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“Be careful, little girl, or you'll never get married.” Wen Kexing's threat is not entirely empty, she knows. And it has nothing to do with marriage. He warns her with his tone. There's a note in it only she can read. She chooses not to.
“Ha! Marriage is for fools. I will never marry unless a man can best me in a fight! And that has yet to happen, so there!” She sticks her tongue out. She is being stubborn. She knows her Master has stood behind her, glaring down any *real* threat her entire life. She chooses to ignore this right now.
The look he gives her proves he knows she is aware. She looks away.
♡☆♡☆♡
At first meeting, they clash like swords and quickly it turns physical in a fight that has them both spinning and dodging, soon out of breath. Han Ying had been a surprise. She doesn't like surprises.
Over time, spent orbiting each other, eying for openings, testing boundaries, they snap into action again inevitably. This time the surprises amuse her. It's fun. They're both grinning by the time her Master and his Sick Man pull them apart.
Something beyond the adrenaline skitters on the outskirts of her nerves. It delights her. She doesn't know what it is and that bothers her but only if she tries to think about it.
They're told they need to “get along” and “play nice.” She has never played nice in her entire life, what in the heavens? She decides to ignore this as well.
They continue to test each other. Here and there. Small things. A jab in the back of the knee. A prick at a pressure point. Just letting each other know, “I caught you off guard.”
Eventually, they slip into real moves, it's so easy to take it to the next step. The jab becomes a punch, no pulling it either. A counter move and another strike. What fun is a game if you can only half-play it anyway?
Soon they're dancing across the court yard, making a mess everywhere they touch. Nearby disciples scurry away to tell on them. Cowards.
The world zeros down to just them, the air between blows, sifting around them, the points of contact, grounding and painfully pleasant. It's the outlet she needs. Her pulse rushes through her body, lighting up her senses, setting her ablaze like a forbidden fire is running in her veins.
She has him. She knows it. She can feel it.
“A-XIANG!” her Master calls.
They are caught in a deadlock, each refusing to budge. She hears him walk closer.
“A-xiang, what did I tell you, stinky girl?”
She pouts for a second and hears Han Ying huff a small laugh that she feels in her bones. She scowls back at his small smile.
“No fighting.” She spits out and releases him. She would have won. She doesn't need to prove it. She stares Han Ying down, who doesn't even seem bothered. How annoying!
“Go to bed, young lady.” A command, but gentler than she is used to.
“Yes, Master.” She turns before she can make a face at the both of them.
♡☆♡☆♡
She didn't look on purpose. He was right there, out in the open, in the middle of the training yard! Bare chest and everything. It's not like she meant to see anything. And she didn't! There's nothing to see. Just a sweaty, Annoying Man, grunting and swinging a sword around. Who cares? It's not a big deal.
And she only stayed to watch because she wants to know his every trick and move in a fight. It's research! Master should be proud. This is how he learned a bunch of secret techniques in The Valley anyway. It's a totally legitimate way to study martial arts!
And she hid behind the corner, peeking out when Han Ying wasn't looking so he wouldn't see her and stop, or worse, tease her or something. Perfectly logical!
She wasn't spying.
He was the spy!
Spies are stupid.
♡☆♡☆♡
“Crap, he saw me.”
♡☆♡☆♡
She is apparently being punished. Or it's a test of some kind. She will endure it whatever it is because her Master requested it. She's to accompany The Annoying Man to the market for supplies. Fine. This is easy.
♡☆♡☆♡
Something is… weird.
The whole walk to town he was silent. No teasing, no jabs or pinches. No sucker punches. It's weird!
He's fidgeting. She sees a line of sweat trickle from his temple, to his jaw, and slowly, so slowly, down his neck.
She squints at him suspiciously. He must be planning a trick of some kind. Best to stay on high alert. He won't get anything over on her!
♡☆♡☆♡
The market is busy, loud and smelly, but she doesn't mind these things. She is trained for all situations. Nothing can distract her and nothing gets past her attention. Still, she knows she needs to give off the air of casualty to lower his guard, make him think he has an advantage. Ha!
He asks her if there is anything she would like to take a look at, anything she wants to see while they're here. It feels like a trap, so she switches it around on him!
