( A wise answer. Fu Xuan thinks Jing Yuan is many things, and some of them not particularly kind, but she would be the first to admit that he possesses a keen insight and understanding not only with regards to the Luofu but also with himself. Know thyself, she muses, though her favorable view of the General is shattered with his word -- check? Again?
She splutters. )
What, how--
( Getting to her feet, Fu Xuan peers over the board, seeking what she might have missed. )
[ He doesn’t mean it unkindly; he values her the way she is, has taken her advice into consideration more than once, advice he knows comes as a blend of her heart and her head. But in matters of war, that kind of distraction can get your men killed. ]
Starchess is a battle, perhaps not fought with blades and starskiffs, but a battle all the same. You must not let your opponent get into your mind. That way lies, at best, defeat. And at worst…
[ He trails off, memory clouding his eyes, and he feels every second of his age, the crushing weight of it all on his shoulders. ]
At worst, that way lies death for everyone you love.
( For all that the General attempts to downplay his achievements with the High Cloud Quintet given the disaster that followed, Fu Xuan is familiar with the stories enough to know how much it weighs upon him even though he played no real part in the drama that unfolded. But their absence, what he had to do to his master--
Fu Xuan fled her ship because she couldn't bear the thought of killing her own teacher and in doing so, doomed him. She has committed what would amount as a war crime by any galactic standard with the man in front of her because they both agreed the victory was worth the cost.
He has made many, many calls like that, she knows -- and it is a miracle he is not marastruck. How can one man bear the weight of all that and not collapse underneath it all? How stubborn of him. )
Hmph. ( Fu Xuan settles on, for lack of anything else to say. ) Then I am glad for the schooling here, rather than on the field of battle.
[ What else can he do but trudge on? He is the last of that legacy, the living line between 'before' and 'after', the only one left with no price to pay. Or so his master says.
But what is this burden of his but the price of living with the regret of doing nothing? He cannot turn Marastruck. He has to carry the memories of those who came before into the future.
As quick as it came, the storm clouding his vision dissipates, and he closes his eyes to smile at her. ]
( Ugh. How is it that Jing Yuan can make all of the kind feelings she has for him vanish in short order? She suspects that he allows himself to get close but not too close, never too genuine, with most others to protect himself, but it's horrifically annoying when faced with it.
Not that Fu Xuan has much experience with genuine connection, but that is simply because she prefers her work. Which she excels at, and is needed by all of the Luofu to perform to the best of her ability. There is satisfaction to be had in finding the way forward, and while Fu Xuan never forgets the lives she must weigh -- she remains confident and sure that the decisions she makes are for the best of them all.
She glowers at him, arms crossed in front of her. )
I can simply see that there are no moves with which I can win. What use is there in dragging out my downfall? One would think you a sadist, Jing Yuan, for suggesting as much.
For a moment Fu Xuan can only stare at Jing Yuan. She can feel a redness creep up her neck, her cheeks, her ears at the implications of what he's saying. That's ridiculous. He's being insufferable! )
That's-- I mean, that is to say-- ( Later, she'll say that it's only because she's flustered that she's not watching her words. That she even allows what she says to be said at all. Because it is embarrassing, it is untoward and unprofessional and only because he's smiling at her like that. ) That would not be the thing I would like you to do!
[ The phrasing doesn't go unmissed. He's even amused by it, his smile only growing a little more like that, and his gaze drops to her lips before he tilts his head to the side for a moment, considering.
He's had many lovers, over the millennium. In his youth, he'd even fallen in love a few times, but his place within the High Cloud Quintet, and his subsequent promotion to General left little time for men or women outside of his bed. After a time, bedmates were all he began seeking out, with the understanding between all parties that it was to remain as such. He doesn't like breaking hearts, but it's unavoidable sometimes when you're dealing with them and the people they're attached to, and he knows he has a handful of scorned ex lovers out among the stars. In more recent years, he's refused to take any at all. He doesn't have the time, and if he's being more honest with himself, as the years pass the ache of what he lost so long ago weighs on him more and more. It would be nothing more than a temporary bandage over a gaping wound.
