The bed did look tempting, Wen Yu had to admit. It had been a long time since he'd slept in an actual bed, although the one at his parents' home was not nearly so large. Liu Yi did seem to have many soft-looking pillows too.
"Sleep a little." Liu Yi let go of Wen Yu, smiling at him. "This way, you don't have to bother walking all the way across the city, and I'll have food ready when you wake up. Or would you prefer if I slept with you?"
The idea of Liu Yi curled against him as he slept made Wen Yu feel warm all over, and he looked away. "I really shouldn't stay."
"Please." Liu Yu closed the distance between them, hands framing Wen Yi's face. "Rest a little, at least."
He kissed Wen Yu on the lips and then turned, ducking out of the room. Wen Yi looked from the bed to the doorway and weighed his options. It would be a long trek back to his rooms, and that prospect was becoming less and less appealing by the minute. Finally making up his mind, Wen Yu pulled his robe over his head and, after folding it over one of the chests, climbed into the bed. The silk blankets felt wonderful against his skin, and the pillows were just as soft as they had looked. Wen Yu was asleep as soon as his eyes closed.
He woke to the smell of something delicious and saw Liu Yi lying curled on the bed next to him. Liu Yi was still fully clothed, now in a fresh pair of robes, and lying on top of the blankets, but his hair was down around his shoulders again. He must have sensed Wen Yu watching, because he opened his eyes and smiled.
"Hello."
Stifling a yawn, Wen Yu smiled back. "Hello. How long did I sleep?"
"Almost all day."
When Wen Yu made to roll off the bed, Liu Yi held out a hand, pushing him back down. "You seemed like you needed it, so I thought it best to let you sleep."
"But all day? I shouldn't have intruded that long."
Liu Yi rolled, pushing Wen Yu back against the bed, and straddled his waist. Bending, he kissed him on the lips. The kiss was hard with nothing chaste about it. When Wen Yu made a startled noise, Liu Yi took the opportunity to pry Wen Yu's mouth open and thoroughly explore it with his tongue. Wen Yu's hands settled on Liu Yi's waist, and his eyes fell shut as he let his own tongue press into Liu Yi's mouth in return. They broke apart to breathe only when Wen Yu was on the verge of becoming lightheaded.
"Having you in my bed will never be an imposition." The tip of Liu Yi's tongue darted out to wet, pink lips, his hair falling across his face, and Wen Yu ached with the need to sink his fingers into it and taste Liu Yi's lips again.
There was nothing to stop him from doing either, so he let himself reach up. Liu Yi's hair was soft against his hands, and Liu Yi bent easily into the kiss, lips fitting against Wen Yu's own. When they pulled apart this time, Liu Yi shifted on the bed to pull off his long gray robes. They pooled around him on top of the silk coverlet. Liu Yi was naked underneath his robes, and Wen Yu wondered if he had been planning to seduce him all along. The idea of it made his cheeks heat even as a buzz of pleasure started deep in his belly, spreading down.
Liu Yi's skin was pale under the cloth, his chest slim and soft without the tight muscles of the boys in Wen Yu's village. He ran his hands up Liu Yi's chest, marveling at how soft his skin was, and Liu Yi shivered under his touch. Liu Yi's nipples were small and dark against his pale skin. Wen Yu's eyes flicked between the tantalizing nubs and the pale curve of hip and thigh. He leaned forward to kiss down Liu Yi's chest, pulling him closer, one hand settling on the small of his back just above the swell of his buttocks. Liu Yi's hand fluttered above him, moving from his head to his shoulders, his touch light as Wen Yu tasted the skin of his chest, making a path of kisses over to one tight nipple. He kissed over it, and when Liu Yi sighed above him, murmuring a noise of pleasure, he let his tongue flick out to touch the skin there and suck it into his mouth. Above him, Liu Yu took in a sharp breath, arching into the touch, and Wen Yu drew away, bending over to take the other in his mouth as well.
"Tell me what you want." He sat back and looked up at Liu Yi, hand encircling his slim waist. "Show me how to touch you."
Liu Yi's hand went to cover his where it rested on Liu Yi's hip, tangling their fingers together, and he slid their joined hands between his thighs. He guided Wen Yu's hand past puckered, scarred skin to press against the fragile ridge right between his legs behind where his balls had once been. "Here. Press here hard and rub." Wen Yu did so, and Liu Yi ground down against his hand. "Yes, like that."
