Ch. 20

Before I start, I wish to apologize profusely to Emarold Hart for telling her this would be out by last Tuesday. It seems I was struck ill with a severe case of I-Don't-Feel-Like-It-Right-Now-I'll-Get-To-It-Later-I-Swear disease. It's a very serious illness, is that. As an apology, I put Zhen Ji in this chapter, because I remember you saying you liked her, Emarold. This will also be the last funny/light-hearted chapter for a little while, so this will be exceptionally silly.

Disclaimer: "My God, man! Your hair! Its…its gained sentience!"

Zhang He sat brushing his hair lazily as Gan Ning lightly trailed his fingers up and down his back. Zhang He smiled when he felt warmth on his neck, and a hand close over his, stopping him in mid-brush. "Let me," Gan Ning breathed in his ear. Zhang He relinquished the brush to him, and the other man picked up the task of de-tangling. He felt Gan Ning running his hands through his hair as he brushed. "You know, I'm beginning to think this obsession you have with my hair is unhealthy, darling." Gan Ning buried his hands in deeper. "But it's so soft," he said, sounding awestruck. "And talk about long. It's insane! Hair isn't supposed to be able to get this long! It's just not…normal!" He continued playing with it even as he spoke, unable to tear his hands away. Zhang He turned and gave him a "now-you're-just-being-silly" look, and took the hairbrush back. "It's perfectly normal, dearest. What isn't normal is the way you're constantly playing with it. I don't even play with it that much, and it's my hair." The smaller man shrugged. "Hey, if you don't like to play with it, that's your loss. That doesn't mean you hafta stop me." He made a grab for the brush, which Zhang He easily avoided, whacking Gan Ning's hand with it.

The pirate glowered, cradling his injury. "That was unnecessary, and uncalled for. That brush is hard, and it---" Gan Ning broke off, suddenly staring at the styling tool in question as if it had grown lips and started asking him about his tax revenue. "Does—does that have a butterfly on it?" Zhang He blinked and looked at the object in his hand. It did indeed have an ornate butterfly carved into the wood. He shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, so what?" A triumphant grin broke out on Gan Ning's face. "AHA! Now who's obsessed?" "I have no idea what you're talking about, Gan Ning." The grin grew wider. "Oh you don't, eh?" He pointed to a watercolor painting on the wall of butterflies in a flower garden. He pointed to a glass display case filled butterfly specimens from all over the continent. He pointed to the bedposts, which had butterfly engravings on them. To the wardrobe, painted with more of the delicate insects, and the clothing inside, which was generally butterfly-themed. He rummaged around in the closet and pulled out the pair of butterfly wings Zhang He had worn a week or so before. Then he pointed to the chopsticks lying on the nightstand, also butterfly adorned. Gan Ning crossed his arms and smirked, looking smug and self satisfied. "Enough said… Butterfly."

Zhang He scowled at him. "First of all, you didn't actually say anything. Second of all, that is not an obsession. That is tasteful interior decorating, and a refined sense of style." Gan Ning stared in disbelief. "You're kidding me. How can you not call that an obsession?"

"Easy, because it's not. Now drop the subject."

"But--"

"Drop it."

"That's not—"

"Shut up."

"Zhang He—"

"I don't care."

"You're insa—"

"Finish that sentence, and this brush will go up your—"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Zhang! Zhang, open up!" Zhang He tossed the brush aside happily. "Zhen! Hang on, I'll be right there!" Whirling on Gan Ning, he whispered, "I promised her I'd introduce you. Quick, fix your hair and look presentable! And mind your manners!" And with that, he placed the brush in his lover's hand and shoved the bewildered pirate in front of the mirror. Grabbing a ribbon and tying his hair back in one fluid motion, Zhang He bounded to the door and threw it open. "Zhen! Come in!" She was eager to oblige, practically running into the room. There were many traits she and Zhang He had in common, and one of them was being incredibly nosy. He quickly closed the door behind her and turned around. Gan Ning was standing awkwardly where he had left him, brush still in hand and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He gave a stiff, nervous bow to Zhen Ji, clearly unused to the concept of manners. "How do you do, m'lady?" He mumbled, not making eye contact. Zhen Ji smiled at him.