But she's always fascinated him, ever since they day she came into his office and presented a plan so bold it could only go right. He'd watched her with keen interest bordering on actual attraction since then, and when she'd risen to the seat of Master Diviner, he'd been secretly pleased because that meant he could spend more time with her and her caustic barbs. Time and opportunity and exhaustion had kept him from reaching out to gauge her interest — and now here she is, with the just barely implict suggestion that she might be interested.
It's because he likes her that he does what he does next, risky as it is. But, he thinks, as he leans forward to brush at a drop of coffee resting on her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, she won't stop him. His touch is gentle and slow, the feel of her soft skin against his sending pinpricks down his spine. He draws back and closes his eyes, licking the moisture from his thumb. ]
I wonder, Master Diviner, [ he says, his voice pitched lower with faint desire, ] if you would taste so sweet?
( Fu Xuan needs a moment to try not to lick her lips in a mirror of the path his finger took. She swears she can still feel it, the warmth and slight roughness of his fingertip. This is a wildly different turn the evening has taken, and one she is struggling to make sense of, because -- how? Why? There are no doubt a great many people on the Luofu alone who would be a better match for Jing Yuan, would there not?
That she finds something stirring in her chest, low in her belly, is a fact she is decidedly ignoring. The General is handsome enough -- she has eyes -- and Fu Xuan is capable of admiring the strength within him, even if he is the source of a great many headaches. But none of that makes sense as to why he's turned his eyes on her.
Fu Xuan knows that she is many things: the best diviner the Luofu has ever seen, the woman to become the next General, and someone who does not, admittedly, have or want much experience aside from her job and raison d'etre. And yet here he is, making his interest in her clear, and Fu Xuan does not know how to respond.
She needs-- she needs a drink. Desperately, to wet her suddenly dry throat. )
I-- that is not related to the subject we were discussing.
( It's not exactly true, but it gives her time to drink another, longer sip of her coffee. To help bring down the heat she can feel radiate off her face at the thought of his voice pitched that low, with want lanced through it. )
[ He won’t give her the chance to speak after she’s done with her drink — he leans forward over the board as she pulls the straw from her lips and grasps her by the chin, tilting her face towards his, parting her lips with his own and pressing his tongue inside her mouth. He keeps his touch firm, but not forceful — she can pull away if she’s so inclined, and he’s almost expecting her to. But the longer she stays, the deeper he presses, his kiss gentle, if needy.
It’s apparent she’s never been kissed before, and he moves his lips and tongue to coax and teach her, moving to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth when he’s satisfied she understands his intentions, tracing her jaw with his lips to her ear. ]
My apologies, [ he says in a low rumble. ] You were telling me what you would have me do.
[ He pulls back into his seat, legs spread — he’s trying not to look smug, but it’s hard not to when you’ve stolen something you’ve been plotting to get your hands on for a while. He can’t help the gaze that drops down her body to her chest and back up to her face, resting his head on his fist, elbow on his knee, tongue darting out to catch the remaining taste of her drink on his lips. ] I wouldn’t mind hearing it, if you’d like to tell me.
( Any thought of protest dies as quickly as it comes. Jing Yuan is direct, given his breadth of experience next to her lack, but the ease at which he kisses her, directs her, is not to be downplayed. Fu Xuan has always been a quick learner. And, after her hands spend too long simply doing nothing, Fu Xuan brings them to grip the front of his clothes, twisting into the fabric.
The warmth of his lips, the sheer presence of having his attention turned onto her, is enough to make her heart race, heat spreading through her and making want curl up from the core of her. Fu Xuan -- if she were a lesser woman -- may have found herself weak in the face of it. But she is not. She doesn't quiver, or shake, or whatever the women in the stories she's read do when he pulls away. Instead she feels flush all over, knows that she is various shades of pink and red, but does not find it in her to be ashamed of it. Not when he's looking at her like that, as if she's the most desirable thing on the Luofu in this moment.
Instead she huffs once she's gotten enough of her breath back to do so. )
I may have to readjust my desires in light of certain developments and a sudden... broadening of my horizons.
( Fu Xuan considers her options, what path forward would be best to take, to lead for the optimal outcome. It is a quick calculation, and why she gets to her feet. Not to leave, but instead to reposition herself between his legs. And then she reaches for Jing Yuan again, using all of the strength given to her to pull him forward and kiss him once more. )
[ She doesn’t have to use all her strength — he’s watching her with the expression of a pleased cat as she gets up and moves to him, and when she grabs him he goes easily, meeting her aggression with his own and then some. One hand presses to the small of her back, her skin hit against his palm and the other grabs her ass, lifting her up as he settles back into his seat, draping her across his lap. He squeezes her bottom, his touch firm, sliding his palm down her thigh and then up her skirt, coming to rest just under her hip, at the waist of her tights.
