we shouldn't forget this, please remember

The flower she's looking at is two toned. A pink outer ring of petals surrounds an inner ring of all white petals.

Jing Yuan smiles to himself. “Perhaps you remember those from their description, though it's been a while. These are the bowl of beauty peony.”

The name clicks in Venus's mind, and she spins around to face Jing Yuan with an excited gleam in her eyes. “That's right! You told me about them in the fall! I'd almost forgotten, but it looks like you didn't.”

“Of course not. I've been eager to see them bloom, and I must say the wait really did make it all the more rewarding. Besides, you had told me you wanted to see them as well, and I wouldn't want to disappoint you.”

It's a good thing that looking at flowers is an excellent excuse to avoid his gaze. It's an age old question: is he doing this on purpose or is she reading into things?

Venus looked around for something else to focus on, and thankfully she landed on something that actually brought her delight. “Oh, roses!” She made a swift escape over to a beautiful white pot. “Hm, they haven't bloomed yet, though.” Each of the roses in the pot were all still wrapped tight in their buds. Most everything else in the garden was on full display, but not these guys.

Jing Yuan sighed, following along behind her. “Yes, they're being stubborn. I haven't managed to figure out why yet, though; everything should be in good condition for them.”

Crouching on the ground beside the pot, Venus took a good look at the roses. She doesn't know about flowers really, so she can't really say what she's looking for. She simply shrugs. “That's weird. I hope they bloom soon, at least. Have I ever mentioned roses are some of my favorite flowers?”

He hummed nonchalantly. “I believe you may have at some point.”

Venus pushed herself to her feet, turning away from the roses to face the rest of the garden. For the past few months, Venus has been making somewhat regular visits to spend time with Jing Yuan in his home. That mostly consisted of him showing her around his garden, discussing random things on his patio over a cup of tea or a game of starchess. Somewhere along the way, she'd realized she'd gotten pretty familiar with his space.

His home radiated tranquility and safety. It was a place where you could come and simply be at ease. It was a testament to the very sense of ease Jing Yuan always worked so hard to bring to the Loufu.

His garden was maybe her favorite spot. It was actually impressively large; the ground sprawling out in a maze of greenery. While Jing Yuan's hobby was gardening, it was much too big for him to maintain on his own. He had a gardener who came by to take care of the grounds at large while Jing Yuan focused on tending to other individual flowers he planted himself.

Those were what he was showing her right now. He kept most of them in the main part of the courtyard just beyond the doors to his home. It was pretty impressive how he not only managed to find the time to take care of them, but to take care of them well. Save for the roses, all of them have bloomed beautifully already. She was glad Jing Yuan trusted her enough to allow her in his home to see them.

She heard something shuffling from back towards the house, and out of the corner of her eye a large, fluffy white creature emerged. Venus giggled. “Looks like Mimi finally woke up.” The lion leaned down on her front paws in a biiig stretch, mane a mess from her nap.

“Hm, it's about time. I envy her ability to nap for as long as she likes.”

“I bet you do, “dozing general”.” Venus crouched back on the ground in the middle of the grass, arms outstretched towards Mimi. “Come here, sweet baby.”

About 400 pounds of lion perked up and came bounding towards her. It was a good thing Venus had an abundance of strength, she wasn't completely knocked over when Mimi started rubbing affectionately, and rather aggressively, on her. Venus didn't mind, either; she absolutely adored Mimi.

Jing Yuan watched the display from nearby, smiling to himself. “She must have been too deeply asleep to realize you'd arrived.” Venus seemed more than content to be crushed beneath the weight of the lion, but Jing Yuan didn't want her to be too overwhelmed. “Alright, you've had your fun, Mimi. Come here.”

Mimi stopped for a moment and stared at Jing Yuan.

She promptly resumed licking at and rubbing her head against Venus.

Jing Yuan blinked, processing this. “Mimi.” His voice became just a hint more stern. “Come.”

This time she didn't even acknowledge him. She'd managed to knock Venus flat on her back and was laying directly on top of her.

“It looks like- eek!” Venus dodged her head, avoiding getting a lion tongue directly across her face. She laughed all the while. “It looks like someone likes me better.” She teased in a sing song.