“Whatever you want to do is fine.”
He looks conflicted. Haha, he had not made a contingency plan! What a fool. How easily his trick falls apart!
♡☆♡☆♡
They're eating snacks and browsing the jewelry. She doesn't object to this kind of silly way to spend time. She does like snacks.
Then she sees them. They're beautiful. Twin silver daggers, glistening on a velvet tray. They look so smooth, like pieces of liquid metal, their design flow complimenting each other, adding a little flair and movement, like, like… she doesn't know, she's not the poetic type. That stuff is for her Master. But this dagger set looks like the kind of thing fancy people would say flowery words about.
“We'll take these, please.” She hears Han Ying tell the shopkeeper, indicating the dagger set.
“Huh?” She asks intelligently.
“You like them.” It wasn't a question.
“Yeah…?” She frowns.
“Then I will get them for you.” He pays and the set is put away in a box and wrapped up. It's in his hands, before she can object. He holds it out to her as she flaps her mouth open and closed.
She takes the bundle, looks down at it, and looks back up at him. “Why?”
“I want to.” He says, simply.
“You… want to.”
“Yes.” He is staring at her intently, resolutely. It's the same look he has just before he attacks, she realizes!
She steps back into a fighting pose so quickly that he actually startles, just a bit. She watches him. He watches her. But something is different. He's not attacking. Why?!
People are casting her curious glances but they must be used to seeing wandering martial artists and pay her no mind. They obviously don't know the damage about to befall this whole market street.
“Gu Xiang.” He puts his hands up and takes a step forward. “A-xiang.”
“I know your tells.” She readjusts to his proximity. “Just try it, pretty boy!”
His cheeks turn a little pink and it's NOT cute. She will NOT be distracted!
“As much as I like sparring with you, that is not my aim at this moment.” He smiles.
What the heck? He's smiling. And it looks… nice. Not taunting. Not teasing.
She is confused. She stands up properly, tugging at the hems of her robes.
“What IS it then, huh?” She crosses her arms.
His smile softens. She feels a little tingly. What is happening??
“I would like to treat you to a nice day out, if you'd be amenable.”
She considers this, remembering the snacks and browsing the stands. She remembers he wanted to know what she wanted to do today. Was it not a trick? No scheme or plan to catch her unaware?
“So. You don't want to fight.” She frowns.
“Not. At the moment.” He laughs. He fucking laughs. And it doesn't sound mean. It sounds… really nice actually.
She can't help it. She lets a smile slip.
“Fine!” She relaxes minutely and then brightens suddenly. “Can we eat somewhere fancy?!” She is now suddenly very interested in exploring how much she can get out of this “treating her” thing he has suggested.
“Of course.” He looks like he does when one of their scuffles is interrupted. Like he's trying not to show how out of breath he is. Ridiculous man!
She laughs at him. He laughs quietly in return. They walk towards the fancy restaurant she had been eying since they got to town.
♡☆♡☆♡
On the way home, in the golden light trickling through the trees to light their path, he slides his hand into hers and smiles shyly at her. Something happens behind his eyes, she can't tell what it is but there is a change in the air. Her whole body feels hot. She can't look at him for very long after that.
♡☆♡☆♡
Back home everyone seems interested in how their evening went, even though they were just getting supplies. Suspicious! Her Master has a smile tucked in the corner of his mouth and it infuriates her! She stomps off. Then she remembers, comes back, takes Han Ying's hand and stomps off again, ignoring the giggles and whispers left behind them.
“Bunch of nosy idiots!” She growls.
Han Ying is quiet.
Once they are alone, she stops. They're behind a wall, near a garden and the moon is fully glowing, casting everything in a soft silver.
She turns to face him and finds him already gazing at her steadily. His eyes are dark, they run a chill up her spine. It's that same look again. The one before he attacks.
“What.” She demands.
He stays silent, just looking.
She toes up to him, still holding his hand. Her heart is rabbiting in her chest, she ignores it.
“Are you gonna start spouting poetry or something?” She taunts.
“No. I won't.” His face is very close, but she refuses to back away. She's not scared of him.
“Good! I hate that stuff! Gives me a headache.”
A soft laugh, barely audible. She finds she likes it, especially up this close. She can't stop the smile spreading across her face.
