#dapper writes

Apparently, it was a frustrating piece of tech. Venus groaned, falling back until she lay sprawled out on the ground. The mystery box sat as a weight on her lap.

Her head lolled towards him. “Hey, Jing Yuan.”

He stopped just on the outskirts of her ring of machines, stooping down with his hands on his knees. “Oh my, what's troubling you today?”

She huffed, lifting the box from her lap up into the air above her. “I'm trying to figure out what this is.”

“You didn't build it?”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “I didn't make any of these.” She waved a hand towards the entire ring.

“I see.” He eyed the various machines. As untrained as his eyes were for this matter, he at least could recognize that they certainly didn't seem like her handiwork. The things Venus made tended to have more delicately refined looks to them, they were downright cute if she had enough say in the design. These felt chaotic. Well made, but hard to pin down. “Then, may I ask who did make them?”

She sat upright, bouncing the device in her hands. “Have you ever heard of an artisan named Yize Li?”

Jing Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded. “I believe I have, actually. He was quite famous for his brilliant and unorthodox crafting techniques, if I recall correctly.”

“That's the guy. I was talking to some of the other artisans about him and they said he was even up for rewards several times. The issue is he was so unorthodox that other people could barely make sense of his contraptions. His blue prints were always a mess and the actual construction of everything was so convoluted. Most other artisans didn't even really want to work with him because they couldn't get on the same wavelength and the judges for all those awards passed him up after examining his inventions. Apparently he never minded, though, at least as far as he would say. He crafted for himself and not any other person or for any rewards.”

“He sounds like quite the interesting person.” Jing Yuan sat on the floor with her, watching her fiddle with the thing in her hands. “So then, how did you come to have his machines?”

“Well…” She slowed down in her fiddling, now just drumming her fingers along the sides of it. “A few decades ago, he became mara struck. After that, his private workshop was left basically abandoned for a long while. But, the decision was made to clear it out after all this time. There wasn't anyone else who came to claim what was left behind there, so a few other artisans and I went and did it. Not like we were raiding it or anything, all the tools inside were circulated back into the commission and there really weren't any personal belongings besides those and,” She swept her hand around the circle. “These. He had a whole crate full of half finished projects. They were going to just get thrown away but, I don't know, it didn't feel right to me. Maybe it's presumptuous, but I thought I could give these babies a second chance and finish them myself.”

She sighs. Frustration sparks in her gaze, staring hard at the hunks of metal around her. “The problem is, I'm starting to understand what everyone meant by how unique his methods were. All his blueprints are all over the place. I can understand not wanting to conform to one particular style, but this is another level. I think I can manage it, but it's gonna take some doing. And that's just for most of them. This one right here is the real problem child.” She again holds up the device she's been playing with. “Everything else here had a blueprint that went with it, except for this one. I searched everywhere in the crate and back at his workshop; nothing matches it. There's no indication of what it is, what it does, how close to completion it is, or anything. I don't know how to finish something if I don't know what needs finishing.”

A conundrum indeed. Jing Yuan pondered this, examining the machine. Exposed gears and wires bared themselves to the world through one side. It's small, perhaps the size of a lunch box, but in its unfinished state it was difficult to say if it was meant to be that way or if this was merely a piece of something bigger. “I wish I could provide an answer. I regret that my talents lie with strategy, not technology.

Venus gave him a small smile. “Don't apologize, I didn't expect you to have the answer anyway.”

“Is there nothing that can give you a clue?”

She sets the device aside and leans as far to the side as she can, stretching to retrieve another box. “There is one thing.” She springs back up, offering him her catch. It's the first finished thing she's shown him today, and the most plain. It's just a box, a series of interconnected grooves running across the otherwise smooth sides.

He takes the box, turning it over in his hands. It's deceptively heavy. “And, this is?”

“No idea.”

“... Pardon?” He raises an eyebrow. “How are you so certain this contains a clue, then?”

“I'm not certain, but look.” She scoots closer and leans in, pointing to one of the sections on the box. Pressing down with her finger, it pops open, revealing what Jing Yuan recognized as some sort of puzzle. “It's a lock box, none of the other panels open yet but I’m pretty sure they all contain at least one puzzle. You only make a safe this convoluted if it has something important inside or you're crazy. So I’m hoping it has some more blue prints or something useful in there. I just gotta figure out how to get in.”

Crazy didn't seem far off either as an explanation, however. Jing Yuan enjoyed a good puzzle, they kept the mind sharp and were a good way to pass the time. Even with all the puzzles he's solved, he couldn't even grasp the goal for this one after staring at it for a few moments. Venus chuckled, leaning against his shoulder.

“If you want to give it a try, be my guest. I don't know how long it's going to take, but I really want to figure out how to fix that machine.”

He looks aside at her, taking in her pursed lips, the fire in her eyes. “I'm not sure I've ever seen you so determined before.”

Her shoulders stiffen, wings fluttering in embarrassment. “It's like I said, it just feels like it'd be a shame to let such interesting inventions stay unfinished forever. Is that… weird? The other artisans said I probably shouldn't bother with it.”

It clearly means something to her to accomplish this feat. Whether it's her own pride as an artisan or a sense of duty to a fellow craftsman, he's not sure where the root of it lies. Regardless, that part didn't really matter. He wanted to see her succeed now that she's setting her mind to it.

Jing Yuan pet the top of her head, prompting her to meet his gaze. “If there's anyone who can figure it out, it's our prodigy.”

Solving this conundrum turned out to be quite the endeavor indeed.

Since that day, Jing Yuan continued to visit Venus's workshop in whatever free time he could manage. Now, though, amidst their conversation and tea breaks, both of them became devoted to the mystery. Venus would tinker with the other assorted half finished projects, pouring over the complex blueprints for each one and deciphering their unique code. He listened to her sighs, her frustrated grumbling, and her cheers of victory each time she made progress, and offered his encouragement.

Meanwhile, Jing Yuan tackled the lockbox. At first, it made little sense at all. It was through trial and error that he even figured out the goal of the first puzzle. Venus, anytime she stepped away from her tinkering, would take a moment to look at it over his shoulder. She switched between cheering him on and assuring him he didn't have to continue this if he didn't want to. But he did, truly. It was the most interesting puzzle he'd come across in ages. Excitement thrummed in his chest, eager to conquer the challenge. And it provided him an excuse to spend just a little longer each day in Venus's company.

It took Venus just over a week to complete the first contraption. Objectively, it was a pointless device, one that took paper and automatically created a shower of folded plum blossoms that would rain down. It took Jing Yuan two more days to solve the first puzzle. As soon as he did, there was a quiet click and a panel on another side of the box opened with a press to reveal a new puzzle.

The next device took Venus another week to complete. This one a music box that played a love song that was ancient even by Xianzhou standards. Jing Yuan finished the second puzzle shortly after.

Each time either of them finished a task, they became a hair quicker at the next. Jing Yuan began to notice patterns between the puzzles. Given they were all made by the same man, a style to how they were created and meant to be solved began to emerge.

And for Venus's side of things, she made her own observations.

“I noticed something about these machines.” She said, taking a screw driver she'd been holding in her mouth out to tighten something.

Jing Yuan hummed, eyes on the box. The two of them sat back to back in the middle of the floor.

“I thought all of these were unfinished, but actually I don't think that's technically the case. I get the feeling they were completed once, but were all disassembled at some point.”

That prompts Jing Yuan to look up, glancing back at her. “What makes you say that?”

“Some of these parts are damaged. I've broken things plenty of times while working, and the damage doesn't feel like accidents made while assembling something. It feels like careless damage done while quickly tearing them apart.”

“Why would Yize Li be so careless with his own inventions?”

Venus shrugged. “I'm not sure; it doesn't really fit the vibe I've gathered about him so far, though. I don't think it was because they were failures or anything, everything works according to his blue prints. There's gotta be another reason.”

The reason didn't become apparent right away. For the next few weeks, this became a shared project between the two of them. A routine was formed. Unless they were absurdly busy, both of them did have day jobs after all, they would meet at the end of the day to work on their mutual conundrum. Always in Venus's workshop to not risk losing or damaging anything by transporting it around. Venus would often have tea ready for the occasion and Jing Yuan took to picking up dinner on his way.

And then, finally, the last compartment on the puzzle box clicked open.

Venus pushed herself upright, having been laying on her stomach next to Jing Yuan twisting some parts together. She scrambled to shove herself into his side, staring at the box. “Holy shit, that was the last one, right?”

Jing Yuan puffed out his chest. It was certainly the most challenging puzzle he'd encountered in a long time, but in the end it only took persistence to overcome. “It was.” He held the box over to her, the top now slightly ajar. “Do you want to do the honors?”

Eager hands started to reach for it, then stopped. “Are you sure? You're the one who actually solved all of that.”

He nodded. “Quite sure. I wouldn't have even been in a position to attempt such an entertaining challenge if it weren't for you bringing this to me.”

Venus hesitated a moment longer, then quickly took the box from his hands. They both peered inside as she opened the lid to reveal the contents.

“A book?” Venus picked it up. It was clearly a well used book, covered in smudge marks from grease and with every edge frayed. Its cover was scratched up and there was no title. All things considered, even with the damage, it was well preserved for a book that had been sitting for several decades. She flipped it open, the first page starting with a date. “Oh, wait a sec, it's his diary! Damn, I thought I did everything I could to hide my diary when I was a kid, but all I did was shove it under my stuffed animals. Is it… alright for us to be reading this?” She chewed her lip, suddenly nervous.

“Why wouldn't it be?”

“Well, it's a diary. I thought it'd be special blueprints or maybe treasure. Don't look at me like that, it would've been cool. But a diary is a lot more personal than that.”

Jing Yuan thought for a moment on how to best soothe her fears. “I think if we are to see the bigger picture, then learning to understand Yize Li is necessary. The Xianzhou people may live long lives and often see little need to leave behind written tales, but sometimes a record like this is the only way to see into the past.”

“I see your point… his diary might be the only way to understand what he was trying to do with all these inventions. Especially that one.” She eyed the mysterious machine that she'd been holding the first day he'd discovered her with these possessions, the one with no blueprint. In between all the other projects, she'd poked at it to try and discover its purpose, but it was proving impossible without proper direction. She huffed, straightening her spine. “Alright, let's read it.”

Scanning the first few entries, Yize Li's diary was all over the place. Almost as chaotic as his blueprints, each page bounced between ideas and topics left and right. He spoke of his day, of new inspirations and brainstormed new inventions. Jing Yuan couldn't glean too much of the technical side of things, but occasionally Venus would hum or mutter about how she understood.

What Jing Yuan saw was a chaotic man, certainly, but an insightful one as well. In between each half formed thought, he could tell the author was truly taking in the world around him. He wasn't some mad man, he was a genius.

Some ways into the diary, the entries begin mentioning a vidyadhara woman named Xin Tai. At first, it was a few references here and there, then gradually she became a major topic in his writing.

Day XX, Year XXX

Xin Tai and I observed the plum blossoms blooming for the first time this year. They're her favorite flower. I never thought too deeply about them before, but to her they were the sign that spring was finally coming. I watched her sigh. At first, this confused me. She was just talking on and on about how much she adored the flower, so why did she look so upset? She said that she wished they were always in season like this.

Perhaps there's something I can do to ensure she can view them all year?

Venus's head swiveled to look across the room. The first machine she had repaired sat on a shelf with the others. “Oh, the plum blossoms…”

Day XX, Year XXX

Xin Tai and I were talking about music. Her favorite song was unexpected. I had never heard of it before, but she informed me it was an old song created by the ancestors of the Xianzhou people. The Moon Represents my Heart. She played a recording of it that was preserved online, lamenting how no one sold records of it since it was such an old piece.

Surely it wouldn't be difficult to create one of my own.

“That song…” Jing Yuan looked to Venus. “It's the same one that music box was created to play, is it not?”

“It is, yeah.” Her brow furrowed, and without another word she dove back into the book.

The pattern became clear. Many entries would mention Xin Tai's preferences. He took note of what brought her joy and thought of gifts to suit them. There are mentions of Xin Tai often falling sick, some of what he brainstormed were ways to improve her quality of life. Each one matched the function of the inventions Venus had already repaired.

The question became, if he had already given Xin Tai these gifts, why were they broken and hidden within his workshop?

Day XX, Year XXX

I want to tell Xin Tai how I feel. But… I'm afraid. I love each day she's beside me. If she were to reject me and we never spoke again, I could not bear it. I'll hold on to these feelings. I can't risk it.

Day XX, Year XXX

Xin Tai laughed at me when I told her I don't know how to dance. It was rather embracing. But, afterwards she took my hands and led me through one she knows well. I had to apologize several times when I stepped on her feet. She took each injury in stride. I love her.

The next entry was harder to read. The sentences were clipped, the marks of his pen harsh and in a quick scrawl.