Jing Yuan sighed, shaking his head. “I suppose I can't blame her.” He muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I said,” He crossed over to the pair, grabbing at the nape of Mimi's neck. He was able to pry her off of Venus, though Mimi petulantly growled as he did so. “That she's too stubborn of a cat for her own good.”

Venus let out a deep breath, laying flat on her back in the grass. “I guess that's something else she got from her master.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Since when have I been as stubborn as her? I'd like to think I'm rather easy going.”

“Oh yeah, sure, most of the time. But don't pretend you don't have a stubborn streak when it comes to certain things.” Venus lightly nudged his ankle with the toe of her shoe.

Jing Yuan hummed in response. He released Mimi, allowing her to wander off, shoving into him with her shoulder on the way, a few feet away where she flopped on the warm grass. Looking at two of his favorite girls seeming so comfortable in the grass, Jing Yuan decided to join them. He sat beside Venus and lowered himself flat on his back so his head was beside her's.

She looked over at him with an apologetic smile. “Sorry for stealing your cat away.”

He chuckled. “It's quite alright. Honestly, it's rather endearing seeing how much she's warmed up to you.” Venus had first met Mimi a couple months ago now. While the lion had at first just seemed curious about her, now it was almost like she had a sixth sense for when Venus was coming over and would plant herself by the front door to wait. Jing Yuan feared that soon she would hog all of Venus's attention from him.

Venus yawned, looking up at the sky where the sun was inching towards setting for the night. “I'll have to get back soon… it's supposed to rain pretty heavy tonight, right?”

“Yes, the realm keeping commission scheduled a larger than average rainstorm for tonight. It's not meant to start for another few hours though, so there's time enough to make sure you get home safely before then.”

“That's good.” In that case, it should be fine for her to indulge a little bit longer. With Jing Yuan beside her and the pleasant spring air, Venus felt deeply relaxed. She wasn't exactly eager to get home just yet, so may as well lay here a while longer. It felt nice to close her eyes and simply soak in the moment.

As it so happened, closing her eyes for a moment turned into falling completely asleep before she knew it.

She stirred, still mostly asleep. She didn't fall deep enough asleep to have strong dreams, but the ones she did have carried the subtle presence of Jing Yuan. This wasn't uncommon for her, although this time it felt more real. The kind of dream she had when she connected to someone else's. That was weird, though; she certainly wasn't trying to, and the only way that would happen accidentally was if she was right beside them-

She realized as she snuggled deeper into her bed that it was not a bed. There was the ticklish feeling of grass beneath her, her pillow was much too hard and warm to be her pillow, and there was a heavy presence around her that was definitely not a blanket. A heavy presence that was breathing slowly and holding on to her tightly.

Venus almost didn't want to open her eyes, but she needed to confirm it. Even if just the gentle scent and the sound of him breathing was enough to confirm. She peeked her eyes open and only saw a broad chest in front of her. She couldn't even really crane her neck up to get a look at his face, because this was definitely Jing Yuan and he was definitely holding her in his arms with his face in her hair.

How did this even happen? She gets that she must have dozed off in the grass and it seems Jing Yuan must have as well, but neither of those things explained how they ended up in this position. Did she roll over into him? Did he roll over onto her? Both? A mysterious third party pushing them together? Oh Aeons, this was too much for her.

She wasn't sure how long they'd been asleep either. Based on the light, it looked like it was sunset. It had to have been over an hour.

She could force his arms off of her to escape, but he seems so content sleeping right now, she'd feel bad waking him up. Maybe if she just wiggled her way out, she could do it while letting him remain asleep.

She shifted in place, trying to subtly shimmy away. This backfires though because his hold actually tightens. She wishes she could properly enjoy how nice this feels. But, that wouldn't be right; it'd be way too selfish to take advantage of the situation like that.

She puts a little more effort into her movements. Just enough force to loosen his hold but not enough to alert him.

Or so she thought. She'd only just felt like she was making progress when Jing Yuan shifted, a deep rumble rolling out of his chest. “Where are you going?” He sounded partially asleep still.

She's been officially caught. “Sorry, sorry, I don't know how this happened. I'll move, just-” She moves to push herself away, but to her surprise she doesn't end up going anywhere. Jing Yuan's arms are still around her.

