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The sunlight slips through Blade’s eyelids, indicating that the morning has come.
He turns in the bed in an attempt to avoid the light and sleep in a bit longer, but a hand grasping his back prevents him from doing so. Instead, Blade resorts to slowly opening his eyes. It’s a nice morning, the sun lighting up the sky, and a tepid breeze sweeping through the open window. His mind goes back to the hot memories from the last night, shared with his most dear A-Yuan. Oh, how he gave himself away to the young general as he was held and worshipped upon…He had missed Jing Yuan.
As Blade was lost in his thoughts, the grasp on Blade’s back tightened, and the man behind gently shifted closer.
“Good morning.” Jing Yuan says, voice still dripping with sleep. He parts away the hair that fell upon Blade’s shoulders with his chin and slots his head in the blank between Blade’s head and shoulder as if he always belonged there. Just like a big cat… Blade thinks to himself.
“Morning, it’s not a common occurrence to see you wake up by yourself.” Blade chuckles, his hands meeting with Jing Yuan’s in front.
“Mm, should I have slept in and missed you instead? Never.” Jing Yuan teases and starts to press kisses along his beloved's jawline.
Well, it’s true that they never get alone time together, let alone lazy mornings like this one. Jing Yuan is always busy with the duties that come with being the all-mighty general of Xianzhou Luofu, even if he tries his best to avoid them. And Blade is…a Stelleron Hunter with a bounty on his head. His free time is whatever Elio scripts him for, which sadly doesn’t involve Jing Yuan at all.
Jing Yuan’s actions get bolder as his kisses get lower. He grasps Blade’s waist like his life depends on it, sleep in his eyes long gone. As he gets to a certain point on Blade’s spine, he bites. It earns him a gasp from the man on his arms, but Jing Yuan continues like nothing happened, pressing himself to Blade harder and letting the man know about the morning erection he is packing down there.
“A-Yuan–” Blade lets out an aghast gasp, “We,” He lets out a frustrated sigh, “We can’t. You have a meeting at 10.”
“We still have time, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Jing Yuan snuggles closer to Blade, supports himself with an elbow on the bed, and gets on top.
“There is no way we are making it to 10 if you start this now.” Blade avoids Jing Yuan’s gaze. He looks like he wants to devour Blade as if last night wasn’t enough, and you know what? Blade might just let him.
No. No, he can’t. If Jing Yuan is late, they will call. If they call, they will know. If they know, it might actually be over.
Jing Yuan disrupts Blade’s stream of thoughts by leaning in. He gets closer to the man’s ear and whispers using his deep voice, “I bet you’re still wet from last night.”
This man. The audacity of this man. All the audacity below that fluffy, innocent cat-like look.
Instead of indulging Jing Yuan, Blade reaches for the pillow beside and throws it into Jing Yuan’s face.
Jing Yuan lets out a laugh. “Ow, how dare you, Ren! You wound me and my feelings. How am I supposed to get through my meeting now? My day? My lover has rejected me…Do you hate me, Ren?”
“Pack up, you’re making it to that meeting.” Blade sighs as he pushes Jing Yuan over himself and gets up. “I will prepare breakfast, and go get showered in the meantime.”
Even when he is not looking, Blade can sense Jing Yuan’s pouting from behind. Ah, he has spoiled this big cat rotten. Instead, he decides to tease Jing Yuan a little, so he turns his head slightly to the back, “Besides, General Feixiao will know what you did last night if you don’t go shower now,” he says, nonchalantly fixing his pajamas.
It’s so pleasant to see Jing Yuan fumble. He opens his mouth. Then closes. Then he opens it, but no sound comes out. There is nothing Blade left to argue, he is right. “Go, now.” Blade says and makes his way to the kitchen.
He opts to prepare a simple breakfast with a couple of dumplings and various side dishes left from yesterday evening. It would hold Jing Yuan until lunch. After he prepares the dumplings and lets them cook on steam he decides to take care of the garden. The weather today is quite nice. Blade breathes it in, maybe spending a lifetime with your lover is not so bad after all, maybe he can make use of this immortality curse…
He reaches for the waterer Jing Yuan often uses and fills it to the brim. One of the bonsai trees has already bloomed, its red flowers shining under the sun. The color takes him back to the past days, the days they were younger. Jing Yuan still adored him back then. It makes Blade smile.
It’s once again Jing Yuan that interrupts Blade’s thoughts. He gets to the garden with a towel on his hair, still trying to dry off that mane of his. “Thank you,” he says and takes the waterer from Blade’s hand. “The weather is indeed quite nice today, isn’t it?” Jing Yuan asks, “It would be a shame if it went to waste…” he starts off from where Blade left, “Will you be there when I’m done with the meeting?”
Blade doesn’t answer. He looks down instead. “The breakfast is ready. Come inside,” he rushes past Jing Yuan and goes back inside. Ah, how he wishes to spend the rest of the day with Jing Yuan on his side, both of them stripped of their responsibilities. They could even play some Xianzhou starchess. Except they can’t. He cannot be seen with Jing Yuan, it's their little secret that goes around in this house only. Blade sighs; he can have some peace, but not all the peace it seems. This morning is already a luxury.
He sets down the plates and chopsticks, places small cups for the green tea he brewed along the way, and waits for Jing Yuan to come inside. He can’t look the man in the eye, but as a show of respect, he lowers his head, inviting Jing Yuan to the meal.
They eat in silence, enjoying what could be their last moments of seeing each other. It could take days, weeks, or months to meet again like this. It doesn’t make Blade sad, it just makes him uneasy.
Jing Yuan pats his belly after they finish. “Ahh, I ate a bit too much. It’s going to be all your fault if I gain weight, Ren,” he teases, trying to brighten up the mood at the table.
Blade laughs, “You’re already like a big fat house cat. It can’t get worse, don’t worry.”
“Hm,” Jing Yuan sets the chopsticks down, “but you love cats.”
“That I do.” Blade takes a sip from his tea and closes his eyes, deciding not to indulge this spoiled man longer.
After they finish, they clean up the table together. Blade packs the leftovers and makes a bento for Jing Yuan to eat as lunch.
When the parting time comes, they both stand at the door, Jing Yuan with the bento in his hand and Blade leaning on the doorway. “I will go to the meeting now.” Jing Yuan announces, “ Have a good day, Ren.”
“You too,” Blade says, looking at Jing Yuan directly. There is so much yearning in those golden eyes, even when they are together, he is missing Blade. Ah, fine.
Blade reaches onto Jing Yuan’s collar and pulls him into a kiss. The shocked sound Jing Yuan makes pleases him.
It’s a short lived kiss since Jing Yuan needs to depart in a couple of minutes. “Go, you had your reward,” Blade says, smiling.
Jing Yuan touches his own lips after the kiss and smiles. “Be safe,” he says and departs.
Sighing, Blade watches him leave. He loves this man.