Day XX, Year XXX.

Xin Tai has always had a weak constitution, she told me each of her reincarnations have shared this trait. She felt bad that when she went through her next rebirth that the child who emerged from the egg would have to deal with it as well. The way she spoke about it was…

For the first time, I asked how old she was. 384. A long way from her next incarnation, surely.

She looked sad.

She told me her condition caused her to go through reincarnation much faster than most vidyadhara. I asked her how often it occurred.

She said it was every 300 to 400 years.

My mind has shut down. She is already 384. She said she hadn't expected this incarnation to last even that long.

I am not a physician, I can not help her.

Day XX, Year XXX

I can't heal her. I can't fix her. She isn't a machine I can take apart and make last forever. At the very least, can I tell her how I feel? If she is truly to go through her rebirth soon, then I must try to tell her before that occurs.

Day XX, Year XXX

Xin Tai told me she wished she could witness the beauty of the Oriana meteor shower again. 300 years ago, she had visited a certain planet that experienced a stunning recurring meteor shower. But that shower only occurred every 1000 years. She would almost certainly experience rebirth before it came again.

I am an artisan. Even though I have never seen this shower myself, if I use her description and search for footage of the phenomenon, surely then I can recreate it.

When I hand her this gift, then I will tell her how I feel.

The next several entries are near incomprehensible. Half crazed scribbles about his inventing process. Notes about Xin Tai. Sketches and crossed out notes.

Then, for several days there are no entries.

Day XX, Year XXX

I wanted to give it to her.

I wanted her to know my feelings.

But I couldn't do it in time. A large crate appeared at my workshop along with a vidyadhara hatching rebirth manager. Within the crate was every invention I had created for Xin Tai. The vidyadhara informed me Xin Tai had returned to Scalegorge Waterscape for her rebirth. She had requested these items be returned to me. She worried her next incarnation wouldn't appreciate them and thought they'd be best left with their creator.

They handed me a note. Xin Tai didn't leave me many words. Merely thanked me for all I did for her, and mentioned her hope that her next incarnation could find someone who made them feel the way I made her feel.

I couldn't build fast enough.

All these devices, they are useless without her. I couldn't bear to look at them. I tore them apart, I no longer care. It would've been better if they were thrown away. I have no use for them.

My hands shake. My head is spinning. I can't bear to look at them. I can't even bear to see this journal. It holds too many thoughts of Xin Tai.

After that, the writing is completely illegible. There are no more entries.

The diary is set aside. Jing Yuan hears a small sniffle. Beside him, Venus wipes her eyes with a hand, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Are you alright?” Concern laces his voice. Venus's hand is replaced by Jing Yuan's, cradling her face and using his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

“I'm-I'm alright. It's just way too sad, don't you think? She rebirthed before either of them could confess. And… I did some research into Yize Li. That final entry is on the same day he became mara struck. The loss of the girl he loved must have pushed him over the edge and corrupted him.”

Mara has followed the Xianzhou people for millennia. The toll of hundreds of years becomes too much for the body, and the curse takes hold. It is something that haunts all of them. Having seen many of his former comrades fall to the affliction and lose themselves to sorrow and madness, Jing Yuan is all too familiar with it. “I'm sure this wasn't the answer you were hoping to find within the lockbox.”

Venus shook her head. “No, but it's alright.” She sniffled, leaning her cheek into his palm. “And at least it was the answer I needed.”

Jing Yuan cocked his head. “How so?”

“I know exactly what the purpose of his final gift is.” Venus stood up, brushing off her dress. “It'll take me a bit of time, but I know I can finish it now. Just sit tight.” With tears still staining her cheeks, she gives him a determined smile.

He watches her turn away, hair flaring out in her wake as she rushes back to her work station. Jing Yuan sits back, supporting himself with one arm. He isn't sure what she's planning exactly, but there's no need to doubt her. She's set her mind to this, so surely something incredible will follow.

There may no longer be a puzzle for Jing Yuan to solve, but his part in this is far from over. Venus has a tendency to lose track of time while engrossed in a project, but he's never seen her this focused before. Her texts throughout the day dwindle, and each night Jing Yuan comes and checks on her. He still brings food, reminds her to step away from her tools, and listens to her progress. She talks about the project, but hasn't let him actually see the results yet. She claims she doesn't want to show him until everything is ready.

So, he stays patient. Soon enough, he arrives at her workshop the same as he has been for weeks now, a bag of snacks in hand. This time, he finds her already facing him in her chair. Her face and shirt have streaks of grime on them from working for hours on end. “Jing Yuan! It's finished!”

His eyes widen a fraction, and he comes to stand beside her. “Truly?” He looks over at her shoulder to the device sitting on her desk. It's supposed to be a projector of sorts by the sound of it, but he doesn't see a lens on it. For all appearances, it's a large rectangle with little decoration on it.

She breathes out a sigh, clearly proud of herself. “I wanted to make it cuter, but I tried to stick to the original vision and not let my own preferences interfere with the process too much. Are you ready to have a look?”

Jing Yuan nods and Venus gets up, carrying the box to the center of the room and sets it on the floor. He watches her press a button on her tablet and the lights dim in the entire room. She glances at him, clearly excited and making sure he is too, and presses a small button on the side. Instantly, the box unfurls. The top splits into several parts and reveals the mechanism within. And once that is exposed, there is light.

Twinkling stars dance around them. Streaking slowly above their heads are trails of multicolored light following in the wake of a meteor shower. Gold flecks fall from the sky around them in radiant sparkles. It's much closer than viewing one from the ground, however. It feels as if they're hovering in space with a front row view of the phenomenon.

“This is remarkable.” Jing Yuan whispers.

Venus folds her arms, staring up with a wistful smile. “I had to do a lot of searching to find good references for the meteor shower. That was half the work, really. Once I was sure I had the visuals, I just needed to focus on displaying them as accurately as possible. It's one thing to just watch something beautiful happen from afar, but it's something else entirely to be part of it.”

Jing Yuan turned in a slow circle to take in the entire scene. Holding out his hand, one of the gold flakes drifted into his palm and dissolved into glittering dust. “You've truly outdone yourself, Venus.”

She bounced back on her heels, wringing her hands together tight. “You mean it?”

He faced her fully. The colors around them played off her hair in iridescent ripples. She fit right in in this scene. Framed by shining light that caught the angles of her face just right and made her halo glow, the stars in her hair melting into the scenery like she herself was carved from stardust. Jing Yuan's breath caught in his chest. “I mean every word. You're incredible.”

Sadly, that makes her turn away in embarrassment and bring a wing up to cover her face so he can no longer admire it.

“I hope you know… I couldn't have gotten this done without you. Having you beside me made it easy to keep going.” A pair of bright eyes peers at him from above her wing. “Thank you, Jing Yuan.”

They admire the shower together for a few moments longer before Venus shuts it down. She clutches the box to her chest, breathing in deeply and exhaling in a slow whoosh. “Do you think Xin Tai's reincarnation will like it?”

Jing Yuan places a soothing hand on her arm. “I can't think of a fool in the entire cosmos who wouldn't be captivated by a display like that.”

Finding Xin Tai's reincarnation was simple. Jing Yuan had access to all the necessary information, all it took was simply searching through it.

Xin Tai had been reborn as a woman named Xin Hai. A message was sent through Venus, not mentioning Jing Yuan so she wouldn't feel intimidated by the Loufu's general, asking her to please come to the workshop. She seemed cautious, curious as to why this stranger was requesting her presence. The important thing was that she did agree.

Venus smoothed her skirt down for the eighth time. She'd been pacing back and forth obsessively for the past half hour, unable to sit still all day.

The door chime rings and Venus stiffens. Jing Yuan keeps his hand on the small of her back, reminding her of his presence so she wouldn't get lost in her own mind.

When Xin Tai enters, her first reaction is to be shocked upon seeing Jing Yuan. “Wha- the general? What's going on here? You said this had to do with my past life. Did she- Did she do something? Whatever it was has nothing to do with me!”

Venus places her hands up, trying to calm Xin Hai down. “Please, wait a second, that's not what this is. Xin Tai didn't do anything wrong. Right?” She glances at Jing Yuan for support.

“Rest assured, there were no criminal records I found on her.”

Xin Hai relaxes a little bit, but still looks uncertain.

Venus steps back in, redirecting her attention to a table nearby. “I asked you to come here because of these.” Laid out on the table are all the inventions she'd spent the past couple of weeks repairing. The diary sits among them, and she picks it up and presents it to Xin Hai.

“Everything here belonged to Xin Tai at some point, except she didn't make them. The man who wrote this diary did.” Venus goes through the contents of the diary with Xin Hai, showing her each entry that corresponds to each invention. The shower of plum blossoms, the music box, she showed her how to use each of them.

Finally, they reached the projector. Turning it on, the cosmic display filled the room. Xin Hai had been quiet throughout most of the demonstration, now she stood in the center of the stars, eyes full of twinkling gold.

Venus closed the diary, drumming her fingers along the cover. “I know roughly how the vidyadhara operate. I know that you're not Xin Tai. I hope you don't think I'm trying to force someone else's identity on you, but after working on all of this and reading the diary, I realized there was no one else to claim any of this but, well, you. I thought as Xin Tai's reincarnation, you might be interested in knowing more about her. If you want these, they're yours, but you're not obligated to take any of it.”

Xin Hai is silent. She takes a few slow, steady breaths before speaking. “You're right, I'm not Xin Tai. I don't particularly like plum blossoms, and I've never heard that song before. These inventions that held such a deep meaning to the two of them don't really mean anything to me. But, I had always been curious about something in Xin Tai's records. She mentioned a man she had met and fell in love with but never got to confess her feelings to. She didn't want to reincarnate with a broken heart, she wanted to safely carry that love with her into her next life. I tried to track him down out of curiosity a while ago but he had already been mara struck so I basically thought that was the end of that. I feel like I finally got the last piece of a puzzle I had put away.” She smiled at the two of them. “Thank you for showing me this.”

Venus nods. “Of course. Like I said, I just thought you had a right to know about all this.”

Xin Hai approaches the projector, turning it off. She picks it up with some struggle, cradling it in her arms. “I don't need most of those inventions. Um, if I may I would like to take the quality of life ones because they actually do seem useful, but the other ones I just don't feel any attachment to. You can find them a new home, hopefully with someone who will truly appreciate them. The diary too, you can keep that.” She looks down at the projector, her smile bittersweet. “I do want this one, though, if that's okay. I will very likely go through my own rebirth before this meteor shower actually comes along again, but with this I can still enjoy it.”

She runs her hand along the side. “Maybe our next reincarnation can see it in person.”

Xin Hai gets ready to take her leave, giving an address for the other devices to be sent to as they were too heavy for her to carry home herself.

At the door, Xin Hai pauses. “It's a shame, you know? If only either of them had confessed, maybe they could've had a happier ending. Nothing could have stopped her from reincarnating when she did, but at least they could have been together for a while.” She takes her leave after that with polite farewells.

Once she's gone, Venus lets out a deep sigh and deflates a little bit. “Thank the Aeons that went well.”

Jing Yuan hummed. “You handled that well.”

Venus huffed, rubbing her shoulder. “I'm just glad to offer some closure. I'm glad you were there with me for a bit of moral support. I would've been ten times more nervous on my own.”

She chews her lip. “I can't help but think that what Xin Hai said is true. They both waited too long to tell each other their feelings, and it ended up costing them the relationship they could've had. Whether or not it would've worked out, they never even got the opportunity to try it.”

“True, sometimes there's such a thing as being too cautious.” Bidding one's time prevents rash decisions, but at a certain point it crosses the line into stagnation.

Jing Yuan helps Venus get everything cleaned up. Neither of them say anything. Jing Yuan steals continuous glances over at Venus. He believes he catches her eyes darting away from him as well.

He looks at the time. “I have to be going soon.” He murmurs.

She nods. “Of course, you're pretty busy after all. Thank you again for helping me; I really appreciate it.”

Together, they walk to the door. Both of them linger there, Jing Yuan standing on the porch and Venus just inside the doorway. “I'll-” Venus stutters, not meeting his gaze. “I'll see you soon.”

“Of course. Until then.” Jing Yuan turns away, the door starting to creak closed behind him.

There is such a thing as being too careful. There is safety in unspoken feelings. Unrealized potential can never be ruined. If it stays hidden, if those words are never said, then the possibilities they hold will always stay as a perfect, stagnant dream. But, a dream is far from reality. Risk may lead to heartbreak, but it can also lead to something special. If things remain unsaid, then that something special is never given the opportunity to become reality.

Jing Yuan turns around, pressing a hand to the door to stop it from closing. That wasn't necessary, though, because at that same moment Venus stopped the door herself.