He presses his mouth to her neck as his other hand skims under the cut out in her dress, and he hums as he realizes — ]
Nothing underneath?
[ It’s actual surprise, murmured against her skin, and he presses forward until his fingers reach her nipple, pinching the soft skin there. He moves his lower hand between her legs and brushes against her clit, pulling back to speak against her lips. ]
( He just-- Fu Xuan's surprised sound at how easily Jing Yuan can simply pick her up is muffled by the back of her own hand, the other coming to rest on his shoulder. She's overwhelmed by him, the press of his hands -- she can feel the warmth that radiates from him even through her clothes. Is this, she wonders, what the enemies of the Luofu feel, moments before combat, with the great weight of the General bearing down on them?
Doubtless she will be as consumed by him as their enemies. Yet the thought does not inspire fear, but desire -- she wants it as much as she has wanted anything. Her head falls back, fingers moving from his shoulder to his hair, keeping his head there with a soft sound of want.
Flustered, Fu Xuan attempts to defend herself even as all of her tightens at the pinch, trying to swallow the sound. She nearly succeeds until his hand brushes against her clit -- she jerks at that, exhaling a sound that sounds so wanton she'll be embarrassed about it later. )
Must you tease even now?
( She tries to make it sound chastising, but fails, the deep flush of her cheeks betraying her. )
[ He huffs against her mouth, teasing her just a little more before moving his hand back up to her hip. He continues teasing at her nipple, though, his touch growing lazy and slow, tilting his head to the side to watch her face. ]
This isn't teasing, Master Diviner. This is foreplay.
[ He leans down to kiss her again, nuzzling at her nose with his mouth before he pulls away enough to speak. ]
You still haven't answered my question, you know. What do you want me to do? Tell me.
[ As he speaks, he teases at the waistband of her tights before sliding his hand inside, trailing his fingers over her underwear, following the same slow circles of his other hand. ]
( It is teasing, no matter what he might claim. Her nipples harden under his touch, her breath hitching with every brush of his hand. It isn't that she is unaware of physical pleasure, but she is unexperienced in the realities of it; a fact he can no doubt tell just from a handful of kisses and a few touches. She feels woefully out of her depth but--
Jing Yuan will not let her drown.
Fu Xuan gathers her strength to breathe out an answer, as distracted and delirious as she feels. )
Touch me, Jing Yuan. And cease your teasing.
( Her hips shift into his touch, seeking something, anything, that he will give her. )
[ His expression changes as she presses into his hand, not quite serious but less lazy than it had been. He stops playing with her nipple, the fingers of his lower hand teasing at the seam of her underwear where it meets her inner thigh, sliding one finger underneath to stroke the skin there. It’s one thing to tease her and kiss her; she can walk away from this now without any regret. It’s another still to bring her to climax, and he won’t even entertain the thought of taking her first here in his office. She deserves better than that, and she deserves to have the choice when he isn’t teasing her and she can think straight.
So he waits a moment, giving her a chance to uncloud her mind, watching her face as he asks: ] Are you certain? I will harbor no ill will if you wish to stop here.
( There is a moment where Fu Xuan wants to berate him for stopping. What sort of partner is he supposed to be, giving her the promise of more only to to pull it away from her right when she demands what she she wants. Scowling, she tries to pull him back to kiss her, but finds him unmoving. And, as the waves of lust and desire pull back, she finds herself grateful for it -- the chance to tell him what she wants without the confusing haze of want.
Fu Xuan shifts, and then: ) I am. Though I appreciate your restraint and your concern. Though I do wish to know what you had in mind, so that I am adequately prepared.
( And while she doesn't doubt that she will eventually want everything he has to offer, it... may be wise to agree to the things they do and do not want at this point in time. )
[ He waits, after she stops speaking, still watching her face, and when he’s satisfied that she’s truly given her answer, he nods, tilting his head to the side, his lazy smile returning. He won’t have anything be unclear between them — he wants to know what she wants, what she’s feeling, wants to give her anything she asks for.
