first encounter (n.)

His skin is in the middle of warm and cold. His ribcage is almost visible throughout his skin. You trace your fingers on his neck, watching his throat while being in disbelief. And when your eyes slide up, Zandik’s piercing red eyes is watching you.

And you shove your head to his throat and nip on his skin. His throat bobs as he gulps and grabs your face quite harshly, before tilting your head up to bite down the side of your neck. A choked gasp is coming out of your mouth.

“What to do with a pathetic girl like you pining after someone decades older?” He nips on your jaw. “Ridiculous.” He mutters as he takes your mouth in for a forceful kiss as his hands wander down to your ass. He squeezes and kneads hard before he starts to move your hips against his.

You softly whine at his words, feeling so shameful at your predicament. On his lap and his cock inside you. And he hasn’t done anything for a while, so moving your hips brings such relief to you that your eyes blur cause of the tears forming.

“Sir, please—“ you yelp as you feel him hitting your ass. You nuzzle into his neck, inhaling his scent. He’s full of metallic smells, sweat and something else you don’t wanna know. But you like it here. Against him, his hands caressing your naked body as he makes you roll your hips on his.

He had showed up at your door. And just in your luck, you had worn his shirt which he recognized immediately. All he showed was a slight turn to his lips as he showed himself inside your home without your permission.

And behind him was other him, but a little taller or bigger in body and with masks over their faces. Zandik told you to ignore them but the one on the bigger side, leans his upper body down to you. And keeps his face so close to yours with a smile on his face, you could only stand there in pure shock. And fear.

And when you had closed the door, Zandik has practically picked up the earring you stole, full with your slick and pocketed it in his pants.

And here you are, on his lap and nuzzling against his neck while waiting for him to fuck you. Or for you to do everything to do everything, you don’t mind either way. And he does, after a long moment of not letting you come.

Zandik watches how your face contorts in pleasure as his cock reaches and touches everything inside your gummy walls. Your breasts are heaving up and down as you moan his name. Just as you do when you’re alone, pleasuring yourself to the thought of him.

You put your hands on his chest, lifting your hips up and down and you feel yourself about come. Zandik’s fingers is on your clit and you let out a sweet little cry when he pinches it and you come. Your walls tightened up around his cock and Zandik groans as he comes inside you just a moment after.

Your upper body falls on top of his, as you breathe heavily. His cock is soft inside you as you feel his and your cum leak out of your hole. You lightly moan against his collarbone before burying your face in his chest.

“Are you satisfied yet?” And when Zandik hears a no from you, you felt him squeeze your backside before grabbing your face and kissing you on the mouth.

—

I wanna write more about this fine shyt old man🤤

Phainon saw you over the next few months with bags under your eyes and hair falling from your scalp. You came in earlier than anyone and left well into the evening. Even on days when you were allowed to work from home, you would come into the office so that you could focus. Phainon could even count on one hand the number of times you did log out at 5:00 PM. Sometimes, he would see you online up until you fell asleep, only to repeat everything the next day. 

His poor heart ached watching this department punish you for your fire and tenacity, yet rely on it all the same. He's come to admire you for more than your competence at work – you had a passion for this work that fueled his own motivation at his job. Beyond that, you were sharp and witty, with a kind heart under it all. Phainon adores how lively you spoke, both to him and to others.

(He didn't want to admit that his heart stuttered when you looked at him while he was speaking. Or how he purposefully unbuttoned his collar for the hope that your eyes would glance down at his chest. Phainon didn't want to believe that he fell in love with you, despite how obvious it was to everyone – but you.) 

Phainon knew he had to check in on you when he heard you sniffle through the desk barrier. When he stood up – slowly to not startle you – he saw your head in your hands, shoulders shaking and shallow breathing. Your screen showed countless files and emails that he wouldn't even dare to try to decipher. Your sniffles turned into light sobs, hands furiously rubbing at your eyes to rid them of your tears.

"Hey…" he spoke quietly, walking around the barrier to see you. "There's no way insurance is something actually worth crying over."

"It is when every single broker acts like they're fucking stupid," you sneered, one of your classic defence mechanisms. If you can't get rid of your sadness, then at least you can mask it with your anger. "Seriously, how the fuck do you not know the fucking minimum standard we accept for your insurance? I feel like I'm going crazy with how many of the same conversations I'm having!"