“Jing Yuan-”

“Venus-”

They speak simultaneously, both cutting themselves off at the same time as well.

“I'm sorry.” Venus stutters, face red. Her wings keep fluttering beside her head, starting to close around her cheeks then being forced open. “You can talk first.”

“Are you sure? If you have something to say, you may speak.”

She opens and closes her mouth. “No, no you please go. I- yeah- no, go ahead.” She swallows heavily, looking at the ground.

“Very well. But, would you please look at me while I say it?”

It's slow, but she does raise her gaze again.

Jing Yuan takes a deep breath. “Venus, I hope you know that in the time we have gotten to know each other, you have become truly special to me. I treasure the warmth you bring to my life. You remind me of what's important, and I know that after a long day, when my body feels heavy and I question why I continue on, I can find a place of solace in you. I don't want to take that for granted. My request is selfish, my duty must remain a top priority for me and I'm not sure that's fair to you, but I don't want to let the possibility of something good pass by.” He takes her hands, holding both of her's in both of his. “If you would have me, I would like to keep you by my side for as long as possible. And I would like to start that by taking you out on a date. What do you say?”

Venus looks to be on the verge of tears. But, she squeezes his hands. “I was going to say I've liked you for months now and I really wanted to go on a date with you, but in a much less poetic way.”

A warm, relieved smile blossoms on Jing Yuan's face. “Next weekend, then? I'd like some time to come up with something special.”

She nods, slowly then fast enough he's worried she's going to lose some feathers. There are a few tears that bead in the corners of her eyes. “Yes. Yeah that sounds great. I'm looking forward to it.”

He lifts their joined hands, planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. “It's a date. Words can't express how happy you've made me. Thank you, Venus.” His voice wobbles a bit at the end, his composure cracking from the sheer joy he feels.

Venus steps closer, leaning her head in until her forehead touches their clasped hands. “Was it really this simple the whole time?” Her quiet laughter is wet with unshed tears.

“Perhaps it was, we just needed a slight push.”

When she speaks again, her voice is soft. It's as if she fears speaking too loudly will break the moment. “You really like me?”

Jing Yuan runs his thumbs across her knuckles. “Of course.”

“Good. Because I also really do like you. A lot. You make me feel so happy.” She looks up at him again finally, eyes wet but so bright.

There's a faint, rainbow hue around the edges of his vision. Something he's experienced a couple times now from her demonstrations. The natural telepathic abilities of Halovians allow them to convey their thoughts and feelings to others, and he feels her's now. Gentle and pure, she breathes feelings of adoration and affection into his soul.

They part ways after that, but only temporarily. Confessing turned out to be a simple task after all, though Jing Yuan knows much of the real work comes after the feelings are conveyed. He welcomes it, though, quite readily.

---------

It wasn't a nice feeling, jealousy. Watching someone she's in love with flirt with other women fills her with it. He's not some player, but he can be said to have a weakness for a pretty woman; complimenting and going as far as to bark when called, he enjoys flirting.

This particular woman was crossing a line. The way she leaned towards him was salacious. The slow drag of her fingers along his chest, the sultry grin she wore, and the alluring tilt of her head; none of it sat well with the bounty hunter. And what was the worst about watching this was watching Vash lean into it ! He was all sparkly eyed at her, looking as if he was definitely enjoying the attention.

From her table, too far to hear their voices given the crowded saloon, Gill watched with fingers wrinkling her dress's skirt. She had the simultaneous urge to walk to them and tell her off and then make sure he wouldn't chase more of the woman, and shameful reproach following each of those thoughts too; she has no place stopping him. What an awful friend that'd make her. 

She flinches. She is an awful friend huh? Thinking of getting in the way. It's like not his fault that she hasn't told him the way she feels about him, how deeply she loves him. 

She's convinced confessing would lead to rejection, but maybe that'd be preferable to watching him flirt; he's too kind to do it within her line of sight if he actually did know her thoughts. Then she wouldn't see him fawning for every pretty lady.

But she's too in love to confess it and hear his denial. Too in love to look away from his generous fawning.

Gill's fairly certain Vash never has actually gone further than fawning with somebody. Not when she's near. But it gives her an unsettled sort of sadness to see despite that.

She wants his attentions. Further than attentions, she craves the love of her closest companion. His gaze makes her tremble and yearn. 

Watching him watch another causes her to tremble for completely different reasons. It must show, because she sees Meryl side eyeing her; her friend knows her moods rather well. 

"This might drive me mad, Meryl." Gill sighs, allowing her head to lean and thud noislessly on the wood table she and the other girls sit at.

"Hey, it's nothing to worry about." Meryl tells her. "Vash is an oaf; he can't pull a woman."

"Except for you, of course." Milly chimes in. "Actually, I've heard a few people show interest in him. He's not somebody I'd say is my type, but he is a fairly attractive guy." Meryl kicks Milly's shin underneath the table, making her yelp; but then she does notice Gill's groan, muffled a little by the table. "Ah but of course you're the closest to him, they wouldn't stand a chance yknow !"

Meryl quickly tries to refocus the conversation to trying to pull Gill out of this little funk. "Point is, I'm sure he's not doing anything with her !" She frantically looks around, spotting Wolfwood nearby. "Wolfwood ! You were near them, right? You must've heard some of their talk."  

Wolfwood glances to them, raising an eyebrow before walking to their group. "Heard who talking?"

"Vash and that woman. What was their conversation about?" Meryl clarifies.

"Ah, those guys." Wolfwood thinks and shrugs. "Couldn't hear much of it. Said something about finding somewhere more private to talk. Maybe they're getting it on." He adds with a shit eating cheeky smile. Meryl smacks him in the chest. "Oof ! What was that about !" When Meryl just jerks her head he follows the movement to Gill, slumped on the dirty table in complete dejection. He winces just slightly. "Well, what I mean is, um, hey the guys definitely a virgin not like he's got the skills to seduce someone outta nowhere, yeah?"

"Why am I the only one here who's got any sort of actual tact?" Meryl sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Gill raises her head, dragging her hands across her face. "No, no, no, it's alright. Vash can do whatever he wants to. It's not like I have any justification to stop him from," she swallows. "Enjoying a night with someone he wants to take out, it wouldn't be right."

Wolfwood just scoffs. "Glad you're a bounty hunter; you definitely wouldn't cut it out there as an actress." Meryl stomps on his foot under the table. She ignores his cursing and groaning.

Meryl scoots her wooden chair a few inches, bringing herself closer. She leans forward, elbows on the small, round table. "Hey, listen now." Her voice is quiet, and she knows Meryl is doing her best to help her. "If you want my advice, jealousy can't get you that far. I know your reasons for not confessing, and I know I can't sway you on anything like that, I think you need a girls day. It's almost time to head to bed tonight; tomorrow we should head out and get your mind off of stupid guys."

Blond curtains of hair fall in Gill's vision, she chooses not to push them back. "That sounds good."

"Also besides," Milly adds. "We're not sure he likes this girl. Mr. Vash pays attention to anything the moves."

"Yeah, he has a tendency to." It makes secretly having a crush on him more taxing than it might be otherwise. "I know that he's not the type to pick random woman to seriously court, but it feels weird watching him play with anyone."

"Hm, I'd suggest asking. But, looks like he and the skirt are leaving." Wolfwood watches the door.

Gill swivels her neck, watching too the view of Vash guiding the woman outside. She deflates, emphasized by a pathetic groan. Ahe shields her face behind her knees, heels of her palms pressing behind them. A night out with a lady, and Vash hadn't said a word.

She's coaxed to her feet by Meryl. "It's hotel time. Come on, you should sleep a minute." And the four of them wander outside.

There's no Vash standing there. No gorgeous woman standing tall outside.

The night is well towards becoming dawn when she's back in her room in the hotel all of them are staying in. Meryl and Milly sleep comfortably in another bed. Great as a couple hours of shut eye seems, that's not what Gill finds; she feels her head leaned on the wall behind her, hugging her knees on her bed. The room next to her's is where Wolfwood and Vash are bunked together. She heard the sound of wolfwood settling in a while ago. She heard no greeting when he entered. She's heard no one new come in. She's heard no footsteps in the hallway. Nearly dawn, but she hasn't heard Vash. The stampede isn't at this hotel tonight.

—

Itd taken hours to fall asleep for the night earlier. Now, with the suns trecking across the sky above them, the girls gather in the lobby. 

Gill sighs, again. Her head nestles into the cushion of the couch, edging closer to stone than soft. Meryl and Milly chat, and Gill chimes in when her attention isn't all on the hallway or the door. She never heard Vash return during the night earlier. She couldn't hear anything that told her he was in his room after she woke. Ignoring how she could hear Wolfwood moving about the room, she ponders if just maybe these walls are thicker than she'd first had thought. Perhaps he came back after she had dozed off.

Then she spots Wolfwood, yawning loudly as he walks out into the lobby. He lumbers to the unoccupied couch and drops onto the cushion. "Good morning, girls." He raises a hand in greeting.

Gill can't help herself but notice that Vash hasn't walked out as well. Her eyes flick back to the hallway then back to her friend. The other girls greet him back. "Good morning." She says. She is proud she can wait about six seconds before adding after. "Did Vash come back yesterday?"

Wolfwood slides his gaze to land on her. He raises an eyebrow with a knowing look she wants to rub off him. "Yeah, he did." He watches her shoulders fall in vast relief. "Though, it was only a couple of hours ago. Tried sneaking in."

She's glad he came back. The idea that he snuck in hours after everyone had fallen asleep for the night did unsettle her. She couldn't help imagining what he had been doing during the night that kept him away.

That's when the object of her obsession emerges. His hair is extra mused, he must've only slept a couple hours. He walks into the lobby but she realizes he's already heading out of the hotel. "Hey, Vash !" Her voice leaves without stopping to think, she calls to him because she can't bear to see him just walk out without saying anything to them, though mostly herself. She gets off the couch, walking towards him.

Does she hallucinate the way he cringes? He pivots and smiles to her. But his eyes flickered towards the door; he does want to leave quick. "Hey, Gill, good morning !" What made him return hours ago just to leave immediately without greeting his companions?

She feels like she's about to trip standing in a single spot. "Where are you going now?" She tries to not sound as if she's accusing him; because she's not she just feels like she's going crazy.

He's not locking eyes. Whenever they talk Vash almost always makes profound eye contact with her; it makes her feel as if his mere presence could swallow her whole. It makes her never able to look away. He makes eye contact across campfires, in crowded places, in comfortable silences; his eyes feel like her haven. Right then, he wouldn't let her see them. "Just, um, out?" It's more question than a response.

She frowns, and he sees that and tenses. He looks a bit nervous; his head is fully turned from her. "Want company? If you're just taking a walk?" That's what they do. Whenever they're together as traveling companions, they rarely are separated. Asking to go out together isn't uncommon.

He squeaks. "Uh, no, thats not necessary ! I'm just stretching these legs !" He kicks out his legs in a strange bit of movement. Quickly he lets words just drop out of him in a waterfall. He continues without giving any opportunity for any responses. "Yup be back later gotta head out not that I'm heading anywhere talk later see you guys, later !" And he's using those deft legs to be out the door already.

Gill feels steel weights settle onto her, arms limp at her sides. He's obviously doing something. Her mind turns wicked and takes her theorizing towards the woman from the saloon hours ago.

Meryl sighs, standing. Her clicking heels indicate her walking to Gill. "I think that girls day is calling for us."

—

It is a lovely day for walking in town. Their small group meanders by shops; the four of them, girls day does also include Wolfwood, have no goal but getting Gill to somehow quit thinking of Vash and new ladies.

The shops are fairly modest. They hold nice looking items at decent prices and it makes for interesting shopping. Gill starts finding herself getting swept into the outing, sun kissed hair a deep blue gazes never quite leaving her thoughts. She does enjoy herself, though. Just that her friends want to ease her funk makes her happy. 

They chat of mindless topics. Little tidbits and banter fuel their conversations. There's never a drought in interesting subjects when they talk.

A dress shop stands amidst the various buildings; it was a store they'd walked by yesterday already. Then, they'd taken a glimpse inside and just laid eyes on the remarkably well produced outfits they held. They had a variety of styles and accessories to pair with them. It was the kind of shop she particularly enjoyed.

"Hey, isn't this where they had that dress you'd been eyeing before?" Milly asked her. She was right; Gill had spotted a particularly tempting dress here. Purple with a nice, soft looking fabric; it's skirt flared out under a bodice that stuck to the torso and accents of pale pink added emphasis. Milly continued then. "Huh, it'd been in the window, yeah? I can't see it right now." She looked to a dress less manquin where the dress had sat.

The shopkeeper happened to come outside and overheard. "Ah, sorry, dears; sold that dress earlier. Some blond guy and a lady; hadn't taken him for someone with an eye for fashion, though I guess that red coat wasn't too shabby if a little torn, but his companion sure did seem it." He chuckled to himself. "Anyway, we've got some similar ones if you wanted to look inside too."