(Yes, even the title of General. But she’s not ready yet.)
Jing Yuan considers his next words carefully, resuming his teasing touch at her thighs, speaking casually but with an air of desire, his voice low and heavy. ] Right now, Master Diviner, I want to please you. I want to see you unwound, and I would hear you gasp my name as I bring you to release. And, if you so wish it, I would bring you to bed and I would please you there as well, with my lips and with my cock. And then, Lady Fu…
[ He brushes her face with his fingers, and just for a moment, he’s vulnerable, going quiet. ] I would like to continue to court you, if you would continue to have me.
( Well aware of what is involved in sexual intercourse means that none of his words should shock her, but the low timber of his voice has a part of her that he has so deftly unlocked trembling with an ache she has little experience with. The words paint a deft picture; a hand curling into his shoulder, bunching the fabric there at the thought. He wants to take her to bed, he--
He what? )
Court me?
( While her expression is clearly shocked, there is not an ounce of revulsion or distaste at the idea. It was just... she had never considered the possibility. Not only of General Jing Yuan courting her, but of anyone desiring to do such a thing at all. Fu Xuan had made up her mind long ago that she was in no position to seek it out, but now that it had been delivered gently and delicately into her lap-- )
Ahem. ( She clears her throat, trying her best to look as if he hadn't just taken her completely by surprise. ) That is to say if that is what you wish, I have no objections. Quite the opposite.
[ Is the idea so shocking?, he wants to ask while she looks at him surprised, his eyes clouding over. But it leaves as quick as it came at the clearing of her throat, and there's a warmth that starts to radiate out of his chest at her words, his fingers carefully brushing at her folds. ]
It is, Lady Fu. If that is what you wish. And, as you say you have no objections...
[ He brushes their noses together, before kissing her softly, pressing his middle finger just enough inside her so he can feel her slick warmth. ] Then we can consider this the beginning. [ He presses in just a little further, careful not to hurt her. ]
And if you want me to stop, you are to tell me. If it hurts, you are to tell me. If you simply don't like it, you are to tell me. It is no pleasure for me if it isn't for you.
( What would being courted by the Divine Foresight even include? Fu Xuan supposes she could divine her own future, to see how it begins and ends, but she fully lacks the desire to do so. To feel trapped by their fates and destiny... she does not want that, in this matter. Not when he kisses her softly, and she can feel her body relaxing at his touch.
Long has she admired Jing Yuan. Desired his position, and enjoyed his company, no matter the headache it may have left with her. None of that prepares her for the care with which he slides his finger in, promises to respect her wishes and desires.
Fu Xuan can feel her body tighten with a soft sound of discomfort, the intrusion gentle but still foreign enough that it takes her a moment to breathe and relax through it, the scrunch of her face slowly falling into one dominated by pleasure with the further press of his finger. )
( Her hands fist in his clothes, and she tilts her head up to kiss him again. His lips are warm, warmer than she can remember anything being, and as soft and gentle as the care he displays. It is a strange thing, to know the strength that lies within him, and be on the end of the kindness that he radiates. )
[ It had been difficult not to notice her, mostly because she’d marched into the Seat that night, full of determination and a fire that she was on the right path. Calling down the Reignbow Arbiter? Their best chance at survival? But she was so sure that he knew not trusting her would fail. But he couldn’t set her up for disaster; no, should anything happen, he would take responsibility.
His faith in her had been solidified when it had worked, and she’d taken up a space in his mind he had long thought closed.
He’d wanted to kiss her then, and so he kissed her now, pulling his hand out of her dress to reach up and pull out the load bearing pins in her hair, tossing them onto the board and tangling his fingers in it. Its softer than he’d thought, fragrant with her soap. He works his lower hand carefully, pressing in and out, going just a little deeper each time, slowing down if she seems uncomfortable, moving faster when she doesn’t. When he reaches the palm of his hand, he pulls out all the way and starts over with two, listening to the sounds she’s making, moving with her as she adjusts her weight so she’s comfortable. When he’s able to get both fingers all the way in, he pulls out again, this time to press his wet fingers to her clit, curling them in soft circles. He doesn’t intend to rush it, but he doesn’t want to take his time either — he wants to hear her, so he can remember it when he touches himself later, when he’s alone. ]
You don’t need to be quiet, Fu Xuan. It’s just us.
