[ dan feng is not always the most patient man. especially not now, when his guard has kept him waiting.
flung comfortably across his divan, dan feng rests his chin atop his folded arms and waits, staring at the door across from him, that opens into his private chambers. though the crown prince looks perfectly at rest, in truth his stomach is clenched and roiling, his skin too warm beneath his silks. the moon is waxing, and he is feeling its pull even before night has fallen - these next few days will be taxing indeed.
he hears blade's footsteps approaching, his eyes narrowing as the handle turns, and the door creaks open. ]
You're late.
[ he murmurs, his voice smooth as silk yet with a sharpened razor's edge as he lifts his gaze to blade's handsome face, his hard expression that gives very little away. ]
[ this is not the first time that his highness the crown prince has summoned blade to his room, and despite blade's protestations, he's beginning to believe that it also won't be the last. some months ago, they had fallen into bed together when blade was tasked with escorting a drunken dan feng up to his room from a banquet celebrating a visit from the rulers of a neighboring kingdom—he'd spent the night with his face between dan feng's thighs, eating him out avariciously, and had subsequently spent the next morning on his knees with his forehead to the floor, begging dan feng's forgiveness for his unforgivable transgression.
and yet. one month later, dan feng had summoned him to the sword training grounds in the early evening, ostensibly so blade could help him perfect a sword form he was finding it tricky to master. in reality, blade had bent dan feng over a table in the armory and fucked him until dan feng had to bite down on blade's wrist to avoid crying out as he came all over both of them. and one month after that, dan feng had summoned blade to his private study, shoved him down on a settee, and ridden him with a singleminded purpose until they were both sweaty and exhausted. blade's ears still burn to think of the look the laundress had given him when he delivered his uniform to her the next day.
they shouldn't do this again. dan feng is a price, the crown prince of the vidyadhara, and blade is nothing. a weapon of the crown, forged to be wielded by the long arm of the kingdom. a bastard with no family and no name, brought up by the mercy of the nation's army until injury forced him to retire. his dirty hands have no right to touch the crown prince's perfect body; his tongue has no right to taste dan feng as he comes... he has no right to covet dan feng this way, with a jealousy that seethes inside him whenever he so much as catches a glimpse of the prince's attention directed toward another.
but as much as blade cannot allow himself to give in to dan feng's charm, neither can he deny the prince when he sends for blade to come to his chambers. so here he is, standing just inside the door at attention, his gaze resting on the floor just in front of dan feng's bare feet. ]
Your Highness. [ blade swallows hard, but a direct order is a direct order, so blade does as he's told and reaches out to lock the door. ] I thought—we agreed that last month would be the last time.
[ what they should and should not do, dan feng thinks, is according to rules thrust upon him, rules that he openly flaunts, expectations that he never desired. yes, the preceptors speak of duty, and dan feng fulfills his responsibilities without complaint - so why should he not seek pleasure on his own time, with whomever he chooses? he has sacrificed so much of himself in service to his kingdom, in doing the things that only the crown prince, yinyue-jun, can do.. so why, then, can he not enjoy a personal life, when it does not interfere with his duty?
the day may come that it does - for dan feng will surely be married one day, as all princes are, to forge xianzhou's ties even more tightly, but that day is not yet come. he sees no reason why he should need to save himself for some imaginary spouse that has not yet even been chosen, when the person he wants is right here before him.
blade, he calls himself - one of the single few short-life species in all of xianzhou's nations, certainly the only one here, living on vidyadhara land. dan feng knows what brought him here, more or less, knows of his indentured servitude, and how readily he demonstrated his skill to rise amidst the soldiers' ranks. he also knows what blade tastes like, what he feels like, how he fucks, and the way his voice roughens when he is aroused. dan feng has never known anyone like him, and with every day that passes his fondness only grows, and never diminishes. falling into bed together was one of the best things that has ever happened to dan feng. ]
I recall no such agreement.
[ he says lightly, one dark brow finely arched as he lifts his head from his crossed arms, surveying blade coolly. silk whispers against skin as he shifts, one leg crossing over the next, revealing the length of one bare thigh and calf, scattered with opalescent teal scales. his feet are bare, save for a silver anklet that chimes when he moves. ]
[ how could blade possibly resist, when dan feng is looking at him this way? with this much naked hunger in his gaze, despite the way he tries to hide it under cool indifference. it lances through him, leaves heat simmering in blade's lower belly as he takes a step forward, then another.
they did agree, of course. they agree every time, only to fall back into old habits when the next full moon rolls around. but blade can't find the words to argue in the face of dan feng's heavy gaze, the long slim line of his leg bared by the delicate fabric of his casual attire. blade crosses the room before he's aware of it, until he's standing before dan feng, still with his hands in fists behind his back. ]
I'll just—have to beg your forgiveness, [ he murmurs, and then sinks to his knees.
by now blade has long since memorized the softness and temperature of dan feng's skin, but it still strikes him anew when he reaches out to take dan feng's delicate ankle in one hand. purposeful and slow, he presses his mouth against the knob of bone on the inside, feeling tendons flex beneath his fingers as he begins to kiss his way upward, along the cool iridescent scales scattered over dan feng's skin. only when he reaches dan feng's knee does blade pause, his gaze dark and heavy with arousal when he looks back up to meet dan feng's eyes. ]
Will this suffice, Your Highness? [ he asks, his voice low and rough at the edges. ] Or shall I beg in some other way?
[ for a moment dan feng wonders if blade will continue to attempt to resist, if he will have to be more forward, more enticing.. but in the end their desire for one another wins out, as it will again when next the moon waxes heavy in the sky. there is no one else that the prince would choose to spend this time with. no one else he wants.
his sharp eyes follow blade as he steps closer, as he drops to his knees, obedient and proud, reaching to dare to place his hands upon dan feng's skin. these rough palms are the only ever to touch him in pleasure.
and then his mouth - how it sears, burning hot against the coolness of dan feng's skin and scales. the delicate skin inside his ankle is sensitive, and the kisses up along his calf and shin have dan feng shuddering, his breath leaving him in a slow, whispering exhale. in this moment, he feels utterly worshiped. shifting against the divan, he sits up a little further, just enough to open his thighs, his heel sliding over blade's shoulder, then down his back, foot arched. ]
It is a good start.
[ he purrs, heat dusting his cheeks and tapered ears a rosy pink, silks shifting as dan feng parts them, lifting them higher up his thighs until his scaled vent is bared, already puffy and pink and gathering slick. he drags the pad of his middle finger through the warm slit, his throat working as he swallows, then reaches to trace his wet fingertip along blade's lower lip, allowing him a furtive taste. ]
[ the slow glide of silk against skin is so unbearably sensual that blade's mouth is watering even before the fabric parts, but when dan feng's thighs fall open enough to reveal the slick, swollen line of his vent, blade has to swallow hard against how much it makes him salivate. gods, but it seems that even in a few short months dan feng has learned every button to push to render blade helpless in front of him, desperately aroused and eager to put his tongue on every inch of dan feng's body.
he should resent it, perhaps, how well the crown prince can play him like an instrument—but in this moment blade can only be grateful. he parts his lips as dan feng's slick finger traces his mouth, his tongue darting out to press against it as it passes and taste the familiar tang of dan feng's wetness. the flavor makes his cock throb, precum dampening a wet patch in his uniform trousers. ]
Yes, Your Highness, [ blade murmurs. his hands come up under dan feng's thighs, skimming over the soft flesh of his ass up to his slender waist, where blade grips him steadily. ] I do.
[ using his shoulders to press dan feng's thighs a little further apart, blade ducks his head to draw the flat of his tongue along dan feng's slit. immediately he can taste the burst of sharp flavor on his tongue, and it makes him moan audibly, although the sound is muffled by the way his mouth is pressed to dan feng's vent as his tongue begins to delve inside. on that night several months ago, blade had spent hours memorizing every single sensitive, pleasurable place between dan feng's thighs, and he uses that knowledge now, curling his tongue in through the base of his vent and drawing it slowly upward to the top before kissing his way back down. ]
[ dan feng's eyes are fixed on blade's face, watching the play of emotion and desire across his handsome features. he's a disciplined man, not easily shaken or swayed, but dan feng has begun to map his weaknesses ruthlessly, memorizing each and every one to better wind the man around his little finger. to better keep him close.
in the end, it isn't difficult. since the first moment they fell into bed together, everything had changed, and it hasn't been a challenge to woo the man back to his arms ever since.. or he into blade's, for dan feng is as weak to him as he is to dan feng. the sight of him alone is enough to make the prince's blood run warm, a need that only hooks in to become unbearable by the time the moon waxes full. the trembling of his thighs is more than enough to paint the picture. ]
Good.
[ he does not need to lead blade any further, that head of dark hair is soon right where he needs it, buried between his legs.
dan feng gasps sharply, the drag of that wickedly hot tongue through his vent enough to make him arch, his hips twitching forward, knees spread open wider by his broad shoulders. one hand grasps at blade's shoulder, short claws pricking into the thick fabric of his uniform, while the other moves into his dark, messy hair, tugging at the roots, keeping him close. blade licks deeper, sinking inside of him, and dan feng exhales a low, wanton moan, his head falling back against the divan, dark hair spilling like silk over the fine brocade upholstery. ]
Good boy..
[ he whispers, rolling his body sinuously, the smooth length of his tail slithering over the edge of the sofa, arching up between blade's thighs to give him something to rut against. ]
[ the sting of dan feng's claws against his shoulder through the fabric of his uniform only serves to feed blade's arousal. to have dan feng respond to him this way, so wanton and eager that he grinds himself greedily against blade's tongue—it's primally satisfying in a way blade can't even begin to understand. as if to reward dan feng's display of shamelessness, when blade's mouth reaches the base of dan feng's vent he begins to make his way upward again, but more slowly this time—paying attention to each swollen lip, one at a time, sucking at the sensitive skin and drawing his tongue over the tender place where scales meet skin.
he's so focused on his ministrations that the pressure of dan feng's tail sliding between his legs makes blade hiss, his fingers tightening on dan feng's waist for a split second before gentling again. the friction and stimulation is enough to send a visible shudder up his spine—is dan feng's tail sensitive enough to tell how wet blade is for him? his cock is dripping steadily by this point, so hard it aches, slick and messy with his own need. if dan feng wanted, he could use that wicked tail of his to bring blade to his first climax with little effort at all.
but in a way, blade hopes he won't. a little teasing never hurt him, and if anything it makes it all the more heady to finally be inside dan feng, to spill there instead of into the confines of his trousers. but dan feng is stubborn and contrary, blade knows well, and if he says as much aloud he's sure that dan feng will make him come in his pants just to prove he can—so blade says nothing, and instead redoubles his efforts to bring dan feng to orgasm first. ]
[ blade is wise to keep his mouth otherwise occupied, for dan feng would surely make the attempt, though as it stands his lover's pleasure is clear to him in the way he hisses, and how his body tenses. dan feng hums, his tail pressing a little harder, but thankfully for blade he is thoroughly distracted by that clever tongue, by those soft lips that tease and worship him, offering him mindless pleasure. he does not mute himself, but instead moans and gasps freely, dragging his claws over blade's scalp as sweet pleasure pulses through his body, tightening like a fist in his lower abdomen.
it's been weeks, and the moon is growing heavy - dan feng will not last long. he shudders with every swipe of blade's tongue, his feet arching and his hips stuttering, pushing into each skilled kiss and lick, his vent clutching on nothing, hungry to be filled, but blade's mouth alone is more than enough. when he comes, it's hard, heralded by several quick whines growing progressively more desperate until at last he cries out sharply, his grasp tightening, claws scraping as his lower back pushes forward in a delicate arch. a shiver shoots down his spine and through the long length of his tail between blade's thighs, stars bursting behind his eyelids.
yes, gods, yes, this is what he needed. bliss drowns him, goosebumps rushing down his forearms, but before all of the pleasure can fade he's tugging at blade's dark hair, trying to prompt him to lift his head. ]
Fuck me. [ he whispers gracelessly, still panting hard, his breathing deep and rapid as he opens his eyes enough to see the way his slick glistens against blade's mouth and chin. ] I need you..