It would've been more polite to thank him and perhaps actually look. However, Gill was simply stuck on who he'd said purchased that dress. A blonde man. A red coat. A fashionista companion. Had Vash come here with that woman? Had he bought her that beautiful dress as a present to her? Was it a date he'd run off on with her?

Meryl remembered manners faster than Gill managed. "Thank you, sir; we’re good." As the man shrugged and walked back inside of his shop, Meryl guided her friend away. "Listen, there's plenty of blonde idiots running around. I doubt it was our idiot."

"You think?" Milly said, clueless. "What a coincidence this man also was wearing a red coat like Mr. Vash."

She was swiftly quieted by Meryl, but Gill simply sighed. She knew it was Vash.

She started wandering away. "Excuse me a bit, yall." She said, walking a distance aways to a semi secluded spot at the entrance to an alley.

A few seconds, soft, slow footsteps let her know Meryl followed her. She approached the spot Gill leaned back on, shaded by cool shadows above. "Hey." She started, a little unsure. Meryl did best as an academic but sometimes faltered with more social things. "It's alright."

Gill blew out a soft breath. "He bought it with that woman." 

Meryl frowned, coming beside her. She waited a few seconds, probably trying to figure out what to say. "Sorry; I guess I'm not doing great at girls day and distracting you from him."

Gill shook her head. "You're doing good, Meryl. I mean it, girls day is making me happy. You know it's nothing simple to make me forget about him."

Meryl huffed. "I definitely do." She turned her head to regard Gill, looking like she wanted to say more.

Making a lazy motion of her hand, Gill prompted Meryl to speak. "You can say whatever you'd like."

Chewing her cheek, Meryl took a few seconds to continue. "I've never felt the way you do for Vash. Not as intensely, anyway. And I know you can't control who you fall for, but is it worth it? Loving him and watching him constantly flirting with anything that moves, all while not saying anything to him?"

The dirt seemed to draw Gill's gaze. She was quiet for a few glaring seconds. "It always is." She says, voice soft. "I can't find any part of myself that would wish to get rid of these feelings. I know that Vash is a tricky man, always running from himself as much as anything but I just can't not be in love either. He's precious to me; anything I can do to be near him is worth it. Feeling jealous is just part of that for me."

Meryl sighs, tilting her head to lean it back on the cool wall. "I know." The question was obvious. "But, you are upset." It's unmistakable.

Gill again stays silent; then, her fists ball and press their heels into her closed eyes. "I feel awful for getting jealous. He and I are not a couple, and we're not any closer to it than yesterday. I can't claim him in that way right now. It's selfish for me to feel possessive of somebody like Vash. If he wants to become close to someone and to fall for them I should encourage him as a friend but the slightest idea of it fills me with disgust. I'm such a terrible traveling companion." Tears well and drip from behind her hands. She wants to encourage him. In this way though, she can not support her precious partner.

Meryl knew how much her friend adored her crush. To her, a woman living behind her desk, her papers, and her mind, matters of romance were not her favorite. But Gill was ruled by passion. She loves and she fuels herself on that intensity. Everyday since she’d met him, Meryl knows one man has held her precious emotions in his dumb hands. “You are not. You’re just jealous everyone gets that way now and then, you know. You’re tough, and you’re beautiful, and you’re impressive; nobody I know is the same as you. He’s likely just going to back away from her. Like you just said, he can’t yet make himself stay in place for five little seconds.”

“Yeah, I realize.” Gill sucks her lip. Her waterworks dry along her cheeks. “Should Vash decide to date someone else, though, I wonder if I could stand to travel with either of them.” She smiles. “Thank you, Meryl, for talking to me, always.”

Meryl smiles too. “Anything for the person who makes my job easier.” She lightly jokes, poking at her.

That draws a chuckle out. “Well, I am an expert Vash handler.”

“Better than anyone.” Meryle snickers along.

They stand there quietly together, shoulders bumping into each other. From within the building next door, they hear voices shout; as they both look, a figure is seen within the window, and then crashes out the window. In a splash of broken glass, Vash flies out onto his back right before the girls.

“Vash !?” Gill squeaks, freezing.

He groans, blinking the blur from his eyes. His stare is drawn to Gill. Though he was just knocked out of a window, his face twists curiously at her. “Were you crying?” He asks quietly.

Someone yells nearby. “Get the humanoid typhoon boys, hurry !” A voice from the now destroyed window; several men appear in the cracked frames.

Vash is quick scurrying on to his feet. One hand grabs each girl, and he drags them both around the nearest corner making them scramble as well. The second they’re around it, a flurry of shots follow.

“Vash, who’re they?” Gill spins, attention split listening for his attackers and searching him too.

Vash looks flustered. His neck cranes about, making sure those guys aren’t following. “Um, well, right. I sorta met this woman.” He isn’t watching the twitch of Gill’s lips. “She told me she’s been coerced by these men, and asked me to help protect her a bit. Uh, the men found her, and me, and now they’re pissed. She’s safe. I’m gonna run !” He spots those guys, skidding around the corner with pistols aimed his way. 

“What?” Meryl just cocks her head. Mentally, she drafts her newest report.

Vash runs off, the men not paying the two women any attention while focused just on him. The party crashes their way along the street. Scandalized voices pursue them.

For a minute, the girls are simply staring behind those guys. Gill turns, not speaking, and drops her hands onto Meryl’s shoulders letting herself deflate with a sigh like a weight was lifted. It wasn’t a date; the selfless outlaw was bodyguarding that woman. Then, she removes her pistols and pivots to help her companion not get snatched.

—

“And those guys were forcing her to do stuff and she couldn’t get them to leave, which is why she saw you and got you alone to request your assistance; but not wanting them to figure out she got herself help, she asked you not to tell anybody which is why you’d been acting odd?” Gill clarified, the campfire pleasantly giving off it’s smokey smell and lighting the two of them where they sat nearby.

Vash nods. “Yup, basically it. Ah, was I that odd?” He seems sheepish, rubbing his neck.

Gill looses a low breath. She’s extremely satisfied hearing Vash say he was only helping her. Now she can definitely see there’s no deeper motivations. His flirting stopped at that bar. The woman had thoroughly thanked him, relieved when he managed to take out that gang and trying to find a way to repay him; but she too hadn’t seemed to actually be interested in him aside from her gratitude either. Vash obviously wouldn’t allow her to do anything. Now, she feels sort of dumb, allowing jealousy to overtake her feelings, but she hadn’t been able to temper it. “Just sort of.” She shakes her head with a grin.

Something nags in her thoughts, though. Her hands fiddle subtly. 

Vash spots the hesitation. “Something bugging ya?”

“Ah, just, uh, a question.” She cough, shifting in place some. “We wandered by that one dress shop, and heard you bought that neat dress from them. You’re not a dress kinda guy, I was just curious what you got it for.” Ugh, this feels awkward, she shouldn’t pry but she has to ask him it.

Vash stares for a couple seconds, then his eyes fly wide open and he makes a high noise. “I almost forgot !” He yells out; spinning at his waist, he reaches back into his bag and searches inside to pull out a wrapped brown package. He presents the parcel towards her. “Here, open it.”

Slowly, somewhat unsure, she takes the package. Peeling away the paper, she peeks inside it. Lovely purple cloth greets her. “Did you buy the dress just for me?” She breathes, surprised.

He flushes. “Saw you eyeing it. I could tell it’d look amazing on you too.” He looks away, appearing just a bit adorably shy.

Gill feels something stir within herself. She’d been sure he’d gotten this dress to gift to someone, but she hadn’t considered he’d bought it only for her. Her expression shifts into a big smile. Setting the dress safely aside, she leaps at Vash and throws her arms onto him, wrapping him in a giggly, loving hug. “Thank you, Vash.” She whispers into the crook of his warm throat.

He carefully kept both of them steady. Then, surprised expression becoming incredibly gentle, returns the embrace. “Yeah, for sure, anything for my favorite girl, always.”

—

The air is cool. Pleasant, night chills settle inside the bedroom, yet Vash feels comfortably warm. Because he has his wife, securely cuddled on his chest held into his side. His right arm tucks under her and wraps around to rub her back in slow caresses. Gill’s asleep for the night, cute breaths fanning along the exposed neckline of his loose tanktop. Vash stares at the ceiling, other arm propped behind his head. It’s not restless but just not yet tired enough to sleep also.

Why that memory came to him, he’s not positive; he remembers her feelings, though. He'd experienced Gill’s memories, witnessed all the occasions he’d made her feel jealous with his behavior. Definitely not anything he’d wanted, and he’s repeatedly pinched himself for being too dumb to not realize. But, she’s wiped any bitter feelings away; but actually he already knows she’d never felt bitter, she’d already forgiven it. He’s relieved, and now he thinks it’s silly either of them felt that way. 

Vash tried not to do this too often. Knowing it must cross some intimate line, it felt wrong. He told himself often he'd stop, but never could.

He sighed, his hotel room dim and quiet. He was finally alone. He enjoyed the company Gill provided him a lot, she was his best friend in his lonely life. Though, there were certain times where he found himself overtaken by certain, well, trains of thought, and certain frustrations he couldn't relieve anywhere close to her.

Shucking off his coat and holster, he sat on the hard mattress this room had, back leaning onto the wall. His head tilted, eyes half lidded, to stare idly at the ceiling. The inside of his cheek chewed on to ground himself, while his mind began to wander along the way he'd been trying to block all day.

It'd been a while since he'd done this. He could feel that neglected urge screaming to be indulged in immediately. His body shivered.

His pants already had a pitch in the center, the fabric just starting to feel Vash's little problem. He couldn't hold back anymore. Fumbling with his pants, he pulls his clothing low. His cock springs out with, hitting the chilly desert night air. It's a stark contrast to the warmth simmering under his own skin.

He peels his glove off of his hand in his mouth, wrapping his warm hand around himself. His breath stutters out in the low light, orange and glowing across his body. He twitches, throat catching a low groan at the relief.

His hand moves, firmly caressing the length of his cock. Again and again and again he begins pumping it. His mind wanders.

In his imagination, a head of flowing blond hair appears, framing bright and sensual eyes and soft lips curled into a delicate smile. A vision of his best friend, the sight of Gill, sits facing him on all fours on the bed in front of him.

He knew his mind would conjure an image of Gill. It always thinks of her now. 

 No one could argue that Gill wasn't pretty. Her sweet and soft face, delicate hands, soft and flowing hair, and everything about her was extraordinarily captivating. Vash himself sometimes realized he was staring at her when she was near him. Sometimes he perhaps stared too much, and his eyes wandered more than was right for someone who was her close friend. He may not be human, but he is a man, and he's not impervious to basic desire.

She hadn't been doing anything different than usual today. He couldn't explain exactly why she'd done nothing but add to his inner needs. But watching her as they rode two toma into town and she bobbed on its back, barely being able to pay attention to their conversations because his eyes focused on the curves of her body, the brilliance of her smile accompanied by the pink on her little cheeks when he said something funny, yeah it certainly made restraining himself until he could get privacy difficult.

In his mind, he watches her crawling towards him. She hovers close to his body, he can practically feel the warmth she has. His hands reach out, taking hold of her, arms wrapping around her to grab her back. He pulls her, crashing her right into his chest and picturing the way she'd smell with his face buried in her throat. How would her delicate body feel under his hands? In his mind, her jacket and tights are off, but he sees the dress on. Thinking too much on how she would look completely undressed would be a line too far crossed, he knows. He gives her some modesty while defileing her visage.

Her shoulders and defined arms would be exposed, the delicate curve of her neck leading him to the rather low neckline of her dress. Her slender legs straddle on either side of his lap as she's settled there. She would shiver when he let out a warm breath into the base of her throat. She'd whisper his name into his ear, her breath caressing him.

He shudders, hips bucking into his hand. This is wrong, totally wrong, isn't it? What would she say of she knew? She'd probably avoid him forever, he assumes then. But he only sees her. He can't picture anything else at these occasions but her now. He bites hard on the need to apologize to her. This is just another crime he has on him.

He imagines her hands, small and adorable, settling on his shoulders, trailing the length of his arms, dropping to his torso. She presses her hands to his abdomen, he wonders idly if she'd like the feeling of the muscles and be able to ignore the feelings of his puckered scars. She would grab at his hips, rocking her's.

That would be too much for him to hold back, the thought of it makes his cock jolt. By now he's totally hard, and each pump of his hand makes something build in his abdomen. 

Grasp dragging along her until he was holding her hips, he would lift her off of him, sympathetically missing her warmth for that millisecond, to face her around with her back to him, sitting together on the edge of the bed. His hand roams her stomach, her chest, her arms, her thighs, he craves touching her everywhere. But what he craves more is the heat he can feel sitting above his crotch. He imagines moving her dress, exposing her core to the cold air. Would she whine, he wonders; he can practically hear a delicate noise that emerges from her throat.