( Fu Xuan's head spins. It isn't an unpleasant feeling -- she is used to cataloguing input from multiple sources and sorting it quickly and with ease -- but that is with divination, not... not physical pleasure. She feels overwhelmed, as if all of her is heavy and tight with want. Fu Xuan is aware of her own body's responses and needs well enough, but experimenting alone hardly compares to what Jing Yuan is doing now.
Her hand goes to fist tighter in his clothes, the other to muffle the sounds that escape her. They are, she assumes, quite embarrassing. Soft groans that turn louder with every deeper press of a finger, merging into moans when he presses two fingers into her -- her eyes fluttering closed as she fights against the urge to simply let go. It is tempting, but she has spent so much of her adult life proving she belongs where she is, that any shortcomings one might consider her having are unjustified, in error. But Jing Yuan pulls her from her thoughts with surprising ease and grace.
Perhaps not so surprising, given his breadth of experience and general dispostion.
It's when his fingers press against her clit that she jerks into his hand, biting down on her lip hard enough to bruise with the strength to keep from crying out. And then Jing Yuan encourages her -- he wants to hear her? )
You-- ( It takes her a long moment for her to remove her hand from over her mouth, sliding it into the hair at the nape of his neck. She feels unmoored, her own hair lose and cascading down her back. ) Jing Yuan. ( Softly at first, and she leans forward enough to rest her forehead against his chest, hoping that shielding herself from his gaze will let her forget the intensity of it for long enough to let herself go.
It works, for the next press of his hands against her clit has her crying out louder, a sharp bark of his name. ) Jing Yuan!
[ Ah. Well, perhaps someday he’ll get to see her face during. He curls his fingers against her through her climax and pulls away when he’s sure she’s rode through it,sliding his hand back down to the small of her back, tacky with her cum. Brushing his fingers through her hair, he leans down to press a soft kiss to the top of her head before pulling back and tilting her chin up to look at him, tilting his head to the side. He’s back to that cat like grin, though he isn’t trying to be smug about it, this time.
But then again, how can he not be? It’s always worth feeling proud about making a partner feel good, especially one you’ve been thinking about in your sleep for a long time. He presses a soft kiss to her forehead, above her Omniscia, and then another to her mouth. ]
( The flush of her cheeks isn't all due to embarrassment, the hotness of her desire still lingering in them. It only intensifies as he kisses her, gently raises her head so he can look at her -- there's a warmth in her chest that has nothing to do with her climax and everything to do with who brought her to that point. She does not indulge in affection, not with her job and her goals -- a lofty ambition must match her willingness to earn her place. And yet...
Fu Xuan exhales, allowing herself to breathe. )
Yes. ( The hand that was clutching at him so tightly finally unclenches, and she reaches out to cup his cheek. He seems so large by comparison, and not simply because she is so small; there is a presence to Jing Yuan that makes anyone take notice of him, to want the pleasure of his gaze. And now she has it, and it is as equal parts arousing as it is terrifying. ) You said-- you said you wished to court me, if I would allow it?
( She must make sure of it before she gives him her answer once more. )
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She splutters. )
What, how--
( Getting to her feet, Fu Xuan peers over the board, seeking what she might have missed. )
[ He doesn’t mean it unkindly; he values her the way she is, has taken her advice into consideration more than once, advice he knows comes as a blend of her heart and her head. But in matters of war, that kind of distraction can get your men killed. ]
Starchess is a battle, perhaps not fought with blades and starskiffs, but a battle all the same. You must not let your opponent get into your mind. That way lies, at best, defeat. And at worst…
[ He trails off, memory clouding his eyes, and he feels every second of his age, the crushing weight of it all on his shoulders. ]
At worst, that way lies death for everyone you love.
Fu Xuan fled her ship because she couldn't bear the thought of killing her own teacher and in doing so, doomed him. She has committed what would amount as a war crime by any galactic standard with the man in front of her because they both agreed the victory was worth the cost.
He has made many, many calls like that, she knows -- and it is a miracle he is not marastruck. How can one man bear the weight of all that and not collapse underneath it all? How stubborn of him. )
Hmph. ( Fu Xuan settles on, for lack of anything else to say. ) Then I am glad for the schooling here, rather than on the field of battle.
