𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 || 敵の旦那様 (𝐁𝐋) ✔ [COMPLETE]

55. Despair

That night General Haoran returned to the Zhou Manor when the moon had surpassed its zenith, the glaring white light pooling into a shimmering torch that guided him. He returned, tried sleeping, but stood wide awake in lieu of the slightest noise–every sound ringing with twice the impact in his ear. The wound on his chest from the knife of the priest stung at the slightest shift of his body. It stung worse than when he'd gotten knifed over at his waist by a burglar. It was probably because of how scabbed the burnt skin got with the extra wound.

He got up, pulling his robes around, finally deciding that falling asleep was a pointless endeavour and walked into the wooden bathtub filled with water. He pressed his palm against the surface of the water.

Cold. It was extremely cold, not on its own, but because the surrounding night chill dusted into the water. General Haoran poured a bucketful of water over the wound, threw his robe around and bustled back to the hall.

He walked aimlessly, not quite understanding where he was going. Once he came back to his senses, he realised he was before an extremely familiar door–the door to Fu Lin's chambers. The door, painted a dark plaque, had now acquired a dullness that it didn't embody before. For its owner was no longer here.

The Emperor, after declaring that the divorce had been officially legitimised, further declared that it'd be inappropriate for ex-spouses to share a roof due to the circumstances they were in. And it was also additionally emphasised that now, as divorce has been ensured, Fu Lin had riveted back to his original stance as a member of Silver Mountain, no longer a citizen of Blazing Sun. Thus, he required additional protection from any possible melee. Hence, he was personally escorted to an existing confidential quarter within the imperial palace itself until he returned to the safety of Silver Mountains tomorrow dawn.

Tomorrow, Fu Lin will return to the Silver Mountains once again.

General Haoran took slow, dredging steps towards his chamber. The sound of his footsteps startled a servant. He woke up, slightly confused and rubbed his eyes as traced his way back to Haoran. "Your Grace, you're up?"

"I am," he said, "I had some trouble falling asleep." He then walked over to the doorstep and paused slightly.

"Your Grace, shall I heat some water for you to wash your body?" The servant took to his heel and walked into the room. "A hot bath can help you fall asleep–"

The servant nearly threw down the towel on his hands. "Seventh Prince Fu Lin?!"

Under the darkened eaves of the night, hidden half by the shadows of the bookshelves that adorned the General's room was the familiar figure of Fu Lin. bAthed under the glaring, white moonlight, only his side profile could be traced; the rest of him, including the dark black hair, melded right into the depths of the swirling shadows of the chamber.

"Just because I am no longer the spouse of the manor." Fu Lin slowly let himself move forward. "It cannot be that I'm unwelcome at the manor anymore?"

"This..." The servant panicked, looking towards the General.

"Your Highness." General Haoran didn't seem the least bit surprised. He then signalled the servant to leave them alone.

"Y-yes, Your Grace!" He scurried away like an ant caught in the edges of a boiling tea cup.

"So, Your Grace." Crisp warmth erupted from General Haoran's shoulders where Fu Lin's fingers lightly brushed, his eyes now meeting the General's. They were delirious, wild and moist–unlike it was any other day as his words mewled against the General's ears. "This lover of yours you spoke of at the court, do you ever think he'd love you back?"

"No, I do not think so. I don't think he'll ever love me back."

Fu Lin smiled a devastating smile before he said, "Haoran."

That was all.

That was all he said before it became unclear who moved first. By the time they had regained some amount of their sanity and breath, they were both snaked up against each, bare skin spasming in yearning. General Haoran's lips were slick and voracious as he barged into the sweetness of Fu Lin's delicious moans, every bite raising a weightless heat along Fu Lin's belly. Hot puffs of air curled off of Fu Lin's sore lips as the General feverishly ran his hands across the fair, ravishing expanse of his skin.

"Where." Fu Lin panted. "Are you going?"

"To get oil." General Haoran kissed his forehead.

"It doesn't matter," he said, his back arching in crude desperation, "Hurt me. Hurt me all you can. You're adept in that regard anyway."

And he didn't hurt him, not one ounce. Every touch, every flick and every lick was tailored with such gentleness that it seemed to fuel greater thirst than quench; Haoran's hands begging and hungering for Fu Lin's body like the flame seeking its incense. And Fu Lin visibly melted, dissolved with every raging thrust, his face and neck drowning a famished red. They were both impossibly parched, impossibly drinking the other; two rabid jackals devouring each other.

But not once did they utter each other's names in this gruesome consolation–they moved by need. By want. General Haoran, sometimes messy with his hands, had Fu Lin gaining the momentum and guiding him. Fu Lin's legs gave way for him, neck twitching at his breath and eyes glistening with the reflection of nothing but Haoran.

This doubled the raging heat within him. But heat wasn't all that remained in their movements.

Despair too trickled.

In the sombre darkness of the night, as their silhouettes suffused into one, waves of pleasurable cries filled the dreary night. Muffled moans that sometimes escaped like the echo of a sniffle; a sniffle of heartbreak. In place of tears, other fluids spilt forth; every wave of flesh giving way to despair that comes out of eternal separation.

Fu Lin's eyes trembled when he saw the General's chest, with his name now cut off by an ugly knife line.

I'm only doing this for my country, he thought as he bit into that mark on his chest with fiery eyes.

I'm only doing this for my country.

* * * * * 

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 ╰(*'︶'*)╯♡ We finally get some action! But I'd like to declare that I'm not exactly comfortable writing explicit smut so for anybody expecting anything more, I humbly apologise. The next update coming soon! 

Regards, 

Koto.