His cock free, it would tease her entrance, her hips lifting to be positioned above his length. His hands on her sides would guide her onto it. He's not small by any means, but she is. She's incredibly delicate, his large hands holding her with ease above himself. It'd start filling her quickly. She'd mewl and pant, telling him how big it is. He'd go a little slow, not wanting to make her uncomfortable while she adjusts to his size, but in his mind he can't go all that slow, needing her fully on him. She'd take him eagerly, sinking lower until their hips connected again. He pictures a bulge around underneath her stomach where he pushes in her. He'd hold her close, nuzzling her hair.

He would suck along her neck, telling her she's a good girl, she makes him feel good, he wants to take care of her tonight. He cares deeply about her, she knows.

He'd ask for permission to move, making sure she's well adjusted. Maybe he would start slow, but he sees himself unable to hold back. He'd help her bounce on his cock, a hand staying on her wrapped around to her side. He jerks his hips upward into her, the sounds of her entrance and their hips floating into his mind. Wet and loud, in his imagination they have no need to control their volume.

His other hand he sees going to her throat. Settling on the front of it, he could hold her just tight enough to have a good grip. He'd angle her head to have it on his shoulder, that way he could watch her expressions of pleasure, see her pretty face gone mad for him and him alone. She's always been complimentary of him, he can see that translating here.

She'd tell him on shaking breaths and stuttering voices how good he is, how wonderful she feel around him, how he's the one making her feel nice. Her praise would means everything to him, it does always. Hearing her encourage him makes him want to take her pleasure farther, feeling closer to his relief the more he could bring her nearer to her own. He wants her to feel good.

He'd bring his lips to her throat. Sucking and nipping until her skin blossomed with little red buds. Maybe he could leave a bite there and here for her too. Leaving sinful marks on her purity.

He'd keep pounding into her core, not relenting. What he wants is to make certain she finishes before him, drawing her closer, he imagines the desperate noises she'd make to him.

He imagines her taste on his tongue, sweet and full, utterly just delicious. Her hands would grasp at his arm and shoulder as he unravels her with each thrust.

His hand fumbles into his bag half blind, grabbing at a towel to find and cover himself. He knows he's getting close. He makes sure to cover himself.

Her voice would ring with ecstacy. Her hands would tighten on him. Her face would try and turn away as she squirmed. He'd keep her in place, whispering encouragement; she could grab him as tight as she needs. When she cums, he hears her sweet shout and low groan it dissolves to. He'd keep moving her, making sure she fully rides it out. The thought of her reaching that point from him, the drunk look in her eyes as she pants, it drives him nuts. She's amazing.

Now he can't stand this. The feeling roiling and desperate to get out. He imagines his hips jerking into her, and in a burst of hot cum finishing inside her. He can see it just filling her, then dripping out around his cock. He'd stay sheathed as her core drank everything he offered. Their breaths would reverberate around the room.

Vash gives his length a couple good pumps. With a loud groan, his hips snapping upward in a jerk, he cums in the towel. His release makes an absolute mess of it, almost too much for the thing to hold itself. He throws his head back, panting. He had tried to not be that loud, not knowing who might hear and know what he's been doing tonight. The warm orange glow of the lights lulls him.

It's a while he lays there. He sinks into the after nut feeling that comes to his body, letting the towel sit beside him and not bothering to get dressed yet. He simply let's himself drift for a bit.

A knock on his door completely breaks that feeling. Nerves instantly heighten, he briefly debates pretending he's asleep. He's not sure who it is, but he realizes that there's a single person it's most likely to be, panic flares and it doubles when he hears her voice.

"Vash? You in there?" He hears Gill.

He swears under his breath, internally apologizing and swearing to clean any mess as he chucks his towel underneath the bed, practically falling on himself to get out of bed while yanking his pants back on. What's she doing here? Who is he kidding, it's not unusual for them to hang out like this at night. He should've waited until later when she was actually in bed. Not that he's not always glad to be near her, but this second in particular is a bit dodgy for his mental state considering what he'd been doing minutes ago. "I'm coming !" He calls back. He cringes at the word choice. He knows she wouldn't see its other meaning.

He's a collected as he can possibly pretend to be when he opens the door. He smiles, flustered. She stands in the hall, patiently waiting. When she sees him he sees her smile instantly widening, stretching those soft lips he'd just imagined moans tumbling out of. Ugh, can't let himself think about that while she's right here. 

"Hey, there ya are; sorry, did I disturb you?" She asks.

On technicality he could say yes but he'd never think of her that way. "No, no you're good. I was just, yknow, like, hanging out." Something was hanging out a minute ago.

"Ah, good. You mind if I come in?" She sways a little in place, a normal habit of hers, but he only sees the way it makes her body move, the slight rotation back and fourth of her hips.

"Yeah, um yeah of course." She gets out around his own spit. He knows he could've lied and said no for some reason, but he had no valid reason and couldn't say no to her face. Besides if he said no without a reason or some fake reason she'd be hurt he turned her away from his room.

She grins. "Thank you." She practically skips inside his room.

Vash swallows thickly. His fingers flex where they hang. Steadying himself on a deep inhale and exhale, he crosses to his bed. He can do this.

He's not some animal with no rationale. Sure he just imagined her in some of the most carnal ways possible when she's just his best friend, but there's no reason it should keep him from having a conversation with said best friend right in front of him. It was just his imagination, she wouldn't actually want any of that he's sure and he has no intention of coming onto her. She's his best friend and he tells himself there's no deeper emotions there. It's normal to imagine friends like that sometimes. Every time.

Besides the point, which is that he can reign in his libido. They can have a conversation here.

His throat constricts when she sits next to him. He flashes to his picture of her poised on this same bed in front of him again. He can't do this.

"Long day, huh?" She chuckles. They'd traveled pretty far earlier.

"Yeah, can't believe you're not beat." He says awkwardly.

"Nah I am pretty tired. I'm just glad we got into town. A hotel sure beats sand and rocks sometimes, yknow." She says.

"Try always." He laughs. If they'd camped he wouldn't have been able to take out his frustration; he's definitely glad.

He forces his eyes to stop drifting to her exposed neck. Her eyes are in her face, that's where he should look.

Their conversation flows, Vash trying his best not to seem weird. It's easy talking to her, it's more difficult keeping his imagination at bay right now.

He has an unconscious habit to lean into her space when they sit together. Tonight he reminds himself to keep his back ramrod straight.

"It's pretty nice in here." Gill says, Vash realizes he'd started paying half attention again.

"The room?" He asks.

"The temperature. Feels nice." She clarifies.

"Ah, yeah, it's not bad." It'd certainly been noticeable to him earlier too.

Idly, she reaches for her jacket. Her deft fingers play with it for a second before he sees what she's doing. His leg jumps when he watches her taking it off, he's glad she's not looking. Fuck him, he bites his cheek hard. There she exposes those arms he'd been thinking about. She rarely takes off her jacket, but she's gotten more comfortable somewhat recently. She's lined with scars she can't explain all of and he knows it distresses her and she prefers to keep them hidden, but all he sees right now is the artful lines of her body. It's just arms and shoulders, he's seen them several times, but something about the slight rarity of actually seeing them hits him. Probably because he'd just been imagining them on him. His eyes lock briefly on her neck and misses the envisioned sight of the marks he'd left there for her leading onto her shoulder where he'd bitten her. Thought of biting her, he amends. Vash grabs a pillow to casually lean on placed in his lap.

She'd placed her jacket behind her. Vash feels like he's never concentrated on someone's face more than right now. What's she talking about? He presses the pillow onto his crotch. He can be normal, he lies internally.

There conversation goes for a while. Vash can tell he's not keeping everything exactly normal. He's sure she realizes he's bothered right now.

"Vash, are you alright?" She confirms his thinking with that single question there.

"Yup ! Super !" He croaks.

She frowns, he hates causing that expression in any circumstance. She leans towards him and he fights the simultaneous wants to lean away and lean in, instead helping him stay exactly in place. She places her delicate hand on his cheek, staring into his face. She's too close and not close enough. He feels himself twitch underneath the pillow he leans on.

"You sure? Darling, you can always tell me." She says.

She's always sweet. Way more sweet than he thinks he deserves from anyone. He hates keeping secrets from her. He hates that he's soiling this otherwise wonderful conversation with his own perverted thinking. He hates making her frown.

Vash musters his most earnest smile. Hand shaking, he steadies it just before placing it on her cheek in return. "I promise you, Gillian, I'm alright." His thumb caresses her precious face.

She seems to shiver, he wonders if she's too cold right now without her jacket. "Ah, good ! I'm glad ! That's good !" She sits back, he wishes she'd stayed close right then.

"Yeah, me too." He whispers. That sounded stupid.

It's a few minutes later she stretches and Vash nearly loses his composure. "I think it'd be nice to treat ourselves a bit. What do you say early tomorrow we go out and get some nice donuts?" She asks, knowing his weakness.

"That sounds good." He says, grinning.

"Perfect, then it's decided." She stands, hands on her hips. She smiles at him below her. "Let's get to bed. You have a good night, Vash." 

"Yeah, you too, Gillian, good night." He watches her walk to his door. It shuts behind her with a light click in the quiet air.

Vash rushes out of his seat to lock it, panting. He shudders out a low groan, the urges he felt talking to her flooding his imagination. He hadn't released his grip on the pillow, and he stumbles back to the bed, placing on hand upon it and the other pressed the pillow back to his crotch.

This time his imagination took things faster, picturing Gill underneath him, bent onto the bed. He'd shoves his cock into her core from behind, and she yelps. She moans and whimpers out his name and little pleadings for more. More, Vash, more, and the like she would scream.

He grinds fervently onto the pillow. With a trembling hand he pulls his pants off, fabric pooling at his ankles. His painfully hard cock relishes the friction and warmth of the pillow.

He imagines her pressed deep into the bed, bouncing with each pound from his hips. But he has her face turned to watch her expressions like he enjoys doing.

His eyes are hooded, clouded, barely seeing what's actually in front of him while delving into his imagination, but not blind. He does see something, and his eyes widen when he realizes what it is.

There, sitting on his bed, is Gillian's folded jacket. She'd forgotten it. His breath stutters. 

Could he? That'd be weird. But, the temptation of seeing it right there, it would be wrong. He waffles, but a thrust into the pillow makes him gasp and whine. It'd be perverse, but it'd be alright too. He'd return it later, maybe wash it first.

He grabs her jacket, holding it to his face. He inhales deeply, her scent filling his body. Now he's doing more than just imagining her, he can actually smell her. It swirls around him, driving him closer to release.

Her scent hits his nose, he imagines burying his nose in her hair, hands making marks on her hips from how hard he'd grip them. She'd call his name loudly, voice raw and passionate.

Her jacket pressed to his face, his cock rubbing on the pillow. He releases on the case, biting her jacket to keep himself from being any louder. He keeps pumping on the pillow for a minute after, leaking onto it as his cock unloads fully on it. His eyes stare into his sheets above her jacket.

He himself didn't intend to stop for any of the delicacies available here tonight. He merely opted to take the route on his walk home to see the sights of the ship he so dutifully took under his wing.

Once again, he had no intention to stop on his way home.

But, sometimes plans must change.

He rubbed his hand into a crick in his neck, all that hunching over his desk to do paperwork really took a toll on him, when he heard it.

Quiet laughter that was music to his ears drifted through the warm spring air. He already knew who it was from, so he wasn't surprised when he turned his head and saw the back of a familiar white head of hair. All that tension he held seemed to float off of his shoulders as soon as he saw her. Breathing came easier, and all other sounds on the street faded to dull background chatter.

Like a magnet being drawn to its other half, he was drawn to take a step forward towards Venus. Before he could get any closer than that, however, he took in the full scene.

She was laughing because she was talking to someone else already. He recognized the man, actually. Only vaguely, though. He'd seen him in training as one of the new cloud knights to have joined not that long ago. Jing Yuan couldn't quite recall the name, but he was a promising talent.

The two of them were sitting at one of the many food stalls that found a spot in the alley. That was curious, did they know each other? It wasn't impossible; Venus had told him about many of her acquaintances but he was sure he didn't know of every single one. Although, she likely would have mentioned it if she knew one of his knights; she'd think it was a fun coincidence and tell him all about it. So he doubted they were already acquainted. Looking closer, she didn't seem entirely comfortable either.

Not to say she looked uncomfortable, exactly, but she always withdrew into herself more when she was with someone unfamiliar. He'd witnessed it himself, the way she gradually opened up to him as they became closer. She didn't lean in any closer to him and her smile didn't display its full radiance.

