After a few years into Arthur and Yao's wedding, the Earth King decided to officially retire. He wanted to travel the world before he was too old to do so. Therefore, Arthur succeeded him as king.

However, before that, Arthur and Yao decided that they were ready to raise a child. So the king and queen found a nice, respectable young girl from the Earth Kingdom who was willing to bear a child for Arthur and Yao. Her name was Elizaveta. She was rewarded handsomely after the baby was born, of course.

Before Elizaveta got pregnant, the palace healers monitored her vital statistics as well as her fertility cycle. As soon as she was deemed stable and was the most fertile, it was arranged for Arthur to sleep with her.

The night that Arthur was to impregnate Elizaveta, Yao couldn't sleep. He was alone. He tossed and turned around in bed, a sense of jealousy coursing through his veins. Yao knew that his husband having sex with another person meant nothing; Arthur had zero feelings for her and it was solely to create a baby, but he couldn't help the ugly, jealous feeling within him. Now, he could no longer say that he was the only one that Arthur shed his clothes for, the one who had seen Arthur's naked body. Now he had to share that privilege with a random girl. Granted, she was not so random – she was handpicked by the king and queen, came from a pretty well-off family and had excellent genes to pass on to the child, but still.

Briefly, Yao wondered what sort of face Arthur would make when he had sex with Elizaveta. Would his face be moulded into an expression of utter bliss just like when he made love to Yao? Would he make the sort of sounds and moans that he swore was reserved for Yao and Yao alone?

Yao buried his face into his pillow. He knew he would not be happy about Arthur sleeping with a woman, but he didn't think he'd be THAT miserable. But then, they wouldn't have been able to get married if not for that particular condition.

Yao knew he wouldn't get any sleep that night. He swung his legs over the bed and stood up. He lit a candle with his firebending and left the room. Maybe a little fresh air would do him some good.

Yao made his way to the Royal Palace grounds. He found the flower bed where the queen grew her flowers, and settled himself down on the ground, facing the flower bed. Yao gently blew out the candle, preferring the dim light which came solely from the moon.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

Yao jumped. He didn't expect anyone to be awake at this ungodly hour. He whipped his head around to see the Earth Queen hovering over him. She was dressed in her pyjamas with a robe over them to protect herself from the cold.

Yao laughed nervously. "Yeah. I can't stop thinking… about…"

"I know," replied the queen. She walked towards Yao and primly sat herself down on the ground beside him. "I wouldn't be able to take it – the man I love sleeping with another person. You are a very strong man, Yao."

"It's… it's what has to be done, aru," replied Yao softly. He averted his eyes from the queen's gaze. He hated the way his voice broke.

"Yes. Yes it is," said the queen. One look at Yao's broken expression had her engulfing Yao in a motherly hug.

As soon as the queen's arms came into contact with Yao's body, the tears started falling. He knew it was stupid to cry. The prince loved him and only him. But sharing Arthur with another person, even if it was just for one night, hurt too much.

The queen ran her hands up and down Yao's back comfortingly as he sobbed into her shoulder. "Artie truly loves you, you know?"

Yao gave a watery laugh. "I know. I've never doubted his love," he said. "And I love him so much too. It's just… painful to share him with someone I don't even know."

"I understand," replied the queen. "Arthur cares deeply for the kingdom – he would do anything for the kingdom's sake."

Nobody said anything for a while. Yao's sobs quietened into sniffles. Then, the Earth Queen spoke up again. "You know that swing over there? The one that Arthur is so fond of?" she asked Yao, pointing to the swing that Arthur had first brought Yao to on the night Yao was publicly introduced as Arthur's partner.

Yao nodded.

"Well, when Arthur was young, he wasn't the most obedient of children. In fact, he was very rebellious. You tell him to do one thing, he ends up doing the exact opposite."

Yao hid a smile behind his hand. "He does seem like that type, aru."

"When Arthur was three, he had managed to climb to the top of the swing. Don't ask me how. But then, he lost his balance and fell. Broke his arm."

"Ouch."

The queen laughed. "He spent the rest of the day crying and clinging onto me. Didn't want to leave my side."

"I'm sure it must have hurt…"

"Oh! After it was put in a cast and set, his arm didn't hurt anymore. He just wanted my attention. That sneaky little boy. I wouldn't be surprised if it was his plan all along."

Yao giggled.

The queen looked at Yao and grinned. "You laughed," she observed.

Yao looked up from where he was staring at his lap and wiped a stray tear from his cheek. "That I did," he said, smiling sincerely at the queen. "I'm glad you came out here tonight, aru."