He moves enough so he can pull back and look at her, which rather than letting go of her just entails him moving his arms lower down her waist. She could see the lazy fog of sleep in his eyes still, but he looked square at her; he wasn't so out of it he's sleep talking or anything. His hair fanned out around his face, the orange hue of the sunset highlighting the planes of his face. He still hadn't released his hold on her.

A slow smile crosses his face. “It seems we've both had a good nap.”

That's all he had to say? Was he not bothered by this position?

“Um,” She floundered for a moment, words escaping her. “I mean, yeah, it was pretty nice. I-” She stutters, her sentence falling off a cliff. Jing Yuan's hand had moved to rest flat against the small of her back, his thumb moving in small circles. His other hand was simply resting low on her hip. She wasn't sure which position threatened to undo her more.

“I agree.” His voice was so, so low. There was the slight rough edge of sleep in it, but more than that something about the way he spoke just sounded so intimate. “I've rarely felt more rested.”

Her face felt so hot, was it literally burning? What should she say? The air was thick with tension between them. It wasn't the first time they'd been face to face like this, but it felt different than any of those times.

Finally, he moved a hand off of her hip, only to place it on her cheek. “Venus…” He shouldn't be allowed to do that. It felt like a violation of the rules for him to say her name like that.

It looked like he wanted to say something else. She definitely had some things she wanted to say. Suddenly, though, she heard a rumble nearby.

All of a sudden, little drops of rain began falling down on them. She'd been so focused on the man right in front of her that she hadn't even noticed how many clouds had formed above them. The rain drops quickly became more abundant and began coming down harder on them.

Venus squealed and they both shot upright. Jing Yuan reflexively threw his arm up above Venus's head to try and shield her from some of the rain. Even Mimi, who had still been napping nearby, jolted up with an annoyed roar. The three of them all ran inside, Jing Yuan shutting the door behind them.

“What the hell, I thought it wasn't supposed to start raining until later.” She knew they'd been asleep for a bit, but not that long. It was still partially light out and it wasn't supposed to start raining until further into the night.

There's an alert on Jing Yuan's phone. “I just received a report from the realm keeping commission; there was an error in their system, it appears. Not only was the scheduling off, but they were meant to ease into the storm slower than this. I'll have to make some phone calls.” He sighed.

Venus withdrew her wings and arms close to her body to preserve some warmth. It was starting to rain pretty hard out there. They were only out there for a minute, but she felt completely drenched. Mimi sat beside her, getting started licking at her own fur to clean herself off. The combination of all three of them dripping water was making a real mess of the floor. “This is going to make getting home interesting.”

Jing Yuan looked up quickly at that. “I'm not sure that's the best idea.”

“What do you mean?”

He gestured out the window to the rain that was only coming down harder now. “It's pouring out there. I'm not sure it's safe for you to travel all the way back home in this.”

Venus was fairly certain she'd be fine. Although, it would really suck. “Where else am I supposed to go then?”

“Well,” He began slowly. “You could stay the night here.

She must have had water clogging her ears or something. “As in, like, sleep here? At your place?”

He let out a small, amused chuckle. “Yes, that's typically what that means.”

She instantly began shaking her head, then stopped when she realized that that started splattering water around her. “No way. I mean, I couldn't. That'd be way too big of an imposition.”

“Not at all. My home is plenty big enough, I have food enough for the both of us tonight. It's a fine solution, I think.”

She still simply couldn't wrap her brain around this. “No, I-I really couldn't. I mean-”

“Venus.” Jing Yuan stopped her with a gentle remark. “I won't force you to stay. If you are uncomfortable, then I can find some way to help you get home. But if your main concern is me feeling put out by having you here, I assure you that's not the case. You may stay here if you'd like.”

Venus bit her lips, eyes focused on the floor. Hanging out at his place was one thing, but spending the night? But just listening to the storm outside, it really would make getting home difficult right now. “If-if you're sure it's alright, then I'll stay. Thank you.” It wouldn't do any harm, right? She could be normal about this. She could be very normal.

Jing Yuan smiled victoriously. “Excellent.”

“But at least let me repay you somehow.” She blurted out.