She was comfortable enough to laugh with him, at least.

That should be a good thing, she wasn't being drawn into a conversation she didn't want. So then, there wasn't any reason for his chest to tighten.

She didn't show any special interest in the young knight as far as Jing Yuan could tell, but the boy was leaning towards her. There was a seat in between the two of them, but the knight had an elbow propped on the wooden counter and made full use of whatever air space he could to try and get closer to Venus.

Jing Yuan prided himself on his ability to read other people. It was a skill that helped him navigate countless situations to reach a favorable outcome. The smile that the knight flashed, his eyes going up and down Venus's figure when she wasn't paying attention, it was safe to assume his intentions went further than a mere friendly chat.

It wasn't Jing Yuan's business, not really. He would never dream of being so controlling that he would step in for no reason. The situation was harmless. Venus did not look so uncomfortable that he had reason to assume she was being harassed. She may even be interested as well.

Was she interested in this knight?

Jing Yuan seemed to recall a few of the secretaries passing by the training grounds blushing and giggling amongst themselves when this particular knight was displaying his skills. He understood that there was something about him that others found appealing. If he was so handsome then perhaps Venus also found him to be her type.

Jing Yuan had never directly asked her what type of man might catch her eye. For all he knew, it was strapping young men with dark eyes, short hair, and a lack of experience.

The prudent thing to do would be to move along and let whatever happened happen. This wasn't a situation that required his intervention. Either nothing would come of this passing connection or the two of them would bond over whatever was so funny. He'd end up hearing about the results from Venus if they did become close. Especially if the knight got what he so clearly desired.

But, was that the best course of action?

He observed for a moment longer. Venus stirred her chopsticks around in her noodles, nodding along while the knight spoke. The knight may as well just get up and move into the seat beside her if he's going to continue leaning over like that, lest he fall and injure himself. He watches his hand land on the empty seat between them, his fingers drumming. It was subtly impatient, slowly testing the waters as he got closer until he felt it safe enough to try putting a hand on Venus herself.

The moniker “the dozing general” had followed Jing Yuan for centuries now. Even he found it rather fitting. Life was not something to be rushed through. Important decisions required careful thought, and taking each step one at a time allowed for a clear and open mind. On top of that, a good nap did wonders for the mind and body. But having a habit of dozing did not mean he was lazy. It was well known that for however relaxed Jing Yuan acted, it was not in his nature to hesitate when the situation called for swift action.

The knight started to rise from his seat, one hand braced on the back of the adjacent chair as he made to slide over closer to Venus. Jing Yuan knew it was time to act.

It took almost no time at all to reach the stall they sat at. Just a few long, even strides and he was upon them. The knight, halfway out of his seat, froze the moment his eyes landed on Jing Yuan.

“G-general! Sir!” He looked unsure as to what he should do, seeing his superior outside of working hours. Jing Yuan didn't particularly care about the lack of formalities right now, however.

Upon reaching the pair, he still only had eyes for Venus. One hand landed on the back of her chair, the other on the counter beside her. He hovered over her like this, forming something of a barrier around her.

Below him, Venus craned her neck back to look up at him. Her smile brought a matching one to his face. “Jing Yuan! What brings you here?”

“I was merely passing through on my way home.” He acted nonchalant about the situation. “You don't seem terribly surprised to see me, though.”

“I heard your footsteps coming up behind me.”

“You could pick that out amongst all these other people?”

“Of course, you have a very distinct rhythm. I'd recognize it anywhere.”

Sweet warmth filled his chest. It brought him no small amount of satisfaction to know she paid attention to him that closely.

He was disappointed when she turned to face the knight Jing Yuan was just starting to forget was still sitting there. “Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. You mentioned you're a cloud knight, right? So you probably already know Jing Yuan. I guess there wouldn't be a lot of people on the ship who don't, though.” She laughed and this time Jing Yuan was proud to have played a part in it.

The knight was looking a touch pale. His hand, wrapped around a cup on the counter, flexed uncertainly. “I'm familiar, yes.” How amusing, his tone of voice has picked up a higher pitch in his strain. “I didn't realize you were friends with the general.”

Venus looked back at Jing Yuan. “Yeah, we've known each other for a bit now. He welcomed me when I first came to the Loufu.” Her hand raised, moving to rest on Jing Yuan's. She stopped it halfway there, however, hesitating for a moment before redirecting it to rub her own arm. She tried to play it off as if that was always her intention, but Jing Yuan noticed.

In private, their relationship had reached a point where casual touches and displays of affection weren't uncommon. She wasn't afraid to lean into his shoulder when they sat next to each other, when he showed her around his garden it was easy to place a hand on her back to guide her. In public though, he especially noticed the restraint she showed in not seeming too familiar with him. Little moments such as this, where intentions were redirected and gazes diverted.

Not that she was the only one withholding when others were around. His position came with expectations, a level of professionalism he had to maintain in public. He understood the importance of restraint. Doing anything more would be a statement, one that needed to be carefully made.

“Oh, Venus, it looks like you have something on your cheek.” He pointed at his own face, signifying a crumb left behind.

Her face went red. “Seriously?” She brought a hand up to swipe it away. Jing Yuan swooped in first.

“Allow me.” Calloused fingers held her chin, lifting her face towards him. His thumb swiped across her cheek and he pulled away to reveal a small crumb. “There we go.”

Venus stared at him for one blink, then two, before ducking her head. He hoped she didn't feel too embarrassed, but he had a goal to see through.

With her attention off of him, Jing Yuan glanced over at the cloud knight. Holding that eye contact, he brought his hand to his mouth and with a flick of the tongue licked the crumb off his own thumb.

He didn't linger on it, now placing his hand directly on Venus's shoulder. “There, there, it was just a crumb.”

When she lifted her head again, it was with a small pout and a wing covering her cheek. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat in an attempt to move on. “Um, did you want to sit with us? The food at this stand is really good, and I know for sure you haven't had dinner tonight.”

Jing Yuan laughed. “You know me all too well. I would love to join you.” He glanced back at the knight. “As long as no one here minds.”

To his credit, the man sprung into action quickly. “No, general. Of course not. Actually, sir, miss Venus, I was just about ready to leave anyway.” He stood up, saluting to Jing Yuan and, after a second of hesitation, nodding to Venus. “It was great talking to you. Um, see you around.”

“Oh. Okay.” Venus seemed a bit taken back at his sudden change in attitude. “Have a good night.”

He didn't say anything else, simply nodded again and scurried away.

Jing Yuan wasted no time in taking a seat, claiming the one next to her the boy had been draping himself over. Sliding into place, he kept a hand placed on the back of Venus's chair. “I apologize if I made your friend uncomfortable.” He wasn't, not really.

“I mean, he wasn't a friend, really. He sort of just started chatting with me when I sat down. He was nice, though.”

Jing Yuan hummed. “I'm sure he was.” He flagged down the stall owner, who had been very mindfully acting as if he was not a witness to whatever just happened, and placed an order.

Venus took a bite of her noodles, rooting through her bowl. He saw her frown and pull out one of the ingredients like it personally offended her. A single mushroom was gripped in her chopsticks.

“You know,” He began, propping his cheek on his hand. “I would argue the reason you never grew is because you don't eat your vegetables.”

She glared at him. “I eat plenty of vegetables, thank you very much. I just don't like these ones. The texture sucks and the flavor is weird.”

“Do they have any redeeming qualities?”

“Not a one.” She gave him an expectant look. She clearly didn't want to just waste the ingredient by setting it aside, so not for the first time she silently offered to give it to him. He'd indulged her on a few occasions like this where she would put whatever she didn't want or couldn't finish on his plate. He didn't mind helping her out, as long as she got her fill.

She hesitated for a moment, realizing he didn't have a plate at the moment for her to place it on. “Should I put it on a napkin or something?”

He tapped his finger against his cheek, a thought forming. “That won't be necessary.”

Jing Yuan leaned forward, gently taking hold of her wrist to steer the chopsticks to meet him halfway. He took the mushroom straight from her grasp, pulling away with her hand still in his. “There, see?”

The wide eyed stare she gave him was proof enough that that was the last thing she'd expected him to do. He could feel a few other sets of eyes on them as well, onlookers who tried their best to not seem too nosey but couldn't bring themselves to look away.

Of course, he knew the consequences of showing this level of familiarity with her in public. People would whisper and rumors would slowly spread. He'd tried to avoid such a thing for the longest time, or at least mitigate it as rumors were unavoidable no matter where one went. But now, he welcomed them.

Jing Yuan wasn't dense. Months ago, he'd begun to feel something stirring whenever he was around Venus. He sought her out in a way he didn't with anyone else. Her presence became a balm that soothed his old soul. He enjoyed talking with her, laughing with her, and simply being around her. He allowed the feelings to sit in the back of his mind this whole time. Even he wasn't immune to passing fancies, so he wanted to be sure what he felt wasn't as trivial as that.

It was not long ago, the night Venus was rained in and stayed at his home, that he became certain it was more.

He could picture it as they got into a rhythm with each other, what it would be like to experience that everyday. It was shockingly easy, actually, to think that she could fit in so naturally. It was like she already belonged in that spot by his side. Seeing her sit on his bed, wearing the clothes he'd provided for her, he'd had the strongest urge to join her. It was such a shame to leave her all alone that night, but he didn't regret having that self control. Even realizing his own feelings, he didn't want to take things too fast.

It wasn't uncommon for courtships amongst the Xianzhou people to last years or even decades if the pair took things especially slow. Jing Yuan isn't entirely inexperienced in the world of romance, he'd had a few dalliances in the past, but none of them had progressed to a more serious level. Jing Yuan has been a man of duty for centuries, beholden to the cloud knights since he was a child and given the position of general long ago. It has left little time to explore many personal relationships. The last thing he wanted was to rush into something with Venus and leave her hurt at the end of it.

But, if he could be certain there was a future the two of them could share, one where they could both be happy, then he wanted it.

Assuming she felt the same about him. He hoped that she did. While he had no concrete evidence, he'd like to think he was reading some of her nervous habits correctly. At the very least, he hoped in those moments where she couldn't quite meet his eyes, that she was thinking of him with even half as much affection as he held for her.

So, he welcomed people to watch them in this moment. Let the onlookers take this in and spread the word. He wanted that cloud knight to go and tell his friends what occurred. Jing Yuan did not have the right to lay claim to her, but this should keep lesser opponents away.

The cook placed Jing Yuan's order in front of him, and he let Venus pile all the mushrooms she didn't want on the corner.

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.

Lady Aglaea didn't tend to keep many flesh and blood attendants. Mostly she relied on her garmentmakers for assistance. To Aglaea, the automatons were more reliable than any human whose heart could be swayed as easily as pulling on a thread.

Which is why it was especially odd to see the girl at her side. She held a teleslate in her hands, taking notes for lady Aglaea as they walked through the open air courtyard. The Flame Reaver was too far to hear their conversation, but it was clear the girl worked for her. An assistant of some sort. Judging by the bag at the girl's side that had bolts of fabric poking out the top, she must be involved in the weaver's garment business.

If Aglaea trusted her, that was significant. So why hadn't he ever seen her before? From his vantage point, he studied her face. Bright, innocent features framed by fluffy, somewhat mused hair; he thought for sure he would recognize a face like hers.

But, there was no recollection. None at all.

It was odd, but ultimately of little consequence. Aglaea finding an assistant didn't change much. If anything, for the girl's sake, he had enough decency left in him to hope she wouldn't find herself caught up in the troubles of the chrysos heirs because of this.

He was ready to write the girl off as a minor anomaly, until he saw her again.

This time, she wasn't with Aglaea, she was with Tribbie, Trinnon, Trianne, and Castorice. The group was having just a casual conversation over some tea in the Garden of Life. It was different from seeing her with Aglaea in what could be viewed as nothing more than a transactional business association. It was clear that she was familiar with the chrysos heirs before her. In fact, they were all comfortable with one another as far as the Flame Reaver could tell.

This was even stranger, and it only became more so.

He witnessed her again, shopping with Hyacinth in the Marmoreal market.

Again, with Mydei as he helped her carry a stack of fabrics back to the workshop.

With professor Anaxa, on a visit to the Grove of Epiphany discussing a new book.

With Cipher, the girl lightly scolding the thief for a prank she pulled.

And even with himself. Or, rather, this cycle's version of himself.

The girl excitedly gestured for Phainon to hurry up and join her as they arrived at the garden in front of the chimera cultivation device. Young chimeras stumbled about, exploring their surroundings. The Flame Reaver was closer than he normally would've observed from, and he could hear her bright laughter as one of the chimeras came up to her legs. Phainon joined her on the grass, chimeras of various colors and patterns coming up to the pair and vying for their attention.

It was so easy, the way the two of them spoke. He could tell immediately that they were very familiar with each other. The girl had no issue reaching over and pinching Phainon's cheek when he said something silly, and he made no effort to remove her hand.

