"Qi...a...an!...Qingyuan!" something touched his face. Liu Qingyuan forced open his eyes a crack, seeing a sliver of the blue sky. He vaguely registered wet hair blocking the rest of his vision.
Warm air blew onto his face and he subconsciously turned his head away. The figure shot up at the movement, eyes darting to Liu Qingyuan's face. "Q-Qingyuan!" Jiang Zhilan's face went red. "You're awake!" Liu Qingyuan felt like his body was encased in ice. He lay there, slowly letting the feeling come back to his limbs and bringing with it, all the aches and pains. The poison punched him in the chest and Liu Qingyuan coughed, tasting copper in his mouth.
"Are you...are you okay?' Liu Qingyuan pushed himself up on shaky arms, a thin stream of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. His arm gave way and he collapsed, the king reaching out to steady him. "Maybe you should lie down-" He made to push him down but Liu Qingyuan grabbed his arm in an iron grip.
"Must...keep moving." A ragged breath escaped from his lips. The king's brow crashed down.
"Are you in any state to move?" He scolded. But Jiang Zhilan also took note of the lines of pain on his face, worry unconsciously leaking into his eyes.
"The assassins will come back soon enough. They don't seem the type to abandon their task until they collect a dead body."
"...how are you so certain?"
Liu Qingyuan didn't reply, instead, using Jiang Zhilan as a support to push his unsteady body up. The king had no choice but to help him. Liu Qingyuan staggered, his vision suddenly spinning and he bent over to spit out a mouthful of blood.
"You-!" Jiang Zhilan wanted to pull him down and make him sit but Liu Qingyuan kept an iron grip on him, fingers crumpling his drenched phoenix robes. He leaned so much on him, they were practically embracing. Heat eventually rose in Jiang Zhilan's face. "You..."
"Stay here," Liu Qingyuan tugged him closer. "For a moment." He clung onto him as his vision slowly cleared. Jiang Zhilan stood stiffly, feeling every rise and fall of Liu Qingyuan's chest and wanting to hide but having no place to do so. He tentatively patted Liu Qingyuan's back a few times.
Liu Qingyuan suddenly raised his head, fighting the pain that shot through his shoulder. He didn't mistake the soft sound of moving reeds. However there was no wind right now, which meant it was either an animal or their pursuers had caught up already.
Liu Qingyuan withdrew suddenly, staggered a step and pulled the king with him. "We have to go!" They half-ran, half-stumbled, their soaked clothing pulling at their exhausted forms. They ran for a bit but Liu Qingyuan still heard the rustling sounds. At the speed they were travelling they'd be caught soon.
Jiang Zhilan observed the relatively unfamiliar northern portion of the hunting grounds. However, he'd been coming annually since he was a child. Even if he'd never been in this area himself, he'd seen enough maps. "Upriver, there should be an outpost." Jiang Zhilan stumbled, nearly throwing both of them to the ground. Liu Qingyuan gritted his teeth, trying to take more of his own weight onto his own feet but his legs shook weakly. He abruptly pushed the king away.
"Hide!"
"What?" Liu Qingyuan touched his waist, but his sword wasn't there! He cursed, vision swaying as he spun around, trying to find a weapon of sorts. Hands grabbed him from behind.
"Don't stay! We've got to leave!" Liu Qingyuan tugged at the hands clutching at him.
"Run!"
"No!" The king looked around widely. To their left was the raging river, to the right, the stoney wall narrowed and the grass disappeared, eventually opening up a little. "Let's go over there,-"
Liu Qingyuan pushed him away, coughing. "I told you to leave!"
"Liu Qingyuan!" The king said angrily. "I'm ordering you to protect me, that means staying by me!!"
"You-"
"Stop wasting time speaking nonsense!" Jiang Zhilan pulled him and he stumbled after the fuming king. They rushed to the narrow pass, the ground sloping slightly downwards. There was a loud scuffling and a shout. Liu Qingyuan grabbed the king, eyes darting around. He shoved him towards a small opening.
"Get in!" The king leaned down but quickly turned around suspiciously and grabbed Liu Qingyuan's sleeve.
"How do I know you won't run away to fight them?" Before Liu Qingyuan could protest, he was practically kicked into the short tunnel. He gritted his teeth, crawling forwards several meters. The tunnel was crude, snagging at his clothing every few seconds. Liu Qingyuan pushed into a small cavern, his furrowed brow and shaking fingers the only indications of his struggle.
He'd scarcely turned over when a wandering hand groped down his leg. "S-sorry," Jiang Zhilan's cheeks were bright red. "Can you move over?" Liu Qingyuan shuffled back as far as he could. Rocks skittered across the ground as he moved as much as he could. "Further."
"There's no room, your majesty." Red-faced, Jiang Zhilan resorted to crawling on top of him so he could manoeuvre his legs out of the tunnel and find another space. The king went to turn around to plant his butt on the ground instead of Liu Qingyuan's lap but his boots tangled with cloth.