But what is this burden of his but the price of living with the regret of doing nothing? He cannot turn Marastruck. He has to carry the memories of those who came before into the future.
As quick as it came, the storm clouding his vision dissipates, and he closes his eyes to smile at her. ]
Admitting defeat so soon?
Not that Fu Xuan has much experience with genuine connection, but that is simply because she prefers her work. Which she excels at, and is needed by all of the Luofu to perform to the best of her ability. There is satisfaction to be had in finding the way forward, and while Fu Xuan never forgets the lives she must weigh -- she remains confident and sure that the decisions she makes are for the best of them all.
She glowers at him, arms crossed in front of her. )
I can simply see that there are no moves with which I can win. What use is there in dragging out my downfall? One would think you a sadist, Jing Yuan, for suggesting as much.
[ He opens his eyes at that, momentarily shocked before it passes into his normal content, if closed off, countenance. ]
Well, if you're sure. Though I take no pleasure in the pain of others.
[ He smiles at her again, though there's something a little more to it this time. ]
Unless, of course, you'd like me to to.
Edited 2024-04-22 03:06 pm (UTC)
For a moment Fu Xuan can only stare at Jing Yuan. She can feel a redness creep up her neck, her cheeks, her ears at the implications of what he's saying. That's ridiculous. He's being insufferable! )
That's-- I mean, that is to say-- ( Later, she'll say that it's only because she's flustered that she's not watching her words. That she even allows what she says to be said at all. Because it is embarrassing, it is untoward and unprofessional and only because he's smiling at her like that. ) That would not be the thing I would like you to do!
He's had many lovers, over the millennium. In his youth, he'd even fallen in love a few times, but his place within the High Cloud Quintet, and his subsequent promotion to General left little time for men or women outside of his bed. After a time, bedmates were all he began seeking out, with the understanding between all parties that it was to remain as such. He doesn't like breaking hearts, but it's unavoidable sometimes when you're dealing with them and the people they're attached to, and he knows he has a handful of scorned ex lovers out among the stars. In more recent years, he's refused to take any at all. He doesn't have the time, and if he's being more honest with himself, as the years pass the ache of what he lost so long ago weighs on him more and more. It would be nothing more than a temporary bandage over a gaping wound.
But she's always fascinated him, ever since they day she came into his office and presented a plan so bold it could only go right. He'd watched her with keen interest bordering on actual attraction since then, and when she'd risen to the seat of Master Diviner, he'd been secretly pleased because that meant he could spend more time with her and her caustic barbs. Time and opportunity and exhaustion had kept him from reaching out to gauge her interest — and now here she is, with the just barely implict suggestion that she might be interested.
It's because he likes her that he does what he does next, risky as it is. But, he thinks, as he leans forward to brush at a drop of coffee resting on her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, she won't stop him. His touch is gentle and slow, the feel of her soft skin against his sending pinpricks down his spine. He draws back and closes his eyes, licking the moisture from his thumb. ]
I wonder, Master Diviner, [ he says, his voice pitched lower with faint desire, ] if you would taste so sweet?
Edited 2024-04-23 04:37 am (UTC)
That she finds something stirring in her chest, low in her belly, is a fact she is decidedly ignoring. The General is handsome enough -- she has eyes -- and Fu Xuan is capable of admiring the strength within him, even if he is the source of a great many headaches. But none of that makes sense as to why he's turned his eyes on her.
Fu Xuan knows that she is many things: the best diviner the Luofu has ever seen, the woman to become the next General, and someone who does not, admittedly, have or want much experience aside from her job and raison d'etre. And yet here he is, making his interest in her clear, and Fu Xuan does not know how to respond.
She needs-- she needs a drink. Desperately, to wet her suddenly dry throat. )
I-- that is not related to the subject we were discussing.
( It's not exactly true, but it gives her time to drink another, longer sip of her coffee. To help bring down the heat she can feel radiate off her face at the thought of his voice pitched that low, with want lanced through it. )
It’s apparent she’s never been kissed before, and he moves his lips and tongue to coax and teach her, moving to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth when he’s satisfied she understands his intentions, tracing her jaw with his lips to her ear. ]
My apologies, [ he says in a low rumble. ] You were telling me what you would have me do.
