Loud sobs and screams echoed throughout the small room. The sound was muffled slightly by the way Jiehong had buried his head into his robes. Hands grasped harshly at his own locks of white hair, not even feeling how hard he pulled it as the anguish of losing his only companion tore through his heart. The pain was agonising, all encompassing. He was angry at himself for not preventing it. He was angry at the Empress for doing this in the first place. He was even angry at Jinzha for not making an attempt to free themself. Anger and resentment surrounded the man as he tried and failed to rip himself from the revolving door of torment he was facing. 

Zhi Yu was angry, furious in fact, at what he had witnessed. The other should never have to face such disgrace from anyone, least of all from the woman who had once claimed to love him as a son. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides as he travelled through a flash of darkness before ending up just outside of Jiehong’s residence. The sounds the man was making would have been heard for miles if not for the barrier separating him and the outside world. Zhi Yu listened to each and every cry of anguish released by the other. He inhaled, calming himself as his appearance moulded into one the other would be familiar with. Horns disappeared and eyes changed back to their usual calming grey. But he was anything but calm, though he forced his face into a neutral slate as he moved to enter the temple. 

The first thing he saw was the man huddled into himself on the ground. Jiehong was so distraught, he had not even noticed Zhi Tu’s entrance. Zhi Yu was able to sense the fear and anger emanating from the other man as he moved silently closer. He reached out a hand, meaning to alert the other of his presence and help him into a more comfortable position off of the floor.

Instead, the reaction this action evoked was rather violent. Wide green eyes shot up toward the intruder, narrowing as arms moved quickly, grasping the other man and forcing him to the ground. Jiehong threw his body forward, ending in a straddle on top of the other man, pinning his wrists to the floor. Acting without first thinking, not aware of who it was, Jiehong’s instincts were protective of himself from whatever danger may have entered. 

Zhi Yu froze, not expecting this from the other. He allowed himself to be manoeuvred by  going limp against the floor, dark hair spilling out across the wood as he looked toward the other. He kept still to signify that he was not a threat. That Jiehong was safe. 

Jiehong finally took in the person beneath him. After blinking away the surprise, his glare softened, though his hold didn’t waver. 

“Zhi Ji?” He whispered, voice breaking and strained from all of the previous screaming and crying he had done. 

“I didn’t mean to intrude. Please forgive this one's rudeness. I just couldn’t not come and check when I heard the commotion from outside.” Zhi Yu’s voice was placating. He relaxed further into the floorboards, wanting the other to not feel any kind of negativity or danger coming from him.

Jiehong now loosely held the other’s hands but was not applying enough force to make them remain there. He furrowed his brows in thought.

“Commotion?” He whispered, before seeming to realise the state of where he was and what he was doing. His brain finally caught up to his previous actions, eyes shooting wide open as he stumbled back, falling to the floor and catching himself on his hands as a string of apologies. 

“I… I’m so sorry… I thought you were…” He shook his head. “My apologies… truly… I…”

Zhi Yu cut the other off, sitting up and moving to stand before extending a hand to help the other stand. 

“It is alright, your highness. I understand you were upset, and it was rather rude of me to touch you when you were in such a fragile state.” His other hand rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

Jiehong glanced at the hand offered to him, before taking it in a light grasp and standing. He knew he must look like a mess. Hair  having fallen from the updo it was in, strewn messily across his shoulders. Cheeks red and covered with tear stains. His throat was sore, a swallow confirmed to him how much he must have been screaming. He was embarrassed and did not know what to say. He decided focusing on why the other was there in the first place would be a good start. His hands gestured to a seat nearby the low table.

“Please sit. I shall make some tea.” He spoke through a shaky voice, then moved to prepare tea for his guest, his sore throat, and his nerves.

Zhi Yu smiled softly, before following the other’s instructions. He lowered himself onto a nearby cushion, resting his forearms on the table before turning his gaze back to the other. He watched the other move around the kitchen, erratic  yet no less graceful to the other man.  Jiehong’s slender fingers grasped various objects, moving shakily and yet efficiently. His long legs only shifted when necessary, each step precisely placed. It was almost like watching a performance of sorts, one which Zhi Yu felt honoured to witness. 

For a long while, the only sounds to be heard were the slight brushes of cloth as Jiehong moved about the area. The soft drip, drip, drip of water was poured, the quiet sound of a crackling fire heated the teapot hanging above the open flame, and soft intakes of breath emanated from the men. Jiehong fetched a tray, placing two small cups and the teapot in the centre before turning to face the other. He paused for a moment, just to note the slight look of contentment present on the other's face, before continuing his journey to the table. He moved the sleeve to his robe out of the way as he placed a cup in front of the other, moving to pour his tea, graceful in this motion as he was in everything. 

“Thank you,” Zhi Yu murmured softly, a genuine call of thanks as he watched the other pour for himself, wishing to be able to do it for the man instead. 

A soft hum of agreement paired with a small tilt of the head as Jiehong sat and brought his own cup up to his lips, inhaling to smell the soothing and slightly medicinal scent of the tea, before taking a small sip. A soft sigh left him after the action. He seemed invigorated by the drink, and placed his cup back on the table before finally meeting the other’s eyes once more.

Zhi Yu had been watching the other, forgetting to try his own, only doing so to give him a brief reprieve from those eyes. When the taste hit his tongue, he was filled with a sense of calm. Calmness: such an emotion he rarely got to feel. This moment between the two reminded him of their first meeting, and a small smile pulled at his lips from the memory. 

Jiehong tilted his head, curious to know what the other was thinking. He decided to break the silence, wishing for something to fill the stagnant air. Something that wasn’t his own distress. “Why are you here?” he questioned softly.

Zhi Yu glanced up at the other, a small chuckle falling from him before he raises a slightly teasing brow. 

“Not excited to see me, your highness?” 

Jiehong’s eyes widened as he registered the others' words. 

“No! That's not what I meant at all! Just not many people visit me… so… it is rather unusual, not that I'm not thankful. I am just-” He cut himself off, frustrated at the embarrassment coursing through him, at the words spilling from his lips. The other did not need to know he had no one. He didn’t wish to be pitied.

Zhi Yu puts him out of his misery, filling in the silence before it becomes too thick. 

“I enjoyed spending time with you before.” He reached into his robes and pulled out what looked like a small pouch. “And I thought you may enjoy planting these.”

Jiehong looks wide eyed at the pouch, glancing at the other before reached for it. He opened it with slender fingers, a small gasp of air falling from slightly parted lips as he noted the sunflower seeds present. 

“These… I…” He looks at the other man, unable to stop tears from welling in his eyes. “Will you… plant them with me?” He whispered, in awe of what the other was offering. No magically enhanced flowers that he couldn’t take care of. But sunflowers, which were hardy and able to survive in limited weather conditions, hand planted… he could have them grow.

Zhi Yu smiled widely, moving to place a hand softly on top of the other’s. “It would be my honour.” He spoke earnestly, happy the other had offered and excited for the prospect of getting to once again share this with the other man. It had, after all, seemed to be a forgotten memory for one of them.