They met in secret again, the location and time of their rendezvous ever changing. This time it was a small forest near the border separating the kingdoms of Wei and Shu. The forest was quiet and they had come when the moon was brightest, yet still Zhao Yun felt anxiousness gnawing at his insides. It was an unpleasant feeling, to be with your loved one yet still feel this way.

“My lord, we must be more cautious- if we are found out, we may be killed,” the young warrior warned anxiously, his lover only smoothly raising an eyebrow in reply.

“You are with the king of Wei. What could go wrong?” the Wei commander replies haughtily, the confident smirk of his unwavering, never wavering.

Zhao Yun found that confidence reckless, yet it was what had attracted him to the man.

Even so.... the young warrior bit his lip.

Noticing Zhao Yun's apprehension, the Wei emperor took his hand, landing a light kiss on his knuckles.“You worry too much, my dear Zilong. No one ever visits this forest- we are safe.”

Zhao Yun’s heart squeezed at the intimacy in Cao Pi’s voice and the endearing term chosen just for him.

The ice-cold emperor smiled, the rare facial expression sending Zhao Yun’s heartbeat into a frenzy. “Now come here…” Cao Pi murmured, pulling the other into his arms, his hands gently resting on Zhao Yun’s waist as he brought their lips together.

Zhao Yun immediately abandoned all of the worries he possessed, lost in his lover’s warmth.

-----------

Their relationship had sprung in full bloom last Spring.

There was no confession. No words were spoken. They were the only ones in battle, the cold steel of their weaponry gleaming under the light of the moon.

Cao Pi’s ice-cold eyes had pierced his heart, but Zhao Yun found he could not look away.

As if wound by a spring, they both moved at the same time, running towards each other across the sparse battlefield. Their weapons met and they fought, their weapons clashing again and again and again, the metallic sounds ringing throughout the battlefield.

As expected, he was a tough opponent. He skilfully evaded Zhao Yun’s thrusts and struck back at opportune times with his dual-blade. He took risky spins and hits, all to get closer to Zhao Yun. It made the young warrior’s heart flutter.

Suddenly, Cao Pi smirked. Or was it more of a smile?

The young dragon’s eyes widened, his grip loosening on his spear.

All of a sudden, the tables had been turned. The Wei officer had him pinned against the ground, his blade stabbed into the ground beside his head.

Zhao Yun had dropped his spear long ago.

The other leaned in and before he knew it, they were kissing, the Shu officer moving his hands behind Cao Pi’s head to grasp tightly onto his hair, pushing them even closer.

Cao Pi muffled the Shu officer’s moans with his mouth, his tongue skilfully tasting every inch of the other’s warmth.

The world was quiet- it felt like time had stopped just for them.

Zhao Yun never wanted this moment to end.