“Venus, there's truly no need-”

“No, seriously. Like…” She looked around, bouncing on her heels. “Oh, I can cook dinner tonight! That would be fine, right?” She'd feel much better about this if she was able to do something in return for him since he was helping her out. And it'd keep her occupied so she wouldn't be thinking too hard about this.

Jing Yuan looked like he wanted to disagree more, but something about the look in her eyes made him choose to relent. “Alright. That would be most appreciated.” He looked her up and down, taking in the way they were in similar states of looking like drenched cats. He was slightly less so, however. Or maybe it just appeared that way since with Venus there was much less surface area to distribute the water. “You should take a bath first, that way you can get yourself warm and settle in comfortably.”

“Right, um, okay. What about you?”

“I'll simply towel off for now. I have a feeling my phone will start ringing any second now anyway and I'll have to take care of some matters related to the storm.”

“Okay, if you say so. Oh, but…” She looked down at her outfit. She hadn't exactly planned to spend the night, which meant she obviously didn't have any clothes to change into.

He also seemed to realize the problem at the same time. “Hm.” He contemplated for a moment. “I don't have anything here that would fit you properly. I suppose I'll just have to lend you a shirt you can change into; that will cover you up, at least.”

It felt like all the wind was knocked out of Venus. “You- You want me to wear one of your shirts? Like just-”

The sound of Jing Yuan's phone ringing interrupts her. He huffs at the screen. “There we go.” He mumbles to himself. He starts to bring the phone to his ear, not pressing answer yet, though. “My apologies. I'll lay a shirt out for you in a moment. The shower is right upstairs. It's attached to my bedroom at the end of the hall.”

“Your bedroom?” Venus's voice reaches a higher octave than she thought possible, but Jing Yuan has already turned to walk some distance away with his phone to his ear.

This just took the situation to a whole new level. Venus gazed down at Mimi, eyes pleading. “Mimi… help?”

Mimi looks up at her with her tongue out and on her leg before returning to grooming herself.

It appeared she had no other choice, then. Venus cast one last glance over her shoulder at Jing Yuan before she trekked up the stairs.

She'd been to his house a few times now, but she'd never ventured to the second floor before now. There simply hadn't been a need to, yet now here she was in unknown territory.

She found the door to what she presumed was his bedroom, based on the description, but hesitated to open it. She knows he gave her permission, but it felt wrong to enter his private space without him there. Venus steeled herself with a deep breath before just deciding to get it over with.

She snuck inside like she really was doing something wrong. Her first impression of Jing Yuan's bedroom was that it was nice. It matched the same vibe that the rest of his house had, which was one of quiet opulence. It was no question he had a lot of money, his house was massive after all, but nothing was dripping with very obvious luxury. It was in looking closely that you realized just how nice everything was. The bedroom, like the rest of the house, was very put together and neat. She found a certain tranquility in it.

Her second impression was that his bed was fucking massive. She knew he was a big guy, but this might be a little excessive. Even he wouldn't come close to taking up half the space in that thing. It did look comfy though…

Nope, she can't be a creep. She came here to shower and that was all she was going to do, not peep at her crush's room.

On one wall she saw an adjacent doorway and opening that revealed the bathroom. She should have expected this, but it seemed like Jing Yuan had just a few indulgences. Primarily, things that involved comfort. The bathroom was also fairly large to accommodate the oversized tub and shower in it. It made sense; he had a very demanding job so being able to properly unwind was pretty important.

Venus wasn't really sure what to do with herself. After standing in the middle of the room for a moment just to get her bearings, she opted to start running a bath. At least as the steam filled the room it helped to relax her. She saw a collection of bath salts near the tub, but she wasn't going to use them without permission. She did however, a little guiltily, open some of them up and take a sniff. They definitely carried the same warm, soothing scents she often got from Jing Yuan.

Finishing that creepy behavior, the bath was just about filled. She wasn't even planning to fill it all the way to the top, but due to the size of it it simply took longer to get even partially full. Once she thought it was decent, she stopped the water.

Now when it came to undressing, she knew feeling embarrassed was foolish. He couldn't even see her in here, but it was still his space she would be shedding her clothes in. But if she takes too long second guessing herself then eventually Jing Yuan is going to get suspicious.

She lays her wet clothes as neat as she can on a counter nearby. At least nothing was ruined, just really in need of a good wash and dry.