"What the-" Cursing, Jiang Zhilan tugged at the stuck fabric, blindly groping in the dark. He turned his head, crying out as his skull made contact with a low hanging piece of rock. His hand went for his temple and he pitched forward, one foot still tangled in cloth. Liu Qingyuan caught the weight that fell into his arms, warm skin brushing by his cheek. "Sorry."
With one more awkward tug, cloth ripped and Jiang Zhilan sighed in relief, blinking his eyes in the dark. Wait...it seemed like he was...sitting in Liu Qingyuan's lap...
Both hands were subconsciously placed against Liu Qingyuan's chest in an attempt to steady himself and both legs were practically wrapped around his waist. Jiang Zhilan's face got redder and redder as he noticed the large warm palms at his own waist. Silence descended.
"Comfortable?" Liu Qingyuan's slightly hoarse voice permeated the stillness.
"I-I," His mouth was abruptly covered.
"Shh." The palm was rough and calloused from swordplay. Jiang Zhilan couldn't help but swallow nervously. Liu Qingyuan felt the king's lips purse against his palm, his fingers twitching momentarily.
Outside, a group of assassins burst through the knee-high grass. They looked around the empty space in anger. "Find them!" The leader growled. "They couldn't have run far." They both waited, ears pricked for another sign of conversation or a clue indicating that the assassins had left. The silence was more nerve wracking than ever. Jiang Zhilan started to shift in place.
"Stop moving." Liu Qingyuan's whispered words in the small, silent space lent a degree of ambiguity. Jiang Zhilan stilled. A few more moments and he started squirming again. Finally he tugged Liu Qingyuan's hand away, gasping slightly.
"I couldn't breathe!" He said defensively. "I-I'll move n- ouch!" As he rose, Jiang Zhilan cracked his head against the same piece of overhanging rock. He fell forward uncontrollably, hearing a muffled grunt from the person under him. A hand covered the back of his head; the place that'd been hit.
"Are you alright, your majesty?" Warm air fanned over his face and Jiang Zhilan felt his cheeks heat. Those lips...were so close... Jiang Zhilan shot up, narrowly missing hitting his head for the third time.
"I'm okay! I- sorry," He awkwardly climbed off of Liu Qingyuan's lap, falling heavily into the only empty spot in the cramped, pitch black hole they'd crawled into. "Do you think-!" His words were cut off abruptly when the wall behind him disappeared, falling away with a faint rumble. Eyes wide, Jiang Zhilan fell back, swept along with a cascade of dirt and sand.
"Your majesty!"
"Cough, I'm cough here." Jiang Zhilan propped his body up, vision still spinning. Dirt poured from the folds of his clothes and hair. Liu Qingyuan stumbled down the opening, grabbing the king and checking if he'd sustained any injuries. There was blood on his pant leg. "Ah," Jiang Zhilan noticed too. "That was from before, I think. The fall must have reopened it."
"Does it hurt?"
"...It's okay..."
"Here! There's something here! I heard it!" The abrupt voices startled the pair. Liu Qingyuan grabbed the king, pulling him to a wall of the slightly larger cave. He stood in front of him, watching the dark gaping hole and waiting for a figure to leap out. The scuffling sounds got louder and Liu Qingyuan pressed them deeper into the shadows. There were some curses and the scuffling eventually stopped. Jiang Zhilan allowed a shaky breath to escape him, making to move.
"Not yet," Liu Qingyuan murmured, looking down at the prone figure of the king. The king looked up at the same time, startling as Liu Qingyuan's nose brushed his cheek. "Apologies." Jiang Zhilan looked down, red-faced.
After a few more minutes, Liu Qingyuan let him go. He immediately staggered, grabbing the wall again to steady himself. Jiang Zhilan hadn't noticed, instead exploring this new cave. It was barely ten paces across but at least they could sit down properly. He knocked on the crumbly walls. "There's probably no second exit..." His thoughts were lost at the lack of response. "Qingyuan?" In the near perfect darkness, Jiang Zhilan looked back for him, finally spotting a shadow leaning against the side of the cave. "You- are you okay?" Jiang Zhilan listened closely and heard how rough his breathing was. "Qingyuan?" Frantic hands grabbed him, causing Liu Qingyuan to grit his teeth in pain.
"Cold," he squeezed out. In reality, the pain was more prominent, but Liu Qingyuan wasn't about to say anything.
"Are you sure your wound is okay...?"
"En." They both sat and Jiang Zhilan slumped bonelessly against the rocky wall. He felt like he was back in his childhood, in the rigorous military training all princes had to go through. Except he and Jiang Baiyi were the only ones left now. Jiang Zhilan smiled ruefully in the dark. It was okay. This didn't feel like training anyways. Because Liu Qingyuan was beside him.
He shook himself out of it. "I'll go get some wood." Liu Qingyuan grabbed his arm as he stood up.
"It's dangerous. The assassins-"
"I'll be fine. I won't go far, okay? Besides, are we going to freeze overnight? Winter's approaching."
