Chapter Twenty-Four - Scattered Roses
"...Sword?"
"Yep."
"Bags?"
"Yep."
"Anything else you might forget?"
Gan Ning laughed at Xiao Qiao's comment.
"Yeah, I've gone through your check list three times, I've got everything but the kitchen sink...I think I might *just* be ready to go now, besides, the carriage's leaving soon."
"Okay, good! I'm so happy...You've got to send me a letter as soon as you get there okay? I wanna know how surprised Sun Ce is, okay?"
"Okay, okay!...But are you sure that he'll appreciate me visiting him without warning?"
Xiao Qiao looked a little cross.
"Of *course* he will! He hasn't seen you in ages. I bet he'll love it!"
Gan Ning's smile matured into his trademark maverick grin. Xiao Qiao hadn't seen that look in a *long* time.
"Heh, I hope so."
"Now hurry before the carriage goes off without you!" Xiao Qiao scolded, pushing him into the carriage.
Gan Ning hopped up the carriage, his bags hanging lazily from one arm, his other hand holding his sword. He smiled at Xiao Qiao once more and sat down. Xiao Qiao was still there, her feet never staying in one place. When she noticed that he was looking at her she smiled and waved frantically as the carriage began to move.
"See ya Xiao Qiao!"
Xiao Qiao was running after the carriage, her legs too short to keep up.
"Byeeeeeeeeeeee....!" was the long farewell that could be heard in reply as the word died away out of earshot.
Gan Ning turned to the front. He hadn't been this happy in a long time. The thought of seeing Sun Ce again made him feel like he was getting back a piece of himself, a piece that made him feel complete, made him feel whole again. If he could just see Sun Ce again everything would be okay.
*********************************************
"Thank you sir, please come by again."
Gan Ning handed over some money to the florist and picked up the dozen roses he'd bought, before turning and walking away from the flower stall in town near the Wu East Camp. Okay, so roses were a bit mushy and unoriginal and all that other stuff, but he couldn't help it; he had an urge to buy them. Besides, Sun Ce had bought him some once before...
Gan Ning sighed loudly. Sun Ce. At the moment he felt so isolated, but the thought of seeing him again lifted his mood so much. It was the only thing that was keeping him holding on, and he was hanging on by a very thin thread.
He stepped into his carriage again. The journey to the East camp didn't take long and Gan Ning felt pretty awestruck looking out at the East camp as he stood outside at the giant wooden gates. Like Sun Ce, this is his first time here.
************************************************
"I am Gan Ning. Is Sun Ce here?"
"Sun Sey?"
"No, I'm looking for LORD Sun Ce."
Gan Ning noticed that the female guard had an odd expression on her face when she saw the roses Gan Ning was carrying.
"Ah, please forgive me general Gan Ning" she said finally looking back up at Gan Ning, "Lord Sun Ce should be in his room. It is at the officers dorm to the right of the entrance hall. His room is the fifth one on the right," she said pointing across the busy entrance hall through the crowd of soldiers.
"Thank you." Gan Ning replied before weaving in and out of the mass of people.
The corridors by the dormitories were quiet and almost deserted Gan Ning noted, and his shoes squeaked loudly on the newly polished marble floor. Just when he thought that he was completely lost he found Sun Ce's door. He knocked once. No answer. He knocked again. Silence.
"Excuse me, are you looking for Lord Sun Ce?"
Gan Ning looked around to see a guy a few inches taller than him with sleek black hair.
"Um...yeah."
"He's probably in Zhou Yu's room." he said, and Gan Ning didn't quite understand the expression on his face but it seemed to be a knowing look, "His room's right next door."
"Thanks." Gan Ning said quickly before walking along a few metres to the next door.
He knocked but there was no reply. This was getting to be a little more than annoying. He pushed the door and to his surprise it opened. He walked in a few steps, not wanting to intrude Zhou Yu's room, before looking around. He was standing in a very small hallway that had two doors leading off it. He pushed one open to find a deserted kitchen. He quickly retraced his steps and pushed open the other door.
The rustling of what little clothing they wore moving across the bed was deafening in the quiet dorm, Sun Ce's hair falling a little out of place and Zhou Yu's bandanna was on the floor. Sun Ce was clad in only his black pants and one of his boots whilst nothing but Zhou Yu's pants remained on the his body. Zhou Yu was hungrily devouring Sun Ce with greedy kisses as he loomed over his body, which was pinned to the bed. The floorboard beneath Gan Ning's foot creaked and Sun Ce's head snapped around quickly.
There was a split second when their eyes met, Sun Ce's face dropping at the sight of Gan Ning's, which bore a look of immense pain. Gan Ning's stomach felt as if it were made from lead, his head spinning at the sight before him.
