Disorder in the Palace, Love Blossoms

Chapter 9

~~~ Greetings, dear reader. Hope you are enjoying this story! There is kissing at the end of this chapter, but I hope it doesn't bother you. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, as well as your day/night! Byee for now. ~~~

Because of his pride for Xun Yu's self-expression, the ruler briefly forgot about his sadness and gently took Xun Yu's hand in his as the group walked back to the inn. Xiahou Dun and Guo Jia slowly followed them, wiping tears from their eyes as they continued to laugh. Once they got back inside the room, Xun Yu turned to face Xiahou Dun and Guo Jia.

"Please don't hate me for this or think that I'm angry, but why do you two always act so immature?" Xun Yu asked.

Guo Jia and Xiahou Dun froze, and the former began to have an existential crisis. Am I capable of being mature? Agh, the thought of being mature, it hurts too much! Guo Jia thought to himself as he folded over in pain.

"Is he going to be okay?" Xiahou Dun inquired, poking the top of Guo Jia's head.

"Yeah, he will be fine. He is just allergic to being mature." Xun Yu answered with a smirk, and Cao Cao laughed as Guo Jia acted like he was punched in the gut when Xun Yu said the word mature.

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" Xiahou Dun exclaimed. His voice momentarily became high-pitched and girly.

"Fine," Xun Yu replied. "But can you please chill with the jokes? They can be funny at times, but they are annoying when said all of the time."

Guo Jia looked up at Xun Yu, he was clearly shocked. "Yeah, I can do that, but I would have stopped sooner if you told me that they bother you."

Xun Yu accepted the man's apology, and everyone collapsed on the beds in exhaustion, except for Xun Yu, who slowly crawled into bed and awkwardly took his place beside Cao Cao. Curse you, Guo Jia. Why couldn't you have asked the man if this room had a couch or something? I don't understand my feelings for this man, but now I am forced to share a bed with him. How will I survive? Suddenly, he was brought out of his reverie by the voice of the very man he was thinking about.

"Uh, Wenruo, thank you for what you said earlier. It really helped me to not feel so upset about Chong er, and I'm proud of you for working up the courage to say what you did. I can't thank you enough, and I hope you know that I will always be here if you need anything." Cao Cao quietly whispered to Xun Yu. He did not want to disturb Xiahou Dun or Guo Jia.

Xun Yu turned to face him and the breath caught in his throat. Stupid, why did you look in his eyes? You know how they make you feel. "Uh, thank you my Lord. You can also rely on me if you need anything." Xun Yu managed to say, stumbling over the words that left his mouth.

Cao Cao chuckled. If I need anything? Wenruo, you fool, I need you. That's all I ever need. He wrapped an arm around Xun Yu's waist and sighed.

"You're so silly. I rely on you for practically everything, but I have never once seen you speak up if something is bothering you or if you need anything. I worry about you, Wenruo, and I care about you a lot more than I probably should. So, it makes me feel happy, proud even, when you do finally open up." Cao Cao replied. He was trying to hide the vulnerability in his voice, but Xun Yu could still hear it and his heart started to pound against his chest.

Xun Yu placed a hand on the ruler's cheek and did his best to maintain eye contact. Just tell him! What's holding me back? Why can't I tell him how I feel?

"I know you do, and I care about you, too. If we're being honest, I-I think..." Xun Yu froze and words refused to come from his mouth. He removed his hand from his Lord's cheek and averted his gaze. He didn't want Cao Cao to see the disappointed look on his face. Why is this so hard?

"Wenruo, what are you thinking?" The Lord whispered softly. He was surprised when Xun Yu buried his face against his chest and started sobbing. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Did I upset you? I'm sorry." He pulled Xun Yu close to him and rubbed circles on his back. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

"Y-You didn't do anything wrong. I-I'm just upset because I can't tell you how I feel." Xun Yu stated before quickly saying the next part. His sadness caused him to let down his guard, and now everything came pouring out of him. "Every time I look at you my heart does this weird thing, and I feel like I can't breathe. Your presence makes me happy. I like the sound of your voice, it makes me happy to hear you speak. I like it when you hold me in your arms, it makes me feel warm and safe and fluffy. I don't understand what I feel for you, but I know that it's wrong. I have seen the looks people give us when you hold me close in public, and I have heard others in the palace whisper malicious words about me, saying that I have used my charms to blind you. It isn't right for me to feel these things for you."

Cao Cao sat up and pulled Xun Yu onto his lap, causing the small man to look terrified. Xun Yu felt like he was committing a grave sin by sitting on his Lord's lap in such a manner, and his cheeks turned a vibrant shade of red. Moonlight filtered in through the window and Xun Yu was able to clearly see his Lord's face up close. Despite serving his Lord for a few years, he never took the time to really look at or admire his face. The blush on his face became darker when he realized that his Lord was staring at him in concern and held him closer.

"Wenruo, there is nothing wrong with how you feel," Cao Cao stated as he brushed stray hairs from Xun Yu's face. "Everyone falls in love at some point in their lives, and I am proud to say that I have fallen in love with you. You are a lovely man Xun Yu, anyone would be lucky to have you, and you shouldn't let others influence how you feel. If something makes you happy, then why should you let the opinion of others ruin that happiness for you? Society will find anything to look down upon, and you can't let that stand in the way of your happiness. If what you feel for me is wrong, then prove it. Do you feel disgusted when I touch you? Do you hate my presence? It is only wrong if you don't feel the same."

"Well, n-no. I don't hate you, and I don't think I ever could. I-I love it when you touch me, and you make me smile more than anyone ever has. I think you are right: I do love you, and I shouldn't let others influence me." Xun Yu replied before burying his face in the ruler's neck. "Don't look at me, I feel foolish."

The ruler chuckled and rubbed circles on Xun Yu's back. "Do you feel better now?"

He removed his face from the ruler's neck and nodded. Suddenly Xun Yu realized their situation and blushed profusely. Cao Cao was staring at him like his eyes were clouded by a mist, and Xun Yu smiled at him, causing him to smile back. He stared at Xun Yu like he was the only thing that mattered in the world, and Xun Yu's heart began to beat rapidly against his chest again. He was surprised when the ruler asked for permission to kiss him, and he happily nodded "yes." Within seconds Cao Cao closed the gap between the two and planted his lips on Xun Yu's with a passionate kiss. My first kiss, and it is with the man I love. I am happy. Xun Yu wrapped his arms around the ruler's neck and the ruler pulled him closer, he was desperate to feel every inch of the man he long admired from afar.

"Wenruo," He whispered like his life depended on it as his hands traveled down Xun Yu's body.

Xun Yu gasped when Cao Cao's hands cupped his butt and gave it a soft squeeze, and the ruler took the opportunity to slide his tongue into Xun Yu's mouth. Xun Yu moaned and sucked on it, and he forgot that Guo Jia and Xiahou Dun were still in the room. Cao Cao slowly separated their lips, and Xun Yu gasped for breath like he forgot how to breathe. The ruler put a finger to his lips, signaling for Xun Yu to stay quiet as one of the two others stirred in the bed next to theirs. They both sighed in relief and laid down on the bed with Cao Cao holding Xun Yu close.

"Goodnight, my precious heart." The ruler whispered.

Xun Yu giggled. "Goodnight, my love."

And with that, the two fell asleep for the night.