Wen Yu stroked across the skin there, keeping his touch firm, making small circles with his fingertips, and Liu Yi leaned against him, kissing the side of his neck and his face. Liu Yi's breathing was ragged now, his fingers pulling at the ties that secured Wen Yu's own hair, causing it to fall around his face. Liu Yi sank his fingers into it, hips rocking and undulating against Wen Yu's hand, pushing into his touch.
Growing bolder, Wen Yu pressed further back, his free hand sliding down from Liu Yi's waist to grip one firm cheek of his ass. The thumb of the hand between Liu Yi's legs brushed against his small puckered hole, and Liu Yi's whole body tensed and then relaxed into the touch.
"Do you want to pierce me there?" Liu Yi's hand encircled Wen Yu's face, and he kissed Wen Yu on the lips, small, light kisses that turned deep and hungry. "Do you want to be inside of me?"
"Yes." Wen Yu had never considered such a thing except as vague passing fantasies that sometimes occupied the space between sleeping and waking. He wanted it now, though, very much. "Yes."
Liu Yi's pressed his fingers to Wen Yu's lips as he knelt across Wen Yu's lap, robes still tangled around his feet and lower legs. "Then we will do that, but not now; there are things I will need to fetch first. For now, touch me." When Wen Yu hesitated, Liu Yi smiled. "You can touch me anywhere, I'm not shy."
Wen Yu pulled him close again, mouth going to the soft skin of Liu Yi's chest. He traced the shape of the rounded muscles and the dips between them with his lips, kissing across first one and then the other of Liu Yi's nipples again. He loved the texture of them, the way they tightened against his lips, making the skin around them feel taught. Above him, Liu Yi carded his fingers though Wen Yu's hair, touching his face, neck, and shoulders.
Wen Yu kissed down Liu Yi's chest, across the small curve of his stomach to the crease of hip and thigh. Liu Yi stiffened as his tongue darted out to taste the skin there, which was faintly salty with sweat. Wen Yu rose up to kneel on the bed, pushing Liu Yi back to lie flat. He spared only a brief thought for his own chest and how it must look, now bared to Liu Yi's gaze. It was not completely flat, as Liu Yi's was, but softer; he was not usually self-conscious about it, but in bed with Liu Yi, Wen Yu could not help but wonder if he had expected or wanted something different. He tried to concentrate instead on Liu Yi's body, spread out for him. He kissed down the curve of Liu Yi's left thigh, feeling the way his muscles tensed as he fought against the urge to close his legs. Liu Yi had said he could touch him anywhere, but Wen Yu sensed his shyness when it came to the scarred skin between his legs. So he kept going, kissing downwards, following the contours and the curves of Liu Yi's leg with lips and tongue.
Pushing himself up on his elbows, Liu Yi watched his progress. When Wen Yu kissed him at the curve on the back of his knee, Liu Yi let out a noise between a gasp and a giggle, falling backwards on the bed and covering his mouth with his hands. Wen Yu smiled against the damp skin and licked the spot with the flat of his tongue, making Liu Yi twist and let out that breathy noise again.
"Stop." Liu Yi was smiling, though, when he took his hands away. "It feels so strange."
"Good?" Wen Yu sat up, cocking his head to one side.
"It's not bad."
"Are you sure you want me to stop?"
Liu Yi gasped and let his head fall back. "No, don't stop."
Wen Yu let out a small, happy hum at the sounds Liu Yi was making. The moans and small gasps coming from Liu Yi caused a pleasurable ache between his thighs. He took Liu Yi's leg in his hands again, fingers tracing the shape of his calf and circ
ling around one delicate ankle. Liu Yi's feet were small, pale and soft in the way of someone who had worn good shoes for most of their life. Wen Yu kissed along the top arch, and Liu Yi gasped, sitting up all the way and staring down at Wen Yu.
"Wen Yu."
"Should I stop now?" Wen Yu asked, hands cradling Liu Yi's foot, lips hovering over where ankle met the top of the foot.
"I …" Liu Yi shook his head, still watching Wen Yu, expression serious. Wen Yu's fingers massaged the sole of the foot, from heel to toe and back up, while his mouth traced the top, leaving light kisses along the curve. He made his way back up to the ankle again, kissing him there.
