Ashes of Love One Shot

Frost's descent...love, and a gift borne of love...

The air was redolent with the perfume of a hundred different flowers. There was also the scent of rain, of earth, the music of the water hitting the moist ground and pools of water around the cottage. A smile broke out on the lips of the girl who lay on the bamboo bed. This was not the floral realm, though it felt like it. But she knew who she was with. Because mixed in with all the wonderful scents and sounds was the rhythmic breathing of someone close by, and the unmistakable scent of this person that stood out from everything else.

Jin Mi woke up to the sight that greeted her at dawn everyday: her Phoenix watching her sleep, waiting for her to open her eyes, a smile on his lips, a kind of dazzled joy in his eyes. Like he was afraid to believe in his own good fortune.

"Did you bring us to the Floral realm?" she asked softly. She wouldn't put it past him, he was certainly capable of such a feat. But they were in the mortal realm, the cottage they had once lived in as the Saint Girl and King Yi. This was home. Together, with her Phoenix.

Xu Feng took her outstretched hand, sat next to her on the bed. "No, I didn't." He brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her face. "It is a gift from the Floral Leaders. Jin Mi," he took her face in his hands. "Do you not know what day it is?"

She looked into his eyes, though upon reflection it wasn't a smart idea to clear sleep while getting lost in those rich brown pools. "Frost's descent?" But it was warm in here, and even though she could not discern what colours, she could definitely see the flowers, breathe in their aroma. There were flowers everywhere, inside their cottage, outside. Their perfume, and the comfort of a wood fire.

He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Yes. It is your birthday."

Frost's descent. The day she was born. And the day her mother passed away. "We should go pay our respects." She said, half to herself.

He nodded ascent. "What gift do you want?" he asked, equal parts charm and mischief. He wanted to wash away that tinge of sadness he just saw in her eyes. It was just a smidgen, but it was there nonetheless.

"What would you be willing to give?" she teased him back, winding her arms around his neck.

"Anything." He replied without hesitation. "Anything you want, is yours."

"I already have everything I want in my hands," her smile was brilliant, and then she added as an afterthought, "unless you are willing to part with about a thousand years of spiritual energy," she said laughingly. Knowing this game well, he gave her a little nudge so they were resting fully on the bed, pressed his lips to hers. A thousand years, two thousand. Or all of it, his lips seemed to say. As always, she answered. All she needed was him.

"Will you give me something, then?" he asked after a while, drawing her up with him.

"Anything," she echoed his promise, hugging him back. Life could not be more perfect for her. There were no demands, nobody's ambitions, jealousy, anger, hate or misunderstandings here in this humble cottage on this mountain, in each other's arms. Life was simple. Life was love.

"Let me dress you up today. And then I will bring you to the Floral realm, you can pay your respects to the former Floral Goddess and the Floral leaders."

He said it so seriously, she pulled back from his embrace to look at him. "What makes you sad, Phoenix?" she touched his face gently.

He held that hand to his cheek, closed his eyes for a moment. "That you cannot see all these beautiful colours, and the flowers you love."

"But I have the most beautiful scenery in front of me at all times," she kissed his eyelids. "Your eyes. Your smile. You."

"I wish I could take it all back, Jin Mi." He cupped her face in his palms again, searching her eyes, as if he could find some solution there. It was indeed unfair to her that she could not see those colours. Just because she loved him.

She shook her head. "I have no regrets, Phoenix. We have this new life. And you waited for me. What more would I ask for? You are mine."

"I am yours. I promised I would wait," he said solemnly. "Five hundred years, five thousand years. Time meant nothing without you."

"And now you have me. Smile, moody bird," she pinched his cheek. "Do what makes you happy. Dress me up like a doll if you wish," she laughed softly. "But I will have my revenge later. Crow,"

"And you can have it when we are back, crafty grape," he smiled brightly, determined not to bring any unhappiness to her ever. "Allow me to dress you up first," he led her up and away from the bed. "What colours..."

"You choose," she said happily, enjoying the warmth of his palm against hers, and his joy in being with her.

He sat her down, went to work. "Ah, let's see, white, gold, red..." he murmured, bringing down her hairpin so her hair flew down, long and lustrous, black as ebony, soft as clouds.

"King Yi did a good job on his bride," she teased. "You had better keep up."

"You are already the most beautiful flower in all the realms," he smiled as he decorated her hair with pretty floral hair clips studded with pearls and rubies. "Whatever I do, you would still be the prettiest."

"You are such a vain bird, Phoenix. What if I wasn't pretty?"

"King Yi didn't seem to mind, did he?" he reminded her as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Your soul is beautiful. And so what if I am vain?" he challenged, arranging a wisp of hair so that it fell like a wave on her forehead.

"Nothing, nothing. I wouldn't dare to argue with a mighty bird like you, me being a simple grape."

"A mighty bird this grape could bring down all by herself. You are my undoing, Jin Mi," he wrapped his arms around her, held her close. "And you are my reason to be."

She leaned back into his embrace, holding him closer. "And you are mine. I do have a gift for you." She held his gaze in the mirror, her eyes full of warmth and love, "Though it might be a while before you can actually hold the gift in your hands."

He seemed dazed for a moment as she rose up, turned to face him. As he began to fully understand what she was telling him, he took her hands in his. "Are you telling me you are expecting?" He had thought he couldn't be happier when he found her again in the mortal realm, the day she took his hand and walked with him in bridal attire, but now...

Her smile bloomed in answer, more beautiful than a million peach blossoms in full bloom, "I love you, Phoenix."

At a loss for words, he leaned down to kiss her. For this life with her, he was grateful for all eternity. And he would have waited for all eternity. Traded anything in all the realms for her, heaven, hell, life, pride, anything for her. Jin Mi, Jin Mi... Jin Mi... Emotions filled him to the brim, spilled out of his lips as he showered her with all his affection, all his love. "I love you, Jin Mi..."