first prince's residence

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ His lips, his hands, the tickle of his breath on his skin, the familiar and yet somehow foreign feeling after a week of his nimble tongue teasing inside. Everything, from the Prince’s husky murmurs to the expert touch he delivered drove the Duke insane. A side of him seen by none other appeared when they could still such a sinfully intimate moment with one another. No longer polite and well composed, calm and refined, Xiahua would be barely recognisable to those who thought they knew the man he was. Somehow the rush of cool air was a further tease against him, the absence of his lover’s warmth so close to his core eating away at the very last of his self control. He bit back a pathetic whine, forcing the sound to die in his throat.

“There is no place for patience in this room, dear Fenghu. I couldn’t possibly control myself in our moments together,” He responded, his voice lilting with a playful note, like a bird taunting a cat from the safety of its nest. Never enough to hurt him, but enough that he knew not only his thighs would be patched with marks of his lover’s claiming. If the bruises on his neck lingered, perhaps he would even go so far as to wear slightly looser clothes for the importance of the next day. Part of his collarbone showing, maybe. So that the Prince’s attention would linger on what he’d done, when he was focusing on more pressing matters. He liked the idea- even a little too much. Their fingers laced together, his head rising to meet Fenghu’s sweet, sweet lips, the craving seeping through every vein in his body so much that he could not contain it. He groaned, letting the tip of his nose brush Fenghu’s as their lips touched. “On that condition, do not hold anything from me either. Let me hear everything, taste everything, have no mercy on my body.”

His legs raised higher with no protest, hooking where they could over Fenghu’s body, one slipped around his waist, breath trembling with anticipation as at last he was given what he wanted, what the heat spreading through him needed to ignite it further. A moan fell from his lips as the Prince took a slow pace pushing into his tight core, each inch filling him more. It was uncomfortable at first - it had been a week without activity, Xiahua would never have taken anyone but his lover. As Fenghu sunk deep inside him, he trembled, they more he received feeling like a precious reward until he was full. He needed a moment, to catch his breath again, head tipped acutely to let the Prince’s head rest in the curve, the heated breath against his flesh adding to the barely recognisable shiver of content. At last his neck was bit at, filling him with a jolt of excitement, as though electricity had sparked in his stomach, the cool feeling running over his skin pleasantly. He wanted marks, marks to torture the world with, the truth of which never shared between anyone but the two men consuming one another’s heat. Their secret, their private life, too precious to be shared.

Full, and not in discomfort, the Duke’s fingers grasped those of his lover, the tips digging deep enough into his knuckles to leave neat imprints in the fair skin behind. A curse uttered from his swollen lips, whispered just audible for the Prince to savour the sound of his breathless profanity. “Fenghu… let me take you, we’ll rid every thought from one another’s minds.” He squeezed his lover’s hands, urging him to continue, to take him as he wanted to be taken, no thoughts but how stunning the man above him looked, how he could simply be wrecked a thousand times over by him and still thank him the very next day for destroying him. “I want to feel you for days after.”

From the very first movement, Fenghu’s pulling out almost and ing back in, Xiahua could’ve sworn his legs felt weaker at the look on his face. His lips desperately sought to kiss and nip just as his skin had been treated before, seizing the bottom tier in his teeth, tugging lightly and releasing, letting the irresistible taste of the other’s lips sedate him, please him to his core, the sweetest treat to be rewarded with as his body was given fresh waves of contact even as they started slowly. The Duke could not control the sounds from his parted lips as he let his lover take control of his body, of every receptor and sensation returned as he responded in his own soft groans, moans and higher whimpers. All the while his nails dug into the Prince’s hand, keeping him holding on, Xiahua’s grounding so that his wild desire did not pull the most embarrassing of lewd sounds from him.

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ Fenghu adored the feeling of ravishing the warm flesh with his lips, his hands, every inch of skin-- he loved how it felt, how it fulfilled his desires, but his own satisfaction was nothing compared to watching the Duke before him writhe in needy pleasure. The delightfully sinful reactions that Xiahua afforded him were what Fenghu lived for, what he craved pulling from the man-- every gasp of air, every moan, every whimper-- the Prince was greedy for them all. Even now, the Prince found himself entranced fully in Xiahua, the way his lover was so eager and malleable to display himself for Fenghu with no shame, the breathless moans torn from his throat, the kiss of rose at his cheeks, and the barely restrainted tugs against his hair and head.

Fenghu's eyes shut, the lowest rumble of a moan piercing his lips around Xiahua's taste, tongue now losing itself to a slow rhythm, pushing against and making the tense walls around him his playground. Xiahua's words drenched him in need, tearing away at any restraint or patience he was trying to hold a semblance of. The Prince forced himself away from the taste that coated his tongue, that took him on a high, lips running just along the length of his lover's thigh, "Patience is a virtue, Xiahua... And I'm so glad it's one you don't possess..."

The same path that had brought the Prince to Xiahua's thighs now took him back to the younger man's chest, but the trek this time took on a more urgent and brusque approach; dangerous tugs of skin and bites threatened to mark the skin and reveal to all just who truly was the owner of the Duke's body. Fenghu cupped the nape of Xiahua's neck, a single arm holding himself up, just barely over his lover, digits entwined with those of the man below him. Warm breath mingled and lips brushed against one another as light as feathers, "Don't hold a single thing back... Let me drown in everything you have to give me..."