[ He pulls back into his seat, legs spread — he’s trying not to look smug, but it’s hard not to when you’ve stolen something you’ve been plotting to get your hands on for a while. He can’t help the gaze that drops down her body to her chest and back up to her face, resting his head on his fist, elbow on his knee, tongue darting out to catch the remaining taste of her drink on his lips. ] I wouldn’t mind hearing it, if you’d like to tell me.
The warmth of his lips, the sheer presence of having his attention turned onto her, is enough to make her heart race, heat spreading through her and making want curl up from the core of her. Fu Xuan -- if she were a lesser woman -- may have found herself weak in the face of it. But she is not. She doesn't quiver, or shake, or whatever the women in the stories she's read do when he pulls away. Instead she feels flush all over, knows that she is various shades of pink and red, but does not find it in her to be ashamed of it. Not when he's looking at her like that, as if she's the most desirable thing on the Luofu in this moment.
Instead she huffs once she's gotten enough of her breath back to do so. )
I may have to readjust my desires in light of certain developments and a sudden... broadening of my horizons.
( Fu Xuan considers her options, what path forward would be best to take, to lead for the optimal outcome. It is a quick calculation, and why she gets to her feet. Not to leave, but instead to reposition herself between his legs. And then she reaches for Jing Yuan again, using all of the strength given to her to pull him forward and kiss him once more. )
He presses his mouth to her neck as his other hand skims under the cut out in her dress, and he hums as he realizes — ]
Nothing underneath?
[ It’s actual surprise, murmured against her skin, and he presses forward until his fingers reach her nipple, pinching the soft skin there. He moves his lower hand between her legs and brushes against her clit, pulling back to speak against her lips. ]
What about here?
Doubtless she will be as consumed by him as their enemies. Yet the thought does not inspire fear, but desire -- she wants it as much as she has wanted anything. Her head falls back, fingers moving from his shoulder to his hair, keeping his head there with a soft sound of want.
Flustered, Fu Xuan attempts to defend herself even as all of her tightens at the pinch, trying to swallow the sound. She nearly succeeds until his hand brushes against her clit -- she jerks at that, exhaling a sound that sounds so wanton she'll be embarrassed about it later. )
Must you tease even now?
( She tries to make it sound chastising, but fails, the deep flush of her cheeks betraying her. )
This isn't teasing, Master Diviner. This is foreplay.
[ He leans down to kiss her again, nuzzling at her nose with his mouth before he pulls away enough to speak. ]
You still haven't answered my question, you know. What do you want me to do? Tell me.
[ As he speaks, he teases at the waistband of her tights before sliding his hand inside, trailing his fingers over her underwear, following the same slow circles of his other hand. ]
Jing Yuan will not let her drown.
Fu Xuan gathers her strength to breathe out an answer, as distracted and delirious as she feels. )
Touch me, Jing Yuan. And cease your teasing.
( Her hips shift into his touch, seeking something, anything, that he will give her. )
So he waits a moment, giving her a chance to uncloud her mind, watching her face as he asks: ] Are you certain? I will harbor no ill will if you wish to stop here.
Fu Xuan shifts, and then: ) I am. Though I appreciate your restraint and your concern. Though I do wish to know what you had in mind, so that I am adequately prepared.
( And while she doesn't doubt that she will eventually want everything he has to offer, it... may be wise to agree to the things they do and do not want at this point in time. )
(Yes, even the title of General. But she’s not ready yet.)
Jing Yuan considers his next words carefully, resuming his teasing touch at her thighs, speaking casually but with an air of desire, his voice low and heavy. ] Right now, Master Diviner, I want to please you. I want to see you unwound, and I would hear you gasp my name as I bring you to release. And, if you so wish it, I would bring you to bed and I would please you there as well, with my lips and with my cock. And then, Lady Fu…
[ He brushes her face with his fingers, and just for a moment, he’s vulnerable, going quiet. ] I would like to continue to court you, if you would continue to have me.
He what? )
Court me?
( While her expression is clearly shocked, there is not an ounce of revulsion or distaste at the idea. It was just... she had never considered the possibility. Not only of General Jing Yuan courting her, but of anyone desiring to do such a thing at all. Fu Xuan had made up her mind long ago that she was in no position to seek it out, but now that it had been delivered gently and delicately into her lap-- )
Ahem. ( She clears her throat, trying her best to look as if he hadn't just taken her completely by surprise. ) That is to say if that is what you wish, I have no objections. Quite the opposite.
