Scandalous
The banquet was ostentatious. Unsurprising, truly. It was a way to show off one's wealth to peers and foes alike. To impress upon all who attended the grandeur of one's lands. Zhou Yu mingled with the attendees casually. Not staying with any one group too long, but not short enough to be considered rude either. Navigating the courts of the failing Han Dynasty was a delicate matter. One that had to be handled with utmost care, less the task turn deadly. Raised among the feuding of the northern lords, Zhou was an expert at the intrigue that imbued even the simplest of gatherings. He'd be lying if he said that a part of him didn't enjoy how he could always outwit those who attempted to drag him into one conspiracy or another. But it did grow dull sometimes. He'd expected that evening would be no different.
"Did you hear who's attending tonight?" One man asked him. "It's quite surprising."
"There are many attending tonight." Zhou replied. "I would require more information to know who you speak of."
"The Qiaos are in attendance. Have you seen the daughters before? They are a sight indeed."
The pause was probably imperceptible to his current company. But to Zhou, his momentary silence rang in his ears. "I see. I do hope I'll have the pleasure of meeting the distinguished Qiao family."
The conversation went on, but if asked he probably couldn't have repeated it. The Qiaos were in attendance. When had he last seen them? Another banquet, in the south. He'd been attending with the Suns. Before Jian's death, when everything had changed for the other family. He had a vague memory of the eldest daughter. Flowing dark hair and softly spoken. The youngest...she he remembered distinctly. Brown hair and laughing eyes. Bouncing around the room, a whirlwind of energy. Almost seeming innocent, but her words had been less sweet. It had intrigued him. They'd all been younger then. Children expected to be adults, still new to the banquets and the courts. Still learning what was expected of them. What would she be like now?
His answer came unexpectedly. He'd been between the mingled groups when he heard a high, delighted voice. "Why, it's Lord Zhou Yu!"
He'd turned, and found himself caught off guard for the second time that night. Her brown hair was simply styled, but her laughing eyes had not changed. She was only slightly taller than he recalled her being all those years ago, and the energy in her step was still there. She'd bounced around him with a laugh, doing a twirl.
"Don't you recognize me, Lord Zhou Yu?" A teasing lilt was in her voice.
Instantly. But she was calling him on his misstep. His initial lack of response. If she was going to torment him, he would certainly repay it in kind. "You do seem familiar. Lady Xia, wasn't it?" Her eyes instantly narrowed, her smile slipping. "No, I'm sorry, It was Lady Qi, right?"
Her cheeks puffed out and she glared at him for a moment before she forced a smile to her face. "How forgetful of you, Lord Zhou Yu." She giggled, but it wasn't earnest. "It was Lady Qiao. Lady Xiao Qiao."
"Of course, now I recall. We met at a banquet in the south a few years back."
The smile became more earnest, and he saw in her eyes she'd caught his ploy. "That's right!" She clasped her hands. "So you remember! It is good to see you again."
"And you as well, how are things with your family?"
"Oh, very well. How nice of you to ask. And yours?"
"They remain well."
"Have you seen the Sun family lately? My sister was asking about the oldest boy just the other day. What was his name? Ye? Tse?"
He should be insulted on his sworn brother's behalf, but a smile was tugging at his lips at how she flippantly turned his game back on him. "Sun Ce. He and his family are well."
"That's right. Now I recall. He was honored just recently for subduing bandits in the service of Yuan Shu. Isn't that correct?"
"It is." Zhou Yu nodded. "You seem well informed, Lady Qiao."
"That's a good thing, isn't it Lord Zhou?"
"In these changing times, it's a very good idea." He admitted. "I'm most curious what else the Lady Qiao knows."
"Oh, this and that." She clasped her arms behind her back. "It's amazing what people say when they don't think others are listening."
"Is that so?"
"Take Lord Tang for example. I distinctly heard him say he had a meeting with General Nai...but General Nai works for Lord Meng. Or am I mistaken?"
Her pondering sounded innocent, but Zhou was no longer fooled by it. "How scandalous." He commented.
"What of you, Lord Zhou? Have you heard anything of particular interest?"
"As a matter of fact, I was asked if I'd seen General Xiu here tonight by Lady Wan."
"Truly? I'm sure Lord Wan would find that quite shocking." She leaned closer, as if sharing a secret, her lips curving into a mischievous grin. His senses became acutely aware of a scent that drifted upon the very air they breathed. Sweetness and honey, the essence of the enthralling girl in front of him.
"I'm sure he would...were he not otherwise preoccupied."
"Yes, Lady Tei does seem to have enchanted everyone tonight."
Zhou found himself studying her face again. "Not everyone." He assured her.
