Sword & Spear - A Sushang Fanfic

12: Countdown to Separation - Reader's side

Chapter art by Manbo: https://twitter.com/manboygxg

After our first kiss during the Xianzhou Festival, both of us became a little bolder and more daring in the ways we displayed affection for each other as if an invisible wall previously between us had been shattered after we had our first kiss. Pecks on the lips became a welcome occurrence, and if the mood was right, longer, more passionate kisses were shared.

But time marched on, waiting for no one - even if you were immortal.

Before we knew it, seven days remained before Sushang and the rest of the Cloud Knights from the Yaoqing had to go home.

That morning after we assembled, the commanding officer for our camp greeted us, and he began to give a briefing. 

"So as many of you should have known, a week from now our friends from the Xianzhou Yaoqing will have completed their training with us and will be headed home." The assembly began to stir a little, and the head officer raised a hand to silence us. "As per Cloud Knight tradition, Cloud Knights with a partner from one of the other Xianzhou flagships will be allowed to take days off on the last three days of their stay. Use this time well, this may be your last time seeing these friends of yours for the next few hundred years. Dismissed."

The mood within the camp seemed to have dampened throughout this last week. It appeared we were not the only romantic couple that had formed during this period. Some Cloud Knights from the Yaoqing seemed to also have found a lover among the civilians of the Luofu on that one fateful patrol duty or day off. Other Cloud Knights pairs were saddened, their bonds as close as brothers about to be severed. Sushang and I were not immune to the heavy atmosphere, and with neither of us wanting to admit that we were about to be separated, a precious day was wasted as we carried about our day on our patrols, spending our free time together as always, but never bringing up the topic of separation.

As we spent another day together in quiet melancholy in Cirrus Square, atop the same lone Perch tree where we had our first kiss. The place was quiet, in stark contrast with how lively it was during the Xianzhou festival. With her head leaning on my shoulder, I decided to finally bring up the topic that both of us were avoiding.

"So what're you gonna do when you get back to the Yaoqing?"

"I... don't know. I'm going to return home, show them how much I've gotten better at handling my sword, and perhaps even show off my result slip from the Language Proficiency Test, even though I already messaged them about it before. But... after that?" She gave a sad laugh. "I don't know." She hugged my arm and curled up into a ball, leaning more of her weight onto my arm.

"I'm scared." She admitted softly. I stroked her head to provide some assurance, her soft brown hair smooth to the touch. "I don't want to go." She mumbled.

"I don't want you to leave, either."

"I feel when I go back, I'm going to miss you so much I'll go insane." Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. Taking a breath to compose herself she continued. "But I regret nothing." A small, sad but determined smile appeared on her face. "I'll go back and tell Mother and Father all about you. They won't be pleased though, and Mother will probably nag at me for finding a lover instead of focusing on my training." She chuckled.

She looked at the platinum ring on her right hand. She lifted that hand, her pinky pointing out. "Promise me, just like how this platinum will not rust or corrode, that you'll remember me before our next opportunity to see each other again after the next few hundred years."

With my right hand, I wrapped my pinky around hers, our platinum rings touching. "Forever and always," I responded as I kissed her gently on the lips.

Five days remain.

"You could probably have a two-night stay at Skyscape Sanctuary." One bunkmate commented, seeing how I was in the dumps. "It's always pretty all year round and a popular spot for couples. No one visits it during this time of the year, so you guys could get to enjoy the last three days with some nice quality time together."

I tilted my head curiously hearing that comment. "And how'd you know?"

"Just did my research on good date spots to visit with my girlfriend. Not that I have one at the moment." He became downcast as he began to wallow in self-deprecation.

After lunch that day, I went to find Sushang and invited her out to Skyscape Sanctuary at my bunkmate's suggestion.

"Let's do that then." She responded almost immediately. After agreeing to meet up in the morning, the plan for our final date was set in motion.

The last three days.

"Yo." I hear Sushang greeting me from behind as I was setting the navigation compass of the starskiff for Skyscape Sanctuary. Skyscape Sanctuary and Cloudfair were almost on opposite ends of the Luofu, and so setting the navigation path of the starskiff took more time than I had expected. Turning around to greet her, my breath was taken away as my eyes opened wide when I looked at her.

Sushang was not in her regular attire. She was dressed in a two-piece outfit - a top secured by two thin straps that exposed her collarbone and a hint of her cleavage and short, frilly detached sleeves that exposed her shoulders. Her top hugged her figure, accentuating the curves of her body and her breasts, covering them with a dark falcon purple dye, and the frilly torso exposing just enough to see her belly button. The bottom she wore was a pair of short, orange-yellow shorts that matched her eyes, exposing her fair legs below. Her footwear was not her usual boots, but instead a pair of shoes which exposed the socks she wore beneath.

"So how do I look?" She asked as she sat on her luggage for our two-night trip to Skyscape Sanctuary. I was at a complete loss for words, and all I could do was nod furiously in approval, unable to tear my eyes away from her whole ensemble.

"You're staring a little too hard, don't you think?" She commented shyly as her cheeks began to turn a rosy pink. She chuckled as she stepped forward to give me a peck on the lips as she hopped into the starskiff.

"Well then, shall we get going?"