"Gan Ning?.." Sun Ce asked quietly.
The roses dropped from Gan Ning's hand as he turned and ran out the door, some the petals coming loose and falling slowly to the floor, landing softly, scattered about the stems.
Sun Ce didn't take long to react, getting up quickly and running after him. The tattered roses crumpled at his feet as he ran out, stepping on them. Zhou Yu was left sprawled across the bed, looking out after him.
Gan Ning's eyes blurred as salt water threatened to overflow down his cheeks. He kept running till his legs ached and his lungs burnt and he almost missed the main door. He saw Sun Ce coming after him from around the corner of the corridor. He walked through the main doors. Sun Ce caught only a glimpse of him as he turned. Gan Ning looked back at him, his face crumpling sadly.
Sun Ce ignored the state of himself and ran faster, his boot falling away from his foot as he tripped. He didn't stop though. Gan Ning had come back and how had he found him? Making out, that's how. Gan Ning was running ahead of him into the entrance hall and he pursued him.
"Hey!"
Gan Ning ignored the cry of outrage from a female guard as he knocked her off her feet and kept running. He had to get out of here, away from this...
Sun Ce pushed through the mass of people that filled the hall, his heart racing as he scanned for Gan Ning.
"Gan Ning! Wait!"
Gan Ning didn't wait. He ran out, along the path and outside the gates to a stand-by carriage. As the carriage pulled away he saw Sun Ce running out the gates behind him but he closed his eyes, burying his head in his hands.
****************************************************
"Gan Ning? What are you doing back?"
Gan Ning ignored Xiao Qiao's questioning, looking at her anxious face for a brief moment before running past her to the sanctuary of his room.
'Gotta get away...'
Xiao Qiao followed him but the door to his quarters slammed in her face, leaving her standing outside in the corridor.
"Gan Ning! What's wrong?"
She got no response. Whatever had happened had been bad. She'd seen Gan Ning upset before, plenty of times, but never like this. She rapped on the door.
"Gan Ning let me in. I wanna help you. What's wrong damn it?!"
There was an ominous silence that followed her voice.
"I..I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. If you need to talk then come look for me, 'kay?" she said in a soft, soothing voice quietly against the door.
She walked away slowly, looking back every few seconds at the closed door. Her sigh echoed loudly through the empty hallway.
"...Sword?"
"Yep."
"Bags?"
"Yep."
"Anything else you might forget?"
Gan Ning laughed at Xiao Qiao's comment.
"Yeah, I've gone through your check list three times, I've got everything but the kitchen sink...I think I might *just* be ready to go now, besides, the carriage's leaving soon."
"Okay, good! I'm so happy...You've got to send me a letter as soon as you get there okay? I wanna know how surprised Sun Ce is, okay?"
"Okay, okay!...But are you sure that he'll appreciate me visiting him without warning?"
Xiao Qiao looked a little cross.
"Of *course* he will! He hasn't seen you in ages. I bet he'll love it!"
Gan Ning's smile matured into his trademark maverick grin. Xiao Qiao hadn't seen that look in a *long* time.
"Heh, I hope so."
"Now hurry before the carriage goes off without you!" Xiao Qiao scolded, pushing him into the carriage.
Gan Ning hopped up the carriage, his bags hanging lazily from one arm, his other hand holding his sword. He smiled at Xiao Qiao once more and sat down. Xiao Qiao was still there, her feet never staying in one place. When she noticed that he was looking at her she smiled and waved frantically as the carriage began to move.
"See ya Xiao Qiao!"
Xiao Qiao was running after the carriage, her legs too short to keep up.
"Byeeeeeeeeeeee....!" was the long farewell that could be heard in reply as the word died away out of earshot.
Gan Ning turned to the front. He hadn't been this happy in a long time. The thought of seeing Sun Ce again made him feel like he was getting back a piece of himself, a piece that made him feel complete, made him feel whole again. If he could just see Sun Ce again everything would be okay.
*********************************************
"Thank you sir, please come by again."
Gan Ning handed over some money to the florist and picked up the dozen roses he'd bought, before turning and walking away from the flower stall in town near the Wu East Camp. Okay, so roses were a bit mushy and unoriginal and all that other stuff, but he couldn't help it; he had an urge to buy them. Besides, Sun Ce had bought him some once before...
Gan Ning sighed loudly. Sun Ce. At the moment he felt so isolated, but the thought of seeing him again lifted his mood so much. It was the only thing that was keeping him holding on, and he was hanging on by a very thin thread.