Xiao glanced down, biting her lip in an attempt to hide her smile. When she glanced back up he had stepped closer. It was truly far too close for such a public location, but his nearness sent her heart racing and she didn't try to move away. "You know, Lord Zhou. You have a bit of a reputation of your own."
"Do I, now?" He seemed amused. Mouth curling into a smile, hair falling over one shoulder. A silky sheen of midnight that she couldn't resist reaching up to comb her fingers through.
"I think you know what I mean..." Her tone was lecturing, her lips forming into a small pout.
Zhou found his eyes drawn to her mouth before forcing them back up to gaze into her eyes. She met his gaze, eyes twinkling with amusement and perhaps something more mature. "I'm sure we could find something more pleasant to occupy ourselves with then discussing my history."
"What are you suggesting, Lord Zhou Yu?"
"Under the circumstances, I dare say it wouldn't do any harm to add to the scandals of the banquet. If Lady Xiao is of the mind to do so."
Xiao broke into a laugh, eyes dancing. "Lord Zhou Yu, I was beginning to think you weren't going to ask."
The guest house Zhou Yu was staying at was only a few streets from their host's manor. It, too, was lavishly furnished. After all, to put up a guest in a meager house was to make both the lands seem poor and the host demeaning of his visitors status.
"Do you require anything, my lord?" A single servant greeted Zhou Yu upon their arrival.
"Privacy." Zhou Yu returned.
The servant merely bowed and retreated, not at all surprised by his words. Xiao guessed it was a retainer of Zhou Yu's, not their host. She took time to glance around as she followed him further into the manor. "It almost seems our absence might go unnoticed." She mentioned.
"I doubt that will be completely true. Even so, I am curious how did the Lady Qiao know the way through the garden to the side gateway? It seemed like a servant's entrance."
"Someone mentioned it to me, is all."
"Just a casual conversation?" He was amused by how innocent she made it sound.
"It's amazing what people will do for a little gold..."
"So is bribery among Lady Qiao's distinguished talents?"
"How unflattering!" She frowned at him, though it once again resembled more of a pout than a frown. Zhou Yu found it quite enthralling. "I'm simply persuasive. Much as you are said to be..."
"Are we back to my reputation? I thought we'd left that conversation behind us." Zhou Yu paused at a door, smiling down at her.
Xiao giggled, reaching out to lay a hand on the door. "Perhaps we are, perhaps we aren't. I wonder, though. Aren't you afraid you might be falling for the thirty-first strategy of Sun Tzu?"
"The Beauty Trap." Zhou Yu quoted. "But there's a simple reason that couldn't be."
"Oh? What?"
"We are in neither of our lands at the moment."
Qiao laughed, a pleasant sound as musical as the girl's voice. She slid her hand off the door, and Zhou Yu led the way into the bedroom. He paused at the doorway to let her by and she rushed past him, turning with a bright smile as he closed the door and slid the latch into place to assure their privacy. She waited for him to turn back to face her to continue the conversation. "Well, they say to enjoy yourself. It's earlier than you think."
"Is it not "Later than you think"?" Zhou Yu questioned.
"Is it?" She reached up a hand to play with a strand of her hair, her voice teasing. "I hadn't noticed."
The sight of her was starting to enflame his senses, but he held himself in place, watching her. Enjoying the feeling of desire creeping across his awareness. "Wasn't Lady Xiao just warning me that one should be just as careful in choosing one's pleasures as in avoiding calamities?"
Xiao sighed, shaking her head. She took the few steps over to the bed, sitting down on it and leaning back on her arms. "Lord Zhou..."
He took in a deep breath, watching her carefully. "Lady Xiao?"
"If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are."
He might potentially never be able to read that line in the Art of War again without mixed feelings. All the same, he took her point and crossed the floor space between them. Resting one knee on the bed he leaned in closer, his lips curling up into a smile as he thought of the perfect reply to her taunt. "Cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays." His lips covered hers, tasting deeply of her sweetness. Just as he'd been longing to since the first moment he'd set eyes on her again.
Xiao raised one arm to wrap around his neck, tongue trailing against the one invading her mouth, all too aware of the warmth spreading through her body. The tingling of pleasure that hinted at things to come. Zhou's fingers worked through her hair, undoing the simple style with ease and delighting in the soft texture. He broke the kiss slowly, brushing his lips up to her ear. "It's true what they say about kisses." He murmured.
Xiao shivered at the feeling of his hot breath wafting over her ear, but she turned her head invitingly, welcoming the sensation. "And what do they say about kisses, Lord Zhou?"