[ dan feng's hands tug at his hair, urging blade upward again, but blade isn't done yet. he's not finished tasting the sweetness of dan feng's slick where it drips from him, his tongue delving deep inside his vent to taste more of what he's wanted so badly. left to his own devices, he would bring dan feng to orgasm again just like this, fucking him with his tongue until he got to see that shiver again, got to hear the pretty tone of dan feng's voice when he cries out in pleasure—
he allows himself to be pulled away, his chin wet with dan feng's slick, and looks up at him with pupils blown so dark they swallow the rest of his iris. dan feng's chest is heaving, and he's flushed all the way to his collarbones, a delicate pink under the cool tone of his skin, rose on ivory. blade wants to ruin him.
he presses up onto his knees and sheds first his coat, then his shirt. bare to his waist, blade then shoves his trousers down over his hips before he picks himself up enough to settle between dan feng's thighs, bending him nearly in half as he pushes dan feng's legs open and guides the head of his cock to his vent, still clenching faintly around nothing. blade guides his cockhead along it, from top to bottom, smearing precum along the swollen lips and then pressing just barely inside. ]
Say it again, [ blade says, the head of his cock holding dan feng's vent open, letting him see the way the insides flutter. ] Tell me you need me.
[ oh, blade looks exquisite like that, dazed and hungry, his face flushed and his chin wet and his lips swollen and pink from pleasuring him.. dan feng could look at him for hours, enjoying the debauched sight of him. but he wants more, and he can see in the glinting burn of blade's eyes that he does too.
dan feng enjoys watching as he strips, his eyes moving over blade's skin, over hard, well-trained muscle and deep battle scars. his arms, his strong back, his chest and abdomen.. all of him is delectable, and dan feng wants nothing more than to feel that flawless body against his own, to run his palms over hot skin and refamiliarize himself with every dip and slope.
instead he is manhandled, shoved into the fine cushions as blade positions his heavy cock right where they both want it, pressing tightly against the puffy lips of his vent, but not yet plunging in. dan feng twists, whines, digging his short claws into blade's forearms. ]
I said fuck me. [ he hisses, arching his hips as he gasps for breath, his tail lashing across the floor. ] I need you, I need you more than anyone -
[ dan feng has never been one to bend easily to another's will, nor to give in to demands made of him—so it shocks blade to his core that he does so now, even if his i need you is preceded by i said fuck me. arousal grips him instantly, and before dan feng has even finished his sentence, blade is giving him what he asks for—thrusting forward in one long, powerful stroke, burying himself to the root inside the tight, shivering clutch of dan feng's vent.
it's then that blade finally loses the first bit of his restraint. he groans low in the back of his throat, overwhelmed by the pleasure and unable to hold himself back. gripping dan feng tightly, one hand at his hip and the other on his thigh just behind his knee, blade immediately begins a deep, steady rhythm, his body curling forward over dan feng's to ensure he has enough leverage to bottom out on every single stroke.
in most every other situation, dan feng is perfectly composed. blade knows little of how a crown prince is raised, but in the presence of his preceptors dan feng is perfectly mannered, if occasionally acerbic—which makes it even more delectable that when he's being fucked, he's wanton and noisy and shameless in his enjoyment. it's a rare delight that blade likes to think only he gets the pleasure of seeing, and it's for that reason that he angles his cock as best he can to stimulate all the places he knows dan feng likes the best, aiming to have him screaming before they're through for the night. ]
[ no, he does not bend to others easily, but blade is not just anyone, and right now dan feng positively burns with need, his impatience clear in the way his claws sink into warm flesh. giving into his lover in a situation like this does not chafe him, though dan feng will surely pay him back in kind, soon enough..
.. for now, however, blade gives them both what they desperately need, plunging his cock deep, and dan feng cries out his pleasure, his hands grasping at blade's upper arms, squeezing, the tips of his claws pricking into his skin. blade leans over him, immovable and dangerous as a dark storm, and dan feng watches the pleasure play across his handsome face through hooded eyes. he's everything that dan feng has ever wanted, and the greedy dragon in his heart covets him fiercely, wishes to keep him, to surround him, to hoard him, his chosen mate.
the fine divan creaks beneath them with the force of their lovemaking, the sound staccato, blending with his moans as blade's cock drives deep, forcing his vent open with every hard, relentless thrust. ]
Does it - ahh, hah.. does it feel good? Tell me -
[ he whispers between cries and gulps of breath, one arm lifting so he might hold to the top edge of the divan, sharp claws shredding the silk brocade. ]
[ pressed against the divan the way he is, dan feng is positioned perfectly for blade to lean down and kiss him. he shouldn't—it's presumptuous, crossing a line of intimacy that blade isn't sure would be welcome—but aeons, he wants to, so badly it makes his teeth ache with desire. instead of giving in to the temptation, blade braces himself with one hand against the back of the divan and the other at dan feng's slender waist, holding him steady as blade fucks him in deep, urgent strokes. ]
You know it does, [ he murmurs, his voice low and rough as gravel, rich with arousal and barely audible over the indecent, slick noises of his cock moving inside dan feng. ] Like your cunt was made to take me.
[ blade drives in deep, then stills, letting dan feng feel the full length of his cock throbbing against the sensitive inner walls of his vent. after a moment, then, he shifts their positions, pulling dan feng up so blade can lay him out along the length of the divan instead, his head against the pillow and the armrest—an angle that lets blade get even better leverage, so he can fuck dan feng deep and steady, and also lets dan feng grip on to both blade himself and the back of the couch.
fuck, dan feng drives him insane. the things he wants to do this gorgeous dragon are—sinful, probably felonies in the eyes of the kingdom, and yet blade wants them all with a passion that threatens to drown him. would dan feng be disgusted, he wonders, to know the kind of thoughts blade harbors in his heart? not only desires to wreck him sexually, but other, more deeply-held wishes—to kiss and to hold him, to cherish him as a lover and not only as a monarch. he could be jailed for it, blade knows... but knowing doesn't stop him feeling, no matter how hard he tries. ]
[ dan feng doesn't necessarily need to hear it - he's confident in himself, in his beauty and allure, in the fact that blade wants him just as desperately as he wants blade - but it's nice to hear it. it's erotic to hear it. the words alone are enough to make dan feng shudder beneath him, clinging harder, claws hooked and thighs trembling. when blade stills, dan feng squirms, almost petulant in the way he whines, but the pulse of that thick cock inside of him is near enough to drive him to delirium.
blade moves them, and dan feng is all but boneless in his arms, stretching luxuriously against the divan, his back lifted in a delicate arch. for all that the space around them is opulent and elegant, all silks and silver filigree, their fucking is anything but - it's animal, needy, filthy, their bodies colliding hard enough to make the divan scrape across the hardwood floor. ]
Mmn, that's right - ah, just as your cock was meant to be mine, all of you, mine.
[ after all, dan feng has made no secret of his possessiveness, always glaring sharply at any of the comely maids or young bucks that seem interested in his most esteemed personal guard. he is not keen on sharing, likely wouldn't be even if he weren't possessed of dragon's blood. ]
I'm close -
[ heat knots in his abdomen, growing tighter with every thrust of blade's hips, every plunge of his cock, dan feng's hands scraping over his shoulders and down his generous chest, leaving angry red welts in the wake of his claws. his feet arch, heels pressing, sweat gathering dewy on his flushed skin as he lifts his hips up to meet every slam of their bodies together, offering himself like a needful bride. ]
[ although blade knows there's no meaning in the words, knows that dan feng is a dragon inclined to be possessive of his belongings and that being called his doesn't mean dan feng thinks of him as a lover—although he knows all that, he can't ignore the way it makes his chest clench to hear it. would that he could claim dan feng as his lover too, in front of the kingdom and all its witnesses... but it's a dream he's always known was impossible, not something worth dwelling on for longer than the instant's indulgence he allows.
dan feng writhes beneath him, arching, his stomach sinuous as he squirms in pleasure. he's so beautiful it almost hurts to see him, his nipples hard and his skin flushed from his cheeks down to his chest... blade, his gaze scraping heavily over every inch of dan feng's skin, makes a resolution in the back of his mind. he straightens up slightly, gripping dan feng firmly by the hips and lifting them off the divan to get a better, deeper angle, the muscles of his back and ass working tirelessly to bring dan feng to climax.
and when he comes, when dan feng cries out and blade feels his vent ripple and flood wet with slick that squirts from him in heavy, sticky gushes, it's then that blade lets loose his grip on his own self control. he leans forward to brace himself with a hand on the armrest, right next to dan feng's head; he thrusts his cock in so deeply it makes dan feng spasm around him, and he comes with a low, rough groan that might once have been dan feng's name, but is now just pleasure made into sound, a noise that tapers off into the harsh panting of post-coital enjoyment.
it's always after his second orgasm that dan feng is most agreeable, so blade takes advantage of the moment. he ducks his head to nose against dan feng's neck, then licks along the salt-sweet skin there, tasting the dew of exertion that has gathered on his throat and collarbones. his lips press in a hot trail over delicate bone and then down to dan feng's chest, where blade takes one perfect nipple between both lips to suck it to firmness. ]
[ the assumption that he is but a dragon hoarding his possessions is not necessarily wrong - things certainly began that way. he has coveted blade since the moment he laid eyes on the man. he's tall and handsome, broad, attractive, strong - he's everything that anyone could ever desire, and dan feng was quite flattered once he quickly understood that the interest was mutual. he was curious. he was adventurous. he liked blade's sharp, burning eyes and his hands callused from work, all of his scars like a woven tapestry, his story written across his skin.
but now.. now he not only desires this, he needs it. he thinks of blade far more often than is proper, and the draconic instinct to keep him as a mate is nearly insurmountable. when they are together like this he feels alive, he feels rebellious and defiant, he feels strong, the master of his own body, his own fate, he feels loved and desired. an addictive draught. things are far more complicated now than they had been when all of this began.
feeling blade spill inside of him satiates a deep, feral sort of imperative within him, the heat of his spend flooding dan feng's body as if claiming him, marking him, and he gives himself over to it entirely. pliant and satisfied, he shivers and hums, panting hard against blade's mouth when he draws near. the desire to kiss him positively burns, hooking in like claws behind his ribs, pulling - but then he feels the drag of blade's tongue against his skin, and dan feng settles, liquid and boneless against the divan, both arms coiling loosely around his broad shoulders. ]
Mmn.. my most loyal guard has satisfied me well.
[ he murmurs, catching his breath as he turns his head, mouthing at the shell of blade's ear, nipping there with a fang. ]
[ the praise earns a low hum in response, pressed against dan feng's sternum as blade's mouth moves across his chest. every inch of him is warm and soft and sweet, and blade wants to taste it all; he closes his lips around dan feng's other nipple and sucks at it, too, until it hardens against his tongue before moving away. he kisses along the curve of dan feng's ribs, drags his tongue along the scales he finds there, and then makes his way back to the center of dan feng's stomach to kiss his way down to his navel. a hot tongue darts inside before blade continues on, attending one by one to each of dan feng's hipbones and then moving even further, kissing over his pubic bone right to the very apex of his vent...
where blade pulls away and moves up dan feng's body again, stretching out on the divan alongside him. it's presumptuous, but every other time before this dan feng has wanted to keep him close after sex, and blade has no reason to think this time will be different. by now his cock has slipped free of dan feng's body, of course, but they're still pressed together chest to thigh, and even when he props his head up on one hand blade's other hand stays busy tracing absent patterns on dan feng's skin with his fingertips. ]
For now, [ blade echoes, with a smile that's a rare moment of teasing. it's not proper for a mere guard to tease the prince, but in these moments when the physical barriers between them are completely erased, it's sometimes difficult for blade to remember that there's a barrier between their statuses as well. ] I'll bet on five minutes before you want me inside you again.
[ there's absolutely no chiding in blade's tone; if anything, he already sounds interested in another round, even if his body will need a little time to catch up. it's the curse of being a short-life species and the only part of blade in which dan feng has ever expressed disappointment, other than his tardiness when summoned: the fact that his body requires a break before he can get it up to fuck dan feng again. ]
[ blade kisses his body like a man possessed, worshiping every inch of him, all skin and pliant scales, and dan feng allows it, humming as he watches through the drifting fall of his lashes. his delicate skin jumps when blade's lips brush sensitive areas, and he drops a hand to smooth fingers through his dark, disheveled hair, pushing it back from those intense, burning eyes.
but then he's pulling away, the tease, and moving back up dan feng's body, but that's just as well. he's still recovering from his orgasm, and regardless of his lack of true refractory period, he's like to enjoy the lovely rolling aftershocks for a few minutes more. blade settles beside him, and it is presumptuous indeed, but a fair assumption, for dan feng has always wanted to keep him near post-coitus ever since the first time they fell into one another. ]
Mm. Maybe three.