The bathtub felt even bigger once she was actually inside of it. She felt a little ridiculous in the middle of this by herself. It seemed better suited to use by multiple people.

Did Jing Yuan ever bring anyone in here? The thought alone caused a surge of jealousy rising up in her chest. She shook her head to clear the thought away; that would be his business if he did, even if the idea alone was enough to make her want to cry. Besides, it was very unlikely; she knew he was currently single and he wasn't the type to just bring people around willy nilly. Best not to entertain those thoughts.

She wasn't sure how long it was appropriate to stay in here. It felt incredible, and if it were her own tub she could probably be in here for an hour. But this was Jing Yuan's house and while she wasn't sure how long his phone calls would go on for, he'd have to bathe eventually as well. She'll give herself just a bit of time to soak it all in.

Her eyes scanned slowly across the room, taking in many of the small details. At some point, she heard movement on the other side of the door, along with Jing Yuan's voice. He wasn't talking to her, but rather it sounded like he was still on the phone. She heard the closet door slide open and closed. Oh Aeons, was he actually laying out a shirt for her?

He left the room after a moment. Venus, knees drawn to her chest, leaned her head back and let the steam wash over her.

A little while later, Venus emerged from the bath. She let it drain behind her while she grabbed a fluffy towel and wrapped it around herself. Cautiously, she peeked out of the bathroom. The bedroom was empty, so she wandered back into the main space. There, on Jing Yuan's massive bed, was a single shirt.

It definitely looked big enough to cover her up fully, it'd be like a dress. But that would basically be the only thing covering her. But also all of her other clothing was sopping wet. It looked like she had no choice. At least her undergarments weren't entirely soaked, they were another barrier between the world and her indecency.

The shirt went down to mid thigh on her. She had to fight a little bit to get it to sit well on her shoulders, but she got herself situated. It smelled freshly washed with Jing Yuan's usual detergent, and she really had to stop focusing on scents like a creep.

She buried her nose in the collar just to immerse herself real quick.

She can't help but let her mind drift to what Jing Yuan might think seeing her in his shirt? Wistfully thinking, she hoped he might like it. She wasn't exactly here to seduce the man, but the thought of him liking her in this outfit as much as she did thrilled her. Or he could hate it. Or, maybe most likely, he'd simply feel indifferent. She didn't even have any proof he was interested in her the way she was with him, so the master of keeping a cool head would probably do just that.

After pacing around for a bit, she finally ventured out of the bedroom.

She found Jing Yuan back in the common space she'd left him in, a towel thrown across his shoulder and his hair looking significantly less soaked. Glancing at the door, he must have mopped up the water they'd tracked inside too.

He was still on the phone, talking to whichever officials on the other side. She'd only seen him in work mode a few times now, but the difference in his demeanor struck her each time.

Catching her out of the corner of his eye, Jing Yuan turned to face her. She stood frozen in place as he did so, nervously fidgeting with her sleeves. She tried to gauge his reaction but he wasn't really giving her much to go off of. He simply looked at her, his expression one she couldn't read. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but somehow she felt more naked than when she was in the bath under his stare.

The person he's on the phone with says something else. He takes a moment before responding, eyes still on Venus. “Ah, yes. Continue.”

Venus clears her throat, trying to ease some of the weird tension she felt. She points towards the kitchen, silently mouthing that she was going to get started on dinner.

At least she's been in here a few times with Jing Yuan. But she hasn't really cooked at his place before. Once again she feels lost for a moment, staring blankly at all of his cabinets. She's not even fully sure what she should make.

He didn't have a ton of raw ingredients, it looked like. He'd told her before that he has a house keeper who comes in a couple times a week and one of the things she does is meal prep some dishes since he doesn't usually have the time to cook for himself. She sees a couple containers in the fridge and while it might be easier to just prepare those, that wouldn't feel like properly repaying him. She wanted to show off, just a little bit.

Of the raw ingredients she did find, she could definitely make some kind of stir fry. There's fish in the freezer as well she could cook. It's getting close to dinner time, so she doesn't want to make anything that will take a long time to make.

A sense of determination fills her. She's going to make a great meal and win at sleepover.