Barely spoken and gone from his lips did Fenghu move past the command he'd spoken into Xiahua's own and focused instead on giving him and his lover exactly what they both craved in heated passion. The Prince guided Xiahua's legs wider, hooking one around himself and once satisfied with the position, there wasn't a second he sought to lose. Fenghu sank his hand to take a hold of his length, a single guiding him to the tight rim he'd been ravishing a moment before with his tongue. The Prince took a breath and in exhale he pushed himself forward, finally letting his feel the warm, terse hold of his lover's core, slow, inch by inch.

Fenghu's eyes shut and he pushed a groan, hefty, round and full, from his lips, head dropped to a refuge against Xiahua's neck as if the skin could shield him away from the almost painful sensitivity that coated his and his body just then. He bit down on his lover's neck, a coping mechanism to keep him sane, grounded as the more he sank down, the more he fought to not immediately take his lover, over and over, in passion that showed no care for comfort or patience. The Prince breathed out a heavy moan, reeling from his hard Xiahua held him inside him, the entirety of his length coming to a rest inside the younger man down to the hilt. Fenghu's breath laced over Xiahua's skin, marking hum just as thoroughly as if his lips had, "I'll never know how I can go without you for more than a day at a time... without feeling how well your body consumes me, Xiahua..." The words came breathless, rigid, still struggling to stay still until he got a signal from his lover, any kind that it was okay to move. The Prince distracted himself away with tender kisses, both hands now intertwined and squeezing Xiahua's at the sides of his head upon the bed.

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ "dearest brother." fengli greeted, her voice soft as she kept her eyes lowered with a gentle smile. "it is merely out of courtesy, it has been a long twelve years and the palace still remains the same as ever." fengli mused, the eldest princess informed the prince before she then seated across from her beloved brother. her brother who bore her mother's eyes. beautiful eyes of darkness that seemed to capture the light within them--a light that fengli hadn't seen since her mother had left her to devote her life to the teachings of buddhism. it was with fenghu's eyes that fengli had realized the light had gone. there wasn't a sparkle that fengli had favored before when she had stayed by her brother's side. now... there was only darkness. neverending darkness that devoured you whole. it did not help the fact that fengli paused. ever so slight at the familiar perfume that had often rubbed off upon the bedsheets of xiahua's bedside, if fengli felt anything towards it, the princess cared not to left it falter the gentle smile upon her lips. "a'hu? have you been well, you've gotten skinnier since we've last spoke. have the food not been to your liking?" fengli furrowed her brows in confusion before she gestured for her handmaiden to give her the basket containing delicacies she had made that day.

"mother is now a buddhist nun, we only have each other now... so please- take care of yourself." fengli smiled, bringing out the dishes. "of course- since mother isn't here with us at the moment, i thought that maybe i'd make you some dishes that mother would've enjoyed. here- we have mother's favorite." fengli smiled, bringing out the plate of stirfried green beans with the scarlet pieces of chilis that accented the emerald green of the flash-fried dish. pulling out the little dishes with the bowls of rice to hand to her brother, fengli laid out the various platters of food. some vegetarian for the princess, others containing the stewed pieces of meat she knew the prince wouldn't turn down.

"it's... been a while since we've eaten a breakfast together. shall we dig in?"

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ The simple promise, uttered only for the ears of the Duke to catch and hold close, to let the murmur wrap around him and squeeze him tightly, sent his heart racing quicker than even the anticipation of what was to come. “Then I will take it and keep it was my most prized possession. If only it never had to leave my person,” He whispered. Xiahua was greedy, he always had been for his position, for privilege and an easy life. But he found it melted away, with Fenghu. Seeping into the sheets and melting away with the gratitude to whatever beings in another world that ruled over them, that he had those tender moments to spend savouring every aspect that built up his lover, the true version of Fenghu that he selfishly claimed for himself.

The Prince’s body against his could warm the younger man more than any clothing, any fire he sat beside for even the longest time. It was the wildfire burning within them both, uncontrollable, scorching any traces of hesitation from their minds. Had situation allowed it, the Duke would have already demanded he awake each morning to Fenghu’s delicious lips on his throat. They had to savour all they could get, and even if it meant waking before dawn had claimed the horizon, pressing the gentlest of kisses upon his face and slipping away before the day could start and the risk of being caught increased by a tenfold.

The words that came from his lover’s lips sent a wondrous trail of shivers running down his body, the very essence of it a promise that this would be a night replaying in the Duke’s head whenever he allowed his thoughts to wander for too long. Compliant and eager for the touch of the one who brought him such strong release from the tensions of life, Xiahua’s body moved under the guidance of his lover, his legs stretching and parting with practiced ease, one hand finding the sheets to tangle his fingers in, with the enamouring reminder that he’d soon be clutching them for dear life. His breath trembled even as he watched the Prince’s lips travel down his abdomen, lower and lower to where he was struggling to control his excitement. The light scrape of teeth, the pressure on his thighs, the way it wretched a soft moan from his slightly parted lips. His eyes could not leave the older man, not even for a heartbeat. He was mesmerised, his half-lidded gaze transfixed on his expression.

Though his body was bare and his form on lewd display for his lover, the Duke could not feel a grain of shame. There were no thoughts but how badly he lusted after Fenghu, how he wanted those lips to destroy him so badly he’d have to be careful he didn’t change in front of anyone lest they catch sight of his bruised thighs. Thrilling as it would be, if the marks of ownership between them were ever caught. He could imagine the panic, terror and pride all flooding his body at once. Fenghu’s hot breath against his was a fresh torture to the Duke, the temptation was to move his hips, to request the pleasure he so badly sought. Almost all thought was forgotten though, as the Prince’s wet muscle slid over his rim, reminding him of how shameless he was, to indulge in his temptations, to let right and wrong be forgotten as though he had never had any ideals.

