fairyminseok (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lakeheartbeat) wrote2015-09-20 09:23 pm
lakeheartbeat) wrote2015-09-20 09:23 pm
Dragonfly Across An Ancient Sky (2/2)
A yowling noise, loud and clear even through the thick walls of the safe cellar, the crying of an animal, more precisely a wolf. Jongdae curls up, hopes it's a battle cry, but it doesn't stop, continues to ring in his ears and cause last night's fruit to come to his throat.
Jongdae makes a split second decision when the bells stop, when they don't chime even though Lu Han should be nearby, should be just above his head. He runs, out the door and up the steps, into the sunlight where the cloaked figures are gathered.
They're forming a circle around Lu Han, chanting some kind of verse as Yifan ties two black ropes around Lu Han's front and back legs. They seem to effectively stop his magic, stop the power within him from fully escaping, bursts of light coiling around them and fizzling out, Lu Han snarling, teeth bared and eyes frantic, trapped in their hold.
They don't notice Jongdae, too preoccupied with their task, too busy watching Lu Han suffer, laughing as Yifan bends down to whisper something to the Wolf, to run condescending fingers through fur only to be snapped at, to quip in a voice like slime that Lu Han is a good puppy.
Jongdae presses himself against the wall, slinks back towards the cellar, ready to run, to hide, to curl up on the cold floor and never move again, but then Lu Han looks at him.
Eyes completely red and fur matted with sweat, lying helplessly on the ground. There's a pleading kind of look in his eyes, the kind that makes Jongdae pause, makes him quiver in his spot, glancing from Lu Han to the cellar and back to him.
He hides a few steps down, peeks over the edge and watches as Yifan tosses the wolf on top of an empty horse, ties him down and orders them to ride, says with a timbering voice that they'll search for Jongdae come nightfall, catch him and feast before the pathetic Wolf.
Watching them ride away, listening to the yowling of Lu Han, to the laughter of the bandits, the cult of cloaked riders, something snaps in Jongdae. The sky seems to go black around him, a million words, image, feelings spurring through him at once, before coming to a complete stop.
Memories -- ones that aren't his -- tendrils of black smoke, of silver light falling from his fingers, seeping from his skin, uncontrollable energy surging through him in a way he's never felt before, gasping and feeling his knees give in.
The feeling doesn't come right away. It doesn't rush through Jongdae's thoughts, doesn't burst through his chest to curl around his being.
It slithers, through his veins and into his lungs, crawls across his skin to bury itself somewhere right behind his eyelids. Jongdae stumbles through cobbled streets, vision blurred, confusion the only thing apparent even with his eyes stretched impossibly wide.
Jongdae -- Chen -- struggles to understand the visions, the sudden trickling of memories that are his but also not his, an identity that isn't and yet is. Jongdae feels trapped inside his own mind, inside his own body, dropping to the ground to curl up, knees pressed as close to his chest as they possibly can, attempting to breathe.
He's on the verge of throwing up, head lolling and skin a sickly pale tone. He doesn't understand, and yet he does. Understands why Lu Han is so intent with his mission to keep Jongdae safe, so intent to be with him in more ways than one.
Jongdae doesn't have the time to freak out, senses kicking in and knowledge that Lu Han is in danger -- his Lu Han is in danger -- spurring him back to his feet, staggering through the village, stopping to wrench his entire stomach contents into the side of the street like a drunk out and about.
It becomes too much to bear, the influx of memories too much. There’s himself, slinking through underbrush and across fields, black fur sparkling in the moonlight much as it had in his dreams, eyes taking in every drop of dew, the lines along each blade of grass.
There's the river, large and imposing yet not terrifying, a meeting ground for the Wolf on the other side, fur seeming to glow in their opposite light as Jongdae -- Chen? -- spins in circles in his excitement, a happy kitten as the Wolf swims over and shakes his fur dry, earning a low growl from Jongdae.
There's Lu Han, dressed in ceremonial robes, hair the colour of ash and ears adorned with royal earrings. He looks different here, younger, softer, eyes full of secrets, sapphires glittering on the many bracelets that frame his wrists.
And there's Chen, in his own ceremonial robes, staring into the mirror in a dimly lit room, crescent moons carved into walls and ocean blue carpeting under his feet. This memory is clearer than the rest, Chen walking from his palace and out into the forest, hopeful but scared, walking through the trees to meet his future.
There's too many memories for Jongdae to touch on each one, too many emotions threatening to rip his heart from his body themselves, him and Lu Han, him and Lu Han, always him and Lu Han.
Running through the woods, rolling in the fields, lying on the grass underneath the glowing moon, spread beneath Lu Han, filthy moans and slick sounds, vivid to Jongdae even as he continues to stumble from the village to the outskirts.
He gazes through the blur of his vision, through the haze of his tears to see the riders in the distance, stopped on a hill to rest out in the open where they know no one would dare attack.
Jongdae collapses against a tree, presses palms to the sides of his head and cries, tears spilling down his cheeks and onto his arms.
There's the ritual, the forbidden ritual, the love in Lu Han's gaze, in his eyes as he takes Chen in the grass right by the river, whispers chants into his ear and bonds them together for life, for multiple lives, two and one, strung together by an invisible string.
There's the fear, coursing through him like a deadly current, trying not to shake as the Trickster stands before them, as Baekhyun speaks his piece, words spoken loudly. And there's Xiangyue, intimidating and powerful, disowning her son as a deity.
But there's the pride, the deep rooted anguish he feels watching Lu Han stand up to her, watching a scene that he's been forced to watch played out by actors, played out by the ones who want his heart, dancing in front of him like some kind of joke.
And then comes the anger, the throat tearing scream as Jongdae and Chen become one in his mind, confusion still present as the terrified part of him meets the seething soulmated part of him. His arms grow fur, black smoke wrapping around his legs and bringing him close to the ground, small but deadly, eyes seeing all just like in his dreams.
Jongdae growls low in his throat, thousands of years of memory and experience igniting a fire in his veins, bringing to his paws and over the fields towards the rider and towards Lu Han, towards the sun in his sky, his Alpha, his bondmate.
Jongdae is terrified, cowering, too scared to fight, but Chen is a deity, Chen knows what he's doing and has the want, the need, the motivation. Jongdae cannot fight, cannot save Lu Han and his own heart, but the Cat can.
---
"Something feels off."
Baekhyun glances up from where he's staring into a crystal intensely, eyes narrowed. "Because it is off," he says, looking back into the crystal and continuing to frown.
"What happened?" Yixing asks, draping his naked chest across Baekhyun's equally naked back, hands sliding across his stomach and dipping beneath, wrapping thin and soft fingers around Baekhyun's cock as he speaks.
"Jongdae's disappeared," Baekhyun informs him, breathy as he leans back into Yixing's embrace and bucks up into his hand. "I can't find him with the crystal."
"It'll be okay," Yixing assures him, tilting his head back to kiss him gently, lips gliding together at an awkward angle. "Just relax, they've got Lu Han. We've worked hard."
"We're always working hard," Baekhyun complains, getting up from the chair and turning to face Yixing, hands pressing against his chest to push him backwards, smirk on his lips as Yixing falls onto their bed. "I think we should go soon though. Leave tomorrow, join the feast and celebrate once they have Jongdae in their hands."
"All to see the Alpha suffer," breathes Yixing, hooking his legs around Baekhyun's waist, causing him to tumble forwards and onto him, hips rolling fluidly even as they speak normally.
"Talking about Lu Han while our dicks are touching is so unsexy," Baekhyun snickers, but it doesn't stop him from snaking a hand between their bodies to stroke them together, added friction causing Yixing to release a load moan.
"You're actually worried," Yixing comments quietly, switching their positions and spreading Baekhyun's legs gently, reaching to slick his fingers with oil, inserting one into Baekhyun and stretching him tenderly.
Yixing is always gentle, always kind, even when he's being cruel.
"I'm just--" Baekhyun gasps, lets his legs fall open and continues to speak, words forming around whimpers and moans as Yixing adds more fingers, rubs against his prostate and kisses him harshly, sucking on his tongue and digging in teeth.
"Something feels off," Yixing repeats, charms of the Scholar and the Trickster glinting from where they dangle above the headboard, bent and broken at the hands of Lu Han. "Something feels off," he echoes again, thrusting into Baekhyun as if nothing could ever be off, as if the whole world is in their hands.
Soon it very well could be. Soon they will kill Lu Han and slice Jongdae's heart into pieces, rations, feed it to the cult that blindly follows in their name. That blindly follows the pure greed that is Yifan, the loathing, betrayal, grudge-holding that is Yixing, and the spiraling confusion that is Baekhyun.