It was in this interaction that he first heard the girl's name from Phainon's lips.

Venus.

After all these instances, the Flame Reaver wasn't sure what to think.

Plenty of things have changed between cycles. It was rare that two of them would be exactly the same, and some were drastically different from each other. But he had never seen an entirely new person ingrained themselves into the going ons of the chrysos heirs like this.

It wasn't just a passing familiarity, she was a close companion to many of the chrysos heirs. They knew her well, greeted her warmly and welcomed her into conversation whenever they saw her, and she did the same.

It didn't make sense. What possibly could have changed in this cycle that brought this about?

It still didn't matter, not in the broader sense, he thought. He could ponder the nature of this anomaly for the rest of the cycle, but as long as she wasn't an obstacle to his goal, it didn't matter.

Venus wasn't a chrysos heir, she could not obtain a core flame, so he had no reason to pay her any mind.

But still, something within him was stirred.

It would have been so simple to not spare Venus another glance. However, because she had found herself so intertwined with the chrysos heirs, it seemed she could not avoid the troubles that followed them.

She was not a fighter, that much was obvious, but Venus was apparently stupidly brave enough to try and stand in his way. He barely gave it a thought when he cut her down to clear his path.

Her blood was warm and red unlike the molten gold of the heirs, further proof that there was no need for her to have involved herself in this matter. With a sharp flick of his hand, it splattered off of his blade in the same instance that she hit the ground.

The large slash across the length of her chest was deep, there would be no healing it; she was already no longer moving, anyway.

The Flame Reaver made to turn away from the scene, but an agonized screech halted him, just briefly.

It was a yell of the girl's name. Venus, said with such pain and sorrow the Flame Reaver was surprised it could have come from a human throat. Let alone his own.

Not the current him, though. It came from the Phainon of this cycle.

He watched as Phainon ran to Venus's side, falling to his knees in the pool of her still warm blood. He grabbed her, bundling her into his arms and desperately repeating her name. He begged her to look at him, to respond. She didn't.

And it was seeing Phainom's agony and the tears streaming down his face that the Flame Reaver understood the nature of their relationship for the first time.

She was friends with the chrysos heirs. To Phainon, though, she was his lover.

A bolt of surprise shot through the Flame Reaver's chest. Every version of Phainon throughout millions of cycles had remained single. He knew from all their assimilated memories that the weight of his duty hung too heavy to burden anyone else with. How could he be so selfish as to ask someone to share a life such as his? Beyond that, even if he has had fleeting crushes here or there, no one had captivated him enough to really form a relationship with them.

What had been so different about Venus?

This girl, who had appeared out of nowhere, had somehow managed to steal the heart of this cycle's Phainon.

Things changed between cycles, but the Flame Reaver had never seen an anomaly quite like this. He wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Before Phainon could redirect his feelings towards the Flame Reaver and move to attack, he had already left. The Flame Reaver vanished in a swirl of darkness, leaving only the broken heart of his alternate self behind.

The mystery did not affect the rest of his mission. Era Nova arrived, and with it the beginning of the next cycle.

In the golden wheat field, standing on the docks of the shimmering waters of his hometown, the memories of countless cycles flooded into Phainon's mind following the Flame Reaver's defeat.

He knew then what millions upon millions of different versions of himself had done, the price they'd paid to keep the experiment that was Amphoreus from reaching its fruition and the choices they'd made. He knew the blood on his hands, and he knew he would have to do it again.

But what stung the most, what brought his hands to clutch at his chest and his breath to catch and sputter in his lungs was not the blood that had stained his blade many times already. It was the blood that he had spilled for the first time this last cycle.

The pain of failing to protect Venus was fresh on his mind. He carried that weight with him to era nova, the final spark in his eyes vanishing as fast as she had bled out on those stones. That memory was now joined with the Flame Reaver's, and he could recall in vivid detail how little strength it had required to sever her flesh as if it were paper.

It was him. Perhaps a different version of himself, but it was his hands that had sliced her so uncaringly. He had done that to her. He no longer deserved to call himself her lover. Amidst the storm of memories all fighting to find their place within Phainon's body, the scorching pain of all the accumulated core flames within him burning him from the inside out, the agony of what he had done to her was at the center of it all.

It wasn't until he began on the path of the next cycle that he was able to stop and ponder the strangeness of it all again.

He hadn't understood how Venus had found herself among the chrysos heirs previously, but now with the memories of his life as Phainon during that cycle he saw more of the bigger picture.

He remembered the day he first heard the triplets telling him about the stranger who'd just arrived at the Marmoreal palace. Apparently, they'd found a girl on the outskirts of the city with no memory of who she was or where she'd come from. According to the three of them, they'd taken the girl, who could only introduce herself as Venus, to lady Aglaea. As they spoke, the gold weaver was assessing this stranger to determine if she were trustworthy or not.

Phainon had been intrigued right away. He wanted to know more of her story. If he went to the palace right now, maybe he could catch a glimpse of her face and unravel some of the mystery?

It took some waiting, lady Aglaea seemed to be taking her time in assessing her, but finally he saw them emerge from the corner of his eye.

It was so vivid in his mind, even now. The sound of gently swaying water from the baths surrounding them, echoing off the grand marble walls. A faint, floral scent wafted through the air along with the dull sound of chatter. Venus walked a step behind Aglaea. She seemed nervous, which was understandable if her story about having no memories was to be believed. Despite that, though, when he offered her a gentle smile she replied in kind with her own. The slight tug of her lips lit up her weary face.

Aglaea informed him that she would be acting as her assistant for a while. She made no secret this was largely so she could continue to monitor Venus. Her investigation had been enough to show Agalaea that she wasn't an immediate danger to them, but that didn't mean she trusted her entirely yet.

Aglaea asked Phainon to be kind to their guest while she was here and it was easy to agree. He would look out for this newcomer the same way he did every other citizen.

He didn't really understand the way his stomach fluttered when Aglaea followed up that request with another: to show her around the city. Again, Phainon readily agreed. It was the perfect opportunity he'd been looking for to get to know this stranger.

And when they were alone for the first time, he offered her his arm as any gentleman would, and thought about how nicely her arm fit with his. It was almost like a puzzle finally finding its matching piece.

If he had known back then that asking for her hand would lead her down the path to his blade, would he still have offered it?

He can't say for sure at this point.

It doesn't matter anymore, though. The cycle had been reset, and if it took over 33 million chances for her to make a single appearance in his life then he doubted he would see her again twice in a row. It was unlikely he would ever unravel the mystery that was Venus.

He chose then, at the beginning once again, to take her from his heart and lock those feelings away. They wouldn't do him any good on his journey.

And he did well in that resolve, as he always had on this road he's taken. He followed the familiar path of time of a thousand years, back to the Okhema he knew. He truly, truly, did not expect to see the shimmer of her pink hair flowing in the wind, nor the glimmer of her curious eyes ever again.

Which is why his breath caught in his chest as the second time he saw Venus he was struck by surprise.

It didn't make sense. Again, she was there, side by side with the chrysos heirs as if it were only natural she be there. Only the Flame Reaver knew how strange this was.

33 million cycles and not a trace, but suddenly twice in a row she had carved a place for herself amongst them?

33 million cycles, and twice she managed to fall into his arms.

The Flame Reaver paid closer attention this time, and he saw the embraces Phainon and Venus shared in private. He was in love with her again, that much was obvious. This time, the Flame Reaver had more of the necessary context to truly see that, having the memories of being in love with her himself. It was the one part of this that wasn't a surprise.

Something stirred in his hollow chest each time he got a glimpse of Venus, especially so when she was with Phainon.

He was struck by a thought, suddenly. What would he do if he, as he was now, were to meet her again?

Begging for forgiveness was useless. He had struck down his former comrades countless times already, he knew asking for that would be a useless task. So then what was he to do in this situation?

The answer came to him soon enough.

This time, she wasn't being foolishly brave as before. The Flame Reaver, in his chase of the core flames, had simply happened to catch her all alone. He saw the fear in her eyes when she was cornered, her body tense with uncertainty.

He only hesitated until she tried to run, that's when his body instinctively lunged forward. They both toppled to the ground, him pinning her against a wall. She did try and fight against him, thrashing and clawing at him, but she had never been stronger than him. Especially not as he was now.

But still, even with her in his grasp, he didn't know what to do with her. He could release her, let her run away back into the arms of this cycle's Phainon. He could hold her safely until the cycle reset again.

Or.

Era Nova was brutal. He had already seen the pain in her eyes when he had struck down Aglaea and Mydeimos, Cipher and Tribios. She was a tender hearted girl, he had once cherished that about her.

Even now, ruined as he was, he did not want to cause her suffering.

His armored hand caressed her cheek, her warmth seeping into his cold, tainted body.

She didn't need to be party to his slaughter.

Slowly, he reached for his mask.

Venus could only watch, confused, as he removed it. The Flame Reaver could see every emotion she experienced rush across her face. The confusion, the horror, the betrayal.

“It's you? I- I don't understand. How… why…?” She stammered.

The Flame Reaver didn't answer her questions. He bent forward, pressing his cracked lips to her soft ones. She did not kiss him back, but she didn't fight it either. He could only assume she was too wrapped up in her surprise to do much of anything.

When he pulled back, he was decisive with the hand that followed. His blade plunged directly into her heart, he made sure of that. He didn't want her to suffer.

It was the second time he held her as her blood pooled on the stone around them.

Though, he couldn't linger. His other self was already looking for her. He heard the rapid footsteps behind him as Phainon rounded a corner, and this time the sound he made was already familiar to him.

Without turning, without revealing his face, the Flame Reaver put his mask back in its place and vanished.

The third time he saw Venus, he was resolved.

Now that he had seen her twice, he knew it would not be entirely unexpected to find her a third time in the new cycle. If it were possible for such anomalies to enter the equation, it may be helpful for him to learn more information. However, that was a difficult task.

In both cycles, she had no memory of her own past. Because of that, it was hard to track down any of her ancestry to attempt to learn more. He did pay closer attention this time throughout the centuries, trying to find anyone who bore some type of resemblance to her.

He did sometimes meet people who shared a feature or two, but it was not enough to suggest any type of relation. No one felt like the Venus he was familiar with.

Despite his failure, she did appear just as mysteriously as the times before.

And as he had done twice before, he showed her the only mercy he was capable of.

The fourth time he saw her was… strange.

Finding her had become a pattern, something he was starting to expect at this point. Again, he had tried to find any information he was able to on her, but it seemed as if she would only appear from thin air with no past to follow.

And, admittedly, he was expecting to see her with his alternate self as she had been the previous three times. So it was a little disconcerting to see her reach not for Phainon's hand, but Mydei's.

The first time he saw that, he felt something twist within him.

She clung to Mydei's arm like she had his, gazed at him with a look of love that should have belonged to Phainon.

The Flame Reaver realized he was still capable of an emotion he thought he had lost long ago. A distant sense of jealousy, dull and dusty from lack of use, emerged from his core. His jaw creaked when he clenched his teeth.

Judging by the bittersweet expressions Phainon would give Venus whenever her eyes weren't on him, this wasn't something that occurred because of a lack of feelings from him. What had that fool done to lose her? To Mydei of all people, at that.

The Flame Reaver stopped in his tracks. Why did it even matter, really? This was merely one cycle of over 33 million. All the times he has seen her have only been grains of sand in the desert he was lost in. The love they shared was only fleeting, as was any other feeling he once had. This irrational jealousy was useless and it too would soon fade.

He granted her mercy before slaying Mydei. She had been so sad before when Mydei had fallen to him in a time when she did not have a relationship with him, it would only upset her deeper this time. And it was always in his plans to take the coreflame of strife from Mydei, this cycle was no different from the ones before it.

The additional times he pierced Mydei's chest may have been unnecessary this time.

The fifth time he saw Venus, he scolded himself for the sense of relief he felt when she kissed Phainon, not anyone else. It felt right in a way it should not have.

The sixth time, there was the first inkling of irritation he had felt in a while. Not rage, as that feeling always simmered deep in his chest beneath the cold numbness that spread through him. No, this was just true annoyance.

In the Grove of Epiphany, he was made to watch Venus perch on the lap of his own professor, Anaxa.

That moron. He felt a similar desire as he had in the fourth cycle with Venus, the urge to shake this cycle's Phainon and demand to know what he had done wrong to fumble as he had.

The blasphemous scholar wasn't often a target of the Flame Reaver's blade. Not out of any purposeful act to spare him, he simply almost always caused his own undoing. The Flame Reaver made sure to dispatch him himself this cycle.

He decided the seventh time he saw Venus that she was dangerous. Something about her stirred feelings he thought he lost lifetimes ago within him again. But those feelings would only hinder him. The only way he could endure what must be done was to not fall prey to his emotions. If he dared to regret, if he dared to falter, then he would fail and everything he had suffered and sacrificed for would be over.