With his free hand that was not clenching and unclenching the bed’s sheets, Xiahua buried his fingers in Fenghu’s hair, pushing stray strands from his face, it’s well-kept appearance ruined by the younger’s occasional tugging. He wanted to see him, wanted to catch each shift in his expression, how indescribably beautiful he looked with his features buried between the Duke’s legs. A breathy moan left him, his grip tightening some, though he made no move to push or pull Fenghu’s tongue deeper or shallower inside him. He was grateful for the care taken of them before. As much as he wanted to feel full of his lover, stretched to perfection and aching for more, a week’s absence from his embrace would leave it painful to move quickly. Their times together were fiery and fulfilling, untainted by awkwardness or discomfort. They knew each other’s bodies, they moved in sync.

“Fenghu, you treat me so well,” He whispered, breathing coming short and voice slightly higher after only a short while of the sweetest torture. With cheeks dusted in red Xiahua’s fingers curled once more in the sheets. Nothing was better that having the other man go down on him in such a way, where he could feel each tickle of warm breath, his body never having time to experience the cool air on wet muscle. He knew his body, knew how far his need spanned, the impatience he experienced in his hurry to hear more of those honeyed and sinful sounds from the gorgeous being between his legs. “You’re beautiful - more than beautiful, look at you, you’re making me feel so good. Please, I- I need you inside me.”

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ "You can have my everything, Xiahua." Nothing but earnest sincerity lie behind the short, sweet sentence, each touch of Xiahua's lips a scintillating shock to his senses. Here, in a world all their own, Fenghu was able to unmask, remove any guise of perfection, of elegant royalty, and instead give into the vices he pretended he'd left behind long ago with his younger self. The singular difference between then and now was that now only a single vice remained and its name was Xiahua and the Prince had no desire to rid himself of its intoxicating grasp any time soon. He'd hold onto it-- Hold onto him as long as his will permitted, as long as Xiahua permitted and indulged the selfishness of taking his sister's husband for his own bed.

Fenghu felt the last of his coverings fall away from his body, the chill of the air surrounding him, but not a single effect on his body-- how could it when the heat of his lover was much more potent than any chill of winter? This was how they were meant to be, the Prince thought, bare and pressed so close not even a breath could slip between them. Fenghu returned his body upwards with a trail of kisses from navel to chest to lips, pressed close against Xiahua, a chaste kiss deposited just barely over the honey lips of his lover. "I'll make sure your body doesn't forget me until we meet again..." The words fell over Xiahua's lips in soft mumbles, barely spoken but palpable in the misty room.

A final kiss and Fenghu had sank down, his arms gathered around each of Xiahua's legs, looped and forcing the limbs up and spread to give himself all the access to his lover below and in front of him. How sinful, the Prince thought, how gorgeous the man before him looked like this, vulnerable and shameless in his exposure for Fenghu, waiting for him to fill him, to pull every lewd sound imaginable from the voice Fenghu had come to think as the sweetest of melodies. How the Prince had come to stumble upon such a beautiful creature he didn't know, but now that he had him he found it in himself to be selfish, to keep the young Duke his secret for as long as he could.

His admiration lasted mere seconds, if an eternity in his head, and then his lips were returned to their rightful place against Xiahua's skin, just at his navel, but this time the Prince didn't stop. Instead they ravished every inch of skin in their path, perhaps too zealous and eager in the way they bit and the tender flesh, accidentally or on purpose, daring to mark the Duke's thighs in blooms of purple and pink he imagined no one would see but him-- a secret mark of ownership only the two of them would know.

Lower and further his lips traveled, the Prince's body flush and bathed in the heat of their lust and the wildfire both of them were guilty of feeding without remorse. His length had long come to hardened attention, eager to feel the thick tightened muscles of his lover's core surrrounding every inch of him over and over. Fenghu's lips just brushed over Xiahua's own length, tempted for a moment to pause, to devour him and indulge in his taste, as exquisite as the most exotic of delicacies, but he restrained himself, the sacrifice of the moment worth the reward he knew his receive if he was patient with himself.

The Prince's lips hovered down and his arms forced the Duke's legs higher for better control, better access to the core that made his throb in anticipation. Fenghu took a breath, a near groan at his lips, the last centimeters gone in an instant to let his lips and tongue finally make content with the tight ring of muscle that belonged to his lover. The Prince shut his eyes, delight spelled out in his features as his tongue toyed with the muscles that tensed and relaxed against him. He hummed and rubbed the flesh with the wet muscle, easing his way until he pushed into Xiahua, a moan now unmistakable, oozing from his throat in deep gratification. How could a man taste and feel so good. His length twitched, aching to feel the same pleasure that Fenghu's tongue felt, engulfed in everything that was Xiahua. The Prince let his tongue coat the tight walls in his saliva, pushing as far as he could only for his tongue to pull out the press inside once more, over and over in a wicked, teasing dance. If it were up to him, he'd have himself buried in Xiahua long ago, but he needed to be oatient, for his lover's sake. It'd been nearly a week since they'd lost themselves in one another and Fenghu didn't wish to harm his lover and so he'd take his time, to ravish him with his tongue before filling him until not a breath of space was left.

