Chapter Text
A thousand years on this planet he had conquered and yet no war, no plague, no battle could have come close to the exhilaration that flooded his veins. It rushed under his skin with a pounding beat he tried to ignore.
She was beautiful. Graceful. A sight to behold. And completely drenched him in stale pond water.
Wenwu’s eye twitched slightly at the memory as he navigated the bamboo forest, barely making out the sound of flowing water in the distance. It seemed as though the forest did not have any intention of eating him up or shooting him off the cliff, which he was thankful for. Just because the rings kept him safe didn’t mean he was particularly fond of getting hurt.
With each step, he drew closer to the clearing, only a bit surprised when he saw her standing there.
Same stance, different dress he noted. A beautiful color on her too.
The woman smiled, if only for a second as he lifted up the bundle of containers he had brought along.
“You would think that my warning would have been enough to keep you away, Stranger.”
Wenwu feigned offense, but walked forward nonetheless.
“If you consider that a warning, that is your own mistake.” Wenwu placed the containers down on rock that sat beside a pool of crisp water. He patted the space beside him and for a moment, he could see her hesitate. Her eyes darted between the packages and the man, eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly.
“I have no intention of fighting you today.” Wenwu stated flatly, undoing the straps holding the boxes of food together. “And I also haven’t eaten yet. Would you like to join me?” He hoped she would say yes, and after a moment of consideration, she took several steps forward and sat down on the cold boulder.
“Perhaps you plan to poison me,” she quipped, but in an unassuming way that made Wenwu smile inwardly, “or steal me away until I forfeit the location of the entrance.”
He had considered this. It would have been a lie to say otherwise. But in this moment, he could only focus on her eyes. The clarity with which she spoke. The gentle scent of flowers emanating off of her. The subtle warmth by his side as she began to peek through the food with mild curiosity and surprising interest in the fruit selection he had packed.
If he could, he would steal her away in a heartbeat.
“What is this one? This green thing.” She pointed her finger at a slice with little seeds circling the center.
“Kiwi. It’s very good.” Wenwu shuffled around until he found the toothpicks he had stashed in a separate pouch. He stabbed one and handed it over to her, feeling again her fingers brush against his own.
“Kiwi.” He found it charming how she stared, sniffing it a couple times (perhaps to make sure it truly wasn’t poisoned) before biting into it slowly.
She glanced at him and for the first time in what felt like centuries, he felt his face flush under someone's gaze.
“It is good.” She stabbed another one herself and continued to eat, pecking at the savory selection before ultimately going back to the fruits.
He would give her all the fruits in the world, in the universe, if that meant he could see her enjoy the sweet ones, the surprisingly tart ones, and the moreish sour ones.
They sat in comfortable silence, the only sound accompanying their lunch being the rustling of the bamboo leaves and streams of water. Time had stopped for Wenwu a millennium ago, but here, in this moment, he wanted everything to stop.
But above all, he wanted to know her. Who she was. What she liked. What she disliked. What her name was.
“Say…” He cleared his throat, “I don’t think we know each other’s names.”
She stared at him placidly and he watched in slight disappointment as her warm eyes grew cold.
“My name is nothing you should concern yourself with.” The woman stood up abruptly and turned, quickly heading up the rocks before stopping at the top.
“You should leave. Visitors are not welcome.”
“I did not mean to offend-”
“Names are sacred. Names carry meaning. Names are given to us by our families and our ancestors and you sully its importance by asking me, Intruder, Murderer, Defiler. Leave this place and do not come back, for your own sake.”
He was going to lose her at this rate.
“Wenwu.” He said it before he could stop himself, standing up and splashing water everywhere. The fact he even remembered it after all this time was jarring. “I am Wenwu.”
She had not moved at all.
“My father gave it to me, but it has been too long since I have used it. I do not even remember his name, but I know it was given to me.”
He felt like such a child. Powerless, and all because of a swelling of emotion for a woman who he had only just met.
But she was not just some woman. She had beaten him. They had fought in the way a rushing river would slip across the rocks and crash against the heavy boulders blocking their path. Fluid and unrelenting, but also just as rigid and powerful. Wenwu had finally met his match and there was nothing more than he wanted than to know his equal.
“Li.”
She spoke with a delicate sigh that almost sounded like a whisper. Wenwu nearly mistook it as the gust of wind blowing through the woods.
“Li.” He repeated. She turned, Li turned, and looked at him. Hidden under her doe lashes and downturned glance glinted a hint of amusement.
He stood, staring at Li; he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
“Goodbye, for now.” She bowed her head and turned back once more, a trace of a smile on her lips. “Wenwu.”
He blinked and all he saw before him were bamboo trees swaying slightly and the faint scent of flowers in her wake.