"Poor little Yixing," Baekhyun whispers to the sleeping figure curled up against him, stroking his cheek with his index finger, gentle, loving. Threading through his hair just as gentle and lovingly, tucking the longer strands behind Yixing's ear and admiring his sleeping figure. "You think I'm doing this all for you, don't you? You're doing it all for me. All of this for me."
He pauses his sickeningly sweet words, his tone that drips of sugar, arms wrapping around Yixing's middle and lips pressed to his, gentle enough to not wake him.
"It's a shame you must die also."
---
The camp of bandits isn't ready for what hits them. They're sleeping, bodies stretched out in the grass and minds at ease, hearts at ease. They have Lu Han, the Alpha Wolf and Sun God in their grasps, tied up beside their leader, ready to be bait for the capture and slaughter of Jongdae.
They're not prepared for the shrieking yowl that breaks through the silent air, not prepared for the silver balls of lightning, the clouds of smoke that choke their senses. They drop like flies, screaming in pain, writhing in the grass, at the mercy of the Moon God.
The Jongdae side is sitting in amazement, awed by the display of his own power, by the display of his own desperate fury, by Chen's finesse and lack of mercy.
But it's the Jongdae part of him that stands before Yifan, head held high and light growing brighter in his hands, silvery like that of the starlight and shadowed like that of the moon.
"You ruined my childhood," Jongdae snarls, advancing on Yifan, height difference immense with their closeness, with the way Jongdae cranes his neck but still holds his ground.
"You never had a childhood," Yifan comments, slouching, words spiteful yet uncaring. "You think just because you've gained your true self back you can kill me?"
"Well, yes," Jongdae says with a wicked grin, eyes lighting up and playful tone to his voice. "I just wanted to say goodbye first."
It's anticlimactic really, Jongdae raising a hand and unleashing the full brunt of his silver energy towards Yifan, fingers curling around the empty space where the magic was, unused to the feel, the burn left behind from using too much power.
He collapses next to Lu Han, unties the bonds that lock him into place, burst of light signalling Lu Han's immediate transformation, eyes large and astonished as they bore into Jongdae's own.
"Alpha," Jongdae says in a sweet voice, fingers caressing the deep welts on Lu Han's wrists, smiling gently. "I'm here."
"Chen?" Lu Han asks in a small voice, appearing nothing like an Alpha wolf, nothing like the powerful being he is, crumpling and complacent, pliant in Jongdae's arms.
"It's both of us now," Jongdae says truthfully, trying to make sense of the jumble that has become his thoughts. "Two people in one, double the fun."
"Did you just rhyme?" Lu Han says weakly, curling himself into Jongdae and looking up at him with something akin to worship, hand reaching up to cup his jaw tenderly, gently.
"Call me Jongdae though," Jongdae tells him, brushing his lips against Lu Han's palm, and smiling that still gentle smile. It's easier to trust Lu Han now, to give in fully to what he wants, what he needs, a comforting thought in the messed up world he's been reincarnated into. "A new lifetime, a new name. I feel like I have multiple personalities, but yet Jongdae, Chen, we are both the same type of person are we not?"
"I noticed," Lu Han says quietly, not moving from his place half on Jongdae's lap, half on the grass, wincing in pain ever so slightly when his wounds touch skin. "It made it easier. To fall in love a second time with a new person and not feel guilty. It's like I love two people and two people love me, except not really."
"We've become more complicated," Jongdae laughs, his real laugh, shrill and not held back.
"We've always been complicated," Lu Han says as he pays with Jongdae's fingers, suckling them like a small child. "We need to find somewhere safe. I don't think I can walk well right now and the palace is far."
"I know the way," Jongdae says, hauling Lu Han to his feet, arm slung over his shoulder and around his waist.
"Yes," Lu Han says with a kind of reverie in his voice. "You do."
--
Now that Jongdae knows where he is, he's struck by just how differently he views Seili, just how much more he appreciates the rolling hills and sweat-inducing sun. It's beautiful here really, everything shining with the same light that shines from Lu Han, with the same kind of presence.
But at the same time everything is new, grass familiar and yet foreign under Jongdae's feet, the sky, one that he's been under before and yet hasn't been enough yet. It's a little confusing, but the sides of him are slowly molding together, slowly becoming one entity, one that knows for sure that it loves Lu Han, more than Chen had and with the burning intensity of Jongdae's fresh feelings.
It tightens their bond in a way, makes every kiss feel more desperate more needed, every touch more important, icy paths along Jongdae's skin.
Jongdae also learns the familiarity of being a cat, the lightness of running alongside Lu Han, of nestling into the fur of his back or curling up inside of his embrace, sleeping animals side by side with the setting sun.
Together they are powerful and they face few obstacles now, Jongdae quietly understanding what he needs to do with Baekhyun, how he can break down his barriers and perish him.
Yixing is a little more difficult, but Lu Han has a plan he says, a curse of his own that will exile Yixing to the western lands, to the lands of twilight where time lies still and crickets fail to chirp, a place where one who is deceitful belongs, a place for one who cannot handle the price of young love, of changing seasons, and one who cannot let go.
And a part of Jongdae is still a little sad, still attached to his first love, to his friendly tutor, one who had made his time locked up in a castle more pleasant, one who had brought him from the shell that Yifan had shoved him in face first.
It's like that for Baekhyun also, but where Chen knew nothing of Yixing personally, he knew of Baekhyun personally, loathes every inch of him with every bit of his soul, wants to rip the scar in his side open fresh and watch it bleed, watch the life fall from his eyes.
And that scares Jongdae. Scares him to think that he must take a life, has taken lives, a scary dance around morality to save the one he loves, to dedicate himself back to Lu Han's presence and reverse the curse.
But perhaps he can convince Baekhyun, can give him the one thing he wants in return for Lu Han to be whole again, to be normal. Because Baekhyun, Baekhyun does not want to die, and Baekhyun is stubborn, but he is also smart.
And so Jongdae devises a plan, one of seduction, of threats, of exile, mind refusing to stop as he pillows his head against Lu Han's chest, sighs into his hold and nearly purrs at the feel of fingertips stroking lightly up his hips.
Jongdae doesn't want to take another life, and perhaps he doesn't need to.
-----
They don't run into any more bandits on their way to the palace, crossing the barrier between dimensions easily, glow of the golden towers visible from far away, Jongdae scampering through the grass and into the courtyard, followed closely by Lu Han.
He's been staying in as a cat throughout the day, something he'd always done, back when they were first cursed and Lu Han had been depressed, frustrated, stuck as a wolf and hating every second of it.
And Jongdae doesn't remember what Lu Han even looks like under the light of the sun, only knows him in the dark, gorgeous even in the shadows. Jongdae has never been through the main hallways of this palace, forbidden to enter by law of Xiangyue, having only scaled the walls to crawl in through Lu Han's bedroom window.
Now though, he's curious, sniffing around excited and batting at light spots on the wall, reflections from the sun. He runs to Lu Han's room, trips and gets lost, Lu Han pushing him along with his nose.
It's the same as it always was, same bedding, same decorations, high arched ceilings and tiny figurines on the desk, handmade dolls -- Jongdae's dolls -- crafted perfectly with a neat stack of old candles next to them, wax used up but holders shining beautifully.
Jongdae wants to speak, to mention these items, to say a lot of things, but the sun is still up and Lu Han is still a wolf, unable to answer. So they rest, curled up together on blankets of the softest material, Lu Han's front legs draped over Jongdae like a protective blanket.
--
"Why keep the candles?" Jongdae murmurs once Lu Han is human once again, legs crossed and eyes following Jongdae as he lurks around the room, digging through drawers and opening cupboards, curious and shocked to see that nothing really has changed, everything is the same aside from a few new trinkets here and there.
And books, much as Jongdae had collected back at the castle. Stories about the Cat and the Wolf, tales of the others, of the Scholar and the Trickster. Stories of the royal family of the moon, the Kings and Queens of generations.
Hanging above the desk is the necklace, and from it dangles three charms, the proper ones. Jongdae can remember crafting it now, holding it out to Lu Han to take, to forge the power of the Sun into it. And Lu Han had crafted his own, placed it gently in Jongdae's outstretched palm and had him forge the power of the Moon.
An exchange of sorts, a physical bond to match the spiritual one, materialistic items that signify them as the two ruling powers. They've restored the balance now, the moon having no God since Jongdae's perishing, having no successors.