She gets started, taking out the salmon to defrost and grabbing a few pots and pans she can use. She gets into the groove of cooking, bouncing around between different dishes.

It's missing a bit of spice. Opening the cabinets, she spots one that would be perfect… but it's on the top shelf. It'd be rude of her to just start climbing on the counters, and she doesn't see any sort of stepping stool nearby. Maybe if she just reaches up real high.

She gets on her toes and reaches as far as she can, but the jar is just out of reach. Even doing a little hop isn't enough to close the distance. She groans in frustration.

She hears footsteps behind her. She turns her head, watching Jing Yuan enter the kitchen. He was finally off the phone.

“I know you said you were going to cook, but I didn't expect it to smell so incredible.”

Venus mock pouted. “Did you think I couldn't cook?”

He chuckled, hands held up in surrender. “No, I had no doubt in your culinary skills. I'm only familiar with the snacks you've brought to our tea sessions; I've simply never been witness to the process. It's impressive seeing a master at work.”

She blushed, but a sense of pride filled her chest. “I'm no master.”

“I beg to differ.” He crossed the distance between them in a few steps, coming so close to her she felt the need to press herself as far back into the counter as she could. He reached above her, keeping his eyes on her's, and grabbed the spice jar she'd been trying to get. “I look forward to seeing what you make.”

She feels numb as she takes the jar from his hand. “Um, yeah. I hope you enjoy it.”

He hummed. For a moment, they lingered in that position with zero space between them. After a few seconds he stepped back, letting her breathe again. “Are you sure I can't help?”

“Huh? Oh, no, there's no need; I've got everything handled. Besides, you need to wash off too. You still smell like rain water and dirt.”

Jing Yuan sniffed at his forearm. “I don't smell that terrible.”

“Yeah, well, my nose is more sensitive than yours.” She gives him a little push towards the door. “Go on, take a bath; dinner shouldn't be too much longer.”

He gives her a parting smile over his shoulder, leaving her alone in the kitchen again. She runs a hand through her hair, about ready to tear some of it out. She only snaps back to the present moment from the smell of her cooking. She can't go burning it just because she's having some internal freak out.

It's as she's adding the finishing touches that she hears Jing Yuan upstairs exiting the bath. She takes that as her cue to hurry up, getting everything set out on plates and rushing it to the dining table. She's setting out the last of the silverware when Jing Yuan arrives. He's wearing a night robe, hair out of its signature ponytail and loose around his shoulders.

Venus stands at the head of the table, hands clasped behind her back. She rocks back on her heels nervously, not really knowing how to act. Aeons. He looks so hot like this.

In a desperate attempt to redirect her thoughts, she gestures to the meal behind her. “Dinner's done. Um, I hope everything looks good.”

He approaches, rounding the table to place a hand on the back of one of the chairs and take everything in. “It looks marvelous. I didn't expect you to pull out all the stops.”

She scratched nervously behind her wing. “I told you I wanted to repay you for letting me stay over.”

They sit across from each other. Neither of them moves to touch the food for a moment. Eventually, Venus clears her throat. “Um, it'll get cold if we don't start eating.”

“Of course.” That breaks that dam, at least. They start eating their food, mostly in silence. Jing Yuan compliments each dish, which of course she's grateful for.

Talking to Jing Yuan is usually so easy, but sometimes there are moments where she feels impossibly awkward. Like right now. Think of something to say. Anything. She can't just sit here in this charged silence.

“Um… how did your phone calls go?”

Jing Yuan hummed. “Well, all things considered. They were nothing exciting, truly. Merely confirming details of the situation with members of the realm keeping commission and organizing measures with the cloud knights to ensure the safety of anyone caught in the sudden rain.”

“Oh geez, I hope no one has gotten hurt.”

He gives her a reassuring smile, taking another bite of the meal. “From all the reports I have heard, there has been no serious damage. There may be some issues with some minor flooding to deal with once the storm is done, but nothing beyond that.”

“Okay, good. That's-” There's a sudden loud clap of thunder and Venus jumps in her seat. Her wings shoot out to the side around her and then close in around her ears in an attempt to muffle the sound.

Jing Yuan gives her a concerned but curious look. “Are you scared of thunder?”

