Destinies : Connected by Fate✔️

Chapter 11

Zhang's eyes open to low hums coming from directly behind the stone slab he had woken up on the night before. His body feels sore when he tries to turn on his side. He winces at the unexpected pain that shoots from between his shoulder blades. 'Was I injured?' He wonders, trying to recall the things that had transpired since waking up in the Sky kingdom.

Zhang becomes hyper-aware of the Sky man's arm on his chest, right over his now frantically beating heart. He gulps thickly. 'What the hell is wrong with me? Why does his presence, his touch, affect me so?' He discards the thought of moving it, worried about its repercussions: waking the sleeping man next to him. Instead, he turns his head to take a better look at the latter. 'He looks so peaceful like this. I hope him being here doesn't worry his family...his wife, perhaps.'

The thought of the sleeping sky man having a wife at home doesn't sit well with Zhang, who abandons that train of thought. 'He may have parents at home...he doesn't look married.' Zhang concludes feeling much brighter. Next, his eyes move to the man's clothing. 'This can't be what he wears daily. It looks uncomfortable.' Zhang notices the dark fabric that clings to the man like a second skin. His eyes drift to the left shoulder. 'It's damaged. Looks like someone ripped off parts of it.' He observes the bare threads that hang loose and reaches for them. 'I wonder what happened.'

As if the sleeping man can feel Zhang move, his fingers fist into the fabric over the human's chest. "Zhang..." he calls softly.

Zhang freezes for a moment. His name from the stranger's lips sounds intimate. 'Did I give him my name last night?' The officer tries to recall. He is sure that he hadn't. It hadn't seemed important at that time.

"Stay..." The Yuanjian whispers, gentle and pitiful, like a child urging his mother not to abandon him. It stirs the human's heart, and before he knows what he is doing, he strokes the sleeping man's head, answering the latter. "I am not going anywhere."

Already on the brink of waking up, the words drag YiHuang out of slumber. He smiles,  leaning into the touch, but a moment later, it's gone.

YiHuang opens his eyes, and the sight of a slightly surprised human greets him, "You are awake."

Zhang nods;  worrying his bottom lip, he looks up through his long dark lashes, "I didn't mean to wake you up."
Meanwhile, YiHuang panics at the way his fingers are scandalously fisted in the latter's clothes. He pulls his hand away with what he hopes is an 'unnoticeable move' and replies nonchalantly. "You didn't. It was time."

Instantly, the prince is on his feet. "How are you feeling?"

Zhang pulls in a deep breath and smiles, "Like I can face anything you throw at me."

"I won't throw..." YiHuang stops. His cheeks color, "Oh, you meant that metaphorically."

Zhang nods as YiHuang helps him sit up and asks, "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Last night, your vehicle breached our barrier and entered our atmosphere. I think the impact damaged its hull. I was passing by and saw it catch fire. I pulled you away from the vehicle. You have sustained a back injury. Luckily, the healing water of our lotus pond sealed the wound and stopped the blood loss."
Zhang appreciates the facts but the way the man delivered them makes him feel like he is looking at a stranger. It's unsettling. 'Maybe this is it. This is when he tells me to leave. Is this where he tells me that I don't belong...that I must leave?'

"But the atmosphere constitution here is slightly different from that on land. Your lungs suffered. You stopped breathing. I didn't understand..." YiHuang trails off, not sure how to proceed.