful. You hardly know what to say when you receive yours; Jing Yuan had presented you the gift while already wearing his.

Marking each other as each other’s.

It’s brazen— and you like it. The beast of feeling that tore you to shreds in the utility tunnels feels far away, lately. Your extended leave has been good and you’re... grateful Jing Yuan has been quite official (and strict) about keeping you away from work.

You run the pad of your thumb under his eye. The skin is delicate, wrinkled just the slightest. It’s a tragedy, for many reasons, that you both are long-lived and cursed with Abundance. You’d like to see the crow’s feet Jing Yuan would have, if his skin did not keep itself so elastic and young.

Apparently awake, Jing Yuan grabs your wrist and brings it to his lip. He sets upon you with a lazy smile. His eyes open, just halfway, and he looks at you, so adoring.

“Are your thoughts entertaining?” Jing Yuan asks, gentle as he holds you closer. “You seem quite lost in them.”

You hum, kissing his jaw with a drag of your lips, “Not lost. Just reflecting.”

Jing Yuan hums himself, nosing into your temple. Then your hairline, where he leaves a line of kisses in his wake. You shudder with the feather-light feeling.

“Would you like to share?” Jing Yuan asks. “Or, perhaps take a rest with me? Though I am very appreciative of the head massage, I do believe you could use a rest. Unless you wish to take a stroll, and turn in early?”

“A stroll sounds lovely in a bit. I don’t mind sharing, though,” you answer.

Jing Yuan smiles against your skin. You wish it could brand you, “I’m listening, whenever you’d like.”

You gather your words for a moment. It takes— a second. A long one. The Dragon Lady says that you’re experiencing some lasting effects from being attuned to the Quantum fields for too long in the wake of the Stellaron Crisis. She seemed confident your impairments would heal but your mind is that of a mortal. It will take time.

Jing Yuan is ever patient with you.

“I suppose I’m grateful,” You tell him. “I am glad I have a space in your life, and I am grateful that you show it to me in the ways that you do. I would be— very sad, if I was not by your side, I think.”

It is a simple way to put something much larger.

Jing Yuan seems to understand regardless.

He takes a deep breath, then squeezes you to his chest. It forces the air from your lungs in a way that makes you light-headed.

“How kind are you.” Jing Yuan sighs, nuzzling into your hair. “To think of me so sweetly, without prompting. I’m very fortunate to have you as a lover. I hope you know that.”

“I try to remind myself.”

“Do I need to remind you more myself?” Jing Yuan asks, his smile turning a bit mischievous. He rolls himself over you, caging you. “I’m happy to.”

“You’ll spoil me!” You laugh and bat at his chest, slipping your arms over his shoulders, locking your hands behind his neck.

“I quite like having you spoiled.” Jing Yuan contends with a cute tilt of his head. “I should resolve to spoil you more, actually. Do you have any ideas on how to do so? I’m happy to listen.”

“Jing Yuan—” You huff with an uncontainable grin. Your heart is going to burst from your chest. You would let it. You’d let Jing Yuan take its place. You practically already have.

“I think,” Jing Yuan whispers in your ear, breath warm and sweet. “I ought to keep you in bed for the afternoon, perhaps pause the plan for a stroll until later in the evening. Starfire flies have been gathering in one of the gardens near the Exalting Sanctum— what do you say to a post-coital jaunt?”

“I mean—” You flush and bump your nose into his cheek, like a cat giving ample affection. “I don’t think I’ll be properly spoiled if I can still walk after you’re through with me.”

“So, I’ll carry you? That’s doable.”

“No— I mean— You can—”

“I’m teasing you,” Jing Yuan murmurs with a tone so sweet and warm, you could melt into the soft blanket and soil below you. “Whatever you’d like. We can decide along the way.”

You smile.

“Yeah,” Your chest feels tight and warm and lovely all at once. Jing Yuan pulls away, and the earring that twins your own dangles, catching the falling sun in its veins of gold. “I’d like to decide along the way with you.”

It means more than this instance, it’s encompassing. To be long-lived and coupled is to tread the shallows of what could be Mara. To wear the mark of another is to dare to swim closer to the roiling beast of Abundance that none of the Xianzhou Natives can truly outrun.

But you think that, perhaps, you and Jing Yuan will be alright until that day, whenever it may be. You will spoil each other, hold each other, and take your steps while extending a patient hand to the other if they’d like to take it. You’ll listen to echoes together and learn to forget them. You’ll harmonize with stardust and Jing Yuan will play his games of many dimensional chess until he (hopefully soon) retires.

The smile that grows on your face is warm like a hearth, honeyed like a spiced tea, and kind. It splits the both of you open, and Jing Yuan kisses you like he can’t help but to do anything else. You don’t lose your grin, and you give it to him against his lips, laughing together as you share breath.

It’s sweet and lovely, you think, as Jing Yuan touches your foreheads together. You have this, and you’ll be happy to have this for as long as Fate and Aeons allow. You think that Jing Yuan will be happy too— with a coveted smile so kind given to you and a bed, shared.

You bask in it— this. The gardens and the heat of him and the warmth in your chest, for however long you’re given.

#lore writes #jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x you #jing yuan reader insert #hsr x reader #cooking complete. meal on the table :'^)#enjoy loves!!

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