The queen shrugged. "I knew that you could use some company."

Yao and the Earth Queen spent the rest of the night until the wee hours of the morning talking about Arthur and mundane things that would help make Yao feel better. Yao fell asleep at around 4am in the morning, exhausted from thinking and worrying about Arthur.

Arthur hurried out of the Royal Palace, looking for Yao at approximately 6am. When he saw Yao sleeping on the ground, his head rested on the queen's lap, Arthur stopped and sighed in relief.

"What's wrong, dear?"

"No…" Arthur was trying to catch his breath. "I went back to our room, and I couldn't find Yao… and I was afraid that something might have happened to him…"

The queen chuckled. "The Royal Palace is one of the safest places in the Earth Kingdom, Arthur," she said.

Arthur put his right hand on his right hip and cast his mother an annoyed look. "I can't help but worry when it comes to Yao, okay?"

The Earth Queen smiled tenderly at her son. "I know. You love him."

Arthur didn't say anything in reply to that. He walked closer to the two figures on the ground. Then, Arthur knelt down to touch Yao's face lightly. "What was he doing out here anyway?"

"He couldn't sleep thinking about you and Elizaveta…"

"So what are YOU doing out here?"

"I knew he needed a shoulder to cry on," the queen replied, shrugging.

Arthur flinched. "He was THAT upset? It didn't mean anything! She was just a way to get a baby!"

The queen placed a hand over Arthur's. "I know. He knows that too. But it's upsetting for him to know that you are having sex with another person. How was it, by the way?"

Arthur looked at his mother in horror. "I am not discussing this with my mother!"

The queen shot her son a pointed look.

Arthur recoiled at the look his mother gave him, and he exhaled loudly. "I did what I had to," he said. "Hopefully it is enough to get her pregnant, and I will never have to do this again."

"What do you think of her? As a person?"

Arthur looked at Yao's peaceful sleeping face. "She's a nice girl. Beautiful. Outgoing. Intelligent. Kind. Any man would want their child to have her genes. You and Father did a great job picking her."

"I'm assuming she's still sleeping and you left after doing the deed?"

Arthur glanced guiltily at his mother. "Yeah. I… uh, stayed for a while. Awake. I couldn't sleep."

The queen smiled. "The two of you need some rest," she told Arthur. "Why don't you take Yao back to your bedroom in the palace, and take the morning off any official duties? I'll let your father know."

"Okay. Thanks, Mother."

When Arthur next woke in the room he and Yao shared, Yao was already awake and looking at him. "Yao?" Arthur gruffly voiced. "Wh't's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry if I woke you," Yao said. He quickly averted his eyes away from Arthur and turned away. "I just wanted to watch you sleeping like this for a while," he mumbled.

Arthur blinked as his brain slowly roused from sleep. Yao's mannerisms were odd. It was unlike Yao to be so distant from him. "Are you mad?"

"No."

"Are you upset?"

There was a pause. Finally, "Maybe. A little."

"You know it didn't mean anything, right? I love you," Arthur said. "Only you."

Momentarily, Yao's heart stopped. He couldn't breathe. It felt as if his chest was being gripped but at the same time, he wanted to explode. He knew that Arthur loved him – hell, Arthur had declared his love for him many, many times in the past. But this… the way Arthur said it… Yao felt himself tearing up. Yao rolled over to face Arthur. "I know," he choked out.

"I'm sorry for what you had to go through. But why are you upset?"

Yao felt tears leak from his eyes. "I don't know – it's stupid, aru," he said, furiously rubbing at his face to dispel the tears.

Arthur reached out and stroked the side of Yao's cheek. "Tell me."

Yao looked at Arthur hesitantly. A few stray tears were still escaping Yao's eyes. He sighed, and flopped over onto his back. "No, it's stupid." Yao rubbed the last remnants of tears from his face.

"Yao…" Arthur gazed at his husband sadly for a while. Finally, he leaned forward on one hand, moving closer as his eyes travelled over Yao's face as if memorising the details of Yao's features. But of course, Arthur already knew it by memory – it was not the first time he had done this. One hand drifted up and gently brushed some stray hairs away, fingers brushing Yao's ear to trail down the nape of his neck.

Yao sucked in a silent breath.

Slowly, Arthur lowered his head and Yao watched as a tongue darted out to wet his lips. Yao bit gently on his lower lip. His eyes lowered to Arthur's mouth as he watched it come closer to his own. His breathing became quick and erratic. Yao could hear his heart pounding fiercely in his chest in the deafening silence of the room.

Just before their lips touched, Arthur paused, his eyes searching Yao's as if asking for permission to proceed.

