Sword & Spear - A Sushang Fanfic

9: First love once more - Reader's side

Chapter art by Don't Obtrusive: https://twitter.com/DO_K02

Sitting in the same open field as when I had the conversation with the General, I thought about what could I have done wrong. Sushang seemed to be greatly troubled over something recently although she refused to tell me. I thought it was something wrong I had done, but no matter what I thought of, my mind constantly drew a blank.

This could not continue.

As I resolved myself to talk things out with Sushang the next day, I heard someone open the gate to the field. The figure was quite a distance away, but the moonlight was just bright enough for me to make out the figure, and that was enough for me to figure out who it was. A slim, feminine figure. Two ponytails that flowed like silk in the soft night breeze, her stride in her step, and even in this dim moonlight, the reflection from the moonlight in her golden eyes.

I stood up and approached her eagerly, finally thinking my chance to clear things up with her and make a confession had arrived. But as I was about to ask what I had done, she made a demand.

"Fight me."

Tossing me a spear she had brought with her, she walked a few steps away before readying her sword. I spoke as I picked up the spear.

"Actually, Sushang. I wanted to-"

"I know," she said, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"No, I wanted to ask-"

She cut me off again. "I've come to put an end to it."

Confused, I took a step towards her, trying to gesture we had different intentions. As I did, Sushang lunged forward, attempting to strike at me with her sword. Instinctively, I took my spear and blocked the attack.

"I was awake when you said it, after all."

Before I could ask, she swung her sword again, the sound of metal clashing once more as I blocked her next attack.

"I know the kind of feelings you have for me." The sound of metal scratching as the weapons ground against one another. "I heard you when you in Bailu's clinic." My eyes widened as I realized what she meant. Sushang continued to go on the offensive, and all I could do was block attack after attack. There was no more hiding my feelings from her.

"That's right, I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you this whole time." I admitted as I backed away, creating some distance between us.

Not even a moment passed before Sushang closed the distance once more. Sushang's strikes seemed to have become laced with irritation, as if she were venting her anger on me. For the next few minutes, besides the clashing of our weapons colliding, neither of us said a word.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Sushang finally muttered. "Why did you decide to stay silent? Did you think I would push you away or hate you after you told me that?" Sushang's swings became increasingly vicious and angry. The dim moonlight caused a poor block, and I felt a sharp pain run up my arm.

Despite the pain, I was determined to talk things out.

"A confession requires a response, and I did not want to force an answer out of you!" One more attempting to back off. "Stop! Please, Sushang! I don't want to fight you!" my words fell on deaf ears as Sushang once more lunged, thrusting her sword at me with killing intent.

"I thought we were partners!" She yelled. A clang of our weapons clashing. "I thought we could talk to each about about anything!"

Feeling indignant, I retorted back as our weapons clashed once more. "What about you? Something's been troubling you lately you refuse to tell me about it!"

"That's right. I'm the same." Sushang mumbled as she leapt away, laughing cynically at herself. She said as she charged at me her strike heavier and more reckless than before.

"I've also fallen in love with you, got a problem with that?"

"Huh?" I gestured for her to stop, shaking my head as if I had misheard what she said.

"That's right! I'm also in love with you too!"

There was a moment of peace between us. Then perhaps embarrassed how her confession turned out, she lunged at me, her strikes becoming reckless, as if she were trying to get back at me for forcing her hand.

After what felt like an eternity, the both of us were finally exhausted from fighting. Sushang tried taking a step forward but her knees buckled as she used her sword as a crutch, after which she finally gave in and fell face up on the grass. I stumbled over and did the same. The two of us now looked at one another, sweating and heaving as we tried to catch our breaths.

"So, when did you realize you started to like me?" I shot the question first.

"I don't know... somewhere after we visited the Golden Willow Woods? You?" She replied between breaths.

"... A little after our first outing to the Sleepless Earl?"

I felt a weak punch on my stomach as I winced.

"That was one of the first outings we had! And you never said anything till now?" Sushang said in disbelief.

I laughed sheepishly. "And it only got worse from there as I noticed more and more of you." I began to talk about the subtle details I had noticed, and under the moonlight, her face began to contort into an embarrassed frown as she began to playfully slap my arm.

"Pervert." She joked as her lips curled into a tired smile and as if in retaliation she began to tell me my subtle acts which I myself were not aware of and I felt my face begin to burn up. After she finished she lightly jabbed me in the arm. "That's how it feels, idiot."

"If that's the case, we're both idiots." I joked back.

"Perhaps we really are."

A soft, tired laugh broke out between us as we lay on the soft grass, both of us realizing how foolish we were, relieved that the burden weighing both our hearts down was now finally removed.

The heat of battle had begun to die down, and as we calmed down, as we sat up realizing we now had mutual feelings for one another, an awkward silence filled the air, both of us blushing, unsure what to say.

"Feeling better now?" I asked. She responded with a small nod. I took a breath to prepare myself before looking her in the eye. "Well, now that we've gotten all our grievances out of the way, perhaps it's high time I gave you a proper confession."

A smile of acceptance formed on Sushang's face, ready to accept my confession.

"Li Sushang, I have fallen hopelessly in love with you. Please go out with me as your lover."

"I... I love you too." She replied as the two of us embraced one another under the night sky, neither of us in the darkness alone anymore.