"I kept the candles because you made them." Lu Han says quietly, tracing patterns on the sheets with fingers, waiting for Jongdae to finish his inspection, come back to the bed and join him. "Even after I used them I couldn't bear to toss them aside."
"Aren't you just the cutest," Jongdae purrs, seating him in Lu Han's lap, peppering gentle kisses along his collarbones. "The most dedicated lover."
"And I still am," Lu Han murmurs, tilting his head back and resting on his palms, sighing at the touch of Jongdae's lips, trailing up his neck. "We have important matters to discuss."
"I can take care of Baekhyun," Jongdae says in between kisses, pressing his lips to the corner of Lu Han's mouth before pulling back. "I'll have to touch him."
"How unfortunate," Lu Han says, and he's joking but his eyes are narrowing and his grip on Jongdae's waist is tightening. "Don't get too carried away."
"You know I like to have some fun with my meals," Jongdae says with a loud laugh, sucking a hickey into the skin above Lu Han's collarbones, leaving love bites as he finishes. "I am a cat after all."
"Be quiet," Lu Han grumbles, giving Jongdae's ass a slap, one that only serves to have Jongdae moan quietly, has him pressing closer to Lu Han. "Yixing will be easy to deal with. He's not a violent man, and nor does he want to perish."
"You think -ah - you think he'll agree to be exiled?" Jongdae gasps out, hips twitching at the sudden touch of fingers on his cock, brushing up the underside and dancing over the tip.
"He will," Lu Han says with a nod, leaning forward to kiss Jongdae, tongue slipping inside to swallow Jongdae's moans. They don't talk much for the rest of the night.
----
Lu Han summons Yixing, calls him to the palace with promise of a talk, deity to deity with no strings attached, tells him not to alert Baekhyun. Yixing agrees, arriving at the palace on horseback, and walking directly inside, not bothering with formalities or greetings.
Jongdae meets him in the hallway, eyes flashing dangerously and head held high. Yixing has despised him in one life time, betrayed him in another, does not deserve his time, his words, his acknowledgment.
And yet when Yixing calls his name -- Jongdae, not Chen -- he turns around, crosses his arms over his chest and tries to ignore the emotions crawling their way to the surface of his chest, to his tongue.
"What do you want?" He asks scathingly, standing his ground and keeping his face impassive. "I have no business with you."
"This was never about you, you know." Yixing says quietly, tiny sad smile not reaching his eyes, hair windswept from the ride and robes royal. "Not then, not now. I've never blamed you. You were just a pawn."
"And you think that's supposed to make me feel better?" Jongdae hisses, keeping his arms crossed, though his face twists in anger. "You think I'm supposed to forgive you for all those hours we've spent together just for you to get to know me, to gain my trust and rip it away?"
Jongdae turns away, walks back down the hallway and towards the large ornate doors in the grand lobby, calls back over his shoulder once.
"You're not the one I blame for this either," Jongdae calls back, eyes cast downward. "You were a pawn too, in someone else's game."
---
Baekhyun’s mansion is a quiet place, large and a little ominous, trees surrounding it, something odd for Seili, but not odd for someone like Baekhyun. Jongdae doesn't waste time, pushing aside branches, leaves, overhanging plants to reach a side door hidden amidst the foliage.
He smirks, pushes open the unlocked door and slips inside, slinking through the empty house, towards the master bedroom. The room is empty also, quiet but used, unlike the stale darkness of the rest of the building.
Jongdae picks up the crystal on the desk carefully, turns it over in his hands and gazes into it, reflection dancing before his eyes for only a second before it's replaced with the palace, trained on an open window where Lu Han sits with Yixing, engaged in some kind of argument.
"So this is how the bandits always found us," Jongdae whispers, nearly dropping the crystal when a voice sounds from behind him, the reassuring gentle tone he has grown to not miss.
"And somehow you always evaded them," Baekhyun says, gliding into the room like a bloodsucker, head cocked to one side, playful smile on his lips. "What are you doing here?"
"Lu Han's busy," Jongdae shrugs, purposefully not turning towards Baekhyun, putting on a show of being casual, voice low and inviting. "I've missed sleeping with lavender stalks under my pillow."
"Have you now?" Baekhyun says in the same sweet voice he uses while scolding, the same sweet voice he'd use while cursing Lu Han, the fake one. "And is Lu Han not enough to help you sleep at night?"
"Not really," Jongdae says with a sigh, dramatic flair on high as he twirls and lands on the bed, fingers curling around the soft material of the blankets. "My heart is too confused. It doesn't know who I am, who I should love. I'm two people you know."
"My curse follows you into the next life,." Baekhyun says smugly, sitting down beside Jongdae, hand on his shoulder and gaze intense. It's not as intense as Lu Han's, not as transparent, as loving. But the kind of gaze Jongdae is looking for is there as Baekhyun's eyes follow his movements.
"I was hoping to find Yixing here as well,." Jongdae says with a sigh, hand running through his bangs and flopping down uselessly onto the bed. "But a look through the crystal has told me he's with Lu Han. Why is that?"
"What?" Baekhyun snaps, at the desk in a moment to stare into his crystal, face contorting into one of confusion, of rising irritation. "What business does he have there?."
"Maybe he missed his first pupil,." Jongdae says, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "And here I thought his loyalty to you was of the undying variety."
"I thought it was too,." Baekhyun hisses, returning to his spot, glaring at Jongdae.
"I didn't come here to talk about them though," Jongdae interrupts, feigning stress as he tugs at a strand of hair near the back of his neck, grinning inwardly at the way Baekhyun follows that as well. "I've been doing a lot of thinking."
"About what?" Baekhyun asks suspiciously, gaze wary more than intense now.
"About you," Jongdae says simply, twirling the strand between his fingers and pursing his lips thoughtfully. "Everything is a game to you is it not?"
There's a pause, and then, "Which part of the game did the forbidden garden walks fall under? Which rules did you put in place to sneak me flowers and walk me home?"
"I was trying to seduce you at the time," Baekhyun admits, wry smile and eyes twinkling. "Though it didn't work as well I thought, what with you fawning over Yixing."
"I thought so," Jongdae hums, voice a purr now. "See and I've been thinking about that. About how I'm stuck out there with Lu Han, confused, alone, trapped just as I always have been. And you're out here, someone who I know very clearly how I feel about."
"Oh?" Baekhyun says, and his voice goes a little breathy, the slightest waver in a sure demeanor. "And you expect me to just fall under your touch now?"
"I was kind of hoping I could fall under yours,." Jongdae says in a low voice, leaning in close, hands slipping underneath Baekhyun's robes and up the front of his chest, breath falling on partially opened lips as fingers brush across nipples.
"I should be ripping outr your heart and feeding you to the bandits,." Baekhyun mumbles against his lips, but his hands rest atop Jongdae's, guiding them lower down, wrapping them around his still soft cock. "But I suppose this is more fun."
Jongdae makes a content humming noise, strokes Baekhyun slowly as he crawls over top of him, hand on his chest and lips on his neck, fighting down the guilt that comes with this, though he knows Lu Han does not care, knows that Lu Han would probably be fine if they went all the way, if Jongdae had his fill.
But Jongdae has morals, has dedication and so he cuts things short, whips out the sharpened blade gifted to him from Lu Han, digging the tip into the visible scar on Baekhyun's hip, grin on his lips and eyes sparkling with loathing.
"You have a choice, Ttrickster." Jongdae breathes out, leaning forward and looking Baekhyun directly in the eye, hearing the hitch of his breath, feeling the shaking of his limbs. "Either I cut, tear your immortality away, or you reverse the curse, let Lu Han live his life and me mine."
"And why would I do that?" Baekhyun growls, struggling underneath him but weak to Jongdae's strength, powers only good for trickery, deceit, curses.
"Because you value your life,." Jongdae says, sliding the blade slightly and wincing at the yelp of pain it causes. "And you value Yixing's, whether or not you admit it out loud. You can be exiled with him and live, as long as you lift the curse."
"I can blink,." Baekhyun stutters, eyes wide. "I can blink and it will be lifted. The proof will lie in the crystal. The sun has just risen."
Jongdae leans away from Baekhyun, blade still in his side and legs framing hips, plucking the crystal from the nearby table and settling back down. Lu Han is indeed a wolf again in the blurry picture, Yixing nowhere to be found.
"Do it,." Jongdae murmurs, sliding the blade a little bit further, hisses of pain coming from Baekhyun. "Hurry up."