[ he teases right back, his usually sharp eyes soft, his body warm and pliant as he turns onto his side and presses in close, watching blade's charming smile, meeting his eyes. ]
The moon is particularly bright this evening.
[ it isn't. its pull on him is no stronger or weaker than it ever is, but dan feng does not want to admit aloud how fond he has become of blade, of these visits. he likes the man a great deal, far, far more than he should, his affections easily veering into dangerous territory, but that won't stop him. dan feng has few very real freedoms, and as of yet he has not been married off, so until that moment he will give himself to whomever he chooses. it's a liberating feeling, and he pointedly does not think about the fact that this thing between them must be temporary. lifting his hand, dan feng drags his fingertips along blade's jaw, then over the purse of his lips, watching him. ]
[ if dan feng says the moon is bright this evening, then the moon is bright this evening. blade would never question his prince, not least of all when he's still soft and gentle and post-coital, their bodies pressed warmly together and dan feng's tail curling idly around one of blade's calves. dan feng could say he hung the stars in the sky and blade would agree without question, so taken is he with the dragon in his arms.
but to be asked to spend the night... it's a risk, not one they normally take. every hour blade spends in dan feng's rooms is another hour where they risk discovery, and especially in the mornings the palace is often abuzz with activity, only increasing the likelihood someone will come in and discover them. not to mention, blade's training drills begin just after dawn, and it's a long trek between here and the guards' quarters.
and yet... and yet, blade feels his whole body yearning to say yes, for no other reason than because dan feng asked. he tilts his head just slightly into that cool touch at his jaw and says, ] I'll have to leave at dawn.
[ but it's an agreement, that much is sure. he'll stay the night, stay as long as he can. when else might blade be afforded the opportunity to sleep so close to the prince? of course dan feng is only asking because of the moon, because he'll need more fulfillment than usual tonight, but... it might seem, for a moment, as if they're lovers, as if he has a right to be in dan feng's space. it's a shameful fantasy, but one that won't hurt if blade indulges it for a single night.
his palm smooths over the sharp ridge of dan feng's hip, fingertips tracing the smooth patch of scales that decorates his upper thigh. ]
[ it certainly is a risk, one far more keen for blade, dan feng knows. should they be caught together, the prince would be fiercely scolded, likely heaped with more restrictions to control him, but blade.. well, men have been thrown from the kingdom for less. men have been killed for less.
but dan feng is no ordinary, powerless waif. he possesses cloudhymn more potent than any thus far recorded in history - long's avatar, many call him, lord drinker of the moon, as close to godliness as any vidyadhara has ever been by right of power and transformation alone. if something were to befall a lover of his, there would be hell to pay, and surely the preceptors know this. dan feng can protect him, can protect him with everything that he has.
so he will allow himself to be selfish in this request, humming softly when blade's palm skims his thigh. ]
Dawn, then. [ it is better than nothing. ] I will be sure to wake you.
[ assuming that either of them gets any sleep to begin with. arching in nearer, dan feng slides his thigh over blade's hip, keeping pressed close, bracing both hands against his generous chest. ]
I would follow you to your bed for once, but I think perhaps your fellows might notice..
[ already, blade seriously doubts that there's much by way of sleep in their future. he can read the signs even in the arch of dan feng's back, the way his thigh slides up to hook over blade's hip as he presses closer. ]
I'm certain that they would, [ blade says. his own hands wrap around dan feng's waist, drawing him closer so that their bodies touch, his cock beginning to stir again where it presses between dan feng's thighs. ] Everyone in those barracks is ugly as sin, the appearance of such a beautiful man among them would surely throw them into chaos.
[ it's clear in his expression that he's barely stifling his amusement, and he knows dan feng will be able to tell, which is why blade immediately ducks his head down so he can kiss along the long, pale column of his throat beginning just below his ear. he makes his way slowly over the tendons standing out in dan feng's throat, then down to his collarbone, which is about as far as blade can reach without changing the alignment of their bodies, so he gives up there and lifts his head again so he can catch dan feng's lips instead.
when he pulls back, it's to regard dan feng solemnly, with all the weight of a knight anticipating orders from his lord. ]
How would you have me next, your highness? [ there's a little sparkle in his eyes as he says it, though, evidence that he's just playing. ] I awaiting my prince's command.
[ a smile blooms across dan feng's features, the sound of a chuckle rolling in his chest. ]
Well, not everyone in the barracks.
[ blade, after all, is surely one of the most attractive men that he has ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon. when he feels the stir of blade's cock against his thigh, dan feng smiles sharply, his eyelids flickering low. ]
As for how I will have you.. mm, perhaps it is time you enjoy warming my bed.
[ they've always kept to the divan, the sitting area, but then, he has also never invited blade to stay the night before. as comfortable as the sofa may be, it's not particularly roomy. so dan feng shifts his weight, regrettably drawing away from blade's warmth so that he might unfold himself and turn around. flipping his dark hair down his back like a curtain, he opens his silks properly and, in a waterfall of movement, rolls them off of his shoulders and allows them to fall, his tail sweeping aside. the furred tip drifts to flick just beneath blade's chin, dragging, teasing, as he looks over his shoulder, disappearing into his bedchambers. ]
[ obviously reluctant to let dan feng go, blade tries his best to keep his hands on him until he's completely unfolded himself and straightened up from the divan. leaning back against the cushions, his legs splayed unabashedly, blade watches with naked desire as dan feng lets his silks slip from his shoulders and drop into a puddle on the ground around his ankles, revealing the beautiful, slim lines of his body, his long, long legs and the perfect curve of his ass and hips. aeons, every inch of him is gorgeous. blade's mouth waters with the desire to lick all over his body.
the tip of dan feng's tail flicks under his chin, closing his mouth (which, yes, had been hanging a little open in awe and appreciation) and making blade's lips curve up in a wicked smile. ]
I wouldn't dream of it, my prince.
[ the instant that dan feng has vanished into the bedchamber, blade is up and off the divan to follow. it's not incredibly dignified to walk with the beginnings of an erection growing between his legs, but he's also not about to make a secret out of how incredibly attracted he is to dan feng, so he's not shy about the way his body responds to his beautiful prince.
he enters dan feng's bedchambers for the first time, glancing around briefly to take in the decor, and yet more wholly focused on the bed and dan feng in it. blade pauses at the foot of the bed to look at him, leaning against one of the posts at the corner of the bedframe and casting his gaze admiringly (and hungrily) over the shape of dan feng's body. ]
[ dan feng can't help but to bask in blade's attentions, to enjoy the feeling of those eyes on him, burning hot. he's a bit of a vain creature to begin with, but to have blade want him.. it satisfies an itch in his bones. he wants this man to crave him with every fiber of his being. to salivate at the mere idea of pleasing him.
by the time blade steps into his bedchambers, dan feng is flung comfortably across his bed, naked and glowing in the moonlight that floods the room, his hair spilling over one shoulder like a curtain of ink. he smirks. ]
There you are.
[ he murmurs, before he reclines against the headboard and parts his thighs, smoothing a palm down from his knee, fingertips dancing along the slit of his vent, still wet and glistening with blade's own spend. with two fingers, he spreads himself open for blade to see, rubbing gently at the soft scales that line the soft, puffy lips of his cunt. ]
Now, how will you please your prince?
[ he whispers, watching blade through lidded eyes, his pupils wide and dark in their luminous wreaths. licking his lips, he dips one slender finger into his body, a shudder sweeping down his tail. ]
[ maybe there will come a time when the mere sight of dan feng sprawled across the mattress isn't enough to knock blade entirely speechless, but tonight is certainly not that night. he's ethereal, a vision, all pale limbs and dark hair lit to near glowing by nothing more than the light of the moon. the flash of light in his eyes as his gaze lifts to meet blade's, the soft dry sound of his fingertips as they brush along his thigh up toward his vent... blade gulps, swallowing the saliva that's collected in his mouth.
the weight of his attention must be not enough for dan feng to feel it, a physical brand on his skin as blade's eyes track the movement of dan feng's hand. down his thigh, up the crease of his hip, then teasingly along the swollen lips of his vent, still a little sensitive from their previous activities. blade's breath hitches as dan feng spreads himself open and dips a finger inside, wishing ferociously that it were his fingertip touching that soft muscle inside, that it were him making that gorgeous shudder run down dan feng's tail.
without second-guessing the decision, blade climbs onto the mattress and moves to kneel between dan feng's thighs. he spreads his own knees, pressing dan feng's outward so that his wet vent is left fully on display for blade's eager appreciation. ]
Do that again, [ he murmurs. ] Spread yourself open. Let me see my cum inside you.
[ dan feng is no fool, nor is he particularly humble. he knows full well how beautiful he is to the eyes of onlookers, how the people whisper of the radiance of the one who drinks the moon, and he has used it to his advantage - will use it again, surely. but blade's attention is what he craves most, and the sight of his lover's lust rising in his burning eyes sets dan feng's loins ablaze. he has never wanted anyone the way he wants this man, with a visceral, gut-punching desire.
chuckling from his chest, dan feng rests his head against the pillows and arches his back, the tip of his middle fingers sliding through the mess blade has made of his vent, then lifting away until the slippery strings of cum snap, glimmering, milky white. ]
Making demands of your prince.. how bold.
[ he whispers, but the command makes him shudder, his vent clenching visibly. few would ever dare to speak to him the way blade does, and it makes him throb with excitement.
so at least for the moment he obeys, using his middle and ring fingers to spread his pink, swollen lips again, revealing the tender flesh within, painted with his own slick and blade's still-warm cum both. he exhales hard, rolling his hips in a way he knows is alluring, the silk sheets whispering beneath his every movement, a droplet of thick spend rolling down from inside of him, trickling onto the bedding below. ]
[ from the best seat in the house, blade watches, captivated, as dan feng slides a hand down his own body to obey blade's command. every inch of him is so gorgeous it's stunning, and to see such a beautiful body put on such lewd display—and further, to know that it's blade's cum dripping from dan feng's body, that it's in response to blade that dan feng is so slick and wet—is more than enough to have blade's cock stiffening the rest of the way. he reaches down to stroke it, slow and indulgent, matching the movement of his own hand to the movement of dan feng's—stroking his shaft when dan feng's fingertips draw along the line of his vent, pausing at the head when dan feng spread himself open.
aeons, he likes this way too much. blade loves the idea of dan feng full to the brim with his spend, the idea of leaving his mark, his claim, on the other man—it's an almost animalistic desire to mark his territory, blade thinks, exhaling sharply as his fingers twist at the tip of his cock. he watches dan feng's hips shift, watches a bead of pearly white drip from his entrance down his pale skin and onto the bedsheets below. ]
Fuck, Your Highness, [ blade says emphatically. he leans forward to brace himself against the headboard, his other hand guiding his cockhead to drag along the sensitive flesh of dan feng's vent.
the things i would do to you, blade wants to say. he doesn't. instead he just rolls his hips forward in a slow, steady thrust, sliding his cock all the way into dan feng's body until his balls come to rest against dan feng's ass. it's astonishing how perfectly dan feng takes him, as though his prince's body were made to accommodate blade's size and girth, hot muscle quivering around him, the slide made easy by cum and slick. ]
[ this time, when dan feng calls for blade to his private chambers, he is not flush with arousal and draped across the divan in revealing silks. no, this time he is pacing quickly back and forth, properly dressed, all but worrying a hole into the fine hardwood floor for how furiously he is walking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
just how this has happened.. is anyone's guess. truth be told, solving the plight of the vidyadhara's sterility has been a personal goal of his, and he has done plenty of research, scraped into every historical text he could dig up to find information about their lives and physiology before they became sterile. he's worked with alchemists and doctors, with herbal specialists and midwives and historians, and while he's making strides he's nowhere near completing his task.
yet now, here he is, with a growing bump in his belly.
he'd known there was a possibility in the sense that integrating different races with vidyadhara blood was the most likely approach to work, and he can only guess that his personal experimentation with different supplements has somehow led to this. will the fetus even be viable? will it grow properly? will this pregnancy even last? at first, he had thought it unlikely, but now, several moons later..
blade has to know. even if no one else knows, blade must. so he continues to pace, to wait, his arms crossed tightly over his waist, tail snapping, writhing, unable to settle. ]
[ the summons to dan feng's quarters is a surprise, when it comes. it's been a month—no, six weeks now since the last time dan feng called for him, and blade knows that at least one full moon had come and gone in that period. he had thought, somewhat despondently, that perhaps his usefulness to the crown prince had run its course, or that dan feng had taken another lover, someone better suited to him than blade could ever be. or perhaps that he had done something to offend dan feng, insulted him in a way blade couldn't recall...
it's therefore with some hesitance that he makes his way up from the guards' rooms. he knocks lightly at the door, then pauses for only a second longer than usual before he steps inside and closes the door behind him. he doesn't lock it—not unless he's told to do so. ]
Your Highness, [ he says, stealing a glance at dan feng before lowering his gaze to the floor. he looks... anxious, almost? that can't be right, dan feng is never anxious, but something about his carriage and the way he's pacing suggests that the crown prince's thoughts are racing. ] You called?