It didn't help that you were told to cover for Castorice while she went on vacation back to her hometown of Styxia, not even given the option to decline. The poor girl had tried to clear up her portfolio as best she could, but there were always fires to be extinguished, and she was forced to hand over the hose to you, told to ignore the fact that you had your own fires to tend to.

Yet despite the amount of pressure on you, both external and self-inflicted, you would never ask for help. It was one of the very few things Phainon would change about you, if only to satisfy his desire to be your knight in shining armour.

Still, your stubbornness aside, Phainon was going to do whatever he could to take care of you, even if it was just patting your head as if you were a feral cat.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Phainon asked softly, not wanting to worsen your headache. The hand on your head slowly dug its fingers into your hair, gently massaging your scalp. He could feel the relief radiate off of you, something he found great satisfaction in. Yet there was more for him to do.

"I don't want to bother you–" you started before Phainon interrupted your poor deflection of help.

"My inbox is cleared. All of my insurance has been updated or followed up with. The few payment changes I needed to do have been done or I'm waiting on approval." His hand slid from your hair to under your chin, lifting your face so that you could see your eyes. They were filled with exhausted tears, an engine with no fuel left to use and on the brink of breaking down. He wasn't going to let you or this place take you past the breaking point. 

"...Could you take my pass and print some documents for me?" you mumbled, eyes shifting away from him. It looked like it pained you deeply to ask for help – and it probably did, but Phainon wasn't about to let you down, lest you return to your shell of burnout and hyperindividualism.

"Already on it!" Phainon swiped your pass from your desk, heading towards the printer like a man on a mission. In the moments where he waited for the old printer to come to life, Phainon thought about how dead you looked – from your appearance to your voice. He wasn't stupid nor naive to ignore how this job is taking more from you than it's giving back to you. He could feel the effects of this place too. His mother was concerned when she called one day, and he sounded short with her. The good farmer's boy who could never hurt a fly, all of a sudden snapping at his mother, was a sign that maybe this place was changing him for the worse.

Perhaps he should look into getting that promotion, or even transferring out of the department as a whole. He scoffed to himself, there was no way he was going to be promoted before you. And you deserved to be out of his place more than anyone.

Your head perked up as he walked back to your desk, eyes filled with gratitude and a smile on your lips. It wasn't your usual one, but it was the most he's seen from you in the last couple of weeks. 

"Ugh, you're such an angel. I love you, Phainon," you groaned as the stack of paper fell onto your desk. His heart ached a slight bit hearing your casual confession. Oh, how desperately he wished for your love to be as deep and true as it was with him, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. You were so focused on your career, everything else, including your love life, was put on the wayside. Yet he will still always be here for you, no matter what.

"Anything for you, super star," he winked with a cheeky laugh. It was a nickname you earned from your coworkers in your first weeks here after they were impressed with your performance. He dares to wish that one day, he would be good enough to be in your star system.

(Maybe, your selfish heart hoped, that the more that you said your love for him out loud, that one day, it won't mean as much as you truly meant.)

His love was rooted back to his first meeting with you — perhaps back then he hadn’t been aware that such a sliver of amusement could grow into such a vehement emotion and adornance for you. The day he met you for the very first time was a mundane day like any other. Jing Yuan had been by his desk all morning, verifying and devising preventative measures for the tranquility of Xianzhou. For every dawn that signified the start of yet a brand new day, the documents on the general’s desk always seemed to pile up taller than the day before. Halfway through the paperwork, Jing Yuan rested the quill he had signed the documents with, and rested the lid of his eyes momentarily. The knights and administrator staffs all shifted at the general’s antic — it was the start of something they had dreaded yet was prepared for everyday. 

For Jing Yuan, the seat of divine foresight that was located in the exalting sanctum was a massive hall. It was massive yet there was a heaviness that made the space feel all too small. And what would be better than to enjoy a moment to stroll around nature in order to recuperate his weariness? Call it a change of view.

As he stood up, the entire room's focus shifted onto the renowned man. “General, we still have quite a few documents to review.” One of the advisors had boldly announced. It was a futile attempt to stall for Jing Yuan’s leave, after all who in Xianzhou had not heard of the infamous dozing general. 