"It feels good." Liu Yi had fallen against the bed again, back arched, hands covering his face. "Why does it feel so good?"
Wen Yu licked along the sole; it tasted like warm skin with a hint of saltiness. He found that when he circled the middle of Liu Yi's foot or kissed the fragile skin, Liu Yi's body shook and he made small noises from behind closed lips. Fingers pressing and rubbing at Liu Yi's ankle and the tense muscles of his lower leg, Wen Yu's lips worked over the bottom and arch of Liu Yi's foot. He nipped ever so slightly at the side of the arch and watched Liu Yi twist as if caught between wanting to pull away from the sensation and pressing close anyway. Wen Yu could see a light sheen of sweat across his chest, and his hair fanned out around his head on the blankets. Using his thumbs to press hard into the arch, Wen Yu's mouth moved back up Liu Yi's leg to kiss at the back of his knee again.
Liu Yi made a noise halfway between a gasp and a sob, and Wen Yu changed his touch to become gentler, more soothing, and watched Liu Yi's breathing slow.
"Come here," Liu Yi said finally, sitting up and holding out his hands to Wen Yu, who crawled back up the bed. Liu Yi's hands framed his face, and his lips traced across the line of his jaw, down his chin, and down his throat. Liu Yi sucked and worried at the sweet spot of Wen Yu's collarbone. When Liu Yi pulled away, both of their breathing had gone ragged.
"Thank you," Liu Yi said, and Wen Yu could only shake his head. He leaned forward and buried his face in the curve where Liu Yi's throat met shoulder.
They lay curled together for a few minutes, touching one another with light, fleeting caresses
"I have dinner for us," Liu Yi said finally. "But I fear it has gone cold by now."
Wen Yu became aware of how hungry he was; his stomach felt like an empty bowl that hadn't had anything in it for days. He sat up, pulling away from Liu Yi. "We can see, anyway."
"Here." Liu Yi slid off the bed behind him and padded over to one of the chests. He pulled out and unfolded a silk robe and handed it to Wen Yu, then pulled on another himself.
The table in the front room was set with bowls and a stew pot. Wen Yu leaned over the table and felt that the pot was still warm. Lifting the lid, he found a beautiful beef stew. His stomach clenched painfully with hunger at the smell, and Wen Yu reached for the ladle to serve them.
"Thank you. I haven't had beef stew since I left home." Wen Yu sat and reached for his spoon.
"Oh?" Liu Yi settled on the other side of the table.
"I came here with a modest allowance," Wen Yu admitted. "It was supposed to allow me to keep my mind on my studies, not distract me with unnecessary purchases, but I miss things like meat and sweets."
The stew was delicious, thick with the darker tastes of the beef, mushrooms, and other vegetables. They sat and ate in a comfortable sort of silence. Wen Yu wolfed down his first helping, served himself seconds and ate that almost as quickly.
"Are you going to work the poems tonight?" Liu Yi set his bowl of stew aside and reached for his cup. "Or are you going back to your rooms?"
"I thought I would work more on the poems." Wen Yu finished off the small amount of stew from his third helping and set the bowl aside.
"Isn't the examination in a few days?" Liu Yi asked, and Wen Yu froze, sudden panic washing over him.
He'd known how close he was, but he hadn't really felt it, deep inside, until now. With any of the other examinations he'd taken, by this time he would be doing nothing but studying, only stopping to take a little food. Yet now, with this final and most important examination so close, he found he did not want to go back to his empty rooms and study politics or military tactics; he wanted to stay here, with Liu Yi, and translate the strange words that could only be read by moonlight.
"I'm staying here and working on the poems." He sounded sure, and Wen Yu realized he was sure about this.
Liu Yi watched him for a moment and then nodded. "Do you want me to help you move the desk into the courtyard?"
"Yes, please." Wen Yu stood.
He didn't even want to think about what the guards would gossip about them this time, disheveled and obviously both wearing Liu Yi's clothes as they carried the desk out into the courtyard. Wen Yu set up his brushes, ink stone, and papers. He unfolded the poems and watched the words float to the top of the page, let himself get lost in the language he was starting to be able to read.