[ if nothing else, blade hopes that he at least might hear from dan feng the reason that he's lost the prince's favor—little does he know, he's about to hear much more than that. ]
[ truth be told, he feels a little sorry for blade - for not calling on him, not giving him an explanation as to why he hadn't - but what was he to say? that he was concerned he was with child and needed the time to figure it all out? no, he needed to know for certain before broaching the subject, needed to be positive.
the knock on the door shakes him from his reverie, and dan feng turns toward him, his expression stern and smooth as always, but for those who know him well the signs of his distress are there, hiding in the tightness at the corners of his mouth. his gaze settles on blade, and his stomach twists; how will he take this news? does it matter? reality is reality, but even still.. dan feng does not want to lose him.
hurrying forward, he snags blade's wrist to pull him deeper into his chambers, far from walls and windows, where they can speak without risk of being heard. his suite is very private, but even still, he will be cautious. ]
Blade. [ he starts, then stops, pressing his lips together; best just to get on with it. ] I know that I have not called on you recently. I have been.. unwell.
[ the last thing blade is expecting is to be grabbed by the arm and pulled bodily into the inner chambers of the prince's suite. he's never seen dan feng's bedrooms properly—they've always made use of his sitting room, the divan being luxurious enough for what they do. if it weren't for the obvious distress in dan feng's expression, blade might find himself marveling at the sight of it, but the anxiety there in the tilt of dan feng's mouth arrests his attention at once. ]
Unwell? [ he repeats. well, at least it wasn't that blade himself had done something injurious—but news of the crown prince being unwell is hardly welcome. ] Are you all right? Should I call for someone...?
[ after all, blade himself is hardly trained in healing arts. what would he be able to offer dan feng if he has some sickness or injury that needs attending to? but he doesn't want to pull away, not when this is the first he's seen of dan feng in so many weeks, and not when he looks so... the way he looks now, as though he might be sick.
carefully, aware that he's toeing the line of propriety, blade lifts a hand to rest under dan feng's elbow, supportive and gentle. he might not be able to heal, but he can at least shore dan feng up for the moment. ]
[ and dan feng himself is a formidable healer as it stands, though of course it is always the healers who are the first to neglect themselves. even still, it's irrelevant, for it is not injury or disease that has brought dan feng low. blade's hand rests at his elbow - a risk, he knows it, they both know it, yet the warm touch brings with it a surge of fondness, dan feng's expression softening around the edges, some of his anxiety bleeding out of the harsh line of his shoulders. at last, he sighs, then slides his hands up blade's forearms, then down, taking his hands. ]
You may not believe me when I tell you this, but I swear to you on the blood of the Permanence that it is the truth.
[ and dan feng isn't one to beat around the bush any longer than necessary, so he steels himself and lifts his eyes to blade's, holding them, his expression hard and solemn. ]
[ pregnant. the word knocks the wind out of him for a moment, leaves him reeling in disbelief. pregnant? dan feng is vidyadhara, and vidyadhara are famously impossible to breed—it's a well-known fact of the kingdom, and blade himself has heard dan feng complain more than once about his studies into the subject being stymied by incomplete historical records or poorly-composed medical tracts. to think that dan feng, who seems to have dedicated much of his adult life to studying the circumstances that might allow vidyadhara to carry on their lines—
a second, even more shocking realization hits him only a moment later. although he and dan feng have been carrying on their affair for nearly a year now, blade is still nothing more than a royal guard, and dan feng the precious crown prince of the kingdom; for what reason would dan feng tell him this unless blade needed to know? ]
Aeons, [ blade breathes out, his fingers curling at dan feng's elbow. ] Highness, I...
[ no amount of training in court manners could ever have prepared blade for this moment. he brings his other hand up to dan feng's other arm, now to hold himself steady as much as he's holding dan feng steady, and he exhales a sharp breath. ]
Should I congratulate you or apologize? [ he asks, his gaze meeting dan feng's lovely cerulean and then dropping to his stomach. any rounding there can't be seen under the heavy fabric of his clothes, but the thought that it might be there... that blade's child might be there, growing within dan feng's womb...
...for that matter, blade wasn't even sure he knew dan feng had a womb. or perhaps it didn't matter, since neither of them evidently expected that their lovemaking would come to this. ]
[ blade's reaction is, thankfully, more or less what he expected. he knows the man well enough by now to be able to guess at what he might be thinking, but then, no one could entirely predict how someone might take news such as this. even dan feng, famously cold and solemn, found himself entirely floored. ]
Neither. Both. I.. I don't entirely know. Here, sit.
[ they're in his bedroom now, and dan feng leads blade toward the bench at the foot of his bed, where they both can sit, and absorb the reality of their situation. even once they are seated, dan feng still holds to him, keeping one of blade's hands between his own, feeling its heat. ]
Though I will make one thing clear - I have no regrets, not about the child, nor its father. [ a beat. ] You, in case you dare to wonder otherwise. I have no other lovers.
[ his only regret is that they are not wed, that he may not be able to protect blade, should push come to shove, though of course he will certainly try - he will be punished over dan feng's dead body, should it come to it. this may not have been the way he had hoped to restore his people's reproduction, but he will not look down his nose upon a miracle, most especially after all the work he has put toward this very thing. ]
[ blade allows himself to be guided down onto the bench at the foot of dan feng's bed—in itself a shocking revelation, dan feng's bed, although blade can hardly spare a thought for it right now. his entire focus is on the man next to him, his prince—his pregnant prince, aeons, blade is dizzy with it.
and even dizzier at the thought of being called a father. having grown up with no parents of his own, blade has no idea what a father ought to be, ought to do—childrearing, discipline, will he have to learn how to feed a baby? to hold one or to swaddle it? is he going to have to figure out how to change diapers?
—no. no, of course not. in what world could blade ever be recognized as the child's father, when its other parent is the fucking crown prince? ]
I didn't wonder, but... I'm pleased to know you have no regrets, [ blade says. his hand is folded between dan feng's, and here he lifts his other one to cup dan feng's hand between his own as well, holding him as blade lifts his gaze to meet dan feng's eyes again. ] Your highness, forgive me for speaking out of turn—please, for your sake, and for your... for our child's sake, you must never name me as the father. The preceptors would never accept it.
[ despite the fear that fills him at the notion, blade wants nothing more than to be the father of dan feng's child, to cherish him and protect him and help him raise this miraculous child, should it come healthy into the world—but even before the desire has a chance to set in, blade already knows it's impossible. the first vidyadhara child born in millennia could never be sired by a mere royal guard, and a short-life species at that. as snobbish and rigid as the preceptors can be, blade worries that they would rather dan feng bear no child at all than one whose blood is so tainted. ]
[ dan feng's expression remains mostly steely, but a crease in his brow betrays his unease, his uncertainty. he knows why blade asks what he asks, not to wriggle out of the responsibilities of fatherhood, but instead to protect him. to protect the child. their child. even still, it pains dan feng deeply to know that it must be so, to understand and metabolize the fact that they cannot be a family, they cannot have the things that they so desperately want. rebellious a creature as dan feng is, he wants to balk at the idea, to insist that he can protect them both, protect them all, that he can handle the preceptors and anyone else that may threaten them.
but the ugly truth is that he cannot guarantee that, and were dan feng only risking himself he would refuse, he would toss his head like a haughty mare and deny that the preceptors could control him, that he needs their acceptance at all.. but with blade and their child tangled up in all of this now, he must reluctantly assent. he cannot risk them.
exhaling a long, slow sigh, dan feng closes his eyes, his brow drawing tight, before he nods. ]
.. as you say. It will remain between us.
[ it all but physically pains him to say as much, for how brutally, wholly unfair it is, but it is the safest path forward for all of them. should it come out that blade is the father beyond all reasonable doubt, he cannot begin to imagine the possible repercussions. the preceptors may be willing to turn a blind (if disgusted) eye toward dan feng's dalliances, but this? surely they would act. tipping his head forward, he touches their brows together. this should be a momentous occasion, a reason to celebrate, yet the cold spike of fear running through it all brings everything down. ]
I wish to keep you close, nonetheless. It should not be difficult to arrange, once this pregnancy is revealed. I will require the extra protection.
[ far from wanting to escape the responsibilities of fatherhood—blade wishes desperately that he could fulfill them. but he knows as well as dan feng does that to acknowledge him as the child's father would be to doom them both, or at the very least to ensure blade spends the rest of his life in prison while the child may or may not be allowed to live. the preceptors can be brutally pragmatic when it suits them, and blade has no doubt that they would take every opportunity to exert their control over dan feng if they knew who had sired the baby growing inside him.
so although it breaks his heart to hear dan feng agree, blade tells himself it's for the best. he cups dan feng's hand between both of his, then—on an impertinent, blasphemous whim—leans over to press his lips softly to dan feng's forehead, right over that furrow of worry that's grown between his brows. ]
It would be an honor and a privilege to stay close to you as your personal guard, [ blade says. although his speech is formal, as it must be when addressing the prince, the smile in his voice is almost audible. it may not be true fatherhood, but he's glad for the opportunity to remain close to dan feng and help him through his pregnancy in whatever way blade might be allowed. ] Please entrust your every craving to me, your highness.
[ after a pause, followed by a couple of false starts, blade finally clears his throat and adds, ]
Are you... showing, yet?
[ local man has never been a dad before, he doesn't know how long it takes before it starts to become obvious when someone is pregnant... ]
[ that blade agrees has a knot unfurling in his stomach, and dan feng exhales softly. he'd thought perhaps that the man would want to withdraw, that he would want to keep his distance out of an excess of safety concerns, but he does not understand how much dan feng needs him here, needs his presence, his support. for now, he is the only one who knows about the pregnancy at all, and as the father.. not only does he have the right to watch his child grow, he also is the only one deserving of its closeness.
this baby will cause an absolute riot, once its presence is revealed - no vidyadhara has given birth in countless amber eras, and he has no doubt that the preceptors and the alchemy commission will be incredibly interested in how it came to be. dan feng will be harangued, watched, studied; he's exhausted already just thinking about it.
but then blade asks a question that makes him smile, in his quiet sort of way. ]
.. just a little.
[ it's definitely not obvious to anyone but dan feng, to anyone who might see him unclothed, and he's thankful now that he has always refused dressing attendants, save for when he must wear particularly extravagant clothing. he prefers to dress himself, when he can.
undoing the silk tie at his waist, dan feng allows the silks to part just enough to allow a hand inside. then, taking blade's wrists, he delicately plucks his gloves away, then guides both of his hands beneath the fabric, allowing him to feel the gentle swell of his abdomen. ]
[ by now blade has seen dan feng unclothed countless times, but each time for the purpose of sex—it strikes him now, as dan feng unfastens the tie of his silks and lets them fall to the sides, that this may be the first time he's caught a glimpse of dan feng's body without the intent to fuck him. it's only a glimpse, of course, dan feng's collarbones exposed by the widened drape of his garments, but it's more than enough for blade's traitorous brain to supply him with the thought, aeons, he's lovely.
but then his hands are being guided inside dan feng's silks to press against his lower belly, and— ]
Oh, [ blade says softly, pressing his palms softly to the curve he can feel there. it isn't terribly noticeable, or wouldn't be, except that blade is intimately familiar with dan feng's naked body and the usually-flat planes of his abdomen, so to him the small bump feels obvious as anything. ] Oh...