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ What had began with daring touches and private comments had only progressed into something more. Somehow, lingering behind to discuss things he had no real interest in had been fascinating when it had been with he Prince. He’d have sat and watched the grass grow with Fenghu to only have their fingers brush, to feel the goosebumps it had caused prickling delightfully up his skin. And yet - he’d denied it to himself for so long. No, he was simply excited to meet a new person, a new face and personality that he could drawl on to through conversations that served only to bring them closer, to have an excuse to speak more. He, a Duke, a man of title, could never sink so low to do something as shameful as have a sinful affair with who other than her very own brother. Never, until he felt that tidal wave of passion crash into his chest that night when things had taken a step further, did he ever think he was capable of such things.

Could the fire between them ever burn down, ever burn itself out? Xiahua doubted it. So long as there were embers, the Duke would not cease adding all he could to the fire. The stolen glances, the pretty moments of catching one another’s lingering gaze were nothing compared to how he lusted after the Prince when they were reunited in private. From the hungry roaming of his hands to the way his lips swelled with the force behind their passion, Xiahua /lusted/ after Fenghu. Feeling the rough tips of his fingers against supple skin was only the very greatest of rewards. As the source of the fire in the pit of his stomach moved his lips down his throat, the Duke could only tip his head back, to savour each one, enchanting the skin, drawing him in, further under the spell that was Fenghu’s beauty. Oh, how he wished he could afford to return home with marks dotting his collarbone the next morning. A wild array of purple patches that would reveal them as the despicable creatures that they were.

But he could not afford such a leap. Neither of them could. It was risky enough, staying through the night, so that he could sleep in his lover’s arms, chest to chest, that wonderful scent that clung to his skin polluting his lungs, the memories of it each time serving him as a mood boost the morning after. A breathy sigh spilled from his lips, hitching as it came free when he heard the whisper of his name. No words were needed, but hearing his name spoken by the one he was drinking in like the sweetest concoction stoked the fire within. He moved to lift himself up once or twist, purely to make the removal of his clothes so much easier. He fisted the back of Fenghu’s robes from the moment his hands were freed, the most reachable thing for him to convey want he wanted the most. Xiahua’s form was bare, a slave to the sensation the Prince’s hot breath cast across his body.

“Fenghu…” He purred his lover’s name, the way it rolled from his tongue just so fulfilling, so satisfying. The Duke made his move, his fingers trailing down his lover’s shoulder to the front, to tear free the tie of Fenghu’s robes. He could’ve sworn he’d heard a seam rip somewhere, in his rampage to attack any clothing that lingered for too long in his way. Xiahua could not bare it a single thought. He appreciated each line, each slight curve, angle, all making up the irresistible being hovering above him on the bed. Not even a divine being could keep him from Fenghu’s touches when he so clearly needed them more than any mortal walking the earth. With the increasing need between them both, he grasped the wrist of his lover tenderly, guiding the large hand to his lips, to kiss the tip of each in turn, to encourage them to let him le on the tips as though they were the most precious thing to him.

“I want you. Give me more, Fenghu.”

The words were soft, simple, but the longing behind them knew no boundaries in what they begged for.

[post deleted by owner]

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ They'd come so far, Fenghu thought, from the initial strands of their relationship, from the temptation that neither, he imagined, was certain was there to begin with. The Prince remembered the lingering between them, the glances and brown eyes that appeared to hide something just beneath the surface of the formal curtness the two men held for each other during their first few meetings. Had he imagined it? The just slightly too long touch of their hands in passing, the wanton glances Xiahua thought Fenghu didn't notice, or the way Xiahua lingered just a little too long after dinner with mindless chatter of politics both parties were clearly much bored by-- Was it all in his head, he had thought. The slow burn to the first time they'd taken to bed together had been so sumptuous, delicious in its slow torture-- and when they'd finally given in, truly unsure of whom had kissed or touched or wanted first, the embers that had long burned in both men exploded into wildfire, burning and singing and taking every victim in its path until thoughts of any guilt or sin were wiped from their minds. That night had been beautiful, full of desire, ardor, and devotion to a body other than their own.

The wildfire from that night and every feverish thought and emotion and need that accompanied it had never quite faded for Fenghu, fanned, instead, inside his chest, his being into greater and greater heights and intensity every time he stole a glance at Xiahua, every time the younger man with a touch unseen. The kiss, so easily seduced between them, reassured him that for Xiahua too the fire between them hadn't died down and that the sweetness held between their lips would soon morph away from innocence in indulgence to spice in desperation and need.

Fenghu didn't have to think twice for his body to move and follow along with Xiahua's, the two forms completely in synch and attuned to one another. The Prince could sense the frustration and unsaid requests in the way Xiahua abandoned his clothes in favor of his own and Fenghu was all too happy to oblige, his own, large, heated hands and swollen lips anxious to map out the delicate, strong frame that lie just beneath the cloth of his lover's clothing. Reluctantly yet all at once eager, Fenghu allowed his lips to travel away from the lips he'd claimed as his, the pair finding a path down the Duke's throat and neck to his collarbone where his hands joined the sinful expedition, nearly tearing at any fabric that dared cross his path.

"Xiahua..."