"Kissing is like drinking tea through a tea-strainer; you're always thirsty afterwards." His lips closed over her earlobe, toying with it gently.
Xiao moaned, her hand gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly. As his lips slid from her ear to her neck, she struggled to gain enough of her senses to think of a reply. "To see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight." Loosening her grip on his shirt, she sifted her fingers through his dark locks instead.
Zhou nuzzled his face into the side of her neck, enjoying the feeling of her delicate fingers sliding through his hair. "Lady Qiao thinks I am stating the obvious?" He ran a hand down from her shoulder, cupping her breast through her robes.
Xiao moaned again, before placing her hand on his head and pressing it up away from her neck. "Lady Qiao thinks you should kiss her again if you are still thirsty..." She murmured, her eyelids heavy with desire.
That was not an invitation he intended to turn down. Zhou captured her mouth again, tongue tracing her lips briefly before plunging inside. He massaged the breast his hand still cupped, delighting in the quivers he could feel his actions were causing. Their teeth met as their hunger for eachother deepened. The hand that had been in her hair fell to her waist, his arm wrapping around it so he could pull her up against him.
Xiao gasped into the kiss as he molded their bodies together. She could feel his hardness against her, throbbing with need. Wrapping both arms around his neck she rubbed her body against his, not surprised when he broke the kiss with a groan. She pressed the advantage - lips nibbling at his exposed throat, one hand sliding down to undo the fastenings of his shirt.
Zhou whirled her away from the bed, and she gave a gasp as her feet were lifted from the ground. Then they were falling backwards onto it, Zhou taking the brunt of the sudden action as the bed gave a slight sound of protest at the abuse. Xiao couldn't help but laugh, gazing at Zhou, who's lips were curled into a smile. Their lips met again in another passionate kiss, and she felt his hands pulling her robe slowly up, exposing her inch by inch, fingers brushing her skin now and again in a tantalizing touch. Her own hands resumed the task of undoing the fastenings of his shirt as best she could from their prone positions.
Her fingers slid inside to brush against his skin, and Zhou's growled into their kiss, sitting slightly up, fingers moving more openly over her exposed skin, before sliding between her legs. It was her turn to break the kiss, crying out at the teasing caressing of his fingers over her still covered groin. "Yu..." She gasped out.
She was pressed upward, the robe pulled over her head and tossed away, His mouth slid down her still covered chest, mouth surrounding a breast even through the thin silk of her undershirt. The waves of pleasure assaulting her were both delightful and maddening. Too much without being enough. She tugged at his shirt, more instinct than actual planning at that moment.
Zhou shrugged one arm out of it, and her hands slid down his own skin, scratching lightly one moment and stroking the next. He shuddered, already heavy with desire for her. Her fingers slid lower, ghosting over his crotch and he broke away from her breast. Breath frozen for a moment in his throat. The touch repeated, harder now, feeling the pulsing shaft through his pants. "Xiao!" He groaned.
Her hands slid up and down, a knowing touch. Teasing him as he had her. "Don't stop..." She lectured breathlessly into his hair, and he realized his own hands had stilled. His fingers deftly undid the cloth covering her, seeking her opening. Her breath hitched as he slid them inside of her, pressing upwards to seek her core.
"Yu!" Her hands clenched his thighs even as her body tightened slightly around his fingers, swept away by the waves of pleasure. Her head fell backwards, eyes sliding close.
Zhou was certain the sight of her like this was the most breathtaking vision he'd ever seen. His body was aching now, desperate for her. His free arm wrapped around her waist again, rolling her underneath him, fingers slipping out despite her protest. "I need to feel you around me..." He murmured, surprised to feel her own hands assisting him in pulling his pants off. Her fingers undid the cloth keeping him from her, her eyes dark with desire, her arms pulling him back.
He pressed inside of her, shuddering at the feeling of her tensing around him. His lips moved along her neck, her collarbone, waiting a moment for her to adjust.
"Don't stop." She lectured again, breath gusting through his hair. Almost laughing despite the desire he could feel quivering through her.
There was no more words, none left to him. Stolen away by the desire he felt, by the blood pounding through his ears. He moved slowly at first, but his pace sped up as she met him thrust for thrust. Clinging to one another as the pleasure silenced their previously teasing words, erased every thought. Eclipsed even the notion of being, until release shattered them both.
Even afterwards, they lay together in silence, savoring the feeling of eachother's presence and warmth. They fell asleep to the simple sound of eachother's breathing and the nighttime outside the window.
Daylight was filtering through the same window when Zhou Yu awoke, the sound of the city awakening replacing the quiet lullaby of the night before. Xiao sat at the window, and he wondered how long she'd been awake. She was dressed in his shirt, the robe falling to her knees, bare legs kicking restlessly. In one way, he was surprised her movement had not woken him previously. Had he been that tired? Did he trust her that much after such a brief interlude?