Yao gave a small nod, assuring Arthur that it was okay to go further.

"Yao." Yao's name was murmured against his lips. He trembled against the vibrations from Arthur's voice. Their breath mingled together in the short space between them.

Slowly, Yao lifted his head up to press his lips against Arthur's. Arthur's breath hitched, and Yao smiled gently into the kiss. Arthur's free hand slid under the blanket covering the lower half of their bodies to grip Yao's waist. It was so soft and warm and gentle, unlike the demeanour Arthur displayed in the royal court, but it was because he had to or his advisors would walk all over him. It left Yao feeling thrilled. He could feel his breath quickening in pace.

When Arthur pulled back just enough to break the kiss, Yao whimpered softly at the loss. Arthur pressed his forehead against Yao's, the fingers of his left hand slowly crawling up Yao's back. Yao gasped and arched his back, as he felt Arthur's touch on his skin; it was like electricity. With a moan, Arthur leaned back in for another kiss. This one was deeper but still soft and gentle.

Arthur parted his lips just enough for his tongue to slide against Yao's lips. It was at that point that Yao forgot how to breathe. The room spun as Arthur moaned into his mouth, a deep wanton sound that made Yao's stomach drop. His hands gripped the sheets as he tried to collect himself.

Yao opened his mouth and his tongue darted out after Arthur's. He was rewarded by Arthur's tongue flicking out to ensue in a battle for dominance, which Arthur won hands down. When they broke apart, Yao turned his head to the side. It felt as if he had run a marathon. His heart was pounding more fiercely than ever within his chest. Yao was very aware of Arthur's panting warming his neck.

It was funny – they had been intimate so many times before, but now, Yao felt as though they were doing it for the first time. His heart was racing, his breathing was erratic… Perhaps it was the act of Arthur apologising that was eliciting these reactions from Yao.

He was trembling, but Yao freed his hands from the blankets and placed them on Arthur's back, pulling him down towards him. Even though neither of them were cold, Yao flung the blanket over Arthur's back, cutting them off from the rest of the world as their lips met once more.

The pressure of Arthur's chest against Yao's, Arthur's arms braced on both sides of his head felt heavenly. The way Arthur's legs twined with his, their hips pressing together. Yao felt protected and very safe beneath Arthur's larger body; he liked the idea of Arthur shielding him from the world.

Arthur pressed down on top of him, and Yao let out a quiet sound. It was all Yao could do to hold himself together. Everywhere they touched was heat and pressure that turned to pleasurable shivers. Breaking off the kiss suddenly, Yao buried his face in Arthur's neck.

A hand strayed up the shirt Yao was wearing and along his back. Another hand's fingers ran lightly along his collarbone. Yao gasped loudly and his hands grasped Arthur's shirt, pulling it as he arched into Arthur's touch. After being married for so many years, Arthur knew where to touch Yao that would bring out the best reactions from him. Arthur breathed across Yao's cheek and dragged his fingers along Yao's spine. The delightful shiver coursing through Yao's body reached all the way to his toes, causing them to curl. His hips bucked up as he pushed at Arthur's shoulders. Yao was unsure if he wanted Arthur to stop his ministrations or wanted more.

Arthur hissed through his teeth as he shifted his body so that Yao could be more comfortable. Yao pressed closer for another kiss; he tried to nip at Arthur's lower lip.

Yao felt reassured of Arthur's love for him; he felt wanted and needed by Arthur. It was immensely better than the bitter feelings he felt the previous night.

Arthur planted a kiss on Yao's temple. "I have to end here," he told Yao. "If I continue, I wouldn't be able to stop myself."

Yao looked at Arthur with slightly glazed eyes. "O… Okay. I understand, aru." It was daytime, and it was rather inappropriate to proceed in such intimate activities when they had responsibilities later in the day. But he was glad that Arthur showed him that he loved him no matter what; it was nice to feel wanted by his husband.

Arthur touched his forehead against Yao's. "I'm sorry for last night. I'm sorry I had to bed someone who wasn't you. But I hope that doing it once was enough to get her pregnant and we don't have to go through this again."

Yao's lower lip trembled slightly. "Don't be sorry," he said quietly. "You have done no wrong, aru."

"But you were upset," Arthur pointed out.

Yao smiled softly, and cupped Arthur's cheek with his palm. "I was unhappy, yes. Nobody would be happy with the love of their life and another person doing… it," he replied. "But it doesn't matter – I know you love me. And besides, we might have a baby to look forward to, don't we?"

Arthur's face split into an excited grin. "That we do, my love," he said, kissing Yao again. "That we do."