[ their child, growing inside. the thought is nearly overwhelming. blade's thumbs brush softly across cool skin, and his gaze lifts from dan feng's stomach up to meet his eyes again. blade's expression is both shocked and moved, delighted by this small sign of burgeoning life inside his—
his what? his lover? no. his prince, that's all. ]
May I speak out of turn, your highness? [ blade asks, and then without waiting for a response says, ] I think pregnancy will be beautiful on you.
[ it's an emotional moment, when blade's palm smooths over the slight bump in his lower abdomen, his skin so wonderfully warm. blade has touched him plenty of times, countless by now, but each time it was in passion or pleasure, it was never this, and the sensation threatens to overwhelm. dan feng has never known such fondness for another person before. everyone that he has ever known has sought to use him or control him, and at first he assumed that blade would simply be the former - that they would both use one another for pleasure and distraction, but their tryst has grown into so much more.
he can't find the words for it. doesn't understand the nature of the feeling that tightens in his chest, for he has never really felt love before. all he knows is that he wants to keep blade near, needs to keep him near, needs this little family to remain safe and secure at any cost. he does not know if blade feels the same way, but given the look that crosses his face dan feng can guess that he is feeling a similar protective urge toward their child, and perhaps.. perhaps some sort of happiness and awe.
dan feng's mouth curves into a soft, muted smile, easy and warm, and he chuckles under his breath, his hand moving over blade's on his belly, holding it close. ]
Well, I will allow you to speak out of turn when it flatters me so nicely.
[ he teases, idly threading his fingers through blade's rough ones, squeezing lightly. ]
Long ago, the personal guard of the crown lived in the room beside mine. It is connected by a secret passage behind the tapestry behind you. I would like for you to stay there, if you are willing.
[ both "happiness" and "awe" seem like pale words to describe the way blade feels when he thinks about dan feng and their child growing in his womb. it's a feeling unlike anything he's ever experienced before, an emotion so strong it's almost like a physical sensation, one that sends a shiver down his spine as dan feng folds his fingers in between blade's to hold his hand in place.
blade wants to kiss him so badly it makes him ache. he resists only barely, and even then he still has to press his mouth to dan feng's shoulder over the silk of his robes, to give his lips something else to do. ]
I am willing, [ he says immediately. it requires no thought at all. if there's a room for blade there, one that would allow him to be close to dan feng, to be at his side should he need anything at all, then blade would never in a million amber eras choose to be anywhere else. ] I will be ready, as soon as the arrangements are made.
[ all the while, his hand stays where it is, cupped softly against dan feng's belly. more than likely, blade won't move it until dan feng tells him he has to. ]
Please call on me for anything you need, your highness, [ blade adds after a second, lifting his head so he can study dan feng's beautiful face. ] I may not be able to claim this child publicly, but... in privacy, it would honor me if you would let me support you as the father of your child should.
[ dan feng, for all of his long years, has never been in love before. he is not an easy man to get to know, not an easy man to grow close to, and truth be told, he has never really had anyone that he could call a friend. mentors, advisors, pearlkeepers.. he has known all of these, has never wanted for company, but true friendship - now, that was something out of his grasp, and for a long, long time, he simply assumed that it was unnecessary for him.
why would he need close companions? he is strong and clever enough on his own. his preceptors are company enough, and they annoy him far more than they delight him - dan feng has more important things on his mind than companionship. but now that he has experienced something like it..
.. well, he would not necessarily call blade a friend. a lover, yes, and now a confidant, but that is all they are, isn't it? this feeling in his chest hints at more, the warm tightness that he feels when their eyes meet goes beyond physical wanting, but dan feng is not emotionally capable enough to understand it for what it is. he does not know what love feels like, he only knows that when blade presses his face into his shoulder it makes his heart flip, warmth burgeoning in his breast like a lotus unfurling its petals.
he wants to kiss him, too. ]
Good. There should be no complaints, especially not when this pregnancy comes to light. I will need the extra protection.
[ their eyes meet again, and dan feng follows his instinct, leaning in to touch their brows together, to nudge his nose alongside blade's in quiet affection, both of their hands still pressed lightly over his abdomen. ]
I do not know what to expect. It has been countless amber eras since my kind reproduced naturally, it's entirely possible that it may not work out. Only time will tell.
I know, [ blade says quietly. reproduction among short-life species is the same, risky at the beginning and not always proceeding as expected; he can only imagine that the same would be true in a species that hasn't reproduced this way in thousands of years. ] I will... moderate my expectations until the largest risks have passed.
[ but something in his heart of hearts still feels determined to believe that this pregnancy will proceed as it should, safe and healthy and strong. dan feng is an incredibly capable healer, after all, and blade himself is in excellent health—with the two of them as parents, shouldn't their child stand the greatest chance of being carried to term and being born without issue?
(granted, this is just blade's blind faith in dan feng; there's certainly science to it that he doesn't understand.)
unable to resist the temptation, blade leans forward just enough to close the gap between their mouths, pressing a brief but warm kiss to dan feng's lips. for a moment, he allows himself to be caught up in the moment, relishing the familiar sensation of dan feng's mouth against his, the taste of him on blade's lips—
there's a clatter of something just outside dan feng's door, maybe a tray being dropped, and blade comes sharply back to himself. he withdraws both his kiss and his hand from within dan feng's silks, although his gaze is still warm with affection when he looks over from a respectable distance away. ]
I should go before we're discovered, [ he says. ] Call for me soon, your highness. I'll be waiting.
[ dan feng dips his head in a nod. he, too, will moderate his expectations, but even still, he can't help but hope that it will take. that it will work. not only because it would all but solve the vidyadhara's population problem, but also.. also because he wants this, personally. a child of his own, with someone he cares deeply for - what more could he ask for?
it's foolish, he knows - foolish to hope that it will succeed. what will become of blade if he is found out? what would become of their child?
well, dan feng is nothing if not confident in his ability. he may be restrained by government and politics, but in the end, there are none who can match him in power, and they will learn that the heard way, should they even attempt to take his child or his lover from him. he has known about this pregnancy for only a week now, but he knows that he would tear down the world for their child without hesitation.
blade leans in, and dan feng meets him halfway, leaning into the kiss with a soft, quiet hum, his hands lifting to cup blade's jaw, and he's ready to push for more when he hears the noise beyond his door, and blade pulls back from him. ]
I will. I won't keep you waiting.
[ not this time. and, in fact, it isn't long at all before dan feng calls for his bodyguard again. it takes less than a week for the room beside his own to be prepared, and while his preceptors and advisors question the need for excess safety, in the end they have no real reason to attempt to deny him. so it is that five days later blade is summoned not to dan feng's quarters, but to his own, new ones, where his prince waits for him beside the door. ]
[ it makes perfect sense that in the intervening days, blade would hear little from dan feng. other than his assigned duties as a member of the cloud knights, blade has no reason to be appraised of the crown prince's personal affairs, and so he spends the next handful of days completely in the dark—running drills, taking patrols, performing his duties to the letter. even so, blade suspects that the revelation of dan feng's pregnancy would be enough to throw the whole castle into a tizzy, and he's sort of expecting that upset to be the trigger for his assignment to the guard room behind the crown prince's chambers—
but when the orders come, it doesn't seem that anyone is yet aware of the true reason for the change. blade packs his things as commanded and keeps his mouth shut, but once he's made his way up to the new space and been given his new orders, the first thing blade does after the commander has left is to enter the room and find dan feng waiting for him. ]
Your Highness, [ he says as he drops his rucksack atop a low bench near the front door. blade bows, as propriety dictates he must, and then straightens so he can cross the room to stop a few steps in front of dan feng. ] It seems I've been reassigned as your personal guard for the time being.
[ it's not blade's place to ask what dan feng's plans are as far as revealing his pregnancy. he'll find out when he needs to find out. for now, he's just reveling in the novelty of being so close to dan feng—to being allowed to be so close to dan feng, without having to sneak away in the wee hours of the morning to make it back to the barracks before training begins.
it's also not blade's place to be the one to reach for dan feng first, so he keeps his hands firmly at his sides as he says, ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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flung comfortably across his divan, dan feng rests his chin atop his folded arms and waits, staring at the door across from him, that opens into his private chambers. though the crown prince looks perfectly at rest, in truth his stomach is clenched and roiling, his skin too warm beneath his silks. the moon is waxing, and he is feeling its pull even before night has fallen - these next few days will be taxing indeed.
he hears blade's footsteps approaching, his eyes narrowing as the handle turns, and the door creaks open. ]
You're late.
[ he murmurs, his voice smooth as silk yet with a sharpened razor's edge as he lifts his gaze to blade's handsome face, his hard expression that gives very little away. ]
Lock the door.
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and yet. one month later, dan feng had summoned him to the sword training grounds in the early evening, ostensibly so blade could help him perfect a sword form he was finding it tricky to master. in reality, blade had bent dan feng over a table in the armory and fucked him until dan feng had to bite down on blade's wrist to avoid crying out as he came all over both of them. and one month after that, dan feng had summoned blade to his private study, shoved him down on a settee, and ridden him with a singleminded purpose until they were both sweaty and exhausted. blade's ears still burn to think of the look the laundress had given him when he delivered his uniform to her the next day.
they shouldn't do this again. dan feng is a price, the crown prince of the vidyadhara, and blade is nothing. a weapon of the crown, forged to be wielded by the long arm of the kingdom. a bastard with no family and no name, brought up by the mercy of the nation's army until injury forced him to retire. his dirty hands have no right to touch the crown prince's perfect body; his tongue has no right to taste dan feng as he comes... he has no right to covet dan feng this way, with a jealousy that seethes inside him whenever he so much as catches a glimpse of the prince's attention directed toward another.
but as much as blade cannot allow himself to give in to dan feng's charm, neither can he deny the prince when he sends for blade to come to his chambers. so here he is, standing just inside the door at attention, his gaze resting on the floor just in front of dan feng's bare feet. ]
Your Highness. [ blade swallows hard, but a direct order is a direct order, so blade does as he's told and reaches out to lock the door. ] I thought—we agreed that last month would be the last time.
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the day may come that it does - for dan feng will surely be married one day, as all princes are, to forge xianzhou's ties even more tightly, but that day is not yet come. he sees no reason why he should need to save himself for some imaginary spouse that has not yet even been chosen, when the person he wants is right here before him.
blade, he calls himself - one of the single few short-life species in all of xianzhou's nations, certainly the only one here, living on vidyadhara land. dan feng knows what brought him here, more or less, knows of his indentured servitude, and how readily he demonstrated his skill to rise amidst the soldiers' ranks. he also knows what blade tastes like, what he feels like, how he fucks, and the way his voice roughens when he is aroused. dan feng has never known anyone like him, and with every day that passes his fondness only grows, and never diminishes. falling into bed together was one of the best things that has ever happened to dan feng. ]
I recall no such agreement.
[ he says lightly, one dark brow finely arched as he lifts his head from his crossed arms, surveying blade coolly. silk whispers against skin as he shifts, one leg crossing over the next, revealing the length of one bare thigh and calf, scattered with opalescent teal scales. his feet are bare, save for a silver anklet that chimes when he moves. ]
How do you plan to make right your tardiness?
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they did agree, of course. they agree every time, only to fall back into old habits when the next full moon rolls around. but blade can't find the words to argue in the face of dan feng's heavy gaze, the long slim line of his leg bared by the delicate fabric of his casual attire. blade crosses the room before he's aware of it, until he's standing before dan feng, still with his hands in fists behind his back. ]
I'll just—have to beg your forgiveness, [ he murmurs, and then sinks to his knees.
by now blade has long since memorized the softness and temperature of dan feng's skin, but it still strikes him anew when he reaches out to take dan feng's delicate ankle in one hand. purposeful and slow, he presses his mouth against the knob of bone on the inside, feeling tendons flex beneath his fingers as he begins to kiss his way upward, along the cool iridescent scales scattered over dan feng's skin. only when he reaches dan feng's knee does blade pause, his gaze dark and heavy with arousal when he looks back up to meet dan feng's eyes. ]
Will this suffice, Your Highness? [ he asks, his voice low and rough at the edges. ] Or shall I beg in some other way?
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his sharp eyes follow blade as he steps closer, as he drops to his knees, obedient and proud, reaching to dare to place his hands upon dan feng's skin. these rough palms are the only ever to touch him in pleasure.
and then his mouth - how it sears, burning hot against the coolness of dan feng's skin and scales. the delicate skin inside his ankle is sensitive, and the kisses up along his calf and shin have dan feng shuddering, his breath leaving him in a slow, whispering exhale. in this moment, he feels utterly worshiped. shifting against the divan, he sits up a little further, just enough to open his thighs, his heel sliding over blade's shoulder, then down his back, foot arched. ]
It is a good start.