"Zhang He, you didn't tell me the poor man was shy. Or so polite. I was expecting an ex-pirate to be much less couth. I must say, I'm quite impressed." She walked up to Gan Ning. "You can drop the formality," she said kindly. "It looks like you're going to hurt yourself." Gan Ning straightened up immediately, looking very relieved. Zhang He stifled a giggle, and walked to his side, taking his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. Gan Ning quickly glanced up at him, like a child needing to be reassured, then looked away. Zhang He felt a moment of concern. There was something troubling in Gan Ning's face. Then he felt the other man squeeze his hand tightly--too tightly--and he knew that something was upsetting him. They'd have to talk about it later, though. First, he wanted his lover and his best friend to get acquainted.

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All things considered, their little "meet and greet" had gone quite well. Gan Ning and Zhen Ji had found each other to be great company, and the past few hours had passed with all three people enjoying themselves immensely. Except of course, for the looks Gan Ning kept shooting at Zhang He, which quite clearly stated that he was very unhappy about something. Zhang He waved goodbye as he escorted Zhen Ji to the door. As she left, she said, "By the way, I almost forgot to tell you: Lord Sima Yi said to tell you that there will be a mandatory debriefing in the main hall for all officers who plan on participating in the next campaign. Your presence was specifically requested." Then she was gone. Zhang He turned to find a very cranky pirate glaring at him with his arms crossed. "Tell me, butterfly, has it ever occurred to you to give people a little prior warning before turning them into a show and tell project? Especially people who are under the impression that their presence is supposed to be more or less a secret, and discovery could lead to death?" Zhang He rolled his eyes. "Is that what you were so upset about? Look, I don't see what the big deal is, you got along just fine—" Gan Ning cut him off, genuinely angry.

"The big deal is that when she knocked on the door and started yelling for you to open up, I thought you had been caught. I thought we had about thirty seconds before soldiers came busting in and dragged you away from me to execute you. I thought I was going to lose you, and it scared the hell out of me. And then you act like we aren't in danger, and that this whole situation is just one big friggin' tea party. It was also a little unnerving to meet a woman who seemed to know all about me, even though I've never seen her in my life. You didn't tell me you had allies who you talked to about me. You didn't tell me anything. I had no idea what was going on back there, and I don't like it when I'm out of the loop, especially when I'm in a danger zone like this. That was a really fucked up thing to pull on me, alright? That's what the big deal is, butterfly." Gan Ning was out of breath and red-faced when he finished, and Zhang He was shocked. He'd had no idea how inconsiderate he'd been. He walked up to Gan Ning and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry, dearest. I had no idea, I swear. Oh, you poor thing, you must have been panicking! How can I ever make it up to you?" Gan Ning stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well…for starters, you can admit that you have a bizarre and obsessive fixation on butterflies…" Gan Ning found himself ducking as various, butterfly-adorned objects were hurled at his head.

Wow, for such a short chapter, it sure did take forever to write! The next chappie will be a long one, so it'll be a while in coming, though not nearly as long as this one was. I was looking back over my chapters, and noticed that Gan Ning was always playing with Zhang He's hair, which led to my writing about their various obsessions. Part of the reason this took so long was because I wrote a short, 2 chapter fic when I was supposed to be writing this. And now, with your permission, I'd like to shamelessly advertise it: "Tough Love", for all you Sima Yi/Zhang He fans, though be warned, it's VERY dark. Also have another fic coming up for Soukatsu, though it's not the one on my profile. It's a New Year's fic, Ling Ton/Gan Ning, in which Gan Ning makes a rather odd New Year's resolution…Okay, all done with the advertising. Get ready to hate Ling Yi in the next chapter, because she will be implementing her crazy new plan… and it will work. DUN DUN DUNNNN!