The Prince breathed hot breath over the opal skin. Truly, no words were necessary, but the Prince loved it-- the way his lips molded around Xiahua's name and so he said it anyway, took any opportunity to say it really. Fenghu's hands freed the Duke's to do as he wished, wanting the honor himself of leaving his lover bare upon to the bed. He took no hesitation, no pause and movement by movement, piece by piece, he uncovered the pristine body under him, from Xiahua's torso down to his legs; and just as the Duke desired, with every patch of skin uncovered from his chest to his navel and lower came sensual exploration of Xiahua's body, covered in Fenghu's touched and the desperate kisses of his lips. He breathed, barely pausing in his movement over his lover's body, voice lowered to a deep timbre.

"Beautiful..."

@公主¹ ❀ fengli ᵇᵒⁿᵍʸᶦ The celebrations of the evening hung heavy in the Princes future, a fishing reel with no escape. There would be his father, the target of most of his despise, his siblings, the ones he held in contempt and disdain-- traitors, the lot of them, and of course, his darling sister and the man that occupied his bed and thoughts as often as he could. None of what was to come would be easy or simple. The fight to the throne wouldn't be physical, not fully. The royal family was known for their endless mind games and pawns and absurdities, all tiresome and cliche and overdone.

Fenghu looked forward to none of it, and yet, he felt lighter. The morning a welcome brightness to the contrast of hazy night. Perhaps it was the passion of the precious night's activity, the warmth of his lover still in his arms when he awoke the next morning, or a combination of both that left the Prince serene, relaxed in his preparations for the big day. He'd bathed and dressed as soon as Xiahua left, expectant now of the only family member he didn't despise, if still resented, but only at the edges of the pages of their history together.

The Prince rose from his seat when the voice rang out somewhere behind him, the voice of his mother, sweet and smooth, so perfectly replicated in his sister. FengHu turned to face the Princess, his head lowered in a welcoming bow, all out of instinct rather than true formality, "It pains me that you insist on being so formal with me, darling sister. Are we not twins? The same soul split into one? Why must you insist on treating me like a stranger?"

Each sentiment was meant in jest, but the nuance of his tone suggested veracity below the lighthearted tone. If his sister treated him like thee stranger the rest of his siblings believed him to be then Fenghu would be at a loss, as alone as he'd been in his seclusion away from his mother and his sister. The Prince's lips tugged into a kind smile, his hand as elegant as the gentle sway of flowers in the wind, gesturing for his sister to sit across from him, the same seat Xiahua had occupied just the night before at the start of their meeting.

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ The familiarity they had with each little cue one another had to offer was expanding all the time. It reminded him again that he was quite lucky, to have someone to take those small gestures into account. The mutual understanding they had over one another was quite special, something only some could lay claim to having. In amongst their sweetness, there was a strength to Fenghu that he saw. Xiahua thought to himself - no matter how the games commenced, he would be quite happy to remain on the side of his night time lover.

The moment their lips met, Xiahua felt the dragon of passion raise it’s head within him. He reciprocated it so easily, not an ounce of hesitation in his eyes behind his fluttering lashes. Urged by the arms of his lover his body moved, lacking grace as they fell onto the sheets, his fingers long having since left the Prince’s in favour of running down his back, his eyes closed as he simply consumed the sweetness, the soft paradise that was the older man’s lips against his. It almost felt as though he didn’t need to breathe between eagerly returned kisses, he simply needed to keep the intoxicating touch between them flowing. Now that it had started, he couldn’t get enough. He wanted to keep Fenghu close to him for the whole night, longed to stir awake in his arms late the next day. But not only was the night leading up to a day of great importance, but Xiahua had the duty of a husband to arrive back within reasonable time. His hand moved, to the nape of the Prince’s neck, encouraging him close, loath to have even a split second where their lips were not moving against each other’s.

The gentle passion between them guided the Duke’s free hand to Fenghu’s own undergarments, impatiently, desperately moving to feel his lover’s smooth and warm skin against his body - any part of his body, just to know that the Prince was there. His breath was heavier, a result of the addiction that was the man’s lips, and it took a great deal of self control to pause to attack his own clothes and tug the robes open, the touch of skin clearly being needed between both of them, rather than only one’s thirsty desire. He’d tackle Fenghu’s next, but as much as Xiahua wanted to explore the beautiful figure of his lover, the Duke couldn’t deny how badly he wanted to feel the Prince’s warm hands running down each sensitive part of his form. Thoughts of the kingdom and what lay outside the bedroom could wait.

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ (( TW: brief mention of physical abuse, just very briefly glossed over but just thought i'd lay it out there for anyone who wanted to read ))

Moments before a storm, there was a stillness. A stillness unlike anything Fengli had felt before within the past twelve years of waiting. waiting... for what? With the raw edge of her brother's sentence to the furthest temple within the north filled with bitter winters and short summers, Fengli had laid in wait to meet her brother again. Her brother, Fenghu.

Eyes tinged with the faintest red and nose tinted with the familiar shade from the chill of snow falling upon the ground in front of her, Fengli waited. She waited. Body covered in its cloak of fox fur and wool, the doe-eyed princess stood before the door within her gown of white. white--save for the crimson robes she wore underneath. The eldest princess was the most virtuous; adorned in crimson and snow white; midnight hair pinned with striking gold that chilled her down to the bone despite it's warmth; Fengli stared at the door of her brother's residence.

She had seen it.