[ he purrs, heat dusting his cheeks and tapered ears a rosy pink, silks shifting as dan feng parts them, lifting them higher up his thighs until his scaled vent is bared, already puffy and pink and gathering slick. he drags the pad of his middle finger through the warm slit, his throat working as he swallows, then reaches to trace his wet fingertip along blade's lower lip, allowing him a furtive taste. ]
But you know how best to please me.
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he should resent it, perhaps, how well the crown prince can play him like an instrument—but in this moment blade can only be grateful. he parts his lips as dan feng's slick finger traces his mouth, his tongue darting out to press against it as it passes and taste the familiar tang of dan feng's wetness. the flavor makes his cock throb, precum dampening a wet patch in his uniform trousers. ]
Yes, Your Highness, [ blade murmurs. his hands come up under dan feng's thighs, skimming over the soft flesh of his ass up to his slender waist, where blade grips him steadily. ] I do.
[ using his shoulders to press dan feng's thighs a little further apart, blade ducks his head to draw the flat of his tongue along dan feng's slit. immediately he can taste the burst of sharp flavor on his tongue, and it makes him moan audibly, although the sound is muffled by the way his mouth is pressed to dan feng's vent as his tongue begins to delve inside. on that night several months ago, blade had spent hours memorizing every single sensitive, pleasurable place between dan feng's thighs, and he uses that knowledge now, curling his tongue in through the base of his vent and drawing it slowly upward to the top before kissing his way back down. ]
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in the end, it isn't difficult. since the first moment they fell into bed together, everything had changed, and it hasn't been a challenge to woo the man back to his arms ever since.. or he into blade's, for dan feng is as weak to him as he is to dan feng. the sight of him alone is enough to make the prince's blood run warm, a need that only hooks in to become unbearable by the time the moon waxes full. the trembling of his thighs is more than enough to paint the picture. ]
Good.
[ he does not need to lead blade any further, that head of dark hair is soon right where he needs it, buried between his legs.
dan feng gasps sharply, the drag of that wickedly hot tongue through his vent enough to make him arch, his hips twitching forward, knees spread open wider by his broad shoulders. one hand grasps at blade's shoulder, short claws pricking into the thick fabric of his uniform, while the other moves into his dark, messy hair, tugging at the roots, keeping him close. blade licks deeper, sinking inside of him, and dan feng exhales a low, wanton moan, his head falling back against the divan, dark hair spilling like silk over the fine brocade upholstery. ]
Good boy..
[ he whispers, rolling his body sinuously, the smooth length of his tail slithering over the edge of the sofa, arching up between blade's thighs to give him something to rut against. ]
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he's so focused on his ministrations that the pressure of dan feng's tail sliding between his legs makes blade hiss, his fingers tightening on dan feng's waist for a split second before gentling again. the friction and stimulation is enough to send a visible shudder up his spine—is dan feng's tail sensitive enough to tell how wet blade is for him? his cock is dripping steadily by this point, so hard it aches, slick and messy with his own need. if dan feng wanted, he could use that wicked tail of his to bring blade to his first climax with little effort at all.
but in a way, blade hopes he won't. a little teasing never hurt him, and if anything it makes it all the more heady to finally be inside dan feng, to spill there instead of into the confines of his trousers. but dan feng is stubborn and contrary, blade knows well, and if he says as much aloud he's sure that dan feng will make him come in his pants just to prove he can—so blade says nothing, and instead redoubles his efforts to bring dan feng to orgasm first. ]
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it's been weeks, and the moon is growing heavy - dan feng will not last long. he shudders with every swipe of blade's tongue, his feet arching and his hips stuttering, pushing into each skilled kiss and lick, his vent clutching on nothing, hungry to be filled, but blade's mouth alone is more than enough. when he comes, it's hard, heralded by several quick whines growing progressively more desperate until at last he cries out sharply, his grasp tightening, claws scraping as his lower back pushes forward in a delicate arch. a shiver shoots down his spine and through the long length of his tail between blade's thighs, stars bursting behind his eyelids.
yes, gods, yes, this is what he needed. bliss drowns him, goosebumps rushing down his forearms, but before all of the pleasure can fade he's tugging at blade's dark hair, trying to prompt him to lift his head. ]
Fuck me. [ he whispers gracelessly, still panting hard, his breathing deep and rapid as he opens his eyes enough to see the way his slick glistens against blade's mouth and chin. ] I need you..
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he allows himself to be pulled away, his chin wet with dan feng's slick, and looks up at him with pupils blown so dark they swallow the rest of his iris. dan feng's chest is heaving, and he's flushed all the way to his collarbones, a delicate pink under the cool tone of his skin, rose on ivory. blade wants to ruin him.
he presses up onto his knees and sheds first his coat, then his shirt. bare to his waist, blade then shoves his trousers down over his hips before he picks himself up enough to settle between dan feng's thighs, bending him nearly in half as he pushes dan feng's legs open and guides the head of his cock to his vent, still clenching faintly around nothing. blade guides his cockhead along it, from top to bottom, smearing precum along the swollen lips and then pressing just barely inside. ]
Say it again, [ blade says, the head of his cock holding dan feng's vent open, letting him see the way the insides flutter. ] Tell me you need me.
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dan feng enjoys watching as he strips, his eyes moving over blade's skin, over hard, well-trained muscle and deep battle scars. his arms, his strong back, his chest and abdomen.. all of him is delectable, and dan feng wants nothing more than to feel that flawless body against his own, to run his palms over hot skin and refamiliarize himself with every dip and slope.
instead he is manhandled, shoved into the fine cushions as blade positions his heavy cock right where they both want it, pressing tightly against the puffy lips of his vent, but not yet plunging in. dan feng twists, whines, digging his short claws into blade's forearms. ]
I said fuck me. [ he hisses, arching his hips as he gasps for breath, his tail lashing across the floor. ] I need you, I need you more than anyone -
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it's then that blade finally loses the first bit of his restraint. he groans low in the back of his throat, overwhelmed by the pleasure and unable to hold himself back. gripping dan feng tightly, one hand at his hip and the other on his thigh just behind his knee, blade immediately begins a deep, steady rhythm, his body curling forward over dan feng's to ensure he has enough leverage to bottom out on every single stroke.
in most every other situation, dan feng is perfectly composed. blade knows little of how a crown prince is raised, but in the presence of his preceptors dan feng is perfectly mannered, if occasionally acerbic—which makes it even more delectable that when he's being fucked, he's wanton and noisy and shameless in his enjoyment. it's a rare delight that blade likes to think only he gets the pleasure of seeing, and it's for that reason that he angles his cock as best he can to stimulate all the places he knows dan feng likes the best, aiming to have him screaming before they're through for the night. ]
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.. for now, however, blade gives them both what they desperately need, plunging his cock deep, and dan feng cries out his pleasure, his hands grasping at blade's upper arms, squeezing, the tips of his claws pricking into his skin. blade leans over him, immovable and dangerous as a dark storm, and dan feng watches the pleasure play across his handsome face through hooded eyes. he's everything that dan feng has ever wanted, and the greedy dragon in his heart covets him fiercely, wishes to keep him, to surround him, to hoard him, his chosen mate.
the fine divan creaks beneath them with the force of their lovemaking, the sound staccato, blending with his moans as blade's cock drives deep, forcing his vent open with every hard, relentless thrust. ]
Does it - ahh, hah.. does it feel good? Tell me -
[ he whispers between cries and gulps of breath, one arm lifting so he might hold to the top edge of the divan, sharp claws shredding the silk brocade. ]
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You know it does, [ he murmurs, his voice low and rough as gravel, rich with arousal and barely audible over the indecent, slick noises of his cock moving inside dan feng. ] Like your cunt was made to take me.
[ blade drives in deep, then stills, letting dan feng feel the full length of his cock throbbing against the sensitive inner walls of his vent. after a moment, then, he shifts their positions, pulling dan feng up so blade can lay him out along the length of the divan instead, his head against the pillow and the armrest—an angle that lets blade get even better leverage, so he can fuck dan feng deep and steady, and also lets dan feng grip on to both blade himself and the back of the couch.
fuck, dan feng drives him insane. the things he wants to do this gorgeous dragon are—sinful, probably felonies in the eyes of the kingdom, and yet blade wants them all with a passion that threatens to drown him. would dan feng be disgusted, he wonders, to know the kind of thoughts blade harbors in his heart? not only desires to wreck him sexually, but other, more deeply-held wishes—to kiss and to hold him, to cherish him as a lover and not only as a monarch. he could be jailed for it, blade knows... but knowing doesn't stop him feeling, no matter how hard he tries. ]
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blade moves them, and dan feng is all but boneless in his arms, stretching luxuriously against the divan, his back lifted in a delicate arch. for all that the space around them is opulent and elegant, all silks and silver filigree, their fucking is anything but - it's animal, needy, filthy, their bodies colliding hard enough to make the divan scrape across the hardwood floor. ]
Mmn, that's right - ah, just as your cock was meant to be mine, all of you, mine.
[ after all, dan feng has made no secret of his possessiveness, always glaring sharply at any of the comely maids or young bucks that seem interested in his most esteemed personal guard. he is not keen on sharing, likely wouldn't be even if he weren't possessed of dragon's blood. ]
I'm close -
[ heat knots in his abdomen, growing tighter with every thrust of blade's hips, every plunge of his cock, dan feng's hands scraping over his shoulders and down his generous chest, leaving angry red welts in the wake of his claws. his feet arch, heels pressing, sweat gathering dewy on his flushed skin as he lifts his hips up to meet every slam of their bodies together, offering himself like a needful bride. ]
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dan feng writhes beneath him, arching, his stomach sinuous as he squirms in pleasure. he's so beautiful it almost hurts to see him, his nipples hard and his skin flushed from his cheeks down to his chest... blade, his gaze scraping heavily over every inch of dan feng's skin, makes a resolution in the back of his mind. he straightens up slightly, gripping dan feng firmly by the hips and lifting them off the divan to get a better, deeper angle, the muscles of his back and ass working tirelessly to bring dan feng to climax.
and when he comes, when dan feng cries out and blade feels his vent ripple and flood wet with slick that squirts from him in heavy, sticky gushes, it's then that blade lets loose his grip on his own self control. he leans forward to brace himself with a hand on the armrest, right next to dan feng's head; he thrusts his cock in so deeply it makes dan feng spasm around him, and he comes with a low, rough groan that might once have been dan feng's name, but is now just pleasure made into sound, a noise that tapers off into the harsh panting of post-coital enjoyment.
it's always after his second orgasm that dan feng is most agreeable, so blade takes advantage of the moment. he ducks his head to nose against dan feng's neck, then licks along the salt-sweet skin there, tasting the dew of exertion that has gathered on his throat and collarbones. his lips press in a hot trail over delicate bone and then down to dan feng's chest, where blade takes one perfect nipple between both lips to suck it to firmness. ]
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but now.. now he not only desires this, he needs it. he thinks of blade far more often than is proper, and the draconic instinct to keep him as a mate is nearly insurmountable. when they are together like this he feels alive, he feels rebellious and defiant, he feels strong, the master of his own body, his own fate, he feels loved and desired. an addictive draught. things are far more complicated now than they had been when all of this began.
feeling blade spill inside of him satiates a deep, feral sort of imperative within him, the heat of his spend flooding dan feng's body as if claiming him, marking him, and he gives himself over to it entirely. pliant and satisfied, he shivers and hums, panting hard against blade's mouth when he draws near. the desire to kiss him positively burns, hooking in like claws behind his ribs, pulling - but then he feels the drag of blade's tongue against his skin, and dan feng settles, liquid and boneless against the divan, both arms coiling loosely around his broad shoulders. ]
Mmn.. my most loyal guard has satisfied me well.
[ he murmurs, catching his breath as he turns his head, mouthing at the shell of blade's ear, nipping there with a fang. ]
For now.