“I’ll leave that for you to review in accordance with the current protocol. As of now, there is an urgent assessment of nature I need to conduct.” The general’s subordinates simply exhaled in resignation. Despite the eloquence of his words, the sentence held a different meaning. It was Jing Yuan’s way of stating that he was off to bask in nature and feed the wild life he had grown to adore, or that it was time for a tea and a nap — both needs could be applicable simultaneously. 

Jing Yuan exited the grand gate of the seat of divine foresight. A few guards stationed to guard the gate bowed at the sight of the general, Jing Yuan merely gave them a pat on their shoulder and a tiny smile. The sky was bright and particularly clear on that day, not many clouds were in sight yet the wind still managed to breeze enough comfort for the skin. It was a waste to sit and be occupied by documents all day long when the weather was such a treat. He knew just where to go — a recent favorite of his, the newly opened teahouse on Aurum Alley. 

The staff of the tea house halted their movements when their gaze landed on the infamous general. In a haste, the staff led the general down to a private room which was connected to the teahouse’s very own outdoor garden. While he was on his way to the room, the sound of bickering caught his attention. Jing Yuan shortened his stride, the momentum at which his feet touched the ground was drawn out. His steps now had a linger. 

He found himself fixating on the direction to which the sound came from. The intricate pattern of the traditional partition door was only partially slided, Jing Yuan took the opportunity to wander his gaze towards the source of his curiosity. 

“Regardless of what my parents had said, I’ve told you from the start that I’m not interested in starting and getting into a relationship with you.” You took a few sips from the steaming cup of tea, eyelashes fluttered at the aromatic flavor and warmth that glided down your throat. The tea was delightful unlike the company you shared.

In his frequent strolls, Jing Yuan had never encountered you before. However, he recognized the man sitting across from you — the guy was a son of a reputable merchant, with a little prestige embedded in his name. 

“If you could just tell me your preference, I’d try my best to accommodate myself.” 

You softly exhaled, brows furrowed at the resilience of the man before you. You had told your family to stop meddling in your affair and they in return had promised that this would be the last time. Who would have predicted that they’d find a persistent guy who had ignored every rejection you had thrown at him. 

Out of all the methods tested and tried, you truly didn’t want to yield to this last resort which Tingyun had advised you on. Sliding your hand over your left sleeve, you pulled out a photograph — one you had bought simply because Tingyun insisted that it was as good as an evidence to help you flee from your current admirer. She had also discounted the photograph heavily for the sake of your friendship. 

“I prefer a man like the general.” You laid the image of the divine foresight out on the table filled with traditional small bites. “The general has all of the characteristics I ever desire in a man.” Call it a stereotype, nevertheless, it was true that the general infiltrated the daydreams of ladies and gentlemen alike across the Luofu fleet. According to Tingyun, everyone had a Jing-Yuan-phase before. You didn’t know what the hell that was about, but if it could bring you away from this unprecedented situation, you’d happily jump into the craze. 

The man in front of you frowned, his face crestfallen for the first time. “But that’s unfair.” He wanted to say more, his mouth agape, trying to find one way in which he best the general. To no avail, the general was the epitome of picture perfect. 

“Well, you did ask.” 

Jing Yuan was conscious of the circulation of his pictures in the market. He was aware that a certain foxian trailed behind him on some days, a camera in her hand. In all the centuries he had lived, he however, had never been bestowed such a sight.  A lady rejecting a prominent man simply because she preferred him? It was full of lies. Yet, the general’s golden hues gleamed in mirth. 

You carefully stood up from the cushion, a hand on your traditional drawstring bag. When the man figured that you were about to leave, he stood up abruptly, knocking the cups of tea that sat stationarily. Water spilled across the table and you narrowed your eyes at the man. 

“May this meeting be our last.” If you had stood up a second later, you would have noticed the shadow cast upon Jing Yuan’s figure which was reflected on the partition door. Meanwhile, Jing Yuan, sharp as ever, foresaw the man’s movement. The man was about to sink his claws onto your wrist the moment you took your glances off him and towards the exit. 

CLACK! Jing Yuan slammed the partition door open, a courteous smile etched in his feature. As if shocked in time, the man and you were frozen altogether. The man weakly withdrew his arm to himself at the sight of the general. 

“If you do not mind, may I steal the lady’s presence? I am in a terrible need for a company.” Jing Yuan held his hand out towards you. You stared at it, wondering how much the man had heard. 