Baekhyun breathes deeply, pout on his face as he squeezes his eyes shut, muttering words in a dead language that Jongdae can now understand, words rolling off his tongue and into the air. He finished whispering and opens his eyes slowly, flinching when Jongdae twitches the blade in his hold, glances inside the crystal to see not a wolf, but Lu Han, standing in view of the window, sunlight dancing in the lighter strands of his hair.
It's a beautiful sight, his Lu Han, his Alpha illuminated by sunlight when he hasn't been for years, for centuries. Emotion rises in Jongdae's throat and he tosses the crystal aside, the sound of it shattering barely reaching his ears as his heart roars in his chest.
"Thank you," Jongdae says, and he means it, he does. He crawls off of Baekhyun and lowers his blade, bowing to him. "I really did trust you though. And I really do have trouble sleeping without the scent of lavender."
"I lost at my own game," Baekhyun says, looking dazed. "Where are you sending me?"
"The Teiri, the twilight lands," Jongdae says, and he grins again, a triumphant one. "I just need to snap my fingers and you'll be put into exile at the word of both the Sun and Moon deities. You won't be allowed to return."
"So be it," Baekhyun mumbles, and he's quiet, voice not sweet like sugar, but full of salt, dignity lost and head bowed. "Send me away."
And Jongdae does with a snap of his fingers, Baekhyun disappearing into tiny beads of light, a simple end to a lifelong task, to Lu Han's lifelong task of revenge.
As Jongdae leaves, the two charms above the desk shake, falling and shattering beside the crystal.
---
There's an absence around them.
Of thought, of pain, of stress, but not of feeling. There's no absence of sound, Jongdae's moans echoing into the empty chambers around them, floor cold beneath his skin but lips burning where Lu Han touches them, caresses them, swipes his tongue across and asks for entrance.
Jongdae's legs are spread so carefully open, Lu Han pumping one finger in and out, quickly and carefully, teasing and not enough. He ignores Jongdae's whimpers, ignores when he pulls tighter at his hair, when he bites down on Lu Han's tongue and whines loudly.
Lu Han does eventually add another finger, stretching slowly, oil dripping to the floor and fingers merciless, pushing insistently against Jongdae's prostate when they find it. His hips lift, push back, legs falling further apart, filthy moans and harsh panting as he wraps his arms around Lu Han's neck, attempts to fuck himself on strong fingers.
But Lu Han is a tease, pulls out his two fingers and flips Jongdae over onto his hands and knees, orders him in a low voice to crawl to the bed, to fuck himself open so Lu Han can watch. He does as he's told, usually does, ass wiggling in the air as he fucks himself with his fingers, panting into the sheets, moaning at the feel of them rubbing against his elbows, bunching up near his cock.
"Fuck me," Jongdae whines, when he's stretched open enough, oil slicked fingers sliding out as he turns back towards Lu Han, eagerly noses at the bulge in his trousers, blinks coyly up at him. "Fuck me, Alpha."
"As is your wish," Lu Han says in a honeyed voice, ridding himself of his pants and crawling over top Jongdae, pressing lips near his ear, down his neck, tongue swiping at each nipple once, teasing as it dips into Jongdae's bellybutton, into the curves on his hips. Lu Han worships his body, moves his legs and bites his way down Jongdae's thighs, sucking lightly at the tip of his cock, before lifting both legs carefully over his shoulders, pushing in too slowly.
Jongdae whines softly, fists his hands in Lu Han's hair and kisses him sloppily, breathing harsh as his body adjusts, shuddering at the touch of Lu Han's hands at his sides, at the scrape of his teeth across his scar.
"I need to claim you again," Lu Han says as he starts to move, a slow teasing pace that doesn't go deep enough for Jongdae, hands scrambling at sheets and neck bared.
"Claim me then," Jongdae babbles when Lu Han picks up the pace, pushes deeper with body shaking thrusts, bangs matted and eyes glowing, gaze intense as he leans in, bites down but doesn't break skin, Jongdae's breath hitching as he clenches around Lu Han's cock. "I like the pain. Bite me, Alpha."
And Lu Han does, sinks his teeth in for the briefest moment before pulling back, kissing the wound, tongue flicking out to sooth the newer scar, right beside the old one. He thrusts faster now, changes his angle and hits the right spots, Jongdae's moans, delicious, melodic, only cut off by Lu Han's lips closing over his own, tongue tangling with his, sloppy and wet.
He slides a hand in between them, fists Jongdae's cock roughly, harsh tugs that match the pace of his thrusts, hips snapping with force. Jongdae comes with a cry, neck throbbing and head thrown back, bringing Lu Han in for another sloppy kiss, teeth against teeth as Lu Han's hips stutter, as he hits his climax and falls forward.
Their foreheads knock together awkwardly, Jongdae barking out a laugh and looking into Lu Han's eyes, treasuring the fact that he can. There's nothing to stop them now, no bandits, no curses, immortality in tact and voices breathless as they come down from their highs, kissing languidly, hands tangled in hair and limbs thrown over limbs in a sticky mess.
They fall asleep like this, entwined and sated, wrapped together like they'd done many times before, whether it be thousands of years ago in the grasses of Seili, or a few short months ago, pressed together in a cold cave by the royal castle of Meili.
The afternoon sunlight shines upon them as they sleep, causing the crystals around their necks to glint, matching charms on matching necklaces, one for the sun and one for the moon. Still outcasts, though not cursed, hidden away in the palace of the sun or frolicking through the open fields.
They become legends once again, a new chapter added to the books of the Ages, a tale of a Cat and a Wolf, deity of the moon and Alpha. They run through illustrations, and dance into children's stories.
Sometimes Jongdae thinks of home, thinks of his reincarnated life, of hours spent in the library and having his hair ruffled by Minseok. He thinks of Yixing patiently teaching him the steps of a difficult equation, and of baskets of food, of books brought from town, called up to his window every Thursday.
And he thinks of Baekhyun, thinks of quiet talks in the gardens and of lavender petals placed carefully behind his ears.
But Jongdae also thinks of his parents, of the cold King and Queen that sought to not raise him but kill him, of the dreadful ceremonies forcing him to relive his death over and over again, and of the feelings of betrayal, the smug grin on Baekhyun's face as he curses the both of them, the cold gleaming hatred in Yixing's eyes as he'd ascended the steps to Lu Han's palace.
And finally, he thinks of Lu Han. Thinks of his dedication and his sacrifices, of his bravery and his patience, and knows he's made the right choice, knows that his two timelines, his two pasts and personalities both love Lu Han equally.
On one side was the sun, rising high in the sky and warming the land, bringing to it tranquility, peace, and all that which is good. On the other side was the moon, consuming the sun in its race to rise, looming in the sky and watching the sun dip below the horizon in fear and submission.
Together the sun and the moon create two sides of one coin brought together, a slotting of a puzzle piece, curved and beautiful. Together they create harmony within the moments, cascading light and soft shimmering darkness, the Cat submitting to the sun, and the Wolf believing in the moon.
Two pieces of poetry bound together by an ancient and outlawed ritual, yin and yang, harmony and submission.
The Alpha and his bound one.
dreamy words and sleepy tales of ambience
the absence of thought; of pain; just water running over rocks and owls hooting in the thin night air
listening for the heartbeat of night, the hollow bells that sound when they arrive
swimming under the river, floating above the sky
only in dreams
soft droplets, pattering on the roof but not reaching the ground, a child's hand held out to catch the rain that never comes
it arrives with chimes, with the moments right before dawn, when the sky is not quite dark, but not quite light
glistening; white, red; flashing in the absence of shadows, whispering promises that will never be
confusion, trapped in the eyes and upturned lips of a prince born with a gift; a curse, hidden beneath
sitting side by side yet always alone, in dreams, in reality, waterfalls that never touch water
hunting, waiting, sitting outside the window, gazing in
the chimes are a lullaby, haunting, echoing into the rain that hasn't fallen
danger but safety, entwining and surrounding, but not overwhelming
(rain that never falls)
thieves of hearts, of souls, waiting for the prince, waiting but not touching, red eyes through a hazy pane of glass
(Rain that never falls)
fragments, little spatters of thoughts, dreams, dancing closer but never touching, never ever touching
the owls are getting louder, the chimes closer, closer
(the rain still hasn't fallen)
the prince is old enough -- but not too old, just perfect, cursed but beautiful,
a raindrop hits the ground, and the wolf pounces
(white fur, red eyes, glistening, gleaming, damp in the moonlight, late night, 3am, dawn doesn't arrive)
-- but there is no rush, just eyes meeting in the shadows, a glow that needs no light, faint smell of fruit in the air, danger
-- reality and dreams become the same, two worlds moving together with the faint ambience. The owls have stopped hooting
the rain is pelting, lighting up the window, and the wolf is not a wolf, but a man standing, waiting, watching, red eyes
the wolf is delicate yet powerful, red eyes, gleaming, skin as white as the fur that covered it's body -- fallen to the floor
Jongdae makes a split second decision when the bells stop, when they don't chime even though Lu Han should be nearby, should be just above his head. He runs, out the door and up the steps, into the sunlight where the cloaked figures are gathered.