But without knowing where Venus came from, there was nothing he could do to prevent her from entering his life cycle after cycle. Each time, new feelings stirred, the memories of her so fresh in his mind and beginning to overlap.

It was undeniable that she was a threat to everything holding him together, and yet he held his breath with each new cycle until he saw her again.

He couldn't stop each new Phainon from loving her. All the Flame Reaver could do was carry on as he carried the weight her blood added to his blade each time it soaked the metal alongside all the others.

It didn't take long after the door closed for her to hear the padding of heavy feet coming to her. Mimi groans, the guttural sound rumbling in her chest as she reaches Venus and immediately pushes onto her hind legs to drape her paws on Venus's shoulders.

Normally, Venus's strength is more than enough to handle the weight of this overgrown house cat, but she's just too tired today. Venus grunts, her knees buckling under the bulk of Mimi and just barely not giving out.

Mimi nuzzles her face into Venus's, but huffs as if confused as to why she's acting so weak.

“Sorry big girl, I'm just a bit sore right now.” Venus gives Mimi her pets before coaxing her back down. Mimi isn't satisfied with this, but relents. Threading her fingers through the lion's thick mane, she asks. “Can you tell me where daddy is, Mimi?”

Jing Yuan usually works late, but tonight Venus is pretty sure she has him beat. Based on his texts, he should be home already.

Mimi huffs, turning around and walking deeper into the house. Venus follows, trusting she won't be led astray. She's led to the door to Jing Yuan's office; it's closed, but she sees light seeping out from beneath the wood. Rewarding Mimi with a few scritches, Venus maneuvers around her and pushes open the door. She doesn't bother knocking, they're long past formalities like that.

Sure enough, she finds Jing Yuan sitting behind his desk, a scroll in hand. He has a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose, an accessory she only sometimes gets the privilege of seeing him in when he takes work home. He's just stubborn enough to not admit how useful they are to him.

Sometimes when Venus finds him working, he's so engrossed he hardly even notices her presence until she makes it known. Tonight he must not be too focused on whatever document he has, because his eyes find her as soon as she enters the room.

His smile warms her heart, the document now entirely forgotten as he sets it aside. “Welcome home, beloved.”

Seeing Jing Yuan right in front of her seems to sap the last of the strength from her body. Not in a bad way, more in the way it's like she finally feels safe enough to not have to keep pushing relentlessly forward.

She mumbles out what might have been a greeting, using her energy reserves to stumble over to where her husband sits and collapse against his broad shoulder.

Without hesitation, his arm comes up to wrap around her waist, providing support so she doesn't just slide right to the floor. His hand rubs up and down in a slow, soothing line along her side, and his low voice hums in her ear. “My little finch has had a long day today, hasn't she?”

Venus just nods, burrowing her face further into his neck.

He coaxes her closer, guiding her until she's sitting on his lap rather than just leaning against him. She feels the gentle press of his lips on her hair and kind of wants to cry from how tender it is. “Would you like to talk about it?” He murmurs.

She sighs. “It was just… very demanding. It felt like all the clients I had wouldn't leave me alone. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with half the repairs I had, I felt so stupid trying to figure it out. I had to go in early and I definitely didn't sleep last night. Everything felt too overwhelming and I got over-stimulated.” The complaints tumble out of her lips, on and on for a good couple of minutes while she ranted about the exhausting day. All the while, knowing she just needed the chance to let everything out no matter how big or small the complaint, Jing Yuan just nodded along and let her get it off of her chest.

“I see now why you looked so ready to collapse when you walked in here.” He speaks only when she trails off, falling into silence.

Venus sighs into his shoulder. “I'm just tired. I feel like I need a month long nap.”

Her husband laughs. “Now that sounds wonderful. Do you think I could join you in that?”

Lips tugging into a smile, Venus's arms snake around his torso. “I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully if you didn't.” She adjusts her position enough to peek at the desk behind her. “What about you? You're still working at this hour?”

Jing Yuan follows her gaze to the papers laid across the desktop. “Ah, those? It's truly nothing pressing. I finished my work for the day a few hours ago and was looking for something to fill my time. Seeing as my little finch was so hard at work,” He playfully pinches the tip of her nose, making her squirm and, for the first time that night, giggle. “I decided to get a head start on tomorrow's paperwork while I waited for her to fly home; I didn't want to risk falling asleep before you arrived.”

Venus props herself up, one hand supporting herself against Yuan's chest so she could look him in the eye. She frowns. “You didn't need to wait up for me; I don't want you to lose precious sleep because I'm working late.”

“You expect me to simply fall asleep and miss the chance to see my beloved's face in the moonlight?” He skims his fingers in a feather light caress across her cheek, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. There was a warm lantern illuminating the study, the light mingling with cool moonlight across her face. “I could never.”

“But you tell me all the time to not force myself to stay awake if you're working late and I get too tired.” It rarely happens that she falls asleep before he gets home anyway, she's a perpetual night owl, but he consistently makes a point to let her know he won't get upset on the rare nights sleep pulls her in while he's working late.

He clicks his tongue. “That's different.”

“How?”

“You, my darling, are much too precious to have your rest disrupted like that.”

Venus frowns deeper, truly pouting now. “You're a hypocrite, Jing Yuan.”

He laughs, kissing her cheek. “You may be right.”

They sit in silence for a second, Yuan continuing to rub his hand across her side and back. It only serves to make her eyelids feel progressively heavier, especially with how delightfully warm he runs. Everything from his solid chest to his calloused palms, every point of contact she has with him seeps warmth into her exhausted body.

Slumped against his chest, Venus feels about ready to simply fall asleep. However, his palm presses a bit firmer into a particular spot on her back and causes her to jolt. A soft groan escapes her, half relief and half pain.

Jing Yuan pauses immediately. “Are you alright?”

Venus nods, a bit embarrassed. “Yeah, sorry; I'm just really sore right now. My back feels like it's made of wood.”

He hums, pressing his thumb into the same spot he's just rubbed. He does it gently so as not to elicit as strong of a response. “Your muscles are rather right.” His thumb starts to make small, slow circles where it rests, easing some of the pressure out of the knot that's formed there.

Venus groans again, her grip on her husband's torso tightening. Yuan can barely hear her from how firmly she's buried her face into his chest, but he believes she mumbles out a quiet. “That feels really nice…”

He stops rubbing her back all of a sudden, Venus lifting her head in protest, but anything she's about to say is cut off as he speaks. Yuan removes his reading glasses, setting them on the desk as he smiles down at her warmly. “I think I know just the way to help my little finch relax.”

Yuan stands up, keeping Venus securely cradled against his chest. She clings to his neck like it's a life line. “And how is that?”

“You'll see.”

He takes her to the bedroom down the hall, Venus blushing as he lays her down on their shared bed. “Yuan, I-”

He presses a finger to her lips, quieting her. “I love nothing more than indulging you at night, my love, but right now I have a different method of relaxation in mind. Something I think you need much more right now.”

Confused, Venus lets him position her how he wants. He turns her over so she's laying on her stomach. “Would you mind discarding your dress?”

Venus looks back at him over her shoulder. “And you're telling me you don't have any lewd plans right now?”

“Yes, yes, I promise my intentions are entirely innocent.” He motions with his hand again for her to lift her dress. Grumbling just a little under her breath, she sits upright enough to discard a few of her heavier accessories and the dress she wears. Each of them gets carelessly tossed aside to be tidied later. Now she sits in just her undergarments and Yuan presses his palm flat on her back to again guide her to lay down on her stomach.

He leaves her there to wonder what his plan is for a minute. Just long enough for him to grab a bottle from a drawer and return, straddling her legs. She can smell something floral, a soothing scent that wraps around her body and seeps into her. Before she can ask any more questions, Venus's head falls forward into the mattress, overcome with the pure bliss the feeling of Yuan's hands bring to her aching back. He's coated them in massage oil, warmed by the heat of his own body. Slowly, gently, he presses down on her back and draws his hands up the length of her spine.

Everywhere he touches, expertly finding each knotted and overworked expanse of muscle, relief follows close behind. He applies just enough pressure to ensure he's getting through to the aches and pains but not so much to cause any pain. Her hips, her spine, her shoulders, everything receives his undivided attention. Tonight he has just one goal in mind: easing some of the burdens his wife has been carrying.

For a while, Venus doesn't even say anything. She lets out soft groans and even a few moans into the plush mattress below her. “You lied to me.”

Jing Yuan hums, encouraging her to elaborate. After lavishing her back with attention, he has traveled lower to massage her legs. He holds one of her legs upright, bent back at the knee, and digs his fingers in to the tingling muscles there.

“You said this was innocent,” She groans. “But this is downright orgasmic.”

Her husband laughs, head lulling back. “I think that's just your lascivious mind at play. I have never been anything but entirely pure.”

Venus snorts. “Yeah right.”

She doesn't see the way Yuan's eyes narrow, a playful warning in his gaze. “My beloved wife wounds me, doubting my intentions.” He presses his thumbs into the sole of her foot, a spot he knows is especially ticklish to her.

Venus's whole body jerks, spasming like a fish tossed onto shore. “Yuan! You know I hate that.” She whines, shooting him a glare full of fond annoyance.

He keeps a firm hold on her leg so in her flailing she doesn't kick him in the face. “That was your punishment for having such little faith in me.” Yuan presses a kiss to her calf, silently apologizing despite his words.

She grumbles in complaint, but he ensures the sound soon melds back into pleased mumbling with his ministrations.

It's only when he feels satisfied and Venus is a relaxed puddle beneath him that he gives her joints a few final cracks just to make sure all the tension is eased. He leans forward, just barely pressing his weight onto her back. With a kiss to her cheek, he murmurs. “Now, how do you feel, my little finch?”

Venus sighs, but this time it is far more relaxed. “Really good.” She shifts, looking aside at him. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

A smile brings a delicate curve to Yuan's lips. He loves the gentle tone of her voice, the way he can hear how her exhaustion drifts away on her exhale. He relishes in the softness of her under his touch, the delicate warmth between them.

His wife nuzzles her cheek into the mattress, eyes fluttering closed. “I want to be able to repay you in kind… but I don't think I'm able to move right now.”

He clicks his tongue in a light admonishment. “You don't have to repay me. Knowing I've done you a service brings me a sense of accomplishment I can't get anywhere else. Seeing you relaxed is akin to my own stress relief and just letting me dote on you is my repayment.”

Venus hides her face and doesn't speak, but he can feel her bashfulness. “Yuan… I love you.”

Jing Yuan noses at her cheek until she finally reveals herself again and seizes the opportunity to lay a lingering kiss on her lips. “And I love you, my dearest.”

They lay there for a few moments, exchanging gentle kisses. “Now,” Yuan says, pausing to indulge her when she presses forward to claim another kiss. “Since you've had a chance to unwind a bit, would you like to move to the bath? Surely you'd like to rinse off before we both fall asleep where we're laying.” Comfortable as he feels, he can sense himself starting to drift off.

Venus spares him a glare. “Are you hinting I smell right now?”

He hums, making a show of pressing his nose to her hair and inhaling. “Perish the thought. In fact, you smell rather delightful considering the work you've done today.”

She shifts and Yuan lifts himself off of her enough to allow her to turn over onto her back. As soon as she does he settles himself back on top of her, though. Her hands find his biceps, rubbing lazily along the muscle. “I did rinse off at my workshop before coming home. I didn't want to be completely disgusting when I fell into my husband's arms. A bath does sound nice….”

She trails off, and he cocks his head. “But?”

She lulls her head back, using just a fraction of her strength to pull him even more flush to her. “But I really think I can't move anymore tonight. Especially after that fantastic massage; I feel like you turned me into gelatin.”

He can't help but laugh quietly. “That's fair, I suppose. Alright then, bathing can wait until the morning. Would you just like to sleep? You haven't even eaten yet.”

Venus whines. “Eating is exhausting too.” Yuan frowns, and she senses his disapproval before he voices it as he pushes himself up to hover over her. “I'll wake you up when I want a midnight snack.”

He thinks about pushing it and insisting she eats now, but seeing the increasingly dazed look in eyes he relents and silently commits to preparing a nutritious snack for her later. “Very well.” He sighs.

The smug energy radiating off of her isn't diminished by her tiredness. She raises her hands and makes grabbing fingers at him. “Bed time. Help me get comfy.”

“Yes, your highness.” Yuan bundles her into his arms. He brings her with him further up the bed, settling back against the pillows and drawing a plush blanket over their bodies. He holds her tightly against his chest and she makes herself comfortable. She treats him as her own personal pillow, and he simply lets her without complaint. In fact, quite the opposite; he relishes in being used for her comfort.