“Of course, g-general!” The man profusely bowed repetitively at a sharp ninety degree angle. He didn’t dare go against the general’s words. In the first place, he had never seen you or the general interact at all! He wouldn’t have known of your relationship with such a powerful individual. 

You accepted Jing Yuan’s hand and you noted that it was warm. Slightly larger, yes, but also rough to the touch. Fortunately for you, Jing Yuan’s presence alone was enough to quell the man away. He stole a look at the portrait of him to which you had left on the table. “Are you not taking the picture with you?” 

You chewed on the bottom of your lip, embarrassment raked up your body towards the flush of your cheek. Tingyun hadn’t mentioned that buying a picture of the general would warrant his presence. 

“It is a misunderstanding, general.” Clearing your throat, you clenched at his hand tighter — a silent plea to drop the topic. Jing Yuan chuckled, the soft timbre of his voice echoed onto your ears in a ripple, as if carried by the wind themselves. 

You hadn’t known him at all, and there was no way he would recognize every common citizen of no importance in the fleet. Within a while, you had assembled the pieces together. The general barged in to offer you a way out of the uncomfortable situation you were under. 

“Thank you for the help, general. Although, I do have it under control.” You didn’t know whether it was the contrast between the armor he wore or the gentle nature to his silhouette, but for a while, it seemed you understood why so many maidens had fallen to a phase of infatuation with the man next to you. 

“I trust you did. However, even a man like me would remain ensnared to hear such a bold confession.” Unconsciously, you squeezed his hand tighter — having realized your action a tad bit too late after you had committed the disrespect. Jing Yuan returned the deed with a light squeeze of his own, quietly leading you towards the private room reserved under his name. 

The snacks he had often inquired about settled in the center of the table. He noticed the softness of your skin — in his eyes, you likely was a young lady with a sheltered upbringing, raised to be soft but lethal, compliant yet steadfast to your own standard. 

“General, you’re mistaken.” He noted the redness of your cheek, the redness had diffused all the way to your ears. Something was not quite right, a tiny detail needed appropriate fixing. 

“Jing Yuan.” He pronounced his name slowly, his sharp gaze locked on your lips, awaiting for his name to be tainted upon your tongue. Jing Yuan didn’t like how you had referred to him by his title all this time. Even as you vouch your admiration for him to the guy before, you had refused to call him by his name. 

“Pardon?” You set your eyes on the expectant general. You had to tilt your face upwards in order to truly lock into his orbs. 

You had let go of his hold, choosing to quietly settle on one of the cushions by the table. Jing Yuan hid the frown intruding his face with yet another unrecognizable smile. “I much prefer to be addressed by my name.” He settled on the opposite end of where you were sitting. Out of the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, you squinted at the general’s all too optimistic visage. 

“It’s not what it seems like, Jing Yuan.” His eyelids dropped at the sprinkle of familiarity, the muscles of his face loosened. Jing Yuan leaned one arm into the table, shifting the weight of his shoulder onto said arm. He could hear you call his name all day long. There was this ease you carried yourself in, and it was contagious. It had infected him straight away, and he wasn’t sure if he’d want a cure. 

“Shall we chat over tea?” 

That was the day the man everyone had revered as the mighty general first became Jing Yuan to you. And it was the first of the endless tea sessions for the two of you. Sometimes, a few knights would knock on the general’s private room in the tea house, cutting the rendezvous short. Other times, the sky would lose its tinge. The vibrant orange hues melted into the color of twilight. 

“Same time, next week?” 

Ever so naturally, at the end of the tea party, Jing Yuan would never fail to deliver the promise of a near future. And you’d reaffirmed his promise with one of yours.

 “Same time, next week.”

The Cloud knights who were often tasked to bring the general back to his office saw the way their general lips would linger on the back of your hand a second longer than what was the norm. It was no secret that the general had gotten closer to you — a sweet stranger who had coveted the general’s time and occupied his mind entirely. 

Prior to knowing you, Jing Yuan had a multitude of reasons to flee from the divine foresight seat. It would either be something along the lines of performing a much needed assessment of the fleet surrounding, or to breathe in fresh air on such a fine day. Having met you, the general had grown rather brazen and complacent. To deliberately accentuate your presence in his every word, he’d always inform the nearby cloud knight of his meeting with you.