She had heard the creak of the bed, the loss of his scent as the clatter of the screen door closed with the lightest attempt possible. She waited, with a breath or another, Fengli had too left her quarters that night. Fengli... Fengli was not stupid, she saw the stares. She had seen how her brother and husband would stare at each other, how their breaths seemed a bit too heavy once the two would sit together, the little escapades at night would last an hour--only to eventually drag until the morning. Yes, she did not love Xiahua. Born nobility with features crafted from the delicacy of jade, Fengli could say that she had received the better end of the stick. He did not curse at her, he did not beat her: rather, he didn't touch her at all. Twelve years of having been gone with brief instances that she had visited Fenghu (with Xiahua by her side, it had been four years) and she had known ever since.

Her dearest twin brother had returned, and his first night home: he had spent with her husband.

At the clacking of the screen doors, Fengli's eyes adverted to the ground as she lowered her head. crimson painted lips pulling into a gentle smile. "a'li greets his highness, the first prince fenghu, on his return from seclusion."

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ FengHu was still learning to read every, little cue that Xiahua afforded him, but even as a student of his lover he could register the relief that filled the man's face. It pleased him, warmed his body to know the younger man enjoyed in their sin just as much as he did-- the passion of it all, the perfection of their bodies together, the danger in the mere act of getting caught together. No. FengHu didn't plan on leaving his life with the Duke any time soon. Xiahua was much too delicious, much too tempting and decadent to let go, the Prince as greedy as he'd always been for the objects of his affection.

"And I hope I'll never cease to amaze you... or lose your faith in me." The words were low, almost at a whisper, but the force and confidence behind them made them anything but weak. They were staunch, undeterred, and made of the hardest stone. The kiss to his cheek came like the gentle drop of warm, summer rain, a tender joy to the sensation. His fingers squeezed the younger man's in his and no suggestion or question had ever been more appealing to the Prince, "That sounds perfect, Hua. I've never needed a distraction more than tonight and you... You know how to capture down to every last corner of my mind and imagination."

The gaze towards their bed was invitation enough for the Prince. His free hand took Xiahua by the waist, intertwined fingers at the man's cheek to guide him forward into a kiss, lips instantly entangled and dancing a sultry waltz between them. These lips, Xiahua's lips, were the owners of his dreams, his fantasies, and his loneliness as his lips often felt without the man's sweetened, honey pair pressed soft, passionate against his own. The arm around the Duke's waist allowed the Prince some control to gather the man, lead him to their bed and not stop until Xiahua's back hit the softness of the bedding below them and FengHu hovered above him. The elder fisted the robes that kept him from his lover's warm flesh, lips attached with magnetic force to those of the younger endlessly, a slow, lustful haze slowly warming his body, familiar now yet more thrilling every time as he gave in, slowly, gradually, to the desire he'd been restraining the moment Xiahua stepped into their quarters.

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ What the Duke was seeking was some minor reassurance. Their frequent visits had become too much a guilty pleasure for him to leave behind abruptly. Yes, Fenghu’s new wife would simply have to stay oblivious. If she ever were to find out, he hoped Fengli would agree to the same. To not utter a word of the sin they concealed in the darkness, not to speak a whisper of what two noble men dabbled in behind the public and family eye. A sigh of relief spilled from his lips, just barely audible. His simply perfect dream would not be interrupted yet. It was true their marriage was not one formed from a bond of love but rather convenience. He didn’t love his wife, and knew that she did not love him, though he still felt the frayed string of loyalty drawn from the title of husband and wife that they shared. No more than that though. Perhaps with time. As far as he knew, she was quite happy to believe the excuses her husband gave her for hanging back longer at dinners, or leaving their home in the evening.

The Duke’s hand paused over his lover’s chest, his head tipping just slightly to gaze at Fenghu. “Perhaps. I’m sure it won’t be needed, but you may have it all the same. You haven’t ceased to amazing me during our meetings.” His eyes were captured by the delicate, spine-tingling kisses and their path down his hand. Xiahua’s lips twitched, and he leaned in, murmuring, “You have my faith.” Before he sensed the conversation was concluded in favour of enjoying one another’s company. His lips touched the Prince’s cheek once before he let his fingers entwine with Fenghu’s. “I’ll help to distract you then, and you can lay those thoughts to rest for tonight. Does that sound fair to you, Feng?” He shifted, straightening his back for the sake of comfort once again. While he had not the power to play a major role in the Prince’s game for the throne, he could, at the very least, offer the intimacy desired on a cool night. Xiahua blinked towards the bed and its sheets.

[post deleted by owner]

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ The question from the Duke hung in the air and FengHu supposed it was a fair thought, one that had frankly been mulling in his own thoughts since the their visits began. FengHu never imagined he would marry for love, he barely even entertained the idea of physical attraction to anyone, but his escapades with Xiahua and the Duke himself had proven to him he was capable of lust and passion and tender affection, much like any other mortal man. Even so, marriage remained to him an obstacle, a step necessary for his goal rather than a momentous, fairytale like experience of romance and true love. And Xiahua? The man was more than just a warm body between silken sheets during stolen nights-- He'd become a trusted confidant, perhaps FengHu's only confidant aside from his sister, his only ally. The Prince shook his head, "No. I couldn't do away with our time together... with you. For more reasons than one. My lovely wife will have to endure it and remain oblivious just as my sister does." Did he feel guilt for taking his sister's husband as his lover? No. Perhaps he would have if Li truly loved the man, but it had been painfully obvious from the day he'd met them that the marriage was purely out of convenience, just as he expected his own to be.