Venus looks away, embarrassed by her reaction. “No, I wouldn't say that. It's just, my hearing is really sensitive so sometimes when it's raining really heavily and there's a lot of thunder, it just catches me off guard.”

“I see.” He looked a bit guilty. “I wish there were something I could do to help.”

Quickly, Venus waved her free hand to stop that line of thought. “It's fine, really. I'm used to dealing with it.” She looked to the side. “I'm a little surprised Mimi isn't more frightened; I feel like most animals get pretty startled by thunderstorms.”

Mimi lay on the carpet a few feet away, looking completely unbothered. “She's a brave girl, you shouldn't underestimate her.”

“What about you? Does nothing startle the Loufu's brave general?” There was a teasing lilt to her voice.

“I may be an old man who's had time to steel myself against many things, but that doesn't mean I'm immune to being startled.”

“Oh really? Let's hear it then.”

He contemplated for a moment, twisting his chopsticks into a bite of food. “When I was a boy, I was frightened of beetles.”

“Really? Why?”

“It was just something about the way they looked; they utterly unnerved me. I would run away with tears in my eyes if one got too close.”

She tried to picture what Jing Yuan looked like as a little boy; it was hard to picture this massive guy as a scrawny kid. Let alone one that was frightened of bugs. The image she did conjure up was pretty cute, though. She couldn't help but start laughing behind her hand.

He playfully glared at her. “I don't recall laughing at you when you revealed your aversion to thunder.”

She waved him off. “Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it. But you know, I asked if anything startled you now that was, like, ages ago.”

“True, I suppose I didn't properly answer your question. Something that frightens me now…” Jing Yuan put a hand under his chin, thinking quietly. He looked toward her, and suddenly there was a glint in his eyes. His face softened with an upward tilt of his eyebrows. “Yes, I think I've thought of something.” He murmured.

“Then let's hear it.”

He closed his eyes, his sweet grin carrying a hidden mischievousness. “I don't think I want to just yet.”

“What? Oh come on!” She groaned.

He picked up his food, taking a bite. “Consider it payback for laughing at my childhood trauma.”

Venus sat back, arms crossed. “You're so mean.”

“Does your gratitude disappear so suddenly?”

The rest of the dinner is easy. They eat and chat about this or that until they're both stuffed.

Jing Yuan leaned back, patting his stomach. “I said so at the beginning of the meal, but my compliments to the chef. Have you ever thought about switching careers?”

Venus shook her head. “Hardly, cooking is just a hobby; I don't think I'd like it as much if I had to cater to guests and work in an actual kitchen all the time.”

“That's a shame. Here I was hoping to hire you on as my new personal chef so I could enjoy this everyday.”

Venus fiddled with her thumbs in her lap. Her head sank between her shoulders, cheeks turning pink. “Well, you don't need to hire me if that's what you want, I'm happy to cook something for you whenever. I like cooking for the people I care about.”

She could feel his eyes on her and refused to look. “I'll keep that in mind.”

The sound of Jing Yuan's chair scraping across the floor and clinking plates made her look over. Jing Yuan was gathering the empty plates in a stack. “Oh, you don't need to do that, I can wash them.” Venus made to stand up.

Jing Yuan rounded the table, stopping her with a hand placed atop of her head. “That would hardly be fair; seeing as you're the one who cooked this wonderful meal, I should be the one to clean up after.”

“But-”

He ruffled her hair. “No buts, just sit and relax for now; I've got this.” He took the plates from in front of her and added them to his stack in one smooth motion.

Left alone in her seat, Venus continued to fidget. She swung her legs, tapped her fingers, and swayed side to side. She just couldn't relax when she was a guest here and Jing Yuan was doing all the clean up work alone. She sprang up from her seat after only a moment. “I'll help you!”

Jing Yuan looked back at her, setting the dishes in the sink. “I told you there's no need.”

“It'll go faster if we do it together. You can wash them and I can dry them off.”

Seeing her determination, he relents.”Alright, I suppose that works.” He steps aside, gesturing for her to stand next to them.

They work in tandem, making quick work of all the dishes. Once everything is clean and the leftovers stored away, they return to the living room. The next few hours go by filled with light conversation while the storm outside comes down.

After a while, Jing Yuan let's out a big yawn.

“Getting tired?” Venus asked.