They're forming a circle around Lu Han, chanting some kind of verse as Yifan ties two black ropes around Lu Han's front and back legs. They seem to effectively stop his magic, stop the power within him from fully escaping, bursts of light coiling around them and fizzling out, Lu Han snarling, teeth bared and eyes frantic, trapped in their hold.
They don't notice Jongdae, too preoccupied with their task, too busy watching Lu Han suffer, laughing as Yifan bends down to whisper something to the Wolf, to run condescending fingers through fur only to be snapped at, to quip in a voice like slime that Lu Han is a good puppy.
Jongdae presses himself against the wall, slinks back towards the cellar, ready to run, to hide, to curl up on the cold floor and never move again, but then Lu Han looks at him.
Eyes completely red and fur matted with sweat, lying helplessly on the ground. There's a pleading kind of look in his eyes, the kind that makes Jongdae pause, makes him quiver in his spot, glancing from Lu Han to the cellar and back to him.
He hides a few steps down, peeks over the edge and watches as Yifan tosses the wolf on top of an empty horse, ties him down and orders them to ride, says with a timbering voice that they'll search for Jongdae come nightfall, catch him and feast before the pathetic Wolf.
Watching them ride away, listening to the yowling of Lu Han, to the laughter of the bandits, the cult of cloaked riders, something snaps in Jongdae. The sky seems to go black around him, a million words, image, feelings spurring through him at once, before coming to a complete stop.
Memories -- ones that aren't his -- tendrils of black smoke, of silver light falling from his fingers, seeping from his skin, uncontrollable energy surging through him in a way he's never felt before, gasping and feeling his knees give in.
The feeling doesn't come right away. It doesn't rush through Jongdae's thoughts, doesn't burst through his chest to curl around his being.
It slithers, through his veins and into his lungs, crawls across his skin to bury itself somewhere right behind his eyelids. Jongdae stumbles through cobbled streets, vision blurred, confusion the only thing apparent even with his eyes stretched impossibly wide.
Jongdae -- Chen -- struggles to understand the visions, the sudden trickling of memories that are his but also not his, an identity that isn't and yet is. Jongdae feels trapped inside his own mind, inside his own body, dropping to the ground to curl up, knees pressed as close to his chest as they possibly can, attempting to breathe.
He's on the verge of throwing up, head lolling and skin a sickly pale tone. He doesn't understand, and yet he does. Understands why Lu Han is so intent with his mission to keep Jongdae safe, so intent to be with him in more ways than one.
Jongdae doesn't have the time to freak out, senses kicking in and knowledge that Lu Han is in danger -- his Lu Han is in danger -- spurring him back to his feet, staggering through the village, stopping to wrench his entire stomach contents into the side of the street like a drunk out and about.
It becomes too much to bear, the influx of memories too much. There’s himself, slinking through underbrush and across fields, black fur sparkling in the moonlight much as it had in his dreams, eyes taking in every drop of dew, the lines along each blade of grass.
There's the river, large and imposing yet not terrifying, a meeting ground for the Wolf on the other side, fur seeming to glow in their opposite light as Jongdae -- Chen? -- spins in circles in his excitement, a happy kitten as the Wolf swims over and shakes his fur dry, earning a low growl from Jongdae.
There's Lu Han, dressed in ceremonial robes, hair the colour of ash and ears adorned with royal earrings. He looks different here, younger, softer, eyes full of secrets, sapphires glittering on the many bracelets that frame his wrists.
And there's Chen, in his own ceremonial robes, staring into the mirror in a dimly lit room, crescent moons carved into walls and ocean blue carpeting under his feet. This memory is clearer than the rest, Chen walking from his palace and out into the forest, hopeful but scared, walking through the trees to meet his future.
There's too many memories for Jongdae to touch on each one, too many emotions threatening to rip his heart from his body themselves, him and Lu Han, him and Lu Han, always him and Lu Han.
Running through the woods, rolling in the fields, lying on the grass underneath the glowing moon, spread beneath Lu Han, filthy moans and slick sounds, vivid to Jongdae even as he continues to stumble from the village to the outskirts.
He gazes through the blur of his vision, through the haze of his tears to see the riders in the distance, stopped on a hill to rest out in the open where they know no one would dare attack.
Jongdae collapses against a tree, presses palms to the sides of his head and cries, tears spilling down his cheeks and onto his arms.
There's the ritual, the forbidden ritual, the love in Lu Han's gaze, in his eyes as he takes Chen in the grass right by the river, whispers chants into his ear and bonds them together for life, for multiple lives, two and one, strung together by an invisible string.
There's the fear, coursing through him like a deadly current, trying not to shake as the Trickster stands before them, as Baekhyun speaks his piece, words spoken loudly. And there's Xiangyue, intimidating and powerful, disowning her son as a deity.
But there's the pride, the deep rooted anguish he feels watching Lu Han stand up to her, watching a scene that he's been forced to watch played out by actors, played out by the ones who want his heart, dancing in front of him like some kind of joke.
And then comes the anger, the throat tearing scream as Jongdae and Chen become one in his mind, confusion still present as the terrified part of him meets the seething soulmated part of him. His arms grow fur, black smoke wrapping around his legs and bringing him close to the ground, small but deadly, eyes seeing all just like in his dreams.
Jongdae growls low in his throat, thousands of years of memory and experience igniting a fire in his veins, bringing to his paws and over the fields towards the rider and towards Lu Han, towards the sun in his sky, his Alpha, his bondmate.
Jongdae is terrified, cowering, too scared to fight, but Chen is a deity, Chen knows what he's doing and has the want, the need, the motivation. Jongdae cannot fight, cannot save Lu Han and his own heart, but the Cat can.
---
"Something feels off."
Baekhyun glances up from where he's staring into a crystal intensely, eyes narrowed. "Because it is off," he says, looking back into the crystal and continuing to frown.
"What happened?" Yixing asks, draping his naked chest across Baekhyun's equally naked back, hands sliding across his stomach and dipping beneath, wrapping thin and soft fingers around Baekhyun's cock as he speaks.
"Jongdae's disappeared," Baekhyun informs him, breathy as he leans back into Yixing's embrace and bucks up into his hand. "I can't find him with the crystal."
"It'll be okay," Yixing assures him, tilting his head back to kiss him gently, lips gliding together at an awkward angle. "Just relax, they've got Lu Han. We've worked hard."
"We're always working hard," Baekhyun complains, getting up from the chair and turning to face Yixing, hands pressing against his chest to push him backwards, smirk on his lips as Yixing falls onto their bed. "I think we should go soon though. Leave tomorrow, join the feast and celebrate once they have Jongdae in their hands."
"All to see the Alpha suffer," breathes Yixing, hooking his legs around Baekhyun's waist, causing him to tumble forwards and onto him, hips rolling fluidly even as they speak normally.
"Talking about Lu Han while our dicks are touching is so unsexy," Baekhyun snickers, but it doesn't stop him from snaking a hand between their bodies to stroke them together, added friction causing Yixing to release a load moan.
"You're actually worried," Yixing comments quietly, switching their positions and spreading Baekhyun's legs gently, reaching to slick his fingers with oil, inserting one into Baekhyun and stretching him tenderly.
Yixing is always gentle, always kind, even when he's being cruel.
"I'm just--" Baekhyun gasps, lets his legs fall open and continues to speak, words forming around whimpers and moans as Yixing adds more fingers, rubs against his prostate and kisses him harshly, sucking on his tongue and digging in teeth.
"Something feels off," Yixing repeats, charms of the Scholar and the Trickster glinting from where they dangle above the headboard, bent and broken at the hands of Lu Han. "Something feels off," he echoes again, thrusting into Baekhyun as if nothing could ever be off, as if the whole world is in their hands.
Soon it very well could be. Soon they will kill Lu Han and slice Jongdae's heart into pieces, rations, feed it to the cult that blindly follows in their name. That blindly follows the pure greed that is Yifan, the loathing, betrayal, grudge-holding that is Yixing, and the spiraling confusion that is Baekhyun.