It is, Lady Fu. If that is what you wish. And, as you say you have no objections...
[ He brushes their noses together, before kissing her softly, pressing his middle finger just enough inside her so he can feel her slick warmth. ] Then we can consider this the beginning. [ He presses in just a little further, careful not to hurt her. ]
And if you want me to stop, you are to tell me. If it hurts, you are to tell me. If you simply don't like it, you are to tell me. It is no pleasure for me if it isn't for you.
Long has she admired Jing Yuan. Desired his position, and enjoyed his company, no matter the headache it may have left with her. None of that prepares her for the care with which he slides his finger in, promises to respect her wishes and desires.
Fu Xuan can feel her body tighten with a soft sound of discomfort, the intrusion gentle but still foreign enough that it takes her a moment to breathe and relax through it, the scrunch of her face slowly falling into one dominated by pleasure with the further press of his finger. )
I-- I understand, General. ( Wait. ) Jing Yuan. Please-- continue.
( Her hands fist in his clothes, and she tilts her head up to kiss him again. His lips are warm, warmer than she can remember anything being, and as soft and gentle as the care he displays. It is a strange thing, to know the strength that lies within him, and be on the end of the kindness that he radiates. )
His faith in her had been solidified when it had worked, and she’d taken up a space in his mind he had long thought closed.
He’d wanted to kiss her then, and so he kissed her now, pulling his hand out of her dress to reach up and pull out the load bearing pins in her hair, tossing them onto the board and tangling his fingers in it. Its softer than he’d thought, fragrant with her soap. He works his lower hand carefully, pressing in and out, going just a little deeper each time, slowing down if she seems uncomfortable, moving faster when she doesn’t. When he reaches the palm of his hand, he pulls out all the way and starts over with two, listening to the sounds she’s making, moving with her as she adjusts her weight so she’s comfortable. When he’s able to get both fingers all the way in, he pulls out again, this time to press his wet fingers to her clit, curling them in soft circles. He doesn’t intend to rush it, but he doesn’t want to take his time either — he wants to hear her, so he can remember it when he touches himself later, when he’s alone. ]
You don’t need to be quiet, Fu Xuan. It’s just us.
Her hand goes to fist tighter in his clothes, the other to muffle the sounds that escape her. They are, she assumes, quite embarrassing. Soft groans that turn louder with every deeper press of a finger, merging into moans when he presses two fingers into her -- her eyes fluttering closed as she fights against the urge to simply let go. It is tempting, but she has spent so much of her adult life proving she belongs where she is, that any shortcomings one might consider her having are unjustified, in error. But Jing Yuan pulls her from her thoughts with surprising ease and grace.
Perhaps not so surprising, given his breadth of experience and general dispostion.
It's when his fingers press against her clit that she jerks into his hand, biting down on her lip hard enough to bruise with the strength to keep from crying out. And then Jing Yuan encourages her -- he wants to hear her? )
You-- ( It takes her a long moment for her to remove her hand from over her mouth, sliding it into the hair at the nape of his neck. She feels unmoored, her own hair lose and cascading down her back. ) Jing Yuan. ( Softly at first, and she leans forward enough to rest her forehead against his chest, hoping that shielding herself from his gaze will let her forget the intensity of it for long enough to let herself go.
It works, for the next press of his hands against her clit has her crying out louder, a sharp bark of his name. ) Jing Yuan!
But then again, how can he not be? It’s always worth feeling proud about making a partner feel good, especially one you’ve been thinking about in your sleep for a long time. He presses a soft kiss to her forehead, above her Omniscia, and then another to her mouth. ]
Are you alright?
Fu Xuan exhales, allowing herself to breathe. )
Yes. ( The hand that was clutching at him so tightly finally unclenches, and she reaches out to cup his cheek. He seems so large by comparison, and not simply because she is so small; there is a presence to Jing Yuan that makes anyone take notice of him, to want the pleasure of his gaze. And now she has it, and it is as equal parts arousing as it is terrifying. ) You said-- you said you wished to court me, if I would allow it?
( She must make sure of it before she gives him her answer once more. )