“A-xiang.”
“Mm?”
“You're stepping on my toes.”
“What?!” She looks down and trips backwards. He catches her.
He's holding her in his arms; he's very warm and very, very close.
She clutches his arms, where they landed in her panic; and her eyes dart down to his mouth and up again. She can feel herself turning bright red and she doesn't care.
She swallows a couple times, staring up at him, caught. “Ying'er, gege.”
He kisses her, gently at first, pulling her back up and impossibly closer. She melts in his arms and hums. He readjusts his hold as he pulls back, leaving her wanting. Her eyes are still closed.
She opens them slowly, as if from a dream. “More.” She says softly.
So he gives her more. And he keeps giving until they are both breathless, clinging to each other for dear life.
She takes a breath. “I want you.” She says, plainly.
He swallows. “Now?” He asks, his voice rough and soft at the same time.
“Now.” She guides him with certainty further from the wall, from the garden, out towards the orchard. Her nerves are lighting up her whole body. He follows with purpose, in a daze.
He unravels her on a bed of petals gathered under a plum tree, somehow without shaking. She takes him apart, piece by piece, inch by inch, carefully. Together they are undone in each other's arms, blanketed in moonlight, the sweet scent of flower blossoms in the air. Two bodies hardened by violence, scarred by battle, hands that kill without hesitation, now holding this gentle moment as a living, precious thing.
She trembles even as she sweats and he kisses her steadily, warmth unwavering. With fingers that have snapped bones, he cradles her head tenderly. She wraps her shaky legs around his firm, naked waist, her arms around his strong neck. She feels, at each point of contact, the roughness of scar tissue. The smooth spots between scars feel so soft it makes her gasp, makes her quiver and sigh. When he enters her, she moans sharply, causing him to pause. She pulls him, demanding, biting, fingernails scraping his scalp. She's torn men to shreds before. Flayed them open, peeled skin back to make them scream. Now she scratches gently at skin that has seen death and survived. She barely draws blood. She hears him groan and drinks it in, every breath, every sound he makes, every muffled cry. It's so close to what she is more familiar with, the cries of pain. But it touches deeper. And unfolds something inside of her she didn't know was there. She holds him close and he falls apart inside her. And she falls with him. It is the single most torturous moment she has ever experienced. And she immediately wants it to never end.
♡☆♡☆♡
“I thought you weren't going to get married unless a man conquered you in battle.” Zhou Zishu teases her as they gather for breakfast.
“I let him win last night.” she says, smiling to herself even as she feels the blush on her cheeks like a flood.
Han Ying coughs and clears his throat next to her, suppressing his own smile, unable to hide the flush of his own cheeks.
“Wha- You- WHAT??” her Master sputters.
She giggles into her bowl as she listens to Zhou Zishu attempt to calm her Master down.
“I will TEAR HIM limb from limb! I will EVISCERATE him!”
“Lao Wen…”
There are even threats of decapitation but they sound nothing like the threats he made in The Valley. She knows he's just bluffing. It's in his tone, like a note to her. He cares about her but also wants her to be happy.
She sticks her tongue out at him from over Zhou Zishu’s shoulder and turns to peek at Han Ying sitting next to her. He is unmoved by her Master's ranting. He glances at her, smiling. She takes his hand and feels warmer for it.
At some point Chengling comes sprinting over at all the commotion, worried eyes wide. But he pieces it together quickly, smirking and hiding a laugh behind his fist. There's nothing to be done. Her Master will just need to fight Han Ying and get it out of his system. Han Ying doesn't stand a chance but that's not the point. In this strange family of hers that she has found herself in, fighting is an expression of trust, respect and even love. She can't believe she didn't realize it before. How silly.
“Ying'er” she says, and the room goes quiet. “I think he wants to fight you, you'd better be ready for it.” She smiles at him.
“I'm ready.” He says as seriously as he can with that goofy grin on his face.
“OH, no, you're NOT. You have NO idea what is coming for you. YING'ER.”
Her Master is so embarrassing sometimes. She sighs. There was only a tiny slice of a threat in his tone. She can tell. He is her Ge after all. He can't fool her.
♡☆♡☆♡
end.