“It is getting rather late; as much as I don't want our talk to end, it may be time to head to bed.” He looks to the side, towards a standing clock.

“Yeah, you're probably right. Do you have any extra blankets and pillows I could use tonight?” Sleeping on a couch isn't as comfortable as in a bed, but at least Jing Yuan's was decently soft.

“Oh, I do, but I figured I would lend you my bed for the night.”

“You would-huh?” How does he constantly leave her speechless?

“Sadly, I don't entertain guests overnight at my home often, so I don't have any sort of guest room. That said, it doesn't feel right to let a lady such as yourself be confined to the couch. So I thought I would give you my bed to use.”

“But then, where would you sleep?”

“On the couch. I don't mind using it for the night.”

“I don't know, you've already done so much for me today…” Could she really sleep in her crush’s bed? While wearing his shirt of all things?

He smiled at her like this was the most obvious thing in the world for him to do. “This is all part of taking care of you as my guest. Come along.” He takes her hand, guiding her back up the stairs to his bedroom. She can do nothing but follow.

The tender way he holds her hand as he guides her to sit on the edge of his bed, she could almost imagine this was another scenario.

His bed was certainly big enough to accommodate them both.

“Do you need anything before you sleep?”

Venus shook her head. “No, I'm okay…”

Jing Yuan leaned down, cupping her cheek in his hand. “Then, good night. If the thunder disturbs your rest, feel free to come running to me; I'll comfort you.” His thumb rubs up and down along her cheekbone.

She swallowed heavily. “And if any beetles sneak in, I'll protect you.”

He chuckled, stepping back. “With that,” Mimi snuck in the room, crouching down in preparation to jump on the bed. Jing Yuan caught her in his arms mid air and she grumbled, squirming in his grasp. “I'll leave you be. Get some rest.” He sets Mimi down and leads her out of the room by the scruff. He addresses her as he leaves. “And I won't have you smothering our guest tonight.”

He gives Venus a parting smile before he closes the door, one which she returns shyly.

Left alone, Venus flops backwards and stares up at the ceiling. She's surrounded by Jing Yuan's scent, his warm and reassuring presence. Curling up beneath the blankets, she feels just how soft all of his bedding is.

This is where Jing Yuan sleeps every night, where he lays his head down to have sweet dreams. She doesn't know if he does now, but she hopes that someday perhaps his sweet dreams will include her.

She buries her face in the sheets. She doesn't really want to sleep yet, content to enjoy the feeling of being in this bed. Eventually, though, the sound of the rain and the calming feeling that settles over her lulls her off to sleep.

In the morning, Venus rises slowly. The rain had stopped overnight, leaving behind the scent of fresh dew in the golden rays of light through the window. The bed is just as soft and comforting as it was when she fell asleep. She runs her hand over the empty space in front of her, picturing what it would be like to open her eyes and find Jing Yuan laying there.

Rolling over to check the time, she realizes she slept in. A bolt of nervousness strikes her. She doesn't have to get to work soon or anything, but it feels super rude to sleep in at someone else's home.

She doesn't hear anything downstairs, so she tiptoes out, making the bed before leaving, and checks out downstairs. She doesn't see Jing Yuan, but does notice Mimi lazing about on a giant cat bed in the corner. She's awake, and perks up at the sight of Venus.

Scratching at the massive cat's mane as she approaches and rubs against Venus, she looks around some more. She can smell something from the kitchen, so she decides to investigate.

On the counter, there's a container with a lovely breakfast laid out inside. It sits on a device meant to keep it warm while it's out. Besides that is a note.

Venus,

I apologize that I had to leave early to go to work and couldn't be there to greet you when you awakened. I may not be as masterful of a chef as you, but I hope you enjoy the breakfast on the counter. I can't take credit for anything, I merely warmed up what was already prepared. Still, please enjoy it. You may leave whenever you see fit, there's no rush. I've left a spare key by the door so you can lock up. Feel free to take it with you, you're already a welcome guest in this home.

My one request is that you message me once you've read this note. Hearing from you will surely brighten my morning.

Yours sincerely,

Jing Yuan

Venus brought the note to her face, covering her quivering lips. Because the note and the food weren't the only things on the counter. A single red rose, beautifully in bloom, sat beside where the note had been.