Cool fire burned in FengHu's gaze, a tell of his maturity and the ruthlessness that lie just below the princely exterior, the smile, however, that appeared at his lips was anything but, verging almost on childish, "Are you perhaps... worried about me, Xiahua?" FengHu wasn't idealistic or hopeful-- he doubled any if his siblings aside his sister thought of him as a true part of the family and killing him would be the same as killing a stranger on the streets. The Prince had his guard up long before he'd even been sent away. FengHu's hand found way to the one trying to comfort him, slender, elegant fingers taking the hand into his own and up to his lips over the younger man's fingers, his knuckles, down his palm and to his wrist in a slow, relaxed trek over the unblemished skin. "I've had years to think and plan... I'll make sure Li, you, and I don't end up burned when it's all said and done." And that was the last thing the Prince had to say about the matter for now, the anticipation of the following event to come welling his insides in a sick kind of excitement. He didn't want to think anymore. He'd done enough of that for years, now he wanted to relax and surround himself in the fullness of a most unlikely, nut irresistible lover.

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ While Fenghu shared his thoughts with the Duke, he restrained his touches. When he started letting his hands wander, wherever it may be, in the smallest or largest amount, it always became so much more difficult to control himself. So much more difficult to control his thoughts, to organise them into fitting responses. He’d exercise some self control, before he lost himself to a crime of passion. He was there to listen first, and get lost in the perfect shape of Fenghu’s body later. “With marriage on the table, when you find yourself a suitable wife to help you move closer to your goal, I won’t be falling out of favour, will I? As much as the married life suits me just fine, I fear my life would become a lot more boring without these visits.”

A single brow quirked up at the strained laugh that came from Fenghu. It worried him, for a moment, but in Xiahua’s opinion, it was healthier for the bitterness to rush out, rather than staying festering within. When it built up, it had to come out eventually. He’d be upset if it came out in a situation that lead to his lover’s downfall. Nobody excited Xiahua so much, he wanted to preserve the night time meetings. It seemed to be the best pastime for them both, after all. “You will watch your back then, won’t you?” He paused a moment, shifting to move closer, bringing his legs up beside him, an arm moving to slip in front of Fenghu, drawing shapes with a finger in hopes the casually affectionate contact would soothe him some. “As you should. I have faith in you. Obviously, I’m not so well acquainted with any member of your family but your sister, given my position. But I believe you can rise up. It sounds like you’ve thought it through. Though- fires spread quickly, be careful of whatever you have up your sleeve tangling with others, won’t you?” It was coming out, and for that the Duke was quite relieved.

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ Simple. The touch should have been simple, a hand on his thigh in a light show of affection, of trust between the two, but the hand was anything but simple-- the warm of the man's hand sank from the robes and onto his skin, commanding the cells to warm and his breath and heartbeat to pick up. Xiahua was a stimulant, a substance so potent little doses led to an obsession for more. How they'd been so discreet and kept their moonlit visits a secret so long was truly a mystery. The man scoffed, "You flatter me, Hua... If it were up to me, I wouldn't bother with the frivolity of marriage. But it's the only piece I'm missing to have them consider me suitable for the throne... The last piece of the pristine Prince they so sought after when I was younger..."

FengHu mourned the loss of touch with his lover the moment it left his thigh, its ghost keeping him warm for moments after, but soon he craved it once more. This time, his laughter rang out bitter, hollow, metallic, "I doubt any will be too happy to see me. Even Li has reservations I'm sure. I'm another wild card... another obstacle in whatever power hungry plans they've devised in their minds. And do believe me when I say cruel doesn't even begin to describe my family. There's so much the sweet, stately royal family has hidden from the public. The image my father maintains is a mere charade and I'm tired of their deceit. That's why I won't stand for anyone but myself earning the throne. I'll burn it all to the ground." The bitterness of his laugh only turned into venom within the crevices of his words, the infection inside him clear, pungent. His thoughts were brazen, unabashed, but here, with Xiahua, the Prince was free to let the toxins spill from his body in euphoric release.

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ Even Xiahua, at first, had dismissed his interest as mere interest in meeting a new person. Someone to entertain him. They could become close friends, allies - until they became a little more than that. He kept the memory close of when his heart had fluttered so rapidly, of when he'd realised for the first time what a connection they could have, in more ways than one. He'd never had thought it possible, even a few weeks ago, to conceal it so well. As far as anyone was concerned, he'd never so much as spared a glance at another man's body. How stupid they'd feel, if they heard even a whisper of what had gone on in the room. At least in Fenghu's abode, for the time being they wouldn't have the worry of interruption.

As he moved to join the Prince, he slid a hand to rest on Fenghu's thigh, simply sharing a touch with him now that they were in a safe place. He relaxed as he took a seat, his eyes resting on the features so beautiful that it felt like a sin to stare. But he'd commit the sin so many times over, he could never quite get enough. "Finding a wife will not be the hard part for you, I assume. Your title and looks could earn you any woman who attends. Your family, however - do you think they will react well to seeing you again?" Absentmindedly, the hand resting upon his lover's thigh gave a small squeeze, before returning to his lap.

"-and as for you, in yourself," He began again, thinking after a long moment had passed. "It'll be difficult, to see those who abandoned you. Forgive me for saying it, but your family is quite cruel, bringing you home to celebrate a man who sent you away." He trailed off. Though he was always hungry for more, a more grand title, to be fed more praise, be looked upon in more glory - he was quite lucky. His family had only fed the demon of greed inside him, rather than stamping it out to avoid chaos. Xiahua could sympathise easily with him, nonetheless.