“I am off to enjoy tea with my dearest companion.” Who else would he refer to with such endearment if it weren’t you? Sure, the cloud knights may falter in terms of strength when compared with the general’s mighty force. But they weren’t blind. They could see how all encompassing the general’s thoughts of you was. 

“Please return by 4, sir.” Behind the general’s back, his subordinates were already placing bets on just how long until the two finally got together.  

True to their expectations, the tea o’clock that had started out spontaneously, eventually evolved into so much more. The progression started small but of significance. Initially, Jing Yuan and you would sit across one another, separated by the tiny table that felt too vast for its size. In the following weeks, Jing Yuan slowly transitioned where he sat, he’d pull the cushion over to sit adjacent to where you were, occupying half of the right angle on the table. And now, he’d always be right next to you, shoulders brushing upon one another, close enough that the sound of each other’s breath could fool for the pulse of each other’s heart. 

What came after was the slip of endearments out of his tongue. Jing Yuan was deep in his nap, the fluff of his hair rested on your lap. With how often the meeting between the two of you had been, you started bringing over business proposals you were in charge of to the space you shared. You hadn’t meant to grumble that loudly, however the issues with shipment were impacting your family’s business greatly.

Jing Yuan rustled in his sleep, cuddling further into your lap before he fluttered open an eyelid. “What’s the matter, love?” You malfunctioned for the entire day. It wasn’t so much about the word itself, it was the gravity in which Jing Yuan expressed the word. His voice hoarse after the nap, an octave lower than the usual volume he spoke in — even so, the tenderness velveted in that single word was undeniable. As if he truly believed that the word love was encapsulated in the form of you. 

You thought it’d be a one-time thing. That it was a fumble in his speech. Albeit, the endearment hadn’t ceased. In fact, it proliferated — so much that one day, you had accidentally used one on Jing Yuan as well. 

“Yuan? I’m sorry for being terribly late, the roads around my house was blocked, and hear me out, love. Every road I went into was blocked, I had to reroute dozens of times to get here!” You exclaimed, plopping down the traditional drawstring bag to which Jing Yuan had gotten you on the wooden floor. 

“My dear, would you repeat it for me to hear once more? The wind seemed to have stolen the melodies of your voice.” You looked at the man in front of you, despite spending an hour by himself, he had appeared radiant with joy. The curves of his lips were testament to the spirits of glee that had taken over his feature. The man wasn’t simply smiling with his lips, his eyes were that of a half crescent moon, the crease on the edge apparent with the rise of his cheeks. 

Oh… the realization struck while you retraced back on your own words. For the remainder of the day, Jing Yuan tried his best to bait you into saying the words of endearment again. He successfully extracted another two from you that day. 

Ever so naturally, the degree of your relationship with the infamous general escalated by the day. The thought of dating hadn’t even crossed Jing Yuan’s mind, he knew what the both of you had, was one for eternity. Without your knowledge, he had gotten your family’s approval and had a custom ring made of the finest jewels for you. The proposal itself wasn’t loud, it was the kind of proposal that involved more sincerity and intimacy — exactly how Jing Yuan was like. 

Jing Yuan knelt down, not in the conventional way in which proposals were done. Both of his knees kissed the cold lamination of the woods, he delivered soft kisses before holding your right hand to his forehead. Jing Yuan glanced upwards, the confusion palpable in your irises. 

“For all the years graced upon me, I had seen seasons pass. I had witnessed the end and birth of eras. I’ve come to know the joy of having companions in the battlefield — companions you would call family. And I have come to learn the despair of having lost it all. The passage of time may be cruel to us. However, regardless of what the future entails. I could not imagine a future where you were not there. Therefore, please do me the honor of being yours eternally.” Jing Yuan pulled out the ring he had hidden and you would have thought that today was a feverdream, until you pinched yourself on your side and the pain bit back harder than expected. 

Vehemently, you nodded. Words couldn’t seem to formulate in your mind, instead you cried — tears of happiness, as others had often coined it for. Jing Yuan slipped the ring onto your finger, his strong arms already on the side of your waist, picking you up in ease and spinning you around. 

Once the aftermath had briefly settled, you were now deep in his embrace. The two of you settled comfortably, with Jing Yuan resting his back on the wall of the room. 

“I kind of want to be yours, like right now.” You said, it was a blurt of the moment, the rush that had run and exploded in your veins. 

“The wedding will be in a few months my love, can’t you bear any longer?”