"Poor little Yixing," Baekhyun whispers to the sleeping figure curled up against him, stroking his cheek with his index finger, gentle, loving. Threading through his hair just as gentle and lovingly, tucking the longer strands behind Yixing's ear and admiring his sleeping figure. "You think I'm doing this all for you, don't you? You're doing it all for me. All of this for me."
He pauses his sickeningly sweet words, his tone that drips of sugar, arms wrapping around Yixing's middle and lips pressed to his, gentle enough to not wake him.
"It's a shame you must die also."
---
The camp of bandits isn't ready for what hits them. They're sleeping, bodies stretched out in the grass and minds at ease, hearts at ease. They have Lu Han, the Alpha Wolf and Sun God in their grasps, tied up beside their leader, ready to be bait for the capture and slaughter of Jongdae.
They're not prepared for the shrieking yowl that breaks through the silent air, not prepared for the silver balls of lightning, the clouds of smoke that choke their senses. They drop like flies, screaming in pain, writhing in the grass, at the mercy of the Moon God.
The Jongdae side is sitting in amazement, awed by the display of his own power, by the display of his own desperate fury, by Chen's finesse and lack of mercy.
But it's the Jongdae part of him that stands before Yifan, head held high and light growing brighter in his hands, silvery like that of the starlight and shadowed like that of the moon.
"You ruined my childhood," Jongdae snarls, advancing on Yifan, height difference immense with their closeness, with the way Jongdae cranes his neck but still holds his ground.
"You never had a childhood," Yifan comments, slouching, words spiteful yet uncaring. "You think just because you've gained your true self back you can kill me?"
"Well, yes," Jongdae says with a wicked grin, eyes lighting up and playful tone to his voice. "I just wanted to say goodbye first."
It's anticlimactic really, Jongdae raising a hand and unleashing the full brunt of his silver energy towards Yifan, fingers curling around the empty space where the magic was, unused to the feel, the burn left behind from using too much power.
He collapses next to Lu Han, unties the bonds that lock him into place, burst of light signalling Lu Han's immediate transformation, eyes large and astonished as they bore into Jongdae's own.
"Alpha," Jongdae says in a sweet voice, fingers caressing the deep welts on Lu Han's wrists, smiling gently. "I'm here."
"Chen?" Lu Han asks in a small voice, appearing nothing like an Alpha wolf, nothing like the powerful being he is, crumpling and complacent, pliant in Jongdae's arms.
"It's both of us now," Jongdae says truthfully, trying to make sense of the jumble that has become his thoughts. "Two people in one, double the fun."
"Did you just rhyme?" Lu Han says weakly, curling himself into Jongdae and looking up at him with something akin to worship, hand reaching up to cup his jaw tenderly, gently.
"Call me Jongdae though," Jongdae tells him, brushing his lips against Lu Han's palm, and smiling that still gentle smile. It's easier to trust Lu Han now, to give in fully to what he wants, what he needs, a comforting thought in the messed up world he's been reincarnated into. "A new lifetime, a new name. I feel like I have multiple personalities, but yet Jongdae, Chen, we are both the same type of person are we not?"
"I noticed," Lu Han says quietly, not moving from his place half on Jongdae's lap, half on the grass, wincing in pain ever so slightly when his wounds touch skin. "It made it easier. To fall in love a second time with a new person and not feel guilty. It's like I love two people and two people love me, except not really."
"We've become more complicated," Jongdae laughs, his real laugh, shrill and not held back.
"We've always been complicated," Lu Han says as he pays with Jongdae's fingers, suckling them like a small child. "We need to find somewhere safe. I don't think I can walk well right now and the palace is far."
"I know the way," Jongdae says, hauling Lu Han to his feet, arm slung over his shoulder and around his waist.
"Yes," Lu Han says with a kind of reverie in his voice. "You do."
--
Now that Jongdae knows where he is, he's struck by just how differently he views Seili, just how much more he appreciates the rolling hills and sweat-inducing sun. It's beautiful here really, everything shining with the same light that shines from Lu Han, with the same kind of presence.
But at the same time everything is new, grass familiar and yet foreign under Jongdae's feet, the sky, one that he's been under before and yet hasn't been enough yet. It's a little confusing, but the sides of him are slowly molding together, slowly becoming one entity, one that knows for sure that it loves Lu Han, more than Chen had and with the burning intensity of Jongdae's fresh feelings.
It tightens their bond in a way, makes every kiss feel more desperate more needed, every touch more important, icy paths along Jongdae's skin.
Jongdae also learns the familiarity of being a cat, the lightness of running alongside Lu Han, of nestling into the fur of his back or curling up inside of his embrace, sleeping animals side by side with the setting sun.
Together they are powerful and they face few obstacles now, Jongdae quietly understanding what he needs to do with Baekhyun, how he can break down his barriers and perish him.
Yixing is a little more difficult, but Lu Han has a plan he says, a curse of his own that will exile Yixing to the western lands, to the lands of twilight where time lies still and crickets fail to chirp, a place where one who is deceitful belongs, a place for one who cannot handle the price of young love, of changing seasons, and one who cannot let go.
And a part of Jongdae is still a little sad, still attached to his first love, to his friendly tutor, one who had made his time locked up in a castle more pleasant, one who had brought him from the shell that Yifan had shoved him in face first.
It's like that for Baekhyun also, but where Chen knew nothing of Yixing personally, he knew of Baekhyun personally, loathes every inch of him with every bit of his soul, wants to rip the scar in his side open fresh and watch it bleed, watch the life fall from his eyes.
And that scares Jongdae. Scares him to think that he must take a life, has taken lives, a scary dance around morality to save the one he loves, to dedicate himself back to Lu Han's presence and reverse the curse.
But perhaps he can convince Baekhyun, can give him the one thing he wants in return for Lu Han to be whole again, to be normal. Because Baekhyun, Baekhyun does not want to die, and Baekhyun is stubborn, but he is also smart.
And so Jongdae devises a plan, one of seduction, of threats, of exile, mind refusing to stop as he pillows his head against Lu Han's chest, sighs into his hold and nearly purrs at the feel of fingertips stroking lightly up his hips.
Jongdae doesn't want to take another life, and perhaps he doesn't need to.
-----
They don't run into any more bandits on their way to the palace, crossing the barrier between dimensions easily, glow of the golden towers visible from far away, Jongdae scampering through the grass and into the courtyard, followed closely by Lu Han.
He's been staying in as a cat throughout the day, something he'd always done, back when they were first cursed and Lu Han had been depressed, frustrated, stuck as a wolf and hating every second of it.
And Jongdae doesn't remember what Lu Han even looks like under the light of the sun, only knows him in the dark, gorgeous even in the shadows. Jongdae has never been through the main hallways of this palace, forbidden to enter by law of Xiangyue, having only scaled the walls to crawl in through Lu Han's bedroom window.
Now though, he's curious, sniffing around excited and batting at light spots on the wall, reflections from the sun. He runs to Lu Han's room, trips and gets lost, Lu Han pushing him along with his nose.
It's the same as it always was, same bedding, same decorations, high arched ceilings and tiny figurines on the desk, handmade dolls -- Jongdae's dolls -- crafted perfectly with a neat stack of old candles next to them, wax used up but holders shining beautifully.
Jongdae wants to speak, to mention these items, to say a lot of things, but the sun is still up and Lu Han is still a wolf, unable to answer. So they rest, curled up together on blankets of the softest material, Lu Han's front legs draped over Jongdae like a protective blanket.
--
"Why keep the candles?" Jongdae murmurs once Lu Han is human once again, legs crossed and eyes following Jongdae as he lurks around the room, digging through drawers and opening cupboards, curious and shocked to see that nothing really has changed, everything is the same aside from a few new trinkets here and there.
And books, much as Jongdae had collected back at the castle. Stories about the Cat and the Wolf, tales of the others, of the Scholar and the Trickster. Stories of the royal family of the moon, the Kings and Queens of generations.
Hanging above the desk is the necklace, and from it dangles three charms, the proper ones. Jongdae can remember crafting it now, holding it out to Lu Han to take, to forge the power of the Sun into it. And Lu Han had crafted his own, placed it gently in Jongdae's outstretched palm and had him forge the power of the Moon.
An exchange of sorts, a physical bond to match the spiritual one, materialistic items that signify them as the two ruling powers. They've restored the balance now, the moon having no God since Jongdae's perishing, having no successors.
"I kept the candles because you made them." Lu Han says quietly, tracing patterns on the sheets with fingers, waiting for Jongdae to finish his inspection, come back to the bed and join him. "Even after I used them I couldn't bear to toss them aside."
