Tortoise and Fox [BL]

4.5

"... Princess Xinyi?"

Amari bowed back to Leishan, "We have now met."

"I suppose I'm one of the few left who has yet to give you something."

He pulled out a small ribbon, perhaps nabbed off one of many porches giving them out for free. Amari allowed him to approach, before taking it out of his hand with a smile and dropping to the bottom of the satchel.

"..."

Leishan coughed, "Right, the cape is full already."

He faced out, tapping the railway at an offbeat of the music. Perhaps he didn't know, but Amari caught how stiff the man's shoulders were. Amari's lips turned up slightly. Perhaps he had been prolonging their meeting all day... because of his nerves.

Suddenly, the pacing figure of Leishan could be seen in his mind, panicking over trivial details of how he'd woo over Amari.

It was a bit cute.

"They told me... I could stay here. Instead of returning to Nanjie."

"Do you like it here?"

Amari inhaled deeply, puffing his chest all the way out, and then letting it deflate. The cape ruffled in the wind and tugged at his shoulders. The satchel too, rubbed against his side.

"Here... it's strange. Everything is so strange. Not once has someone asked me for rain. Or asked to put me in chains. Here there is no one that fears me."

"I'm sorry." Leishan squeezed the railing, "I failed to do anything sooner."

"I am not your responsibility to save."

Leishan looked over, his following words of regret taken from his mouth. Amari spread his fingers out, watching the blinking lantern lights flit in and out between the gaps of his fingers. A breeze whipped his hair forward against his chin and into the darkness of the voidless sky.

"But," Amari continued," you helped me. Didn't you? Why else could the King of Beijie find me, when even Nanjie's government could not? You told them of my existence. You told them...this generation's Caller had been found. Because you knew...the temples could not ignore such a request from the kingdom to regain their Caller back."

Amari picked apart Leishan's alarmed expression. Fear flickered in his eyes—an anxious, swimming wave that spread to his tense shoulders. Would someone who wanted to take advantage of their past lives as lovers...react so poorly to him finding out? Wouldn't Leishan want to manipulate gratitude out of him for it?

So why was he scared?

Amari no longer knew... what it was Leishan wanted.

"It's true," Leishan admitted. "I told them. A long time ago, I told them."

Amari stewed over the words, unsure of how to dissemble the mixed concoction of emotions pooling in his chest. The folk song ended, and clapping and cheering resonated throughout the plaza. Only as the next song began to pick up, did Amari manage to finally boil down his thoughts.

"I like the people here. The ruler. The misshapen stairs and the countless turquoise murals. The food, too. I like it here."

"Then you should stay," Leishan said, a relieved smile radiating off his face.

Amari was forced to turn away from the blinding sight.

"Why... are you treating me like this? Are you not here to convince me to return with you?"