“No can do.” Jing Yuan chuckled, that impatience of yours was another quality of you that he had adored. 

“Shall we register our marriage then?”

The two of you eloped that day. Your family in disbelief with how impatient you were, and also at how lenient Jing Yuan was with your demand. Despite being formally married, there were still traditional ceremonies to follow through. Both of you abided by the rest of the processes dutifully. Jing Yuan’s elopement was kept a secret with the news of the fairy tale like wedding only being officiated on the day of the wedding reception itself. 

── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──

Having lasted for fifty years now, the general’s marriage was the envy of many men. Jing Yuan had heard of his subordinates' household stories, how they were scolded by their wives numerous times and how often they had fought due to menial issues. When questioned whether the general faced these ordinary issues as well, Jing Yuan simply tilted his head sideways — as if he found it hard to believe.

According to Jing Yuan, his everyday life as a married man was sweet and decadent. He had never had fights which escalated to an outrageous confrontation. Most of the time, it would be his wife expressing worry about the mission he was sent to — and that would be the extent of their crisis. Although lately, Jing Yuan had noticed something amiss from you. 

While Jing Yuan had been more than content with the peace of your daily life together, there was a single factor you had dwelled upon more as of late. You wanted to expand your little family. The two of you had gotten approval to have a child from the ruling commission. Although you hadn’t been successful.

The arrival of the doctor’s letters was the final nail to the coffin. You slumped down next to the couch, hands gripped on the piece of paper, crumpling it so tight you wished the words would dissipate into falsehood. As soon as he stepped into the house he shared with the love of his life, Jing Yuan knew something was ajar. He called your name but the only sound that responded was the echo of his own. 

Jing Yuan dropped the newest tea leaves he had picked up especially for you. Frantic thoughts ran into his mind as he flicked the button of lights on, his eyes searched for your figure. There you were, all slumped up, your back against the armrest of the couch, your hair covered the entirety of your face, and Jing Yuan could see the way you had both palms covering your face. 

He dropped down onto his knees, hesitantly wrapping his hands on your wrist, pulling one arm at a time to unveil the state of your face. Jing Yuan softly collected your hair, tucking each strand to the side. Tears were rimmed on the edges of your eyes, the skin on your face had gotten sticky from the incessant tears, and your lips had gotten puffy, He hadn’t question why you were in such a distress, instead Jing Yuan rubbed away the tears threatening to fall yet again with his thumb, delicately tracing over your skin. He noted that your nose was red and filled with snot. 

Jing Yuan turned away, intending to bring the box of tissue situated by the table to your side. You clung into the tassel he had always worn by his side. “I c-can’t give you a child, Yuan.” Jing Yuan looked at you, your lips trembled and you gasped for air, all while the tears flowed down your neck. 

“All this time, it was me.” Your body heaved for air, breathing had become a struggle when snots formed on your nose and your body refused to accept the news that was now your reality. The sound of your wail for a child that would never come to be was the mighty general’s breaking point. 

“Don’t say that.” You hadn’t heard him, the sound of your cries had drowned every sound that came after. But you could feel him, the way his fingers had steadfastly captured the rivulets that had streamed down your face. 

“Don’t make it sound like you are the problem.” 

“I am, Yuan. This is all me.” Jing Yuan cradled you into his hold, your arms — as a form of habit, wrapped against his neck and your face cuddled into the snug of his comfort. 

“I married you for nothing else but love. Everything I had always wished for was for your health and happiness. With or without a child, I love you all the same.” He didn’t need anything else as long as you were by his side, and if it hadn’t been clear enough to you, Jing Yuan deemed it as his fault. He should have loved you loud and clear. 

“You won’t ever be a father.”

“Being your husband has been the greatest grace in my life.” Gently, he sent soothing strokes down your hair. After such a ferocious cry, he expected you’d find such a touch pleasant for the pounding on your mind. 

“I wanted a child who resembled you.” A child who would be a mix of you and him, you had dreamed of it before.

“I know.” 

“We’d brave through this together.” Jing Yuan kissed the corner of your corner of your eyes that was burnt from the tears, the soreness of the ache made you drowsy. 

He cradled you in his arm, noticing that your movement had gone slack and a steady rhythm now moved your chest. You had fallen asleep, surely you must have been tired from all the tears and grief you had gone to spill. Was that why you had been odd lately? You must have some degree of suspicion in regard to your fertility issue and the doctor’s letter was the storm the apex which resulted your distress. 