He stepped into his carriage again. The journey to the East camp didn't take long and Gan Ning felt pretty awestruck looking out at the East camp as he stood outside at the giant wooden gates. Like Sun Ce, this is his first time here.
************************************************
"I am Gan Ning. Is Sun Ce here?"
"Sun Sey?"
"No, I'm looking for LORD Sun Ce."
Gan Ning noticed that the female guard had an odd expression on her face when she saw the roses Gan Ning was carrying.
"Ah, please forgive me general Gan Ning" she said finally looking back up at Gan Ning, "Lord Sun Ce should be in his room. It is at the officers dorm to the right of the entrance hall. His room is the fifth one on the right," she said pointing across the busy entrance hall through the crowd of soldiers.
"Thank you." Gan Ning replied before weaving in and out of the mass of people.
The corridors by the dormitories were quiet and almost deserted Gan Ning noted, and his shoes squeaked loudly on the newly polished marble floor. Just when he thought that he was completely lost he found Sun Ce's door. He knocked once. No answer. He knocked again. Silence.
"Excuse me, are you looking for Lord Sun Ce?"
Gan Ning looked around to see a guy a few inches taller than him with sleek black hair.
"Um...yeah."
"He's probably in Zhou Yu's room." he said, and Gan Ning didn't quite understand the expression on his face but it seemed to be a knowing look, "His room's right next door."
"Thanks." Gan Ning said quickly before walking along a few metres to the next door.
He knocked but there was no reply. This was getting to be a little more than annoying. He pushed the door and to his surprise it opened. He walked in a few steps, not wanting to intrude Zhou Yu's room, before looking around. He was standing in a very small hallway that had two doors leading off it. He pushed one open to find a deserted kitchen. He quickly retraced his steps and pushed open the other door.
The rustling of what little clothing they wore moving across the bed was deafening in the quiet dorm, Sun Ce's hair falling a little out of place and Zhou Yu's bandanna was on the floor. Sun Ce was clad in only his black pants and one of his boots whilst nothing but Zhou Yu's pants remained on the his body. Zhou Yu was hungrily devouring Sun Ce with greedy kisses as he loomed over his body, which was pinned to the bed. The floorboard beneath Gan Ning's foot creaked and Sun Ce's head snapped around quickly.
There was a split second when their eyes met, Sun Ce's face dropping at the sight of Gan Ning's, which bore a look of immense pain. Gan Ning's stomach felt as if it were made from lead, his head spinning at the sight before him.
"Gan Ning?.." Sun Ce asked quietly.
The roses dropped from Gan Ning's hand as he turned and ran out the door, some the petals coming loose and falling slowly to the floor, landing softly, scattered about the stems.
Sun Ce didn't take long to react, getting up quickly and running after him. The tattered roses crumpled at his feet as he ran out, stepping on them. Zhou Yu was left sprawled across the bed, looking out after him.
Gan Ning's eyes blurred as salt water threatened to overflow down his cheeks. He kept running till his legs ached and his lungs burnt and he almost missed the main door. He saw Sun Ce coming after him from around the corner of the corridor. He walked through the main doors. Sun Ce caught only a glimpse of him as he turned. Gan Ning looked back at him, his face crumpling sadly.
Sun Ce ignored the state of himself and ran faster, his boot falling away from his foot as he tripped. He didn't stop though. Gan Ning had come back and how had he found him? Making out, that's how. Gan Ning was running ahead of him into the entrance hall and he pursued him.
"Hey!"
Gan Ning ignored the cry of outrage from a female guard as he knocked her off her feet and kept running. He had to get out of here, away from this...
Sun Ce pushed through the mass of people that filled the hall, his heart racing as he scanned for Gan Ning.
"Gan Ning! Wait!"
Gan Ning didn't wait. He ran out, along the path and outside the gates to a stand-by carriage. As the carriage pulled away he saw Sun Ce running out the gates behind him but he closed his eyes, burying his head in his hands.
****************************************************
"Gan Ning? What are you doing back?"
Gan Ning ignored Xiao Qiao's questioning, looking at her anxious face for a brief moment before running past her to the sanctuary of his room.
'Gotta get away...'
Xiao Qiao followed him but the door to his quarters slammed in her face, leaving her standing outside in the corridor.
"Gan Ning! What's wrong?"
She got no response. Whatever had happened had been bad. She'd seen Gan Ning upset before, plenty of times, but never like this. She rapped on the door.
"Gan Ning let me in. I wanna help you. What's wrong damn it?!"
There was an ominous silence that followed her voice.
"I..I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. If you need to talk then come look for me, 'kay?" she said in a soft, soothing voice quietly against the door.
She walked away slowly, looking back every few seconds at the closed door. Her sigh echoed loudly through the empty hallway.