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ FengHu took no shame in admiring the creature that remained trapped under his arm for the time being. The features of the younger man were so flawless so perfectly sculpted of the most pristine porcelain-- it was a wonder the Prince hadn't taken him the first night they'd met when he reunited with his sister. He'd brushed off his interest then as mere friendship as they'd gotten along so well, even before the intoxication of the night's festivities took over and the rubor of alcohol colored their cheeks. A low rumble of laughter filled his throat, the Duke's pointed words a fine comfort, "So you can read my mind. I was starting to suspect so-- Thank you for confirming."

The coverings of the windows of the residence came to a close under FengHu's hand, free from Xiahua while the younger man removed the robe that protected him on his way to the quarters. The insurance of privacy lasted simply a moment but afforded them the intimacy FengHu was craving while he took his seat some feet away from the door the door the Duke had come in. The Prince gestured Xiahua over, now rid of his clothing. FengHu wanted him close, wanted to live enraptured in the scent and feel of skin that he deemed his guilty pleasure.

Jongsuk clicked his tongue, a thought just at the tip, silent agreement to Xiahua's offering. The Prince dropped his cheek onto his waiting hand, seemingly bored with the thoughts of tomorrow even with the storm swirling his thoughts, "Tomorrow-- Tomorrow I'll be reunited with the entirety of my family for the first time in over a decade... to celebrate the birthday of a father that all but disowned me... and who expects me to find a wife the same night so I can partake in his sick game for the throne. Beautiful, this family, isn't it?"

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ The nights he spent with his wife's brother would never cease to excite him. The distinct /wrongness/ to it sent shivers up his spine. An affair, with a man, no less. His family would be horrified if word were ever to get out. He had faith though, that things would stay quiet. Each time he left his home, a sweep around of his surroundings was taken. While he took the same route to the Prince's chambers each time, the same route to arrive at the residence would be unsafe. Someone would notice. He doubted either of them wanted word of their night time activities to be shared with the rest of the world. He slipped into the room he knew all too well, the memory of the daring touches they'd shared under the table fresh in his memory.

He leaned into the arm, the embrace he welcomed being so close to him. He wanted to enjoy it, the delightful moments before things would return to being thrilling memories. "Perhaps it's because it's such an important night that it's right for me to come. I thought that your mind might be scattered. And after dinner, with such shameless touching, did you think I would miss out on seeing you after?" He murmured as soon as the door shut, giving them privacy, an escape from catching any ears. He glanced around the room. It was the same as ever, he felt confident in the space. The outer robe that had protected him from the cold was untied. If his lover was comfortable in undergarments, he was no reason to remain bundled up when he had plans to stay a while.

Xiahua cast a glance across at Fenghu, as he moved away to lay the garment down. "I thought I could help you... collect those thoughts, your Highness?" He offered, a sly glint to his eyes as he made his way back over to the partner of his grand affair after setting it down.

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ FengHu took measured movements to rid himself of the royal garb he'd been made to wear the moment he'd stepped back into the life of a royal family member. The movements were precise, practiced, and efficient, not a glance spared to the cloth as his eyes remained on the moon, a dull lantern in a black, velvet sky. /He/ would be coming tonight, the Prince knew. So much had he gathered from the stolen glances and discreet touches they'd shared over dinner with his sister, Li, mere hours ago. To say he was pleased was a gross understatement, his lips tucked into a devilish smile that bordered just barely on a smirk, all-knowing.

How the Prince had ended in salacious rendezvous with his sister's husband under the cover of night he too wasn't sure. He'd returned to his so-called homeland with such grand plans of revenge and destruction hidden behind the angelic talent of a suitable prince-- and while those plans were still very much in place, he'd taken to forgetting them whenever Xiahua came to entertain their fantasies. The man much too mesmerizing to not steal the full of his attention. Tomorrow, however, their affair would be forgotten for the time being. Tomorrow, the games would begin and FengHu wasn't one to lose.

The knock on the door caught his ear, the last of his clothing removed in favor of the undergarments, comfortable in his own residence to disrobe. The Prince approached the door and brought it open, just enough for the man beyond the wood to come inside. Feng's eyes scanned the clearing-- always looking out for someone, prying eyes that were never there. The Prince shut the door behind his lover, an arm leading him further inside the home, jest in his voice, "I didn't know I'd be expecting company on such an important night. May I ask what your business is for coming here, dear Duke?"

@王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ It was a quiet night. It always was, whenever he went to visit. He'd left his dear wife with one of the many excuses backed up in his mind to explain why occasionally, on nights where the moon didn't shine so brightly, and it was so very easy to conceal anything out of sorts, he had to leave. He thought she was oblivious. That she wouldn't notice him slinking back into their home and resuming his day to day life with a more positive attitude. He was stupid, for assuming she was, but what didn't get him pulled up on was something he could not be attacked for. His lips twitched up, just slightly, when he entered the increasingly familiar home of the first prince. The route he took was the same each time, as he made his way to Fenghu's quarters, the place he'd been frequenting those past few weeks. Xiahua still remembered how taken he was with his wife's brother and how his advances had been no way unwelcome. It was a powerful feeling, and it was dreadfully fun, sneaking around.

"Feng," He murmured, as he knocked upon the wooden door twice. Quiet. He wouldn't bring attention to himself, and all would be well.