"Aren't you just the cutest," Jongdae purrs, seating him in Lu Han's lap, peppering gentle kisses along his collarbones. "The most dedicated lover."
"And I still am," Lu Han murmurs, tilting his head back and resting on his palms, sighing at the touch of Jongdae's lips, trailing up his neck. "We have important matters to discuss."
"I can take care of Baekhyun," Jongdae says in between kisses, pressing his lips to the corner of Lu Han's mouth before pulling back. "I'll have to touch him."
"How unfortunate," Lu Han says, and he's joking but his eyes are narrowing and his grip on Jongdae's waist is tightening. "Don't get too carried away."
"You know I like to have some fun with my meals," Jongdae says with a loud laugh, sucking a hickey into the skin above Lu Han's collarbones, leaving love bites as he finishes. "I am a cat after all."
"Be quiet," Lu Han grumbles, giving Jongdae's ass a slap, one that only serves to have Jongdae moan quietly, has him pressing closer to Lu Han. "Yixing will be easy to deal with. He's not a violent man, and nor does he want to perish."
"You think -ah - you think he'll agree to be exiled?" Jongdae gasps out, hips twitching at the sudden touch of fingers on his cock, brushing up the underside and dancing over the tip.
"He will," Lu Han says with a nod, leaning forward to kiss Jongdae, tongue slipping inside to swallow Jongdae's moans. They don't talk much for the rest of the night.
----
Lu Han summons Yixing, calls him to the palace with promise of a talk, deity to deity with no strings attached, tells him not to alert Baekhyun. Yixing agrees, arriving at the palace on horseback, and walking directly inside, not bothering with formalities or greetings.
Jongdae meets him in the hallway, eyes flashing dangerously and head held high. Yixing has despised him in one life time, betrayed him in another, does not deserve his time, his words, his acknowledgment.
And yet when Yixing calls his name -- Jongdae, not Chen -- he turns around, crosses his arms over his chest and tries to ignore the emotions crawling their way to the surface of his chest, to his tongue.
"What do you want?" He asks scathingly, standing his ground and keeping his face impassive. "I have no business with you."
"This was never about you, you know." Yixing says quietly, tiny sad smile not reaching his eyes, hair windswept from the ride and robes royal. "Not then, not now. I've never blamed you. You were just a pawn."
"And you think that's supposed to make me feel better?" Jongdae hisses, keeping his arms crossed, though his face twists in anger. "You think I'm supposed to forgive you for all those hours we've spent together just for you to get to know me, to gain my trust and rip it away?"
Jongdae turns away, walks back down the hallway and towards the large ornate doors in the grand lobby, calls back over his shoulder once.
"You're not the one I blame for this either," Jongdae calls back, eyes cast downward. "You were a pawn too, in someone else's game."
---
Baekhyun’s mansion is a quiet place, large and a little ominous, trees surrounding it, something odd for Seili, but not odd for someone like Baekhyun. Jongdae doesn't waste time, pushing aside branches, leaves, overhanging plants to reach a side door hidden amidst the foliage.
He smirks, pushes open the unlocked door and slips inside, slinking through the empty house, towards the master bedroom. The room is empty also, quiet but used, unlike the stale darkness of the rest of the building.
Jongdae picks up the crystal on the desk carefully, turns it over in his hands and gazes into it, reflection dancing before his eyes for only a second before it's replaced with the palace, trained on an open window where Lu Han sits with Yixing, engaged in some kind of argument.
"So this is how the bandits always found us," Jongdae whispers, nearly dropping the crystal when a voice sounds from behind him, the reassuring gentle tone he has grown to not miss.
"And somehow you always evaded them," Baekhyun says, gliding into the room like a bloodsucker, head cocked to one side, playful smile on his lips. "What are you doing here?"
"Lu Han's busy," Jongdae shrugs, purposefully not turning towards Baekhyun, putting on a show of being casual, voice low and inviting. "I've missed sleeping with lavender stalks under my pillow."
"Have you now?" Baekhyun says in the same sweet voice he uses while scolding, the same sweet voice he'd use while cursing Lu Han, the fake one. "And is Lu Han not enough to help you sleep at night?"
"Not really," Jongdae says with a sigh, dramatic flair on high as he twirls and lands on the bed, fingers curling around the soft material of the blankets. "My heart is too confused. It doesn't know who I am, who I should love. I'm two people you know."
"My curse follows you into the next life,." Baekhyun says smugly, sitting down beside Jongdae, hand on his shoulder and gaze intense. It's not as intense as Lu Han's, not as transparent, as loving. But the kind of gaze Jongdae is looking for is there as Baekhyun's eyes follow his movements.
"I was hoping to find Yixing here as well,." Jongdae says with a sigh, hand running through his bangs and flopping down uselessly onto the bed. "But a look through the crystal has told me he's with Lu Han. Why is that?"
"What?" Baekhyun snaps, at the desk in a moment to stare into his crystal, face contorting into one of confusion, of rising irritation. "What business does he have there?."
"Maybe he missed his first pupil,." Jongdae says, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "And here I thought his loyalty to you was of the undying variety."
"I thought it was too,." Baekhyun hisses, returning to his spot, glaring at Jongdae.
"I didn't come here to talk about them though," Jongdae interrupts, feigning stress as he tugs at a strand of hair near the back of his neck, grinning inwardly at the way Baekhyun follows that as well. "I've been doing a lot of thinking."
"About what?" Baekhyun asks suspiciously, gaze wary more than intense now.
"About you," Jongdae says simply, twirling the strand between his fingers and pursing his lips thoughtfully. "Everything is a game to you is it not?"
There's a pause, and then, "Which part of the game did the forbidden garden walks fall under? Which rules did you put in place to sneak me flowers and walk me home?"
"I was trying to seduce you at the time," Baekhyun admits, wry smile and eyes twinkling. "Though it didn't work as well I thought, what with you fawning over Yixing."
"I thought so," Jongdae hums, voice a purr now. "See and I've been thinking about that. About how I'm stuck out there with Lu Han, confused, alone, trapped just as I always have been. And you're out here, someone who I know very clearly how I feel about."
"Oh?" Baekhyun says, and his voice goes a little breathy, the slightest waver in a sure demeanor. "And you expect me to just fall under your touch now?"
"I was kind of hoping I could fall under yours,." Jongdae says in a low voice, leaning in close, hands slipping underneath Baekhyun's robes and up the front of his chest, breath falling on partially opened lips as fingers brush across nipples.
"I should be ripping outr your heart and feeding you to the bandits,." Baekhyun mumbles against his lips, but his hands rest atop Jongdae's, guiding them lower down, wrapping them around his still soft cock. "But I suppose this is more fun."
Jongdae makes a content humming noise, strokes Baekhyun slowly as he crawls over top of him, hand on his chest and lips on his neck, fighting down the guilt that comes with this, though he knows Lu Han does not care, knows that Lu Han would probably be fine if they went all the way, if Jongdae had his fill.
But Jongdae has morals, has dedication and so he cuts things short, whips out the sharpened blade gifted to him from Lu Han, digging the tip into the visible scar on Baekhyun's hip, grin on his lips and eyes sparkling with loathing.
"You have a choice, Ttrickster." Jongdae breathes out, leaning forward and looking Baekhyun directly in the eye, hearing the hitch of his breath, feeling the shaking of his limbs. "Either I cut, tear your immortality away, or you reverse the curse, let Lu Han live his life and me mine."
"And why would I do that?" Baekhyun growls, struggling underneath him but weak to Jongdae's strength, powers only good for trickery, deceit, curses.
"Because you value your life,." Jongdae says, sliding the blade slightly and wincing at the yelp of pain it causes. "And you value Yixing's, whether or not you admit it out loud. You can be exiled with him and live, as long as you lift the curse."
"I can blink,." Baekhyun stutters, eyes wide. "I can blink and it will be lifted. The proof will lie in the crystal. The sun has just risen."
Jongdae leans away from Baekhyun, blade still in his side and legs framing hips, plucking the crystal from the nearby table and settling back down. Lu Han is indeed a wolf again in the blurry picture, Yixing nowhere to be found.
"Do it,." Jongdae murmurs, sliding the blade a little bit further, hisses of pain coming from Baekhyun. "Hurry up."
Baekhyun breathes deeply, pout on his face as he squeezes his eyes shut, muttering words in a dead language that Jongdae can now understand, words rolling off his tongue and into the air. He finished whispering and opens his eyes slowly, flinching when Jongdae twitches the blade in his hold, glances inside the crystal to see not a wolf, but Lu Han, standing in view of the window, sunlight dancing in the lighter strands of his hair.