He sat up, the bed making a slight sound at his motion, and Xiao glanced back at him, her smile bright. "You're awake! Good morning."
"Good morning." He felt a smile curve his mouth, just the sight of her sitting on the ledge was enough to put him in good spirits.
She grinned at his smile, turning to face him. "You missed the most beautiful sunrise."
Zhou found himself momentarily frozen at the sight of her. Brown tresses falling over one shoulder, his shirt wrapped around her, the collar slightly open to reveal her undershirt underneath. Her smile seemed to make the sunlight appear dimmer. "I think the sight I've awakened to would make the sunrise pale in comparison."
Xiao paused, startled, then she laughed. Her eyes were dancing when she looked at him again. "Tsk. Water and words are easy to pour but impossible to recover."
"I assure you I would never wish to recover words spoken to you."
"Hm." she got off the windowsill. "I must be returning soon. We'll be starting the journey home today."
"So soon?" He didn't attempt to hide the disappointment in his voice.
"I'm usually pleased to be returning home. I will admit, today I feel more reluctant." Unfastening his shirt, she placed it on the bed, turning away to gather up her robe where he'd tossed it the previous evening.
"When will you be travelling north again?"
"Who can say? We don't attend the banquets often. My father feels it is in my sister and my best interest otherwise." She slid the robe over her head, working on the fastenings.
""It is the beautiful bird which gets caged" Zhou Yu murmured, watching her as she went through the motions of fixing her appearance casually.
Her eyes grew serious and distant. "Happiness is like a sunbeam, which the least shadow intercepts,"
He didn't like seeing her so serious, he decided. Her face was meant to hold a smile. "And yet one joy scatters a hundred griefs."
She glanced at him, and the corners of her mouth lifted briefly, before settling into seriousness again. She tilted her head to one side, watching him where he sat calmly on the bed, black hair falling around him as he watched her. "They say Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes." She spoke slowly.
Zhou's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to understand the turn in conversation. "And?"
"And I'm wondering which you are, Lord Zhou Yu. I would like to think the former."
Zhou glanced away, his own look growing thoughtful. "I would like to prove the former." He admitted slowly. "But the chance has not yet presented itself."
"If you want a fish, don't climb a tree."
He turned back to her, and the smile had made it's way back onto her face. "Does the Lady Qiao know something I don't?"
"Only something I heard." She approached the bed slowly. "There are whispers that the Imperial Seal has found it's way into the hands of Yuan Shu."
"The Imperial Seal?" Zhou sat straighter. The seal was in the hands of the Sun family. While Sun Ce may have sworn himself to the Northern Lord, Zhou didn't believe for a moment he'd give the seal up casually. Was his sworn brother in danger? "What of Sun Ce?"
"General Sun Ce marches south to settle the troubles in the province that was once the land of the Tiger of Jiang Dong. His father."
If Ce was marching south...
Zhou Yu found himself gazing at her thoughtfully. "Why share this?"
"Perhaps I hope to hear great things of Lord Zhou Yu in the future." She provided. "I truly must be going."
"When next we meet, it will be by another name." His words made her pause even as she began to turn away. "My style name. Gongjin."
"Gongjin." He could hear the smile in her voice. She turned back, eyes dancing again. "Then I hope to hear many tales of the glory of Lord Zhou Gongjin in the future."
"I will strive not to disappoint the Lady Xiao Qiao."
"Lord Zhou...do you know my name?"
He leaned forward, watching her carefully. "Only a lady's husband is privileged by the knowledge of her style name."
Xiao approached the bed one last time, her smile teasing. "Mm-hm." She leaned in to whisper in his ear, her lips brushing the shell as she spoke. She drew back only a little, and Zhou leaned in to brush his lips against hers.
"Til we meet again, My Lady."
Xiao's laughter was bright as she climbed off the bed. "Til we meet again."
Though she was gone a moment later, Zhou Yu swore he could detect the sent of sweets and honey lingering in the air.
Erhime
I drew on the games, some historical info, and things that happened in the novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms to write this fic. Obviously, the clothing I use is more historical than game based. This fic contains alot of quotes. Some are proverbs, and some are from strategy books that would have been available during the The Three Kingdoms period. But I threw ages out the window. With Zhou Yu mentioning he will go by his style name in the future, that means he isn't twenty yet. While Xiao having hers means she's probably around fifteen or sixteen. So he's younger and she's older than they should be.
Hope some of you enjoyed this. Please R&R!