Jing Yuan carried your body into the master bedroom you both shared. After he had laid and tucked you underneath the blanket, he pressed a kiss down your forehead. 

“You have me, for eternity.”

Time continued to flow. Sometimes, it felt as if it were going too fast. And on some days, time felt especially slow. Yet time has always been a constant force of nature. Your desire for a little family hadn’t gone with time, there were still days where you’d cry in Jing Yuan’s arms. But there were better days, days where everything was okay as long as he was there with you. The same applied to Jing Yuan. A part of you was apologetic for letting him shoulder your burden alongside with Luofu, however Jing Yuan had smiled it off. “There will never be me, or you. Only us.”

── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──

On a day where Jing Yuan was dispatched to yet another battle, the sky was crying. Jing Yuan flinched, the sight after a battle had never been pleasant, not even when you had lived as long as he had. A cry broke the dread that was impending on him, Jing Yuan’s vision snapped to the source of the sound. Hidden under the deceased body of a soldier was a baby boy. He didn’t know what had gotten over him then, but Jing Yuan decided to bring the boy back to his home. War and battles had always been filled with the loss of another comrade in expense of victory, this was the only time he ever truly returned with a life gained.

The sight of your beloved, with streaks of blood on his armor and his hands wrapped upon the tiny bundle in a blanket, was unexpected. 

“I found him on the battlefield, and it’s just- could I-” Jing Yuan hadn’t brought the little boy to play family with you, he had developed a unique bond with the sole survivor of the battlefield. In a way, the little baby reminded him of himself — of how he had been the only survivor from the the high-cloud quintet. 

“Together. We’ll raise him together.” You embraced the two jewels of your life, ensuring that you were cautious enough with the baby who would later be called Yanqing. That night, you had drafted your husband a warm bath while he ran to the nearest store to pick up items a baby would require. 

You rocked the little body to sleep while feeding the boy formulated milk through a sippy cup Jing Yuan had bought. Motherhood was a distant dream of yours in the past, but now that you were faced with a child, you were anxious at every detail. Had the ratio of formulated milk powder to water been right? Was the water too warm? The thoughts diminished as Jing Yuan stepped into your shared bedroom, fatigue laced the silhouette of his features. 

Jing Yuan melted into your touch almost immediately. His face was buried on the crook of your neck, and you patted his back, noticing that his hair was still slightly damp from the shower. To be the general was to be a flawless figure, revered for strength. You allowed him to be weak. 

── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──

With Yanqing’s appearance, time passed by swiftly like the breeze of one season onto another. You took on Tingyun’s hobby, snapping pictures of your little family every time you could. The walls of your home that had been bare once, were filled with portraits you had hung up. You remembered Yanqing’s first step, how his little body had wobbled left and right before falling into a cushion Jing Yuan had set up. The little boy had picked up a toy sword as soon as he could run around, he’d always be chasing after Jing Yuan with his toy sword. 

“Ma, am I allowed to get an actual sword now?” You froze. In the years you had raised the little boy, you had always ensured that he called you by your name — after all, you didn’t want to lie to him. 

“What do Yuan have to say about it?” Surely, you must have heard wrong. That it was a slip of his tongue. 

“That I should ask you, ma.” Yanqing replied, he was aware of what he had called you. For a while now, he had been wanting to call you his mother. He learnt from a book that a mother was someone who would raise children with love — would that not be you?

Emotions choked on your throat and you could simply nod vehemently at the boy’s request. But that hadn’t been the end of it. During one fine day, you had stayed at Aurum Alley later than you’d like due to the expansion of the family business you inherited. As you swung the door of your house open, Yanqing and Jing Yuan stood there with a huge smile on their faces and a giant bouquet on their hands.

“Happy Mother's day!” Yanqing exclaimed, the smile on his face quickly fell the moment he saw droplets of liquid trickled down your face. You’d remember that day for the rest of your life — Yanqing had panicked so hard that he ran around the house looking for a cloth to wipe your tears with, and Jing Yuan had led you into the house, fingers entangled with one another. 

Once every other day, you’d sit on the patio while Jing Yuan trained Yanqing. Jing Yuan would saunter over to steal a place in your lap. 