It's a beautiful sight, his Lu Han, his Alpha illuminated by sunlight when he hasn't been for years, for centuries. Emotion rises in Jongdae's throat and he tosses the crystal aside, the sound of it shattering barely reaching his ears as his heart roars in his chest.
"Thank you," Jongdae says, and he means it, he does. He crawls off of Baekhyun and lowers his blade, bowing to him. "I really did trust you though. And I really do have trouble sleeping without the scent of lavender."
"I lost at my own game," Baekhyun says, looking dazed. "Where are you sending me?"
"The Teiri, the twilight lands," Jongdae says, and he grins again, a triumphant one. "I just need to snap my fingers and you'll be put into exile at the word of both the Sun and Moon deities. You won't be allowed to return."
"So be it," Baekhyun mumbles, and he's quiet, voice not sweet like sugar, but full of salt, dignity lost and head bowed. "Send me away."
And Jongdae does with a snap of his fingers, Baekhyun disappearing into tiny beads of light, a simple end to a lifelong task, to Lu Han's lifelong task of revenge.
As Jongdae leaves, the two charms above the desk shake, falling and shattering beside the crystal.
---
There's an absence around them.
Of thought, of pain, of stress, but not of feeling. There's no absence of sound, Jongdae's moans echoing into the empty chambers around them, floor cold beneath his skin but lips burning where Lu Han touches them, caresses them, swipes his tongue across and asks for entrance.
Jongdae's legs are spread so carefully open, Lu Han pumping one finger in and out, quickly and carefully, teasing and not enough. He ignores Jongdae's whimpers, ignores when he pulls tighter at his hair, when he bites down on Lu Han's tongue and whines loudly.
Lu Han does eventually add another finger, stretching slowly, oil dripping to the floor and fingers merciless, pushing insistently against Jongdae's prostate when they find it. His hips lift, push back, legs falling further apart, filthy moans and harsh panting as he wraps his arms around Lu Han's neck, attempts to fuck himself on strong fingers.
But Lu Han is a tease, pulls out his two fingers and flips Jongdae over onto his hands and knees, orders him in a low voice to crawl to the bed, to fuck himself open so Lu Han can watch. He does as he's told, usually does, ass wiggling in the air as he fucks himself with his fingers, panting into the sheets, moaning at the feel of them rubbing against his elbows, bunching up near his cock.
"Fuck me," Jongdae whines, when he's stretched open enough, oil slicked fingers sliding out as he turns back towards Lu Han, eagerly noses at the bulge in his trousers, blinks coyly up at him. "Fuck me, Alpha."
"As is your wish," Lu Han says in a honeyed voice, ridding himself of his pants and crawling over top Jongdae, pressing lips near his ear, down his neck, tongue swiping at each nipple once, teasing as it dips into Jongdae's bellybutton, into the curves on his hips. Lu Han worships his body, moves his legs and bites his way down Jongdae's thighs, sucking lightly at the tip of his cock, before lifting both legs carefully over his shoulders, pushing in too slowly.
Jongdae whines softly, fists his hands in Lu Han's hair and kisses him sloppily, breathing harsh as his body adjusts, shuddering at the touch of Lu Han's hands at his sides, at the scrape of his teeth across his scar.
"I need to claim you again," Lu Han says as he starts to move, a slow teasing pace that doesn't go deep enough for Jongdae, hands scrambling at sheets and neck bared.
"Claim me then," Jongdae babbles when Lu Han picks up the pace, pushes deeper with body shaking thrusts, bangs matted and eyes glowing, gaze intense as he leans in, bites down but doesn't break skin, Jongdae's breath hitching as he clenches around Lu Han's cock. "I like the pain. Bite me, Alpha."
And Lu Han does, sinks his teeth in for the briefest moment before pulling back, kissing the wound, tongue flicking out to sooth the newer scar, right beside the old one. He thrusts faster now, changes his angle and hits the right spots, Jongdae's moans, delicious, melodic, only cut off by Lu Han's lips closing over his own, tongue tangling with his, sloppy and wet.
He slides a hand in between them, fists Jongdae's cock roughly, harsh tugs that match the pace of his thrusts, hips snapping with force. Jongdae comes with a cry, neck throbbing and head thrown back, bringing Lu Han in for another sloppy kiss, teeth against teeth as Lu Han's hips stutter, as he hits his climax and falls forward.
Their foreheads knock together awkwardly, Jongdae barking out a laugh and looking into Lu Han's eyes, treasuring the fact that he can. There's nothing to stop them now, no bandits, no curses, immortality in tact and voices breathless as they come down from their highs, kissing languidly, hands tangled in hair and limbs thrown over limbs in a sticky mess.
They fall asleep like this, entwined and sated, wrapped together like they'd done many times before, whether it be thousands of years ago in the grasses of Seili, or a few short months ago, pressed together in a cold cave by the royal castle of Meili.
The afternoon sunlight shines upon them as they sleep, causing the crystals around their necks to glint, matching charms on matching necklaces, one for the sun and one for the moon. Still outcasts, though not cursed, hidden away in the palace of the sun or frolicking through the open fields.
They become legends once again, a new chapter added to the books of the Ages, a tale of a Cat and a Wolf, deity of the moon and Alpha. They run through illustrations, and dance into children's stories.
Sometimes Jongdae thinks of home, thinks of his reincarnated life, of hours spent in the library and having his hair ruffled by Minseok. He thinks of Yixing patiently teaching him the steps of a difficult equation, and of baskets of food, of books brought from town, called up to his window every Thursday.
And he thinks of Baekhyun, thinks of quiet talks in the gardens and of lavender petals placed carefully behind his ears.
But Jongdae also thinks of his parents, of the cold King and Queen that sought to not raise him but kill him, of the dreadful ceremonies forcing him to relive his death over and over again, and of the feelings of betrayal, the smug grin on Baekhyun's face as he curses the both of them, the cold gleaming hatred in Yixing's eyes as he'd ascended the steps to Lu Han's palace.
And finally, he thinks of Lu Han. Thinks of his dedication and his sacrifices, of his bravery and his patience, and knows he's made the right choice, knows that his two timelines, his two pasts and personalities both love Lu Han equally.
On one side was the sun, rising high in the sky and warming the land, bringing to it tranquility, peace, and all that which is good. On the other side was the moon, consuming the sun in its race to rise, looming in the sky and watching the sun dip below the horizon in fear and submission.
Together the sun and the moon create two sides of one coin brought together, a slotting of a puzzle piece, curved and beautiful. Together they create harmony within the moments, cascading light and soft shimmering darkness, the Cat submitting to the sun, and the Wolf believing in the moon.
Two pieces of poetry bound together by an ancient and outlawed ritual, yin and yang, harmony and submission.
The Alpha and his bound one.
the absence of thought; of pain; just water running over rocks and owls hooting in the thin night air
listening for the heartbeat of night, the hollow bells that sound when they arrive
swimming under the river, floating above the sky
only in dreams
soft droplets, pattering on the roof but not reaching the ground, a child's hand held out to catch the rain that never comes
it arrives with chimes, with the moments right before dawn, when the sky is not quite dark, but not quite light
glistening; white, red; flashing in the absence of shadows, whispering promises that will never be
confusion, trapped in the eyes and upturned lips of a prince born with a gift; a curse, hidden beneath
sitting side by side yet always alone, in dreams, in reality, waterfalls that never touch water
hunting, waiting, sitting outside the window, gazing in
the chimes are a lullaby, haunting, echoing into the rain that hasn't fallen
danger but safety, entwining and surrounding, but not overwhelming
(rain that never falls)
thieves of hearts, of souls, waiting for the prince, waiting but not touching, red eyes through a hazy pane of glass
(Rain that never falls)
fragments, little spatters of thoughts, dreams, dancing closer but never touching, never ever touching
the owls are getting louder, the chimes closer, closer
(the rain still hasn't fallen)
the prince is old enough -- but not too old, just perfect, cursed but beautiful,
a raindrop hits the ground, and the wolf pounces
(white fur, red eyes, glistening, gleaming, damp in the moonlight, late night, 3am, dawn doesn't arrive)
-- but there is no rush, just eyes meeting in the shadows, a glow that needs no light, faint smell of fruit in the air, danger
-- reality and dreams become the same, two worlds moving together with the faint ambience. The owls have stopped hooting
the rain is pelting, lighting up the window, and the wolf is not a wolf, but a man standing, waiting, watching, red eyes
the wolf is delicate yet powerful, red eyes, gleaming, skin as white as the fur that covered it's body -- fallen to the floor