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where blade pulls away and moves up dan feng's body again, stretching out on the divan alongside him. it's presumptuous, but every other time before this dan feng has wanted to keep him close after sex, and blade has no reason to think this time will be different. by now his cock has slipped free of dan feng's body, of course, but they're still pressed together chest to thigh, and even when he props his head up on one hand blade's other hand stays busy tracing absent patterns on dan feng's skin with his fingertips. ]
For now, [ blade echoes, with a smile that's a rare moment of teasing. it's not proper for a mere guard to tease the prince, but in these moments when the physical barriers between them are completely erased, it's sometimes difficult for blade to remember that there's a barrier between their statuses as well. ] I'll bet on five minutes before you want me inside you again.
[ there's absolutely no chiding in blade's tone; if anything, he already sounds interested in another round, even if his body will need a little time to catch up. it's the curse of being a short-life species and the only part of blade in which dan feng has ever expressed disappointment, other than his tardiness when summoned: the fact that his body requires a break before he can get it up to fuck dan feng again. ]
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but then he's pulling away, the tease, and moving back up dan feng's body, but that's just as well. he's still recovering from his orgasm, and regardless of his lack of true refractory period, he's like to enjoy the lovely rolling aftershocks for a few minutes more. blade settles beside him, and it is presumptuous indeed, but a fair assumption, for dan feng has always wanted to keep him near post-coitus ever since the first time they fell into one another. ]
Mm. Maybe three.
[ he teases right back, his usually sharp eyes soft, his body warm and pliant as he turns onto his side and presses in close, watching blade's charming smile, meeting his eyes. ]
The moon is particularly bright this evening.
[ it isn't. its pull on him is no stronger or weaker than it ever is, but dan feng does not want to admit aloud how fond he has become of blade, of these visits. he likes the man a great deal, far, far more than he should, his affections easily veering into dangerous territory, but that won't stop him. dan feng has few very real freedoms, and as of yet he has not been married off, so until that moment he will give himself to whomever he chooses. it's a liberating feeling, and he pointedly does not think about the fact that this thing between them must be temporary. lifting his hand, dan feng drags his fingertips along blade's jaw, then over the purse of his lips, watching him. ]
Stay the night, tonight.
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but to be asked to spend the night... it's a risk, not one they normally take. every hour blade spends in dan feng's rooms is another hour where they risk discovery, and especially in the mornings the palace is often abuzz with activity, only increasing the likelihood someone will come in and discover them. not to mention, blade's training drills begin just after dawn, and it's a long trek between here and the guards' quarters.
and yet... and yet, blade feels his whole body yearning to say yes, for no other reason than because dan feng asked. he tilts his head just slightly into that cool touch at his jaw and says, ] I'll have to leave at dawn.
[ but it's an agreement, that much is sure. he'll stay the night, stay as long as he can. when else might blade be afforded the opportunity to sleep so close to the prince? of course dan feng is only asking because of the moon, because he'll need more fulfillment than usual tonight, but... it might seem, for a moment, as if they're lovers, as if he has a right to be in dan feng's space. it's a shameful fantasy, but one that won't hurt if blade indulges it for a single night.
his palm smooths over the sharp ridge of dan feng's hip, fingertips tracing the smooth patch of scales that decorates his upper thigh. ]
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but dan feng is no ordinary, powerless waif. he possesses cloudhymn more potent than any thus far recorded in history - long's avatar, many call him, lord drinker of the moon, as close to godliness as any vidyadhara has ever been by right of power and transformation alone. if something were to befall a lover of his, there would be hell to pay, and surely the preceptors know this. dan feng can protect him, can protect him with everything that he has.
so he will allow himself to be selfish in this request, humming softly when blade's palm skims his thigh. ]
Dawn, then. [ it is better than nothing. ] I will be sure to wake you.
[ assuming that either of them gets any sleep to begin with. arching in nearer, dan feng slides his thigh over blade's hip, keeping pressed close, bracing both hands against his generous chest. ]
I would follow you to your bed for once, but I think perhaps your fellows might notice..
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I'm certain that they would, [ blade says. his own hands wrap around dan feng's waist, drawing him closer so that their bodies touch, his cock beginning to stir again where it presses between dan feng's thighs. ] Everyone in those barracks is ugly as sin, the appearance of such a beautiful man among them would surely throw them into chaos.
[ it's clear in his expression that he's barely stifling his amusement, and he knows dan feng will be able to tell, which is why blade immediately ducks his head down so he can kiss along the long, pale column of his throat beginning just below his ear. he makes his way slowly over the tendons standing out in dan feng's throat, then down to his collarbone, which is about as far as blade can reach without changing the alignment of their bodies, so he gives up there and lifts his head again so he can catch dan feng's lips instead.
when he pulls back, it's to regard dan feng solemnly, with all the weight of a knight anticipating orders from his lord. ]
How would you have me next, your highness? [ there's a little sparkle in his eyes as he says it, though, evidence that he's just playing. ] I awaiting my prince's command.
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Well, not everyone in the barracks.
[ blade, after all, is surely one of the most attractive men that he has ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon. when he feels the stir of blade's cock against his thigh, dan feng smiles sharply, his eyelids flickering low. ]
As for how I will have you.. mm, perhaps it is time you enjoy warming my bed.
[ they've always kept to the divan, the sitting area, but then, he has also never invited blade to stay the night before. as comfortable as the sofa may be, it's not particularly roomy. so dan feng shifts his weight, regrettably drawing away from blade's warmth so that he might unfold himself and turn around. flipping his dark hair down his back like a curtain, he opens his silks properly and, in a waterfall of movement, rolls them off of his shoulders and allows them to fall, his tail sweeping aside. the furred tip drifts to flick just beneath blade's chin, dragging, teasing, as he looks over his shoulder, disappearing into his bedchambers. ]
Do not keep me waiting.
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the tip of dan feng's tail flicks under his chin, closing his mouth (which, yes, had been hanging a little open in awe and appreciation) and making blade's lips curve up in a wicked smile. ]
I wouldn't dream of it, my prince.
[ the instant that dan feng has vanished into the bedchamber, blade is up and off the divan to follow. it's not incredibly dignified to walk with the beginnings of an erection growing between his legs, but he's also not about to make a secret out of how incredibly attracted he is to dan feng, so he's not shy about the way his body responds to his beautiful prince.
he enters dan feng's bedchambers for the first time, glancing around briefly to take in the decor, and yet more wholly focused on the bed and dan feng in it. blade pauses at the foot of the bed to look at him, leaning against one of the posts at the corner of the bedframe and casting his gaze admiringly (and hungrily) over the shape of dan feng's body. ]
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by the time blade steps into his bedchambers, dan feng is flung comfortably across his bed, naked and glowing in the moonlight that floods the room, his hair spilling over one shoulder like a curtain of ink. he smirks. ]
There you are.
[ he murmurs, before he reclines against the headboard and parts his thighs, smoothing a palm down from his knee, fingertips dancing along the slit of his vent, still wet and glistening with blade's own spend. with two fingers, he spreads himself open for blade to see, rubbing gently at the soft scales that line the soft, puffy lips of his cunt. ]
Now, how will you please your prince?
[ he whispers, watching blade through lidded eyes, his pupils wide and dark in their luminous wreaths. licking his lips, he dips one slender finger into his body, a shudder sweeping down his tail. ]
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the weight of his attention must be not enough for dan feng to feel it, a physical brand on his skin as blade's eyes track the movement of dan feng's hand. down his thigh, up the crease of his hip, then teasingly along the swollen lips of his vent, still a little sensitive from their previous activities. blade's breath hitches as dan feng spreads himself open and dips a finger inside, wishing ferociously that it were his fingertip touching that soft muscle inside, that it were him making that gorgeous shudder run down dan feng's tail.
without second-guessing the decision, blade climbs onto the mattress and moves to kneel between dan feng's thighs. he spreads his own knees, pressing dan feng's outward so that his wet vent is left fully on display for blade's eager appreciation. ]
Do that again, [ he murmurs. ] Spread yourself open. Let me see my cum inside you.
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chuckling from his chest, dan feng rests his head against the pillows and arches his back, the tip of his middle fingers sliding through the mess blade has made of his vent, then lifting away until the slippery strings of cum snap, glimmering, milky white. ]
Making demands of your prince.. how bold.
[ he whispers, but the command makes him shudder, his vent clenching visibly. few would ever dare to speak to him the way blade does, and it makes him throb with excitement.
so at least for the moment he obeys, using his middle and ring fingers to spread his pink, swollen lips again, revealing the tender flesh within, painted with his own slick and blade's still-warm cum both. he exhales hard, rolling his hips in a way he knows is alluring, the silk sheets whispering beneath his every movement, a droplet of thick spend rolling down from inside of him, trickling onto the bedding below. ]
Look what you do to me. How full I am of you.
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aeons, he likes this way too much. blade loves the idea of dan feng full to the brim with his spend, the idea of leaving his mark, his claim, on the other man—it's an almost animalistic desire to mark his territory, blade thinks, exhaling sharply as his fingers twist at the tip of his cock. he watches dan feng's hips shift, watches a bead of pearly white drip from his entrance down his pale skin and onto the bedsheets below. ]
Fuck, Your Highness, [ blade says emphatically. he leans forward to brace himself against the headboard, his other hand guiding his cockhead to drag along the sensitive flesh of dan feng's vent.
the things i would do to you, blade wants to say. he doesn't. instead he just rolls his hips forward in a slow, steady thrust, sliding his cock all the way into dan feng's body until his balls come to rest against dan feng's ass. it's astonishing how perfectly dan feng takes him, as though his prince's body were made to accommodate blade's size and girth, hot muscle quivering around him, the slide made easy by cum and slick. ]
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just how this has happened.. is anyone's guess. truth be told, solving the plight of the vidyadhara's sterility has been a personal goal of his, and he has done plenty of research, scraped into every historical text he could dig up to find information about their lives and physiology before they became sterile. he's worked with alchemists and doctors, with herbal specialists and midwives and historians, and while he's making strides he's nowhere near completing his task.
yet now, here he is, with a growing bump in his belly.
he'd known there was a possibility in the sense that integrating different races with vidyadhara blood was the most likely approach to work, and he can only guess that his personal experimentation with different supplements has somehow led to this. will the fetus even be viable? will it grow properly? will this pregnancy even last? at first, he had thought it unlikely, but now, several moons later..
blade has to know. even if no one else knows, blade must. so he continues to pace, to wait, his arms crossed tightly over his waist, tail snapping, writhing, unable to settle. ]
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it's therefore with some hesitance that he makes his way up from the guards' rooms. he knocks lightly at the door, then pauses for only a second longer than usual before he steps inside and closes the door behind him. he doesn't lock it—not unless he's told to do so. ]
Your Highness, [ he says, stealing a glance at dan feng before lowering his gaze to the floor. he looks... anxious, almost? that can't be right, dan feng is never anxious, but something about his carriage and the way he's pacing suggests that the crown prince's thoughts are racing. ] You called?
[ if nothing else, blade hopes that he at least might hear from dan feng the reason that he's lost the prince's favor—little does he know, he's about to hear much more than that. ]
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the knock on the door shakes him from his reverie, and dan feng turns toward him, his expression stern and smooth as always, but for those who know him well the signs of his distress are there, hiding in the tightness at the corners of his mouth. his gaze settles on blade, and his stomach twists; how will he take this news? does it matter? reality is reality, but even still.. dan feng does not want to lose him.
hurrying forward, he snags blade's wrist to pull him deeper into his chambers, far from walls and windows, where they can speak without risk of being heard. his suite is very private, but even still, he will be cautious. ]
Blade. [ he starts, then stops, pressing his lips together; best just to get on with it. ] I know that I have not called on you recently. I have been.. unwell.
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Unwell? [ he repeats. well, at least it wasn't that blade himself had done something injurious—but news of the crown prince being unwell is hardly welcome. ] Are you all right? Should I call for someone...?
[ after all, blade himself is hardly trained in healing arts. what would he be able to offer dan feng if he has some sickness or injury that needs attending to? but he doesn't want to pull away, not when this is the first he's seen of dan feng in so many weeks, and not when he looks so... the way he looks now, as though he might be sick.
carefully, aware that he's toeing the line of propriety, blade lifts a hand to rest under dan feng's elbow, supportive and gentle. he might not be able to heal, but he can at least shore dan feng up for the moment. ]
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No. I do not need a healer.