“Yanqing’s developing your habits, my dear. The boy is impatient and highly ambitious.” Jing Yuan said with a sigh, although the hint of adoration was palpable. 

You ruffled your husband’s hair, fingers tenderly massaging his scalp — just how he liked it. “I’d say, he’s more like you, the two of you smile the same.” 

“He’s ours, isn’t he?”

“Our miracle baby.” You confirmed. Once dusk had begun to engulf the golden sky, Jing Yuan would carry an exhausted Yanqing home — the boy had fallen asleep after the intense training, and you’d walk right next to them, Jing Yuan’s fingers always entangled in yours. 

── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──

Even after years had passed, your family remained the same. Ever so loving, ever so precious. Jing Yuan was still known as the dozing general. Today, in particular, was such a blissful day, clouds had mostly halted the scorching ray. While on one of his casual escapes, he saw you sleeping against the trunk of a tree — guards were stationed a distance away to not perturb your sleep. 

As the dozing general, he couldn’t miss such a perfect opportunity to laze. He sat himself next to you, beckoning your head to rest on his shoulder, and his would rest on top of your head. Sleep came to him in an instant, you were his home after all. 

Yanqing caught sight of his parents not long after, both serene in their sleep, both tired from carrying the world on their shoulders. He was on his way to train, but just today, a short rest would do him good. Yanqing positioned himself to your left, leaning into your shoulder. Sleep came to him as easy as it did with Jing Yuan. 

CLICK! CLICK! Hiding amidst the bushes was Tingyun and her camera. She had captured the family’s intimate moment — the citizens of Luofu would surely feast to see such a domestic sight! As she was about to flee, Jing Yuan cleared his throat, his eyes were still shut tight. 

“How much would it be to own the exclusive rights to my family’s portrait?” 

Tingyun smirked, she could imagined the sound of credits cashing into her bank. “Well, if it isn’t the generous general. How much would you be willing to offer?” 

A/n: It ended up being longer than I thought. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Reblogs, comments, and likes are always appreciated ᥫ᭡

Did it start when you saw the rings on his slender fingers? Or his sharp crimson gaze falling upon you on the countless times you’ve asked to deliver content to him by your commander? Or more like you volunteered to do it. But that’s nobody’s business to know.

Inside your bedroom you can’t help but stand in the mirror and watch yourself. Your figure, your neck and everything. Would he find you just as appealing as you find him?

That thought makes the place between your thighs grow a little wet. You unbutton your uniform and it falls onto the floor with a small thud. Your naked body is visible to yourself on the mirror.

And unbeknownst to you, your nudity is visible to someone else on his security cameras. He watches how your hands slide down your body, caressing your skin. Your fingers brushes your nipples and you sigh in content, your hands slide to your backside as you turn to the side. And when your fingers lightly touch your cunt, he manages to read your lips. Zandik.

Zandik himself knew about this. You looking at him in a way nobody has, especially since his most younger days and he scoffs as he covers his mouth with one hand. And a moment later, a chuckle leaves his lips.

He watches through the ring camera he modified that originally belonged to the Marionette. You get on the bed, back on the mattress and your right hand slides down to your heat and your left is holding onto your breast.

And you start to slowly circle your clit, head thrown back and moans slipping out of your mouth. Your left hand is squeezing and tugging on your nipples as his name leaves your lips countlessly.

Zandik feels how his normally soft dick starts to grow a little hard the more he watches you touch yourself and hearing the sweet sounds coming out from your mouth. And he does nothing to help himself.

You turn your body, lift your ass in the air as if pretending it’s Zandik behind you. And you insert a finger before another one and start to thrust them in and out. Your whines and his name is muffled against your pillow and your pace starts picking up as if it’s Zandik thrusting into your cunt.

As if it’s too much, you turn onto your back again and continue sliding your fingers in and out of your hole. It’s so obvious to Zandik how your fingers and rubbing on your breasts is not enough for you and he smiles to himself.

You tug and roll your nipples while you finger yourself before your thighs lightly shudder. You come on the bed, panting as you stare up at the ceiling. Your breasts are heaving up and down as your hands are still on the places you touched yourself.

Zandik watches you move your naked body to your bedside draw and pull something out. And his eyes widens in surprise before can’t help but laugh in amusement.

In your hands are one of his missing clothes and an elixir earring.

—

if you liked this, I can post the p in v one 😭😭 man I need this man like BADDDDDDDDD