Reluctantly, he let him go. The moment the king left, Liu Qingyuan let down his façade. He shivered, pressing a hand to his chest as if the pressure might alleviate some of the radiating pain. He leaned over abruptly, spitting out a mouthful of blood and splashing crimson onto the rocky ground. He coughed a few more times, a hand shakily coming up to wipe at the blood on his chin. He quickly straightened at the shuffling noise, wincing slightly as a clatter of sticks tumbled down the hole. The king's form followed quickly.
For a moment, his shadowy figure stood over the small bundle. "What's the matter?"
"Well...," Jiang Zhilan scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I'm not sure how to light a fire." His one carried embarrassment and the corners of Liu Qingyuan's lips quirked up in amusement. He got up and moved over. After a long while, there was a soft 'snick' and a small flame erupted. Liu Qingyuan carefully fed it until the small fire was strong enough to keep itself going. "Thank you."
"En." Liu Qingyuan shuffled back, leaning against the wall and staring into the fire. The light cast a red tint onto his face, hiding the true paleness of his skin.
"I also found this." Liu Qingyuan looked up, seeing a small bag in his hands. It was smeared with a dark, crumbly substance; likely mud. "There's some cloth and medicine in here."
"En." Liu Qingyuan took a shallow breath, stiffening his limbs to stop the shaking. The king turned away, busying himself with the bag. Liu Qingyuan stared back into the fire, slowly losing himself in the dancing tongues of orange. The chill of the night had long buried itself into his bones, despite the warmth of the fire. He struggled against unpleasant memories, feeling like frost was creeping up his limbs.
A warm hand touched the side of his face and he leaned into it, trapping the hand in his own. He wanted that warmth, he needed it. The chill only bit deeper into his body. "Qingyuan?" Liu Qingyuan opened his eyes a sliver, not noticing that he'd closed them at some point. He felt another warm hand brushing his hair back from his collar. Fingers tugged at his clothing, the belt unraveling and the soiled cloth peeling away from his wound. There was a lengthy silence and the cold air rushed in.
"Why didn't you tell me your wound was so bad?!" Liu Qingyuan flinched as slight pressure was applied. "It doesn't look like a regular wound...it looks bad..." Liu Qingyuan grabbed his wrist to stop him.
"It's-"
"Don't tell me it's fine! It's clearly not!" Hands brushed against his face. "Look, you're clearly in such a state and still want to lie?" Liu Qingyuan let go of his arm, sitting quietly as the king roughly bandaged his wound. The sharp rise and fall of his chest was the only indication that the pain was great. Jiang Zhilan awkwardly tucked the tail end of the bandage into the layers.
Just as he pulled away, a tight grip tugged him back. "What are you doing?" He stared down in surprise at Liu Qingyuan's lidded gaze.
"Don't," He mumbled. The chill had rushed in when Jiang Zhilan leaned back, taking his body heat with him.
"I have to- '' Fingers curled in the front of his robe, yanking him forward and interrupting his words. Liu Qingyuan held him in a sort of desperate embrace. There was the taste of blood on his tongue but strangely he felt better. "Your wound-!" Jiang Zhilan pulled away, his face red. He only had the chance to take a breath before he was pulled back in and his face smothered in robes.
"Don't move." Liu Qingyuan clutched him tighter, burying his face in sweet-smelling hair as the pain receded another inch. Contradictorily, the pressure felt nice; or perhaps, his shoulder had already gone numb. Jiang Zhilan didn't dare to move, quietly laying in his arms. The soaring phoenix on his back felt hot and itchy. If the pair had lifted his robes, they would have seen that the bird was glowing slightly...
The heavens were roaring in his ears and the king awkwardly shifted his hands, rock biting into trembling fingers. HIs face, pressed against Liu Qingyuan's chest, rose and fell with every breath, getting redder with every movement.
Liu Qingyuan finally warmed up and his head cleared. He paused, looking down into his own arms and slowly let go. Jiang Zhilan shot away and the two looked at each other in silence.
"I-" The king stammered incoherently, eyes dazed and cheeks red. His face looked all the more inviting in the dim lighting. "T-the bandage! You should be more careful!" He scolded. Jiang Zhilan lowered his head, hiding his shamefully flustered state. What did it mean when someone gave you the cold shoulder one moment and then hugged you the next? This was all so confusing... The king's eyes darted around, unsure where to look. He paused, leaning forward again and brushing his finger by the wound. Was it his imagination, or was there a mark there...just under the corner of the bandage? it looked like...
Liu Qingyuan watched his movements with dark eyes. The king happened to glance up, saw the expression in his gaze and looked back down to his own wandering hands. Jiang Zhilan went red again, so much that it looked like his face would explode. He wrapped up the bandage at lightning speed and leapt away as if scalded.
"I-you-," Jiang Zhilan huffed, turning away. "You should sleep early!" Liu Qingyuan noticed the back of his neck was tomato red. He took a shuddering breath from the residual pain and let out a small smile.