Waking up was not a pleasant experience for Jiehong. He could feel each sore spot within his body. The limited power he did have coursing through his meridians seemed to be just as stunted and injured as he was. He hated feeling weak. These days, he often found himself injured or hurt and had grown accustomed to piecing himself back together. After all, there was never anybody around to do so for him. 

His eyes felt just as heavy as the rest of him as he fought to open them. He was not in a rush; he knew that, but he also wished to no longer lay in this position. He needed to get back to the others.

His light emerald eyes shot open. Though his body was still unable to move, his eyes darted around to to take in his surroundings. He needed to make sure the others were okay. He knew the Empress would have potentially killed the two when she found them here. The thought made his eyes well up as he fought harder to make his body move. While his hands twitched and back attempted to arc, he found himself stuck. Something appeared to be holding him back from being able to move very much. Had the Empress really done such a number on him?  Eventually, he managed to move a hand, placing it on the hard floor… The floor’s temperature made him freeze. The floor wouldn’t be warm. His fingers twitched against the surface as he tried to move his head to inspect the surface he was currently touching. 

“You should stay still Your Highness.” A deep and yet familiar voice rang out from above him. 

“Zhi Ji?” Jiehong’s small trembling voice uttered almost in disbelief as he felt strong hands manoeuvring him. When he came face to face with the other man, his eyes widened. He took in the frown on the other's face and his mind only had a single thought: somehow, the man who kept visiting was alright. The Empress hadn’t taken him, hadn’t hurt him or killed him.  Tears ran down the God’s pale face as he managed to gather the strength to bury himself into the other man. He didn’t fully consider the position the two were in, nor the way  Zhi Yu’s eyes widened as Jiehong moved into him, sobs pouring from parted lips as the God’s tears hit the other’s shoulder. 

Zhi Yu was stunned and concerned by Jiehong’s actions. Was the God, perhaps, in more pain than he had thought. His eyes darted over the hunched figure that clutched him so tightly. He tried and failed to understand what may be causing Jieong to break down in this way. “Your Highness…” 

“Y-you didn’t leave. She didn’t hurt you. Thank goodness.” Jiehong rambled and tightened his arms around the other as he nuzzled further into his warmth. He was able to ignore his own injuries as a resounding sense of relief fell over him. 

Zhi Yu’s face softened in realisation.  “Of course Your Highness, I am safe.” He allowed his arms to tighten ever so slightly around the God until Jiehong was cradled in his arms, hands rubbing soothing patterns wherever he could reach. “You are safe now too,” Zhi Yu assured him. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to just feel Jiehong beside him and to rest in the knowledge that the God was in fact safe and in his arms. 

“I… oh God… I thought you were dead,” Jiehong admitted, fearfully pulling back to look at the other’s face. “But she didn’t find you… how? I… wait, where's Jinzha?” Realising the absence of the hound, Jiehong turned away from the other to look around. 

Zhi Yu moved his hand gently, cupping the God’s chin and turning his face back before he had the chance to see the state of his temple. “Jinzha is alright, she’s asleep in the corner.” 

“Oh…” Jiehong exhaled in relief, then let his green eyes focus, like a forest burning, into the slate grey ones before him. He flushed, sensing the heat in the room and shifted his weight between each foot. 

“Ngh!” 

All of a sudden, a clipped grunt fell from the Demon’s lips. Thinking that he had inadvertently hurt the other, Jieong tried once more to move but found the hands on his hips holding him still. Zhi Yu’s grey eyes held a glint of something he couldn’t name. “Don’t move.” 

Jiehong glanced down, noting for the first time the position that the two were in. Jiehong sat sideways across Zhi Yu’s lap, cradled in his arms. He blinked twice to process the realisation before flushing a bright crimson. “I- sorry…”.

Zhi Yu tightened his hands, as if anticipating that the God would once more try to move away.  “It is alright, Your Highness. Please, stay still. I have not yet been able to attend to your wounds.” He spoke with an air of authority and care that made Jiehong do as he said. 

“Oh… I.. of course.” Jiehong became rigid in the other's lap, nervously trying not to move as the other had asked of him. However, doing so took most of his focus that he missed the other’s actions and movements. 

Zhi Yu shifted slightly, moving to rest his hands gently on the belt holding the other man’s robes. He paused, moving to look up at the other and startling slightly when he came nose to nose with him. The Demon swallowed deeply, unable to take his eyes off of the God’s. 

Having felt the other man shift, Jiehong startled, moving to sit up more and turning to look at the other, his mouth open in a question of what the other was doing, but no words escaped as he found himself nose to nose with the man in question. 

Zhi Yu flushed slightly, inhaled deeply, and glanced away for a moment as he asked, “May I? I wish to check over your injuries. I can try to do so with you remaining fully clothed but it may be harder for me to help you.” He spoke calmly though his mind was anything but.

Jiehong cleared his throat, glancing down to his belt as he nodded. “Yes, you may. Thank you.” His voice was but a breath as he watched the other’s hands closely. Zhi Yu’s hands were larger than his own, pale and oddly beautiful. They were quick and efficient in their work to remove the belt and untie the knot holding his outer and inner robes closed. He let out a slight shiver as they loosened around him, making some of the colder air hit his skin. 

Zhi Yu was unable to take his eyes off of the small sliver of skin now peeking through His Highness’s robes. He moved his hands away from the now opened belt. Though he’d been given permission, he hesitated to completely remove the rest of Jiehong’s robes. Zhi Yu wanted to ask him to remove them, but the question got stuck in his throat. Instead, his attention was taken by the movement of the other’s hands, small and delicate, as they shifted to open the robe in its entirety. Pale skin shined in the dim light as it was revealed by the two layers falling from shoulders to pile around Jiehong’s hips. 

Jiehong was nervous, even more so than before, as the robes fell from his body. He ached to reach out and put them back on, but he knew it was in his own best interest to allow the other to check over his injuries first. 

Zhi Yu’s eyes followed the skin, trailing over the slight muscle and definition he could see, trying to ignore the rosy buds now on display. His gaze however turned from lustful and worshipping to pinched and angry as it landed on the purple bruising across the God’s ribs. The speckles of colour stood out against the ivory skin. Without thinking, he reached out a hand to softly trace the area, a furrow in his brow. 

Jiehong noticed the darkened look in the other’s eyes, and let out a light hiss as hands connected with his tender skin. Jiehong grabbed the hand currently tracing the bruised area, and automatically brought it to his lips. To his own surprise, he placed a soft, barely there kiss to the palm before looking over at the other. “I am alright, it looks worse than it feels Zhi Yu.”. 

Zhi Yu’s eyes widened as the other spoke his name. He’d never called himself that in front of Jiehong… unless… was he remembering? Zhi Yu did not have long to ponder this before the man was hunched in on himself a hiss falling from him as his hands sprung up to cover his head. He was in obvious pain. 

“I…” Jiehong tried but was unable to say anything more. He closed his eyes against the pain now lancing through his head, hands pulling slightly at his hair as he was overtaken.