The moon was sinking low on the horizon many hours later, and Wen Yu rubbed both hand across his face and sat back. There would soon not be enough moonlight for him to see the words, so he began folding up the sheets of paper. He was closing the second volume when something caught his eye. It looked like writing in a lighter hand than what was on the page, and it was half-covered by another piece of paper. He squinted at the inside of the book cover. The cover itself was made out of heavy paper, but it looked like someone had tried to repair or reinforce it at some point and had glued a page overtop some writing. Wen Yu began using his fingernail to pry up the glued-down page, trying to read what was underneath. The page gave way finally, ripping away from the cover, leaving little shreds sticking to the glue behind.
Correspondence between the Great Physician of the Moon Palace, Jade Rabbit, and her dearest Dragon, Lord of the Jade Mountain. Copied from the original for safekeeping.
It was a very strange inscription. Wen Yu read it twice and tried a few different translations of some of the words, but it made no more sense to him. Finally, he set the book aside, and he allowed himself to collapse back so he was lying on the mat next to the desk, looking up at the sky.
Behind him, the door opened, and Liu Yi moved across the courtyard to sit next to him.
"The translation?"
Wen Yu rolled onto his side to look up at Liu Yi. "It's going well, actually; the language is not as different from our own as I had originally feared. There are some variations, of course, especially in the way the characters are formed, but I think I can make out enough of it to have a basic idea of what they say. It will still be a long time before I can be confident that my translation is exact."
"So?" Liu Yi pulled his legs up so that he could rest his chin on his knees, wrapping his arms around himself.
Wen Yu turned to look back up at the moon. "They are love poems," he said finally. "A little sad and lonely sometimes, but love poems nonetheless."
"So nothing," Liu Yi hesitated, "nothing about what is wrong with me?"
"No." Wen Yu didn't say that it wasn't the kind of text likely to talk about such things; they both knew that. "But I'm not able to read all of it yet."
The sun began to rise, turning the sky pinkish around the edges and bringing a pale light into the courtyard. Wen Yu rolled to his knees and then stood. "I should go back to my rooms today. There are things I need to do."
"Yes, of course." Liu Yi also stood and reached for Wen Yu. "Thank you." He pulled him close into a hug. "Even if what I am looking for isn't there, thank you for doing this and for being here with me."
Wen Yu pressed his face into Liu Yi's hair and returned the embrace.
Seven
Wen Yu looked out the window for what must have been the hundredth time. When he'd gotten back from Liu Yi's rooms at the palace, his little room had felt darker and emptier than it had the entire time he'd lived in the city. His papers and books were spread out in front of him, but they didn't hold hi
m enraptured as they should have. Instead, the city beyond the small window kept drawing his attention.
Setting aside his brushes, Wen Yu folded his arms on the desk and let his head rest on them. He wanted to be out eating noodles and talking to Zhi Ping, or drinking tea with Li Song. Most of all, he wanted to be talking to or playing liubo with Liu Yi. He didn't want to be stuck researching things he hated in preparation for passing yet another examination.
What would happen if I just stopped? Wen Yu wondered, and he felt a wash of sudden dread. He hadn't ever known anything aside from study, and it would kill his father for him to have gotten this far and not take the final Palace Examination. Wen Yu was ranked first in his entire province; to be able to take this examination was his honor and his privilege. Or so he'd been told that his entire life. Who was he not to want that now?
There was a soft tap-tap on the edge of the windowsill. Wen Yu lifted his head off his arms and looked around. A small brown bird with a white and black belly cocked its head at Wen Yu.
"What are you doing just sitting there?" the bird asked, and Wen Yu blinked.
"I …"
"Wait." The bird turned its head to look at Wen Yu from the other side. "You're not Wang Boa."
"No." Wen Yu said. "I'm Wen Yu."
The bird hopped across the windowsill and into the room. "That's unfortunate, but I suppose that can't be helped. I don't suppose you know Liu Yi and if he's still so ill?"
"I do know Liu Yi," Wen Yu said, sitting up to study the bird. A thrush, he realized. A song thrush in particular. "When I last left him, he seemed to be fine."
"Good." The bird turned back towards the open window. "I'll go to him directly, then. Good day to you, honorable student."
"Wait." Wen Yu stood so fast, he knocked a pile of papers off his desk and onto the floor. "I'll go with you."
The bird turned and cocked his head at him again. "But how? You don't fly." Something seemed to occur to him. "You mean walk! All right, if you wish."
Song of the Spring Moon Waning Page 7