[ and dan feng himself is a formidable healer as it stands, though of course it is always the healers who are the first to neglect themselves. even still, it's irrelevant, for it is not injury or disease that has brought dan feng low. blade's hand rests at his elbow - a risk, he knows it, they both know it, yet the warm touch brings with it a surge of fondness, dan feng's expression softening around the edges, some of his anxiety bleeding out of the harsh line of his shoulders. at last, he sighs, then slides his hands up blade's forearms, then down, taking his hands. ]
You may not believe me when I tell you this, but I swear to you on the blood of the Permanence that it is the truth.
[ and dan feng isn't one to beat around the bush any longer than necessary, so he steels himself and lifts his eyes to blade's, holding them, his expression hard and solemn. ]
.. I am pregnant.
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a second, even more shocking realization hits him only a moment later. although he and dan feng have been carrying on their affair for nearly a year now, blade is still nothing more than a royal guard, and dan feng the precious crown prince of the kingdom; for what reason would dan feng tell him this unless blade needed to know? ]
Aeons, [ blade breathes out, his fingers curling at dan feng's elbow. ] Highness, I...
[ no amount of training in court manners could ever have prepared blade for this moment. he brings his other hand up to dan feng's other arm, now to hold himself steady as much as he's holding dan feng steady, and he exhales a sharp breath. ]
Should I congratulate you or apologize? [ he asks, his gaze meeting dan feng's lovely cerulean and then dropping to his stomach. any rounding there can't be seen under the heavy fabric of his clothes, but the thought that it might be there... that blade's child might be there, growing within dan feng's womb...
...for that matter, blade wasn't even sure he knew dan feng had a womb. or perhaps it didn't matter, since neither of them evidently expected that their lovemaking would come to this. ]
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Neither. Both. I.. I don't entirely know. Here, sit.
[ they're in his bedroom now, and dan feng leads blade toward the bench at the foot of his bed, where they both can sit, and absorb the reality of their situation. even once they are seated, dan feng still holds to him, keeping one of blade's hands between his own, feeling its heat. ]
Though I will make one thing clear - I have no regrets, not about the child, nor its father. [ a beat. ] You, in case you dare to wonder otherwise. I have no other lovers.
[ his only regret is that they are not wed, that he may not be able to protect blade, should push come to shove, though of course he will certainly try - he will be punished over dan feng's dead body, should it come to it. this may not have been the way he had hoped to restore his people's reproduction, but he will not look down his nose upon a miracle, most especially after all the work he has put toward this very thing. ]
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and even dizzier at the thought of being called a father. having grown up with no parents of his own, blade has no idea what a father ought to be, ought to do—childrearing, discipline, will he have to learn how to feed a baby? to hold one or to swaddle it? is he going to have to figure out how to change diapers?
—no. no, of course not. in what world could blade ever be recognized as the child's father, when its other parent is the fucking crown prince? ]
I didn't wonder, but... I'm pleased to know you have no regrets, [ blade says. his hand is folded between dan feng's, and here he lifts his other one to cup dan feng's hand between his own as well, holding him as blade lifts his gaze to meet dan feng's eyes again. ] Your highness, forgive me for speaking out of turn—please, for your sake, and for your... for our child's sake, you must never name me as the father. The preceptors would never accept it.
[ despite the fear that fills him at the notion, blade wants nothing more than to be the father of dan feng's child, to cherish him and protect him and help him raise this miraculous child, should it come healthy into the world—but even before the desire has a chance to set in, blade already knows it's impossible. the first vidyadhara child born in millennia could never be sired by a mere royal guard, and a short-life species at that. as snobbish and rigid as the preceptors can be, blade worries that they would rather dan feng bear no child at all than one whose blood is so tainted. ]
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but the ugly truth is that he cannot guarantee that, and were dan feng only risking himself he would refuse, he would toss his head like a haughty mare and deny that the preceptors could control him, that he needs their acceptance at all.. but with blade and their child tangled up in all of this now, he must reluctantly assent. he cannot risk them.
exhaling a long, slow sigh, dan feng closes his eyes, his brow drawing tight, before he nods. ]
.. as you say. It will remain between us.
[ it all but physically pains him to say as much, for how brutally, wholly unfair it is, but it is the safest path forward for all of them. should it come out that blade is the father beyond all reasonable doubt, he cannot begin to imagine the possible repercussions. the preceptors may be willing to turn a blind (if disgusted) eye toward dan feng's dalliances, but this? surely they would act. tipping his head forward, he touches their brows together. this should be a momentous occasion, a reason to celebrate, yet the cold spike of fear running through it all brings everything down. ]
I wish to keep you close, nonetheless. It should not be difficult to arrange, once this pregnancy is revealed. I will require the extra protection.
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so although it breaks his heart to hear dan feng agree, blade tells himself it's for the best. he cups dan feng's hand between both of his, then—on an impertinent, blasphemous whim—leans over to press his lips softly to dan feng's forehead, right over that furrow of worry that's grown between his brows. ]
It would be an honor and a privilege to stay close to you as your personal guard, [ blade says. although his speech is formal, as it must be when addressing the prince, the smile in his voice is almost audible. it may not be true fatherhood, but he's glad for the opportunity to remain close to dan feng and help him through his pregnancy in whatever way blade might be allowed. ] Please entrust your every craving to me, your highness.
[ after a pause, followed by a couple of false starts, blade finally clears his throat and adds, ]
Are you... showing, yet?
[ local man has never been a dad before, he doesn't know how long it takes before it starts to become obvious when someone is pregnant... ]
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this baby will cause an absolute riot, once its presence is revealed - no vidyadhara has given birth in countless amber eras, and he has no doubt that the preceptors and the alchemy commission will be incredibly interested in how it came to be. dan feng will be harangued, watched, studied; he's exhausted already just thinking about it.
but then blade asks a question that makes him smile, in his quiet sort of way. ]
.. just a little.
[ it's definitely not obvious to anyone but dan feng, to anyone who might see him unclothed, and he's thankful now that he has always refused dressing attendants, save for when he must wear particularly extravagant clothing. he prefers to dress himself, when he can.
undoing the silk tie at his waist, dan feng allows the silks to part just enough to allow a hand inside. then, taking blade's wrists, he delicately plucks his gloves away, then guides both of his hands beneath the fabric, allowing him to feel the gentle swell of his abdomen. ]
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but then his hands are being guided inside dan feng's silks to press against his lower belly, and— ]
Oh, [ blade says softly, pressing his palms softly to the curve he can feel there. it isn't terribly noticeable, or wouldn't be, except that blade is intimately familiar with dan feng's naked body and the usually-flat planes of his abdomen, so to him the small bump feels obvious as anything. ] Oh...
[ their child, growing inside. the thought is nearly overwhelming. blade's thumbs brush softly across cool skin, and his gaze lifts from dan feng's stomach up to meet his eyes again. blade's expression is both shocked and moved, delighted by this small sign of burgeoning life inside his—
his what? his lover? no. his prince, that's all. ]
May I speak out of turn, your highness? [ blade asks, and then without waiting for a response says, ] I think pregnancy will be beautiful on you.
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he can't find the words for it. doesn't understand the nature of the feeling that tightens in his chest, for he has never really felt love before. all he knows is that he wants to keep blade near, needs to keep him near, needs this little family to remain safe and secure at any cost. he does not know if blade feels the same way, but given the look that crosses his face dan feng can guess that he is feeling a similar protective urge toward their child, and perhaps.. perhaps some sort of happiness and awe.
dan feng's mouth curves into a soft, muted smile, easy and warm, and he chuckles under his breath, his hand moving over blade's on his belly, holding it close. ]
Well, I will allow you to speak out of turn when it flatters me so nicely.
[ he teases, idly threading his fingers through blade's rough ones, squeezing lightly. ]
Long ago, the personal guard of the crown lived in the room beside mine. It is connected by a secret passage behind the tapestry behind you. I would like for you to stay there, if you are willing.
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blade wants to kiss him so badly it makes him ache. he resists only barely, and even then he still has to press his mouth to dan feng's shoulder over the silk of his robes, to give his lips something else to do. ]
I am willing, [ he says immediately. it requires no thought at all. if there's a room for blade there, one that would allow him to be close to dan feng, to be at his side should he need anything at all, then blade would never in a million amber eras choose to be anywhere else. ] I will be ready, as soon as the arrangements are made.
[ all the while, his hand stays where it is, cupped softly against dan feng's belly. more than likely, blade won't move it until dan feng tells him he has to. ]
Please call on me for anything you need, your highness, [ blade adds after a second, lifting his head so he can study dan feng's beautiful face. ] I may not be able to claim this child publicly, but... in privacy, it would honor me if you would let me support you as the father of your child should.
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why would he need close companions? he is strong and clever enough on his own. his preceptors are company enough, and they annoy him far more than they delight him - dan feng has more important things on his mind than companionship. but now that he has experienced something like it..
.. well, he would not necessarily call blade a friend. a lover, yes, and now a confidant, but that is all they are, isn't it? this feeling in his chest hints at more, the warm tightness that he feels when their eyes meet goes beyond physical wanting, but dan feng is not emotionally capable enough to understand it for what it is. he does not know what love feels like, he only knows that when blade presses his face into his shoulder it makes his heart flip, warmth burgeoning in his breast like a lotus unfurling its petals.
he wants to kiss him, too. ]
Good. There should be no complaints, especially not when this pregnancy comes to light. I will need the extra protection.
[ their eyes meet again, and dan feng follows his instinct, leaning in to touch their brows together, to nudge his nose alongside blade's in quiet affection, both of their hands still pressed lightly over his abdomen. ]
I do not know what to expect. It has been countless amber eras since my kind reproduced naturally, it's entirely possible that it may not work out. Only time will tell.
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[ but something in his heart of hearts still feels determined to believe that this pregnancy will proceed as it should, safe and healthy and strong. dan feng is an incredibly capable healer, after all, and blade himself is in excellent health—with the two of them as parents, shouldn't their child stand the greatest chance of being carried to term and being born without issue?
(granted, this is just blade's blind faith in dan feng; there's certainly science to it that he doesn't understand.)
unable to resist the temptation, blade leans forward just enough to close the gap between their mouths, pressing a brief but warm kiss to dan feng's lips. for a moment, he allows himself to be caught up in the moment, relishing the familiar sensation of dan feng's mouth against his, the taste of him on blade's lips—
there's a clatter of something just outside dan feng's door, maybe a tray being dropped, and blade comes sharply back to himself. he withdraws both his kiss and his hand from within dan feng's silks, although his gaze is still warm with affection when he looks over from a respectable distance away. ]
I should go before we're discovered, [ he says. ] Call for me soon, your highness. I'll be waiting.
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it's foolish, he knows - foolish to hope that it will succeed. what will become of blade if he is found out? what would become of their child?
well, dan feng is nothing if not confident in his ability. he may be restrained by government and politics, but in the end, there are none who can match him in power, and they will learn that the heard way, should they even attempt to take his child or his lover from him. he has known about this pregnancy for only a week now, but he knows that he would tear down the world for their child without hesitation.
blade leans in, and dan feng meets him halfway, leaning into the kiss with a soft, quiet hum, his hands lifting to cup blade's jaw, and he's ready to push for more when he hears the noise beyond his door, and blade pulls back from him. ]
I will. I won't keep you waiting.
[ not this time. and, in fact, it isn't long at all before dan feng calls for his bodyguard again. it takes less than a week for the room beside his own to be prepared, and while his preceptors and advisors question the need for excess safety, in the end they have no real reason to attempt to deny him. so it is that five days later blade is summoned not to dan feng's quarters, but to his own, new ones, where his prince waits for him beside the door. ]
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but when the orders come, it doesn't seem that anyone is yet aware of the true reason for the change. blade packs his things as commanded and keeps his mouth shut, but once he's made his way up to the new space and been given his new orders, the first thing blade does after the commander has left is to enter the room and find dan feng waiting for him. ]
Your Highness, [ he says as he drops his rucksack atop a low bench near the front door. blade bows, as propriety dictates he must, and then straightens so he can cross the room to stop a few steps in front of dan feng. ] It seems I've been reassigned as your personal guard for the time being.
[ it's not blade's place to ask what dan feng's plans are as far as revealing his pregnancy. he'll find out when he needs to find out. for now, he's just reveling in the novelty of being so close to dan feng—to being allowed to be so close to dan feng, without having to sneak away in the wee hours of the morning to make it back to the barracks before training begins.
it's also not blade's place to be the one to reach for dan feng first, so he keeps his hands firmly at his sides as he says, ]
I'm yours to command as you see fit.